I am so sorry. I am a terrible person; this took way way too long to upload. A lot of stuff has been going on with me personally, like I got a new job, moved house, have just been extraordinarily busy with personal stuff. But these are no excuse. I apologise, and I hope I still have people interested in reading.

Please let me know what you think of the new chapter in a review, and let me know if you want anything included specifically for this story, and I'll see if it's workable.

Again, so sorry.


Arya woke on Sunday morning to birds singing outside her window. Their chirping irritating the dull buzz inside her head.

"What do you lot have to be so happy about?" she grumbled as she moved to close her window and drown the sound of the robin's morning songs.

She grabbed a pair of dark jeans from the floor that looked relatively clean, and a red and black plaid flannel shirt that was at least 2 sizes too big for her. She pulled on the thickest socks she could find as well as a black pair of combat boots. She trounced down the stairs, buttoning the shirt as she went, when she nearly walked straight into Sansa who was talking on the phone in the foyer.

"Watch out," Sansa shrieked at her sister.

Arya paid her no mind and continued on her journey to the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee, and popped a couple of aspirin to stop the ache in her skull. She was eating a banana and sipping on her coffee when Sansa entered the kitchen, tucking her phone into the pocket of her pale blue skirt.

"You got home early last night," Sansa commented as she made herself a cup of tea.

"Yeah. Turns out I wasn't really in the mood for going out," Arya stated, replaying the events of the evening in her mind. The image of Gendry and the busty black haired girl causing her stomach to tighten yet again.

"What happened?"

"Nothing much."

"Come on Arya," Sansa pushed. "You can talk to me."

"It's just…" Arya started. "I didn't… Gendry didn't tell me he had a girlfriend." Her voice was small; she didn't want to be weak, didn't want to seem like a pathetic little girl, pining over a boy.

"Oh."

"You know what, just forget it. It's nothing, it's stupid" Arya waved off, downing the rest of her coffee and collecting herself from the table. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Arya, stop," Sansa's voice was stern, reminding Arya of their mother. The tone made her instantly stop in her tracks, and sit back in her seat. "Don't close me out. Tell me what's up."

"It's just…" Arya started again. This was unsure footing in unknown territory with Sansa. They weren't the kind to have sisterly chats, especially on the topic of boys, for which Arya had had no need before moving to King's Landing. "I really thought that Gendry liked me, but he's got a girlfriend, and… oh my gods!" Arya yelped with a sudden realisation. "I made him take his pants off in front of me."

"You did what?" Sansa gasped with a smirk on her face.

"He said he had a tattoo, so I made him show me," Arya shrugged, a blush creeping onto her skin as she thought of the awkward moment the night before. "He must really just see me as his 'kid friend'," Arya concluded sourly.

"Arya, don't for one second think that just because a guy has a girlfriend that you are anything less than the amazing little wolf that I know you are. And anyway, his eyes were way too close together," she laughed.

Arya joined in with her sisters' jape, feeling ten times better, after only a few words with her sister. She was still finding it hard to adjust to the change in attitude that had transpired between the two of them. Before leaving Winterfell, Arya would never have thought that she would be laughing about such matters with Sansa; the two of them were just too different. But from the time they had been residing in King's Landing, Arya had found her sister's company to be something that she didn't dread anymore. Is this how sisters are supposed to act? Arya caught herself thinking, as the pair continued to joke and laugh.

"Thank you Sansa," Arya said sincerely.

"Any time Arya," Sansa replied with a kind smile before she left the room gracefully, her long auburn hair flowing behind her.

Feeling much lighter than when she woke up, Arya grabbed the keys for her new scooter, she was planning on going on an adventure for the day.

She found her new mode of transportation gleaming in the sunlight. The silver bodywork of the Vespa LX 125 was shining bright, causing Arya to grin even wider. She still couldn't believe that her parents had gotten her this for a present; with her only having her learner's permit, she was surprised that she was able to even ride the thing on her own.

She mounted her scooter, it buzzed to life, feeling like a kid on a tricycle in comparison to how it felt on the back of Gendry's motorcycle. No, she scolded herself. Stop it. Today's not about Gendry.

She pushed her turquoise helmet over her hair, and pushed a large pair of sunglasses onto her nose. Being extra careful, she kicked the stand up and wavered only slightly as she fought to hold balance whilst crawling down the length of the driveway.

Once she was on the road, she felt herself relax. The streets were anything but busy, with hardly any cars on the road, and no pedestrians in sight, Arya felt a moment of freedom. She pushed all thoughts form her mind, focussing only on the feeling of the wind hitting her face, and of how she could spend the day doing anything she pleased. Feeling well and truly on top of the world.

The feeling was not destined to last too long though, as soon there was a car riding right behind her, beeping their horn furiously at her. "Go around, you bastard," Arya cursed.

They continued to honk their horn repeatedly.

Arya turned her head, flipping them her middle finger while doing so. This was when she managed to catch a glimpse of the car, and it's driver.

She pulled her scooter to the side of the road, hopping off, and tugging the helmet from her head. "Ned?" she asked as she walked over to his car, which was parked directly behind her.

"Hey there Arya," Ned greeted her, with a soft smile, his purple eyes twinkling in the bright morning sun. "Long time, no see," he joked.

"What in the hells was all that honking about, you psycho?" she asked immediately, not bothering with any pleasantries.

"How else is one meant to catch your attention?" Ned smirked.

"Any single other way," Arya said with a laugh. "And my first driving instructor said that I was a menace, clearly he'd never seen the likes of you."

"So," Ned looked nervous as he continued. He grabbed the back of his hair, ruffling his pale blonde locks. "What are you up to this fine day?"

"I just thought I'd take the beast for a spin," Arya nodded towards the tiny scooter ahead of them.

"Um, do you want to grab a coffee or something this afternoon?"

"That sounds great Ned," Arya smiled warmly at her friend. "I'll text you later, yeah?"

Ned looked a little flustered, "Yeah, fantastic, that's great."

Arya gave him a funny look as she walked off, jumping onto the scooter once more. He's acting weird, Arya thought as she rolled down the street, waving her hand over her shoulder at Ned.

She drove around the unfamiliar territory for half an hour before she managed to find a road that was lined with trees that were shedding their leaves for the winter. She rolled along the scenic drive for an age before coming into a dense forest, the steady asphalt becoming rocky dirt roads. Her scooter jerked forward over every bump, though she urged the machine to keep going.

Before long, she managed to find a clearing that was breathtaking. She dismounted, and swiped the sunglasses from her face, taking in the full beauty of the area she was in. The leaves were falling from the trees, colouring the ground in red and brown, the trees stretched far above her head in an intricate pattern of limbs and bark.

"Wow," she breathed as she began to walk into the tangle of trees.

The ground was soft underfoot from the rain the night before, but the sun was permeating through the branches to warm her skin.

She walked for fifteen minutes, still amazed at the spectacular views she was collecting. The trees were casting elaborate shadows over the entire forest; she followed the lines they were making, travelling deeper and deeper into the woods.

Arya soon came upon a spring that was steaming in the cool, still air. Large rocks surrounded the pool of water, there were red leaves colouring the pond almost like blood. Gingerly, Arya stepped towards the steaming water, and plunged her hand into it; the warm water felt magnificent against her cold skin. She proceeded to strip her clothes off and jump into the hot springs.

As the water lapped at her bare chest, she thought of Winterfell, and of the springs that her and her brothers had played in in the Godswood, under the watchful eye of the heart tree. She felt a pang in her chest thinking about Jon and Robb, and Bran still being able to run and jump and play. She missed her brothers with a ferocity that she didn't know she possessed.

She lay on her back, floating along the top of the water, a light breeze threatening to chill her exposed flesh. As she soaked in the warmth of the springs, she felt her worries draining away. She could hardly remember why she had gotten so hung up about the events of the night before, and any thoughts of her coursework seemed to flutter out of her mind.

By the time she made her way out of the pool, the sun was lowering itself in the sky; she guessed that it was about 4 o'clock. She quickly wrung her hair out and pulled her clothing on over her damp skin. As she was lacing her boots, a thought occurred to her, Ned! She had forgotten about their conversation this morning, and her promise for coffee. She felt around in her pockets for her phone, and realised that she had left it laying on her pillow at home. She rushed through the brush of forest, and made it back to her scooter in a quarter of the time it took the other way.

She started her scooter with a roar, and quickly sped over the rocky terrain, kicking up rocks and dirt, leaving a large trail of dust in her wake. She roared down the strip of tree-lined road, the sun continuing its descent into the hills.

Instead of going home to collect her phone, she figured that Ned would probably just be at the coffee shop. She slowed her bike as the streets began to close in with large cars and bustling crowds. After almost hitting a few people, Arya finally managed to pull up out the front of the coffee house, parking the scooter on the footpath. Tugging her helmet off of her wet hair, she pushed the dark brown strands out of her eyes and pushed into the shop, causing the bell above the door to ring violently.

Hot Pie was standing behind the milk steamer, when he looked up he had a bright smile on his face, though the bags beneath his eyes told Arya that he had stayed out for quite some time after she'd left the previous night. "Hey Arry," he called to her, using the nickname he had come up with. "Gendry's not working today."

"Hey there Hot Pie," Arya said, catching her breath. "I wasn't here to see Gendry. Is Ned around?"

"Ned?" Hot Pie wondered aloud. "Why would Ned be here?"

"He said something about grabbing coffee this afternoon," Arya confessed, feeling defeated after she had raced her way over here from the other side of town. "Don't worry about it. I'll just see him tomorrow, I guess."

"Mm," Hot Pie nodded, pouring the steamed milk into a flowering design through the coffee. "Do you want the usual?"

"Yeah, actually, that'd be great. Give it to me in a to-go cup."

"Aye, aye, captain," he replied with a salute.

Arya was still feeling disheartened about making the effort to race over here for nought. "Can you just take that latte to her over in the corner?"

She grabbed the extremely pretty coffee and turned around to find a tall redhead sitting at the table with a weathered looking book perched in her hands, and pale pink headphones covering her ears. Arya strode purposefully towards her sister, placing the coffee in front of her.

Sansa turned her face upwards, beginning to thank her server, when her eyes widened, surprised. "Oh, Arya. What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing the headphones from her ears.

"Don't you 'Oh, Arya,' me," she said, feeling flustered. "What are you doing here?"

Sansa waved her hands at the coffee and her book, "I think that would be pretty obvious."

Arya snorted derisively, "You know what I mean Sansa."

"Nothing, Arya, honestly. I just wanted to have a quiet moment to myself. Not everything has to be fuelled by ulterior motives." Arya suddenly felt guilty, remembering how kind Sansa had been to her that morning, and all she had done in return was make snarky comments and be rude. "Anyways, why do you look like a drowned rat?"

Arya tugged on her short, damp hair defensively. "I went out into the Kingswood, and there's a hot springs, just like back home," she confessed.

Sansa smiled prettily at her younger sister, "See, Arya, it's not so bad here in King's Landing, you can find new things to enjoy."

"Can I ask you about something?" Arya was fiddling with the lengths of her plaid shirt, twisting the thick fabric between her fingers.

"Of course."

"So, you know on Friday, how we were at that restaurant?" Sansa nodded. "And you kept asking me about that Jaqen guy?" Sansa nodded again, a sly smile creeping onto her face. "Well, he kind of, sort of, gave me his number…"

"Oh my gods, Arya," Sansa squealed. "He was so fit."

Arya rolled her eyes at her sisters' reaction. "Sansa," she groaned, "that's not helpful in the slightest."

"You're right, you're right," Sansa conceded, calming herself down, though a wide smile still stretched across her face.

Hot Pie brought Arya's coffee to the table, an amused look on his face at the two girls. "Hot Pie, you haven't met my sister Sansa?"

"Uh," Hot Pie fumbled, looking rather nervous, as he avoided the gaze of Sansa's pretty blue eyes, "no. Nice to meet you."

"And you," Sansa smiled at the rotund boy, still holding onto the take away cup.

"Hot Pie," Arya tried snapping him out of the trance Sansa seemed to be able to engage in anyone of the opposite gender. "I'll take that coffee now."

"Oh, right. Yeah, of course," he stumbled to get the words out before quickly scampering away back behind the counter.

Arya simply shook her head at her friend. "Okay," Sansa started, "so do you like this Jaqen guy?"

Arya nodded, a flush rushing to redden her cheeks as she thought of the fluttering, weak-kneed sensation she had felt when he had given her his phone number.

"Well, you're going to have to call him," Sansa said surely, nodding her head. "There's this fantastic art exhibit on at the Dragonpit on Rhaenys's Hill this Wednesday."

"I can't just call him…" Arya started when the sound of the bell above the door chimed through the near-empty café.

"What arse parked their wee bike in front of the bloody store?" boomed Gendry's deep voice.

Mentally preparing herself, Arya stepped towards the dark haired boy, "I believe you're looking for me then, you bastard."

"Oh," was all he managed to say.

"Come on Sansa, we've got to go," Arya called over her shoulder, wanting to escape as soon as possible.

Sansa drained the rest of her coffee, and collected her things from the table, taking far too long for Arya's liking. While her sister was fumbling through her oversized leather handbag, Gendry gently grabbed her forearm, and said, "Sorry about that."

When Arya just snorted and rolled her eyes, "You also left so quickly last night, you forgot to get your present from my flat."

Thinking back to the stupid wolf t-shirt he had bought her, she let out a short chuckle. "Tell you what, next time I'm over, I'll be sure to grab that one from you." Gendry's brow was furrowed, and she knew that she was being rude, but it was just her knee-jerk reaction to do so. "Hurry up Sansa, let's go."

"Bye Arya," Gendry said as they swept from the café into the dwindling sunlight of the afternoon.

"Are you sure he has a girlfriend?" Sansa asked, throwing a look back at the café. "Because the way he's still watching you, seems like…"

"No, stop," Arya told her sister, thrusting the spare helmet from the scooters pod into her sisters' hands. She pulled her own helmet on, and ignoring Sansa protests, and pleas for her sister to go slowly, and they were off, whizzing down the street in a speed that made Sansa yelp.


Sansa had managed to persuade Arya to call Jaqen that evening. She had written a rough script for her, as Arya fumbled nervously with the scrap of paper and her phone.

"Hello?" rang Jaqen's accented voice through the phone's speaker.

"Oh, um," Arya stumbled. "Hi, this is Arya. We met a couple of nights ago?" She felt uncertain, like he probably just gave his number to any girl, and wouldn't even remember who she was.

"Yes, hello lovely girl."

Arya felt her cheeks flush, to which Sansa laughed, poking her sister in the ribs, amplifying the level of embarrassment that was coursing through her. "Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to an exhibit that was on this Wednesday?"

"But of course, lovely girl. A man would be honoured."

"Okay, great. It's at the Dragonpit on Rhaenys's Hill at, uh," checking her script for the details, "seven o'clock."

"So, shall I pick you up at six?" Jaqen's smooth voice melted through the phone, making Arya's heart flutter.

"Okay," her cheeks felt even more heated as she continued to talk with him. She gave her address, almost forgetting the street of her new house and listing her home from up north.

"I'll be seeing you Arya Stark," he said before hanging up.

"Oh gods," Arya started, her stomach flipping in nervous anticipation.

Sansa had a bright smile on her face as she looked at her sister. "Okay, now that the date is sorted, you're definitely going to have to borrow something of mine to wear. There's not a chance you'll get into the exhibit looking like an urchin in your flannel and old jeans," she said looking at Arya's outfit with disdain.

Rolling her eyes, Arya conceded, "Fine, Sansa, but not tonight. I think I've gone through enough for one night. And I've got a big test on tomorrow, that I haven't even begun to study for."

She flipped through her messages, finding nothing new from Ned, she begun to apologise. "Hey Ned, sorry about missing coffee. I tried to catch you at the coffee shop but HP said you hadn't been in. How about after school tomorrow?"

Dropping her phone, she set about studying for the history exam she had the following day, while also practicing her Valyrian conjugations for the oral test she had later in the week.

Feeling defeated, Arya retired from her studies an hour after they begun. The day had certainly not gone to plan for her. Though not all of the events that transpired could be seen as negative.

She curled into bed that night feeling a nervous excitement in the pit of her stomach for the events of the coming week.

She woke the next morning to Sansa banging loudly on her door, "Arya! Get up! You're going to be late!"

Rolling over and glancing at her alarm clock, she was surprised to see the time was already 8.30am, and she had to be at school in a half an hour. Jumping from her bed at a great speed, she stripped off her nightclothes, and tugged on her white school shirt, buttoning it wrong in her haste, she pulled on a pair of stockings, her nail catching in the leg causing a long ladder to tear up the length. She tugged on her skirt and shoes, threw her tie around her neck and grabbed her book bag before storming down the stairs. Sansa had already left, leaving Arya to lock up the large empty house. Her parents were already out, Ned at work, while Catelyn was dropping Rickon off at the pre-school before going to coffee with one of the mothers of Sansa's friends.

She sped out of the driveway on her scooter; thankful for the birthday present she had been given only a few days earlier. She tore down the streets, weaving through the morning traffic of business people trying to get to their places of employment. She was stopped at a red light, only a couple of blocks from the Red Keep when she glanced at her watch and noticed that it was already 8:55am. The lights flashed green and she let the scooter push off and around the corners in much the same haste as she had gotten ready. She pulled her scooter into the parking lot, and ran to the large red doors of the school just as it ticked over to 9am.

The teacher that was readying to shut and lock the doors noted, "Just in time, young lady," with a kind smile.

Arya smiled, though thought, I am no lady.

She pushed her book bag into her crammed locker, collecting her history notebook and several pens, readying herself for the test on the Siege of Pyke and the history of the Ironborn Rebellion.

About halfway through the test, Arya's brain was feeling numb, and she felt as though she had forgotten everything she had tried to force into it the previous night. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket before it loudly begun ringing to the tune of Black Flag's Rise Above. "Shit," Arya cursed.

The teachers' ears perked up at the sound of the music. She scanned the room before her eyes settled on Arya. "Ms. Stark," her voice was cold. "Why am I not surprised that it's you who is disrupting the class?"

Arya opened her mouth, about to retort. "No, out. Get out of my class."

"But I haven't finished my test," Arya started.

"And you won't," the teacher smiled. "Now, go to the principal's office."

Glumly, Arya gathered herself and her things from her desk, leaving her almost-finished paper in the dead centre of the desk. As soon as she was out of the room she glanced at her phone to see the missed call was from Gendry. She called him back instantly.

"Hey," his deep voice rang through the phone.

"Shut up," she told him. "Because of you, I just got kicked out of an exam, you big idiot."

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry."

"No, be quiet," Arya ordered him as she stormed through the long, empty corridors of the school. "It's a fucking Monday morning, where did you think I was going to be?"

"I didn't…"

"Shut up," she told him again. She sighed deeply, as she slouched against the wall, resting her belongings on top of the row of lockers. "What did you want?" she asked, softening.

"I was just, um, wondering if you wanted to go to this place on the Street of Flour this afternoon? I remember you saying something about having a sweet tooth?"

"This afternoon? I can't. I'm getting coffee with Ned."

"Ned?" Gendry asked, his voice sounding tense. "Okay, it's no worry. Maybe some other time, yeah?"

"Yeah," Arya said before Gendry hung up.

She shook her head, feeling utterly defeated. She could never figure out Gendry, she wasn't sure that she would ever be able to understand what he was thinking.

After seeing the principal, she was told that she would have to have a make up test the following week, and that there was a zero tolerance policy on the use of mobile phones during classes. Arya nodded and agreed. She was sentenced with a week of detention starting that afternoon.

Fan-fucking-tastic, she thought sourly as she exited the office, suppressing the urge to slam the door behind her.

She went about the rest of her classes as normal, thinking about Gendry, and then Jaqen and her date with him. What have you gotten yourself into, Stark?

At lunch, she found Hot Pie in the middle of a story to Lommy and Ned, the boys chuckling along as Hot Pie waved his arms about frantically, as if the story could not be physically held inside him.

"…and by that time the whole thing was on fire!"

The table was laughing, leaving Arya feeling thoroughly confused. So she simply started to eat the sandwich laid on her lunch tray.

Ned turned to her then, "Still on for coffee?"

Arya's mouth was full of bread when she said, "Yeah, sure."

Ned had a smirk on his face as he watched her.


That afternoon, after her session of detention, she found herself in amiable conversation at an unfamiliar café with Ned. He was in the middle of a story about Beric from when The Seven were on tour in the Westerlands over the summer.

"…and Beric is almost hyperventilating because Anguy is ten minutes late. I swear he was on the verge of passing out he was so stressed out," he concluded with a chuckle.

"Wow, he gets pretty intense," Arya whistled with a laugh.

"Yeah, just a bit."

The café they were in was a hub of activity, with a large group of what appeared to be students from the university in town gathered around a length of tables pushed together. Their laughter reverberated around the high ceiling of the place. In the corner there was a man with greying hair and a clipped beard hammering away on the keyboard of his laptop. Arya thought he looked like the kind of person that goes into coffeehouses to tell anyone who would listen that they were writing their latest screenplay.

"So, what's the North like?" Ned asked her. "I've always wanted to go."

Arya took a sip of her coffee and thought of what she could explain of her home. "It's cold," she laughed, "much colder than down south here. And it's wild, unruly. There are tangles of forests, and much of the land is inhabitable. But it is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and in Winterfell the walls are plumbed with water from the hot springs. Snow falls for about 9 months of the year, and the summers are short-lived."

"Wow," Ned breathed, watching Arya closely as she recounted her home, with a faraway look in her pensive grey eyes.

"Yeah," Arya agreed, a pang of homesickness striking her. She thought of her three brothers that she missed from the depths of her soul, and of Nymeria, who was on her own somewhere near the Neck the last time she saw her.

She drained the last of her coffee, and bid her farewell to Ned, "Thanks for the coffee. It's been a good afternoon, considering the poor beginning of the day."

"Any time, Stark," he told her as he pulled her into a hug on the footpath outside the café.

Arya was taken aback by the gesture, not usually one for physical contact. She stood awkwardly and sort of half-pat Ned's back before he pulled away.

"Well, see you at school," she said, tugging her helmet onto her head and mounting the scooter. She zoomed home, once again silently thanking her parents for the scoter as a birthday present. She'd only had it for a few days, and already couldn't think of how she had managed to only travel on foot and by city bus beforehand.

As she pulled into the driveway, she was thankful that she could strip out of her constricting school uniform. Though as she pushed through the front door she managed to barrel straight into another person. She was sprawled on top of them on the foyer.

"What in the seven hells!" she shouted.

"S-sorry," the boy she was on top of whimpered.

She looked at the face of the boy, taking in his dark hair and clear blue eyes, she thought that she had managed to fall all over Gendry. An embarrassment filled her up, which was quickly replaced with anger, remembering her earlier conversation with him and the trouble he had gotten her into. Though then she caught a glimpse of his big ears poking out from under his thick curtain of hair, and the soft line of his jaw, as well as the roundness of his face, and she realised that it was Edric, the boy who Robert Baratheon had brought over the previous weekend.

"Watch where you're walking," she spat as she climbed back to her feet, her good mood from earlier quacking falling away.

"I'm sorry," he said, avoiding her gaze. He was a good deal taller than her, though he appeared to be a touch afraid of Arya, even with her short stature and slender frame.

With another chastisement on the tip of her tongue, Catelyn's voice rang through the foyer, "Arya, can you come into the parlour please, dear?"

Groaning, she shoved past the clumsy boy she seemed to always greet rudely and violently. Only feeling slightly bad for her outburst, she pushed through the doorway and into the brightly lit parlour. The late afternoon sun was shining through the open window, painting the walls a brilliant yellow.

"What's up?" she asked as she dropped her book bag by the doorway.

"Sit down," Catelyn nodded to a padded armchair opposite her. Arya obliged, slumping into the large seat before unlacing and kicking off her shoes.

There was a pot of tea steaming on the small table between the pair of them, as well as a plate of biscuits. Catelyn poured herself and Arya a cup, the scent of oranges wafting through the air as the tea filled the containers. "Sugar?"

"Three please," Arya said, to which Catelyn simply frowned, placing in only two.

Sighing and pouring a dash of milk into the cup, she stirred the tea vigorously, hoping to dissolve all the sugar in her haste. The tea began to spill onto the saucer, to which Catelyn simply sighed, resigning herself to the fact that Arya would never be as ladylike as her older sister.

Snatching up three of the jam biscuits laid on the platter; Arya dunked one of them into her tea and asked, "What's up Mum?"

"Arya, you're not going to like what I'm about to say, but…" Arya let out a low groan, thinking that her mother was going to go on another spiel about her schoolwork, and the few friendships that she had actually managed to make, about having to act like a responsible adult.

"Mother. We've had this conversation too many times to count since we've been in King's Landing. And I don't know how many times to tell you that I'm fine. Everything's going well, and that I'm probably never going to be the pristine little lady that you were hoping for."

"Arya, I only want what's best for you, you must know that," Catelyn took a sip of her tea, "and don't think for a second that you are not exactly what I want as a daughter. I mean, you have the manners of a goat, and I don't think I will ever be able to fully understand you, but I love you."

Bad thoughts suddenly began to fill Arya's mind. Oh gods, what's happened? Who's hurt? Is someone sick? "Mum, what's wrong?" she asked sombrely.

Laying her cup and saucer down, Catelyn let out a deep sigh, which only caused Arya's heart to clench, thinking the worst. "I've got to go back to Winterfell for a few weeks," she said finally.

Relief instantly filled Arya's mind, "Fantastic, when are we heading home?"

"I'm sorry honey, but you've got to stay here. You've got school, and your exams will be coming up soon."

"Are you serious?" Arya exclaimed, jumping out of her chair. "I'm not staying here, while you go home! That's not fair. You're the one who wanted to come to the south in the first place. Why do I have to...?"

"That's enough, Arya," her father's voice came from behind her, cutting her off mid-shout. "This is what has to happen."

"But Dad, why? I want to go home, I want to see Bran and Robb, I miss home," she sounded so crushed.

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around his youngest daughter, the scruff of stubble on his chin scratching her forehead in the embrace. "We'll get to go back soon enough, but for right now our place is here."

Arya gave in; she always gave in to her father. Though, that was not to say that she was happy about the situation. She sucked in a large breath of air, and extracted herself from her father's arms. "Fine," she said simply. "I'm going out for dinner with a friend tonight, and on Wednesday. I'll be back later."

Catelyn looked ready to say something to reprimand her daughter about it being a school night when Ned cut in, saying, "Of course, Arya. Don't be home too late."

Ned always knew when to give Arya space. She was so much like her father in so many respects; it was like he could read her mind at some points. Gathering her things, she climbed the stairs, thanking the gods that Edric was nowhere in sight, she thought if she had run into him again she might actually hit him.

She was sitting on her bed in just her bra, pants and socks when she contemplated where she would go for the evening. Not wanting to be in the house, fearing what she might say, she needed to find somewhere else to spend the next few hours. She scrolled through the contacts in her phone, hovering over Jon's number, whom she still hadn't heard from, before scrolling back up and calling Gendry.

The phone rang only once before it was answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, it's Arya," she stated unsurely into the phone. Their conversation from earlier had ended abruptly, and she still hadn't totally forgiven him for calling and getting her detention.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Are you busy? I really need someone to talk to."

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. He muttered an almost inaudible curse, before saying, "Sure. I'll come get you. You home?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

She pulled on a black sweater, and tugged on a pair of ratty jeans, she stayed in her room while she waited, not wanting to get into an argument with her mother, and still upset that nothing ever seemed to go her way.

By the time her phone buzzed signalling Gendry's arrival, the sun was laying low on the horizon, the encroaching night bringing about a chilly night with a cloudless sky. She ran down the stairs, dodging the array of toys Rickon had left over the steps.

"I'm leaving!" she yelled to anyone who could hear her. "I'll be back later!"

She jogged down the length of the driveway, and came to a standstill on the footpath. The feeling of déjà vu she got looking at Gendry slouched against his motorcycle, his arms folded as he waited. This was like Saturday night all over again.

"Get on," he grunted, thrusting his spare helmet into her hands.

Without any other words, they roared to life and were away. Arya was still uncomfortable with the physical contact of being a shotgun passenger, but Gendry grabbed her thigh with one of his gloved hands and gave her a tug forward, indicating that she needed to scoot closer.

The streets were quiet as they rolled through them, the sun finally going down, to reveal a bright, near-full moon that was high in the sky. The tall office buildings of the business district were mostly dark, their façades all blending into the same grey blur as the chopper drove by. Soon, they were driving through an area Arya hadn't seen before; one side of the street was lined with dense forest, while the other boasted factories with large chimneys that were billowing smoke, the sound of machinery still loud, despite the late hour.

They drove beneath a tall concrete arch that was laced with wrought iron, the metal twisting into beautiful, intricate designs over the dull stone beneath. The gates were open; the same metal work was used for the doors. Arya was wondering why they would need such an extravagant gate, but then Arya remembered the first day she had arrived in King's Landing. The car had gone beneath a gate at least 30 feet tall, the archway was surrounded by sculptures of dragons snarling at anyone who approached.

They were driving through Flea Bottom when Gendry pulled over to the side of the road and flipped the visor on his helmet. His blue eyes looked almost green in the dim light that was cast upon them by the streetlamps, "Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"Anywhere. I just need to get away from everything for a bit."

Arya thought she saw Gendry's lips twitched into a small smile, but he quickly flipped the visor up and turned back around in his seat. He waited for her to readjust and pull herself even closer to him. He turned the bike around and drove back through the iron gate they had just passed beneath, and along a road that was surrounded by tall trees and shrubs.

They drove for only a few minutes before he turned down a small side road that Arya hadn't even noticed. It was a precarious trip down this small path, the road was so poorly maintained, Arya was worried she might be flung off of the bike, she clung tighter to Gendry's jacket, hoping he didn't notice.

The bike stopped in a secluded area, there were only a few buildings with their lights on about a hundred metres away. Arya clambered off of the motorcycle, tugging off her helmet, and the smell of salt and sea hit her nostrils straight away. "Is this the Blackwater?" she asked.

"The bay, not the rush," he nodded.

"Well, duh, stupid," she snarled at him.

"You know," Gendry's voice was light, "you really have the worst manners of anyone I have ever met. What do they teach you at the fancy Red Keep?"

Arya gave him a sharp nudge in the ribs with her elbow, "Oh, shut up."

The two of them began to walk, the sand slipping beneath their shoes, Arya decided to kick off her shoes and socks, enjoying the feeling of the cold sand between her toes as she walked. Gendry quickly followed suit, and the pair of them were walking side by side, the sound of the waves rushing onto the shore a gentle reminder not to walk too far.

After some time of quiet, Gendry slowed his pace and grabbed Arya's elbow to bring her to face him, "So, what's wrong? You sounded pretty upset on the phone."

"Oh," Arya grabbed at the back of her hair, hating to seem weak, especially in front of Gendry. "My mother and brother are going home, back to Winterfell, for a few weeks, and I have to stay here because of school."

Gendry placed a rough hand on her shoulder, "That sucks," he commented. "I know how much you miss it there." Arya simply nodded her reply, she kept her head low, feeling a lump in her throat. I will not cry, she thought, forcing down the unwanted feeling.

Instead of facing Gendry, she simply lowered herself onto the sand, laying herself on her back and gazing up at the stars, forming their riddle of complicated constellations. After a moments hesitation, Gendry lay down beside her, his leg brushing against hers as it did. She could feel him watching her as she continued to try and pick out the star formations that she knew. "Do you know any of them?" Gendry asked in almost a whisper as he watched her eyes flick over the tiny lights.

"I know a couple. Robb taught me a whole bunch of them, but I can't remember many of them anymore. That one there," she reached her arm up and traced the outline, "is the Little Dipper."

She glanced at Gendry's face; his brow was furrowed as he tried to follow her instruction. "Here," she said grabbing onto one of his hands, "I'll help." She pointed to a bright star hanging nearly straight above where they lay, "That one there is the North star, you follow that along, and it sort of curves," she trailed his pointed finger along the rough area of the line of stars. "The next bit there forms sort of a soup ladle," she told him, which got a chuckle out of him. "Do you see it?"

"I think so," he told her as his eyes were still trained on the sky. She slowly traced his outstretched hand along the curve of the constellation once again. She left her hand rested on top of his as they lowered their limbs. Slowly, he twined his fingers with hers, and they both continued to lay there, the rolling waves the only sound other than the gentle rise and fall of inhalation and exhalation from the pair of them.

They lay like that for some time, Arya breathing in the salty ocean breeze, all negative thoughts rushing from her mind. She felt Gendry stir beside her, she tilted her head to the side to watch him, his eyes were flickering between open and closed, and she took the time to study the planes of his face; his strong, high cheekbones, the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. She took in the short stubble that covered his jaw, and the way his lips parted slightly as he exhaled. He opened his eyes, blinking to try and force himself to stay awake. His bright blue eyes staring straight into her grey ones. Arya could see the bright orb of the near-full moon reflected in his clear eyes.

"A bit tired?" she asked with a chuckle.

Gendry started to lift his head, the back of his hair muddled with the white sand. His eyes were still only half open as a sweet, drowsy smile broke across his face. His fingers gave hers a light squeeze.

"Come on then, sleepyhead," Arya told him, "we'd better get home now, otherwise we'll be spending the night here."

She gave his hand a gentle tug, to try and coax him to get up, knowing that there was not a chance that she would be able to simply pull him to his feet. Instead of moving though, he just tugged her by the hand closer to him, causing their bodies to press together tightly. Arya felt her breath catch in her throat, the closeness, and intimacy of the moment overwhelming her.

Oh, Gods, she remembered, he's got a girlfriend.

"Come on Gendry," she said with more authority this time. The sudden realisation left her feeling like a tonne of bricks had been dropped onto her stomach. "I've got to get home." She untangled her fingers from his, and he let out a soft groan.

"No, stay here," he told her, his eyes closed. They were still in such close proximity; Arya was struggling to hold her resolve to leave.

She gave his shoulder a rough shake, to try and snap him out of whatever dream-state he was in. "I can't sleep on the beach. I've got school tomorrow."

His eyes opened finally, and he began to sit up, his t-shirt spilling sand onto the lap of his trousers, he looked down at how close together they were seated, before Arya quickly scurried a few extra inches away. He had a frown on his face, and his brow was furrowed as he looked at her.

"Okay," he said finally, after coming fully back to his senses. "I guess I should get you home." He gathered himself to his feet before reaching a hand down to help Arya up. She took it, and was surprised when Gendry didn't simply drop her hand, but instead gave it a squeeze and folded his fingers between hers. "Are you at least feeling better about everything?"

Arya gave a slight nod, as she struggled to think about her mother and youngest brother leaving, and why she had been so upset about it. She had a fluttering in her chest, as she kept hold of Gendry's hand.