Disclaimer: Wow. It's finally over.

A few months later:

"C'mon, Madge, it's not that hard!" Gale calls to me from the middle of the lake. He's treading water, grinning at me.

"I'm not getting in," I call back and he rolls his eyes, pulling himself out of the lake. Gale told me that we were just going to have a picnic. I didn't think he was going to teach me to swim.

Gale sits next to me on the shore, shaking the water off of himself. I shove him when he intentionally gets the water droplets on me. "What are you afraid of?" I give him a look and he raises his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. That was a stupid question. Madge, I'll be right there. We won't go in any further than you want. Okay?"

It takes much persuading and prodding from Gale, but finally he gets me to stand in the water with him. I'm shaking, but Gale's grip on my hands helps to soothe the fear that's running through my veins. "What if something gets me?" I whisper, and Gale shakes his head.

"I'm right here. Nothing's going to get you." He reassures me, gently tugging me into the water. The cool water flows on my skin and my feet rub against the cool stones on the bottom of the lake. The mud squishes between my toes and it makes me smile. "See? Not so bad."

I growl at him and focus on walking straight. "I'm not all the way in yet," Gale chuckles and continues to hold onto my hands as we wade into the lake. Soon enough, the water is up to my waist. The coolness clings to my skin and I try to focus on staying upright. The undercurrent of the lake is tugging on my feet. Fish swim around and slide against our legs. I squeak once and Gale gives me a soft smile, his fingers loosening on mine. "No!" I screech, tightening on Gale's hands. "Not yet." He obliges to my wishes and slowly moves deeper into the lake.

My grip on his hands grows tighter and tighter as we get deeper. At one point, I lose my footing. I can no longer touch the bottom, and the panic creeps into my system. The aspect of not knowing what's down there terrifies me. My body shakes as I try to push the thoughts of drowning out of my mind. I'm trying to forget that moment in the Games when everything went black and I thought I was dead.

"You're doing fine," Gale murmurs, sensing my fear. At the point, I wrap myself around him. He chuckles, but holds onto me. My legs wrap around his waist and my arms tighten on his neck, fingers threading through his dark hair. I'm ridged against his body, and finally, he stops. "Alright," He murmurs into my ear, "I can barely touch here." I whimper and he slowly starts to untangle our bodies.

I choke and continue to hold onto him. Gale chuckles, "You have to let go." I shake my head, and then he physically pries me away from him. My fingers grip around his arms and my feet move underneath me as I learn to tread. "See? It's not hard." I growl at him and Gale rolls his eyes, "Lay on your back." I panic, remembering this is what started my drowning experience. "I'm right here."

I lay on my back and I feel Gale's rough fingers ghost over my back. "You're floating," He tells me, "Close your eyes and relax." I do as I'm told, and moments later, I feel a splash on my face that distracts me from the hot sun. He's not holding me up anymore.

"Gale!" I screech, lunging at him again. He laughs at me and slides out of the way. This continues for over an hour. And this is how I learn to swim. We play this game of tag and he helps me up every time I start to sink. We laugh and we talk and we kiss.

By the time the sun's starting to go down, I'm exhausted. We sit on the bank together, my head resting in Gale's lap. His fingers toy with my hair as he watches the sunset. I watch his face and every once in a while he'll bend to give me a quick kiss.

"Now, was that so hard?" He finally asks, eyes twinkling with something indescribable.

I roll my eyes and sit up in his lap. "No," He smirks, "But I had a great teacher."

Gale laughs, pecking my cheek. "Are you still afraid?"

I shrug. "It's going to have to be a work in progress," I tell him, "Which means we'll be out here plenty." I wink at my boyfriend and he chuckles, laying back on the warm grass, pulling me down with him.

"Good," I giggle and burst a brilliant shade of pink when he kisses me.

One Year Later:

There's one day a few weeks after my twentieth birthday when Gale and I are making dinner and his arms wrap around me from behind. I smile, but continue mashing the potatoes. Gale's lips find my neck, and his hands move from my hips to my stomach.

I raise a brow and watch the movement. "What're you doing?" I ask, stopping my mashing.

"Are you pregnant?" I snort before turning in his grasp.

"No," I tell him, "I'm not. I would've told you. What makes you think I am?"

Gale shrugs. "Just wondering." I raise a brow and he sighs, "It's just that that shot wore off when you turned twenty, and I'm worried that something's going to happen."

I shake my head, "Aren't babies good, though?"

He chuckles. "Yes, babies are good. But I don't want people thinking that I got you knocked up when we aren't even married."

I snort again, "We'll be fine, Gale. I promise. Nothing's going to happen." I pause, returning to mashing the potatoes. "Besides, if I was pregnant, I wouldn't be knocked up. Only pregnant, because we would want the baby." Gale chuckles, kissing the nape of my neck.

"Still, though. Pretty sure Haymitch would kill me." I laugh. "Do you think you should go on those pills? Birth control?"

I shrug again, "I guess. It doesn't really matter to me; I wouldn't mind having a baby."

"Oh, so you're open to it." I nod. He whispers to me, "Good, because we're having ten."

I throw my hands up and laugh. "Sure, Gale. Whatever you say."

So I go on the pill that will be able to prevent kids. But, a few months later, I'm dead set on having a baby.

"Madge, we're not having a baby," Gale laughs at my protesting. "We are nowhere near financially ready, plus we aren't married." I grumble and roll away from him. He chuckles and rolls after me, his arms wrapping around me, "You know I want kids."

"I want them too," I murmur and he smiles, but keeps talking.

"I've wanted kids for ages, Madge, but we actually have to talk about this stuff before we go through with it. We haven't really talked about marriage or what follows yet."

"Then let's talk about it." Gale rolls his eyes and kisses my cheek.

"We will. But not tonight. Get some sleep, Madge." He mumbles, tightening his grip on me. "I love you."

"Love you more." He smiles into my hair and quickly drifts off. Me, though, I stay awake for several more hours thinking.

I think about what it would be like to finally have kids with Gale. I can imagine children running around the house while Gale and I lounge on the couch. The thought makes me giddy and nearly has me come undone.

I want that; I want a family. Not with anyone, but with Gale. I want to have Gale with me for the rest of my life and miniature us's to surround me. So we finally start talking about all of that, and we both start planning ahead with our finances to prepare for marriage and kids, when the time comes. Gale's right; we're nowhere near ready to have kids, but we can dream of it until the time comes.

Two Years Later:

Gale and I head out into the woods around four one Saturday. He told me to wear those slick-soled shoes again, and I rolled my eyes, but I grabbed them anyways. We're both bundled up in out winter coats, scarves, and gloves, but somehow Gale still manages to find my hand.

We joke the entire way out to the lake, and when we finally get there, I slide onto the ice. Since I got over the fear of lakes and water and drowning, I've been more than eager to go swimming or something and Gale loves it. He's happy that I enjoy it now, instead of fear it.

Gale follows me onto the ice, laughing at something. I slip a couple of times on the slick parts of the ice and I pull Gale down with me. More than once I find him watching me, smiling at something. He won't tell me what though.

"Gale?" I ask him, spinning on the balls of my feet. He jumps a bit, shoving his hands into his pockets. I raise a brow.

"Hm?" Gale replies, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I grin when he bends and pecks my cheek, "I love it out here." Gale smiles against my cheek before kissing it again, "It's so pretty." The bits of sunlight shine through the leafless branches and falls onto the ground, melting spots of the snow. The white, elegant snow remains in perfection, untouched by anything. The winter wind blows through the trunks of the trees, and it chills me to the bone, but it feels great. The serenity and quiet of the forest make the wait for it worthwhile.

Gale chuckles, tugging me over the ice again. The sprinkles of snowflakes start to fly around and land on the ice.

My stomach growls and Gale chuckles, pulling me to the bank. "C'mon, I brought some sandwiches." I grin and scarf mine down quickly. Gale laughs at me, and I shove him off of the rock we're sitting on. We're cuddled together, since the sun has started to go down. The wind blows through and I shiver, leaning into Gale's side. His arm wraps around my shoulders and I tighten the scarf around my neck. Gale kisses my temple and warmth floods my body, from my head to the tips of my toes.

We stay in the wood for a little bit longer, until we realize how much time has passed. "Shit," I hear Gale say when he checks his watch.

"What?" I ask, striding to him.

"It's late. Way to late to try and get back in this weather." The wind has picked up and snow has started falling more and more in the past hour or so.

I jaw drops a bit, "So?"

Gale looks at me, his arms wrapping around me, "So I don't want to risk one of us getting hurt trying to get back to the district. So we're staying out here tonight."

"What?" I hiss and Gale shakes his head.

"Calm down, there's a place we can stay. I'm not an idiot." I roll my eyes and let Gale pull me from around the lake. "It's going to take about fifteen minutes to walk there, so just hang in there."

By the time we arrive, my feet are absolutely frozen. My fingers feel like they're going to fall off, and I'm shivering uncontrollably. Even Gale, who's been trying to keep me warm this whole time, seems cold. "I'm sorry that this was a shitty way to end a date," He laughs dryly and I chuckle.

"It's fine. Just get me somewhere w-warm." Gale chuckles, and we round a tree. There's a small cabin. I look around it as Gale continues to pull me closer. It's made of logs, and I wonder how long it's been standing.

Gale doesn't tell me how he find out it was here, or why he's bringing me here, but I follow him anyways. Once inside, I'm hit with the smell of mustiness. It doesn't seem like it's been used in a few months or so. My eyes zoom over the cabin, stopping on everything. There's a small twin sized bed in one corner, with the wood-burning fireplace next to it. Across from it, there's a counter and some cupboards. There's another door in the cabin, which I'm assuming leads to the toilet. It's nice and cozy in here.

I turn back to Gale to find him rummaging in the cupboards. My brows furrow when he pulls out several blankets. "I come out here, occasionally, when I need to get away, or if I get caught in the woods." He explains, tossing me the blankets. "Mind making the bed? I'm going to go check the snare line to get some food."

"How far will you be?"

Gale chuckles, pulling my hat off so he can kiss my head. "Not far. I'll be back before you know it." I nod, and pull my scarf off. Instead of making the bed first, I get a small fire going in the fireplace. I'm going to freeze if I don't get some warmth through me. Luckily, Gale's been teaching me this kind of stuff for when he goes out of town on military trips.

After the fire's roaring, I get to work on making the bed. I put the sheets on and then pile blankets on top. The warmth from the fire floods the cabin, and I sigh in content. I pull my heavy coat off, hanging it on one of the hooks by the door. I'm left in my jeans and one of Gale's old flannels that I sleep in during the winter months. It's very soft and I love it.

When Gale makes it back, he smiles when he finds that I've made a fire. "Nice and warm," He teases, his cold fingers sliding up my stomach. I shove him and then yell that he's freezing. Thankfully, he's already skinned the meat, so I don't have to watch it. Gale knows I get squirmy around that.

I drop the meat into a pot to make some stew as Gale strips the layers from his body until he's in his jeans and his Henley. Gale watches me while I stir the pot before putting it over the fire. I find him smiling more than once, but he always looks away when I catch him. Something's going on.

Next, I sit by him on the floor while I watch the stew. Gale tugs me into his lap and presses kisses down my neck. I throw my head back onto his shoulder and groan. Gale chuckles, his fingers skirting up my skirt. "Gale," I murmur, and he sucks a bit on my neck.

"Mm."

"Where did you find this place?" My voice shakes, and Gale's breath is hot against my neck.

He pauses, before pulling away. The absence of his warmth chills me. "My dad showed me, when I was younger. He said that his dad had found it; said it was from the old days, before the Hunger Games started. I had forgotten about it until recently."

"Oh," I murmur, turning in his lap. He gives me a weak smile.

"I'm okay." I peck his mouth and he continues. "You're the only girl I've ever brought to the woods, you know that?"

I blush and Gale smiles, kissing my nose. "I mean, Posy's been out here once, and Ma's come twice, but you're the only person I've dated that I've brought out here."

"Well I'm honored," I tease, sucking on his bottom lip.

Gale laughs, slipping his tongue into my mouth. "Goddammit, you drive me crazy." I smile, kissing him passionately for a few seconds, before turning back to the fire. He grumbles at the loss of contact, but smiles anyways. I grab the old dusty oven mitts and pull the stew off of the fire, setting it on the counter. "Smells good," Gale tells me, getting a couple bowls out of the cupboard.

"How do you have all of this stuff?" I ask, spooning the stew into the bowls.

"Like I said, I come out here a lot." I chuckle and hand him a bowl. We settle back by the fire, resting against the side of the bed. We're quiet for a bit, just eating and enjoying it. I stretch my socked feet out in front of the fire and Gale chuckles, his hand resting on my knee.

When we're finished, we lounge on the bed together, our feet tangling together. Because the beds a twin, we had to snuggle together even more than we already do. I don't really mind. Gale's hand has found its way under my shirt and it traces circles on my hip. I press tantalizing kisses on his scruffy jaw. I still love that I can kiss him whenever I want, wherever I want. Finally, Gale groans and rolls onto his side. "Is it your mission in life to make me go absolutely insane?" I giggle and Gale bends his neck to kiss me, "Not that I'm complaining." I giggle and we rest back on the bed.

My hand rubs against his jaw and he grins, fingers lingering on my thigh. "You're so beautiful," He murmurs, pressing kiss after kiss on my body. He kisses wherever he can reach, my neck, jaw, collarbone, anywhere. Fire burns through my body with every kiss, and I find myself wanting to feel my skin against his like we've done so many times before. His body presses up against mine and gives me the most wonderful feeling.

"I love you," I force out, my voice trembling.

His breath comes in soft little pants when he rolls so he's hovering over me. "I love you, too." He murmurs, fingers skillfully unbuttoning my skirt halfway. Finally, I push him away. He rolls his eyes, "Aw Madge," I laugh and press my lips against his once more.

"We're in the middle of the woods," I murmur as Gale works on my neck.

"So?" His voice is rough against my neck, and it rumbles my body. While Gale's lips destroy my neck, his fingers manage to unbutton my shirt all the way. Gale takes in all of the exposed skin before I finally push him away.

"Later," I tease, threading my fingers through his belt loops and pull him down next to me.

"Ugh, fine." I laugh as he presses a few more kisses against my chest. Finally he lays down and I rest my head on his shoulder. He smiles and kisses my head.

We lay together for a while (with the occasional kiss, of course) until I'm finally falling asleep. "Madge," Gale whispers, and I groan and bury my face into his chest. I'm tired; I want to sleep. "Madge," Gale whispers again, and I open my bleary eyes slowly.

"Hm?" I mumble, rubbing the junk out of my eyes as Gale lifts my hand up. Next thing I know, something cool is being slid down my finger and my eyes creak open even more. Gale looks embarrassed. "Gale? W-what's going on?" A smile breaks onto his face at my wonder.

"I love you," He murmurs again, and my eyes jump to my hand where a golden band rests. The diamond on it sparkles.

"Gale," I choke, but he cuts me off.

"Madge, I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and that's never going to change. You're amazing and perfect and I honestly don't think I would've been able to get through everything that's happened without you with me."

Soft gray meets me eyes and I try to force out words, but I'm unable too. "You told me years ago that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me, and finally I'm giving you that." Gale shifts so he's sitting up and I go to move, tears pricking in my eyes. "I want to spend our lives together and I want to start a family together and I just... I just want you."

Before he can even finish, I launch myself at him and press out mouths together. I need to feel his lips against mine, his body giving me that wonderful warmth. A deep chuckle erupts from Gale and I hold tighter to him. "Madge," he laughs, gently pushing me away and wiping the few tears that have spilled from my eyes, "Madge Undersee," he pauses and kisses my knuckle, "will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

I let out a watery laugh before nodding, my hands finding his and tugging us together. Gale sighs into my mouth, pulling me into his lap. His hands skirt up my back and mine go under his shirt. Gale lets out another deep sigh, "God, I love you." I let out a watery laugh and Gale sighs again, nipping at me. "You're going to be my wife."

I giggle a bit and his fingers gently wipe the tears from my face. I give him a soft smile. "And you're going to be my husband."

Gale laughs and pecks my mouth and finally murmurs, "I've had the ring for years." I look up at him, "I just... I was never sure if you wanted to still be with me, or," He doesn't get to finish because I launch myself at him and force our lips together. He groans and tightens his arms around my back.

"It's always been you, Gale," I murmur quickly, pulling his shirt off, "There will never be anyone else."

Seven Months Later:

I'm struck with a very bad case of nerves the morning before my wedding. Katniss keeps reassuring me that everything's going to be fine and that nothing's going to happen, but I honestly can't hear any of it. I'm too filled with nerves.

Katniss finally huffs at me and sits me down on one of the chairs in one of the rooms at the church in 12. "Listen to me, Madge." I look up at her from my fingers, "It's going to be alright."

"What if he... What if he changes his mind?"

Katniss rolls her eyes again. "I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told you before. After you two got back from the Games, one of the first times that Gale was back in the woods, I wanted to just hunt. He had other ideas. Gale kept talking about you and how amazing you were. He wouldn't shut up." I blush a bit, looking down again. "And he did that again, not even thirty minutes ago when I was talking to him. He's not going to change his mind, Madge. You need to calm down and relax."

I nod, but I'm still nervous. "Thank you," I croak, and Katniss forces a smile. Emotion is still not her strong point. She gives me a tight hug, and my eye catches on the engagement ring Peeta gave her two months ago. I remember when Peeta called me and was so happy about it that he couldn't stop talking. It makes me smile a bit.

There's a knock on the door and Haymitch's head pokes in. "Give us a minute?" Katniss nods, and starts to leave, "They've started to line up, Katniss. Better hurry."

Haymitch enters the room and looks over me a moment. I turn to the mirror and look at myself. The dress I'm wearing was my mothers. Haymitch had stashed it in his house all these years. Since we were about the same weight and height, it fits me. Effie, being the genius she is, only had to alter it a little bit. It's a basic thing, with bits of lace, sequin, and pearls down the front. Somehow, it still smelled like my mother, and it made my eyes well up the first time I wore it. Hazelle was one of the first to see me in it, and she told me that she remembered watching the broadcast of my parents wedding.

"You look fine, Madge." Haymitch grumbles, pulling on his tie. "You women and your fancy habits." I shove him a little and my Godfather messes with one of the curls spiraling down my back. "It's about time to go."

I nod a little, and let him lead me out of the room I'm in. It's scarily quiet in the hallways as I follow Haymitch. Finally, I catch up to him.

"Thank you," I say, looking at my feet, "For handing me off, I mean."

Haymitch nods. "Don't mention it." He pauses when we reach the door, "Now I know you would've liked your father to do this, but I'm going to try to be as much like him as I can."

I let out a watery laugh. "He wouldn't have wanted to hand me off anyways. He didn't like Gale."

Haymitch shakes his head now, "No, he didn't like Gale back in 12. If he had seen him the past few years, his mind would've changed." Haymitch pauses again, looking at me, "Both of your parents gave Gale permission to marry you, you know that?" My brows furrow and I shake my head, "Gale had talked to your mom back in 12 once, and she gave it to him then, and then before your father died, he told Gale that he approved of Gale and would be glad if you two got married. I guess both of their wishes are finally coming true." My eyes water and Haymitch shakes his head.

"Aw, Madge, don't cry. You can cry after you're married." I laugh a bit and I hear that music start and oh, god, that fluttering in my stomach comes again and I can't think. "Ready?" I force a nod, and Haymitch takes my arm and oh god.

As soon as those doors open and the small crowd stands, I feel like I'm going to be sick. I search for Gale at the front of the church and when I finally find him I feel my heart melt. His face is pretty neutral at first, but then his jaw drops a bit, his eyes widen and gloss over. Finally, a light smile crosses his face when gray meets blue. Gale lets out a shaky laugh and my stomach flutters again.

Once we reach the front, Haymitch tells Gale something very quickly before he hands me over. Gale's eyes don't leave my face even when he reaches up to swat at his eyes. "You... You're perfect." I blush greatly and Gale gives me a quiet smile that makes me blush even more.

The two of us hurry up to the official that will legally bind us together for the rest of our lives. The thought of it makes me giddy. The ceremony drags on and on and while I try to pay attention, I can't. I try and I try, but I'm honestly unable to. Finally, the official reads out of a tiny book. "Do you, Gale Hawthorne, take Margret Undersee to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold for all eternity? To love, cherish, and protect her from all harm, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Gale says, his body no longer shaking. His fingers slide the thin band down my slender finger and Gale gives me a gentle smile. His hands tighten on mine, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

"And do you, Margret Undersee, take Gale Hawthorne to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold for all eternity? To love, cherish, and honor him, in poverty or wealth, until death do you part?"

I stutter on my words, "I-I do." Gale gives me a soft smile as I slowly force my shaking fingers to slide the ring onto his finger. I meet his gaze as the ring finally slides on and his smile brightens greatly.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Republic of Panem, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Before the official even finishes, Gale's lips are on mine. I squeak as his arms tighten around my back and press me against him. Mine wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to me. I hear Rory or Vick or Thom catcall from the crowd but I ignore it and focus on Gale. His smell, his taste, everything. "I present you, Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne!"

Two Hours Later:

Several people have come up to Gale and I at some point in the night and made some comments about our relationship. Honestly, I can't decide who's I like better. First, we have Katniss, ("You two were absolutely disgusting. Mostly you, Gale, but I got over it. How you've dealt with him all this time, Madge, I don't know") then Rory ("At first I was annoyed cause I thought you were going to abandon us, Gale, but then we got to know Madge and I thought she was alright") he got a shove from me for that one, and finally, Haymitch ("If you ever hurt her, Gale, I'll personally send you back to the Arena").

Gale chuckled loudly at Haymitch's, but reassured him that it would never happen. Hazelle was next.

"All I can say is that I'm glad that he finally worked up the courage to propose to you," I laugh and Gale smirks, kissing my head. "We didn't think it was ever going to happen."

Gale rolls his eyes. "Okay, okay, thanks for supporting me, Ma." Hazelle laughs and then gives me a quick hug. Her fingers trail over her sons cheek momentarily, before we're left alone for a moment.

I turn pink when Gale hungrily presses his lips to mine. "Gale!" I laugh, pushing on his chest. "Later." He waggles his eyebrows and I blush again, pecking his lips once more. He groans.

"Can we just go home?" He grumbles against my lips and I laugh as Thom and Bristel come up to us. We spring apart and Thom winks at me. He's holding their first child, and Bristel's carrying their newborn baby girl.

"And how are you newlyweds doing?" Thom teases and Gale rolls his eyes, his arm snaking around my back.

"We're doing just fine," Gale responds, his thumb tracing over my hip through the fabric of my dress.

Thom chuckles as Bristel starts to bounce the little baby. "How much longer till you two bail?" At that, I blush greatly and bury my face into Gale's suit. Gale's hearty laugh makes my heart swell even more.

"Not long," Gale responds and I shove him a bit, "Well we gotta leave sometime, Madge."

And we do leave soon. We barely make it through the toasts and the cake and the dancing before my feet feel like they're going to fall off.

But, we still have the toasting to do. Peeta baked us some lovely looking bread and Gale and I walk to the fire that was built in the backyard of the church. Because the church is in 12, they felt that it was necessary to build a fire pit for the toastings that would take place.

Gale's grip on my hand is tight as he leads me down the small trails with our families and friends behind us. He smiles and laughs and I couldn't be happier. The two of us sit down on one of the logs and Peeta hands us the loaf of bread. Gale and I rip the small loaf apart and look at each other momentarily. The amount of love reflecting in his eyes from mine is astonishing. Gale smiles, before leaning down to press a kiss to my lips. I want to keep kissing him, savor the taste of cake still on his lips, but that will be savored for later.

We toss the bread in at the same time as our friends and family file around us. "I love you," I whisper to him, and he smiles, kissing me again.

"I love you more," He whispers back, a smile lighting up his face. My skin bursts red as I hear the crowd aww but I ignore it. Today is for Gale and I. Gale grabs the tongs on the log and pulls the bread out before slathering strawberry jam on it. I laugh when I realize why it's strawberry.

He hands me one half of it, and holds onto the other. We feed one another the bread, and I laugh when Gale purposely gets the jam on my lip. He kisses it off as I shove him away. "How the hell did I get so lucky?" He whispers, and I peck his mouth. Gale tries to keep me close to him, but I push him away slightly. There are a ton of people here and they're all watching us.

Back in the Victor's Village, when we reach the house that we're moving into, Gale immediately picks me up from the ground and carries me over the threshold. I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck tightly. He kicks the door closed and locks it behind him. Gale drops me lightly on my toes and immediately, his arms snake around my back, tugging me close to him.

Our lips mold together quickly and Gale groans into my mouth, his fingers searching my back. "Where's the goddamn zipper?"

I laugh lightly and guide his hand to the zipper of my wedding dress. He quickly unzips it and it falls down my body. Gale's eyes trace over my body, my hips, my collarbone, and he gives me the sweetest smile I've ever seen. "You're so beautiful, Madge." His arms wrap around me and he pulls me close, but he doesn't kiss me. "When I saw you today..." He pauses, his thumbs tracing over my hips, "I... I swear my heart just stopped. It was... It was just you and me in there, no one else." I smile, standing on my toes to kiss him.

"I love you," I murmur through our lips, "I love you so much, Gale. You're everything to me." My fingers peel his jacket and shirt from his body as Gale peppers kisses on my upper lip. "I don't know what I'd do without you." And with that, Gale lifts me off of the ground and carries us to our bedroom.

Ten Months Later:

"Are you going to be home soon?"

"We're about to touch down in 12. Something wrong?" My husband asks me, concern leaking from his voice.

"No," I say much too quickly, "Nothing's wrong. I've just missed you."

I can hear the smile in Gale's voice, "I've missed you too, babe. I'll be home in a few minutes."

"Okay," I breathe out, "I'll see you soon."

"Love you." I hang the phone up and take a deep breath, allowing air to circulate through my tired body.

Gale's been gone for two months, working on a problem in 5. He's hated it, but luckily I'm able to speak to him. Talking to him makes this process easier.

I clean up the house a bit, while waiting for Gale to return. When I hear the front door click open and Gale's familiar footfalls, my worries disappear and different emotions flood through me. Excitement and joy. Nervousness.

I meet him halfway in the foyer and Gale drops his bags and lifts me off the ground in a hug, taking a deep breath against me. "God, I've missed you." I giggle when he sets me down on the ground and attacks my face with kisses.

"Gale," I murmur, my hands sliding up his unshaven cheeks.

"Hm?" He mumbles from my lips. Gale pulls away momentarily, eyes gazing into mine. Even after all this time, I still get a rush of excitement and swirling in my stomach when he looks at me.

"I... Nothing." I finally force out, too distracted by his hands roaming over my lower back. I need to talk to him, but it can wait a little longer. Gale smirks and lifts me off of the ground, quickly traveling to the bedroom. I chuckle when he drops me on the bed lightly, tugging my shirt over my head, "Don't you want dinner?"

Gale chortles as my fingers quickly undo his army shirt. "You seem to be contradicting what you're saying." I laugh as Gale rolls so he's hovering over me. "We can have dinner later," he teases, his lips starting to make their way down my chest, "I just want you."

Later, we're still lounging in bed. My fingers swirl on Gale's stomach while his trace up and down my arm. Our sweaty bodies rest next to one another. Finally, he whispers to me, "You seem different. You're glowing, Madge."

I give him a cheeky grin, "Maybe I am." Gale rolls his eyes before pulling my hips so I'm on his stomach. I smirk and start to kiss him, but he jerks his head away, smiling.

"Wanna tell me why you're different?" I bite my lip for a moment and Gale cranes his neck to kiss my lip. "Come on, Madge. You know I'm not patient." I chuckle and lean to kiss him. He responds passionately for a moment, before he taps my chin. "Ah ah, tell me what's going on." He has a sly grin plastered on his face and I hesitate.

My voice falters for a few seconds, before I finally force out, "I missed my period last month." He's very quiet for a moment, processing the information until—

"I knew it!" I sit up as Gale grins widely at me, his arms wrapping tightly around me. He presses sloppy kisses against my lips and I force out some laughs. "Are you...?" Gale's eyes drop quickly to the smooth skin on my stomach.

I nod shakily and a watery laugh forces it's way out. His eyes are full of euphoria and he can't stop smiling. "You're really... Pregnant?"

I nod again as Gale laughs and peppers kisses over my face, my cheeks, my nose, my forehead. "I am," I force out.

"Oh, God, Madge, oh my God." Gale's fingers grip into my hips, his eyes darting down to my stomach. "We're going to be parents, Madge." I smile a bit and Gale finally molds our lips together, "God, I can't wait."

When I roll off of him and back onto the mattress, Gale immediately sits up on his elbow. His fingers trace over my stomach lightly, feeling for something. "Did you know?"

He shrugs. "I had a feeling," he pauses, and then smiles wickedly, "I could tell."

I raise a brow as Gale traces over my stomach. "How?"

He smirks. "Husband's Intuition?" I swat his chest, "Okay, Dad's Intuition." I sway him again and he finally gives me a real answer. "I know your body better than you do, babe." I blush wildly and Gale leans and pecks my lips. He collapses back next to me, his hands staying on my stomach, gently running his rough fingers over the skin there. The feeling is intoxicating. "Does anyone else know?"

I shake my head at his question. "No, I haven't told anyone. I'm pretty sure your mom knows, though."

He snorts. "When you've had four kids, I'm assuming it gets easy to tell." I peck his cheek. Gale gives me a soft smile before finally speaking again, getting serious. "We're going to have a baby, Madge. We can't change that. Are you... Are you ready for that?"

I nod quickly, sitting up on my elbow. "I am. Are you?"

Gale smiles at me, "Of course." He pauses, giving me a wide smile. Gale seems calm, but on the inside, he's most likely freaking out, "God, Madge, we're going to have a baby. I can't wrap my mind around the idea."

I launch my lips against his and he smiles into the kiss, before releasing me and nosing into my collarbone, "You have nine months to get ready for it. Maybe a couple less."

Gale chuckles, the noise warming my heart. "I'll be ready," he murmurs, nibbling on my ear, "We'll be ready." He corrects, and my fingers tangle into his hair. "We're in this together."

Several Months Later:

Though, later, when I'm in a hospital bed screaming my head off, I can't help but think this is all his fault and that I'm the only one in this thing. Mostly because I'm trying to squeeze a baby out of the tiniest opening on my body.

My fingers crush his as I shout at him. "Oh my God, Gale Hawthorne I swear to God I'm going to kill you as soon as this baby is out!"

"Breathe, Madge." He repeats calmly, like he's been doing for the past four hours.

"Do not tell me to breathe," I growl, sweat streaming down my face. Gale pulls my hair back with his free hand and I let out a shout of agony. Waves of pain destroy my body, and I can't think, fuck, why am I doing this? Holy hell this is horrible, I can't breathe, I can't do anything.

"You're almost there," I hear Mrs. Everdeen tell me faintly, but all I can hear is the pounding of my heart. I shout and scream and practically break Gale's fingers.

"One more push, babe," Gale's voice breaks through the silence and I shout more obscenities at him. I attempt pushing and find myself screaming even more, before I look over at Gale.

"I swear to God Gale if you say anything I'm going to kill you, we are not having ten kids, I hate you!" I shout at him and he flinches, but keeps his hold on my hand. Agony ripples through my skin, head, stomach. A burning headache that will not go away. Hell, my body is being ripped apart!

"Help me," I force out, tears streaming down my face. Gale's face breaks and he glances down to Mrs. Everdeen who's waiting for the baby.

"I'm so sorry," Gale murmurs to me as I release one more shout of agony and a baby's cries fill the room. I collapse backwards onto the hospital bed and Gale presses kisses to my hand in rapid succession. His fingers are purple. Good. I hope they're broken.

There's shuffling in the room for several moments as I rub my eyes. "Madge?" I hear Gale's voice and I shake my head, wiping the tears from my face. "Did you hear that?"

"Nuh uh." I force out, finally opening my eyes to see him. He's smiling widely, proudly, as if I wasn't just yelling horrible things at him.

"It's a girl." My eyes open fully as Mrs. Everdeen gently passes a pink bundle over to me. My arms shake as I receive the bundle, and my eyes immediately are locked onto my baby, our baby.

"Gale," I choke, as the little girl swaddles in my arms.

"I'm right here," he breathes, his eyes shifting from the baby to me. "She's beautiful."

Honestly, she's pretty red-faced, and still screaming, but she's perfect. Her skins as light as mine, maybe lighter, and her eyes are mine. She has a head full of dirty blonde hair and a nose that looks like Gale's. A laugh bubbles out of me when her screams finally turn to kitten-like mews and she looks up at us.

I bounce her in my arms momentarily and Gale brushes a chunk of hair from my face. "Here," I whisper, holding the little bundle out to him. He looks shocked momentarily, but then takes the baby. I watch his face relax into a smile, which only causes me to smile. Gale's waited for this for years. He's wanted a family since he was twenty years old, and finally, I've been able to give him that.

"Hi baby," he whispers as the tiny hands swaddle and reach for Gale's hand. She wraps her entire fist around Gale's finger and I smile behind my hand. Tears prick at my eyes watching him interact with her. "What should we name her?" He finally glances back up at me, giving me a lovely smile.

We talked names earlier in my pregnancy, but we could never decide on any that were exceptional. Gale continues staring at the baby before he passes her back over to me.

"Kyra," he finally murmurs, kissing my sweaty head, "Kyra Meredith Hawthorne." Meredith for my mother. I nod quickly and Mrs. Everdeen types something in quick succession into her computer.

I reach and find Gale's hand, and he squeezes lightly, giving me a soft smile. "I love you."

My fingers dance across our daughter's cheek as she gazes up at me. I look over at Gale. "I love you, too."

17 years later, Christmas:

I'm standing at the stove, chopping some vegetables for the dish I'm making for Christmas dinner tonight. Everyone's coming over here. Hazelle, Rory and Prim, Eva and Vick, Posy, everyone's coming. Even Katniss and Peeta from 7.

Kyra's out at the market getting me some spices and such I didn't have. Sera's disappeared upstairs in her room, probably sleeping or something. Gale and the boys are in the woods, doing God knows what. I'm pretty much alone in the house.

I hear the back door open before hearing my boy's rambunctious noise. I sigh. Spoke too soon, I guess. They scurry into the kitchen, laughing about something. The rush of cold air follows them. Gale trails behind the boys, shaking his head at the two of them.

"These two," He starts, and the boys keep laughing, "These two don't seem to know what the meaning of quiet is." I laugh a little and turn to face them. Tate and Maddox are practically rolling on the floor laughing. "Go on, you two, go get cleaned up." We hear them pound up the stairs and I turn back to cutting.

Gale's arms wrap around my waist from behind. His jacket is cold, as is his body. "Something smells good." He murmurs, pressing his mouth to my cheek.

"That would be part of dinner." I respond, continuing to chop the tomatoes.

"Mmm." He hums, his mouth making it down my neck. "Can't wait."

"Flirt." I murmur softly, laughing.

"Only for you." He replies, fingers sliding up the old sweatshirt I have on. His fingers are cool and it gives me goose bumps.

"Gale," I laugh, trying to push him away, "Go shower. People are coming over in a few hours. I'll go after you." He continues to press kisses on my neck.

"Or you could come with me now," He suggests, winking at me. My cheeks heat up, even after all this time.

"The kids," I protest, but he pulls me from the stove and sets me on the counter. Even now I'm not as tall as him. He smirks and wraps his arms around my waist before pecking my mouth once.

"Oh, come on, live a little." He jokes and I shove him lightly. His mouth finds my jaw and he sucks on it lightly.

"Gale," I mumble, my fingers tangling in the hair on the base of his neck. "Later. It is Christmas and all." I wink and his eyes light up. He pecks my mouth once more.

"I love you." He finally pulls away from me. "I'm gonna hold you to that, y'know."

"I don't except anything less, Gale." I laugh and hop off of the counter as he pads down the hallway into our bedroom. I watch him for a minute before turning back to the stove and stirring the stew that I've made. It's one of Hazelle's old recipes that she gave Gale and I when we got married. I've added a few things here and there, but it's still the same thing.

I hear the front door open and Kyra hurries into the house, handing me the spices before collapsing on the couch in front of the fire.

"Cold?" I ask and she nods.

"It's freezing outside, Mom. You might wanna make three more fires." She says, rubbing her hands together to gather some warmth. I chuckle and put the top on the stew before walking into the living room with her. Her cheeks are pink and her blue eyes bright. Out of all of our four children, Kyra's the one who looks the most like me. Sera has a some of me in there, but it's mostly Gale. Both of my boys are spitting images of Gale.

"Mom?" Her voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, hun?"

"Did you celebrate Christmas when you were younger?" Kyra asks, while folding a blanket and resting it on the back of the couch.

"Sadly, no. When I was younger things were rough, you know that." She nods slowly, her mind probably going to the tape of the Games we showed her years ago. "The Capitol didn't want to enforce any religion or such because they didn't want to give the citizens any ideas. It was only established a few years before you were born because the overseas soldiers found other people on different parts of the earth, and they kind of helped up to have Christmas.

"Oh. So you didn't have many holidays when you were in school, then?"

"No. And whenever we did get off, it wasn't that great of a day." She gets what I'm saying about what days. Reaping. Viewings, etc. etc. The conversation lulls for a few minutes until Kyra perks up again.

"Is Aunt Effie coming today?" I chuckle. Effie isn't really the kids aunt, but she was here every time one of them was born, and makes a great babysitter, so when the kids learned to talk, that's what they called her and it kind of stuck. She's long since abandoned her eccentric style, but she still wears very bright colors. Haymitch and her are extremely good friends now. I always suspected that there was something going on between us, but they put that rumor to rest as quickly as it started.

"Yes, Aunt Effie is coming today. She'll be the first one here, just you wait." Effie definitely hasn't forgotten her punctuality.

"I like hearing her stories of traveling." Effie travels everywhere, she's somewhere different every month, I swear. She was paid greatly for being a part of the Rebellion, and being an Escort when the Games were still going on.

"I'm sure you'll hear quite a few." Kyra grins before hurrying upstairs to go tell Sera that Effie's coming. I turn to go check on the stew and I run into Gale. I squeak. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just got out here." He says, grinning. His dark hair is still damp from his shower.

"Can you watch the stove for me?" He nods and sits on the couch, pulling my wrist so I land on his lap. "Gale," I laugh, trying to get away but his grip's too strong, "You're very demanding today." I tease and he pokes my side.

"It's Christmas," He shrugs, "I do what I want."

"Oh really now." I raise an eyebrow and look at him. He nods and I giggle.

"God, I need some time alone with you. Without the kids." He murmurs and I slide off of his lap.

"I can get them to go with Effie for a couple weeks. I think they'd get a kick out of that." His eyes light up and he nods.

"I think I would too." He lowers his voice and waggles his eyebrows at me. I shove him.

"I'll talk to her tonight." I laugh and finally stand up, going to shower.

Turns out I was right and Effie was the first person to show up. She just lets herself right in, and I don't even notice she's in the house until I've started setting up the dining room table for all of the food.

"Madge, dear!" I whip my head around to find Effie standing, bundled up in her bright blue jacket.

"Effie! When did you get here?" I ask, giving the older woman a quick hug. She's gotten older, but she's still Effie. There's no denying that.

"A few minutes ago, actually! It was quite cold outside, and no one was answering the door, so I thought I'd just come right in!" She pauses, and hurries back to the kitchen before bringing a bowl of food. Since she's over thirty minutes early, I put it in the fridge. "Now, where are your lovely children?"

"They're all upstairs," I laugh, "Go on up, they should be in the family room." She hurries up the stairs and I wait for the laughing. It comes moments after and I grin a little bit. They love Effie.

Hazelle's next to show up. She and Effie get along quite well, which is surprising considering Hazelle couldn't stand Effie when Gale and I were in the Games. The two women talk about everything while the kids run around upstairs.

"Kids, quiet down up there!" I call but the noise continues. Eventually, I give up. Katniss and Peeta are the next to arrive. Immediately, Laurel and Pax, their children, hurry upstairs. Katniss sets down a dish on the table and we chat quietly while Gale and Peeta catch up in the kitchen. The two of them have definitely come a long way. They didn't particularly like each other after the war, but now they're okay. It's great to see them, especially since we don't see them often. It's odd not having them here in 12 with us.

"How's 7?" I ask Katniss, while setting the silverware on the mahogany table.

Katniss shrugs, "As good as always. A few months ago Peeta was set on moving back here, but I told him I couldn't do it." I nod and change the topic. Katniss would never move back to 12 after everything's happened.

Gale's siblings and their families eventually all turn up, including Posy, her husband Reed, and their newborn. The baby is their third child. Hazelle absolutely adores all of her grandchildren. Gale and I were the first to have kids, and then Rory and Prim followed soon after. So far, we have the most children, but by the looks of it, Posy and Reed will have many more. It's odd to think of Posy having kids when it feels like just yesterday she was five.

Finally, we're able to eat. All of the kids grab their plates and disappear upstairs to eat while the adults eat in the downstairs living room. Posy passes the baby to me while she grabs her food and I smile at the little girl.

"You want more kids?" Gale murmurs in my ear and I snort.

"I'm not a birthing machine, Gale. Four is enough." Gale chuckles and takes his niece from me to play with her fingers. The thoughts brings me back to when Kyra was born.

Right as dinner finishes, it starts to snow. Snow is a common thing on Christmas, but it gets the kids every time, especially Katniss and Peeta's kids. They only see snow when they come to 12.

My eyes glance around the room, just watching everyone. I see Haymitch and Effie chatting about something. Hazelle holds her newest niece while Posy and Reed watch closely. Peeta's whispering something to Katniss that gets her to blush. Prim and Rory cuddle on the loveseat. Vick and Eva (it was pretty surprising when we found out they were dating) laugh about something that happened. I hear my sons and my daughters, my nieces and my nephews stomp around upstairs and I have to smile. They all come down several minutes later and sit on the floor in our living room.

Finally, I look towards my husband who's laughing at something Rory said to him. He's stood by me through everything that's happened through the years and. He's helped me through some of the hardest times of my life. And honestly, I don't know what I would do without him.

On those days that I wake up not knowing who he is or who my children are, Gale's always there to get me to snap out of the trance. And on the days that he has trouble coping, I'm always there for him. Gale's got me through the Games, torture, child birth and so much more. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to hold my children or watch them grow.

We've had fights and makeups, kisses and hugs, screaming children, and of course all of the trouble that comes along with being a Victor. Panem has forgotten about us and everything that we've done, and I like that. I like that our children don't have to deal with our pasts, and that they can just make their own lives.

"What're you thinking about?" Gale murmurs to me, his mouth close to my ear. He nips at my ear momentarily, and I blush, even after all this time.

I shrug. "Nothing." And this time, when I say nothing, I'm not lying. Gale smiles, pecking my cheek.

"Are you happy?" Gale asks me, and I furrow my brows.

"Of course I am, Gale." I turn so I can face him and his thumb runs over my hand. "I have a roof over my head, food on my table and a family that loves me. What else could I ask for?" Gale smiles before kissing me. Even after years of kissing him, this is the one kiss that still gets my heart to race and my head to spin. This is the one that tells us both everything that we'll never be able to put into words.

A/N: Wrapping it up in the last few paragraphs was so hard, oh my god. I can honestly not thank y'all enough for supporting me throughout this long process of writing this story. It kinda hurts my heart that I won't be writing about the two Victors from District 12 anymore, but there are always more stories to come. Expect a new one very soon from me. Again, I cannot thank y'all enough. You guys are the reason I write!