Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 49: Calling of the Clans

Two-Bit's POV

Vikki helped me tie my necktie when we were getting ready for the funeral. I packed a suit that my dad let me borrow from his closet, and I knew that Cookie would laugh her ass off if she saw me in something like this. There was nothing I would not give just to hear her laugh again.

"Ye look braw in this suit," Vikki complimented.

"You flatter me." I joked, trying to fix my grease-less hair in the mirror. "I would look better with grease."

Vikki chuckled, stepping out of the way of me and the mirror. She said, "ye look fine. Hurry up, mah brothers are already there."

We drove with her parents to the church, her brothers and the Curtis' boys were already there. Everyone was dressed very nicely, unlike the farmer get-up we saw yesterday. I was even surprised how well I was able to clean up. There were quite a few people in the church by the time we got there. Lots of school-aged aged kids with their families, and lots of redheads. So many, they all started blending in together.

"There's mah family." Vikki said and waved at some of the people waiting outside.

"That's your family?" I asked. "That's like a hundred people."

"Almost three hundred," Vikki chuckled, "but no one can keep track. Ah see a few school folk tae."

"Holy shit."

"Ah ken." She said, "and yer gonna meet all of them."

"Today?"

"When else?" She asked as we parked. She jumped out of the car and waited for the rest of us to meet her by the tail light. I smoothed out my jacket and we all walked into the church with the rest of her family. Everyone sat in pews, except for the children, who ran around the ankles of their parents.

"Youse got a really big family." I told Hamish as he sat down beside me. He chuckled, pulling out a flask from his jacket pocket and offering it to me. I snickered before taking it and taking a quick sip.

"Aye, and these are just the ones that came. If they were all here, we wouldinae been able tae fit 'em all in the church." He told me and grabbed the flask and put it up to his lips, "we woulda had tae have this thing ootside."

"Hamish!" Vikki said in a harsh whisper as she leaned over Soda towards us, "are ye onit? We are at a church."

"Aye! Ye ken Cookie wouldinae want us sober at her funeral." He told her. I realized she had asked him if he was drinking. "Cookie wouldinae wanted anyone sober. That's why tonight, Ahm having a calling of the clans in her honor."

"A calling of the clans?" Soda asked.

"Aye. Ah've got the MacDonalds building the stag near the abandoned farm right now."

"The McDonalds?" Vikki asked, "those creeps?"

"Aye. Davey McDonald, that wee bastard, jumped meh without a square go a week back. He owes meh."

"Yer the bastard, ye bloody eedjit." Vikki shot back.

Hamish didn't get to reply as bagpipes began to play and the funeral began. The priest said a few words, Camp gave a eulogy, a few men sang some songs in Gielic and finally a few prayers were said before the priest called us forward for the viewing of the body. The front of Cookie's body wasn't as badly damaged as the back, so she had an open casket. A line was formed to see her one last time before they put her in her plot in the Jamison family cemetery. Her immediate family were the first to see her, and the gang and I were right behind.

I watched as each of her family members passed over her coffin. Her mother broke down in tears as she looked down on her daughter, her father had quickly hugged her tight and ushered her away. Soda followed behind Vikki as she took barely a second to look at Cookie. Dally comforted Johnny, then it was my turn. I walked over to the casket, and looked down at her body. She looked peaceful, with her hands resting over her stomach. She wore clean black slacks, with an emerald green long-sleeve silk shirt. She wore a necklace with a big blue jewel that rested at the nape of her neck. Right before I was going to walk away, a sparkle caught my eye. She was wearing the golden ring. The ring I had given her when she died, the symbol of our love. I placed my hand lightly over the braided rope on my wrist once again, forcing back tears.