"Okay. Okay, very well. We'll go- talk things over. Just us. The rest haven't anything to do with this." - Also, get that knife the fuck away from my pregnant friend, but Lilith decided not to speak that part.
"Absolutely not." Sanya spoke up, shrugging off Ed's restraining hand, refusing to let her best friend go off alone with that- thing. "You're not going anywhere with him alone, not without me- us."
Lilith's heart beat faster as N's eyes turned to the young Indian girl, and he nearly dropped his knife before his smile grew wider. "Well, well, YOU really ARE a slut, huh? Who's the father of the bastard? Or wait, you don't know, righ'?"
Lilith took a step forward before either of the boys could act in the way she knew they were almost failing to restrain themselves from, in which she was 90% sure would get one of them killed.
"Fuck off, N. Leave her alone. I'll go wherever you want. Just for the night. Do whatever- but then you get off our backs. And possibly consider us an upgrade? 2 bedrooms are pretty cramped." She added with a lot more courage than she felt, throwing in a sweet smile with her last comment.
Well- it was worth a try?
"But-" Sanya started again, wondering why Peter wasn't speaking up.
N glinted his knife at the True and she gave him a look, "I've had a lot bigger and longer shown at me and some of them even pierced my body. You don't scare me."
"Sanya." Edmund whispered as softly as possible. "Our son."
She felt like an electric shock has passed through her. The baby, she couldn't risk the baby, she couldn't.
N smirked, "All bark, no bite you are." He scoffed, which Lilith knew was not at ALL true, but was glad her friend didn't retaliate.
"Deal or not?" The redhead pushed, wanting this entire situation over as quickly possible.
Their 'landlord' was silent a moment, his eyes dancing between them before he nodded, "Get a coat. It's a cold night." He spoke in way that made Lilith subconsciously put a hand to her forearm, a steady reminder of her title as she squeezed through the small crowd behind her and back into the flat to grab a hoodie.
Her eyes lingered on the semi-conscious Ben, both Susan and Lucy knelt beside him.
He was in good hands, but she couldn't help pressing her lips to his forehead before making her back out the door, grabbing her phone off the side.
Oh, how she wished she'd had it on charge as she glanced down to see it on 30%, before sliding it back into her pocket, noticing none of the 4 had moved an inch- if looks could kill, Sanya, Edmund and Peter would've had N dead minutes ago, yet he simply smirked back to them.
"Ready?"
No. But she nodded, "Let's just get this over with." She muttered, but felt a hand grab her wrist.
Her eyes met Peter's, and suddenly she realised how easily Susan could read him. Fear and desperation, trust and belieif in her- she felt grateful and fell even more in love with it all, but all she could do was offer a small, reassuring smile back.
"Make sure they keep Ben alive." She half joked, glancing to Sanya who nodded.
Lilith regretted her words immediately-
Oh, he best be okay.
At least the rest were, she decided optimistically, turning and following N down the stairs.
"Sanya, for goodness' sake, sleep!" Susan whisper screamed for the eighth time- she and Edmund were taking turns trying to convince Sanya to sleep because she needed the rest more than any of them.
"Drop it." Lucy, eyes of a lioness blazing, said tiredly. "You can't make her sleep, you know, and besides, it's almost morning."
Peter and Sanya said nothing, eyes trained on the door- Ben was lying on the couch, asleep.
"It's been hours!" Peter told Sanya a few moments later- they were both ignoring the others. "I thought it was just for the night."
"Still dark enough." Her droopy eyes looked through the tattered curtains. "My stomach has been twisting in fear so much-"
"Don't be scared." Peter said quickly, he would never forgive himself if something happened to Sanya nor his nephew. "She'll make it back safe."
"Not scared." She absently rubbed the spot above her breast where her tattoo lay. "Worried."
"That makes two of us." Peter said and they resumed their watch on the door.
4:35am, Lilith checked her phone as she made her way up the building's steps- not bad.
Yet, of course, it had began raining at 1, making her night even less so enjoyable.
She'd never expected to have appreciated ink in her arm to the extent she had last night.
She'd been in places that'd made her feel ill and met people that had made her skin crawl- at both their looks and their touches.
But she'd done what N had asked, and was back safe.
"You lot should be asleep, though- it's pretty late." Lilith spoke, forcing her tone to be lighthearted, answering their unasked question as she opened the door- they NEEDED to learn to lock it- and peeled off her drenched hoodie. "It was a great night."
"So you're okay?" Sanya asked again, wanting to hug Lilith, the pounds of anxiety melting away, but not being able too.
Fortunately, the ginger seemed to understand her dilemma and she bent down to hug her, smiling reassuringly over her shoulder at Peter, whose shoulders sagged out of relief too. "I'm okay. It wasn't too bad, a rather tame time, compared to what I was expecting."
"All that matters is that you- and Ben-" Susan indicated the couch and Lilith kneeled down to check on her friend "are alright."
Lucy and Edmund gave identical smiles as well, acknowledging their own relief.
"Come on." Sanya got up, pushing down her t shirt which had ridden up, and walked to Ed, working up courage.
Edmund looked confused. "Come... where?"
"To bed." Sanya said, purposely not looking at anyone. "You've been telling me to sleep for the past 6 hours."
"Yes but-" Edmund cast a look around but everyone looked as surprised at him- though Peter had a small smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around Lilith's waist "with me?" He honestly would have expected her to get a train to London to be with Haz at this time more than this.
"Yeah." Her nerve was rapidly dissolving into nothingness. "It's fine if-"
"No, no," Ed stood up too. "I'll go. It's... for the baby, right?"
"Yeah." Sanya was immensely relieved at being given a handmade excuse. "For the baby." Then she looked at Lilith and smiled genuinely, "I'm happy you're okay, Lil."
Then Edmund, catching her hand shyly, and Sanya, tightening her hold on Ed's palm, went away into the direction of the bedroom, leaving 4 gobsmacked people behind.
Lilith felt nothing but happiness as she watched the two leave. She decided to keep the news of their new place until tomorrow as Susan half dragged Lucy to bed.
Her eyes landed on the sleeping- but okay- Ben, and feeling Peter's arms around her, knowing the rest were to be sleeping soundly soon that made her unsure whether she wanted to bundle Goose- of whom was returning to his bed after her arrival- up in her arms and sleep for a week, cry from pure emotional exhaustion or begin cooking breakfast- albeit a few hours early- for the familiarity.
She knew the whispered confessions of the events that had unfolded that night and tears she'd shed against Peter's chest within the next hour would be kept between them.
"Lucy!" Susan called crossly as she set up the bed. "Come on already!"
Lucy had been hovering on the doorway for the last ten minutes, torn between her wish to sleep and her desire to see what the hell Sanya and Edmund were up to.
She had already seen Peter and Lilith snuggling on the couch while whispering to each other, thankfully away from the unconscious Ben, and she could tell that they were about to delve into mature territory soon.
"You want to know, too!" The Valiant said just as crossly.
"Yes," Susan said, curiosity was NOT a good colour on her- and as much as she liked Sanya, she wanted her and Edmund to get back together ten thousand times more than that. "But curiosity killed the cat, Lu."
Lucy suddenly thanked Asl-goodness that Sanya was an English nut. "But satisfaction brought it back, come ON, Su!"
Deciding that nothing would deter Lucy once she had made up her mind, Susan (fake) sighing, accompanied her sister to the bedroom next door where they quietly pushed open the door just enough to see what their brother and the mother of his child were up to.
"You sure about Alexander?" They heard Edmund's ponder, "How about Aslan?" He joked, clearly delirious with sleep deprivation.
"Shut UP." Sanya groaned, "It's morning! I want sleep!"
"Hmm... you sure? That's why you suggested we bunked toge-"
Then they heard a disgruntled cry from their Just brother, Susan deciding Sanya must've hit him.
She clapped her hand over Lucy's mouth quickly to stop her laughter.
"YOU suggested Alexander." Sanya said, deciding to tick off all of Ed's stupid questions. "So yes, I'm sure. And no way on earth, hell or heaven are we naming him ASLAN. And as for the bunking, I asked you because I asked you. If you don't want to, leave."
"But I want to stay." He buried his nose in the crook of her shoulder and she stiffened for a moment- she had forgotten how affectionate- how open he was when he was sleep deprived. "I don't ever want to leave you."
Sanya wanted to choke. "Um, alright." She said, thinking that lack of sleep did weird things to usually wise people. But then she looked into his face and his eyes, and saw they were completely serious and focused, if a bit glazy. So she added on, as she cuddled into him, pressing her baby bump into his flat abs, "Then don't leave, hmm?"
Ed's arms went around her as he whispered into her dark hair, "I'm not leaving this room, don't worry."
Well, he thought a moment later as he rubbed his paining stomach, at least he'd made her laugh.
"ARE those chicken balls okay to eat cold?" Was Susan's query that met Lilith's ears when she awoke the next morning.
The redhead stayed where she was, keeping her eyes closed as she relished in the feeling of her Magnificent's arms around her, the sound of familiar voices present.
"Try put it in the micro thingy." The Valiant's voice suggested.
"Microwave! It's been MONTHS, Lucy." Susan replied with a laugh, but Lilith heard buttons beep anyway.
Oh- breakfast!
A part of her felt bad for not having it ready, then again, it wasn't her job!
She opened her eyes to see that the sun was already well up and, much to her momentary surprise, Ben was on the sofa across from her.
She let out a small groan, remembering WHY she was so tired still as she stuck her head back in the chest of her makeshift pillow.
"Work." Edmund muttered in a groaning voice- Lucy's laughs had woken him- as he tried half heartedly to extricate himself from Sanya, but gave up very soon on that. "We have work."
She wrapped herself even tighter around him and he sunk back in. He hadn't even realised he was half out the bed. "Don't care." She mumbled sleepily. "Ekhane thakbo."
Ed's eyes bugged. "Pardon?"
"Wanna stay here." She purred in a throaty morning voice and OKAY, he needed the bathroom right now.
"San-"
"Haz!" Her eyes suddenly shot open and she pulled off her arms and legs away from Ed, who said with an annoyed chuckle, "No, I'm Edmund."
She threw a pillow at him. "I had to call him, he wanted to know the gender- said Tom was debating between a huge toy car or a doll house which I said was sexist and so he said they'll just buy us a whole bunch of stuffed toys or something."
"I don't want charity for my child." Edmund was wide awake now. "Not even from your boy toy and his mate."
"It's not charity, they want to give gifts. I said no plenty of times but to no avail." Then she added in a wondering voice, truly curious, "CAN he be a boy toy if he's six years older?"
"You'd have thought they were an old married couple." Lucy joked quietly to the rest of them, who were gathered eating the left over takeaway in the living room as they heard what sounded to be bickering from the room Edmund and Sanya had taken.
Both Lilith, Susan and even the now conscious Ben gave their own noises of amusement.
"Don't go bringing all that marriage stuff up again, Lu, you'll just start a load of- hey!"
Yet Peter never finished his warning, as Susan threw a prawn cracker at him.
"Let us laugh for once, you utter spoil sport." She told him, making a face. He returned one as they heard the door open, a begruntled Edmund trudging out in his work clothes, Sanya not far behind.
"Oh good, food." Sanya said, making a grab for the prawn toast but Peter stole it out of her hand.
"No fish." He said sternly, throwing the cracker back in the dish.
Sanya took her glasses (putting contacts on was very time taking and she was lazy) off and poked him in the eyes with it and he, with the rest of the table laughing, went to the bathroom to wash his eyes.
"We do make him the butt of jokes too much, no?" Lilith asked, torn between laughter and concern.
"He's used to it." Edmund swallowed his piece of toast- he wanted to eat the prawn toast but he didn't want to eat anything which was restricted of Sanya. "How're you, Ben?"
"Ah, just fine." Ben looked a little surprised at Ed asking him but answered nonetheless. "Your sisters are quite good nurses."
"I know. If it weren't for them, I'd have died many times over." Edmund chuckled lightheartedly, making Susan scowl at the way he treated his near-death memories.
"I REALLY wished I had my cordial, but what can you do?" Lucy said, shrugging and biting a biscuit.
"Right, that really was a magical thing." Lilith nodded, remembering the way it had healed almost dead Sanya after the castle raid.
"By the way, you all- except Sanya- are late." Susan said pointedly, indicating the clock. Sanya's shifts started an hour after the others, mainly because Ms. Keyes was very nice and very motherly. But she always went on time anyway, as she travelled with Ed and Pete.
Edmund risked being even MORE late to ask Susan, "Why aren't YOU going?"
"Afternoon shift, dingus." She snorted before switching on the TV and asking Ben what he wanted to watch.
"Ed!" Sanya called from the door and he hastily went, knowing he would be in for a talking to at office.
Peter appeared moments later. "Wait... they left me here!"