Disclaimer: I'm just playing with Suzanne Collins' characters and her world. They're hers. Not mine.

Where we're going

Gale found the house while out driving one day and loved it from the moment he saw it.

They were pushing to give him a desk job now that the new government was more settled, most of the work he'd been doing was finalizing, he won't be able to drop in on Madge in Ten as often. He can't stomach that.

He couldn't imagine his life without her, and he didn't want to.

He'd considered getting another apartment, like the one he'd had when the military had paid for it early in his career, but it seemed a waste to him. Pouring all that money into something he wouldn't even own reminded him too much of the little house his family had rented from the government in the Seam.

There was his mother's house, but that would put an end to he and Madge's nighttime activities. She wouldn't even let them share a bed during visits. He still cringed remembering the first time they'd stayed there after getting together.

"Gale," his mother had shaken her head, fighting off a smile. "I cannot let you and your girlfriend share a bed when your brothers and sister are in the house."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Why not?"

Her eyebrows rose, "Don't pout. You know why."

Gale uncrossed his arms, then recrossed them, huffing. "We aren't going to do anything. We just got together. She ran off crying when I kissed her."

"Maybe you're out of practice," she smirked. "Honey, she may not be up to kissing, but the way you're pawing at her constantly, even if you aren't doing anything in bed, I guarantee your siblings will think you are."

"I don't paw at her," he muttered. "And we share a bed all the time."

He'd belatedly realized his mother wasn't aware of that bit of knowledge when she turned to him with arched eyebrows and wide eyes.

Damn.

"And why, exactly, do the two of you need to share a bed all the time? Is there a bed shortage at the hotels that I'm unaware of?"

Gale rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her stare.

"Uh, I mighta made it seem like, you know, they needed the rooms for the other guys and their families, and, uh, made her feel a little guilty for taking up space…"

It hadn't been a total lie. There were a lot of officials and military officers traveling, filling up the tiny hotels. They often did run out of rooms. The bed thing was a little bit more of a stretch, but she hadn't put up much of a fight, so he didn't feel too guilty.

His mother's mouth had pressed into a thin line. "The answer is still no."

In the end he'd listened to Rory snore all night instead of the soft, infrequent noises Madge made. He'd spent the next few nights racking his brain on how to avoid the same situation the next time the two of them came up.

It had been a blessing in disguise. Madge had been a ball of nerves about the bed situation, had it in her head he was expecting her to jump his bones the first night out. He wouldn't have minded it, but he certainly hadn't thought it was even the remotest of possibilities. While she was fine with him touching her, kissing her too, it had turned out, even practically crushing her in her sleep, she just hadn't been ready for that.

They were well past that now, and he was constantly grateful for it.

He'd continued to accepted his mother's hospitality, even with the stipulations it put in place, for the short stays in Two he and Madge made. Now, though, it just wasn't an option, not for him.

The possibility of not seeing her as much as he had was unacceptable, especially when there was a house as perfect as this just ripe for the picking.

Enormous old trees with limbs heavily laden with lush leaves surrounded it, cut it off from the neighbors for the most part. It was larger, much, much larger, than his family's home back in the Seam had been, but far smaller than the Mayor's house had been. Stone and wood, two story with a wide porch and a sunny patch in the backyard for a garden.

"I can't believe you just bought a house," Vick grunted as he helped pull the carpet out.

"How do you know she'll even want to move up here?" Rory wheezed. "She might turn you down flat. Then what? You're stuck with this stupid house."

Gale just ignored him and the bubble of worry in his stomach. He didn't know what Madge would say about the house. He hoped, prayed, she would see it for what it was: the next step in their relationship, the next step toward what he felt was their future.

He'd just finished stripping the hideous blue floral wallpaper from the master bedroom upstairs, when there was a soft knock on the door. His mother stood smiling in at him from the entrance.

"Brought you something," she held out a little package, a brown paper bag.

Gale took it, opening it and pulling out a small wooden box from the bottom. He opened it to find a small pendant, silver with a tiny stone, shimmering white and no bigger than his smallest finger nail.

He dumps it into his hand and examines it, rolls the smoothness between his fingers.

"It's a pearl," she tells him. "It's been in your father's family for ages. He gave it to me when we got engaged. I thought about pawning it, a few times," she made a pained face. "I just-never could part with it."

Gale felt his mouth droop. She looked disgusted with herself for her one small luxury, her only memento of her long dead husband.

"Mom," he reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you didn't sell it."

She wouldn't have gotten even a fraction of its worth, monetary or sentimental, if she had. It was so tiny, he thinks she's probably had it with her every day since it was given to her. It's possibly the only thing besides their clothes and Posy's rag doll that survived the trek to District Thirteen, because of its size.

He pulled back. "Why are you giving it to me?"

She plucked it out of his hand and smiled at it.

"You're going to ask Madge to move to two? Move here?"

Gale gave her a cautious nod.

"Move here. Not get married." Not yet anyways.

His mother took his hand, pressed the pendant into his palm. "You love her. You're going to ask her someday, and you're very spontaneous, Gale, I don't want you proposing to the poor girl with nothing at hand."

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"Gale who are we visiting?"

He'd had to cover her eyes with a strip of cloth; she wouldn't stop peaking from the passenger side seat.

"I'll trip and fall, you know?" She told him, trying to look annoyed as he opened the car door for her, but failing miserably. There was a trace of a smile fighting its way onto her face.

Gale grunted as he picked her up, causing her to squeal. The neighbors are going to think he's some kind of kidnapper. He carries her up the steps and quickly opens the door, depositing her gently onto the wooden floor, her shoes softly clicking as they make contact.

He'd left the windows open, letting in the fresh spring air, warmth, and sunlight. Dust dances in the light, hovering over the bare floor. It smells like fresh paint and cleaning solution.

He unties the cloth and steps back.

Madge's eyes widen as she stares at the room, dumbstruck for an eternity before she speaks. "It's…a house."

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

He sees her ponytail sway as she nods, turns her head and inspects the strange new surroundings.

Gale takes her silence as an opening to explain all the great things about the house.

Running water. That's very important to her.

Heat and air. She hates the cold, but she also loves the air conditioning, so a plus.

She can pick out the furniture, the wall colors, the flooring, he'll even let her get new appliances even though he feels the current ones are more than adequate.

It'll be her home. More a home than her parent's government designed and decorated house back in Twelve had been and more a home than the little apartment she shared in Ten, which actually belonged to her friend.

He might technically own it, but he was giving it to her, if she wanted it. He'd cleaned it out, torn it down, stripped it to its bones so that she could make it her own.

She's very quiet, walks into the kitchen and running a hand over the stone of the counter.

"You…want me to move to Two?"

The uncertainty in her voice makes his stomach drop.

"I…You know about the job." He runs his hand over his face and lets it settle on his neck. "I know it's kind of sudd-"

Gale is nearly knocked off his feet by the force of Madge as she flings her body at him. Her face is pressed into his sternum, her arms locked around his waist. "Yes."

That was easy.

She looks up at him, a bright smile on her face, "I've been so worried, since you told me they wanted you more permanently in Two. I-I was scared, didn't know what we were going to do." She sniffles, fighting off the shine of tears in her eyes, "I was going to ask you if-if you'd want to move in together, but I was afraid-"

He cuts her off with a hard kiss, then laughs and she presses her ear to his chest. They'd been on the same page at least, he liked it when that happened.

She's started giggling when he dips down and begins kissing her again, first her lips, then peppering her face and neck, working down to her neck…

He's about to lower her to the ground, get the christening underway, when she starts babbling about all the things she needs to do.

"-and how do you feel about sage for the walls? Or maybe taupe-"

Gale covers her mouth with his hand. She could paint the walls fluorescent green for all he cared. As long as she came with them, it didn't matter.

"Don't care," he grunts before heaving her up. Maybe she'd get the right idea if he took her to the bedroom. Not that there was a bed, one more thing she'd get to pick out, but he didn't care much at the moment. He's reasonably certain Rory left a drop cloth in there and that'll do as far as he's concerned.

As he's finally getting her to cooperated, jumping up and wrapping her legs around him once he's up the stairs and slamming the bedroom door behind them before pushing her up against it, he feels his mother's pendant in his pocket.

He doesn't think they're ready for marriage yet, but her reaction and having the little charm at hand makes him a little more certain that's where they're heading.