Disclaimer: The Hunger Games franchise is in the hands of Suzanne Collins, I just love her characters.

AU: mayor's son!Gale and seam!Madge. The Hunger Games without all that tricky love triangle business.

From Madge's spot on the hill she studies the valley below, reveling in the beauty of the morning. She thinks if today wasn't predestined to be terrible, it might have turned out lovely.

She's already checked a round of snares and is now fiddling with a wired contraption as she waits for Katniss. It took her awhile to get used to the knots and the calluses that come with making snares, but now she's a natural. Madge has been learning her way around the puzzles since she was younger, and she never had anyone teaching her how to do it; she had to learn it all on her own. And it hasn't been easy.

Frustrated with the new snare she's been working on she lowers it to the ground and lets out a deep breath. Madge distracts herself by picking coal dust from under her fingernails and notices Katniss running up the hill, a sheath of arrows hanging from her friend's back.

"Morning, Kat," Madge calls. She sits up more and waits for the brunette to join her, leaving her snare in the dirt. "You're late."

"Prim had a nightmare," is her response. Katniss lowers herself to the ground next to Madge and throws her arms back, letting her joints pop. "Been here long?"

"No, but your surprise was starting to get cold." Katniss cocks an eyebrow and Madge reaches around to her tattered backpack, pulling out a loaf of bread. Katniss lights up at the sight of it and reaches forward, accepting the half that Madge is giving her. "Surprise."

Katniss laughs, "Did you get it this morning?"

"Couldn't sleep," Madge responds. She rips off a piece from her half and sticks in her mouth. "Only cost a basket of raspberries. Neither of us like them very much anyway." Katniss nods, and then the two silently indulge themselves in the treat. Neither will mention while the brad was so much cheaper today that it usually is.

They both know it's Reaping day.

As though she forgot Katniss suddenly blurts, "Prim left us cheese." The bread must've distracted her. Katniss digs through her bag and pulls out the perfectly wrapped treat. "Here, have some." She hands Madge a chunk, and the blonde laughs.

"We're really eating like kings today, aren't we?"

"Or Capitol citizens," Katniss murmurs. Madge snickers a bit, and then so does Katniss.

Neither of the girls are much for talking, but that doesn't mean the silence is awkward. It gives them room to think. It's comforting, especially on days like today. They have a friendship unlike any other. Quiet and loyal, trustworthy and sincere.

It was a skeptical friendship at first, too. No secrets, no conversation, no eye contact. Katniss had run into Madge in the woods, a handful of poisonous berries in her hand and her entire body covered in mud, and nearly scared the blonde to death. It wouldn't have taken much. Madge was starving and looking for some sort of way to eat, to survive. She'd been so hungry she convinced herself to slip under the fence and find something, anything, considering her rations had run out for the month.

Katniss knew Madge from school. Everyone knew Madge. She was one of the few girls in the Seam that didn't look like she belonged. Her golden hair stood out against the sea of dark browns and blacks that surrounded her, and everyone else's deep gray eyes didn't compare to her bright blue ones.

It was Prim, Katniss' younger sister, who eventually convinced Katniss to trust Madge. "She's just like we are," Prim had said. "Hungry, scared. She doesn't have a father either." And Madge was smart (she taught herself how to make snares and still continues to do so), tricky (always looking for solutions outside of the box), and charming (God forbid Katniss have any grace when holding a conversation). Katniss needed her for trades.

So sure, the deals and trading came first, but the friendship followed. One day Katniss taught her how to shoot a bow and arrow instead of just using Madge for gathering, and soon after Madge showed Katniss the how to craft some snares. The blonde did everything she could to prove herself to Katniss as a huntress, to show that she's grown from that scared little girl she found in the mud all those years ago.

The day they took down their first buck, together of course, was the first time they shared a smile.

After finishing their treat Madge suggests that they fish, considering it's simple and requires less concentration than either of them have for the day. Most of the morning is spent in silence, but eventually Madge finds her voice.

"Sometimes I pretend I'll never cross that fence again," Madge says quietly. She stares out across the lake and watches it ripple. "I'll just stay here and live off fish and berries."

"They'd come for you," Katniss replies. "Especially today."

Madge lets out a deep sigh and reels in her rod before casting again, throwing it out as far as she can. "I know that," Madge finally mutters. "That's why I said pretend." There's a long pause before either speak again. Katniss casts another time and Madge blows her bangs from her forehead. "It'd be easy enough any other day."

"Madge."

"Come on, Katniss, just think about it." She tiredly lifts her eyes to the brunette a few paces away from her. "My mom wouldn't have to come, she's sick enough as it is. Unless you want to say that the fresh air would do her some good?"

Katniss drops her gaze back to the slow moving lake. "Prim hates the woods. She's terrified of them."

"Because the Capitol isn't scary," Madge mutters. Taking children and throwing them into an arena to fight for their lives. Leaving their people to wallow in starvation. Katniss sits in silence, tugging her rod slightly. "If you think it's a stupid idea then just say so."

"I think it's a stupid idea," Katniss deadpans. "They'd come after us, Madge. They'd cut out our tongues or execute us on live TV. I don't even want to think about what a whip would feel like."

The blonde wrinkles her nose, eventually turning away from Katniss. She's right, of course. The Capitol would kill them. But why can't she dream? Have hope? Life past the fences is so much better than the Seam.

Both girls stay quiet the rest of the day, stuck in their own thoughts and their own worries.

Eventually they start back toward the fence, and on the way they pass the strawberry bush. Katniss slows and reaches into her bag for a container and Madge hesitated before joining her.

"I'm guessing we're not selling these at the Hob?" Madge asks.

"We make triple the pay at the Hawthorne's," Katniss tells her. "You know that." Madge knows that. She swallows her pride and helps to pick the juiciest berries from the bush, gently placing them in the container. Katniss tucks the container into her bag when it's filled to the brim, and then the two start toward the fence again.

After trading a few things at the Hob the girls head to the mayor's house. Madge wishes it wasn't like this, that she didn't have to waltz up to the Hawthorne household and sell her favorite fruit to the boy behind the door and his family that's swimming in cash. For once she would like to keep the strawberries, make some jam. Anything.

But the mayor loves strawberries too, and they make more money this way.

Letting Katniss lead the way Madge lets out a deep breath. She follows her friend up the back stairs and listens to her knock.

He stares down at the polished keys of his piano but Gale won't play. He doesn't have it in him, not today.

How is it fair that while half the District is hardly able to scrape all the coal dust out from under their nails while he got to take a hot shower this morning? Or that for breakfast he sat around a table with his family as their butler brought them food while most every else is starving?

As Gale loses himself in the thought there's a rapping on the back door. He's almost too focused on the contrast of black key white key black key white key that he barely hears it, but the footsteps of his younger brother racing down the stairs makes him leap up.

"I've got it, Rory," Gale calls. The kid stops on the stairwell and leans over the railing, both of his eyebrows high on his forehead. "You've got a Reaping to get ready for, right?"

"Sure, Gale."

"It's your first, make sure you look good. Yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rory huffs and forces himself back up the stairs, one at a time.

Gale finally reaches the door and pulls it open, finding himself face to face with his two favorite people from the Seam. Or, well, the only people he ever has contact with from the Seam.

"It's Tuesday," Gale says, a smile playing on his lips. "I thought you only came on Sundays, Everdeen."

Katniss smiles slightly too. "School's closed. We had a bit of extra time this morning." She thrusts the container of strawberries out to him. "Still buying?"

"Always," he nods. Gale takes the container from her and reaches toward the table inside, pulling out his usual pay of six coins. Three for Katniss, three for Madge. Speaking of Madge, Gale casts his eyes in the blonde's direction and finds her staring at the pin on his shirt. "Can I help you, Undersee?"

"No," she mutters.

He smirks. "Like my pin, do you?" Her face flushes in anger and her eyes crawl up to meet his. At once he's struck by her immediate beauty, completely disregarding the snark he's just made at her. Her blonde hair is tied up in some elaborate bun, loose tendrils frame her face. There's a smudge of coal dust on her cheek. A light dusting of freckles dances across her nose. "You look tired."

"Gale," Katniss warns.

"Are you going to pay us or not?" Madge grumbles. "We have places to be."

"Clearly," Gale nods. He deposits all six of the coins into Katniss' hands and weighs the container of berries in his own. "I don't expect you to attend the Reaping like that."

"God forbid I don't have a golden pin to grace your presence with," Madge snaps.

"Madge," Katniss bites. The brunette lets out a short breath, her eyes flickering between the two of her friends. She understands the injustices of District 12 and knows when Gale's teasing about it all. The blonde, however, doesn't. She takes everything too seriously. Madge and Gale have been worse before, but it's good that the huntress keeps them in check. They could go at it for hours if someone didn't stop them. "We've got to go get ready. Thanks, Gale."

"Sure, Katniss," he nods. Gale watches as she turns, handing over three of the coins to Madge before sliding her own into her pockets. "Good luck today," he says. Madge snorts, rolling her eyes before turning toward the stairs. "You got something to say, Undersee?"

Katniss rests her hand on her friend's arm as if to say don't, but Madge spins around anyhow. "Sure, I got something to say." Katniss' gray eyes flicker with the same sort of apology that she always gives to Gale after they leave. Madge just doesn't understand, and Gale isn't sure he really understands either. "I think it's funny that you're wishing us luck."

"Why is that funny?" Gale asks.

"Because it's your last year. You should have more entries than either of us." Katniss knows immediately where this is going but before she can step in Madge is talking again. "But you don't, of course. It's your last year and we still have at least double the chance of going in than you do."

"That isn't my fault," Gale growls. Madge lifts one of her eyebrows at the harshness of his voice. Gale prides himself on the fact that he can debate with Madge Undersee without turning to anger, he hadn't meant to lash out. But how can she honestly be mad at him for that? "It's just how it is. You know that."

"She knows that," Katniss agrees tiredly. She grabs Madge's arm and pulls her to the stairs. "Good luck, Gale."

He sighs. "You too, Katniss."

The two girls disappear down the steps and start back toward the Seam without another word. With a grunt of frustration Gale makes his way back into his house, nearly throwing the strawberries into the sink as he pounds through the kitchen. It's not his fault. It's how it is. It's not his fault. Why can't she just admit that?

"Why do you have to be so mean to him?" Katniss asks. The question hangs heavy in the air as the two walk, dirt crunching beneath their boots.

It hangs heavy in Madge's stomach, as well. She doesn't mean to be so rude to him. She doesn't particularly like being rude to people at all. But whenever she sees Gale Hawthorne it just builds up inside her, like some sort of fire that can't be extinguished until she snaps at him about something he can't control. She knows it's not his fault, she knows that life in District 12 isn't fair, but she can't help it. Especially on days like today.

Without answering her question Madge tightens her hold on her game bag over her shoulder. "See you at the square," she murmurs. Katniss wrinkles her nose but nods curly, disappearing down the street and making her way to her own home.

Finally Madge gets home and finds her mother resting on the couch, her eyes on the TV screen despite the fact that it hasn't been turned on. "I'm home," Madge calls. Mrs. Undersee shifts in her spot before finding her daughter. "I'm just going to get ready real quick," she tells her.

"Make sure you take a bath," Mrs. Undersee responds.

Madge nods, quickly disappearing down the tiny hall and closing herself away in the bathroom. She lets out a deep breath and glances at her reflection in the mirror. Three more years. This year. Next year. One after that. She can do it, she can get through the Reaping. Three more years.

She spins the handle and lets icy cold water fill the bathtub. The pipes creak and groan and Madge desperately wishes that her mother had boiled some water for her, Mrs. Undersee just doesn't have the strength to be lugging around buckets of water. Madge grits her teeth and eases into the water, telling herself it feels good on this hot day, but it's still much too cold for that thought to have any weight.

Madge scrapes under her fingernails and through her hair, she scrubs at her skin until it's pink and raw. Eventually she pulls herself from the tub and towel dries quickly. Her hair is still damp as she slips into the dress her mother left out. A beautiful little thing that used to be white, though it's grayed vastly from being in the Seam for so long. It's faded and worn, but still the prettiest dress she owns.

She stares at herself in the mirror and frowns. She supposes she looks decent enough. Madge has never been one for presentation. Her hair usually gets thrown up into whatever keeps it out of her face so she can work without distractions, but for today she'll leave it down. In this heat it'll probably even curl.

Madge steps out of the bathroom and rakes her fingers through her hair to dry it more. Her mother is propped up and now the television has been turned on. Replays of the Reaping from District 7 are playing, but Madge doesn't pay much attention.

"Oh, Madge," her mother brightens at the sight of her daughter. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you," Madge responds. She walks the length of the tiny room and lowers herself on the edge of the couch. "Will you tie the back? I can't reach it."

"Of course, of course." Despite the obvious struggle that Mrs. Undersee makes to tie up Madge's dress, she does it without complaint. Reaping day is always a bad day for Mrs. Undersee, Madge is surprised she even made it out of bed. "You look beautiful. So beautiful, Madge. You should wear your hair down more, honey."

Before Madge can respond there's a knock on the door which silences the both of them. Peacekeepers? No, it's too early for that. And it's in the registry that Mrs. Undersee is too weak to attend the Reaping. Madge pushes herself from the couch and strides to the door in few steps, opening it cautiously.

Instead of Peacekeepers Madge finds herself face to face with her neighbor Thom, and he's dressed to impress.

"Well, well," Madge crosses her arms with a smile. "You clean up nice."

"And you," he jeers back with a grin. "Ready to go?"

"In a few," she answers. Madge opens the door so Thom can see in and Mrs. Undersee smiles brightly at him. "Just about to say goodbye," she adds quietly.

"Sure thing." He lifts his voice, "Afternoon, Mrs. Undersee!"

Her mother chuckles, "It's great to see you, Thom." The woman on the couch turns to Madge. "I guess it's that time again, isn't it?" With her stomach knotting Madge nods, turning back to look at Thom. His face is a mask of sadness and he tips his head in understanding before taking a step backwards.

Madge lets the door thud shut and paces back over to her mother, carefully sitting on the edge. It's like this every year. They say their goodbyes now, just in case Madge is drawn, because Mrs. Undersee can't make the trek out.

"I'll see you soon, Mom," Madge says softly. She brushes her mother's silvering hair from her face. "That's a promise, no matter what."

Mrs. Undersee knits her eyebrows but forces a smile. "You're strong, Madge. Just like Maysilee. You could win."

Maysilee didn't.

But Madge would. "I'd win for you," she says. "We could live in a big house and afford your medicine. People would wait on us hand and foot, Mom. We'd never have to worry about anything ever again."

Her mother smiles again. "I'd rather you just stay here."

Madge blinks back tears. "Me too." She leans down and presses her lips to her mother's cheek. "I love you. I'll be home for dinner." After a deep breath Madge stands up. "And if I'm not, then Katniss or Thom will be."

Without another word Madge forces herself to stand and quickly exits the room, letting the door shut quietly behind her. She rests against the wooden frame and takes a deep breath. Don't cry, don't cry.

"Hey," Thom whispers. His voice coaxes her back to the present, she weakly opens her eyes. "Don't stress. You'll see her tonight."

"I know," Madge lies. She had no idea how the Reaping will turn out. "I just… I hate doing that. Saying goodbye. I'm not good at it."

"No one's good at saying goodbye." He nudges her with his elbow. "But don't worry, you won't have to do that today."

Madge hits him back lightly. "I wouldn't be so sure." She has the funny feeling in the pit of her stomach, the same feeling she had right before the sirens went off and alerted everyone of the mines collapse. "Hey, if anything happened to me you'd take care of my mom, right?"

"You already know that I would," he nods. Thom and Madge have had a strange sort of friendship ever since she was little, and it differs vastly from the one she has with Katniss. Unlike the easy silence she has with Katniss, Madge feels like words bubble up from her nonstop when she's with Thom. To him she tells her deepest secrets, to him she shares her fears. "Madge, chances are I'd get picked before you would. Alright? I've got 34 slips, you've only got 15."

"Only."

Thom groans. "Can we not talk about this?"

The thought of Thom being reaped makes her sick. He's the closest thing she's ever had to an older brother.

After walking in a mostly forced silence for the next few minutes, the two reach the square. Cameras swarm into view and peacekeepers line the perimeter and Effie Trinket sits patiently on stage like a painted doll.

Thom swallows thickly and turns to Madge, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'll see you after. Promise."

"Promise," she says back. He crushes her to his body in a hug, wrapping his arms comfortably around her waist. "It's your last year," she whispers as he holds her. "Get past this and you're done, Thom."

"I don't need the pep talk, Blondie," he chuckles. She can hear the terror in his voice. As he lets go of her he smiles weakly. "Give Katniss my best." Madge nods and chews on her lip. He taps her cheek once and then winks before disappearing into his line to get checked in.

Madge watches him go with an ache in her stomach.

After a deep breath and a repeated mantra of it'll be alright, Madge follows. She goes to her own line and waits behind the rest of the girls and sticks out her hand and cringes when they prick her finger and draw blood.

The scanner shines back her name. Margaret Undersee. 16 Y/O. They tell her to move on and she nods quickly, rushing through the crowd of children to find her spot with the other sixteen year old girls. She scans the boy side of the cluster and finds Thom chatting quietly with some of his other friends from school as they wait.

Finally Katniss joins her side. Madge fiddles with her fingernails, nerves crawling through her veins. "How's Prim?" Madge asks. "She doing okay?"

"She'll be fine," Katniss nods once, not even looking over. Her eyes are searching the front of the girls section, most likely looking for her little sister.

Madge sighs and tips her head forward, staring down at her worn down shoes. I'm fast, she thinks to herself. Smart. Brave. I make snares better than anyone. I'm okay with a bow, too. Good enough. Right? I could do it.

Suddenly she's brought back to reality when a microphone screeches. Her hand collides with Katniss' and Madge realizes they both instinctively reached for each other. Both girls squeeze lightly. This is reassuring. This is comforting.

The two girls step closer as the clock chimes 2 o'clock. Katniss must feel it, too. She has that hunter's intuition. That something is wrongwrongwrong.

Gale's father, Mayor Hawthorne, takes the stage and marches up to the podium with ease. Without really meaning to, Madge glances over to the boys section. First she sees Thom, considering she already knew where he was standing. He's emptily gazing toward the stage where the mayor rambles on and on about the Dark Days and the Treaty of Treason and how the Hunger Games came to be.

But then her eyes find Gale's and she's surprised to find him staring back. His eyebrows are knit, he looks upset, but before she can even question it Madge turns back to the stage.

The grip Katniss and Madge have on each other's hand tightens when Effie Trinket takes the stage. The escort's annoyance at Haymitch Abernathy, the only Victor still living from District 12, is obvious. He's drunk and stumbling around, like he always is. The mayor doesn't even bother to stop him this year. Perhaps they're sort of friends, both originally from the Seam now with positions of power.

Madge's mother is sort of friends with the Victor as well, but she doesn't like to think about that.

"Happy Hunger Games!" Effie cheers to the crowd. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Effie calls out her usual ladies first and swaggers over to the bowl. The crowd collectively holds their breath. There are thousands of slips. Thousands of them. Only 15 have Madge's name on them. Her chances are slim compared to others, they just don't feel slim enough.

The Capitol woman dives her hand into the glass bowl and digs through the papers, sharply pulling out one slip. Madge chews her lip and can feel her hands sweating and her stomach knotting so painfully that she feels nauseous.

Anyone but me. Anyone but me.

Effie crosses back to the microphone and opens the slip, reading over it once with a smile. She gazes back into the crowd and clears her voice.

And it's not Madge.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

But oh, how Madge wishes it had been.

A/N: I've been working on this for a really long time, and if I don't post it I never will. It's so hard to write seam!Madge and town!Gale without parts of their personality being vastly different, but it's a work in progress. What do you think so far? It's that whole nature vs. nurture debate. Madge will tend to be a little sharper, and Gale maybe more reserved at times. He's still got that hatred for the Capitol, though.

I'm super excited to finally be posting this. As you know, college is a tough time and I don't know how often I'll get you updates, but you know I never quit! I look forward to bringing in pieces from the series in ways none of you are expecting, at least I hope none of you are expecting them. I love surprising you. Let me know what you think and where it's going. I can't wait for this story.