Sorry of the wait, but I will make it a point to finish this story before the New Year!

Chapter 30~As Long As You're Mine

"Do you think it would be alright if I had a maid and a matron of honor?"

"I don't see why not."

"Excellent. I couldn't decide between Shaina and Rose."

"So now that you have that decided, do we have everything planned?"

"I think we do."

"And with two weeks to spare. I think that's good timing."

"Yes well, I wouldn't let you procrastinate," Lucy chuckled, and Caspian grinned sheepishly.

"There is that…but I'm glad I helped you. It's nice spending so much time with you."

"That's good if we're to be married."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't like being with you," Caspian pointed out. "But now that we're finished, we should start spending time with the rest of the castle again. I feel like we've been neglecting our friends."

"Really? I haven't. Infact, ever since the war, I feel closer to our friends and my brothers. It's as if the trauma strengthened our connections."

"I could believe that. Sad situations tend to make stronger bonds. Look at Damien and Shaina—Damien told me that he and Shaina never used to get along until after their parent's deaths."

"Yes, he told me that too. And now…well, they were so close." Lucy sighed and got up off the sand, looking at the sky. "I miss him so much. And it's only been six weeks! How are we going to manage without them for the rest of our lives?"

"Everything will work out, I promise. Aslan wouldn't take them away from us if there wasn't a good reason. And there was a good reason. He told us."

"I know, I just…"

"I understand." Caspian bent down and kissed the top of her head. They stood next to the water for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying each other's presence, until Lucy suggested they walk back to the castle before the tide came in and it became too late at night.

"Where would you like to go on our honeymoon?" Caspian asked her, and Lucy looked at him thoughtfully.

"Well, there is one place that I would absolutely love to go, but I know it isn't possible."

"Where is that?"

"Back to the end of the world. Do you know that is where I first fell in love with you? I know it sounds ridiculous because I was only ten, but…"

"That's where I first fell in love with you too. I kept forgetting you were ten; you acted so much older. And when you came back four years older, that is when I knew I was completely devoted to you."

"I miss the days of the Dawntreader. Everything was so much simpler. Do you remember all the long talks we had on the poop? Just talking about everything and watching the stars?"

"How could I forget? I remember you telling me all about England, and about all your problems back home. That is when I realized you weren't a normal ten year old girl."

"You weren't a normal sixteen year old boy, either. Most sixteen-year-old boys are selfish pigs. You weren't. You still aren't."

"That's good, since I am king of this country. I don't think the Narnians would want a selfish pig ruling over them."

"They wanted Miraz."

"He wasn't a selfish pig."

"How so?"

"Oh, he was much worse." Lucy chuckled and shoved him a little bit while they were walking. When he regained his balance he shoved her right back, and they continued this until they both fell over. They lay next to each other for a few minutes, enjoying the smell of fresh flowers and the feeling of lush grass on their backs.

"I love summer," Lucy sighed dreamily. Caspian picked a nearby daisy and stuck it in his fiancé's hair. It was her favorite flower. "I wish we could just stay here forever, and not worry about anything else."

"That would be nice," Caspian agreed. "But as long as I'm with you, I will be happy." Lucy smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

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"Ed, I can walk!" Rose sighed in frustration, but she couldn't help but smile a little when Edmund swung her up into his arms.

"Yes, but you aren't supposed to for a while yet."

"You're too protective."

"It's my nature."

"Would you like to go outside?"

"Rose!"

"What?"

"You're so odd," Edmund laughed, shaking his head. "It's already midnight."

"It's nice to see you laugh so often."

"You bring it out of me." Rose smiled and touched his face.

"That's sweet."

"Would you like to know something strange?" he asked.

"Always."

"Last night I was trying to sleep when I thought I heard my door open and close. I tried shaking it off, but then it felt like someone was watching me."

"Really?" Rose asked. "Because the same thing happened to me."

"Then we most likely aren't hallucinating."

"I wonder who it is…"

"Should we set up guards up in front of everyone's doors?"

"No, I don't think it's necessary. If they wanted to kill us they would have done so already."

"I suppose you're right. Nevertheless, I want you to stay with me tonight. I don't want you being alone and vulnerable to a potentially dangerous stranger."

"Ah, but see, I am no stranger."

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"Shain, are you alright?" Shaina turned away from the window to look at her husband.

"I just…I was thinking about my due date because it is tomorrow, and that made me think about how much I want Damien here for the baby. It will never have a family on its mother's side."

"A biological one. But Shain, our friends are family too. Drinian, Edmund and Caspian are all brothers to you, just as Carina, Rose and Lucy are all like sisters to you. Trumpkin, Trufflehunter and the cats, though not biologically possible, are also family to you. Glenstorm is a father figure. I know you wish the baby could meet Damien and your parents. I wish it could meet my parents and Susan. But we have the greatest support system and parents could ask for."

"You're too good at making me feel better."

"Yes, well, I know you too well."

"That isn't a bad thing."

"Not at all."

"Oh my!"

"What is it? Er, Shain, why is the bed wet?"

"I—er…"

"What is it? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I—Peter, my water broke."

"You mean the baby is coming?"

"Yes!" Shaina beamed.

"I'll go alert the doctor!" Peter said, and quickly kissed his wife before running off to first find the doctor, and then their close friends and siblings.

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"What are you doing here?" Rose asked angrily.

"Taking what is rightly mine."

"Nothing here is rightly yours. Leave now, and never come back," Edmund said, his eyes flashing.

"Surely you don't mean that, Ed," Vera pouted.

"With all my heart."

"Please, your heart is only capable of loving me."

"If by you, you mean Rose, then yes, my heart is only capable of loving Rose."

"What?" Vera asked sharply.

"We're courting now," Edmund said, taking Rose's hand in his own.

"You—you—" she sputtered. "You mislead me!"

"What?" Edmund cried.

"Acting like you cared for me and then going behind my back with my whore of a sister? How could you!"

"NEVER call her a whore!" Edmund roared. Vera cowered down, and even Rose felt a little afraid. "I never once gave you the impression of wanting to be with you. During our stay at Archenland, I continuously told you how awful I think you are for making Rose's life so miserable, and for using your own brother to get what you wanted. I would never want to be with anyone like that. And besides, Rose captured my heart the first time I saw her. There wasn't, and never will be, any room for you or anyone else."

"But—but—"

"Vera, leave this instance before I call the guards and either have you thrown out or locked in the dungeons."

"Fine," she snapped. "But someday, Edmund, you will see what a huge mistake you have made. She will throw you away just like all the others; mark my words. She's a filthy whore, flirt, siren, minx, harpy, concubine—whatever you like. She will never change. And you have wasted your life by thinking a tart like her could ever love one man. Ha!" Vera turned on her heel, but was grabbed by the shoulders, spun back around, and met in the face with Rose's fist.

"I AM SO SICK OF THIS!" Rose cried. "You and your horrible accusations! I know in the past I haven't made the best choices, but I was still a virgin. The only reason I became what I was is that I actually wanted to feel like someone loved me for once in my life! My own father hated me; my own sister despised me. The only thing I had in the world was Rama, and I felt completely lost and like such a failure. All I wanted was someone to love me. That's why I turned to Valdis, and all the others. But now, I actually have found love. Someone actually cares for me with all his heart. Someone actually is able to look past the hard, soiled exterior and see that I'm not a terrible person. And for the first time, I love him back. I'm not afraid he is using me, or that he will turn on me in a second. Because of Edmund, I am a completely different person. I'm no longer the flirtatious little girl you always accuse me of being. I am a woman who is very much in love, and is no longer afraid of being unloved because she knows no matter what, one person always will." Rose ended her rant, breathing heavily.

"Aslan, I love you," Edmund murmured, turned her around and kissed her. Neither of them cared when Vera stormed out of the castle. All they cared about was each other, and the realization they had of wanting to be together forever.

"Er…I am sorry to interrupt, but Ed, your niece or nephew is being born." Edmund and Rose broke apart to face Peter.

"Shaina is giving birth?" they both asked together, and Peter nodded in excitement.

"I'm going to be a father!"

"Congratulations!" Rose said, hugging her friend tightly and kissing him on the cheek. Edmund also hugged him.

"Who else knows?" Edmund asked.

"Just the doctor. I was on my way to alert you two, Lucy and Caspian, when I saw you too…er…"

"I'm sorry we scarred you, brother," Edmund chuckled. "But you go back to Shaina and we will alert Lucy and Caspian. Anyone else?"

"No, it is too late at night." Peter ran off and Edmund lifted Rose up again.

"Ed!"

"We have been through this argument before."

"I like my legs," Rose pouted.

"I like your legs too," Edmund smirked, and Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Oh Aslan, say things like that when you're in private quarters," Caspian grimaced, covering his ears.

"What were you two doing outside?" Rose asked.

"What are you two doing up so late in the entrance of the castle?" Lucy asked.

"Finding you—Shaina is having the baby."

"Really?" Lucy asked, covering her mouth. "Where are they?"

"Their room. Let's go," Edmund said, and the four made their way up to Shaina and Peter's room.

"How is everything?" Lucy asked once they reached their destination.

"Ok at the moment. Her contractions are already bad though, and her water broke only about an hour ago."

"Everyone has different rates, don't worry," Lucy said, going over to Shaina's side.

"Hello," Shaina said breathlessly.

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine, a bit tired th…ahhh!" Shaina grabbed Lucy's hand and squeezed it tightly as she went through another contraction.

"How far is she dilated?" Edmund asked.

"Four centimeters."

"Wow, only six more to go," Caspian said.

"Indeed. You may stay here for the time being, but soon you will have to leave. No one but the father and I will be allowed in the room."

"We understand," Rose said, going over to Shaina's other side.

"Why are you walking?" Shaina scolded.

"Shain, you're giving birth. Don't worry about me!" Rose said. "Focus on the birth, it will make it less painful."

"Right," Shaina sighed. Three hours passed with Edmund, Rose, Lucy and Caspian in the room, until Shaina's cervix was dilated to ten centimeters.

"I'm going to have to ask you four to leave now," the doctor said. "Are you ready, Shaina?"

"No, but I'll try," Shaina said nervously.

"Oh I'm so worried about her. I hope everything will be okay," Lucy said, pacing back and forth across the sitting room in Peter and Shaina's quarters.

"I'm sure it will be," Edmund said, pulling Lucy down onto the sofa with him. "Just think, in a matter of time, we will be aunts and uncles."

"We will, won't we?" Lucy beamed. "And our brother will be a father."

"He will make a very good one."

"Indeed he will."

"Rose are you all right?" Caspian asked her quietly. "Everytime someone says father you turn a bit pale."

"I do?"

"Yes. I'm surprised Edmund hasn't said anything."

"He is a bit distracted, his niece or nephew is being born."

"So would you care to tell me?"

"I haven't told anyone else this, and I'm not exactly sure. Afterall, it happened only two weeks ago, it might just be late…"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'll just say Edmund might be a father as well." Caspian's eyes widened.

"You two…" Rose nodded. "And you think…" Rose nodded.

"But like I said, I'm not sure. It's only happened once, and it was two weeks ago…I might be late. But I might…"

"What are we whispering about over here?" Edmund asked.

"We're just excited about the baby," Caspian said, somewhat truthfully.

"I see," Lucy said skeptically.

"Oh Aslan, I can hear her screaming," Rose winced.

"That's good, that means the baby is almost out," Caspian said.

"I just hate to hear her in pain," Lucy frowned. All of a sudden the screaming stopped, and the door opened.

"You can come back in now," the doctor said quietly, and the four filed back into the room. Shaina was holding a baby boy, a huge smile lighting up her pretty face.

"Isn't he beautiful?" she asked Peter, and he nodded.

"Very." Shaina handed the baby back to Peter, who held him for a second until turning to his siblings and friends.

"Can I hold him?" Lucy choked, and Peter grinned, handing his son over to his little sister. "Oh he's perfect."

"What are you going to name him?" Edmund asked. Shaina and Peter smiled at each other.

"Damien Edmund." Edmund looked a little taken aback, and Peter clapped him on the back.

"You're naming him partly after me?"

"Yes."

"I feel so honored."

"He looks like you Peter," Rose said, as she held Damien in her arms. Caspian smiled, knowing Rose was thinking that in nine months, she might be holding her own son or daughter.

"I want one," Lucy said, tears in her eyes as Damien was handed to Caspian.

"Let's wait until we're married, darling. We only have two more weeks." Lucy chuckled and finally Damien Edmund was placed in his name sake's arms.

"We're going to have such fun," Edmund said to the baby. "When you're older, I will tell you all of your father's secrets."

"If you do, you are a dead man," Peter joked, took Damien from Edmund and handed him back to Shaina.

"I never thought I would be able to love someone so small so much," Shaina choked, and Peter sat down on the bed next to her, putting his arm around her.

"Me neither, sweetheart. Me neither."

Very event filled. I hope you all liked it. And like I said, I am going to try my hardest to finish this by Thursday!