Lauryn fidgeted as she waited for Jon in their favourite little café. It was a strange sensation for her to be nervous when it came to Jon. He was her best friend and they had no secrets, except perhaps now. The little bell above the door dinged and then Jon was sitting down in front of her, a wide grin on his face.

"I have the best news." He said, handing her a letter. Immediately she recognised the logo for Highgarden University and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or be sick or both. "I was accepted." He said before she finished reading the first sentence.

"Wow."

"You heard back from them too, right?"

"I did. I got in." She said and Jon beamed widely. "But I'm not going." Lauryn's gut twisted as she watched Jon's face fall.

"What? Why not?" He asked. "Loll, we decided that this was going to be our dream place."

Tell him the truth, tell him the truth. "My Dad is feeling down again and he needs me at home." Lauryn said. Well done genius.

Jon nodded. "Of course. I understand. Are you going to defer until he's better?"

"Yeah." Lauryn said. Do you want a shovel for that hole?

"Good." Jon said, "I mean, it's not good that your Dad's down again. It must be horrible for him. But he's lucky to have you." He said kindly, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand. Lauryn wanted to punch him in the face. He was being so kind to her and she didn't deserve it. She was being utterly horrible, lying to his face and destroying their dream of running away together.

Robb: Jon just told us about your Dad. Hope ur OK.
Sansa: Sending love to your Dad xxx
Sansa: Do you think he would like a gift basket?
Renly: This is fucked up and you know it.
Lauryn: Shut up Renly.

It was two days after their nineteenth birthdays (which were three days apart) when Lauryn accompanied the Stark family to the airport to see Jon onto his flight. It was a solemn family that arrived at the airport and Jon and Lauryn hadn't stopped holding hands since she had joined them that morning.

"Take care of yourself sweetheart." Catelyn said, "I've put a laundry guide in your bag so you know what the diagrams mean and there are also some Google maps of the nearest places you can get healthy food."

"Mum, stop fussing. I'll be fine." Jon laughed before pulling her into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart."

"Take care of yourself son." Ned said, clapping Jon on the shoulder.

"Thanks Dad." Jon said before hugging and saying his goodbyes to all of his siblings. "Come here." He said to Lauryn as he pulled her to one side. "Close your eyes."

"Jon."

"Just do it." He smiled, taking hold of her hand. Lauryn did as she was told and closed her eyes. Jon placed something into her hand and Lauryn opened her eyes to find that it was a plastic white rose. "I thought you might like a little bit of Highgarden to prepare you." He said and Lauryn couldn't stop herself from crying. "Hey, hey." He whispered, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm going to miss you." She whispered into his shoulder. "So, so much."

"I'll miss you too." He said into her hair. "But you'll be in Highgarden before you know it." He said and Lauryn held him tighter. They pulled back so their noses were touching.

"Keep in touch okay." Lauryn whispered, her breath minty on Jon's lips and he nodded. "Leave out the details of the girls you shag though." She said and Jon chuckled. He kissed her forehead and as he did so, a teardrop fell onto Lauryn's eyebrow and she realised that he was crying too. He took the rose and tucked it behind her ear.

"Beautiful." He breathed, running a finger down her jaw before picking up his bag and making his way over to the security. He looked back over his shoulder and waved to all of them. Lauryn raised her hand in farewell and then her best friend was gone. Trying desperately not to wail loudly, she turned away from the Stark family, only to see Renly walking through the door of the airport. She didn't say anything but walked to him and threw her arms around him.

"Thought you might like a friendly face." He said, giving her a little squeeze and Lauryn pulled back to give him a watery smile.

"Thank you. Um, Renly, this is Jon's family. Guys, this is my friend Renly."

"The gay kid who works at the pharmacy?" Theon said and Robb elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Renly." Catelyn said politely. "Lauryn, are you going to be coming home with us or is Renly going to give you a ride?"

"I'll go with Renly, if that's alright, Auntie Cat."

"Of course it is my love. We'll see you soon." Catelyn said, giving her a hug and then the Stark family were gone.

"Come on." Renly said and they started walking to the drop off point where Renly had somehow managed to get away with parking. "I like the rose." He said and Lauryn pulled it out of her hair.

"It was a present from Jon."

"He still thinks you're going to join him in Highgarden?" Renly asked and Lauryn nodded. "You have really gotten yourself into something here, haven't you?"

"Shit." Lauryn said before they both climbed into the car and did their seatbelts.

"I'll say." Renly said and he pulled out of the spot and back towards town. He stopped outside a pizza delivery place where they got two large pizzas before driving out to the pier and parked in the spot where they could sit on the bonnet and look out at the water as the sun went down.

"Oh God Renly this is so fucked up." Lauryn said when they were nearly done with their pizzas and the street lamps were on. "I'm pregnant at nineteen, the Dad doesn't even know yet, my best friend just left for Highgarden and he doesn't even know and I am pretty much on the verge of suicide."

"Being an adult is great isn't it?"

"They never teach you this in school." Lauryn said, chewing on her bite of pizza and swallowing. "They tell you that they're preparing you for the real world because the fucking Pythagorean Theorem is a brilliant method of contraception."

"Exactly." Renly said when he'd finished laughing. "Also, being able to separate the phases of mitosis is a great way of preventing homophobic pricks from kicking your head in." He shook his head and took another bite of his pizza. "So Jon isn't the father?"

"No he isn't."

"Then who is?"

"Jaime Lannister." Lauryn said and then started patting Renly on the back as he choked.

"Jaime Lannister?" Renly asked, red faced and incredulously. "Is your vagina made of gold?"

"Nope. But the condom did get stuck in it." Lauryn said and Renly howled with laughter.

"How?" He asked when he'd recovered slightly.

"I don't know." Lauryn laughed. "He was a little rough for the seventeen seconds he was in there so it broke and when he pulled out it stayed in there. I had to go to A&E and get it removed by a doctor who gave me a morning after pill that I forgot to take."

"Snap, boom, you're pregnant." He said and she nodded as her phone beeped from inside the car again and she slid off the bonnet and reached through the open window to grab it from the dashboard.

Jon: Landed in Highgarden – love it here already. Can't wait for you to see it.
Jon: Just tried to Skype you but got no reply. Everything OK?
Jon: Called your house phone but your Dad said you were out.
Jon: Lauryn, where are you? I'm really worried now.
Lauryn: Jon, I'm fine. I'm out at the beach with a friend. We're on our way home soon. Glad you're enjoying Highgarden so far.

"Everything OK?" Renly asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, it's just Jon. He's in Highgarden and loving it already." Lauryn said. "He was just getting a bit panicky that I wasn't answering. He's a bit of a mother hen."

"Bless him." Renly said, sliding off the bonnet and throwing the pizza boxes into the nearest rubbish bin before walking back to the car. "Let's get you home Mama Bear."

"You're really cute."

"I try." Renly said with a smile.

Lauryn sighed as she laid in bed. It was now November and her belly had grown out of nowhere. She was surprised she had managed to hide it from the Starks for this long. Thinking about them made her remember Jon and she reached out for the plastic rose that she kept on her bedside table. She smiled as she twirled it in her fingers before using the head of the rose to trace a circle on her bump, receiving a nudge in reply. "I know, pretty girl. I love you too."

Christmas was a quiet affair. Jory had gone to the Stark's Christmas party with the lie that Lauryn had a really bad case of the flu, when in reality she was watching Christmas movies with Renly, throwing popcorn at the screen during romantic scenes and crying at every version of Tiny Tim. Christmas Day was just Jory and Lauryn, as it always had been, opening presents with mugs of tea and bacon sandwiches before watching Frozen. Christmas Dinner was good and they were still wearing their paper hats from the crackers when Renly arrived at half five after he was kicked out by his parents. He quickly joined them in wearing a paper hat and they played a couple of rounds of The Logo Game before watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special with hot chocolate. They then watched A Muppet Christmas Carol again before Lauryn fell asleep on the sofa.

Dear Lauryn,
First of all, happy New Year! I can't believe another year has come and gone – we're getting old way too fast!
I'm sorry I didn't come home for Christmas, it would have been nice to have seen you. Instead, I was invited to spend Christmas with the Tyrell family. Their youngest son, Loras, is my roommate at Uni and they told me to save my pennies for my rent and spend Christmas with them – I was surprised Mum and Dad didn't tell you but then Robb texted that you had the flu, which sucks. I hope you're feeling better now though.
So, Christmas with the Tyrells was insane. They had a massive party on Christmas Eve with all their friends – kind of like the party my parents have – and I met this kid named Samwell Tarly who was very nervous but a cool kid nonetheless. We had a really good conversation about Doctor Who that I wish you could have been there for. The party went on into the early hours of the morning and then we were all up at nine o'clock sharp for Buck's Fizz and the official present opening and Secret Santa, which was good fun and I was surprised at how delighted they were over the less extravagant gifts and we played a game of Trivial Pursuit. Christmas Dinner was at one o'clock and afterwards we went for a family walk around the grounds of their house which took about an hour and Willas, the eldest, was very kind in pointing out various attractions of the grounds, including the tennis courts and lake with its own gazebo. Once inside, we played a game of Monopoly and I wasn't surprised that they got as competitive as we do when we play Monopoly – it's not that difficult! We had a buffet at about seven o'clock and then we all settled down to watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas together. I went to bed at about ten and I was definitely drunk, but then we all were as we had been drinking since nine that morning and I hadn't had enough sleep to get over the party the night before!
I miss you Loll. I really do. The Tyrells are a really nice family and lovely people but I wish that you could have been there with me. Hopefully you'll be joining me in Highgarden soon and I can introduce you to the Tyrells and show you around.
All my love,
Jon

"Come on Lauryn. One more push!"

"Come on Lauryn, you can do it!"

"Come on!"

"ARGGGHHH!" Lauryn screamed and then she was cut off as the cry of the baby broke through. She slumped against Renly who kissed her forehead.

"You did it." He whispered as the nurse handed the baby, now wrapped up, to Lauryn. As soon as she looked at her daughter, Lauryn knew that she had made the right decision.

"Hi." She whispered. "I promise that I am going to be the best mother that I can be to you, my beautiful Ivy Rose."

"Ivy Rose. That's beautiful." Renly smiled.

"Ivy Rose it is." Jory nodded and Lauryn looked up at him and was surprised to find that he was crying.

"Dad."

"I can't help it." He sniffed. "My little girl's all grown up." He said and, after making sure Ivy was secure in her arm, Lauryn held out her hand to him and he took it.

"I still need you though Dad." She said and he kissed her hand. "I need you now. So get your shit together."

"Language." Jory scolded, but he was smiling.

Life has a funny way of bringing back the people you love the most right when you don't want them. Lauryn was folding laundry when the knock came at the door. She heaved herself up and answered the door and wished she hadn't when she saw a hurt Jon standing on the doorstep with red rimmed eyes.

"Jon. What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked and Lauryn at least had sense to look guilty. "Lauryn, you're supposed to be my best friend. Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"Why don't you come in? I'll tell you everything." Lauryn said and Jon stepped through the door. As she closed the door, Ivy started crying. "Shit."

"Is that it?"

"She's a girl. I'd better see to her, give me a sec." Lauryn said before running up the stairs to her room, Jon silently following her. "Hey baby girl, what's this noise? Hey? What's this noise?" Lauryn sniffed her bottom. "You stink monkey. Come on, let's clean you up." She said, carrying her over to the changing table and changing her nappy as quick as a flash and Jon was surprised at how skilled Lauryn was at it. "There we go. That's what we wanted, wasn't it? A nice clean bum." Lauryn said and Jon chuckled. She turned to look at him with a smile and nodded her head towards her bed before sitting on it with Ivy in her arms. Jon sat next to her and looked down at the little baby in his best friend's arms and he was surprised at how cute she was.

"What's her name?"

"Ivy Rose."

"That's beautiful. Highgarden inspired?"

"A little. She's my reminder of you. Every time I used to trace my bump with that rose you gave me she used to nudge back." Lauryn looked at him. "How did you find out?"

"Sansa. She saw you leaving the house with Ivy one day and told everyone." Jon said, reaching out his finger and Ivy grabbed onto it immediately. "Does Jaime know?"

"A very convenient job in Braavos became available out of nowhere as soon as he heard. His brother Tyrion sent me a cheque for twenty five hundred gold dragons though, which was generous." Lauryn looked at Jon again. "Would you like to hold her?"

"I don't know how to-," Jon said and Lauryn showed him how to support Ivy's head and bottom with his hands. "She's so small."

"She's only four months old." Lauryn smiled. "I was wondering, you've always been there for me, I was wondering if you could do the same for Ivy – as her godfather."

Jon looked at her before looking down at the baby in his hands. Ivy licked her lips before making direct eye contact with him. Her eyes were light blue in colour and she just stared at him and he felt a sudden rush of love for this child, the daughter of his best friend. "Of course." He answered, more to Ivy than to Lauryn. "Of course I'll be godfather."