Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who act in this story; I only borrowed them from Beth Sullivan, CBS and whoever else is holding the rights on them.

This story begins close to the end of Moment of Truth, part1. I always wondered what would have happened if Cloud Dancing stitches hadn't broken... What if there hadn't been a fall from the cliff?

Long Night

by Kruemi

Chapter 1

Dr. Michaela Quinn rode out of town on full speed. It wasn't a medical emergency though that urged her on; she was driven by a thought so terrifying that she recoiled from it. Her heart simply refused to acknowledge what her mind had already concluded.

She'd believed Sully when he told her that the horses on their pasture were Robert E.'s, but they obviously weren't. A few minutes ago, the blacksmith's facial expression had betrayed that her husband had lied to her about that.

And now he'd bought blasting powder. She didn't dare guess what Sully needed it for. Not for knocking out a tree stump at Preston's building site as he'd told Loren. That she was certain of since Sully didn't work for the banker anymore, which he had kept to himself until she'd found out by accident the day before. However, try as she might, she couldn't stop her mind from working. She feared that there was only one explanation for her husband's behavior.

Her suspicion turned into open worry when she arrived at the homestead and all the horses were gone. Frantically looking around she considered what to do next. Deep down inside though she knew where Sully had taken the horses, and without giving it a second thought she took off again.

On her way she reproached herself. She had felt Sully's growing distant for a while now, and she should have insisted that he talk to her. But she'd thought it would be best to leave him alone. When he was troubled it usually helped him find his balance again. However, she should have changed her mind after their conversation in the yard last night. She'd told him that all she wanted for Cloud Dancing and him was to survive.

"But at what price?" he had uttered, and from that moment on the dreadful feeling of foreboding had never left her.

At what price… The words continued to reverberate through her mind as she urged her Indian pony Flash forwards. There was only one place Sully was drawn to. Fear squeezed her heart, throwing it even harder against her ribs as she heard gunfire coming from the direction of the reservation.

What had Sully done?

xxx

The soldiers were still fighting with some Indians and shooting after those that were fleeing as Michaela eventually rode into the small valley. Horrified, she took in the chaos that met her eyes. Most of the shacks were burning; several army tents had been torn down and all over the area lay injured and dead people between overturned wagons and debris.

As eventually the last Indians started to scatter, running off towards the hills and the shooting subsided, the soldiers came out from their covers and began chasing after the fugitives, following them into the woods whilst others started tending to the wounded.

Michaela, still on her horse, looked around beside herself with worry, searching the ruins hoping to spot her husband but fearing it all the same. There was no way to describe the shock she felt, and it took a minute before she could move again and dismount Flash. However, her feet had barely touched the ground when Sergeant McKay's voice startled her.

"Sully's gone," he shouted at her, his voice hoarse with wrath. "I saw him."

As he closed the distance between them, he continued, "He was right in the middle of it. Probably started the whole thing. And when I find him, he's gonna pay for it."

With that he passed her, not giving her another look, and Michaela knew his last words were a promise he would keep. Not able yet to judge all the consequences, she had but one choice: cling to the word probably the sergeant had used. Although she had all the facts that told her to drop any hope, she didn't want to believe that Sully had intentionally started an uprising. He wasn't a man who approved of violence, and he must have known that if he started a revolt people would get hurt.

The last thought, however, snapped Michaela out of the prison of her terrified thoughts. The noise of barked commands and cries of pain reached her consciousness, putting her into action. Taking her medical bag from Flash's saddle, she already made a mental list of how to organize her tending to the many wounded.

xxx

Michaela took care of the victims as long as her medical supplies lasted, promised to send Dr. Cook for the minor cases that were still untreated and then left the reservation. All she could think about on her way to the homestead was that she needed to find Sully. Cloud Dancing hadn't been in his shack anymore, and the Cheyenne was in no condition to go anywhere. The thought that he and her husband would leave the country didn't even occur to her, and that was why she contemplated how to find the men and decided to start with her search in the hills close to the reservation after she had seen the children.

"Colleen, Brian," she called as she was approaching her home.

Alarmed by their mother's tone, the siblings instantly appeared on the porch.

"Ma? What's wrong?" Colleen wondered as she rushed down the few wooden steps, her little brother on her heels.

Yet Michaela didn't respond. Tying Flash to the railing she asked in an urgent tone, "Has Sully come by the house?"

He hadn't, and Michaela's anxiety grew. She knew it was to be seen on her face, but at the moment she didn't care. She told the children that there had been some trouble at the reservation, asked Brian to inform Andrew that his professional help was needed there and her daughter to go with her to town.

Of course the children wanted to get more information yet before she could answer any questions Sergeant McKay, accompanied by two soldiers, rode into the yard.

"Dr. Quinn! I wanna know where Sully is takin' the Indians," he called, not bothering to dismount his horse as he reached the family.

Michaela's mind raced. What should she do? The children looked at her aghast not only because of this news but also because the sergeant's tone implied he took it for granted that she knew the answer to his question.

"Just how much do you know all about this?" his voice, softer now, cut into her thoughts.

"I don't know anything." She could honestly say that and even lock eyes with McKay.

Yet for him, her response was an affirmation. Straightening on his horse he concluded, "So he was behind it, wasn't he?"

Realizing her mistake, Michaela's gaze grew almost defiant, and it became harder to look into the sergeant's eyes when he continued asking, "Was he the one who set off the explosion?"

Michaela hadn't known about that yet, but Sully's buying blasting powder made sense now, and she began to understand that the situation might be even more desperate than she already feared.

At this thought, her instinct to protect her family kicked in, and when McKay asked whether it had been Sully who got the horses for the Indians, her answer came promptly despite the lie, "As I said before, I don't know anything."

The sergeant gave her a hard look before he gestured to his men to follow him and rode off, frustrated. The trace of disappointment in his last glance at her would normally have made Michaela blush in embarrassment but she had no time for this kind of feelings. Now more than ever she needed to find Sully.

She wasn't able to start with her search right away though. Once arrived in town, she talked briefly to Dorothy who grew frantic once she learned the news about the uprising, yet then Sergeant McKay's arrival with five captured Indians in tow distracted them. Not only did this sight disturb Michaela deeply but also her worrying increased. How long would Sully and Cloud Dancing, who was still very weak, be able to hide from the army?

Things went further downhill when Matthew as the town sheriff became involved. He had no choice but allow for the army to put the captured Indians in his jail, and to make things more complicated McKay ordered him to look for Sully who was a wanted man now. Michaela's eyes filled with tears when she saw the deep disappointment and frustration on her oldest son's face as he absorbed this: Once again he was forced to arrest the man who was not only a father to his siblings but his friend as well.

Rock bottom wasn't reached yet. When Michaela thought it couldn't get any worse, she was proven wrong: with the army reinforcement arriving in town, O'Connor was back. Not only that – he was in charge. His tone didn't indicate the menace behind his words yet the words he chose to greet her did.

"It's good to see ya again, Mrs. Sully," he said, and Michaela understood the message: the sergeant wouldn't see her as the respected town's doctor but only as the wife of the man he would hunt down mercilessly.

xxx

The day had been dreadful and long yet dusk came still too soon for Michaela's liking. After seeking out two of Sully's lean-tos, both obviously untouched for quite a while, night began to fall, and all she could do was return to the homestead. While passing a few groups of soldiers on her way she held onto a tiny hope that she might find Sully and Cloud Dancing in their barn like she had a couple of years ago, after the medicine man was shot by bounty hunters. However, once she arrived home she found no trace of them.

With her heart heavy, she at last climbed up the steps to the porch and had barely opened the entrance when Brian rushed towards her.

"Did you find him?" The anguish-filled eyes of her twelve-year-old son begged her to say yes, but she couldn't.

Thus she only shook her head. Laying her arm around his shoulders she gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Don't worry, Brian," she said quietly as she released him and took off her coat, putting it on the hook next to the door. "I will look for Sully and Cloud Dancing in the morning again," she continued, tiredly running her hand over her face before she turned back to the table.

"Katie's sound asleep, and I'll take care of her when you are away," Colleen chimed in, balancing a plate with Michaela's dinner on her palm and carrying a mug with tea in her other hand as she joined her brother and mother in the living room. As she put the meal onto the table, she asked, "What would you like us to do after breakfast? We want to help."

"Yeah," Brian eagerly nodded in affirmation.

Michaela slowly sat down, considering her children's request. Eventually she looked up, meeting their anxious gazes. "I think it is best when you two just do what you'd planned for tomorrow. I don't believe that Sully is too far away from town because Cloud Dancing is in no shape to go anywhere. Once I found them I will be back and then we'll decide how to go on. Alright?"

After glancing at each other, Colleen and Brian eventually agreed, if only reluctantly. The main reason for their giving in was the sheer exhaustion evident on their mother's face. They simply didn't want to add to it.

Only when she was alone in her bedroom did Michaela allow herself to mull the situation over again in order to come to a decision where to start with her search right after dawn. Lying on her back under the cover that she normally shared with her husband, she stared at the ceiling. Sully had been away at nights before but never had their bed seemed to be so empty. She'd always known where he was and when he'd return.

At this thought she sat up again. Sully had planned his actions. She knew it because he'd gathered horses for several days. But when he hadn't acted spontaneously, he sure had left her a clue where he would head so she could continue looking after the medicine man.

She re-lit the oil lamp next to her bed and then shifted. Hugging her legs she rested her chin on her knees.

"Think, Michaela, think!" she whispered to herself.

Then she had it: Sully must have written a note. Determined to find it right away, she threw back the quilt and rose to her feet. For a moment, she just stood in the middle of the room, contemplating where he had put it. The natural place for her to find a sheet of paper or letter was her nightstand, yet its top was empty. Thus she looked into its drawer, but to no avail. The place before her mirror was empty too, and increasing nervousness made her stop thinking clearly. Her search became random as she lifted her pillow to look beneath it, opened the wardrobe, pulled out every single drawer and even looked into Katie's bed.

Nothing.

Although she was certain that she wouldn't find anything in the living room or kitchen because then the children would have seen it and told her, she still went downstairs.

An hour later she knew she had been looking for a message that had never been written.