Eighteen pages. This chapter is EIGHTEEN pages! The longest chapter of my life. Anyhow, it makes up about half of the story, so sorry for the length. So much happens, though, and I just couldn't bear to cut anything.

Without spoiling the story, I'd like to apologize for some of the confusion at the end where we're talking about two Peter's. I tried my best to keep it clear which Peter we're talking about, so hopefully that's not too hard to follow.

I don't own Narnia or Neverland, though I'm still convinced at least ONE of them is real.

Chapter Five: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

The bitter December wind whipped at Lucy's cheeks as she slid out of the car, accepting Peter's offered hand. Shivering, she clutched her coat around her and bounced from foot to foot as she waited for the others to join them on the icy concrete.

"Do hurry!" She exclaimed, leaning into Peter as Edmund slid out of the car, followed by Susan and lastly, Susan's beau, Charles.

Susan smiled as she and Charles led the way to the door. "I've never seen you so excited to attend a party, Lu."

Lucy said nothing, exchanging a wry glance with Peter as Edmund spoke up. "I don't think it's the party she's anxious to get to, but rather the warm—."

Susan cut Edmund off, looking up at her brothers before shooting Lucy an expectant glance. "Now, as I've already told you, don't just talk amongst yourselves all night, hm? It's rather rude in a house full of people."

"This isn't my first party, Susan. I'm quite aware of the etiquette involved in a social gathering." Peter's voice was dry, and Susan's eyes flashed as long-ago memories surfaced. She brushed them away, briskly returning to business.

"Well of course there would be parties at the university. I always forget how grown up you are, Peter." Peter arched an eyebrow at his younger sister's condescending tone, but she continued, inclining her head toward Edmund and Lucy. "I was talking to the younger two."

Lucy's teeth chattered, each hand now tightly enclosed within Peter's. "Can we please go in, Susan? This is colder than the time you and I rode halfway to Beaversdam in the middle of the winter because—."

Susan's eyes darted nervously toward Charles, and she quickly rang the doorbell, stopping Lucy mid-sentence. "We'll have none of that," she hissed, plastering a smile on her made-up face as the door swung open, emitting a gust of warm air. Without waiting to be invited, Lucy wiggled through, breathing deeply as she handed off her coat to a surprised host.

"Ever so sorry, but it's positively frigid out there!" She rubbed her arms vehemently as she waited for her brothers to catch up.

As she surveyed the grand foyer, she could hear Susan apologizing for her sister's 'unorthodox' behavior. She grinned. Some things never changed.

There was a massive Christmas tree in the center of the room, glistening with ornate decorations. Lucy inhaled the familiar aroma of pine happily, observing the conversationalists, and through another doorway, the dancers.

Susan appeared at her side, followed by her escort and their brothers. Eyes sparkling, she turned to her family. "I'm so glad you all decided to come. Christmas is a family season, after all."

Despite her sister's painted face, Lucy couldn't help but grin at Susan. She sounded genuinely happy, and Lucy was reminded of Christmases past in another world. And then, before Susan could properly protest, Lucy sprang forward and hugged her sister tightly.

"Oh, Susan! We missed you!" Lucy's voice radiated joy, and Susan couldn't help but return the hug before prying the younger girl off of her and giving an embarrassed chuckle.

"Why, Lucy, I've been right here the whole time!"

Lucy said nothing, disappointed to see the queen disappear beneath red lipstick and curls.

Casting her siblings an apprehensive look, Susan caught up Charles' hand. "We're going to dance. Will you three be all right?"

Peter nodded, amused. "We've handled worse."

Rather than assure Susan, this comment flustered her, and she tugged Charles, pulling him away from her brothers and sister.

The moment Susan was out of earshot, Edmund stuffed his fists into his pockets. "I hate parties."

Peter chuckled. "What, Ed? You don't want to dance with that pretty girl by the Christmas tree? She seems to be rather interested in you."

Edmund shot a furtive glance behind his shoulder and cursed, earning him a reprimand from Peter and a giggle from Lucy.

"Oh, hush, Edmund," Lucy scolded lightly. "Do try and have some fun. You saw how happy Susan was."

Edmund frowned petulantly. "So happy that she left the moment she was sure we wouldn't try anything 'funny.'"

Lucy huffed. "Don't be like that, Edmund. Didn't you see it? For a moment, just that small moment, she was Queen Susan, our sister. I think it was worth coming, just for that."

"Besides," said Peter, "you can't always be studying for school. It's Christmas, Ed. Have some fun."

Edmund grimaced. "I just don't like parties. Never have." His mumbling evoked a small laugh from Lucy as she remembered all of the times in Narnia she had found him hiding in some shadowed corner.

Peter shot her a mischievous smile. "Would you care to dance, milady?"

Lucy curtseyed slightly, accepting her eldest brother's arm with the grace of the queen she was. "It would be an honor, my liege."

"What?!" squawked Edmund indignantly. "Sorry to cut in on your little moment of chivalry, but what am I supposed to do while you two go gallivanting across the dance floor? Susan certainly won't dance with me. Especially not after she realizes that you two are out there trying to re-create some sort of Narnian dance."

Peter winked at Edmund, jerking his head toward the Christmas tree. "I'm sure you shouldn't have too hard of a time finding a partner." And with that, he whisked Lucy away, leaving a darkly muttering Edmund behind.

"Git." The younger boy muttered as his siblings disappeared. He frowned, surveying the room in an attempt to find something to do. He spotted Susan and Charles a distance away, chatting with some friends, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two golden heads sweeping across the dance floor. He smiled dryly.

A giggle from his left diverted his attention, and he cringed unhappily.

"May I help you?" The question was terse, but the brunette girl from the tree seemed to take no notice. It seemed as if she had been waiting for his siblings to abandon him—and abandon him they had.

She smiled at him shyly. "Would you like to dance?" Edmund blanched. How very forward of her. He heard Susan's social warning echo through his mind, quickly followed a series of taunts that were sure to follow once Lucy and Peter realized he had danced with the Christmas Tree Girl—or as she called herself, Angela.

He gulped and decided there was nothing for it. "The honor is mine." He offered a swift bow to the astonished girl, leading her toward the end of the dance floor his brother and sister weren't occupying.

"Oh, Peter, look!" Lucy whirled around in her brother's arms, her feet easily adapting to the newer, modern dance steps. It wasn't quite the same as dancing in Narnia, but with her eyes closed, the beat of the music coursing through her, and Peter's strong arms guiding her, she could at least pretend.

"Peter, do you see him? Edmund's dancing with that girl!" Peter's head whipped around to follow his sister's gaze, and he bit back a guffaw as he watched Edmund somberly twirl the pretty girl.

"Oh, he seems to be having a lovely time, doesn't he, Lucy?" He winked at Lucy, who giggled delightedly.

"He does seem rather uncomfortable, doesn't he?"

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "He's dealt with it before. Another awkward dance with a fawning girl is nothing to get excited about. Aslan knows we four have had quite enough of that."

Glancing at Peter, Lucy cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I do believe that Susan and I had more fawning boys than girls."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Lucy."

The song came to an end, and Lucy sighed, pulling herself out of Peter's grasp and preparing to lead her brother off of the dance floor. "Perhaps we should rescue Edmund."

She stopped short as the next song began, starting softly, with a slow, lilting melody that seemed to stretch to the very ceiling. Lucy's eyes lit up as she whirled to face her brother. "Peter!"

Peter grinned at her as she made eye contact with Edmund across the room. "It's practically Narnian, Lucy."

"Do you remember when the four of us would dance? This sounds just like the song the fauns used to play for the Midsummer Festival! And we would dance all night long until we could hardly breathe." Lucy was practically breathless herself now, the tempo of the song increasing slowly.

Edmund joined them, and Lucy's grin expanded. "We must dance it! Oh, Peter, please? Can we?"

Peter and Edmund exchanged skeptical glances, and Edmund laid a gentle hand on Lucy's shoulder. "But Lu, we need Susan." Lucy wilted under Edmund's practical statement, unhappily acknowledging that Susan would likely avoid dancing any sort of dance that was even remotely Narnian.

Peter's jaw set determinedly. "I'll get her." With that, he crossed the dance floor in several strides, pulling a protesting Susan along with him. "Just this one dance with me, Su? Please?" His brown eyes implored her, and Lucy touched her hand.

"Just this once, Susan?"

Finally, their sister caved, and she took her standard position beside Peter, glancing around the dance floor uncomfortably. Grinning happily, Lucy grabbed Edmund's hand, tugging him to their place beside their elder siblings.

The dance had not yet reached its full speed, and the Pevensies used this time to reacquaint their feet with old footwork from a bygone life. The English version of the song was moderately quicker, utilized different instruments, and had English lyrics, but to Lucy, it was a fresh taste of home.

While she had enjoyed her dance with Peter, to dance with Edmund truly flooded her mind with memories. As the youngest two, they had shared many dances, and in the beginning, many sore toes. As the dance began to speed up, the surrounding dancers began to take notice of the dynamic foursome, slowing their own dancing to watch the whirling pairs.

Lucy's skirt flapped at her knees, but she could practically feel Narnian silk rustling as she twirled by Susan, briefly dancing with Peter. The dance moved faster still, and Susan's black hair fell out of its carefully styled form, whipping around her face to frame sparkling eyes.

Rapidly twirling, skipping, shuffling, and laughing, the four siblings remained completely unaware of the audience that watched them.

Lucy's breathing intensified, and she smiled joyfully at Edmund. Her usually reserved brother grinned back, and Lucy winked at him. The music rising, King Edmund grasped her waist, whirling her quickly before she skipped toward her other brother, the High King. At that moment, Lucy was back in Narnia. With music echoing through the hall and the scent of pine wafting through the air, Lucy found herself in a rare moment where worlds collided, and she was once again Queen Lucy the Valiant, surrounded by her royal siblings. All three of them.

The music reached its crescendo before coming to a seemingly abrupt halt. The real world rushed back, leaving Narnian as an untouchable memory.

The four Pevensies gasped for breath, grinning at each other as another song began, and new dancers moved onto the dance floor. Susan tucked her hair behind her ears and squeezed Peter's hand before kissing a startled Edmund on the cheek and hugging Lucy.

Charles came up beside her. "Susan, what was that?"

She shot her beau a masked look before facing her siblings, hands on her hips. "That was exactly what I warned my brothers and sister not to do." Despite the reprimand, Susan's eyes twinkled, and a smile still lit up her face. "They can hardly listen to directions, much less rule a country." She said it softly, but both her siblings and Charles noticed. Now, confusion was positively etched across the poor man's face, but Lucy, Edmund, and Peter exchanged thrilled looks. This was the closest Susan had gotten to remembering Narnia in nearly a year. "Charles, I've got to freshen up. I'll see you shortly." She swept away from her siblings, and a very bewildered Charles followed her.

"Now was it worth it?" Lucy placed her hands on her hips, staring at Edmund skeptically.

Edmund opened his mouth to answer, but was elbowed by a zealous dancer. Realizing they were still in the middle of the room, Peter guided his younger siblings to an unoccupied corner.

"So, Edmund, do you still think this was a waste of time?"

Edmund smiled sheepishly and his youngest sister. "No. I don't. I haven't enjoyed dancing since… since… well, never. But that was nice."

Lucy clasped her hands together, twirling slightly. "It was almost like we were there again, wasn't it? Even Susan thought so!"

Peter laughed, happy that Susan was finally getting along with them again… or at least she was for the night. "It did almost seem as if she remembered, didn't it?"

Edmund snorted. "Of course she remembers. She just likes to pretend she doesn't. It'd be easier if she really didn't remember, but this way is harder because we're not dealing with a faulty memory, but rather Susan, who's stubborn as a mule."

Lucy shot Edmund a dangerous look. "Oh, shut it, Ed. At least for tonight she was our Susan again."

The three trailed off into silence, each thinking of their sister and the world they had left behind. Finally, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, Peter spoke.

"I suppose we ought to do something. We jolly well can't stand in the corner all night. Especially not after sweeping Susan away in a Narnian dance. She made an effort for us, now we ought to do the same."

Edmund's face took on a sour expression, and Lucy pursed her lips, both of them surveying the company of the room. "Well, what do you suppose we do?"

Peter shrugged uncertainly. "Well… mingle, I suppose. Isn't that what one does at these sort of things?"

Scoffing, Edmund studied the strange faces in the room. "Well, yeah. If one actually knows the other people. What are we supposed to do? Just pull a conversation out of thin air? 'Oh, yes, I've heard the weather shan't be letting up for another couple of days. Positively dreadful, hm?'"

The sarcasm evoked laughter from both Lucy and Peter, and the three exchanged rueful looks. "I suppose…" Lucy began slowly, "Maybe we ought to stick together. That way if the conversation drags too terribly, the others can pick it back up." She shot Edmund a mischievous smile. "And that way poor Edmund's not alone all night. We already saw what happens when that scenario occurs."

Peter laughed. "A poor mix of chivalry and stony silence." Lucy giggled, and even Edmund cocked a sullen smile.

"So, shall we?" Edmund offered Lucy his arm, grinning at Peter. "I refuse to be abandoned a second time." Lucy pinched him and then grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the room, Peter following closely.

Lucy led them to a small table near the large Christmas tree. It smelled so lovely and so fresh she could practically see the Western Woods frosted in a thin layer of powdery snow. She perched on a chair and jerked her head toward a third doorway.

"Edmund, I've seen several people coming out of there with food." Edmund raised an eyebrow, and Lucy shrugged. "I thought you and Peter might be interested." Neither of her brothers responded, and she couldn't help but smile at their discomfort. "It's something to do," she offered helpfully.

A burst of laughter came from the aforementioned room, and Peter grabbed Edmund's elbow, directing him toward Lucy. "Stay with, Lu. I'll go get us something to eat."

Edmund protested. "I'm capable of picking my own plate, Pete. I've been doing it for some thirty years now."

Peter rolled his eyes as if Edmund were still a small child. "Well, someone's got to stay with Lucy, and I can hardly expect you to pick food that will suit all three of us. Likely you'll just show up with a plate full of carrots, and perhaps if you're feeling adventurous, a Christmas cookie."

Lucy and Edmund exchanged knowing glances as they often did when Peter said something particularly dense. "Peter," Lucy said, exasperated. "I'll be perfectly fine here on my own. It's not as if we're in Narnia and someone could whip out a sword at any minute." She grinned, "Besides, it won't be nearly as bad as the time Edmund left me alone at Anvard, and I nearly—."

"Lucy!" Edmund's indignant cry cut her off, and she winked at him, her smile broadening as Peter whirled around to face their brother.

"What did you do?!"

Lucy laughed silently as her brothers walked in the direction of the food, Peter's previous qualms forgotten. As they walked away, Edmund's head whipped around, and he glared at her as only he could do. Now she truly did laugh. They were just too easy to rile up.

A childish giggle diverted her attention, and she was startled to see a small head poke out from between the branches of the tree. For the briefest of moments, she thought it was a dryad, but quickly corrected herself, offering the small girl a friendly smile.

"Hello. What's your name?" The girl cocked her head to the side and then came out of the tree, stumbling on a low branch. Lucy sprang out of her seat and caught the girl easily, leading her to the chair. "That was a near thing, wasn't it?"

The little girl nodded and then said, "My name's Myra."

Lucy smiled charmingly. "Why, that's such a lovely name. I'm Lucy." She stuck her hand out, and the younger girl shook it shyly.

"Lucy's a pretty name too." Myra smiled, revealing two missing teeth. She stared intently at her green skirt and white tights, red head bowed timidly, hiding wide green eyes and a smattering of freckles.

Lucy squeezed the little girl's hand. "That's one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten," she said truthfully, and even after years of ruling as Queen Lucy, the elder girl truly meant this.

Myra looked up, gaining a small amount of confidence. "I'm going to be eight in two months."

Lucy clapped her hands together delightedly. "Eight is such a lovely age, Myra. So many grand things can happen when you're eight." Myra nodded, though somewhat reluctantly.

"I don't want to be eight."

Myra sniffed sadly, and Lucy was reminded of herself, so many years ago. She had been convinced that age was what made Edmund so horrid to her, and she had wanted nothing to do with it. She lifted Myra's chin, and gazed at the little girl. "You know, Myra, I wanted nothing to do with growing up when I was your age."

Curiosity spread across Myra's face. "You didn't?"

Lucy shook her head firmly. "I thought that it changed people for the worse, but you see, my mind was soon changed."

Myra's green eyes widened. "What happened?"

A series of memories flashed through Lucy's mind. A Wardrobe; a faun; a chilling Witch; spring; a stone knife; a coronation; and best of all, Aslan. She smiled thoughtfully at Myra. "I went on an adventure," she said softly. Myra's mouth formed an 'o,' and Lucy could tell she was aching to know more. "I can't tell you much, Myra, but I can tell you one thing. Not very long ago, someone very wise—someone who loves me and you very much—said that you'll be ready when the time comes. I can guarantee you that He's telling the truth. You will be ready to grow up when it is your time." She beamed encouragingly at the girl. "Perhaps you'll have an adventure of your own!"

Myra hugged herself, rocking back and forth. "I sure hope so! My mum's been reading me Peter Pan—have you read it?—and I'd like to go to Neverland ever so much. That what I was doing in the tree! I'm Wendy, and I'm waiting for Peter Pan—that's my brother—to come home with the Lost Boys—that's my brother's friend and his sister." Her eyes sparkled excitedly as she remembered her game. Recalling her manners, she looked up at Lucy inquisitively. "Would you like to play?"

Momentarily stunned, Lucy shook her head politely. "It does sound like fun, though." She knew from experience.

Bouncing up and down, Myra nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, it is." She slowed, looking out a nearby window. "Lucy, do you think… I mean, I hope so… but do you think that I could go to Neverland someday?" Her words were beginning to come out in a rush. "I mean, my eldest brother—I think he's probably your age—says that Neverland's not a real place, but I really really hope that it is. Do you think that there are other worlds like that? All of the grown-ups say that there aren't, but I think that there are. That's why I don't want to be a grown-up."

Amazed by the conversation she was having with this eight-year-old child, Lucy picked her words carefully. "I think, Myra, that there are most definitely other worlds out there." She followed the girl's gaze out the window, and could make out a sliver of the moon. "I can't be sure about Neverland, but, you know, I think that it could be real. Who's to say that it's not?"

Myra seemed very relieved by this statement, thanking Lucy profusely. Lucy smiled, thinking that if all of Susan's parties were like this, then perhaps they weren't so bad.

A blood-curdling scream startled her, and she jumped out of her chair, unconsciously positioning herself before Myra. Rather than cry out, Myra laughed delightedly. "Oh, Lucy! They're back! Are you sure you don't want to play? You could be Tinker Bell! We're desperately in need of a Tinker Bell!"

Tickled that Myra had selected her old character (or at least one of them), Lucy stepped aside, allowing Myra to join her brother and friends. "I think that I've had quite enough adventures for now, Myra."

Myra shrugged, now absorbed in the fantasy world she had created, skipping off to 'reprimand' Peter Pan and the Lost Boys for their late arrival.

Lucy sank back into her chair to wait for her own brothers, utterly dazed. She remembered her conversation with Caspian several years ago and rubbed her head tiredly. It was turning out to be a night full of memories, faith, and—she grinned at the thought of it—well, magic. Deeply inhaling the pine, Lucy felt as if Aslan was in the very room.

Her brothers returned several moments later, carrying several plates of food and squabbling good-naturedly.

"…it's not as if I intended to get lost and leave you lot alone! Things happen, Ed!"

"Yes, well, then it appears as if you're in no position to reprimand on responsibility and the like. I handled the situation as best I could. We were in a rather tight spot, or did you forget?" Edmund swept in front of Lucy, offering her a flourished bow that was very unlike him. Lucy smiled; tonight had been good for him. "A plate of éclairs for the queen." He placed a small plate in front of Lucy and then sat down beside her, ignoring Peter's guffaws as he bit into a carrot stick. "Oh shut it, Peter. It's not as if it's a crime to eat healthy. Besides, I was the one who grabbed the plate of finger sandwiches, wasn't I?"

Peter snatched up a plate of his own, sitting down across from his brother and sister. "Lucy, aren't you hungry?"

Both of her brothers turned to her, concern etched across their features. She shrugged, picking up an éclair. "I suppose an éclair would be nice. Thanks, Ed."

Edmund shot a smirk at Peter, before turning back to Lucy. "Are you sure you're all right? You seem rather… bewildered."

She put down the éclair and sighed. "Dazzled might be a more appropriate term. You see, I had this conversation."

Peter and Edmund exchanged worried looks, before Peter reached forward and squeezed his sister's hand. "Go on, Lu."

"Yes, well, I met this charming girl named Myra… and she reminded me of myself. She was playing at Peter Pan and told me about how she hoped Neverland was real and that she could get there someday." Lucy paused, still surprised to hear her own childhood wishes voiced by another. She picked up the éclair again, fingering it thoughtfully, and then wiped her fingers on a napkin. "You boys can eat, you know. I don't need you complete and utter attention." She grinned as Edmund took a grateful bite out of a sandwich, and she took a small bite of her own food.

"Is that it, Lu?" Peter still had not touched his plate, and his eyes bore into her own worriedly.

She reached across the table to touch his hand, a gesture she had repeated so many times throughout her lifetime. "It just reminded me of my conversation with Aslan when Ed and I were last in Narnia, and I realized that—"

"Your conversation with who?" Susan stood over them, her eyes evaluating Lucy's face warningly.

Lucy exchanged a wary look with Peter, and Edmund spoke up. "You know perfectly well who Lucy's talking about, Su." She cast them a stony look, but did not deny it. Inwardly, Lucy thought that they had made leaps of progress with Susan tonight.

Susan was alone, her crimson dress creating a vibrant contrast against the rich green of the tree behind her. She glared at Edmund. "Yes, well, if we're playing guessing games, I have one for you, Edmund."

His eyes flashed dangerously, and Lucy felt her stomach plummet. Edmund was the only one who really fought Susan about Narnia. If they got into it tonight, everything that had happened over the course of the evening would be undone, and Susan would retreat back into the shell she was only just coming out of.

"Edmund, please." She tugged his hand imploringly, hoping to stay his anger.

"Let's play, shall we, Susan?" His voice was low, and the earlier merriment and nostalgia of the evening had vanished. He shrugged of Lucy's hand.

Susan placed her hands on her hips. "Actually, never mind. This isn't exactly a game, Edmund, though I know you all are so fond of them." Her eyes scanned her brothers and sister accusingly. "What I'm talking about is your perfectly horrid treatment of Angela Roberts. I must admit I'm rather surprised, you being so fond of chivalry and all."

Edmund jumped to his feet, his plate clattering to the side. "She practically forced herself on me, Susan! I was only trying to do as you asked and socialize with someone besides these two." He gestured wildly and Peter and Lucy, and Susan huffed indignantly. Peter quickly rose, grasping Susan's elbow, leading her away from the table and toward a small door. Lucy sighed heavily. Whenever the four of them finally did manage to get along, the newfound sense of camaraderie was always extinguished by yet another argument.

She shrugged sadly at Edmund, and followed Peter and Susan, hoping that they wouldn't actually need the privacy of a separate room, though one look at Edmund's face said otherwise.

The door shut behind them, and Lucy was met with a blast of freezing air. She immediately grasped her elbows, looking longingly at the rosy light shining through the windows.

"Could… could we perhaps pick another place to do this?" She shivered violently, ducking her head as a blast of wind ripped across the balcony.

Peter shook his head quickly, eyeing both Susan and Edmund. "This shouldn't take too long, Lucy."

Susan whirled on him, eyes flashing, "How would you know?! You've no idea, Peter! You're not High King here! You don't dictate how long conversations are!"

Lucy could see the words cut her brother deeply, but Edmund, already riled up, jumped to his brother's defense. "As if he did that in Narnia!"

Susan threw her hands in the air. "Narnia! Narnia! It always comes back to Narnia doesn't it?"

Lucy looked at her seething siblings sadly. "You brought it up, Susan." Her voice was soft, and nearly inaudible in the wind, but the three elder ones turned to look at her, a myriad of expressions racing across their faces.

Suddenly, Susan seemed lost. "Yes… yes I did."

Peter's voice was choked as he spoke. "Why do you try so hard to forget, Susan? What good does it do?"

She gulped, and a tear slid down her cheek, leaving a dark track. "I…it's just so hard, Peter."

Edmund shrugged gently, taking a tentative step toward Susan. "Do you think it's easy for us, Susan?"

She sniffed, and looked at Lucy with overly bright eyes. "You all make it seem so easy. This is the only way I know how."

Lucy hugged her sister, still shivering. "There's nothing wrong with moving on, Susan. You were right about this being our world. Aslan told me himself. But, Susan, just because you live a life here doesn't mean you need to forget Narnia."

"I haven't forgotten." She said it softly, and hope bloomed in Lucy's chest. "I can't… I can't just pretend everything's all right and that I'm not mad at Aslan for exiling us. This sort of thing takes time."

Peter breathed in sharply, and Lucy noted that he was just as surprised about Susan's admittance of anger as she was.

Edmund patted his elder sister on the arm awkwardly, understanding glowing in his eyes. "Of course it does, Su, but you've got us, remember? You always have."

The four were silent, and Lucy maintained her comforting hold on Susan as her elder sister tried to make sense of everything. Finally, the older girl broke away, staring at her siblings with heartbroken eyes.

"I… I just can't. Oh, Aslan, it hurts too much." Before another word could be spoken, Susan rushed away, tears streaming down her cheeks. An inviting gust of warm air swirled around the balcony, but none of the remaining Pevensies moved.

After a moment, Lucy realized her own cheeks were wet, and she moved to the balcony railing, staring out at the hundreds of lights that made up London. She cried silently, ignoring the cold as two sets of arms wrapped around her. Lucy leaned into her brothers, her eyes finally turning to the sky.

"Is that it, then?" The hoarseness in Edmund's voice told her that he too was crying for the loss of their sister. "Is it over?"

Peter took a heavy breath and tightened his arm around Lucy's shoulders—and from the wiggling she felt beside her, she knew he had his arm around Edmund as well. "I think," he began slowly, "that there's more hope now than ever. I know it may not seem like it now, but I think that Susan's going to come home soon. She danced with us, didn't she? And for the first time in ages, she talked to us. Ed, Lu, she trusted us with what's been eating at her. Yes, it was brief, but she still did it. And did you notice what she said at the end? She said 'Oh, Aslan.' 'Oh, Aslan.' She sounded so honest, so vulnerable. That's got to count for something."

Feeling a dim spark of hope, Lucy swiped at her tears with an icy hand. "She did sound like she meant it, didn't she?"

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "She did. She even admitted she hadn't forgotten Narnia. Just you wait. Queen Susan the Gentle will come back to us soon. It will only take some time… and compassion."

Lucy giggled wetly as Peter added a stern "Edmund" to that last statement.

A crash in the corner startled all three, and they sprung apart, Peter and Edmund reaching for swords they no longer carried. Lucy peered out from behind them, rolling her eyes at the human wall they had created in front her. A very pale and very cold Myra stared at them in awe, and her face broke into a smile when she noticed Lucy.

"Lucy!"

Peter and Edmund looked at each other amusedly. Leave it to Lucy to make friends anywhere.

Lucy stepped forward, her lips stretching into a small smile as she greeted the girl. "Myra, what in Nar—what on Earth are you doing out here?"

Myra shivered, and Lucy realized that the younger girl was probably much colder than she. After all, Lucy had been huddled with her brothers for the past couple of minutes. "I'm… I'm…waiting f-f-for Peter."

Lucy cocked a wry smile at her oldest brother. "Your brother?" She asked, thinking that Myra was still playing the game.

Myra shook her head. "N-n-no. The real one. My mum said that this h-house is where all of Wendy's adventures b-b-began."

"Can't you wait inside for Peter Pan, Myra? Or at very least get a coat?"

Myra adamantly denied this, claiming that if she stepped inside for even a moment, she might miss Peter Pan. Lucy sighed in frustration, and ignored Peter's quiet comment that "it's rather frustrating to deal with someone so stubborn, isn't it?" She refrained from hitting him on the shoulder.

"I'll tell you if he comes, Myra. Why don't you run inside and get a coat?" Lucy rubbed her forehead, and a large yawn split across her face. The very eventful night was finally starting to catch up with her.

Again Myra refused, this time pointing up into the sky. "Do you see that star, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded, thinking of all of the times she had looked at a similar pair of stars, both here and in Narnia. Of course now she knew what stars really were in Narnia…

Myra tugged on her arm. "Well, that's Neverland, right there! That's where Peter Pan lives with the Lost Boys and Tinker Bell!" Myra's cheeks were rosy with excitement and cold.

Ignoring her amused brothers, Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "Myra, I promise that I'll fetch you right away if Peter Pan comes. Trust me?"

Finally, Myra conceded, racing into the house in search of her coat.

Once the little girl had gone inside, Lucy whirled around to face her brothers. "Not a word. Do you hear me? Not a word." Rather than seeing hardly contained laughter, though, respect and admiration shone on her brothers' faces.

"Do you really think Neverland is a real place, Lucy?" Peter asked skeptically, and she sighed, thinking of how many times she had answered that question in her lifetime.

"Of course I do. You've heard Professor Kirke talk about the Wood Between Worlds. Why should Neverland be a mythical place?"

Gazing at the two stars Myra had pointed out, Edmund said nothing. He had already had this conversation with Lucy years and years ago.

Lucy returned to Peter's arms, drawing what warmth she could from them. "Why don't you go get a coat, Lucy?"

She frowned. "I promised Myra I'd keep watch for Peter Pan. I'm fine, Peter, it's only for a couple minutes more, really. Besides, the house is blocking the worst of the wind."

Peter didn't press her, knowing that she was just as stubborn, if not more so, than Myra. She buried her head in his chest, thoroughly exhausted.

The silence was broken by Edmund's voice. "Lucy?" His voice was questioning and somewhat amazed.

Lucy pulled her head away from Peter's chest and gasped as a twinkling light raced toward them, followed by what appeared to be a boy several years younger than Lucy.

The three Pevensies stared in awe as the boy lighted on the balcony, the small light hovering at his shoulder.

"Who're you?" The question was brusque and childish, yet it was a moment before any of Narnia's Golden Monarchs could speak.

Lucy swept a quick curtsey, quickly deciding that if she was speaking to who she thought she was there was no reason to keep their true identities secret. "I'm Queen Lucy, and these are my royal brothers, High King Peter and King Edmund."

The boy seemed unimpressed. "Kings and Queens, huh? You look a little young."

The three exchanged amused looks at the standard statement, and Lucy spoke again. "Are you… you're Peter Pan, aren't you?"

The boy laughed, teeth gleaming in the darkness. "Of course I am! Who'd you think I was?"

"Actually, that's why we asked," Edmund quipped. "We weren't certain."

The door slammed shut, and a startled gasp diverted everyone's attention toward the doorway. Myra stood there, properly bundled up, mouth hanging open.

"Jane?" Peter Pan asked carefully. "You sure don't look like Jane."

Myra walked toward Peter Pan tentatively. "I'm not Jane. My name's Myra."

"Jane?" The name sounded familiar to Peter, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Jane Manson?"

Peter Pan cocked his head, nodding slightly. "Yeah, you heard of her?"

Edmund's eyes lit in recognition, and he turned toward Peter sharply. "Isn't this Jane Manson's house? She's the one throwing the party, isn't she? I thought she was one of Susan's friends."

A pained expression crossed Edmund's face, and the three were instantly reminded of their sister and her pain. Finally, Lucy smiled sadly. "It's rather ironic, isn't it? Susan's got a friend who's been to Neverland."

Peter Pan frowned. "So… so is Jane a grown-up?"

Thinking of her sister and her friends, Lucy nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

Sighing with disappointment, Peter Pan perched in the air comfortably. "I wanted her help decorating for Christmas. The Lost Boys are no good with tinsel and ornaments and stuff like that." His eyes surveyed the three Pevensies and lighted on Myra. "Say! You could come with me!"

Myra's green eyes widened in astonishment. "Me?"

He shrugged. "Sure!" Mumbling, Lucy was surprised to see a sad frown on his lips. "I sure will miss Jane, though. First Wendy and now Jane!" He sighed unhappily, but a quick glance at Myra showed that the girl wasn't paying any attention at all to Peter Pan's quiet statement. Instead, she was leaning toward the small light flitting around the boy's head.

"So is that Tinker Bell?"

Peter Pan nodded proudly. "Yep, that's Tink." Then, he rose in the air. "We ought to be going. Your Majesties." He said it politely, though Lucy didn't miss the slight sarcasm issued with that last address.

He snapped his fingers at Tinker Bell, and she fluttered over Myra's head, coating the girl in a layer of golden dust. "Are you ready, Myra?" She nodded enthusiastically, gripping Peter Pan's hand as she rose off of the ground unsteadily. He beamed at her. "I didn't even have to tell you to think happy thoughts."

She blushed happily. "Well, I do know the stories."

Lucy watched as the little girl tested out her ability to fly and felt a pang in her chest. It seemed so long ago that she had only just embarked on her own set of adventures. As if sensing her thoughts, Edmund squeezed her hand encouragingly. Higher and higher they rose, until Peter Pan stopped abruptly. Leaving Myra with Tinker Bell, he swooped down, hovering so that he was eye level with Lucy.

"You know, you're not so grown-up. You could come with us if you'd like."

Heart pounding, Lucy looked up at her brothers, both of whom seemed utterly amazed. She remembered Caspian's words. I think, Lucy, that if there are other worlds out there, you're sure to find at least one. The words echoed in her head, and she stared back at Peter Pan thoughtfully.

This boy, his world, and his adventures had been a part of her life since before Narnia. For years she had longed to go to Neverland, to again leave behind England and its mundane life. So many times she had gazed up at the stars, wondering if the stories were true, if a star could really host a world. Now, staring at this youthful boy, Lucy had the opportunity to begin a new set of adventures, to make another world her own.

His voice startled her, and she found him to be looking at Edmund and Peter. "I don't think you can come. You're rather old to be Lost Boys."

She realized then, at that moment, that she had had her share of adventures. Aslan had never said anything about going to other worlds, but she knew, she just knew, that it would disappoint him. He had instructed her to live in her own world and to focus on finding Him in England. How many times had she told Susan this? Besides, how could she possibly enjoy a world where she could not be with her brothers and sister?

She lifted her chin and looked Peter Pan straight in the eye. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. I am a Queen of Narnia and an English schoolgirl." She laughed slightly at the contrast. "My place is here."

By the way Edmund's grip on her hand tightened and Peter's breathing slowed, she knew her brothers were relieved.

Peter Pan shrugged, rising in the air once again. "Well, it would have been loads of fun."

She smiled. "Of that I'm sure."

He returned to his place beside Myra, gripping the excited girl's hand loosely. "If you ever need to find me before you get to be a grown-up, Neverland's right there." He pointed to the glittering stars. "Second star to the right and straight on until morning."

Lucy nodded, smiling at Edmund. "Oh, yes, I know. Thank-you very much for the offer." He flashed them a final smile, and Lucy waved. "Good-bye, Myra! Best of luck!"

Myra beamed. "Bye, Lucy! Tell my mum not to worry." And then they were speeding off into the night, until Tinker Bell was just another light in the night sky.

Lucy sighed, leaning silently on the balcony railing.

Edmund place a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Lu?"

She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, really."

Moving to stand on her other side, Peter cast her a sidelong look. "Did you make the right decision?"

Lucy did not hesitate for a moment. "Oh yes. Yes I did. I've gotten used to England, and I really don't think there's room in my heart for another world. Two are quite enough for me." Patting Peter's hand gently, she went on. "Besides, I don't think I could handle being so young for so long. I'm used to being an adult."

Edmund laughed quietly. "It's been quite a night, hasn't it? First that Narnian dance, and then Susan actually talks to us, and now this! A character right out of literature come to life!"

Lucy chewed on her hair thoughtfully, allowing Peter to guide her toward the door. "Let's get out of this biting wind, shall we?"

As they entered the house, Lucy cast one last glance at the star she presumed to be Neverland, marveling at the evening they had had. Narnia and Neverland in one night! Whirling around to face her brothers, she put her hands on her hips, remembering words she had said once, long ago. Glancing at the tree and the packages beneath it, another Christmas sprang into Lucy's memory.

She grinned impishly at her brothers. "When will you ever learn that I'm usually right about these sorts of things?" Edmund and Peter exchanged sheepish smiles, each remembering all of the times they had ignored Lucy's faith. She rolled her eyes. "I told you he was real!"

Peter ruffled Lucy's hair fondly, and she grasped his hand lightly as the wind whistled through an open window, carrying with it the laughter of children. She stood on her tip-toes to give Edmund a kiss on the cheek, ignoring his indignant protest at her display of affection.

As the party bustled around them, Lucy could have sworn that somewhere, far, far away she heard the roar of a Lion. And it was at that moment that she knew without a doubt that someday she would be returning home.

Home. To Narnia.

Yay! We're done! Thank you so much to all of my readers who have read this story.

Again, sorry about the Peter Peter thing. I tried to keep it clear by always stating Peter Pan versus just Peter.

I'd like to note that, yes, I know that the events of Peter Pan happened during the first decade of the 1900s and the Pevensies 'lived' during the forties, but for the sake of the story, please ignore the discrepancy and just pretend that they WERE at the Darling house, and that "Roberts" is the name of Wendy Darling's husband, meaning that her daughter would be Jane Roberts. I just couldn't NOT do it.

Actually, not to shamefully advertise myself here, but what the heck. I've got three other stories that could coincide with this 'universe.' Finding Narnia, takes place before the events of LWW and then my other Narnia story, When My Sister Became a Girl, is from Edmund's POV and evaluates why Susan turned away from Narnia. Finally, I've got a Peter Pan story called All Children Grow Up about the Darling kids and how they cope with moving on from Neverland and embracing adulthood.

So thanks again, and without any further ado.

El Fin!