Disclaimer: Not mine. Just the story is mine. Everything else belongs to C. S. Lewis. (Unfortunately so does Ed.)

A/N: Whoops forgot to add the disclaimer etc. to this well it is now rectified. :) Also, I want to apologise in advance to Laily7420 who seemed to like the nasty Peter that I had been writing. Anyway, sorry because in this chapter they do make up (hooray!) because I just couldn't stand writing Peter being mean to Ed any longer lol. (Pathetic I know, but I adore him.)

Also, sorry I've been so long in updating. It was the combined result of having had no internet connection for nearly a fortnight and suffering from sever writer's block.

She couldn't have him. He wouldn't let her. Peter's heart hammered in his chest so hard that it was making his whole body burn from the exertion. He stood in front of his siblings, his sword at his side just begging to be drawn. He could feel Lucy's hand in his, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Edmund's hand slowly edging towards Susan's. He was glad, Edmund shouldn't have to go through this on his own he thought. The Witch cast her gaze over them, eyeing them up to see whether they were a threat he suspected and he saw Susan's hand jerk out and grab hold of Edmund's and tug him closer. Peter's blood boiled at the condescending smirk that the action brought to the Witch's pale lips.

They were talking about him as though he wasn't there. Aslan and the Witch, actually seemed to be bartering for his blood! Edmund's lips were dry and his eyes stung with tears, he felt painfully cold even in the warm air of the new Spring. He wanted to look away, he would not let Her see him cry but he couldn't take his eyes off Her. And she kept looking at Aslan and talking as if he couldn't hear her but every word she spoke was directed at him and he could feel her excitement. Her blood lust. He was frightened, so frightened. He wanted to be at home, waking from a bad dream in the bedroom he shared with Peter. He wanted his mother, his father. He suddenly realised that now, more than ever, more even than when he had sat shivering in the White Witch's dungeons, he wanted to be held. And he wanted to be told that he was safe and believe it. Susan's hand wrapped around his and he squeezed back thankfully. It was better than nothing.

Susan felt her little brother grasp her hand in his own trembling one. The Witch smirked coldly at them; Susan realised that she hated her. Strange really, she had never hated anyone in her life before and now suddenly she hated this woman that she had never even met before today. Even though she was certain that between the two of them, Aslan and Peter would never let Her get her hands on Edmund again, Susan couldn't help but feel frightened. As the Witch once again cast her eyes at Edmund, Susan felt him go stiff beside her and his hand went limp. She turned to him, he was so pale she feared he might faint. Again, she pulled him closer and slightly behind her own body, hoping that if it came to it, she could at least put herself between her brother and the White Witch.

"That boy will die on the stone table." The Witch's cold voice cut through the warm air like a knife.

And suddenly, Susan wasn't the only one standing between them; Peter had drawn his sword and was holding it in front of him, his other arm reaching backwards as though to further shield his siblings. All three of them stared in awe and fear at their older brother, and if he hadn't already earned his knighthood, in their eyes he earned it then. The Witch however was unphased at his blatant challenge and implied threat.

"You think that a simple threat will deny me my right, little king?" Peter visibly deflated at her words. Susan's heart broke for him and she reached out and drew him back into the circle of his siblings, his eyes gazed almost ashamedly into hers until Aslan's deep rumbling voice drew everyone's attention.

"Enough, I shall talk with you alone."

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"There must be a way out of this." The three younger Pevensies turned their heads to look hopefully at their brother. Peter raised his gaze to meet them. "I mean, if there's a way out, Aslan will use it. Won't he?" His brother and elder sister flinched at the hint of desperation in his tone. To their surprise, it was Lucy who answered him.

"Of course." She said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Frowning slightly at them all, she continued. "Peter, of course there must be a way to keep Edmund away from Her" Her voice and face darkened as she uttered the word. "And, of course Aslan will use it. What else can he be doing in there with her? Aslan will make everything all right. You'll see." Her older siblings smiled sadly at the certainty in her voice, each secretly, desperately hoping she would be right.

There was a long silence during which Susan and Lucy absent-mindedly made daisy-chains, Edmund simultaneously chewed his nails and picked determinedly at the grass and Peter stood stalwartly off to one side, gazing anxiously at the tent in which Aslan and Jadis were bickering over his brother's blood. Finally, the Witch emerged from the folds of the tent, followed slowly by the lion. She gifted the children with one last furious glare filled with such hatred as they had never seen before, though Peter realised that he had received a look from his brother after Lucy's first visit to Narnia that was chillingly close to it. And he resolved there and then to never ever give any of his siblings reason to look at him like that again.

At Aslan's announcement that the Witch had given up her claim on their brother there was a thunderous roar from the assembled animals which mingled with Susan and Lucy's cries of joy and Peter's victorious shout. Edmund however could not take his eyes off the Witch's form, he felt almost bereft at the knowledge that his life was of so little importance to her that it could simply be swapped for something else at Aslan's will. He was glad, and relieved but he couldn't help but wonder what the Lion had offered in exchange for his life, whatever it was, he knew it could not have been anything of great importance. He wasn't worth it.

The Witch was carried out of the camp by her foul minions, and gradually the assembled crowd dispersed leaving Edmund and his brother and sisters alone. The last of the crowd were barely out of spitting distance when Edmund was gripped in a fierce three-way embrace. Susan's arms wrapped protectively around his neck and Lucy's around his waist, and it was only then that he realised, quite suddenly that he was still trembling. He bowed his head against Susan's neck. Sliding his arms around her waist and crushing Lucy in between them as a sudden dizzying exhaustion came over him.

"ED!" Peter lunged at his siblings just in time to catch his younger brother before he hit the ground. Hard. Edmund felt every inch of his body go weak and his vision turned black.

"Edmund!" Susan and Lucy cried out in shock and worry. Peter slowly knelt and laid their brother gently on the soft grass, turning his head up to look anxiously at Susan.

"What should we do?" He asked quietly, glancing around to make sure that there was nobody around to see their brother so vulnerable.

Susan twisted her hands anxiously before saying decisively, "Take him inside." She too knelt and picked up Edmund's lower half as Peter again lifted his upper body, they turned and carried him awkwardly, jarringly towards the King's Tent. They set to Lucy run on ahead to open the canvas doors for them and pull back the blanket on Edmund's bed so that they could lay him down without much bother.

Peter and Susan carefully placed their brother on his makeshift bed and Lucy pulled the blanket up over him, fussily pushing in the corners and tucking the top of it under his chin. They all stood back and gazed at Edmund for a moment. He looked so small and young, even to Lucy. And so pale. His eyes were dark and one of the cuts on his lip was bleeding again. Susan reached out and wiped the blood away gently, then smoothed back the hair from his forehead. She turned to Lucy, "Lucy, go and fetch Mrs Beaver please. Ask her to bring a bowl of warm water and a cloth." She ordered quietly and Lucy, glad to be able to do something to help obediently ran off to fetch their friend.

Susan and Peter stood regarding the still form on the bed for moment. Peter's voice cut through the quietness.

"He's exhausted." He said sadly. Susan nodded silently next to him. He sighed. "Should we try and wake him? Or leave him to sleep?" He murmured nervously.

"No. Let him sleep." Peter sat down gently on the bed behind them, and Susan gracefully sank down to join him. As soon as she did so, he reached out and took her hand in his. She squeezed it reassuringly.

"I...I wish Mum and Dad were here." Peter admitted haltingly. "I was scared today."

"So was I. But they're not here Peter. And we just have to make the best of it."

"Seeing her today, that close. Seeing her for what she is, do you still want to stay?"

Susan frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean, 'what she is'? Peter, she's just a woman with a magic wand. I'm less scared of her now than I was before." Gosh, she thought, I almost believe it myself!

"Are you?" Peter asked, surprised.

"Yes." She told him determinedly.

"Why?"

"Because..." Susan's was grateful that her answer (which would have been a patchwork of lies) was cut short by the sudden entrance of Mrs Beaver who burst through the doors carrying a bowl of water. Lucy trailed behind her carrying a clean cloth and some foul-smelling sprigs of what Peter thought might be lavender. They both smiled grimly at her and she beamed back at them, her usual cheery self.

While many of the Narnian's it seemed could barely stand the sight of Edmund, Mrs Beaver seemed to have developed a soft spot for him which rivalled the one her husband had for Peter. She bustled over to the bed slopping water over Peter's knees as she waddled past him and he and Susan couldn't help but grin a little. She set the bowl down by the bed then began feeling Edmund's forehead and cheeks. She seemed rather dissatisfied with what she found as she tutted and sighed fretfully before ushering Lucy over with the plants.

"Pop them in the water dear." She ordered kindly. Lucy obediently did so and Susan joined them by the bed, taking the wash cloth from Lucy's hands. "Just give it a moment dear. It needs time to infuse." She told Susan as she went to dip the cloth in the water. Presently, the water began to give off an aroma that did indeed vaguely resemble strong lavender but that wasn't quite the same. Peter and Lucy wrinkled their noses at the smell. "Right, now then." She said, nodding at Susan who soaked the cloth in the water and then wrung it out slightly before beginning to mop Edmund's face with it. She and Mrs Beaver then began whispering in tones so quiet that Peter could not make out a word they were saying, it was however evident that it involved himself and their brother in some way as the kept glancing form one to the other and nodding at each other as if deciding something.

Deciding that he should make himself scarce before they could rope him into going near the plant-infused water, Peter held his hand out to Lucy saying brightly: "Come on Lu. You can show me what you learned in practice this morning." Lucy beamed at him and took his hand. Susan turned to him looking quite alarmed.

"Peter? Could...could you stay here for a little while please? I wanted to talk to you." She followed this with a pointed look at him and then a glance at Lucy.

Taking the hint, Peter released his sister and ushered her to the doorway. Saying consolingly, "Never mind Lu, go and get some more practice and you can show me later." Lucy brightened at this and bounced off towards the target ground again. Peter turned back to Susan nonchalantly saying "So. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Susan sighed nervously and looked hopefully at Mrs Beaver who shook her head sadly. "I'd best be getting back to Beaver. Who knows what he's getting up to with me gone!" She laughed nervously, casting a look at the two elder Pevensies before ducking out of the tent and bustling off again.

Left alone, there was an awkward silence between the two of them, broken only by Edmund's slow and steady sleep-breathing. As Peter strolled slowly back to the other bed and sat back down, Edmund released a small whimper in his sleep followed by a noise that was somewhere between a gasp and a sob but did not wake. Susan bent over him, shushing him quietly and pressing a kiss to his temple. He quietened down, the nightmare chased away by his big sister and she lowered herself to sit by the bed next to him before turning her attention back to Peter. He was gazing at her intently, while debating in his mind whether he really wanted to have this conversion with her. Now that it was actually time to have it, he wasn't so sure he did any more.

Susan released a shuddering breath, and gazed tenderly at Edmund's sleeping form, searching for the right words. Finally, after a long while, she concluded that there were no right words. She had to tell Peter some time and it was best she did it now while Edmund was asleep and Peter was calm. And without the lingering threat that the Witch might come and rip him away from them again. "Peter, I have to tell you..."

"She beat him." Peter interrupted bluntly. Susan turned shocked eyes towards her older brother. Before she could form words, Peter said quickly: "I knew it this morning. At breakfast." At Susan's blank look, he continued haltingly "When he...fell. And he hit his back, it hurt him a lot. And it shouldn't have done, so I've been thinking about it all day and well, it's the only thing I can think of. So did she?"

Gathering herself, Susan replied quietly, "Not her. But...yes." Peter set his jaw and forced himself to continue.

"You've seen it?" Susan nodded. "Is it bad?" Another nod. "Worse than school?"

"It's on his back Peter. And it wasn't punishment, Peter it was torture!" She hissed tearfully. Peter sucked a breath.

"What with?"

"How should I know?" She cried angrily. Edmund stirred in his sleep and let out a soft moan of pain. Susan calmed herself and resumed stroking his hair. "I'm sorry Peter. This isn't your fault, it...it isn't anybody's fault. I'm just...I'm so..." She broke off blinking back furious tears.

"Angry." Peter finished for her, nodding slightly. "And...maybe a little guilty for...not protecting him better?" He reached out his hand and squeezed her shoulder, "Me too." He admitted softly, blinking back a few tears of his own. They smiled tearfully at each other then cast their eyes back to Edmund. "It isn't anybody's fault. No one's except Hers." Peter muttered angrily. He watched his sister lovingly stroke Edmund's dark fringe back form his face and smooth one or two stray tears that had escaped his eyes. Then, to his surprise as well as Susan's he murmured softly: "It's not even his." Again, Susan turned shocked but happy eyes to his miserable ones. He looked away angrily clenching his jaw before bursting out quietly "We shouldn't even be here Su. You were right, Mum sent us away so that we wouldn't get caught in a war and now we're in one we don't even understand properly."

"Peter," Susan ventured quietly, "I don't understand the other one."

He smiled sadly and admitted, "Nor do I."

Edmund stirred and awoke slowly, "Su?" He asked dazedly, blinking his dark eyes blearily. Susan smiled tenderly at him.

"Yes?"

"I missed you." Susan bent down and kissed his forehead -something he never would have allowed before Narnia - and he grinned shyly.

"We missed you too." The quiet warmth in his voice startled his brother and sister, and if he was quite honest, it, and the feelings behind it startled him as well. But Peter reached out one hand and placed it on top of Edmund's smaller, paler one. He felt Edmund slowly turn his slightly so that their fingers were linked and smiled softly at their shocked faces.

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"Peter? Peeeteer?" Lucy's breathless shouts reached her older siblings' ears and Peter grudgingly went to meet her at the tent doors. Edmund's disappointed face as Peter released his hand was not lost on either his brother or sister and Peter glanced bemusedly at Susan who smirked and shook her head. "Peter!" Lucy's high pitched shout actually hurt Edmund's ears but he smiled a little at Susan as they both enjoyed Lucy's childish delight at having found their brother. "Peter," She said breathlessly, "Will you come and watch me now please? I've hit the target every time now!" Her eyes travelled over the interior of the tent before coming to rest on her sister and brother. "Edmund!!" She squeaked in joy as she raced over to see him.

"Lucy be careful!" Susan warned as Lucy flung her arms around her older brother and kissed his cheek. Peter winced in sympathy at the masked yet obvious pain on Edmund's face and removed Lucy from him and sat her down on the bed beside him instead. Edmund turned grateful eyes up at his brother and smiled warmly at Lucy.

Suddenly, Edmund's face turned serious. "When's the battle?" He asked quietly. Peter and Susan exchanged looks.

"Tomorrow but Ed..." Peter began.

"Good. There's no point in giving her any more time to gather troops. She's already got plenty more than what I've seen of us." Edmund interrupted Peter looking determinedly at him.

"I agree Ed. But, well, you're not in any state to fight and besides, I'd feel much better knowing that you and the girls were safe here." At his words, Edmund turned a furious stare at Susan who looked sheepishly back.

"I had to tell him Edmund. He had to know."

"You didn't have to tell him anything." He muttered mutinously. "And Peter, if by 'safe' you mean you don't want me to fight then you have another think coming! I'm not going to sit here and let those people suffer while I sit here with the girls 'safe'.

Peter looked helplessly at Susan who shrugged and made an equally helpless face back. Edmund craned his neck around to see Susan then turned back to Peter.

"I am fighting Peter. You can't stop me." He told them confidently.

Peter nodded resignedly, defeated he replied, "Alright. But you're staying with the archers and the reserves."

Edmund looked as though he might say something but nodded mutely. Susan pulled him close again and smiled sadly at Peter.

"Well then, we'd better all go to bed. You'll need plenty of sleep for tomorrow. Will you leave before morning?" She inquired from Peter.

He nodded resolutely. "Dawn." Was all he said.

"Well, then I suppose you and I had better go to bed as well then Lucy." She said standing and holding her hand out to her sister. They each kissed Edmund goodnight and Peter walked them back to their tent. Susan ushered Lucy inside then turned quickly to Peter. "What do you think Aslan's done? What he's promised Her, I mean?" She asked quickly.

"I don't know. But, he seemed...almost sad about it. Didn't you think so?" Susan nodded.

"Lucy noticed too. I've told her it's nothing to worry about."

"Good." Peter sighed. "Oreius will know if there's anything to worry about. I'll speak to him before I go to bed."

"Fine. But Peter? Don't leave Edmund alone for too long please."

"Worried he'll wander off again?" Peter half-joked.

Susan glared. "No. Peter. I'm worried that he'll be afraid, he wouldn't let me leave last night he was so frightened. I don't want you to leave him on his own for long."

Peter jerked his head once. "Alright. I'll speak to Oreius and go straight back to the tent." Susan nodded and Peter turned to leave.

"And Peter?" He turned back once more and raised his eyebrows. Susan sighed. "Look after him. Protect him if you can?"

"Of course!" Peter said slightly indignantly and turned away again.

"And Peter?" Peter sighed loudly and turned back. Susan blushed under his glare.

"Look after yourself too please."