Warnings: The f-bomb a few times. Do you even need to warn for that these days?
A/N1:This is it. The last chapter; the end of this fic. I'm both thrilled and heartbroken. I'll miss playing in these universes and playing with all of you. I'm sorry I couldn't stretch this out to the extra chapter I thought I'd need. :(
A/N2: I apologize in advance to everyone who is subscribed to this fic and gets e-mails for every new chapter. You'll get a flurry of e-mails because I'll be posting an Author's Note right away, and then I'll be immediately posting each universe's story in its own chapter, so you can easily revisit your favourite storyline(s). :)
Twenty-Nine
Jaime blinks as the control room comes back into focus. His arms feel achingly empty from the abrupt loss of Queen Brienne's and the babies' weight against him.
He turns to his Brienne, who's watching him with wide, wary eyes and for a moment, he falls towards her, as inevitably as a moth to a flame, or a bee to a flower, or a meteor falling into the sun.
Her hand, pressed flat against his chest, stops him.
"It's just echoes of the other universe," she whispers.
He scowls and opens his mouth, but before he can object she says, "Besides, I feel like I've just given birth to twins after more than twenty-four hours of labor. I'm exhausted...and I think I'm going to double-down on my birth control for a while."
Jaime hangs his head and huffs a laugh.
*/*/*/*/*
They work in silence, cleaning the control room and powering down the Wall.
As they're leaving, Brienne pauses in the doorway and looks back.
So innocuous, she thinks as she considers the desks and the keyboards and the dark computer screens. So innocuous and yet, look at everything that has happened here. She turns to Jaime, who's watching her with a raised eyebrow.
Innocuous and yet so life-changing.
*/*/*/*/*
They drive back to Castle Black in companionable albeit exhausted silence and for the first time in two nights, Brienne gathers Pod from Jaime's suite and goes back to her own room.
*/*/*/*/*
They both sleep restlessly, waking and reaching for the other, only to find empty space.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime wakes, heavy-eyed and more determined than ever to try and convince his Brienne that what's happening between them is real and not just echoes of other people's feelings. He hopes he can convince her to give him—them—a chance, here, in this universe.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime sits rather mournfully beside Brienne in the Lannister private jet as they fly back to King's Landing.
"I was looking forward to that road trip," he sighs. Pod gives a forlorn yip from inside his carrier and Jaime nods at the sad-eyed ratty little mutt. "Almost as much as he was."
Brienne gives him a slight smile. "I was looking forward to it, too," she says and Jaime wonders how much it took for her to admit that. "But I'm exhausted. I just want to sleep for a week and then..." She frowns and looks away.
"Then we have to decide what we're going to do with our discoveries," he says and she nods.
"I've already agreed we won't be using the data any time soon," Jaime says.
Brienne pinches the bridge of her nose. "As a scientist, that makes my soul shrivel. As a human being, it's the right thing to do. Whether they're in the same universe or not, whether they're our counterparts or not, we're talking about human beings."
Jaime nods. "Your ethics have apparently rubbed off on me in every universe," he says and gives her a glimmer of a smile.
She smiles back then frowns. "'Any time soon'?"
"We're not the only ones working in this area of research; you know that. It's only a matter of time before one of our rivals stumbles upon the same equations, runs the experiments, and has similar experiences."
"So, we should be the first ones to publish just so we can beat someone else to it?"
Jaime's chuckles a little at her outrage. "Welcome to the world of publish or perish, Brienne. And you've been around for a while; it's not like that's a surprise."
She glares and opens her mouth and he lifts a hand to forestall her.
"Besides being the first to discover something—and winning the Samwell Prize for it, which we would, you know—we, at least, will lay out and explore all the ethical issues and repercussions in our papers and books and argue for..."
"For what, exactly?" she asks, suspicious.
He sighs. "Regulations? Legislation? Some way to monitor and control the access to other universes?" He wearily rubs his eyes and sighs. "You're right; these are human beings we're talking about and while we can't control them or influence them, this discovery shouldn't be used for entertainment purposes, although you know that's exactly what will happen."
Brienne leans her head back and closes her eyes, grimacing.
"All I wanted was something to prove we could connect to another universe at the quantum level," she mutters.
"Me, too," Jaime says, "but this is what we've got, and we need to be responsible for how this knowledge is used, at least in the immediate future."
Brienne opens her eyes and frowns at him. "I really have rubbed off on you," she says.
His eyes gleam and he gives her a wicked grin. She blushes furiously and whacks his arm.
"Shut up," she mutters and he laughs.
"I never said a word, Junior. I think my counterparts have...erm...influenced you, too."
*/*/*/*/*
Tyrion, of course, wants to hear all about it and they give him an expurgated version of everything that happened. They all bend their heads over the brain scan data, and Tyrion's eyes go wide as he looks at the readings.
"What are you going to do?" Tyrion asks finally, leaning back and staring at them with an awed expression.
Jaime shakes his head and shrugs. "This is heavy shit, Tyrion. As far as I know, nobody else is even close to discovering these equations, so that gives us some time. I think in the short term, we'll just tell people our experiments didn't do what we thought they would—which is true and Brienne should be able to tell such a lie with a straight face."
Brienne rolls her eyes then nods. "Other than that..." she says and rubs her hands over her face. "Honestly? Right now, all I want is to sleep for the next two days and not think about any of it. I'll continue worrying about the rest of it after that."
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime takes Brienne and Pod back to her place and helps her carry her things inside.
She walks him to the door and says, sternly, "Two days. Let me sleep for two days."
"Fine, fine, fine," he mutters, pouting, and she laughs as she gently closes the door in his face.
*/*/*/*/*
Tyrion raises an eyebrow as Jaime throws himself face-first on to the couch.
"Beer?" Tyrion says.
Jaime nods then sits up as Tyrion hands him a beer and settles on the couch beside him.
"So, you've told me about the experiments and the other universes," Tyrion says after he swallows a gulp of beer. "What are you going to do about the Brienne in this universe?"
Jaime doesn't even both trying to deny it. "I had a plan," he mutters. "I was going to take her on a road trip and have us make memories that were just ours. Convince her that what we're feeling is real and a product of this universe and only this universe." He scowls at his beer bottle as he picks at the label. "Things went a little sideways with the experiments and here we are."
Tyrion smirks. "Here you are, but what makes you think you can't still make your own memories, even if you're in King's Landing?"
"Almost every Jaime and Brienne has been to King's Landing together."
Tyrion laughs. "Stop pouting! This is a big city with lots of events and things to do. There has to be something going on that no other Jaime or Brienne has done together." He nudges Jaime's shoulder with his and pulls out his phone. "Come on; let's see what's going on around town."
*/*/*/*/*
Brienne stumbles to the door, telling Pod to hush his barking. She flings it open and blearily blinks at Jaime, looking far too awake and gorgeous for—
"It's 6:30, Jaime. In the morning. On the first day of the weekend!"
He bounces on the balls of his feet. "I know! And it's going to be a beautiful day!"
She stares incredulously at him.
"I've left you alone for two whole days; aren't you going to let me in?" he coaxes and holds up a bag of doughnuts. "Hope you have coffee." He glances down at the still-barking Pod. "Morning, you ratty little mutt."
"Don't you be mean to my dog," she says and steps aside so he can walk in.
"I'm not being mean," he says, his eyes sparkling as he strides to the kitchen. "He's not a pedigree, is he?"
"Considering I found him abandoned in a gutter, I'd say no."
"So he's a mutt. There's no shame in being a mutt." He grins as he sets the bag of doughnuts on the table then looks hopefully at the coffee pot on the kitchen counter.
Brienne scowls as she shuffles forward to make coffee. He's up to something, she thinks. She glances at him then decides it's too fucking early on the first day of the weekend for her to even think of trying to decipher what's going on in Jaime's mind.
"I'll be back," she mutters and shuffles to the bathroom, Pod at her heels.
She returns several minutes later to find Jaime has made himself at home. He's found plates and has the doughnuts neatly arranged on one. Cups are waiting by the still-perking coffee pot and he's put sugar and cream on the table.
She stops and raises an eyebrow. "What do you want, Jaime?" she says with a sigh and slides onto a chair.
He grins but says nothing, only hastily getting out of his chair once the coffee pot finishes perking. He pours them each a cup and carries them to the table before he sits again.
Now Brienne's really worried.
"Oh, gods—somebody else has run our experiments," she breathes.
He raises an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'd show up with a smile and doughnuts if that were the case? Whiskey and a scowl, yes, but doughnuts?"
Brienne's lips twitch towards a smile but she sternly suppresses the urge. "Then what are you up to?" she asks, deeply suspicious.
Jaime leans forward, his green eyes twinkling. "Have you noticed, Brienne, that no matter what universe we're in, we never seem to have any fun?"
Brienne pauses, a doughnut half-way to her mouth. She blinks.
Jaime's grin turns to a mock-frown. "I mean, yes, Megastar Jaime is always ready to party, but really, all the other universes are pretty much all-work-all-the-time."
"Well, Farmer Brienne was trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table. She might lighten up now she's about to become a millionaire."
"True. And it's tough to show a girl a good time when you're in shackles in a prison cell, waiting to die."
Brienne presses her lips tightly together to stop herself from laughing, and says, "Prince, later King, Jaime isn't exactly a barrel of laughs either."
"Gods, no, and the Mad Jon universe really doesn't have anything in the way of entertainment. Well, other than—"
"That's enough," she yelps, blushing. He laughs as she takes a hasty sip of her coffee.
She considers him thoughtfully over her coffee cup and he looks even more delicious than the doughnuts he brought—and the doughnuts look pretty damn tasty. Her hopes rise. Maybe she can trust that all of this flirting is because he—this Jaime, sitting in front of her—is interested in her. Then she remembers their kisses after Queen Brienne was attacked, how tightly they held on to each other, and deflates.
The other universes are still echoing in their heads. Mayhaps they'll continue falling towards each other once the echoes have faded, but for right now...
She sighs. "What's this all about?"
Jaime smiles. "We don't have any of those factors," he says, "so why aren't we having any fun?"
She stares, wondering what the hells is going on in that handsome head of his.
"I don't understand..." she finally says.
"The fact you don't understand the concept of 'fun' is sad all on its own, but that's a conversation for another day." He leans forward again. "There's a carnival in town."
"Carnival?"
"Yes. You know, those temporary entertainment venues filled with shoddily constructed rides that make you puke, haunted houses, games rigged so you spend a hundred dragons to win a fifty-groat toy, and deep fried food that you can hear hardening your arteries as you chew it, made in booths of questionable cleanliness?"
"I know what carnivals are! But we need to decide what we're going to do with the results of our experiments and—"
"It's the weekend! And you were willing to take a whole week off for a road trip, remember? And let's face it: sometimes we all just need to have some fun."
"No," Brienne says flatly. A fun Jaime would be the death of her. "No. I'm going to the lab to work."
*/*/*/*/*
"Not the roller coaster, Jaime," she says, digging in her heels. "They only put that thing together a few days ago—the gods only know how safe it is!"
"Coward," Jaime says cheerfully, as he has every other time she's objected to a ride.
"That's not going to work this time," she snaps with a scowl.
He grins.
*/*/*/*/*
"No more rides," Brienne groans as they stagger off the roller coaster.
"There's only one left," Jaime says.
"Gods, which of the seven hells is this ride from?"
He points and her mouth slowly sags open.
The Tunnel of Love.
*/*/*/*/*
"Relax, Brienne," Jaime murmurs as the swan-shaped boat begins its journey into the dark tunnel.
"This is ridiculous, Jaime," she mutters, and wonders if he can feel her thrumming nerves.
"No, Brienne; this is fun."
He puts a finger under her chin and gently turns her head so she's looking at him.
"Jaime," she says softly, and she doesn't know if she's protesting or begging.
He quirks a smile. "No?" he says.
She stares at him in the dim light of this stupid tunnel, in this stupid too-small swan-shaped boat, on this stupid 'fun' day and knows—knows—she needs to put a stop to this insanity because it's an insanity fuelled only by the emotions and memories of all the other Jaimes and Briennes.
His thumb gently strokes her cheek.
"No," he says and releases her, leaning back with a sad smile.
It's the sadness on his face that breaks her control and she grabs his head and drags him to her, painfully mashing their lips together and almost toppling them out of that stupid, too-small boat.
She immediately lets him go.
"Oh, fuck," she groans and he laughs and she wants this stupid boat to sink so she can fucking drown herself and then he cups her face and kisses her.
*/*/*/*/*
They only stop kissing when they emerge, blinking, back into the daylight.
Jaime says, "Well, that was definitely a first," and presses one last, lingering kiss against her swollen lips.
When he releases her, Brienne knows she's beet red. She glances at the bored attendant and blushes even more.
"Well," Jaime says as he helps her from the boat, "that's my favourite ride, by far. But now..."
She blinks then narrows her eyes. "Now what?"
"Now we eat, and then it's time for the games."
"Oh, gods," she groans as he grabs her hand and tugs her along behind him.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime's still pouting when he pulls up in front of her little house.
"I can't believe you won more prizes than me," he grumbles.
Brienne's smile is smug. "I expect to see every last one of them in a place of honor in your house."
"One, I live with Tyrion so I don't even have a house, and two—there's no room for them all!"
She laughs as they get out of the car and they grab those prizes Jaime had won for her and carry them inside.
Pod greets them, barking excitedly and jumping round their feet. They give him some attention and then Brienne turns to Jaime, feeling suddenly awkward.
"Do you...would you...I have some..." she stalls and stares helplessly at him.
"No," he says slowly, shaking his head. "I know you're worried that what's happening between us is being influenced by memories of those other universes, so I'm willing to take it slow." He stares, his eyes dark and burning. "But if we want to take it slow, I better not stay, not with you looking at me like that."
Her eyes widen as she recognizes the look on his face; she's seen it enough in the other universes. She thinks of their kisses in the Tunnel of Love and her knees tremble a little.
"Oh," she says, and she's surprised at her breathy, almost flirty, tone.
He gulps a little then turns and walks to the door while she trails after him, wondering if she should throw caution to the wind and beg him to stay. He abruptly turns and takes her hand, tugging her into his arms. They kiss, and Brienne is vaguely aware of him gently guiding her so her back is against the wall and then the kiss abruptly changes, deepens and suddenly she's clutching at his back, one leg hooked over his hip as he presses against her, like he's trying to absorb her into his very soul.
He breaks the kiss and buries his face in the crook of her neck, trying to catch his breath.
She's panting and she doesn't know if she's glad or sorry that he's kept enough presence of mind to slow things down. She's shaking, and she doesn't know if she's ready for—for whatever this is. She's not sure if he wants her because of the other Jaimes and Briennes they've found, or if this is something this Jaime really feels, as himself.
Jaime groans as he steps away from her and she feels suddenly very cold without the heat of his body pressed tight against her.
"I better go," he says.
She gives a jerky nod. "Probably for the best," she manages.
His smile is pained. "Probably," he says. He takes another step away, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath as he regains control. "Still, I'd have to say this was a successful first date."
She blinks. "First? Date?"
He laughs. "It's good to know that some things remain the same, no matter which Brienne it is. Yes, first date." He steps closer and strokes her cheek, running his thumb over her lips, before he drops his hand and turns back to the door. "You'll have to come up with something fun for us to do for our second date."
She blinks owlishly as he opens the door then she says, "Okay."
He grins, leans in for one last kiss, then steps outside and closes the door behind him.
She presses her forehead against the door, closing her eyes and struggling with her worries about what this all means.
Then her eyes pop open and she mutters, "You are not this craven," and yanks the door open.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime closes the door behind him and pauses on the step. He raises his face to the clear sky, taking in the beauty of the stars twinkling above his head.
She's right, he thinks, they need to take this slow. She means too much to him and they need to make sure this is about them, the Jaime and Brienne in this universe, that this is what they want and not something driven by the memories and the feelings of all those other Jaimes and Briennes.
He knows she's right…and he'll see her tomorrow…but he can't seem to force himself to walk away.
I'm such a coward, he thinks, and turns, his hand raised to knock just as the door is pulled open.
They freeze, staring, and then Brienne grabs him by the collar and yanks him inside.
*/*/*/*/*
They crash together in a flurry of kisses and hands, flying buttons and ripping cloth, and Jaime's pleased 'yes' when he sees the lion-shaped cluster of freckles on Brienne's right hip.
"This," Brienne says as they fall on her bed, "had better be the best sex in all six universes."
Jaime shakes with laughter. "I was about to tell you the same thing," he says.
*/*/*/*/*
It is.
*/*/*/*/*
He stretches out beside her, lean and strong, smoothly muscled and gorgeous, one arm and leg flung across her body. His breathing is slowing, steadying and Brienne recognizes the signs of him falling into sleep.
It's new and yet so familiar. If she were to delve into all those memories she's gained from all the other universes, she knows this would be as familiar to her as her own face. She wonders what those other Briennes would think if they knew she'd been there, experiencing everything they were experiencing.
A sudden thought crosses her mind and she tenses, frowning up at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?" Jaime murmurs against her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin.
"I just…do you think...do you think we're being watched, right now? Just like we watched the other Jaimes and Briennes?"
Jaime lifts his beautiful, golden head and smiles at her.
"Probably," he says and she flushes, feeling suddenly exposed. They haven't even thrown the blankets over themselves yet.
Jaime chuckles at her expression and presses a gentle kiss against her shoulder.
"We're just watching ourselves, Brienne, just like we watched those other versions of us. They're just us; they mean no harm…and they're probably thinking it's about bloody time."
*/*/*/*/*
"Well, it's about bloody time," Jaime growls in her ear.
Brienne blinks and she's back in their custom-built lab, hidden deep in the woods of their estate. She looks at Jaime, who's also blinking, reorienting himself to home and this version of her.
She smiles. "Well, they are our most closely related counterparts," she says, scribbling notes on the pad in front of her. "They're even physicists!"
"And it still took them twice as long to realize they belong together as it did us," Jaime says and presses a kiss against her lips. "Are we finished for today?" he asks, green eyes lit with laughter. "Can we ignore our counterparts and focus on just the us in this universe?"
She leans in and kisses him then shyly nods. Even after all this time—after all these lifetimes—she still finds it difficult to believe—
He seems to read something in her eyes because he moves in for another kiss, longer, deeper, and she moans softly in protest when they finally break apart.
"Enough," he says, his voice husky in her ear. "Soul mates. No matter what universe we're in." His hand goes to the slight curve of her waist and smooths over her right hip. "Now, there's a certain lion-shaped constellation of freckles that I would dearly love to explore myself, rather than through proxies." He kisses her again. "Let's go make a few more memories of our own."
She blushes then grins as she takes his hand and leads him out of the lab.
#####
A/N3: If anybody would like to, I've set up a poll so you can rank the universes, from least favourite to most favourite (it's literally one question - LOL). Hopefully I've done this right and everyone can get to it here: h/t/t/p/s: / / g o o . g l /forms/FRfxYVeWqIX5zHv93 (you can remove the spaces and slashes before forms...hopefully it's going to work...)
