Sansa didn't hear from Robb for a week. He didn't even come to family dinner, saying he had papers to grade already and couldn't make it. Catelyn had been disappointed, and Sansa had been tempted to text him and tell him to get his head out of his ass and come over for he was upsetting their mother.

In the end though, she decided that perhaps silence was best. He might take her text or call as her trying to engage with him and she didn't want to do that. Well, she did and she didn't. It was all terribly difficult and confusing and she hated it with a passion.

Three days later, she went to accompany her mother to the doctor and found her not at home. She tried to call and her phone went straight to voice mail. So, she went to the doctor's office and learned that her mother had been there, earlier in fact, and had already left. The nurse at the desk took great delight in telling her how her "very handsome" and "charming" brother had been with their Mom, and "what a sweet boy he was" for doing taking his "sweet mother" out like that.

Sansa wasn't going to lie - after having been taking care of Catelyn since her heart attack, she felt a bit put out. Jealous even, which was ridiculous. The nurse had certainly never said how sweet she was for taking Catelyn to the doctor. No doubt because Sansa asked questions and didn't just take what they said at face value. It felt like a dig from the nurse, and it probably was.

"Did they happen to mention where they were going after?" Sansa asked.

"They did! That sweet charming boy said he was taking her out to lunch."

Sansa didn't bother to mention that she always took her mother out lunch too.

She was being ridiculous for being this upset about it, she knew that. This was why Robb had moved back home to begin with. He wanted to be able to spend time with his mother and do these sorts of things to help Sansa out. What Sansa hadn't expected however, was to be pushed to the side in favor of Robb.

"I really don't think that's the case, Sans," Willas said when she'd called him to tell him what had happened.

"She didn't even call me, Willas."

"Are you sure? Did you check your messages?"

"I would have seen the message as soon as I picked up my phone!"

"Well, maybe it was just a weird fluke. I think you're getting too upset over something that doesn't matter. You got some time to yourself now. Look at it that way."

So, he hadn't helped at all. He wasn't even in the same state as his siblings so he didn't understand.

In the end, Sansa went back to her mother's house to wait for them to return home. She set up her laptop at the kitchen table and did what she could online. She heard Robb's truck pulling into the driveway and a few minutes later she heard Robb and Catelyn yucking it up on their way inside.

When they got inside, Catelyn looked pleased and a bit surprised to see her. So that was something at least. "Sansa, honey! I didn't expect to see you! I saw your car in the driveway and I wondered if perhaps you didn't get my message?"

"The message that said Robb was taking you to the doctor instead of me? No, I didn't," Sansa said.

Robb shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "Mom did call you. I was right there when she did it."

"I didn't get it. Not even a message," Sansa said.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

"Did you go into contacts or put my number in by hand?"

"I put it in by hand. You know I can't figure out how to get into contacts."

Sansa sighed. Had she even listened to the voicemail message of whomever she'd called? No doubt she'd instead been talking to Robb or listening to the radio instead and just waited until she heard the beep to speak.

Sansa sighed and closed the lid of her laptop. "What did the doctor say?"

"Clean bill of health," Catelyn said with a wide smile.

"So the tests from the last time—"

"Perfect." Catelyn sat down, reached out, and covered Sansa's hand with her own. "I'm fine, dear."

"And you've got all your prescriptions filled?"

"Sansa, she's a grown woman, not a toddler," Robb said.

Sansa looked at him venomously. "When was it decided that you were going today?"

"When I called to see how she was doing," Robb replied. "She said she had a doctor's appointment and that you usually take her, but I wanted to make up Sunday to her since I didn't come—"

"Did you finish grading your papers?" Sansa asked pointedly.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sorry, but what exactly crawled up your ass and died, Sans?"

"Please, you two, don't fight," Catelyn said. "There is plenty of me to go around. Sansa, I'm sorry you didn't get my message. I'm not sure what happened and why you didn't get it, but I did call. We weren't trying to slight you or keep you out of the loop. I just figured you could use a break. You're always taking me, even when I am perfectly capable of doing it on my own."

That took some of the anger out of Sansa. "I know, Mom, but I like to be there with you. I like to know that you're okay."

"I am, sweet pea."

Sansa nodded. "Okay."

Catelyn squeezed her hand and then stood and kissed Robb's cheek. "I'm going to change and work in my garden. You two are free to stay if you'd like."

"Thanks, Mom," Robb said and grinned at his mother. "I wouldn't mind having some of your lavender lemonade and watching you work."

Catelyn patted his cheek with a little laugh and headed toward the stairs.

Sansa picked at a nail and pretended she still wasn't put out while listening for her mother's footsteps above her. When she heard them, she looked at her brother who was watching her intently.

"Are you that upset about not being the one to take her?" he asked. "You know I'm here to help, Sans."

"I know."

"But you don't want me to?"

She sighed. "I just like being there to ask questions that she doesn't ask. I like to know that I'm doing everything I can to keep her around. Please tell me you didn't take her out for something bad?"

"I took her to the diner."

"Robb—"

"She had a salad, Sansa."

She nodded. "Good."

Robb came over and knelt down before her. "San, look at me." She turned to face him in her seat and looked at him. "Mom is okay. She's going to be okay. I came home to help you and to help her. Let me take some of the burden."

"She's not a burden, Robb—"

He put his hand over her mouth and smiled warmly. "I know. But you need a break sometimes too. You've taken care of her very well."

"It's guilt is what it is."

"Over what?"

"I didn't come around a lot when Dad was sick. I couldn't handle it, knowing he was going and seeing him so bad off." Her eyes welled up tears. "It was hard and I was selfish and I regretted it after. I don't want to make the same mistakes with her."

"Sansa, come here," Robb murmured and pulled her down into his arms. He pressed a kissed to her temple. "Sweetheart, you did what you could. You know Dad would have never held anything against you. Neither would Mom. She doesn't. She doesn't even mention it."

"I just felt like a horrible daughter and a horrible person after all that he'd done for me."

Robb pulled back to look at her. He picked a napkin up off the table and wiped away her tears with it. "You're not horrible. And he never thought that for a minute."

"Thank you," she murmured. Her guilt wasn't gone, but he had assuaged it a bit for now at least. She wasn't quite sure that kind of guilt would ever go away.

"I know that things between us are not the best," Robb said slowly. "But I am still your brother, and I do love you. In more ways than one. I still want to help in any way that I can with Mom and with you."

"I'm fine, Robb. I was just being oddly jealous about you going with her instead of me. I've become a bit of a control freak."

"I've noticed."

She hit him playfully in the stomach, and he let out a grunt.

He then reached up and swept some hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I've missed you," he whispered.

She'd missed him too, even if she had told herself she hadn't.

"Sansa, look at me."

She shook her head, keeping her gaze on the v of his shirt.

"Please," he pleaded softly.

Just as she was about to give in, they both heard their mother on the stairs. Robb got to his feet and walked towards the door. Sansa turned in her seat and opened the lid of her laptop. She set about powering off her computer. It was time to go far, far away from Robb.

Her mother came in the kitchen, happy to still see them there and she chattered on about her plants and how she wanted to plant some vegetables. Robb offered to help her, and Sansa packed up her laptop and grabbed her purse. "I'm off like a prom dress," she said. And then she reddened, thinking of how she and Robb had fucked on her prom night in the backseat of his car.

"We'll see you on Sunday?" Catelyn asked her.

"Of course. I'll bring lemon cakes this time." She kissed her mother's cheek and nodded to Robb.

"Sansa, give your brother a hug," Catelyn said, and it sounded a bit like an admonishment.

Sansa hurriedly hugged him, barely even letting him get his arms around her before she pushed away, and headed out the door, shouting, "Bye!" on her way out.