New Beginnings

Jon- Sunday Night

"You are a Stark!" he yelled which startled Jon. His father really wasn't the type of man to raise his voice. He was more of a stern look and a few wise words to make you change your mind kind of guy and that worked on Jon most of the time not tonight though. Jon was ready to dig in and make his father see reason. Jon wanted this… no he needed this. "You belong here son with me learning to run the company so you and your brother can run it together when I'm gone." Ned stated with a calm voice that Jon knew as his father.

"No Dad, I don't. It's not for me. I belong somewhere else. I want to protect people and besides Robb is the one that needs to run the company. He is better for the job and more importantly he wants to do it." If Jon was going to win this he had to play the only card he had that could sway his father's opinion. "I need to be out there dad. I need to feel like I'm helping people. What if I can stop it? What if I can keep some other kid from growing up without his mother because I'm on the street enforcing the law. I have to do this… I need to do this." Jon finished a little broken after seeing his father's face flash with pain after mentioning his dead mother. He had lost his mother and Uncle Brandon in a car crash when he was just a babe. Silence lingered for entirely too long. Then Jon started to hope when his father shifted positions spinning his chair away from him to face the window as he spoke.

"I remember sitting in this room when your Uncle Benjen asked our father to join the military. He asked me to join him for support. Father was furious with him and forbade him to do so. He joined anyway." He sighed as he stood and walked to the window. "Your uncle has been missing for 6 years Jon. What you are asking me to let you do is dangerous. You are a man grown at 20 I cannot stop you if this is what you truly want. But I want you to know to know as much as it hurts me that you won't be safe at my side. I understand son and you have my blessing. I'm proud of you son and your mother would be proud too."

Six years ago this week he had had that conversation with his father and on nights like these he wonders what in the hell was he thinking? It was freezing outside and he was stuck in a crappy Honda freezing his ass of watching some spoiled rich kid who decided to nark on his drug dealer for a deal of his own.

"Snow" too lost in his own thoughts to realize his partner had returned with the hot coffee all he could spit out was "What?!"

"I said, when did it start to snow?" His partner of 3 years looked at him with a crooked smile and laughed at his lost look. "God Jon, I swear you know nothing." After failing to answer her question she handed him his coffee and looked around the area as she sipped at her cocoa she always hated the bitter taste of coffee. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Not a damn thing Ygritte. I wish something would though I'm freezing my balls off sitting here."

"Like you had any balls to begin with." She threw her red head back and laughed.

Jon faked a hurt expression and replied with the similar hurt voice. "You used to like my balls." Then both of them burst out laughing. It was always like this with Ygritte. They had "dated" it was mostly just sex for a few months at academy but neither of them really wanted to give it a real try so they called it off and eventually after they both bounced through the ranks they became partners so it was out of the question for Jon at least to pick it back up again which was alright with him she brought out the lighter side of a normally serious Jon. As he looked over at her hugging her cocoa cup. He smiled as Grenn came up and pounded on the glass making her jump.

"Shit! What the fuck is wrong with you? I almost spilt my drink." Pyp was hiding behind Grenn while laughing hysterically at the furious red head.

Grenn just shrugged and said "Sorry, radio was down. They picked up the dealer North of Crossroads. Commander Mormont said case was closed the rest was up to the DA. Time to go home"

"That's it?" Jon stared. "Son of a…. the bastard didn't even have the nerve to try and kill the brat who narked on him and just tried to leave town?"

"Yep" Grenn and Pyp chimed in at the same time. While Ygritte smiled at Jon's disgusted face she knew he was disappointed they didn't get any action.

"The Wall?" Pyp asked "A strong drink and a pretty girl would warm me right up and who knows maybe even Jon could get laid for once." All three of Jon's friends had a laugh at that little joke. So he just started the car and sped off with Ygritte laughing and Pyp screaming "Meet you there" as he drove North towards the Wall the best dive bar in town.

Thirty minutes later they all sat around their table in the corner throwing back drinks telling stories from their past. This was his family now. Sworn to a life of service and a code of honor. He would always be a Stark but these people sitting around him in the bar and at the station they were his brothers and sister. There weren't a lot of women at his station. Family "Oh Shit! I forgot I'm helping Arya move tomorrow. I need to get going. She will shoot me if I'm late. Later guys." Almost running out the door, nobody scared him more than his pissed off little sister.

Sansa- Sunday Night

"You have got to be kidding me!" Jayne squealed as a tall handsome man walked away after being politely dismissed by the auburn beauty. "That is the third one tonight and none of them have been good enough for you. Sometimes I hate you Sansa. It's not fair. I'm going to dye my hair red then maybe one of them will actually look at me."

"Couldn't hurt." Margery smiled as she returned to the table with more drinks. "Or maybe you could just show a little more cleavage."

"If she shows any more cleavage she might as well be topless." Sansa smiled briefly. "Besides red would look terrible on you at least you can tan." Frowning as she held out a pale hand. "I think guys know when you don't want to be in a relationship anyways. I wish I could make them stop coming up to me. After the last two relationships I'm done with men."

"What! You can't be serious. What a bout sex. Are you willing to give up on that as well?" Margery stated a little too loudly. Sansa just blushed as they got a few stares form surrounding tables.

"You try dating a controlling abusive twat then moving on to a weak clingy momma's boy and see how you feel about men." Sighing into her drink she decided to change the subject. "What are you covering for the fall fashion issue?"

Margery squealed a little when she started talking about her article. "Ooooh, I've found this place that does entirely natural clothing." Noting the disbelieving looks from the other two girls she continued. "It is actually fashionable too! Not just hippie hemp. They have shoes that are entirely made out of plants and they are so cute. I'll wear them to work tomorrow. The company sent some awesome swag when I told them about the article. Who knew you could be a nature friendly fashionista?"

Sansa frowned. "I wont be at work tomorrow I'm helping my sister decorate her apartment. But I really want to see those shoes it sounds fascinating. I'm doing a piece on winter dresses. I found the shop just North of Crossroads that does custom dresses. I'm going to check it out when I head home for dinner."

"Your mom still makes you do that?"

"Yes Jayne, every Monday night. It's not so bad we've all been away from home so long it's nice to see everybody again. Oh shoot! I've lost track of time I need to get going." She pulled out her phone to send a text to her bodyguard/driver who wouldn't be very far away and after a few moments gets a reply of 5 mins. Smiling to herself thinking about the extremely large man trying to type on his phone.

"Really? I didn't figure she would actually care what her apartment looked like as long as there was food and a bed to sleep in." Margery commented as she looked over at a drunken Jayne who is staring at some guy at the bar about to fall out of her chair.

"She doesn't, but she is humoring me. We are really trying to get along and I'll take anything I can to get back in her good graces. I really can't believe what I put her through."

"You were a different person Sansa. Hell we all were different people. You guys will work it out. I just wish I had a sister to be mad at me. I'm surrounded by brothers."

Startling the other two girls Jayne blurts out. "But Loras is gay that doesn't count." As she gracelessly drops her head back to the table.

"She's not going to last much longer Margery."

"Nope, my driver will be here in 30 minutes he will take us home. Monday is going to be boring without you."

Getting up to leave and kissing both girls on the cheek. "Thanks for taking care of her I can't believe she is such a lightweight and that's coming from me! Sandor is here. I'll see you at work on Tuesday." She then heads to the parking lot and crawls in the waiting car.

"Where to little bird? He barks out as he glances through the rear view mirror with the burnt side of his face showing.

"Home, Sandor. I'm tired. Next time we go to the bar you are going to sit with us. Maybe then the guys won't come up to me with some line or grab me on the dance floor." Ha! She thinks to herself at least he glanced up at the last part. She still hasn't figured out why he saved her from Joffery so long ago or why he sticks around. But every chance she gets she pushes a little farther and talks a little more to get something out of her silent savior.

Arya-Monday Morning

"Are you coming?" Arya said loudly into her phone knowing where her brother had been the night before.

"Damnit Arya! Do you know what time it is?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I called you moron. You said you'd be there to help me Robb. Jon is already on his way and he was on a stake out until 3 am last night. While you my dear brother were just whoring and drinking with Theon. So get your drunk ass up meet me at my new place in one hour, or I'll tell mom why you really broke your engagement to Roslin."

"Damnit Arya!" Was all he could say before she hung up the phone. All of her brothers were helping her move to her apartment today.

She was more than a little excited. Throughout college she had been living at her parents house to save money. Not that Starks needed to save, but she was saving up for a trip and her dad agreed to let her put the money that would have been used for rent towards her trip. She was going to take a tour across Europe after she graduated. Because she took a job bar tending at a local club she met her goal early and decided she was going to live on her own for a year. Of course she could have just asked for the money like Sansa always used too but that wasn't Arya. Her phone buzzed and she picked up. "Hello."

"What time do you want to meet." Sansa said in an entirely too cheery voice. Never, that was always her first reaction to her sister she thought and sighed.

"We should be done moving everything in around lunch. I was gonna order a pizza if you wanted to join us." Arya still had a strained relationship with her sister. They were so different and always fought but it was way worse after the incident with Sansa's prick of boyfriend Joffery, who had her sent to Harenhall, which was basically a juvy for rich kids. It wasn't so bad and she actually learned how to pick pocket along with a few other neat tricks. But she was still at odds with her sister. She just broke his nose she could have done worse but Sansa had to lie for him and got her sent away. Now Sansa was trying to make up for it. That is why she agreed to let her sister drag her around the rest of the day to all of her favorite shops to decorate her apartment. Joffery was long gone and Sansa had changed a lot. She was actually looking forward to spending the day with her sister but she would never tell her that.

Bran stepped into her now empty bedroom. "Everything is loaded and Mom is taking pictures of everything." Bran was tall now his hair still shaggy hung down into his eyes. You would never guess by looking at him that he was some kind of genius or that 5 years ago doctors told him he would never walk again after an equipment malfunction on a climb.

"Where are you off to next Bran?" She was stalling finding it hard to leave her room the only place to her that was home.

"I'm working for a lab that does research on trees while I train for Everest."

"Everest! You tell mom yet?"

"Nope. And neither are you. Ready to go when you are."

"Just have to grab Nymeria and we can go." She walked slowly down the stairs looking at everything in her childhood home and out the back door. When she opened it a giant grey blur knocked her to the ground licked her face. After fighting off her favorite beast (a wolf/wolfhound mix)her favorite brother rescued and gave to her. She managed to clip on her leash as she was drug to the front driveway. Everyone was waiting for her when she reached the front drive.

"Can I drive?"

"NO!" Everyone said at once.

I'm gonna have to learn eventually." Rickon pouted. He was 15 but nobody was ready to risk their life with him in a car. Since he took Ned's car for a joyride at age 8 and then again at 12 everybody was dreading the day he actually got his license. He was always been a little to wild for everyone's comfort. Bran grabbed the keys and climbed in while everyone else loaded into the vehicle. Catlyn took pictures and tried not to cry as she waved goodbye. Arya just sat back and watched home for the past 21 years fade away. It's always a little sad to leave home no matter how old you are or how ready you are to be gone. Arya felt a sting in her eye as the house completely faded from view but fought it back. She didn't cry that just wasn't Arya.