#bree randall

“Shhh, it’s alright, shhh” Bree whispered, smoothing her hand over Jem’s round head.

Jamie made a coughing sound as he approached them so not to startle them. “Och lass, I could hear the wee bairn cryin’ from up in the house.”

Bree smiled apologetically, “Sorry Da, nothing I do will make him stop crying. I’ve been up all night. It doesn’t help that Roger is away, still plotting out the land.” Jamie noticed tears of frustration spill from Bree’s cheeks and he reached out his arms.

“Give me the bairn mo leannan, ye dinna have to do this on yer own.” Jamie took Jem from her outstretched arms, cradling him against his chest. It felt so natural to Jamie to hold a bairn, only more natural that this bairn was his grandson.

Jamie stuck his pointer finger in Jem’s mouth and winced as Jem bit down with his one new tooth. “Ach, strong bite yer lad’s got.” He laughed and Bree ran her hands through her fiery red hair, the same colour as Jamie’s.

“I tried that… with my finger.” Bree held up her wrinkly finger for evidence. “But he didn’t like it.” She observed how Jem was now quiet, gazing up at Jamie.

“Perhaps the bairn just likes me better.” Jamie joked and when Bree didn’t laugh he looked up quickly from Jem’s face. She looked so sad, “I didna mean that lass.” Jamie removed his finger from Jem’s mouth and placed his thumb on her wrinkled brow, smoothing out the creasing lines.

“Sometimes I feel he doesn’t like me, Da. He cries and cries and I just can’t take it!” She threw both hands in the air and sighed. Jamie didn’t want to see Bree cry, he didn’t want her to feel pain at all.

“That’s what bairns do Brianna, they cry.” He rocked Jem gently in his arms, returning his finger back to Jem’s mouth.

“I wasna there to hear ye cry mo chuisle or see ye throw a wee tantrum but I ken that bairns have tempers, especially Fraser bairns.” Jamie grinned, remembering his own temperament as a lad, the mischief he caused.

“The lad is in pain is all, yer Mam said how his teeth are ripping through his skin,” Jamie winced again, “That’s enough to make me wanna cry.” Bree laughed at this, her shoulders dropping with ease.

Bree then smoothed her finger over Jem’s soft round cheek and he met her eyes and smiled. She moved her hand down to his little stomach and tickled him making him laugh and forgetting about Jamie’s finger altogether.

“There. Happy again.” Bree took a deep breath.

“Da, can I ask you something?”

“Anything mo leannan.” Jem wriggled in his arms and Jamie gave him a pat on the back as he curled him against his shoulder, feeling Jemmy’s breathing slow into a deep slumber.

Bree crossed her arms over her chest, “Do you ever regret sending Mama back? Sending me back?”

This wasn’t the question Jamie expected, especially not so late in the evening, or early depending how you saw it.

He didn’t hesitate though, “Aye. Of course. The time I spent apart from yer Mam… well I wasna really living ye ken? I wasna a whole person. And I wish more than anything I coulda been there to hold ye when ye were born, to see yer first steps,” He reached out his other hand and took her hand in his, “when ye lost yer first tooth.” Jamie choked on his words, his emotions tightening his chest.

“To teach ye to hunt,” Bree laughed, squeezing his hand back, “To notice the little changes in ye as ye grew, to be there for ye when ye got yer heart broke by some idiot fool.”

“I wish all of those things too Da.” Bree smiled.

“But… I didna think I would survive Culloden ye ken? I couldna bear the thought of leaving you and yer Mam here, in this time withou’ me to keep ye both safe. I love ye mo leannan, dinna ever think that because I sent ye away that I dinna want ye.”

He pulled her to him then, cautious of the sleeping bairn between them and held his daughter. Jamie vowed to make up for all the time he had lost with Bree, if he couldn’t get those first 20 years back then he would make the most of the time he had with her now.

“I love you too Da. It doesn’t matter to me that you weren’t there from the start… as much as I would have wanted you to be. We’re here…” She kissed the top of Jem’s head, “all of us, together.”

“Aye, together. Now go get some sleep lass, I’ll take the bairn to the house. Yer Mam and me will watch over him.” Jamie rubbed his large hand over Jem’s back, the soft snore coming from the little body warmed his heart.

“Thanks, Da. I owe you.” She smiled and gave Jem one last kiss before walking towards her own cabin to find much needed sleep.