Chess. After going over the list again and again, Edmund and Jacob finally found something they both had enjoyed. Jacob admitted to being more of a watcher than a player, but he said he was willing to learn. They agreed to sign up together. As they headed downstairs to turn in their papers, Jacob was telling Edmund of when he had tried to teach himself chess. "My mum had seen how interested I was in watching it, so she bought me a board. I decided I had seen it enough times to know how to play, so I attempted to set up the board. My mom offered to help me, but I was determined to do it right myself. I ended up having the rook in the bishop's spot, the queen in the rook's spot, and the bishop in the queen's. I gave up after that." Edmund laughed as they turned the corner.

He froze. He had known he would run into either William or Brandon at some point, but he was not prepared for it to have happened so suddenly. William was standing down the hall, grinning at him. "Is he a victim or a friend, Pevensie." William motioned to Jacob. Edmund suddenly felt awkward. Even though their friendship had been based on bullying, Edmund had spent almost all of his time with William. To say that their friendship was over in front of Edmund's new friend felt strange. Jacob took a step behind Edmund.

"He's a friend of mine." Edmund didn't know how to say he was done, so he put it bluntly. "I'm done bullying." Both William and Jacob looked at him in surprise. Jacob took a step back, while William stepped forward. William quickly went from surprised to angry.

"What makes you think you can just be done? You said you would join us so we would stop picking on you." Another step forward. "If you're done bullying with us, then I guess you go back to being the victim." Another step. A year ago, William would've been able to beat him easily. But a year ago, Edmund hadn't been to Narnia. Now Edmund was a master sword fighter, and just as good at hand to hand combat. Edmund didn't have his Narnian strength, but it was often strategies and thinking that won battles. William lunged, but he was slow. Edmund ducked and stepped to the side. He used William's momentum against him and shoved him in the shoulder. William lost his balance and sprawled out on his stomach.

Not wanting to get into a real fight, Edmund turned to leave. It was only then that he realized Jacob was still standing there. Jacob just stood there, wide eyed. Edmund opened his mouth to try to explain, but Jacob spoke first. "He's getting up." Edmund turned to see William lunging at him again. Stepping to the side, Edmund jabbed William's ribs. William doubled over in pain, but Edmund knew it was from shortness of breath. He hadn't hit him hard enough for there to be any damage.

Edmund bent down to William's level. "I said I was done with you. That means finished. Tell Brandon that if I see either of you picking on a kid or starting a fight, I won't hold back." He could see the fear in William's eyes. Edmund stood up and met Jacob's gaze once again. "You were like him." Edmund wasn't sure if it was a question or an accusation. Edmund nodded anyway.

"I'm not anymore." Edmund didn't want to lose this friend. "Why don't we go up to our room, and I can tell you the whole story. There isn't anyone in the office to turn our papers into right now." If there was they would've come out to break up the fight. Jacob nodded his head slowly and turned to go back up the stairs. Edmund spent the entire walk trying to figure out what to say and where to start. He finally decided he needed to go back to when he was being bullied himself. Jacob sat on the floor in front of his bed, Edmund sat across from him.

Edmund took a deep breath and began. "William and Brandon have always enjoyed picking on those weaker than them. I don't know why, but they do it as a pass time and hobby. I was always a scrawny kid, so I was an easy target. The first time they bullied me was when I was walking to the cafeteria for lunch one day. They just laughed and walked off. I wanted to go to my brother for help, but when I knocked on his door, he told me to come back later, that he was studying. I realize now that Peter had no way of knowing that I needed his help, but then all I saw was my brother ignoring me when I needed him most.

I tried to stand up for myself, but I wasn't physically strong enough to do so. Then I tried avoiding them, but that didn't work either. It seemed to me like they had all their focus on me. I told this to my best friend at the time, and he confided in me that they had picked on him to. They never beat him, though, they only teased him. One day I'd had enough of being the victim. I begged them to let me join them, in exchange for them to stop beating me. They told me that if I really wanted to be one of them I needed to prove it. They told me to beat up my friend. I did. After that everything else was easy. I had already betrayed my best friend, everyone else was easy." Edmund paused, unsure of how to tell the next part. He had already come this far, why not tell everything?

"This next part is going to sound a little crazy, but please let me finish." Jacob nodded. "Last year, because of the war, my sibling and I were sent off to the country. We ended up in a mansion with an eccentric professor. We were playing Hide and Seek, when Lucy came barreling into the hall, claiming to have been gone for hours. It had only been a few seconds. She then said she had gone through an old wardrobe into another world and visited a faun named Mr. Tumnus." Jacob raised his eyebrows. "None of us believed her, but I went so far as to mock her and tease her. Later that night, I followed her into the wardrobe. I met the White Witch there. She claimed to be the Queen of the land, Narnia, but she was a fraud. I agreed to lead my siblings to her in exchange for being made a prince." Edmund realized the parallels between his two betrayals. He had betrayed those closest to him to better himself.

"After going back to our own world, I denied ever being in Narnia. Later, I led everyone into the wardrobe in an attempt to hide from the strict housekeeper. My siblings refused to go with me to the witch's castle, so I went alone. I was punished for not bringing them. I was later rescued from my captivity, and Aslan, the rightful King, took on the consequences for my betrayal. He allowed himself to be killed by Jadis. Her followers then attacked us. We were losing until Aslan miraculously showed up alive. We won the battle. Afterwards, Aslan made the four of us kings and queens. I was known as King Edmund the Just. Can you imagine going from traitor to a king? Especially one called the Just?"

Jacob was staring at him. Any moment now, Jacob would get up and leave, or tell him he was crazy. "It sounds crazy, but I believe you." That wasn't what he had expected.

"Why?"

"Because it sounds too ridiculous for someone to have just made up." Jacob seemed to be deciding something. "Since you've been completely honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you. Do you have the time to listen to my story?" Edmund nodded. He had nothing, but time.

Jacob closed his eyes and started. "I grew up in an abusive home. My father was an alcoholic and he beat my older brother and me. My mum was never home, she had to work to provide for us. My dad eventually left us. Then my brother started drinking. He became an alcoholic like my dad and started to hit me. Once again, my mum was too busy working to notice. My brother died from alcohol poisoning. Because of my dad and brother, I developed a distrust of people. For a few weeks I locked myself in my room, not wanting to come in contact with anyone. My mum worked hard to help me, and I eventually let her in. She tried to help me open up to others, but it didn't help. We even moved, but that just made it worse, because our neighbor's kid was a bully. Mum decided to send me to school this semester to try to force me to open up. She had been teaching me privately up until now.

"The entire train ride here prayed for the strength to let go of my past and to at least be friends with my roommate. When I got here you were asleep, then I left and came back and you were gone. I was so relieved not to have to face you yet. Then as I was unpacking I heard you come in. I took my time turning around, not wanting to speak to you. Then I saw you. I can't tell you how relieved I was to know my prayer had been answered." Edmund had no idea why Jacob would assume his prayer was answered after seeing him. Across from him, Jacob was laughing. "The first time we met was a month ago in Finchley."

The dots connected. That was it! This was the boy he had defended back when he had taken his lunch break from the library.

Jacob continued, "I was able to trust you so easily because you were the first person to step up and help me."

A/N: I was so excited about this chapter, that I started and finished it on the same day as my last chapter. When I first wrote him, Jacob was only supposed to be a supporting character. No backstory, no real personality, just a friend who helps Edmund move on. A plot device. Then Edmund met Jacob in their dorm, and I immediately fell in love with him. I decided that Jacob needed to be a big part of this story too. Jacob is going to need Edmund just as much as Edmund is going to need Jacob.