But if each shall have his day,
I shall swing and I shall sway
In the same old weary way
As before.
-

"Edmund!" Sanya yelled, running ahead to the front gate. "You're back!"

"Moonshine!" Edmund just had time to say, before his wife reached him and threw her arms around him. "Hi. I love you."

"I love you, too." She laughed, kissing him quickly. "Did you just get back?"

"Yes- sorry, I'm a bit late- we won yesterday's match, and Mr. Carmichael decided to take us to a pub."

Her arms still around him, she tilted her head, "Don't you have to be eighteen to go into a pub?"
A public house was not actually that public, if that was the case.

"A few of us are. And those who aren't- well, we look close to it." Edmund shrugged. Sixteen was only two years away from eighteen, and he'd been drinking since he was fifteen, in the Golden Age. Not much, of course- he didn't want to let himself be intoxicated and under anyone or anything's influence ever again. "I didn't drink, though, just had some fish and chips. How was your day and a half without me?"
She looked- was it just a trick of the light, or did she look rather peaky?
"Wait- here." He pulled his rugby jacket off, and handed it to her. "It's cold."

Her look to him was half-fond and half-disapproving, "You need it more than I do."

"Probably, but you look better in it." He waggled the jacket in front of her- and she accepted it with a small giggle, putting it on.
It was slightly big for her, since he was taller, and a bit snug around her torso, and she probably wouldn't be able to do it up all the way- but he couldn't help gazing at her wearing it.
He always felt a hidden sense of pride whenever she wore his rugby jackets. When she wore any of his clothes, actually.
"Beautiful."

She blushed.

"How was your day, then?"
He'd not failed to notice that she had not answered it immediately, when he had first asked. He knew she hated being sick, and letting people know she was sick, but if she was so, she best tell him.

"Great."
Her eyes went to the St. Finbar's emblem on the building- she hated the place so much, and even more so now, because she knew that the people inside it could easily reveal that her day and a half had not been 'great'.
She forced herself to smile, "I was dragged into the sanatorium."

She didn't want to tell him anything at all- but the whole rumour had already spread around the school like wildlife.

The 'Indian' girl having almost bled to death because of the flu!

It was better for him to hear what had happened- a falsified version of it- from her, instead of drivel from the gossip-mongers at school.

"What?" He looked concerned- he'd been right, she did look a little ill. "Why?"

"Um- er- moonblood. Really heavy. Dorm-mates panicked, thought it was a symptom of the flu." She shrugged. "I was just let out- well, actually, Matron wanted to shoo me out a couple of hours ago, but I did not want to have lunch with the others, so I pretended to be unconscious."

Edmund blinked and gave a low chuckle, "Never cease to astonish me, Moonshine. Are you feeling alright?"

Sanya was quiet for a long time, after those five words.
"I know what that is." She finally whispered. "I- my- my aunt- she had- she- she lost her baby-"
It was a true story. That was how she'd learnt what was a miscarriage was, years before she'd even been pregnant. Years before she'd been a mother, or a wife, or a Queen.
She'd been so sorry for her aunt. No one deserved that to happen to them. To lose a life being created in them- to lose, essentially, a child- it was awful.

"I see." He didn't wonder about her genuineness anymore- if her expression at the moment was false, then she was a better actress than Katharine Hepburn. "I am truly sorry, Ms. Rainsford. The only balm I can offer is-"

"I'm not ready to be a mother." She said, before he could offer whatever balm. "No matter w-who the father is- I can't be a mother now."
Or, perhaps ever again.
She bit her lip, before looking up again, "Did- did the b- the fetus feel pain?"

He shook his head, "No, I don't think so. As I said, I am not an gynaecologist- but I do not believe the fetus can feel anything until the pregnancy is at least at twenty or thirty weeks."

"That's good." Even if she didn't want this child, she didn't want it to have felt pain as it died. At least one of her children should be spared from that. "You know you can't tell anyone-"
Oh, but what if he had, what if he already had!?
"Have you told anyone?"

He pursed his lips, "I take doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously, child. The only thing I have told Matron is that you need rest. However-"

She was definitely right to be wary, "What?"

"You are a child. Sixteen?"

"Sixteen in January."

"Fifteen, then." He sighed again. "By law, I am to tell a parent or a guardian-"

"You can't!" Even if she wasn't her real grandmother, it would kill Maude. She'd know it was Edmund- and she would die of shame, especially if the story spread. Sex before marriage and a baby out of wedlock! A dead baby, but still.
And if Edmund found out about it- no. She could not have that.
"Please, no. It doesn't even matter-"

He looked affronted, "I understand you're too young to understand the severity- but- but what you've lost could have become a living, breathing child- your child. Far more important than that, though, is your health. You're only fifteen- I cannot imagine the toll it must be taking on your system- and how it may affect your pregnancies in the future- you need someone-"

"No, I don't, and my family is rich, if you tell anyone, I'll make you poorer faster than the Great Depression." She'd recently read 'The Great Gatsby'. It was quite underrated, if you asked her. She hoped it received the attention it deserved in the future. "Please. You can't tell anyone. Just because I'm fifteen, doesn't mean you can- can- forget about doctor-patient confident-confidentiality."

Her eyes were beseeching and brown and she looked so tired- it reminded him of his old family dog. He was a Labrador, and they'd had to put him down a few weeks ago, because of his old age.
The girl in front of him was not old- but, despite the threat, she made him sad all the same.
"Very well." He relented. "But I will be calling here and checking up on you every two weeks, to see how you are and if you're keeping up to date on your medication- and if there is anything at all awry, I am going straight to the Headmistress."

"Fine." Again, something was better than nothing. And if anything was 'awry'- she could just lie. "Thanks, Doctor. I think- I think I'll sleep for a little while now."

"Of course." Dr. Wright nodded, getting to his feet. "If there's anything you need, shout, yes? I'm just outside, checking some temperatures."
How had his father done it? He doubted he'd had many patients with miscarriages- but even one was stumping him, he couldn't imagine what treating more than a few was like.
"Feel better, Sanya."

Sanya had already turned over on her side, her back to the doctor. She was thinking- and perhaps she was feeling sad. She felt sad all the time- was this something deeper than that, or the same?
Not shifting around to face him, she whispered a, "Thank you, Doctor."

The door closed- and her eyes did, too, a single tear leaking out of them.

"Yeah." She answered quickly, nodding. "Yeah."
You had a miscarriage, Sanya.
There was no point in being upset, though. If she hadn't had the miscarriage- if she had found out she was expecting- she would have had the pregnancy terminated. She'd have had an abortion.
It fit, she supposed- the miscarriage- if her life truly was being woven like a tapestry, or written down in a book.
Expectations died, after all. Expecting was no different.
"I'm fine. Moonbloods have always been the worst, I'm used to it."

He bit his lip, "You don't deserve that. D-do you want me to get you some chocolate?"

Sanya stared at him, "For what?"

He nodded to her stomach, "The cramps. It makes my sisters feel better- I know it's rationed, but I'm sure there's someone at school who's having a birthday and their parents sent chocolates to spoil them-"

"Ed." She stopped him, because he was rambling. Rambling was always her thing, it surprised her when her husband did. "I don't like chocolate, remember?"

He sighed, "Yes, I know. I just- I wanted to make you feel better. Somehow."

"It's okay." She smiled a little, resting her forehead against his for a moment. "I just need to lie down for a while. Maybe beg Matron for a hot-water bag to keep on my stomach. Don't let my tragedy of being a girl distract you from- wait, did you say you won yesterday's match?"

Of course she was changing the subject. To a happier one, that was true- but it was typical, that she didn't want to talk about what was happening to her. She never wanted to talk about what had happened to her, either.
At least she was telling the truth- wasn't she?
"We did, yeah. The other team shot the final goal- but we had more points overall, so we won." He attempted to smile, too. "We lost Friday's, though- I don't think I told you, but Os- I mean, Oscar started crying because we were tied with five minutes to the game. His tears became a full rainfall when the whistle went and the other team had one more point."

"Such emotion." She giggled softly, moving away from his hold, and the two began to walk. She didn't have a specific destination in mind, and she doubted he did, either, but she didn't care about that. Sanya would follow Edmund anywhere. "Hopefully yesterday's win made him forget about crying."

"No, he did cry a bit." He laughed, and added, "Out of happiness, though, so it's fine."
The leaves were falling from the trees as they walked through the path- they were browning and dried, and Edmund couldn't hold back sudden joy. Oh, he loved autumn.

"Did you miss me?" She asked, linking her hand with his, and the conjoined hands began to swing between them. "I didn't. I definitely wasn't thinking about you every single second during the past forty-six hours that you were away from me."

"Well, Moonshine, you're always on my mind. Even if I didn't miss you- which I did, absolutely," Edmund promised, "I'd still be thinking about you."

"You're so romantic." Sanya couldn't help a blush. Her cheeks were probably as red as the blood that had covered her a few hours ago. "You've come a long way from seducing me by telling me that my beloved horse would die in a few years."

Edmund winced, "That- damn, I'd forgotten about that. How could you have possibly wanted to have sex with me after that?"
And the fact that she had fallen in love with him after he'd told her he despised having her as a wife- dear Lord. It was a true miracle.

"Well, you were naked. I could see all your freckles." She shrugged, her brown eyes twinkling. "That distracted me from the really terrible come-hither line."
They were heading back to that cobbled street they'd gone on her birthday. She wondered if the shops were still there- those shell-necklaces had been really pretty.

A contemplative look came over his face, and he mused, "Freckles my superpower, then?"

"Yes. Freckle-Man." She looked thoughtful, too. She could already envision the costume... "I like it, I think."

"Me too." He decided. Freckle-Man- with freckles as his mettle, he does battle. Did that rhyme? He was shit at poetry. "We need to come up with a name for you, too."

Sanya shook her head, "I'm too lazy to be a superhero."
Besides, her powers were gone. What superhero would she be without them? Be like Batman, having only fighting prowess? She didn't even have his detective skills or a Batplane.
At least the orphan part was right.
A motherless, fatherless, brotherless, childless orphan. She had taken all of it for granted when she had had them- both as an adult, and a child.

How many times had she told her father that she loved him, after she had stopped being a toddler? She could probably count the number on her two hands. How many times had she pushed her mother away when she'd tried to embrace her? Almost every single time. How many times had she turned her brother away when he'd come to her room, asking her to play or walk with him, and she'd told him no, because she was reading or working? Too many to count.
And now- now, she didn't even have the hope for an embrace of family again.

And her children- her babies. She saw their corpses all the time. She saw their eyes, their smiles- and she felt more grief than she had ever felt. She had thought she would stop feeling it so strongly after finding Edmund.

She'd been wrong.

"Still. I think you'd be a good Wonder Woman-esque superhero." He insisted. "Dynamic Damsel, or something."

She gave him a look, "You just want to see me in the costume."

Edmund went pink.
--

The weather outside was lovely. Crisp, cool, but not too cool- and falling leaves were always so lovely.
It was Guy Fawkes' Day soon- what fun he'd always had then.

Unfortunately, Peter was indoors- and would most likely be for the foreseeable future.
Autumn wasn't his favourite season- that would be spring- but he just longed to be out. He wouldn't even have cared if it was bloody winter.

"Pete, mate, come out!" His father said for the third time, poking his head through the door. "Cambridge exams are ages away-"

Yes, he'd chosen to spend the year studying to take the Cambridge entrance exam once again, as opposed to joining a not-Cambridge university.
He didn't know why he was so fixated on the institution. It wasn't as though there weren't unis that were willing to take him- there were, many.
But all Peter could think of was that one afternoon, when his dad had been lecturing in one of Cambridge's colleges- he could never remember which one- and he'd taken him along. Peter had been perhaps five, and he'd been entranced by everything there.
And it reminded him, a bit, of Cair Paravel. Part of him hoped it might feel more like home than his home in Finchley did.

"I know, Dad," He looked up from the textbook, "which means I have more time to study! I need to get in next year, I can't-"

"You're turning into Susan and Edmund." George lamented, not letting him finish his sentence because he knew what he'd say. He said it several times a day. "Come along, I'm home early and your mum's out at a friend's. We'll go have a game of cricket in the park- just the two of us-"

That was enticing. Very enticing. Peter really liked cricket- it was easily one of the best games ever invented, regardless of what Sanya muttered about it.
And his dad had taught him how to play, and then he'd not played with him for so long because he'd been away in the war.
"I-"
Cambridge or cricket? Where was the High King mentality when he needed to make a decision? He could always make decisions back in Narnia.
"I have to study, Dad- sorry."
He wanted to go out- but he knew he shouldn't.

George looked at his son for a moment, his lips pursed in a very Susan-like way.
"Right." He said, and walked towards the bed that Peter sat on, studying, and then promptly took away the textbook. "I know you're nineteen, but I'm still your father and I get to boss you around. No more studying today."

Peter scowled, "But, Dad-"

You're turning into Susan and Edmund.

That wasn't a bad thing, was it? They were cool and reserved and intelligent- and it was a common saying of his mother's that he and Lucy ought to be more like them.
But then, she also said that they ought to be more like Lucy and he...
"Oh, fine." He said, giving up on this one fight- just the one- and getting to his feet. "I dunno where the bat is, though, Dad- and we lost one of the balls last time we played-"

"I'm sure we'll make do." His father was just glad that he hadn't been shoved out of the room and the room being locked up. Oh, he knew how prestigious Cambridge was and how difficult it was to get in- but Peter would end up driving himself crazy. And getting into Cambridge was not more important than his boy's well-being. "Remember that time we went camping, and we played with sticks and pinecones?"

"Yeah." Peter laughed, and he and his father began to descend down the stairs. "Ed thought the pinecone was a dead hedgehog. And he told Lucy, and then she wouldn't come out of the tent the entire trip."

"Ed was quite the troublemaker when he wanted to be." George laughed, and he turned towards the storage cabinet where he knew the cricket equipment was packed. "Sometimes, it surprises me- how calm and stolid he's become. Usually, children become all the more trouble at this age. But he- really, all four of you, you're so collected."

"It doesn't feel that way to us." Peter said honestly. "We're just trying our best to be good."
And to live up to what and who we were.

"I missed that transition stage for you four- you all were children when I left, and little adults when I returned." His lips turned down, and he watched his son take out the bag that had the balls and bats and wickets in it. "Even lovely Lu- she was so tiny, wasn't she? And now- oh, just carry the bag, son, that'll be alright- and now, she's fourteen, I can't believe it."

"She's still tiny." He attempted at a joke. "Seriously, she hardly comes up to my chest, I don't think she'll ever be growing again."
The former Magnificent went quiet then, just for a second, as they turned and walked towards the front door.
"I hope you don't feel bad about missing those couple of years in our lives, Dad. It wasn't your fault- you were doing a good thing." He smiled slightly. "You were being a hero."

George shook his blond head, locking the door behind him- Helen had her key with her, she'd be able to get in if she came home early.
"Oh, I don't know about that. It was my duty, is all."

"Believe me, Dad, you were a hero. Are one- to us four."

"You're too sweet a boy, Peter." He clapped his shoulder. He knew his boy was tough and hard and stern, as well- as a man should be- but he couldn't help be proud that there was such kindness in him. "I wonder who you and Lucy got that from."

"Mum." He answered easily. He raised one hand to pick a drying leaf off a tree, and continued, "No contest. And Ed can be sweet, too- only with Sanya, though. Susan, on the other hand, she's just scary."
He was, obviously, joking. Susan was the Gentle for a reason- she had a sweet heart, even if her temperament was rather tempestuous.

They began up the street to where the park was, and Peter hoped no children were there. His dad was good at bowling, but he always ended up hitting the ball at something that wasn't meant to be hit.
He didn't want that something to turn out to be a child.

"I wanted to talk to Ed about S- about his girlfriend." His father admitted. "But he was avoiding your mum and I like the plague, since that lunch- and then he went back to school. I don't even think he's coming home for Christmas- again."

"He'll come home if Sanya does." Peter shrugged. "They're very- er, close. Can't really bear being away from each other."
Not again.
He wondered how he was able to bear being away from Aura and Caspian.

He had loved them, had he not? He still did. He loved them like Sanya loved Edmund, but he didn't think he could go through all he assumed she had gone through- for a thousand years- for them.

He had his siblings- he had his parents- they needed him, he could not go off traipsing to another realm to be reunited with them.

Did that mean he loved them less? Was his love for Aura just not enough? Was his love for Caspian too little?

And- he hated to think of this, but why hadn't Aura done what Sanya had? Had she loved him less, too? Why wasn't his own love here, in this world, reading The Diseases of the Chest and the Principles of Physical Diagnosis with him?

For that matter, why wasn't Susan's lady-love here, picking flowers with her or kissing or whatever they liked to do?

Why was it just Sanya and Edmund? Why was it only his brother who got his beloved back?

"That's not normal." George frowned. "They're only children- young love is one thing, but this is bordering on obsession-"

"That's just- how it is with them. All-consuming and all." Then he forced out a laugh. "Dad, really- I don't want to talk about this at all. I don't like romance novels-" that was a lie, "and I don't like talking about Ed's romance, either. Can we just play cricket?"

"Of course, of course." They'd reached the park- and his son was right. It was an awkward, insipid topic- but George worried. He knew the dangers of love, of obsession, even if he hadn't gone through it himself, having struck gold and found a wonderful life with his very first love. He didn't want his son manipulated, or treated badly, or subjected to heartbreak. "Batting or bowling, son?"
-

"You both are hopeless!" Claire Byrne threw her hands up in frustration. "Ach, what is so difficult about memorising dates!?"

"Memorising dates." Susan answered with a smile. The blonde was rather cute when she lost her mind. "Really, the rest of it you've drilled in quite well- but it's the dates of the Reformation in Europe that's the issue."

"Not to mention, the Reformation is frightfully boring." Bonnie added, and Claire turned her scowl to her. She didn't care, though- the mirth in Susan's silvery eyes brightened, and that was all that she cared about. "I truly do not care what happened in the Catholic Church in the fourteenth century."

"Sixteenth! Sixteenth century!" The tutor looked ready to hit them over the heads with the fat textbook. "Look, you're not supposed to care- do you think I care a fig about the challenges of Luther, and all that? I do not! But I need to pass my exams, so I can get into a good university and become something that is not a homemaker!"

Susan frowned, "You don't need a university for that, Claire. You're quite formidable, education institution or not. I mean, you've memorised every single important person of the Tudor era, and I'm quite sure even Aristotle couldn't have done that."
Perhaps she hadn't been entirely truthful when Sanya had asked if there was something 'more' with Claire. Claire was without a doubt attracted to men- she saw how she mooned over Mr. Kavanagh, the singing master- but she was just so- cogent. Susan marvelled at it, at how compelling every word and every action of hers was.
Plus, her hips swayed as she walked and she favoured a peach balm for her lips- and Susan had always liked to taste peach.

Claire looked like she was about to smile, but then another scowl came on her face, "You do know that Aristotle was Greek and has nothing to do with the British history in our syllabus, right?"
She should ask her parents to move back to Ireland. She had spent her entire life in England- but it was worth a shot, she thought, wondering whether her peers would be less frustrating there.

Then again, it was moments like this when Susan found herself reflected in Claire, and that wave of feelings she felt for her diminished from high tide to a tide that was less than nil.

"Really?" Bonnie's eyes were wide. "But I thought he was James the First's tutor? And didn't Catherine de' Medici have an affair with him?"

"No, that's Nostradamus- oh, that's gossip!" She scowled for the third time. The record was at eighteen times- Susan had counted, because she liked seeing the absolutely hilarious expression the tutor would pull when driven to the brink. "She just asked him for horoscopes for her children- and how do you even know who Catherine de' Medici is? We haven't studied about her."

"Oh, Sanya was reading about the Medici family the other day, and she was telling me. Did you know Lorenzo de' Medici and Clarice Orsini had ten children? Ten?" Bonnie could not even imagine having a child. "There were quite a lot of affectionate letters, too, considering it was an arranged marriage."

"Arranged marriages can end in the most enduring loves you can imagine." Susan said, before she could stop herself. Then she flushed, as both Bonnie and Claire looked at her strangely. "I've seen it happen. My- mother's great-uncle, his was an arranged marriage, and the love between his wife and he was a sight to see. So my mother tells me, at least," she didn't want them asking questions, "I didn't know them."

"Sanya said something similar. About her grandparents- her natural ones, back in India. Apparently, her grandfather was an English general, and her grandmother was the daughter of some Indian nobility. They had three children, and were in love until death." Bonnie recounted, though she remembered that the expression on Sanya’s face and her tone had made her think she’d made the whole thing up to mess with her. “Who knows, though, it’s probably just a story. She’s good at making up stories in her head.”

"Sorry, who's Sonia?" Outside of these tutoring sessions, Claire did not know them well- and did not, frankly, want to. She'd only even agreed to tutor Susan Pevensie as a favour to her younger sister, Lucy, who was with her in Astronomy Club.

"Sanya's my brother's girlfriend. You must know her, she's-" Oh, she knew her sister-in-law detested being described like this, but how else was she to explain?, "she's the Indian one? In upper fourth."

Claire thought for a moment, "Wasn't she the one who brought a wee grass snake to lunch?"

"I think it was an adder. And it was breakfast."

"No, no, it was both." Bonnie corrected Susan. "She brought the grass snake in on Parents' Weekend, so most of us weren't at lunch."

Claire snorted- she liked snakes, and she liked stories of insanity.
"If your brother marries her, their house will be a literal zoo. He'd lose it."

"Please, Ed worships the ground Sanya walks on."

"Sanya's the exact same." The other girl simply had to say. "She looks at him like- like something holy. Reverential."

Susan nodded at that, and went on, "He'd build a zoo for her, if she even hinted at it."
It was spoken with a laugh, and wished there wasn't bitterness in it. It was there more often than not, the bitterness. The envy. Born of the realisation that she could never find what they had- and if she found it, the world wouldn't let her enjoy it.
Then she turned to Bonnie, who was about to start undoing and then doing up her braid again. It was a compulsive habit, and one she'd resolved during the first joint tutoring session to break.
She had failed, so far.
"Where is Sanya?"

Edmund had asked her, if and whenever she could, to keep an eye on her.

"I'm leaving for the weekend, and I'm worried. Sanya seems- different. She's been different since she came back- but this is something stranger." He had said, the day before leaving his away games. "And I'm not sure if it's a different that worries me or scares me or makes me want to walk away."

He hadn't said the next part, but Susan had known what he was thinking.

Or all of it.

He had spoken to her about it after he had returned from his games, too. His worry and wariness had worsened. But she possessed no information that he had to know about her sister-in-law, and so she had only congratulated her little brother on the win.

"She's gone for a walk with the little kid from second form who follows her around. Meghan something." Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I swear, she has more friends in the first two forms than she does in her own- it's like she's adopted them."

"She has a tendency to do that." Susan murmured. "Alright, pretty Claire, since you're foaming at the mouth, we'll stop chatting. What's next?"

"Actually, we're done for the day." Claire said- it wasn't so much as they were done, as she was drained. She needed to lie down- or sneak down to the Kitchens to get something, her stomach was starting to growl. "So, by all means, keep chatting."
She gathered her books, and lifted them, holding them close to her chest. The common room was empty, except for them, everyone else making the most of the warm October day outside.
"And remember, I'll make you revise what we've done in the last few classes in the next!"

"Make you." Bonnie mimicked, after she had departed. "She could have said 'ask you to revise'- same result, but it sounds so much nicer."

Susan shrugged, and pushed herself off the armchair, "I don't think Claire cares about being nice."
It was something she sometimes liked about her- and sometimes didn't.

"A lot of people don't." The other girl said, sounding rather sad. "The reason why the world is how it is, I suppose."

"Can't blame all the world's troubles on that."

Bonnie nodded, acquiescing to her rebuttal, and then asked, "Are you going out?"

Susan nodded as well, "Yes- just to wander around." Perhaps make sure her sister-in-law hadn't run away or killed someone. "I haven't anything to do, and it feels too stuffy inside."
She had half a mind to head over to town and try to wrangle a bottle of whatever alcohol was cheapest. She liked alcohol. She'd never liked it much back in that world- she had told herself she would not take its name- but now, here, it was a comfort, on the rare occasions she managed to find a strong drink.

"I agree." Bonnie had been thinking of continuing her newest painting- she had sketched it, and then left it at that last week, and had yet to do any more work on it. But Susan's idea sounded far better. She had to leave anyway- this was the South Tower common room, and she was in East. "Would you mind if I tag along? I promise, I'll be practically invisible."
Gosh, she hoped she couldn't hear the nervousness in her voice. There was nervousness- how could there not be, it was Susan Pevensie!- and so, so much of it, but she had to hope.

"No, please, be as visible as you like. I won't mind at all." Susan smiled the smile of a gracious Queen, and Bonnie got to her feet and the two began out of the common room. "I don't think we've ever even spoken, without Sanya or Claire around, have we?"

"No, we haven't." She answered promptly. She would definitely remember if they had. "Let's make this first, chaperone-less conversation and walk one for the books, then?"
It was so stupid, what she was saying! None of her conversations would be included in any book, except for a book on 'conversations to not have with someone you can never stop looking at!'.

Susan's smile widened, "I would like nothing better."

-
-✧･: °*✧*°:･✧-
-

Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Claire Byrne

-

(Sanya repressing the shit out of having a miscarriage- repression is her usual, after all- while Edmund is just all pleased about that she's in his clothes. Jeez, the disparity.)
-

You have Sanya internally breaking down because she just had a miscarriage and then you have Edmund gleefully daydreaming about his wife in a Wonder Woman outfit. Truly, the juxtaposition here is hilarious.
And sad.

Sanya wears Edmund's rugby jacket- geek gf x jock bf. I love. They're almost never like a typical school couple- probably because they technically AREN'T a school couple- but some tiny things like this, they're so cute.

Also, move over Spider-Man, Freckle-Man is now my favourite superhero.
(No no Spidey I'm just joking you'll always be my number one my numero uno my bestie my pal my love DON'T LEAVE ME-)

And you have the answer to the question I asked last chapter.
(Do you think Sanya will tell Edmund about the miscarriage?)

Regardless of what you thought- she did not tell him.
More secrets.

I wonder by how much that streak will increase...we shall see...

🎶 Secrets I have held in my heart,
Are harder to hide than I thought 🎶

Peter and George have bonding time- where Peter Peyton once again gets accosted by the topic of his brother's relationship. Seriously, he asked him how she was in bed ONCE, he did nOt deserve this.
(Peter ghostwrote that. I, obviously, think PPP deserves that and more, because it's very funny)

Peter and Susan are both so sad because they lost their loves and will never be with them again, and also deeply envious of Edmund, who lost his love but managed to reunite with her.
But they're both great big siblings, and they will NEVER let their envy come in the way for their love of their little brother. That's a promise. This is not a CW teen dramas, where whole families are destroyed because of a relationship that lasts three episodes.

Bonnie awkwardly, unintentionally flirting- we love to see it 👀👀👀 hopefully Susan finds it as endearing as I do...
If she does find it cute- well, you have the overachiever tutor and failing student falling in love trope. But HERE you'll get the failing students falling in love, without any annoying topper coming into the equations. I hate people who are good at studies.

Also, the faceclaim for Claire is from Derry Girls, which you lot should absolutely watch 🙌🙌 It's a sitcom and it's just brilliant.

OH, and the Lorenzo and Clarice name-drop- actual historical figures and real life arranged marriage trope. Clarenzo in the show Medici basically inspired me for Edmanya in 'Alliance' and their scenes also gave me ideas for some scenes in that book- so, yes, I had the chance to mention them, and I took it.
Both Derry Girls and Medici are on Netflix, btw!

And, as always- I humbly and unashamedly ask you to vote on the chapters, and perhaps comment, too :)