CHAPTER 22

Skylar was woken up by the sound of utter commotion. She let her hand fall onto the bed next to her, expecting to feel Ian. But he wasn't there.

She sat up, listening to the yelling coming from outside. She got out of bed and crossed to the window. The scene before her instantly made her stomach drop. All the men of the Ridge, Ian and Fergus included she could see, were shouting orders and directions at each other as they climbed onto their horses and took off into the woods. She knew right away this had to do with Jamie and Roger.

She got dressed as fast as she could then ran downstairs to find Claire. She found her on the porch.

"What's going on?" she asked the woman.

"Jamie's horse came back here early this morning. Alone. Ian found it," she explained. She had her arms crossed and her eyes were going back and forth to every man that rode out.

"Fuck," Skylar couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

I knew it. I knew it, she thought. I knew something was wrong. God damn it.

"Where's Bree?"

Claire let out a breath. "She's with the boys at her cabin still. She's trying not to panic and she said the distraction of them would help."

"And what about you?"

Claire didn't answer. She just kept her eyes locked on the now empty view in front of her, obviously willing Jamie and Roger to appear. Skylar put a hand on her arm and she looked down to her daughter. Skylar made it clear through her expression that she was feeling exactly the same. Claire just nodded and put an arm around Skylar, holding her close to be a comfort for the both of them.

By some miracle, their agony was not drawn out for too long. Less than an hour later, the group returned, Ian leading them. Skylar and Claire, not having moved from the porch, ran to meet them. Getting closer, they saw that also on Ian's horse was Jamie. But the sight of him brought very little relief. He was pale and sweating, slumped over and half conscious. The rest of the men wasted no time from the moment their horses stopped to jump off and help Ian get Jamie down. Roger did as well, appearing from Fergus' horse.

"What the hell happened?" Claire asked, in the most calm voice she could manage.

"He was bit by a snake," Roger told her. Fergus and Ian put Jamie's arms over his shoulders and followed Claire as she ordered them to her surgery.

Skylar watched them go past her, feeling frozen to her spot, her heart racing. A loud ringing was all she could hear and black spots filled her vision. Her soul reentered her body when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and it was Roger.

"We should go hear what Claire has te say," he suggested. "She'll know how te help him."

After a beat, she found her voice. "Yeah. Ye-yeah. You're right. Let's um…let's go inside."

Roger didn't rush her. He let them stay there for another moment until Skylar was ready to move.

When they walked into the surgery, Jamie was already on the exam table. Claire was unwrapping the bandage on his leg, which was bright red. He groaned as she did, in obvious pain. When the wound was exposed, Claire looked right to Fergus and told him to go get Marsali. He left right away.

Skylar didn't even notice him go past her. Her eyes were locked on Jamie. She walked to him slowly, glancing at the black remanence of the snakebite. She felt chills go through her body but she wasn't going to let herself feel sick or uneasy. She needed to put all of her focus on Jamie.

"Dad?" she spoke to him.

He opened his eyes and when he saw her, a small smile crossed his face.

"A leannan," he whispered. "Ye shouldna be here. Tis somethin' a young lady should nae see her father go through."

"You think after all these years and all your injuries and near death experiences, something like a snakebite is gonna scare me away?" She smiled back at him. She felt other eyes on her and turned over her shoulder to see Ian staring at her, standing back to give them space. "Youngin'," she called to him, holding out her hand. He went right to her and took it. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anythin', love."

"Could you go look in on Bree? She's with Ollie and Jemmy and probably has her hands full. You can tell her what's going on."

"Of course." He kissed her hand then left. He and Marsali passed each other.

Marsali stopped short when she saw Jamie. "What in God's name?"

"It's a snakebite," Claire told her. "I need you to help prepare the penicillin." Marsali nodded and went to work.

"Can he take it without the syringe?" Skylar wondered.

"I can make it into a sort of soup, and he can drink it." She started examining the wound and Jamie pushed himself up as much as he could to watch what she was doing. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Dinna tell me ye don't have snakes in yer time," Jamie joked quietly enough that Marsali couldn't hear it.

"Yes, but you wouldn't usually call a surgeon about a snakebite." Marsali brought the penicillin over and put it on the table. "The closest thing I've come to is when a man got bitten by a King Cobra. My friend invited me to watch the autopsy."

"Autopsy?" Jamie repeated. "What ye did te Leaf Farrish?"

"Claire, maybe ixnay on the utopsy-a?" Skylar said.

Claire very quickly changed the subject. "You look like you've been roasted over a spit."

"Ye should work on yer bedside manner, Sassenach," Jamie responded with a chuckle that turned into a cough.

"Dad, please lay back down," Skylar told him, helping him. She was glad he didn't object.

"Skylar, stay with your father," Claire said, then gestured for Marsali to follow her into the hall.

Skylar took a clean cloth and blotted the sweat of off his face. "Christ, Dad. A snake, really? How did that even happen?"

"I wasna lookin' where I was steppin'. Too focused on the buffalo."

"I love you so much, but I swear to God, you can be so stupid sometimes. You're going to be the death of me, I know it." He took hold of one of her hands and smiled up at her.

"Consider this revenge fer what ye and Ian put me through yesterday mornin'."

Skylar laughed lightly. "That was your own fault for not leaving us alone." Claire then walked back in with Roger who had been waiting outside. "Where's Marsali?"

"I will explain to you later. Right now, you need some rest," she said to Jamie. She looked to Roger and asked if he would help move Jamie to the bed. He agreed and, with a little struggle on his part, he and Claire got the injured man onto the bed. Once he was situated, Claire brought over the penicillin broth and helped him to drink it. She then whispered something to Roger, and he nodded and left.

Probably going wherever she sent Marsali, Skylar thought.

Not ten minutes later, Brianna arrived. She and Skylar stayed by their father's side, talking with him and trying to keep him in good spirits.

"Did any of the men take a buffalo?" Jamie asked. "I ken I shot one."

"No, They came back empty handed," Bree answered. "Josiah won't stop berating himself for letting them get away."

"Penicillin broth," Claire spoke, coming over with the next dose. "Lucky for you, this doesn't have to get injected into your bum."

Jamie chuckled. "Good. I've had enough of yer needles fer one lifetime."

As he drank it, Skylar commented, "Yum, that looks like a five star soup. I'm jealous."

When he was finished, Jamie added, "Oh, aye. We'll have te serve it at our next hog roast."

"The folks of the Ridge will be banging down our door for the recipe."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Bree wanted to know.

Claire used her head to signal Skylar and Bree to step away from Jamie.

"Marsali has everyone out looking for maggots. I'm sure she could do with some help."

"Maggots? What would those do?" Skylar questioned.

"They eat the dead flesh and help stave off infection."

"Gross, but understood."

"We'll go now. Sky?"

"Of course."

Both girls told their father that they would be back later and headed out.

Ian met up with Skylar to help look for maggots. He watched her closely as they searched. He could almost read her mind and that it was going in a million different directions, but each thought was of Jamie. She was scared. She was speed walking ahead of him, leaving no rock unturned. Her eyes were darting from tree to tree. She never let go of her necklace except to dig at rotting logs. Knowing her as well as he did for as long as he had, he knew trying to talk to her while she was in this state would only have adverse reactions. She needed to put all of her focus and energy into finding these damn bugs, even though all she wanted was to be with Jamie. Ian let her keep her distance, knowing she knew he was there if she needed him.

After literal hours of searching every last inch of the nearby woods, music to Skylar's ears rang out.

"Found some!" Josiah shouted. Skylar bolted to him and could have cried from happiness at seeing the wiggling white creatures.

I never thought I'd be so happy to touch a dead rabbit.

Yet she exuberantly helped to pick each and every maggot off of the animal and put them into a bowl Marsali had brought over at hearing they were ready for collection.

As Skylar and Marsali raced back to the Big House with their findings, leaving the others with instructions to see if they could find anymore at all, they froze in their tracks when they heard a gun go off in the direction they were headed. They paused for only a moment to look at each other, then ran as fast as they could; Marsali being incredibly quick for being so pregnant.

Saying they were confused once they reached the house was a major understatement. When they walked into the yard, they saw Bree on the ground next to what was now a dead buffalo. Skylar then heard the familiar sound of her son crying, and, after giving Marsali the bowl of bugs, she sprinted to where he was sitting on the ground next to Jemmy, who was also crying.

Lizzie picked up Jemmy while Skylar picked up Ollie.

"Ollie, sweetheart, are you okay?"

"A bear, Mama! A big bear!" he cried, pointing to the "bear."

"It's okay, love. You're okay. The bear isn't going to hurt you."

Lizzie handed Jemmy to Bree, and the two sisters met. Claire joined them in the yard too, holding a gun, answering Skylar's question of who shot a gun. But she had another question.

"What the actual hell is going on?"

Still hugging Jem tight, Bree replied, "It just wandered over here," meaning the buffalo. "I was able to keep it away from the boys though. I got it to charge me instead."

"Brianna, what?!" Skylar exclaimed.

"I'm fine, I promise."

"Mr. Fraser!" Lizzie called out, looking behind the three. They all turned and saw that Jamie had dragged himself out of the surgery onto the porch and was attempting to pull himself to standing.

"Jamie!" Claire yelled, and ran to her husband. Still running on the adrenaline of killing the massive animal, she was able to stand him up and get his arm around her to get him back inside.

Once their children were calm, Bree and Skylar left them with Lizzie again and went to see what was happening with Jamie.

Claire had been able to get him back in bed and was cleaning his wound that had started bleeding again from the excessive movement.

Skylar was angry at him for being so reckless and potentially hurting himself more, but she felt it was best not to reprimand him as he was already so poorly and didn't want him to feel worse.

Claire didn't think the same. "What in God's name were you thinking?" she scolded.

But before he could try to defend his actions, Marsali came in with the bowl.

"Josiah found these in a dead…" she stopped her announcement when she saw Bree's face get a little queasy at the thought. "Never mind, uh, we have some. That's all that matters."

She handed it to Claire. "Great, thank you." She picked up a tool from the table next to her and started placing the maggot one by one into Jamie's leg.

"Omigod," Skylar muttered, holding her stomach. She suddenly felt bad for teasing Bree in her head at looking sickly.

"I thought ye were over yer fear of blood by now," Marsali said.

"This isn't blood. This is live insects eating my father's dead skin. Sorry, Dad." She realized that description probably was not helping comfort Jamie.

Roger then walked in, making it known the rest of the maggot hunters were back. "How is it, man?" he asked Jamie.

"I'll do," was his only response.

"Aye, the wee suckers won't hurt. They'll tickle somethin' fierce, mind."

Jamie gave him a grin. "He's a great comfort, that Roger Mac." Roger gave a half bow in acknowledgement, and he and Bree shared a small smile; relishing in the fact that Jamie had in fact said something kind about his son-in-law.

As Claire was the one to kill the buffalo, she needed to be the one to see it be butchered. Roger offered to stay with Jamie while he slept so that Claire could go, and Skylar and Bree could also take a breath after so much excitement in such a short amount of time. He promised he would fetch Claire immediately if Jamie needed anything.

The three women stood on the porch, watching as the meat was cut up and distributed to the settlers.

"Well, Josiah must be feeling better about himself. We done got one of the buffalo," Skylar stated.

"I suppose you're right," Claire said back.

But nothing could distract them from thinking of the man they all loved desperately in the other room, getting physically worse but what seemed the minute.

"Be honest," Bree said the Claire, not able to take it anymore.

Claire looked at her and Skylar, her eyes glazed over and the palest either had ever seen them. They knew whatever she was about to say would not be good news.

"His body is defeating the venom. But the infection in his leg…it's bad." The crack in her voice made tears fill Skylar's eyes. She dipped her head to hide them. "It's too deep for the maggots to make any difference. If only I had a way of getting the penicillin into his bloodstream, but…" She couldn't continue. She sat down on the stairs with the two girls following. She leaned her elbows on her knees and interlocked her fingers together, letting her face fall into them.

Skylar watched her, terrified. She had never seen Claire this helpless before.

"I mean, syringes exist in this time," Skylar said. "Can't we buy another one?"
"They don't just sell them down the road. You need to have it made and that could take a week, not including the time needed to get into town. And that amount of time, I don't even know if he-" She wouldn't dare finish that sentence.

No. No, no, no, that's not going to happen. I won't let it. I know you won't let happen either, Mom. Please, Skylar silently spoke to her mom while death gripping her necklace.

"There must be something else that can help," Skylar said out loud, trying to control the shaking of her voice.

"There is one thing. But God, the thought of it. The thought of…amputating. Just makes me sick."

"Can't we just wait a little longer and see if the maggots take effect?" Bree asked.

"What if there isn't any improvement?" Claire couldn't hold it back now and tears went down her face. "Then I don't have a choice."

"Then that's what we'll do. If that's the only choice, it's the only choice," Skylar decided.

"Except he made me promise that I wouldn't do it."

"He what?"
Bree spoke up, "At least he'll be alive to be mad at you."

"Except that every time he would look down, it'll be a constant reminder that-that I was the one who did it to him. That I didn't keep my word."

Skylar added, "How could he make you do that? He knows what it is means to you two at keeping your word."

"That's why he did."

They were interrupted by the sound of heavy and angry footsteps. They turned their heads and were surprised when they saw it was Ian storming down the breezeway towards them. He went right past them down the stairs, not acknowledging them.

That prompted Skylar to stand and call out, "Ian, hey!" He stopped and looked back at her. His face was tense and his hands were in fists by his sides. Skylar went to him. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I canna believe him. He's a bloody fool. I canna talk te him," was all he said with venom in his voice, then kept walking.

Skylar watched him go for a second, then started to say to Claire and Bree, "Um, I'm gonna-" pointing after him.

But the two stopped her, saying to absolutely go follow him.

He hadn't gotten too far, but he was walking with some speed so she had to jog to catch up to him.

"Ian!" she cried. "Please, wait." When she reached him, she took his hand to stop him from moving. He didn't take his hand away, but he wasn't looking at her. "Ian, can you look at me?" She saw his jaw tighten from gritting his teeth. "Hey, hey, Youngin', please." She took hold of his face and physically made him look at her. She rubbed her thumbs on his cheeks to attempt to calm him. She had never seen him this mad before and it was scaring her a little. "What happened?"

He swallowed and licked his lips. "We all joke how that man's pride will be the death of him. But it isna a joke anymore. It's true."

She took her hands off him. "Are you talking about Dad?"

"Aye! I went te try te talk some sense in his thick head. That he needs to trust Auntie Claire and if she says she needs te take his leg te save his life, he must listen. But he won't. He says how a life wi' only one leg is a fate worse than death. That he wouldna be a whole man wi'out it. He dares te say that when my father and Fergus go through life missin' a leg and hand? How can he? Does he think so low of them that he would rather die than be like them?"

"You know that's not what he's saying. He loves your father and Fergus so much and could never think of them like that. But you're right. He's too damn stubborn for his own good and isn't thinking straight. I'm ready to scream and lay into him and force him to listen to reason. But he's like a child right now, the more someone tells him to do something, the more he's not going to want to do it. It's beyond stupid and I'm so pissed he's acting like this."

"What are we supposed to do then? Just let him die?"

"No! Claire's not going to let that happen. If it means saving his life, she's gone take his leg whether he likes it or not and we'll deal with the consequences of that after. But Jamie Fraser is not going to die."

He won't. He won't die. It's not going to happen. She played with the heart charm on her necklace, hoping that wherever her mother's spirit was, it would not let Jamie's leave his body.

It was another sleepless night for Skylar. Hearing the words Ian and Jamie had exchanged made her even more worried about Jamie. He really would rather die? Claire had said that if it comes to it, she would take his leg no matter what he said, but Skylar couldn't help but wonder if she would hold actually follow through on that. If she performed the surgery without his blessing, it could permanently ruin their relationship and cause Jamie to resent her. Would Claire really put her marriage on the line like that when the time came, and it would. Skylar sighed and turned her head to look at Ian next to her.

Could I do that?

Watching him sleep, she tried to think of what she would do if it were her and Ian instead of Claire and Jamie. Could she risk him hating her if it meant he stayed alive?

Yes, she finally thought to herself. I would. He would come to see that it's the right choice, and that he needs to be alive for his family. Dad will come around. He'll understand that this is what has to be done.

The next morning, however, Claire had some very unexpected but good news.

"He's really going to let you do it?" Skylar confirmed. Jamie was giving Claire his approval for the amputation.

Claire nodded. "After a bit of a scare we had last night, it finally made him come to his senses."

"Wait, what scare? What happened? Actually, you know what, don't tell me. It'll only make my anxiety worse. But he said yes. Thank God. When is it happening?"

"This afternoon. Marsali said she'll be there to help me."

"I will too."

Claire looked unsure about her volunteering. "This is going to be a very major surgery, Skylar. Jamie is going to be in a lot of pain the whole time and it's going to be traumatic for everyone involved. Are you certain you want to be there and watch your father go through that?"

"That makes me want to be there for him even more. I need to be there to help him whatever way I can. I can handle it."

"Very well. See if Ian can be there too then, to provide you some comfort during it as well as Jamie."

Ian agreed in a heartbeat.

When it was time, Claire, Ian and Skylar brought Jamie into the surgery and onto the makeshift operating table. Bree and Roger had excused themselves from being present due to Brianna's extreme squeamishness around blood. Skylar completely understood that, having been the same way up until only the last couple years. But they promised they would come back to the Big House as soon as they got word it was finished.

And then, it was time. Jamie lay on the operating table as Skylar helped Claire finish setting up all the tools.

"Where the hell is she?" Claire said once everything was ready.

"Marsali wouldn't miss this," Skylar said back. "She'll be here."

Jamie then made a request of Ian, "When it's done, take the leg and bury it. never tell me where it is."

"I'm sorry, Uncle. I didna mean what I said te ye before."

He took hold of Ian's coat. "Aye, ye did. Ye meant it. Ye were right te say it. It's alright."

Skylar and Claire glanced at each other, knowing whatever that meant was to stay between the two men.

They waited another five minutes. Ten. Twenty. Nearly a half hour passed and there was no sign of Marsali.

"We can't wait any longer," Claire announced. "Skylar, are you sure you're okay to do this?"

"I am. I'll do whatever I need to."

"As will I," Ian added.

Jamie sat up just enough to get one last look at his leg. He then put his head back down and let out a breath. "I'm ready, I suppose."

Claire tied her apron and looked to Ian and Skylar. "If you're inclined to pray, right now would be a good time."

"You're in good hands, Dad. You're going to be fine, I swear it."

"I ken, a leannan. I would put my life in yer hands any day." He held her hand. "Tha gaol agam ort, mo nighean."

"Is tu mo shaoghal."

He smiled, kissed her hand, then let her go.

Ian picked up a roll of gauze from the counter and handed it to Jamie. "Ye'll need this."

Jamie, knowing what it was for, put it in his mouth and bit it tight. He then grabbed back onto Ian's jacket.

Skylar watched and felt sick. She took a big breath in and let it out slow.

Jesus Christ. How did we get here?

Claire had just turned to Jamie, holding a scalpel when Roger and Bree burst in, bringing everything to a halt.

"Wait!" Bree cried. "Did you know that pit-vipers have beautiful engineering? Their fangs are connected to a venom sac in their cheek. So when they bite down, the cheek muscles squeeze the venom out of the sac, down the fang and into their prey."

Skylar couldn't believe what was happening right now. "Bree, no offense, but this is not the time for-"

"Their fangs are hollow!" she went on. "Mama, their fangs are hollow." She handed Claire something that none of the others could really see. But from Claire's expression, it was something of importance.

"Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ. You made a syringe."

Skylar's eyes went wide. "What? Bree, you-you…you made a…you made-"

"I did." She nodded with a nervous smile. "From the snake."

"Is that the same snake?" Jamie asked Roger.

"Fair's fair," he said back with a smirk.

Skylar and Claire jumped into action. They poured the penicillin into the newly crafted syringe, and Claire tested it by squeezing it into the air. It worked perfectly.

"Omigod!" Skylar exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands in shock and excitement.

Ian moved back with Roger so Bree could be with Jamie along with Skylar.

"Brace yourself," Claire warned him. Both his daughters held his hands as tight as they could as Claire stuck the now lifesaving fang into the wound and letting the penicillin work its way through his body.

When she was done, she looked at Bree and said to her, "Beautiful engineering indeed."

While Jamie was resting in the surgery bed after the injection, another person came in to take up the second bed.

Fergus had come running to Claire a while later, saying that Marsali had given birth and she needed to come right now.

Skylar went with Claire while Bree stayed with Jamie. Fergus led them into the woods and they found Marsali leaning against a tree, holding her not an hour old newborn with Germain and Joan picking flowers nearby.

They brought her back to the surgery and cleaned the baby, making sure it and mother were healthy and safe. It was a girl and Fergus said that they were naming her Felicity.

"I suppose this is an okay excuse for nearly missing dad's surgery," Skylar teased.

Now, they had to play the waiting game. But it proved worth it. Day by day, Jamie was healing. His fever was gone. His color was back. He could eat again and sit up on his own. As the wound went away, he slowly started to be able to walk on it. He was Jamie Fraser again. He was alive and healthy, as he would be for a long long time if anyone in his family had anything to say about it.

Ian was happy to have his uncle well again, but for a selfish reason as well. There was something he needed to speak to him about that he had been wanting to for a while. And now, he was able to.

A day after said conversation, Ian was going through the house looking for Skylar.

"I think I saw her in the living room with Ollie," Bree told him when he had found her and Jemmy in the kitchen.

He headed that way, his heart pounding loud with every step he took.

Bree was right. When he walked into the parlor, he saw Skylar on the couch, singing to Ollie bouncing on her lap.

"I love you, a bushel and a peck. A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck!" She hugged the little boy tight, making him giggle.

"Yank?" Ian spoke up.

Skylar looked to him, then said to their son, "Ollie, look who it is."

"Daddy!" he cried, jumping down from his mother and ran to Ian. He hugged his father's leg and Ian scooped him up.

"Yer havin' fun wi' yer Ma, aye?" Ollie nodded enthusiastically. "Would it be alright if ye played wi' Jemmy fer a minute so Ma and I can talk?" The boy's eyes lit up at the idea. "Jemmy!"

"Auntie Bree is with him in the kitchen. Off ye go then." He kissed his son's head and set him down. He had barely hit the floor before the 2 year old took off running. Ian looked back at Skylar, who was now standing and looking back at him. He smiled softly at her. "Will ye walk wi' me?" He held out his hand. Skylar smiled back at him and took it.

They went outside and Ian led her across the open field in front of the Big House.

"It's a miracle what Bree did, makin' that contraption out of the snake," he commented.

"I know. Thank God she did. I was so scared, I really thought we were gonna lose Dad. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if he had…"

He knew how that sentence ended. "It made me realize though, life can just be taken away from ye in a second and when ye least expect it."

"That's scary."

"Aye. And I'll never forgive meself fer ruinin' the one I was supposed te have wi' ye."

"What are you talking about?"

"We had a plan. When I came home, we were goin' te be married, actually married. We were goin' te have a perfect life. I should've been there fer Ollie from the day he was born. We should've been a family from the start. And that didna happen because of me."

"Ian, we don't need to talk abo-"

"Yes, we do." He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I ken now that life is too short and we dinna ken how much time we actually have. But I want every moment that I do to be with you, as yer husband." Still holding her hand, he got down on one knee before her. Skylar gasped quietly and her eyes went a little wide. "Skylar, I love ye more than anythin' in this world, and I have since the moment I first laid eyes on ye. I want ye, all of ye, every day fer the rest of my life. We lost these few years, but I canna lose another moment wi' ye. Will ye marry me?" Happy tears were trickling down her face as she said with a huge smile, "Yes! Yes, of course!"

Ian's smile took up his whole face. He stood up and pulled her by the waist into him. She locked her arms around his neck and they leaned their foreheads against each other.

After a few moments, they pulled their faces back just enough and kissed. They put every last bit of what they felt for each other into the kiss. When they did have to break apart, Skylar looked at him and, with his contagious smile and eyes the brightest they had been since he had come back, she could see the old Youngin' was still buried in him and working its way out.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you."

That night, Jamie was finally feeling well enough to sit at the dining room table for dinner. To celebrate, his three children and their partners joined him and Claire. Skylar and Ian also thought that with everyone there, it would be a good time to share their engagement.

Before they ate, Jamie made an on track speech to him about how thankful he was for his family and how much he loved them, that he would be no where without them and would likely not be here anymore.

"Slainte!" he cheered at the end and everyone took a drink.

"Going off of that," Skylar started, sharing a look with Ian that it was time, "Ian and I have something we want to tell you all."

"Please tell me yer pregnant," Marsali pleaded. "Please. There has te be someone other than just me every nine months."

"No, I'm not pregnant. But, um…" She looked at Ian, trying to hold back her smile.

Also keeping his grin in check, Ian announced, "Skylar and I are engaged."

There was a brief silent pause for everyone to really hear the news. But Fergus broke it, exclaiming, "It's about time!" which set off excited comments from the rest of the table.

Everyone stood up to hug and congratulate the happy couple on this long awaited moment.

"I canna believe it took ye this long!" Marsali said to Ian.

That night, before they put him to bed, Ian and Skylar wanted to tell Ollie their news.

"Come here, baby. We have something to tell you." Skylar picked him up and sat him between her and Ian. "Daddy and I are getting married."

"What's married?" he asked.

Ian explained, "Married is when two people who love each other verra verra much make a promise in front of all their friends and family te be together ferever and ever and ever."

"That's a long time." His parents chuckled at the remark.

Skylar went on. "So, just like how Auntie Bree and Uncle Roger are married, Auntie Marsali and Uncle Fergus are married, and Nana and Grandda are married, Daddy and I will be too. And there's going to be a big party."

Ollie's eyes went wide. "A party? I'm invited?"

"Are ye invited?" Ian picked up his son and stood up, spinning him around upside down. "Ye are the most important person that will be there."

Ollie was laughing hard, having fun. Ian lifted him back up straight and the little boy hugged him tight. Ian hugged him back, feeling more happy than he ever thought he could possibly be.

Two Sunday updates in a row? WOOOOOOOOO!

Again, I'm so happy to be back and I can't wait to share more with you. I hope y'all liked this one and are looking forward to next week.

I love ye all verra much and ye are all formally invited to the wedding of Youngin' and Yank next week at last!

GAELIC

Tha gaol agam ort, mo nighean – "I love you, my daughter"

Is tu mo shaoghal – "You are my world"