Katniss Everdeen wakes up before the sun, like most mornings in the apartment above Everdeen's, District 12's only bakery. Rising slowly, she smiles slightly at the clatter of her younger sister, Prim. Hurriedly, she throws on jeans and a tank top before heading downstairs to help her father and her sister.

"Where's mom?" she asks. Her small blonde sister, just thirteen years old, stands near her father, kneading dough.

"Apothecary!" her sister chirps. Her little brow furrows as she continues her work. Katniss laughs.

"Little Duck, go help mom. You're much better at healing than you are at baking."

Prim sticks her tongue out but smiles, says goodbye, and crosses the street to their mother's apothecary. When their grandfather had passed away two years ago, their mother had stopped work at the bakery to resume her work in her family's old shop.

"Good morning, Mockingjay!" her dad exclaims jovially.

"Morning, Pop," she replies happily. "So what are we making today?"

"Well, it's Sunday, so we oughta bake the trading loaves first. The boys have been coming by earlier and earlier, I swear."

Katniss bites back a smile and nods, hurriedly kneading the dough in front of her.

"I see that blush," her father teases.

"Dad!" Katniss groans.

"Okay, okay," he laughs, raising both of his hands in surrender. "If you don't want to talk about your knight in shining armor, then at least get a couple more loaves going."

She rolls her eyes at him and continues to go about her work, humming along with her father and occasionally picking up a song, absentmindedly singing it together. Before she knows it, it is eight o'clock and there is a knock on the door. Without thinking about it, she brushes a flour-covered hand over her hair and swings open the back door to the kitchen, resisting the urge to shriek as she sees Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne standing at her doorstep. The blonde one smiles at her while the taller, older brunette gives a terse nod in greeting. She sees a small bag of strawberries in his hand and resists the urge to run inside and call Madge really fast to warn her of Gale Hawthorne's imminent arrival at her house.

"Uh, Katniss?" Peeta asks politely. "You okay?"

"Yeah! Sorry! Uh, I'll grab my dad."

She shoots back into the house and slams the door, leaning against it and wincing. When she opens her eyes she sees her dad attempting to hide his laughter.

"Dad," Katniss whispers harshly. "Stop!"

"Alright, my Mockingjay," he laughs goodnaturedly. "Move out of the way so I can trade with your future husband."

Before she can retort, her dad has swung open the door again, and Peeta and Gale look back at her once more. She notices a slight pink tinge to Peeta's cheeks and she prays that he didn't hear anything her father said.

"Hello, Mr. Everdeen," Peeta says, nodding his head respectfully. Mr. Everdeen smiles.

"Peeta, I've told you a hundred times. Just call me Clarke, please."

"Sorry, Mr. Everdeen," Peeta says hurriedly, cringing as Gale barks out a laugh. "I mean, Clarke."

"Here," Gale mercifully steps in. "This is the haul for the day." He offers up a rabbit and two squirrels, which Mr. Everdeen appraises.

"As usual, great job, boys. I'll take the two squirrels," Clarke says. "Kat, grab me the bag on the counter, will ya? I forgot."

Katniss nods wordlessly and shoots back inside, quickly snatching the brown paper bag on the counter. She returns with it and finds that her father is somehow already gone. Peeta gives her a small smile.

"He went across the street to tell your mom something."

"Oh, okay," Katniss replies, and then realizes how cold it sounds. She's never been naturally social with anyone outside of her family or Madge. Gale, whose grey eyes match her own, makes her less nervous, so she focuses her gaze on him and hands him the bag. "Well then, here you go. Thanks for the squirrels. You always get them right through the eye."

"Oh, that's not me," Gale laughs. "That's all Peet here. He does the shooting, I do the trapping."

Katniss nods as though she knows what they're talking about. "Done for the day then?"

Gale looks at her oddly; she usually doesn't really talk to them at all. Peeta, however, continues the conversation.

"We just have to swing by the mayor's house and bring strawberries to Madge."

"I'm hoping to go over there later today," Katniss says. "I was supposed to visit yesterday but then I ended up getting caught up at work."

"Peeta," Gale says, his voice strangely hard. "Come on, we need to go."

"Okay," Peeta says, appearing to shake himself out of something. "Yeah, you're right. Bye, Katniss."

"Bye!" she says, but they're already walking away down the path toward the Mayor's back door, just a few doors down.

"Why don't you just ask him to hang out sometime?" Prim says suddenly, appearing from the side of the house.

"Primrose!" Katniss scolds, but her heart isn't in it and her blonde sister can tell. "How long have you been there?"

"Since dad threw you to the wolves," Prim laughs, and Katniss can't help but join her.

"He wouldn't want to hang out with me," Katniss finally answers. "He's very kind and friendly, but I hear he doesn't really have any interest in girls. He's too busy, providing for his brothers."

Prim nods in understanding. One of Peeta's younger brothers is in her grade, the other a couple grades younger.

"Well, maybe it would be nice for him to have something for himself," Prim says sweetly. "You'll never know unless you give it a try."

"If I'm even going to think about that," Katniss says, "it's got to be after this afternoon."

Prim's face pales. "You're right."

Today is Reaping Day, and two teenagers will be sent into an Arena by the Capitol to fight to the death for entertainment. Katniss swallows a large lump in her throat, praying that above all else, Prim's name isn't called. A close second is a prayer that neither Peeta nor one of his two younger brothers is called. She then scolds herself for not thinking of her best friend Madge, and sends a quick prayer for the mayor's daughter too.

"Speaking of," Katniss says, just as they hear their mother calling them into the house to get dressed. "We'd better get ready, then, Little Duck."

Katniss dresses in a blue cotton dress, her mother having braided her hair into a complex, gorgeous side plait. Prim grasps her hand with a surprising amount of strength as they make their way to the town square with their parents. Both of them receive tight hugs and whispers of good luck before going to sign in, letting their fingers be pricked. This is Prim's second Reaping, so she needs no instruction. Katniss squeezes her hand once.

"Tuck in your tail, Little Duck," she smiles.. The grin feels heavy on her face, though, and she retreats into the line of seventeen year olds. After this, there is only one more year to make it through. But Prim has five more after this, so Katniss knows she will have her heart in her throat for several more years to come.

Effie Trinket hobbles onto the stage, and the only remaining victor from District 12 is so drunk he nearly pukes on camera. The children below the stage watch the stock footage that the Capitol makes them watch every single year, explaining the terrible deeds of the District and the justification behind the Capitol's Hunger Games. Katniss resists the urge to roll her eyes. She feels a hand slip on to her arm and give it a gentle squeeze and looks to her right to find the bright blue eyes of the mayor's daughter, Madge Undersee. Katniss is Madge's only real friend, and the reverse is true as well. Naturally subdued, the other girls from town, like Delly Cartwright, were always too exuberant for her. Madge, on the other hand, was witty but in a quiet, sarcastic way, and kind, but in a genuine sense that entirely lacked pretense. The two of them had become fast friends at a young age, but in the last two years, they had been placed in separate lunch periods. Katniss was placed in the same lunch hour as Prim, but Madge was alone, until Peeta Mellark began sitting with her since nobody else had the nerve to sit beside the mayor's daughter.

And so, at the Reaping, Madge looks over to the boys' side and exchanges a weighted glance with Peeta Mellark, giving him a quaky smile, which he returns, only his appears genuine. Peeta Mallark's smiles always appear genuine, Katniss realizes, shaking herself for staring at him so blatantly.

"Gee, Kat, take a picture why don't you," Madge murmurs under her breath, and Katniss lets out a breath of laughter, but quickly shuts her lips tightly. Now is not the time or place for laughter.

"Ladies first," Effie Trinket trills. Madge can almost swear that she sees a sense of darkness behind Effie's eyes, a hint of anger there, a hint of regret, but she can't be sure. She shakes herself and straightens her spine, trying to prepare herself for the unpreparable. She sucks in a breath and holds it, eyes closed while her fingers grasp Katniss' tightly. Please not me. Please not Katniss. Please not—

Her thoughts are cut off as Effie's voice rings out.

"Primrose Everdeen."

A scream instantly rips from Katniss's throat, and Madge feels her heart cease beating. She's unsure when it starts up again, but at some point she feels her feet push forward, in front of Katniss, who has sunk to her knees and begun yelling.

"NO! PRIM!"

But Madge remembers something that very few District 12 residents do, because it doesn't happen here; individuals may volunteer as tribute.

"I volunteer!" Madge shrieks, throwing her body in front of little Primrose, who stands in shock between two Peacekeepers. She tries to keep the tremor out of her voice as she swallows hard and repeats herself in a more understandable but nearly as loud tone. "I volunteer as tribute."

Effie's purple lips drop open slightly but she recovers and smiles dazzlingly. "A volunteer! Why I don't think that's ever happened here!"

Katniss, in the meantime, is being picked up off of the ground by Primrose, who holds her tightly. Madge can see her lips forming the blonde's name as she takes the stage but she tears her eyes away from her best friend and her kid sister. If there are any two individuals that Madge would never allow to step into the Hunger Games, it would be Primrose or Katniss Everdeen. Had Katniss not been in such shock, and remembered the rule, she would have volunteered first; Madge knows that.

"I see a resemblance. I assume you are also an Everdeen?" Effie asks, but Madge knows that it's fake. She knows that Effie knows that she is the mayor's daughter, and is probably hoping that the Capitol has forgotten her face since last year. After all, Capitol citizens would not take well to a higher-up's daughter being slaughtered.

Madge doesn't care much what the Capitol citizens want, though, so she narrows her cornflower eyes and hisses into the microphone.

"My name is Margaret Undersee. My father is the mayor, and Primrose Everdeen is my best friend's little sister. I love her as my own."

Then the microphone is snatched away from Madge's mouth before she continue talking.

"Touching," Effie says, her voice empty but her eyes betraying something that Madge can barely catch; disgust. At who, Madge isn't sure. "Now on to the young men."

Madge looks into the audience and sees Peeta staring at her gravely, his blue eyes so like her own. He places three fingers to his lips and holds them up toward the sky, a universal District 12 symbol that means goodbye. After this action, every person in the square does the same. Madge screws her eyes shut and wills herself not to cry.

She is a Donner. She is an Undersee. She will not cry. She does, however, repeat the gesture, just as Effie clears her throat in discomfort and places her manicured hand into the other glass bowl and draws another slip of paper.

"Gale Hawthorne," Effie Trinket reads, her voice clear and crisp. Effie Trinket has no idea what she has just done, but Madge feels her heart shatter as she stares into the shocked grey eyes of Gale Hawthorne. Peeta, from his place beside his best friend, goes to open his mouth, and Madge prays he won't volunteer but also prays that he will, because she can't imagine which one would be worse to have to watch die, when a small voice suddenly breaks out through the crowd.

"I volunteer," a small, olive-skinned boy says, his clothing too big on his frame and his dark hair poorly slicked back. Pieces of it stick up everywhere and even he seems surprised at his own voice.

"RORY NO!" Gale screams, and Madge winces visibly at the sound, because it sounds as though the words are being forcibly ripped from Gale's throat. Madge has only heard that sound come from her own throat, directed at her father, and she snaps her eyes shut again and tries to forget that as she tries to pretend to be somewhere else.

"I VETO!" Gale yells. "I VOLUNTEER."

Effie Trinket makes a tsk sound with her tongue and shakes her head, her ridiculous hair bobbling from side to side.

"Once on person volunteers within sixty seconds, they become the official tribute."

She then grins and flourishes an arm out toward young Rory Hawthorne, who cautiously approaches the stage. He murmurs his name into the microphone, trying not to sniffle too loudly.

"I present the tributes of District 12 for the 74th Annual Hunger Games…Margaret Undersee and Rory Hawthorne!" Effie squeals excitedly.

Tears are streaming down Rory's face as he reaches a shaking hand out toward Madge. His hand is covered in coal, and on her finger she wears a sparkling diamond ring in the shape of a heart, but she firmly clasps his hand with both of her own and looks him in the eyes.

"Rory," she whispers, so the microphones cannot pick up her words. "Rory I am going to protect you. It's going to be fine. I'll see you on the train."

They are then separated as they are ushered into the Justice Hall. She is placed in a room to the right, he to the left, and Madge sits down in the large yellow chair that sits in the room, awaiting her first visitor.

Peeta Mellark, of all people, is the first person in the room, and she quickly stands.

"Peeta, I promise you, I am going to get Rory out of there alive," Madge says, trying not to choke on the words, because in saying them, she is promising that she will die for the twelve year old boy in the room down the hall.

"Madge," he says sadly, gathering her in his arms. "Madge, why did you do that?"

She pins him with a blue-eyed stare and sighs. "You know why."

"You know she's never going to forgive herself," Peeta mumbles, brushing her bangs from her face. "You have to come back."

"And what would become of Gale?" Madge snaps, stepping away from him. "Your best friend? Or have you forgotten that his younger brother just volunteered for him."

Peeta runs tired hands over his face and she notices the dirt that remains from his hunt earlier still embedded in his fingernails. "No matter what, one of them is going to go insane by the end of this. You know that."

"I know," I say quietly. "But Peeta, you have to bring them out. I need you to look after Katniss."

"I don't think she'll want me to—"

"You really don't know, do you?" Madge laughs, and the sound surprises her. It apparently surprises Peeta, too, because his blue eyes snap to her quickly. "The effect that you have on her?"

Peeta's brow crinkles in confusion, but he is suddenly being lead out of the door.

"You're smart!" he yells. "And resourceful! You can do this!"

She shakes her blonde curls, left down for the Reaping, and yells back to him just as the doors close. "Promise me! Promise me you will take care of her!"

She can hear a muffled smack of a hand against the door and the words "I promise" repeated like a mantra before a scuffle. The Peacekeepers have carted him away.

The next time the doors fly open, it is Katniss Everdeen, her face streaked with tears. She throws her skinny arms around her best friend and squeezes as tightly as she can.

"Madge, why?" Katniss whimpers. "It should be me. It should be me."

Madge grits her teeth and pushes the brunette far enough from her so that she can see her face.

"Katniss, you know that Prim would not survive that. You know she wouldn't. Prim needs you more than anything. And I need you more than anything. Nobody will miss me when I'm gone, Katniss, but you mean too much to too many people."

"That's not true!" Katniss spits, and Madge is relieved to see a familiar fire light up her grey eyes. "How am I supposed to be okay after this, Madge? I need you! You're my best friend! My only friend!"

"Katniss, it's going to be okay," Madge attempts to assure her. "I promise you, it will be okay."

"No it's not," she snarls. "Nothing is ever going to be okay."

"Kat," Madge sighs, hugging her again. "I love you, okay? Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too," Katniss concedes, squeezing her one last time before the door opens once again, signaling the end of their time together.

And then she is gone, and replaced with a sobbing Prim, and Madge spends her five minutes with Prim holding her, shedding silent tears onto the top of her blonde head and telling her to forgive herself, that nothing is her fault, that she should remember whose fault this all is.

"I love you, Duckie," Madge says with a watery smile. "No matter what happens, no matter what you see, you remember that. And you remember that none of this, not a single damn second of it, is your fault, Primrose."

Prim nods and then she is gone, too, and Madge sighs, throwing herself back into the chair. She knows that her mother cannot come; she is at home in her bed, slowly dying, and she probably will not hear of this until it is aired on television in the evening. She certainly knows that her father will not come. She rubs the bruise on her left side as she thinks of this; oh yes, he will not be coming to tell her that he loves her.

The doors do swing open, again, though, and she's shocked to see Gale Hawthorne stride in, shoulders tight and jaw squared.

"Listen, Princess," he growls. "I fucking swear to you, if you make it back here and my brother doesn't, I will ruin you."

Madge flinches slightly, backing away from his towering form, but she squares her shoulders and looks at him right in the eye.

"Gale," she says, and his eyes seem to narrow at the use of his first name. "Gale, I'm not going to let anything happen to Rory and I have no intention of winning these Games. There's almost no way for me to really assure you of that, but I need you to take my word for it. Like with Posy."

He grits his teeth harder at this and she can almost hear them grind together. "Great. Another thing I owe you that I can't pay back."

"You don't owe me anything, Gale," Madge nearly whispers. She lets herself become vulnerable, just for a moment. "And one day maybe you'll know why. Maybe I'll have Rory tell you, when he gets back, because he will get back Gale. Rory is going to survive this. I swear to you, I will get him home to you."

"How do you plan on doing that, Undersee?"

Madge simply blinks, staring at him and wondering how someone who has known her for her entire life can know so little about her, so little about her talents and her skills and her personality. "I have my ways, Gale. And they're not going to fail you."

Then the Peacekeepers come and she is escorted to the train, where she sits and waits for Rory Hawthorne and their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, to join her.