A/N: Thanks to Belle453 for the inspiration and the Beta.
It's Saturday, but Hazelle checks in on Haymitch anyway. She's been working for Haymitch for a couple of weeks now. She's glad Katniss arranged it - and not just for the income. Haymitch doesn't take care of himself, and it's not right that Katniss and Peeta should have to do it. They're still so young themselves. Gale's back is healed enough that he's returned to his work in the mines. Hazelle still hates to think about Gale stuck in the same job that killed her husband, but there's no other choice.
Posy, fortunately, has recovered from the measles thanks to the medicine Mrs. Everdeen sent. Today she's entrusted Rory to watch over Vick and Posy, since she won't be gone too long. Hopefully Rory and Vick won't burn the house down while she's out.
On her way home, for the second time this week, she veers off the most direct path and walks the route past the Mayor's home.
She's always thinking about that night. Her family and the Everdeens' have been linked for ages through Katniss and Gale's friendship. Hazelle is used to debts passing between the families, when each is in need, like when Gale took game to the Everdeens when Katniss was in the arena. Hazelle appreciates Mrs. Everdeen taking care of Gale on the night of the whipping. She's grateful, and she'll do whatever she can for them as well, but she understands Mrs. Everdeen's actions.
But that night, Gale may not have made it without that morphling. Every day, Hazelle remembers those vials. She's tried to imagine the Mayor's daughter that night, fighting her way through that vicious snowstorm, bringing medicine for Gale. What was Gale to her? A classmate, a friend of a friend, what more?
Everyone knew about Mrs. Undersee's headaches. The rumor mill didn't paint the Mayor's wife in a very kind light. Hazelle remembers how the Mayor's wife was absent from the Victor's dinner. Later she had chalked it up to the woman having lost her twin sister in the games - it couldn't be easy for her to welcome the victors - and Haymitch - into her home. So she hadn't thought much of it, but if they had that kind of medicine on hand, then her pain must be more serious than the rumors allowed. No surprise there.
And surely they would have noticed if that sort of medicine just disappeared … which meant that either the Undersees had allowed their daughter to bring the medicine, or it was their idea to send her.
Hazelle didn't know much about the Mayor and his family. But ever since Gale was whipped, she's been thinking about the Undersees. She remembers the old days when whippings and harsh punishments were common, as they are becoming again under Thread's reign. But sometime, years ago, those punishments had slowly become less and less common. She can't even place when it happened. Had Mayor Undersee had a hand in it? He had certainly turned a blind eye to any number of illicit but harmless activities - like her son's - for years, maybe even tacitly approving, considering his family buys strawberries from Gale and Katniss. For years now, the district officials and district Peacekeepers have chosen to ignore most offenses to the Capitol that weren't really any harm.
Thread was a return to those old forgotten miseries, but then the Mayor's daughter had brought morphling to Gale, the very first victim of Thread's new reign. Surely the Mayor wouldn't have allowed it if he approved of Gale's whipping. And they had seemed genuine and caring at that dinner her family had attended before the Harvest Festival.
She doesn't understand why Margaret brought the morphling. But even so, she wants to thank them somehow. If nothing else, she needs to express her gratitude to them.
Again, she hesitates as she reaches the fence that marks the Undersee's property. She's only been in the Mayor's house once before, for the dinner at the end of Katniss and Peeta's victory tour.
Her family has already been through the ringer. Would there be talk simply from her appearing on the Mayor's doorstep? Could it do her family harm? It's hard to see how it would. And anyway, she needs to do what's right, if nothing else to at least acknowledge their gift.
With a deep breath, she pushes through the front gate and walks up to the Mayor's door. She stands there for a moment, trying to stop the shaking in her hands. She doesn't enjoy turning up uninvited at any house in the town, let alone the Mayor's. The lovely sounds of a piano filter through the door. Are they playing recorded music? There's no point standing here in the cold, making a spectacle of herself. After a deep breath, she raises her hand and knocks soundly on the door.
The music stops. Hazelle twists her hands as she waits. In a moment, the door opens and Margaret Undersee stands before her.
"Good afternoon. May I help you?" she asks.
Hazelle feels tongue-tied, unsure of how to proceed. Behind the girl, Hazelle notices the piano.
She can't stop herself from asking the girl. "Was that you? Playing the piano?"
The girl looks slightly confused, but answers, "Yes, ma'am."
"That was lovely, dear. I've never heard such beautiful music."
"Thank you" Madge replies, her cheeks slightly pink. Then asks, "Oh! Won't you come in? Please, it's so cold out today. Where are my manners." Madge steps aside, inviting Hazelle into the foyer.
Once Hazelle steps into the wide foyer, murmuring, "Thank you. I'm sorry to come uninvited..."
Madge continues, "Can I get you something to drink? A cup of tea maybe?"
Hazelle shakes her head. "Oh, no. I'm sorry, Margaret, I just …"
"It's Madge, please."
"I'm sorry, Madge. I didn't mean to interrupt your afternoon …"
"No, it's no interruption, Mrs. Hawthorne. To be honest, I think I've been through my entire songbook twice today." Madge laughs weakly.
Hazelle is used to having to read children. Madge may be almost an adult, not much younger than Gale, but she is still a child in many ways. Hazelle recognizes the loneliness Madge is hiding, and acts on impulse.
"Actually, a cup of tea would be lovely. And please, call me Hazelle."
Madge seems more comfortable now, and leads Hazelle through the imposing house to a large, pristine kitchen. At a large greenhouse window, a small table with three chairs overlooks the back yard.
Hazelle sits uncertainly at the table while Madge busies herself in the kitchen. Madge brings over the plate of cookies and a prepared tray with several teas and a small pot of honey. Then she fetches the mugs and fills them with hot water before sitting down to the table. As she pours hot water from a teapot on the stove, she says "I'm sorry Mrs. .. Hazelle, the Mayor is still at his office. I'm not sure when he'll be home, so if …"
Hazelle interrupts her, "Oh, no Madge. I'm sure the Mayor is very busy. I don't mean to be a bother."
Madge carefully brings the mugs over to the table, placing one in front of Hazelle. As Hazelle drops a teabag into the water, Madge blinks back at her.
"It's no bother. It's just … well usually when people come here it's to see the Mayor. I just assumed …"
Hazelle smiles at the girl. "Oh, no. I'm sorry. I just wanted to thank you. For doing what you did, for Gale. You can't know what it means to me, to our family."
A panicked expression crosses Madge's face. "Oh - You didn't … tell him, did you?"
Hazelle can only think of one reason why Madge would react so strangely. "No, I haven't, there's just been so much lately. I don't think he knows, but ... "
"Good!" Madge says quickly. "Please, don't? I don't want him to know." After a pause she asks, "Is he okay?"
Despite her feeling that Madge already knows how Gale is doing, Hazelle answers, "Yes, honey. He's much better, thanks to you, and Mrs. Everdeen. I just … I am so grateful to you. I wanted you to know that."
Madge's eyes drop to her tea, her face reddening. "It was nothing. He's Katniss' best friend. Thread … nobody even knew he was coming. Daddy had just found out. There wasn't time to warn anyone. And we had the morphling. It was only right to help, if we could. It wasn't fair for - for your family to suffer." Madge blanches at some thought she doesn't share, maybe recalling something from that day.
Hazelle can see that Gale means more to her than a friend of a friend. She likes him, but still doesn't want him to feel indebted to her. The mayor raised his daughter well. Hazelle doesn't want to make her any more uncomfortable on that topic, so she says, "That's so sweet of you, dear. But it was far more than most would have done. Your parents must be very proud to have such a caring daughter."
Madge doesn't answer, so Hazelle asks gently, "The morphling was your mother's?"
Madge nods in response.
Again, something in Madge compels Hazelle to reach out to her. "How is she?"
"She's fine." Madge replies automatically, looking out the window. Hazelle reaches for and touches Madge's hand, resting beside her mug. Madge looks to her, then down at the table with a sad smile. "Well, not really. Some days she's alright. Other days ... well, the morphling helps."
Hazelle knows there are no good words when someone you love is suffering. Her heart goes out to this girl who has to see her mother in pain. "I'm so sorry."
Madge shrugs and looks back to the window.
They sit in silence for awhile, sipping their tea.
Hazelle wonders what the girl's life is like. There's been no indication of anyone else in the house. Mrs. Undersee rarely leaves the house, and must be here somewhere, probably in a bedroom upstairs, dosed on morphling. She knows the Mayor has a staff, but if they are here they must be with Mrs. Undersee. And the Mayor, well as Madge said, he's at the office all day, even on a Saturday. It must be a demanding job, Mayor of the district. And he's practically a single father on top of it? Is this what the girl's days are like? Stuck in this big empty house alone, with a mother too debilitated to take care of her daughter? Hazelle's heart goes out to her. She wishes she could give Madge the warmth and comfort of family that seems to be missing in this big lonely house. Part of her even wonders what it would be like, Gale & Madge dating, Madge at their dinner table in the Seam. But in a place like this, how could the Mayor approve of his daughter dating a coal miner? And who's to say if Gale will ever get over his prejudices, to be able to see someone like Madge for who she really is.
When her tea is drained, Hazelle knows she must get home to her family. She wishes there was something she could do for this quiet, brave girl.
"I don't mean to overstep, but if you ever need anything, will you let me know?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Hawthorne. I'll be okay."
There's nothing Hazelle can do. "Well, I can't thank you – and your family - enough. Please thank your parents for me."
"I will," Madge nods.
Madge walks Hazelle to the front door and says goodbye. Hazelle gives her a gentle hug, trying to keep the tears at bay. Then she turns, and walks back toward the street. It's time to get back to her own children. Right now she feels an overwhelming need to remind them just how much she loves them.
A/N: I have to admit, I've read other takes on this exchange and am not the first to have these two share cups of tea. I hope you like this version. I think they're both in somewhat unfamiliar territory here. Madge would feel pretty awkward around Gale's mom - especially if she has feelings for him. What do you think?