A crowded plane was not the place to discuss what had just happened with their mother. It was bad enough that as soon as they sat down together, they'd both looked around like Nervous Nellie's at the people that surrounded them. Robb knew it was a conditioned response from having to hide what they were and what they felt. It was probably going to take some getting used to.

Nevertheless, Robb grabbed Sansa's hand and kissed the back of it. "I love you," he murmured. She put her other hand over his and smiled at him. It was a bit watery, but it was still a smile.

He knew that it was going to take some time, and that even though she had chosen him – them – she was still sad about leaving the family behind. He was as well, but not in quite the same way. He'd had a pretty good idea at how this was going to go down from the start, plus he'd had his time away from the family already. Granted, this might be completely different than before because at least then he'd known his family was at least there and this time that was an uncertainty, but he would take it as it came. It would be an adjustment and he hated the idea of his father (and the rest of his siblings) despising him and thinking of him as some kind of pervert as his mother must now think of him, but to live his life without the love of his life? No.

When Sansa ordered an alcoholic beverage when the stewardess came around, Robb didn't say anything. She'd earned that drink. He got a water. Before the in-flight movie started (Cinderella), Sansa stared out the window, her head resting back on the seat, clearly lost in thought. Robb didn't know what to say to make her feel better. Was there really anything at all to say at this point? It was just something they were both going to have to deal with now.

She rolled her head toward him and he rested his back against the seat to meet her gaze. "I want to go swimming," she said.

"You mean when we get there?"

"Yeah, but just in general."

"The water is definitely warmer."

"Will you teach me how to surf?"

He grimaced. "You might have to let me warm up to it first considering I haven't done it in a while."

"Only if I can point and laugh when you wipe out."

He chuckled. "That means I get to do the same when you do."

She frowned thoughtfully. "Okay, then maybe I won't. So, will you be contacting any of your friends?"

"At some point I will."

"Do they know…will they know…?"

"That you're my—"

"Yeah," she said and shot him a look that clearly said 'Don't say it out loud!'

"No. It's not like I showed them photos or anything."

She arched a brow and smirked. "So you didn't have any pictures of me?"

He smiled. "Of course I did. But you were alone in them, and I wasn't going to share them with anyone."

"Were they…naughty pictures?" she asked, her voice dropping low. "Because I don't know how I feel about that if that's the case."

"No…much to my chagrin."

Sansa laughed and punched him lightly on the thigh. She sighed. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Robb nodded and looked down, just the memory of how he thought he was losing her again causing him to choke up. "Do you regret it?" he asked hoarsely.

She placed her hand on the side of his face and he looked up at her. "No," she said with a soft smile. "I don't want to be without you, Robb."

Robb darted a glance around them, checking to see if anyone was looking their way. No one was, and besides – what did it matter? No one on this plane knew what they were. No one in California would either. To the rest of the world, right now, they were merely two people in love.

Robb leaned over and kissed her, stopping himself from going too far. Sansa smiled against his mouth. "So, is this your official stance on PDA then? It's fine with you?"

He laughed softly and nodded. "I don't plan to grope you or anything, but yeah."

She yawned then and Robb arched a brow. "Am I boring you?"

She smiled lazily. "No, my drink is catching up with me."

"Put your head on my shoulder, sweetheart, and take a nap. We've got a ways to go yet."

Sansa smiled tiredly and did just that. After a while, Robb joined her in slumber.

xxxxxxxxx

Once they'd arrived in California and retrieved their luggage and rental car that they'd be using until their vehicles arrived, Robb drove them to their landlord's office where they would be picking up their keys for their apartment. Their landlord was also a realtor, which had made both Sansa and Robb a little unsure about how truthful she would be about the place, but then Robb had gone on to talk to her on the phone and assured Sansa that Mandi with an 'i' was on the up and up.

As Robb drove them to the office, Sansa thought it was a good thing Robb knew his way around, because she was going to need help. California already looked like a foreign land compared to Winterfell. She peered out the window of the car feeling as though everyone they passed was a celebrity for the sheer fact that they lived here. It was the same when she'd once visited New York. Everyone had felt like a celebrity to her there, too.

Mandi's office was in a small nondescript building on a busy strip of shops and restaurants. It looked a bit...dumpy, and Sansa started to worry. Mandi herself had blond hair, blue eyes, and big boobs. She also had leathery skin and Sansa thought she might have been somewhere between twenty-five and…fifty. When Robb introduced them to her, the other woman got up from behind her desk and enveloped Robb in a hug that lasted much longer than it needed to. "I feel like I know you, Robb Stark of Winterfell. I always had a smile on my face when I talked to you!" Mandi gushed.

Sansa cleared her throat and folded her arms across her chest.

Robb pulled out of Mandi's embrace and reached for Sansa, drawing her in front of him. "This is my si— my girlfriend, Alayne," he said. "The one I'll be living with."

Sansa was too caught up in having Robb introduce her as his girlfriend and as her alias to process anything else after that.

Mandi shook Sansa's hand limply. "Well then," the other woman said, "let's get you off to your new home. I'll let you follow me there."

"You don't have to—" Robb began, but was cut off by Mandi. "Nonsense," she said. "I want to make sure it's all to your liking. If it's not, then I need to find you a new place!"

Mandi led the way and Sansa just looked at Robb with wide eyes. She felt a tad overwhelmed at the moment. Robb wrapped an arm about her shoulders and placed a kiss on her temple. "It's going to be all right," he murmured.

Sansa hoped he was right.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The building itself was on a quiet street, and it wasn't really a building at all but a house. On the outside, it looked fine, like any typical three story house that had apartments in them. It was white with black shutters and had a porch that led inside to a set of hardwood stairs. There was a hallway that led to the downstairs apartment, then on the second floor there was another hallway. A door just off the stairs led to Robb and Sansa's apartment, and down the hall was another set of stairs that led to the top floor.

Sansa was pleasantly surprised by their apartment. It was just like the pictures, with only a few minor flaws – there was some kind of water stain or something on the hardwood floor in the living room but it wasn't anything an area rug couldn't cover. The plain white furniture in the living room was a little too…white. Sansa was already thinking of ways to add color to the furniture with slip covers for the couch and recliners. The best part was the set of doors that led out to a balcony. Sansa knew where she would be spending most of her time!

The living was tiny, but in a cozy way and there was a small kitchen table table tucked in the corner in front of doors that led to the balcony. The kitchen appliances were new as were the countertops. The bedroom was off the kitchen and had a king-sized bed, and a wrought iron headboard. She caught a flash in her mind of tying Robb's wrists to the bedposts and felt a blush come on.

The bathroom was off the bedroom and was pretty standard as bathrooms went. It was long rather than wide, and it had a window which Sansa liked.

"Well?" Mandi asked as she rocked back and forth on her pumps. "Do we like it?"

Robb looked at Sansa and she nodded with a smile. He looked relieved and smiled at Mandi. "We do."

"Yay!" Mandi exclaimed and clapped her hands together.

There were some forms for Robb to fill out and Sansa let him. It occurred to her that in all her research about name changes, she hadn't looked up California's laws. Well, Sansa knew what she'd be doing later. Or we could just tell people we're married, Sansa thought and looked at Robb, wondering what he would think of that. It would certainly make the whole name change a little easier because she might not actually have to do it.

While Robb signed the lease, Sansa made her way out onto the balcony. They had a view of the tree-lined street and their neighbor's small backyard. Sansa sat down in the plastic chair tucked in the corner.

She still felt overwhelmed. It all felt rather surreal to her still. They were really here in California. Had their mother really tried to stop them that afternoon? Had that really happened just seven hours ago? Their father had to know now. And perhaps their siblings. She tried to picture Arya taking the news and all she could see was horror on her sister's face in her mind's eye.

"Hey." Sansa looked up and found Robb standing in the doorway. "You okay?"

She nodded and forced a smile. "I am. We ready to get our luggage?"

He nodded. "And then I suppose we should go shopping."

"Yes," she said. "We need bedding."

Robb held out his hand and she took it as she stood up. He pulled her arms around his waist and then took her face in his hands and kissed her slowly. "I love you," he murmured against her mouth and then trailed kisses down to her neck.

Sansa laughed and pushed at him. "Not now, big boy."

He looked down at her and she could see the worry on his face and in his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Tears stung her eyes. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"What can I do?"

"You can take me out to get bedding for our bed," she said and wiped furiously at the tears that fell. "And food."

"Sansa—"

"If I think about it I'll fall apart. I don't want to fall apart right now. I just want to get done what we need to get done and think about it later, okay? Please?"

He sighed and nodded. "Okay."

xxxxxxxxx

It was 9 p.m. by the time Sansa and Robb were finished unpacking what little they had, stopping for dinner, and then shopping to get what they needed as far as bedding and groceries. It might have been only 9 p.m. in California, but it was midnight their time back home.

Sansa took a shower after they'd unpacked the groceries and made the bed, and Robb used that time to check his phone. No calls. They were probably all processing.

When he heard Sansa come out of the bathroom he wandered into their bedroom and watched her crawl into their newly made bed. He'd let Sansa choose the bedding. She'd chosen blue paisley sheets and matching comforter. They'd gotten two pillows each with matching pillowcases. Sansa claimed the side closest to the wall and flopped there on her side. Robb went over to the AC in the window beside his side of the bed and turned it on.

She didn't move; she just lay there looking utterly wiped – and sexy. She wore green shorts and a matching tank top. She blinked up at him and Robb wanted to crawl in next to her, but he wanted to shower first.

He got down on his knees on the bed and leaned down to kiss her. "I'm going to take a shower and join you, okay?" he murmured.

She nodded.

"Don't fall asleep," he said and pointed at her in mock sternness.

Her lips quirked into a grin. "I won't."

But by the time he got out of the shower, she was fast asleep. Robb's heart sank, but he knew she needed rest. Hell, so did he. It was just that this was their first night in their new place and in their first bed together. This was the first time they would fall asleep in each other's arms without thinking how Sansa had to make it back to her room before anyone caught them.

Robb stared down at the love of his life and hoped she didn't regret her choice. She'd been quiet and distant since they'd arrived in California and he worried…God, he worried.

He crawled in next to her and pulled her close. She murmured his name and cuddled into him, her hand pressed up against his heart. Robb kissed her forehead and fell asleep soon after.

Thank you, everyone! I do like to know what you're thinking...