Chapter 59

….

Sansa was curled up on the sofa in her sitting room, working on her needlework, while Julianna lay on a blanket in front of the fire. She was working on a blanket for Tommen, hoping that a receiving a special gift for his room would make him feel more at home at Casterly Rock. She had been torn, not certain if she should stitch a lion or a stag on the blanket, finally deciding to stitch a striped kitten, since she knew it would make him smile.

Tommen had been turned over to Lady Alys not long after Margaery and Ser Loras left him at the Rock. Lady Alys had helped to look after Jaime and Cersei after their mother died and clearly knew who the little boy was, though she nodded in agreement when Jaime had insisted that she not use his name in front of the servants, and that she not refer to him as king. Lady Alys had simply taken Tommen by the hand and led him to what was to be his bedchamber, in order to get him settled, along with his cage of kittens. Sansa knew the kindly older woman would be able to make Tommen feel at ease, just as she had made Sansa feel comfortable when she had first arrived at Casterly Rock and felt a bit out of sorts.

Jaime had almost immediately strode off in search of Arya, no doubt needing to lose himself in the peace that sword-fighting brought him. Sansa knew that Jaime and Arya had a special relationship. They were able to relax around one another, sometimes not speaking at all, simply sparring and practicing their footwork and their swings. It saddened Sansa that Jaime was so intimidated and uncertain about Tommen's presence. She did not understand how such a brave, fierce warrior could be so frightened at the prospect of raising a little boy.

She knew that he worried about his ability to love Tommen and be a father to him. Sansa looked down at Julianna, lying on a thick blanket and smiled. She saw how much Jaime loved their baby and had no doubt that there was room in his heart for Tommen. If he would only let his guard down and get to know the child. If only he would let himself love him.

Sansa looked up and saw Lady Alys in the doorway, her hand on Tommen's back. "I thought our little guest might like to spend some time here with you, Sansa. Lunch should be ready in about an hour. Are you hungry?" she asked, directing her question to Tommen. He shrugged and Lady Alys met Sansa's eyes. She could see Lady Alys was concerned that the little boy was unhappy and uncomfortable at the Rock.

"I'd very much enjoy the company," Sansa said, smiling gently at Tommen. "It's been so long since we've been able to sit together and talk."

Lady Alys patted Tommen's shoulder before leaving the boy with Sansa. Tommen immediately plopped down in front of the fire beside Julianna, watching her curiously. Sansa smiled to herself as Tommen gently touched the baby, petting her as if she were one of his kittens. "What's her name?" he asked quietly.

"Julianna." Sansa put down her sewing, watching as Tommen whispered the baby's name and continued to pet her. One of Tommen's kittens ran through the room, and the baby let out a delighted squeal, reaching out in the direction of the little animal. Perhaps an affection for kittens runs in the family.

Sansa moved to sit on the floor beside Tommen, hugging him as she settled herself onto the large fur and blanket he sat on. She felt for the little boy who had lost so much in the past few years. King Robert – the man he believed to be his father - had died. His brother, Joffrey, had died, and Myrcella had been packed off to Dorne. His mother was dead. And now Margaery and Ser Loras had abandoned him here at the Rock with she and Jaime. Little Tommen had lost almost as much as Sansa had.

"Do you like your chamber here? It's not very far from our chambers, should you need me or Jaime for anything."

Tommen nodded. "Lady Alys helped to make a bed for my kittens, by the fire."

"But you miss home, don't you?"

"I miss mother. And father. And Joffy and Myrcella." He leaned against Sansa as his eyes filled with tears.

"I know you do," she said quietly, watching as Julianna grasped Tommen's finger tight and smiled brightly, her eyes moving over his face. "When I was in King's Landing, I missed my family so much. And I missed Winterfell. That was my home for as long as I could remember."

"Do you still miss it?"

"Sometimes. But Casterly Rock has come to feel like home to me. I think you'll be happy here, too, Tommen. Jaime made this feel like home. He made me feel safe here." She stroked his soft golden hair and thought of Jaime. "He's your family and he cares about what happens to you. And I am your family, too, now that Jaime is my husband." Sansa looked down at Julianna and saw that Tommen was holding her little hand. "She likes you."

"I've never got to play with a baby before."

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Can I?" he asked, looking at her with those deep green eyes.

Sansa nodded, lifting Julianna up and placing her in Tommen's lap. He held her securely, smiling down at her and laughing when she reached up and touched his face. His laugh made the baby smile and curl her fingers against his face.

"Julianna's your family, too, you know. Your…Jaime's her father." Sansa couldn't bring herself to call Jaime his uncle, since she knew it wasn't true.

"She's pretty. She looks like you," he said shyly.

"And her eyes are like yours," she said, smiling.

"I wanted a little brother or little sister to play with but Mother always said that three of us were enough and I could not have a little brother or sister."

Sansa wasn't sure what to say. She knew it wasn't her place to tell him that he was the baby's older brother. That he did have a little sister. Though, she couldn't help noticing how Tommen was drawn to her baby and how they responded to one another. She wondered if they somehow knew that they were brother and sister. She wondered if they felt a bond with one another already. "You and Julianna are going to grow up together here at Casterly Rock. And you will be able to play with her whenever you want," she began hesitantly. "You're part of our family. You, Jaime, Julianna and I are a family now, all right?"

He nodded.

"And you'll protect her, and make sure she's always safe and that no one hurts her, won't you?"

"I promise," he said solemnly, hugging the baby. "Thank you for letting me live with you," he whispered and Sansa leaned over and kissed the top of his head. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Jaime standing in the doorway. She wanted him to join them, but she could see that he was still hesitant to treat Tommen as his son. He smiled at her, faintly, before continuing on to their bedchamber, leaving Sansa with Tommen and Julianna.

…

"Thank you," Jaime whispered, kissing Sansa's collarbone, his hand roaming over her bare hip.

"What for?"

"You know what for," he murmured, as she climbed into his lap. "Most women would not be so accepting of Tommen. You've been…wonderful to him. Treating him as part of our family and…allowing him to hold the babe and be her brother…even if he doesn't know it."

She smiled, gently stroking Jaime's hair and threading her fingers along the base of his neck. "If you want to tell him…I don't mind," she whispered, gently kissing below his ear.

Jaime gently grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. "That'd be a death sentence for me and for him."

"I know it is now, but, if a time comes that it is safe to tell him, I don't mind. I'd like he and Julianna to know they are brother and sister." Sansa wished he weren't so adamant that Tommen remain in the dark about their true relationship. She wished there weren't secrets between them.

"How can you feel that way about Cersei's child?"

"He's your child. He's your son, Jaime. He's so like you and I love you," she whispered, kissing his temple. "How could I not love your son?"

Jaime shifted her onto her back, kissing her over and over as she wrapped her long legs around his waist. She rolled her head back into the pillows as Jaime began kissing and touching her breasts.

"You really are perfect, aren't you?" he murmured against her skin. "What did you ever do to end up with a man as flawed as me for a husband?" he asked with a smirk.

"I like your flaws," she said, gently moving her fingers over his cheek, the slight stubble tickling her fingers. "Almost as much as I like being here in bed with you…" Her voice trailed off into a moan as she felt Jaime enter her slowly, knowing he planned to lazily make love to her for a while, drawing it out. Sansa closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he moved against her, breathing heavily against her neck.

He rolled onto his back and Sansa stretched out on top of him, kissing and sucking at the skin of his neck. His hand slid to her bottom as she rested her hands on his chest, her nipples brushing against him. "You are excellent at making me forget…everything but you," he whispered, kissing her again.

Sansa smiled as Jaime sat up, clutching her to him and moving his mouth over her breasts. She began stroking his hair, thinking his golden hair was as soft as his son's. "I love you so much, Jaime. So much." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of Jaime moving inside her and his mouth on her breasts.

"Sansa?"

Her eyes flew open at the sound of the timid little voice, and Sansa was horrified to see Tommen standing in the doorway between her chamber and Jaime's, looking at them with wide eyes. Sansa could see that Jaime had not even noticed. She scrambled off his lap, covering her breasts as she all but flew under the covers. Jaime turned his head and saw Tommen, cursing softly before looking at Sansa with a smirk on his face. "Still think it's a good idea that we raise him?" he whispered. She scowled at him, wishing she could just disappear, feeling her face heat in humiliation.

Jaime reached over the edge of the bed, picking up his discarded tunic, which he tossed to her, no doubt knowing she was horrified that Tommen had seen them naked and having sex. She smiled gratefully and slipped it over her head, praying that Tommen wouldn't say anything about what he had seen.

"What's the matter, Tommen?" She could hear the annoyance in Jaime's voice and resisted the urge to tell him to be patient with the little boy.

"I was scared." Tommen seemed unconcerned that Jaime was completely naked as he hesitantly entered the room. Sansa sat up once she was covered, sighing deeply to forget her embarrassment. She saw Tommen slowly walk toward the bed and then cautiously climb onto it, all but throwing himself into her arms, seeking comfort, though she could see he was afraid that Jaime was angry at him. Even as he clutched her tightly, he glanced over at Jaime warily.

"It's all right, Tommen," she whispered.

Sansa felt her face heat yet again as Jaime rose from the bed and walked into the bathing room, his manhood still hard with arousal. She wondered if Tommen would realize what he had interrupted and prayed to the seven that he would not question why they were both naked or what they were doing. He rested his head against Sansa's chest as she stroked his hair. She held him silently for a few minutes, his little arms wrapped around her.

"Is Uncle Jaime angry that I came in here?"

Sansa smiled to herself as she considered what he had interrupted and knew Jaime was not happy, not that she would tell Tommen that. She wanted him to be able to come to them if he needed them. "He understands it's your first night here, and you're a bit nervous. What did you dream of?" she asked quietly, pulling him onto her lap and leaning against the headboard, propping a pillow behind her back.

"Mother." he whispered. "She died here. What if the man who killed her tries to hurt me? Mother said there were enemies and killers in every corner, and only she and the Kingsguard could protect me. But…my guards aren't here. Ser Loras left. Who will protect me?"

She looked up and saw Jaime walking back toward the bed. Sansa knew he had heard Tommen's words. "No one will harm you Tommen," she heard Jaime say quietly as he climbed back into bed, slipping beneath the furs. "You're safe here at Casterly Rock. I promise you."

She saw so much of Jaime in the scared little boy cuddling in her arms. Tommen had such innocence in his face that she knew most people would laugh at the suggestion that he was like Jaime. But she'd seen such innocence and sweetness on Jaime's face. Especially in the past months, when he looked at and played with Julianna.

"We won't let anyone hurt you," she whispered, kissing the top of Tommen's head.

He leaned against Sansa, looking at Jaime with sad eyes. "Mother said you only cared about Sansa and the baby. She said you wouldn't help us or protect us." Sansa felt her anger rise as Tommen repeated Cersei's words that were clearly designed to put a wedge between the boy and Jaime.

"Your mother was wrong," Jaime said. "Sansa and I both care very much about what happens to you."

"Who's going to take care of me now?" Tommen said in a tiny voice, wiping tears from his eyes.

Jaime looked away from the boy for a moment, meeting Sansa's eyes, which were imploring him to offer Tommen some words of comfort. "Sansa and I will take care of you," he said, finally, meeting the boy's eyes.

"For how long?"

Jaime sighed. She could see that her husband was having difficulty with this conversation with the young son that he barely knew. "You're going to live with us, until you're grown."

"You won't send me away?"

Jaime shook his head. "We're not going to send you away. You'll live with us and we will take care of you."

Sansa could see that Jaime was surprised when Tommen climbed off her lap and moved towards him, hugging him tightly. He slowly raised his hand to the boy's head, which was resting on his shoulder, and patted his head hesitantly. Jaime met her eyes and she smiled, hoping that he was on his way to being comfortable with Tommen. He's such a good father to our baby and he gets along so well with Arya. I know there's room in his heart for little Tommen.

"Can I sleep here tonight with you?" Tommen asked in a small voice.

Jaime looked at Sansa and she could see he wanted to refuse the boy's request, but he softened when she smiled at him, nodding slightly. "Just for tonight," Jaime said, as the boy smiled a chubby little smile. "And only as long as I get to lie next to Sansa, too."

Sansa gave him a long-suffering look, but Tommen nodded solemnly, climbing out of Jaime's lap and over Sansa to settle on the other side of her, resting his head on her chest and wrapping his arms around her. She gently stroked his hair as she felt Jaime stretch out next to her, snaking his arm around her waist. Jaime nuzzled deep into Sansa's dark red hair, sighing deeply.

"Tomorrow night, we start bolting the door," he whispered quietly in Sansa's ear. She smiled and turned her head to kiss him, settling into his arms, as he returned her kiss. She gave him a warning look as she pulled away, knowing he'd continue kissing her if she allowed it, despite Tommen lying next to her. "I look forward to finishing where we left off," he murmured in her ear as he rested his head against hers.

"Good night," Tommen whispered sleepily against her.

"Good night, darling boy," she whispered, holding him tighter.

"Good night, Uncle Jaime."

Sansa turned her head, raising her eyebrow at Jaime. "Good night, Tommen." He kissed her neck again. "I'd wager you never thought you'd spend the night in bed with two Lannister Lions," he whispered in her ear, kissing her carefully, so as not to alert Tommen. "And I never thought I'd have to compete with my own blood for a space in your arms at night."

She playfully pushed at Jaime, who settled against her, closing his eyes. "I love you, sweet girl," he murmured as he drifted off to sleep. Sansa smiled, feeling warm and safe, cuddled up with Jaime and Tommen in the large bed as the fire crackled across the room. He's coming around, she thought, hoping he and little Tommen would learn to love and trust one another. They just need some time together.

…

As always, thank you for the reviews, and please keep the comments and suggestions coming. Based upon their personalities, I think that Sansa would have no issues with Tommen and would welcome him immediately, but Jaime has such complex feelings and hang-ups about Tommen - especially after killing Cersei - that I feel like it would be difficult for him to fully accept his presence as part of their family. Soon we'll have more of the outside world creep into Lannisport…

Next Chapter: Jaime and Tommen spend some time together and Catelyn learns of the boy's presence at Casterly Rock