A/N: Ya'll are seriously awesome. Thank you all for the reviews, faves, and follows! I hope you all enjoy this chapter too! :D
(I could have posted this over two hours earlier, but I keep getting distracted by Hawaii Five-O. Oops. Blame my hubby, lol.)

Chapter notes: Okay, let's face it... there is no set up. It's all story. It's altogether. Yes. Have some plot. *throws pages at you all*

All4Aslan: You are very welcome! I have the headcanon that conversations like that were a dime a dozen and went both ways, lol. I'll admit, James is based a bit on my dad, lol. He doesn't appear very much in this story, but he was definitely the daddiest dad, complete with whatever the 1940's version of dad jokes were, but also completely where they all get their sass and wit.

Chickencomes1st: Here you go, my lovely nonny! :) I'm glad you're enjoying it thus far! I have lots in store for all four of them!

Chapter Three

Edmund was restless. No matter how hard he tried to fall asleep, knowing full well just how early he had to get up in the morning, he just couldn't. The fact that he couldn't seem to sleep only added to his mounting anxiety. Ironic, he thought, considering his worries were what was keeping him up in the first place and now not sleeping was also keeping him from sleeping. Giving in, he sat up with a quiet groan. He was going to be exhausted no matter what, so he might as well not continue to lie in bed, which was only succeeding in furthering his frustration.

Being careful not to disturb his brother - or the rest of the house, for that matter - he shuffled out into the hallway, leaving the door open a crack. He debated for a moment between his father's study or the living room but decided that, as long as he skipped the creaky step, the living room would be better.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was surprised to see a crack of light under the kitchen door. He frowned. Who in their right mind would be up at this time of night? Abandoning his previous destination, he pushed open the door, squinting in the harsh light.

"Su?"

His sister turned from the stove where she was heating water in the kettle and smiled at him. "I'll grab another cup."

He smiled back, sitting down at the kitchen table. "So what are you doing up?"

She set the second cup beside the first on the counter and turned back to the stove as the kettle began to whistle. "Oh, just worrying. Like usual."

"Anything in particular?"

"Lots of things." She paused. "Mostly you, though."

"Well, I think I'm doing quite enough of that for the both of us, so I guess you can go back to bed," he joked.

She smiled. "If only it worked that way."

A few moments passed in silence as Susan prepared their tea and brought the cups to the table.

"Hopefully this will help both of us sleep," she commented as he took a sip.

"You, maybe," he replied, glancing at the clock, "but I would have to get up in a couple of hours as it is. It might be better if I just stay up at this point."

Susan winced. "I didn't realize the hour." She sighed. "Well, I supposed you can sleep once you're on board."

He yawned. "I hope so, but I wonder how much sleep I'll actually get between now and the start of the term. Aslan knows how much I've managed lately as it is."

"I remember when I went over with Mum and Dad a few years ago. It was terribly exciting, but the circumstances are quite different… If I'd been going alone, I'm sure it would have been much the same for me." She paused. "Back then, it was quite strange to be without you three for so long, but now I supposed it's much the same. We're all going to be in different places this term."

"It's going to be really strange," Edmund agreed. "I don't think it's ever quite been this way before."

"It certainly hasn't." Susan took a sip of her tea. "But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. If things never changed, no progress could ever happen. It doesn't pay to be stuck in place your whole life."

"I know, but does it have to be so stressful?" Edmund commented. "I mean, really. This would be so much easier if I could just sleep, but no." He rolled his eyes.

Susan chuckled. "Nothing of worth ever comes easily."

"Not asking for easy, just for sleep." He rubbed at the corners of his eyes. "Hard to sleep when you can't even breathe, though," he added under his breath.

"Well, tea can certainly help with both of those problems," Susan stated. "Hopefully your dorm kitchen will be well-stocked."

"If it isn't when I get there, it soon will be. Hopefully they have good tea in America."

"I thought it was decent when I was there, but I'm not quite as picky as you are, either. But if it's not good enough for you, you'll just have to hold out until Christmastime and take some back to school with you."

Edmund smirked. "Oh, I'm already taking some with me. It won't last the whole term, though."

Susan rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You and your tea…"

His smirk turned into a smile. "I don't know what I'd do without it."

The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence, the siblings content to sip their tea, the only sound the steady ticking of the clock.

"So," Edmund spoke after a moment, "give me more advice for America, Su."

Susan leaned back in her chair. "Well, I don't think I have any beyond what I've told you already. Study hard, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, be yourself, reach out to others." She shrugged. "It may be a different country, but the rules are still the same, you know?"

"'Do unto others,' in other words," he muttered over the rim on his cup.

"I think that sums it up nicely, yes." She paused. "I wish there was more I could say to help ease your mind."

He sighed. "So do I, but I know there isn't anything that would. I just hope it'll be easier to relax once I get there."

Susan smiled. "I think it will be. I don't think your nerves will be quite so on edge once you arrive and start meeting people. Just remember: you won't be the only new student. You may be travelling a bit farther than most, but you're all in the same boat regardless."

"I know…"

Susan leaned forward, catching his gaze. "Just promise me you won't lock yourself in your room when you get there. I know it'll be a bit awkward at first, but if you don't at least try, it's going to be a very long term for you."

Edmund gave a hesitant smile. "I know. I'm going to try. Really."

"Good." She sat back with a grin. "And I fully expect a letter in the first month, detailing everything you're been up to."

His smile widened into a look more genuine. "You know I will."

They finished their tea in companionable silence. When Susan picked up their empty cups and stood to put them in the sink, he said, "You should probably go to bed."

Susan shrugged, glancing out the window. The sky to the east was beginning to grow lighter. "No point now." She turned back to him with a smile. "Let's go out and watch the sunrise."

Edmund stood as well. "Why not?"

Susan unlatched the kitchen door and led the way around to the side of the house where their mum's flower garden was in full bloom still. She sat down on the bench facing east and her brother didn't hesitate to sit beside her.

The air was chilly, but neither really minded. As the silent moments passed by, the world began to come to life as the sun painted red and orange over the deep blue. Birds began to sing in the trees, and the owl turned its head under its wing.

Neither of them had any idea how long they sat, but when noise of breakfast being prepared drifted out to where they sat, Edmund finally murmured, "I suppose we ought to go in."

"I suppose so," Susan agreed, standing stiffly. "The sun has almost fully risen now, and you have a boat to catch."

He stood and followed his sister back around to the kitchen door. When they stepped inside, Lucy greeted them brightly.

"Good morning, Susan. Edmund. It looks to be another lovely day, doesn't it?"

Susan moved to help Lucy with breakfast, and as idle chat about weather and what they were making filled the room, the rest of the family slowly trickled in.

The rest of the morning was a blur for Edmund. He couldn't tell anyone after what he had eaten that morning, only that he had eaten as much as he dared since his nerves made his stomach uneasy. When he had finished, he made short work of preparing to depart, gathering a few last-minute items and stuffing them in one bag or another. He was closing and latching his suitcase when he heard the knock on the door below. His old headmaster had arrived to take him as far as the port and to make sure he got to the right place. He grabbed his bags and headed down to say his goodbyes.

For a moment there was nothing but arms and a cacophony of goodbyes and well-wishes as everyone got 'just one more hug' before he left.

As he hugged his little sister one last time, she squeezed him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Aslan be with you, until we meet again."

With barely a thought, he found himself whispering the customary response, "And with you, until our paths cross."

As he pulled away and gathered his bags, he felt a warmth blossom in his chest, chasing away a good bit of the anxiety resting there. He turned to follow his old headmaster with a genuine and peaceful smile on his lips.

After all, he wasn't going alone - not really.

Peter thought his room felt absurdly empty without the presence of his brother taking up the other half. This feeling was so potent he was to the point he was almost glad he was heading back to Cambridge in two days' time. He would, at least, have a roommate again.

He had just finished changing for bed when a quiet knock sounded on his door.

"Come in."

Just as he had suspected, Lucy entered, closing the door behind her again. Without saying a word, she sat down at the foot of his bed, pulling her knees up to her chest, and resting her chin on her knees.

He sat down beside her and waited for her to speak her mind.

"Peter," she spoke after a moment, "I don't want to go back to St. Finbarr's tomorrow."

He smiled fondly at her. "I know you don't, but I'm afraid you must."

"I'll just keep getting into trouble, you know."

"You must learn to bridle your tongue, dear sister."

"But they're all just so… ignorant!"

"Lucy, I do understand how you feel," Peter responded. "But if anyone can find a way to convince others to listen, it's you. You did it in Narnia; you can do it here, as well."

She sighed. "I guess I'm just afraid that in order to get people to listen I have to stop talking so much. If I stop standing up for what I think now, they might think I'm being hypocritical, and then then they still won't listen."

"You don't have to stop standing up. You just have to find a better way to stand up," he countered. "They won't listen to you right now, so how can you change the way you act to reflect what you believe to be true?"

"The old 'actions speak louder than words' adage?" Lucy asked. "I supposed that could work, but I'm not really sure how to execute it."

"How did you do it in Narnia?"

"'We aren't in Narnia anymore,'" she mimicked.

"I know," Peter chuckled. "But I do think you can take the same general principles and apply it to now, don't you? You are still Lucy the Valiant, after all."

She smiled back. "Well, back then, it was a lot of show - putting on a lot of elegant flare without looking too pompous. Yet, at the same time, it was being humble enough to ask for advice when we needed it. Even the most skeptical Narnians came to respect us when they saw that we were confident but still valued the opinions of others."

"So, then, apply that to now," Peter directed.

"Well, I don't exactly have a problem being confident, but… I could ask others to explain their views?"

"And then proceed to not tear them apart, limb for limb," he added.

A look of recognition dawned on her face. "I ask questions that cause them to question their views."

"I knew you'd get there," Peter stated proudly. "That way you look like you're interested when really you're just sowing seeds of doubt."

Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "So, does this mean I also have permission to jump in puddles after it rains?"

"I'm not sure how that's relevant," Peter stated with a chuckle. "But, not, you don't."

"Oh, come on. That's how Ed and I won over that family of Ducks."

Peter laughed heartily. "I always wondered how you two managed that! I don't think that'll be necessary here, though."

"What if it is?" she pressed, an expression of mock-seriousness painted on her face.

Peter sighed in equal mock-exasperation. "If it comes down to that, then I suppose you have my permission."

Lucy stood up with a smile. "Why, thank you, your majesty." She bowed. "And now I must retire to my chambers. The morning dawns early."

"Rest well, my lady," Peter chuckled. "I shall see you on the morrow."

"Must you really leave tomorrow, Peter?"

Peter glanced towards the open door of his room with a smile. "It's a bit lonely having your own room after all this time, isn't it?"

Susan sat down on the bed abandoned by her younger brother only four days earlier. "And it's only going to feel even more lonely here when you leave in the morning."

"I think you'll get used to it," he sighed, sitting down beside her. "Besides, you'll be so busy with that new job of yours you won't have time to miss us."

She forced a half-hearted smile. "Perhaps, but I doubt the library is that busy all the time."

"You might be surprised. Anyway, it's not like we're leaving forever. You'll still see Lu and me every holiday, and Ed will be home at Christmastime."

Susan sighed. "I do suppose some years in Narnia weren't any different, were they?"

"No, not very. But at least here you know that no one is going to come crashing through the gate with an axe on Christmas Eve."

She chuckled. "I don't know why we were even surprised. That whole year was a mess of things of the like."

"See? This term can't be as bad as all that."

Susan looked down at where her hands rested in her lap. "Perhaps. But we don't know what will happen regardless."

Peter bumped her shoulder with his. "Minotaur with an axe, Su."

"I know, I know. I worry too much." She raised her gaze to meet his again, the hint of smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "I know everything will work out. It's just hard to remember that sometimes."

"Believe me, I know." He smiled at her. "But I just have to keep reminding myself that, even here in England, we are still between the paws of Aslan."

She turned away again. "Peter," she started, her lips turning down into a frown again, "do you think I'll end up an old maid?"

Peter leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't really say. That's not in my power to decide. What would be so bad about not marrying anyway? None of us did in Narnia."

"Yes, well, this might sound like a horrid reason, but Lucy is right about the lack of rights women have, and if I don't marry I'm likely to never leave this house. Besides, it's not as though it's a bad thing to marry, and I'd like to. I had suitors even in Narnia; it was just that none of them were right."

"I never said it was a bad thing, Su. I just don't think you should worry so much about it. You're going to be working on a university campus. You'll meet a lot of different people there, and many of them will be infinitely better than that horrid Robert Thatcher. So put him and all the awful things he's said out of your mind, and focus on just being you."

Susan was silent for a moment. "I suppose it makes me a bit of hypocrite, doesn't it? Since I basically gave Edmund that same advice."

"Well, it's not exactly easy advice for anyone to follow, is it?" Peter returned. "Myself included."

"I suppose." Susan smiled and turned back towards her brother, head tilted slightly to the side. "Everyone has been coming to you with their worries lately, haven't they? Have you none of your own, brother mine?"

Peter thought for a moment. "You know, Su, I really don't. I'm rather excited for the term to begin. My only worries are you, Ed, and Lu."

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Susan asked after a moment. "They're both entering new territory this year; Lucy, without me there, and Ed on a whole different continent."

"They will be," Peter answered confidently. "Aslan will guide them, just as He always has."

Susan sighed. "How can you know that, Peter? How do you know He's still watching out for us here?"

"Because He told us He would be. What other proof do I need?"

"He also said we could find Him in this world, but none of us have."

"Not yet," Peter responded. "But He's never shown Himself to us right at the start. We always had to seek Him first. We just have to keep looking."

"What if He never shows up, Peter? What then?"

With an unwavering gaze, Peter answered, "That just means we aren't looking in the right place."