Disclaimer: I do not own HoA.

Warning-from now on this is in first person, in different POVs from each character from the house.

There was a knock on the door.

"Nina, do you have everything?"

"Yes, Fabian, I'm ready!" Zipping my blue bag, I swung my feet over the edge of my bed and jumped up. Turning the doorknob and opening the door, I smiled when I saw Fabian standing there waiting for me.

"Nina!" Leaning down, Fabian gave me a quick peck. I smiled even more. I love having Fabian as a boyfriend. "Come on, everyone's ready. Amber's getting impatient."

I nodded and followed him down the stairs where I saw all of Anubis house, and Mick, who had flown over for a visit.

"Jerome got Mara to come?" I asked. Fabian nodded. I glanced over where I saw Jerome and Mara talking. I smiled to myself. They would make a cute couple.

"Nina, did you pack your water bottle?" Amber walked over and asked me.

"Yes, Amber, I packed myself a water bottle and a few snacks. You?"

"Yep," Amber said, popping the 'p'. "I already asked everyone else, too, so we're ready to go." I nodded and Amber turned around to face everyone. "Okay!" Amber said loudly, "as you all know, we're going for a short hike. We will all stay together as a group, but I would like you all to have pairs. Let me see," Amber swept her gaze over us, "Fabian and Nina, Amber and Alfie, Patricia and Eddie, and…" Amber hesitated. "Jerome and Mara, Mick and Joy."

Everyone seemed fairly happy with their groups, especially Jerome, who seemed to close himself off when Mick walked over with Joy to talk to Mara. Mara seems to be involved with all the love triangles. Amber, Mara, and Mick were first, then Jerome, Mara, and Mick. Interesting. Now I sound like Amber!

"Alright," Amber had begun speaking again, "any questions?"

Mara raised her hand. Amber pointed. "Mara?"

"Er, yeah," Mara said, "what about Victor? Didn't he say we couldn't go?"

I glanced questioningly at Amber, and so did Fabian. I wasn't told this!

"Yes," Amber replied, "but we'll only be out an hour at the most," Amber turned away. "Any other questions?"

Silence.

"None? Good! Okay, everyone, get with your partner, and everyone file out the door."

"Wait!" I couldn't help but shout. A new question had just entered my mind. "What about Trudy? Does she know we're doing this?"

"No," Amber said. "Remember, Trudy's off to the store. If she was here, I would've asked her, not Victor. Okay, no more questions, then? Good. Everyone, march!"

Amber was the one that led the way out of Anubis House, with the rest of us trailing behind her. I didn't mind. In the midst of it, Fabian had somehow managed to grab my hand.

When we were all outside, Amber pointed us in the direction of the woods and began to walk again. We all obediently followed, but a little more loosely.

"Fabian," Amber called back, "you have the guide, right?"

"Um, yeah," Letting go of my hand, he reached into a satchel he had looped over his shoulder. Fabian hastily pulled out a paper map. I managed to catch some lines on the parchment before Fabian pulled it away. "Keep going north, Amber."

In two minutes we had entered the woods. I glanced around. Eddie and Patricia were laughing together about something, and Amber was talking to Alfie. Mara looked more at ease, just as I felt, and she was talking to Jerome. Mick looked slightly jealous, but his attention was turned away as he was taken into a conversation by Joy. I glanced to my right, and noticed Fabian was looking at me. When he saw I had noticed, he blushed and looked away. I laughed slightly and reached over to take his hand, entwining my fingers with his.

"So," Fabian said after a moment, "enjoying your hike?"

I laughed, and Fabian looked slightly flustered. He was such a geek, but he was my geek.

"Yeah," I smiled. "You?"

"Very."

There was a pause.

"So, Nina," Fabian began, "I was thinking. After this whole hike business is over, how about a date? Say, six o' clock?"

If possible, my smile widened even more.

"I'd love too, Fabian."

Fabian, for some reason, looked relieved. What did he think? I was going to refuse or something? But my thoughts were interrupted as Amber yelled back again.

"Fabian! Re-check the map, please!"

"Okay, Amber!" Fabian yelled back.

"Gosh, Amber," I heard Patricia say, "It's only been fifteen minutes."

Has it really been that long? Time passes quickly, I guess, when you're hiking in the woods.

"You're talking a lot today," Patricia continued, "is everything all right? Oh, wait, I forgot. Of course it is-this is normal."

"Be quiet, Patricia," I heard Amber huff. "So, Fabian? Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Fabian called back. I furrowed my brow. There was a slight hike in his voice-he was nervous. What was wrong?

"Good," Amber yelled. Then she went back to talking with Alfie, and everything returned to normal. Or, as normal as it can get for our house.

"Fabian," I asked softly, "is everything alright?"

Fabian's face turned slightly pink, and when he spoke his voice was still a little high. "What? Oh, yeah, everything's fine."

I blinked at him. "Fabian…"

"Nina," Fabian interrupted, "if something was wrong, I'd tell you. Okay?"

"Okay," I agreed reluctantly. Was that a sigh of relief I just heard?

We walked in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes, and I continued to get more and more curious. Fabian kept looking around and checking the map-why? And why was Fabian slowly getting paler as we went on?

"Fabian?"

"Huh?" Fabian squeaked. Squeaked?

"Fabian," I said sternly, "something's not right. Are you going to tell me?"

Fabian bit his lip and looked down at the map. I followed his gaze, checking the map then looking around us. I looked back at the map-Fabian was tracing a path with his finger, then abruptly stopping and retracing again. Why-?

Suddenly my eyes widened. Of course!

"Fabian," I swallowed and glanced at him, "where are we?"

He gave me a lost look that, for me, explained everything.

"I don't know, Nina. I don't know."

I don't know, did I do Nina well? Anyway, from now on, I'm going to try to make Author Notes scarce, except for the disclaimer at the beginning. Just warning you!

Here's an activity for you-read this chapter aloud in a british accent, or, if you're british, american. ^.^ I don't know, it's a bit fun.

~D