Familiar Feeling / Ned Stark

2. A Boy

Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship ended in a blood bath. Lyanna was stabbed, bleeding out in Ned's arms. Rhaegar was stabbed in the back by Jaime Lannister. Ned's father and brother had long been burned by the mad king. The one good thing in his life just doubled.

Everly screamed out as she brought a baby into the world. Panting for breath Ned grasped her hand, kissing her head as a baby boy was placed in her arms.

"A boy.' She coed.

'Our boy.' Ned said running a hand through a little tuff of black hair on the screaming childs head. 'What shall we name him?'

'After our fathers?" Everly suggested. 'Jon Rickard Sno-'

'Stark.' Ned told her.

'Snow.' She corrected.

'Jon Snow.' He repeated.

'you don't have to take care of him, I will tell him as he grows how wonderful you are, about his brave and heroic father.' Everly told him. 'you don't need to be tainted by this, by me.'

'I love you, this child, Jon Rickard Stark is mine and I love you both. I'm not pushing you away or abandoning you.' Ned assured.

'You have to-' Everly began but there were screams rogue Targaryen's soldiers on a vengeance for their lost king and prince. 'Ned?"

'Its not safe here, please, come with me.' Ned begged as the door swung open but Ned was skilled the soldier fell dead at his feet. 'Please Everly. Let me keep you and Jon safe.'

+

The journey to winterfell was a long one with Jon curled in Everly's arms. She had a long time to think of what would be best for Jon. She was a low born servant, well educated through working and tending to lords and ladies as her mother did before her. If they were at winterfell Everly and Jon both would be an outcast, Ned's wife might even want them dead. She yelled to stop the carriage having a mini panic attack. Ned dismounted his horse running to her side.

"Everly?" he questioned panic flooded him.

'Ned I cant, please I can't do this.'

'Do what? I will keep you and Jon safe, I promise.' Ned told her as he hugged her to him.

'Catelyn will hate me, Jon and I will be outcasts, hated, I want him to be loved, we won't get that at winterfell, not from anyone except you.'

'No I will make sure-'

'Mistress.' Everly told him. 'that will be my title. Ned starks mistress. I don't want to be defined and labeled for falling in love.'

'You won't' Ned told her. 'I won't let anyone-'

'Ned!' she declared rocking Jon in her arms. 'I love you but winterfell is not home-'

'Your home, your tiny home was just invaded, the family you worked for slaughtered. I won't have you and jon out there alone. I will be in a panic, constantly worried about you two.' Ned told her.

'Ned,' she said through sobs. 'I want what is best for Jon.'

'Winterfell is best. He will get proper learning, reading and writing, he will learn to wield a sword. He will get everything he could ever need.'

'There will be a target on both our backs.' Everly told him. Then an idea sprung, a bad idea but one she would have to deal with. She could keep them both, keep their family together. 'He is your bastard.' Everly said softly.

'He is my son, mine.' Ned told her running his hands under her cloak warming up her arms under his touch.

'I was the handmaiden to the woman you slept with, I helped deliver the baby and I will take care of him. I am nothing to you.' Everly said stiffly a tear running down her face and Ned shook his head in disagreement immediately.

'No, I'm not doing that. you are not nothing.' Ned told her sternly. 'you are everything to me. you and Jon.'

'Ned, please. That way we both can see him, and I don't have to be ridiculed for the rest of my days.' Everly begged.

'You wouldn't-'

'but I would. By Catelyn, by the other women, the men at winterfell would think me a whore and that would put me in danger but if I was just a handmaiden, with no connection to you only Jon's mother.' Everly went on and ned rested his head against hers. 'I am educated and I could train him and any other children you have with-'

'Stop.' Ned groaned stomping about the snow. 'I don't want her, I don't want children with her, I never want to kiss her again, I want you.' Ned told her honestly. 'just you.'

'You have a duty to her as her husband.' She reminded him softly.

'Fuck duty. Everly I love you and Jon I want you. Not as Jon's handmaiden as his mother and my wife.' Ned begged.

'Please Ned, this is safer.' Everly whispered.

'Will Jon know who you are?' Ned questioned and Everly gnawed at her lip. 'Everly,' Ned whispered moving back to her.

'it would be safer if he didn't.' Everly admitted.

'No, you love him, he is yours you can't hide that from him.' Ned told her and tears filled her eyes.

'I will see him every day and I will tend to him, love him, raise him, I will be a mother to him-'

'but he won't know and he will always want to know you.' Ned told her.

'Please it has to be this way, that is the only way I'm getting back in that carriage.' Everly begged.

'no one must ever know-'

'Everly-'

'Ned please,' she whispered against his lips. 'please... it has to be this way. It has to.'