Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or Narnia. They belong to C.S. Lewis.

Author's Note: Midterms have taken what's left of my energy. Interestingly enough, today my school had a snow day but I had to go in, along with a majority of my class, to take an exam that was already partly finished and that would have needed to be retaken in June if it wasn't taken today. It was English, and I thought I wouldn't want to have anything to do with fan fiction and writing between getting to the test and the actual test. I was wrong. After watching a few behind-the-scenes videos of the band Keane and reading the book 'Nineteen Minutes' for pleasure, I'd changed my mind. Anyway, I have three exams left. On the bright side, I have Monday off. Which means more time for writing! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter!

Summer 1949

Lucy wasn't one for giving up. Lucy still tried.

It wasn't that Peter and Edmund didn't try, but Peter wasn't as forceful and Edmund was, for a time, not willing to talk to any of them about it. And then came the suggestion that the friends of Narnia get together and talk. The subject couldn't really be avoided any longer.

"After all," Lucy told her brothers, "This could really be the thing we need. Susan might just want to come."

"Well you can ask her if you want, Lu," Edmund said. "I'm not against it."

And Peter said, "Are you sure about this? I know if anyone can get Susan to turn around it would be you. But Su's also stubborn."

"I'm sure," Lucy said.

She didn't want to give Susan a lot of time to think about it. She, Jill, and Eustace would be staying with the Professor and Polly Plummer, his friend. Peter and Edmund decided not to stay because both had other things to do; Peter had a job and Edmund had school work. They would be leaving the next day. If Susan agreed to come, she could go back with Edmund and Peter. And, she wouldn't have much time to reconsider.

Lucy took a cab to Susan's flat. The ride seemed not to last long enough and Lucy was very nervous. For some odd reason she felt a sense of urgency, that this needed to be resolved now rather than later. She so wanted everything to work out, especially now, with this one opportunity. She couldn't have explained why she felt things had to work out, only that she felt it strongly. She was almost shaking as she knocked on Susan's door.

Susan looked surprised to see her younger sister standing there, which hurt Lucy. In the past there had never been any reason for Susan to be surprised—it was natural to seek each other out. Lucy sighed and smiled. "Hello."

Susan replaced her surprised look with a rather forced smile. "Lucy!" she said. "I wasn't expecting you. Well, why don't you come in?" She stepped aside and Lucy stepped in, taking a deep breath as she did so. She promised she would not beat around the bush.

As soon as they were seated, Lucy dove right in. "Susan, you remember Professor Kirke, don't you?"

Susan stiffened and her smile disappeared. "Yes, Lucy, but-"

"Well, the Professor and his friend Polly are having a bunch of friends over," Lucy went on, "and Peter, Edmund, and I are going. You see, we're going to talk about Narnia, and just be together and have a good time. And I was just wondering…would you like to come?"

"Lucy," Susan started, but Lucy sensed something unfavorable in her voice and she interrupted.

"I know you don't like to talk of Narnia and I know you don't even think it was real, but we'd all really like it if you came. If you at least tried. We're leaving tomorrow. I'm staying over, but you could come back with Peter and Edmund. And you needn't say anything much. We'll do all the talking."

"Lucy," Susan said, a bit more forceful. "You know how I feel about this sort of thing. And…oh…can I answer in a minute? I have something else I want to ask."

"What?" Lucy was surprised. She knew that the current answer likely wasn't going to end with an answer she liked, but she also knew it was better than an outright 'no'.

"How are the boys? I haven't talked to them much since…since, you know. Is Edmund still angry?"

"I don't know," Lucy admitted. "He doesn't seem to know whether he's angry at you or the situation. I think he's just disappointed. You two should talk."

Susan grimaced. Clearly the idea of talking to Edmund didn't appeal to her. Lucy could see why. Both were very stubborn and the fights between them were horrible, especially if they didn't end well. She thought the only reason those fights were so horrible was because they didn't happen much. Yet they had become more common recently.

"And Peter? I can't tell if he's angry."

Lucy sighed. "Peter could never be angry at you for long, you know that," she said. "He was a bit upset that you wouldn't promise to keep trying, but we both decided that it wasn't a very good time to ask such a thing of you." In truth, Peter had been more than 'a bit upset' but he made it clear that he didn't want Susan to know how upset he actually was. He felt it might only make things worse and he was willing to drop the matter if it meant keeping their relationship somewhat on good terms. Lucy agreed with him that it was the best course of action.

"Are you sure?" Susan pressed. "I really hated to see how sad he looked when I told him I couldn't…and I'm not saying I can now. I just want things to be better."

"And they can be," Lucy said, seeing her chance, "if you come with us. Come on, Su. Please? It's not like people won't want to talk to you. Everyone is willing to talk to you. Just come. It won't hurt."

"I can't do it," Susan said, looking suddenly frustrated. "Not if all you're going to talk about is Narnia. Lucy, I've told you a thousand times. Why don't you understand?"

"Because I don't want to just let it go," Lucy said, feeling almost desperate. "Susan, we hardly ever talk any more and if I bring up the slightest mention of Narnia you stop talking to me. I know I shouldn't do it but I can't help it. Narnia is part of who I am, who we all are, even if you don't like to think about it. I can't just stop talking about it. I wish you could accept it, look past it if you need to. I just miss how we used to be. I was so happy when we got closer, and I don't think it was to have everything go back to the way it was before Narnia."

Susan stared at Lucy looking frustrated and sad and seemingly unable to come up with anything. Lucy felt as if she could start crying at that very moment, but she held the tears back. "Oh, Lucy," Susan whispered. "I…you know and I know I can't do it. I've tried…" And suddenly Susan had tears falling down her face, not very fast, but more like a trickle, as if she were holding some back. "I can't keep trying for someone that won't…someone that…"

"Someone that what?" Lucy asked, her voice unsteady. She knew Susan was talking about Aslan and it broke Lucy's heart that Susan thought Aslan had done something unforgivable.

Susan only shook her head. "I can't go, Lucy," she said, wiping the tears from her face and trying to give her sister a small smile. "Perhaps we can spend time together after you get back, before school starts. What do you say?"

Lucy sighed, knowing that this was as far as she was going to get with Susan. She felt, somehow, that she had failed. She tried to comfort herself by pointing out that Susan did want to spend time with her, but it still wasn't enough. "Sure," she said, trying not to show how disappointed in the whole situation she really was. "When I get back I'll call." She stood up, sensing that the conversation and visit had come to a close.

Susan stood too and walked her to the door. "I hope you have a good time," she said, meaning it.

"You can still come, you know," Lucy said. "If you change your mind. You know where the Professor's new house it, don't you?" Susan nodded. "Good. And if not, I'll be sure to call when I get back."

Susan smiled. "Have a good time, then. Tell Peter and Edmund I say hello."

"I will." And then the door was closed and Lucy was on the other side, feeling alone.

She didn't want to go and tell her brothers that she had accomplished next to nothing, because she knew they were expecting that sort of news.

Still, she went home and told them, because she couldn't lie, and they had to know, and even though they knew they were right they ignored the fact as much as Lucy wanted it to be ignored.

Lucy thanked Aslan that her family still in some ways retained the great qualities they had gained in Narnia. And she trusted Him to make things right in the end. Even if it took their whole lives.