Ages:
- Talisa, Willas, Ygritte – 36; Robb, Jon, Gendry, Meera – 34; Sansa – 33; Arya – 31; Bran, Jojen – 30; Rickon, Shireen – 26
JON
Ever since Jon found out about Meera's kid, Mykel, a lot of things had happened. And when he and Arya confirmed that Mykel is Bran's son, something interesting happened day after day. It's like the gods have placed a curse on them everyday until they resolve it.
Friday when they first found out the truth, Jon and Gendry had to restrain Robb from punching Tyrek for even being near Meera. And he, together with Arya, had to distract Robb from noticing Bran and Meera the entire night.
Saturday was when they told Robb about Mykel's true parentage. Robb was clearly mad, but all he ever did was pounding his fist on the table, probably because they were not the only ones in the house. But he knew his cousin Robb, and Jon can definitely say he has anger issues. It's a good thing he doesn't take it out on people but only on things. The same way he nearly destroyed art easels and canvases in that art studio in ATU.
Jon was not surprised when Robb led the way when they had to confront Meera, but he did not expect his threat of a sole custody for Mykel.
On the ride back to Winterfell, he decided to confront him.
"Dude, a sole custody? Really?" Jon spoke up. "You know that threat would cause our family's friendship with the Reeds. Why would you even do that?"
"Mykel is a Stark." Robb reasoned. "Only, Meera hid the kid from us. And it's not a threat, I'm actually doing it. "
"I know she hid the kid, but that doesn't make her a bad person." Jon said. "And besides, I don't think filing a case for Mykel's custody, is guaranteed that we're gonna win the case."
Robb glared at him. "In case you forgot, I'm a fucking lawyer."
"Yeah, but you're not the kid's father." Jon countered. "I don't think the court would appeal to that case."
"I'm the kid's uncle." Robb insisted. "That means I have authority."
"And what kind of evidence do you have exactly against Meera?" Jon asked. "First off, she's a Veterinary Surgeon. And as well as any doctor, we know that profession earns very well, especially since she had been working in Oldtown for a couple of years. So technically, she can provide whatever it is the kid needs." He pointed out. "And second, if you're going to say the kid's not well-cared for. Well, Meera practically raised her own brother, Jojen."
"Why the fuck are you taking her side?" His cousin demanded.
"Because I see no point in filing for the kid's sole custody." Jon declared. "And also, because it's not your choice."
"Bran obviously is still in shock and he doesn't know what to do." Robb argued. "As his brother, I'm doing what I can so Bran can use the rights he has on his son."
"But a sole custody?" Jon said. "I'm not stupid, Robb. I know what sole custody means. It's where one parent has full custody of the child. So, you're planning on taking the kid from Meera, and then what?" He asked.
"He's gonna live with Bran." Robb said. "I know he can handle it. Bran's good with kids."
"Bran's good with kids, yes." Jon agreed. "But can he actually take care of a kid?"
"I left my son in his care for three days when Talisa and I went to Volantis."
"With your Mom and Dad's help." Jon reminded him. "And I thought the mother always get the kids in sole custodies."
"Well, I'm gonna change that." Robb persisted. "And we are done talking about this."
Afterwards, Jon had to take his wife and kids further north to the Gift to visit Tormund Giantsbane, Ygritte's Dad and his father-by-law or as his kids called him, their Grandpop.
By Sunday, Jon did not at all expect that Bran would be involved in an accident.
Before that, Jon and his family had eventually returned to Winterfell the following morning with their dogs and found Bran eating breakfast on the breakfast nook with Summer by his feet, and his Aunt Cat cooking in the kitchen with their staff.
As usual, his son and twin daughters had their way of greeting their favorite Uncle as they ran to him on the breakfast nook, while his wife Ygritte went to help his Aunt Cat in preparing food in the kitchen.
"Unco Bwan!" Lya and Dany squealed as his daughters sat on either side of him.
Rhaegar knelt on the floor and tended to the dogs.
"Hey, girls, Rhae." Bran greeted. "You went to see your Grandpop?"
"Yes," Lya replied. "And we went to see gweat unco Benjen too."
"He says he missed all of you already." Rhaegar said as he gently patted Summer's head, who still had the cone around his neck.
Jon looked around looking for his other cousins. "Where are the others?" He asked.
"They're in the backyard playing Croquet." Bran said. "With the dogs."
"Are Sansa and Rickon here?" He followed up a question.
"Not yet." Bran replied. "It's just Robb, Arya and Gendry out there with Little Ned."
Jon stepped closer to the nearest window and peeked out. Sure enough, saw Robb, Arya and Gendry playing Croquet in their backyard with Little Ned along with the huskies, Grey Wind and Nymeria and the husky puppies, Marble, Visenya and Winter.
He turned back to his children and cleared his throat. "Kids, why don't you play your cousin outside while I talk to your Uncle Bran."
"Okay, Daddy." Rhaegar said, then he gently pulled his sisters with each of his hand and headed towards the back door of the house. He turned his head back. "Come on, puppies!"
Ghost remained where he was and laid lazily on the floor next to Summer.
Jon sat across the table from Bran. "So," He spoke up. "How are you doing, Bran?"
"Don't..." Bran raised his hand. "Don't even go there." He said. "I'm still trying to sink it all in."
"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't tell you sooner." Jon apologized. "I wanted it to come from Meera herself."
"It's fine." Bran assumed. "I think it's what Meera would've wanted as well."
"So, what are you gonna do now?" He asked.
Bran shook his head. "I don't know."
"Well, you better do something." Jon insisted, then glanced out the window and saw Arya and Gendry carrying each of the twins and Little Ned handing Rhaegar a mallet. "Because Robb's going to plead a case to the court so that you can have a sole custody of Mykel."
"What?" Bran exclaimed. "He's taking the kid from his mother?"
"I asked Robb the same question yesterday."
"But Mykel's better off with Meera than me." Bran said, then frowned. "He's not gonna push through with that, is he?"
"You know your own brother," Jon said. "He never backs down from a fight. And that's what he told Meera."
That's when Bran stood and headed towards the door. Jon ran after him, hoping for a chance of zero confrontations from his cousins.
Of course, Little Ned was the first to greet them. "Uncle Bran!" He squealed. "You're awake." He turned to him. "Hey, Uncle Jon."
"Robb," Bran called. "You're pleading case for Mykel's custody?"
Robb's widened, then turned to him and knew immediately how his brother found out. "Well, yeah—" He started to say.
"Why would you do that?" Bran interrupted.
"Well, I..." Robb sighed. "Don't you want to spend time with your son?"
"Yes, but not through a fucking sole custody."
"Hey, language!" Robb scolded.
"Wait, what?" Arya spoke up.
Jon cleared his throat. "Ned, Rhaegar, why don't you kids go inside and help feed the huskies." He said. "And take the twins with you." He added. "And the dogs too."
"Yes, Uncle Jon." Little Ned gestured for his cousins to follow him. "Come on, cousins, huskies."
As soon as the kids and the huskies left, except Summer who stood by Bran's side, Arya stepped forward.
"A sole custody, am I hearing this right?" Arya repeated. "Robb, you're not serious, are you?"
"Arya, baby sis," Robb said. "Please stay out of this."
"Hey, Mykel isn't your son!" Arya argued. "You stay out of it."
"Arya, please," Robb said, gritting his teeth. "Not now." He sighed before turning back to Bran. "I'm only doing it so you can catch up with your son. And we can catch up with our nephew."
"By taking him solely from his mother?" Bran guessed. "How the fuck is that gonna work? Because I know firsthand that he'd be better off with Meera than me."
"Just trust me, okay?" Robb promised. "I'll handle that."
Bran shook his head. "No." He said. "Don't do it."
"What?" Robb asked as if he'd misheard. "Bran—"
"Don't do it." Bran urged, his voice deep and his tone cold. "Meera has already been through enough."
Robb made a face at him. "After all this time you're still defending her?" He pointed out. "Bran, she hid the kid from you. From us. How do you expect—"
"Mykel is mine and Meera's son." Bran reminded him. "This is our problem. So please, do not interfere."
Bran then turned his back on them and started walking towards the garage.
"Where are you going?" Robb asked.
Bran sighed and glanced back at them. "I'm just gonna go for a drive." He yelled. "To clear my mind from all the bullshit that's happening in my life."
Robb ran after him and grabbed his brother's arm. "If you're going to Greywater, I swear to the gods—"
"I'm not going there." Bran interjected, shaking his arm off his brother's grip. "After what happened yesterday, I don't think Meera would wanna see me."
"Where are you going?" Robb demanded. "Sansa and Rickon aren't even here yet."
"What the fuck, Robb?" Bran raised his voice. "Is driving alone forbidden now? Why does everything have to go through you?"
"I'm just looking after you." Robb said. "You're my little brother."
"I'm thirty, I don't need looking after." He insisted.
"Hey, Bran," Arya called out. "Grab some drinks while you're at it. And no alcohol!" She reminded him. "We've got kids in here and it's lunch time."
Jon could see Bran stop at his tracks and forced a smile at them.
Bran shrugged. "Okay, I guess I'm going to a supermarket today." He said sarcastically. "Just wonderful. What the fuck am I supposed to be buying?" He asked.
"I'd go for juice." Jon answered. "It's better than soda."
"What flavor?"
"Grape!" Arya and Jon said at the same time.
Bran waved them off as he headed to his car with Summer on his tail.
The moment Bran disappeared to the garage and drove his car out of their property, Robb glared at him.
"What the fuck, Jon?" Robb yelled. "Why did you tell him?" He demanded.
"Of course, I'm telling Bran." Jon said. "He's Mykel's Dad. He has more rights to that kid than any of us do."
"I know that." Robb said. "That's why I'm trying to do what I can to—"
"To do what?" Jon interrupted. "Make things worse? How about we just leave this all to Bran and Meera? Let them resolve this on their own terms and none of us should get involve."
"This is a family matter." Robb insisted. "That kid is our nephew and—"
"That's it!" Jon interjected. "Dude, let's just get to the real reason why you're doing this."
Robb raised an eyebrow at him. "And that is?"
Before Jon could speak, Arya raised her hand. "You know what, Jon," She said. "I got this." She turned to her brother. "You don't like Meera and Bran together."
"Yep," Gendry spoke up. "I noticed that too." He had been so quiet, Jon had forgotten he was there.
Robb snorted. "I didn't say that."
"Yes, you never said it," Arya pointed out. "But you did show it. And everyone knows 'actions speak louder than words', big brother." She said, quoting her fingers in the air. "Seriously, what wrong with Meera for Bran?" She asked. "She's your bestfriend. You know her. And the Reeds have been our family friends. Is it because of the whole bestfriend-dating-the-sibling thing? Because if it is, then I don't think you have truly accepted me and Gendry wholly."
"It's not that." Robb said.
"Then what?" Arya demanded. "Is it the age gap? Is it because she's older than him?" She guessed. "What the fuck? Talisa's older than you." She pointed out. "But did we question that? No. Because we know you love each other, and that's what matters."
"By the way, where's Talisa?" Gendry asked. "I haven't seen her all morning."
"She's at the North Gen." Robb replied. "She's discharging a patient, but she'll be back by eleven, I think."
"Anyways, it's the same thing with Bran and Meera." Arya continued. "He loves her. That I know, and not just because it's sort of, obvious and you boys are mostly blind when seeing stuff like that, no offense. But because he also admitted it to me. And do you know what Bran did when he found out Meera left for Oldtown? He was devastated and I found him in the penthouse, drinking two bottles of Arbor gold, crying. And he waited for six damn years for her to come back. That's how much he loves her."
"And she loves him too." Jon informed. "Three weeks right before your wedding to Talisa, that's when I knew. She's in denial, of course. And she admitted it only yesterday." He said. "After you and Gendry left, I asked her why she's still hiding her true feelings. And her reply: Not everyone approves of it."
"They're head over heels with each other." Arya declared. "But you know why they never acted on it? Do you know why they kept their true feelings hidden?" She jabbed a finger at Robb, pointing at his chest. "You." She said. "Because of the sliver of respect they both had for you." She took a deep breath. "Seriously, Robb? I thought you wanted Bran to be happy, to be with someone he loves and who loves him in return. Why are you preventing that from happening?"
Robb looked down. "I...I didn't know I was."
"Listen," Arya raised her voice. "If you continue doing this—if you continue standing between them even with this sole custody bullshit, you will be facing me."
But before Robb can answer his sister, a phone's ring interrupted them.
Robb took his phone from his pocket and placed it near his ear. "Hey, Honey," He answered. "Okay...WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "Oh my gods! What—is he okay?" He asked with a very concerned expression on his face. "How did it even happened?" He nodded. "And Summer? Seven hells," He muttered. "Okay, I'll see you there. Love you. Bye."
"That sounded like bad news." Jon guessed as soon as Robb hung up.
"It is." Robb confirmed. "It's Bran."
Arya's eyes widened. "What about him?"
Robb took a deep breath before answering. "He met an accident on the way to the supermarket."
"WHAT?!" Arya, Jon and Gendry exclaimed at the same time.
"How is he?" Arya asked. "And who was that calling?"
"It was Talisa." Robb replied. "She said Bran was taken to the North Gen. He had a few cuts on his leg and a broken arm. And Talisa was stitching his wounds as she called. Said one of the nurses held up her phone while she did."
"You never answered my question," Arya said. "How is he?" She asked again.
"He's still unconscious." He informed.
Arya clamped her hand on her mouth. "Oh my gods." She muttered, then glared at Robb. "This is your fault."
"We should just get to him." Jon suggested. "Robb, you should tell your parents about—"
"No!" Robb snapped. "Not now."
Arya's scowl deepened. "Are you fucking kidding me? Another cover-up? What the actual fuck, Robb?"
"No, it's not that." Robb reasoned. "I just don't want Mom and Dad to worry. Anyways, we're not telling them until Bran regains consciousness."
"Fine—wait." Arya frowned. "Bran took Summer with him."
"Summer's fine." Robb assured. "According to Talisa, he has never left Bran's side."
That seemed to calm Arya down. "Okay." She nodded. "We need to get there."
"Couldn't agree more, baby sister." Robb said. "You and Gendry should go."
"What about you?" Arya asked. "You can't face him because of all the guilt?" She pressed.
It was one thing Jon feared about Arya, she's so straight-forward and brutally honest. She'll say what she has to say to your face, no matter how much trouble it would get her and no matter how high that person's position is in society.
Robb took a deep breath. "Jon and I are heading to Greywater Watch." He answered, matter of factly.
"What?" Jon asked as if he'd misheard him. "We are? Dude—" He started to say.
"We have to make things right." Robb insisted. "And I know, in a way, Meera can help us. And besides, she and Bran need to talk."
MEERA
Meera woke up with a headache, partly because she had, once again, cried herself to sleep after everything that happened yesterday. But mostly, because her son was shaking her and hitting her with a pillow.
"Mommy," Mykel said. "Wake up!"
Meera squinted her eyes and saw her son in his pajamas with a pillow in his hands. "Mykel, stop it." She scolded groggily.
"Breakfast is ready." Mykel insisted. "And Pawpaw said to come get you."
Technically, Meera didn't have a choice so she reluctantly got up and stretched. She glanced at her nightstand. 9:30, it read. Wow, she had been sleeping for more than twelve hours straight.
The previous day had been a rollercoaster. First there was Bran, and then when she reluctantly told him about their son. And lastly there was Robb's threat of a sole custody. When she went home, she was in distraught and her Dad found her in the middle of a nervous breakdown.
Meera had told her father everything that happened in that parking lot. Including Bran's confession and his offer to raise their son together and Robb's threat. Howland had simply told her that all they need to do is to talk about it properly and not running away from it, as she had done.
She had also gone to bed early, and Jojen had to explain to Mykel that his Mom was not feeling well and had to rest early.
On the other hand, Meera got up and kissed her son's forehead. "Good morning, honey." She said, as she wiped smudge of milk on Mykel's lower lip from the cereal he had probably been eating before her Dad had sent him to wake her up.
He's just like his Dad, Meera thought as she stood up and allowed her son to drag her out of her room and downstairs to their dining hall.
Normally on Sunday, way before they went to Oldtown, they'd have breakfast at eight in the morning as everyone else was too lazy to get up early.
Now, she entered the dining room with her Dad seated at the head of the table, drinking his tea. To his left, her brother Jojen, was pouring maple syrup on his stack of pancakes, across from him was an empty chair, which was her seat, and beside it was a half full bowl of cereal with milk, which was obviously Mykel.
"She's here, Pawpaw." Mykel informed.
"Good morning, sweetie." Howland greeted. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"A lot better." She admitted as she sat down. "Yesterday, I felt like my head was going to explode."
Jojen stood from his seat and went to the kitchen. He came back with a mug of steaming hot tea and a plate of pancakes and placed it before her. "Here's your breakfast," He said. "And your tea, sis."
"Thanks." She said, then frowned at him. "You've been cooking?" She guessed.
"Dad's been cooking because apparently, you overslept." Jojen said as he sat back down on his seat. "So, is it true about what Robb said yesterday?" He asked.
Before she could answer, their Dad glared at Jojen as if to say, I told you not to bring that up.
Jojen shrugged. "What?" He asked. "Am I not allowed to ask questions now? All I know is that in sole custodies, the mother always get the kids. Always. And—"
"Jojen, please." Meera interrupted, then sighed. "Not now."
Suddenly, their doorbell rang, which rarely did on a Sunday.
Surprisingly, Mykel stood up. "I'll get it." He volunteered, then disappeared to the foyer.
"All I'm saying," Jojen continued. "Is that the Starks cannot take Mykel from you unless they can prove that you can't provide for his needs."
"Jojen!" She raised her voice, irritated. "Shut up."
"Uncle Robb!" They could hear Mykel squeal in delight, which made their eyes widened.
Meera stood and ran to the front door and saw Mykel gesturing Robb and Jon to enter their home.
"Mykel." Meera called, then instinctively, pulled her son away from them and shoved him behind her.
"Meera, hey." Robb greeted with a smile.
"Mommy, it's only Uncle Robb and Uncle Jon." Mykel assured.
"I know." She said. "Go finish your breakfast."
As Mykel ran back to the dining hall, Meera turned to Robb and Jon.
Meera crossed her arms. "Why are you here?" She asked. "What do you want?"
"Look, Meera," Robb started. "I didn't come here to cause a commotion, I came here to apologize. As I recall, I may have said a few things in my anger."
Jon nudged his cousin and raised an eyebrow at him.
"A lot of things in my anger." Robb corrected. "And I—I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm not going to file a case. That's clearly Bran's choice, but he's obviously not going to do that. He just told me about it this morning. And he also said that Mykel's better off with you than him."
Meera nodded. "Thank you, I appreciate that."
The Robb Meera saw standing before her was different. She was used to him standing tall and projecting confidence in his voice. What Robb's doing was an exact opposite. He was uneasy and had his hands behind him, a thing Robb does when he's nervous, and she hasn't seen him like that in a long time; and there was a quiver in his voice. And with Jon occasionally elbowing him, Meera could tell that either he was forced to apologize or he was trying hard to swallow his pride. Or both.
"And um, I'm sorry for standing between you guys." Robb continued. "I don't know why I was so against it. But Jon and Arya helped me see the real picture."
Meera frowned in confusion. "You lost me."
"Meera," Jon spoke up. "I told you yesterday, stop denying it and come out of the shadows."
"Could you please not bring that up?" Meera said as her eyes started watering.
Robb stepped forward. "Meera," He held her shoulders. "You love him, and he loves you." He said. "My brother's a good person. I know he will never hurt you. Just please give him a chance." He pleaded. "Not just for yourself, or for your son, but for all of us."
Jon cleared his throat. "And so Robb can stop playing the matchmaker to both you and Bran with different people." He said. "And also because we wanna see you happy with the person you love and who loves you."
Meera smiled. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."
"Well, believe it!" Jon said. "You are first and foremost our bestfriend."
"And hopefully, our future sister-by-law?" Robb brought up.
It made her chuckle, that she herself was surprised.
"There she is." Robb smiled, then spread out his arms for a hug.
Meera never hesitated to return it, and Jon eventually joined them.
"Um, guys," Jojen poked out his head from the living room. "I hate to ruin your moment, but you need to see this."
Her brother led them in to the living room and turned up the volume of their flatscreen. It showed a breaking news report. The headline read, Collision on Barthogan Avenue in Winterfell.
The reporter said that the collision was caused by a trailer truck carrying sawn logs from the town of Cerwyn. It was making its way to Winterfell's industrial district to be manufactured into lumber when suddenly the truck's rear started smoking. The driver got out to check on it, but unfortunately forgot to pull up the parking brake causing the truck to slowly move down the sloping Barthogan Avenue in Winterfell's Commercial district. The driver tried to catch up to it, but the truck was regaining speed and began going forward the sloping road hitting several cars, motorcycles and pedestrians along its way. About 500 meters from where it first lost control, it turned sideways which made it stop, scattering more than 50 tons of wood on the concrete road. 5 were killed and 27 people were injured who were then taken to the North General Hospital. One of which is Engineer Brandon Stark, one of the two founders of Starkitects.
Meera's jaw dropped and tears started forming in her eyes. "Oh my gods!" She exclaimed.
"So that's what happened." Robb said, then scowled. "I'm gonna find this truck driver and make sure he'll rot in the Wolf's Den." He promised.
Before running Stark Industries, Robb worked with one of Robert Baratheon's lawyers in the Red Keep during the time he was still president. And yes, Robb had handled cases involving murders and homicides, which meant he had sent people in the Wolf's Den—the Westeros prison facility in White Harbor.
She turned to Robb and Jon, who suspiciously didn't looked surprised as she was. "Aren't you worried about your brother?" She demanded.
"We are," Robb said calmly. "That's the other reason we came here. And that breaking news is an hour late." He assured. "Talisa had already tended to Bran and moved him to a private room."
Meera was almost afraid to ask the next question. "How is he? Please tell me he's okay."
Robb and Jon exchanged nervous looks.
"He had a few cuts on his leg," Jon informed. "Which Talisa had to stitch up; a wound on his forehead from the impact where his head hit the steering wheel hard; and a broken arm."
As Jon told her the injuries Bran endured, it was like being stabbed through the heart several times. "He's gonna be okay, right?" She asked.
"Of course," Robb said, as if he himself didn't believe. "When he wakes up. He's—he's still unconscious." He stuttered.
That's when her tears streamed down her cheeks. "Can you please take me to him?" She pleaded.
"That's why we're here." Robb said. "Bran needs you, Meera."
"He's right." Jojen agreed. "Stop hiding, sis. And also because I like Bran becoming my brother-by-law. And Mykel would love to see his Mom and Dad together."
"Second that!" Jon smiled, giving Jojen a fist bump. "Nice touch, Reed."
"I'm just gonna change," Meera said. "Then we head to the North Gen."
"I'm coming with you." Jojen volunteered.
"No," She disagreed. "I'm leaving you in charge of Mykel."
Afterwards, Meera left Greywater with Robb and Jon. She sat anxiously on Jon's car's backseat, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Who's with him in the room?" She asked.
"Arya and Gendry," Robb said. "And Summer."
Meera had to smile at the fact that Bran's husky, even with a med collar around his neck, never failed to watch over his master. "What about your Mom and Dad?" She asked.
"They're in Stark Manor." Robb replied.
"I thought your Mom would be damned if she sees Bran injured again after he was in a wheelchair."
"Well, technically, Mom and Dad don't know about Bran's condition...yet."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" She scolded. "You're covering this up again? Robb, your brother was involved in an accident and he's in a coma. And you're still hiding this from your parents? What the fuck?"
"I know it's not a good plan," Robb admitted. "But I'm sure they will have a breakdown if they see Bran like that. You've never seen my Mom when Bran fell off that tree branch and placed in a wheelchair for five months. She never left his side for three weeks."
"Until when are you gonna keep this from your parents?"
"Until Bran regains consciousness." Robb insisted. "That way, it will be bearable, at least."
Just as Jon parked the car, Robb received a call from Arya saying Bran is awake and he smiled and sighed in relief.
"He's awake!" Robb shared the news in delight. "We've got to go meet him now." He said as they went out of the car. "He's in the third floor. Room B307. Come on!" He then ran ahead for the main doors.
Meera slowed their pace as she and Jon entered the hospital lobby. Unfortunately, Jon noticed it.
"Meera, what's wrong?" He asked.
She looked down. "You think Bran will still accept me after all the things I said yesterday?" She asked.
"Of course, he will." He assured. "I have no doubt. That guy's crazy about you."
BRAN
Sunday morning, Bran woke up with a headache from all the tears he had shed the day before. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, his love for Meera was still stronger than ever. And he never believed any of the awful things she had told him yesterday as he figured she was only saying that so that he'll stay away from her. But I won't, He thought. I'm not giving up.
Even learning that Bran has a son made him little mad because Meera never told him about Mykel and raised him in Oldtown. But mostly, he was so happy when he found out that he was the father to a kid he started to regard as his own. It was one of Bran's life bucketlist, to have a family of his own.
He took a shower to rinse away all the stress he'd been holding up and put on freshly ironed clothes. When he went downstairs for his breakfast with Summer, he was surprised to know that he was the only one who hasn't eaten.
"Ah, good morning, Brandon," His Mom, Catelyn smiled at him, placing a plate of French toast, eggs and bacon, a.k.a. his favorite breakfast on the breakfast nook. "Did you sleep okay?" She asked.
Bran shrugged. "I guess." He said as he sat down. "Where are the others?" He asked.
Catelyn pointed out the window. "Robb and Arya are playing Croquet in the backyard," She explained. "With Gendry and Little Ned. And the rest of the dogs. Talisa's at work in the North Gen."
He frowned. "On a Sunday?"
"She's discharging a patient." She said. "But don't worry, she'll be back before lunch."
"And Sansa and Rickon?" He added.
"They're on their way."
In the middle of his breakfast, Jon and Ygritte arrived from the Gift with their kids and huskies. And of course, his two very affectionate nieces and nephew, sat on either side of him.
Ygritte had then helped his Mom in the kitchen, while Jon sent his kids outside to play with Robb, Arya, Gendry and Little Ned.
At first, Bran's reaction to Jon sending his kids outside was like, okay, catching up with their cousin, that's good. But he never anticipated the real reason his cousin did, only for him to drop a bomb on him.
He's doing what? Bran mentally screamed. He kept it all in, but he was so mad. Robb wanted to take Mykel from Meera through a sole custody. That's obviously not his choice, it will only fall to Bran as he is the, Mykel's father. But what made him mad was that Robb never consulted to him first. And he didn't want to file any case against Meera regarding their son, as Bran himself knew that Mykel would be better off with his Mom.
It made him storm outside and confront Robb himself. He was so mad that he had used a cuss word and forgotten that there were kids with them. And the fact that Robb was against Meera made Bran even madder like, what the fuck did she ever do to you to make you hate her so much?
Bran had then turned his back on them and headed towards the garage. He decided to go for a drive, as it always calmed him down and makes him think. And at the moment, To clear my mind from all the bullshit that's happening in my life. He had yelled earlier.
But that was the end of it, because Arya suggested he do an errand instead and Jon agreed. So apparently, he's going to a supermarket to buy grape juice.
Summer, again, stubbornly went with him and he had no choice but to take him along. So he strapped him in the shotgun, careful not to hurt him due to the med collar around his neck.
Halfway through the supermarket, Summer kept barking urgently and whining, like he was warning him. But he didn't understand what his husky was trying to tell him and he had never seen him so agitated as he was now.
"Summer, what is it?" He asked.
He kept barking and whining.
"Buddy—whoa!" His sentence was cut short by a loud thud.
Bran tried to hit the brakes but his car was still moving. He glanced at his rear view mirror and saw that the car behind him hit his rear, but something wasn't right. The car behind him had a shattered windshield and from the force he had felt, it was something heavier, and more than a mini-van can weigh.
Suddenly, his brakes began to lose control and he knew he was gonna crash. What mattered to him was to keep Summer safe and unharmed.
Once the brakes snapped, he held one arm to cover Summer from the impact as he kept one hand on the steering wheel as his car hit the concrete median barrier, destroying the left and frontal part of his car. Due to the strong impact, Bran had hit his head on the steering wheel and his left arm and leg were caught in the wreckage and he felt extreme pain.
Yellow spots started to dance in his vision and he could hear Summer whining.
"It's okay, buddy." He assured weakly, trying to reach out his freehand, but it was too painful to move.
Bran's head hurt and he tried to rub it off, but saw blood in his fingers when he touched it. He had then glanced out the cracked windshield and saw a man flying off from his motorcycle to the other side of the median barrier just as a truck carrying sawn wood rode past at probably 150KPH.
He felt little pats on his free arm, and saw that Summer was trying to reach him but he was restrained from the doggie seatbelt. His husky continued whining loud.
His vision started to blur. If Bran was going to die like this, he wanted his last words to be: "I love you, Meera." He muttered, then he blacked out.
. . .
Bran woke up in a hospital bed, with a great deal of pain surging through his body, and to his sister Arya and her fiancé, Gendry smiling at him.
"Bran!" Arya sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the gods."
Bran glanced around the room and realized he was in a private room in a hospital. It took him a moment to notice why he was there. His left arm felt both numb and painful at the same time. It was casted in plaster with blue fibreglass wrapped around it and he already had an arm sling that supported his casted arm, along with a swathe shoulder immobilizer. His leg felt like it had been poked by needles, one side of his trousers was folded up to his knee where he had several patches of gauze bandage on it. And his head was throbbing, which he later realized it also had gauze bandage covering a wound on his forehead.
He was gonna asked what happened after he crashed, then remembered he was with his husky when it happened.
"Where's Summer?" Bran asked.
His husky suddenly stood up and held up his head, putting his frontal paws on the foot of the bed and barking reassuringly as if to say I'm right here, I'm okay.
Bran took a deep breath, laid his head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.
"Robb and Jon are on their way." Arya informed. "And—"
Out of nowhere, the door from the hallway slammed open and Robb entered. "Bran!" He smiled as he came running to him. "Oh, gods!" He squealed. "You're awake. Thank the gods. How are you feeling?" He asked.
Bran tried to shrug, but even doing that, took a lot of energy. "Numb." He said. "Literally. But it's not really a surprise, since it's the very word you guys use to describe me. Now, I'm wondering why I'm even still alive."
"Don't say that!" Arya scolded. "Obviously, there's still a lot of stuff you're meant to do."
"There's nothing I have left to live for." Bran added.
"What about us, you dimwit?!" Arya brought up, for which Robb elbowed her. "Your family. And your huskies, Summer and Winter."
"Yeah, and your son, Mykel." Gendry agreed.
"And Meera." Robb said.
Hearing her name again, made Bran's eyes tear up. It was still painful both physically and emotionally.
Robb stepped forward, touching his good leg. "I'm so sorry, little brother," He apologized. "I didn't know you felt that way towards her."
"I don't think it matters anymore." Bran said. "That alone, is my fault." Tears started streaming down his cheeks. "I should've told her then, you know. I should've gone behind everyone's back just like Arya did, and everything would've turn out fine." He ranted, sniffling. "I had many chances, so fucking many, and I never did anything. I should've walked to her in the middle of that traffic jam and told her I loved her before she went to Oldtown."
"Then why didn't you?" A new voice asked. And of course, Bran recognized it anywhere. It was Meera's.
All of them turned towards the door and saw Jon with Meera standing beside him, who also had tears in her eyes.
"Meera?" Bran said in surprised. "What—what are you doing here?" He asked.
Before Meera could even answer, Robb spoke in her behalf. "Jon and I picked her up in Greywater." He explained. "Yesterday did not go well, and it's kinda my fault and I'm sorry for that. But now, I figured you guys need to sort things out." He then gestured for the others to leave.
"What?" Arya frowned. "But—?"
Jon pulled Arya towards the doors. "Oh, come on, let's give them some privacy."
Robb and Gendry followed after them and closed the door behind them, leaving him in the room with Meera.
After what happened yesterday, Bran didn't know what to say to her.
"So, um, how are you feeling?" Meera spoke up.
"Miserable." Bran admitted. "I've got this to worry now." He pointed to his casted arm. "My car was destroyed when it hit the median strip, but thank the gods Summer's okay." He said.
"I saw it on the news, you know." She said. "And when Robb and Jon told me you were one of the people injured, I begged them to take me here."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because I thought..." Meera faltered, her eyes tearing up as she came closer to his bedside. "I thought I'd lose you, Bran."
"I thought you wanted me to stay away from you."
"I know I blew you off yesterday and I'm sorry." She apologized. "And I don't know why I wasted so much time pretending I didn't care. I guess you were right, maybe I just...didn't want to feel like this, and it hurts." She sniffled. "But I love you, Bran. I'm totally and completely in love with you. I always have been." She blurted out. "It might be too late, but saying it anyway."
Bran couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Look, I'll respect whatever decision you make about this," Meera continued. "And I won't care if you never speak to me again. But just please, please be there for Mykel. He's your son and he needs his Dad too." She wiped her tears with her hand. "Did you know that before he blew out the candles on his birthday, he'd say his wish out loud. And ever since he was two, he'd had the same wish every year: That he'd meet his Dad. And he already did, he just didn't know it." She took his free hand and squeezed in affectionately. "It's all I ever ask of you, Bran."
Meera had then cupped his cheeks, and at that gesture Bran thought she was going to kiss him on his lips, but she went higher and kissed his forehead instead. She gave him a sad smile before turning to leave.
But before she could, Bran reached out and grabbed her arm. "Meera," He called. "I didn't wait six years just to let you go that easily."
She smiled as she turned back to him and wrapped her arm around him, or tried to, because he flinched when she did.
"Sorry." She managed.
"It's okay." He assured.
Meera dived in again and wrapped her arms around him, with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Brannikins," She whispered. "I love you so much."
Bran couldn't help but smile when he heard her say that, then kissed her temple. "I love you too."
They broke free from the hug and gazed into each others' eyes. Meera has no doubt and will always have the greenest pair of eyes Bran has ever seen. He wiped a tear from her cheek before leaning in closer and brushed his lips against hers.
Meera eagerly kissed him back, wrapping her hands around his neck.
He pulled away and booped her nose. "You know, I was thinking, you're still looking for a place in King's Landing, right?"
Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, why?" She asked.
"Well, how about you and Mykel move in with me?" Bran offered. "Besides, that penthouse is far too big for just one person and two dogs. What do you say?"
She smiled and slowly nodded. "I would love that." She said. "And I know Mykel would love it as well."
Bran leaned closer and they both kissed again. But just as things began to heat up, they were interrupted by the door slamming open.
Godsdammit! Bran mentally screamed. Why does everyone want to ruin his moment?
His sister Arya walked into the room. Surprisingly, she was carrying Mykel in her arms, who was munching French fries from the little box he was holding. Behind her was Jojen.
"Bran!" Arya started to say. "I—oh!" Both she and Jojen stopped at their tracks when saw his and Meera's faces were so close together. "Sorry." She apologized. "Anyways, I believe I have a new favorite nephew." Then glared at him. "Don't tell Robb and Jon about this."
Jojen raised his hand. "Can I just say? FINALLY!" He exclaimed. "Now I don't have to play Switzerland on both of you."
Arya raised an eyebrow at Jojen. "You knew about them liking each other?" She asked.
Jojen shrugged. "Of course, I knew."
"Seven hells, Reed!" Arya punched him on his arm. "You could've told me that six years ago and these two might've been together already."
"I didn't know you knew."
"Okay!" Bran interrupted "You can both stop arguing now."
Arya placed Mykel down and he ran to his bedside next to Meera. And he, of course, exclaimed when he saw Bran lying on the hospital bed with his left arm on an arm sling and bandaged wounds on his legs and forehead. "Uncle Bran," He called. "My Uncle Jojen said you were hurt and Mommy came to see you. I told him I wanted to see you too. Are you okay now?"
It pained Bran to hear that Mykel addressed him as Uncle Bran.
"I am now." He replied. And he is. Seeing Meera and Mykel was enough to lift his bad day.
Mykel seemed satisfied with his answer and turned to Meera. "Mommy, look what Aunt Arya gave me." He held out his French fries for his Mom to see.
Meera turned to her brother. "Why'd you bring him here?"
"Because I think it's time for the kid to get to know his Dad." Jojen said.
Mykel's face brightened. "Daddy's here?" He asked. "Can I meet him?"
Bran smiled as he himself couldn't believe his own son was right in front of him and how he was so eager to meet his Dad.
Meera carried Mykel in her arms. "Mykel, do you remember what I told you about your Dad?" She asked.
Mykel nodded. "When can I meet him?" He asked.
Meera turned to make sure Mykel faced him. "There he is." She said, pointing at him. "And I think you should stop calling him Uncle Bran and start calling him Daddy from now on."
Bran didn't understand Mykel's reaction at first because he frowned in confusion, then glanced back and forth between him and Meera thought that they were kidding. But what really scared and made Bran nervous about it was that how he was gonna explain himself to his son on his six-year absence in his life. Sure, that was Meera's fault, but still.
Mykel leaned in closer to Bran on the bed and studied him. He felt self-conscious being studied by a five-year-old kid, as it felt like he was some science experiment that's supposed to explode but didn't.
His son suddenly raked his hand through Bran's hair. "Red hair." He said, then cupped his face and stared into his eyes. "Blue eyes." He turned back to Meera. "But his name is Bran not Brandon."
Bran smiled at his son's attempt to put the pieces together. He's so adorable, He thought. "Bran is short for Brandon." He blurted out.
Mykel's eyes widened and then turned back to Meera with his face breaking into a grin.
"Hello, son." Bran said. "I'm your Dad."
Mykel leaped from Meera's arms onto the hospital bed, crawled towards him and tackled him with a hug. "Daddy!" He squealed.
Bran couldn't help but tear up as he heard Mykel call him Daddy for the first time. And despite him having a broken arm and wounds on his leg, this day was the happiest he had felt in years as he had Meera, the love of his life, and their son Mykel with him.
Arya sniffled in the corner, which made him glance in her direction only to find his sister happy crying.
"Arya," Jojen raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you...actually crying?"
"Shut the fuck up, Reed!" Arya said, punching Jojen in his arm. "I've waited for this to happen in a long time."
"Arya, please." Bran scolded. "Language."
Arya raised her hands up in surrender as she approached Meera and gave her a side hug. "Now, I have a favorite future sister-by-law." She said. "By the way, I'm one of Mykel's godmothers, right?"
Meera nodded. "You and Myrcella." She replied.
"I mentioned that once, didn't I?" Bran guessed.
"Nope." Meera said. "Myrcella's your bestfriend and Arya's your closest sister. I simply assumed you would make them godmothers to your kid. And Jojen is the godfather, of course."
"Duh!" Jojen spoke up. "Obviously. Who else would it be?"
Arya chuckled. "But, you know, don't worry," She assured. "I will shower Mykel with gifts or whatever he needs whenever he needs it." She said, gently pinching Mykel's cheek, who was silently munching on the fries beside Bran on the hospital bed. "He's so freakin' adorable."
"Just do not spoil him." Bran said.
Suddenly, the door opened and Rickon walked into the room with Talisa, who was holding a brown envelope in her hands. It's probably Bran's X-ray results.
Rickon gasped when he saw him. "Holy sh—"
"Rickon!" Robb scolded.
"Shiitake mushrooms." Rickon continued, the cleared his throat. "Okay, let's start this again." He took a deep breath. "Hi Bran." He greeted. "Long time, no see."
"Rickon, we met last week." Bran reminded him.
"Whatever." Rickon said. "One week's still a long time." He turned to Meera. "Hello Meera and..." He gasped in awe. "Is this my nephew?" He asked.
Robb, Jon and Gendry entered the room with Sansa. His other sister gulped at the sight of him with a casted arm, then went to stand by Arya.
"His name is Mykel." Bran introduced his son, then pointed at Rickon. "That's your Uncle Rickon," Then gestured at Sansa, then at Talisa. "Your Aunt Sansa; and your Aunt Talisa, your Uncle Robb's wife and Little Ned's Mom."
Mykel smiled and waved his hand in greeting. "Hello."
"Aww, he's so cute." Sansa said. "And definitely looks like Bran when he was little."
"Yeah, he's like an exact replica of you, bro." Rickon pointed out. "A Bran Junior."
"Oh, gods." Bran muttered.
"Well, there it is." Arya said.
"Anyways," Rickon spoke up. "Talisa had shown me the X-ray results as we made our way here."
Talisa went to the corner of the room and turned on some switches. On the wall to Bran's left, a wall mounted lightbox came to life. She took out the X-ray film from the envelope and placed the X-ray film on the illuminated lightbox.
The X-ray result showed off Bran's left forearm. Bran remembered the two long bones found on the forearm as it was discussed in Science class during his Basic Ed years in KLA. They are the ulna and the radius. And it showed that the smaller of the two, the ulna was split into two.
Rickon discussed how Bran's ulna is angulated interiorly and his radius is partly dislocated. If Rickon hadn't done that, Bran might've forgotten that his younger brother is an Orthopedist, a doctor who specializes in the treatment of bones.
"It's a Monteggia fracture," Rickon informed. "Type I. And according to Talisa, it's similar to Robb's back then." He said. "So you have to let it rest at all times. No working out—as if you actually work out, no lifting heavy objects and most importantly no driving. And your arm's gonna be in that cast for at least four months and then physical therapy afterwards. But don't worry," He assured. "I'm supervising all of that."
"Well, I survived being stuck in a wheelchair for five months," Bran recalled. "I think I can handle a casted arm. And obviously, I can't drive with one hand."
"You don't have nothing to worry about, Brannikins," Meera reassured. "I'd gladly drive you anywhere."
"That is, if my car is even still repairable." Bran brought up.
"Uh, no." Gendry spoke up. "I don't think so, Bran."
"Yeah," Arya agreed. "Gendry and I went to the wreckage site before coming here, and..." She shook her head. "There's no way it's repairable, but they're still gonna pay you for the damages."
"If that car was a person, it's decapitated." Gendry compared. "I mean, hood, bumper, headlights and everything out front were crashed and destroyed. The windshield's cracked and even your dashboard compartment's destroyed."
"But we managed to get the important papers in it," Arya said. "And Summer's dog seatbelt. Other than that, there's nothing out of it but junk. So it means you're gonna have to buy a new car, once your arm heals."
Suddenly, Summer placed his paws on the bed again, wagging his tail playfully as he sniffed Mykel's knee as if saying, Ooh! New brood to protect.
"Summer!" Mykel greeted as he went to ruffle his head.
"Hmm," Arya raised an eyebrow. "I always knew I gave you a puppy for a reason. It was for Mykel."
"You know, looking at this now," Rickon said. "I feel like I'm next."
"Rickon," Sansa spoke up. "What are you even talking about?" She asked.
"Robb and Jon had broken their arms then, right?" He recalled. "Now, it's Bran. And it's coincidentally the left arm." He stroke his left bicep. "I better be careful of this arm. I mean, it could happen to me anytime, you know."
"Not just the arm, baby brother." Robb said. "You need to be careful and take care of yourself rather than just your left arm."
"Well, at least," Bran started to say. "I'm not flirting with the doctor like you did back then. Or at least, that was what Jon said."
"What?" Robb knitted his eyebrows. "I didn't—"
"Yes, you did." Jon argued. "Don't deny anything. I was there, Meera was there, Gendry was there and we all saw that." Then he did a poor imitation of Robb's voice. "I'm Robb Stark, I'd shake your hand but I can't really move it right now."
"Oh my gods!" Talisa exclaimed. "That's what he said when he first introduced himself to me."
Everyone burst out laughing and began teasing Robb.
"Smooth moves, big brother." Rickon commented.
"In any case, I'm glad we're having a new sister-by-law." Sansa said, giving Meera a side-hug. "And an adorable tiny replica of Bran for a nephew."
"He's Bran Junior, sis." Rickon pointed out.
"Wait!" Bran had just realized something. "Wait! If you're all here, who's watching the kids at home?" He asked.
"Willas is watching the kids with Dad." Sansa informed. "And Ygritte's in the kitchen helping the staff with Mom. They're also distracting them."
"Distracting them?" He repeated.
"Well, Robb said not to tell Mom and Dad yet." Rickon recalled. "Not until you regain consciousness. They were suspicious why Sansa and I were in a hurry leaving Stark Manor and just as I parked the car Mom called Sansa."
"Yeah," Sansa nodded. "Mom told me she saw it on the news. And they're probably on their way here. And by they, I mean Mom and Dad."
"Robb, you're hiding this from your parents again?" Jojen spoke up. He was so quiet Bran had forgotten he was there the whole time. "Have you learned nothing after the whole thing at Great Barrowton?" He asked.
"That's what I said." Meera added.
An urgent knock from the door came unexpectedly, which made almost everyone jump in surprise.
"Who in seven hells is that?" Jon wondered.
The knock came again, this time, louder.
"Open this door!" A scream came from the other side. When they heard it, they all knew immediately whose voice it belonged to. Their Mom, Catelyn Stark. "I know you're all there!" She yelled.
"Cat, please—" Their father, Ned replied, probably attempting to calm her down.
"Uh, oh." Rickon murmured.
"Our son is hurt!" Catelyn shrieked. "How do you expect me to calm down?"
Robb placed his hand on the door knob. "Here goes nothing." He had then reluctantly opened the door revealing their parents on the other side looking distraught. "Hi Mom and Dad." He greeted casually, which earned a facepalm from all of them.
Catelyn narrowed her eyes on their eldest brother. "I will deal with you later." She said. "Now where's your brother?" She asked.
Bran waved his good hand at their parents. "Hi Mom."
Catelyn nearly fainted when she saw him, but luckily their Dad, Ned was behind her. "Brandon!" She exclaimed, then rushed to his bedside. "Oh, my sweet boy." She said, kissing his cheek. "Thank the old gods and the new. Are you okay now?"
Bran nodded. "I am, Mom." He assured. "You're all here. Meera's here. It's all good."
Ned and Catelyn both glanced at Meera. His Mom gave her a certain look that says, what are you doing here? But Bran didn't know if she was mad at her or just curious.
He noticed Meera was suddenly self-conscious but bravely faced his parents gaze. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Stark." Meera greeted.
Bran knew Meera was scared and was only putting a brave face for him and Mykel's sake. Even with Mykel sitting beside him, he reached out and took Meera's hand and squeezed it for assurance. "It's gonna be okay." He said, then turned to face everyone. "Mom, Dad, everyone, this is Meera, my girlfriend."
Everyone cheered after he announced the news, which surprised him and Meera. It was like they were expecting it.
"Finally!" Sansa cried. "It's about damn time, little brother."
"Wait," Arya frowned at Sansa. "You knew about this?" She asked.
"Oh, I knew Bran had a thing for Meera." Sansa said. "I'm not blind. I knew he's had a crush on her since elementary school. But when I saw you guys slow-dancing in that gazebo, it struck a chord in me, like," She snapped her fingers. "Something. And I like it."
Catelyn did something all of them did not expect. She went over to Meera, smiled and gave her a hug. "I knew you were going to be part of the family." She said.
"I'm sorry for all the things I did." Meera apologized. "I know it wasn't right, but—"
"Shh." Catelyn interrupted. "It's alright. Let's just put all of those behind us and start anew." She sighed. "It's a shame. I would've loved to have your Mom as a co-parent-by-law."
"Mom," Robb spoke up. "That's exactly what Dad said about Robert Baratheon."
"Yes, well," Ned pointed out. "Apparently, it's the same thing for Howland Reed too."
"I told you there's a chance." Arya said.
Ned turned to Meera and smiled. "Welcome to the family, my dear." He then gave her a hug before turning to Mykel. "And what more could I ask for, but another grandson."
Catelyn turned her attention to Mykel, who was still busy eating fries after everything that happened. Bran snorted, as it's the same thing he does back then.
Meera had to nudge their son. "Mykel, don't be rude." She said. "Say hi to your grandparents."
Mykel frowned at his mother in confusion.
"It's Daddy's daddy and mommy." Bran defined.
Mykel's frown slowly turned into a grin, then leaped from the bed and tackled Ned with a hug. "Pawpaw!" He called.
Ned made a face. "Uh—what?"
"It's his version of grandfather, Dad." Bran explained. "It's how he calls Howland Reed."
"Oh," Ned said as he returned to the same hug. "In that case, Pawpaw's very glad to see you."
Catelyn kissed Mykel's forehead. "Oh, you look just like your Daddy when he was your age."
Mykel had then started calling his Mom Mawmaw. And Ned and Catelyn had to explain that Little Ned is his cousin, and that he had a bunch of other cousins currently in Stark Manor, making him anxious to meet them.
Bran cleared his throat. "Speaking of starting anew," He said. "I'm having Meera and our son move into the penthouse with me."
"Brandon," Catelyn said. "You're thirty and capable of making your own decisions. You don't need our permission."
"Well, great!" Bran said in enthusiasm. "Now, all I have to do is clear some stuff and do some renovating for Mykel's room."
"Um, hello!" Arya said, raising her hand. "Architect—Interior Designer, present! I will take care of that." She said. "Normally I'd give a fifty percent discount on family members, but for my godson, it's free of charge."
Jon raised an eyebrow at Arya. "Since when were you Mykel's godmother?" He asked.
"Since I was appointed, duh!" She argued. "Only, I didn't know about it until like, thirty minutes ago."
"Hmm," Rickon made a face. "Maybe I should make Arya godmother to my kid someday." He considered.
Arya snorted. "Nice try, baby brother." She said. "Anyways, it'll be my second gift to Mykel."
"And the first one was?" Bran asked.
"The puppy was the first one, Bran." She reminded him.
Catelyn turned to Bran's attending physician, which happened to be Talisa. "Talisa, dear, when is Bran gonna be discharged?" She asked.
"Oh, Bran's not really admitted to the hospital, Mom." Talisa said. "I just transferred him to a private room because the emergency room was getting too crowded with the wounded from that collision on Barthogan Avenue." She explained. "And believe me, even from a doctor's perspective, it's ghastly in there and too much for the rest of them to handle. On the other hand, we were merely waiting for Bran to regain consciousness and prescribe him some painkillers." She handed Bran a prescription.
Bran took the prescription from his sister-by-law.
"But don't worry, Bran," Talisa assured. "I think we have those in our medicine cabinet in Stark Manor."
"Well, in that case," Catelyn smiled. "Our lunch get-together will continue as planned." She turned to the Reeds. "Meera, Jojen, you should join us."
"Uh—" Jojen started to say, but was waved off by Catelyn.
"Oh, nonsense." Catelyn said. "We're family now. You have to join us. I'm calling Howland." She pulled out her phone.
When the time came for them to leave, Talisa insisted on calling a nurse to bring a wheelchair to their room.
"No!" Bran declined, unintentionally louder than he intended. "I mean—no. There's no need for that. I'll walk."
Meera wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Bran, are you sure?" She asked.
"I'm sure." He insisted.
What Bran never told them, was that he absolutely dreaded being in a wheelchair. When he was ten, he had an accident, in which he climbed a tree and had stepped on a branch that was not strong enough to hold his weight causing him to lose his footing and fell to the ground. Afterwards, he was confined to a wheelchair for five months. And in those five months, he was miserable. He couldn't do the things he liked to do. Worse, he had to be carried in flights of stairs. Especially since Stark Manor wasn't even PWD-friendly then.
He got up with Meera and Robb's help and walked slowly out the building.
All in all, there were travelling in five cars. Jon's, which Robb had hitched and picked up Meera earlier; Gendry's, in which he and Arya had used when they went to the wreckage site before the hospital; Rickon's, which Sansa had hitched as they hurried to the hospital after the phone call from Robb; Jojen's, when he took Mykel with him to see him; and their parents' SUV, when they rushed to the hospital after hearing the news on TV.
Their parents had insisted that he rode with in the family SUV with Meera and Mykel back to Stark Manor. His son never left his side. And as for Meera, she held his hand the whole ride back home.
Everyone else came back home with them, except Jojen, who had to go back to Greywater to pick up Howland Reed; and Rickon and Sansa, for they had to buy grape juice for their drinks. It was technically his errand, but some cargo truck decided to rampage the streets. And according to Meera, Robb's going to sue that truck driver and the company he works for in the town of Cerwyn.
Entering the house, Bran could smell aromas of food being cooked in the kitchen. The others went back to whatever activities they had earlier. Their Mom went back to the kitchen and Talisa, Their Dad, Ned carried Mykel in his arms and went for the living room with Robb, Jon, Arya and Gendry. It left Bran and Meera in the foyer.
"Been a while since I've been in here." Meera said. "The last time, Jon caught us in the kitchen."
Bran snorted. "Except now, we don't have to keep hiding anymore." He said. "And believe it or not, despite my broken arm, this is the happiest day of my life, yet. Because I have you," He caressed her cheek. "And Mykel."
Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "You're mocking me again."
"What?" He exclaimed. "No, I—"
She giggled. "Relax, Brannikins. I'm just teasing you." She said. "Like I said, you're a guy any girl could ask for. In this case, you're everything I could ask for."
He smiled. "Come here, you." He pulled her closer and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you so much."
"I love you too."
For a moment, they shared a passionate kiss, until the main doors opened and Sansa and Rickon walked in with the container of grape juice, making them broke free from each other.
"Hey, get a room." Rickon said. "I never believed I'd ever say that to Bran."
Sansa elbowed their youngest brother then turned to them. "Don't worry, he's just jealous because Shireen isn't here."
"What? I'm not—" Rickon started to say.
"Oh, shut up and just take that to the kitchen." Sansa ordered.
Rickon rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen, Sansa simply winked at them and walked towards the living room.
"Now, where were we?" Bran asked, then once again, pulled her close to him.
Meera smiled and hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We're now down to the final two chapters. Stay tuned.:)