Author's Notes: Someone wanted a happy Catelyn x Ned fic, which are far and few in between, mostly because their love is the most tragic of love stories, so I gave it to them. Because I am a nice person.

Disclaimer: GRRM owns all of these characters and also my soul.

Tales of Winter
Homecoming

She wanted to run to him. She wanted to break away from the line of people and run past all the horses and carts and knights and men. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck, have him lift her in the air, and kiss her for all to see. But she could not do that. The Lady of Winterfell would not do anything to embarrass the Lord of Winterfell. She didn't think he would get angry with her, but she could already picture a rent tint to his cheeks if she did anything like that.

Instead, she held her hands in front of her, squeezing them as tightly as she could. She was the Lady of Winterfell, and she would be strong. She could wait just a little bit longer to be held by her lord husband. It had only been a few months since she had seen him last. He had only been called away to the Iron Islands for another war. He had only probably nearly died a few times. She'd only given birth to their second daughter while he had been away. It was nothing big, nothing major.

It was nothing that hadn't broken her heart every other night when she woke up to the cries of a girl that had not met her father and an empty bed missing a husband.

When she finally saw him riding up, looking tired and worn for wear but also relieved, it took everything in her not to break line. She made a little gasp when she saw a scar on his neck and felt Maester Luwin gently touch her arm. Though she didn't look at the maester, she visibly relaxed and knew that he understood her gratefulness. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on her lord husband as his horse trotted closer towards her. When they finally connected eyes, her heart swelled with joy. For a second time, war had returned him to her and she had yet another child to show him. The crowd around them cheered victoriously for the king and chanted his name, but both she and her husband were silent as they stared at one another.

When the horse was finally close, he ordered the horse to halt and swung off of it with ease. In a matter of seconds, he was standing in front of her, holding her hands in his, eyes locked on her. Even then, she refused her childish urges to jump into his arms or kiss him until her lips were raw.

But she could not hide the smile from her face. "My lord."

"My Cat," Ned said in response, kissing her for all to see.

It was something of a shock. Ned was not the type for public affection. He saved it for behind closed doors, for only their eyes to witness. The first year they had been married and living together, it had been somewhat awkward, but they'd grown used to each other and she had learned to respect his want for privacy. After having four children, of course, they were quite comfortable with each other's bodies and desires in bed, but even then, he was very chaste in public with her. It was childish, yes, but even at twenty and five years, she felt a burst of love and giddiness.

The procession swept into the castle, but Ned remained at her side, no matter how much King Robert tried to get him involved in a drinking game or recount a story of a battle. She would be able to come down from her cloud later, but for now, she was content to be with Ned, who never let go of her hand and would kiss her on the cheek every few minutes. She'd never seen him so at ease with his affections towards her in front of others. Perhaps it was because very few people were looking at them, preferring to listen to all the war stories and jokes and booming laughter of the king. She didn't care. She had her husband back.

Halfway through the feast, Ned pulled her aside, to a little area in the hall where the noises of the excitement sounded distant and vague. Here, she was able to throw her arms around his neck as she'd wanted to do hours before and he held her for what felt like an eternity. The urge to cry crawled up her throat, but she clenched her throat tightly and fought the tears. She focused on the beat of his heart, so close to hers, and the sound of his breath tickling her ear.

When she finally pulled away, she grasped his hands in front of her. "I have someone that wants to meet you," she whispered excitedly. It was plainly obvious that she was no longer pregnant. She had seen the recognition in his eyes when he'd stepped down in front of her.

He shook his head. "Not now. It is late. She should be sleeping; and I don't want to disturb her." She could tell that he wanted to meet his daughter, but he was so tired-looking. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I want all these people to leave. This night belongs to you."

"They will leave," she told him, kissing him on the lips, "and all the nights will be ours again."

He opened his eyes, and they were so grey and sad and longing and happy. She did not know how a man could have so many emotions in his eyes and yet none were perceivable on his face, but after seven years of marriage, she had learned how to read him like a book. "I missed you more than I could say," he admitted. "I dreamed of you every night. I worried that something might happen while you were giving birth. I tried to picture what our child might look like; and when I found out the babe was a girl, I worried that I might not be there to protect her. I feared you might resent me for leaving again."

"No, no, Ned, I would never." She stroked his cheek gently. Why did he always look so sad, even when he was happy? "She looks just like you, you know. It's like there's not a drop of the South in her."

Ned smiled and kissed her again. "She is of you, just as much as she is of me, and she will be stronger for it."

Catelyn had been scared, when she had married Ned Stark in place of his older brother, that she might never love someone. She had been more than wrong, and she could not be happier about it.