《Eleven》 Skye

                                    

                                          
With a big plate filled with food. We all sat down at the fireplace. All of the kids also joined us. Wee Jamie who was mearly 5 years old was now grown into an adult man of 17. Maggie who was three at the time I last saw her, was now 15.  Katherine, the baby that was born just before Culloden. Was now 13. 
The twins Michael and Janet where born after I left where now 12, already bonded good with Eilidh. 
And the youngest one. Young Ian who didn't let go of Jamie from the first moment he stepped in. Was a braw laddie of 6 years old.
"Ah aye mind ye. Aunty Greer. Ye used tae sing Dutch lullaby's afore we gaed tae kip or tell us stories aboot Dutch myths," Wee Jamie said with a big smile and I smiled back at him.
"I did do that, you, Fergus and Rabbie loved it," I took a sip of mine whisky. "Do you remember the songs?" Wee Jamie shooked his head. "That is shame," I gave him a smile and Jamie smiled also probably rethinking the nights I sat with his nephew and nieces around the fire singing songs and telling tales.
"Noo dae tell us, Greer. Whaur wur ye th' bygane 12 years?" Jenny filled mine glass again and I looked at Jamie.
"Well," I took a deep breath and told the story that I told Fergus.  "After Culloden I thought everyone was dead ,I didn't wanted to bring harm to Lallybroch as wife of a traitor,"  I took a deep breath. "And seeing I was pregnant, Jamie and I both decided that it would be saver if I fled to the Dutch Republic, I raised Eilidh there with the help of a family friend." I saw Eilidh look up but she didn't say a word since that was the deal we made. We couldn't tell the truth.
"'n' howfur did ye figure oot that Jamie wis aye alive?" Ian asked and I nearly chocked on mine sip. I hadn't thought about that question.
"There was Scottish Merchant," I took a deep breath. "He lived in Edinburgh and had a bible with him, the name Alexander Malcolm was in it. I never thought much about it, until he described the A. Malcolm. I couldn't believe it was him until I saw him," I looked at Jamie. "So I took the risk and boarded the Merchant ship two weeks ago with Eilidh," It was not completly a lie, I just made up the ship and the Merchant. "I never stopped thinking or looking for Jamie but there was no lead or traces and to travel back in the mids of the Highland clearing was to dangerous with a Eilidh. That is why it took me so long to come back." 
"Yer back noo 'n' that is a' whit matters," Jenny stood up. "Maggie, Katherine gang hulp me prepare th' guestroom fur yer uncle 'n' aunt. Janet, Eilidh is staying in yer room th' nicht." The two ten year olds looked at eachother with a big smile.
I shook my head and looked at Jamie who also looked at his niece and daughter, but with a loving look in his eyes. We where home and we could finally began living the life that was taken from us.
                          
"We cuid build a house oan th' western lip o' th' land. Wi' a muckle room fur Eilidh 'n' fur us a room wi' a sicht towards th' broch," Jamie sketch the picture for me as I hanged mine clothing in the closet. "Mibbie an mae room fur annur bairn," he added softly after it.
"I would love that idea," I walked up towards him and embraced him from behind. "The life we could never had," 
He turned his head and pressed a kiss top of mine head. "Bit we kin hae it noo," 
I broke myself lose and sat down on the bed and he sat down next to me. "Jamie, did you ever go looking for me?" I asked him and he nodded.
"Wance, ah escaped ardsmuire yin day. Ah heared th' story that thare wis a feverous jimmy in th' village, wha tellt stories aboot a missing treasure hidden oan an island." He took my hand. "That treasure wis believed tae be guarded by a buidseach bán,"
"La dame blanche," I translate the nickname I had in France.
"Mah hert.. Nearly stopped whin ah heared that. Ah tought mibbie ye hud returned. That ye whaur oan that isle." He moved his thumb over mine knuckle. "Sae ah gaed tae silkie island. Ah swam tae it, mah mynd fogged ower fae th' cauld," I pinched his hand and he looked at me. "Ah cried ye name. Baith. Skye 'n' Greer. Bit ah soon realised ye weren't thare." His hand went to mine face.  "Ah realized 'twas foolish o' me tae think you'd cam back," 
"No Jamie that was not foolish." I covered his hand on my cheek with mine. "I would have done the same thing."
"Bit thare wis a treasure, sae he wis richt aboot that," He smiled partly.
"I was not on that Island but I was out there," I looked at him. "It sounds stupid probably, but three months after I returned to mine time I went back to Culloden." Jamie froze. "I was five months pregnant, just figured out that it was a girl and I wanted to tell you that. When I sat down at the stone and told you it Eilidh kicked for the first time, it was mearly a second but after that a wind blew. The entire day there was no wind," I laid my hand on mine belly and relived that memory. "Eilidh kicked again and there was another blow of wind. That little thing holded on for 10 minutes and I strongly believed that it was you, trying to lay contact with me and Eilidh." I took another breath. "And then after Eilidh was born I brought her home that same night, I laid her down in the crib and looked outside. There in the snow was a figure, when I rushed outside to see it, it dissapeard but it wore your clan's tartan," 
He said nothing but softly pulled me near him and pressed a kiss on mine lips, I wanted to deepen it but on that moment the door flew open and mine heart froze.