Hands To Myself / Ned Stark / Jon Snow / Elia Martell

3. Trouble Maker

"Come on come on. Dorne waits for no one!"

"Dorne? I thought-" catelyn began

"The kids want to visit Jon. Lady Elia was going to make the trip up." Ned lied.

"I dont know that I like you seeing them. After everything that happened with Rhaegar and your sister." Catelyn whispered.

"Its fine Cat." Ned assured.

It was strange to compare yourself to someone who long since been dead. That's how she felt although it was not a former lover but Neds sister yet Catelyn could never compare to if it wasn't Jolene this or Jolene that it was the kids getting letters from Jon.

Catelyn could never compare to the life he had before. He couldn't move on from the family he lost. Catelyn had not lost her family she thought she gained a family in marrying Ned. Her siblings were alive her father as well and yet it was Ned that lost them all. His father and elder brother. His sister and then when Benjen came of age he left as well for the wall. He couldnt stay at Winterfell he was haunted by the memories of his father, of Brandon. Of Jolene.

It was a long journey but Lena and Robb were troopers, they were so excited that they didnt much care about the long days and long nights. They had sore rumps but they kept going with minimum complaints. 

When they finally got to the capital Lena and Robb collapsed into the fine beds sleeping the rest of the day. eating a full two tons of food it seemed before falling back into the bed. 

"They have grown." Robert remarked. 

So have you, Ned thought with a smirk. 

"Yes, my children, I love them so much. I wish they would stop growing and I could keep them little forever." Ned remarked. 

"Ah, I want mine to grow the hell up. Joffrey is a little whiney bitch." Robert remarked. "Maybe your kids will do him some good. What do you think about a union for Jolene and Joffrey?" 

"Shes... no." Ned corrected immediately. "She is a child. Joffrey is a child." 

"She wont be a child forever." Robert countered. 

"She is eleven." Ned corrected. "I wont put that on her. Not now." Not ever, Ned thought hopefully. 

"Well keep it in mind." Robert requested. "Ah, there they are." 

"Hello your grace." The twins echoed. 

"You eat all my food and sleep the day away," Robert laughed out. "Just like me." Jolene stared back at Robert with a bored yawn. "You look like her." Robert whispered. 

Ned sighed reaching out for Lena. She buried her face in his neck. 

"I wish I knew her." Lena remarked. "Father likes to tell me I'm just like her when I'm causing trouble." Ned held Lena hostage in his lap as she picked at his plate. 

"And you are causing trouble constantly." Ned agreed. 

"Robb starts it." Lena countered. 

"Do not!" Robb shouted in protest. 

"Liar." Lena declared. "Dont lie in front of the king, its a bad reputation to have." 

"LENA!" Robb demanded as she giggled out. 

"My trouble maker." Ned agreed. 

"Forget my offer for Joffrey, I want her." Robert half teased and Lena tensed in Ned's arms. Ned laughed it out but he was horrified. Robert could do as he wanted to he could. He could claim his little lena for himself. Take her, wed her, rape her if he so pleased and that horrified Ned. 

"I would ask you not to make such crude comments around or about my sister." Robb demanded glaring back at Robert. 

"You got your fathers bravery I see." Robert remarked as he drank down his ale. 

"What time is it?" lena whispered. 

"You slept the day away love, its past high noon." Ned remarked. 

"When can we go?" She rasped against his ear. 

"Soon baby, soon." Ned agreed kissing her temple. 

But they were held hostage it seemed at the capital for a fortnight. With Robert staring at Lena his eyes blatantly looking over her skinny little form. What even could a grown man see in a child? Ned stared at his friend wit disgust. Yes, his Lena had similarities with Jolene but Lena was a child. She was a child and Ned didnt want Robert anywhere near his baby girl. They had to leave. 

"Catelyn didnt want us gone long." Ned remarked. 

"Who's in charge Ned? You or your wife?" Robert laughed out as though a woman being in charge was the stupidest thing in the world. Ned cleared his throat, it wasnt Catelyn he wanted to get to. 

"I'm in charge but you will recall I have quite the journey and the twins wanted to head south a bit, so we are taking a detour." Ned offered. 

"South? Whats in the south?"  Robert countered. 

"I want to see a cactus." Lena remarked confidently. "My friend Jon told me about them, drew them too, he lives south a bit, we are going to visit him and he is going to show me a cactus before we go home. Now if you will excuse us we are already behind schedule." Lena declared. 

"I see who the real boss is." Robert chuckled out as he watched Lena march off. 

"Lena is in charge and she knows it." Ned agreed. He shook Roberts hand and bid him a good day and hoped that the next time he saw Robert he would be in a less horny mood.