Chapter Text
1739 December 23rd Craig Na Dun Scotland
“Are you sure you can do this Jem” Roger asked again as the got the bottom of the hill.
“Aye Da, when I was in them, in the stones, I could hear you. But I could hear Grannie too. I had to make myself hear you more”. Jem said nodding his head emphatically.
Silently the five of them walked up the hill to the stones. Brianna felt sick, it had only been one day since her and the kids had come through them. Christ what if it was too much for them to do it again so quickly. Mama had said she didn’t think she could do it again.
Roger squeezed her hand. “It will be alright mo leannan” he reassured her.
They couldn’t stay here in 1739, through the winter, if the could get to 1779 they could go to Lallybroch and Jenny Murray.
Roger lifted Mandy into his arms and took Jem’s left hand, Bree took the right. With one last look at Buck and a nod to Brianna, they reached out and lay their palms on the stones.
1779 December 25th Lallybroch.
Roger hefted Mandy onto his shoulder again, she was sound asleep exhausted, Jem was on Bucks back as Brianna hobbled along beside him. It had taken two days to walk this far, but he knew that they should see the lights soon.
“Da, Da look” Jem pointed through the gloom of the falling winter sky, and Roger grinned.
Home.
Although it was not home, it was Jenny Murray’s home. They had spent the last couple of days while they walked explaining to the children that Lallybroch would not be the same, but he wasn’t sure just how much the children really understood.
Ten minutes later they stumbled through the archway and into the kailyard. As Buck put Jem down, the front door opened and Jamie Murray appeared “Can I help ye” he asked peering into the deepening darkness.
Brianna stepped forward “Jamie?” she said moving into the light from a window.
“Brianna! Christ lass, what are you doing here” Jamie came down the steps
“Its a long story” she said tiredly “Can we come in? Is my Auntie Jenny here?”
“Aye, aye of course, come in, come in” Jamie turned and called for Joanie as he reopened the door and ushered them all in.
“My Ma is no here though Brianna, she is in America with yer Parents” Jamie said as he closed the door.
“In America! Where is you Da?” Brianna looked at him astonished.
“Da, weel he is in the burying place a year passed now.” Jamie explained
Brianna’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh Jamie, no, the dear dear man.” tears pricked her eyes and she leant forward to hug her cousin.
By the time everybody had been introduced and the children fed washed and put to bed, Brianna was fit to drop. She came back downstairs and into the sitting room where, Roger and Buck sat with Jamie a dram in their hands.
She came and sat next to Roger, looking at him as he grinned at her “What is it?” she asked.
“Seems ye Da and Mama has been here, since we left. That's how Jenny ended up with them at the Ridge” Roger said laughing. “Ye Mam has already told all here at Lalybroch.”
“Aye, I wasna sure whether to believe Auntie Claire or no, about weel, ye ken, what she is, weel what ye all are, but Young Ian, well he was sure, so when Roger said he had something to telt us, weel I was a thinking that maybe, weel maybe Auntie Claire was right after all.” Jamie said still a bit unsure.
February 1779 Scotland. The Constance. Ayr Harbour.
Jamie Murray hefted the trunk off the wagon and carried it down the gangplank and onto the ship. Brianna had already carried Mandy down and into the dark dank hold.
Roger and Jem stood with Buck on the dock, “Ye won’t change ye mind" Roger asked his ancestor again.
“Nay, my children are here somewhere. Ye cousin said he will give me work till I can find them. I will bide till then" Buck said and turned as Jamie came to join them.
“Ye look after them Minister, and give my Mother a kiss from me when you get there.” Jamie said as he took Roger’s hand.
Roger led Jem onto the ship as well and went into the hold to find Brianna. She had made a corner theirs, dividing the space from others by the trunk. Roger dropped the heavy rucksacks behind the divide and sat down on them. Mandy’s big eyes where already looking watery. Brianna opened the front pocket of the smaller rucksack and making sure nobody could see, opened a wax packet and took out a small pill. She slipped it into the little girls mouth and gave her a drink from a water flask.
“I know its hard but you need to swallow it love. It will make you feel better.” Bree told her as she helped her hold the flask. Thank God Joe had, had the foresight to see if the children were going to follow their Grandfather and be seasick.
March 1780 The Constance. Atlantic Ocean.
Roger was despairing of ever getting off this fucking ship. Mandy lay listless and weak in her fathers arms. Jem leaned against Brianna, green looking and sunken eyes. Brianna didn’t look much better.
The crossing had already taken six weeks, and they had long run out of sea sickness pills. Now they were all so sick they couldn’t keep anything down, even if they had any food apart from the jerky left. The weather had been terrible and the hold was wet and freezing. Everything they had was wet and salt covered. Finally he fell into a fitful sleep
He was woken up by shouting above, the hold hatch was opened and a sailor shouted down.
“Charles Town in sight"
Neither of the children could walk when they finally got off the ship, Roger managed to get them and Bree sat on the trunk with the rucksacks and went looking for transport. He came back with a porter and cart, and with the man's help got his family to an Inn.
May 1780 Wilmington
They had stayed in Charlestown three days until the children had recovered and they had managed to exchange some of the gold from the large rucksack, for provisions and a horse and cart. Now they were about an hour out from Wilmington, and Brianna and the children were fast asleep in the back of the cart. Roger clicked his tongue to the horse, moving the wagon over a bit as he heard a horse come up behind them.
“Ello, it tis a fine day. Non?” a voice said from the horse.
Roger almost fell off his seat, then turned with a grin from ear to ear, at the look of complete astoundment on Fergus Fraser's face.
“Roger?” was all the Frenchman could say, then dropped his eyes to the cart bed.
“Brianna, Brianna!” he was off the horse and onto the cart, before Brianna had come awake at the sound of his voice, and pulling her into his arms.
“Ma petite soeur” he kept repeating as Brianna realised who was holding her and burst into tears.
Marsali was in the front of the new shop on the High Street when Fergus opened the door.
She looked up as the bell rang “Ah ye are sooner than I thought ye would be” she said with a smile.
“Aye, I have not as yet delivered from the ironmonger the new piece for Bonnie” Fergus said
Marsali frown “And why?”
“We may have waylaid him a bit” said a Brianna as she peered around her brother at her diminutive sister in law.
Marsali stood opened mouthed. As all four Mackenzie's followed Fergus into the shop.
Then Roger grabbed her as she fainted.
She came to in his lap a second later “but how, ye went, weel ye went back to, weel, did ye really?” she stuttered.
Fergus, lifted her from Roger and stood her on her feet as Bree nodded,
“Yes, we did, but we came back. We will explain it all to you” Bree said with laugh.
Marsali suddenly looked down at Mandy “The Bairn, is she?”
“She's fine Marsali, just fine” Bree reassured her. Mandy peeped out from behind her mother at Marsali.
“Mandy, this is your Auntie Marsali” Bree told the little girl who smiled shyly at her.
“Do ye remember me Auntie Marsali?” Jem said tentatively from beside Mandy
Marsali smiled at him and took his hands. “Ff course I remember you Jem, how could I forget” she said.
“Does Germain remember me, is he here?” Jem said excitedly
“He does remember ye of course, he often talks of ye. But nay he is with yer Granda and Grannie on the Ridge”. Marsali told him.
Just then there was a squawk fro the basket on the counter and Marsali turned towards it.
“Another baby” Roger asked as Marsali picked up the shawl wrapped bundle.
“Aye another boy” Fergus said proudly “Fergus Roger Fraser” he told them
Roger grinned “Fergus Roger eh, well how about that. That's three boys and two girls!”
“What's wrong” Brianna asked as she saw the look of grief cross both of the Fraser's faces
“Henri Christian, we lost him two years ago” Marsali said quietly.
June 2nd 1779 Fraser's Ridge.
Fergus hailed the wagon at the bottom of the trail. “I will take the wagon on to Ian’s Cabin mon frere, you go take ma soeur to our parents.” he told Roger as he got off his horse and tied it to the back of the wagon.
Roger helped Brianna and the children down, shouldered the bigger rucksack and gave the smaller to Brianna.
“Esmeralda?” Mandy exclaimed
“I have her” Jem said reaching back up to the wagon bed and handing the doll to his little sister.
They waved to Fergus as he moved the wagon off and turned up the rail.
“How many times have we walked this” Roger said softly to Bree
She nodded, tears in her eyes “How many times have I wished we could again”
“Is it far to our house?” Mandy asked
“Nay, tis just around the bend Mandy, down there where the river turns there is the bathing pool. Granda and I would go fishing just before it.” Jem said
“Ye remember that?” Roger asked his son
“Aye, Da, I remember lots, even more now, now that we are home” Jem said with a gulp.
“Oh!” Mandy suddenly held her little hand to her head.
“What's wrong!” Bree dropped to eye level with her daughter.
“Here, its like Jemmy, but its not Jemmy, tis a lady” Mandy said puzzled.
“It’s Grannie, that's all.” Jem said calmly. “I have been feeling her stronger since we came into the Mountains.”
They turned the corner and there was the cabin.
Roger could see Amy on the porch “Hello the house” he called loudly.
Then all of them became aware of the noise coming through the trees, stampeding feet!
They looked up and as big as her Da's stride was it was Mama who got to them first, knocking Brianna flying as the momentum of her descent couldn’t be stopped. Da was pulling them up and into his arms , dragging Roger to him, then dropping to his knees to pull the children to him all at the same time.
And they were home.