A/N: In this fic, Robb, Talisa, and Catelyn managed to survive the Red Wedding. All of the other Stark children are living back in Winterfell.

Theon kept a death grip on his sister's hand as their ship made port in White Harbor. They had come to finalize the details of an alliance between the Iron Islands and the North. This meant that Theon was going to see his adoptive brother, Robb, for the first time since the infamous Red Wedding.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Theon let out a shocked gasp.

"Easy, baby brother," Yara murmured. "I'll be here the whole time. Remember that King Robb thinks of you as a brother, as does Lady Talisa. Between the three of us, you are perfectly safe here."


Robb Stark could not believe his eyes as he watched the IronBorn disembarked the ship. A young woman, presumably Yara Greyjoy, was the first to greet the northerners. Robb and Talisa responded in kind, but Robb's attention was quickly drawn to the young man at Yara's side. The boy was thin and skittish, but his eyes held an unmistakable glint that could only belong to one person.

"Theon?" the King asked gently. "Theon, is that really you?"

"He doesn't trust easily after all that has happened. He only believed that you were alive after the second raven arrived," Yara explained.

Taking the Lady Reaper's words to heart, Robb took a knee to lock eyes with his surrogate brother.

"Theon, it's me. It's Robb. Can you look at me?" the King asked.

There was a tense pause as Theon looked up before he gasped, wrenched himself out of his sister's hold, and threw himself into his "big brother's" arms.

"You're alive, you're alive," the 14-year-old repeated. "The wedding. They shot you-, I thought-" Theon was so distraught that he couldn't get out a coherent sentence. This only seemed to distress him further, and he finally collapsed against Robb's shoulder in a fit of sobs. Yara came to their side and placed a hand on her brother's back, sharing a sad smile with Robb.


Theon withdrew more and more during their ride back to Winterfell. By the time they reached the castle, Theon had wholly dissociated. The teen no longer responded to Robb's teasing, or lady Talisa's kind words. His gaze just roamed warily about the courtyard, and he would flinch if anyone got too close.

These were all normal behavior considering what the teen had been through. What was not normal was the way that Theon swayed the moment that his feet hit the solid ground. Robb appeared to have caught on to the change in his "little brother's" behavior as the King quickly moved to steady the boy against his side until Yara could reach them.

"Are you feeling alright, little brother?" Yara asked as she gently took Theon from Robb's hold.

"Jus' tired," Theon slurred, leaning heavily against his sister.

"You look it," Robb interjected before addressing Yara. "I'll have someone show you to your quarters. We can meet tomorrow."

Yara's concern for her brother only grew as the evening drew on. Theon barely touched his supper, and he only spoke when asked a direct question or given an instruction. He spent the rest of the time sitting cross-legged on his cot; rocking from side to side as he stared blankly ahead.

"This behavior is more than just discomfort at new surroundings," Yara thought as she moved to sit behind her brother. She wrapped a blanket around Theon before drawing him to lean against her breast. "I'm afraid that something more is at play here. I just can't figure out what."

As if to answer the unspoken question, Theon turned and began to sob quietly against Yara's shoulder. Caring for her baby brother for the past few months gave Yara the ability to decipher Theon's different cries. This current sobbing fit was a sign that the young man was entirely overwhelmed by the day's events.

She learned early into her brother's recovery not to expect a verbal response when Theon was this unsettled. So, the Lady Reper did the only thing that she could; she cradled Theon against her and waited.

"Oh, baby brother, maybe one day you'll be able to tell me what I can do to make this all better."


Everyone in the meeting jumped as Theon's goblet slipped out his hand and crashed to the floor. The teen appeared unphased by the incident; staring blankly ahead as he worried the hem of his shirt with his good hand.

"Shit!" Yara muttered, drawing confused looks from Robb, Talisa, and Lady Catelyn as she made her way to Theon's side.

"What's happening?" Robb asked, standing up and moving to kneel next to his "little brother."

"He's having a seizure," Yara explained. "Likely flashing back as well. 'Usually is when he gets like this."

Suddenly, Theon's whole body when slack, and he fell to the floor before his entire body began to seize violently. Yara could only stare in shock; Theon had never done this before.

Talisa and Catelyn were at the teen's side in seconds.

"Let's get him onto his side," the Queen ordered, her training as a healer coming to the fore. "Lady Yara, I need you to sit down and position Theon's head on your lap, talk calmly to him, try to bring him back. Robb, try to undo some of the laces on his shirt, we need to loosen anything around the boy's throat."

"What can I do to help?" Catelyn asked.

"Talk to him with me, my lady," Yara requested before Talisa answer. "You have been like a mother to him. If he hears your voice, he may begin to realize that he's safe."

"His airway is clear!" Talisa announced, clearly relieved. "Unfortunately, all we can do is wait this out."

Flashback:

Inspired by the song Run Boy Run

Something was going to happen, Robb could feel it in his bones. Lord Frey was plotting something the young regent could not tell exactly what.

Scanning the room, Robb caught sight of 14- year-old Theon, who was laughing and joking with some of the older warriors.

Robb made his way over to the boy and grasped Theon's arm before moving them to a secluded area of the room.

"Theon, I want you to listen to me very carefully," the King instructed his ward as the boy stared at him in confusion. Robb kept his voice low so as not to alert others around them.

Theon opened his mouth to argue, but Robb beat him to it.

"Boy, you listen to me now as there's no time to argue. We are in imminent danger, and I need to keep you safe. I want you to act as if you are retiring for the night and walk calmly out of the keep.

Once you get past the gates, you run. You run and don't look back. Follow the rising sun; safety lies just behind the hills to the east. I want you to hide out near our last camp. I'll come to find you when once I get my wife and mother out of here. Run! Go now!"

Chaos erupted just as Robb shouted the command. He gave a hard push to Theon's back, sending the boy stumbling into a run.

Somehow, the 14-year-old made it out of the Twins and into the surrounding wilderness. Adrenaline fueling him, he ran until his legs gave out, and his lungs fought for air.

Exhausted, Theon crawled into a hidden space under a rocky outcropping and collapsed into unconsciousness.

He was jarred awake by the sound of mocking laughter.

"Well, what 'ave we here?" An unfamiliar voice asked. "Looks like we found the runt of the Stark litter boys!"

A hand clamped around Theon's throat, and he slipped into unconsciousness. What he didn't know was that he would soon wake into a living hell.

Time slowed, and it seemed like hours before Theon finally stilled in his sister's arms. His eyes flitted around the room, but he struggled to focus entirely on anything or anyone.

"Theon? Lil' Kraken, are ya with me?" Yara asked gently.

There was a long pause before Theon nodded slightly, he shivered; from the cold or a remnant of his seizure, they did not know.

Robb shrugged his fur cloak off and tucked it around the teen. Catelyn ran a hand down Theon's back and murmured soothingly under her breath.

"He seems to be coming out of his fit as expected," Talisa began, addressing Yara. "But I'd like to do a few quick checks just to be sure that nothing further is wrong. Is that alright?"

"Please, do whatever you need to," Yara responded.

Talisa nodded before taking a gentle hold of her patient's hand.

"Theon, I need you to squeeze my hand as tightly as you can, okay?" she asked.

Theon nodded and did as he was instructed.

"Very good," Talisa praised. "Now, I need you to answer a couple of questions for me, do you think that you can talk? It is okay if you can't yet."

"T-thi-think s-so," Theon answered his voice, gaining strength with every word. "W-wanna try."

"Alright," Talisa agreed. "First question, do you know where you are?"

"W-Winterfell," Theon responded. "G-Great hall."

"You are doing great, kiddo," Robb praised, softly ruffling his little brother's hair. Yara and Catelyn echoed his words.

"Just one more question, and then I'll leave you alone, okay, Theon?" Talisa prompted.

The boy nodded.

"Can you tell me who all is here with us?" the Queen asked.

"Yara, Robb, Queen Talisa, Lady Catelyn," Theon answered.

"Well, I can't argue with how aware you are," the Queen concluded. "However, I do not doubt that you are going to feel exhausted after your episode. It would be best if you take it easy for the rest of the day."

So, Theon ended up sleeping through the rest of the meeting on a makeshift cot, made of two chairs that we pushed together. The warmth of the pelt around his shoulders and the familiarity of it all helped to keep him settled.