Truth, Remembrance, Love - for amine_eyes

[nfe-gremlin.livejournal.com]

Title: Truth, Remembrance, Love
Author: crescent_gaia
Recipient: amine_eyes
Rating: PGish
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: It is set after The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, so a bit spoilerish for the movie.
Summary: Set a month after being back from Narnia, chaos happens, and then Susan and Edmund have a nice talk.


Truth, Remembrance, Love

The four Pevensie children had been back a month and it had done nothing but rain. They had all been getting on each other nerves, for the most part, but Susan was trying to rise above it. She did that in hiding in her room with the door shut and a chair against it to stop anyone from coming in. She was there on a Monday, with both of the parents out, when there was a loud crash from downstairs. It was followed by Lucy's screams, which was the only thing that got her up and down the stairs in a flash. "Lucy?!" She asked as she came to a stop in the kitchen, looking at a few broken glasses and a white mouse looking up at Lucy curiously.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said. "I was putting away dishes and it just came up on me and…sorry."

"You need to be more careful," Susan said. "I'll get the broom, you get the mouse."

"Deal," Lucy said. She was able to quickly get the mouse into her palm before Susan came back with the broom to clean up. "It's a very tame mouse."

"Maybe it got out of someone's house," Susan replied as she cleaned up the broken glass. "You didn't cut, did you?"

"No, I'm fine," Lucy said. "I'm surprised that you were the one to come down. Peter and Ed are home."

"…They are?" Susan asked as she felt the blood drain from her face. "How tame is that mouse?"

"Very," Peter said as he rested against the door frame. "Sorry, Lucy. It was really just a way to get Susan out of her room."

"For what purpose?" Susan asked as she looked at her older brother.

"You spend way too much time alone?" Peter offered.

"It's a pretty mouse," Lucy said. "What's it's name?"

"Him. And I haven't named him yet," Peter said. "You could."

"Reep," Lucy said with a smile.

"Lucy, while I’m happy that you have a new friend, where's Edmund?" Susan asked.

"You are far too depressing," Edmund said as he appeared, holding Susan's journal.

"Give that back!" Susan said as she dropped the broom and lunged for Edmund. She cursed mentally as he got out of her reach and she chased him out into the gardens. It was a rare bright day and she had to stop and squint. She covered her eyes before taking off again, following him to a tree in their yard where a swing hung from it. "You will get down here with that!" She yelled up at the tree.

"Why would I want to do that?" Edmund asked. "You write way too much about Caspian in this."

"And your journal would be all full about your fantasies with the White Witch!" Susan yelled and then sighed. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did," Edmund said as he looked down at her. He threw the journal down to her, which she caught easily.

"Ed, I really didn't mean it," Susan said as she sat down on the swing.

"Lying never really suited you," he said as he settled into the tree. "You tell the truth a lot better."

She sighed as she swung back and forth a bit. "Well, fine. But you can't help who you love."

"Is that why your journal is full of his name and the dreams you have?" He asked.

"Yes," she said. "If that's the only way I can remember him, then that's the way I'll do so." She paused in her swinging. "Mother and father want me to put away the dreams though."

"You don't have to listen to them," he said.

"Now who is lying?" She asked as she looked up at him.

"You don't," he said.

"And where would I go, Ed? I can't go back to where I want - you heard Aslan. Plus, he's probably moved on and I'm just being silly. No - mother and father are right. It is time to put away dreams and get onto living in the here and now," she said.

"Peter's talking about going back to study with the Professor," he said.

"Peter's allowed to do what he wants to because he's who he is," she said. "He's the first born and male. If I was in his shoes, I would be going back to the Professor to study as well."

"I can't believe you're just giving up," he said.

"What else could I do, Ed? Tell me! Tell me something else I could do and I'll do it," she said and sniffled, wiping tears away. "I don't want to grow up. I always thought it would be an adventure. That it would be interesting and that I could go onto college. But I'm supposed to fit into this mould and be the one to help the family with marrying well. That's not a life. That's nothing."

He came down from his place in the tree and gave her a hug as the sound of thunder was heard in the distance. "We should go in," he said.

She nodded a yes and gave the journal back to him. "Mother asked me to check the fence. Take it back in for me?"

"You don't have to when there's another storm coming," he pointed out but took the journal anyways. "I’m sorry. About this morning and fooling Lucy."

"Apology accepted," she said as she sent him back inside.

"Is Susan coming?" Lucy asked as Edmund got to the door. Her eyes widened. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Peter asked as he came to the door.

"A horn," Lucy said.

"You're just hopeful," Ed said as he looked back to Susan. "Susan!" He yelled as the downpour started. Susan was running back to the house, stopping by the tree just for a moment. In that moment, lighting struck the tree in two as half of it fell on her.

"Susan!" Lucy screamed as she ran out to the tree. Edmund stood there in shock as Peter followed her. He looked back over to the tree before gently putting the journal down on the counter. When he got to the tree, he helped Peter move the heavy tree to find an arrow with a message tied around it.

"That's one of her arrows," Edmund said quietly as Peter picked it up. "Read it, Peter."

Dear Friends - I am sorry to take your sister like I did. There was no going on without her so it was agreed that I could bring her back if she agreed to it. I do not know if she was telling you about her dreams, but that was the only way that we could communicate. She says that she will miss all of you but knows that she will see you again. I hope that is to be true. I do hope that you will forgive me but I know, truthfully, that this is the way that our lives are to be.

Your friend, always,
Caspian X

P.S. - Lucy, all of my dresses and anything else you want is yours. Please take care of Reep and make sure that Peter and Ed help you. Thank you for always believing for all of us. To Peter - thank you for being the older brother that I always needed. Ed, remember that the truth is always better to tell and thank you for doing what you did today. I love all of you and tell mother and father - tell them that I love them and that I am in a much better place.

Love always, Susan.

"It was a horn," Lucy said quietly.

"You are always right when it comes to Narnia," Edmund said.

The three Pevensie children went back into the house. Peter made sure that the rest of the mess was cleaned up in the kitchen before they got Reep back into the cage. "What are we going to tell them?" Peter asked after a long silence.

"That she ran to her heart's desire," Edmund answered.

"That's poetic," Lucy said.

"No," Edmund said. "It's simply the truth."


Original Prompt that we sent you:
What I want: Edmund, Susan, Mrs Pevensie, Aravis, Cor (any of the above! :) )
Prompt words/objects/quotes/whatever: telling the truth, growing up is an adventure, dresses, disguises, (any of the above :) )