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[nineteenfortyfive]

No fainting on us. [There's a teasing look given to Jamie, and he huffs out an amused sound. Once was probably enough for today. Claire's hand moves to his hair, brushing against his temple briefly. Not a touch shared with Frank. Not a look like this, either, eyes full of adoration as she keeps her eyes on Jamie for a long moment.]

I think we could all do with a drink?

[No chance to argue it. Claire moves towards the decanter in the room, a hand touching Bree's shoulder as she passes.]

[givingback]

[ A drink sounds perfect, and Bree exhales, smiling a little before sitting back in her chair. She oddly misses the warmth of his hand around hers, and she looks at Jamie, a promise that she's not going anywhere, that she'll make up the best she can for 20 years of missed hugs and tender moments.

Watching the way her mother interacts with Jamie is so different than anything she's ever seen before. With Frank touches seemed stiff and obligated, not loving and spontaneous.

It's weird.

As soon as she has her alcohol she takes a large gulp, then holds the cup between her hands. She doesn't know what the hell to say so she's going to let her mother figure it out. She does say thank you for the drink, though. ]

[backlashing]

[He has a lot of questions. About Frank, about the upbringing Brianna's had, about her likes and dislikes. A brief conversation didn't give him much. She likes dogs. Swimming. She can chop wood. It's been years since he's seen Willie, and there's a terrible pang of guilt. He knows so much about that boy and shared so many moments with him that he'll never have with Brianna. Frank had them.

There' so much he can ask but he can't find the words. It's only after a drink himself and a look to Claire that he finds something.]

Fergus will be over the moon.

[Another look to Claire. Has Fergus come up in their conversations?]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Once everyone has their liquid courage and Claire is seated, she feels the uncertainty in the room. She's about to fumble about for something for Jamie to talk about when he brings up something himself. Fergus. An outside party to all of this, and so it's easier to talk about than any of the three people in the room.]

He will, won't he? [She can't imagine him being anything less than thrilled to meet Brianna. He was so young, when they lost Faith, but Claire knows those times in Paris were likely going to stay with him forever, unfortunately.] You remember the orphan I said we took in Paris, Bree? He's here, too. No longer a little boy, though.

[Talking about Fergus had been difficult, and so Claire had kept mentions of him brief. Another loved one left behind, just like Jenny and the rest.]

[givingback]

[ Bree nods slowly at the memory of the conversation, turning her head to Jamie ]

And he's still with you? That's incredible.

[ After everything Jamie's been through, the places he's gone, what he's endured, this little boy (man now) has never left him. That actually speaks loudly to her, and she files that away. ]

I can't wait to meet him, then. I'm glad he was with you, Jamie.

[ For some reason it's suddenly important to her that he had someone, at least, to anchor him. ]

[backlashing]

He's a good lad. [Maybe not with him for the entirety of the two decades gone, but for some of it. He's his son, just as much as Brianna is Frank's daughter.]

Though I dinna know how long he'll buy the story he's been told.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire grimaces at that. It's true. An easy story to tell with Claire on her own, but certainly she would have tried to get in touch with someone if there was a child.]

Maybe it's time he's told the truth, then.

[givingback]

How are you going to explain any of this to anyone?

[ She looks from Jamie to Claire again, then back to Jamie. ]

Is my aunt...I mean, there's still family at Lallybroch, right?

[backlashing]

[A good question, Bree. Jamie doesn't seem too keen on it. Telling Murtagh was one thing, but others...]

It'll have to be given some thought.

[He knows Claire won't like it, but there's a lot that needs to be brought to light before the fact that his wife and daughter and time travelers.]

Aye, Brianna. Your aunt Jenny and uncle Ian are there, as well as their children, and some of their children's children.

[So. There's a lot of people that might be surprised by all of this.]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire frowns. She's never liked hiding this from anyone, but after the whole witch trial disaster, she can understand. There's a long pull from her glass before she decides that it's a conversation she and Jamie should have in private, later.]

I have a feeling you can't throw a stone at Lallybroch these days and not hit a Fraser.

[givingback]

I'd like to see it if you decide that's possible.

[ She doesn't know how to solve this problem, so she drinks more of her wine. She came here for a reason though, and that was meet Jamie, to get to know him. The rest of the family can wait for now. ]

So, I know you're a printer but what do you print? And how did you become a printer in the first place?

[backlashing]

Lallybroch? [Where else, Jamie?] Oh, aye... aye, we'll have to make a visit.

[Jenny might kill him even if he couldn't have predicted this ever happening. That already has him shifting a little uncomfortably. Her question--a fair one--has him shifting a bit more.]

It's a long story. Are ye sure?

[Stalling. He knows it's obvious and that's why he doesn't look at Claire.]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[And, of course, Claire picks up on it. He's not jumping at the opportunity to explain much of himself. What was he hiding?]

We do have time. But I'm sure you haven't eaten supper yet. [She knows he hasn't.] How about you, Bree? Hungry?

[givingback]

[ Everything she's saying seems to be wrong, so maybe, she decides, she shouldn't say anything else for a while. Instead, she nods and smiles about supper, making a sound of confirmation rather than actually open her mouth.

If they could go back to dramatically reuniting that'd be great, because holding her while crying was honestly less awkward than trying to know the right thing to say. ]

[backlashing]

Food. [He looks slowly between Claire and Bree. Food. Right. He's hungry, he knows, but he's also in so much shock that he can't feel his stomach. Awkwardly, he rises to his feet.

He doesn't want to let either of them out of his sight but he has a feeling Claire wants a word.]

I'll go see what I can scrounge up. I won't be long.

[A brief smile with the promise, and he goes to the door despite it being the last thing he wants.]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Jamie knows. Claire doesn't want him to go, even if it's just downstairs, but Bree comes first. Maybe they all need a breath.

The moment the door shuts, she's moving before Bree, crouching before her seat so that they're eye level. Both hands cup her face.]

Sweetheart.

[She knows when something is wrong.]

[givingback]

Am I doing something wrong? I didn't mean to come and make everything worse for you. I'm sorry, mama.

[ All of that comes out in a rush, like she's been waiting to say it. ]

I don't know what to do or say.

[ Should she have come? Would it have been better, easier, if she'd stayed in 1968? And these thoughts don't even touch what she's ignoring for now, that she has a father she wants to get to know but isn't sure how. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

Oh, Bree. No. What makes you think that? He's just in shock. It's natural. He's happy, like he said. I can tell. He wouldn't lie to you.

[... he's just omitting the truth to the both of them, but they'll find out later. Claire's thumbs stroke over Bree's cheeks, gentle as can be.]

I saw his face when you touched him. I've never seen him so glad.

[givingback]

Just knowing that no one's going to believe a lie, but no one's going to believe the truth, either. And I sort of stick out with an American accent.

[ She hadn't really noticed until Jamie obviously had. ]

I believe that he's glad. I believe if it was just the three of us and nothing else, it would be better.

[ That gentle touch of Claire's thumb actually brings on tears she didn't know were right there. ]

And what about daddy? Would he feel hurt because I'm getting to know my real father, or would he feel pushed out again?

[ She doesn't say that to hurt Claire (even if it might), but there was no way at all to anticipate how conflicting this might be, at least not to Bree. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

Most of the people here have no idea what America is like. We can say the people there are different enough that you picked up a strange accent. The rest... we'll figure out. We always do.

[If they could find Jamie through time and distance, they can do anything. She tries a smile, but it's gone as soon as Bree begins to cry. All she can do is lean up and take her into her arms.]

Frank would want you happy. If this is what you wanted, I don't think he'd fault you for it.

[Would he hurt? Oh, yes, just like thinking about Frank makes Claire hurt. But she does want to believe that Frank, wherever he is now, would understand ultimately.]

[givingback]

[ The only constant Bree has now is Claire. She's never changed, she's always going to be her mother, and she takes comfort in that for now, breathing her in and closing her eyes for a few minutes. ]

I want to be able to talk to him. But I tried with family and talking about Lallybroch and what he does. None of that worked.

[ She pulls back and wipes at her eyes, sniffling. ]

Maybe you can tell him he can just ask me questions. It'd be easier, maybe.

[nineteenfortyfive]

We don't know all of the details of his past twenty years. It's... I doubt he's talked about it in full with anyone, and so he's struggling. But he will, I know he will. We just need to be patient. It's not because of you.

[She helps Bree wipe at her eyes with her sleeve.]

Why don't you tell him about... that summer we took you horseback riding? Jamie loves horses. He'll be glad to hear that you do, too.

[givingback]

[ Bree takes a deep breath and lets it out, managing a nod and a small smile. ]

Okay. I can do that.

[ She thinks. She hopes. She likes how happy he looked, how happy her mother looked, and she wants to do something or say something so right that they look like that again. She's putting unnecessary pressure on herself, but these glimpses she's seen have been completely fascinating, and she wants it to keep happening. Everyone deserves so much happiness, and if she can keep that happening, she wants to. ]

[nineteenfortyfive]

You're doing wonderful, darling. There's no wrong you can do. But you might make him cry again if he sees you've been.

[She smiles, kissing Bree's forehead and giving her a tight squeeze. Jamie cries a fair bit. Bree will see.]

[givingback]

I don't want him to know I have.

[ If he's going to cry she doesn't want it to be because she is. Put a pin in that angst for later. Wiping at her cheeks, she takes a deep breath and lets it out, sniffling and attempting to dry up her tears. ]

There, better?