My eyes snapped open then, and a gasp escaped my lips, filling my lungs with much-needed air as I looked up at the canopy of trees around me. They were still lush and green, and the scent that clung to the air was very much the same, although it was cleaner, somehow. Once my head began to stop spinning, I slowly pushed myself upwards, and took careful mental notes of my surroundings, but, suddenly, my head spun again, and I was wretchedly sick upon the ground beside me, causing a great amount of tremors within my body. I wrapped my arms around myself and just breathed some of the clean air for several moments, doing my best to wait for the lingering-on nausea to pass.

Once I realized the sickness had passed, I realized that I was still upon Ocracoke Island, but, when I turned around, I saw that John was nowhere to be seen, and I knew then that he had left me in truth, and as I dragged myself towards bodily the accursed stone. I felt all the emotions I'd been feeling for the past several weeks, months, and years up until that point bubble to the surface, and I felt an almighty, animalistic scream rip forth from my lips, as all the anguish I could feel within my body came crashing out, more tears making my vision go fuzzy as I gripped tightly onto the ground, cursing the stone before me with each moment I screamed at it.

Knowing that I could hardly remain in these woods for the rest of my life, I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled slightly, catching myself on another stone before I could go tumbling downwards upon the forest floor again. I was trembling, leading me to the direct conclusion that I had been out for some time, due to my legs refusing to cooperate immediately. Thankfully, my bag, always filled with my most prized possessions, was still hanging off my body, and I opened it, taking inventory to be sure that I'd not been robbed whilst passed out like an invalid.

The first-edition copy of The Tailor of Gloucester still lurked within its depths which I always read to Alexa and Ruthie whenever I was over at their house, alongside my brush, pocket mirror, compass, a small bag of corn nuts, my wallet (which was filled with cash, identification, and credit card that I had not been permitted to apply for until John and I married, and some photographs of everyone who mattered to me), my bottle of water, a book of matches, and my guide to native plants of Ocracoke Island.

I sighed, feeling a sense of relief as I folded up my bag and returned it to its swinging position, and my hand drew upwards to clutch at my necklace, but found that my neck was bare, and, quite suddenly, the world tilted on its axis. I felt the sensation of the cool wind picking up and felt it along every surface of my neck and collar bone, deliberately not thinking of how wonderful John's lips felt upon it. Shaking my head in an effort to clear it, I looked upon the forest floor for a glint of my necklace, and my heart ached when I didn't see it there.

Trembling, I hurried as fast as my legs would carry me towards the grove of trees, hoping to find my way back to the main road if I just kept going. However, as I ran through them and onto the path, I noticed how much rougher it appeared to be, and didn't look like many people had walked upon it. Shaking my head yet again, and coming to the conclusion that I just had to be seeing things, I kept on walking, finally finding the trees that seemed to lead to the entrance onto the road itself. However, as I stepped through the partition of trees, heart in my throat, I gasped aloud then, as they was nothing but more forest greeting me.

I stumbled backwards, shaking my head; this was completely and utterly impossible, and yet, I knew it wasn't, given that John himself had found himself in the same predicament a year ago. I found myself shaking, knowing instinctively what I had to do—I would have to navigate my way through potentially treacherous terrain, and find my way to Fraser's Ridge. There, armed with my photos, matches, identification, and the dates upon my money, I would likely be able to convince Jamie and Claire of my true identity. If I didn't, I would be unsafe and vulnerable to even more dangers a single woman could face in the 1700s, and I knew I couldn't possibly let that happen to me, no matter where I stood with John.

Taking out my compass, and remembering what John had told me about the location of the Fraser home, I set out upon my journey, unknowing what it would bring, but also knowing that my life depended upon its outcome.

~*~

Exhaustion was what I felt, due to living off the land for at least two weeks, and I was dehydrated and completely famished. Pushing such thoughts from my mind, as well as the notion that I must look a fright from hiding from everyone I'd noticed these last few days, I ignored the blisters upon my feet and finally got onto the Frasers' land. I knew it was theirs, based upon the plans that John had seen, which had been drawn of their homestead, but now the large building, the big house, was completed, and there seemed to be a flurry of activity going on, even in the gradually setting sun.

I stumbled forward; my stockings were torn, my blouse was stained, my skirts were filled with mud, my shoes were threatening to break away from my feet entirely, and my rain jacket was a sorry sight indeed. Pushing forward and doing my best to remain inconspicuous, I all but ran towards the staircase that led up to the big house and pounded on the door with what remained of my strength. As it came open at my touch, I took in Jamie Fraser for the first time, and I gasped aloud, finally putting a face to the name.

"Claire!" Jamie called out, looking shocked at my sudden appearance, and his blue eyes were filled with undisguised worry.

Claire's quick footsteps sounded from somewhere deeper in the house, and when she came upon me, she gasped aloud. "That's a raincoat," she whispered, and Jamie turned and looked at her. "It is an article of clothing designed to keep the wearer dry from the rain... They won't be invented until the eighteen-twenties," she said, and her eyes locked with mine.

"She's right," I whispered, positively trembling at the sensation of hearing them both speak for the first time. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master and Madam Fraser..."

"Jamie, for God's sake," Claire said, stepping forward and putting an arm around my shoulders, pulling me inside after her, and I stumbled to keep up with her, my feet in tremendous pain from running for hours at a time. "Why didn't you let the poor girl in?"

"I'm hardly a girl," I said, a nervous laugh escaping me. "I'm due to turn twenty-nine next month, so I am hardly—"

"Still a wee lass," Jamie said gruffly, following us, until we appeared in what John had called Claire's surgery.

"Well... He certainly said you had big plans for this place," I whispered, permitting Claire to take off my raincoat and proceeded to wrap my arms around myself.

Jamie crossed over into my line of vision. "Who are ye speaking of, lass?"

"John, of course," I replied, blinking, and Claire came towards me, looking me over, and I almost immediately shrank back from her automatically.

Claire held up her hands. "I'm so sorry, dear. Am I permitted to examine you? I am a healer, so I will be able to deduce what is the matter with you..."

I shook my head. "No, of course. I apologize. John told me you were a healer. You may, of course, examine me." I hesitated for a moment. "I'm sure you've realized by now that John's not been...around," I said, biting my lip.

Claire stared at me then, and I turned to face her again as she gazed upon me. "There are only two possibilities for you knowing John. One, he came to you, or two..."

"Ye came to him," Jamie said, catching my attention once more. "Which is it, lass?"

"He came to me," I replied, finding that I was shaking, due to the interrogation. "But, when he wanted to go back, well, I..." I lowered my eyes, feeling my shoulders shaking as my eyes filled with tears, remembering John turning away from me, and I began to sob. "I didn't want him to go, to leave me..." I reached up my hands and put them over my face, uncaring of the dirt upon my palms and beneath my fingernails, as I finally permitted myself to cry.

"That's... That is beautiful," Claire whispered, and I slowly looked up, and she took a gentle hold of my hand and was looking at my engagement ring, which, thankfully, had not been lost. "How was it that you got here...?"

"Alexandra," I whispered, uncaring of the tears falling freely. "Alexandra Grey." I hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "I came through the stones."

Claire's eyebrows raised then, and she peered at me closely. "In Scotland?"

"No, I've never been there," I replied, shaking my head, at her, and wondered, for the first time, just how many time portals existed, and fully realized, for the first time, that there could have been more than one. "On Ocracoke Island, about two weeks away from here. It is between here and Upstate New York."

Claire blinked, and took another look at my ring. "How you were able to travel through the stones and still retain this..."

"It took my necklace," I whispered, and her eyes snapped up to mine. "John gave me an emerald necklace on Christmas Day, the day after we were married... I've never taken it off, but it seems as if it has been lost to me for good."

Claire shook her head. "It is truly amazing that there is yet another traveler..."

"How do we ken this, Sassenach?" Jamie asked, striding forward. "Perhaps this lass is a witch who wishes to bewitch us..."

I yanked my hands from Claire's and dove into my bag, producing my wallet, and ripped it open, finding a shot of John and I on our wedding day, and shoved it at Jamie. "I wouldn't lie, not about this," I declared.

Jamie slowly took the photograph, and his eyes widened, before he showed it to Claire, who took it tentatively, and gasped aloud. "Perhaps ye're no' a liar, but—"

"Jamie," Claire breathed, interrupting him, "the photo is genuine."

"I was born on the twenty-first of May, in 1940," I began, once we had relegated to the living room, and Jamie listened to me speak, while Claire continued to examine me. "I was born during the Second World War, which I'm positive that Claire has told you about... Oh, pardon me," I said, and turned towards Claire. "Would you prefer Dr. Fraser or Madam Fraser?"

Claire smiled openly at me. "You must call me 'Claire', of course."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said, before turning to face Jamie again. "I was born in Poland, although I was originally told that I was born in England, to shield me from the bad acts and atrocities that Raymond and Erica, my biological parents, committed."

"What did they do, lass?" Jamie asked.

I sighed, my shoulders falling. "Well, they were supporters of Adolf Hitler," I said, spitting the name, and Claire hissed from beside me. "Granted, I was only a child, but even I knew what they were doing was wrong. They served as guards at Auschwitz, which was where I was born, and they tried their best to convince me that what they were doing was right. It was when my younger brother, Toby, was born that they felt that the Third Reich was failing, and so they sent us to England, to live under the guardianship of my father's older brother and his wife, who had two sons of their own. Toby's and my aunt and uncle adopted us, and they have been the only parents that Toby and I have ever known. Thankfully, Toby doesn't remember any of this, and none of us have told him."

"Aye, I ken why ye would no'," Jamie responded, his eyes filled with devastation, while Claire's brimmed with sympathy at my plight.

"And, if you don't mind telling us, how did you and John come to be...married?" she asked, just managing to get the word out.

I turned to Claire slowly and gave her a small smile. "Yes, I know about John's...inclinations," I said, wanting to appear sympathetic for Jamie's sake. "However, he informed me that it would not be an issue for him to be married to me. In fact, I was the one who attempted to talk him out of it, to be honest."

"Why? He wasnae good enough for ye?" Jamie demanded.

Claire's attention snapped onto her husband. "Jamie, for God's sake," she reprimanded him, and I was pleased to have someone fierce like Claire Fraser protecting me.

"That wasn't it at all," I replied, doing my best not to get agitated with him. "He proposed to me as a favor, because my boss, Headmaster Radclyffe, found out about my past. My boss had evidence in the form of photographs of my parents' wrongdoing, as well as their executions. It was very emotional for me to see those again, as I had them buried and locked away inside me long ago. I suppose I was hopeful that no one would ever discover this dirty little secret about me, and yet, it did come to pass."

"So, John marrit ye as a favor?" Jamie wanted to know.

I laughed, bitter tears coming out of my eyes. "It would appear that way, yes, considering that he attempted to return here without so much as a 'by your leave'." I sighed, trembling as a mixture of emotions flooded through me. "I understand why he had to go... He told me about William," I explained, and I could see the tensing of both Jamie and Claire at my directly naming Jamie's illegitimate son, who was now, I supposed, my stepson. "However, I didn't appreciate him stealing away in the night like a thief. I... I thought I mattered more to him, but I can see now that apparently, I did not."

"You followed him to the stones, then?" Claire asked, and got onto her knees and lifted my skirts, directly causing Jamie to look away in embarrassment. "Oh, dear. It appears as though you've some cuts on your legs..."

"I trust you," I assured Claire, and she nodded, crossing back over to the surgery to get the correct implements. "And yes, I followed John to the stones. My home is a good two hours away from there, but I knew where he had gone when I woke up and he was no longer beside me in our bed. I knew I had to go after him, to at least try to persuade him not to go back, but when he claimed his decision was final, I went closer, in an effort to speak to him further, but then I tripped and fell through, and here I am..."

"Here ye are," Jamie said, nodding to himself.

Claire grimaced as she got a good look at my wounds. "I would like you to have a bath, if that is all right with you, Lady Grey..."

I flushed, lowering my eyes. "There's no need to call me that," I said quietly, and grimaced slightly before I went on, "because Alexandra is just fine."

Claire blinked, before she nodded her head. "Jamie, have Mrs. Bug bring up some hot water, and summon Bree, would you?"

Jamie nodded his head before he quit the room, and I turned to regard Claire.

"Bree?" I asked, confused.

"Jamie's and my daughter, Brianna," Claire explained, and I nodded. "She's about eight years younger than you, but I think the pair of you will get along amazingly."

I smiled a little at that. "John mentioned her. He said he was quite impressed with her, and that she was the perfect blend of both you and Jamie."

Claire smiled, and she put out her hand, and helped me to my feet, looking me over. "So, it was 1969 when you left, then?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, it was."

Claire nodded. "So, let's see if I have this right... You were born in Poland, then brought to England, and somehow matriculated to America when you got older?"

"I was around five or so when we moved to the States," I replied, and Claire nodded her head. "I was raised in North Carolina, so imagine my surprise when the etchings in some of my books of the time period are actually close, if not perfectly, correct." I looked around the living room and hummed to myself. "Your home is beautiful, Claire."

Claire smiled. "Thank you," she replied. "So, you're in the history field, then?"

I nodded, turning back to face Claire. "Yes, I'm a professor, actually," I responded, "at a private high school in North Carolina. I teach American History, and hold a dual Bachelor's Degree in Education and History."

"Where did you get your degree from?"

"Duke University," I responded, smiling to myself, knowing that it was considered appropriate to be proud of my achievements in front of Claire. "I was teaching, and had my own home, and then John quite literally stumbled into my path during a family hike on the island."

Claire blinked. "Family hike?"

"My brother, Toby, his wife, Layla, and their two daughters, Alexa and Ruthie, were there with me on that day," I explained as Claire nodded her head. "Other than my parents, two older brothers and their wives, as well as their children, I had no other family to speak of. No prospects, I believe is the correct term for this day and age, for I myself had not dated since college. And then, as previously stated, I found John, and helped him come to terms with the twentieth century. He actually liked chocolate pudding, and asked for it repeatedly," I said, and Claire and I shared a laugh.

A door opened not too far away, and a voice called, "Mama?" and, as I turned around, I saw a woman who was around my height and an impressive mane of red hair step into the room, a small child in her arms, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of me. "That's a raincoat, isn't it?" she asked, nodding to it, from where it lay upon the back of the couch.

"Correct. And you must be Brianna," I replied, smiling at her, and slowly stepped towards her, offering my hand. "Alexandra Grey; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet... Wait. Grey?" Brianna asked, her eyes widening as she moved the baby to her other arm, and took my hand to shake it. "As in, Lord John Grey?"

I smiled a little then, although it was a faltering one at best. "John is my husband," I informed her, and Brianna looked shocked.

"It's a long story," Claire said, coming up behind me, "but I promise, Alexandra and I will explain it all later." She motioned a bit for Brianna, and Brianna, taking the hint, moved around the child she held, so as it was looking up at me. "And this is my son, Jeremiah; we all of us call him Jemmy."

"Hello," I cooed to the little one, whose eyes widened, and he held out his arms for me. "Oh, I, um..." I said, awkwardly, looking up at Brianna cautiously; Brianna, for her part, shrugged and handed her son over to me with little to no protest. I situated him carefully, all underneath Claire and Brianna's watchful eyes, and Brianna quickly smiled at me. "My three brothers all have children of their own," I explained, and Brianna visibly relaxed at my words, pleased that I had experience with children.

"And do you think you and John will add to your family?" Brianna asked with a smile. "My husband, Roger, thought very highly of him when he visited River Run, my aunt's estate, over the Easter holidays. Of course, after he left, we didn't hear from him..." Brianna hesitated for a moment, and looked me up and down again. "He was with you, then?"

I nodded at her. "Yes. In 1969, as a matter of fact," I say quietly, looking down at Jemmy; he really was a beautiful child, and I gasped aloud as he lay his little head down within the crook of my neck, and I pressed a kiss onto his forehead. "As for a family...no. It... Our marriage, it wasn't like that..."

"Alexandra's boss found out about something devastating from her past," Claire explained from behind me, and Brianna, although looking concerned, nodded her head. "It was something that was not her fault, although it wasn't seen that way. Lord John agreed to marry Alexandra, so as to avoid scandal for her. She followed him to the stone circle—there is another one here, apparently—and begged him to remain there with her."

"However, John refused, but I pushed him out of the way, and I ended up going through instead of him," I said at last, doing my best to keep a good grip upon Jemmy.

"After your bath, I will give you a thorough examination," Claire said, wanting to keep the conversation going without me being uncomfortable. "Alexandra, I must ask, however... After you and Lord John married, did you...?"

"Mama!" Brianna cried out, startling Jemmy, who cried, and she immediately reached out to take him from me, fixing her mother with a glare. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because I am a healer," Claire replied patiently. "Now, Alexandra..."

"Yes," I said promptly, doing my best not to be uncomfortable. "Of course we did. We were married, after all..."

Claire sighed. "And, have you been feeling well?"

"I'm on the pill," I said quickly, shaking my head. "There's no reason for me to think..." Then, as I considered it, I felt myself growing pale, and I shook my head, adding up the days in my mind, before I whispered, "That's impossible... I can't..."

"It's all right," Claire assured me, as a door opened at the other end of the house, and heavy footsteps came closer.

"Brianna?" called a voice, and my skin prickled in recognition at the voice as a man with dark brown hair stepped into the room. "Och, there ye are. I was wondering where ye..." The man stopped walking and stared at me, eyes wide. "Och. Company, then?"

"Yes," Brianna replied, motioning him closer into our circle. "Alexandra, this is my husband Roger MacKenzie. Roger, this is Alexandra Grey, Lord John's wife."

I gaped at the sight of the man before me, shaking my head. "Roger MacKenzie," I whispered, a smile encroaching upon my lips as I offered him my hand, "is your true name. Reverend Wakefield gave you his name when he adopted you."

Roger stared at me, eyes wide. "Alexandra Hathaway?" he whispered, shocked, and Brianna and Claire looked back and forth between us.

"You two know one another?" Claire asked.

"You never mentioned her," Brianna put in.

I immediately shook my head. "No, just on the telephone," I said quickly, and the both of them looked at me again. "My college roommate, Rowena Davenport, was a colleague of Roger's. She was a barrister," I explained. "John was looking for information on William, and—"

"How do ye know John?" Roger wanted to know, looking shocked. "It was he who wanted the information about the Earl of Ellesmere?"

I nodded. "It was," I confirmed. "And I know John because he was with me. I'm married to him, actually," I said, lifting my hand upwards to show Roger my engagement and wedding ring. "He was concerned about what had befallen William, given that it was 1968 when he arrived, and he had no idea what kind of life his son had lived."

Roger nodded in understanding. "And now, ye're here with us. Ye can come through the stones as well, then?"

I gave him a small smile. "Yes. And this was, apparently, the vacation you were going on. Of course, that was a mere three months ago for me."

"How time works," Roger said, clearly enthralled.

Brianna handed Jemmy over to his father, who promptly took him into his arms. "Well, I certainly can't wait to get to know you better. But, Roger, I think it's time for Jemmy to go down for the evening."

Roger hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless nodded his head. "Aye, o'course. I look forward to speaking to ye further later on, Lady Grey."

"Alexandra, please," I urged him. "Speak to you later, Roger. Goodnight, Jemmy," I said, waving to the small boy, who waved back over his father's shoulder as Roger escorted him outside and towards their adjoining cabin.

Claire looked over at Brianna, who nodded.

"I'll go and see how Mrs. Bug is doing in preparing your bath, Alexandra," she said, and left the room with a quick smile my way.

"So," Claire said, breaking the silence that followed, "you are on the contraceptive pill."

I sighed, feeling a bit more at ease with her. "Yes," I responded.

Claire eased me back into a comfortable-looking chair beside the fireplace, although it was not lit, due to the warmth of the spring. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that even the contraceptive pill is not one-hundred-percent effective when it comes to a method of birth control." She hesitated for a moment, as if she truly didn't seek to offend me, and that she was merely asking me questions as pertained to her career as a healer. "Did you and Lord John use any back-up methods of birth control?"

I sighed, my shoulders falling down again as I shook my head. "No," I replied. "My... My father, the one who adopted me... He and my oldest brother, Isaac, are doctors. Well, Daddy is retired now, and so is Mama—she's a nurse," I added, and Claire nodded her head. "And, though I didn't decide to become a member of the medical field, Mama always made sure that we knew first aid, CPR, and other things like that, but..."

Claire nodded at me encouragingly, pulling a stool closer and sitting opposite me. "It is all right, Alexandra. I am a healer, and I am in no place to judge you, don't worry."

I bit down hard on my lower lip. "My...my cycles," I clarified, whispering the word, and Claire nodded, seemingly understanding my embarrassment, "they never came. I mean, they would come, I've had them, but they were sporadic at best. And then, when I got on the pill, they came regularly, of course, but I never considered pregnancy, because I wasn't seeing anyone, and until my wedding night with John, I hadn't..."

Claire gave me a small smile. "You were a virgin," she said quietly.

I nodded at her. "Yes. I had a boyfriend while at Duke, but it never felt completely right with him, in that regard. I was raised Catholic, and so when he wanted to, I informed him that I could only give myself to my husband. He quickly found someone else, married her, and they had four children together. I was hurt, granted, but I wasn't as overwhelmingly heartbroken as everyone thought I should be, until John wanted to leave..."

Claire reached out and took my hand. "You're in love with your husband."

I sobbed aloud then, and was very surprised when Claire leaned forward and put her arms around me, and I reciprocated, sobbing into her shoulder. "Yes," I whispered, my voice completely broken as I told her all. "I love him. I'm in love with him. I love him more than anything, and the thought of losing him was as if I was cutting out my heart and watching him eat it..."

"Did you convert for him before you were married?" Claire wanted to know.

"Yes," I responded, gently easing backwards, and Claire took the hint and let me go. "It didn't matter to me, not really. I thought the faith was beautiful, and I had no issue in tying myself irrevocably to him. I never anticipated falling in love with him, so it didn't matter to me that he didn't love me back. But when I realized I did love him, I went after him, knowing that I never wanted to be without him. I tried to make him understand, but now I feel he must hate me, for taking away his chance to get back here, to William, and to get as far away from me as he possibly can..."

"William is in London, going to school," Claire informed me gently, "and Lord John has a home in Virigina."

I nodded. "I knew about William being in London at school, but not about John's home in Virginia," I told her, wrapping my arms around myself. "If he does come back, I will give him an annulment or whatever he wishes," I whispered. "I will return to my own time, and he need not ever see me again..."

Claire looked positively devasted for me. "But what about what you want, Alexandra?"

I shook my head at her. "It doesn't matter."

"It might," Claire said softly. She squeezed my hands and got to her feet, before going into the surgery and coming back, a jar clasped in her hands. "What I am going to ask you may seem strange to you, Alexandra, but I want you to keep an open mind, all right?"

I laughed aloud then. "Claire, not to cause offense, but I literally just traveled back two hundred years from a group of stones two weeks ago. Trust me, nothing you do or say, or even ask me to do, will be strange to me."

Claire actually smiled at me then. "Well, I presume you're right," she said, crossing back over to me and handing me the jar. "There is a privy around the side of the surgery. I want you to go in there and produce a urine sample for me."

I blinked. "A urine sample?" I demanded, regarding the jar in my hands from every angle I possibly could. "In this?" I asked.

Claire smirked. "No, in the palms of your hands. Of course in the jar!" she cried out, positively laughing at my words.

I found myself smiling up at her slightly. "All right. If it will give you peace of mind," I said, and followed her directions, stepping out of the surgery door and meandering towards the privy.

I knocked at the door and, finding it empty, stepped inside, grimacing at the scent that awaited me, but also knowing that I had to listen to Claire. I shut the door behind me and hiked up my skirts, noticing that Claire had taken off my torn stockings for the first time. Dropping down onto the toilet, I did my best to place the jar in between my legs and did as Claire told me, whilst somehow managing to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose. It was interesting, doing one's business in a makeshift toilet when the last couple of weeks had been in various parts of the woods, but resolved that this was much better. Once I'd gotten the jar full, I cleaned myself off as best I could with the cloth provided, and left the privy, relieved that Claire was waiting for me with a cake of soap and water.

"Trade you," she said.

I nodded, setting down the jar and taking the soap and water on offer, while Claire used an ancient-looking serialization cloth to clean the outside of the jar, and examined it, nodding to herself as I washed my hands. "Is everything all right?" I asked her.

"Well, the color is darker than I would like," she began, "but, you were wandering about in the woods for two weeks, so dehydration can be expected."

"I had a water bottle with me," I said quietly, and Claire looked over at me. "I tried to keep it filled as much as I could, but some of the water sources appeared...questionable."

"Yes, I suppose that could be the case," Claire said, smiling at me, before she lowered down the jar and stared at me. "But, Alexandra, my suspicions were correct."

I blinked, something appearing to shift from inside me at my words, and I instantly shook my head at her. "Well, you're wrong," I said quickly, knowing entirely well what she was getting at as I attempted to speak clearly. "I... I have just told you that I don't exactly have the most dependable menstrual cycles, and furthermore—!" I cut myself off immediately then, going as red in the face as Jamie did, who stood just behind Claire, before he turned around and high-tailed it out of there. "Sorry," I said awkwardly, but Claire laughed aloud.

"Don't be," she assured me.

"Well," I said huffing slightly as I crossed my arms and leaned back against the counter, "as previously stated, due to the irregularity of my...moon," I said, grimacing at the term, "I have accepted the fact that I cannot have children."

Claire sighed, reaching out and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "Urine doesn't lie, my girl, and it cannot lie to me, as someone with such a trained eye," she said, and I blinked, her mannerisms and words so reminiscent of my own mother. "You're pregnant."

I gaped at her, doing my best impression of a Linophryne coronata, the fish with the largest mouth known to man. "That... That can't be true," I whispered.

"You can go through pregnant," Claire informed me, directly mentioning the stones. "I went through with Brianna long ago..."

"I know," I whispered, and Claire blinked. "It wasn't just the raincoat comment, or the fact that John told me repeatedly how much you knew in the medical field. There was something about you, from the moment I first saw you, that was just instinctual in telling me that we had something deeper in common..."

Claire gave me a small smile. "Yes, I believe you're right," she replied, but nevertheless reached out and took my by the hand. "That still doesn't change my analysis, Alexandra. When was the last menstrual cycle you had?"

"December the seventeenth," I replied.

"And when did you and Lord John marry?"

I felt myself trembling as I lowered my eyes. "A week later."

Claire gave me a small smile. "And did you go off the pill at any point?"

I shook my head, but knew that I had been off it for two weeks, as I had left them behind in John's and my shared bedroom. "No," I said softly.

Claire nodded. "Have you felt nauseous at all, then?"

I sighed, feeling like a complete idiot. "Around certain foods, and periodically in the morning over the last several weeks, when I first wake up," I admitted.

"Headaches?" Claire wanted to know.

I nodded at her. "Yes, but in my line of work, they're not so abnormal."

Claire smiled at me then. "No, I imagine they aren't," she said, and lowered her voice. "Have you experienced any tenderness to your breasts?"

I swallowed, and finally permitted myself to nod. "A bit, yes. Kira, Mary, and Layla, my sisters-in-law, never really discussed pregnancy symptoms with me, only the whole morning sickness thing, cravings, and the swollen ankles. It wasn't really appropriate to discuss..."

Claire nodded again at me. "Of course," she said quietly. "Well, those symptoms, combined with the fact that you haven't had a cycle since before you married Lord John... Well, it leads me to believe that you are definitely pregnant, Alexandra."

"Then why am I not showing?" I asked, leaning back to get a good look at my stomach. "Is there something wrong with the baby, or with me?"

"I don't know," Claire admitted. "I would have to examine you in order to figure that out. Do you remember your biological mother being pregnant with Toby?"

I shook my head at her. "No. I try not to remember those days."

Claire nodded, reaching out and clasping my hand in a moment of motherly tenderness. "Of course," she said assuringly. "Well, from my reading in regards to pregnancy, it could be that your own mother didn't show until much later in her pregnancies. It could also be conceivable that, because this is your first child, that you won't show for another few weeks. Yet another option could be that the child is facing backwards, towards your back, and that it will need to flip in order to show itself, as it were."

I blinked. "I had never considered any of those reasons."

Claire squeezed my hand. "Well, if you would permit me to examine you a bit..."

I nodded. "Yes," I told her, "please."

"The bath can wait," she decided, pulling me back up from my leaning position upon the counter and guiding me towards her surgical table. "Up onto the table, if you please."

I sprang to obey, sitting upon its cushioned surface, and watched as Claire brought out a stethoscope, and smiled at the familiarity of the tool. "Reminds me of my father," I explained, and Claire smiled at me.

"It was very selfless of him and his wife to take you and Toby in," she said.

"Nathaniel and Dorothea," I told her, and Claire nodded.

"Both lovely names," Claire declared, before she inserted the earpieces of the stethoscope into their proper place and took ahold of the bell, placing it onto my stomach and listening, and she didn't even need to tell me to be quiet. After a moment of running the bell along, a small smile came onto her lips and she took out the earpieces. "A very strong heartbeat," she assured me, and my jaw dropped at that.

My hands automatically flew to my belly. "Really?" I whispered.

Claire nodded, putting the earpieces in my own ears and handing over the bell. "Just here," she said, directing my grip upon the bell, and I gasped, the heartbeat of my child, my child and John's, beat steadily in my ears.

"Oh, my goodness," I whispered, the tears springing back into my eyes as I heard the most beautiful sound in the world. I looked up at Claire and whispered, "It's really real. I'm really going to have a baby."

Claire nodded at me. "It is indeed real, Alexandra."

I smiled, nodding as Claire asked if I was finished, and I was vaguely aware of her puttering about the surgery and leaving, to, I presumed, check on the status of my bath. "Hi, baby," I whispered to my stomach, and there was a small flutter from within it, and I gasped. "Oh, my darling, you're really in there aren't you?" Another flutter moved against my hand, and even more tears fell from my eyes. "I love you so much," I whispered, my voice positively trembling with emotion. "I will love you forever, and do whatever I can do to protect you. I know that your father would want to be here, to know about you, but he cannot be, not yet. Perhaps, one day, we will all be together," I said, my voice finally breaking, as I covered my face and sobbed, holding my belly with my other hand, unknowing what I was to do in this strange world.