OK, this is my first go at writing a fanfic and I ask that you bear with me as I make it through the progression. Not sure yet how long this will be, but I am always up for feedback on the story and my writing skills or lack thereof, lol. I promise to do my best to add chapters on a regular basis, but I foster dogs and have a soccer playing 8 year old so it could get a little tricky.

Chapter One –

I sit there at the table, holding my glass of wine and wonder where in the world did I go wrong? Why do I always find myself alone? Where am I going and what am I doing with my life?

Ok, I'm sorry for the introspective introduction to me. Which I feel the need now to introduce myself before you go thinking I am some melancholy oddball. My name is Alexa Dorotov, Alex to most and Lexy to only a few. I am an English Lit. major that happens to be very single. That last bit will make more sense the further you get into my story.

But back to me drinking my wine and being all introspective. I am here solely because my friends think I need to get out of the house more often. They say I am as close to being a hermit as one can get and still live in the city. They mean no harm and I love that they care. This just isn't my scene. These friends I mentioned are sitting around the table laughing and joking about something that happened earlier in the day, that I missed due to being a hermit of course. They each in turn try to cajole me out of my funk, but I am set in my funk, so it doesn't quite work.

I look at all of them as they laugh and wish I was more outgoing like they were, I used to be, but that is a totally different story, not the one you chose to read. With a smile and a sigh, I quietly slip away from the table and leave the patio at the bar they dragged me to. Being a hermit has its benefits, I was able to slip away without anyone noticing me. Or so I thought.

Jax POV

Lexy got up from her seat and walked away from the bar's patio. No one else seemed to notice that she left. Quickly so as not to lose her, I bid farewell to our friends, to many defeated sighs I might note, and follow her path along the sidewalk. I said I was leaving to walk her home, its night time and I don't want anything to happen to her. They roll their eyes fully aware of this affliction I have for Lexy.

As I get closer to her I raise my arm as if to put it around her shoulders, but let it fall before she notices. I just can't seem to make that first move. She is standing right there, waiting to cross the street, but seems to be so far away, more than the 10 feet that separate us.

"Hey Lexy." I call out so she knows I am there. I am here to protect her, not scare her to death.

She turns and smiles as I catch up to her. "Hey Jaxson. Tired of the good times already?"

"Nope, just thought I would let you walk me home. There are bad people out here and I want to make it home in one piece." I wink at her as I stop next to her. I sigh as I acknowledge to myself that it is much easier to let sarcasm cover the real cause of my actions. Truth be told, I just wanted some alone time with Lexy, maybe I will find some courage to bridge the gap between us too.

She grins at me before linking our arms together. "Let's go then, don't want the bad people to catch up to us."

Alex POV

Walking with Jaxson is quite peaceful. I don't feel pressured into conversation or trying to be someone that I am not. I can talk if I want to but it is not necessary. Around Jaxson, I can be the hermit that I am now known to be as well as all of my quirky behaviors. As great as it is, I think Jaxson is a catch but he seems to only see me as a friend or even as a little sister. Sigh. It hurts a little knowing that a friend is all I will be for Jaxson Cross, when I want to be so much more.

As we walk, I dare to look up at him out of the corner of my eye. Dangerous, I know, as I am still walking. I study his profile and I notice again how strong he looks and yet there is softness as well. 'Why can I not get guys like this to notice me?' I sigh and shake my head. More inner turmoil.

"What? Was that a sigh?" Jaxson asked.

"Nothing." I reply. "Just been a very long day and I am due for some relaxation."

"Oh really now. Care to explain how your day was so long?" He asked, stopping to wait for my answer. As my silence grows, he tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Before I get the chance to respond, a guy in a white and grey three piece suite runs right into me. All he was missing was a top hat, I thought as I looked him over.

"Excuse me." He said as he leaned over to pick up the afore mentioned top hat. "I should be there, but I am here. Oh my. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late."

I looked up at Jaxson who shrugged. "Weird." I nodded in agreement. This guy not only looked like he was from a storybook but spoke like it as well. Alice in Wonderland flashbacks pop through my head, but where are the ears? He doesn't look like a white rabbit, well alright, he looked like an albino and after closer inspection, he had red eyes, but where were the ears?

"No time for hello, goodbye, I'm late." And with that, he was gone, crossing the street.

I look down and noticed something shiny by my foot. I lean over to pick it up and notice it is a pocket watch. He must have dropped it when he bumped into me. "Sir. Hey sir. You dropped your watch. Sir."

He turned and looked back, "No time to say Hello, Goodbye. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late." With that he waved and started walking again.

As he turned the corner, Jaxson looked at me with a shrug. "Did he just wave at us to follow him? Really?"

I looked at the watch in my hand. It was very beautiful with a crest etched on the top. "This looks really old, maybe a family heirloom. I think we should try to get it back to him." With that I crossed the street to follow our "white rabbit".

After crossing the street, we see the man up ahead of us turn around a corner. We pick up the pace so as not to lose sight of him. As we follow and turn the corner after him, I see that the path we are now on is taking us straight to a park in the center of the city. Just up ahead of us is the entrance and as night had fallen, I have to admit I was not too keen to walk into a darkened park.

'Courage' I think to myself and look up at Jaxson. "Let's go Jax, we are going to lose him if we just stand here and the park is not getting any more lit." I said and grabbed his hand, dragging him with me towards the entrance to the park.

"Where could he be going at this time of night that would take him through the park?" Jaxson seemed very perplexed while I was excited about the storybook character we were following.

"I have no idea but I am intrigued and I am intent to give that man back his watch." Really, I just think this might help my chances if I am alone in the park, at night, with Jaxson. Normally we are surrounded by our friends, so we really don't talk one on one very often. And why not take a chance? If I don't then I condemn myself to being his friend forever. Who am I kidding? Me? Take a chance? This refers back to the hermit version of me and the introspection. But again, that is another story for another time.

Up ahead there is a flash of white and faintly hear the words "I'm late, oh I am so late" float back to us on the wind. Maybe this is a shortcut that we are unaware of.

Jaxson pulls me faster down the path to where we saw the flash of white. We turn a corner in the park and there he is, standing in front of a big oak tree. He looked up and saw us walking towards him and he darted behind the tree.

I ran up to the tree and walked around to the other side, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go? He couldn't have just vanished." I said as I sat down, out of breath from the chase.

Jaxson made three more laps around the tree and came up with nothing. "I guess we can wait here and maybe he will come back."

"Sit then, no point in standing." I pat the spot next to where I sat. As he sits down, I closed my eyes, wishing he would lean over and kiss me, but knowing that he wouldn't. With a sigh, I lean back against the tree to wait. Well that is what I was trying to do at least. Instead of the tree, there is only open air and I end up on my back, staring up at the inside of the tree.

I lay there for a second trying to get my thoughts in order. I can barely hear Jaxson asking if I'm ok and where did I go. 'Huh?' I think. 'I am still here, I didn't go anywhere.' I sat up and looked back and all I see is the tree.

"I fell back and was in the tree I guess." I said as I reached out to feel the tree but I felt nothing as my hand disappeared from sight.

Jax POV

'Another moment lost.' I think to myself as I grab Lexy's arm to pull her hand out of the tree. She had looked so tempting sitting there with her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted, almost like she was asking to be kissed. 'Get over it,' I tell myself as I try to clear my head.

"I guess this explains where the guy went." I said.

She laughed. "We should follow. It's like our very own adventure." With that, she disappeared into the tree.

I sigh, fully aware that I won't let her go into a magic tree alone. Wow, yes, I guess I did just call it a magic tree. I blink as I step through the outside of the tree and my eyes adjust to the lighting inside the tree. There is a soft red glow that gives just enough light to see that the ground seems to spiral down into darkness. I lean over the edge, trying to see the bottom, but see a flash of white. "He is down there, but not far."

"Well let's get going." Lexy said and started down the ramp, running one hand along the wall as a guide.

Every once in a while her giggles would drift back to me and I would smile. Rarely did I see her happy and carefree. Normally she was reserved and kept herself distanced from the group. Happy looks good on her. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice she had stopped so I bumped into her sending us both to the ground. I tried to keep her from falling and somehow got us tangled and I landed on top of her.

I leaned up on my hands and looked down into her eyes and I was lost in a sea of green. I couldn't look away no matter how much I tried.

She reached up to brush my hair out of my face and made an 'Oh' sound. Her fingers traced a scar above my left eye and it sent an electric shock through my whole body. 'I have to move, now' I told myself.

Lexy POV

I had never noticed the scar before so without thinking I traced its edges. His eyes widened, I guess shocked at the touch and then he got up.

"I'm sorry." I said, feeling self-conscious. "I didn't mean anything. I just never noticed that scar before."

"No worries, just something that I got when I was a kid, don't fully remember getting it." Jaxson watched warily as I got back to my feet. To change the subject, he started to look around the room we were in, trying to figure out where we were. "Lexy, do you have any idea as to where we are now?"

Ok, so what did everyone think? I should have chapter 2 up pretty quickly, but would really love to get some feedback from you guys. If you liked it, please press the wonderful review button. If you didn't like it or parts of it, please still press the wonderful review button. How can I get better without reviews? Thank you for taking the time to read my story.