An FYI – obviously there isn't enough glee kids to fill up all twelve districts so for now I'm leaving out those districts because you don't need a full on description of their reaping. When other characters come in later you'll know about them.

Hope you're enjoying.

I don't own Glee or The Hunger Games, they belong to Fox and Suzanne Collins respectively.

CHAPTER FOUR – District 5.

The second Bethany Evans opened the door, her face tear stained, her mouth wobbling, Sam pulled her down beside him. His whole body shook with terror, but he forced himself to focus on her.

"Mom, calm down. Please, listen to me. I need you to listen or going will be even worse." Sam said firmly, gripping her arm. "Please!"

"I'm listening..." She stammered, pulling her hands away from her tearstained face and holding one of Sam's hands tightly.

Sam nodded. "Mom, you need to look after the kids. Jessie's only six and Tom's only eight. They need you, and you can't flake out on them. You can't not come home until six am, not anymore. Not now I'm gone."

"Ok," Bethany mumbled, pulling Sam close, but Sam pulled away.

"No! I need to know you understand." Sam took a deep breath. "Mom, I love you and I know how hard it was when Dad walked out on us, but...he's not coming back, and you need to start acting like a parent again."

"I'm so sorry I've let you down, Sammy." Bethany whispered tearfully, as if now, when Sam was about to go off to fight and most probably die in the games, she had finally realised she had a son.

"It's not about me, mom. I'm sixteen, I'm a big boy now and I can look after myself. I've had to, and that's ok. I'm not...I'm not mad anymore." Sam sighed tiredly, before gripping his mom's wrist again. "But I will be mad if you let my brother and sister down anymore than you already have. I won't be here to look after them. I won't be here to sing to Jessie when she has a nightmare, which, just so you know, she has most nights. I won't be here to bandage Tom's knees when he falls over yet again. I won't be here to tell them that you do love them, that when you leave us alone all night, it's not because you don't love us. My wages won't be coming in anymore. You need to show up for work. You get fired, you'll all starve. Tom and Jess will be taken away and separated. That can't happen, understand mom? I asked Alex to keep an eye on them and you, but he's got his own family and he can't be always checking up on them. This is all on you."

Bethany nodded, wiping her eyes. "I know. I'll look after them, Sam. I promise."

"Good." Sam sighed defeated. "It's too late for me, but it's not too late for them. If by some miracle I make it home, I want to come home to my brother and sister healthy and fed and...looked after."

"Just...just please try and come home." His mother said, before collapsing in tears again, and Sam pulled her close and they sat that way for several minutes, until the peacekeepers barged in and demanded she leave.

"I'll try. I love you, Mom. Look after them." He whispered, a lump in his throat distorting his words as his mother was dragged out, still sobbing.

When she'd gone Sam leaned his head against the wall and forced the tears he could feel back down his throat.

From now on, they wouldn't see him cry. He wouldn't break, wouldn't let these games break him like they wanted. His mother may have failed him but his sister and brother never had.

The door opened a few minutes later and the female tribute was shoved in the room, the door closed behind her sharply. She glanced up through curtains of shining dark hair, that reached way down her waist. She was Asian and pretty stunning looking, with kind brown eyes and an open face. She wore the same clothes as the other girls, but all in black, and wore the lace up boots the boys wore. She was unlike any girl Sam had seen in district five, and he smiled weakly up at her as she walked towards him shyly.

He realised he'd barely looked at her during the reaping, first because he felt so horrible she'd been selected, and second because he'd then been selected and couldn't think of anything other than his brother and sister, weak and starving because their mother had gone off with another man yet again and left them to go hungry.

"Are you ok?" She asked gently, before shaking her head and sighing, taking a seat beside him. "Sorry, stupid question. You look about as ok as me."

Sam chuckled, the noise void of humour. "I'll admit I've been better."

"Look..." Tina started softly, "you don't know me, but I sort of know you. We...you don't remember but we used to play together when we were kids."

Sam stared at her as if to jog his memory, but felt nothing. He shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry. Day to day life feels so hectic sometimes I forget my own brother's name." Tina laughed lightly.

"Hey, it's ok. I just never had many friends when I was younger. My parents were always big on me getting an education and getting a good one. They always wanted me to get out of district five. I guess they got their wish." Her tone was dull but pain sparked behind her eyes, and Sam had to catch himself from holding her hand. "Anyway, you were...just one of the nice kids."

"I'm glad you have good memories of me." Sam replied, his smile forced.

Tina moved closer to him and whispered in his ear, quick and low; "my mom promised to look out for your brother and sister. I heard you talking. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but...just don't worry, ok? They'll be fine."

"Why...why would you do that for me?" He asked, his tone bemused, and Tina sat back and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Like I said, you're nice, Sam. You gave me at least one happy memory of this god damn miserable district, even if you don't remember. Surely I owe you for that in return." She smiled sadly, and Sam returned the sad smile.

"Thank you, Tina." He murmured, and she grabbed his hand, and they sat together like that until the peacekeepers collected them to take them to the Capitol.

And all the time Sam felt Tina's soft, warm hand in his, and saw her kind face, and smelt her rose petal smell, he couldn't help but think. As much as he tried to block the thoughts, they still came.

If you ever want to see your family again, if you want to survive, you'll have to kill her. Her and twenty two other innocent teenagers.

Sam honestly didn't know if he had it in him, if any of it was worth that, if pushing himself, losing his character and becoming a mindless killer was something he was even capable of, or something he could ever imagine himself doing.