Chapter Text
Not much had changed about the serene town in five short years, the same battered, faded sign welcomed the small family, just as Alayne remembered. Arya had insisted on accompanying them to their new lives,'to get you settled in.' But they both knew it was simply curiosity, not only to see where they would be starting over, but the chance to glimpse the house where Robb had been born, and Sansa had lived in blind happiness with Petyr. Robb had seemed to take the news fairly well, having very few friends to leave behind, it seemed more like an adventure. The promise of a possible pet helped things along, perhaps a dog would be a sound investment.
Pulling the mazda3 into the street, Alayne grew anxious at the thought of being back to where they had run from.True, the chances of Petyr thinking shewould take their son back to his hometown was slight, it seemed too obvious a choice. A two level plus basement house loomed infront of the trio, grey-blue siding with royal blue trim, it was a handsome building. And all hers. Petyr had the property signed in Sansa's name shortly after Robb was born. A safe place, he said.There would no doubt be a thick layer of dust coating everything, but with a bit of cleaning everything could be good. Turning to Robb, Alayne flashed a brilliant smile. "We're here honey, do you want to unlock the door and see your new room?" It was a simple thing, but the very mention of his new room had the young boy's face lit up like the sun.
It took a bit of work to turn the lock, but eventually the door swung open, sending a cloud of dust into the air at the disturbance. The familiar scent of fresh laundry and whatever had been baked during the day that used to fill the rooms was non-existant, bringing a suprised feeling of sadness. There used to be love here, warmth. But maybe the two of them could make a new home here. She wanted nothing more. Their footsteps echoed through the once polished halls, reminding Alayne that she would have to buy some runners for the hardwood floors. Robb ran ahead to the stairs, vaulting up the steps two at a time. It was a great weight off her mind, to know that her son would have no problems adjusting. Arya was already stumbling in with an armload of luggage, chin jammed above the pile, and Alayne ran to give her sister a hand before she broke her neck.
It took most of the afternoon to unload, and it was a quick dinner of pizza in between dusting and sweeping, giving Robby odd jobs here and there. Midnight had come before the sisters decided to finally throw down their rags and sit, taking a moment to appreciate their hours of hard labor. The windows and surfaces gleamed, and there were no more families of dust bunnies hiding in the corners. The little guy was passed out on the mattress in his room, the truck with the box springs and other big items not having arrived yet. The place was starting to look homey. Alayne smiled softly at the thought of making breakfast in the morning, In her old kitchen, same white lace curtains and honey coloured cabinets. Arya would be heading back shortly after that, and then it would be just the two of them. That thought made her a bit sad, she had never been truly alone, first with her family, then Petyr and now Arya. Would she be able to make it work? As if reading her thoughts, Arya reached out to grasp Alayne's hand, squeezing tightly. "You'll be fine, your strong. And if you have any problems you can come back to my place, I hope you know that." Eyes tearing, the two women hugged goodnight, both holding in yawns of exaustion.
Alayne made her way to the former guest bedroom slowly, refusing to sleep within the same walls her and Petyr had made love so many times. The living room was off to her right, the stairs leading up, to the left, dark chestnut steps draped in pale blue carpeting. A small hall straight ahead led to the large kitchen and a half bathroom in the back, altogether a comfortably sized house. Taking her time in climbing the stairs, Alayne noticed that there were still a few photos of herself, Robb and Petyr adorning the wall as it ascended the upper level. Those would have to be removed on the morrow, it wouldn't do to have people recognizing them. It had been a week of Alayne fretting over whether or not the township of Bottomless Lake (fondly referred to as Bottom, so named for the endlessly deep lake north of the town) would realize who the Stones were, but she had come to the conclusion that they Would be safe enough. During their two year stay in Bottom, the family of three had mostly kept to themselves, Petyr running most of the errands and Alayne staying at home like a dutiful little wife. With him out of the picture and the recent change in hair colours, they reasoned no one would question the identity of Robb and Alayne stone.
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Petyr was beyond frustrated with the whining and sniveling of one Joffery Baratheon, but had enough sense to hold his tongue, at least in front of Cersei. "I want that traitorous bitch found and quartered! I want her whipped and given to those Pimps downtown, they can make her a whore! Why has no one found her?!" The question was punctuated by a pathetic stomp of his Armani shoe, hands clenched tightly at his side. The three of them were standing in Tywin Lannister's buisness office, having a very dull and annoyingly high pitched discussion on the location of Sansa Stark. So far it had been nearly two hours of pointless debate on her possible location, and Jofferys whining at the loss of his favorite toy. Petyr's nerves were worn through, and his arm itched with the urge to put the cretin in his place, the way everyone seemed so reluctant to do. It would seem that he taught his little wife to well the art of concealment, if the Lannister Hound could not sniff the girl out. Although in her twenties she was hardly a girl anymore. He was determined to find them first, keep them safe from the reach of the Golden Lions. It was just a matter of getting ahold of the right information.
The clearing of a throat brought his mind back to his body, only to notice three pairs of eyes on him, all glaring. "I'm sorry, repeat that if you would be so kind." A small smirk graved his lips and elicited a growl from Cersei. "Have you received word from your source in Canada? I trust that I Don't have to remind you, your life relies on your usefulness in locating your...woman. We allowed you to keep her alive, in return for your warning when the Starks were to close to the truth. You were suppose to control her, not let her slip away with our secrets!" Her voice had escalated from a dangerous whisper to a shout, her ivory face and chest turning an amusing shade of burgundy. Tywin laid his hand on his daughters arm, trying to calm her rage. Petyr had listened to the same speech for the last three years, always the same words. "I assure you, my contacts do their best. If there is no information to be had, then there is nought to be done. If she should show her face up North, we will be notified. Now if you'll excuse me, I have dinner arrangements." Bowing his head to Tywin, he turned on his heel and left the trio to argue amongst themselves. More pressing issues were crowding Petyr's mind, like how he could keep the bloody fool alive, if he couldn't find her.