Chapter 36

Leana wasn't pleased that Sandor just snatched her away from her father.

Moments ago she was so happy and she wanted to spend more time with him. He rudely took her away just because their child kicked and she winched.

Leana sulked in their bed chamber, but she saw his wound. She knew it was a paltry wound but still; she cleaned, dropped ointment and bandaged his cut.

"Sulk all you want girl." He said to her, before Leana kissed his gash, "I don't like you hurt." She murmured to him.

"I want you safe to Leana. Please...I'll make sure your father visits you, alright girl. I promise."

"I'm alright Sandor. I had worse! I am tougher than I look!" she was referring to the beating from Gregor and she showed him her palm with a deep scar when she held the knife with Gregor.

"Not in seven hells, you'll go through that again, you hear me?"

She nodded as he hugged her, she felt safe and contented, and her father was there and then she realized, "You let Jon Snow cut you?" She looked at him in disbelieved; she'd seen him with his sword.

"I was distracted."

"Distracted? With what? Who?...Kitchen wench?" she teased him, but with slight jealousy.

Sandor smirked, "No, your father." And she laughed.

/n

Benjen Stark found out from his son law how Leana really broke her ribs. He was horrified and was beyond furious. Sandor Clegane pretty much told him everything, how the Lannisters hated her, apart from Tyrion the imp, he acted like a father to her.

He first saw her in Casterly Rock when she was ten, how she was thrown in the dungeon for days, then he met her again in King's Landing about half a year ago. How the Queen ordered Gregor to beat her up and dragged her down the Throne Hall to marry The Dog.

"Gregor Clegane is dead." Ned looked at his brother. "Your son in law killed him. We were ambushed, the Queen wanted my head and Leana's head and...He almost rapes her."

Sandor couldn't see Benjen's face, but he could see Lady Catelyn's horrified face, this was the first time she heard about it. In Sandor's heart, he was glad the little Leana missed her arrow on Joffrey or he'd have to kill her, he couldn't imagine if he had to kill his future wife then.

Everyone was quiet, even Jon Snow was shocked; He had no idea, Leana never said a word about these incidents. She arrived in Winterfell – almost unchanged from the misery and abused she received. Only Sandor knew how badly she was treated and how they affected her.

They could feel the fury emanating from Benjen Stark. He stood up and walked to Sandor, " I want to say...I wish I let Lord Beric take Leana from Casterly Rock, but then she'd never had meet you and..."

"Your daughter healed me, Leana fucking healed me...after all that...she healed me...I would die for her."

Benjen Stark looked at the broken man, half of his face licked by fire. "You saved my brother and my daughter...You are my son now. You are not alone. We'll fuck the Lannisters together!"

"Benjen, don't be stupid," Ned Stark looked at him. "He is Winterfell's Castellan now. He is no longer The Hound."

"They abused her! They almost kill you and Leana and..."

Lady Catelyn Stark handed the scroll from King Robert to her brother in law...

Benjen Stark read the scroll. The man opened his mouth and said, "This doesn't change anything."

"I love my daughter; Tywin Lannister has no love for her. He hated her! He wanted her there as a pawn...my daughter is no fucking pawn."

Sandor Clegane loved his father in law.

/=n

Leana was waiting...like a good girl, just like she was five and her father told her to be good and wait in her chamber with cousin Arya before he'd come in to tuck them both in.

She was comfortable in her chair, feeding Soot and Winter when she heard her father's voice. Moments later she heard knocks.

"Father," She called for him, she was so happy she could burst into flame.

Her door was opened "Two pups Leana?" Benjen looked at the Black and White pups on her laps. His son in law told him how he killed 'White' in King's Landing.

"This is Winter, she is mine and this is Soot, he is Sandor's. Arya gave it to him." She said proudly and she saw Sandor entered their place but left again, giving them time alone together just as he promised her. "Arya had another pup, she named him Hammer..." she went on.

/n

It was past midnight when Sandor entered their quarter, he saw Leana already in deep sleep, he could tell - her hands circled her father waist, and Benjen Stark was sitting on their bed, back resting against the bed frame, his hand on her head. Their dire wolf pups asleep on her feet.

Benjen Stark was wide awaked, still lost in his thoughts, he looked weary, and his face full of regret and vengeance, Sandor knew that notion too well. The man saw him and he gently took his daughter's hands and placed them gently on the bed, he slowly rose from the bed and walked toward him.

Sandor saw him looked at his burned face. "It's true...what they said about your face?" Benjen asked, he heard of what people said about The Hound's melted face, the man is now his son in law.

"Aye," he rasped.

"I'm sorry,"

"Leana healed me..." he murmured to himself.

There was a long silence, all Benjen Stark did was looked at him, not his scarred face, not his hideous scar...just like Leana...he looked at his eyes, he looked at him whole, as a man – worthy of his daughter.

"I always wanted a son...my wife would love you...she would..." Benjen said to him before he exited their chamber. He could still see his fucking sorrow in his eyes and voice, the man was still mourning.

Sandor Clegane didn't know what to say to that, he was speechless. He managed to rasped, his voice gruff with emotion which he tried to hide for many torturous years, "I've always wanted a father..." His father stopped being his father when he turned his back on him...twenty five years ago.

"I'll take you to your chamber," Sandor tried to regain his composure, not knowing what to say.

The man smile to him, "You don't have to...I'll see you in the morrow, we'll talk. Sleep well, son." He said to him before he looked at his daughter again, squeezed his arm reassuringly.

Sandor stripped from his clothes and joined Leana in bed, she instinctively snuggled to him; their dire wolfs on their feet, he placed his palm on her belly and closed his eyes. He was going to be a father...

Leana's father called him 'son', The last time someone called him son or boy, that man lied to the entire village that his bedding caught on fire, instead of admitting that his oldest son was a fucking monster. His father wanted more, he wanted what Lord Tywin Lannister offered him, fame and fortune at whatever cost.

Now, while he was in bed with his wife amongst her family. For the first time in his life Sandor Clegane wasn't aimless: he just wanted to be a good father, a good husband and a good man...For the first time in his life, he wanted to do something good for his House.

/n

Sandor Clegane woke up a well rested content man, but only to be ruined by Leana's disappearance from their warm bed. His hand flayed looking for his wife before he realised that she wasn't in bed. His large hand touched cold sheet. How the fuck she left him without waking him up?

His frown and panic were quickly replaced by a sigh as he knew how happy Leana was, that her father was home. He had no doubt that she was with him at the very moment. He smiled to himself, he yawned crudely.

He saw Soot and Winter approached him and jumped to his stomach, they must have heard his loud yawn; he could feel their weight now. The pups were slowly weaned off their mother and they've been feeding them nonstop.

He tapped both their still pink noses and said; "Where in seven hells is your mistress gone to?" he loved these two pups.

Leana and Arya thought him how to take care and feed them, but the most important thing was to never let anyone else touched their pups. Arya took another male pup under her care, sometimes he would fed them all at the same time. The Wolf girl also 'forced' her father to take in a pup, and Lord Stark finally gave in.

Arya convinced her father to take the fourth pup under his care, at first the Lord of Winterfell said no as he didn't have the time to nurse a new born pup, but wolf girl sneaked the pup in to her parents' chamber and since then the pup has been with the Lord and Lady Stark.

He remembered White, Leana's beautiful fierce dire wolf who perished in King's Landing under his own hands. Soot and Winter were not their pets; they were their companions and would grow to be their fierce protectors.

Sandor Clegane found Leana sitting next to her father in the dining hall. She was glowing with happiness, he saw her placed her father's palm on her tummy – waiting for a kick and they both laugh.

"Leana...father," he greeted them, giving Leana a look of disapproval for leaving the bed without waking him up...It was a lost cause, as she was too happy to noticed.

She chirped that she saved him a seat, right next to her as she beamed at him. Sandor was glad that she had her appetite back, lately she hardly ate. Then, Arya and Jon Snow arrived and they sat opposite them.

They were breaking their fast, talking and joking. He could see that Benjen Stark loved his nieces and nephews as much as Lord and Lady Stark loved Leana. He never had this when he was a boy, his father never talk much, while Gregor was always mean and harsh. He didn't know his cousins.

Meal times were always gravely quiet and scary for him when he was a little boy, avoiding his brother's wrath. When he started working for the Lannisters and the Royals, he was the Hound, he ate alone in his dark corner.

Sandor saw Benjen Stark face, he looked worried and he knew that his father in law wanted to talk to him.

"Leana, why don't you take Arya with the dire wolfs to the stables? I want all pups or any adult wolf to be accustom to Stranger or any of other horses."

"Of course," She beamed before she told her father what a beautiful horse Stranger was.

Their noisy breakfast was disturbed by the arrival of a sentry. Sandor saw the man carrying a scroll to him with urgency.

"My lord...ehmm...Clegane. A raven from King's Landing." The man handed him the scroll. While Lord Stark was hurt and recuperating, as the Castellan of Winterfell, everything went through him. The dining room was as quite as a grave as soon as Sandor received the scroll and the name King's Landing was spoken.

The Hound kissed Leana's forehead before he stood up, "Stay with father." That's all he said before he left her, followed by Jon Snow back to his quarter to read the scroll. Benjen could see that his daughter wasn't happy but she restrained herself to questions his decisions.

Arya voiced her displeasure, "It's always us girls who are left behind. We know nothing; we are always the last ones to know! I hate it."

"Do I look like a girl to you, Arya?" Her Uncle Benjen looked at her with his mischievous eyes as he tapped Arya's button nose. How different she is from Sansa!

"But..."

"Arya, everything they do is to protect you...our family. Nothing else matter. You hear me girl!" Benjen Stark looked at his youngest niece. A girl...actually a Lady of fifteen, Arya Stark was bright and brave, she had no problem expressing herself.

"I know Uncle Benjen, but sometimes I feel left out because I am a girl...and..." Arya was cut off by a commotion from the hallway.

It was Sandor Clegane and Jon Snow running toward Lord Stark's quarter. Leana stretched her neck to see what was going on before Jon Snow entered the dining hall, "Uncle Benjen,"

Within Seconds, Benjen Stark rose, he knew something amiss.

"Come girls, Lets go to the stable, bring the pups and lets have Nymeria and Ghost get acquaintance with Stranger," Jon Snow said to Arya and Leana, as they were about to followed Sandor.

Leana heard Jon Snow said to her father, "I'll stay with them." And her father nodded and made his way briskly.

Leana stood defiantly – facing Jon Snow.

"Do you think I am stupid Jon snow?" she asked dangerously.

"No, Leana. You are not stupid. No one thought you stupid. A chatterbox, yes! But stupid...never!" Jon Snow joked as he urged them.

"What was it Jon? What's wrong? Why is Sandor running for Uncle Ned? Its bad news isn't it?"

Jon Snow was a bad liar and he is still a bad liar, "Leana, I did not read the scroll and Sandor did not tell me anything before..."

"Liar..."

/n

"I am sure he was poisoned, just like Jon Aryns." Benjen spoke up.

"How am I supposed to tell my wife that her uncle is dead?!" Sandor Clegane was seething.

Lord Eddard Stark looked pale, not from the pain but from the news. Moments ago he received his Castellan who told him that Tyrion Lannister was dead. The raven was from the imp's bodyguard. The imp felt sick and never woke up. Apart from King's Landing, he assumed no one in the Kingdoms knew about this fact yet.

"I don't know...but she'll found out sooner and later."

"I can't tell her...not now...not like this...she," Sandor was talking to himself.

"She'll find out, Clegane. She will and it would be better if she heard it from us..."

"Do whatever you think is right, son...whatever you think is right..." Benjen looked at his scarred son in law.

"The imp was her father for ten fucking years. She is not going to take this well." He growled.

"Sandor..." Lord Stark looked at his Castellan.

Barely a fortnight ago, he remembered to velvet pouch Tyrion gave him before he left King's Landing. He cursed to the seventh hells when he looked into the fucking Lannister pouch which belonged to Leana's mother. He saw at least a dozen of small diamond and blue stones.

He passed the pouch to Leana, she smiled, touched the stones and told him that she was missed her Uncle Tyrion and Bronn...not a word about the fucking diamonds.

"Few days ago, she told me she missed the imp and...She told me that she was afraid the Queen would hurt her uncle...and she was fucking right." Sandor was frustrated, "Not to forget, The Queen had make her first move, which means she will be unstoppable. King Robert is no longer safe. We don't have enough time to gather and train our men!" He knew the Queen too well.

Never in his life had he felt so strong for his King. Robert Baratheon freed him. Without Robert Baratheon he was probably dead already, and if he was still alive, he'd probably begged for his own death. He'd witnessed Leana's head on spike at the castle wall – just like his nightmare. His babe he sired perished with her.

King Robert was a good man, he was a drunk King because he was still mourning for Lyanna Stark and he married a vile woman. The Baratheon King saw his pain and helped him...

"I did her killing for ten fucking years! I know what she is capable off! King Robert had Ser Barristan with him but she could still take him down! The woman is rich! Richer than the King!"

"She wouldn't dare...kill the King?!" Lord Stark whispered while he knew that his Queen was fully capable of carrying the deed.

"Look what she did to Leana. Barely days after King Robert left King's Landing. She tortured her! She almost kills her!" Sandor whispered to himself," almost..." as he remembered the tortures as she did not want to marry him.

Sandor shook his head as he tried to let go of the debacles. "King Robert is no longer safe..." and he excused himself, "I have to tell Leana..."

He remembered her excited face, eyes lights up hoping that the scroll was for her from the imp...and his heart broke for her when the sentry walked pass her, saw her sad dejected face. He'd held her and she would smile at him. She stopped talking about the imp and kept to herself...he did not hear her incessant chatter from her when they were in bed anymore.

The last time she mentioned the imp, he told her, her beloved imp of an uncle was a Lannister. No one touched a fucking Lannister. He was wrong, especially for a Lannister who loved and protected a Stark cub.

TBC

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Thanks for review posted: Guests, nightwatchers2, DorkySoul, RedSmileyFace, SweetKitty71, Lightan117, pandababii and mmcsr!

A little bit of lost before the arrival of their babe. Hope Leana didn't take the news too badly. Please don't hate me

Cheers,

NF