Summary: In which Arya won't pick up her phone and Gendry encounters a horde of angry Stark brothers

Arya arrived home just before dinner, specks on blood still on her hands and face (she hoped that none had gotten on Sansa's dress). Tights still in hand, she trudged up to Winterfell, opening the door and slinking in, trying to be as quiet as possible.

It wasn't enough. It appeared that Sansa was waiting for her.

"Where have you been?"' She hissed, ambushing Arya out of no where. "Tonights the family dinner! You know, the family baby shower for Jeyne?"

Arya, blinked, having completely forgotten.

"I got caught up," she snapped, feeling bitter and resentful, her absolute failure with Gendry weighing her down like an anchor.

"Is that blood on your face?" Sansa gasped in horror.

"Just... Tell Jon and the others I'll be down in a minute," Arya said, mounting the stairs. "I've got to go wash up."

"You tell them!" Sansa snapped, annoyed. "They're all in the game room."

And with that she stomped off, no doubt hurt that Arya was being so secretive. Whatever, Sansa was a big girl, she could handle herself.

Arya's room was dark when she entered, dropping her tights almost immediately and standing there, staring, not sure of what to do next, but feeling her emotions of hurt and humiliation snarling together in her stomach, reaching up and tugging at her throat, and though she tried to fight it with all her might, disappointment overtook her in waves.

Tears, stupid tears, leaked out of her eyes, splashing onto her cheeks when she squeezed her eyes shut, willing them to go away. Stupid! She should have expected this. She should have known, she should have known! What was she thinking, that Gendry would go from seeing her as a little sister one second, to someone sexually attractive in another? She should have known.

An unexpected rage burst within her as she stood there, crying like a stupid little girl. Vigorously wiping the tears from her face, she cursed herself for being so stupid. All at once she was furious at Gendry. For rejecting her, for making her feel like a fool, for making her feel like a stupid, vulnerable girl. For making her cry.

Fury blinding her, she turned on her heel and wrenched open the door, storming down the stairs, and then to the game room, throwing open the door with purpose.

"Arya!" Jon said at once. "We were getting worried about you- What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying," Arya said at once. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Bran pointed out accurately.

"Gendry tried to have sex with me," she said in a great, vindictive rush. "I just thought I should let you know."

And with that she left them, all staring after her, their mouths gaping open in shock.

Ooooooooooooo

"Shit!" Gendry swore under his breath. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Are you done yet over there?" Yoren shouted from across the Forge. "All this mentioning of shit is making me have to use the loo!"

"Oh shut up!" Gendry shouted back, feeling foul. "How you can ever hear a word I say over this racket is a miracle!"

"Did you just tell me to shut up?" Yoren roared, but then, something seemed to divert his attention. "Oi you! You've got company!"

Gendry turned, and he was sure he had just stepped into one of his nightmares. Coming towards the Forge were all the Stark brothers, all armed with bats and looking angry. OH SHIT! They had found out! They knew about what had happened with Arya! Oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT!

"I'd be running if I were you," Yoren shouted, looking amused. Gendry had never felt less amused in his life.

"Gendry! Come out here! We want to have a word with you!" Jon called from the parking lot.

Gendry gulped. This is it, he thought, this is where I die. Feeling as though he might throw up, Gendry walked out of the Forge and into the parking lot, trying to look anything but like he was going to shit his pants.

"I can explain," he said quickly. "It's not what you think."

"Jesus," Robb said, eyes widening, "so it is true."

"We didn't think it was," Bran said, looking equally surprised. "We thought she was bluffing."

"You tried to have sex with Arya?" Jon demanded, looking truly murderous. "You touched our sister?"

He raised the bat.

"Hey now, I thought we said we weren't actually going to use these!" Bran said hurriedly.

"Yeah, that was before when we thought Arya was making stuff up! Now he's saying it really happened!" Jon said loudly, glaring at Gendry.

"Can I explain?" Gendry demanded. "I'd like to have my say before you beat me to death."

"She's our sister!" Jon bellowed. "How could you? I thought you were her friend!"

"Seriously though," Robb said, pushing Jon back. "What were you thinking? She's only seventeen."

"I know!" Gendry snapped. "I know! That's why I stopped it, and let me inform you, before you beat me, that it was very much consensual!"

"All right," Bran said, shooting Jon a purposeful look. "You can explain."

Gendry sighed.

"We got a bit carried away," he admitted. "We... We sort of kissed... A lot. And... And we almost, you know... I don't have to explain it, obviously. But then I remembered that she was a... You know, a virgin, and I knew it just couldn't go on, and so I stopped it because I couldn't do that to her. I just couldn't."

Robb and Bran shared looks, as though they were growing less inclined to beating him bloody.

"And... Arya wasn't really too happy that I stopped it," Gendry sighed. "She took it badly, and... Well... Here you are."

There was a deafening silence. Robb and Bran looked at each other, both looking uncertain, but Jon remained firm, her hand still clenched around the bat.

"We can't do this, Jon," Robb said with a long sigh. "If I know Arya, and I think I do, I'm guessing she only told us to get revenge. It sounds like something she would do, and Gendry forcing himself on her sounds like something he wouldn't do."

"She never said he was forcing himself on her anyway," Bran said quickly.

"Yeah, she was pretty clear when we made her explain that you didn't hurt her," Robb said, looking back at Gendry. Jon looked annoyed.

"She's my little sister," he growled at Gendry, who felt his insides twist.

"I know," he said. "I know. I'm really sorry. I've tried calling her a million times, but she won't pick up. I don't want everything to be mucked up, I'd feel really sick if it was."

Robb gave Gendry a long, thoughtful look.

"I don't want everything to be mucked up either," he said. "You've been a good friend to Arya, and I believe you when you say you're sorry."

"We can't just let him get away with it!" Jon snapped, waving his bat at Gendry.

"He didn't get away with it," Bran pointed out. "Look, he got caught, we scared the shit out of him-"

"You did not scare the shit-"

"Mate you should have seen your face," Robb cut across Gendry, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

"- and now he's learned his lesson. It won't happen again, right Gendry?" Bran finished, shooting both Robb and Gendry annoyed looks at being interrupted.

Gendry felt his heart sink.

"You can't be seriously considering Arya," Jon spat as if reading his mind. "She's five years your junior!"

"No," Gendry snapped angrily. "Fine. It won't happen again, you have my word."

"That works for me," Robb said, shrugging. Bran agreed.

That left Jon. Though he was glaring at Gendry with a mixture of betrayal and brotherly protectiveness on his face.

"Fine," he snarled. "Just see that you keep your hands to yourself from now on."

Gendry bit back his angry words, knowing that, though his temper was flared, it would eventually die down, and he did not want to say anything to Jon now that he would regret later. Besides, he could agree with them now, but once he talked to Arya, it would be another story.

"Can you help me talk to her?" he asked, more to Robb and Bran than Jon, who he knew was still feeling extremely protective of his little sister. They nodded.

"We can take you back to Winterfell right now," Bran offered. "She won't be expecting us back, and especially not with you. It'd be the perfect opportunity to ambush her."

Gendry ran a hand through the back of his hair.

"I've got work..." He said uncertainly, looking back towards the Forge where Yoren was giving him angry looks that clearly said, get your sorry ass back to work.

"Take an early lunch break," Bran shrugged.

Sure that this opportunity was very unlikely to present itself in the future, Gendry let out a reluctant sigh and turned back to the Forge.

"YOREN!" He shouted. "I'm taking an early lunch break!"

"Oh no you don't! You get your sorry ass right back here now!"

Gendry turned back to the Stark brothers, who were raising their eyebrows.

"Run," he said, and as if on cue, Yoren's voice thundered behind him, shouting, "GET BACK HERE YOU SORRY SONS OF WHORES!"

It was too late, they were already half way to the car.

I don't like writing Arya to be so... Well immature, but I just couldn't resist the idea of all her brothers coming and threatening to take Gendry on. The image of them all carrying bats made me smil