Author's note: I just had a though of masshing up two of fandoms I love. Excuse any mistakes I probably made in grammar.

Fourth Quarter Quell

It started as a normal day. Daryl woke up in his bed into quite a sunny day. At first, he thought that this is going to be just a regular day, took him few minutes before it hit him. Today was reaping day. Although he didn't have to worry about that for few years now, today was different. This year was the fourth quarter quell. It was announced, few months earlier, that this year everybody's name is going to be in the ball, age didn't matter, even small babies and old people. Good news was that everybody's name is gonna be there just once. So there was chance one in, at least, thousand you're gonna be fine. The bad one was that two people will still get unlucky.

Daryl got to his feat, immediately going to the bathroom to do some morning rituals, they didn't get much warm water in district 12, so he usually got out of bath quite quickly, today, he took some time before he stumbled out to eat something. His brother was sleeping, head on table, he probably got back just few hours before sun came up and he didn't have much strength to go to bedroom. Daryl kicked his chair in order to wake him up.

Merle opened his eyes with an unpleasant grunt. „The hell?"

„Time to get up, or did you forget about the reaping today?"

Merle grunted something in return, but he was slowly getting up from his chair, scanning room, probably looking for something to eat. Daryl quickly took the rest of bread that was lying on table, stuffing it into his mouth. Merle shot him annoyed look as he went to the bathroom. It took him only a few minutes before he came back, Daryl looked at him, it seemed like he just changed his clothes into something less dirty then usual and splashed his face with water. He was about to comment on the fact that he smelled like alcohol, but he didn't get the chance, because sirens went off outside, calling everybody to the town square. Great. The horror is about to begin.

Both brothers walked out of the house in silence. They have lived in a small house about twenty minutes from the square. Neither of them was much of a talker so they both kept quiet most of the way. When they arrived in the centre of the district, there was chaos everywhere. So many people merged together in such a small space. The weird thing was, that nobody was speaking. There was death silence, everybody was moving forward with worried looks. There was noone channeling the people so everybody was kind of mixed up together in one huddle.

Daryl didn't even have to move, the crowd took him with him. He was looking around, wondering who is gonna be the unlucky duo today, when he heard clapping of heels, which could only meant that Rainbow, the woman from Capitol, who's handling District 12, has arrived. He looked at stage, and there she was. She was quite small, but she had really long pink hair, which she always have to have in some sort of bun or ponytail, otherwise she would step on it. Today, she had it braided. She was wearing bright yellow jumpsuit and looked even more terrible then last year.

„Welcome!" She whispered into microphone, making everybody stop from moving. Everyone was now looking at the stage, waiting for what's coming.

It was always the same, the welcome, the movie that was brought all the way from the Capitol, then the excitement started. „Ladies first!" Rainbow exclaimed, as she was making small steps to the glass ball with pieces of paper in it. She shoved her hand in it, and chose one paper. She made her way back to the microphone, where she slowly opened the paper and with a loud voice, filled with excitement, called out „BETH GREENE!"

Daryl, as everybody else, immediately started looking around to find that one person without luck today. He saw her, she was standing few rows before him and his brother. White haired man beside her started to sob, as did brown haired woman on her other side. The girl herself, didn't make any sound. She just emerged out from the crowd and with head held high, walked towards the podium. She was quite young, she was older then 18 though. She had this green dress and her blonde hair were in a ponytail. Daryl watched her as she made her way up, where Rainbow was now holding her arm, saying something nobody was paying attention to. The girl had blank look on her face, but she didn't cry, she was holding herself pretty good, considering the situation she had been in.

Daryl almost didn't notice that Rainbow was now choosing paper from the glass ball for boys. It was the dead silence that occured, which brought his attention back to the moderator. She was now grasping one paper and clapping back to microphone, where she unfolded it and with a clear voice, exclaimed „DARYL DIXON!"

Shit. At first it didn't even occur Daryl it was his name, he just stood there waiting. It was only when he saw few people turn their head to him, looking at him in absolute shock, when it hit him. From all the fucking people in the district, it was his name. Fuck.

He looked at Merle, who was looking at him with his mouth wide open. He pushed himself pass him and walked towards the podium. Everything went blur, if somebody was saying something, he didn't hear it, his ears were filled with small tinkle. He barely noticed Rainbow taking his arm, patting him and then saying something. He just stood there, looking down at all the people who were now relieved they're okay for the next year.

It was only when he saw that blonde girl reaching her hand to him, when he snapped back to the present. He took her hand, shaking it, looking at Beth from closer. There was fear in her eyes, but she didn't spare one tear, she was looking quite determined. She looked so tiny and little, Daryl wondered where the strength not to collapse and cry, is coming from.

They took both of them inside the hall of justice, where they could say goodbye to their loved ones. Daryl was standing by the window, looking down, when the doors swung open. He didn't even have to turn to know who was there. His brother, of course, who else, he didn't have any other close person.

Merle just made a face at him and quickly gave him a hug. „Bummer, huh?" He commented, which Daryl rewarded with eye roll. „Yeah, bummer."

They had just a few minutes, but neither of them was much of a talker, so they both pretty much stayed quiet, just looking at each other, before it was time for Merle to go. „Good luck, bro." That was all Daryl got from him.

Afterwards they transported him and Beth to the train. Daryl was secretly watching Beth, curious if family visit made her cry, but she looked as determined as before. Her face was little more pink then he remembered, but anyway her eyes were dry. There was something really interesting about the girl.

Before either of them had a chance to actually talk, the car they have been in stopped, in front of the very luxurious train. Before Daryl could even blink, they were inside, trying to listen to Rainbow, who was giving them instruction.

Normally, each district has their own mentor, but 12 was the only one that had the disadvantage not to have one. Last victor from district 12 won fifty years ago, and died four years later. So since then it's just the tributes by themselves. Rainbow is doing some of the political stuff during the games, but they don't have anyone to give them advice. Everybody knew they were both most likely dead.

Once Rainbow disappeared somewhere in the train, Beth looked at Daryl, checking him out as if she was trying to figure out if she was supposed to speak to him, or what. Daryl wasn't sure either so he just hold the eye contact, before Beth broke it. „Gonna watch record from the reaping, wanna join me?"

Daryl just shrugged, but he followed her to the television. Won't hurt him to know how the other tributes look like. Beth sunk down into one of the chairs, Daryl leaned against one of the walls and remain standing.

The cut from all the district has been a blur. Daryl didn't remember all of the people that were chosen, only few of them stand out. From District 1, there was this man with only one eye, and black woman with her hair braided into little braids all over her head. From District 2 there was a guy with big ginger moustache, who looked like he's gonna just kill everybody with his bare hands, next to him was blonde girl who volunteered herself for her younger sister. District 3 has chosen this big guy with long brown hair who looked like he was gonna cry any second. From District 4 there was married couple. The guy volunteered himself when he saw that his wife has been chosen. There was also some brother-sister couple from District 11 and white haired woman who volunteered herself instead of her child from District 7.

When Daryl went to sleep all he saw, when he closed his eyes, were the faces of all the people he just seen on tv.. Faces of all the people he will have to kill in order to survive. He always went back to the face of Beth Greene, wondering how on earth he will find strength to kill her.