#and now excuse me. i have to make a small update on my sona

[tarn-ati0n]

Ok fine I'm not gonna buy a new collar

[redstarfiction-blog]

Welcome Home.

A continuation of the Sonas/Happiness series which was last updated HERE. Please let me know your thoughts and I hope you enjoy it. The Voyager timeline goes a little wonky here so please excuse me, but I hope the overall story will be worth it :) Thank you, Han xxx

Jamie had been in Edinburgh for nearly three weeks. Fergus was perfectly capable of arranging for the printing press to be placed into storage but Jamie was adamant that he needed to be there to see that ‘she’ was handled delicately.

Claire, now rather heavily pregnant, had decided to stay at Lallybroch rather than attempt the journey, much to Jamie’s evident relief.

“I’ll miss ye dreadfully Sassenach, but it willna take more than a month I shouldna think. Once she is safely stored I will ride like the Devil himself to get back to ye.”

He had promised and Claire had waved him off with a cheerful intonation not to get stabbed, arrested or shot on his travels.

“At least try not to!”

“I make no promises, but aye, I’ll try!”

Jamie had grinned, blowing her a kiss.

They had received no letters from either Jamie or Fergus over the weeks but whilst Claire longed to hear from her husband, she consoled herself that no news was most definitely good news!

Claire was in Jamie’s study reading one morning when she heard her name being called rather urgently from the hall and the sound of hurrying footsteps.

“Mrs Claire! Mrs Claire!”

She smiled and slowly, for there was no other way for her to do it, stood up. Rabbie McNab’s eldest boy, Ben, had been completely overwhelmed when informed that he could call Himself’s wife by her first name rather than ‘Mrs Fraser’ and though he had tried to accommodate her request, Mrs Claire was the closest he seemed able to get without blushing furiously.

“Ben! I’m in Jam … Himself’s study!”

She called.

“Mrs Claire there is a …”

“Ben, don’t shout through the door, come in!”

“Ah … Mrs Claire my boots my get mud on the carpet…”

Claire rolled her eyes and made her way toward the door herself. Though she reasoned that Ben had only been into the study once to the best of her knowledge, after him and another lad, whose name Claire could not remember had been caught raiding Jenny’s strawberry patch. She supposed that the experience had left him with a healthy dose of respect and caution regarding what might happen when summoned to the Lairds study.

Opening the door she looked down at his freckled face, eyes lit with excitement and smiled

“What is it, Ben?”

“I think Himself is home, Mrs Claire! My Da spotted a rider just like him in the distance and riding fast from the look of it.”

“Oh!”

Claire beamed and her hands flew to her hair, patting at the strands and curls that had escaped her pins that morning.

“Should I ask Mrs Murray to set out some breakfast?”

Ben asked, having delivered his message he was now clearly eager to be dashing off on the next errand.

“Yes, please do. And Ben, thank you for coming to find me so swiftly, you really are an excellent messenger.”

The boy’s cheeks flushed with praise and he bobbed his head shyly, mumbling a thank you before tearing off to the kitchen.

Claire hurried, as best she could, to her bedroom and hastily fixed her hair and pinched a little colour into her cheeks, it was daft she knew, but she wanted Jamie to come home to her in a suitable state, not looking frazzled and pale and as though she was about to burst out of her dress. The dress she could do little about, the babe was growing bigger by the day and Jenny had altered Claire’s dresses as much as she could without butchering them completely but the fabric still strained in places.

“You haven’t changed much in three weeks Beauchamp! Stop being ridiculous.”

Claire admonished herself and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

It was the first little separation they’d had since her return. Three weeks wasn’t that long and Claire had certainly had enough to keep herself busy but she couldn’t deny that there had been a tight little knot of anxiety in her chest since Jamie had been gone and she would feel better once he was home. Claire needed to know that he would return, to know that he could return, and that they would not be lost to each other again.

She exhaled slowly and resolved not to throw herself at her husband too wildly the second his boots touched Lallybroch earth.

Claire made her way downstairs and stepped out into the courtyard. She could hear hoof beats and her heart hammered in rhythm. She smoothed the front of her dress and lifted her chin as the horse nosed around the bend in the road.

Sunlight glinted from auburn hair, sending shoots of ruby and copper dancing through the lengths which caught on the breeze. Slanted blue eyes, widened and a full lipped mouth curved into a delighted smile at the sight of Claire.

“MAMA!”

Brianna dismounted before the horse had fully stopped and staggered towards Claire, tears already streaming down her face.

“Bree? Oh my God! BREE!”

Claire lunged forward and grasped her daughter, pulling her close. They clung to each other, crying and laughing at once, their embrace as tight as it could be considering Claire’s belly between them. Finally, Claire thrust Brianna back to look at her properly.

“What are you doing here? Are you alright?”

“There was a fire  … there will be a fire … in America …”

Bree shook her head to clear the jumble of thoughts and wiped her sleeve under her nose. Claire dashed her own sleeve across her cheeks and sniffed heavily.

“Mama, are you … you’re pregnant?”

Brianna’s eyes had widened further and Claire touched her swollen belly self-consciously.

“I am. It wasn’t planned. I mean, of course I’m happy but it … we …”

Claire closed her eyes and squeezed Brianna’s hand tightly in her own.

“Later. We can talk about this later, I want to hear about you.”

Brianna looked as if she would far rather hear about her mother’s pregnancy but obligingly filled Claire in on what she had found and what had prompted her to come through the stones. As she spoke, Claire watched her face and felt love envelope her heart so tightly she felt like she could hardly breathe.

She had always seen Bree’s similarity to her father, anyone could see it, but having Bree here … Claire swallowed heavily.

“So I guess at some point you and … ah … Jamie will move to America.”

Brianna spread her hands before her and shrugged.

“We haven’t got any plans to but …”

Claire waved the consideration away

“I am so, so glad you are here, baby. I have missed you so much.”

“I missed you too Mama. Is he here? Jamie?”

Claire’s hand flew to her mouth. She had been so caught up in her own joy of seeing Brianna she had not even thought about Jamie meeting his daughter.

“He’s in Edinburgh at the moment, actually someone thought you were him and told me he was home.”

“Oh.”

Claire couldn’t tell if Bree looked more relieved or disappointed.

“Meeting you will mean the world to him, Bree.”

Bree smiled slightly but a small frown still creased her brow,

“Mama, I don’t want to … you and Jamie … I don’t want to intrude. I just wanted to warn you and make sure you’re safe and I’ve done that. If you think I should go…”

Claire felt guilt stab at her. That she had left Brianna with any doubt about just how much Jamie had loved her, had wanted her, right from the start was a terrible oversight on her part and one that she intended to fix immediately.

“Bree, you’re our child. You are my child! Of course I don’t want you to go and Jamie … Jamie will be delighted to meet you. I have told him so much about you, he wanted to know everything!”

“He did?”

This time the relief in her voice was so obvious

“Of course he did and now you are here. This is your place as much as it is mine, Brianna.”

Claire stroked a thumb over her daughter’s high left cheekbone and cupped her cheek gently.

“Welcome home, baby.”