The rental party was leaving the next day, just in a few hours time and Dougal and Geillis had met up again to talk.

"Weel, why have ya called fer us to meet again so soon?" Geillis asked moving towards him, they were out in a clearing in the forest.

"It seem Mistress Beauchamp won't be joining us come the morn."

"Is that so?" the fiery lass asked inching one eyebrow up in a question.

"Seem since opening her surgery she has impressed meh brither an he is insistent she stay behind, Aye will nee ya to keep an eye on her while I'm gone."

"Might I suggest you be takin young Jamie with you t'morrow, separating him from Claire will make her easier to get close to."

"Was thinkin of takin him anyway, sight of his lashes will help us earn more for the rebellion."

The Next Day

Claire POV:

Things had been going better for me since I had started seeing to people's... what was it Mrs. Fitz called it? Oh yes... the physicking.

At first many were uncomfortable with seeing not only a woman but an Englishwoman but eventually word had gotten 'round I wasn't so bad and the people of Leoch had started to put their trust in me.

I knew it would be along time for anyone to see me as a friend or as one of them but in my surgery at least they saw me as someone who was not a threat, not an enemy, but someone who could help.

I knew Dougal still had his doubts about me but Collum at least seemed to be warming to my presence. Even my guards had gotten so relaxed they stayed in the kitchen most of the time when I saw to patients.

I remember it was just last week when I heard of Shona MacNeill and how she lost her boy. I was furious no one had come to get me so I might try to save him. Apparently they believed Lindsay MacNeill had been weakened and killed by demons of all things after exploring some old ruins known as the Black Kirk. I wanted to shout at them for being so daft but I was a woman who had fallen through time, who was I to say what was real?

True I didn't believe in demons or magic and believed whatever had killed Lindsay could be explained through science but trying to argue that, to prove it to his mother or anyone else wouldn't bring him back and certainly wouldn't help earn other's trust. I'd be seen as a witch or devil worshiper and all the progress I'd made since coming here would be gone.

It was hard though to bite my tongue and say nothing, so terribly hard. Harder still when later Collum confided in me he believed his condition to be punishment of the devil for something he'd done, but again I held my tongue. I couldn't go talking to him of genetics or DNA so I just kept my head down and did my best to alleviate some of his pain through massage however small a portion it might be.

Jamie and I continued to grow close, I was hesitant to admit any kind of romantic feelings for a man after my husband, afraid to trust my judgement in that area again but Jamie made it very difficult not to.

I could feel my cheeks warming at just the thought of him. It seemed I wasn't the only one taken with him tho, Laoghaire MacKenzie also had a very obvious crush for the man who had stepped in to take her punishment. She would follow him around like a love sick puppy, I just hoped I wasn't so transparent and juvenile with my budding admiration.

I believed he had given me some reason to hope he might feel the same, he kept finding excuses to come see me in surgery. I can't be sure if he's just really that clumsy or cursed with bad luck or if he had been purposely getting hurt just so I could fix him up again. But part of me hoped it was the later, a bigger part then perhaps I was ready to admit.

He was leaving soon, he had come to tell me earlier. He was going with Dougal to collect the rents for Collum, he would be gone for several weeks, maybe longer. The thought of being at Leoch without him had me suddenly seeing what a dreary place Scotland was.

Thinking back to earlier that morning...

footsteps altered me that someone was hear, I turned around and spotted Jamie coming down the stairs.

"Before breakfast, this has to be a record for you." I teased him before noticing his expression, it seemed sad and I hated whatever it was that had affected him so immediately.

"What is, whats wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid I've come to say goodbye Sassernach." He told me moving close to me, his eyes falling to every corner of my face as tho he was trying to memorize it.

"Goodbye? What do you mean?"

"Aye be leavin wit Dougal an the rest shortly for the rents." He explained, it wasn't as if he was going for ever or that either one of us was dying, so why did this seem so hard, so impossible to have to say goodbye to him?

"Will you now?" I muttered struggling to find the right words.

He moved even closer to me somehow and brushed the fallen curls out of my face.

"I'm afraid so." I saw his eyes glance down to gaze at my lips, would he kiss me goodbye?

"Be careful while imma way, won't you. I know you've made progress but there's still dangers here for you Sassernach."

I nodded while my own eyes fell to his lips and wondered what they would feel like... taste like. My breathing was coming shorter and I actually started to feel a little faint.

"I promise," I told him, "I'll be careful, but promise me you'll try to come back in one piece."

"I'll do my damnedest to return safely... to return to you." He said and cusped my cheeks in his large hands, his head started coming down and suddenly I panicked, he must have seen it because instead of kissing me senseless he just touched our foreheads together.

"Till we meet again Mo Nighean Donn." He whispered to me, and then he was gone.

Jamie POV:

Every night I had dreamed of my brown haired lass, the thought of her kept me warm on the chilly nights. She wasn't mine, not yet, not technically, but that couldna stop my heart from claiming her anyway. I had bin away from Leoch for almost 7 weeks, it was taking longer then expected due to Mr. Ned Gowan's cough, I'm sure Claire would have known just what to do ta fix 'em up but all us lot was able to offer him were frequent breaks for him to try an catch his breath.

Dougal used the extra time to his advantage taking me 'roond to public houses and tavern. I had lost count the number of time Dougal has striped the shirt off me and paraded me aroond for coins, at least mo nighean donn wasn't here to see that. I doubt she would have stood for it, probably would have gotten right in Dougal's face about it and stirred up plenty of trouble for her and me both.

I smile thinking the look that would come over meh uncle's face if Claire did ever scold him in a crowded tavern. Hopefully she was keeping her promise and stayin out of trouble back at Leoch. I hate to think of her in trouble and me not knowing it not being able to help her.

Claire POV:

It had been over two months since I last saw Jamie and every day I've regretted not stopping him from leaving without that kiss we almost shared. I thought about other ladies he might meet on the journey, more young lasses like Laoghaire, all younger and Scottish with much bigger bosoms then I. I was sure he'd come back married and I'd have to make peace with it, with my regrets, for the rest of my life.

Other than missing Jamie things had been going well for me. I had been keeping my promise and staying out of trouble although Geillis Duncan seemed to trying her best to see me in it. She had gotten more aggressive with her attempts at friendship, but unlike the many men she was able to charm around to her side I was far more resistant.

It wasn't that I disliked her or she had outright done anything wrong towards me but there was something about her eyes... calculating. It reminded me of what Mrs. Graham had said about Frank once. I'm not saying Geillis is anything like Frank but its clear to me she wears a mask, and I won't be taken for a fool again.

"Mistress Beauchamp!" I heard shouting of my name, the voice was panicked I looked up to see one of Dougal's men who had gone with the rent party, oh god was Jamie hurt?

"Mistress Beauchamp! You need to come its Jamie!"