A/N

Hi guys, this is my first AN of this story and not the last but I figured you might want to start getting previews of the chapters after this one so that'll go on the bottom.

I'm extremely pissed off right now but I will try and not let it affect my writing, R+R if you want

As I walk into the community home I now regard as my rightful place, I notice a posh black car in front of the gate. At least I think it's a car, I've never seen one before. This has to be the President of Panem who comes to each districts community home to check on us every other year, except last time I was away at the Hawthornes for the weekend so I wasn't there.

I had been thinking for months now how to get better living quality for us in district 12, and I eventually decided to try and make a deal with President Snow, even though my hopes were not up. As if the President of Panem would listen to a 10 year old orphan. But I had to try, I owed it to the people here.

I told the head of the home to ask the President to see me separately from the rest of the children, for no other reason than I didn't want to sound weak in front of the kids who think they own the place.

I enter the home and am instantly grabbed by a capitol attendant who gently leads me into my own room where I see the man who I've only ever seen on television.

President Snow.

He looks up and greets me with a warm smile that I only just manage to returns. "Ah, you must be Mr. Jacobs, yes?" Yeah, because he totally didn't know that already.

"President Snow, it's an honor to meet you", I take a seat across from him and wait for him to continue talking, when he does, it's in a carefully measured voice. "I'm here because you have a proposition for me, so please, let us not dill-dally, what do you want from me?".

This is it. "I'd like to offer a deal that would benefit the both of us," he does not look up from his fingers, "It involves you Hunger Games, or specifically, Your Quarter Quells." That got his attention, he is now staring at me intently, a cold smile gracing his face.

"Oh, and what business does a 10 year old boy have with my Quarter Quell?"

"I plan to be a tribute for it."

President Snow's composure finally breaks. He gives a slight chuckle, as if questioning my sanity, which of course, I was doing as well.

"I don't see why I need to need to know that, so what do you get out of it?" Snow looks at me curiously, I don't look away but keep my gaze steady as I prepare for rejection, "I would like the opportunity to help my district in whatever way I see fit, and right now that would involve, when I turn 12, being able to take out tesserae for other people as well as myself and my sister, and to hunt in the woods to bring in game for anyone who wants it. And if I could hunt, I would get strong, and spice up your games by being the first tribute to ever get a 12 in training." I smirk at ,my own confidence, and am surprised to see Snow actually contemplating my offer. Maybe my offer to volunteer, most like to my own death, has given him something to think about.

The President suddenly looks behind me, I follow his gaze and see my sister Rosie being pushed into the room.

"Rosie! Go back outside, I'm talking to the nice the nice man, and when he leaves you can come back okay?" my voice is stern, almost father-like, so she listens in silence and darts back out of the room.

"Ah, so that's your sister is it?" I nod, waiting for him to continue.

"... Very well, you will not be reprimanded for taking extra tesserae rations or hunting outside of the fence, and in turn you will jot be reaped in any Hunger Games until the Quell, in which you will volunteer for the Boy tribute of that year, clear?"

I nod hastily, this was more than I had ever hoped for, this was everything to me.

"but should you not volunteer for the Quarter Quell, I believe your sister and fiends may not be very happy with you, as you would be the reason for their deaths."

I stare at the President. He's threatening my sister and my friends. Not that I had any plan of not volunteering anyway, but now my hands are tied to it. I find myself incapable of speech so I just nod again and shake his hand when he offers it.

"Goodbye Mr. Jacobs"

with that he left.

I was lucky I could hunt pretty well for someone of my age already, and with more practice I could become deadly. When I turned 12 I would take out tesserae rations for a many people as needed, they need only ask.

The memory flashes through me like it always does when he phones me, which annually one month before the reaping exactly.

"How have you been Mr. Jacobs, I trust district 12 is still flourishing under your watchful eye?"

"Yes sir, the starvation rate has gone down another 15% since the last time we spoke, and the tesserae rations are helping the families in the seam. I would again like to thank you for your cooperation I my endeavor." I hear him chuckle into the phone.

"Please, it was my pleasure, it made me look good s I didn't see why not." I wait for him to continue. "I am here of course, because the time of the Quarter Quell is soon, one month precisely, so that means the reading of the card is tonight, and in one month you will be on a train to the Capitol, wont you?"

"Of course sir, I never forgot the terms of our arrangement." Charm, my greatest weapon that worked on all but my close friends, would not work here, so I just agree.

"I have decided you need some more motivation to get you in the mood."

"Please Mr Pres-"

"If you lose this Quell your sister may not like want to be alone." Why? Why is my sister being dragged into this again?

"She will commit suicide Mr Jacobs"

and just like that my world crumbles into a shaking mass, or is that me? I think it's me, but Snows voice is all that gets through to me even after he hangs up.

Suicide, that's what he said, but that just means he'll have her killed.

This Quarter Quell is now bigger than a fight for survival to me.

It's a fight for my family.

Later that night, Rosie and I go to district 12's only other victor, Haymitch Abernathy's house, to watch the reading of the card, and all the while I'm thinking of the best ways to make sure I win these games and how to tell Haymitch he might have to watch me die.

Haymitch and I became close when my friend Aaron went into the games 9 years ago. Haymitch had always blamed himself for his tributes dieing, hence the reason for his drinking. And I found it ridiculous, it wasn't his fault he couldn't protect them and Katniss helped prove me right. Rosie and I started a routine after I met him for the first time, of going to his house four times a week. Rosie would keep him in a happy mood and they would chatter endlessly while I did odd jobs around the house or talked as well. None of that could compare to our greatest achievement.

We managed to get him sober.

It took almost a year for us to do it, and occasionally Haymitch will drink again, but I'm always there to make sure he only has half a bottle of white liquor at most, and only once a month. I basically became the son he never had, Rosie the daughter. He didn't seem to mind either.

We get to the door and knock. I barely get a third knock on the door when it opens and Rosie jumps into his arms, giggling like mad.

"Hey Rosie, hows my favorite girl doing? Hmm?" Haymitch is all smiles when Rosie's around. And she loves it.

"I'm okay Haymitch, I went to Lisa's house and we played 'tag', then Rhys came and got me and we came here!" Rosie sounds like the day was the best thing since sliced bread, but Haymitch just laughs, "That's great, sweetie, now go and watch T.V while I talk to Rhys a minute, okay?" Haymitch was still light, but I knew he was mad at me. I'd called him this morning, finally telling him how I was so 'sneaky' that I never got caught with extra tesserae or dead game. And he was spitting mad, not at what I'd done, he was proud of me, but because I hadn't told him.

"Okay!" Rosie skips into the living room and Haymitch turns to me with anger in his eyes and i'm immediately wary.

"outside, now." Haymitch's voice is a low growl, and while I could probably kill him with bpoth hands tied behind my back, he was definitely the dominant one in our relationship. I rarely did anything to piss him off. Not because I was scared, but because he's the closest thing to a father I have, and I don't want to disappoint him.

When we're out in the middle of the Victor's village, he turns to face me.

"What the hell, kid? How could you never tell me?" he no longer seems angry, just exasperated and he looked upset, which I expected and understood.

"What would you have said if I did Haymitch?" I counter. I knew he would ask and the answer has been in my mind since the conversation with the President, because what could he have done, really? There was no way he could talk me out of it and he knows it would be useless to try.

"I wouldn't have had to say anything! I could have been there for you like you were there for me, kid! I would have been able to help you train for the Quell, I could have given you years of training for this! I could-"

"Haymitch, stop!" My father figure stares at me, and now realize he has the beginning of tears in his eyes, a rare occurrence. The only other time I ever remember him crying was when Peeta died in the Last games.

I walk forwards and pull him into a close hug, and Haymitch reciprocates, but will not cry. I say into his ear "This is why I didn't say anything, Haymitch. I never wanted you caught up in this. I mean, what if Snow found out you were training a tribute? He would not be happy, he would take it out on Rosie and we both know it." Haymitch stiffens at my mention of my sister, and nods into my shoulder before pulling away. It turned out a lot of his arrogance was alcohol induced, who knew?

We go back into the house and sit with Rosie just as the anthem of the capitol blares out and President Snow stands on the stage, a card gripped I his hand. He reads the previous themes of Quells. In the first, the districts had to elect their tributes, this seemed to me like it would have been a good one to watch, honestly. All those strong tributes, and especially weak ones too, T.V gold. And the second, the last one, the one Haymitch won, where there were twice the number of tributes. I've seen the tapes of this games after asking Haymitch if I could, and it turned out that Haymitch had grown rather attached to one of our female tributes, Maysilee Donner. He eventually told me that they were a couple before he found someone else about a year before the games.

Now the announcement of this years Quarter Quell, my Quarter Quell, the one I had to take by storm in order to save my sister.

"The Treaty of Treason states, that on the 75th year of the Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell, children and adults ages 8-22 will be reaped from the districts, as a reminder to the rebels that none are ever truly safe, no matter the age, innocence or guilt."

Haymitch's eyes harden, as do mine. Sending older people to the Games is one thing, but children? The capitol must be pulling out all the stops this year. The children from 8-11 must be downright petrified, they thought they were safe for another year at least.

A lot of my friends are now eligible again thanks to Snow. Delly, for one, who just turned 19 last week, how must that feel to be free for a week only to find out you have one more reaping to attend, one more chance to be sent to your death. And Gale... Gale!

"Haymitch stay with Rosie I have to go talk to Gale, please?"Haymitch just nods, looking at Rosie strangely. Following his gaze, I notice Rosie looks as though shes taking this extremely well. I wonder if its because she is eligible for reaping now anyway.

I run to Gales house right off and only stop hurrying when I'm at his front door. Gale can't be reaped, he has a family to take care of, and I'll be volunteering anyway, but he must be scared at least.

Gales younger brother Rory answers the door and immediately calls for Gale who walks out of his living room with an oddly calm demeanor.

"I'm fine Rhys, really. Even if I get reaped I'll still win. Right Rory?" Rory nods and pumps his fist as Gale comes out of the door, closing him behind him.

We walk to the woods, me still surprised how well he's taking it, being eligible again. I guess he obviously has more guts than I give him credit for.

I start to think about Katniss. Her first mentoring job, and she has to mentor one of her best friends. I star to feel bad for her until I remember why I'm doing this, and my resolve is restored.

Gale says goodbye when we get to the saying he has to go to his family, so i slip under the fence alone, and breathe a sigh of relief at the sounds that envelope me as I walk under the trees. I already know Katniss will be here, most probably near the lake her father showed her and she sowed me and Gale.

I'm not wrong.

Katniss sits there, looking gorgeous in the moonlight, silent tears dripping down her face. I don't make her aware of my presence. She needs time to work through everything that's happened to her. Sometimes I wonder if she'll ever be able to think of things like Peeta and the love they shared and smile about it rather than cry. I know that's why she's crying, its nearly a year since he died.

When she's apparently cried herself out, she gets up up unsteadily and turns around, jumping when she sees me.

"Sorry Kat, just thought I'd let you know I'm here if you need anything." Katniss just looks at me, but it's not a blank stare, just sad. That's encouraging if anything. That's the first time she's ever really been able to not look blank, intentionally or not.

We walk to hers in a comfortable silence, then I bid her goodnight after double checking she's okay.

Reaping day. It's been a month since the reading of the card, and strange though it may be, I'm really not nervous, I know I probably should be, but I already know how the days going to play out.

Our new escort, Nairobi Flintlock, will welcome us, she will call some girls name from a bowl, and I will volunteer, we will say good bye, and get on a train. Easy.

Everything went smoothly, until the reaping itself.

We were all herded into age groups, oldest in the front, and had to watch the same stupid video about how we owe the Capitol for killing our children. When Nairobi only lets out the first 'welcome' when I get an idea on how to make impression.

She hasn't even finished the third welcome before I've stepped out of line, interrupting whatever she was saying.

I'm halfway up the steps, deliberately not looking at Katniss, when Nairobi asks me "Excuse me mister, what exactly are you doing?"

"I just figured we could save some time and not bother to reap the boys considering I'm a volunteering for this" I say with my most winning smile. Nairobi squeals excitedly, and I can see why, her first ever tribute is a stunning 18 year old who volunteered. She asks with a dazzling smile on her face "and whats your name dearie?"

"That would be Rhys Jacobs Miss Flintlock" I say with a wink. Multiple cries echo through the crowd, and I can tell who most of them belong to. Rosie is of course already at my side hugging me tightly as she sobs, and I wave off peacekeepers mouthing 'Back off she's my sister'. Another of the cries is of course Delly but I can't see her. There are multiple other women tearing up for me, just for my looks I guess. Everybody knows me here though and they give me the same three fingered salute they gave Katniss last year, and I give a quiet thank-you. Rosie stands off to the side and I hear one more dry sob. Looking behind me I see katniss in Haymitch's arms, who's whispering what I can only assume to be soothing words in her ear as she calms down fairly quickly and regains her composure.

Nairobi clears her throat, "and now for the girls!"

"Rosie Jacobs."

A/N

DUN DUN DUN!

Preview for the next chapter

'I feel a hitch in my throat as I look up at the most breathtakingly yet subtly beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. She's small, very small but looks absolutely lethal. Her I'm going to want to know I think.'

If you have any questions feel free to ask!