Edmund's POV

It was raining when I decided to ride back to the ranch. Phillip and I were going at a nice pace, just slow enough for me to get thoroughly soaked, and reached the barn in no time. I put Phillip in his stall and took off his saddle and bridle. Grabbing a brush, I started grooming the chestnut stead. He was nuzzling my hair and pockets, looking for treats,

"I don't have anything for you today." He shook his head with a snort and I laughed, continuing brushing. I heard the barn door squeak open, and turned, expecting to see Diggory walking in to give me another talk, but instead saw Lucy, Diggory and Polly's summer guest, slid in, umbrella in hand. I turned back to Phillip, hoping Lucy would leave me alone. I heard her approaching and all of those hopes were dashed.

She stood on the other side of Phillip, running her hands through her damp hair. She seemed like she wanted to help so I reached behind me and grabbed another brush and handed it to her. She gave me a small smile, and started to brush as well. Phillip gave a contented whinny and Lucy giggled, while I let out a little snort of laughter. We looked at each other and our eyes met in shock,

"I don't think we've properly met, I'm Lucy Pevensie." She held out her hand, and I shook it awkwardly,

"Edmund Miller," I responded quietly, returning to grooming Phillip. She grinned at my response. I'm going to guess that Diggory gave her a crash course on Edmund, because whenever I talk to her she grins from ear to ear,

"You know I'm here all summer?" I hummed in acknowledgement. I saw her grin falter a little, "So are you excited about getting adopted?" I stared at her,

"I'm trying to rein it in." She looked at me curiously,
"Why? If you're excited, be excited," She told me, as if it really was that simple,

"I don't want to be let down again." She nodded sadly, and then perked up again,

"So, what's your family like," She asked and I froze. It was an innocent question, and I understand where the curiosity came from. After all, she was there when we were looking through precious family memories,

"What do you want to know about them?" She gaped at me in shock, amazed that I was actually going to tell her,

"I don't know, what's your sister like?"

"Susan is logical. She always sees things in black and white, but has the kindest heart I've ever seen." I swallowed back tears and continued, "She's living in Upstate New York with her adoptive parents. I don't hear a lot from her anymore, because her parents don't like me, so I get a letter every now and then." I swallowed back tears, but I guess Lucy didn't notice because she plowed on,

"What about your brother?" She was looking at me with big eyes and I was having trouble looking away from all the innocence in them,

"He joined the army as soon as he turned eighteen. He's fighting in…" I closed my eyes, trying to remember if I knew exactly where Susan last said he was, "I don't actually remember where he is now. I haven't talked to him in so long, he could be on the ranch and I wouldn't know it."

"Why don't you talk to him?" She asked me, her head tilted to the side, curiously,

"He blames me for getting the three of us stuck in foster care." Her eyes widened, but she didn't comment, thankfully,

"What about your parents? What were they like?" I sighed. This is not a conversation I want to be having,

"My mom is dead, I have no father, and my step-dad is in prison. Any other questions?" I snapped at her. I felt a little bad when she shook her head. We stood in an awkward silence for a few minutes, only broken by the sound of raindrops on the barn, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. That's just kind of a touchy subject." She looked up at me and gave me a watery smile, "Why don't you tell me about your family?" So she set in to tell me her entire life story, which, strangely, I enjoyed listening to. It was so unlike mine, it was happy and stable and normal. I hung on her every word like a litany. We had long since finished brushing Phillip and moved over to the bench on the side of the barn. We sat like that, her talking, me sitting and listening, until Diggory made us come up and eat.

Lucy's POV

I looked out the window and saw Edmund lead a chestnut horse into the barn. Acting on impulse, I grabbed an umbrella and made my way down to the barn.

The door squeaked as I opened it, and Edmund turned his dark gaze on me. Wordlessly, he turned back to the chestnut horse he was brushing. I set my umbrella by the door and walked over towards him. I stood on the other side of the horse, directly across from him, and wished I could help. He glanced at me and I ran my fingers through my hair, self consciously. He didn't say anything, just reached behind him and grabbed another brush and handed it to me. I smiled, and began to brush the horse. At the feeling of being brushed from two sides, the chestnut stead let out the horse version of a sigh of contentment. I gave a little giggle at the sound. At the same time, Edmund let out a small snort. I looked up and met his eyes in shock,

"I don't think we've properly met, I'm Lucy Pevensie." I held out my hand, which he shook awkwardly,

"Edmund Miller," He responded, in his normal whisper, before returning to brushing the horse. I grinned because, apparently, it was rare for him to talk to strangers. Let alone hold close to conversations,

"You know I'm here all summer?" He hummed and my grin slid a little. No! We were getting so close! I decided to find something else to talk about,

"So are you excited about getting adopted?" He only stared before replying,

"I'm trying to rein it in." I didn't understand how he couldn't be elated over having a forever family,
"Why? If you're excited, be excited," I told him, in a matter-of-fact way,

"I don't want to be let down again." It was then I remembered what Aunt Polly had said about being sent back six times. I didn't say anything, only nodded sadly. I perked up again when I remembered how happy talking about his family made him,

"So, what's your family like," He froze and I reliaze maybe this wasn't such a good topic after all. I was about to tell him he didn't have to tell me if he didn't want to, when he asked,

"What do you want to know about them?" I could only stare at him. After his initial reaction, I was sure he wouldn't want to tell me anything. I recovered quickly though and asked,

"I don't know, what's your sister like?"

"Susan is logical. She always sees things in black and white, but has the kindest heart I've ever seen." He paused here, but continued in a few seconds, "She's living in Upstate New York with her adoptive parents. I don't hear a lot from her anymore, because her parents don't like me, so I get a letter every now and then." I could see that talking about his sister was bothering him, so I changed the subject,

"What about your brother?" I stared into his haunted eyes, I'm sure my eyes were brimming with an innocence he lacked,

"He joined the army as soon as he turned eighteen. He's fighting in…" He closed his eyes, as if trying to remember something he'd forgotten, "I don't actually remember where he is now. I haven't talked to him in so long, he could be on the ranch and I wouldn't know it." I heard myself ask,

"Why don't you talk to him?" and then tilted my head, waiting for the answer,

"He blames me for getting the three of us stuck in foster care." My eyes bugged out, but I couldn't think of anything to say. So I moved on,

"What about your parents? What were they like?" He heaved a sigh and I realized this wasn't a conversation he wanted to be having,

"My mom is dead, I have no father, and my step-dad is in prison. Any other questions?" He snapped. I shook my head at his question, and looked down, tears welling in my eyes. We stood in silence, only broken by the rain outside, until he whispered, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. That's just kind of a touchy subject." I looked up at him and smiled a tearful smile. Then he asked me to tell him about my family. So I did. I practicly recalled my life to him, which he seemed to hang on every word. When we finished brushing the horse, whose name, I learned was Phillip, we went and sat on a bench on the side of the barn, and I kept talking. And he kept listening. Until Diggory made us come eat supper. I'm not sure, but I think a very strange friendship was formed today.

A/n: I got a review! Lets shoot for another one shall we?