So, I have a massive apology to make for leaving this story unfinished for so long. Where does the time go? I didn't mean to abandon this story for months, and I do have more of the story to tell. If anyone's still bothering to read it, as it's been such a long time! Sorry once again.

Sansa

"What is it?" she asked with impatience. Tyrion had been distant from her all day, and she knew it had something to do with Bron's arrival, and word from Kings Landing. Bron had given Shae her blood money and sent her on her way, so what was the problem? Sansa snapped her book shut, and looked at her husband. It was late at night and she'd been waiting for the demands of her children to subside for the day before confronting Tyrion. She lay in bed, while he sat on a stool, looking at the light from the candle and deep in thought.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me," she said with disdain. He sighed heavily and then took out a scroll from his pocket, rather battered from having been read so many times.

"Read it," he said as he handed it over, perching on the edge of the bed. Sansa touched the broken royal seal gently, and felt a sense of foreboding. "What do I do, Sansa?"

She took several moments to read it, feeling the security of her wonderful life with her family slowly vanish under her feet. "Hand of the Queen?" she asked, her voice light but at complete odds with the turmoil going on inside her. He'd have to go to Kings Landing, without her. She did not want to step foot in that city ever again. She was so miserable there, that the thought of going there with her three children felt abhorrent to her. "Do you want to be the Hand?"

"No," Tyrion said. "I loved doing it," he added, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. "You know I did, but I had nothing to lose back then. I have a young family and Casterly Rock, neither of which I'm prepared to lose. I don't feel that any good can come of this."

Sansa sighed, but she knew that his wishes weren't of paramount importance. Queen Daenerys's wishes were. "How can you tell her no?" she asked.

"I can't," he said. "Not in a letter."

"You're leaving," she said quietly.

"I have to," he said. "If I go to King's Landing, it might be the only way I have to talk myself out of this without causing offence. I am… on occasion able to worm my way out of trouble."

Sansa hesitated before asking, but knew she had to. "Do you want me to come south with you?"

"No," Tyrion said with a smile. "I would never do that to you. I know how much you hate that place, I'd never force you to come to Kings Landing with me."

She felt such warmth for him at that that she wanted to cry. "Thank you," she said. "When do you leave?"

"Soon," he replied. "Two or three days is all I can manage to delay." She felt the disappointment overwhelm her. She didn't like being away from Tyrion, and even if he could wriggle out of being the Queen's Hand, she was still unlikely to see him for several months.

"I'm going to miss you," she said quietly.

"As will I," he said. He leaned over her and kissed her softly, before getting up. He quickly undressed and then joined Sansa in their bed. "I don't want to go," he said. "To leave you and the children for months. Arya will probably have had her baby by the time I next see her."

"I expect so," Sansa said. Privately she was expecting either Arya to run off, or this mysterious Tom Rivers to turn up any day now. Arya was nearly six months pregnant, and there was no hiding her condition. "Actually, I have something to tell you. I wasn't going to, because I'm nowhere near sure, but if you're leaving, I don't have the time to wait and see."

"Sansa?"

"I think I'm pregnant again. My monthly is late."

"How long?" he asked, trying to absorb the information that he could be a father again.

"Only a few days," she said. "I'm not sure, but I wanted to tell you. Especially if you're leaving."

"Oh, Sansa," he murmured before kissing her deeply. Her arms entwined around him for long minutes until the kiss ended. "Now I want to leave you even less."

"I'll be fine," she said. "I've done this before."

"I'd still rather be with you," he said.

"I know." Sansa closed her eyes for a moment. "And I think I… and the children, I think we should go home. To Casterly Rock."

"You're ready to leave?" he asked in surprise.

"Bran's here. He has loyal servants and attendants. He's doing well rebuilding Winterfell and other families in the north are starting to send their sons to squire or get places in the household. He doesn't need Lannister guests checking up on him."

"Okay," he said. "We'll start making arrangements."

"This hasn't been my home for a long, long time," Sansa said. "I had… this idealised version of my childhood home in my head and I think it took coming here for me to see it. It doesn't exist. I have a home and I have a family. Neither of which belong in the North any longer." Tyrion smiled at her and brushed a lock of red hair off of her face gently.

"It's good to hear you say that," he said. "Go to sleep," he added gently as he slipped a hand over her abdomen. "Rest and take care of our baby."

"Mm," she smiled as she closed her eyes, taking his advice.

Tyrion

He couldn't sleep. His wife was pregnant again and he was leaving her alone to go to the capital, where there was a chance he'd mess up and lose his head. That couldn't happen. This was such bad timing, but he knew it was all his fault. He'd told Sansa he wanted more children and she'd stopped taking the contraceptive herbs. Hardly surprising that she was now pregnant. That wasn't bothering him, to have another baby would be wonderful. But leaving her alone, that did bother him. Especially as he had no idea how long he'd be tied up in Kings Landing. One thing he knew for certain though, was that whatever Daenerys said, he wouldn't leave Sansa alone when the baby was due. He'd never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her and he wasn't there for her.

More soon, if I still have people reading! Thanks for your patience.