"Ye could come wit me."

Eliza's mouth fell open in shock.

"What? Are you serious?"

He felt his cheeks flame with embarrassment and he ducked his head.

"Well, it-uh-I only meant since ye have nowhere to go, ye could come wit me, to Scotland, my home, just until ye decide what ye want to do next... if ye wanted."

Eliza blinked.

"You really want ME to come with you? To Scotland? You and me? Traveling all that way? Together? That's- I don't think that's a good idea. We hardly know each other and I wouldn't want to intrude on you-"

"No, no, ye're right I shouldna have said it, I'm sorry, I didna mean to offend ye, Eliza." He went to walk past her, trying not to show his disappointment.

She watched him start to walk away and she felt panic rising in her chest. If he walked away now, she may never see him again. That thought brought dread to her heart. She couldn't deny that the idea of being alone with him for such a long time was enticing. And she HAD gotten use to having a traveling companion the past year, she really didn't like the idea of being completely alone again.

But did she really want to go to Scotland of all places? She couldn't stay in Helwater and she didn't think she was ready to go to Ireland, she wasn't ready to deal with Angelu-

"James! Wait!"

He stopped when he was about twenty feet from her. He slowly turned around, not wanting to get his hopes up. She walked closer to him, her heart in her throat.

"Yes. Yes, I'll come with you."

The next day Eliza found herself packing.

After she had said yes to Jamie's offer, the rest of the day was a whirlwind. They had talked a bit more and then Johnny had come to get her for another dinner party. She was hoping for a chance to tell him of her impending traveling plans, but they had zero opportunities to talk alone. And of course, Johnny had disappeared with Isobel after dinner.

Jamie wanted to leave in two days which meant she had to get all of her affairs in order quickly. She was just trying to stuff her favorite green dress into a large bag when there was a knock at her door. Before she had a chance to register the sound, the door opened, revealing her best friend.

"Eliza? Are you in here? I've been looking every-" John stopped talking when he saw the room in disarray and the large amount of clothes on the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Johnny? I'm packing." She said cheekily, annoyed that he just barged into her room, even though she had done the same thing to him many a time. Even one time when he was in the company of a blonde gentleman, who just happened to be on his knees in front of John when Eliza walked in, but that incident was never spoken of.

"Well, yes, I see that, Eliza, but, but-"

She looked at him with pity and spoke to him in a gentler tone.

"Johnny, you knew that I was going to leave soon."

"Yes, but I didn't think- I didn't know that you were leaving THIS soon." He sat down heavily on what little available space was left on the bed.

She sighed and sat down next to him, "I didn't think so either, but an opportunity has come up and I need to leave tomorrow morning."

"An opportunity? Tomorrow morning? That's sooner than- wait, Jamie is leaving tomorrow morning."

Eliza got up then and faced away from him, pretending to look for something, "Oh, is he?"

"Eliza." He said her name sternly. "Is this opportunity you speak of, does it have to do with Jamie?...Eliza! Look at me."

She turned and looked down at him sheepishly. "Okay, okay, he may have asked me to go to Scotland with him and I MAY have said yes."

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head with disbelief.

"You're going to Scotland? With James?" He said, scandalized.

"Yes! You say it like it's a bad thing."

"Well I just, I mean you don't even know him, Eliza."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Maybe not very well, but you know him, you've always spoken so highly of him. Is there a problem with him?"

"Well, no, I just didn't think that you two would...I didn't know that you two were-uh- you know?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively, blushing furiously at the same time.

"What? No! No! I just met the man! Jesus Johnny! I would think you would know me better than that!"

He looked away bashfully. "I'm sorry, I am just surprised. And perhaps I may be a little..."

She stared at him from across the room, "A little jealous?" She asked quietly, knowing his answer may change her plans entirely.

"Yes, a little that." He nodded reluctantly.

"Johnny, I know that you have...feelings for James and...I won't go with him, if you don't want me to. He just...he offered and I said yes before I really thought about it, and I AM sorry that I didn't think about how you would feel. But just so you know, I never planned on being anything more than friends with him."

He laughed out loud then. "Please Eliza, I may be a lot of things, but I am no fool. I saw the way he looked at you yesterday, the way YOU looked at him."

She blushed furiously. "Johnny, there isn't anything..." she sighed, knowing she couldn't lie to him. She WAS attracted to James, who wouldn't be? But she certainly was not planning on pursuing anything romantic with him. Buffy and relationships were very unmixy things, she had learned that the hard way. Perhaps going with James wasn't the best idea after all.

Just as she opened her mouth to tell Johnny that he was right, he interrupted her.

"You should go with him."

"What?" She asked in surprise.

"You should go."

"But I thought you were jealous."

He smiled at her gently, "Oh! I AM jealous, unbelievably so. But...James Fraser is a good man, a man of honor, someone who would never.. never want me the way I want him. I accepted it a long time ago." He said sadly, bowing his head.

"Johnny, I-"

"You should go with him." He repeated.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." He stood up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders with a grin on his handsome face, "Besides it'll be nice, knowing that my friend is with someone who can protect them."

She rolled her eyes, "Johnny! You know that I don't need someone to protect me."

"Oh, I know, I didn't mean YOU, dear. " he smiled at her cheekily. She laughed and playfully shoved him away.

She turned back to her half-packed bags and inhaled deeply. Finally feeling some semblance of peace after the emotionally draining week she had.

Before Eliza knew it, it was the next day and she was standing in front of the door to the Dunsany manor with little William clinging to her leg, begging her not to go. She crouched down beside him, the sight of his sweet little face twisted into such anguish brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh, Willie, you know that I would love to stay with you, but I have to go. This isn't goodbye forever, I will see you again, your grace, I promise."

She wasn't sure if she was lying to make him feel better, or herself. Either way she hoped it turned out that she wasn't lying at all. She really did hope to see him again. The little boy flung himself into her arms one last time and she hugged him to her tightly.

She looked out the door, down the massive front steps, where Isobel and John were patiently waiting to bid them farewell. James was approaching with the reigns of their horses in his hands, a solemn look on his face.

She lifted the little Earl up into her arms with ease and carried him down the steps. She drew closer to the engaged couple and Isobel opened her arms to receive her precious cargo. She kissed the top of his head and handed him over hesitantly.

The second she let go of the boy, John immediately wrapped her up in his arms sweeping her off her feet. She hugged him back fiercely. After a few moments, she pulled back, gazing into his eyes. Words were no longer necessary, they had already said everything they needed to. She nodded her head at him, mentally telling him it was okay, they would see each other again.

He nodded back slowly and reluctantly set her back on the ground. She looked over at Isobel who had also set Willie on his feet and was holding onto his shoulder. Jamie, having handed the reigns over to the stable boy, was kneeling in front of William, whispering to him. Eliza could see the tears threatening to fall down his face. She gave Isobel and Johnny one last look, then promptly turned and jumped up onto her horse, not wanting to intrude on the family moment.

She watched Jamie walk away from the new family, the tears had fallen by then, she could feel his heartbreak permeating the air. He jumped up onto his horse next to her, he took a deep breath and with a nod in her direction, he kicked the side of the horse and slowly started to trot away. She watched Willie break free from Isobel's hold and yell for Jamie. Eliza could see Jamie's shoulders shaking from his quiet sobs, but he refused to turn around. She did turn however and gave John one more teary smile and followed Jamie's path into the unknown.

Over the next couple of days Jamie and Eliza traveled in near silence. Each of them nursing a broken heart over their respective losses. On the third morning, Eliza had woken up, feeling better, ready for her next adventure.

They had set up camp at a quiet little spot near a creek. They each had their own little tents on opposite sides of the fire, giving each other space. When she arose from her tent, she stretched languidly. She was wearing her trousers with a tank top of sorts that she had made out of an old man shirt and a corset she had manipulated into a makeshift bra, not entirely uncomfortable, but not exactly comfortable either.

She looked around the campsite discovering that she was alone. It wasn't unusual, in the short days they had been together, she noticed that James had a ritual of sorts in the morning. He would always get up earlier than her and would leave for a while to take care of his "man things" she assumed.

She decided now was a good time to have a quick wash before James came back. She along the creek a little bit aways from the camp site. Just as she was about to take off her tank top she heard a voice, murmuring quietly.

She moved a little further up the creek and saw James kneeling by the water, whispering like he was when she caught him in the Dunsany garden. Except this time, he was shirtless. She gasped out loud, dropping the soap and towels she had brought with her.

His body was more perfect than she had imagined. He had beautiful, tanned skin covering his bulging muscles which were in all of the right places. He was the perfect example of a Greek god, a Viking warrior. But that wasn't what surprised her.

There were deep scars all along his back, spreading out like spider webs. It looked like he had been mangled in a horrible, horrible way. She had seen a lot of gruesome things in her day, but never scars like that. She had a few of her own, of course. She supposed if she didn't heal as fast as she did, her body would probably look just as mangled.

Jamie had turned around at the sound of her gasp. He immediately grabbed his shirt and threw it on, out of habit more than anything else.

"Och! Lass, ye startled me."

"I'm sorry" she said in a quiet voice, " I... what happened? To your back?"

He looked across the water and was silent for a long moment. No one had seen his back in a long time, he had almost forgot about it. Almost.

"I was flogged, twice in a week. There was a uh- British soldier, had it out fer me. It was a long, long time ago."

Eliza had stepped closer towards him. "Can I-Can I see?"

He looked back at her, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. He slowly turned around and lifted off his shirt. She stepped right up to him and slowly reached her hand up and lightly grazed the raised skin. James shivered at her touch. She moved back.

"I'm sorry. Do they hurt?"

He turned back around and stared down at her, "Nah, I barely remember they're there sometimes."

She gazed into his eyes for a moment and then slowly started to lift up her own shirt. James reached out and stopped her hand.

"Och, Eliza! What are ye doin lass?" She chuckled softly and pushed his hands away and pulled her shirt up to just under her breasts, revealing her stomach with a wicked deep scar that went across her abdomen from left to right.

"A Dhia" James kneeled down in front of her to see it, shocked that someone would try to hurt her, kill her from the looks of it. "How did ye-"

"A British soldier. Apparently they're not too fond of me either, well unless your name is Johnny of course."

He smiled slightly at that, still in shock. "I'm sorry, a nighean."

"Don't be, it was a while ago, when I first got here, before I met Johnny. I uh- I have worst scars, you just can't see them." She whispered the last part. Jamie looked up at her then. The more time he spent with this woman, the more she impressed him.

"Ye're a brave wee thing, aren't ye?"

She smiled softly, "You did not just call me wee again!"

He laughed gently. "Well, ye are wee, ye canna say I'm wrong!"

She laughed with him and let it go, the two stood there in a peaceful silence.

Jamie slowly realized how close he was to her. Her beautiful, tanned, bare skin was displayed in front of him. And with him, only in his trousers, they must have made for a scandalous sight. If he just reached out and touched her-

He slowly rose and turned to put his shirt on.

"Well, uh...we should take off soon, there's a long road ahead of us. Aye?"
He headed off to the campsite without waiting for her reply. She watched him go helplessly.

"Aye" she whispered to the woods, not sure that she was ready for what she had gotten herself into this time.