Author's Note: Well, I have another chapter done, much more quickly than I had anticipated. Hopefully this will make up for the long period of time between the last post and the one before it. Please, please read and review!

Chapter Six: Timely Intervention

Peter sank into an empty seat at the far end of the train and buried his head in his hands. He was trembling with repressed anger, both from the comments that the bully had made against his sister, but also his sister's words. He didn't understand why she had snapped at him like that. He was doing the best he could under the circumstances. She just didn't understand and couldn't relate to what he was going through.

How could she say those things to me? he wondered. She wasn't married; she didn't leave behind a spouse. She has no right to judge me or how I am trying to cope with all of this.

Part of him wondered, though, if Susan could be right. Was he merely hiding behind an excuse and not letting go of the memories because he didn't want to? How could I want to forget Kris? She is my wife; she is pregnant with my child. How can I just forget that? It did seem though, that his siblings hadn't had as difficult a time adjusting to being back in England, and that was something else that Peter didn't understand and couldn't cope with. They can't have forgotten Narnia already, could they?

"Peter?"

Peter looked up at the sound of his name and saw Alan standing at the other end of the car, looking in at him. The other boy was frowning slightly, but not as if he was angry, just as if he was hesitant to intrude. When he saw he had Peter's attention he spoke again. "Do you want to talk, mate?"

"About what?" Peter asked.

Alan took that as an invitation to take a seat across from Peter. "About what happened at the station. I've never seen you snap like that. Something's troubling you; I'd like to help if I could."

Peter sighed. "I don't know if anyone can help me, Alan. I'm just going through some things, trying to fight through some memories, and I think I need to do it alone."

Alan shrugged. "If that's what you want, I understand, but maybe talking about it to someone beside your sibs will help. I'm impartial to the situation, so I won't judge you." He flushed slightly. "I overheard what your sister said to you before the train arrived, and I think she was being a little unreasonable, but I'm willing to listen."

Peter sighed and considered Alan's offer. They had never been close friends, but they'd been going to school together for several years and had been in several classes together, as well as being on the cricket team last year. Maybe Ed and the others were too close to the situation. Maybe an impartial ear would help him sort through things. Obviously, he couldn't tell Alan everything, about Narnia and all that, but he could tell him about Kris and leaving her behind. He'd just have to be careful about how much he told Alan.

"Remember how I mentioned that we got sent to the country during the evac?" Peter asked. When Alan nodded, he continued. "Well, we were staying with the Professor and while we were there I met this girl."

Alan's eyebrows rose slightly, but he was still listening, so Peter continued on. "Her name was Krisalyn, and she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever met. She had long black hair and these striking violet eyes. I thought I was seeing things at first, but we started talking and we became close. I…I fell in love with her. We were the same age, and she was so sweet and gentle…"

"And what, she didn't love you back?" Alan asked. "She was just toying with you?"

Peter shook his head. "No. She did love me back." Now how to frame the next part in a way that would be believable without admitting to the existence of Narnia and the fact that he was married? "I…I asked her to marry me, and she really wanted to, but her parents wouldn't let her get betrothed that young, and she felt that she had to bow to their wishes until she was older. When we got called home, she stayed behind." He sighed. "I miss her a lot. We only had a couple of months together, but I think she was the girl that was meant for me. She just couldn't stand up to her parents, and I wouldn't ask her to, but I won't see her for years, and I'm afraid she'll meet someone else before I get a chance to go back for her."

Alan frowned. "Not sure why that would make your sister so mad at you, mate."

Peter sighed. "She says I've been moping around too much, and she's getting tired of it. She might be right, but I just can't forget about Kris and I want to be back with her so much it hurts."

Alan shrugged. "I'm not sure what to tell you mate. I mean, I'm glad that you found someone, but it's not something that I really know how to advise you on. Do you have her address at least, so you can write to her?"

Peter nodded, even though he knew that wasn't an option. It wasn't like Kris could receive a letter from England. Besides, what would he put for the address? Queen Krisalyn the Steadfast, Cair Paravel, Narnia? The idea was just ridiculous, even assuming that a post carrier could find a way into Narnia from England. With the wardrobe passage sealed, there was no way into Narnia. "I do plan to keep in touch with her, Alan, but two years is a long time, and she may want to wait until after I finish at university and have a job before she'll agree. I know that's what her parents want. It'll be even longer then."

Alan sighed. "I wish I could help you out, Pete. I just don't know what to tell you. But for what it's worth, you have my sympathies. I understand why you got so annoyed at that bully, any way." He patted Peter's shoulder and rose to his feet. "I have to go. I promised Thomas I'd meet him once we got on the train. He's probably looking for me. See you at tryouts this year?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there." He watched his friend leave before turning his head to gaze out the window, although he wasn't really seeing the tunnel walls passing. It was just so strange to think about having to go back to school and live his life all over again.

Lucy sighed and looked up at Edmund. Her brother was busy talking to his friends, and Susan had disappeared and was off somewhere talking to her friends. She reached up and tugged on Edmund's sleeve. When her brother glanced down at her she spoke. "Ed, I want to go and find Peter. I'll see you when it's time to get off the train."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Edmund asked.

Lucy shook her head. "I'll be okay, Edmund." She scooped up her valise and her sweater and started carefully weaving her way through the crowd of students in search of her oldest brother. The crowds were heavy and she had to be careful not to get stepped on by the older students, but she finally worked her way past the bulk of the students and to the door that led to the next car on the train. Sliding open the door, she crossed over and entered the next car. This was also full of students and she kept an eye out for her brother as she continued to work her way back through the train.

She wasn't sure what she was going to say to Peter, but she hoped that she could get through to him. She knew that Susan and Edmund had already tried several times without success, and she was tired of seeing Peter mope around all the time too. The only difference was that she wasn't irritated with him about it. He was her big brother, and she loved him. She still felt some measure of guilt at being the one who had led them out of Narnia in the first place and even though Peter and the others didn't blame her, she blamed herself. Because of her curiosity, Peter had been forced to leave his wife behind. Maybe she could get through to him where the others couldn't.

Finally, after pushing her way through several cars, she spotted him sitting on a bench near the rear exit door, staring out the window. She hesitated for a moment and then moved through the almost empty car to sit next to him.

"Peter?"

Peter looked up at the sound of his youngest sister's voice and saw her coming over to sit next to him. "Lucy? Is something wrong?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Peter. I know you're upset about Kris, but after what happened in the train station, I was wondering if something else was bothering you."

Peter just shrugged.

Lucy frowned at him. "Peter, you can tell me anything. You know that. What's bothering you? Maybe I can help."

Peter smiled weakly down at her and shook his head. "I doubt it Lucy. You wouldn't understand."

Lucy huffed out an exasperated breath. "Peter, I might be the youngest, but I'm not stupid. How can I understand if you don't try to explain it to me?" When he was silent, she sighed. "Peter, don't you think I feel bad about this situation too? If it wasn't for me, we would still be in Narnia, and you would still be with Kris. But my curiosity is the reason that we were taken out of Narnia, the reason that you had to leave her behind. I want to help you, but you're not letting me!"

Peter stared at his sister. "Lucy, it was not your fault! I already told you that. It was an accident, nothing more, and there's nothing that you could have done differently to avoid it." He wrapped his arm around her. "Your curiosity is one of your best qualities, Lu, and I've never blamed you for that. Aslan must have wanted us here, otherwise we wouldn't have returned. I'm sure he's powerful enough to have kept us there if we were supposed to be there."

Lucy looked up at her brother. "You say it, Peter, but you don't really believe it."

Peter tensed. "What do you mean?"

Lucy pushed away from him and rose to her feet to look him in the eye. "Exactly what I said, Peter. You claim to trust Aslan and to believe in the plan he has for us, but you spend all your time alone. We had to work together to beat Jadis and to rule as well as we did. Why won't you let us work together now to help you through everything? You've always been there for us, let us be there for you. We're stronger together than we are apart, but you're determined to push us away."

Peter glanced away from her and closed his eyes. Lucy reached forward and grabbed his chin and pulled him to face her, causing his eyes to snap open. "You're doing it again, Peter! Let us in! We're your family! You have to start trusting us!"

"I do trust you, Lu," Peter protested, trying to pull away, but Lucy wasn't having any of it.

"It doesn't feel like it, Peter! It feels like you blame us…" her voice dropped slightly, "like you blame me for what happened."

Peter wrapped her in his arms. "I don't blame you, Lu. I never did. I just…" he sighed. "It's hard to explain, and it's not something that any of you have ever had to experience, and I hope you will never have to. I just don't see how you can help."

"You can talk to us, Peter," Lucy sniffed, trying to hold back tears. "You can share your memories with us, let us share ours with you, and together we can help you get through this. All you need is faith in Aslan, and us. I trust Aslan, Peter. He won't abandon us. He has some purpose for us being here, and then we'll go back to Narnia. We're the Kings and Queens. We have to return, but you have to have faith, Peter. Don't just say it. Live it."

Peter stared at his little sister, who was fighting back tears, and then he pulled her close. "You're right, Lucy. I have been acting like a prat and I've been pushing all of you away. I just didn't know how to cope with losing Kris and the baby. I love them so much…losing them was like losing part of myself."

"You still have us, Peter. We won't ever leave you. You're our brother." She blinked her dark eyes at him. "You were always so magnificent in Narnia, Peter. We need you, and we need you to be magnificent here too. You've always been the leader, Peter. We need you to lead us now, and let us support you when you stumble."

"Oh, Lu. I'm sorry. I just…" Peter began and then shook his head. Rising to his feet, he pulled Lucy to her and then reached down for his things. "Come on. Let's go and find Ed and Su. I owe them an apology too, and I need to do it before we get to school." Taking her hand, he turned towards the next car.

Lucy led him through the crush of students, back to where she had left Edmund. Ed spotted them coming and excused himself from his friends and went to meet them. He eyed Peter, before looking at Lucy. "What's up, Lu?"

"Have you seen Susan, Ed?" Lucy asked, looking around for her older sister.

Peter and Edmund started looking around as well, and spotted the tall girl standing at the opposite end of the car. "There she is," Edmund said. "I'll go and get her." He began making his way through the rest of the students, carefully avoiding being bumped and jostled as the train went around a bend. He reached Susan's side and pulled her away from her friends before speaking to her in a low voice.

Susan glanced over to where Peter and Lucy were waiting, and frowned, but when Edmund began moving back through the crowd, she followed him. As they drew up beside their siblings, Peter looked around and gestured for them to follow him to where they would have more privacy.

His siblings fell into step behind him and he led them back to the empty car where he had been sitting when Lucy found them. Once they had all taken seats, Peter cleared his throat and turned to Susan and Edmund.

"I owe both of you an apology," he began. "I've been acting beastly since we were sent back and you didn't do anything to deserve it. Instead of letting you help me, I pushed you away and made it seem like I didn't care about you any more. It was selfish of me, because I forgot that all of you had lost something too. I was just so caught up in what I lost, that I didn't take the time to realize that you felt the same way, just about something different than I did. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me for acting like such a prat?"

Edmund and Susan looked at each other and at Lucy, who nodded encouragingly to them. As they hesitated, she spoke up. "We're a family. We're strongest when we're together."

Edmund looked back at Peter and nodded, stepping forward and embracing his brother. Lucy wrapped her arms around both of them, and then turned to look at Susan. The older girl hesitated a moment longer, and then, finally, stepped forward and joined the family embrace.

They stayed like that for several moments before disentangling themselves. Peter looked at all three of them. "I can't promise that my thoughts still won't dwell on Kris and the baby, but I'll do my best to lean on you if it gets overwhelming, and if you need to talk, I'll listen."

Susan sighed. "And we'll try to be more understanding, Peter. We gave you space and time, but I think we were all starting to get frustrated with you recently, and that wasn't fair to you."

Before Peter could say anything in response, the train car began to shake violently. They all backed apart and looked around wildly as the lights overhead sparked and snapped before abruptly going dark.

"What's happening?" Susan cried.

"I don't know!" Peter yelled back. "Stay close together!"

They stumbled forward and took hold of each others' hands as the shaking grew worse. A loud shriek suddenly ripped through the car and a moment later they saw the next car rushing away from them.

"The cars have uncoupled!" Edmund yelled.

"That's all right!" Peter replied. "We'll just coast to a stop!"

Suddenly the walls of the car began to peel back and separate from the floor of the car. Their hair was whipped wildly by the force of the wind kicked up by the runaway car and Lucy buried her face in Peter's leg.

Another loud screech filled the tunnel and a shower of sparks was kicked up as the car wheels were sheared away and the floor of the car crashed to the track, throwing all of them off their feet. They all hit the ground and rolled towards the edge of the car. Peter tried to hang on to his sisters and find something to stop their tumble but the car was disintegrating around them and there was nothing to hang on to.

Together the four of them rolled off the back of the car and tumbled towards the tunnel floor as a bright light engulfed them. "Hold on!" Peter yelled, clinging to his sisters' hands and praying that they wouldn't be hurt when they hit the tracks. Aslan, please, protect us, he thought frantically, hoping against hope that the lion would hear him.

A moment later they hit the ground, but instead of landing on the hard metal and stone ground of the tunnel, something soft cushioned their fall. There were heavy thuds as their luggage hit the ground around them, and then, as the light dimmed, silence fell.

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