(Untitled)

[giftless]

If there is any finer feeling in this world than that of returning home after a long journey, to the arms of one's family and loved ones, I do not know what it is. It is nearly as grand, to be sure, as the feeling of being warmly welcomed in a place unfamiliar to you, having all your shyness and worries eased by a smiling face and the best

Comments

[onceaqueen]

Susan had never known island tricks to come on each other one right after the other, so quickly, and if it weren't for the fact that Jon and Rickon were with her this time she would have wondered if it wasn't. Unlike the recent visit to England, she couldn't imagine anything that could go wrong here in Narnia (even though she technically shouldn't be there) and it seemed more like a holiday than an island trick.

What wasn't much of a holiday was chasing Rickon. Oh, the Narnians adored Queen Susan's son and made much of him, spoiling him with treats and attention and showers of love, and he was quite pleased with himself to the point where he shouted "No!" at her and ran away when she told him he could not go and play hide-and-seek with the Fauns. It wasn't that she thought he would get into trouble; she just didn't want him out of her sight.

"Rickon Qui-Gon Snow!" It wasn't very queenly to shout, but Susan was wondering when the magical effects of Narnian air were going to kick in and calm him down.

Then she remembered they didn't sort Eustace out straight away (or so she'd heard), and sighed.

[teenagerenegade]

Only child or not, Charlie's immediate reaction when faced with a small child running towards him is to bend and catch him, lifting him off his feet and turning towards the woman that he assumes is her mother.

She looks enough like her brother that he recognises her right away, and he sort of freezes, standing there with her kid in his arms.

"I guess he's yours?" he finally manages, with a shy sort of smile. He's wearing Ed's clothes and he fidgets awkwardly, unsure of how to stand in boots.

[onceaqueen]

Rickon wriggled and squirmed, but Mother had that look on her face that meant he had better not say no again, so he settled for making unhappy noises instead.

"Naughty boy," Susan said as she took Rickon in her arms, with an affectionate tone she couldn't help especially when he looked at her with big puppy-dog eyes. "Thank you," she added. "I never would have caught up with him. Narnian clothes might look nice and feel nice and smell nice, but they aren't nice for chasing children."

She'd been so busy thanking him she hadn't realised she didn't know him. Was he someone the island had brought along? "I'm Susan, by the way," she said. "I'd shake hands, but they're a bit full... you've never been to Narnia before, have you?"

[teenagerenegade]

"Yeah, I'm not really used to them myself yet, either," says Charlie, fidgeting with the open collar of his shirt. He shakes his head in answer to her question, and refrains from telling her that he feels like he has, because he read all about it as a kid, which doesn't make it any less strange now he's actually here.

"Hi, Susan," he says, still smiling. "I'm Charlie."

[onceaqueen]

"At least they don't itch, even if they look like they would," Susan said, as it was a small consolation. When he gave his name, she smiled--she'd been wanting to meet him ever since Edmund told her about him. "Hi, Charlie. I'm Edmund's sister. The bossy one." Rickon had her finger clamped in his fist, and she waved it at Charlie, feeling a little silly. "And this is Rickon."

"Ick!" said Rickon, both because Eddara called him that all the time and it was as close as he could get to saying his own name yet. Susan tried not to laugh--he wouldn't be saying it when he learned Eddara didn't mean it affectionately.

[teenagerenegade]

They don't itch, which doesn't mean that Charlie doesn't miss the worn Beatles t-shirt that he left discarded on the floor of Edmund's bedroom last night.

"Ed didn't tell me you were bossy," he says, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the back of Rickon's little hand. "He did tell me that I ought to meet you, though. He'll like it, that it's finally happening."

[onceaqueen]

"I hope so, because I like it," Susan assured him. "Don't worry, we don't bite. Except Rickon, when he's teething." Rickon smiled, showing off two tiny teeth in his lower gums. (He was very proud of those teeth.)

She shifted Rickon a little on her hip--goodness, he was getting heavier every day. "I know Narnia seems a bit strange, but it's a lovely place and you'll have fun while we're here. Especially since everyone's fussing about Caspian's wedding."

As much as Susan would have loved to have her best friend here again, like last time, she was relieved she wasn't--it would be awful to see your husband besotted with his first wife, even if it wasn't really your husband.

[teenagerenegade]

"He's really cute."

Truth be told, Charlie's been feeling a little lost ever since he lost sight of Ed, maybe half an hour ago. There's something comforting about Susan, though.

"It's all a little..." He smiles nervously. "I think I kind of worried Ed this morning, you know? Nothing...like this has ever happened to me before."

[onceaqueen]

"Thanks," said Susan, beaming. "He knows he's cute, though... that's the problem." He was spoilt something awful, but then again, babies were meant to be spoilt and loved and generally made much over. The world would get ugly soon enough; let him be spoilt and petted and innocent while he could.

"I'd say you get used to it," she went on. "Except you really don't. At least, I've never got used to it. Not when it was real, and not now that I know it's some kind of trickery. It's strange, but try to look on it as a bit of a holiday."

[teenagerenegade]

"I think I was a little bit like that as a kid," admits Charlie. He almost goes on to tell her that he turned out alright, but he's not sure if that's what his Mom would say. Not all the time, anyway.

"I don't think I'll get used to it," he admits, pushing his hair back from his face and making it stand up. "I could probably get used to how happy Ed looks, though."

[onceaqueen]

"He's always been very fond of Narnia," said Susan. "And it's helped a great deal to make him who he is today. I'm not surprised he's enjoying it."

[teenagerenegade]

"Yeah, you can see that in him." Charlie's aware that his face does this thing when he talks about Edmund, and he's pretty powerless to stop it, so he just colours instead.

"I'm really glad I get to be here with him, you know? Glad I get to see it."