A/N: I know I said Monday but I'm setting off super early tomorrow morning and I'll be away for a week so I figured you guys would prefer an early update that risk not getting one at all! Thanks again for all reviews/favourites/follows, you are all super awesome, thanking you most sincerely as always!

A few of you asked about Tywin/Lana moments in your reviews and I think I told you it would be this chapter. I got confused with my chapters because it's actually the next chapter they have a scene together - my bad! In more exciting news though I've started writing part two, so I've got lots of chapters saved up for you guys. Unfortunately it will be a week before I can update again but hopefully that's not too long a wait!

lady vivianne: Thank you very much, here's the update you wanted!

Zoelle: I understand where you're coming from, but I will say that there is going to be a big difference between her forgiving him and her forgetting what he did. Also, with her being pregnant I think she is more inclined to forgive him to the extent that she can bear to be around him, the last thing she wants is for her child to get caught up in all the tension and angst of it all. Jaime does know she's close to crumbling but I don't think he would ever see her as being weak, I understand how she could be perceived that way, but in the context of Jaime himself, he would never think that about her. I am really pleased you're loving the story though and opinions on it are always welcomed! Plenty chapters saved up and writing more at the moment so I will indeed keep going!

Right-ho, here's the chapter everyone. Hope you enjoy!

Oh, before I forget, there's a little time hop between this one and the last one, it isn't major and should become clear exactly how far it's jumped in the first few paragraphs.

Right, onwards for real this time!

:)

Thaw

She was out walking along the beach again, that's what one of her attendants had told him and Jaime had set off down the winding stone steps, thinking all the while that he did not like the idea of her walking down them by herself. Especially now that her stomach was beginning to swell and that it would only continue to grow bigger over the next months. It had been four months since their wedding, two spent in bliss and two is something that fluttered between outright hostility and tentative reconciliation depending on Lanette's mood. Recently she seemed to have been warming towards him but one wrong word from him and she would clam up again, reinforcing her walls and keeping him firmly on the other side of them. He sighed heavily then as his boots found the sand of the beach, his footsteps not making a sound as he approached her.

She was stood there with her back to him gazing out into the distance. He vaguely wondered what she was thinking of but quickly stopped, likely he wouldn't enjoy her answer. His eyes lingered on the soft swell of her stomach as he came closer and he couldn't help but bring a smile to his lips. When she spoke about the baby she looked at him with an almost warmth in her eyes that he would conjure up in his mind later on and cling to the memory of as though it were the very thing keeping him in the world. The baby was the only thing stopping his wife from despising him entirely and he couldn't help but be grateful for that. Did that make him selfish? Probably. But he could not help how he felt.

"Out here again," he commented when he was close enough to her and she turned her head and offered him a small smile.

"I love it here," she told him honestly.

"I'm glad, I want the Rock to feel like home for you … I know it will take time but …" he tailed off.

"You're used to me keeping you waiting," Lanette said wryly.

"I didn't mean that," he said and she sighed heavily, her hands coming to cradle her small bump.

"I know," she said, turning back and looking out over the waves again, "but it's true … you do nothing but try Jaime and I give you nothing in return"

"You don't owe me a thing," he told her.

"I'm your wife," she said, shaking her head, "and I miss us"

"So do I," he confessed, looking down at his feet.

"What you did …" she began.

"Was unforgivable," he cut her off before she could say anything.

"No it was unforgettable," she said, turning to look him in the eye; "I can't describe to you how much it hurt but I know it hurt all the more because of how I felt about you"

"Felt?" he said softly, a hint of bitterness in the word.

"Feel," she said after a long moment, taking another deep breath; "I can't forget seeing you and her, it will be etched in my mind forever … but … I can't go on pretending you are nothing to me. We will share a child soon Jaime and I … I still care about you, even if that makes me more angry with myself than I can explain to you …"

"What are you saying?" he asked her, taking a tiny step towards her.

"I'm saying I forgive you," she said, her eyes not leaving his, "but that doesn't mean we can be as we were … not yet, I'm not ready for that"

"Whatever you want," he said, eagerly reaching out and taking her hand.

"Walk with me?" she asked him tentatively and a wide smile broke out across his lips.

"Gladly," he said meaningfully, threading his fingers through hers as they began to amble slowly along the beach.

Just holding her hand made him feel as though he were flying. Just the fact that he was allowed to touch her again in an intimate manner meant everything in the world to him. He wished he had the words to explain to her what her forgiveness meant but he couldn't even fathom how he would ever be able to describe it to her. Instead he settled for squeezing her hand affectionately, triumph rising up in him like a lions roar as she squeezed back.

The next day found them sitting together in the living area of their chambers, Lanette working on some blankets for the baby while he sorted through some figures that his father had asked him to cast his eyes over. It was tedious work but being in Lanette's presence and feeling the atmosphere surrounding them calm and relaxed made it far more endurable. She was thawing. There was still a long way for them to go but things were finally heading in the right direction and it made him happier than he could imagine. A small gasp left Lanette then and he looked up from his papers and saw her hand at her stomach and his own flipped uncomfortably. Before he could voice any concern her eyes were on his; "Jaime come here … come here I think you might be able to feel it!"

He did as he was told then, scooting forward off his own chair and coming to sit next to her on the sofa, hesitating slightly as he sat down. Her hand came to grab his then and place it firmly to the small swell of her stomach. He kept his eyes trained on the bump then, feeling her own eyes fixed on him as they both waited, her hand still resting on his. After a long moment he felt it, the softest of nudges; the tiniest amount of pressure against his palm that made his heart soar. It all felt so very real then. His baby was growing inside her. Their baby. A tiny little thing that they had created was growing, moving and thriving inside her. He let out a burst of overwhelmed laughter then before he lifted his eyes to meet hers. She was beaming at him, a proper smile the like of which she had not bestowed on him in what felt like forever. "That's so amazing," he breathed and she nodded her head in agreement, the smile still on her face. He leaned hesitantly closer then, heartened when she didn't pull away as he slowly moved his lips to capture hers.

It was a light peck at first, he did not want to push her, to push his own luck but once he had pressed his lips to hers he couldn't help himself. He kissed her again, more forcefully and again she didn't pull away, this time leaning into him, her lips parting and allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. He almost groaned then as their kiss deepened, desire swelling him as he tasted her in his mouth, the taste he had been missing and craving for so long. His hand was still at her stomach and he let it wander slowly down towards her hip then, the other coming to tangle in her hair as he made to push her gently down against the sofa. She did pull away then, gasping for air and he pulled back at once. He knew he had gone too far, he had pushed her too quickly. He could only hope that she would not punish him for this and revert back to being cold and stony again, he didn't think he could cope with her closing him out again.

"I'm sorry … I'm sorry Lana," he breathed, meeting her eyes.

"So am I …" she said, "I just … I just can't yet Jaime …"

"I know," he said, shaking his head and taking her hand in his; "I know you can't, I'm sorry"

"It's alright," she said, bringing his hand back to lay on her stomach, "forget it Jaime … our baby is moving again"

"It feels so strong," he said wonderingly then, feeling the nudges again.

"They will run us ragged," she smiled.

"Are you certain there is only one in there?" he asked her then and her eyes widened.

"Do you think I should ask the Maester?" she questioned him.

"It wouldn't hurt to," he chuckled, "but something tells me you'd know if there were two"

"Don't scare me like that," she swatted at him, "the thought of birthing one child is bad enough"

"You'll be fine," he smiled widely, "what is it you Crakehalls say? None so fierce?"

"Yes," she smiled back, a playful look in her eye, "and don't you ever forget it."

"Jaime, a word," his father said as he came in from the tiltyard.

"What is it?" Jaime asked him and his father beckoned him over to a quiet corner out of earshot.

"This arrived from Crakehall," he said, handing him a letter which he took curiously.

"Oh … Gods …" Jaime muttered under his breath as he read through the content.

"I thought it best it come from you," his father said, "with Lanette in the condition she is …"

"This will devastate her," Jaime said, shaking his head.

"Break it to her gently Jaime, think of the child," his father warned him.

"She is my priority," Jaime almost snapped, "I will do everything I can but I cannot soften this blow, no matter how many pretty words I use!"

Lanette had dismissed her handmaidens after they brought her luncheon for her. Since her belly had begun to show they had clucked and fussed around her most irritatingly and she had had enough of it. She was perfectly capable of tidying what little mess she and Jaime had made around their living area. Really, there was little more to do than tidy away his scraps of paper, put her various needlework's that were left lying around into her sewing basket and rearranging the cushions on the sofas and chairs. She was just straightening the last of them when the door opened and she turned to face Jaime, bringing a small smile to her face that he did not return. A frown came to her face then as she took in every angle of his face. Something had happened, that much was clear, and from the way he was looking at her she imagined that she wouldn't like whatever it was he had to say to her.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

"You ought to sit down Lana," he told her and her fear peaked.

"Jaime …" she started, "just tell me … you're scaring me"

"A letter arrived from Crakehall," he said after a moment.

"For me?" she frowned again.

"It was addressed to my father … he thought it was best that I …" he stumbled over the words.

"Best that you what?" she asked him almost desperately.

"It was bad news Lana," he said, swallowing hard and he saw her blanch.

"What happened Jaime?" she whispered.

"Your mother," he started, taking a deep breath as she inhaled sharply; "she caught a fever … it was quick, only a few days, your father said that she didn't suffer"

"No," she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, "no, no, no Jaime … tell me you're wrong … tell me you've got it wrong Jaime no … no … no …"

She was breaking down then and he only just managed to cross to her in time, his arms catching her as her knees gave out, her head still shaking, repeating her denial over and over as he eased them down to the floor. He had no words, no words of comfort for her as she almost screamed in his arms, her hands clenching tightly in his doublet as he held her tightly against him, one of his hands pressing her head against his chest, his lips kissing fiercely at the top of her head. Her body was shaking with sobs as she mumbled things into his chest that he could barely make out. He could only hush her, rock her gently in his arms as she lay crumpled against him.

He remembered his own numb grief when his own mother had passed but he had been so young and part of him didn't understand that she would never be coming back. Lanette knew. Lanette knew all too well that she would never see her mother again, her mother who she wrote to almost every day. Her mother who was thrilled and excited about becoming a grandmother and already planning to come down from Crakehall to be with her daughter when her time came. She wouldn't be coming now though and Jaime knew it was breaking his wife's heart; it was almost breaking his own heart as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and willed himself not to cry at her distress.

It felt like hours before she calmed in his arms but still she clung to him and still he held her back, mechanically stroking his hand through her hair in an attempt to soothe her. Jaime's knees were aching after so long knelt there on the hard floor and the weight of her in his arms but he made no word of complaint as she choked out another little sob. Gods he wished he had the words. Wished he had any words at all for her but none came. He just remained there holding her and she just lay there in his arms, her breathing choked and uneven as she quietened down. He kissed the top of her head again then before leaning his cheek down against her, still rocking her slightly in his arms. The light was fading now, the sun slipping down beyond the horizon and the room growing steadily darker as none of the candles were lit. He kissed her once more then before realizing that he would have to move her, that he couldn't stay with her like this all night no matter how much he wanted to.

When he pushed her slightly away from him her bottom lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears. She looked so young and vulnerable then, like a scared little girl. He had never seen her frightened before, not even on her wedding night had her eyes been filled with such fear. He wished with every fibre of his being that he could take that fear away from her but he was powerless and it was breaking his heart. "We can't stay down here forever," he murmured then and she nodded slowly, numbly. Jaime helped her to her feet, feeling her hand shaking within his and it made his stomach lurch and his heart constrict horribly. Gods he wished he could take her pain away. He wished he could tell her that it wasn't real, that her mother still lived and that everything was alright but he couldn't. He wished he could but he just couldn't.

"You should try and rest," he said softly then, tugging her hand and encouraging her towards her chamber door. Still she said nothing as he led her inside and he hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should call for her handmaiden's to help her get ready for bed. After a moment though he decided that he couldn't leave her, not even for a few seconds and so he tentatively reached out his hands to unlace her dress. When it came apart he eased it from her shoulders and she made no move to stop him as he pulled it away from her and tossed it carelessly aside. She was staring blankly at him then as she stood there in just her shift and he sighed heavily before he crossed to the bed and pulled back the covers. He tugged on her hand again then and encouraged her under the sheets, pulling them up around her and seating himself by her side. Still she said nothing as he stroked his hand through her hair but her breathing came more evenly and after a time her eyes began to grow heavy. When they finally closed he moved himself carefully away from her and tiptoed his way towards the door.

"Jaime," her tiny voice came from the bed as he reached for the doorknob and he paused; "don't leave me Jaime please"

"Of course I won't leave you," he breathed, coming back towards her and sitting back down at her side.

"I want you to stay, I want you to hold me," she told him.

"Whatever you want," he whispered, pulling back slightly so he could tug off his boots. He discarded his doublet as well but left on his breeches and shirt before he moved round to the other side of the bed and climbed in carefully at her side. There was no pillow barring him now, nothing to stop him taking her into his arms, knowing that she wanted to be in his arms. He knew it was partly, if not mostly, because of her grief but it was hard to care as he wrapped himself around her, pulling her back into his chest, her hands coming to wrap around his forearms as he held her close. He kissed her cheek then before tucking her head under his chin and waiting for her to fall asleep. When she finally relaxed entirely in his arms and her grip on his arms slackened slightly he knew she had drifted away and he breathed a relieved sigh before closing his own eyes and trying to get sleep to come for him.

Jaime had been called away much to his irritation but Lanette hadn't minded. She needed a moment to herself and she had promised him she would be fine as he had pressed a fierce kiss to her forehead before departing, casting a final worried look back at her before he left. Once alone she tried to write to her father but she couldn't find the words. Instead she wrote to her brother, knowing he wouldn't mind her clumsy writing nor her brutal honesty when it came to describing her grief. Knowing her mother was gone had left some kind of void in her heart that she wasn't sure would ever be filled. Her mother had still been young, only just forty, Lanette couldn't fathom how such a strong woman could be ripped so suddenly from the world and it hurt so much. When she had finished her letter and sent her handmaiden to send it for her she sat down next to the window and stared out, her hands clasped around her stomach as her baby fluttered and kicked inside her.

Her mother was supposed to be there when the baby came but it was impossible now and Lanette suddenly felt a thousand times more terrified about the prospect of childbirth. It had been bad enough before but knowing her mother would be there holding her hand and encouraging her through it had been a comfort, more of a comfort than she had realised at the time. Knowing that she wouldn't be there, that she would never be there nor anywhere else with her again made her want to break down and cry again. None so fierce, she reminded herself as a knock sounded at the door. She called for her visitor to come in, secretly hoping that whoever it was would not want to stay long. When she saw that it was Tyrion she brought a smile to her face. He may well be wise beyond his years but he was still a young boy who had suffered losses of his own and she didn't want to weigh him down with her own grief. He looked at her sceptically before he turned his own lips into a returning smile, crossing slowly to where she was sat as though unsure whether he should be with her.

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding," he said after a moment, "I thought Jaime might be here"

"Your father called him away," she told him.

"Ah," Tyrion nodded, his eyes roving anywhere but in her direction before they dropped to his intertwined hands, his thumbs twisting together.

"I used to wrap my hair around my fingers when I was nervous," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry my Lady," he said sheepishly, "I know not what to say to you … I'm sorry about your mother"

"Thank you," she smiled, her lips quivering slightly.

Tyrion bit down on his lip then, hesitating slightly before he reached out and took Lanette's hand in one of his own. The gesture brought tears to her eyes but she blinked them back rapidly, smiling for him and nodding her thanks, squeezing his own hand with hers. He said nothing, merely returning her smile before he turned his attention to the boats bobbing out on the waves. Lanette followed suit, both of them just gazing out into the distance and losing themselves in the vastness of the deep, blue sea.

That was how Jaime found them when he quietly re-entered their chambers some time later, his lips quirking into a smile as he saw his wife and little brother sat in contented silence, their hands still joined. He had hated the thought of her being alone for hours on end while he helped his father with the duties around the Rock and he was glad that she hadn't been alone, that Tyrion was with her. His little brother turned his head then and quirked his lips up slightly and Jaime returned the gesture. Lanette seemed to snap out of her own daze then and she turned to him and tried a smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes but he was glad at least that the beautiful blue of them were not shining with tears. He hated to see her in distress with tears rolling down her face. It had been bad enough when he had been the cause of them but this was worse; no matter what he did he could not fix what had happened to her mother.

"I ought to go," Tyrion said after a moment.

"You don't have to do that," Lanette said at once, a frown gracing her features.

"No you don't," Jaime reiterated.

"Father will flay me alive if I miss all my lessons," Tyrion tried a smile that Jaime knew to be false.

"Come back for dinner Tyrion, I insist," he said then and his brother hesitated.

"Please," Lanette said then and he smiled properly.

"Very well," he said in an amused tone, "I cannot very well deny the future Lord and Lady can I?"

"No you cannot," Jaime agreed, a real smile gracing his own lips.

"Then I shall return," he declared, sweeping into an exaggerated bow that almost made Lanette laugh before he made his way to the door.

Jaime watched Lanette watch Tyrion out of the door, seeing a slightly sad smile gracing her beautiful face as she watched him out of sight. When the door clicked shut Jaime walked over to her, taking the seat that Tyrion had vacated and taking the hand he had dropped, lacing his fingers firmly with hers before turning to meet her eyes. Her lips twitched up slightly and he felt pressure on his hand for a moment and he returned her smile, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand in a soothing, circular motion.

"I feel it would be stupid to ask you how you are," he said quietly.

"I'm alright really," she replied, "I just … I just can't quite understand how I will never see her again"

"I know," he said softly, his heart panging uncomfortably as he thought of his own mother.

"Of course you do," she breathed, her hand squeezing his again.

"I lost my mother a long time ago," he said, "your loss is new, raw … don't be worrying about me"

"But I do worry about you, I can't help it," she said without thinking.

"Oh," he said, not sure what else to say as she flushed and avoided his gaze.

"And Tyrion of course … growing up without a mother cannot have been easy for him," she continued.

"No," Jaime agreed.

"I suppose he had your father at least, some children have no one," she went on.

"I'm not sure my father is much comfort," he said bitterly before he could stop himself.

"How so?" she asked him, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"When my mother died he changed … he was never the most affectionate man but we knew he cared, at least I can remember him caring … Tyrion never had that luxury," he said.

"That's awful," Lanette said, looking appalled.

"He loved my mother, he couldn't see Tyrion as anything other than her death," he explained.

"But he was a baby, it wasn't his fault … surely your father knows that!" she argued.

"I'm sure he does," he nodded his agreement, "but he is a man of stone Lana … and when it comes to Tyrion I do not think he will ever be anything else"

"Promise me something Jaime," she said after a long moment of silence.

"Go on," he said.

"If anything should happen to me when I birth this child, or any other child the Gods see fit to bless us with … just promise you will be a good father … don't blame them," she implored him.

"Lana …" he began to protest but she cut him off.

"Love them Jaime, love them twice as much if I am not there to give them my share," she said.

"Nothing will happen to you," he said fiercely, "I won't let it"

"You're the greatest swordsman not the greatest healer," she told him then with a slight smile, "just promise me Jaime … for my own peace of mind if nothing else"

"I promise you," he said after meeting her eyes for a long moment, "I promise I will love our child … our children no matter what."

A/N: Forgiven not forgotten ;) hope you enjoyed that one, the next one is a week away (sorry it won't be sooner but it can't be helped!)

:)