One Year After The War….

Sansa

Sansa still had a lot to learn about being the lady of Pyke. As much as her heart ached for Winterfell, shortly after the wedding, it had been brought down by the Cersei's men and the Golden Company. Her heart still ached for the soft crunch of snow under her feet, and the smell of the cold winter air. Though the shores of Pyke served as a decent enough substitute. She liked it much better than the streets of kings landing. It was also good for Theon to be around his sister. And regardless of what happened in Winterfell, it was good to have a fresh start. Her Husband was alway good at speeches. He was proving himself to be a worthy second in command to Yara. Theon spoke rather well, and always seemed to know what his sister wanted to say. Ever since the two of them had arrived, things had begun to change for everyone.

They needed a break from the war. Winter may be over now, but that also meant that life had to go on after.

The two of them still had dreams but they comforted one another. But something else also kept the nightmares at bay.

Sansa put down her embroidery once the baby had begun to cry in a nearby cradle.

"Shhh," She soothed as she lifted the baby boy, swaying him softly just as her mother had once done with Arya, Bran, and Rickon. "You're alright, Robb."

The baby may have not been theirs by blood, but Robb was just as much their son as any 'true born.'

As soon as Sansa had settled down into her new life, the first thing they talked about had been children. Theon thought adoption would be an excellent alternative for them. And Sansa couldn't have agreed more.

After all, Jon had not been her Fathers child, and yet he was just as Stark as she was. Why would their son be any different?

The sounds of the sea, and muffled voices could be heard outside the window. Something always seemed to be going on in the Iron Islands. Sansa pressed her lips to Robb's forehead and smiled. Theon and Podrick were sparring outside.

"Your father is always keeping himself busy." She muttered quietly into the boys soft, reddish brown, curls. Brienne watched them not too far off. She was glad Brienne had come with them. It was nice to have some familiarity after so much had gone on.

Theon's swordsmanship had improved significantly. He'd always had been fairly well rounded with a sword, but thanks to all the trauma, sometimes it was difficult. His strength had always been with the bow and arrow, but Ramsay had seen an end to that. So,sword it was. Brienne was helping him relearn what he'd forgotten with practice swords. The clanking of wood was significantly easier for him to listen to than the clash of metal against metal. He didn't always spar this way. Theon knew of course sometimes using a sword was necessary, but for sparring matches, this was his preferred way. Robb giggled occasionally at the noise until the wet nurse came to feed him.

She took this opportunity to go down and watch the sparring. Sansa quite enjoyed the way Theon's mood seemed to improve whenever she or Robb were in his sight. Family life suited the both of them. Or so she thought it did. Then again, they had excellent teachers to learn from.

By the time she'd managed to get down towards the beach, all three of them were resting. Watching the waves hypnotically push and pull the tide. Sansa smiled quietly.

"It figures you stop the moment I decide to come down and watch."

Sansa settled herself down in the sand next to him, her head came to rest gently on his shoulder.

"Sorry, M'lady." Theon's lips briefly brushed against hers. He sounded exhausted. "Is Robb finally asleep?"

"He took a nap a little while ago, but he's with Lady Linley at the moment."

"At least one of us is getting sleep," He'd begun to laugh, but it turned into a yawn midway through. Sansa smiled softly as she laced their fingers together, ignoring the way the sand felt rough between their palms.

"Come back to the castle with me."

"Is something wrong?" The center of his eyebrows had begun to crease in that way only her husband could pull off.

"No," Sansa laughed as she pushed his hair softly away from his forehead with her free hand. "You just haven't had a decent sleep in days." She paused, and leaned in to whisper in his ear."And you smell like sweat and fish. Not the most alluring smell."

Theon stood, and dusted off the sand before turning towards Pod and Brienne.

"Thank you for the sparring session."

"It was our pleasure," Brienne smiled at the two of them, before turning her gaze towards her younger companion, who had fallen asleep in the sand.

"I think Pod has the right idea." Theon chuckled quietly as Sansa took his arm, and began leading him back up towards the castle.

Once he cleaned up, and dressed Sansa was pleased that he'd cuddled up beside her in bed. Theon was asleep almost as soon as his arms wrapped around her. They didn't get many moment's like this, so when they came around she appreciated them. Between Robb not sleeping for more than two hours at a time, and their various duties, intimate moments such as these were a rarity. Before she drifted off to sleep, her thumb traced the scar that peaked out from the collar of his tunic.

When Sansa awoke, she found him with Robb in his arms, whispering words she couldn't quite make out. But Robb was giggling, and Theon was smiling like his former self. She'd missed that smile, it suited him. Before Ramsay, he'd always laughed, joked, and smiled. He may have been a bit arrogant in those days, or maybe she just misunderstood hm back then. A thought occurred to her then. Theon had been a ward to her father, not all that different from how she was technically once a ward to Cersei Lannister. If only she'd known what must have been going on in his head back then. Her family had not treated him badly, not in the same way Cersei had in any case. However, she could see now how difficult such matters must have been on him, even before both their lives changed so drastically.

She never saw herself falling in love with a man like Theon Greyjoy. Yet, here they were. Married, and with a child. Sansa had stopped believing in things like faith, and fate long ago. For all one knew, it could have played a role in all this. In spite of everything, they'd survived. That was all she could really say for certain.

Theon's eyes met hers, and his smile only widened.

"I was doing my best not to wake you."

"You didn't" Sansa sat up carefully, and patted her husbands side of the bed. He nodded, as their child fussed in his arms.

"Oh, don't fuss now," Theon joked as he joined her on the bed. He tickled the young boys belly, and laugher echoed off the walls. Robb feet kicked at the air happily as his hand wrapped around one of his fathers remaining fingers.

Theon turned his head to look at her, and so, she kissed him. Not as briefly as he had kissed her on the beach, but just long enough to linger.

"I love you, Sansa."

"Now and always?" She'd heard him mutter the phrase so often in his sleep, she figured it must have meant a great deal to him.

"Now and always."

Their family may not be traditional, but it was the one Sansa Stark had always wanted. A husband who loved her genuinely with all his heart, and a son for the both of them to love.