Title: Charlotte's Tumbling Time Travel: Lottie of Lallybroch

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters on Outlander.

Author's notes: Finally I managed to update this story. So sorry for the long wait. I haven't given up on the story but I simply haven't had much inspiration or time to write in quite some time. that has improved though so I'm not slowly working on the story again. Please leave a comment of some sort below since it really helps me keep writing.

Chapter 13

Lottie had woken up early on Monday morning and felt like walking to school today. It was a cloudy morning with rain hanging in the air but it didn't bother her much. She talked Mrs. Crooke into letting her grab two bannocks that she could eat on the way to school and walked out the door with her satchel heading to school.

The first class was mathematics and Lottie calculated the answers quickly in her head, put them down on her slate and came up with perfect, correct answers. The only disadvantage was that she happened to end up next to Anella McNab, who happened to have left her slate at home this morning. She told the schoolmaster this right away and Lottie expected Anella to be punished for her thoughtlessness, but to her surprise it didn't happen. Instead Fordyce ordered Lottie to be a good Christian and share her slate with Anella. Lottie was less than thrilled with the idea but didn't protest. She just pointed and indicated that Anella could use the lower half of the slate and she would write on the upper half herself. This plan worked well enough for the first twenty minutes, then Anella started to invade her space for writing.

Lottie erased Anella's numbers with her sleeve, gave her a warning glare and then tried to focus on her work. She still had five more problems to finish before Fordyce rang the bell and let them out for recess. But before she knew it Anella was there again, scribbling on Lottie's side of the slate.

"Stop it," Lottie growled between gritted teeth. "Stay on your side of the damned slate or I'll break it over your stupid head."

Annella stared at her with an insulted frown and her mouth agape. Next thing Lottie knew Anella had erased one of her finished math problems from the slate. Lottie moved fast as a cobra and grabbed the other girl's hand and pushed it away from the slate.

"What is the problem Ms. Fraser?" Schoolmaster Fordyce thundered.

Lottie looked up and saw that he was glaring at them from a few rows away where he was instructing one of the younger boys.

"She erased my numbers!" Lottie accused with a nod of her head Anella's way.

"Sir, "Anella interrupted with a raise of her hand. "It's Dawson, not Fraser, sir."

Schoolmaster Fordyce looked confused at her.

"What are ye talking about, Ms. McNab? Whose name is Dawson?"

Anella turned and pointed at Lottie, with a sneer that was hidden from the schoolmaster and made Lottie want to punch her in the face.

"I just wanted to be of assistance, sir. Lottie's name isna Fraser, it's Dawson. She only lives with the Laird of Broch Tuarach. She's his ward, not his daughter, Sir."

Lottie couldn't believe the nerve of her. And how had the topic suddenly changed from being about Anella erasing numbers on her slate to being about her name? It was obviously very deliberate though.

"So, it's Dawson, is it?" Fordyce directed his question to her, but it sounded more like a statement than an actual question.

"No, Sir. It's Fraser. Like I told you when I registered. I've never claimed to be the Laird's daughter though." She glared furiously at Annella.

Lottie wanted to tell him he was a stupid idiot for believing anything Anella said, especially in this situation when she was obviously trying to change the subject and his focus, but she kept her mouth shut.

"That's strange indeed since Ms. McNab here claims that it is Dawson. I dinna appreciate lying lasses, Ms. Dawson. Come here."

At his order Lottie got up from her seat and approached the schoolmaster. On her way to the front of the class she caught a glance at Coinneach Shaw who was wearing an angry frown. She quickly looked away to avoid having to meet his gaze. It was enough she had to interact with the schoolmaster without having to handle him too.

"Hold out yer hand."

Lottie did what he said and held out her hand with her palm up. Fordyce reached for the cane on the shelf behind him and struck her twice. Lottie winced but didn't say anything.

"Ye should thank me fer that, lass. We wouldna want ye to grow up a liar, would we? It's time for recess and ye can all put yer slates down. Walk quietly outside," he reminded them.

Lottie spun around and headed outside before everyone else. Outside she headed over to the big rocks by an oak and slumped down. She nursed her throbbing palm gently with her good hand and took some deep breaths to calm down.

Little Bearnard soon minced over to her. At first he just stood in front of her like a soldier waiting to be told to be at ease in front of his commander, but then he decided to take a seat next to her on the rock.

"Ye alright, Lottie? Sorry about yer hand."

Lottie smiled weakly at him.

"It's alright, Bearnard. Don't worry about my hand. The pain is already wearing off," she lied. The pain was definitely still there, smarting.

Just when Lottie thought things couldn't get much worse she saw Anella McNab heading over to them.

"How's yer palm there, liar? Hurt much?" she sneered.

"Lottie isna a liar, Anella," Bearnard protested, clearly upset.

"Stay out of my way, Annella, if you know what's good for you. I'm not in any mood to listen to you flap your ugly mouth," Lottie fired off angrily.

"You are a liar, Lottie Dawson, telling schoolmaster yer name is Fraser when it in fact isn't. You should be ashamed of yerself."

Lottie was angry but she was also confused. How on earth had Anella McNab picked up her surname from the future? She had used Fraser since she got to Lallybroch. Strange thoughts like whether or not she could be someone from the future too appeared in her mind, but she quickly discarded them. If there was ever a person from the 18th century it was Annella.

"You don't know what you're talking about so you might just as well shut up!" Lottie yelled and got to her feet with resilience. She balled her fists at her sides and focused on keeping them there.

Suddenly Coinneach Shaw appeared. Lottie had been so preoccupied with Annella that she hadn't even noticed him approaching. The girls' raised voices seemed to have attracted his attention and now he'd come to gloat.

"I do in fact ken what I'm speaking of. My father happens to be one of Lallybroch's and the Laird of Broch Tuarach's tenents, " Annella declared with her nose perked in the air.

Coinneach Shaw studied Annella with narrowed eyes and he didn't look the least bit amused.

"What does yer father have to do with any of this, Annella? What possible difference can he make?"

Annella McNab looked possibly even more annoyed and offended at Coinneach's question.

"His name happens to be Ronald McNab and for your information…"

"I ken his name verra well, thanks ye idiot. I asked what he has to do with anything."

Lottie stared surprised at him. Why did he care? Why on earth did he meddle in her affairs with Annella McNab? And why did he stand against the other girl on Lottie's side?

"Would ye please stop interfering, Coinneach?! This doesna have anything to do with ye. Like I tried to say," Annella directed her attention at Lottie again "his name is Ronald McNab and he told me several days ago that he heard that Laird Broch Tuarach had come home with a ward. The Laird himself had spoken about her when the rent was collected and he had called her Charlotte Dawson. So you see, I ken what I'm talking about."

Lottie's head spun. Could it be true? Had Jamie actually told everyone she was his ward and called her Dawson, not Fraser? There was in fact no other possible explanation for Annella saying this. She felt tears start to burn behind her eyes. She didn't belong at Lallybroch like she had thought if Jamie didn't think of her the way she'd thought he did. She looked at Annella who was now practically grinning at her and suddenly the urge to hit her was too big to resist. Lottie raised her fist and got ready to punch Annella on the chin.

At the last possible moment Coinneach jumped in between them. The punch landed on his cheek and he grunted loudly.

"Charlotte Dawson! What are ye doin?!" the voice of schoolmaster Fordyce bellowed from over by the school house steps.

Lottie froze in her place, staring at Coinneach, trying to comprehend what had just happened and why.

Coinneach stepped back and shook his head and rolled his shoulders back and forth as if trying to shrug the effects of the punch off as Fordyce came marching their way with long strides.

"I asked what ye just did, lass, now you answer me right away before I haul ye inside and blister yer behind!"

Lottie's mouth opened and closed. Poor Bearnard did the same while slightly resembling a fish and stared irresolutely back and forth between Lottie and the angry schoolmaster.

"W..what do ye mean, Sir?" Lottie finally asked in a slightly shaky voice. She wasn't sure what he had actually seen and wanted to be sure before she answered.

"I thought I saw ye launch at Coinneach Shaw here! Ye explain to me what ye meant by that right this…"

"It was nothing, Sir," Coinneach interrupted. "Simply a misunderstanding. She was just showing me how something we were discussing happened and I accidentally stepped in her way. No one's fault and no harm done, Sir."

"Actually, Sir…"Annella started but Coinneach took a step closer to her and nudged her shoulder when the schoolmaster was focused on Lottie. She seemed to pick up the silent threat he was emanating and closed her mouth.

"What, Ms MCNab?" Fordyce almost snapped. She just silently shook her head. "Fine. If that was all it was then I'll let it go. This time." he glared at Lottie who chose not to open her mouth, afraid it might make things worse for herself.

Fordyce stomped back to the school and Lottie gawked in surprise at Coinneach Shaw. Annella seemed to understand that this was her que to go away and chose to stride off as well.

"But…why? Why did you…I hit you!" Lottie attempted to get a question out.

Coinneach simply shrugged his shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"Dinna fash. Ye dinna hit as hard as ye think," he winked and walked away.

To be continued

A/N: Please leave a comment below if you like the story. What sort of friendship/acquaintance do you think Lottie and Coinneach are heading towards for example?