Oh my god, I'm SO SORRY I took so long to publish this chapter. Schoolwork has consumed my life for the past two months and I haven't had hardly any time to work on this story. I just got finished with my finals, though, so I have almost a full month where I have no plans but to write as much as I can for this. I'm going to try to get back to a regular posting schedule (fingers crossed) but I'm not making any promises. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

It was a swelteringly hot August day when Jaime Lannister killed Aerys Targaryen.

In all honesty, Jaime was surprised he hadn't done it sooner. After Rhaegar's death, the end of the Targaryens was virtually inevitable. Taking out the Targaryen patriarch would speed along the process of getting someone else to rule the Mafia, but his father had insisted Jaime wait until his men made a move. But Jaime Lannister was not a patient man.

You're not a man yet, his father's voice echoed in his head. He rolled his eyes. He might not be a man in the eyes of the law, or even in the eyes of his father, but Jaime Lannister had heard things, seen things, done things other men couldn't possibly imagine. He'd heard, in explicit detail, exactly what Rhaegar Targaryen had been doing with Lyanna Stark this past year. Rhaegar trusted Arthur far too much - the Guard was a brotherhood, and nothing stayed hidden from brothers for long. If anyone even thought about doing that to Cersei, Jaime would make sure the walls of the Rock were painted in their blood. Jaime understood Brandon Stark in that respect. When Brandon Stark had first burst into Aerys' office during a meeting and demanded Lyanna be returned to him, Jaime had thought him the most foolish man he'd ever seen. But as foolish and headstrong as Brandon had been, no one deserved the death Aerys had given him and his father. Jaime could still hear their screams. In his dreams, while he was awake - it didn't matter anymore. Brandon and Rickard Stark haunted him wherever he went.

That was when Jaime knew it was time to get out, and his father agreed with him. Tywin hadn't been at the council meeting that day, but when Jaime told his father what had happened, he'd seen the first true sign of fear he'd ever seen on his father's face. But that had been almost a month ago, and it had been two weeks since Robert had killed Rhaegar in a duel. What his father was waiting for, Jaime hadn't the slightest idea.

Aerys shifted in his seat, and Jaime was pulled back into the real world. He could feel the sweat rolling down his back. Jaime had thought it wasn't possible for Aerys's office to get any more tense than it had been before this whole mess had started, but he'd been sorely mistaken. He thought if he reached out, he'd be able to feel the tension in the air. Aerys had gotten worse ever since Rhaegar's death, lashing out at the slightest sound and scratching his hands raw. Aerys's paranoia had also increased drastically. He wouldn't let anyone carry a gun in his presence, except for the Guard. And he wouldn't let Jaime out of his sight. With Darry dead, Barristan in the hospital, and Arthur, Oswell, and Gerold off doing god-only-knew-what, it wasn't too hard to figure out why - and of course there was the added bonus of knowing that Aerys keeping Jaime close was a surefire way to get under Tywin's skin.

The door squeaked open. Aerys flinched. Lewyn Martell peeked his head in through the door. Jaime wondered if he was afraid to come any closer. "Sir?" he said softly.

Aerys lifted his head and leered at Lewyn. "Yes?" he snarled.

"Tywin Lannister is outside. What would you like us to do?"

Jaime's heartbeat sped up. Here it was.

Aerys straightened in his chair, seemingly pleased by the news. "Tywin Lannister finally came to his senses, eh? Let him in. I'll hear what he has to say." Lewyn nodded, closing the door gently behind him.

Jaime had to struggle to keep his breathing even. His mind was racing. He had no idea what was coming next. He felt cold sweat drip down his temple.

Aerys chuckled, making a move to stand. "Looks like Tywin's come running back to me," he said to Jaime. Jaime hoped his face didn't reveal the panic going on in his head. "I'm anxious to see your old man b-"

Jaime never got to hear what Aerys thought Tywin would do when he got into the office. Aerys was cut off by three quick gunshots coming from the front of the club. After a few seconds, more gunfire started up, each shot coming one after the other, accompanied by the occasional shout. Jaime felt his mouth drop open in spite of himself. This was what his father had planned? An assault?

Aerys turned his head around to look at Jaime, his face contorted into an expression of rage Jaime had only seen one other time - just before Brandon and Rickard Stark had died. Jaime froze. "You …" he heard Aerys whisper. "BASTARD!" Aerys screamed at Jaime, jumping out of his chair and charging forward.

Jaime was so stunned by Aerys's quickness he didn't have a chance to react before Aerys had grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against a wall. "I always knew you Lannisters were untrustworthy," Aerys snarled, his face so close to Jaime's that Jaime could smell his rancid breath. Aerys slammed Jaime against the wall again, and his vision blurred when his head crashed into the drywall. Jaime swung his fist around, hitting Aerys in the side of the face. Aerys released Jaime, who lunged, tackling Aerys to the floor. More punches. Aerys reached down to Jaime's side, trying to grab the gun out of his holster. Jaime tried to get Aerys's hands off of it, but the pistol slipped out of the holster and slid across the floor. Both men scrambled for the gun, but Aerys managed to grab a hold of it, pinning Jaime to the ground with his own gun pointed in his face. Aerys paused, his face twisting into a smile, giving Jaime a chance to grab the gun and turn it around so when Aerys pulled the trigger, it fired directly into his own stomach.

Aerys's smile remained plastered on his face even after he'd shot himself. He fell over, landing on the floor with a dull thud, and Jaime pushed his legs off, standing up and staring down at Aerys. Blood began pooling on the wooden floor underneath him, and Jaime could hear small noises with each ragged breath that sounded eerily like laughter. The door burst open, and Jaime jumped backward. His father came in, gun in hand, followed by Gregor Clegane, the Mountain. Tywin lowered his gun when he noticed Jaime. Jaime saw his father's gaze fall to where Aerys laid sprawled on the floor, the ghostly imprint of a smile still etched onto his face.

"What happened?" Tywin asked in a low voice. Jaime opened his mouth, wanting to answer, but no words would come. Tywin shook his head. "Well, that works about as well as anything, I suppose," he muttered.

"So there's no punishment for his crimes against us?" Clegane growled. Jaime noticed a large red stain that covered most of his shirt, and wondered absently just what kind of punishment he had in mind.

The room was silent for a long moment before Tywin answered, looking down at Aerys' body. "He was killed by a seventeen-year-old boy on his own Guard." Tywin met Jaime's gaze, and Jaime felt his blood run cold. "I think that's punishment enough, don't you?"

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