(no subject)

[once_a_queen]

"Aimee Lucille Evans, please come to Mummy," Susan Pevensie Evans sighs, as she enters her daughter's bedroom. This was Lucy's room, and her sister's favorite colors are still in place, brightened by fresh coats of paint.

Aimee's taken to hiding when called, something the two-year-old girl thinks is a terribly funny game. It's not funny to Susan, who is seven months gone with her second child and in a tearing rush to meet her sister-in-law for tea. She glances at the small bed Clive set up especially for their little girl and rolls her eyes in exasperation. Getting down on one's hands and knees is not easy for her these days. Getting up is even harder.

She heads for the closet instead, hoping for an easy game of hide and go seek today. Pulling the door open, she calls, "Aimee Lucille, are you-"

Then she freezes, eyes wide. Inside the closet is a place she's not seen in over three years.

It's funny how quickly time can go by, especially with marriage and children and life flowing past you. It seems like it was yesterday since she last stepped foot in Milliways; it seems like a lifetime ago.

"Mummy?" Aimee is standing behind her, arms stretched up. She is staring through the closet door, and Susan sees Lucy - brave, mischievous Lucy - in her daughter's eyes. She picks her up and faces the doorway again, hesitating a moment. But the memories of those dear to her - Lucy, her brothers, Amy, her kinsmen and women, her hosts in the House of Arch - compel her to step inside, for one last visit.

In her heart of hearts, she knows this is the last visit, just as she knew through the years, when she had time to think of it, that she'd come here again one day.

Blinking away the tears, she smiles at her daughter. "Mummy has a treat for you, Aimee. I'm so glad you came out to see."

ooc: This is Susan's last post, and it might not be the best of times for her to meet new people. However, if it's something you'd really like, ping me at vivien529 and we'll work something out. ;-)

Comments

[highking.livejournal.com]

"...Sue?"

[once_a_queen]

"Peter," she gasps, rushing to him. She pulls him to her with one arm, the other quite full of a toddler whose wide blue eyes are very familiar.

"Oh, Peter. It's been so long. Has it been long? I- time is funny here, I know."

[highking.livejournal.com]

"Not so very long," he says, his voice vague and distracted. "Not nearly long enough for--hullo, little one. Don't be afraid."

[once_a_queen]

Aimee squeals in delight. She's not afraid. She's too much like her aunt.

"Oh, oh dear. It's been, good heavens, over three years. Clive and I were married and, well, Aimee Lucille Evans came right along. The next one Clive gets to name, but I'm hoping to use my influence."

She's smiling, but tears glisten in her eyes.

"I thought- I thought I'd not get to see you again. For the second time."

[highking.livejournal.com]

He nods, slowly, not quite able to speak. Then he leans over and kisses his sister's cheek.

"Oh, Su."

He feels old; perhaps because this is his niece. He feels more than old--he feels--

This little girl is alive. He is not. It's as if someone drew a curtain between them.

[iustus_rex]

Outside, the sky is still light enough for drawing, but Edmund's stomach abruptly reminded him that he hadn't had supper yet. He held out for a time anyway, enough to finish

(in my country you shall not hunger)

the drawing he was working on, but eventually he closed his sketchbook and tucked his pen into his pocket, and headed in.

Only to stop three steps in from the doorway, and stare.

Susan's been gone a few weeks, yes, and he'd wondered why, but--

[once_a_queen]

"Ed!" She calls, waving as best she can. "Edmund, I've come back!"

She hurries to him and embraces him with one arm. The toddler in her other arm waves. "Aimee Lucille Evans, meet your uncle, Edmund."

[iustus_rex]

Edmund's arm goes around his sister automatically.

She's pregnant, his slim lovely sister, he can feel the bulge of her stomach and the difference in her body in his loose embrace, and all he can think is but it was a few weeks, I'm sure it wasn't more, was it?

(And, deep down on a level he won't quite acknowlege, But we were here for you--)

And then he shakes his head once, a tiny sharp motion to shake his shock away, and pulls a smile from somewhere for the little girl, and for Susan.

"Hullo there," he says to her, with a small wave in answer. "It's lovely to meet you, Aimee."

[once_a_queen]

"It's been over three years for me. I remember when I first came here, time in London seemed to stop, but then it began flowing like a rushing stream. Babies tend to take up much of your time and energy, but I had no idea..." She smiles at her daughter. "And this one, my heavens. She keeps me on my toes. Poor Mother; I don't know how she did it."

[iustus_rex]

"Nothing like so long here." That's blank; three years?

Three years, and a husband and child -- children -- and all that comes with a happy life in a living world.

Aimee is beautiful, chubby and giggling and brimming with life, and she makes his heart hurt.

"A few months -- I was wondering, but--"

"Oh, Su, I am glad for you." And he is, and the smile that breaks over his face is wide and wondering and genuine. But even as his arm tightens around her shoulders, part of his mind is still stuck on numb bewilderment.

[creator_raven]

There is a tall, skinny man settled awkwardly at a nearby table.

He looks up at Susan and grins, wide and bright.

"Things are going, yes?"

[once_a_queen]

"Oh, Raven! How good it is to see you."

And it is. She's missed him, and it doesn't twist her heart to speak with him the way it does with her family.

"This is my daughter, Aimee. It's been rather a long time since last I was here."

[creator_raven]

Raven grins brightly at the little girl, as well.

There may also be a moment of face-making.

"You are looking well, I think. It is so, yes?"

[once_a_queen]

Aimee giggles and squirms out of her mum's arms to stand on her own. She is staring at Raven; he is funny.

"I am, I am very well," says Susan. "Or I shall be once I've had this little one."

She pats her round belly. "Right now I'm on the uncomfortable side. I'm ready for him to join us."

[creator_raven]

Raven pats her belly, too.

Carefully.

"Possibly he is mostly sleepy, yes?"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy brought her Susan in this evening for a quiet couple of hours.

(Really, she's quite sure the court magician didn't mean to do it. He's fixed it. He's apologized. She and Perry have accepted his apology, and that means it's over and done with. She has no idea why everyone is still insisting on going on and on about it.)

Susan is the one who spots the arrivals. "Mama!" she says, and Amy turns to see what she's pointing to.

"Oh! Susan!"

[once_a_queen]

"Amy! Oh, Amy, how I've missed you. I could have used your advice so many times. It's, well, it's been quite a long time since I last saw you."

She flings an arm around her friends neck, careful of both babies on their hips.

"Amy, and Susan, I'm honored to present Aimee Lucille Evans."

Aimee waves and chirps "H'lo!"

[kitchen_maid]

Little Susan eyes the other little girl uncertainly, then makes up her mind and smiles. "Hey-o," she says. She is, alas, still working on l's.

Amy looks from the little girl to her mother and back, and her smile is very, very bright. "Aimee? Oh, Susan. Well, I am certainly very very honored to meet you, dear.

"Goodness. It . . . a long time to say the very least. You look wonderful. Can you sit? I want to know everything."

[once_a_queen]

"I can sit, and I think I must, actually."

The two women make their way to a comfortable couch, where the two toddlers are set down. Aimee pats her hands on the coffee table and laughs. This is a fun place!

"I think our girls like each other. I couldn't imagine they wouldn't. How far along are you? We look about the same. Oh, I did miss you, my dear. I've made some dear friends since, but when I first found out I was pregnant, I longed to find a door back here. When I had a spare moment to think, anyway."

[the_seafarer]

"Susan!"

Caspian's voice, even after three years, ought to be recognizable...but even if it were not, the man himself is cuurently making his way as rapidly as possible through the crowd of patrons towards Susan, his smile wide and bright. "By the Lion, it's been a fair while..."

His voice trails off as he gets his first good look at Susan--and at her companion, but the smile does not fade, only turns a little wistful.

"Longer than I thought, I see."

[the_seafarer]

[OOC: this reply was posted by a ghost! I am not really here, but I will be tomorrow. Placeholder?]

[once_a_queen]

OOC: I love ghosts! See you tomorrow!

[once_a_queen]

"Caspian, hello!" She calls, meeting him. "Oh, how good it is to see you. You look-"

the same, and he'll always look the same

"-as happy as you did when last I saw you. It's been over three years for me. I've, well, I've married a wonderful man, and Aimee Lucille came along quite soon thereafter."

[the_seafarer]

"Of course." He smiles at her, and it's as warm as it always is. Crouching down, he regards Aimee Lucille with curiousity and the same cheerful smile. "Hallo, Aimee. I'm Caspian, and it's just marvelous to meet you. I've known your mother for a very long time."

He looks up at Susan, with something inexpressible in his eyes.

She'd always been kind to him, Susan; he'd learned grace and patience from her as a boy, and now she looks happy--fulfilled.

[once_a_queen]

Aimee covers her eyes with an impish grin. Peekaboo! There are lots of people to play with here.

"She is delighted to meet you, as well, as you can see," Susan smiles. "How are you? And Lu? Well, I hope?"