I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Outlander". This chapter will feature Bree's reaction to what happened with Jamie in the previous chapter. I think it would be healthy for them to talk about the incident as a family and for Jamie to start learning how to lean on Claire and Bree for support. As always, thanks for following/favoriting and following.
Chapter 15
Family Therapy
Bree paces back and forth, glancing over at the clock above the mantle frequently. She hates the thought of her da reliving those horrible memories of his involvement in Culloden and wishes her mama would have let her come along with her. She had insisted that she stay here, not knowing the extent of trauma her da was suffering through. Bree tried to argue that she was an adult and he was her father, but her mama had been firm on the matter. Sometimes, she hated how stubborn her mama was, and how she still treated her as if she was a naïve little girl. Bree looks over at the clock, still ticking away, when the front door suddenly opens. She turns to see her parents entering the house, her mama holding onto her da like she is his anchor. Bree's heart aches at how distraught he looks, so she rushes over to her da's unaccompanied side, and helps her mama get him to the couch.
They take a few steps forward, before her da stops, and turns to her. "Yer as stubborn as yer mother, I dinna need ye helpin mi." He steps away from them and Bree feels like he's shutting them out. She can't imagine the horror of reliving memories of such a terrible war. Bree watches him cross his arms, trying to look unaffected by everything that's happened. She feels bad that he thinks he has to pretend with them. With her. Bree takes a few steps forward and his eyes follow her. She reaches out to touch his shoulder gently and his eyes meet hers. "You can talk to me and mama about what happened, we just want to help you, da." She notices his eyes soften a bit, before he gives her a nod a moment later. "I'm sorry, relyin on ye n yer mother is still a wee bit new fer me. I was on mi own fer twenty years." Bree can understand how much of an adjustment this still must be for him. She's sure she'd feel the same way if she suddenly found herself back in the 18th century alone for years. "We love you, da. You'll never have to go through anything alone again." His eyes shine with tears and her heart warms at the sight. Her da wraps her in a hug and then moments later her mama joins in.
Bree isn't entirely sure how long their standing there, wrapped together, before they decide sit on the couch. Bree settles next to her da on his left side, while her mama sits on his right side. The two wait a few quiet moments, before his voice fills the silence. "Seein mi fellow countrymen dyin at the hands of the Red Coats n nearly bein executed miself, has been weighin on mi mind since that ghastly day." Bree watches the emotion fill her father's eyes once more, before he turns to her. "Ye kept mi alive, comin to mi on that battlefield. I kent there was nothin to go on livin fer, after ye n our bairn went thru the stones." His words make her heart clench. Bree suddenly feels guilt wash over her, realizing that if it wasn't for her, her da wouldn't have felt like there was no longer anything remaining in his life to live for. She was the reason her mama had gone through the stones. Bree knows with the utmost certainty that her mama would have stayed with him, upholding her vow to stand by his side, until death parted them.
Bree feels tears begin to fill her eyes and has to look away from her da. A few moments pass, before her mama stands in her view. "Bree, what's wrong?" She can't even look at her mother at the moment, feeling too much guilt flooding her veins. Another few moments pass, before Bree suddenly feels her da's hand resting on her back. "Breeh, what the devil are ye thinkin?" She doesn't turn to face him, but feels like she needs to reply to him in some way. "I'm sorry for making mama go through the stones, I had no idea how alone you felt, or how much trauma you went through on your own. I know Culloden was painful for you da, but if mama would have been there, maybe it wouldn't have been as difficult for you." Bree can feel her da's hand tense on her back and the tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "Mi nighean, ye need to stop blamin yerself. Even if ye mother had been with me, those images of mi wee countrymen, bleedin n dyin in front of mi, would've still went on hauntin mi. It's no ye fault, Breeh." Bree is touched by her father's words and gives him a sad smile in return.
She looks over at her mama, who has tears within her eyes. Bree watches her lean her head against her da's shoulder. She decides to grab his hand in hers. "We're here for you, da. Anytime you want to talk, we'll listen." He gives her a nod and then a kiss on her forehead. Bree's smile widens. "I should go apologizin to the lad." She shakes her head. "Roger understands that reliving those memories are difficult for you, there's no reason you have to apologize for that." Her da shakes his head and suddenly gets up from the couch. "Roger is mi employer n I owe him a apology. It's mi duty." Bree rolls her eyes at her father's outdated sense of honor. "Da, I promise that Roger isn't expecting an apology from you and he won't hold the incident against you." Her da looks unsure at her words, but her mama gets up from the couch, and turns him to her. She grabs his face with both of her hands and gives him a small smile. "You need to listen to our daughter and trust that she knows how the man she's about to marry feels about the situation." He takes a moment to ponder what she's saying, before he finally gives her a nod. "Aye." Bree watches her mama's smile widen at his words. "Good, now let's go soldier, we've still got a wedding to plan, and a tux for you to decide on." With that, her da wraps his arm around her mama, and they make their way into the kitchen. Bree gets up from the couch, relieved that the crisis from earlier has been resolved, and follows after her parents with a smile.