The Hollow

Rating: Mature, folks!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or Game of Thrones. Sigh. If I did, my precious babies wouldn't be dead.

Summary: Some say that the old gods are so kind enough to let you share that moment, with whomever or whatever has brought you such happiness throughout your years.

A/N: Right... so... this is my first GoT fic, my first Ned/Catelyn fic... and I'm very nervous about posting it. I've written so many other things for them, but I just feel as if none of them, except maybe this, are good enough. I don't know exactly how I came about with the idea, but here it is. I also realize the title may not make sense to some; if you're a Coheed and Cambria fan, you'll get it. If not... youtube The Hollow by Coheed and Cambria. The tune will change your life forever. lol. Sorry for any grammar mistakes and enjoy!

She had found him in the Godswood under the weirwood tree, seated upon a rock that was a few paces away from the white trunk. This place had always made her feel uneasy, like a stranger, but not so much as when Ned was with her. His back was to her, but even then, he still felt her presence. She walked up behind him slowly and took a seat next to him on a smaller stone. She raised her face to the tree and looked over its frightening features. It was such a large tree and the face that had been carved in it many years ago evoked a certain fear within her. Catelyn had not been one to disturb him from his prayers and thoughts while he sat before the tree. There had often been times when she found him here and sat alongside him, no words spoken between them.

This day was one of those in particular. He guessed she was fretting over him. His father, Brandon, and Lyanna were all dead and his close friend Robert Baratheon sat on the iron throne now. She had seen how the war had hardened him when he returned to Winterfell, covered in mud, ash, and blood. She had gone to great lengths to soften him back to the quiet, mindful stranger he had been when they were married.

Being here with him, sitting in the silence, was all she could think to do to ease his pain; and although it may not have helped much, she saw the gratefulness in his eyes every time he stood from the stone and helped her to her feet.

Today, though, he sat longer than usual, staring up at the five-sided red leaves that hung from the white branches of the tree. She was startled a bit, her head snapping sideways when he opened his mouth and soft words spilled out in the silence of the woods.

"It is said that when you leave this world behind, instead of emptiness, the happiest moment of your life flashes before you and repeats itself until you are aware of what memory it happens to be." She swallowed with a bit of difficulty, watching the sadness spread across his tired face. "Some say that the old gods are so kind enough to let you share that moment, with whomever or whatever has brought you such happiness throughout your years."

Was he so saddened by this? Had he thought to share a memory with his father or siblings? Had he been so torn and devastated when no such thing had happened?

It was a sweet notion, almost romantic in a way, and it was not something she was used to… him openly talking to her about such intimate things. It was her who stood from the stone first, standing in front of him and offering her hands out to him. He took them slowly and stood to his feet, their fingers lacing together as he came to tower over her.

"I can only pray that one day far, far from now… that you are so kind to share yours with me," she whispered and his eyes rose to meet hers.

.

She smiled at the memory and was able to recall everything that had followed when they both left the godswood together that day. Her heart warmed with every memory she recalled, needing them in such dark times. She often found herself recalling them at night, when she had laid in the modest cot as her son plotted for war. It would do no good for her to worry over things which she could not control, so instead, allowed the memories from Riverrun, Winterfell, when Robb was just a babe; allowed all of them to seep into her mind and bring smiles to her face. Day after night, the pleasant memories played out in her head and brought some joy to her, even with the promise of war so close now.

After a night's sleep, her eyes suddenly fluttered open and something stirred inside of her. Slowly, she moved from her bed and quickly dressed, then peered outside to see the sky had grown dim and the clouds were casting shadows across the lands. The morning hours had dragged, the sudden change in weather worrying her beyond belief. It wasn't until she was back in her chambers, behind the walls of a castle they had stopped at to make camp, when she grew weak in her legs and her eyes went hazy.

A dim, cool room with a few candles placed upon the fireplace mantle, the white wax melting and running down the stone, dripping to the floor.

She reached out for her bed post, to steady herself, as a wave of visions came flooding.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her. Soft lips were at her neck. She threw back her head in pleasure.

Tears welled in her eyes as she fought away this particular memory. This one, though, was insistent. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, drifting off to another place and time… a time before this. It was all too real now.

.

The fire that had once burned with intensity had weakened as the night grew darker. The candles had been lit and the wax poured from the edges, coating the brick of the fireplace. Their window was cracked slightly, letting in a cool wind that made her shiver against the sheets. She had been lying in their bed alone for some time. She straightened up a little when he came through their door, his eyes moving directly to hers.

He moved across the room, to the other side of the bed that was empty. He unlaced his riding boots and let them fall to the floor with a thud. The rest of his clothes followed until he stood there in just his breeches. She watched with hungry eyes as he undressed before her and she lifted the cotton sheets to allow him in the bed with her. In doing so, the small flames from the fire had given him some light to see through the thin material that served as her nightgown.

She saw the fire ignite in his cool, serious eyes and before she had laid the covers to rest atop him, he was hovering above her, hands roaming and his lips claiming hers in a fierce kiss. His hands had found the back of her knees and he lifted her legs, her knees bent and her feet flat against their bed as he moved between her thighs. She inhaled sharply, her lips parting and his tongue came out to sweep across her bottom lip.

Her hand darted to his long, brown hair where she ran her delicate fingers through the fine strands that fell across his face in the dim light. She kept his lips sealed to hers, their kiss growing more passionate and desperate with every second that passed. His hands trailed from behind her knees and up her soft thighs, where they stayed for a moment, caressing and stroking ever so lovingly. Her gown had been lifted in the process and now the fabric pooled in the flat of her belly.

She could feel his hardness through his clothes and her fingers went to the laces, desperately trying to free him of his last piece of clothing. She needed to feel him against her, his burning skin on hers. Rough hands caught her wrists, though, and pinned her hands above her head against the soft feather pillow. She let out a soft moan in protest and her hips arched off the bed to feel him pressed against her once more.

He tore his lips away from hers, though she protested at that also, and placed them against the soft skin of her neck. His tongue came out to leave a hot trail as he moved to her ear, gently nipping at the lobe. She panted against his cheek, her arousal at a heightened level. She could feel the wetness between her legs pooling and trickling down her folds, onto the sheets below her.

"Ned," she whispered, longing in her cracked, small voice. He freed her hands from the pillow and they quickly made work of his breeches. They fell to the bed and she grasped his hardness, her cold fingers wrapping around the length of him. He shuddered hard against her tiny body, his head falling into the crook of her neck and shoulder.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her then and rolled. He lay back against the bed and she thrust her hands out to steady herself against the feathered mattress, one hand on either side of his head. Her breaths were erratic, uncontrollable. She straddled his lap and he rose off the bed, sitting straight up with her in his lap, to meet her in a demanding kiss. One of his hands went into the soft curls of her long, auburn hair and his fingers tangled in the locks there. His other hand found her hip and caressed the skin it found there. She was hot to the touch and as her firm breasts pressed against his naked chest, he growled hungrily into their kiss, tugging her head back by her hair gently to plunge his tongue into her warm, moist mouth.

He guided her with the hand on her hip until she was poised above him and gently, she sunk down his length. Small cries escaped her lips and he buried them with longing kisses. He was stretching her from the inside, the pain bittersweet. When she had lowered herself fully onto him was when he steadied her with both of his hands on her hips. She thrashed against him, a desire building up within her to rock against him, but he held her there and sighed heavily against her chest. Beads of sweat had accumulated on his forehead and pieces of hair stuck to the side of his face.

With shaky hands, she reached up and brushed them away. Just then, did he lift her up and guide her back down onto his length. They both closed their eyes at the sensation of him filling her. Her forehead fell against his and he lifted her once more, only to guide her back down. He set a slow pace, her thighs quivering as she lifted and impaled herself on him over and over; faster and harder every time.

He grabbed the back of her head and rolled once more without warning. She cried out into his mouth at the change in angle when he thrust back into her. She arched her back from the bed, her chest colliding with his. He shoved his face into the pillow her auburn hair had fanned over and moaned. The wooden piece behind their bed shook against the mattress and Catelyn thrust her head back, her eyes wide with lust as she watched Ned grip the piece of wood with both hands, his muscles flexing before her eyes and his knuckles turning white as he pushed into her again and again and again.

"Cat…" He thrust into her and she raked her nails down his back. "Catelyn." Her name falling from his lips was enough to send her over the edge, violently shaking as a satisfying tingle ran from her tiny toes to the top of her head. She clenched around him as she came violently, her head thrown back and her eyes shut in pure ecstasy. Her arms fell to the bed, where she grasped the sheets into two clenched fists. A few more strokes and he joined her spasms, his head falling against her breasts and his arms coming down protectively on either side of her. She reached up with a gentle hand to stroke his head, running her fingers through it and earning a soft sigh from her husband.

He could hear her steady heartbeat, feel it against his cheek… It was strong, soothing, and lulling him to sleep.

"I love you," she whispered in the darkness, his cheek humming as she spoke the sweet words. He rolled off of her, pulling her with him once more until it was her head that lay against his chest, listening to his strong heart.

"And I love you."

Slowly, her eyes opened and the tears fell down her cheeks quickly, uncontrollably. All she could think about was years before, when they were first married, when she had caught him praying underneath the weirwood.

"Some say that the old gods are so kind enough to let you share that moment, with whomever or whatever has brought you such happiness throughout your years."

"Thank you, my love," she whispered into the loneliness of her room, tears silently falling as more clouds rolled through the sky.

A/N: UGhh. So many feels. I wish my babies had their own tv show and no one died. Sorry if this was horrible. I understand completely if you all hate it and shun me from the Cat/Ned fics forever. Sorry for any mistakes in the writing, I tried my best to find every single one. Review if you loved it! I can most definitely write more Cat/Ned for you guys!