DISCLAIMER; I do not own any of the characters here.

Chapter 2

'SUSAN!' a voice cried from across the archery field, breaking Susan's day dream.'SUSAN' a small figure came racing toward her, eyes enigmatic and a smile on her face; Lucy. Lucy reached her side, breathless, but a smile still plastered on her face. 'Susan, why are you sitting way back here? Why aren't you practising your archery?' It was very odd for her to be in an archery field, with her bow and arrow and yet not be practising. Susan shrugged absentmindly, not letting Lucy see the dreamy expression still in her eyes. 'Well you looked like you had a purpose' Lucy pointed out, 'Are you going to tell me, or not?' Susan sighed, and played with a strand of her glossy, dark brown hair. It has been almost 10 days now, since she'd returned she was slowly managing to think of other things. Maybe not all the time, like now for instance but...she didn't cry so much, and Peter hadn't needed to come into calm her again. She was trying to move on, at least.

'Susan!' Lucy said, playfully 'What were you thinking of?'

'Well, it's not hard to guess' she admitted staring downwards so she couldn't see Lucy's expression.

'Oh, that' Lucy's voice was unusually bland 'Peter says that you'll get over it.' She stated matter of factually.

Susan sighed and nodded, 'Yes, I'll get over it eventually.'

Lucy carefully studied her sisters expression, the slight look of pain in her eyes, and way her tone held a slight bored edge. She pinned it down to losing Caspian, and Narnia. Lucy couldn't quite understand how that would feel, but Narnia was her real home, she'd only ever felt truly happy there, and she could only imagine how Susan felt. They'd all taken leaving Narnia in different ways; Peter fought more at school, Susan spent almost all her time hitting targets in the archery field, Edmund felt compelled to document all her knew about Narnia and Lucy acted childishly happy to disguise her annoyance and hurt at leaving so quickly.

'Do you mind if I go practise?' Susan's tone was definite and her eyes pleading.

Lucy nodded, at least this was something that made her happy.

Susan stood from the log she'd been perched on, and gathered her bow, selecting her finest arrow. She smiled at Lucy before turning to the nearest target and striding a couple of paces away from Lucy. She fingered the sleek bow carefully before raising it and letting the arrow go. It hit the middle of the target and she let the briefest of smiles play on her lips, she immediately raised a second arrow at a farther away target and let it go too. To her surprise it went straight past the target and into a near by cluster of bushes and trees. She sighed angrily and began to walk to retrieve it. Lucy had left by then, Susan needed her space and archery was a one person sport. She reached the bushes quickly, and scanned them for her arrow. It was nowhere to be seen, she stared quizically around her and walked deeper into the little forest, pushing fallen branches away, and letting her eyes scan around her. Where was her arrow? This is so weird, she thought with an annoyed sigh. A branch crunched from behind her and she turned around, horror on her face. She cleared her throat to speak, her voice shaky and uneven,

'Hello? Anyone there?'

The reply was a crackle of leaves. Just the wind, she relaxed her tensed muscles, and looked around for her arrow. Where was it? She couldn't escape the panic as leaves and branches continued to make sounds around her.

'Alright, who's there? Is that you Ed? Or Peter?' no one replied and she clutched at straws 'Lucy?' she asked anxiously.

No one replied and she tried to calm herself, and return to searching for the mysteriously missing arrow. She spotted the tail end of her arrow under a bush, and she relaxed quickly. She crouched down low and reached for it.

'Queen Susan' a gruff, low rumble greeted her.

Susan jumped, stiff with terror, she whipped round fast, seeing Aslan behind her.

'Aslan? What...how.?' her expression very nearly made him laugh.

'I am merley coming to you in a vision, gentle Queen, for I have important news I had to tell you.'

Susan gasped, important news could be, bad.

'Yes' she asked tensely.

'I am afraid I was too hasty in sending you home' he admitted.

She gasped, praying she wouldn't look as pleased as she felt.

'I'm giving you a choice, Susan.'

Susan gasped, a smile fixed on her face 'What kind of choice?'

'Whether you want to return to Narnia, and return to Caspian.'

Susan gasped. Return to Caspian. All her wishes were about to come true. She smiled sheepishly at Aslan, before replying...

'And I love the beauty of Narnia, it is tremendous, don't you think?' Lady Evelyn smiled at Caspian. He sighed and nodded,

'Yes, milady, it is beauty beyond compare.'

'How I would love to live in such a beautiful part of Narnia too, your castle is exquiset, and the grounds breathtaking.' there was a note of longing in her voice and she winked at Caspian, he didn't wink back, ' and Cair Paravel, how I would love to have seen that in all it's glory, do you plan to restore it?'

'Yes, it is high on my priorities, as a tribute to the kings and queens of the old' his pace was hesitant, knowing how all of the ladies had reacted to any comment regarding Susan.

'Yes, there are greatly missed, are they not? Particuarly by you, I garner they were your close companions for their stay here.' she impatiently flicked her long blond curls, darting looks at Caspian at every moment and winking continuously. She didn't seem to realize all her efforts were in vain.

'Yes, I was close friends with all of them, and I miss them greatly. I hope to hear from King Edmund and Queen Lucy shortly' he lied calmly, no one knew that he'd see them all again very soon.

'I'd love to meet with them too, I've heard they are simply wonderful company, it is sad' she practically glowed now 'how King Peter and Queen Susan can never return to Narnia.' She strained that fact and Caspian quickly grew a huge distate for her company, not that he'd even liked her to begin with.

'It is a grave fact and they will be missed by all who knew them' he slowed down his pace, and enounciated every word 'especially by myself, I drew great joy from my friendship with Queen Susan and King Peter.'

Caspian noticed the girl rolled her eyes, and that her cheeks flushed a little, but she still moved closer to him and he shrunk away. How tiresome her advances were.

'Well I draw great joy from being with you' she leaned even closer to him and was centimetres away from kissing him when Caspian sprang up and away from her, embarrassed by what she'd been trying to do. She looked morbidly embarrassed, it brought a strange joy to him for her to feel that way.

'Well it is growing late, and I have to return to my council, I hope your stay has been a pleasant one, Lady Evelyn.' It was extremely hard to be polite to her, but as a King he had to be.

'Yes, I hope I can come back someday, it was a pleasure meeting you King Caspian' she extened her hand for him to kiss, and he did so, not meeting her eyes once. They walked back to the castle in silence, and Caspian didn't even say another word to her as he left her side and headed for his rooms, not even the passing greeting from his friend Reepicheep could rouse him from his annoyance.

He headed up the corridor, but changed his mind and decided to go and see his tutor, and friend, Doctor Cornelius. He knew he could confide in him, about the Queen's return, the burden of this hidden secret was too great for him not to tell anyone. He reached his room quickly and knocked heavily on the old, oak door. There was no one there, he sighed exasperatingly but decided to wait, the professor couldn't be long. He stepped round the room to the professors desk, and studied the page that had been left open, he chuckled slightly at the portrait of the Kings and Queens of the old on the page of the book. It stated their titles and many accomplishments, he stared at the picture of Queen Susan especially. The tumbling cascade of her deep, mahogany shaded hair, her cerulean blue orbs sparkling off the page. He studied her snow-white skin, and delicate titled unsmiling lips, he tried to remember how it felt to feel those dainty lips against his own and he smiled. Her arrow was raised and there was menacing edge he'd often see when she battled. Underneath it read, 'Queen Susan the Gentle, a renowned archer, feared by many in battle for her incredible acuracy.'

'Sire' Cornelius startled him and he turned around quickly, prepared to draw his sword, upon seeing it was only Cornelius he smiled and put it back in place.

'Sorry Professor, you startled me.'

'I am sorry, my highness,' his tone was curious, 'was there something you wanted, Sire?'

Caspian nodded, 'Yes, I wanted, to...speak, wait, no, to...tell you, about...' he hesitated, lost for words.

'Sire?' Cornelius looked concerned.

'About Queen Susan.' Caspian studied Cornelius' pained expression.

'Sire, I am sorry for your loss, what is it, you would like to explain to me...'

'She is coming.'

'No, sire, she is not. She has gone, I am sorry, my king, but Susan has left.'

'No...she will return,' the sureness of the young King was catching, but Cornelius was firm.

'I am sorry, but she had to leave...and she cannot return...' the King was shaking his head,

'Cornelius, Aslan...told me, Susan, she will get a choice, and she will return, to me...' this time Cornelius was the one shaking his head.

'My King, I know that is what we want to believe will happen.'

'It will happen, Aslan told me...being with me, changed Susan's destiny, her life reaches full-fillment in Narnia, not in England. In England, she never marries, and lives a poor life, alone,' he sighed 'I do not wish her to be unhappy...and I'd be lieing if I only want her back so she has a better life, I love her.' It was the first time he'd declared his feelings for her to anyone besides the two of them.

'My King...are you certain, Aslan...are you sure?' Cornelius did not look convinced.

'Yes, Aslan, will give her the choice, if she chooses to return...then we will all go back to the time, just before she left...and our destinys will change, from then onwards.'

Cornelius didn't know how he was expected to react, but his first feeling was relief, Caspian was so very unhappy at Susan's departure...and no beautiful maiden could change that.

'Well, Sire, I am very...very...pleased, for you,' his voice was lowered now, 'I can tell, you have missed her.' Caspian nodded gravely,

'More than I ever thought I would, but having her back, will not only make a difference for me, but for...everyone. Her compassion and gentle way will help the Telamarines and the Narnians live in harmony and peace, seeing as she has rehalabiliated a country once to the old ways, she can surely do it again.'

Cornelius had to ask, it had been on his mind for awhile,

'and the age, sire, it does not bother you? That she is years older than you?'

Caspian laughed, 'in a way, she is older than me, but in physical appearance she is younger, and in her own world she is younger, but besides, age does not matter.'

'Yes, if you love her...'

'I do.'

The sincerity, and truth in his voice was undeniable. He did love her, even if their time together had been short, and the kisses only brief...he loved her for more than that. The kind of love that people could only dream of, and wish for but sometimes never got, no sense in ignoring that. The professor stared at the majestic King in front of him, his face glowing and eyes bright, he'd never looked so happy...

Edmund was walking absentmindedly, his head in a book on philosophy, and he was thinking of his latest theory on the existance of Narnia...he didn't notice when a couple of boys from Peter's year came up behind him, they all jeered and laughed at Edmunds obvious enthusiasm in his book, and being boys who'd never studied for anything in their lives they pitied him.

'Oi, Pevensie, whatcha' reading?' the obvious leader asked, a well known-bully named, Andrew.

'A book.'

'On whatt?'

'Philosophy,' the word was out of his mouth quicker than he'd expected, and he felt a warm blush on his cheeks. They all jeered at him, Edmund ignored them.

'Oi, Pevensie!'

'What?'

'I'm talkin' to you, quit ignoring me Pevensie!'

'That's a long word for you,' Edmund muttered, under what he meant to be was his breath, but Andrew heard.

'What's that your saying Pevensie?' Edmund didn't reply, 'Ah, know your not so keen to talk, eh?' when Edmund didn't reply, Andrew pushed him hard and signalled for his mates to push him too. They surrounded him, pushing his shoulders and kicking him to the ground, Edmund could feel the burning desire to fight back and be the King that he was, but he refused. He wasn't like Peter, he didn't enjoy fighting, and didn't continuously act like a King, when in this world he was nothing. He felt a sting of pain in his shoulder, and heard the laughs of Andrew and his idiotic, mindless friends.

'Edmund!' frightened cries filled his ears, and he looked up to see his sisters crowding over him.

He saw Peter, pining Andrew down by the neck and angrily spitting words at him,

'Don't you ever touch my brother again! You worthless scum!' It was only Andrew, his friends had seemed to run off at his sibblings approach.

'Oh my god, Edmund!' Lucy and Susan were crying now, and he didn't know why.

'What?' he coughed at them. His shoulder was stinging with pain now.

'Ed! They, he...your hurt, Ed! Your covered in blood,' Susan's gasps send shocks through his body, 'We have to get you to hospital, I think your arms broken.' Lucy was shrieking, and tears were running down her face,

'Ed, why didn't you just fight back?' Peter hissed at Edmund, Andrew was no longer there and Peter looked angry.

'I don't enjoy fighting, like you do, Peter,' Susan's clear blue eyes were filling with tears, Edmund attempted to reassure them all, he was alright, 'I'm fine, really, my shoulder just stings a little, but it is nothing serious.'

'But Andrew...and those thugs,' Susan cut off, something had caught her eye, a brilliant flash of light, radiating from a clump of trees.

'Ed, you can't let them push you around...' Peter noticed Susan had stood up, and was beging to walk towards the trees,

'Su? Su? What is it?'

Susan didnt answer, only walked swiftly towards the beam of light,

'Susan!' Lucy ran after her, pulling on her arm, 'Susan!'

Susan could barely hear all there shouts, all she could think of, was that brilliant beam of light, that was so inviting and just waiting for her to come near. All she could think of was Aslan's promises that if she returned to Narnia she would get a second chance, and be happy for ever. She strode to the edge of the trees, ignoring her sibblings cries. She stepped into the brilliant light, and closed her eyes, letting it wash over her, and Narnia to return...

AN/

Thank-you for reading this next chapter, please tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions for what I should do next or improve on don't hesitate to tell me in a review. Thanks to the lovely people that did review, I was very happy to read all your comments.

Next I'm going to do a replay of the Caspian/Susan departure and see what happens from there...

G xo