Along Came The Viper

Chapter 1: Sansa

Sansa was exhausted. It had been a long day at the office. She had spent hours in meetings and on conference calls listening to Mace Tyrell drone on about whether or not he would merge High Garden Industries with Stark INC. The pompous, fat man went back and forth constantly as if it were life and death for him. He was a fickle old man, who didn't appreciate that he had to do most of his dealings with Sansa rather than her brother Robb or her father Ned Stark. He didn't out right say it, but he didn't think she could handle his business because she was a woman.

He would say things like, "well your father will explain it to you" or "your brother will be able to do this for me". She wanted to reach across the board room and throttle the piggy man. What right did this buffoon have to judge her? He had inherited his business without going to the proper school, like Sansa and Robb had to.

Ned Stark was a hard man, who despite having great wealth still wanted his children to value of a hard days work. He never wanted them to feel entitled to anything. They had to earn their place where ever they went.

Sansa had to get into university on an academic scholarship and had to interview for a job at Stark INC. She started as a entry level assistant and had to climb her way into being the head of the King's Landing division of Stark INC. She worked hard and was known as the "Ice Queen" in the industry. She would freeze anyone who dared to cross her with her piercing blue eyes.

She entered her apartment and kicked off her shoes. She blindly went through her apartment, just trying to get her bathroom to take a hot shower. She wanted curl up in bed and sleep the weekend away. She got to the bathroom door that's when she heard it. A weird moaning and grunting sound... Fucking Hells... she thought to herself. Joffery was here. She regretted more than anything that she'd given her useless as tits on a bull of a boyfriend a key. He was watching porn in her bedroom right now. She had had it for today. She turned and barreled into her bedroom.

It took her a minute to understand what the actual fuck she was seeing. Joffery was in her bed, but he wasn't watching porn. He fucking his assistant Ros. Was her name Ros? Sansa couldn't fucking remember. Joffery had his head back grunting like a pig, as his assistant rode away on his dick, and at the door slamming open he snapped his head in her direction. He smiled at her. This mother fucker actually smiled at her. Something inside Sansa broke.

"What in the name of the fucking Seven is going on here?" Sansa heard her voice but it didn't sound like her voice. It was a fierce rumbling like a low wolfish growl.

The girl quickly climbed off of Joffery and started to collect her things. She had the sense not to look at Sansa or talk to her. Not that Sansa in any way was blaming her or thought badly of her even. Her wrath was all for Joffery.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going girl?" Joffery asked Ros.

Ros looked confused at him. She didn't understand. Sansa did. Joffery wasn't done with her yet. Joffery didn't stop until he had had his "due". He called it. Sansa's stomach roiled. Memories came flooding in draining her anger. Fists, shouts, pain, and shame were stabbing into her like a tiny daggers.

"Go now, before he gets mad." Sansa told her as she began to dial a number on her phone.

Ros nodded slipping clothes on as she ran from the apartment. That girl probably just lost her job. Sansa's phone was ringing and ringing. Fucking Hells, why didn't she ever pick up? Sansa thought as she watched Joffery carefully. Joffery's eyes had gone hard as a stood naked and began to draw near to her. Her wrath had turned to fear. She backed away as the phone in her hand rang and rang. Make it to the bathroom and lock the door, now! A voice in her head screamed.

"Hello? This Gendry answering Arya's phone. Sansa?" The phone called.

She made a break for the bathroom.

"Sansa? Sansa! Seriously what the fuck is going on? Sansa? Sansa is that mother fucker hurting you again? Fuck! We are coming Sansa hang on! Arya! We gotta go!!!!" Gendry's worried voice called out to her as she ran and locked the bathroom door.

Joffery was pounding on the door. Screaming at her. He called her a whore, a bitch, and she would be nothing without him. She was ungrateful and a bad lay. The phone hadn't hung up. She heard Arya swear. Sansa sat on the bathroom floor crying and rocking. She was nothing in this moment. She wasn't the "Ice Queen" or a "She-wolf" like Arya. She was nothing, but an idiot who had trapped herself with a monster.

She prayed the door held until help came. He might actually kill her this time. She'd had the audacity to call for help. She didn't just take the beating or let him ravage her body. She'd took a stand against him. What the hells had she been thinking?

Suddenly the banging and shouting had stopped.

"My mother will hear about this!!!" Joffery screamed.

"She has you ungrateful little twat! Get dressed and get your shit and get out that door before I make you! I cannot believe....." said the voice of Jaime Lannister.

Why the fuck was Jaime Lannister here? She wondered.

Seconds or minutes passed. Sansa knew not which. She only knew she was safe on this side of the door. Safe. Safe. She was safe.

"Sansa?" came the voice of Arya, "Sansa, he's gone... Please come out. I need to see if your ok."

Arya the wildest and harshest of the Stark children wasn't one for sentiment. In this moment however Arya's voice was gentle and worried. She sounded like their mother. That thought made Sansa laugh. Arya would hate the comparison. She would vehemently deny it.

"Sansa? Sansa, it's Jon open up the door, little sis. I'm here. You're safe." Her adoptive brother Jon called.

Sansa reached up and unlocked the door. Jon swung it open and knelt next to her. He examined her carefully. He was looking for where Joffery had hurt her.

"I made it to bathroom, before he could..." she began.

"Good girl" Jon smiled at her. He took her hands and got her to her feet.

Arya had packed her a bag. Gendry had changed her locks. Sam Tarly, Jon's friend, had been the one to call Jaime Lannister. Their dads had worked together in the past. Jaime had always been kind to her when Joffery had determined she was worthy to go to a family function. His uncle Jaime and Tyrion had always been kind to her. They never made her feel small or uncomfortable like Cersei and Robert Baratheon, Joffery's parents did. Jaime had made assurances that Joffery wouldn't bother Sansa again.

Next thing Sansa knew she was at Arya and Gendry's loft sitting on their couch. While everyone around her was making calls and taking care of her. Jon had called their dad and explained what happened. He'd given her a sabbatical leave of absence from work. Arya was making all kinds of calls, but Sansa couldn't ever hear about what. Sansa's mother had called her and talked to her for a bit. She said that Sansa was in shock. Was she? She just felt numb. Once the fear and pain had passed. This overwhelming numbness tinged with a relief washed over her. Joffery was out of her life. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore. She wouldn't have to touch him or look at him again. There was a sweetness to this numbness.

Sansa wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep. When she woke up she felt a hand in hers. She opened her eyes to find Arya hold her hand sitting against the couch snoring away. Sansa smiled at her younger sister. The fierce and brave one. Sansa has always envied her boldness in her everyday life. Arya feared no one. Sansa squeezed her hand and Arya bolted upright.

"I'm awake!" She proclaimed.

Sansa giggled at her sister's sleepy face and slurred shout.

"Bitch... scoot over..." Arya growled as she climbed onto the couch with her.

There they drifted to sleep, the two little she-wolves.