The evening light cast a heavenly glow about the homestead in the fall night. Smoke rose from the chimney with the promise of a warmth against the gradually biting cold that attacked their toes in the middle of the night. Walking towards the barn where her brother was tending to the horses, Colleen looked back at the house to ensure that her adopted parents were still in the kitchen. She could see Sully's silhouette behind Michaela's, appearing to be rubbing her shoulders. Content, she walked through the barn door and softly closed it so as it did not latch behind her.

"Matthew?" She called out softly. The bucket of water in hand, she walked towards him.

"Yeah?"

Shuffling her feet a bit uncomfortably, she looked up at him. "Um, well…"

A bit confused as to the behaviour of her sister, Matthew ceased his movements and looked at Colleen curiously. "What?"

"It's about Dr. Mike…" Her voice trailed off.

He looked side to side, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he shook his head a bit and then looked at her pointedly. "What about her?"

"Well," she began. "She's been acting… a bit… odd."

Again, waiting for further elaboration and receiving none, he sighed and put down his rake. "Are ya gonna start makin' sense or what?"

Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a rapid hush. "She ain't been feelin' good in the morning and there are a couple other things but… well…" She stopped and let it out even more quickly. "I think she's pregnant."

The silence in the barn was interrupted only by the stamping of Flash as they stared at one another.

Finally, he spoke.

"What?" His voice cracked a bit and he cleared his throat before trying again. "Pregnant? Just cause she's been ill?"

"Well," Colleen's bright blue eyes looked off to the side and she sighed. "Ya see… her clothes are fittin' her different. And she seems happy for no reason. And she was feelin' sickly before she went off t'Boston…" Her voice trailed off, a bit embarrassed to be discussing this. Not only was it Dr. Mike and Sully, but it was her brother.

Shifting uncomfortably, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the ground. "Listen… Colleen…" he sighed. "I reckon it ain't none of our business. So what if she is? We'll get a sister or brother." Grinning a bit, he looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Wouldn't be so bad."

She grunted in frustration. "But Matthew! If Dr. Mike's pregnant, everyone's gonna wonder… well… when she got pregnant."

"Some time a few months ago…" he began before stopping and realising what his sister was implying. "Colleen, David is dead. He ain't the Pa. Dr. Mike'd have a big belly if he was. Sully's the Pa."

"Boys." She rolled her eyes. "Matthew, ya fool! People are gonna wonder when Dr. Mike and Sully eloped in the first place."

He stared at her, a bit dumbfounded. "Huh?"

"Listen. Dr. Mike is gone 'cause some fool went and kidnapped her after goin' and getting' engaged. Sully and she elope. Couple months later, she's pregnant. They been livin' at the old homestead, but it wasn't ever confirmed!" At this point, she was so distressed that she was crying. Flinching at seeing his sister cry, Matthew stepped forward and placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey. What's this about?"

Sniffling a bit, Colleen sighed. "I'm afraid that 'cause people thought what happened with David was kinda fishy… I don't want them t'think Ma's a… that she's one of Hank's girls."

Matthew's brow immediately came together and he reached out for his sister. "Hey. Come one. Folks know she ain't one of Hank's girls. And how d'ya know what people thought 'bout what happened with David?"

Trying to control her emotions, Colleen sighed frustrated and looked up at him. "I heard talkin'. Mr. Bray was talkin' with Hank yesterday and said it seemed strange they hid it. And Hank said it was probably 'cause of her bein' kidnapped. Hank… Hank said…" She tried to forget, wished she had forgotten, but ultimately she revealed to her brother what she had overheard. "Hank said that's 'cause they wanted to hide what could've happened between her and David. And Hank said that they lied to the whole town 'bout it. He even said that she wanted to go with David but changed her mind…" There were so many horrible things that had come from the bartender's wet lips. "And that they weren't really married. Just a lie."

Still rubbing her back, Matthew sighed. He wasn't that shocked. Or shocked at all, when he thought about it. "And if Dr. Mike is pregnant…" his voice trailed off.

"They know it wouldn't be David's. But Hank said it wasn't a real weddin' so he would call them out on it. Or that it would be an excuse 'cause of the baby. Made up the weddin' because she got pregnant."

Sitting down on a bale of hay, Matthew looked up at his sister. "Alright. We don't know if she is pregnant. Might be jumpin' ahead a bit quick. Plus, Miss Olive and Miss Dorothy will keep Loren and Jake in line. Miss Olive makes Jake nearly wet his trousers. But the gossip…" Looking down at his hands, he wished that he could think of something to say to his sister to alleviate her worries, but all she had really done was give him more to think about. "Let's just… we need to know if you're right."

"Right about what?"

"Dr. Mike bein' pregnant."

Brian looked at the wood of the barn that was staring back at him. He had come down because his Ma had told him to retrieve his older siblings for dinner. Quick to agree, he had padded down from the house and heard a couple sentences of their conversation. Specifically, the last couple of sentences.

Pregnant? Was his Ma pregnant? That meant he would get a little brother! Or a little sister! No, a brother. Boys were better. Girls wouldn't go fishing with him. Turning back, he rushed towards the homestead and burst through the front door.

Michaela turned to look at her son as he entered the homestead loudly. Sully was leaning against the counter next to the stove, sipping his coffee, while she stirred the dumplings. Their wedding reception had been the week before. It had been beautiful, with the exception of Hank giving his opinions in the background. Grace's food had been superb and much of the town had seemed genuinely unsurprised and pleased with the union. Unfortunately, those who appeared less than pleased were another story entirely. Three of the women who had been her patients snubbed her while at the mercantile the day before, and she had been about to tell Sully when Brian burst through the door.

"Brian?" Sully asked. He set his coffee down on the counter, preparing to jump into action in case his adopted son came with bad news. "What's wrong?"

A little out of breath, the boy took a few gulps of air and shook his head. "Nothin'."

Both Michaela and Sully looked at him and then each other, as if attempting to figure out what had managed to get their son into such a state.

"What is it?" Michaela tried to ask a different way, turning her attention fully from the finished food and to him.

"I want a brother."

The silence hung in the air as the two adults digested what Brian had just requested. Clearing his throat a bit uncomfortably, Sully lowered himself down a bit and looked a Brian curiously. "What was that?"

"I want a brother," he said again. He looked innocently at them. "I think havin' a brother would be better than havin' a sister. Sisters are girlie and stay clean. Boys are better. I could take him fishin' and I'd be a good big brother!"

Michaela managed to swallow the shock in her throat. "What brought on this request, Brian?"

He suddenly became worried that he wasn't supposed to say anything, considering his Ma and Pa weren't telling him that he was going to get a little brother or sister immediately. Again, he managed to hear something that he wasn't supposed to hear. That took talent, he was certain. Well… darn. "Colleen and Matthew…" He wasn't about to continue.

Michaela looked at Sully and just before they were about to say anything, Colleen and Matthew entered the house. The two older children looked upon the scene before them, feeling as awkward as Sully and Michaela looked. They looked at one another and then to their brother.

"Did Brian do something wrong?" Matthew asked, looking at Colleen and then back at the two adults.

"No…" Michaela wasn't certain how to phrase what had just come to pass.

"I don't see what everyone is fussin' 'bout," he asked innocently. "I just told 'em I wanted a brother."

"What?" Colleen's blue eyes got wide. "What… Brian?"

"Ya said Ma was pregnant!"

That silenced the household and Sully took a deep breath before finally breaking the hush. "Who said yer Ma was pregnant?"

"Colleen."

"I said… well, I said it but I didn't know for sure, Dr. Mike. I mean… it's just… ya… your clothes… and a look…" Colleen grunted in frustration.

Matthew intervened. "Ya look happy. Both ya and Sully do. We were just talkin'… Brian, we gotta talk 'bout yer tendency to listen t'things ya ain't supposed to." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Everyone, let's go sit in the living room." Michaela and Sully went and sat on the wingback chairs while Colleen sat on the floor, Brian jumped onto Sully's lap, and Matthew leaned against the mantle.

"So… am I getting a baby brother?" Brian asked innocently.

Michaela and Sully looked at one another, each of them attempting to gauge what the other was thinking. Should they tell? It wouldn't be a secret for much longer, that was for certain. Grinning, Michaela looked at them and nodded with an escape of laughter from her lips.

"You're pregnant?!" Colleen exclaimed, jumping to hug Michaela while Brian jumped into Sully's arms. Matthew leaned forward to hive his adopted mother a kiss on the cheek before moving to shake Sully's hand, offering congratulations.

"So is it gonna be a boy?" Brian asked.

"No, silly, it's gonna be a girl."

"Boy!"

"Girl!"

"What do you think Matthew?" Brian looked up at his older brother. Michaela and Sully watched in amusement, content that their good news had been shared so pleasantly with their family.

"Uhh…" he shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I reckon if ya keep telling her belly what it's gonna have, ya both are gonna end up with what ya want." There. That was neutral enough. He was not about to argue with Brian about having a brother nor Colleen with having a sister. And the eldest sibling knew better than to take sides.

The whole family chuckled at the statement and Brian looked pointedly at Michaela's abdomen. "You really wanna be a boy."

"No, she really wants to be a girl." Colleen interjected.

"Boy!"

"Wait!" Colleen exclaimed. "When are ya due?"

Michaela was pleased the children were taking it so well, and she could see that Sully was equally as pleased. The excitement helped quell any worries that she had that they might be put off by their parents' having a child without the formality of a wedding.

"Around the middle of May," Michaela grinned.

"And Grandma?" Colleen was curious.

"She said she would come as soon as the railroad is complete and capable of bringing her to us."

Brian could not contain his excitement anymore and jumped slightly on Sully's lap. "Grandma's comin'!"

Colleen recalled seeing the marriage certificate on display at the reception. The town had taken it, though the naysayers had raised a brow. Hank insisted it had been a forgery. But Colleen smiled at the fact that Elizabeth seemed to be accepting of the relationship between Michaela and Sully. "I'm glad. Whatcha gonna name her?"

"They're gonna name him Brian Number Two."

"I think that this warrants a celebration… I believe there is the last bit of pie that Grace made the other day. Would you like to assist me in cutting it, Brian?" Michaela stood, though there was a wave of nausea and she held the arm of her chair in support momentarily.

Brian's brow furrowed and he looked at his Ma. Moving towards her, he looked at her, the worry apparent on his face. "Ma? Are ya alright?"

Nodding, she smiled reassuringly. "Yes. The nausea hasn't quite given up on me this time." She looked at Sully's, whose eyes were grave with worry and did nod honestly. "I will just sit and rest."

"I'll get the pie, Dr. Mike," Colleen offered, moving quickly to the kitchen.

"Are ya really alright, Ma?" Brian asked. "You're lettin' us have dessert before support…."

"Yes, Brian. I am fine."

He looked down at his feet awkwardly. "Can ya still hold me?"

Sully caught Michaela's eye, a glimmer of happiness shinning through. Situating herself against the wingback chair, Sully lifted the boy onto her lap where he made himself comfortable.

"Won't be able to do this for very long, huh, Ma?"

"We'll manage, Brian," was Sully's response. n