Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Outlander. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Diana Gabaldon. Please support the original release. I do own the original characters created for this storyline. Thank you.
Writer's Notes: Welcome to Timeless! Enjoy!
[Inverness, Scotland: 2022]
Bella's eyes danced over the words in a dusty history book on the Highlands here in Scotland. She was visiting with her mother. She was nearing twenty now but loved the travel with her mom. After the disaster in Forks with her dad being shot in the line of duty, she wanted to just live like there is no tomorrow. Losing a parent was never easy, especially one that she was close to. Her mother was always so free-spirited and she loved that about her. Renee Swan was a character. Spontaneous and brave. Bella strived to be more like her mother. In fact, she was pursuing history like her mother. Her mother was invited to lecture at the University of Edinburgh, so she was there visiting with her mom. Scottish history was her mother's area of expertise. They were descendants from the Scots, so Renee found that area of history very interesting. Renee had the red hair and green eyes typical of a Scot but Bella took on the more Italian look, which she got from her father. Since Bella was taking up the historical mantle like her mother, she was focusing on Scottish history as well. The class she was taking currently with online school, was on historical Scotland and the Jacobite uprising. She was enthralled with the history and wanted to learn more, so traveling to Scotland was a dream come true not only for her mother, but for herself.
"Bella," Renee walked into the library carrying a few books. She was dressed comfortably, despite being a guest lecturer today.
Bella looked up at her mom. "Hmm?"
"I found a few books on Prince Charles that you were looking for. I came to drop these off with you before heading to the university. Rodger Mackenzie is at the market, but he said he would be back later if you needed him as a tour guide." Renee handed Bella the books and Bella took them from her, smiling.
"Thanks mom. When is the lecture?"
Renee glanced at her watch. "Couple hours, but I want to get there to prepare. Discussing Mary, Queen of Scots, to the Scots should prove interesting."
Bella smiled. "Well, you wouldn't be invited to talk if you weren't the expert on her." She pointed out and set the books down on the desk that Rodger Mackenzie was gracious enough to lend to her. They were staying at the Manse, the home of Rodger Mackenzie, a fellow historian.
Renee smiled at her daughter and then blew out her breath. "Alright, wish me luck. I will see you later." She said and kissed Bella's cheek before disappearing out of the study.
Bella watched her mom leave. She glanced at her own smartwatch and then thought about going to Craigh na Dun. The stones were mystical and Bella found that interesting. She didn't need Rodger to show her around when she had her GPS. She made the decision to go ahead and head to Craigh na Dun to look at the stones while taking some pictures. She set her book down and then went to the room that she was using as a bedroom and went to the old, antique golden dresser and grabbed her green sweater for the weather. She looked at her jade bracelet on her wrist, remembering her dad. It was the last gift he gave to her before he was shot and killed. She spun it once before she grabbed her backpack and left the Manse and headed for Craigh na Dun.
[Craigh na Dun]
Bella had only seen the stones in photos in books. Her mom and her got to Scotland four days ago, so she hadn't found the time to visit the stones yet. When she arrived at the stones, she paused to look at their beauty. She took a picture with her phone from afar before she shrugged her backpack off and looked inside for the pocket guide to the Highlands and she found her power banks for her phone. She knew she could spend hours in one place, so she always carried extra power banks with her. She had her laptop as well, along with her sketch books and notebooks for when she got tired of typing. She packed a few snacks as well in there, so she could nibble during her adventure and a couple bottles of water. The sun was out, but the weather was a bit cooler since it was October. She walked towards the stones now, shrugging her backpack back on and then hiking up.
As she approached the stones she heard a buzzing, but she brushed it off and continued up. Soon she was in the middle of the stones and she was in a trance, mesmerized by the beauty of them. It was thrilling to be standing in a spot that held so much historical value. Nothing man made could stand the test of time like these stones. The buzzing was more prominent there in the stones, but one stone seemed to stand out more. She gravitated towards it, looking up at how tall it was, reaching towards the sky. She tuned out the buzzing and she reached a hand out to touch the smooth coolness of the stone. When she did, the buzzing stopped. It was like time shifted under her. When she pulled her hand away from the stone she blinked. She heard the wind blow around her and she glanced around. The trees were still green and she frowned a little. What was going on?