Bran

One month had passed since they had gone in and clipped his animism. He still dreamed about them wheeling him back to surgery. How Meera had held his hand and kissed him, how her lips lingered on his until the nurse had to tell them that they had to leave for the operating room. Then when he woke he had been surrounded by his family. His mother held one hand and Meera held the other. He blushed because they all had looked so relieved. Then he got the news. The good and bad.

The good news was that he was no longer in danger of dying from a ruptured blood vessel in his brain. The bad news was that it had been in a spot that controlled his mobility and that it would take one to three months to get mobility back. He had lost the use of his legs. He had gone from the constant threat of dropping dead at the drop of a hat to not being able to pick up a hat if someone dropped one.

Meera was the only person who could pull him out of one of the moods that he constantly found himself in. He was angry but behind that anger he was sad and confused. Lately he started to feel guilty for being so horrible to his parents and siblings. He knew that none of them had been having a good time lately. Arya was practically under house arrest for the running away stunt and Sansa was still wheeling from her sudden break up with Sandor. He didn't feel bad for Arya but he truly did for Sansa. He still couldn't believe that Sandor had broken up with his sister via text then refused to talk to her. He would get so worked up thinking about that whole mess he would feel the rage swell inside and he would want to go out and hit the guy, only to remember that he couldn't walk.

Bran lounged in his bed with his laptop out looking for alternative ways that would get him the use of his legs. Everything that he had read said the same thing. Continue with physical therapy. He was sick of it. He slammed the lid of the computer shut and ripped the blanket off his now useless legs and looked at them. They didn't look any different. They were still his legs. If they were poked he could feel them, he just couldn't move them yet. He sat there looking at his legs and he got madder and madder.

"You are doing the Kill Bill thing again." Meera said as she walked in. She didn't knock she just entered.

"If I will it to happen I will be able to walk again. I just know it." Bran grumbled glaring at his feet.

"It takes time Bran. It's only been a month. You will be able to walk again. You just have to give your brain time to heal. You haven't had any headaches lately have you? No nose bleeds?" She demanded standing over him with her hands on her hips.

"No."

"Well good. That's a good thing. You just have to take things one step at a time. Now stop being a grump. Get into your wheel chair. We are going out."

"I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay here." Bran turned away and looked out the window.

"We are going downstairs for your family movie night. The Baratheons are here and Jojen is as well. They just want you to come down." Meera sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in his.

"I don't want anyone to see me. I am broken and want to be left alone."

"Fine. I will leave you. If you want to sit here and brood in your anger I will let you. But when you get over this I may not be here when you are done getting over yourself." Meera turned and stalked out of the room. She slammed the door and Bran looked up shocked.

Bran had never seen Meera act this way. She had stood by him. The idea of the loss of her was enough to propel him out of bed and into the hated chair. He looked at his PJ's that he had been in for the last week. Bran was frustrated and didn't know what he was going to do now. He wanted to change but knew that he couldn't do that without help. Then thankfully there was a knock on the door. Jojen popped her head into the room and he smirked.

"Do you need help?"

"Fuck. Yes. I need to change to go to the stupid movie downstairs. Your sister is acting crazy by the way." Bran shouted in frustration as he held onto a pair of jeans.

"She's not crazy. She is just tired that you are acting like a butthead." Jojen walked over to Bran and started to help him dress.

"Well she needs to take her own advice and do it one day at a fucking time and let me deal with things my own fucking way. I am sick and tired that everyone is bothering me. I will get out of this depression on my own fucking time." Bran yelled.

"I know that you will walk again. You don't have to tell me. I have seen it. Everyone is just worried about you. Is stubbornness a family trait? Does the North mess with you Starks Brains and make you into jackasses?" Jojen helped Bran into the jeans and got him a tee from his dresser.

"Shut the hell up."

Jojen wheeled Bran out of the room and to the lift that was in the house. They rode down together and Bran put on a happy face for his family and friends.

"Tell me about what you saw. You said I would walk again, tell me when?"

"Well I guess it was Prom. Meera had on a really ugly dress and you two were dancing. I know you will walk by then. That's only one month away. So buck up and be happy."

Jojen pushed Brans chair to the large room where the projection screen was set up in the game room. Meera was sitting on a couch talking to Sansa and Myrcella. They were patting her hand and giving her shoulders small hugs. Gendry and Arya were in a chair together with their heads close receiving scowls from their mothers. Rickon and Tommen were huddled around a computer talking in hushed whispers. Ned and Robert were doing the same. When Bran entered the room and a cry of happiness went up around the room.

Catelyn and Meera rushed to him and fussed over him as if it was his first day home from the hospital. Then Ned took him out of the chair and sat him on the couch. Meera sat next to him and they held hands as the movie played. He pretended that everything was okay with him. He tried to show that he was not bitter and angry and he thought that he succeeded. But once the movie was over Meera gave him a small kiss and thanked him for trying. He squeezed her hand and said that he would be better for her sake.

Sansa

Sansa was sitting in her Chemistry class at the desk that she shared with Sandor. It was to late in the year to get a new partner so she was stuck with him until the end of the year. The last month had been hard for her. She had received the horrible text from Sandor after the amazing night that they had shared. All that it had said was I'm sorry but we are over. I love you, but we are no longer together. She had been sitting in Aryas room when she had gotten the text and had been confused. She had tried to call Sandor but he had ignored her calls. The next Monday she had walked up to him but he had ignored her again.

He didn't talk to her in any of the classes that they had shared in the morning. Then at lunch she had looked around the cafeteria for him. She had seen him at Jofferys table. Sitting beside him was Margery Tyrell, someone who thought that she was her friend. Her friend was stroking Sandors face and smiling up at him. Sansa saw them together and felt sick. Sandor looked up in her direction and she saw pain and sadness in his eyes. Then he turned and looked at Margery and lifted her hand and gave it a small kiss. She felt sick in that moment. Arya had been beside her and if her sister had not been there to catch her she would have fallen to the ground. Arya shouted for Gendry and he came to her call. Together they took her out of the room and outside. Sansa had vomited once she was no longer around the prying eyes of the school.

"I understand now." She had panted. "All this was some sick joke of Jofferys. He told Sandor to make me fall in love with him and it worked. I did. I fell in love with Sandor. Then when he got what he wanted I was no longer of use to him and he dumped me. Sandor took my virginity and then dumped me." She started to sob then.

"I don't think that's what happened Sansa. I know Sandor and he was not like that. There must be a reason behind this." Gendry had said in a soothing voice while Arya rubbed her shoulders and back.

After lunch she didn't try to talk to Sandor. She avoided him at all cost. But her eye could not help from wandering over to him as they sat in class together. She was a fool. That was what she was. A fool to think that she could ever have had any real relationship with Sandor. He was after all Jofferys creature.

She had started a new routine at school; avoid Sandor at all cost, especially when he was with Margery. But they were everywhere together, in the halls, at lunch, in the parking lot after school. She saw them kissing and holding hands all the time. And each time she saw them her sadness was replaced by anger. She wanted to hurt Sandor, but she knew that she would never be able to, he was so large, but Margery was so much smaller then him. Easy pickings Arya had said.

It had been one month since the breakup with no explanation or reason why when she saw them kissing beside her locker after chemistry. She had been walking around hurt with an anger simmering inside her for weeks now. And that had been the last straw. She had cleared her throat and Sandor had stopped, but Margery pulled his mouth back to hers and forcefully kissed him.

"Excuse me, but I need to get into my locker." She had said.

Again Sandor tried to move, but Margery had ignored her. She continued to kiss Sandor. His eyes were stormy and angry. Sansa knew that much of his moods to know he was pissed. She wondered why he didn't make Margery stop. But then she didn't care. Margery had pulled her mouth away and looked right at Sansa.

"Do you need something dear?" Margery asked all sweetness and honey.

"Yes. I need you to move the fuck off my man. I mean my locker." Sansa blushed. She had not meant to say her man, but she had said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Your man? Last time I checked he was my man." Margery took a step back from Sandor and closer to Sansa.

"You need to back up." Sansa said with clenched teeth.

"Or what? You will cry rape again and take me to court? That sort of worked last time. Maybe I will get probation for overcrowded jails to and be out like Joffery." Margery sneered.

Sansa balled her hand into a fist and she let it fly. She hit Margery right in the nose. Sansa stood in shock, but Margery didn't wait. She slapped Sansa right across the face. Sandor tried to break them up but it was to late. Sansa had a hold of Margery's hair and was pulling with all her might. Margery scratched Sansa across the cheek. Sansas hold loosened its grip and Margery was able to get some room between them. Sansa slapped her and then Margery had her hair in her grasp. They fell to the floor, clawing and slapping as they rolled in the hall. A crowed had gathered and was sheering them on. Sansa was on top of Margery landing slap after slap on her fallen opponent. Teachers were rushing out of their classrooms now. Margery was screaming and slashing at Sansa.

Sandor lifted Sansa off Margery and took her away from the crowed. Margery lay crumpled in a heap on the ground. Teachers were shouting down the hall for Sandor to stop and for him to bring Sansa back but he ignored them. Sansa was cradled in his arms, still seething in anger. They got out to the auto shop and he put her on her feet. Then she put everything she had in a right hand and aimed at Sandors left eye. She was to short, but she was able to connect with his jaw.

"Ouch." She howled.

"You shouldn't have done that Sansa."

"Go to hell you bastard." She shouted cradling her aching hand to her body. "After a month of not talking to me all you have to say to me is 'You shouldn't have done that'?"

"Let me look at your hand."

"Fuck off. Go back in there and see if your girlfriend is alright." She shouted in his face.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He opened her fist and made sure that all her fingers were not broken.

"Sansa I know that this is not what I wanted, or what you deserve, but I had no choice. Joffery is blackmailing me. My father and brother work for his family. He told me that if I did not break up with you he would have them both fired and that they would be home. One or all of us would have killed each other. I had no choice. I had to do what he said." His face was a broken mask of pain and regret.

"Is that true? You didn't just use me?" Her voice was small and timid as she asked.

"It is true. Sansa I love you. I hope you know that. I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope that someday you can forgive me."

"So he made you break up with me, but what about Margery? How does she fit into all this?" She demanded.

"She is jealous of you. Since you got here people have forgotten about her and have fallen under your spell. Even her family. You pushed her out of the spotlight and she wanted to hurt you. She and Joffery are working together to hurt you."

Sansas head was spinning. Sandor still loved her, but they couldn't be together or his family would suffer. She was so confused. This explanation did nothing to erase the month of heartache and pain. But it did give her a reason as to why he had done what he did.

"What do we do now?"

"We go back to how things have been. We cannot be together until school is over. Once I am out of here I don't care what happens to my family. I will be gone and so will you. When you return North I am coming with you. Until then we can be together in secret." Sandor was so close to her. She breathed in his sent and the memories that she had been trying so hard to forget for a month flooded her senses.

She reached up and pulled his head down for a crushing kiss. It was not soft and tender, but hungry and angry. Her tongue darted into his mouth and snaked around his. He savagely pulled her to him and she felt his need for her alive in his jeans. He moaned and she answered it with her own.

They heard footsteps and broke apart. They looked at each other and then his hand lifted to her face and came away red. The scratch marks were bleeding and she was hurt. She was surprised that it took her this long to notice the feeling.

"Sansa you have to come with me." Renly said from the door to the school. "You as well Sandor. The principle wants a word with you two."

Sansa took one last look at Sandor and gave him a small smile. He returned the smile and they followed Renly into the school. Things were not fixed, but they were better. She and Sandor were now on the same page and she knew what was going on. One way or another she vowed she was going to make Margery and Joffery pay.

Arya

When she had heard that Sansa had been in a fight she was sadly disappointed that she had missed it. She sat outside the principal's office with Bran as they waited for her parents to have their discussion with the principle.

"Can you believe that she had the balls to get in a fight?" Arya asked.

"No. If any of us were going to get into a fight I would have said it was you. Sansa is subtle, this was not subtle." Bran remarked from his chair.

"I am glad that she did it. One more day and I would have kicked the snot out of that prissy bitch myself." Arys sighed as if she had lost something. Bran chuckled. "So do you think she is going to be grounded?"

"Oh yeah. This might even make you look like a good daughter for once."

"Hey I am a good daughter." She shoved her brother in the shoulder.

Sansa and their parents came out of the office then. Sansa had four perfect scratches on her cheek, her hair was a mess, but there was a smile on her face.

"Come along children. Arya help Bran. We are going home."

Ned was serious and unsmiling. Their mother looked grim. They walked to the car silently.

"Arya can you ask Myrcella if she could drive Sansas car to the house? We left the key at the front desk." Catelyn said as they were almost to the family car.

Arya sent Myrcella a text with the request.

"She says she can do that."

The car was silent on the drive home. Once they were in the house her father rounded on his children.

"I am ashamed of all of you. You three have been acting reprehensibly. First Arya runs away, and then Bran you have been so depressed that I have wanted to shake you till some sense comes back into your head. And now this! Sansa fighting is never an option. I thought you knew better. I thought we had raised you differently. Sansa you are grounded for a month. You will not be going North next week for Spring break. Arya you may go, but only because Robb and Jon have twisted my arm in letting you go. Bran I want you to go to your therapy sessions without complaint. Now all of you to your rooms until dinner. And Sansa clean your face up." Ned walked away leaving his three children standing opened mouthed.

They took the elevator up with Bran. None of them spoke until they were all in Aryas room.

"Wow. I have never seen father this mad. I think he was going to have a stroke. Did you see that vein bulging in his head?" Arya asked flopping down on her bed.

"Don't be to harsh on father. We haven't been making his life easy." Sansa said from the desk chair.

"Yeah. We have been pretty bad this last month." Bran said.

"I should get something to clean your cuts. God knows what that bitch had on her nails. You might have MERSA and we don't know it." Arya stood and went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom.

While she was cleaning up her sisters face she lessened to her tell them the reason to why Sandor broke up with her.

"That disgusting little worm. You would have thought having his car blow up would brave been enough, but to do this is crossing a line." Arya said as she spread antibiotic ointment on Sansas face.

"Some people just don't learn. There is nothing we can do till the end of the year. He has to much power still." Sansa said reasonably.

"I don't like it." Bran said from his place by the door. "There has to be something that we can do."

Aryas phone rang. It was Gendry.

"Is Sansa okay?"

"Yeah she is. You should talk to Sandor. We have the real reason why he broke up with Sansa. Joff is blackmailing him. He needs another lesson in manners." Arya said into the phone.

"Blackmail? That is low. He is a pig. I will talk to him. I am sure me and the guys can think of something."

"Oh and I can come to your gig this weekend back home. Robb and Jon talked father around to it."

There was a loud whoop on the other end of the line.

"That's great Arya. I love you. I'll call you when I talk to Sandor."

"I love you too." She hung up the phone and smiled down at it. She was in love with a goof ball and she was proud of it.

"So I take it he was excited by the news?"

"God Bran do you have to be so cynical all the time." Arya lobbed a pillow at his head.

"Hey cheap shot. Don't throw things at guys in wheel chairs!"

Gendry

He had not wanted to tell Arya but for the last month he had noticed that he was being followed. He suspected it was Jaqen. He felt it. He had called the art school back east that he was supposed to be at and they had said that he had never made it. He was worried that the guy would do something to him. He felt like the beating he had given the guy had left him even more deranged then he already was.

So when he left for home after school he tested his theory. Hot Pie was following him and he was supposed to text when he saw the beat up old Toyota that Gendry had noticed following him.

It's there. A bald guy with a flattened nose is driving.

Gendry knew that he had broken Jaqens nose. He had his proof. He knew that he should call the cops and report it. Stalking was a big crime in LA County. He could get the guy thrown in jail. But he wanted to deal with it himself. Now was not the time. He had the big gig up north to do next weekend. Jon had a friend that was a producer and they were going to have him produce their record. His father was willing to bank roll the thing and bring in a professional, but the guys agreed that they wanted someone who was as unknown as they were. They were going to meet this Sam guy and feel him out.

Gendry did not want Jaqen to get in the way of that. So he was going to wait. Watch and wait and see what Jaqen decided to do. He suspected that he would follow him up to Seattle, but he didn't think he would do anything with Arya with him. He knew that the guy had a delusion about her. He had to protect her at all costs.

Once they got back from the trip he was going to confront him. But after that phone call from Arya he had more pressing matters. Sandor was meeting him at his father's place for a talk. It was one place that he knew Joffery didn't have any spies around.

Gendry pulled up to the studio and Sandor was waiting for him. The rest of the guys were there as well. They all were glaring at Sandor. They had all felt betrayed when he had broken up with Sansa.

"Hey guys." He smiled as he got out of the car.

"What is he doing here?" Thoros asked jetting his chin in Sandors direction.

"He is here to explain things. Now let's all go inside and let him talk." Gendrys voice rang with authority that he had heard his father use.

They all went into the studio and lessened to Sandors story of blackmail. Beric had jumped up a few times and demanded revenge on Joffery. Thoros had a time calming him down. Aegon sat stunned that Joffery would go so far to hurt Sansa again. Hot Pie was silent through the whole thing.

"I say we make him an exlax pie and make him pay that way. I really don't want to blow up another car." Hot Pie had said.

"That sounds okay with me." Aegon put in.

"No we need to beat him into the ground." Beric had said.

"Whatever we need to do has to either be before we go or after. Let's just decide on the when not the what." Gendry never imagined he would be the voice of reason with the group.

"I say that we take something that he wants. He wants to be King of the Prom. I way we take it. We nominate someone to run against him. That would crush him." Sandor said.

"He really cares about that? Being King of some stupid dance?" Beric was amazed.

"Yeah he really does. He even has a crown to practice how to hold his head when he is made King." Sandor chuckled.

"What a fucking tool." Thoros said.

"So who will be our new king?" Hot Pie asked.

"Gendry or Sandor. They have the popularity. I say we put them both up and if one wins we all win." Aegon said reasonably.

"Good idea." Beric piped up. "We can campaign for them both and one of them had to win."

"I feel like a lamb heading to the slaughter." Gendry groaned. When he tells Arya their plan she was not going to let him live it down.