The lack of places to spend time together was becoming a nuisance, as was the lack of time. Quick kisses at the office and quick kisses in the basement were no longer cutting it, and while car sex was hot, Sansa wanted a bed. And time. Long lengths of time. She also just wanted to be able to hold Robb's hand or just touch him in some way without it being a huge ordeal.

But opportunity barely presented itself, and Sansa wondered how in the world they ever found time before. She supposed that they didn't have to be as careful with every move they made and every word said when everyone just thought that it was normal and perfectly fine for a brother and sister to go to the park together. Or to the movies together. Or for Robb to hang out in her room and vice versa. But now…now everything had to be planned and thought out and Sansa was so frustrated she wanted to cry.

Steps were being made for their move, but it just wasn't going quickly enough for Sansa's liking. Robb wasn't into social media so he didn't have to take himself off Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram the way Sansa did. Nor did he have to explain to Arya, Bran, and Rickon that she was just tired of social media and needed a break. She couldn't tell them that if anyone ever looked up a Sansa Stark online they could easily discover she was related to a Robb Stark, and that would be bad for their plans in California and, one day, abroad.

She also settled on a name: Alayne Stone. It was completely at random how she chose it, too. She flipped open a book of names at the library and opened to a random page that led her to Alayne. A book about hiking with a cairn gave her the idea for "Stone".

"It makes more sense for me to change my name than for you," Sansa told Robb when he asked her about it. They were in the parking lot of the bookstore again. Robb was supposed to be hanging out with Jeyne, her boyfriend, and Talisa, while Sansa was going to the bookstore. Everyone knew she could be a while at the bookstore. At least until closing, which was in an hour.

Robb was sitting up in the back with Sansa's legs draped over his lap and against the door.

"Well, and you don't have to do it legally unless it becomes an issue," he told her and then whipped out his phone. "Now let's take a look at some apartments, shall we?" Sansa nodded and moved so that she was sitting beside him.

They were making strides, but Sansa felt like the longer it took then perhaps the more time she would have to rethink this decision of leaving their family.

She found herself watching her siblings and parents and filing certain things away in her memory, such as the way her father laughed. The way her mother smiled. The way Arya rolled her eyes over almost everything. They way Bran got really excited about playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends, and how Rickon pored over his superhero comic books.

She knew that she and Robb had to do this because being without him was out of the question. Robb was her other half, and she wouldn't feel complete without him. And spending her life sneaking around and lying to everyone wasn't how she wanted to live her life. It was just that their decision wasn't without its complications, nor was it without a whole different set of heartbreak.

There were times she woke up in the dead of night and thought she could not possibly leave her family. Then she'd see Robb and think that she couldn't be without him one more second, never mind for the rest of her life.

Yet despite her promise to discuss those things with him, she didn't. She kept them bottled up and instead focused on what they needed to do to get to California. Between Catelynn finding out about Jon, and their close call with Arya, Sansa felt as though their luck was winding down.

Robb had noticed a difference in Sansa since they'd begun planning their escape. She was on edge, and it wasn't just because of a couple close calls. He knew she was grappling with the notion of leaving the family for possibly forever. He wanted to help her and ease her mind, but he felt that he didn't really know how. He was afraid to indulge her fears because he was afraid she would then decide that no, she couldn't go through with this. Yet he felt like the biggest asshole on the planet for not trying to talk to her about. He had said he would, but then he didn't.

Now, as they pored over the apartment listings he'd saved for them to peruse, he felt like he should say something, tell her that if she wanted to talk to him about her fears and the sadness she must feel when it came to actual leaving, she could tell him all about it. But then she got excited about one of the fully furnished apartments he'd found and he got distracted.

xxxxxxxx

Robb ran down the stairs to his bedroom to change and to check his email about a few of the apartments he and Sansa had inquired about, when he stopped dead in his tracks.

He blinked.

He stared.

He blinked again.

Margaery wiggled her fingers in a wave. "Surprise."

Robb looked around, though he wasn't sure why. Was this some kind of joke? Was one of his siblings setting him up? "Did someone let you in?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Me. I know where the key is."

"Robb, are you down there?" Sansa was home.

"I am," he called up to her. "And I'm not alone."

She came running down the stairs and when she came in his room she was smiling. She reached for him and then stopped abruptly when she saw Margaery.

Margaery furrowed her brow, clearly not knowing what to make of Sansa's actions. Sansa stared at her. "What the fuck are you doing?" she demanded.

"I needed to talk to Robb….alone," Margaery said.

"Margaery let herself in with the spare key," Robb muttered.

Robb had been aware that Margaery had been acting differently since their split. She'd been more subdued. Had started dressing a bit like a school marm, and was unfailingly polite to him, yet with a coating of super sweetness that he found nauseating. He'd been very careful not give her any kind of encouragement, but it seemed Margaery didn't really need any.

Sansa folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not leaving. You let yourself into our house without asking and showed up in Robb's bedroom? I don't think so, Fatal Attraction. You just crossed a major line."

"I couldn't get Robb to talk to me any other way," Margaery said calmly. It was the sort of calm just before someone snapped though and Robb turned to Sansa and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Sansa," he said. "Let me talk to Margaery alone."

Sansa dropped her arms and gaped at him. "Have you lost your fucking mind? Batshit McGee just let herself into our home, Robb. We're lucky we don't have rabbits or she'd be boiling one!"

"Sansa, I got this," he said firmly.

She shook her head and went to the door. "Fine, but I'm getting a knife ready just in case." She glared at Margaery in warning before she left.

Robb turned and looked at Margaery who was now crying. He sighed. "Margaery, Sansa is right. Letting yourself into our house was crossing a line. How did you even get in?"

"I know where the spare key is," she replied. "Just tell me what to do to get you back, Robb!" she wailed.

"I'm not sure how else to say it, Margaery. We're done. I don't want to date you, and I know you're trying to change for me, but you really shouldn't do that. Not for any guy. Someone out there is going to love you just as you are."

When Margaery left an hour later after more tears, some begging, and a few outbursts, Robb felt completely drained. He closed the front door, locked it, and heard Sansa running down the stairs. She stopped in the doorway and arched a brow.

"Batshit McGee?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It just came to me."

Robb rubbed his forehead and tossed the spare key on the table. "I don't think we'll be putting that out for a while…"

"Are you going to tell Mom and Dad what she did?"

"I don't know…I feel sorry for her."

"Why?" Sansa asked incredulously.

"Because she thought I was one of the good guys. She took my complete lack of interest as just wanting to get to know her as a person and being shy. I led her on when I knew there was never any hope for her."

"Okay, I get that. I felt sorry for her too, but that was before she let herself into our house!"

"If she lost her job over this I'm afraid it would get worse."

Sansa threw up her hands. "You're hopeless."

"Besides, we're going to be out of here soon anyway."

Sansa sighed. "Are we?"

"Yes. Come on, I was just about to check my emails regarding the apartments we asked about."

"Okay," she mumbled and started to head towards the basement door. Robb caught up to her before she headed down and pulled her into his arms. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart," he murmured.

"I don't believe you right now," she said.

He lifted her face to his with his finger under her chin. "Talk to me."

She shook her head and pulled away. "No, not right now."

Well, he tried right?