Ok, this came to me one night when I couldn't sleep. It's pretty much a oneshot. Hope you like it!

Lillie's Peppermint Bear

Peter pulled onto the highway and headed toward our house. I scanned my boxes of stuff piled in the back seat, making sure I hadn't left anything behind in my small apartment.

"Peter!" I yelled.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed, as he slammed on the brakes.

"I left something back in my apartment. Turn around."

"Are you sure it's that important? We're already fifteen minutes down the road," He asked, reluctant to turn around.

"Yes, I'm sure!" I insisted.

"All right then," He relented, turning the car around and heading back toward my apartment.

We arrived at the tall, brown building fifteen minutes later and I dashed out of the car, up the stairs and into my apartment. I hurriedly scanned the bare shelves for the item I had left behind. Aha! There it was, partially shoved behind an empty box. I tenderly cradled a small, pink and white-striped rag-tag teddy bear in my arms.

Why was this small, battered bear so important to come back and get? Here is the story behind this lovable teddy bear…

Two Years Earlier

Brring! Brrring! The telephone rang, causing me to get up from my comfortable position and my book on the couch.

"Hello, this is Susan Pevensie speaking. May I ask who's calling?" I answered, half wishing it was a wrong number so that I could hang up and get back to my book.

"Susan? This is Mrs. Hartley. I'm just calling to let you know that I don't need you to babysit tonight. Lillie hasn't been feeling well lately, so I'm going to stay home."

My face fell. I had to admit I was disappointed. Lillie Hartley was my favorite child to babysit for. She was sweet, fun, and the most adorable three-year old in the world.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to babysitting her tonight. Please tell her I hope she feels better soon," I replied.

"I will. I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear from "her Susie". I'll make sure to call you when she's better. Ok?"

"All right. Well, I'd better let you go. I've got a class in thirty minutes."

"Okay. Goodbye, dear." Mrs. Hartley hung up.

I hung up the phone and sat down on my soft, squishy couch to put some books into my book bag. "I hope Lillie's all right," I thought as I grabbed my book bag and my coat and left my small apartment, heading towards my geometry class at Oxford.

When I finally arrived back at my apartment after a long lecture on geometry, it was late and I was ready to go to bed. I walked into my small but cozy bedroom and pulled on some pajamas. Then I headed to my extremely small bathroom and brushed my teeth and hair. Once finished, I proceeded to tumble into bed for a deep, dreamless sleep.

Beep, beep, beep. My alarm woke me up. I glanced at the clock to find it was eleven o'clock! I jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, and rushed out the door. If I hurried I would be able to catch my eleven-thirty English class. I made it with only a few seconds to spare before the professor strode in and began the lecture.

After that class I went home to eat. I was starving! It was three o'clock and I hadn't eaten all day. While I was eating, the telephone rang. Maybe it was Mrs. Hartley calling about Lillie! In all my busyness I had forgotten all about her.

"Hello, this is Susan speaking."

"Susan? Lillie and I just got back from the doctor's office." Mrs. Hartley said shakily.

I frowned. It almost sounded as if she had been crying! I gripped the phone tightly, causing my knuckles to turn white, and asked, fear in my voice, "What's wrong? Why have you been crying?"

"Oh, Susan! We just found out that Lillie has leukemia. It was discovered so late that the doctors aren't sure if they can do anything, but they're going to try. I'm packing her bags to take her to the hospital right now." After saying this, Mrs. Hartley burst out sobbing.

Tears dripped down my cheeks. How could this happen to someone as angelic as Lillie, the three-year-old little girl I loved?

"I'm so sorry… Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, my voice wobbling like a baby elephant's.

"No, just come and visit her tomorrow. I'm sure Lil would love that. You're like a big sister to her, you know."

"I know. She's like a little sister to me. I'll make sure to visit her every day."

With that, we said our goodbyes and hung up. I sank onto the couch and cried my eyes out. When I finally stopped, I ate an early supper, then took a nice, warm bath and went to bed early. I fell into a restless sleep, anxious for this nightmarish Friday night to be over.

The next morning I got up, ate, went to the library to study some, and then made a beeline for the hospital. I went in, cringing at the sterile smells of ammonia.

I walked up to the desk and asked which room Lillie Hartley was in. The nurse directed me to the pediatric ward where Lillie's room was, #266. I went straight there, stopping only to pick up a pink balloon with a little pink bunny tied to the end at the gift shop.

Once at her room, I knocked softly on the door. As I waited for an answer, I noticed with a smile, a pink sign with butterflies on it that said Lillie's Room. When no one answered, I cautiously opened the door and stepped into the cheery children's room. It was pink, purple, mint green, and yellow with butterflies dotting the walls.

When I saw Lillie, I was aghast. Where had my beloved Lillie gone? Instead of her normally rosy cheeks, they were thin, pale, and tear-streaked. Her chocolate brown curls were mussed and her big blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears on the verge of spilling over.

I rushed to her side. "Oh sweetie what's wrong? Are you scared or hurting?" I asked, concerned.

"Nwo. I mwiss my Bebbertint Pear," She blubbered.

I was bewildered. What was a Bebbertint Pear? Then it dawned on me.

"Oh, do you mean your Peppermint Bear?"

I knew all about Lillie's Peppermint Bear. She had had it ever since she was a baby. It was a pink and white-striped teddy bear that she dearly loved. She didn't go anywhere without it.

I looked around the room for it. I didn't see it anywhere.

"Where is your Peppermint Bear?"

"At home. Mummy forgwot it. Oh, Swusie. What am I gwonna do? I cwan't bear to be wifout my Pweppermint Bear!" She cried; her face the very picture of sadness.

"Don't worry Lil. I'll run to your home and get you your Peppermint Bear right now." I said decidedly, heading towards the door.

"Oh, thwank you Swusie! I wuve you!" She squealed, clapping her chubby hands together.

"I love you too Lil!" I called, heading down the hall.

I quickly drove over to Lillie's house and let myself in. No one was home. I went straight up to Lillie's room and looked for her beloved, ragtag bear. I finally found it under some pillows and ran downstairs and into my car.

I arrived at the hospital and raced to her room. Lillie's face lit up when I walked in, cradling her bear.

"Oh ,thwank you, thwank you, thwank you!" She cried as she hugged her Peppermint Bear tightly to her chest.

I stayed and talked with her for a while but left when I noticed she was being quieter and she started looking pale. I hugged her tenderly and then, promising to come back the next day, left.

On the way out I notified a nurse of how Lillie had looked when I had left her.

The nurse sighed and then said, "The poor little thing. I'm afraid she won't last much longer."

"And what would make you think that?" I demanded, perturbed at the nurse.

"That's what happens to little kids that age when the cancer has been there as long as it has with Lillie." The nurse replied, seemingly unaffected by my agitated words.

I walked away, not wanting to hear anymore. Surely Lillie would last longer than a few days right? I mean, she had just gone into the hospital yesterday.

I rose the next day and went directly to the hospital. Upon arriving in Lillie's room however, she wasn't there. Just then Mrs. Hartley walked into the room.

"Oh, Susan! She's gone!"

I stared at her for a moment, stunned.

"Gone?" I whispered, hardly believing what I had just heard.

"Yes, she passed away early this morning. Before she went, she said to tell you that she loved you."

When she finished, we collapsed into each other's arms, sobbing.

When we had finished crying, Mrs. Hartley told me she had to go. I started to leave when the nurse I had talked to the day before, walked in.

"You're Susie, right?" She asked.

"Yes. What do you want?" I questioned.

"Lillie asked me to give this to you after she passed away. I wrote the note for her." The nurse handed me a package with a note attached. Then she left.

What could this be? I wondered as I walked out to my car and got in. Trembling, I slowly opened the note. It read:

Dear Susie,

You are my bestest friend in the world along with Peppermint Bear. So, when I go to be with Jesus and the angels, I think you and Peppermint Bear need to be together. Peppermint Bear told me so. Please don't miss me, Susie. I'm going to be with Jesus. I love you so much!

Love, Lillie

Tears streamed down my face. What a sweet, dear little girl!

I slowly opened the package and there, sitting in the box was Lillie's Peppermint Bear. I hugged it tightly. "Oh, Lillie! I love you!"

So that's the story behind the little peppermint-striped bear I almost left behind.

THE END

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