A/N: This is me trying to outrun the clock, trying to put out the couple of parts I have in my head before the next episode throws everything to the trash... Funny story, sort of related, I used to think I was the only Sansa/Tyrion lover out there, two years ago I decided to trash down a 14k words story when Jon and Tyrion found themself talking of Tyrion and Sansa's sham wedding.

"Lord Tyrion, would you have a second to spare?" Sansa asked, and he was immediately eagerly nodding his head.

The last days, weeks really, had been hectic. He had barely seen her, always from afar, never had the chance to try and exchange a quip with her.

"Thank you, my Lord, I'll be waiting in the crypt. Join me whenever you're finished with this meeting."

She curtsied and he bowed.

He needed more than a moment to realize all conversations around them had stopped. He had been talking with Brienne, Jamie, Pod and most importantly, Varys, planning their trip back to King's Landing. This was all they talked about lately. Cersei the First was about to be the one and only of her name, every one of them agreed see but seemed at odds about who was to end her reign.

Jamie had shared the news of her pregnancy, as they had gotten words from court that the Queen was pregnant with Euron Greyjoy's child. If only…. The seaman probably thought he had won the first prize at some random lottery, shooting straight and getting his seed in the woman's belly. It had prompted his brother to share what they both knew already.

The look of disgust in Brienne's eyes upon hearing the news had almost brought Jamie to his knees, and Tyrion had not been able to begrudge her for such a reaction. He only knew part of their story, but she had vouched for Jamie when he had arrived in Winterfell, and this bit of news truly felt like a dagger in her back.

"What?" He finally said, when none of his companions uttered a word.

"Are you arranging second nuptials?" Varys finally asked in that annoyingly sweet voice of his.

"Go fuck yourself. Oh wait, you can't!" Tyrion exclaimed as if suddenly remembering the man's predicament.

"Second nuptials? You are all crazy," Brienne exclaimed. "First this one shags your sister, then we defeat the Night King only to discover he was just an obstacle and not the actual purpose of our quest. Then, we have to deal with this whole drama between your dragon queen and Snow, and now, we're talking wedding bells and more? I swear to the Gods, I will never understand any of you people."

Tyrion wished he could strike back, but truth be told, well she was speaking it, the truth, that was. Ser Brienne was the only one level-headed among them, and given her reputation and story, this did not bode well for the lot of them. Then again, reputations were not meant to be trusted, or so he wished people would see. What you had been once, or for a moment in your life did not have to define who you were for the rest of it.

"I was saying," Jamie started again, and Tyrion was pulled back in strategic consideration. If there was someone who knew his way in and out of their sister, it was the knight, and since Daenerys would not allow him in her presence, her Hand had been asked to hear him and get back at her what was relevant and what was not.

Thankfully, Varys was there too, as Tyrion kept on having to tell himself to pay attention. What did his Lady want? She had had that look in her eyes, the one where she tried to broadcast confidence, but he could see the insecurity hiding. Lady Sansa of Winterfell was never insecure. She led her people with an iron fist in a fur glove. They would have all died for her, and she for them.

He couldn't help but think of the few snowflakes that had hanged to her hair, as if trying to illuminate her natural beauty. He found himself rubbing his hand against his scarred face, wondering how fitting it was that the ugliest of them all was desperate for some time with the fairest of them all. Did she think of it? Did she take notice of his flaw when her eyes laid upon him? Did it made her want to recoil, but as the perfect lady she was, she kept it in? There was a pain in his… He guessed it was his heart. It had been so long since anything but hatred and ennui had fueled his life, it felt like he was rediscovering part of him he had stopped taking into account.

"Just go, for Fuck's sake," Jamie exclaimed suddenly. "You know I hate repeating myself, and you're not listening to a word I say."

"You go fuck yourself," he fought back quickly. "That will give us better results than you fucking our sister…."

Pod and Brienne had to intervene to tear them apart, and Tyrion wish he did not feel as little a man as the Imp he was supposed to be. It had not been fair to attack his brother, he had been fooled by Cersei too, except it was so goddamn easy to use it against perfect Jamie.

He wrapped himself in his coat, and saw a couple of unsullied waiting for him on the far side of the room. He made sure to walk the other way, not ready to go back and report to his queen.

It felt wrong to call her so, but that was what she was.

He made his way to the crypt, which had been repaired ever since the Night King had raised the Starks from all generations. Sansa was there, in front of the statue of her father, her hand linked together, as she seemed to mouth words but not say them out loud.

"My Lady," He said, not wanting to give her any reason to think he was spying.

"Where you followed?" She asked quickly.

"Quite probably, but the Unsullied and Dothrakis all fear this place."

"Meaning we only have to worry about the rest of her army…." She whispered bitterly.

She kissed her father's hand, and he forgot for a second it was a statue, as she showed it so much deference.

"My Lord, I need to have a talk with you, but you need to swear something first."

"Anything." He offered without giving it a thought.

"Remember when you mentioned the doves or daughters you wished you would father? Then, you mentioned that every child deserved to be loved, then you went back to another point. I cannot ask you to betray your dragon queen, but can you swear that what you said then was the truth, that children are innocent?"

Words were pressed against his lips, begging to come out, about "his" dragon queen. She was not "his" anything, she was the dragon queen. Meanwhile Sansa was "his" Lady.

"I swear on whatever you deem worthy that I did not lie when I shared my private thoughts with you," he offered. "What is going on, my Lady? You're making me worried with the way you fidget."

"I don't.'

'You do. Unknowing eyes would not be able to tell, but I can."

He came closer to her, and she sighed heavily. He gestured for them to take a seat, far from the door, and she followed. She did not move away when he sat next to her, and he felt emboldened.

"My sister," she started.

"Seems like sisters are a common theme for us today," he said, when she needed a moment to go on.

"Hum?"

"You heard about her joyful announcement?"

The woman nodded, and he wanted to keep taking so that she'd keep her eyes fixated on him, forever.

"Well, she is not lying, but Euron is not the one who got the deed done."

"Ser Jamie…" Sansa whispered right away. "I need to get to Brienne. No, wait, I need to…. I'll get to Brienne. However, this was not why I asked for a moment of your time."

"You can ask for more."

"I can't. Your dragon queen keeps you very busy."

That pronoun again.

"The Targyaren Queen has been demanding indeed, but I would always find time for you."

"Answer this, Lord Tyrion. When you look at me, do you see the child who tried to convince you to prank your nephew and sister? Wait, do not answer, I don't want to know, I need to believe you have respect for me."

"I do. More than you can tell."

"I hope it's true."

There was some noise outside, and they both worried about who was coming to fetch him.

"Would your dragon queen kill children?" She suddenly asked.

He was about to say she wouldn't, when he remembered the Tarly family, and her hatred of certain people.

"I would like to believe so, but I find myself having second thoughts."

"Then I can't tell you."

"You must. You already said too much, and you know it. You talked about your sister, you talked about babes, and about the queen."

Did he sound desperate? Well he was. To be so close to her inner circle, to be able to hear a secret she had to keep and be trusted with it, he wanted nothing more. Well, he did want more, but beggars could not be chosers.

Sansa closed her eyes, and he forgot to breathe. She was painstakingly beautiful, and her ache made him feel like he was bleeding.

"Please, my Lady, entrust me with your confession. Even when they tried me for Joffrey's murder, I never thought for a second you could have anything to do with it and tried to get you of the culprit list."

"Did you?" She asked, opening her wide eyes, staring into his.

"I did. You were my wife. You were a child. You had been abused, time and time again, and I would be damned before I let them associate me in hurting you more."

"I'm sorry I did not beg for us to turn back and get my husband," she said, and knowing she meant him, he felt warmth in his belly.

"You saved yourself, and I could never begrudge you for this. Now please, my Lady, before all our escorts barge in, please tell me what you needed to say."

He felt like he was making the biggest wager of his life, which felt stupid considering all the times he had found himself close to being murdered lately.

"My sister, Arya," she said slowly. "What does your queen think about Late King Robert?"

"I don't think she spare him much thought. Sure, when he was trying to kill her, he was high on her list, but nowadays…." He said, trying to thread together the picture she was alluding to.

"He had a son, Gendry, if you remember. My sister, she's having his babe."

"Oh."

Silence fell upon them, and thoughts were racing through his head. Daenerys had been alright with letting Gendry live so far, but his having a bloodline could bring unwanted attention. Would she be so petty as to kill the child Arya would bring into this world? He hoped not.

"How far along?" He finally asked.

"She just found out. It happened the night of the battle."

Meaning three months give or take, he quickly calculated in his head.

"Your secret is safe with me," he finally said. "I can't tell you right now what Daenerys would do, but I can promise that before your sister has her child, I will have done my best to ensure it doesn't pay the price of a revenge that should have been put to bed ages ago."

It was not enough, yet, he couldn't offer more. He would do everything in his power to make sure nothing happened to this sweet child. Though, given his mother, chances were the offspring would jump out of the womb fully armed and swinging an axe…

"Thank you, my Lord."

"You can call Tyrion, my Lady."

"You can call me Sansa, Tyrion," she replied with a sweet smile, and there was something else in her eyes.

Oh Gods, he figured as he remembered their conversation from those weeks before. She thought she was meant to be a crone, and her younger sister would be the first one to have a child. It had to be painful. He felt weirdly amazed by the fact that she cared only about the brat who was the most skilled killer amongst their ranks. Cersei would have poisoned any girl who would have done something before she did.

"You'll have your babes," he said, squeezing her hand.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she pretended as she looked straight ahead.

Yet she did not shake his hand off.

"A few nights ago, I dreamt about when you first arrived in King's Landing, and about my bitch of a sister calling you "little dove", Tyrion said, feeling the need to get this off his chest.

"She did nickname me so."

"When I mentioned doves, as a metaphor for daughters, I had no second thoughts, there was no allusion to look for her spiteful words. I'm sorry if you thought I was playing with the theme she set."

It had kept him awake several nights. Doves were peaceful birds, lovely ones too. There was nothing his sister couldn't muddy up it seemed.

"It never crossed my mind," she finally said, "I have to admit I never put this together."

"Good. I have so much….

Love.

"Respect for you," he said, using another feeling he carried for her. "I would hate for you to think I have anything in common with … her…"

"It's very thoughtful of you," she answered and then they heard noise that meant they were not alone. "I hope you'll have your doves."

"I'm just waiting for the moment when you realize that you're the one who is supposed to grace my life with them," he said with a roguish look.

She threw her head back and laughed, something so unexpected in a crypt, he found himself smiling, on the verge of joining her.

"This all "we should still be married" thing again? You never gave up, do you, my Lord?"

"I told you to call me Tyrion…"

She seemed to think and have to sort out through several statements she wanted to make, but as Pod entered the crypt, she said:

"Please, Lord Tyrion, Tyrion," she corrected under his stare," ask your dragon queen what she thinks of this first. I am quite certain she will not be on board."

"Does that mean you are?" He asked as she got up and started moving away.

"It just means that women have always been your downfall my Lord, and we're fighting a war too big for me to spare thoughts on something that would never happen."

"That was not a no!" He yelled, as she disappeared.

"That wasn't a yes either!" He thought he heard faintly.

Damn. Women had indeed always been his downfall, Tysha, Shae, Cersei, hell, even his own mother. However he felt like it was time to change his stripe and let one woman be his elevation.

A/N: Please review if you feel so inclined, feed my muse and give me strength.