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


Gregor was sitting on the couch mindlessly listening to the news that flickered on the TV. It had only been an hour since he had woken up but it was already fairly late in the evening. The sun had set and the only light in the apartment came from the city lights shining in through the windows. Mrs. Cormaci and Hazard had gone out to get some shopping done according to George, so he sat with Gregor in the quiet and ambient noise of the TV drifting through the room.

The bathroom door creaked open making a small scratching noise against the floor as Luxa entered the room. Her right arm was wrapped around her waist as she held her hand over the stitches. For one of the first times Luxa didn't look like royalty with one of her snotty expressions. She actually looked like an Overlander. The sweatpants were just a little big on her and she wore the hoodie backwards with her longer hair draped over her right shoulder. If it weren't for her translucent skin Gregor was sure she could pass as an Overlander.

George laughed as he saw Luxa enter the room, "Your shirt's on the wrong way," he said as he walked over to her, "How're your stitches?"

"Oh," Luxa blushed, "Uh, they sting but they are still in."

"Let me see," he said as he helped lift the bottom of her shirt up high enough to see the stitches. The edges of Luxa's wound were a vibrant red. "I'll get you some antibiotics or something before we cover it up again. Pull your arms in," George helped Luxa spin her hoodie around so it was on correctly.

"Anti-what?" Luxa asked.

George smiled, "just some medicine."

"How're you feeling?" Gregor asked as Luxa sat on the couch next to him and slouched into the cushions.

"Well, I do not quite envy your injuries from the Bane," Luxa coughed a bit as she fell deeper into the couch. Her eyes fell onto the TV for the first time as she began to take in her Overland surroundings. "How does that picture move?"

"It's a video, just a record of pictures and sounds put together," Gregor tried to explain as best as he could.

"But how do you trap them all in there?" She asked as she continued to squint at the screen.

At that question Gregor was stumped. He was no electrician or TV salesman. He understood that it took signals from towers to broadcast news and stuff but he didn't know the specifics. "Ugh well, it doesn't really trap anything it just shows things so you can watch stuff happening without actually being there…" Gregor's train of thought derailed and crashed into the mountain side as he realized he have no idea at all what he was talking about.

Luxa on the other hand didn't seem to have listened to Gregor's description at all, as she scanned the room. Her eyes were the only part of her face that Gregor could see any emotion in, and at the moment the only emotion he could see was that of overwhelming perplexity. When Gregor had first traveled to the Underland he was bewildered by the stone work and crafting that the humans there had achieved, but to him the Underland was still behind in the times. To Luxa almost everything that she could see was brand new to her. Everything was futuristic in a way that she had never known. Sure there were the relics scattered throughout the museum in the palace but this was different.

Gregor followed Luxa's eyes as they surveyed the colorful furniture, the laptop on the corner desk, the stove that could be seen through a crack in the door leading to the kitchen, she even slowed her gaze upon a laundry basket which was full of an assortment of oddly colored Overland clothes.

Gregor's phone, which lay on the tabletop next to the couch, buzzed and lit up to show that Kyle had texted him. Luxa's eyes brightened, reflecting the small light of the phone as she let out a nearly inaudible gasp, which she covered up with a small cough. Gregor grabbed his phone to read and answer the text.

"What is that made of?" Luxa asked as she sat up next to Gregor and tilted her head to get a better look.

"Um, multiple metals and wires I guess?" Gregor answered with a grin.

"What is wires?" Luxa continued her inquires.

Gregor laughed at the grammar which seemed to offend Luxa. "No, Luxa I'm not making fun of you, I swear, I was just thinking about the first time I was in the Underland."

Luxa looked up into Gregor's eyes with a questioning expression, "What of it?"

"I was in your position when I was first exploring the Underland, your reaction just makes me laugh cause it was exactly what I was thinking when I was first there."

"Oh," Luxa said as she looked back down at the changing colors on Gregor's phone.

George grunted and Gregor nearly jumped, having forgotten that he was still in the room. "Well I'm going to go grab those antibiotics before the stores close," he said as he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

"You know stores here stay open 24-7 right?" Gregor asked.

"Exactly, so I'm gonna go grab those meds before they close," George said as he gave Gregor a smirk before exiting the apartment leaving Gregor and Luxa alone.

Wow! Gregor though, what in the world was his uncle getting at now? Gregor wasn't sure why George left them alone when he could've easily waited for Mrs. Cormaci and Hazard to get home first. Whatever it was, Gregor knew that his uncle really seemed to work in mysterious ways.

"What does 24, 7, mean?" Luxa interrupted his thinking.

"Nothing, just an Overland expression," Gregor covered it up.

"I get the impression I shall be hearing more of those tonight before I return to the Underland," Luxa said.

Gregor's smile faded. "Tonight? Luxa you know you have to recover before you can go back."

"I am recovered, therefor I shall be returning to my people tomorrow," Luxa seemed uninterested in everything Overland once again.

"Luxa I know you want to go back but you can't yet. Please you still have to heal," Gregor pleaded with her.

"No, I am fit enough to return to the Underland," Luxa continued, "just as you are fit to return to your home."

"Seriously, Luxa. What is your problem with me? Ever since I got back you've been treating me like…" Gregor wasn't quite sure what word he was looking for. "like an outsider."

"And how else should I treat you?" Ouch! That hit Gregor where it hurt. "You are not an Underlander. You are an Overlander, your place is here. Not there."

The two old friends sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Gregor stood up slowly and walked over to turn off the TV.

"Gregor," Luxa started. "I did not mean-" Luxa was cut off as the door clicked and opened revealing Hazard and Mrs. Cormaci.

"Luxa!" Hazard cried out as he sprinted over to her and swung his arms around her neck.

"Hazard! Let her breathe," Mrs. Cormaci said as she closed the door behind her. "Gregor, could you be a darling and put these in the kitchen," she asked as Gregor moved over to take the groceries out of her hands.

Luxa stood up to better return a soft hug to Hazard only cringing in pain slightly. "You must be Mrs. Cormaci, my thanks to you is beyond measure, for taking in both Hazard and myself," Luxa stated as she gave a slight bow of her head.

Mrs. Cormaci smiled and responded, "Beautiful manners, more than once you sheltered Gregor and his entire family. For that I see no reason why I cannot share my home with you and yours. You are always welcome here."

Luxa gave a halfhearted smile, "You are far kinder than I."

"I must admit, you act much more proper than young Gregor had led me to believe, but I do now see what he sees in you," She answered with. Gregor who was listening from the kitchen blushed as he heard Mrs. Cormaci mention THAT.

"Any who, you must be absolutely famished," Mrs. Cormaci exclaimed. "We have plenty of food, It may not be up to the standards that you're used to but it's something."

Gregor exhaled heavily as his echolocation sketched out the scene in the other room. For a moment Gregor thought that he could see a smile on Luxa's face. A truly full smile.

"I am rather hungry yes, and I am sure that your cooking more than surpasses what I am costumed to," Luxa responded without dropping her proper tone. By the time Gregor peeked through the door, the smile had disappeared off of her face. Part of Gregor thought that just maybe he had imagined it.

"Well then," Mrs. Cormaci said, "We'll just have to find out, let's go see what all we can make."


There is Chapter 19 finally. The next couple chapters I'm not 100% sure about what I will do. I know where they will be leading up to, I'm just not sure about how I am going to get there. Vellac is currently even busier than myself so I haven't been able to talk with him much about my upcoming chapters. If you want to leave some suggestions feel free to. If anyone here plays Xbox One and would rather talk over suggestions on Live feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to give you my gamertag to talk over some ideas of what's coming and what I should have happen before it arrives. As always please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcomed.

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-Ssi