Lilith awoke in the arms of her completely tactless, yet incredibly loveable twat.
"I'd lie here longer, but thanks to SOMEONE- which I'm still to be told about- there's broken glass to pick up... and breakfast to make, of course."
She spoke, pulling from a grumbling Peter, who admitted he'd thrown a glass at the wall as she was throwing a dressing gown round herself.
"Well, next time throw a pillow."
"It doesn't have the same effect-" He dared, earning a glare before, "Oh, and Ben's texted-" Lilith announced, glancing to her phone. "2 o'clock this morning saying Susan's fine and asleep... I suggest you get your arse up. Work in an hour."
-
"You were pretty cut up last night, you sure you'll be alright?" A very much unlaid Ben asked again as Susan, face makeup less and pale, was about to leave his flat to go to her own.
"You asked me thrice already, my answer has not changed." She rolled her silver-blue eyes before adding. "Wish I could stay but I've to go. They are my family."
"Well, you're welcome here anytime they bully you about anything. Saint Ben's Home for Wayward Time Travelling Monarchs here." He grinned. "Besides, I enjoyed the company."
"Sorry I didn't put out." Was the last giggly thing Susan said as she shut the door.
Susan was quite surprised at the atmosphere when she stepped though the door.
Lucy was sat watching some sort of nature documentary, Peter and Lilith sat chatting quite casually at the kitchen table.
"Hey." She spoke, almost nervous, closing the door behind her.
Lucy's eyes flickered to her briefly, but landed back on the TV.
Her brother got to his feet when he saw her, "I'm sorry- for the things I said, Su."
"You were pretty pissed off at me, weren't you?"
He nodded with a small, awkward laugh, "I was... but it's not excuse. Not really."
"How about we just... don't talk about last night?" She offered, one which Peter hastily agreed.
Lilith looked between them, not entirely sure that was the healthiest thing, but didn't say anything and offered a small smile.
"If Edmund was up- we could watch the rewatch, but they're- he's still in bed." Lucy spoke up, seemingly having made the decision to speak to her sister.
Susan raised an eyebrow, "Have they-"
"Hopefully not." Peter replied, taking his seat once more.
"Morning, everyone!" Edmund chirped as he came out, dressed in a work shirt and pajama pants, actually humming to himself.
Susan blinked, SUCH a far cry from what he had been when she'd left... sometimes she wondered if he was bipolar.
"You got LUCKY!" Peter said accusingly, almost falling over himself as he ran to Ed.
"She called me 'love'." Edmund said dopily before shaking his head rapidly to get back to normal. "Oh, and no I didn't, had my heart crushed again, though she didn't want to crush it, which is an improvement."
"Pregnancy aches in addition to hearing THAT first thing in the morning is not a good combination." Sanya said dryly as she shuffled out, looking huge in her once-loose red t shirt from months ago, now very tight for her.
"I-I'm sorry-" What was wrong with him? "I didn't mean it like that. Also, if you're ill, we can stay home-"
"No, no." The True shook her head and sat down on a chair next to Susan, giving her a kind smile. "You go to work, just tell Mrs. Keyes I won't come in, please?"
Peter and Lucy shared a look, she really must be feeling sick and bad if she was being so polite.
"I can stay with you. Today's day is voluntary attendance anyway." Lilith offered, hoping she wouldn't get shot down.
"Sure." Sanya looked a little less tired now. "We can watch all the Disney princess movies?"
"Tis a date." Lilith smiled back.
"And, the house is no longer a mad one!" The Unwavering announced happily as Susan grabbed her apron and left.
"Debatable." Sanya replied with a small smirk, both girls loving the Pevensies, but unable to deny the flat could get incredibly crowded at times.
"Today's a day of nothingness." Lilith decided, digging through the crisp cupboard, dragging out more bags than Sanya thought necessary before her friend joined her on the sofa, which had been left as a pull out bed.
"Now this isn't a Princess movie... it IS about a prince though. Also, if you don't think Hakuna Matata is a bop, I'm disowning you." Lilith said as she started 'The Lion King'.
Less than an hour later, both the girls were sniffling (Sanya trying to hide it but failing) as Simba tried to nudge the dead Mufasa awake and-
"Fuck you, Scar!" Sanya actually yelled as the evil lion convinced the small cub that it was all his fault and that he ought to run away.
"Calm down." Lilith, tears down her face in torrents, said. "Just a movie."
It was only a few minutes later as Sanya sang "Hakuna Matata!" loudly, twirling Lilith around, who singing-yelled, "It's a wonderful phrase!"
"It means no worries-" Sanya could barely sing, she was laughing so hard and dropped down on the sofa.
"For the rest of your days!" Lilith completed, falling down as well, laughing as she and Sanya snuggled, the movie paused.
"Read the scene where Harry kissed Ginny to me." Sanya said as she dropped HBP on Lilith's head, who let out an 'Ow.'
"Oh, but it's too cute! I don't know if I CAN." Lilith replied with a laugh, but taking no time at all to find the pages.
It'd been a long time- far too long, she decided, since she'd actually sat and read Rowling's books.
She half forgot Sanya was listening, curled up beside her as she read aloud.
The redhead glanced down to Sanya, about to announce her disbelief that they'd been laid there long enough for her to be on the last chapter, yet her friend had her eyes closed, her breathing telling her that she was asleep.
Lilith also hadn't realised how tired reading had made HER, yet she turned back to the book, determined to finish it whether her friend was listening or not.
"Well, this brings me back." Edmund said, smiling purely some hours later as he and Peter looked down at their two Queens wrapped up in each other's arms, Half Blood Prince next to them.
"Is it bad I feel love, lust AND jealousy seeing this?" Peter asked hesitantly and before Edmund could hit him and say, 'Yes!' Susan intervened.
"I just feel lust." She gave a smirk, which turned into a smile. "They are so adorable."
"They've been the one constant since we met. The only one." Lucy said. "Relationships came and went... but their friendship was... it's like it's forever."
Peter laughed ever so slightly, but relished in hearing his sister finally sound her age once more.
Susan felt like crying and wanted to hug them all but Edmund, as usual, ruined the mood. "So sappily sweet, Lu, should have you tested for diabetes."
"I'll book her in." Lilith mumbled, the familiar voices waking her as she caught Edmund's retort.
She heard Lucy giggle, opening her eyes to see WHY- she'd been serious- diabetes was no joke.
"Oh, it's you. You're all creeps." She decided, still mumbled as she buried back into her friend's hair, "I'm comfy. Fuck off and come back later, the lot of you."
"I think I sleep easiest and best when I'm sleeping with you, Lil." Sanya said about an hour later after she woke up, mercifully with no headache.
"Oh." Lilith thought about it. "Peter, I'm breaking up with you."
Peter choked on his tea as the rest of the table erupted in laughter.
To hide his embarrassment, Peter said hurriedly, "How about we watch a movie? Or assemble the crib?"
The last idea found immense favour, which Sanya couldn't understand.
"But the baby is 4 months away!"
Lilith thought that wasn't a bad point to make, especially when she was still groggy with sleep.
"Making the crib properly and all is a year long job." Edmund said- he'd looked at the instruction manual and nearly lost his head.
"And some babies come early." Susan said. "Lucy was two months early."
Lucy nodded, "I was supposed to be born on 5th September- Ed's birthday. But I showed up on July 9."
"Thank goodness." Edmund snorted as Sanya and Lilith shared a look- they had to do something for Lucy's birthday.
"I don't think 15 candles can fit on there like that, flower." Peter spoke carefully, glancing to her girlfriend arranging candles on his youngest sister's cake.
"They can." Lilith half-growled back, with nothing but determination as she shifted the cake slightly to try a different angle.
The Magnificent raised his hands and backed away, turning back to his last minute wrapping.
Edmund snorted, "The once High King now scared of his-"
Yet the Just was quickly cut off by a glare from Sanya, who then took HER turn to smirk.
"She and Harry'll be here any minute and you still haven't finished those balloons." She scolded, sitting back to further frustrate her- well, Edmund.
He groaned and went on with the balloons.
"Haz!" Sanya shouted as the door opened to admit her blue eyed... person. "We thought you were Lucy!"
"Sorry to disappoint." Haz grinned as he dropped a kiss on her lips. "They're all just coming up."
"Tom too?" Susan asked. "And er... Sam?"
"Oh, no. Just Harry and Lucy. And me, because I missed you." Haz himself wasn't sure if his words to Sanya were a joke or not.
"I had no idea you'd be so sappy when we first... got together." Sanya said coolly, but there was a smile on her face. "I don't like it."
"What, do you want roughness because I-"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Edmund screamed as the door mercifully opened to admit the birthday girl and her boy friend.
Lucy squealed, "Thank you! I knew you all were up to something when even Peter-" The once High King grimaced "gave me permission to go out with Harry!"
"Here." Sanya came ahead with her and Lilith's (who nodded with a smile, having just managed to half throw the cake in a cupboard to hide it) gift- they'd pitched in together. "Happy Birthday, lovely Lu."
"That's my nickname for her." Harry laughed as Lucy opened the gift.
"We'll fight you for it." Lilith challenged, Harry immediately backing down.
Lucy's gift had taken a lot of thought, yet after hours of online searching, the True and Unwavering had managed to find a small pendant, surprisingly similar to Lucy's Narnian dagger. From there, it'd only been a job of finding a small chain for it, the product being tears in Lucy's eyes as she pulled them both into embraces, "Thank you! Thank you, thank you!" She spoke, releasing them and moving her hair aside, Harry clipping it obediently.
Peter's gift would usually have been completely beaten by that, yet he looked to his girlfriend, almost smug as he handed his youngest sister a box.
Lucy looked at him, half suspicious, half curious as she opened it.
"A leash? But... Goose is a boy... I mean, I'm sure pink would suit him but-"
The others looked to him with calculating glances.
Peter shook his head, and he thought HE was the slow one.
"Tomorrow Goose'll have a friend. A small, golden Labrador friend to be exact."
After Lucy finished her hug with Peter, which lasted approximately 25 minutes by Edmund's watch, the Just stepped forward, a rather large newspaper wrapped flat box in his hands.
"I know you think you aren't as pretty as Susan-" Susan was startled as Lucy gave her a guilty look at Ed's words "and that every single portrait done of you only brings out that lack. I hope this brings out the true beauty you are, on the outside and inside."
"You practised that, didn't you?" Sanya whispered to the raven haired boy, who went pink before ignoring her and looking at Lucy, who was carefully unwrapping the present.
"It isn't one of my best pieces-" He said hastily as his little sister gazed at the painting of her for quite some time "the art materials weren't very good quality and I didn't have much time-"
He was cut off rather abruptly by Lucy thrusting the painting in Susan's hands and flying at him.
"This is the best drawing of me I've ever seen!" She blubbered into his chest. "I actually look beautiful!"
"Because you are, Lu." Edmund said, impossibly gentle, as he returned the embrace.
"You guys are REALLY making me look bad." The Gentle Queen spoke, looking down at the painting in her hands before placing it on the side and handing Lucy an envelope.
"I thought we could make a day of it-" she explained as the Valiant opened the envelope to see multiple shopping vouchers, "You can pick things out yourself and we could go for something to eat and-"
Susan was surprised at how Lucy's eyes looked up to her, tears swimming in them once more.
"Just you and me?" The Valiant asked carefully.
Susan nodded, "If that's what you want."
"Yes. Thank you! We should, definitely! This weekend!" She spoke, nodding frantically before pulling her sister into an embrace.
The party went quite well, and as innocent a get together as they had ever thrown.
They ate cake, watched movies, laughed and danced, and overall had the most childlike joy any of them could remember having in a long time.
"No- you didn't!" Harry rolled around on the floor as Edmund, absolutely deadpan and as a result even MORE hilarious, recounted a story of how he had interchanged Peter and Susan's ridingclothes during a particularly difficult and busy day and they had actually gone out wearing them, without noticing.
"I did!" Edmund insisted as Peter and Susan's faces flamed- it had been the eve of a rather tense treaty with a country, they were preoccupied! "Peter wore literal riding joggers and I HOPE, knickers and Susan wore a heavy shirt tunic, breeches and I think even boxers!"
"Oh, was it some fancy dress party?" Harry asked and Lucy nodded at once, having not told him about the past or Narnia.
"It was, yes."
"I wish there were pictures." Lilith sighed, and wondered if she could use her womanly wiles to get Peter into a gown. But... going off the look on his face, she doubted it.
"It's getting rather late." Susan said, looking at the very dark sky. "Perhaps you two should be heading back to London?"
"Oh, we reckoned we would be a bit late, so we booked into a hotel." Harry said and turned to Lucy and before he could even open his mouth, Peter and Edmund shouted, "NO!"
"I was going to ask if we could spend the afternoon after her work tomorrow." The redhead said, frowning. "What did you dirty minded lot think?"
"That you were going to ask her what I am going to ask." Haz smirked and looked at Sanya, who looked politely confused. "I've my own room there. Big bed... big bath."
Edmund wondered if he could put him in a big grave too.
"Could you tone down the horniness?" Lucy asked, seeing the change in her ex-sister in law's expression. "It's my birthday, I don't want to throw up."
"The world is not a wish granting factory." Sanya grinned and everyone groaned- after reading 'The Fault In Our Stars' she used that line whenever she didn't want to do some work- which was all the time. "But yes, we'll try to tone it down."
"It's your hormones." Peter spoke up. "The fluctuation during pregnancy and increased blood flow to the va-"
"Peter!" Lilith hissed, sure no one would like what was coming. "No medical stuff at home!"
Haz lamented, "He took all the fun out of sex."
"I can't say I agr-"
"Aaaand that's the cue for the party to break up." Lucy said, getting up, though she didn't mind at all. She had had a simply marvellous day. "Thank you all for such a great party."
"You're welcome." Edmund said and Sanya rolled her eyes at him, chuckling. "It WAS hard work, especially blowing of the balloons."
"Oh, and cleaning the flat wasn't?" Susan and Lilith, hands on hips and glares on faces, asked dangerously.
"Er-"
"Good night, Lovely Lu." Harry smiled as he bent down to kiss his- well, he hoped girlfriend.
"You too, Har." Lucy smiled nervously, building up the courage. "Can I ask you... would you, just maybe, like to be my boyfriend?"
Harry laughed and kissed her again, "I was just about to ask you the same thing. But girlfriend instead of boyfriend, obviously."
"So it's a yes?" Lucy wanted to confirm before she started dancing in celebration.
"It's a yes." He said and wrapped her in his arms again.
"I'm going to leave you if you don't get going." Haz said, frowning because Sanya was waiting and so was his hotel room and Harry was doing all he could to delay them.
"Leave them be, it's sweet." Sanya told Haz while looking at Edmund, who had been looking at her with an expression of pathos.
"But you-"
"I'm not going anywhere, why are you being so eager- oh." She said before frowning. "My pregnancy really gets you going, huh?"
"Alright, come on, I can't hear this kinky shit of Haz's anymore." Harry said, quite unable to let himself hear Haz's reply.
He pecked his girlfriend on the cheek one last time, before departing with his mate and his mate's rather reluctant 'girlfriend'.
Edmund departed for the bedroom, which would possibly become the nursery if Sanya managed to let herself part from the baby while he slept, in high dudgeon as the door snapped shut behind her.
Lilith and Peter sat down on the sofa, and started watching a fantasy movie for some time before losing concentration and started losing themselves into each other.
Susan smiled hours later as she looked over their sleeping, mostly-clothed forms on the sofa. She had come out to check if they were all asleep.
Edmund was, when she checked, curled up tightly into himself, looking small and alone without anyone else beside him. But his brow was unmarred with a frown and his breathing was deep, so the Gentle knew he was as alright as he could be.
Climbing into bed with Lucy, who had a beatific smile of happiness on her face even as she slept, Susan reflected that she might have left Narnia behind where she could probably never find it again- but she had her family.
And as long as she had her family, she didn't need anything else. Nothing at all.