Time seemed to move slower than ever as Peter waited for news on his brother. He kept trying to reassure himself it would all be fine- that Edmund was far too stubborn to die. But as the time moved forward, Peter grew more concerned. However, there was nothing like a war to keep him occupied.

While he waited for more news, Peter asked his father if there was anything he and King Lune could help with. So, John arranged for them to fold linens for the head nurse, the same one that Peter had yelled at previously. After a thoughtful apology, the two were back on good terms and work was handed over.

"Peter," Lune took another corner of the long sheet they were folding, "what do you think will happen if King Edmund does die? Will the Witch return? Because the proh-"

"Shut up!" Pester snapped, making the other king jump. "Don't you dare say that again."

Lune nodded a bit and the two of them returned to silently folding until he asked, "why is there a war here? I would think other worlds would be more peaceful than Narnia."

"It's complicated," Peter said, "This is just one of thousands, if I am honest. However, for some reason…. It's more terrifying.

"In what way?"

Then, Peter did his best to first explain airplanes the best he could, then bombs- but both concepts were lost on the king of Archenland. So, Peter didn't bother attempting to explain Hitler, Hirohito, or Mussolini, not that he could understand any of them, nor did Peter want to understand the enemy. The two continued their work until John came to check on them. He seemed concerned about something, but Peter couldn't tell what until John spoke.

"Peter, Edmund is fine, but the second line was just defeated. It's only a matter of time before the Germans get here. I need you to take your brother and leave, is that understood? I have no idea where you came from or what in the world you are doing here, but I need you three to get out of here before they come."

"Then, come with us, Dad," Peter ordered, looking him in the eye. "I don't want to leave you behind."

"Peter, don't argue. It's possible they could shoot all of us or take us captive. I honestly don't know which I would prefer at this point. But I can't leave everyone else," John told him. "That's just not right. The injured needs our help and-"

"Dad," Peter wished his father understood, "Everyone needs to come back with us to Narnia. There's no war there and-"

"Well, there was," Lune cut into the tense conversation. "But she's-"

"Lune, not now," Peter muttered before turning back to his father. "Dad, there is enough space in Narnia for us all. If we hide there-"

"How do you know the Germans won't follow us to this Narlia."

"Narnia. But no, they won't- if we don't let them. But now that I think about it…" Peter paused as a stupid idea crossed his mind. One that solved a lot of their current problems with a simple solution. "Edmund's gonna kill me, but we should want them to follow-"

"What do you-" John began, but a moment later the head nurse came running over to them. "I must go. Just take Edmund and get out of here."

"No." Peter grabbed his arm, almost too roughly. "I am not leaving you here. Tell your…whatever his name is, I have a solution. I am going to take you all to Narnia. Then, we can discuss what to do. Is that understood?"

"Peter," John didn't like his tone of voice at all. "Let the adults handle the situation and get out of here."

But the High King refused to let him go. "I don't want you to die, Dad. I can save you and everyone else here if you just listen."

John paused and after a moment, relented. "Just a minute, Madge."

"All right," the head nurse agreed, but didn't move from where she stood.

"I am sure you got mum's letter about how we all went to the countryside," Peter began, "and we did. There, we found a wardrobe that led to another world, the world of Narnia. It's full of magic thanks to Aslan and-"

"How would we even get there?" Madge asked and Peter marched over to the wooden door of the supply closet. He checked about an hour ago and when he opened it again, it still showed Edmund's bedroom in Cair Paravel through a line of clothes.

"Through another wardrobe," Peter announced, "to the castle of Cair Paravel by the eastern sea."

Madge looked from the mysterious doorway to John who seemed as shocked as she was. "Is this how you found that other boy?"

"If you mean my youngest son, yes."

"And even if the Germans follow us," Peter continued, "we have a very untamed lion to take care of them. And also, an Edmund."

"What do you mean by that?" John asked. "I don't see how-"

"Well," Peter hated to break the news to him like this, but if it encouraged them all to do what he said, it was worth it. "Simply put, Edmund seemed have been cursed in the last battle we fought against the White Witch. It's rather nasty, but useful. I wouldn't be surprised if he could turn people to stone just like she did and that's why I am not worried about the Germans following us. If they did, Aslan would eat them, or we would have some new decorations for the castle."

The two adults shared a long glance.

"How many beds are there?" Madge asked next, turning the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Can is there enough space for all the injured?"

Peter nodded. "We can. It's truly a castle."

"Then," Madge smiled a little, "to Narnia, I suppose. If we can convince our commanding officer."

"Well," Peter knew the two of them would get nowhere trying to explain magic. "Bring him over here and I will show him Narnia."

"Be right back," John left the sheet-folding corner of the warehouse along with Madge. Given the urgency of the current situation, it didn't take them long to return. "He has agreed."

"Good," Peter was happy to hear that. "Now, let me clear some space so it's easier to get through. Lune?"

"Sure thing, your Majesty," the other King said and followed Peter into the wardrobe. Once on the other side, the two of them emptied out all the clothes onto the chair by Edmund's bed and placed his crown on the table next to the window. Next, Peter and the King of Archenland discussed removing the doors to the wardrobe, but they both concluded they didn't want to accidentally mess up the magic of the furniture.

"What now?" Lune asked, peering through the wardrobe at John who was showing the passageway to what looked like his commanding officer.

"I think we need to let Susan and Lucy know what's happening," Peter concluded after a moment of thought. "We need to get a lot of beds arranged in the dining hall and food figured out, not to mention dealing with this passageway."

"Why don't I arrange all that and you can help move everyone?" Lune asked, and Peter agreed. Lune was better suited to handle the Narnian end of the matter anyway. "Well, I am off." He patted Peter on the shoulder and went to go find the lovely queens of Narnia.

When Lune was gone, Peter decided to begin the moving process, starting with Edmund. He knew it was selfish to ask to do that first, but he needed to know his brother was safe. Peter walked back into the warehouse and told his father what he wanted to do.

All there readily agreed the child should be moved to safety before the others.

Soon, he and John were carefully picking up the stretcher Edmund had been settled upon for the journey back to Narnia. As Peter carefully walked backward through the rows of beds, he couldn't help but stare at his brother for any signs of life. Which to Peter seemed silly as Edmund looked better than he had in a few days. The color had mostly returned to his face and he was breathing, even if it was uneven. But what unnerved Peter most was the realization Edmund wasn't sleeping-

"Careful," John reminded his son as Peter staggered a moment.

"Sorry," Peter quickly apologized. The image of Edmund lying on the ground at Beruna, still and unmoving had flashed in his mind. But this wasn't like that at all. His brother was only asleep because it was best for him. It will be okay.

"Ready?" Peter asked as they came to the doorway to Narnia.

John nodded and the blond carefully stepped backwards into the wardrobe. One slow step after another led Peter back into the world he came to love- even more than his own. It was difficult for him to admit that, but as he felt his foot fall onto the soft rug by the entrance of the wardrobe, a smile crossed his face- he was home.

"Peter?"

He glanced over to see his father staring at his youngest son. It was then Peter noticed what he had. Edmund had become as pale as he had before and looked as if nothing had changed since they left Narnia.

"Don't mind it," Peter muttered, "it's merely the Witch's curse. It must only work in Narnia."

"When you said curse before," John followed over to the bedside where they gently set the stretcher on the floor next to it, "is there anything we can do? You said this place had magic-"

"I did and that's true. But this…" Peter barely understood the concept of the Deep Magic. "I can't explain it. Only Aslan can."

"In that case," John said as Peter pulled back the covers of the bed. "Is it dangerous? Is Edmund all right this way? Or will it get worse?"

"I don't think it can get worse," Peter said as his father carefully moved his younger brother to the bed. "The curse seemed to have taken its course and now, he is like that. Not only that, but he can-"

As if on cue, a snowflake fell onto Peter's hand and others began to come down from the ceiling as if there was an invisible cloud above.

"Make it snow," Peter finished.

"Is that all?" John asked, pulling the covers back over his son and taking a moment to kiss his forehead, only to flinch. "Peter, he's so cold, is he-"

"He's all right," Peter reassured John. "He's been that way since-"

The doors of Edmund's room opened with a 'slam' and if Peter hadn't been so fast, the red blur would have made it to the bed.

"Careful there, Lucy!" Peter cried, pulling her back a little.

"Peter!" she hugged him immediately and the first thing he noticed was that she was taller. How, he didn't know, but it hardly mattered. He hugged her back and asked where Susan was.

"In the throne room," Lucy said, stepping back. It was then Peter noticed something. She looked…older. "It suddenly started to snow inside again and I knew it! I knew you and Edmund had to be back! I missed you! I missed you so much! It's been two years and I-"

"Two years?" Peter gasped, not believing her for a moment. But now her change of height made sense- his eyes were not deceiving him.

"Yes! Two years. Susan and I were so worried, but I knew you would come back. I kept telling her that, but she never listened!"

"I am happy to be back as well," Peter agreed, hugging her again. "We ended up in France and look who we found?" He gestured to his father and it took Lucy a moment to realize who was standing before her. Then, A look of joy spread across her face as she dove into his arms.

"Dad!" she hugged him tight as well and he kissed her face.

"I missed you, too, Lucy," John told her, sounding like he was near tears. "You've grown so much."

"I know," she replied with a laugh, and after a few more treasured moments with her father, Lucy told Peter she was ready to help. "Susan's getting the kitchen staff working on dinner and she said I could help here."

"Wonderful," Peter was glad to hear it. Everyone was going to get a warm meal tonight. If not, he would give his to someone who needed it. "Do you have your cordial? It could help heal-"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "It's useless, you know." She glanced at Edmund and Peter sighed. He drew her into a hug and did his best to reassure her.

"Lucy, it wasn't the cordial that caused this," he wanted her to know that. "It healed him like it should have, but wounds are complicated things. It's not your fault."

"But it is, Peter."

"We can talk about this later," he knew he wasn't going to simply convince Lucy otherwise, so decided to let it go. "We have people to move."

The process took hours, but by midnight, everyone had been settled into the castle. Be it in the corridors or spare rooms, there was enough space for everyone. As for dinner, everyone was served a bowl of meat soup and a slice of bread. Susan apologized for the meager meal, but all were grateful. After all, there were now around three hundred mouths to feed and there was only so much food the High Queen could use for one meal.

When Peter was sure no one was left in the barn, he shut the door of Edmund's wardrobe and ordered it to be removed from the castle entirely. Where he wanted it sent, he didn't know until he consulted with Susan.

"Well, why don't we have it moved beyond the castle, to the Western Woods?" She suggested and Peter agreed. After it was ordered and in progress, Peter decided to go to bed. He would speak with Susan about what had happened in their absence when he awoke.

A/N: I'm still here! Sorry for taking so long to get this next chapter ready. Life has been busy and I will try and post more regularly. Again, thank you for reading and I personally just love where this story is going.