Gendry
It was late and Jon's plane was supposed to have arrived by now. Gendry sat in the car at the pickup point for the last half an hour waiting. He was fuming from the lost time. He should have been out looking for Arya. After going to Hot Pies house and talking to him he was even more worried. Hot Pie had helped her and she had left her phone there so there was no way to track her. She could be anywhere and she was on a bike in tight leather. Under normal circumstances that thought would have turned him on, all it did now was make his blood run cold.
Gendrys phone started to ring. He looked at the front, his hopes rising that it might be Arya. It was his mother. He ignored the call. She was just going to tell him to come home and to get some rest, to start looking in the morning. His hands tightened on the wheel. He was so angry, but under that anger there was fear. LA was a dangerous city. Arya was not used to it, she didn't know where not to go, who not to talk to. If they didn't find her soon something bad was going to happen to her.
There was a tap on the car window and Jon stood beside the passenger side door waiting for him to unlock it. Gendry hit the unlock button and Jon slid into the seat.
"Any news?" Jon demanded as he buckled his seat belt and Gendry pulled away from the curb.
"Nothing. She hasn't made contact with anyone since she called you. What did she say exactly?"
"That she would rather live on her own here then go back home to become nothing again. That you and dad ganged up on her and that she had to clear her head. That I shouldn't worry, she was alright. She was safe and would text me when she was at her next location." Jon rubbed his eyes. He looked like he had aged five years since Christmas.
Gendry wanted to scream. He had not ganged up on her. He had just tried to calm her down while they were out in public. He sure as hell didn't want her to move back north. Arya had become his whole world. When the Starks moved back North at the end of the year he had planned to go with them to go to college up there so he could still be close to her. The guys were not happy with this news, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be with her. And now he was wondering if he should. If she was going to over react then maybe he needed to reevaluate their relationship.
Gendry was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that his phone was ringing until Jon poked him in the stomach. Gendry fumbled for the phone and didn't recognize the number. His hope flared. It might be Arya!
"Hello?"
"Mr. Waters, or is it Baratheon now?" The cool voice asked on the other end of the line.
"Who is this?" Gendry demanded.
"We met at the art gallery on Valentine's Day? Varys." He said.
"What do you want?"
"I have some information that I think you might find useful."
"What kind of information?"
"I know where Miss Arya Stark was fifteen minutes ago." Varys said simply.
Gendrys heart squeezed in his chest. Varys knew where Arya was. He elbowed Jon and put it on speaker phone.
"Where?"
"I was at the house of one of my artists' collecting some of his new work when I saw Miss Stark packing a bag. I don't know if she is still there. She might have left when I was collecting the paintings or she still might be there."
"Where is she?" Gendry yelled into the phone.
"Jaqens house. I think you know where that is?" Varys asked.
"Yes." Gendry pulled an illegal U-turn and drove in the opposite direction they had been heading. "Thank you Mr. Varys."
"You are welcome. I hope that you find her. When I heard that she was missing I knew that I could help locate her for you."
"Why help us like this?" Gendry asked
"Because I like you, dear boy. You are a much better pick for Miss Stark then Jaqen. I just hope that Jaqen realizes this soon and stops his obsession over the poor girl." Varys hung up the phone and Jon looked at Gendry open mouthed.
Jon picked up his phone and called his father.
"Dad, we know where she was fifteen minutes ago. We are on our way there now. No stay there. I will get her. I think if she sees you she will run. Okay we will." Jon hung up and looked at Gendry. "So what is the plan?"
"We go to Jaqens and get her."
"I don't trust that guy. He is going to do something to hurt her. He is obsessed, like that guy on the phone said." Jon said.
"I know. The problem is that she doesn't seem to notice. When Jaqen is mentioned and how creepy he is she brushes it off. Myrcella told her how weird he is and she laughed at her. I hope that she realizes that he is a threat to her." Gendry confessed.
They drove the rest of the way in silence. They arrived at Jaqens house and Gendry saw Aegons bike. She was here. He got out of the car and swiftly strode to the door. Jon was right behind him as he pounded on the door.
"Hey open the door!" Gendry yelled. No one answered so he continued to pound on the door and yell for someone to open it. Finally the porch light came on and he heard the door unlock. Gendry stopped his knocking and stepped back. Jaqen opened the door in a silk robe scrubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Waters what do you want?" Jaqen asked with a lazy sneer.
"Where is she you freak. Where is Arya?" Gendry demanded grabbing the edges of Jaqens robe and shaking him slightly. Jaqen swept his arms up and knocked Gendrys hands off him. They stood glaring at one another, hatred clear in each other's eyes for the man before them.
"Whoa there guys. Dial it back a notch." Jon said stepping between the two. "Jaqen we know Arya was here. The bike that she borrowed is in your driveway and all we want to do is talk to her. Is she here?"
Jaqen gave Gendry one last dirty look before giving Jon his attention.
"Arya was here. She left while Varys was here. She took my jeep and I don't know where she went."
"If you are lying to me you son of a bitch I will kill you. Arya is you are in there come out!" Gendry tried to push his way past Jaqen and into the house to search for her himself but Jaqen pushed him out of the way. Something snapped inside Gendry when Jaqens hands made contact with his chest. He drew his fist back and hit Jaqen in the face. He heard a satisfying crunch and felt pain in his fist from a solid connection. He smiled in satisfaction. But the feeling was short lived.
Jaqen lashed out and struck Gendry in the gut. He doubled over and Jaqen drove his knee towards his face. Gendry moved fast enough to block the blow. In his doubled over state Gendry rammed his shoulder into Jaqens midsection toppling them over into the house. They rolled around on the floor, each throwing punches and landing them on his opponent. Jon stood in the doorway yelling for them to stop. Gendry did not hear his friends command to stop. He was to enraged.
"Arya was magnificent Gendry. She had to take a shower from the sweat that she worked up." Jaqen taunted when they broke apart. Gendry rolled away and found himself in a fighting crouch. Jaqen mirrored his stance and they lunged for each other again.
"You fucking son of a bitch. If you laid a hand on her I will kill you." Gendry snarled as he grappled for a hold around Jaqens throat. Jaqen was so fast and evaded to circle Gendry like a shark.
"Her lips are the softest that I have ever had the pleasure of kissing."
Gendry saw red and charged. Jaqen had momentarily taken his eyes off Gendry to look at Jon who had started to move closer to the fight. Gendry landed a solid hit on Jaqens face and he fell to the floor. Gendry was on top of him landing punch after punch on Jaqen.
"I will kill you!" Gendry hollered over and over again.
Jon grabbed Gendry from around the waist and hauled him off the fallen man. Gendry stood there panting, his knuckles bloody. There was a cut over his eye and his lip was split. One of his eyes was beginning to swell shut. But he didn't care. He was the one standing. Jaqen was still on the ground. Jon was beside him checking for a pulse. Jon looked relieved and stood up from his checking.
"He is alive. But he's knocked out cold. We have to leave Gendry. We got the information that she was here. We know that she is in his jeep. We have to leave now. Can you hear me Gendry? We have to leave." Jon dragged his unresponsive friend out of the house to the car. He shoved Gendry in the passenger seat and turned the keys that were still in the ignition. The car roared to life and Jon tore away from the house and the unconscious body behind.
"I sure got that fucker." Gendry crooked.
"You sure as hell did. I think you need a drink. Hell I need one too." Jon turned and smiled for the first time since he was told that Arya had run away. Then they were laughing.
Bran
Bran had sat in the stunned silence that had descended the table after Arya had stormed out. No one knew how to react for a moment. Then all hell had broken loose. Gendry had run after his sister calling her name to stop. His mother had broken down and started crying. Sansa was pale and frightened. Myrcella started yelling at Aegon for giving Arya the keys to his bike. The only people who had remained calm were Renly, Tyrion and Helen.
Bran looked over at Tyrion and asked him one simple question.
"Can you take me to my friends?"
He told his father and mother that he was going to the Reeds to get them to help find Arya. Ned had nodded his head and they had left. The two of them walked slowly to Tyrion's car. Bran was slow from the headache that nearly blinded him and Tyrion from having his short legs. They slid into the car and Bran noted the way that the drivers side was set up so his legs could use the peddles.
"So where are you going?" Tyrion asked as they started to drive.
"Take me to the 50's dinner." Bran said.
"I can do that. Now to get back to what we were talking before your sisters colorful interruption. What can we do to that slim Baelish? I think that we can sue him for everything that he has. And he has a lot to lose." Tyrion chuckled.
"I want him to be destroyed for this. I know that you can help out of everyone that I know."
"I know what it is like to be taken advantage of. My family has been doing that for many years. Let me do some digging. I am sure that you are not the first person he has done this to."
They rode in silence the rest of the way to the diner. Bran thanked Tyrion before he walked into meet the Reeds. Jojen and Meera were in their usual booth and neither were surprised when Bran slid into the booth next to Meera. He tried not to let his cheeks flush when his leg pressed against Meeras. He failed and his cheeks flushed scarlet.
"So Arya ran away." Bran announced.
"I know. I saw it about an hour ago that she would do this." Jojen said as he dipped an onion ring in ranch and it crunched as he took a bite.
"We came here because we figured that you would want to meet us." Meera said.
"So what have you seen?" Bran demanded.
"Well she is pissed. That much I know. She will go to three places tonight. The first place is to a chubby guy's house, then to a guy that I cannot totally see. His face is obscured from me. And the third place is an empty house. Well not empty, there is furniture in the house, but it doesn't look like it has been lived in for a while. I don't know where this house is. But she is going to stay there for a while. That's all that I know." Jojen took another ring and crunched it.
"She is going to be okay Bran." Meera put her hand on his hand and interlocked her fingers in his.
Bran sat there thinking of where this empty house could be. They really didn't know many places in L.A. that she could run to. He knew that the chubby guy was her friend Hot Pie. The faceless man was someone that he couldn't figure out. The empty house was a total mystery to him. He wanted to call Gendry and ask him if he knew a place. Instead he texted his younger brother Rickon.
Hey have you heard Arya talk about an empty house?
Not really. Tommen has said that Gendrys old house is empty. She could be there. Let me send him a quick text and ask.
Bran nodded his head and then realized that Rickon could not see it and sent a OK to his brother.
"Rickon said that the empty house could be Gendrys house. I should text him and let him know that she could be there." Bran reached for his phone to tell Gendry where to find Arya. But then he put his phone down and looked over at Jojen.
His friend was shaking his head.
"Don't tell him yet. Arya needs time to unwind down and realize that she has overacted. If you send in Gendry right now she won't want to hear what he has to say and she will run again. And if she does that who knows what will happen to her then."
"Trust him Bran." Meeras voice soothed him as she rubbed small circles on their laced fingers.
"So Bran when are they going to fix your head?" Jojen asked.
"They are going in next week." Bran sighed.
"I am glad that you finally know what is going on with you." Meera smiled at him. His stomach gave a flip.
"I have to go pee. I will be back." Jojen looked Bran right in the eye and then left the table.
Bran sat next to Meera still holding her hand. He knew that he should say something amazing and suave but nothing came to mind.
"So I think that we should go in a date." He blurted out.
Meera gave a throaty chuckle and smiled at him.
"I think that would be a good idea." Meera leaned into him and pressed a fast kiss on his cheek.
Bran turned his head and her face was still next to his. He leaned into her and their lips met. The kiss was soft and sweet. His free hand moved up to her hair and she pulled her body close to him. Brans mind was going haywire. He was kissing the girl of his dreams and it was everything that he had expected it would be and more. Then all to soon Jojen came back bumping the table and startling the two apart.
"It is about damn time that you two kissed. I have been seeing this moment for the last month. I am glad that it has come true and I can move on."
Meera laughed and tried to kick her brother from under the table. She missed and they all laughed.
Arya
After Jaqen had walked in on her in the shower she had felt creped out. She had waited for her clothes to wash and dry, and as soon as they were done she was out of there. The one thing that she was happy about was that Varys had showed up. She made sure that he saw her. She knew that he would tell someone that was out there looking for her. She had taken Jaqens jeep and had driven around thinking of where she would be going for the night.
She had no desire to use her money on a room yet. She had thought about sleeping in the jeep but she had heard to many stories about bad things happening to girls who sleep on the side of the road. Then she remembered that Gendrys house was empty. They had gone there earlier in the week to be alone. That had been a good day. She smiled as she drove to his house and found the spare key under the eaves on the side of the back door and let herself in. She walked into his room and flopped on his bed.
Arya pulled his pillows and blankets around her and breathed in his sent. She was starting to feel foolish for over reacting the way that she had. But she was not going to go home, not just yet. She wanted her parents to sweat it out for a little while. She knew that she was safe at Gendrys house. She was dozing off. It was very late and she was so very tired. Her eyes were closing and she was drifting off to sleep when she heard a crash and the pounding of heavy foot falls running down the hall.
She sat bolt upright in bed and Gendry was standing in the doorway. There was blood covering his face and his eye was swollen shut. She was frightened that he was a dream and not real. Then he spoke and she knew that he was real.
"Are you real?" Gendry demanded.
Then Jon was standing behind him looking over his shoulder, his mouth opened in shock. She had parked the jeep three houses down the street in case someone drove past the house to see if she was there. She had never imagined that they would find her so soon.
"Of course I am real stupid. What the hell happened to your face?" She demanded as she hopped out of bed.
"He got in a fight. It's nothing major. What the hell were you thinking running away like that?" Jon yelled at the end. He looked so much like their father that she was taken aback.
"I wasn't thinking." Arya mumbled. She was standing in front of Gendry and gently touched his face. He winced, but didn't pull away from her. He smiled at her and then the unmistakable smell of whiskey wafted over her. "Are you drunk?"
"Well yes I am drunk. I had my face pulverized. I needed something for the pain."
"Jon what happened?" Arya demanded.
"I will be asking the questions Little Wolf. What happened to you?" Jon shot back. "And what were you thinking about going to that creeps house?"
Arya didn't understand the question. What creep were they talking about? Hot Pie wasn't a creep. And Jaqen might have been weird but he wasn't a creep either, or hadn't been one until that night.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Arya if he put one hand on you I'm going to go back there right now and finish what I started." Gendry slurred.
"Who are you talking about?" Arya threw up her hands in anger.
"Jaqen. He is a freak. He is a creep as well. I don't want you to go near him anymore."
"You have no right to dictate my life Gendry. And you beat him up. How could you do that?"
"In Gendrys defense Jaqen started it." Jon smiled and patted his friends back. They smiled at each other.
"You were there Jon? What are you doing here anyway?" Arya asked.
"I came looking for you. Everyone is worried sick. I am sure all the cops in this city are out looking for you. Dad figured that I would be the only person that could find you. And he was right. I have to call dad. Will you clean Gendry up? He also needs to sit." Jon turned and walked out to make his call.
Arya stood looking at Gendry leaning against the doorjamb. He was swaying on his feet and his eyes were closed. Arya rolled her eyes and slung his arm around her shoulder. They walked into the bathroom down the hall and she dumped him on the toilet so she could be level with his busted up face.
"Gendry what were you thinking." She asked under her breath. She had thought that he hadn't heard so she jumped when he answered.
"I had thought that you had slept with him. That's what he said." Gendrys voice was soft and insecure. "If you did I won't be angry. I mean I will be but I can get over it. I just want to know the truth."
Arya stopped looking in the medicine cabinet for something to clean him up. She put the peroxide down and starred at him. Jaqen had been acting strange while she was at his house, but she never imagined that he would make up a lie so vile just to enrage Gendry. She picked up the cloth and ran the water to wet it. She rung the rag and turned over to Gendry and started to dab at his face.
"I didn't sleep with him. I washed some clothes and took a fast shower. That is all. Once everything that I had with me was clean I left. I took his Jeep and left. He is leaving for art school today so he won't be bothering us anymore. How could you think I could do that to you?"
He winced as she dabbed the cloth on his face. Blood came off it in rivulets of pink.
"I don't know how I let him convince me that you would have slept with him. But I was just so scared for you and I wasn't thinking. With how you reacted to the news that you all could move back North I didn't know what you would do. Why did you run away?"
"I was scared. I didn't want to leave. The only thing that was flashing in my mind was that if I wasn't with my family they couldn't make me leave you." She gently cleaned his face and rinsed the rag. She gave it back to him to put on his swollen lip.
Gendry looked at her face while she was cleaning his off. His swollen eye was making it hard for her to look at him without wanting to cry, but she forced herself to finish her task without breaking down. She dropped to her knees and slid her arms around his waist. He winced and she pulled away. She took the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. He winced again with pain and she saw the cause. His chest was a mass of bruises. Looking at his beautiful body all battered finally did it to her. She started to cry. The tears striked down her face and she couldn't stop them.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry that I scared you. I'm sorry that this happened to you. If I would have not acted like a child none of this would have happened." She sobbed and placed her face on his knee so he would not see her cry.
His hand stroked her hair and he whispered soothing words of comfort. They sat there for a long time. Once her sobs had subsided he lifted her face to look him in the eye. He took some toilet tissue and wiped her face and demanded that she blow her nose like she was a child. She smiled and took the tissue and did as she had been commanded. They were chuckling and she gave him a soft kiss on his busted lip.
"Father said that we can stay here for the night. I told him that you were with us and safe. He will be here at eight in the morning and you will be yelled at. There is nothing that you can do to stop that. But it is late. Dad will be here in four hours. Time for sleep." Jon said.
Arya nodded her head. She had expected nothing more then to be yelled at by her father. But their argument was not over. She was not going to go back to Winterfell without a fight. She hoped that her father was ready for the storm that she was about to bring his way.
Arya and Jon hefted Gendry up and took him to his bed. Arya told Jon that she was going to sleep in with him. He started to argue but she shut him up by telling her brother that they had been having sex for a while now. Jon's face turned white then purple then he glared at Gendry.
"If you were not already mashed up I would beat the shit out of you." Jon pointed his finger at Gendrys passed out form on the bed.
Arya rolled her eyes and ushered him out of the room. She stripped her borrowed clothes off, took one of Gendrys tee shirts out of his dresser and slipped it on. Arya took off Gendrys shoos and jeans, pulled the blankets over him and snuggled next to him. She closed her eyes and before she fell to sleep she felt the stupidity of her actions finally seeped in.