A/N: So... this is the tweaked version, it's been uploaded so soon courtesy of Phoenixsbirdsofflame.


After being treated to incredible new foods and showers with more settings than one of the Capitols fancy 'mobile phones', the tributes from each district met for the first time in the Training Centre.

"Welcome to the Training Centre tributes. You may all want to go straight to the weapons but remember the majority of you will die from natural causes like starvation, dehydration or hypothermia, rather than a fellow tribute's weapon." The head of the training centre explained, "Also, though, I am unable to tell you why, make sure you drop by the edible plants station to find out what vervain is."

What the hell? Vervain? Isn't that for vampires? Dean thought before heading over to the fighting area where he picked up a bow, ignoring the swords and machete's as years of hunting had already allowed him to learn how to handle them. Also his mentor had told him to not show his best skill. He looked around and saw Sam at the edible plants station talking to a tall, dark haired man and a shorter, slightly grey haired man.

What is he doing? Dean wondered as he pulled back the string on his bow and fired the arrow. To his surprise, it hit the centre of the target.

"A kill shot, nice!" A voice behind Dean commented. Turning around he saw a group of four people. Careers. Three were boys, all a bit shorter than Dean and the girl was shorter than them. The boy who'd originally commented, stuck out his hand, "Klaus Michaelson, District 3 and this is my brother Kol." Dean eyed him, warily, "And that's Ruby, the black haired one and her brother Alistair." Klaus had dirty blonde hair and green eyes while his brother had messy brown hair and brown eyes. As if sensing Dean's discomfort, Klaus drew back his hand, sighing, and said, "Look, we don't bite. We just wanted to know if you wanted to team with us," he gestured to the group of four, "and the sisters from 4? Caroline and Bonnie"

Dean quickly glanced at Sam, who was still talking to the two strangers but they had moved onto the fire lighting station. Looking back at Klaus he shrugged and said, "Ask me tomorrow, I have to ask my brother," .Klaus's eyes flashed dangerously, "Alright, but it had better be the right answer."

Dean nodded but didn't reply as Klaus motioned to the others to follow him and they walked away. Turning around, Dean saw Sam coming towards him with the two strangers in tow. He started to walk towards them.


Sherlock and John went to the Edible Plants station deciding to focus on the survival skills first as neither wanted to fight and they were usually pretty good at adapting to the weapons they find. They both decided to stick together, feeling inadequate and out of place in the training centre.

Sherlock seemed to know everything about the edible plants, aggravating John to no end. Although when asked to identify what vervain was, they were both stumped until a stranger pointed to a small unassuming plant that looked similar to lavender with small purple flowers. He was as tall as Sherlock causing John to feel distinctly hobbit-like stood between the two men. The stranger stuck out his hand,

"Hi, I'm Sam fro-"

"You're from District 1, used to fighting but not a career. Odd. The man over there with the bow in the fighting area is your… older brother… Is that right?"

"Uhh, yeah. How?" Sam asked baffled

"Sherlock, stop showing off," John scowled at Sherlock before turning to Sam, "Sorry, ignore him he's an a-."

Sherlock cut John off, "Your hands are rougher than they should be if you worked in District 1, so you're a fighter. Your stance tells me you're not a career." He smiled while John sighed,

"I'm John and that's Sherlock," John said before Sherlock could offend Sam anymore.

"So can you like read people then? Like a supernatural kinda thing?" Sam asked, seeming almost suspicious,

Sherlock snorted, "Hardly! No, I simply make deductions from my observations. There is nothing 'supernatural' about it!"

The trio then moved on to the fire lighting station, Sam and John easily started to banter and got along well.

"Umm, Sam?" John asked hesitantly.

"Yes, John?"

"Umm, would you ahh possibly…"

"Spit it out, John" Sherlock snapped, annoyed by how easily the pair got along and, though he would never admit it, he was jealous of John, of how he could get on with anyone.

"Alright Sherlock, no need to be so snappy!" John scowled, then turned back to his new friend, "Sam would you like to team with us?"

Sam looked over to the fighting area knowing that would be where his brother would be and saw him surrounded by four strangers. Sherlock, following his gaze, immediately identified them as careers. Sam still hadn't gotten used to his uncanny ability to tell little details about your life from a crease in your clothes or something ridiculous like that.

"Ok but I need to go ask my brother, coming?" Sam said eventually.

"Yeah, sure," John agreed and Sherlock nodded reluctantly.

Dean met them half way to the fighting area looking at Sherlock and John suspiciously, but before he could say anything Sam introduced them to each other, then looking to his brother he asked, "What did those careers want?"

"They asked to ally but I don't trust them and," Dean looked at the other two behind him, "I'm guessing you two want to ally?"

Both Sherlock and John nodded knowing the importance of allies, so Dean agreed, before getting distracted by two girls fighting with staves. Seeing the look on his brother's face, Sam sighed and turned. He was shocked by the skill the girls displayed, he instantly knew they were worth trying to ally with.


Elena and Meredith already knew what vervain was and years of living in District 6 supporting themselves taught them about edible plants and how to set traps, so they decided to go to the fighting area and brush up on their combat skills. After, practising for a bit with the swords, both girls decided that the long sharpened pieces of metal were not for them. Then Meredith spotted the staves, her eyes lighting up in excitement, she turned to her friend, "Hey! 'Lena! Look at them,"

"Mere, your amazing with a stave! I am so going to end up with my ass kicked," Elena grumbled but walked over to the mat, toed off her shoes and took up a stave and got ready to fight.

They circled each other for a bit, mimicking each other's actions, before Meredith lunged forwards and unleashed a series of blows on Elena's stave causing her to stumble backwards before she caught herself and hit back. This carried on for a while before they heard someone clear their throat. Jumping, both girls turned to see four men watching them.

"Uhh, hi," said one of the taller ones, his shaggy brown hair almost covering his perfect green eyes-

No, Meredith thought to herself, I am not being attracted to someone I might have to kill.

"Hi, did you want something?" she replied schooling her features to show none of her inner turmoil,

"Yes, actually. I'm Sam, that's my brother, Dean," he pointed to the man standing next to him with cropped brown hair and hazel eyes who seemed to be trying to subtly ogle Elena while Meredith noticed her friend attempting the same thing.

Sam gestured towards the other two, "That's Sherlock," The tall one with curly, black hair, "and that's his friend, John" the shorter one with slightly greying hair.

"What we actually came over to say, what Sammy failed to mention, is that we would like you to ally with the four of us?" Dean said.

"I was about to say that and then you interrupted me, Dean! Also, it's Sam, jerk!"

"Bitch."

The other four laughed the exchange between the brothers. The girls agreed on the alliance and they talked, laughed and trained for the next week, all of them trying to forget in under a month all but one of the twenty-five other people in the room with them, would be dead. The group of careers that had originally tried to ally with Dean and Sam had been too calm about the odd alliance showing no signs of bitterness; causing worry throughout the entire group.


After their week of training, Sherlock and John made their way to the common room where they could watch the scores with the rest of their strange alliance. The others were already there watching the TV as Caesar Flickerman introduced the scoring system,

"Each tribute gets a score out of 12. This score determines the betting rates and how popular the tribute is with the sponsors!"

The group watched the TV intently knowing how important the scores were.

"District 1; Sam Winchester, score 11. District 1; Dean Winchester, score 12,"

The group cheered, except Sherlock but he was being stubborn and awkward since John and Sam had become friends (despite over a foot of difference height wise), and congratulated the brothers. Looking back to the TV, Caesar was announcing the scores for the girls,

"District 6; Elena Gilbert, score 10. District 6; Meredith Sulez, score 10."

Dean smiled and hugged Elena, then pulled back awkwardly.

"Uhh, well done." The rest of them laughed at Dean's expression while Elena blushed

Sam turned to Meredith, "Well done, 10 is a good score." He said,

"Not as good as 11 but thanks," Meredith replied, losing her composure for a second, before turning her attention back to the TV to hide her loss of control.

"District 11; John Watson, score 8. District 11; Sherlock Holmes, score 9,"

9 wasn't bad but it meant he would get less sponsors than he wanted, not that Sherlock would ever admit it but he did the necessity of having help from others, he looked at the TV again to see that Caesar Flickerman was making an announcement directly to the tributes, "So tributes to add to this year's quarter quell the Capitol has a surprise. Vampires aren't as fictional as you might think, but these vampires aren't some pathetic sparkly bloodsuckers. These vamps are very real and very strong. Also there brothers, take one out and the other will quickly be on your tail with revenge on his mind. The only thing that will help is vervain. I hope you all remembered to learn what it is! See you for the interviews tomorrow!"

Sherlock and John looked at each other wondering what the hell when Elena exclaimed, "Sadistic bastards! Using two brothers like that!"

"Umm," John asked hesitantly, "Are you saying they're not joking about vampires actually exist?"

"You aren't believers?" Dean replied, "Me and Sam are hunters of all the supernatural, that's why we're good with weapons and Sam's good with herbs and plants."

"We just hunt vamps." Elena added gesturing between her and Meredith,

"O-K," Sherlock said slowly, "You're saying that vampires do exist and there's going to be two in the arena, out for our blood?"

"Yes." The other four replied at once.

"Yeah," John said, "You're going to need to explain this."


The next day they were talking backstage, waiting for the interviews to begin. Sherlock and John were still trying to wrap their heads around all that the others had told them the night before and were abnormally quiet though it was expected, they had been told everything like vampires and many other creatures, that they believed were fictional, were real. Elena and Meredith had been hunting vampires since both of their parents were killed in a vampire attack when they were 10 and Sam and Dean's mum had been killed by a demon when Sam was only 6 months old and their dad took off trying to find it, leaving them in a close friends care. Bobby had taught them everything they know.

Meanwhile Dean was looking at Elena, her brown hair had been curled and pinned up revealing her shoulders, and her dark blue eyes were sparkling as she laughed at Sam and Meredith verbally sparring. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way towards another tribute but he couldn't help it.

Dean looked up as another burst of laughter came from the group next to him.

"Aww, how cute," A voice mocked from the shadows, "Four hunters, a- wait, what was it? Oh yeah a consultant detective and his side kick, Bilbo."

The group turned to look at the leather jacketed man who had spoken; his blue eyes were glinting and his raven black hair looked unruly.

"One of the vampires?" Sam challenged, voice bitter, crouching slightly into a defensive stance.

"Relax, Sammy, I'm not allowed to kill you. Yet." He replied, smirking, then looked at Sherlock who was looking at him confusedly, "What's the matter, pretty boy? Can't, what do you call it? Oh, can't read me?" he chuckled and spun on his heel, "Adios," he called over his shoulder before stopping. He turned and looked directly at Dean, "Oh and Dean? How's the neck?" Chuckling at the hunter's expression, he walked away.

Dean cursed, "Damon Salvatore, really!"

"What do you know about him?" John questioned,

"I tried to kill his brother about ten years ago, before we were forced to stop hunting as a job by the Capitol. He and his brother, Stefan, are as thick as thieves, attack one and the other will be there too, all too willing to kill you." Dean explained,

"How old is he?" Meredith asked,

"I have no idea but I do know he's a vicious dick!"

"What did he mean by 'How's the neck?' Dean?" Sherlock queried,

Dean pulled the collar of his suit down and looked to the side, exposing the right side of his neck. John gasped and even Sherlock was speechless. The right side of Dean's neck was criss-crossed with pale scars.

"That's what happens when you let a vampire have a taste test." He said flatly.

"Dean Winchester?!" A peacekeeper called, "You're on!"


The interviews went well for the entire group and they were sitting around in one of the lounge areas the night before the launch.

"We need a plan or we'll get ripped to pieces before we even get the chance to defend ourselves," Meredith said

Sam agreed and added, "We need supplies and weapons then we need to get the hell away from the cornucopia as soon as possible,"

"Which is easier said than done," Elena said,

"One benefit of the vampires being there though is that the career pack has to keep moving, they can't sit around the cornucopia, it'll be too exposed and the vamps will easily be able to pick them off," Meredith pointed out.

"I have an idea," Sherlock interrupted.


Sam walked Meredith to her room after the group had confirmed their plan; as she turned to face him arriving at her door, some her hair fell onto her face. Gently, Sam tucked it behind her ear, "Goodnight Meredith," he said softly,

"Goodnight Sam," she replied before reaching up on her tip toes and kissing his cheek, blushing she went into her room and shut the door leaving Sam stunned.


"God, this is so wrong!" Elena whispered as Dean kissed down her neck,

"Then I don't want to be right," he replied before shutting the bedroom door.