"Are you sure you're eighteen?" the intake officer asked, looking up at Edmund skeptically.

"Why? Do I look older?" Edmund said with complete seriousness.

The officer held out his hand, and Edmund handed him his National Registration Identity Card. The officer was not amused when he saw the name inside. "Alberta Scrubb?"

"That's a typographical error. It's supposed to be Albert A. Scrubb."

"Edmund."

Edmund spun around at the sound of his name. He found Lucy and his girlfriend standing near the entrance with bags and boxes in their hands.

"You're supposed to be helping Eva and I with the groceries," Lucy said.

The two men in line behind Edmund started laughing. "Better luck next time, eh, squirt?" one of them laughed as he rubbed Edmund's head.

Eva smiled pitifully at him and took his hand as they left the building.

"Squirt?" Edmund furiously demanded as they exited. "He barely had two years on me! I'm a king. I've fought wars and I've led armies."

"Not in this world," Lucy told him as they loaded up the groceries into the baskets on their bicycles.

"Yeah, instead I'm stuck here, doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb. If anyone so deserved a name."

Lucy looked over, and then slowly tucked her hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing?" Edmund asked.

Lucy quickly turned to Eva and Edmund. "Nothing. Come on then."

Eva turned to where Lucy had been looking and saw a beautiful young woman talking with a soldier. Eva smiled a little. Lucy was at that age where she was trying to become like the young women they saw every day. And now the young girl desired to have a boyfriend like she did.

It had been nearly two years since they had all been in Narnia. Peter and Elaine had since gone back to stay with the Professor. Peter was studying with him while Elaine worked to help the war effort. Susan had gone with their parents to America to start making a name for herself and become a young woman in society. Meanwhile, Lucy and Edmund were living with their aunt and uncle and cousin for the time being. Eva had moved into a house nearby that was taking in children who were away from home, but she was over at their house more than she was at her own. Her and Edmund's relationship was still going strong even after all the time that had passed. She had since learned of every single detail that had happened on their adventure to Narnia the first time, and to be honest, it still weirded her out that Edmund had lived to be in his mid-20's already, yet he was only sixteen now.

"I'm home!" Lucy called as she stepped inside with Edmund and Eva behind her.

The Scrubbs' maid quickly came to the door. "Welcome back, Lucy. Edmund."

"Hello, Elizabeth," Edmund greeted.

Elizabeth looked at Eva. "Hello, again, miss."

"Elizabeth," Eva smiled. "How many times must I tell you that you can call me Eva?"

The 20-year-old woman smiled shyly as she took all of their coats. "My apologies. I shall try to remember next time."

"Hello, Uncle Harold," Lucy greeted as she went to the kitchen. "I tried to find some carrots, but all they had were turnips again. Shall Elizabeth and I start making soup? Aunt Alberta's on her way home." Her uncle never put down his newspaper as he just coughed in response. "Uncle Harold?"

Edmund looked at his uncle in disgust and stuck his tongue out at him, which made Elizabeth and Eva smile.

"Father," Eustace said from the steps. "Edmund's making faces at you." Eustace shot a spitball at Edmund's neck.

"Why, you little…!" Edmund growled as he ran to Eustace.

"Father, he's going to hit me!"

"Edmund, look!" Lucy exclaimed before Edmund could hurt Eustace. She held up two letters. "They're from Susan and Elaine!"

Edmund, Eva, and Lucy went up to Lucy's room to read the letters. Elizabeth went into the kitchen and began to make some supper for everyone.

Lucy excitedly opened Elaine's letter first, addressed to all three of them. "'Peter and I send our best wishes. We miss you all dearly just as much as we miss Narnia. Peter is studying very hard with the Professor. I'm very proud of him. I'm working with other women to help the soldiers fighting in the war. We've almost earned enough money to buy the house we've been looking at. Now that we're both eighteen, we've decided to make our marriage legal, and we can finally call ourselves husband and wife in public. We told both of our parents and they were all surprised, but they were certainly thrilled. Especially my mother. She told me my father would be happy about our decision. If only they all knew how complicated the whole situation really was. You must come visit us when you can. We want so much to see you again. We hope everything is alright over there. You are constantly in our thoughts. All our love, Peter and Elaine Pevensie'."

"It's about time they can get married here," Eva remarked. "I know they've been looking forward to that for a long time. Read Susan's now!"

Lucy opened Susan's letter. "'I do wish you were here with us. It's been such an adventure. But nothing like our times in Narnia. America is very exciting. Except we never see father. He works so very hard. I was invited to the British Consul's tea party this week by a naval officer, who happens to be very handsome. I think he fancies me. It seems the Germans have made the crossing difficult right now. Times are hard. Mother hopes you both won't mind another few months in Cambridge'." Lucy looked up in horror. "Another few months? How will we survive?"

"You're lucky," Edmund said as he sat down on the bed next to her. "At least you've got your own room. I'm stuck with 'Mullet Mouth'."

Lucy sighed and went over to the mirror. "Susan, Peter, and Elaine are the lucky ones. Off on adventures."

"Yeah, they're the oldest, and we're the youngest. We don't matter as much."

"We'll get there," Eva said. "Besides, look on the bright side. At least we get to go back to Narnia someday."

Lucy tucked her hair behind her ear again. "Do you think I look anything like Susan?"

Eva smiled warmly. "I think you look like Lucy Pevensie, which is just how it should be."

Edmund stood up from the bed and went over to the painting on the wall. "Lucy, Eva, have you seen this ship before?"

"Yes," Lucy smiled. "It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Just another reminder that we're here and not there."

"There once were three orphans who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes," Eustace said as he stepped into the room.

"Please let me hit him," Edmund said, taking a step forward.

"No!" Lucy said as she and Eva pulled him back.

"I will have you know, Eustace, that all of our parents are alive and well," Eva said sharply.

"Yes, but they all dumped you off here, didn't they?"

"For our own safety, and you know it."

"Don't you ever knock?" Edmund demanded.

Eustace came into the room and sat on Lucy's bed. "It's my house. I'll do as I please. You're just guests."

Elizabeth knocked on the door and stepped inside.

"Ugh, any more people in here and the floor will collapse," Eustace grumbled.

Elizabeth ignored his comment and looked to Lucy and Edmund. "I just wanted to ask what you wanted for supper. I'm making some salad right now, but I thought I would try my best to make everyone happy this evening."

"With your cooking, you won't make anyone happy."

Eva resisted the urge to punch Eustace in the face. Elizabeth was the sweetest woman she had ever met, and she didn't deserve such harsh treatment from the boy. He was always running her completely ragged and constantly teasing her while she worked. On multiple occasions, Edmund had defended her while Eva looked on with pride.

"What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous."

"You won't see it from the other side of the door," Edmund replied, keeping his eyes on the painting.

"Edmund, Eva, it looks like the water is actually moving," Lucy said dreamily.

"What rubbish, see?" Eustace put in. "That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours."

"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless," Edmund said, mimicking the way Eustace had rhymed earlier. Lucy and Eva smiled, and Elizabeth hid her own smile.

"People who read fairy tales are always a sort that become a hideous burden to people like me, who read books with real information."

Edmund spun around furiously. "'Hideous burden'? I haven't seen you lift a finger since we've been here." Eustace tried to get out the door, but Edmund quickly shut it. Elizabeth started to protest but stopped knowing that she shouldn't speak up to someone who was technically in charge of her. "I have a right mind to tell your father it was you who stole Aunt Alberta's sweets."

"Liar!"

"Oh, really?"

"Edmund, Eva, the painting!" Lucy said.

Eva looked at the painting and saw water trickling out of the frame as the ship started moving! "Edmund, you really need to see this!"

But Edmund just continued to go at it with Eustace. "I found them under your bed. And you know what? I licked every one of them!"

"Ugh! I'm infected with you!"

Suddenly, water began pouring from the frame as the ship in the painting sailed even closer to them.

"What's going on here?" Eustace asked frantically.

"Lucy, Eva do you think…" Edmund started.

Edmund, Eva, and Lucy smiled broadly at one another. There could only be one reason why this was happening.