She had 57 missed calls, 26 text messages, and 7 voicemails. All from Robb, Sansa and her parents.
She listened to the first voicemail. It was Robb.
"Arya, what the heck! Answer the damn phone. Mother is freaking out!"
Arya deleted it. The next one was Sansa.
"Mother is worried. Why did you take Robb's car? Can you even drive stick? Arya, please answer."
Arya deleted that one too. The next one was Robb again.
"Arya, you little piece of..."
She pressed delete before it finished. She deleted the remaining messages without listening and tossed her phone on her night table.
Her head throbbed and she felt as though that morning had happened days ago. She had almost lost her gun. Bran was leaving. Sansa was getting married. Everyone was living their lives and she felt as though something was getting in the way of her living hers. Like she needed to leave. Like Jon had.
She yawned, flipping to her side and reaching over to turn off the lamp on her night table. As soon as her head met the pillow, she was out.
She woke in the middle of the night. Her window was open, an aggressive wind making her curtains danced against the ceiling.
She rose and groggily crawled out of bed and stumbled over to the window to close it. When she looked out, she was blinded.
Holding her hand up to shield her eyes, she took a few steps back from the window.
"Arya!"
Her head snapped to the door. The blood drained down her body.
"Hello?" she called shakily.
"Arya."
This time it was a whisper. She ignored the open window and whatever it was that had stung her eyes and walked out of her room and down the hallway until she reached the phone at the end of the hall. It was off the receiver. She froze, staring at it.
"Arya!"
She jumped back, almost sprinting for her room.
Instead she stood her ground. The voice came from the speaker again. It called her name.
She grabbed it off the table and held it to her ear.
"Hello?" she said, a bit angry.
"Arya! You woke me!"
"huh?" her hand was shaking.
"yea. You woke me. Well, you woke Ghost. Ghost woke me."
She could hear the smile in the voice. Her eyes filled with tears and her jaw trembled. "Jon?" she whispered.
"Hi Arya."
She slammed the phone on the receiver and was about to run to her room, but when she turned, there was a lion standing right behind her. Eyes watching her intently. Exposed it was her father, on the floor.
He was dead.
Arya began to choke as she woke from the nightmare. She could feel her heart beat in her neck. Her nightshirt clung to her sweaty body and she felt like throwing up.
She rolled over in bed to reach for her phone. It was almost 6 in the morning, but it was still dark out.
She had had another nightmare, only this time she could remember. She looked to the window. It was closed. So was her door.
Why had she dreamt that? Why was Jon in her dreams now! Stupid Bran and his lion dream.
Bran.
She rolled out of bed peeling her nighshirt off and slipping into pajama shorts and a jersey. She poked her head out of her room to make sure no one was awake before sprinting down the stairs. You're a cat. Light as a cat!
She reached the bottom floor and sprinted to Bran's room. Getting a firm grip on the door, she turned the knob slowly and pushed gently.
Bran was sitting up in his bed in the dark. Arya gasped, flinching at the sight of him.
"Oh my God, you scared me!" he whispered.
"You too!" she whispered back, closing the door behind her.
"What do you want?" he demanded moodily.
"Why are you up so early?" she asked, sitting at the end of his bed. All she could make out of him was his silhouetted profile. His hair was a mess.
"another dream." he said after a bit of hesitation.
"father?" she asked nervously.
"yes." he whispered back, barely audible.
Arya swallowed hard, taking in a deep shuddery breath.
"me too."
"father?"
"mm hmm."
They both sat silent. His features were becoming more visible as she adjusted her eyes to the dark. He was looking down.
"It wasn't the first time. That morning, when you told me your lion dream at the park, i had a dream too, but i couldn't remember."
His eyes met hers then. "Do you think...something will happen to father?"
She was about to shake her head, but couldn't lie to Bran this time.
"I hope not."
"me too." Bran said laying himself back down on his pillow. "I'll be leaving today."
"I know. Nervous?"
"Scared." he admitted.
Arya laid next to his legs, pillowing her head on them. "Of getting your hopes up? Retuning disappointed. Don't be" she told him sternly.
"If you come back and still can't walk. If they can't help you, at least know you are coming back from trying. You didn't back out. Maybe you were scared, but you weren't a coward. You tried everything you could. Promise me you'll try everything you can to walk again."
Bran didn't answer right away, but Arya lay there patiently. She could feel him thinking.
"I promise." he finally said.
She sat up with a groan. She felt sore from yesterday's struggle with Gendry. Had it really just been yesterday?
"Take care of mom." she said before hopping off his bed and heading for the door.
"And you take care of dad." he called.
Arya looked back at her brother. There was already light coming in through the window and in her eyes he saw determination.
"I will." she said before walking out.
The smell of coffee made her walk to the kitchen. Robb stood half asleep, filling a tall thermos with coffee. He glanced up quickly from the percolator in his hands.
"Robb" she nodded over to him as she walked to the refrigerator and took out the juice.
"Car thief." He nodded back at her. She stopped, placing the pitcher of juice on the counter.
"I'm sorry about your car. Did anything happen to it?"
"Lucky for you, no." he said sourly.
Arya shoved past him to get a glass from the cupboard. "I won't do it again."
He turned to her shoving her back against the counter, making her nearly drop the glass.
"Look, you give Sansa a hard time, it's fine. It's cute. We all know Joffrey's a dick. Yes, you get arrested. We all know Arya can handle her own! She can kick ass if necessary. But don't mess with my shit. What did i ever do to you?"
Arya shoved herself against him angrily. "It had nothing to do with you!" she said, slamming the glass on the counter.
Robb closed his eyes nodding. "I know." composing himself.
Arya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Mother told me about the gun." he chuckled. "I was with him when he bought it. It's a good gun. He really took care of it."
Arya blinked down.
"We all miss him. But only you seem to be giving mother and father a hard time about it. It was difficult for all of us. I lost him too you know."
Arya sniffed, holding the tears back. Robb leaned in to kiss her forehead.
"Stay away from my car while i'm gone." he chuckled. Arya giggled, punching his arm.
"You'll come down for Sansa's party?"
He shook his head capping the thermos. "Mother will, but i'll stay back with Bran."
"Lucky you!" Arya said under her breath as she poured juice in the glass.
By 8:30 a.m. the luggage and Bran we're inside the SUV and Cat was hugging her children good bye.
"Promise you'll be here for the party." Sansa told her mother as they hugged
"I promise." Cat smiled and kissed Sansa's cheek.
"Rickon my little prince." She said pulling up the small boy into her arms. "Behave. Mind your manners with Mordane and your sisters. Don't forget to miss me."
"Don't you forget to miss me!" he exclaimed as Cat placed him back on the floor, kissing his forehead.
When it was Arya's turn, Cat felt a bit shy and awkward, due to the conversation they had had earlier in the kitchen. Almost right after the one Arya had had with Robb.
"I love you." Cat told her as she pulled her in for a hug.
"I love you." Arya said, breathing in her mother's scent. "Take care of yourself and these two."
"I will." Cat said, pulling away from the hug and walking to the SUV.
Robb was already strapping himself in the co pilot seat and Ned was turning the engine on. He rolled his window down.
"Go on and finish getting ready for school. I'll be home after work. Arya." he called her over. Arya walked up to the window.
"If you can come over to the station after classes." she nodded.
"Do you need me to have someone pick you up?"
"No. I'll take the bus."
"Alright. I will see you then." he told her as he pulled out of the driveway.
Arya joined her brothers and Mordane as they all waved Bran, Robb and their mother good bye.
"We leave for school in 15 minutes." Sansa announced, guiding Rickon back inside the house.
Arya stood there until she could no longer see her father's car. Then walked inside to finish getting ready.
Throughout the day, it felt as though time had slowed and everything took three times as long. She couldn't seem to concentrate at all on her work. All she could think about was the dream, and Jon.
Her mother's words from earlier that morning played in her head over and over again.
"You can't expect me to love someone that became a daily reminder of your father's infidelity."
She understood. But she didn't think it was fair. Jon's life had never been.
After class Arya headed to the bus stop, remembering she had to meet her father there. I she paid
'Remember dress shopping today for Saturday. Don't be late.'
Arya groaned, remembering. She didn't want to wear a stupid dress. She didn't want to go to some stupid engagement party. Especially with Joffrey there.
She had promised her mother that morning that she would go. That she would be on her best behavior as a gift to Sansa. "It's her day, Arya." her mother had told her.
I thought her day was suppose to be the wedding Arya thought.
The station was busy when she arrived and for a moment she though her father might not be able to have that talk with her after all.
She walked towards his office, stealing a glance towards Gendry's desk. It was empty. She looked around the room, but he was nowhere in sight.
"Arya."
She spun around, coming face to face with her father. He smiled down at her, kissing her head and guiding her through the crowd to his office.
She tossed her back pack on his sofa and sprinted towards his desk chair.
Ned stared after her, watching as she spun around in the chair. He smiled.
"So," Arya said, stilling herself with the desk. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Sansa. And your resentment." Ned said bluntly.
Arya's playfulness disappeared from her face instantly.
"Do you hate your sister?"
"No." she answered quickly."I just hate feeling as if you all want me to be her."
"We don't. You are all different and special in your own way. Your mother and I, we see how extraordinary you've become. We understand that. We always have. You are meant for greater things." he walked up to her cupping her face in his hand. "You grew up so fast. We're trying to catch up. We've caught up to you. Here I am. Right behind you. Whatever you want to do. Whomever you want to become. You can count on us."
A tear slid from her eye and Ned gently wiped it off her cheek smiling. She rose off the chair and hugged her father, drinking his scent in. He pulled back and looked down into her eyes. There was tears in his eyes and the look in his eyes. The way he was looking at her now, made her for the first time in her life feel like the most beautiful person in the world. Even more beautiful than Sansa.
Ned pushed her aside gently in order to reach his desk drawer. He pulled it open and Arya say her gun case.
It was suppose to be in the chimney. She would have to find another place to hide it incase her father ever tried to punish her by taking it away.
"What do you know about guns?" Ned asked as he pulled the case out of the drawer.
Arya shrugged, caught off guard. Ned smiled.
"I thought so. Well, more like hopes so. Come with me," she lead her towards the door. "There is someone i want you to meet.
Arya had no idea what to expect as her father lead down a long corridor.
When they turned left and walked to the last door on the left she knew exactly where they were going.
Ned held the door open for her with her free hand and Arya walked in.
It was the firing range. Yoren had brought her here before once, a few years back. He had even let her hold his gun. He remembered the excitement she had felt back then. It was fully present today.
A man with thick curls and facial hair walked up to them gracefully.
"Arya, this is Syrio. A friend."
"Hello." she said stupidly. He smiled, taking the gun case from Ned.
"He will teach you a few things about guns." Ned let out as he walked to the door. Arya could only imagine the look she might have on her face right now, to make her father smile that way.
He left them and Arya found she felt a bit nervous.
Syrio opened the case and pulled the gun out, inspecting it for a few minutes, occasionally glancing up at Arya before turning his attention back to the gun.
Arya grew impatient, feeling as though she was being graded based on her gun. She thought about speaking. Asking him what his problem was. But she couldn't let the words out. So she continued to stand there dumbly as he continued to inspect the gun, until suddenly he placed the case down on a table and began loading it.
He turned to Arya with a smile.
"Arya, is it?" he asked with a thick, rich accent.
"Yes" she answered.
"Put this on." he pointed to a headset and goggles with the gun. She walked up to the table and fitted the ear set over her ears and the goggles, both too big for her.
She walked up to Syrio again.
"You are skinny," he pointed out. "that's good. Smaller target."
He gave her the gun and turned her to face the range.
"Shoot."
He said. She'd never shot the gun before. Only held it in her room. She remembered the gun Yoren had lent her. She hadn't shot that one either. She walked up, a few steps and held the gun up with her left hand, cradling her right hand under the grip like she'd seen some of her father's men do before. She focused on her target, and shot.
She flinched back, her wrist bending up, missing the target.
"Don't close your eyes." he yelled
Arya shot again, missing.
"The gun doesn't move you. You hold It still."
Arya shot again, missing a third time. She was beginning to feel angry.
Syrio walked up behind her.
"Keep calm." he whispered. Arya relaxed, breathing in deeply. "Breathe. Focus on the target."
Arya focused. In her mind, it suddenly became Joffrey's face.
"Shoot." Syrio commanded.
She shot, hitting it dead center. She felt the goggles move as she smiled.
"Again!" Syrio said.
AN
No Gendry in this chapter. It's mostly a filler. Perhaps i am stalling. The party on Saturday is Sansa and Joffrey's engagement party, and that's when things begin to pick up pace. I have one more chapter left before the party. Chapter 9 will end with the Starks driving to the party, so chapter 10 will get straight to the point. For those of you who are interested, i found a clip of Joe Dempsie as a cop in Blitz. He is wearing a cop uniform and all :D
He's just so yummy looking!
i'll put the link on my profile, but you can find it on youtube under "Blitz Joe Dempsie"
Reviews greatly appreciated and welcome. This is my first story so i would appreciate knowing anything i need to fix or change. So please review. It helps me write.