AN: I am so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean to not update for such a long time! I have a lot of pressure from school right now, and about a million different things I'm supposed to do. I also had some serious writer's block and a really hard time writing this chapter in general. It's sort of this in-between chapter I had to write to get to where I want the story to go, but I wasn't really sure what, exactly I would put in it. On this note, I apologize if any of you find this chapter dull or boring; I assure you better things are coming up ahead! (Although it may take me some time to update again).

Enough with my blabbering! You guys want to read, and not my [rather] lame excuses!

Also, thank you to all those who added this story to their alerts and took the time to review; those reviews make my day

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, only the plot. These characters belong to the great and marvelous C. who has oh-so-kindly made them up and shared them with the world. So thank you C.S. Lewis for this, and thank you to the makers of the Narnia movies (another thing I do not own nor am a part of) for bringing these wonderful stories to life and creating Suspian.

Homecoming, I'm coming
My sweet mistake
Summer's over, hope it's not too late
I'm pacing, impatient
Up in my head

…

I'm coming home, I wanna know
When all the leaves begin to fall
If I'm falling, falling apart for you

…

Descending, I'm spinning
Lost all defense
How could you swallow me again?
I left you, I meant to
Couldn't let you in

-Homecoming, Hey Monday

5. Returning To England

It was strange being back in England. Though it had only been three months since she had last been here, it felt like it had been eternity.

As she walked down the bridge plank, Susan looked out at the city. It was an unusually nice morning for London, though the city looked just the same as ever.

Susan had her suitcase in her hand, and her parents followed behind her. They all made their way down to the dock, and from there out, towards the street. They stopped at the port's exit and caught a taxi. Soon, the arrived at their house.

Susan watched as her father pulled a key out of the pocket of his trousers and unlocked the front door. She helped carry in their luggage and put the things in place. Her mother went straight to the study to write a letter to Peter so he'd know he can come back home. Her father was down in the lounge, pulling the sheets off the furniture and dusting the place, so she went to help him. They walked around the house together, pulling off sheets, dusting, and cleaning.

"Susan!" her mother called after a long hour of working.

"Yes mother?" She went to the kitchen where her mother stood with an envelope in her hand.

"I need you to run a few errands. I need you to send this letter to Professor Kirk and go to the market to buy groceries; I have nothing to cook supper and dinner with."

Susan nodded obediently. "Yes mother."

Mrs. Pevensie handed the envelope to her daughter along with some money.

"Before you go to the market, go see your siblings at your aunt and uncle's house. They would be so excited to see you. Have them come shopping with you, if they'd like."

Susan nodded again and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Susan dear! Don't forget to send the letter!"

"I won't Mum!" she called back at her.

She went up to her room and grabbed her purse. She put the money in it and slung it across her body. Then she fetched the basket her mother always used when she went grocery-shopping.

With all those and the letter in hand, Susan made way to her first stop—the post office.

She didn't spend much time there; she made sure the letter had the right address on it, a stamp (which she paid for) and left as silently as she had come.

Next, Susan made her across town to her aunt and uncle's house. It was a warm, humid day—as befitting a late summer day in London—and Susan felt her skin become moist. She was most relieved when a breeze began to blow and somewhat relieved the heat. Overall it was a rather nice day, and Susan enjoyed her walk, despite having to walk quite a distance. Her basket hung in the crook of her elbow, and she walked quietly across the streets of London.

She had walked for almost an hour when she finally reached the house. She walked up the few steps and knocked on the door.

She was grateful that she had arrived. Her body was not as strong as it had once been, and the long walk took a toll on her. Her skinny legs ached with the effort they had once been able to endure all too easily.

The door opened and a smiling Lucy appeared before her. At the sight of her older sister, Lucy's eyes became large and her smile turned exuberant. She leapt at her sister and wrapped her arms around her, pulling Susan into a tight hug.

Lucy frowned. There wasn't as much to hug as she had remembered. Susan was too bony under her hands.

She pulled away and looked at her sister who smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Susan, is everything alright?"

"Of course it is, silly! I've missed you Lucy; how have you been?"

Lucy dived in to her stories, telling her sister everything there was to tell about the summer—though she did not speak of Narnia—and let them both in.

"Lu, who was that at the door?" a young man's voice called from upstairs. The two sisters paused at their bottom as the watched Edmund rush down in quick steps.

Susan admired how much he had grown over the summer. He had become taller and more muscular, losing the boyish features and chubbiness he had once had. His facial features had almost become those of a young man, and his voice had grown lower. Though she had already watched this change occur once, it was still strange to her to see Edmund so grown up.

"Su!" he cried in joy and enveloped his older sister in a tight embrace. Just as Lucy had, he noticed the change in his sister, but made no comment about it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as they parted.

"We just came back this morning. I'm running errands for Mum; she said I should come see you."

"Just this morning, hey?" Edmund raised an eyebrow. "And she already has you doing chores?"

Susan smiled softly at her brother. "She and Dad are cleaning up the house; she sent me to buy groceries for supper and dinner."

"We'll come with you!" Lucy piped up cheerfully.

"I would like that. But wouldn't Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta mind?" Susan furrowed her brow and looked down at her little sister.

Edmund laughed. "Have us out of the house of our own will? Not only would they not mind, but they would be happy! Besides, it's just us here at the moment, Uncle is at the office and Aunt Alberta took Eustace to the dentist."

Susan nodded. "Alright then, come along."

The left the house and made sure to lock behind them.

As they walked, Lucy continued to tell Susan about their summer with their cousin.

"He's changed so much since we were in Narnia, he's almost fun sometimes now," she elucidated.

Susan's heart faltered and she stopped. Edmund glared at Lucy. Then he noticed Susan was no longer with them, so he turned around in search for her. She was a few steps behind, leaning on the banister of one of the houses they had passed, gripping it for support. He went back to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Su?" he asked gently.

"I'm alright;" she huffed, "just got a dizzy spell."

"Can you walk?"

She nodded. "Yes, yes." She let go of the rail and they continued walking.

They walked through the market, and Susan picked vegetables, flour, and other necessities while Edmund made her tell them about her summer in America. She talked about the different people with their strange accents, the different scenery, and the parties. But what her siblings were amused by, was the opposite direction of driving, and they had a hearty good laugh about an incident their father had, driving on the wrong side of the road (no one had been hurt, so they allowed themselves to laugh about it).

Edmund kept glancing back at Susan. Though her voice was clear, it wasn't as loud and strong as it had been. Her eyes didn't shine and her smiles didn't reach them. Once, he saw her hand tremble as she reached to pick the apples. He thought he must be imagining, but her skin seemed paler as well.

They returned to their aunt and uncle's house at a half past noon. Aunt Alberta was already back with Eustace and was in the kitchen, cooking. She called Lucy to help her, and the girl ran to the kitchen obediently. Aunt Alberta was also eager to hear all about her sister's and her family's adventures in America, but Susan apologized and explained she was in a hurry to get home and deliver the groceries to her mother, so she could cook supper. All this while, Edmund lingered around; he insisted on escorting Susan back home. Aunt Alberta eventually caved, and waved off the siblings.

The walk back home took them a little over an hour, to both of their dismay. Susan had become weary from her morning of wandering, and was unable to walk according to Edmund's vigorous pace. Eventually, Edmund shortened his long strides and matched them to Susan's slow pace. They spoke little, most of the stories from the summer had been told—all except those from Narnia, but Edmund didn't dare open the subject with Susan. He was afraid of her reaction to it; in past attempts she had done anything from burst into tears, to yell at them in fury, to completely denying Narnia's existence, and Edmund was in no mood for any of those. He worried about his older sister; she had become more fragile and he was afraid to say or do anything that might upset her, for fear of hurting her. So he simply watched her, trying to learn the changes by observing her behavior.

When they got home, their parents greeted Edmund with big hugs, smiles, and a kiss from his mum. Both of them were just as astonished by how much he had changed as Susan had been. She in turn, walked around the kitchen, putting things in place and beginning to prepare their meal. Her mother joined her shortly after, and the two worked over supper. When she was needed no more, Susan went up to her siblings' rooms and began cleaning and organizing them with Edmund's help. He had stayed after their mother managed to persuade him to join them for supper.

Sometime later, the four of them sat around the dining room table and ate their first meal back in England. At his parent's insistence, Edmund told them of his and Lucy's summer, and listened as they told him of theirs. Edmund sat and paid attention despite having already heard most of the stories from Susan, even laughing at his dad's story of his misfortune with the direction of driving. All in all, it was a good supper, and the food was delicious.

At the end of the meal Susan excused herself, put her dishes in the kitchen sink and left for her room. Edmund stayed behind to help clean the table. Before he left, he climbed to the second story to find Susan, wishing to bid her goodbye.

The door to her room was closed, so he knocked softly on it. There was no answer. He tried again, to no use. He went to the library, and did not find her there either. He searched several more rooms before giving up. He was standing just outside the lavatory when he heard a strange noise coming from inside. The door was not closed completely. He knocked twice, and then pushed it slightly, so that a small gap opened. What he saw shocked him so that his mouth fell slack. Susan was on her knees, grasping the toilet seat with both hands and leaning over it while she vomited.

"Su!" He ran to her and held her hair back. He waited until she was finished and then helped her up. He continued to hover protectively as she washed her face and mouth of the sour taste.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, concern laced through his voice.

For the first time in a month, Susan spoke the truth. She turned to him with a chalk-pale face, a dead expression, and tears in her eyes. "No," she whispered.

AN: As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, and hope to update again next Thursday or Friday.