Arya sped along, her favorite Christmas carol playing in the background. Her last two classes had canceled on her, so her Christmas vacation was starting early. A grin appeared on her face as she thought about Sansa, wondering how her talk with Sandor went.

She suspected that he'd forgiven her and they were knee-deep in lovey-dovey land. About damn time. Her grin widened. Sandor would be a welcome addition to the Stark brood and any of her siblings that disagreed would get an earful.

As she drove, a figure in the distance caught her eye and she slowed, frowning as she recognized Sandor. Pulling off the road, she got out of the car, pulling her hood over her head as she walked to him. He was staring across the empty space, glittering white snow the only thing they could see. She stopped, glancing up at his scowling face before burying her hands deep in her pockets as she waited, studying the endless snow.

The seconds ticked slowly by, the wind blowing softly in the silence. Finally, he spoke. "Sansa's staying. In Winterfell."

"I thought you'd be happier." She looked up ar him, confused.

"Last night she said she was leaving." He shrugged. "Now today she's staying because of the wedding."

"What wedding?" Arya scrunched up her nose, growing more perplexed by the moment.

"Joffrey's." She heard the disdain in his voice and it suddenly dawned on her.

"No, she doesn't give one toss about him."

He looked down at her, his eyebrow hitching up, eyes full of suspicion. "Then why isn't she going back like she said she was?"

"Do you know what she thought? She thought that we were a couple. That's why she was going back to King's Landing."

Sandor blinked, clearly baffled by her words and looked at her quizzically.

"Seven Hells! Are you really that thick?" She looked at him, completely bewildered as to why he wasn't seeing it. "Sansa's in love with you! She has been for years!"

He snorted, his head shaking in dissent as she spoke. "You're joking."

"I'm not!" She insisted, her eyes flashing as she stepped closer. "She thought we were together - in love! That's why she was going to leave, because she couldn't stand seeing us together but didn't want to come between our happiness."

"How in the hell did she get an idea like that?"

"I don't know!" She shook her head.

"Still.." Sandor sighed, glancing back across the land at the setting sun. "I think you're wrong. She thinks I'm a monster, I heard her-"

"At the Christmas party? I think everyone heard her that night." Arya nodded slightly. "But what nobody saw was how much she regretted it. The minute she said it, she regretted it. I heard her that night, crying herself to sleep." Her voice softened as she turned her head away, pretending to study the sky as emotion welled inside her. "I think she cried herself to sleep every night for a week after that."

Sandor stared at her in amazement, trying to picture the pretty little bird crying over his feelings being hurt.

"She thinks she ruined Christmas for you." Arya's words startled him and he looked at her, confused. "She didn't." He murmured quietly and then silence fell between them again. She shifted slightly, the snow crunching beneath her boots as she sniffed, more from crying than the cold, he thought.

"I only came to the party that night to see her." His voice was barely a whisper and she had to lean closer to catch the rest. "Everyone mocked me and called me the Hound or dog, most just ignored me but not her. It started out with just smiles, shy smiles when we crossed paths and then once she knew my name, she always greeted me with a smile and my name." He let out a shaky breath, realizing that he had never shared these memories with anyone else. "I knew she was too young but when your father invited me to that party, I desperately wanted to see her. And she was so beautiful in that green dress. I thought it was all perfect, just to be there and see her. Then I heard her calling me a monster, her friends sneering and laughing, everyone looking at me...

and it all shattered around me." A strange, strangled noise sounded from his throat and she realized that he was sobbing. "I can't go through it again...I can't let my heart be broken. I just can't take the chance."

Arya watched as he stumbled through the snow, chest heaving as he made his way back to the road. "Sandor!" She called, cursing under her breath as she raced after him. He didn't stop, just kept going, until he finally reached the truck and sped off.