Disguised Charges.
Disclaimer I do not own the characters in this story. I wish the people who did would use them and create new series. I have just borrowed the characters.
A/N.. A picture challenge Sully with goal bars in front of him the second was Sully giving Michaela dressed as a man a rose after winning the pace.
Sully paced up and down near the jail bars chastising himself.
He felt absolutely responsible for the serious situation they now found themselves in. He wondered how he could have been so stupid in letting his fiancée take on this ludicrous adventure. It had been her idea but he should have tried dissuading her.
"What a mess, he thought. "Why do I go along with her hare-brained schemes?" Dropping his eyes down he acknowledged, "Sucked in every time because ya' love her ya' fool."
He heard her soft voice, "Sully, it's not your fault. I took the chance and you did warn me to be careful, but I took the responsibility to warn them about Custer's raid. They're my friends as well. You knew the dawn raid was designed in a way to cause the most damage and carnage," she concluded, extending her arm through the bars gently tracing her hand down his arm trying to get him to look at her.
"It should be me in there," he whispered nodding his head towards the cell.
"Custer would have killed you. You know that as well as I do. He is waiting for the opportunity to rid himself of you and the Cheyenne."
He looked in the cell and all he wanted was to trade places with her. She looked so small like a small boy. She had not had the opportunity to change since her capture by the patrol of army soldiers as she was returning to town. Custer had been *livid at discovering the lad they had in their custody was in fact the lady doctor. He'd instantly dragged her to the goal and informing her son he wanted her locked up and that he was going to get the local circuit judge to try her for treason.
Matthew had locked her up to keep her safe, sending Brian to find Sully and inform him their Ma was in jail. Matthew had had to do Custer's bidding and had wired the judge. Horace had been mortified as he hadn't wanted to send such a disturbing telegram about their town doctor.
...
When they had been told by Robert E of a plan he had over heard from some loose mouthed soldiers about an early morning raid to be carried out the day after tomorrow on the Indian's village it had been decided someone had to warn them.
Sully had grabbed his belt and headed for the door but had been stopped by Michaela.
The entire family had been arguing about who should go without causing the most suspicion.
The arguments had consisted of: Brian was to young and vulnerable.
Michaela too well known.
Sully was a target for Custer and Michaela was not going to let him take that huge risk.
It was against the law so Matthew was out of the question, and the less he knew about it the better.
Colleen didn't ride that well and she was a girl this statement had incurred the ire of both Mike and Colleen as soon as it uttered.
Finally Michaela came up with the idea of the disguise. Once again she would masquerade herself as a young man and go out in order to warn the village to move in haste. Against his better judgement Sully had agreed, and now look where that weak moment had lead them. Michaela was in jail on a treason charge.
"Now look at the pickle we're faced with. Treason carried the death penalty," Sully thought.
...
Custer smiled his sickly smile thinking, "Now I have them and there is no getting out of this mess, Dr Quinn and Mr Sully. Good riddance!"
Sergeant Terrance McKay did not like General Custer and had been in charge of the frontier town of Colorado Springs and knew the town and its folk well. The Indians were never a real threat until Custer turned up. Unlike Custer's murderous lackey O'Connor. McKay cared about the people and what happened to them. He had been contemplating the situation as he watched the shadow of Custer from the lit lamps move around the white canvas walls of his A-framed tent. When he picked something off the table and threw it and the shadow of his Welsh Wolf hound snap at it McKay knew it was a piece of meat from the opulent meal that had been served to the general. His subordinates never saw this kind of food; they were fed army rations that consisted of watery stew with nothing in it, including the hard inedible hardtack biscuits. Seeing the dog's shadow gobbling the meat Mc Kay snapped.
...
Sully had taken up residence at the jail at night afraid that Custer would have something happen while Michaela was behind bars. Grace would provide the evening meal from the cafe so the children could eat with them and then retire to the clinic. Matthew and Sully would remain vigil during the long night hours.
Matthew poured over the few law books he was able to get his hands on sitting in the low lamp light making notes if he felt he had located a significant phrase or idea.
A soft knock was heard at the door and Matthew and Sully were immediately on edge, waiting to see who would enter. It was Mc Kay holding his hands high so they saw he was unarmed.
"Ya' taking a risk, ain't ya'? Sully said.
"I don't feel good about what is happening," the soldier replied.
"We are trying to find a legal way of solving this," Matthew said looking tired and harassed at the sergeant standing inside the door.
Michaela who had drifted off sat silently up, listening.
Taking a big gulp of air McKay said, "First: Custer is trying to rattle you." He looked around at the group. "He figures if he can get you on edge you'll do or say something incriminating."
The group thought about what he was saying.
"Second: From the direction the doctor was coming could have been from any of the cross roads, not only the village. When they were gone by the next morning it looked like they had been gone awhile."
Sully hid a slight smile knowing the tricks the Indians used to disguise their tracks and to mislead people.
"What doesn't look good is the fact that she was in disguise." McKay looked at Michaela as he said this. "You don't go riding around the country side disguised unless you have something to hide OR you are afraid of being captured by the Dog Soldiers," he stated concluding, "You would look a lot better attending court looking like the woman we are used to seeing, the local doctor here."
Sully nodded understanding what McKay had said. As the sergeant turned to leave he moved forward and placed his hand on the man's shoulder saying, "Thank ya." The soldier just nodded his head and silently slid back out into the dark.
...
The day finally arrived for the trial and everyone who could crowd into the church was there.
Custer was seated in the front on one side dressed in all his decorations and his uniform immaculately cleaned. Sitting next to him and in direct contrast was the dirty, sloppy and evil looking Sergeant O'Connor.
Jake Slicker had everyone rise as his honour entered the building.
O'Connor leered as the prisoner was brought before the judge. She was dressed in a clean green dress that made her look genteel. She had her hair up and she carried herself in with confidence. Sully was with her, followed by Matthew who was to defend her.
Sergeant McKay was standing with a crowd of men at the back.
Silently people listened to the charge, disbelieving that Dr Mike had done anything different to her usual visits to the sick in the district.
When she took the stand after Custer and O'Connor whom the majority of the town now deplored the people listened. Sneering Custer asked, "Tell us, Dr Quinn, why were you dressed as a man?"
Looking directly at the judge she said in a loud voice, "I was afraid."
Custer let out a laugh saying, "You were afraid?"
"Yes. You have been stirring up the Dog Soldiers again and I needed to see patients. I felt I shouldn't go out dressed as a woman and so I used the disguise people would recognise."
Loren laughed, "Yeah we certainly have seen that before."
"Here, here," was heard throughout the court.
How could anyone forget how she won the horse race dressed as a man and how Sully gave her a rose from the winner's garland afterwards?
The judge heard others say the same and Dr Mike had in fact visited people out in the direction she had been apprehended that day dressed as she was. In addition the army could not say exactly which direction she had come from, so he dismissed the charge with a warning to the Army to be more careful in the future.
"Dismissed," he said as he slammed the gavel down on the desk.
...
That evening as they sat down on the porch of the old homestead Sully kissed Michaela soundly saying, "That was too close." Then he produced from under the steps a bunch of red roses. Handing them to Michaela he said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Oh Sully! I completely forgot, thank you," she said as she leaned her head onto his shoulder with a sigh.
The end.
*Livid.. Furiously angry ..Aust. Oxford Dictionary