10Hello everyone! I had this idea awhile ago and found some time to write it. This story will encompass all the books and films and I'll be adding a lot extra to the story while the Pevensies are growing up in Narnia. Hope you enjoy the first chapter! This is a Peter/OC story.
Chapter 1
World War II changed the course of history and time. The world itself had changed during the Great War, but this new war started before the world had a chance to fully recover from the previous one. America had been the last to enter the previous war and it seemed that they too would again be the last to enter into this one.
To the Eastern continents the war across the sea seemed to be in another world. Even to the Canadians who volunteered to fight along their fellow country men, the war didn't seem real until the reached the front and wrote about it to their families, bringing the battles to life.
Aidan Johnson's two older brothers Michael and Thomas, along with her father, went away to the war. For a year, Aidan and her mother Janice waited anxiously for word from her brothers and father and though the letters slowly became fewer and longer in coming, every month there was word at least that they were alive and well. Aidan was sent the letters once her mother received them at her boarding school in New York and sometimes she would be sent letters directly from her brothers and father and then send them to her mother in Montreal.
One day, a man came to the door of the Johnson residence that was not the postman. He was, instead, a messenger with a telegram stating that Major General Benjamin Johnson was currently missing in action in France. Janice immediately made the decision to go overseas to find her husband. Janice knew that even though Aidan was safely tucked away at her boarding school she could not leave her halfway around the world alone.
Janice grew up in London and at boarding school she met Helen. Helen and Janice had remained friends over the years and had kept in touch with letters and short phone calls despite the wars and other circumstances preventing them from physically seeing each other again. Janice, upon finding out about her missing husband, called Helen even though it was early in the morning in England and asked her longtime friend and life changing favor.
She hated it! That was all there was to it. Aidan Johnson hated England. Not only was it dreary, rainy, and dark, but it was also loud, noisy and very dirty in her opinion. To her, it seemed that New York and Montreal were full of life, action and happiness. London was depressing and tense as everyone skirted about quickly as if an attack was going to be launched that very second. However, on the ship there had been an American naval attaché who was going to Germany, who told Aidan that once the battle for the skies was over, the bombing of London would begin.
Janice had not reacted well to this news, but still felt that it would be safer for Aidan to live with the Pevensies in Finchley than the other side of the world. Upon sensing the atmosphere of her new home, Aidan knew that she would never grow to like the sad and withdrawn atmosphere of the war torn continent. Janice had tried to explain to her youngest child that Europe was still a rebuilding continent after the First World War and had not yet transformed into its former glory.
As Aidan walked up the steps to her new home, following her mother who was eager to see her dearest friend again, she couldn't help but feeling a pang of sadness and loneliness that her family would be officially torn apart after her mother left in the morning. Janice had volunteered to work for the Red Cross at the front and would be leaving for her new traveling job bringing medical supplies to various mobile hospitals on the front.
A girlish shriek of happiness escaped from her mother as she and Helen Pevensie embraced with girlish happiness and laughter of times past. Aidan rolled her eyes at the display and looked around the street on which she would live on.
It looked like back home in Montreal and that made Aidan all the sadder, since her family would probably never return there whole again. A few children played outside and the matriarchs of the households stood nearby talking to one another. Some were holding newspapers, obviously discussing the events of the current war, while others had wistful and sad looks upon their faces as they gazed at their playing children.
Aidan was so transfixed by her observations that she failed to hear her mother calling for her. Aidan was only brought into reality as her mother gently put her hand on her shoulder.
"Aidan are you alright?" Janice asked, looking at her youngest child in concern. Aidan only rolled her eyes again, before walking up the steps towards the open door.
Aidan knew that Helen Pevensie had four children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, but meeting them face to face was quite an experience.
Peter was the eldest, having newly turned sixteen years of age. He was tall with blond hair and blue eyes. He had a serious look about him, but he seemed friendly enough.
Susan was next in the line at the age of fifteen and was a pretty looking girl. Shoulder length dark brown hair with bright blue eyes, accompanied by a pleasant smile. Aidan could see Susan one day being a legendary beauty among women.
Edmund was nothing like his two older siblings who were friendly in appearance. Twelve year old Edmund shared his older sisters dark hair with dark brown eyes, but his mouth seemed to be set in a permanently surly frown. Even though he appeared unfriendly his eyes seemed only to give Aidan a cautious once over as if he wasn't sure of what to make of her.
Lucy was a bright, lively and happy eight year old who smile lit up the room and almost made Aidan herself smile. Lucy had short chin length light brown hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled.
To say that Aidan felt confident in front of this varied quartet would be a lie. At fourteen years of age, Aidan felt incredibly short as she was the same height as Edmund, even though back at school she was the tallest in her class. Aidan felt self-conscious with her auburn hair that she was convinced it made her look like her head was on fire, accompanied by her dull grey-green eyes. While it was a striking combination and all who met her agreed that one day she would grow up to be somewhat of a great beauty, Aidan hated her features and wished she could be more like Susan with her dark hair and pretty blue eyes and milky skin. Instead Aidan was forced to suffer with tanned skin and freckles and a strange, inbuilt habit of tripping and getting herself in the worst of messes.
"Children, this is Aidan Johnson. Aidan these are my sons: Peter and Edmund and my daughters: Susan and Lucy. Aidan will be staying with us for a while, so I hope that we can all get along together," Helen said smiling with hopefulness at the children. Edmund sulked while his siblings seemed to have a general friendliness about them. Aidan nodded politely as she had been taught at her ladies boarding school.
"Peter why don't you grab Aidan's luggage, while Susan shows Aidan her new room. I hope you don't mind Aidan, but you'll be sharing a room with the girls," Helen said and Aidan gave her a tentative smile.
Aidan followed Susan up the stairs and into her new room. It was small, but somewhat cosy as it had a window seat. There were two big beds and a trundle bed that could be pulled out and put away.
"You can have one of the big beds and Lucy and I will take turns using the trundle," Susan said. Aidan shook her head.
"No need changing things that don't need to be changed. I'll take the trundle, Aidan said, speaking for the first time as she put her shoulder bag on the trundle bed marking it as hers. Susan gave her a smile.
"So what is it like in America? You hear all sorts of wonderful stories about Broadway and 5th Avenue and the Empire State Building," Susan said enthusiastically as Peter walked in with her two suitcases.
"It's a lot like London, except it's bright and sunny. People are walking around talking loudly and busily. The streets smell of every food imaginable from all over the world and the air is filled with... excitement," Aidan said, as Peter put her suitcases at the foot of the bed as Lucy and Edmund managed to find their way inside of the room.
"Sounds lovely,' Susan said. Aidan shrugged.
"At first it is, but I miss being back home. I don't usually stay in our home in Montreal too much, because in summer we go to our house in Prince Edward Island. I don't think I've ever smelt air as sweet as on the island," Aidan said in a thoughtful voice.
"You're so lucky to live overseas away from everything," Lucy said. Aidan gave a sad smile.
"We may not be so close to the front, but when I used to get letters from my Michael and Thomas -they're my brothers-, and my father it was like we were right there fighting beside them," Aidan said.
"Our father never writes about the war. Is it as bad as they say?" Edmund asked in a curious voice. Aidan paused for a moment as she looked towards Peter who had stiffened and the others going quiet, before answering.
"Actually my father and brother Thomas says it's all quite civilized on the ground. Michael who's a pilot in the Royal Air Force says the war seems like a bunch of clouds smacking each other like pillows," Aidan said calmly. Edmund, Susan, and Lucy trickled out of the room a few moments later, when Helen called them down to lunch, but Peter stayed with Aidan.
"Mum usually skips the parts of the war in the letters, but she lets me read them," Peter said quietly.
"Sometimes my brothers sent letters to me and of the horrors of the battlefield. I just didn't think it was right to say anything to your brother," Aidan said. Peter nodded.
"Thank you. They are all quite scared of receiving news that..." Peter trailed off and Aidan knew that he was reference towards her father's disappearance.
"These are dangerous times as it is. No need to lose what comfort they already have," Aidan said, before walking out of the room with Peter following behind her.
Though Aidan and Peter had agreed on not discussing the disturbing news from the front in front of his siblings they did not agree on anything else it seemed.
"Americans are too worried about their own gain to worry about the war overseas. They were the last to enter into the first great war and they'll be the last to enter this one," Peter said with overwhelming feeling to which Aidan snorted in a most unladylike manner, as he and Aidan had been arguing over the politics of war over lunch.
"Be that as it may the Americans are who won the war last time and they will surely win it again," Aidan said enthusiastically.
"Where is your British pride?" Peter asked angrily.
"I'm Canadian," Aidan said. Peter snorted.
"It's the same thing," Peter said.
"No it's not," Aidan scoffed.
The two teens continued to argue with one another not noticing the amused looks from the two mothers as they watched their children interact with one another.
"Alright you two, that's enough," Helen said with a small smile. Both Peter and Aidan huffed and began to glare at their own plates.
"You shouldn't pout, Aidan. You'll get wrinkles," Janice teased her daughter. Aidan gave a mocking smile.
"And then I'll die an old maid since no man will want me. La tee da," Aidan said before rolling her eyes.
"Aren't you a bit young to be worrying about that?" Lucy asked with childish curiosity. Aidan opened her mouth with a retort, but her mother beat her to it.
"Overseas it is quite common for girls of sixteen to be married, especially in America," Janice said.
"I shall never get married," Aidan suddenly proclaimed out loud, before running from the table and up the stairs. Janice gave a shake of her head. Helen excused her other children to play outside, while she and Janice shared a pot of tea.
"You'll have to excuse Aidan. She's a stubborn child when she wants to be. Everything is she'll never to do this or she'll never to that," Janice said with exasperation.
"We all reach an age where everything is a never. I recall saying that you'd never cut your hair, but let it grow the length of the street. Do you remember that? You only lasted the summer, before you cut it all off to your chin," Helen said and both she and Janice laughed at the long forgotten memory.
"Ah yes! Those were the times. I often wish things could go back to the way they were. Ben would be home, as well as my boys. I was nagging Michael so to get a wife before the war broke out. Now all I wish for is this blasted war to be over with so I can lock them up at home and never let them go," Janice confessed taking a sip of tea to hide her tears.
"I'm so grateful that Peter is still too young to enlist or I am sure that he would immediately," Helen said.
"I hope Aidan will not be too much trouble for you. I'll admit that at her best she is a handful," Janice said. Helen gave a hearty laugh.
"She reminds me much of you when you were her age. All fire with that spark in her eye. You best watch yourself when she gets a bit older and the boys start chasing her," Helen warned teasingly.
"Oh already last summer two young men came and asked permission to court her, when she was only thirteen. She'll be something to see when she comes out in society," Janice said with a wistful smile.
"I think Peter took a liking to her. I've never seen him so outwardly passionate about a simple argument before. At least not with someone he just met," Helen said. Janice smiled.
"Wouldn't it be something if our children fell in love?" Janice asked.
"If nothing else it would be a wonderful excuse to visit with each other more often," Helen said smiling brightly.
"To visit grandchildren and all," Janice said, which cause both women to smile as they drank the rest of their tea.
Sometime late that night when everyone had gone to sleep, Aidan laid in bed and stared at the ceiling willing herself to fall asleep. Aidan felt restless and worried about her mother being gone and going to the dangerous war front. Aidan tossed and turned for another half hour before throwing the bedclothes off and walking quietly out of the room. Aidan walked down the stairs and into the kitchen hoping to get a glass of milk, when she bumped into another figure.
"Oy! Watch it," Peter whispered, trying to keep hold of the milk bottle.
"Sorry," Aidan whispered back as she stepped back from Peter.
"What are you doing still up?" Peter asked.
"I couldn't sleep," Aidan said as she halfheartedly shrugged.
Peter poured them both a glass of milk and they each sat down at the table. A semi-awkward silence hung over them as they drank their milk.
"So I hear that there is no school here since the war. Is that true?" Aidan asked. Peter nodded.
"That's too bad. I'm addicted to books," Aidan said.
"There's a library not too far from here. Mum takes us there at least once a week and tries to help us keep up with our studies," Peter said.
Aidan gave a little sigh. "That's good. I wouldn't want to get behind. There was this girl at my school who is like a walking encyclopedia and she and I were in competition for highest marks. But now that I'm gone she'll probably get them easily. She and I were best friends," Aidan said sadly, before taking a sip of milk.
"Susan's not much with her studies, but Edmund's pretty smart when he applies himself. He's wicked at chess," Peter said with a rueful smile that spoke of being beaten many times.
"How about you?" Aidan asked.
"I like school well enough," Peter said simply. The two slipped into silence for a few minutes, before Peter broke it.
"So all the papers are saying that the Luftwaffe will win the Battle for France," Peter said. Aidan leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, causing Peter to lean forward as well.
"I traveled with a American naval attaché who was going back to his post in Berlin and he says that Luftwaffe are gaining air in the battle and it's only a matter of time, before they win. But the thing is that once the Germans have won the battle for the skies of France, that will beginning of the battle for Britain," Aidan said.
"Well I guess it's only a matter of time then, isn't it?" Peter asked as he laid back in his chair.
"At least your mum is still here. Everyone in my family has left me," Aidan said.
"They are fighting for their country," Peter exclaimed so suddenly that Aidan recoiled. She finished her milk and put the glass in the sink, looking out the kitchen window as she did.
"And they'll die for their country," Aidan said quietly.
Peter said nothing and Aidan left the kitchen without looking back to see his expression.
The next morning found Aidan saying goodbye to her tearful mother.
"Now you listen to Helen, mind your manners, and keep up with your studies. Before you know it we'll all be together again," Janice said lightheartedly. Aidan gave her mother a long, hard hug, before pulling away.
"If you die I'll never forgive you, so you had better come back safely," Aidan said in a fierce tone that reminded Janice of her daughters infamous temper, causing her to chuckle.
"You have my permission never to forgive me if I don't," Janice said, before turning around and walking out the door.
The rest of the day for Aidan passed without recall or mention as she sat on the floor near her trundle bed and stared at the opposite wall.
Susan and Lucy both came in the bedroom and tried to convince her to come out and eat something during the mealtimes, but Aidan would have none of it. Susan and Lucy didn't bother Aidan after that and she only saw the two sisters when they came into the room to go to bed. Eventually Aidan found her eyes drooping and curled up in her own bed letting blessed oblivion overtake her.
After that, it seemed that Aidan had forgotten her mother leaving and interacted with the family as if she had always been there. Aidan and the girls got along and did girlish things that had them laughing stitches, while the boys shook their heads at the foolishness. Aidan often was found reading books in nooks and corners of the house at odd times and Helen told the children to let her be as it was probably Aidan's way of grieving for her departed family. Aidan also could be found losing to Edmund at chess in the evenings when the family sat together and listened to the radio. Peter and Aidan rarely spoke to one another and when they did it was in clipped tones with glaring eyes. When Helen questioned her oldest son about it he merely said that they had had a disagreement.
As the war news got worse the tension grew until Helen decided that the children needed a day out from their studies. Helen made a picnic basket and took the children to the park nearby. Peter and Edmund set up the cricket wickets and prepared to teach Aidan how to play cricket. Aidan had never played cricket, but often the girls at the boarding school and during the summer would manage to play American baseball. As girls were not allowed to play the game it was often played with naughty giggles of getting away with something, but it gave them amusement and relief from etiquette lessons.
Aidan quickly picked up the game and was successful at hitting the ball with the bat several times and Helen questioned her at her aptitude. Aidan confessed to playing American baseball with her friends who, back home, were mostly boys. Helen laughed.
"You're just like your mother when she was your age. Janice was forever competing with the boys in the neighborhood," Helen said. Aidan snorted.
"Up until she decided to go search for my father I judged her to be a very proper women," Aidan said making a mock show of sticking her nose in the air and fluffing the skirts of her dress as if she was wearing a long magnificent ball gown.
"Oh Janice up until she married your father was everything, but a proper lady. I think that is one of the reasons your father fell in love with her," Helen said, causing Aidan to make a face.
"I shall never fall in love. It makes people so silly," Aidan said, before going back to her cricket game, not seeing the twinkle in Helen's eye at the young and naive statement.
Later on, the family relaxed in the May afternoon sun and read or talked with one another in a rare moment of relaxation away from the driving influence of the war. Aidan was looking at the clouds making random shapes with them in her mind, when suddenly someone landed on her knocking the air out from her stomach. Aidan struggled to breath and heard the shouting above her as the person was lifted off of her.
It turned out that a few boys playing cricket got a little overeager with their batting and the boy who landed on her was trying to catch the high ball. Apologies were made and the boy ran off to join the game again, leaving the gasping Aidan with her hand over her stomach which she was sure would bruise later on.
"Aidan are you alright?" Helen asked brushing the hair from Aidan's face. Aidan nodded and managed to find her voice.
"Yes, I'm alright. It just startled me is all," Aidan said with a raspy voice.
"Well I should say so! Those boys should have been more careful!" Susan exclaimed. Aidan gave a chuckle.
"I grew up with two older brothers, who occasionally liked to see if I was as breakable as I looked. I'm alright. No need to fuss," Aidan said, sitting up a bit and smiling, though her stomach was throbbing and she would've liked to curl up in a ball on the ground and nurse it.
Aidan caught eyes with Peter who was watching her, but looked away and started talking with Edmund about the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Aidan merely rolled her eyes in her traditional fashion and began reassuring Lucy that she was alright.
The afternoon passed without further excitement, except when the boy who had fell on Aidan came over and apologized in person to her. After the game was over that is.
"I'm really sorry about falling on you, the boy named Raoul said.
"It's no problem," Aidan said looking as Susan and Lucy smiled next to her. Raoul was around Peter's age and was very handsome. Edmund and Peter came back from running around to find the three girls giggling and talking to the boy who had landed on Aidan.
"What's he doing here?" Peter asked Aidan scowling at Raoul.
"Raoul just came back to apologize in person," Aidan said frowning at watching Peter glare at Raoul.
"Raoul's such a magnificent cricket player. He's even on the team," Susan said in an airy voice, causing Edmund to roll his eyes and Lucy to giggle. Aidan's lips twitched at the antics of the Pevensies.
"I was just wondering if you would like to come watch one of my matches sometime?" Raoul asked Aidan, causing Susan and Lucy to give giggles. Aidan didn't join in the giggling and tilted her head a bit.
"I'm more of a player than a watcher, but considering the accident that happened today I think it's best if we stay away from adjoining cricket fields," Aidan said giving the mystified and rejected Raoul a smile.
"Good day, Raoul," Aidan said before walking away to where Helen was talking with a neighbor of hers. Aidan was surprised when the Pevensies ran up to her and started walking with her.
"Aidan! Raoul was asking you to go watch his cricket match. You should have accepted!" Susan whispered furiously.
"Not to mention that he's handsome," Lucy said, causing Aidan to laugh.
"Looks don't mean everything, Lucy. Besides, I don't think that him falling on top of me constitutes as me having to extend more courtesy than I show for my friends. I'm not interested in Raoul," Aidan said.
"Why not?" Susan shouted and then turned red with embarrassment.
"I don't know. I'm just not," Aidan said.
"But-" Susan started before she was interrupted by Peter.
"She said no Susan. Don't go on about it so," Peter said, causing Susan to shake her head and walk off, Lucy tagging along. Peter and Edmund continued to walk with Aidan in Helen's direction
"Thank you. For telling Susan to let it go," Aidan said to Peter.
"Over the past year Susan has gotten very serious about the opposite sex," Peter said.
"Susan didn't strike me as the type to go boy-crazy," Aidan said.
"She wasn't until last summer," Edmund chimed in.
"Really? Aidan asked. Edmund nodded his head furiously.
"All of a sudden she started to giggle at the silliest of things," Edmund said trying to explain something he did not yet understand. Aidan chuckled.
"That's just the way some girls are," Aidan said.
"I hope Lucy doesn't turn out that way. Susan is bad enough," Edmund said before walking off to talk to a friend. Aidan gave a laugh.
"Poor Edmund. He really isn't comfortable with the fairer sex is he?" Aidan asked Peter. Peter laughed.
"No I'm afraid he isn't," Peter said. They walked together in comfortable silence towards Helen who was still talking with several neighbors. This was the first time that Aidan and Peter had had a conversation without arguing with one another. They were a bit awkward and didn't know what to say next.
"I'm sorry,"Peter and Aidan said at the same time, making them both laugh.
"I'm sorry that I called you unpatriotic," Peter said.
"And I'm sorry that I was. I just wished that the war didn't have to effect my family, but then again that is a selfish though isn't it?" Aidan said watching a group of children playing tag.
"I wish my dad wasn't fighting. I'd do anything to have him back," Peter said, watching a pair of lovers walk by. The man was in uniform and they were obviously saying goodbye, as the women as tearful and kept blowing her nose into her handkerchief.
"Enough to perhaps have gone in his place?" Aidan asked with knowing eyes.
"I mentioned it to Mum, but she nearly threw a fit," Peter said.
"My grandfather ran off when he was sixteen and enlisted. He lied about his age and at the time they needed every male they could get. He once told me that he regretted growing up so quickly. That the front was a living example of man's inhumanity to man," Aidan said stopping. Peter stopped too and she looked hard at him.
"I don't blame you for wanting to go fight Peter, but your mother needs you more than you can know. Don't do something foolish. Something that you might regret," Aidan said.
Peter sighed. "I won't deny that I've thought of running away, but my dad told me to take care of everyone and I have every intention of doing that. Even if it means staying here at home when I don't want to," Peter said.
Aidan smiled. "And the responsible man of the house is born," Aidan teased.
Peter laughed. "I still don't understand war though. I suppose it's just one of those girlish things," Aidan said as they continued to walk towards Helen and upon reaching her greeted her.
After that Peter and Aidan, though they did still argue and disagree on some things, did seem to get along better and found that they both shared a love for history. They discussed several books that they had both read and formed opinions on and both recommended books that the other hadn't read.
The summer months passed quickly and as the Battle for Britain began, the rumors that the bombing of London was close at hand became louder. People were preparing right and left for bomb raids by building shelters and having practice tests. Aidan even helped Peter and Edmund put up black-out curtains and shades on the windows.
"Alright, a little to the left. No, you've gone too far. Go back! When I say go back I mean go back!" Aidan directed with her hands on her hips, while occasionally wagging a finger to the amusement of the female Pevensies including Helen watching.
The boys finally managed to get all the curtains up and then they all sat down to listen to BBC radio broadcast. The Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler had offered peace terms to Britain during his address to the Reichstag and Lord Halifax, the British foreign minister was rejecting the peace terms.
"Do you think the war will end soon?" Lucy asked Aidan.
"Of course it will. Wars don't last forever you know. How about a game of draughts?" Aidan asked, trying to distract the youngest Pevensie from the serious war news.
The rest of the summer days past on like this where every evening the sat attentively listening to the radio broadcasting the war news and trying to keep the seriousness from affecting the day-to-day routine, as they got melancholy if they listened too much. They all saw the faces of loved ones as they listened to the numbers and names of the perished. Aidan did celebrate her fifteenth birthday and though it was a small affair everyone had a good time and was distracted from the mounting death toll.
Then one day in August, disturbing news came to Finchley. A black car came down the street of the neighborhood and everyone outside stopped what they were doing and looked on with dread hoping that the car would pass their house by. It stopped in front of the Pevensie residence and several men with somber expressions got out of the car. Everyone outside remained still and silent as they watched one of the men knock on the door.
Helen Pevensie opened the doors and felt time stop. One of the men took off their hat and looked inside their folder.
"Mrs . . .Pevensie?" The man asked to which Helen nodded.
"I'm Mr. Braddock. Am I correct in saying that you are the guardian of Aidan Johnson?" Mr. Braddock asked. Helen nodded again, unable to find words as terror gripped her heart. At this point all the children crowded around the door with Aidan coming to the front.
"I'm Aidan Johnson," Aidan said. Mr. Braddock could not seem to look her in the eyes.
"Miss Johnson we regret to inform you that your brother, Michael Johnson was killed in action fighting the Germans over the Channel. Your brother died a hero sacrificing himself to save the lives of his entire squadron," Mr. Braddock said, handing Aidan a case the held his honors and her brother's dog tags. With trembling hands Aidan accepted them.
"Your brother's personal affects will be sent posthaste. I am deeply sorry for your loss. You should be proud of your brother. He died a hero for Britain and was a good British soldier," Mr. Braddock said, before turning around and walking away.
"He was Canadian," Aidan whispered, looking at her brother's dog tags in her hand.
Please let me know what you think and if you'd like me to continue writing this story!
Thanks for reading!
xoxoxoxoxo