Chapter Text
Sandor watched Sansa putter from room to room, starting on one task only to abandon it for another. She was a bundle of nervous energy, and he knew that she wouldn’t fully relax until Jon arrived later that afternoon.
After the fifth time she’d attempted to clean the kitchen from breakfast, Sandor put his coffee down and patted the chair next to him at the counter. “Little bird, why don’t you take a seat. You’ve been attempting to wash that pan for the past fifteen minutes.”
Sansa looked at him. “What?”
Sandor chuckled and patted the seat again. “Sit.”
She sighed, dropped the dish rag in the sink and leaned against the sink. “I’m all over the place, aren’t I?”
“You are. You’re worried.”
She nodded. “I am. I can’t help it. This is it, Sandor. It’s go time. I’m just afraid something is going to fuck it all up and Jon isn’t going to come or one of his men has figured out what we’re doing – or the Lannisters have or this new organization – there are just so many things that could go wrong. And I hate that I’m here and not with him in case it does.”
“Do you think Jon can’t handle himself?”
“No, that’s not it at all. I know he can, but…but what if something changes his mind? Or what if this new mob boss does something that prevents him from coming? What if he’s hurt? What if—”
“What if, what if, what if,” Sandor grumbled. “You’re going to drive yourself nuts with the what ifs.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Sansa muttered, a bit irritably.
“You’re worried about things that you can’t control. Whatever happens now – if he comes or if he stays – you’ll have to deal with it.”
Without a word, Sansa pushed away from the sink and marched out of the house, no doubt heading down to the beach.
Sandor sighed. He knew better than to follow her. Little Bird needed time to process. He was concerned though, how she’d handle it when she learned he wouldn’t be following her and Jon when it was time to make a run for it.
xxxxxxxxx
Daenerys Targaryen set his warehouse on fire. Jon knew it was her because she’d tucked a card with her name on it at the front gate.
Now, in the midst of still dealing with the fallout of Arya, and planning to leave the business that very night, there was this to deal with.
The cops were going to want to ask questions. Jon knew they weren’t stupid – where there was a random fire to his warehouse, there was a mob war going on. Mob wars meant people were going to be killed and property was going to be damaged. The cops were going to be all over this, watching him, watching his men, wanting to find any way they could to pin him with something in the hopes they could pin him with a lot more.
He was in the middle of a meeting with his men, laying out a plan, when Sansa called. He let it go to voicemail.
xxxxxxxxx
Sansa rubbed her forehead and tossed her phone to the sand when she got Jon’s voicemail. She was wound tighter than a drum, and had been in the weeks leading up to this day. Everything had to be planned perfectly with no room for error and she, Jon, and Sandor had planned for every contingency. They were armed with passports and other various IDs complete with fake names. They had money – in cash – and new phones. They’d even planned how much clothing they’d take with them. Everything else would be left behind. They even had new cars; it was what Sandor and Sansa had been getting while in Ogunquit.
Sansa just couldn’t seem to rid herself of the feeling that something was going to go wrong.
That Jon would change his mind.
And she kept wondering what she would do if he did.
Part of her wanted to say she’d go anyway. This business would kill them both if they stayed, and she wanted somewhat of a normal life – even if that didn’t include Jon. She feared still that she’d end up like her mother if she did stay and something happened to Jon. Or that she’d dive in deeper into the belly of the beast to keep Jon safe and end up killing more people the way she killed Arya.
That was something that would never leave her, no matter how far away they went.
Then there was the other part of her. The part that thought she’d stay because she couldn’t leave Jon again. For better or worse she loved him. And she always would.
She also knew that if she did stay, she would do her level best to get him to leave. She had to. Because according to the test she took that morning, she was pregnant.
xxxxxxxx
“You can’t possibly be thinking of leaving now,” Edd hissed as Jon stuffed a duffel bag with some clothes. These were just for show. He already had the essentials packed and they were with Sansa at the Quiet Isle.
Jon zipped up the bag and turned to look at his friend and, unbeknownst to Edd, the new head of the Stark organization. “I have to, Edd. I need to see my wife. I need to tell her what’s going on and I need to get her to come home.”
“She’ll be fine at the house for a few days with Sandor, Jon.”
“He’s not exactly that up to par yet, Edd.”
“She’ll be a lot safer there than here, don’t you think? You have things to take care of here. Things that I…” Edd hung his head. “I feel ill-equipped to handle right now. Tormund was your right hand man, not me.”
God. That was not what Jon wanted nor needed to hear even as he knew that it was true. He had no doubt that Edd would learn and learn fast under his tutelage, but after Jon walked out that door tonight, Edd would be on his own. Fed to the sharks. It would be sink or swim time and he rather felt as though he was sending his friend to the gallows.
Can I do this? he wondered. Can I leave them all behind like this? If I just got them through this mess…
No.
Because this was the nature of the business. There would always be one more thing to take care of. If it wasn’t the Lannisters, then it was the Targaryens. And then there would be another one after them and it would never end. Never. And in the process he’d have to deal with the constant fear that Sansa could be killed. Or that she’d leave him again.
“Listen, we came up with a plan. Do you remember it?”
Edd nodded.
“That’s all you need to do right now. I’m sure it’ll even keep for a day or two until I get back, okay?”
Edd sighed and nodded, looking as though he was steeling himself for action.
It would be too much if he hugged the man. So, instead, Jon slapped him on the back and said, “I’ll see you in a couple days. Try not to stress too much.”
Edd nodded and followed Jon to the door. “You’re right. I can do this. We have a plan, and now I just need to follow it.”
“Exactly.”
Jon stepped outside and then onto the front porch. He felt a lump in his throat growing. This was the house he’d practically grown up in. This was the house he’d met Sansa in. This was the house he and Sansa had lived in as husband and wife. There would be another house, but it wouldn’t be this house. This house that held so many memories, both good and bad. Down by the lake was where she’d been shot. Where Sandor and Grenn had been shot. This was the house where Arya had killed Grenn and Tormund and had tried to kill him and Sandor.
This was the house in which Arya had been killed.
Perhaps it was time to let it all go after all. A fresh start. That’s what he and Sansa needed.
Jon held up a hand in a quick wave and then made his way to the car. Don’t look back, he thought as started down the driveway. Keep your eyes forward to the future.
Tears stung his eyes nonetheless when he pulled out onto the road on his way to the Quiet Isle. He was leaving Winterfell. This was it. Forever.
Thank you, Ned, for all that you did for me, he thought as he drew closer and closer to the Winterfell line. It was pretty fucked up to get a kid like me involved in this madness, but if it hadn’t been for you and Robb, I never would have met Sansa. And she is the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m going to take care of her, Ned. I’m going to keep her safe. And I’m going to love her, which is a lot. When we have a son, I’ll be sure to name him after you.
With that thought, his heart was considerably lighter as he made his way past the town line.
xxxxxxxxxx
Headlights beamed through the kitchen windows and Sansa leapt from the table where she and Sandor had been playing cards. She ran outside without a word and ran down the stairs.
He was here! He hadn’t changed his mind. They were going to leave!
Jon was barely out of the car before Sansa had launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tight. “Jon,” she nearly sobbed. “I was so worried. I was so worried you’d changed your mind, especially when you didn’t answer your phone when I called and texted—”
“I saw you called, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I was in a meeting with my men about the Targaryens.”
Sansa pulled back and looked at him. “Did something happen?”
He sighed. “She set fire to the warehouse. It was a mess. I had to talk to the cops…she left me a card so I was sure to know who did it.”
“Jesus,” she whispered.
“I had to come up with a plan.”
She looked at him searchingly. “Oh?” She sounded worried.
“I had to do something for Edd, Sansa. He’s not happy about me leaving tonight. He’s…well, he’s nervous.”
She nodded and played with the fabric of his shirt at his shoulder. “You thought about staying, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “But I’m here. And I’m going.”
“Are you sure? Are you one hundred percent sure?”
“Ninety-ten.”
“I don’t want you to regret this, Jon. I don’t want you to resent me—”
“We’re heading toward a future where we can start a family and keep them safe without guards and guns. I won’t resent you for that ever, Sansa.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you,” he whispered back and kissed her. He smiled as he framed her face with his hands. “You ready to go?”
“Yes,” she said and nodded, though heard the crack of emotion in her voice. He had a hard time leaving the house in Winterfell, but this was the house Sansa would have a hard time leaving.
Hand-in-hand, the pair trudged up to the house and found Sandor inside, duffel bag in hand. He looked grim.
“Sandor’s ready,” Sansa said with a laugh.
“Little Bird…Jon…” Sandor began.
Jon saw the look of regret and sadness on his face and knew: he wasn’t coming with them.
“Sandor?” Sansa said softly.
“I’m not going with you, Little Bird.”
Sansa’s eyes welled up in tears. “What do you mean? Why?”
“Because the last thing you need is me hanging around you and Jon while you’re trying to start your new life. I’m baggage. Unnecessary baggage.”
“You’re not unnecessary to me!” Sansa exclaimed.
“Sansa, Little Bird… this is for the best. Remember how you wanted me to find someone to love who would love me back?”
Sansa nodded, tears streaming down her face.
“That’s what I’m going to do,” Sandor said softly. “I want a happy ending for myself after all.”
“Where you going to go?” Jon asked, squeezing Sansa’s hand.
“Not sure. Maybe California. I wouldn’t mind not having to deal with snow in the winter,” Sandor said with a chuckle. He held out a hand to Jon and Jon let go of Sansa’s hand to shake it.
“Take care of her and treat her right. If you don’t, I’ll find out and kick your ass,” Sandor said.
Jon laughed. “I have no doubt you would somehow just know.”
Sandor released his hand and looked at Sansa who was just looking at him with tears still running down her face. “Little Bird,” his voice cracked.
Sansa launched herself at him, hugging him tight. “I’ll never forget you.”
“Sansa,” he managed to say, but then he was pushing her away. He picked up his duffel bag and wiped at his eyes that now had tears in them. He looked at her, studied her, and he opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something. But then he snapped it shut. Then muttered, “Fuck it”, and left.
She broke down in tears and Jon drew her into his arms and cradled her close. She cried for a bit and then pushed away from him and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shit. “Okay. We need to go.”
“Sure you want to do it now and not in the morning?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure. I’m too afraid something will stop us if we wait.”
Jon nodded. “Fair enough.”
So, the plan began. They grabbed what they’d agreed to take, including their new phones, and headed out to the new car parked in the garage. It had a Washington State license plate already, for that, for now, was their new destination.
Jon pulled the car out of the garage while Sansa went back to the house to shut off the lights. She stood in the kitchen, her gaze straying to the table. She and Jon never did get a chance to christen it again after having been reunited, but there was another table out there just waiting for them. And another house. A house they’d fill with children and new memories and plans.
Most of all they’d be safe.
And, Sansa was determined – they’d be happy.
At the threat of more tears, Sansa turned, shut the door behind her and ran to the car where Jon was waiting for her without looking back. She leaned over and kissed him before he started off again. He grinned at her, the kind of grin that told her that despite how hard it was to leave their past behind, and what an epic past it had been, he was excited for their future.
So was she.
Biting her lip, she reached over as Jon began to drive, and placed his hand over her stomach. “I have some news…”
The End