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.

DQ: Interlaced Destinies
- Prologue -

- November 1886 -
Colorado Springs

The sun was not out anymore, leaving the place with the clouds at the end of the afternoon. Matthew was riding home, where his wife and family waited for him for Thanksgiving supper.

On the road, he stopped in front the cemetery, glanced to the sky few seconds before walking to a near gravestone. He knelt, sighed and whispered: "How I could know that your death would change our life at this point?" he paused. "Thank you for being with me all this time, you will always stay in our heart, you know?." He then kissed his fingers and put his hand on the gravestone.

His head turned to another gravestone and he grinned before said "I miss you so much... I only want you to know... that I know I really love her, not like you for sure, but… I only hope that you understand it."

It started to rain lightly, Matthew stayed a few more minutes near the gravestones before returning to his horse and continuing the road to Sully's homestead for the Thanksgiving.

- Chapter 1: First Glance -

- May 1877 -
Denver

Matthew continued to pack his bag when Thomas threw him a shoe and yelled: "Catch Matt!"

"Com'on Tom, I'll be late for the train!" Matthew said to his roommate.

"Don't forget your books, we have an exam monday!" Thomas threw one of their law books to his friend.

"I'll have enough time for this on the train, don't worry about me!" he grinned, while he put the book in his bag, before walked towards the door.

"Have good time with your family Matt!"

"See ya Sunday, stay quiet during my leaving!" Matthew left his room and his thoughts went to his little brother. The letters said that Katie was kidnapped, then Brian was shot and was now recovering in Colorado Springs.

Becka heard the train's whistle while departing from Denver. Soon she will be arriving in Colorado Springs - did she made a good move? She wondered while looking cross the window - She already missing her sibling and she didn't find time to see them between her studies and her new affectation.

Her eyes closed and she fell asleep to the train's rythm... when suddently she awoke when she heard a broken bottle noise. The blonde girl turned back and saw a drunk man causing trouble with a young man.

"Ya… ya a bicth's son!" yelled the drunk man to Matthew, while trying to punch him a second time to his head. Matthew dodged the hit this time and the man fell on the floor. A passanger helped the steward to bring the man outside of the wagon. A woman thanked the young man, while bringing her kids to their seats.

"Nothing Ma'am." he said while walking to his sit, with some blood running from his lips. Becka stood up in front of him for interrupt his walk

"Your bleeding Mister." she said softly with her light accent.

"No… that's," he paused, a little shaken to heard this voice. "That's alright, I think." Matthew tried to smile to the young woman – this accent, similar to the one heard many year ago now and her long blond hairs reminded him of Ingrid for few seconds.

"You don't have to be scared of me Mister, I'm a graduate nurse and I have no dead in my patients," Becka smiled.

"Well, that's fine but that's it ok, thank you."

"Alright Mister, you know what you want to do," The young woman sighed while sitting down. "Take care Mister." She added.

"Oh, Matthew, Matthew Cooper." He smiled to her. Becka's face was stunned for a few seconds when she finally answered:

"Nice to meet you Mr. Cooper." She nodded. "Becka."

"Nice to meet you Becka. You," he glanced around, she seemed be alone, "are traveling to the West?"

"Oh, I am stopping in Colorado Springs." She said, suddenly uneasey. "I-I think I'll will try to sleep before arrive, I-I'm a little tired."

"Oh, I'll not disturb you anymore, sorry." He greeted her with his hat before walking to his seatt, her voice still in his mind.

Colorado Springs

In front of the clinic building, Brian put the last package in the wagon. After, he walked inside to join Michaela who had gone downstairs.

"Anything else?" he asked to his mother, while looking at the empty room.

"No, that's is all, thank you." She said, while moving slowy to the main door. She sighed, remembering all the moments that passed in this clinic – now that the Elizabeth Quinn Memorial Hospital was completed, she had moved her clinic into a part of this new building.

Brian grinned, but tried to not show it. Micheala saw the pain in her sons face, but didnt want to worry Michaela.

"Brian? How's your arm?" she asked worried.

"That's alright Ma." He rolled his eyes, since they were back in Colorado Springs, she was brooding over him more than ever despite that he was no longer a kid.

"We will look at it at the hospital Brian," she answered, while leaving the building.

The train was at the station when Matthew went inside with the stewart to fill the papers about the drunk man event. He wrote quickly, and wanted to see the young woman before she left the train. Unfortunately, when he exited the train, he didn't saw her at the station, nor in the street. He started to think that she came from his imagination.
Fifteen minutes later, Becka, who was kneeling in the cemetery, rose and grabbed her bag before leaving the gravestone. She glanced to the sun and sighed, while thinking of a few childhood memories.

"It is time to go…" she whispered, while walking down the road that reached the hospital.

After few minutes of walking, she heard noise coming from the woods. She turned to see what that could be when she saw a wolf running quickly in her direction. She shouted in fear, while stunned.

"Wolf!" called Sully, then whistling to the animal. Exiting the forest, he saw the scared young woman shaken. The animal ran back to his master and barked.

"He is not dangerous, he just wanted to play. Sorry that he scared you Miss." Sully explained to the young woman.

"I-I believe you Mister, but… I don't like wolves, sorry." She stepped backward, while glancing at the animal. "I-I'll go now…" she said, still scared. "Having a nice day Mister." She turned back and continued on her way with fast steps, trying to not think about the animal.

Michaela and Brian entered in the hospital, when Sister Anne brought a few documents to the doctor.

"Oh doctor! You need to see this please!" she gave the documents to Mike.

"Can you wait for me in my office Brian? I'll be there in few minutes." Michaela said, while looking the papers.

With a sigh, Brian left his mother and she walked towards the main desk to read the papers to sign. While reading, she was interrupted be a young womans voice:

"Excuse me?" Becka asked, while Mike glanced at the newcomer.

"Yes, can I help you?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, maybe," the blond woman gave her a paper and continued, "They sent me here for work."

"Oh! Yes, I received a telegram few days ago, I'm Dr. Micheala Quinn. You must be Becka?"

"Yes doctor, nice to meet you."

"Well, I have these documents to look at right now, but I already have a patient in my office, you can go for remove the binding while I complete this, if you don't have anything else to do right now of course." Mike said with a warm smile to the young woman.

"It is alright Dr. Mike. I'll go see him." Becka answered instinctively.

She walked toward the office and opened the door slowy. Her glance examined all the pieces – the decoration was beautiful, for a doctors office.

"Can I help you?" asked Brian surprise to see the young woman.

"Oh, well, maybe." she glanced to the files and read for a few seconds. "Mr. Cooper, Brian?" he nodded.

She walked toward him, while saying:

"I'll be your nurse for today. Dr. Mike asked me to remove your binding." Becka smiled, while whatching Brians eyes – she find him really nice.

"You work here?" Brian asked, while examining Becka – she had a beautiful smile and mysterious eyes.

After she was done eatting her supper, Becka left Grace's Café and walked to the boarding house. She saw Matthew leaving the general store and she finally decided to go talk to him. Behind him, she took a deep breath before speak.

"Mr. Matthew Cooper?" she said, while he turned to look at her. He was surprised to finally see her again, and he smiled.

"Becka?" he answered, surprised.

"Yes. I'm sorry for not doing this before, but…" she paused, trying to find her words and finally took a letter from her pocket. "This is for you, I promised to give it to you, so here it is. If you have anything to answer, I'm only the messenger and you'll have to deal with him." She explained, without givingMatthew time to speak.

"Uh, thank you, but what is it?"

"You'll see… I, hmm, I have to go now, see ya later maybe?" she smiled with hesitation and left him, while walking toward the boarding house.

Sitting at the Café, Matthew opened the letter. Money was included inside with the letter. "But, what…" he whispered before began to read.

"Hi Matthew,
how are you? I hope you are fine, here in Montana the weather has begun to get better everyday. The last winter was not easy, my youngest Matthias passed away from the cold. Now,where to begin?

The next year after we left Colorado Springs, Ellinor passed away, I think that is at this time that Becka decided to become nurse, and she hasn't changed her mind since. Anna is now married with a good guy and live on the neighbooring ranch, Ida is studying to become a school teacher and I have been married to Harietta three years now.

I put some money in the envelop that I asked Becka to give you when I learned that she was working in the new hospital of Colorado Springs – congratulate Dr.Quinn by the way. Becka just completed her studies and Ida has another year in school. I know this is far from equal to all that your help has brought us - but please, keep this money, you deserve it more than anyone else, six years ago, I was unable to think that all these new lives could be possible for my sisters.

Sincerely, your friend, Jon."

Becka lit another candle, the evening was getting late, before continuing to write in her dairy - she wrote her feeling on this first day in Colorado Springs. She was interrupted when someone knocked to the door.

"Yes?" she asked, while stand up and walking to the door.

"This is Brian, Brian Cooper!"

"Brian?" she surprised to see him here. She opened the door and looked at him, and didn't understand what he was doing here.

"Can I?" he asked, while lookind around in the room.

"Oh, yes! Enter! Hmm… you can sit… on the chair if you want." She answered, while showing the chair at her desk.

"Thank you. I will not be long, I'll leave tomorow morning to go back to Boston for my work." He began to said, while saw the dairy. "You write?"

"Write? Hmm, yes, at least, few things here and here, that is far away to be a book to read." she answered, trying to find why he was coming saw here.

"Oh, can I? Unless that is too personal?"

"Why not…" she smiled. He took the dairy, began to read and grinned.

"That is in Swedish I suppose?" he asked, while dropping the book on the desk.

"That with its advantage!" she smiled again. He didn't knew why, but he knew that he could stay here and watch her smile like that without stopping.

His glanced turned around quickly and he walked toward the windows and looked outside before continued.

"I-I didn't know when I saw you at the hospital, that," he was interrupted by Becka.

"That's alright Brian, I don't want anything, I don't expect anything from you and I hope that will not change anything, I mean…" she paused, uneasy of the situation - she knew that Pup, who bit Ingrid, was Brian's wolf.

"No, no!" Brian exclaimed, while looking in her eyes – she had the same eyes as Ingrid, how could he had not recognized her this afternoon he thought. "I just," he sighed and glanced to the desk. "I leave tomorrow, but if you love writing, you can write to me in Boston? I write a lot myself, so what do ya think?" he asked, while turning his eyes from the floor to the desk.

"Write to you in Boston?" she asked while rose an eyebrow. "Hmm, why not… this can be fun!" she smiled, trying to change the atmosphere.

"Well… in English of course," he smiled. "So," he catched her glanced a few seconds and smiled at his turn. "I think I'll go back home, it's getting late now. Hmm, see ya next time, good night Becka." He said, with an awkward voice, before left the room.