Jon XXI

Dragonstone (7x06 AU)

There is sometimes a point as you drift off to sleep where it feels as if you're falling. Where the ground beneath you drops or you miss your footing as you descend a staircase. Jon had often experienced this odd dream sensation but what happened that night was quite literal, with him nodding off in the Black Cells under King's Landing only to be jolted awake by the sensation of falling, followed by a sudden, terrifying landing.

Instead of a stifling, putrid atmosphere he was now breathing cold, fresh and salty air, but the darkness remained and he was still falling – rolling downwards and reeling from the pain from the various cuts and bruises he'd received from the was soft grass and then hard stone against one of his injuries and Jon cried out, hands flailing as he tried to slow himself down. Then his palm hit against another stone and he changed tactics, rolling himself up a little, knowing it would speed up his descent but also give him the very best chance of surviving it.

Obviously he had been returned to Dragonstone, several floors below the castle as he had suspected, although still not quite at ground level. He rolled over an especially sharp stone and grunted as yet another wave of pain flared - old injury or new, he couldn't be certain. Where was this descent taking him? A grass meadow? A sandy beach?

Over the edge of a cliff to his death?

He appeared to be slowing a little now, although his imagination had already conjured up several grisly fates for himself, and Jon steeled himself for the worse, thinking suddenly of Dany - the sound of her smile, the touch of her hand, the feel of her wrapped around him - and wondering if he would ever see her again.

'I love you.'

And then there was one last heavy jolt followed by an eerie silence as he held his breath, waiting for further movement or for the sensation of water or an increase in the pain. His ears started ringing loudly but, fortunately, he felt nothing but comforting softness underneath his bruised body and the aches did now appear to be easing slightly. Once satisfied that he was still alive and relatively intact, Jon hauled himself up into a sitting position with a groan, blinking in the darkness of the winter night as he attempted to get his bearings.

As the pain and the ringing eased he became more aware of the sound of the sea and the faint sparkle of stars peeking through the clouds. Behind him was a darker shadow of the hill he had just rolled down whilst, in front of him, a paler grey showing - a hint of moonlight reflecting off the sea. Jon remained in this position for a long time, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the minimal light here and for the pain to subside enough to allow him to move.

Finally he attempted to stand, wincing as a sharp spasm shot through his side and down one leg, his left knee giving way and not allowing him to put his full weight on it. He tested it again soon after, confident it wasn't broken, despite the agony, and willed himself to be patient, staying where he was for a moment, half bent over, giving his body a chance to adjust to feeling cold, Jon quickly removed his metal gorget and dropped it on the ground at his feet. Not only was it aggravating one of his injuries but he also hoped it would help him to find this location when it was light so he could get a better understanding of where he had reappeared. Now feeling a little more comfortable, and with his leg beginning to accept his weight, Jon started to walk, limping first towards the sound of the sea in order to get his bearings and, from there, working his way back around to the main castle entrance.

Never had a walk felt quite so long and painful but, as his eyes continued to get used to the dark and his full senses returned, he began to recognise the shape of the castle above him and understand which way he needed to go. Fortunately one of the Dothraki guarding the imposing dragon gates recognised him, his words quite obviously a confused question as to how he had come to be out here and in this state. Despite neither of them understanding the other's language, the guard quickly realised he was injured and allowed him entry, offering his assistance which Jon stubbornly refused, even though the man seemed determined to remain close until he was safely escorted inside.

"Your Grace? Whatever happened?"

"Missandei." Her name was almost a sob, so relieved was he to see a familiar, friendly face at long last.

"You're hurt." She frowned. "I did not realise you had left the castle."

"Sorry," he replied. "I-it's … difficult to explain."

"More of this secret magic?" Jon winced and glanced at the Dothraki by his side but Missandei just smiled, turning to talk to the large warrior in his tongue and, he guessed, reassuring him that he could now return to his post.

"Daenerys did say she had explained some of this to you," he said then as he walked beside her towards the royal apartments, trying hard not to limp.

"Some of it, yes, although she did not say exactly why you were to remain here without her."

He simply nodded. "I'm fine now, thank you, Missandei. I'll just return to our chambers and rest for a while."

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "You are injured. I should attend you."

"I'll be fine."

"The queen would never forgive me if I neglected you in this state. Come, I will have a bath readied for you and then get some medicine for your injuries." He gave her a suspicious glare. "You cannot hide it. I can see from the way you walk and, now we are in the light, it is even more obvious that you have bruises on your face."

He again tried to send her away, but Missandei was surprisingly insistent, rolling her eyes when Jon showed reluctance to undress in front of her and struggling to hide her amusement when he asked her to avert her eyes whilst he undressed.

"There is no need to be embarrassed," she said as he hugged his shirt close to his bare chest. "I wish only to tend your injuries. A couple of them are in urgent need of attention."

Modesty wasn't the main reason for his reluctance, of course. The scars on his chest were not only a source of shame but opened him up to all sorts of awkward questions which he did not currently feel like answering. Missandei was a unique woman, however, showing no obvious surprise at the sight of those marks, nor reacting to his nakedness, simply examining his injuries before washing and tending to them. Then she finally allowed him to lie down properly before leaving to fetch him a tray of food and drink and a vial of medicine for the pain.

"If you refuse to take it, I shall be obliged to inform the queen when she returns," the girl told him, her soft voice in no way hiding the contained threat. "I doubt she will be pleased to hear you were left in such pain?"

Jon glared at her, fully aware that he had already lost this particular battle before downing the Milk of the Poppy in one go. It was not a good medicine to take if you needed to keep all your wits, but he knew he was safe here and the discomfort was such that he would probably struggle to sleep otherwise, something he now desperately needed. He had only managed a few mouthfuls of food before his eyelids grew heavy and he dropped back down on the bed, vaguely aware of Missandei around and then pulling a cover over him as he fell into a deep sleep.

~o~0~o~

"Jon."

He sat up with a low cry, waking from a hazy, drug-induced nightmare of a never ending descent into darkness.

"Ssh, it's fine. You're fine. It's just me."

"Dany?" He blinked to see his wife sitting on the bed by his side, her expression turning from concern to sudden, fiery anger as she lowered the covers on his bed and took note of all his injuries.

"What happened, Jon? Who did this to you?"

"I …." He was still a bit disorientated. "Why are you upset?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because you're hurt and I need to know who it is I have to kill." He stared at her, honestly having no idea at that moment if she was joking or not.

"My own stupid fault," he replied. "I let my curiosity get the better of me and got captured."

"At King's Landing?"

He nodded. "Got hauled in front of Cersei and then thrown into the cells when I didn't give her the answers she required."

"She did this?"

He shook his head. "Her guards. They didn't appreciate me fighting back."

"You fought back?" She folded her arms and glared at him. "Against how many?"

He winced at the look on her face. "Three? Four?"

"If you weren't already hurt I'd punish you so badly right now."

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't usually mind your punishments."

That finally managed to make her smile. "I think you're too injured for that right now as well."

"Really?" He lay back down on the bed and lowered the covers a bit further, licking his lips slightly as he looked up at her. "I'm sure I can trust you to ride me gently?"

She was trying hard not to smile. "No, because I'm angry right now and will most definitely end up taking it out on you. Rest for a bit, my love and then you and I need to talk in more detail about what happened over there."

"We can talk now."

"No. Missandei told me I could only stay a short while. You need to sleep a little longer yet."

He nodded, his eyelids already feeling heavy and, this time, it was Dany who settled him back into bed, gently kissing him gently on the forehead before darkness claimed him again.

~o~0~o~

Dany XXI

Dragonstone (7x06 AU)

It had taken all Dany's self control to allow Jon to fall back asleep. She had so many questions about what had happened at King's Landing and was impatient to discover what he had learnt there. Missandei was right though, her husband had a lot if injuries which, although not life-threatening, were bad enough for him to have required Milk of the Poppy and forced bed rest.

Once Jon was asleep, she headed downstairs to see if she could get any answers in the old wing and soon discovered her most up-to-date map lying out on the desk in Rhaenys' suite, now with a few new additions in Jon's neat hand. On it he had marked King's Landing on the south-westerly facing door in this room along with his guesses about the others facing that general direction. He had not returned through this Door though. The guards had informed her of her husband's sudden appearance - filthy and quite obviously injured - at the front gate in the dead of night and Jon's comment about being imprisoned now made it fairly obvious to her that the magic had forced him back once he had fallen asleep there.

Frustrated, she walked back out to the corridor and headed for the Winterfell Door, placing her palm on it to see if she could rediscover that new sensation - that strange, quiet hint of Jon that she now believed was the key to travelling backwards or forwards in time. It was getting clearer now, she realised. Perhaps simply because she was starting to have some understanding of what it was she was sensing, even if she did not yet know what to do.

Their bed was large enough that Dany felt she could sleep next to her husband without disturbing him that night, but Jon only woke a couple of times to relieve himself, eat a little and exchange a few quiet words and kisses with her before quickly falling back to sleep. Her worry for him meant her own sleep was rather disturbed and, when she finally awoke, it was to find herself alone in the large bed and with her husband nowhere to be seen. Concerned, she quickly got up and dressed and headed downstairs to the old wing, whilst also sending Missandei off to see if he might be elsewhere.

"Jon, you should have woken me," she complained as she saw him sitting in front of the same map as she had studied the previous day. He looked up at her and she glowered as she took note of his pallor. "And you look tired and pale. You shouldn't have even left our chambers."

I wanted to check something," he replied. "Wanted to confirm a couple of the Doors' directions but then …" He winced. "Then I realised I needed to sit down for a bit."

She rolled her eyes. "So stubborn."

"I'm fine. I also thought I should make a few notes about King's Landing and what I remembered about it while it was still fairly fresh in my mind."

"Yes?" Her curiosity quickly overcame her concern and she moved over to another pile of papers. "I have maps of the capital and the castle here somewhere."

"Oh, I hoped you would. My memories are a bit sketchy, I admit, but that's probably because of the Milk of the Poppy."

"You fell asleep in the cells?"

He nodded. "I got the impression I was not far away from the Door but … several floors below it. At some point I will need to go outside as I left a piece of armour at the bottom of a slope and I think that will also help us to work out where the Door is in King's Landing." He gave a small huff of a laugh. "I was terrified about falling asleep, Dany. I knew I was almost directly below the Door and had this fear of waking up several feet under the sea. As it was I landed halfway down a very stony slope and just kept rolling."

"Ouch."

He nodded. "Quite a few of my injuries are because of that fall rather than from the guards."

Now satisfied that he was comfortable enough Dany took a seat next to him at the desk and asked him to recount his tale from the beginning, adding her own thoughts on the pulls she had felt at various points as they both looked at the maps in front of them and made a number of guesses about the Door's location. Once they had marked its likely position on the Red Keep map Varys had supplied, they realised that there was a surprisingly simple route up to it - despite being in the heart of the castle - an underground stairway that Dany guessed her advisors would know of only too well. Jon couldn't hide his frustration at just how close he had been to having discovered it for himself.

"I turned the wrong way," he complained. "Bloody annoying."

"But you felt something else through the King's Landing Door before you were able to step through?" she asked.

He nodded. "Whispers as before but also … It was as if there was some sort of map within the Door. Within the grain of it? I'm not sure how else to describe it."

"Yes, that sounds about right. I was studying the Winterfell door again yesterday."

There was a long pause before Jon spoke again. "I think we need to go and talk to Bran about this."

She had planned to travel to Casterly Rock next, but Jon injuries meant she would either have to go there on her own or wait until he was fully recovered. A trip to Winterfell though? That would definitely be less stressful for him. She was quiet for a while as she calculated the timings of it all before nodding her agreement.

"Back to bed for you for the rest of today then, Jon and tomorrow we'll go outside to find this slope you landed on and confirm our Door guess. Then, as soon as Missandei allows it, I'll fly us both to Winterfell and we can consult with Bran. I think you're right. I think it's going to be hard for us to get any more answers about the Doors until we've first discussed it with him."

~o~0~o~

Winterfell (7x07 AU)

"I do not fully understand this magic," Bran said once they had briefly explained their experiences. "So I'm not sure what help I can be."

"We just wanted your insights into the nature of the past and future really," Jon said. "We now know for a fact that we have been visited by our future selves but are still not entirely certain how to go about it and were worried that we might … miss an important event somehow."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I escaped the Baratheon attack on Dragonstone by coming through the Door to Winterfell," Dany told him. "But I've recently realised that the knight who helped me then was actually an adult Jon. I don't think he was very much older than he is now so … what if he misses it? What happens if he can't rescue me?"

Bran shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. Jon has rescued you. That event happened and cannot now be changed. One way or another he will go back to that time, even if it's by accident. Even if he's trying to visit you in the present and suddenly finds himself there with no knowledge of how he even managed the feat."

"That can't be right though," Jon said. "I mean … surely it's possible for someone to go back and change the past? How will I know what to do? Dany can only remember parts of it as she was so young and scared at the time. I also have a couple of vague memories of her visiting me when I was very small but can't say for certain when they was or how old I was at the time."

"I told you," Bran said, "it doesn't matter. Those things have happened and so … they will happen. One way or another."

"How can you be sure?"

Bran sighed and frowned, showing some rare emotion. Nervousness, perhaps? "I never did tell you what happened to Hodor."

"I know he died," Jon said.

"Yes, but it was more than that. I warged him in the present and the past at the same time and, in doing so, I … I caused him to be Hodor."

"I don't understand."

Bran sighed. "And I'm not even sure I do. I just know that it's a circle and one that can't be broken. I could not have prevented Willis from becoming Hodor because it had already happened in the past. Long before I was born."

Dany exchanged a look with Jon who just shrugged, apparently just as lost by this conversation as she was.

"Is there anything you do differently when you touch a weirwood to see a past or future vision?" her husband asked then. "Is there a way you direct your thought to allow you to see different things?"

"Sometimes," Bran replied. "I often do try to direct the visions and, if I'm looking at something that's happening now, it nearly always works for me. The past is harder and the future even more so, probably because of the circle I was just talking about." He shook his head. "No, not as simple as a circle it's … more like a woven pattern in cloth. One thread tying past to present to future, all making a perfect but messy pattern. There are some things we can't see - are probably not supposed to see - and then there are future events which seem to have changed by the time we get there. All I can do is try to focus my thoughts on the particular thread I want and then, if I'm lucky, that's where I'll end up. Sometimes I get shown something different though and quite often it was that vision I actually needed to see."

"I'm sorry. I'm lost again," Dany admitted.

Bran nodded. "It is not easy to understand but all you can really do is try. Try to focus on an event you remember - Jon on rescuing you or you on visiting Jon when he was very young - and then grab at that thread. It might work, or you might end up somewhere else instead. It might not actually happen for another five years." He paused, frowning. "I'm sorry if that doesn't help much."

The couple left Bran's chambers in thoughtful silence, walking the short distance to the Dragon Door here, each placing a hand on its cool surface and trying to rediscover the odd feeling both had experienced before.

"You will probably have more luck than me whilst we're here," Dany said, moving her hand closer to his. "Seeing I've been in Dragonstone for longer and Bran thinks the past is easier than the future."

Jon nodded, now obviously distracted as his hand chased the mysterious 'whisper' and moved a little closer to hers. She was distracted too but for an entirely different reason, her gaze on her husband's handsome face as he closed his eyes and moved his forehead so close to the Door that it almost touched. Unable to resist, Dany lifted her own hand and placed it on top of his, briefly worrying it would distract him but having the strangest feeling that it might actually help.

He nodded. "It's definitely you. I can sense it but I'm still not quite sure how to … connect?" He moved his hand slightly as she squeezed her fingers in-between his, now touching the wood too and wondering if it might make a difference.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him. "When are you thinking about?"

"The time I rescued you," he replied. "Seeing as that's the only visit of mine that we know about for certain."

"And I'm going to need to be at Dragonstone when I try this," she realised. "At least if I'm going to focus on going back to when you were a boy here in Winterfell."

Jon sighed loudly. "Perhaps it's just as Bran said. Perhaps we're not ready for any of this yet and that's why it's not working."

"I just don't like the idea of having so little control over it," she admitted, her right hand still over his, her left now gently skirting up his back. "And all this business about circles and tapestries? I mean, what's the point of going back in time if you can't change certain aspects of it?"

"Perhaps." Jon shuddered slightly as she continued to move her fingers up his spine and started to caress his hand with her right. "Are you trying to distract me here?"

"Why?" she replied innocently. "Is this not helping?"

"It's helping with something," he retorted, "but definitely not with focusing on the Door."

"So, we obviously need a break," she said as her left hand moved even lower and gently squeezed him through his trousers.

"Aye," he said, his reply breathy. "I think I need to lie down for a little while."

"Are you sore and tired?" she asked, smirking.

"Not yet," he replied. "But I'm quite sure you will be able to change that."

They were both tempted to grab at each other straight away but this Door was far too public for marking in the same way as they had the Pentos and Winterfell ones and, anyway, Bran was still nearby in his chambers. So, Jon impatiently took her hand away from where it was still exploring and tucked it firmly under his arm, marching her quickly down the corridor and from there across the small courtyard towards the Great Keep.

"There," he said waving his free hand lazily. "That's where I saw you at the well that one time."

She nodded. "And before that?"

"In the corridor outside my chambers."

"Just outside the Door," she realised. "Which makes sense seeing what we were saying about having to stay close to it when we were very young."

"And so that might be easiest for you to visit first for the same reason," he suggested.

The conversation was interesting but they now had other things on their mind, both impatiently heading up the spiral stairs to Jon's official chambers, this area generally quiet at this time of day when most people were busy working.

"How are your injuries now?" she asked as he closed the door behind them and started to undress.

"Why don't you lie naked on my bed and we can find out," he replied.

"Perhaps you should be the one lying down?" she suggested. "I'll ride you gently, I promise."

She looked up with a smile which quickly fell as she realised Jon was already naked and very obviously ready for her. She licked her lips as he prowled towards her, thoroughly appreciating the view.

"Jon ..."

"I thought I told you to strip and lie on the bed," he growled.

"I-I didn't know it was an order," she replied, hastily scrabbling to obey.

She loved so many things about their relationship but one of her favourites was the way their dynamic constantly changed with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes he would want to be in charge. Sometimes she would play queen and order him to submit to her and yet these things were rarely discussed beforehand or debated, both of them appearing to fall into today's role automatically.

"It was an order," he confirmed, his voice sounding low and dangerous. "Lie on my bed and open your legs for me. You were teasing me down there by the Door and now you're going to get exactly what you asked for."

Dany finished undressing and did as he bid, her heart pounding in anticipation as she watched him, watching her as she exposed herself to him. He subtly licked his lips then and she wondered if he would taste her first or just take her straight away. The uncertainty excited her further and she wiggled impatiently, opening her legs even more, tempting him.

"Please, Jon. Whatever you want. I'm yours to command."

He moved instantly, his head diving down between her legs - one hand under a knee to lift it higher whilst his mouth attacked her greedily - fingers quickly joining lips and tongue. Dany grabbed at his hair as her body shuddered almost immediately, knowing he was working hard to push her quickly over to the edge and that this was going to be aggressive and thrilling for both of them. Perhaps there was a pattern here after all. The last time had been cautious and gentle due to his injuries and next time he would probably make slow love to her as if to 'apologise' for such passion tonight. Not that she felt there was any need for that.

"I'm yours, Jon. You know I am. Prove it!"

He moved again, as quick as lightening. Her wrists now pinned above her head, his eyes full of fire as he hovered over her.

"You don't fool me for a minute, woman," he growled. "I know you like the idea of me being in control here but we both know how things are." He was pressed against her, just edging inside very slightly and she whimpered, wriggling in his grasp. "We both know you have me totally in your thrall and at your instant command."

She swallowed hard and shook her head, momentarily shocked at his words and their implication. "I love you, Jon. I would never … Ah!"

He thrust into her with such force that it moved her up the bed but she felt no pain, just waves and waves of pleasure as he took her, showing no signs of discomfort from his injuries. Dany was soon caught up in the passion of it all, his lips and his body claiming hers, quickly driving them both over the edge.

~o~0~o~

"Are you all right?" he asked as Dany snuggled up to him, his first thought her comfort after that especially passionate session.

"I was going to ask you the same," she said.

"I'm recovered enough. Being with you takes the edge off the pain anyway."

"Yes, but what you said then, near the end?"

"Hmm?"

"About me always being in control?" She looked up to find him frowning. "Was that part of the game or something that bothers you that you've not talked to me about?"

"No," Jon replied quickly. "Not that. It was part of the game … mostly." He sighed, obviously tired and she contemplated simply forgetting it, even though that probably wasn't going to be good for their relationship in the long term.

"You don't have to do anything I say or suggest, any more than I do for you," she told him. "I know that you know that."

"Aye. It's just … You do things to me, Dany. When I'm with you I really don't feel in control. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just not something I'm used to, is all. It's … The thing is, you only have to smile at me in a room full of people and it tempts me to take you there and then."

She giggled. "That would raise a few eyebrows."

He managed to smile back. "I know, but it's ... hard to explain. It feels at times that I have no control when I'm with you and yet … I wouldn't have it any other way?"

There was part of her that was worried that he was just being kind and that she had done something to make him feel uncomfortable at some point. However, now that he had voiced his feelings, Dany realised that what he had said actually made perfect sense.

"I feel the same way about you, Jon. You're the only man I've ever trusted to do whatever he wants to me with my full blessing. After my earlier experiences … Well, I thought I'd never be able to have someone else dictate things. I thought that that would make me feel afraid but, it never has. I suppose … if there is any hint of me controlling the pace sometimes it's because of that. Because of my past?"

"I don't want you to change, Dany," he told her, kissing her passionately on the lips before continuing. "I love everything about you. I love it when you're in command and I love it when you relinquish some of that to me. Please don't take anything I said in the heat of passion to heart. Promise me?"

She nodded. "I won't. I just wanted to make sure."

"Good." He kissed her again. "Now, let's sleep for a bit and then I can prove to you again just how much I love you."

"Oh? And how do you intend to do that?"

He laughed gently as he pulled her up against his shoulder. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

~o~0~o~

A/N: We're starting to get more seriously into the 'timey-wimey' stuff now, to quote Doctor Who. I've been watching that show since I was a small child, way back during the original run, and admit to being inspired by some of the more recent knotty plot stuff on the show which I loved trying to figure out.

As ever feel free to ask questions or pose your own theories about this or any other part of the story and I will respond if not necessarily answer or confirm.