SANSA
It was almost weird stepping into the estate that had sheltered her for the past two years. She'd been happy here, Sansa admitted, but that happiness was based on a wall of lies. And the truth had nearly crushed her when the wall crumbled.
I'm much happier now. With Jon and Uncle Benjen.
The enormous house was empty and silent. Sansa kept expecting Petyr to casually stroll in at any second.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way to her room. She still remembered her last night in here. She had been full of jittery nerves and butterflies in her stomach because she had planned all night about running away in the morning.
I'm glad that I did it. Her lips curved up in a self satisfied smile.
Tapping on her chin as she studied her room that was filled with neatly organized items, she decided to start with the closet.
Sansa stepped into her huge walk in closet, passing a critical eye over the outfits as she debated what to keep, what to donate, and what to throw away.
Everything that she had outgrown would be donated, and she tended to outgrow clothes quickly. All of last year's winter clothing were definitely getting donated since they would be too small by the time winter rolled back around.
Her spring clothes still fit. A majority consisted of skinny jeans, cardigans, vests, light knitted sweaters, hoodies, designer scarves, and woolen hats. She piled them together on the floor, separate from the winter clothing.
Sansa's attention turned to her summer clothes and she froze. Tight daisy dukes, extra short mini skirts, bareback halter tops, and clingy cutoff shirts. Uncle Benjen would never allow her to keep these...
An hour and a half later, her items in the closet had been separated into three piles on the floor, each pile headed for a different destination.
She moved on to her dressers, opening them as she decided what to do with the contents. Her face turned a fiery shade of red as she opened one of the drawers containing her lingerie. She had several drawers full because Petyr loved buying them.
"Try them on for me. Let me you see you model them, sweetling," Sansa could almost hear his voice and feel his roaming hands.
She grabbed the lingerie out of the drawer and dumped them with the other clothes that were getting thrown out. She did the same with the other drawers that were full of lingerie, before moving on to her socks, tank tops, and pajamas.
When all of her clothing had been emptied out into piles on the floor, she started folding up the clothes in the pile that she was keeping, and placing them into a suitcase.
Uncle Benjen knocked on the open door before entering. "Do you need help, love?" he inquired.
Sansa pointed at the pile that she was throwing away. "Can you put those in the garbage bag?" she asked. She went back to folding up her clothes that she was keeping and placing them into the suitcase, while Uncle Benjen started disposing of the pile destined for the trash.
"That sick fuck," she heard him curse a while later, after he picked up several handfuls of skimpy clothing.
"I finished with everything that I'm packing today," Sansa stated several hours later. "I'm finishing up the rest tomorrow and I also want to donate my dressers and the bed frame. My mattress could be donated too, it's new." She looked at her uncle.
He nodded. "You can go wash your hands, we will be heading to dinner soon."
Sansa stood up and went to the bathroom to wash up before reentering her room. "Can I go outside?" she asked.
"If you don't leave the property," Uncle Benjen replied.
"I won't," she promised. She hurried out of the room, through the landing, and made her way down the curved stairs, running down the grand foyer and throwing open the front doors.
It was still light outside, although it was after eight. The gentle California glow washed golden light over the yard and estate.
Sansa made her way down the circular yard, heading towards the fountain in the middle.
"Little bird." The name seemed to have been carried by the wind as it reached her ears. Sansa quickly turned around, noticing a figure standing far off, near the tree lined gate. She ran towards it as a grin broke across her face.
"Sandor!" Sansa yelled jumping into his arms. He let out a rough bark of laughter as she squeezed him tightly.
"Didn't think you'd be so happy to see me, little bird."
She blushed and straightened her shirt when he placed her gently down on the ground.
"You've gotten taller," he observed gruffly.
"Have I?" Sansa replied. "I'll be sixteen in two months."
"Still a child," Sandor stated.
She made a face at him.
"You look better. Happier," he said.
Sansa smiled. "I am. I love my family. I love living with them. And I love that Arya and Bran visited… I also love my hound. I love him so much. Thank you for giving him to me," she said shyly.
"No problem, little bird," Sandor said, his eyes appeared gentle as he looked down at her.
"Do you want to have dinner with us?" Sansa blurted out.
"I don't think your uncle would like that," Sandor remarked.
"Uncle Benjen won't mind," Sansa insisted. "He knows you won't hurt me like Petyr." She turned and started to make her way to the house, before she stopped. "Sandor," she said as she turned back to him. "Will you come to the trial?"
He looked surprised before a warm expression settled on his face. "I won't miss it for the world," he promised.
Sansa gave him a sweet smile before she made her way to the house. "Uncle Benjen," she called, hurrying up the stairs. He was standing up as she entered the room.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Can Sandor come to dinner with us?" she pleaded. "Please? He's outside and I told him that I would ask."
Uncle Benjen was quiet for a while before he said okay.
Sansa gave a little jump as she squealed. "Thank you!" she gave her uncle a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying back outside. "Sandor, Uncle Benjen said yes! I told you that he would." She beamed up at him.
"I love seeing you happy," Sandor's voice was quiet and his words genuine.
His words caused warmth to spread through her chest. "I would be happier once the trial is done," Sansa shared. "Then I won't feel so anxious anymore."
A gust of wind blew, sending her hair flying into her face and blocking her view. Sansa giggled at the abruptness of the situation.
Sandor stepped forward, gently stroking back the hair in her face, before he jerked his hand away and stepped back awkwardly. "Sorry," he rasped. "I shouldn't have touched you."
"Why not?" Sansa asked, her brows furrowed.
"It's not appropriate," Sandor replied.
"That's not a bad touch," Sansa defended. "My psychologist told me what bad touches are."
"We need to have boundaries," he told her. "Appropriate boundaries between an adult and child. I'll wait for your uncle in the truck."
Sansa bit her bottom lip. She wasn't scared of Sandor at all. And she could tell that setting up boundaries was important to him because of what had happened in the past. "You won't hurt me," she whispered. You're good.
"No, little bird," Sandor agreed, "I won't hurt you." He gave her a small nod before he made his way to his truck.