MONDAY

It's 7 o'clock in the morning when the alarm on her phone wakes Sansa up, the same as every working day. Fine, let's do this, she decides, turning off the phone's ringer and shoving aside the comfy duvet. The floor is cold under her feet so she tiptoes quickly to the bathroom, throwing her pajamas off along the way. She steps into the shower and turns the tap. When the water flows down from the showerhead it's so freezing cold that she screams and curses until she manages to turn it off. She tries again, letting the water flow for a while to see if eventually gets hot, but it doesn't.

Great way to begin the day.

Finally she manages to wash herself despite the cold water, puts on some old jeans, a shirt, and a pair of sneakers, and rushes downstairs. The house is still quiet, and as it seems she is the first one awake, she decides to make some coffee. The aroma fills the kitchen and the living room. As Sansa sips her first coffee of the day, she writes down a note for Brienne on a napkin: "There isn't any hot water in my shower, could you have it checked please? Thanks - Sansa."

It's still warm despite being mid-September; a sunny day and a clear blue sky accompany her as she drives through Invernalia. The village is waking up little by little; with the smell of fresh bread and the sounds of the church's bells singing the hour, people opening their businesses and cafés preparing their terraces outside. To Sansa, Invernalia is the medieval Main Square, witness of centuries of history and stories, with its porches with stone columns and wooden beams; the bench where she used to sit with Jeyne to talk about their last crush and the news-stand where they bought sweets and Cokes; it's the stone pavement resounding under the wheels of her Audi while she enters the street where the Stark House is located. Sansa finally parks in front of the main door and, taking a deep breath, she summons the courage to step out of the car and open the trunk to grab the banner the state agency has told her to hang on the façade.

The door squeaks and groans when she pulls it open; six years of oblivion suddenly broken by such a simple gesture as turning a key. The foyer is dark and the air is thick, so Sansa leaves the door open until she finds the switch and turns on the light, illuminating the room and her memories. With so little light and most of the furniture covered with big white sheets, his family's home seems a ghost house. Sansa wanders through the ground floor, inspecting the kitchen where her mum used to cook, stepping cautiously into the wide living room and opening some windows. She carefully pushes aside the sheet that covers the couch, raising a thin film of dust that shines in the morning daylight that filters through the glass and makes her sneeze. And suddenly there they are, all the happy memories of her home sitting on that old couch. As she moves away more sheets and walks through the rooms she takes mental notes of everything that needs to be repair or fixed, and it's a quite a bit: water taps, switches, some floor tiles, even several chippings on the walls - besides a thorough cleaning.

Finally she grabs the courage to climb upstairs to check the floor where their bedrooms were located. The first floor is a long corridor with doors at both sides: their parents' is at the end of it, but before there are those of Bran and Rickon's, Jon and Robb's, and finally Arya's and hers. Sansa notices her hand is trembling when she opens the door of her old bedroom. Despite having lived there two more years than her, Arya hadn't changed anything of it; the twin beds still mirror each other at each side of the room, as do their desks, and in front of the door, between their beds, is the big window and balcony that faces the street. She steps into it and decides that it's a place as good as any other to hang the sign that says "FOR SALE". After the big banner is well secured over it, Sansa rests her arms on the rail and watches the street for a while. How many times had she daydreamed in that same balcony about her plans for the future or her sweet prince to come for her? She recalls all the happy moments she has there – the late talks with Arya, choosing a nice dress to go to a party, waking up with the birds chirping on the window, the smell of her mum's pie climbing from the kitchen on a Sunday morning, Bran running through the hallway laughing after pulling some prank little Rickon – but it's also the place where she curled up in the bed to cry because of Joffrey's treatment, where she waited with a heavy heart, for a fair sentence that never came, and where six years ago, she prepared her suitcase to leave Invernalia, thinking of never coming back

Well, that's it, she sighs with relief before coming inside the room again, I've been here and I've survived. Let's think of how to improve this place so the agency sells it quickly.

Afterwards, Sansa checks the rest of the floor looking for damage and broken things and wanders for a little while longer around the house before leaving it to take a walk along the Square. She sits on a terrace and asks for the second coffee of the day. It feels good to sit lazily there, letting the sunbeams warm her face and enjoying the glass of coffee – not a mug, as is usual in the city - and watching the place while hidden behind her sunglasses. It's really a big piece of history, that home village of hers; a little town where time seems to have stopped for the last few centuries, that now tourists like to visit to take pictures and spend a quiet weekend. She'd love it too, if it wasn't for the bad things that happened to her in those same streets and because most of the people she knew kept silent before them. Sansa knows it was fear that moved them – fear of the power of the Lannister family and especially of Tywin, who was the mayor of Invernalia back then - but that still doesn't justify their behavior and so she hasn't forgotten.

Finally she drives back to Brienne's; it's noon already and she wants to change her clothes and be on time to pick Jeyne up for lunch. There's a van outside the bed and breakfast and she thinks that maybe she has a new guest.

"Hi girl!" Brienne welcomes her and smiles lifting her gaze from the book she's reading in one of the couches of the living room.

"Hi! Did you read my note?" she asks, already longing for a warm shower.

"Yes, I'm so sorry for this morning, Sansa. I've already called for someone to fix it; he's working on it right now."

"Oh great! Thank you so much, I'm covered in dust and certainly need a shower."

They small-talk about everything and nothing; she tells her about how she found the house and Brienne talks about the new reservations she has for the weekend. It's easy sharing these little things with her because the way she speaks makes Sansa feel comfortable, and she likes the way Brienne smiles and the little wrinkles around her eyes, and thinks that maybe they could become friends.

Sansa hears first the footsteps coming down the stairs from the first floor where her room is, then the deep rasping voice that accompanies them - "It's done Brienne, it was just a stuck pipe" - and she doesn't need to turn to know to whom it belongs, because she would recognize it anywhere, despite the fact that it has been six years since the last time she heard it. She feels her heart beating faster and her palms are sweating, and she has to curl them into fists when Brienne turns smiling toward the stairs so she doesn't notice her nervousness.

"Great! Good job Sandor, thank you. Please come, I want to introduce you to my new guest."

Oh no.

"Fuck," she hears him muttering when she rises slowly from the couch and turns to face him and their eyes meet.

"Sandor, this is Sansa, she is staying here for this week," Brienne introduces them cheerfully, "Sansa, this is Sandor. He helps us with the pipes, electricity works, repairs or whatever needs to be fixed. He also has the infamous privilege of being Jaime's best friend. Or so they say."

Brienne talks and smiles, but Sansa barely listens to her. Sandor Clegane stands in front of her; so tall, big and grave, towering even above Brienne and controlling the place solely with his presence. His dark hair is longer than she remembers, he has it tied in a low ponytail leaving his face clear, and though he now wears a thick beard, she notices the scars are still there, mastering the right side of his face. Apart from that, he hasn't changed that much; sharp cheeks and thick brows above his always insightful gray eyes highlight his features, and he is still a bulking mass of muscles and broad shoulders under the tight white t-shirt and jeans he's wearing. He keeps cleaning his hands slowly with a piece of cloth, a toolbox at his feet, and he hasn't stopped staring at her for a single moment since Brienne's words. Sansa finally looks elsewhere before she begins blushing and steps towards him.

"We already know each other," she says smiling shyly and lifting her hand, "Nice to see you again, Sandor."

"Yeah," he grunts, shaking her hand; it feels rough and calloused, but warm and so big around hers that she feels silly for not being able to take her eyes from their hands.

"Thanks for fixing the shower," she mutters, and it seems to her that he hesitates a little before letting her go. Sansa manages to walk to the stairs and climb to her room, closing the door behind her before letting go a breath she hasn't realized she was holding. Welcome past, is her last thought before running to the bathroom to take a shower.

Sansa has agreed to pick Jeyne up for lunch at Invernalia's School, where she works as a math teacher. The school is located north of the village and, despite all the delay because of the shower and Sandor; she arrives in time to park the car in front of the building before a fuss of children leave, running towards a bunch of happy mothers waiting in their jeeps and minivans. Among all the commotion she finally makes out her friend waving a hand at her while she rushes to where Sansa is standing. Sansa notices these past years have suited her, because the sweet girl with whom she shared all her teenage secrets, is now a pretty woman. She wears a pair of comfy black trousers with a white blouse, a suitcase in her hand and her long brown hair tied nicely in a braid over her shoulder. Her beautiful brown eyes are now under a pair of rimmed glasses. Jeyne smiles widely at her and Sansa can't help but return the smile gladly because she didn't know it was going to feel so great to meet her again.

"Sansa Stark! Look at you, girl! Wow, you look amazing!" she says as soon as she arrives where she is and after giving her a warm bear hug. "The city has suited you, you're even prettier than I remembered!"

"Stop Jeyne, you're gonna make me blush!" she giggles foolishly at her, "You're the pretty one here. And a teacher! Wow, I'm proud of you."

"Yeah, I've working at Invernalia's School for two years now, but please, don't talk about it. Now that I've got rid of these little lovely demons I try to teach numbers for a while, I need some girl talk. There are so many things I need you to tell me!"

They sit at a nice little restaurant Jeyne knows next to the school. There are only five tables and not all of them are occupied so they are quiet and Sansa prefers it that way. The menu is made with products of the land and looks tasty, so they chose a salad to share, one dish and a glass of red wine for each other.

"Well, tell me, what has brought you back to Invernalia?" Jeyne finally breaks the ice as she sips her glass. "It's a long time since I've even seen any of your brothers here."

"We want to sell my parents' house. We never come here anymore and the money will be wellcome. Robb convinced me to take a week off work to take care of it."

"Oh, what a pity; your house is truly a piece of living history in Invernalia. I always thought that as long as you kept the house, you'd come back some day," her friend says sadly. "Anyway, where are you working now?"

"I finished studying law and now I'm working at Tyrell & Associate's law firm," she explains, grateful not to talk anymore about the house. "I've been working with them for the past year. The job is demanding, but I like it. I'm learning a lot."

"Oh my god! You're working at Tyrell & Associates? Aren't they like the gods of the lawyers?"

"Kind off… at least that's what law magazines say but-" Sansa stops at the middle of the sentence because her gaze catches a shining little thing on Jeyne's hand and she thinks she knows what it is. "Hey what's that?" she asks pointing at her finger. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Jeyne looks entrance at her engagement ring as if she has just noticed it's there. "Oh, this…" she grins dreamily, "Mmm… remember that guy I had a crush on the day of the prom? Well… you know…"

Sansa's jaw drops in awe before smiling widely. "Dondarrion? You're going to marry Beric Dondarrion? Oh my goodness, Jeyne! That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Amazing, isn't it? I never thought I'd ever gathered the courage to even talk to him and look at us now!" They giggle and clap together and Sansa is so happy to know that her friend has finally met the prince she always dreamt of, that she proposes a silly toast. "To love!"

"Eh, but what about you?" Jeyne inquires. "I can't believe there isn't anyone special in your life. I bet you have plenty of suitors, Ms. Stark," she adds, sliding her glasses to the tip of her nose while she lifts her eyebrows to emphasize her name making Sansa laugh.

"Well… there is this guy I've been dating for the last few months…" She begins, though it's difficult to find the words to explain it, because she isn't sure of what they really are these days, "His name is Garlan. Garlan Tyrell."

"No way!" Jeyne exclaims giving a blow on the table with the palm of her hand, but then she gets more serious and Sansa realizes why, "Is he nice to you? You know after what happened with Joffrey…"

"Yes, he is nice and kind, and handsome…" she says, looking at the dessert the waiter has just bought.

"You don't seem very excited about him…"

"Oh no, I like him. Yes, I do…"

To Sansa's relief, the talk moves to another trivial subject during the dessert and they are almost finished when she finally dares to comment on what's spinning in her mind since noon. "This morning I met Sandor Clegane at Brienne's. I didn't know he was back in Invernalia, you know, as he left that day…" she tries to make sure her voice doesn't show her interest, but she's sure she's failing.

"Oh yes, like a year and a half after he left, when his brother was found dead, he came back, to take care of the family heritage and all, but you had already left. He sold the Clegane's house and bought a little house almost at the end of Invernalia, outside the walls, where the wheat fields begin. He does all kind of jobs; I've even asked him sometimes to help me at home. He doesn't get along well with Beric so I've tried to make sure that they don't meet!" she says, giggling.

"So, Gregor is dead?"

"Thank God he is. And so is Joffrey, but I guess you already know that…"

Sansa knew; Arya told her he killed himself and two of his friends, Meryl Trant and Boros Blunt, in a car accident. He was the driver and it seems alcohol wasn't the worst that was found in his body when they performed the autopsy. The news was supposed to cheer her up; but she couldn't feel anything but a hole inside her. Since Joffrey's death, Tywin Lannister had also left his job as the mayor of the village and was now somewhere else trying to launch his political career with her daughter Cersei.

"It seems I've lost many things during these years…" Sansa mutters, "I'm sorry it's been so long since I left. I should have called you more frequently…"

"Hey, don't say that," Jeyne replies firmly. "I know why you left this place and I've supported you since then. There was no reason you had to tolerate any longer how Joffrey treated you, nor his family. I'm very aware of how bad things were for you while you were with him, and about what happened in the end and... well, I've always thought that you made the right choice." Her smile is sweet and honest and Sansa appreciates it because, not for the first time, she has doubted what she did: leave her hometown and her family to put distance between her and the monster who used to be her boyfriend. But it feels good to know there are still people in this little town that love her no matter what and she smiles back, wishing that they two could be friends again, because it isn't like she has too many. "I have to go now," Jeyne says, "I need to prepare tomorrow's classes, but why don't we meet this evening at the Square to have a drink? I know I wasn't the only one who was looking forward to see you again."

"Jeyne, you promised me you wouldn't tell anyone!" Sansa complains, frowning at her friend who hasn't stopped smiling.

"But he isn't anyone! Come on Sansa, how could I not tell Pod you were coming? He was our best friend at school," and she looks so hopeful, so happy and so pleading, looking at Sansa with those big brown eyes of hers that Sansa finally yields, "Fine, you win!"

"Great! There is this new bar called The Wall at the Square okay? Val owns it; she is super nice and has the best wines and the best menu of Invernalia. I'll call Pod to join us. See you at 8 pm then?" Sansa nods and Jeyne claps delighted, "Fine, don't fail me lady!"

"I won't," she promises as she asks for the check, "I take care of it, don't worry." Jeyne hugs her and leaves the restaurant, leaving Sansa with a grin on her lips and looking forward to meet her friend again.