Brothers and Sisters: New from the Modern Glasgow AU
Modern Glasgow AU: Chronological order || Publication Order [AO3]
(set about 7 years after Jamie and Claire’s wedding)
Claire glanced at the clock on the microwave, then to the table where four-year-old Faith attentively folded paper napkins into neat triangles, then to the kitchen doorway where Jamie held two-year-old William snuggled against his shoulder.
“It’s been three minutes.”
Jamie kissed his son’s brow and slowly set him on the floor. “Can ye find Fergus, wee lad? He’ll be doing his homework in yer bedroom.”
“Aye!” William’s face, still a bit red and tear-streaked, brightened. He scampered down the long hallway of the flat, toward the room he had recently started sharing with his twelve-year-old brother.
Claire smiled at her eldest daughter. “Well done! Now can you set them at the places? Dinner should be ready soon.” She glanced up at her husband. “We just need Brianna.”
Jamie pursed his lips and quietly headed in the opposite direction of William. In just a few steps he opened the door to the bairns’ play room, currently strewn with pieces of Willie’s wooden railway set and Faith’s picture books and Brianna’s plushies.
She was still facing the corner, small shoulders squared, half her hair come undone from the fiery red braid streaming down her back.
Jamie and Claire’s practice for time outs was one minute per year of age. Three-year-old Brianna had of late been giving them a lot of practice.
Today, well. He had arrived home from the print shop this evening a bit later than was normal, to relieve Murtagh from another day with the three wee ones. Suzette had come by not too long after that, chattering happily in French with Fergus, who carried a pot of her delicious beef bourguignon stew for the Frasers’ supper. Claire walked in the door not too long after that, still in her scrubs, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes before she was mobbed by her bairns and gave Suzette a grateful hug and received a proper kiss from her husband.
It would be just a few minutes to heat the stew and prepare a salad for dinner – enough for some quiet time with Jamie, ideally, talking about their days as the bairns kept up their games in the play room.
Jamie had poured a glass of merlot, and was savoring it from his wife’s lips, when they heard it.
With three children under five, they had heard their fair share of shrieks and cries. But this was different.
Jamie dropped the knife and carrot he’d been chopping, and somehow they bolted down the hallway to the play room.
William stood in the center of the play room, sobbing, face red with strain and anger. Faith held him, glaring at Brianna – who stood on the other side of the room, glowering.
Immediately Claire rushed to her son, who collapsed against her shoulder.
Jamie knelt to look eye to eye with Brianna. “Will ye tell me what happened, Bree?”
“She hit Willie.” Faith’s voice was quiet as she looked down at the blue flowers woven into the carpet. “Three times.”
Claire kissed William’s messy brown curls.
Jamie’s eyes narrowed at his younger daughter. “And why would you do such a thing, Brianna Ellen?”
“And that’s what you do wi’ people who dinna share? Hit them?”
Brianna stuck her chin out defiantly. “Aye.”
Jamie glanced over at his wife, who sighed.
He stood and pointed to the corner. “Off ye go. Think about what happened and why ye are being put in time out.”
Claire rose, still holding William. “Faith – can you help me set the table for dinner, please?”
“Aye, Mama.” Faith glanced over at Brianna – already facing the corner – and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Four minutes later, Jamie approached Brianna and sat on the floor behind her, wincing as his bum landed on pile of Fergus’ Legos.
“Turn around, a leannan.”
“Why did I put ye in time out?”
“That’s right. And was the right thing to do?”
“‘Cos I could have asked nicer for him to give me the plushie coo.”
“‘Cos it’s no’ good to hit people.”
Jamie nodded. “That’s right. It’s never a good idea to hit people. Any people, but most especially the people we love the most.” He lay a gentle hand on Bree’s shoulder. “He’s your wee brother. He loves ye, verra much. Do ye love him?”
“Weel. He is still learning to use his words like how you and Faith and Fergus use them. Do ye understand?”
“Aye.” She looked down. “Does he hate me, Da?”
Jamie squeezed her shoulder. “No. But what do ye need to do now?”
“That’s right. And tell him how much you love him. You know I love you, wee Bree?”
She nodded and launched into his arms. He held her tight, kissing her messy hair.
“Aye, I ken. Now say it to Willie, and then we’re having Tante Suzette’s special French stew for supper.”
Jamie stood and held out a hand to Brianna. But she stood on her own, and walked quickly out of the play room.
Jamie followed her down the hall – past the kitchen, where Faith set the last water glass on the dinner table – and to the first bedroom on the left. The boys’ room – which was next to the girls’ room shared by Faith and Brianna, and across the hall from Mama and Da’s room.
Fergus sat at the desk Jamie had brought home from the print shop, touching a textbook with one hand and diligently writing with the other. William quietly sat in his bed – Fergus had insisted Willie have the top bunk – hugging George, his favorite stuffed rabbit.
He peered down, skeptically, at his sister.
Jamie crossed his arms in the doorway. “And?”
Brianna folded her hands. “And I love ye. And I’m sorry. I’m no’ sorry that I love ye, I’m sorry for smacking ye.”
“Willie?” Jamie’s voice was so gentle.
“Fanks, Bree.” He held out his arms, and Jamie lifted him from the top bunk and down to the ground. Somehow he had lost one of his socks.
Brianna shifted from foot to foot in front of her brother.
William reached to hug her. And she let him.
Jamie sighed, shoulders finally relaxing. He exchanged a glance with Fergus.
“All right, petits,” their elder brother smiled. “Hopefully Maman hasn’t completely burned Tante Suzette’s stew for our supper!”
Claire insisted that Brianna sit next to William at the dinner table. She strapped him into his booster seat and Faith set a piece of bread on her younger brother’s plate.
The six Frasers joined hands and bowed their heads as Jamie said the blessing.
“Thank ye, Lord, for this food. For Tante Suzette for making it. For Mama who just received top marks in her medical residency. And for each and every one of you, sitting here wi’ us tonight. Because there was a time when Mama and I thought we’d never have this. Amen.”
“Amen,” the bairns repeated softly before digging into the stew.
“Willie?” Brianna said after a while.
“Can I play wi’ the coo tomorrow?”
Claire was grateful that for some occasions, including tonight, she still insisted Willie wear a bib – for there seemed to be as much stew on his face as in his bowl.
Willie bit into his piece of bread. “OK. Next time you ask, aye?”
Fergus patted Willie’s shoulder.
Claire looked across the table at Jamie, tired but smiling. He blew her a kiss.
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