I know updates are far apart now, but I'll try to be better about that...School and upcoming exams, ya know? And yes, everything is just fine now, I'm all better. :) Little reaction to some brazil nut oil...it was not pretty. All's well though, despite the fact I think I'm scarred for life from having the IV :P Ugh, never get those things if you can help it people...Thank you for the concern, I was touched. *sniffles* :}

Lady Firewing - Well, sort of...but not quite. I have something pretty shocking planned...*devious grin* ;) It'd all about tension, as you so wisely told me. :D

NymphadoraLupin98 - Yes my dear, more cliffys...There will be probably quite a few this story, so be ready.
Thank you:D

Red Rose252 AKA Mello the 2nd - Hahaha I always like a little bit of comedy to lighten the mood a little...you know, the calm before the storm? :)
Aw, I don't like her sad either...but this story isn't as happy as the last one, so I forewarn you of that now. And sorry for the really late update...:(

Evy201 - Love me some good tension...I know, mine too! I feel so terrible:(
Thank you, and again, sorry for the long wait...

Still don't own Narnia guys, I hope you've figured that out by now...;)

Chapter 3

By the time I got back to the castle, it was already well after sundown. The moon had grown from a tiny sliver to a crescent, but it still gave off hardly any light to see by. If I listened closely, I could hear the chirping of crickets over Asha's hoof beats as I rode into the stone courtyard I'd come to know so well.

I stroked the side of Asha's neck as she slowed to a halt, making sure to ruffle her mane a little like I always did. It was a ritual of sorts. Sliding off my beautiful horse, I walked around to stand beside her head so she could see me.

"Thanks for the ride, Asha. Take care." Before she cantered off, I planted a kiss on her velvety muzzle and she nuzzled my hair with her top lip, just like we always did. And then I was standing on my own in the courtyard, watching her as she vanished into the woods, a smile on my face. It was comforting really – to have the same little ritual even though I knew things were going to change, and soon. I waited until Asha had completely disappeared into the trees before turning and heading inside, my mind still churning with questions I'd been asking myself all day.

Goosebumps skittered their way across my skin as I walked inside the castle. It was cooler in here than it was outside, where the heat of the sun still lingered in the air. My arms were wrapped around my torso to fight the chill, and another pair of arms was encircling them, pulling me against a warm chest.

"You're back." Caspian's silky voice next to my ear sent shivers down my spine.

"Sorry I'm late," I murmured, resting the back of my head on his shoulder. A sigh escaped my lips as I fought to keep my eyes open. It had been a long day; a fun day with Rhoslyn and Ainslie, but an exhausting one as well.

"Tired, my lady?"

"Very." My eyes were halfway closed, but I was determined to keep them open. I didn't want to have the vision again when I fell asleep. But my body had other ideas, and I realized too late that my knees were buckling underneath me. I braced myself for an up-close-and-personal hello to the floor, but Caspian swept me into his arms before I even got close.

I managed to mumble a thank you as my incredible fiancée began to carry me bridal-style down the hall. Breathing in his scent, I let my head rest right over his heart like I loved to do. Its steady beat soothed my stressed mind better than anything else could have. Just being close to Caspian was enough to calm my racing thoughts and make me believe it would all turn out alright.

Too soon for my taste, we reached my room and Caspian had maneuvered me inside. Did he have to go?

He gently set me down on my bed after pulling the covers back and started to tuck me in.

"Do you have to go?" I whispered, my tired eyes gazing into his. He looked a little surprised at my question, and I let my hand wander over to one of his, my white skin standing out in stark contrast to his tan.

"Do you want me to stay?"

I felt a playful smirk flit across my mouth.

"I wouldn't be averse to the idea." I really didn't want to go to sleep; I was afraid of what vision would be waiting for me. "At least until I fall asleep?" I wasn't going to make him stay with me all night, of course.

Caspian leaned down until our foreheads were almost touching, his eyes peering into mine and reading exactly what I was thinking.

"And you intend on falling asleep, do you?" There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, but concern peeped out from behind it. I could tell he knew better than to think I would actually try to sleep tonight. I lowered my eyes so that they were no longer looking into his.

"Perhaps not," I muttered, a little annoyed that he could see straight through me like I was made of glass or something.

He only smiled, and I patted the space next to me. When he hesitated a moment to mess with me a little, I reached up, grabbed his shoulders, and lightheartedly pushed him so that he was on the bed next to me, prompting a chuckle from us both.

We took a moment to get comfortable before Caspian opened his arms and I happily snuggled into his toned chest. A smile crept over my lips as I took in his warmth, curling my arms as he kissed the top of my head. Against my will, my mind instantly flashed back to the first time he'd done that, almost two years ago now. The night I'd seen the raid in my dreams.

It had been one of the first visions I'd had, and the first one where something horrible had happened. Caspian had managed to wake me up, but I'd been sobbing so hard that I'd barely realized it was him, even when he'd taken me into his arms. Sounds cheesy when I think of it like that… but then again, in hindsight, it probably was. But who cares, honestly? I didn't, that was for sure.

Rolling my eyes at my inner dialogue, I just tried to relax, though the thought of sleep kept my heart rate well above what could be considered healthy. If this kept up, I wouldn't get a wink of sleep for the next few days. Almost as if he could hear my thoughts, Caspian pulled me closer, silently telling me that it was okay to sleep, that he'd be right there if I needed a shoulder to cry on…literally.

Against my will and my better judgment, my body began to relax, the hazy fog that comes before sleep settling over my mind. I fought to stay awake, but soon found that my eyes wouldn't stay open.

Unable to win that battle, I turned my attention to keeping my brain awake, keeping myself firmly within the world of the conscious. It was a battle I was losing.

I woke up a little when I felt Caspian shift a little bit. I didn't want him to leave, not yet.

"Hey, don't go. Please..." I mumbled into his chest and snuggled closer, if that were even possible. And just before I unwillingly slipped away into that looming world of dreams, I managed to hear him whisper one word into my hair.

"Never."

I woke with a start in the middle of the night, my pulse roaring in my ears. I'd been right to try and stay awake; the same vision of my dad had slithered back into my dreams, sending the same questions I'd dealt with all yesterday straight back into the forefront of my mind. My breathing rapid and shallow, I tried to shove the dream out of my head so I could get some more sleep. Dark bags under my eyes didn't look entirely attractive, and tended to make me look more like a zombie-girl than a sprite.

I would have gotten up to walk it off, but I didn't want to wake Caspian. Huh, he was still here...I'd expected him to have gone to his own bed by now. But I was glad he was there; seeing him so peacefully asleep helped calm me down, as did the fact that his arms were still tightly around me, holding me against his warm chest. Being careful not to move too much, I maneuvered so that my ear rested over his heart. It was always soothing to hear it beating steadily against his skin.

Much to my own surprise, I found that I was already starting to nod off again. It crossed my mind to fight it, but at the moment it felt like a good idea. Before I knew it, sleep had claimed me.

The same pattern followed for the next week. Every night, I saw my father die the same death, and every night I was helpless to stop him. Each time I woke I was more confused than I'd been before, and I began to get incredibly irritable; the worry and frustration of not being able to do anything eating away at me.

I felt bad for being so short of temper, but I just couldn't seem to help it. Luckily for me, I made sure to apologize every time I snapped at someone, which was usually Caspian since he was with me a lot. I swear, the man was a saint; he never got angry with me when I was being cross with him. He tried to talk sense into me, but he always stayed calm and collected...unlike me. And when I apologized, he just gave me a hug and told me it was okay, he understood. And he did, I really think he did.

Jaystorm noticed my irritability, and was smart to make himself scarce around me. Unless, of course, there was sparring to be had; he was more than happy to help me vent a little. But it was getting so bad that even my little white flowers couldn't cheer me up. Nothing could.

At the moment, I was awake in the middle of the night, having had that vision of my dad...for the seventh night in a row. It kept replaying against my will, making peace and calm a thing of the seemingly distant past. What could I do? What could I possibly do? This question was driving me almost to the point of insanity. If not for Caspian's constant comfort, I wondered if I'd have gone stark raving mad by now. I was approaching that point as it was.

I found that as I looked at my fiancée's face, he was looking back at me, the now-common stamp of concern in his features. He already knew why I was awake at this hour, and he also knew that there was little to be done other than just staying silent and holding me. Which is exactly what he did. It made me feel a trifle better, but my body still remained tense and on edge, much like my mind. I'm sure he noticed, but he was wise enough to not say anything. He knew it couldn't be helped.

Right now, sleep seemed like the best idea. I only ever had the vision once in a night. Once it woke me up, the rest of my sleep was deep and dreamless. And so I let the comfort of Caspian's arms lull me back into the world of slumber.

This place was familiar. Very familiar. I knew these off-white walls with the light brown stain over there in the corner where my dad had thrown a cup of iced tea in a fit of rage. I knew these windows with the strange, pale blue curtains that looked at least as old as my grandmother. I knew these light wooden chairs around the kitchen table that were protected with a simple, chocolate brown tablecloth my mom had bought when I was 14. Chocolate brown had been all the rage that year.

Both the dogs were napping on the sofa that sat in the family room across from an old TV. Dad had always ranted about wanting a flat screen, but we just didn't have the money for that, though I kept my eyes on any sales. Jack was curled up into as small a ball as his sausage-shaped body would allow, and I could hear his gentle snoring. Gus, on the other hand, was stretched out like always, his round stomach reminding me of a pregnant sow.

There was a figure dressed in black standing across the room from where I was. I didn't recognize the shape at first, but I could make out soft weeping. The figure was hunched over and seemed to be a woman. As I listened to the woman cry, it occurred to me that she seemed familiar.

Afraid of what I'd find but determined to know who this woman was, I hesitantly began to walk toward her. My eyes caught a familiar sight; this woman was wearing my mother's shoes - my mother from home. She'd had those shoes for as long as I could remember.

The black leather pumps were slightly faded from years of wear and the slender heels had lost some of their black right where the bottom pad connected with the actual heel. The shoes were much like any other pair of pumps you might find in the '80s, but I knew these were my mother's shoes. I'd memorized exactly what they looked like as a child; Mom had always loved to wear those heels to work, before they got all the wear and tear. There was a tiny streak lighter than the rest of the shoe across the tip of the right toe from when she'd tripped going up the stairs to her office and scuffed away some of the shoe polish. She would have fixed it with some polish, but somehow we never got around to it.

My heart sank past my stomach and into the floor as I realized who this woman was.

"Momma..."

She didn't hear me. Of course she didn't. I was a specter; I wasn't really here. I could do nothing. Just like I'd always been able to do: nothing. I slowly walked around so I could see her face, hoping against all hope I was wrong. I wasn't.

Copious tears fell from my mother's light brown eyes, downcast in their grief. The salt water had formed two trails down her cheeks, the water coming so unceasingly that her makeup was worn off in the trails. Mascara tinted the edges a smoky black, and the bags under her eyes were all the more pronounced with the ebony makeup to emphasize them.

I wanted to reach out, to take her frail figure in my arms and comfort my mother like I'd done so often before I came to Narnia. Sometimes I didn't even know the reason for her tears, but I never denied her the meager comfort I could give. But this time I had no choice. She wouldn't feel it if I tried to hug her. My heart caught in my throat when she whispered one thing to herself.

"Laurah? Where is my Laurah?"

My heart ached for my mother, for myself even. I could do nothing for her. She needed comfort badly, but I couldn't give it. Dear Aslan, how I wished I could! Was this to be my torture for doing nothing to help my dad? Having to watch this, knowing I was helpless to do a single thing?

Sniffling pitifully, my mother began to plod away toward her room, her head still bowed and her back still hunched over. I felt like I should follow her, but I was too weighed down with my melancholy thoughts to move. She passed right through me like I wasn't there. But I wasn't. Not for her.

My eyes were glued to her sorrowful form as she disappeared into her room, the door softly clicking closed behind her, leaving me standing alone in the family room. I was frozen. Dull pain throbbed with my heart beat, spreading throughout my body in a matter of seconds. This was my fault. If I'd only gone home that day...but then Caspian and I...my thoughts were cut off by a sudden onslaught of fearful panic. I couldn't explain where it had come from, only that it was driving me to the room my mother had disappeared inside of. Something was going horribly wrong.

In a matter of seconds, I was stumbling through the door and into my mother's room, nearly frantic with worry. I'd tried to steel myself, to get ready for what might be on the other side. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.

Red. That's the first thing I saw. A pool of dark red on the floor, growing before my very eyes. It wouldn't have been so bad had that been the only thing I saw. It was what lay in the center that made me want to scream, to cry, to do anything but stand there helpless. My mother...

Some strange, strangled sound tore from my throat. What had she done?

There she lay, in the middle of the pool of red. In the pool of blood.

Because that's what it was.

Blood.

Fresh, metallic, still leaking from her body.

From her wrist, more accurately.

My blurred vision caught the cold, cruel glint of a razor blade next to her hand. She looked almost relived, oblivious to the pain she must have been feeling from the unforgiving steel edge.

I couldn't cry. That was far too easy. A strange but welcome numbness was slowly flowing through me. It was like I was beyond feeling anything now.

Just like her.

Except I was alive. I was breathing. I hadn't yet given up.

She had.

And that's the last thing I knew before it all faded away into nothing.

The first thing I was aware of was screaming. Screaming and crying.

I didn't seem capable of forming a cohesive thought, but I managed to throw myself off the bed. Wincing as the cold stone floor connected with my ribs and hip, I scrambled to my feet as a single clear thought entered my head.

Aslan. I had to find Aslan.

I had barely registered that my feet were running before I was bursting out of my room and flying down the hallway, desperation robbing me of breath long before my torrid pace could. Arms pumping at my sides as the walls flew past, my sudden halt came as a very unpleasant surprise.

I collided with something warm and solid, a pair of strong arms the only reason I didn't land on the floor. Vaguely, I heard a worried voice saying something, but all I cared about was finding Aslan. I couldn't wait a second; I'd surely fly apart into a million pieces if I did.

Using every ounce of strength I possessed, I shoved the thing - or person rather - away and sprang back into my desperate flight, bolting outside within seconds. The bright sun momentarily blinded me, but it didn't slow me. I had no idea where I was going, but I found that my feet carried me deep into the forest.

"ASLAN!" I screamed for the Great Lion, knowing he was the only one who could help. A sharp snap echoed in my ears, and I found that the ground was rapidly approaching my face. Only my hands broke my fall, and a crack sounded from my wrist as searing pain rushed through my entire left arm. Probably a sprain.

I bit back a yelp of pain as I pulled myself to my feet...and almost cried with joy.

A familiar gold light shone up ahead. It was the same one I'd seen so long ago, that night after dance class. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this light would take me home. Holding my injured wrist against my torso to keep it from getting too jostled, I sprinted for the light, catching a familiar face on the other side of it.

"Mom?"

The Queen of the Wood stood there on the other side of the light, understanding clear on her face. She knew. And she was helping me.

"Thank you," I whispered as I walked straight into the golden glow. My eyes closed as I waited.

A moment of silence and then...the ground left my feet and I seemed to be thrown forward at breakneck speed. I opened my eyes to see light everywhere, light the color of the sun. And suddenly, the ground was again rushing up at my face. I groaned in pain as my wrist, along with the rest of me, slammed into the ground.

Slowly, painstakingly, I got to my feet, cradling my wrist in my right hand. My attention instantly flew to my bracelet, however, when my eye caught the slight glow it was emitting. Somehow I knew that was my sprite mother saying goodbye and good luck.

"I love you, Mom," I murmured, my eyes never leaving the bracelet. After a moment, the glow faded and I was left alone in the dark woods.

Now that I was back, my panic had faded, replaced with calm determination. I was here, and now it was my job to save not only my father, but my mother as well. Setting my teeth against another whimper from my swelling wrist, I trudged through the woods and within minutes saw a familiar sight.

I was home.

...I'm getting the vibe that you would love to reach through your computer screen and strangle me. Mercy? Por favor? No? *hides under computer chair*

And for an update, you know what to do...

Review Review Review! :)