#outlander fanfic

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) || Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14b (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14c (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 15a (Dreams) || Chapter 15b (I Sing A Song of Love) || Chapter 15c (You Can Do This If You Try) || Chapter 16 (Let That Feeling Grab You Deep Inside || Chapter 17A: Never Tear Us Apart || Chapter 17B: It’s Tough To Be Somebody, And It’s Hard Not To Fall Apart  || Chapter 17C: I’m Wishing, Lord, That I Was Stoned || Chapter 18: Turn The Page || Chapter 19A: When You’re Alone, Do You Let Go? || Chapter 19B: Heading For A Spin || Chapter 20A: I Don’t Need Nothing When I’m By Your Side || Chapter 20B: I'm Walkin' Down This Rocky Road ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 20C: You're The Only One Who Gets Through To Me

I feel good in your room Let's lock the world out Feels so good when we kiss Nobody ever made me crazy like this

-- "In Your Room", The Bangles (1988) [click here to listen]

North Carolina || February 1989

Darkness had settled on the cabin before Jamie re-emerged, hair damp, wearing jeans and a worn Eagles t-shirt.

He found Raymond in the kitchen, sitting at the kitchen table, working on a crossword puzzle. Raymond looked up as Jamie entered the room, and set down his pen.

Jamie sank into the chair across from Raymond. Sighed.

“I was going to apologize, but I think you would have told me that I didn’t need to.”

“You’re right.”

Jamie leaned on the table with his elbows, eyes down. “That hasn’t happened since we finished the tour. And it wasn’t even a bad one.”

“We’ll talk about that. How is Claire?”

“She’s in the shower. She…” Jamie swallowed. “I’m fucking nothing without her.” 

A beat.

“A few months ago, in the middle of the tour, we spent a weekend with Dougal and Gillian. Dougal said that I had traded my addiction to substances, for an addition to my wife. Do you think that’s true?”

Raymond thought about this for a long while. He waited for Jamie to sit up straight and look at him.

“Do you know the definition of the word ‘addicted’, Jamie?”

Jamie shook his head.

“It means, to be physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.”

Jamie lay his hands flat on the table. “Sounds pretty accurate to me.”

“Perhaps.” Raymond folded his arms against his chest. “But what about your music? Couldn’t you say the same about that?”

Jamie nodded.

“What about your family? Your friends?”

Jamie shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Yeah, but – ”

“I’m not discounting what Dougal said, Jamie. But what I am saying, is that it’s not so black and white. I love Dougal, but he can be a bit too…literal sometimes.”

Jamie smiled, faintly.

“Are you incredibly dependent on Claire, Jamie? Of course. But she’s your wife. You spend every moment of every day together when you’re at home, and the vast majority of your time together when you’re on the road. That’s not typical. And, you’re both addicts in recovery, and you keep each other accountable. It’s to be expected.”

Raymond sat back in his chair. “Now – the question is, whether the nature of your relationship with Claire tips over into being so close, so dependent, that it becomes problematic. Do you think it’s a problem?”

Jamie rubbed his face. “To the extent that even thinking about a life without her in it will cause me to spiral, yes. To the extent that I only hear her voice when I’m stuck in a spiral, yes. To the extent that the only way I can come back to myself from a spiral is by making love to her, yes.”

“I’m not saying that you need to cut any of that out of your life, Jamie. Know that, first and foremost.”

Raymond watched Jamie visibly relax. “I meant what I said to you before – that you need to nurture your connection. Something I hope you’re coming to know about me, is that I don’t use words lightly. What the two of you have built – how you love and protect each other – I’ve never seen that intensity in a married couple before.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I hope you can understand that without drawing the right boundaries, it can be both. I hope you trust me when I say that I won’t do anything to test or damage your relationship with Claire. But you do need to broaden your levels of support, Jamie. Allow other people in. And create space for you, and Claire, to explore who you are without each other.”

“I know. I need to. I don’t want to use her up,” he whispered. “I want forever with her.”

“So,” Raymond said, so patiently, “Let me in a bit, please. Let me help you, too. I will help both of you.”

“It will make us stronger,” Jamie agreed. “But Doc, it’s so fucking hard…”

“Isn’t anything that’s hard to do, worthwhile?”

“It is.” Claire breezed into the kitchen, clad in sweatpants and one of Jamie’s flannel shirts, and kissed her husband on the cheek. “But thankfully I learned to use a crock pot to cook Uncle Lamb’s chili recipe a long time ago – it’s so much easier than cooking it on the stove. Who’s hungry?”

[fraserstanclub]

Sutures

Chapter 9: Rumors, Part 2

Beta: @islayandlochs ❤️

-----

Jamie invited the woman to sit down and join them for a dram. God knows she needs it more than we do, he thought. While she refused the drink, she did settle herself in a chair directly across from Claire and to Jamie’s left. 

“I am so sorry for your loss, Mrs...” Claire began, and then sighed in exacerbation, “forgive me, I never asked your name. My apologies.”

“Dinna fash yerself, Mistress,” the woman managed a small smile, “meself were the last thing on my mind, all things considered. It’s Alice. Alice MacGregor. And it’s just “miss” as I’m no’ wed. Yer servant, mistress. Sir.” Alice bowed her head towards himself and Claire. Jamie returned the gesture. 

“Again, I am so sorry for your loss.” Claire took a deep breath and continued, “I’d like to ask you some questions about Obediah before his, well…untimely passing. It’ll give me a better understanding of how he died and maybe help prevent other such deaths from happening.”

-----

Read on AO3

New here? Read from the beginning!

[christiwhitson]

“So, you’ve never…”

“No. Does that bother you?”

“Not at all,” she’d assured him with a smile. “I’m just surprised, I suppose. There’s been a lot of talk on the road, and the language barrier doesn’t completely obscure the context.”

“And did ye hear me makin’ such lewd remarks?”

“Er… No, I guess not. Still, it’s… unusual for a man like you. I can’t imagine you’ve any shortage of women willing to warm your bed.”

Jamie heard the slight ring of jealousy in her words, and it made him grin. At least he wasn’t the only one feeling territorial.

“Perhaps,” he conceded modestly. “But my father always told me no’ to lie with a woman unless I was ready and willin’ to marry her. Only takes once to get a lass wi’ child, ken. And I never met a woman I couldna bear to walk away from… until you.”

[moonlight-rider25]

Sorry, James Fraser...

Just a quick little lusty through of Jamie. Rated X; angry sex, orgasm denial, dabble of domination...

Summary  You’ve insulted Jamie in the slightest on the walk home through town.  A simple joke, or so you thought, as you both were poking fun at each other.  But taking an insult to Jamies name, one step too far has you in hot water…

“Jamie! I’m sorry!” You giggle through your gasps.

“Ay, like hell you are…” He replies, locking his hand up against your scalp with a fistful of hair.  “...But ye will be..”

Jamie leans his body up against yours; pinned between him and the cold concrete wall.  You swallow back a gleeful grin, as Jamies free hand creeps up under your skirts.  His huge, blunt, warm fingertips grazing against your sensitive soft thigh. You try to push back and free yourself of him, but at no use to his huge toned body. 

“Be a good girl, and take it, aye, for once?” 

You chuckle a bit in your throat, biting back your lip and giving into his hand creeping around the front of your thigh between your legs. His warm breath tickles the back of your neck as he pants against you, holding you still.  You await his touch eagerly, when finally the warm spark of his touch reaches your center. You jump a bit against him and hear him chuckle in his throat against you, edging him on. His fingers circle slowly around your sensitive bud as he leans in against you. You feel him breathing heavily, as you suck in a deep breath of your own before allowing a long moan to escape you. 

Jamie grips your handful of hair tighter and snaps your head back a bit as you suck in a sharp breath. 

“Jamie!” You pant against the brick wall. 

His fingers circle faster around your swollen core, as he presses up against you harder.  You hear him moan as he takes hold of your neck with his mouth, sucking in your soft skin, as his fingers trace elegant designs between your legs. You gasp loudly, your hands searching for him to clutch.

“We’ve only just begun…don’t you dare think about finishing on me already.” Jamie mutters breathessley against your neck.

You squint your eyes shut and try desperately to tear yourself from his grip. He only leans harder against you, while his huge fingers begin to dip in between your quaking folds.

You gasp against the hard cold wall as you feel him plunge his fingers within you, his thumb still circling around your pulsating bud with your slickness. As his fingers plunge in and out against the growing pleasure within you, his mouth meets your neck again sending shivers down your spine. 

His hand releases your hair and wraps around the front of your throat, gently clutching and making you gasp harder for air. 

“Jamie!” You moan, feeling your body beginning to tingle with the pleasure building up inside ready to explode. 

“Not yet..” He huffs, his hand working your core like never before. 

“...Not till I say!” He grunts against you. 

You try to suppress the pleasure as much as you can.

“I can’t Jamie!” You cry between breaths.

“No!?” he groans. “I thought you were sorry?!” He curses through breaths, “Aye! Show me, how sorry…you really are…” He instructs you through gritted teeth.

You groan helpless beneath him trying to hold back from spilling over as he plunges in and out of your core. Your body tingles with pleasure and your stomach twists into a chuning mess, far ready to come undone within his arms. You swallow hard, his hand clutched against your throat as you do and grind your back against him.  Your hands gripped as tight as possible while being grated against the hard brick wall. You bite back your groans trying to keep yourself from cuming, when you finally feel him release you and your eyes spark open. Jamie whips you around pinning you back against the wall; your legs trembling uncontrollably as he does. 

You look down towards the belt of his pants before his giant hand clasps your throat again and makes your eyes meet his. 

Your body; still tingling as he clutches your jaw and stares madly down into your eyes. Your chest heaves, your breasts spilling over the plunging neckline of your dress as he softly meets your lips with his. You groan against him and suck his tongue eagerly into your mouth, relishing in his musky sweet flavor of lust and vengeance. You slowly allow your hands to trace around the waist of his pants, trying to unbutton the entrance of them. He groans into you as he sucks your flavor into his mouth, cupping your chin in his huge hand and eagerly caresses your breast from its neckline. His blunt calloused fingertips revel over your sensitive nipple and send your body into chills. His buttons; one by one begin to free him, bursting at the last moment eagerly till finally the last one. 

Jamie's hands release you and gather your skirts up around your waist. He effortlessly plucks you up from the ground and traps you again between himself and the wall behind you, you wrap your arms around his huge broad neck, watching as his gleaming chests puffs up and down as he stares madly up into your eyes. You try your best to bite back your giggle as he slams against you, sending your body into the brick wall and your center expands around him deep seated inside you. 

Jamie grunts through a wicked smile as he watches your eyes flutter open and closed, sending himself impossibly deep inside you, as your body forms around him in his arms. Your core begins to quiver again, as he slams you repeatedly and steadily. Your body growing limp as the sensations spiral up through your skin, Jamie holds you steady and sends himself into the spot inside that makes your stomach twist with pleasure. 

“Jamie!” you pant as your climax grows near again. 

He holds you steady and continues bucking into your sweet tender spot, deep inside you.

“Are you sorry?” He mutters against your mouth. “For being a bad little woman, soiling my name?” He huffs through kisses.

“I am! I swear I am. You moan against him.

“Say it!” He demands, thrusting in against you.

“I'm sorry!” you grumble through him.

“Say it again!”

“I’m Sorry!” You repeat a bit louder.

“Say it like you mean it, woman!” Jamie demands, grinding perfectly in and out of you.

“I’m sorry Jamie!” You moan out.

“Say it again!”

Your stomach twists and swirls as he makes your climax boil in your core.

“I’m sorry Jamie!” you squeal while your core quivers with each of his thrusts.

“Jamie, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Jamie! Ahhh Jamie, right there!” You moan out before he finally captures your mouth and silences you. 

You feel him slow and the rush of heat within your stomach as you convulse in his arms while your high spills throughout your body. Jamie keeps himself buried deep within you, giving a few last thrusts sending jolts through your body as you heave from breathlessness in his arms. He pants against you, capturing your mouth and holds your face gently as he sets you down and finally pulls himself out of you. You wrap your arms around his huge broad neck and steady yourself while still trying to catch your breath.  He meets your eye and grins a playful smirk at you.

“Sorry James Fraser..” You tell him coyly through your own grin.

‘Ey, I know.” he replies before kissing you again. “But don't do that again..” He warns with a wink.

You smile up at him biting back your lip. “Well… not till we get home at least!” You tell him before running off ahead of him with a playful giggle filling the air echoing around you and Jamie, off the tall brick walls.

[cherienymphe]

Bejeweled (Stephen Bonnet x Reader)

Warnings: NON-CON,  MURDER, violence, kidnapping

➥ banner by @vase-of-lilies​ | divider by @firefly-graphics

summary: Your journey to America is turned on its head when the captain of the ship wants both your mistress' jewels...and her handmaiden, snatching both in a single night.

~

The large ship gently bobbed and flowed with the smooth movements of the sea. Your mistress was fast asleep, something you envied night after night. You did not get sea sick. No, never that, and you did not even detest the sea. In fact, this was your third time to travel across water, and each time prior, you had loved it. This third passage, however, included something the others had not.

The Gloriana was as beautiful a ship as any other, and you supposed that your lodgings and environment could be so much worse. There was no shortage of food, the ship was cleanly, and thus far, neither you nor your mistress had dealt with any…unscrupulous behavior. None that could be reprimanded, anyway. That thought forced you to bring your legs up onto the bed, wrapping your arms around your knees.

Captain Bonnet was an uncompromising man. He ran a tight ship, and as effective as his methods seemed to be, his authoritarian manner triggered something negative in you. It was reminiscent of your father, an equally intimidating man that would no doubt have killed you had your mistress not offered to take you under her wing as her handmaiden.

Offered was too gentle of a word, you supposed.

You looked at the other woman who was sound asleep, recalling the desperation on her face that day as she had practically begged your father to let her take you off of his hands. You had been clutching your face the entire time, eyes tearful as you fought to ignore the sting in your face. The whole ordeal had shocked you, even more so when your father finally relented. The decision brought out conflicting emotions within you.

The man was abusive, and there was no love lost there, but still. Something in you—some last shred of hope and grace—had wanted your father to hesitate, had wanted him to fight for you. You did not know why, maybe it was for the simple fact that he was your father and he should have, but your disappointment had been heavy on your body. With that being said though, you had not been able to ignore the light feeling in your chest with the reality that you would be free of him.

Of course, there had been a possibility of going into an even worse situation. You did not know your mistress then as well as you did, now, and all manner of things could have befallen you at her hand, this was true, but you had felt no fear. You remembered thinking that you could not face anything worse than you already had.

That was a truth you always held…until some days ago.

Until the day your mistress had secured passage for you both on The Gloriana.

His eyes reminded you of the sea. That was the first thought you recalled having about Captain Bonnet. They were a blue that was nothing at all like the sky, nothing calming or soft about them. They instead reminded you of the sea, of the rough waters that carried men from land to land while also taking the lives of as many as it wanted to claim. A deep blue that was meant to be feared, approached with caution.

“Just the two of ye then?”

It was not a strange question, and the question itself did not even make you uneasy. It was not even the way he said it, tone even and voice deep. It was his hyper focused gaze, the way it settled on your mistress for far too long, as if he were sizing her up. Such a look was not uncommon to see, her beauty something that anyone would take note of. However, it was the glint in his blue stare that forced you to step closer to her.

The movement had grabbed his attention, freezing you in place, and the small curve of his pink lips did not settle you. The man did not appear to be any kind of ashamed at having been caught, returning his gaze back to her. Or…more notably, her chest. You decided then that you did not like the man, and when your mistress pulled you along by the hand, turning to say something to you, the sun glinted off of the impressive jewel she always wore around her neck.

The expensive gift was eye catching, always had been, and it was then you decided that you really did not like that man.

You urged her to hide it after that, something she thankfully agreed with. Captain Bonnet struck you as an opportunistic man, and he seemed the type to not resist temptation once it was in his path. He liked pretty and shiny things, and your mistress had much of that. It was why sleep could not find you as it should while aboard the ship. America’s shores could not come fast enough, night after night witness to your lack of sleep.

“You shall be dead on your feet by the time we arrive,” the other woman said early the next morning over breakfast.

“Maybe so,” you played along with a small smile. “…but at least then I will be able to rest soundly.”

She touched your cheek at that, and as she leaned in some with the action…

You saw it.

It was a small rash, just there where her shoulder and neck met, and your heart sank at the sight. You knew it was only due to the heat in your quarters, something your mistress often dealt with when overheated, but you knew many would not see it that way. You knew of one in particular who would definitely not see it that way.

It was only a day or so ago that Captain Bonnet had thoroughly inspected anyone for any sign of smallpox. You and your mistress had been cleared, but you did not turn a blind eye to the passengers that were here one minute…and gone the next. You did not want to imagine the worst, but fear and desperation drove people to do heinous things. A ship wrought with the pox was enough to drive any man mad.

Your mistress caught sight of your own line of sight before reaching up to her neck with a small smile.

“Tis only from the heat.”

“Yes,” you agreed. “I am aware, but…”

Your words died in the air, and she caught on to what you were getting at. A brief look of discomfort colored her features before she proceeded to wrap her shawl around herself. The smile that she sent you was meant to be reassuring, you were sure, but it did not quell the worry in your heart. You thickly swallowed as she continued to eat.

“Let me go,” you suggested to her hours later when came time for your ration of water. “If Captain Bonnet catches sight of that…”

You gestured to her neck. She had looked ready to protest, but at your reminder, she slowly deflated. With a sharp nod, she allowed you to leave, and you made haste. You did not enjoy walking about the ship without her, severely uncomfortable the few times you had to, but at the moment, you were left with no choice. You could not risk your mistress being seen with that rash, no doubt in your mind as to what would become of her.

One of the Captain’s crewmen was distributing the water, the blond man observing from the side. However, when it was your turn, you were met with the sight of blue eyes instead of brown. You paused only briefly, eyeing him a bit as he fixed you with a smile. It was wrought with amusement, as if your mere presence made him laugh, and you watched him fill the pail.

“So far without your mistress?” he asked you, voice almost soft in nature.

Some of his long hair had escaped his hat, pieces falling into his face as he leaned in, and you paid mind to lean away a bit. This did not go unnoticed by Captain Bonnet, and you clutched the pail as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“She is only just in our quarters,” you told him. “Resting.”

He held your gaze, searching your eyes. For what, you did not know. You were aware that you were not alone with the man, but it certainly felt that way. Or, more importantly, he made you feel that way. Captain Bonnet seemed a bold man the way he swaggered about the ship, and the way he talked to people. He did not seem the type to be deterred by witnesses once he set his mind to do something.

…and that was what scared you.

His smile suddenly grew, the smile bleeding into his eyes a bit as they crinkled.

“Resting,” he repeated. “How very good for her.”

He pressed his hand against the bucket of water lightly, forcing you to take a small step back.

“Use it wisely,” he advised, fingers lingering on it just a tad before you finally turned away.

You did not tell your mistress of the strange encounter with Captain Bonnet when you returned. She was reading when you shut the door, setting the bucket down, and your response remained sparse when she inquired as to how it went. You checked her neck again, and she allowed you, rolling her eyes when you huffed.

“It has not gone yet,” you murmured.

“Tis only due to the heat,” she said. “It will pass in a day or two, and even then, by then we shall be at our destination.”

She sounded so sure, so optimistic, but you could not share in her enthusiasm.

Your own pleas were all that kept her holed away in your quarters, small huffs leaving her each time you reminded her she must stay until the rash was gone. There was only so much reading she could do, this you knew, but you would rather your mistress drive herself crazy with boredom than to be thrown overboard for fear of having the pox.

“Resting.”

That was what you said for the third day in a row. This time, it was to one of the crewmen instead of the captain himself. You never elaborated, feeling no need to. After all, you were her handmaiden, and it was not uncommon for someone of your status to be worked so much. That was never her way, but they did not need to know the benevolent nature of your relationship.

It worked for a time.

Until you woke up to the sound of commotion and yelling.

You were up and at the door before your mistress, keeping yourself covered as you looked down the hall with wide eyes. You could see some of the crewmen, but more importantly, you could see the tall captain among them. The sight of him made your heart skip a beat, and bile turned in your gut as you realized what they were doing.

One of the passengers stood in his doorway, compliant as Captain Bonnet carefully inspected the man, turning his head which way and that. You sharply inhaled, and you were quick to retreat back into your quarters and shut the door. Your hands shook, and you could hear your mistress inquiring from behind you.

“They are inspecting passengers,” you slowly told her, heart picking up speed in your chest.

You only had another day until you reached the Americas. Why now? When you faced her, there was a bit of concern on her face, but not nearly enough. You loved her dearly, but sometimes your mistress could be very naïve about a lot of things. She softly assured you that things would be fine as you inspected her neck, noting that the cluster of bumps had diminished some, but not as much as you would have preferred.

It was just so hot on this damn ship.

You felt panicked, so unsure of how to navigate this when a knock sounded on the door.

You both froze for half a second before you urged her to lie down. She seemed reluctant, but otherwise listened to you, allowing you to pull the sheet over her body. You flinched at the sound of another knock, chest twisting painfully when you heard Captain Bonnet’s voice from the other side.

“Just a moment,” you called, rubbing your hands along the fabric of your gown.

You barely got the door open good before Captain Bonnet was attempting to force his way in. He looked equally amused and impressed as you stood your ground, jutting your chin out. One hand remained on the door, the other on the wall as you held his gaze. His pink lips were curved into the faintest of smirks, and one of his own hands joined yours on the door, fingers just shy of brushing your own.

“Captain Bonnet,” you greeted, sounding a lot surer of yourself than you felt.

He looked past you, gaze roaming over your quarters before his blue eyes met yours again. He tilted his head to the side, and you noticed then that he was without his hat, dark blond hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. The way he sized you up was almost enough to make you falter, but you merely clenched your jaw.

“Poor lass this morning had the pox,” he started, making your heart sink. “Infected about three others with her.”

He did not take his eyes off of yours as he said this.

“We got rid of ‘em quick enough.”

The confirmation of your earlier suspicions only made you feel ill, ignoring the sting behind your eyes as he continued.

“…but now we’ve got to inspect the whole ship, ye see.”

He looked as if it was such a heavy burden on his heart, but you knew better. He may have seen it as a necessary evil, but there was a part of him that reveled in having less mouths to feed. Maybe even a part of him that reveled in throwing innocent people overboard. You just knew it.

“I have no problem with that,” you finally breathed. “…but…my mistress though. The journey has been tiresome for her, and since I know her to be fine, I think it is best you let her rest.”

Captain Bonnet’s gaze was heavy, and he appeared almost impossibly still as he stood before you. He blinked, slowly looking around you, and you moved slightly to keep yourself in his line of vision.

“I shall be the judge of that-.”

“Please, Captain Bonnet, she tires easily and…”

Your words died in your throat as he stepped closer, too close, and when his fingers brushed against yours, you were quick to pull them away. So eager to be as far away from him as possible, the absence of your hand allowed for no resistance as he pushed on the door, shoving past you in the process.

“No, she is sleeping!”

You reached for his sleeve, but it was too late. Your mistress was startled by the feel of the sheet being yanked off of her, and when she sat up to face the blond man, her hair fell behind her shoulders. The reddened and raised skin was plain as day on her neck, and you felt as if you would be sick.

“No, it is merely from the heat,” you defended, attempting to get in between them. “She’s not sick!”

He was a lot stronger than he looked, a lot stronger than you, and your grip was tight on her arm as he forced her out of the cabin. Her screams of protest were loud in the corridor, almost drowning out the sound of your own pleas.

“Captain Bonnet, please,” you begged, trying in vain to force him to let her go.

With a swift jerk of his head, one of his crewmen had you by the arm, the other hand clenched painfully on the back of your neck. You gasped in pain, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain you felt at watching your mistress be dragged away. You might as well not have put up a fight, at all, with the good it was doing you. Your own name bounced off of the walls as she screamed it, your own voice mixing in as you tried to convince them that she was not sick.

Your face felt tight from all of your tears, fresh ones replacing the old ones as you were led up to the captain’s quarters. After being shoved back into your own room, you waited and waited. Hours you waited, and when your mistress never returned, you were forced to accept the horrible truth. The tears came first…and then the agonizing pain.

You had grown to love her and care for her much since you crossed paths. She had saved you, after all, and now… Now she had been swallowed up by the rough waves of the sea, disappearing into that deep, endless blue. The knowledge left a heavy feeling in your chest, a feeling that made you curl into yourself. She was gone…

…and you were alone.

What would become of you when you got to America? How would you look after yourself? Find work? Her absence left you vulnerable in so many ways, and your uncertain future was enough to make your knees weak, forcing you to practically be dragged to the captain’s cabin.

Once inside, you did not even flinch when the door was tightly shut behind you. You stared ahead at the window behind his desk, unable to focus on any presence that was not your own. You could only think about how frightened your mistress must have been, and you closed your eyes at the unwelcome visions of what her last moments had to have been like.

“It was quick.”

Your eyes slowly opened at the sound of his voice.

“…if that should bring ye any comfort.”

It did not.

“I did what must be done,” he sounded closer, now. “Rather the deaths of a few than of this entire ship, aye?”

He took his time walking by you, arm brushing your own.

“Come now,” he said in a low voice, tone meant to be comforting but it only came off as mocking. “I’m sure you will find a new mistress in no time.”

Your gaze found the floor, eyes remaining there as you felt his own gaze on you.

“Or…some other means of making your livelihood.”

You heard him take a deep breath.

“Provided you show no signs of illness, that is…”

At that, you finally lifted your gaze, tearful eyes resting on him as he leaned against the table behind him. His legs were crossed at the ankle as his hands rested on the wood at his sides, and despite the mirth in his blue eyes, his countenance was dark and serious. He tilted his head, drinking you in.

“I never did inspect ye earlier…and it sure would be a shame to get rid of a bonnie lass such as yourself.”

Both his tone and his words made you uneasy, and you pressed your trembling lips together. It was only moments ago that you felt yourself growing numb with your mistress’ absence, entertaining the thought that you did not care what happened to you. Now, however…

You were very much aware of your isolation with the captain who turned out to be worse than you initially thought.

“I…”

You struggled to say something.

“The two of you were sharing a room, after all. In such close quarters like that…it would be best to be as thorough as possible,” he told you, straightening up.

You took a step back, swallowing.

“I was already inspected by one of your men,” you argued.

It was not a lie. The man’s hands had been rough as he turned your head to inspect your face and neck, but Captain Bonnet only chuckled at your words, moving towards you. You watched him effortlessly remove his hat, smoothing his hair back with a small smile.

“Yes, well, you know what they say, lass. If you want somethin’ done right…”

He trailed off with a wave of his hand, appearing proud of himself as he moved closer. Even if this man had not murdered your mistress and friend under the guise of protecting the rest of the crew and passengers, something in you would still revolt at being so near to him with no one else around. It was as if he could see the decision in your eyes, quick to lunge for you the moment you tried to run for the door.

You winced when your back roughly met the wall.

“Not so fast, darlin’,” he quietly told you. “What kinda captain would I be if I simply let you…walk out of here, mm?”

One of his hands was tight on your neck, fingers pressing into your throat as you stared past him.

“I will rest easy knowing I ‘ave seen your unblemished skin for myself.”

You trembled when his other hand came up to gently trail down the side of your face, and a glint of the light caught your eye, drawing your attention to his pinky finger…and the familiar ring it sported. All of your breath left you as you stared at the familiar piece of jewelry, recalling that your mistress never took it off. The sight of it on his hand reminded you of that first day when he had been eyeing the necklace she wore, and you realized that he lacked the last shred of decency you thought remained.

“You knew she was not sick,” you tearfully murmured, fresh tears escaping.

He lifted his gaze at that, pulling his eyes away from the top of your chest where it had lingered. His blue eyes glinted with mischief, a small smirk dancing along his pink lips as he mulled over your accusation. A low hum left him, and your throat tightened at the feel of his free hand on your waist.

“What a vile accusation,” he mused, that same hand sliding upwards over your chest. “I am simply a cautious captain.”

His expression did not match his words, the smile on his lips sickening, and you shook between him and the wall as he traced his fingers over your neck. Your gaze lifted towards the ceiling, just waiting for this to be over as he touched you in ways that were most inappropriate.

“It is unfortunate indeed what happened to your mistress, but better her than ye, aye?”

You shook your head at such a statement, jerking when his fingers danced along your leg, your gown lifting with them. When you finally had enough, reaching up to slap his hand away and push at his chest, the brief disapproval you saw in his eyes made you shrink. You pressed your back into the wall.

“Lively, you are,” he murmured, and there was almost excitement in his eyes, now. “Brave some might say…stupid, others would say…”

You were unprepared for the feel of his hand fisting into your hair, forcing you to your knees.

“…but lively is what I say.”

You gasped in pain when your forehead hit the floor. An attempt to crawl away was unsuccessful, vision blurring from tears when you felt his hand on your ankle, roughly dragging you back. You knew there was no use in screaming. The ship—and crew—belonged to him, after all. They were loyal to him, and what crewman would risk his life to come to the aid of a lowly handmaiden all alone in the world without her mistress?

Your gown tore with ease, flinching at both the sound and feel of the fabric pulling harshly against your skin before finally releasing. You could feel his callous fingers kneading into your skin as he pulled you back, the man crawling over you to trap you beneath his frame. Your feet banged against the floor as you flailed and fought to get away from him, but one swift slap subdued you enough.

Your head felt both light and heavy at the same time, the room swaying some, and you could not hold back your sobs. You felt as if it were all too much, too many overwhelming events one after the other. You tasted blood on your tongue when it touched your lip, and you shakily reached up to confirm it.

Captain Bonnet’s entry was nothing short of painful, feeling as if you were being ripped in half by the mere feel of his cock. He was rough, no hint of gentleness in his actions, at all, and your back scraped against the wood with every thrust. With no other choice, you pressed your nails into his arm, needing something—anything—to anchor yourself to.

His loud grunts filled the cabin, only rivaled by the sound of your sobs. It was impossible to focus on anything other than the feel of his thrusts, every plunge of his cock as his hips connected with yours. Each one was more painful than the last, your nails drawing blood, now, you were sure. Long strands of blond hair had escaped with the force of his movements, some of them falling down and kissing your face as he hovered above you.

You could feel your mistress’ ring cool against your skin as he held you down. The cool metal made you close your eyes, trying to push the feel of it out of your mind, but it was either focus on that or the rough actions of the man on top of you.

“Where is that lively spirit you had only moments ago, aye?”

The sound of his voice, the feel of his lips at your ear made you shudder, and you wanted him away from you. Your hands futilely pushed against his chest and arm, and when a deep chuckle rumbled through his chest, you realized that was what he wanted. Still, that did not prevent you from trying to get him off by any means necessary. You were desperate and afraid and in pain.

“Yes,” he hissed. “Put up a good fight.”

If you did not, you felt as if you were letting him win, but in doing so, you were giving him just what he wanted…and still letting hm win. You felt his teeth sink into your neck and chest, and you cried out in protest. At some point, you turned your face away completely, staring at the wall as tears cooled your face. You wanted this to be over…and quickly.

…because the sooner it was…the sooner you could put it behind you.

But Captain Stephen Bonnet was not a man content to remain in the past.

“I consider myself a fair man,” he purred into your skin. “I pay for my pleasures.”

You closed your eyes at that, feeling as if you would be sick. You just knew that even after he was done, the scent and feel of him would linger.

“A lone lass such as yourself would get eaten alive out there.”

He hummed against your skin, and you shuddered.

“Consider yourself fortunate I got my hands on you before someone else did.”

[anoutlandishfanfic]

Greetings!

Is anyone still here? Is this mic still on?

Thank you and hello to those of you who are. Bless you.

I have a new chapter of Metamorphosis that will be ready to post soon. I can't even really believe I can finally write that and truly mean it. It's short. But there's more to come.

I've been fighting a medication side effect that often made coming up with words hard... as you can imagine this made writing for pleasure nearly impossible. Thankfully, we made a change recently and this is slowly coming back to me. Chronic illness is truly a bitch.

I've done lots of dreaming about what I want to do with my fics.

I cannot wait to share all of it with you.

[dianaforever]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Frank Randall, Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser Characters: Claire Beauchamp, James Fraser, Frank Randall Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, Blackmail, Forbidden Love, Father-Daughter Relationship Summary:

Imagine: Claire and Jamie do not know each other until they meet in London ten years after the Rising. Claire is married, and Jamie has a daughter.

[smashing-teacups]

Thankless: Of Ruined Holidays and Changing Hearts

Canon-compliant, showverse, missing scene(s). Oneshot.

Thanksgiving 1960 and 1772 - Frank's POV, then Jamie's.

Two very different husbands, two very different family dynamics, the same unexpected wrench in the holiday plans.

1960 - Boston, Massachusetts

The phone rang just as Brianna was setting the table.

I shot Claire a warning look that went completely unheeded as she shouldered past me in a swish of silk and clacking heels. The instinct to call after her still rose to my lips after all these years; the knowledge that the breath would be wasted kept it there.

“Hello, this is Doctor Randall…”

Our daughter froze instantly, the last salad fork hovering inches over the placemat. 

“How many? Nancy, slow down. How many wounded?”

Just like that, I watched the light drain from my twelve year old’s face. She masked it well, brave girl; unlike her mother, she had a talented poker face. Quietly and without fanfare, Brianna took the cutlery, plate and wine glass from the third place setting and returned them to the china cabinet.

I crossed the room slowly and laid a hand on her shoulder, heavy with unspoken understanding. It wasn’t the first holiday her mother had ruined with her selfishness, her pigheaded insistence upon putting career over family. Bree flashed me a wan smile and reached up to squeeze my fingers appreciatively.

“More mashed potatoes for us, huh?” She tried for levity, and would have pulled it off had she been trying to fool anyone but me.

“We won’t leave a single bite,” I promised sotto vocce.

Drawing in a breath through her nose and releasing it in a sharp sigh, Bree clasped her hands together as she turned back to the table. “Shall we? Or do we wait for her to come back in and—”

“Darling, I’m so sorry…” Right on cue, Claire appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, already slinging her purse over one shoulder, the car keys jangling in her opposite hand. “There’s been a terrible accident on the Longfellow Bridge—”

“Yeah, I’m sure there was. It’s always something, right?” Even I was surprised by the venom in Bree’s voice; day by day, the little girl eager to defend her mother’s choices was yielding to the dark cynicism of an adolescent. Normally, I would have chided her for taking a tone — it was unbecoming of a young lady — but I couldn’t deny that a part of me had been anticipating the day when Brianna finally learned to stand up for herself. It had been far too long that she’d dutifully shouldered the burden of her mother’s negligence. 

Wounded, wide, golden eyes blinked twice before Claire took a half-step forward. “I understand,” she said with a physician’s practiced calm, “that it’s disappointing when I’m called away on the holidays. Trust me, this isn’t how I wanted to spend my Thanksgiving either.”

“So why are you?!” our daughter demanded, throwing her hands up and letting them flop back at her sides. “Why does it always have to be you? Why can’t the other surgeons take the call this time?”

Keep reading...

[ladyviolethummingbird]

🌿🍃🌷

I just reread all of Mint & Thistles and you guys it really needs to be finished. Sitting on the shelf for almost 3 years; 2023 is the year it gets done!

[lara-frasers]

A fight for love and glory

Chapter 8: No Faith

You can read it here

Follow me on twitter for updates

[temporaljourney]

Hello my beautiful readers, I say to you with this new chapter merry christmas!!

[fraserstanclub]

WIP Wednesday

I think I should be doing this so that I keep myself accountable for writing on a regular basis. It is my dream, after all, to become a full time published author 😊

Exceprt from Sutures Ch. 9: Rumors, Part 2 [SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CH 8]

Alice put on what Jamie could only describe as a “thinking face.” After a few seconds, she answered, “oh aye! He kept saying something about horrible headaches and gripping pains in the belly. He would be sitting at the supper table and seem to struggle with holding a fork, as if he’d never been civilized before!” Jamie was watching both Alice as she talked, and Claire as she listened. He watched Claire’s face change with some kind of revelation the more Alice went on about Obediah’s last days on earth. “What could all this mean?” Alice finished with a heartbreaking sob, and Jamie fished a wee square out of his pocket to hand to her. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose before trying to give it back to him. He waved a hand in refusal, indicating that she was welcome to keep it.

No pressure tags for exposure: @walkinginland, @islayandlochs, @ladyjane-lj, @bat-cat-reader, @gotham-ruaidh, @theawkwardterrier, @christiwhitson, @frasers-of-my-heart and anyone else who wants to participate or reblog to spread the word :D i love you guys <3

[christiwhitson]

Yes, there’s always a chance they could find me. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t been willing to risk venturing into a wizarding area.”

“And the fact that ye have a soul bond wouldna stay their hand? Surely they wouldn’t expect ye to keep such secrets from a spouse or… soulmate. I thought ye said it was considered sacred. Would they really take ye away from me?” he demanded, his voice cracking slightly.

My breath caught at the naked fear I could see in his eyes and feel in his magic, and I’d have given anything in that moment to be able to answer differently.

“Under normal circumstances, with no time travel involved, a spouse would be permitted to know. But if they discovered the time travel as well and knew the bond wasn’t sealed… Yes, they might,” I admitted reluctantly.

“Sealed? What does that mean?”

My tongue seemed to tie itself in a knot as I stared hard at the brooch that secured his plaid, but he gently touched my chin and guided it upward again.

“Sealing the bond would require marriage and… consummation.”

To my surprise, most of the tension drained out of his face, and his answering smile was one of relief.

“That’s all?”

[lord-jen-grey]

[selkieleevike-tropelibrarian]

Chapters: 12/? Fandom: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon, Outlander (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser, Claire Beauchamp/Frank Randall Characters: Claire Beauchamp, Jamie Fraser, Geillis Duncan, Mary Hawkins Randall, Lord John Grey, Thomas Christie (Outlander), Quentin Beauchamp, Original Male Character(s), Ian Murray, Laoghaire MacKenzie, Geneva Dunsany, Frank Randall, Angus Mhor, Jenny Fraser Additional Tags: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, sloowest of burns and pining, Fuck Frank, Re-enactment, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, but 18th Century re-enactment, Verbal Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Mental Instability, Scotland, Loch Tay camping grounds, no but really fuck Frank!, POV Multiple, Claire is nurse on the battlefield, Swordfighting, Sexual Tension, Smart Is The New Sexy, Selkies, many references to pop culture and literature, office culture sucks, Corporate slave, Claire's mom is alive but not canon like, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, the posh Randalls!, The Gathering, Jamie is smitten with scolding Claire, Red Jamie, some Bridgerton level tension

  Summary:Claire who hates her depressing office job and has a troubling relationship goes to a re-enactment festival in Scotland where she meets arrogant cheeky playboy Jamie, but is all as it seems? Can Highlands ease their tortured souls?

Chapter XI - Shoot to Ignite 

Last time in Re-enacting Life: Claire finds herself at an intellectual and literal sparring match with Red Jamie and they are both hungry for more. This time: Jamie and Claire finally have some time to talk at the shooting range where sparks fly and emotions run wild.

[anoutlandishfanfic]

Chapter 32: Departure

This chapter has been a long time coming. It's short, but there's more to come. Thank you to all of you who have stuck around and hello to all of you who are just discovering Metamorphosis. I truly hope you enjoy it and I cannot wait to bring you more chapters of this fic. 💙

You can find a master list of previous chapters here or this fic is also on AO3 if you'd like to read it there.

Enjoy! 💚

February 22nd, 1744; Afternoon. Claire.

The swell of angry voices grew to a thunderous pitch, drowning out any form of coherent thought. My heart lodged itself at the back of my throat as the floor beneath me creaked and groaned and harkened the arrival of my worst nightmare. 

Gritting my teeth, I lifted my head to face my foe but it was the midwife’s face that swam before mine. 

I frowned at her and shook my head in confusion as she motioned towards the babies. A hideous sound left my lips as she reached out and tore them from my arms. 

Jamie’s name twisted on my tongue, contorting into a desperate plea for help as I careened after her. My vision blurred as the tips of my fingers brushed against her skirts and I threw myself forward, frantically trying to grab hold of her. 

My head spun as I hit the floor. The impact stole the breath from my lungs, leaving me gasping for air. I could hear the men approaching, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe as they grabbed me and lifted me off the ground. 

The shock of their soggy clothes against my skin freed my reflexes just enough for me to strike out blindly. 

“Christ, Sassenach,” they cursed as my fist hit their nose. 

“Tis me!”

I froze, staring up at Jamie in surprise. 

He blinked rapidly for a moment before a half snort, half laugh escaped him as he commented, “I canna fault yer aim, mo nighean donn, but warn me next time, aye?”

I turned my face into his chest and promptly dissolved into a blubbering mess. Jamie’s arms tightened around me as I began to tremble from head to toe. A blanket materialized out of thin air and covered me from head to toe, but it did little to thaw the bitter chill that numbed my lips and immobilized my limbs. 

My eyes slid shut as he began to rock me back and forth. He bent his head, his lips moving against my hair as he apologized. 

“Forgive me,” Jamie repeated over and over, first in English before slipping into Gàidhlig. “Oh, God, Claire… please forgive me. 

He stroked my back and the familiar, steady movement stemmed my tears, slowly quieting the raging storm within my heart. I managed one deep breath and then another as my head stopped spinning. 

I heard Jamie speaking to someone and could feel the deep vibrations in his chest against my cheek, but couldn’t make out his words. Their conversation stayed out of reach as more voices joined them, swirling and swelling around me until I could no longer distinguish one person from another. 

A hand rested on my shoulder for a moment before Jamie shifted me in his arms, loosening his embrace as he eased me back into a more reclined position. I cracked open one eye to assess the situation and found the midwife kneeling beside me. 

“It is time to bring you to my home, my dear,” she smiled gently. “You have waited long enough.”

One of the babies was tucked safely in the crook of her elbow, now bundled warmly and ready for the journey. He began to cry and she bent forward as she brought his tiny face near mine. 

He stopped immediately as I kissed his brow and cheek. His eyes opened as he scowled at me and seemed to study me closely for a moment before sighing heavily. 

“Aye, a bhalaich,” Jamie chuckled softly. 

“I ken just what ye mean.”