Gendry got up from Arya's bed and placed her pillow down gently. He did not know what Sansa's plan was, but it seemed that Edric did, so he had to find him. He moved down the hall as quickly as the pain in his back allowed. When he reached the guest bedroom, he knocked on the door.

"What is she up to?" He blurted out as soon as Edric opened the door.

"What?" Edric asked, looking perplexed.

"Sansa... what plan does she have to find Ar? Why won't she tell her family?"

Gendry voice was hard and his manner aggressive. He didn't mean to be that way with his brother, but he couldn't help it. Standing around, not being able to go and look for her, he felt utterly helpless.

"Gendry..." Edric voice was soft, compassionate.

Gendry could tell he sympathised, but was not going to break Sansa's confidence.

"Look." He interrupted. "I get that you have it bad, Ed, believe me... I get it. But my Stark has been taken by some fucking psycho and I need to know what's going on."

He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger.

"Whatever you have for Sansa is nothing to how I feel about Arya, Edric... she is... I need her back... I need to feel like I'm doing something. Just tell me, for fuck sake, Ed, just bloody tell me!" he screamed, his control failing him.

Edric was about to speak when Ned came out of his study. They both turned to look at him. He, like the rest, appeared to have aged since Gendry's stabbing and Arya's kidnapping. Deep lines now dominated in his and Cat's faces. It was obvious that neither were getting any sleep. Worry seemed to age them all. Every one of them appeared to develop a furrowed brow that would not go away.

"Tell him what?" Ned asked suspiciously.

Neither said anything, unsure what to do. Sansa came from the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked wearily.

"Edric seems to know something he does not want to tell Gendry." Ned answered, looking at his daughter.

Sansa sighed. "I have asked a friend to find Arya, father."

Ned stiffened. "Who?"

"Sandor Clegane."

Ned's eyes widened. "How on earth do you know him?" he voice was rising.

"He worked for Joffery." Sansa answered, looking at the ground.

Ned sighed and shook his head before rubbing his forehead roughly with his palm.

"It is time you told me exactly what happened between you and Joffery, Sansa. I have never pushed for details before, but it seems you have been keeping dangerous secrets from me and your mother."

"I will tell you that Sandor and I are friends and he is looking for Arya, but that is all. What Joffery did to me is my business, not yours."

She turned quickly and walked to the kitchen. Robb, Cat, Jon and Gritte were already there, trying to decide what to order for dinner as no one had the energy to cook. Ned, Edric and Gendry followed her. When they all reached the kitchen, Ned slammed the door making everyone jump.

"Sansa... you will tell me what is going on, right now." Ned demanded.

Sansa looked at the ground again and inhaled deeply before answering.

"No dad, the details of that aren't any of your business."

She heard everyone gasp. Sansa had never talked to her parents like this before.

"Sansa!" Cat exclaimed. "What has gotten into you?"

"She has asked The Hound to search for Arya. Apparently they are friends!" Ned said, looking at his wife. "I want to know exactly what went on with her and Joffery, Cat. I know we agreed not to push her, but she is friends with known criminals now!" he shouted.

"Sansa... that guy's a murder." Robb whispered, barely able to believe what his father was saying.

"I don't care what any of you think, he helped me, and he saved me." Her voice trembled slightly.

"Saved you from what?" Ned asked, trying to be gentle but failing.

"I'm sorry... but what Joffery did... I'm not going to talk about it." She looked up at her parents, her eyes wet with tears. "All you need to know is that Sandor is looking for her, and he knows where Joff hides people... if anyone can find her, it's him... I trust him with my life dad."

Her parents, Jon, Robb, Gendry, Gritte and Edric all stared at her with a mixture of shock and pity. She hated they way they looked at her, as if she were weak and venerable. Arya was always the strong one, and she was weak in their eyes, but they didn't know what she had endured. Now Edric would know everything and see her as damaged. What if he thinks I'm weak, too? Or worse, what if he still wants to be with me because he pities me and thinks I need to be saved or some other crap like that? She thought.

Sandor never pitied her. He protected her and helped her, but he was always blunt about the how stupid she was for thinking herself in love with such a monster. He would always tell her to confide in her family and leave Joffery, but he never pitied her. She looked at them all, balled her hands into fists and said in a very determined voice.

"It's no one else's business... what Joffery did to me, and I will not discuss it."

"But this man... he is a criminal Sansa... you cannot be friends with him. It is not safe." Ned said, trying to keep his composure.

"Father, Sandor would never hurt me. He protected me from Joffery when he could. He will not harm me, I know it."

"When he could!" Robb shouted as he moved closer to her. "What does that mean? What did that piece of shit do to you?"

"What does it matter?" she screamed back at him. "Sandor protected me... he is my friend and I trust him with my life... and I trust him to get Arya back."

She took a deep breath to calm herself before addressing Ned.

"Please dad, trust me."

"I have heard about the things he has done, Sansa... he is a killer. We cannot work with such a man."

Sansa shocked everyone, even herself by allowing a loud, sharp laugh to escape from her lips.

"What do you think Joffery's men are, father? You have no idea what he's really like. If you want to get Arya back, you need a man like Sandor. The police are useless... Joffery has too much money and too many men to do his dirty work... you will never win by playing inside the law father."

"She's right." Gendry interrupted. "That little shit has my... Arya. Only The Hound knows where she might be. I don't give a fuck about the law, Mr Stark. I want her back and I will do whatever it takes."

"I'm sorry father, but I will break every law in this bloody place if it means getting Arya back." Jon said.

"We have to fight dirty if we want to free her, dad." Robb added.

"Cat?" Ned looked at his wife.

"Ned... I want my little girl back. Those brutes could be doing... oh, Ned! Do whatever is needed. Get her home." Cat began to sob.

For once Sansa did not comfort her mother. She was on a mission now and had no time for crying. Robb hugged Cat instead.

"Call him." Ned said.

"No need." A low, husky voice came from the patio door.

Everyone jumped a little and Jon and Gendry flexed, ready to fight.

"Sandor!" Sansa gasped as she ran to the door. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough."

They all wanted to look away, knowing that they were being extremely rude, but everyone stared at the huge man, mesmerised by his scars. One side of his face was covered from forehead to jaw line in deep burn marks. His long greasy hair on that side fell down his disfigured face in-between numerous little bald patches. He was a terrifying sight.

"How... how did you get in here?" Ned demanded in a voice that was not as authorities as usual.

"What does it matter, Stark?" The Hound grunted, his eyes never leaving Sansa.

"It must pain your honourable father to have to get help from the likes of me, little bird." He smirked at her.

Sansa sighed. "None of your crap today, Sandor." She warned. "Did you find anything out about Arya?"

He chuckled, still looking at her only, a fact that was not lost on everyone else in the room.

"She's not in Ireland... that's all I know so far."

Cat inhaled sharply and Robb embraced her again. Jon and Gendry both yelled "What?" at the same time. Ned noticed that it did not seem like to much of a shock to Sansa.

"Where?" Sansa asked The Hound, ignoring everyone else.

"Don't know... probably somewhere in England or Wales. I'll take the boat tonight."

"I'm going with you." Gendry and Jon spoke again in unison.

The Hound laughed. "I'm not babysitting some little boys." He sneered.

Gendry moved too quickly, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his side. He flinched.

"I'm going." He snarled through gritted teeth.

"Gendry, you can hardly stand... Sandor is better off alone. You don't know these people."

"I can't sit around any longer." He yelled, flinching from the pain again. "I can't sit here and do nothing!"

Gritte walked over and slid her arm around him, taking him by surprise. She pushed one of the stools from the breakfast bar behind him, looked him in the eye and ordered, "Sit... now."

Gendry sat back, wetness filling his eyes. He looked down at the counter. "I need to do something, Gritte." He whispered.

"I know, but Arya will never forgive any of us is we let you get yourself killed, and that is going to happen if you attempt to go anywhere like this."

"She's right Gendry... I'm sorry, but you know you can't go." Robb said as he held Cat tightly.

"I'm..." Jon began.

"No! Don't even bloody think about it, Jon." Gritte snapped.

"Gritte..."

"No." She shouted louder this time and turned to him. "I'll go with The Hound."

"No you won't." Sandor laughed.

"Listen, you might not remember me, but I remember you. I've kicked your friend's sorry asses before and I can do it again."

"Gritte?" Jon asked as his eyes widened in surprise.

Gendry turned to her, causing him to wince in pain again. Edric and Robb looked at her as if she were a thesis on String Theory.

Gritte sighed and shook her head before continuing.

"I've come across Joffery's men before." She looked at Ned. "I teach self defence classes at the gym and sometimes help the police with victims of violence. Two years ago, a woman came into my class. She seemed really scared, so after I talked to her. It took a few weeks, but eventually she told me that her ex had gone crazy when she left him and she was terrified. That night, I walked her to her car and he was waiting for her."

"Tickler?" The Hound asked.

"Aye... he tried to grab her and I fought him off. He told a few friends about me." She looked over to Sandor. "They were waiting for me one night after I finished the late shift at the gym."

Jon moved closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. The look he gave Sandor would frighten a normal man, but The Hound didn't flinch.

"Where you there, you son of a bitch?" Jon growled.

Sansa looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "Please tell me you weren't there, Sandor." She whimpered.

Sandor smiled at Jon. "I wasn't one of them, boy."

"Oh thank god." Sansa's whisper was barely audible.

"Don't worry, Jon. There was three of them and one of me and I came out the best." She smiled at smug, satisfied smile at Sandor. "I know him from the police station... paying off another girl Joffery assaulted... I'm going." She told him, with her eyes as much as her voice.

"I don't need..."

"For fuck sake, Sandor!" Sansa screamed, shocking everyone in the room. "She can go if she bloody well likes, and you will treat her with the respect she deserves or so help me I will never forgive you."

She took a deep breath. "Just cut the crap and get my sister back... please." She added after calming down.

"The little bird has teeth..." Sandor replied, looking at her with an amused expression.

Sansa looked at the shocked faces of everyone around her, but found herself blushing and smiling.

"It seems I do... now will you just do as you're told." She mocked.

"I'll get a few things and meet you in town in an hour." Gritte said.

"I can come too." Jon and Robb said.

"No, please listen to me." Gritte said to Jon. "I am a triple black belt and I have grown up around guys like this. I know what I'm doing." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I love you Jon, but you know nothing about this world, and your brother knows less. You will slow us down."

"I grew up around guys like that too." Gendry said, turning his head to her, but not looking at the rest of Arya's family.

"And you're about as useful as a one-legged man in an arse kicking competition, right now."

Sandor couldn't help but snigger. Edric's attempts to stifle his laugh resulted in a loud snort. Sansa gave him an annoyed look.

"Sorry." He mumbled at her and then Gendry, his face purple.

"Thanks Gritte." Gendry said, obviously not finding her funny.

"You're welcome." She answered, unfazed by his anger.

"You're making jokes?" Jon asked, clearly angry.

"I'm telling the truth... I will get your sister back."

"We can't let you risk your life..." Ned began.

"No offence, Mr Stark, but you're not letting me do anything. I can make my own decisions. The Hound and I are the best chance Arya has right now, so I'm going. Not just for Jon. Arya is my friend too."

Jon sighed, knowing he would not be able be able to change her mind.

"Stay in contact with me." His forehead was wrinkled and his mouth formed a hard line. "I better hear from you every four hours... a text, anything, or I will be on the next boat over."

"I promise."

"Can we go now, ass kicker?" The Hound moaned. "I can't take much more of this mushy crap."

"Pots and kettles, asshole." Gritte whispered.

Sansa blushed, not daring to look at her family or Edric.

"Thank you both so much."

"Don't thank us yet, little bird... we have to find her first."

"You will Sandor, I know you will." She smiled at him.

He looked at her for a moment before grunting and walking out the door. Gritte said goodbye before Jon took her home to collect her things. Everyone wanted to ask Sansa a million questions, but they stayed quite. Ned and Cat went to bed, not sure what else to say to the children, Gendry and Edric. Ned was breaking every moral code he ever lived by, but it was his little girl, so he did what he had too. Robb and Gendry decided to watch a late movie, knowing they would not be able to find sleep. They were waiting for Jon to come back, anyway. He would have any news from Gritte.

Sansa and Edric were eventually left alone in the kitchen. Tension filled the room.

"Little bird?" Edric asked, playing with the handle of his coffee cup.

"He has always called me that... ever since I first meet him."

Edric sighed. "I don't expect you to tell me what he did to you... it's your business, Sansa, but... I wish you would tell me... something... anything..." he kept his eyes on the cup.

She moved to the stool beside his, and although she seen his body tense, he still did not look at her.

"What do you want to know?"

"Do you love him?" his eyes flickered to side quickly.

"No... yes, but not like that... well it is kind of like that, but I don't really know how to describe it."

"Have you ever... been with him?"

Now Sansa sighed. "One time, Joffery had me on the bed."

Edric's looked at her now, but she was staring at the counter top.

"He was on top of me, holding me down with one hand... he was screaming at me. "I'm going to break your fucking face..." over and over. His other hand was punching my arm and leg. He never hit me in the face... just threatened all the time. He would punch the bed beside my face so I never knew if the blow would land and the pain would come. I suppose it was his way of torturing me, but in the end, he never actually hit me where anyone could see the marks. Anyway, that day he continued to beat my body until he got tired and I was able to push him off of me. I ran out of the room and down the stairs, straight into Sandor. He held on to me as I tried to run away. I was crying and mumbling at him to let me go, but he wouldn't. He bought me out to his car and said he would drive me home, but I couldn't go home in that state, so I asked him to take me somewhere else. He took me to his place."

Edric stiffened.

"Edric... it wasn't like that. Sandor let me wash my face and took a look at my arm, which took most of the beating and was badly bruised. He told me to leave Joff... to take pictures and tell my parents. I cried so much that he put his arm around me and I fell asleep, resting on him. When I woke up, I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing Edric... he never touched me, but that was the first of many times he took me from Joff's place and helped me clean up... and I would always hug him and kiss his burned cheek. He is my friend, Edric."

"Then maybe he should have stopped Joffery from beating you in the first place." He spat.

"This is why I don't tell people about him... you don't understand Edric, you weren't there. Not everything is so black and white."

The door creaked, startling them both. Ned stuck his head around the door.

"You heard that, father?" Sansa asked annoyed, looking at the counter top.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart... I came to get a glass of water and heard you talking... I need to know what that animal did to you... I am your father, Sansa."

"Well now you know..." she spat angrily.

"I wish you had told me."

"Please father... and you too." She said, looking at Edric. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, but Sandor is my friend and I won't apologise for it. I know he has done some terrible things, but he has only ever been good to me."

She got up and walked out of the room, leaving Ned and Edric looking at each other, worry etched on their faces.