Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything that is from C.S. Lewis's work. This is just an idea I had, and thought to get it out. Movie based, thank you very much.
A/N: The next few chapters are going to be rather spiritual, perhaps not this chapter, but the future ones may be. Given the content or C.S. Lewis's original (and brilliant) works, I don't see a problem with that - in fact, it seems very appropriate to me. But, in case that really offends people (which, c'mon, it shouldn't. This is Fan-fiction, people!) then too bad. I'm still writing it.
A/N: The next few chapters are going to be rather spiritual, perhaps not this chapter, but the future ones may be. Given the content or C.S. Lewis's original (and brilliant) works, I don't see a problem with that - in fact, it seems very appropriate to me. But, in case that really offends people (which, c'mon, it shouldn't. This is Fan-fiction, people!) then too bad. I'm still writing it.
It was Susan who spotted her first.
The remaining three Pevensie's (well, in Susan's case, she was no longer a Pevensie, but instead a Forrester, having married a very nice man by that last name; yet, she was still a Pevensie in her heart, and considered herself so when she met with her three siblings) had just been wondering where Lucy was, and if perhaps she'd gone back on her promise even though she wasn't the kind to do so.
Peter was standing with his arms folded, facing the bench on which Susan was sitting. Expectant with her third child, she wasn't in the mood to stand. Edmund sat beside her, turned half way so that he could speak with both Peter and Susan comfortably. They'd been speaking about Lucy, and how concerned they were about her. Peter had been currently trying to dig the full truth of what was bothering her out of Edmund, but Edmund, ever one to uphold his promises, said he could not unless Lucy agreed.
"Well, fine then," Peter was saying, "But where is she? She did promise, didn't she?"
"Yes she did, and I believe she'll be coming. She seemed eager to get in the sun, I think," Edmund said, toying aimlessly with a string from Susan's sleeve.
"Oh dear," Susan said suddenly, almost sharply. Peter and Edmund looked at her, their first thoughts turning to her expectant stomach, and wondering if all was well. But, she quickly pointed behind Peter, where it was that Lucy had come running around the great hedge, looking terribly upset. "Something's very wrong!" Susan said, getting to her feet as quickly as she could, which wasn't very quick at all.
"Sit, Su," Peter ordered (only half way there, Susan plopped back down on the bench gratefully, though she did give him a slap on the arm for the order). "You don't need to get up… Lucy?" He called, "What's wrong?"
Out of breath, and red faced, Lucy stopped about five feet from them and glowered at Edmund. "How – could – you?" she panted. Running and crying wasn't easy.
Edmund, who had gotten to his feet, took a step back. "How could I what? What have I done?"
Lucy's eyes were burning now. "How could you all do this to me! And you, Ed, I trusted you!"
"Lucy," Susan said, reasonably, "Dear, I'm afraid we don't know what you mean – what have we done?"
"Yes, Lu," Peter added, "What's all this about, anyhow?"
She wiped furiously at her eyes, "Don't 'Lu' me! Where'd you find him? Huh? Oh, yes, it was all jolly good to try and take Lucy's mind off her heart by throwing every boy you find that you think she might fancy at her, but this is too much! How could you have told them, Edmund? How could you have told them about Mr. Tumnus?"
Peter and Susan looked at each other in surprise. It had been a very long time since they'd heard that name, but it wasn't one any of them would ever forget. Edmund, only giving them a brief glance, stepped toward Lucy, "I didn't tell them, Lucy, I swear it!" he said.
She put her hands to her face, "Oh you liar! How else could it be? You've gone and found someone who looks likes him, to try and make me forget him!" she said, crying once more, "He even confessed he knew Susan, so don't lie to me!"
Susan, still seated on the bench, frowned, "Who knows me? Lucy, dear, please stop this hysteria and explain yourself!"
"Thomas Holt," she spat, "Don't pretend you don't know him!"
The three siblings looked at one another before turning to Lucy. Peter cleared his throat and spoke softly to his youngest sister, "We're not pretending, Lucy, nor are we lying to you. None of us know this chap you're speaking of… why don't you come sit down by Susan, here, and explain what has happened to make you so upset?"
Lucy stood for a moment, furiously trying to detect the lie in his voice… but it wasn't there at all. Sniffling, she frowned at her shoes, more out of confusion and heartache than out of anger or embarrassment. Her mind was spinning so fast, and her heart was aching…
Edmund gently took her arm and walked her to the bench. She sat down and Susan wrapped her arm around her. Lucy, tired and hurt, began to explain – briefly what she had confided in Edmund, of her feelings towards her old friend, and then of the man she'd met on her way.
She'd only begun to explain about him, and didn't get to finish, because he'd followed her, as fast as he could (which, like Susan getting up off the bench, wasn't very fast at all)
"Lucy, please!" he called out to her as he approached, apparently with some difficulty, "Please let me explain!"
Peter and Edmund, at once seeing that they did not know this person, as Lucy had originally thought, stepped in front of their sisters protectively (while this fellow wasn't all too different than Edmund in size, Peter was very tall and large, just as he had while he was in Narnia originally, and was rather intimidating). There they remained for a few minutes until the man, Thomas Holt (as Lucy had told them) had approached them better. They didn't, after all, want to go shouting and drawing unneeded attention.
"Who are you?" Edmund demanded once he had come within earshot.
He stopped and looked up, "Oh… I'm Thomas, Thomas Holt. Pleased to meet you…" he trailed off, seeing the Pevensie's as if he'd never seen a person before. The young man swallowed hard, which everyone present noticed.
"Why," Peter began in his deep voice, "Have you come to torment our Sister? And how is it that you know us?"
The man looked around at the four siblings, then slowly hung his head. "I'm a bad… person," he said to himself with a sigh. Then he rose his head and met Peter's gaze without flinching. "I know."
While Peter didn't look away, Edmund glanced at Susan. She shrugged at him, seemingly as confused as he was. Lucy presently had her face buried in Susan's shoulder.
"What do you know?" Peter asked, calmly but sternly. He didn't want to let this chap do his sister any harm, but he knew he himself, along with his siblings, were curious to know more of what the man had to say.
Thomas took a deep breath to steady himself, glanced around the park to see if anyone was nearby (which, no one was) and took a small step closer to the Pevensies.
"I know more than you think I would," he said in a quiet voice. "I… know about Narnia," Susan gasped at this, "And I know that… once king or queen of Narnia, always a king of queen… Majesties," this last word came out as a whisper. All the Pevensies looked at one another, even Lucy, who now had her head up .
Edmund, now genuinely curious, asked, "How do you know about Narnia? How could you know all that, and about us?"
Thomas Holt closed his eyes and gripped the handle of his cane tighter. "I… I was born there."
A/N: Sorry about the bit of a cliffhanger here, I really didn't mean to make it one, but it was the best place for a chapter break. But, this is a good thing - the next chapter will be up soon, maybe even today! I swear this is the fastest fic writing I've ever done... this story almost writes itself! Enjoy! (And please review!)