This is my first fanfiction so please go easy on it. If you like the story I'll keep chapters coming. If not keep it to yourself, please don't hate on it. If you find any errors, whether it be spelling, grammar or anything else please just let me know. I've been reading many of the fanfictions on this site but I just wanted to add my own to them.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Underland Chronicles or any of the characters, save the ones that I will be adding. Both the Underland Chronicles and the characters within belong to Suzanne Collins.

-Ssi


Silently, Gregor retrieved the contents of his wallet and carefully placed the folded up picture back where it belonged.

"Holy shiitake mushrooms Batman!" Kyle's jaw dropped to the ground, "where on earth did you learn to fight like that?"

Gregor remained quiet as he slipped his wallet into his pocket and removed the keys. Zoey stared at him in fear while Kyle merely gazed in awe.

"Don't even think about telling me that's normal in New York," Kyle continued, "I know for a fact that's not true!"

"Gregor?" Zoey asked quietly.

Gregor unlocked the pickup. "Come on," he said as his friends started towards the passenger side. Gregor started up the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

"Dude, when were you going to tell me you were some kind of ninja?" Kyle continued his barrage of questions. Taking Gregor's silence as an answer Kyle asked another one. "What was that picture?"

Both Kyle and Zoey were looking at Gregor for answers. But he had none. He knew there was no way to explain to them about his past. About him being a rager. About him not being able to let anyone see his photo of her.

"Gregor," Zoey said, "there's no way they're going to tell anyone, even if they did who would listen to four jocks claiming you beat them up? There's no way you can get in trouble for what happened."

"I don't care about that." Gregor said blandly.

"Then what's wrong?" Zoey asked.

Gregor remained silent once more. His friends stopped asking him questions as they drove silently home. After dropping his friends off, and parking the pickup in the barn, Gregor made his way over to his house.

The ladder that Gregor's uncle leaned against the side of the house was still in place. Instead of walking through the front door Gregor climbed the ladder to the roof and lay against the slanted surface.

It was dark out and the moon was nearly completely in shadow. Gregor snuck his hand into his pocket and slipped out the photo from his wallet. He sat there for what seemed like an hour just staring at the photo that he'd protected earlier than night. Four years, two months and twenty-one days, he thought to himself. He wished he could forget everything about the Underland like Maggie had. Maybe it would be easier if he had. But Gregor knew that wasn't true, no matter how much pain had come to him it had all been worth it for the friends he had made.

Gregor heard a clank on the metal of the ladder and quickly folded up the photo and put it back into his pocket. Expecting to see his uncle, Gregor was mildly surprised to see Zoey's head pop out over the side of the house.

"Zoey?" Gregor asked.

"Do you mind if I join you up here?" she questioned.

Gregor merely shrugged to show he was indifferent to the idea. "How did you know I was up here?"

"You? Please, you're not that secretive," Zoey laughed as she climbed up onto the roof and started to walk over to Gregor.

"Watch your step," Gregor said.

Zoey continued without listening to Gregor, "I see you up here basically every night, I mean don't you ever slee-"

Before Zoey could finish she lost her footing and stumbled sideways. As she lunged towards the edge of the roof Gregor's hand shot out and grabbed her arm. Gregor pulled Zoey against the slanted roof onto her back knocking the wind out of her but keeping her from falling. When her breathing slowed and she steadied herself, Gregor let go of her arm and lay back against the roof closing his eyes.

"Th-thank you," Zoey breathed out. "I think I just discovered my fear of heights," she laughed nervously staring out over the field.

"Welcome to the club," Gregor placed his hand over his chest and felt Ares' claw under his shirt.

"Seriously? You have a fear of heights?" Zoey smiled, "the kid that shows no emotion and spends most of his nights hiding on his roof is afraid of heights?"

"Just because I don't show them doesn't mean I don't have them," Gregor opened up.

Zoey thought for a second and then started her clearly planned out speech. "Look, I'm sorry that we tricked you into going to that game, we shouldn't have. And if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, just know that I'm here if you change your mind."

Zoey looked like she was about to leave when Gregor spoke, "In New York I had a couple of, um, issues with- well rage. I'm just not too happy when that part of me seems to act without the rest of me," Gregor tried to explain his rager issues without giving too much away.

Zoey waited for him to continue but when he didn't she replied. "Anger is only what forces you to act, Gregor, it doesn't magically make you any better at fighting than others."

"I never said it did," Gregor tried to recover; "I just said I don't like getting angry."

"Just don't let your anger get the better of you," Zoey said. "Maybe if you were a little bit more social you wouldn't have as much anger bottled up inside you."

Gregor said nothing in response. He knew she was right, but he also knew he didn't want to be any more social than he had to be.

Zoey crawled over to the ladder and was about to leave when she added, "my parents were planning on driving up next Friday and spending a week in New York so they'll be there for the concert. Considering the week is going to be the start of fall break I was going to go with them. They said I could invite you and Kyle if you two were ok with missing the following Monday and Tuesday."

"I don't know," Gregor answered after pondering the proposal for a second. "I can try to ask my parents but I'm not too sure if they'll go for that."

"Don't think your dad will approve of you missing his classes?" Zoey reasoned.

Gregor knew his Dad wasn't going to be the one to object but simply grunted a yes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gregor," Zoey said as she climbed down the ladder and headed home.

When Gregor felt he was ready, he followed Zoey's path down the ladder then walked through his own front door to talk with his parents.

"No!" his mother screamed at him when he finished asking his parents. "I already have enough to worry about with you going back there for a weekend let alone a week."

"Gregor," his father interrupted her, "do you mind giving your mother and me some time to talk about this?"

Gregor nodded and left to go upstairs.

"Talk? What's there to talk about, the answer is no!" He heard his mother yelling behind him as he walked up to his room.

Maggie's head popped out of her room as Gregor passed. "Is everything ok?" she asked rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah," Gregor told her, "you should get back to bed."

"Ok, goodnight Gregor," she said sleepily as she receded into her room closing the door behind her.

When Gregor got back to his room, he sank into his bed and started to work on his homework blocking out the sounds of yelling below him.

About a half hour later Gregor heard a knock on the staircase. "Come in" he called out.

"Hey, Gregor," his father said as he entered the room. "Your mother and I spoke and we've agreed that you can go with Zoey and her parents, on the grounds that you call every night before going to bed."

"How on Earth did you convince her" Gregor asked in amazement.

"We each have our own set of skills, boring lectures aren't my only gift." He smiled at Gregor.

"Thanks, Dad," Gregor smiled back.

"Anytime," he said, "Now get some sleep."

"Goodnight," Gregor said as he placed his homework on his desk and climbed under his blankets.

"Goodnight, Gregor," his father said as he left the room and turned out the lights.

Gregor closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep, but New York was still on his mind, which meant the Underland was still on his mind, which meant she was still on his mind. Four years, two months and twenty-two days, Gregor thought to himself. He wished he could go back to that final day again, if only for a few minutes.


Chapter 6 everyone. I'm really sorry at how boring this chapter is, i had a bit of writers block because i need to bridge some time to get to where i have the entire plot planned out. I'll get out Chapter 7 soon so not everyone will be angry with the lack of good writing in this one.

Thank you QueenOfRegalia for your help on my upcoming content, for those of you who haven't yet read her work i would highly recommend it.

-Ssi