12) Six months

Six months.

Six months since she had seen Peter.

Six months since she had been in Narnia.

Six months until she was back in Narnia.

Liz was just about to go crazy. It was December twentieth. Two weeks before, Susan had said to look for a "surprise" on the twentieth. Calvin and Cor would be there on the twenty-third, Susan, Stephen, Edmund, and Lucy on the twenty-fourth. She hadn't heard from Peter in four months.

She heard horns, announcing someone's arrival. It sounded somewhat familiar. It sounded like… No, it isn't, it can't be. She rushed out of her room, hurrying toward the gates. Her dress was flowing behind her, as she ran to the entrance.

She saw that familiar gray horse, the one that Anna loved. Then Liz saw the shield, almost identical to the one hanging in her room.

"PETER!" She yelled with joy. He smiled, getting down off of Alex.

"Liz," He smiled simply. She launched herself at him, knocking him down into a patch of grass nearby. "I missed you too."

"Peter," Liz repeated. She forgot how much she loved to say his name in his presence.

"Yes?" Peter asked quizzically.

"I love you," Liz laughed.

"I love you too," Peter, said right back. "So, what have you been doing lately? Beside pining for me."

"You are so full of yourself." Liz scolded.

"But you love it," Peter added.

"Unfortunately," Liz said, rolling her eyes.

"That hurt my ego," Peter said, feigning hurt.

"Good, that's just what you need." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Have you been deprived of chicken the entire time you've been here?" Peter asked with a funny expression on his face.

"Why?" Liz asked, confused.

"You're being unusually mean." Peter stated.

"Get used to it," Liz said jokingly.

"I already am."

Liz figured out that Peter already knew about what Calvin did, so neither of them brought it up. She had taken to skipping around the hallways, humming Christmas carols, or even singing them out loud.

"I haven't seen her this happy," Aravis reflected. "Ever."

"Tell me about it," Peter laughed. "It's starting to scare me."

"Do you think I should remind her that Calvin is coming home tomorrow?" Aravis asked.

"Nope, she'd probably go sharpen her sword," Peter said with a twinkle in his eye.

"It's time for lunch," Aravis said. "Will you yell for her?" Peter just nodded, still smiling.

"Hey Liz!" He shouted. "Chicken!" Liz's head whipped around to look at him. She started to run back to him.

"Really?" She asked, clearly excited.

"I have no idea," Peter admitted. "But it's lunch time." Liz looked crestfallen, but she followed him anyway.

"You know," Liz said wistfully. "When I get back to Narnia, I'm going to have chicken cooked nonstop."

"I'm sure the cooks will love that," Peter rolled his eyes.

"No need to be sarcastic," Liz retorted.

"Well, they probably won't mind," Peter, said shrugging. "Everyone loves you, and they miss you terribly."

"I miss them too," Liz said, staring off into space.

"What about me?" Peter whined.

"You sound like a child," Liz pointed out.

"You didn't answer my question." Peter smirked.

"I missed you the most, you should know that," Liz answered matter-of-factly.

"I know, I just like hearing you say it." Peter smirked.

"Stupid King," She muttered darkly under her breath.

"What did you say?" Peter smiled evilly. He reached over to start to tickle Liz. She tried desperately to cover herself up, as to not give him any room for weakness. She was doubled over, clutching her stomach in the laughing-too-hard pain.

"I said," She gasped out. "'Stupid King.'"

He tickled her harder, and Liz suddenly remembered what Susan had told her when she asked her how to get to Peter, "His neck. It's all the neck. It's his number one "tickle spot".

Liz reached her arm around and started to tickle Peter's neck. He immediately stopped tickling her and tried to squirm away. He finally got free, and glared at Liz. "Who told you that?"

"Susan," Liz smiled.

"I'm going to kill her," He muttered. He looked at her and smiled. "They are going to be here in two days."

"So that means…" Liz turned to glare at Peter. "Calvin is coming back tomorrow." She was silent for a while after that.

"What?" Peter asked. "Are you not talking to me now?" Liz stayed silent. "You were so happy! I didn't want it to stop." He grabbed her shoulders so that she was looking at him. "I didn't want you to be like this."

Liz looked up to meet his eyes. "Sorry."

"For?" Peter questioned.

"Being moody."

"It's completely understandable."

"Cor!" Aravis ran to her husband. Liz noticed a young woman around her age clinging to Calvin's arm. It looked like he wouldn't be cornering her anymore. Calvin greeted Peter and Liz, introducing his fiancée Ariana.

"I think it's just about time for dinner," Aravis said happily.

"Will there be chicken?" Liz asked skeptically.

"By now, there's chicken for every meal here," Aravis rolled her eyes. "We're used to it." Everyone laughed while Liz pouted.

"It's not my fault chicken is the best food in the world." Liz argued.

Peter pulled her close and laughed, "Of course not Liz, of course not." She pulled away and stuck her tongue out at him, something she had been doing a lot lately. "Who taught you that?"

"Calvin." Liz said shrugging. Peter shot a glare at Calvin, and Calvin retaliated by sticking his tongue out at him. "Told you."

"Susan!!" Liz screamed happily. They hugged, and moved on to the others.

"Thank Aslan nobody else is coming," Peter said, rubbing his ears. "She did that when I came too."

"Do you blame her for being excited?" Susan asked, watching Liz fondly. "Liz hadn't seen you for six months, or heard from you in four. What were you feeling?"

"I was feeling like Alex went at a startlingly slow pace," Peter admitted.

"And she didn't even know you were coming," Susan said. "And she still freaked out."