Just like a fairytale Chapter 3-Hi I'm Jay
"Hi I'm Jay, and I need your help."
Gendry looked up to see into his own eyes. He blinked, the eyes where still there. Or rather a boy about eleven or twelve years old who looked like a carbon copy of him when he had been that age.
This morning, about two days after his visit in the "Red Keep Orphanage", Gendry promoted his new single in the biggest CD Store in the city. He had sat there for the whole morning and had sign CD's. Now he was annoyed and had a headache. Not an uncommon combination for him. But visions were knew, at least in his hangover state. When he was drunk... that was a completely different story.
Suddenly he heard a snapping sound that started him. The boy was still siting before him, he had zoned out on the kid.
"What the hell is he doing here anyways.", Gendry thought. His fans where normally a lot older than this boy. Teens and grown ups alike romping in the CD store right now, so what was a little boy who was way to young to hear his music doing here. A little boy who looked like him as kid. A fact that still confused him.
"Hi I'm Jay, and I need your help.", the boy repeated.
"I hope to get an autograph from me, corse anything else could be difficult.", Gendry answered, taking a close look at the boy now.
He was tall for his age wich was why Gendry thought him, older. He corrected his supposed age about two years down. The boy had the same coal, unruly black hair as him, and sun-kissed tan, that proved he was often outdoors, doing some kind of sports, since he was also unusual lean for a boy his age. The most startling thing where his eyes as blue as the ocean on a sunny day and right now filled with undecipherable emotions.
"No, I mean an autograph would be awesome, but that's not what I need your help for."
"Ok so what is it?", Gendry was confused over how familiar that boy was and that annoyed him even more that the gaping fans.
"My father I need to find him, and you are going to help me."
Gendry lifted his eyebrows "Excuse me?"
"My father I... .", the boy started to repeat but Gendry interrupted him.
"Enough ok! I heard you the first time boy. Why are you coming to me with that? I'm not a detective."
"I now that. Well you are famous for helping people, so I thought... .", the boy looked flustered now. Good so he had companie.
It was true though, Gendry gave every year thousands of dollars to charity organisations, trying to help people who had been in the same situation as him when he had been younger, with no one he could turn to and no one that cared for him. But this was even for him a number to big.
"Sorry kid can't help you", Gendry said simply, grabbed one of the CD cases and signed it with his artist's name.
"Here that's the only thing I can give you.", he said while handing him the case.
The boy looked down at it and then up at him again. This time the emotion in his eyes where easy to decipher, disappointment and rage. The glare the boy gave him almost compete HER famous glare, when she was angry.
"Thank you but like I said that wasn't what I wanted from you." The kid stood up and left Gendry sitting there, slightly stunned, without even once turning back to him before he left the shop.
Gendry sight and fixed his attention on the next overwhelmed fan.
It was late afternoon and Jay did what he always did when he needed to think, or distract himself. Exhausting himself at the "Hollow Hill" basketball-court, named after the street with the same name nearby where he lived.
The court was a popular hangout place for kids, teens and young adults, and especially at this time of the day when most where finally out of school, or of work, the place was packed. But Jay didn't really paid attention to the people around him and the buzzing chatter.
His best friend Rhaenys, stood nearby with a bunch of girls chatting and giggling. He had dragged her of the caffè to the basketball-court, as soon as he had been back. He didn't had want to talk about what was bothering him, but her presence always helped him to feel better, so he hadn't mind when she, as soon as they reached the court, had taken of with her friends, while he started training like a mad man. As long as she was around that was enough for him.
He was drenched in sweet, his breath raged, but still running and dribbling to the basketball hoop and throwing one hoop after another like a machine, while his mind was occupied with that fiasco of a meeting from today morning. Jay was mad at "Gutter Rat" for being such an arrogant ass. How could somebody who always seemed so nice in TV be so different in real life. But even more Jay was angry with himself and his stupid mouth and brain for not thinking fast and saying the most dumbest thing ever. He would have traded every triad he had supposedly inherited from one of his uncles or aunt for his mothers quick thinking, and her convenient talent to tell a good and more importantly convincing lye. Jay had seen often enough how his mother had handled difficult guest or had been present when she had negotiations and had struck business deals, to know how far that had brought her. Why couldn't he had inherited one of those skills.
"Mom would have never been so stupid and come up with such a shabby lie like I'm looking for my dad".
To his credit, he hadn't gone to the CD signing with the intention to lie to "Gutter Rat" but to show him the picture and find out the truth once and for all. But the moment he had sat down in front of his supposed father his mothers words had echoed trough his head.
"One day when you are older I will tell you I promise and will understand it".
And somehow these words had shattered his resolve. He had panicked and had come up with the dumbest lie ever. Jay couldn't really blame "Gutter Rat" for reacting the way he did, if he was honest with himself, wich he wasn't in the moment. Even so the mistake was made he was determined to fix this. He needed to know the truth and his mother was not likely to tell it to him, at least not anytime soon. Even so they where honest with each other regarding everything else. So he would stick to "Gutter Rat" somehow he would get the truth out of him. He had time to pester him all summer, well not the whole summer, there was the basketball tournament and the holiday in Winterfell, but the rest of the summer was all his. He just needed to come up with a new plan.
Jay was jerked out of his thoughts when small but strong arms slung around his waist. He had stood in the middle of the court for a while now, catching his breath, while thinking.
"You should stop thinking so hard.", a low voice said into his into ear. "You will fry your brain if you keep this up."
Jay chuckled. He knew exactly whom this voice belonged to. Rhaenys stood behind him, her head resting on his right shoulder. Jay closed his eyes and leaned against her. He turned his head ever so slightly and rested his head against hers. She had no idea what was bothering him and didn't push him to tell her, but she was there for him. The best friend one could wish for. Jay kissed her temple in silent thanks and they remained in this position.
Gendry had escaped his duties as well as his bodyguard Davos. He was in one of the outskirt area of New York, called Hollow Hill, dressed like a street thug again, the hood of his hoody pulled deep into his face, just in case. For a change he had a basketball with him instead of his guitar and dribbled while jogging through urban canyons. His mind occupied with that bold boy from today morning. It was strange that now for once in nine years his mind wasn't constantly circling around HER but around an odd kid instead. Everything had been slightly off about the boy. Starting with the fact that he looked like a carbon copy of him, was it even possible that a boy he had no relations to could look so much like him? And ending with the way he had asked for his help, or better demanded it. Neither in his tone nor in his behavior had been any sign of a plea, but rather an order and the boy had expected him to comply. Gendry had only once met somebody who behaved the same, and the boy reminded him of HER. SHE had also never asked anything of him only ever demanded and expected, and he had always happily fulfilled her every wish. Only once he had asked something from HER, but she couldn't even kept her word to him for four-month.
There it was again sooner or later everything would boil down to HER again, and the pain that had been kept at bay by his preoccupied mind assailed him again like a bloodthirsty wolf. Gendry catched the basketball and stopped beside a lattice fence. He pulled out a flask, his stopgap, and took a sip after he opened the flask.
Gendry heard shouting from the other side of the fence and turned to the source of the ruckus. His eyes shot open, there he was, the boy that had haunted him all day, fighting four guys who where all at least four or five years older than him, and definitively a lot stronger. The boy did give a good fight, but it was obvious he was going to lose at the long end. With out even thinking Gendry past the fence and got into the basketball court.
"HEY", he shouted as one off the bullies, a tall blond one, but scrawny looking, breached through the boy's defence and hit him right at the jaw. Startled by the tall, strong-looking man all but one of the bully's retreated, only the one who landed the punch and the mystery boy on the ground stayed he where. The bully didn't seemed to be intimidated by Gendry and glared at him when he reached the pair.
"Who are you? You have nothing to do with this, so don't but in." The tall boy shouted before he fixed his attention again on the mystery kid on the ground, but before he could do anything Gendry grabbed his collar and glared at him from under his hood with eyes like the stormy sea.
"Scram!", he snarled before pushing the bully from him. The cowardly boy stumbled a few steps back before he quickly followed his friends who had been smart enough to flee before provoking him.
Gendry turned to the boy and hold out his hand to help him up.
"Are you ok?"
The boy looked up and his eyes widened at his sight of him. But before he could made any fuss Gendry dragged the boy up and away from the now interested crowed, who didn't lift a finger to help the boy before Gendry intervened, around them. He dragged the boy to a relatively low stone wall and lifted him up. Than he pulled a handkerchief and his flask out and poured a bit of the content on the handkerchief before pressing it to the boy's split lip. The boy hissed in pain but otherwise bore the treatment in silence.
Gendry used the chance to have a close look at the boy again, still irritated to no end at how much they looked alike.
"What where you thinking, boy?", he asked.
The boy's gaze looked slightly over his shoulder and shook lightly his head, but before he could turn to see who was behind them the boy asked:
"What are you doing here?"
"Seriously the first thing he says to me, is "What are you doing here?" You are very welcome brat.", Gendry thought sarcastically.
"You mean beside saving your butt?" Gendry asked annoyed. The kid's eyes widened again and he jerked his face to the side muttering something under his breath. Gendry sight "Stubborn little brat.", he thought.
"I passed by here by pure chance.", he answered, while jerking the boys head back to him and pressing the hanky at his lip again. "So now tell me what on earth where you thinking fighting against four guys all older and stronger than you?"
"They where terrorising a kid, I just told them to pick on somebody of there own size."
"Like you?", Gendry asked shaking his head.
The boy, just shrugged.
"They just welcomed the chance to put me in place, it's not the first time we clashed. They are bully's and I don't like bully's very much."
"Seriously what where you thinking kid? And what your parents have say about this?"
Jay's eyes narrowed on him, he looked sad.
"I don't have parents just my mom, I tooled you I'm looking for my father."
Ignoring the father comment, Gendry asked:
"Alright what would your mother say about you taking on four guys."
"Never just stand by and let wrong things happen. Always fight injustice. Protect who can't protect themself, when you can help it, and you can always help it. It's the honorable thing to do. That's what mama would say."
Gendry looked at him stunned.
"What?"
"Never just stand..."
But Gendry didn't listened any longer.
"Never just stand by and let the wrong thing happen. Always fight injustice. Protect who can't protect themself, when you can help it, and you can always help it. It's the horrible thing to do. My father always said that."
HER voice flowed in his head. Once a lifetime ago SHE had said the very same thing to him in a similar situation. No wonder this whole exchange felt like a Déjà vu, the boy even behaved like SHE had when he had confronted her in a similar manner.
"... what mom would say." Jay finished again.
Gendry couldn't any longer look at the boy and averted his gaze. "Would she?"
"Yeah.", the kid answered with irritation in his voice.
Gendry closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he answered.
"Alright I help you.", he looked at the boy, at Jay, he should stop referring to him as "the boy" as if he was the only one in the world, again. The kid however looked irritated. "With your father, I help you finding your father."
He knew he would regret this decision but what the heck to hell with his doubts.
Jay's eyes widened and a huge grin erupted on his face, before he flunked his arm around him with a huge hug. Gendry froze, he had avoided most physical contact for almost nine years now, especially with stranger, but somehow this boy, Jay, didn't feel like a stranger at all to him. Maybe because he looked like him or reminded him so much of HER. Anyways he found himself return the hug.
Jay pulled back and looked at Gendry with big happy blue eyes.
"Really?"
"Yeah I will call my lawyer Bailish he will get you a good detective who will find your father for you."
Jay frowned. "I don't need you to pay for a detective I can afford one myself."
Gendry raised an eyebrow "Can you?"
"Well..."
"Thought so."
"What ever that's not the kind of help I want from you."
"So what else can I do for you?"
Jay thought for a bit than answered "Do you know the "Twins" in "Riverrun-Park"?"
"You mean the twin fountains?" Two massive identical fountains, they where quite the popular place for tourists to visit. Back in his day's as street musican he had played there on regular basis. It was also the place where he had met HER for the first time. How could he not know that place.
"Yeah. Meet me there tomorrow by teen and I'll tell you my plan." Jay said grinning, then jumping of the wall. He waved at him before he ran of, leaving an utterly flustered Gendry behind, who slumped with his butt against the wall. Before long he took a huge gab from his flask
"Dear good what have I gotten myself into now."
"What have you gotten yourself into this time?" Jay's mother asked him. She hadn't said a thing when he came back to the café, his arms covered in bruises a split lip and dust all over his cloths, with Rhaenys trailing behind him. She had just brought him to the counter and put a ice-pack on his swollen lip.
Rhaenys had pestered him the whole way back about who the man was that had helped him and than had taken care of his wounds, Jay didn't answer her however. They had stood on the basketball court for a few short moments before Zane Lannister and a couple of his goons had showed up and started to pick on one of the smaller kids. Jay couldn't stand bully's. Even without his mothers words, he would have intervened. With her words in mind however he felt encouraged, and besides it wasn't the first time he had clashed with the Lannister-jerk. They where like fire and water always fighting as soon as they saw each other, even so Zane was a couple of years older than him.
Jay had wanted to stop the jerk immediately but Rhaenys hadn't let go of him, trying to stop him. He had then just pushed her to her friends, with a bit of force.
She had tried to run after him when he had pounded on the bully's but her friends had held her back, knowing better than allowing her to get between Jay and Zane when they where at it.
Then "Gutter Rat" had showed up and saved him from being trashed. Jay had been surprised a lot when had recognised him under the hood. In the clothe he had worn he hadn't looked at all like the famous rock star and more like the scruffy street musician on the picture. Just without the "bad boy" vibe he gave now. All in all everything had gotten well for him. He had stopped Rhaenys just in time from coming to them after the fight and "Gutter Rat" had agreed to help so he was one step near to tell him he was his father.
"So what happened", his mother asked again. She had left it to him to hold the ice-pack while tending to the various cuts on his hands. Jay looked at her he had been so in thoughts he totally ignored her question.
"Zane was being Zane again."
His mother sight. "You did the right thing. "Never just stand by and let wrong things happen. Always fight injustice...
"Protect who can't protect themself, when you can help it, and you can always help it. It's the honourable thing to do.", Jay interrupted smiling. His mother smiled too when the finished together: "We need to stand united because winter is coming."
"Good", his mother said. "Never forget our words. She ruffled his hair.
"You know your father once tended me too to injuries I had gotten from a similar situation. Good was he angry with me at that time.", she said chuckling.
"Why?"
"We didn't knew each other for long, back then. And he was a guy who only minded his own business. So he couldn't understand why endangered myself to help a stranger. I think most people would agree with him, but when you are a... ." She interrupted herself and then started again.
"When you are a part of my family everything is about honour. I couldn't just stand by."
Jay was curious what his mother wanted to say originally, she did that a lot, interrupting herself mid sentence. Also his mother never lied to him, not telling him things was as bad as if she lied, at least in his opinion, but he knew better than to just ask she wouldn't answer anyway.
"Mama, please tell me the whole story.", he asked instead.
Arry smiled and nodded.
Arya ran down the Kings Road. She was supposed to met Gendry at Aegon's Square about teen minutes ago and was late. Nothing too unusual for her but she didn't know him for long, so she had no idea how he would reacted to unpunctuality. They had met by chance a couple of times and talked and once composed song together. That was it, but today they would meet up to hang out together officially for the first, and Arya was a nervous wreck about it. It also didn't help that she had a massive crush on him since the first time she had seen him. So she wouldn't want to scare him of already by giving the impression of her almost standing him up.
Arya had almost reached Aegon's square when she heard shouting a couple of guy's had a fight. Or rather four tall and muscular guy's and one who was rather scrawny looking with blond hair, trashed a boy who looked about fourteen years old. He had red hair, was rather chubby and didn't even fought back. But the worst thing of all, nobody didn't even lifted a finger to help the kid and Arya saw red. With out further delay she attacked the bully's, her body moving almost on its own. All the years she had forced her mother to allow her to take martial art's classes, finally paid of. Like a dance she moved between the bully's to fast to catch, but always hitting her target'. She had almost beaten the crab out of the four taller guys who had been totally underestimating her, when the blond scrawny guy had caught her of guard and hit her square at the jaw. Arya, out of balance needed a few seconds to recover, which would have ended badly for her, but in this moment a loud voice, Arya knew only too well, boomed. "Hey!
The bully's beaten up enough already, fled immediately at the sight of this tall bulky guy looking as angry as an edgy bull. The redheaded boy had vanished to so it was only Arya when he finally reached her. He didn't say a thing, just took in her face and his gaze darken even more. With out a word he grabbed her wrist and dragged her after him to the twins. He pushed her down on the edge of the fountain took out a handkerchief and pressed it with more force then necessary at splited lips, still not saying anything. Arya was reluctant to break the silence but she had to know how much damage this little escapade had coursed.
"Gendry..."
"What the hell where you thinking?", he interrupted her with barely contend rage. "Attacking five guys, all taller and the double on wight on you?"
"Actually only four of them where like this, one was scrawny and really weak.", she tried to jab, controlling her temper that started to raise in her as well, who did he think he was to shout at her like this.
But Gendry wasnt in the mood for quibble.
"You mean the one that got you this?", he asked while pressing a bit harder with the cloth against her lip to emphasize his point.
"Ow! Hey that was shire luck ok, I had everything under control.", she answered angry herself now. She wasn't some fragile lady he needed to protect, she couldn't do that very well on her own.
Gendry huffed only than sounding relay tired asked: "Why Arya, just tell me so I may understand what goes on in that crazy head of your's."
So Arya told him the whole story while Gendry's facial expression changed from resignation to really angry, to unbelieving.
"And all that for a kid who didn't even thank you?"
"It doesn't matter, it was the honorable thing to do."
Gendry only looked at her disbelieving. "That was seriously dangerous Arya, and stupid by the way, what would your father say if he knew about this?
"Never just stand by and let the wrong thing happen. Always fight injustice. Protect who can't protect themself, when you can help it, and you can always help it. It's the honorable thing to do. My father always said that."
She took his hands and looked him deep in the eyes, eyes she could easily get lost in if she stared to long.
"That's what he would say. In fact he raised me this way. When you are a Stark everything is about honour: Belive me it was the right thing, the honourable thing to do, I couldn't just stand by Gendry."
There breathing was ragged as if they had just ran a marathon instead of sitting in the cool shadow of the fountain.. Arya's heard ran she need to distract herself from his distracting eyes, so she jumped up and danced a few steps, something she wouldn't do even forced with a gun point-blank at her. Just to prove to him she was all right and turned to him
"But see I'm all ok, so stop worrying or you get bold soon.", she said with a teasing voice. Gendry looked at her with a strange look than got up as well. Before she could even ask he hugged her, and Arya caught her breath, while her heard run double as fast as before.
"Yeah you are ok.", he said with a low and raspy voice. Arya felt her cheeks heaten and pulled away.
"So that was an interesting start for our hangout session, whats next on the schedule?"
He laughed that quite laugh she loved so much, all the anger and worries forgotten.
"I was planing to show you the new tune I was working on, maybe you have some lyrics in mind for it?", he said grin.
This was the first time she would hear the tune that would become their melody and she would complete with lyrics, much later, when she had been held captive by her own family.
Arya finished her story looking at her son, who looked back at her with glee. Of corse she hadn't used her real name, or Gendry's for that matter in the story, that would be way to dangerous. But Jay loved it anyways. Every scrap from her and his father's past was like ointment for the longing for his father. It was the only thing she could give him from Gendry, only chips of her memories from him, but she gave it gladly, even so just thinking of their happy times together and that it could never be again practically ripped her heart out.
Arya looked at her son again who looked way to happy with himself for someone who had just been in a fight. She tried to sweep out the strict mom but failed terribly. Whit a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips she rapping Jay over his head.
"Get of the counter you bandit, don't you still have a kite to build or something."
In other words, you are of the hook get out of here before I change my mind.
Jay laughed and finished up the stairs with Rheanys close behind him.
To not torment you further, here is the third chapter, lets see if it is as you all thought^^
I hope you guys like the whole winter is coming thing^^
and regarding Jay's fight with Zane Lannister, lets just say like mother like son
So from the next chapter on things will get intresting at least I hope so^^
as always I apologise for any mistakes regarding gramma or spelling
I don't own anything
and last but not least question, comments or helpful critic, just review or pm me ^^
