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The Return
Chapter 16
Alexs POV
As Eric and I came tumbling out of my closet, I was relieved to find that the babys were still kicking. I smiled and put a hand on my stomach. The instant I did, I realized every memory I had of Edmund came in loud and clear. These children could be my land towards him... in a mental state anyway.
"Alex?" Erics voice brough me out of it and I opened my eyes.
"Huh?" I asked.
"Why were you smirking?" he asked.
I felt my cheeks redden. "Um... nothing." I said, unable to keep the small smirk off my face. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Um... just... er... remembering... um... sometime I.... er spent with Edmund." I mumbled.
"Wha... o...k, nevermind." he said, standing up.
I nodded and he helped me up. "Oh and Eric, what was it that you were going to tell me?" I asked.
"What?" he asked, seeming a bit confused.
"In Narnia you said you would tell me something when we got home. We're home. So tell." I said.
"Not now. Later, I promise. I don't want to worry you... especially not now." he said, putting his hand over mine, which was still over my stomach.
I sighed. "I guess your right. If it's something really worth worrying over."
"It is... but it's nothing you need to know of as of now." I smiled small. My older brother... always looking out for me.... even when I don't want it. Susan and Lucy were wrong... I do know what it's like to have an uptight older brother. But... it's for the best, most likely.
"Eric! Alex! Dinner!" mum called.
"You hungry?" Eric asked.
"Eric. I'm eating for three. What do you think?"
"And since Ed's not here I have to eat for four." he grinned. I rolled my eyes and walked down the stairs.
"Hey! Alex!" I heard Tiffany call.
"Ignore her and maybe she'll go away." I muttered to myself through gritted teeth. But to my great horror she stood right in front of me, her look-a-likes right behind her.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Just wondering what you have planned for the weekend. I hope you can stop by my party tonight." she said sweetly.
"ALEX!" Erics desperate call stopped me from absoletlu attacking her.. I turned around to see him running as fast as he could towards me. I was shocked to see tear tracks on his cheeks.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's dad." he said.
"What about him?" I asked, backing away.
"He... he's gone." he said.
My eyes widened. "He can't be." I whispered, leaning against the wall.
He only nodded, more tears forming in his eyes. "That's what I've been meaning to tell you... he was injured... but he didn't recover." he said.
I felt the ground sway under my feet and before I knew it the ground was coming up to meet me.
Edmunds POV
"Come on, Eddie. Please." Lucy begged.
"Don't call me Eddie. And no." I said.
"Please, it's just sparring with sticks." she pouted.
"No." I said again.
"Why, are you afraid you'll hurt me?"
"No I'm afraid you'll hurt me."
"Is that a confession that I'm stronger than you?"
"No, but I'm not in a the best of moods... therefore I'll suck at it."
"Edmund, language." Susan scolded.
"Oh shut up." I muttered.
"Come on, please please please please please..."
"ALRIGHT! Just stop begging!"
"YAY! Come on!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling me outside.
She handed me a large stick and took another for herself. Both of us took readying stances. If I'm going to be forced to fight, I'm going to take it seriously. But as my stick met hers, a blinding light shot forth, and it brought so much force through the sticks that it knocked me backwards. I pushed myself up onto my elbows and was shocked as could be to see Aslan standing in front of me.
"Come, my son, Alex needs you." He said.
I was instantly on my feet. "Why? Is she hurt?" I asked.
"No. But she is in an emotional state that only you can bring her back from." He said.
"I'll do whatever I have to!" I said.
"Then come." He said, walking into the light.
I followed him and found myself tumbling down stairs. "Ouch." I muttered once I stopped rolling.
"Careful there, mate." I heard a familiar voice say.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Ed! What are you doing here?!" The voice was now clearer and I recognized it as Eric.
"I... don't know." I said, rubbing my head.
"Another question for the little break in... what's he doing here?!" another unfamiliar voice said.
"He's not a break in! He's a mate from school!" Eric said.
"A what?" I asked.
"Friend." he said.
"Oh... why didn't you just say that? I've got a bloody head ache, and words that I don't understand won't help." I said.
He helped me up. "Then I'm guess saying 'supercalafragalisticespialadotious' wouldn't help?" he grinned.
I stood and blinked at him. "No... it wouldn't."
"It's from a movie."
"Yeah, ok, if you say so, where's Alex?" I asked.
He turned pale. "Upstairs, come on." he said, pulling me upstairs.
He pulled me into a room and I had to blink a few times for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. But when I did I saw Alex. She was looking out a window.
"She thinks she's in Narnia. She keeps asking for you, Peter, Susan or Lucy." he whispered.
I nodded and walked towards her. "Alex?" I called quietly. Her head spun towards me so quickly I'm surprised she didn't faint.
"Oh, Ed! Your alright!" she exclaimed, running towards me. She threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I held her tight. "But what are you wearing?" she asked, backing away from me. I looked down and noticed I was wearing something different than my regular clothing. It was something similar to what Eric was wearing.
"Um... I'm not sure. I wasn't wearing this a few minutes." I said. Then I realized Aslan must have done it. "But anyway, what's going on? Are the babys ok?" I asked.
"Babys? What babys?" she asked.
My eyes widened and I looked at Eric. "She doesn't even remember she's pregnant?!" I exclaimed.
"THAT SHE'S WHAT?!" the woman from before exclaimed, bursting in the room.
"Thanks, Ed. Now I have to clear this up! Just talk to her! It's 2008, tomorrow's 2009, so just for the sake of all humanity and Narnia... GET HER TO REMEMBER!" Eric exclaimed, pushing the woman out and closing the door behind them both.
I turned back to Alex. "Allie, what do you last remember?" I asked.
"We were horseback riding, and you had to go off because of trouble in the Western Woods. You've been gone nearly a month! They said you were hurt!" she said.
"But that was over 10 years ago." I said to myself.
It had only been a year after our marraige, and I had been injured, but I turned out fine within a few days. Aslan said an emotional state... she's stuck in the past. In her mind anyway. "Allie, listen to me, we're not in Narnia. Ok. We're in England. It's... um... oh yeah, 2008. And Eric said tomorrow is 2009 so I'm guessing it's Decemeber 31." I said.
"No it's not silly. We're in Narnia." she said, smiling.
Ok, I have two options.
1. I can slap her.... yeah, not gonna happen, she slaps back.
2. I can kiss her... hard. So, I chose the second one. At first she seemed stunned, but then she blinked a few times, gasped, and pulled away.
"Ed! What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed happily.
"Alex. Tell me one thing. Where are we?" I asked.
"Um... England." she said, looking at me as if I were crazy.
"What year is it?"
"2008. Tomorrow 2009. Why?" she asked.
"Haha! I knew it would work!" I exclaimed, hugging her tight.
"Wait, what?" she asked.
"Nothing. Nevermind. But I guess I've done my job... I guess this means I have to go." I sighed.
"Wait a second. Your really here, right? This isn't a dream?"
"No."
"Then... Aslan's not here right now. There's a party tonight... and I'm going to show you off." she smirked. I raised an eyebrow at her. "One of the girls at my school. Complete show off. And your going to be my New Years Eve Date." she grinned.
"O...k."
"But you can't wear that. Go find Eric. He'll have something you can wear." she said pushing me out.
"But... I don't even know what I'm wearing now!"
"Oh well... ERIC!" she called.
"What?!" came his reply.
"Do you have something Ed could wear to the party tonight?!"
"Yeah, hang on a sec!" A few minutes later he walked back up. "One question, do you remember what the last thing I told you was?" he asked Alex.
She looked down. "You said dad had..."
"Alright, you don't have to say it. I was just checking." he said holding his hand up.
From behind Alex pushed me towards another room. "Now change." she said then looked at Eric "And no emo boy."
"A what?" I asked.
"Nothing. But I'm thinking jeans, tee-shirt, and a sweat-jacket."
"What color sneakers?"
"White."
"Good boy." Alex walked back to the room we had come from and Eric pulled me towards a closet.
He started digging through it, making an oomph sound when a big orange ball rolled off the top shelf, landing on his back. It bounced to the side, before rolling under his bed. "Here you go. Bathrooms on the right." he said. I took the clothes he offered me, a bit unsure. "What is it?" he asked.
"It's not exactly what I'm used to wearing." I said.
"Oh right, your from the 40's." he said. I nodded. "Oh well, it's just for tonight. You may just make life easier for Alex with this one night." he said.
"How so?"
"Well, the girl hosting this party, Tiffany. She's a real witch. Just before Alex went to Narnia, she stole her boyfriend from her. He had been a great boy... until he sold out. But there's no possible way on earth, in heaven, hell or Narnia that Tiffany could take you from her. And when little miss squeaky voice sees that... Alex will be set for life." he smirked.
"Hmm... ok. I guess schools haven't gotten much better." I said.
"No they haven't." he said "Now go change."
Alexs POV
As we walked into the party, I could hold my head high. Any other time I'd feel insecure, but being on Edmunds arm changed everything. I always felt better with him. More confident. But now I had even more reason. I'm finally going to a party, in this world, with a date! A handsome, funny, gets into as much trouble if not more than me date! My dear husband. But that was something only we knew of. And Eric, but he's off with his girlfriend of almost one year Monica. I think my brother is the one boy in my school who hasn't been snatched up by Tiffany at one point or another. But my brother is happy with who he's with. I wouldn't be surprised if he marrys her one day.
Somewhere around the time we walked in the door Edmund had slipped his arm around my waist. He probably doesn't want to get lost. But in this crowd I can't blame him.
"Alex! I didn't think you would show." I grimaced as the familiar helium voice called my name.
I turned around, forcing a smile on my face. "Well I came." I smiled, tightening my hrip on Edmunds arm.
"And... who's this?" Tiffany asked, looking at Edmund, a familiar gleam in her eyes. Not today.
"This is Ed. He's my boyfriend." I smiled.
"Boyfriend, huh?" Tiffany said.
Edmund nodded, obviously not wanting to say anything. He never said anything at partys in Narnia, unless he had to, so why should he here? Ever since I met him he's been shy, and Peter said once that ever since they had come to Nania he had been that way. But that just made me love him more. Probably because I'm the same way.
"So... Ed. Why don't you dance with me?" Tiffany asked.
"Um... no thank you." Edmund said, pulling his arm tighter around my waist.
Tiffany walked forward, pushing herself between Edmund and I. "Oh why not?"
"Because he's mine! That's why! Now get your greedy little..."
"Watch your words. This isn't Narnia. She isn't worth it." Edmund mouthed.
And those last four words he mouthed made me shut up alone. All the more victorious.
"No thank you. I have another lady to attend to." Edmund said, smirking at me.
I bumped Tiffany away, my eyes locked on Edmunds. The music slowed and I looked up at the DJ to see Eric giving me a thumbs up. I rolled my eyes, but smiled. "Our guardian angel." I smiled.
Edmund looked up at Eric and snorted. "If your brothers anything like mine... he ain't no angel."
"They are alot alike acctually. The only difference is Erics temper can flae up a bit easily at times, though only when you provoke him. He's really protective, just like Peter. They have the same hair color. The only outside difference is the eye color. He has brown, Peter has blue. But they have nearly the exact same personality, and when you put them side by side you would think they were brothers... maybe even twins. It's wierd." I said.
"Yeah, I noticed that." Edmund stated.
Thankfully it was slow music. Now we can just focus on each other. Me in his arms. And lost in each others eyes. It seemed as though we were at a Narnian party for a moment. The slower song tranformed into the fauns playing a slow balad and the sea lapping at the shores right out the window. I could feel my dress change into a Narnian dress and Edmund was in a tunic, his crown placed upon his head. I could feel the familiar and welcoming feel of mine on my head. I saw Eric not to far away, but instead of dancing with Monica, he was dancing with Lucy. He had her giggling about something.
Peter and Susan are dancing together. I see Caspian walk up. He taps Peter on the shoulder. He says something, and Peter grins. Susan is now rolling her eyes. Peter and Caspian begin dancing and Susan is laughing. A moment later Peter bows out and Caspian begins dancing with Susan, who Caspian had obviously offered to dance with in the first place. My eyes turn back to Edmund and suddenly everything changes back to being in England. I rest my head on his shoulder, and close my eyes. I can hear his heart beat. It's comforting to hear. I nuzzle my forehead against his neck and hear him chuckle.
"Still ticklish?" I ask. He nods. "Just wait til I get you back to my room." I tease, letting the breathes out on his neck. I feel him shiver and can't supress my giggle. Yup... I have him wrapped around my finger.
The night passes away without a glitch. Suddenly, most boys are wanting to dance with me. Alot of girls try and ask Edmund for a dance, but all attempts are futile.
"Only one minute until midnight!" I hear Tiffany exclaim through the sound system.
I look up at Edmund. "Do you know what people do on New Years at midnight?" I asked.
He smiled. "I think I have small idea." he said. The seconds ticked by, and it seemed to take forever to get to 10. My eyes never left Edmunds. And as the clock struck 12:00 and cries of Happy New Year were exclaimed, my lips found his. It was soft, subtle and a bit shy, and it felt like our first was happening all over again. It took a few minutes for us to come back to ourselves.
"You two ready to go?" Eric asked, walking toward us.
Monica had his hand in a death grip as Tiffany brushed past him. He acted as if nothing had happened. Looks like I'm not the only lucky one. I smile and lean my head on Edmunds shoulder.
"Yes. We're ready."