Outlander: The Standing Stones

Claire

Ignore Diana Gabaldon, think of all the wonderful Outlander fan fiction out there in the fanverse, and how much we'd miss it if it weren't written.

The men had not returned, my due date was growing closer, and it would be harder now to ride to see Geillis than it had been before. Riding in the cart was bumpy and uncomfortable, and before I reached my destination my back hurt unbearably. I was going to do something I absolutely did not want to do: I was going to take to my bed for the last month or so of my pregnancy.

The women of the castle found this perfectly reasonable, I hated the thought of it. I didn't even like to spend the day in bed if I was sick, and I was not sick all that often. Mary put in a supply of firewood, and procured a number of candles for me so I could spend my time reading. Colum leant me some books, and a portable writing desk so I could write while lying in bed. He promised to replace books as I read them, and he had a generous library so I would probably not run out of things to read. Even better, some of these would go out of print long before my own time, and I'd have the opportunity to read things that scholars only dream of.

"Normal" women in this era would be sewing their baby clothes, but I could not sew and was not about to bother to learn. The women of the castle pitched in, and everything from baby blankets to nappies was being made for me by loving hands, and the cradle that had sheltered young Hamish had been fetched and was being made ready for my own little one.

"Do ye have a name for it yet?" How many times did I hear that question? I couldn't bear to think that far ahead, but I promised myself his name would not be "George". I'd give him my own last name, unless that name proved a danger to both myself and him. By all rights he should have the surname "Campbell", but I did not want Collin to hear of him. If I knew of a neutral clan, I'd pick that name, but things around here did not lend to neutrality. Using the name "MacKenzie" seemed safest, and Colum seemed to agree.

I liked the name "Callum", and "Robert" seemed to fit as a middle name. "Callum Robert MacKenzie" seemed like a very good name, and that was how I was going to have him baptized. If he turned out to be a girl, I might name her "Campbell" and give her my mother's name, "Jaquetta" and "Louise" for a middle name. "Jaquetta Louise Campbell" might not arouse too much suspicion. Since my mother was Catholic, and I had nominally been baptized in the Catholic church (no Russian Orthodox churches being handy), I could have my baby baptized in the local church. Lord and Lady MacKenzie had consented to be godparents.

So far, I had things covered, I thought, then one day Geillis failed to show up and I wondered if my worst fears had been realized. Had her husband been aware that she was poisoning him? If so, my advice to her could prove fatal and I regretted advising her to stop, maybe the wise thing would have been for her to finish the job. Had she received word of an impending arrest and fled? If that was the case she could possibly succeed in getting away. Geillis was a smart girl, and could use her wits and her beauty on the British if they caught her.

But she was not well liked in the village. If her husband had recovered sufficiently and pressed for a trial, the villagers would not be kindly disposed towards her. My due date was getting close, and she was the only one I trusted to deliver my baby, though there were several women in Castle Leoch who would gladly help me, including the Lady.

Soon I realized that I hadn't seen Geillis for a week. I became concerned, knowing how precarious her situation might be. I ought to ride over and check on her, I told myself, I wouldn't go in that damned cart, but would I be able to ride? It wasn't like I couldn't sit up and walk around. It would be awkward with my big belly, but if someone could saddle a horse for me, I'd see if I could mount and dismount by myself. I'd have to take it slow, and my back was hurting, but I wouldn't be able to rest unless I knew she was all right, What a terrible time for the men to be gone, Jamie certainly would have obliged me, and John MacKenzie would have too, but he was with the men.