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 paced back and forth through the kitchen. The lights in the city began popping on, one at a time, as the sun set in the distance. Kyle and Zoey had left around a half hour ago, which had Gregor back on one thought.

"The moment they get home, Mom and Dad will know!" Gregor exclaimed.

"Hun, your parents know that you're with George though. They wont come all the way out here, they'll call him before anything else at least, right?" Mrs. Cormaci tried to comfort him.

"Yeah but they still think we're on our way home, the best we can do is stall them. The moment they realize we've been bunking down with you they'll be here in a New York minute," Gregor explained his thought process. "And even if Kyle and Zoey cover for us, there is absolutely no way that Zoey's parents will."

"Gregor," his old neighbor started, "you know that whatever you do at this point in time wont stop you from getting in a world of trouble with them?"

"I don't care about getting in trouble, I care about them coming here and physically pulling me away from her." Gregor grunted deeply.

"Gregor, if you feel so strongly about this then there's nothing they can do to stop you." Mrs. Cormaci said, simply.

"But what if-" Gregor started before getting cut off.

"No, no 'what if's, Gregor, everything will be fine, once you and Luxa are through the grate I'll bar it and lock it just like we planned. Just enough space for a note, no way in. Your parents know that the other entrance is over the waterway and there's no way they'd risk jumping down there." She responded.

"And what if Luxa isn't strong enough yet to return?" Gregor pleaded for his own assurance.

"That young lady is many things. Strong is probably at the top of the list. Besides, she'll have you. And we both know that you wont let anything happen to her." Gregor's neighbor answered his plead, and before he could respond she continued. "Now go clean up and wake up your girlfriend before dinner is ready." Mrs. Cormaci said with finality.

"She's not-" Gregor started.

"Hush," She cut him off again and motioned for him to get a move on. "Quickly before it all gets cold, make sure George and Hazard pause their scrabble game to come eat too."

Gregor wanted to finish his thoughts but he knew nothing he could say would trick her. As Gregor walked to the bathroom he swung the door open to the guest room and gave a quiet 'dinner's ready' shout to his uncle and Hazard.

Entering the bathroom Gregor turned on the faucet and ran warm water over his hands. After washing them thoroughly and drying them off, Gregor turned off the sink.

That's when he heard it. At first he thought it was the rusty sink squeaking, but then he heard it again. A small squeak. Gregor followed the noise to the wall and pressed his ear against the base of the mirror over the sink.

The squeaking stopped. There was silence for a moment longer before Gregor could hear the scampering of claws against the wood and drywall. After a few moments of quiet, Gregor assumed that whatever was in the wall was gone, or at least for now. Gregor remembered the mice and rats throughout the apartment building when he had lived here but something was off with this.

Now Gregor was sure of it. They were being watched. He didn't want to scare the others in the apartment, meaning this was another event that he would have to keep secret from them… from her.

If Luxa knew that rats were spying on them, Gregor knew she might just lose it.

Turning around, Gregor exited the bathroom and walked over to the couch. Luxa lay sprawled out on the sofa with one arm hiding her face and the other holding a pillow over her stomach.

"Luxa," Gregor said softly. Reaching out, he laid his hand out on her forearm. When he touched her, he could feel the shiver go throughout her whole body as she shifted into consciousness. Luxa uncovered her face as she stretched out her other arm and blinked sleepily.

"Gregor," she responded as she looked around the room, "where did your friends go?"

"They needed to head home, how are you feeling?" Gregor asked, hopeful that soon they could return to the Underland before he needed to deal with his parents.

"I am fine Gregor, I promi-" Luxa started as she stretched just far enough for her injuries to remind her that she was anything other than fine. Her hand shot reflexively to her stitches as she winced in pain.

Gregor's hand was already on top of hers, "Are you ok?" He asked with worry.

Luxa looked slightly annoyed but took a deep breath trying her hardest to look 100% "I promise, Gregor. It is not nearly as bad as it was," she looked back at Gregor, who knew Luxa far too well to know she still wasn't being completely honest with him. Granted, at the moment he wasn't being too honest with her at the moment either.

Gregor and Luxa looked up as Hazard and George came out of the guest room.

"You two really need to get a motel," George joked towards his nephew.

Gregor blushed as Luxa gave him a questioning look, "What is this motel?"

"It's nothing," he said quickly before turning the conversation around on his uncle. "So did Hazard beat you again?"

"Oh yeah, he has the most amazing vocabulary of any kid his age that I've ever met," George said with a grin.

"That's Hazard for you," Gregor continued, "Hazard just as a knack for languages. He has for as long as I've known him."

Mrs. Cormaci entered the room looking a tad bit annoyed. "Dinner is getting cold, quit your yammering and come get something to eat!"

Gregor smirked at Luxa, "Come on, let's go before she really gets mad." Gregor said as he helped her to her feet.

...

"It is so big," Luxa said simply as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It is just so..." She faltered, lost for words.

"I know," Gregor looked at her face as she took in the scenery.

After dinner, the residents of the small apartment had gathered around the TV to watch an old rerun of Star Trek episodes that Mrs. Cormaci had decided upon. Once Luxa had calmed down over the imprisonment of small people in the glass box and learned that it was merely a lot of pictures being put together, she began examining every little thing about the show and the commercials.

Gregor knew that she couldn't understand most of the jargon that the show used, but he could tell that every bit of information she took in about the Overland both scared her and amazed her. Most of the night ended up being Hazard explaining that the show was all made up and not at all real. But once everyone else had drifted off to sleep, Luxa pleaded with Gregor to show her.

And so Luxa and Gregor stood on top of the apartment building looking up into the sky. There were next to no clouds in the sky, but the lights from the city streaked above their heads making star gazing next to impossible. But that didn't matter to Luxa.

The last time Luxa had touched the outside air in the Overland had been when Gregor had left after the War of Time. At that point in time Luxa wasn't really focusing on the sky.

"It is just so big, Gregor," Luxa repeated, still at a loss for words.

"You said that," Gregor stated matter of factly.

Luxa tightened her arms and leaned into Gregor, "Does it not make you feel so small?"

"Every time I look at it I feel small, Luxa." He said, putting an arm around her as she shivered in the cool air staring almost blankly upward. "Sometimes it's good to take a step back and just... feel smaller for a moment or two." He said, thinking about his roof in Virgina, wishing he could show that sky to Luxa. Without the city lights blocking out the stars.

"Gregor, what if when I return it is too late? What if Vellac has taken over? What if I am not strong enough to hold my people together?" Luxa asked, her voice steady.

"I've known you for a long time, Luxa. I've seen you face things that would destroy most. And I've also seen you bring together groups that no one would've thought possible to bring together," He spoke from the heart. "You are the strongest person I know. And if anyone can keep Regalia together, it's you."

"Thank you, Gregor," Luxa's voice quivered only slightly as she turned and wrapped her arms around Gregor's waist.

"It's only the truth," Gregor smiled as he returned her hug and rested his chin on top of Luxa's silvery blond hair.

"Not just for that." She said, inhaling sharply.

"For what?" He asked.

"Everything," She whispered so quietly that he could barely hear her.

Gregor wanted to respond with something, anything. But he was at a loss of words. So instead he tilted his head down and pressed his lips against Luxa's forehead softly. Gregor had no words. He felt… small.


I hope you enjoy the chapter. As always please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcome.

-Ssi