Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the characters (big disappointed sigh)
Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who alerted this story, made it a favourite or reviewed it. I really appreciate it. I will try and update every other day but I have lots of work and finding time is always a challenge. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think. The good, the bad and the awful. Thanks again – JKE
Chapter 2 – Long time no see!Caspian's P.O.V
I had never wanted to harm the king of old more than I did in that moment. When I saw the figures thrashing around in the middle of the ocean, I knew that it was them, I don't know how but I always seem to get this feeling whenever Lucy is near. I didn't even think about it when I jumped off the boat and into the water, of course Drinian sent to men in after – like that would have made any difference anyway.
When I had grabbed her around the waist to help support her in the water and she realised it was me I felt that warmth flood into me again, a warmth that I had only felt in very dull notes since Lucy and her siblings had left Narnia three years ago. I had missed her so much, everything about her, her smile but more than anything else I had missed her serenity and gentleness, they may have called Queen Susan the gentle one of the four monarchs but Lucy certainly was as well. I also dearly missed the fact that Lucy seemed to know exactly what to do whenever I felt lonely, angry or upset, most of the time I didn't even have to tell her I was she just seemed to know.
So when I looked into her eyes I couldn't quite hide the love I felt for her from my eyes. She looked back at me with such happiness and love that I knew that it was only going to be a second before we were holding onto each other for dear life, but then I couldn't see Lucy anymore just Edmund filling my line of vision.
As accidental as it was I still had to fight to keep the now forced smile on my face. Edmund clapped me on the shoulder rather hard and moved to stand on the left hand side of me facing Lucy and the crew. Giving me my previous view of Lucy once more, I smiled at her reassuringly noticing that she suddenly blushed when I look at her again as if I had caught her doing something that she shouldn't be.
"It's good to see you again old friend" Edmund said to me, seeming to instantly regain his royal composure now that he was back in Narnia again, even if he was soaking wet.
"Yes," Lucy said cheekily grinning at me with her tongue slightly poking out between her teeth, "Long time no see!"
"You are right; it has been much too long." As I said this I reached forward and put my arm around Lucy's waist once more pulling her so that she was tucked into my right hand side. I smiled down at her loving as she quickly diverted her gaze as I noticed a slight blush rising up her cheeks.
I turned, with a puzzled expression on my face at Lucy's odd behaviour, towards the crew members very patiently waiting for an explanation as to whom these new arrivals on our ship were. "I would like to introduce you all to King Edmund the Just and Queen Lucy the Valiant, King and Queen of Narnia!" I announced loudly, noticing with amusement the growing astonishment on the crews faces with every word I said. As I turned toward Drinian I could not help but laugh at the disbelieving expression on his face.
"Hello everyone." Lucy said confidently towards the still motionless crew, that was until suddenly a very small figure pushed through the men in front of him to speak with the young Queen. "Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed happily as she recognised the small figure walking towards us as the noble if not small knight of Narnia.
"Your Majesties," Reep, said with a low bow, "It is an honour to be in your presence once more after all this time."
"Yes, it is lovely to see you, we have missed you so!" Lucy said hurriedly, glad for a distraction from the still staring crew.
I couldn't help but notice how the small mouse turned his head as a slight pink hue came upon his cheeks. "Let us get you both some dry garment before you both become ill, and I suspect that you are hungry?" I said questioningly to the former Monarchs. Edmund had just opened his mouth to reply when a girlish shriek captured all of our attention.
I turned as did Edmund and Lucy to see a small, very wet, sandy haired boy yelling at a crew member who has tried to place a blanket over his shoulders.
"Get off me you beast! Take me home this instant or I will tell mother! This is kidnap. Find me a British Consul!"
"A what?" I leaned over and whispered into Lucy's ear, she turned her head slightly in my direction and tried desperately to stifle her giggles, I couldn't help but grin at her as she laughed.
"Calm down Boy." A crew member said walking forward toward the boy. It just so happened that this particular crew member was a rather large minotaur, wearing full battle armour and carrying two very large swords. The small boy took one look at him and fell to the deck with a thump, completely unconscious.
"Does he belong to you?" I asked Edmund and Lucy, still not quite sure about what had just happened.
"No, no idea. I have never seen him before in my life; you should just throw him back." Edmund said quickly still glaring disapprovingly at the boy on the deck a few feet away.
"No, Edmund!" Lucy said admonishing Edmund for the statement he had made before turning to me and saying quickly "That is our cousin Eustace, he was in the room with us when we were pulled back into Narnia and he must have got sucked in as well."
"Very well then," I said grinning at the look of absolute disgust on Edmund's face as he looked at his unconscious cousin, "let's get you all below deck, I shall ask a crew member to take care of your cousin and let him rest for the night in one of the hammocks in the crew's cabin. We shall have to get you both some dry garments and I am assuming that you are both hungry?"
Lucy had just opened her mouth to reply when Edmund suddenly said "Famished! We got brought here just before lunch"
"Very well" I said, and called over two crew members I asked them both too fetch the Eustace boy and have him cleaned up and put to bed, and then for them to bring some food to the study area. They nodded obediently before going about the tasks which I had set for them.
Turning back to Lucy and Edmund I said quickly, "Now let's go below." I let Edmund go down the steps first before following and taking Lucy's hand to help her down. We continued walking down the hall until we got to my cabin, it was only then that I realised that I was still holding Lucy's hand. I looked down briefly at are entwined fingers and couldn't help but marvel at the way they seemed to fit so perfectly together.
"This is my cabin, well it shall be your cabin for the remainder of our journey Lucy as the only other sleeping area is that of the crew and they are all men, which I do not think would be entirely appropriate." Lucy looked as if she was going to protest but I squeezed her hand and gave her a look which told her that it wasn't going to do any good. I then turned to Edmund and said "I will get you some clean, dry clothes from here and show you where the crew sleeps and then Lucy I will come back and see if I can find some clothing that will fit you."
Lucy smiled and nodded at me and my heart gave a little flutter in my chest, I briefly wondered why my heart seemed to be pounding harder than usual, but I put it down to the fact that my best friend was back and that I didn't have to miss her anymore.
I walked quickly into my cabin and retrieved two sets of clothing from the draws for Edmund and myself. I gently pushed Lucy into the cabin.
"Make yourself at home and get acquainted with the placing of things in the room, as it is to be your quarters for our expedition." I said to her letting my gaze linger on her face for maybe a second too long before I quickly averted my gaze and headed out of the room shutting the door behind me.
I walked Edmund to the crew's quarters in companionable silence, when we got to the cabin we found unused hammocks and changed into our dry clothes.
"As soon as you are ready, make your way to the far door at the end of the corridor and go straight in, inside you should find food, I shall just go and find Lucy some clothes then I shall be straight in to join you. Then I can explain the purpose of our voyage." I explained possibly sounding a little too eager to go and get Lucy, but Edmund either didn't notice or decided it would be best to leave the matter be.
"Yes of course see you soon." He replied whilst walking over to the far end of the cabin where he had just found his still sleeping cousin.
I hurried out of the crew's cabin and made my way to my/Lucy's cabin. I knocked gently on the door and before I could even take my hand fully away the door was flung open. I was nearly knocked over by the force of which Lucy came flying at me full pelt. She had seen that the corridor was empty and that it was just me, so it seemed as if she wanted to give our earlier thought a try.
"Lucy, I have missed you sweet one" I said adoringly once I had regained my balance and walked us back into Lucy's cabin and closed the door very skilfully with my foot.
"I have missed you too Caspian, sooooo much, these past 5 years have been almost unbearable without you." Lucy mumbled into my chest, I could feel her lips brushing against my skin and had to refrain from chuckling at the tickling sensation which it caused.
But then suddenly her words caught up with me, 5 years. 5 years had passed in their world when only 3 had passed here. Last time Lucy was here she was only eleven, that meant that she was now 16 and I was only 18 as I was 15 the last time she was here and it had only been three years in Narnia. We could be a cou... I stopped that thought dead as I realised what I had been about to say inside my head. I did not think of Lucy that way, she was my best friend nothing more, or that's what I kept telling myself at least.
"It is so good to have you back here again; I have missed you more than I care to admit to anyone else, these past 3 years have been torture without you." I murmured gently into her hair as I placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head.
"How strange," Lucy said looking up into my face.
"What's strange?" I asked looking down at her beautiful face with what I am sure was probably a confused expression on my own.
"Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about how the last time we came here it had only been a year in our world but it had been over 1000 here in Narnia but this time, time in England has moved faster than time in Narnia." She hurriedly explained, but it seemed that the more she spoke the more an idea to do with this scenario popped into her head and she decided that this fact was a very positive thing, judging by the look of absolute triumph on her face.
I looked down at her grinning form and couldn't help the smile that spread widely across my face. It was then that I noticed how close we were together and my gaze flicked to her lips before moving back to her eyes. I leant very slightly toward her so we were only a few inches away. Bang! There was a loud knock on the door that had us springing apart and I inwardly cursed whoever that was and made a mental note that if it was Edmund that I was going to kill him very painfully and slowly!
Authors Note: I hoped you liked this chapter it was fun to write hope all of you enjoyed it and thank you for the reviews again. – JKE xx