Well, I had begun to write this before this season started but never planned to publish this. I haven't finished it nor do I really know where this is going but I felt that posting something nice would help with the horrible episode we just experienced.

He's not entirely sure how he's going to tell Robert. After seeing his bastard son there is no doubt in his mind the "Baratheon" children were not sired by his friend.

The seed is strong.

Indeed, it is. No matter how the mother's looked the Baratheon line always had black hair and that young Smith was the living image of what his friend used to look like in his youth.

He had refused to ride back with Jory and decided to walk back to the Red Keep in an attempt to clear his mind. However, he is now beginning to regret his decision.

He's lost.

While in his thoughts he's strayed from the path that leads to the Red Keep and knows not how to return to it. He continues to wander around the streets of Flea Bottom when he hears a soft cry coming from a child.

As he makes his way towards the child, he sees that it is dressed in clothing much finer than those worn by the residents of Flea Bottom. His mind is so focused on the child before him that he doesn't notice the lack of foul stench that previously engulfed this part if Kings Landing or the way the streets and buildings have been changed.

"Hello little one," he speaks in the same tone he uses for all his children. The child looks up and he gasps at the beauty of the child. She has long brown hair full of curls and beautiful violet eyes that are swimming with tears.

He can't help but reach out to wipe the falling tears from her pale skin.

"Where are your Mother and Father?" he asks tenderly.

"They're back home. I wasn't supposed to wander off by myself but I didn't listen and now I can't get home because I hurt my foot," she says in the sweetest voice he's heard since his girls were younger.

He takes a quick look at the child's foot and sees her ankle swollen and a bruised. She must have hurt it seriously by the looks of it.

"I'm trying to get to the Red Keep but got lost. What if I take you there and have the Maester look at your foot and we can send for your mother and father from there?"

This seems to brighten the child's demeanor and she quickly nods.

"Is it alright if I carry you?"

She once again nods and he gently lifts her into his arms.

"Now do you know which way the Red Keep is?"

She nods and starts pointing. As they're walking the girl seems fascinated by the small direwolf he has on his collar but does not say anything.

"You're awfully quiet, little one," he mentions as he begins to see the gates of the Red Keep.

"Mama and Papa told me not to talk to strangers," she says.

"That is wise advice. But I'm sure you're also not supposed to trust them either," he says laughing at the girl's logic.

"I'm not but Papa did tell me we can trust our bannermen from Winterfell," she says touching his direwolf sigil.

The phrasing of that confuses him as does her knowledge of the sigils of the noble houses. But before he can ask, they arrive before the gates which are surprisingly closed. He sees archers and strange foreign men manning the gates and upon seeing him point the arrows towards him.

"PUT HER DOWN!" one of the men yells towards him.

"Her foot is hurt she cannot stand on her own. I've brought her here so the Maester can see to her," he answers back confused by their reactions and lack of recognition. He hopes they will put their weapons down but they do not.

"I SAID PUT HER DOWN AND STEP AWAY!" the same man yells again.

"What is going on?!" he hears a familiar voice say and he sees the youngest Lannister arrive. This confuses him even more since the man should be in the North at the Wall.

"My Lord, there is a man at the gates who has her and refuses to put her down," the man explains to the dwarf.

The dwarf then turns to look down at him and turns as white as snow. His face is of awe and terror upon seeing him and struggles to say anything.

"Let them in," he mutters and the gates are opened.

He is met by the heir to Casterly Rock and watches the clear disbelief on his features. But he also notices an ugly scar across his face that was not there at his visit to Winterfell and the facial hair that was also not on his previous cleanshaven face.

"Lord Stark?" he questions.

"Aye, Lord Tyrion. I'm surprised to see you here, I expected you to be at the Wall," he answers.

"You should be under Winterfell," Tyrion says.

"Under Winterfell?" he starts to ask but the little girl in his arms speaks.

"Are Mama and Papa mad?" she squeaks, and all the attention of the golden lion turns to her.

"They're more worried than anything. Your brothers almost went searching for you, they were so scared," Tyrion says in the softest voice he's heard from the dwarf.

"I was trying to come back but my foot got twisted," she answers, seeming ashamed of her actions.

"It's alright they'll just be very very glad to see you're safe," he says looking at him once again. "But upon seeing who's brought you back, they might need a drink as desperately as I do right now."

"Mama said no more drinking, Uncle Tyrion," she giggles.

"Alas she did but I think it's acceptable to have one when I'm seeing the dead again," he says.

The dead? Again?

"Why don't we go let your parents know you've been found, they should be in the throne room, either pacing or preparing to storm Kings Landing," Tyrion offers.

"Yes please," the little girl begs.

"Very well," Tyrion turns to one of the guards. "Would you mind taking the Princess off the Lord's hands and carrying her to the Great Hall. We'll walk right behind you as to not cause the King a greater shock than what he's about to receive."

"Of course my Lord," the guard says, gently taking the little girl from his arms and walking towards the Great Hall.

Princess? That's not Myrcella.

"You look confused Lord Stark," Tyrion states as he begins walking after the guard and he follows as well.

"Aye. You just called that girl "the Princess" and I know that child is not your niece. You also keep mentioning the dead," Ned begins to list off.

He watches as the younger man sighs and lets his shoulders sag.

"Tell me, Lord Stark, what is the last thing you remember? Before finding the Princess," Tyrion asks.

"I was in Flea Bottom looking for a young Smith, he turned out to be…" he catches himself worried about the reaction the Lannister might have upon hearing about Robert's bastard.

"You found Gendry, son of Robert Baratheon," Tyrion states recognizing that story.

"You know?" and the dwarf once again sighs.

"Yes, I do. Lord Stark, I know this is going to be hard to believe but the events you are recalling happened over ten years ago," Tyrion reveals.

"What?! That's not possible…"

"It is. If anything you being here is not possible Lord Stark. You should be in the crypts of Winterfell with the remains of your family, you were the first of the Starks to fall." Tyrion speaks.

I'm dead? The first…

"Who else of my family has died?"

There is a long pause before the Lannister answers.

"That's something our King would be better at telling you," Tyrion states.

"What can Robert say that you can't?"

"Robert's no longer King. Lord Stark."

Robert's dead.

"Then Joffrey's King," he whispers in dread.

"No. No Baratheon rules the Iron Throne," he speaks. "Well… my nephews weren't really Baratheon, were they? And no, no Lannister rules either."

"Then who?" he asks as they arrive at the great hall.

"You'll soon see," he says a soft smile on his features as the door of the Great Hall open.

"I rode into battle twice while I was carrying her there is no way you are convincing me that I cannot mount a horse right now and go through Kings Landing looking for my daughter," he hears a women's voice declare.

"Your Grace, I'm sure His Grace did not mean that you physically couldn't do it. It wouldn't be safe for you or the child you now carry to go into Kings Landing without your guards, it would just bring him more worry. Isn't that right?" he hears another woman's voice say, but before "his Grace" can answer the guard carrying the Princess speaks.

"My King, My Queen, she's been found," the guard says.

"Mama, Papa," the princess begins to cry and he is finally able to see the girl's parents as they turn towards the guard and the sight leaves him breathless.

The girl's mother is a Targaryen, there is no denying it. The woman has the Targaryen platinum hair and violet eyes, which he can now see the little girl got from her.

This must be Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of the Mad King, the girl his best friend had sent assassins to kill. He's glad to see that the assassins failed in killing the girl but now wonders if he caused his friend's death by letting her live.

But at her side is not the Targaryen he expected to see. Instead of the silver locks of Viserys Targaryen, he sees the dark pulled back curls of the boy he last saw on the King's Road, who he swore he would share knowledge of his mother too, knowing that he would have taken his vows already.

His nephew Aegon Targaryen.

No, not his nephew, to him he had always been his son Jon. But this man standing before him did not look like the young boy he let go to the wall. Instead, he looked older, battle-hardened, scars littering his face.

"Thank the gods," he hears his son's Northern voice sigh in relief as he quickly moves to take the princess into his arms.

"Papa," the little girl buries herself into her father's chest and her father, in turn, holds her closer and walks towards his wife who is waiting at the bottom of the steps that once held the Iron Throne.

"Lyanna," the queen sighs in relief as Jon brings their daughter closer to her.

"Mama," she cries, hugging her mother who begins speaking sweet nothings to the little girl.

Lyanna… so he does know the truth.

Instead of the dread, he assumed he would feel at the truth being revealed, a form of happiness goes through him as he sees his son surrounded by the love that he was denied at Winterfell. As much as he tried to show him, love, he knew the effect Catelyn had on Jon's life and how much his life had isolated him.

But now he sees him with a family of his own, the smile upon his face was one he had never seen before and the affection he is shown by both his wife and child make that reveal worth it.

As this small reunion occurs, he can't help but think of his own children and if 10 years have passed as Lord Tyrion stated, what happened to them.

"Where was she?" Jon's voice speaks out with a regality that his voice never had before.

"This man next to Lord Tyrion found her in Flea Bottom, your Grace. He said she had hurt her foot," the guard announces and both parents look up away from their daughter.

As he gazes upon his son's face, he sees recognition in his eyes followed by confusion than anger.

"Missandei, please take Lyanna to the Maester. Have him look at her foot," he orders with strength and confidence.

"At once, Your Grace," the woman, Missandei answers with a slight bow. She walks towards the king and queen and takes the girl from her father. The queen places a kiss on her daughter's brow before Jon's face once again softens as he addresses his daughter.

"Your mother and I will come to you as soon as we settle things here, my little dragonwolf," he says sweetly and she nods.

"Can Ghost come with me?" she asks timidly.

"Of course he can, he won't leave your side any time soon," Jon answers as suddenly behind the two thrones the direwolf he remembers as a pup appears and follows the princess out.

Once she is out of the hall his son's demeanor once again hardens.

"I want everyone out except the Lord Hand and my daughter's rescuer," he orders and all the guards leave at once.

"Jon what is going on?" the Queen asks once the hall is empty.

"That's what I wish to know my Queen," he answers.

"Lord Tyrion would you care to explain what has my husband in such a mood towards this man," the Queen asks.

"Your Grace, I'm not exactly sure what's going on. When I arrived at the gate this man stood there holding your daughter. When I first saw him I thought I was seeing a ghost or perhaps the dead had returned," the Lord says and he sees the fear in both monarchs eyes at the mention of the dead. "But upon closer inspection and conversation he seems to be the person he appears to be."

"And who may that be?" she asks.

"Lord Eddard Stark, former Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North and Lord Hand of the Usurper Robert Baratheon," his son answers with disdain, "but that can't be right for Lord Stark died here in Kings Landing. Beheaded by his own sword as both his daughters watched in horror."

Beheaded… Sansa…Arya…

"Yes that is what happened Your Grace but Lord Stark here claims that his last memory is going to Flea Bottom to find Lord Gendry and only a select few know of this," Lord Tyrion speaks.

"Jon…" he finally decides to speak and he watches as his son tenses at the sound of his voice. "On the King's Road, I made a promise to you, before we went our separate ways."

"Aye, you did. A promise of knowledge that would have changed my life but it was something that you took to the grave, My Lord," Jon answers.

He has yet to call me father…

"That was never my intention," he tries to defend.

"No, your intention was to let me give up a life I had no idea I had a claim to. To swear away any opportunity of happiness that I had been denied my entire life. To die among rapists and murderers on that godforsaken wall. That was your intention Lord Stark," his son calls out and he can't help but grimace at the accusation.

"Jon…" he starts.

"Jon," his son's wife interrupts and Jon's features soften upon looking at her. "Perhaps we need to cool our heads. Lord Stark did many things wrong, but he kept you alive," he watches as she places her hand upon Jon's heart and his son takes a shuddering breath. "No matter what happened at the wall you're here with me now," a quick glance towards Lord Tyrion and he sees a sadness in the Lord's face at the mention of the wall.

What happened to Jon there?

"Now he has brought our daughter back to us and for that, we should be thankful. Our family is safe," she says guiding Jon's hand towards her swollen abdomen and calmness seems to envelop his son.

"Aye," he says, caressing where their child grows before turning to face Lord Tyrion and himself. "Lord Tyrion, our guests from the Storm's End, Winterfell and Casterly Rock should be arriving soon correct?"

"Yes, my King, a day's ride at the most," Tyrion confirms.

"Make sure they come to see me as soon as they arrive so I can prepare them for what they are about to see. And please have rooms prepared for Lord…" he takes a deep settling breath, "for my uncle."

"Of course your Grace," Tyrion says, a cheerfulness in Jon's change in demeanor towards him.

"Uncle," Jon says drawing his attention, "I know there is much to talk about, many questions you may have and you are free to ask Tyrion and myself whatever you wish but right now I must accompany my wife see our daughter."

It hurts to hear him call me uncle but it is better than the coldness of Lord Stark.

"Of course, Jon," he accepts.

Jon nods and gently offers his wife his arm to guide her out of the Great Hall and to their daughter.

Once they are gone, he hears Lord Tyrion take a deep breath.

"That is the most Targaryen I have seen him since the war," he states before turning to look at him. "Come, Lord Stark, there are ten years you must learn about and I know much alcohol is going to be necessary."

As dread fills his being, he follows the Hand of the King towards knowledge he wished he never received.