Chapter Twenty One
16 April 1754
The soft wind blew the leaves while the low grinding and wheezing sound filled the air and the TARDIS materialized near a tree. The door opened when the Doctor and Tegan walked out and the Doctor turned, locking the door.
"Where are we now?" Tegan asked while looking around and the Doctor noticed the wall across the dirt road, walking toward it. He looked at the sign when he smiled then turned, looking at them.
"We're at Crystal Snow," he said then opened the gate and they started walking down the path. A few minutes later they arrived at the house then walked up the stairs and stood in front of the door. Knocking on the door, they waited when the door opened and the butler looked at them. "Hello, I'm the Doctor, is the Lady at home?"
"One moment," the butler said when he closed the door and Tegan frowned, looking at the door.
"That was rude," she said and the Doctor nodded. The door opened when the butler looked at them and held the door opened for them to come in. The Doctor nodded as they stood at the center of the main hallway when they heard a soft coughing sound and looked up, seeing Jamie. He looked tired as he walked down the stairs and the Doctor noticed the tears in the corner of his eyes.
"Jamie, what happened?" the Doctor asked and Jamie brushed his fingers through his hair.
"Och, Doctor, it's Erica," he said and his voice sounded tired.
"What happened to her?" Tegan asked as she placed her hand on Jamie's shoulder and he looked at her.
"Well, it's been rough since she became pregnant…." Jamie said and Tegan's mouth dropped open.
"You're going to be a dad?"
"I am a dad," he said then sighed and the Doctor wondered if he was just tired or had something happened to Erica and/or the baby.
"Why was it a rough pregnancy?" Tegan asked.
"She was sick a lot an' had tae stay in bed for the last two months," Jamie said and she nodded.
"Was it a boy or a girl?" Tegan asked.
"It was a boy an' he weighed nine pounds exactly," Jamie said and Tegan's eyes went wide.
"That's a big boy!" she teased and Jamie gave her a tired smile.
"How long was she in labor?" Tegan asked but the Doctor shook his head and they looked at him with a confused look.
"Is Erica alright?" the Doctor asked as Jamie looked at him and blinked.
"Och, aye, she's fine. Why do ye ask?"
"Well, you look like you're going to cry. I thought that…" the Doctor stammered and Jamie softly laughed.
"No, she's alive an' so is the bairn. It's just that she went into labor yesterday afternoon an' I havenae been tae bed yet," Jamie said then yawned.
"What time did she go into labor?" the Doctor asked.
"Around four fifteen," Jamie said and scratched an itch in the corner of his right eye.
"And it is ten fifteen now. That means she has been in labor for eighteen hours. That's not bad for a first child. Did she have a midwife with her?"
"Aye, she did, but I wasnae allowed in the room. I mean we made the bairn together so I should be there when he came into the world," Jamie said and Tegan smiled.
"Yeah, you should, but she might have killed you. I remember when a friend of mine had a baby. She threatened to kill her husband while she was in labor," she said and Jamie smiled.
"I did try an' sneak into the room a few times but she screamed for me tae get out. Once, she threw a pillow at me."
"Then it is a good thing that you weren't in the room," she teased and Jamie nodded. "Anyway, how did you find out that she was pregnant?"
(Seven months ago….)
Jamie sat at the desk as the flame of the candle caused little shadows on the page and he sighed, sitting back in the chair. Erica had inherited Crystal Snow but it was Jamie that ran the ranch and he closed the ledger, placing the pen in the holder. He had little stains of ink on his fingers as he looked at his fingers and smiled. Standing up, he picked up the candleholder as he walked to the door and left the den. Walking down the hallway, he looked into the main parlor when he saw Erica sitting near the fire and saw that she was knitting something. She had been knitting for the last few weeks but wouldn't tell him what it was and he placed the candleholder on the table, walked the small stool near her feet and sat down.
"What are ye doing, Sassenach?" he asked and she looked at him.
"I'm knitting," she teased and he smiled.
"Aye, but what are ye knitting?" he asked then picked up a small bootie made of white yarn and frowned. "Um, this is a wee bit too small for socks."
"Well, it won't be once…" she said then stopped herself and he tilted his head to one side. He thought for a few minutes while holding the bootie in his hand when he thought of something and stood up.
"Are ye with child, Sassenach?" he asked as she stood up and placed her arms around his waist.
"Yes, for two months now," she said and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "Aren't you happy?"
"Aye," Jamie said then gently cupped her head in his hands and kissed her lips. "I am very happy!"
"Aw, that was sweet!" Tegan said and Jamie smiled, nodding his head.
"Would ye like tae come up an' see them?" he asked and they nodded. Going up the stairs, Jamie led the way while they walked down the hallway and the Doctor walked next to Jamie. They stopped at the door when Jamie quietly opened the door and they walked inside the room. Erica was sleeping as they stood near the bed and Jamie hushed her. Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head when Erica opened his eyes and smiled at him. "Ye feel like visitors?"
Erica looked over at the Doctor Tegan when the Doctor walked closer and took her hand, squeezing her fingers.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello," she said in a tired voice and Jamie carefully sat on the bed. "Did you tell them about the baby?"
"Aye," Jamie said, nodding his head.
"Did you tell them his name?"
"No, he didn't," Tegan said and Erica glared at him.
"His name is James Robert McCrimmon," Jamie said then yawned and placed his head on top of her head.
"Have you been to bed yet?" she asked as Jamie shook his head and she looked at the Doctor. "Will you do me a favor, Doctor, and take Jamie into the other room so he can get some sleep?"
"Nay, I'm fine right here," Jamie mumbled as Tegan walked around to the other side of the bed and helped Jamie take his boots off. He sighed as she straightened out his legs and Jamie carefully slid down on the bed, placing his head on the pillow. A few minutes later Jamie was sound asleep as they looked at him and Erica smiled, stroked his hair.
"Have you seen the baby yet?" Erica whispered and the Doctor shook his head. "He's over there."
The Doctor walked to the wooden cradle when he knelt down and moved the blanket back, seeing a small, round face with chubby cheeks. He looked at the soft fluff of light brown hair as the baby slept then opened his eyes and the Doctor was amazed to see that the baby's eyes were hazel.
"Well, he is his father's son," the Doctor thought as Tegan walked closer and looked down at the baby.
"Aw, how cute," Tegan said while the Doctor stood up and walked to the bed. The Doctor kissed Erica's cheek then saw that she was falling back to sleep and smiled, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I think we should be going," he said as Erica frowned and the Doctor smiled, patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll see us again."
Erica nodded then the Doctor led Tegan out of the room and closed the door behind them. Looking over at Jamie, Erica kissed his fingers then closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
"That was nice," Tegan said after they returned to the TARDIS and the Doctor nodded. "I really thought that something bad happened to the baby when Jamie came down the stairs."
"I think that's because Jamie was so upset that she only had the midwife in the room with her. He's very protective of those that he loves," he said and Tegan looked at him with a confused look. "Don't read anything into that. He thinks of me as a friend and father."
"I figured as much," she said while the Doctor looked at the screen and he smiled, pulling on the main lever. "Now where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said as the rotor moved up and down and she sighed, folding her hands over her chest.