Disclaimer- I'm not Beth Sullivan and I don't work for CBS. I'm just a lowly writer who enjoys borrowing their characters.

This story is an alternate ending for the events in Where the Heart Is.

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Tuesday November 7 10:30 PM

Colorado Springs, Colorado

After such a long journey, Sully was happy to have the opportunity to stretch his legs. He was glad to be home, to see the mountains and smell the fresh air once again, but he knew that once the carriage stopped in town anything was fair game. Sully had dreaded that moment beyond belief. He didn't want to have to remind himself once again why he had come home without Dr. Mike and the kids. Lord knows he had gone over the events of his last day in Boston enough by himself; he didn't want to have to repeat it to each and every inquiring towns person. However, his worrying had been for nothing. Somehow, he had managed to get out of town before too many people realized he had even returned. He only had to speak to Horace, Robert E., and Dorothy all who merely inquired to make sure that everything was well with Dr. Mike. He did his best to reassure everyone that all was well, Mrs. Quinn was feeling better, and he thought that everyone would be on their way home soon, even though his words did nothing to reassure himself. Aside from them, Sully had made it out of town without getting swarmed, but he knew this wouldn't last long. By the time the sleepy little town awoke the next morning, his return would be public knowledge, and they would be waiting like one of his traps for the next time he came into town. Wondering what had happened, how the children were, and what Boston was like, they were all well meaning, but all Sully wanted was to be left alone. At least they didn't know the real reason he left for Boston, and no one would ever know that last words he had spoken to Michaela before the train pulled out of the station. At least not unless she wanted them to know.

Sully sighed. He had spent the better part of the afternoon wandering through the familiar woods of Colorado reacquainting himself with Mother Earth and her children. After hunting for his dinner, he had made camp for the night, living much as he did before Dr. Mike had ever come to town. Lying back on the bedroll, Sully tucked his hands behind his head and gazed up at the stars. It's been so long since I've been truly free, he thought feeling the cool November air dance through his hair. His mind slowly traced over his time in Boston. Wearing a suit, going to the theater, eating snails, sleeping in a bed, Sully's mind floated over all of the things he had done for Michaela, all the things that he never would have done had it been anyone else. However, his mind didn't stop there. It travelled over the past weeks, months, even… had it been a year yet? Strangely enough Sully hadn't noticed how much he'd changed since Michaela had moved to Colorado. In truth, he had managed to retain most of his eccentric lifestyle. He still slept under the stars in his lean-tos, he still hunted, and shared with the Cheyenne as he always did, but things had changed. He used to be completely self-sufficient. He could find his own food and rarely went into town. He would leave for weeks maybe months at a time and needed little companionship. He was a loner, and trusted Mother Earth to provide what he needed, and what she didn't provide he did without. When it all changed, Sully wasn't exactly sure. All he knew was that he had long since abandoned sleeping deep in the woods, choosing to stay slightly closer to the homestead. On days he didn't go into town he found that he fell asleep wondering about what Dr. Mike and the kids had done that day. He rarely left for long trips and when he did, he always let Dr. Mike know where he was going and made sure to bring her back some meat from his hunting trips. Clearing his throat, Sully rolled to his side, propping his head on his fist and staring into the dancing fire. It had changed, it had changed so drastically, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Sully could remember when he first went to live with the Cheyenne, after Abigail had died. He had been so empty, so lonely that it was a struggle to open his eyes every morning. Cloud Dancing had helped him learn to live each day with a purpose even if that purpose was simply to find food for the tribe; the Spirits had a reason for his life. The Cheyenne had shown him how to hunt, fish, and to listen to the world around him. Essentially, they taught him how to thrive and slowly the days no longer hurt to live. He moved through life numb to his heart with only the moments just before sleep still filled with the familiar pain that made the future so bleak. Even during the best of times, he had been plagued by his loss, but everything was different now. Sully couldn't remember the last time he had felt that emptiness in his chest, he couldn't remember waking and dreading the day ahead of him. Each day brought new hope, new happiness. Dropping his eyes to scan the remains of the rabbit he had for dinner, he picked up the pelt he had cleaned after his meal, proof that he still had the skills Cloud Dancing had taught him. He could still do it if he had to, live completely on his own abilities independent of anyone else. The problem was that he didn't want to, he didn't want to go back to the way things were, but as he made this realization the true uncertainty of his own situation began to creep back to him like a ghost in the night.

Because I love you! He had exclaimed before the train lurched forward and then he stood frozen, paralyzed by the sound of his own voice. The next time he looked into Michaela's eyes, he 

wasn't sure what he saw: frustration, fear, anger, regret? Then she had left. She simply turned and walked away without another word spoken. She had to leave, the children were still in Boston, he told himself, but there was something, a tiny voice, that told him she could never be interested in him that way. With three words, he had inadvertently destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to him. Even if she didn't marry Burke and returned to Colorado things couldn't be the same now. What's more, Sully didn't know if he wanted it to be.

Once again rolling to his back, he closed his eyes, whispering a private prayer to the heavens. When he opened them again it was just in time to see a lone star shooting its way across the sky, leaving behind a burning trail of white light, the scar of its existence. Feeling the pain in his own chest, as if somehow the scar of the sky had touched his own heart Sully made a promise himself. He would give her a few days. If she was indeed coming, she wouldn't be too far behind him. He just wanted to see her, if only for a moment, if only to tell her goodbye.

Boston, Massachusetts

Michaela sat huddled in the window seat, staring out into the darkened backyard of her Beacon Hill home. Anticipation was building in her chest, filling her heart so that she could feel the harsh beating out her back, and rushing down to her fingertips in tingles. It took every bone in her body to manage to sit still. She was so restless. Crossing her arms across her chest tightly she looked up into the night sky in time to see a bright star shoot across the darkness causing her to smile. She used to make wishes on stars such as that one. Now it seemed as if she had nothing 

left to wish for, well, almost nothing. Deciding not to leave anything to chance, she quickly dropped her eyelids. Please let him wait, she thought, her cheeks instantly flushing at the foolishness of wishing on a star. The stardust seemed to filter down to earth, falling around Michaela and soaking into her body. She had never known comfort like this before, well… comfort and anxiety.

Tomorrow they would be going home. It had taken a little longer than she had anticipated. Originally, she had planned on her and the children leaving on the train not two days after Sully, but this plan had been destroyed by Brian, who took this opportunity to catch a head cold. Although, Michaela wanted nothing more to be home in Colorado with Sully, the doctor in her knew that it be best he not travel. Nearly a week had passed now, and they were finally able to embark on their journey home.

Home. What a wonderful word, and for Michaela "home" held a double meaning. Because I love you! His words echoed through her mind like a song she wouldn't likely forget. They were words she had desired to hear for so long, and never allowed herself to believe they could be applied to her. How could Sully love someone like her? She was so outspoken, so stubborn. She didn't have any of those genteel feminine qualities that other women possessed, and yet Sully loved her. He said so himself, and there was one thing Sully was, it was a man of his word.

The irony was not lost of Michaela. Those three little words were ones that every little girl dreamed of hearing. They spend hours imagining how it will happen. Would it be on a midnight stroll through the park, or over a candle lit dinner? Michaela herself had to admit that while she was growing up she had participated in the overactive imaginings of a romantic child herself. Sully's words were the ones she dreamed of so often, but when he finally said them, she found herself unable to speak. She just stood there, dumbfounded as if she didn't understand what he was saying. Squeezing her eyes tightly, Michaela shook her head, as if to jar the thoughts loose. I'm sorry Sully, I'm so sorry, but I'll make it up to you. I promise. Yes, she was going home, but not just to a town or a little cozily furnished cabin. She was going home to Sully.

Bouncing her legs a little, she pulled her eyes from away the little window and scanned the little guest room. There had once been a time when this was home as well. When she was little, she had played in this very room. On the bottom of the vanity there was a door housing an open compartment used to keep jewelry. For the most part, during her childhood this space was empty and perfect for the games of hide and seek she and Marjorie used to play. Standing, Michaela opened the little compartment and looked inside. Now it just sat empty, a shrine to the childhoods come and gone. Making her way across the room, she reached out to feel the smooth grain of the oak door and the coldness of the familiar doorknob. There were so many memories here. Each corner held a laughing child; every wall whispered a secret. Slowly opening the door, Michaela stuck her head out into the hallway, looking both ways before stepping out.

She wasn't entirely sure where she was going; she just knew that she was a little too restless to stay still. Making her way down the little hallway, Michaela scanned her surroundings. Familiar oil paintings lined the walls. Stopping in front of a well-known face, Michaela caught herself staring into the familiar mismatched eyes of a young woman. Her rigid, proper pose contrasted sharply with the softness of her lavender taffeta dress. Her bright and unruly red hair hanging down her back showed signs of frizzing at her temples and ears. It was the familiar face of a woman Michaela had wondered about all her life, her great-grandmother Quinn. The woman courageous enough to follow the man she loved all the way to America where they would spend the rest of their lives together. Michaela had always wondered what that sort of courage was like, to be able to pick everything up and move for the simple hope of the future. Feeling the familiar tingling in her body once again, she shuddered. Michaela pulled her dressing gown tighter around her body as she made her way down the hallway to the stairs.

The bottom foyer was still light with the faint glow emanating from the gas lamps hanging on the wall. It was a warm, cozy environment that Michaela stepped into as her feet left the staircase. How many times had she waited on that staircase for her father to get home, late at night? The foyer would be lit much like it was tonight and he would come in and hang his coat on the hook by the door before turning for his office. Michaela smiled, his office.

Making her way to the large room was like taking a journey she knew by heart. This was truly her favorite part of the house, that place that held the most memories for her. Stepping inside and lighting the oil lamp that was sitting on the desk, Michaela gazed around the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves that ran from floor to ceiling. Books occupied their proper position, standing straight in even lines like soldiers marching to battle. There was a section of medical works, philosophy, history, ancient text. Such a library took years to build. The large desk sitting in the room was empty now, holding only an ink well, pen, and her father's nameplate. It sat next to a large bay window with a window seat that looked out into her mother's rose garden.



Glancing around the room, Michaela could see the ghosts of the past. Was this the last time, she would be home? Of course, she would visit, but Michaela knew without a doubt that once she stepped out of this house tomorrow morning, she would only return in visits. This would no longer be home. Once, she had found herself in a similar position; she had felt these same emotions when she walked out that door nearly a year ago, but for some reason this felt different. There was more finality in this trip than there ever had been before.

Walking over to the bookshelves, Michaela reached out and pulled at the first spin her hand touched. Opening the cover, she examined the title. She smiled; it was like meeting a long lost friend. Placing it back on the shelf, she grabbed for the title next to it, enjoying the memories each book brought.

"They've all just been collecting dust." The familiar alto that filled the empty room caused Michaela to smile though she did not bother to turn around.

"Some of these would be nice to have. Brian and Colleen will enjoy them." Placing the last book on the shelf, Michaela turned to face her mother. "Why are you still up, Mother?"

"I couldn't sleep. Much like you, I imagine." Elizabeth Quinn replied sitting in one of the tall wingback chairs sitting before the fireplace.

"Mmmm." She smiled, moving to run her fingers along the mantle. "I'm restless tonight."

"That's understandable, you're excited about going to Colorado." Letting the silence infiltrate the room, Mrs. Quinn leaned her head over to catch a glimpse of her daughter's expression as she spoke again. " about going home."

Michaela couldn't help but smile. It was the first time her mother had ever acknowledged Colorado Springs as being her home. Somehow, it felt as if her mother was beginning to let go.

"Yes, I don't believe I realized how much I miss Colorado."

"And Mr. Sully." Only Mrs. Quinn dared to speak what she knew her daughter was thinking. Again, Michaela felt her hear thump in her chest, was her mother actually beginning to offer her acceptance? Turning from the fireplace, she looked down at the familiar, stoic face only to find the usual harsh lines of her mother's face softened. Feeling a little braver that usual, Michaela venture to speak her curiosity.

"What do you think of him, Mother?"

"Mr. Sully?" Elizabeth's eyes gazed up to her daughter before returning them to the book she held in her lap. Sighing lightly, she shut the book and laid it on the little table next to her. How did she feel about Mr. Sully? "I believe Mr. Sully is a very gentle, honorable soul." Michaela felt herself smile with pride as she moved to where her mother was sitting. Interested in what was being said, Michaela knelt by the wingback chair, much like she would have done when she was younger, eager to hear the end of a fascinating story. "I believe he has led a very difficult life, one that would break a weaker man, he is wonderful to the children, and they seem to adore him. However, I also know that he is not the sort of man I would have picked for you." Before Mrs. Quinn even spoke her words, she knew the smile upon her youngest daughter's face would fall. She didn't want to hurt Michaela, but she didn't want to lie to her either. Reaching out to the younger woman, Elizabeth hooked her finger under her daughter's chin and brought the now down cast eyes to meet hers before continuing. "With that said, I do believe he would do anything for you. He would walk through fire, and that is not something easily found."

"No, it's not." Michaela managed to say, tears filling her eyes, causing them to glisten in the glow of the fire. Elizabeth met her gaze before harshly clearing her throat and diverting her eyes to the book once more.

"Let it be said, that I'm not necessarily, approving Michaela. I'm … I'm just trying to learn to let go." Elizabeth set her jaw and pursed her lips a little, but Michaela was not fooled. She smiled at her mother's stubbornness. Perhaps everyone was right; they were too much alike.

"That's all I need, Mother. Thank you." Leaning in, Michaela gave her mother a sweet kiss on her mother's cheek, wishing she had taken the opportunity to do it more when she was younger.

A subtle smile spread across Elizabeth's lips as she turned to her daughter. "I believe you ought to be getting some sleep."

With a quick squeeze of Mrs. Quinn's hand, Michaela stood and decided to take her mother's advice. It was time to go to bed. She needed all the sleep she could get because tomorrow they were going home.

Thank you all for reading! I'm so happy to get the chance to share this story with you.