Summary: In which this fic comes to an end

The sky was fading dark when he arrived in Braavos. Everything was basked in a blue-grey, the color slowly sapping from everything as the sun sunk into the horizon, washing the world in shadows. The white cliffs no longer looked white, the sky no longer warm and welcoming. Just like at home, winter had come.

He was beginning to wonder if she would even be there, and that maybe he should find a room for the night and search the next day. The probability of her being out this late was low. But somehow... There was a nagging deep within him, and he knew that he wouldn't be happy, or be able to sleep, unless he checked.

He pulled into the parking lot of the beach to see no cars there. It was empty, which wasn't surprising for the cold weather. Zipping up his leather jacket, Gendry turned off the car and got out, instantly gasping against the sharp, freezing winds coming off the water. It was so cold, there was even frost covering the white rocks of the beach, which, in the dull light of early night, had turned a dark grey.

He looked up, scanning the beach and feeling his heart grow empty, for there really was no one there, when his eyes alighted on a dark figure, sitting what looked like exactly the spot that he had sat in a few months back.

Gendry stumbled towards her, nearly falling flat on his face, not letting himself hope until he got closer, but then, as he did, slipping on the rocks as he went, he knew, with certainty, that is was her. It was Arya.

He stopped short a few paces from her.

In his momentary state of glee, he hadn't had a proper look at her, and now that he was closer, he was shocked at what he saw.

If he had not known her so well, he might not have recognized her. She had died her brown hair a dark, clumpy black, and dressed herself in black as well. Her pants were ripped, her hoodie dirty, and, the most surprising thing of all, she had a cigarette between her fingers, its tip drifting smoke in the rushing air.

If she had heard him, she ignored him, taking the hand with the cigarette and bringing it to her lips, inhaling, and then letting out a long, slow exhale.

"Arya?"

It wasn't meant to be a question, but she just looked so different, and he hadn't been expecting this drastic change at all. And it frightened him. It was like she had shed off her entire being. Like there was no Arya.

But, despite the fact that she might not have looked very much like Arya, she was Arya, and she turned around, in spite of herself.

Gendry gasped allowed.

It was her face that had changed the most. Make-up caked her eyes, jet black and coal, turning their usual sparkling grey lifeless. And there was just something about her face, something about her expression, that had just lost all her youthfulness and vitality.

"I was wondering when you were going to find me," she said, expressionless, sounding almost amused. And then she turned around and took another inhale from her cigarette.

"Arya," he breathed, unable to say anything else.

She didn't respond, merely stared out at the dark waves rolling in, the last hint of sunlight riding on their surface as they crashed into the land in a shower of white mist.

"Arya... What have you done? Your hair... Your clothes... You hate cigarettes!" He sputtered, his mind whirling.

"I used to hate them," she said, taking another drag. "I don't anymore."

"Look," Gendry said, shaking his head, "Arya, I've come to take you home."

"Why?" She asked bitterly. "Because you missed me so much?"

He blinked, shocked about how hard, cold, and unforgivable she was. She didn't even bother to turn around and look at him.

"Your family's worried sick," Gendry snapped. "Jon, Robb, Sansa, your parents! They've all been out looking for you all day. You really freaked them out!"

"I doubt it," Arya said softly.

"Don't be such a child," Gendry snarled, angry with her. "You brought this on yourself-"

She whipped around and glared at him so fiercely he felt his throat snap closed. Her eyes swam with a furious hurt.

"Go. Away," she hissed. "Go fuck off back to where you came from, and tell my parents that I'm fine. I don't need them anymore, I don't need anyone."

"You're obviously not fine-"

"What I am is none of your business!" Arya screamed, leaping to her feet. "You fucked me, and then fucked me over! And I'm done with you!"

"You were the one who broke up with me!" Gendry shouted back. "You were the one who broke my heart! You could have told me the truth!"

"You would have made it worse!" She cried. "You would have tried to talk to my parents or your Dad-"

"I deserved to know!" He roared. "I loved you! I deserved to know the truth!"

Suddenly, to was as if Arya's anger had evaporated. A mask closed over her face and she sank back on her heels, shaking her head... And smiling.

"You liar," she said, laughing darkly. "You're so full of shit."

"Don't call me a liar," Gendry snarled through gritted teeth.

"I'll call you what you are," Arya shot back nastily.

"I am not a liar," Gendry said angrily. "You're the liar! You're the one who said you had found someone else!"

"You are a liar," Arya said, her eyes dark with fury.

"I am not!"

"Then why did you say that you loved me when you kissed another girl?" Arya shouted. "When you put your tongue in her mouth and ran your hand over her ass? Hmmm? Was it your love for me that made you do this?"

"Yes! No!" Gendry bellowed back, grabbing at his hair as he tripped over the words tumbling out of his mouth. "I was trying to get over you! That's why I did it! I wanted to get you out of my head but... But it didn't work."

She stopped short, staring at him, and stood frozen for a long, piercing period of silence. She took a shuttering breath, blinking rapidly. Then a tear rolled down her face and she wrenched away, as if she could not bare to have him look at her.

"Arya," he said, taking a deep breath and deciding that he should just say it. Now, when it mattered the most. "I still love you."

She shuttered visibly, and her shoulders began to shake.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said softly, wanting to reach out to her, but unsure as to whether he should, or could.

"No," she said, and when she turned around, her voice was thick from the tears that ran down her face. "I'm the one that's sorry. This is all my fault."

"Oh," Gendry said kindly. "Arya, no. It's no one persons fault. I think everyone's to blame for what happened."

"I couldn't do it," she sobbed, taking a shaking hand to wipe the snot from her face. "I couldn't stand there and watch... And watch..."

And suddenly she was in his arms, her cigarette falling in the cracks between the rocks, sobbing, burying herself into him. And all he could think about, as he closed his eyes, is how much he had missed her. Her body against his, the comfort of her warmth, the sound of her voice, everything.

"I missed you," he said softly into her hair. She sniffed.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "Every day felt worse and worse."

"I know," Gendry echoed, recalling the past few months. "I know."

They stood there like that for a long time, clinging to each other as the wind howled against them, the last bit of light slowly dragged away with each exploding wave. The cold sang around them, screeching, but still they stood there, standing and staring out at the vast and endless ocean.

Together again at last.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

When Gendry guided her back to his car, it was clear that she was exhausted. She could barely give him directions to where she had been staying, some creepy hostel called 'The Faceless Man' (Gendry just knew he was going to have nightmares about it). And after he had finally gotten all her stuff back (those dudes really were sketch, he was probably lucky to get away alive), it was pretty late. They hadn't even pulled onto the main road when Arya drifted off, curled towards him, her face slack and peaceful.

Gendry gave her parents a quick call, and had to deal with a few very awkward minutes of talking to a crying Catelyn, who was asking a million questions, while he heard Ned in the background, sounding like he was trying to get the phone.

After he hung up, the car was drowned in silence, the only sound coming from Arya, whose breathing was soft and deep.

Gendry sighed, his mind spinning, rather exhausted himself. It had been a very trying day. It was a strange sensation, Gendry mused, after feeling so many different emotions in a short period of time, he was left scattered. He supposed that was how Arya felt now, her body and heart exhausted, unable to feel anything else, and so, as a result, shutting down. He wished he could shut down. Sleep would be a gift now.

But as it was, he had a duty to preform. He had to return Arya to her parents and her family, who were probably all still at Winterfell, and all still awake too, waiting for her.

It was odd, Gendry thought, looking over at Arya again, how she had felt so unloved, when in reality he had never seen a family so close. But that's probably what made it all the worse, Gendry thought to himself. She had trusted them to be there for her, and when they hadn't been, it had probably come as a shock. It was different for him because, besides his mother, he had never had anyone to rely on for that sort of support.

The trip back was faster than the trip there, or maybe it wasn't, but it always seemed that way. What had dragged on for hours before, zipped by in what seemed like minutes now. Gendry was surprised when they pulled up the street towards Winterfell, because it seemed like they shouldn't have been there so soon, but they were.

The lights were all on, and as he pulled up, he saw Sansa in the window, and what looked like Jon, but Jon was gone in an instant, and as he pulled the car into park, Gendry saw why.

"She's sleeping!" He hissed as Jon wrenched open the door, looking like he might collapse from relief.

"Oh," Jon said, drawing back, unable to hide the flicker of disappointment the flashed across his face.

"Help me with her bags though, would you?" Gendry asked, getting out and going around to Arya's door. Jon nodded, and in a flash he was opening the trunk and getting out her bags.

Rather than wake her up, Gendry gently guided his hands under her, wrapping her close to him as he picked her up, her sleeping body warm against his. Jon shut her door for Gendry and they both walked towards the house where everyone stood vigilant at the door, waiting.

"Oh thank god," Catelyn said weakly, and Ned wrapped his arms around her in a comforting sort of way. Everyone else gave a collective sigh of relief, everyone except Sansa, that was.

"What did she do to her hair?"

Gendry looked down at Arya's hair, which, in the light of the doorway, he saw had not been died well at all, some clumps being still brown, while others being coal black. It looked like it hadn't been brushed either.

"We'll fix it later," Jon said, pushing past her and into the house, looking annoyed. "I'm just glad she's safe."

"Well obviously I am too!" Sansa said, following him in, and before Gendry knew it, there was a full on, Stark-sibling squabble going on.

Sighing and shaking his head, Gendry pushed passed them, his arms starting to burn, despite the fact that Arya wasn't really all that heavy. Adjusting his arms so that she rolled against him, her hands cradled into his chest, he carried her up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

It was dark, but there was a pleasant glow from the moon outside, coating everything in a silvery light. As carefully as he could, Gendry walked over to her bed and laid her down, gently resting her head on her pillow. He took her blankets and tucked them in around her, her hand still curled out close to her face. Sighing he looked at her, a half-smile tugging at his lips and he turned to go.

"No-"

He whipped around, surprised, but there she was, wide awake, her arm stretched out to him.

"Please don't leave me."

Her eyes were wide and pleading, vulnerable.

Gendry sensed someone at the door and he turned to see Jon with her duffle bag, looking at them, Arya's arm still held out to him. And then, he looked back at Gendry and nodded, as if finally giving them his consent.

Softly, he set her bag down and then, turned to leave.

"It's good to have you back, Arya," he said softly, turning back and giving his sister a smile. She smiled back, and then he was gone.

Gendry reached out and took her outstretched fingers, sinking down onto the bed and then turning to face her, their fingers laced between their curved bodies.

"Don't leave again," she said softly.

"I won't if you don't," he replied, and she gave him a sad little smile.

"It's a deal then."

"As my lady wishes."

"On second's thought, maybe you should leave," she said, rolling her eyes, but her fingers tightened on his, pulling his hand so that it was cradled close to her body, and then she smiled. And he smiled back.

Is it bad that I've been putting off writing this chapter because I don't want this to end (I mean, I still have the epilogue but... Well this is the last chapter)? I've loved writing for you guys, and writing this fic! It's been awesome!

Song I listened to while writing this (fun fact?): Don't go by Rae Morris and Don't you worry by Lucy Ros