Sansa sat in her office with the kids playing quietly over by the large window with Lady on the couch while Sansa watched them from behind her desk. Petyr had ordered his rarely used driver to pick her and the children up and take them to Lion and Stag, both of them liked to have at least one of them in the office every day – usually Petyr – but Sansa hadn't been around for a while and it had been mutually decided that she needed to make an appearance.
Suddenly her office door was kicked open and she was instantly back underneath Joffrey's bed, the heavy leather collar around her neck keeping her there bound while she prayed he would just pass out for the night. Everything was black, only the sound of her heart beat thudding in her chest, she couldn't breath, could think... and then Lady nuzzled into her leg; she growled slightly at the newcomer.
Steadily the darkness faded away and Sansa remembered she was safe, Joffrey was dead, Petyr had made sure of that, her children were happy and close. With a deep breath she glanced up to see Athelstan Creed, his face red and angry but Sansa's hearing only seemed to turn back on half way through his rant.
"... You can't fucking fire me! I'm CTO not some low-level fucking twat. I'm not taking this from Varys, Baelish can tell me him-fucking-self or you can all fuck off, I'll not be fired for no reason."
Poppy was crying, the loud screaming had scared her and Tristan had pulled his sister close; he was so protective of her.
"Get out!" Yelled the little boy as Lady marched over them to do her guard dog bit.
That got to Sansa, she wasn't that scared little girl any longer, she wasn't a slave, she was Sansa Baelish the wife of the most powerful man in Westeros, mother of his children. Sansa was strong, she was powerful, and as Vice President she wasn't going to take crap from Athelstan Creed of all people. The redhead channelled her inner Petyr and took a deep breath then shot to her feet.
"Creed, I don't care who you are or where you came from. You may have been good enough for Tywin Lannister but you're certainly not good enough for Petyr and Alayne Baelish. You're not being 'fired for no reason', it's because you left our system open with a big neon sign saying install honeypot here ! Now, you heard my son, get out. Pack up your office and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out because I don't want ass prints on my door."
She hoped Althelstan left soon because her confidence had started to fade. It was then she heard snickering and realised the door was still open, she could just see Varys, Gwendolyn and her own assistant, Lenore, in the doorway. Varys wasn't actually laughing but there was that amused glint in his eyes. Creed didn't move, just stood there while Tristan soothed his sister's tears, stood there in shock. This man had made her daughter cry and that knowledge refilled her confidence.
"Don't make me call Sandor." She growled.
At that Creed finally stormed off, he shoved past Varys and the two assistants. Finally Sansa's confidence faded away completely and she raced to her children, Tristan had calmed Poppy to the point her tears had stopped but she was still visibly upset. The redhead wrapped her arms around her son and daughter and pressed a kiss to Poppy's head she vaguely registered Varys talking.
"Gwendolyn, would you please have Mister Clegane called anyway?" Petyr's assistant nodded. "Thank you."
With that the CHRO made his way into Sansa's office as the two assistants disbursed and closed the door. Varys always carried a calming aura, he seemed to be able to sooth anyone and Sansa was actually thankful for his presence in that moment.
"I'm sorry about that, Alayne." He began slowly. "Baelish asked me to fire him since he's in a meeting and Athelstan didn't take it too well. When he remembered our beloved CEO isn't here he decided kicking down your door would be a good idea. That's the second firing this week and both have blown up."
"It's alright, Varys." She told him after a moment once she was sure Poppy and Tristan were alright. "Would you mind asking Lenore to get me some tea, please?"
"Of course." The bald man nodded slightly. "Again, I apologise for the intrusion and hope the children are alright."
With that he left Sansa's office and quiet descended again. The redhead sat there a moment with her son and daughter before she pulled Poppy onto her knee and Tristan closer.
"Mommy's sorry.
"Don't like man." Grumbled Poppy into her mother's chest.
"No one does, Sweetheart. That's why Daddy had Varys get rid of him. Are you two alright?"
"Yes, Mommy." Said Tristan as he offered Copper – Sansa's toy cat that had over the years become Tristan's – to his little sister. "Love you."
"I love you both too. Very much."
Sansa pressed a little kiss to Tristan's forehead, they were such caring children when it came to one another and their parents but she and Petyr had seen them at play dates; they were all their father underneath.
"Want Daddy!" Poppy suddenly demanded with a shake of her little fists, Sansa wasn't surprised since Poppy was a Daddy's girl.
"I know, Angel, I do too. He should be back soon, Daddy is dealing with your Great Aunt Lysa." This time both Poppy and her big brother grumbled. "He's making your favourite for dinner though."
It was beef Quinoa rissoles, but the kids didn't know that, they just thought it looked like a cool bun-less beef burger; Sansa and Petyr had decided it didn't matter as long as the kids ate without complaints. Actually, when Sansa thought about it, Tristan nor Poppy had ever turned their noses up at something Petyr had made them, if it was because he was a good cook or because they knew it wasn't wise to refuse Petyr Baelish she didn't know.
Poppy and Tristan snuggled into their mother while Lady settled down beside them after a while, Sansa just held them close. Creed was gone, Sansa had been brave, her children were safe.
XXXX
Petyr was driving back to Lion and Stag when his cellphone rang, a quick glance down to where it sat in the mount revealed it to be Gwendolyn. Petyr sighed and rolled the window down further so he could toss his cigarette butt out and then answered.
"Yes, Gwendolyn?"
"Hello, Sir, I just thought you'd like to know that Mister Creed has been fired. Mister Clegane walked him out a few minutes ago... after he stormed into your wife's office." Petyr tensed. "He nearly kicked the door of its hinges, Sir, and yelled at her while your children were with her."
"Is she alright? Poppy and Tristan?" There was unmistakable anger in his tone and had it been a video call he'd have seen Gwendolyn flinch.
"Yes, Sir. Missus Baelish handled him quite well and basically handed him his ass."
Petyr smirked at that. "That's my girl." He mused aloud before he remembered Gwendolyn was still on the line. "Have the CTO office cleaned before Lothor Brune moves in. God only knows what Athelstan's been doing in there."
Lothor Brune was a man of similar age to Baelish and though not conventionally handsome he certainly wasn't ugly. The two men had known one another for years and Petyr had found him to be a very loyal and naturally tight-lipped man; of course Petyr approved of that. He'd wanted to bring Lothor in years ago but Tywin had always shut him down, yet Tywin was gone now and Petyr could do as he damn well pleased.
"Yes Sir." A pause. "Oh, Lenore says Missus Baelish has just requested a car to take her and the children home."
That didn't surprise Petyr in the slightest. "Alright. I'll be back at the office within the hour."
"Very good, Sir."
With that Gwendolyn hung up and Petyr returned to his music. Birds squawked up high above but fortunately the song drown them out.
Well you hate the way I shuffle
But you love the way I deal
You don't mind if I borrow
But you'd rather watch me steal
You take what you've forgiven
And you put it in a drug
In case you need it later
Just to even up the score
Oh, oh, how did we get in to this mess?
Oh, I know, gotta get you out
Out of that little black dress.
After his meeting with Lysa all he wanted to do was brush his teeth, shower, down a glass of bourbon and pound Sansa into the nearest available surface; in that order. The man with ash at his temples wanted to go home to his wife and kids but he couldn't, Petyr had far too much work to do if he wanted to take Vale Limited out from under Lysa's feet.
It ended up being nine-thirty by the time he got home, relatively early for him in the grand scheme of things but very late to Tristan and Poppy who had already gone to bed; they'd no doubt hate him in the morning.
Petyr didn't say a single word to Sansa as he entered the kitchen and poured himself a cut crystal tumbled of bourbon – something he'd craved all day – and downed it in one go. Sansa signed, it was a clear sign that her husband was agitated. Once he was done Petyr slammed the glass down and pulled the redhead into his arms and kissed her forcefully, almost as though it were desperation; his grip on her was tight.
"Are you alright, Master?" Asked Sansa, she knew the title would calm him down, soothe him.
"Yes, Sweetling." Petyr nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. "I'm fine."
"Please don't lie to me, what's wrong?"
Baelish sighed and pulled his wife close, he couldn't resist resting his chin atop her head.
"I saw your Aunt Lysa today-"
"I know," she interrupted "you stink of her."
"I'm sorry, my love." He truly was, he hated smelling like her, he finally pulled back from his young wife and rubbed large hands over his face. "She's gone off the deep end, Sansa. Robin isn't enough incentive to push her anymore, she wants-" Petyr cut himself off with a sigh.
"You." She finished for him and her face dropped.
"Yes, Sweetling, but I'm yours so she can't have me, can she?"
Petyr had lied and cheated his way through life but not with Sansa, he'd never lied to her. She was his wife, the one person he cared about more than power – save for his children of course – he'd not lie to her. There was a pause where Petyr thought Sansa would cry but he should have known his girl was braver than that.
"How badly do you want that company and what does it mean if we don't have it?" She cuddled into his chest as she spoke.
"Very badly. I've been after that company since Lysa married Jon Arryn. And if we don't have Vale Limited then it means we have a gargantuan rival on our doorstep. On her own Lysa would run the place into the ground but Royce and the other executives actually know what they're doing. As long as they exist under their own power they'll be a threat. Vale Limited has always been cocky and from a legal standpoint they're unpredictable, if they really decide to push there might not be anything Lion and Stag can do to stand up to it."
Sansa nodded. "Then take it."
Petyr raised an eyebrow as his eyes shot down to his beautiful wife.
"Sweetling."
"Playing along with what Lysa wants is the only way to get it?" Petyr nodded. "Then play along and take the company."
Suddenly she grabbed hold of his chin and pulled him down to look her in the eye, eye contact wasn't nearly as unheard of as it had been before Poppy had been born but it was still rare. Her grip on him actually hurt a little, it was one of the few and very far between moments of dominance that Sansa had locked up inside her; it made him want to bend her over couch and take her there and then.
"There are conditions."
"Anything, my love." She loved it when Petyr called her that.
It was true, he'd long believed no woman was worth dying for, killing for, but not dying for. Sansa had him rethinking that, she was worth dying for. He'd do anything for her and their children.
"You don't kiss me until you've washed her out of your mouth... ever." He nodded, he always did that anyway, hence the bourbon he'd downed. "You never tell her you love her, I know those words would be a lie but still you don't tell her. You don't fuck her, and she goes nowhere near Tristan or Poppy."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Sweetling. Are you sure you're alright with this?" He enquired softly as his hands ran through her long red hair.
Sansa nodded and leant into his touch. "You killed and destroyed the Lannisters because of what they did to me and my family. My mother asked Lysa to take care of me and my siblings because she knew something was wrong, I remember that, it's faint but it's there. Lysa refused. She's practically responsible for my brothers, sister and cousin dying. So, I want you to make her happy and then I want you to take it all away from her."
Petyr beamed. "You want me to crush her? Oh, Sweetling, you are perfect. My dark, depraved, perfect Sansa."
He pulled Sansa to him and kissed her once more, his large hands trailed down to cup her backside and then he lifted her into his arms only to press her against the nearest wall. Petyr struggled to think of a more perfect creature. Sometimes Baelish wondered who possessed the real power in their relationship; him or her. Sansa could make him do just about anything without even asking, he'd taught her well, maybe a little too well.
XXXX
Lyrics are Little Black Dress by Jace Everett, who, just fyi, is the nicest man I have ever met. Really goes out of his way for his fans.
