*trigger warning: sexually suggestive material. *

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Life on the ridge was seemingly boring for Beth. She was doing what she could to learn from Claire, also being able to incorporate her own knowledge from the year she traveled from - 1982.

Her relationship with Ian was beautiful. He was a comfort for her, as she was for him. That's why it was extremely hard for her to explain to him that she was debating on going to go with Bree, Roger, and Jemmy to the stones. She had been lingering around them listening to their plan. After all, Ian was going to be the one to take them.

Her skin was clammy, her head fuzzy. Her short legs brought her back and forth along the river, pacing fervently and almost wearing down the earth beneath her feet.

"Beth?"

The brunette looked up upon hearing her name being called. A weak smile formed on her lips as she spotted Ian heading over to her with Rollo hot on his heels.

"I've been looking everywhere for ye." Ian smiled as his hands found hers, bringing them up to his lips and gently planting a kiss on her soft skin.

"I'm sorry." She told him with a sigh, "I've been down here. Thinking and worrying myself into a tizzy." She leaned into his chest and let her arms wrap around his middle the moment he let go of her hands.

She didn't want to tell him what she was thinking. Though if she knew Ian as well as she liked to believe she did, he would already know. It was eerie that they seemed to have some sort of telepathy between them. Claire once said it reminded her of her own relationship with Jamie. The love between the two older adults was otherworldly. Beth knew she would be extremely lucky to have that type of love, even if not for the rest of her life.

Ian's hands ran along her back, soothing her with his touch before he decided to speak up.

"Are you thinking about going back through the stones?"

Now that the idea was verbalized out loud and floating around between them, Beth leaned back and looked up at him. His brown eyes were already honed in on her, and she thought she would break just from the sadness shining through.

Beth moved her hands to gently cradle either side of his face, her fingers stretching slightly to scrap her nails gently against the shaved sides of his face. She stayed silent for a while, holding his face down near hers and relishing in the feeling of his shared warmth.

"I don't want to leave you. I don't want to lose you, Ian."

When she finally spoke, it was barely audible. She was getting choked up at the thought of never seeing him again but she knew that this was still not her time. She felt out of place for the most part. The only time she felt at home was when she was lying in bed with Ian's arms wrapped protectively around her.

"I dinnae ken what is truly going through yer mind, Beth, but..." he paused for a moment and brought his lips down further to gently press into hers for a soft kiss. "I canny tell ye to stay. I just want ye happy."

"You make me happy, Ian Fraser Murray." She kissed him again. This time she made sure it was more passionate than last. She needed him to know she meant the words she spoke. Her lips parted against his, providing an open invitation in. He took it, gladly, letting his tongue wander from behind his teeth to gently caress against her own.

They stayed connected this way for a while, only parting once they both needed air.

"I meant what I said. Truly, you are the one to make me happy." Beth told him, slipping her hands along his chest before she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. "I'm just worried that my being here is going to change something in history." She bit down on her bottom lip before pulling away completely from him now. "It sounds silly, I know. I'm sorry."

"Ye dinnae have to apologize, Beth." Ian stood his ground, giving Beth her space as she stepped closer to the cold water bank before them.

Beth knew Ian was putting on a front in some aspect. He wanted her to stay and make a life with him on the ridge.

She moved slowly into the water, and once her boots were removed completely, she sunk her bare feet in further with a soft relieved sigh. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at the redhead who had captured her heart in little to no time. She thought back to the day that she and Bree were rescued from Bonnet and the way Ian was looking at her now reminded her of how he truly made her feel.

Could she live without this feeling?

She was not sure of the answer to that question. Though the more she looked into his devilish, though still caring, brown eyes - the more she knew. She would worry herself in the future about Ian and how his life ended up without her in it.

Ian made his way over to her and took off his own boots before dipping his feet into the water to stand beside her now. He remained quiet, only whistling to Rollo as the wolf started to wander off.

"When do they want to leave?" The brunette now turned slightly to look back at Ian once more. It had been more than ten minutes of silence between them and she just couldn't take it for very much longer.

"In two days." Ian replied firmly.

Beth nodded and continued to venture further into the water.

"Where are ye goin'? What are ye doin'?" Ian wadded into the water after her, his hand reaching out to grab hold of her elbow to pull her back into his chest.

"I'm going for a swim. What does it look like I'm doing?" Beth responded incredulously. The corners of her lips tugged up slowly, forming a small grin on her face as she pressed herself into his chest.

"Yer a wee bit devilish now, aren't ye?" Ian whispered in her ear with a chuckle, though he quickly shut his mouth the moment she pressed harder against him beneath the water.

"Just a wee bit." She pulled away and spun around to face him now, playfully splashing him with water before she tried to rush away from him knowing he would retaliate.

Their afternoon in the sun was carefree. Beth, luckily, forgot all about the dilemma she was facing. Their clothes are soaked and she tried to find the nearest, most comfortable rock, that held the most sunlight. Once she got comfortable as Ian sat beside her, she let her eyes fall shut and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Are you curious about the future, Ian?"

"Aye. Just a tad." Ian replied, reaching forward to pick up a stick and chuck it as far as he could. A grin spread out wide as he watched Rollo dash through the water to fetch it and bring it back.

"About?" Beth opened one eye to peek up at him before closing it again. The sunlight felt nice against her skin but she knew it would take a long time for the sun to dry all of the layers of clothing she had to wear.

"I don't want to know about important facts like the wars that are fought. I've heard Bree talk about cars. What's a car?" Ian leaned back on his elbows as he spoke, his own eyes falling shut.

"Think of a horse drawn carriage that's not real. It's powered by something called an engine. It's incredible. They come in all different shapes and sizes." Beth smiled, thinking back to the time her dad taught her how to drive his own Volkswagen Beetle. The thing could barely function properly, but Beth had a blast. 

"And clothes? Auntie Claire and Bree mention women do not like to wear dresses." Ian's hand found it's way to her ankle, pushing up the material so he could run his fingertips along the muscles in her calf.

"Not dresses like these." Beth sighed happily from his touch. "To be honest, women were starting to wear less and less from where I came from." Beth giggled softly as Ian's hand ventured further along her leg, now slipping between her thighs beneath her skirts.

"Women from my time enjoyed showing a lot of skin." She added, sucking in a deep breath as he ghosted over her most sensitive area.

"For everyone to see? Men that are not yer husbands?" Ian asked in shock. Though the conversation did not stop his wandering hand.

"Yes, especially for men who were not their husbands." Beth breathed out, her eyes flying open as she looked up at Ian with a mischievous smile. She glanced down slowly to where his hand was still under her skirts, one of her hands slipping down to where his hand was though kept it above the material of her skirts. She added a tinge of pressure onto his touch, a smirk appearing on her lips as she watched his eyebrows furrow.

With the added pressure of her hand over his, Ian gently began rubbing over her the sensitive bundle of nerves before his lips found hers hungrily. Beth wasn't sure what had come over her, or Ian either, but she was enjoying it. She playfully bit at his bottom lip before pulling back to look up at him. Ian blushed and slowly ran his hand back down her leg before he leaned down and kissed her lips deeply once more.

"Not much has changed. Here we are, for all the ridge to see."

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These chapters have been so short. I'm sorry. :(

I think I'll get some motivation once I start S6