#getting hitched

Ellen.

“Jamie?” She said, her face lighting up. “Jamie!” Her arms wrapped around her son, holding him close before she kissed his forehead.

“We’d given up hope of ever seein’ ye again, son. We thought ye disappeared or dead,” Ellen pulled him in for another hug and then she saw Claire. Her eyes looked her up and down, a curious look. Claire prayed she wouldn’t remember her as Elizabeth Malcolm and was relieved when she smiled politely and asked who she was.

“This is my wife,” Jamie said proudly. “Claire Fraser.”

“Christ, a wife,” Ellen put her hand over her heart. “Ye best come in and see yer father, brother and sister, Jamie. Ye’ve got a lot to explain, I think.”

Brother?

Jamie had heard it too and looked at Claire, his face white. Claire gripped his hand as they followed after Ellen into the house. It looked just as it had when Jamie lived here, the walls still filled with paintings and the grand fireplace in the center of the room lit.

“Brian! Jenny!” Ellen called as she offered for them to sit down on the couch. “Willie! Come here!”

“Christ, Willie,” Jamie nearly choked on the words and turned to Claire with tears in his eyes. He stiffened beside her as his father, sister and brother came into the room from different parts of the house. Claire knew how overwhelming this must be for him -- to see his parents alive after all these years, clearly older and then to see his brother whom he’d lost as a lad.

“Jamie?” Jenny smiled and then ran over to him, pulling him to his feet and embraced him in a hug. “Ye came back!”

“I always intended to, aye,” Jamie smiled, holding her tightly. She released him and then Brian came forward, patting his back roughly, grinning from ear to ear.

“Ah, son. ‘Tis good to see ye, we were so worried when ye didn’t return from Paris,” Brian said.

“‘Tis good to see ye too, Da,” Jamie said and Claire felt tears of her own spill down her cheeks. It was a lot of homecomings all at once and the fact that clearly their plan had worked to save the Fraser’s from dying. Claire ached to see her parents again, even if she had just parted from them a couple days ago. She hoped they were well.

“H-àrd-bhràthair,” Willie stepped forward, embracing Jamie and that’s when he fell apart. He leaned his head into his brother’s neck, tears freely flowing as he held his now grown brother in his arms.

Claire watched as Willie smiled and held his brother, then stepped back and wiped his face with the back of his hands.

“Son,” Brian smiled and took a seat. “Are ye goin’ to introduce us to this bonny lass beside ye?”

“Aye,” Jamie smiled broadly, pulling Claire near him, “‘Tis Claire Fraser, my wife,” He said proudly.

“The lad’s got himself a wife?” Willie smirked, “Congrats brother!”

“Aye, congrats son,” Brian smiled, getting up. “So when ye didn’t come back from Paris, ye were off gettin’ a wife?” He laughed and hugged Jamie again in disbelief that he was really home, “I dinna blame ye one second for not returnin’ to us so quick.”

“We handfasted a few months ago and we want to be proper married here, Da.”

“‘Tis yer home, lad, if ye wanna get married here, ye can,” he smiled. “Ye have our blessing.”

“A weddin’!” Ellen smiled, clapping her hands together. “‘Tis such a happy day to have our son return to us and now we’ll have a weddin’.”

“Are you from near here, Claire?” Jenny asked her and then all eyes were on her.

“Um, well my parents live close by. Henry and Julia Beauchamp?” She said in hopes that the Frasers knew of their current whereabouts, hoping that they were still in the same cottage.

“The Beauchamps!” Ellen smiled, “They’re here, love. I ken Julia is out back in the garden, she was helpin’ me fix it up and Henry had gone to the stable. They were here for a visit.”

“They stop by all the time,” Jenny smiled. “Julia helped deliver all us bairns. We didna ken they had a daughter though.”

“Well I left when I was quite young to live with my uncle in France and only came back here briefly,” Claire said and hoped it would be enough of an excuse. “I was on my way back here when I met Jamie, in France.”

As Claire was talking, Ellen had slipped out to find Julia and Henry to bring them into the house.

“Did ye no’ think to write home ye numptie?” Jenny laughed. “We were worried to death!”

Jamie tigheted his arm around Claire’s waist, “I’m sorry, Jenny. Everyone, truly… I’m sorry. I suppose I lost track of time when I met Claire.”

“Swaney became a wee bit of a romantic eh?” Willie grinned, nudging his brother. Claire couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Jamie being teased by his older brother.

“Claire?”  

She froze, recognizing her mother’s voice behind her. Slowly, she turned around, her heart beating a mile a second. Julia looked older than the last time they had seen one another, her hair bore grey streaks and lines were gracing her smooth skin but she was the same.

“Oh, Claire!” Julia smiled widely, hugging her daughter tightly.

“It’s good to see you Claire bear,” another pair of arms embraced her and Claire opened her eyes to see her father, smiling with tears in his eyes.

“Papa,” Her smile widened.

They embraced for a long time and then broke apart, Claire returning to Jamie’s side. Henry smiled at Jamie, winking slightly to let him know they would talk later.

“What a pleasant surprise today has turned out to be,” Ellen smiled and then stood up from her chair. “Jenny, Claire, Julia… would ye help me in the kitchen? I think we should prepare a wee feast for the occasion!”

The women all followed Ellen into the kitchen to prepare an early supper. As Claire started to walk away, Jamie clutched her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissed it before letting her leave.

“How have things been since I left?” Jamie asked as he sat back against the chair.

“The farm has been doin’ really well, lad,” His father smiled. “And we were looking forward to yer return.”

“A few months late,” Jamie chuckled.

“And wi’ a bride by yer side,” Willie grinned and Jamie saw Henry smile out of the corner of his eye.

“Speaking of brides, Willie, when does Mary and David return from visitin’ the new McRoy bairn?” Brian turned to his eldest son.

Jamie only knew of Mary McNab but if they had changed things in the past, it was possible that Willie had married Mary.

“They’ll return today, could be at any moment,” Willie said. “David was so excited to see the bairn. I ken he wants a sister, but he’ll have to do wi’ Jenny’s newest bairn.”

“Are you and Claire plannin’ on children?” Willie asked Jamie.

“Aye,” Jamie nodded with a look over at Henry. “Some day, no’ just now though.”

The men continued to talk and Jamie mainly listened, gathering as much information about what life had been like. He was mostly in awe of seeing his older brother so much… older. As well as his father being alive -- the fact that he had a nephew he knew nothing about was also a shock, surely his memories would have changed as well.

“Da!” A little voice came from the door and all the men turned to see David being set down on his feet by Mary. He ran towards Willie and into his arms.

He had curly brown hair and could only have been no more than two years old. Willie picked him up, sitting him on his lap and Mary waved hello before walking off to join the other ladies in the kitchen.

“David, I want ye to meet yer Uncle Jamie,” Willie smiled and David looked over at Jamie, curious at first, but then immediately leaped off his da’s lap and ran into Jamie’s arms.

“Oh, hello there lad,” Jamie laughed and picked up the little boy. He had something small in his hand and Jamie reached for it.

“It this--”

“My snake, aye,” Willie said. “Twas mine as ye ken, like the one I made for ye. He found it in my sporran awhile ago and hasn’t let it out of his grubby hands!”

Jamie turned the small snake over and sure enough, it had ‘Willie’ carved on the bottom just as Jamie had done not so long ago.

“Mine!” David exclaimed, holding up the snake proudly.

“Aye, yours, a leannan,” Willie chuckled, messing up his curls. “I think ye should go and rest Jamie, ye’ve had a long journey,” He picked up the little boy from his arms and smiled.

Nodding, Jamie smiled “I’ll go get Claire, we need a rest for sure.”

******

“I canna believe we changed the future, Sassenach,” Jamie smiled as he laid back against the bed, tucking one arm around Claire.

“I can’t believe we’re here...with everybody. It’s slightly overwhelming,” Claire sighed.

“Aye, ‘tis. All the things I must act like I ken about. Like my brother bein’ alive! And my Da and Ma as well.”

“It’ll take time,” Claire slid her hand over his bare stomach, her fingers scratching lightly. “But soon it’ll be as if they’ve always been alive and your memories without them will fade away.”

“We’ll ken though,” Jamie looked down at her. “Us and yer parents I suppose. I’ll never take it for granted, Sassenach. What ye helped me do,” he felt tears stinging his eyes, “To make it so my family lives.”

Sliding her hand to cup his cheek, Claire moved to straddle him and pressed her lips against his. “Of course you won’t, Jamie. I’m glad you found me too,” she slid her knuckles slowly over his scruff. “You brought me back to my family as well.”

“I love ye, Sassenach. I ken I dinna say it enough, but I do.”

Claire kissed him again, her tongue parting his lips, “I love you too, Jamie.”

“I canna wait to marry ye here, wi’ our families to celebrate wi’ us,” He held her close, his hands sliding down over her bum.

“I never thought I would be able to have my father walk me down the aisle,” Claire smiled and leaned her forehead against his. “I never dreamed of even marrying again, let alone someone like you.”

“Aye, what do ye mean by that?” Jamie chuckled and pulled her closer, pressing her against him.

Cheeks blushing red, Claire smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I just mean someone so kind and brave and--”

“Do go on, Sassenach,” Jamie kissed her nose and then her neck as she talked.

“You’re thoughtful,” she sighed as his lips pressed against her skin. “And also very handsome,” that earned her a long swipe from neck to ear, making her skin break out in goosebumps.

“Aye.”

“And you sure know what you’re doing in the bedroom,” Claire laughed and then Jamie pulled back, squinting his eyes at her before rolling them over and kissing her deeply.

“I had a good teacher, ye ken.”

Claire hooked both her legs around his hips, pulling him down closer to her, “I ken fine.”

******

“Ye look verra bonny Claire,” Ellen smiled, finishing her task of tying Claire’s corset. It was a gorgeous day for a wedding -- blue sky and bright sun.

“The dress is very beautiful,” Claire smiled, looking at herself in the mirror, “I can’t believe you made this.”

“‘Tis no’ everyday my wee Jamie is gettin’ married and to such a lovely lass! I see the way he looks at ye and the way ye look at him,” She smiled, “I’ve never seen my lad so happy.”

“You’ve raised a very good man,” Claire smiled at her in the mirror.

“One day ye’ll have the chance to raise yer own bairns,” Ellen smiled and then hugged her from behind. “I think yer all set my dear.”

Claire turned around, watching as the material flowed around her feet.

Julia walked into the room and stopped at the sight of her daughter, “Oh, Claire, darling you look so beautiful!”

“Aye, ye have a beautiful lass, Julia”, Ellen smiled widely, looking at Claire. “I will go and get ready as weel! I’ll see ye two in a wee bit.”

Ellen left the room to finish getting ready and Julia stepped forward, pulling Claire into a gentle hug to not mess up her dress.

“You truly are beautiful darling,” Julia smiled and ran her finger over one of her curls. “I always dreamed of this day and when we couldn’t get back…. Well I thought I would never see it.”

“I’m so happy to have you and papa here for this,” Claire grinned and felt tears spring to her eyes. “It feels too good to be true.”

Her mother stroked her cheek, smiling, “We’re all together and it’s what matters most. You and Jamie will be happy together and I’m so glad your father and I are here to witness that.”

“Me too, mama.”

“I picked those for you,” Julia handed her a bouquet of forget-me-nots, “Your favourites...Still, hopefully.”

“Still my favourites,” Claire smiled widely, hugging her mother again, “Thank you.”

“Well, it’s time to go and get you married!”

“It is,” Claire looked at herself in the mirror again and couldn’t help but smile. The day she had met Jamie, she never would have thought how much her life would have change. And thinking about it now, she realized she wouldn’t change one thing about it. She would spend the rest of her life with a man who loved her unconditionally and whom she loved right back. At Lallybroch, surrounded by their family, for the first time in her life, she felt at home.

******* “I know you’ll keep your promise, Jamie,” Henry said as he looked over at him.

“Aye,” Jamie nodded. “I told ye I would keep her safe and always love her. That willna change.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone but you marrying her,” Henry laughed then and patted him on the back. “I don’t think anyone could be deserving of my Claire bear but seeing how she loves you, it’s enough to convince me that maybe you do.”

“Thank ye, Henry.” Jamie smiled and embraced Claire’s father, “For everything that ye’ve helped us wi’ as well, thank ye.”

“My pleasure, son,” Henry then released him and let Jamie walk to the front of the small aisle to wait for Claire. Henry went back inside and waited for his daughter at the end of the stairs.

“Papa,” Claire looked down at her father with a smile.

“Oh, Claire...”

Claire smiled and took her father’s outstretched hands, rubbing his fingers with her thumb. “I’m so happy to have you here.”

“I never thought I would be able to see you on your wedding day, let alone give you to such a deserving man.”

“And who would have thought it would be in a house in the Highlands in the 18th century?” Claire laughed and then her father pulled her into a hug. She could see over his shoulder that everyone was in the living room, gathered near the hearth.

They had done it. Somehow managed to save everyone. Jamie’s parents -- his mother from childbirth and his father from a heart attack. His brother Willie from smallpox. And her parents were there as well, not having left her or died mysteriously but simply found themselves in the wrong time.

As Claire was walking towards Jamie, holding her father by the arm and seeing her loved ones around, she realised that in the end, everything had turned out to be fine. Just as Lambert had promised.

“Hello, Jamie,” Claire smiled as her father handed her over to him. She found his hands and linked their fingers, squeezing tightly.