Chapter Eleven~

That night the Pevensies and Ryan were eerily silent at supper making the Professor, who decided to have supper with them watch them with a knowing sadden expression. They all seemed lost in their own little world, especially Peter who kept glancing at Jessie who didn't seem to notice. When it was time to go to bed they departed to their own bedrooms with Peter watching Jessie leave for her room with a crestfallen expression. Sometime during the night two figures left their bedrooms and snuck to the spare room with candles in their hands. Having met in the hallway, they stepped into the spare room seeing the wardrobe with a strange sort of longing in their eyes before going over to open the door—seeing nothing beyond the fur coats.

"I don't think you'll get back that way," a voice says so that the two figures turn so that they turn out to be Lucy and Jessie, the voice belonging to the Professor who sits on the windowsill smoking a pipe. He stands walking over to them saying gently,

"You see—I've already tried." it's then he stood from the windowsill and walked over to them as Jessie asked,

"Will we ever go back?" here the Professor smiled down at the two of them, though his face held a soft weak expression as if to say something, but then at the last second changed it to,

"Oh I expect so, but it will probably happen when you all are not looking for it," then he held out his hands for both of the girls to take and as Lucy took one hand and Jessie the other he added,

"All the same, best to keep your eyes open." so that he leads the two out of the room but just before they leave Jessie swears she hears a lion roar. They return to their bedroom and as the two settle into their own beds Lucy whispers to Jessie,

"We will go back." making Jessie nod her head in the dim candlelight and reply,

"Of course we will." the night passed and the very next morning Jessie was able to return to her Aunt Polly's house though it was a bittersweet moment for all the Pevensies. Even if she lived only five miles away—it seemed like a lifetime away especially for Peter. Before she left he asked if the two could talk in privet and so walking to where they had played cricket that fateful day when Edmund had hit the ball into the window, Peter looked shy beyond words.

"Pete you alright?" she asked him looking at him concerned so that he fiddled with something in his pocket and pulled out a necklace—from Narnia. Gasping, Jessie felt her breath stolen from her as Peter explained,

"I—I was going to give this to you before we—we left." the necklace was gorgeous, a golden chain the color of Aslan's mane with a single heart-shaped ruby dangling from it. The ruby itself was the size of Jessie's thumb as Peter held it out for her saying,

"Please—take it." looking into Peter's blue eyes that swirled with emotion, Jessie took the necklace and put it on feeling a warmth that reminded her of Aslan. That made her smile weakly as she pulled him into a tight hug whispering into his ear,

"I'll treasure it Peter." then she returned to her Aunt Polly and once there wasn't sure whether to recount her story of Narnia—or not. But her aunt seemed to know something had happened because as soon as they stepped into the cottage she said,

"You've grown so much." with a sparkle in her eyes that Jessie instantly understood with a soft smile. Every other two days Jessie would return to the Professors mansion to be with the Pevensies and soon the days turned to weeks, weeks into months and then one day when they were all outside Mrs. Macready called them in saying they had received a letter—from Mrs. Pevensie. Eagerly the Pevensies rushed into the mansion to hear the news around the kitchen table.

"It seems you lot are returning to London," Mrs. Macready told them causing them all to gasp in surprise and wonder as Peter asked,

"What has happened?"

"It seems that our government has deemed it safe enough for the children sent to the country to return to their homes." she explained leaving them all in a silence that stretched for a while.

"When does mum want us back?" Susan asked so that Mrs. Macready told her,

"The next train available she writes. Guess you lot are to pack your bags then." the fact they are going home is a shock beyond words, the fact they are leaving Jessie is a blow to the gut. The Professor the next day buys their tickets to London station so that Jessie goes with them all to Comb Halt Station—where she had come an orphan, friendless and alone. Now she was coming to say goodbye to the largest part of her family. As the five and Professor waited on the platform for the train to arrive no one spoke afraid they'd start crying at any moment. That stopped when the train appeared and it was Lucy who grabbed Jessie in a tight hug, then Susan, then Edmund and lastly Peter.

"Now, now children—I'm sure Polly will be willing to allow her to visit you lot in London." the Professor said soothingly so that when Peter broke away from the hug Lucy asked,

"Really?"

"Really, really Lu." Jessie said reassuringly as the train stopped and the conductor called out 'All Aboard'. The Pevensies gave one last hug to Jessie who was now tearing up horribly and as the four boarded the train she tried to hide her heartache. It was only when the four were waving from outside a window that she broke down and fell to her knees sobbing and waving goodbye. As the train pulled away towards London the Professor knelt beside her and said,

"You'll see them again Jessica, Aslan willing."

"But when? And why does it hurt so much to see them leave?" she sobbed so that he in as a sign of compassion took her into a hug and said to her,

"Because they were your family, and I can understand having to see the ones you love leave you. But remember, Aslan wouldn't let you find them to only let you never see them or Narnia again." those words seemed to do the trick enough that she stood up and she could make it back to her aunts home. Every day after the Pevensies left Jessie wrote to them and they in return wrote to her. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months and soon the steady stream of letters began to slow down. Despite her writing every day like clockwork the letters back only came once in a random while. This broke Jessie's heart as she treasured every letter like a pieces of her. She looked forward to every bit of news of her beloved family, especially Peter. She knew words had been left unsaid between them, and that ate at her at nights when she would dream of them in their reign in Narnia. It was almost a full year with them back in London when she had the worst sort of nightmare. She was watching Narnia be swallowed by a dark ominous cloud, the cloud destroying anyone and everything in its path. It ruined Cair Paravel, turned Talking Animals into dumb beasts, and then she watched a warring two sides fight with men in black armor and snarling face masks slaying beasts and bird and creatures of Narnia in rapid succession. The last thing she remembers is hearing a lion roar deafeningly before waking up with a scream on her lips only it was silent as she panted heavily with sweat dripping from her brow and face. Swallowing her scream, Jessie looked out the window to see a blood red sun rising and remembered what Oreius had told her once,

"Blood suns means blood has been split, no good can come of the sign." shaking those words from her mind, she pulled her knees to her chest and whimpered,

"Oh Aslan, why did we have to leave?" that morning she ate in silences as her aunt, who the two had become amazingly close so that it was as if the two had never been separated had gone to get the mail. As she entered she had an envelope in her hand and said,

"I think you are going to like this!" and so handed the envelope to Jessie who raised an eyebrow before seeing who it was from, the Pevensies! Ripping open the envelope, she read the letter silently before telling her eagerly waiting aunt,

"Mrs. Pevensie wants me to go come for a visit!"

"Oh dear that's wonderful! When does she want you to go?" her aunt asked so that Jessie stood saying,

"As soon as I can apparently, their school starts in a week and she says I can stay with them until then. Please can I go?" she begged but her aunt laughed whole heartedly saying,

"But of course! Go pack while I arrange the train ticket." so the very next day Jessie was on the train to London eagerly awaiting when she would arrive. Though she fell asleep dreaming of her family, and of Peter, when the train pulled into London Station and she stepped off everyone seemed to notice her. Was it the way she carried herself? The way a certain—special something radiated from her? Either way women bowed their heads as she walked and men took off their caps as she looked for her beloved family. It was only when she heard a cry of,

"Jessie!" that she turned to see Lucy coming running towards her. Grinning from ear to ear, she embraced the so grown Lucy as Susan, Edmund and Peter all came running behind her followed by their Mother.

"You must be Jessica Ryan, I've heard so much about you from my children." Mrs. Pevensie said to her so that Jessie smirked replying,

"I hope not too much."