A/N GRRM will prob. Kill off my favorite characters, we all know how he feels about fan fiction. These characters are his creation; I am just taking liberties, in which I receive no financial gain.

Chapter 2

Nan, the maid came into the room when she heard Sandor's wails. He had his head on Sansa's stomach, he was sobbing. Nan tentatively put her hand on Sandor's shoulder, while she held the baby with her other arm. Sandor, growled at her, looking up, "What do you want?" He was taken aback to see the girl looking at him sharply. It was as though he was noticing her for the first time. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes as well. He had no idea that in the few months that she has come to work for them, she cared for Sansa so much. Women mystified Sandor. He didn't know what to make of them, what to do or say or how to act. The thought that he now had the sole responsibility to raise one, let alone one that might just be the sole surviving heir to the Stark Dynasty, made him wail louder.

"Pull yourself together" Nan's voice said to him, not unkindly.

He continued to look at her; there was something about her, not her face per se. Not anything in particular, but she was familiar to him. She caught him staring at her and she turned away. Sandor thought nothing of it, assuming that she was either grieving herself or giving him the courtesy to let him grieve alone. That was not the case, when she turned back around, she was no longer the plain maid Nan, but an almost grown Arya Stark.

Sandor's jaw dropped. He thought it was stress and fatigue that was altering his vision. He shook his head. He thought back, he had conquered his drinking problem back on the Quiet Isle, so it wasn't a consequence of his drinking. "What the fuck?" is all Sandor could manage.

Arya just looked at him, tall and lithe, not a beauty like Sansa was, but Arya had grown into a striking woman, a regal looking northern beauty. "I thought you were dead." Was all she said. "When I left you, I sailed here to Braavos. I've been here the whole time. Then one day a few months ago, I saw you in the market. I followed you and well, you know the rest of the story."

"But your face." Sandor stammered

"Please, you're one to talk, Hound." Arya replied, scathingly

"No, that isn't what I meant" Sandor started again, "Are you a faceless man?" He was incredulous, but as he thought about it, it made sense.

"Yes, I was part of the sect. When I saw you and found out about Sansa and the baby, I knew I wanted to be with her and the baby. I asked permission to leave, I was granted permission, because even though I was No One, I couldn't forget Arya. So, I turned into Nan, I was able to help care for Sansa and now I can be with my niece. I can't change what happened between me and Sansa, but I was the sister she needed these past few months and now I can be a good aunt to the baby. Must we really call her Jonquil? "

Sandor was still speechless. Arya had it all figured out of course, but what was the plan? Bloody hells, he certainly wasn't going to give up his baby girl.

"You have a plan, I am assuming?" Sandor rasped.

"Of course I do." Arya replied, "I will continue to be Nan, until it is safe for me to be otherwise. I'll continue to be the baby's nurse and we travel back to Westeros. You'll be yourself, as you can't disguise yourself. The baby can be a bastard, it doesn't really matter. Hopefully Littlefinger didn't advertise that you were the one who kidnapped Sansa. I'll bet he was too embarrassed that she escaped. We steer clear of the Eyrie, and we bide our time and find out what is going on in the North and once it is safe we reclaim our seat in House Stark. Granted, it is going to be more complicated than that, it will take years, but that is the jist. You have no other plans, so we can work the details out along the way."

"How do I know you won't kill me and steal my birdling?"

Arya groaned, "You were pissed when I wouldn't kill you and now you're afraid I'll kill you. Seven Hells. Also, I don't hate you anymore. I changed my mind when I saw that you truly loved Sansa and Birdie. Granted, I don't really like you, but you're off my list."

"That is a relief," Sandor rasped, without a trace of mirth.

They spent the rest of the day making the proper preparations for Sansa. The Silent Sisters were trusted with the remains and with the understanding that word would be sent to them sooner, hopefully than later, to send the remains to Winterfell so a Stark could spend eternity in the proper home.

Then Sandor, Arya (back to Nan) and Birdie began to plan their trip back to Westeros.