Where the Sidewalk Ends

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kristen, my very own, customize as you wish character.

Chapter Seventeen: Jacob and Anabela

((Thanks for all the reviews. Here's the next one. Sorry it took so long))

"But she was dead"

"How do you know for sure, King Peter?"

"Because she had no pulse!"

An elderly man in black sating robes and a large bag clamped tightly in his right hand shook his head. Peter's eyes glared angrily back at the old man as he folded his arms over his chest. This man was really pushing his buttons.

"Well all I know is that girl was very much alive when I was done with her!" the doctor finally said, as he swept himself out of Kristen's bedroom with a fury. He let out a hissy sigh of fury and stomped down the hall, leaving Peter alone with the sleeping, injured Queen.

It had been 4 days since Peter had had the freaky teleportation thing to Kristen. All of Narnia had been thrown into frenzy at the word of her return, and the country became even more chaotic at news that she was dead. But the finest doctors and potion makers had come to see her and they all had said the same thing; Kristen was not dead.

Peter found this ever so odd. He'd watch her take her last breath. He'd felt her take her last grasp. He'd listened to her take her last words. He'd felt her fall into his arms. He even checked her pulse and didn't find one after she had fallen. He was sure that she was dead. But when they got transported back into the palace, the doctors all rushed to her and some how, in some way, they managed to revive her. It left him confused though, because they had all said that she had only fragments of life when they tended to her. But he was sure she was dead.

((This One's for DreamlessMermaid! Another boom Aslan moment!))

The eldest king glanced over his shoulder to her sleeping body, only letting his eyes linger on her for a few seconds. Her body looked so small and fragile. She had lost a lot of weight during her time from the castle. Baldur had more then likely starved her and she probably hadn't taken enough food to survive while eating regularly. She had diminished to almost nothing. He hated seeing her like that, but he was more then grateful she was now under his watchful eye.

"It's quite…curious, isn't it Peter?" Aslan said, breaking the silence of midday that always haunted the palace. Ever since Kristen had been back, Lucy, Edmund and Susan had been assigned to keeping the Narnian people up to date and happy while doing a lot of damage control. Not only that, but also preparing the troops in case Baldur came looking for her. Peter had been assigned to guarding Kristen.

"She was dead. No matter what they say, she was dead." Peter said as he strode over to the window and peered out it, resting his elbows on the windowsill ledge. The day was perfect; sun was shining brightly in the clear, blue Narnia sky. The air smelled sweetly of the roses and other flowers that always bloomed during this time of year. Yet in the midst of all this perfection, he wouldn't be happy till he saw her open her eyes. He wouldn't be happy until her saw her alive.

"No one can awaken the dead Peter. Not even I can" Aslan said, walking over to the king and sitting beside him. The cat's large, amber eyes bore intently into the side of Peter's face, waiting for a reaction. He got one when Peter turned to look at him.

"I don't know what you'd want me to say. She was dead, I knew she was" he replied angrily, getting more and more frustrated every time someone doubted him. He didn't need someone else's opinion to tell him what he already knew. She had been dead. End of story.

"I am not doubting that. But somehow between her dying and her getting back here, she was somehow, revived. Have you ever heard of the story of Jacob and Anabela?" Aslan asked casually, not evening acknowledging how random the topic he had brought up was.

At Peter's silence, Aslan began to explain.

"Thousands and thousands of years ago, a great king ruled over Narnia. King Jacob had ruled for over 20 years and at the age of 39, decided to give himself up for his people in the form of bait. What he did was very similar to what Kristen did only days ago. Only secretly, he had been having an affair with this women, Anabela, and one day when she was walking in her garden she came across his dead body. They over course, had had a deep, fairy tale romance love and at the sight of his body, she ran over to him and held him tightly. One of her tears managed to roll onto his and miraculously, he became a live again"

Peter yawned in fake sarcasm. Who knew Narnia had their own version of Romeo and Juliet? He looked at the lion expectantly, waiting to hear that what he had just said was garbage. But Aslan stayed silent, returning his expectant glare.

"So what, the tears of Kings can cure people?" Peter drew out finally, searching for the only link between the two stories. What the devil did some love sick king have to do with him and Kristen?

"No. It means one tear from your own true love will cure any ailment. It will also reverse death" Aslan said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Peter's scoff of laughter rang out in the room. He was too smart to believe something like that.

"Ok Aslan. So you're saying that Kristen's my true love are you?" the King asked, his voice growing louder. This cat was getting just a little too annoying for this taste.

"Nnhmmmm" A cross between a moan and groan drew both their attentions towards the bed, where Kristen's head was turning lazily in the pillow. Like statues, they stayed perfectly still as they watched her bring her hand to her head, rub her eyes and then open them. She blinked.

"Peter?" she said as she looked around the room looking for him. She didn't want to try to move her head, so her eyes batted around from side to side, trying to find him. Somehow, she knew he'd be there. In seconds, she felt a warm hand take her right one and his face finally came into view, a smile of appreciation on his face.

"Welcome back" he said as he looked at her. Her body may have been different, but her eyes remained the same. As deep and dark as they always were.

"Could you help me sit up? I want to see where I am" she mumbled hoarsely, her throat growing dry. She felt insanely hungry and severely dehydrated. She was wondering how long she had been out.

Carefully, he slipped off his shoes and walked around to the other side of the bed and hopped on. He crawled over to her and gently, he helped her sit up and sat behind her to support her body. She rested her back against his chest and as she bended, her hands immediately went to her bandaged stomach. He felt her body clench in pain.

"Shhs...its ok" he said quietly to her, gently taking her hands off her stomach. She let herself be lowered into his protective area and she rested against him, grateful that someone was there to support her. Everything from the past week had been a huge blur, but she was sure glad to be back. She was sure glad to be back at home. Where she belonged.

Minutes later, she saw at the end of the hallway the 3 other Pevensies come bounding up the stairs and run towards her room. They were careful not to hurt her as they sat beside her on the bed, but their excitement could be felt in the next room practically.

"You're awake! We missed you so much Kristen!" Lucy squealed childishly as she happily clapped her hands together. And over the next few hours, they ate a huge meal and talked about what she had been through. All the memories came flooding back, but surprisingly, they didn't haunt her. She knew her experiences would make her stronger.

"We actually just got news that his army is retreating. Something about you being a great witch that will destroy us all. I think he got scared when you ran away! Someone finally broke free from Baldur!" Edmund said gleefully as they moved on to desert. Although Kristen wanted to eat everything in sight, Peter made sure she ate very little to help get her body used to her regular diet again.

"You don't want to over eat, it'll just make things worse" he said to her whisperingly so that the others couldn't hear him, not that they would anyways since Lucy and Edmund were having an animated argument over some small insignificant fact, She glanced slowly over her shoulder, but not enough to catch his eyes. She was grateful that he cared to much, but why now? She didn't want to, but she couldn't help but doubt him.

Finally the day drew to a close and instead of separating to their different rooms, they had an extra mattress brought up and they all slept beside her, Peter on her right and Edmund on her left, as if to protect her. As the final candle blew out and darkness swept over the room, she couldn't help but start thinking about Baldur. The darkness reminded her of him. She tried to think of something else, but her mind always brought her to the darkness of his camp. The darkness of her tent. The darkness of that room. She began to shake.

He had slowly begun to feel tiny vibrations, but as they got stronger he opened his eyes. Infront of him, her body was trembling and her eyes were squeezed shut, as if to block out some unwanted thoughts. He was startled, but not surprised. Slowly, he kept his eyes shut to make her think that he was sleeping, but he brought his arm up and put it around her and pulled her towards him. He immediately felt her trembling stop.

Oh how absence makes the heart grow fonder...or is it stronger?

((Author's Note: Long Chappie...I think. Very fluffy, but I'm writer's blocked. Read and Review it, capiche?))