She sat watching as he moved around the room picking up item after item.

"And this?"

"A magazine." She smiled and pulled her knees up under her chin, settling in.

He'd spent over half an hour looking around the living room at items that would never be seen in Narnia. She was loving every second of it.

"This?" her face fell as she saw what he was pointing to now.

She stood up and walked towards him.

"This, this is my father's record player." She said in barely a whisper. Her fingers reached out and created lines in the dust before she moved to lift off the lid.

"Record player?" he repeated.

She turned around to find him right behind her.

"It plays music." She smiled broadly as his dark eyes scanned the machine. "I'll show you."

Reaching down she pulled out a handful of records that hadn't seen day light in months now.

Flicking through she pulled out a frayed cover. "This was one of my favourites growing up." She said as she handed it to him.

"Swan Lake Waltz." He read

"It's from a ballet." She nodded, watching as his face became puzzled again. "It's a type of dance. Very graceful and elegant."

"May we listen to some?" She hesitated slightly. "Only if you would like to of course." He continued.

She just smiled and nodded.

Fumbling slightly she pulled it from its sleeve and placed it on the player, gently lifting the needle and readying it.

The music started and she felt a shiver running up her arms as the familiar notes filled the room. She closed her eyes and was transported back to evenings dancing around the room with Lucy pretending to be ballerinas. Before she knew it there was tears in her eyes again. Her hands raised to cover her mouth as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

He stepped forwards and took her hands in his pulling her close he wrapped her up in his embrace.

Her sobs were lost into the warmth of his chest, a feeling of safety envelope her.

Caspian began to sway slowly, holding her close. They moved with the music until the knot in her chest subsided and she could breathe again.

"It is beautiful." He whispered to the top of her head, following with the ghost of a kiss. She nodded gently.

The moment was broken by the loudest stomach rumble she had ever heard, he moved back quickly holding his hand up, "Oh Susan forgive me I…" he started to apologise only to be cut off by her.

She was laughing.

Susan Pevensie was clutching her stomach laughing.

He couldn't help but smile too. Her laughter was a joyous sound, and he was sure the world had been deprived of it for too long now.

"Thank you." She said as she finished laughing. "Let's get some food."

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

"She just appeared in my dream, looking the very same as the last time I'd seen her. She called to me and told me you were alone and needed me. I asked her how I could get to you and she smiled and told me…" he cut off she noticed the faintest trace of redness

"What?" Susan whispered.

"…to think about how much I love you. To keep you in my heart and I would find a way."

"Oh…"she sat back in her chair.

"I love you Susan. I don't believe I've told you that." She blushed furiously. Unsure of where in the kitchen to look. "It is quite the thing to declare but it is completely true."

She put down the chunk of bread she was holding and smiled broadly.

"King Caspian I do believe I love you too."

He gasped a laugh and smiled even wider than before.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that." He said sadly. "When you left me I didn't know what to do. I was so grateful to have things to distract me."

"Things?" She smiled and took his hands in hers. "That's what you call running a newly reunited kingdom? Things?" he laughed.

"Does that not tell you how much I love you." He grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"You were only a child." She whispered.

"I'm not any more." He replied.

"No you are not." She shook her head.

"And I still feel butterflies every time I look at you."

She stared into his soft brown eyes and felt her own stomach fill with flutters. She lifted their hands to her face and kissed his knuckles lightly.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

"It works like this…." She twisted the silver knob and the water started. "… and that one controls the temperature if it's too hot turn it this way and if it's too cold the other way." She said switching it back off again. "There's towels there and soap and things there." she gestured around the room to each object. Then watched as he looked around the room again. "Will you be ok?"

"How different everything is here."

"You can say that again." she smiled and nodded. "But you get used to it."

It took her a few seconds to realise he had begun undoing his tunic and was pulling it over his head. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked down to the floor "I… um I'll just…" she turned to leave and knocked off the door. Stilling herself she took a second and walked out of the room, face blazing red and heart pounding wildly.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

Susan smiled slightly at the memory.

"I had to dress him in my brother's clothes and my father's shoes. It was the first time I had gone near their things, but the necessity made it easier. He couldn't stay in the same tunic forever."

She said still smiling. "His sudden arrival was the wake-up call I desperately needed, I had lost my family and in the aftermath, I had lost myself. Your father brought me back to life."

Cassidy looked up at her mother from the position she'd taken up on the floor, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

"you kept this all to yourself for so long." she managed to say. "How?"

"How could I not? I didn't want to give you false hope that he may return. I could feel it myself that he would not. And he has not…" she trailed off.

Lucy looked between her mother and grandmother, completely unable to think of a thing to say. The two strongest women she knew were crying uncontrollably and she could do nothing to help them.

"How long was he with you?" Cassidy spoke again softly

"Quite a while." Susan nodded absentmindedly, memory taking over again.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

"thank you." He smiled down at her and she patted the tie lightly.

"You do know you don't have to wear this right now yes?" she smiled.

"I do. But I asked what men in your world wear and I want to try it all. Although I cannot understand why you would tie a strip of cloth around your neck."

"Apparently, it originated as a part of soldiers uniform, does that help?"

"A little." he nodded, and smoothed it down again.

She took a step back and took him in.

If she had thought going through her brothers wardrobe had been difficult, seeing Caspian standing before her in their clothes was worse. He sensed her unease immediately.

"I do not have to wear this Susan. We can…"

"You look very smart." She cut him off, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I may just fit in around here then." He said attempting to copy her accent. She smiled for a brief second.

"I hope you are here long enough to fit in completely." She said earnestly.