Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Authoress's Note: To show how Lucy's feeling in this chapter I'd sugjest you to listen to You Gave Me A Promise by Fireflight. I would have put the lyrics in here... but I didn't want to. It's taken to much time to write this chapter as is. But it's pretty long so I hope it's up to everybody's liking! Now you don't HAVE to listen to the song, but you'd understand how Lucy's feeling if you did.
The Neverending Winter
Chapter 25. Coming Home
Helen Pevensie stood on the platform waiting for the train to come in. She had waited a bit longer to bring her children home for safety reason's, and now she was nervous. There was only one other mother there, whom she knew well.
"It's alright Helen, I'm sure they haven't changed for the worse." the woman comforted.
"I hope your right." Helen sighed.
A few moments later the train pulled up and the doors opened. The other woman's two children came running out leaching onto her as they did.
Helen held her breathe as Peter stepped off the train. He had grown so much, and his hair was now over his ocean blue eyes, but she could tell there was something different about him.
Next came Susan. She had grown as well, her hair half-way down her back. She laughed as Peter took her suitcase with a graceful bow. She responded with a graceful curtsey.
Next came Edmund. He was nearly as tall as his brother now, and his dark hair was over his brown eyes. He had Lucy's suitcase in his hand and now Helen waited for her youngest child.
A second later Lucy came to the train door, a look of slight insecurity on her face. Helen felt herself ready to burst into tears. Even at the age of eleven, Lucy was growing tall and thin with long blonde hair, and dark brown eyes that would capture any boy's heart.
Edmund looked up at her and held out his hand, giving her a reassuring smile. She took it and stepped off the train, nearly tripping as she did so, but both Peter and Edmund were right there.
Lucy sighed and stood straight, looking up at Susan, though she didn't have to look to far up, as she was nearly as tall as her. Susan smiled at her, took her hand, and said something to Lucy Helen couldn't hear from the distance or see as Susan had turned to face when she said it. But whatever she said it made Lucy giggle, Edmund blush, and Peter smirk.
Lucy looked over at their mum and her eyes lit up. "Mummy!" she exclaimed.
Edmund looked up and smiled. "Mum!" he called excitedly.
Both children, if they could be called that anymore, ran toward Helen, hugging her tight. Helen could no longer hold it in and began crying tears of joy. Susan and Peter walked over, and hugged their mum when Lucy and Edmund let go of her.
The insecure look came back onto Lucy's face and Helen became worried. "What's wrong dear?" she asked.
"Nothing." Lucy replied. Helen could tell she was lying.
"Mum, it's nothing to worry about. She's probably just happy to be home, aren't you Lu?" Edmund said, obviously trying to help Lucy hide something.
"Yeah. Happy to be home." Lucy sighed, half-heartedly. But Helen wasn't convinced. "Don't worry mum, I'm fine." Lucy reassured.
Helen sighed. "Alright, let's get home." she said.
"If only we could." Lucy whispered.
"We will someday." Edmund said grabbing both of their suitcases.
When they got home they each ran up their room's. "My bed!" Edmund exclaimed flopping on his "My beautiful beautiful bed! Oh how I missed thee!"
Peter rolled his eyes and layed across his, now seeing what he meant.
Susan grabbed her pillow and threw it at Lucy. Lucy retaliated throwing hers at Susan. They circled each other, pillow in hand and Lucy decided not to point out the Peter and Edmund were sneaking up behind Susan, pillows in their hands. The had heard the noise the pillow made as it landed against the wall.
Susan was unsuspecting when she got wapped over the head by Edmund. She wheeled around and smacked him with the pillow. He wacked her back and they got into a series of extremely hard blows. Lucy was now laughing hysterically. Peter joined in the pillow fight and soon Lucy did too.
After a while they ended up in a heap on the floor, laughing like they hadn't laughed in a long time, by now a bundle of tangled limbs. For Susan and Edmund you couldn't tell where their hair started from the other and the same with Lucy and Peter.
"Ed! Get off me! You're like a little elephant!" Susan exclaimed.
Lucy laughed along until her back came into contact with Peter's knee. She had been holding herself up but her arm gave out as the pain started. Peter was the first to notice, since his knee had been the one that came into contact with her back, and turned pale. Edmund was the next to notice and froze.
Susan pushed him off her back and looked up. "I said get off." she mumbled. But when she saw both Peter and Edmund pale and Lucy with her face twisted in pain, she turned pale as well. Neither of them knew what to do.
But Susan reacted first. She kneeled down beside Lucy and pulled her arms around her. Peter turned red and walked from the room. Edmund was taking deep breathe's trying to keep in his anger as well. Susan knew why.
"How could that witch be so heartless?" Edmund growled.
Susan only nodded.
"Susan, will it ever stop?" Lucy asked, her breathing hitching.
"I don't know Lu, I really don't." Susan replied.
Edmund sighed and closed his eyes, still fighting off the anger at their, now dead enemy.
"Kids. Supper's ready." Helen said peaking her head in the room, but she stopped when she Lucy. "Oh Lucy, what happened?" she asked.
"I fell. I'm fine." Lucy replied. She made an effort to stand and with Susan and Edmund's help she did.
"And Edmund, are you ok? Your red." their mum asked.
"Yeah, fine. Just a little flustered I guess." Edmund replied.
"About what?" their mum asked.
"At... Peter." Edmund stuttered, searching his mind for an answer.
"I thought you two got over that." Helen said.
"We did, but brother's fight. It wouldn't be natural if we didn't." Edmund said.
"I suppose." Helen said.
Peter walked back in, still quit red and mumbling things under his breathe. "See." Edmund said.
"What?" Peter asked when Edmund pointed at him.
"That we were fighting." Edmund said with a wink, and glancing over at Lucy.
"Oh yeah, yeah." Peter said, catching on quickly.
"So you two really were fighting?" Helen asked.
"Yes ma'am." they replied.
She sighed. "Well, until you calm down, I don't want either of you at the dinner table. Lucy's hurt, and I don't think you two glarring daggers at each other's going to help any." she said.
"But I want them down there." Lucy said, glancing between her brother's.
"We've calmed down mum, we promie." Edmund said, seeing the scared look in Lucys eyes.
Peter nodded quickly, also having caught the look.
"Alright, come on then." Helen said walking down stairs. All four of them let out a relieved sigh.
"That was too close." Edmund sighed.
"Way too close." Peter agreed.
"Come on, mum said supper." Susan said. She kept a tight grip on Lucy as they walked out of the room. But before they got to the stairs, she let Peter and Edmund get on either side of Lucy.
When they got downstairs, Helen looked at Lucy concerned. Lucy just shook her head and sat down at the table. Dinner was quiet, no one said a word. Though a few glances were passed between the older three Pevensie children.
When dinner ended, Lucy quickly excused herself from the table.
"Which ones going after her?" Peter asked "I went last time."
"It's Su's turn." Edmund said quickly.
"No it's not, it's yours and you know it." Susan replied.
"But Su, she likes you more anyway." Edmund whined.
"No she doesn't." Susan said "It's your turn so go."
"Fine." Edmund said dryly "But if I make matter's worse, I blame you." he said glarring at Susan.
She stuck her tongue out at him and started helping their mum clear the table.
Edmund took a deep breathe and opened the door to Susan and Lucy's room.
Lucy looked up at him. "About time." she mumbled.
"What?" he asked.
"One of you always come after me." she replied dryly.
"It's only because we're worried about you." he said sitting beside her.
"Well, you don't have to be. I can take care of myself." she said.
"That doesn't matter. You don't have to go this alone like you think you do. How many times do we have to tell you that?" he said. Lucy looked down. Edmund sighed and pulled her into his lap. And that was all Lucy needed to burst into tears. It startled Edmund, but he quickly recovered and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her to the best of his abilities.
"It's ok Lulu." he comforted.
She looked up at him when he said that. "Lulu?" she asked, a small smile on her face.
"Hey, if you can call me Eddie, I can call you Lulu." he teased, tapping her on the nose, making her giggle.
"Fare enough." she said.
"So your still going to call me Eddie?" he asked dryly.
She giggled. "Most likely." she replied.
"I hate childhood nicknames." he mumbled.
That made Lucy burst into outright laughter. Susan peaked her head into the room. Lucy was now holding her stomach she was laughing so hard.
"What did you do to her?" Susan asked.
Edmund shrugged smirking. "Childhood nicknames." he said, making Lucy laugh even harder.
"You know what, I don't want to know." Susan said walking out. Edmund rolled his eyes.
When Lucy stopped laughing, Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Are you done now?" he asked.
"Yeah." she replied before hugging him "Thanks Eddie."
"Your welcome." he replied.
Ok, if you didn't understand where Lucy's back pains come from, it's from her time with the witch. The whip hit one of the nerves in her back, causing permanent damage. I could write an entire one-shot about that, so if you want I can. Tell me in your reviews. But I must say, I need to do it before the next chapter and get deeper into this part of the story. And it would certainly explain a bit more. But I'm leaving that up to you, my wonderful reader's. Thanks for reading.