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Hi again! Sorry I keep using time intervals, but I'm the kind of person who doesn't know how to fill gaps between points. I get impatient, so i just skip to the good parts. When I try to fill the gap I get nothing but crap.

Ha ha, that rhymes.

Anyway, if it's crappy, at least try to enjoy it.

R&R please!

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Chapter Five

They're Back and With Big News (One Year Later)

Edmund strode along the castle halls, Peter and the head mole (Lilygloves) following him. They were going to discuss some plans for redoing the courtyard with Trufflehunter, who had wanted to help. At first Lilygloves did not insist on digging any trenches, but both Kings felt sure he would bring it up eventually.

They suddenly came upon Twilight, who looked happy.

"Hey," said Edmund.

"The King and Queen are back," said Twilight. "Back from their honeymoon."

"Oh, how marvelous!" said Lilygloves, clasping his tiny paws.

"That's great," said Peter. He addressed Twilight as she turned to leave. "Where are they?"

"I'm not sure. Last I saw, they were outside."

Just then, Caspian and Susan themselves appeared at the end of the hallway. They seemed to be discussing something serious; Caspian looked very flustered, and Susan appeared to be trying to talk to him. She approached him, looking concerned, but Caspian pulled away from her and went upstairs.

Susan looked upset, so Edmund, Peter, and Lilygloves went toward her.

"You're back," said Edmund joyfully, hugging her. He gave Peter a questioning look behind Susan's back and Peter shrugged.

"It's good to be home." said Susan.

Peter hugged her and then looked at her. She looked unusually pale and they could tell she was forcing a smile.

"What's wrong?" said Peter.

"Nothing," said Susan, although she was obviously lying.

She started backing away. "I'm going to go upstairs and lie down."

"You should," said Edmund. "You look terrible."

Susan gave another dry smile and went down the hall. On her way, she passed Lucy.

Lucy smiled at her (she already knew they had returned and had greeted them beforehand), but Susan just walked right by and up the stairs.

Lucy made her way toward her brothers, looking confused.

"What's the matter?" she said. "She seemed so happy when she and Caspian got back..."

"We don't know," said Peter, with Edmund nodding. "She looks sick though."

"I'll go talk to her," said Lucy. She looked down at Lilygloves, a warm sparkle in her brown eyes.

"Hello, Lilygloves."

"Milady," said Lilygloves, bowing regally.

Lucy grinned at him, then flounced up the stairs.

"Let's discuss the courtyard at another time," said Edmund. "If there's something wrong with Su I don't want to be doing something else."

"That's a good point," said Peter. "We're sorry, Lilygloves."

"Quite all right, quite all right," said Lilygloves, bowing and nearly falling over.

So Edmund and Peter went back to their rooms, Peter took out a book (feeling it would do him good) and began to read. Edmund sat on his bed.

After a while, Lucy came in.

"Did you talk to Susan?" said Edmund.

"Yeah," said Lucy, sitting down. Edmund noticed she was pointedly avoiding his eyes.

"Did you get it out of her?"

Lucy nodded, biting her lip. Her face wore a half joyful, half hesitant expression.

"Well?" said Edmund impatiently. "What's wrong with her?"

"You know how she was sort of pale?" said Lucy.

"Yeah."

"And how Caspian wouldn't talk to her in the hallway about...something?"

"Yeah."

Lucy looked ready to burst with joy; there was no holding back now.

"I'm going to be an auntie!" she chirped, hugging Edmund.

"What? What do you mean?" said Edmund quickly.

"Susan's pregnant! I kept asking her and pestering her until she just went ahead and told me. That's why Caspian won't talk to her. He's not mad, he said that, he's just not sure if he's ready."

"Is Susan even ready?" said Edmund.

"I don't think so," said Lucy. "She's really scared. Excited, but scared."

"Do you think we should go talk to her?" said Edmund uncertainly.

"Well, I told her I'd be right back, but I think we should tell Peter first."

Edmund exhaled, only now realizing he'd been holding his breath.

"Wow," he said. "This is...wow."

"I know," said Lucy.

"That quick?" said Edmund, unable to hold in his question.

"They've been gone three months, Ed. It could have happened anywhere in between the first month and the last."

Edmund knew how things like this happened. It made him uncomfortable, but mostly because he'd walked in on this so-called miracle being practiced by his own parents.

To make matters worse, Peter had explained the entire process when he was only eleven.

Long story short, not the most comfortable time of his life.

Lucy led Edmund down to Peter's room, where Peter sat in his bed, fingering his sword.

"Hey Peter," said Lucy hesitantly. "We...know why Susan's acting the way she is."

Peter sat up straight. "Why?"

Edmund cleared his throat. "You and I are going to be uncles."

"What?"

"Susan's going to have a baby," said Lucy, who still looked overjoyed.

"She is? Really?"

"Lu asked her," replied Edmund. "We need to talk to her because she's scared and doesn't know what she's going to do."

"Okay," said Peter, standing. "How's Caspian taking it?"

"He won't talk to her about it," said Lucy. "All he would tell her is that he isn't mad. We think he's terrified."

"Of course he is," said Peter. "If I had a wife who got pregnant I'd be scared too. Let's go."

Peter, Lucy, and Edmund all made their way up the stairs and into Susan and Caspian's bedroom to find Susan lying on the bed, crying quietly.

"Su?" said Peter.

Susan looked up at her siblings standing there.

"I-um-"

"We know," said Peter. "It's okay, we know."

Edmund and Lucy approached Susan and hugged her as she started to weep.

"What am I going to do?" Susan finally said in a cracked voice. "Caspian won't talk to me and I was happy but now I'm s-so scared..."

"Su," said Peter, sitting down next to her and putting his hand on hers. "It's all right. We're going to help you. Okay?"

Susan nodded, wiping her eyes. "Okay."

"Be happy, for goodness' sake," said Peter, hugging her. "You're going to be a mother!"

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Big news, huh? Did anyone see that coming?

I need some ideas for names, though.

So here's your job: submit some names (boy and girl names, since I'm not sure which it's going to be yet) and I'll put the winning one in the next chapter, which is when the new prince or princess arrives.

For everyone who contributes will still be recognized.

R&R please!

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