I dreamt of Jamie again, not a night went by that I didn't. We were riding on a horse and reached a small stone castle with a stone arch surrounding the path in front of us. "Wow, it's really as beautiful as you said." I looked back at Jamie.

"Lallybroch is yer home as much as it's mine."

I tried to take in as much as I could before I eventually woke. Jamie's arms around me were tight but not stifling. And his chest was solid at my back. I leant against him and he kissed behind my ear. "Someday, I hope ye'll let me bring ye both here."

"What?" And then I was awake. Jamie woke up almost immediately after I did.

"Sorry." He said. "I must've fallen asleep. I'm verra sorry Sassenach. I dinna ken what ye must be thinkin' right now."

"What?" I was confused, that's what I was thinking.

"With what happened last night and then waking up next tae a man. I wasna thinking."

"Jamie no. You are not him. There's no comparison. You make me feel safe. Thank you for staying with me last night. Did you… did you dream of Lallybroch?" I asked and watched as he froze.

"Aye."

"You said you hope that I'll let you take us there."

"Aye, I did." There was an unreadable look on his face.

"Have you been dreaming about us?"

"Every night since we met."

"So have I. I think… I think we're having the same dreams."

"Claire," I flinched. "Sorry, Sassenach. That would be witchcraft no?"

"Maybe. But I did give a man third degree burns last night with my skin. Maybe I am a witch."

"What was that spell Murtagh said ye did when we first me?"

"I don't know. It was from a book, hang on."

I climbed down off the bed and pulled up a loose floorboard. Jamie watched as I removed the grimoire from the hiding place and set it on the bed. I flicked through to the spell I was looking for.

"This is it." I said.

"That's a bonding spell lass."

"What?"

"I ken latin. It says it shows ye a deep soul-bond through dreams and pulls ye together."

"Oh Jamie, I'm so sorry. I didn't know and I understand how much you hate magic."

"I dinna hate magic. I was born God-fearin' and magic doesna have a place in religion. They burn witches lass. Ye need tae be careful."

"I know. But apparently this witch burns back." I swallowed dryly.

They sat in silence for a moment, neither knowing what they should do. Claire was thinking about if her abilities were connected to her time travel. And Jamie was thinking about his religious childhood and the few, but still impactful, people he'd watched burn alive on a bonfire. He thought it was just back then, but who knew if they were really witches, or even like Claire; as innocent as a bairn.

"D'ye want tae see the lad's room?" He asked out of nowhere. "It isna done, but it's verra different."

"Sure." I smiled, but knew it didn't reach my eyes. I was arguing with myself internally. Maybe it would be better if I left France. Too many people thought I was a witch here, and that was okay when I wasn't one. But it was far too dangerous for me here now. I had a royal pardon, but no doubt that it would be rescinded if I didn't follow the king's every order.

When we got to Fergus' door, I held my hand out to stop Jamie's arm. "Do you think it might be time to go back to Scotland?"

"I willna go wi'out ye Sassenach." He looked alarmed.

"I meant the three of us."

"Truth be told, even after what happened last night, yer safer here than ye would be in Scotland."

"But here everyone knows I'm a witch. In Scotland, I'm just a Sassenach."

"Ye'll be a charred Sassenach before long." At his words, I dropped my hand from his arm. "Scotland is a superstitious country. Ye'll no' last a month."

"I…" I stumbled back. "I have to go." I rushed down the stairs in only my shift with Jamie calling out my name.

I ended up in my herb garden. There were a few herbs that could be harvested. I got to work, dirt collecting under my fingernails and tears collecting on my cheeks.

Fergus appeared dressed and carrying my wicker basket. "Milord told me to tell you he will come back tomorrow with Murtagh and his cousins to finish my room."

"Thank you Fergus." I took the basket from him and started to collect the herbs I had already harvested and set aside into it.

"Milady?" He seemed nervous. I set down the herbs and looked up at him. "I heard you talking about Scotland. Are you leaving?"

"Not for a while."

"You have been a very kind mère to me milady, I do not want you to go."

"Oh Fergus. I would never go without you." I pulled him down to a hug. He gripped me tightly and I kissed the top of his head where it rested on my shoulder.

Fergus helped me collect the remaining herbs and then bring them inside. I quickly changed into a dress and pulled my hair back, and then I opened up the shop. My hours had been more erratic since I met both Jamie and Fergus. But I only regretted it a little.

I swept the shop floor and sold bundles of herbs to customers. It was a normal day. Plenty ordinary until a small man, who vaguely resembled a frog, walked into my shop.

"Bonjour Madonna." He said with a trusting smile.

"Bonjour, but my name is Claire, not Madonna."

"Of course. It is but a nickname. I thought you would prefer it to your other nickname."

"Well then, Madonna it is." I smiled, baffled by the small man.

"I am Master Raymond. I wanted you to know that you have a friend. Should you ever need one."

"That's very kind, but I'm not sure anybody can help me with my problems right now."

"Maybe not all of your problems, Madonna, but the young man will come back, and I can certainly help with your newfound gifts."

"How did you know?" I wasn't sure whether he was friend or foe, but he knew too much to discount either way.

"I am like you." I raised my eyebrows. "Well, only somewhat like you."

"We should talk in the other room." I locked up and showed Master Raymond to the back room.

We sat across the table from one another. "So tell me, Madonna, what magic have you done so far?" I watched his face. As far as I could tell, he was genuine and at least moderately trustworthy.

"I burnt the Duke of Sandringham, and I created a soul-bond, or something, between Jamie and I. It was an accident, I didn't know."

"Ahh, Madonna. You cannot create a soul-bond. Only God can do that. You just revealed it. You have been having shared dreams yes?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"Strong. You and Jamie are destined. He will come back. Of that I am certain."

I let out a breath of relief. I didn't know why I trusted him. I didn't know him. But he seemed legitimate.

"Try using your magic when you are alone. The quicker you learn to control it, the less likely you are to be caught."

"I have a pardon from King Louis."

"Oh, my dear, that will only last until you start to scare people. Find control. I will see you soon."

"Oh, you're leaving?"

"Oui, you have a visitor."

As I led Master Raymond to the door, I saw Jamie waiting outside with his eyes glued to his feet. "Until we meet again Madonna." Master Raymond disappeared down the street.

"Jamie. Fergus said you wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

"Aye, that was the plan."

"And now?"

"I dinna want tae leave with ye angry at me. I shouldna have gone. But I'm here now. Can ye forgive me?"

"I understand you don't want me to get hurt. There's nothing to forgive, I'm sorry for running away."

"If ye really want tae go tae Scotland, I'll take ye both. It's no' a good idea tae disrespect the king, but if it's what ye want we can go."

"I've been thinking too. You know Scotland better than I do. We should wait until I have control."

"I think that's a wise idea."

Not too much later, a messenger arrived from Louise inviting me to tea the next day. "Are ye okay with four strange Scots in yer house while yer out tomorrow Sassenach?" Jamie asked when I told him about the invitation.

"Four?"

"Aye. There'll be me o' course, Murtagh, and my cousins Rupert and Angus. The lad's bedroom should be finished by the time ye get back tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you Jamie."

"And then I'm just gonna have tae find another excuse tae spend time here, wi' ye."

"You don't need an excuse." I said, taking a step closer to him.

"No?" Jamie's hands moved to rest on my waist. They were large and firm, stable, trustworthy.

"No." I tilted my head back and pressed my lips to his. As I settled into the kiss, my hand reached up and found its way into Jamie's red curls. He moaned and pressed up against me.

He pulled back eventually to allow up both a breath, and rested his forehead on mine. The fire was crackling loudly behind us. I turned. "I didn't make a fire." I said.

"Maybe ye were right about getting control."

"Are you scared?"

"I'm terrafied." He said and I pulled back. "No' of ye Sassenach, fer ye. I verra much dinna want ye tae be killed."

"Well, I don't want that either."

Jamie didn't stay too long after that. He seemed much lighter than he had since we found out about my magic or abilities or whatever the hell it was.

That night, I dreamt of a hearth. Jamie and I were lying on a tartan blanket on the stone floor in front of the fire. "It's nice here." I said, moving my head to look at him.

"Aye, it's verra bonny." He said looking at me.

"Wait, Jamie. I think I can control the dream now."

"Me too."

It was weird to be totally in control in a dream. It felt like reality, but I knew we weren't actually in that house, we were separate and in our own beds in Paris. I realised with each new dream of the two of us, came more control.

The hearth changed and suddenly we were standing outside Lallybroch again. "Did you…?" I asked.

"Aye." Complete control for both of us then.

"I don't understand what we're supposed to do here."

"Show me some place from yer childhood Sassenach."

I thought hard about a place that wouldn't unsettle him with the existence of modern amenities. Egypt it was then.

Without warning, Jamie and I were standing over a thirteen year old me and my Uncle Lamb as we excavated an ancient collapsed pyramid. "Egypt." I said, not tearing my eyes from my uncle's face. Had it really been over three years since I'd seen him?

"Is that yer Da?"

"No, my uncle. I lived with him when my parents died." I unconsciously took a step towards Uncle Lamb.

"He must be verra special tae ye."

"He was."

"I'm sorry, mo chridh."

"It was before I moved to France. It's been a long time."

"No time is long enough. Losing a single parent is harsh on a child, I can't imagine what it was tae lose three."

"Who did you lose?" I tore my eyes away from Uncle Lamb to look at Jamie.

"My Ma. Murtagh loved her as much as my Da did. I think he came wi' me because he couldn't stay in Scotland wi'out her. Da dinna have that option. He has responsibility. Anyway, that's enough fer one night."

We were back at the hearth again. We stayed there in silence, taking in the warmth of the fire until we eventually woke.

Before I left my bedroom, I focused as hard as I could on moving my dress from the wooden chair it laid on to my hands. As hard as I tried though, nothing happened. I sighed and fell back against the pillows.

It wasn't more than an hour before the four Scots were knocking on my door. I dressed up as nicely as I could for Louise and smiled shyly at the intake of breath from Jamie.

I recognised Rupert and Angus from the day I patched up Jamie. "It's nice to see you both again." I said kindly.

"An' yerself Mistress." The larger of the men said, Rupert I thought.

I led them all up to Fergus' room. He was awake but not yet dressed. I grabbed a bundle of his clothes and ushered him into my bedroom to get dressed.

The men started the work without complaint. When Fergus returned, much more awake, I announced that I was heading off to Louise's house and I wouldn't be more than a few hours.

She had sent a carriage which I gratefully stepped into. I smoothed my dress, nervous. I hadn't had much contact with higher society except at the ball and when my services were needed. But I liked Louise and she had taken a shine to me. It would do nothing to be nervous.

Louise was far more dressed up than I was, but it was this fairly plain dress or the red one, and I would never wear that dress again. "Claire! Are you alright? I heard about what happened with the Duke of Sandringham. He has been yelling about it to whoever will listen." She sat down and I followed on the couch next to her. We were served tea in expensive tea cups. I held mine in my lap. "He wants you to be executed." I cringed.

Was this it? What Master Raymond said about the pardon only going so far. I grew angry. Angry at the Duke, at myself, at Master Raymond. I felt my blood boiling again and then the tea cup began to rattle.

I looked down. The tea had started to boil in the small cup, but it didn't burn me as it should have done. I placed the cup on the table and watched as it cooled down. Louise was looking at me strangely but I didn't offer up an explanation.

"But it is fine. The king shut him down." I sighed in relief. "Did you really burn him Claire?" I thought about lying to her, but she didn't seem repulsed by witchcraft. My nom de guerre only endeared her to me.

"I did."

"Wow. Will you do some magic for me Claire?"

"I'm not sure I know how. It just happens sometimes." I glanced at the tea cup.

"Try, for me, s'il vous plait?"

"I'll try. No promises." I stood.

I decided I wanted a nicer dress. I imagined thick, calloused hands unlacing me, a solid body pressed at my back. Lips moving down my spine as my dress was pulled down. The same hands held me as I pulled a more lavish gold gown over my body. They skimmed my bare skin, making me push into them at my breasts. I hesitated to cover myself, but then the hands moved back into place, lacing me up.

This dress was perfect. It was white with stitched flowers down the middle in browns and greens and yellows, and the dress was framed with gold down my arms, my sides and across my back. The body behind me kissed the back of my neck and then disappeared.

I opened my eyes to find myself wearing the dress I imagine. "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ. I did it!" Louise was staring at me open-mouthed.

"Incroyable." (Incredible.) She said breathless.

"What exactly did that look like to you? Because in my mind… well it was indecent."

"Oh, the dress transformed. I'm amazed. You amazed me. I might need to use that trick of yours on some of my old dresses."

The room was becoming stifling. I couldn't quite catch my breath. And then I felt a warm liquid drop down onto my lips. I lifted my finger to it. Red. It was blood. My nose was bleeding.

And then my head started to pound. The world rocked back and forth and then I was on the floor. "What happened?" I asked Louise, who was overing over at me.

"You fainted. You should go home Claire. I'll see you again soon, but you need to rest."

"Of course." I stood slowly, waiting for the dizziness to abate. "Thank you for the tea Louise."

"Thank you for the demonstration."

I climbed back into the carriage and tried to stay conscious as we rode back home. The footman helped me to the door. I thanked him and he rode off.

I felt dizzy when I got inside. "Did ye have a good time lass? Ye were verra quick, we havena yet finished." Murtagh said, but then he noticed my pale colour, my new dress and me stumbling. "Jamie!" He called out loudly. He caught me just as I fell this time, protecting my head.

Jamie appeared and slid beneath me on the floor. I moved my head to rest on his thigh and looked up at him. There was a horror-filled expression on his face, and pain, lots of pain.

He took my hand and held it. "Murtagh, would ye… leave us fer a moment?" I heard Jamie ask. I also heard Murtagh go upstairs. "Yer dress, mo chridh. Did…" I could hear his heart break. "Did ye get raped?" I felt tears fall onto my neck as he cradled me to him.

"No Jamie. I didn't." I felt him shake around me.

"What happened?"

"Louise wanted me to show her some magic. I turned my dress into this one. But it took too much out of me I think and I fainted.

"Lord willin'" Jamie pulled back from me. "yer like this because ye wanted a new frock? How stupid can ye be?"

"I didn't know this would happen Jamie."

"Oh aye Sassenach, yer only messin' wi' magic. No consequences there."

I didn't say anything, just let him calm down. After a while, his hand began to stroke through my hair and soon I was asleep.

"C'mon then." Dream Jamie said. "Show me what happened."

"What's done is done Jamie. Can't we go somewhere nice and calm? I need to relax."

"After. D'ye no' see what yer doing tae me? I need to ken ye'll be alright."

"Okay."

I focused a little and then we were both standing in Louise's house. I thought we might watch what actually happened. But it was from my memory, so of course not.

Jamie and I watched on as I acquiesced to Louise's request. I turned beet red as I watched memory-me stand and begin to be undressed. It wasn't an unidentifiable presence behind me, it was Jamie. We both couldn't look away as the other pair of us changed my dress.

I stared on as other-Jamie kissed the back of my neck. And then memory-me was fainting. "Christ Sassenach."

"Yeah, well, I lived it."

Once he was finished evaluating my injuries in the memory, Jamie changed the dream so we were at the hearth again. It was comfortable. It felt right. "I'm sorry I yelled and got angry." He said, holding me in a similar way to before we fell asleep. "I just worry about ye. Ye mean a lot tae me, ye ken?"

"You mean a lot to me too."

It was comfortable and warm waking up. I felt content.

I rolled over, straight into a solid weight. My eyes flew open. It was Jamie. My heart-rate steadied to normal levels and I smiled.

I watched as Jamie's eyes peeled open slowly. "Morning Sassenach. Are ye feelin' better?"

"I am. Thank you."

"Sorry I'm in ye bed. My head was giving me hell and I needed tae lay down fer a bit." I rose to action then, sitting up and leaning over Jamie, pushing his eyelids open. "Wha' are ye doing?"

"I'm looking to see if your brain is bleeding again."

"An' ye can see the blood through my eyes?"

"No. It's just, when someone's brain bleeds the blood takes up extra space which puts pressure on the brain. When there's too much pressure, one of your pupils… the dark part of one of your eyes will get larger while the other doesn't." I pulled away, done with my examination.

"So… have I got blood in my brain?"

"Nope. You're okay."

"Good, because we've got work tae do."

"What do you mean?"

"Weel, Fergus needs tae ken about yer magic so that he doesna worry if ye get sick again."

"Jamie I feel fine."

"I ken ye do. But if it were him and no' me there fer ye… I thought ye were dying Sassenach."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't… I didn't know that would happen."

"I ken. But ye've gotta tell the lad. And then, we practice. Only small stuff though."

"Okay." I smiled. Despite his fear, Jamie was still willing to work with me on this.

I laid back down and yawned. Jamie started to laugh. "How're ye tied already? Ye've no' done a thing. C'mon. I'll leave ye tae dress and then ye'll tell Fergus."

"Okay."

When he closed the door, I remembered something. I fell asleep on the floor downstairs still dressed and yet I woke up in my shift in bed. "Jamie." I called out to him.

"Aye?"

"Did you carry me up the stairs?"

"Aye."

"And undress me?" I knew he started to blush.

"… Aye." He said after a moment.

"Thank you." I said. There was no point in torturing the man.

"O' course."

I decided I wanted to put the gold dress back on. It was beautiful. But I couldn't quite pull the corset tight enough by myself.

I stepped out into the parlour, Jamie's head whipped up to look at me. "Some help?" I asked, voice shaking slightly. He stepped towards me as I turned my back to him.

The only thing I could hear was the floor creaking and the two of us breathing. I shivered as he brushed aside my hair. His knuckles traced down the bare skin at the top of my back.

Jamie tightened the laces on my corset and pulled the gown up over my shoulders. "There. All done." His voice was raspy.

"I'll go fix my hair then. I won't be long." So was mine. I ran off and disappeared into my bedroom.

I was too young. I'd never had a real relationship before. I'd have to lie to Jamie about my past. We would never work.

But I felt inexplicably drawn to him.