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.

Wind of Change, Part 1: The Wild West

Chapter 1

- 1873, Thursday August 25th -

Elisa was back in town in her wagon after picking up Mrs. Bonetti's daughter. The oldest of the Bonetti family, Cassandra, sat beside her. Elisa offered a lift every day to the young woman who helped Grace at the Café. She dropped the Italian woman, greeted Grace with her beautiful pregnant belly, and continued her way to the clinic.

Grace gave two cups of coffee to Cassandra at the same time. "Bring this to Dorothy and Loren," she said, while pointing to their table before returning to her pans. Cassandra smiled to the customers.

"Beautiful day today! It is hard to think that the summer will be ending soon with a sun like that."

"Yes," agreed Dorothy, while she took her cup. "Thank you Cassandra."

The waitress let them and they saw Horace walking toward them.

"Did you know that the Springs Chateau will have a new owner?" asked the telegraph operator. Dorothy's eyes grew wide, interested by the news.

"Really? I didn't hear that Dinston wanted to sell so early!"

"I just received a telegram and the deal is actually completed, the change will be made officially during next week! I have to bring it to Preston."

"Preston?" Loren asked.

"Yes, the new owner wanted to announce his coming this afternoon." Horace looked again on his paper before he continued. "That's it! This is for Preston and this is sign B. H. Lodge!"

"Damn! Not another one! I can't imagine two of them in town!" Loren grumbled.

"Why do you seem so angry Loren?" asked the Reverend, who walked toward them.

"Oh, you can't imagine what a pain the town will have soon..." the old man answered. The Reverend joined them at the table before they continue their discussion, while Horace moved to the bank.

The young woman, with light red hair, came down of the train. She was pretty well dressed and glanced to the clock - 10h00. She let her bags at the station after giving a note and few coin to a teenager, who stood at the station. The boy showed her the direction and she thanked him.

She began to walk in the street, unsure of her boots and dress after seeing the dirty road. She lifted up her dress a little and shifted toward the Gold Nugget. She examined the outside of the building - it followed the style of this street.

She finally entered in the saloon while many glances turned over her. Behind the bar, Hank put a bottle of whiskey on the counter and walked to her, surprised to see this pretty woman entering the place, and all alone.

"May I help you?"

She studied the place, squinted her eyes slightly than turned to Hank and nodded. "So, this is the famous Gold Nugget..." she pressed the word 'famous'.

"The one and only!" Hank answered, proud of his business. "Hank Lawson, owner of the Gold Nugget. And to who I might have the honor?" he said, while catching the woman's hand while his mouth kissed the delicate hand.

"Brittany," she answered, while smiling cordially to Hank. She continued, with a mischievous smile, "I think that'll be all for now. She glanced Hank in his eyes and added, "But I'm sure we'll have plenty of moments to see each other. It was a pleasure, Mr. Lawson."

"You know Brittany, you can call me Hank..." he answered with his soft voice, unsure about what she was coming to do here.

She smiled, with some shine in her eyes, then left the building without saying another word and walked back in the street. Preston left the bank, saw the woman and walked quickly toward her. He softly caught her arm and exclaimed, "Brittany?"

"Oh Preston!" she said on an happy note. Preston was a little embarrassed to see his cousin in town, remembering how eccentric she was when he was in Boston.

"You were not supposed to arrive this afternoon?"

"Yes, but," she smiled. "You know me, I love the effect of surprise."

"How can I forget!" Preston forced a smile, unsure about what will happen next.

"So, that is THE Colorado Springs that y..." she was interrupted by a horse who was riding quickly in the street, and splashed Brittany's dress. She glanced back at her cousin, unhappy.

"You do nothing?" she was offended. "Do you know how this dress cost? I ordered it from Paris!"

Preston sighed while he felt the glances of the town folks on them - discretion was not a priority for her.

"Of course I'll do something, don't worry about it. That can wait later. That was Mr. Carson's oldest son."

She smiled to her cousin.

"I only expected that from you my dear."

"So, you really bought the Springs Chateau?" Preston asked, remembering the stock market crisis from a few months ago. She nodded.

"Yes, I wanted some challenge after my travel in England." Her face showed a smile of pride. "I find this interesting and I found good investors that you know. Like Mr. Moretti from New-York."

"Moretti? The," he pressed the last word. "Moretti from New-York? Really? I remember the last time I saw him, he was too nervous to sign anything. His twins were going on their first year and his wife was near giving birth another time."

"Oh," she paused. She crossed her cousin's glance and smiled. "I talked to his father of course, a real charming man!" she said, while winking. Preston's blood froze. Coming from Brittany, he was unsure about what she meant with this wink.

"Wait! What do y..."

A shot rang and interrupted them. The sound was coming from the Café. Preston brought his cousin near a building wall, while every town folks left the street in hurry, hearing a second shot, then a third fire shoot.

A man finally came running from the Café with a gun in his hands and jumped on an horse before running away, and passing beside them. Daniel exited his office and saw the man
running away. The sheriff jumped on his horse, trying to catch the guy by following his way.

They suddenly heard Horace yell, "Someone get Dr. Mike!"

With the help of Robert E, he left the Café, bringing the Reverend to the clinic. Elisa opened the clinic door to let them enter, while looking to the wound on the Reverend's chest.

"Matthew went to get Dr. Mike. Horace said to the nurse. They put the Reverend on the examining table, while Elisa prepared some white towels and brought it for her patient.

In the street, Brittany breathed again quietly - she did not expect that.

"Is it always like that here?"

"No, certainly not," Preston answered, while thinking that maybe she would want to return back to Boston finally. "But you know, we are in the West, not Boston."

"Well, can you bring me to the hotel? I have to change my clothes after all this!"

"Certainly dear Brittany," he answered and as a gentleman, he offered his arm.

Outside of the saloon, Hank - who exited the building after hearing the commotion in the street - saw the strange woman leave at Preston's arm. He sighed and smoke his cigar, while walking toward the Café to see what happened.

"Everyone is alright?" he asked to the town folks and customers at the Café.

Grace, sitting on a chair answered, "No. The Reverend was shot." She tried to calm down her heartbeat, who increased quickly when she heard the shooting noise previously.

"What hapenned?" Hank asked. Cassandra, sat beside Grace to calm her down.

"A customer stood up after eating his meal. I was beside him. He pulled out his gun, pushed me on the ground and started shooting," she answered. She paused and looked around. "The Reverend took the third shot and the man left."

Robert E came back at this time and walked towards his wife.

"How is the Reverend?" asked Dorothy.

"We gotta wait for Dr. Mike," Robert E said.

At the clinic, Elisa removed the white shirt and carefully cleaned the wound before Mike entered.

"How is he?" the woman doctor asked.

"He lost conscience a few minutes ago. The bullet's still inside."

"My instruments please."

Elisa assisted Dr. Mike for the surgery, who did all her possible to save the Reverend's life.

At the Café, the commotion begin to calm down.

"We'll have to make a sketch of his face!" exclaimed Matthew running towards the Café after bringing Mike in town. "Maybe he's already wanted. Someone remember anything?"

Loren nodded. "He had an accent, like... something like Spanish."

"Italian!" Cassandra exclaimed.

People turned to her and Loren grinned, "Spanish, Italian, It's all the same!"

"Pardon?" that was Teresa's angry voice, offended by his sentence.

"Well, ok," Loren continued. "Maybe it's not the same..." the old man rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Anything else?" asked Matthew, while writing down the information.

In the clinic, a few minutes later, Mike removed the bullet and stopped the blood.

"Clean it and after you can sew it."

Mike smiled warmly to the nurse - she was finally happy to have Elisa at the clinic. Since Colleen was at medical school, and all the new town folks swarming lately, she was often busy. Mike moved the window's curtains an looked outside. A few people waited for some news about the Reverend's state.

"I'll be back."

While the doctor exited the clinic, Elisa began to sew the wound. This was not the first time, so that was done quickly and properly, before cleaning her hands.