ON THE ROAD TO HOME

Several days after the Christening, Katherine and her household were ready to make the journey back to Lornadoon. A team of four beautifully matched blood bay harness horses was hitched up to a sturdy carriage and were waiting for them outside the huge front door of the castle. A large crowd had gathered in the courtyard outside the castle to bid them farewell, including every CLim that resided there.

Connor MacLeod proudly escorted his Lady to the carriage as she carried their sleeping baby daughter in her arms. Dani and several other of the baby’s *uncles* were loading up all of their personal belongings, as well as the beautifully carved cradle that King Arthur had given Katherine for the baby. Little Katriona’s maternal grandmother Maggie stood beside them, happily bossing the men around, telling them exactly where and how each item should be placed. Dougal, the baby’s birth mother’s half brother, stood at the front of the team, aided in holding the horses as Katherine and her precious burden were carefully helped into the carriage by Connor and John Clayton.

Once Katherine was comfortably settled, Connor assisted Maggie in as well. The portly little servant grunted and complained as she pulled herself up with effort and then sat down heavily in the seat opposite Katherine, the basket containing their lunch resting on her ample lap. Connor then jumped effortlessly into the carriage and sat down beside Kat and the baby. He was followed by Dani and John Brennick, who was to be the first *uncle of the month*. The two men sat down on each side of Maggie and put their arms around her shoulders, grinning and flirting good naturedly with her. Maggie giggled happily and her round cheeks blushed a deep crimson red as a result of the attention of the two handsome CLims. It had been a long time since anyone had done so. Ben was going to stay at the castle a few more days to take care of the needs of several of his patients before he too would return to Lornadoon.

John Clayton climbed up into the driver’s seat of the carriage and gathered up the reins and whip in his strong hands as Dougal scrambled up on the seat beside him, his unruly hair sticking out in every which direction from underneath a cap. At the last minute it had been decided to bring the boy to Lornadoon as well. Despite his obvious maturity and independence, it was not fair to separate the 13 year old boy from his mother Maggie just yet. Dougal was to help Connor and the others with the horses and Katherine already had plans to teach him to read and write.

As John skillfully drove the team out of the courtyard and through the entry gate of the castle, the assembled crowd called out their farewells and best wishes for the journey. The baby's birth mother, Jenny, was not one of them. She had refused to bid her mother and brother farewell and was angrily sulking away in the kitchen.

It was a beautiful day for the trip, with just enough of a breeze to keep things cool. The canopy of the carriage had been raised to protect the fair skin of the baby from the sun’s bright rays. As the team pulled the carriage smoothly along the road, both Maggie and Dougal stared wide eyed at the scenery around them. Neither one of them had ever left the confines of New Camelot before.

An hour down the road, little Katriona started to stir. Connor made room for Kat to lay the tiny baby down on the seat beside her and to change her diaper. After wrapping the blanket around her again, Katherine untied and then lowered the neckline of the peasant style blouse she was wearing so she could nurse the baby. This time she did not bother to drape herself at all. She grinned at the two CLims sitting across from her who were very obviously enjoying the scenery inside the carriage a lot more at the moment then the landscape outside of it. Maggie poked both of them hard in the ribs with her elbows and chided them for staring at a Lady’s bosom that way, but they both ignored her completely.

"Showoff," Connor whispered to Katherine in a teasing manner, an amused smile on face. Katherine just stuck her tongue out at him and sighed happily as she felt the tingling sensation in her breasts when her milk let down. The baby began to nurse hungrily, making little gulping noises as she tried to keep up with the flow of milk. Doc Adams had been very pleased that she had already gained back all the weight she had lost the first couple of days after her birth plus a little bit more. Apparently the milk Katherine was now giving her was more than supplying her needs at the moment. He had made a mental note to keep Jathelle in mind if any of the nursing mothers on the island had a problem with their milk supply. If she could make a woman who had never been pregnant lactate, she should have no difficulty with one that had just delivered a baby.

After awhile, she switched sides, taking her time covering up the breast that was now vacant side. She couldn’t help but think that John Brennick had a very hungry look on his face, and it wasn’t the sandwiches, cake and fruit in the basket that he was longing for. She met his intense gaze and gave a slight nod and an encouraging smile as she ran her tongue across her lips. Connor and Dani both rolled their eyes and snorted in laughter at her not very subtle flirtation with Katriona’s *uncle*.

Her bottom dry and her tummy full, the baby drifted off to sleep, still taking an occasional suck of milk out of her Katherine’s breast. Kat was in no hurry to disengage her. She was enjoying the rapt attention the three men were giving her, despite the ongoing verbal harassment they were getting from Maggie. After awhile, Maggie gave up and drifted off to sleep herself. Even Kat’s eyes eventually closed as the rhythm of the carriage lulled her into a deep slumber as well. She didn’t notice when the baby sighed in her sleep and let go of the nipple or feel the baby being gently lifted out of her arms.

When she woke up a little while later, the baby was now in Connor’s arms. Maggie was leaning against Dani, snoring softly as she slept obliviously on. And since Connor had not bothered pulling up her shirt over her exposed breast when he had taken Katriona from her, the two men on the other side were still staring at her, happy smiles on both their faces as they enjoyed the free show. Katherine decided not to ruin the guy’s fun by covering up quickly. In fact, she slowly lowered the other side as well, ignoring Connor’s wicked little chuckle. She gave the two men sitting across from her an eyeful before pulling the drawstrings on her blouse tight and tying it shut again. So by the time Maggie stirred and woke up, Katherine was the prim and proper lady again.

Around noon, John Clayton pulled the carriage off to the side of the road under a shady grove of trees to allow the horses to rest while the passengers ate their lunch. Maggie spread the meal out on a tablecloth while the four men and Dougal unhitched the team and took the horses down to get a drink of water from a nearby stream. After tethering them up, they joined Kat and Maggie and ate the plentiful food that had been sent along for them by the serving ladies who worked down in the kitchen. Katherine no sooner started eating when Katriona woke up and noisily demanded her own lunch.

As Katherine got the baby situated and nursing again, she grinned at the others sitting around her and said, "The minority rules here." When several of them looked at her with questioning expressions on their faces, she explained further. "A perfect example of minority rule is a baby in the house," she said with a giggle as Connor rolled his eyes at her again. And since the little one had already made it a habit of wanting to nurse every time Katherine sat down to eat, the petite Scotswoman was getting pretty good at eating with one hand.

The travelers ate a leisurely lunch, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful day. Once the baby was satisfied and her diaper changed, Katherine handed her to Maggie to hold for awhile.

"I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit," she announced. Then meeting John Brennick's eye, she motioned slightly with her head, inviting him to go with her. Trying to look nonchalant, he rose to his feet amidst the unrestrained laughter of the other men.

"Don't take too long," Connor said with a chuckle as he stretched out flat on the grass to take a nap.

Brennick walked over to Katherine and took her small delicate hand in his, ignoring the laughter of the others. They wandered down to the creek and then started to walk along it.

"MacLeod is ok with this?" he asked, curious about just how open the relationship between the two immortals was.

Katherine nodded. "Connor and I have know and loved each other for over 413 years now. He and I share a special bond between the two of us that isn't affected at all by us occasionally enjoying the company of others from time to time," she said with a soft smile. "What about you? Does it bother you, knowing my main focus will always be on someone else?"

Brennick sighed. He stopped and pulled her into an embrace. "No. I guess not. But I really would like to get to know you better. Even without being made little Katriona's *uncle*, I would have felt that way. You, Lady Katherine, are a very special person," he said earnestly. With that he tipped Katherine's chin up and leaned down to kiss her, moving slowly so she had plenty of time to give him a signal that she did not want him to do that. Smiling up at him, she waited willingly with her mouth open just slightly for their lips to meet. The kiss they shared was long and sweet.

After awhile, he pulled back, moaning softly as his hand ran down her should and cupped a breast, feeling her nipple grow hard underneath the fabric of her blouse. "There is nothing I would like better than to lay you down right here and now and make love to you, Lady K. But I think I would rather wait," he said as he rubbed her breast gently. "But if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind having a taste of what you have been giving to Katriona all morning in front of me."

Katherine nodded her head, her eyes luminous. "I understand," she said quietly as she reached up and untied her blouse, allowing him to loosen it and lower it off her shoulders, exposing her breasts to him. Dropping to one knee, he took first one and then the other small, tight nipple and sucked hard, enjoying the taste of the hot milk that flowed from each one of her firm little breasts into his mouth. After a few moments he stood up and thanked her for allowing him to do that, then adjusted her blouse and retied it. Giving her another long and tender kiss, Brennick suggested they had better head back before he changed his mind about laying her down and taking her right now, a statement which caused Katherine to giggle.

When the couple came back to where the others were still resting, Connor opened a sleepy eye and sat up. "That didn't take very long at all," he said with just a touch of sarcasm to his voice.

"Hush now!" Kat ordered as she pushed him backwards onto the ground. The rest of then laughed at the Highlander who laid sprawling on the grass and then drug him to his feet so he could help hitch up the team of horses again to the carriage.

They were soon back on the road again, the horses trotting smartly out. A short time later, they reached the bridge that crossed the river and drove alone it, then turned northward towards Lornadoon. Katriona had actually decided to wake up and look around for awhile and the occupants of the carriage were having a grand time playing with her. She put up with their adoration for a little while before she loudly told them in no uncertain terms she was hungry again.

By the time Katherine had finished nursing the baby and she had drifted off to sleep again, they were now in sight of their lovely home. Dougal was almost bouncing in the seat beside John Clayton with excitement as the horses in the pasture along the road raced up to greet them. They were such wonderful looking creatures! When he saw Jameel showing off in the stallion paddock, he called out the horse’s name with joy. The stallion bugled his welcome and arched his neck, and gave them an exhibition of his elegant looking floating trot, his tail arched up high and flying like a flag behind him. Rayden had been checking on them daily during their absence and the horses all looked fit and well.

The carriage pulled past the paddocks and to the front door of the house. "We’re home!" John Clayton announced to them all in a loud voice which cause little’s Katriona’s eyes to open and her to state her opinion about being awaken so rudely.

Katherine shushed her complaints by rocking and singing to her. As the baby’s blue eyes looked into hers, the tiny immortal woman whispered, "Welcome Katriona Elspeth Dixon-Macleod to Lornadoon. Welcome home!"