Arya

The last few days had been very challenging for her. Gendry and Jaqen were making things tough for her. They were both pursuing her aggressively. Well aggressively for her. To everyone else it was not enough. She paced in her room thinking about what to do. Gendry asked her to go out to dinner with him before he went and played with his band at the party that night. Jaqen had asked her to go to a gallery opening on Saturday night. They both claimed that they just wanted to go out with her as friends, but she knew that they wanted more. The only good thing to happen to her was that Aegon and Mycella had started dating. That was two weights lifted off her shoulders. She was down one admirer and she was able to keep one best friend.

But despite all the good things going for her she still felt like a wolf lost in winter without her pack. She didn't know who to turn to, who to ask for help. Arya felt more alone now then she had ever felt in Winterfell. At least there she had the wild country of the North to turn to for answers. Since she was at a loss for help she decided to ask the one person she knew she could always turn to for help.

She decided to call Jon. She didn't care that it was ten thirty at night, she knew he would know what to do. She hit his number on her speed dial. It took him seconds to pick up. Before he even said hello she started talking.

"Jon I need your advice."

"Little Wolf do you know what time it is? I have a test to do tomorrow. I really need to be studying." Jon said sounding wary. She could picture him witting behind his desk, books scattered all over the place. His hair would be mussed and he probably had black circles under his eyes.

"I am sorry Jon, but I don't know who else to call." She sounded deflated and sad.

"Is it more boy problems?" Jon asked. He knew everything. She would either text him with questions or send him lengthy emails. It made her feel silly, but she told him about everything, except for the car. That was a surprise.

"Um, yes." She whispered. She was glad he couldn't see how red her face became. It embarrassed her to admit she had boy troubles.

"What happened now? Is there a fourth guy trying to get you?" Jon was smiling, she could tell just by the sound of his voice. If he would have been there she would have smacked him.

"No. I am down an admirer, actually. Aegon and Myrcella are dating. So that's two problems that are resolved. But I still have two guys after me. And the part that I need advice about is that they both asked me out for this weekend. Gendry wants to take me to a gig he is playing, and Jaqen wants to take me to a art thing. They said that they only wanted to go out as friends, but I know that they want more. Should I say no to both or no to one and yes to the other? I mean they are both pretty cool and I have things in common with them both. But I don't know them enough to just date one yet. What do I do Jon?" She was talking so fast that she didn't even stop to take a breath. She even sounded like she was whining.

"Say yes to both. They said that you would only be going out as friends, so say yes to both of them and if you have a good time with one of them more then the other ask that one out to be your steady guy." Jon said. He was calm and rational about it.

"So I just go out with them both, just like that. I couldn't do that." Arya protested. "That's just weird, and cheating. I don't think I can do that."

"You can. Normal people do it all the time. It is called dating Little Wolf. It is all a part of getting older." Jon laughed. He had always told her being older wasn't as fun as she pictured.

"Then I don't want to grow up." She huffed.

"Tough shit sis. It is happening and there is nothing that you can do to stop it." Jon said.

"So I am supposed to date both of them? But isn't that cheating? Won't they get mad?" She started to chew on the end of a pen while she thought about cheating and them getting mad and everything blowing up in her face.

"Just be opened with Jaqen and Gendry. If they really like you they will understand. Tell them you want to get to know them so you really go out as friends. Just don't agree to be anyones girlfriend, because then that would be cheating. You are a smart girl Little Wolf; you will know what is right for you. Just take your time to decide who you want. Do you have any idea which one of these Argonauts that you like better?" Jon asked.

"Gendry is funny. We have a lot in common. He is the best person to work on a car with. He makes me laugh and we joke around a lot. When I kissed him there was something there. He is someone that I can talk to about with all the crazy stuff that pops into my head and we get along great. Plus he is one hell of a good looking guy." Jon groaned on the other end and mumbled something about little sisters and punching faces. "Jaqen is so different. He is so artistic and he helps me do better with my art. He is sensitive and makes me feel like I don't have to be so tough all the time. And he is so passionate about things. He sees the world on a different plane then the rest of us. He isn't the classic definition of hot, but there is something about his looks that is interesting. So you might now get why I don't know what to do Jon." She said.

"You sure know how to pick them Arya. They couldn't sound more different." Jon laughed. "It seems to me that if they were one person he would be perfect for you. Since they are two different guys you do have a problem. I have to get to studying Little Wolf. But if you need anything I am here for you." She knew this was his nice way of brushing her off. He gave her advise and it was now her place to do something about it.

"Okay. Go study. I love you big brother." Arya smiled slightly at her phone. She did love her brother. Before Mycella he had been her best friend.

"I love you to Little Wolf." Jon hung up the phone on his end.

She looked at her blank phone screen for a moment then went back to her desk. She was still unsure of what to do, but she figured that Jon had never given her bad advice before, so she would go with it.

She went to her computer and looked to see who was online. She hoped one of them would be. She looked for the little green lights that indicated a person was available to chat. Gendry was there. She took a deep and got ready to accept the first of two dates. She opened a chat box and quickly typed her question.

So do you still want to have dinner Friday? –Arya

Arya sat back. She had sent it out there. Now she had to wait for him. It felt like she was waiting forever, but she knew it was only seconds really until he answered back.

Yeah. Um, hell yes I do. So do you want to go to a Thai place that I know? Or sushi? Do you like either of them? –Gendry

Arya giggled at how eager that he sounded. It was too cute. Completely different from the cool confidant Gendry that she knew at school.

Thai is fine. Want to meet at five? –Arya

How about six? I have to help load the van for the gig that night. I can pick you up at your house after I do that for Beric. –Gendry

He wanted to come here and pick her up? That sounded more like a real date, not just friends hanging out. She did not want it to be a real date. Did it mean that she had to dress up? What if he tried to hold her hand or kiss her? This wouldn't work. Then a devious thought entered her mind.

Um sure you can pick me up. You can meet my dad! -Arya

He didn't reply right away and Arya couldn't help but smile. She had figured that the idea of meeting her dad would cool him down some and she was right.

Sure, we can do that. –Gendry

Okay. See you tomorrow. Se have major sanding to do on the project. –Arya

Oh crap we do. Well shit. I hate sanding. I am an engine and how a car works kind of a guy, not a body man… Well not a car body at least. –Gendry

Okay you stupid creep. You think about bodies on your own time. I am going to go to bed now. -Arya

Even if its a body you know? -Gendry

Get your mind off my body! -Arya

It wasn't yours I am thinking about. Its Hot Pie's. Okay then. Night, sleep well. –Gendry

You too. –Arya

"Well that was easy." She mumbled to herself.

"What was easy? Hey do you have a red scoop neck long sleeved shirt that I can borrow? I can't find mine and I have a skirt that I need one to wear with it." Sansa asked walking into Aryas room.

"Yeah I have one. It is hanging up in my closet, go ahead and take it." Arya said.

"What was easy? You didn't say." Sansa asked again.

"I said that I would go to dinner with a friend on Friday. That is all." Arya said with a shrug.

"That's nice. You need to go out." Sansa said grabbing the shirt and walking out of the room.

Arya sat down on the bed and looked at her phone and decided to text Jaqen. She found him and typed her text.

Is the invitation to go to the opening still on the table? –Arya

Oh Lovely Girl. Everything is opened to you. –Jaqen

Ha not everything. But I would like to see the art gallery opening. What time is it at on Saturday? –Arya

Five. –Jaqen

Where is it at? Do you want to meet there or someplace else? –Arya

Do you know the 50's themed burger place? –Jaqen

Yeah I do. I love that place. It seems that all my friends go there. Want to meet there? –Arya

I know they all frequent there. Lets meet. That would be good. How about at 4:30? –Jaqen

That sounds perfect. Awesome, I will see you tomorrow in class. –Arya

She had done it. Arya Stark was going to go on two dates in the same weekend. Jon had better be right. She hoped that this helped her decide who she liked more. Now that she had accepted the two contenders dates she thought of the more important aspects of going on a date, hair and clothes. Arya was useless at these things. In a mad rush she ran out of her room and bolted down the hall. She went to the only person in the entire house that would help her.

"Sansa! Sansa I need your help." Arya pounded on her sisters door. Moments later her sister answered. Her face was green with some kind of mask.

"Arya? What is it? What do you want?" Sansa asked.

"I need your help." Arya looked down at her feet.

"What kind of help? Its eleven at night. We have school on the morning." Annoyance was thick in her sisters voice.

"I, um, well I guess you could say I have a date. Two actually. I need your help on picking my outfits and what to do with my hair and make up." Arya felt her face blushing all the way to her hair roots. She swayed from one foot to the other waiting for her sister to speak. Sansa let out a little squeal and pulled her sister into her room. She shut the door and sat her sister down.

"Oh Arya. I am so glad you asked me to help you. Now tell me who you are going out with and where you are going." Sansa sat at her vanity and despite the mask she gave Arya a look their mother wore when she demanded the truth and nothing but the truth.

Arya started talking. By weld past midnight she and her sister had decided on what she should wear. Arya and Sansa had never really gotten along as children, but she realized that now as they grew older they would need each other more if they were going to survive the South.

"Thanks Sansa." Arya said as she left her sisters room. "I don't think I would have been able to get this right without you. I would have worn one of our brothers old T-shirts and grease covered jeans."

"Hey, we are sisters. We are family. That means we help each other. Night sis." Sansa shut her door and Arya walked to her room. Now after her talk with her brother and sister she now felt better about the whole thing involving the two guys in her life.

She fell asleep that night dreaming of the story of the Monitor and Theuses. But unlike the sculpture Jaqen had been working on Jaqen was the monster and Gendry the hero. She tossed and turned all night.

Sandor

Sandor found himself at the Red Keep doing Jofferys homework for him, despite the fact he hated doing this. But he couldn't say no the worm. He held to much over him. If he didn't he would make his life difficult. Be had used to beat people up for Joffery before high school. Joffery had used that leverage as a hold, until Sandoz spent a summer at the observatory and was taught that he should ask those he had wronged for forgiveness. He had done that and from that day on had not been Joffery's attack dog and only hit people who deserved it. But now Joffery held a stronger threat. His grandfather employed both his father and brother. One word to his grandfather, Joffery said, and he could have his father and brother fired. So he did the worms school work for him. As long as Joffery kept a B average the worm kept his mouth shut to his grandfather. With his family working so much they were rarely home and that left Sandor mostly alone, the way he liked it.

He was writing a paper for Jofferys English class on All Quite on the Western Front. Sandor actually liked the book, so this wasn't a hardship for him. The difficult part was dumping it all down to something Joffery would have really written. He was working on putting the 'dumbness' into the paper as he 'revised'. This was a lot harder then it sounded. Since it was a book he had enjoyed it was hard for him to not be passionate to the papers arguments.

Joffery was on his computer talking to someone over IM. Sandor was sick of hearing Joffery laughing and commenting on what he and whoever he was talking to were saying.

"This girl here says that she really puts out. I like the sound of that." Joffery cackled.

Sandor cracked his knuckles. He was going to punch the little worm in the face. He was talking to a girl when he was supposed to be Sansa's boyfriend.

"I think I am going to meet her on Friday. See if she is true to her word." Joffery said.

"What about Sansa? Aren't you taking her to the after party Friday?" Sandor asked.

"Shit I forgot about that. I can still go with her, tell this girl Ros to meet me at the party and go off somewhere with her while Sansa is occupied. Sansa is so stupid that she won't even know what is going on. Shit, that will be a rush I haven't had in a while. Fucking some whore, right under the nose of my girlfriend." Joffery laughed his high pitched laugh that set Sandor's hair on end. "Are you done with that paper yet?"

"Almost. I just have the last paragraph to write." Sandor lied. He was now just sticking around to find out what Joffery had planned to further hurt Sansa.

He went back to the paper and couldn't concentrate on what he had to write. So he just put some bullshit in that was typical to Joffery's usual dumbness. He knew that the paper was not going to get an A like Joffery wanted, but Sandor didn't give a shit about what the worm wanted. He had to get the information, then get the hell out of there before he thrashed the worm for thinking about cheating on Sansa.

"So on Friday will you keep Sansa busy while I go and have some fun." Joffery didn't ask, he ordered.

Sandor did not say a word. He just finished writing the paper. He saw Joffery finally turn away from the computer and look at Sandor for the first time. He saw Jofferys nostrils flaring and he knew that ignoring him was not helping. But he did not want to say anything to him at the moment.

"I cannot hear you dog? Are you going to look after her while I have my fun?" He demanded, his voice high pitched and whining.

"Whatever. I am finished with your damn paper. I am going home now. See you tomorrow." Sandor had just submitted the paper in for him and slammed his laptop shut.

"I do not like how long it took you to answer me Dog. Next time I ask you a question I want an immediate answer. Or you will be having a lot of family time on your hands, very soon. Understand me?" Joffery threatened.

Sandor knew that Joffery would not do anything to him just yet. He needed him to much. But he didn't doubt the worm would't take it out on someone else. There was nothing that he could really do, but he knew that he had to say something.

"Sorry. I was finishing your paper and I was not going to say anything until I was done writing it for you. You do want a passing grade on the paper right?" Sandor asked.

"Of course I do. How else am I going to get into Yale without your brain?" Joffery demanded.

"Well now you have the reason why I didn't answer you right away. Are we done now?" Sandor was tired and just wanted to be away from this mess.

Joffery gave him a long look then turned back to his computer. He waved his hand over his shoulder at him.

"You may go. I don't need you anymore for the night."

Sandor went out of the room. He couldn't get out fast enough. He usually went and checked in with Marcella and Tommen. But not that night. He all but ran out of the house, got into his car, and drove home as fast as he could. Sandor was surprised that he didn't crash. Once home he parked his car, glad to see no one else was there. Walking into the large dark house soothed his nerves. But he was still high strung from what Joffery had planned and the roll he must play. He went into his father's liquor cabinet and pulled out some whiskey. He filled a tumbler half way up and took it with him up to his room. He had experienced how Joffery handled his girlfriends and how he always cheated on them before. But to his mind there was something special about Sansa and he could not imagine how even a worm like Joffery could abuse the relationship with her. She was sexy, kind and smart. She deserved better, but it appeared she was to stupid to realize it.

He took a sip of the whiskey and went over to his computer to do some of his homework. He was usually not a drinker during the week and only indulged when he was with Joffery at parties, but after spending time with Joffery there was something that drove him to it that night. What he had felt when he had heard Joffery say he was going to cheat on Sansa was enough to make him see red. He had wanted to call Sansa and tell her that her sweet boyfriend was a dirt bag. But he didn't do that.

What he did do was draft Myrcella an e-mail. He did it because she had tried to talk to him about getting Sansa to break up with her brother earlier during the week. But he had brushed her off. But she knew Joffery better then anyone. She knew what he was capable of. He had tried to protect Sansa from her brother, despite the risk. Now he had to do the same.

Hey Myrcella, I was with your brother doing his homework and I heard him talking about screwing some girl at Blackwater. With Sansa being there as well. I don't usually feel bad for the girls that he cheats on, but I know Sansa. She is to nice of a person let something like this happen to her. Is there a way that you could talk to her sister? If you tell her about him, she could warn Sansa and that would stop Sansa from making a mistake of bring with your brother. If you think of a way to do this before Friday let me know. I will help any way that I can to save this poor girl from the crazy depraved mind of your brother.

Sandor.

He sat back looking at his computer. His hand was on the mouse but he hesitated on sending it. He knew that he should, Sansa Stark was his friend. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. They talked about their classes and their common interests. But there was something holding him back from sending the email. He was not able to send it. He did not want to be the one to burst her fairy tale bubble. She had to see for herself how low her prince really was.

He saved the email, thinking that he could edit it later and send it if something happened at the party , but he couldn't do it tonight. It was to rash, to impulsive and he was not that kind of person, except when Sansa was involved. How the hell had that vixen wormed her way onto his life so deeply. He had not felt protective of another person since his mother was alive. But here he was, trying to protect Sansa, even if it was from herself.

He downed the rest of his drink and turned off the computer. He walked over to his book shelf and pulled out a tattered copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. He hunkered down in his bed and started to read. He had to get to sleep soon and the booze was not working to take the edge off his anger and the book was not making him sleepy. He put the book on his nightstand and switched off the light. He had to get to sleep, it was late and there was nothing he could do tonight about his moral issue that had been tearing an ever growing whole in his heart.

It was there in the dark of his room, alone in his room, that he admitted to himself a truth he had been denying since he had met her. He liked Sansa as more then a friend. He liked her as a woman. And he was a man. A man who was pressed between a rock and a hard place. But he would was damn sure he would not be the one to break first.

Bran

He did not like theater anymore. He had memorized his lines and did his costume and makeup all properly. But when he got up on the stage he choked. He could not say his lines and they had completely gone out of his head when it was his turn to perform. He had just stood there under the stage lights and he felt like a fish opening and closing his mouth with no sound coming out.

He had stood there on that stage and felt like a complete fool. Renly had called him off the stage and told that he could try again at the end of the week. He had tried rationalizing what was going on with what his mind was doing to him. He had never been one to freeze before. He was not used to failing. He was passed and he was lost. This was a new feeling for him. Everything that involved school was so easy for him. He had failed, but he would not fail again.

So he went home that day and rehearsed and practiced until he was blue in the face. He was not going to choke the next time.

He got to school the next day and sat in the audience and watched six of his classmates perform. Meera did her performance and she looked amazing as the queen of the fairies. Bran sat there and watched how easy it was for her to stand there in the spotlight and become someone different. He tried to watch what she was doing, how she lost herself in the acting. But there was nothing that he saw that she did that was different from what he knew how to do, in theory. She was doing the same thing he did when he was alone in his room. Once she had finished Renly took to the stage.

"All you performers did excellent. I loved how you all threw yourselves into your characters. Especially Miss Reed. A superb performance, my dear girl. That will be our last performance of the day. The rest of you can go tomorrow. I know that there are ten minutes left in class, but we are done for the day. Go do whatever you want, as long as it is not illegal or breaks school rules." Renly said to the assembled student audience.

Bran walked over to where Renly once sitting and scoring the actors for the day from his notes.

"Renly I would like to go first tomorrow. If that is okay with you. I don't think that I can go last." Bran said.

"I am sorry Bran but we need to have the people go who have not already performed. You have to go last." Renly said still looking down at his notes.

Bran walked away without a word and went back to where his friends were sitting. He did not want to go last. He was known that he was probably just going to choke again by going last.

"Did you convince him to let you go first?" Jojen asked as he sat down next to him.

"No. I have to go last. It is not something that I want to do. But I have to go last because I choked yesterday." He ran his hand over his face.

"That sucks man. That is not something that I would want to do. I am glad that I have gotten my performance all done with. I was meaning to ask you, was that a tear in your eye while I gave my speech? I think that I was convincing in trying to raise the hearts of the troops before they marched into battle." Jojen joked.

"No. But you were very good. I believed that you were the king." Bran said with a smile. His friend had a great sense of humor, but it was a little dry and slightly hard to follow.

"Who knows, I might be a king." Jojen laughed.

Bran opened his history book and started reading the chapter that they were going to be going over that day in class. He wanted to stop talking to Jojen. It was all review for him. It was early world history and Bran had read up on it months ago. He thought that Kings Landing was going to challenge him. So far the only class that he had that did to him was theater.

The bell rang and they started to file out of class. He passed Sansa in the hall on Joffery's arm with Sandor behind them. He was thinking about Sansa and how she looked so sad with Joffery, then all of a sudden he saw her in his head.

She was standing by a fire crying and there were people walking by her ignoring her as she sobbed. A shadow was behind her looming over her, but not in a evil way. Joffery walked over to her and pulled her to him savagely wiping the tears from her face. It looked like they were arguing, but he heard no words. The shadow surrounding Sansa turned into an angry hell hound trying to get between his sister and Joffery. The shadow showed his teeth and lunged at Joffery.

Then Bran was back in the halls of the school. He was dizzy and felt like he was going to be sick. Meera and Jojen were on either side of him holding his arms and looking concerned.

"Bran are you okay?" Meera asked, her face concerned.

"I think that you telling me how you "see" things is starting to get to me." Bran said. He weeded and hunched over on himself.

"What did you see Bran? What is going to happen?" Jojen demanded.

"I saw my sister Sansa. I saw her crying." Brans voice was shaken.

"Is that all? Bran you can tell us. It might be important." Meera said.

"She was crying and Joffery was there. There was a shadow around her, but it tried to get between her and Joffery. It turned into a hell hound. It tried to protect her. They were arguing, but I couldn't hear what they were saying." Bran said.

"Do you think that will come true?" Meera asked her brother.

"Well his sister is dating Joffery. Odds are that she is in for heartache." Jojen said.

"I need to get more sleep or eat something. I must be going crazy." Bran muttered to himself as the Reeds lead him to their next class.

"What about the hell hound?" Meera asked.

"Think about it. Who is Jofferys right hand man? The Hound, Sandor Clegane. It couldn't be clearer." Jojen said.

"You cannot be serious. This is not real. It was a hallucination; that is all. Sleep denervation. Something like that." Bran shot back. He could not believe that everything Jojen had said to him, about seeing the future, was true.

"You can be in denial all you want Bran, but I think that we both know that you had a vision." Jojen said.

A heavy silence hung in the air between them. Bran wanted to deny everything that his fried had said was true. But his gut was telling him what he saw was real. It was something that would come to pass. For once Bran decided to trust his gut over his brain.

"So say I believe you. What do we do now? I do not want my sister to get hurt." Bran said.

"All that we can do is watch. We can't intervene. If we do we could do more damage than good." Bran opened his mouth to argue, but Jojen held up his hand. "I know what you are going to say Bran. You want to protect your sister. But think. What if we intervened and we did more harm than good. There is always a reason to the visions. They connect to a much larger picture. Some things have to just play out."

"But she is my sister. If you had the chance to protect Meera from harm wouldn't you?" Bran asked. H looked at Meera to gage her reaction to him using her that way.

"If I knew that Meera must suffer a minor heartbreak to prevent a larger one in the end I would not do anything. She is strong Bran. Sansa is strong. You must believe she will take care of herself."

Myrcella

Myrcella had never been happier then she had in the last four days. She and Aegon were happy with each other. She had almost forgotten her infatuation with Gendry. He had been nothing. Aegon was the true one for her. They laughed a lot and he made her feel safe. Laughter and safety was something that had end lacking in her life. Marcella felt free to talk about her life with her family for the first time without fear of violence or denial. She told him the truth about her brother. How he would hit her when he couldn't find someone else to victimize. How he verbally abused her and Tommen in front of their mother, but she did nothing to protect them from his evil. When she had told Aegon about what her brother did to her, what her mother refused to do, he said that he was going to kill the little bastard for hurting her, and make her mother pay for not protecting her children the way a mother should.

She knew the part of her mother turning a blind eye on her behalf had caused him the most anger. He had been orphaned as a small child and so he took the ideas of true family, a mother and father seriously. It pained her to see hurt for her in his eyes, because he knew he was truly powerless to do anything about any of it. And part of her was very worried that he would really do what he said he was going to do to Joffery. Given the chance he would hurt her brother. The other part of her was happy that he was willing to stand up to Joffery for her.

She was not able to see much of him after school due to her dance classes and his band rehearsals. But they talked all the time. And at school they were with each other as much as they could be. They walked with each other between classes, they had lunch with other, and they spent half an hour before her dance classes together. He even drove her to dance classes on his bike. She had to admit that part of the reason that she had started to like him was that bike of his.

But that was not the only reason she liked him. He was also very, very good looking. She loved to just watch him walk. He was tall, near six foot four and lean. He was slender but had muscles. He over like a dancer, but he didn't dance. He was mike a great cat. That is the better analogy for Aegon. He was smooth, but muscular. There was a strength to him as well. She had seen him haul the equipment around, and that stuff could be heavy. Then there was his hair. He kept it short on the sides but long on top. If he wanted to he could make it into a Mohawk if he wanted. It was also white blond. It was probably the reason he had never been on her radar. But then she had touched his hair. It was soft, as soft as silk. After you get past the hair, working down, to his face, that's where the beauty of him truly was. He has lips that were kissable perfect. They were neither red nor pink, but a color in between that were so inviting. Going up from the lips there were his hypnotic lavender steel colored eyes. They looked, to Myrcella, like he had seen things no person should have to see. Fierceness and wisdom fought for dominance. But on top of all that there was his smile. It started on his lips and finished in his eyes. It was truly magical. But Aegon said the same thing about her smile.

She had not told her parents about him yet, but she had told her uncle Renly. There was no way around that. He had seen her holding hands with Aegon in the hall on Tuesday. She had waited for the rest of the week to hear from her uncle. He had pulled her out of her math class on Thursday to have a 'friendly little chat' with her. She knew it was going to be a talk about Aegon but she had no trepidation that she felt about telling her parents with Aegon whole she walked down the halls to reach her uncles office.

She had walked to his closet of an office off the theater and sat down in the one chair smashed in it. She smiled at him and be beamed over at her. There was a wicked glint in his eye that he got right before he sprung something on her. She was one step ahead this time though. She knew what he wanted to know about and he was going to get the whole truth.

"So are you going to tell me that you have a boyfriend or am I going to pretend that you do not have one and I just imagined that I saw you holding some boys hand going down the halls?" He asked her right off. He did the thing she thought he would do, give her a choice. Did she, or didn't she?

"I guess I do have a boyfriend." She smiled at Renly and he tried to stand to hug her, but the room was to small he couldn't. Myrcella laughed out loud at her uncles antics. "Do you pull Joffery out of class every time he gets a new girlfriend?" She wanted to know.

"No I don't, but I don't care about him like I do you. You are my niece, almost like a little sister to me. I love you the most. For example, who is the only one in the family that showed up at your first dance recital?" He asked.

"It was you. You gave me the biggest bouquet of roses I have ever seen! I was five year old that thing was bigger than me. But I loved it all the same." She smiled and looked him in the eye. There was love there, but he was acting mote like a father, not an uncle. So she asked him why. "Why the sudden interest in my love life if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because it went from nonexistent to active in a short period of time. I just want to make sure you are safe and with a good guy." Renly said.

She just sat there and smiled at her uncle and did not know what to say. He was more like a father to her than her real father. Renly and Tyrion were always the ones who took a real intrest in her life. Tyrion used to help her with her home work and Renly would cheer her up and take her shopping when things got to bad at home. Her uncles were the best, she loved them more then anyone. She had tears glistening in her eyes at how much she saw her uncle caring for her. Then he got to the root of the issue.

"Has he tried anything?" He asked. Renly was dead serious. He had been the one who had given her 'the talk' when she came of age. And Renly had always stressed to never be with a man who took things faster that she wanted. He was checking on her now. So she told the truth.

"We hold hands, talk a lot, and I go on rides with him on his bike sometimes." She said.

"Well that is good." He looked relieved. "I am glad that you found someone. How much have you told him about what happens at your house?"

This was another worry of her uncles. They hated how the parents treated each other and their children. They couldn't protect them all the time, but they tried. They felt the worst about what Joffery did. That they really couldn't protect Myrcella or Tommen from.

"I haven't told him about my parents, not really. I told him mother doesn't care about anyone but Joff. Everyone knows that. But I have told him about Joffery. About the hitting and the yelling. The threats and the rest. He said he wanted to smash his face in." She let her face go blank. She didn't want him to know how much Aegon's threat to smash up her brother had pleased her. She was worried about what he would say about her telling a relative stranger dark family secrets.

"That worm needs a good thrashing. You should let Aegon do it. He has some pretty strong looking friends too. I am sure that they can help take him." Renly joked.

Myrcella and Renly giggled together for a moment.

"Okay. I just want you to be safe and know that I am here for you if you need anything. Now get back to class. I shouldn't have pulled you out in the first place." Renly said.

At lunch they sat eating in the cafeteria and the group was laughing at what Arya was telling them about what happened in the shop and the sanding that they were doing on the car.

"I was sanding the bottom part of the driver's side of the door and there was Gendry with the electric sander on the hood of the car. He was sanding away when Thoros came walking over and tapped him on the shoulder. Let me tell you if the car wasn't getting all the paint taken off and smoothed out it would need it to be now. And I never would have guessed that this big strong manly guy could scream like a little girl." Arya laughed and the rest of the table did as well.

Myrcella watched as Gendry gave Arya a playful shove and she shoved him back. Arya had called and told her that she was going to dinner with Gendry on Friday and to an artsy thing with Jaqen the next day. She didn't know what Gendry was going to do when he found out that Arya was going on a date with another guy the next day, but that was her business.

She pushed that thought aside and they joked more about normal teenage things. They joked about bad movies, stupid pop stars and the newest fashion trend. Hot Pie was mocking some new cooking show and everything was good. Myrcella was holding Aegons hand and smiling at him when Joffery came over to their table. He sneered at the assembled table and then his eyes hit on Myrcella and her brother get the look on his face that means something bad is going to happen. She scoots closer to Aegon. Joffery noticed and he was like a snake about to go into for the kill.

"So this is the little shit that is dating my sister. And you did think that you could just fuck her without asking me first?" Joffery demanded, leaning down, getting in Aegon's face.

"No it is none of your business that she has a boyfriend. And we are not fucking. You should leave her alone. There are people here and they are watching. Don't do this. Walk away Joffery." Aegon said trying to keep his voice even. Myrcella was gripping his hand and was trying not to crush it.

"You should not talk like that to me, boy. Bad things will happen to you if you keep talking to me like that. Do you know who I am? I could have you disappear." Joffery threatened.

"There is nothing that you could do to me. I know how to take care of myself and I fight back, not like your usual victims." Aegon spat at him.

Joffery looked at Myrcella and she knew that he was going to use her as a punching bag when they get home from school. There was a rage in his eyes she had never seen before.

"What ever this little bitch here said is a pack of lies. She is nothing but a dirty liar." Joffery spat, spewing venom from his mouth.

"If you touch her it will be the last thing that you do" Aegon threatened reading Jofferys mind.

Myrcellas heart was pounding and she was starting to sweat. This was not going to end up good.

"She is my sister and I can do what I want. And what I want is for you to stay the hell away from my sister, you filthy piece of trash." Joffery said getting more into Aegons face with every word.

"You need to back the fuck away before I demolish that face of yours. I am not kidding." Each word was clipped and forced. "Because unlike you, I learned to fight like a real man. Not by beating up girls and little kids or having other people fight for me." Aegon seethed.

Joffery snapped back away from the words Aegon said and stood at with his face turning red AMD a vein bulging in his head. Myrcella knew that her brother was ready to strike. It all happened so fast. Her brothers hand flew back and he went to slap Aegon, because that's all he knew. Aegon released Myrcellas hand and stood up, hand in a fist and swung his body into a punch. He landed the punch square on Joffery's nose. There was a crunching sound and blood started gushing from his nose.

"Hound get him. Beat the shit out of that little dick" Joffery screeched. He had his hand holding his nose, trying to stop the bleeding and the nasally voice Joffery had was even more pronounced. Sandor stood at his table, shielding Sansa from the view. He shook his head. He would not come to aide Joffery. So he tried to make another smack at Aegon.

Then the teachers were suddenly between Joffery and Aegon. Joffery screamed that Aegon started it all. That he was the innocent victim there. Everyone at Myrcellas table yelled that this was a lie. Joffery was the one that started it. Since no one could be understood everyone was taken out of the cafeteria to be questioned. She walked with Aegon tears streaming down her face out of the cafeteria down the halls to an empty class room to try to get the true story.

Renly came running over to her as she was being escorted out of the room. He immediately put his arms around his niece. Just because she was safe in her uncles arms she wouldn't cry. He looked at Aegon over the top of her head and smiled.

"Good job kid. I hoped that you messed up that pretty face of his." Renly said giving Aegon a squeeze on the arm.

"Is he going to get in trouble? It was not his fault. He was protecting me, and Joffery was going to hit one of us. Honest uncle Renly. He was going to do something to hurt us." Myrcella cried. "We have witnesses."

"So does he Myrcella. And I bet that he and his friends are going to say that I hit him just for the hell of it. It is okay sweetheart. Everything will be okay." Aegon said. She went from her uncle to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. He was her rock, her happy place. With him things were bright. Right?

Myrcella knew that it was not going to be okay. Nothing was. Joffery just had to mess with her happiness and destroy it. That was what he did. He took what you liked most and poisoned it.

"No matter what happens, we do this together." She said to his chest.

"No matter what." He kissed the top of her head. Then they walked hand in hand together to face the music. It felt like it was going to be a sick song and she knew it would be a sick dance to come.