Unexpected News

Disclaimer: Thank you to George R.R. Martin for creating such a brilliant series of books and thanks to HBO, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for such a captivating show that keeps us coming back year after year. I make nothing from this, unless you count the promise from the Night King not to turn me into a wight.

When Jon walked into his rooms at Winterfell he wasn't expecting to see Daenerys there. She was sitting by the roaring fire, huddled in her heaviest cloak.

'Your Grace,' Jon stopped walking, a questioning look on his face.

Daenerys rose to greet him, 'Lord Snow,' she replied, 'If I may have a word?'

Jon insisted on correct protocol between the two of them during her stay here. Even though they were very much in love and in a relationship, perhaps the worst kept secret in Winterfell, Jon felt it would be unseemly for the Queen of Dragons to be consorting with the King of the North; especially since the Northern Lords were still to be convinced she wasn't here simply to subjugate them all.

Jon glanced at Ser Davos and the young page his sister insisted follow him around, 'Can this wait, Your Grace, I was just about to go see Sansa, it seems the addition of your armies has stretched our resources a bit thin?'

'It will only take a minute,' Daenerys insisted.

Davos clapped a hand on the young page's shoulder, giving him a tug backwards, 'I'll just go tell them you'll be down in a bit shall I?' the older man didn't even bother hiding the huge grin, he had run interference with these two more than once in the weeks they had been in the North. 'Come along, lad,' he pulled the page towards the door, 'I'm sure if we ask nicely they might find us something hot in the kitchens.'

As the wooden door closed behind them, Daenerys began pacing the floor.

'Dany' Jon began slowly to walk towards her, 'are you alright?'

Daenerys strode back towards the fireplace, 'I'm fine,' she insisted, staring deep into the fire's depths.

'Fine as in fine,' Jon stopped next to her, he found it hard sometimes to judge Dany's mood, 'or fine as in –'

Daenerys turned to look at Jon, 'I'm pregnant!' she watched as his eyes widened and his face turned white.

Silence enveloped the room, the only sound the crackling of the logs and the low howl of a storm outside.

A sense of dread began to envelop Daenerys, while the realisation had filled her with joy; for so long Dany thought she would never have another child, Jon's stillness worried her. 'I thought you would be pleased.'

'I –' dozens of thoughts flickered through Jon's brain before he finally settled on one, 'are you sure?'

Daenerys sighed; at least he hadn't asked her if it was his. 'A woman knows these things.'

'How long?'

'Have I known?' Daenerys rested a hand on her belly, 'almost a month.'

'And you just thought to mention this now?' Jon asked, the shock beginning to wear off.

'I had to be sure,' Daenerys answered him, glad to see he was finally adjusting to the concept.

'Oh gods,' Jon stepped back, one hand drifted up as if to take Dany's hand before falling back at his side again. 'We're not wed; it'll be born a bastard.'

Daenerys shook her head, the Westerosi and their archaic ways, 'It doesn't matter.'

'Believe me,' Jon snapped, 'it matters.'

'Fine, then,' Dany's tone rose to match his, 'we'll get married, I'm not showing yet, not that you could tell under all this clothing. If that's what it takes not to upset your precious Northern Lords.' Daenerys tirade stuttered to a stop as Jon dropped to one knee before her. 'What are you doing? I'm not expecting a proposal right this minute.'

Jon threw his left arm about Dany's waist, grabbing the back of her legs with his right and pulled her towards him, burying his face into her belly.

'Jon?' Daenerys softened her tone immediately, 'it's all right, I do love you, you know that.' She reached down and rested a hand on his dark hair. She felt rather than saw the shudder that seemed to pass through him. He mumbled something against her stomach. 'What?'

Tilting his head back Jon looked up at Daenerys, his look of shock fading into amazement and a touch of fear. Unable to keep eye contact he looked down again. His right hand moved up to hover over her stomach, fingers barely brushing her dress. 'I don't deserve this,' he whispered.

Daenerys reached down and dragged Jon's head up to look at her, 'Of course you do.' She hesitated, almost afraid to ask the next question. 'Don't you want this?'

Instead of answering her question immediately, Jon reached for Dany's hand and placed a kiss on her palm. He then kissed her belly before resting his left cheek against her. 'Yes,' he seemed almost surprised at his response, 'yes I want this. I just never thought I would have children.' Jon placed his right hand on Daenerys' belly. 'When I joined the Watch I took a vow, "I shall take no wife, I shall father no children".'

'I know how seriously you take your vows,' Daenerys said, resting her hand against Jon's, as he slowly began to run his thumb against her belly. In the long nights aboard the ship as they had slowly travelled north Daenerys and Jon had shared their secrets. Jon's time in the Watch, how he had acquired those scars; even his love with Ygritte. And in return she had told him of her brother and the deal he made with the Dothraki; her body in marriage for their warriors. She talked about Khal Drogo, their growing affection for each other and the fate of her unborn child, along with the trip through the desert and her time spent in Meereen. 'But your watch ended with your death, you are free to be with whoever you want. Besides,' she tried to lighten the mood a little, 'you're a king now, children are rather expected after all. Once the war is over there will be plenty of time for this one and more.'

Jon's hand stilled and Daenerys felt the breath rush out of her body in realisation. 'Unless you never thought you'd live long enough to have children, is that it?' her legs suddenly weak Dany stumbled backwards into a nearby chair, leaving Jon kneeling alone in front of her.

Rising to his feet Jon turned to lean against the mantelpiece. At eye level was a rudely carved wolf. He picked it up, turning it about, trying to remember who had made it. It was a gift from Rob or Bran to Catelyn, he was sure. Rickon hadn't made it, the boy never had the knack for carving and Jon knew Catelyn would never have accepted a gift from him. Jon wondered who had put it there and why, it still amazed him the little things he found around Winterfell that reminded him of better, happier times.

'When I returned from Hardhome, after meeting the Night King for the first time. I knew this was a war we could not win.' Jon began talking quietly, almost to himself like Dany wasn't even in the room. 'When I saw him raise the dead, it terrified me. I have standing orders with my men, when I fall,' Jon heard Daenerys' muffled sob and corrected himself quickly. 'If I was to fall in battle and they couldn't burn my body, they were to cut me into as many pieces as they could. My greatest fear was I would be brought back to kill the ones I love.' Jon placed the wolf back on the mantelpiece, his fingers tracing the figure's ears. Turning he looked at Daenerys, she was sitting in the chair, hands bunched in her cloak, staring blindly at the fire. 'I tried to put up a brave front for the others but I knew this was a lost cause.'

'You're arming women and children,' Daenerys said quietly, still not looking at him.

'I'll train anyone who's willing to fight, but not everyone can. The best I hoped for was to hold the line long enough to get the majority of my people south.'

Daenerys looked up at Jon, 'Then why fight at all, why not flee with your people?'

Jon knelt down in front of Daenerys, 'Because fightin' is the only thing I'm good at, because I am the shield that guards the realms of men. Because I had no hope,' he reached out gently and laced his fingers through Dany's right hand, 'until I met you.'

Daenerys absently wiped a tear from her cheek. 'I knew you only wanted me for my army,' she tried to joke.

'Aye, they are magnificent and so are your dragons,' Jon replied, lightly, 'but I only see you.'

Dany's lips twitched, 'Flatterer.'

'You know I'm not that good a liar.'

'No,' Daenerys' smile deepened a little, 'you would be no good in the great game.'

'I don't play games,' Jon replied, seriously.

They sat together, silently, for a few minutes, Jon's gaze flickering from Daenerys' belly to her face and back again.

'Do you think we can win now?' Dany finally asked him.

Jon sifted his position a little, trying to get more comfortable. 'Perhaps,' he finally conceded, 'once Queen Cersei's army gets here and I have a better idea of our numbers and abilities.'

'Cersei,' Dany's tone was flat and angry, 'I don't trust her.'

'Neither do I,' Jon agreed, 'but we have more important things to worry about now, like you going back to Dragonstone.'

Daenerys snatched her hand back from Jon, 'What?'

Jon leant forwards, both hands braced on the chair arms. Effectively trapping Daenerys from getting up. 'I need you somewhere safe,' he told her calmly, trying to counteract her rising temper. 'I need you to take your dragons and go home. Take Sansa, Arya and Bran with you. Take Davos too, if he'll let you. Just get away from here.'

'I'm not going anywhere!' Daenerys protested, 'you said we had a chance.'

'Aye, and I'll have a better chance if I'm not distracted worrying about you, especially now,' he nodded towards her stomach.

Daenerys hands dropped to cradle her belly, 'Now is all the more reason to stay! I will not leave you, Jon Snow. I thought I saw you die once and I will not stand by and watch that again.' Tears began falling as Dany's looked at Jon. 'No matter what comes we do this together, we'll live together or we'll die together. I refuse to spend another moment in this world without you.'

Jon gave a small laugh, 'Yes.'

Dany frowned at him, 'Yes?'

'I thought you were proposing and I was saying yes.'

Daenerys gave a small hiccupping laugh and began to wipe her tears away. 'I thought that was your job,' she gave him a sly look, 'if you think you can do better?'

Kneeling in front of Daenerys, Jon reached behind her knees and pulled her towards him, so she was sitting on the edge of the chair. 'Woman, from the moment I met you, you have been a beautiful complicated distraction in my life.'

'Hmm,' Dany hummed amused, as Jon slowly began lifting the hem of her dress. 'And you, man, have been a stubborn, thorn in my side and if you think this is a suitable proposal you'll have to do better than that. Why are you stopping?' she asked as Jon's hands stilled.

'We can't,' Jon stuttered, 'you're pregnant.'

Daenerys frowned, 'As I was last night and the time before that and the many, many times before that.'

Jon reached out and cupped Dany's cheek, 'I don't want to hurt you.'

Daenerys rolled her eyes, 'I'm pregnant, not made of glass.'

'Not even dragon glass, deadly and beautiful?'

'Oh,' Daenerys reached out and brushed Jon's lips with her fingers, 'Are you sure Tyrion hasn't been giving you flattery lessons?'

Jon moved his hand to cradle the back of Daenerys' head and slowly began drawing her closer, 'I only speak the truth, my Queen.'

Daenerys felt a shiver of desire at Jon's possessive tone. The kiss left the pair of them breathless.

'You know,' Daenerys said, resting her forehead against Jon's, 'Dothraki women believe regular sex during pregnancy makes for strong, fierce warriors.'

Jon laughed, 'Really?'

Dany sat back a little, 'Have you not seen my Dothraki?'

'Aye,' Jon nodded, amusement making the corners of his eyes crinkle, 'sitting in the great hall, shiverin' and complaining about the cold. Northern babies are much stronger. We embrace the cold, we're not afraid of a little wind and snow.'

Daenerys tilted her head and listened to the storm blowing outside, 'You call this a little wind and snow?'

Jon's gaze drifted over to the shuttered windows, 'What that little thing? Winter's barely started, Dany.' He watched her shiver at the thought. 'Still, physical activity is a good way of keeping warm. Maybe your Dothraki women are right. As long as you're sure, it's okay?'

'Trust me,' Dany said, 'I know a thing or two about babies, and what I don't know I'm sure someone here will tell me.'

'Well all I know is how to make 'em.' Jon stood suddenly, bending down to kiss Daenerys on the forehead, 'But not right now. Sansa will have my head if I keep her waiting any longer.'

As if on cue there was a loud knock on the door.

'You two better be decent in there,' Davos's voice could be heard from the other side. 'Not that you seldom are.'

Daenerys laughed as Jon shouted back, 'Come in.'

When Ser Davos entered he saw Daenerys and Jon standing in front of the fire. Jon was tenderly tucking a strand of silver hair behind Dany's ear, while she was straightening his shirt. 'How domestic,' Davos quipped, a slightly paternal smile on his face. 'I wish you two would just make this all official so you can stop sneaking around.'

'Where's the fun in that, speaking of which,' Jon placed his hands on Daenarys' waist and kissed her gently. 'See you tonight?'

Dany reached down for Jon's right hand and brushed it against her stomach briefly. 'We'll be waiting.' She reluctantly moved away from Jon. 'Ser Davos,' she murmured to the older man, who was holding the door open for her.

'Your Grace,' Davos nodded at the young queen, before turning to address Jon. 'What'd you do to deserve the royal "we", lad, and why do you have that stupid grin on your face for?'

Daenerys was several steps down the corridor when she heard the muffled yelp from Davos, 'You got her what?'

Author's Notes: So obviously I'm playing this as Bran *not* telling Jon about his true heritage just yet. For no real reason other than because I wanted to. Hope you enjoyed the story.