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underthewingsofthblackeagle · 2 years ago

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Foto: Panorama Helsinki / Finland - Dom und Parlamentsplatz (by tap5a)

“We only do this for Fergus!” is a short Outlander Fan Fiction story and my contribution to the Outlander Prompt Exchange (Prompt 3: Fake Relationship AU: Jamie Fraser wants to formally adopt his foster son Fergus, but his application will probably not be approved… unless he is married and/or in a committed relationship. Enter one Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp (Randall?) to this story) @outlanderpromptexchange

Chapter 25: The First Christmas Day

For the following two Christmas holidays, Jamie had given Mr. and Mrs. Curtius the day off. This had been planned for the First Christmas Day anyway, but after Matthieu had invited Jamie, Claire and Fergus for the second holiday, they could take that day off as well.

Picture by Ulrike Mai on Pixabay

Jamie and Claire had decided to take it easy this first holiday. Claire let "the men" sleep in. They did not meet in the dining room until shortly before 10:00. There Claire had already set the table for the Christmas brunch. In the days before, she had bought everything for it and prepared it with Mrs. Curtius. In the middle of the table was still the Advent wreath, but Claire had filled it with fresh candles, which were now burning. On the table was a large basket with different types of bread, rolls and croissants. On different porcelain plates were arranged different kinds of cheese and sausage. A roundel with jars containing various fruit spreads and honey stood next to it. There was also a basket of warm hard-boiled eggs and smaller bowls of various salads. A large wooden bowl with apples, oranges and tangerines was also on the table. On the sideboard was the Christmas pyramid, whose candles gave a soft glow. Through the open door to the living room they saw the Christmas tree, whose candles Claire had renewed and lit. The honey aroma they exuded was also present in the dining room. "Well, gentlemen, have we slept in?" asked Claire, the men who had forgotten to greet her in amazement. Jamie was the first to respond: "Good morning, Claire. That looks ... stunning!" "Good morning, Claire," Fergus now greeted as well. Then he yawned. Jamie gave him a light pat on the shoulder: "Hand over your mouth!" he then whispered. Claire watched the scene, slightly amused. Then she said: "Good morning, gentlemen. Sit down! I'm hungry!"

Picture by Bruno /Germany on Pixabay She first poured everyone freshly squeezed orange juice into the waiting glasses and then steaming tea into the cups. Then she only grabbed the remote control and a CD of soft, classical music began to play in the background. Still "the men" sat somewhat sleepily in front of their plates. Claire held out the basket of baked goods for them to grab. Fergus reached for a croissant, Jamie did the same. Then they both reached for their orange juice and drank. Claire had to smile. So in sync.

Jamie cut Fergus' croissant and the boy spread it with cherry jam. Jamie spread his first with butter and then topped it with a slice of Edam cheese and cooked ham. Claire, who had topped a roll with Camembert and spread strawberry jam over it, smiled. It had taken another fifteen minutes or so, then the men had slowly thawed out, reaching for bread and rolls, eggs and salads, and visibly enjoying themselves. Fergus wanted another glass of orange juice, Jamie was already on his third cup of tea. At times, the boy was completely occupied with tasting the different dishes. But he also paused every now and then to tell or ask something. What will it be like in the French Cathedral? How long will they stay with Uncle Matthieu and Aunt Teresa? He wondered if he will get a Christmas present from the von Klarenbergs, too. Would they give Maurice a present? Jamie answered his questions, but always briefly or somewhat evasively. Not wanting to give everything away, he told Fergus to be surprised. Then he urged the boy to keep eating. In between his brief interactions with Fergus, Jamie kept mentioning how wonderful this holiday was, how much he enjoyed it, and how grateful he was. His words made Claire blush a few times. Was Fraser just grateful? Had the holiday spirit put him in some kind of euphoric state? Or was he trying to tell her something else? She wasn't sure, and she didn't want to burden herself with those questions now.

Ten minutes before 12:00, after Claire and Jamie had another espresso, they finished brunch. Together with Fergus, they cleaned up and then moved to the living room.

Jamie and Fergus adjourned to the conservatory where they were going to set up the Wartburg model, Claire sat down in one of the big armchairs by the fireplace that Jamie had lit. Then she began to read a book that Geillis had sent her as a gift for Christmas. It was a nice, funny novel about a little knitting store in the Scottish Highlands. From time to time she would pause and listen to the sounds that drifted to her from the conservatory. Shared laughter alternated with initial conversations about small technical details, questions about building in the Middle Ages followed crazy knight stories Fergus had made up. Every now and then one of the "men" came out of the conservatory to visit the toilet or to get something to drink. But none of them approached them or stayed in the living room any longer. It was as if "the men" had made an agreement not to disturb her. Shortly before 4:00 p.m., her smartphone beeped, reminding her that she needed to prepare the table for tea. She put the book aside, got up and went to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, she called Jamie and Fergus for tea. But Jamie called back: "Come and join us first, Claire, please." When she came into the conservatory, Fergus and Jamie proudly presented her with the completed model of the Wartburg. "Oh, that turned out beautifully!" Before she could say more, Fergus began to explain each section of the castle to her. He told which areas had been particularly difficult to build. When the once had to take a breath, Claire took her chance and said: "Well, you've really earned your tea! Come on, it's all set up!" She waved and "the men" got up to follow her.

Fruitbread - Picture by lusekofte on Pixabay

Tea, fruit bread, and marzipan and poppy seed stollen were already waiting for them in the dining room. While Fergus could barely contain himself, Fraser quipped: "I guess I'll have to join a fitness center after Christmas." Claire said nothing, but just rolled her eyes. For after tea, Fergus had wanted them to play Settlers of Catan together, so they moved back into the living room, set up the game on the coffee table, and then explained the rules of the game to Jamie. They played until just before 7:30 p.m., when Claire warmed up the prepared food for dinner while Jamie and Fergus set the table. Claire had asked Jamie to light the candles she had re-trimmed the Christmas tree with. When that was done, they gathered in the dining room, where they had a good view of the tree. Jamie and Fergus helped Claire carry in the dishes. Then they enjoyed the roast boar with Armagnac sauce, potato croquettes, and mushrooms.

When Claire went to clear the table after dinner, Jamie asked her to make herself comfortable on the sofa in the living room. He and Fergus cleared the table. Then they served dessert, plum jam with cream and some Christmas liqueur.

By 9:00 p.m., Fergus was almost asleep. Jamie and Claire took him up to his room and to bed. They didn't have to read him any more bedtime stories that night either. The boy was asleep almost instantly. Quietly they left the room, then went down to the second floor once more. After putting some minor things in order, they sat down once more in front of the fireplace to discuss the next day. "What a day," Jamie began the conversation and continued, "Eat, play, eat, play, eat ..." "That's how you see this day?" asked Claire. He didn't answer, just looked at her questioningly. "You can also say: starting the day together with a nice meal, building something nice together, enjoying a good meal together, sharing together, having fun together while playing ... Creating good memories together." Fraser looked at her thoughtfully, then lowered his eyes and said softly: "You're right, Claire." He reached for his glass, into which he had poured some whiskey moments before, and took a sip. He then gazed thoughtfully into the fire of the fireplace. Claire waited a few moments, then resumed the conversation: "About tomorrow ..." "Yes!" Jamie sat up, put the glass that he had been weighing back and forth in his hands on the small side table, and said: "What's on the agenda for the second holiday?" It seemed as if the thought of planning the next day had awakened new strength in him. "That's how he is," Claire thought, "he loves it when he can do practical things." She smiled, then said:

Entrance to the Friedrichstadtkirche/Berlin, part of the French Cathedral/Berlin * Picture by Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67961978

"Well, we have to have breakfast early, because we have to leave here no later than 8:40. The service starts at 10:00 and the drive is almost an hour, then there's this ..." "Roadworks on the B2/B5, I know," Fraser finished the sentence. After a moment, he continued: "Fortunately, we can park in the company's underground garage. It's only a 5-minute walk from there to the cathedral. Well, let's plan on at least 12 to 15 minutes. Fergus will be a little sleepy and slow." "I suggest," Claire intervened, "waking Fergus at 7:30 and having breakfast no later than 8:00. Maybe then we can leave as early as 8:30. I'll put another roll on for Fergus in case he gets hungry again during the drive." "All right, let's do it that way," Jamie agreed. A moment of silence fell. The day had been beautiful, yet it had struck him that there must be something bothering Claire. He couldn't help but ask her:

"Is there anything else, Claire? I ... I have the impression that something is bothering you?" The woman sighed. Then she said: "Now I would like a little whisky after all." After Fraser fetched her a glass and poured 2 cl of whisky, she took a sip, took another deep breath and tried to concentrate.

Picture by Peggychoucair on Pixabay

"Jamie, I know ... You may see it differently ... But I ... I can't handle lying to Matthieu." Fraser didn't answer and somehow that very thing gave Claire the strength to continue: "He's your best friend, and he's been so kind and courteous to me, I ... I felt like I was going to burst when he said goodbye to us. I felt so bad. I ... I would have liked to ... oh I don't know. I'm actually happy to see Matthieu again, and especially to meet his wife, but the thought of us pretending and lying to them robs me of that joy right away. And then we're also going to church together with Matthieu!" She almost cried, but contrary to her expectations, she felt the pressure she had felt in her chest all along now dissipate. But before she could really rejoice, a new apprehension took possession of her: how would Fraser react now? Once again she was caught off guard. "I understand you Claire, and I've been thinking about it a lot in the past few days too," she heard Fraser say softly. His voice was busy and he was finding it noticeably difficult to speak. Once again there was a moment of silence. It seemed Jamie needed to gather his thoughts. "You don't have to worry, Claire," he said then, "I'll talk to Matthieu tomorrow, tell him the truth and apologize to him. I hope we'll have a chance to do that after lunch at the latest. I ... I feel ... with the whole situation ... I'm not comfortable with it either." "Oh! Thank you! That really makes me feel good. Ah, now I need another whiskey!" She laughed softly and a slight grin flitted across Fraser's face as well while he refilled the glass she held out to him. "It's such a stupid situation," he said, "I just didn't know ... You understand, Claire, I didn't want to lose him and ... And after all the wonderful memories we've created over the past few weeks, I want that even less now." She reached for his right hand, with which he had just set down the whiskey bottle, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry about it. You know I supported you in everything. But Matthieu we should really trust, he is ... such a good friend ... I've never trusted anyone so quickly before. We need him to be an ally, not a disappointed friend who feels betrayed."

Jamie nodded at her in agreement. Claire took one last sip from her glass, then said: "We'd better go to bed now too, we have to get up early tomorrow and we have a long day ahead of us."

#Outlander #Outlander Fan Fiction #Jamie Fraser #Fergus Fraser #Claire Beauchamp #Potsdam #Berlin #Germany #Christrmas #Modern AU #We only do this for Fergus

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