Chapter 23

(Gale POV)

It's been a couple weeks now since I transferred to the Defense Department and I'm enjoying parts of it, others not so much. I most certainly enjoy not having to wash dish after dirty dish. I enjoy knowing some of the behind the scenes stuff that I wouldn't otherwise have knowledge of but I hate all the paperwork. And let me tell you, they have paperwork for absolutely everything. They document practically everything you can think of. And I hate paperwork. I like being able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with Madge now. Before, I wasn't able to eat dinner with her because I was stuck in the back doing dishes but now I get to eat with her every night.

So far, I haven't been offered a chance to go out on any missions but that's only because there haven't been any. There may be one soon though. After the bombings on 12, our secret connections with the Capitol sent communication letting us know it was possible some people could have survived but that we should hold off on rescue attempts because the area was under heavy surveillance. Guess Snow and his people were waiting and watching to see if the attack on 12 would produce Madge for them. To see if her curiosity over the fate of her home would peak enough to draw her out of hiding. Fat chance on that. No freaking way would I ever let Madge out of 13 right now, maybe not ever. After her being in the games and then Snow posting her picture everywhere, there isn't a soul in Panem who doesn't know what she looks like, who doesn't know that there's a massive reward hanging on her head. Nope, I think I'll prefer to keep her safe and sound here instead.

I stretch out my arms and roll my neck from side to side. I've been staring down at this mess of papers for hours and my body is aching. Katniss had warned me that a big part of Defense was what she called researching. I hadn't realized what she meant was reading. Because everything is on hold while we wait to return to 12, I'm stuck reading over communication logs. Logs of conversations and correspondence to and from the Capitol and 12. Well, 12 when there still was a 12 anyway. Mostly it's just a bunch of boring stuff about coal production, water or electricity usage or stuff like that. And it's all just between the Justice Building, the Mayor, and the Capitol. Nothing else. No personal conversations of town people who were wealthy enough to have also had phones. So far, I haven't seen anything that strikes me as important. And to me, it seems silly to even have me reading this because I'm not even the first person to read it. There are markings and highlighted sections and the pages are wrinkled letting me know that many other people have already read this. I have no idea why they would think I'd be able to notice something that the rest of them didn't. Mostly I just think it's Haymitch's way of giving me busy work so I don't bug him.

A glance up at the clock tells me it's almost time for me to go meet up with Madge for dinner. Madge was assigned a work position finally. They put her in the Processing Center for now but she was told that might change should they decide she'd be more useful elsewhere. And it's very part time for now. Her team of doctors discussed it and they don't want her to take on too much, too soon. I personally think she can handle it just fine and wish they'd let her work as much as she wants too. And she does want to work more than the meager hours per week they've allowed. She said she gets very bored the rest of the time, which I'm sure she does. Her work in the Processing Center isn't difficult. Basically she just greets and welcomes people into 13 and gets them started on paperwork. Right now she's only working there a few hours a week. The rest of the time, she's just on her own so it's no wonder she gets bored. She did start watching Posy in the afternoons for a few hours almost every day. It was her idea and it was greatly received by my family. Don't get me wrong, we all love our little Posy to pieces but sometimes she's a handful and sometimes it's nice to have a break from her. And I personally like that Madge loves Posy so much to want to get her so often. Old Madge was like that too and I'm glad New Madge is the same in that way.

I'm just about to head out for the day when Haymitch pokes his head into the room.

"Hey kiddo, need ya to come take a look at something before ya go."

"Sure." I say as I shove back from the table and follow him into his office.

"New developments with Madge's father. Thought you'd wanna see for yourself." He says as he clicks on a viewing device and a video clip begins to play.

My stomach churns as I drop down into a chair, my eyes glued to the screen and wanting to look away at the same time. I watch as her father sits, strapped to a chair and looks nearly unconscious as he receives periodic zaps of electricity. The only thing proving he isn't unconscious though is the intermittent sound of his agonizing cries. Haymitch reaches forward and clicks off the device after a few minutes of my watching.

"That goes on for hours but you get the gist."

"Snow aired that for all of Panem?" I ask as I imagine that being played as a mandatory viewing.

"No. Not yet anyway. This is footage from inside the prison. One of our guys just transferred there and he was able to get us a copy."

"When you say not yet…you mean eventually this will air?"

"Not sure but I think so. My opinion is that the longer Madge stays hidden, the angrier Snow will get. Eventually he's gonna pull out all the stops to get her to crawl outta hiding. He isn't gonna let this go. Not now, not ever."

"Can't we do something to help? Something to get her father out of there?"

"Not sure. It would be damn near impossible. Even tougher than breaking her outta that arena. Personally, I haven't ruled it out though. Just wanted to share this with you for now. Gonna be the topic of discussion at tomorrow's department meeting, didn't wantcha caught off guard." He says gruffly.

I nod, swallowing as I try to find my voice. "Uh, thanks." I manage as I stand and leave the room. This was not what I'd wanted to see. Not something that was easy to see. And now, I was going to have to tell Madge about it. Technically, I'm not supposed to tell her since it's classified department information, but after how upset she was last time about the videos of her father there's no way I'm not going to tell her about it. It's going to be hard though to tell her about this just because it is her father and it is confirmation that he's being tortured relentlessly.

There has to be a way though. A way to do something. Anything. How long can Snow torture him anyway? What's his plan when Madge doesn't appear? Is he going to air that horrific footage all over Panem? And then what? What'll he do when even that doesn't give him what he wants? What's his move then? A huge part of me is almost afraid to find out.

(Madge POV)

"Now all you have to do is wrap this piece around here and then give both loops a good tug to tighten it up." I tell Posy as I show her how to tie her shoelaces.

"It's hard." She pouts as she scrunches up her face in frustration.

"Well it is right now, sure. But if you keep practicing it'll get easier. I promise." I reassure her as I untie the laces and hold them out for her to try again.

I've been watching her after school more often now. Being by myself so much was getting very boring and I enjoy her company anyway. And I think that Hazelle, Rory and Vick appreciate a little time without her as well. Living quarters are small here and I think that with her large personality, she can sometimes make those spaces seem a little too small. So when I asked Hazelle if I could borrow Posy most afternoons, she gratefully agreed. As did an eager Posy. So, whenever I'm not working, which is more often than not, I get time with Posy.

Some days we draw pictures, others we go for walks. Sometimes, like today, I try to teach her something new. We've been working on learning to tie her shoes for about an hour now and she's doing better but she still doesn't have it down yet. It looks like it'll take more afternoons of practice before she can do it on her own. But, she is trying and that's really all that matters.

As she sits and practices, I reach down and play with her hair. It's dark just like Gale's is. I wonder, if when Gale and I have children, if they'll have dark hair like him or blonde like me? Or would it be something in between that perhaps? Secretly, I hope that they have dark hair like Gale but blue eyes like me. I think they'd be the most beautiful of children. Ever since Gale mentioned that he wants a house full of children one day, I keep catching myself daydreaming about what it'll be like. I picture Gale coming in the front door, me with dinner on the stove, a whole scad of little dark haired, blue eyed children racing down the stairs to greet him at the front door. I picture it being perfect. Absolutely perfect. And then I find myself remembering how things really are. Or how they'll actually be, rather. There won't be a staircase for the children to go bounding down or a kitchen for me to be cooking dinner in. Nope, not for us. Us, we'll be trapped here in 13. We'll have living quarters, not a house. It won't be the daydream I keep seeing in my mind.

When that brings me down, I try to remind myself just how fortunate we really are to be here and then I feel guilty for even being the slightest bit disappointed that my daydream won't play out exactly perfectly. And honestly, wouldn't I trade all of that in a heartbeat for children who will never be pawns or puppets for the Capitol to toy with? For children who will never have to fight other children just to stay alive? For my husband to have a job that doesn't have him slaving away for ridiculous amounts of hours for pathetic wages? For all of our safety? Yes, yes. If given the choice, I'd trade it a thousand times over again. I'm extremely lucky to be here in 13 and even when that's not what I'd expected my life to be like or what I'd pictured for myself, I should always try and remember that. I am one very, very lucky girl.

I've just finished securing Posy's pigtail braids when Gale comes in from work. I smile as the little girl leaps at him, screeching his name. He swoops her up in his arms and kisses her forehead.

"How're my two favorite girls doing?" He asks sounding energetic but something seems a little off and he isn't looking me in the eye. Something's wrong.

"Madge's teaching me to tie my shoes. It's hard work but I'm a good practicer." She informs him with confidence.

"That's great. Listen, me and Madge can't go to dinner tonight with you so we'll walk you up there to Ma, but then we're gonna have to leave."

Before Posy can even get her tantrum underway, Gale cuts her off, adding, "And if you throw a fit about it, you won't be allowed to come back over tomorrow. Got it missy?" And he says it sternly enough that she clamps her mouth shut and folds her arms over her chest. Still not happy about it but not willing to sacrifice her time with me tomorrow for it.

Yes, there must be something wrong for certain. Gale would never be short with her like that if nothing was wrong. Posy throws fits all the time and usually he just rolls his eyes but today's different. Today he's not having it from her. And the fact that he just said we won't be making it to dinner doesn't forewarn of good things either. Please don't let it be a mission I plead in my head. Please, please don't let him be leaving for a mission. Not yet. I'm not mentally ready for that yet.

After we carry Posy to the cafeteria, we walk silently back down to our place. Gale still hasn't looked my way yet. Still hasn't made eye contact with me. The most he does is reach over to take my hand in his but his grasp is stiff. Whatever's wrong, it's really bad.

Back in our place, we sit down on the bed but before he begins to speak he gets up and starts pacing back and forth the small room.

"Gale, whatever it is, just tell me."

He keeps pacing and then finally stops, turns to me and takes a deep breath. "I saw something today that was hard to see. Hard to learn about. And I don't want to tell you but I have to tell you and I don't know how to do it."

"Just tell me. It's okay, just tell me."

He comes towards me, stopping just in front of me and taking both of my hands in his. Another deep breath and then he finally speaks.

"There was another video of your father. A prison surveillance video sent to us by someone how works undercover in the prison."

I swallow and try to ignore the anxious feeling growing in my chest. "What was on the video?" I ask quietly.

"They're hurting him."

"We already knew that was happening, didn't we? Assumed it at least?" I ask trying to clarify what's different about this time.

"Assuming and then seeing are two totally different things. It's bad. A lot worse than I assumed it was. "

"Do I want to know details?" I ask swallowing. Part of me thinks I won't.

He shakes his head. Closes his eyes. I know he's trying to push whatever it is he saw out of his mind. I refuse to let my own mind start imagining the things he must have seen on that video. I can't let my mind go there.

"Why show it to us? Why send it to 13?" I ask, trying desperately to focus on reasons rather than reality.

He shrugs. "I think just to keep us informed of where Snow's head is at right now."

"Because of me. Snow's still searching for me." I say aloud as it sinks a little further in. "Is he airing the video for everyone to see?"

"No. Haymitch thinks he might show it eventually though."

"And he would do that to try and entice me out of here? To get me to turn myself in?" I ask with a sickening feeling taking over.

He nods. "But we don't even need to talk about that. That's never something we need to even think about."

"Isn't there anything we can do? The person who sent us the video, can't they help him somehow? Do something to make it less terrible for him?" I ask, tears welling up, my voice cracking.

He grabs me and hugs me tightly against him. "I don't know Madge but I promise if ever there's a way to help him, I'll make sure it happens. I promise you that."

He lets me rest against his chest as the tears silently fall. Holds onto me as I try not to let my heart hurt so much for my father. I have such mixed feelings about him and the things that he did to my mother, the things he kept from me and lied to me about but no matter what he's still my father. When I finally wipe the tears away and pull back from him, he brushes his fingertips over my cheeks.

"I'm sorry this is happening. Sorry you had to hear about it. Sorry we can't help him." He apologizes softly as he looks at me. I can see that this is just as hard on him as it is on me.

"Thank you for telling me about it. I know that wasn't the easiest of things for you to have to tell me."

"You wanna go for a walk or something? Maybe see if the cafeteria's still serving dinner?"

"I wish we could get some fresh air." I grumble under my breath.

"Me too. Settle for the agriculture center, sitting under a potted tree instead?"

"If I have too." I say with a sigh as I let him pull me to my feet.

"Come on, we'll swing by the cafeteria, see if Peeta's still there. Maybe he can slip us a snack or something to take with us."

We walk upstairs and I wait outside the cafeteria doors while Gale slips inside to the kitchen to talk to Peeta. I'm not really in the mood to see anyone and chat right now. I'm angry at Snow, worried for my father and the helplessness I feel about it all is making 13 seem more claustrophobic than usual. There just has to be something that can be done to put an end to all of this. There just has to be.

A/N: My apologies for making you wonderful people wait for almost a week for this chapter to post! Hope you enjoy it and I'll try not to make you wait quite so long for the next chapter!