Zoe's gaze fell upon Squirbitt's little hutch and she quickly crouched, looking inside where she spotted the little animal curled into a ball, trembling. She hastily coaxed him out and scooped him up, petting him in an attempt to soothe him. "It's obvious animals can sense such disturbances as an ion storm."
"Oh, aye?" Jamie said distractedly, in an attempt to cover up that he thought they were talking about something else. The gravity of the situation hit him and he stared at her in disbelief. "Ion storm?"
"Of course! What else?" she replied frantically. "Don't you feel it? The atmosphere is filling up with highly charged particles!" Her leg inadvertently brushed up against the large watering can and she flinched as she felt a tiny jolt of static electricity. "That's a harbinger of the ion storms! We've got to get to the lab now!"
"Wait, how do ye know that?"
"One of the scientists had told me this some time ago!"
"An' ye didnae think tae share that wi' me just before?" Jamie asked, still sore deep down that the whole 'attraction' between them had not been what he hoped it was.
"Oh, Jamie, enough!" Zoe shouted. "We've got to —"
She was abruptly cut off by the jangling of the telephone inside the house. She shared a quick look with Jamie before taking off with Squirbitt into the house. The bewildered Highlander followed, rubbing his arms as a chilly breeze tickled them.
Once inside, Zoe lowered Squirbitt to the floor and watched him scamper off to his cushion at the corner of the room before she reached for the phone.
"Hello?" she said tentatively.
A deep voice speaking a garbled message answered. A frown of confusion knitted Zoe's brow. "I'm sorry, I can't understand you," she replied. She listened closely but the message remained as undecipherable as before. She could hear some faint static in the background as well.
"Who is it?" Jamie asked. Not getting an answer, he took the receiver from her. "H'lo?"
The same voice answered. Jamie frowned impatiently, thinking it was a prank caller. "What're ye playin' at, ye daftie?!" he shouted into the mouthpiece.
His face contorted into a grimace and he quickly squeezed his eyes shut, holding the receiver away from his face as the sound of ear-piercingly loud static filled the room.
"Come on," Zoe urged, grabbing his arm. "We've got to get to the lab — we haven't any time to waste!" Opening the door, she noticed the temperature had dropped by nearly twenty degrees since they'd been outside and the sky had already darkened. Thinking quickly, she grabbed one of her cardigans off a coat hook near the door and threw it on. Jamie grabbed his black jacket and donned it before racing outside with Zoe.
Arriving outside the lab several minutes later, Zoe turned to Jamie, gesturing to the front entrance. "Come on!"
The Highlander was about to open the doors when he suddenly froze and looked at Zoe, eyes widening in shock for a split second before he burst into peals of laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" the petite scientist asked frantically.
Jamie pointed to her head. "Yer hair. It's, um …" He trailed off, making a wide gesture with his hands as he tried to contain his snickering but failed.
Zoe's hands immediately flew up to the top of her head, blushing at the sensation of her usual tidy hair now a ball of frizz, sticking out nearly every which way. The corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk as she pointed to him. "Your hair isn't much better."
Jamie's laughter immediately ceased as his hands went up to his head. He wrinkled his nose as he tried in futility to smooth his hair down.
"Come on, we don't have time. It'll probably go back to normal once we get inside."
Jamie conceded this with a nod as he followed her inside the building. Taking a few steps through the vestibule, she turned and caught their reflection in a mirrored panel, sighing in relief as she discovered their hair was already going back to its normal state. She still took a moment to self-consciously pat down her hair, smiling in amusement as she caught Jamie smoothing down his fringe before they proceeded to the main area of the lab.
"Oh, Zoe, there you are!" a voice called out.
Gesturing for Jamie to follow her, Zoe headed in its direction, slowing to a stop before a group of scientists standing behind a large workstation.
Ellen gazed at them in relief. "I'm so glad you got my message."
Zoe tilted her head in confusion.
"I called your house just before, asking for you to come quickly."
"Th-that was you?" Jamie asked, eyeing her in surprise.
"We got a phone call, but the voice on the other end was all distorted," Zoe explained. "There was loud static as well."
"That's no surprise," Dr. Logan spoke up. "The buried phone lines are affected just like the electricity wiring."
Zoe's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh, yes, of course." Feeling a bit foolish for not thinking of it in the first place, a light blush tinted her cheeks.
Ellen nodded. "Although most of the electricity and phone lines are underground, they are still affected by the ion storms. As the charged particles seep into the porous soil, they can affect the wires."
"I see," Zoe mused. "You mean the pH of the soil doesn't even help neutralize them at all?"
"No, the ions are so highly charged, any effect of the soil is practically negligible. It may surprise you to know that we used to have above ground wiring in the early days of the settlement. The ion storms completely devastated them, which prompted us to route them underground. While the storms still affect the wires in the form of occasional power disruptions or failures, it's not to the serious extent they had done previously."
Zoe nodded thoughtfully. She instantly began brainstorming the idea of constructing more resistant wiring. Yes, that was a realistic possibility. But they currently had more important matters to attend to, so she dashed it to the back of her mind.
"So, what now?" Jamie asked.
"We have to grab the monitoring device before the storm hits," Dr. Allen replied urgently. "It's now recording data but there's a slight delay in the process. The results get sent back via a feed to our computers. We're only getting data back from two minutes ago, and it should be real-time."
"Not only that," Marcus added, "it failed to record the last data points, which we would need in order to better predict when the next storm will occur. It also has to be prepped and calibrated to bring indoors."
Zoe had begun to smile but it faltered slightly as the mention of the glitch registered once again. She'd studied the device here and there after one of the scientists had casually mentioned the glitch in the reporting system. She'd even secretly drawn up schematics and worked out how to repair it. She thought she had had it completely resolved, but that obviously was not the case if the delay in reporting was still present. After taking a quick moment to brainstorm, she believed she found the issue and what needed to be done to resolve it.
"I'll do it," she volunteered.
All eyes in the room were now on her, with expressions ranging from mild surprise to nearly complete shock, at least in Jamie's case.
"Are you sure?" Dr. Allen inquired.
Zoe frowned at the tone of skepticism. "Of course I'm sure," she replied, unable to keep the hint of incredulity from her professional, clipped tone. "In fact, I've been working on my own monitoring device for some time now."
Everyone stared at her in shock, but it was Marcus that spoke up.
"What? Why? You know we already have one."
"Yes, I know, but —"
"You were beginning to doubt our abilities, then," he continued, a look of hurt creeping in.
"No, of course not — the opposite. I actually based my model on what you already have and improved upon it. I was going to present it to you tomorrow …"
But instead of mollifying Marcus, he only became indignant. "We've been working on our monitor for nearly a year and you come in and think you've made a better one in the space of a few months?"
Zoe took a look around the room, unable to miss the gaggle of surprised faces before her. She folded her arms across her chest in a gesture of supreme confidence. "Yes," she replied.
The room was mired in silence for another moment until Dr. Allen spoke up. "Well, I'm sure we would be interested in seeing it, but we'll have to leave it for another time. We need to get the current monitor back inside and get the last data points recorded. Now, I think that —"
"Let me do it," Zoe persisted. She knew what needed to be done and was eager to prove she could handle it — not just to them, but to herself as well. People were depending on it.
I couldn't fix the situation with the Doctor, but I can fix this. I can't fail again. I will not fail again.
The other woman sighed. "Alright. Dr. Morelli is usually the expert on these things, but she's out sick today. She did leave some instructions on how to work with the device —"
"I don't need those," Zoe insisted. She then relented, deciding to humor them at least and took the sheet of paper.
"You'll need this as well," one of her other colleagues added, holding up an insulated jacket and thin pair of gloves.
The petite scientist ignored him. Aiming a confident smile at them, she had begun to make her way toward the doors when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Wheeling around, she found Jamie practically looming over her, a look of obvious disapproval on his face. "Zoe, are ye sure ye need tae go out there?"
Zoe's eyes flashed. "Are you doubting me too?"
"Nae, I—"
"Jamie, I can handle it. Don't worry about me."
"But Zoe —"
It was too late; she was already outside.
"Don't worry," Dr. Logan said, nearing the Highlander with a reassuring smile. "She should have enough time before the storm approaches to get it prepped to bring inside."
Jamie gazed at him skeptically. "Should have? Ye might as weel say 'mebbe'!"
The Highlander jogged over to the observation area overlooking the patch of grass where Zoe was knelt down in front of the machine, plugging away at it. His brow lowered as he watched with mounting fear. She was working in a very exposed area, one Jamie guessed would take a pretty big hit from that storm.
He noticed her pausing to rub her hands together and chafe her arms. It was obvious she was uncomfortable. "How far away is that storm thing?"
"She's still got time," Marcus insisted just before checking a screen in front of him. Jamie neared him, trying to read the information over his shoulder, but quickly scrunched up his face as he realized it made no sense to him.
What got his attention more was the now grave expression of concern on the other man's face. "Oh, no," he intoned.
"'Oh no' wha'?" Jamie snapped.
The scientist turned, meeting his gaze earnestly. "She needs to hurry."
"Why?" the Highlander nearly demanded, trying to tamp down the panic starting to well up inside him.
"These new temperature readings indicate the storm is closer than we thought."
"Eh? Well, how close?"
"Several minutes! She can't stay out there much longer — the temperature is dropping too quickly."
"I'm gannae bring her in," Jamie blurted, quickly making for the doors.
"No, you need appropriate protective clothing," Dr. Allen demurred.
"I willnae be out there tha' long," Jamie retorted, moving past them.
Dr. Logan was instantly blocking his path, holding up a heavy, insulated coat. "Put it on!" he demanded. "We will not allow both of you to put yourselves in danger."
Glaring at the man, Jamie snatched the coat from him and threw it on before dashing outside in pursuit of Zoe.
He grimaced as he braced against the onslaught of subfreezing temperatures, ones even worse than he could remember during winters in the Highlands. He also felt odd little sensations against his exposed skin. He briefly shoved his hands into the coat pockets, surprised to discover a heavy pair of gloves inside. He pulled them on quickly as he made his way over toward Zoe.
He was just able to make out the petite scientist, still hunched over the equipment, her eyes fixed on a small screen recessed into the device; her fingers flew over a keyboard right underneath it. Her movements appeared a bit strained and it was obvious the conditions they were both mired in were affecting her.
Jamie marched right up to her. "Zoe, it's time tae leave," he said, his tone brooking no argument.
Zoe paused briefly to look at him in surprise before turning back to the equipment. "J-just one more mo-moment, I've n-nearly f-f-finished!"
"We're goin' now!"
Zoe remained fixated on the receiver. "I've almost got it! We can't miss our chance!"
"So we miss it! It's nae worth it!"
"Almost there!" Zoe shoved down a surge of frustration and panic as her fingers stiffened up, making keying in the command codes for the data presets that much harder.
"Och," Jamie growled, seconds before forcefully picking her up, putting her over his shoulder and running back toward the laboratory building. Zoe fought him the entire way.
"Put me down!" she shouted, kicking her legs and trying to hit his back with her fists.
She paused briefly to look over her shoulder in dismay at the piece of equipment she worked so diligently on, sitting forlornly and no doubt becoming contaminated with ion particles. It would be no surprise to her if it was close to being ruined.
Arriving back inside, Jamie eased her back down, ignoring all the faces staring at them. He then regarded Zoe incredulously as he took her by the shoulders, giving her a bit of a shake. "Wha' is wrong wi' ye, ye daft lassie?! Could ye nae see how dangerous tha' was?!"
Zoe pushed him away. "Y-you ruined ev-everything! I c-could've fixed it!"
"Ye could hae died!" Jamie hotly yelled back, his brogue increasing along with his volume. "There's nae way ye wouldhae been able tae finish tha' afore freezin' tae death!"
Some ten feet away, the other scientists looked on awkwardly. Marcus tentatively stepped forward and tapped Zoe on the shoulder in an attempt to get her attention.
The petite scientist, still yelling at Jamie, impatiently shrugged him off. Marcus reluctantly stepped back into the huddle of onlookers.
"I was f-fine!" Jamie fisted his hands in his hair and turned away in frustration, but Zoe persisted. "I w-was j-just about to punch in the last code! Why d-didn't you let me—"
Jamie suddenly whirled on her and grabbed her by the shoulders again.
"I cannae lose you!"
Zoe blinked up at him. Her mouth was still open, but no words came out.
Jamie bowed his head and took a deep calming breath; he gentled his grip. "Ye're all I've got," he murmured huskily. "If ye willnae be careful for yer own sake, then please … do it fer my sake."
Zoe continued to gaze at him. For the longest moment she merely stood, quietly processing all of this but in the end found herself at a complete loss for words.
Jamie frowned and began to chafe her arms. He had suddenly noticed how very cold her skin felt to the touch, even through her clothing.
"Ye're freezin'."
"N-No, I'm fine. Really," Zoe replied numbly, her brain still trying to process away what he had just told her. She stepped out of his grip and it was then that she realized how very cold she was. Zoe began to shiver in earnest now, as much from nerves as from cold.
"No, ye're nae," Jamie insisted firmly. He shrugged off his coat and held it out to her. "Alreeeght, c'mere."
Zoe slipped into the oversized coat, its warmth tempering the chill just a bit. Her gaze flicked over to the other scientists who regarded her with varying degrees of concern.
"I-I'm sorry, I.." She trailed off, gesturing to the window where the instrument could just be barely seen.
"Don't apologize," Dr. Allen insisted softly. "Your safety is much more important. And we didn't have as much advance warning about the storm as we usually do, thanks to the delay in reporting; otherwise, we would have had more time to prepare the instruments to bring back inside."
Zoe had barely noticed Marcus had left the immediate area and was back in front of the computer screen. "It's over," he announced. "Current temperature is twenty-seven degrees Centigrade, mostly sunny skies, no precipitation, and atmospheric conditions are back to being stable. It's perfectly safe to venture outside."
There was a collective sigh of relief from the other scientists.
Jamie gaped at him in surprise. "Eh? It's already over an' doon with?"
"Yes. Ion storms typically don't last very long — the longest on record was just under ten minutes," Dr. Logan supplied.
Zoe nodded absently as her mind began to wander. Just thinking about the possible state of their cottage made her feel antsy. "I-I think we should be g-going now."
They stared at her. "You're absolutely sure?" Dr. Allen asked skeptically. "A minute or two longer out there and you most likely would have developed hypothermia. We can have a doctor from the health center come over and check you out."
"A-although I am s-still a bit ch-chilly, the coat has t-taken the edge off," Zoe replied stiffly "I don't need a doctor."
"You need to check for chilblains, especially your extremities."
"O-of course. I kn-know what to do for ch-ch-chilblains," Zoe asserted.
Jamie turned to her, his face contorted in confusion. "Eh? Ye do?"
"Of c-course I do," she returned, shakily lifting her chin. "C-c-come on, l-llet's go home." She stiffly began to walk toward the doors when she suddenly turned back to the other scientists still staring at her with nonplussed expressions. "See you M-Monday."
"Well, at least let me drive you both back home, for expediency's sake," Ellen urged, stepping forward.
Zoe sighed. "Alright. We'll b-be outside. Come on, Jamie."
Jamie turned briefly to the others with an awkward expression. "Aye, she knows what tae do … An' I'll make sure she does it." He gave a definitive nod before turning to follow her out.
The other scientists gazed at their retreating forms, Marcus turning to his peers with a skeptical frown as soon as they were out of eyeshot.
"What're chilblains?" Jamie asked Zoe once they'd stepped outside.
Zoe, still trying to digest the events of the last fifteen minutes, failed to answer.
"They're the often painful inflammation of small blood vessels in a person's skin that can occur in response to exposure to very cold air," Ellen explained, catching up to them. "They can cause itching, red patches, swelling and blistering on the extremities."
Jamie's eyes widened in horror. "Y-ye mean…"
Ellen managed to pick up on his misunderstanding of the term and regarded him incredulously for a split second. She then began to chuckle. "'Extremities' refer to the hands, fingers, feet and toes. Nothing more, nothing less."
The Highlander flushed to the roots of his hair. "Oh," he muttered. "Is it dangerous?"
"No, they don't usually result in permanent injury, but they can lead to infection which can cause damage if it's left untreated."
Taking hold of Zoe's hands, Jamie did a quick inspection of them. He winced at the purplish tint to her skin.
"It's al-alright, J-Jamie," the petite scientist said placatingly. "The c-color is j-just due to exp-p-posure. I d-don't feel any itchiness o-or n-numbness." Jamie gave a slight nod, though he was still quite concerned. His gaze dropped to her feet.
"You can c-check my f-f-feet when we get back ho-ho-home," she continued.
"Oh, aye." His gaze snapped back up to her face. "Listen, whatever needs tae be done tae treat it, I'll do it."
Zoe smiled. "Th-Thank you, J-Jamie. I think we've-we've g-got some lotion in the ba-bathroom c-cupboard." Her smile grew tight as she wrapped her arms more tightly around her chest. "C-Could we please go home now?"
Jamie held his hands up in surrender as Ellen opened the back door of the car. He gestured for Zoe to get in and then followed, sliding into the back seat.
As they drove away, Zoe turned around to gaze out the windows. Behind her she could just barely make out a scientist bending to collect whatever was left of the monitoring system. The thought of the ruined equipment brought some new worries to mind. She turned to Jamie in panic. "Oh, no … Our garden! It'll all be ruined!"
"I dinnae care aboot that."
"Well, I d-do!" Zoe shot back incredulously. "I p-p-put so much time a-and effort in-into it and now I-I'll have t-t-to replace it."
"So, we'll replace it."
The petite scientist gazed at him in disbelief. "Have you any-any id-d-dea how m-m-much it will c-cost?"
"We'll manage. It's jist a garden, Zoe."
"Yes, plants and flowers are replaceable. You? Not so much," Ellen spoke up, putting into words what Jamie had been thinking. A gentle smile graced the older woman's face. "And I'm sure some of us would be happy to pitch in with that."
Zoe shot Ellen a grateful smile.
"I'm sorry about how cold it is in here," Ellen continued. "I turned the heat on as soon as I started it up, but it's taking its time getting warm."
"Th-that's f-fine," Zoe told her. Jamie frowned as he noticed she had begun shaking again. Studying her more closely, he found the hair framing her face to be damp. He then remembered that when he'd gone to fetch her, a sparkling sheen had been on her hair and clothes. He now realized that that had been a thin layer of ice.
Jamie reached up and felt his own hair and clothes, including his kilt. He was also damp and starting to feel a bit chilly as well. If he was damp and cold from his short exposure, Zoe would be more so.
They both would need to change into fresh, dry clothes the moment they got home.
Jamie slid up against Zoe, pulling her close in an effort to warm her up as best he could until then.
Ellen finally slowed the car to a stop as the front of the cottage loomed into view. Opening the doors, she exited and watched as the pair stood and stepped out. "Please, call me if you need anything at all," she told them with a smile.
"'Course," Jamie said in reply. "Thank ye for the lift."
The woman nodded with another smile before getting back inside her car and driving away. Jamie watched for a quick moment before returning his attention to Zoe. "Come on," he coaxed. "We'll put on some dry clothes as soon as we get in."
Zoe nodded as she pulled herself deeper into the coat he had given her. Despite the much warmer outside temperatures, Jamie still felt a bit chilly, thanks to his black jacket now being quite damp.
He closed the door behind Zoe once they'd stepped inside and frowned as he saw her still shaking and hugging herself. "Ye should've let 'em help ye warm up at the lab an' call for the doctor if ye were that cold," he scolded her.
Unable to speak due to her chattering teeth, Zoe stubbornly shook her head. Jamie felt a seed of worry germinating within him as he noticed her lips had a bluish tinge to them. He grimaced as he registered the house was a bit cold — colder than he would have expected for summer. The subfreezing temperatures brought by the storm must have affected it. He had planned to reinforce the insulation around the windows but thought he had time before winter to do it. He certainly hadn't been expecting this cold snap, no matter how long it lasted.
With Zoe in the state she was in, he had to act quickly. Jamie propelled her to her room. "Let's get those wet clothes off ye."
Zoe tried to protest. "N-no, I … I can d-do it mys—-"
"Ye cannae even stop shaking long enough tae remove tha' jacket." His expression left her no quarter.
For once, Zoe didn't resent the Highlander ordering her about and taking charge of this situation; she was too upset and cold to care.
Her fingers too stiff to unbutton her cardigan, she allowed Jamie to do it for her. Removing the damp article of clothing, he let it fall to the floor and briefly eyed the blouse she wore underneath before beginning to unbutton it as well. As he reached the third row of buttons, he felt his face flush and he awkwardly cleared his throat but didn't slow down as he threw himself headlong into his mission of warming Zoe up.
At last, he'd taken her layers down to the driest level: a pair of leggings and a camisole. He immediately fixed his gaze toward the ground, quickly yanked the comforter off her bed and hastily wrapped it around her.
"There. Better?" he asked, meeting her gaze now that she was covered again.
"Y-yes," she murmured. "It d-does feel a little better to be in dry clothes."
Jamie allowed himself a little smile. "I'll be reeeight back," he declared reassuringly before making his way down the hall into his bedroom.
He quickly changed out of his own damp clothes and into the first article of clothing he'd laid his hand upon: the black ghillie shirt Zoe had made for him, which was long enough to cover his mid-thigh region. He was also thankful for the pair of boxer shorts he had recently begun wearing under his kilt on Zoe's suggestion—or perhaps 'insistence' was the better word.
He returned to find Zoe sitting in her bed, knees pulled up to her chest and huddled deeper into the comforter. "Feeling any warmer?"
"A bit, but it seems to be t-taking a while," she replied with a slight frown. "I'm still quite cold."
The Highlander chewed on his bottom lip as he gazed at her worriedly. He needed to get her warmed up quickly. An idea suddenly came to him from his own memories of long ago. He flushed slightly.
"Well, I know somethin' that can make ye warm up faster," he said, avoiding her gaze and awkwardly toeing at an invisible piece of dirt on the floor.
"What's that?" Zoe had climbed off the bed and was now directly in front of him.
"A… a wee c-courie?" He winced, expecting Zoe to immediately protest, but she merely tilted her head in confusion.
"A what?"
"It's a-an embrace," he replied. "It's how ma brother an' I kept warm when we were stuck in a snowstorm back in the Highlands." He stopped to lick his lips nervously. "I'd uh, hold ye, uh, tight tae warm ye up, an' — neiver mind, it's a daft idea …" He trailed off sheepishly.
"N-no, it's a g-good idea."
Jamie startled and his gaze snapped back to Zoe.
"Eh? Really?"
"Y-Yes. C-Combining our body h-heat w-wouldbe the q-quickest way." She managed a shaky smile. "I-it's a-actually a v-very l-logical suggestion. I'm s-s-surprised I d-didn't th-think of it f-first."
Jamie's awkward body language changed and he puffed out his chest with pride. "Och, weel … when ye live in the Highlands ye have tae know these things …"
He failed to contain a smile as he witnessed a slight grin of amusement flicker across Zoe's features. He chuckled gently. "An' once ye're warmed up enough I could make a fire."
Grabbing another blanket off her bed, he led her out of the room, putting a hand on her back to guide her down the hallway and into the living room.
He set the blanket down in front of the fireplace and directed Zoe to sit on top of it before grabbing the comforter off her and sitting behind her. He pulled the comforter around them both and, wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her into his lap, his legs encircling hers, her back flush against his chest and torso; in this way he was imparting as much of his body heat to her as possible. He himself was already feeling the chill leave him and it was only a matter of time before Zoe's temperature would be back to normal.
He angled his head slightly to glance at her face before he rested his chin on her cool shoulder. He felt Zoe stir a bit in surprise — as if not expecting the touch —- but she quickly relaxed.
"Och, yer cheek's still cold," he said, nuzzling her cheek in an effort to warm it up.
Zoe bit her bottom lip to keep awkward giggles from spilling out at the sensation of Jamie's cheek rubbing against her face. The slightly sandpapery sensation from the light stubble along his jaw was something she didn't quite expect. She finally settled in a bit more, allowing her eyes to drop shut and tilted her head back against his shoulder.
At last she was beginning to warm up. Zoe let out a sigh of comfort. Jamie gave a hum in reply and snuggled his face into the warming hollow between her neck and shoulder. A prickle of awareness raced up her back as her brain finally registered the proximity of Jamie's body to hers. She absently marveled at the way his masculine contours molded so naturally against her soft, feminine ones.
And now all she could think of was what she saw at the hot spring back in the Azurians' settlement.
Oh, dear …
She tried hard to wrestle back her scientific thinking, reminding herself that this was only to help her warm up faster.
… And it was certainly working.
In another desperate attempt to divert her train of thought, it laterally shifted to their living arrangements and she found she missed being in bed with him; his solid, reassuring presence. The one that calmed her fears when she was stirred out of sleep by incessant nightmares involving their last interaction with the Doctor. Or the fears borne out of hearing strange noises during their first night here.
Speaking of noises … Zoe's eyes snapped open as she heard some subtle creaking noises, most likely coming from the wind and the poor insulation around the windows Jamie had once told her about.
Her breath hitched as the noises grew a little louder.
Sensing her nervousness, Jamie's hold tightened around her waist and he nuzzled her cheek again. "Dinnae fash yerself, Zoe," he soothed sleepily. "It'll be alright. These old places are made tae last."
A big gust suddenly rushed past the house, causing the windows to emit a loud creak.
I hope.
Zoe turned her head and Jamie lifted his to look at her. As she gazed at him a small, tentative smile of gratitude for his care and concern made its way across her face. Jamie smiled back. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned back against him.
Jamie very well could have saved her life—he also very well could have lost his life in the attempt … and it would have been all her fault.
Jamie's smile faded as Zoe's head suddenly dropped forward. Wondering if she was okay, he pulled back her hair to see her face and found her eyes welling up with tears. The Highlander turned her around in his arms to look at her and she quickly grabbed fistfulls of his shirt and began to shake with sobs.
Jamie's eyebrows leaped to his hairline. "Zoe?" he asked tentatively.
"I'm sorry," Zoe blurted between sobs. "I'm s-sorry I scared you! I was so a-arrogant to think I knew better than the other scientists—that I would succeed where they failed! I'm sorry I put us both in danger!"
"Och, Zoe," Jamie murmured sadly, smoothing her hair back.
"Wuh-why do you put up with muh-meee?" she wailed. "I'm sure V-Victoria never c-caused you a day of tr-trouble!"
Jamie froze and arched an eyebrow as he gazed at her in total bewilderment. Her dramatic outburst was totally unexpected — but Victoria?
Where did that come from?
Zoe finally stopped and looked up at him, her tear-worn face red. Ignoring the shock and confusion written all over his face, she sniffled and gave a forlorn sigh. "It must have been so easy with her. After all, you were both from two very similar time periods — more similar to each other than to my futuristic world. You probably never had to pull her out of any trouble caused by her own foolishness. She probably never gave you any resistance and just went along with whatever you and the Doctor did. Am I right?"
Jamie, at a loss for words, merely blinked at her.
"Not like the time I tangled with that reception computer back on Earth and you and the Doctor had to rescue me and Isobel from Tobias Vaughn. Or the time I foolishly decided to take the Krotons' test. You had to try and save both me and the Doctor then." She looked away bitterly. "But, no. I'm sure everything was just smooth sailing with Victoria."
Jamie's heart broke as he gazed at her. He took a moment to think about how to put into words what he wanted to say, and then… "Aye … things were easier with Victoria than with ye …"
Zoe scoffed through her tears, as if to say 'of course they were.'
"Wait, lemme finish," Jamie coaxed softly. "Ye were not as easy, but it's because ye are so different— but nae in a bad way." A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Things are neiver dull with ye."
Zoe tilted her head a bit in confusion, and almost felt a little offended on Victoria's behalf. "So that's how it was with Victoria? Dull?"
"Weeeell, no, I wouldnae say tha', but things were nae quite as … exciting as they were when you joined us." His grin became a bit playful. "Ye've kept me on ma toes. Ye make me think aboot things in ways I'd neiver thought of before."
Zoe smiled a bit in spite of herself. "And I'd be lying if I said you haven't done the same for me."
Jamie froze, arching an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Oh, aye?" he said, his smile becoming smug.
Zoe's smile was wiped from her face. In its place was a mildly irritated scowl. "Don't congratulate yourself too much," she warned before the edge of her mouth twitched into a hint of an impish grin of her own, ruining the effect.
Jamie uttered a gentle laugh that warmed her to her toes. "But it's true," he said. "Whatever we have here … works. Can ye nae agree?"
Zoe took a moment to process the question. Ever since she and Jamie had been separated from the Doctor and on their own together, they had grown a lot closer and more dependent on each other. And not just that, but their different strengths actually made up for each other's weaknesses. If she had been asked long ago whether she thought she could get on without him, she probably wouldn't have been able to answer.
Now? She couldn't be more sure of her answer.
"Yes, Jamie. I agree," she stated confidently.
Jamie's smile grew, his expression equal parts happiness and relief. He suddenly cast his gaze down at the comforter wrapped around her and his expression became nearly pained. "Jis' dinnae ever do that agin, eh?"
Zoe laughed through the last of her tears. Calming, she rested her head against Jamie's shoulder, sighing.
Jamie gazed fondly at her for a moment before turning towards the fireplace. He thought now would be a good time to get a fire going, if not to warm Zoe up a little more, then at least create a nice backdrop to this lovely moment between them.
"Be reeeight back," he whispered into her ear before gently extricating himself from her and padding over to the fireplace. A quick survey revealed how much wood he would need, and he quickly strolled over to the back porch, returning with an ample supply of logs and then setting to work starting a fire. He grunted softly in frustration as it was taking longer than he expected to ignite. Finally an impressive blaze burst forth, and he sighed in relief.
"Jamie?" Zoe's voice called behind him.
He turned around, eyeing her curiously. "Wha' is it?"
The petite scientist's lip jutted out in a pout. "I'm cold again."
Jamie quickly crawled back over and repositioned himself against her.
Zoe sighed in contentment, smiling at the sensation of the locks of his hair brushing up against her neck. A few minutes had passed and she could feel the warmth returning to her body, thanks to Jamie and the fire — but especially Jamie.
"Are ye too warm?" he suddenly asked.
"Why do you ask?" Zoe muttered.
"Yer cheeks are as red as a MacGregor tartan," he replied teasingly. His grin then eased into a soft smile. "Or better … the color of a Highland rose."
"Oh … really?" The petite scientist avoided his gaze, her cheeks growing even rosier.
"Mmm," he hummed.
Zoe smiled, reminding herself of how lucky she was to have him. As she registered his fond gaze, she also remembered what he said about caring for her like a brother. She never had a brother, but would a brother look that warmly at his sister? Zoe looked away as her thoughts turned to his attractiveness: the brawny features. The thick, shaggy chestnut hair she'd already had the pleasure of touching. The strength and security she felt in his arms. His full, sensitive mouth, always quick to smile and laugh. His hazel eyes that could be soft with compassion and flash with anger, both no less compelling to watch —her current train of thought was not one a sister should be having about a brother.
The Highlander suddenly poked one of her warm cheeks with his finger. "Aye. They're as red as my uncle Angus' nose after a dram o' whisky."
Zoe batted his hand away, her warm contemplations instantly dissipating. She inwardly scolded herself for overanalyzing this so much. Clearly, she was on the wrong track in regards to both their feelings. Letting go of her obsessive ruminations, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Jamie turned and smiled gently as he carefully extricated himself from her and carried her off to bed.
Jamie rose early the next morning and headed quietly over to Zoe's room to check on her. He stood in the doorway, gazing upon her peacefully dozing form with a soft smile.
Last night he saw a new side of Zoe.
She had always seemed so sure of herself and confident. This new world and the new situation between them, without the Doctor as a buffer, had slowly revealed previously unseen weaknesses as well as strengths.
He thought back to their conversation the night before, his mind settling on what she had told him regarding the comparison of herself with Victoria. He was still quite flummoxed by that. He chuckled quietly to himself.
The daft lass …
Jamie decided to show his appreciation by making some tea for her — and if she was especially hungry, well, he'd have that covered, too.
Some time later, he approached her bed, setting the teapot — the one she loved so much which had now been properly fixed — on the bedside table along with a cup.
"Zoe?" he asked quietly as he gently nudged her.
A slight frown creased the petite astrophysicist's brow and she wrinkled her nose a bit. "Mm?" Opening her eyes, she startled a bit as she met the Highlander's gaze. 'Oh, good morning, Jamie."
Jamie smiled gently. "Giud mornin'. Would ye nae care for some tea?" He gestured to the teapot on the table.
Zoe turned in the direction he was pointing, her mouth dropping open in delighted surprise. "Yes, I would very much like a cup of tea." She smiled. "Thank you for offering."
Jamie returned her smile and bent to pour her a cup. "Are ye hungry? I made bannocks." His smile broadened.
Zoe was surprised he'd gone to all the trouble, but was quite hungry and couldn't refuse. "Oh, yes, I would."
"Alright. I'll be back." He grabbed the teapot and headed for the door, turning in surprise as he watched Zoe slip out of bed, grab her cup of tea and follow him. Stepping inside the kitchen, he gestured to the table upon which a platter of bannocks sat waiting. He placed the teapot on the table before pulling out a chair for her to sit down. She smiled up at him in thanks before taking a sip from her teacup. Jamie was about to sit down when he noticed the bowl and large wooden spoon he'd been using earlier had been left out.
"Go on — help yerself," he urged Zoe as he went to deposit his supplies in the sink.
Zoe gave a melancholy sigh. "Oh, Jamie. I don't deserve all this."
Still holding the spoon, Jamie turned on her sternly.
"Now I'll have nae more o' tha' sort o' talk out o' ye, my lass or I'll — I'll put ye over my knee an' larrup ye wi' this spoon — see if I don't!"
Zoe burst into laughter at the threat and then gazed expectantly at him, almost waiting for him to carry on with the threats.
Instead, he smiled and began to chuckle. He had been bluffing, of course, even though he was serious about wanting her to cease her self-pity. He was hoping she would laugh at the fond reminder of their first meeting, and was pleased at the outcome.
"Nice day, isn't it, John?"
Sixty-four-year-old John Giardino turned up his gaze to the sky as he took in a deep breath. "Yes, indeed, Myron. Nice, typical Athenian summer day. Can't complain; nope, nope."
He smiled as he noticed Meg Lawson and her husband, Bill, approaching, along with neighbors Sally and Ben Pietroski. "John!" Meg called cheerfully. "How is Peggy doing?"
"Oh, she's doing fine. Still putting in a lot of hours at the greenhouse." He paused to glance at his watch. "She should be meeting me in, oh, around ten minutes for lunch."
"I can imagine how busy she must be with all those extra plants that were brought in at the last minute, especially after that ion storm the other day," Bill said with a little shiver.
"Yeah, that was quite short notice, wasn't it?" Ben piped up. "I take it you all were able to save your plants? Get your pets inside?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, we had no problems," Myron said. "Even with the monitor on the blink, we been here long enough to expect when these things are gonna hit. Did you head up toward Old George's place, though? Garden took quite a beating. That young couple squatting there must not be runnin' on all cylinders, if you get my meaning."
Sally tilted her head skeptically. "Aren't they pretty new here? They probably don't know much about the storms. There's a good chance they weren't prepared."
"Pah! Nonsense!" John exclaimed. "They've been here several months at least! The girl works in the lab — she'd know a thing or two about these storms! And what happened to that monitoring system anyway? Sabotage! That's why it took the girl so long to work on it."
Ben rolled his eyes in apparent disgust. "Oh, come off it, John. She risked her life to fix it."
"It could have been an act!" the other man shot back. "It was working fine before those two arrived. I tell ya, if that doesn't point to sabotage, then I don't know what does."
"Makes sense to me," Myron added with a nod. His eyes widened in sudden realization. "They could very well be Azurians, you know!"
"You can't be serious," Meg retorted. "They don't have the right color eyes. I've seen them from time to time — without sunglasses."
"They could be using some sort of technology to change their eye color!"
Bill scoffed. "You really think they have the technology to accomplish that?"
"They obviously passed through the entrance gate with no problems," Sally pointed out. "No alert had sounded. We've always been alerted when Azurians have tried to break in."
"They could have some technology that masked their unique markers or emulated that of humans!" John said, undeterred in his belief. "Maybe even something injectable!"
Ben laughed derisively. "I highly doubt they're that advanced as to come up with something like that!"
"Why not? I'm sure there is plenty about them we don't know," John continued. "They could appear primitive on the outside, but inside be devious, smart, wizard-like folks. And as far as that young couple goes, what a coincidence the monitoring system just happened to mess up after they arrived."
"You two don't realize how ridiculous you sound," Meg said. Her remarks failed to stop the other men from continuing their outrageous speculation.
Just beyond the village center, Ellen and Vaughn had exited The Paddock cafe. Their busy schedules had usually kept them from having lunch together during the week, but today had been a welcome change. They shared a smile as they were about to head over to the center, having spotted a few familiar faces.
As they drew closer, they heard a lively conversation and their smiles faded as they picked up on what was being said. Ellen's jaw dropped and she turned to her husband, a look of disgust upon his face as he heard the ridiculous accusations being lobbied against their dear friends. On occasion, both John and Myron had ideas that were a little 'out there', but none as completely preposterous as this.
As they approached, a few of the group turned and met their gazes.
"Oh, Vaughn! Ellen!" Sally called, waving them over.
"We can't stay long," Ellen said with a forced smile. "I've got to get back to work soon."
"So, what's all the chit-chat about?" Vaughn asked, getting right to the point.
Most of the group appeared embarrassed and briefly avoided their gazes. "Well, we were just talkin' 'bout that ion storm that hit the other day," Myron finally answered. "Funny how it hit with a lot less notice than we're used to, ya know?"
"Yes, well, that's been known to happen on occasion," Ellen said tersely. "I should know; I work in the lab."
"Balderdash, young lady," John protested. "I've been here on 'Thena almost longer than you've been alive, and we always had plenty notice before those things hit. And it's interesting how it seemed to happen after those neighbors a'yours moved in."
Vaughn bristled. "Are you suggesting they sabotaged the monitoring system?"
"Maybe I am and maybe I ain't, " the other man shot back. "All I know is, something that's worked before went wrong. What's different? Them! It wouldn't surprise me if they were Azurians in disguise."
Vaughn fixed the man with a severe glare, using as much grace as possible to prevent shoving him. "Do you know what an absolute crackpot you sound like right now?! In the first place, how could a couple of people with brown and hazel eyes be Azurians? And in the second place, what reason would they have to sabotage the system and cause all kinds of havoc to the settlement?!"
John and Myron remained silent.
"We know Jamie and Zoe," Ellen said, her voice quiet in a way that made her husband cower when she was angry. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, Zoe has been a big help to us in the lab; she actually modified and perfected our system to give us even more advance notice for future storms." She turned to Vaughn. "Jamie has helped my husband with some woodworking, and he's also working on Old Abe's farm."
The corner of Vaughn's mouth curled into a smirk. "And now you're gonna run back home and make sure those bottles of milk you bought the other day haven't been poisoned, aren't you?"
"Look, what you're speculating is complete nonsense," Ellen continued. "We know them better than anyone and they are not Azurians; nor do they harbor any ill will or ulterior motives toward anyone at the settlement." She held their gaze pointedly. "Trust us."
The group stared at them, some appearing effectively chastened. Ellen and Vaughn shared a brief look and then began to walk away, missing the sidelong glances from the two men who had been the object of their wrath.
Zoe paused to drag a hand across her sweaty brow before resuming her hard work in the garden. Finally finishing another row of strawberries, she sat back and smiled, feeling accomplished with all she had done on the last of her three days off from work since the ion storm. Under any other circumstance, she would have grumbled at the hot summer weather, but after what she'd just experienced it was more than welcome. She had even aimed a grateful smile at the beams of sunlight falling across her bare arms.
She had also been thankful for all the help from her friends to get the garden back to its former glory. Ellen, Vaughn and Stacey had all pitched in to help her replace what was lost. Jamie had even helped her with some of the planting during his lunch breaks from work at the farm.
The sound of nearby footsteps pierced the quiet solitude and she lifted her gaze to find Ellen approaching, carrying a potted plant dotted with small, white flowers.
"It's jasmine," the other woman told her with a smile before gesturing to the garden. "I know you've got enough here now, but it also makes a good houseplant. Might help brighten up your kitchen."
Zoe returned her smile. "Thank you, Ellen. That's very kind of you." Accepting the plant, she gently set it down on the grass next to her before stepping back and surveying the garden once more.
Noticing Ellen in her peripheral vision studying her, she turned fully toward the other woman.
"How are you doing?" Ellen asked, her expression tentative.
"Oh, I'm feeling much better," Zoe replied with another smile. "Hot baths and sitting in front of a good fire in the fireplace helped me warm up." Her smile widened a little as she kept certain elements of that truth to herself.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Ellen said. "You do look much better." She hesitated slightly. "We appreciate all the work you've done on this project. I can't tell you how badly we all felt about letting you go outside to work on the device when it turned out the storm was approaching a lot faster than we had expected."
"Oh, please, don't worry about it. I've worked with so many different machines over the years to understand that they aren't always infallible." She gazed upon the other women sheepishly. "I should be the one to apologize for not being able to get the equipment for the monitoring system all calibrated to bring inside."
"Zoe, that's nonsense. You have nothing to apologize for. If you'd been out there a moment longer, you really could have ended up with hypothermia. We're grateful to Jamie for rushing out there like he did to bring you back inside."
Zoe paused to think about that. "Yes, I'm grateful to him, too," she said to herself. How she wished she had thought so when he'd first brought her in. She knew she should have been grateful to him, but her own need to prove herself had taken priority.
"Well, I'll let you get back to that," Ellen said, ripping Zoe from her thoughts. Her gaze snapped up to the other woman, who gave her a pleasant smile. "See you tomorrow morning." She was about to turn and leave when she suddenly paused, her expression growing sad as she looked at Zoe.
Zoe grew a little uncomfortable as she tried to decipher what was behind Ellen's sudden change in demeanor. "What's the matter?" she asked, a frown of concern knitting her brow.
Ellen shrugged it off after a moment. "Nothing at all — we're just grateful that you're alright." She turned to leave, flashing a wave at Zoe.
"Thank you again for the plant," Zoe called after her. She gazed in confusion at the other woman's retreating form before shifting her attention to the potted plant next to her. Picking it up, she studied the dainty, white flowers and took a curious whiff, smiling at the lovely perfume that greeted her senses.
