Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.

Summary: The reaping from Prim's point of view, when the Mockingjay pin becomes her only hope.

The Mockingjay Pin

"For your safety." Katniss Everdeen says before she gives the Mockingjay pin to her little sister, Primrose Everdeen. And the younger girl simply accepts her older sister's gift – believing that she would indeed be kept safe.

How a pin can safeguard your chance of not being reaped is something Prim doesn't question and blatantly accepts.

And it is all for nothing.

Because her name is called.

Fear, disbelief, anxiety, and more fear – is all she feels.

With slow tentative footsteps, she begins to walk through the path which the group of twelve year olds has cleared for her. Her hands suddenly move to her back, something flashes in her mind. "Tuck in your tail, little duck." She hears Katniss voice in her head. She feels like crying and the tears are at the edge of her eye lids ready to pour out. But she doesn't – Katniss doesn't like tears, they aren't for someone who's brave. And she doesn't want her sister to feel ashamed of her, especially when the whole of Panem is watching.

So she walks – brave like Katniss, brave like her father, just brave enough.

Suddenly there is commotion, she hears a strangled cry. "PRIM!" Katniss has broken free and she's shouting for her. Prim doesn't feel shocked at her actions, maybe because deep in her heart she had expected it as soon as her name was called out.

Don't cry, don't cry, she chants in her head. But hearing her sister cry out like that – The tears are about to win, they are ready to spill over, grinning in triumph.

The Peacekeepers are holding Katniss back, and then she shouts, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

Dead silence fills among the crowd; all the hushed whispers which had began upon Katniss's attempt to get past the Peacekeepers to reach for Prim are dead. The Peacekeepers move back from Katniss since there is no need for them to hold her as their prisoner any more.

Katniss's words finally register in Prim's mind. And she isn't brave enough. She runs to her sister, and hugs her hard – clinging onto her taller form and begins to cry with all her might. What has she done? By volunteering, Katniss might have as well signed up for her death.

Prim doesn't get enough time, because someone pulls her away from her hero. She is still crying, still sobbing for her sister – in a way that Katniss would be embarrassed or rather disgusted. But she doesn't care anymore. Katniss is going to die, that is the only thing that's running in her head.

Gale (of course it would be him) is the one who grabs Prim away from Katniss. He brings her to her mother and settles her down gently, "Mom!" she cries and clings to her.

Her mother stares at her with hard eyes as she pats her back. In that moment Prim realizes something, it soothes her cries – her mother is brave too.

Something about her mother's expression gives her the strength to calm down. There is dead silence when Effie Trinket asks the District 12's citizens to clap for their only volunteer. She doesn't receive any claps – they don't do claps. But this time, something different happens. Starting from a single person, the three-fingered salute of their district begins to spread across every single present in the clearing. Prim raises her hand too, because that is the only way she can show her thanks and respect for what Katniss has done.

Together they watch the rest of the reaping, waiting for a chance to get into the Justice building. Just to see Katniss, it could be the last time they would see her alive and well.

No, I can't think like that! I can't. Prim decides.

Once the reaping is done, and the tributes – Katniss Everdeen and the baker's son, Peeta Mellark – are rushed into the Justice building. Prim and her mother make their way through the crowd, to get through the entrance of the building. The Peacekeepers lead them inside when they reveal that they are family and soon they are in front of a carved wooden door.

"You have five minutes," the Peacekeeper who led them up says. Without wasting time, Prim opens the door and rushes to hugs her sister once again. Katniss tells her that it's going to be okay and she begins to give her instructions on how to live their lives without her, but Prim isn't ready to take any of it.

"You have to win," she says. Her voice is hoarse and muffled due to her earlier crying and it makes her sound pathetic. But she goes on, "You can! You can hunt, you can win!" Her desperation is heard, Katniss simply nods and agrees.

Prim only wishes that she had more comforting and encouraging words for her sister, but she doesn't find any. Instead her hands reach the Mockingjay pin which Katniss had given her a few hours before.

"For your safety," she chokes out, and places the pin in Katniss' palms.

"Thank you," Katniss says and hugs Prim before letting her go and face their mother. Prim watches as her whole demeanor changes. The blood pumping in her ears is too loud to make sense of anything Katniss is saying, but she can guess what. Her sister is predictable that way, especially after the reaping.

The door opens, a Peacekeeper rushes in. Their time with Katniss is over. Prim is dragged away from Katniss again – this time with harsher hands. They are led outside the Justice building. They decide to wait out hidden in the shadows, in a hope to catch Katniss' glimpse one last time. Prim hugs her mother by her waist, and feels fingers digging in her sides. Her mother is just about as worried as she is.

After few minutes, both the tributes are out, walking on either side of Effie Trinket. A cry escapes Prim's mouth, but Katniss doesn't hear it. Her face is set stoic and that's how Katniss is.

They leave.

The mother-daughter duo walk back to the Seam, they receive sympathetic looks from everyone around. But there is something else in their looks too – respect for Katniss. Prim feels a swell of emotion in her chest which isn't sorrow. She realizes that it is pride that she feels. When they reach home, her mother rushes to the kitchen and she sits on their broken springy couch waiting for the tiny TV in front of her to turn on, her thoughts on the reaping.

"It'll keep you safe."

All this wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be picked, but she had been and Katniss had volunteered. That stupid pin, she shouldn't have given it to Katniss. It didn't keep her safe!

But you are safe, a small voice tells her. Prim stiffens in shock. Yes, she agrees. She is safe. Katniss volunteered for her, didn't she? Because of Katniss she isn't the one who's going to play till death in the arena any more. The pin had successfully kept her safe from that future, just as Katniss had promised.

Suddenly, Prim feels different toward that pin. The fact that Katniss has it, gives her a strange hope. Maybe her sister could really win it, maybe her hunting skill and her courage could keep her safe in the arena, and maybe, just maybe she would come back home.

The Mockingjay pin, it is on which that the twelve year old girl's hope resides. Prim and her mother watch the reaping together, Gale joins them too. He hugs Prim and tells her not to worry, "Katniss is a survivor. She will come back." He says. There is desperation in his voice too. Prim realizes that she isn't the only one who loves Katniss.

Some time later, when everything quiets down and the darkness settles in, Prim hears music in the air – a Mockingjay.

"Keep her safe, keep her safe, please." She whispers desperately.

The singing only gets louder in response.

AN: I had this written quite some time ago, and while I was lurking in my THG folder I found it. And after much editing, here it is! How did you guys find it?

Also, did you get a chance to watch Catching Fire? I did, and it was absolutely fantastic! I think it is a must watch. An amazing movie, well-adapted with the book. I loved Sam and Jena as Finnick and Johanna too. XD 3 It was emotionally choking to watch the movie. Phew.

Anyway, leave me your thoughts. =)