Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.

**BUT this is a continuation of 188, 191, and 192. This is the final piece! I'm glad you've all enjoyed it!**

"I haven't slept in a bed that comfortable in forever," Madge says as she pads into the kitchen. Gale slept on the couch last night, even though Madge argued his legs were too long andshe should sleep on the couch, and Madge took his bed. He smiles at her over his shoulder before getting back to work. "What're you making?" she asks. "Smells good."

"Pancakes," he tells her. "I'm sure Miss Mayor's Daughter has had a few in her life."

"Mmm," she nods and sinks into one of the chairs at the nearby kitchen table. "It's been a while." It's no secret that District 13 wasn't very creative when it came to dining.

"My neighbor taught me," Gale tells her. "He's this burly man, transferred down here from District 7. You've got to meet him, he's taller than me."

"That's possible?" Madge teases, and Gale once again find himself smiling.

She's only been here the one night but Madge's presence has already revitalized Gale so much. They stayed up late catching up, Gale telling her all about his new job here in District 2 and his ridiculous co-workers and Madge telling him stories from District 13 after he'd gone. Gale was right, there was a lot more than just what they wrote about in their letters. He called in today and asked for the week off which they generously gave him, considering he hadn't missed a day since he'd transferred. (Even on the hard days Gale forced himself to go to work. He could always make it until the weekend.)

Gale finishes off the pancakes and heaves two onto her plate, leaving a steaming stack in the center of the table. He pulls out syrup and powdered sugar afterwards. "Never knew how good this stuff was," Gale admits.

"Sometimes the cook would put chocolate chips in the pancakes back home," she tells him. Madge takes a big bite from what Gale's made and sighs. "These are pretty good too."

They start eating and Gale just revels in how easy it is to be around her. There's no pressure to say or do anything, no stress in how to behave. It's just simple.

"So how long are you staying?" he asks. "I've got the week off but you're welcome to stay past that."

"Just the week, for now," she says. "I told Haymitch to set up a room for me so I should head back to 12 eventually."

Gale pushes his food around with his fork. "So it's back to 12 for you, then?"

"Seems that way," Madge nods. "No one from 12 that I knew was left in 13 once your family left. I found it harder to stick around. And I… I have friends in 12 so…" she lifts her shoulders into a tiny shrug. "It's not what I wanted, and it's going to be hard, but it's better than living the rest of my life underground."

And so Gale decides, then, that his mission for this week is to convince Madge that District 12 is not the end-all be-all. And if she doesn't want to stay here in District 2 with him when he eventually asks, because he knows he's going to he just has to figure out the best time, that there are plenty of other places she could go than back to District 12.

Gale starts small. He shows her his neighborhood, which is mostly just a few apartment buildings circling around a small garden with a big fish pond. They spend a long time out on the bench watching the fish swim around.

"District 2′s colder than I expected," Madge tells him.

"You get used to it," Gale returns. After that they walk down Main Street. Gale's not too far from the center of District 2 where there always seems to be a crowd. "The entertainment sector's starting to grow," Gale tells her. More than once he has the urge to reach out and tangle his fingers with hers but she hasn't made and moves on that front and Gale's scared to be the first to tackle it.

It's a balance he has to maintain. Gale wants her to stay in District 2 with him, that much is clear, but he doesn't want to seem desperate. He knows if she says no, that she wants to go back to 12 instead, that he won't stop her. He doesn't need Madge here. But he wants her here. More than anything. He just doesn't want to seem too eager at the idea.

"Do you ever go to bars?" Madge asks as they pass one. It's early evening by this point, they're looking for a place to eat. "They opened one in 13."

"Not a fan," Gale admits. He tried going to a few when he first arrived, maybe to drink away his sorrows, but they were always too crowded and the thought made him nervous. "Here, the restaurant's this way." Gale guides her down the street and they make a few turns before arriving at a fancy looking place. "Existed before the war, actually," Gale tells her as they push open the front door.

Instantly the noise of a crowd hits them. Crowds always make Gale anxious. They're too loud and there are too many moving pieces so he takes a moment, turning away from the noise to collect himself. District 2. Madge is with me. Just a restaurant. He takes a deep breath and turns back to her, finding her reaching out.

Madge rests her hand on his forearm. "You okay?"

"Just needed a second," he murmurs. "I'm fine." Still, she looks concerned. "I'm fine, Madge," Gale says again. "Come on. Let's get seated."

They've just gotten their drinks when she broaches the subject. "I know you wrote that you've been doing better," Madge says. Gale sips from his straw but keeps his eyes on her. "Anything… is there something–"

"Sometimes it's still hard," Gale admits. "But I have ways to keep myself grounded. Just takes a minute or two, usually." She nods but gnaws on her bottom lip. "Loud places still kind of get under my skin," he tells her. "It was loud when we opened the door. I'm alright now, though."

"We didn't have to come."

"I'm alright now," Gale repeats. He reaches across the table and rests his hand atop hers. "Okay? I can handle myself." She nods again, but her eyes are focused on where he's holding her hand.

Their week seems to breeze by a lot faster than either of them planned. Gale savors the moments in the afternoon when the sun warms their skin, where Madge stretches out her arms and remarks that she'll never forget this feeling ever again. He revels in the nights they stay up late, Madge falling asleep on his shoulder as he tells her stories about his co-workers or the people who live down the hall.

It's Wednesday before either of them realize it.

Madge's plan is to leave Saturday afternoon and their time together is already over halfway gone. They do normal things that day but that evening Gale has a plan. "I want to show you something," he says, and of course she agrees.

As they're leaving his apartment building they run into one of his neighbors. A tall cheery girl with long black hair and a smile so bright it's blinding. "Gale!" she cheers from her doorway, balancing groceries in her arms that Gale rushes forward to help her steady. "I haven't seen you this week." Her eyes flicker past him to Madge who's lingering back and he smiles.

"I've had company," he says. "This is Madge."

"Oh, I've heard about you," the girl says. "I'm Karla, District 8."

"District 12," Madge says softly. "Nice to meet you." Karla doesn't echo the sentiment. Once she gets her door propped open she thanks Gale again for his help and scoops all of her grocery bags into her hands. Once they're outside Madge clears her throat. "So where're we going?"

"My favorite place," Gale says. He's always needed a place where he could sit back and think. He had one in 12, and in 13 he was allowed access to the indoor-outdoor fields that reminded him of home. It didn't take him long to find a place in District 2 that made him feel safe.

They have to take a car to get to the place but District 2 is much more advanced than 12 ever was and it's easy enough to flag someone down. They're quiet in the car and Gale notices Madge chewing on her bottom lip more often than not, her eyes out the window. Soon enough they stop and the driver lets them out. Gale steers Madge in the right direction and they get there just in time to watch the sunset.

Madge gasps at the sight and Gale rocks back on his heels, watching her eyes light up. It's the best view in the entire district, he's sure. The sun fading behind the distant mountain peaks, scattering golden light across the valley before them. There's a late at the bottom of the hill they're on but past that are mountains that rival District 12′s for sure, tall and beautiful, untainted by coal miners or those that search for diamonds.

"Wow," she exhales. "It's… remarkable."

"Mm," Gale agrees. He steps toward her and reaches for her hand but at the last moment she crosses her arms over her chest, shivering slightly. Gale waits a minute, turning his gaze back to the view, before looking at her again.

"Your neighbor was nice," Madge says. Gale feels his eyebrows collide. "Karla?"

"She's alright," Gale says.

"Pretty," she murmurs, her voice getting quieter. Gale steps toward her again. Honestly, Gale's relieved she's the one to finally broach the subject. "Gale, I–I know it wasn't fair of me to… to ask you to wait for me."

"What are you–Madge, you didn't ask me to wait for you? I told you I would." She bites down on her bottom lip. "I told you I wanted to see what there was between us."

"I, yes I know," Madge nods. "But you–you haven't…" she trails off. "I understand if there's someone else," she says, finally turning to look at him. Gale shakes his head at her but she keeps going. "It's a new place and there are so many new people and–"

"Stop," Gale reaches for her hands this time. "Stop it. Where's this coming from?"

"You haven't… we haven't talked about it, about us, and I feel like we would've by now if you–if that was what you–"

"Madge," he cuts her off again, but gently. Gale pulls her toward him but she keeps her eyes elsewhere, unable to look at him. "There's no one else," Gale says softly. "I thought the two of us, with the letters, I thought that was something for us."

Her voice wavers, "Me too, but–"

"There's no but," he shakes his head. "There's no one else. Just you." Madge blinks hard and tears come to her eyes. "Hey, hey," Gale reaches up and cups her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"I made you go," she croaks. "I made you leave I gave you an ultimatum and–"

"What are you going on about?" Gale asks. "You didn't give me an ultimatum? Madge, we both knew I was going to District 2."

"I told you that you had to get better or I wouldn't come!" she nearly cries. Madge looks up now, her eyes finally meeting his. "I forced this upon you, Gale. I told you that you weren't–that I wasn't, that–"

"Stop." Madge sniffles and he reaches out, wiping her tears from under her eyes. "You told me you wouldn't come with me because you thought the only reason I wanted you here was because you could bring me back when I was getting bad. And that's valid, Madge. That was part of the reason I wanted you to come." She blinks and more tears fall so Gale quickly wipes them away as well. "You needed to be sure that wasn't the only reason I wanted you here. I understood it then, and I understand it now. You didn't force anything and you didn't give an ultimatum. We both knew me coming here alone was best at the time."

"You needed me," she whispers. "You needed me and I turned you away."

"I needed to grow on my own," Gale says. "I needed to learn to fight my own battles. Is it still hard sometimes? Fuck, of course it is. But I'm stronger now than I was six months ago, and it's because I did it alone." Her chin quivers and he reaches up with his other hand to cup both of her cheeks now. "There's no resentment there, Madge. There never was."

"I'm sorry," she rasps.

"Don't be," he returns. Gale bends down, gently pressing his lips to hers, and Madge melts into him. "Don't be," Gale says again. Her hands anchor onto his shirt as they kiss, gentle yet desperate, frantic and warm and perfect after such a long time. Her hands tangle in his hair, he pulls her as close as he possibly can. The sun is long set by the time they pull away, tears in the corner of Madge's eyes but a soft smile on her face. "There's this, uh," Gale pins his forehead to hers. "There's this ice cream place on Main Street," he says, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. "Want to go?"

"I'd love to," she breathes. He kisses her again before reaching down to grab her hand, off to wait for a car to take them back to town.

She drags him to his room that night, refusing to let him sleep on the couch another day. Gale doesn't mind. It's been a long time, if ever, that a pretty girl's pulled him into bed. He forgets his sleeping pill that night, too distracted by the way Madge runs her hands up his spine under his shirt.

But the idea of being physically intimate, of sex, still kind of scares Gale. He feels like a stronger, braver man now than he has since the war, but it's still terrifying to him. So when Madge gets his shirt off Gale kisses her firmly before sinking onto the mattress beside her and pulling her close. She doesn't seem to care, and he thinks it would be too fast if they rushed into it.

Still, he forgot his sleeping pill. The falling asleep has never been the biggest problem, it's the staying asleep that really gets to him. He isn't sure what time it is that he wakes in a sweat, his heart hammering in his chest and his vision filled with gunfight. Gale tries to climb quietly out of bed and makes his way to the bathroom. He turns the sink on cold and grips the counter top before splashing his face a few times.

"Gale?" he hears.

He lets out a short breath. "I'm fine, go back to bed." Gale can feel her presence in the doorway and he reaches blindly to turn off the sink. "I don't need your help," he says. Gale needs her to know that. That he doesn't need her to come down from this.

"I know," Madge whispers. Then her arms are around his waist and he lets out a shaking breath. She presses a few kisses up his back before holding him close, resting her cheek against his skin. "I know you don't."

Soon he lifts his arms to cover hers. "I'm okay," he murmurs. Madge nods and pulls away and slowly he turns to face her. "I'm okay," Gale says again, this time his eyes on her. "I still get nightmares sometimes, but I'm fine."

Madge smiles weakly. "I believe you," she says. "Let's go back to bed."

Again he allows her to drag him to his bedroom. She snuggles up close to him once they're under the covers and he goes back to focusing on his breathing, finding it a lot easier to do with her by his side. When he falls asleep soon after, he doesn't wake until the morning.

By Friday Gale's taken her to all of his favorite restaurants around District 2 so he insists he cook for her. "An old Seam recipe," he says, and Madge looks excited to try. The problem is he needs to go grocery shopping, and Gale's never really enjoyed the grocery store. The aisles are small and shopping carts make horribly loud noises sometimes and it reminds of The Hob. But with Madge by his side he's sure he can make it.

It's an easy trip. Gale cages her into the cart, his arms on either side of her as they stroll down the different sections. And they're almost completely done picking up everything when a clashing sound (cans? Carts colliding? Gale's not sure) makes his vision spin. Immediately he wraps himself around Madge, leaning down and burying his face in her neck.

"Fuck," he exhales. "Fuck. Fuck."

"It's okay," she says, reaching up somehow to hold him. "Hey, it's okay."

"I told you I was fine," Gale rasps. "Sometimes I go through–it's a few days, sometimes, Madge I swear I'm better–"

"Hey," she spins in his grasp and reaches up to cup his cheeks. "It's okay," she says clearly. "I know how far you've come." Still his heart is racing. He keeps his eyes locked with hers for a long time before nodding. "I know it doesn't just go away, Gale," she murmurs. "I know that. But I know how far you've come since District 13."

Gale wants to melt, then. Dissolve into nothing. Because how is it possible that she's so understanding of him, even now? Even after they spent months apart? It feels like he's never left her side. Gale bends down, kissing her quickly, before returning to shopping. His hands are still shaking, but he makes the rest of the trip without incident.

The meal he's made is delicious, but it isn't until long after when they're out on his balcony does Gale work up the courage to say what he's wanted to since the moment she's arrived.

"I want you to stay with me," he says. Madge tilts her head slightly but doesn't turn to look at him. "In District 2. If you want that, too." She grips the railing of the balcony but still doesn't look at him. "With you here things feel… I don't know, Madge. But it feels like we were never apart."

Finally after a long moment of silence she clears her throat. "It's a big step, Gale."

"I know that." She starts gnawing on her bottom lip. "I know that it's fast, and I know that we're young," Madge only just turned 19 a few months ago, Gale will only be 21 when his birthday arrives in a few months, "and that it's a lot, but I don't care. And I don't really think you do either."

Now she turns to look at him, her eyes almost sad. "What's there here for me in District 2, Gale? I never finished my high school education, I don't have any marketable skills–"

"You could do anything," he tells her. "There are training programs for anything. Or you could go back to school, they have programs for that too." Again Madge looks away. "And if you don't want to stay, I get that. But this week? This week's been everything to me, Madge." She opens her mouth but he stops her. "You don't have to answer me now," Gale murmurs. "You can think about it. Or leave, and come back. It doesn't matter to me. I just…" he sighs. "Letters aren't enough anymore. Not now that I know what it's like."

She nods and slowly looks back at him. "I'll think about it," she says.

"If anything," Gale carries on. "Don't go back to 12." Her eyebrows furrow in confusion and he shrugs. "It's not going to be what you need it to be. I promise. You don't have to stay here, but 12 isn't home for you anymore." Just as it isn't home for me, he thinks. "Your possibilities are endless," Gale tells her. "Explore them. Okay?"

Madge presses forward, wrapping herself around him tightly. "Thanks," she exhales. He doesn't know what to say back, so he just holds her.

Their last day together zips by, and soon enough it's Saturday morning. Gale wakes up a little earlier than her and watches her sleep for a few moments. She looks at peace, curled up in his sheets, and he'd give anything to wake up to this every day. But just because it's what he wants doesn't mean it's what Madge needs. He understands that. It just sucks.

"Madge," he murmurs. Gale reaches forward and nudges her slightly. "Gotta get up," he says softly. "Don't want to miss your train out."

"Nu-uh." Madge curls further into the blankets and Gale props himself up on his elbow. "Not going." Gale arches an eyebrow and she opens one of her eyes. "I'm gonna stay."

He tries his hardest to stay neutral but his voice shakes anyway. "Yeah?" She nods and closes her eyes again. "I don't want you to feel forced," he manages to say.

"I don't," she murmurs. Gale blinks hard and takes a deep breath. "I want to stay." His entire body feels lighter and he smiles, unable to figure out what to say next. "And if things don't work out, I've always got a place with Haymitch." Again she opens her eyes, this time looking a little hesitant. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," he croaks. "Are you–are you sure?"

"Yeah," she nods. A laugh escapes him and he bends down, pressing his lips to her forehead. When he pulls back a soft smile's on her face. "Will you teach me to make pancakes?" she asks quietly.

Gale chuckles, extreme happiness flowing through his body. "Sure," he murmurs, bending down to kiss her again. It takes them a little longer to get out of bed that morning, but Gale doesn't mind.

For the first time since the war it finally feels like he's getting his new beginning.