I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Outlander". After the last chapter, I'm happy to say that this one is much happier, and we'll get some fun family time. There also may be a surprise or two as well. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and reading.
Chapter 7
No Longer a Fantasy
Claire rises the next morning to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen. Her eyes scan the room and she realizes with a start, that she's still in the living room. They must have fallen asleep the night before and she can't help but feel an overwhelming warmth from it all. The laughter begins again from the kitchen and she makes her way into the room. Claire stops in the entryway and can't help feeling that all of this is quite surreal. Jamie is preparing the coffee and Bree is making the blueberry pancakes she enjoys so much. "Da, can you grab a plate out of the cupboard?" Claire watches Jamie furrow his brow and she can't help but smile. "Aye." As usual, Jamie attempts to find what he's looking for without anyone's help, fulfilling his male prerogative and maintaining his precious pride. Claire smirks at him fiddling with various cupboards and attempting to solve the conundrum in front of him.
Suddenly, there's a loud crash that echoes throughout the kitchen and Claire's eyes dart over to Jamie. He's standing over a heap of shattered ceramic and Bree's laughter fills the air. Jamie gives her his famous glare. "Stop ye laughin n help me start gatherin the shards. Aye dinna want ye mother to see." Bree tries to stifle her laughter and Claire closes the distance between them. "I'm afraid it's too late." Jamie whips his head in her direction and his frown deepens. Claire gives him a grin. "Come on, soldier, let's get this cleaned up." Jamie shakes his head and she hears Bree's rapturous laughter from behind her. She sees him shake his head at their daughter's humorous reaction to his ineptitude in this time and garners his attention by giving him a mischievous expression. "What are ye smilin at, Sassenach?" Claire shakes her head and wraps her arms around the burly redhead she loves with her whole soul. "My handsome Highlander." He gives her that smirk that always makes her feel weak in the knees and leans in to gives her a long kiss. Claire gets lost in it, until Bree clears her throat. She leans back and gives her daughter an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry for interrupting your moment, but breakfast is ready." Claire releases Jamie and they take their places at the table.
Over the years, Claire has dreamed of this exact moment, but thought that it would never come to pass. Now, as she stares across the table at Jamie and then turns to Bree on her left side, Claire feels as if she's living in some fantasy. The notion that Jamie is here with them in this time, is still difficult for her to grasp. Their family had been unspeakably torn apart for twenty years and now things have finally been set right. Claire begins gathering food on her plate, but stops abruptly, when she spots Jamie staring at a piece of bacon he's holding up in front of him. She can't help but smile at the perplexed look on his face. "What the devil is this?" Claire nods her head in his direction. "Don't you recognize bacon?" Jamie's eyes lock with hers and she can see the confusion within them. "How'd ye git the pig, I cannae see ye slaughterin it on ye own?" Claire turns to look over at Bree, who's smiling at her. "We didn't do the slaughtering da, we bought it from the grocery store." His eyes dart over to their daughter's, confusion still evident. "Ye mean the ghastly place ye took mi with those wee contraptions?" Bree gives her father a grin. "Yes, and those 'contraptions' are referred to as grocery baskets in this time. It's where people store their goods, while shopping." Jamie gives her a nod. Confusion comes over Claire and she turns to Bree. "When did you two find the time to go to the grocery store?" Her daughter gives her a grin. "We went this morning, mama. I didn't exactly have the appropriate breakfast food." Claire nods and the three eat in rather companionable silence, enjoying the family time that they've been craving, over the long years apart.
After a rather successful breakfast together, they begin tidying up the kitchen. Jamie cleans the various dishes and Bree dries them in conjunction. It's quite a sight and something she never thought she'd see in this lifetime. Claire begins polishing the surface of the kitchen table, when the doorbell rings. She stops cleaning and walks through the house to the front door. When she opens it, Claire is quite surprised to see the person standing in front of her. "Roger, what a pleasant surprise." He gives her a warm smile. "I wanted to surprise Bree and given the present circumstances, I thought it wise to give you all a little time to adjust." Claire gives him a smile. "Well, I'm quite glad you did, please come in." Roger nods and takes a few steps inside. "Roger, your back!" She turns to see her daughter smiling wide at her boyfriend and it makes her feel happy that she's found a good man to complete her. Claire watches Brianna make a dash towards Roger and jump into his arms. The beauty of the moment takes her breath and reminds her of the young passionate love she shared with Jamie not so long ago.
Claire can't seem to take her eyes away from the dazzling couple. She feels Jamie wrap his arm around her and her heart skips a beat. Claire is happy that they could share this moment together, since they haven't had the privilege to share other moments in Bree's life. She feels his warm breath near her ear and it sends sensual chills all over her body. "I'm glad Breeh has found a good lad for herself, especially in this ghastly time." Claire turns to him and smiles. "I am too." She leans in and gives him a quick kiss, feeling complete in every way imaginable. "Jamie…I mean…Mr. Fraser, can I speak with ye in the kitchen?" He gives him a nod and steps out of her embrace. She ponders what Roger is up to, but she doesn't have to dive too deep into her thoughts, because she has a pretty good idea what the impending conversation will be about.