A/N: Internet is restored and I thought you guys might be itching for another update. I hope you are anyway because here it is ;)

Thanks a million again to everyone for being so awesome and so overwhelmingly positive. I've given up calling this a side project, it has now been give dual-priority status (whatever that means!) Anyway, after this there are only two more chapters left for part one, and I think you may have guessed that part two is going to equal Starks and you would be right. Be patient a while longer lovelies, the wolves are coming I promise!

Guest: It was a decision I made whilst planning and unattached to my OC I'm afraid. I feel mean now but what's done is done as they say. (It could be worse, I could be GRRM ;)) Thank you though, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and the writing anyway!

Right-ho! Onwards, dear readers!

:)

Complete

Every inch of her ached as she stirred awake, a slight groan leaving her mouth as she realised just how dry it was. How long had it been since she had had a drink of water? Her eyes slowly opened as her hazy memory began to clear. Panic set in then as her hands moved to her stomach. She could no longer feel her baby moving. She remembered the crying then but she was not placated, she would not be placated until she knew exactly where her baby was. "Jaime?" she spoke into the faint light; was it early morning or evening? "Jaime?" she repeated more loudly, turning her head from side to side only to see that the room was empty. "Jaime?!" she tried to shout, a cough spluttering from her. Gods she needed a drink of water. He was there in the next instant, bursting through the door and coming at once to her side. His lips were kissing every inch of her face then as he cradled it gently in his hands. "Gods – Lana – you – scared – the –seven – hells – out of – me," he told her between kisses as she tried her best to get some moisture into her mouth. "I need water Jaime," she managed to breathe out then and he ceased kissing her at once, his hands leaving her. It seemed she had barely blinked more than twice before he was back in her sights with a tall glass full to the brim. She struggled to lift herself up then and his arm came about her to easily support her up as she took the glass from him. As she drank it down he used his other hand to rearrange the pillows behind her so she could lean back in an upright position.

"The baby?" she said at once when she had supped all the water down, her eyes wide and scared.

"Our daughter is perfect," he grinned at her and she saw the pride in his eyes as her own welled with tears.

"Daughter?" she repeated in a whisper.

"Yes daughter, the most perfect little creature I have ever laid eyes on – besides you of course," he beamed at her.

"Where is she? How long have I been without her?" she demanded.

"I'll fetch her now," he soothed, "and you have been asleep merely a few days"

"She is alright isn't she?" she asked him again.

"She's perfect I promise you," he soothed her, "now please relax, it will only take me a moment to get her for you."

She nodded distractedly then and he pressed a kiss to her forehead before striding from the room. Despite his assurances she would not believe that her baby was alright until she saw her with her own eyes. She fidgeted restlessly with her hands, twisting them together over and over until the door opened again and Jaime re-entered with a swaddle of blankets in his arms. Tears stung her eyes again then as he came towards her, her arms automatically reaching up so he could shift their baby into them. When she was secure in her arms Lanette brought her daughter close to her, one shaking hand moving the blanket away from her face so she could look down on her. She was tiny, tiny and perfect and worth all the pain and more. A tear slid down her cheek then and she felt Jaime's fingertips brush it away and she managed to lift her eyes from their daughter to him.

"Have you named her?" she asked, her head swimming with any number of questions.

"Not officially," he answered, "but Tyrion has taken to calling her Amy"

"Amy?" she raised her brows, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes Amy," he confirmed, "because I'm such an egomaniac obviously"

"I see where he's coming from," she said, her smile widening and he snorted.

"As I said, it's not official," he told her as she moved her eyes back to their daughter who was slowly rousing from sleep.

"You know …" Lanette said slowly, a finger coming to run down her daughter's cheek; "I quite like it … though she should have a proper name"

"That's what I told Tyrion," Jaime smiled as his daughter yawned, her little fists stretching above her head; "he suggested Amella"

"Amella," she repeated slowly, testing it in her mind; "Amella Lannister … Amy for short … hmm, you know … your brother is a clever little thing"

"Don't tell him that or you will have two egomaniacs in the family," he told her jokingly.

"Do you like it?" she asked him, lifting her gaze to his again.

"I do," he nodded, a smile playing at his lips and she returned the gesture.

"Amella it is then," she said as her daughter grasped her finger in a surprisingly strong grip.

Lanette turned her attention back to wondering at Amy then and Jaime watched her, a slight smile on his face that was tinged with sadness. He had no idea how he was supposed to break the news to Lanette that she would have no more children. He himself had made his peace with it, happy to accept it so long as he had his wife. She would be devastated though, he knew it, she had always dreamed of filling the Rock with their children. Now it would only be Amy who ran through the halls, Amy who they would have to pour all their nurturing and devotion into. Lanette looked up to meet his eyes then and he was too slow in hiding the look in his own, seeing the slight frown that creased her forehead.

"What is it? She is alright Jaime? You did promise me …" she began.

"She's fine," he soothed.

"What then?" she whispered, something like realisation crossing her features; "is it me?"

"You nearly died Lana," he whispered back and her free hand came to find his; "the Maester had to battle to save your life," he continued, squeezing her hand tightly; "there were complications and there was a moment when I thought I'd lose you …" he choked out.

"But I'm alright?" she asked him fearfully, "I'm alright aren't I Jaime?"

"You're alright," he nodded, trying to compose himself, "but … but Amy is all we will ever have"

"What do you mean?" she asked him, her eyes shining with tears.

"You can't … we can't have any more children," he told her and she stared at him.

"I'm barren," she whispered disbelievingly and he shook his head.

"There was nothing else to be done, he saved your life Lana, that's all that matters," he told her.

"I've failed you," she said in a dazed manner, her eyes flickering between him and Amy.

"No," he said fiercely, gripping her hand even harder; "I meant what I said, Amy is perfect. If she is all we are to be blessed with it is more than enough. I swear to you Lana I love you … you have not let me down nor failed me. Look at me Lana … look at me," he urged her and she did as she was told, a tear slipping down her cheek again; "you're alive, that is all that matters to me. I have you and I have Amy and that is all I need. I promised you that you would never disappoint me and you haven't …"

"What about everyone else?" she whispered, more tears escaping from her shining eyes; "the one thing I had to do was give you a son …"

"Stop it," he told her firmly, brushing her tears gently aside; "my father is already plotting the best match for her. Our children may not inherit the Rock but our grandchildren will be Lords of somewhere or other. Our line will live on through our daughter Lana, they will just live elsewhere … and you never know, one day the Rock may come back to one of our grandsons or our great-grandsons."

"You're truly not disappointed in me?" she asked him, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

"I could never be disappointed in you," he promised her, holding her eyes, "nor in her. I feel like the luckiest man in the Kingdom's to have you both."

The two weeks had seemingly stretched on forever but finally the Maester had declared himself satisfied and Lanette was finally allowed out of bed. She dressed carefully and made sure her hair was neatly done up before adorning herself with some of the jewels that had belonged to Jaime's mother. When she felt she was suitably attired she made her way across their living quarters and to the chamber that had once been Jaime's which now housed their daughter. Amy was sleeping when she went in and her nurse got up from doing needlework by the fire and dropped into a curtsey at once. "Forgive me my Lady, I was not expecting you," she said, her voice slightly flustered and Lanette turned to smile widely at her. "There is no need for forgiveness," she said kindly, "I was merely looking in on her before I break my fast."

"She is perfectly well my Lady, she fed not an hour ago and fell back to sleep not long after," the nurse reported to her and she nodded.

"Thank you," Lanette said warmly, "I shall not be long – should my husband think me lost would you tell him I am taking in some fresh air"

"Yes my Lady, of course," she promised, dropping into another curtsey.

Lanette gave her another smile before gazing down on her sleeping daughter for a few moments more before she took her leave. She had already sent one of her attendants to make sure that her breakfast was taken out onto the terrace overlooking the sea. She had missed the smell of the air and the crashing waves but she knew that she was likely not strong enough yet to venture down to the beach. The Maester would no doubt be displeased and she knew damn well that Jaime would throw a fit. Besides, she did not want to be too far from Amy at any time in case something should happen. She knew that there was no reason it should, Amy was a perfectly healthy and happy baby but Lanette supposed her fears were piqued as her daughter was the only child she would ever have. Part of her could still not believe that. Could not believe that she would be her one and only child, that her body would not allow her to bear another. She had always thought that she would birth Jaime a dozen sons and daughters. Never in her mind had she ever considered that one would be her lot. She loved Amy with all her heart, her daughter was part of her but she could not help but feel regret over all the potential babies she could have carried and brought into the world.

Jaime had promised her that it didn't matter and she couldn't help but believe him when she saw the look of utter wonderment and devotion that clouded his eyes whenever he set sight on their daughter. He would spoil Amy if she let him, and even if she didn't she imagined that he would do it anyway. She smiled slightly wistfully to herself then as she stepped out onto the terrace, the morning sun still low in the sky but pleasantly warm on her face. There was a light breeze but it was not enough to make her shiver and so she sat herself down at the small table where her breakfast has already been laid out for her. She breathed in great gulps of the salty air and allowed the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks below soothe her mind of worries. Even her good-father had come to her to assure her in his own way that she must not think anyone was disappointed in her. His own method of reassurance was to tell her that he was already pushing for Amy to be promised to the North. Lanette had bitten her tongue at that point, not wishing to sound ungrateful but at the same time utterly horrified that sending her daughter that far away would even be considered. Jaime had assured her afterwards that he didn't think his father would succeed in arranging the match; apparently Eddard Stark was not his greatest admirer and he seemed fairly certain that he would not want his son and heir marrying the daughter of the Kingslayer. Although she had frowned over the Starks apparent dislike of her husband she had been pleased that Amy would likely not be sent that far away from her. In her mind any house would be lucky to have their son marry her daughter but then she supposed that she was biased in the matter.

She breathed a happy sigh then and absently took a bite out of a fat, ripened strawberry. It tasted deliciously sweet on her tongue and she savoured the taste before finishing the fruit off, her hand already reaching out for another one. When she had been bedbound it seemed that all anyone brought her was porridge or broth and she was sick of the sight of both things. She had asked for everything fresh for her breakfast and she was not disappointed as she pulled a thick slice of still warm bread onto her plate and began lavishing it with butter. A shuffle of footsteps behind her drew her attention then and she turned and smiled at the squire who dropped into a bow before her. "Forgive me if I am disturbing you my Lady," he began apologetically, "it is just a letter has come for you." She held her hand out for it then and took it from him with thanks and a smile. He blushed slightly and bowed before her again before backing from the terrace and back into the keep. She turned back around in her seat then, her eyes finding her name written in neat script that she didn't recognise. With a slight frown she turned the letter over, her thumb brushing the seal and a coldness seeking into her. It was a royal seal and the writing on the front was definitely not male. Not that the King would have any reason to write to her anyway. She toyed with the idea of tearing the parchment into a thousand tiny pieces and tossing them over the terrace to flutter away on the light breeze. After a moment she pulled herself together though, steeling herself for the contents before she snapped the seal and unfolded the letter.

Lanette,

On hearing your happy news I could not help but write. I remember my promise to you and as such have addressed this to you rather than Jaime. I trust you are well and that your daughter is thriving, Steffon is well and I believe he will take his first steps any day now. The Rock is a wonderful place to grow up and I wish her every joy and happiness. I wish you well – Jaime as well although I suppose you will not tell him of this and I understand why but I could not let the birth of my niece pass by without acknowledgement. It is a shame our children will not know one another but you made your position clear and I can do nothing but accept that.

I wish you every health and happiness,

Cersei

Lanette stared at the letter, trying to read the hidden meaning between the lines. Was there a hidden meaning or was it as it appeared? Every health and happiness. Did she know? Did she know that Lanette would have no more children? Was that her way of subtly goading her? Lanette frowned as she read over it again, perhaps she was being paranoid. From anyone else she would not question the sincerity of the words. But from her … she shook her head slightly. Even if the words were sincere she did not need them. Just seeing her name at the end of the letter made her blood run cold. Any reminder of her was a reminder of what she had witnessed between her and Jaime. It still made her feel sick even after all this time.

"Here you are," Jaime's voice came from the door then and she folded the letter back up quickly as he made his way onto the terrace to join her.

"Here I am," she agreed with a slightly forced smile.

"I half expected you to be on the beach," he said as he settled down into a chair.

"I rather thought you would throw a fit if I dared," she told him honestly and he grinned.

"Who is the letter from?" he asked then and she swallowed hard, glancing down to make sure the seal was not on display.

"My good-sister," she replied, it was not a lie but she knew that Jaime would assume it to be from her brother's wife; "just congratulations"

"Nice of her," he said as he pulled some food onto a plate of his own.

"Indeed," she said quietly, slipping it into the pocket that was cleverly sewn in the folds of her dress before she moved to pour herself some orange juice.

"How are you feeling?" Jaime asked her then as she cast her eyes out over the view.

"Glad to be out of bed, it makes me feel more useful," she told him honestly.

"My father says not to worry about your duties until you are fully recovered," he said.

"That's kind, I must thank him," she smiled, "is he still set on the North?"

"Ned Stark has made no reply as yet, naturally that has put father rather on edge," he smiled.

"You really don't think he'll agree?" she asked him almost fearfully.

"My father is very skilled at getting what he wants, that being said he has nothing over Stark," he replied and she nodded slowly.

"I know it would be a good match for her but I cannot bear the thought of her being so far away, especially when she's all we have," she said.

"I know," he soothed, "believe me Lana, I don't want her up in those frozen wastelands any more than you do"

"But what if your father does succeed?" she asked him.

"Don't worry about that," he implored her, "even if he does manage it there are many years before any of it could be implicated – plenty of time for it to fall through"

"Yes," she nodded, bringing a smile to her face, "yes you're right, she is not even a month old and already I'm fretting about her wedding"

"She is a highborn lady, of course you are," he smiled back at her, "but let's just forget about it for now and leave the fretting to my father."

A wide smile spread across Jaime's face when he entered their chambers later that day. Lanette was sat by the windows, her hair falling loose over one shoulder as her eyes fixed on Amy who was feeding contentedly at her breast. The sight was so perfect that he just stood there and memorized it for a long moment before he moved his feet again, the sound of his footsteps rousing Lanette's attention. She beamed at him as he came to settle down next to her, his hand coming to stroke through her hair and his lips moving to kiss her firmly on the cheek. "How is she?" he asked, kissing her cheek again before nuzzling his way down her neck. "Greedy," Lanette replied, "she gets it from her father you know." He merely hummed in response, his lips fully engaged at her neck then as she squirmed slightly in her seat at his attentions. "You're going to have to be patient," she told him then and again he hummed his agreement. "I know," he whispered, his lips fluttering deliciously against the skin of her neck; "but there is no harm in letting you know how much I want you." If she could have she would have had him right there at those words but she knew she was not yet ready to be with him like that again. Instead she merely smiled faintly and focused her attention on Amy who was still feeding greedily from her breast. She had already grown so much since her birth, Lanette would swear that every morning she went into the nursery she had grown a little more. "She's growing fast," she told Jaime then who had ceased ravishing her neck and allowed his head to lean down against her shoulder instead. "Too fast," he responded and she smiled widely.

Amy seemed to have finally drank her fill then and she let out what Lanette could only describe as a satisfied gurgle, her eyes wide and bright as she looked up at her. Jaime's fingers came to tickle at the soles of her feet then and her attention was caught by him, another happy gurgle leaving her as she kicked out at him furiously. "You'll have to watch that when she gets bigger," Lanette warned him and he chuckled in response, an almost childlike grin on his face. Being a father suited him, she decided, it was just a shame he would only ever be Amy's father. "Stop it," he told her then and she frowned slightly; "you always get the same look on your face when you're thinking about the fact that she is all we will ever have … I know it hurts Lana but she is more than enough." His hand came to stroke through her hair then before he cupped her cheek lightly and encouraged her lips to his. She couldn't help but respond to him, feeling him melt her worries away. When he pulled back she smiled widely at him and he returned the gesture. "You're a wonderful father Jaime," she told him, "and a wonderful husband too."

"Stop it now," he grinned, "Tyrion says I am quite big-headed enough"

"I love you," she told him seriously, her eyes not leaving his.

"And I love you," he replied in much the same manner, his eyes only sliding from hers when Amy began to grumble.

"She's tired," Lanette said by way of explanation.

"Let me take her back to the nursery," he said and she shifted their baby gently into his arms; "and then you and I can relax for the night."

Lanette watched him amble slowly towards Amy's nursery, his eyes barely leaving her as he rocked her slowly in his arms. Seeing them together made her heart feel so full she wondered that it didn't burst with all the love she had inside it. When he disappeared into the other room she got up from the sofa and made her way into their own chamber, her hands loosening the ties of her dress as she went. She remembered the letter from Cersei then and slid it from her pocket. It had crossed her mind to burn it but somehow that didn't seem right so she looked towards the door to make sure that Jaime wasn't about to enter before kneeling down and feeling under the bed for the box she had once hidden dresses in for the baby. It turned out she had been right to sew them after all. She eased the lid from the box, her eyes again going to the door. There were letters from her mother in there and some other trinkets that were of value to no one but her. She slipped the note from Cersei under all of them before putting the lid back on it and sliding it back under the bed. She straightened up then and loosened the rest of her laces before slipping out of her dress and crossing to the dresser to pull out a fresh nightdress. When she slipped out of her shift she scrutinized her bare body in the long mirror for a few moments.

The skin around her stomach was looser, a few fine lines running across it despite the oils she had rubbed into it when she had been pregnant. They were a faint purple colour, almost like scars as she traced her fingers along one of them. Her breasts were fuller as well but she knew that that was because of the milk, eventually she imagined they would return to normal. She wondered about the rest of her, wondered if Jaime would still desire her when she was recovered enough for them to be together fully again. She knew she was no longer firm and tight in all the right places but she hoped that that wouldn't matter to him. The handle of the door turned then and she hurriedly snatched her nightdress up and pulled it over her head, the material dropping down to cover her naked body. She met Jaime's eyes in the mirror then and she knew at once that he had seen her. "You little tease," he growled at her and she couldn't help but smile widely out of relief more than anything. "I was worried you might not want me the same way anymore," she confessed then, crossing to the bed as he began removing his own clothing. "I want you every which way," he told her, "and I intend to have you as such when you're ready." She bit down on her lip then to hide her delighted smile as she slid between the sheets. "I'm sure it won't be long," she told him, her eyes trained on him as he slid his shirt up and over his head. Gods she wanted him. "I sincerely hope not," he said as he approached his own side of the bed, sitting down heavily and tugging off his boots before he too slipped between the sheets.

Lanette came at once to snuggle down against his chest and he wrapped his arms securely around her before kissing the top of her head. "I love you," she told him then before a yawn took over and she felt him kiss the top of her head again. "I love you," he responded, "now get some sleep, you're exhausted." She sighed happily against him then and closed her eyes. Jaime's own remained open though as she slowly drifted into a deep sleep. Some part of him still thought that this was some beautiful dream that he would wake up from at any moment. He stroked his hand gently through Lanette's hair then as she slept against him and silently thanked the Gods that she was safe and warm and alive in his arms. Without her he didn't know what he would be anymore. He could scarce remember life without her and their daughter. He kissed the top of her head again, inhaling the sweet scent of her before he finally allowed his own eyes to close in perfect contentment.

A/N: I hope you guys like the name! I wanted her to have the nickname Amy, as Jaime is obviously has just a teeny, tiny ego ;) I had considered Amarei for her as it's a name used by the Crakehall's but then I decided I wanted her to have something more original and Amella came to me. Anyway, I'm rambling now. Hope you guys enjoyed it - more soon!

:)