Three years to the day since I last updated this fic and I hope that it is worth the wait. I never intended to take this long to update, but shortly after writing the disastrous Chapter 18, I moved abroad and was working full-time while battling severe depression. I know that's no excuse as I have certainly started, updated, and finished fics in that time, but given where I left Jaime and Sansa, I just couldn't bring myself to try to fix their relationship after I had destroyed it. I am hoping that you'll forgive me and that I will finish the remaining 3 chapters in a timely manner. Thanks for sticking with me.

A lot had changed in the week since the battle. With the death of over 50 Freys, there was chaos at the Twins. Sansa had yet to walk anywhere without someone running passed looked frazzled. Several Freys had surrendered and were being held in the dungeons. A dozen Frey boys had been divvied amongst Houses Tully, Stark, and Lannister to act as squire or to be taken as wards. Sansa herself had received a new handmaiden, Marianne Frey.

Sansa stood on the balcony as Marianne packed her suitcase. The three camps were deconstructing as over half of the men prepared to return home. The others would do as their respective lord commanded. Sansa, however, was to return to Riverrun with her mother and sister. She had been in a foul mood all week. Jaime hadn't spoken to her yet and she felt resoundingly isolated despite her family making their best efforts to raise her spirits. Arya had even smiled at her.

When there was a knock on the door, Sansa assumed it was Podrick coming to collect her luggage before they departed in the morning. Marianne rose to answer the door and, when she gasped, Sansa turned toward the noise. The handmaiden stammered, "My lady, your lord husband is here."

The door opened wider and, sure enough, Jaime was standing in the doorway. Sansa looked away from him and said quietly to Marianne, "Leave us."

The handmaiden awkwardly slipped past Jaime and closed the door behind her. Sansa turned away from him, but Jaime said, "We have to discuss something before I leave for King's Landing."

Sansa took a deep breath before turning to face him. "About what?"

"About your note," Jaime said as he crossed the room to her and offered her the piece of paper in his left hand. She didn't take it. She replied, "I know what it says."

"Could you explain it?"

"There is nothing to explain, my lord," she replied before turning back to her trunk.

"Sansa," Jaime began. It was his tone that made her turn around. He looked pained. "I have forgotten my anger. Please explain your reasoning to me."

"I tried before," Sansa said with a shrug.

"There are a hundred different ways that you could have handled this situation," Jaime began, speaking slowly. "You could have tried talking to me—"

"I did!" Sansa said, losing her composure. "I suggested a plan and you turned me down in front of everyone."

"And you made me look like a fool when you disappeared," Jaime said, his anger rising quickly within him. He dropped Sansa's letter to the floor as he took another step toward her. She was taken aback when he gripped her shoulder tightly with his left hand.

"You said you would never hurt me," Sansa said, trying to pull his hand off of her.

"I wish you had made me the same promise," he spat back. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it was when my own wife left me? When you disobeyed my orders? You weren't thinking! You were acting like a stupid child!"

Sansa recoiled from him. "I'm the child? I have grown up over the past few years. Have you?"

His eyebrows narrowed at her. "Your family is the reason for my growing up. Your brother humbled and humiliated me. Your mother freed me and charged me with your protection. I know that she didn't have marriage in mind, but I'm confident in saying that I have fulfilled my vow to her. I have kept you safe, which is something I never would have done before the War of the Five Kings started. Don't lecture me about growing up!" He was silent for several moments before he sighed and said, "I don't want to leave you like this, Sansa."

"Why do you care? You have your heir, you won't have to fuss over me once your child is born. You can go back to Cersei and fuck her for all I care!" Sansa screamed before exiting the room to go to the balcony. She needed some air. She heard his footsteps on the stone floor as he came out to join her. He leaned against the railing, but Sansa turned away.

He whispered, "I'm not going to do that."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "Believe it or not, I still love you."

She rolled her eyes. "You have left me alone for a week. You won't look at me when we pass in the hall or at meals. You are leaving for King's Landing in the morning and I am heading for Riverrun. None of that suggests love."

He was silent for a number of minutes and, the longer the silence stretched, the more annoyed Sansa became. She thought about leaving him there, but there seemed to be something wrong. She waited and he finally said, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "I have had a lot of time to think over this past week. I have felt everything from hatred to an embarrassing level of need. I have tried to forgive you in my head, but it is impossible without knowing your side of the story. I have to know why you wrote what you did. I have to know why you endangered our child in such a way. I don't want this to be the end of our love."

He slid his left hand toward her along the railing and she took her time placing her hand over his. She sighed, "I knew Robb would betray you if he didn't have a reason to go to the Twins, too. My mother talked of returning to Winterfell and of the Tullys returning to Riverrun while the your army fought the Freys. Since the three armies were meant to separate six leagues from the Twins, they were going to use that time to abandon you and return home. I didn't want your army to be slaughtered. I didn't want you to die. I, also, didn't want to cause any I knew that Red taking me hostage was the only way for the Starks and the Tullys to fight with you. I had to give you a better chance."

He frowned. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"You were so angry with me during the war council that I didn't want to bring it up," she whispered. "Then you told me that you owed me nothing more and proceeded to ignore me once we were together again."

He sighed and squeezed her hand. "I've been a fool, Sansa."

"Yes, you have," she said, finally turning to him. "But, I have been, too. I should have told you immediately."

He shook his head, "All is forgiven."

Sansa felt a sense of relief wash over her. He turned toward her and offered her his arms. She smiled and leaned into him. Against his chest, she whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Dinner was a lively affair as nearly everyone was preparing to leave the following day. Sansa by Jaime's side at dinner that night did not go unnoticed. Robb looked rather surly as did Edmure, who didn't like seeing Jaime happy. Her mother seemed indifferent and Arya was too busy speaking with the Blackfish about staying at Riverrun to train with him to become a warrior. Sansa was happier than she had been in weeks.

After dinner, Sansa returned to her chamber and readied for bed as she had to be up early to leave. She had just slid into bed when there was a knock on the door. Brienne's voice came through the door, "Lady Sansa, Lord Jaime wishes to enter."

Sansa smiled and said, "Let him in."

The door opened and Jaime walked in. Brienne gave Sansa a look before closing the door behind her. Jaime crossed the room to her and asked, "May I share your bed tonight?"

She nodded. His eyes were on her as he undressed and climbed into bed. He curled up next to her and she leaned into him, breathing him in. He said, "Will you be okay in Riverrun or would you rather return to Casterly Rock?"

"There's nothing at the Rock for me without you there."

He nodded. "I will send a raven when I am leaving King's Landing. Brienne and the Crakehalls will escort you back."

"What is the plan for King's Landing?"

He sighed, "I'm still unsure. Edmure is accompanying me, but I don't hold high hopes of him keeping his composure. However, I don't see any other options. He is the least likely enemy for Cersei to kill."

She knew that Cersei had never wasted a single thought on Edmure Tully. She, herself, didn't think much of her uncle. Her mother had rarely talked about him during her youth and her father had not been overly fond of him. She knew that Robb thought him an idiot. She asked, "And what if Cersei doesn't agree to anything."

Jaime shrugged. "Then the Starks and Tullys continue to fight her."

"And what will we do?"

"We will return to Casterly Rock. I will not fight in another war that I don't agree with."

Sansa smiled and said, "I like the sound of that."

"As do I, my love," he said as he leaned toward her and captured her lips with his.