Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Oh my god it's struck me again. The bug of a new story. And this one just so happens to be... dun, dun, dun...Hunger Games/Criminal Minds. I have problems with writing too many things at once. Somehow though I can't figure out how to stop it. The Hunger Games is one of my favorite series of all time and I couldn't get this out of my head. Hope you like it okay!

Quick note on the text: Katniss and Peeta and Gale are not featured in this story, but many of the significant characters play large roles, such as Haymitch, Cinna, President Snow, etc. Derek and his daughter Seraphina will bear some traits similar to Katniss and her father.

David woke up at the crack of dawn to see a thin light of dawn flickering through his curtains. Sighing, he rose from his bed, careful not to wake up his wife who was laying beside him. He strode to the window and poked his head between the curtains. Outside the house there was a layer of fog that was rising as the sun started to come through the mountains. The weather was a normal for District Twelve.

But the weather was the only thing normal for that day. Today was Reaping Day. And his two children, thirteen year old Christopher and sixteen year old Xavier, were in the drawing bowl for the male tribute. There was a chance they might be drawn for the Hunger Games. The fight to the death they all dreaded.

"Dave?"

Turning around, Dave saw his wife, Jennifer sitting up in their bed, rubbing her eyes and looking drowsy from sleep still. He went to sit on the edge of the bed and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Morning," he murmured, moving a lock of hair out of her face.

"Nothing good about it," she grumbled, leaning her head against his shoulder. They were both silent for a long time. "I'm scared, Dave," she whispered. "I'm so scared one of them will be called out and we'll lose them. Xavier and Christopher aren't warriors. They're both not capable of killing someone in cold blood."

He sighed. "I know." Resting his forehead against hers, he added, "But there's a chance they won't be called. Their names are in there much less because we've never had to make an exchange for tesserae." Seeing as they were both from the better part of town and they were both merchants, they didn't have to put their children's names in for extra food and oil.

Jennifer rubbed her forehead. "I can't even imagine how Penelope and Derek must feel," she said. Their close friends Derek and Penelope weren't as fortunate as they were. They lived in the Seam where Derek was a miner while Penelope treated the sick. Both of them were much worse off along with their three children to raise. Money was tight for them. Derek had even taken to illegally going into the woods with his children, Seraphina and Thaddeus to help pay for more of the necessities they needed to survive.

"They'll get through it," he said. "And if Seraphina does get called, she'll hold her own. She's one of the strongest girls I know." Touching Dave's face, Jennifer looked him in his eyes and he added, "Chris and Xavier will be okay."

"I sure hope you're right," she said, looking out the window. "We'd better start getting the boys up and ready. We've got a lot of prep to do."

Dave knew this day would be one of his hardest to endure, and possibly even more difficult for his wife.

XXXXX

Penelope hadn't slept a wink all night. Reaping Day, since her daughter Seraphina had turned twelve and was required to put her name in for the Hunger Games, was her least favorite day of all time. Her son, Thaddeus and her youngest daughter, Ziva were nine and six and were out of danger for a few more years, but she would never stop worrying for them. A few tears rolled down her cheeks and she hurriedly wiped them away.

"Penelope?"

Looking to her side, she saw her husband, Derek on his side and looking at her. He started to trace small patterns on her arm. "Yeah?" she said softly.

"You look pale," he said.

She scoffed and kissed his knuckles. "I'm always pale. Just like I'm always thin and hungry."

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "You're so, so beautiful."

She sighed. "I wish I could bring in more money," she said, ignoring his comment about her appearance. "Phi has had to put her name in for tesserae each and every year. I hate it. I hate it, I hate it! Just like I hate the Capitol. They threaten to take our daughter from us, all because of a war that took place before she was ever even born."

"Penelope..." When she didn't respond, he said, "Phi is -"

Penelope cut him off. "Please don't tell me she'll be fine," she whispered. "We don't know that. What if her name is called? What if she's forced to fight? I can't lose her."

Derek cupped her cheek. "We raised her well," he said. "If she's called, she'll fight. I believe in her. She's got your spirit and I trained her to use weapons." He rolled her under him and kissed her. "Now we should get up and start getting the kids ready." He smiled and rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. "You ready?"

"Hardly," she said.

"I know," he said. Sitting up, he took her hands and pulled her out of bed with him. "Me neither."

XXXXX

"Wake up, Xavier," Christopher said loudly, shaking his older brother awake.

Xavier turned over on his side to find his younger brother trying to wake him up. He groaned and sat up. "Ugh," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Chris, a little less on the wake up call okay?"

"I'm really nervous about today," Xavier said, wringing his hands together. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be so loud."

Xavier ruffled his younger brother's hairs. "It's alright," he said, rising from his bed and treading across the cold floorboards to his chest of drawers. "Don't worry so much about today. Your name is only in there twice." He pulled his shirt over his head and turned to face his younger brother who was looking rather ashen. "You'll be fine," he assured him.

"But what about Seraphina?" he asked quietly. "Her name is in there a lot."

"I don't know about Phi," he said. "But we both know she could handle herself. She'd be fine if she got picked. I swear, the one time I went with her into the woods she scared the hell out of me."

The truth was he was scared to death that his best friend would be called. Her name was in the Reaping Bowl more times than the average Seam child. Seraphina was so full of life, a bright spot in the usually depressing strip of land. And what he had never told anyone in the world was he was madly in love with her. But despite the fact the'd never told anyone, everyone seemed to know. His mother and father, Seraphina's mother and father, everyone in District Twelve. Christopher in particular liked to taunt him regarding his feelings.

"I bet if she got called," Chris started, "she could win. She's so smart and strong and pretty..." He grinned cheekily, taunting Xavier.

Xavier rolled his eyes. "Chris. Not now."

"What?" he teased innocently. "You don't want me talking about your mad love for Phi?"

"No. I don't."

Xavier made his way out of the room, ignoring his little brother's incessant taunts. He entered the kitchen of his family's small house and found his father and mother, both of them already grim faced and sitting at the rickety table. Waving awkwardly, he said, "Mom? Dad?"

Both his parents looked up and Jennifer jumped to her feet, rushing to her son's side and hugging him tightly. Xavier could feel the love and terror radiating off of her. His mother was thin and lithe, but her hug was bone-crushing. Reaping Day was difficult on all parents and right now it was clear how hard it was. Jennifer pulled away and cupped her son's face in both her hands. She kissed his forehead. "It's going to be okay today," she said firmly. "You're going to be okay, alright?"

Xavier nodded. The desperate, terrified look in her eyes made him feel uneasy and he rubbed both her arms. "You're right, Mom," he said. "It'll be okay." He looked around his mother's shoulder and nodded to his still grim faced father. "Dad? Are you gonna be okay?"

Dave nodded slowly. "When this day is over, I will be," he said. As he finished speaking, Christopher came bounding into the room and into Jennifer's arms.

"Hi Mom!" he chirped.

JJ planted a kiss on her youngest son's head and held him close, savoring having him in her arms. On Reaping Day, every mother had the right to hold her children in her arms and pray that they wouldn't be taken away from her. JJ was one of those many mothers in District Twelve that morning.

XXXXX

Seraphina made her way through the strip of the Seam towards her family's small home where her parents were getting her other two siblings dressed in their best clothing. She was returning home from the woods where she had just finished gathering meat for her family for a week. Hopefully it would last. Her father would be able to go into the woods after his work in the mines was finished if she was called as a tribute.

Her name was in the bowl enough times. Getting called was certainly a possibility.

As she made her way up to her house, she waved at a few of her fellow Seam residents and gave them a smile. She knew she shouldn't be smiling about anything on a day like Reaping Day, but she couldn't help it. She needed to keep herself positive. Maybe if she did then she could make herself feel better.

But if she was truly honest with herself, she knew she would never make herself feel better.

She reached her house and trotted up the small stairs and porch and went into her house. In the small kitchen she found her mother brushing her younger sister Ziva's hair. Her face was blank and her eyes that were normally bright despite the grim circumstances of their lives were dead.

"Hey Mom," Seraphina said, going towards her and kissing her mother's cheek. She leaned down and kissed the top of Ziva's head. "Your hair looks pretty, Ziv," she added. She gave her mother and sister a soft smile.

Ziva looked up at her older sister with sad eyes. Even she seemed to be feeling the usual symptoms that came from Reaping Days.

Penelope looked at her daughter's smiling face and tears welled up in her eyes. Looking down at the top of Ziva's head, she planted a kiss on her curly haired head and murmured, "Ziv, I need you to go find your brother, okay? Make sure he's getting dressed."

Ziva nodded and rose from her chair, disappearing into another room. Penelope turned to her eldest daughter and murmured, "Phi, why are you acting so...carefree? It's Reaping Day." Her tears were now streaming down her cheek and she put her hands on her daughter's arms, rubbing them gently. "Aren't you the least bit worried?"

Seraphina nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I'm worried. But I feel like if I stay positive, it won't scare Thaddeus and Ziva as much."

Sighing, Penelope pulled her daughter into a fierce hug and held her tightly. "I wouldn't survive if anything happened to you, Phi," she whispered. "Your father and brother and sister and you are the only ones who matter to me. Promise me you'll stay cautious...no matter what happens."

Seraphina paused, but then hugged her mother tightly back, wanting nothing more than to quell her fears. "I promise, Mom," she murmured. "I promise."

Tears from Penelope's eyes wet Seraphina's neck and she knew this may be the worst Reaping Day her mother had ever experienced.

I hope you enjoyed! I'm curious as to what you guys think of it :) Please read and review!