Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Lazy Town. They belong to their respective company of the same name. I am just borrowing the characters for this fan fiction. I only own Readsmore and Lidenbrock, but the name of the latter is somewhat inspired by Jules Verne's character from Journey to the Center of the Earth. Just what this has to do with Sportacus you'll see if you read the story.

Behind the Crystal

Chapter 3

By Trynia Merin

Her words proved prophetic. For when they stopped at Stephanie's home, she was whisked in by Miss Busybody and the Mayor and invited. Of course she insisted on a change of clothes first and returned soon with Stephanie ushering her in. Soon she sat around the small wooden table neatly set and grabbed the plate of stew as it passed. It dawned on her it was the second time today she had just let things happen instead of retreating to the quiet of her solitary new home. Never mind that she had two cats that were elegant company. Nevertheless, it DID feel a bit quiet and empty without children or someone to share it with.

"I met the town hero," said Gretchen Lidenbrock. "He's from Iceland."

"You can tell that quickly?" Mayor Meanswell asked, clearly impressed.

"The accent's a dead giveaway," said Gretchen with a chuckle.

"She HAS traveled a lot," said Bessie with a slight hint of annoyance to the Mayor, who had assumed nobody would notice such a fact so easily or readily.

"At first I thought he was from Norway or Sweden," Stephanie admitted.

"Well it's not as if we have many people from Iceland visiting Lazytown but him," said Mayor Meanswell a bit shyly.

"I take it you're familiar with what someone from Iceland sounds like?" Bessie said politely.

"Considering I'd lived there for a time," she said.

"When was this?" Stephanie asked. "How long?"

"There are fascinating rock formations and volcanoes in Iceland, that's why. My mother and father were both geologists, and took us children along on their trips. So, I've been many places around the world. I guess I carried on the family tradition of science when I became a schoolteacher," she said.

"So those rocks you collected were they from your growing up?" asked Stephanie.

"Some yes, others were ones that I picked up on trips I've taken more recently," said Gretchen, sipping on a glass of lemonade.

"Your name sounds German, but oddly familiar," Mayor Meanswell commented, after swallowing a mouthful of beef stew.

Bessie dabbed her face demurely with a napkin, and turned to look at the science teacher. "Well Colleen Readsmore did send me your references and I do recall knowing a Professor Otto, was he your father?"

"Yes. Named after his great granduncle, who was also a famous geologist nearly a hundred years ago," said Gretchen. "And I was named after my great grandmother. Who married my great grandfather Axel in Germany all those years ago."

"You mean you're descended from that professor who…" Bessie blinked at her.

"You mean the one that claimed he'd gone to the center of the earth?" asked the Mayor with wide eyes.

"You mean he actually existed?" Stephanie blinked. "But I thought it was just a work of fiction!"

"He did exist. But it's not something we talk about to just anyone," Gretchen said softly, a look of embarrassment on her face. "That's the problem with having such a name, considering that it links you to some rather interesting tidbits of history."

"There WAS a professor Otto Von Lidenbrock, whose exploits were recorded in the book by Jules Verne. He was so proud of himself he didn't want his name changed," Gretchen chuckled. "I think that's why my father was named after his ancestor. He was just as stubborn and devoted to geology. I think rock hunting is in my blood."

"But whether or not he reached the center of the earth was in dispute. I suppose that's why the family was more comfortable assuming it was just a fanciful invention by Mister Jules Verne?" Bessie guessed.

"You have it. Oddly enough, my granduncle Heinrich was known for another reason, but it had nothing to do with finding the center of the world. If you know about the hero who protects Glacierville in my native Germany…"

"Lucky Lidenbrock, the hero known for being so in tune with nature he can divert an avalanche with his singing alone?" Mayor Meanswell blinked.

"The very one. He went to the same hero academy as Captain Nimrod, the hero that I knew growing up in my hometown. And no doubt the same place where Mr. Sportacus ten got his hero education," Gretchen said.

"Heroes go to a training school?" Stephanie blinked.

"Well, yes. Number 9 said that he had. But they don't mention it much. Except to those they know most. But since you are such good friends with Sportacus I see no harm in speaking of it openly, Miss Lidenbrock. I assumed that's why you're so candid with your history," said Mayor Meanswelle.

"Yes. I wouldn't blab about this to just anyone, you know. Most Mayors DO know their town heroes well enough," said Gretchen with a chuckle.

"Wow, I wonder what Sportacus was like in school. I mean I knew he's from Iceland but I assumed he learned to be a hero there…"

"All heroes go to an Academy before they receive their assignment. I only know so much because of my uncle being one," she admitted.

That evening she sat on the front porch of her house, staring up at the stars. Distant sounds of children playing reached her ears, and she heard a faint whirring. A soft puff of air breathed on her face and she wrapped the robe more firmly around her. Setting down the mug of decaffeinated coffee, she glanced up.

"Darn, I forgot to give him his shoes back," she mumbled. Remembering the mailbox, she rushed into her house to find pen and paper. Soon she scribbled a note, and stuffed it into a small tube. Fitting it into the launching unit, she then pulled the lever back.

A few minutes later she was walking back to her house. From overhead, something landed with a thump causing her to yelp. She turned to face his dark shape in the lights of the moon and streetlamps overhead beaming on the street.

"It's a bit late for a lady to be out at this time?" came an accented voice. "I got your mail…."

"Sorry to disturb you, but I thought you'd want your shoes back," she said, handing them to him.

"Oh that's not necessary," he chuckled. "Consider them a gift…."

"A gift?"

"A welcome to town gift?" Sportacus asked. "It's rather chilly out. Would you allow me to walk you home?"

"That's not necessary, but thank you anyway," she said. His arm extended in the dark, and she slipped her wrist through it. Her own voice had a slight German accent to it, which tended to get thicker when she was upset or extremely happy.

"A hero can't just let a woman walk back in the dark unescorted," he teased. "Especially when it's dark out."

"I'm sure if I tripped and fell that badge of yours would go off," she giggled lightly. "It's not far. I can make it the rest of the way."

"It's no trouble," he insisted, waving his hand through the dark. "You could have kept the shoes…."

"It's not every day somebody gets me a present," she said.

"You live near Stephanie then?" Sportacus said with a hint of amusement. "That's why I saw you two walking home together…."

"You were watching us? I thought you had some great emergency that needed doing," she teased back.

"I watch everyone in Lazy town. That's part of being a hero…"

"I'm just giving you a hard time," she interrupted. "Really it's nice to know that someone's watching over you, keeping you safe. Although there must be some other place you're needed more?"

"No I don't think so. Stephanie wrote that there was a problem in Lazytown and I was sent," Sportacus disagreed. They reached the front porch of her home, the light from a single lamp shining rectangles of gold onto the street.

"Here I am. Thanks for walking me back. Can I offer you something in return?"

"That's not necessary, it's not a problem," he said.

"Well since you gave me the shoes the least I can do is invite you in and let you have some hot chocolate or tea or something," she said.

"Is it sugar free?" he asked.

"Its no trouble," she said, leading him up the stairs. "Just wait here and I'll go make you some. It's so nice out that I often like to drink something hot before I settle in… for the night."

She didn't expect him to be there when she emerged from her home. Yet Sportacus was there waiting, finishing a round of pushups on the wooden floor of her porch. At the sound of the screen door tapping behind her, he leapt up to his feet. "Ah, thank you!" he said, accepting the mug she handed him.

"Just can't sit still can you?" she said, lowering herself to sit in the small chair she had next to a table. One of the cats brushed past her ankles as she indicated the second chair where he could sit.

"Oh no I'm quite fine standing, I hope that's all right. I don't mean to be rude, but it's hard for me to sit still for any length of time," he insisted, his body still brimming with energy. He took a sip of the beverage after she tasted hers, then nodded with a smile.

"Why am I not surprised," she asked, as he finally leaned against the wall of the house, and glanced down at her with crossed legs.

"This is quite good! Nutrasweet or Splenda?" he asked.

"The former. A health nut like you wouldn't have anything else, unless it was honey," she said.

"Well it does depend," he trailed off. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. I realize I must have been a bit… pushy earlier but the thought of anyone NOT exercising does come under my hero's code to do something about…"

"It was for a good cause. Considering your name and persona," she chuckled. "I don't mind. I wouldn't expect you to be any other way."

"Ah good. I do forget myself sometimes… especially around people who aren't from Lazytown… and aren't familiar with my mission to…"

"It's all right. Don't worry. If it were Intellectual City you know that the hero there would insist everyone read a book instead of watching TV," she laughed.

"Mmm, speaking of, how is your uncle doing?" Sportacus asked.

She almost spat out the drink she swallowed. She coughed and Sportacus rushed over to pat her on the back hard. "What?"

"Oh I'm sorry… I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, I'm fine. Just a surprise. So you know him?" she asked.

"Another classmate. A little ahead of me. You seemed so comfortable using the mail tube I assumed you were familiar with heroes. Not everyone would so quickly know how to contact me."

"Stephanie could have told me, or the Mayor could have," she said.

"But you knew about my badge. And as I recall you've only just moved here," he pointed out, handing her a napkin and helping her to dab away the stain on her robe. "And there's the matter of your name."

"Oh? Well I assume not all the heroes knew all of their classmates at the academy," she answered.

"He did speak about having family that visited Iceland on trips," he admitted. "And he and I were in a few classes together."

"Which ones?"

"Heroic gestures 101, and Posturing," Sportacus said, his face partly muffled by the cup as he took another sip.

"He, well I haven't seen him for a while. As far as I know what he's written he's still the Hero in Glacierville in southern Germany," said Gretchen with a smile.

"Its not often I meet someone who knows... about the Academy. But as a hero we're trained to put pieces together," he said.

"Even if you're a physical powers based hero?"

"Well just because I train my body doesn't mean I don't train my mind you know," Sportacus said with a hint of hurt in his voice. "I MAY not be like Super Cerebellum or Captain Know it all… but I do try to exercise my mind. And you can't learn properly if you don't get enough…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she interrupted him. Her hand rested on his to get his attention. "I just guess I valued book knowledge over physical prowess. I'm not exactly the world class athlete. Not everyone can cartwheel their way through life."

"Well, I did my best to keep your uncle from being picked on. Even if he was an upperclassman," Sportacus admitted. "And he DID help me pass Crime Scene 231… the class where a hero…"

"Learns to determine the villain's plot, yes," she completed.

"Sports heroes still have to learn as much as mental heroes," he snorted. Still she could tell she had hit a nerve with Sportacus 10.

"Sportacus I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. Honestly," she blurted out. She realized that her hand still rested on his, and she felt the need to slip her fingers around his and give it a squeeze.

"I know, it's just that you are a schoolteacher and reading and such are so important… and that you said you didn't excercize I assumed you had something against sports," he rambled, his accent thickening.

"It's okay. Really," she said. Sportacus let his hand remain in hers, and relaxed. He actually had stopped his nervous fidgeting and sat down next to her on the open chair.

"I know, I guess we BOTH jumped to conclusions," he chuckled awkwardly. "I admit the only person I ever can talk about being a hero to is Stephanie… and suddenly you're here… someone who knows about… the association! And something about where I'm from."

"By association," she added. "It's just funny that you got assigned to a town here instead of Iceland or something."

"Well not many towns there need heroes," Sportacus said quietly. "If you know about the Association they send us where we're needed or asked for. And Number 9 said the position was open so I took it."

As they were talking, Sportacus caught hold of her wrist and looked down at her watch. "It's almost eight already!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, liking the strength of his fingers.

"I have to go. Heroes need to get a good night's sleep!" he said, gently pulling his hand from hers. "I don't mean to be rude but I've got to get going before 8:08!"

She saw him fumbling with pushing his cap back even though it didn't need adjusting. Standing up next to him she took his mug and gave him a smile. "It's all right. I'll let you go. Can't hold up the town hero!"

"It was very nice getting to know you, Miss Lidenbrock… I mean Gretchen. Perhaps you'll be playing basketball or something else with the rest of us soon?"

"With sneakers on," she nodded. "And looking forward to it!"

He took her outstretched hand, shook it, and then raised it to his hand to give it a slight kiss. She chuckled and shook her head. "Well I see you must have gotten an A in Chivalry."

"A B plus," he said with an equally pleasant smile as he released her hand. Stepping back he waved, then shouted, "Ladder!"

Something dropped, gleaming briefly in the light of the street lamp. She saw from the swinging horizontal struts it was a rope ladder. Climbing easily up it, he gave one last wave before he had made it up halfway. She saw the airship circle a bit and drift lazily on towards its position around the town hall. Picking up both mugs she entered the house and closed the door behind her.

She didn't realize the slender figure watching from behind the bushes.