Chapter Text
One year later
The baby was a week late. Tywin hadn't been able to sleep the last three days before the wafts finally set in. An hour into Sansa's screaming like a banshee at the Mother's Hospital, he fainted unceremoniously on the cold tiles of the floor.
Another hour later, he was sitting with the doctor in the man's solar.
"We've tried everything," the man said. "The baby hasn't turned, and now it's got stuck. We've got to carry out a Caesarian cut to hopefully save the mother and the child."
Memories from decades ago flooded Tywin's mind. A red mist rose in front of his eyes.
The next thing he new was that the doctor was lying on the ground with a bleeding lip, Tywin's knuckles were burning, and no less than four security men were holding him and shoving him out of the of doctor's solar and into a police car.
Tywin continued to rage in a cell at the police station, and he threatened the men there that he had the best lawyers at his command who would get him free in no time.
Finally, a hard-faced man approached him. The name tag told Tywin he was called Constabler Bronn.
The policeman said in a calm and cold voice, "My lord, no matter whether your lawyers are geniuses or not - you'll still be stuck in here for hours. And your behaviour doesn't help your wife one whit, don't you realise?"
Tywin grabbed the bars of his cell. His eyes were like will-o'-the-wisps.
"Don't you see, man? My first wife died in the birthing process! What if my second wife dies, too? I must be there! I must help her!"
"You can't help her at all - especially not with your antics!" Constabler Bronn thundered. "Don't you see that behaving like a bloody madman is counterproductive? Your wife is undergoing an operation, and I daresay she's busy trying to survive. What she does NOT need is a traumatised husband who's so panicky he's lost his mind."
On hearing those words, Tywin sank down to the earth and started to sob until spasms shook him.
Constabler Bronn disappeared and returned a moment later. He was holding a bottle in his hands.
"This is against the rules, and it's just cheap booze. Not the fine stuff you must be used to. But it'll surely do its job."
Tywin had never been one to drown his sorrow in alcohol - but in this moment, he took the offered bottle with shaking hands and set to work. Methodically, as he did everything. Since he wasn't used to such a strong drink, he passed out after half a bottle. Later, he vomited into the cell. And again. Not to speak of the mother of all hangovers that tormented him a few hours later. Tywin suspected that this result had been the constabler's very intention.
When Kevan arrived, Tywin's brother shook his head at him, clearly not being able to accept that the Lord of Lannister was able to turn into such a heap of misery.
"Ty, whatever have you been doing?"
Tywin didn't care.
"Kevan - any news from my wife?"
His younger brother sighed. Then smiled.
"Yes. The operation went well. For both. You've got a healthy boy. Sansa has called him Eddwyn, since you've been absent and couldn't make a decision."
Tywin palmed his face and sobbed in sheer relief.
He heard Kevan say, "Genna and Dorna and Lady Stark are there."
Tywin's head shot upwards.
"Lady Stark!? She hasn't visited Sansa in Lannisport once over the last year!"
Kevan sighed.
"Looks like a baby can do a lot for a reconciliation. Speaking of reconciliation. Your wife is as furious about your behaviour as I've never seen her before. She doesn't want to see you for as long as she's got to stay in hospital. Which is in line with the hospital's order for you to stay away from the building. If not for Sansa's most charming apology to the doctor you'd be facing prosecution for criminal assult now."
Tywin had learned many new things over the last year. Now, he could add a new ability: the one to blush.
"I saw red because of what's happened to Joanna."
"I know."
Kevan sighed again.
Then, he smiled like a boy who had been able to play a trick on someone.
"But I could make a secret video of your boy and could also smuggle it out of the hospital."
Tywin's eyes widened. Staggering, he got to his feet, no matter how his head pounded and whizzed.
"SHOW ME!"
Kevan laughed and flipped out his mobile.
The next moment, Tywin saw his son. He was a very pink and rather dented-looking fellow; Tywin remembered that his twins had been the same right after their birth, and that they had looked much better a few days later. They had been like butterflies who had just left their cocoon and who needed a little time to unfold.
"Look at the red fuzz on his head," Kevan said.
Tywin nodded through the bars of his cell.
"Just the way we had planned it." At that moment, the boy started to cry. Tywin wrinkled his brow. "Not my conversation abilities yet, but he'll be getting there."
Kevan coughed.
"If I may say so - your conversation abilities haven't been exactly praiseworthy ever since before the birthing process set in."
Tywin rolled up his eyes, but he knew his brother was right.
***
Sansa could return home with Eddwyn a week after the Cesarian cut. She was still exhausted, but also relieved she didn't have to stay in hospital any longer. Besides, Tywin should be finally given a chance to see his son. Of course, it had been his own fault that he wasn't allowed into the hospital enymore, and Sansa had been so, so ashamed of his behaviour.
But Kevan and Dorna had talked to her and had told her of how Joanna Lannister had died while giving birth to Tyrion and what it had done to Tywin's psyche. Her anger at her husband had still been there afterwards, but she had also felt compassion to some extent.
When she arrived at the hospital doors with Eddwyn on her arms, Tywin was standing there. He was trembling. If it had needed anything more to tell Sansa what he had been through these last days she would have known now.
Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around his wife and his son. Sansa knew that a year prior, nobody would have ever thought that the word "gingerly" and "Tywin Lannister" could be used in the same sentence. Her husband looked at his son, green-golden eyes beaming, and with a wet sheen about them Tywin would never admit to anyone. And the security men in the background, who pretended not to notice the emotional state of their boss made a point of scanning the area from behind their sunglasses and of not looking into their direction.
What had lingered of Sansa's anger evaporated with a little "plop".
"Gods, Sansa!" Tywin breathed. "When the doctor told me you needed a Cesarian cut, I thought I was losing you - like I had lost Joanna. But I couldn't live without you. I. Could. NOT. Not. Ever. Gods, I love you so."
Tears welled up in Sansa's eyes. Tywin had never uttered these words before.
"I love you, too," she breathed.
Gently, she placed a kiss on his lips. He kissed her back.
"Where's your mother?" Tywin asked afterwards.
Sansa smiled.
"Gone. I think she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea to cross your path. But it was good to see her again. All my siblings have sent their congratulations."
"Now that's an improvement for you, isn't it?" Tywin said.
Sansa nodded.
"Indeed! And you know it. Now. Mother and I have agreed upon Bran and Arya spending their summer holidays at the Rock. Together with Myrcella and Tommen. Isn't that great?"
Tywin winced.
"The Rock will be utterly crowded," he lamented.
Sansa laughed.
"I knew you'd support the idea. - Now, don't you want to hold your son?"
Tywin's eyes became as big as saucers when Sansa put Eddwyn onto his arms. What a spectacle it was to behold!
Eddwyn, however, was quite underwhelmed, protested... and audibly and smellably shat into his nappy right then and there.
Tywin sniffed and furrowed his brow.
"Ugh! You knew this would happen, wife, admit it!"
Sansa laughed.
"I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. Your son is coming after you."
"Whatever does THAT mean?" Tywin growled.
Sansa looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"I mean that the next time, we should opt for a girl with your looks and MY temperament."
Tywin bristled, but Sansa left him no time for a reaction.
"Just returning to the women's bathroom on the ground floor. I'll be back in five minutes with a newly-swaddled baby."
When they finally arrived at Casterly Rock together, Sansa couldn't help thinking what a long way they'd come together. How much she and her husband had both changed, and hopefully for the better.
For the time being, she'd be pausing from her psychology studies, but so far, things had gone very well, and she was getting close to her bachelor degree. After that, she'd aim for the master's degree.
She had also given much of her energy into the remains of her father's business, which Tywin had purchased for her. It had been hard work, especially during the weeks before her delivery. Inexperienced as Sansa was, she had also needed and heavily relied on her husband's help. Of course, she had spoken up against some of his harsher cost-cutting ideas, but on the whole, things were going well these days, also thanks to him.
Kevan's and Dorna's family had gained a special place in her heart, too.
Contact with the Stark family had been rather irregular, but as the recent developments showed, things were on the rising side again.
With regard to her father's and Theon's death, Sansa hadn't been able to uncover anything yet, but she hadn't been idle. She'd found out about her husband's system of agents and had started to install her own moles. Sooner or later, they'd dig up some interesting details, of that Sansa was sure.
She glanced at her husband, who was busy with his son.
"I'm happy, you know?" she said.
Tywin looked up at her.
"Because of me?"
"DESPITE you."
Tywin snorted.
"I'll despite you when I return to our marriage bed and cause you to mewl like a proper feline in sheer extasy."
Sansa grinned and bared her teeth.
"Go on like that, and I'll cause you to wail like a feline on whose tail someone has stepped."
"As if you had a chance, wife."
Sansa continued to smile and thought, "Just you keep telling that yourself. When it comes to you, I've got EVERY chance."
THE END