Hi all, I managed to complete another chapter of one of the stories that have been floating around my brain and laptop for a while. It seems I'm doing lots of crossovers lately, this one is with the Hunger Games. So be warned, the usual brutality for the book series will probably happen. LG

"The female tribute for District 8 is … Regina Mills!", the bubbly sweet voice rang over the town plaza.

The 16 year old girl couldn't comprehend what was happening. This couldn't be real. Was she dreaming? Or was there another girl with her name?

Faces were turning towards her and people were moving to clear her way to the stage. No, it was her. Every child's nightmare had come true for her. She walked mechanically, her mind totally shut down. Her face didn't show her terror, years of molding and practice had let her perfect a mask of emptiness.

Once on the stage, she looked over to the crowd. She saw relief in the faces of the girls and their families. For they hadn't been reaped. For they got to live another year. Regina found that she could not fault them for that.

Somewhere in the crowd was her mother. It took the brunette a little while to make her out. But instead of shock or sadness, Cora's face was sporting victory. The corners of her mouth were up so high, she seemed even happier than the parents who got to have their children for another year. Regina threw up in her mouth at the sight. She was going to be changed beyond recognition and then slaughtered for entertainment! But her mother didn't care. She even seemed happy about it. She'd probably still celebrate when she was dead, that was how much Cora Mills cared about her.

The male tribute from her district was Daniel Colter. If Regina had been allowed to have something like friends, he would have been it. He was such a kind soul, he couldn't hurt a fly. Always gentle and sweet - and soon to be dead. He would not stand a chance in a fight of life and death. Neither would she, Regina knew very well. District 8 had already lost before the games even began.

The two were led to rooms more luxurious than anything Regina had ever seen. It was so wrong for such a room to exist within a district of factory smoke and grey dust and poverty. It was their time to say goodbye to their loved ones to take encouragement and comfort. Or in Regina's case their only relative.

Cora strode into the room like she owned the world. She wouldn't get any comfort or kind words from her. Never did Cora encourage her, never did she send a word of affection her way. She was always too ugly, too graceless, too stupid, too useless, too whatever. Never had she been enough. "This is what you were born for, don't disappoint me." Sure, that was somewhere along the lines Regina had expected. She often suspected her mother to be heartless.

Cora grabbed into her coat pocket and revealed a silver brooch. "You will wear our family crest to the Capitol, you will show everyone that you are a Mills." Then she pinned it on Regina's dress, a little above the heart.

Time was up and she left without a goodbye or a look back. Regina couldn't imagine how the loving goodbyes of Daniel's relatives were supposed to fit into this tiny time window.

Once on the train to the Capitol, Regina longingly looked out of the window. "Beautiful view, isn't it?", Daniel asked as he joined her. "I want to take it all in one last time", Regina whispered. The 18 year old boy vehemently shook his head. "Nonsense! You're chances are good. You're so gorgeous, the sponsors are gonna fight over who gets to send you stuff. You'll have all the bets on your side with one of your smiles, you don't even need to do anything. I can't offer anything, so do me a favor and tell my family I love them."

Well, he was realistic about his own chances, but he had gotten her so wrong. How was she supposed to last one minute in there?

Their escort Tinker Bell found the two and led them into the dining area where they were to meet their mentor. District 8 only had one survivor so far. Rumple Gold was old, he had mentored many children and teenagers over the years and seen them all die.

"Congratulations on your almost certain death", he greeted them. Surviving the games and having to witness the deaths of all his proteges had made the man bitter. "I can try my best to bring one of you through, and my bets are on Daniel. I will coach you and you will follow my instructions to the letter. Regina, do whatever you do and try to stay alive. That's all." As if she didn't already know she was dead! Regina stayed at the table while the other two headed somewhere. Why bother with her?

"You can still make it", Tink said from the doorway in her sweet voice. Regina had once found it nice to listen to. But ever since it had said her name at the reaping, it felt suffocating. The escort moved to sit with the raven haired girl. "No, I can't", Regina replied dryly. "It was to be expected, I'm hopeless. I really hope Daniel wins, he deserves to make it out." She sighed. "Hey, don't think like that", Tink said and wrapped her arms around the girl.

Never in her life had Regina been treated with such kindness and she had never expected to. Especially not from one of those Capitol brats that got everything shoved up their behind. But Tink seemed nice and friendly, one would not believe she was from the Capitol. "I will help you as much as I can. I can't help you in the arena, sponsors are Gold's task, but I can do everything I can the week before."

Her room was even more luxurious than the one in the district had been. After taking a shower after which she smelled flowery, Regina went to bed. The bed was so soft, it felt like laying on clouds, but she couldn't sleep. The thoughts of being paraded around and then killed for entertainment didn't leave her head.

Sometime around midnight, she gave up on sleep and took a walk through the train. On her little excursion, she found Daniel. "Sorry", he said. "It's okay, I expected something like that. You are the logical choice. Win this thing and live your life, okay?"

The breakfast table was loaded. Daniel dug in as soon as he entered and enjoyed the delicacies. One could never know if there would be enough food in the arena, the whole thing was called Hunger Games for a reason. That's why many used the week before to gain weight. But Regina was too nauseous from her dark thoughts, she could hardly stomach anything. What did it matter anyway? The odds were certainly not in her favor.

The train was going through a long tunnel, they were passing through the Rocky Mountains, the mountain range around the Capitol. Ladies and gentlemen, let the nightmare - errrrrr, the 55th Hunger Games - begin!