Time is Relative

by shipsinlove3

Brianna is living her life in Boston nearly two years after Claire went back through the stones, when she gets an unexpected call from an old family friend, who tells her that Claire is back in the 20th century. The only problem is that her mother is in the hospital and her 18th century father is somewhere in Boston during her time. Will Bree find out why her parents are back?

12. A Daughter's Love

I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Outlander". Well, this chapter will feature Bree and Jamie's journey to the Photography Studio. You'll find out that very important question that Bree has to ask Jamie and many of you may need tissues. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and commenting.

Chapter 12

A Daughter's Love

Bree stops her car at a stoplight and turns to see her father tapping his fingers on the door handle. She's aware that he's nervous about her impending question, so she attempts to calm his nerves. "Don't worry so much, da. I promise the question that I have isn't terrible." She watches her father exhale, as a car honks behind her. Bree turns her attention back to the road and moves her car forward. "What the devil was that?" Bree smiles at his words. "It's a car horn and used in this time to signal a driver to move ahead. Usually, it's a tool to make the person pay attention to the road." Her eyes become focused ahead of her and she sees the Photography Studio within her sight. "Ye should be keepin yer eyes on the road, instead of worryin bout me." Bree shakes her head. "It's a daughter's duty to worry about her father." Silence envelopes the car, as she reaches the studio, and parks at a parking meter.

Bree gets out of the car and makes her way over to the sidewalk to fill the meter with the proper coins. As she's gathering the coins from her change purse, she hears her father approaching. "What the devil is that contraption?" Bree slides the coins in and turns the lever. She looks over at her father with a smile. "It's referred to as a parking meter. When you park on a public street, you must put coins into these slots, or face a fine." Her father shakes his head. "Does that contraption go eatin the coins?" Bree gives him a little laugh. "No, da, you see the meter up here?" She points directly at it and he nods. "Aye." Bree touches the meter reader and runs her slender fingers across the bold lettering. "You have a time limit of two hours and if you violate the time restriction, you receive a ticket with a fine from a meter maid." Her father looks at her in confusion. "Is that what yer callin the authorities in this time?" Bree locks eyes with her father. "Yes and no, they are technically law enforcement, but they're not the real authorities, that handle the crime that occurs in the city." Her father's brow furrows even more at her answer. "If their no real authorities, how canna they go enforcin the law?" Bree shakes her head, as she starts to make her way towards the shop. "Their permitted officials by the city, which means that they're authorized to distribute tickets, and enforce the law." Bree turns to see her father nod at her answer, still trying to comprehend, all the rules and regulations in this time.

As she reaches the door, her father gives her a nod, that he's ready to follow her into the studio, and she pushes the door handle open. Her eyes scan the area, having been here only once, and she spots the Photographer behind the counter. Bree turns to see her father standing at her side. "I'd like you to stay here for a moment and wait for me." Her father nods hesitantly, as she walks forward. When she reaches the desk, Mr. Miller gives her a smile. "It's good to see you again, Brianna. I have the pictures right here." The man turns to open a drawer to his file cabinet and takes a moment to locate the correct envelope. When he finds it, he turns, and hands it to her with a grin. "I was able to fulfill that special request you asked for." Bree nods, as Mr. Miller makes his way into the back room of the studio. They wait for a few moments, before the man comes back, with a picture frame in his hands. Bree smiles gratefully at him, before paying a fee for the pictures, and receiving the picture frame.

They leave the Photography Studio and she starts walking towards her favorite park two blocks away. "Where are we goin, lass?" Bree locks eyes with her father, walking right by her side. "My favorite place in the world." Her father simply nods, looking more nervous, than he had before he entered the studio. It takes them a few minutes to reach the familiar park and she sits under her favorite old oak tree on the ground. When she had been a child, she used to love reading here, and escaping her humdrum life. Her favorite books were the ones filled with History, which she had often "borrowed" from her daddy's study. On one occasion, she remembers running away to this very spot, when her parents had a major fight and were nearing divorce. Of course, her mother and daddy had found her after a few hours, and she wasn't allowed to come back to her favorite place, without an adult.

As her father settles down next to her, she turns to him, and holds up the picture frame. "I wanted to surprise you and mama with our first real family photo." Her eyes meet her father's and she can see the amazement within them. "Canna take a better look?" Bree nods and hands it over to her father. A hint of a smile appears, as he closes his eyes, and breathes a happy sigh. "When yer mother first returned to me, she brought along photos of you." Bree remembers her mother mentioning this, when her father had first arrived here, but she didn't know that he had carried those pictures so close to him. She watches her father retrieve a wallet from his back pocket. "Yer mother said that I'd go losin them, if I dinna start carryin them in this wee satchel." Bree smiles, as he takes the photos out, and hands them over to her. She examines the photos carefully by flipping through each of them. The small collection is like a collage that illustrates her life and she's glad that her mother was able to give these to him.

A few minutes later, she looks up to see her father, clutching the picture frame, and wearing his 18th century glasses. He's studying it carefully, as if he's trying to commit it to memory. Bree's heart aches, as she wonders briefly, if he thinks he'll somehow lose her and her mother someday. "Da." His eyes look up and lock with hers. She can see the love shining through them for her. "I had that picture framed because you and mama deserve to have it, after everything you've been through. You both fought to save me and you let mama go." Bree feels the tears within her eyes form, as she inches forward, and places her small hands, on top of his large ones. She notices that his eyes are focused on her and she gives him a teary smile. "I want to ask you if you would agree to letting me change my last name to Fraser. In memory of my father, I'd like to keep Randall, but Fraser will be my surname?" Bree waits for her father to say something, but he only stares at her in surprise.

She begins to feel a nervous wave wash over her, just as her father puts the picture frame aside, and opens his arms wide to her. "Come here, mi nighean." Bree embraces her father and can't help the tears from spilling down her cheeks. "Ye gonna be one of the only lasses with a wee bit too many names." She laughs into her father's shoulder. "I seem to recall that you and mama have quite a few names, why can't I have the same?" Her father squeezes her tighter and she knows he's got a smirk on his face. "I love ye, Breehanna Ellen Randall Fraser." She smiles and squeezes him in return, holding on as tight as she can. "I love you too, da. I can't wait to carry on the Fraser name." The two continue embracing for a long time and Bree decides that she has another reason for this being her favorite place in the world.