School Grounds, Saturday Morning

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund had had a particularly good night, even though it hadn't started out that well. He rose early, despite not having another nightmare, and quickly dressed with the intention of an early walk.

[OOC: Open for beings big and small.]

Comments

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

"Back in Narnia?" She tried, her eyes wideningly innocently. "See, there was this bunny an' I chased it cause we were playing tag, an' then I was here."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"So Lucy doesn't know you're here, and you were sitting here doing...that thing," he didn't want to think about that part yet, because it brought with it a sinking feeling, "and you didn't think to find an adult to help?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

"I did," she said, looking puzzled. "I found you. But you're being weird."

Oh, that wasn't a good thing to say to Dady even if he wasn't being daddy-like. Lou took a half-step back, preparing the lip wobble again if needed.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"You're being weird," he countered. Yes, that was intelligent. "What would your mother think of this?" Well, that was one way to approach the situation of just who this girl's mother was if he was supposed to be her father.

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

"How do you know I'm being weird?" Lou asked. "You don' even remember me.". She had to consider the question for a moment. "Mommy would say you're being pig-headed and that it's probably Fandom messing with your head."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Probably," he agreed. It was messing with him alright, just not in the way she thought. "Let's go with that explanation. Fandom is messing with my head and I have amnesia. A special kind of amnesia where I remember almost everything except, well, everything past being almost 16. Do you think you can help me?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

She nodded solemnly, her eyes wide with the enormity of the request.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund took a deep breath and, still on one knee, leaned his forearm on his leg. "You're Princess Louisa Petrina George Pevensie. Of Narnia. Talking Animals, Aslan, Cair Paravel Narnia. Am I right so far?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

She nodded and moved closer to him, her arm slipping around his waist trustingly as she rather obviously tried to make herself comfortable on his knee. "Don' forget Mr. Tumnus," Lou advised. "Or the dryads or the mermaids. They would be sad."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"No, we definitely wouldn't want to make the mermaids sad." The mermaids liked to throw octopuses at him when they were sad or mad. That definitely wasn't something to aim for. "And Peter, Susan and Lucy are all there. And Willow?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

"Aunt Susan and Aunt Lucy and Mommy," she agreed happily. "See? You remember."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

The 'mommy' comment was lost on him for the moment as he fixated on the name that was missing. "What about Peter?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

She shifted uncomfortably because Mommy and Daddy both got upset when people talked about Uncle Peter.

"Umm," she tried to find an explanation that would be happy. "He had to go help Aslan?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

His voice was softer, but still firmly demanding. "What happened?" It wasn't really a question you should ask a 5 year old, nor expect a proper response from.

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

Lou cuddled more closely to her daddy, trying to make him happy and flailing at how she could. "Mommy said he was fighting and he died, but it makes her sad." She looked up. "I like my story better. Maybe he did go help Aslan instead."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund looked away, trying to process all of this. He didn't hug the girl back, but certainly didn't push her away. He was fine with her perching on his knee.

Somewhere, some time, whether in his own future or another's (he'd caught onto that much being possible so far), Peter wasn't there anymore. For a few more long moments, Edmund struggled with that knowledge. Justification then set in. It wasn't his Peter. His Peter was alive and well and would damned well stay that way, and this girl didn't exist and this was Fandom messing with his brain.

As the feeling of his stomach twisting itself into knots subsided with each barrage of explaining it all away, the rest of the conversation started seeping into his conscious mind.

He looked sharply at Lou. "Who did you say your mother was?"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

She was more comfortable now. There hadn't been any shouting, and Mommy said that Daddy was British so he didn't hug very much even though his hugs were the very best.

"She's Queen Willow," Lou said, utterly unconcerned by that information.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

But that meant...with the...and the...

His brain shut off at that very moment and he stared blankly for what felt like a very long time.

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

That was more like the Daddy she knew. Lou reached up to pat his cheek. "Can we go riding, Daddy? Or d'you gotta be King today?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Please don't call me that."

No, his mind really did not want to think about how that was possible down to scientific detail and oh good grief no, he really didn't want mental imagery of any sort.

He started to think about puppies instead.

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

Lou's lower lip wobbled, and she sniffled pitifully. "Why not? What should I call you?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"You can call me Edmund," he said, moving to stand her back up so he could stand back up. And possibly run away. But he wasn't meant to run away, so he wouldn't, but the temptation was there. "I'm sorry, you're very cute, but you're not my daughter." Because that would mean - well, he wasn't going there.

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

Lou stumbled slightly as she found her feet again and put her hands on her hips, scowling at him fiercely. "I won't! You're my father! Cause if you weren't.." She trailed off as she tried to think of how that worked. "I wouldn't be me!"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"But you are you and I'm not your father!"

[weenarnians.livejournal.com]

"You are so!" She yelled, stomping her foot. "I'm me and you're my daddy!"