Sweet Strawberries

Madge Sebastian, née Undersee || District 12 4 || 20 Madge was quiet and solitary in school like Katniss, which contributed to their friendship. However, she can be urgent, strong, and steadfast in her way of speech. She was also very cautious, if not slightly suspicious of people she didn’t know, becoming distant and closed if offended. Madge visited Katniss in the Justice Building and gave her the mockingjay pin. Madge met Kyan by accident and love blossomed between them. She followed him back to District Four where an unfortunate accident tore them apart. Soon after she found out she was pregnant and had a baby boy named Zale. It was after this that Kyan found his way back into her life, having found his way back to District Four after the boat accident in which he saved Madge's life.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

[triumphanttrident]

He stroked her back while she cried, trying his best to stay strong for her sake. While he was hurt by the situation as well, his feelings were nothing compared to the pain that was wrecking its way through Madge. 

He leaned back and wiped at her tears, cupping her face in his hands. When he had slightly calmed her down, he kissed her forehead gently. “It’s okay. He’ll be okay… I promise.” he assured her, brushing her hair back out of her face. 

"You know he won’t give up that easy. The last thing a Sebastian does is give up. He’ll keep fighting.."

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

She couldn't help a soft hiccup as her tears slowed, looking up at Finnick through wet lashes as he wiped her cheeks clean. The soft kiss on her forehead and his words managed to muster a small smile on her lips and despite a sniffle, she nodded a little. 

"You're right. If there's one thing I've learned, it's certainly that." She said, taking a deep, albeit somewhat shaky, breath to try and steady herself. Then she renewed her grip on his hand, leading him over to the bed. One hand remained in Finn's, clutching it firmly as the other slowly rose to touch her sons.

Her fingers slowly curled around his hand and after another soft sniffle, she spoke, "Hey baby boy... Momma's here now." He was 20 and almost a foot taller than her now, but it didn't change that he was her baby boy. 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

[triumphanttrident]

He squeezed her gently as she wrapped her arms around him, trying his best to try and soothe her. Soothing and comforting her were his top priorities, especially when they were finally inside the hospital. His hand never left the shaking one it was intertwined with.

When she acknowledge the idea of them being family as he had before, a slight smile crept on his face. It fell quickly as they continued and eventually reached Aster’s room. 

It had been a long shot, but he had still been hoping that by the time they arrived, Aster would be conscious and able to comfort his mother. The sight of him now was sure to put her over the edge. His first instinct when he saw her grab the wall was to let go of her free hand and wrap his arm around her waist.  

"Madge, stay with me now." he muttered, squeezing her in to a hug. "We’ll all be okay."

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

She leaned into the hug when she felt his arm around her, turning into him and just taking comfort in his strong frame. Thank cod he was here or she would have had a meltdown in the doorway. "My baby..." the words were a little choked and she barely managed to contain a sob.

For a few moments, she hid her face against's Finnick's chest, tears wetting his shirt as she struggled to get control of herself again, although she seemed to be failing. It was hard to keep in control when she was in the position of again seeing one of her children helpless. She was scared- more than that, terrified.

She wondered for a few moments about how it had happened, hoping they had caught whoever was responsible for this but pushed it away. She didn't want to be angry right now, she wanted to try and get control of herself again to try and be positive for Aster's sake.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

[triumphanttrident]

"We’re family. I’d do anything for you." he admitted, his eyes glancing over her way. He wanted to tell her it was okay to really cry, but he figured she wanted to stay as strong as possible until they had some idea of what was going on. 

"We’ll call her later. We’ll call everybody as soon as we can." he assured her. He wished he could sound more comforting, but he was never great with feelings. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to leave.

The ride seemed to drag on, but they eventually made it. He opened her door for her and held out a hand for her to hold on to. 

"We’ll be okay… I promise."

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

She took his hand, squeezing a little too tight for a moment before relaxing her grip and getting out of the car. She paused for only a moment to hug him again (face to chest, of course, with the height difference, not that it bothered her). Nodding a little into it, trying to agree with his last words before pulling away.

Squeezing his hand again, she looked up into his face again and managed a somewhat tight smile before leading the way in. Her grip on his hand stayed relatively tight but not as tight as it had been when she first squeezed it, speaking slightly shakily when they reached the front counter.

"I'm here for Aster Sebastian. I'm his mother." 

The nurse nodded, and without emotion told her the room number. It was too hard right now to bother being annoyed with the nurse and instead she just turned to keep moving but was interrupted by the woman's tone.

"It's only family." She was looking at Finnick.

"He is family." Madge said firmly before continuing them on their way without another glance at the nurse. It was clear that the closer they got, the more nervous she felt however and when they arrived at the room it was only tentatively that she pushed the door open.

Freezing in the doorway, the tears really began to well up in her eyes. Seeing all the machinery connected to her son made it very real and the little shiver that ran through her saw her reach out to brace against the doorway in case her knees gave out.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

[triumphanttrident]

His stomach hadn’t had any time to settle before dropping again. Aster wasn’t even conscious. They had no idea what they would be walking into when they reached the hospital. Both Chase and Aster had been in an accident and that was all they knew. No news wasn’t good news in this case. 

"I can call them if you’d like." he offered. While she should be the one to talk to the doctors, he wasn’t entirely sure what he would say to Cato or Clove. 

It was hard to ignore how obviously distressed Madge was. She was quivering and moments away from tears. It was a scene that was all too familiar. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, but didn’t want to promise anything unknown. 

"We’re here together, Madge. I’ll stay with you all night…"

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

She sniffled softly, trying hard to keep from bursting into all out sobs, though she couldn't help the occasional tear from rolling through her defences. "Thank you Finn," She murmured, "I don't know what I would have done without you." She just hoped Aster would be okay because she didn't know what she would do if she lost one of her babies.

"I just keep thinking... or feeling like I already used my luck up... but I can't let myself think that way either..." After Zale had recovered from his accident, it was hard to believe this was happening again, or that they would see Aster make a full recovery but she had to try to keep on believing.

"I need to call Melosia too..." She murmured, running a hand through her hair and taking a deep breath as she tried to hold herself together.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

[triumphanttrident]

Some nights were too quiet for Finnick. While he enjoyed a little down time now and then, he missed being around people. Annie had been helping Eli with his book and Eric was always with Zeev. Kyan was busy with work, so he was confused when his name flashed on the phone. After picking up the phone, he found action again. 

Now he wasn’t Aster’s father, but his stomach dropped at hearing what had happened. Their families were so close that it was too much like hearing about his own child. Before he had even given Madge an answer, he was hurrying to get dressed.

Even when he did reach her home, hug her for a moment, and rush her back to their ride, he was unusually quiet. What was he supposed to say? Madge was even more horrified and scared than he was, but he was having a hard time finding the right words to say. Coming from a father who had been in the position of getting that awful phone call that there had been an accident, it shouldn’t have been so hard.

"What happened, Madge? Did they tell you anything specific? "

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Once Zeev had arrived to take care of Seraphina, she had grabbed a coat, accepted a hug from the woman and gone to wait outside for Finn to arrive a moment later. She hugged him back, doing her best not to burst into tears on him and followed him to the car. Her hands were shaking and she found it hard to settle in her seat. This was the second time she'd received a call to say her child had been in an accident and she perhaps felt more ill this time. They had made it through one incident, would they get through another?

"Uhm... he and Chase... Chase had bought a car not long ago, so they decided to go on a road trip together. Cod... uhm, the doctor said they were going through an intersection when someone hit the car. Chase... he's awake and uhm... he managed to tell them a little but as of when they called me, Aster's not yet." Her voice was a little shaky, on the verge of tears.

"Oh no, Clove and Cato... I haven't even spoken to them yet." She thought on Chase's parents. She'd have to talk to them whenever they had both arrived at the hospital. She glanced up at Finnick now, infinitely glad he was there. She probably would have gotten into an accident herself trying to get there.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

A Shoulder to Lean on - Madge/Finnick

Immediately after Madge got the news she tried to get a hold of Kyan, who was off on business but she soon found that he was unreachable. In her panic, and unsure of who else to contact (Zale was Aster’s brother but possibly not the one to depend on in a situation like this), she of course called the Odair household. Annie wasn’t home but she reached Finnick at least.

“Finn, It’s Madge.” She barely gave him a chance to respond before launching into the story, “I just got a call from the hospital, Aster’s been in a accident and I can’t get a hold of Kyan and I don’t think I could drive there safely myself and I need to get someone to babysit for Seraphina.” She managed to stop herself before she got a little too hysterical.

“Sorry… I just… I’m calling Zeev to take care of Seraphina, or maybe Hayden and Xavier if they’re home but can you please get me to the hospital? I’m the only one home and I don’t know what to do but I have to get there…”

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

Gale made a soft noise of amusement, chuckling to himself. “I guess it depends on your definition of a charmer. But Rory and Vick are doing good. Rory has a daughter too, she’s a little younger than Hayden. No kids for Vick or Posy though."

His smile grew a little as she spoke, nodding his head slightly. “She does. She was sort of… an unexpected surprise, a great one." Adrielle hadn’t been in his life long, but long enough for him to know that she was something special, someone he never wanted to lose. 

"Not far now. The house is pretty close to the station." 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"I'm glad you found happiness Gale." She said softly, smiling at him and enjoying the way his smile grew as he spoke. It was a little difficult for her to imagine the Hawthorne children she had once (secretly) babysat all grown up- much less Rory with a kid of his own.

Soon the car slowed and she realised that they were coming up on the house. She couldn't help feeling a little bit nervous- about seeing the Hawthornes after so many years and knowing that she had to impress Hayden. 

Taking a deep breath, she unbuckled when the car stopped in front of a house, smiling at Gale gently. "Well, I guess this is it.."

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

//Have a fluffeh kitty squeezing into a bowl...

[taintedwonder]

'Glee' Star Corey Monteith Dies at 31

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Glee star Corey Monteith was found dead at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel Saturday, The Hollywood Reporter has comfirmed. He was 31. More to come.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

"You’d be surprised what Posy remembers. I swear she pulls out random promises I made when she was young to manipulate me into getting her way even to this day." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever get over being a push over when it comes to that kid… or well, woman now- but she’ll always be a kid in my eyes." 

A small smile turned up his lips as she accepted his apology. Secretly it was something he had always wanted, but had been too proud in his youth to make happen. He may have resented Madge once, but he never wanted to hurt her. Things had just worked out that way, but he had wanted to make that right deep inside. At least it finally worked out that way, all these years later. 

"Yeah, ever since the take down of the Capitol. I got the job offer in law enforcement here, taking it seemed like the right thing to do.. I needed a fresh start to move on from the past…" He smiled a little to himself at her next question. “I am… It’s kind of a recent thing, but… she’s something more. At least it feels like it."

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"Well, you'll always be her older brother, she'll always be your kid sister. I get it. My eldest isn't even really a child anymore but he'll still always be my baby. Similar deal." She said in understanding. "And what about Rory and Vick? I remember when Vick used to draw me flowers. He still a charmer?" She asked him with a laugh.

"Well, recent or not, I'm glad. You deserve to be happy, and from that smile on your face it seems like she makes you happy." She commented. It was strange, what a coincidence this was. How life brought people back together. Small world- though of course she wished his daughter hadn't had to suffer for this coincidence to take place.

She wanted to ask him what Hayden was like but she worried that it might be too much of a reminder of why she was here. So she left it for now. Instead... "So how far are we from your place?"

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

He smiled a little as she spoke, but kept his eyes on the road ahead. “Posy loved you and that piano… it used to drive me nuts." He chuckled softly, reflecting on some of the good times in the past rather than the negative was nice. “They’ll be happy to see you too. Mom’s been fussing in the kitchen all morning, she doesn’t know it’s you yet, but she’s been acting like we are feeding an army… guess she wants to set a good impression. Either that or she’s just as nervous as the rest of us and trying to distract herself.." 

He glanced over at her as she touched his arm, nodding though his smile had faded a little. The Hawthorne’s always stuck together, this would be no different. They would find a way through it together, but it was still a heavy weight to bear. 

"Thank you, Madge…" He said softly, not really sure what else to add to it. Gale had never been the best with words and expressing his emotions, but Madge knew that.

"And Madge…? I know it probably doesn’t matter anymore since it was so long ago… but.. I’m sorry. I was a jerk about a lot of things back in Twelve, especially to you. You didn’t deserve it.."

It was almost another life time ago now, but he still felt that it needed to be said. Even if it were all water under the bridge by this point, he needed to apologize before things got under way with Hayden. If there was a chance that Madge was going to take in the baby then he hoped that maybe there could be a fresh start between the two of them.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"Still the same Hazelle then," She murmured with a smile. "Would Posy even remember me? It's been a long time and she was only young then.." She'd loved all the children in the district, though she had sometimes looked after Posy for Mrs Hawthorne (whom she suspected didn't always tell Gale).

Madge couldn't help a soft smile at his apology, giving his arm a light squeeze, "You were forgiven a long time ago Gale. We were only young, and we all make mistakes. We're both here now and we're both okay. That's what matters."

Though it had been quite a surprise to see him standing there at the station waiting for her. "So you've been in Two all these years? And.. well I told you about my husband are you.. are you seeing anyone?" She'd noticed that there was no ring on his finger so he probably wasn't married but she couldn't help being curious about how Gale's life had been since they had last seen one another.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

He nodded quietly when she talked of visiting Twelve. He’d only been back once since moving away, and while it was nice to see home again and catch up with Katniss… it still didn’t feel quite right being there. Even though he had long since moved on and put his feelings for Katniss to rest, he felt like being there was invading on her and Peeta’s space. He belonged in Two now. He had a life here, and a pretty good one.

"It must be nice… your life in Four. I’m pretty new to this parenting thing… but it hurts to know I missed her childhood and all those mile stones…" He mumbled out before realizing that Madge probably had no idea about Hayden having not been in his life until recently. 

"I didn’t know about her… Hayden, her mother… she never told me she was pregnant, so when she left I had no clue that she was taking my child with her, or that she even existed… Her mother died after she was born and Hayden ended up growing up in a community home… she actually found me pretty recently.." He shook his head lightly, dropping his rambles and watching the road as he drove. Madge wasn’t here to listen to him go on about his life.

Though he was envious of what she had built for herself back in Four. He seemed to be a little jealous of everyone with kids these days and the time they got with them. Gale would have had a lot to give, he still would- and a part of him had almost thought about taking in the baby for Hayden, but he didn’t know if it would be harder on her to have her father raising her baby when he never got the chance with her, so he never spoke of it. 

"Yeah, everyone’s here. Us Hawthorne’s stick together I guess… We’re still all crammed into one house, but at least here the house has plenty of space and everyone actually had their own room… it’s nothing like Twelve." He let out a light chuckle himself, though it was a little bit dry with all the thoughts weighing in on him. 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She murmured, "But at least you know now. Especially since she needs you most right now." Maybe some people wouldn't have wanted to hear him talk about his life but she was genuinely interested to hear what had happened in his life. Although she wasn't in love with him anymore, she did still care about it.

"I can't imagine you living separately, somehow." She said with a laugh. "You always were big on family. Gosh... Rory, Vick and Posy all grown up. I still remember Posy tinkering around on my old piano." She mused fondly. "It will be nice to see them again."

She reached out to lightly touch his arm, "It'll be okay Gale. Hayden will be okay. She has you and the family and Xavier seems to love her very much. Regardless of the choice she makes with the baby, whether I adopt it or she keeps it... you'll all get through it together." She reassured him.

"And... if I do end up adopting the baby, I promise you, you can be a part of it's life. I wouldn't want it to miss out on anything." She hoped that this was what he needed to hear.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

//just putting this out there.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

It felt a little weird to be here with Madge, considering what she was here to discuss. It did put his mind to ease a little bit though, knowing the person that was inquiring about his grandchild. It was better than trying to build up trust with a complete stranger, even if they had a rocky past. It was just that, the past.

He was quiet for a moment, considering the answer to her question. “It’s.. different. Not really in a bad way, but not what I’m used to. Sometimes I miss Twelve, but not enough to go back… it just… doesn’t feel like home anymore…” Twelve almost felt like another life time ago, a painful and darker life. Two was still a bit of an adjustment even after all this time, but it was better for him and his family. There was less pain here. “How is that going for you? Life in a new district, and I hear you’re married with kids. Congratulations.” 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"I know the feeling." She commented, "I visit Twelve sometimes but...  unless it's to see Katniss and Peeta it's not usually pleasant." Somehow trips to her parents usually ended with her feeling upset. Things had just never been repaired between them, even after all these years. Though, she supposed they did try a fraction with her children.

"It's going well. My husband, Kyan, and I have 3 wonderful kids and... I'm very happy in Four. I would have loved more children but... there were some complications after the last and, well, it would be too dangerous to give birth again. I do feel like I have more to give though." She knew she mostly had to plead her case with Hayden but there was no reason she shouldn't with Gale too.

"So everyone is here in Two? I haven't seen them in such a long time. Gosh, it will be so strange to see them all so mature." She said with a laugh.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

“The kid didn’t tell you who you were meeting?” Xavier wouldn’t have known that the two knew each other, but a name would have given it all away. After all, they had known each other very well once- so to speak. 

He frowned a little when she asked about Hayden, reflecting on exactly why Madge was here in the first place. “Yes… she is… and she’s waiting, so we’d better hop to it I guess.” Gale wasn’t a fool, he knew what he had done all those years ago. He knew he hurt Madge. He never mean to, but things just sort of… happened. Now here they were, years later and he still wasn’t sure how to approach her after it- so he tried to ignore it all together. Though, the nagging in the back of his mind would probably drive him to blurt out something stupid eventually. 

In his own attempt at kindness, he reached out to take Madge’s bags for her and then carried them to the car. It really wasn’t much since she wasn’t here to stay too long, but he loaded them up for her all the same. 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

"Well he gave me a description but forgot the name." She said with a slight shrug. "Hopping to it." She allowed him to take her bags, even though there really was no need. Honestly, despite everything that had happened between them... it was years ago now and long since forgiven.

She had never really blamed him anyway- as always when she was younger, she had blamed herself. Essentially she was the same Madge but she was more confident in herself now, thanks to Kyan. She did hope it wouldn't be strange to talk to Gale, about her family, about adopting his grandchild and... she hoped it didn't change Kyan's mind.

After all, there was nothing left between she and Gale now, just memories that seemed worlds away. "Xavier did mention you were in law enforcement though... Are you happy here in Two? I left Twelve myself... bet you never thought that would happen." She tried to make conversation, not wanting things to be awkward.

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

[hawthorne-d2]

Gale was hesitant when the idea of the baby possibly being adopted off was introduced to him. The idea of a stranger raising his grandchild didn’t settle well with him, though he knew that this might be what was best for his daughter. Hayden wasn’t ready to be a mother, not under these circumstances. 

When Xavier brought up the woman inquiring his interest was a little more perked though. Specifically the name was what caught him off guard. Madge Sebastian. Madge.. could it be the same woman? It was a fairly unique name, but there could be more people out there with it than he knew. Almost instantly Gale’s mouth was blubbering before he could stop himself, offering to pick her up from the station.

Xavier gave him a small description of the woman so that Gale would know who he was looking for, including that she was a pretty blond. there was no doubt beyond that who he was looking for. Madge Undersee. Someone he hadn’t heard of in years, someone he probably should have kept in better contact with from his youth. 

When the time came he arrived at the station a little early, giving himself time to prepare for the blast from the past that he had set himself up for. Soon after the train arrived and people began to pour off it. Somewhere in the chaos, a blond caught his eye and his suspicions were confirmed. 

She had wondered a little past him as her eyes searched the crowed, obviously not expecting him to be the one picking her up since it hadn’t even registered to her that he was standing right there. 

Clearing his through he turned a little, tapping her shoulder from behind. “Oy, Blondie. It hasn’t been that long that you don’t even remember my face, has it?” 

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

That voice... it was very familiar. She turned halfway before catching a glimpse of his face, eyes widening as she faced him. "Gale?" She asked softly. The man she had loved for a long time as a young woman... the man who she'd lost her virginity to (and perhaps then hated herself for it in some ways, as once Katniss was back he seemed to lose all interest in her). Her cheeks darkened a little at the thought- it was one of her last memories of Gale. She hadn't seen him much after that since he was busy with Katniss. She hadn't even seen him when she delivered the morphine that night.

It was strange, standing here across from her childhood love. Back when she had been younger, looking at Gale had set her all aflutter. Her heartbeat would get faster, butterflies took off in her stomach and she got those silly goosebumps on her scalp. Right now though, looking at Gale, although the memories came back... she felt none of it. A small smile crossed her face- of course not. She was Kyan's.

"I didn't realise that I was supposed to be looking for you. Cod, it has been a long time now..." District Four had rubbed off on her. "Hayden... is your daughter?"

[sweetstrawberriesmadge]

Discovery - Gale/Madge

She couldn't help being a little excited when she got the message from Xavier that Hayden wanted to meet her. Nothing was set in stone yet but.. well she had a good feeling about this. Madge would go to Two, meet Hayden and they would get a feel for one another... She'd have to tell the kids she was going on a trip, unfortunately without many details yet. Once she got back they could have a family dinner and she could introduce the idea.

Once she'd cooked and refridgerated some food for the family while she would be away, she packed. The only question Aster had asked of her was if she was visiting her parents alone- she said no and he left it at that. She felt a little bad, not telling them but she felt like she and Hayden should get a feel for one another first, see if there was a chance of it going ahead first.

Kyan dropped her off at the station and she kissed his cheek sweetly before boarding the train. Little did she know who would be meeting her at the station- Xavier hadn't told her much about Hayden. Not even a last name, not that it would have prepared her for what was waiting ahead of her.

Stepping off the train in Two she walked along the platform, glancing around. Although she had a hotel to stay at, Xavier had said Hayden's father insisted on meeting her at the station... except he forgot to mention a name. Hopefully the man would find her...