Chapter Sixty Eight
Jamie worked on the painting of Hamish and Zoe while Zoe walked into the room and stood next to him.
"Where is his stick?" Zoe asked as she pointed to the painting and he looked at her, smiling.
"Well, he cannae hold you an' his stick at the same time, can he?" he teased then cleaned the brush off and lifted her onto his lap. "You really liked him, eh?"
"Aye," Zoe said as she leaned against his chest and he kissed the top of his head. "Um, you didnae prove tae me that it was your timeline though."
"Aye, I did. He's my son which, in turn, makes him your half-brother."
"But I didnae see you!" she said, poking a finger into his hand.
"Oh, I see what you're up tae. You want tae go see Hamish again," he said with a grin and Zoe nodded. "Well, I'm nae sure if I can do that, Jeelie Bean. I had tae go there the last time because it was meant tae be."
"So you dinnae feel that way anymore?" she asked as he looked at the painting and blinked.
"I'm nae sure," he sighed and she looked up at him.
"Then we can go see Hammy again?" she asked, looking at the painting and Hamish smiled sweetly at her.
(Theta's universe)
Inverness, Scotland
"Are ye listening tae me?" Lucy asked as Hamish blinked and sat up, placing his elbows on the table. He had been thinking about seeing his father and little sister's faces for the first time and spending time with them that he had totally blocked out what she was talking about.
"Aye, I was listening," he said with a nod of his head and Lucy sighed, placing her hand on his arm.
"What is the matter?" she asked and he heard the concern in her voice.
"Och, Dad, why didnae I ask ye tae show me what she looked like?" he thought as he smiled and reached out with his hand, placing his hand on top of hers.
"Och, I was just thinking aboot Robbie and his wee daughter," Hamish said and she nodded. Even though they had only been married three years, she knew that he was afraid to talk about having children because of his blindness. Standing up, she walked closer when she sat on his lap and slid one arm under his arm then around his shoulder and the other around his waist.
"Makes ye want tae have one, eh?" she asked and he turned his face to look toward her and half smiled.
"Och, imagine what I time I would have trying tae run after a wee one," he teased as she saw the sadness in his eyes and sighed. She felt him stand up as she got off his lap and he reached out, taking the stick in his hand. "Well, off tae the pub."
"Aye," she said with a nod as he headed for the door then turned and placed a hand on the doorframe.
"Ye want tae come with me?" he asked.
"No, ye go but be nice. I dinnae want tae have tae come bail ye out if ye get into a row."
"Hunh, get into one little fight an' I'm treated like a wee bairn straight off the breast!" he said with a laugh then walked away and she rolled her eyes, smiling.
The TARDIS materialized in the alleyway when the doors opened and Jamie and Zoe walked outside. He closed and locked the doors when he took her hand and they watched the TARDIS turn into a large hay wagon loaded down with hay. Nodding, they walked down the alleyway as Jamie looked around and they headed down the cobblestone street. He smiled while Zoe looked around and was marveled at the sights. She smiled as he squeezed her hand then heard voices coming from the pub and they walked toward it. The Lone Wolf Pub was a two story building made of white stone with wooden beams on the corners and around the blue and green stain glass windows and the thatched roof was a dull brown color. The brown wooden shutters framed the windows and smoke rose from the stone chimey at the back of the pub. An old wooden door had an oval window made of blue stain glass at the center and the brass door handle was slightly bent at the middle.
Jamie knew it wasn't a good idea to take a child into a pub as he sighed then opened the door and they walked inside. The walls were white with a wooden bar to the right of the room and wooden stairs led to the rooms upstairs. Jamie had learned that the rooms were used by Highlanders who brought a young lass to have their way with them and he remembered the time Alexander McLaren, the son of his laird, had dragged him up to one of those rooms.
"But why do I have tae go in there?" his fourteen year old self asked and Alexander laughed.
"Because it's time ye became a man, Lad!" was Alexander's answer and he had spent the night chatting with the fifteen year old lass that was in the room. Neither of them wanted to ruin her virtue, so they snuck out of the room by the window and he walked her home. He did give her the money that Alexander gave him and told her father the truth that she was still a maiden. Not seeing any blood on her skirt, her father thanked him for his honesty and she gave him a little kiss.
Jamie's mind cleared when he heard the sound of fighting and looked toward the center of the room. Standing near the tossed over chairs and over turned table was Hamish and he was surrounded by four, large men.
"Daddy, why is Hammy fighting them?" Zoe asked as he looked down at her and shrugged.
"He's a McCrimmon, Jeelie Bean," he said with a grin and walked toward Hamish. He knew that he would get in big trouble if anything happened to the imager he was wearing but he wasn't going to stand by and let his son get clobbered. "Hamish, ye need any help?"
Hamish looked toward Jamie when a large grin nearly cut his face in half and snorted, twirling the stick in his hands.
"Nah, Robbie, I'm more than able tae handle this lot," he said, hearing growling coming from the others.
"Be careful!" Zoe shouted and he laughed.
"I will, Jeelie Bean!" he said and Zoe's eyes lit up at him using her nickname. The men were taller than he was and one of them had a dirk on his right hand. Hamish knew he had tripped over his own feet when he crashed into one of the men but they were the ones that started the fight and he wasn't about to let them beat the tar out of him. "Are ye lads sure ye want tae do this?"
"Ye may be blind, McCrimmon, but that doesnae excuse rudeness," one of the men said and Hamish half smiled.
"What was rude is yer fat arse being so wide that ye had tae have the chair sit half way across the room just so ye can sit down!" Hamish said and the people around them laughed.
"Aye, Son, he does have a big arse. Wonder if the floor will shake when you knock him on it," Jamie thought with a smile and Zoe giggled. Winking at her, he led her to one of the larger wooden benches then sat down, placing her on his lap.
"How did Hammy know he had a big butt?" Zoe asked.
"I think he was bluffing," Jamie said and she nodded, looking at Hamish. Spinning the stick around then sticking it under his arm, Hamish held his fists out while listening to the others gathered around him and the pub grew quit. The heavy breathing of the man in front of him told him he was facing the man with the big arse and listened while the man took two steps then ducked when the man swung his fist. The man yelped as he sailed by Hamish then crashed into the table behind him and it shattered under his weight.
"Yay!" Zoe said as she clapped and Hamish turned toward her, did a little bow and the end of the stick struck the man sneaking up behind him in the stomach. Grunting, the man held onto his stomach then fall to the floor with a loud thud.
"Sounds to me like a loud mouse was trying to sneak up on me," Hamish said when he bent down some more and smacked the man in the face with the end of the stick. The man dropped unconscious to the floor as Hamish looked up toward Zoe and grinned. "Did I get it?"
"Aye, you got him!" Zoe shouted and Hamish winked at her. Standing up, he listened for the other two men when the man with the dirk ran toward him and Zoe gasped. "Look out!"
"That's a wee bit tricky at the moment," Hamish said with a grin when he heard someone coming closer then spun around and smashed the stick against the man's wrist then his face and the dirk clattered to the floor. The man dropped to the floor as he held his broken nose in his hands and Hamish smiled.
"HAMISH WILLIAM MCCRIMMON!" a voice bellowed as Hamish stood stone still and the only sound in the room was the fire in the fireplace. Jamie slowly turned his head toward the door when his hearts slammed against his ribs and Zoe's mouth fell open. Standing in the doorway was Jamie but his light brown hair had some streaks of gray in it and his face looked a little older. He was wearing a white linen shirt, a black leather belt, brown trousers and brown work boots. Walking toward Hamish, Older Jamie stepped over the man with the big arse and Hamish sighed, holding the stick against his body.
"Daddy, that's you!" Zoe thought, looking at Older Jamie.
"Aye, so do you believe me now?" he thought and she nodded.
"Dad, I can explain," Hamish said softly and Older Jamie folded his arms over his chest.
"I'm waiting," he said and Hamish softly coughed.
"Well, I came in here tae, ye ken, tae have a wee drink but that one…" Hamish said as he tried to point with the stick toward the man with the big arse but Older Jamie took the stick out of Hamish's hand and Hamish sighed. "I tripped over my own two feet an' crashed into him."
"Did ye tell him that ye were sorry?" Older Jamie asked.
"Uh, no, I didnae," Hamish said and Zoe softly giggled, making Jamie look at her.
"An' what do you think is so funny?" he thought.
"He looks like Frazer when you get mad at him," she thought and he nodded.
"So ye gave him lip instead, did ye?" Older Jamie asked with a stern tone in his voice.
"Aye, that's what I did," Hamish said, nodding his head.
"Well, I have tae say that this is very disappointing. I thought ye were the smart one," Older Jamie said as Hamish felt the smirks on the faces of the people in the pub and he shyly toed the floor with his foot.
"Can I have my stick back?" Hamish asked as though he was a small boy who had been caught fighting and Older Jamie looked at the stick then at the man with the big arse and smiled.
"Got tae admit, he does have a large arse. I'm amazed he fit through the door," Older Jamie asked as the others "ooo"ed and "ahh"ed and the man with the big arse stood up, walking toward him. Standing over six feet in height, he glared at Older Jamie as Older Jamie leaned on the stick and the man grunted, walking away. Grinning, Older Jamie placed the stick in Hamish's hand and ruffled his hair. "THAT, Lad, is how ye do it!"
"Aye, Dad," Hamish said with a nod of his head as they headed for the door when Hamish turned around and looked toward Jamie. "Robbie, I forgot all aboot ye. Come say hello tae my father."
"Daddy, you cannae touch him or…" Zoe thought and Jamie nodded. Slowly, he and Zoe stood up as they walked toward them and Older Jamie looked at Zoe then at Jamie, who had his hands behind his back.
"Dad, this is an old mate of mine an' his daughter, Zoe. Robert Grey, this is my father, James McCrimmon," Hamish said and Older Jamie held his hand out.
"A pleasure," Older Jamie said, waiting for Jamie to shake hands with him.
"And you as well, Sir. Uh, I cannae shake hands though. Burned them badly in a fire," Jamie said as Older Jamie looked at him with a tilt to his head and Jamie hoped he bought his story. Nodding, Older Jamie turned to Hamish and patted his shoulder.
"Ye get home now, Lad, or I will tan yer hid with that stick," Older Jamie said with a grin then left the pub. Sighing, Jamie moved his hands to the front and Hamish reached out for his hand. Walking closer, Jamie took his hand and Hamish moved closer, placing his mouth to Jamie's ear.
"Pa-pa, why didnae shake hands?" he asked softly.
"Because we'd both vanish if I did," Jamie whispered and Hamish nodded. Reaching out for Zoe's hand, Hamish turned around as they headed for the door and went outside.
Hamish stood next to Jamie as the TARDIS softly hummed around him and Jamie held his hand. He was showing him what the Earth looked like from space as Hamish sighed and squeezed Jamie's hand. Stepping back, they watched the doors close when Jamie let go of his hand and Hamish's vision faded.
"Och, I hate this," he said and Jamie felt his hearts hurting. He led Hamish to the wooden bench when Zoe got up and they sat down. Hamish reached out as she crawled onto his lap and he wrapped his arms around her. Turning Hamish's head toward him, Jamie placed his fingers against Hamish's temples and Namid appeared in Hamish's mind. "Who's that?"
"That's Namid. She is the daughter of the Doctor in the universe Zoe and I live in now. Namid, like you, is blind but she doesnae let it stand in her way," Jamie said as he showed her walking around with her cane in front of her, rough housing with her brother and sister, getting in trouble with Alan and some other things and Hamish smiled.
"She's a lot like me. Ye sure she's nae a McCrimmon?" he teased and Jamie laughed.
"No, she's nae, but her father does what I'm doing now and shows her what's going on. It helps her cope with her blindness but there are times I think she sees better than any of us."
"Ah, I get what yer saying, Dad. I see in my own way, too, an' shouldnae mope aboot the rest."
"Aye, that is exactly what I'm saying," Jamie said, letting go of Hamish's head.
"Will ye do me a favor?"
"Aye, what is it?"
"Can ye…can…will ye show me my Lucy?" he asked and Jamie smiled, placing his fingers on Hamish's temples. Closing his eyes, he placed his forehead against Hamish's forehead and Hamish smiled when Lucy appeared in his mind. "Blimey, is that what she looks like?"
"Aye," Jamie said, letting go and Hamish sighed, smiling.
"Thank ye," he said and Jamie stroked Hamish's hair. Lifting Zoe off his lap, Hamish stood up as he reached for the stick and Zoe placed it in his hand. "Well, I guess I should be going. Though, I am tempted tae go with ye."
"Can he, Daddy?" Zoe asked and Jamie softly laughed, shaking his head.
"You both ken that I cannae do that!" he said and they pouted. "But if the Doctor or Jack say it's ok, and will do no harm tae the timelines, we can come for a visit now an' then."
Zoe hugged him then Hamish when Jamie stood up and they walked to the doors. Hamish stood back as the wind blew the hair around his head and a soft wheezing and grinding sound filled the air. Reaching out with his hand, he felt empty air as he sighed then smiled and turned, walking down the alleyway.
"I'm home," Hamish said when he walked into the room and Lucy walked to him, snatching the stick out of his hand.
"Where have ye been? Molly Tanner came an' told me that ye were fighting in the pub again!" she half shouted and Hamish half closed his eyes, remembering what Jamie showed him.
"Aye, I have been a bad one. Guess I'll go tae my room," he said as he headed for the stairs then missed the step, crashing down onto it. He cussed as she dropped the stick to the floor and ran to him. Holding his sore knee, he sat on the step as she sat next to him and leaned him into her.
"Serves ye right, ye big dunce," she said, stroking his hair and he half smiled. "Let's go get ye sorted."
Nodding, he slowly stood up as she held him to her side and they slowly went up the stairs.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" Zoe said while Jamie led her into her bedroom and he had his hands over her eyes.
"Nae yet," he said when they stopped at the foot of her bed and he looked at the painting hanging over her bed. Hamish and Zoe smiled at him when Jamie kissed the top of her head and moved his hands away. "Ok, you can look now."
Zoe opened her eyes when she smiled and climbed onto the bed. Carefully, she stood on the bed as she looked at the painting and noticed that the stick was lying across her lap and Hamish had his arms wrapped around her. His chin rested on the top of her head and she was holding his hands.
"Do you like it?" Jamie asked when she ran to him and hugged him. He sent love into her mind as he held her in his arms and kissed her cheek.
"Thank you, Daddy," she said as he nodded then let go of her.
"You are so welcome, Jeelie Bean," he said then walked to the door and turned, looking at her. She was sitting cross legged on the bed as she looked at the painting and he patted the doorframe then walked away.