Disclaimer: I'm not Suzanne Collins, and therefore I do not own any part of the Underland Chronicles.

This story switches between third-person POV of Gregor and Lizzie, with different plots following each.

Lizzie

"Boots, you're supposed to eat this casserole," Lizzie teased. Her mom was headed home and her dad would be back soon from visiting their grandma at the hospital, and while Gregor took a nap Lizzie was on dinner duty. She'd decided long ago that getting Boots started on her meal early would only help the family at dinnertime, so while she retrieved leftovers from the refrigerator Boots was busy stuffing noodle casserole in her face, not bothering to use the utensils Lizzie had so carefully placed next to her.

Boots giggled and stuck her hand back into the pile of squishy food on her plate. Lizzie sighed and wiped her sister's mouth with a paper towel. There was nothing else she could do for dinner except heat up the leftovers, and her mom didn't like her to use the microwave because the settings acted strangely sometimes. She left Boots at the table and went to Gregor's doorway, looking sadly at her sleeping brother.

The night before, Gregor had had a horrible nightmare. They came less often now, but when they were bad she could hear him whimpering in his sleep. She never asked what they were about, but she could guess. It had been nearly five months since Gregor, Lizzie, Boots, and their parents returned from the Underland. The goodbyes had been sad, as they'd all made friends in the Underland. She knew Gregor dreamt about how he had fought in the war; how he had killed the Bane, a great white rat set on the destruction of humans in the Underland, and how his bond Ares had died helping him do so. She knew he missed Ares, and Twitchtip, a rat he'd grown very fond of, and most of all, he missed Luxa, the queen of the Underland. When the nightmares came, he wasn't afraid of the Underland; he was sad that he couldn't go back.

Lizzie had her share of people she missed down there. Hazard, a Halflander child, had been a good friend to her while she was there. She missed Luxa too, and Luxa's bat Aurora. But most of all, she missed Ripred. Ripred, the huge rat with scars on his face and in his heart. Before she even met him she had sent him food and good wishes through Gregor, and when she finally met him it was nearly impossible to leave.

"Lizzie…" said Gregor softly, and Lizzie remembered what she had come into his room for. He must have woken up when she stepped into the doorway.

"The food is out, Gregor, but you have to heat it up."

He nodded with a yawn, and Lizzie stepped out of his room. Just then, the door to their apartment opened and their dad walked in.

"Hey daddy." Lizzie walked to him and threw her arms around him. He returned the embrace easily, with more strength than he normally had. His sickness was getting better all the time. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for their grandma. The family had been planning to move to Virginia, but with their grandmother's failing health they had to stay in New York. "How is she?"

"She's all right," her dad assured her. "She was doing very well today. She even told me to tell you 'happy birthday.'" He smiled and patted her on the head. "You haven't forgotten your own birthday, have you? Tomorrow you'll be…. what? Thirty? Thirty-five?"

Lizzie couldn't help smiling. "Nine, dad. I'll be nine."

"Oh," he said with another grin. "I knew that."

Gregor called from the kitchen for help with the microwave, and Lizzie followed. To her dismay, Boots had managed to drop food everywhere within a six-foot radius of her high chair, and smeared it over every inch of her face. Her dad had to step over piles of casserole to get to where Gregor was. Lizzie immediately felt the need to apologize; she had gone away from Boots for too long. Her dad was on top of it, though.

"Boots," he said sternly. "What is this?" He gestured around at the floor and pointed to her noodle-covered cheeks.

"I eat!" Boots said proudly. She threw her hands in the air. "I eat like big rats!"

Lizzie felt a pain in her chest. Boots meant Ripred; Ripred always ate with his face in his food. It was funny to watch, but apparently he'd rubbed off on Boots a bit too much. Her dad was trying not to laugh.

"You are not a big rat," he told her. "If you eat like a big rat, you have to take a bath like a big rat too." He set her down and pointed to the bathroom, and she ran toward the door with a proud grin on her face. Gregor sighed and followed her to help her clean up, while their dad and Lizzie sat down at the table. Within moments the front door opened again, and her mom came in with Mrs. Cormaci trailing behind.

"I see my casserole was a big hit," the lady said after a quick peek into the bathroom at Boots's face. "I hope it's not gone already."

Dinner was eaten quickly once Gregor returned from the bathroom with a squeaky-clean little girl in his arms. Most of their leftovers were from Mrs. Cormaci, who still came to their apartment every day without fail despite knowing that their family was much better off now. Lizzie wondered if the older woman had grown fond of them, or of the excitement that tended to surround them. It was nice to have her around, though.

After dinner the family congregated in the living room. Gregor sat Boots down with a book about colors (Boots liked yelling colors out, and the more she learned, the louder she became) and then took a place on the couch between Lizzie and their dad. The family liked to talk every night. It made everyone feel more secure, and it made Mrs. Cormaci feel like a part of the family, which they'd all come to accept. The first order of business tonight, to everyone's surprise, was Lizzie.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" Her mom asked. Lizzie was taken by surprised. Their family had been too poor in the past to spend money on birthday parties or presents.

"Do? Like, a party or a trip or something?"

"Yeah, Liz," Her dad said. "Do you want to have a party with your friends? We think a party is long overdue for you."

Lizzie smiled. She could have a party! Maybe she could go to the park and have a picnic, or take some friends to the event center and do laser tag or mini-golf. But then she stopped for a moment and thought about who she wanted to invite. Who did she want to hang out with? The answer wasn't what she expected.

"Lizzie?" Mrs. Cormaci prompted. "Honey, just tell us what you want to do."

Lizzie was quiet for another moment and then she opened her mouth and took in a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"I want to do a party," she said.

"That's great, honey," Grace said. "Do you know where you want to go? Should we host one here, or in the park?"

Lizzie was breathing deeply, her eyes closed. She hoped her parents just assumed she was thinking. For another minute she was quiet, and her family was very patient. Then her eyes shot open and she stared at her mom with hard expression.

"I want to do my party in Regalia."

Author's Note: Hey, y'all! I love Gregor the Overlander so this is my attempt at a fic for it. Please review - I'd really like to know what you guys like and if you think I should change anything.

I didn't remember whether Lizzie's birthday was mentioned in the series, so if it was I'm sorry. I just made up a new date.