It was the spring of 1779 on Fraser Ridge Claire and Jamie were up at the site of the new house working trying to get as much as they could done before winter set in, when Claire spotted movement down the far side of the ridge.
"A Family is coming up the wagon road" Claire said, pointing to the ridge as she stated in a sotto tone of voice, "Look who's that?"
There were four small dots on the horizon, but at this distance I couldn't make out much more than that without my glasses
Shading his eyes Jamie looked to the point on the ridge she was pointing to and replied, "No one I ken!"
Claire could tell from the tenor of his voice he was mildly interested as he commented, "It looks like a family though, they've a couple of bairns. Maybe new folk wanting to settle… They Havana much in the way of goods though."
I squinted; they were closer now, and I could make out the disparity of height. Yes, a man and a women both wearing broad-rimmed hats and a boy and a girl.
"Look, the lad got red hair," Jamie said absentmindedly as he smiled and raising his chin to point. "He reminds me of Jem."
"So he does." Curious now, I got up and rummaged in my basket, finding the bit of silk in which I kept my spectacles when not wearing them. I put them on and turned pleased as I always was to see fine details spring suddenly into being. Slightly less pleased to see that what I thought was a scale of bark on the timber near where I'd been sitting was in fact an enormous centipede, enjoying the shade.
I turned my attention back to the newcomers though; they'd stopped-the little girl had dropped her dolly-I could see the dolls hair, a splotch of color on the ground, even redder than the little boy's. The man was wearing a pack, and the women had a large bag over her shoulder. She set it down and bent to pick up the doll, brushing it off she handed it back to her daughter.
The women turned to speak to her husband, throwing an arm to point to something-the Higginses cabin. I thought.
Claire thought, the way she moves seems familiar… it can't be Bre is back in her own time…
The man put both hands to his mouth shouted, and the wind carried his words to us, faint but clearly audible, called out in a strong, cracked voice.
"Hello the house"
I was on my feet and on my way out of the clearing and down the path when Jamie stood and grabbed my hand, hard enough to bruise my fingers pulling me back.
Movement at the door of the cabin and a small figure that I recognized as Amy Higgins appeared. The tall women pulled off her hat and waved it, her long red hair streaming out like a banner in the wind.
"Hello the house!" she called, laughing.
Then I was flying down the hill, with Jamie just before me arms flung wide, the two of us flying together on the same wind.
Moments later in front of the Higgins cabin Mother and daughter embraced for the first time after eight years. Claire was openly sobbing into Breanna's chest as Breanna stroked her mother's hair muttering softly to her in Gaelic.
Normally he was able to hide his emotions but the expression on Jamie's face said, "Why'd ye come back"
"We'll talk about it later Da" Breanna said softly.
Jenny Fraser Murray made her way from the small cave where they kept all the animals; she was half way up to the Higgins cabin when she spied the one person she thought she would never see again. In the back of her mind she thought, Rodger… Rodger MacKenzie… it Caenna be he hasna aged a day.
As Jenny approached the group she spoke the name she hasn't used in 30 years.
"Rodger… Rodger MacKenzie…" Pointing at the young boy Jenny said aloud. "Is that… ye son"
Both Claire and Jamie turned to look at his sister, it was Claire who broke the silence asking, "Jenny how do you know Rodger?"
Rodger ever the gentlemen came to the ladies rescue saying, "It's part of why we came back"
An hour later Jamie sat reading the note written by Frank Randel, looking at his daughter Jamie said, "I sent you both back to keep you safe, in the end his ghost sends you back to me for the same reason."
Jamie held Breanna in his arms and felt her body relax, "Tis alright lass"
It didn't go unnoticed how close Jemmy and Amanda were staying to their mother, when Breanna's muffled voice said into his chest, "His name was Rob Camren… he was after the gold Da"
"That's not all of it is it lass!" Jamie said in a sotto tenor.
Shaking her head Breanna confirmed Jamie's suspicions telling him in a semi broken tone, "He found you letter Da… took Jemmy… tried to force him to tell"
Rodger spoke up trying to take the attention away from his wife saying offhandedly, "I came through first, we thought Mr. Camren took him though the stones"
Breanna whispered the rest in her father's ear. Cupping Breanna's head Jamie said "Dinna fash yourself… Breanna ye safe now aye"
Moments later Jenny asked speculatively, "Is that how ye came to Lallybroch then Rodger?"
Both Jamie and Claire looked on with baited breath and raised Eyebrows.
"Funny story that…" Rodger said lightly.
Rodger shifted uncomfortably on his feet saying, "I was thinking about Jeremiah MacKenzie… I didn't think I would find my father while looking for my son"
Breanna took both Jemmy and Amanda by the hand walking them across the clearing and said, "I'd like you to meet your grandaunt Jenny"
Jenny took a knee and held her arms wide as both Jemmy and Amanda ran into them.
Claire's face asked, "Did you go to the Police"
"Mama" Breanna said curtly, "How would I explain, the stones, or the gold for that matter…"
Crossing her arms over her chest Breanna told her mother, "Got my justice highland style I beat him to within an inch of his life with a cricket bat; then dumped him in the priest's whole."
Looking up Jenny said bluntly, "Th' braw lassie is definitely yers Jamie… steals efter ye whin it comes tae vengeance aye"
Turning slightly crimson Breanna said with a think undertone, "I was channeling my aunt Jenny at the time... twas thinking about my son & daughter… I thought about how you fended off Jack Randel"
"Aye laas" Jenny said matter of factly, "But I Didnae pat him in priest's whole"
Both Jemmy and Amanda made way for Breanna as Jenny held her arm out to her niece saying softly, "Ye hud tae fin' oot whaur th' wee yin wis, he didnae ken ne'er come atween a mither 'n' her cub aye?"
Breanna took a step back as she saw fire in Jenny eyes as she said, "I'd hate to see what you would have done."
"Murdurred th' bastered…" Jamie said confidently, "Whin thay teuk Claire, ah tracked thaim doon... Aye, murdurred th' lot o' thaim... Thay teuk whit nae theres…"
Claire asked Breanna speculatively, "How did you find Jemmy?"
It was Mandy's small voice that said, "I found my brother…" She said shyly, "I know when he is near… I know when he is far"
Everyone stopped and looked at Mandy, then at Breanna said offhandedly, "They can sense one another at about two miles…"
Looking at Rodger, Breanna said, "She knew where you were to…"
Those comments sparked a memory for Jamie who told Breanna in a sotto tone, "Whiles whin ah wis in kip wi' claire, ah wid see peeks, saw wee jemmy wi' something ca' a telephone!"
Stepping away from Jenny the more they talked the stronger Breanna's Scottish dialect came out as she said, "If ye tried, ah bet ye cuid step thro' th' stanes da... William Buccleigh MacKenzie did… He helped fin' jem, didnae hae tae... Aye!"
Looking at Jenny, Breanna said, "Ye knew him as buck... Sent him back tae 1980... Gave him broch tuarach... Thought it shuid bade in th' fowk…"
"Mother Janet…" came a women's disembodied voice with just a hint of a Germanic accent.
"Mother Janet… thee said you would be right back!" Came the women's voice again.
"Rachel…" Jenny said in a soft grandmotherly tone, "Come meet the family"
20 minutes later Both Ian and Rachel climbed the hill as they drew closer Breanna saw Ian holding his son and she reads the fear of a first time father on his face.
"Iain relax, th' bairn kens whin yer nervous... A'richt…" Breanna told him.
Rachel watched with awe as her words soothed Ian asking, "Can thee show me how ye did that…"
Stepping away from Jenny in an instant Breanna scots accent faded away as she said, "We'll talk later"
Looking at Ian, Breanna said sofly, "Been having flashbacks Ian… I've seen that face on Rodger enough times"
Breanna held her arms out to her cousin, holding Ian close she pulled him to her as he relaxed in Breanna's embrace and his body started to shake as he started sobbing.
Rachel knew about the effect Breanna had on him because he told her but had never seen it in action. Turning to face Ian's wife Rachel, Breanna said in a soothing tone, "Ian, Rachel come with me…"
Breanna turned to leave glancing at her father Jamie giving him a look he nodded back to her then started to walk down to the stream, only three steps behind them Ian, Rachel walked up behind her, Breanna told, "Have a seat!"
Claire's brow rose to a high arch as she asked Jamie speculatively, "What was that look?"
Making an irritated noise with his throat Jamie stated, "What look is that!"
Jenny came to Claire's defense saying, "I not only saw the look, I know you tried tae hide it"
"Fine… she wants us to follow in about five minutes" Jamie said matter of factly.
Taking the seat on a fallen tree opposite Ian; and Rachel, Breanna took a breath before saying, "What you're suffering from cousin where I come from is called post-traumatic stress…"
Pausing for a moment to let Ian Absorb what Breanna had said she stated, "My foster father Frank was a soldier in the Army, and one day as he was teaching how to shoot a rifle he said and out of the blue he said killing a man should never be easy Breanna!"
The memory of Stephen Bonnett came to the forefront of Breanna's memory as she stated, "Killing a man leaves a mark on the spirit, a mark that never goes away I know because I have a mark like that myself…"
Breanna hadn't spoken of these events in years but she looked at Ian, Rachel and said, "Before I left to seek help for my daughter… with the help of Lord John I took a boat out to speak with Stephen Bonnett and shot him in the head!"
Jamie, Claire and Jenny were walking up on them and Breanna could hear them and Jamie said, "I never wanted you to carry that stain…"
"I had to Da… he" Breanna said in a shaky voice thick with emotion.
"He escaped th' noose twice… ye hud tae be sure he wis dead…" Jamie said reassuringly.
It was Jenny who broke the silence saying, "I think whit mah brother is trying tae say is, that's nae th' lee he wanted fur you… he wanted a better lee fur ye Breanna"
"I know auntie…" Breanna said with a weak smile.
Turning back to Ian and Rachel, Breanna told them "The last thing my adopted father Frank told me was the difference between a soldier and warrior!"
Breanna stated, "A soldier fights and kills because he's paid to, a warrior fights and kills because he has no choice."
"Ian" Breanna said, "The man you killed, would he have killed you?"
"Aye" was the only thing Ian said in response to Breanna's statement
"Then you have nothing to be ashamed of!" Breanna said matter-of-factly, "and if you let her Rachel can heal you same way Roger healed me, and I healed him."
"Nephew" Jamie said, "When i'm wi' Claire is th' ainlie time a'm feelin' peace, whin ah don't hae th' dreams!"
"Ian" Jenny said, "How come didn't ye tell me"
Ian was trying to find the right words when Jamie spoke up saying, "War does something to a man, something he takes with them for the rest of his days…"
Jamie turned to face Jenny and stated, "You're my sister and I love ye so I will this once tell it… then I'll never speak of it again."
"People aye blether aboot th' glorious heroic battles 'n' thay idolize soldiers, th' ne'er blether aboot peepin' yer best mukker bleed tae death in yer arms… th' ne'er talked aboot th' helplessness yer feelin' peepin' thaim die! Jamie said in a tremulous voice, "i've seen enough killing 'n' blood fur thousand lifetimes…"
"Culloden wis sae ill ah hae na memory o' that day save in dreams" him and Jamie said in a tremulous voice, and i'm glad fur that th' hings dane that day ur best left forgotten…"
