Game of Thrones: Not So Different – Arya

Chapter 7 of my Game of Thrones collaboration, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

Chapter 7

As they approached Arya's ward, Ned and Cat shared a worried look, unsure about what to expect. They had talked to the others and, despite their concerns, they agreed to wait until next time. It was still too soon and they didn't want to overwhelm Arya with too much, with too many visitors.

Entering the room Catelyn bit her lip, feeling her heart break, when she saw her baby girl. Arya was sitting upright in the bed, but to see her like this. Arya was so pale now, already skinny she was now frightfully thin, she had dark shadows beneath her eyes and, although the bandages were gone, those scars were still clearly visible on her wrists.

"Arya..." She said, cautiously.

Arya looked up and froze, Catelyn couldn't help but feel dismayed at the fear in her daughter's eyes.

"M-mum...Dad…?" She whispered.

Ned managed a small smile as he approached and sat down next to the bed. "Yes, we're here Arya."

"But, I...what…?" Arya stammered as Cat also took a seat.

"Arya, we came to see you. We needed to..." She began.

Arya fixed them both with a look that seemed somewhere between devastation and anger.

"Why?" She asked blandly. "Why suddenly care, why..."

Cat shook her head. "Arya, we never...we were wrong, so wrong..."

Arya looked at them carefully, and Ned and Cat couldn't help but feel dismayed all over again.

She looked so broken, so tired.

"You hated me..." She whispered.

That was too much for Cat, she felt herself breaking down. "Arya, we didn't...hate you, we just..."

No further words could come, in the end Cat just acted. Arya tensed as her mother hugged her but then, it was like something broke within her. She returned the hug, breaking down too, Ned also joined in and they remained that way for some time.

"Why did you…?" Arya choked out.

Ned replied softly. "We were wrong Arya, we never, we shouldn't have acted the way we did. This has all been terrible for you, we were wrong, there are no excuses."

Cat agreed. "Yes, no excuses, but, we'll do whatever it takes now, to fix this somehow. To make it up to you, in any way we can."
It was only after they parted and Arya wiped the tears away, that she seemed to really think.

"You, you're serious...I can tell, you, you want to, but, how can I just..." She began.

Cat shook her head. "I know Arya, you have every right to be suspicious, and angry. But we, we want to prove it and we are going to be here for you. I promise."

Arya sighed; it was actually surprising to her, to hear this. She always thought her family had turned against her, that they were upset with her. Yet everything she was hearing, seeing, even feeling here, seemed to prove the opposite.

Smiling lightly, feeling somewhat better for the first time since she arrived at the institute, Arya nodded.

"I...mum, dad..." She began hesitantly. "I don't know yet, if I can...But I am glad you're here."

They smiled and hugged again, this time in relief. Arya couldn't deny, it was still painful, the memories, but she had hope at last now and not only that, she was glad to finally reconcile with her parents. As the hug ended, they lapsed into silence again, this time it was more companionable than tense.

Finally Arya bit her lip. "But, everyone else...Robb, Sansa, Bran, Rickon, they…?"

"They feel the same as us Arya...Sansa especially." Ned explained. "I know you probably will find that difficult to take in. But it'll be better when you hear it from her."

"Where are they, and, and Gendry, is he…?" Arya began.

Cat nodded, explaining. "They're all here Arya. It's just, given everything you went through, what we heard from this place, what they told us when they said we could finally visit. We didn't want to have you face too much at once."

"I..." Arya began, before sighing. "I guess I understand. But, next time…?"

"Definitely." Cat agreed.

Arya managed a small smile at that. Cat however couldn't help but feel sorrow at their current situation.

'I still failed her, failed my little girl. Now look at her, stuck in a mental hospital.' She reflected sadly. 'Oh Arya, I swear, I will find out who caused this to us, but most importantly...I will help you, no matter what.'

It was then Ned began asking Arya about her stay at the institute, about the nurses, the treatment.

"Everything's okay dad. It, I know they mean well and are trying to help." Arya admitted. "But sometimes I feel like they don't really understand me. That said things have got better lately and, well, they feel I can have visitors now."

Cat bit her lip. 'She was nearly getting worse, they didn't understand her. How could I just have left her here, I should've have...but, she said things got better, are getting better.'

She felt that maybe, there was hope after all.

As they sat for a while longer Arya then suddenly ask.

"Are...are Kevan and Dorna Lannister here?"

They were startled by this.

"Y-yes, they are, how did you…?" Ned began.

Arya replied. "One of their...sons is here, he, he's practically neighbours with me. We've talked, a few times...It was actually talking to him that helped, we understood each other."

"Ah, I see..." Cat replied. "Yes, they are here to see Lancel, they should be with him just now."

Arya nodded at that. "Good, they are who he needs most right now."

Ned and Cat couldn't help but agree. When visiting time was over, Cat and Ned were hesitant to leave, but Arya's words gave them some hope, yet in light of everything they had learned recently, especially in light of their own roles in Arya ending up in the institute, it added some bitterness to the sweet feeling.

"I'll...look forward to seeing the others next time...and, can't wait to go home."

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.