AN: My first time writing a fanfiction as a result of running out of space in my head to document my stories. This story does not strictly adhere to any of the Narnia plotlines, movie or literature version. It's just a result of the rebirth of my Suspian ship and I had to immortalise it somewhere.

I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia, etc.

It was like falling in slow motion. She saw the sky, the beautiful strokes of white against a light blue canvas, and then she hit the water.

Despite the bright sun, the water was bone-chillingly cold and the impact sent daggers of pain shooting to her head. Her lungs burned and her clothes had already begun to weigh her down. She fumbled with the buttons of the coat she wore, the beautiful pale blue coat she bought with her first paycheck from the school, and let it fall.

Quickly, she swam to the surface, inhaling quick breaths when she broke through the icy water. Somewhere to her right, she began to discern her name being called, with great urgency, among the loud ringing in her ears. Turning her head frantically, she spotted Lucy bobbing in the water, waving her arms. Edmund and Peter were nowhere to be seen. She can't swim, Susan thought agitatedly. She can't swim and the current's too strong.

'Lucy! I'm coming!' She shouted hoarsely. She'd swallowed a great mouthful of seawater when she first fell in and her head now swam with nausea. Her throat stung with thirst but she pushed herself to swim towards Lucy, cursing her heavy dress along the way.

'Take my hand!' she yelled and Lucy clutched her hand fiercely. Susan tilted her head towards the shore and pulled Lucy with her. The sandy shore was so close, so close that she could afford to stand up and walk. Susan relinquished her hold on Lucy and pushed herself up when suddenly, she was yanked on her back and into the water. Lucy's horrified screams were quickly drowned by the echo in the water.

Something must have caught on my dress, Susan thought logically. It's not a creature that wants to kill me. She yanked the hem of her dress but it was too weighed down and she could feel her body weakening from the effort. Her throat closed up and she puffed one last breath before she closed her eyes.

'Lucy!'

Lucy whirled around in shock when she heard Peter call her name. From the woods surrounding the shore, Peter came crashing out, followed closely behind by Edmund and a group of soldiers. She tensed, wondering if she should run or if these men were allies.

'Lucy!' Peter was upon her before she could act and he gripped her shoulders, shaking her forcefully. 'Lucy! Where's Susan?'

Edmund stopped beside him, bending down to catch his breath. Behind him, one of the soldiers stepped closer towards them while the others maintained a respectful distance. Her eyes narrowed when she recognized the dark hair, the tanned skin and those strangely beautiful eyes.

'Caspian?' she whispered.

The man looked up and smiled. It was indeed Caspian, only he had aged as much as they had. The boy she had fought with those years ago had grown to be a strong man and a powerful king. How marvelous it will be when Susan sees him like this, Lucy thought excitedly. The thought of Susan finally had her turning her attention to Peter.

'Peter! Susan!'

'Where is she?' Edmund demanded.

'She saved me and she was pulling me to the shore, but something yanked her back into the water!' Lucy was on the verge of tears. 'I tried to go in after her but-'

'No, Lu. You can't.' Peter gripped her when Lucy made a weak attempt to crawl into the water. He turned towards Caspian. 'The waters lead to River Rush, doesn't it?'

Caspian nodded. 'My ship is anchored on the other side. We can search for her from there.'

Caspian stared into the water as if he could see right through it. The waters were moody today. The color had changed into a magnificent dark blue. He saw the beauty of the sparkling water but his mind conjured images of Susan's lifeless body floating among that bed of sapphires. His hands closed into fists.

He recalled seeing the two figures lying facedown on the shore. Their clothes were wet and foreign. Caspian had already drawn his sword when Peter raised his head weakly. He had frowned and stared at Caspian before murmuring, 'Ed, get up. It's Caspian.'

They had been trampling through the woods when they heard Lucy's scream. He did not know who ran first, him or the two brothers. As he ran towards the shore, he could only hear her name mentioned over and over again in his head.

Let her live, Aslan, he begged. Do not be so cruel as to deny me my love when she has finally returned to me.

Suddenly, his eyes caught an odd shape resting against a boulder in the water. Water crashed against the boulder and the shape floated lazily, in danger of being pushed away from the boulder to be swept down the treacherous current.

He narrowed his eyes. It can't be. Limp, dark hair floating in the water, pale skin.

'Peter! Edmund! Lucy!' he roared at the top of his lungs. They clattered across the deck towards him and he pointed to the motionless figure. 'Anchor the ship,' he ordered his men brusquely.

'I'll go get her,' Peter volunteered, already shedding his jacket to swim.

'No.' Caspian rested his hand on his shoulder. 'Let me. You need to rest.'

'I'm fine-'

'Please,' Caspian murmured, hoping the High King understood the look in his eyes.

Peter nodded, stepping back. 'Be careful. The currents are too fast.'

Caspian nodded and lowered himself down. He had divested himself of his heavy chainmail and his sword. The light tunic was easier to swim in and he swam slowly, sticking close to boulders to avoid being swept away. He was so close now, so close to her, and she looked so pale.

Please, Aslan, he begged. Please let her live.

Gently, he caught her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her towards the bank. He laid her down on the sand and tenderly swept her wet hair away from her face. There was a bloody gash on her temple and he felt his chest constrict with pain. His fingers pressed against the pulse at her throat and he felt the weak thrumming against his skin. Exhaling in relief, he sank onto his knees beside and pushed his hands against her chest, forcefully expelling any salt water she might have swallowed.

'Come on, Susan,' he whispered desperately after his first fee attempts failed. 'Come on, my love. You can't leave me, not again.' Sweat beaded his brow and his arms ached from the strained motions.

Suddenly, Susan twitched and pushed away from him before violently retching in the sand. She tried to push herself up to her feet but the effort proved too much for her and she collapsed. Caspian caught her quickly and gazed down into her eyes that were fluttering shut.

'Caspian?' She whispered before she went limp in his arms.

Let me know what you guys think!