After Michaela had finally returned to the sanctuary of her home, the events of the past days started to take their toll. Sully kept Brian busy while Colleen helped tending to her cuts and bruises. But Michaela soon gave in to her fatigue and fell asleep.
As the sun set and the children were turning in for the night, Sully decided to keep vigil by her bedside. He was just not ready to let her out of his sight that soon.
He fell asleep on a chair he had positioned by the foot of the bed. In the wee hours of the night Michaela suddenly started to stir, waking him up in the process. He got up from his uncomfortable sleeping position and instinctively moved to take her in his arms.
"Sully, what would have happened if One Eye had hurt me?" Michaela suddenly blurted out and drew away from his embrace.
"I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you." Sully looked at her, not quite knowing what she was getting at.
"No, I mean, what would have become of us? I, errm, would have lost – been improper –, another man would have-"
"Shh" he cut her off.
"No, I have been thinking about it a lot." She braced herself and continued. " It could easily have happened. It nearly happened. Twice. I would have been damaged goods. You couldn't have stayed with me."
The implication of what she was saying slowly downed on him. "I would not leave you over an act of violence, it wouldn't have been your fault. Stop frettin' what could have happened. It ain't healthy."
He tried to take her back in his arms, but she moved away slightly and looked at him, not quite meeting his eyes.
"But I need to know, I can't stop. It's just on my mind all the time. Sully, when you found me I realized how much I rely on you. But also how much I want to be with you. And if something happened that would make you, well, might make you walk away, that would be devastating for me."
Sniffling, she fumbled with the hem of her nightgown. It had been an emotionally draining night for her, even if she felt her body slowly regaining its strength.
"Michaela, I don't want to think of something like that happening to you. But we would work it out. We'd heal together. We'd have to, cause I'm not planning on leaving you. Ever. When the dog soldiers took you, I was so..I vowed to get you back. And when I did, I promised myself I would not let anyone take you again. When I was looking in the village, nobody would tell me where they had taken you…I told a woman you were my heartsong. And she did show me the way. And, you are my heartsong, no matter what. Believe me."
Michaela finally let him take her in his arms again. As she snuggled closer she tried to stifle a yawn. She had to smile inwardly; apparently it took her as much strength to talk about her fears and feelings as being dragged through the wilderness by renegade Indians did. She decided she would choose emotions over abductions any day, though. This time, she let her yawn out fully and fell back asleep in Sully's arms.