Zoe stared, slack-jawed in surprise at the sight of Marcus in the doorway. Jamie surveyed the newcomer with a blank look.

Ellen smiled and turned to her cousin as he entered the house. "Marcus, this is …"

"James Robert McCrimmon - Jamie."

Marcus nodded with a slight smile. "A pleasure to meet you, James," he greeted, much to Jamie's surprise. Marcus' smile grew a bit as he looked at Zoe. "And I've already met Miss Heriot."

Jamie turned to Zoe with an accusatory expression. "Have ye, now?"

Zoe's cheeks flushed to a pink as her gaze briefly settled on the Highlander. She turned back to Marcus with a sheepish smile. "Oh, no, please, call me Zoe."

"Alright. Zoe." The other man chuckled softly.

Out of her periphery Zoe absently noticed Jamie shift in his seat. She then addressed both Ellen and Marcus. "So, you're cousins?"

Ellen nodded. "Yes. He's originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, though he somehow ended up at one of those east coast, Ivy League universities with some fancy, schmancy education."

"I believe it was called Princeton," Marcus cut in dryly with a teasing smirk. "And it doesn't matter how I got there. The important thing is I ended up doing something I enjoy. Right?"

Ellen gave a casual shrug. "Oh, of course. Though you had to go and copy me. You always looked up to me, so I guess it's no surprise you followed me into the sciences." She gave him a teasing smirk of her own. "My little copycat cousin."

Marcus lifted a brow. "Little? I believe I'm taller than you, cousin," he retorted.

"I'm seven years your senior, kiddo."

Marcus looked away from her. "Touché."

"He's only twenty-one, but due to being a prodigy was able to skip ahead in school by quite a few years." She grinned at him again. "I won't say how many years so as to spare you the embarrassment."

Marcus still avoided her gaze, not appearing too pleased with her patronizing tone. Zoe, however, found this information interesting. He had been in an accelerated program just as she had been. Another thing they had in common.

"So, uh, I'm probably making a mistake asking this, but what are you guys working on now at the lab?" Vaughn cut in.

Jamie shot him a pointed look, though wasn't sure the older man had seen it. Whose side are ye on? He nearly wondered.

Marcus took a sip of water from his glass and shrugged. "Well, I'll spare you the gory details of Zeus, the ion storm project. I'm sure Ellen has told you enough about that."

"As much as I can handle," Vaughn quipped, holding up his hands in surrender as he noticed the glare his wife was giving him. "But I'm glad she has. It would help to have more of an advance warning so we can better protect the plants and crops out back."

Zoe nodded. "Oh, absolutely."

Marcus had an interesting look on his face as he met her gaze. Jamie seemed to notice it as well, his expression guarded.

The other scientist seemed to shake himself out of it after a moment. "Well, we've also been having some discussions regarding BGCs."

Jamie squinted, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Eh? Bee-what?"

"BGCs - brightest cluster galaxies," Zoe supplied, a hint of an apologetic smile crossing her face as she briefly turned to him. "In a group of galaxies it would be the brightest. BGC's include some of the most massive galaxies in the universe."

"Oh, aye," Jamie mused. If he strained his ears, he'd hear the whoosh! sound of Zoe's explanation sailing over his head. Zoe failed to hear him and her attention was back on Marcus seated across from her.

"Yes, you see, we're trying to find an equation to help figure out how many stars a BGC contains," Marcus began, his tone just a bit too haughty for Jamie's liking.

"Assuming the light from a BGC is made up of light from stars like the Sun, of course," Zoe continued. "I've got that equation memorized already."

"Ah. But that equation assumes we're talking about Earth's sun," Marcus countered. "We need to modify it to account for Artemis and Dionysis, the two suns that Athena orbits. The equation you're thinking of simply will not work until we have a value for the absolute magnitude for each of the two suns. Our team of scientists have been working on this for some time now. "

"Yes, as you told me earlier, but I believe I could offer a fresh perspective."

Marcus seemed to be studying her once again, a little smile spreading across his face. "Mm, perhaps you could."

Zoe beamed. "I would love to."

Marcus' smile widened. It faded after a few moments and he regarded her expectantly. "Well?"

Zoe gazed at him in confusion for a split second. He was looking for her input now? This very second? "Oh! Well …" She paused as her brain went into high gear, trying to formulate ideas as quickly as possible.

Jamie sent Marcus a barely concealed glare that went unnoticed by his target. It wasn't fair for him to put Zoe on the spot like that! Jamie opened his mouth to say just that when Zoe spoke up.

"We-we could either take the magnitudes for the orbits of each sun into account separately, or just add them together to arrive at a total!"

Jamie couldn't prevent the small grin of pride that spread across his face at her quick answer.

Marcus frowned in thought and then slowly nodded. "Hmm, yes, that certainly works."

"You think so?"

"Yes. It gives us a good starting point. But the question is, which method would be appropriate to give us the most accurate results?"

Zoe's lips pursed as her mind went back to work. "Well, the first method would certainly account for any meaningful differences between both orbits."

"Perhaps, although I'm not certain it would make much of a difference."

"Can't we perform some experiments in order to narrow it down?"

"Yes, but you have to understand the different factors of their light profiles, whether they are described by a Sersic surface brightness law, a double Sersic profile, or a de Vaucouleurs law …"

At that moment, Jamie felt his mind wandering. He had been surprised to learn that Marcus was not only working at that lab, but with Zoe as well. Tuning out their conversation, he instead watched their interaction. Their discussion was animated and seemed almost in rhythm as they went back and forth.

He felt jealousy burn within the pit of his stomach as he watched. It surprised him.

Why should I be jealous? It's jis' like the Doctor an' Zoe all over again, leavin' me out o' all their science talk.

But no, it did bother him. All he could think now was: Wha's he got that I havenae got?

Her interest.

Jamie's lips twitched in a bitter smile at the wry revelation. Awash in confusion and self-pity he wished he could slink off and sulk somewhere. Instead, he focused his gaze on Ellen's tablecloth, tracing the outlines of the ornate pattern with his eyes.

The sound of a glass being dropped back onto the table startled him. The Highlander jerked his head up to find Marcus gazing sheepishly at him. "Sorry, we scientists can get a little too involved when we 'talk shop' and I sometimes forget to realize not everyone is interested in it."

Jamie nodded with a tight smile. He was glad to see Zoe happy, being in her element as she talked with fellow scientists—but at the same time he found it slightly depressing because he was incapable of engaging her this way.

"James," Marcus said, his voice cutting through the Highlander's ruminations.

Jamie eyed him expectantly, resisting the urge to correct his salutation.

"What sort of work do you do?"'

"I was a piper back in Scotland."

Marcus nodded his head slowly, eyebrows raised and lips pursed. "Oh. Interesting."

"Ma father was a piper, an' his father before him," Jamie continued with a nod, a slow, proud smile forming on his face.

Marcus appeared in thought and then furrowed his brow. "So you never wanted to do anything different? Just follow the family tradition?"

Jamie bristled at the question. "Aye, wha's wrong wi' tha'?" He nodded to both Marcus and Ellen. "Ye're family an' doin' the same thing, aren't ye? I mean, ye're both scientists."

Marcus looked away, giving a slight shrug. "Point taken." He eyed Jamie with something of an apologetic look. "Sorry. You obviously cling hard to tradition. Clearly it's something you're passionate about." He smiled thinly. "That's a good thing."

"Thank ye," Jamie replied curtly, eyeing warily the scientist whose intentions still weren't clear to him.

"So … that's all you've ever done? Played the bagpipes?"

Jamie uttered a small cough. "No … I've doon other things…"

"Such as?"

"Well, er … This an' tha'..." The Highlander looked away uncomfortably. It wasn't so much that he had nothing to say, but he was uncomfortable about being put on the spot. Not to mention there was a lot he couldn't share, especially that which occurred during his travels with the Doctor.

Marcus' gaze was unrelenting, and Jamie felt as if he were shrinking in his chair. He felt more than a bit inadequate compared to the big shot scientist who seemed more like Zoe's equal.

Zoe could see he was floundering. "He also knows a great deal about survival strategies and is a very capable fighter and hunter—skills that came in handy when we first landed on this planet."

Jamie smiled. Her words had delivered a much-needed boost of confidence.

Marcus' eyebrows lifted and he uttered a thoughtful "Hm."

"I've also recruited him to help me with my woodworking," Vaughn spoke up.

"Aye, I've doon such things back in Scotland." He nodded for emphasis.

"Ah, I see." Marcus forced a smile. "Well, as long as you enjoy it."

An incredulous frown knitted Jamie's brow. "Enjoy it? Where I come from, a laddie does what he does because it's either what yer father did, or what ye need tae do in order tae survive. Ye may no' enjoy it, but ye have tae do it. An' if ye do enjoy it, then it's all verra well, but it's no' yer reason fer doin' it." He turned and nodded in thanks to Ellen, who had handed him a platter of roast beef.

"Of course," Marcus muttered, eyes cast down awkwardly.

Jamie filled up his plate and tucked into his meal, unceremoniously declaring his part in the conversation was done.

"Dinner was just delicious, Ellen," Zoe enthused before taking another sip of water.

"Aye, thank ye for invitin' us."

Ellen smiled. "Of course. But there's still dessert."

Jamie grinned in anticipation. If her dessert was as good as the roast beef and all that other stuff, they had to be in for a real treat.

Marcus suddenly looked down at his watch. "You know, I wish I could stay, but I really have to get back to the lab now."

Ellen fixed him with a look of disappointment. "You can't stay just a little longer for my Triple Gingerbread cake?"

"You know I don't like sweets," he countered. Jamie wrinkled his nose as he gave the other man a sidelong glance. He was refusing dessert? Especially dessert as tasty-sounding as this? Blasphemy! "Anyway, I really do have to go. Need to get that one experiment set up so we can start early tomorrow."

Jamie's gaze flew over Zoe, almost concerned she'd want to join him.

"Well, good night." Marcus nodded to Ellen and Vaughn as he stood up. He then turned to Jamie. "Nice meeting you."

Jamie simply nodded. He doubted the other man had seen it, as he was already out the door by now. Zoe hadn't moved from her chair, which caused the Highlander to breathe a sigh of relief.

Ellen had disappeared into the kitchen and quickly returned, setting a dark, round, delicious looking cake down onto the table, along with a small pitcher containing a thick, amber-colored liquid. She explained it was something called "caramel bourbon sauce." Picking up the pitcher, Jamie gave it a cursory sniff and immediately decided to pour some over his piece of cake. Savoring its rich, buttery taste, he knew he'd made the right decision. It was the perfect complement to the warm spices of the cake. His gaze settled upon Zoe and found she seemed to like it as well, after having been initially skeptical.

"Good dinner, as always, hon," Vaughn declared as he sat back in his chair, cracking his knuckles. He then looked at Jamie. "It's still pretty early. Would you like to get started on one of those projects we'd earlier talked about?"

Jamie nodded tentatively and then turned to Zoe. He hoped she'd have something to do while they were preoccupied.

"I would be happy to help you clean up," Zoe said to Ellen, gesturing to the clutter on the dining room table.

"Thank you, I would appreciate that," the other woman told her with a grateful smile.

Jamie smiled and turned back to Vaughn . "Alreeeght, let's get goin', then."

"Thank you so much again for inviting us," Zoe told Ellen as she finished drying another dinner plate, then placed it on the table.

"It was our pleasure. We were happy to have you," the other woman returned with a smile, picking up the dish and placing it in the overhead cupboard.

Zoe returned her smile as she grabbed a smaller plate from the dishrack and began drying it. She was glad Ellen had accepted her offer to help. It was only fair, after that wonderful dinner she had made.

Ellen neared her, holding her hand out and Zoe handed the now dry plate to her. "So, I was wondering," she started casually.

Zoe raised her eyebrows, prompting her to continue.

"What did you think of Marcus?"

A thoughtful look crossed Zoe's face. "Well, I'm quite impressed by his credentials, and his dedication to his work is admirable."

Ellen nodded. "Well, I'm glad you like him. I don't think Jamie did — but I can't completely blame him; it took a while for my husband to warm up to him, too."

"Mm," Zoe mused. Her thoughts immediately went back to Jamie's reaction to the other man. He looked especially uncomfortable when Marcus had put him on the spot about the kind of work he had done. Recalling her own momentary discomfort when he'd done the same to her, Zoe was pleased she'd been able to vouch for Jamie. He didn't seem very receptive to Marcus. Not that it was any surprise; they couldn't be more different from each other. Her brain kicked into analysis mode regarding the differences between them, but then she noticed wet dishes were piling up in front of her. She had best get back to drying and leave the analysis for another time.

Zoe switched the kitchen light on and headed for the fridge, placing inside the containers of leftovers Ellen had given them and then reaching for a pitcher of water. Jamie had taken a seat at the table and Zoe reached for his glass, pouring some water for him. He nodded in thanks and she smiled before pouring some for herself.

"It was quite nice of them to invite us to dinner, wasn't it?" she remarked, having taken a seat across from him.

Jamie nodded enthusiastically. "Och, tha' cake!" he exclaimed with a wide grin. "I've no' had anythin' so tasty since Kirsty's gingerbread back home." A rakish grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "She made hers wi' ale." He waggled his eyebrows at Zoe.

Zoe rolled her eyes and smirked. "Why does that not surprise me?" Her sardonic edge softened and she gave him a little smile. "Well, I'm glad Ellen gave us some to take back, seeing as you loved it so much." She couldn't deny she found it quite good herself. "So, what did you and Vaughn do while we were cleaning up?"

"Weeell, we started plannin' a new project. Makin' some drawings, gettin' some of the wee details worked oot. Even started gatherin' some supplies fer it."

"Oh, how interesting." Zoe smiled. "What sort of project?"

"A second bed for our home. Tha' way we willnae have tae share the one bed any longer."

Zoe was surprised to feel a pang of disappointment upon hearing this. Not able to explain it, she quickly shrugged off the feeling and changed the subject. "So, what was your impression of Marcus?"

Jamie shrugged. "Wha' can I say? He's wha' I'd expect from a scientist, no' just the book smarts but the personality, too."

Zoe couldn't help taking offense. "Might I remind you that I'm a scientist?"

"Aye, but ye-ye're different!" Jamie shot back with a dismissive wave of his hand.

With a mixture of surprise and amusement Zoe chuckled at him. "How?"

A slight self-conscious blush stained the Highlander's cheeks. He frowned and jammed his thumbs into his kilt belt. "Ye just are."

Zoe gazed at him in frustration when he failed to elaborate. She sighed and looked away a brief moment. "I didn't know he and Ellen were cousins."

Jamie quirked an eyebrow, appearing dubious. "Oh, aye?"

"No, I didn't," Zoe insisted. "I didn't even know they were related. They simply introduced him as another scientist."

Jamie rolled his eyes sardonically, wondering if things could really be so impersonal in such an environment as a lab. "When did they introduce ye tae him? I was there an' hadnae seen him."

"It was after you left to see Vaughn."

"Oh."

"I certainly didn't expect him to show up tonight."

"Mm," Jamie muttered. "So, er, I was wonderin'..." He avoided her gaze, his attention now on the almost empty glass in front of him. "Wha' exactly is he doin' on this project wi' ye? Wha' do the both of ye do?"

Zoe's eyebrows shot up, the question surprising her. She hadn't expected him to be interested in anything they were doing. "I don't know yet; I should know more tomorrow. All I know at the moment is he's one of the main scientists involved in the project. There are at least three or four others."

"Ah, so ye're no' the only ones workin' on it?"

Zoe frowned. "No, of course not."

Jamie nodded. "Good." Off her perplexed look, he hastily added, "Er, um, ah mean… I dinnae want ye tae work too hard. Have too much on yer shoulders." He added a quick nod.

Zoe smiled playfully at him. "Why, Jamie. It's so sweet of you to care so much."

Now it was his turn to regard her in confusion. "Aye, why wouldnae I?" he asked, a frown knitting his brow. "An' on that note, I suggest we turn in soon. We both got a big day aheid of us tomorrow, eh?"

She nodded. "Yes, you're right."

Having finished their water, Zoe collected the glasses and deposited them in the sink, deciding to wash them in the morning. Normally she wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, but it had been a long day and fatigue was beginning to consume her.

She used the bathroom to change into her nightgown and padded down the hallway to the bedroom. Poking her head around the doorway, she found a pajama-clad Jamie already inside, lying in the middle of the bed with his hands folded behind his head. He was staring up at the ceiling almost wistfully. Zoe wondered what he was thinking.

As she stepped into the room, Jamie started a bit, a faint blush in his cheeks as he noticed her and quickly moved over to his side of the bed.

"Sorry, I didnae know when ye'd be -"

Zoe resisted the urge to laugh and instead smiled. "It's fine, Jamie. Really."

Jamie smiled gratefully at her as she eased down onto her side of the bed. He sat up and watched her, looking as if he were waiting for her to get comfortable.

Zoe turned, eyeing him curiously.

"So, ye start at that lab tomorrow, eh?"

"Yes."

Looking away from her, Jamie nodded. "Ye dinnae need someone tae -"

"Escort me?" He nodded again. She paused, almost flattered as she considered it. "It's not that far a walk. I'll be going with Ellen. And besides, you'll be busy working with Vaughn."

"I'm no' meetin' him till ten," the Highlander said. "When d'ye start?"

"Nine sharp," Zoe confirmed. "Look, I appreciate the thought, Jamie, but there's no need."

Jamie still appeared disquieted. "When d'ye think ye will be back?"

Zoe tried not to read too much into his expression, which made him look like a worried little boy. "I don't know exactly. I should be back in time for dinner. Probably between five and six."

Jamie seemed to be satisfied, a small smile tugging at his lips as he nodded. "Alright."

Zoe gave him a quick smile back. "Good night, Jamie."

"G'night, Zoe." He turned around to switch off the light on the small table.

As the room plunged into darkness, Zoe sighed, closing her eyes and waited for sleep to take her ...

Twenty minutes later and sleep was still a no-show. Perhaps it was her anticipation of the day to come that kept her awake. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried hard to clear her mind but the more she tried the more agitated her brain became. Why should I be surprised, she thought bitterly, it's something I've always had extreme difficulty with.

Her thoughts replayed the events of the day and evening and focused heavily on the new people she had met, Marcus in particular. As she recalled dinner at Ellen and Vaughn's house, she picked back up her analysis of both Marcus and Jamie, starting with their overall physical differences and moving to behavioral. Marcus was tall and lanky; Jamie compact and brawny. Marcus was quite the intellectual, very dedicated to his work and perhaps a bit aloof. Jamie, meanwhile, was practical, warm, loyal, and very direct ...

Her brain halted in frustration; having just met Marcus, she didn't have a lot to go on. Such a comparison was a foolish task anyway.

Uttering a sharp sigh, she turned, barely making out Jamie's form in the darkness. He had his back to her, but she could still observe the subtle rise and fall of his chest and hear him breathing. As she watched him, her thoughts shifted to her disappointment when he mentioned making the new bed. The feeling not only surprised her; it nearly mortified her. Why would getting your own bed be a bad thing? It was inconvenient and uncomfortable having to share a bed …

And yet, at the same time, kind of nice having him beside her, having him to talk to when she had trouble falling asleep. Even just hearing his soft breathing or snoring was a comfort …

She heaved another sigh and sat up, watching him sleep peacefully. She was almost jealous.

"Stop this nonsense, Zoe. You have a big day ahead of you," she quietly scolded herself. She watched Jamie a while longer. She wasn't sure what time it was when exhaustion finally got the better of her, finally ushering her into much-needed sleep.

"Zoe!"

Zoe felt herself being abruptly dragged out of a pleasantly languid feeling she could conclude was the product of a deep sleep. It seemed like ages since she'd experienced it and she didn't want to give it up just yet …

However, she quickly became aware of someone's hands on her shoulders, shaking her.

"Zoe! Wake up!"

Zoe finally snapped completely back into the land of consciousness. "Mm?" she muttered. She opened her eyes to find Jamie's face inches from hers; he was eyeing her earnestly. "What's the matter?" She tried to stretch.

"It's a quarter tae nine!" He replied, pointing to the face of his watch.

Zoe took one look and her eyes widened in shock. "What?! How could I oversleep?!" Her expression became mildly accusatory. "You should have woken me!"

"What d'ye think I'm doin'?!" he shot back incredulously.

"I meant earlier!"

"I couldnae do that!"

"Why not?!"

"Weell, because ... " He looked away, blushing slightly. "I didnae wish tae wake ye. Ye've no' been sleepin' well an' I thought ye needed it." He met her gaze with a sheepish smile.

Zoe sighed sharply, still looking unhappy. She raced over to the closet door upon which she'd hung her outfit the night before.

Jamie began scratching self-consciously at the back of his neck. "An' I, uh …"

"What?" she prompted, quickly removing the white, long-sleeved button down blouse from its wire hanger. "Don't look!"

Jamie obediently turned away from her. "Ye'll see," he finished lamely.

It took Zoe a few moments to get dressed. She hurried over to the mirror on the wall, grabbing a small hairbrush from the dresser and running it through her hair. "Alright, you can turn around," she announced primly.

Jamie turned around. Along with the blouse, Zoe was wearing a pastel, multicolored, ankle-length skirt with a ruffled hem. Over the blouse she wore a sea green cardigan. Jamie smiled in approval until his eyes returned to her blouse. His smile faded and he arched an eyebrow.

Zoe immediately picked up on it. "What?"

"Er, yer blouse," he replied, pointing to it.

Zoe inclined her head and she found the blouse askew with one button unbuttoned at the bottom and one side of the shirt appearing higher than the other. "Oh, for pity's sake," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. Gesturing for Jamie to turn around again, she quickly unbuttoned and rebuttoned it, this time using the mirror as a guide. She couldn't believe she had to do this, but she'd never been in such a situation where she had to rush like this. How could she oversleep? Why couldn't Jamie have woken her up earlier?

Slipping her white flats on, she turned and found Jamie no longer in the room. She sighed, picking up the small satchel she was using as a purse and making her way toward the front of the house. As she neared the kitchen, she picked up the smell of slightly burnt … something.

Peering inside, she found Jamie sitting at the kitchen table, helping himself to a piece of toast from a large plate in the middle of the table. There were also two small containers on either side that appeared to contain butter and jam. He suddenly turned, noticing her and smiled shyly. "I was hopin' ye had some time fer breakfast."

Zoe blinked in surprise. "You made breakfast?"

"Aye. Tha's why I woke ye up later. I thought ye would've been up already. When I finished I found ye still asleep."

Zoe made a beeline for the table and, taking a small plate, reached for a piece of toast. Spreading a small amount of jam on top, she took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "You didn't have to do this, Jamie."

The Highlander shrugged. "I wanted tae do somethin'. Figured ye'd be in a hurry an' I wanted tae help. Ye'll be gone most of the day, it's the least I could do." He nearly looked crestfallen. Thinking it to be her imagination, Zoe shrugged it off.

She then caught sight of her watch. "Oh, it's nearly five minutes to nine. I have to meet Ellen. I'd better run." She grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the tap. Hastily downing the water, she dropped the glass in the sink.

"Aye," Jamie said quietly with a nod. "Well, I'll see ye later."

Zoe was about to leave the room when she froze, eyeing Jamie still seated at the table in his pajamas. "Right. See you later." She turned and quickly made her way to the front door when her footsteps ground to a halt as a sudden thought struck her. She quickly turned around and headed back for the kitchen, stopping at the doorway. "Oh, Jamie. Could you and Vaughn make a little house for Squirbitt? Something like a rabbit hutch for us to keep outside next to the house."

Jamie scrunched his face up, regarding her incredulously. "I'm nae wastin' wood on a house for tha' weasel," he retorted.

Zoe fixed him with a glare. "Have a pleasant day, Jamie," she said coldly before wheeling around and walking quickly back to the front door, shutting it behind her.

"An' you," Jamie called after her, one side of his mouth twitched in a teasing smirk.

"So, twin bed it is, then?"

"Aye," Jamie replied with a nod, tearing his gaze away from the drawings he and Vaughn had earlier made. "Makes sense seein' as we've got such a wee home. Zoe can have the larger one an' I'll take this one."

Vaughn nodded back, pursing his lips and looking impressed. "Mm, quite the gentleman."

Jamie felt his cheeks flush but shrugged. "Is that a bad thing?."

"Oh, no, of course not," the other man insisted. "Just not all that common. Or at least it wasn't back on Earth before we left."

Jamie studied him, mulling over what he had just said. He could hardly fathom a world where men did not practice giving preferential treatment to women as a matter of course.

He frowned. "The women of yer time must be a sad lot."

Vaughn looked taken aback. "That's up for debate." His expression then changed, seeming to reflect he had an opinion but was reluctant to share it. He sighed. "They wanted it that way."

Jamie stared at him, slack-jawed. "I cannae believe any man would accept that. It's our role tae show deference tae women an' protect them."

The other man shrugged. He looked as if it was something he'd come to terms with, but the grim line of his mouth suggested he wasn't particularly happy with it.

"From wha' I could tell, you an' Ellen dinnae seem as bad as all that."

Vaughn grinned. "I appreciate the compliment. No, we're not. I mean, we're obviously different from the old-fashioned, Scottish Highlands way of life you're used to, but living a simpler life isn't the only way we 'rebelled.'"

Jamie nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he understood Vaughn's point.

The other man's attention returned to the drawings. "Okay, so changing the size is going to make things a little easier. I'm vaguely familiar with the style of the other bed. Would you like to keep that?"

The Highlander thought for a moment and then nodded. It didn't really make much of a difference. All he was going to be doing was sleeping in it, not showing it off. "Aye, that sounds fine. Oh!" His eyes widened as a thought came to him. "Zoe would like us tae make a wee house for her pet."

The other man blinked. "Oh, the little guy!" Jamie nodded with a grimace. "Sure, we could make something like a rabbit hutch. Being a much smaller project, it shouldn't take long."

He had been correct; it hadn't taken very long at all to complete the little house for Squirbitt, thanks to the fact it ended up being close to a very scaled-down version of a dog house Vaughn had once made for Barney. Although the dog spent much of his time indoors, the other man had constructed it to give him some shelter from the intensity of the twin stars whenever he was outside. He'd given Jamie the final say on the design, of course, and the Highlander had helped a lot with the actual construction process.

Stepping back from the table upon which it sat, he eyed the structure in satisfaction. It had turned out well and looked like a decent-sized home for the critter. He hoped Zoe would be happy.

"So, that came out pretty nicely, huh?" Vaughn asked.

"Aye," Jamie replied absently, his attention now on some interesting stuff on display in their china cabinet. One was a cobalt blue vase made of glass. In it sat a half dozen or so silk flowers. The design was something Jamie had never seen before; he found it attractive.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Vaughn had joined him.

"Tha's right bonny," Jamie said, pointing to the vase. "Where'd ye get it?"

"My friend, Patrick, is a glassblower. He makes all sorts of interesting pieces: vases, wine glasses, champagne flutes, you name it. He does a fine job and it's interesting to watch the whole process." He smiled. "If you like, I can introduce you to him."

Jamie nodded. "I'd like that." He turned back to the vase. It was rather unusual in shape, but pretty at the same time. He began to wonder what Zoe would think of it.

Zoe's gait slowed as she reached the front door of the cottage and, stopping in front of it, she realized how very tired she was. It had been quite a busy day at the laboratory. Most of it had been merely an introduction to the entire project, but there had been a lot of information to absorb.

She laid her hand upon the door handle when the door suddenly swung open seemingly on its own accord. Not expecting it, Zoe jumped, putting a hand to her heart as she found Jamie on the other side. He smiled, perhaps in apology for startling her, before stepping aside to allow her entrance.

Entering the cottage, Zoe shrugged off her cardigan and placed it over one of the chairs before taking a seat.

Jamie remained standing. "So, how was yer day?"

"It was busy. I was introduced to each of the scientists working on the project. They'd given me a complete introduction to the whole thing and went into detail about my particular role." A tired smile spread across her face. "It was productive, but I'm exhausted." She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "How did your day go?"

"Oh, verra well," the Highlander replied with an enthusiastic nod. "Vaughn an' I made some progress on the design for the new bed, an' we were able tae tackle a small project as well."

Zoe nodded thoughtfully. It was nice to know his day had also been productive. She suddenly realized he kept his hands behind his back, as if he were hiding something. She gazed pointedly at him, eyebrows raised.

Jamie seemed to notice. A faint blush stained his cheeks while the side of his mouth twitched into a hint of a smile. He brought his arms around, revealing a small wooden structure that resembled a rabbit hutch.

Zoe's eyes widened in surprise. She then looked at him with an amused smirk. "I thought you weren't one for wasting wood on 'that weasel.'"

"Well, I had no choice, right? If I hadn't made it, I wouldnae hear the end of it." He smirked back.

Zoe rolled her eyes, though at the same time felt her heart give an unexpected flutter. She did not dwell on it, though, and instead turned her attention to the little hutch. "Well, I appreciate it all the same." She studied it and smiled. "You even put a small blanket in there. It's very well made, Jamie."

Jamie beamed with pride. "Weeeell now, I dinnae believe you have the final say."

She straightened up, regarding him in confusion for a brief second. "Oh!" She then looked around the room. "Squirbitt?" Her call went unanswered. She tried again, this time whistling.

Finally her gaze fell upon the little creature lying atop a small pillow in the corner of the room near the sofa. He jumped up and quickly scampered over to her as Jamie set the hutch down on the floor.

Zoe bent, smiling at the little animal. "What do you think? A little house of your own."

He eyed her tentatively before looking up at the object, his pink nose twitching as he seemed to be studying it closely. After a moment he entered through the little doorway. Zoe and Jamie watched as he looked all around inside before finally settling down and curling up inside with a content sigh.

"Weeell, would ye look at tha'!" Jamie exclaimed, pointing to him.

"I think that settles it: he likes it," Zoe concurred with a smile.

"An' why wouldnae he?" Jamie said with a smug grin. "Look at who built it!"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "It wasn't just you. I'm sure Vaughn contributed a fair amount."

Jamie's smug grin was wiped off his face, replaced by a faint glare. "Mebbe, but I still did most of it." He tapped his fingers against his chest.

Zoe sighed but then found herself giggling a bit, realizing how pointless the bickering was. She smiled softly at him. "Thank you for making this."

"Och, it was naethin'," he insisted, dismissively waving a hand in the air. "I'm fair famished. How aboot some supper, eh?"

Zoe wasn't about to argue.

The leftover roast beef Ellen had generously given them proved more than enough to sate their hunger. They had also finished off the last piece of her gingerbread cake. A true gentleman, Jamie had insisted Zoe have the bigger portion despite the fact he enjoyed it a lot more than she did. Zoe reminded him of the fact and switched their plates around before he begrudgingly gave in. She watched with fond amusement as he devoured the dessert, savoring it as much as he had the first time he'd tried it.

Zoe had never been interested in cooking — there was never any real need thanks to the Wheel's automated food machines — but Ellen had let slip some details of her cooking techniques as the two women cleaned up that evening. Zoe now began to wonder if it was something she should try sometime; they couldn't live off their neighbor's cooking forever …

Having dried and put away the last dish, she sighed and made her way back toward the front room. Eyeing her cardigan still hung over the back of the chair, she picked it up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jamie sitting on the sofa, hands clasped and smiling as he watched Squirbitt snoozing inside his new shelter.

"Och, alright, you," he suddenly said, approaching the hutch. "Time to take this ootside an' pick a spot for ye." The little creature poked his head out of the doorway and reluctantly left his new sanctuary.

Zoe shared a little smile with Jamie before her gaze returned to the article of clothing slung over her arm. She suddenly did a double take, noticing a spot she hadn't seen before. Further inspection revealed it to be a stain. She groaned.

"What's the matter?"

"My cardigan is soiled," she groused. "Well, I suppose now would be a good opportunity to get some of my other clothes cleaned. And you should, too."

Jamie blinked. "Eh? Wha' clothes?"

"The clothes you've been wearing the past few days?"

"Who says they need cleanin'? They shouldnae need tae be cleaned for another week at least!"

"Oh," she muttered with a long-suffering sigh, squeezing her eyes shut. Hearing retreating footsteps, she opened her eyes and turned to find him walking away. Apparently, he was done with this conversation and there was no point in arguing with him over it.

Zoe shook her head and made her way to the cellar stairs. After switching on the light next to the staircase, she descended to the cellar. During their earlier inspection of the house, she had noticed a wash basin with a solitary clothesline hanging nearby. As she made her way to that corner of the cellar, her gaze fell upon another contraption, one she hadn't recalled seeing before, next to the wash basin. It appeared to be an old style washing machine — an open tub one with a wringer and an early electric agitator.

"Oh. Interesting," she mused.

Grabbing a large bucket near the wash basin, she filled it with water and then transferred it to the washing machine. She eyed it tentatively for a moment before piling the clothing into the tub.

"Now, Old George had to have had some sort of cleaning agent," she muttered to herself. Eyeing a nearby, narrow metal shelf, she spotted several assorted bottles and containers. The shelf was low enough that she didn't even have to stand on her toes to reach it. A cursory inspection of the materials revealed a box of laundry detergent flakes. Smiling, Zoe grabbed it and examined the label on the box. Luckily it included simple washing instructions.

Opening the box, she measured out the required amount and dumped it into the tub of water. Standing back, she smiled in anticipation. "Alright. Clean soiled garments," she directed.

Zoe stood and waited. Nothing happened.

Frowning, she cleared her throat. "Clean soiled garments," she repeated, this time in a more authoritative tone.

Again, nothing happened. Not even a gurgle of the water inside.

"Stupid primitive machine," Zoe grumbled, offering it a glare. She approached the stairs. "Jamie, could you please come here?"

Jamie hurried down the stairs. "What is it?" he asked, eyeing her expectantly.

Zoe gestured to the machine, frustrated. "How does it work?"

Jamie stared at the contraption blankly. "What is it?"

"'What is it'?" the petite scientist repeated incredulously. "It's a washing machine."

"Oh." Jamie then shrugged as he turned back to her. "How should I know? Tha's no' from my time."

Zoe's brow furrowed in confusion. "Oh, it isn't?" She blushed, realizing how very shaky her frame of reference was; she considered practically everything ancient. "Then how did you clean your clothes?"

"I didnae."

"What?"

"Tha's women's work."

Zoe glared severely at him. "It's bad enough we're limited to primitive machines; we don't need your primitive mindset along with it."

Jamie wrinkled his nose at her and she was about to hurl another retort at him when curiosity got the better of her. "How exactly did they do it in your time?"

The Highlander blinked, appearing momentarily surprised by the question. "The women had a large tub on the ground filled with water an' they just stomped on the clothes."

Zoe was nearly horrified. "What? With their dirty shoes?"

"Nae. Dinnae be silly. They used their bare feet."

"Oh, that's so much better," Zoe said sardonically.

"Aye. An' they used piss on the extra tough stains."

Zoe scrunched up her face in disgust. "Urine? I can't believe that!" Jamie merely shrugged, but the corner of his mouth tugged into an amused grin at her reaction.

"Well, I for one am very glad we're not in eighteenth century Scotland. And that we have more sanitary methods available." She gestured to the box of detergent.

"Eh? Who says piss isnae sanitary?"

Zoe regarded him incredulously, stunned he would say such a thing. Her loss of words was temporary, however; her initial disgust wore off as her scientific mind kicked into gear. "Well, I suppose I could see why they would use it. Left out in the air it would become ammonia and …"

She suddenly caught herself, shaking her head. "Oh, what am I doing? We're talking about urine!"

Jamie burst into a peal of laughter. "It's not funny!" she exclaimed, reddening.

"I'm sorry, lass, but ye should've seen yer face," he said between chuckles. His laughter faded as he stared at something beyond her.

"What?"

"There's a book or somethin' lyin' on that shelf. Have ye noticed it before?"

Zoe's eyes narrowed as she examined the shelf, behind several bottles, she thought she could make out a small collection of papers. Jamie approached the shelf with her and moved the bottles aside. Zoe found the collection of papers were part of a small booklet.

Jamie grabbed the booklet, his brow furrowing as he studied it. "Speed Queen Owner's Manual," he read slowly.

Zoe impatiently held her hand out. Jamie quickly flipped through the pages before handing it over to her. Skimming the pages, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Well, there's not very much detail in these instructions, but they should help." She lifted her chin. "No wonder it hadn't reacted to my voice commands; this machine is even more primitive than I thought."

"Oh, fer heaven's sake, Zoe. Who cares how 'primitive' it is? If it does the job, is that no' enough?"

She sighed and turned to Jamie, his nearly exasperated expression making her feel a bit foolish. Her lips lifted in an apologetic smile. "Yes, you're right. I need to learn to make do with what we have."

Jamie gazed at Zoe in concern as he sat down next to her on the sofa, handing her a glass of water. She had been working later than usual today at the university lab. He was surprised five o'clock had come and gone, and she hadn't returned home. Jamie had decided to meet her outside the lab and walk her back home.

She'd seemed surprised to see him at first, but soon offered him a grateful smile. Once they arrived back home and she'd taken a seat, Jamie noticed how tired she appeared before he went to the kitchen to fetch some water for the two of them. He knew she'd been working quite hard the past couple of days, but she seemed more tired than he'd expected. She was also quite frustrated.

"I just can't seem to locate that one important variable," she groused after downing a gulp of water.

"Easy now, lass," Jamie told her. "It's only yer second day on this project thing."

"It doesn't matter, Jamie," she continued, her voice growing more agitated. "I'm usually so much better at these things. I've got such a vast library of memorized equations and laws and-and theorems, but nothing that can help detect these ion storms better."

"Weell, dinnae rush it. Perhaps ye jis' need some time."

"We don't have much time. And they're all depending on me," Zoe insisted. "I need to come up with information as soon as possible, but it's as if I've got some sort of … block in my brain." She covered her face with her hands. "One that I can't clear and it's driving me mad."

The Highlander gazed at her in sympathy. His arms were aching to give her a hug. "Ye dinnae have tae be perfect, ye know," he told her softly. "No one expects ye tae be. No' those high an' mighty scientists, no' Vaughn or Ellen, an' no' me either."

Zoe removed her hands from her face and met Jamie's gaze, her lips lifting into a weak smile. "I wish I could be more like you, Jamie. I wish I could train myself to think that way, to not be so rigid and logical and agonize over things so much."

Jamie shrugged. "Ye can start by bein' more spontaneous."

"Spontaneous? How?"

As Jamie turned to look out the window, an idea struck. "Let's go fer a walk. It's a bonny night, the fresh air will do ye good."

Zoe seemed a bit confused at first but decided it would be a nice diversion at least. She'd been cooped up in a building for hours and hadn't had much of an opportunity to take in some fresh air.

She let Jamie take her by the hand and lead her outside and down the path away from the house to an area much like a park, featuring some nice, rolling grasslands.

Zoe was charmed by the musical drone of the night insects in the grass. She took a deep breath of the brisk evening air.

"Now, take off yer shoes."

"What?" Zoe regarded him as if he'd grown an extra head. "My shoes?" she repeated dumbly.

"Aye. Take off yer shoes an' walk in the grass."

"I-I've never walked through grass in my bare feet in my life …"

"Exactly. What could be more spontaneous?"

He led her over to a solitary, wooden bench, inviting her to sit down. Zoe did so and smiled tentatively up at Jamie as he joined her. She seemed a bit uneasy but removed her shoes.

Zoe made a soft sound of surprise at the first sensation of the blue-green blades tickling the bottom of her feet. Then, slowly, she relaxed, and a small, child-like smile of delight spread across her face. She wiggled her toes, enjoying the feel of the cool, soft, grass between them. The sight of it made Jamie smile in fondness.

"As nice as this is, I don't see how being spontaneous solves my problem."

"Well, ye see, it helps ye think more 'outside-of-box' an' be more flexible."

Zoe smirked. "I'm surprised you even know that phrase."

Jamie shrugged then bent to pluck a wildflower with purple petals. "When ye've been around the Doctor as long as I have, ye pick things up."

"Jamie McCrimmon, you really do surprise me sometimes." She turned to smile at him and as she did so Jamie tucked the flower behind her ear.

"I sometimes surprise mysel' ..." He said softly, daring to let a finger brush briefly against her cheek as he dropped his hand.

Zoe touched the flower and stared at him, a light blush rising to her face.

"Jist bein' spon-ta-neous," Jamie managed to say over his pounding heart. He flashed her what he hoped was a playful smile.

Perhaps he needed to be less spontaneous, before he got himself into trouble.

Zoe unconsciously brushed a stray lock of hair away from her jawline, frowning at the unexpectedly warm sensation of her skin.

Jamie noticed her frown. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Jamie gazed at her a bit longer with some leftover concern, but quickly shrugged it off. "Come on, it's gettin' late. We'd best be headin' back."

Realizing how tired she was, Zoe wasn't about to argue with him. Nodding, she picked herself up off the bench and headed back with Jamie down the path that would lead them back home.

As she changed into her pajamas, Zoe could barely keep herself upright. She chalked up her overwhelming fatigue to the very long, busy day she'd had. She'd barely caught Jamie's concerned gaze as she sunk heavily down into the bed. The reality that she hadn't picked out an outfit for the next day wasn't enough to stop her from succumbing to sleep.