April 8, 1960

It was never a good idea that you were summoned to an academic advisor's office, nearly two years into your degree, when you haven't decided on the particulars of your major yet. The small note had arrived in my dormitory, and Rowena offered to go with me, but I told her it would be better if I went on my own. Rowena was pretty much my only friend, given that Isaac and Sebastian were just back from Vietnam and attempting to get back to normal, alongside their wives, Kira and Mary, who had married them before they left, and Toby was spending way too many weekends out in Los Angeles with who was sure to be his latest fling. I could have spoken to my parents more, but Daddy was double-booked at the hospital night and day, and Mama was socializing more than ever, as she now only worked half the time.

Sure, Isaac and Kira had me over for dinner now and again, and I was getting along very well with three-year-old Prescott and newborn Gregory, but it just didn't feel as if any of us were completely at ease yet. Sebastian was married to Mary, and they had a daughter, two-year-old Minnie, and a son, Bernard, who was six-months-old. I was just never as close to Isaac and Sebastian as I was to Toby, for likely reasons, and, by the same token, it extended to both Kira and Mary. I had nothing in common with any of them, not really, given that our political stances were so different, Isaac and Kira worked in the medical field, and Sebastian was in the final year of getting his degree to become a lawyer.

"You look fine," Rowena encouraged me from across the room, grinning; her plans that Friday were to actually fly home for the week, as spring vacation had officially begun, and she would be departing for London in the next hour or so, to meet her fiancé, Desmond Thomson, who seemed like a decent-enough person.

I grimaced at that; I just had to attend this final meeting before I drove home for the night, which, thankfully, would take less than an hour, if my 1957 Ford Thunderbird would actually cooperate. It was painted a shade of pale pink, which was not, I firmly decided, a serious color, now that I was no longer a seventeen-year-old girl getting her first car with Daddy's money, but I never complained about it to anyone, save for Toby, Rowena, and myself.

"Stop thinking about your car," Rowena scolded me lightly, crossing the room and turning me back to face the mirror, and adjusted my skirt.

I sighed, staring at myself in the mirror. "At least it's a dress my mother would approve of," I told her, looking at the tartan fabric.

"I thought your mother was British," Rowena said, catching my eyes in the mirror.

"Right, yeah, she is," I told her. "But, you remember that I was adopted by my aunt and uncle, right, after my parents were killed in World War Two?"

Rowena sighed, looking incredibly guilty. "Right, of course, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I know your uncle, who's your dad now, was your father's older brother, which means you're British on your father's side..."

"And Scottish on my mother's side," I told her patiently. I reached up and patted her hand where it lay upon her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it, really."

Rowena leaned down, resting her chin upon my shoulder for a moment. "Is Colin coming to Greensboro with you?" she asked.

I nodded, moving to gather up my gloves and purse; I really detested them both, but they went with my outfit, and my mother was very particular about that. "Yes, he is. Daddy and Mama are very excited to meet him..."

Rowena crossed her arms. "I don't like the way he treats you," she said softly. "He's too close to that Meredith Pendleton girl..."

"Their fathers are best friends and business partners, and they've known each other forever," I tell her, always quick to defend my boyfriend. "Besides, she's two years younger than he is, and is best friends with his younger sister, Barbara, who went to Meredith College. He's just looking out for her, really, Row. He thinks of her as his little sister. He's told me that."

Rowena appears torn, but she nevertheless decides to drop it. "All right," she said quietly. "It's your life, I suppose... Is he meeting you after the meeting, then?"

I nodded at her. "Yes. I'm meeting him in his dorm, which means I have to take my things with me to the meeting. I hope Professor Ibbott won't mind..."

"That man is a complete teddy bear," Rowena says with a smile. "I took all my history credits from him. I just can't see why you don't like him very much."

"It's not that I don't like him," I said quickly. "It's that I'm nineteen-years-old and I'm just supposed to pick something to do with the rest of my life."

"Honey, I'm twenty, and I already know what I want to do," Rowena said gently.

I sighed, crossing the room to pick up my matching jacket, and pick up my suitcase. "This is different, Row. I'm different. There's just something that I'm missing in life, and I don't know what in God's name it is, but I'm hoping I'll find out someday."

Rowena gently pulled me into her arms. "You'll find it, Alexandra. I know you will."

"Thank you," I whispered to her. "You're so patient with me."

Rowena and I said our goodbyes shortly thereafter, and I made my way across campus to the academic advisory building immediately thereafter, gripping tightly to my green suitcase in an effort to distract myself. Duke University's campus was beautiful, with its winding roads and castle-like architecture. Something about it made me think of home, but I just couldn't put my finger on why that was, given that I'd left Europe so long ago.

Professor Ibbott's office was on the third floor of the advisory building; I had heard that he had a doctorate, but preferred 'professor' as his title. So, he's a humble sort, I mused to myself as I stepped in to the main doors, and made my way to the proper floor. I walked down the hallway, and saw that the advisory buildings were done up alphabetically in order of subject, with the H's coming closer to the beginning than the end, just before the Humanities Department.

I arrived at Professor Ibbott's office door and knocked; my appointment was at three, and it was just ten minutes before. Hoping that I wasn't interrupting anything, I automatically stood back when the door opened, and looked up at the man. "Good afternoon, Professor Ibbott," I said to him, hoping that I didn't come off too awkward. "I'm here for my meeting."

"Ah, yes, Miss Hathaway. Please, come in," he said, pulling the door open wider, and permitting me to walk inside, and motioned to the chair opposite his desk, which was surprisingly comfortable-looking. "Just take a seat," he went on, shutting the door behind him and moved around his desk, pulling some paperwork towards him. "I have your transcripts here from your first quarter here at Duke, in September 1958. All of your grades have been excellent, the lowest being that of an A- in your algebra course. You should be very proud."

"My fiancé tutors me in math and science," I said awkwardly. "I never understood them very much, to be honest."

Professor Ibbott smiled; he had deep wrinkles, and his pale green eyes sparkled with genuine kindness whenever he smiled, and he had pure white hair combed expertly adopt his head. "My wife wasn't too good at those subjects either," he told me gently.

"Is that your wife?" I asked him, nodding at a black and white photograph on his desk, depicting a couple in the 1910s; it was clearly a wedding photo, and it was beautiful.

"That's me and Bertha on our wedding day," Professor Ibbott said, picking up the photograph and handing it over to me for a closer look. "We've been married forty-three years now, and we have six children, Jack, Alice, Frieda, Jeremy, Mary, and Lewis. That was taken just before I shipped out to Austria-Hungary to serve in World War One."

I looked up from the photograph and smiled. "Thank you for your service," I said automatically to him. "One of my sisters-in-law is named Mary," I went on, wondering if it was appropriate to congratulate him on the number of children he had. "I have two sisters-in-law, actually."

Professor Ibbott nodded. "Yes, your father is Dr. Nathaniel Hathaway who has been practicing out of Greensboro for fifteen years. Very impressive," he said with a smile. "And your mother is Dorothea Hathaway, who is a nurse, and has been working there fifteen years as well. Your brothers, Isaac and Sebastian, were honored with Purple Hearts by President Eisenhower, and they married Kira Donahue and Mary Gresham. You also have a younger brother, Tobias, who is an airline pilot for American Airlines. Oh, pardon me," the man said, smiling at my rather confused expression, "we have mutual friends in common. Charles Radclyffe and I attended Christ School together in our younger years. We were actually one of the first classes to ever attend," he went on, clearly pleased with himself.

I felt myself calming down considerably then. "Charles Radclyffe is one of my father's closest friends, and is like our uncle," I said, smiling at him.

"Such a shame, what happened to his boys in Vietnam," Professor Ibbott put in, shaking his head for a moment, and appeared as if he wanted to say more, but looked down at my transcripts again and sighed. "Why haven't you selected a major, Miss Hathaway?"

I cocked my head to one side. "But, technically speaking, I have. I'm getting a Bachelor's Degree in Education," I told him.

"Yes, but you need to be specific about which kind of educational degree you want," Professor Ibbott replied to me patiently.

I blinked. "Well, I suppose I never considered it before," I told him quietly.

Professor Ibbott leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers; the man was clearly deep in thought. "Do you want to know why I chose history?"

I raised my eyebrows; this should be interesting. "Yes, I would, thank you," I replied, adjusting myself in my borrowed chair.

"I always considered history to be filled with mysteries to solve," he said quietly. "Not many people know this, but I have a black ancestor."

My eyes widened at that. "Do you?" I whispered.

Professor Ibbott nodded. "Yes. My wife knows, of course, and so do my children, once they were old enough to understand. It was back in the 1770s, of course, so it wouldn't be prevalent in my genetic makeup, naturally..."

"Do you know which ancestor it was? Do you have a name?" I asked.

"All that was given is the name 'Sarah', because she was a slave," Professor Ibbott said gravely, and I immediately felt disgusted, due to the fact that I had always hated slavery. "But I do know that the father of her child was William Tryon, thirty-seventh Governor of New York."

I raised my eyebrows; even I had heard about Governor Tryon, due to his tenure as Governor of North Carolina before his appointment to New York by King George the Third. "Naturally, it was unlikely that it was a consensual relationship," I said softly, before I could stop myself, and immediately flushed. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No, you are correct, Miss Hathaway," Professor Ibbott informed me gently. "Slaves were bound to obey their master's every wish, and sometimes that included entering into an illicit liaison with them." He shook his head. "Terrible times back then. Terrible."

I nodded my head. "Terrible," I agreed softly. "So, Sarah had a mystery, then?"

"She was a mystery. Her and her son, William; naturally named for his father," Professor Ibbott continued. "Apparently, Sarah's mother, Mia Faye, was a cook to an English lord that Governor Tryon was acquainted with. His wife, wishing to keep Mia Faye in their service when they ultimately returned to England, offered to give anything to Governor Tryon, in exchange for handing over Sarah, baby William, and Sarah's father and Mia Faye's husband, Abraham. She was that willing to keep them safe."

"So, they were to be traded like cattle, then?" I asked.

Professor Ibbott shook his head. "No. Rumor had it that this English lord, Grey, told all his servants, once they were in his employ, that he had no desire to own them. He freed them, in secret, and his wife went along with it, likely because she was in agreement."

I kept on listening to Professor Ibbott, but he never told me just what this Lady Grey was willing to give Governor Tryon in exchange for Sarah, baby William, and Abraham. I left the office at the conclusion of our meeting, promising him that I would have an answer on my major by the time I returned from spring vacation. I made my way out of the academic advisory building, and back across campus to the boys' dormitories, mostly silent now, as many students were leaving campus for vacations or to return home.

I went directly to Colin's room and knocked at the door, but received no reply. Perplexed, I tried the handle and, finding it unlocked, stepped inside. "Colin?" I called out, setting my suitcase down and going further into the room.

Like mine and Rowena's dorm, it opened up directly to a small kitchenette, followed by a long hallway which boasted a bathroom, and led back directly into the bedroom, which was blocked by a second door for privacy. Stepping forward, I tried the doorknob, and it was then that I heard the squeaks of bedsprings, and sighs of delight coming from within, not to mention groans of satisfaction. I felt bile threatening to rise in my throat yet again, and threw the door open, gaping as I stood in the doorway, just staring for several moments.

"Oh, shit, Colin!" Meredith Pendleton screamed, throwing Colin off of her, and having the nerve to grab for the afghan on the floor, and yanked it around her body. She was staring at me, blue eyes wide, although I could sense the triumph within them.

"Lexi!" Colin screamed, and he appeared to be a combination of annoyed, disappointed, and slightly apologetic. "This isn't what it looks like."

I rolled my eyes, surprised that I wasn't crying. "Oh, it isn't?" I demanded.

"No!" Colin shouted. "Of course it isn't!"

"You know what?" I demanded of him. "I don't want to hear it." More than anything, I wanted to hit him, but I just couldn't get myself angry enough to do so. Instead, I crossed over to Meredith and yanked her arm away from the afghan, whereupon I shoved Colin's grandmother's ring into her hand, and moved away from her. "I never liked the ring anyway, much less the sentiment attached to it, so, clearly we are now on the same page. Have a nice life," I said, and rolled my eyes at him, before I spun on my heel.

"Lexi, wait!" Colin demanded, grabbing a pillow to cover himself, and ran after me.

Turning back around, I stuck out my hand, and he stopped running after me. "Look, I don't want to hear it. I believe I already said that," I told him firmly. "Now, Meredith has the ring she wanted, and you have a girlfriend who'll put out. I used to be sorry I wouldn't let you fuck me, Colin, but now, I'm relieved. I thought you would respect my decision to wait but, clearly, you didn't. So, goodbye," I said, and grabbed my suitcase.

"Do you honestly think you can do better than me?" Colin demanded, grabbing ahold of my arm and holding me there. "Do you honestly think anyone will want a sorry-ass virgin who refuses to go beyond heavy petting?"

I yanked myself out of his grip, before turning around and punching him squarely in the nose. "I think the right guy will," I told him pointedly, as he doubled over, groaning like a child who had just gotten his favorite toy taken away. "Now, don't ever touch me again, or I'll have Sebastian's friends come after you," I said pointedly, before I turned my back on Colin, and never looked in his direction again, although my hand did smart for the next day or so.

~*~

April 1773

I shoot bolt upright in my bed, immediately wondering why I am profusely rocking, and only then do I remember that the rocking is a necessity, due to the fact that I am on a ship bound for England with my husband and daughter. I turn to look to see if John is still there with me and he is, instantly stetting down the correspondence he had brought with him and he puts an arm around my shoulders, looking terribly concerned for my well-being. I turn and look over at him and do my best to breath and calm my nerves.

"Are you all right?" my husband asks me, looking me over. "Is it the child?"

"No," I tell him promptly, shaking my head at him. I lean into his side, and snuggle up beside him, pleased to draw comfort from him. "What time is it?"

John procures his pocket watch from the bedside table and looks at it. "Just before eight," he informs me, tangling his free hand in my hair as he sets the watch back down. "But you are feeling well, my darling?"

I nodded at him. "Yes, I think so," I replied. "I'm just pleased I had Mia Faye make some ginger biscuits for our journey," I mused, manhandling the tin on my side of the bed, and procuring two, offering one to John, who took it and nibbled at it.

"I thought I spotted Layla eating those flat squares with holes in them?" John asked, after he had chewed and swallowed the biscuit.

"Crackers," I informed John, "which will not be invented for another nineteen years, regrettably, but Johanna could use them, if she is still having children then..."

John reached downwards and gently caressed my belly. "Thoughts on whether or not this child is a boy or a girl?" he asked.

"Well, I can already sense that I'm carrying lower than I was with Johanna, and everyone says that it means it's a boy," I said quietly, looking up at John with a small smile. "Would you like to have another son?"

John leaned down and kissed me. "I merely want you and our child to be well."

I grinned up at him. "I have, however, been thinking of names," I said softly. "By all rights, you should assist in naming this child, because you..." I broke off and deliberately looked away, not wanting to cause an argument.

John gently turned my face back to face him. "It is all right. You are correct, I was not there when our beloved Johanna was born, but I am here now. So, my love," he went on, smiling down at me, "what names have you thought of, then?"

"Well, I was thinking of Leopold Nathaniel Gerard Grey," I said softly, and peeked up at my husband from underneath my eyelashes. "The hospital my father worked at was St. Leo's, but I always preferred Leopold to that. Nathaniel for my father, and Gerard for yours, if you've no objection to that, of course."

John smiled down at me. "No, of course I don't. And if it is a girl?"

"Henrietta Juliet Theodosia Grey," I said softly. "I have always liked the name Henrietta, and although I firmly believe the ending to Romeo and Juliet is problematic, I cannot deny delight of the name. As for Theodosia, she was a seventeen-year-old martyr who refused to reject Christianity and deliberately sought to be tortured and executed." My eyes filled with tears as I recalled the tale during the religious teachings I had been given as a child. "It is truly amazing how much devotion can run deep."

John grinned at me. "They do," he whispered. "I have no objections," he informed me, as he leaned down to kiss me.

We were on the ship for a little over a month, so it was May by the time we arrived in London, and a carriage arrived at the docks to collect us. John informed us that we would stay at Argus House, the Grey townhouse, and I agreed, knowing that I would need to meet Hal and Minnie pretty quickly. With Johanna situated on my lap, and John sitting directly beside me, we rode the carriage from Tilbury all the way to Hyde Park, and I found my nerves threatening to get the better of me.

"You will be all right," John whispered consolingly to me, as Johanna slept in my arms. "They will absolutely love you. Never fear."

I somehow managed to force a smile, and I leaned my head down on his shoulder, permitting him to wrap his arm around me, pulling me as close to him as possible. "When may we meet William, then?" I asked softly.

"William is coming for supper over the weekend," John told me gently. "I will meet him that afternoon in town for luncheon, and then bring him back with me."

I nodded. "I anticipate Aunt Jenny will want our information as to when we will come to Lallybroch," I put in. "I don't wish to rush you, but I can't leave her hanging." I peeked up at John, who appeared mystified at th expression. "I can't not inform her of our plans," I said quickly, and John quickly nodded at me.

"I wager we'll set out for Lallybroch in June," he went on. "I imagine it will take just over a fortnight, and close to three weeks to go there," he continued, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I will see to it that we travel there in safety. I will not have anything happening to my family," he informed me steadily, staring down at Johanna, an indulgent smile upon his face, as he moved his hand to cup at my steadily expanding belly.

"I am convinced that Hal is going to be some hideous monster, based on how you talk about him," I whispered, and John smirked.

"He will state his mind, and then Minnie will come in and inform him that he needs to remember to be polite," he told me firmly.

"So, you're saying that Minnie will like me, then?" I asked.

John nodded. "Minnie will adore you. She loved Isobel, to be sure, but she knew that, while we cared for one another, there was no love between us."

I turned my head to regard John, my eyes wide. "You told them you loved me?"

"I did not need to inform Minnie of it," John responded. "She already knew, and while I did not confirm or deny my love for you, she figured it out."

I engaged John in further small talk as we continued on our journey, and we just managed to make it to Angus House without tiring the horses. The house itself was lovely, and John rounded the carriage himself to help me down, with Johanna, now fully awake, looking around her in wonder, as my darling girl had not been in Europe before. "It's all right," I whispered to her as John put his arm around my waist. "We are at Papa's home now."

"Papa's home?" Johanna whispered back.

"The London townhouse of the Grey's, which is who we are," John informed our daughter, before he took her into his arms, and she willingly wrapped her arms around his neck. Taking me by the hand, John led us to the stately black door with golden numbers upon it, nodding to the footman, who opened it for us, and we stepped inside a beautiful foyer.

"Oh, my goodness," I whispered, looking around in awe.

"You are not going to stand there all day, cluttering up the entryway, are you?" came a brash and demanding voice, followed by a smacking sound.

"Hal, we discussed this," said a prim and proper voice, and, turning, I caught sight of my brother-in-law and his wife for the first time.

Harold Patricius Gerard Bleeker Grey, Earl of Melton, with hair the same shade as John's, although with quite a bit of silver streaked through it, huffed at his wife, rolling his pale blue eyes, who had soft brown hair and kind brown eyes. Nevertheless, he took his wife's arm and walked towards us, every inch the nobleman and firstborn son of a great house. "Welcome back to England, brother," he said, although his tone remained pompous.

"Thank you, brother," John returned, not permitting Hal to get a rise out of him. "May I present my wife, Alexandra?"

I curtsied to them both, and, as I rose up, noticed Hal looking at me rather skeptically, while Minnie was positively beaming. I said nothing, although I did return Minnie's smile, as I knew the both of them, as an earl and a countess, had to address me first.

"A pleasure, Alexandra," Hal said, after Minnie had trodden on his foot, and took a step forward, giving me a light kiss on my cheek, which I returned.

"A pleasure for me as well, my lord," I replied, nodding my head.

"Alexandra, darling," Minnie said, letting go of Hal's arm and rushing forward, throwing her arms around me, and, mercifully, John had dropped my hand before she did so.

Damned military reflexes...

"It is so wonderful to meet you at last," Minnie said, pulling back and clutching at my hands in a moment of pure delight. "Oh, you are just as John described you, only far more lovely! And oh, you are with child again!"

"Minnie, please," John begged her, and I flushed pink.

"Finally could get it up for a woman, eh, John?" Hal joked.

John stared at his older brother, stunned, while Minnie looked angry, and Johanna appeared to be most confused at her uncle's wording.

I looked over at Minnie, and inwardly smirked that she had given me permission to speak. "May I?" I asked her.

Minnie raised her eyebrows for a moment. "Certainly," she replied.

I turned to face Hal, whereupon I reached up and took him firmly by the ear and dragged him out of the room, him screaming all the way into the parlor just off the entryway.

"What in God's name do you think you're doing?" he bellowed at me. "I am the Earl of Melton, and you cannot—"

"Oh, I believe you'll find that I can," I said, twisting his ear ever so slightly; enough to hurt, but not inflict permanent damage, just a bit of bruising at the end of it. "Act like a child, my lord earl, and you will be treated like a child."

"I am nobility!" he sputtered.

"And that gives you the God-given right to insult your brother, humiliate me and your beloved wife, and make my daughter be subjected to your filth?" I hissed at him. "I don't think so."

"How do we even know the child is my brother's?" Hal spat. "You were away from him for a very long time—!"

I stiffened slightly then, fully prepared to say more, were it not for the familiar heavy footsteps from behind me, and I turned slightly then, seeing John. "Where is our daughter?" I asked, putting the emphasis on the two final words.

"Minnie has her," John assured me, and gently pried my fingers off from his brother's ear, who proceeded to whine further at the likely bruises he was currently facing. "Permit me to deal with my brother's indiscretion, and then we shall be on our way. Would you be willing to make our apologies to Minnie for me, my love?"

I nodded. "Of course, darling," I replied, giving Hal a final withering look, before I stepped out of the parlor and back into the entryway. "Have your servants brew your beloved husband some chamomile tea for the bruising upon his ear," I said, and Minnie nodded, clearly quite enjoying her time with Johanna, so I didn't relinquish her from her aunt right away. "I do apologize, but John and I will be leaving shortly."

Minnie gave me a small smile. "Yes, of course," she said softly. "I honestly do not understand what has come over Hal of late. I have sent a footman ahead of you to Jermyn Street, so that Benedicta will alert her household to welcome you, at John's request."

"I believe that would be for the best," I replied. "If it will not upset your husband, perhaps you and I could write one another, and see one another before John and I go to Scotland? Johanna has quite taken to you, and I know John and I wish for her to have anything and everything that it is our power to her..."

Minnie smiled more broadly at that, amid the shouting from the parlor. "I would absolutely love to see more of you, Alexandra," she informed me. "I cannot apologize enough for Hal's cutting remarks, and I will speak to him again. Anyone can see who this beautiful little girl's true papa is, so you needn't worry about a thing."

"Papa!" Johanna shouted, and, turning, I saw John exiting the parlor, and promptly taking Johanna from Minnie again.

"Forgive us, Minnie, please," John said. "Might we borrow your carriage? Our own horses from the port were exhausted."

Minnie smiled at him. "It should already be outside awaiting you," she said. "Your luggage has already been sent on ahead to Jermyn Street, so don't fret."

John took Minnie's hand and kissed it, before he whisked us away outside and into the Grey carriage, and we could vaguely hear Hall wailing at Minnie as the footman closed the door behind us, and the footman smirked. John and I did our best to hide our smiles as we got into the carriage, and Johanna snuggled into John's arms as the horses were brought to attention, and we were soon off down the cobblestone streets. John put his arm around my shoulders as the carriage took us away from Argus House, and pressed a kiss onto my temple.

"Too bad ice packs have not yet been invented," John observed softly.

"Hmmm?" I asked, turning to look at him, and saw that his hand was already swollen, and would likely bruise soon. "Oh, John. You didn't!" I whispered, pleased that Johanna was sitting on her own on the other side of the carriage, having scrambled down from John's lap, to look out the window as various buildings and shops passed us by.

John sighed. "I apologize, my love. In this day and age, I had to. I was defending your honor, as you are my wife, for it was called into question by Hal. That can never happen, Alexandra, for, if it did, it would be cause for immediate annulment, and I cannot permit that to happen."

I lowered my eyes. "You... You don't suspect that Johanna is anything but yours?" I whispered to him, my voice trembling.

"Of course not," John assured me quickly, tilting my chin up. "One look at her, and I knew she was mine. Just as you are, and just as this child is," my husband said, cupping my stomach again with a small smile. "I love you, Alexandra, and I will never permit anyone to insult your honor, for as long as I live."

I returned his smile and wrapped my arms around his neck. "And I shall never let anyone insult your inclinations, John, for as long as I live."

John leaned his head down and kissed me. "We are quite the pair, are we not?"

"A pair brought together by the hands of time," I said quietly, "and I would not change anything for the world."

"Neither would I," John said, and leaned down to kiss me again.

~*~

I was welcomed by Benedicta, John's mother, who insisted that I call her 'Mother', and I greatly accepted, given that she was so kind, caring, and considerate towards us. She immediately took to Johanna, praising our girl's intelligence, and wrote a sharply-worded letter to Hal, informing him that he was never to say anything about Johanna, or my unborn child, being fathered by anyone but John. John claimed more than once at the various springtime balls and other parties that Benedicta had planned, or had invited us to, that I was perfectly charming, and that the ladies of London society absolutely adored me by the end of our time there.

Meeting William was wonderful, and I awaited him and John, with Johanna, in the drawing room on the house on Jermyn Street on the scheduled day in question. I kept rising to my feet and rushing towards the great windows of the room, desperately wanting to catch a glimpse of each carriage that rolled by. None of them were the proper one, of course, which riddled my nerves to no end, naturally.

"Mama, are you all right?" Johanna asked, her language skills off the charts for her age group, as she continued staring up at me. "Grandmama says you should not run. Grandmama says it could hurt the baby."

I turned and regarded my daughter with a small smile. "I assure you, my darling, I ran with you in my belly when I carried you," I told her, and Johanna's eyes widened at that. "Your little brother or sister will come to no harm, I assure you."

Johanna considered this for a moment. "May I watch for the carriage?" she asked, and I smiled down at her, so pleased with her progress of the English language, and how much she truly sounded like John. "Please, Mama?"

I came and sat beside her upon the chaise and nodded my head, leaning down to kiss her forehead and gently pull her to her feet. "All right," I told her, "just be careful. Grandmama has plenty of precious things in here. We wouldn't want to break anything."

Johanna nodded with determination, resembling a mirror image of her father. "All right, Mama! I will be careful!" she assured me, scampering towards the window, whereupon she placed her hands upon the sill and hoisted herself upwards slightly, to the point where her small feet, in equally small shoes, dangled off from the floor as she looked downward and onto the street, as the drawing room was located upon the second floor of the house.

"It's a pale blue carriage, remember, love," I told her gently, and Johanna nodded.

"I remember, Mama!" she called over her shoulder to me. Johanna stared, transfixed, outside the window, and, just a few moments later, proceeded to squeal with delight at something she saw down below. "Papa's coming!" she yelled, practically bouncing up and down, and she bounded back over to me, eyes bright with excitement.

I placed Johanna beside me on the couch and arranged her pale green dress, which was fashioned with thin black lines, and trimmed with lace. I myself wore a pale blue dress with lace upon the neckline and cuffs, after John had told me of William's fondness for the color. I turned to my daughter and smiled, and asked, "Now, do you remember what we discussed, darling?"

Johanna nodded eagerly, her steadily growing raven hair brushed perfectly that late afternoon day as she grinned up at me. "Yes, Mama. William is my brother, but he is an earl. I have to be polite and curtsy to him."

I beamed down at her. "That's right, my princess. You'll do excellently," I told her, and heard the front door opening from below, and John and William greeting the servants that had come to collect their coats and hats. I turned back towards my daughter and smiled. "Feeling nervous about meeting your brother?" I wanted to know.

Johanna considered that for a moment. "A little," she said at last, shrugging her shoulders as we could hear them both coming up the staircase, chattering amicably to one another. "I want him to like me."

I nodded at her. "As do I, my darling, as do I." I got to my feet as soon as I heard the doorknob turn, and Johanna was quick to stand beside me, and we mutually straightened our skirts as the doors opened, and we promptly sank down into curtsies, waiting to be spoken to, given that William was an earl, and I was a mere lady, and Johanna the daughter of a lord.

It was a series of hurried footsteps I heard next, and a pair of highly-polished black leather boots came into my line of vision, followed by a hand, extended towards me. I took the hand and permitted whoever it was to pull me upwards, and I laid eyes upon my stepson, William Ransom, for the first time. He was now fifteen years of age, and had achieved an impressive height of six feet four inches, matching that of Da, and his eyes matched his as well, so it was as if our own dear father was looking back at me.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Mother," he said at last, and bowed to me, kissing me upon the hand, and I felt my jaw drop open at that.

"You needn't call me that, if it makes you uncomfortable," I said quickly.

William smiled at me, and I saw that he had Da's smile as well. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable, I promise," he replied, and it was quite the turn of events for a mere teenager to be giving me such assurances. "I will cease, however, if it makes you uncomfortable, my lady. I would not wish to bring you unhappiness, for you have brought my papa such joy, and two more children," he said.

I smiled back at him. "It doesn't make me uncomfortable," I told him, squeezing his hand. "I rather like it, and I love your father dearly, so I know I will grow to love you, William." I held his hand firmly as I turned about then, and Johanna was staring, wide-eyed, at the unexpected exchange. "Johanna, love, this is your brother, William. William, this is your sister, Johanna, who has been quite eager to meet you."

William immediately grinned down at Johanna, who curtsied to him again, but he caught her around the middle and brought her up into his arms without hesitation. "It will be so wonderful to have a sister," he declared, holding her close.

Johanna, always one for attention, grinned at William and threw her arms around him. "Brother William!" she declared, kissing him on the cheek.

"You'll love Grey Lodge," William tells her, walking around the room with her, as John comes to stand beside me. "I cannot wait for you to settle there, after you've been to Scotland!"

I turned around and faced John, my eyes wide. "What?" I whispered.

John put an arm around my shoulders and proceeded to guide us out of the room. "Excuse us, please, William, Johanna," he said. "Your grandmama will be along shortly with some tea and cakes for you both."

I am steered out of the drawing room and down the corridor, and towards the shared guest suite that John and I are currently staying in. I round on him as soon as he shuts the door behind us, and my eyes are wide with shock. "You're moving us to West Sussex ahead of schedule, then?" I asked him, my voice trembling.

"Yes," John admitted after a moment, looking extremely guilty.

I shook my head at him. "Without even consulting me? John, I realize that I am living two hundred years in the past from my own time, but I would like, at the very least, to have been consulted about living arrangements. What about the estate at Mount Josiah?"

"It was Isobel's, and came into my keeping upon her death," John replied. "I have subsequently bequeathed it to William, who can do as he likes with it."

I swallowed, and proceeded pacing back and forth in the bedroom, hating that I was beginning to walk with a slight waddle, due to my pregnancy. "Have you even bothered to discuss any form of negotiations with Governor Tryon?" I asked him. "You know how much I wished for Mia Faye to accompany us..."

"And she will," John assured me, stepping forward. "She and Abraham are together at Mount Josiah as we speak."

I rolled my shoulders, permitting him to place his palms there, and peeked up at him. "And?" I asked him, my voice trembling.

John shut his eyes for a moment. "Governor Tryon asked me what I would be willing to trade for Sarah and baby William..."

"Anything," I whispered automatically, and gasped aloud as a memory came into my mind, about Dr. Ibbott, and shook my head. "It was me," I whispered, utterly shocked as I looked up at John. "It was me he spoke of..."

John blinked in bewilderment. "What are you speaking of, my love?"

"Dr. Trevor Ibbott, our nephew's namesake, and the man who convinced me to become a history professor," I whispered, grasping onto John's arms. "On the day that set me upon that path, he told me that William was one of his ancestors. Governor Tryson was a great-grandfather of some sort, while Sarah was his great-grandmother, dating very far back. He said that a lord managed to obtain temporary ownership of Sarah and baby William, and that the lord's lady immediately offered anything in exchange..." I looked up at John. "I was always meant to come back and be with you, which is why I never found myself fallin for Colin." I laughed bitterly then. "It was also on that day that I caught him with Meredith..."

John wrapped his arms around me. "Oh, love. I should have told you before. I am so sorry I did not. Damn me and my inconsideration..."

"It is all right," I assured him, pulling back from him and clutching at his hands. "You don't need to apologize to me, just..." I blinked at an unfamiliar sensation and looked down at my husband's hands, grasping tightly to mine, and my jaw fell. "You are merely wearing your wedding ring, John," I whispered. "What happened to the sapphire?"

John visibly deflated at that. "I traded it to Governor Tryon, in addition to the value he paid for Sarah, so that he would send baby William along with her," he whispered.

I shook my head at him. "But it is your most prized possession, John—"

"It was, at one time," John told me softly, "but it was also a part of my past. I will now look into the future, with you, Johanna, William, and any other children we may have together. I should have discussed moving to Grey Lodge with you, and I would have, but William was so thrilled with the notion, he couldn't stop himself..."

I gave my husband a small smile. "No, don't blame yourself, or William, for that matter. I cannot deny wishing for a bit more warning, but I can understand the enthusiasm. However, what shall we do about Mia Faye, Abraham, Sarah, baby William, Kitty, and Evaline?"

My husband smiled down at me. "My butler and footmen are seeing to it that the household arrangements will be taken care of," he replied. "Everything that is ours will be taken from the estate at Mount Josiah, and will be transported here to Grey Lodge. All the servants who wished to accompany us shall do so, and Mia Faye has informed me that many of them have decided to make the journey."

I blinked. "Mia Faye told you this?"

"She wrote to me," John replied. "I hired tutors to teach them how to read and write in English and their native creole language," he continued. "Mia Faye wrote to me herself in gratitude for the progress we made on Sarah and her grandson, and they are eagerly anticipating joining us in late summer in West Sussex."

"So," I whispered, placing a hand onto my belly, and guiding John's hand to rest atop it, "it appears that our son will be born in England, then."

John smiled. "You are positive it is a son?"

I looked up at him and smiled. "This pregnancy is so different that mine with Johanna. I believe it is a son, but we shall only know when I give birth."

John nodded, leaning down and kissing me. "Either way, I shall love it, and any other child you decide to give me, my love."

I giggled as he dropped to his knees, and permitted his hands to span out across my belly so as they lingered at both ends, and pressed kiss after kiss upon its swell. "And they shall love you, John," I assured him, gently tangling my fingertips into his hair, "as I love you, and shall always love you, until my last breath."

~*~

I wrote to Aunt Jenny, letting her know when to expect us, and she wrote me back, telling me that she and Uncle Ian were very much looking forward to meeting me, John, and Johanna as well, of course. We made the journey from London to Inverness on the scheduled day, and John was armed with a map from Benedicta, with markers in place to show him where the best inns were for our journey ahead. I was a bit anxious, as Aunt Jenny had written that they had a surprise for me, and I was unknowing as to what that could be.

The rolling hills of Scotland greeted us upon the carriage journey, and I peered out the window with Johanna to take my first look at Lallybroch, and I gasped at the sheer beauty of it all. I was quite tempted to throw myself out of the carriage at that moment, and run down the hills myself, skirts in hand, shrieking like a child. However, I kept myself in check, and John's firm clasp of my hand kept me grounded, for I couldn't merely go off without either my husband or my young daughter. Of course, there was also my unborn child to consider, for, if I fell, there was no telling what would happen.

Once the carriage cleared the gates of Lallybroch, John assisted me out of the carriage, and I held Johanna in my arms as the doors opened, and two people stepped out, who could only be Aunt Jenny and Uncle Ian. I smiled automatically at them both, and John took Johanna from me as I stepped forward, mindful of Uncle Ian's pegleg, and came to the base of the stone steps, waiting for them both to come down at their leisure to greet me.

"'Bout time ye came," Aunt Jenny said, although she smiled as she stepped closer to me, ever mindful of Uncle Ian making his way down the steps behind her. Almost immediately, Aunt Jenny took me into her arms and held onto me tightly. "To lay eyes upon another child o' Jamie's...'tis a blessing indeed." Pulling back, she took ahold of my face in her hands, and smiled approvingly. "A grand lady ye are, according to me brother."

Uncle Ian stepped forward as well, and grinned at me; he was six inches taller than I was, and still he was shorter than Jamie, but he nevertheless smiled at me, and his brown eyes were kind indeed. "A pleasure to have ye at Lallybroch," he told me, and managed to embrace me with one arm, before he and Aunt Jenny turned to face John. "My lord, thank ye for bringing our niece home to us, and fer being our nephew."

John bowed his head to Uncle Ian, who did the same. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Murray," he replied, and turned Johanna around in his arms, and both Aunt Jenny and Uncle Ian melted at the sight of her. "May I present our daughter, Johanna?"

"A bonny wee lass indeed," Aunt Jenny proclaimed, immediately taking our daughter into her arms, and Johanna went willingly, wrapping her arms around her neck and promptly snuggling into her embrace. "Come along, then, she said, taking my hand in hers, while Uncle Ian clapped John upon the shoulder, and the pair of them led us inside the Fraser family home. "James, do come down 'ere, will ya?" she called out somewhere in the house, the "o" in the word "come" sounding much like the letter "u".

Firm footsteps come down the grand wooden staircase, and a tall lad, close to Da's height, comes into the room, a woman following, along with four young children. The lad in question I know is about a year younger than I am, and is the current Laird of Lallybroch, after Da signed over the estate to him just before the Battle of Culloden. "Aye, Mother, I hear ya," he said, smirking at his mother, before turning to look at us both. "Yer me new cousin, then?"

I smiled at him, and dipped my head, and the rest of them bowed and curtsied to John and me, but I reached out to stop him. "None of that. It's all right. We're family, after all."

James Fraser Murray smiled easily at me, and took the hand of the lovely red-haired woman beside him, bringing her forward. "This is my wife, Joan."

Joan and I nodded to one another. "A pleasure tae meet ye, Alexandra," Joan said.

I smiled back at her. "And you, Joan," I assured her, and lowered my eyes to regard her lovely children, who ranged in age from thirteen to seven. "And how are these fine boys, and this elegant young lady?"

Joan positively beamed at me. "This 'ere is Henry," she said, placing her hand on the oldest boys' dark head, "Matthew," she continued, placing her hand onto the second boys' head, which resembled the color of straw, "Caroline," she went on, onto the chestnut brown head of their only daughter, "and our youngest, wee Benjamin," she declared, and Benjamin was the only one to have inherited his mother's red hair.

"A pleasure to meet you all," I said, and dipped a curtsy.

"Lady Grey," they all said in unison.

"Perhaps they might call ye Auntie Alexandra, and yer husband Uncle John?" James asked, and looked at us back and forth.

I smiled and nodded. "That would be wonderful. Darling, would that be all right with you?" I asked, turning to face my husband.

John grinned at that. "More than all right," he assured the children, as well as James and Joan. "It would be a great honor."

I turned and regarded Johanna, who was reaching to me in Aunt Jenny's arms, and I took her back into mine. "This is my daughter, Johanna," I said, and Caroline looked mightily curious about my daughter, despite the large age difference.

"Might Johanna play with me, Auntie Alexandra?" Caroline asked.

I smiled down at her. "That is a very good idea," I said, and turned towards my daughter. "Love, would you like to play with your Cousin Caroline?"

Johanna nodded eagerly at that, much to the amusement of the adults around her. "Yes, please, Mama," she responded.

I promptly set down Johanna, who hesitated for a moment, although I found myself beaming when Caroline extended her hand, and the two little girls ran off to play. I smirked as Henry, Matthew, and Benjamin hurried after them, and I found myself laughing aloud. "I know they will have lots of fun, and that the children will show Johanna all the best spots to play together on the beautiful land you have here," I said.

Joan reached out and took my hand in hers. "Are ye both terribly tired? If no', per'aps we could give ye a tour of th' house an' grounds."

I nodded at that. "Yes, thank you. John and I were speaking of how much we have heard of Lallybroch from Da, and that we'd very much like to see it for ourselves."

"I'll start on supper, then," Aunt Jenny decided, and smiled at us each in turn, before she made her way towards the kitchen.

"I'll jus' help her," Uncle Ian stated, and hurried after his wife.

"I must go over th' books for Quarter Day," James said, although his tone was filled with regret at the notion that he had duties to complete.

"They cannot wait?" Joan asked, but immediately straightened up at the look James gave. "Ah, o'course, love. We'll be around the barn, then. I'm sure that Alexandra and John wish tae see some of th' baby animals."

"Baby animals?" I asked eagerly, wishing to lighten the mood. "We'd love to!"

Joan smiled at that and took me by the hand, and we went out the front door and out into the yard, and she pointed at the farm land, which stretched as far as the eye could see. "Dinnae fash, lass," she told me, when I noticed that John was not with us. "James likely asked 'im to 'ave some whiskey and go over th' books with 'im."

I nodded at that. "Yes, of course," I replied, and permitted Joan to lead me towards the scattered barns upon the property, where she pointed out pigs, goats, sheep, cattle, and horses.

"We've expanded quite a bit since Uncle Jamie was 'ere," Joan informed me with a wide smile, and I could sense that she was very proud of their work. "But, 'ere is where I think ye'll have th' most fun," she continued, and opened a barn door towards the edge of the land, and permitted me to step inside, allowing the late-spring sunlight to sine in through the open door, and I caught sight of a barn cat stretched out upon a magnificent pile of straw in the corner, with little kittens running around her.

"Oh, my goodness!" I whispered, completely awestruck.

"They were born two months ago," Joan informed me, grinning. "Ye strike me as th' kind who likes cats."

I nodded at her. "I do, very much," I replied, and cautiously stepped forward, admiring the cat and her kittens, which were clearly British Shorthairs. A particularly adorable one came trotting towards me, with silky-looking dark gray fur and large amber eyes. I mewed up at me, and I bent down to pick it up, all beneath the mother cat's watchful eye. I was pleased when the mother yawned and returned to sleep, as the kitten proceeded to cuddle in the confines of my arms and proceeded to knead the space provided.

"Tha' there's a wee lassie," Joan told me with a small smile. "She's no' gone up to anyone since she was born."

"She is truly lovely," I whispered, scratching the kitten beneath her chin, and I could feel her purring at the sensation.

"Per'aps ye would like tae take her home with ye?" Joan asked.

"Up to Lallybroch, you mean?" I asked her.

Joan laughed and shook her head. "Nae. We've enough cats up there," she assured me. "Grey Lodge in West Sussex, I mean. Ye can 'ave 'er, if ye like."

I looked down at the kitten, who slowly blinked up at me in return, and a rare warmth nestled itself into my heart. "Yes, I think I would like to have her," I replied, kissing the little thing between her ears, and cuddling her closer.

Joan led me out of the barn shortly thereafter, and shut the door behind her, and we made our way back up to Lallybroch. "Th' lass will need a name, Alexandra," she put in.

I stared down at the kitten, still purring contentedly in my arms, and found myself smiling softly as a name came to me. "Luaithre," I told Joan after a moment.

Joan stopped walking. "I dinnae ken ye spoke Gaelic, Alexandra," she said, clearly impressed, and grinned at me, nodding in approval. "She does look a bit like ash, don't she?"

~*~

John and I remained at Lallybroch for the rest of the summer, until we received word come autumn that Grey Lodge in West Sussex was finally ready for us to live there. We bid our farewells to the Murray family, who persuaded us to come back whenever we liked, and we extended the invitation to them as well. It took us another month to return to England, and I was very close to my time that John called for a physician as soon as we'd settled in at Grey Lodge, not wanting anything to happen to one of his children.

Ever since we'd gone to Europe, I had turned thirty, John had turned forty-four, and Johanna had turned two, and nothing could have torn my happiness from me. John had absolutely adored Luaithre upon meeting her, and asked me if I wouldn't mind if she became our official mouser for Grey Lodge, which I wholeheartedly accepted. It was also a surprise when John showed up one day with three Northern Inuit puppies, giving one of the females to Johanna, the other to me, and keeping the male for himself. He named his dog Rex, while I called mine Contessa, and Johanna named hers Sabrina. It was quite a turn of events, to have both a cat and a dog, but John assured me that it was all quite normal, and he would get me and Johanna whatever we wished for as long as we wanted.

The physician came as soon as John had contacted him, and informed my husband that I should rest until the baby came. I could go for brief walks in the garden, and come downstairs for meals and go to the drawing room to read, but I was not to do any strenuous activities until after I had recovered from my childbirth. John told the man that he understood and kept a close eye on me, as well as informed the servants of the physician's orders, and all of them agreed that I would be kept safe.

I was relieved that, upon our arrival at Grey Lodge, I saw Mia Faye, Abraham, Sarah, and baby William among the rest of the servants waiting for us. John and I had discussed the possibility that, if our second child was a boy, perhaps William could be a companion for him, and take his lessons beside him. When we presented this plan to Sarah, she was extremely grateful and wholeheartedly agreed to the plan. We also saw her and one of our butlers, Thomas, who was also a former slave, take an interest in one another, and we informed them that we would only be too glad to have them marry, and, within weeks, it was all arranged, and William was subsequently adopted by Thomas.

It was the last Saturday in October when I went into labor with my second child, and, although I desperately wanted him beside me, the physicians refused John entry into the room, so he was left on his own, pacing, with Abraham and Thomas for company. I was looked after by Benedicta, Mia Faye, Sarah, and Minnie, who all whispered words of encouragement to me in what could prove to be my darkest hour. Minnie confessed that Hal had come along as well, and was intending to apologize to John, and, hopefully, reconcile with him. She also assured me that I would be receiving an apology as well, no matter what the outcome of his conversation with John, as Hal realized I, too was warranted an apology.

Just after four o'clock in the morning, on the penultimate Sunday in October, I gave a final scream and my second child came into the world. I managed to look up, and the physician nodded in approval. "A fine son, Lady Grey," he assured me, and Benedicta and Minnie held me tightly, while Mia Faye and Sarah grinned, tears in all their eyes.

"May I see him?" I whispered, as the midwives cleaned me up, and the physician looked over my son, and the gentleman nodded, cleaning up my son, and walked towards me, handing him gently over, already wrapped in a blanket that Benedicta had stitched herself. "Oh, my little Leopold," I whispered, taking in the expression on his face, to his features, to the dusting of chestnut-brown hair upon his head.

"Shall I fetch John, then, Alexandra?" Minnie asked.

I nodded at her. "Yes, please. But, don't tell him. I'd like to do that."

Minnie smiled at me. "Of course," she replied, and scurried to the other side of the room, as Mia Faye and Sarah proceeded to open the curtains to the silvery light of dawn, and Benedicta stood protectively beside me, as if on guard, and John stepped into the room a moment later, dark circles under his eyes.

"John," I whispered, straightening up as best I could, and reached out a hand for him. "Come and meet Leopold, our son."

"Our son?" John whispered, his expression flooding with emotion as he charged forward, and I moved further away so as he could sit beside me. He gazed down at our little boy, who yawned contentedly, and smiled a breathtaking smile. "Leopold Nathaniel Gerard Grey," he whispered, almost wonderingly.

Benedicta, from beside us, sniffled. "After both your fathers?" she whispered.

"Yes," I told her, beaming up at her for a moment.

"That is a beautiful name," said a voice from the threshold of my bedchamber.

Minnie immediately sprang to attention. "Hal, you weren't given permission to come inside," she said, sounding quite defensive of me.

"No, it's all right," I said, once I saw the relaxed attitude from John, and smiled over at him. "Do come over, Hal, and meet your nephew."

"Who is the spitting image of Father," John said firmly, almost as if he was challenging his brother to insult the pair of us again.

Hal hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless crossed the threshold toward us, and gazed at the bundle in my arms. "He truly is Father's image," he whispered, truly awed, before he looked up at me. "Alexandra, please accept my humble apologies. I was completely inappropriate when you came to meet us at Argus House, and while I could never hope that you could ever find it in yourself to forgive me—"

"I forgive you," I said softly, and Hal's eyes widened.

"You do?" he asked.

I nodded at him. "Yes. On one condition."

Hal straightened up then. "Name it."

"Perhaps you could recommend some suitable tutors for Johanna," I told him with a small, slightly mischievous smile. "She is quite brilliant, you know, and I want her educated in as many areas as she possibly can be."

Hal smiled at the compromise. "I have several names in mind already," he assured us. "If you like, I will write to them all myself. When would you like them to come and begin her teachings, then?" he asked.

"In the autumn of 1776, when she is five," John said softly, although we didn't tell Hal about the significance of that year, for he did not need to know now, if at all.

Hal nodded his head. "Plenty of time, I should think," he said. "Might I borrow your study to write the letters, John?"

John inclined his head. "You may," he replied, and, as Hal moved to exit the room, he called out to him, "Brother?"

Hal promptly turned back around. "Yes, John?"

"I may forgive you today, but I will not be as forgiving a second time if you decide to sully my wife's ears with your cruel words," he said firmly.

Hal nodded at John. "I understand, John."

John nodded. "Good," he said simply.

I was barely aware of Minnie and Benedicta leaving shortly thereafter, along with Mia Faye and Sarah, for I was truly content with the weight of my new son in my arms, and John sitting beside me, completely happy. "Should we have someone wake Johanna?" I asked.

John smiled. "She will be up soon, anyhow," he replied. "We'll try not to disturb her for as long as we possibly can."

I smiled lightly at that, and turned to face my husband. "Oh, and all this because we have time now?" I asked him.

John considered that for a moment. "Why, yes. I suppose we do."

I shook my head at him, and leaned in to press my lips to his. "I suppose that would make you a time lord, then," I said quietly.

John grinned back at me. "Which would make you this time lord's lady," he said.

I leaned in closer to my husband, resting my head upon his shoulder, and gazing down at the sheer beauty that was our firstborn son. "I can see us having a great many children, Lord John, if that is what you desire."

John held me closely against him. "If that is what Lady Grey wishes, it shall be done."

I nodded. "It is."

John pulled away slightly then, and gazed down upon me. "I never would have pictured this life being mine."

I met his gaze. "Neither could I," I told him.

"I love you, Lady Grey," he whispered.

"And I love you, Lord John, until death do us part," I whispered back, angling my head so as he could kiss me.

THE END