Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E.

Chapter 1

It had been an unusually hot day although it was only in the beginning of June. Elizabeth Quinn enjoyed the light cool evening breeze that puffed up the curtains and made them rustle slightly. She sat in a large wingback chair and held the last week's issue of the Boston Globe in her hand.

We are looking for a male doctor with a good reputation for our lovely little town in the Colorado Territory. Mayor Slicker, Colorado Springs.

Ever since she had read that advertisement, her thoughts went to her youngest daughter who had taken this position almost two years ago, at least it was that what her letters said. Yet why were they searching for a doctor and emphasizing that it had to be a male one? Obviously, Michaela had failed them miserably... However, Elizabeth Quinn knew her headstrong daughter would never admit that. But there was far more that worried the older woman. Michaela had burdened herself with the child of a stranger and now she even wanted to marry him. What kind of man abandoned his child and rather lived with savages? And now he thought he could take advantage of Michaela's money! The concerned mother sighed audibly; thank God that she had refused to send her father's inheritance!

Elizabeth continued to consider her options and at last came to the conclusion that the only way to bring Michaela to her senses was, for her to go to Colorado and talk to her stubborn child face to face.

Elizabeth wearily took off her reading glasses, closed her eyes and leaned against the backrest of the chair. Over the last few days she had formed a plan; now it depended on the nice young man she had invited for tonight. If he agreed to travel with her…

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by the butler, who announced, "Dr. William Burke, ma'am."

"Show him to the parlor, Harrison, I'll be there any minute." Elizabeth took a deep breath to compose herself and then she straightened. She was determined to win the young man over; after all, he had stopped by here several times after Michaela had left town to ask if she was available for a walk or perhaps for a dinner.

William Burke was a tall man with piercing blue eyes in his mid thirties. He could barely hide his excitement that he had been invited to come to the Quinn house; he knew this could mean he hadn't waited in vain and possibly even that Mike was finally back. For ages, he had felt as if he knew and loved her. He had first met her at the hospital when she was still a student and had fallen in love with her right away. He wasn't only taken by her beauty and kindness but by her knowledge and operating skills as well. However, Mike had chosen David or better said, his friend had been faster in asking her out. Then they were courting, at least that was what everyone including Michaela thought, and of course he didn't want to interfere. His heart broke as he witnessed how devastated Mike was after David's betrayal. Unfortunately, the Burke family had moved to Baltimore shortly after that and William only came back to Boston three years ago. A few month's after his return, Dr. Josef Quinn had died and he wanted to make Michaela the offer to work with him at his new practice. However, when he finally found the courage and was ready to ask her, she was already on her way to the frontier. He had thought about following her, but Mrs. Quinn had assured him that her daughter would be back really soon…

The young man was startled from his thoughts when Elizabeth rushed into the room. She reached out her hand to him saying, "I'm very glad that you could come, Dr. Burke."

As she continued to talk, she gestured for him to sit down at a small table and seated herself across from him. "It is about Michaela and I might need your help."

William's face lit up and his blue eyes shone as he eagerly assured, "I'll do anything for Mike, Mrs. Quinn. Please tell me what to do."

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Sully had just fixed a loose board on the roof of the homestead and was turning on the ladder to look on the yard beneath him. Hannah was playing with Wolf and her new ball, and Michaela was doing some laundry. The last few weeks had been very hot, and this afternoon, the first Saturday in June, was no exception. Because of the high temperature, Michaela wore a simple light gray-blue blouse with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. The collar was unusually low cut and Sully couldn't take his eyes away from the lily-white skin exposed there. He silently sighed, it became harder for him to only place kisses to her mouth…

Michaela was rubbing one of his shirts over the scrub board as if she wanted to rather wear through the fabric than to clean it. She couldn't believe that the town council was looking for another doctor for weeks and only told her about it yesterday. They hadn't taken the advertisement out of the newspapers although they knew that she hadn't abandoned her duties but been sick! If Loren hadn't mentioned it by mistake when he brought Hannah back from a walk, she still wouldn't know it. It had turned out that it was only Hank and Mrs. Jennings' doing, but everyone had been informed! It calmed her a little when the reverend assured her that they just would turn down any applicant who might show up. Yet how could she work for a town with the constant fear that she could be fired on a whim! She had thought they trusted her and her skills …

Still scrubbing the shirt vehemently, her arms grew heavy and so she at last stilled her hands, taking a deep breath. It was useless to dwell on that anger and she knew it. Of course she would never show her frustration in town. On the contrary, she had embarrassed some of the men when she reminded them that she didn't expect gratitude but respect. Actually, she had decided at this point that she didn't want to have a contract with a town council that could be manipulated so easily. She already had a clinic and regular patients; she could work without depending on a circle of men that were unreliable.

Finally composed somewhat, Michaela took in her surroundings again. Seeing Hannah playing made her smile and noticing how Sully stared at her, once again brought color to her cheeks. Secretly she admitted that she loved kissing him, but since they were engaged to be married, Sully's caresses felt different. His touches didn't make her uncomfortable but the feelings they awoke inside of her were frightening sometimes…

Their daughter lived in her own world. Her grandpa had given her a glowing red ball yesterday and it was so much fun to lift it with both her arms over her head and then throw it away with all her might. As soon as her new toy rolled away, Wolf would run after it and pushed it back to her with his nose. However, Wolf grew a little tired of the game and preferred to lie lazily in the shadow of the barn. She definitely needed a playmate. The little girl stopped her game when it suddenly occurred to her that she could easily get one. Forgetting the new ball momentarily, she went to her ma. Standing across of her, she propped her hands on her waist the way her ma did it when she was lightly impatient and wanted her to do something that should have already been done. The little girl looked up in her ma's loving eyes and demanded, "When we get baby?"

Michaela was too stunned to answer right away, but Sully had to chuckle; he loved his daughter's thinking. Still grinning he reminded her, "First we gotta get married, sweet girl."

Hannah rolled her eyes, of course she knew that. However, she needed someone to play with really soon and so she wanted to know it exactly, "When you marry?"

Sully climbed down from the ladder, postponing his answer. This was a topic Michaela and him hadn't spoken about yet and he wasn't sure if now was the right time to do so. That's why he replied somewhat vague as he at last jumped on the ground, "Not right away."

Of course his daughter wasn't satisfied with such an answer, prompting her to ask, "Why?"

Michaela put the shirt back into the water and while she was drying her hands with her apron, she just watched the scene in front of her lightly amused as well as interested in the topic. Sully stooped down to be on eye level with Hannah. He knew she wouldn't let it go and so he offered her the news even Michaela didn't know yet, "Because I first wanna build us a new house."

Michaela was pleasantly surprised and her heartbeat quickened. Since Sully's proposal a couple of weeks ago, they had spent every free minute together but Sully had never talked about his plans and she felt too shy to ask him. She had no experience in this field of their relationship…

However, the little girl was puzzled, "Why?" She liked her home and she had thought her pa did, too.

Sully and Michaela glanced at each other. She knew what the glow in her future husband's eyes meant and lightly biting her lower lip, she averted her eyes. The engaged couple couldn't tell a two-year-old that they would need some privacy once they would share a bed at night. Just the thought of it made Michaela blush again and Sully had to suppress a grin. He gazed back at his daughter and tried to look serious. "When we wanna have a baby, we'll need more room, don't you think so?"

Hannah studied her father's face. He wasn't kidding, his raised eyebrows told her that he wanted her to think about what he had just said. She frowned because she tried to picture a baby in their house. At last dawned on her, her face lit up again and she nodded, "No pace for baby bed."

"I'm glad ya see it the same way as I do, sweet girl." Sully grinned openly again and hugged his daughter and then straightened with his child still in his arms.

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It was quite late in the evening, when Michaela and Sully finally had time to sit on their favorite place on the top porch step of the homestead. They each had news for the other one and wasn't sure how to come out with it. For the moment, they enjoyed the light cool breeze and the starry sky above them. With Sully's arm around her shoulder, Michaela leaned against his chest and felt his cheek on the top of her head. Their right hands lay clasped on Sully's lap and he absent-mindedly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. She had never known that she could feel so happy! Hearing Sully tell their daughter about his plans for a new house made her tingle with anticipation. She hoped he would tell her more…

Sully had closed his eyes momentarily; he reveled in Michaela's closeness. The scent of her hair and its softness made his wish to kiss her urgent and so he lifted his head from hers. As she questioningly looked up at him, he simply smiled. Michaela instantly blushed; even in the darkness, she recognized the desire on his face. Her eyelids dropped without her noticing it as she felt his warm and tender lips on hers. As soon as she sensed his tongue, she opened her mouth and for several moments they were lost in each other. When they finally came up for a breath, they spoke simultaneously, "Sully…" "Michaela…"

Sully took his hand from her cheek and Michaela untangled hers from his hair as a lighthearted laughter filled the air until Sully said, "You first."

Michaela nodded. She so hoped that Sully would understand her… Taking a deep breath, she turned towards him so she could gauge his reaction when she at last began, "I have to go to Boston, Sully."

Seeing the startled look on his face she hastily explained, "It looks as if mother still refuses to send me the money I need for the clinic. I have to go to the bank personally, or I will never get it."

Seeing that his expression softened, she continued, "It is a strenuous trip and I don't want for Hannah to endure that. I already talked to her about it and I know she feels safe with you by now."

Michaela paused for a moment, unsure of his reaction to what she would tell him next. Finally pulling herself together, she admitted, "I hoped that you would take care of her until I'm back…" Her voice trailed off because she couldn't understand the change on Sully's face.

He swallowed, "Actually, I wanted to tell ya that I have to leave for a while, too."

Although he felt that she tried to suppress it, Sully noticed the sudden tension in her body. Grasping her hand again, he explained, "I wanna build us a new home and for that I need money. I got a job, Michaela."

Somewhat relaxing, she replied, "I understand."

Relieved, Sully continued. "I got a letter from a Denver. A Mr. Baker saw the article about the schoolhouse in the Denver Post and wants me to build a house for him outside town. He will pay real good and I can hire as many men as I need to finish the house quickly."

Michaela had dropped her head. How long would it take to build a house? How would Hannah take it? How long before she could settle things with her heritance in Boston? They would be parted again…

Sully interrupted her train of thoughts by lifting her chin with the tips of his fingers. "Hey…" His voice was soft. "I'll come here every weekend, I don't wanna leave you alone for too long. Maybe he doesn't want a big house and I'm done really soon and then we can think about our trip to Boston."

Enjoying the surprise in her eyes, he added, "Ya didn't think I would let you make such a journey all by yourself, did ya?" Seeing hesitation creeping into her eyes, he suggested, "All the three of us could go, make it a family vacation."

When Michaela beamed at him, Sully knew he would die for that smile.

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Three days later, late in the afternoon, Sully walked along the sidewalk of a cobble stoned street in Denver. On either side of the boulevard rose two- and three-storied brownstones, which made him a little uncomfortable. He had forgotten how it felt to live in a town where the eye couldn't roam boundlessly. Searching for the right number at the entrance doors he passed by, his pace quickened. His chest still felt tight after the goodbye to his two women in front of the clinic several hours ago. All he wanted right now was to reach his destination, learn about the job and if he took it, to finish it as quickly as he could. There it was, number 33. He paused shortly to compose himself and then he lifted his hand to knock.

The young woman, sitting behind the window in her room on the third floor, had seen him coming. Usually, her gaze went over the roofs of the other houses to look at the trees she could discern in the distance. Only by seeing the comforting green, could she calm her nerves that were on edge most of the time. However, today was an exception. She knew he would come and so she looked out for him. When she watched him approaching, her heart leapt with joy. He was everything she had hoped for after she had spotted his portrait in the newspaper! A white man but living her life… She would wait to see if he stayed and then go downstairs to get to know him.

At the entrance, Mr. Baker breathed a sigh of relief when he greeted the buckskin-clad young man. To be honest, he had feared that the architect might do his introduction for the job in a formal suit.

Sully was puzzled as he sat across from Mr. Baker at his large desk in an office on the second floor. The older man had scrutinized his garment and after he was finished doing so, he had smiled at him warmly. In Colorado Springs people were used to his outfit; however, on his way to this house had he gained several disapproving looks.

"Mr. Sully," Mr. Baker had decided to talk frankly, "My daughter had asked me to hire you." Seeing the young man shifting uncomfortably on his chair ready to object, he quickly continued, "When my family was on its way West fourteen years ago, we were ambushed by Indians and they kidnapped our only child. My wife never got over that loss and died two years later. I never stopped searching for my daughter and half a year ago, I actually succeeded. I found her in an army camp; soldiers had freed her shortly before. She wouldn't talk to anyone but thankfully she remembered me after I told her about the ten years of her childhood she spent with her mother and me. I brought her here, but she isn't happy. She told me that she needs to see the woods, she feels as if she is choking here, in the middle of the town."

Mr. Baker paused shortly to give Sully a moment to digest the information. Seeing only compassion and understanding in the blue eyes, the concerned father continued, "I decided to build a house for her out of town and when she saw your picture in the newspaper, she implored me to hire you. I think it is because you remind her of the Indian family that had taken her in…" His voice trailed off and his gaze went over Sully's head to the door that had been opened.

Sully turned to look as well and when he saw a young woman with long blond hair and water blue eyes entering the room, he rose. Without hesitation, she went straight towards him, touched his beads and then smiled up at him, "Cheyenne?"

When Sully nodded, she laid her palm on her chest and replied, "I'm Arapaho. I am so glad that you are here."

Mr. Baker had watched the scene with pleasure. It was the first time that he witnessed her talking on her own accord to someone else besides of him and the servants. "Mr. Sully, may I introduce my daughter to you? Her name is Catherine."