A/N: Hello again everyone. Today's chapter has a Tywin and a Catelyn POV (though mostly Catelyn). Hopefully you all continue to enjoy!

Chapter 22: Unlikely Situations

Arya Stark had stripped her apartment clean when she left, and that alone told Tywin a lot. It meant that she was intentionally covering her tracks, and she had anticipated him having the place investigated. Given the size of the bag she brought back, she did not have many belongings. So she hadn't been living in that apartment for very long.

It made sense for a girl on the run to hop between locations as much as possible. The fact that she had learned to live on such a small amount of possessions was odd for a young woman who came from such wealth. Speaking of wealth, he wondered how she had paid for things all this time without leaving a paper trail. Cash could only get her so far and if she had ever used a card, they would have found her in a heartbeat. She could have taken out a large amount of cash at the beginning but not enough to last her this long. He guessed that she was not the one who rented the apartment. Someone else had rented it for her.

"Monitor the place over the next few weeks," Tywin said. "I want someone watching the building, seeing who goes in and out."

"Would anyone look for her there?" Clegane asked. "Now that she's moved out, I mean."

"Maybe not. Still, she might meet someone there. She couldn't afford to do that at the manor," Tywin said. "I'm just being careful."

"What about her phone?" he asked. "You could check it. See what she's got hidden there."

"If she treats her phone like she does her apartment, she's deleted any possibly incriminating messages as soon as they've come in," Tywin said. "She's not stupid. She knows I'm watching her. I need her to drop her guard and seizing her phone won't help that."

"Aye." Clegane leaned back in his seat. "I know you think she was being kept somewhere the last three years. But it sounds like you think she's still being kept."

"It's hard to say," Tywin said. "She could have escaped, and perhaps she just doesn't want to dig up a difficult part of her life again. Maybe she killed the one keeping her and fears she'll be punished for it. But I'm not ruling out the possibility that someone is keeping her on a leash and giving her orders."

"What's the point of these orders then?" Clegane said. "Play bodyguard to your granddaughter. What's the purpose?"

"Nothing good," Tywin said. "But she doesn't mean Myrcella harm, or she would already be dead."

"Who could she mean harm?"

Me, most likely, Tywin thought. "Hard to say. Maybe she just wants to know what happened to her father. I'm simply keeping the possibilities open." He tapped his fingers on the back of Clegane's chair. "Do we know how she got the agency to recommend her as a bodyguard yet?"

"No. But someone slipped her profile in amongst the others," Clegane said. "Could have been her. Kids can do all sorts of things with computers these days. Could have been someone else."

Tywin nodded once. There were many uncertainties at the moment. He knew he could probably clear up a lot of things right now with a more forceful interrogation. But that was a quick way to lose the Starks' cooperation in its entirety.

Speaking of which...

"Keep looking, and keep me updated," Tywin said.

He left the security building without waiting for Clegane to respond. It wasn't needed. He knew he would carry out whatever order he gave him.

He didn't exactly expect the same of Catelyn Stark. But at the very least, she had promised her cooperation, and he needed it here.

Catelyn was in the middle of a board meeting when she saw the message from Tywin Lannister, and she quickly turned her phone over on the table, wondering exactly how her life had led to this exact point. She had been wondering all day in fact. This weekend had been so life-alteringly strange that she still hadn't fully processed it. She kept running through everything in her mind, hoping that it might make more sense.

My daughter is alive.

Someone faked her death.

Tywin Lannister found her working as a bodyguard for his granddaughter.

They both think my husband was murdered.

My daughter was shot a few days ago, and it was practically an afterthought in the conversation.

I am apparently working with Tywin Lannister to help figure out what the fuck is going on.

No matter how many times she ran through the thoughts in her head, they never made sense. But they were making it very difficult to concentrate on the meeting at hand.

"Publicity is good following the Charity Gala," Jon Umber said. "Not as good as the Tyrells, of course."

"It never is as good as the Tyrells," Roose Bolton said. "But the Tyrells are also in bed with the Lannisters right now. It drags down their pristine image a bit."

"And raises the Lannister reputation at the same time," Galbart Glover said. He was the Chairman of the Board and had been since before Ned had died. She remembered he had raised some opposition to Catelyn's position on the board. Most of them had. But they had allowed her on at Robb's insistence.

"You're asking me to take over as CEO when I've barely finished my degree," he had said. "My mother has the same education as me and the same amount of experience. And she knew my father better than any of you. I'll see her on the board."

Catelyn knew most sons would not have fought so hard for their mother on that front. But then, he was terrified to fail his father's memory, and he had wanted someone he could trust beside him. The other members of the board—experienced men all of them—could try to take advantage. And Catelyn was there to make sure it didn't happen.

"It evens them out a bit," Bolton said. "Still, our numbers are good, and our shareholders are happy. Much happier than they were last year and the year before that. Things are stabilizing."

Things. The death of your CEO is blowing over, you mean, Catelyn thought, twisting her ring around her finger. And now Tywin's words were echoing in her head again.

"I think someone killed your husband. You must have suspected it. But it was easier to think it was an accident."

She had shut the door on her suspicion a long time ago, but now that it was open she could not stop herself from thinking about who had the most to gain from Ned's death. When he died, it destabilized the company, so outside competitors could have stood to gain a great deal. But then, what if it came from an internal source? Umber and Karstark... neither of them had been happy about Robb stepping in as CEO when he was so young. On one hand, that was an understandable reservation, but what if one of them had hoped to take over the company themselves?

This is why I shut the door, Catelyn thought. The paranoia is too distracting.

She forced herself to pay attention to the rest of the meeting, trying not to let the numbers mix in her head. When it was done she exhaled, standing to pack up her things, saying a few goodbyes to the others as they left.

"You barely said a word today, Mrs. Stark," Roose Bolton said, stopping next to her.

"Didn't I?" she asked. "I suppose you all said everything on my mind."

"Perhaps. It's still unlike you," Bolton said. "You've always been... vocal."

She gave him a look. "Now, Mr. Bolton, I'm not sure if you mean that as a compliment or an insult."

"It has its uses," Bolton said. "You may remember, Mrs. Stark, but I had no qualms with you joining the board three years ago."

"Yes, I remember," Catelyn said. "Naturally, I appreciate that, just as I appreciate your concern. It's been a long weekend, that's all."

"Charity gala weekends always are," he said. "I saw Tywin Lannister speaking with you at one point. I wondered if you might need rescuing."

Catelyn sighed. If he had only known how the rest of the weekend had gone. "I can handle Tywin Lannister."

"I'm not sure anyone can handle him, frankly."

"Well, then a rescue would have been pointless, wouldn't it?" Catelyn asked.

The man inclined his head in acknowledgement. In truth, while Roose Bolton was congenial enough to her, she had no idea what the man was thinking at any given time. He had a steely gaze and a stony expression that only rarely cracked into a small smile which never reached his eyes. He surprised her when he supported her joining the board. In all the times she had met him, it seemed he did not like her. But she quickly learned that was just his demeanor with everyone.

And speaking of men with stony demeanors, Catelyn had just remembered a message she had received from one midway through the meeting.

"Anyway, I should go," she said. "I have a lot left to do today. But I'll see you tomorrow I'm sure."

"Yes, tomorrow," he said. "Have a pleasant day, Mrs. Stark."

She nodded once, waiting until he was out of the room to check the message on her phone.

T: Come to the manor today.

He didn't phrase invitations as questions, did he? More like orders. Everything that came from the man's mouth sounded like a goddamn order. She thought for a moment before tapping out a response.

C: Why? Is Arya all right?

T: The same as a few days ago. But I imagine you want to see her.

Catelyn exhaled. She knew perfectly well Tywin was not inviting her to the manor because he thought she might miss her daughter. He did anything and everything for a reason. So she hurried back to the safety of her office and closed the door before calling him.

He answered just after the first ring. "Is there a problem, Mrs. Stark?"

"No," Catelyn said. "I want to be clear on your reasons for inviting me to your house."

"I thought I'd already made the reasons clear," he said. He was even harder to read over the phone. His voice never changed its tone. "Your daughter is still hiding a great deal and I need you to press to see if you can get any relevant information out of her."

"So it's an interrogation then," she said.

"A discussion," Tywin said. "We're trying to avoid an interrogation, Mrs. Stark. That's why I came to you in the first place."

Catelyn's jaw clenched, and she slowly sat down at her desk. "What am I looking for then?"

"Where she's been the past three years," Tywin said. "She continues to be tight-lipped on that front. And I'm sure that's your primary concern."

Yes. It was. Especially if someone had been keeping her daughter away from her. But she was almost afraid to know where her daughter had been in the past three years. How had her daughter been hurt because she hadn't watched her closely enough? Because she let her get away?

"Mrs. Stark?"

Catelyn swallowed hard. "Yes, it is my primary concern. Fine then. I'll be by later this evening."

"Good," he said. "I'll see you shortly."

He hung up without another word, and she tossed her phone onto her desk. Gods, this was getting stranger and stranger by the day. And she could only hope that at some point it would all start making sense.

A knock came at her door just then and Catelyn brushed back her hair, plastering on a calm expression again. "Come in."

Petyr appeared in the doorway, a friendly grin on his face. "Cat. Sorry if I popped in at a busy time, but I was in the area." He strode forward, setting a coffee on her desk. "Thought you could use one."

"I always can," Catelyn said. "Thank you. What were you doing in the area?"

"Meeting some potential investors. Lunch. You know how it is," Petyr said. "I know you've been busy too. You should let me take you to dinner tonight. My treat. Business is doing well."

"Tempting," Catelyn said. "But I have some things to take care of tonight. It was... quite a weekend."

"I know you hate the gala," Petyr said. "But, if it makes you feel any better, you handled yourself wonderfully."

Catelyn's mouth twitched. "I'm glad to hear it. Do you think I convinced the press?"

"I'd say so," Petyr said. "What was the article I saw this morning? Strong showing from the Starks despite past tragedies?"

"I hope that's not the title they went with," Catelyn said. "Not catchy at all."

"No," Petyr said. "Well, I can only hope to become important enough one day to be terribly represented by the press."

"I don't recommend it," Catelyn said. "The press never cared about me before I started dating a Stark. Once I did, they never stopped talking."

"I remember," Petyr said. "You should choose your next lover more carefully."

Catelyn entwined her fingers together under the table, squeezing hard to keep her pleasant expression from dropping. She knew what Petyr was doing. The same thing that he always did—probing to see if she might finally be ready to move on from Ned.

Three years, to Catelyn, was not that long at all. It seemed five was the respectful amount to wait before seeing other people. But all of that aside, even if five years had passed, she wouldn't be able to give Petyr what he wanted.

She knew he liked her as more than a friend, and she had rejected him more than once. Tried to let him down gently. He was like a brother to her and a dear friend from childhood who she cherished. But she didn't want him as anything more. He was too... slippery for her. He schmoozed and smiled but she never really knew what he was thinking. And she did not like people who used a smile to cover more nefarious intentions.

And gods, she still didn't want to think about having a partner at all. As respectful as Petyr was trying to be, he couldn't hide his real intent. He was waiting in the wings, waiting for his chance, and Catelyn couldn't give him that chance.

I wonder, she thought. If he did not have feelings for me, would he have even offered his help after Ned died? Would he even treat me like a human being?

It was a good question, she supposed, and one that she would never know the answer to. Because if Petyr's feelings had persisted this long, they showed no sign of dying anytime soon.

"Well, I'm used to the press by now," she said at last. Then she stood. "Anyway, I hate to run out on you, but I have a lot to catch up on. We'll get dinner another time though. End of this week, perhaps?"

"Whenever you'd like, Cat," Petyr said. "I'll walk you to your car."

She nodded once, pretending that she wouldn't rather go alone. On the way there, Petyr told her about some connections he had made at the gala and how he expected them to pan out. He had hopes for some connections. Renly Baratheon, for instance, who was engaged to marry Margaery Tyrell.

"Obviously he's not the main Baratheon," Petyr said. "But he has some pull. Not to mention the impending connection with the Tyrells. If there's one family that can knock the Lannisters down, it's the Tyrells."

"The Lannisters and the Tyrells are allies, Petyr," Catelyn said. "They work together, not against each other."

"For now," he agreed. "But sometimes enemies pretend to be friends to get the upper hand. I wouldn't be surprised if the Tyrells become an asset. You should keep your options open." He rubbed his hands together. "And it's not just them. I may gain some investment from Tyrion Lannister."

"Tyrion?" Catelyn raised an eyebrow. "The one who's in the tabloids every week for his... habits? He doesn't seem like someone you want associated with your company."

"You wouldn't think," Petyr said. "But don't let his facade fool you. The man's a genius with investments. Been growing his assets for some time, and he doesn't even have his father's help. Tywin Lannister cut him off a few years ago, so Tyrion is open to helping rivals take on his dear father. And that is exactly what makes him a good person to associate with my company. Tywin Lannister is a good villain. If you stand up to him, you're automatically a hero. Tyrion could be that." He shrugged. "And so could I."

"I'm not sure heroes talk openly about gaming the system, Petyr," Catelyn pointed out as they reached her car.

"Well, we can't all have honorable reputations, Cat. That doesn't earn money," Petyr said.

"I'm not sure," Catelyn said. "My husband did well enough at earning money."

Petyr sighed. "Yes, yes. But don't pretend he didn't break the occasional rule. Everyone does in business. Tywin Lannister just has a darker reputation than others." He gave her a look. "You know I saw him speaking to you at the gala. I thought you might need a rescue."

Catelyn sighed. Gods, had everyone noticed her speaking with Tywin? Their conversation did not even last five minutes. "I can handle him. I don't know why you think you'd fare any better, Petyr."

"Maybe I wouldn't. But I'd still be willing to help," Petyr said. "I'm not after his investment."

"Yes, of course," she said. "It's been good talking to you, but I really have to go."

"Right." He slapped the top of her car as she clambered inside. "I won't keep you. But I will insist on that dinner!"

"I'll look forward to that," she lied before she shut the door. The quiet of her car was welcoming. But gods, it was nearly the end of the day and she still had to go deal with Tywin Lannister. At the very least, she could also see her daughter again. Her daughter who was alive.

She leaned her head back, letting out a long breath. No. No matter how many times she repeated that miraculous fact to herself, it still did not feel real.

A/N: And that's that for now! Next chapter will feature Catelyn and Arya interacting again as well as some Catelyn and Tywin interactions, cause you guys know I love writing those. Review, subscribe and I'll see you next time!