These Are a Few of My Favorite Scenes

- Some of our favorite scenes from the Outlander Series -

Text from Goodwill Librarian

The day that so many Outlander fans all around the world have been waiting for—for such a long time—is just around the corner. The day when our calendars finally say it's June 10th, 2014, and we can finally get our hands on Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon! That day, my ladies and gentlemen, is tomorrow.

To quote myself from my post about losing my Outlander virginity, where I said: "I can't even imagine how agonizing it must have been for fans who were reading each book as it was published, having to wait years for the next one." I still can't. And not only did early fans have to wait for the next book, they didn't have all the online fan groups, pages, and blogs for sharing the love of the books and the author. Let alone have this amazing access to the author herself, who is so amazingly approachable and wonderful when it comes to her fans and communicating with them!

So, as the big day approaches, I can't help but imagine how it'll be when it finally arrives. The day when women... and men... wearing their mental or real "do not disturb" sign... curl up with their book in one hand and beverages, tissues, or whatever necessary supplies in the other. Then the reading marathon starts, with a fair amount of lack of sleep, but a whole lot of squees, sighs, swoons, and rollercoasters of emotions.

As we continue the Outlander blitz until MOBY comes out, we thought it would be very fitting to reminisce about some of our favorite scenes. So I got Angela, Donna, Merit, and Kathi to help me pick out a few. It goes without saying that picking only several scenes from all the umpteen million scenes to choose from in this series is ridiculously hard, so please remember that this is only a tiny sampling of our original "must include this" list, and that there are SO many others we'd like to include, but we ran out of time and our typing fingers wore out! Besides, we don't want to keep you from trying to finish Echo in the Bone, or A Space Between, or A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows before the BIG DAY!!

A Ghost From The Past?

Fan art by Beta and Ragnheiður

One of our favorite scenes is the ghost scene at the beginning of Outlander, and Donna described it perfectly when she said this: "Claire brushing her hair, lightning, Frank coming back in and telling her about the Highland ghost he had just seen. That scene has always stood out in my mind."

For me, that was the scene that really piqued my interest—so much that I had a long, sleepless night of reading... followed by many more... and not because I'm afraid of ghosts...

When Jamie told Claire, in ABOSAA, that he dreamed of seeing her in her own time, seeing her sitting at a desk, with something in her hand and light around her, shining on her face and hair, it made me think of Frank and Claire's conversation, thinking "could it possibly be from the very same scene...". But Diana has said Jamie's dream is different than his ghost's appearance, so I look forward to finding out (eventually) more about Jamie's ability to dream the future as well as his ghost's visit.

"Yes, I could see you myself from below. You were brushing your hair and cursing a bit because it was standing on end."

In that case, the fellow was probably enjoying a good laugh," I said tartly. Frank shook his head, though he smiled and smoothed his hands over my hair.

"No, he wasn’t laughing. In fact, he seemed terribly unhappy about something. Not that I could see his face well; just something about the way he stood. I came up behind him, and when he didn’t move, I asked politely if I could help him with something. He acted at first as though he didn’t hear me, and I thought perhaps he didn’t, over the noise of the wind, so I repeated myself, and I reached out to tap his shoulder, to get his attention, you know. But before I could touch him, he whirled suddenly round and pushed past me and walked off down the road."

"Sounds a bit rude, but not very ghostly," I observed, draining my glass. "What did he look like?"

"Big chap," said Frank, frowning in recollection. "And a Scot, in complete Highland rig-out, complete to sporran and the most beautiful running-stag brooch on his plaid. I wanted to ask where he’d got it from, but he was off before I could."

{{snip}}

"I could swear I didn’t take my eyes off him for a moment," muttered Frank. He looked up suddenly. "I know! I remember now why I thought he was so odd, though I didn’t realize it at the time."

"What?" I was getting a bit tired of the ghost, and wanted to go on to more interesting matters, such as bed.

"The wind was cutting up like billy-o, but his drapes—his kilts and his plaid, you know—they didn’t move at all, except to the stir of his walking."

We stared at each other. "Well," I said finally, "that is a bit spooky."

The Wedding Night

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When mentioning our favorite scenes, Angela couldn't have said it better: "the wedding night, of course!!!" Of course! That one is absolutely a favorite. The wedding itself was BEAUTIFUL, which was pretty magnificent considering the circumstances, but Jamie sure did all he could to make it so—both knowing how hard this was for Claire and verra much meaning every word of his vows—but the wedding night, so many wonderful things happened that night between Claire and Jamie... and I'm not just talking about the sex. Seeing them bond and connect like they did that night was so wonderful. Jamie might not have been very experienced with the ladies, but being the honorable, thoughtful, respectful, honest, humorous, and caring man that he is, he actually managed to give Claire a wonderful wedding day and night.

Claire had something to do with it too, but the reason I give Jamie most of the credit is because I'm positive that if she had been forced to marry someone else, the night wouldn't have turned out the way it did. Sigh, I could quote that whole scene, but it's a wee bit too long plus I'm pretty sure you know it quite well. But I'm going to quote one part that created an essential foundation of trust as the basis of their relationship, which they keep from that day forward and which Diana credits as the reason their relationship stands the test of time and circumstance.

He sobered then. "Before I tell ye, Claire, there's the one thing I'd ask of you," he said slowly.

"What's that?"

"Honesty."

I must have flinched uncomfortably, for he leaned forward earnestly, hands on his knees.

"I know there are things ye'd not wish to tell me, Claire. Perhaps things that ye can't tell me." You don't know just how right you are, I thought.

"I'll not press you, ever, or insist on knowin' things that are your own concern,” he said seriously. He looked down at his hands, now pressed together, palm to palm.

"There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I'll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye—when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I'll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save—respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?" He spread his hands out, palms up, inviting me. I could see the dark line of the blood vow across his wrist. I placed my own hands lightly on his palms.

"Yes, I agree. I’ll give you honesty." His fingers closed lightly about mine.

"Because I wanted you"

On their wedding night, Jamie told Claire that he couldn't yet tell her all the reasons why he married her but he would one day, and even though I suspected what it was I looked forward to that moment. And, oh my gosh, when that moment came! I mean, I was expecting to be sighing and smiling, but when he told her I was sighing and laughing. I just love the humor in the books, I love the connection and chemistry Jamie and Claire have. I love that scene!

"Because I wanted you." He turned from the window to face me. "More than I ever wanted anything in my life," he added softly. I continued staring at him, dumbstruck. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't this. Seeing my openmouthed expression, he continued lightly. "When I asked my da how ye knew which was the right woman, he told me when the time came, I'd have no doubt. And I didn't. When I woke in the dark under that tree on the road to Leoch, with you sitting on my chest, cursing me for bleeding to death, I said to myself, 'Jamie Fraser, for all ye canna see what she looks like, and for all she weighs as much as a good draft horse, this is the woman.'"

I started toward him, and he backed away, talking rapidly.

"I said to myself, 'She's mended ye twice in as many hours, me lad; life... amongst the MacKenzies being what it is, it might be as well to wed a woman as can stanch a wound and set broken bones.' And I said to myself, 'Jamie, lad, if her touch feels so bonny on your collarbone, imagine what it might feel like lower down…"

He dodged around a chair.

"Of course, I thought it might ha' just been the effects of spending four months in a monastery, without benefit of female companionship, but then that ride through the dark together" –he paused to sigh theatrically, neatly evading my grab at his sleeve-"with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs"– he ducked a blow aimed at his left ear and sidestepped, getting a low table between us– "and that rock-solid head thumping me in the chest" –a small metal ornament bounced off his own head and went

clanging to the floor– "I said to myself..." He was laughing so hard at this point that he had to gasp for breath between phrases. "Jamie... I said…for all she's a Sassenach bitch... with a tongue like an adder's …with a bum like that… what does it matter if she's a f-face like a sh-sh-eep?"

I tripped him neatly and landed on his stomach with both knees as he hit the floor with a crash that shook the house.

"You mean to tell me that you married me out of love?" I demanded. He raised his eyebrows, struggling to draw in breath.

"Have I not... just been... saying so?"

Home Is Where The Heart Is

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Claire going back to find Jamie after 20 years was a moment we all were hoping and waiting for. When she was contemplating going back—comparing the world she was living in with the world Jamie was living in, the present with the past—and everything, everyone, she would leave behind, the modern comforts and the people she loved, most importantly their daughter Bree... I wondered if I could do that. Was a man worth all that? And worth the risk? Would a man do that for me? Well, at least I'm positive that, if Jamie had been able to, he would've joined Claire in her own her time, to save her having to make that decision.

Last week we had a discussion about whether we'd go back in time, but I didn't quite answer the question, and to be honest I can't really answer it yes or no. Sure, a man might be worth it... but to actually go? I can't commit for sure. But Claire knows both worlds, she knows that living in her world is easier, and yet she still goes back, but not because she couldn't have a "successful" life without Jamie. Hell, for 20 years she thought he was dead and she managed just fine, even though she felt there was something missing. She's a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to take care of her, she is perfectly capable of that herself. She went back for love, because she "bloody well can't do without him." The kind of love that fills us with all kinds of happiness, that we all hope to find in a partner, unconditional love that accepts us for who we are, with all our flaws and mistakes.

Lao Tzu said that "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage," and I think it fits very well for Claire. Even though she was afraid to go back, she was very strong and couragious, and with a little nudge from Bree we finally get the moment we had been waiting for...

"You’re going," she said firmly, "or I am."

"You! Are you out of your mind?"

{{snip}}

"Don’t you see, Mama? He has to know—has to know he did it, he did what he meant to for us." Her lips quivered, and she pressed them together for a minute.

"We owe it to him, Mama," she said softly. "Somebody has to find him, and tell him." Her hand touched my face, briefly. "Tell him I was born."

"Oh, Bree," I said, my voice so choked I could barely speak. "Oh, Bree!"

She was holding my hands tight between her own, squeezing hard.
"He gave you to me," she said, so low I could hardly hear her. "Now I have to give you back to him, Mama."
The eyes that were so like Jamie’s looked down at me, blurred by tears.

"If you find him," she whispered, "when you find my father—give him this." She bent and kissed me, fiercely, gently, then straightened and turned me toward the stone.

"Go, Mama," she said, breathless. "I love you. Go!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Roger move toward her. I took one step, and then another. I heard a sound, a faint roaring. I took the last step, and the world disappeared.

The Reunion

When talking about our favorite scenes, I really think it's IMPOSSIBLE not to include Claire walking into Jamie's A. MALCOLM PRINTER AND BOOKSELLER shop and seeing Jamie for the first time in 20 years. Waiting for Claire to go back to find Jamie wasn't enough--seeing them reunite was the moment that every Outlanderholic was waiting for! Seeing Part Six, Chapter 24, A. MALCOLM, PRINTER, teasing me from the Table of Contents made me want to rush through the pages, faster than before, to get there RIGHT NOW. But at the same time, knowing it was finally just around the corner made me want to slow down and savor the moments. By the time Claire stretched out her hand and touched the black letters of the printshop's sign, I was holding my breath from anticipation and excitement. *swoon and fanself*

"It isn’t Geordie," I said. My voice was higher than usual. "It’s me," I said. "Claire."

He straightened up very slowly. He wore his hair long; a thick tail of a deep, rich auburn sparked with copper. I had time to see that the neat ribbon that tied it back was green, and then he turned around.

He stared at me without speaking. A tremor ran down the muscular throat as he swallowed, but still he didn’t say anything.

{{snip}}


"I want—" He stopped and swallowed, still holding my hand. His fingers found and touched the silver ring once more. "I want verra much to kiss you," he said softly. "May I do that?"


{{snip}}

"I’ve seen ye so many times," he said, his voice whispering warm in my ear. "You’ve come to me so often. When I dreamed sometimes. When I lay in fever. When I was so afraid and so lonely I knew I must die. When I needed you, I would always see ye, smiling, with your hair curling up about your face. But ye never spoke. And ye never touched me."

"I can touch you now." I reached up and drew my hand gently down his temple, his ear, the cheek and jaw that I could see. My hand went to the nape of his neck, under the clubbed bronze hair, and he raised his head at last, and cupped my face between his hands, love glowing strong in the dark blue eyes.

"Dinna be afraid," he said softly. "There’s the two of us now."

Like Father, Like Daughter

Merit mentioned the scene when Brianna and Jamie met for the first time... sigh, that was such a wonderful scene. I can only imagine the mix of shock, surprise, disbelief, and joy that Jamie must've felt when seeing Bree for the first time. And the relief and joy Bree must've felt when she finally found him...and also learned that Claire had found him. This was such an endearing and touching scene.

"I’m your daughter," she said, her voice sounding choked to her own ears. "Brianna." He stood stock-still, not changing expression in the slightest. He had heard her, though; he went pale, and then a deep, painful red washed up his throat and into his face, sudden as a brushfire, matching her own vivid color.

{{snip}}

"It's true?" he whispered. "It is you, Brianna?" He spoke her name with a queer accent Breeanah—and she shivered at the sound.

"It’s me," she said, a little huskily. She made another attempt at a smile. "Can't you tell?"

His mouth was wide and full-lipped, but not like hers; wider, a bolder shape, that seemed to hide a smile in the corners of it, even in repose. It was twitching now, not certain what to do.

"Aye," he said. "Aye, I can."

{{snip}}

"You can…call me Da," he said. His voice was husky; he stopped and cleared his throat. "If—if ye want to, I mean," he added diffidently.

"Da," she said, and felt the smile bloom easily this time, unmarred by tears. "Da. Is that Gaelic?"

He smiled back, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly.

"No. It’s only…simple."

And suddenly it was all simple. He held out his arms to her. She stepped into them and found that she had been wrong; he was as big as she'd imagined—and his arms were as strong about her as she had ever dared to hope.

I'll Always Come For You

Kathi mentioned the scene when Jamie, Ian, Roger, Fergus, and others rescued Claire in ABOSAA. That is such a powerful and intense scene, and is one of my favorites as well. It's amazing seeing the lengths Jamie... and Claire... are willing to go for each other. We've seen that Claire is just as badass as Jamie when it comes to rescuing each other in times of need, even when things are looking bad and almost hopeless. Like when she rescued him from Wentworth, with the help of men and cattle, and when she brought him back to himself in the abbey... which was also a powerful and intense scene, to say the least. And as utterly painful, sad, and heart-wrenching that time in the abbey was, it is one of my most memorable favorites because it was able to be beautiful, intense, heart-warming, and so dynamic at the same time. But I digress (which is so easy to do)...

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One day Kathi and I were talking about ABOSAA, which I was (*coughs* and still am *coughs*) reading, and she told me in one of her brilliant, non-spoilery ways about a scene that I'd be getting to before long. She knows exactly what she's doing when she gives me these wonderful, little teasers. I'm like a dog with its nose pointing up in the air, smelling something delicious in the distance, hunting and sniffing until he finds this little treat. This is what Kathi said to me:

"There's a verra long and powerful sequence of events that begins with a drumbeat. When you get to that part, you might want to set down the book, refill your beverage (and possibly make it alcoholic), hit the bathroom, grab a snack, and snuggle down for a nice, long, intense read."

You can just imagine how that piqued my interest! And boy, was she spot on. As usual. After being kidnapped by the bandits, Claire was absolutely positive that Jamie would come for her.

I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jamie would come. My job was to survive until he did.

As time went by, she did wonder if he'd ever find her, but she kept pushing that thought aside and held tightly to her hope, her faith in him, that he would find her. And that he did—with a magnificent and powerful entrance. You could just feel the wrath that came with Jamie... and worries for Claire. Jamie once said that he could bear pain himself but not hers, because that would take more strength than he has. And although he is stronger than he thinks, I can just imagine how frantic he must've felt while looking for her and not knowing what was being done to her, let alone when he did find her and realized what had been done to her. Here is a little preview from those amazing chapters.

I CAME OUT of sleep again sometime later. Instantly, fully conscious, heart pounding. But it wasn't my heart—it was a drum. Sounds of startlement came from the direction of the fire, men rousing in alarm from sleep.

"Indians!" someone shouted, and the light broke and flared, as someone kicked at the fire to scatter it.

It wasn’t an Indian drum. I sat up, listening hard. It was a drum with a sound like a beating heart, slow and rhythmic, then trip-hammer fast, like the frantic surge of a hunted beast.

It was Roger, certainly; only he could make a drum talk like that. It was Roger, and Jamie was nearby. I scrambled to my feet, wanting, needing urgently to move. I jerked at the rope around my waist in a frenzy of impatience, but I was going nowhere.

Another drum began, slower, less skilled, but equally menacing. The sound seemed to move—it was moving. Fading, coming back full force. A third drum began, and now the thumping seemed to come from everywhere, fast, slow, mocking.

Someone fired a gun into the forest, panicked.

{{snip}}

The drums were weaving, now closer, now farther, the sound unnerving even to one who knew what it was. They were circling the camp, or so it seemed.

{{snip}}

The drums stopped abruptly. Chaos reigned around the fire, though I could hear Hodgepile trying to get his men in order, yelling and threatening, nasal voice raised above the rest. Then the drums began again—much closer.

They were drawing in, drawing together, somewhere out in the forest on my left, and the mocking tip-tap-tip-tap beating had changed. They were thundering now. No skill, just menace. Coming closer.

Guns fired wildly, close enough for me to see the muzzle flash and smell the smoke, thick and hot on the air. The faggots of the fire had been scattered, but still burned, making a muted glow through the trees.

"There they are! I see 'em!" someone yelled from the fire, and there was another burst of musket-fire, toward the drums.

Then the most unearthly howl rose out of the dark to my right. I'd heard Scots scream going into battle before, but that particular Highland shriek made the hairs on my body prickle from tailbone to nape. Jamie. Despite my fears, I sat bolt upright and peered round my sheltering tree, in time to see demons boil out of the wood.

I knew them—knew I knew them—but cowered back at sight of them, blackened with soot and shrieking with the madness of hell, firelight red on the blades of knives and axes.

We'd love to continue—but like I said in the beginning, this tiny sampling of our list is getting way too long already, plus it's soooo hard to decide what to quote from each scene, since obviously we can't just quote the whole chapters! What about you, fellow Outlanderholic, did we include some of your favorites? Did we skip any that you think we shouldn't have? Tell us about your favorites!