Chapter 1: A Step away from Death

Edmund knew this day couldn't get any worse. If it did, then Aslan must have something against him. Susan was home sick, and he had gone through so many tests that two plus two now equaled five. He was scared for his little sister, too. She seemed awful twitchy these days, and he didn't know why. He just hoped it wasn't something serious…

Before he could think anything else, he was drawn to a stop by a heavily set figure. The people around them in the train station didn't even notice.

"Get out of my way," the figure boomed. It looked ready to hurt him.

"Ed, just stay calm," Peter whispered. Edmund had forgotten his brother and sister were even next to him.

"Hello to you to, Simon," Edmund retorted. Lucy looked up at him, warning him with piercing blue eyes. He didn't look down.

"Get out of my way before I hurt you," Simon ordered.

"Alright." Edmund moved out of the way. He could feel Lucy shaking against him. Once Simon was gone, he turned to his sister.

"What's the matter, Lu?"

"He really scares me," she answered in a shaky voice.

"It's alright. He's never hurt you, and he never will."

"That's where you're wrong," she croaked before bursting into tears. Edmund pulled her into his chest. She was sobbing, soaking his shirt with salty, heavy tears. He didn't care. He now knew why she was acting strange, and he was going to be there for her.

"Where did he hurt you?"

Lucy looked at the ground, and then proceeded to pull up both of her sleeves. She pulled her blouse loose from her skirt and held it up. Both of her brothers gasped.

On her arms were large purple bruises, obviously from being hit. There wasn't an inch of skin to be seen. Around the waistline of her skirt there were bruises as well, along with several minor cuts. But it wasn't minor to Edmund or Peter.

"Oh Lucy," Edmund sighed, wrapping her in his arms, letting her cry as much as she needed. He was about to cry himself.

"H-h-he hurt Susan as well," she stuttered. Peter was going livid. His sisters were hurt, and Edmund was bearing it all. He had noticed Lucy acting strange, and he had warned him. But he hadn't paid any attention to it; he had said she was fine. But she wasn't.

He was pacing, running his fingers through his hair and looking up and down the station for any sign of Simon. Simon showed up just then, talking to one of the station guards. They were obviously friends, yet there was a tinge of stateliness about them. Peter walked over to him, fire blazing in his eyes.

"Oh, I've killed him!" Lucy cried. Edmund looked up.

"Come on Lu, I'm not going to let him hurt you," he said, taking her hand and leading her away from Simon and Peter. She was crying even harder.

~X~

It was one hour later. They were sitting on a bench, Edmund cradling Lucy in his lap, her sobs never quieting. Simon walked past and smiled smugly at them. Edmund wanted to jump up and kill him, but he had a greater feeling beating along with his heart: fear. Fear for his brother, fear that he would be dead, and fear for his sisters. They were both hurt, and he wanted to get revenge on Simon, but he couldn't do it alone. Maybe he and Peter could get one of their friends to help them. Everyone was against Simon. That was what friends were for, right? He was interrupted from his thoughts by the station guard walking up to him.

"Edmund and Lucy Pevensie?"

"Yes," Edmund answered. The fear pulsed through his veins. Oh god, please let Peter be okay.

"You need to come with me," the guard replied. He turned on his heels and walked away. The siblings rose from the bench, Lucy still crying, and Edmund using all of his will power to remain calm. It wasn't working very well. He had his arm around Lucy's shoulder, still being a source of comfort, but mainly to support himself. Lucy didn't need to see him lose control.

The guard led them out of the train station and outside, into the hustle and bustle of the streets in London. He walked down the sidewalk a bit then stopped and turned. He was facing a dark alley.

"There," he pointed. The two siblings could faintly see people. They started to walk towards them. With every step Edmund's fear grew, and with every step Lucy cried harder.

"Edmund, I'm scared."

"Just keep with me Lu, you'll be fine." One step later he wished he hadn't said those words. There was a group of people, maybe six, and one was kneeling down. They were standing around a body. Finally the two siblings were close enough to break through the people and see what happened.

Lucy screamed. There on the ground was Peter, his hair matted with blood, and a terrible gash across his forehead. His arms were bruised just like hers, and his face was painted into a grimace of pain. There were cuts across his soft cheeks. His trousers were ripped, and his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing bruises on his chest. Edmund couldn't breathe or move. Neither could Lucy. They were clinging to each other for support, trying to alter in their minds the picture of this incident that would remain forever.

Edmund let go of Lucy and sank to the alley floor, sobs ripping from his chest. His brother was going to die, the brother he looked up to, the brother he respected. Peter was going to leave him, leave him to tend to three women. Leave him the man of the house, a job he didn't deserve from past actions. He put his head in his hands, and sobbed his heart out for Peter. He deserved it.

Lucy knelt down and put a hand on her brother's shoulder. His head was in his hands, and he was sobbing his heart out. The people were staring at him.

"Edmund, are you all right?" No answer.

"Ed, speak to me!" He looked at Peter, and then at Lucy. His life flashed before his eyes.

Everything went black.

Part II

"Peter, are you all right?" Susan asked.

"No. I shouldn't have gone against Simon. I just ended up getting Ed stuck in the hospital."

"Peter," Lucy sighed. "You know he'll be fine. The doctor said he's just fainted. And you should be more worried about yourself!"

"She's right," Susan added, "Look at you, you have bandages all over! Ed's just asleep."

Peter slammed his fists down on the arm rests of the chair. "He's not just asleep!"

"Yes he is," Lucy said.

"Quiet, Lu!" Peter snapped. Lucy shrank back, and Susan held her close. They all looked at their brother, their eyes filled with sorrow. They desperately wanted him to wake up. They needed him to wake up.

Edmund was dreaming. It was a peaceful dream, filled with blue skies and green trees. He was in Narnia, and he was with Aslan. They were walking down a forest path, and the petals were floating in the air around them.

"Edmund," Aslan spoke. "You have experienced many troubles in the last few hours."

"I know, Aslan," he said. He felt sorrowful. How could he have gone through so much?

"I trust you are safe and well in the hands of Peter," Aslan said in his calm voice.

"Yes, Aslan."

"Good, for you must be very careful, Edmund. The ghosts of your past will come back, and you may not be able to defeat them."

"Aslan, I don't understand."

"You will, in time…"

The dream ended, and Edmund slowly opened his eyes. The dank hospital room was not welcoming at all. He snapped his eyes shut, and tried to roll over. The soreness jabbed at his spine, and he groaned from the pain. His siblings' heads shot up.

"Edmund!" someone shouted. He opened his eyes again.

"Hello Lucy," he breathed. She ran up giggling and hugged him. Susan placed a soft kiss on his forehead. He smiled at his sisters, ecstatic to see them. His smile was the one thing they all needed to see. His smile faded slowly. He looked to where Peter was sitting, still in his chair.

Peter's eyes had filled with tears at Edmund's waking. He wasn't sure if it was real. He had hoped a lot of things weren't real in the last few hours. But he studied himself, he studied his sisters, and he looked at his younger brother. It was all real. His brother, his little baby brother, was awake! At last…

He got up slowly and inched carefully towards his brother's bed. The eyes of his sisters bore holes in his back, but he didn't care. Edmund was awake.

He got to where he was looking straight into his brother's eyes. Those chocolate pools of wonder that had shown so many feelings, sadness, pain, happiness, and all of the time, they still kept their warmth. You could never look into his eyes and not feel warm. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He pulled Edmund up and engulfed him in an enormous embrace.

Edmund spilled the tears that had been held back for so long into his brother's shoulder. "I thought you were dead," he sobbed. His big eyes were hidden from view, the lids squeezed tightly shut.

"No, I'm right here. We're all safe. We're all fine," Peter said, pulling back from the hug and putting his hands on Edmund's shoulders. They shared a moment where they looked into each others eyes, and finally Edmund could stand it no longer.

"Thank god," he sobbed, pulling Peter back into the hug. This time, Lucy and Susan joined in. They shared a moment of peace and love, all huddled together like a family, smiles lighting up their faces.

"Sorry to invade on your little gathering," an all too familiar voice scoffed. Lucy and Susan cringed behind Peter, and Edmund sat helpless in his bed. Peter was closer to him, but he was still more vulnerable than the others.

"Get away from us," Peter ordered. "You are not welcome here." He sounded like a High King again. They all knew that's what he wanted to be now more than anything.

"I just wanted to apologize for this afternoon. I could've killed you," Simon said. He put his hands behind his back.

"You nearly did," Edmund retorted. His eyes were a mix of fear and anger, two completely opposite feelings. But put together, they were a hazardous whirlwind of temper, especially coming from Edmund.

"You know it wasn't my intention," Simon said. None of the siblings believed it, especially Edmund.

"Apology not accepted," Peter said angrily. "Now leave, before we have to fight again. You've hurt my whole family, and I will not let it happen again. Go."

Simon left the room, and all of the siblings breathed a sigh of relief. They were happy, and they were safe. That, right now, was all that mattered.