"It's okay Sansa, just hold it, please. You don't have to shoot, only if you want to."

Those were the last words Sansa heard Margaery before all hell broke loose.

She should have shot it.

Sansa could still recall the feeling she felt when she saw Margaery peering up at her from her Mustang. Sansa had been standing on the balcony probably looking confused as she was trying to figure out what the strange girl was doing parked outside of her house. Sansa was painting something although it didn't seem to matter anymore what it was, she never really thought she was good at painting, but was determined to make something of it. Sansa was always trying to find something outside of her marriage.

Margaery was driving a pretty car. It was light yellow and had music Sansa didn't recognize playing from the stereo. The roof was lowered today with the sun shining warmly and the breeze slow and steady. Margaery stopped her car right in front of her house, looking up at Sansa with a smile on her face.

Looking back she wondered if she knew what she knew today, if Sansa would have looked back at Margaery.

"Hey you!" she called from the car. "Can you help me with directions?"

Me? Sansa thought to herself, why was she asking her?

"Sure. I'll- I'll be right down." Sansa quickly slipped on her shoes and ran down the stairs. Who is this girl? Sansa knew pretty much everyone in town by a first name basis. Although her husband Joffrey was loaded with money, they lived in a small town way outside of the Kings Landing where Joffrey worked. Sansa had never seen this girl before and felt a twinge of nerves gather.

By the time she reached the girl's car she could feel her cheeks flush.

"What can I help you with?" Sansa asked.

"You mind showing me where a gas station is?"

"It's about a mile and a half that way and turn right and it'll be on your left." Sansa leaned on the car, getting more level to the girl with the pretty smile.

"How about you get in the car with me, I might get lost and it'd be nice to have someone who knew her way around town with me." she leaned forward, her black winged eyes inviting and red lipped smile widening. Sansa looked back at the house, thinking about when Joffrey would be home. She still had an hour or two until she had to cook his supper. She had some time. "Oh c'mon, I won't bite."

She winked and Sansa felt her stomach do flips.

—-

"So what's your name, darling?"

"Sansa."

"Pleasure to meet you Sansa, I'm Margaery."

"Pleasure." Sansa felt nervous and she wondered why. They were just driving to the gas station and Margaery said she'd drive her straight back. "Where are you from?"

"Oh I'm from a few hours over, a little town called Highgarden. I'm traveling across the country." Sansa loved to her Margaery speak, she had such a quaint little accent and a pretty singsong voice.

"Why?" Sansa was curious why someone would travel alone across the country.

Margaery paused, turned and smiled at Sansa.

"Business."

They made a right and arrived at the gas station, the service boy pumped the gas as Margaery looked at herself in the mirror fixing up her brown curly hair which was pinned up with a red handkerchief tied around it.

"Tell me about yourself, dear. Do you have a husband?" she as applying lipstick as she spoke, a talent in Sansa's book. She hadn't worn makeup much lately. There wasn't much use, being home alone all day, and Joffrey making comments about how much she uses always upset her. She decided it was for the best to be makeup free, but Sansa was a little jealous of Margaery unashamedly applying coat after coat.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"What's he like?" Margaery paid the service boy and turned the car on.

"He uhm, Joffrey works for his father, at Baratheon Insurance." Everyone knew about Baratheon Insurance. It was one of the biggest and richest family names, everyone wanted to marry a Baratheon. Sansa was lucky.

"But what's he like? Is he sweet? Romantic? Good in bed?" she added with a laugh while Sansa's cheeks flushed. They both started to laugh as Sansa entertained the idea. Joffrey? Romantic? Good in bed? What a joke. They were laughing and talking as they drove, Sansa told Margaery about her family and how far they lived. How desperately she missed them. She was telling Margaery things she hadn't spoken about in years. They were talking and talking until Joffrey was brought up again.

"He well, he's-" her heart dropped as she saw the Cadillac in the driveway. Sansa and Margaery were still at least five blocks away but she could see the car. "He's home early."

Her hands started to sweat. Margaery looked over at her in concern.

"Where the hell were you?" Joffrey asked Sansa venomously as they pulled up. Margaery parked and got out of the car quicker than Sansa did.

"Hi, Joffrey Baratheon right? Such a pleasure to meet you, I was lost and your Sansa here helped me out with directions." Margaery said kindly, putting her hand out for Joffrey to shake. She was trying to distract him from being mad at Sansa. Why was she doing that?

"Who're you?" He asked and hesitantly shook her hand.

"Margaery. Margaery Tyrell." she looked over at Sansa who was leaning shyly on the car.

"You're home early." Sansa said, walking closer to her husband.

"No I'm not."

Sansa looked at her watch. She was gone for an hour and a half. It only took 15 minutes to get to the gas station. Sansa remembered showing Margaery the whole town she reluctantly called home. They drove around talking she must have been so caught up in their conversation that she forgot. Sansa was foolish to forget.

"Well, I should be on my way." Margaery started to walk back to her car when Sansa stopped her.

"Please, stay for dinner." Sansa could hear the plea in her voice. She had no friends. No family. Nobody. Nobody as beautiful as Margaery. Wait what? "That's okay Joff, right?"

He looked Margaery up and down until a smile came across his face. "Of course."

—-

Sansa and Margaery started preparing dinner. Giggling, whispering, cooking, they clicked instantly while Joffrey sat in the living room drinking beers and watching the game.

"Your husband seems nice." Margaery whispered to Sansa, leaning in and giving her a sarcastic look. But Sansa didn't say anything, neither confirming nor denying it. She just looked down at the dough she was kneading for the peach cobbler.

"You have a little something on your nose." Margaery said. Sansa turned her face and was eye to eye with her. They were so close Sansa could smell the mixture of vanilla and some flower perfume she was unfamiliar with that Margaery was wearing. It was intoxicating. Margaery reached up and cupped Sansa's face, gently wiping flour off of her nose. She left her hand on Sansa's cheek a little longer than a gesture would be considered friendly, but before she pulled away, Sansa leaned into it, their eyes glued onto each other. Sansa felt her stomach all in knots until she heard Joffrey yell for her to bring him another beer. She quickly pulled away and rushed for the fridge. Eyes staring at the floor as a blush creeped up in her cheeks. Why did she do that? Why did she lean in?

"When's dinner ready?" Joffrey asked as he grabbed the beer from Sansa's hand.

"Soon, I just have to put the pie in the oven and we can eat." Sansa rushed back to the kitchen, trying to be busy and keep the thought of kissing Margaery out of her mind.

—

"Who's your husband, Margaery? Anybody I know?" Joffrey asked over dinner.

"I'm not married, unfortunately." She responded with a charming smile. She knew how to talk to Joffrey and it kept him in a good mood. He always had something to complain about towards Sansa. Why was she so stupid? Why did she keeps painting when it's not going to make any money or do any use at all? Why hasn't she gotten pregnant yet? Why why why. They were questions that broke her down and he knew they did. Even after the two years they have been married and Sansa didn't cry like she used to when he asked her these things, it still hurt her.

"Not married? Then what do you do?" Joffrey had acted like a woman couldn't function without a man when in reality Sansa functioned much better when he wasn't around.

"I'm traveling right now, once I'm back home I plan on working for my grandmother's business. She has the most popular flower shop in all of Highgarden and we're looking to expand. The traveling is part of the business, so it's not all just fun and games." She was mostly talking to Sansa as she spoke of her plans, and in her mind Sansa imagined traveling with Margaery on the open road. No worries, no home to look after, no Joffrey. It was a paradise she wanted to bask in but it was reality that interrupted her thoughts.

"Sansa, imagine you driving around the country. A business woman. Ha!" Joffrey started to laugh so hard he almost choked on his food. For a second Sansa wished he did.

"Hilarious." Sansa said sarcastically. Only Margaery heard and stifled a laugh.

—

"You're an amazing cook Sansa." Margaery said as she ate her last bite of the peach cobbler.

"Thank you, it helps having someone to help me out in the kitchen."

"It was my pleasure." They were both smiling at each other. It was like Margaery knew everything about her, how to make her smile, how to make her laugh, how to feel like a worthy person again. Just a look at her and she knew what she was thinking. "Well I better be going. Find myself a place to sleep for the night and hit the road early in the morning."

Sansa felt her heart drop. Leaving in the morning? Just this day and she was gone forever? It was so nice having a friendly face in the house.

"Why don't you stay here? We have an extra room, right Joffrey?" It was an extra room that was made to be a nursery, but luckily, was never in use. Sansa used to dream of having beautiful babies but the thought of them being half Joffrey made her terrified and take birth control religiously, Joffrey never knew. She still wanted those babies but assumed if she were to stay with Joffrey forever, it would never happen.

He looked suspiciously at Sansa and back at Margaery. She smiled at him in the charming way that got Sansa to get into her car earlier that day. He smiled back and Sansa thought that he smiled more today than she had ever seen in her life. At least a smile that was genuine.

"Of course, Margaery, it would be our pleasure."

Sansa didn't know what it was about Margaery that made Joffrey so happy but if he was half as bearable as he was when she was around then Sansa knew she could survive a few more years with him. Maybe.

"Great! I'll show you to the room." Sansa and Margaery rushed upstairs giggling like the sleepovers her and her friends used to have in Winterfell.

"This is great, would you help me with my bags in my car?" Margaery asked Sansa.

They got out to her car with only one bag in it, Sansa wondered why she needed help with one that was small enough to carry herself, but before she could ask, Margaery put both hands on either side of her arms.

"Sansa listen to me. I'm going to ask you something and you can say yes or no but I want you to think about it okay?" she was whispering in a rushed tone, it scared Sansa.

"Yes what is it?" she looked into her big brown eyes, wondering what it was.

"I want you to come with me. I have connections. Leave Joffrey he's terrible to you I can see it all over your face just hearing his name. We'll leave so early in the morning he won't be able to catch us. Please Sansa, I know you're not happy here and I know I can make you happy. I can give you the world or Joffrey can keep you shut away from it. Just think about it okay?"

"Yeah. I'll uhm. I'll go with you." She wasn't sure what she was saying but she wanted it. Everything was happening so fast. She just met this girl and Sansa was already on her way out the door with her? Sansa wanted to go with her so badly but the fear of Joffrey finding her made her skin feel like it was going to jump off. She knew if they were going to leave, it'd have to wait until he was deep asleep.

"Sansa I really want you to think about what you're agreeing to. Don't make any rash decisions." Margaery stressed.