A/N After a little confusion, I am happy to introduce our District Nine family. Thank you to TheGlitchonFire for your submission.

Smithin Family

Harrey Smithin (16)

Hans Smithin (48)

Judy Smithin (47)

Daisy Smithin (17)

Ninah Smithin (13)

Harrey flipped the dense grain cake, watching as its edges slowly turned golden brown.

He smiled just a little to himself. Okay, so he wasn't exactly a great cook like his mother was. But years of observing her stretch their meager ingredients had taught him well and he though he wasn't doing a half bad job right now, really. The cakes, made with dense tesserae grain, probably wouldn't taste too bad with a little of that honey his father had splurged on last week. It was Reaping Day, after all. A little treat never hurt anyone. And maybe it would make the day a little more bearable for Ninah, his younger sister who was only going through her second Reaping.

Harrey realized he liked the feeling of being the first one awake. The tiny house was quiet and he'd opened the window right above the ancient kitchen stove to let some air in. A white curtain, his mother's work, wove with the late spring breeze. The grain just outside, which stretched for miles, waved with it.

His mom used to tell him that their house was in the middle of a sea.

And he liked to imagine it like that. Still did. a little whitewashed place, hardly more than a hut, with a clothesline behind it and a rusted wash basin in front, standing firmly in the midst of a swirling ocean. But it was hardly a real ocean. And there was a little village just behind them, with huts made of tin roofs and dust swirling up when the occasional truck drove through, bearing Peacekeepers or officials, checking on the farmers to make sure they were meeting their quotas.

That was why Harrey sometimes hated that endless sea of grain outside their window. It gave the illusion of a freedom they would never have.

Upstairs, he could hear the floorboards creaking. Their was only one room upstairs, more of a loft than a whole other floor. It was reached by pulling a ladder down and opening the hatch. That was where the kids slept, in small beds with brightly decorated quilts his grandmother and mother made. Harrey's quilt was yellow and brown and the bed was rickety and lumpy, but comfortable.

Sure, the Smithin family didn't have much. But they had enough.

The ladder behind him clattered as it hit the floor. Harrey turned around to see Ninah's pale legs, poking out from beneath her worn old white nightgown, clambering down the ladder. Ninah's wispy black hair was tied back in a braid she had obviously slept in. She landed quietly and gave him a shaky smile.

Harrey checked the slightly chipped and dusty clock on the wall. It was nine o'clock. The Reaping was supposed to start at ten, he was pretty sure. Had Ninah forgotten what day it was? But no. He had heard some one else getting ready upstairs just a moment ago. Surely Daisy was getting dressed. And the violent way she brushed her curly brown hair, the same as Harrey's, would be enough to get anyone to look. Ninah couldn't have missed that.

"Ninah," he chided gently, in a way he realized was sort of imitating his mother. "You should probably get dressed. Don't you know what day it is today?"

"Screw you, Harrey." Was her only answer.

She went back up the ladder, her feet hitting it dully and her hair falling in front of her thin face. Harrey watched her trudge up with a look of confusion on his face. Ninah was hard to understand. Sometimes Harrey wondered how this silent, brooding little thing had become a part of the Smithin family in the first place. They were honestly such a happy family, but lately every time Ninah walked into a room it was like a black cloud set in. Harrey had overheard his mother telling his father that Ninah was just growing up and once girls became a certain age, they could get like this.

Still, Harrey could never remember Daisy acting like that. Yes, she was a teenage girl and sometimes had bursts of anger that just made no sense to a guy like Harrey. But she was never the sulking type like Ninah. And besides, it couldn't possibly be just because Ninah was growing up. She had always been this way.

Harrey went back to flipping the cakes on the old black stovetop. The issue with Ninah could not be helped. But the issue of his family's hunger in the morning? Yeah, that he could do something about.

He was a little surprised to find that, unlike Ninah, he was hardly on edge today. Honestly, it just felt like any other morning. Okay, maybe a little quieter. Other than that though, Harrey himself didn't feel much different. He couldn't remember ever really panicking the day of the Reaping like a lot of kids did. Daisy had when she was younger. Now she was embarrassed about that because the truth was, the odds of being picked were low. Harrey had been through four Reapings and he had never known the kids who were picked.

Well, that wasn't completely true. When he was Ninah's age, a classmate had been chosen. It hadn't made much of a difference to Harrey because the only time he talked to her was in school because they were working on a project together. A science project on which fertilizers to use to ensure the best grain growth. Now he would never forget the project. Or her name. Saira Mills.

When Saira's name was called, the first thing Harrey had though was "Oh man. Now how am I gonna do the project?" It was sort of an awful way to think. But then, it didn't seem like anyone was really fazed by the whole event. The next day in school, Saira's empty desk was shoved against the wall and completely emptied. Harrey remembered that she used to make strands of woven colored string. He wondered what had been done with those bracelets. His teacher put him with another pair and didn't say a word.

Things weren't always like this, according to his parents who had seemed very upset when Harrey told them about his day that night as the family sat down for a meager supper.

His father told him that people used to be furious with the Reapings. They protested and shouted in the streets and wailed for their children. When the Hunger Games was first beginning, people burned down the huge grain silo in the center of Nine. This was when Harrey's grandfather was a kid.

Now it was hard for Harrey to imagine this ever taking place. Now, people just accepted the Reaping. It was a part of life. It meant that every year on the last weekend in May when the shoots were still green, everyone had to gather in the Square and watch two children be taken away to fight to the death. Of course it still upset people. The difference, though, was that now nobody did anything to stop it.

It's like a tornado, Harrey reasoned to himself. You're bound to get one once a year and there's no escaping it. Sure, it's gonna make you damn upset to see your roof get blown off and the harvest ruined. But howling at the tornado to stop won't do you any good at all.

And there was another cruel truth to it all. By sending children (or, this year, a family) in as tribute, the citizens of Nine were ensuring their own safety. Yes, they were going to have to watch a whole family, maybe including babies, die this year. That was going to be hard. But this way, they would not be bombed. The Capital would not send men with guns in who sprayed whole crowds of people with bullets. Harrey and his siblings had never had to witness their district getting destroyed and for that he was grateful.

They were safe. Scared, yes. But safe.

His father walked in from the only other real room in the family's house, the one he and his wife shared. It was small, of course, but cozy like the rest of the house. Harrey's mother always kept flowers in a vase on the nightstand her husband had carved himself.

He had also built the table with his own bare hands. Now he sat down heavily and stared at its scratched and chipped surface. The table always had an unfinished look to it, but the man was proud of it.

Hans Smithin let out a yawn and stretched his arms back. He massaged his shoulders and straightened the leather suspenders that hung over his white undershirt. He was probably waiting for Harrey's mother to finish washing a stain out of his only dress shirt, for the events to come. Hans was a proud, but patient man. Most people would describe him as having a lot of charm. Harrey got that from him.

Lately, girls at school had taken interest in Harrey. The frightening political state their nation was in now did little to dampen teenage hormones, to put it bluntly. Kids would still be kids and girls would still giggle and whisper about the sweet, charming boy sitting in front of them.

Harrey had chosen the best of the lot, in his mind. Clara Harvest was a confident girl with a lovely smile and bright, intelligent brown eyes. The two had been together for over a year and were talking of getting married.

Things happened faster than they used to. Harrey called it "The Reaping effect." Because of the Reaping, kids were forced to grow up faster. They took tesserae, putting their own lives at stake for the sake of their families. A pretty damn grown up action, Harrey thought. Mortality rates were much higher than they used to be since the Dark Days. A real doctor couldn't be found for miles in the out districts and real medicine was something Harrey had never even seen. So it was clear to him why people married and had kids younger.

"Well, I'll be damned." His father shook his head and laughed. "I don't think I ever thought I'd see my sixteen year old son cooking."

Harrey laughed. "Aw, why not? I was the only one up and I needed something to do. I'm was all dressed and everything and I've seen mom make tesserae grain cakes a whole bunch of times." He looked down at his brown pants, slightly too small on him and his dress shirt that was his father's, so that was too big. Then, he looked down at the grain cakes, which were now a rich golden brown. "Besides," he said. "I think I've done a pretty good job."

"Let me be the judge of that."

His mother was standing at the doorway, one hand placed on her bony hip. She was wearing a simple and loose blue dress with a pattern of tiny violets on it. Harrey had rarely seen her in something other than that worn and torn gray dress she wore every day.

He slid some cakes onto a tin plate for her. Then, with a flourish, drew out the jar of honey. His mother smiled as he poured some on the cakes. They rarely ever got to eat something this good.

She took the plate from him and sat down next to her husband. The two smiled and whispered to each other and they chewed in that way of theirs. Harrey hoped that someday he and Clare could be like that. After all these years and with the hell raging outside their window, his parents still loved each other just the same.

At that moment, Daisy sauntered into the room wearing a dark green skirt that fell past her knees and a sleeveless white blouse. Her hair had been wrestled into a loose bun. She smiled and grabbed a tin plate of cakes and honey and sat down at the table.

She shoved some of the cake into her mouth and grinned. "I gotta say, Harrey. You may be kind of shitty with a scythe, but you're not a half bad cook!"

"Shut up, Daisy!" He whapped her gently on the head with the spatula and she laughed and swiped it from his hands. He shot a look at his mother, who in turn gave Daisy a warning look as if to say "watch your language." Harrey didn't really mind at all though. He and Daisy had been teasing each other since they were both in diapers. Daisy had a great sense of humor and was great at taking the tension out of any situation. She was a pretty good sister and, because the two were only fifteen months apart in age, they were pretty close.

Harrey joined his family at the table, laughing and eating breakfast. Yeah, it did feel like just another morning. The Smithins were good at erasing tension. All of them, not just Daisy. Everyone complimented Harrey's newly found culinary skills.

"I tell you," Harrey father said. "You're gonna make a fine husband for Clara." He gave his son a light punch on the shoulder. "Girls love a man who can help a little around the house, you know?" He winked. "And Mitch Harvest has been hinting that, though you may be a scrawny sixteen year old kid soon, you'll make an acceptable son in law."

Within minutes, Daisy was telling some hilarious story about this poor clumsy guy in her class who had a major crush on the mayor's beautiful daughter that had Harrey and his parents practically choking from laughter. So his family was a little chaotic. Man though, did Harrey love them. They were the only people he knew who could laugh in a situation like this one. On a day like today.

Then, Ninah stepped into the room.

She sort of floated right by them and poured herself a tin cup full of water from the clay jug on the table. She was frowning, of course. Leave it to Ninah to make them all remember what day it was, even though she had seemed to have completely forgotten the day just a few minutes ago. She wore a gray dress that fell just below her knees and had a row of black buttons in the back. Harrey recognized it as one Daisy had grown out of. It hung too loosely on his younger sister's boney frame.

"You okay?" Daisy asked. "Grab some pancakes. Harrey made them and they actually won't kill you."

Ninah sighed heavily and sat down at the table. "I'm not hungry." She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. Harrey couldn't help but notice how sad her eyes looked. Ninah always looked a little sad. It made Harrey worried because, in his mind, a kid shouldn't carry that kind of sadness. Small bodies, especially skinny ones like Ninah's, just weren't meant for that kind of weight.

"Is Clara stopping by today?" Their mother asked, dangling her fork as she did.

"Actually, I'm going over to her place to walk her over. She likes when I, you know, walk with her and all of that." Harrey suddenly realized he was blushing a little and cleared his throat. "Um, I think this year's Quell is hard for her. She told me she thought it was one of the cruelest things that Capital has thought up yet."

His father scratched his unshaven face. "I can't say it doesn't make sense though, Harrey. I agree with Clara of course, but after last year's stunt? Well, I think President Snow feels the need to reestablish some of his authority. Otherwise, people will start thinking that it's okay to go around breaking the rules. And no, it most definitely is not. Do you kids understand me?"

Daisy frowned. "But Dad, I thought you hated the Capital. Why are you suddenly so worried about doing whatever they say?"

Hans looked at his wife for just a moment, then turned to look back at his daughter. He lowered his eyes so they could meet her steady gaze. "Daisy, liking the Capital has absolutely nothing to do with doing what they say. I love my family more than I hate the Capital. I want to keep you guys safe. So no, no one in this family is going to be joining any of those riots you see on the news reports sometimes. They are small riots, yes. But they're scaring the Capital. Snow doesn't want to see his delicate society fall apart and he will do anything to keep it intact. Anything."

"I heard the Peacekeepers in Eleven gunned down a whole crowd of rioters right after last year's Games," Ninah said softly.

Harrey saw his mother purse her lips from across the table. "You shouldn't be watching or talking about things like that, Ninah." She rubbed her temple in a way that Harrey knew meant she was worried. "Things are pretty confusing out there. We just want you kids to stay safe, okay?"

Harrey knew he should be grateful to his mother for trying. But the truth was, her efforts were futile. Even out here, in the middle of empty grain fields in one of the most remote areas of the most remote district, even here the rebellion reached to their little white house.

The last time Harrey went into town to pick up his monthly tesserae grain and oil and get some food for the family, there were Peacekeepers at every corner. The butcher told him this was because just last week a grain silo had been burned to the ground.

And there was one thing he couldn't miss. Right in the center of the square, there was a gallows. Ropes hung in circles, waiting for their next victims.

He had tried to tear his eyes away, but even now, eating breakfast in their little kitchen with sunlight coming through the window, the image of the hanging ropes entered his mind. Ninah, who seemed to be drawn to darker things, surely could not have missed it. On her way to school each morning, she would see hanging bodies.

There was nothing Harrey could do for her. That frustrated him. He was old enough to take on some responsibility and protecting his little sister from things like that was part of it. Helplessness was the worst feeling in the world. And while he hated the Capital as much as his parents did, he secretly wanted to rebellion to be put out quickly. Like the flame on the candle that sat on his nightstand. Quickly and painlessly snuffed out. That way, things could go back to normal. And maybe he wouldn't have to see dead bodies hanging every time he went to pick up some bread.

Daisy pushed her chair back from the table. "And on that cheerful note, I think we'd better get going. Harrey's little girlfriend is probably expecting us."

Harrey placed his dish at the sink and put on his boots. He didn't have any nicer shoes, but they would suffice. It didn't really matter, anyway. He just wanted to hurry over to Clara's house so that she wouldn't be worrying. She needed him on a day like today and he would be there for her.

"We'll see you at the Sqaure," his mother said. And after a few embraces were exchanged, the kids went out the door and onto the tiny, cracked cement porch in front of their screen door. Harrey jumped off the step and did a quick inspection of himself to make sure he would look decent for Clare.

But while Daisy hurried along with him, lacing up her own boots quickly and walking ahead, Ninah lingered behind, staying on the step. She straightened her gray dress and buttoned and re-buttoned all of the dull black buttons that marched down the dress. Her pale hands fluttered. Harrey watched her patiently. This was a hard day for her. The Quell only made it more difficult.

Daisy was ahead of them, her long braid whipping wildly in the strong breeze. Her skirt fluttered around her legs as she made her way down the dirt walkway in front of their house. "Hurry up you two!" She shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Come on then, Ninah." Harrey said to his little sister. "Let's just get this over with. It won't take too long. You've done it before and you can do it again. The Quell doesn't change much. We'll be home in no time at all."

Ninah breathed deeply. "Okay," she said finally. "Harrey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for waiting for me." She hopped off the step, as light as a feather. The two walked together, side by side, down the dirt path in front of their house, and then on the wider one that would lead to the deepest part of the cluster of fieldworkers' houses where Clara and her family lived.

The houses in Nine were mostly organized in these clusters, were much of the population lived and worked in the grain fields. There were also people living in the small city in apartment buildings. They were mostly factory workers who worked in processing plants, turning the grain into bread. District Nine had the smallest city of any of the districts, with only a few buildings over four stories high. They also had the smallest population, despite their very large area. Harrey was grateful they lived relatively close to the town. Some people traveled for days for the Reaping.

Clara's house was tan in color and had a tin washbasin in front, along with a clothesline in the back. Clothing moved up and down in the wind. Clara's mother and Harrey's mother liked to do their washing together, chatting for hours as they scrubbed. Flies were already beginning to gather on the Harvest family's screen door. This meant that the heat of summer wasn't far away.

Harrey hardly had to knock before the door was pulled open by Mrs. Harvest, a woman who managed to keep her full shape despite poverty. She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled wanly at them. Her eyes remained sad.

"Clara!" She called.

"I'm coming." Harrey's girlfriend swished over in a long, deep red skirt with black flowers printed on it. Harrey had told her he loved that skirt because it made her black hair look so nice. Clara looked like most in Nine, with olive skin and brown eyes and a willowy figure. Harrey did notice that her legs looked very thin from beneath her skirt and her collarbones were visible from beneath her white blouse. He made a mental note to make sure she was well fed, maybe giving her some of his measly lunch when they sat together at school.

Clara's mother pulled her into a tight hug. "You come right over to me when the ceremonies are done, you hear? I'll be with the families and I'll make sure to be in the front, so you can see me and your father." She waved goodbye to the little group. "Take good care of her, Harrey!" She called after them.

Harrey smiled. Even on a day like today, where a shadow of gray had been cast over the brilliant golds and sky blues of Nine, Mrs. Harvest could still manage to be her good-natured self. "I will, Mrs. Harvest!" He called back.

Then he felt Clara slip her hand into his. He gave it a squeeze. Yep, today he was in full-on comfort mode. He didn't have time to dwell on his own feelings of fear for today. He didn't have time to shout or rage. No, his place was in comforting his sisters and girlfriend. He only hoped he was doing a sufficient job.

He watched Ninah walking slowly, treading on the path of packed dirt like it was two feet of mud. She dragged her feet, tracing lines in the dirt. Harrey cleared his throat and attempted to make conversation. "So I hear Ambrose is going to be mentoring this year."

Of course, he realized how pointless those words were once they came out of his mouth. District Nine had only two victors, the other being a reclusive old woman named Abra Millith who won the ninth or tenth Games.

"You know, it's really nice out today. The sky's real blue." He mumbled. But even Daisy was silent. Harrey felt the tips of his ears redden. His job was to comfort. And he couldn't even do that. "I mean, even if we do have to go to something like the Reaping, at least it isn't raining or something. So,uh, that part of it is kind of okay."

Ninah made a sound between a sigh and a snort.

Harrey rubbed his neck. "Okay, okay! I get it. I was only trying to make you guys feel better. But I guess that's kind of pointless. There's really nothing I can do, is there? So I guess I'll just shut up now. You're right, Ninah. That sounded pretty stupid. I'm sorry for sounding like a total idiot."

To his surprise, Clara laughed. Her laugh was so pretty, like rain falling. Hearing her, Daisy joined in with her own slightly louder, less delicate laugh. Clara smiled at him. "It's all right,Harrey! You don't have to try so hard to do anything. Let's just walk."

"Oh, um, okay." Huh. Maybe he wasn't doing such a bad job with this after all.

They continued on the path, passing small settlements with crowds of people following their same way. Children wore ill-fitting clothes and tight shoes on their browned feet, their olive faces scrubbed clean of dirt. Or, at least, for the meantime. Dirt was everywhere in Nine and just a part of life. But living here in the wide open had its perks. The stars, for one thing, were spectacular. On warm summer nights, with nothing but the balmy breeze for their company, he and Clara would lie on their backs to look at the sky.

That was Harrey's favorite thing. Just lying there, letting the silence envelop them and not feeling any fear at all. There, under that single weeping willow, they felt far from the Peacekeepers and their guns or the gallows or the fires and riots. It was their own little pocket of the universe.

As the gray buildings of the city came into view, Harrey leaned over to whisper into Clara's ear. "Let's meet tonight at the willow tree."

Even though she was looking at the ground, Harrey saw her bright red lips turn up in a smile. That's how Harrey knew that things were going to be okay. They would get this Reaping stuff over with and return home and he could get out of these horrible clothes and put on his denim pants instead and forget all of this even happened. Clara could help him do that last part.

They didn't have to walk much further to reach the stage area where the Reaping was being held. It was right in the center of the small town, with cameras watching them from their posts on bakeries and fabric stores. Peering at them with dark black eyes.

Harrey made sure Daisy, Ninah and Clara knew where to go before stepping in line himself for check-in. As a man at the table pricked his finger and verified who he was, Harrey watched as crowds of kids gathered beneath the stage, staring up at the large projector screen that would soon start playing that awful film they had to watch each year.

When the guy was satisfied, Harrey joined Clara who was waiting for him. Daisy and Ninah had already gone to their spots, she told him. Harrey knew they didn't have much time left, so he pulled her into an embrace. She buried her head into his shoulder, the same way she always did.

"Don't be scared, okay?" He told her. "I'll always be right here. Just think of me if you're feeling afraid."

Clara looked up at him and grinned. "Well, the same goes for you."

He waved goodbye to her. He loved that girl. He really did. He loved her smile and her laugh and her confident attitude. He just knew they were going to get married someday and have a little place of their own, with flower boxes in front and a view of the golden fields. That would be nice.

Thinking these nice thoughts, he found his way over to his spot with the other guys and managed to tune out the first part of the ceremony. Clara had that effect on him. Only she could make him tune the rest of the world out.

Then, the escort, a guy named Romulus dressed in some crazy suit that reminded Harrey of a peacock, stepped forward. He looked so ridiculous that Harrey was sure even Ninah was cracking a grin. Romulus grinned, a sickly sort of grin that made Harrey's insides turn. Man, he couldn't stand this guy. Romulus clapped his hands, signaling the start of the movie that came on every Reaping.

Pictures of the districts getting destroyed by bombs flashed across the screen. A voice detailing the horrors of the war, the number of people killed and story of Thirteen's total annihilation. Then, of course, the screen showed the Games. Put in place out of the Capital's mercy. More pictures of dead children, and then proud victors with blood covering their clothes. He stared at those kids, slashing each other and killing each other and shut his eyes. He couldn't block his ears though, and the voice went on and on until the thing was finally over.

He couldn't help but shudder. He hated that damn stupid movie.

But now it was time for the main event. Harrey could feel his heart beating faster and faster. He willed himself to take a few deep breaths. He had gotten through this before and he would get through it again. So he bit his lip and listened to the mayor's drawn out speech about the Capital's mercy and how grateful they should all be.

Thaddeus Omri was a very simple sort of man, so it was strange to see him on the stage under the Capital banners next to Romulus in his peacock suit. Thaddeus himself, usually a man who wore simple brown pants and white oxfords, was now in a complete suit and speaking in a strangely stiff way.

It was pretty sad, the effect those cameras had on everyone.

Thaddeus seemed to be shaking. His hands kept wavering. Harrey felt a stab of pity for the guy. Man, that must have been terrifying. One slip up and he could easily be killed. For Snow, that would hardly require more than the lift of his pinky. Everyone in the crowd was affected by the cameras, though. They stood straight ahead, trying to look dull and unfeeling.

Though if they were anything like Harrey, their minds were on fire with anger.

Nine was hardly the quiet, simple district it pretended to be. Their district had been under the radar for a long time. The people hadn't staged any major rebellions, besides tipping that grain silo a few weeks back. But Harrey knew. He was a pretty smart guy. He knew they had something planned. Because the citizens of Nine were fiery people. Harrey loved that about them. The emptiness and dust of the sometimes hostile land around them forced them to be stubborn and hardy.

When people from Nine got an idea, you could be damn sure they were going to follow it through, no matter how crazy it might seem.

And right now, this idea was justice. And reclaiming their dignity. Just thinking of those things made Harrey's chest swell. He only had to think what it might be like for him and his sisters to be safe. For Clare to feel okay. And if they had kids together, then they would be safe too. So though he was a really peaceful guy and wasn't going to go burning down buildings just yet, he did know that his time to take a stand would come.

He just had to wait and listen.

"Harrey Smithin!"

Those two words shattered all his swirling thoughts. Sent them breaking onto the ground in a million tiny pieces. What just happened?

He took a moment to catch a breath and look around. Every single person within his range of vision was staring right at him. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Romulus step to the front of the stage again. And plunge his hand into the enormous glass bowl sitting in front of him. But he had heard his name. Loud and clear.

Adrenaline kicked in almost instantly. Every single cell in his body seemed to be shouting one message to him. Run. His legs began to shake violently, as if they wanted to take off. Sprinting and sprinting, kicking the dust all around them up into the air and leaving them far behind. His heart just kept beating faster and faster.

But Harrey knew what he had to do.

He was not going anywhere. Harrey Smithin was no coward. He didn't know if he could fight in the arena. He didn't know the amount of horror he was sure to experience in the time to come. He couldn't possibly. His thoughts turned to his family and he felt a weight against his chest. Harrey didn't know if he would be able to protect them when the time came.

There was, however, one thing he knew he could do for sure. And that was that he could let every single person in the crowd know that he was no coward. That he wasn't going to run for this. No, he was going to stand up and fight. And he was going to fight for all of them. Because Harrey really, truly loved this place. It was his home. And more than anything, he wanted these people to feel safe. He didn't want any one of these kids, standing here and waiting for his next move, to go to bed scared and crying for the guy who had made a scene at the Reaping.

So he walked up to the stage slowly and deliberately. He didn't shout or cry out to anyone. There would be time for crying later.

He had to show these people that he had things under control. That it was going to be okay. Harrey knew Clare was out there somewhere, probably weeping. It wouldn't be any good to join her. Right now, it was his job to show her that he was strong and she didn't need to be afraid for him.

And if nothing else, he was showing his family that he was okay.

His family, which was now slowly making its way down the center aisle. His father was in the lead, holding tightly onto his mother's hand. Like Harrey, he knew his place right now. Daisy followed closely, clasping her hands in front of her and fighting back tears. Ninah was following behind, walking like every step was causing her pain.

Harrey straightened himself and looked at them. This was his family. They were in this together.

And maybe, just maybe, Harrey had found his time. Maybe this was his way to not go forgotten. Maybe now he could get the Capital to listen.

The Goodbye Room

Ninah Smithin's POV

Ninah knew that things were bad.

She knew because her mother, walking in front of her, was shaking and sobbing. Ninah had only seen her mother cry a few times in her life and the sight made her stomach twist. She hated seeing her parents cry. It just wasn't right. Even her father, now walking up the steps to Nine's Justice Building, had tracks of tears running down his face.

Daisy was sobbing too. Her older sister was the emotional one of the family, but not like that. She was a whirlwind of energy and laughter and loud jokes. Not this hunched over figure, wringing her hands and staring at the ground. Harrey was trying to comfort her by resting his hand on her shoulder, but Ninah saw that his eyes were red.

Only her eyes were dry.

Ninah figured she was probably in shock. Could people in shock be conscious of that? She wasn't sure. Also, if she was in shock, then how come she was thinking so logically? Here she was, walking into the Justice Building, and thinking of nothing except that she hoped none of them would get a finger caught in one of those heavy oak doors. That would probably hurt. Truth be told, Ninah didn't feel much different than she usually did. Except for a weird weight in her chest that she guessed to be fear.

It was okay to be afraid. This was going to be really, really scary.

The inside of the Justice Building was much larger than anything Ninah had ever seen. Granted, she had only seen the inside of their tiny house and other tiny houses of her friends, and the one-level school building. She craned her neck to see a staircase spiraling up and a chandelier at the top that glistened and glimmered, throwing flecks of light across the room.

She couldn't help but let out a little gasp at its beauty. She had never seen a chandelier before. Ninah's eyes danced around the room, looking at the plush, depp red carpet beneath her feet and the real elevators that they were about to go inside. Elevators!

Ninah curled her hands into fists and followed closely behind her family. Maybe this wasn't going to be all bad and scary. Maybe she could just use this time to take in new things and see the Capital. Try the delicacies and wear beautiful costumes. It wasn't like the opportunity would ever come again.

Suddenly, Ninah didn't feel scared at all anymore. She stepped into the elevator and gasped in wonder when she felt it lurch from beneath her feet.

When the doors opened and the family walked down a wood palled hallway, Ninah walked slowly, taking in the beautiful designs on the carpet and the large windows overlooking the streets below. The figures looked like ants, heading back to their little houses. Walking back to their own simple, everyday lives. Today was not much different from any other for them.

The thought was almost a surreal one for her. It was strange to think that before today, her family was just like one of the many families walking beneath them on the street right now. Last year she went to the Reaping and didn't think much of it. She hadn't known the two kids who were Reaped and neither had Harrey or Daisey. They had gone home, changed into their simple clothes again, and had a nice lunch.

Yes, it was a little harder to sleep that night. But the event had no profound effect on Ninah. Okay, she knew she was a little different than most girls. Especially girls her own age. Some of the girls were crying last year and a few were crying this year, even. They were just sensitive like that. And they all thought Ninah was the weird one!

Strange? No. She was just a little less emotional than most. A little tougher. Her skin was just a little thicker.

Like right now, for instance. Everyone in her family was just losing it. They weren't themselves at all. Fear and shock and grief could do some really strange things to people, Ninah thought to herself. Daisey looked like she was shaking and Harrey's face was white. Mom was still crying.

Ninah went to sit on one of the chairs in the room they'd been led into. It had carved arms and a bright red fabric back. She traced her finger on the pretty flowered design. Ninah knew she wasn't going to cry or scream. That just wasn't like her. Leave that to the others. They would make enough tears on their own. Besides, even if she did cry, there would be no point. People cried to get attention, mostly. Ninah hated that. And it wasn't like she would get any attention, seeing how far gone into shock everyone in her family seemed.

So she gave a little sigh and settled back into her chair. Morbid thoughts and swirling fears of death would come later. For now, she figured she could take some time to just relax and stare at the lovely furniture.

Before the family even had time to sit down, the Harvest family came in.

Clara was walking on very shaky legs. Every time Ninah had seen her, Clara's eyes always looked so bright. Now they were all widened in shock. She was clutching onto her mother's arm and fighting back tears. Mrs. Harvest was breathing heavily, like if she didn't keep taking huge gulps of air, she might forget to breathe entirely. Clara's dad was rubbing his hands together fiercely.

Ninah lowered her eyes and stared at the ground. She couldn't watch this. Clara, of course, ran to Harrey and embraced him. He hugged her tightly back and they stayed that way, in each others arms, for a little while. Ninah wished she had someone who would take her in and hold her. Somewhere she could feel really safe and really okay.

But she just sat very, very still in her chair. Like she was silent enough, maybe no one would notice that she was here at all.

Mr. Harvest stayed standing, wringing his hands again and again. He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "I'm so, so sorry for you, Hans." He finally said. "If anyone, your family deserved this least of all. You're such fine folk, you really are." He inhaled sharply. "This is just too horrible."

At that, Mrs. Harvest frowned at her husband. "Well, you don't need to tell them that, Joe. I think they have a pretty good idea of how awful things are looking." She sat down heavily, right next to Ninah's mother. Ninah almost smiled because Mrs. Harvest's large frame looked so strange compared to her mother's boney one.

"No, I can't even pretend to understand your situation." Mrs. Harvest sat back and put her hands on her knees. "I can't tell you that things are gonna be okay. I can;t be certain of anything. But I can tell you that I will do my best to make sure things are okay back home here. No matter what happens. I'll take care of the house and keep it clean for however long it takes."

"Thank you," Ninah heard her mother say. But only barely because her voice was so soft.

"And I'll write to the rest of your family and let 'em know anything they need to know," Mrs. Harvest went on. "Judy, you've got that baby sister nearby, the one with seven kids? I can't guarantee we'll be much help, but Joe and I will try our best to put some extra food on their table."

Joe Harvest nodded. "We sure don't have much extra, but then, no one around here does." He almost smiled for a moment, but his eyes went sad again in an instant. His jaw just sort of fell slack. He lowered his gaze to meet Ninah's father's and whispered something in a tone very low.

But Ninah heard.

"We'll take care of any…arrangements, if that time should come." Mr. Harvest had whispered.

Ninah felt just a pinprick of rage rising up in her. Did no one think that they could come home? Did no one have any hope at all? So, fine. Ninah knew she wasn't exactly the most hopeful person all of the time either. She could spend time crying and sighing over their seemingly inevitable deaths. But other people? No, that was wrong! If anything, couldn't they just die with a little hope left in them?

And then Ninah made up her mind.

She was not going to just give up, like her family, from the looks of it, already had. No, Ninah was unfailingly stubborn, if nothing else. Maybe to some, Ninah's sullen demeanor seemed to show that she had given up on life and its happiness or whatever. Wrong! She was just sick of this place. District Nine, with its starving children and endless fields of grain.

So this seemed like a chance. Granted, most people probably wouldn't see it that way. But when had Ninah ever been "most people?"

If she did (by some miracle, to be true) come out of the Games alive, that would be her chance out. She could live in the Capital, eating fine foods with her face being flashed across every sign. People would scream her name. Imagine! That small, silent girl from Nine who everyone always overlooked, now the most famous person in Panem! Oh, they were wild fantasies. Ninah knew that, as she sat in her chair and watched the Harvests talking quietly to her distraught parents. But they were something to hold onto.

At the very least, she wouldn't be starving anymore.

Ninah watched in silence as Harrey attempted to comfort the distraught Clara. He was holding onto her and whispering in her ear. But they were both crying by now. Daisy, sitting in a chair in the corner, was staring blankly ahead, her eyes brimming with tears. She watched Mrs. Harvest close her hands tightly around her mother's ones, limp from grief and having already given up. And she watched as her father sat in silence, his form slumped over.

She refused to grieve with them.

A group of Peacekeepers walked through the door just then and led the Harvest family out. Clara and Harrey held hands tightly for as long as they could. Though even that was only for a split second. Harrey looked into Clara's eyes with a look that Ninah could only describe as one of agony.

"I love you!" He called to her, just as the door was shutting. It shut before he could even hear her reply.

The family was led out of the room and down the hallway. Ninah's mother extended her hand as they walked. Ninah grabbed onto it, but said nothing. She was holding her mother's hand. Something she had not done since she was a small child. Whereas the rest of her family was close, Ninah just never felt that closeness. But her mother needed her now, so that was that. Besides, Ninah was hardly more than a little girl herself, though she liked to pretend otherwise. Sometimes she still needed to hold someone's hand.

They walked out of the Justice Building and over to the train station, which was right outside the large building.

Before them stood a glistening silver train imprinted with the Capital seal. It was larger than anything Ninah had ever seen and she could barely hold back her wonder. It was long and sleek and shining in the late morning sun. A sliding door opened to reveal a red carpeted compartment lined in wood with a ceiling painted with elaborate designs.

Each member of Ninah's family, led by the Capital escort who had been appointed to them, stepped inside the train, one at a time. Daisy barely hesitated, but her hands were balled up into fists and tears were running down her chin. Harrey looked pale, but forced himself to step inside. Her parents walked in holding hands, leaning on each other for support.

Ninah turned around and stared at the fields and fields of grain. Even from here, she could see them. The gold extended as far as her eyes could see. And it was beautiful.

She shut her eyes and gave it all one last goodbye.

And then, Ninah stepped onto the train.

A/N Well, that was long. Sorry 'bout that, folks. I don't expect to read that whole thing in one sitting. It would mean the world to me if you took some time to read and tell me what you thought. You guys are the best!

I couldn't resist writing a POV for Ninah. I may do more of that with the other families, switching from the main character in that family's POV to another family member's.

Any thoughts on that?

Thanks for sticking with this, despite my rather sporadic updates.

In other news, I'm thinking of doing a high school AU. Any thoughts?