It has been FOREVER. Yet, everyone has basically asked me to write another chapter to this story. I have since then written about twenty different chapters to fulfill that request. This story is my favorite I have written and nothing seemed to top or reflect the first part. I'll let the waiting cease!
These are snippets of my favorites including a somewhat alternate ending to the first chapter.
Before Madge marries Snow.
"Perfect rouse, I couldn't come up with a better plan myself. Yes, it's quite clever actually," Haymitch said touching his fingers to his lips.
"I think it's a bad idea," Gale countered, "but interesting to think about". Madge sat on his knee, her green dress, the color of polished emeralds, spilled around his lap in a halo. She glanced over her shoulder at him, tossing ringlets onto her back.
"Come on, you know I've always wanted to be a spy," she winked, toying at her locket.
"Bloody hell..." he muttered. She smirked.
"So it's settled?" Haymitch asked, glancing between all of them. The dust settled in the Hawthorne's living room before anyone answered.
"No," Peeta said and rested against the window sill. "It has to be harder than that." He pulled at his collar.
"I'll throw in my acting skills," Madge continued, her grin returning. "Gale knows all about those talents too."
"You're embarrassing me," he muttered under his breath and ticked her side. She let out a streak of laughter.
"Gale Hawthorne... embarrassed? Never!" She said and fanned herself, a light pink rising to her cheeks. "That reminds me... I could always show some of my assets. Gale could tell you all about as well."
"Stop it, Madge, this is serious," Peeta seethed. Gale's hands clenched around Madge's hips.
"As I was saying..." Katniss continued bright red.
"Wait..." Gale said holding up a hand. "You can't be serious about all this," he glanced between Haymitch, Katniss, Peeta and then finally at Madge. "It's... well... It's insane. It's certainly not going to work. Is it even worth the risk?"
"Of course," Madge sighed and pushed a curl out of her eyes, shaking her head, the curl fell back in place. "Besides... what's the worst that could happen?"
Moments after Snow attacks.
"Hey, aren't you coming back to the party?" Gale asked, sneaking back into the room. He stopped. The lights were out and abstract shadows had taken over the walls and floors. "Madge?" He called softly and started to turn back to exit.
"Shame," he heard from across the room. Gale froze. "Shame..." Snow repeated, coming out of the shadows and into the beam of moonlight, "she wasn't more of an actress."
"What did you do with her?" Gale demanded and started for the middle of the room. He stopped, catching a glimpse of the dark streak of red, pooling on the floor.
"I'm sorry," Snow sighed, "it couldn't be helped." Silence fell over them like a blanket
"Couldn't be helped," Gale repeated finally, bile working up his throat, staring at the body between them. "That's all you can say?" He asked, glancing up, calculating the number of steps to the older man in front of him.
"When you're ready... do come back to the party. It's too extravagant to be missed." The door clicked shut signaling Gale was alone. He crossed the room in two strides and knelt beside her.
"Madge?" He whispered and peeled her hair out of her face. Her eyes shifted up at him, the cool blue irises reflecting in the moonlight like diamonds. Blood trickled from her mouth. She tried to smile and shifted her hand to his knee.
He took her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth. Her skin was cold as ice. "Don't forget me," she whispered hoarsely, spitting a little blood.
"Never," he whispered and touched her cheek. She blinked... "Madge," once... "Don't leave me" twice... three times and was gone. Madge died looking up at the moon flooding the room. Gale closed her eyelids slowly, taking in every detail of her face.
Strawberry red blood staining the snow white floor.
Just before Coin is executed.
What's the worst that could happen?
He sat in front of a bottle, fat, dark brown with little labeling, half empty. A stout glass in hand, twirling.
"No," he muttered to the brim. The person behind him didn't stop talking. He blocked them out, listening to the ice cubes tinkle against the glass.
"Gale, are you even listening to me?"
"No," he answered and took another sip. He grasped the fat bottle and poured, draining the contents further.
"This is important."
"No," he sighed and glanced up. The bar was dark but in the flickering neon lights he could make out his reflection. His hair was just past his ears, shaggy, and unwashed and his facial hair was straggly and unkempt.
"Look at me," he turned slowly, looking at his friend.
"What do want?" He asked looking down at his cup and then back.
"Was it you?" She asked.
"That's a bit vague," he squinted at her, "want to try again?" She looked perplexed. "Didn't think so..." he turned back to the bar, gulping down his glass again.
"Do you even see yourself?" She asked him, "Do you even care?"
"No."
"We're back to this again?" She asked.
"Katniss," he said softly, "why the hell are you still here?" He turned towards her again. This time he got a good look at her.
Her hair was in a signature braid over her shoulder and her eyes glistened with anger. She barred her teeth and spit her words at him, one by one. "Did you kill her?" She shoved a finger at his chest.
"Prim?" He asked, removing her hand and started drinking from the bottle directly.
"I'm so glad you remembered her name," she spat, setting her hands on her hips. He ignored the accusation.
"Probably," he sighed, "I mean... you were going to blame me either way- right?"
She stayed silent.
"Right?" He asked again, "Because that's all that matters- someone to blame. Fine. I'll take the blame. Lay it on me. While you're at it blame me for everyone else you lost." He lifted the bottle in a one-sided toast.
She stared at him.
"It'll be good. You don't have to see me, I don't have to see you... positives all around."
"That's what you really want? To not see me anymore?" She wondered quietly.
"Are you surprised?" He asked.
"A little," she shrugged. She pulled a barstool near him and sat down. They sat in silence for a moment. "Do you blame me too?" She asked.
"Every single day," he bit out and swung the bottle to his lips.
"I see..." she nodded. They sat in uncomfortable silence.
"Actually," he said, "I don't want you to blame me anymore."
"What?" She asked.
"I don't deserve it," he shrugged, "It was my design, sure. I designed it to be deadly and unforgiving but never in my dreams did I make it to kill children. I made it for Snow. Only for him. That's how I made all my designs. I think like him and calculate like him and I hope to mass produce." She stared at him, leaning forward towards him. "I never once wanted them to be used in a crowd of our own, with children, with innocents. Just Snow. I never even thought of them ever being used." He leaned into the bottle.
"Its war, Gale, what did you expect?" His hands shook against the bottle.
"I expected her to be with me," he murmured, "she..."
"Who?" Katniss murmured back, "Madge?" His mouth went dry.
"You killed her," he whispered, "I blame you," his voice rose, "it was all your idea. Stroke of brilliance- that's what you called it."
"No... I..."
"Don't try and deny it," he warned, "we all know the truth."
"It wasn't my idea," she sighed and stood up.
"It was," he whispered and stood up with her, his legs shaking and sinking towards the ground. He pulled the bottle off the counter.
"No," she said, more confidently.
"We were all there..." he said and took a wobbly step towards her, lugging the bottle with him. She stepped back and held up a hand.
"You know it was her idea, Gale," she said, "but go ahead and blame me, just as I'll blame you."
"She trusted you. All she wanted was for someone to see her as strong, someone needed. You led her to believe this was the only way to help. She did it for you. I blame you."
"She gave me the pin," Katniss said and ran a hand up and down her arm.
"What does that have to do with it?" Gale asked.
"Everything," Katniss muttered, "it started everything. I never wanted any of this to happen."
"It's just a pin," Gale countered, "you're the one who volunteered to begin with."
"Stop," she warned him.
"You have someone to love you," he pointed out.
"So do you... a whole family," she reminded him.
"It's not the same," he muttered, glancing at the ground.
"No, but you have someone in your life. Don't take that for granted." His knuckles turned white as he made a fist and his jaw ached with tension as he barred his teeth.
"Don't tell me..." He raised the bottle to hit her but the bar was empty. He looked around, the tension leaving him.
He glanced down at the floor. The wood planks twirled with his vision and multiplied. He took another step forward. His trousers were torn and dingy, his nice collared shirt was untucked in only one place and his belt was undone. "Madge," the name sounded foreign on his lips. He teetered forward, kneeling on the ground. "I don't blame you."
Before.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Gale repeated and sighed, giving in. Madge smiled and kissed his cheek. Gale pulled her closer, memorizing the scent of her hair and the smooth texture of her skin.
"I won't let you guys down," she promised, glancing around the room in excitement. Gale pressed his lips to her neck.
"I believe in you," Katniss nodded, glancing over at Peeta and Haymitch. Gale's hands shook.
"We believe in you," Peeta agreed and smiled slightly. Gale held back his plea.
"Then it's settled," Haymitch said, hitting his knees, "you're off to the Capitol." The crowd of Victors left the room, talking among themselves.
"Don't go," Gale whispered into her skin and pressed his lips to the base of her neck.
"I have to," she whispered and glanced back, her eyes glistening with tears, "I promised."
Hope it is everything you wanted.