"That ungrateful dog will pay! The bastard!" Joffrey spat out for the billionth time.
Jaimie was filling two glasses with scotch, and had his back to everyone, so he felt at liberty to roll his eyes.
Joffrey was his son, but the boy had never seen him as a father, and all he ever saw him as was a whiny little momma's boy.
No. That drunk tub of guts dying in the hospital bed had that place in Joffrey's life. And to be honest, Jaimie didn't mind.
His proudest accomplishment had been Myrcella and he was not ashamed to say it. Even when Cersei reprimanded him about it.
Joffrey had always been her favorite and she had never even tried to hide the fact.
Jaimie poured scotch into the second glass and turned to face Joffrey.
"Yes, nephew. You've been saying that. Over and over again." Jaimie said as he walked up to his sister.
"Well it's as true now as it was all those other times!" Joffrey said sourly.
Cersei who was siting on a chaise, by the grand piano, giving Jaime a warning look that made him hold his tongue.
He handed her one of the glasses. "Perhaps if you hadn't kept him on such a short leash, he wouldn't have run away. God knows, even I'd run away if I had to spend all 24 hours with the likes of him" Jaime whispered the last to himself as he set his glass down on top of the piano and lifted the lid.
Joffrey could be such tiresome company at times.
Lets be honest now, Jaime. He is tiresome all that time.
He smiled at himself, and sat on the piano bench.
"I've always told you, my love, that you can't trust any one. That everyone ..."
"Yes, yes mother... everyone who isn't us is our enemy. I was just stupid enough to think that dog was part of us." Joffrey let out frustrated.
Jaime began playing a slow melody, his fingers touching the black and white keys delicately.
For a second there, it sounded as though Joffrey had actually cared for Clegane enough to considered him part of "us".
A silly thought, but perhaps possible in some crazy alternate reality where Joffrey actually cared for anyone other than himself.
"Well he wasn't." Cersei said as she pulled out her cigarette case from some unseen pocket of her dress.
Jaime stopped playing and reached into his shirt pocket for his lighter, sliding to the edge of the bench, closer to Cersei.
"Find comfort, my son, in knowing that none of us will ever leave you." Cersei said before placing a cigarette between her lips and leaning into Jaime so he'd light it.
She took a deep breath of smoke, before turning to one side to exhale.
"Isn't that right, little dove." she said, and everyone in the room turned their attention to the Stark girl, who was sitting quietly by a lamp, the only sorce of light in the room, and reading a book.
The girl glance up from her book and shared a quick look with Cersei before turning her eyes to Joffrey, who had crossed the room to the table to fill his glass.
"Of course not. Joffrey is my everything." she said with a small smile before her eyes fell back to her book.
There was something odd about that girl. She hadn't been herself for days now. Not just because of her father's death. There was something else that had changed.
Cersei held her cigarette case open for him, but he shook his head at it and turned his attention to the piano once more.
His twin stood from the chaise and walked right behind him, placing both hands on his shoulders.
"Remember that favor?" she whispered very close to his ear.
A whorl of smoke rose from her lips as she spoke, burning Jaime's eyes.
"Not infront of the children!" he teased.
Cersei chuckled forcefully.
"What favor?" he asked in a serious tone, changing the rhythm of his fingers so they played a more somber melody.
"Clegane's gone," she crossed to the coffee table and tapped her cigarette ashes in the ash tray.
She was stood behind him once more and she leaned close to him once more, so that only he could hear.
"I was counting on him to get me the information I need." she whispered.
"Oh." Jaime rolled his eyes. "You want me to do it now."
"Because you're the only one i trust. I want to keep this as privy as possible."
Jaime stopped playing. "So what exactly would I be doing."
Cersei's lips brushed against his ear as she whispered. "Find everything you can on Gendry Waters."
Jaime consciously stopped himself from shuddering. He slammed the piano lid close and turned on his seat to face her.
She looked breathtaking in this light.
"And what do I get in return for my investigative services?" he raised his brows suggestively, bringing a smile from her lips.
"I'm sure we can figure something out." she whispered, still smilling.
xxxxxxxxxx
Bran slid down the hill smoothly at first, but before he could enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, one ski went in it's own direction and he slipped in an awkward U-turn and fell on the snow.
He tightened his jaw with frustration and tried to sit up, but his skis were twisted in a way that he couldn't really move.
With one pole he stabbed at the heel DIN until he heard a snap and his boot came free.
He took the second ski off and stood, fixing the skis on the snow so he could step into them and try again.
There was no sport he didn't eventually become good at, with some work of course, and he told himself skiing wouln't be the exception. Especially since he had decided he liked it. A lot.
It was almost impossible to get the hang of it with Arya and Robb laughing in the background, so he had gone a bit higher than the rest and was practicing on a small hill inside the trees.
He stabbed both poles into the snow and pushed himself forward.
This time he went further than he ever had. Going past the hill, into another patch of trees.
He had a smile on his face, wishing someone had seen that.
The excitement proved to be too much though, for he soon lost balance and he had to let go of his poles to grab ahold of a tree to keep him from coming too close to the edge, which sloped down steeply. A good 15 meters.
He let out a small nervous laugh.
He definitely loved skiing, he thought as he closed his eyes and felt the euphoria slowly drain out of him.
He was ready to try again, when he heard low, gasping sounds a few feet right behind him.
Taking a few steps forwards he came in full view of a couple leaning against a tree.
They were kissing, so at first he couldn't tell who they were, but when the man moved to bury his face into the woman's neck, and he saw exactly who they were.
And she saw him staring at them.
"Jaime! Stop!" she cried pushing her twin brother away.
Bran's stomach flipped with shock, and he turned away, making his way towards his poles so he could leave.
The skis slowed him though, and Jaime Lannister caught up to him.
"He saw us!" Cersei yelled behind them as Jaime grabbed Bran by the shoulder roughly. "He saw us!"
"I know!" Jaime said turning to Bran.
"You two are sick!" Bran spat out, his voice echoing in the snow.
Jaime shook him at that. "Shut the fuck up, you nosy brat!"
Bran wasn't scared though.
Just upset he had to see that. "Let go of me. I won't tell anyone." Bran told Jaime sincerely.
Jaime looked him in the eyes for a few moments, considering.
He finally turned to his twin who had stepped right next to them .
They shared a look before Jaime brought his eyes back to meet Bran's.
He smiled at the boy, and raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry." he told Bran and dragged him to the edge.
"No!" was all Bran was able to yell before he was flying.
No. Not flying.
Falling.
Bran opened his eyes.
He was in total darkness and there was an odd smell.
The smell of smoke, and cold, and woods.
He was at his grandfather's.
It had taken them a day to go from London to Paris, and from Paris to Barcelona.
They rented a car and drove the rest of the way to Figueres, which was about a 15 minute drive from his grandfather's vineyard.
Upon their arrival, Alicia, his grandfather's nurse had their rooms fixed and Cat was quick to tuck Bran into the large bed of his room before leaving him.
Bran cried most of that night. Sometimes it was just tears.
Endless tears that wouldn't stop.
Other times, it was as if he would explode. His entire body tensed and he gasped for air as he tighened the grip on his pillow.
All he saw, was his father as he had dreamt him. Mauled by a lion.
And then more tears came, and then more, and then sleep.
When he had woken the afternoon of the next day, his mother was gone.
Bran propped himself up on his elbows crawling to one side of the bed to reach the lamp he had noticed on the night table.
His fingers found it, and he felt his way up its neck until he felt the switch.
The room was lit with a dim light and he noticed he wasn't alone.
Robb was sitting next to the bed. His head hung to one side, and his swollen eyes were closed.
"Robb." Bran called to him firmly.
Robb's eyes blinked open slowly and he rubbed his eyes with one hand, groaning as he sat up straight. "You ok?" he asked Bran sleepily.
Bran nodded. "What are you doing here?" Bran asked as he too, sat himself up on the bed.
The question seemed to have waken Robb up completely. His eyes became instantly alert and he took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
His eyes met Bran's and for a moment, Bran saw pity in them.
"I was waiting for you to wake up." Robb told him, leaning closer to the bed. "I'm.. I'm leaving."
Bran sat still, staring at his older brother. He said nothing. He had nothing to say.
Stay. Don't leave me. Take me with you.
None of those seemed to make sense.
He looked away from Robb and realized that this is what his life was now.
"I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. I just need to be with mother. She needs me. Our sisters and Rickon need us. You'll be safe here." Robb reached out to grab Bran's hand. " But i promise you. I'll be back."
Bran eyes snapped up to look into Robb's. He looked furious.
"Don't say that. Don't lie. You don't know what can happen. If you'll be back. If mother will. Anything can happen. So don't you lie to me just because I'm a cripple!"
A tear rolled from Robb's eye. "You're no cripple."
"Yes I am. Stop feeling sorry for me. Stop lying to me. Don't promise me you'll be back if you can't keep that promise. Because I don't want to sit here, waiting for you to come back. Waiting and waiting only to find out you won't. Father said to me 'I'll see you soon' and that was a lie. Mother didn't even bother saying good bye. Jon promised he would visit and he never did and now he never will.
"I'd rather die Robb, I'd rather die than sit here and wait." Bran sobbed out.
Robb stood and crossed to the bed quickly, taking his brother in his arms and weeping bitterly.
"I promise Bran." he spoke into his brother's hair. "I will try everything in my power to bring us all together again. Mother. The girls, you Rickon and I."
He tightened his embrace and held Bran as close to him as he could.
"I promise Bran. I promise."
xxxxxxxxxx
Jaime was parked across the street from the police station. Waiting.
He had been sitting there for hours, feeling his patience grow thin with every minute that passed.
His plan, or rather half plan, depended on so much that was out of his control that he was beginning to think that perhaps this was all a waste of time.
It made him want to drive away and come up with a better plan, but he decided to stay until he could think of one.
He rolled the car window down, letting the warmth escape. The air outside was crisp and there was tiny snow flurries floating everywhere.
It was beautiful.
That's when he saw her.
She walked out of the station, dressed in a police uniform, and at first he wasn't sure if she was a she at all, but her features were what gave her away.
He sat up straight and looked all around, making sure no one else was around.
Thanks to the cold, no one was, so he felt safe enough to call out to her.
She turned, at first unsure if it was her he wanted, but then he beckoned her over to him and she began walking towards him.
She had short blonde hair and a set expression.
As she came closer he decided she wasn't half bad, and most definitely not a man,
When she came all the way up to his car window he noticed two things.
She was freakishly tall.
And she had the most stunning blue eyes he had ever seen.
For some reason, he let out a snort. "You're a fucking monster!" he laughed out, much more crudely than he intended.
She rolled her eyes and started walking away.
"No!" Jaime chuckled out. "Come back!"
But she began walking away faster, and Jaime was crying from the laughter, unable to figure out what was so hysterical.
When he finally composed himself, she was nowhere in sight.
He should be mad. All this time waiting, and he blew it over a laugh.
A good laugh, mind you.
Thankfully, someone else followed her out shortly, and he called the guy over quickly.
"Yea?" the guy asked. He was around Joffrey's age. Maybe older.
From the expression on his face, Jaime knew the boy recognized him.
"You know who I am?"
The boy nodded.
"Good. Then I'll cut to the chase. I need some information, and I am willing to pay... for your services." Jaime gave the bag sitting on the back seat a quick glance.
The boy's eyes followed Jaime's gaze and he smiled a crooked smile as soon as he saw the bag.
That was all the confirmation Jaime needed. This kid was a leech.
Perfect.
"Get in." Jaime said as he unlocked the door.
xxxxxxxxxx
Arya woke to a throbbing head ache.
She was inside what felt like the back of a moving truck.
It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and she made out the outline of a door at the end of the camper.
Her hands and legs were tied and she struggled with the knotted cloth they used to tie her, but she couldn't loosen it.
To her left she saw what looked like Gendry's body. He was still unconscious.
She wormed her way towards him until she came right next to him.
With her tied hands she began shaking him roughly.
He woke with a groan and an "Arya."
"Shhhh." she told him as she pressed her finger tips to his mouth. "Quiet."
Despite the darkness, she saw his eyes grew alert.
"Where are we?" he whispered against her fingers, making her shiver.
"Inside a truck i think. We're moving."
Arya watched as Gendry fought with his binds before giving up with a curse. He then began wiggling around until he was able to sit up. She followed his lead, sitting up awkwardly.
He suddendly turned to face her. "What we're you doing? Trying to buy a gun? We could've been at your grandfather's already if you'd just..."
"Are you blaming me for this!" she whispered sharply as she slammed her tied hands against his shoulder.
"I've told you before Arya," he whispered back, ignoring her question. "Think stuff through a bit more before you do something stupid."
Arya looked away furious, but it was pointless.
She knew this was her fault.
"Look, we need to find away to escape." she whispered, still not looking at Gendry.
"How?" he whispered back, raising his hands for her to see. "We're tied, we're in the back of this truck. They know you! How do they even know you?"
"I'm not sure." she turned to him. "Perhaps the news. I don't really care how they know me or why they want me, we need to make a run for it as soon as we can."
Gendry began turning his body so that he was fully facing her, and he took her tied hand in his giving them a squeeze.
"It's only two of us, and we've got no guns, we're tied, and tired..." he sighed but in the darkness of the camper Arya was still able to see his smile.
"But I'll pretty much follow anywhere, Arya."
The truck had come to a stop now, making her stomach jump. Or was it his words that made her stomach do that.
She pulled her hands from his grasp and took his in hers, giving them a squeeze and looking up at his blue eyes, smilling.
"Good," she whispered with fear. "Cause we're here."
xxxxxxxxxx
Jaime had found a small pub in one of the loneliest streets in Sheffield for them to talk.
Only the old man behind the bar was inside, but he didn't seem to be all there, so this place was perfect.
Jaime had sat for almost an hour listening to Theon Greyjoy talk about Gendry.
Everything he knew, he spat out to Jaime, and Jaime thought he couldn't have found a better man.
"So," Jaime took a sip from his drink. "You're saying that he was arrested in a pub fight, then, in half the time as anyone else on record ever had, became a Constable."
Theon nodded. "There was always something fishy going on with Ned, Yoren and Gendry."
"So you believe the rumors?"
"Oh yea."
"Ned Stark plotting with Yoren and Gendry. Really? Sounds like a bit of a stretch if you ask me."
Theon shrugged, finishing his drink. "There was the whole deal with that Stark girl too. Kid's out of control, but we always just looked the other way, I mean, she's the boss' daughter, then Gendry comes into the picture, and all of'a sudden, he's arresting her, over and over and over again."
"Not Sansa." Jaime asked, having no doubt that it was Arya Theon was reffering to.
Arya was a little firecracker. There was no doubt she'd be one to break the law. Right under her father's nose too.
Jaime smiled.
"Na, Arya Stark, the little horse faced one."
Something inside Jaime clicked.
"Gendry and Arya . . . they didn't get along then?"
"I wouldn't say that. A few times I saw these looks between them." Theon said.
She's with him.
"Gendry. Did he have any friends?"
Theon shrugged. "Not that I knew of."
"Anyone he was close to at the station, apart from Yoren?"
"Brienne. Now that I think about it they were pretty close. Brienne Tarth's the name. Large woman. Lesbian." Theon said the last with a sour tone in his voice.
"Blonde, short hair. Monstrously tall?" Jaime asked. This was all too easy.
"Yes, that's the one."
Jaime smiled. "How close. Close enough for her to know his whereabouts?"
"I wouldn't doubt it. I know she told the investigators she hadn't heard of or spoken to Gendry since Thursday of last week, that same day I told you Gendry stood up to Robert. But I wouldn't be surprised if she was lying."
Jaime nodded and stood, pulling his wallet out. Theon slid off his stool with greedy eyes, but Jaime only paid the old bartender, and looked at Theon with the smile.
"I have your bag in the car," he said with a smile and put his hand around Theon's shoulder, leading him to the exit.
The street outside was just as empty as it had been when they arrived, and Jaime turned into the small alley where he had parked his car.
"I may come to you later, if I need anything else." Jaime told Theon as he opened the back door or his car.
"Is that a problem?" he asked Theon as he reached into the back seat.
"As long as you continue to pay for my services." Theon said with a smile.
"Of course." Jaime said as he stood straight.
There was no bag in his hand thought, but a gun. Theon had no time to react before he was shot. Right in between the eyes.
Jaime tossed the gun on the back seat quickly and grabbed Theon off the floor and shoved him into a large trash bin.
He looked around, but there was no one in sight.
There was the slightest bit of blood on the floor, but it was beginning to snow again, so he doubted anyone would see it.
He grabbed his gun and closed the back door, walking back to the pub.
The old man still stood behind the bar, looking half asleep and bored.
"You didn't happen to see my friend, did you?" Jaime smiled at the man, hoping he was as senile as he looked.
"You walked out of here together, you twat!" the old man said grumpily.
I guess he's brighter than he looks. Shame.
Jaime raised his gun and shot the old man on the chest.
He sighed.
"The things I do for love."
AN
I apologize for the lateness as usual. My grandmother fell and between the hospital visits, plus studying for an IRS convention i'm attending next week, i've been crazy busy.
I'll be gone all of next week, but i will post one more chapter this week, maybe two. I hope two.
SO...
Yes, Sansa didn't leave, and we will find out exactly what happened when the Hound said "Get in"
Dont hate me.
Also, I am not lying when i tell you i cried as i wrote the Bran scenes.
I want to hug poor Bran.
Also, incase i hadnt mentioned it before, I know in the books Bran is older than Arya by a year, but Arya is 16, almost 17 in this story and Bran is still 10.
SO yea, i just like him young.
Also, lots of Jaime in this chapter, so let me know how you're liking him.
And we find out how Bran's accident happened. AHHH!
SO yea, thanks for all your reviews, and as always, keep them coming :)
They're like cupcakes! Seriously
Love you all for your reviews.