End Game// Tormund Giantsbane (3)

6. All you ever wanted

''He'll make you a Stark with a stroke of a pen." Sam remarked.

"It's the first thing I ever remember wanting. I daydreamed that my father would ask the king. Just like that I would never be the Bastard of Winterfell again." Jon whispered.

"No, you deserve that. You do." Sam assured. "I-I couldn't be happier for you."

"I'm gonna refuse him." Jon murmured back glancing to Caro pulling apart a piece of bread.

"But... you'd be Lord of Winterfell." Sam countered confused.

"I swore a vow to the Night's Watch." Jon reminded him. "If I don't take my own word seriously, what sort of Lord of Winterfell would that be?"

+

Caro wanted one thing in the world. One thing. She wanted to be a mother. For as long as she could remember, she was young the youngest of the starks. So when Jon and Robb came along she was still a little girl herself but she knew she wanted a baby of her own. 

Little Carlina was skipping down the halls with Jon he smiled up at her. She giggled as she twirled.

''Caro!'' Ned called. ''You coming to break your fast or are you going to keep dancing with jon?''

''Dancing!'' Caro called back and jon continued to smile and laugh up at her.

''Dance after food.'' Ned requested ''come on!''

Caro had sat Jon next in her lap as she ate and pretended to feed him. After all he was a doll in her little mind and couldn't actually eat but Jon opened his mouth every time Caro brought the spoon towards him before pulling it back. Again he would open his mouth for the food and Caro would stop short. Jon's little face puckered as he looked up at her.

"You want to give Jon a bite?" Ned asked.

"I am." Caro told him.

"A real bite." Ned countered.

"I don't want to get him dirty." Caro informed him as Jon reached out a little hand for the food.

"I can clean him up." Ned told her and she shrugged giving him a taste Jon licked at his lips and Caro went back and forth a bite for her a bite for him. Jon clapped in her lap happily with each bite. Ned couldn't help but laugh. Caro was always doting on the boys. He thought Caro knew the boys were not dolls but then again some days it seemed like she didn't. but she carried them everywhere, upside down a lot of the time by their legs. They would laugh and laugh as Caro walked them down the halls, other times she would cradle them to her. She would tuck them into bed with her and Ned, Catelyn or one of the handmaidens would retrieve them while Caro slept and put them in their cribs.

''We should play in the snow. Oh! I could-"

''Lady Caro where is little jon?' One of the handmaidens asked when she saw robb in her arms.

''I tucked him in.' Caro told her

''Where though sweet child?''

''My bed.'' Caro answered. ''He was sleepy.'' She nodded heading off. Jon was just a baby he wasnt ready for real beds she thought he would roll right off and hit his head and that would be it. Caro didnt think about this because she still believed Jon and robb to be dolls.

''As I was saying-'' caro went on but then her nose scrunched up and she looked down at robb he giggled as he pooped. Her eyes went wide as she slowly put him down on the ground. He laughed watching her. Caro took a few steps back before running down the hall leaving robb on the floor all shits and giggles and then cries when he was alone.

'Ned, Ned, Ned!'' Caro demanded. ''I need a new doll. Mine is broken.'' Neds eyes went wide her most recent dolls were his children

''What do you mean by broken?'' Ned asked cautiously ''where are they?''

''Jon is tucked away. He is fine but robb is broken.'' Caro informed him

''Broken how love?''

''I dont know one moment we were talking- well-'' she laughed out "- i was talking dolls dont talk and the next he smelled. It was just awful. I dont know what is in him but dolls shouldnt smell like that.'' Ned chuckled picking caro up.

''Honey. Jon and Robb are babies. Real live babies.''

''No.'' Caro told him confidently

''Yes.'' Ned corrected ''where is robb?''

''I left him in the hall.'' Caro told him confused. ''But they dont do anything besides sleep and eat.'' Caro told him. ''Jon is a doll you are lying to me.''

''I'm really not.'' Ned said walking down the halls. ''Where did you leave robb?''

''They are real? I dont believe it.'' Caro said still processing

''Caro love where did you leave robb?'' She pointed a finger as she kept talking

''So you need to get a new baby because robb is definitely broken. Jon isnt stinky like that." Caro informed him

''He pooped.'' Ned told her as she silently directed him but then he heard robbs little cries.

''On himself?'' Caro asked appalled ''why?''

''He doesnt know how to use a chamber pot yet.''

''Well you should teach him.'' Caro offered seriously.

''I will. When he is older''. Ned assured

''He really isnt a doll?''

''He really is not a doll. I thought you knew and-''

''I want a real doll Ned, please.'' Caro requested

''Of course. Anything for you. ''

When she married Jory and there was no luck for a child she was heartbroken. It was all she ever wanted. She married Tywin to save her family but that didnt work out for anyone and now he was dead too. 

For as long as Jon could remember his aunt had been a second mother to them. She was closer in age to her nieces and nephews so she was able to be the fun mom, the responsible mom, the protector and best friend. 

Catelyn didnt care for Jon, he was and always would be a bastard. But Caro loved him, being with her made it feel like he did have a mom. 

Caro was never going to get what she wanted, a real child of her own womb but Jon had the chance to become a stark, a real stark. He wanted it, he wanted Ned to be the one to declare Jon as Jon Stark and now that would never happen.