Pretty much what it says. The direwolves meet their Stark partners for the first time. I don't know if there is a scene in the books like this but this is my idea based on the tv show.

Also includes a bit of Ned's thought process about Jon originally being left out.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters etc. I'm just borrowing them.

Supposed to be fluffy and fun. :)

All mistakes are mine.

Ned Stark climbed up the bank and returned to his horse after finding the dead direwolf mother and agreeing to his children raising the direwolf pups at Winterfell. He wondered how much of a headache that might cause him in the future. The pups were big already and would grow quickly with the right care. He knew the pups would have to be raised well otherwise they would have to be put down if they became a danger to the residents. As the eldest of his children he supposed Robb and Jon would take charge of the pups when his younger children could not.

Jon. He had been left without a pup. Jon wasn't his blood son but Ned had always felt that Jon was his. His constant reminder of his sister who he had loved dearly before she had died birthing her son. It always hurt Ned when Jon would say, 'I'm not a Stark', for Ned always considered him as such, but to the rest of Westeros he was a Snow. No-one could know the truth that Jon was his sister's son, his nephew, but Ned would never have let him be raised by anyone else.

Robb only saw a brother, as did Arya and Bran. Rickon was too young to judge but Ned felt that Rickon would follow the majority of his siblings in seeing Jon as his brother. Sansa had followed her mother in dismissing Jon as not really part of the family but she did engage in activities if the others were present, but she was always cold to Jon. His wife Catelyn hated Jon. There was no other word for it. Ned regretted her attitude but found solace knowing that her hate was reinforcing his lie and therefore Jon's safety. He just wished Jon hadn't borne the brunt of it.

He found it ironic that Jon had made the argument for keeping the pups and was excluding himself in the process. If only there had been six.

The rest of the group came trailing up the bank and Ned saw Bran holding one of the pups close to his chest. This one was surely going to be Bran's. He chuckled as he lifted Bran up onto his horse so Bran didn't have to let go of the pup.

'You're going to have to hold him with one hand,' he instructed Bran. 'You need to hold the reins with the other.'

Bran manoeuvred the pup so that it was sitting on the saddle and he could hold it against his stomach with one hand and hold the reins in the other. Ned smiled as Bran looked protectively at the little ball of fluff yawning against his stomach.

'I think he's tired,' Bran smiled and Ned gave a reassuring smile back.

'He's had a tiring day,' Ned responded with a chuckle.

The pup nuzzled into Bran making the boy giggle. Bran looked up as noises were coming from behind them.

Ned turned around to see the sight of Jory looking unamused at holding two pups while Robb mounted his horse. Then it was Theon's turn and Jory had to hold the other two. The pups seemed eager to release themselves from Jory's grip as they continually tried to wriggle free. Ser Rodrick was laughing heartily at the sight before him while Jory scowled and handed the pups back to Theon who managed to trap them on his saddle like Bran had.

The two in Robbs hands were snuggling against their captor and Robb was smiling widely. Ned turned to Jon and saw that he was already mounted and held a pure white pup in his hand. Ned smiled as he was glad Jon had managed to hold one of the pups that would be given to one of his other children. Ned noticed that he was last to mount his horse and pulled himself into the saddle. Then it hit him. Bran held one pup. One. Theon held two. Three. Robb held two. Five. Jon held one. Six.

Ned turned in his saddle and counted. One, two, three, four, five, six.

'Where did that one come from Jon?' he asked feeling slightly confused but elated.

'Found him a bit further away as we were leaving,' Jon smiled down at the fluffy, white pup. Ned looked across and saw large smiles from both Robb and Bran. Theon however, looked rather sour.

'You got one too!' Bran exclaimed joyfully and smiled back. Ned was glad to see the joy on Robb's and Bran's faces that Jon had been included.

Their return to Winterfell was a slow one as the pups had to be held closely and tightly. Most had fallen asleep on the journey with the exception being the two being held by Theon. He was struggling to keep hold of them, much to Robb and Jon's amusement.

They rode into the courtyard at Winterfell and Ned, Ser Rodrick and Jory dismounted easily. Ned lifted Bran down who was still clutching at the pup in his arms. Jon had manged to dismount by himself but Jory looked exasperated as Robb handed him the two pups he had brought back. Once Robb was down Jory wasted no time in pressing the wriggling balls of fluff back into Robbs arms.

Ned took pity on Jory and took the two from Theon, allowing Theon to dismount.

'I've got two boys here,' Robb said looking to Jon.

'Mine's a boy as well,' Jon added. 'Bran what about yours?'

'A boy,' Bran answered and Jon moved closer to check and nodded.

Ned was still holding the two pups that Theon had brought back. The pups were much calmer in Ned's arms than they had been in Theon's. 'Two girls,' he announced as he gently placed them on the ground.

'Theon,' Robb called. 'It seems your charms didn't work on those girls,' Robb was grinning as Theon liked to boast about his exploits with women. Jon snorted with laughter at his brother's comment and Theon scowled before storming away in a huff.

'Wait, doesn't that make four boys and two girls,' Jon looked to Robb for confirmation.

'Yeah, you're right,' Robb agreed. 'It seems that they were sent by the gods.'

Ned sent a warm look towards his children and moved inside to find Sansa, Arya and Rickon. Two of them would surely be ecstatic at their find in the woods.

Robb placed his two pups on the ground and then picked up the larger of the two with grey colouring. 'This one's mine,' he declared confidently. He was the eldest so the biggest was going to be his.

Jon was distracted as his pup had decided that licking his chin was a good idea. Jon laughed at the tickle of the pup's tongue and looked into the ruby red of the pup's eyes. Jon knew this one was meant for him but he couldn't explain why. The red eyes were somewhat unnerving and at the same time comforting.

Bran giggled as he watched Jon and the white pup. His pup was yawning and looked extremely content in his arms. This one was definitely his.

The three pups on the ground were sniffing and looking around, exploring their environment. Robb, Jon and Bran had to be careful not to accidently stand on them or trip over them. The latter being the most likely.

The darkest of the pups, the remaining boy, suddenly ran towards the keep and collided with the legs of the youngest Stark. Rickon toppled over and the black pup was instantly on his chest with its tail wagging. Robb and Jon started moving towards them in worry but relaxed as they found the pup licking a giggling Rickon's face. Rickon managed to sit up with a broad smile and his arms wrapped around the pup. That one was definitely Rickon's.

Running footsteps could be heard and Arya came charging into the courtyard. Only the two female pups were left to choose from. One was sat patiently in the courtyard while the other had decided that attacking Jon's left knee was right thing to do.

'Hey, stop it,' Jon said as he tried to shake off the pup while finding the whole thing amusing. The pup was rather persistent.

It wasn't a surprise to either Jon or Robb when Arya went straight for the one attacking Jon. Arya and Jon were close and Arya was wilder than her sister. The quiet and less energetic direwolf was not going to be hers.

'Father said we could keep them!' Arya said joyously as she picked up the pup. The pup turned its attention to Arya started licking her face making her giggle. That one was Arya's.

Only one pup remained and so far it was the pup that seemed the least likely to cause a fuss. That one was Sansa's and Sansa was the least likely of the Stark children to get into trouble. Sansa came out into the courtyard and looked around. The final pup approached Sansa happily with her tail wagging but Sansa did not look amused.

'That one's yours,' Robb stated as he nodded towards the pup.

'But I don't want one,' Sansa looking down at the pup cautiously. 'It will make so much mess.'

'Stop being such a girl,' Arya said as she placed hers on the ground. Jon, Robb and Bran followed suit and the pups started to play together. The pup at Sansa's feet continued to wag its tail looking up at Sansa.

'Sansa there is no-one else to take care of it,' Robb huffed in annoyance with his sister. Sometimes she could be really annoying.

'I'll have it if you won't,' Theon had returned.

'You can't have one!' Arya stated defiantly. 'You don't have Stark blood.' For most present Arya's choice of words did not go unnoticed. Ned had been watching from close-by and it made him smile to hear Arya's defence of Jon. If she had said, 'You are not a Stark', Theon could have pointed out that Jon wasn't either, but she had said 'Stark blood' which Jon had and Theon didn't.

'They're all going to die, you know that!' Theon shouted before storming off.

'They won't die!' Rickon said with worry plastered on his little face as his pup sat in sat in his lap.

'No, Rickon,' Robb quickly moved to his youngest brother. 'We will look after them. All of us. Together.' Rickon seemed to accept Robb's words and went back to playing with his pup.

Jon moved over to Sansa and the pup at her feet. The pup was now staring at the ground and her tail had stopped wagging. Jon picked her up gently and then, before Sansa could protest, lay the pup in Sansa's arms.

Sansa scowled at Jon. She had never really considered him a brother, well since she found out why her mother hated him, and she tried to stay away from him. She looked down to the pup in her arms and saw gentle, pleading eyes staring back. Sansa couldn't stop her smile and gave the pup a warm squeeze. The pup responded by yapping and then started licking her face. Sansa laughed as she held the pup close to her breast, not caring about the saliva on her face.

'See, she likes you,' Jon said before offering her half a smile and then walking away.

Ned emerged from the shadows and walked up to his children.

'You will look after them yourselves, you will feed them yourselves, clean up after them and if they do die you will bury them,' he said sternly. 'They will need a lot of looking after now that their mother is gone.'

Sansa nodded, Bran looked slightly worried but also nodded while Arya looked stern and determined. Rickon probably hadn't heard a word as he was still playing on the ground with what now appeared to be the most excitable pup of the group. Ned did not miss the glances exchanged by Robb and Jon. They both knew that they would have to take most of the responsibility and both hoped that none of the pups died. They would also take care of the aftermath if any of the pups did die.

Ned hoped that all the pups would survive as each of his children had one now.

A/N: I may update this later with more ideas with the young pups as we didn't really get to see them growing up in the tv show. Don't know why but I just thought Sansa would be the least thrilled about having a messy pup around. This doesn't mean that I don't think she will warm to her pup as she obviously does and even did at the end of my written scene.

I am aware that the book is different even though I haven't read it so please take this as an AU and do not compare it to the book.