Present

Sansa stood outside her parents' door waiting to be let in. She pasted a smile on her face steeling herself for what was to come. Her mother opened the door and smiled at her. They hugged and greeted each other and she entered the room. Her father sat on the couch and rose to greet her. Afterwards he suggested she sit in the chair to his right.

"How was the flight? How are summer classes?" he asked.

"The flight was fine, at least I was on time. Poor Marg, good things they built in all these buffer days prior to the real festivities," she began.

"Yes, the festivities, that's what we wanted to discuss Sansa. We want to make sure we all have a clear understanding," her mother interrupted.

Sansa sighed and closed her eyes, she knew this was coming. Even after three years with no further issues her parents could not move past it, and they did not even know the whole story. If they did maybe they would know nothing like that would ever happen again. She opened her eyes then to see both her parents looking at her intently. She knew if she was ever going to tell them the truth now was not the time and this was not the place.

"I think I know how to behave and would never do anything to embarrass or upset Robb, not at his own wedding. You both have to know that," she said looking at them for understanding.

"We know," her father said before her mother could jump in, "we just want to make sure that we are on the same page. We want to trust you to make the right decisions, but this is an all-inclusive resort and the alcohol is easy to come by, hell it's free in the room, so we just want you to know you can come talk to us if it gets to be overwhelming for you."

"Fair enough, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I won't over indulge or make a drunken mess of things."

"Just remember everyone is watching Sansa, the Tyrells, the other guests, the society papers. You know this is the social event of the year, so do your best to avoid embarrassing the family," her mother added.

Sansa gritted her teeth and nodded. Her father looked at her hopefully, her mother with trepidation. Would the truth make them understand? She wondered if her mother would even believe her after all this time. For now though it was probably better to let them continue to think she had spent some time exploring a life as a girl gone wild, to tell the truth now would rock the foundation of the last three years and this was hardly the time or place for that.

"What time are we meeting for dinner?" she asked to break the silence.

"7pm," her mother answered,

"Well I will see you then, I would like to rest before," she said rising from her chair.

"Of course, dear girl. We will see you then," her father said kissing her forehead.

She let herself out and leaned against the hallway wall. She felt so tired. Being here with her parents reminded her of all that had gone wrong, of their disappointment and their failure to hear her side. She had kept the truth to protect them, they had been so angry based on what they thought was the truth, they had forcibly committed her to rehab based on that truth, would it fix anything to tell them now? Her mother was never going to forgive her for the "scandal" but would it serve any purpose to tell her the truth now, to essentially shame her for thinking of the worse, for not seeing the real pain her child was going through? And what of Jon, what of the part he had played? If she broke the dam and told her parents anything she would need to tell Jon as well, and she did not want to see any pity in his eyes for her, or worse guilt. And deep down just like she feared about her parents, maybe he won't believe her now either.

Much to her surprise dinner had actually been pleasant. While things had been tense with her parents she still found comfort with her siblings, and being with all of them together for the first time in a long time had felt good. The conversation was light and she realized her distance had caused her to miss so many things in Bran and Rickon's lives. To hear them laugh and tease was refreshing and she regretted that she had lost sight of them while she had been hiding in her own grief and shame.

Despite her positive feelings she noticed her mother had watched her intently with every sip of wine she took and Sansa knew she was pushing her mother's buttons when she had ordered the wine, but she also knew Cat would not chastise her publicly or in front of the younger Starks. She did limit herself to one glass as to not push her mother too far.

The elder Starks said goodnight to the eldest three children and headed back to their suite with Bran and Rickon who were grumbling that they missed all the fun.

"Well I promised Gendry we could walk the beach later, so I'm off. I'll see you two tomorrow," Arya announced and took off down the path. Sansa watched her go, wishing she could've stayed for a bit longer.

Sansa turned to Robb and he smiled at her. "Let's take a walk, I want to talk to you before Marg gets in tomorrow and all the real fun begins."

They turned and headed down towards the beach. They walked in silence for few moments, the soft waves sounding in the background, music tinkling over the sands from the beach bar down the way, the breeze gently caressing her back. It was truly beautiful here.

"I'm so glad you seem to be doing so well, though I wish you didn't feel the need to keep such distance from home," Robb said breaking the quiet. "I mean I saw the way mom eyed you after you ordered that wine, and I know you push each other's buttons, but I hate to think that look alone keeps you from coming home."

"Can I just be honest with you Robb?"

"Of course."

"It's exhausting to me to be around mom, to be in that town, to see the judgment in people's eyes. Dad seems to have forgiven me what happened but not mom, she just waits for me to screw up again, I see it every time she looks at me. I feel like she will never forgive me for the mistake I made that year. I know I showed poor judgment and caused a scandal for the family, and it costs them both money and reputation but I'm her daughter and I feel like she cared more about the optics than what happened to me and when I'm around her I feel so much guilt. Being home reminds me of all that pain."

"Do you really think mom only thinks about how you embarrassed her? How you cost them money? Do you really think that is all it is Sansa? Because it's not, you could have died, you almost died. None of us had any idea you were so out of control, I'm sure mom feels guilty for missing the signs, I feel guilty for missing the signs, for failing you. You were not the only one hurt Sansa. It wrecked all of us and your distance just reminds us of how we failed you and we fear failing you again. If it had not been for Jon who knows what would've happened. Mom is scared you could relapse and then you'll be lost to her, so it's not just about appearances. You should know that, and you should try and come around more, we all miss you."

Sansa stared at him, the moon catching the tears he was fighting back and her heart broke. Until that moment she had never realized how her brother had been affected and she felt a stab of guilt, would the truth have saved him all the years of pain? Why had she not just come clean from the start, at least to him or Jon or even Jeyne? She had been young, embarrassed, but what had stopped her in the years that followed? Had she really stayed away because of her mother's judgment or was it in fact a self-imposed penance?

"Oh Robb! I never knew you felt that way. You were away at school and there were no signs for you to miss, please do not blame yourself. It was never the problem that everyone seems to think it was and I am fine now, nothing like that will ever happen again, I was young and made a mistake, that's not who I am," she soothed him, choking back tears.

"I know, we all know that, but we still worry, and you stay away so much, we just get scared that you stay away so you can hide, we wonder if you have relapsed and that is why you stay away…"

Sansa took his hand and met his eyes, "I swear to you there is no problem now, it was a circumstance of the time, I'm not that girl anymore and never will be again. There has never been another incident since the 1st and only time, so please stop worrying and do not blame yourself."

Robb regarded her intently and seemed to weigh her words. After a long moment he smiled and seemed to believe her. "That is all I have ever wanted for you, to be happy and safe, to know that you will be ok."

Sansa opened her mouth but no words would come out. She wanted to tell him everything, it was time, but then she realized that if he felt guilt over the perceived truth he would feel worse over the real truth and there would be so much anger. It was best to leave it in the past for now, this was not the place or time to come clean, not to her family, not yet. Instead she smiled at him, assured him she would be ok and now it was time to focus on his happiness. Just then a soft breeze blew through their hair, she turned, took his arm and led them further down the path into the moonlight.