Chapter Text
Sansa wanted to cry. She’d made it away from her abusive ex-boyfriend, Harry, and had finally been able to take their daughter and run from him. They had made it to Old Oak when her car had started acting up. She managed to get it to a mechanic’s shop. She waited with a sleeping Rosie in the modest waiting room in the office. About 20 minutes later, the older mechanic with the name tag of Frank came back in.
“I checked the car and haven’t finished with that, but it looks like there’s a tracker. Now I can take it off and give it to Johnny to take with him on his truck across the country as he delivers things or I can involve the police.”
Sansa didn’t have much confidence in the police after they had allowed Harry to blow through her protection orders with little consequences.
“Just send it with Johnny please. The cops haven’t done much against him so far. They’re not gonna do much against him now for a little stalking.” Sansa said disheartened. “At least he might not be able to find us as fast.” Frank nodded understandingly. He went through the other things the car would need would need and Sansa fought back tears with how much it was going to cost. The bell rang and in stepped an older woman with long brown hair.
“Ellie!” Frank greeted. “This is Miss Sansa and her daughter.”
“Thanks Frank.” Ellie said coming over to Sansa as Frank moved away so they could talk. “I’m Eleanor, but everyone calls me Ellie. Frank let me know that he thought you were in the same boat I was a long time ago. I know what you’re going through. I ran with my kid from my ex and made it stick. You’re both welcome as long as you need to have somewhere safe.”
“I don’t have much, I can’t pay for-” Sansa started tearing up again.
“You don’t need to.” Ellie said looking Sansa dead in her eyes. “I want to help pay it forward in the same way that someone once di for me when I was in your shoes. Let me help. You can stay with me and I can help take care of your car bill.” Sansa looked at her and took a deep breath, looking hopeful.
“Okay.” Sansa accepted. Ellie, Sansa and Frank got Sansa and Rosie’s things out of her car and into Ellie’s. Rosie woke up long enough to get buckled in before Ellie was taking them over to her house about 15 minutes away. There were 2 decent sized houses on the property on either side of the longer driveway and large garage. They went into the large white cottage on the right with lots of flowers and bushes around the house. The beautiful dark green shutters popped nicely on the walls.
“My son lives in the other house when he’s in town. He splits his time between here and King’s Landing.” She said pointing to the stone house a bit further away. Both houses looked well cared for. Sansa and Eleanor got everything out of the car as Rosie ran around a little. Eleanor got them set up in the guest suite in her house. “Please feel free to rest and let me know if you need anything or have questions.”
“Thank you so much Ellie!” Sansa said gratefully.
“You’re very welcome Sansa. I’m happy to help.” Ellie said gently. Rosie took a seat in the bay window cushion and picked up the book that she had started. Sansa took a nap, finally able to relax a little. Rosie joined her after a little bit and slept next to her mom. They both got up a few hours later feeling rested and freer than they had in a while. They joined Ellie in the living room and Rosie was enjoying being able to smell all the flowers that Ellie had growing and see all the fun different things she had. They’d been relaxing for a while together when a car pulled up and they heard the key in the lock.
“Hey mom, do you have company?” A deep voice came from the hallway as Rosie’s little feet could be heard walking on the wood floors nearby before running to Sansa.
“Yes. Greg, this is my new friend Sansa and her daughter Rosie. They’re staying with me for now til they get back on their feet.” Eleanor said as Gregor looked at the tired but gorgeous woman sitting with his mother and her small toddler.
“Good to meet both of you.” He said with a nod.
“Gregor fights. I hate it but he’s very good at it.” Eleanor added.
“Sometimes boxing, sometimes MMA. Hopefully getting out soon and trying to manage rather than fight.” He said skillfully.
“That sounds doable. It’s good to meet you.” Sansa said with a smile.
“I brought dinner with me if you were all hungry and wanted to eat?” He offered.
“Thank you Gregor.” Ellie said as Sansa and Rosie got up with them. They all went over to the kitchen, stopping at the sink to wash hands as Gregor got out the take out containers.
“Today was a partial cheat day so I got a bunch of different tacos, some bowls and a bunch of chips, salsa and guac.” Gregor said as the table filled up with a lot of the containers with each type of taco in their own box. “These salsas are spicier-” he said pulling those bowls to one side. “-and but the tacos should be all okay and don’t have anything too spicy.”
“Oh that’s great. Thank you Gregor.” Sansa said as Rosie looked excited, sniffing the air.
“This smells really good.” Rosie said intrigued.
“If it’s ok with your mom, we could cut up some of the tacos if you want to try a bunch of the different types?” Gregor suggested looking at Sansa.
“Yeah, that’d be fun. Thank you.” Sansa said with a tired smile. Gregor pulled over a few plates and Sansa cut up some of the tacos so that she and Rosie would spilt them. They both lit up happily with how yummy the tacos were with the sauce, salsa and chips. Ellie and Gregor had dove into some of the others and they all chatted easily.
“Good?” He asked them after they had split a few between mother and daughter.
“Really good. Thank you.” Rosie said grinning.
“Excellent. Some of the best I’ve had.” Sansa added beaming. Gregor smiled at them as Ellie looked on contentedly. Dinner passed by at just the right pace and by the end Rosie was full and tired.
“Thank you so much for dinner. This was delicious.” Sansa said as Rosie looked over at Gregor.
“Thank you Mr. Gregor.” She said tiredly.
“I’m gonna get Rosie to bed before she falls asleep here.” Sansa said softly.
“It was great to meet you both. Good night Rosie.” Gregor said softly.
“Good night Rosie. Sleep well.” Ellie said with a smile. Sansa picked up Rosie and took her over to the bathroom to get ready for bed before getting into her pajamas and tucking into the bed in the guest room they were staying in.
“Night Mommy.” Rosie said closing her eyes tiredly.
“Night baby. Sleep well.” Sansa said with a kiss to her forehead. She went back to the kitchen and made some tea, Ellie coming up and getting some for herself too.
“Greg’s a good man.” She said quietly. “You and Rosie are safe here and with him.” before they both joined Gregor on the porch swing in the back that overlooked the Sunset Sea.
“If you or Rosie need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He said seriously. “I worked out a lot of my issues growing up through therapy but the fighting helped too. I haven’t really needed the fighting in a long while but I need to do a couple more fights before I can officially retire and take up more of a manager role.” Gregor told her as he used his legs to slowly move the swing.
“I wish you luck and thank you again. You both have been so kind.” Sansa said crying a little. Ellie offered a supporting hand hold.
“We did it and succeeded. You and Rosie can too.” Ellie told them.
“We can be part of your village.” Gregor said confidently.
“I truly appreciate you both.” Sansa said gratefully. “Maybe it was fate to stop here.”
“Must have been.” Both Ellie and Greg agreed.
“I’m gonna head over to my house across the way. It was great to meet you and Rosie. Please don’t hesitate to ask for anything.” Gregor said encouragingly.
“It was wonderful to meet you and thank you so much for dinner.” Sansa said.
“No problem.” Gregor said getting up and walking over to his house.
Gregor called up Frank. He liked the older man and had appreciated that he’d helped him and his mom when they had run from his dad as a kid. “Hey Frank, won’t take much of your time.”
“Yeah, what’s up Greg?” The mechanic asked.
“Sansa, the woman who’s staying with my mom, I want to pay for the repairs to her car when you’re done fixing it.” He said to the point.
“Ok. No problem. I’ll let you know when I’m done with it. There was definitely some intentional neglect on some previous repairs from what I’ve seen so far in addition to the gps tracker.”
“That’s not good. Fuck. Thanks for letting me know.” Greg said.
“Not a problem, Greg. I’ll see ya around.” Frank said before hanging up.
Sansa and Rosie stayed with Ellie, enjoying the support and love from Ellie. Both mother and daughter slowly got more and more comfortable with Gregor as they spent time with him. Ellie loved that he was spending more time at home when he could and Sansa loved how encouraging and positive he was around her and Rosie. It had been a while since she could remember laughing and smiling as much as she and Rosie had with Ellie and Gregor.
One such day, Gregor and Eleanor were sitting with Rosie and having a little tea party with her. The tiny espresso sized cups she was using for the tea party looked ridiculously tiny in his enormous hands.
“Mummy! Greg is having a tea party with Ellie and I!” Rosie said grinning happily.
“That’s lovely!” Sansa said, her hand over her mouth as she tried to hide a little how laughable Gregor looked. A few tears of mirth and laughter escaped as Gregor met her gaze. He looked amused and happy that she was laughing.
“Maybe you can paint my nails next time.” Gregor said completely seriously. Rosie looked absolutely floored at that suggestion.
“Really?!” She asked in an awed unsure tone.
“Of course.” Gregor agreed happily with a smile. “We can pick out some nail polish to use.”
About a week later, Sansa, Eleanor, Rosie and Gregor had a spa day with face masks, nail polish painting and a little make up. They all had an absolute blast and Gregor thought his pink with rainbow glitter painted nails had never looked better. He also enjoyed kicking the ass of anyone at his gym that week that gave him any shit about it.
Gregor, Sansa and Rosie all were out shopping down in Highgarden for the day and stopped for coffee to get out of some of the colder rain. Gregor ordered a flat white, Sansa got a mocha latte and Rosie got a hot cocoa that Gregor ordered specifically for a kid’s temperature so it wasn’t as hot. They all sat by the fireplace.
“Make sure to blow a little on your cocoa, Rosie. Like this.” He said softly as he showed her with his own drink, blowing on the top.
“Like this?” Rosie asked as she blew across the top of her drink before taking a cautious sip.
“Yes.” Gregor told her gently. “We don’t want to burn our mouth, cause that’s not fun.” Sansa sipped quietly on her mocha with a content smile on her face. They all worked through their drinks and had a bathroom break before heading to the botanical garden they were down to see as part of the trip.
They had their rain coats on and some umbrellas with their rain boots. Even with some lighter rain, they had a fun afternoon in the garden. Sansa and Rosie laughed and smiled with Gregor, enjoying their time together. Gregor watched as Sansa smelled the flowers and avoided the roses. Sansa was a little ahead of them as Rosie was on Gregor’s shoulders.
“Mummy hates roses.” Rosie whispered. “Dad always gave them to her after he was mean and I think it made it hurt worse.”
“No roses. Good to know.” Gregor said making a note in his phone. “Any idea what ones she really likes?”
“I don’t know what they are called, but I would know them if I see them.” Rosie said confidently. They came to the section with the irises and the smile that hit Sansa’s face was so noticeable. She leaned down to smell the gorgeous blooms and paused by them for a minute. “Those are mommy’s favorite.” She whispered before Greg and Rosie caught up with Sansa. Greg looked at the label.
“These are Irises.” He started.
“They’re some of my favorite flowers.” Sansa said quietly.
“Good to know.” Greg said quietly. Rosie took pictures sometimes with Sansa’s phone and others with Greg’s phone. There were some good ones. Rosie loved being able to climb all over Gregor and see things from his shoulders high up. They all had an enjoyable time.
They went to one of the restaurants that Gregor frequently went to when he was in Highgarden for lunch.
“Greg!” The huge chef came out to greet Gregor with a tight hug.
“Thad!” Greg said with a clapping hug. “Sansa, Rosie, this is Thad Kelly. He’s the Head Chef here. Thad, this is my friend Sansa and her daughter Rosie.”
“Great to meet you Thad!” Sansa and Rosie said together.
“Good to meet you both as well.” Thad said with a smile. “Let me take you over to your table.” He said as they followed him over to a private corner with a plush large booth. They all got their coats off and Greg hung them on the hook next to their table as Sansa and Rosie sat down. “Any allergies?”
“Nope. We are pretty open minded.” Sansa said.
“Is Miss Rosie feeling more of a kid’s menu vibe or were you all good with sharing more family style?” Thad asked.
“Can I please do the second option, cause that sounds yummy?” Rosie asked Gregor as he smiled.
“Of course.” He replied.
“I got you all.” Thad said as another staff member came over. “This is Angela. She’ll be taking care of you for most of the afternoon.” They got their drinks ordered, sticking with non-alcoholic options since Sansa didn’t drink alcohol very often and Gregor was driving. Angela got them some of the handcrafted lemonades that they were well-known for. Thad sent out a couple of smaller appetizers. Greg, Sansa and Rosie enjoyed the variety before Thad sent out several entrees. Sansa and Greg each cut some small pieces of each of the entrees for Rosie to try. Their late lunch was delicious and Thad sent them home with a container of several desserts in a carryout bag. Sansa, Rosie and Greg all told him how fantastic their meal was and Thad smiled happily at them, happy to hear that.
On the way home, Rosie spilled a small amount of her water on herself and the seat that her car seat was on.
“Oh no.” Rosie said in a horrified whisper.
“What’s wrong Rosie?” Gregor asked concerned.
“I’m so sorry. I spilled a little of my water on the seat.” Rosie said trying not to cry. Gregor pulled the car over and turned to look at her. It broke his heart to see how terrified she looked.
“Rosie it’s fine. It’s just water. Even if it was some soda or something worse we can clean it up. Are you okay?” Gregor asked concerned about her.
“Yeah. Just a little wet.” Rosie said after a moment of thought. He got out some napkins from one of the compartments and passed them back to her.
“Accidents happen. Try to soak up some of it and we can deal more with it at home. I promise you I’m always going to be more concerned on if you are all right. We can fix or clean things, but you and your momma are more important. ” Gregor said reassuringly.
“Thanks Gregor.” Rosie said more happily as she and Sansa both nodded. Thankful for a much more level headed man in their lives. Gregor looked at Sansa and saw the welled up tears in her eyes. He gently reached over and took one of her hands in his as the tears spilled out.
“I mean every word.” Sansa nodded and leaned against his arm a moment.
“It’s nice to see that for a change from what we were used to.” She offered as he gave her hand a slight squeeze in solidarity that she returned with a happier smile.
“Okay. Are we all good to head home?” He asked looking between them. Both Sansa and Rosie nodded with relieved smiles.
“Yes please.” They both responded. Gregor got the SUV back into gear and safely merged back onto the road. He made a pit stop at the ice cream place that was on the way home and they all got their favorite flavors to have for dessert.
Sansa got Rosie to bed when they got home as Greg got things put away from their trip. They’d have the desserts that Thad had given them for breakfast. After Sansa got Rosie to sleep, she went to the kitchen where she saw that Greg had already started a kettle and had 2 mugs with each of their favorite teas. Greg came over and smiled gently. “I got it Sansa. I can bring the mugs out to the swing if you’d like?”
“Yes please.” She said softly with a hug to his side that he returned. She went out to sit on the swing on the back porch, appreciating the slight breeze. She was lost in thought as Gregor set her tea on the small end table before sitting down next to her. “Would you mind if we sat closer?” She asked as he looked at her. He’d always been trying to give her space, assuming she needed it.
“Not at all.” He said sliding over closer.
“I know this was the first time that anything has really happened but you continue to be a breath of fresh air.” She said meeting his gaze as he took her hand in his. “Harry yelled so much and freaked out over little and big things alike.” He gave her hand a supportive squeeze. She took a sip of her tea and it was perfect.
“My dad was a yeller and hitter. I vowed that I’d never be like him if I could help it.” Gregor told her.
“You’re doing a really good job and Rosie and I truly appreciate it.” Sansa said squeezing his hand. “Also this tea is perfect.”
“I’ve tried to become quite an observer throughout the years with finding weak spots in my opponents. It’s also helped to assist me with going that extra mile for those I care about.” He admitted.
“I care about you too.” Sansa admitted back as she cuddled a little closer. She took another sip of her tea. They quietly sat on the porch swing at his mom’s house, drinking their tea together and just soaking up the moment together.
It had taken over about six months, but Harry had found Sansa and Rosie. Unfortunately for Harry, Gregor had found Harry first. Gregor was out in the garage getting a couple things sorted on a project they were working on. Gregor saw him as Sansa was bringing out some water and the part he had needed from his house. Rosie was with Eleanor in her house making dinner when Harry came to call.
“Sansa!” Greg shouted in warning, getting up quickly.
“You fucking whore!” Harry shouted lunging at Sansa. She had gotten better at evading through training with Gregor the last few months and the instincts he’d been trying to become second nature had worked as she easily avoided being caught by Harry.
“Harry NO!” Sansa screamed as Gregor moved to step in front of Sansa between her and Harry. The height and mass difference between Harry and Gregor was comical.
“That wasn’t nice and you have been terrible to Sansa and Rosie.” Gregor said as Harry pitifully tried to throw a punch at Gregor but was too short to reach his face properly.
“Fuck you!” Harry shouted as Sansa and Gregor both laughed at him for even trying it, further enraging him. It only took one punch for Gregor to knock Harry on his ass, his body sprawled indignantly. His head hit the nearby tree at a good clip from how hard Gregor had punched his face. Blood streamed from the head wound as Harry lay there stunned. Gregor turned to Sansa, dropping to his knee, looking her over and quickly running his hands over her arms to make sure Harry hadn’t hurt her.
“Greg, I’m okay. I’m okay. He didn’t touch me.” She said taking his arms in hers and leaning her forehead against his. “The training worked.” She said relieved. He gently leaned his head into hers to be reassuring.
“I’m glad.” He turned back around to Harry as he got out his phone to text his mom to keep Rosie in the house, not come out and he’d explain later. “You sure you’re all right?” He asked, running his hands along her arms. She glanced over at Harry before she looked back at Gregor. Some tears came as she thought she knew what he was doing.
“You’re just killing time so he’s definitely gone, right?” She whispered as he nodded with a tight smile.
“I want your monster to be gone.” He said as she kissed his cheek.
“Thank you.” She said as he hugged her. They watched as more blood flowed out of Harry for another minute before he took his phone and called 911. Between making the call and the police arriving they told Eleanor. He and Sansa dealt with the police and he held her hand while they were talking to them in support. The police were thorough and located Harry’s car a few streets over with a gun in the glovebox. Everyone told them that there shouldn’t be any charges filed since Harry had broken a number of laws including the protective order for Sansa and Rosie and trespassed. Eleanor had kept Rosie busy inside while the police were there.
Later that night, Sansa crept outside. She looked up at the stars and fell to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks as she realized she and Rosie were finally free from the monster that had been haunting their steps. Sansa sobbed with relief, hopefully this would be the last time she cried because of Harry. She heard Gregor’s heavy footfalls coming closer.
“Sansa?” He asked softly. One word, but his tone conveyed so many questions. Are you all right? Do you need help? Can I help you? Do you want me to leave you alone? Do you want me to stay? Do you need a hug?
“Can you hold me?” She asked quietly as he came up behind her and moved to hold her. She leaned back into his chest and his arms came around her to hold her close. She took several calming breaths before melting against him. He held her tightly as she had one of the most cathartic cries in a long time. He picked her up and took her to the huge padded porch swing at his mother’s house.
She stayed on his lap, her head tucked under his chin and his hand running up and down her back soothingly. She felt safe. She felt cared for. She felt completely free for the first time in a long time. He felt her eyes close where her face had pressed in against his chest. Her breathing slowed as she fell asleep against him. He smiled at Sansa and kept the swing moving slowly. He waited a little while longer and carefully got up and took her to the room she and Rosie were staying at in his mother’s house. Gregor gently set Sansa down and tucked her in.
“Good night Sansa.” He said softly as he moved her hair off her face.
“Night Greg.” She said tiredly as Rosie moved to hold onto her. Greg shut the door and went to sleep on the couch, keeping an ear out for Rosie and Sansa.