AN: Note: A lot of songs inspired this FF, so if you guys would like song suggestions or a playlist after it's completed, let me know in the review section ^^~ Foxy

Chapter eleven: Jon

Jon sat at the breakfast table, eating with Cat before he had to go out and do chores. Because he was no longer taking classes at the community college, his workload had increased substantially, and he found himself hanging around with the livestock more than anyone else.

"The van sounds funny too," Cat suggested over a bite of fruit, "I wish it was working again. Could you look at it?"

"Sure," he agreed, despite not knowing a lot about vehicles. The family only had two, Ned's work truck and Cat's piece of shit van that rarely worked and sat beside the barn collecting spider webs. Life would be so much easier if he could get it working, then they wouldn't have to wait for their father to get home to go shopping or hangout. And personally, Jon was sick of walking into the Landing whenever he had to run an errand.

"When did they say you'll be leaving for Boot Camp?"

"Like…" he chewed, staring at the ceiling and trying to remember, "-I think August. Yeah, like August 12th."

"Just 4 more months, Jonathan, then you'll be in the real world." She smiled, rubbing his shoulder with genuine pride. Ever since he had announced his joining the Army, Cat was beginning to warm up to him. Too bad it took 19 years.

"Yeah, well, I better go feed the animals. Lemme know if Dad calls you, I have to ask him about the horses."

"What's wrong with the horses?" She turned, being nosy as usual.

"Nothing, one's just pregnant is all."

"You better take her into the stables then- actually take them all in; it's going to be storming tonight." Jon looked out the window, and frowned at the bright sunlight; not a cloud in the sky.

"Ohh-kayy?" He said with uncertainty, mainly because he hated doing work that didn't need to be done in the first place. He also felt like he had a little more authority on the livestock than she had. Cat waved him from the Kitchen, and he complied, sweeping his cap off the wooden table and securing it on his head as he exited the room.

Just as he stepped out onto the porch, his phone rang the default alert sound from the depths of his pockets. He ripped open the velcro of his glove with his teeth,and went rummaging for it, turning it to his ear once it was in his palm.

"Hello?" He sort of coughed out, breathing in the wind-bound dust.

"Jon?" A small voice asked from the opposite line, so quiet that he moved it to his other ear in an attempt to hear better.

"Yeah, this is him."

"It's, um, Dany?" She said it like it was a question, finishing it with an awkward giggle, "uh- hi again."

"Oh, hey. What's up- how are you?"

"Better. You've heard… a-about my brother- about Viserys, right?" She sounded as if she were afraid to ask, as if she viewed herself as a liability and Jon wouldn't actually care.

"Yeah, are you okay?" She made a sound of confusion, like she didn't get the question. "I know you two were… close."

"Um, yeah." Dany said it a second time to confirm it for herself, " Yeah, like, I'm not sure I miss him yet. You know?" Jon said nothing, and her voice began to lose its confidence. "Um, his funeral was last week, but I didn't go…"

"I should have been there."

"I- huh?"

"I mean. I should have walked you to the door," he rubbed his forehead and gave an uncertain chuckle, "maybe all of that shit wouldn't have happen…"

"Nothing happened," she lied, "you shouldn't blame yourself."

"You-"He laughed, offended, covering up his mouth and stepping from the porch," you are such a bad fucking liar, you know that? You are so bad, but you keep doing it, why?"

"I'm not." She didn't sound defensive at all.

"Why did the news say you were over at a friend's the morning he died?" Jon wandered further from the house, for he could see Cat eavesdropping by the window. "You were-"

"Can we talk?" Dany interrupted urgently, "in person?"

"Uh- what? Yeah, yeah, sure." Jon agreed, "do you know where the Stark Ranch is?"

"No."

"Take Kingsroad," he grumbled into the phone, "its past the intersection with North St., can't miss it."

"Wait, so like, out of the Landing?" And he gave her an annoyed 'uh-huh', but not because he was annoyed with her- actually, that's a lie. He was pretty annoyed. And she could tell, her voice quieter than before, "Oh- okay. See you in 30."

"Yeah." He hung up and went to feed the dogs, dragging his feet because he still had to gather the horses and fix the van.

By now it was late afternoon, and Jon's hands were hard at work on the van. The surface was burning to the touch, and he was withering under the sun; his button up was undone and open. He was tempted to remove it from his shoulders, but Cat advised him against it. 'You kids are just like your father- the second you are out in the sun, you bake and burn.'

He leaned against the headlight, wiping his hands free of oil. From where he sat he could see Dany wandering in; she looked so lost and so small, approaching the farm house with her bag tucked under her arm. Her long hair fell down her back and she wore a floral sundress. She was prettier than he had remembered. It'd been too long.

"Hey!" Jon called, waving to her because she was glancing everywhere but where he was. "Over here."

She ran up with her big smile, as if this wasn't a serious meet-up, "hey! Your house is so big!"

"Uh, yeah." He laughed shyly, because how was he supposed to respond to that? "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Huh?" She was distracted by the horses inside the barn, as if she had never seen one in person.

And the dogs. And the chickens. Just the whole ranch.

"You lied to me, for starters." Jon said, leading them into the shade of the barn, "I think you might have lied to the police-"

"Wow, you're like, ripped-" She squealed a little too excited, and Jon pulled his shirt together to hide his chest, flushed with embarrassment.

"Could you just-" she ran over to the fence to watch Ghost and Shaggydog play, forcing an aggravated grunt from him,"-stop fucking avoiding my questions?"

"What? Okay, so I lied." She didn't turn to face him, prodding Ghost's wet nose through the chicken wire, probably recognizing him from their first run-in.

"Why? What did your brother do after I left?" He pressed, buttoning up his top with a lowered brow.

"Nothing, he got angry with me. And Drogo killed him." She lied, avoiding him as she moved back to the shade. "I just told them I was at Missie's so you didn't get pulled into questioning."

"Why would I get pulled into questioning?"

"Because we spent the night together… and I was wearing your work-shirt at the time. They would probably have assumed we were lovers." Her hands dove into her bag, pulling out the folded shirt, "here."

Jon stared hard at it, then back at her face. Her eyes stared at the ground. He reached forward and brushed her hair from her neck, revealing the traces of yellow finger-shaped bruises. Dany was fighting back tears, her shoulders shook with labored breathing.

It's like when you have a shit day, and someone asks you a question- just one question- and everything you fought so hard to hold in unwinds and you can't stop crying.

"What did he do?" He asked, but only received a choking sound. "Hey. What happened after I left?"

She shook her head and a shaky hand went to her mouth,"… why do you care?"

"Because you're my friend." He lied loudly, unsettling several horses, "I care about my friends."

"We're friends?" She stared at him with watery eyes, sounding like she couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it either.

"Yeah, I really do care. Okay?"

"Okay…" She mumbled. He grabbed her thin wrist and pulled her in for a hug. He probably smelled like sweat and oil but she didn't care, she collapsed into him and let herself be held, expressionless like a ragdoll. He kissed the crown of her head and rubbed between her shoulders like he would one of his sisters. Her voice came out in a croak, "… he tried things…"

"I know," he said softly, "it wasn't your fault. You know that, right? He was bad."

"…yeah, that's what they tell me… 's not your fault either," she whispered, and he nodded but didn't agree completely. It could have been avoided. It was his fault in some ways. She gave a laugh, sounding angry with him. "… sometimes I wish we could have stayed in that truck."

"Me too." Jon could find her fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt, and his arm wrapped around her waist. They were sitting down on a dusty bale of hale now. Comfortably quiet with one another. Jon was starting to realize something. It been so long since Ygritte, he didn't think he could love again. But Dany was a good start. Dany was good for him- they were good for each other.

"I promise, that will never happen to you again," he said to her hair. If that had happened to Sansa or Arya, Jon would have killed the person responsible. Part of him wishes it had been him that killed Viserys. Nothing is more satisfying than protecting your own. She was his own.

"I'm not yours to protect," she argued bluntly, and he squeezed her closer.

"Yes you are."

"How much longer are you going to toy with my emotions?" She spat at him, twisting the fabric of his shirt in her fingertips, "stupid bastard."

"Don't call me that," he warned under his breath, she contorted in his grip to face him. "You have no right."

"I have the only right," she hissed. Stubborn. Stubborn, stupid, crazy- she infuriated him. She made him mad and he loved it.

Their mouths found each other, angry at first, attempting to hurt one another. Crushing and starving, trying to snuff each other into submission. But Jon slowed against her, and she followed. Kissing soft tender kisses, fingers left silent messages in their hair. They separated, breathless with drumming hearts.

"You're mine." He stated, and she tensed beneath him. She's heard those words before. But this time, it was different. He brought meaning to it. It was full of something unrecognizable- it was mutual. Jon's finger softly traced the curves of her lips. "You're mine to protect, you're mine to kiss, mine to fix."

"And you're mine?" He nodded with a smile, and she toyed with the skin on his neck. "You're my stupid bastard, Jon Snow."

"That's right." He hands laced behind his neck. "I'm your stupid bastard, Snow."

"How crazy- how unexpected." She giggled into his collar, now lying on his chest. He was hers now. Her own living person.

"What?"

"I didn't think you liked me in that way."

"I've liked you since you drop that damn book on me." He teased, a laugh from her ensued. Cat came roaming from the house; a sound of surprise came from her as she found the two tangled together.

"Oh- hello there," Cat faked a smile, Dany waved with widened eyes, gawking at his step-mother. "Jon, I told your father about the mare, and he said 'wait till he gets home'."

"Oh, okay."

"Um, also, Ygritte called the house." Her eyes moved to Dany then back to him, "she said it's really important, and you need to call her back."

"Okay," he stood up, taking the brunette with him into the house, wearing a stiff expression.

"Cat, this is Dany- Dany, Cat." Jon said once they were in the cool front room of the house. Dany waved again, staring at the jackets and SHOES lined beside the door.

"Is Dany staying for dinner?" Cat asked with a lifted brow.

"Is that alright?" Dany asked, twisting hands together uncomfortably, and Cat nodded with a sincere smile, linking her arm with the other woman's.

"Jon, how messy is your room?" Cat asked as if the brunette wasn't standing there. "I want to show her around the house."

"It's clean, just Theon's side messy." And the girls disappeared into the sitting room. Jon went over to the phone beneath the staircase; Ygritte's number was still in the notebook beside it. He dialed it with a shaky hand, his stomach dropped when someone answered it. It was Ygritte.

"Hello?"

"Ygritte? It's Jon." He scratched his neck, leaned against the papered wall. "You called- said it's important."

"Yeah- really important."

"What is it? Are you alright?" Jon's voice was stale, no hint of worry.

"Um-" She exhaled sharply, she seemed upset, "remember that party a few weeks back?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant, Jon."