Chapter 4- The Moth, Aimee Mann
I do not own Game of Thrones
The moth don't care when he sees the flame
He might get burned, but he's in the game
And once he's in, he can't go back
He'll beat his wings till he burns them black
- Aimee Mann, The Moth.
Ned's Pov:
"You're grounded. That means no TV, no going out with friends. You go to school, you go to Karate, you come home. Understood?" We were lucky enough that Robert was my best friend. Cersei wanted to press charges.
"Fine," Arya grumbled. She crossed her arms and slouched back in the seat. "But I was only sticking up for myself. For my family. He was being a prick."
I sighed and pulled over on the side of the road, I looked at my daughter, the choppy hair she cuts herself, her determined eyes. "Arya, listen to me. There are people in this world that are going to treat you as less then them, because of your religion, because of how you look. They are going to say awful things to you, they are going to do everything they can to exclude you and get in your way. Its happened all throughout history and will always be. But its just words Arya. When it comes down to it, you're just as human as they are. You are on the same playing field. They are the ones at fault. Don't add fuel to their fire." I kissed my daughter on the head and wiped away the tear on her cheek. She wasn't the first of my children that I told that too. I gave it to Rob and Jon, and Sansa. And soon enough I'll give it to Bran and Rickon.
It breaks my heart every time.
GAMEOFTHRONES
"So, you need five black ties." We were in the local uniform store, getting ready for Jon's departure.
"Yeah, at least right?" Jon asked.
"You should have extras." I was being over protective parent, buying way more then was needed.
"Um, I need black slacks." I picked up fourteen pairs of those. "Dad, I don't think I need that many."
"Just in case." Exhibit A. "White collared shirts." Fourteen pairs of those.
In total we bought fourteen shirts, slacks, five ties, four tie pins, twenty pairs of black socks, ten black school sweaters, two pairs of shined black shoes. As I said, obsessive. Jon would receive the iconic black suit jacket upon his arrival.
Then it was the office depot. Ten composition notebooks, a hundred pencils, Ten binders, paper for each, fifty black pens, fifty blue, twenty red. Five highlighters. A black backpack. Pencil holder. Ruler and math supplies.
Target. Sheets, blankets, fan, lamp, pillows. Check.
Then the textbook outlet. "So you need, Shakespeare's completed works." Jon picked up a book about fifty pound and put it into the cart. "Advanced placement algebra two." Being my son, Jon was in advanced everything. "American Ap, and European." Two more books hit the cart. "Chemistry." One more book. "Latin and French." Two more text books along with dictionaries. "Understanding Poetry." We walked down a hall too a collection of paperback books.
"Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, Author Miller completed works. In Cold Blood, To Kill a Mockingbird, Edgar Allen Poe anthology." Jon rattled off as he put the books in the cart.
"You should be very proud of yourself Jon, only the best get into this school. I know its going to be tuff, being a junior, but you'll make good friends, get into a good college. You're Uncle Benjen graduated from Yale. I'm sure you can do Harvard." I set high expectations for all my children. A's or better on report cards, above average standardized test scores. But I always pushed Jon harder. No test score was good if it wasn't perfect, no school was too far out of reach. And it was all paying off.
GAMEOFTHRONES
I took Jon out to a nice lunch. It would be my last day alone with him until his uncle came to pick him up. I was determined to make the most of it.
"Hello, my name is Andrew, what can I get you gentlemen to drink?" Andrew was a young man, with a mess of blond hair and green eyes.
"Two glasses of your best red wine please." I said.
Jon looked up at me with surprise. My children were only allowed to drink for religious reasons. "Dad?"
"You're a man now, going off to a mans school. Just don't tell Rob." I gave my son a little wink.
His face flushed but he couldn't hide the delight in his eyes.
"I have a gift for you." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a little jewelry box.
Jon opened the box, and his eyes lit up with shock. "Dad, wow." It was a silver ring, the Stark Direwolf engraved into the face. Jon slipped it on.
"So you don't forget us at school."
He kissed my check, "Never."
The Wine came and we placed our orders.
"Dad, I want to talk to you about something." Jon fiddled with the new ring on his finger.
I knew where this was going, it wasn't the first time we've had it. "Yes?"
"I want to know about my mom. Who she was, how you had me." Jon continued to fiddle with the ring.
When Cat and I first got married, my sister Lyanna was kidnapped by that crazy Targaryan, Rhaegar. We looked for months, the FBI and local law enforcement was beginning to give up hope. A miracle happened, I flew out to meet them. They found her. Rhaegar was killed by Robert Baratheon, who was a police officer at the time. (The rest of the family would be murdered, the killer is believed to be Jamie Lannister, a security guard for Areys but there was not enough evidence to convict him. Two children still live, one of which is Arya's friend.) Lyanna, however, was not going to make it. The bed was full of blood, she made me promise...
"Jon, listen to me. I promise when come back for winter break, I will tell you everything." It killed me, the fact that I couldn't tell my son the truth.
He nodded, obviously hurt. "You promise?"
"I promise."
GAMEOFTHRONES
We were at temple bright and early the next day. Bran and Rickon were singing.
My wife looked at her watch impatiently. I knew this wasn't her religion, it never would be. But she has stood by my side for years and I couldn't have been a happier man, even if the services board her.
But today, I couldn't shake this feeling from my bones. Something big was coming our way, something really big.
After the service was over, we walked as a family to the car. Before I opened the car door, I froze. The air was unseasonably cold, wind bitting at my skin, sinking deep into my bones.
Winter is coming.
Yes, dear readers, I am not dead! I am very much alive and well. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I promise that I am going to change my ways. I really want to thank Jamemott for PMing me and getting me to pick up this story again.
Also, you now all know my personal Jon theory. Feel free to leave comments about it.
I know Ned isn't really the overbearing type, but he loved Jon, this is twenty first century America, not made up fantasy land.
Thank you for reading the first of many updates to come,
R+R
- The Professor (My Time Lord name.)
