•tw// a little self-love (if ya catch my drift) in the beginning of this chapter. •

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Beth passed her boards. She had received the results two weeks after the exam. She knew she should be excited about passing, that she should feel proud of herself - but she wasn't. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't put it to any use. Atleast she didn't want to put it to any use.

The stones of Ocracoke Island were still calling to her. Every night as she tossed and turned beneath the sheets, she thought of Ian. She thought of Jamie and Claire, Bree and Roger... she wanted to know what they were doing. How they were doing.

She missed the warmth of Ian's body when he laid beside her. She missed the way Jemmy would jump around and clap his hands when his father would sing for everyone. She smiled at the memory of the first time Ian's lips touched hers. Gently brushing her fingertips against her lips, Beth could only feel the warmth of Ian's hands on her bare skin.

A soft breath escaped between her lips as they parted while her hand snaked down her neck and along her breasts. All she had on was a thin cotton tank top, which did not provide much of a barrier so her nipples pebbled immediately as the palms of her hands brushed sensually against the peaks of her breasts.

She wasted no time in moving one hand further down along her abdomen, before it slipped beneath the waistband of her shorts. The moment her fingertips curled down against her already slick folds, her bottom lip sucked in beneath her teeth as she held back a moan. It wasn't hard for her to imagine that her hand actually belonged to Ian, that it was his fingers pressing into her warm core, curling and hitting the soft spot hidden within, beckoning her to reach her orgasm.

"Ian." His name fell from her lips in a soft whimper as she bucked her hips up into her own hand, continuing the motion of moving two of her fingers in and out of her before she began to rub circles into her clit.

"Mo Chridhe." Ian's voice was suddenly in her head, his hands holding onto her as she reached her climax.

A gasp burst out of her throat as she sat up, hand slipped out from beneath her shorts as she worked through the waves of pleasure that racked her entire body. She turned to her left, where the voice had come from, only to be met with silence and an empty room.

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She wanted to say goodbye to Shawn before she left. Because she knew she was going back and would most likely never see him again - she was leaving but she knew if she waited any longer something, or someone, would end up holding her back. She was able to pack a bag, stuffing in only what she needed to travel - the dress she was wearing when she came back. It had been cut up but she was able to sew it back together neatly because the material had been cut with a pair of scissors and not torn.

While her mother was out running errands, Beth was able to leave the house quickly without having to answer any questions. A part of her felt guilty for not speaking with her mother before she had left the house - she would never see her again. But as Beth sat on the edge of her bed and stared out of her bedroom window, the whispering wind filtering through the screen told her all she needed to know. It was time to go home.

She set out on foot, heading back towards the center of town where the police station was. Luckily, she was quite a fast walker now and she was able to make it to the station within twenty minutes. Shawn was standing by the front desk, speaking to another officer. The moment he saw Beth walk in, he politely bid his colleague farewell and greeted her with a one-sided, though still warm, hug.

"Is everything okay?" Shawn questioned her, his voice low enough for just her to hear him as they walked outside with one another.

"Yes, everything is okay." Beth smiled up at him and took each of his hands in hers, "Honestly, I'm feeling great, actually."

"What do you have there?" Shawn's eyes ran over the bag on her back, shimmering with curiosity as he finally met her gaze again.

"I'm leaving for a little while, Shawn." Beth blurted out her reason for coming to see him. Her hand almost flew up to her mouth, shocked at how quickly she shot out that information. "I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

Shawn stayed silent. One hip cocked out to the side as he watched her, eventually nodding to her with a small smile crossing his lips. "I appreciate you coming to tell me, Beth. Maybe one day you will tell me where you went. I can understand that it won't be today." He offered a hug, to which she happily complied.

Her arms snuck around his waist and her head rested gently on his chest. "Thank you for understanding." She began, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment before pulling back just enough to look up at him. "And thank you for being here for me. I don't think I would have gotten through these last few months without you."

As they pulled apart, Beth offered another warm smile.

"You don't have to thank me for being your friend." Shawn muttered, almost low enough that she didn't hear him. "I just wish we could have ha-" he stopped himself and shook his head, "Nevermind. I just want you to be safe and healthy, and more importantly happy. That's all."

"Thank you." She leaned up to give him a gentle peck on the cheek. A small parting gift for how helpful he had been to her all of these months.

But now, now it was time to go home.

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The travel to Ocracoke Island was longer than normal. She did not have her own car, but she was able to take a form of public transportation. The bus was large, not crowded due to the bad weather and it being an off season for travel. It smelled, though, but Beth could not help but giggle at the thought that this was not the worst smell she had ever had to breathe in.

She found herself longing for the body odor stench that wafted out of Claire's operating room. Blood, sweat, horse shit. The whole nine yards, really. Because back there, she was happy. She belonged with the Fraser clan, she belonged with Ian.

Her hands trembled at the thought of what she would be walking into. It had been over half a year now that she had been gone. Had he moved on? Had he gotten hurt, or worse - killed? Quickly shaking her head free from those wicked thoughts, Beth tried to remind herself that no matter what she did not belong here. There was a reason the stones called out to her in the first place.

Her place was on Fraser's Ridge. Her place was in the 1700s. A simpler time, yes, but one where she was loved and cherished by those around her.

"Ocracoke Island!"

The bus drive called out for the stop Beth needed, pulling her from her thoughts as she quickly grabbed her bag and walked down the aisle. Silently cursing the current weather, Beth pulled her curled tresses back into a messy bun as she made her way through the teeming rain.

She had not been back here since her initial return but her body remembered where to go. Her mind was not racked with the wonder of which direction to head off in. She knew. She just knew. Though the bag was not packed tightly, it was beginning to feel heavy on her back as she walked with purpose through the trees. Her insides were alive, veins and arteries pumping her blood flow rapidly, buzzing and pulsing against her skin as she got closer.

Her hand slipped into her pocket, feeling the jewel and ensuring it's safety before she let out a deep sigh. She knew she shouldn't feel nervous about going back, but she did. She understood that much can change in six months, especially back on Fraser's Ridge. She glanced around, the only sound she could hear was the rain tapping gently on her head and the surrounding greenery.

There was not a single soul in sight as she stepped through the bushes, the stones finally in her view. The buzzing in her ears was low but present. Warmth spread throughout her chest as she quickly made haste to set her bag down and change into the dress she had brought with her. To lower the risk of bringing things that did not belong in the past, she tossed the bag into the bushes behind her. The jewel she had been given was clutched tightly between her palm and fingers, a fist pressing against her chest. She could feel the blood pumping through her heart, the beats rapidly pushing the organ against her ribcage.

With each step closer to the stones, the buzzing became louder. It was almost overwhelming, causing her to forcefully cringe with her eyes tightly shut. Her back curved forward and her head hung between her shoulders as she tried to calm her nerves. Her hands fell to her sides as she stood up tall, her eyes opening slowly and readjusting to her surroundings once more.

At the prospect of seeing Ian again, the nerves became alive beneath her fingertips. A tingling sensation ran all the way up to the base of her skull as she continued along the short path towards the stones. The buzzing became incessantly louder with each step and Beth could only smile.

With outstretched hands Beth reached for the stones. All that kept her from being pulled in through time and space was a millimeter of space. That was it. Barely nothing. If she shifted her shoulder forward she could probably scrape her fingernail against the rock. She stood still, taking in the vibration in her ears before she closed her eyes and smiled.

She was finally going home.