CHAPTER 19
As Skylar came to, she felt a sharp throbbing pain in her head. She groaned and put her hand to her head as the pain worsened when she opened her eyes and was met by bright sunlight. She slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. She was under a makeshift tent on a beach. She saw the crew of the Artemis scattered around her, doing what looked like gathering parts of the ship.
"Skylar!" she heard someone call out. She looked towards the voice and saw Fergus. He ran to her and knelt in front of her, hugging her. "Dieu merci. I was so worried, ma soeur." He pulled from her and kept hold of her arms. "I knew you would wake up, but it was taking so long I was starting to get scared. Do you feel okay? Are you in any pain?"
"My, uh, my head hurts," she told him. "What happened? I remember it was raining and there was too much wind and there were coral patches, but everything else is really fuzzy."
"The wind pulled us in too fast and because Raines wouldn't let us loosen the sails, we ended up hitting a sand wave which was what made the mast to start to break. A part of it fell and that was what hit you and caused you pass out. Jamie had me take you below deck and stay with you and Marsali. Raines finally allowed the sails to be slacked but it was too late. We crashed onto a very large shoal and the mast broke completely off. We were able to get the Artemis off the shoal and luckily there was not too much damage. We're mending the mast now and that will be an easy fix."
"I hope Jamie beat the shit out of Raines for this. There's no way he can stay the captain after his idiotic orders nearly killed us." Fergus' face got very serious and solemn. "There's something else. What is it?"
He took a moment then told her, "Raines is dead. As are Warren and Murphy." Skylar felt all of the breath leave her body. She did not expect him to say that.
"Th-they're…dead?"
Fergus nodded. "When we hit the shoal, the impact was so great that Murphy and Warren, who were positioned near the edge of the ship, got thrown overboard. And when the mast came down, it, uh…Raines was caught beneath it." Skylar flinched, seeing it play out in her head. "We gave him a proper sea burial, worthy of a captain, though some feel he may not have deserved it."
"Am I an awful and terrible person for not feeling that sad over him?"
"If you are, then so am I. As are most of the crew."
"You said it's really just the mast that got damaged?"
"Aye. The main sail got ripped as well, but not too terribly and it will not take long to patch."
"Okay then." She took a breath and started to stand up, but Fergus stopped her.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to see what I can do to help."
"Absolutely not. Skylar, you were unconscious for a very long time. You are in no shape to be doing hard work and moving around that much."
"I'm fine, Fergus. My head doesn't hurt too bad anymore." She went to stand again, but he sat her back down.
"Skylar, I swear to God, if you try to move again I will tie you down. Please, just stay here out of the sun and rest. We will be done before too long. Okay?"
"But I-"
"Okay?"
Seeing that he was not giving up on this, she rolled her eyes and said, "Fine. I'll just sit here and be totally useless."
"Thank you, ma soeur. Call me over if you need anything." He then stood up and went back to the job he had been doing.
Skylar brought her knees into her chest and watched as the men worked. Even in her manmade shade, she could feel the heat from the burning sun and she knew beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that everyone, even Marsali she saw, was working hard and was probably exhausted and overheated while she just sat doing nothing. But her head was still throbbing hard and she was a little dizzy so she knew it was for the best.
She put her head on her knees and closed her eyes, not just because of the pain but because of her spirit. All of the hope and optimism she had clung to about being successful in their mission was gone. Thinking about every delay and stop that they've had over the months of sailing, she knew there was no way the Bruja hadn't already arrived in Jamaica and was probably long gone. She felt in her gut that they were too late and there was nothing they could do about it.
At this rate, Ian is probably a slave at the least. And we're ever going to get him back, she thought, her heart breaking. She was nearly sick at that thought. She didn't want to give up. She wanted to hold on to the faith and confidence that they were going to find him alive and safe and be able to bring him home. She wanted to continue to cherish the warm and tingly feeling she got when she fantasized about finally telling Ian what she felt for him and hearing him say it back. But the fear she had pushed away over the worst case scenarios was back full force and overpowering her.
She looked up when a shadow fell over her. Jamie was standing above her holding the ripped sail Fergus told her about. He went on a knee in front of her, putting the sail on the ground next to him.
"How are ye feelin', lass? Still in pain?" She just shrugged. "We were worried about ye. I'm verra glad te see yer awake and okay. We'll be done here soon and we'll be able te keep goin' on. We're not too far from Jamaica now." She just looked down, not wanting to share her feelings of discouragement. "Would ye be alright te help Marsali sew the sail? The rip isna verra large so it shouldna be too hard te mend."
"Yeah, that's fine," she told him.
As if on cue, Marsali joined them, carrying the sewing materials she had retrieved from the salvaged supplies. She sat next to Skylar under the tent and Jamie left them with the sail.
They started to work in silence, and Marsali could tell Skylar was feeling off.
"Are ye okay?" she asked. "Is it yer head? Ye took a nasty hit."
"My head is pounding, but that is the absolute least of my problems right now."
"Do ye want te talk about anythin'?"
"I'm basically out of hope. I just have this sinking feeling that we're not going to find him. Or if we do, there will be nothing we can do to get him back."
"What brought that on? Ye were so sure it was all goin' te be alright just yesterday."
"Just sitting here not able to do anything, all I can think about is how much time has been wasted. When we first started out, we were already so far behind the Bruja. And now, after those weeks without wind, the delay with The Porpoise, Raines having us go half our speed, and now this? I can practically guarantee the Bruja has come and gone from Jamaica, and for all we know, it left with Ian again."
"But ye dinna ken that fer sure. Ye canna let yer fears take over. Ye need te hold onte the faith that we will find him."
"I miss Claire," Skylar stated. "She's so calming to talk to. She's so similar to my mom, it's almost like I was talking to her." She looked up and saw Marsali intensely focusing on the needlework. "I can practically feel you thinking. What's going on in your head?"
"I ken everyone thinks me Ma is mad. I'm the first te say that she can be a lot te deal with at times. But she's all I had growin' up. Me Da…I wouldn't even actually call him that, he never acted like it. And he died when I was so young that I never really had one. And so, when Jamie married her, he was so kind and lovin' te me and me sister and we were so happy te actually have a father. Ma had already lost two husbands, and then when Jamie left, that made the deepest cut out of the three. I love her dearly and I hate seein' her hurt. I had thought that with him, we could finally be a family."
"You're marrying his son, Marsali. He's still going to be a part of your family and your dad. I understand that that's not the same as him being married to your mom, but you do still get a father out of him. And now he's able to be a part of your own family that you're going to have with Fergus."
"Tell me the truth, Sky. Does it make me a horrible person fer not wantin' te have children right away?"
"Of course not. There's no rule that says you need to get pregnant the moment you're married. It makes you no less of a woman for wanting to wait either. You should be able to enjoy being married before you take on that responsibility."
"But are there even ways te be able te do that?"
"You're not gonna like this, but Claire would probably know something. With her being so smart about everything medical and medicinal, I'm sure she knows about ways you can avoid getting pregnant. I get that you don't like her, but maybe this is the way to start giving her a chance. You know how important she is to Fergus, and I'm sure he wants you two to be able to get along."
She saw Marsali let out a breath, and her face looked like she could actually be considering it. "Well," she said, "if I am te even entertain that idea, we'll need te find her first, won't we? And the sooner we finish wi' the sail, the quicker we'll be on our way te Jamaica again and find the Englishwoman and Ian."
The two girls were able to fix the sail in a little less than 30 minutes, and by that time, the crew had finished mending the mast. The men brought it next to the rowboat which they would use to bring it back to the ship. Skylar had started to bring the sail to the boat as well with Marsali, but Fergus stopped her and took over carrying it. She knew that arguing with him would be pointless, so she just let him do it and followed them.
Jamie had Hayes and Lesley bring her and Marsali back to the Artemis, and then both men would come back to the beach to help load all of their supplies and materials into the boat to bring back as well. On the final trip, the mast was brought over along with the sail. The girls stayed out of the men's way as best they could while they reattached the mast. With so many of them working on it, it did not take too long for the mast to be back up and the sail rehung.
"How long until we can depart?" Jamie asked Baxley, who, after the two discussed it, would take over manning the helm while Jamie would oversee the men.
"If we have her rigging in place, we'll make sail tonight when it's cooler, that the tar on the foremast might harden," he answered.
The men all voiced their agreement to that. None of them wanted to work on deck in this burning heat. Even Skylar who wasn't doing strenuous labor was sweating bullets and wanted nothing more than to get out of the sun. She was about to excuse herself when she saw a strange light shining.
"What's that light?" she called out, thinking someone on the crew might know what was causing it.
Skylar's questioning it got Jamie to notice it as well. It seemed to be reflecting on him. He looked towards the island and must've seen something because he then said, "Baxley, hand me yer spyglass." The young man handed it to him, and Jamie extended it out as far it would go. When he saw what was causing the light, he nearly dropped the spyglass. Skylar saw his face get very serious and she was confused about what it could possibly be. Her question was answered when Jamie yelled, "Claire!" and he sprang into immediate action.
Skylar gasped and she ran to the edge of the boat, trying to see if she could see Claire herself. She could only see a dot on the shore with a light's glare coming from it. She turned around to say something to Jamie, but in the three seconds she had her back to him, he, Fergus, Willoughby, Lesley and Hayes had got the rowboat back into the water and were headed towards Claire.
She kept her eyes focused on the scene playing out in front of her. She saw as the boat made it to shore and the barely visible dot, that she knew was Jamie, jumped out and ran to and connected with the original dot which was Claire. She smiled as she watched, feeling happy that Claire was okay and that Jamie had her back.
Her mind thought back on her feelings of utter dejection she had had less than an hour ago. She felt so certain that they were doomed to fail, that they had no chance of finding Ian and she was so sure that she was never going to see him again. But after seeing how elated Jamie was at being reunited with Claire, she didn't want to give up anymore. She wanted to have her own chance at feeling intoxicated with euphoria at having the love of her life brought back to her. She wanted to see Ian in front of her and touch him and hold him as tight as she could. She wasn't going to give that up. They must still have a chance. They were going to get to Jamaica and do whatever they needed to do to get him; even if that meant Skylar herself had to get her hands dirty.
After about 45 minutes, the small group arrived back onto the deck of the Artemis. As soon as Claire had both feet on the floor, Skylar ran to her and hugged her.
"Thank God you're back! I'm not cut out to be a doctor!" she said, her voice muffled against Claire's shirt. She felt the older woman's chest vibrate with laughter as she hugged the teen girl back.
"Should I take that as your resignation as my assistant?" she asked.
Skylar pulled back from her and said, "I still want to be your assistant and help, but I never ever ever want to do it on my own ever again."
"What happened to your head?" Claire touched Skylar's forehead gently and she flinched and closed her eyes in pain. "You have a giant red spot and a slight bump."
"We got into an accident on the shoals. Part of the mast broke off and hit me and knocked me out. I didn't know it looked that bad." She was surprised that no one told her what her injury looked like since she hadn't been able to see it herself.
"Are you in any pain?"
"Some. It's kinda like I have a really bad headache and it throbs a bit."
"I want to give you an examination. You might have a concussion."
"But before ye do that, Sassenach," Jamie interrupted them, "I have a question I'd like te put before ye two." He walked to Fergus and Marsali, who had rejoined at the hip once Fergus came back. "Would you like te marry tonight, or continue te wait until we reach Jamaica?"
The couple looked to each other in shock then back at Jamie.
"Are you being serious, Milord?" Fergus questioned.
"Aye," Jamie told him. "We've all had so much upset that I thought it might be nice te have a bit of happiness. Claire and I went te the priest that lives not far from here, and he has agreed to officiate. So, are ye ready?"
The smiles that took up their entire faces was their answer.
They all spent some time cleaning themselves up before they went back to the island. Claire also checked Skylar for a concussion and concluded that she did not have one, just a very nasty bump.
While Claire used this time to also move all of her things into the captain's quarters to room with Jamie, Skylar was helping Marsali look through all of the clothes she had brought for anything that would vaguely resemble a wedding dress. They ended up choosing an outfit that wasn't white, but they were the lightest colored pieces of clothing that Marsali had. It was a yellow top that was decorated with small floral designs, a green corset underneath it that matched the flowers, and a lilac skirt.
When they got back to the island and arrived at the priest's house, who everyone was honestly a little afraid of, Marsali asked Skylar if she would help get her ready while Jamie went with Fergus.
Skylar helped her into her outfit, then had Marsali sit so she could do her hair.
As she started to braid it, Skylar said to her, "This probably isn't the wedding you dreamed of when you were a little girl."
Marsali chuckled. "No, this is definitely a bit different than what I had in mind. However, I'm in as close te white as I can get, and I'm marryin' the man I love more than anythin'. And that's really the only thing that matters. So, this'll do fine." She then added softly, "I do wish me Ma was here though."
"Of course you do. That's completely understandable. I wish my mom was going to be here for when I get married too. But you do have me and Jamie and, though you may not want her, Claire. She really does care about you." Skylar tied a ribbon at the end of her braid and put her hands on Marsali's shoulders, looking at her in the mirror in front of them. "You look absolutely beautiful, Marsali." The bride smiled and put one of her hands on top of Skylar's, letting out a nervous but excited breath. "Will you be okay on your own for a minute if I go see Fergus?"
"Of course. Thank ye fer helpin'." Skylar smiled at her in response then left to find her brother.
She passed Claire in the hallway and asked if she knew what room he was in. She pointed to the room at the end of the hall and Skylar went towards it.
She knocked on the door and opened it when she heard Jamie call, "Come in."
When she walked in, she saw Fergus dressed in a shirt, jacket and pants that were all brown and his hair was put in a ponytail. Jamie was helping to put a scarf on him.
"You clean up very nice, mon frere," she spoke. They looked over and Fergus smiled at her.
"Aye, yer no longer the urchin pickpocket on the streets of Paris anymore. Ye've grown inte a fine young man, Fergus," Jamie added. He grabbed Fergus' arms affectionately and looked at him with such pride. He looked from Fergus to Skylar and said, "I'll leave ye two." He walked out, closing the door behind him.
Skylar sighed and went closer to him saying, "I can't believe my big brother is all grown up and getting himself married. Who'd of thought you'd settle down with one girl?"
Fergus chuckled. "She is the one girl I wish I had known before all the others though. And do you approve of her?"
"After sharing a cramped cabin with her for what feels like years, yeah, I've come to like her a bit." Suddenly overcome with emotion at her brother getting married, she hugged him and she felt him wrap his arms around her. They stayed like that for a few moments then pulled apart, still holding hands. "I can't think of anyone who deserves this happiness more than you do."
"You do as well, ma soeur. You and Ian both do. And you will have it very soon, I promise you that."
"Hey, there is no talking about me right now, okay? This time, right here, is all about you. Are you nervous?"
"Not in the least. I've been ready to be her husband since I first saw her."
The surrogate siblings hugged one more time, and after they separated, Skylar told him, "Just please try to not knock her up right away. Enjoy just each other for a while."
He gave her a confused look. "What does that mean?"
"Never mind."
At last, it was time. Everyone gathered outside. Lanterns had been lit and placed on surrounding trees to make a more romantic atmosphere. Baxley stood in as Fergus' 18th Century version of a Best Man, and Skylar acted as Marsali's Maid of Honor. Jamie and Claire, along with the rest of the crew, circled around them. Fergus and Marsali stood in front of Father Fogden.
"I bid thee welcome," Father Fogden started. "Dearly beloved, I bless you in the name of the Lord." He then turned to Baxley and started to say, "Wilt thou have this woman-"
"Uh, not me, sir," Baxley stopped him. "Uh, him, please." He pointed to Fergus.
Fogden didn't seem to understand. "Him? Are you sure? He's missing a hand."
Skylar saw Fergus look down at his wooden hand and could tell he was feeling self-conscious. Fergus was one of the most confident people Skylar had ever met. But whenever his hand was brought up, and whenever people would make snide comments about how it made him less of a man, she knew it hurt him and made him start thinking it too. She nearly went off on Fogden, but she saw Marsali's face turn red with anger at the comment and knew she would let him know what she thought.
"Will the bride mind?" the priest asked Marsali.
"I will not," she snapped.
Fogden seemed shocked that she was okay with it. "I don't suppose it's an impediment. Not as though he's lost his cock. He hasn't, has he?"
"If ye'd hurry up and get on wi' it, I could find out."
Skylar coughed to cover up a laugh and looked down, sticking her tongue in her cheek.
"Marsali," Fergus said to her, as though to scold her but was obviously very amused.
"Ye know I've been wantin' te bed ye fer months."
Skylar glanced at Claire and Jamie and saw they were trying to hide their own humor.
"I'm sorry, Father. She speaks her mind," Fergus apologized. "One of the many things I love about her."
Fogden then continued with the proceeding. He said to Marsali, "Your name in its entirety, my dear. I cannot marry you without it."
"Marsali Jane MacKimmie."
"Marsali," he repeated. "Marsali. Marsali. Lovely."
"Fer the love of God, Father. Are we te stand here haverin' about me name, or do ye intend te marry me?" Marsali said sternly.
He finally went on with, "Will thou, Marsali Jane MacKimmie, have this man for thy wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, forsaking all others-"
"I will," Marsali stated, feeling like he was taking too long.
Fogden then turned to Fergus. "And you have a name too? And a cock?" Fergus hesitated. "I cannot marry you without it, it's not allowed."
"Yes. Fergus," he answered.
"In its entirety, if you please."
Oh no, Skylar thought as she saw Fergus' face start to drop.
"It's just Fergus."
"Surely you have a surname, do you not? I cannot marry you properly without one."
Skylar could see Fergus and Marsali's brains start spinning trying to think of a solution, as was her own.
Fogden wouldn't refuse to marry them if Fergus didn't have a last name, would he?
Their panicked thoughts were stopped when Jamie spoke up with, "Fraser." Everyone's heads turned to him. His eyes were locked on Fergus and he was smiling. "His name is Fergus Claudel Fraser."
Skylar could've started ugly crying right then and there from those words. She had known since she first met them that Jamie thought of Fergus as his own son. But for him to give Fergus his last name made it practically legal and official. She couldn't see Fergus' face, but she knew as he looked at Jamie, he was thinking the same thing and was probably trying not to cry as well from the feeling of actually having a real family.
"Well, Fergus Claudel Fraser," he told Fogden.
"Wondeful," Fogden replied. Skylar blinked away the couple tears that had formed in her eyes and paid attention to the rest of the ceremony. "Wilt thou, Fergus Claudel Fraser, have this woman for they wedded wife?"
"I will." When Fergus went to Baxley for the ring, Marsali turned to Skylar and handed her her bouquet made from some wildflowers Skylar had picked for her around the house. The girls quickly smiled at each other, then Fergus and Marsali faced each other. He slipped the simple gold band on her finger, and they looked at each other with faces glowing so bright that they could've lit this space without the lanterns.
"And now, I unite you in wedlock in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," Fogden finished. After he said, "Amen," the newly married couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
As Skylar clapped and cheered for them as they kissed, she suddenly saw herself and Ian up there instead. She saw the wedding play out again in her head, but this time it was for her and Ian. She sniffed and swallowed hard, forcing away tears at the thought of the future she so desperately wanted. She was not going to cry at this incredibly special moment. She put her smile back on and went to the new Mr. and Mrs. Fraser.
They had gone over to talk to Jamie and Claire. Skylar tapped Fergus on his back and he turned around. He smiled wide at seeing her. She hugged him tight and she nearly couldn't breathe in his embrace.
"Congratulations," she told him. When they let go, she turned to Marsali and hugged her too. "Welcome to the family, ma soeur." When the newleweds went to talk to the other crew members, Skylar said to Jamie, "So, since you now have the captain's quarters, which I assume Claire will be staying in as well, and Marsali can now take up with Fergus, does this mean I get my own room?"
Jamie grinned. "Aye, it appears it does. Enjoy it fer now. Once Ian is aboard, he will be with me and Claire will return te yer cabin wi' ye."
"Seriously?" Jamie just gave her a look back that said he was completely serious.
I should've known that would happen.
Back on the ship that night, it was a weird feeling for Skylar to be sleeping alone. She hadn't done it in a very long time; since Ian had first been brought back to Lallybroch. She had gotten so used to lying next to Claire with Marsali above them, and now it was almost funny to think about how Marsali was now sharing a cabin with her husband and Claire and Jamie could finally have actual time alone.
It was weird, but she wasn't complaining. She had spent those two years with her foster family sleeping in a room with multiple other kids. So she definitely treasured the solitude that she had for now. Though she would miss having the cabin to herself, she kind of looked forward to when Claire would be rooming with her again because that would mean Ian was back and safe.
She laid in her bed, which at last got to be the upper bunk, and stared at the ceiling. Jamie had told her that they were now only a matter of days from Jamaica, God willing they didn't run into any more obstacles. They were only a matter of days from finding Ian and Skylar vowed that they would not be leaving without him, no matter what it took.
She fell asleep and dreamt of the wedding for themselves she had imagined earlier that night.
We're almost to Jamaica! Who's excited! Please Follow/Favorite/Review if you like the story so far!