Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games Trilogy or any of it's characters. All that is by Suzanne Collins. I only own my own thoughts and original characters.

Chapter 1

(Gale POV)

There's no way she'll make it back. It just won't happen. The very second they call out Prim's name I know it's the end. Like a punch to the gut, I feel instantly sick. I can feel people watching me. Staring. Wanting to see how I react. With a tight jaw, I grit my teeth and straight ahead at the stage. And even though I'm staring straight ahead, I don't see anything. Just her, standing there, all brave and fearless. I don't even hear what boy name is called out. Don't see anyone join her on stage. I just see her.
When the crowds start to disperse around me I rub my hands over my face and suck in a deep breath. I know what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to go over to the Justice Hall and say goodbye. I just don't know if I can. I mean, what words do you say to your best friend in the whole world when you find out she's about to die? Still, I should see her. So I go.

Inside, my boots squeak against the freshly polished marble floors and I notice my family waiting in line outside her door. I go to stand behind them but my mother pulls the kids back and motions for me to go before them. I shake my head. I'm not ready yet. I need a minute. I need a lot of minutes.

Her mother and Prim come out, both with tears on their cheeks. They're doomed without her. I'll have to step in, pick up the slack of her absence. They'll need me now if they want to keep surviving. My family goes in next and I feel the just punched in the gut wave of sickness wash over me again. I'm almost out of time. In a minute, I'll have to walk through that door and tell her goodbye and I still don't know what the right words are. Do they even exist?

When my family comes back out I swallow and step through the door. I can't breathe. She's there, motionless, standing by the window. We don't speak for a few seconds. Neither of us seeming to have the words. Any words.

"Gale, you…you'll take care of them? You'll do that for me?" She finally chokes out in a desperate tone.

I rush over to her and grip her shoulders, looking her square in the eyes. "I'll take care of them. I promise. They'll be okay."

"I had to do it. I had to take her place." She apologizes, her eyes looking much more fearful than when she was on stage.

"I know. I know." I tell her, my voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. I want to tell her that I can't imagine my life without her. I want to tell her that she's the best friend I'll ever have and that I'll miss her every single day for the rest of my life. But I don't. I don't know what words to say to truly convey what I'm feeling. So I just hug her. I pull her against me and hold tightly to her, And even though we never do this, never hug like this, neither one of us lets go. Our unspoken silence and our embrace saying all the things we're both wishing we knew how to say. When the doors open again, I tighten my grip on her. "I'll take care of them. Always. I promise." I tell her as my face presses against her brown hair.

Her hands let go as the peacekeeper pulls me backward towards the door. I watch as a fancy dress and blond curly hair goes in and the doors shut behind her. It's the only other friend she has. Madge Undersee, daughter of the mayor.

I let myself sit for a second on a hall bench and I look over at the other door. The door for the boy tribute. I see the line is long. Much longer than hers was. All town people though. Guess I won't have to worry about whoever the boy is trying to take her out of the games. Town people never last more than a day or two. If it'd been a seam guy I might have worried a little but even then, she's tougher than she looks and probably could've held her own. But it'll be next to impossible against the career tributes. Trained killers from Districts 1 and 2. They'll be ruthless and blood thirsty. I shake my head to myself at the thought. As the boy tribute door opens I look up and see the Baker come out, sobbing wife trailing behind him. So it's the baker's kid who's number is up I guess.
I have to get out of here. It's too much. Too suffocating in here.

Leaving the Justice Building, I head through the meadow to the far edge of the district. I slip through the fence and break into a run. It's middle of the damn day and I'm crossing the fence much closer to town than I normally would but I don't care. It doesn't matter. All I want is to escape this nightmare. To be able to breathe and to think. The woods envelope me and finally, I feel like I can breathe again. I stop running and collapse against a fallen tree trunk. She's gone. Completely gone and I have no idea how I'll survive without her.

I stay out in the woods, setting as many snares as I can manage until the sun sets and I can no longer see the knots I'm trying to tie. I'll come back tomorrow and check them. Hopefully I'll get something. It's going to be so hard to keep everyone fed. Two more mouths to feed and one less person to help me out here.

At home, my mother has already gotten the two smallest kids down for bed. She and Rory are sitting at the table folding her wash loads. I don't feel like talking and I don't want them just staring at me either so I quickly mumble a goodnight and head straight for the bedroom. I doubt I'll sleep but I get in bed anyway.

When I get up the next morning, intending to go clear my snares, I'm surprised to find Rory dressed and waiting for me in the kitchen.

"Thought I'd come with you. Help you if I can." He tells me.

"No. I'm not taking you out there." I immediately tell him. I can't risk taking him out there. The less illegal activity he has to partake in, the better.

"C'mon Gale. You'll need the help." He argues.

"If you want to help, you can chop wood. Take a cord of it over to the Everdeens." I tell him. I expect him to argue more and insist on coming with me but he doesn't. He just nods and heads out the door. He's the same age as Prim. Yesterday was his first time in the reaping too. It could have easily been his name that was pulled. Prim only had the one slip and same for Rory. And if it had been his name pulled, I'd have done the same as Katniss. I'd have stepped up, taken his place without hesitation. And it would be Katniss who would be trying to take care of my family for me. It's so screwed up that it even has to be this way. So wrong how they torture us for their amusement. They even call it a game. As if we're just playing. As if it isn't real life and death.

In the woods I find my snares have caught only a few small squirrels. Even if we stretch it by making stew, it won't be enough to keep us fed for more than a day or two. How in the world am I going to do this? How can I possibly provide for 7 people?
Back at home I give my mother the meager haul from my snares. She assures me that she can stretch it to at least two days worth of stew. I can only hope she's right.

(Madge POV)

I never really enjoy school but I'll enjoy it even less today. Today, I'll have to look over at Katniss's empty seat and be constantly reminded that she's gone. And because of who I am, I won't be allowed to fall apart about it. Not publicly anyway.

I'd gone to say goodbye to her yesterday and to give her my gold mockingjay pin. She of course hadn't wanted to accept it but I'd insisted and pinned it to her dress myself. It was my token for the games, should I ever be the unlucky girl whose name was pulled. My mother had given it to me years ago, just before my first reaping. She's told me to wear it, that it would bring me luck in the games should I have to be in them. I can only hope that holds true for Katniss. She'll need all the luck she can get. No one from our district ever wins the games. In all the 74 years that they've been held our lone victor was Haymitch Abernathy. Our citizens were just no match for the highly skilled, well trained tributes of Districts 1 and 2. I can't believe she's going in there. I mean, I can believe she volunteered for Prim but I just can't seem to wrap my head around the idea of her actually being in the games. Maybe my mind just doesn't want to picture it.

At school, as I anticipated, I find myself getting more stares than usual. Lunch, alone at the table I usually shared with Katniss, is the worst. I can actually hear people whispering all around me though no one, not one single person, bothers to come and actually speak to me directly.

I decide to feign a stomachache and leave school early. Because I never, ever miss classes, no one doubts me when I ask to leave. My teacher just approves it and I sign myself out for the day. As I leave the building, I decide I should check on the Everdeens. Katniss was their main provider and with her gone, I'm not sure how they'll fair. I stop at one of the shops in town and pick up a few things. Not much, just some cheese, fruit and a loaf of bread. Normally Katniss would never allow me to do such a thing and she'd launch into a rant about not needing charity but something tells me that right now, if she could see me doing it, she'd be okay with it. It's to help Prim after all. Mrs. Everdeen was a widow and while she was extremely talented in healing she was also commonly checked out of life, consumed with grief over the death of her beloved husband years earlier. Yes, right now, given the circumstances, I truly believe Katniss would want me to help if I could.

When I arrive at the small, dilapidated Seam house, I'm only halfway surprised to find Prim at home. Apparently she couldn't handle being at school today either and I can't say I blame her.

"I brought you a few things." I offer up gently when she opens the door. Her eyes are red and puffy and it goes without saying that she's been crying. She looks so tiny and frail that it's nearly impossible to believe that it was her name pulled from the reaping bowl yesterday. She wouldn't have lasted an hour in the games. Too small, much too young, much too gentle.

She sniffles and tries to smile. "Thank you."

I can't imagine the heartbreak she must be feeling. She must be so scared right now. "Is your mother home?" I ask, hoping that the poor girl isn't here alone.

"She's sleeping. Did you need something from her?"

I shake my head gently. "No, I don't need anything. Mostly just wanted to bring you the food, to check on you two."

"Oh." She replies quietly.

"Well, I'll see you later, okay?" I say as I turn to head home. I stop midway and look back at her. "And Prim, if while Katniss is gone, if you should need anything at all, please let me know, okay?"

"We'll be alright." She assures me through the saddest of smiles. I can tell she's grateful for the food I brought but I can tell she's basically all alone and hurting in an unimaginable way. I wish I could do more for her, wish there was a way to make this less terrible, but there isn't.

I walk more slowly on the way back to town. I'm not ready to go home and face our guests. Anytime the Capitol sends people to our district, they stay at our house. My goal is usually to avoid them whenever possible and I hadn't thought that through when I skipped my afternoon classes. I'm not certain I would have the energy required to entertain them at the moment. No, right now it's probably better for me to make myself scarce. So when I reach the edge of town I let the path lead me the long way back to my house, walking through the streets of town between the shops.

I notice that the bakery is closed today. Poor Mr. Mellark. I hate that they pulled Peeta's name. He's too kind to be in the games. And I know a secret about him that will make this particular games all the more challenging. He is in love with Katniss. He has been for a long time now. He told me that once, in confidence. Not so much because we were such close friends or anything but on a date once it came up. We'd only been on two dates and that was almost a year ago. Arranged by our parents. They'd thought we'd make a nice match. We didn't. Poor Peeta was so worried I'd be insulted that he wasn't interested in dating me. He'd finally told me on that second date that it wasn't fair to me to not tell me that his heart was being saved for another girl. It didn't matter to me. I wasn't offended. Sure Peeta was a nice boy and good looking too, but there just wasn't the sort of attraction there that made me want anything serious with him. In truth, I myself was only accepting his request for dates because I wasn't given a choice. My father had spent the past year and half arranging for me to date certain boys in town. I knew I wouldn't be allowed to decline a request for a date. Being the daughter of the mayor came with obligations, expectations if you will. I was expected to find a suitable partner to spend my life with. A boy who would be a potential successor as mayor of 12 when my father retired. So, needless to say, when Peeta divulged his secret love for Katniss, I felt relieved. I'd promised to keep his secret and I had. I never told a soul. Didn't feel as if it were my secret to tell though there were times when I'd wondered how Katniss would respond if I told her. She'd never shown any romantic interest in anyone. Most people assumed she and Gale Hawthorne were an item. I knew the truth. They weren't and never had been. No, they were more like brother and sister, best friends. But now, now that they would be tribute mates, I wondered if Peeta would tell Katniss how he really felt about her. It would be his last chance to let her know. I imagine he'll try to find a way to protect her if he can though I doubt much will come of it. Like I said, our tributes never win the games.

As the road from town ends and I reach the walkway that leads up to my house, I pause and inhale a deep breath. I need to look calm and collected. Pleasant even. Our Capitol guests will be expecting that of me. My father will be expecting that of me. I smooth my hands over the curls of my hair and glance down over my dress. My walk on the coal dust coated paths of the Seam was evident around the hemline of my dress. I'll have to change before anyone sees me. I slip through the yard, making my way to the back entrance of the house. The one that only the servants are supposed to be using.

I manage to slip inside unnoticed and up the back staircase to the second floor.
In my room, I quickly change out of my dress and into a clean one. I hide the other one in the bottom of my laundry hamper. I can explain and apologize to Gertrude later. She is the housekeeper that did all of our laundry and cleaning. A quiet, widowed woman from the Seam who had come to work for my family the year after I was born. Having been around her my entire life you would think we would be close, that we'd have some sort of bond but we don't. She keeps to herself and her work. And it's probably for the best. My father isn't very fond of having chatty servants. He always wanted a clear line of division between us and the help. I never saw it that way. To me, people are just people. Some are nice, others not so much. What job they hold never mattered to me. No, to me, people are just people.

I can't hide out in my room much longer. I'll be expected to be seen mingling amongst the Capitol guests. One deep breath in and I head downstairs. Phony smile pasted on my face in the hopes that no one will notice just how awful I really feel.

A/N: Well, after many months away, I find myself once again with the itch to write more Gadge fics. Not even sure if anyone is still out there reading Hunger Games Fics but here goes another attempt at a Gadge love story, hope you enjoy! Next chapter coming very soon!