Outlander: Returning Home

Chapter 24: Family Ties

Claire

It was a few days later before Jamie or Murtagh felt it was safe for us to travel. They were either worried or anxious about the townsfolk coming after me. During our time waiting; I gathered different herbs and flowers that I could use in some of my medicines. Roger followed Jamie around more than I think Jamie liked, but he never grumbled about it. I would catch Murtagh chuckle ever now and then when Jamie almost tripped or lost his footing because Roger was so close behind him. It was nice to watch him interacting with Roger because it made me see just how good a father he would be to our own child. At night Jamie would ask me different questions about the future I wasn't sure if he wanted to know or was checking to see if his memories were correct. He told me one night just how horrible he felt when he thought about me being up in the air in a metal box flying high above the world.

"Do ye think Jenny's still stubborn?" he questioned as I was pulling at a strand of my hair trying to get the knots out of it as we rested and waited for Murtagh to come back from his scouting expedition.

"I don't think she would be anymore stubborn than what she was before you left. I'm not really sure which one of you though are the more stubborn," I replied as I felt him tense slightly beside me.

"I don't think I am stubborn. Is it wrong to what someone to be where they should or to have things go the correct way?" he questioned as I chuckled. Yes, he was a tad bit more stubborn than Jenny, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell him that.

"I think it's safe for us to go to Lallybroch," I heard
Murtagh say as he came back later that night. "As I was arriving the Redcoats were just leaving. Ian said they wouldn't be back for a few months," he said as he slipped off his horse and came to sit beside us.

"Good," Jamie snapped as he began to move away from me. I couldn't figure out what his issue was, but it had changed throughout the day as we spoke of our memories and the things we had done. He got really quite when we talked about France, but it didn't seem like a big deal. Yet, now as he walked toward the river across the clearing from us it made me wonder.

"What's gotten into him?" Murtagh questioned as I just watched helplessly as my husband disappeared.

"I'm not really sure," I muttered as I picked up my shawl and made my way to where Jamie had gone. I made my way slower toward him as he turned slightly as I stepped on a twig.

"Sassenach," he muttered as he picked at the bark on the tree he was leaning against as he looked out at the water.

"Jamie, why'd you walk away like that," I questioned as he held his arm out for me.

"I was thinking of last time what happened while we were at Lallybroch. I ken that we know more this time around, but what if things happen the same way," he is still speaking as I pull his sadden face toward mine as I looked into his eyes.

"I know we can't change everything, but we do know more. We can try to keep the events that unfolded last time from happening. I also know that if it was truly meant to happen it's going to happen no matter what," I replied as he leaned into my shoulder barely nodding his head as I wrapped my arms around him. We spent the next couple hours scouting and picking up as much of the dead animals that the snares Murtagh and Jamie had laid the past few days caught. Jamie had even been very fortune at the stream as he caught several good sized fish to take with us. I remember that the tenants and family were struggling even then. I just hoped that Jenny and Ian had did what I sent Murtagh to get them to do earlier on with selling some of the fields and planting of the crops.

"I've got a surprise for the two of ye when you get to Lallybroch," Murtagh half mumbled as Roger was pulling at the reins in his hands.

"I don't think we…" Jamie started as I nudged him.

"Thank you," I replied instead as Jamie pulled at the reins of Donas and began to slide off just as we came to a stop above the ridge leading down to Lallybroch. The main structure seemed just as daunting as it did the first time we were there. Only difference would be I knew more of the inhabitants that lived there.

"It seems like a whole lifetime since I've been here," Jamie said as he helped me down. I stepped closer to him as we stood for a moment to just take in the beauty of his home.

"It's behind you now, Jamie. You've got Claire beside ye now. Don't let the past creep in right now. Yer kin will need ye strong for what's to come," Murtagh retorted as if he could sense his godson's hesitation.

"I ken that, but it still lingers the doubts that Dougal placed in my heid about Jenny and her children. I was a right arse when I came back to her after the witch trials," he told his godfather.

"Well keep it in mind that you ken more now," Murtagh snapped as Roger took off in the direction of Lallybroch as we all just stared on.

"I guess we should head down or Jenny might think a wildling is coming her way," I said softly as I took off at a quick pace to catch Roger. Just as I reached out to grab him he fell forward laughing and giggling as a dog pounce on him.

"Mama," he sputtered out as he tried to fiend the dog off as he continued to laugh.

"It's alright my little man," I laughed as the dog in question began to lick at my hand that was currently resting on Roger's shoulder.

"Bran, down boy," Jamie stated as he walks up to where we were all sitting on the ground. I looked at the black and tan dog that now excitedly jumped at Jamie as he scratched behind his ears all while making low noises to the blasted animal.

"Come on sweet pea," I said as I motioned for Roger to get up and checked him to be sure he was okay not that didn't trust the oversized pet, but didn't want to find out later I had been careless in missing an injury that could hurt Roger later.

"All that's in the past," I said as I took Roger's hand in mine and started to move forward. Jamie didn't say anything as he nodded at my comment and followed behind.

"They're just rumors, ye ken," Murtagh said as I slowed a little to hear their conversation. "Ye ken boy Dougal lied about a lot of things, and this was no different. The man would lie to save his own skin if he needed and wouldn't mind selling ye off to the highest bidder if he got a good profit," he muttered as I tried to keep from irrupting his words. I knew for a fact this would be true. I mean Dougal had used and paraded him around for weeks while out collecting rents.

"Ye think I don't know that. Hell I ken that he is the one who probably hit me with the axe, but he's still my kin. It's not him as much as it is the memories. I feel strange as my old memories merge with my new ones," he said slowly as I realized his struggle wasn't the idea of the lies, but how to cope with all the new details that had been woven into his life.

"Jamie, you're not alone in this. You've got us," I said looking back toward my husband. Murtagh was just walking into the courtyard as Roger bolted to follow him. I chose to go after my wayward charge knowing Jamie would need a moment or two before he would be able to enter. He'd not doubt need to take care of a few ghosts.

I didn't see Murtagh anywhere, but Roger had made his way toward where wee Jamie was crouched down playing with some apples. "Hello there," I softly said as I motioned for roger to join me.

"What's yer name?" roger questioned just as Jenny exited the door moving toward us.

"Jamie," she called out as she noticed us, but really her brother who now stood in the entryway of Lallybroch.

"Jenny, mo chridhe," he whispered as she made her way toward him.

"Four years and not a word, God," she chastised as wee Jamie joined her side. Jamie's eyes teared up as he looked down on his nephew. "Jamie, this is yer uncle, the one yer named after," she whispered to the little boy.

"Oh, Jenny. Why did ye name him that?" Jamie questioned his words faltering as he spoke. I wasn't sure why he questioned the boys name knowing she wanted to remember him in doing so.

"What in the world do ye mean, Why?" she snapped a little bit more peeved than I think Jamie thought she would. "Go find Mrs. Crook, my wee lamb," she says as she tap little Jamie on the behind. I tell Roger softly to follow after the boy. I knew the conversation wouldn't be child friendly and he didn't need to hear anything that he shouldn't or didn't need to know.

"Jenny," Jamie started but she held her hand up to stop him from saying another word.

"What's wrong, a-graidh? Are you ill?" Jenny questioned as she raised her hand as if she was going to touch Jamie as he backed up.

"Jamie," I replied as I noticed he looked like a deer caught in between two lights.

"Tell that trollop to keep her trap shut, this is none of her business," Jenny snaps more harshly than I think or hoped she meant to.

"Jenny you will not speak to my wife like that. You need to respect her," Jamie snapped as I sensed he wasn't going to do any better this time around.

"I don't who she is; she isn't part of this conversation," Jenny retorted as I took a step back.

"Like hell she isn't. You made her a part of it when ye called her a trollop," Jamie responded as I just shook my head. I'm surprised how the two of them hadn't killed one another previously.

"Jenny, Jamie, please," I called softly as I got a glare from Jamie that told me to mind my own.

"Let me ask ye this Jamie Fraser, who do ye think ye are coming here after being gone so long without a letter or word from ye," Jenny yelled as I could see Ian hobbling toward the archway.

"Who am I?" Jamie snarls at her. "I am yer ken, yer brother the Laird of Lallybroch," he says as she shrinks just a little from his words.

"I guess some things don't change, Jamie. You always knew how to make an entrance," Ian said as he moved around toward Jenny. "We didn't know what to think when we received yer chest from castle Leoch, but it's good to see you and know yer alive," he continued.

"Aye, alive and well," Jamie countered as he chuckled a little.

"Yet, ye didn't come back alone. I saw ye riding in with another and a child as well as this one," Ian said motioning toward me. I smiled at him as I extended my hand to him.

"I'm the trollop, or better known as Claire Fraser," I said still smiling as Jenny looked at me before moving to lift her skirts to walk away.

"Jenny, please," Jamie begins as she shakes her head.

"Yer a damned fool Jamie Fraser. I thought ye might have learned something by being away, but no yer still none the wiser as ye were four years ago," she mutters as she heads into the house. Jamie followed Jenny into the house as I walked close by to Ian. He motioned for me to join him in a different room away from where Jenny and Jamie were.

"Do ye drink whiskey?" Ian questioned as he held up a canter and glass.

"Yes, we probably will be here for some time," I muttered as I knew he could hear the raised voices in the other room. "We might even need a second or more," I said as he chuckled.

"Naw, I believe two might be enough, but just in case," he replied as he set a second decanter on the table beside him. "Murtagh, join us," Ian asked as Murtagh came into view.

"I actually brought something for Mrs. Fraser," he said as he ushered a young boy into the room who seemed to be hiding behind a full set of curls.

"Oiy let me go," the boy snapped trying to jerk away from Murtagh.

"Fergus," I softly say as the young boy lifted his head to look at me.

"Milady, I thought you gone," he cried out as he rushed to me almost pushing me out of my chair.

"No, sweetheart I am here," I say caressing his head as he clung to me. I wrapped my arms around him holding him close. I had missed him and thought to never see him. I was glad that Murtagh could find him, but wait. He had said he thought I had gone. Did he know?

"Fergus, where did you think I was," I asked as he looked from me to Murtagh and than back.

"I don't know. I remember going with you and milord, but then you sent me away and I woke up back in France at the brothel," he said slowly as if he was trying the words out.

"It's alright, you'll not be sent away again. Milady and I will not let ye go for anything in this world," Jamie states matter of factly as I looked over at him as Jenny enters the room followed by the dogs.

"Milord," Fergus says as he moves from me to him. Jamie picks him up and hugs him. "I missed you," I barely heard the child say as Jamie nodded his head into Fergus's shoulder.

"I missed ye as well," Jamie said as I could see Jenny was hoping to get some answers.

"Well brother," she snaps impatiently.

"I met Fergus a long time ago when I was in Paris. When I went back with the men to Leoch I left him behind. I am thankful that Murtagh was able to find him," Jamie replied as I could tell from the slant in her cat like eyes that she didn't believe a word he said.

"Right, and what about this one," she said as she pointed to me.

"Murtagh found her being assaulted and on the verge of being raped by Randall so he rescued her. Dougal brought her back with us when we headed back to Leoch and Colum kept her and her son on as the healer for his clan," Jamie was explaining things when Roger barreled into the room.

"Mama," he said as he reached for me just as little Jamie came running into the room.

"Och, Jamie settle down," Jenny said as she motioned for him to sit down. The little boy sat down beside her and began to play with the dog by him. "Carry on brother," she said as I looked back to Fergus who was crouching by Roger whispering to him.

"Claire worked hard at using her herbs to heal and help Colum's people. Dougal thought she was a spy so he brought her with us when we went collecting the rents. During this time we ran into some English soldiers and ultimately into Randal himself. He demanded Dougal to turn her over, but Dougal thought Claire would be of better use to us so he arranged for us to get married. We were married and had been staying in Leoch until something went wrong and we headed here," he said as I watched Jenny. She looked as if she was trying to see whether what he spoke was true or not.

"So... Are ye planning to stay?" Jenny finally asked as I looked toward Jamie.

"Yes, we were planning on staying here. Tis is my home if I'm correct," Jamie questioned as Jenny sat up in her seat.

"Aye, tis yer home, but how will ye do that with the price on yer head," she countered as I saw the smile play on Jamie's lips.

"Don't worry about that just yet, Janet. I've got it taken care of," he said as he bent down and whispered something to Fergus who nodded and took Roger's hand as he led him out of the room.

"Could I trouble you for some hot water?" I questioned as Jenny looked over at me.

"Right, I'll have the girls take it up to the Laird's room as well as move the trunk there. Milly," she calls as a young girl enters the room and she gets up to speak with her. I look to Jamie who holds his hand out for me.

"Come," he says as I get up and place my cup on the table in front of me.

"Thank you," I say softly as I follow behind my husband.

"Just in there, I'll get the case and join ye," he says as I open the door and watch the whirlwind of girls removing Jenny's and Ian's things while I stand helplessly by.

"I can't believe we are here once again. I hope this time we can stay here," he says sadly as he reaches under the bed to get his father's sword.

"Well hopefully things will go better this time around with the Watch or we won't be here long," I say as he pulls me to him.

"Aye, we have to be smarter this time," he states looking toward the window. "I ken ye know the story, but Claire it still hurts me knowing my father died while I was being beaten. God, I wish I could have told him to leave. He'd still be here if I had, or maybe if I hadn't tried to escape or taunt Randall,' he mutters darker.

"Jamie, if it didn't happen then it would happened another way. It seems like Randall has it out for you no matter what," I say as she just shakes his head.

"Maybe, but I'll never know," he says placing a log into the fireplace.

"Jamie, Do you really think Randall would have let you go if you had given yourself to him, no. You know darn well what kind of a person Randall is and he wouldn't have stopped if he got you. Don't think for a moment he would have let you go," I say knowing that I was probably right about that.

"Come on, let's not dwell on it," he says softly as I stand up and he begins to let my laces go so that I could undress. After he helped me remove my clothing I went to the chest and found a simple dress to put on. I didn't want to wear something to fancy I was pulling out the dress when something fell out of it clanging onto the floor. I bent over to pick up the small bag when there was a knock on the door.

"How long does it take a person to dress? Supper's won't keep if ye fool around much longer," Jenny snapped as I opened the little bag.

"Och, we'll be down shortly," Jamie calls out as we hear stomping as the person left. "What ye got there?" Jamie asked as he pulled a shirt on.

"It fell out of my dress when I pulled it out of the trunk," I said as I opened it up and poured the contents into Jamie's hand. There were several coins of different amounts as well as a few gems. I felt the bag to find a small note in it.

"I hope this bag finds you well. I had gone back to Leoch to see you, but you were gone. The lady who runs the kitchen told me you had left and was sending your things to you. I asked if she would put some herbs and this in with your things. Claire be careful, things are still happening like the past. Please stay safe. I hope to see you and your husband again, but until then. Master Raymond"

"This is a lot of money," Jamie states as he looks over the different coins and the gems.

"I agree, but let's worry about that later. Jenny will cook us if don't head down," I reply as he chuckles. I hold the bag open as he puts the coins and gems back into it. "I'll head down to look in on the boys and you get cleaned up," I reply as I kiss him on the cheek. I headed out the door to the stairs when I heard faint laughter coming from the room next to ours.

"Mama," Roger says when he sees me.

"Hello, my sweeties. Have you had dinner yet?" I asked when I saw little Jamie sitting off to the side.

"No, milady. Mrs. Jenny said we would eat while you guys were eating in the kitchen," Fergus replies as he gets up as I see one of the young maids enter the room.

"Come along boys," she says as I follow behind them. I entered the dining area to see Jenny already seated at the table.

"Have ye had the chance to run a house?" she questions me as I remember running the house when we were in Paris.

"No, not really," I say softly.

"Well ye'll get a lot of practice with the running of this house," she replies as I pour both of us a glass of wine.

"Jenny, we didn't come here to take over and push you or Ian around. I hope we can work together," I say as the men enter the room and sit down.

"Ye'll get a taste of it tomorrow during Quarter day," she replied as she grabbed her cup and took a long drink.

"I am a quick study and hope to be of help whenever I can," I tell her as I fill her cup again.

"Aye," she bitterly says. "We're lucky though tis harvest was better for some of us than others. Several of the tenants could do for a good harvest," she states.

"How was yer harvest?" Jamie questions as he takes a bit out of the meat.

"It was better than most. We got a generous donor who got the seeds for planting potatoes and we had a very productive crop," Jenny says as Murtagh enters the room.

"Where have ye been?" Jamie asks when Murtagh sits down and begins to put food on his plate.

"Enough with finances, let's eat," Ian states as I feel the movement of a leg before he flinches a little. Jenny had just kicked him.

"Right, we'll go over it all later," Jamie says as I take a bit of the roll I had taken.

"I'd thought you'd visit father," Jenny says as I catch the silver and anger in her eyes.

"I believe father would understand if I saw him another day. He would want me to be sure the books are right and ready for Quarter day," Jamie says as I could tell Jenny had more to say, but decided to keep quiet. The rest of diner was done in small talk as Ian did most of the questioning asking each of us things. It felt like an interrogation, but I figured he was just trying to be civil. Jenny seemed to ignore me no matter what. I decided to turn in early after Jamie left with Ian and Murtagh went to the study to go over the ledgers. I just hoped things went better tomorrow than they had the last time.