AN: Can I say that I hated the episode, for so many reasons? But let's just focus on our two lovelies here. I am happy that Jaime and Brienne finally acknowledged that they are not platonic, and the scene had its charm, but it is not the way I would have handled their first time – why did they have had to be drunk to get the courage to do it and with no admission of feelings whatsoever. And while I am now more confident that Jaime said all those things just to protect Brienne and he is actually heading to KL to stop Cersei, I am still pissed. And if the writers really make him run back to Cersei's skirts out of devotion (as they said in the Inside the episode), it will be the biggest mistake this show has ever made, and it has made many.

I was so pissed about the episode I lost my inspiration for a while, but it's back. I am writing some more Jaime/Jon bonding. It was not planned in the beginning, it wasn't even planed a couple of chapters ago, but it feels right to me.

Anyways, I hope you will like this chapter and are enjoying the fic as a whole. If you do, please, leave a review. I would like to hear your opinions and suggestions.

Jaime woke up suddenly, it was still dark outside. The first thing he did was look at Brienne. She looked so young, so fragile when she slept – it always took his breath away. She was this fierce warrior on the battlefield – strong, willful, deadly. And at the same time, when she slept, she was so delicate and vulnerable. That was one of the things that he loved most about her – that she was both a force to be reckoned with and the most gentle creature to have lived in this world. Both parts of Brienne mesmerized him.

Last night, Jaime had been too overwhelmed by everything that he didn't get a chance to think about the mess they were in. But in the morning, everything came to him at once.

There was no way Brienne could ride to war now, not while pregnant. Jaime hoped she would not fight him on the matter. She had to remain at Winterfell. But that didn't mean she would be safe.

Jaime knew Cersei. There was no way she didn't have spies in the North. And by now, she surely knew that he and Brienne were together, probably about their marriage too. That put Brienne in immense danger. Cersei would want her dead, of that much Jaime was sure. And he had to protect her.

He didn't know who he could trust. He was told only about 50 of his men had survived. But he could not trust them, not while Cersei was still on the Iron Throne. The only people who he could trust when it came to Brienne were Tyrion, the Starks and himself. But the Jon… Aegon and Tyrion were riding south. Lady Sansa needed protection probably as much as Brienne. And while Arya Stark was one of the deadliest assassins he had seen in his life, he still worried.

He had to stay and be with her. One hand or not, when it came to Brienne, Jaime would butcher anyone who tried to even get close to her.

But…

He had to go to King's Landing.

Jaime knew it. Cersei would not back down, even if she was pressed into a corner. Her obsession with power would not let her surrender. She would rather burn the city to the ground and herself along with it rather than surrender. He had to stop her before she did what Aerys Targaryen failed to do. And he had to save her.

Despite everything, Cersei was still his sister, and he would never wish her dead. And she was carrying his child.

When he left, Jaime had tried to put it all behind him, to start anew. But he couldn't, even if he did not want to admit it. Because that child was part of him, too. And he had to protect it.

He needed fresh air. He needed to clear his head a little bit so that he could find a solution for the conundrum he was in. Careful not to wake Brienne, Jaime got out of bed, dressed, wrote a note to Brienne that he was going for a short ride and quietly left and headed to the stables.

As he was reading his horse, he heard footsteps approaching. Jaime turned around and saw Jon with direwolf. It was still the crack of dawn, too early for anyone to be awake. But it seemed Jaime was not the only one with a lot on his mind.

'Ser Jaime'

'Milord'

'Mind if I join you for a ride?'

Jaime shook his head and waited for Jon to ready his horse. When they were both ready, they headed out of Winterfell. At first, they rode in silence. But Jaime had to talk to the young man.

'Lord Aegon...'

The way Jaime addressed him seemed to have bothered him.

'I guess it will take some getting used to be called that. All my life, I've been Jon Snow, bastard of Ned Stark. And now, I am the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Everything I've believed my whole life was a lie. Even my name. All my life, I wanted answers, and now that I got them, I wish I could just be Jon, the bastard of Winterfell again.'

Jaime nodded

'It's understandable. If you feel more comfortable, I will keep calling you Jon.'

Jon smiled a little bit.

'Thank you, Ser Jaime. Now, tell me - what troubled you that you left your wife so early in the morning and went for a ride?'

'I have made a mess and now I can't see which is the right way to fix it.'

Jon looked at him, and Jaime sighed.

'Brienne is pregnant.'

The young man smiled.

'Congratulations. That is wonderful news.'

Jaime smiled too. Despite everything, the mere thought of their child made him happy.

'Thank you. We are happy, very much so. But I worry. Brienne must stay here, she can't join a war in her condition. But I am absolutely sure that my sister has spies even here, in the North, though I have no idea who they might be.'

'You think someone might try to harm her.'

Jaime nodded.

'I wanted to stay behind with her, protect her.'

'Ser Jaime, I would understand if you wanted to stay in Winterfell. We all owe you everything'

Honestly, everyone making him out to be some sort of hero made Jaime uneasy, uncomfortable. And especially when Jon was doing it. He didn't know all the atrocities he had committed, he didn't know of his failures. If he did, would he still praise him like that? Jaime doubted it.

'You don't owe me anything. I will never compensate what my family and I have done to your family, to both your families. And I did what any of us were doing – fighting for the living. And I would stay, but there is a catch.'

Jon looked at him with understanding.

'Your sister'

'She is pregnant too, with my child.'

Jaime could sense the news surprised Jon, but there was no judging. And that brought him some sense of relief.

'And Cersei will never back down. She will never surrender, even if it means she dies, even if it means blowing up King's Landing with wildfire'

'Tyrion said as much.'

'The thing is, she has to be stopped, I know that. And I think if anyone can get through to her, it's me. And I have to try. For the child, for all the people she will burn with that wildfire.'

They both fell silent for a moment. Then, Jon turned to him.

'Look, from where I see it, there is no right or wrong choice. It is not black and white. You some have time. Daenerys is flying with Drogon and Rhaegal to meet Euron Greyjoy's fleet in two days. We are heading sound the next day. Take a little bit of time to think about it, to talk it out with someone who can offer you sound advice, and then make your decision. Whatever it is, I will respect it, and I will make sure Queen Daenerys will too. Anyway, Arya will protect Brienne, and I will leave a few of my trusted men to stay and guard her. Sansa will help too, in any way she can. I will also try and talk to Daenerys about your sister. I hope I will persuade her to spare Cersei's life. But I can't promise you I will succeed. Things have been… complicated, lately, since we learned the truth.'

Jaime had suspected for a long time that there was more to the relationship of Jon and Daenerys than they let on. He knew the stolen glances, the body language all too well not to recognize it. And he had also noticed how different, how tense they were around each other last night.

'You mean because she realized she was sleeping with her nephew, or because you threaten her claim to the Iron Throne?'

Jon was surprised by his question.

'How did you know?'

'I notice things. I am not judging you. At least you didn't know you are related, which is not something I could say for me and Cersei.'

They both let out small laughs. Then Jon took a deep breath.

'She doesn't seem to mind that we are related. She wanted me to keep it a secret. But I could not hide it from Sansa and Arya. And I could not hide it from the men and women who chose me for their king because they thought I was Eddard Stark's son. But Daenerys is afraid that despite the fact that I don't want the bloody chair, people will try to put me on it.'

Jaime suspected that much. From what he had observed, the dragon queen had a temper, and she would not take lightly a threat to her claim to the crown.

'Well, she is right. You're Rhaegar's child, so this puts you ahead in line for the throne already. Add the fact that she is a woman and you are a man – I am sure most lords will prefer you on the throne for those reasons alone. But most of all, the people love you – and not just the lords of the North, the common folk too. You are the first man in our history to form a union with the wildlings. The Vale may have joined you for lady Sansa, but they see you as their leader. Northerners, wildlings, knights of the Vale – they are all beside you by choice. They follow you out of respect and trust in you. And they fear her, they don't trust her. Queen Daenerys may have been a hero in Meereen and Slaver's Bay, and their people may worship her. But here, in Westeros, people see a foreigner who has come to conquer. They remember her father, especially here in the North after what he did to your grandfather and your uncle. Everyone is wondering if she will turn out just like him.'

Jon sighed.

'I never wanted all of this, you know. I didn't ask to be Lord Commander or King in the North. Certainly not the heir to the Iron Throne. Some days, I wish to be back to being no one, invisible, with no expectations upon me.'

Jaime looked at him. Jon was young, but he had faced in his short life more than most face in many decades.

'Well, it is what it is. We can't change who we are, we can't change the past. We can just try to make the best of what we have.'

Jon nodded silently. He then looked at his Jaime.

'Our lives are pretty fucked up, aren't they?'

'That they are.'

With a tired chuckle, both turned their horses back to Winterfell.

When Jaime returned to their chamber, Brienne was already dressed and awake. He found her sitting by the fire and polishing Oathkeeper. The moment she saw him, she stood up and walked to him. He pulled her in his arms and held her tightly. The feeling of her heartbeat against his chest calmed him, her arms wrapped around him lifted the weight he felt he was carrying on his shoulders. They pulled away when a servant brought them their meal. The sat together and Brienne put her hand on his stump.

'Hey, are you alright?'

Her beautiful eyes were filled with worry.

'I am. I just needed to clear my head a little bit'

'It's about your sister, isn't it?'

He looked at her. He should've found anger and disappointment in her expression. Instead, he saw understanding and concern.

'It is.'

'Jaime, it's alright, talk to me.'

He shook his head. That was the only thing he didn't want to talk to Brienne about.

'I know that talking about her is hurting you, Brienne.'

She gave him a small reassuring smile.

'It's not. I know your past and I know you. And I love you, all of you. So, please talk to me.'

He took a deep breath.

'Do you remember what I told you back when I first came to Winterfell?'

She nodded.

'She is mad, Brienne. She will never surrender. She will burn the city to the ground before she lets go of the bloody throne. She has to be stopped. I have to stop her because she will blow up King's landing if she feels trapped. And I have to save her, I have to save them.'

He couldn't look her in the eyes. Not when he is telling his pregnant wife that he has to go and save another woman who is also carrying his child.

'Hey, look at me.'

She put her hands on his face and turned him to look at her.

'It is your child, Jaime. You wouldn't be the man I love if you didn't care about your own child. And it is alright that you want to save her, too. She is your blood. I understand, and I don't blame you.'

How, how in Seven Hells could Brienne be just so good, so pure? How could this beautiful soul be there, with the likes of him?

'You deserve so much better, Brienne.' He said with trembling voice.

She shook her head and took his hand in hers.

'You can't see in yourself what I can see. I guess that is what I blame her the most for – making you think you are worthless, evil. But you are not. You have made mistakes, terrible things. But these misdeeds do not define you. You are brave, you are honorable. You love so deeply and you would do anything for the people you love. You are a good man, Jaime.'

And then she kissed him. Gently, chastely. A kiss that was meant not to demand, just to give.

If it was possible, Jaime loved her more and more every day.

He wished he could just take her to their bed, shower her in love and hold her as close to him as possible. But he couldn't. He had to make sure she was safe.

'Brienne, you have to stay here, you know that.'

She sighed. He knew she didn't like. She was never one to run from a battle. But she understood that she could not take risks now.

'I know.'

'Cersei must know by now about us. She has spies everywhere. And she will try to harm you.'

'I can protect myself, you know that.'

'I know. But I have to protect you anyway, both of you.'

Jaime put his hand on her belly and Brienne put her hand over his.

'I will stay here with you for as long as I can. I won't march to the Riverlands with the rest. I will head directly for King's Landing when the time comes and I will meet our forces there.'

Brienne drew a sharp breath. She understood why he was doing it all, but she was still worried about him, that much Jaime knew. He wanted to reassure her it would all be alright, but once again, he couldn't.

'For now, the fewer people know about the baby, the better. I told Jon this morning when we rode, and he promised he would leave some of his most trusted men to protect you. We will tell Arya and Sansa – they have to know about your condition, and Arya is one of the few people I would trust to be able to protect you.'

Brienne nodded.

'And Tyrion?'

'I will tell him. He is one of the very few people I trust, especially when it comes to you. And especially when he knows you are carrying his niece or nephew, he will try to protect you as much as I will.'

Brienne smiled a little.

'We will be alright, Jaime. After everything we went through – captivity, severed limbs, bear pits, being on opposite sides in war, fighting the army of the dead, I know we will survive this last challenge.'

'I love you,' Jaime whispered as he captured her lips with his.