Author: Akara. Idea belongs to: Redcandle17. Translation: Perelynn.
Note from the translator: I have a favour to ask of you. If you're reading these series, please leave a comment. Not necessarily a lengthy one, 'like' or '+' will suffice. I just need to have a feel of my audience. Thank you!
Once again, Dontos offered Sansa to join them at their table. Once again, she refused. Now the girl sat with her head propped on her hand, and watched Renly's company chat and laugh merrily. Jaime and Brienne next to her were engrossed into a whispering conversation, sniggering and exchanging conspiratorial looks. Sandor, as always, sat leafing through his car magazine.
Deep inside Sansa wanted nothing more than to arm herself with mashed potato and send it flying into the boy's forehead, just like Arya did to her when they were little. But, of course, she couldn't do anything of this sort. A girl must remember her manners.
Maybe, she is doing something wrong? Mister Luwin said if you don't like how another person treats you, try to analyze your own behaviour first.
It was frustrating she and Sandor had so little in common. They had almost nothing to talk about. On the other hand, Sansa reasoned, she never asked Sandor about his interests. This car magazine, for example, he buys a copy every month and reads it through and through.
'Anything interesting in this one?' she asked him, trying to look genuinely curious.
It took Sandor a long moment to realize she was speaking to him.
'Well...' He looked embarrassed. 'Um. Nah, not really.'
'Still. I'd like to know,' Sansa assured him.
'Well. It's mostly about various cars, car industry news, new models, tires and oils... all tech stuff.'
Sandor looked pleased to talk about it, though cautious not to overload her with details. But soon he stopped, and was now sitting and eyeing her dreamily, as if mesmerised.
'And you're trying to pick something for yourself?" she prompted, hoping to feed the dying fire of conversation with a new log.
'I... guess,' he managed.
'So, which one do you like best?'
Sandor blinked and averted his eyes.
'I'll decide when I make enough money to buy it,' he snapped.
'I bet you have favorites!' Sansa said, hating to give up.
'What do you care if I do?' Sandor cut off sharply.
Sansa could only open her mouth helplessly. Coming up with an answer was beyond her capabilities at the moment.
'What do you mean, Sandor?' Jaime butted in. 'Of course, she cares! Your friend is curious what you will be giving her a ride on!'
Clegane glowered at him.
'I need a car not because I want to give somebody a ride! And Sansa is not my girlfriend!' he spat furiously and then stopped short. Without looking at her, Sandor turned a page noisily and buried himself into the magazine. And Jaime didn't even say 'your girlfriend'.
Sansa felt tears swelling in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
'I don't need any rides from you,' she said firmly. 'If you think that's the way to charm a girl, think again. You need common grounds for this. You and I have none. And there are tons of interesting things in the world apart from car magazines. Art, for example!'
At the last word of her speech, Sansa got up, clutched her tray and went to the table where Dontos sat. She wouldn't look at Sandor, but she heard Jaime whistle, and she saw Brienne give the boy a reproachful nudge.
Brienne rushed through the locker's depth hurriedly, throwing its contents into her bag. Jaime was waiting for her at the gates. Today he was giving her a ride again, and even promised to pick her up at the Holy Goodness Church after she's done!
She was so busy with her thoughts and things that it took her a while to notice a junior who was watching her from around the corner. She had hard time remembering who he was. At some point, however, the locker door hit her injured elbow and the fight with Gregor Clegane flared vividly in her memory. Of course! Podrick Payne. The shy boy she stood up for. He returned her lost pen to her through Sansa later.
Brienne reacted the same was as yesterday, with Jaime. She pretended she didn't notice the tail, zipped up her backpack and walked along the corridor. Podrick pressed himself against the wall; Tarth almost passed him when she turned abruptly in his direction. She didn't even need to grab him by the collar like she did with Jaime. Her stare was enough to render the poor boy unmovable.
'Are you following me?' she asked sternly.
'I... n-no... I am not...' He blinked furiously, looking at his boots, and blushed.
'Every day I get the attention of some maniac. What a stroke of luck,' Brienne thought. She already regretted scaring the boy.
'Don't be afraid. I'm not Gregor Clegane. I won't hurt you.' She put her hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him down.
'Thank you for this. I mean, not for this. For... well, for this, too. But also for your help. Against Clegane.'
'Don't mention it. I only did what I should.' Brienne waved his thanks away, though deep inside she was pleased. 'Were you stalking me to say thanks?'
'Yes. I mean no.' Pod started mumbling again and his cheeks turned even redder, impossible as it was. 'I mean yes. But not only this. Here...' He offered Brienne a 'Twix' candy he was hiding in his pocket.
'What is this?' Brienne asked, astonished, despite the fact the answer was obvious.
'For you. A candy. Well, not a candy. Two candies. A 'Twix'.'
'Thank you. It's so... nice of you,' Brienne said, remembering Sansa's favorite word. What is she supposed to do now? 'Let's eat it together!'
'No!' Her suggestion scared Pod so much the boy unglued his gaze from his boots and looked up at her. 'This is for you!'
The boy slid from between the wall and Brienne and ran away. Apparently he got really worried she'd force his share of 'Twix' on him.
The red Peugeot pulled over on the street next to the one where the Holy Goodness Church stood. For some reason Brienne didn't want anybody to see her and Jaime together. People will start talking. Everybody will think they are going out, while in fact...
Well, in fact she didn't know what exactly was happening between them. Frankly, she wasn't an expert on what was supposed to happen when two people were dating; but she strongly suspected that 'going out' looked pretty much like what she and Jaime were doing these days.
Whatever. They are constantly seen together at school; that's already too much. Maybe Jaime doesn't even think of dating her. It may be one of his evil pranks. And even if it isn't, it still might not work. The less people know about it, the easier will be the retreat if something goes wrong!
'I'd prefer to drop you at the Church entrance,' Jaime told her again.
He looked so funny with the black eye she gave him yesterday! In the morning, when he was picking her up, he asked her for some tonal cream to mask the bruise. Brienne laughed when she was dabbing the cream in, while the boy looked at her with strange affection.
'No, I'm fine,' Brienne shook her head.
'Are you afraid the nuns and your hypocrite friends will accuse you of adultery?' Jaime challenged her.
The girl blushed and got out of the car without saying goodbye, slamming the door loudly.
'You're welcome, Brie!' Jaime called after her archly. He waved his hand and the car went away.
She knew Jaime would have to go to the end of the block and then back because of the long metal fence recently erected along the double line. Most likely the boy will signal and wave to her again when passing by on the other side of the street. For some reason this thought made Brienne's lips form a stupid wide smile. The smile seemed especially ridiculous when she saw Gregor Clegane's gang coming her way, their leader first. They were talking loudly, sprouting obscenities and making very little sense, though it never hindered their booming laughter. Brienne secretly hoped they would pass without noticing her. But when she lined up with Clegane, the hope withered.
'Oh, look! Gorilla female!' Gregor guffawed, blocking her way.
'Why do you think it's a female? Maybe it's a he-gorilla!' Raff the Sweetling supplied. 'You cannot tell by the clothes, and we never got under them!'
Brienne, indeed, was dressed in a pair of old wide jeans, male T-shirt and a jacket. Cooking for homeless in Holy Goodness Church was not exactly the right place to wear the nice clothes Sansa and her bought together. Brienne didn't want the pretty things to get dirty or battered.
'Female I say!' Gregor favored Raff the Sweetling with a smack on the back of his head. 'Only female gorilla would stood up for a weakling!'
The whole gang, Chiswick, Polliver, Dancen and Tickler included, roared with laughter.
'Did you watch too much National Geographic lately?' Brienne retorted, but they ignored her.
'Look at those lips, at those eyes! Gorilla with a makeup! I bet she wanted to get herself pretty for you, Greg!' Dancen winked. The boys laughed again, surrounding Brienne.
'Let's find out what she hides under those rugs,' the Tickler suggested, taking a clasp knife out of his pocket. 'We can shred them, too!'
'Get off me bugger!' Brienne bellowed at him. She knocked the knife out of his hand with her foot and then threw a haymaker at him to add to the bargain.
'You bitch!' the Tickler roared, blood sputtering from his broken lip.
Polliver grabbed her elbows and yanked them back. Brienne answered by hitting him squarely in the nose by the back of her head with all her strength. Something cracked; she heard a shout and a gurgle. Polliver let go off her arms.
Tarth's next move was to make the handsome face of Ruff the Sweetling slightly uglier, but Gregor Clegane jumped at her, hitting her in the chest with his shoulder and slamming a fist into her belly. The girl wailed in pain and hit the sidewalk.
Polliver wasted no time before kicking her in the back. Raff the Sweetling added a kick in the belly. Brienne barely managed to block it by bending her knees.
Brakes squealed on the other side of the street. Brienne caught a glimpse of the red Peugeot pulling over madly with a corner of her eye.
'No-o-o!' she gasped, dismayed.
Not Jaime! He doesn't have a chance against them! He'll just get in trouble himself!
'No, eh? I think yes!' Clegane misinterpreted her meaning and gave Brienne a kick so strong it sent her skidding along the sidewalk. Blinded by the pain, Tarth was sure the feet bones were now a mash.
Lannister darted out of the car, leapt over the metal fence lining the double line, and took a running jump at Clegane, taking him off his feet. Possibly he also managed to punch him in the guts, but then Jaime was dragged away by Chiswick and Dancen. Raff the Sweetling jabbed him immediately, while Gregor, getting to his feet, returned the punch in the guts.
Lannister wheezed and coughed, but still managed to jump and slam Clegane in the chest with both his feet. Then he fell onto Chiswick and Dancen who were still holding his shoulders from both sides, and they all heaped on the floor.
Polliver darted to help, but Brienne grabbed his legs, sending him down. She jerked forward, getting closer to his face, and added some new bruises to it.
Raff the Sweetling yanked her up by the shoulders, but she elbowed him in the ribs. The next thing she knew was a blow in her head from the Tickler.
Chiswick and Dancen mobbed Jaime. Clegane was getting up, eyeing both Lannister and Tarth, trying to decide whom to attack first.
A police car pulled over next to them, with its lights off and its siren silent. Nobody paid it any mind until four policemen rushed out.
Apparenly someone who was driving by called the police. Polliver, Dancen and Jaime got separated with almost no fuss except for a couple of shouts and punches. Raff the Sweetling dropped Brienne and tried to escape, but was caught and bound by two policemen. The Tickler jerked his hands up at once, meanwhile kicking his knife away before anyone could see the blade. Only Gregor Clegane had the wits to fight a policeman. When two of them ran after Raff the Sweetling, he decided the other two will make an easy shot. He could even be right, but another police car braked next to them this every moment, and Clegane had to face six policemen instead of two. He was put down and handcuffed.
A slim grey-eyed dark-haired youth did the questioning and filled the papers for all the fighters. Then they were taken to the cells (Brienne and Jaime into one, Clegane and his gang into another) and told they were to stay there until their parents come for them. The Head of the police station went around the cells and signed all the paperwork. The man was lean and fit, his eyes blue-grey, his features sharp. He looked a little bit like the boy who filed them in.
Jaime and Brienne huddled together on the narrow wood bench screwed to the floor. The bench at the opposite wall was taken by a muttering bum bent almost twice over and a drugged-looking cross-eyed boy with his head tilted on one side and his hands trembling. On the floor under it there was some drunk, snoring loudly.
'Whaf a company,' Jaime whispered with a slight lisp because of the broken lip. Brienne sighed her agreement. 'But sfill, itf beffer than arounf fhe corner.'
They couldn't see the cell occupied by Clegane thugs, but they could hear it very well. Soon a broad-shouldered stern-looking policeman walked there and told them, very explicitely, what will happen if they do not shut up, sparing the whole station their endless obscene rant.
Then Jaime and Brienne's cell was approached by the young boy who did the paperwork.
'Are you Brienne Tarth?' he asked, as if the form he was holding in his hands was somehow untrustworthy.
'Yes,' she replied tentatively and felt Jaime's hand give hers a squeeze.
'Friend of Sansa Stark?'
That was unexpected. And suspicious. But Brienne still answered.
'Yes,' she replied.
The yound policeman nodded and went away. He came back in half an hour and opened the door.
'Brienne Tarth, you're free to go,' he said.
'But... how... my parents are here already?'
'No. And they won't be. You're a victim and we cannot detain you any further.'
'Yes, but...' Brienne got up uncertainly. Her feet sent a spasm of pain through her body. At least they were not broken like she thought when she got hit. She approached the door but didn't make any move to leave.
'I'm a victim, foo!' Jaime Lannister objected, getting to her side. 'Here, look!' he gestured at his broken lip, bruises on his bare arms and even the black eye from yesterday.
'You're still under investigation,' the young policeman frowned.
'But Jaime stood up for me!' Brienne said indignantly. 'It's not his fault Clegane and his gang started the fight! It was they who mobbed him!'
'The guys over there,' the policeman made a short nod in the direction of Clegane's cell, 'say the opposite.'
'Why do you let me go, then?' Brienne pressed. 'Jaime and I were together! I won't go anywhere without him!'
Lannister shot her a surprised glance, gave her a sharp tug by the hand and mimicked: 'Stop this nonsense!'. But Tarth didn't give two craps about his noble gesture. This was not fair, and she would have none of it!
The young policeman sniffed irritably, stepped into the cell, grabbed Brienne by the other hand and dragged her out.
'Why-why,' he whispered vehemently. 'Because Sansa is my sister, that's why. And you're her friend. I lost half an hour trying to talk Uncle Benjen out of calling your parents and filing a record, and you now want to ruin all my efforts!'
It was so unexpected Brienne forgot to resist. She only felt her fingers slid out of Jaime's weakened hand.
The bum stopped muttering for a moment and whistled. The drugged boy tilted his head to the opposite side, giving the girl a short, almost senseless glance in the process. The drunk just kept snoring.
'Can I stay here until Jaime is let out?' she asked dolefully while the young policeman barred the door again.
'Okay, stay,' he sighed, then gave her a long calculating stare. 'Wait here.'
In a couple of minutes he came back with a small chair in one hand and some coffee in a paper cup in the other.
'Here. Take a seat, take a sip. I'd get you a cupcake, but the buffet is across the road, and I'm on duty and cannot go anywhere. If anybody asks you what are you doing here, tell them you have a permission from Benjen Stark and send them to me. I'm Jon Snow.'
'Thanks a lot!' Brienne said, astonished.
Of course! She should have guessed! Sansa's half-brother. She only just made peace with him! She told Brienne his name was Jon, and he was a policeman.
'Don't mention it,' The dark-haired boy averted his grey eyes, slighly embarrased. 'If you need me, I'm behind that door.'
Tarth placed the chair right against the bars, Jaime moved to the corner of his bench, and, once again, they sat very close to each other.
'I never knew you were so well-connected, Brienne,' Lannister smirked. 'If my father finds out some Tarth girl was let go without a record and earlier than his son, he'll gall all over!'
The girl decided to let 'some Tarth girl' slip and offered the boy some coffee. The paper cup didn't fit between the bars, so Brienne had to tilt it and wait while Jaime was drinking it, his brow and cheeks against the rusty steel.
'Great, Brie!' he exclaimed when he finished half of the cup. The other half was, apparently, left for her. 'If I ever get to jail again, I hope you'll keep me company!'
'Shush!' Tarth said nervously, wondering if this was a threat or a compliment. Her stomach gurgled, interrupting her thoughts.
'I wouldn't turn down a cupcake, that's for sure,' Jaime agreed with Brienne's belly.
The girl's fingers brushed against the 'Twix' in the pocket of her jacket. Is it very bad to share with someone the candy given to her by another? But it would be so stupid to go hungry...
'This is outrageous! You had no right to retain Jaime Lannister without a sufficient reason!' Jaime's uncle Kevan Lannister repeated again. Jaime's father, Tywin, was just standing there silent but intimidating nevertheless. Captain Benjen Stark answered all their questions with cool courtesy, pointing out that the words of Clegane and his gang gave him a sufficient enough reason.
The door to the room where the conversation was taking place stood open. Brienne and Jaime could hear everything and see almost everything.
Tywin Lannister hold up a hand, putting the conversation to an end, and then went directly towards the cell where Clegane sat along with this thugs. Mr Lannister moved in wide, sure strides; when he passed by the cell occupied by his son, he shot him a short glance, but never deigned to look at the girl.
In a couple of minutes Gregor and his buddies changed their words, and Jaime, along with Brienne, was listed as a victim.
'Let Gregor Clegane go, too, in about two hours,' Tywin Lannister commanded. 'I'll sign the papers.'
'It should be his father signing the papers and taking him out,' Captain Stark objected.
'His father works for me, and I'm not letting him leave earlier to waste the time at police stations,' Jaime's father replied coldly.
'You'd better do what he says,' Kevan Lannister suggested.
Benjen Stark gritted his teeth, but allowed the Lannister to sign all the papers. When Jon Snow let Jaime out of the cell, the father looked at the son with visible disapproval.
'Was it worth it to maim yourself so for that scarecrow?' he spat with contempt though he never looked at Brienne.
'Father! Brienne is not a scarecrow, and she's my friend!' Jaime retorted.
'We'll talk at home,' Tywin Lannister cut off. 'You shamed me enough already, at here.'
When Lannisters left, Brienne thought she would cry. But Jon Snow approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.
'Don't mind them,' he said. 'Almost all rich people are like that. Full of arrogance and disdain. They sooner strangle themselves than mingle with people of lower rank. Do you live far from here?'
Brienne told him her father's address. Jon smiled.
'Can you wait for half an hour? I'll be off soon. I'll give you a ride, if you don't mind coming home in a police car.'
At home, Brienne took a shower. Her father helped her clean her wounds and pulled an icepack out of the freezer.
'Oh, kiddo,' he sighed. 'Who did you take after I wonder? Not a single day without a fight! You should have been born a boy.'
'I wouldn't mind, Dad. But, unfortunately, nobody asked me.'
Brienne climbed the stairs, got to her room and called Sansa. The Stark girl was horrified when she heard about the incident. She even offered to come visit Brienne and bring some painkillers if nesessary. But Tarth assured her she had everything she needed, and the flow of conversation turned towards boys.
Sansa was sure Jaime stood up for Brienne because he liked her. Tarth was arguing it was a general gesture that any decent person would make, and it cannot be counted as a sign of affection. Then they discussed Jon Snow whose kindness and helpfulness were highly praised. Brienne told her friend the words Jon said to her after Tywin Lannister took Jaime home. Sansa sounded upset at the news.
'Mother and I always treated Jon very poorly,' she said. 'He had no reason to love me, nothing to like me for. However, when I tried to be nicer to him, he instantly stepped in and forgot all bad things I did to him, as if they never happened. He is so awesome! I hope Mom will understand it one day. '
Brienne was doubtful moms are capable of understanding anything except their own misfortunes but she said nothing. After a pause she tentatively asked Sansa about Sandor Clegane.
'I don't understand what he wants from me!' the younger girl said. 'He kissed me when I came to visit him...'
'Kissed you?' Brienne jumped, the icepack sliding down her leg. When Sansa told her about the visit, she chose to omit this little detail.
'Well, yes,' Sansa confirmed reluctuntly.
'How was it?' Brienne asked, suddenly curious.
'Um. I was laying on his bed, and he turned to me and kissed me... very hard, like... like in a movie. Very passionate. And... um. It was cool.'
'I see,' Brienne said though she couldn't quite form a picture in her head. 'Did you like it?'
'Yes,' Sansa replied after giving it some thought.
'Would you want him to do it again?'
The pause was longer this time.
'Yes,' Sansa finally admitted. 'But first I thought I shouldn't let him, I wanted him to correct his ways, to start studying... maybe even to get back into football. And now he treats me as if that kiss was a mistake. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.'
Brienne knew that was the moment for her to say something helpful, to support Sansa somehow, but she couldn't find the words. What a bad friend she was making!
'I hope you two will figure it out,' she managed.
'I don't know,' Sansa sighed. 'Sandor seemed to be jealous of Dontos, but then I went to Hollard's table and Sandor did nothing. I don't get him. If he likes me and he wants to ask me out, I'd expect him to spend more time with me, to pay me more attention.'
'Why do you want him to ask you out?' Brienne always wanted to know the answer to this question.
'I feel safe with him,' Sansa said quietly. 'And he is a good person. I believe he really needs somebody who'd care about him. Someone close. A soulmate.'
It was a weird answer. Brienne always believed girls choose guys because they were nice, interesting, handsome, popular or had rich parents. Sansa was rather unusual for a pretty girl from a wealthy family.
The friends chatted some more, and then said goodnight. But as soon as Brienne hung up, and stretched to return the icepack back to its place on her bruised leg, the phone rang again. The number flickering on the display was unknown to her.
'Yes?' she asked cautiously.
'Brie, is that you?' asked an anxious voice on the other end. It sounded familiar.
'Yes.'
'It's Jaime Lannister. I've been trying to reach you for two hours!' he complained.
'What do you want?' Brienne asked. It wasn't very polite, but the memory of harsh words the boy's father threw at her still prickled. All the same, her heart started to beat faster.
'Brie, I wanted to say sorry. Dad had no right to say such things to you. I don't want you to think I share his opinion. You're great. Not a scarecrow at all! Your eyes are just stunning. Big and blue like... sapphires.' Jaime stopped short, so now she could only hear his uneven breath.
Brienne forced herself to answer.
'Apology accepted,' she replied coldly.
She is not going to bow like a trained dog before those haughty Lannisters! Jaime wanted to save his face - well, he'd done it. But she is not going to pretend the incident never occurred! She is not going to conveniently forget what had happened!
'Brie,' Jaime whispered. He sounded deeply hurt. What a talent! 'Listen to me please. Don't hang up. You may get me wrong, but I... Listen, I've always thought I have the world at my feet. I believed I was the best. I expected the Universe to move on my whim. I played football, I was popular, I was loved. Girls swarmed around me - I could have chosen any one I wanted. And then I got injured. My bad knee means I'll never play football again. Teachers now expect me to actually study to get high marks. It turns out I'm not a nice guy, but a jerk and a narcissistic ass. Those who wanted to be friends with me before, who bore with me when I was a star, gradually dispersed and turned their backs to me. What is worse, my father, who used to be so proud of me, so happy about my success, he now takes me for a loser. And Cersei who was my... well... she now behaves as if she's ashamed of me. We stopped to be... um, we're not that close anymore. I guess my little brother Tyrion is the only one who still treats me the same.
I always teased you and mocked you. After I got hurt I found morbid joy in it. I liked someone to be even more miserable than I was. And then... I don't know how it happened. It's just one day I had a row with my father and Cersei. That day I followed you instead of going home. I found out where you lived. And ever since, whenever I couldn't sleep, which was pretty often, I took a habit to drive to your place. I watched your windows until dawn, and then watched you, how you come out of the building, go jogging, do your chinups. I don't know why, it just made me feel better. I didn't feel that lonely. I still mocked you in school though. I apologize for that. I apologize for everything.'
Brienne listened to all this, transfixed. She never expected Jaime to say anything like that. She never expected the golden Lannister boy to have any problems whatsoever.
'Brie,' Jaime called. 'Say something.'
The girl licked her dry lips, searching for right words.
'Jaime,' she said. 'If you.. if you need someone close... a soulmate, I am willing to be one.'
'Thank you,' the boy said. She has never heard him speak with such intensity before.
