Disclaimer: Man this thing is annoying. Don't own. Don't sue. Simple.
A/N: Yep I'm pretty sure this isn't how the original went. But hey, that's okay. It'll be longer this time I think.
~CON~CON~CON~
"No!" Kaylee yelled. "Please don't kill him!" She was tied to a tree. Edmund was kneeling in front of the Witch. Jadis merely laughed. Pulling out her staff, she turned to face Edmund. She gave a wry smile before plunging the spear into Edmund's heart.
The young boy gasped in surprise as his eyes widened. "Edmund! No!" she cried. But his eyes lost the shine she knew so well. They glazed over losing all of their life as he fell onto his stomach, a dark pool of red blood starting to form underneath him. "Edmund!" she screamed again over the Witch's insane cackles. Edmund was… dead. It couldn't be! It shouldn't be! She had promised to protect him! And now… now she was going to die too.
~CON~CON~CON~
Peter awoke to the sound of screams… He groggily tried to figure out where they were coming from when he suddenly realized the person who was screaming was right next to him. They were coming from Kaylee.
Susan had insisted she sleep in his tent so he could keep an eye on her. He, of course, had argued that Susan could watch her just as easily as he could, but she was insistent. She also pointed out the fact that she was already there and moving her would most likely wake her up. "She doesn't need that at the moment. She needs sleep. Waking her up would only make things worse," she told him. He almost made a comeback but the look in Susan's eye just told him to shut up. Feeling defeated, Peter agreed with a slight hesitation.
"No! Edmund! NO!" she yelled, thrashing in her bed. With no trace of sleep whatsoever, he leaped out of his hammock, nearly twisting his ankle in the blankets and moved to her bedside. He put his hands on her shoulders and shook. She threw out her hands to block and hit him, but Peter grabbed her wrists. Edmund was beside them now, awakened by the commotion. "Kaylee!" Peter yelled. "Wake up! It's a nightmare!"
Her eyes opened as she slowly stopped thrashing. "Peter?" she asked with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah," he assured her calmly, though he felt anything but. In fact, he too wanted to burst into tears, but that would not help the situation. "It's me. Edmund's here. He's fine. It was only a dream," he continued.
"A dream…" she repeated and fell into Peter arms, crying hysterically. Her fists grabbed handfuls of his nightshirt and she wouldn't let him go. She didn't want him to die either.
He wrapped his arms around her as he whispered comforting words in her ear. Edmund, feeling utterly useless, moved his fingers in a circular motion on her back, hoping to aid in comforting the sobbing girl as she had done for him less than twenty-four hours ago. "Shh," Peter cooed. "It's all right. I promise. Everything's going to be fine, okay? It's all right."
After several minutes Kaylee stopped crying and Peter let go of her. Wiping away her tears, Kaylee sniffed, "I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Sorry? It doesn't matter." Edmund said a confused look on his face. How could she be sorry for something she couldn't control? "It's fine. Honestly. I'd rather be helping you out then sleeping."
"Ed's right," Peter agreed. After a few seconds of silence Peter said, "We should get back to sleep," as he and Edmund were getting up to go to their own beds.
"Wait," Kaylee pleaded holding onto Peter's hand. "Please. Will you sit with me?" Edmund had reached his bed and smiled to himself knowing they couldn't see him in the dark. It was about time they got together. Maybe this is why Susan told Peter to let Kaylee sleep in here, he thought.
"Sure," was Peter's response. He sat down and she crawled into his lap. Putting his arms around her waist and his chin on her head, he whispered, "Everything is going to be just fine. I promise." And they both slowing drifted off to sleep.
~CON~CON~CON~
It was morning. Kaylee had not had any more nightmares. Peter woke up to find himself sitting up with Kaylee in his lap. I must have fallen asleep, he told himself. Edmund's bed was vacant and he assumed he had already woken up and gotten food. Typical Ed... Gently shaking Kaylee he said, "Kay, its morning. Wake up."
She moaned, putting a hand up to her head. "What? Already? Mmmm… I'm going back to sleep." She turned laying her head back down on his chest.
"Oh, no. You are not going back to sleep. I can't imagine you've had a terrible amount to eat, so you need something in your stomach. Come on. Up you get." When Peter had mentioned food she perked up, eyes opening sleep no longer lingering in them. She suddenly realized she was starving.
"Food?" she said her eyes lighting up.
Peter laughed. "Yes. Food. But you have to get up to get it."
She made a face. "Spoil my fun. Fine I'm getting up." After struggling for a few seconds to get out of the position she was in, the hammock flipped over and unceremoniously dumped both her and an unsuspecting Peter onto the ground. It was silent for a few seconds as she blew a strand of stray hair from her face, and then Peter roared with laughter. Kaylee soon found herself giggling and before either of them could stop themselves, they were laughing hysterically on the floor. When they could no longer breathe, the laughter subsided replaced with small chuckles here and there.
Eventually, Kaylee decided she actually needed to get up. She had to go and get clothes from Susan and Lucy's tent as she had none in here. Peter leapt up before her and helped her from the ground with a hand. He grinned as she accepted his hand and she grinned back. Without a word she made her way to the tent's entrance.
Before she made it out though, she found something else to say. "Thanks Peter, by the way."
"For what?" he asked, a little confused.
"For putting up with me. I think I needed it." She smiled. "I should probably get dressed," she said pointing a thumb at the entrance to his tent. Peter nodded and she walked out.
"I love you Kaylee," he added, after she had already left. He sighed in frustration. "I just wish I could say it to your face," he groaned as he reluctantly began to dress himself.
~CON~CON~CON~
The flap for the tent closed and she walked a few feet before saying, "I love you, Peter. I wish you knew just how much."
As she entered the other tent she was greeted by a great bear hug from Lucy, knocking the wind from her already weakened body. "I'm so glad you're all right. We were all so concerned. But Peter especially. He always had this horrible worried look in his face whenever you or the Witch or Edmund was mentioned."
"Lucy!" Susan whispered a warning. Kaylee smiled at this exchange. Susan gave Kaylee a hug as well. "I am glad you're all right. Here, let's get you something to wear." Susan was clad in a green dress with tears around her sleeves at the shoulders. The sleeve came all the way down to her wrist and the skirt down to the floor. Her hair was braided and pulled back. Lucy, wearing almost the same design, but in blue, took Kaylee's hand and lead her to a chest filled to the brim with outfits. They rummaged through them for a few minutes until Susan picked out a maroon dress with a slit down the middle. White fabric filled the tear and a chain of white roses was embroidered around the bust line. Susan pulled her hair back into a tight bun with a few curled strands left hanging in front of her face.
"You look lovely," Lucy complimented her.
"Thank you. You do as well," Kaylee said back. "So when's breakfast? I'm starving." And they all laughed.
~CON~CON~CON~
Peter looked up from the patch of grass he was staring to find all three girls emerging from the tent laughing. Peter smiled. It was these little moments that lifted his spirits. And Kaylee's smile was so beautiful. He hadn't seen it in weeks. Not since that last day before the air raids. She looked fantastic, he might add. Susan, despite being an insufferable know-it-all at times, really had a talent for making people look good.
Edmund was already seated at the small table and eating, naturally. Peter wouldn't have expected anything less from his brother. Edmund too looked up and smiled with a mouth full of food. "Edmund that is so disgusting," Susan scolded him. He just shrugged and went back to his plate.
"Narnia isn't going to run out of toast, Ed," Lucy joked as he choked down another piece of the buttered bread.
Finally Peter spoke from his corner after not saying a word when the girls appeared, "I'm sure they'll pack some for the journey back."
"We're going home?" Susan asked, almost in surprise. If he had suggested this before everything happened, she would have gladly acquiesced. But after everything… she wasn't so sure she wanted to leave these people defenseless if they really were the Narnians' last chance.
"You are," Peter replied and Susan let out a huff of indignation. She was so sick and tired of him trying to tell her what to do all the time! She was very capable of thinking for herself! But she had no time to voice these protests as Peter had kept speaking." I promised Mum, I'd keep you three safe. And myself that you wouldn't get hurt again." He directed this last statement at Kaylee who quickly averted her gaze as his eyes flicked over to her. He continued, "But that doesn't mean I can't stay behind and help."
Kaylee shook her head. There he goes being noble again, she thought. Doesn't he get it? "But they need us!" Lucy protested interrupting Kaylee's stream of internal questions. "All five of us."
"Lucy it's too dangerous," Peter told her, moving to sit down around the table. He didn't realize it until he sat down, but he chose a spot right next to Kaylee. "You almost drowned. Edmund and Kaylee were almost killed."
"Which is why we have to stay," Edmund interrupted. Everyone looked at him, even Kaylee. No one had heard the boy speak like this before. No one would have thought that Edmund would be noble… "I've seen what the White Witch can do-"
"-and I've felt it," Kaylee whispered. Only Peter heard her, although she didn't think anyone did. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand in hopes of comforting her. When she felt his finger wrap around hers, she finally met his gaze. She managed a small smile in hopes that would pacify him. It did slightly. He dropped his worried look, but refused to take his hand away from hers. Not that she was complaining…
"-and I've helped her do it." He looked over guiltily at Kaylee as he said this. "And we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it." Everyone was in a silent agreement. They all would stay.
Susan stood up. "I suppose that's it then."
"Where are you going?" Peter questioned her.
She smiled. "To get in some practice." And she walked off. Kaylee stood and followed her along with Lucy. Peter and Edmund also went off to find Oreius to begin their crucial training.
~CON~CON~CON~
A/N: So how's it going so far? Do you like it? No? Was the other one better? Or this one? Put it in a review if you want me to know please! :D
