AN: This chapter may skip slightly, but it was done purposefully. I look forward to your reviews on it! There's only one chapter left!

A month had passed since Robert and Susan had discovered they had both been to Narnia. They shared stories of their times together, remembering similar places and adventures they had experienced. Susan told Robert of the parties she had held, the hundreds of balls they had attended while Robert had told of his adventures training with the Narnians and participating in tournaments. Robert had asked Susan about some of the things he had read about while he had been in Narnia, namely their defeat of the White Witch, which Susan had recounted for him, remembering her adventures as if they were only yesterday. Mostly their story trading had gone smoothly, laughing together at certain parts and comforting the other during harder tales. The only tension was when Susan had told him of her time in Calormen and her encounters with Rabadash. Robert had been the only person Susan had ever told the whole story to and felt a great weight lifted from her chest as she told him of how he had treated her that night in the gardens of the Tisroc's palace in Tashbaan. Her relief was brief however; she saw that Robert's face had gone pale and hard, his eyes tight with anger.

"Robert, dear, please," she had said quietly, placing her hands on the sides of his face, trying to assuage his anger. "It was a long time ago and none of it matters anymore." Robert had grabbed her wrists and moved her hands gently from his face.

"I hate that you've been treated like you have. You deserved so much better," he had whispered, his voice strained with a combination of anger and love.

"But I have so much better, now that I have you," Susan had said softly before placing a small kiss on his lips.


It was at the end of the month both Susan and Robert received news that would ultimately change their lives.

"Susan?" Robert called when he walked in the door, shutting it quickly behind him against the blustery day. The wind had picked up mid-afternoon and the sky had grayed, signaling the beginnings of a storm. One never came, however; the wind only continued to howl and the sky only continued to darken.

"We're in here!" Susan called back from the living room. Robert hung up his coat and hat, stuffing the letters he had gotten out of the mailbox into his suit coat pocket. He walked into the living room and smiled at the sight he came upon. His wife and son were both kneeling in front of a low table, Edward scribbling furiously on a sheet of paper while Susan looked on proudly.

"Dad!" Edward yelled, dropping the pencil he held and scattering his papers as he jumped up to give his father a hug. Robert caught him in his arms and tossed him gently into the air before giving him a quick hug.

"How are you today?" Robert asked as he walked into the room.

"Great! We drew pictures of great big castles and Mummy told me of how King Peter fought off the giants!" Edward chattered eagerly from his father's arms.

"Really? He fought off the giants?" Robert laughed, sending a quick wink to Susan who still sat on the floor. "I don't believe I've heard that one yet. Why don't you go wash up for dinner and then you can tell it to me?" Edward nodded and scrambled down from Robert's arms before taking off upstairs.

"Fought off the giants?" Robert asked, raising an eyebrow at Susan.

"Several times, in fact. They really were quite annoying at times," Susan said nonchalantly as she began picking up Edward's drawings. Robert laughed loudly and sat on the sofa, patting the spot next to him.

"Come sit for a minute," he said, giving Susan a wide smile.

"Oh, no, I know that smile and I don't have time for it. I still have to clean up all of this and go finish dinner," Susan said, her eyes twinkling at her husband as she fought a smile that played on her lips. Robert rolled his eyes and stood, walking slowly towards her.

"I think it's only fair that you give your husband a kiss to welcome him home. After all, he does work hard all day, slaving away from dusk 'til dawn," he said, reaching out and pulling her closer.

"Slaving away my foot. You probably did an hour's worth of work today and just played cards with Mr. Tavers the rest of it," she giggled as she allowed herself to be pulled.

"Yes, but it was hard work. Tavers cheats," Robert teased softly as he leaned down to kiss her. Susan sighed against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in to him. The kiss deepened as Susan's heart began to race. Robert wrapped his arms around her tighter, moving his hands slightly slower. A loud groan brought them out of their happy bubble, quickly pulling apart to see a disgusted six year old standing in the doorway, his hands covering his eyes.

"Do you have to do that?" he asked. Robert chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, we do. One day you'll find a girl and will want to do that as well," he laughed, walking over to Edward, scooping him up and slinging him over his shoulder.

"Just not too soon," Susan smiled, shaking her head at her husband and son. Her smile widened as she thought of the news she had received earlier that day, her hand drifting to her stomach. "I guess we better get them fed," she whispered as she walked out of the room.

Later that evening after dinner, Susan and Robert sat in the living room. A roaring fire was going, Robert having built it as the temperature had dropped. Susan dozed against his arm, coming in and out of consciousness as she slept.

"Hey, wake up there," Robert said, nudging her awake.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, I don't mean to keep falling asleep. It's just so cozy with the fire and I feel so tired lying here," Susan said sleepily. Robert laughed.

"There was some mail for you today. I thought you might want to read it," he said, remembering the letters he had put in his pocket earlier. He pulled them out and handed Susan a long white envelope. She looked at the return address, her eyes widening when she read it. Sliding her finger under the seal and breaking it open, she pulled out a neatly folded letter, its creases impeccably straight.

Dear Susan:

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits, as the last time I saw you I know you were not. Although our last meeting was not quite the way I had hoped it would go, I want you to know that I am truly sorry for all the pain I have caused you over the years. Furthermore, I want to apologize for my rudeness that day; it was extremely inappropriate for me to say the things I said and I hope that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me for them.

I write to you now because I never got the opportunity to explain my visit, which I now see was a mistake to show up the way I did. I should have first written to you before to see if it would be alright by you. I came because I wanted to see my son. My father passed away several months ago and I have been grieving for quite some time. As of recently, my thoughts have drifted to my son and I wondered how he had fared. I felt quite awful for giving him up and telling you I did not want to be a part of his life; I still feel that way, but for many different reasons now. None as shallow as they were all those years ago when all I was concerned about was my reputation.

Seeing Edward put my fears at ease. I see that you have been a wonderful mother to him and I wonder now why I had ever doubted you would be. He has a safe and happy home with you and your husband and I do not wish to spoil that for any of you. I am to be married soon; my bride is a wonderful woman and I love her dearly. I have told her about Edward as I am very proud to have such a handsome and smart son. She is accepting of this and has encouraged me to stay in contact. This is something I will not do, for Edward's sake. However, if you ever need anything for him, please do not hesitate to ask. I will gladly do all I can to help him in whatever way that I can.

Yours Sincerely,

Philip Montrose, III

Susan folded the letter when she had finished reading, her eyes damp with tears.

"Susan?" Robert asked, looking up from a letter he was reading. "What is it?" Susan shook her head and smiled slightly.

"What are you reading?" she asked as she tucked the letter back into its envelope.

"It's a letter from a solicitor of my uncle's. It seems he's died suddenly and I've inherited his house," Robert said slowly, returning his eyes to his letter.

"Oh, Robert, how awful!" Susan exclaimed, laying her hand on Robert's arm. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. I wasn't close to the old man anyway. He was a crusty sort of fellow, never married. Preferred to be alone most of the time. The house is important, though. He inherited it after my other uncle, his older brother, passed during the war. It's actually a rather old house, built by my great-great-grandfather and has been passed down through the years. The house was originally passed to my uncle; when he died, it was passed to his daughter, who also died years later. So then it was passed to my uncle's younger brother, the one who just died. Now, it gets passed to my mother, who was my uncles' younger sister. But Mother didn't want it, so the house comes to me," Robert explained.

"So… we have a new house?" Susan asked hesitantly.

"I suppose we do. I don't know if we'll want to keep it though; that's a lot of upkeep for us," Robert said as he folded his letter. "I thought maybe we could go see the house tomorrow."

"I think that would be nice. Where is the house?" Susan asked as she leaned her head on Robert's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"It's in Norwich. Not too far from here; hardly a place to have a second home, though. I can't imagine the need for it, but I can't imagine selling it. It's been in our family for so long and it's been kept in such good condition," Robert said.

"Well, let's see it tomorrow and make that decision then. But I think your family's home belongs in your family," Susan said quietly.

"Our family," he gently reminded her.

"Our family," Susan repeated softly. Robert squeezed her gently as he glanced around the room, smiling as he pictured Susan as a little girl in the room, playing with her siblings. He remembered the weeks he would spend in his uncle's house playing with his cousin, happy memories they had shared in the house he now owned.

"I think you're right," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her head.


"Where are we going again?" Edward asked as they walked to the car. Susan rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

"For the tenth time, we are going to look at a house," she answered, her patience wearing thin.

"But what's wrong with our house?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong with our house. We just want to look at this new one. It's now our house too, so we wanted to see it," she explained as she helped Edward into the backseat of the car. "Did you get your lion?" she asked before shutting the door. Edward nodded and held up his stuffed lion for his mother to see. "Good boy," she smiled and shut the door. Opening her own, she climbed into the front seat where Robert was waiting for them.

"Are we all ready to go?" he asked cheerfully. Seeing Susan nod, he started the car and pulled away from the curb as they drove to Norwich.

A good while later Susan glanced at the back seat, wondering why it was so quiet. Edward had fallen asleep, his mouth slightly agape as he his leaned back, his stuffed lion hugged tightly to his side. "I swear, that boy could sleep through anything," she muttered as she turned back around. Robert glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled.

"Well, he certainly looks like his mother when she sleeps," he teased. Susan lightly smacked his arm.

"I do not sleep with my mouth hanging open like that," she said indignantly.

"Oh? And how many times have you watched yourself sleep?" he asked.

"How did your uncle die?" Susan asked, trying to change the subject but inwardly cringing when she realized what subject she had changed the conversation to.

"Which one?" Robert asked.

"Both, I suppose," Susan answered.

"Well, Uncle George, the younger brother, died of heart failure, according to the solicitor's letter. Uncle Richard and his wife, Aunt Henrietta, were both killed during the war. Bombings," Robert explained.

"How sad," Susan whispered.

"My cousin lived in the house for several years after they were killed, but she was killed as well, very young," Robert said, his hands tightening on the wheel.

"How did she die?" Susan asked hesitantly, noting Robert's stiffness.

"Train wreck," he said, the words cutting. Susan glanced sadly at him, her eyes misting as she saw a small tear in the corner of her husband's eye. Leaning towards him, she kissed his cheek, just as the tear escaped, her lips catching it and wiping it away. "You would have liked her. She was full of spirit, always a fun girl. Reminds me of you sometimes," he said, a slow grin appearing at the corner of his mouth.

When they reached the house, Susan sat in awe of the massive home that they now owned. "Well, this is it," Robert said as he cut the car off.

"It's beautiful," Susan breathed. Robert chuckled and squeezed her hand.

"Wait until you see the inside," he teased. He got out of the car and opened the back door, waking Edward as he helped him out. Susan got out as well, her eyes unable to tear away from the house.

"Wow, is this a castle?" Edward asked sleepily as he leaned against Robert's head.

"It could be," Robert replied, smiling widely.

As they climbed the steps to the house, Susan felt an eerie familiarity around her. The day was cheerful and sunny, a sharp contrast to the blustery day they had yesterday, but with each step she felt chills go through her body. Robert pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the front door. They stepped inside, breathless from the beauty of the hall. The walls were paneled in dark wood, polished until they gleamed. A large chandelier hung overhead, the crystals glittering brightly. Large works of art covered the walls, pieces that seemed to be worth quite a bit.

As they toured the house, the familiarity Susan had felt began to strengthen, no longer scaring her but making her yearn for days of long ago. Robert led them around, telling them tidbits about the house's history, explaining different pieces of furniture or items displayed and how they were acquired.

When they entered a large drawing room, Susan was immediately drawn to the marble fireplace, the focal point of the room. Dozens of pictures, photographs of Robert's family members, stood on the mantle. Susan walked closer, taking in the pictures, when a small photo of two boys caught her eye. They were clearly brothers, their expressions similar as they smiled for the camera.

"Is this you?" Susan asked, pointing to the picture. Robert walked closer and looked, smiling when he recognized the picture.

"That's me and my brother George. I was around six or so when that was taken," he answered.

Going through the other pictures, he picked up a larger gold frame holding a picture of a couple with a small girl sitting in her mother's lap. The girl had a head full of dark curled hair, a large floppy bow holding the curls back, and wore a bright happy smile. She looked to be about four in the picture, clasping her mother's hand tightly. Her face reminded Susan of someone, but was unable to decide who.

"This is my Uncle Richard and Aunt Henrietta with their daughter-" Robert was cut off by Edward's cries.

"Look Mummy! Look!" he cried, coming up and tugging on Susan's hand.

"What is it?" she asked, allowing him to pull her. He pulled her to a large photo sitting on a marble table. It was of a young woman dressed in a commencement gown, a serene smile on her face. Her eyes were untouched by the smile, however, and appeared sad, as though they had never once been happy. Her hair, though longer, was still dark and curled, pulled to the side in a clip. Although the photo was black and white, Susan could tell her eyes were lighter.

They're green, she thought to herself, her own eyes widening as she recognized the woman in the photo. She was younger in the picture than she had been the last time Susan had seen her, but still older than the first time they had met.

"She looks like a queen!" Edward said, breaking the silence.

"She's a princess, actually," Susan said softly, too low for her son to hear. Robert came behind her and put his arm around her waist.

"That's my cousin Georgiana, or Georgie as we called her; she's my Uncle Richard and Aunt Henrietta's daughter. Or was, I suppose. She's the one I told you about who died in the train wreck," he said softly. Susan's eyes filled with tears at hearing of the death of her friend from so long ago.

"She's beautiful," Susan whispered as she leaned into her husband.

"Mummy? Why are you crying?" Edward asked, confused by his mother's tears. Robert leaned down and saw her crying.

"What is it, love?" he asked worriedly. Susan shook her head.

"It's just sad. It made me think of my siblings, dying the same way," she lied, turning from the photo.

"Susan?" Robert asked slowly. She turned to look at him, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine, really," she said. Glancing around the room, she added, "This is a beautiful house, Robert, so full of history and your family's memories. You can't sell it." Robert smiled.

"I wasn't planning to. I just wanted you to see it," he said.

"I want to see more of it!" Edward said, tugging on Robert's hand.

"Alright, alright. How about I show you the play room where there are lots and lots of toys?" Robert asked, scooping his son up.

"Yes!" Edward yelled.

"We'll be upstairs when you're ready," Robert said quietly as he stopped by the door, turning back to Susan. Susan nodded. When she heard Robert climbing the stairs outside the room, she walked back to the photo of Georgiana and picked it up.

"So you came back? Edmund would have loved to have seen you. If only you knew what had truly happened to us. If any of us deserved a place in Aslan's Country, it was you. I hope that's where you are, with my brother," she said quietly to the picture, her mouth slightly quivering as she spoke. Taking a deep sigh to control her emotions, she set the photo back on the table and left the room to follow her husband and son.

Hours later when they had finished looking at the house, the three climbed back into the car and headed back to their home in London. Susan glanced out the window, taking one last look at the house that Georgiana had lived and grown up in. They drove in silence during the trip; Susan thought Edward might have fallen asleep again, but did not turn around to check. She closed her eyes, smiling slightly as she remembered the time she had spent with Georgiana in Narnia, their friendship had been so easy and natural; Georgiana was every bit a sister to her as Lucy had been. The more she remembered, the more she realized she missed Georgiana as much as she missed her three siblings.

"Look! A tunnel!" Edward cried, startling Susan out of her memories.

"Ed, don't shout. We can all see there's a tunnel ahead. We came through it before," Robert scolded gently.

"But I didn't see it," Edward said.

"That's because you were asleep, darling," Susan said, turning and giving her son a smile.

"Our teacher said if you hold your breath while you're going through a tunnel and make a wish, it will come true," Edward explained.

"Well, then shall we make a wish?" Susan asked.

"Yes! Hold your breath!" Edward said excitedly, taking in a big gulp of air. Susan smiled wider and gently rolled her eyes at her son's silly beliefs as she turned back to her seat. As they began to enter the tunnel, Susan silently sucked in a breath, closing her eyes and wishing harder than she ever had in her life.


"Susan," a voice called. Susan opened her eyes, expecting to see the bright end of the tunnel. Instead all she saw was darkness. Looking to her right, where Robert should have sat, there was nothingness. It surrounded her, consuming the space around her. Her heart began to race as she frantically looked about for her husband and son, waving her arms in front of her hoping to feel them.

"Susan," the same voice said. Susan's back shot up straight, her heart racing faster in panic. She slowly turned to see a door in front of her. It was plain and wooden, its simple doorknob made of metal. Her head turned to the side as she inspected it, wondering why such a nondescript door would be in the middle of nothingness. A quiet padding sounded next to her. She turned her head and saw a golden mane. Staring back at her were the warm eyes she had stared into so many times, so many lifetimes ago.

"Aslan," she breathed. No longer did she feel compelled to kneel before him as she had in the past. She threw her arms around him as she would have done when she was a little girl, allowing the warmth and calmness he radiated to fill her. Her eyes began to tear up as she hugged him, all the pain and suffering she had felt in the past melting away. All the fear and hatred she had of Narnia disappeared and was replaced with the love and excitement she had felt when they had first come to the magical world. Pulling away, Susan wiped her tears.

"Am I dreaming again?" she asked. Aslan chuckled and shook his head.

"I suppose those dreams I've sent you have been upsetting you," he said.

"You sent them? They were so terrible. I was so scared for my son in them," she said.

"But you overcame the threats in them. You found your strength again. You overcame your fears and became who you were always meant to be," Aslan explained gently. Susan nodded.

"I did, I think. I'm so ashamed of what has happened to me. I don't deserve to be Queen Susan of Narnia; I've shamed her," Susan said, her head lowered.

"Child, look at me," Aslan gently commanded. Susan looked up, her eyes misty with tears. "I warned you before of listening to your fears. You've continued to do so even after. You lost your way and had to come back. I know it's been a hard road for you, but know that I was with you every step of the way. And I will continue to be as long as you are friend to me and even long after if you ever lose you way again. Your triumphs make you more of a queen than you have ever been," Aslan continued. Susan stood silently for several long minutes, digesting everything that she had been told. Looking around at the darkness, she asked, "Sir, what am I doing here?" Aslan smiled.

"You are here because you asked to be here," he replied. Susan's brow furrowed in confusion. "Through that door lies the path back to your home. Those you love are waiting for you there. It's up to you to decide which home you choose to live in, however," Aslan said.

Susan turned to the door, her brow furrowing even more as she thought about her home. There was Narnia, the home she had loved more than anything. There was the home she had created with her husband and son, both whom she now loved more than anything. There was a time when she couldn't imagine anything more wonderful than living in Narnia, happy and carefree, queen to her people. It was the world she had lived in and found true happiness. Now she knew that her home was with her son and husband. A world without them was no home to her. Glancing back over her shoulder at the lion, she thought, But, he did say…

Her thoughts trailed off as she turned back to the door with steely determination. Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it, pulling the door slowly open. Her eyes squinted from the light that poured in from the open doorway. Once they had focused, she saw a familiar figure standing several yards from the door. Susan smiled widely as the figure spoke.

"Well, it's about time you got here, Susan. I've been waiting on you."