Between the Lines of Time

Chapter 16

A/N : I decided to change Jedidiah's name to Elias as I feel that Jedidiah is just not fitting anymore. I will be working to update this to the beginning of the story as well! 

The day had finally arrived for the Frasers to visit the newly established Bonnets. Jamie and Claire were all but prepared to see what torment has been bestowed upon their daughter and grandson.

Although Maddie was not theirs by blood, she was every part of their daughter as Brianna was to them. Her sweet personality and her determination matched that of bree so similarly that if one didn't know any better, they could get mistaken as twins. That is if they weren't decades apart in their own timeline.

Since the wedding, Bree was struggling to keep a calm and cheery disposition as she was preoccupied with the thoughts of what might be happening to Maddie. She had been thinking non-stop of a way to get her out of this situation, but no matter what she looked into, she was unable to find a way. Bonnet really did pull off the impossible.

Claire and Jamie shared the same feelings but were trying to work with their long time friend and lawyer Ned Galwin, who was surprisingly still alive. He had crossed over to the colonies a year or two after Jamie and Claire had made Fraser's Ridge. He had been living in the town next to them practicing law.

According to Ned, there might be a way to get out of the situation, a loophole if you will, but it would be very hard to prove. He had been tasked with this for about two months now and still was struggling to come up with something.

After receiving the letter from Maddie, inviting them to stay for a week with them at River Run, there had been an anxious atmosphere filled with anticipation counting down the days until then. Finally the day to depart had arrived. Accompanying Jamie and Claire was Bree, Ian, Fergus, Marsali, and Roger.

Packing up their carriage with a weeks worth of provisions and extra food and drink for the travel, the passengers took off to go and see their missing family members.

Things at River Run continued as normal as they could after that night of the date. Stephen took it upon himself to start working more from home, scheduling his meetings on a bi-weekly basis under the guise of being a newlywed. He wanted to spend as much time with Maddie and his son as possible.

They would start their days at breakfast as usual, then Stephen would go up to his office while Maddie would take Elias outside as far away as she could to put some much needed distance between them and Stephen.

Outside they would play in the gardens and do anything that would distract Maddie from thinking about her nightly routine. On the days that Stephen went into town, Maddie chanced swimming, not ready to give up that opportunity as they still had two months left of summer left, and she knew the heat was only just starting.

Mid afternoon, Elias would be put down for a nap and Maddie would have tea with Pheadre, passing the time with light conversation and much needed friendship. This wouldn't last very long as Stephen would then take Maddie on a walk around the gardens claiming that they needed to spend this time together to help them bond more.

These walks usually consisted of Stephen asking Maddie several questions to get to know her better, and would always force Maddie to ask some of her own. The walks would continue for about an hour or so then Stephen would go with Maddie to wake up Elias up and from there they would spend the rest of the afternoon to early evening together as the perfect family Stephen wanted them to be.

After dinner, Maddie would sing a song for Eli to fall asleep and stall for as long as she could until stephen would pull her back to their room to end the night in what Maddie could only describe as never ending torture.