A/N: Ooh, a new project. Nope, I am not ditching my other stories. In fact, this is why they are taking so long. First I had to move The Hunger Games up to the top of my reading list because I discovered that the movie came out March 23rd. Then I had to find them and now I'm making my siblings read them so we can all watch the movie when it comes out on DVD. Naturally my writer brain said, ooh Leverage merged with Hunger Games into epic story time. Me: What about the other two stories I owe people? Writer Brain: Why not both? Me: Because I have school reading assignments and two stories already in the work count as both. Writer Brain: We'll write this anyway to give you a break from killing Eliot and Sophie because that is just depressing. Me: That's just cheating. Writer Brain: I don't fight fair. It's your trait not mine. So, here is the result of that. Just to put this out there; THERE WILL BE NO PRIM IN HERE! That's right, the character taking over for Prim will not suffer her fate. That is all.

Nope, still don't own Leverage or its characters. *sigh*

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Nate awoke with the sun blaring in his eyes. He groaned at the angry orange glow and proceeded to roll over in hopes of stopping it. He was unsuccessful when he turned a fraction to his left and noticed blonde wisps poking into his eye. The eighteen year old flinched at this and slowly moved to sit up and take in his surroundings. He was still in his room and the blinds to his window were wide open. He knew he had closed them the night before. The young man turned back to observe his bed now that he was awake. Sure enough, Parker was laying there with Bunny held protectively tight in her tiny arms.

Nate sighed at the angelic child lying beside him. She must have gotten scared last night, Nate thought. Today was the day of the reaping, the day when two members of every district would leave their homes. Only one of the twenty-four contestants would return when the Hunger Games were finished. The Capitol expected every member of the twelve districts to attend the reaping as if it were an important event. The districts were required to look their absolute best for the event. That way the ones chosen for slaughter would be camera ready.

Slaughter because that's what the Hunger Games were. Each year since the end of the war when district thirteen was destroyed, the twelve districts that had revolted against the Capitol were forced to send in two children to fight in battle to the death. It was a hideous sport that had been going on for over seventy years. Today's reaping marked the beginning of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games. That meant there had been seventy-four years of merciless slaughter of children between the ages of twelve and eighteen battling to the death. Yippee!

Parker cuddled closer to Nate's side with a frown on her face. The eleven year old girl scrunched up her face and forced her eyes to stay shut. She was trying her best not to wake up. She was doing what she always did on Reaping Day. She was trying to pretend that it wasn't there. Nate sighed at the sad little fact and tried to think back on the days when the blonde Seam girl tried to kill him.

It wasn't exactly her fault. Nate had been hunting as a way to keep his father and sister fed. He also made a lot of money and good trade from the pelts and extra game. He was just scoping out the game trails when he stumbled upon a rabbit hanging by its neck from a tree. The then thirteen year old boy moved towards the rabbit in interest of the trap he had never seen before. Instead of seeing how the contraption worked he got a spear grazing his cheek. Nate backed away from the rabbit and grabbed his cheek in surprise.

"Stay away from my rabbit!" a tiny voice squeaked out in anger.

Nate's head snapped towards the source of the voice in confusion. He stared at the tiny figure in shock. A six year old girl stood a few feet away from him with her tiny hands on her hips and danger in her eyes. There was no doubt she had been the one to catch the unsuspecting rodent. A string just like the one attached to the rabbits neck was wrapped around her tiny torso two or three times. Her scrawny frame and bulging clothes were a sign that she wouldn't let her food go. She was starving and dangerous, a bad combo for the current situation.

Nate coughed to clear his throat. "I'm sorry," he said, "I was only trying to get a look at the string to see how you got yours to work. Every time I set a trap, the line breaks."

"You're lying," the girl narrowed her eyes and moved her hand closer to her knife. Nate blinked at the fact that he hadn't noticed it before. "You're trying to steal my rabbit! Well, I caught it fair and square so don't you even think about touching it or I'll gut you like a fish!"

Nate lifted up his hunting belt and bow to show he was no threat. He had caught seven rabbits, two pheasants and a turkey that day. "Look!" He shook the belt to get her attention. "I don't need the rabbit! I caught all of this while I was hunting today. I really was just trying to see how you got your trap to work, honest."

"You don't want my rabbit?' the girl asked in confusion. She was still looking for some tell that he was lying to her. She had major trust issues.

"I don't want your rabbit," Nate confirmed with a nod. He wanted out of the situation as soon as possible. He didn't need the peace keepers on his back about getting beat by a girl. He also didn't want to die.

"Then get out of here," the girl growled. She refused to take her hand off her knife. She was definitely crazy. "Before I decide you're lying."

"Alright," Nate bowed at her kind offer. Unlike his father, he knew how to end a fight before it ever began. The boy slowly backed up and started heading back to the electric fence that was never working. He paused after taking a couple of steps though. He stared down at his belt and then back at the little girl who was now somehow on the tree taking the rabbit down. He looked at his belt and the big turkey hanging from it. It was a worthy sacrifice to the cause. The boy removed the turkey from his belt and threw it towards the girl. She stared at the turkey at her feet in astonishment. Her head warily snapped towards him, her mouth agape.

"Keep it," he said, "I can always catch another one tomorrow." He turned around and started walking.

"My name is Parker," the tiny voice called out.

Nate smiled at the memory. He watched as the rabbit he had skinned and stuffed for her squeezed itself into her chest and puffed out again. His tiny, grey button eyes wobbled a bit at the abusive pressure before settling back on his head. It was only a matter of time now.

Green-grey eyes popped open and immediately looked around to identify their surroundings. They landed on Nate and a small smile began to grow on the blonde's face. Parker was officially awake.

"Happy Reaping Day, Nate," Parker croaked as she pulled her tiny little body to sit next to him.

Nate bumped his elbow against hers before he finally answered, "Happy Reaping Day, Parker."

"Today's your last day," Parker informed him simply. Her tone was abrupt and brutal but it was the truth she spoke. Today was indeed his last Reaping day. That was what she meant, but the thought that it could be his last day at home period was just as startling. After all, a child of a champion was always selected for the Reaping.

Nate frowned at the thought. It had been four years ago to the day when his sister had proven that theory correct before the members of district twelve. Adrianne had done her best to come home that year too, but she was killed the first night of the games. Her ally had betrayed her to join the Careers. Her tiny body was shipped home to his father and him with nothing more than a few words of comfort and praise for her sacrifice. Jimmy polished off what was left of his champion winnings that very night while Nate was forced to find comfort somewhere else. Parker had found him at their spot and refused to leave when he told her to. She was his official best friend from that moment on and there had never been a day they were separated since. After all, it was Adrianne who thought up the idea that they worked better hunting together instead of separately.

Nate thought about reminding Parker how much of a friend she was to him. Hell, the girl was practically his little sister now. He had the scars of defending her against bullies to prove it. He might as well tell her just in case he was selected.

"Then let's make it a good last day," he said instead.

Parker grinned her feral grin and immediately hopped out of bed. She cast aside her clothes without a care in the world that he was in the room with her. Nate just rolled his eyes and kindly turned away from the Seam girl. Sure she was like a little sister but there were some parts of her he just didn't want to see.

"I'm done, Mr. Shy, let's go!" Parker growled at him. Nate smiled at the address and turned around with wide eyes. She was wearing a dress. Parker was wearing a dress. Parker never wore a dress. Nate stared in awe of this odd phenomenon. He just couldn't believe his little buddy was wearing a dress.

"What?" Parker frowned in concern of her outfit, "Did I put it on backwards again?"

"No," Nate shook his head at the question, "You just don't usually wear a dress ever, let alone on Reaping day."

"It's Adrianne's," Parker defended smoothly. Well, Parker was never exactly smooth. She was more of a tomboy really. She was the bluntest of the blunt and the boyish member of her whole class. In fact, Nate was one of the only boys in their school that could actually beat Parker at all of the games. He and Paul Fathers were it if truth be told. "I thought I should wear it in her honor."

Bam! Nate felt his heart squeeze at the girl's thought. Adrianne had been kind enough to tell Nate exactly what would happen to Parker during their last day together. She explained that Parker would be his responsibility and it was up to him to keep her in line. She then had the decency to cry and say that Parker was to have all of hers and their mother's clothes. It was the only proof they would have that Parker was their sister. Nate made certain that wish was carried out. He rescued their clothes from his father's drunken clutches and stuffed them in their secret cabin.

"You're not hunting in a dress," Nate crossed his arms defiantly. He recognized the dress right off the bat. It was his mother's first Reaping dress. Adrianne wore it the day of her first Reaping as well. The blue dress had faded since then though and the yellow flowers embroidered around the waist were now officially lime green. It still looked remarkable on the newest wearer. Parker's golden locks even helped the faded colors to pop out the yellow more and make it look as if it were brand new. It was nice to see the dress worn again.

Parker rolled her eyes at his statement. "Of course I'm not wearing a dress to go hunting," she said, "I'm wearing it for our picnic."

"Picnic?"

"Yes, picnic. You and I are going on a Reaping Day picnic with goat cheese, leftover roasted turkey, and biscuits. I did all of the trading last night. Now, hurry up and get changed so we can go."

Nate couldn't help but smile at the insistent wave she gave him to indicate that he needed to change. He kindly took the outfit she had selected from the apparent thin air and placed it on his bed. He then pointed to the door. "You wait outside, Parker. I'll be there in a minute."

"It's just skin," Parker grumbled as she started to leave through the door, "It's not like you have anything different from me."

"It's exactly like that, Parker," Nate called after her as he started to replace his night shirt with his dress shirt. The blonde just stuck out her tongue and closed the door. Nate laughed at the gesture and hurriedly put on the rest of his clothes. Parker had a tendency to get impatient after only a minute of waiting. The hurried pace seemed to be a good call too. She opened the door just as he zipped his fly and she proceeded to thump towards the window with a basket in hand. She didn't act like she had done anything wrong, typical Parker.

"Let's go," she said.

Nate rolled his eyes and did as instructed. It was probably last day they would ever eat together anyway. He might as well enjoy it. The only blessing about this day was that Parker was still too young to be selected in the reaping. He only had to worry about his own life again.

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Breakfast happened too quickly for their liking. Silence of what could happen and the fear that it would had them chomping away at their food with very little conversation. They just sat by the lake and ate. It was all they could do to ignore the little cloud hovering over them. Today was probably their last day together. It was too depressing. The district twelve kids decided they had enough with that. They went to the town square early instead.

McRory's square was already bustling with people when they arrived. Children twelve through eighteen were already lining up in their designated spots in hopes of getting it over with sooner. They were wrong of course but it was something to do while waiting for the Reaping to begin.

Nate and Parker stopped right where the rope separating parents from their children was. It was time to split.

"Bunny says good luck," Parker explained sharply. She quickly gave him a tight squeeze and raced away. Nate watched after her until he found the familiar top hat in the sea of people. A hand shot up and Nate knew Parker had found Jimmy. It was time for him to find Paul.

Nate found Paul exactly where he expected to. Paul was standing as close to the middle of the square as possible. The guy was the only child in his family but unlike Nate, he was poor. Being poor in district twelve meant signing up for Tesserae. It was the Capitol's way of fixing the odds a bit. From the moment you turn twelve to the moment you are no longer eighteen, you can sign yourself up to receive enough Tesserae for every member of your family. For each time and person you register for Tesserae your name is entered once more when twelve, twice more when thirteen and so on and so forth doubling every year. Paul officially had his name entered the most out of every single boy in district twelve. His name was in the bowl thirty-six times just this year the odds were completely stacked against him and then some.

"Paul," Nate shook his friend's hand with a grim line of a smile.

"I see Parker has decided to wear a dress for the occasion," Paul commented with a sad smile of his own.

"Well it is my last Reaping you know."

"Let us pray that it ends in our favor today."

Nate actually laughed at the comment. Paul was practicing to be a priest for the district. The Hunger Games were the only thing really keeping him from going too in depth in his studies. Once the Reaping was over, he would be able to actually read the old texts if he was selected. The few priests in the town were touchy about tributes learning religion when they had to defy it by killing.

"At least the odds are in my favor," Nate joked just to alleviate the stress. More people were gathering in the square now which meant it was about to start.

"Oh please," Paul chuckled back as he tried to ignore the pitying looks shot his way, "I'm not the son of one of the only two champions for our district."

"Jimmy doesn't really count as a mentor until next year, Paul," Nate explained as Effie Trinket began to appear on stage. She was the district's guide. This year her hair color was lilac instead of pink. It was an interesting look for her. "You know the rules; champions cannot mentor their own children."

"It's still going to be you this year," Paul joked weakly. His amusement at their banter was dying fast as the deadline slowly approached. He couldn't even smile anymore.

"Hello and welcome to the Reaping," Effie Trinket's melodic Capitol accent rang throughout the square.

"Let us begin with how much of a jackass President Snow is," Nate filled in just to get his friend's nerves down.

"Because we haven't heard this story our whole lives," Paul finished with a grateful roll of his eyes. They were both sick of the Reaping. They even made a pact to never have kids if they made it out alive. Their fingers were crossed that they would.

"Girls first," Effie trinket announced way too soon for comfort. She carefully reached her hand into the giant fish bowl filled with names and pulled out a slip. She carefully pranced towards the center of the stage and smiled into the microphone. She unfolded the paper and read, "Margaret Collins."

"Maggie," Paul groaned as the sixteen year old girl slowly made her way to the stage. Margaret or Maggie as everybody called her was the baker's daughter and the absolute nicest person in the district. She went out of her way to help feed the hungry mouths of the Seam children anyway she could. The only reason Nate even knew about her was because the girl had allowed Parker to steal a loaf of bread without even batting an eye. The entire district would be upset if she died.

"And now for the boys," Effie commented unnecessarily as she moved towards the other fish bowl. Her hand snatched up a paper and pulled it out. She moved to the microphone and calmly read out the name of the male tribute for the district.

"Nathan Ford."

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A/N II: P.S. I'm doing a fusion of the whole trilogy. That is the plan.