Tranquility

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Chronicles of Narnia related, but I do own Natalie, Orecar, and some other random original characters.

The world, it felt like, had shifted on it's axle, spun the opposite direction, inverted itself, and exploded with new life, new color. The universe moved and things that had been, had now been altered. Something stirred and Natalie Valentine found herself lying on a very comfortable surface. Natalie groaned in protest as someone gently shook her awake. "Wake up, dear," a voice said. Natalie's eyes snapped open. She knew she shouldn't know that voice, it sounded both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. That could only mean one thing, she hadn't been dreaming all of those visions! Looking over her shoulder, she realized she had been laying on a couch. A kind looking older woman stood by her, smiling fondly at her. She knew who this was... this was Edmund's mother! "I hope you slept alright on the couch, it wasn't too uncomfortable?"

"Uh-" Natalie cleared her throat and tried a smile on. "No, ma'am, it was quite alright," she said, surprised when she spoke with a slight English accent. Where did that come from?

"Good!" The woman, Natalie recalled her name being Helen, said with a smile. "Forgive me for waking you so early in the morning. You were twisted up and thrashing in your sleep! I thought you were having a nightmare?" Helen mentioned in concern.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," Natalie smiled as brightly as she could, so early in the morning. She was a bit confused. Why was she asleep on the couch? Natalie winced suddenly, a headache making her shut her eyes tight for a second. The headache brought a fresh memory, a memory of being asked by Lucy if she would like to spend the weekend with them. Natalie lived home alone and enjoyed spending time with her friends, even if she was supposedly just getting used to even having friends, and agreed. The memory showed her playing games with her friends, helping Lucy with the house chores, and bedding down for the night on their couch, having refused to take Edmund's bed when he offered. The memory also showed she and Edmund sharing looks when no one else was watching, soft smiles, secret touches.

"Natalie?" Said girl blinked back to reality and blushed.

"Sorry, just a little head ache," She smiled reassuringly. "What is the time?" She asked curiously.

"Six in the morning," Helen answered, smoothing out her nightgown. "If you like, you can prepare the morning coffee? I know how much you love it," Helen smiled.

"That would be great," Natalie grinned, feeling relieved that the older woman clearly seemed to know her pretty well.

"Good. Excuse me, dear, while I go finish freshening up for the morning," Helen smiled once more before turning and heading back to her and her husband's room.

After preparing the coffee, having known exactly where everything was and what to do, she made her way to the guest bathroom, again somehow knowing the way, and found her tooth brush. It felt very strange not recognizing things and yet recognizing them at the same time. She knew her tooth brush was the green one, her favorite color. Edmund's was the blue one, and Lucy's was the yellow one. 'Tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo, body-wash, sponges, a proper toilet! How I missed the simple conveniences of this world...' she mused. She thought about taking a bath, but oddly enough, couldn't remember if she brought a bag with a change of clothes, and where it would be... odd, she could remember everything else but that! She knew where she lived though, it was just down the street, all she had to do was go 'home' and take a shower there. Ah, she didn't smell bad anyway. Natalie washed up as best she could, brushed her hair, and left.

As she waited for everyone to wake up, she took a walk around the house, looking at the photographs. It was so strange, she knew she had never been here, and yet, she also felt right at home. A certain picture caught her attention and she went over to it, picking it up. It was a photo of the whole family. Mr. Pevensie – John, she recalled, who was just as handsome as his son, sporting almost cropped black hair and a very neat and trimmed beard, Helen, Edmund, Lucy... and Peter and Susan. She frowned thoughtfully, they looked oddly familiar, like most things and people did to her now. They were very young in the picture, probably before they first arrived in Narnia. Natalie smiled fondly at the decidedly unhappy looking Edmund, with his chubby cheeks and little frown. He was certainly a cute little boy and she would make sure to tease him relentlessly when she got a chance.

Edmund. Natalie placed her hand on her belly and blushed. Oh, God, that's right! She was pregnant! She was torn between feeling incredibly worried and incredibly elated. This was nineteen forty-eight... which meant getting knocked up before marriage was a definite no-no and if people found out, she would probably be shunned and exiled to like Siberia, or something! She could just imagine it now, huddled with her baby in an igloo forced to eat her own boots. Shaking her head at her ridiculous imagination, she set the photo back down and took a shaky breath. Okay, so she must be a little under a week or so late, maybe a week at most... she still had time to figure out what to do! Surely Aslan wouldn't have sent her here only to cause her more stress! Unless this was another lesson or test? Natalie sighed and sat back down on the couch. At least she knew Edmund would never leave her side, he was just that amazing a man. Even if he had not wanted to have a child, she knew he would always be there for her. The thought brought her comfort.

'I'm having Edmund's baby!' She thought, a wide grin splitting across her face and she fell back against the couch. She wondered if it was a boy or a girl... what would they name them? Would she be a good mom? She barely knew what a mom was like, besides the ten years she got to know her own... it wasn't exactly enough. Maybe Helen would help? The thought made her smile. Helen felt like an aunt to her already, she was such a kind woman. Even though part of her told her she didn't know her, she knew what type of person she was the moment she woke up to her motherly concerned smile. One thing was for sure, she knew Edmund would make a great dad. She could just imagine him spoiling their daughter rotten to the core, he would be wrapped around her little finger. She could also see him teaching his son to be a gentleman, teaching him to ride a horse, teaching him fencing, and taking him to 'football' games. Another soft smile graced her lips and she placed her hand over her belly again. She never thought in a million years that this would happen. To her of all people! She had spent so long keeping people away from her... and then, in under two months, she made friends, fell in love, and was now having a baby! When this all started, she had been grieving over the loss of her family... now she was about to have one of her own! 'Thank you, Aslan...' Natalie shut her eyes and smiled.

The sound of people coming down the hallway made her look up sharply. She saw John and Helen with Edmund and Lucy in tow. They had been bantering about something and Edmund was blushing. Edmund... their eyes caught each other and they held their gaze. Natalie stood and walked over to them. John and Helen gave them odd looks as they walked passed them. "Edmund," Natalie uttered softly, gazing at him as if she hadn't seen him in years.

"Natalie," Edmund muttered back. They stood there, staring at each other with such awe and fighting the strong urge to run toward each other and express their relief to see each other.

"Why does it sound like the two of you haven't seen each other in years?" Helen laughed. "You saw each other just yesterday!"

"R-Right," Edmund blushed. Of course they did, that's how it felt like to his mother, but for them... well, it was the same really, but there had been that fear that they would wake up and not be with each other anymore! Edmund smiled charmingly at her and held his arm out to her. Natalie smiled back and hooked her own arm around his, letting him 'escort' her to the dining room.

John chuckled to himself as he saw his son acting like a gentleman to a girl, it was certainly a switch to what he was used to seeing from his youngest son! Maybe he missed a lot? He had been gone a long time... first the war, then the trip to America. He hoped his son didn't resent him for it. As they sat down for breakfast, Helen insisted their guest have a seat when the girl tried to offer her assistant with preparing breakfast. John liked Natalie, she was always eager to please, had a good heart, a good head on her shoulders, and knew how to get his son to behave like a gentleman. If Edmund asked the girl to marry him, John would be certainly give them his blessing.

During breakfast that morning, Edmund made sure to sit separate from Natalie, giving her an apologetic smile when she frowned as he pulled away from her slightly. She nodded in understanding, not wanting to bring their... relationship to the attention of his parents either. They sat in opposite ends of the table. Natalie glanced at him and smiled a little painfully. "So how was your trip to America?" Edmund asked, trying to distract himself from wanting to go over there and pull Natalie into an embrace. He had a feeling she was doing that on purpose.

"I thought we spoke about this before? It went well, actually, very well... I um, well, I might have news to discuss with all of you, after breakfast," John smiled at his wife as she poured him some coffee. "Thank you, love."

"Where is Susan?" Lucy asked, taking a bite of her toast.

"Are you children quite alright?" Helen frowned in concern. It was as if they had forgotten months worth of events! "She is still staying with her friend in America, finishing her studies before winter break," she explained.

"Right! I'm sorry, that must have slipped my mind!" Lucy blushed, hiding her embarrassment behind a glass of orange juice.

"Natalie, dear, would you like some more?" Helen offered her some more scrambled eggs.

"Yes, please," Natalie accepted. She hadn't had scrambled eggs in years! Odd, they had eggs in Narnia, but not once since she was there had she had any scrambled!

After breakfast, John wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled once more as his wife took his empty dish. He waited for her to sit back down and placed his hands folded over the table. "As I have mentioned before, I have some important news," he began, getting their attention. "There may be a possibility that I'll be going back to America, temporarily. They dean of Harvard, Richard, and I got along famously and he'd like me to teach one of the theological classes until the original professor gets over his pneumonia," John explained. "I have some miles saved up if any of you would like to come with?"

"How exciting!" Lucy's eyes shone. "It sounds positively marvelous, dad!"

"Unfortunately, I only have enough miles saved for one more ticket..." He gave his wife an apologetic look. Helen grinned and waved it off.

"You should go, Lu," Edmund smiled.

"Edmund, you would let your sister go?" John looked at his youngest son in surprise. He was aware how much his son had wanted to visit America, and he had also been aware of how selfish he was, at least, when he was but a boy. He certainly changed a lot since the last time he saw the boy! Again, he felt regret for not being there for a lot of the boy's life.

"Of course," Edmund smiled at his father.

John narrowed his eyes suspiciously when his son's eyes ventured over to the quite girl on the other side of the table. Ah hah. He smirked. "I see," he answered in amusement. So he did have an ulterior motive? It wasn't just from the kindness of his heart, though he had no doubt it was as well. He caught his son's eye again and chuckled when the boy blushed and looked back down at his unfinished plate of food. "Then it's settled. If I choose to accept this temporary position, I'll take Lucy with me," he smiled at the excitement in his daughter's eyes.

Later that morning, Edmund found Natalie helping his mom in the kitchen, even when she had been told she hadn't needed to lift a finger. Edmund smiled, leaning against the door and watching her. After a few moments, his mom excused herself to get the laundry and thanked Natalie for finishing up. Natalie had not noticed him. As he watched her drying the dishes, he imagined their son or daughter next to her, playing with pots and pans as a baby. He could also see them a little older, helping her as best they could, or tugging on her dress and putting their little arms around her, hugging their mama. He felt an embarrassing lump of emotions clog his throat and he forced himself to clear his throat, walking over to her. "Ed," Natalie turned her head over to smile at him as she dried the dish she was working on.

"Natalie, can we talk in private? My room perhaps?" He asked, taking a wet dish and helping her dry them with an extra cloth. He knew what he had to do now, not only did he want it badly, for very selfish reasons, but it was also the smartest thing to do, especially with Natalie pregnant.

"Oh, um..." Natalie blushed. 'Talking' with him usually meant the opposite. "I don't think that would be appropriate..."'

"I really mean talking this time," Edmund blushed just as brightly. "Not that the other kind of talking hasn't crossed my mind..." he added in a whisper so only she could hear. Natalie's heart sped up and she turned back to the dishes, biting her lip. Oh it crossed her mind as well! Several times she had to keep herself from going over to him, putting her arms around him, and kissing him. She wanted him to hold her so badly it was almost painful. And now that they were alone... but no, Helen or John could walk in at any moment! Their eyes met once more and it was everything they could do to stop from dropping the dishes they held and jumping each other.

"You two can talk in the drawing room," Lucy said as she walked in, mercifully cutting through the building tension between them. "I wasn't eaves dropping, I promise, I just came in to see if I could help too," she smiled at them. "Go on, I'll finish up here and make an excuse for you," she motioned them to skedaddle.

Natalie followed Edmund to the small study, glancing curiously at the bookshelves, spotting some interesting literature she might one day like to look into. She nearly collided with Edmund when he stopped in the middle of the room. He turned sharply and she saw an array of emotions spill over his eyes. "Ed?" She probed, wondering what was troubling him so much.

"Nat..." he frowned thoughtfully. "You love me, right?"

"Of course, what sort of a question is that?" She raised an eyebrow. Now she was getting worried. "Ed... you're not, dying, are you?" She asked, gripping the back of the office chair she stood by.

"No! No, of course not," Edmund assured her.

"Then what is it? I haven't seen you look this serious since..." Natalie trailed off. By the look in his face, she figured she didn't need to finish.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized. "What I want to ask is, will you..." he trailed off again and gathered his thoughts. Natalie's eyes widened when he slipped down onto one knee. He couldn't be... but he didn't even have a- but was he really-? "Look, I know we haven't known each other that long, and I know you have this fear of losing loved ones, but... if you think you can risk it, would you consider... will you.. uh, the thing is, the baby will also need a f-father, so it would also... but not just because you're pregnant! I want to as well! You have no idea how much! So, um, will you?" Edmund stampered, squirming slightly and wincing at how foolish he sounded.

He was! Oh holy crap he was! "Ed, are you... asking me to marry you?" Natalie asked wide-eyed, her heart hammering away against her chest.

"Would that be so terrible?" He asked cautiously.

"I..." Natalie was speechless. She had only met him over a month ago... and yet, somehow she just couldn't picture her life without him. She loved him, she was in love with him, wholeheartedly, and truly could see the two of them spending the rest of their lives together. Besides, he was incredibly right! Why hadn't she thought of that? Their baby would need a father and she wanted to be married to him before they had him or her! Not only would it save them from humiliation, but it was simply the right thing to do... not to mention she also really wanted to.

"Nat?" Ed asked, worry clouding his eyes. "I- I know I don't have a ring to give you, yet, and I know this is sudden, but-"He gasped softly when he suddenly found her in his arms. Natalie grinned and kissed him. "So... Is that a yes?" Edmund asked with a grin.

"Yes, you silly boy! I'll marry you!" Natalie laughed, joyously. Edmund laughed with her, picking her up and spinning her around, before setting her back down and kissing her. Their kiss was a passionate one, filled with hope, joy, love, and desire. They kissed with all of their being. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck, running a hand through his hair. Their tongues finally met after a week and they moaned in blissful pleasure. The kiss slowed, their mouths moved against each other at a deliberate pace, and their hands gripped each other tighter, pulling each other closer. They pulled away with breathless gasps when lack of oxygen became too much to ignore. Their grasp on each other tightened and their eyes locked. Their hearts beat with equal fervency. If they didn't leave the drawing room right now, there would be a big problem. Luckily, Lucy must have either heard them, or sensed a change.

"Am I interrupting something?" Lucy smiled as she stood at the door. She raised a brow as they pulled away from each other like they did when they first started flirting. She might have seemed oblivious and innocent to them, but she wasn't stupid. She knew when they were flirting with each other and knew when they tried to hide it. Neither of them had been very good at it.

"No, you're not," Natalie almost sounded relieved and gave Edmund an almost painful look as she walked out of the drawing room.

"Is everything alright?" Lucy asked her brother, frowning in concern as they followed Natalie out.

"Yes, it's just hard not to act... like we usually do with each other, in front of mum and dad, you know?" Edmund rubbed the back of his neck. "I miss just holding her, let alone..." he trailed off with a blush.

"Uh- right," Lucy blushed as well. "Well, come on, before mum and dad start to wonder," she said.

"Hey you guys? One sec, I had a question..." Natalie began, halting their steps. Natalie had intended to go and see if she could help Helen out some more, but then remembered what she wanted to ask them. She just had to know what happened after they stepped through the portal, as the fresh memories she attained didn't explain that little detail.

"What is it, love?" Edmund tilted his head in question.

Natalie found it amazing that a simple petname like that could still cause her heart to flutter. "How did I end up on the couch? I thought stepping through the portal would, I don't know, dump me somewhere or something?"

"It did... you were unconscious," Edmund explained. "We rolled out from under Lucy's bed-"

"-Come again?" Natalie interrupted. Her brow rose as she stared at him incredulously.

Edmund smiled and shrugged. "The door to Narnia is sometimes in the last places you'd expect. Anyway, I carried to you the couch... I um, didn't think it'd be wise to take you to my room," he grinned sheepishly.

"It's a good thing you didn't," Natalie smiled back. Taking Natalie's hand, Edmund kissed her palm lovingly.

"Come on, you lovebirds," Lucy grinned at them, still finding them together the cutest thing ever. The three went to the family room, where John Pevensie had some classical music playing as he read the paper. Edmund walked over to the front with Natalie, her hand still in his. She beamed at him and nodded, agreeing to this readily, knowing what he wanted to do.

"May I have your attention? I have- we, have an announcement to make..." Edmund began, fighting off a blush at his father's knowing look. John turned off the music and sat with his wife on the couch while Lucy took the armchair. Edmund felt Natalie squeeze his hand reassuringly when he paused, unsure how to proceed. He looked over at her and his eyes softened, "I asked Natalie to marry me... she agreed," he told his family without looking away from Natalie's eyes. As expected, Lucy squealed happily, clapping her hands and grinning at them so brightly he swore her teeth were shining. She knew this was going to happen, could almost sense it, but that didn't make her any less excited to hear!

"That's fantastic, son!" John grinned as well.

Edmund looked over with wide eyes. "I have your blessing?" He asked, surprised by how pleased his father was.

"Absolutely! Your choice in a wife couldn't be better!" He smiled at Natalie, who blushed in embarrassment and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you," Edmund grinned. 'I would have married her even without his blessing, nothing would keep me away from her, but I'm glad he agrees,' he thought, feeling relieved that his dad was on board with this. It would have been hard to disappoint him, so he was glad he didn't have to worry about that.

"May I be the first to welcome you to the family, dear!" Helen walked around the table and hugged her.

"Thanks," Natalie smiled, still blushing, and hugged her back as best she could.

"You're going to be my sister!" Lucy gushed.

"Lu, you already have a great sister," Natalie reminded her with a fond smile.

"True, but it never hurts to have two!" Lucy countered, still beaming.

"Natalie, we may not have a whole lot of money, but I'll make sure you have a good wedding," John smiled fondly.

"Oh! Please, let me help! I do have money saved up. I would feel horrible if you took care of everything, please?" Natalie requested.

"Well, alright, you may help a little, but only if you'll let me walk you down the isle," John held his hand out. "Deal?"

Natalie grinned and took his hand, shaking it. "Deal!"

TBC...

End A/N: I had difficulty with this chapter, for some reason. YEAH! WOO! They're getting married! For the record, I thought of the proposal scene far before I started watching Merlin (BBC) so the similarities are completely coincidental! By the way, I have NO IDEA what Edmund and Lucy's dad's name is, there's no record anywhere of his name, so I gave him one. I hope ya'll liked the family bonding! I was listening to "Tonight" by Jaci Velasquez when writing this chapter! Or, at least,when writing the proposal part lol. Feedback, please!

"Tonight, I want to live in your world, where the stars come out and call you beautiful..."

- Jaci Velasquez, "Tonight".

Shout-Out:

OlleiPattson: And I love your reviews! :D

Allie Danger: Lol I'm glad you liked it!

Guest: Yes, well, that's me! As thorough as could be! Wee! LOL! When I start to make things rhyme, you know it's passed my bedtime! XD

narnias no.1fan: Haha, I thought you were? One of your reviews led me to believe you knew she was pregnant? Unless you meant the going to England part? Yeah, I wanted to be a little original!