You're Losing Me / Ned Stark / Sandor Clegane

5. Not The Problem

Ned glanced back at Sofia as Robert pulled him along.

"Tyrion!"

"Bye darling." Tyrion countered.

"Oh my... his kids are so grown." Sofia remarked.

"Handsome too." Tyanna added. "Oh shoot, father asked I keep an eye on Cersei and I lost her already. Darn. Oh well, lets go meet those cuties."

"They are children."

"Young men." Tyanna corrected. Sofia swatted a hand back at her. "Jaime, Tyrion ran off. No doubt a brothel." Tyanna remarked.

"You want me to track him down?" Jaime countered.

"Seems like a job for you." Tyanna agreed waving him off. "Tell him not to make a fool of us, we are lannisters, we dont act foolishly."

"Yes father." Jaime agreed heading off.

"I love father, thats a compliment." Tyanna countered with a pop of her shoulder. "Okay back to handsome young men. Where did- I just keep losing the people I was supposed to keep an eye on. Sofia?"

"Oh jon!" Sofia declared. "Look at you!" She ran her hands over his face and jon felt a hot blush cover his cold cheeks. "So handsome you are. You have grown so much."

"Hello lady sofia-"

"None of those. Come now. We are closer than that." Sofia declared pulling him into a hug. Jon smiled wrapping his arms around her.

"Ned told me how talented you are, did you get my name day gift?" Sofia questioned.

"I love it, thank you so much." Jon agreed. He pulled his cloak back as Sandor wrapped his cloak around Sofia's shivering shoulders, he wished he had thought to do that. Sofia smiled back at sandor before turning her focus back to jon as he pulled the blade free.

"Looks good on you." Sofia agreed. "Oh Robbie, such handsome young men you both are!"

"And you are even more beautiful, Lady Sofia." Robb added.

"You boys are so formal."

"Hi, I'm Nessa."

"I'm Rickon."

"You have a puppy!" nessa squealed hugging shaggy dog without hesitation. Sandor's eyes darted between the prince moping off with Cersei and Nessa before moving to nessa kneeling beside her.

"Careful, peanut thats a wolf."

"Direwolf." Arya corrected. "We all have one."

"It's a puppy!" Nessa repeated a big smile on her little face.

"Hiding away with all the handsome men." Tyanna tsked. Robb stood up a little straighter. Sofia had always been like an aunt to them, sending them gifts and writing them, she had always been like family. Tyanna Lannister was a sexy new comer. "What's a girl gotta do to get a northern man wrapped around her?"

Theon and Robb fumbled with their cloaks. Tyanna chuckled looking to Sofia with a mischievous grin. Wrapped around, she didnt mean a cloak.

"You boys already stripping in the courtyard for my girls." Robert laughed out. "The north will do you good, come on, the sun will do your frozen face some good." Sofia ran to neds side linking her arm with his. Sandor's gaze moved to them, he found his scowl deepen.

"Daddy I'm frozen." Nessa decided climbing up his leg.

"Lets get you warmed up." Sandor agreed gruffly.

"I'm so excited to have you home with me, with us, at the capital. Down south. You are so far away." Sofia clarified awkwardly.

"I didnt accept." Ned countered.

"But you will because my brother doesnt take no for an answer and you want to come, you really do, you would be in charge... hand rules, my brother- I love him to pieces but..." She shrugged. "He is very reliant on his advisors."

"Its beautiful!" Nessa declared spinning around. "And look at all the snow. Daddy i even got my own bed!"

"Yeah you do." Sandor agreed. Nessa jumped up on the bed.

"I missed you so much ned. It's been too damn long." Sofia added. "You need to accept. Come back with us, rule, you will basically be king and you get to see me everyday. I dont know why I need to further convince you."

"It really has been forever." Ned agreed. "ANd seeing you everyday, that sounds wonderful." He admitted kissing her temple, her eyes fluttered close. "Sofia, how have you been? Tell me about you."

"Fia!" Nessa sprinted down the hall to her.

"Nessa, meet Ned." Sofia remarked picking up Nessa. She waved shyly back at him as she kissing Sofia's cheek.

"Hello Nessa, who... is she... I didnt..." Ned was suddenly at a loss for words and an unseen jealously filled him at the thought that Sofia had been married since they last spoke, that she forgot to mention she had a four year old daughter in between their correspondence.

"Nessa is Sandor's daughter."

"Sandor?"

"Clegane." Sofia answered.

"Not... yours?" Ned needed clarification.

"No, but i love her dearly." Sofia added kissing Nessa back. She giggled into Sofia. Ned nodded clearly relieved. "I would have told you if I were married and had a child ned."

"I hoped so." Ned agreed. "Any suitors? Your brother didnt mention..."

"Nope." Sofia agreed.

"You are a beautiful woman." Ned added. "I'm sure there are men lined up for you down south."

"Oh thats not the problem, men like me, the problem is the men I like dont like me... at least..." Sofia shrugged. "Not how I want them to." Ned nodded slowly. "but I will be so busy helping you rule the realms I wont notice my lack of husband..." she assured.

"Hey peanut." Sandor grumbled.

"Daddy!" Nessa reached out for Sandor. He plucked her from Sofia's arms.

"Ned, this is my good friend, Sandor. Sandor this is my eldest friend Ned." Sofia introduced, Ned extended a hand, Sandor shifted Nessa to his left shoulder, she held onto his hand as he reached out shaking his hand. Sofia smiled up at Nessa. Ned saw the love sofia had for the little girl, knew she would be a good mother one day. Sandor thought the same.