"Here," Yoren said, as he shoved a cup of coffee in her hand.

Arya gave an uncertain look at the cup before she sampled the beverage. "Mmm," she moaned in shock. "This is—this is exactly how I make mine."

"That was the point." Yoren sat down at his desk, and then logged onto his computer. "Leslie wants me to hold your hand, walk you through this position step by step, and feel out where you are," he explained, not looking at her. "But, I want to throw you in the deep end and let you swim on your own."

"And they say age mellows people," Arya quipped, and then took the seat on the opposite side of Yoren's desk.

Although Yoren gave her a pointed glare, Arya saw the slight upward curve of his lips.

"They say a lot of things," Yoren retorted, as he turned to face her. "Why do you think Wholistic Core is so successful?"

Arya sipped her coffee as she gave his question some thought. "Wholistic Core is a supportive community that seeks to understand, not judge. It treats their wards like young adults and not children. You all aren't just true to your values, you embody them."

"It's much simpler than that," Yoren said. He looked at his own cup of coffee and turned it in his hands as he examined the cup. Carefully, he sat it down. "Half decaf, half regular with seven creams and seven sugars and three pumps of French vanilla."

"How did you know that," Arya asked in a sweet voice. She patted her pockets as if she was looking for something. "Let me see if I have a gold star on me," she joked.

"Fuck gold stars," Yoren said seriously as he glared at her. "If you're going to reward me, you better do it right and get some fucking cookies."

Arya laughed out loud. "Damn," she said and pumped her fist in disappointment at the mistake. "I won't make that mistake again."

"I'm holding you to your word," he said. Yoren then reached into his drawer and pulled out a zip bloc bag filled with chocolate cookies. Slowly, he took one out and bit into it. As he chewed, he gave the bag to Arya.

"I appreciate your vote of confidence." Arya bit into her cookie. "But, I thought one crawled before they walked and doggy paddled before they swam?"

"With that being said," Yoren said, as he ignored her remark. "After some thought, both are extreme to an extent. One coddles you, which contradicts the values of Wholistic Core; the other forces you to learn at an accelerated pace without regard to comfort, capability, and comprehension. So, I'm going to let you decide."

"Really," Arya raised an eyebrow as she sipped her coffee. It sounded to good to be true. There was always a trick or some catch.

"Yes," he replied. Yoren leaned back into his chair and laced his fingers together behind his head. "Tell me the significance of the coffee I gave you." He pointed to her cup, and then sipped his own coffee. At Arya's befuddled expression, he said, "Your answer will determine how I should go about the next step in your training."

There it was! Arya inwardly smirked as she looked at the older man.

"Umm…" Arya looked at her coffee, and then at Yoren. "You know what I like," she joked. Yoren wasn't amused and Arya gave her answer serious thought. "It says that you are observant," she began. "It's not similar to what I drink—it's exactly what I drink: half decaf, half regular with the right amount of sugars, creams, and additional flavors. Sometimes I take my coffee different, but this is my favorite combination." She then looked at Yoren. "But, of course, this isn't just about you noticing how I take my coffee. The larger picture here is that you are always watching, you notice everything. Maybe you don't know the details, but you have an idea of what's going on—more than an idea, a basic knowledge. You can't be successful at the position you hold in a job like this if you're even a little bit divorced from what happens here and with your wards."

For a moment, Yoren said and did nothing. He simply stared at Arya with an unreadable expression.

"Why test you on coffee and not rules and procedures," he inquired.

Arya finished her coffee. "Because, here, the little things are what matter. Sure, this place needs structure and shit, but it can't work without the young adults. And it won't work if they d we care or understand them. It's easy to test people on shit they studied for, but when you're dealing with young adults, they don't care about those things. That's not what gets through to them; it's the listening and the guidance that shows you care. Coffee is out of the leftfield, but small shit like that matters."

"But, why." Yoren shrugged. "Why does the small shit matter? What has noticing the small shit done for you? Clearly, I didn't notice shit if you almost had sex with Gendry under my watch!"

At the mention of her youthful indiscretion with Gendry, Arya throat tightened. She didn't expect Yoren to forget about what happened or that it went unnoticed while she was their ward, but didn't expect for it to be brought up regarding her training. Although they had a great relationship both during her time as their ward and after she took the job offer, Yoren hadn't completely forgiven Arya for that night.

Arya knew that Yoren cared about her as if she was his own daughter, but he had a much deeper connection with Gendry, despite their being less communication between the two. Since both he and Gendry were from Flea's Bottom, Yoren felt the need to protect him and look out for Gendry's best interests. But, much more than that, Arya had pieced together through various conversations with Yoren and her father over the past few months that Gendry reminded Yoren of his deceased brother. Neither of them flat out said it, but Arya was an observant young woman. They had similar personalities and backgrounds, but Gendry had the opportunity to get out and his brother didn't. Eventually, he got caught up with the wrong people and was murdered.

Gendry had a taste of a better life, but if he had slept with Arya, it would've been snatched away from him and he would've rotted in prison. A good chunk of his life would've been in a jail cell.

Although it seemed as if Yoren placed the sole blame of that night on Arya, she knew he didn't. But, for a person who cared about Gendry as much as Arya did, she pushed an issue that could've destroyed his life. Gendry knew that he was supposed to stay away, but for a guy who grew up without anything good going for him, lying with Arya was a temptation he'd eventually gave into.

"Yes, Yoren, you overlooked a horny fifteen year old trying to get her best friend to fuck her," Arya admitted. "I don't want to understate or downplay it, but you also slapped some sense into me, okay! Because I just saw Gendry as my friend who I wanted to pop my cherry so goddamn bad that it never occurred to me how much serious trouble he could get into." Arya harshly rubbed her face in frustration. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty. You guys didn't want to jump the gun and fuck up our development—it showed that you cared about our wellbeing and long-term progress. You noticed shit that most people wouldn't have given a second glance. And you didn't want to overreact and believed that I'd make mature decisions because you believed in me. And when I wasn't being that person, you—you—you gave him shit to do to try and kept him away from me. You weren't being passive; you actually tried to do something even though you didn't know the worst had almost happened. And, when your plan didn't work, you addressed the issue with me. You made ME accountable for my actions. I didn't understand it then, but as an adult, that is one of the most important things I've ever learned. Earlier, you asked why Wholistic Core is so successful? And it's because when you strip it down, you all teach your wards how to successfully function as an adult in the world or, at least, give the necessary tools to succeed. It was that small shit that helped me understand my mother better and repair my relationship with my sister. And realize my part when shit that I don't like happens."

Slowly, Yoren clapped, and then stood up.

"Bravo, bravo," he said.

Arya looked at him as if he was crazy.

Yoren laughed, and then reached into his desk and pulled out a box. He opened it and Arya saw that it was a box of cigars. He handed her one and took one for himself before lighting both of them.

The older man perched on the edge of he desk on her left side.

"The core part of Wholistic Core—the essential part," Yoren began after he exhaled the smoke. "Is to prepare you for the real world. Although Leslie believes in you, she doesn't know you like I do. I want to throw you in not to see if you'd sink or swim, it's because I know you'll swim. You refuse to fail. More than that, you're an active learning. You love the hands on shit, always have. It'd be a waste of your time and mine if I held your hand through this next step. You've taken all of the training, passed all of the tests, and followed me as if you were my shadow for the past few months. What else can I do without coddling you?"

Arya puffed her cigar. "So, what? You're giving me the reigns—100% control."

"Fuck, no!" Yoren laughed. "I've been here forever and this job still stresses me out," he admitted. "As you've seen, it's a lot of shit to do: meetings with faculty, discussing/implementing student affairs, actually building and maintaining relationships with designated wards, meetings with board members, parents, and so forth. I believe in you, but I'm not trying to kill you," he explained. "From now on, you're my second in command; although you defer to me, you can act independently of me. Starting today, twice a week, I want you to lead. I'll send out an e-mail telling people the days they should go to you. On the days you are in charge, you'll be allowed to ask me three questions. I hold the right to not answer a question, but once you've asked three questions, you're on your own, so you better ask wisely."

Arya flicked her cigar and narrowed her eyes at Yoren. "Your outrage was never about that night with Gendry, was it?"

"No; it hasn't been for a while," he admitted. Arya felt a change in tone as Yoren leaned back in his chair. "I'm far from perfect and, generally, a hard ass, but I'm damn good at my job." A beat passed as Yoren gathered his thoughts. "I expect some of my wards to disappoint me—you'll see, when you work with young adults for so long, you get a knack for picking up their behavioral patterns. Every once and a while, someone do something that will shock the hell out of you, but more times than not, they're predictable—the outbursts, the defiance, the stubbornness…it's par for the course.

"When I found out about you and Gendry, it shocked the hell out of me." Intently, Arya stared at her former dean now supervisor. In all the time they've known one another, they've never had serious conversations such as this one. He spoke to her like an equal and not someone he had to watch over/supervise. "For a long time, I placed most of the blame on you, which was unfair of me, I know, I just…" He groaned, and then harshly rubbed his face. "I expected too much of you. Although you were very mature at that age, you were still a teen. You were still experiencing new, but foreign feelings, which excited you. It was unfair of me to hold you completely accountable and not Gendry and it was also unfair of me to make you responsible for not only your behavior, but his as well by only addressing you about the inappropriate behavior that went on back then. I know you were the persistent one, but it wasn't right of me to not bring the issue up with him as too."

At his admittance, Arya's throat tightened. Back when she was a ward at Wholistic Core and at the barbeque, it never occurred to ask him why hadn't he addressed Gendry. Although Gendry did deter her efforts to sleep with him, Yoren should have spoken to him rather than just occupying his time. But, she shouldered the blame because she believed it would've been solely her fault if Gendry got in trouble.

"For a long time I was angry with you," he admitted. "But, Leslie knocked some sense into me. She asked me why did I hold you so accountable for something you and Gendry almost did? And, truth be told, we're all equally responsible for what almost happened back then. You, me, and Gendry." Arya tried to interject, but Yoren continued to speak. "No, I was—we were. I didn't want to admit it, but Leslie told me the hard truth: I wasn't just angry with you because of your Lolita act, I was angry because I failed you. I made a slight miscalculation that could've led to disastrous results. And no matter how much I try to rationalize the restraint Gendry held, he's still responsible for his own actions. Even then, I still find myself letting him off the hook and letting you shoulder most of the blame."

"Yoren, you didn't fail me," Arya denied. "Not even a little bit."

"No, I did," he stressed. "There were three reasons why I didn't want to split you up: 1. As you already mentioned and as I mentioned to your parents a while back, I believed that separating you two would be detrimental to the both of you, which I still stand by 2. I had a soft spot for the two of you and wanted to believe that you and Gendry would never do such a thing and 3. The two of you were used as prime examples of our philosophies to paying parents. Do you honestly think that the people like the Baratheons want their money being spent on people like Gendry?" Yoren raised an eyebrow. "Not even a little fucking bit, especially around kids like you—their rich and privileged kids. But, you and Gendry bolstered the credibility of allowing underprivileged kids into the camp. This prevented them from saying shit and trying to deny underprivileged kids in the same programs as their precious ones. But, if you two had sex and that somehow got back to them; it would've been a shit storm and screwed over the other kids. So, a part of me was looking out for your well-being because I cared about you two, but the other part was of me was protecting the program.

"Either way, I should've spoke to the two of you sooner and not just you. I shouldn't have made you responsible for Gendry's actions and I should've spoke to him about how he was endangering his own freedom for something that could've send him to prison and ruined his already bleak prospects. Furthermore, I should've addressed that general maturity doesn't always or even mostly equate to sexual maturity. Not once did I ask you if you were ready for that type of relationship and if you needed someone to talk to. So, perhaps I didn't fail you generally, but I definitely failed you at that moment. I made that moment all about Gendry potentially going to jail and protecting my own agenda rather than seeing to your emotional well being as well."

Although a part of Arya wanted to be mad at Yoren due to the facts he laid out; she wasn't. For her, it was water under the bridge. Not because she didn't care, but because she'd learned to stop seeing life in black and white—that even though she had a right to be upset, it was better for her to forgive and move on. People made mistakes. Hell, she'd made a fair share herself and she couldn't find it in herself to be upset with her former dean/current supervisor. Despite his double agenda, ultimately, he'd looked out for her well being back then and believed in her. Yoren even called out her parents about the circumstances that led to her attending Wholstic Core.

Since Arya eventually understood her parents' rationale during that time, even though they dropped the ball in how they dealt with her, she couldn't muster up anger at Yoren. She was too old to have that sort of commitment to anger since Yoren's decision not only benefitted her and Gendry, but other people, more specifically, underprivileged youth who benefited from the program. He did the "wrong" thing for the right reasons even though it could've been handled better.

"Yoren, you can't beat yourself up about the past," Arya finally said. "It…it doesn't solve anything."

"I'm not beating myself over the past," he clarified. "I'm...I'm apologizing for putting all that responsibility on you and making shoulder more blame than you were responsible for. A long winded apology, but an apology nonetheless."

Arya looked at her hands, and then back at Yoren. "Yoren, I'm a Stark," she stated. "Politics landed me in King's Landing; politics landed me in Wholistic Core; politics have controlled my life, but at the same time, it gave me a lot of privilege that others will never have." Intently, Yoren stared at her. "It's nothing new to me, but the difference between the politicking you did back then and what I was used to dealing with is that you did it for the well being of others. My parents did it because of petty classism shit. I mean, they were trying to look out for me, but if I was poor, I'd be in jail or poorer than I was to being with." Arya shrugged. "You just wanted to make a difference in other people's lives and was in a precarious position."

"It's no excuse—"

"Are you sure you aren't beating yourself up over the past, "Arya chuckled. "The summer before I was sent to Whoslitic Core—the summer my family and I moved to King's Landing, I was upset with my dad." There was a far away look in her eyes as she recalled the memory. "Joffrey started some shit with my friend and I hit him so he could leave Mycah alone," she explained. "Because I was a Stark," she said mockingly. "They wouldn't punish me—they'd leave that to my parents. So, Robert got Mycah's dad fired."

Yoren frowned at this.

"I know." Arya nodded. "Everyone knew that it was bullshit, but you don't hit 'royalty' and get away with it. Someone had to pay. Back then; I couldn't understand why my dad allowed that to happen, but he told me that being an adult meant making hard decisions even if it hurts you. That life wasn't that simple and even if I hated the decision, he was the one who had to make it. That it was the best decision he could make in that situation because, sometimes, drastic decisions were the ones that maintained peace." Arya stared Yoren in the eyes. "To this day, I still don't agree with Mycah's father being fired, but my dad's hand was forced. And, maybe you could've made a different, better decision, but you did the best you could in that situation—you were the one who made that decision and you are the one who has to live with it. I can't hate you for looking out for me all while trying to make a difference in others lives."

"That's very…insightful of you," he remarked. It was clear that Arya's statement impressed him.

Arya finished her now cold coffee, and then stood up as she put out her cigar. As turned to leave, she stopped. A pensive look flittered across her face, and then she said:

"Yoren, one of the other reasons the small shit matters is because, sometimes, a seemingly insignificant event can teach you a major lesson." Arya bit her lip. "It keeps you honest and teaches you can't always pick and choose what to pay attention to and what you to discard."

"I told Leslie you were a strong swimmer," he quipped. "I'm tempted to throw you in the deep end right now."

Yoren and Arya smiled at each other.

"Bye mommy," Hélène waved at the computer screen as the two ended the conversation. Mother and daughter blew kisses at each other before the connection ended.

With regularity, Arya and Gendry called and video chatted one another. When they had quick conversations or spoke late at night, they conversed on the phone. But, when they had longer conversations, it was through video. It was comforting to see one another's face and it made Hélène and Polly feel as if she wasn't away.

Gendry and the kids were watching a movie when the doorbell rang. In confusion, Gendry looked at his watch and tried to think of who would visit him this late. It definitely wasn't Arya. Although a surprise visit would be something she'd do, he knew for a fact that she was still out of town.

Of course, one of her siblings might be dropping by unexpectedly, but Gendry doubted that as well. Although his relationship with Arya's parents was better, they still had some kinks to work out and they wouldn't drop by without calling first.

"Keep an eye on Hélène for me, okay," he said to Polly as the young girl nodded at his words.

Gendry looked through the window and saw Francisco on the porch.

In confusion, he frowned before he opened the door.

A few hours before, Francisco dropped Hélène off for the weekend. Although he had primary custody while Arya temporarily relocated, once a month, Gendry watched her for a weekend. This allowed Francisco to have a social life all while someone he trusted took care of his daughter. When Hélène was with Gendry, he didn't even consider it babysitting. Before Arya left, Gendry was equally responsible and took care of Hélène as well. He knew her quirks and medical history. He also knew how to make her laugh and how to successfully put her to bed.

If Francisco was a proud man, he could've kept Gendry away from Hélène, but Gendry's relationship with his daughter didn't threatened Francisco's relationship with her. Gendry was just an additional and positive parental figure in her life.

Besides, the situation would be best if everyone involved had a positive relationship with one another. Not only that, Gendry adored Hélène and treated her incredibly well; Francisco knew this because of how positively the young girl reacted him whenever she saw him. Francisco also knew that not only did Gendry miss her, but Polly did as well. Polly was affectionate and protective of her "little sister" even though they didn't share any blood bonds.

Ultimately, the veteran cop understood that Gendry wasn't going anywhere and he didn't want him to either. Gendry would make a great stepfather to Hélène and he made Arya happy, which he'd always said even before they had a child together. His sentiments hadn't changed due to them now being co-parents.

"Hey man, what's up?" Gendry gestured for Francisco to come in as he stepped aside.

"My plans fell through," he admitted, as he took off his jacket and hung it up in the close.

Gendry nodded, and then chuckled. "So, you came by to hang with me and the girls?"

"Something like that." The two men walked into the kitchen and Gendry handed a beer to Francisco, and then grabbed another for himself. After he took a long swig, Francisco said, "How about I watch the kids and you go out?"

"What," Gendry said, incredulously.

"Come on, Gendry," the other man began. "You go to work OR parent. It's admirable that you love being a dad, but there is nothing wrong with doing something away from the kids. I love my little girl, but I enjoy spending time with my friends as well; I don't my spent time worrying about what she's getting into when I'm not with her. Take a breather—it won't kill you to spend some time away from them."

Gendry side-eyed him. "Did Arya put you up to this?"

"No," he denied. "But, she confirmed that it's like pulling teeth to get you out of the house." Francisco laughed, and then sipped his beer again.

"Even if I wanted to go out, it's too late." Gendry shrugged and munched on some chips.

"It's never too late," Francisco, said.

"Then why are you here," Gendry countered, and then grinned.

Francisco stole some chips out of the bowl before he answered, "I said that my plans fell through not that I was unable to make new plans. Gendry, I promise you that if you don't find some friends to hang out with—and I know you have friends—I'll go through your phone and make plans for you."

"You're even pushier than Arya on the subject and I'm not even engaged to you."

"Yeah well, she has a soft spot for you," Francisco quipped. "I don't—I'm not defenseless against those baby blues."

Gendry laughed.

"Francisco, I apprec—"

"Look Gendry," the cop interrupted. "Going out once every blue moon isn't going to hurt you, all right. I know it seems weird that I care so much, but man; you treat my daughter well, Arya glows when she's around you and, overall, you're a good dude. Go out and do something for yourself—it's not going to kill you."

Gendry sighed. "Fine."

He called a few people and they made plans. Quickly, Gendry scribbled down instructions for Francisco to follow. The other man didn't need instructions of how to care for his own daughter, but he'd never watched Polly before. Although the two never spent time alone together, outside of the Starks, she was most familiar with him.

After having a small conversation with Polly and making sure she'd be fine with him leaving for a few hours, Gendry made his way to the door.

"Have fun," Francisco quipped as he closed the door behind him.

Gendry nodded.

It'd be hard, but he'd try.

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Gendry Waters," a familiar voice called out. "Talk about seeing a ghost."

"Hey, Freddie!" Gendry grabbed the woman's hand and gave it a quick shake, and then pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Hey to you, too." Freddie softly hit him on the chest. "I didn't expect you back around the old stomping grounds."

"Well, I'm here." He shrugged and smiled as he hands slid into his pockets.

"Yeah, but only to see Arya," Francine said in baby talk as she spoke to Hélène. "He didn't come to visit us." Francine made a funny face and the small child laughed.

"One: don't talk to her like that and two: I've been busy," Gendry said as he ruffled Polly's hair.

"I can see," Francine said, suggestively.

Gendry didn't correct her.

It was Gendry and the kids' turn to see Arya after she visited them months prior. This was only their second time seeing each other face to face since she left for training. Arya was supposed to pick them up from the airport, but there was a last minute meeting she had to shadow and Francine was sent instead. The slightly older woman jumped at the chance to pick at Gendry and the kids. It had been years since she spoke and last saw Gendry; they'd grown close during his brief stint as a camp counselor.

"Wait, you know, Arya," Freddie asked.

Francine snorted. "Before Gendry worked here, he attended the camp and Arya was in his group; they were as thick as thieves."

"You never told me you attended Wholistic Core." Freddie grinned at him.

"It just never came up," he replied. Although partially true, back then, it was a topic Gendry didn't like discussing due to the nature of his relationship with Arya at the time. His feelings and their behavior confused him. She'd been forbidden fruit and he almost gave in and took a bite—to feel and taste her.

"What never came up?" Another counselor Lauren walked into.

"That Gendry attended the Core before he worked here," Francine filled Lauren in.

"Oh yeah," she said. "I heard about him, but we didn't meet until after he started working here."

Gendry sat on the couch beside Polly. Tiredly, the girl rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you heard about how me and Arya crushed those team work workshops," he bragged. "And our record still hasn't been broken."

"More like: there were suspicions that you two were close for other reasons, which is why you two worked so well together." Lauren made a hole with her thumb and pointer finger, and then poked at it back and forth with her other pointer finger.

Gendry clenched his jaw. "That didn't happen."

"But, yet, you're so defensive." Lauren lightly tapped her chin with her forefinger.

"Because it almost happened," Francine revealed as she continued making faces at Hélène. "You can thank Arya and Gendry for the random dorm check-ins we have to do now."

"But, that wasn't implemented until long after they left," Lauren replied.

"Only because Yoren found out long after they left," Francine supplied.

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Gendry, you naughty boy."

"Shut up." Gendry rolled his eyes. "Like you've never snuck around or did some shit you weren't supposed to."

"I have, but my co-workers have never paid for my sins."

Gendry smiled and shook his head. "Well, I'm sorry. Happy now?"

"Immensely." She smiled back, and then back tracked, "You know what, I'm not—you came just to visit Arya and not me too. I know you two were close and almost did the horizontal tango, but this hurts; you've never come to visit me and I used to be your mentor: I thought we were friends."

Despite the small rant, Gendry knew Lauren wasn't upset, but curious. Her smile was genuine as she sat next to Gendry and his daughter.

"It's like we stopped being important once he left," Freddie chimed in as she sat on the couch next to Lauren. "Seems like he still carries a torch for Arya."

"Considering that we're engaged, seems is a huge understatement," Arya remarked as she walked into the room. She leaned down and kissed Gendry, and then slowly broke apart from him. "I can't wait until training ends," she mumbled in his ear tiredly, and then placed a kiss on a sleeping Polly's head.

Excitedly, Hélène squealed at seeing her mother and Arya scooped her up and away from Francine. "Hey you," Arya smiled at her daughter. "Hey…" Arya smothered kisses on Hélène's face as the young girl's giggling intensified.

Francine laughed, and then said to Lauren, "You were saying?"

"Point stands," Lauren said stubbornly, and then looked at Gendry. He fondly shook his head as he laughed under his breath.

Arya nodded to Lauren as she looked at Gendry. "What she going on about?"

"Beats me." He shrugged, and then stole a glance at Lauren who shook her head as she chuckled.

"It's nice seeing you again, Gendry," Lauren said, after she checked her watch. "But, my break is over, so I have to go, but we'll catch up later. 'kay?"

Gendry nodded. "Yeah, sure," he agreed.

"Gods, I feel old," Gendry mumbled as he looked at the campers.

"You are old," Arya quipped as she chuckled at her fiancée, and added, "We're both old, you're just… older."

Gendry rolled his eyes as he cut up Polly's food. The young girl fidgeted she tentatively picked at her food with her fingers.

"I'm almost finished, impatient one." Gendry warmly laughed, and then smiled at Polly. "There…done."

Gendry slid the plate in front of his daughter and she eagerly dug into the plate.

Lost in thought, Gendry stared at his own plate as he ate.

Arya in leaned close to Gendry, tapped his armed, and asked, "Hey…what's up?"

"Uhh…" Gendry picked at his plate for a moment. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Thoughtfully, he stared at Arya before a full-blown grin blossomed on his face. "You made the right decision."

In reaction, Gendry's infectious grin spread to Arya as she sported a wide grin herself. "About what?"

"This." His tone was matter of fact as he gestured to the place around them. "This," he repeated again.

Slowly, she nodded. "I agree." Arya raised an eyebrow as she rested her head on her hand as she stared intently at Gendry. "It feels right in a way being a cop longer did and being a security consultant never did. There's not any doubt or restlessness; I'm…happy. This is where I belong." She squeezed his hand. "Thank you for being supportive not just with the job, but you know…everything."

Arya's voice was filled with appreciation and tenderness as she spoke.

"Like I said before," Gendry began. "You're my family; there's no need to thank me."

"Still," she persisted. "Thank you."

For a moment, they stared at each other in silence. Ever so slightly, smiles spread across their faces.

Their moment was interrupted Hélène called her mother. Arya turned to her daughter and looked at the little girls face, and then chuckled. There was food all over her face as she excitedly grinned at her mom. Arya shook her head and got the baby wipes out of her bag. Unsuccessfully, she tried to clean her daughter's face as the young one moved around as if they were playing a game.

Gendry sniggered.

"Ha ha," Arya said. After she successfully wiped Hélène's face, she spoke, "Mom said the reason she's so good with Hélène is because she's had experience."

"What? Because she's your kid," Gendry speculated.

Arya pursed her lips, and then bit it. "Yea, she said Hélène's an 'Arya-lite', so this is a cake walk for her."

Gendry laughed into his arms.

Arya tried to suppress a grin as she said, "Shut up."

"She only said it out of love," Gendry said between in his breaks of laughter.

"And you're only laughing out of love?" Arya raised an eyebrow at her fiancée.

"Of course." Knowingly, he looked at her as he tried to bite back laughter. "Hélène's well-behaved, but it would've been surprising if she hadn't inherited some of your…charming characteristics."

"As if you don't love it of it, Waters," Arya scoffed.

"I do," he didn't disagree. "Every part of it; every part of you."

Languidly, Arya swam in the water as the moon lit up the sky.

"This is like the first time I've relaxed in…a long time," she admitted.

"Well, that's what we're here for." Gently, Gendry grabbed Arya and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank Gods for that," she mumbled, and then rested her head in the crook of his neck. "There was that one break when I visited you and the girls. Even though I enjoy this, it's been a lot all at once, you know?" Gendry gave her a curious look. "AS you know, the training's was accelerated and intense so I can be prepared when the other location opens. So, I'm taking on more work at one time than the usual training regiment."

Tenderly, Gendry killed Arya's collarbone. "Is the workload sustainable," he questioned. "Do you need to slow down? I know you want this job and to complete training as soon as possible, but don't overextend yourself."

"I'm not," Arya assured. "I'm a little tired, but I thrive under pressure. You know that."

"Okay. Just promised me you'll know when to stop if you ever need to."

At Gendry's genuine concern, Arya's heart tightened.

Gendry wasn't perfect, but there wasn't much more that could be asked of him. He was understanding, patient, loyal, supportive, and so much more.

When she was younger, she didn't fully grasp what family meant to him other than the fact that he didn't have any. She understood that it was tragic to be alone and that he had to constantly fend for himself, but through having that cruel bitch of a teacher called life, Gendry learned to redefine family. Family wasn't always blood, but those who loved you unconditionally, who didn't turn their back on you, who cared about you, and who loved you for you. They supported you and home was wherever they were. They accepted you as you were.

There were many dysfunctional families, but since Gendry could choose him family, he wanted something—someone who added to his life and, in his mind, Arya was that. Although they were both difficult people, they understood one another. They got one another.

Mistakes were to be made, but they were young and could sort through what family meant to them.

Because what Arya also knew was that, for Gendry, although he had sexual yearnings and was in love with her, family didn't necessarily indicate something sexual pertaining to her. Regardless of their romantic and sexual status, Arya would always be his family. Arya's importance to him surpassed elementary definitions of family and love. His love wasn't dependent on her reciprocation or what he could get out of it, but rather, how she made him feel: valuable; like he mattered.

And that was only a piece of it.

Gods, she would never say it out loud or even in her vows, but Gendry truly did teacher her how to love. She always saw love is something you felt for your family because they were family or because you cared about a person, but she didn't understand the complexities of love—that sometimes it required selflessness and other times it required selfishness.

It'd appear that a person with no family or true friends until he reached adulthood would have difficult with such a concept, but Gendry didn't. Since he wasn't so jaded by life and actively sought meaning relationships, Gendry understanding that love wasn't just a word, but a verb. And, although love could be unconditional, you could still love a person and let them go. On the flipside, a loved one was allowed to make a mistake and could be forgiven. But, love and the relationships that came with them were about the boundaries and expectations set and once Gendry verbalized his thoughts, his lines were drawn.

Gendry could be an emotional person, but he wasn't a half-assed kind of person. Despite her pregnancy, if Gendry was going to write her out of his life completely, they had to give their relationship an honest try. Hélène had been conceived during their split, he couldn't find it in himself to hold it against Arya; he just as easily could've been in her place.

But, again, it goes back to love and what it meant to Gendry. Gendry loved Arya completely and they'd went through much and he'd went through too much individually to let a child stand in the way of a woman who made him utterly happy.

Happiness didn't come overnight and love was hard work and, as long as the other person gave the same effort—romantic other otherwise—Gendry had no problem investing the relationship.

Deeply, Arya kiss Gendry as she pulled his close.

"But, what if someone catches us," Gendry asked in faux concern.

Arya smiled into his shoulder as her legs gripped his hips.

"It's getting late," he remarked. "Let's go relieve Lauren."

Lauren volunteered to watch the girls to allow Arya and Gendry some alone time. The two left around nine, which was shortly after the girls had been put to bed, and were coming in a quarter after midnight.

"Thanks for watching them, Lauren," Arya said gratefully.

"It was nothing," Lauren waved off. "Babysitting sleeping kids is the easiest babysitting you can have. Besides, they slept peacefully the entire time and didn't wake up once."

"That's good," Gendry commented as he made his way to their shared bedroom.

Because of her position, Arya got her own cabin, which was bigger than the campers cabins and had two moderately sized rooms. The bed was big enough for the two girls to share, but they made a pallet on the floor and fell asleep after their pillow fight with Gendry and Arya.

The girls still slept peacefully and the two adults took a quick shower before they fell into bed and was dead to the world in no time.

Four in the morning, Gendry woke stroking his cock as she intently looked at him.

"If we don't find the time now, we'll never have it once they wake up," she reasoned.

Gendry softly chuckled, and then rolled over so that he was positioned on top of her.

They passionately exchanged kisses as they ridded one each other of their clothes. Their movements were frantic and clothes flew everywhere, teeth collided, and fingers intertwined.

Gendry inserted a hand between Arya's legs and firmly rubbed. Starved for his touch, she arched her back and moaned into his arm. It took him quick work to get her wet as he smoothly slid into her and bit his tongue to cum on the spot.

Gods, he missed her so much.

Arya wrapped her legs around his waist as she was conflicted between nice and slow or hard and fast, but Gendry decided for her as he rocked his at a languid pace. She was practically losing her mind, but then decided it was a nice way to go if this was her end.

Pants and the sound of slapping skin filled the air as the two got reacquainted with each other.

Gods, he was so hard and she was so wet—this was heaven, she knew it.

Arya spread leg wider and Gendry grabbed each one just under the knee and held them against the bed.

"Fuck," she choked out. "Fuck, Gendry…go deeper, please go deeper," she begged. Desperation filled her voice as she urged her lover to give her all his length. Obliging her, Gendry made sure Arya felt every inch of his cock as he slammed in and out of her.

"Ah," she cried in pleasure as her nails dug into his back. "Please…"

Gendry increased the pace and intensity as a silent cry escaped Arya before she bit into his hand, but Gendry didn't feel it. The way Arya felt around his cock was magnificent and he could die at any moment. It'd been so long—so, so long.

Of course, her homecoming was a big affair: her parents through a party and invited close friends and family.

Surprisingly, Arya enjoyed herself.

She was glad to be home, but didn't think she miss them as much as did and at all, for that matter. Before she left and while she was gone, she was primarily focused on Hélène and Gendry, but once she returned, it was great to see her parents, siblings, and friends.

It highlighted to her just had much she had grown and was removed from her teenaged self. As much as there were part of Arya was still the same, she didn't really miss much of anyone when she left home for Wholistic Core. It was part anger and part youth that she'd taken her relationships for granted. But, it was also privilege and accessibility.

When she was young, Arya didn't measure distance by its physicality, but rather, the depth of her relationship with any given person and if she was able to contact or see them. Yes, her parent sent her away, but she knew that if she wanted to see and/or speak to someone, she could. She was so used to always having things readily available than she never fully appreciated having them in the first place. It was there and it didn't occur to her that it could easily be taken away just as it easily always existed for her. A small piece of her knew it, which was why she was upset about how Jon broke the news of joining the army, but that was because it was unexpected. She'd only react to major things and didn't know to how to appreciate the small things.

Now that she was older, she appreciated her loved ones in a way she never comprehended as a youth.

It was a revelation to her.

For a fact, she knew that it had to do with Gendry and Hélène. Subconsciously, her relationships with them made her explore her relationships with others.

"Repeat that again," Arya said as she rubbed her ear. "You're dating who?"

"Arya, you heard me the other ten times I said it," Sansa complained. She was slightly annoyed, but a smile played on her lips.

"Yeah, and I believe I misheard you ten times," she retorted.

Sansa smacked her lips as she rolled her eyes. "Arya, for the last time, and I promise you, I'm not repeating this again: I'm dating Sandor."

"But, why?" Arya was genuinely confused. "What could you two possibly have in common?"

"More than you think," Sansa responded. "And, Arya, whether or not you like him, I like him a lot."

"I don't dislike him," Arya defended. "I just don't understand it."

Sansa folded her arms. "It's not for you to understand just be supportive." Quickly, her eyes scanned the backyard. "I plan to introduce him to mom and dad."

"Hold on, it's that serious?" Arya sipped her beer as she looked at her sister. "Has he met Hope?"

"Yeah." Sansa nodded. "They get along really well. And Willas knows about Sandor, but it's awkward as to be expected."

"Would've been shocking if it wasn't." Arya looked at the ground, and then back at her sister. "Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Arya, that means a lot, especially considering…" Sansa vaguely gestured. "Your history with him."

"You always did know how to put things so eloquently," Arya remarked.

"Whatever." Sansa waved at her sister as she walked away.

Arya found Hot Pie by the food making sure that everything was okay. He and Mycah went into business together and catered Arya's homecoming party to advertise their food.

"Hey, Hot Pie," Arya said in his ear.

Hot Pie jumped. "Hey, Arya!" Strong arms pulled her into a bear hug, and then let her go a moment later. As he spoke, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead, "I've been looking for you all evening."

"I know I've been looking for you too." When Arya arrived, Hot Pie was at the store picking up miscellaneous items. When he arrived, she'd gotten lost in the various people trying to catch up with her. Most of the time, they asked other people were the other person was and, when they found the location, they'd just missed one another.

"I'm proud of you, Arry," Hot Pie said genuinely.

"Thank you; I'm proud of you too," he parroted. "From what I hear, everyone's raving about the food."

"Tell me about it," Mycah good-naturedly complained, "They keep trying to hustle the recipes out of me."

"Hey," Arya said into her oldest friend's chest as he pulled her into a hug.

"Hey to you too," he responded. "People are eating the food quicker than we can put it down and I'm almost out of business cards."

The three of them caught up as Arya told her about her training firsthand and the guys told her how their start up business was going so far. Hot Pie's girlfriend was also at he party as a guest and helping out as well and she eventually joined their conversation.

They explained how much help her dad and Gendry has been to them as they stared up and eventually opened their business. They networked with various people and even made a plan to take classes/go back to school so that they had a better understanding how what it took to run a business. At the point, her dad was helping guide them into they could stand on their own two legs. It was part him believing in their vision, wanting to help out in the community, especially small businesses, as well as lingering guilt about what happened with Mycah all those years ago.

"Arya," someone called out.

Arya looked for the familiar voice and saw her ex boyfriend Ned approach her. They spoke at length earlier and she smiled at him as he walked to her.

"Hey," she said.

Every since they ran into each other late into her pregnancy, they've regularly contacted each other. They hadn't completely rebuilt their relationship, but it was just about there.

"Hey, I'm about to leave." He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the check. "And I waited to say bye before I left."

"Well, thanks for dropping by." She tightened her arms around Ned. "And don't think I forgot about that mystery girl you're supposed to introduce me to."

"I didn't think you forgot; I just hoped you had."

Arya grinned as she pushed Ned against his chest. "Well, that's never gonna happen, especially with you walking around all starry eyed and shit."

"Whatever," Ned dismissed. "I'm leaving and I'll talk to you later."

"Just make sure I'm the first to know when you all get engaged," she said. "Which will be in about…" Arya pretended to check her watch. "Less than a month."

"Bye, Arya." Ned rolled his eyes as he said bye to a few other people before leaving.

Arya got back to her conversation with the other three people as she kept one eye on her daughter who'd been with Gendry most of the day. Since it was her party, everyone wanted to hug and kiss her as well as take up a lot of her time. Gendry knew that it'd made Hélène uncomfortable and volunteered to watch her.

They were in the pool as Gendry held Hélène close to his chest as he watched Polly swim. He'd been giving her swimming lessons every since they came back from Wholistic Core because he felt it was an important thing to learn and she could see that Gendry enjoy being a dad and teaching things to both Polly and Hélène, although; he actively tried not to overstep his bounds with Hélène.

Francisco dropped by earlier in the day, but had to work so he didn't stay around for longer after saying hello to Arya and his daughter.

Her conversation with Hot Pie and co ended and Arya made her way over to the pool.

"Are you ready to pull you hair out," Gendry teased.

He held Hélène by her hands as spun her in a wide, slow circle around her. Hélène giggled, and then looked to her mother in excitement.

Arya slipped off her shoes and rolled up her pants. She sat on the edge of the pool and let her feet dangle as Gendry moved Hélène through the water over to Arya. Arya grabbed her daughter's hands, and then slightly dipped her into the water repeatedly and Hélène's giggles intensified.

In response, Arya smiled.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Polly playing with the other kids. The young girl really came a long way since she originally moved in with them. She was still shy, but Arya believed that that was in her nature. But, she smiled much more and had a healthy appetite as well. She knew Gendry was relieved because of how hard he worked to stable her life. When Arya thought of how Gendry handled everything, she was proud of him. She knew he'd take his responsibilities seriously, but he truly did right by Polly and her family. Polly's emotional health and happiness were incredibly important to Gendry.

As Gendry grabbed the edge of the pool and lift himself up, Arya said, "Hey…"

"Huh?" He looked at her as he turned to sit.

Arya leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."

A YEAR LATER

"I'm glad you said yes to our job offer," Leslie excitedly stated as she hooked an arm with Arya. "When Yoren suggested you, I was open to the idea because I knew you had so much to offer, but you've truly exceeded my expectations for you and I had high hopes for you to begin with."

Yoren grunted. "That's because you underestimated Arya to begin with."

"Clearly," Leslie agreed. "I hear nothing but great remarks about you and how well you work with the wards."

"I try," Arya said. "It's not easy, but it is rewarding."

"That's good to know." Leslie looked at Arya, and then Yoren. "Yoren told me I was coddling you during your train—make the final decision. You're thriving here and I'm happy to see it's working out." She looked at her watched and audibly sighed. "Nice catching up with you and congrats." Leslie gestured to Arya's wedding band as well as swollen belly.

"Thanks."

Silently, Yoren and Arya stared at each other.

After a beat, Arya broke the silence, "Don't you have to join Leslie?"

"Yeah," he replied before it became silent again. For a moment, he assessed her, and then spoke, "I'm not the friendliest person by any means as you know well enough, but you can if you need anyone to talk to, you can call me."

Surprised, Arya smiled.

"Don't look so shocked," he admonished. "You already know I have a soft spot for you and your…husband."

Arya laughed.

"And," he trailed off as he reached into a bag. "I got you something."

He handed her a box that and Arya took it and then playfully shook it.

"Stop before you break it," Yoren warned.

"What is it?"

"Open it," he instructed.

Arya did as told and pulled a cup out. She handed Yoren the box to read what it said. "Dean of Winterfell." Warmly, she looked at her mentor and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he brushed off. "You've been here a year and have been kicking ass."

"I had a kick ass mentor."

"Damn right you did." Yoren spotted a familiar dark haired, blue-eyed guy. Gendry volunteered for the camp on and off to offer additional training and help out for other miscellaneous situations. "If Gendry's ever interested in coming back, you should definitely persuade him. He may not be a social butterfly, but the kids really connected to him even though he didn't exactly connect to them."

"I'll put out some feelers and see what he's thinking," Arya promised.

Yoren nodded as he watched campers pile in. He then looked over at Leslie as she spoke to some higher up administration officials. "I gotta get going, but…we'll talk."

"Okay."

"And…congrats." He made the similar gesture that Leslie did earlier.

"Thanks."

Arya looked for Gendry so that they could grab lunch together. She checked her office, the employee's break room, and the recreation room before asking a random camp counselor if they've seen him. They pointed to one of the paths and said he was with a kid.

As Arya approached, she slowed down and her steps became deliberate as she heard tones of what sounded to be a serious conversation.

"Traci-Lynn, I know that this environment is totally foreign to you, but we can't help you unless you allow us to," he explained to the young woman. "You have to be open and receptive to us."

The young woman scoffed. "And why should I be," she questioned. "So, you and the other rich people can pay yourself on the ass about helping the poor. You guys see us as some charity case that you can write off come tax season. Why should I take this bullshit serious?"

Arya could visualize Gendry's face right now. He was most likely stunned and a little outraged.

"Do you know the difference between you and me when we first came here?"

"What? Are you going to give some 'we're all the same deep down' spiel?"

"No," he denied. "We both come from the same place, but unlike you, I never knew my parents. Just like you, I never went to school past the seventh grade level, just like you I ate the bare minimum every night, just like you I didn't trust reach people because the difference between them and us is privilege." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. "Their parents can pay for them to go to an exclusive camp that focuses on their well being, where as we just win a lottery for this place to what is basically a voucher. They are properly educated and even advanced in some areas. They know how to do simply shit like swim and eat for pleasure." Gendry looked at Traci-Lynn, and then at the ground. "All we ever knew how to do was eat so we wouldn't starve, so—so that we could have energy for the next day. Never enjoyment. We had to endure a lot of fucked up shit just to seat where are at this exact moment just to have this specific conversation. I know you have a lot of anger and rage, but this right here: Wholistic Core, it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity that you need to recognize before you let it slip through your fingers. Because this program didn't just change my life, it saved it. My life mattered to them, they believed in me and I don't know where I'd be without that."

Wordlessly, Traci-Lynn stared at Gendry.

"But, your last name is Stark," she commented.

"I took my wife's last name," he explained. "But, I'm from Flea Bottom too. I know this is all weird and different and you have every right to resent the hand you were dealt, but don't rob yourself of the opportunity to improve your life. I'm serious when I say I was just like you when I came here. But, when I graduated the program, I obtained my GED, worked here for a little bit, and was even able to go to college. How many people back at Flea's Bottom can say that?"

"It's just…all these rich kids here just take shit for granted. They don't know what it's like to struggle."

"I know," Gendry agreed. "But, don't let that get in the way of your journey. As you know, Arya used to be a ward here—that's actually how we met. And some of the rich kids here can be stuck up, but others can be really cool if you allow yourself the opportunity to get to know them. Their privilege makes it hard to understand your experiences, but don't immediately write them off. Before I even liked Arya, she was a great friend to me. She was the one who tutored me when she found out I had some literacy issues. Besides our friend Hot Pie, who she tutored as well, she never told anyone the camp just found out on their own. She was a very privileged person, but an amazing friend as well. If I immediately dismissed her because of where she came from, my life would be drastically different and not just because we're married. Like I said, she was and still is my best friend. So, just stick with this and I promise you won't regret it."

Traci-Lynn nodded and said, "Okay."

"And if you ever need anyone to talk to, you can either come to me or Arya, understand?"

"Yea."

And, damn, in that moment, Arya knew that as each day passed she loved every part of it, every part of Gendry.

As soon as they walked in the doors, Catelyn swept the girls away in record time as she and Sansa chatted about some charity event.

"What I would've give for a cold beer," Arya said longingly as she gazed at her brother's beer.

Jon laughed, "Well, you don't have that long left."

Arya glared. "If you're not including breastfeeding."

"Ooh, I forgot about that," he said.

"That much is clear." Arya sipped her punch and checked messages on her phone. "Where's Ygritte?"

Jon raised his hands up in resignation. "I don't know. She's been everywhere all night; I'm done trying to find her. When I see her, I see her."

Arya laughed.

Jon's face got serious. "I know I'm no longer number one as your favorite person, but I'll always be your favorite brother," he stated factually. "And I just want you to now, I'm proud of you. You know I've always loved you and I always will, but there were parts of you I didn't understand that I somewhat do now. And I'm not proud of you because you're married with kids now; I'm proud of you because you've grown into a remarkable woman overall."

Arya hit Jon against the chest. "You can't say that to me while I'm pregnant, you know I get emotional," she chastised.

"The point remains," he said unwaveringly. "You're remarkable and I couldn't always see you for who you were at times, but you were smart and right about many things I couldn't admit at the time."

Arya hugged her brother tightly.

In her mind, regardless of what tests said, Job would always be her brother.

Later on, she watched at her brothers, Gendry, and Sandor played tag football with Sansa and her mom and dad. Arya was very tempted to jump out of her seat and join them, but her mobility was severely shot and she wouldn't risk it.

The kids ran on the other side of the yard as Ygritte and the other adults played with them.

Gendry took a breather and sat beside her as the guys started a new game without him.

"You don't want to go join them," Arya asked as she adjusted her sunglasses.

"Naw, I just want to spend some time with you," he replied.

Arya smiled. "We spend time together all of the time," she said. "We live together and rarely go out if we can help it. Surely, you want to interact with people other than me and the kids."

"Ehh….no," he said definitively.

Arya chuckled. "In cases where couples spend all of their time together, they usually get tired of one another," she pointed out.

"Are you tired of me?"

"No."

"Then why would I be tired of you," he questioned. "Sure, we spend a lot of time together, but when you love someone, you're never tired of their presence. And I love you…a lot—a lot, a lot." He grinned at her. "Every part of you. There's no one I'd rather spend my time with—even when I was younger."

"After all this time?" Arya raised an eyebrow.

Gendry's expression turned serious as he said, "Always."