#jack randall

“I thought you didn’t begrudge—“

“I lied. And damn you too, Claire Randall Fraser, while I’m at it! Damn right I begrudge! I grudge every memory of yours that does not hold me, and every tear you’ve shed for another, and every second you’ve spent in another man’s bed! Damn you! You’re mine, damn ye, Claire Fraser! Mine, and I willna share you, with a man or a memory, or anything whatever, so long as we both shall live. You’ll no mention the man’s name to me again. D’ye hear?”

Randall hates that his brother, the only person in the world he seems to love, forces him with his dying wish to take Mary as his wife. It doesn’t matter that he’s not attracted to women, Randall is such a sick sadist he can’t trust himself to have that kind of power over a person so dear to Alex. And it seems to prove his fears right, and that it’s lucky he probably dies without the marriage even consummated, that he’s so anguished by going through with it he starts beating Alex’s corpse in front of her the moment he’s died.

Likewise John is horrified by the idea when Brianna tries to blackmail him into marrying her for her convenience, because even if he doesn’t like women she’s Jamie’s full-grown daughter and he can’t help but feel drawn to her. He knows there’s a very weak part of him that is not above sleeping with her to feel close to the man he wants more than anything. John would never actually touch her, just as he wouldn’t have Jamie on the wrong terms, but I think threatening her by saying he’s been married before and is perfectly capable of consummating it is the only way he can make her understand why he can’t possibly marry her. It wouldn’t be a danger to her but it would probably kind of destroy him.

Randall’s story always feels like it’s entangled with Jamie’s and Claire’s by destiny. Claire was always connected to her soul mate from 200 years ago through her marriage to a Randall, and Jack is the first person she encounters in the past. The two of them have this fascinating chemistry because she has what he can’t have, because she and Jamie are the only people he’s fully shown himself to as a total monster, and he’s even strangely vulnerable with her in their last conversation. He resents what’s between them because he can’t understand the power Claire has over him. In his own completely fucked up way he’s in love with Jamie, but Randall only gets off on power over people and is incapable of understanding the power that can come from willingly submitting to the person you love, that that’s part of what makes Jamie this incredibly strong and impressive man he loved breaking but seemingly goes to his grave still wanting he-doesn’t-know-what from.

John Grey’s destiny seems even more meaningfully entangled with theirs. What John impulsively swears after the first encounter between the three of them, by total mishap and coincidence, ends up saving Jamie’s life down the road. John is the only reason he’s eventually able to reunite with Claire after twenty years, and he’s so often conveniently placed where he can help them.

John also has this unique chemistry and even strange intimacy with Claire because they love the same man, but John accepts that what he wants with Jamie is impossible. He’s so above him in class that it’s never appropriate for them to even hug each other (GOD), yet John’s devotion to him is like that of chaste courtly love and he’d probably do literally anything for him (Jamie probably bristles so much at Murtagh asking him to get redcoat intel out of John because it would be taking advantage of more than their friendship). They’ll be connected forever because he’s raising Willie as his own, the real love of his life, and whether it’s totally healthy or not he’ll take it.

And of course unlike Randall, John isn’t possessive of Jamie. He can’t exactly be besties with Claire but I think in his own way he loves her for seeing him, and he knows she’s special and worthy of Jamie. He would never dream of reducing Jamie to less than he is to have him. He fell in love with this man seeing how he naturally commanded respect and loyalty even in the walls of a prison, and honestly even if Jamie could have loved him back, I don’t think John could stand to see him be a groom in his service or something forever so they could discreetly have a relationship. He’s younger than Jamie, and though he’s a lord with a naturally imperious air and a shrewd leader and impressive soldier, it’s uh…not hard to imagine the dynamic we’ve seen when we first see John with a sexual partner is a different picture from his fantasies involving Jamie.

I've been thinking about this idea since 2019. Back then, I didn't have the necessary skills, but I'm happy to implement it at least now.