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

"I'm just not normal!" Gregor repeated slightly heated.

George exhaled as he recomposed himself, "the truth is, Gregor, no one is normal. Every human on- eh, and in this planet is their own individual. There is no perfectly normal person. We are all defined by what makes us different."

"You still don't understand. I don't belong in Virginia. I don't belong anywhere." Gregor said with a breath of finality that surprised even himself.

George was silent but leaned forward and pierced Gregor's eyes with his own as the seconds passed by.

"A place is nowhere to belong," he spoke softly.

"What?" Gregor asked, confused.

"A place is just a place. Nowhere inherently is somewhere to belong. It's the people that make places worth being... Or occasionally the lack of people that make a place great. My point, Gregor, as I've been trying to say, don't think about Virginia, don't think about the Underland, or the Overland. Think about who matters to you because that's where you belong. That is where you've always belonged," George continued in his soft voice.

"You mean, 'think about who matters most'" Gregor quipped grumpily.

"No, dammit," Georges voice finally raised in annoyance, "I mean who matters to you! This isn't a pick one or the other game, Gregor. This is your life. As much as your Mother would disagree, this is your life and cutting out someone you care about isn't the only solution one way or the other!"

"But if I go home..." Gregor gulped like a small child on the edge of tears. "I won't have any way to see or talk with... her. I just don't think I could do that again."

"Then don't"

Gregor's head shot up as he eyed George again, but more attentively.

"I can't stay either. I'd lose you and Maggie and Lizzie, and my parents," Gregor's heart ached.

"And why on Earth would you think that? What makes you think you wouldn't be able to still talk with us or visit. Or be visited by us?"

"I- We, I don't know... how?" Gregor felt his eye's water.

"I know it seems impossible, but those are questions to ask later. Right now I think you just need to come clean with yourself and think about what, or who, you want in your life. The rest are just hoops to think about later, not this second kid," George's warm smile somehow left Gregor feeling just as empty inside,"Anyway's just don't forget to head over to the party, if you're feeling up for it. I know your sisters and friends will be there. Not to mention a Queen that I know you're just dying to see." His eye's twinkled as he left and turned to exit the room.

Gregor wiped at his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "You can come in you know..."

Slowly and deliberately, Howard crept into view of the doorway, "I am sorry, I did not mean to intrude."

"How much did you hear?" Gregor asked.

"For how long did you know I was there?" Howard questioned back.

"Long enough," Gregor answered.

"Long enough," Howard repeated. The look on his face told Gregor that he wanted to say something, but then half turned away. Stopping, Howard spoke monotonously into the wall, not making eye contact. "You know that Luxa.." he breathed heavily, "and you-"

Gregor cut it off "I know, she's a Queen and I'm just an Overlander. It doesn't matter anyways, I don't think she feels the same way. Sometimes it feels like, maybe, and then others..."

Howard continued looking away, but his voice quivered slightly. "A couple of days after you came to the hospital, Luxa came to me. She begged me to do something that I would not have dared tried on an unknown patient, let alone you. It scared me how adamant she was by it. Once your uncle came down, she persisted in asking him to do it instead."

"Do what?" Gregor asked.

Swallowing a pained breath, Howard asked, "Can you imagine how I felt walking into a room to find my younger cousin screaming about wanting someone to cut her open to give you her blood?"

"It's not like that Howard," Gregor defended suddenly understanding, "that's not as uncommon in the Overland, George and I actually did that to save Luxa when her stitches broke," he spoke quickly.

"I know," Howard finally spun around to face Gregor. "They told me, but to hear her losing it like that was foreign to me. 'Give it back, give it all back' were her exact words I believe."

Both young men were silent for a few long moments.

When Howard spoke again, it was with a firmer, steadier voice. "Your uncle told her, no, of course. Something about type of blood only going one way. I digress, what I am trying to say is that Luxa loves you, Gregor. She has for years, and no one that matters down here gives a damn that you were born an Overlander."

"She's still Que-"

"Queen," Gregor was cut off. "Meaning she will create, or destroy, or change whatever laws or customs she deems necessary to."

Howard turned to leave. "For as long as I have known you, Gregor, you have been, and always will be, welcome among us."

Gregor hesitated before saying, "thank you" quietly. If it wasn't for Howard slowing his pace slightly for a moment, Gregor might have thought that he hadn't heard him.

Gregor wasn't sure what his plans were for his future and all of his thoughts felt like pressure building in his head. There were too many variables and not enough air to breath while trying to figure them out.

Everyone else had already left to go to the victory party. Gregor had said he'd try to come in a bit, but he didn't really feel like being around crowds. Not that here, alone, with only his thoughts were much better.

Making up his mind, Gregor swung his feet out of bed and put on his sandals and the sweater that his father had left for him in case he'd gotten cold. His entire body still ached in a sore manor, but it wasn't the same intense sting that he'd had the last few days.

Gregor slowly made his way to the lift that would bring him down out of the palace, apart from a couple people, including the lift operators, Gregor didn't run into anyone. As soon as Gregor stepped off of the lift and onto the stone ground a rush of wind chilled him as Iris landed gracefully beside him.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" She purred in a low voice.

"You know it would be faster to fly," Gregor smiled at her as she fluttered next to him until she was in step with him.

"Would you like to fly?" She asked.

"Not really, but if you wanted to get there sooner, you'd be welcome to" Gregor said only half hoping she would.

"Do you still not like flying without him?" Iris asked so humbly that Gregor hurt slightly.

"Yes," Gregor answered truthfully. "but that doesn't mean I don't like flying with you," he added moderately fast, "I just, think the walk might help me... think," he finished slowly.

"I understand," Iris confessed.

They walked in silence and Iris made no attempts to break him out of his thoughts, but remained by his side until they made it to the arena.

As they entered the open gates, the sound seemed to amplify as loud conversations and music erupted around them.

"Thank you," Gregor smiled at Iris, "You're a great friend."

Iris' mouth quivered, as though she was trying to replicate Gregor's expression, before bowing slightly and fluttering away to a group of bats on the far outskirts away from the music.

Gregor glanced around the Arena. Unsure how to feel as his eyes fell upon the sights. Maggie was huddled in a corner with Hazard chatting away in what Gregor could only guess was Crawler. Zoey and Kyle were trying to dance among the crowds of Underlanders unsuccessfully. George was talking with Howard and Duclet. When Gregor's eyes landed on his mother, she was already staring at him, she took a step in his direction before his father grabbed her arm and whispered something to her. As she turned around, Gregor's scan of the arena continued on to Lizzie and Ripred tapping the table in obvious code, even as they sat mere feet away from one another.

Gregor's eyes finally landed on her. Luxa was sitting off to the side a few tables away from Lizzie and Ripred. She smiled and nodded as people walked by her, but Gregor knew it wasn't a real smile. Luxa was wearing a stunning dark red, almost velvety dress that was in start contrast with her skin, but brilliantly complemented her eyes, which were dull and looking at the ground. Her head drooped to the side a little as she lazily picked at her nails.

It was at this moment that Gregor's migraine lifted, leaving his mind clear again. His answer was simple.

Luxa hadn't looked up as Gregor approached, but jumped slightly as he spoke.

"Would you be my partner for this dance?" Gregor smirked slightly as he held out his hand to her.

Hesitantly, Luxa asked, "I thought you could not dance?" She tried to shield her expression as Gregor could hear in the stiffness of her voice.

Gregor reached out the rest of the way and grabbed Luxa's hand out of her lap, "I hear this one is a simple dance. Apparently the words tell you exactly what to do. Now even I couldn't mess that up, could I?"

The tips of Luxa's mouth curved upwards slightly as she let Gregor put her into the center of the growing circle. The crowds separated as they moved, reforming behind them.

Gregor dropped Luxa's hand as they stood facing each other. As the music started Gregor bowed. Standing back up, he was looking into Luxa's eyes, which were no longer dull, but twinkling in the firelight.

"Join the dance and come be merry.

Take my hand and do not terry.

One, two, three steps up,

One, two, three steps back.

Turn around

Off the ground

And set down what you carry."

Gregor lifted Luxa from the ground and spun her a full 360 degree with only a slight stumble, placing her softly back onto the ground.

As everyone in the circle around them weaved between the others, Gregor kept his hands on Luxa's waist. She was smirking at him now. "I'm going to stay," Gregor told her loud enough for only her to hear.

The expression vanished from her face, and was left with shock as her hands dropped from his shoulders to his upper arms. "What?" She asked, surprised.

"I'm going to stay," Gregor repeated, but his last couple words were drowned out by the next verse as they started a second late.

"Join the dance and conquer sadness.

Take my hand and banish madness.

One, two, three steps up,

One, two, three steps back.

Turn around

Off the ground

And give yourself to gladness."

As Luxa landed back on the ground again she was smiling. Not her fake smile that Gregor had been starting to worry about, but a dazzling pure smile. Her eyes darted back and forth between his. "How?" She asked, looking as though she were suddenly dreading the answer.

"Don't know," Gregor thought with a smile, "and I don't care. I just know I'm sick of thinking about that rock blocking me from you."

"Join the dance and be lighthearted.

Take my hand lest we be parted.

One, two, three steps up,

One, two, three steps back.

Turn around

Off the ground

And finish what you started."

As Luxa landed for the third time, her cheeks were colored a light pink. Her smile was radiant and her eyes sparkled bright purple.

"I never stopped." Luxa said, sounding out of breath.

"Neither did I." Gregor smiled back at her.

The rest of the partners had finished their final bows as the music stopped. Gregor and Luxa hadn't noticed as they started back up again oblivious to the wild clapping around them. The music began again and tried to catch back up with them as everyone started to sing different stanzas at once.

Gregor went for a 720 degree spin this time and almost fell backwards, but Luxa steadied him as they were both now laughed. With a fire in her eye's that Gregor had sorely missed, Luxa leaned the rest of the way into him and kissed him quickly and softly on the lips.

Smiling at one another, the couple started their next impromptu verse as the music had finally caught up with them.

/ | . | | / . \ . . . \ . | / | . \ /. . .

I would like to start this final note with a thanks to those who have reached out and reviewed. Vengeous, Pyro159, Violettvalentine, FrostKing104, Calamity J, Regalia Queen, 123445, Clytuis, A Happy Reader, all of the many Guest reviews and anyone else that has reviewed without a mention. I appreciate all of you and if I could put a mention to the 300 reviews I would, but that would seem a bit excessive.

I know a few of you have reached out asking for a sequel already, but I hope after this chapter you all realize how I wanted it to end from the very beginning an why I want this to remain finished as is. Likewise I know a few have reached out to inquire about me working on any other Underland Chronicles Fanfiction, and for the time being that answer will also remain as a no.

I will say, that for a few months now, I have been working on a new Underland Chronicles Project. I can almost guarantee that any fan of the Underland Chronicles will appreciate the time that I have and will be putting into this project. For the time being I'm going to keep it fairly secluded, but I may ask for help on here down the line before finishing it as critiques.

As always please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcome.

Thank you,

-Ssi'ruuk