The Strength of a High and Noble Hill (An Outlander Story)

Chapter 7: Conflict

A/N: It'd be lovely to have some comments. It'd be great to see how invested people are and what they're interested in seeing.

——

1957

One day when Brian is eleven and Ellen is nine, Mama is late coming home to relieve the babysitter. The babysitter, having not wanted to sit around any longer, leaves Brian and Ellen alone. Ellen leaves the house before Brian realises. He immediately runs after her, sees her walk into the road and sees a slow-moving car coming towards her.

It isn't happening quickly so Brian easily has the chance to stop his sister, to pull her out of the way but instead, he freezes in place. Instead, he feels hot all over. His breath comes out heavy and fast. His vision blurs as he feels himself shaking and feels dizzy. His mouth dries and his heart is pounding.

He remembers— he remembers—

The pain. The sudden sharp pain from the impact. Lying on the floor as people shouted above him. It's happening again, i-its—

Suddenly, there's someone in front of him asking if he's alright, bringing him out of his panic. His vision clears and he sees people checking over and looking after his sister though he can see she's only got some surface-level wounds. Not like—

He shakes his head, dismissing the thought. He feels an overwhelming sense of guilt. He should have been keeping an eye on Ellen better. He should've saved his sister.

——

Mama had decided to quit her programme because of the incident so she could care for Brian and Ellen full-time but Dad had persuaded her not to, and offered to have them come to his university office after school. It hadn't been bad, the three of them being together but one day, Ellen has joined a new after-school club leaving Brian and Dad on their own.

Things always seem a bit awkward between them when it's one on one. There's almost this gap between them stopping a proper connection. One of them is how much Dad dislikes how close Brian is to his mother and sister.

"You needn't spend all your time with your mother and sister." Dad argues from behind his desk as he looks over paperwork. "You need your own friends."

Brian shifts uncomfortably on the chair on the opposite side of the desk. He has his homework displayed in front of him and had been working on it before Dad had spoken. "Ellen and Mama are my friends. I don't need anyone else."

"Yes, you do." Dad corrects in a know it all tone that Brian has come to greatly dislike. "You need boys your own age. Isn't there anyone you like?"

Lenny is alright. He doesn't think Brain is weird or weird enough not to talk to. He supposes they're sort of friends.

"I like Lenny." Brian says after a moment.

Dad pulls a face. "Lenny Abernathy? Joe Abernathy's son?" Brian nods. "I'm not sure you should be associating with those sort of people."

Brian frowns in confusion. "But Mama says they're our friends."

Dad purses his lips. "Your mother isn't thinking what's best for you. I do."

Brian glares at his Dad. "No, you don't. Mama's always right! She's going to be a doctor!"

"A surgeon." Dad corrects. Brian hates it when he does that, lording his knowledge over him.

"Don't care." Brian rebuffs. "Mama, Ellen and Lenny are my friends. I like them."

Dad clenches his teeth but doesn't say anything else and returns to his paperwork. They spend the rest of the time until Mama is finished for the day to pick Brian up, in silence.

——

1964

"You're wasting your future!" Dad shouts.

Brian is nearly 18 and is graduating from high school soon and already there's a conflict between him and Dad on his chosen course for university. Brian has chosen journalism, but Dad had wanted Brian to take after him and do history.

"Frank, surely—" Mama tries to interrupt.

"Stay out of this, Claire." Dad snaps. "He can't always rely on you to defend him."

Brian glares at him. "Don't talk to Mama like that! Anyway, I'm almost 18. I can decide what I want to do with my future and I want to do Journalism at Boston University!"

"But couldn't you try something more academic, more stable?" Dad tries, no longer shouting. "And why Boston University? What's wrong with Harvard?"

"He doesn't have to be like you, Frank!" Mama retorts instead.

"He isn't going to get anywhere in the world with that profession! It's fanciful! They're vultures, remember how they were when—" Dad cuts himself off. Mama's eyes are wide with shock and horror. Dad clears his throat. "I only have your best interests at heart, Brian."

Brian shakes his head. "No, you don't." He counters. "You just want me to be just like you. I don't want to be Dad! I'm sorry I'm not the perfect son but I prefer that to being a carbon copy of you!"

He storms off, out of the study and finds Ellen lingering outside.

"I suppose you heard that?" He asks rhetorically as he continues walking after momentarily pausing in surprise at her appearance. "Thought you were at school."

Ellen nods. "I was, they let us out early. Heard the argument as soon as I walked in. Hard not to."

They reach Brian's room where he slumps on top of his bed while Ellen lingers in the doorway, hesitantly.

"I'm sure Daddy wants what's best for you."

Brian scoffs. "I'm sure he does, but... I just want to make my own path, not follow after him and do everything he did. Is that wrong?"

Ellen immediately shakes her head, her red hair that matches his swishes about before resting on her shoulders once again. "No, you should make your own choice. I'm sure Daddy will come around."

"Mmm... he'll only do that once you go into history yourself after high school." Brian remarks, starting at the ceiling.

"How did you know?"

Brian looks back at her with a raised eyebrow. "You're Dad's perfect child. He's always favoured you cause you're more like him."

"Like you're mom's favourite?" Ellen retorts with a smirk.

Brian gives Ellen a look for that but she just simply grins at him, causing him to laugh.

——

A/N: The ending scene between Brian and Ellen wasn't planned but I quite liked it in the end.