Blaze

Madge

"Why are you helping?" Is the first question out of my mouth when we finally sit Madge down on the couch between Peeta and I. We've gotten her a couple of blankets and she's drinking whatever Mrs. Everdean gave Peeta, Rory and I last night. The kids are playing some sort of card game Peeta taught them just minutes before. Posy climbed into my lap as soon as I sat down and has bee playing with my hair, tugging at the strands.

"I like Gale. I mean, you guys might not consider me your friends but.." I stop her there.

"Of course you're our 0friend." Madge smiles lightly. "How much is the medicine? I'll pay you back." I tell her standing up, still holding Posy. Madge grabs my arm.

"You really don't have to we can buy more." I shake my head.

"I'm not just going to let you give them to us, I'll pay you, please." Handing off Posy to Peeta and not bothering to wait for an answer I head off to my room to grab some money. When I return I find that Peeta and Madge haven't moved from their positions and they didn't seem to have been talking either. "Here." I say plopping down a small purse in Madge's lap.

"This is way more than it actually costs." Madge protests opening it.

"So I'm paying you back for the pin then. The Mockingjay one." Madge stiffens slightly. I watch Posy snuggle against Peeta's shirt. He seems pretty surprised as she does this but is more concerned about why Madge has tensed up like that.

"The pin wasn't mine." She says lowly.

"Whose was it?" I ask curiously looking down at it now. I don't let it stray too far from me. This pin means a lot to me, more than I had expected it too. It also seems to be a trend in the Capitol. I always thought it was Madge's or perhaps her mothers, but if it wasn't either then...

"My aunts." Madge says quietly. "She took it with her into the Games." Now I'm shocked. I'm wearing the same pin as a previous tribute. "She died in the Arena. My mom has terrible nightmares of her dying." Madge is whispering now. I glance at Peeta a bit uneasily. "They left it pinned to her. It's the only thing my mother had left of her." I take it off immediately and attempt to hand it back.

"Why give it to me Madge?" I ask holding it out to her but she refuses to take it.

"My mother gave it to me when I turned ten Catora. She said it would protect me during Reapings. When I gave it to you I was hopping it would protect you in the arena." She smiles slightly. "It did more than just protect you though. It protected him as well." She doesn't look at Peeta but we both know she means him. "Keep it, please. It's how everyone remembers you now." Before I can say anything else Madge is back up on her feet and rushing out the door.

"Madge!" I call out. The door slams shut. Peeta walks forward with Posy still nestled in his arms.

"Crazy girl." Someone mutters. I turn and see Haymitch by the bottom of the stairs.

"Don't call her crazy." I snap, turning toward Peeta and hoisting Posy from his arms. She fusses a bit but settles back down once she's comfortable. Katniss appears at the entrance of the kitchen.

"He's awake."

We don't let the kids see him, even though they really want to. Rory understands what's happened but Vick just thinks his older brother is sick and he can't grasp the concept that he has been whipped so we don't explain it. I leave them with Peeta and Haymitch who grumbles about having watched Peeta and I enough to not like kids. Peeta also just doesn't want to see him.

"Peeta please." I murmur holding his arm.

"Catora it's okay, go see him. You know Gale and I aren't on the best of terms. Besides I don't trust Haymitch with the kids." Peeta glances back at Rory and Vick now skeptically. I nod my head slowly and hand Posy back to him. When I enter the kitchen Prim and Mrs. Everdean have set about cleaning and rebandaging his wounds. I wonder how often they've had to do that today.