Not Your Fault

The Witch had just followed Aslan into his tent, when Susan walked up to Peter.

"Come on," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

"I should make sure-" he started, but she cut him off.

"He'll be fine. Aslan won't let her lay a hand on Ed. Just for a minute! Come on."

Peter glanced at his brother, then looked back at his sister, and nodded. Edmund watched them walk away, than whispered to Lucy, "They're going to go complain about me to each other."

Lucy threw her arms around her big brother, and said, "They were so worried about you! They're not going to complain about you! They love you!"

When Peter and Susan were a few dozen yards away from their younger brother and sister, Peter sighed.

"You were right, you know. We never should've come here. Ed almost died, Lu almost drowned, and you were almost that evil wolf's lunch. This is all my fault, I should've listened to you."

"Don't even think that, Peter Pevensie! This is not your fault! You couldn't have known what would happen. As Aslan said, what's done is done!"

"I promised Mum that I'd take care of you, and-"

"And you've done a marvelous job!"

"Oh, really? Then why did Ed go betray us? Answer that for me! You said yourself that I was too hard on him."

"Don't go and twist what I've said, Peter! I said WE all were! You and I were trying to take Mum and Dad's places. Well, we can't, and we shouldn't try to! You and I were just under so much stress with the bombs, and moving, and the MacReady, then Lucy and the wardrobe! When was there enough time for you and I just to talk to each other. To try to find something good in all that was happening? Or, even discuss how we should act towards Ed and Lu?

And another thing! It's a very good thing that we've come here! This all didn't happen by chance, you know! Aslan didn't just randomly pick us!"

"You think that Aslan opened the back of the wardrobe?"

"Well, can you think of a more logical reason?" she asked, smiling when she said, "logical".

"No, I guess not."

"Something good will come of all of this, Peter. None of this is your fault. You don't have to feel so guilty!"

Peter looked at the expression on his sister's face. He knew what she was thinking. He knew that she'd been thinking that ever since the night Edmund had gone missing, just like he had.

"It's not your fault, either, Su. You weren't as bad as I was."

Susan looked down at her feet. "Maybe, but I wasn't kind at all to you. I was so afraid. I was afraid for Mum, being alone in London. I was afraid for Edmund, not knowing what the Witch would do to him. And, I was afraid for you."

"Me? You were afraid for me?" he asked, confused.

"Yes. I was so afraid that you would hold yourself responsible if anything happened to Ed. I know you, Pete, don't look at me like that. You never would've forgiven yourself!"

Peter nodded. They stood in silence for a moment, then, Susan said, "You don't think that we've come here, because Mum has been killed, and Aslan is trying to give us a better life then we would've had living with one of our relatives, do you?"

"Su, don't even think that way! Mum's still alive, she has to be. God will protect her, just like Aslan will protect us!"

Peter said that, trying to sound and look confident. However, Susan saw the worried look in his eyes.

"Admit it," she said.

"Fine. Yes, I'm terrified that she's dead. But, I don't think that God will take her away from us."

"Peter, you've always been an amazing big brother, but you do have one major downfall." He raised his eyebrows, making her roll her eyes. Then, she continued. "You're a shoulder for everyone else to lean on, and to cry on. But, when someone offers it to you, you pretend to be all strong, and that you can handle it. But, I know you. You do take things to heart. If you didn't, why would you feel so awful about Ed. And, furthermore, why would you blame yourself?"

Peter pulled his sister into a hug. She was right. Edmund and Lucy were watching from a distance, and Lucy said triumphantly, "I told you they weren't going off to grumble about you. What would that and hugging ever have in common?"

Edmund shook his head, and mentally congratulated himself on not making a bet with Lucy. Peter and Susan kept telling him that it was stupid to make bets, and that it didn't set good morals, but he had almost won every bet that he'd ever made. Now, he decided that he didn't want to risk it anymore, because, after you make one bet with Lucy, you find yourself doing it constantly, trying to make up for the money or whatever else you lost.

"You know, Ed. You've been really quiet and less opinonated-"

"Opinionated," he corrected.

"Fine, opinionated since the Narnians rescues you."

"Or, I'm just the same as I've always been, and you just missed me so much that you've overlooked my being loud and opinionated."

Lucy started to laugh. "No," she smiled. "I don't think that's it!"

They both laughed, then, they looked back at Peter and Susan.

Peter was holding Susan at arm's length, and looking her straight in the eye.

"It'll all work out, just like you've said. You and your logic give me a headache sometimes, but you're right on in this case."

The two turned towards their siblings, and Susan said, "I said some pretty terrible things on the journey here. I don't think that this is all your fault. And, it's not because of you we lost Lucy in the river, or that Ed left us."

He smiled back at her, and then said, "And on that note, I don't think that you look funny."

They both started laughing, than they headed back to Edmund and Lucy, and all they could do now, was wait.

Well, how was it? This is my first Narnia fanfiction, and the second fanfiction that I've written. What do you think? Please review!

Thanks for reading!

R12Fizzy