Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the characters of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The show and the characters belong to Beth Sullivan and to CBS/A&E.

Holding On To You

His deep blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at her fleeting form.

"Wait! Come back!" he called laughingly. She giggled and paused to look back, only to find herself already wrapped in his arms. He sprinkled soft kisses along her neck and she arched her head back happily. He had never seen a more beautiful woman. Her beautifully mismatched amber and emerald eyes. Her long, flowing coppery hair that shined and smelled of sweet rose water. Her delicate features and always blushing cheeks. Her perfectly shaped lips that curved into a turned smile that curved mostly upwards to the left. Sully kissed her lips softly and smiled. He was never this happy before.

"Sully!" a voice called to him. He awoke with a start. Those eyes still burning in his mind. Why did he have that dream again? He was married, happily, or so he thought, to Abigail Bray. And they were expecting a child. Yet every night when Sully fell asleep he dreamed of this mysterious, beautiful woman. He had never seen a woman like her before, so he had no clue where she had come from. Sully had these dreams repeatedly, almost for months now.

The bouncy brunette flopped into bed beside him. He smiled softly to her, still thinking about the dreamy woman with different colored eyes.

"Good morning sleepy head!" she said giggling and kissed him. She wasn't tired as she usually was with the baby due any day now.

"Mornin Abby." He whispered into her ear making her shudder. Sully always had a way of doing that to her. "How's Hannah?"

"Mmm, good. Been kickin a lot recently now that she's almost due. Charlotte already told me that she's ready anytime I need her." Abby spoke fondly of the midwife, Widow Cooper. Everyone knew her and her three sweet children, Matthew, Colleen, and Brian.

"That's good ta know." he replied pulling himself out of bed. The bed stayed indented and warm where his body was before. She touched where his head was and sighed softly. She had never been happier.She was married to a man she adored and had a beautiful baby girl coming their way. They had decided to name her Hannah, a name she had loved since she was a little girl. She had always made up fairy tales about princesses all named Hannah. Finally her own little princess would be arriving her, their way. She corrected herself mentally.

Sully came back into the room with fresh buckskins and shirt in hand.

"I'm gonna go bathe at the creek. I'll be back in half an hour or so."

"Alright" she replied dreamily as he walked off pulling his old shirt over his head. After all he couldn't just go walking down the street with no shirt on. His physique never stopped amazing her. He had an ideal male body, strong and muscular. Toned all around and she was happy he was all hers.

As he pulled off his buckskins and shirt he slipped smoothly into the creek without a sound. His mind rushed back to his childhood and a cold drifted over him in the lukewarm water. His eyes stung slightly with tears that had been shed many times before and he knew they would continue as long as he lived. His mind flashed back to when he was but a young boy living in New York. His father had passed on as well as his brother. So he and his mother were all alone. Then one day she went off and drowned herself in the Hudson River. He would never forget that and then heading out west. A big, salty tear ran down his face, but it was hardly noticeable as he was already soaked. Quickly he dried himself and pulled on his new clothes. He knew who he wanted to talk to today. He was so confused as to his dreams and why he wasn't happier with Abby and the baby coming along.

She stared out the window of the stage coach as she uncomfortably endured the endless hours of travel. She knew that Colorado Springs was only ten minutes away and she could hardly contain her excitement. She had talked it over with the people there through telegram and everyone seemed pleased that she was on her way. She had mentioned being a lady doctor and they hadn't protested. This was the best she was feeling in years. Finally free from her mother's reprimands and her sisters' mocking glares. Michaela felt as if life was finally going right again after her beloved father, Joseph Quinn, had passed on. She missed his kind words and eyes dearly, but she knew she was doing the right thing by moving on. And Michaela Anne Quinn had finally found a place that would respect her as a doctor.

She breathed slowly as the door was opened for her. Her dainty gloved hand reached out as she gently lowered herself to the ground. She found the mud a bit disgusting but remembered playing absentmindedly in it when she was a child. Pulling up her longs skirts she walked as if skipping across the dirt to a wooden porch. She asked quickly where she might find the Reverend Johnson and was given directions, though Michaela did notice the strange looks because of her accent.

She spoke quickly with the Reverend, in a formal business tone.

"Well, Dr. Quinn we are extremely pleased to have you here. We've needed a doctor for a long time and Jake won't cut it anymore if something hits us." She nodded gratefully.

"I'm just pleased that you've accepted me for whom and what I am. I'm not quite used to it." She whispered the last part, a light blush filling her cheeks. She hadn't noticed where she was going and tripped over a bit of wood almost finding herself face down in the mud. However she felt a pair of strong arms embrace her, holding her. Her eyes were closed as she took a deep breath and focused her breathing. The touch was electrifying.

He looked upon her face as he held her and turned her around. Her eyes were closed as she tried to recover from the shock. She looked so strangely familiar to him. She opened her eyes and he nearly dropped her in shock. Those eyes, those mismatched, beautiful eyes! Her grip on his arm tightened.

"Good thing I was holding on to you!" she said smiling, with laughter in her voice and eyes. He looked a bit blanched. "Are you alright? I can help. I'm a doctor." He shook himself out of the reverie. He could smell rose water gently wafting from her hair and the scent was intoxicating.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Sully pulled her up and whittled his hands nervously together. It was the woman in his dreams, the woman of his dreams and he had no idea on what to do. She looked at him quizzically wondering why he was so frightened.

"Are you sure?" she asked concernedly.

"Yeah, thanks. Um, what's your name?" her blush deepened and he never thought he'd laid eyes on a more beautiful woman.

"Michaela." She spoke in a whisper. His breath caught in his throat and he realized she was still touching his arm. She noticed also and embarrassedly removed her hand. The spot where she had touched him radiated warmth.

"Uh…that's uh." He stuttered.

"It's like Michael. A boy's name I know." She sighed.

"No, I mean, it's beautiful." He wanted to say like you, but he was married and that hit him like a ton of bricks. If it was possible the pink of her cheeks turned bright red.

"Well, thank you." She murmured. "I have to go. Thank you once again." She gave him a peck on the cheek in thanks, but they both knew this would not be the end of it.

He hurried towards the reservation where he could see his best friend and his brother, Cloud Dancing. He was the Cheyenne medicine man who had helped him in his darkest hours. And now Sully knew that he was the only one that could help him now. In a way that never ceased to amaze him, Cloud Dancing appeared from out of his teepee. Snowbird already outside and preparing a meal.

"Something troubles you my brother." He spoke wisely. Sully sighed heavily.

"You always know don't cha?"

"Yes. Woman troubles."

"Yeah." He suddenly stopped. Having no clue as to explain this strange occurrence he breathed slowly.

"With Abigail?"

"No." Cloud Dancing looked confused.

"But she is the only woman in your life is she not?"

"Well…" he stammered off again, not knowing how to explain it. "For the past few months I've been having dreams." He stated slowly, still unsure on how to proceed.

"And there was a woman in your dreams?"

"Yeah. But she wasn't Abby. It was this beautiful woman with long, coppery hair. She had two different colored eyes, one amber and one emerald. And she smelled of rose water. Everything about her was so real that I felt as if the whole thing was real. Then I would always wake up and realize I was dreaming. I hadn't understood any of this." He replied, ending in a whisper. When Sully continued his voice was still barely audible and came out in rasps. "Then today I saw a young woman trip and fall, so I reached out ta catch her so she wouldn't fall in the mud. When I looked at her face she looked so familiar and then she opened her eyes and I nearly dropped her in shock." His cheeks flushed slightly from embarrassment. Continuing, "Her eyes were the eyes that haunt my dreams every night and she smelled of rose water as well." A slight smile tugged at his lips but he resisted without noise. Cloud Dancing looked at him curiously.

"So you dreamed of a woman. But you thought she was not a real woman, and then you met her today?"

"Yep."

"If you have dreamed of her this long, then there must be some reason. It seems your heart calls to this woman. However if you truly want to follow this path, it will be difficult. For there will be many obstacles, which for the moment are seemingly impossible. Abigail seems to be the main obstacle on this path. I wish you luck my brother."

This is my first fan fic, please comment and enjoy!