Honestly, the two aren't sure if they love each other yet, but perhaps upcoming events will have them tell one another how they really feel. Again, thank you to all the readers and reviewers, you are too kind. BTW Stannis will be involved.

...

Secrets revealed

...

Two Weeks Later...

There was not much to do in the woods beyond the Wall, especially when there was a snow storm. Sansa found that within the next two weeks, she took up sewing once Mance had Jon bring her some fabrics and needles so she could practice. She found it nice to sit in the hut when it was too cold and sew Mance's shirts and breeches. He recommended that she do the same for some of the other men so she would be well liked and after doing that for a few days, they would talk to her more and treated her far nicer. Jon did not visit much, which made her wonder what he was up to.

...

"That storm is relentless!"

Sansa looked up from her sewing and saw Mance rush into the hut through the curtains, followed by Tormund. She placed down her sewing and rushed to him to help him get warm, "Gods, why must you go out there during such a storm, anyways?" She brought Mance towards the fire as Tormund explained, "We have to. Each month we take a bunch of men and scope out the mountains and such. It helps us find anything to do with the White Walkers." Mance looked down at her, "Aye, my men and myself leave tomorrow morning at first light. The storm should be calm by then." Sansa was holding his fur coat in her hands and she slowly handed it to him, "You mean I'll be alone? Must you go with them?" Mance nodded and put on the warm coat, tying the middle, "I have to, Sansa, I am their King. Besides, you won't be alone here. You have some of the other men to watch over ya and Joanna can stay in the hut if she wishes to keep you company."

She looked at Tormund, "Would you excuse us?"

He nodded and bowed his head to them before walking back into the snow storm. Sansa walked around the table to fetch some water to heat up and she whispered, "I don't think I would like to be alone, Mance." He eyed her and shrugged, "Nothing I can do about it, girl. I have to lead my men and then we'll be back within a week or so." Sansa frowned, "A week or so?! That is even worse! Can Jon at least come here-"

"No. The boy will be joining us."

Sansa was confused, "But he is a crow, how can he-"

Mance chuckled, "You don't know, do you?" Sansa shook her head, "Know what?" Mance finished warming his hands and took one of hers, leading her to sit down, "Your brother was once a traitor to the Night's Watch, still is in my mind." Sansa frowned, "Mance, my brother-" He continued, "The boy was captured by some of my best men, one being a woman named Ygritte. She had fire hair like yours, a rarity among the clan of Wildlings. Well, she brought him to me and he claimed he wished to fight for the living and for us, so I took him in, gave him a new cloak, and he traveled with us for awhile. As far as I know, he fucked the girl and then he changed his mind about being one of us. Within a few months he was running back to Castle Black with a few arrows in his back, as Ygritte told me."

Sansa could not believe what she was hearing; Jon was not only a traitor to Castle Black, but the Wildling's he married her into. She stared at the floor and Mance watched her, "Your brother may have lied to you and I didn't want it to continue, Sansa." He watched her look at him before she finally whispered,

"Where is this Ygritte?"

"Dead. After he ran off back to Castle Black with his tail between his legs, I had my men attack them full force. I lost men and giant's and Ygritte. Jon came to me after the battle and told me he was sent to negotiate a price to stop this battle and when I asked about the girl, he said she was killed, but not by his hand. That was when talk of the Wall and the North came into play-"

"And I was the prize."

Sansa looked up at Mance before standing and pacing the hut, "So, you are telling me that my own brother is a traitor to not only Castle Black, but to this clan and you let him back a second time? Why, Mance?" Mance looked up at her from the bed and smirked, "Because you were the prize, Sansa. I told him that if he wanted me and my men to help him defeat the White Walker's and those that threatened to take the North, he would have to give me something in return and I wanted you." Sansa could not believe her ears, "Why would you want me?" Mance stood and tightened the belt of his coat, "Because I have heard stories of your beauty and of what has happened to you."

"You wanted to save me."

Things were becoming clearer to her now and Sansa could finally understand why she was in the position she was. She wasn't just a pawn in the Game of Thrones anymore, she was a leader in the game. Mance touched her face with his large hand and questioned, "What do you want of me?" Sansa's eyes looked around the room as she thought of what she wanted and finally her answer came, "Bring me Jon Snow."

...

"You have not told me the truth."

Sansa turned and looked at her brother, who stood in the hut doorway, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword and Ghost sitting by his side. He looked from Mance, of whom was standing near the fire, shining one of his daggers, and then back to Sansa, "I don't know what you are speaking of." Sansa walked to him and slapped his face in anger, "You're a liar! I know everything, Jon! I know about Ygritte, I know about the battle at Castle Black. How could you betray not only your men but my people?"

Jon held a hand to his face to rub where he had been hit, "Your people? They weren't your people a few weeks ago!"

Mance stopped cleaning his long dagger and growled, "You better watch your tone boy." He looked at Mance, "What did you tell her?" Sansa was the next to speak, "Everything, Jon. He told me everything. Why would you do this? Jon, please, I want to hear this from you." Jon looked at his little sister and whispered, "I didn't know what to do, Sansa. Craster was giving his babes to the Walker's and I panicked, left Castle Black, and came here." Mance stood form his seat, his shining dagger still in his hand, "You came to me to fight for me and then betrayed me."

Jon turned the blame, "You attacked Castle Black after I did-"

"I have people to get to safety, boy! I told you if my people don't get over the Wall by winter then we will lose hundreds of them! I had to attack Castle Black to try. It's been nearly four month's since the attack and we are still sitting here as if we are waiting to die. Winter is coming, Snow, and we have little time to get over that Wall."

Sansa looked at her brother and whispered, "Jon, please, I understand that you had to do what you did, I understand you loved Ygritte, but please, do not leave our clan. You need to help us." Jon looked at his little sister and looked at how she was wearing the traditional Wildling clothes, he saw she was wearing the ring that Mance gave her during the wedding, but she was not wearing the gift he had given her. In truth, Sansa had forgotten about the small package Jon had given her, and it was lost under the bed, lost when Mance grabbed her and they ended up arguing and fucking until night. Again, Jon shook his head, "I can't help you now, Sansa." Mance walked forward and grabbed his cloak in his hands, pulling Jon to him, "Listen here boy and listen good. You want that army I told you I would give you? You better meet me outside of the woods at first light and leave the crows behind. You have one more chance to redeem yourself and I am doing this for your sister. Look at her!" Mance turned and looked at Sansa and Jon did the same and both saw her standing there with her arms wrapped around herself and her nose red, eyes wide, and wondering what to do or say.

Jon took Mance's hand from his cloak and growled, "I can't help you."

Both Mance and Sansa watched in horror as Jon turned and walked out of the hut and into the storm with his Ghost. Sansa went to run after him, but when she reached outside, she could barely see his black figure in the storm. Sansa screamed, "I trusted you, Jon! My father took you in and raised you to honor your family!" Mance ran after her and wrapped an arm around her waist before lifting her and carrying her back into the warm hut. When he dropped her, she was not crying, but she was angry and pacing the hut like a wolf looking for its meal. She turned to Mance, "He will show tomorrow morning and he will join us for good. Jon won't leave me behind like this."

...

The storm stopped late into the night and once the howling wind was silent, Sansa got up from the bed and placed on Mance's coat, for it was longer and nearly went down to her knees when it was tied. She had no special sleeping gowns, no special shoes to wear, so Sansa was either naked or she slept in fur breeches and one of Mance's tunics. On this night, they had made love, a soft of goodbye before he would leave in the morning, so she found herself naked under his heavy fur coat. Sansa walked to the hut curtains and stepped outside, her feet touching the dust of snow in front of their hut. The trees did their job in shielding them from the worse of the storm, but this late as night, through a certain section of the tree tops, was an opening that showed the stars when it was clear. The skies were clear once more and Sansa looked up to see small stars in the black sky.

"Guide Jon in the right direction, father. Don't allow him to let us stay here during the winter."

Sansa sighed after her little prayer, for they were never answered. Two large naked arms wrapped around her chest and she looked up at see Mance looking down at her, he was naked from the waist up, but being used to the cold, this weather never bothered him. He looked up at the stars and snorted, "Praying, girl?" Sansa sighed and leaned back into his warmth, "Yes, I was. I sometimes wonder why I do, since they are never answered. I used to lie to be able to go by myself to pray in Kings Landing. I said I would pray for Joffrey, but I prayed that he be taken down by my brother." Mance listened to her voice go from sadness to anger and then back to being calm. Her feet were becoming cold and Mance saw her becoming uncomfortable, so he picked her up and carried her back into the hut,

"Will you see me off in the morning?"

She was placed into the bed and he sat down looking down at her, laying there before him with her long hair out and his coat wrapped around her. Sansa smiled, "Of course I will." Her voice was teasing, but Mance's expression did not change as he looked at her. She sighed, "I will be there to see you and the others off, I swear it, I just wish you weren't leaving." He placed his hand on the belt of coat she was wearing, slowly untying it as he questioned, "And will you miss me?" Sansa watched his hand untie her coat and she slowly answered, "I will." Sansa eyed him, wondering what he was doing since they had just made love and she was still tired from it, but he simply pushed the coat to the side to show her to him. He looked at her body and mumbled,

"I will be gone for a few weeks."

Sansa breathed out, "I know." Mance nodded and looked away from her, "Let's get to sleep, Sansa." He watched his wife move over in the bed so he could lay next to her and once under the covers, he turned on his side to look at her just as she did the same. Sansa smiled at him, "Goodnight." After she closed her eyes and her breathing became heavy, he hovered his hand over her hair, barely touching her, and he whispered, "You don't understand."

...

Sansa hated goodbyes.

She never got to say goodbye to her family, but this goodbye would be easy, wouldn't it? Sansa stood next to Mance just out of the treeline and in the little sun that was showing through the gray clouds above them. She was dressed in a gown of gray and dark blue, a fur cloak upon her shoulders. She looked at her husband and noticed he was wearing a different and darker colored fur coat, but she said nothing of it. A team of thirty clan men stood near them and they were simply watching the Wall tunnel, waiting for Jon to walk through. Mance looked up at the sky, "It is past sunrise and he is not yet here. I will give him only a few minutes more before I have to leave. In order to reach the mountains by nightfall, we need to leave as soon as we can." Sansa held her breath and stared at the tunnel,

"Please, Jon, please."

She repeated that in her mind until finally she saw the tunnel opening. Sansa cried out and grabbed Mance's arm, "Look!" All of them looked to the tunnel and saw Jon dressed in his Wildling furs walking to them. He had kept them from when Ygritte shot him with arrows and he had mended the back of the coat. After several moment's, he stopped in front of them, "I'm sorry."

He was looking at Sansa and she took his hand, "What made you change your mind?" Jon smiled, "I dreamed of father." Sansa smiled and hugged him close, but Mance interrupted, "Welcome back, Snow. Let this be known as your last chance." Tormund walked forward, "If you lie to me again, boy, Mance will not be able to stop me from killing you with your own sword." Sansa whispered to Jon, "Please, do not disappoint me, Jon." Mance cleared his throat, "Well then, it is time to get going." Jon nodded and knew that Mance and Sansa would need to say goodbye, so he backed away as Mance stepped forward.

Sansa clasped her gloved hands in front of her and she cleared her throat, "I hope you have a successful trip, husband." He frowned at how proper she was being and he answered, "I am sure it will be successful, wife." She was silent for a moment as she bit her lip, trying to find the words to say. When Sansa was young and her father had to travel away, her mother would simply wish him well, give him a chaste kiss, and walk away into the castle, for they were always in front of other soldiers and people of the castle. So Sansa did just that, she had wished him well, now she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek, "May you return in good health." Mance nearly growled at how she was acting and he knew it was because they were in front of the others and she wanted to act like a proper Queen. He leaned down and hissed into her ear,

"I may not return at all, girl. This mission shall be dangerous and sometimes men don't return. If you want to be proper and perfect in front of everyone that is your choice, but you'll miss me when I'm dead. Just then will you realize you didn't truly show me how you cared."

Her face was of shock as he continued still, "You know I care for you and I know you care for me in return, but if you wish not to tell me that, that is because you are too stubborn to admit it." He pulled away and bent down, giving her a small kiss on her cheek in return, "Rest well, wife, for I will be fine." Mance turned and began to walk away, Tormund and Jon following him, but Jon turned and waved to her. The other clan men began to follow and just as they reached about twenty feet away, Sansa began to panic.

He was leaving and she didn't tell him. All of these emotions that she had been holding in were finally coming forth as she watched him walk away from her. Sansa began to breathe heavy as she thought of their time together, making love, walking hand in hand, going to the Godswood, and now he was leaving her and he may not come back. Sure, she married him because she was doing duty, but now it had turned into so much more. Sansa grabbed some of her gown in her left hand and called out, "Wait!" They kept walking and Mance did not hear her, so she began to run towards him, "Mance, wait!" She ran through the snow and called out once more,

"Mance!"

He finally heard her and stopped to turn and when he saw her running after him, the good of her fur coat falling off her head and he called to his men, "Stop!" Mance began to walk to her as Sansa ran to him and as she finally made it to him, she jumped into his arms, her arms wrapping around his neck and his around her waist. He slowly put her down and she began to speak, "I'm sorry! I should have said it sooner, but I was so scared that I didn't know that I meant it. I don't want you to leave without knowing this-"

"Sansa, say it."

She smiled, "I love you. I truly love you and I never thought I would even be saying these words to you and if you don't love me in return, that is fine, but please don't-" Her words were cut off when he leaned down and kissed her to silence her. She held his face with her hands as they kissed with passion. They finally separated and Mance was the next to speak, "I love you as well, Sansa." His voice cracked a bit as he said those words and Sansa knew it was because of his love for her. He held her face in his hands,

"I never thought I would love you as well, girl, but you have sucked me into your trap."

Sansa laughed and kissed him again, "Now go, Mance, go and come back to me so I can kiss you when you return."

...

It was dark now and Joanna made her way through the trees to find Sansa leaning against one, looking out at the way Mance and the others went. She sighed, "No use standing out here all night." Sansa looked at her friend and smiled, "I was just going to turn to go back. I should've told him sooner." Joanna knew what she was talking of and she chuckled, "Aye, you should've, but did you know before today?" Sansa slowly shook her head, "No, I didn't, but still I feel as though I was too late."

"You weren't too late, Sansa. Mance loves you and I think he has since the day he saw you. Don't worry, he'll return. He's done these missions since you were a babe."

Sansa rolled her eyes and took her friends arm before walking with her back to the village, "You didn't help by telling me that."

Joanna spent the night in Sansa and Mance's hut, keeping her Queen company during her first night alone. As Joanna slept, Sansa noticed Mance's original fur coat left on the table with the small package from Jon that she thought she had lost on top of it. After putting on the fur coat, she opened up the box and a small carved wooden charm fell out onto her palm. A cord was attached, making it a necklace, and it was a small white charm shaped as Ghost and she smiled. She missed Lady, her direwolf, and she was jealous that Jon was able to keep his, but she could do nothing to change the fact that Lady was gone. She felt bad for Ghost, he was locked away at Castle Black while Jon was with the clan. Sansa knew she would have to change that and get aGhost back. She put it back in the box and placed it on the table before she crawled into the bed and found she could not fall asleep, not while Mance was out there in the cold and snow.

...

ok, just to clear some things up...Yes there was a battle at Castle Black, people that died in the show did not die in this story. I hope you enjoyed this...more action to come. Also, Jon is going with the clan once more, yes he has been given another chance.. Mance does not really trust him yet, but he left ghost behind at Castle Black, which Sansa will have to take care of. Thanks to my friend Rachael for some great ideas!