Author's Note: We're very much in canon territory now but I'm hoping to show the sides to the Quell we didn't see.

Thank you to everyone who has read this far!

….

The Reaping

It was mid-afternoon in District One and the sun shone down on each of the victors standing on the stage. Their escort was chattering away, trying to maintain the attention of the crowd and build up some excitement. But it was tense, and she was oblivious.

It was supposed to be all-so exciting, a never-before-seen spectacle, the best of the best returning to their glory days. But for District One, all their children were safe. None of the Academy parents had to worry either. Rebellion was brewing and it had not brought their children closer to an arena.

Gem was glad for them, she truly was. But she was furious at what this meant for them, for Gloss and Cashmere. But they all hid their emotions well. They were District One victors and looking good and putting on a show was what they did best. It was what they would do here.

They looked the part too. None of them wore the purple tones of the Institute candidates. They were victors after all. None of them was clamouring to be the chosen volunteer. Nobody would volunteer. Instead, they wore golds, beiges and browns with smatterings of black. They each wore their volunteer's bracelet as a symbol of their status. Nobody had been singled out as the volunteer and so they stood on the stage as equals. All victors, all former volunteers, as united as they would ever be.

The inevitable happened and Gloss and Cashmere stepped forward as their names were called, not even attempting to feign surprise. Instead, they plastered on fake smiles that would never reach their eyes and raised their clasped hands to the applause of the district and the fake surprise of their escort. The job was done, with no disasters and no surprises.

….

Lyme knew that Cleo would be up early so she went to check on her mentor. It was going to be a difficult day. Cleo's girl, her beloved final victor was going to become her tribute once more.

But Lyme knew that Cleo would hold it together and that Enobaria would shortly arrive and want to be alone with her mentor. So, Lyme went to spend some final time talking strategy with Brutus to put him in the right mindset for the coming days.

She found him pacing. A mountain of nervous energy. His house was in impeccable order, and he was doing laps whilst talking to himself.

"What exactly is my angle? How do I play it today? What do I want the other victors to think of me?"

"You're eager," Lyme replied, disrupting his constant chanting to himself. "You can't wait to get back to the arena. It's where you belong. Even if it's your more serious sense of duty and obligation to our victors that's putting you back in there. The Capitol won't get that. They'll believe, and love, the Brutus that wants another go at the win."

"Which I do."

"Of course you do. So it's decided. Get on with it."

Brutus snorted but Lyme cut back in "And yes, wear the gladiator outfit. They'll love it. Tying back into your first go-round, back to the glory days of the Forty-Ninth. Enobaria has some fancy, gold, warrior princess look. I saw her going through it with Cleo, so you'll match her energy."

"What about you?"

Lyme laughed, "I'll look the part, don't you worry. Got to keep the audience guessing who it will be. But enough about our outfits, we're not District One. One more match out back for old times' sake?"

"You're on," Brutus said.

Brutus played the part when the time called for it. Remus was reaped and Brutus immediately leapt into action, shouting the words heard in Two every year and practically ran onto the stage. This was where he was meant to be.

Enobaria was startled. Her name was called. She didn't have to say the words she had been practising to Cleo all morning. But she recovered quickly and made her way onto the stage with purpose.

They were ready to do whatever was needed of them.

….

Halley was hoping she would be able to hold herself together better than this. But after they had left the Village for the final time as a collective of four, she couldn't help herself. She made her way to the centre holding onto Pluto, in tears, whilst Wiress and Beetee walked behind them.

But District Three could not see her like this. She was a leader. She was a pillar of strength, of rebel courage to their forces, so she gathered herself and stepped out onto the stage.

She did not know who reached out to who first. But whilst the Mayor gave his introductions and their escort chatted on, she and Wiress found themselves holding hands, clinging onto each other. Halley didn't know who was giving support to whom, but she supposed it was mutual. She needed a connection to ground her and Wiress did too.

When Wiress' name was eventually, inevitably called, Halley almost did it. A protective desire emerged, and she wanted to volunteer for the woman she could see crumbling. But Wiress grabbed her hand in both of hers and shook her head. That was not what they agreed. It would not be what the rebels wanted. It was not in the best interests of District Three. So, Halley remained rooted to the spot as Wiress walked to centre stage.

She could not hide her devastation any longer. Wiress might die. Seeder, Johanna and Woof will be reaped. Cecelia will be reaped, and her poor children will lose their mother. Mags would volunteer.

It was no surprise when Beetee's name was also called. He clasped Pluto's hand; the older man squeezed his shoulder in a show of support and Beetee joined Wiress alongside their escort.

….

They didn't care who knew. They were together, had been for decades and now they were married, by district custom, because that was all they were allowed. But their support for the rebellion was about to be revealed, so what did it matter if they were breaking other laws? Chloe and Coral were going to hold hands on stage, and they were not going to remove their wedding rings.

Peacekeepers tried to break them up. But Rowan, Shai and Noah got in their way and made it clear they were not going to change anything. So, Chloe and Coral stood on the stage, hand in hand, relationship and wedding rings on display for all of Panem.

They knew what was about to happen and they were both heartbroken. But nothing they could have done or said since the announcement was going to change Mags' mind. Finnick had convinced Noah that there was no point in volunteering and that he would be the most use in the arena.

Their new escort was no patch on Dora. And they were stuck with her until the end, to make an unfortunate situation even worse. So, whilst she squeaked and rattled on, both Chloe and Coral sought out Dora in the crowd.

They found her, staring between Noah, Finnick and Mags like she couldn't bear that she may no longer see any of them and the victors knew there was truth in that. Dora loved them all and they loved her back.

Before they knew it, Annie's name had been called and the young woman began crying. Mags' hand soon raised, as they expected, and it was even worse than they thought. It would have been bad enough hearing her say those words, that she had never said before, but she couldn't. Instead, she stepped forward and took her place at the front to await Finnick who swept her into a hug as soon as his name was called.

They knew it was going to happen in the way it did. But now it was real. They were leaving home, for the final time as all they had worked for was about to begin.

….

Luna had been dreaming of the jungle for months now. Ever since the announcement, her nightmare had been getting closer. Now her name had been called and the jungle was going to become real once again.

She was terrified, but she did not cry. She didn't when she was eighteen, so she wasn't going to when she was a grown woman, and a victor at that. She gave Porter a hug, took her place and waited for Hal to join her.

Hal barely let his name leave their escort's mouth. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. His entire reaping was pointless.

….

They were ready on time. All four of them were presentable, as presentable as Poppy and Max could make them, and they left the Village complying with peacekeeper orders. Nobody had made an unfortunate show of themselves, and they found themselves standing on the stage, looking out towards District Six.

Poppy blocked out the introductions, nobody cared about them anyway. Instead, she stared out towards the faces of those she knew, those who trusted her and who she had put her faith in. She was ready. She was coming home, and she wanted everyone to know that from looking at her.

It helped to block out the intrusive thoughts of what was about to happen. She felt awful just thinking about it, but Poppy knew it would be easier if Claudia's name was called. If it were her own name, she would have to go through the pretence of stepping forward and listening to Claudia volunteer and that would be too painful.

Luckily, it was Claudia's name that their escort read, and her mentor squeezed Poppy's hand and stepped forward before she could think about doing anything else. Levi soon followed suit and then it was over. Quick, boring to anyone but those who stood on the stage, but painful all the same.

….

"And now the time has come to pick the female tribute from District Seven, for this special Quarter Quell," Vespa Antonia, Seven's escort, announced.

"I wonder who that will be," Johanna quipped.

"The female tribute from District Seven is," she paused, unnecessarily, "Johanna Mason!"

"Oh, what a surprise. Nobody saw that coming, did they? Lucky me," Johanna snapped as she stomped to the centre of the stage.

"Johanna!" Blight and Linden hissed, in an attempt to quell her outburst. Liev and Sawyer simply laughed. Their heads hurt from the evening before, and they could not expend the energy on dampening Johanna's very valid feelings.

Vespa tutted at Johanna's comments and the laughter of the victors behind them. She went on to mention the unprecedented nature of the Quell and how the excitement was obviously affecting everyone. Johanna looked like she might strangle the woman standing next to her for that comment.

Then it was the turn of the men, one of the few reapings potentially up for debate given that both Linden and Blight appeared to be in excellent health and of good fitness. But it was Blight whose name was called and he stepped up to join Johanna before Linden could even think of mustering a response. They had an agreement, and Blight was not about to let Linden volunteer in his place.

….

District Eight was on fire. Cecelia's name was called, and her three children ran to her and clung on to their mother, leaving her unable to make her way forwards. Eventually, her husband had to prise their distraught children away and bid his wife goodbye.

Next to the family, Cotton broke down. Crying and ultimately screaming that she couldn't do it, and that she was sorry to Cecelia and Merino. She couldn't make the words leave her mouth and it was her fault. This in turn set off Woof's distress as he stood helplessly, watching what was happening to his fellow victors when he did not entirely understand what was happening.

Then his name was called. Cotton was still crying, and Woof would not join their escort. Cecelia had to collect him and by this point, their escort had lost control of proceedings and brought the event to a hurried close.

By the time they were inside the Justice Building, the sound of gunshots rang through Eight's centre. The people had charged the peacekeepers and open warfare had begun. Cecelia could only hope that her family would escape unhurt.

….

Compared to District Eight, the reaping in District Nine was boring. Barric and Maizey were reaped whilst their mentors looked on. It was a sad affair, as the younger pair had figured out the true nature of their relationship, but District Nine wouldn't retaliate.

The victors lived quietly in Nine and they left for the Capitol quietly. Their families had quick goodbyes and that was it.

Nine's people went back to their day off work. Nobody would hide themselves away from their neighbours as their children were sent to their deaths. Barric and Maizey's families would feel that pain, but they were adults, in old age, and they had been granted decades more with their children than anybody else who heard their children's names called at a reaping.

The victors had lived apart from their former villages since they returned home from their Games. Those old connections had been lost and as such, the loss would only be felt by those closest to them and through Nine's remoteness, sympathy would be hard to come by.

….

Charo and Adan's names were called, and they joined their escort in the centre of the stage. He asked them to shake hands in the way that the tributes were supposed to do, but they simply held hands and looked out to the crowd gathered to watch their final moments in Ten.

They were holding onto each other whilst saying goodbye to their home. It was unlikely either of them would return alive. Maria was the one who needed to return and they, Charo especially, were doing their part to make that happen. If this was the way it had to be, then they had come to terms with it.

….

They were all overly warm and on edge. Being locked in a moving vehicle with Candy Blush and a peacekeeper escort would have that effect on anybody. But now they were being presented to District Eleven, and all Panem, after having to endure her inane chatter on an especially hot Reaping Day.

Seeder had ensured they all looked presentable. Orchard was a proud man and would hate to look anything but his best in front of Eleven on this final time. Chaff had restrained himself around the wine. He was not about to embarrass himself or the district.

None of them particularly listened to the introductions, instead choosing to focus on their associates. Meeting their eyes to let them know they trusted them, and that all would work out. They all just needed to play their parts.

Then the inevitable happened and Seeder's name was picked from the almost empty reaping bowl. But to her surprise, it was Orchard's name that followed. Chaff volunteered in his place, as Seeder knew he would, should the older man be reaped. Chaff was more than the man the Capitol made him out to be. He would never inflict such a fate on Orchard, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Seeder would discuss this with Mags. She did not know what was to be gained from reaping Orchard. Everybody knew that Chaff would never let that happen. By now, almost everyone knew that Chaff was not one for following the Capitol's orders either.

But it had endeared him to their people. He was to become a martyr of sorts. District Eleven raised their hands in the form of Twelve's salute and the cameras could not cut away quickly enough. The victors were hauled immediately onto the train.

….

He was going to have to talk to Effie. She was subdued and not doing her usual job of hiding it. It was a known fact that she felt close to Katniss and Peeta. They were 'her victors' and it did not take a genius to work out that she more than simply tolerated Haymitch's presence. Chaff had been making fun of him for years about his friendship with Effie.

They were not together; they never would be. That would be a complete disaster. They were far too different and that would never change, rebellion or no rebellion. But they were friends and Effie was bearing her feelings to everyone, including her Capitol bosses.

But she did her job. Katniss did as she was told and then it was time for his performance. As expected, Effie picked his name from the reaping bowl and Peeta immediately volunteered. Haymitch didn't even need to look at Katniss to know she would be distraught at this development. He resisted, told Peeta he didn't need to volunteer, made a bit of a show of it, but didn't fight particularly hard. The boy was determined, and he could still keep up appearances with Katniss in saving Peeta.

Bigger things than their drama were in play and he had higher orders to abide by. If he left his friends to take care of Peeta in the Mentors' Centre whilst he played the hero, they wouldn't be particularly forgiving.

But then Twelve surprised him. They were beaten down, more so than in previous years but they still saluted them, Katniss and Peeta. He was under no illusions that they did not include him in that gesture of respect. But he followed his victors and repeated the gesture, only to find a peacekeeper under his arm manoeuvring him through the Justice Building and towards the train.