Chapter 26: Marionette

Jack waved a hand flippantly in the air, "leave us," he ordered all the soldiers in the room. He would be alone with Jamie in just a moment, that was part of the plan all along and circumstances allowed that it should happen sooner rather than later. However, everything else was more complicated than he had anticipated. From previous experience, there was no doubt in his mind that Jamie would take the flogging as bravely and brazenly as ever, but if there was any doubt with the appearance of Claire's other husband, the act being his first deed in command of the fortress was surely the end of everything he had built together with the time traveller. And it was all Jamie's fault. Had he not escaped...

"You owe me an account of what came about with Claire aft a parted fe Edinburgh." Standing as straight as the chains would allow, Jamie established firmly once they were alone.

The Englishman grunted in annoyance and ran a hand through his long hair. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?" He stomped angrily, nostrils flaring.

"You can do anything you want with me as a am sure you will, but I trust you would not go back on your word, you're not as Black as that," the red haired man negotiated.

Jack's hand stilled, fingers entangled in his mane, then he pulled, looking like he wanted to get himself rid of his own hair, "you ruinious misbegotten-pignut!" He stomped right in front of Jamie, grabbed both sides of his prisoner's face and shook it, part of him wanting to plant a kiss on his full, bottom lip and part of him wanting to strangle the life out of him there and then. "What am I to do with you now!"

"Claire." Jamie forced the issue for the third time. "You have an obligation to tell me about Claire."

"Yes!" He admitted with an eye roll and a turning away as he had given in to the request and temporarily steered from his anger to fulfil it. "That I do." Settling a little, he leaned his backside on the desk a few steps away and put a hand on his hips, "Claire," he repeated the word, articulating it with the sentiment he held for her seeping into his tone to the extent Jamie's forehead creased warily at how odd to his ears it sounded, but had no time to ponder on it. "Claire will be here in two days' time to rescue your arse."

"How?" Jamie's insides turned cold with trepidation and worry. "Did you not take her to Craigh na Dun."

"It didn't work, her mode of time travel," Jack volunteered the information, and proof of his knowledge about her secrets just to get it over with. There was an overwhelming urge in him to punish the other, for existing, for putting him in the situation they were in and the anger increased every time he thought about how he couldn't just slam into him till they were both senseless. Claire. Claire, Claire, Claire, Claire. The thought, the image of her smiling, the touch of her hand on his cheek. Claire. His Claire. If there was any chance he could keep the fraction of her devotion to him, then he would have to act the archetype of a perfect gentleman. "...or the bairn, man!" From the yelling and Jamie's physical closeness, Jack had to deduce that the Scot had been trying to get his attention for a while.

Jack sighed and rubbed a hand across his abdomen, "forgive me, I am not feeling well." It was true and while he had to keep appearances in front of the soldiers, at least with Jamie there was a reprieve he was glad he could take as it changed nothing about their relationship. It was tiring acting healthy when you're not.

Jamie took a step back again, his features revealing that the revelation had somehow pacified him and things were maybe starting to make sense, "is Claire treating you, still, at times?" It has been a long time, but it was the only way any of this made sense, Jack being in touch with her, knowing her intentions of freeing him and possibly allowing it on the basis of some agreement they could have had, it wouldn't be the first time they have worked out deals. The Scot shook his head, "a cannae simply abandon the folk here. A will no be freed if they cannae come too, surely Claire will ken as much." He wouldn't let himself rejoice over the prospect of seeing her, not just yet, for the complications were many and the last thing he would want is putting her in danger. They've been there too many times in the past. "Tell her a willna want her here."

"And you think that would keep her back?" Jack injected sarcastically.

The man with the red curls regarded him contemplatively. He would anticipate Claire's reaction to be just the same, that wasn't the puzzling matter. It was Jack's lack of menace and inappropriate advances that puzzled him. They were alone, there was no need for the older man to behave in a socially acceptable way. Jamie squinted, "what is the agreement between you two? You must owe her a great deal," he deduced.

"You have no idea," the redcoat allowed, "I owe her my life, a few lives, many times over."

"So you have given your word to help me." Jamie wanted to clarify without a doubt. He had not known Jack to go back on his word and if that was the case, he would have to trust his jailer, for the most part, with certain reservations of course.

Jack moved his head in a non-committal gesture. He wasn't sure how to answer that. No, he hadn't given his word, per se, because he didn't have to. Claire would not imagine he would all of a sudden abandon his family and turn against his wife. Jamie was safe from him, he had to be. "I will not harm you unnecessarily." Then he grunted in displeasure, remembering, "that flogging though, you will tell Claire when she comes that it wasn't my fault, I had to."

Jamie raised his eyebrows, largely and increasingly puzzled by his behaviour, "aren't you in charge of Ardsmuir?" He teased, he couldn't help himself. By the sounds of it, Jack's hands were tied by whatever Claire held him in check with and it ticked Jamie inside.

"I will have to flog you tomorrow. What kind of message would that send if I didn't! What kind of image am I propagating if I didn't! Fifty lashes. You know what fifty lashes would do?!"

"The usual, I expect?" Jamie recounted barefaced and brash, not understanding his real meaning.

"I have to be harsh and set precedence as newly appointed commanding officer of a prison. Fifty lashes are too much of a physical exertion for me. Yet I will have to pretend I am in the best of health, during and after," Jack complained, and seemed very angered about it too.

"Och, well, if it's 'your' health that's on the line..." The Highlander commented with considerable sarcasm.

Jack's eyes snapped back to him, "you don't understand anything! None of the consequences, none of the implications, no background!"

"I understand alright that within twenty-four hours of re-encountering Jack Randall, I will be tortured. It's tradition, right?" It was strange how he felt elation at the prospect, it was surely to do with how clear it was that with his recent actions he had crossed some plan Jack had.

"Guards!" Jack turned the volume of his voice up high. He had had enough of dealing with the Scot for one day. "I will see you tomorrow morning at the gallows," he said as parting. It was all too overwhelming right now. His mind jumped forward, at seeing Jamie's flesh again, his naked torso, the scars that marked the man as forever his. He had to blow the air out his nose slowly to calm himself and reign in the anticipation of his first few lashes, witnessing the Scot's near unbreakable spirit at work, giving into relishing the call of what sexual pleasure his handiwork would evoke in him. Yet, when that was done, even if he allowed himself the pleasance, the negative consequences of the deed would outbalance the joy he would have out of it. And for that, he was enraged with Jamie.

Tbc