Nothing's Gonna Tear Us Apart

Susan groaned loudly as she picked up a rock and threw it as far as she could. Five years. Five years she had been in Narnia, and five years Aslan had kept her in suspense. For five whole years she had lived in fear of getting sucked back to England, and for five years she had rejected Caspian's attempts to take their relationship to the next level.

Marriage.

The thought scared Susan more than she cared to admit, and not only because she feared beginning a family and suddenly not being in Narnia. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but something always stopped her from agreeing to marry Narnia's king.

"Susan?" called Lucy. Susan turned to look at her sister. Over the years Lucy had grown into a beautiful woman, and although according to most Susan was the more beautiful of the two, she had to disagree. She was sure that the dozen men that had asked for Lucy's hand in marriage agreed with her.

"Yes?" asked Susan, her voice cracking. She bit her lip, not wanting to cry, but the tears seemed to spill out anyway. Her sister ran towards her and threw her arms around her sister.

"What's wrong?" she whispered. Susan sniffed.

"It's just… it's everything! We've been here for five years and Aslan still hasn't told me if it's possible for me to stay in Narnia forever, and if it isn't its just going to be harder to leave and then on top of that there's the whole marriage thing and it's just…"

"Marriage thing?" asked Lucy, pulling away from her sister. Susan bit her lip. She had forgotten that she hadn't told Lucy about Caspian's many proposals.

"Er… well Caspian may have asked me to marry him once or twice…"

"Really? That's… wonderful," said Lucy, but she looked alarmed when she saw Susan grow more pained.

"It is, but I cannot marry him! I may not be in Narnia tomorrow…"

"It's been five years Susan"

"And it was more last time" said Susan, and Lucy's shoulders sagged at the reminder.

"You're right… I just guess that I'm getting too used to being here. I do miss England though"

"Lu, if given the choice, would you stay in Narnia?"

"Forever?"

"Forever"

"Do you want me to answer that one hundred percent truthfully?"

"Yes"

"No"

"No you won't answer truthfully?"

"No, no I wouldn't stay in Narnia forever"

Susan thought about what her sister had just said and bit her lip.

"And Edmund?" she asked.

"I do not think he would stay either," answered Lucy honestly.

Suddenly, another worry had been added to Susan's list.

xxx

The next morning Susan watched from the balcony that came off her room as Caspian and Edmund walked together through the castle gardens. Their relationship had come so far… she often thought that Edmund was probably closer to Caspian now than Peter was. She smiled when Caspian noticed her and waved up at her. He put a hand up and started running. Even from the distance she could see Edmund's eyes rolling.

Minutes later Caspian came running into her room. He paused to catch his breath in the doorway and Susan smirked, realizing that she was still only wearing her pyjamas.

"You're sweating," she said laughing. Caspian laughed and walked towards her, crashing his lips on hers. He led her onto the balcony and before she knew it she was pinned up against the wall outside her room. For the first time in a long time his hands roamed her sides and she smiled against his mouth. Caspian pulled away from her, a serious look on his face.

"Marry me"

Susan cupped his face in her hands and brought it towards hers. His long black hair caressed her cheeks and she felt the familiar tingle run down her spine.

"Not yet" she whispered. He groaned but before he could leave she kissed him again.

"Oi!" called Edmund from the garden. Susan looked over Caspian's shoulder as Caspian kissed her neck, "Get a room!"

"Get a life" called back Susan, joking. Edmund scoffed loudly.

"Susan!" called another voice. She noticed that Peter was now standing beside Edmund. She raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she groaned, cursing her brothers.

"Aslan wants to talk to us"

Caspian pulled away from her.

"Well, off you go" he said, stepping aside.

"Caspian, you come too" called Peter before him and Edmund walked away. Susan sighed and grabbed Caspian's hand, walking towards the exit of her room.

"Wait!" she suddenly screamed, "I can't go like this" she motioned to her long white pyjamas. Caspian smirked.

"I hadn't noticed you weren't dressed. I'll wait for you outside" he kissed her on the forehead and left the room, closing the door behind him. She smiled as she pulled her favourite dress on. It took her several minutes to finish tying the dress in the back and to comb her hair. Finally she stepped outside where Caspian was patiently waiting for her.

"Ready?"

"I've been ready for a long time," she said, barely breathing. She knew what Aslan was going to tell them. And she wasn't sure if she was ready to hear it.

xxx

Susan felt as if she hadn't seen Aslan for ages when she walked into the throne room and saw him standing talking to her brothers. Both were listening intently to what he had to say, something that worried Susan. Lucy was still nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, Susan, Caspian" acknowledged the magnificent lion. Both bowed and only stood when Aslan beckoned them too.

"My Susan, you have gotten more beautiful"

"So Caspian has noticed," mumbled Edmund. Susan blushed, only then thinking of how it must have looked to people passing by to see their king and one of their queens simply necking it while the queen was still only wearing her nightgown. Peter elbowed Edmund.

"You wished to speak with us?"

"Yes, but with all of you" said Aslan, smiling, "And it seems you are not all yet here, so why don't we simply enjoy each others presence until queen Lucy arrives?"

Edmund instantly went to stand between Susan and Caspian, breaking their hands apart. Susan rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Ed, how long is this going to go on? You get on fine with Caspian!"

"Not when he's kissing my sister" he said, his teeth clenched. Susan laughed and threw her arms around Edmund.

"You're so cute Ed"

"I am NOT cute," he said indignantly. Although Susan had to agree, she would never tell him. Edmund had surpassed cute a long time ago, and now was simply downright handsome, tall and strong. She was aware that he had caught the eye of several of the girls in the court.

"You saying that only makes you cuter" she teased, pinching his cheek. Edmund swatted her away as Caspian laughed.

"Oh, Susan, leave him alone" said Peter, although he was smiling as well. Susan had to admit that it was strange to see Peter smiling. For the past year and a half he had been solemn, his normally bright blue eyes dull. When she had asked him about it he had simply replied that he didn't know what she was talking about. But for some reason the colour had returned to his eyes, and his smile was back on his face. She hadn't realized how much she had missed that smile until then.

"Sorry Edmund" said Susan, although she didn't really mean it. A shriek suddenly filled the hall.

"Pete! You're smiling!" cried out Lucy. She ran towards her brother, who picked her up and swung her around in his arms.

"Yes, well I have just heard some good news" he said, lowering to the ground.

"Oh have you?" she asked, "And what might that good news be?"

"I… I don't think it's really my good news to share" said Peter, glancing at Aslan, who nodded.

"Now that we are all here, there is something very important that I need to address. As Peter said, I have some good news, but it might not exactly be good news to all of you"

Susan swallowed her spit. She wasn't ready to hear this. She noticed Caspian raise an eyebrow at Aslan who simply nodded slightly, so slightly that if she hadn't been watching she wouldn't have noticed. Caspian took something out of his pocket, but Susan didn't see what it was. She looked back at Aslan.

"Young Pevensie's… the time has come for you to return to your true home"

Susan held her breath. Aslan noticed this and smiled.

"However… you do not all need to return" he turned to Peter and Susan, a glimmer in his eyes. Peter smiled and Susan covered her mouth with her hands.

"So… Ed and I will return, but Peter and Susan will stay?" asked Lucy, turning to her siblings, tears already running down her cheeks.

"Only if they so choose," said Aslan, watching them carefully.

Susan couldn't find any words to describe how she was feeling. The only way she felt she could portray her feelings was to grasp Caspian's hand. He squeezed her hand, smiling down at her. She felt Peter's hand wrap around her other hand, and he nodded at Aslan.

"Alright. I will give you time to say your goodbyes" he said, leaving the Pevensie's and Caspian alone. Lucy instantly ran to Susan and hugged her.

"Oh, Susan, how? How am I going to live in England without you? How will mum react? What will we say?"
Susan patted her sister's hair, crying as well. She had never guessed that to stay with Caspian she might never be able to see Edmund and Lucy again. It wasn't fair to make her choose, but she knew who she couldn't live without.

"I'm going to miss you so much" she whispered into her sister's hair. Lucy tightened her grip around Susan's waist. Finally she let go, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, laughing. Susan smiled.

"Because I might never see you and Edmund ever again! I'm not completely heartless"

"No, if you were you would have left Caspian," said Lucy, smiling. Susan was glad to see that her sister understood, even if it didn't make her feel much better. She turned to Edmund as Lucy made her way to Peter.

"I was right," said Edmund as he wrapped his strong arms around Susan. Susan gave him a confused look when they pulled away.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I told you I had the feeling Caspian would steal something from me. And he did. He stole my sister" he hugged her again, and Susan noticed that even he was crying. She bit her lip, crying into his chest. Finally she let him go.

"I'm really going to miss you Ed" she said. Edmund smiled slightly.

"Not as much as I'll miss you" then he glanced at Caspian and whispered in Susan's ear, "Here, just in case he ever hurts you," Susan noticed him handing her a small package. She looked confused, but understood when she saw her own horn in her hand.

"Ed, where…"

"I know Caspian lost it during the battle… I've been searching for it. I want you to have it. Make sure you call us at least once more" he kissed her forehead. Susan looked down at the horn, but noticed something else. She gasped, but didn't say anything. Edmund walked over to Caspian to say goodbye. Susan stood beside Peter, who was also crying.

"You knew" she said, "Aslan told you we would be able to stay"

"Yes, but he forgot to mention that Edmund and Lucy wouldn't" he stated bitterly, "But we will see them again" he said, smiling at the object in Susan's hands, "I'm sure of that"

His eyes widened for a second and he looked into Susan's eyes. He had obviously seen the object that had also caught her attention. She shrugged, but nodded. Peter hugged her, and she heard Lucy and Edmund chuckling.

"You'd think you weren't going to see each other ever again," said Edmund. Susan dried her eyes with her thumb and smiled at her brother. She couldn't believe they were being separated. She hugged Edmund and Lucy again.

"I will miss you guys more than you can even imagine," she said as Aslan walked back into the room.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Lucy and Edmund held hands and nodded. Aslan took a deep breath and let it out on the two youngest Pevensie's and suddenly they were gone. Susan clasped Caspian's hand tightly.

"Are they alright?" asked Peter and Aslan nodded. Then he turned to Susan.

"You will see them again my queen"

Susan could hear from the way he said the words that it wasn't a statement. It was a promise.

xxx

Susan, Caspian and Peter walked back towards the castle, already missing their siblings but strangely at peace with their decision.

"Um, Peter" said Susan when they reached the courtyard. Peter turned to look at her and she nudged him away with her head. Peter understood, obviously remembering what Susan had told him earlier and quickly excused himself, saying something about a long awaited trip to the toilet. When he was gone, Susan took a deep breath.

"You know… Edmund gave me a very interesting gift today" she said, trying to hide the excitement that was slowly building inside of her. Caspian rested his arms on her shoulders and gave her a crooked smile.

"Did he?"

"He found my horn," she said, putting the horn up to Caspian's face. He backed up a bit and then took it from her, examining it.

"Where…"

"No idea. I was going to ask him but I didn't have enough time" she said, shrugging and biting her lip, not wanting to start crying again.

"Wow. I didn't think I'd ever see this again" he said, handing the horn back to her, "I owe it so much"

"Oh do you?"

"Yes, I do, and I never got to thank it!"

"And why might you owe it?" she asked playfully. Caspian rested his arms on her shoulders again, smirking.

"Well, if it wasn't for that horn I would have never met three of my best friends" he said, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Only three?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Peter, Edmund and Lucy" he said, "But it also brought me to a very important in my life right now"

"Who, your fiancée?" she asked, smiling. Caspian's eyes lit up and he picked her up and swung her around as Peter had done to Lucy what felt like hours ago. He pressed his lips to hers and she responded, kissing him back passionately.

"You saw?" Susan nodded.

"When…" she began, but he cut her off, knowing what she was going to ask.

"When you held my hand before, in front of Aslan" he said, smirking, "I thought you would notice"

"I didn't" she admitted, "I only saw it after Edmund gave me the horn"

"And you agree?" he asked. And Susan nodded.

"Yes" she said, the excitement obvious in her voice. She looked down at her finger where a glistening diamond ring was placed delicately. She bit her lip, "It really is beautiful"

"I was waiting for this moment… Aslan told me about, well about Ed and Lucy not being able to stay, and I thought you might need a little pick me up after"

Susan slapped his shoulder playfully, "You knew? And you didn't tell me?"

He just smiled at her crookedly and kissed her again. Susan sighed and melted into the kiss, not regretting for one second her choice to stay in Narnia.