A/N: The dynamics of this possible duo intrigued me, so I couldn't resist playing around with them.

Suzanne Collins owns these characters and the world of Panem. If I owned Gale there is no way he would have gone off to District 2 without anyone.

Thanks to InceptionErection for giving me the encouragement to publish this.

Madge stared at the bowl of strawberries on the kitchen counter. She took one, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Smell was said to be the strongest trigger of memories and Madge wanted to do a lot of that the next two weeks.

The berries gave the sixteen-year-old something to look forward to once a week during early summer. It was the one thing that made her father pause for on his mad dash out of the door. She got about five minutes of his time at least once a week. As the Mayor of District 12 and its nearly 9,000 residents, time with his daughter was a rare commodity. He provided her with everything he deemed necessary for her to live a comfortable life, which only separated her from others and kept her from the one thing she really wanted. A friend.

The only person she could remotely call a friend delivered the strawberries to her house. She doubted that Katniss Everdeen would call her a friend, but to Madge the time they spent together in silence meant more to her than a hundred parties. The Mayor's daughter learned at a an early age that everyone either resented her or wanted a favor in exchange for their friendship. When she started being paired with Katniss for class projects, the two began to sit together at lunch as well. The few words spoken usually involved class work, a rumor or Katniss's sister, Primrose.

Strawberries brought someone else to Madge's door. The most handsome boy she'd ever seen. Boy? Could Gale Hawthorne be called a boy? He was over six feet tall when he was barely a teenager. His handsome face caused most girls to swoon at his feet. Madge knew if he ever smiled at her, she'd melt into a puddle alongside them. It wasn't just his handsome appearance that attracted her. His strength, loyalty, love of family and rebellious nature caused her adoration. Most of what Madge learned about him she found out by overhearing girls' conversations or from Katniss, his best friend and hunting partner.

The clock chimed 1:30pm. Only half-an-hour until the Reaping. She took a deep breath and headed upstairs.

"Mother?" Madge called quietly as she entered the darkened room. Madge's mother suffered headaches that incapacitated her for days and she used ample amounts of morphling to escape.

"Margaret?" her mother's weak voice came from darkest the corner.

"Yes." Madge's heart leaped in her chest. Her mother knew who she was today. Maysilee Donner had been a tribute for District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games along with the Districts only living Victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Everyone who had known her said that Madge could be her twin. It was common for her mother to call her daughter by her dead sister's name.

Madge sat on the edge of the bed and turned on a soft light. Her mother's golden hair was turning grey, her face sunken and ghostly pale. A stylist would come to make her mother look presentable when she needed to go out, but she never left her room during the annual Hunger Games.

"Mother." She grasped her mother's hand. "I'm here."

Her mother's glazed eyes cleared. Madge smiled and squeezed her hand.

"You are so beautiful, princess," her mother whispered. "Such a pretty dress. Is it a special day?"

"Yes, Mother," she replied with a lump in her throat. Madge touched her mother's cheek. "Today I do the most important thing I've ever done."

"It's your wedding day," her mother said. "Are they coming to get me up. I can't miss my princess's wedding day now can I?"

Tears rolled down Madge's cheek and her mother raised a weak hand to brush them off. A wedding was something she'd never have. Madge Undersee would never have a date, attend a dance, have a boyfriend or experience her first kiss. Today Madge Undersee was going to bring honor and respect to District 12. Today Madge was going to volunteer to be tribute.

A change came over her mother's face when her eyes caught something on Madge's dress. She lowered her hand to touch the mockingjay pin on Madge's dress. "Maysilee?" her mother whispered.

The pin had belonged to her aunt. Madge wore it proudly to honor the sacrifice of the Donner family. Also, the mockingjay was a bird that never should have existed, except by the will of nature. It symbolized something outside the Capitol's control.

"Go to sleep, Audra," Madge said, her voice breaking.

"I love you, sister."

"And I love you," Madge paused, memorizing her mother's face as the older woman fell back to sleep, "Mother."

Madge walked slowly down the hallway and paused outside her bedroom – her refuge. Should she go inside and look at her precious books one last time? The teenager dismissed the idea, lest it destroy her resolve, and walked by.

The sky was clear and there was barely a breeze, the final afternoon she would walk in her district. Madge's eyes drank in all the sights. She noted how brown the lawns were around the houses in her neighborhood and how drab the buildings looked. Odd how she'd never noticed that most of the District looked the same. People in town thought they were so much better than those who lived in the Seam, but their homes and businesses had the same dull color and dying grass. A brief smile touched her lips as she imagined the anger she'd stir up in both places if she pointed that out. The pure hostility in Gale's eyes that morning when Katniss brought the strawberries was only a taste of what would happen.

As she got closer to the center of town she noted that she was overdressed in a pristine white dress. Her father expected her to wear the closet full of clothing and she disappointed him. Madge wore her school uniform all day because she wanted to fade into the background. Today was the first time she dressed as nicely as her father expected. And Gale Hawthorne spoke the first and last words I'd hear from him because of it.

"Good luck, Hawthorne," a male voice said.

Madge hadn't paid attention to who was around her, so she was shocked to see the ramrod straight posture and broad shoulders of her crush in front of her. A moment of fear hit her as she realized she'd never see him again. Sadness threatened her resolve this time. Why did his first words have to be so hateful, though?

She stayed behind him as he bid farewell to his family, two younger brothers, a little sister and his mother, before he lined up to check in. She saw Katniss and Prim on their way to a table where the twelve-year-old girls' check in. Families stood around the square behind pens where the children were separated by their ages. Cattle organized for the slaughter.

Gale was clad in a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up, showing off powerful forearms. What would it feel like to be held in arms so strong? She'd overheard enough stories from girls at school about how amazing Gale was. Madge wasn't entirely certain what he was amazing at, but it made her turn red nonetheless.

Gale paused in the shadows while the boys in front of him waited to give a blood sample and be checked in for Reaping Day. It was almost 2:00pm and she needed to check in, but here was an opportunity for her to do something crazy. Something she would never consider in a million years if she wasn't going to her death. Taking a deep breath, she stepped up the boy who towered over her by at least a foot and touched his shoulder with a shaky hand.

"What?" he snapped as he turned around. His arms were crossed and eyes as cold as steel bore into hers. He furrowed his brow when he recognized her. "What do you want?"

"I-I need to… Could you step over here?" Madge motioned to an alcove in the building next to them. She could see cameras mounted on the top of the giant screens and nearby buildings to catch the faces of the children going to their death. I don't need this played in the Capitol.

They stepped further into the shadows, annoyance written on Gale's face. "What could you possibly w…" he started.

Madge grabbed the collar of his shirt, stretched up on her tip toes and yanked him forward. Her lips crashed into his and before he could respond, she let go and fell backwards. Licking her lips and tasting strange flavors that she would only classify as Gale, she felt her face flame.

Gale looked like he had been hit by a train. His eyes were wide, mouth partially open and arms dropped to his side.

"I want you to be my first kiss," she said with a smile. Madge turned and ran to the line at the sixteen-year-old girls' table.

There was one thing she could take off her list. She couldn't help but touch her lips and think of how surprisingly soft Gale's lips were. Madge arrived at the table to have her blood sample drawn with a grin spread on her face.

As she moved toward the area for the sixteen-year-old-girls, she glanced back one last time. Gale was staring at her. Knowing that she might trip if she didn't look forward, she flashed him a farewell smile and turned toward her death.

TBC

A/N: I know there are many alternate Reaping stories, many that are really good, but this plot bunny took over my brain the last few weeks. Let me know if you think I should continue.

Thanks for reading.