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Jon Snow

Jon was surrounded by darkness on all sides leaving nowhere for him to escape. Left, right, above and even below pitch black closed in upon him ready to drag him away.

His brother's betrayal. Stabbing him and leaving him for dead. Coming back to life. Becoming King in the North, allying with Daenerys and attempting but ultimately failing to hold back the White Walkers. And now he was dead again.

Was the darkness around him what he would see for eternity? Was he in the afterlife? Jon had always worshiped the Old gods, never knew enough about any of the others to worship anything else. Lady Stark had not taught him as she did her children.

Catelyn Stark.

Jon felt the pang of her death in his chest despite their differences. He never held her ire of him against her. After all, she only spoke the truth. He was a constant reminder of her husband's unfaithfulness. How could he fault her for not loving him like she did her own children?

That thought brought yet another stab to his heart. His brothers and sisters were gone. Dead. Robb at the Red Wedding, Rickon at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. Bran, Sansa, and Arya lost to the White Walkers army of wight's when Winterfell was overrun. He was alone. And he had failed. Winterfell was gone and it was his fault.

"Lady Stark was right. I'm no Stark." Robb wouldn't have let Winterfell fall. His eldest sibling wouldn't have failed as he had.

"Jon…Jon, wake up."

"Father?" Jon blinked his eyes and the darkness faded away revealing Eddard Stark standing over him, a worried look on the Lord's face. Or at least he thought it was his father. "Everything's so blurry."

"Jon, do you remember anything? Who attacked you?" Lord Stark asked. But that was impossible. Lord Stark had died in King's Landing.

Head swimming Jon blinked his eyes trying to focus his vision. But it was for naught. The black was closing in on him again. He could see it coming, the afterlife was trying to keep him. Was he sleeping?

Hope stirred in his chest. Maybe he was waking up and everything had just been one horrible, horrible nightmare. Maybe his family wasn't gone. And if that was the case.

"I don't want to die." He whispered the hidden thoughts he had been having since Sansa's death leaving his mind.

Ned Stark

"I don't want to die." The words ran rampant in the Lord of Winterfell's mind. Words spoken by a boy he saw and raised as his own. One he had cared for and protected since his birth. The child his sister had begged him to keep safe. His son in everything but blood.

"I don't want to die." He whispered trying the words for himself as he watched the young man who had said them first. "I'm sorry, Jon. Lyanna."

He had failed.

Failed in his mission to keep his sister's son safe. His promises broken and now nothing but words in the wind. He had already shamed her raising her son as a bastard, keeping Jon from any life that was worth living it seemed. And now he had failed even that. Lyanna would never forgive him.

"I'm sorry, sister."

"Dad?"

Looking at the door Ned tried to smile but his lips wouldn't move. Not even for the brown-haired girl peeking her head into the room who looked so much like the woman he was thinking of.

"Arya, you should be in bed. Your mother won't be happy you're up."

"I heard the guards outside my room talking." Arya's eyes went from him to the bed he was seated next to. "Is Jon going to die?"

"Of course not, Arya." The Warden of the North proclaimed confidently even if he didn't feel confident in his son's survival himself. "Jon's just very tired."

Arya shook her head and stepped into the room closing the door behind her and Ned sat straighter as tears began to gather in his youngest daughters eyes. "You're lying. The guards said he had been stabbed a bunch of times and wouldn't make it through the night."

The tears grew bigger and fell faster and Ned moved quickly crossing the room lifting his sobbing daughter into his arms holding her to his chest tightly.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye!" Small hands gripped his tunic bunching the fabric together around his shoulders and he silently cursed the guards who he would be having words with tomorrow.

"Jon will be fine Arya. The guards were exaggerating."

"You're lying." Ned closed his eyes as his conscious betrayed him. He had seen the wounds Jon had suffered. It was a miracle Ser Rodrik had found him before he bled to death. And it would be another if he survived.

Maester Luwin had said it himself. "All we can do is pray the gods will grant us a miracle, my Lord."

"Okay," Arya's head nodded against his chest and he loosened his arms as she wiggled around trying to get free.

Setting her down on her feet he opened his mouth to send her back to her room but before he could she was moving. Crossing the room and dragging the chair Jon had at his desk in the corner closer to the bed placing it next to his.

"I'll sleep here." She crawled up onto the chair. "He shouldn't be alone when he wakes up."

Not wanting to upset her anymore Ned took his seat again and wrapped an arm around her. They would wait together until Jon woke or he didn't.

Robb Stark

"Father, I'm worried about Jon. He isn't acting right."

Inside his father's, solar Robb paced in front of the large desk his father sat behind.

He had listened to enough tales the older warriors in Winterfell told to know a brush with death changed a man. Veterans from King Roberts war against the Targaryens and the Ironborn uprising all said the same thing when their stories finished.

"I haven't been the same since."

But Jon wasn't even functioning properly. He barely tried in training and stopped going to Maester Luwin's lessons.

"He can't just sit in the Godswoods all day, Father."

"No, he can't." Ned agreed and stood from his chair. "And he won't. I thought giving him space would help sort this matter out but Ser Rodrik has requested I pull him from training. A warrior who doesn't wish to learn is not worth the time to teach."

Robb sighed in relief. This was good. Father would get Jon straightened out and things would return to at least somewhat normal.

"But never the same as it used to be." Not for Jon or him. Just as his brother couldn't forget nearly dying he couldn't get the image of Jon lying and bleeding in the training yard. And he doubted any of his other siblings could either.

Ned Stark

"Father, did you come to pray as well?"

Ned fixed a stern stare on the boy sitting at his feet.

Jon shook his head and turned back to the white and red tree. "Robb tell you where I was?"

"He didn't have to, Jon. You've spent what seems like the last week sitting out here." Ned sighed and ran a hand down his face. He had hoped he wouldn't have to have this conversation with any of his children.

"Jon, I know what happened was traumatic. And I know it's changed you, it would change anyone. But missing training and skipping Maester Luwin's lessons? You can't keep-"

"Why didn't you tell me Aunt Lyanna was my mother?"

Jon Snow

From the corner of his eye, Jon saw his father, or truthfully his uncle freeze and he heard the catching of breath. He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that but he couldn't hold it anymore. Weeks recovering in bed had given him ample time to go over the best options he had.

And two stood out the most.

First, he joins the Night's Watch early and brings the Free Folk south of the Wall before Winter arrived. It would be hard to do alone and so much could go wrong but it was a good plan. But he would be leaving Winterfell and his family defenseless against the threats from the south.

So plan two was what he was going with. Stay in Winterfell and confess to Lord Stark. Explain everything that was coming and hope his father believed him. Also risky but if it saved his family from the fates waiting for them then he would take that risk.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jon. You are my son."

"I am." Jon nodded. "But not by blood."

He loved Lord Stark and would always see the man as his father no matter who birthed him.

Using the boulder next to him Jon grabbed ahold and pulled himself to his feet leaning heavily on the rock as his stomach and chest ached. Three weeks of rest was enough to get him out of bed and walking but Maester Luwin had been very clear that his wounds would not heal quickly.

"Jon," Father started forward reaching to help him up but stopped. "Where did you hear this?"

"You aren't going to like my answer father. Or believe it, just remember, there is no other way I could have known of my mother."

Lord Stark nodded showing he was ready to listen and Jon began his tale starting with finding the Direwolves in the forest and the King's visit. His father flinched at both Jon Arryn's and King Robert's deaths but not his own. He only nodded and seemed to accept that he had died but his eyes flicked to his feet hiding emotion he didn't want Jon to see when Jon explained what had happened to Sansa and Arya.

It only got worse from there his father seemingly growing smaller as his shoulders drooped every time he learned another horror his children had faced. By the time he had reached the Red Wedding Lord Stark was seated on the boulder in front of the Weirwood Tree holding his head in his hands.

"I failed everyone," Father said once Jon had finished his story with his death and waking up back in Winterfell.

"You believe me?" Jon's eyebrows raised up slightly. He had expected some kind of denial or being sent to Maester Luwin.

Ned Stark

Ned kept his head down as he gathered his composure. He couldn't let Jon see how shaken he was. His son would need a rock to keep him grounded with everything happening to him. And that rock would be him. He could deal with his thoughts and emotions at a later date when no one could see.

For now, he had to keep a strong mask on in the face of his son. He had to be the Warden of the North, not Ned Stark.

"I do believe you, Jon." Ned rose to his feet and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder squeezing softly but firmly. "As outlandish a tale it is I see no other way you could have learned of your mother. I wish I could tell you of her now but that will have to wait until another time."

"Father?"

"We need to plan Jon. Winter is coming. It may be years off but it is coming."

And let the Gods be with us when it arrives.

A new story I'm working on. The same premise as the Long Night, Jon and others go back in time but this time Jon tells his Lord Stark about the future. Hope you guys like it and leave a review with what you think so far. Until the next chapter.