Disclaimer: I do not own the Pevensies, Narnian characters, or Narnia. They are property of C.S. Lewis.

Author's note: The quotes below are from my other story, 'By Will Alone'.

"We'll always be there for each other."

"And if one of us should get lost, the others will help them."

Peter often noticed when there was discord among his family. He was usually the first to notice it, perhaps because he was always, though unconsciously, looking for any signs of trouble. It was in his nature to do so.

The issue at hand was Susan. Susan had, actually, been drifting away from them for a long while, but Peter hadn't had the chance to really confront her about it. There had been other problems to deal with. Now that they were dealt with, however, Peter really wanted to move on to his sister and her problems. At the moment, however, Susan was not home. Peter decided that, since this was bothering him so much, he would consult his two younger siblings. Between the three of them, they were bound to come up with a way to deal with their sister.

Peter found Lucy in the kitchen and told her, "I'm having a family meeting. Tell Edmund and meet me in my room in five minutes."

"Family meeting?" Lucy asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine," Peter said. "And I should say sibling meeting, since our parents won't be involved in this." Lucy nodded, and Peter left for his room so that he might gather his thoughts.

A few moments later his two younger siblings entered the room. Edmund sat on his own bed and Lucy sat on Peter's, and before Peter could open his mouth Edmund said, "It's about Susan."

Lucy looked at Peter, who was feeling quite startled at having been found out, and then said, "Well, then I'm glad. I haven't known how to bring it up."

"It doesn't matter," Peter said. "We've been quite otherwise occupied these past few months-" and here Edmund gave his siblings a small, slightly uncomfortable grin, "-and as a result this whole issue with Susan hasn't been given much thought. That hasn't stopped me, and you two as well, I'm sure, from noticing certain things. For instance, she's referred to Narnia as a game."

"I can't believe she said that," Lucy interrupted, looking suddenly angry. "How can anyone think Narnia a game once they've been there? I know she wasn't comfortable talking about Narnia before, but I never knew she thought of it as a game."

"That isn't possible," Edmund said suddenly. "She can't actually, truly believe that Narnia was a game. She's just…in denial, I think. Perhaps she's upset that we can't go back."

"That's a bit understandable," Peter said slowly, "but we all can't go back, and we don't have such hard feelings about it."

"Or maybe," Lucy said, somewhat miserably, "She really does think it to be childish and really wants to forget it, so that she can be more grown-up."

"That's terrible," Peter muttered, although he didn't think it was outside the realm of possibilities.

"We did promise we'd help each other in the event that one of us needed help," Edmund reminded them. "I say that Susan needs help."

"I second that opinion," Peter agreed. "I won't stop trying until Susan realizes that this whole thing about Narnia being a game is very silly."

"I'll help you with that," Edmund said. "After all, Narnia is simply not something limited to when we were children. We grew up there!"

"I will, as well," Lucy joined in. "All I want is my sister back, the one who was a Gentle Queen of Narnia. It seems there's less and less of her around these days. She's been replaced by someone who only cares for parties and make-up and boyfriends…"

"You have no idea how many times I've wished I've had my sword around her boyfriends," Peter muttered.

Edmund laughed. "You have no idea how many times I've wished I've had a sword in general."

"You boys and your swords," Lucy laughed. Peter took his pillow and hit her with it.

"Oh, and I'm sure you don't miss your cordial?" he said with a wry smile.

Lucy took the second pillow that was on the bed and wacked Peter with it. "I do! But my cordial is more useful then your swords."

"I'd beg to differ," Edmund said, lunging into the fray with a pillow of his own, somehow managing to hit both Peter and Lucy and receiving a flurry of blows in return.

This pillow fight might have gone on for quite awhile. Everyone was laughing and no one seemed to want it to end. It was one of those moments where, for a while, the three siblings weren't thinking of anything but how much fun they were having, and the happiness reminded them of Narnia. Yet, remembering exactly what had led to them being together in the first place, Lucy suddenly pulled away and lamented, "I'm sure Susan wishes she has her horn with her."

Peter let the words sink in and he and Edmund stopped their fight abruptly, and turned to look at Lucy.

"Wished," Edmund said quietly. Peter turned to him in confusion and he clarified, "If she really thinks Narnia is a game, she's not going to wish for her horn anymore."

"Unless she does in secret," Lucy said, and suddenly her face lit up. "Oh, I hope she does! Because if she still wishes, that means that a part of her still believes in Narnia, and perhaps we'll be able to get her to open up!" She smiled and stood up. "I'm sure if we can talk to her we can get her to stop being so angry that we left Narnia, and then she'll be the Susan I knew." With that sentiment, Lucy left the room.

"It won't be that easy," Edmund said, his face solemn. "It's never that easy."

"You never know," Peter said hesitantly. "Lucy could be right."

"Lucy could be right," Edmund repeated. He frowned and twisted the edge of his pillow in his hands. "Or she could be wrong. Susan…can be stubborn. We're all a bit stubborn, you know. And…it has to be hard to think Narnia is a game. Which means that it has to be doubly hard to believe in it again." He sighed. "This is going to be hard. I just don't want Lucy to get hurt. I miss Susan, too."

"We all do," Peter agreed, sighing and standing up. "We'll just have to do our best. We promised each other." Edmund nodded in agreement, and although Peter hated to admit it, he knew his younger brother was right. It wasn't going to be easy. Not for them, and not for Susan. He wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but he knew it was necessary.

He could only hope that Susan eventually saw the truth.