"But when I stand before God, I'll have one thing to say to weigh against all the rest. Lord, you gave me a rare woman, and God, I loved her well." He kissed her soundly. Claire returned the kiss making sure to pour all her love and emotion into that final act of intimacy. Her thumb ran over the ring he'd just given her and she hissed.

"It cut me," she said staring down at the small cut on her thumb.

"Aye, 'tis a very old ring. Might have a knick or two on it."

Jamie lifted her thumb to his lip and kissed it gently before using his leverage to turn her around. Claire struggled against the weight of his body pressing against her back. Jamie slowly pulled her hands towards the stone as his lips peppered kisses to the back of her hair. She knew it was useless. Knew he was much stronger than her and once he set his mind to something there was no changing it. She would be going through the stones. He would make sure of it.

"Jamie," she whispered leaning her head against his chest.

"I love ye, Claire. Dinna ever forget."

"I won't," she assured him. She closed her eyes once she could feel the heat coming from the stones. Any moment now and she would touch them, be gone from him. Then suddenly her hands stopped. Jamie froze behind her and, she could feel his heartbeat in her own body. "Jamie?" she whispered.

"I can't," he gasped.

"What?" she tried to turn but his hold on her hands prevented her from facing him. His body was rock hard behind her and his grip on her hands tightened.

"I know I should, but I canna bring myself to do it." Before she could open her mouth to speak the blast of a cannon sounded somewhere behind them reminding them of the battle below. "Goodbye, Claire."

"Jamie, no!"

He held her hands back towards the stone and when he loosened his grip she tightened hers causing them both to fall forward.

The sounds echoed in her ears. The sounds of those who didn't make it through the stones, the unlucky ones, unlike her, or so it seemed. Her head felt light and she didn't dare open her eyes fearing the sensation of twisting and turning would only worsen. Her body moved faster as the screams got louder. Had she joined them? Would some other traveler hear her voice shouting at them through this relentless chasm of darkness?

She received her answer with a hard thump as her body landed on some solid surface. Pain erupted in the back of her skull and her spine felt like it had been torn in two. She splayed her fingers next to her to try and regain some semblance of control; her fingers gripped small blades, and the smell was unmistakable. Grass.

Claire opened her eyes and found a pale clear blue sky above her. She'd made it. She sat up quickly and instantly regrated the motion as the pounding in her head increased. Claire looked around her, it was clear she was still in Scotland at Craigh Na Dun, the stones assured her of that much. But when? Claire carefully stood using the stone to guide her in her efforts. She gulped and wrapped her arms around her middle. She'd done as he asked. Gone back to her own time, left him for the safety of herself and their child. Jamie…

She had to find out what happened to him. He was more than willing to die at Culloden Moor and Claire hoped that Jamie's fate would be recorded somewhere. He wasn't the only James Fraser present at the battle, Claire knew of at least two others, but his rank, his closeness to the Bonny Prince had to mean he'd be remembered. Surely Red Jamie's death would have been written down by the British. She had to find out what happened to him, but first, she needed to get to Inverness.

Claire slowly walked down the grassy hill, staring in the distance where she and Jamie had once set up camp. She could almost see the smoke, his beacon to her and it brought a smile to her face. At least she still had her memories. Claire focused on the smoke, stumbling towards it, not paying any mind when something caught her foot. Claire reached down not bothering to look until she felt the fabric in her hands. It was a tartan, a Fraser tartan.

"Jamie?" she looked around. It was only a moment before she spotted him, his bright red hair made him stand out amongst the green of the grass, he laid unmoving on his side. "Jamie!" she ran towards him. She fell to her knees beside him and rolled him onto his back pressing two fingers to his neck. She began to take mental notes of his injuries. He had a large gash on the right side of his temple, bruises were already forming on his arms and legs, but he was breathing. He was alive. Claire breathed a sigh of relief and kissed his lips.

"Jamie," she smiled down at him. If they were together then it hadn't worked. She hadn't gone through the stones after all. But since she couldn't hear any cannons or gunshots, the battle must be done, the Highlanders had lost. It had to be the day after at the very least or days at the most. That would explain her disorientation. Days of lying under the sun in the heat made her hallucinate and dehydrated. And Jamie… he must've been knocked unconscious. He was a restless sleeper and simply rolled down the hill until he came to a stop at the base.

"Jamie, wake up." She shook him gently. Despite his injuries, he looked peaceful, and with all the stress he'd been under lately, Claire almost hated herself for having to wake him up. Redcoats could come at any moment and Jamie would be instantly recognized as a Highlander. She had to get him as far from the stones and Culloden Moor as she could. They weren't safe here. "Jamie, please."

Claire briefly contemplated dragging him into the small batch of woods but decided against it, his large frame would be too much for her, especially with her current state. No, he needed to move himself. Thankfully, Jamie hadn't lost his canteen during his tumble and she used it to wet her dry throat. The water was warm but still felt nice as it slid down her throat. She took another small sip before pouring half the bottle on his face.

"Christ!" Jamie shouted jumping up the moment the liquid touched his face.

"Jamie," she cupped his cheek. "Go slow, you probably have a concussion."

His eyes narrowed, "Claire? No, ye were supposed tae go through the stones. What're ye doing here?"

"It didn't work," she explained using his tartan to dry his face. "we're still here, together, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Culloden?"

"The battle's done," she finally sat down beside him. "I haven't seen anyone nor heard a sound besides the birds."

"They died without me…"

"And for that I'm thankful." She gripped his hand. "We've been given a second chance, and we aren't going to waste it."

"Where's the gemstone?" Jamie asked lifting up her hand.

"What?"

"The ring I gave ye for the bairn, the stone is missing."

"Huh," Claire frowned. Jamie was right, the stone was missing completely from the ring leaving its holder empty. "but I'm not worried about that right now." she said grabbing onto his shoulder as his body swayed. "You definitely have a concussion, we have to move Jamie, we can't stay here. Not with the Redcoats."

"Aye," Jamie nodded in agreement. He stood quickly and if it wasn't for Claire's hands on his body he would've taken another tumble. "We have tae get out of Scotland, it's not safe here, especially with me by y'er side."

"Where can we go?"

"I dinna ken," Jamie wrapped his arm around her splaying his fingers along the small of her back, "I guess we should stop at Lallybroch first. Jenny might have an idea for us, or at the very least we can rest for a while." They took a few steps forward before he stopped. "The colonies, we should go there."

"I hear Boston is nice and it'll be safe for another twenty years, before the revolution." They resumed walking.

"Revolution?"

"Yes, the American Revolution. Britain loses its hold on the colonies and they become their own country, it's magnificent really."

"Aye, so someone finally kicks the Redcoats' arses?"

Claire chuckled, "Yes, it's a long process but it pays off in the end."

"It should have been Scotland."

"I know," Claire sighed. "but I don't think it was ever in the cards, no matter what we did Scotland and the Highlanders were doomed," Jamie said nothing but nodded his acknowledgment. They walked for several minutes in complete silence, Jamie leading the way and Claire trudging behind him. He stopped in front of her with no warning and she slammed into his back.

"What in God's name is that?" he pointed in front of him.

"What's what?"

"The black river."

Claire stepped around him and her mouth opened in shock, "That's a road. A pavement road." Suddenly it all made sense. She felt disoriented because she had gone through stones, not because she was dehydrated. Jamie must've been thrown when they landed causing him to roll down the hill. They heard or saw no evidence of a battle because there was no battle to be found, at least not in this time.

"It worked." Claire gripped his hand and dragged Jamie behind her as she streamlined towards the road. They reached the road a few minutes later and while Jamie stopped before the pavement Claire happily kept going. They were no longer in the 18th century, this was proof.

"Claire, get off o' there. Ye dinna ken what it is."

"It's a road,"

"No, that's no road I've ever seen."

"The first successful concrete pavement road was built in Inverness in 1865, meaning we're closer to my time period than we are yours. It's a road, Jamie." She smiled at him.

"Come here," he pointed at the grass below his feet. "I dinna like ye standing there on that… road, 'tis not safe."

"It's very safe." She grabbed his hands and pulled him onto the tar. "See?" she stomped her feet to show him its stability. "These roads are built to last; cars zoom over them all the time." Jamie kicked at the hard ground beneath his feet.

"I dinna like it, makes no sense."

"Jamie," she cupped his cheeks in her hands. "all of the things I've told you about – cars, television, radio, airplanes – I get to show them to you."

"Aye," Jamie nodded remembering that particular conversation, "the flapless metal birds."

"Exactly." she pulled away from his body and began to walk down the black pavement. Jamie stood in his spot behind her, hand on the hilt of his sword in case anything should happen. He didn't like this new road, and he didn't like the feeling of uncertainly growing in the pit of his stomach. If they were truly in her time, then he couldn't protect her. He wouldn't know how. But the look of pure happiness on his wife's face eased him slightly. He hadn't seen Claire this happy since they'd found Fergus after Prestonpans.

Fergus… the thought of the lad brought tears to his eyes. If Claire's assumption was true, then the boy would be dead for over two hundred years. He would've died alone; without the love of the people he'd come to know as his parents. Did Fergus get over their disappearance? Or did he hate them for not coming to get him as they'd promised? Jamie's heart shattered at that moment. His thoughts were so consumed with Fergus that he didn't hear the sound behind him, or Claire shouting his name.

"Jamie!" Claire shouted trying to warn him. She had no time to prepare herself as the car barreled into him and set his body flying into the air.