Chapter Twenty Six
Amy sat on the couch when the tray with tea and biscuits appeared and she picked up the journal and opened it.
16 April 1756
It was raining on the tenth anniversary of Culloden and I woke to the sound of the rain ticking against the window glass. There was no sound of thunder, but the air was cold and I opened my eyes, looking up at the ceiling. I let my mind wander back to the battlefield as I slid my arms around Anne and felt her head rise and fall as I breathed.
"Where are you?" I heard her ask when I blinked then looked down and saw the worried look in her eyes.
"Och, I'm just ghost walking on the Culloden battlefield," I said softly and she stroked her fingers along my side, making me sigh.
"Don't stay too long," she whispered as I nodded and her hand slid up my side and rested on my shoulder. The rain fell harder as I listened to the wind moaning down the chimney and ran my fingers through her hair. I wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep again when the door to the reading room opened and Daniel headed for the bed.
Over the last few years the two of us would stand near the window to watch the sun come up on this date, but this year neither of us felt like doing much of anything and he stood at the foot of the bed, looking at us.
I have told him many a time that it hurt to see him stuck for eternity as a ten and seven year old lad, but he would just smile and shrug.
"Good morning, Daniel," Anne whispered as he sadly smiled at her and nodded his head. We watched him move his fingers while pointing at me and Anne smiled, looking up at me. "Yes, he's alright."
"Why did he ask that?" I asked.
"Well, considering what today is…" she said and I nodded my head. "Anyway, Mother told me that YOU, Michael, Luis and Father are to stay in bed today!"
"Why?"
"So your wives can pamper you."
"I didnae ken that Michael was at Culloden," I said as she stroked my side and a small shiver moved through me.
"He was a pay master."
"Oh, so what is Daniel going tae do while you're pampering me?"
"I'll pamper him as well," she said and we gave her a confused look.
How does one pamper a ghost?
"Ah, well, I dinnae have time for pampering. There are three new foals coming, four new lambs on the way and…." I said when she placed her fingers on my lips and hushed me.
"Samuel can deal with that," she said with a firm tone to her voice and I nodded my head. I knew better than to argue and we watched Daniel go back to the reading room and the door closed behind him. Sighing, I closed my eyes while Anne gently stroked my side and felt the cool tingling feeling spreading over me. She continued moving her fingers in little circles, but I didn't feel aroused and sighed as I slowly started drifting off to sleep.
If this was a part of the pampering, I wasn't going to complain and the last thing my mind registered was something that sounded like purring.
Now I do admit that spending the day lying around in my slippers, nightshirt and dressing gown seemed fun at first, but I was getting bored when the door opened and Molly stood in the doorway with six month old Hamish in her arms and Alexander was holding onto Jamie's hand.
"May we come in, Surh?" she asked as I nodded my head, placed the bookmark where I had stopped reading and placed the book on the night table. She walked closer to the bed as I looked at the sad faces of my sons and Angus climbed onto the bed, sitting on my legs.
"Are you poorly, Daddy?" he asked and I wondered why he had asked that.
"No," I said and Alexander climbed onto the bed and sat next to Angus.
"Mommy said you in bed. You only in bed when poorly," Alexander said when it clicked in my mind why they were sad and smiled, holding my arms out for Hamish. Molly placed Hamish in my arms as I held him against my chest and she lifted Jamie onto the bed. He climbed over my legs then crawled up the bed and snuggled against my right side. I placed my arm around Jamie then kissed the top of his head and looked up at Molly.
"No one told them what's going on?" I asked.
"No, Suhr," she said while shaking her head and I sighed, kissing the top of Hamish's head.
"Mind leaving us then?" I asked and she smiled, turned to go and left the room. I thought for a few moments as my sons looked at me when I sighed and placed the back of my head against the headboard. "Tae start with, Daddy is more sad then poorly."
"Why are you sad, Daddy?" Angus asked.
"Did Mommy yell?" Alexander asked.
"No, Mommy didnae yell at me," I said with a smile. "See, today is a very sad day for me and that's because…."
"Unca Dan-Dan?" Jamie asked while pointing to the reading room door and I sighed, looking at the door.
"Mommy said that Unca Dan'el became an angel t'day," Angus said and I wondered if she had told them about Daniel.
"Aye, today is when Uncle Daniel became an angel," I sighed and Jamie snuggled closer, gently pushing on Hamish for more room. "No, dinnae push your brother."
"Hammy piggy," Jamie grumbled and I shifted Hamish over a bit so Jamie to place his head on my chest.
"Anyway, the other reason I'm sad is because there was this…um…this bad thing happened and a lot of people I knew became angels, too."
"And you miss them, Daddy?" Angus asked.
"Aye, I miss them very much," I sighed and Jamie gently patted my chest.
"No cry," he said then placed his thumb in his mouth and I softly smiled down at him.
"Anyway, Mommy decided that, since I was sad, it would be best if I just stayed in bed and rested. The only problem is I'm getting bored."
"Then get up!" Alexander said while gently pulling on my arm and I smiled.
"But Mommy will get mad."
"No, Daddy, you need to get up," Angus said and he and Alexander tried to move my legs to the side of the bed.
"Up!" Jamie said as he gently pushed my side when I gave up and softly laughed. Holding Hamish against my chest, I got out of bed as the boys followed me and Angus took my hand. We were almost to the door when Anne appeared in the doorway and glared at us, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And where are you going?" she asked.
"We're taking Daddy for a walk," Angus said as I pressed my lips together and I could see that Anne wanted to laugh.
"Aye, Daddy's bored," Alexander said and I looked down at him.
"He is, is he?" Anne said while walking closer then took Hamish out of my arms and I gave her a sad look with my lower lip sticking out. I wasn't sure if she was about to yell when she smiled, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well, I was coming up here to see if Daddy wanted to come down for supper."
"Is it alright tae come down like this?" I asked as she nodded her head and I held her around her waist as we left the room.
"To be honest, I would have been bored just lying around in bed all day," Amy said and turned the page.
17 February 1757
The first of my daughters was born in the wee hours of a cold February morning and I almost slept through the delivery. The reason why was I had just returned from a short trip to Paris and couldn't sleep due to a storm at sea.
"Suhr, wake up!" Molly said as I slowly started waking up and blinked a few times. The firelight was the only light in the room while the soft tapping sound of the sleet on the window glass and I yawned, sitting up and scratched the top of my head. I was sleeping in one of the guest rooms as I sat my head against the wall and sighed. "Sorry tae wake you, Suhr, but…"
"Is Anne having the bairn?" I asked with a yawn.
"Aye, she is."
"What time is it?" I asked, trying to wake up.
"It's around three in the morning, Suhr," she said then went to get my dressing gown from the wardrobe as I stretched my arms over my head then got out of bed. After helping me get my dressing gown on, we went down the hallway while I yawned and scratched the top of my head. "The lads are still in the nursery. Do you want me tae go get them?"
"Aye," I said then woke up some more when I heard Anne screaming and sighed. We had been very careful when it came to not having sex, but the wedding of one of her cousin in May and a little too much wine…
"I get it," Amy said and the TARDIS grumbled a laugh.
Opening the door, I walked to the bed while Mrs. Connolly looked back at me then sighed and I stood next to the bed. Anne was breathing hard through her nose while the sweat rolled down her face and her hair was plastered against her head.
"What are you doing here?" Anne growled while I sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand to my chest.
"Molly woke me and told me that you were having the…bairn," I yawned and half closed my eyes. She screamed as my eyes snapped open and pressed her hand against me.
"She shouldn't have woken you, Suhr," Mrs. Connolly said and I nodded. I was about to drift off to sleep when I heard the baby crying and smiled, kissing Anne's knuckles.
"As long as she didn't wake the boys," Anne sighed and I looked at her and she blinked. "No, you didn't tell her to go wake them!"
"Aye," I sighed while Mrs. Connolly handed the baby to Anne and gently smacked the side of my head. "Dinnae blame me. I'm half asleep and dinnae ken what I'm saying, let alone doing."
Anne softly laughed while Mrs. Connolly finished helping her with the birth and I placed my head on Anne's shoulder. My eyes closed as I placed my arm around her and smiled, listening to the sound of the baby nursing and Anne humming.
"Wake up," was what I heard when I opened my eyes and realized that I was lying on my side, snuggled up against Anne. The duvet was nearly up to my chin as I looked up at her and she smiled at me, brushing the hair from my eyes.
"Did I fall asleep?" I asked, sighing then blinking my eyes. Nodding, she laid something down next to me as I looked at the blanket and it wiggled slightly. I scooted up on the bed when I moved the blanket back and looked at the baby looking back at me. "Well, hello there, who are you?"
"Meet your daughter," Anne said as I looked up at her and smiled. Sitting up, I carefully lifted my daughter off the bed then held her against my chest and kissed the top of her head.
"Where are the boys?"
"I told Molly to take them back to the nursery and have them come back when you and the baby were awake," she said then I kissed Anne's cheek and stroked the baby's head.
"What is her name?"
"I was thinking of calling her "Catherine Susan"."
"What do you think, eh?" I asked as the baby looked at me and snuggled closer, closing her eyes and sucked on her lower lip. "Nae sure if that is an "aye" or a "nay"."
"Do you like the name?"
"Aye, I do," I said as she kissed my cheek and smiled when I yawned, shaking my head. "Sorry."
"Molly shouldn't have woken you up," Anne said as she moved closer and I placed an arm around her.
"Dinnae fash, she meant well," I said as she smiled and I gave her a serious look. "I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about?"
"I thought we were nae going tae have any more children and here we are with one more."
"Maybe God wanted us to have one more. I mean you finally have a daughter."
"Aye, and what am I going tae do? I only ken how tae deal with lads."
"Well, my father used to treat me and my sisters the same as he did Daniel and…." she said then sighed and I nodded. No one had mentioned Malcolm since Commander Watertin found out about him and I looked at my daughter, kissing the top of her head.
"So you're saying that I can wrestle and rough house with her?"
"Um, no, I don't think so, but you can take her out and show her off. Though, truthfully, I think she's going to have you wrapped around her finger," Anne said as I looked at our daughter and smiled.
"Nah," I said while playing with Catherine's tiny fingers and placed my cheek against the top of her head.
(I was wrong. Catherine and her sisters had me so wrapped around their fingers that I felt like a piece of gooey taffy.)
Amy softly laughed as the TARDIS grumbled a laugh and Amy turned the page.
25 April 1758
"Daddy, that's nae fair!" Alexander said while I held Catherine on the pony that I had bought for her and she giggled, holding onto the saddle. "We didnae get a pony until we were four!"
"Aye!" Angus said as he frowned and his lower lip stuck out just like mine did when I pout.
"She's nae going tae ride it until then. I just want her tae get used tae sitting on a saddle," I said while lifting Catherine off the saddle and held her in my arms. Suddenly Molly ran toward us as I watched her coming closer and she stopped in front of us.
"You have tae come, Suhr," she said as I nodded and led the children into the house. Anne was pregnant again, but she was larger than she was with Catherine and had been sick as well. The doctor had made her stay in bed for the last few months and I wondered if there was something wrong with her.
"Baby?" Catherine asked as I nodded and we went inside the house then up the stairs. By the time we got down the bedroom, we heard the sound of babies crying and I handed Catherine to Molly. Opening the door, I walked to the bed after closing the door and Mrs. Connolly smiled at me. My heart was slamming inside my chest as I stood at the foot of the bed and Anne was holding two bundles in her arms. She looked exhausted and her hair was clinging to her head. I slowly climbed onto the bed then crawled toward her and sat next to her. Mrs. Connolly was finished helping Anne with the birth as she shut the door and told Molly that Anne and I wanted to be alone for a bit.
"Surprise," Anne said softly as I looked at the two bundles and saw two sleeping faces.
"We had twins?" I asked.
"Yes, we did," she said with a nod of her head and I gently picked up one of twins and held the baby in my arms.
"Are they boys, girls or one of each?"
"They are both boys and they're identical."
"How are we going tae tell them apart then?" I said and kissed Anne's lips.
"Well," she said then looked at the baby in her arms then the one in my arms and smiled. "This one is bigger than that one and that one has more hair."
"Ah, and what are their names?"
"Well, I was thinking of naming one of them after your father."
"You want tae call one of them "Donald Michael"?"
"Yes, if that's alright?" she asked and I nodded then looked at the twins.
"Right, who wants tae be Donald?" I asked when the twin she was holding made a little noise and I smiled. "Hello, Donny!"
"And who is this little man?" she asked as I looked at the twin in my arms and thought for a few seconds. While I was thinking, the air turned cold as I looked up and saw Daniel standing at the foot of the bed. Anne smiled as he pointed at the babies then held up two fingers and Anne smiled, nodding her head. "What is Daniel's full name?"
"Why?" she asked and Daniel looked at me.
"What was it?"
"His name was "Daniel Randall"."
"Hello, Daniel Randall," I said to the twin in my arms and my son wiggled and smiled at me. I looked at Daniel as he blinked a few times then vanished and I wiped the tears from Anne's eyes. I placed little Daniel on the bed then got off the bed and walked to the reading room, opening the door. Walking inside the room, I closed the door while looking at Daniel looking up at the portrait and I stood next to him. "Did I say something wrong?"
Daniel shook his head then looked at the floor and I felt my heart aching. I knew that he felt left out when it came to the children, but I thought he would like the idea of me naming my son after him and I titled my head to one side. Daniel wiggling his fingers as he told me that he was honored that I named my son after him and we smile at each other.
"Want to come get a better look at them then?" I asked as he vanished and I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Show off."
"More like a cheater," Amy said and turned the page.
22 August 1759
"Och, what did you eat?" I asked while changing Little Daniel's nappy and he giggled at me. Donald was standing in his cot as he giggled as well and I rolled my eyes.
"Danny stinky, Daddy," Catherine said as she held up a nappy and I took it from her.
"Aye, he is," I said when Molly walked into the nursery and I smiled at her. "Mind lending me a hand?"
"Aye," she said when she picked up Donald and placed him on the table next to Little Daniel and Donald wiggled on the table. It took a few minutes to change the twins as I washed my hands then heard someone running down the hallway and walked to the doorway. Susan stopped while she panted then took my hand and pulled on it.
"James, come quickly!" she said as I nodded and Molly said she would look after Catherine and the twins. History had repeated itself and Anne had become pregnant again and I slightly scolded myself.
(I do admit that I wanted a large family, being an only child, but this was getting ridiculous.)
"Then keep it in your trousers," Amy said and the TARDIS grumbled in agreement.
Anne screamed while I ran into the room and headed for the bed. She looked tired and sweaty as I sat on the bed and kissed the top of her head. She glared at me as I shrugged and she balled her hands on the bed.
"Would it help if I never went to your bed ever again?" I asked as she looked at me and her eyes softened.
"No, but it would help if you cut it OFF!" she groaned as Mrs. Connolly smiled at me and I blinked. I knew Anne was kidding and nodded, gently helping her sit up. A few minutes passed until the baby cried and I held Anne in my arms. She breathed hard and fast in my ear as I hushed her and stroked her back.
"Would you like to hold your daughter now?" Mrs. Connolly asked as Anne sat up and she placed our daughter in Anne's arms. I watched Mrs. Connolly leave the room then looked at my daughter and placed an arm around Anne. The baby was smaller than her sister, but still had the same sweet face and a full head of hair. It felt like goose down against my fingers as I smiled and Anne nursed her, kissing her tiny hand.
"She is so perfect," Anne whispered and I gave her a stunned look.
"Was there any doubt that she wouldnae be?" I asked and Anne softly laughed.
"No, we make very handsome and very pretty babies."
"Aye, we do, but I think we need another break."
"Is that why you asked if you can come to my bed?"
"Aye, I think you're too attracted tae my cock. That's why this keeps happening," I said and she giggled.
"Yes, I am too dependent on that body of yours. Poor me!" she said, being slightly over dramatic and I pouted. "Aw, here comes the lip."
I moved closer as we kissed and I placed my head against hers. Molly brought the children into the room a few minutes later and Catherine was happy about having a little sister.
(We named my second daughter "Victoria Zoe" and, like Catherine, she was spoiled.)
"Yeah, I bet," Amy said when she felt a slight bump and placed the bookmark in the journal, closed the journal, placed it on the couch and got up, leaving the room and wondered where the Doctor had landed this time.