Game of Thrones: Crossroads

Chapter 26 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks.
Marina Ka-Fai: I did warn you, he had an ulterior motive and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.

Chapter 26

Gendry sighed as he woke up; he was the first of the two of them awake this time. He quickly but quietly got out of bed and got dressed. He checked quickly and was relieved to note the house was empty; the last thing he needed was the inevitable outbreak to be overheard by his family. Bracing himself he returned to the room, Arya was already awake and fully dressed. She turned to him and sighed.

"I thought we'd have learned by now, or at least I would've." She muttered.

Gendry didn't say anything; instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Dictaphone. Before he could say anything or play it Arya approached him. It took him a second to realize he was standing in front of the door.

She looked up at him impatiently. "Do you mind letting me through; I need to go home now, or…"

He shook his head however. "Before you go Arya, there's something you need to hear…something you said last night, which I recorded."

She looked at him, confused; but then some of the pieces fit.

"I said something last night and you recorded it, why?"

"Just listen to it first." He said; trying to keep the guilt out of his voice. "Then I'll explain."

With that he hit play and let the recording play; Arya's eyes went wide and she went paler than he had ever seen her.

The recording finished and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, I must say, out of anything you could've told me Arya; that was the last thing I was expecting." He remarked.

Her response was a strangled yell as she tried to grab the Dictaphone out of his hands. He immediately lifted it into the air, out of her reached, suddenly thankful he was much taller than her. She leapt up, trying to grab it, even trying to stand on his feet and hitting him didn't work. Her eyes blazed desperately as he continued to hold her off and keep the incriminating evidence out of reach.

"What are you gonna do with that?" She asked; her voice strained. "You can't let anyone hear it."

Gendry looked at her; his gaze solid, although inside his stomach was in knots. He knew he would feel bad, even hate himself for this, but it was Arya's own good, that's what he kept telling himself. So, taking a deep breath he answered her.

"I won't show this to anyone Arya; I won't be doing anything with it and no one will hear it." He explained. "So long as you listen to what I have to tell you right now."

She scowled and then, shaking her head she stalked back over to his bed and sat down. "Fine then, talk."

Gendry stayed in front of the door, he sighed; now was the time.

Gendry had never felt so low in his life; if someone asked him what he had been thinking at that moment, his answer would have been simple.

'I deserve all the hatred and scorn she can throw at me for this.' Clearing his thoughts he announced. "I won't reveal your little secret to anyone, on the condition that…You become my girlfriend."

Arya's eyes went wide and she leapt to her feet. "What the fuck!? Gendry Waters; do you seriously think that you can just…blackmail me into…"

"That's the condition Arya; you become my girlfriend, I don't reveal your secret."

Arya immediately began pacing the room, breathing heavily, trying to think of a way out. However none presented itself. She couldn't believe this, she thought she knew Gendry, but this, this wasn't anything like the Gendry she knew at all. Finally she stopped pacing and glared sullenly at him.

"Well?" He asked, clearly awaiting her verdict.

She snarled. "You're a fucking asshole!"

Gendry didn't budge, he didn't even move, he was still waiting.

"Fine." She said finally, she couldn't risk it getting out, it would undermine everything she was trying to accomplish. "Alright fine, I'll do it, but if you honestly think…"

Gendry shook his head. "We'll think later, anyway, Monday at lunch, let's meet up then, just text me and let me know…We'll meet away from all the others if that's what you want."

Again she nodded sullenly.

Arya couldn't believe she had agreed to this; in order to keep her greatest secret from getting out, she had caved to Gendry blackmailing her into being his girlfriend. Who did he think he was, who did he think she was? Did he really assume he could just buy her like that? She swore she would find a way out of this, preferably before it ruined all she had worked so hard for and prevented her from helping Sansa.

"Okay, fine; that's settled then." She said; keeping herself as calm as possible. "Can I go now, before my family realize I'm not at home?"

He nodded and stepped aside; but still kept the Dictaphone out of her reach. Fuming she stalked over to the door, pulling it open and then, desperate for the last word, fired her parting shot.

"You're just as bad as your father." She snarled before slamming the door and storming out of the house, but not before she had a chance to see the pain that filled his expression.

When she got home she managed to sneak into her room and pretend nothing had happened. However now her mind was racing, how could she stop this, before she lost everything?

Gendry meanwhile was lying on his bed; the guilt of his actions almost crushing him, it was only the knowledge that he had the purest of intentions behind his actions that kept him from being consumed. He knew what he did was wrong; but his reasons for doing so were good. He sighed, his situation was a variation of a popular saying; in his case 'Doing the wrong things for the right reasons'.

'She's right though, I am as bad as my father.' He thought miserably. 'He never blackmailed mum but, he still used her…the way he treated her, is it any better than what I'm doing with Arya.'

He shook his head; he had tried, without success to simplify his reasons, but always in the wrong way. In the end, it came down to two things; his desire to safe Arya from her toxic relationship with that group, and his own feelings of love for Arya. Yet his methods were so fucked up, he wondered if he even deserved any thought from Arya. In the end he decided he would continue, he had to do this, it was for her sake after all. Maybe, just maybe, if he stayed patient and treated her right while they were together, the Dictaphone would no longer be necessary. Maybe someday she would be able to truly love him back. Better still, maybe she would reveal the truth of her defection to him and he could sort things out, get her back with her old friends, even if she never returned his feelings, he could, at the very least, do that for her. Satisfied with that he got up and headed downstairs as he heard his family returning home. He knew he would just have to wait and see what happened on Monday.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.

Okay, this was the first time I've done something like this, blackmail and all that, hope it turned out okay, I know it's not great and all, but still, hope it's okay.