Thank you everyone for the reviews! i apprieciate you all for accompanying me on my journey back into writing none work or acedimically related things.

I had a goal in mind to wrap this up before the episode tonight, and i felt comfortable with the ending of this chapter, open ended, almost a cliff hanger, it just felt right for the potential all of our favorites have, i didnt want to box them in too much.

We'll just have to see how tonight goes!

—

Samwell Tarly knew he wasn't much of a fighter, but he was a man of the Nightswatch, and as such, pledged himself to the promise of protecting the relms from the world beyond the wall. Be it wildlings, night walkers, wights or even spiders the size of dogs.

Samwell Tarly was smart, he knew this. He understood logical thinking and feelings, understanding that just because something is politically right, didn't make it morally right was something he prided himself on.

But, Sam knew in his soul, halfway through the battle, he was going to die. When Edd took a blow that should have killed Sam, he felt like his world was turned upside down. The last of the true Nightswatchmen had died, and there was nothing Sam could do about it. Sam had lost hope, he had vaguely been aware of the battle still taking place in Winterfell all around him, but it had felt...hopeless.

Imagine his surprise when Sam awoke to find daylight streaming across the skies. Feeling for all of his limbs, Sam didn't know what had woken him, or how he lived, maybe he himself was a wight and he would be forced to watch as his own hand killed those around him. No, he could still wiggle his fingers and his toes.

An exhuberent feeling cascaded down his spine sending tingles across his appendages. Sam was alive. He tried to lift his head to look around, maybe find the cause for his abrupt awakening.

To his left, he saw movement in the corner of his eye, people were walking away from him. Placing his head back down to rest and gain the fortitude necessary to get up and see the damages still laying rampant, Sam felt his eyes lulling. He knew he needed to find Gilly and little Sam, but, he was so cold, wouldn't it be easier to find them when he was warm.

Suddenly a head appeared in his vision, holding a washcloth and rag, he felt the rag hit skin. Sam's eyes widened, he was naked, that's why he was so cold! Quickly bursting up with unknown speed, he looked at the figure that had been wiping his leg down. Arya Stark turned to look at him, a look in her eye, almost like she no longer felt, well, anything. Sam felt panic stab into his bones. He was naked in front of his best friends' little sister.

His feelings were made known, almost by an uncontrollable force, let loose by a scream leaving his vocal chords.

Arya broke him from his scream with a deadened look. "Are you finished? There's a pile of clothes over there, go and find some that will fit, I would suggest post haste as that girlish scream will have plenty of people rushing here, wouldn't want even more people to see your bits now would you?"

She dropped the rag into a bowl that was on the ground, copper colored liquid splashing out onto the ground. She walked silently, so silent, Sam worried she might actually be a white walker, but knew that this was just one of the many faces of Arya Stark.

Sam felt his voice speak before his brain comprehended the words "So we won... Obviously... How exactly did I come to be here, naked, with you? And what exactly are you doing? Did you learn to heal others while away for so long? Is Jon still alive? Oh.. I almost hope not.. If he finds out I was naked with his sister, I wont have to worry about being alive, ill be dead... Oh, how are the people in the crypts, are they safe? Gods I hope so, I don't know what I would do if Gilly or Little Sam had been hurt."

By this point, Arya had gathered a cloak and breeches for the man, thrown them his way and left the stable area. The only reason the man had stopped talking had been when the breeches had slapped him in the face.

All of a sudden, there was a commotion, at least fifteen sets of eyes were now looking at him, thankfully the cloak now covering his bits, they were all looking at him as if he had grown an extra head.

Before Sam could read too much into their expressions, Gilly pushed through the crowd and nearly tackled Sam off of the wooden table he still sat upon. His face was peppered with kisses, and Sam knew he had tears in his eyes. Gilly was alive, he was alive, the living had won.

—

Jon soon burst through the crowd, and upon seeing the reunion between the couple, shuffled everyone and their prying eyes away from the stable turned sanctuary. While he had been happy to see his friend was in fact alive, he couldn't help but wonder, 'where had Arya gone?'

He walked the opposite direction of where the crowds had gone, an unspoken agreement amongst everyone to take a well deserved break, fetching water and food, maybe take a few hours to sleep. But, Jon felt it in his soul, he needed to find his sister.

Jon walked past the bodies that Arya had already cleansed, blood and grime cleared from their bodies and faces. Cloths wrapped around them to protect their dignities, even in death. She had even requested that any of the unnecessary dragon glass weapons, be left to the side so they could be buried with the dead.

Confused where she had learned such customs, but chalking it up to the same place she learned to kill as she had. Jon tried to push aside the bubble of something that stuck in his throat at the thought. All of his siblings had had to grow up far too quickly. And now, he had the opportunity to protect them and any others that might have to face such moments in the future, and by the damned gods, he was going to take it.

Finally, Jon managed to find his smallest but deadliest sibling, she was staring down at the body of Theon. She had no emotion in her eyes, just watching him. She pulled out a dagger, and bent towards the body, slicing underneath the jaw, around the ears and to the back of his skull.

Jon felt bile replace the bubble in his throat. Before he could step forward and question her though. Gendry appeared.

"My Lady, I had hoped to speak with you. I felt like, I needed to apologize for my actions earlier, I shouldn't have taken such liberties with you while in front of your brother." Gendry spoke softly

Jon was almost relieved to hear the apology, but frowned, Arya still barely moved away from the body, knife still at the ready, but then, he saw a shift in her body, like some wave had washed through her.

He vaguely saw tears gathering in her eyes, and Jon felt his instinct begin to take root in his gut. But Arya spoke before he could move from his hidden spot. "I've told you before, don't call me that, besides, what's a kiss between two people who shared what we did last night?" She had tried to lighten the mood; Jon could hear her typical humorous tone.

But he held back the growl at the knowledge they had progressed their relationship farther than he knew. Gendry was still looking at Arya like she would break. Slowly, as if getting near a flighty creature, Gendry moved towards Arya. Finally, he captured her in his arms.

Arya attempted to fight him off, but he had managed to gather her in his arms, blocking the use of her own arms. Jon knew she probably still could have taken down the stag if she truly wanted, but she calmed quickly enough he didn't feel the pressing need to intervene.

When he saw Gendry comforting his sister, body wracking sobs coursing through her, Jon turned and walked back the way he came. Even with his brother senses telling him to turn back and remove the man from his sister, he knew this was a moment she needed. She needed to grieve, and with the person she felt connected to.

Jon moved swiftly, he felt like he needed to find the one he was connected to as well. While he didn't know what they would do or where they would go from here, Dany was his family now, and before he

had known she was his blood, she had been the person he thought he might spend the rest of his life with, the first woman he envisioned that with since Ygritte. That had to count for something.

Come hell or high water, Jon wasn't about to lose any more family if he could help it.