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

Chapter 18: Reunited at Last

A/N: It's here!!

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Brian knows him as soon as he sees him, and his feet cease to move.

Jamie Fraser.

Brian isn't prepared to approach him here... but it looks like he has little choice. He wonders whether he should've waited for Ellen.

He takes a few steps closer to the end of the alleyway, unable to take his eyes off him. Jamie is bigger than he'd imagined, his shoulders broader, his hair longer.

It is his chance, but he can't make his feet move. Why couldn't Mama be here? It would be so much easier if he could see her first. It would keep Brian's nerves from getting the better of him.

Brian's breath catches when Jamie glances over his shoulder to him."What d'ye want here, laddie?"

Brian is lost for words as he hears him speak. Technically not the first time as he had been in Brian's life for the first two years, but, for Brian, it's the first time from memory.

He manages to say, "You." Then internally cringes at how that sounds as well as the fact he's talking to someone from the 18th century, he's in the 18th century. "I-I didn't mean—"

Jamie lets out a chuckle as he turns to him and this is Brian's first chance to properly get a look at him. He realises why Mama said he and Ellen look so much like their father. He wonders how painful that must've been for her.

"'Tis alright, lad." Jamie reassures him as he walks over.

"Are you... You're Jamie Fraser. Aren't you?" Brian manages to say.

Jamie frowns and gives a slight, hesitant nod as he looks at Brian properly for the first time. Brian swallows thickly as he finds himself under the gaze of his birth father.

Brian watches as Jamie's eyes widen and he takes a shuddering breath, seeming to stagger, catching himself against the building to his right. Brian rushes forward to be sure he is alright, hesitating at the last when he finds him looking into his face. There is recognition there that Brian hadn't expected. He stares at him, taking in his colouring, the slant and hue of his eyes that share a bond of kinship that Brian had longed for in his own time and yet only ever found in his sister.

"Brian? Is it true? 'Tis ye." Jamie murmurs in almost a whisper.

Brian gives him a shaky smile. "It's me. Can't you tell?"

"Aye. Aye, I can." He chuckles wetly. "Ye look like yer photos and there's some o' ye from ye was young." He tells him, his voice breaking. "I kent ye'd be grown cause I've seen ye so in 'em... but I hadna realised ye'd be so grown."

Brian chuckles with relief. "You're bigger than I thought you'd be too." He confesses. "Mama said you were tall and... but I couldn't quite picture you."

Suddenly, a voice enters the alleyway, breaking the moment. "Brian, where did you go off to? Lizzie was saying that—" Brian turns to see it's Ellen looking frantic. He internally feels all the guilt bubble to the surface again. They've hardly left each other's side since the attack, and he's wandered off without her knowing where. 

Brian steps forward to go to her but he sees that she is frozen, staring over Brian's shoulder at Jamie. "Oh..."

"Ellen?" Jamie asks hesitantly, a smile trying to creep onto his face as he gazes upon the child he has never met before.

"Yes..." Ellen whispers as she walks over.

"Y-ye both look just like yer mother." Jamie says, awe heavy in his voice. He reaches up with both hands and lightly ran his fingers over their cheeks. "Yer mam will be beside herself when she sees ye."

"Mama? She told us we look like you... and I have to say," Ellen tucks some hair that had come loose from her bun behind her ear, "I think she was right."

"'Tis no yer colourin' or yer features," Jamie explains, his focus on them so intent Brian can feel the heat rising in his cheeks. "'Tis how ye carry yerselves. Ye dinna cower or shrink from the world. Ye hold yer heads high and face it."

There's a pause as they all hesitate.

"Can I..." Brian begins but then throws his arms around him before he loses the nerve. He smiles into his shoulder as Jamie's arms wrap around his back and there's a smaller pair of arms joining in on the hug.

Brian hears and feels Ellen begin to sob and Brian himself knows his cheeks are damp.

"Oh, dinna weep." Jamie laughs wetly in delight. "Dinna weep, mo chlann. Dinna be troubled. 'Tis all right. Mo chreach. 'Tis all right."

They pull away and Brian cringes at the wet spot on Jamie's shoulder.

"Ye'll have not seen yer mother, then?" Jamie asks.

"No." Ellen replies.

"Christ. She'll be mad wi' joy."

——

Mama is exactly like that when they find her. Clinging to her children at the same time than in turn. Brian has missed his mother so much in the three years apart, but he is already seeing it's the right choice as he watches his parents together as they sit together as Ellen brings out the obituary. Brian's stomach drops at the reminder of why they're here.

As Brian and Ellen warn their parents of the death and the possible deaths, a young lad with red hair comes over to them, greeting Jamie as uncle, telling him the ship is ready before seeing Brian and Ellen next to them which causes him to pause.

Jamie tells him that they are his cousins, and Brian can see how surprised he is, probably didn't know they existed. This must be the missing cousin.

As Brian looks closer, he can see familiar features that he had seen in his aunt, uncle and cousins in Lallybroch.

"I know it's a surprise. But we'll explain it all later." Mama speaks. Her smile goes from ear to ear, and she doesn't take her eyes off her two children.

"When it comes te ye, Auntie Claire, I've learned it's better no' te ask too many questions," Ian replies. Well, that answers the question of how the hell were they going to explain this. "Weel then—" Ian holding out a hand in friendly introduction toward Brian and Ellen, a bright smile across his features. "Welcome cousins."

Brian sighs with relief. "Thank you... Ian?"

"Ian. Ian Murray." His cousin grins as they shake hands.

Ellen nods. "Yes, thank you. It's very nice to meet you, Ian." She takes his hand in hers, giving a kind shake.

Brian tries to push the news of the obituary to the rear of his mind as it is unimportant at this moment. Brian has been successful in what he and his sister had initially travelled to accomplish but now seems to have found something that is possibly worth staying for.

A new and comforting sense of family, warmth, love, and at last — home.

——

A/N: Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.