Chapter Seven…Packing everything but the kitchen…and not just the kitchen sink…

Roughly a day later, Lexie was in tears as she packed the children's room. Everything was coming to a head as she didn't want to leave her home. She had spent a greater portion of the day in the kitchen, prepping and cooking one of the last meals and watching through the window as Megan played in the garden with the twins. Lexie couldn't take the twins away from this place or even Megan. What if she didn't find a nanny in Boston to tend to the twins? Her mind wandered to the teddy bears wearing shirts, one which had 'Jayne' and the other shirt with 'Wayne' as both names were printed on the front. She didn't even notice the knock at the door or the curious shoes in the doorway, witnessing her pack.

"Lex?" It was her mother in law, good ol' Molly to the emotional rescue.

"Yea?" She tossed the bears into a box and wiped her face with her hands before turning to Molly.

"Oh dear, don't cry. There's no need for tears is there? Everything will be alright." Molly put an arm around Lexie, as she tried to comfort her.

"Molly, nothing will be the same. We're moving on and I'm still not sure if it's a great choice. Ever since I came to Glenbogle, it's been my stable life. My mother wasn't there for me when I turned 16. My father, he left me when I was six. I want stable for the twins, not dysfunctional. Moving away from family when they are so little isn't the best choice, Molly, now is it? I can't let Archie down either, now can I?" She was in more tears with her confession than when she was packing the children's things alone.

Molly believed that Archie knew best for his family and if moving them all to Boston was the right thing to do, then he should do it. He had stayed in Glenbogle long enough to save the village and now it was his time to move on with his family. She understood, but she saw Lexie as afraid, afraid to leave the only place she's ever called home. Molly refrained from speaking her mind to Lexie, mostly since the decision about starting a new life was between Lexie and Archie and not Molly, Archie and Lexie.

Archie stood outside of the doorway listening in. His wife seriously wanted to stay and didn't want to move to Boston with him. The thought perplexed him, but then he understood, with how choppy Lexie's childhood was, and she didn't want their children's childhood to be mixed up too. He had promised her yesterday and the day before that he's be there for their growing family and he wasn't one to up and leave like her father had years upon years ago. Perhaps he got wee bit over excited about the fact of running a restaurant again. He knew setting up a team could take more than six months time, maybe two years at most to keep a great franchise up and going. However, he didn't want to leave without his wife or his family. Completely stumped, he walked away from the doorway and about to escape down the hall when Paul bellowed out to him.

"Don't you know peepin' isn't a keen thing to do?" He joked, but his brother didn't see the humor in his pun.

"Paul. For someone who seems to be doing a lot of messing up, how do you always end up on top of it all?" Archie strolled up to him.

"I'm not on top of it. Arch, about Lili and the whole wedding fiasco…"

"Ah, yes, about that." Archie was about to lecture Paul, but then he changed his mind.

"I'm sorry that I tried to solve the immigration problem that way."

"It's not solved, Paul. Lili still has to meet with the officer tomorrow morning."

"I know."

"No, you don't know. If you're going to run the place to the best of your ability, you can't use deceit as a way to do it." Archie judged, as his brother started to get defensive.

Paul became tense, before pausing for a moment, trying to think of the best way to answer him back, and he couldn't think of anything 'civil' so it came out, well, 'harsh.' "I didn't use deceit, Arch, I used my own common sense."

"Common sense, that's how you got us into this mess in the first place."

"What do you care anyway? As it's me mess, and you're boarding a plane in less than 24 hours for a new life, new beginning?"

Archie stood there bewildered, knowing his brother was right, as he was technically leaving for Boston this evening. He replied, "Oh."

Paul craned his neck, rubbing the back of his left shoulder with his right hand before finally replying back, "Sorry."

"Right. Look, just have Lili meet with the officer on Monday. She'll have the documents and don't show up in Duncan's place, whatever you do." Archie advised, hoping that Paul would accept his advice.

"Have her show up alone?"

"Yea, it'll be much more convincing." Archie explained, as both men turned to see Lizzie coming up the stairs.

"Is this a private party or can anyone join?" She teased, as she carried two empty boxes. She wasn't always a joyous soul, but since she had been back to Glenbogle, she showed some kind of happiness.

"I'll see you both later." Archie nodded soundly before descending down the steps to the front foyer.

"Arch?" Lizzie called out, after giving Paul a look of 'what in dear heavens has got his knickers in a bunch?' Then again everything at Glenbogle had Archie's knickers in a bunch, drastically and dramatically. Lizzie stepped after her brother, not even excusing herself from Paul, who turned away in the hall and started to walk towards the twin's room.

"Archie!" Lizzie yelled out as she ran out to the study, before finding him in the kitchen. "Arch?"

"What Lizzie?" Archie finally responded to her.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me."

"Something is for sure troubling you and it's not me, now what is it?" She questioned before Archie smartly replied, "Everything about you is troublesome."

Lizzie wasn't hurt by his remark as she just blew it off and let it roll off her shoulders before pegging Archie's problem right on the nose. "It's this moving away business isn't it?"

He stopped short, before choosing his words carefully, "Lizzie."

"Well, go on with it? It's not like yer that swift at hidin' things from yer dear sister, yanno." She eyed him up and down before finally blowing out an exasperated breath, "Archie, you are the most judgmental soul I know. Yer heart is in the right place, even if yer mind isn't."

"You're one to talk." Archie snapped out, but his response still didn't phase her. "What does that mean anyway, my heart and mind?"

"Archie, Lexie clearly doesn't want to leave, nor the twins, nor do Martha or I want you both too."

"Lizzie, what have I told you about sticking yer nose…"

"I'm one of the world's worst relationship advisers, but I can tell that leaving, packing up your family, isn't going to take you away from any kind of guilt you have for Jamie." Lizzie replied as her face grew distant and distraught. They never once shared a conversation, a close one about losing their brother or their father for that matter. She felt awful at first for bringing it up, but it was true, Glenbogle was home and Boston wasn't or any place that Archie moved too. She had done it herself, moving around to India, Africa, Australia, bouncing around the world like a white sing along ball, but she always found solace at home and ball always brought her home.

"My moving has nothing to do with Jamie." He closed himself up, but Lizzie studied his pained expression on his face.

"Dear brother? Then why are you moving away?"

"I wanted a good opportunity for Lexie and the twins to have a big and bright and welcoming life, one which I could provide everything for them."

"I see. Well, Lex and the twins don't want to move away, Arch."

"I know this, Lizzie." Archie mumbled and then muttered, as he hated the idea of agreeing with his sister, but he did.

"I have a sisterly suggestion and, dear brother, you can take it or leave it…Let them stay here for six months, don't move them on so fast, and go to Boston if you must, but leave them here to live until things are much more together with that restaurant idea." Lizzie tried to talk sense into him but Archie stood there.

"Liz, I never wanted to divide my family, you know this. I feel like I could be doing something more for them than running an estate in the middle of the highlands. I s'pose I jumped the gun a wee bit when I already agreed with Killwillie to take on the job as a manager, gather our plane fare and passports, living arrangements with Andrew, thanks to mother. But I was so thrilled with starting a new chapter in my life, that I forgot about Lexie's feelings in this, didn't I? I can't upset Lex and move her, can I? I mean Mum jumped ship when she was with Dad after things got rocky and rough, and look what happened…"

Archie was hinting at how Paul became apart of their family.

"Dear Gd, Archie, you are the world's worst drama king. Nothing would ever happen to your marriage to Lexie. I see how she looks at you and I know she is in deep love with you. So why on earth worry about the state of your marriage this way? Arch, Mum came back and created the lot of us with dear ol' father, so you shouldn't be so negative all the time, must you be?"

"Would you stay here if I went to Boston without my family and look on after them? I'm serious Lizzie, you have to be in a good state of noggin' health."

"Arch, I'm not going anywhere as Mum gave me a job as a manager for her shop. Martha starts school term soon up here and so…for once in my life, the drugs are working to help me and not go against me." Lizzie winked, "Let them stay. Phone them often, maybe, just maybe, you'll decide to come home?"

"Ahem, since when are you allowed to stalk about in my kitchen?" A voice called over from the doorway, Lexie stood still as she gazed at her husband and then her sister in law.

"Lexie, love." Archie face went from gloom and doom to a light of hope. Lizzie gave her brother's shoulder a quick rub and then nodded onto Lexie before voyaging out of the room.

"Aye, wha? Why are ya looking at me like I'm a fresh bit of meat, Mr. MacDonald?" She stared at him before he gathered himself closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, I was pondering the move to Boston, actually." He replied quietly as she listened in, hoping, praying he was going to tell her they weren't going to move.

"Yea?"

"How about I go and you and the twins stay?" He stared at her, glanced her up and down for a reaction…but she wasn't showing signs of life. She then gagged out, "You go?"

"Yes I go. You stay."

"Archie, I didn't want you to go either. I mean moving across the ocean blue with you and the twins would be difficult enough…"

"That's why I believe you should stay."

"Arch, we can't stay."

"Why not?" He was hoping for a compromise. He wanted her to see he was trying hard to make one. "I mean, you and the twins would be here, near all of our family, and I'd be in Boston for six months working for Killwillie and getting an idea of what it takes to open a successful restaurant in America."

"You already opened a restaurant, remember?"

"Lexie, please, it might be hard on being apart, but I could phone you each week. Send what I could for money to help you and the twins…I'd be back on holidays for sure. It could work for us."

"You're doing this for us and not for someone else's benefit, like Sir Killwillie?"

"Lex, I promise. I'm doing this for my family."

"Arch, you're my family."

"Yes, I am. There's other family for us to tend too." He nodded his head out of the window as they both watched the twins and Megan be-bopping around the front lawn in a pram with smiley happy faces.

"You would leave tonight, right?" Lexie's face went from sadness to a more subdued state as she turned to look at him. She embraced him as he did her.

"It's only temporary, Lex. If things worked out so well, I'd be sending for all of you. If they didn't well, I'd be home in your arms again before you could even blink a word of when are you coming home?" He inched his face towards hers, tipped her chin upwards and then their lips touched in a sweet kiss. "What do you say?"

"I'm not sure of what to say."

"You'd be home, Lex. I'm not taking you for granted and you know this. I'm doing this business venture for us. I'd scout out the place, find us a decent home if the job pans out and send for you."

"I-I…okay." She smiled, but her upper lipped expression faded as she would miss her husband.

Chapter Eight…Laird's last dinner…

Everyone gathered around the long cherry table with old-fashioned, yellow velvet covered, high back chairs. There was also one defined royal looking throne that sat at the head of the table. Golly stood off to the side with his bagpipes and traditional tartan and a cap, as he's the Head Keeper of the Estate. Archie was the head of the table, as he gave Golly an instant nod of his head and the bagpipes started to play. Everyone was dressed formally as they watched Golly put the bagpipes down and the gathering was then instructed by the Laird to sit down.

The twins were sitting in high chairs at the table, just for tonight, as Minnie was off in the other room sleeping in the playpen that Lexie had Megan set up for her. It would be one of the last dinners which Archie would attend as Laird. Instead of sitting himself down at the head of the table, he gave the throne to Paul, his brother.

"Are you sure that I sit here?" Paul replied quietly but Archie was insistent with his hand gestures and Molly nodded on to him about excusing Golly so Paul would sit down.

"Paul, if you don't park it, I'll take the bloody chair with me to Boston." Archie replied as he sat down next to his wife in what would have been Molly's seat.

"Better do as he says," Lexie nodded with a laugh. It was the first laugh that Archie had heard from her in a long time.

"Right-y." Paul's brows rose and then descended back into place.

"Besides Lex and I have an announcement." Archie glanced in Lizzie's direction. She paused for a moment watching him carefully stand up from his chair.

"Announcement?" Molly proclaimed as she stared at Golly, slightly worried.

"Ah, yes. Well, Lex and I did our fair share of discussing our fate the past few days. It's nice to know everyone has been supportive of us moving on to Boston, however, there's been a change of plans and thought of staying..."

"Staying?" Molly shrieked, before wrapping her arms around Archie and Lexie, kissing them both, but she didn't let her son finish his reply.

"Mother, you might want to sit down for this." Lizzie insisted as Molly gave her a very sideways glance.

"Well, I'm stayin' and he's goin'." Lexie replied as she plastered a smile on her face the only way she knew how.

"You're still leaving?" Molly's face dropped.

"Yes, mother. I am. Lexie, Jayne and Wayne will stay here until I come home or I send for them."

"Oh." Molly sat herself down as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She was confused as to how her son could move away and leave his family to be cared for. She didn't, however, have the heart to disagree as it was still their decision and not hers for deciding.

"That's wonderful." Lili ran up to her cousin and hugged her, as Duncan did the same.

"Lexie will stay with the children?" Paul asked cautiously.

"Yes, Paul. I'm staying." Lexie replied, swiftly, holding her judgments about Paul running the estate successfully to aside.

"Aye, right on, good." Paul nodded, but the idea of being the Laird with his brother's wife still there didn't seem to sit too well with him, but he couldn't place his finger on why.

"That's settled then. Let's eat." Molly answered, trying to hurry dinner along. Lizzie stood up from the table with her glass of water in a wine goblet and smiled widely, "To my brother and his family business venture, May you find the right luck and happiness, if not, come home soon."

"Here. Here." As Archie's glass of wine clanged with Lizzie's and he grinned back at her. Lili excused herself from the table as she headed out of the kitchen and into the living area to check on her daughter. The phone rang and rang as Lili had hurried herself out of the small living area where Minnie was sleeping to answer the phone. "Good evening, Glenbogle House."

"Lili?"

"Dad?" She gave a sigh of relief, happy to hear her father's voice.

"I'm on a flight for Wednesday. You remembered, right? I'll be coming in on the 13:30pm sleeper?"

"Of course I remembered you flying in. How could I forget?"

"Well, good because I'd like to meet the man my daughter claimed as her husband." He joked, as he sensed a heavy sigh coming from her. "Lil, what's wrong?"

"Dad, well," She thought about how to explain to her father that the reason her and Duncan tied the knot so soon wasn't just because of love, but also because of immigration.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"Not exactly. Well, sort of." As she caught herself in a bold faced lie, but her father just laughed on the other end of the line as he added,

"Expecting another grandchild so soon?"

Lili chuckled too, at least her father tried to make the best of a difficult situation, "No, Dad."

"Okay, what is it then?"

"Nothing much, just having some difficulties with my work permits."

"Work permit? You're married now, and you shouldn't need it, should you?" He asked kind of concerned and kind of not, Lili had a hard time trying to read him over the phone.

"It's nothing, Dad. It'll be all worked out in the morning. How are things at home?"

"Home's fine. However, Glenbogle is your home, is it not?" He laughed again, but Lili didn't find the humor in it. She still referred to Maine as her home.

"Dad, I'll see you Wednesday at 13:30pm at the station, okay?" Lili changed the subject. She didn't answer him about Glenbogle being her home, which actually bothered Phil MacKinney, but he just assumed she'd talk about it when he got there. He could tell his daughter was distant and possibly very homesick.

"Aye, I just need to order my meds and I'm ready for the trip." He hinted.

"Dad, make sure you bring that blood sugar tester with you though."

Her father laughed again, "Looking out for me while there's a sea between us?"

"Always." Lili ended the call and a small smile faded from her face. She then turned her body to Paul standing at the door.

"Yer dinner is getting cold, Lil. I told Duncan I'd…"

"Thanks." She nodded, as she tried to walk past him but he stopped her mid-step.

"Everything alright?" Paul quizzed her, as he could tell something was wrong.

"Yes, my father is flying into Glasgow on Wednesday, and I'll have to pick up on the sleeper around 13:30pm. I'm going to have to borrow the truck." Lili announced sharply.

"No problem. Um, Lil?"

"Yes?" As she had turned to walk out of the study and stopped part way in the hall, before adding, "Paul?"

"About tomorrow, it's best if you face the officer alone. Do you think you can handle it?"

The immigration visit wasn't far from her mind, as she replied, "Yes I can."

"Good then."

"Lil!" Duncan hollered into the hallway as he spotted his wife and his new boss. He allowed Paul to find her, yes, spend more time with her than he liked, no. He had excused himself from the table to retrieve them both.

"Right, dinner is getting cold." Lili walked away from Paul. He wanted to place an arm on her shoulder to let her know he could tell something was still plaguing her, but he refrained with Duncan standing there. He was always pretty good at reading Lili, better than her husband.

After dinner, everyone stood outside on the front stoop, hugging and kissing Archie good bye. Archie nuzzled his mother and Lizzie (and Martha too), shook his brother's hand, gave Lili a quick hug, and shook Duncan's hand as well. And then he gave his children a dear bear hug, embraced Lexie with not only his arms but his lips to hers too. Lexie wasn't ready to let him go, and everything that they had decided on, even if it was for their benefit, still upset her.

"Now, no crying. I'll be back in four weeks tops." His hands rubbed his wife's arms as he smiled, but he felt like releasing a sea of emotions too. "I'll ring you every so many days. I'll miss you, you know this."

"You promise to ring me once you arrive?" Lexie asked, as fleeting tears from her eyes escaped and streamed down her cheeks. Archie kissed it tenderly away.

"Of course, I will. Tend to the children and I'll be back before you know it."

Paul packed the back of the truck with Archie's suitcase as he nodded to him. Archie released Lexie as he walked towards the truck, took one last look at the old stone castle and then hopped into the front passenger's seat. The truck beeped as it drove away.

Golly stood there as he had sent Archie off like if he were his son, remembering all of the times he watched the young laird grow up. In the meantime, as he stood there thinking about Archie and his leaving Glenbogle for the next six months, his heart ached, not because he was sad, because something in his body still wasn't quite right. Golly and Molly strolled back into the castle with the twins in tow.

Lexie stood there as Lili had her draped around her dear cousin and she smiled, before replying, "You're here, you know and he will be back again very soon."

"I know. I just didn't want him to leave." Lexie stated as more tears fleeted down her cheeks.

"He didn't exactly want too either, but this is a good opportunity for him to set your life up away from Glenbogle."

"I don't want us to move away from Glenbogle, Lil."

"I know you do. You're giving your husband a big chance to do something he's always wanted to do." Lili gave Lexie a loving squeeze.

"You're not okay, are you?" Lexie asked her cousin quietly and if on cue as they waltzed back towards the house.

"What do you mean?" Lili asked curiously.

"I mean with this immigration thing?" Lexie asked, as if she was getting all down to business. Her husband was gone, and she needed time to take over things with the estate. The last person she trusts is Paul to do the right thing.

Lili noted a change in her cousin, just seconds after Archie left. She stared at her for a moment and scratched her head.

"I mean we can't assume Paul knows what to do?"

"Lex, I'm facing the officer first thing in the morning alone." Lili quipped, as Lexie gave her a look of displeasure.

"You're not."

"I am."

"You cannot."

"I have too."

"Paul cannot let you face the immigration alone and neither would your bam pot husband." Lexie's sudden fear of losing her cousin was a bigger deal than just recently sending off her husband because Lili was her closest family to her and she had already lost enough family, as she could bear to loose Lili.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"You mail the documents to the officer, whatever his name was, and call him and tell him you're both going on your honeymoon and won't have time to talk about your living papers. They just need proof that you're legally married to Duncan." Lexie quick witted and outspokenly shouted out.

Lili stood still for a brief moment as Duncan was in the hallway and heard the last part of Lexie's suggestion.

"Are you telling me wife what to do?" He gave a small laugh and stopped when he didn't get a reaction from either cousin.

"I'm simply suggesting what neither Arch nor Paul told her. I think you both should go way on your honeymoon and I'll take care of Minnie with Lizzie."
Lexie demanded, as she shot Lizzie a look of, 'you are going to help them, are you not?'

Lizzie beamed as she stood in the front foyer, "I'm sure Martha and the twins would be very happy to have Minnie up at the house, while you two lovebirds scurry away."

"That's very sweet of you both, but…" Lili started to object, only for Duncan to reply, "I need a word with me wife." He carted Lili in the small lounge.

"Here's our chance to go away and you're not interested in takin' it?"

"Dunc, I can't exactly up and run from immigration, can I?" She shook her head at his request.

"But we'd get away for a little while, you know." He lifted his brows in quotes about could happen while they were indeed alone…show lots of lovin'.

"Dunc, you're sweet, but my father is coming Wednesday." Lili blurted out, only for Duncan to give her a look of, 'yer da is doin' what on Wednesday?'

"He's comin' all ready?" Duncan's mouth dropped solid.

The last time Duncan met Lili's father, it was quite a fable. He mistook the man as the delivery guy for a painting that Molly was shipping off to Andrew in America. Then after dinner while Duncan carried in Lexie's Cherries Jubilee dessert, he tripped over his own two feet and knocked her father into the flames and partially set him on fire—well, his tie that is! Duncan felt horrible about it. It was bad enough the first dinner he had with Lili he accidentally sent water crashing into her lap, but to send her father up in flames on his first Glenbogle House dessert?

"Duncan, he's not mad at you about the tie." Lili replied quickly as she knew his look on his face. "He appreciated you buying him twenty new ties, remember? Just relax. Maybe we can go away for a few days, yes. But no where far…"

"Lili, I'm…speechless." He stuttered and she laughed before gathering his face close to hers and planting a kiss firmly on his lips.

"Okay, speechless, let's talk to Lexie and Lizzie about our going away?" She tugged his arm, but before being able to escape she was pulled towards his body and snuggled in close.

"We're going away?"

"Did you burn my poor father's tie?"

"Yes." As Duncan hung his head and lifted his face to glance at her.

"It's settled, I s'pose." She chuckled and nodded with a smile. Duncan with his silly huge grin simpered and nodded back at her.

Chapter Nine…Holy COW

That evening, Golly and Molly were returning from a bicycle built for two adventure... They both were laughing aloud at Golly's recent joke while he stepped off the bike, and for brief moment, he saw stars...and then he couldn't breathe. Molly in sheer horror, hollered out to him, "Golly! Golly?"

He tumbled to the ground in the driveway before he was no longer conscious. Lili and Duncan were walking down the path to their croft, when they saw Golly collapse. On a full footed sprint, the pair raced towards Molly.

"Molly? Golly, what the?"

"He just stopped laughing and dropped to the ground I'm afraid." Molly replied in panic as she sat on the ground next to Golly. Lili took a moment to check for signs of life from Golly. "He's breathing isn't he?"

"Duncan, what has Golly had to eat recently?" Lili asked him straightforwardly.

"I dunno."

"He didn't touch dinner."

"He didn't eat very well yesterday or the day before did he?" Lili questioned Molly.

"Well, no." Molly replied in more worry.

"He's not dead, Molly. We need to get him inside and something into him." Lili shouted aloud, as Duncan and Molly glanced at each other and then Lili. All three of them arm carried Golly inside, as they dropped him onto the old high back couch and tried to bring in sugar and water.

"He's dehydrated, isn't he?" Molly asked, as Lexie and Lizzie crowded at the door way in fear.

"Call a doctor, Molly. He's in some type of shock since he hasn't eaten in days. Do it quickly!" Lili alerted her and then her head snapped upwards as she stared at Lizzie and Lexie, "Get some water!"

Paul finally made way into the room, wondering what the problem was, before noting Golly passed out on the couch. "What's wrong with…?"

"Paul, we have no time for chatting about. Just find a blanket for Golly. Go, Now!" Lili shouted at him. Paul ran out of the room, but with the family's real luck, the doctor showed up in ten minutes flat. He had another call which wasn't far from the house, so he simply received the call from his office and ran onto Golly's aide.

Hours went by, minutes passed on, and then seconds revealed, that Golly was going to be just fine. The doctor stood there. "Lucky I wasn't in town and close by, I don't know what any of you would have done."

"Just tell me Ainslie he's going to be all right?" Molly pleaded, as the old doctor carted her to the side.

"Molly, he's going to be fine, but the old man has to eat three regular meals, and not many carbohydrates." He stated firmly his diagnosis.

"Not many—what?"

"A few years back Golly was going blind, do you remember?"

"Yes, Ainslie, but…?"

"His father died of a heart attack at a very ripe age, you knew of this, right?"

"Yes, but what does this…?"

"Molly, he's got diabetes. He's got Adult Onset diabetes. It's nothing hugely serious and can be treated wisely, by glucose meds and by his diet. This means he cuts down on those sugars, and eats more fats and of course protein."

"You mean he's got to change his diet?"

"Molly, if he doesn't follow a strict diet, you won't be so lucky next time if he goes into another diabetic shock-he'll pass on before you can even dial my number again. Going blind and having heart problems is very common for someone with diabetes or just the history of it. Make sure the ol' fool eats three times day and has two snacks in between. "

"Oh." Molly stood there as her eyes wandered into the small lounge where her soon husband was. The doctor nodded her to go in, "Go on, see him. I'll get some tests done on his blood, but I'm pretty sure, Gol, is a diabetic. Tell that young lady, thank-you for knowing what do when he went into shock."

"Who?"

"Her." He pointed to Lili as Molly replied, "Oh right. Thank-you, Ainslie for coming so shortly."

"You're welcome. I'll get back to you about those tests in the morning, but for now, make sure Golly rests and doesn't do anything work related for a few days." The doctor sure enough, saw himself out.

Lili sat on the small chair as Molly entered the room. She nodded to Duncan's gesture of leaving him alone as Lili rose to her feet, Molly wanted her to stay. Lexie and Lizzie had left the room to help out their kids to bed as Paul wandered out to the Wildlife Center to work on the books.

"Thank-you for…?" Molly couldn't even begin to thank Lili for reacting so quickly where her fiancé was a concern.

"Molly, don't worry about it."

"No, darling, how did you know?"

Lili gave her a hug and replied, "It happened to my father years ago."

"I'm sorry, my child." Molly sniffled, as some tears fled to her cheeks.

"It's alright. He's on meds, has to test his blood, and do the routine diet change, but he's lucky."

"I s'pose, Gol's lucky too?" Molly smiled faintly at Lili.

"Of course, you both are."

The phone rang and rang, again and again as Lizzie zipped into the study to answer the phone. At first she wasn't sure of what exactly to do, as the phone call for was Golly, so she took a message.

"I'm looking for me Da. Just leave him a message to call Jessica back," the voice deeply inquired.

"Um, Jessica, hang on for just a bit, lemme see if I can gather Molly, eh?"

"All right," Jessica, or as her father always called her, 'Jess' stood with the school dorm phone at her ear. She was still away at University and every Sunday night she tried to call her father and tell her she was doing great at school. Part of it was a bold faced lie and the other half was, well, the truth.

Lizzie strolled towards the small living area and spotted Duncan as he had been standing outside of the door waiting for Lili so they could prepare for their trip away together. "Duncan, psst…" Lizzie whispered as she tried to wave him over.

"Huh? Whad? Me?" He tipped toed over to Lizzie and trailed behind her into the study. She held the voice of the receiver on her hand. "Duncan. It's Golly's daughter. You know."

"Who?" He looked at her baffled as she thrust the phone receiver into his hands.

"Jessica." Lizzie gave him a wild look as he spoke a hello through the phone.

"Hi. Da?"

"Oh no, Jess. It's not Da, Duncan. How you been?"

"I'm okay, I s'pose. Um, listen, is something wrong with Da? Or did he go somewhere? Can you…?"

"Jess, yer father collapsed out in the drive." He announced but Lizzie rolled her poor eyes at him.

"Dafty, don't say that. You'll scare the poor dear girl out of her mind! Just tell her Golly is well and that he'll call her when he's doing better."

Duncan got his words all jumbled up as Jessica became worried on the other end of the phone. "Is he okay?"

"Yea, I mean, aye, yes, well…he's fine. He'll call you when he's feeling up to it, aye?" Duncan then stupidly hung up on Jess as Lizzie gave him a puzzled look.

Jessica stood there as she scanned the room and removed the receiver from her ear before dialing the Glenbogle House once again. And this time, Lizzie took back the phone and answered, "Hello. Glenbogle House? Yes, Jess. He's okay."

"Tell her if she needs a ride, I could give her one."

"Are you mad? You're supposed to go away on your honeymoon for a few days." Lizzie held the voice of the receiver in her hand again and glared at Duncan.
He nodded for her to continue with her conversation with Jess. "Duncan will pick you up from school if you need a ride. He'd drive down to Glasgow and pick you up."

"No, I'll take the sleeper. Just have Duncan meet me at the station." Jess replied as she ended her phone conversation and darted back to her room. She proceeded to pack a yellow hikers backpack, cramming her clothes in and telling her teachers and roommates what was going on. She would have to take a few days in Glenbogle, to see her father was alright for herself. Lizzie glared at Duncan again. "You and your wife, don't seem to like the idea of getting away do you?"

"Lizzie, Jess, is an old friend. Her father isn't doing so hot. Lili will understand that I have to go get her."

"Lili doesn't know about your little thing you once had for Golly's daughter does she?"

"Lizzie, it's not what you're thinking. No, I never felt it was necessary to mention Jess to her." As Duncan and Lizzie were bickering back and forth, Lexie entered the room.

"Ahem, am I interrupting?" Lexie added, as her mind kept floating back to her husband and hoping he's call soon to tell her he made it to Boston.

"No," Lizzie shook her head as Duncan added bravely, "Jess is coming to visit Golly tomorrow. I'll be picking her up from the sleeper."

"What?" Lexie asked, as she cocked her brows at him.

"You heard me." Duncan stated before concluding, "And both of you get over yerselves, I'm not one for falling over someone while I'm married to my one and only love."

"I hope so." A voice called out, it was Lili and she was directly standing right behind Duncan as he shut his poor hanging out mouth.

"Lil," Duncan smiled, but Lexie and Lizzie waited for Lili's reaction.

"Who's visiting?" Lili asked, as her eyes grew wide.

"Just Golly's daughter," Duncan stated once again without any sort of emotion.

"I remember Golly mentioning her. That sounds nice since she's coming to see him. Good." Lili gave a nod of 'okay' towards Lexie, Lizzie and her husband.

"Wait you do?" Duncan's mouth dropped, slightly as Lili stared at him curiously.

"Yes, I do. I had finally submitted my divorce papers and Golly told me he had a daughter. He spoke very fondly of her like a father should."

"Ah." Duncan replied as he shot both Lexie and Lizzie, 'she has no problem with Jess what so ever…so get over it.'

Both ladies broke out in laughter at how Duncan was acting around Lili and the subject of Jess' arrival at Glenbogle.

The next day, Jessica Mackenzie waited at the train station for a good twenty minutes before deciding she'd hike to the Glenbogle Estate. She tried to picture her father in her mind, but the image became blurry and fuzzy. She walked down the dirt road and continued to hike on as she was about to cross the road, a horn blared out to her.

Lili was late with picking Jess up. She told Duncan she'd be happy to do it since he had upkeep to tend to with Golly resting up for the next week. Lili noted the tall long haired blonde and tried to wave the girl down. "Jessica Mackenzie!"

Jess stopped short when she heard her name, at first she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that the brunette was heading for her in the old truck. The truck pulled over to the side of the road and Lili climbed out.

"Jessica?" Lili shouted aloud as Jess cocked her head to the side.

"Aye?"

"I'm sorry I'm late. Duncan had things to do at the house and well…" Lili opened the back of the truck for Jess to put her pack in.

"It's all right. I just assumed he was picking me up. You're?"

"I'm Lili, Duncan's wife. I've never met you, but your father talks of you often." Lili winked, but Jess was baffled, before forcing a smile.

"I see." Jess hopped into the truck as Lili did the same and they started to drive off towards the estate.