Chapter 23: Home-

"Stark!" Aegon called as he ran to me. I bent down catching Rhaenys first

"I knew you would be back!" Rhaenys cried before giving me a kiss on the cheek. It seemed like they had all grown since I last saw them. Rhaenys hair had gotten longer it made her look more like her mother.

"Hey sweet girl." I tell her returning her smile.

Aegon crashed into me next, he held onto me so tightly. "Stark." He whispers so softly it was almost more like a promise then my name. He looked taller less like a baby more like a child.

"Hey Silver." I tell him my hand runs through his silver hair it still made me chuckle that he was this little perfect Valyrian Targaryen and I loved him like he was my own flesh and blood.

"Come here slow poke!" I said as Jon toddles after them into my arms. I remember when he was just learning to crawl and now, he was waddling into my arms.

I was so happy to hold them so closely. Winterfell would always be my home, but it hadn't truly been a home coming until seeing the people I love knowing that they are safe. I kiss each of their heads. There was still another I had to see. I look up at Elia smiling down at me I could not help but stare I still struggled to believe it. I had given up any faint hopes of having a child with Elia but now the realization still made my heart race. We were having a baby that would be half Elia and half me. Rhaenys, Aegon, and Jon would have a baby brother or sister. I hoped they would care about their baby sibling as much as I did for mine.

"I need to see Benjen." I tell her and she nods.

"Come on children we can all talk to Lord Stark in the morning as we break our fast but now its bedtime come on." Elia says Jon goes right to her.

"I am not tired!" Aegon says clung to me but as he says it Jon yawns which makes Aegon yawn.

"You look tired to me." Elia laughs and Aegon glares at Jon as though he has betrayed him.

"Do not be bad to the baby!" Rhaenys says as she goes over and hold Elia's hand.

"Come on Silver listen to your mother." I tell him he pouts a little like his mother, but I give him a look like one my father give me he nods and hugs me again before going over to them and taking Jon's free hand.

I watched them

I go to find my little brother confined to his bed covered in bandages and bruises. I am horrified by what that monster did to the boy I love so much.

"BRANDON!" He said happily he moved to quickly and ended up wincing in pain. "It's true you really are alive."

"Tales of my death have been over exaggerated, for the second time. Just rest." I said sitting next to my brothers bed he chuckles but then clutches at his ribs in pain.

"Benny-"

"I am fine." He promises Benjen hates being babied but he will always be my baby brother.

I nodded. "Of course your fine, you're a Stark." I tell him and lightly he smiles.

"What happened at the dread fort, with the Ryswells and Dustins?" Benjen asked.

"Its not a pretty tale Ben?"

"I need to know." He assured.

I killed Lord Ryswell when he stood between me and the dread fort, when I took it I executed his son Rickard Ryswell. Roger died here of poision. When I came this way Barbery moved her men south Lord Manderly is advancing." I said it was odd talking about a woman I once loved like this. All respect I had for her was gone.

"What about Little Roose Ryswell does that make him the lord?" Benjen asks and I shook my head. Roose ryswell was a boy of 12 younger then Benjen much more a child then Benjen.

"When I took the Rills he would not bend the knee to his fathers and brothers murderer. He would not submit that I was the warden of the north and my stark heir after me so I executed him." I told my brother and watched the shock on his face. "I did not want to Benjen but I had to."

"Why" Benjen asked confused.

"Because its my duty, because they thought they could come into my home hold my brother and wife as hostages and hurt you! "I told him it broke my heart seeing him like this in so much pain.

His confusion turned to angry and his head turned away from me. "He was just a child Brandon. What could he have done to you?"

I touched his arm lightly and he looks back at me. "He would not be a boy forever Ben, and I wont be around forever if I could stop a problem for my child, or you, or little Robb before it happens I will and that means I cannot let the Stark name be disrespected especially not by our own bannermen." I told him mayphaps it was war or being beaten with a rock, but I have thought about my death a lot and how I would leave my family. I thought I was ready to lead before my father died but I wasn't I made so many mistakes I had to correct them and be better if I was going to leave the North and the Starks stronger.

"Why did you have to do it."

"Because the man who passes the sentence swings the sword you know that." I told him father only said it all the time.

"Why do you have to pass the sentence?" Benjen asks only he would look at it this way.

"Because I am lord Stark."

He nods. "Better you then me."

"Well you'll be a lord Stark to, you can have the dreadfort and-"

"No!" He says quickly I supposed he did not want a reminder of Bolton.

"Then the Rills and Aegon can be lord of the Dreadfort." I said house Stout's last lord had died defending the Dreadfort, Goldgrass was a modest castle but I had thought of giving it to Jon but I thought I should not bring up the other traitors right now. Benjen knew them as family friends I once did to and that is why I found their betrayal even more bitter.

"No, I don't want to be a lord of anything. That is not me. I tried to be you and people died." Benjen says with tears in his eyes.

"That's my fault Ben not yours." I promise.

"I am sorry Brandon I cannot." Benjen says softly.

"We will find what it is you are meant to do." I promise him I want nothing more to hug him, but I don't want to hurt him.

"Tell me about the others houses who opposed you." Benjen says finally.

"It will make you angry at me." I tell him simply. "Tell me about what it was like hostage in your own home."

"It will make you angry at me." Benjen says back.

"Not at you." I promise.

"I could not protect them Brandon, I could not protect Elia." He says I feel something snap inside me like a quiver.

"Did somebody hurt Elia? Did Bolton?!" I say more forcefully then I mean to.

"He threatened to do horrible things to her should I not comply."

My father called it wolf blood, the thing that made me want to go kill a dead man. It was white hot rage that I felt an urge to satisfy with blood, Bolton was lucky he was dead.

"He was going to hurt her when I killed him. I had to kill him I know I should not have killed a man from behind but he said he was going to teach her a lesson and he was pulling her down and-"

"You did the right thing Benjen and I am very proud of you, anyone who gives you any trouble for it can take it up with me." I tell him and he smiles for a moment.

"Your really proud of me?"

"Furiously proud, you protected the woman I love and in her stomach the heir to house Stark, anytime through its life that child does anything good remember had it not been for you it may not have been born." I tell him and he smiles.

We talk for hours longer I let him have ale for the pain and he is asleep after a while.

I walk through the dark halls only lit with torches like the boiling I felt inside. I find Ned in his rooms he was sitting on the side of his bed but he jumps to his feet and grabbed his discarded sword when the door opens. Catelyn is still in bed and pulls her robe together modestly I did not really notice her.

"Where is Bolton?" I ask lowly.

"Brandon you cannot just barge in-
"He tried to hurt my wife dammnit where is he!" I shout.

"He's in a crate to be sent to the dreadfort fort bu-" Ned begins but I stop him.

"I want his body thrown out into the woods for the wolves." I demand Ned does not agree but he can see I am not in the mood to be contradicted.

"Come on." Ned says softly gently trying to move me towards the door I smack his hand away from me.

"You are in my bedchamber with my wife Brandon." Theirs anger in his voice when he tells me this though he is trying to stay calm if I were not his brother, he probably would have hit me by now. I see how pale Cat is I let him push me out of the room I kept looking at her I wanted to apologize but the words never came.

He continues to pull me.

"Where are we going!" I ask pushing back.

"He gives me an annoyed look and pulls. "To calm you fucking down." He grumbles I thought about hitting him before he pulled the door open and it was like being out on the battlements of Winterfell with the cold wind washing over me. I shoved Ned aside quietly going in Aegon and Jon were asleep in one cot and Robb in another.

I quietly walked over to them and kissed Jon and Aegon's head there was oddly something very comforting about seeing them safe and maybe Elia was right about the odd smelling their heads thing it was nice. Jon was completely passed out but Aegons eyes flickered open and closed before really opening his smile appeared just looking at me. "Starkie." He says softly making me chuckle. I would prepare house Stark so it would survive after me but I could not rush off or brawl every time I get angry because I had a desire to live along life and see what kind of person the children would become.

"Silvie." I tease he yawns. "Goodnight Aegon."

"Night night." The tired boy says turning onto his side and closing his eyes I get to the door when I hear his tired little voice say. "Wove you Stark." Before shutting the door, Ned was there waiting for me.

"Thank you." I said finally.

He nod and simply says "Learn to knock," While walking away it was so very Ned I had to laugh.

I went up the stairs to my own bedchamber hearing Neds door bolt shut added to my amusement before opening the door to see my radiant wife at her vanity taking off her silver direwolf locket for bed. She was already in a night dress that showed the full curve of her belly. Myla undid her hair, another girl brought a water basin into the room and a third was clearing a tray.

"Thank you and goodnight ladies." I said and they all bowed and left.

"Sorry I want you all to myself." I told her.

"That is very well but you must put the fire out." She said gesturing to the basin.

"Are you hot?" I asked surprised when I turned, she was slowly getting up. I did not thing Elia would be hot if Winterfell were on fire.

She smiles and puts her hand on her belly. "It's my northern little baby. Though it might not be so little I do not know how much larger I can get."

"You look wonderful Elia." I promise my eyes still drawn to her belly I thought she looked wonderful carrying my child. I helped her into bed she held me close for a moment. "I missed you Brandon." She says softly.

"I thought of you ever day." I tell her she smiles but then she cries and clutches her face.

"What is it love?" I ask wiping her tears.

"I thought I lost you." She admits and I hold her close and kiss her head.

"Our story is not finished." I promise her. I hold her until she relaxes in my arms. I kick off my boots and throw off my tunic and shirt before getting in next to her and wrapping my arms around her.

"I this alright? I want you to be comfortable." I asked.

"I have been dreaming about being in your arms." She tells me and I kiss the side of her face. My hand runs over her stomach. "I promise I will keep you all safe, I am so sorry Elia I am so-"

"It is not your fault." She promises. "We survived and that's all that matters." She assures her tone tells me she does not wish to discuss it more so I let her be I do not want to upset her while she is carrying my babe. I lay their imagining what it will look like and sound like.

"I am so glad you are home." Elia tells me softly as she falls asleep.

Kind of a short sweet chapter but there is more drama to come. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.