Zoe's lips pursed in concentration as she sat, closely reviewing the data in front of her with Marcus. Ellen's mention of being overdue for a new ion storm at dinner Saturday night had struck her with a real sense of urgency. They had made some progress but she feared it was not enough. As soon as she'd arrived at the lab this morning, she had spoken to Pam, another scientist who had worked closely on Project Zeus from the very beginning. The other woman had not only confirmed Ellen's assertion, but had presented some alarming evidence supporting it. Armed with this information, she urgently approached the other scientists spearheading the project, hoping to convince them they needed to pick up the pace of their research, as well as the fine-tuning of the monitoring device.
Much to the petite astrophysicist's relief they were able to see her point of view, allowing her and the rest of the team to work quicker and harder. Taking a deep breath, she returned her concentration to the most recent collection of data, retrieved at seven o'clock this morning. It included concentrations of various elements and compounds — ones very similar to those found on Earth — that were normally present in Athena's atmosphere under normal, stable conditions. Over the course of her involvement in this project, Zoe learned that concentrations of certain elements and compounds tended to spike at least five hours before the arrival of the ion storms.
Alongside the data file, Zoe had another spreadsheet open for reference. It contained the standard value detectable limits for each element and compound. As she checked the most recently retrieved data, Zoe had to consult the reference document to make sure the values for the elements and compounds listed were below the acceptable limit for each.
A frown of annoyance knitted her brow as she discovered yet another row of data containing a standard value limit of "NA" for several of the compounds. The discovery was quite frustrating; not only did it not represent actual numeric, tangible data, but she also had no idea what the notation even meant.
It could have meant "Not Anything Worth Worrying About", for all she knew. But in that case, wouldn't the acronym have to be "NAWWA"?
Zoe's eyes widened and she suppressed a groan. Now she was thinking like Jamie.
She turned to Marcus. "I've got a question," she began. As he turned his head toward her, she pointed with a pen at the row with the offending notation. "This 'NA' — what does it mean?"
Marcus stared at her, obviously surprised by the question. "You don't know what that means?" he asked incredulously.
Zoe's frown deepened as she tried hard to swallow her frustration, which he was only making worse. "No. You seem to have forgotten that my background and place of origin are different from yours. It's quite possible we used a completely different notation for some value set that is completely the same."
Marcus looked away and, to his credit, appeared contrite. He lowered his head, his cheeks reddening slightly. "Ah, yes, of course." He then straightened up and turned to meet her gaze. "'NA' means 'not available.'"
Zoe nodded, nearly triumphant in getting an answer, as well as in realizing her first assumption was correct. Her victory was short-lived, however, and she was once again frowning. They now had a whole new problem to deal with, one that could really complicate their work on this project.
"Why are they not available?"
Marcus opened his mouth but no sound came out. His inability to speak led Zoe to believe he'd never been asked this before. "They … just aren't," he finally replied awkwardly. "There has never been a standard published for them."
Zoe lifted her chin. "Well, pardon my saying so, but that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. These lab results appear to be trying to assure us that these concentrations are below the standard's limits and are nothing to be concerned with. How do you know these results are acceptable? Do you just assume that? And isn't that dangerous?"
Marcus began sputtering in disbelief. "W-well, no, it's not dangerous! We've always relied on this method and never had any problems!"
Zoe gave a derisive sniff. "I have to say that's rather unscientific of you."
Marcus regarded her with some leftover incredulity before his gaze hardened and jaw set. "As you are well aware, Miss Heriot, I am one of the lead scientists on this project. You are in no position to question my credentials."
Zoe leveled him with an indignant frown, hurt that he was questioning her competence as a fellow scientist. "I was only giving my opinion," she returned defensively.
"If you think our methods are, as you put it, 'unscientific', and you've got any better ideas, please feel free to share them." He smiled condescendingly at her, holding his hand out expectantly.
Zoe flustered a bit herself, not expecting his rejoinder. "Well, I … I don't have any just yet, but…" She slapped on a cool, clinical smile. "But I will get right on that and as soon as I've got something worth sharing, I'll happily do so."
"Thank you," the other scientist returned, his face plastered with a forced, sarcastic smile.
Zoe said nothing and returned her gaze to the computer monitor in front of her, irritated by this little argument and Marcus' attitude. It wasn't getting them any closer to solving this problem; if anything, it was delaying their work. She sighed. "I apologize. I know I'm still fairly new here and need to grow accustomed to your methods."
"No, I'm sorry," Marcus returned, removing his glasses and scrubbing his hands over his face. "I've been a bit short-tempered lately. I'm just trying so hard to resolve these issues, especially with time really being of the essence now."
"Well, that's completely understandable."
He gave her a slight smile. "I appreciate your understanding." A thoughtful look suddenly crossed his face. "You know … the Aegypteus meteor shower is going to be visible tomorrow evening, starting at approximately nine o'clock. There is a nice spot on the opposite side of Ross Pond that hosts a marvelous view. Would you … like to watch it with me?"
Zoe's eyes lit up. A meteor shower! It barely took her half a moment to decide. "I would love to!"
Marcus' smile grew. "Good."
Zoe returned his smile and nodded before turning back to the data before her. As she focused her attention more fully on it, she found herself growing frustrated once more. Something else was missing. But, what?
Suddenly, it hit her:
"I need to see the recorded data from the earlier ion storms," she blurted.
Marcus whipped his head around and stared at her in confusion. "What?"
"The data from the earlier storms," Zoe repeated. "That way, I could compare the increases in concentrations of these specific atmospheric elements and compounds just prior to the storms' onset. Don't you see? It would give us more precise values to plug into the monitoring system and allow us to better predict their arrival!" A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
The other scientist, however, seemed completely unfazed by her suggestion, save for a slight upward quirk of his left eyebrow. "We don't have enough information," he finally uttered, his voice taking on a skeptical tone. "We only started our data collection for the ion storms about three years ago. And Project Zeus itself is just under a year old."
Zoe's smile quickly faded and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "That's all?"
Marcus ducked his head slightly as he avoided her gaze. "We had quite a turnover of scientists working on this project — some had gone away on scientific expeditions to other planets never to return," he muttered. "Others had their own funds dry up at the worst possible times."
A thoughtful frown creased Zoe's brow as she tried to make sense of this. "So, you've only got three years' worth of data, and have been actively working on this project for less than a year."
Still avoiding her gaze, Marcus nodded.
"Well, I'd still like to see it all. Why had you never used it in such a way before?"
"It wasn't a sufficient amount of data to be used in order to make calculations fine-tuned enough to be able to discount human error," he replied crisply. "You're talking about three years' worth; that's nowhere near enough."
Zoe felt her frustration beginning to mount once again, but it did little to hinder her perseverance. They hadn't much time to spare. "Normally I would agree that you need a sufficient amount of data, but surely three years' worth isn't that bad? I mean, we've got to start somewhere, haven't we?"
Marcus swiftly returned his gaze to her, his expression revealing some surprise at her persistence. He gaped at her for a moment, saying nothing before he cast his gaze down at the desk and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he conceded.
He was actually agreeing with her? Not the usual frustrating combination of overconfidence and obstinance? It was now Zoe's turn to be pleasantly surprised. The petite scientist was unable to arrest the satisfied smile that spread across her face.
"Thank you. Now, where would I be able to access this data? Is it here on your server?"
After a slight hesitation, Marcus nodded. "I'll show you."
Having come home from another long — though very productive, thankfully — day at the lab, Zoe wanted nothing more than to sit back, put her feet up, and have a cup of tea. She smiled, thinking perhaps Jamie might even join her for a cup.
As she neared the house, her footsteps slowed as her gaze fell upon the man in question, sitting on his haunches and staring at the ground — as if he were looking for something.
She gingerly approached the Highlander, who was now in a kneeling position with his back to her.
"Jamie?"
Jamie yelped, nearly jumping a foot in the air as he whirled around.
"Sorry," he muttered, putting a hand to his chest. "Ye gave me a wee fright, there."
"Really? I can hardly believe it." She grinned in amusement. "I thought you were such a brave Scotsman." She affected a deeper tone of voice in an attempt to imitate him.
Jamie flushed. "Well, now, I didnae expect ye tae come creepin' behind me like that." He suddenly checked his watch, shocked it was later than he had expected; he'd assumed she'd come home early for once.
"What are you doing back here?" she asked, brow knitted in confusion.
"I, uh … I thought I heard a noise earlier, comin' from out here. I was jis' checkin' tae make sure there weren't any wee creatures scamperin' aboot that could ruin the garden."
"It could have been Squirbitt," Zoe offered. "And you know he usually stays away from the plants."
"Aye," Jamie conceded with a shrug. Standing up, he began heading toward the side of the house, nearing some denser, leafy vegetation. Zoe hadn't had time to really study it properly yet, but it appeared to be some sort of ivy.
"Is this where you heard it?" she asked, following him.
She didn't receive an answer. Jamie must not have heard her. Shrugging, she bent slightly and moved some of the vegetation away. Her eyes widened as she discovered they had been hiding something she hadn't expected to see …
… A small well!
"Jamie!" Zoe called.
The Highlander was immediately at her side, staring in surprise at her find. "Ye know what that is?" he asked, his tone suggesting a rhetorical question.
"Yes," the petite scientist replied anyway. "It's a well." She frowned in thought. "I wonder exactly what Old George had used it for. Perhaps he's got some notes somewhere …"
A mischievous grin suddenly tugged at the corner of Jamie's mouth. "Speakin' of wells … Y'know, back on Skye, there was a well wi' a grisly legend behind it. Of —"
"I don't want to hear it," Zoe cut him off, not wanting to know where this was going. "Actually, I'm getting hungry. Let's go in and have supper."
Declaring an unceremonious end to their little expedition, she made her way swiftly toward the back door. Jamie pouted as he watched her for a moment and then followed her back inside.
An hour had passed and Zoe now sat in the living room with Jamie, watching as he eagerly repaired the bagpipes Robert had given him. She had asked him questions about the pipes every so often, such as when he'd first learned to play them, and even about the process he used to repair them. She smiled, happy to see him so involved in something he obviously enjoyed. Jamie himself also seemed quite pleased by her interest in it.
As Zoe focused on the movement of his hands along the instrument, she found her thoughts drifting back to her own work at the lab and then to Marcus' invitation to view the meteor shower. Zoe's gaze flicked back onto Jamie and she suddenly decided she wanted to bring him with her to see this natural wonder.
"Oh, Jamie," she began casually.
"Mm?" he muttered, not looking up from the pipes.
"I learned at work that there's going to be a meteor shower visible in the sky tomorrow night. I'd really like to view it. I was told the best spot to see it is by a nice little pond on the university campus." Jamie froze and looked up at her, his expression blank. "Would you like to see it with me? I think you would find it spectacular."
The Highlander assumed a thoughtful expression for a moment and then returned his gaze to the pipes before him. "Nae, I really need tae finish fixin' these up. Vaughn tol' me aboot this thing that Rabbie, Ian an' Hamish are doin' at some festival or other in a coupla weeks." He suddenly looked up at her with an excited, almost boyish, smile. "They're gannae perform an' they invited me tae join them." His smile faded and his attention shifted back to the pipes. "I'd like tae get these all finished by then."
Zoe tried hard to ignore the seed of disappointment that began to germinate inside her. "Well, alright," she muttered with a slight shrug. She forced a smile as Jamie reached for her hand, pulling her up off the floor.
"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"
"Yes, I would very much like that."
Zoe smiled up at Marcus as she opened the front door and stepped inside. It had been a lovely evening. Her fellow scientist had surprised her by bringing a basket with a bottle of wine and some cheese. The Aegytpus meteor shower itself proved amazing. The sky had lit up as brilliant stars pierced the inky, indigo backdrop, some leaving bright trails snaking across the horizon from west to east. Some merely punctured the sky like bright pinholes. Zoe was in absolute awe of the colorful show. She had been witness to similar events in the past, but usually from the perspective of the TARDIS scanner, or the windows of the Wheel. She'd now had a front-row seat and the experience was beyond any she'd ever witnessed before.
Marcus had shared some very interesting background information on the meteor shower. Zoe admired the passionate way he had spoken on the subject. It was something that had interested her a great deal as well, and she found herself bonding with him over it.
She had really enjoyed the time spent with him and was not ready for it to end just yet, thus the escort home and impromptu invitation of tea.
She led Marcus to the dining room and gestured for him to take a seat. "Jamie? I'm back," she called out.
She smiled at the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the direction of the kitchen. Jamie soon emerged, smiling at first before his mouth dropped open in shock.
Marcus himself appeared momentarily uncomfortable as he cast his gaze down at the tablecloth. He looked up again, meeting Jamie's gaze. "James," he addressed the Highlander with a nod.
"Mark," Jamie returned with a nod of his own.
Marcus bristled in response to the moniker. "Marcus," he corrected.
"Och, sorry!" Jamie exclaimed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Marcus." He looked away a brief moment, an amused, lopsided smirk on his face.
"Ye didnae tell me he'd be there," he then said to Zoe, his expression almost accusatory.
Zoe stared at him, unable to see what was the problem. "You didn't ask," she returned matter-of-factly.
His gaze slipping to his hands, he nodded. "So, um … how was the meteor shower?"
"It was marvelous. I'd never seen anything so spectacular," Zoe replied.
"Yes, it was quite a sight, as always," Marcus concurred.
"We just thought we'd have a cup of tea to finish off the evening."
"Aye. I'll go an' make a pot," Jamie answered awkwardly. "There's some food if ye'd like –"
"Oh, actually, Marcus shared some lovely cheese and wine with me while we watched the meteor shower."
"Oh, 'twas a mere trifle," Marcus gave a nonchalant shrug, but a very pleased smile tugged at his lips.
"Uh huh." The corners of Jamie's own mouth curled into a faint smirk. I ken wha' ye're on aboot, ye wee nancy. Stepping back from the table, he sauntered toward the kitchen, turning only to offer Marcus a dirty look behind Zoe's back. The other man responded by staring unabashedly back at the Highlander with a smug expression.
Zoe looked up from her study of the tablecloth pattern and turned back to Marcus. "I was thinking about those chemical compounds that have no standard detectable limits."
Marcus regarded her in surprise for a moment and then turned away a bit. "Of course you were," he sighed.
"Did you say something?"
The other scientist innocently shook his head. "Oh, no … I was just clearing my throat."
Zoe nodded. "I still think it would be a good idea for your science commission to study them more and come to some agreement on some acceptable standard limits," she continued.
"What're ye on aboot?"
Zoe looked up to find Jamie approaching with the nice teapot she admired, setting it down on the table.
Zoe regarded him in surprise, not expecting the Highlander to have any interest in the subject. She decided to indulge him, trying to explain it in as simplified a way as possible: "These chemical compounds we're studying are found in greater concentrations in the atmosphere prior to the ion storms. Monitoring the air for their presence can help us predict the storms as soon as possible, giving everyone more time to prepare for them. But several of them have no standard limit to compare them against, so we're not exactly sure if the concentrations recorded are acceptable or too high."
Jamie frowned. "That doesnae sound verra good."
Marcus sighed, exasperated after having already argued with Zoe about this. "It's fine, because there is no value to compare it to for now."
Jamie gazed skeptically at him. "So, ye jis' think it's alright, then? What if it's nae? Ye could put people in danger."
Marcus almost appeared to be seething. "No, that won't happen!"
"Why nae?"
"Because it won't!" Marcus snapped. He narrowed his eyes in a glare before turning his head. "Troglodyte," he muttered.
Jamie's eyes widened. "Eh? What did ye call me?"
Marcus cowed a little, but obviously didn't want to appear weak in front of Zoe. "A troglodyte!" he repeated boldly.
Jamie blinked at him for a moment before his lip curled into a sneer. "Ye malinkie jessie!"
"I don't even know what that means!" Marcus yelled back.
"Well, I dinnae know what a trog-a-whatsit is, so I guess we're even!"
"I guess we are!"
"Aye!"
Zoe looked nervously between them, the tension more obvious than a huge, flashing sign. She felt like kicking herself for not anticipating it in the first place. Her mind had been so preoccupied with the ion storm project, she had managed to leave common sense behind. She was now glad Jamie hadn't accompanied them to view the meteor shower—not only would he have been bored by her and Marcus' conversations, but both men seemed to have a talent for bringing out the worst in each other; the evening would have been ruined.
After a very awkward moment or two of silence, Jamie sulkily moved a bit further away and gathered several clean teacups.
The focus of her attention shifted back to the project in question. "I really hope we can get the monitoring system fine-tuned as soon as possible," she told Marcus quietly. She glanced briefly at Jamie, hoping he couldn't hear her. The last she wanted to do was worry him. Noting his attention was solely on the tea as he poured it into a cup, she allowed herself an inward sigh of relief.
Her focus returning to Marcus, she found him staring at her in surprise. "We're working as hard as we can. You're not beginning to doubt our abilities, are you?" He nearly sounded a trifle offended.
Zoe wanted to bring up the monitoring device she had been working on herself but thought better of it and shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's just … this is one of the biggest projects I've ever been involved in, and with so much at stake …"
Marcus seemed to not know what to say for a moment and she then heard him sigh. "Yes, I think I understand. This is all so new to you. You still haven't been on this planet all that long, relatively speaking."
Jamie suddenly interrupted by holding out one teacup in front of Zoe and another to Marcus. Blushing slightly, she nodded in thanks as she accepted it from him; her fellow scientist did likewise.
"I've been there before, believe it or not," Marcus continued quietly as Jamie was busily pouring another cup of tea.
An amused grin lit up Zoe's face and she chuckled. "I don't believe it."
"No. Sadly, it's true," he said with a rueful grin which eased into a reassuring smile as he took a sip of tea. "We'll be fine. I promise you."
Jamie froze and his eyebrows shot up. His mind focused on that last phrase and he felt an unwelcome stab of jealousy.
The silence between the three was deafening as they drank their tea. Jamie waited until they had finished before he pushed his chair back and stood up. "It's gettin' late," he said, pointing to his watch for emphasis, "an' we've both got a long day tomorrow."
Marcus began to frown as he met Jamie's gaze but shook himself out of it as he checked his own watch. "Oh, yes, it has grown a bit late. We've all got a long day tomorrow," he said pointedly, turning to Zoe with a smile. "I'll see you at the lab."
Jamie resisted the urge to sneer at the other man as Zoe nodded, rose from her chair and saw him to the front door.
He then witnessed her returning and sitting back down at the table to pour herself another cup of tea. For a few minutes, he and Zoe were mired in uncomfortable silence. "So, tha' meteor shower was bonny, eh?"
"It was. Oh, you should have seen it, Jamie."
"Aye," he said, voice tinged with regret. "I would've, if I didnae have tae repair those pipes." He then turned to her with a slight frown. "Say, I was wonderin' … What was he sayin' to ye before, all quiet-like?"
Zoe gazed at him in confusion for a brief moment. "I was concerned about our ability to get the monitoring system working well enough before the next ion storm," she replied. "He was only trying to reassure me that we would get it done."
Jamie scoffed and rolled his eyes. It was clear he didn't believe her.
Zoe gaped at him in exasperation. "Jamie, do you remember Ellen saying over dinner that we're overdue for another ion storm; meaning, it could happen any day now? Not to mention what Robert said about the destruction the last one caused?"
"Aye…"
"Well, then, perhaps you can understand the urgency?!" Jamie's skeptical expression had evaporated, though he still remained silent. "I want to use my skills to do as much as I can to keep us safe — and not just us, but as many people in this settlement as possible."
Finally understanding, Jamie gazed contritely at her. "I know. I never should've thought there was any funny business between ye two. An' I understand how important yer work on this thing is." A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "I admire ye for doin' all that — I mean, tae protect everyone."
Zoe was touched by his admiration of her, but found herself a bit confused. "'Funny business'?" she asked, tilting her head.
Jamie flushed to his ears. "Ah, well, ye know, um …"
Watching him blush as he did finally gave Zoe the indication of what he meant. She gaped at him in shock. "James McCrimmon! How dare you—as if I would let Marcus act like anything less of a gentleman towards me!"
Shamefaced, Jamie dropped his gaze to his hands. "'m sorry, Zoe. It was daft of me tae even think such a thing." He risked a tentative glance in her direction. "But I still feel responsible for ye—"
Zoe lifted her chin and crossed her arms, turning away from him. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you." she replied coolly.
"I know, I know," he insisted. "But I'm only lookin' out for ye because I care so much …"
Zoe glanced back at him over her shoulder.
"Like a brother," Jamie hastened to add. "I'm sorry. I'll neiver assume anythin' like that agin."
Zoe's cold expression melted and the corners of her mouth edged upward. "Thank you, Jamie. That means a lot."
He tentatively returned her smile. "Of course. I jis' have one question."
Zoe raised her eyebrows expectantly.
"What's a trog-a-whatsit?"
With a sigh, Jamie returned to the kitchen to wash the teapot as Zoe prepared to take a shower. His mind kept picturing Zoe and Marcus together at the meteor shower, dining on cheese and champagne, having a good time.
Zoe was allowed to have her own friends, of course, but it was obvious to Jamie that Marcus wanted to be more than friends and Zoe seemed oblivious.
But what if she wasn't?
What if she was fine with it?
An ache spread in Jamie's chest.
Still rather preoccupied, he strolled over to the sink with the teapot in hand and was about to turn on the tap to rinse it out when a noise outside startled him and he quickly turned back around—so quickly that he hadn't realized how close he already was to the counter until a snapping sound pierced the silence.
The Highlander slowly looked down at the teapot in his hand. The spout had been knocked clean off.
Jamie's eyes widened in panic. Zoe would kill him. Staring at it, his mind suddenly went back to an earlier time …
He was eight and it was just before Hogmanay. He and his older brothers had been having fun tearing around outside — they were chasing him and he was trying hard to outrun them. They had run back inside their croft and as he'd sprinted through the kitchen area, he'd knocked into the table and sent one of the plates from the nice set they'd used for holidays and special occasions crashing onto the floor, where it'd shattered.
His father had roughly grabbed a hold of him and led him to the spot where it lay, showing him what exactly he had done and calling him a 'gawkit bairnockie.' Jamie scowled as he remembered how easily his brothers had got off. No, they hadn't been the ones to knock the plate off the table, but they had started all the rough housing. Jamie's father didn't want to hear of it, though, and gave him a proper dressing down. His mother hadn't been as harsh, but still expressed how disappointed she was. Jamie still remembered like it was yesterday.
"Och, ye wee brammer," she had said, "I ken ye were jis' doin' wha' laddies do, but ye've got tae be more careful. It's hard tae get such nice wares fer us tae have our meals on. We're blessed the MacLarens have been so charitable. Now, I want ye tae promise me ye'll leave the wibbin' ootside from now on. An' ye can tell yer brothers the same, aye?"
Ever since that day, Jamie had learned to tread more carefully lest he risk incurring the wrath of his father and disappointment of his mother.
But this was much worse.
Zoe loved that teapot.
All he could now think of was how upset she would be if she found it broken like this. Either she would cry or be furious at him, refusing to speak to him for a while. He believed the latter was much more likely.
Thinking quickly, he hurried down to the basement and found a small tube of glue among a collection of paint and construction supplies. Racing back upstairs, he carried the broken teapot onto the table and sat, painstakingly trying to glue it back together.
After what seemed an eternity of gluing and moving things ever so slightly this way and that way, followed by intense scrutiny, Jamie sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. He had succeeded in fitting the spout perfectly back onto the rest of the pot. The cracks weren't even noticeable. One final inspection later, the Highlander smiled. There was no way Zoe would be able to tell he had broken it. He carefully picked up the teapot and gently placed it back inside the china cabinet.
The next day, Jamie had returned home to an empty house. It wasn't unusual; Zoe had been working hard lately on that ion storm whositwhatsit thing, but it gave him time to double check the teapot once more. He headed for the china cabinet and opened one of the doors to give it another inspection. Yes, indeed, he was home free.
The sound of the front door opening nearly made him jump and he closed the doors again, trying to act as casual as possible as he met her inside the front room.
Jamie eyed her sympathetically as she heavily walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto it, leaning her head back.
"'Nother long day, eh?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.
Zoe merely nodded her head before turning slightly to look at him. "Do you know what I could really use right now?" she asked.
Jamie shrugged.
"A nice, soothing cup of tea," the petite scientist replied, a tired grin slowly making its way across her face.
Jamie's eyebrows shot up and he tried to tamp down the spark of worry that ignited inside him. "Oh." A light blush diffused across his cheeks. "Weeell, alright. I'll go an' make ye a cup."
"Actually, I'd prefer a whole pot," Zoe told him.
"'A whole pot?'" Jamie echoed in dismay.
Zoe frowned. "Yes. You cleaned it after our tea last night, didn't you?"
"Aye, but – "
"Nevermind, I'll do it," she said, hastily rising from the couch, not looking back as she headed for the kitchen.
"Och," Jamie grumbled in frustration. He then scolded himself: What was he worried about? He'd done a fine job gluing that teapot back together. Hadn't he?
"Jamie?" Zoe's voice suddenly called.
The Highlander cringed. "What?" he squeaked, flushing furiously at the sound of his voice. He coughed and then cleared his throat, trying again. "Um … Wha' is it?"
"Where is the teapot?"
His eyes widened in realization. "Oh." He raced over to the china cabinet and carefully reached for the pot, taking it into the kitchen and setting it down on the counter. He smiled at her. "I decided tae put it away once I'd cleaned it."
Zoe blinked, obviously not expecting the gesture and then smiled. "Oh, that was very thoughtful of you. Thank you."
Her compliment added another layer of guilt. Hands clasped behind his back, Jamie nodded as an awkward smile crept across his face. The kettle uttered a shrill whistle and he watched as Zoe poured the hot water into the teapot, followed by a scoop of tea. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He'd done a fine job after all; she hadn't seemed to notice he'd broken it.
Zoe suddenly met his gaze and smiled again. Jamie quickly forced another smile and then gestured for her to sit down as she waited for the tea to be ready.
Jamie joined her, trying hard to keep his gaze from drifting back over to the pot on the stove. "So, how was yer day?" he asked.
Zoe shrugged. "Fine." She frowned a bit as she recalled her tit-for-tat with Marcus. "There was a bit of discrepancy involving some of our data, but I think it's more or less resolved now." Obviously that wasn't exactly true, but for Jamie's sake she wasn't about to go into detail.
She then headed for the stove, grabbed the teapot and returned to the table with it. "Are you sure you don't want any?" she asked Jamie.
"No, I'm fine," he insisted.
Zoe smiled and began to pour the tea into her cup. Her smile quickly turned into a startled frown: The tea was trickling out where the spout met the pot!
Zoe stared in shock for a moment and then set the teapot back down. Knowing that Jamie must have had something to do with it, she leveled a pointed gaze at him.
Jamie feigned surprise. "Och, would ye look at that!" he finally exclaimed.
Zoe's jaw set, her mouth flattened into a grim line as she continued to stare at him.
Jamie finally dropped the act. "It was an accident!" he shot back defensively. "I'd finished cleanin' it this mornin' an' was aboot tae put it away when I hit the counter." He pointed toward the counter near the sink and then gazed at her apologetically. "'m sorry. I'll take it tae Vaughn tomorrow an' see if he can do a better job of it."
Jamie winced. Zoe nearly appeared to be fuming, but then stopped and merely sighed. "I understand, Jamie. And I appreciate the fact you tried to fix it. You know how much I really like this little teapot." Standing up, she gave him a faint smile and reached over, laying a hand briefly upon his shoulder.
As she left to deposit the teapot in the sink, Jamie expelled the breath he'd been holding, relieved that she wasn't about to kill him.
Zoe gazed at Jamie nervously as he fiddled with a book of matches and then set to work lighting some candles. Not long after they'd both got off work, had dinner and were seated in the living room discussing the day they'd both had, the power had suddenly gone out. Zoe assumed it was due to some old, faulty wiring Old George had. Luckily there were plenty of candles. Armed with the torch, Jamie had gone down to the basement and had brought them up, setting them on top of furniture around the room and lighting them.
"It's jis' like home," he'd told her wistfully. "Jis' firelight an' candlelight."
Zoe smiled and nodded, humoring him despite her nervousness. She was more than a little out of her element, having been so used to backup systems that would automatically turn on during power issues, such as those on the Wheel and even in the TARDIS. Fortunately, Jamie knew just what to do. Electricity was well after his time, but the use of candles and lanterns had been an everyday part of life for him.
The candles all lit, adding a suitable source of light to the room despite the haunting effect of the shadows cast on the walls, Jamie sat next to Zoe on the sofa and they began talking to get their minds off their predicament. Zoe couldn't help feeling antsy — she really wanted to investigate the wiring in the house and find the culprit.
"It can wait till morning," Jamie gently admonished her.
"But I —"
"It can wait, Zoe," he repeated, his voice quiet but firm. "We'll be fine. I'll jis' blow out the candles before we go tae sleep."
Zoe cast her gaze around the room and, with a reluctant sigh, nodded. "Alright." She quickly searched for something to talk about. "So, this is how you lived back in Scotland?"
"Aye."
"Could you tell me more about your life back there? Tell me anything."
Jamie assumed a thoughtful expression before a lopsided, mischievous grin lit up his face. Zoe realized she was about to regret her last sentence.
"Weeell, ye know that well we found the other day? There's a legend of —"
"Oh, no, that grisly legend you started to tell me about?" Zoe said with a groan.
Jamie pouted for a moment but kept going. "Nae, nae, listen, it's verra interesting." He lowered his voice, as if to set the mood. "Ye see, it was called the 'Well of the Seven Heads' an' was all aboot infighting between the different branches of the MacDonald clan. In 1663, Alexander, chief of MacDonald of Keppoch an' his brother Ranald were killed by their cousins in a brawl after finishing their schoolin' in France. Alexander was not a popular clan chief."
Zoe nodded, finding the theories behind the clan infighting morbidly interesting, in spite of herself.
"Anyhow, two years after the killings the murderers werenae brought tae justice an' a man called Bald Iain wanted revenge."
"'Bald Iain'?" Zoe repeated curiously.
"Aye, he was a kinsman of the Keppochs an' somethin' of a poet as well. He wanted tae make them pay for what they'd doon. He was able tae convince a party of men tae go to the home of the MacDonalds at Inverlair, where they murdered an' decapitated the seven killers."
Zoe gave a brief shiver but suddenly lifted her chin and sniffed, obviously trying not to let on she'd been scared. She wasn't fooling Jamie, however.
"Bald Iain wrapped the severed heads in his plaid, tied them taegether with willow rods an' headed to Glengarry. But before presentin' them tae Lord MacDonnell at Invergarry Castle as proof, he stopped tae wash them at a well near Loch Oich.
"A mound on the site was later discovered an' they found seven headless corpses. They say if ye make yer way doon tae Invergarry an' cast yer gaze at Loch Oich, it verra well might jis' turn red … blood red." He grinned wickedly.
This time, Zoe gave a visible shudder and slid closer to Jamie. His wicked grin eased into a warm smile as he casually draped an arm around her shoulder.
His gaze suddenly fell upon the face of his wristwatch. Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion. Five o'clock? It had read that during his walk home from the farm. He took a closer look and found the second hand was no longer moving; he put his ear to the timepiece. Not a tick.
"What time is it?" he asked Zoe.
Zoe took a look at her watch. "It's ten minutes to seven," she confirmed.
Jamie's heart sank. "My watch is broken …" What was he going to do? Not only did he need something to tell time during his work on the farm, but this particular watch was special: it had been given to him by the Doctor, and was one of the remaining mementos he had of his dear friend. Jamie shut his eyes in defeat and sighed. Feeling utterly lost, he scrubbed his hands over his face.
"It's not broken," Zoe suddenly spoke up. "The battery is dead."
Jamie straightened up, removed his hands from his face and turned to her inquisitively. "'Battery'?"
"Yes, the battery is what powers the watch. I can replace it for you." She pointed to the watch. "I'm quite sure I saw a box of watch batteries among Old George's gadgets."
Jamie felt a ray of hope as he gazed upon her in gratitude. "Ye mean ye could fix it? I mean, now?"
Zoe nodded. "After what just happened I won't be able to sleep and this will keep my mind occupied. Plus, you'll need a working watch early tomorrow morning to start work at the farm."
Conceding she was right, Jamie unfastened the watch from his left wrist and handed it to her.
Accepting it, Zoe smiled before rising from the sofa, grabbing a torch and momentarily disappearing into the basement. She'd quickly returned with a set of tools, a kerosene lamp, and what appeared to be a handful of watch batteries. Placing the lamp on a surface that would afford her enough light, she got right to work opening up the back of the watch, exposing a wee compartment in which Jamie spotted another battery.
Jamie watched closely, fascinated as he observed the process.
"I remember the last time I had it fixed," he wistfully commented. "The Doctor had doon it."
Keeping her eyes on her work, Zoe smiled sadly, feeling a painful twinge of loss at the sound of his name. She still sorely missed the Doctor, but was also happy about the new life she and Jamie had created here. Maybe the Doctor would even have been proud to see how far they had come. Her smile turned into one that radiated warmth.
Jamie caught the smile and felt himself smile as well. He enjoyed watching Zoe bent over his watch, concentrating so hard and working closely with the little instruments.
Not to mention, the warm light from the kerosene lamp created such an attractive ambiance, especially the way it hit her hair …
The Highlander bit back a sudden urge to reach over and stroke the glossy locks. If he'd done such a thing, he would most likely startle her and mess up all the work she'd done. Instead, he just sat, admiring her for the work she was doing and appreciating her presence, here with him.
As Zoe worked, she felt her mind wandering back to what had happened the previous night. The friction between Marcus and Jamie during the meteor shower still unsettled her. She was disappointed with Marcus for snapping at Jamie and for what he had called him. It only added to her discontent over the unkind things he'd said about Jamie back when she'd defended him. She knew they were two very different men and it was no surprise they'd be at odds, but she still wished they could be a little more civil toward one another.
She also couldn't forget Jamie's behavior toward Marcus. It was almost reminiscent of how prickly the Highlander had been in regards to when they first met. He had treated her that way because she was "smarter" than him, though she realized that probably wasn't the only factor. It also could have been due to the fact it seemed she was "replacing" Victoria, in a way.
She pushed that separate can of worms to the back of her mind and dragged herself back to the present and her analysis of Jamie's behavior toward Marcus. There was an extra layer of animosity there that couldn't just be due to Marcus being a mouthy scientist. She couldn't put her finger on why and It irked her.
Zoe's mind then went on a different tack: perhaps she and Marcus were too alike.
She enjoyed her scientific conversations and debates with him, and found their shared interests refreshing until she began to notice things in Marcus that reminded her uncomfortably of herself before she met Jamie— her rigidity, her self-importance, and her speaking truth without tact, all these things and more made her an outcast among her coworkers on the Wheel. Sometimes being with Marcus was like looking into a very uncomfortable mirror.
Pausing, she looked up from her work and uttered a soft groan.
"Wha's the matter?" Jamie asked. "Ye need tae take a break?"
"No, I'm fine," Zoe said. Physically, anyway. But emotionally, she was anything but fine. "Jamie, if you could think back to our interaction when we first met on the Wheel, and compare it to how things are now between us, after all the time we've spent together — what would you say? Especially about your impressions of me?"
Zoe was surprised by the sudden hunted look on his face, but then it quickly faded and a fond smile took its place. "Well, there's no doubt in my mind that ye've changed. Ye've come a long way over the time we've known each other."
Zoe smiled up at him. "Really?"
"Aye." Jamie cleared his throat and a little wariness crept back in. "Why d'ye ask?"
"I've been thinking about Marcus."
Jamie seemed to grow even more discomfited. "Oh, aye?"
"Yes, especially about how similar we are with our scientific backgrounds." She cast her gaze back on the watch and began picking at the old battery with a pair of tweezers. "It's not a bad thing to have in common as friends, of course."
Jamie nearly startled upon hearing this. He leaned closer to her. "'Friends?' So ye're nae interested in him as a … a sweetheart?" he asked tentatively.
Zoe blushed a bit. "What? Oh … well … I do think he's good looking and I would be lying if I said I hadn't considered it …" Concentrating on the watch, Zoe did not see the Highlander's crestfallen expression. "But, no. I'm not interested in him that way … we're almost too much alike …"
Jamie gaped at her. "I dinnae think ye're like him at all!"
Zoe looked up at him now with an expression of blank surprise that soon morphed into expectation.
Jamie fumbled with his words for a moment, not expecting to have to elaborate.
"Weeell … for one thing … ye're a female!"
Zoe's brows lowered. "Yes, Jamie, thank you for stating the obvious," she said dryly.
The Highlander winced and tried again. "He doesnae seem tae like admitting he's wrong aboot anythin'."
Zoe wasn't exactly sure this was true. He had offered her that apology right before his invitation to view the meteor shower. "Well, he certainly doesn't seem to like being wrong often," she conceded.
"An' he jis' seems like a computer," Jamie continued. "Ye know, all brains, no heart."
A sick feeling welled up in the pit of Zoe's stomach, one akin to a bandage being ripped off an open sore. It was exactly what Leo Ryan had said to her back on the Wheel. She lowered her gaze to her hands. "Like me," she muttered glumly.
Jamie's heart ached, as if someone was wringing it in two different directions. He gazed sadly at Zoe and neared her even closer.
"No. Not like you," he said firmly. "Aye, I know wha' they told ye back then, but it's nae true. Ye do have a heart, Zoe. I've seen it more and more." He smiled. "Ah mean, look at the way ye kept pesterin' me tae get enough sleep."
The petite scientist smiled ruefully at this. She put down the watch and leaned over, giving Jamie a small hug. "I know I've said it before, Jamie, but I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Ye'd be killed by Fyrlox, water creature, or —"
"I know, I know!" she cut him off, although she was smiling as she got back to work on the watch.
Having inserted the new battery and replaced the back cover, she tested it out. She grinned triumphantly upon sight of the second hand advancing in its normal way and the sound of faint ticking, and she handed it back to him.
"Ye fixed it!" Jamie exclaimed happily. "There's my canny lass."
Zoe smiled as her heart did a flip, his words making her feel strangely proud. She suddenly stifled a yawn as she felt herself growing sleepy. It wasn't that late, but all the hard work she had been doing on this project was beginning to catch up on her. She leaned against Jamie, her head resting on his shoulder.
Jamie lifted his shoulder. "Och, ye can't sleep here, lass, ye'll get all stiff. Come on, let's get ye tae bed." Jamie gently hauled Zoe to her feet despite her moans of protest.
The moment they entered her study/room, the scientist was ready to collapse on the bed, but held her back for a moment, pulling the comforter and sheet back.
"Alreeght, have at it."
With a sleepy smile, Zoe collapsed onto the bed and sighed into the pillow as her body gave into the sweet exhaustion of a full day.
Jamie tucked the comforter around her and, taking a risk, leaned down and pecked her cheek.
"Good night, Zoe."
"Good night, Jamie …" Zoe slurred and was gone.
Jamie gazed down at her with a contented smile and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before backing out through the door and closing it behind him.
Zoe woke early, blinking away the languid drowsiness from which she had emerged. Attempting to move she found it difficult until her gaze dropped to find herself in her own bed with the comforter tucked around her. It all came back to her: the power failure, fixing Jamie's watch, their conversation regarding Marcus and Jamie's thoughts of how Zoe had changed. She smiled, recalling the last words he had spoken on the subject.
Turning to gaze across the room, she could tell by the dull light streaming in through the window that it was very early; probably only several minutes after sunrise. She suddenly recalled her desire to check on the wiring of the house to find out what caused the power failure. Moving aside the blankets, she slipped out of the bed and crossed the room. An attempt to switch on one of the lamps confirmed the power was still out. Grabbing a torch, Zoe quietly traversed the hallway and headed down into the basement toward the electrical panel.
The petite scientist's brow knitted in frustration as the conclusion of her thorough study revealed there was nothing wrong at all with the wiring — at least nothing visually wrong.
She brainstormed some alternate explanations and, coming up empty, headed back upstairs.
Jamie was already up, standing in front of the sofa and running his hands through his tousled hair. "Where've ye been?" he asked. "I went tae check on ye when I woke an' ye werenae in yer room."
Zoe regarded him contritely. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I was downstairs checking to see if faulty wiring was the cause of the power failure." She frowned. "I couldn't find anything wrong with it."
Jamie shrugged. "Mebbe it was jis' a simple power failure that … jis' happened for no reason at all."
"I suppose that's possible." Her perplexed frown remained. "But it's still bothering me." An idea suddenly hit her and she groaned, wishing she had thought of it while she was still downstairs. She headed back to the basement door.
"What are ye doin' now?"
"I just remembered: there was a portable instrument down there that measures the current in the wires. That should confirm once and for all if there is a problem with the wiring."
She just managed to catch Jamie's annoyed 'Och' as she hurried back down the stairs. Within seconds she was in front of the collection of tools and laid her hand upon the portable instrument. Heading back to the electrical panel, she opened it back up and held the device against the wires. It emitted a low hum and as she studied the display, it indicated a very low electrical current reading.
Zoe stared at it in fascination. So, there was more to this than what her visual inspection revealed! What could have caused this? Her mind began to reel with possibilities when the instrument suddenly began emitting a more high-pitched sound. Drawing her gaze back to it, she found the reading had jumped back to a more normal range.
"Zoe, the power's back on!" Jamie suddenly called from upstairs.
Zoe gaped at the machine and took several more readings for confirmation. Once she was satisfied, she replaced the device and hurried back upstairs, coming face to face with a curious Jamie.
"What did ye do?"
"I didn't do anything," she insisted. "When I first took readings of the electrical current, they were abnormally low, but then out of nowhere they jumped back up."
A slight wrinkle of confusion knitted Jamie's brow for a moment before he gave another shrug. "See? I told ye — jis' a simple power failure."
"Mm, yes," Zoe returned tentatively. Perhaps he was right, but, deep down, she remained unsettled by the whole thing.
"Hand me that small spade, will you?"
"Aye, of course."
Jamie returned Zoe's smile as he watched her make a small hole in the dirt to plant another geranium. It was another beautiful day, and getting some work done in the garden seemed to help get her mind off the odd situation with the electricity.
She was about to stand up when she suddenly overstepped and came close to toppling over. Jamie grasped her hand to steady her, his eyes widening at the sudden spark of energy he felt. Zoe hastily thanked him, and he felt her brush up against him.
Another spark.
Jamie turned and noticed Zoe had frozen. She turned to meet his gaze, also wide-eyed.
"Ye feel it, too, eh?" Jamie asked her, his voice husky, his heart pounding.
"Yes," Zoe replied breathlessly, her eyes searching his face.
Jamie stepped closer.
"Zoe—"
"It's the ion storm. It's coming."