A/N: this story is just rambling in my mind...

Disclaimer: Do not own...

Chapter 1:

"Lassie, are ye alright?" Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "He didn't hurt ye, did he?"

"Whom are you referring to?" She looked at the man who Murtagh had so handily knocked to the floor with a swing of his fist.

He knelt beside the chair that she had collapsed in. "Where is Jamie?"

She gave a small shrug of her shoulder, "He left."

"Fergus!" Murtagh hollered.

Fergus rushed into the room and assessed the situation. He muttered an expletive, before running his hand through his dark curls.

"ye ken where Jamie is?" Murtagh asked Fergus, his hand still on her shoulder, his grip tightening when he realized how fiercely she was trembling.

"Mi Lord left perhaps thirty minutes ago. He didn't say where he was going or when he would return."

"He just left the lassie here to fend for herself?" Murtagh looked angry. "She dinnae ken aboot our time. And this ruffin was up the lassie's skirts when I came in."

Her face reddened and Murtagh looked at her apologetically, "Dinnae fash, lassie. Tis not yer fault."

He pulled up another chair. "Find Jamie, lad," Murtagh snapped. "now."

He sat across from her. "May I call ye Ellie?"

"Of course."

"Ye can call me Murtagh if ye like," he said, gruffly. "Why did Jamie leave?"

She swallowed hard, twisting a piece of her hair that had come out of her ponytail. "I don't know. He was upset, I think. Apparently, he didn't want to be hand-fasted as much as I didn't want to." Her lip trembled. "I have to go home, Murtagh." she twisted the rings on her fingers. "I have to go home. I have a life and a family. I feel like this is some awful dream and my mind..." she closed her eyes, "I can't process what has happened in the past twelve hours. I cannot as hard as I try. I woke up in the year 2019 and now...there is not way I can reason this out...none at all."

"How auld are ye?" he asked.

"Thirty-three" she said, twisting her rings more. "Ancient for these times, I assume."

Murtagh gave her a small smile, "Aye for sure for an unmarrit lassie, but ye been marrit before. Ye marrit for long?"

"ten years," she said, rubbing her fist against her head. "Why won't it let me back through?"

"I dinnae ken how it works," Murtagh admitted. "Ye aren't British," he commented. "Where are ye from?"

"I'm American," Eleanor replied, then amended, "from the colonies. I guess American doesn't exist yet."

"No, lass" Murtagh said.

"I was in the highlands on a vacation. My husband was studying at university and we had taken a trip up to the highlands. I saw somebody- it looked like a woman. She was disappearing and I grabbed on to her to try to save her and somehow," she scratched her forehead. "This is so unbelievably stupid." She looked at the man on the floor, "I see why you insisted I have protection. But why were you at the stones?"

"The lad...he has us watch them during certain times, in case," he waved a dismissive hand, "Claire." he grunted.

"His wife?"

"Aye." Murtagh paused, "I shouldn't be interferrin but since I insisted the dunderheid take ye on, I feel responsible for ye."

She took a breath. "Jamie is...he was..." she looked unsure. "Is it typical for here?"

"Was he not considerate with ye, lassie?"

She hesitated. "I think he felt guilty about Claire. I can relate."

"Now ye needn't fash aboot that, lassie."

"I don't know what I am doing here, though. I don't even know how to talk to him. I'm from the 21st century. Men aren't quite as...dominating."

Murtagh looked taken aback. "I will deal with the lad. As soon as Fergus finds him." he gave a deep frown. "Dinnae fash lass, it will all work out."

"You are really kind," she commented. "thank you."

Murtagh scowled, "nobody has ever called me that."

She chuckled, in spite of the gravity of what had happened, "well, there is a first time for everything. I have never traveled two hundred and fifty years through time before."

Murtagh's look softened, "Aye lassie, ye are right."

Jamie returned an hour later, Fergus having stood guard and Murtagh going to talk to him.

Eleanor looked up from her perch on the chair to the man whose presence dominated the small room.

"Thank you, Fergus," Jamie said, quietly. "Can ye see that we are prepared to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, mi Lord," Fergus looked to Ellie, "Goodnight, mi lady."

"Goodnight, Fergus," Ellie gave a small smile, twisting her ponytail in which she had haphazardly placed up her short brown hair in the only hair tie she had in this new world she found herself in. "Thank you for keeping watch."

Fergus nodded and left them alone.

A contrite hand through his red curls. "Lass, are ye hurt?" he asked, his voice low. "Murtagh said there was trouble."

"I will be fine," Eleanor said, her sweater from earlier in the day wrapped firmly around her. Her shoulders slumped forward. She had put her pants back on after Murtagh left, unable to bear her state of undress any longer- a reminder of vulnerable she was in this new word...well, this old word. "God, is this some sort of awful dream?"

"Did...the man... did he hurt ye?" Jamie asked, tentatively.

"He didn't...not quite. Almost. Murtagh stopped him." She bit her lip. Finally, she looked up, "Why am I here?"

Jamie sat heavily on the bed, "I don't reckon that I ken that. I don't have the answers ye seek."

"I have a life, Jamie. A marriage. A good one. I am a teacher. I'm a..." her voice caught, unable to go on. "I don't know European history. I took a class in college, but I don't quite remember that. It was so long ago. I don't know about this time. I'm an American, for God's sake. From a different time. People will know. They'll accuse me of...do they still burn witches?" she shuddered at the thought, picturing her death.

"Aye, lass. Are ye a witch?"

"Of course not!" she grunted. "I'm Presbyterian."

"Are ye now?" he looked troubled.

Her mouth dropped. "That's what bothers you more than if I was a witch?" Ellie asked, incredulously. "Good Lord. What are you?"

Jamie sat up straighter, "I'm a Papist."

"Hum, Catholic." she chewed on her lip. "We believe in the same God, you know."

"Aye," Jamie nodded, "But..."

She cut him off, "How does God fit into this? How am I going to survive?"

"Don't panic, lass," Jamie looked resolute. "I will help ye, Eleanor. Ye have me word. If ye can't go back, I will help ye."

"And why on earth would you do that?" she asked, her tone still holding her disbelief.

"Well, I can't leave ye be. Not now that I ken what happened. And now that we are hand-fasted and we," Jamie gave her an apologetic grin, "About that...I was a dunderheid. Will ye forgive me, Eleanor?"

Her face blushed before she could help herself. "Tonight was hard for both of us."

"Aye," Jamie affirmed. "I did not realize...that I would feel so guilty."

"Claire must have been very special."

He rose, "Aye, well, am I forgiven or not?"

She rose as well. "If you will forgive me as well. I perhaps spoke out of turn to Murtagh."

"Aye, I ken all about that. He likes you, Ellie. And he doesn't like many," Jamie begin removing his breeches. "Come to bed, lassie. It is late and we have a day of hard riding ahead. Ye look shattered. Ye need yer rest."

"Where are we going?" Ellie looked at the rumpled bed, dubiously. "Should we check for bed bugs?"

Jamie gave a hearty laugh. "We have already used the bed. Damage already done if there are wee buggies in there. Come now, don't be skittish."

Ellie sighed and made her way over to the bed, and then laid down, curling up the furthest away from Jamie's overpowering form as she could. The man was massive in height and solid as can be.

Jamie sighed in turn at the fact that she didn't even attempt to undress or get under the blankets, and the night was cold. He turned towards her back. "I will not harm ye nor allow any other man to harm ye either. Will ye not believe me?"

"I believe you," Ellie said, softly, then turned back into him. "It's just, I woke up in the year 2019 and now...the rational mind cannot reconcile it, and" she swallowed hard, "I miss my family."

"Your husband."

"Yes...and," Ellie stopped, her voice heady with emotion. She was unable to continue.

"Aye, I ken that well," Jamie reached out to brush a stray hair from her face. "I'm takin ye home to my family...to Lallybroch."

She swallowed hard. "But, should I try the stones again?"

"We tried. Ye said ye sat there with yer hand on the stones for hours."

"Its unfathomable to me that I am just stuck here, Jamie." She sniffed hard.

"Aye," Jamie stroked her hair, soothingly. "But ye are."

"What will your family say?"

"Jenny has been wanting me to marry again for a long while," Jamie said. "And Ian accepts anybody. And with Murtagh and Fergus on yer side, ye dinnae need to worry, lass."

She nodded.

"Now, sleep," he commanded, his voice turning serious.

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off into a fretful sleep.