Spoiler-y for next week's episode, I think...Borrowed heavily from GRRM for this, so credit goes to him.

Chapter 10

Too Late to Turn Back

Parting had been difficult, but Juliette felt relieved to be wanted. She hadn't wanted to burden Jojen as he continued to guide Bran, but the fact that he insisted he insisted she stay "We need you here," he told her privately. Which was like saying, "I need you."

While they hadn't discussed the her declaration of love, it was clear that they had long passed the stage when they were merely friends, the way they had been in Greywater Watch. And everyone knew it.

After leaving the Gifts, they next journeyed to Nightfort. Bran showed some uneasiness about traveling there, to "the end of the world", as he called it. But Meera shook it off as "just another castle", despite legends of ghosts that abounded. Meera offered to go scouting, to see if they could find an open gate somewhere.

"We might as well explore the place, since we're here," Jojen suggested.

Leading Juliette by the hand, with Hodor behind pulling Bran, and Summer taking the rear, the looked around. This was the sort of place she imagined going on a quiet, romantic outing. Somewhat dark and scary, but only just enough to make snuggling up a necessity. There were lots of dark doors, and if weren't for the rats, she would have suggested coming back again when their quest had ended. There were fallen towers, and a library full of more rats instead of books. Everything from the Great Hall to the bathhouse seemed antiquated and crumbling.

When Meera returned, Jojen immediately pressed her for details. She described a haunted forest and wild hills, as well as a lake. But then she turned to Bran. "I'm not sure this is the place..."

"We might as well stay here," Juliette said. "If it's not the place, we can sort it out later. It's getting dark."

"Why don't we sleep in the kitchens?" Jojen suggested. "The shelter there will be better. And Bran can rest against the tree."

The weirwood tree in the kitchens looked more like a well, but it would serve all the same.

"But it will be cold at night..." Bran said.

"I suppose we could sleep close together," Meera said flippantly. "But Jojen has dibs on Juliette, so stay away! But no groping in the kitchen! That last incident was rather scarring."

"We weren't groping," Jojen said flatly.

"Whatever you say," Bran chortled, in a lighter mood now.

They settled down to dinner: fish Meera had caught along the way. Juliette remained nuzzled up on Jojen's shoulder for the entire meal. He occasionally passed a skwer in front of her mouth, feeding her. She could hear Bran's disgusted sigh and Hodor's disgusted "Hodor" in the backround. But she didn't care. It was nice to have a moment like this.

"We should get to bed," he said once they had finished. "Perhaps I'll have a greendream that will guide us in the right direction."

"And if you can't sleep, there someone who can help with that!" Meera exclaimed. She and Bran exchanged smirks.

"Shut it," Jojen snapped.

Juliette's jaw dropped. Had he just lost his temper? Did love turn people crazy, the way she'd often heard they did?

Jojen slept like a rock for a while. Perhaps it had been a mistake to sleep so close to Juliette, despite the chill. It had definitely been a mistake to dally with her when he was certain the others were asleep.

They hadn't done anything thoroughly compromising, but they had gone farther than they did before in the woods. He lifted her blouse, trailing kisses up her belly until he reached bare breasts. And those beauties...he had done unspeakable things to them.

They both were hungry for more, but this was not the time or the place. He stifled her passionate moans with a fierce kiss. "On our wedding night, my love."

They drifted off to sleep after this. His mind was full of her: returning home with her to Greywater Watch, marrying her, raising a family with her by his side.

Therefore, there was no greendream that night. At least none that pertained to the mission. Instead, he dreamed of her.

It seemed that he had become Lord of Greywater Watch, because his father was nowhere in sight. Meera was there, however, teaching a little boy with dark hair and bright green eyes how to shoot a bow. He looked to be no more than three years old, and he already was as good as his aunt.

He entered the hut. Juliette lay on the bed, a baby in her arms, with a small tuft of red hair. She was a bit older than he remembered her, but just as beautiful.

"Oh, look, Lara, there's Papa!" He approached her bedside to have a look at Lara.

"They're both so beautiful," he said, taking both both mother and daughter in an embrace.

Then, their son raced inside. "Can I have a hug too?"

'Just like his aunt, this one," Juliette said with a laugh.

"HODOR!" That came out of nowhere. And woke him, snapping him back to reality and out of his dream. His eyes snapped open, to see the others all awake - Bran standing - and on the other side of the well, there was a scream. Something - or someone - was there.

Meera went to stand over him, stabbing him with her spear. "Who's there?"

"I'm Sam..." he sobbed.

Jojen fed sticks to the fire until they flared up again. Then, they saw a girl with him, pale, pretty, and about Meera's age, except for the fact that she had a squalling baby in her arms.

They soon found out that this Sam was a brother of the Night's Watch, and that girl's name was Gilly. They claimed they were sent by someone named Coldhands to find Bran. Soon, Sam realizes that Bran is the one.

"You're Jon's brother!"

"That boy is dead," Jojen said.

"Please don't tell," Bran pleaded.

He promised. Noticing Summer, he offered him a sausage. Summer accepted and gave Sam's hand a lick. Thar seemed to convince Bran.

"We're going with you."

"All of you?'

"Yes," Juliette said. "Where he goes, we go."

It was decided. Gilly was going to stay behind with her baby, and Sam would come back for her. Thus, they started climbing down the well, Jojen and Juliette going hand in hand.

After a few twists and turns, at last they came to the Black Gate, though it was actually made of white weirwood with an old, wrinkled face on it.

Suddenly, the door opened its white eyes. "Who are you?"

Sam responded quickly, describing the very thing a brother of the Night's Watch was. The door smiled.

"Then, pass." The smile got wider, and the face more wrinkled, and Juliette yelped, quickly grasping Jojen's arm as Sam waved him through ahead of him.

"You're sure about this?" he asked, pulling her aside.

"If you are, I am," she said firmly. "We've been through too much to turn back."

He didn't know whether she was referring to the mission or their actions the previous night.