Cindy sat at her makeup table staring into the mirror as the world she had known for so long enveloped her in a vision. She thought back to last night's discussion of women getting the right to vote, how pleasing that sounded to her ears. If something like that happened, she decided she wanted to be the first in line.

Cindy reached for her brush, pulling it through the stubborn tangles of her hair. Her hair had always been long and thick with a slight wave to it as if she had curls that didn't know if they wanted to be curls or not. Now as she brushed through the long hair, she thought of cutting it off as if she could cut off her past.

There were, however, no good scissors in her room least none that would be good on hair. Most of what she had were sewing scissors, too small to be used on such thick hair.

Cindy picked through her sewing staring at the scissors, wishing to herself that they were bigger and would cut away a past she wanted to forget. Madame had made her grow out her hair, "Oh the men will love a woman with long hair," she'd go on in her convincing manner. Only then Cindy didn't realize that some men didn't care what a woman's hair length was, just that she was pretty and endowed.

Cindy then picked up a pair of the scissors, staring at them longingly as if they were going to solve all of her problems. At that moment she almost didn't care about the size or that they might not cut her hair too well.

Cindy slowly brought the scissors down with one hand and began to take a piece of her long softly curled hair. She was just about to let the past be cut off when there was a soft knock at the door. The scissors dropped to the floor, as the door slowly opened to reveal Myra.

Myra looked up into Cindy's pain stricken face, looking almost as if she'd been caught at the scene of a crime. "Is something the matter?" She asked softly, giving the door a small push behind her. It closed as Myra came over towards Cindy who now looked as if she was about to cry.

Cindy sank down onto her dressing chair, her eyes falling into her lap and then slowly up again. "My hair," she stammered in reply. "Madame made me grow it, said men would love it. I hate it."

Myra wanted to ask who Madame was but decided to leave that subject alone as this "Madame" seemed to have put notions into Cindy's head as Hank had done for her all those years ago.

"There, there now. It'll be alright," said Myra as she put her arms around Cindy in comfort. "Your hair is awful pretty and I'll understand if you want to cut it off."

"You will?" Cindy asked with a tear stained eyes and a glimmer of hope.

Myra nodded, knowing full well how Cindy was feeling. "You don't need to go explaining yourself. I've had my head filled with lovely things too that never were."

Myra looked off into the distance as she began to tell Cindy her story, which had a similar person filling her head with notions. "Hank filled my head with all kinds of stories. He made it sound as if coming with him to Colorado would be a wonderful thing, that I would be able to have all these beautiful things. I was young and I wanted to believe him and with the way he looked at me it was hard not to say no."

Cindy looked up with understanding in her eyes knowing full well the feeling of being promised the world and getting next to nothing in return. "When did you finally realize he'd made empty promises?"

Myra looked down at her shawl for a moment before answering, "I think I had a full grip on it when I met Horace. Horace loves me for me, doesn't make any empty promises. He's a good man and loves me in a way that Hank never will."

"True, Hank doesn't see you as a woman to cherish and love," Cindy replied knowing full well to Hank, Myra was business and someone he could have on the side.

Myra turned to look at Cindy noticing her once tear filled eyes were clear and unwavering. She had found another like her who understood what was deep inside her soul.

Michaela could feel the electricity passing through her as Sully let his hand softly caress her face and then her long beautiful hair. A part of her wanted to drown in the feelings she was having, ones that she hadn't experienced before. Sully stirred feelings inside of her that frightened her from the moment she laid eyes on him. They were powerful feelings and ones that she'd tried to banish, but the more she did the stronger they became.

Michaela closed her eyes for a moment secretly enjoying the sensations running through her body. She was afraid to really show her true feelings, even though she loved Sully with all her heart. Such things weren't something a proper lady discussed.

Sully watched Michaela's expression begin to soften and relax at his very touch. His eyes never missed a beat as they caressed her face, watching the secret enjoyment of what he had done. He smiled to himself for a moment as the pain was gone and all that he could see before him was, Michaela, his heart song.

Michaela opened her eyes a moment later as she shoved the feelings deep down where they couldn't be touched. She blushed a little as Sully's gaze met her own. "How are you feeling?" Michaela managed to ask after a moment's hesitation as the feelings threatened to surface again.

"Better with you here by my side," Sully answered softly as he aimed to run his fingers through her hair. Michaela blushed pink as Sully's words fell one by one into her ears. She looked down at her hand, intertwined in his own before letting her eyes meet his gaze. There was no pain in those eyes, only love like she'd never seen before.

Sully's eyes never left Michaela's as he stared deeply at her, drinking in the features he felt he knew by sight and touch. Never had he met a more beautiful woman who tugged at his heart like no other. Her expression was soft and longing that soon faded into one of concern.

Sully squeezed Michaela's hand gently to let her know he was there if she needed him. He'd always been there for her, except for the one time she yelled at him after the fact. The barn had caught fire from lightening, which was put out by the time Sully arrived. Her face and her words haunted him that night making him feel as if he had truly lost her in the burnt ashes. The pain had been a deep cut, but over time it had healed.

Michaela smiled meekly before speaking in a soft tone, "I need to find the root to make your legs better. I can not bear to see you in such pain."

"It's nothing," Sully started to say but held back as he knew once something like that was out it wouldn't be true. The pain was awful, though having her here made things easier, still he knew she would want to fix him.

"I'll be right here waiting," Sully answered with a smile as he gave her small hand another squeeze. She was afraid to leave him alone and he knew it even though the doctor wanted to take away all the pain he was having.

"But I ca…." Michaela started to say but Sully stopped her mid sentence.

"Don't you worry, I'll be just fine," Sully looked straight into her eyes as he spoke letting her know he meant every word.

Jake sat straight up in bed, a cold sweat beading down his neck as he struggled to catch his breath. Images still ran through his mind so clear they even now frightened him. The men in town were calling him a "sissy" and a "woman lover" amongst other things. Some of them held signs with all sorts of sayings posted on them. Red and black paint dripped off the cloth of each sign and onto his clothing when each of the men came closer to him.

Jake had felt so helpless thinking it was all real; wanting it to stop only to wake up finding he had worked himself into a cold sweat. He had after all made a promise to Dorothy and Dr. Mike that if elected mayor he would get women the right to vote. Only it seemed as if the town was at odds with him, the woman loving him for giving them a voice and the men calling him a coward. He began to think what in the world he had gotten himself into and was it worth all the trouble?

Jake thought back to the campaign and all that he'd gone through. He remembered Loren taking over as his campaign manager and all the things he was put up too. The more he thought a realization soon washed over him, Loren had put him up to this mess. Loren had wanted him to do this and he went along with it. Now he wasn't so sure that he wanted to give women the right to vote, a part of him feeling as if things were fine the way they were.

He then remembered a moment later making the women promise they wouldn't close down the saloon or outlaw entertaining. Heck would have been raised if Dr. Mike had pulled that off.

Jake was grateful not to have a woman running this town, as far as he was concerned such matters weren't a women's business. Yet why was he still sweating over a simple promise?

Jake made to lie back down again to continue his interrupted slumber when several loud bangs sounded from outside. He fell back onto the bed hoping the noise might go away, but once he heard Loren's voice all hope of sleep was lost.

"Jake, open up!" Loren hollered through the glass hoping that he could be heard amidst the pounding.

Jake grumbled as he reluctantly made his way out of bed and to the door. Yawning a little he wondered what Loren wanted at this hour of the morning and why all the pounding.

"Jake, you in there?" Loren hollered again just as Jake stepped into the room to find Loren and other men surrounding him outside. He wondered as he walked to the door what Loren was up to and why on earth were all the men in town outside his door too?

Jake proceeded to open the door at his own pace which drove Loren crazy, resulting in more banging and yelling, "open up!." He looked down at Loren for a moment before opening the door; the man looked fit to be tied and Jake was about to find out why.

Loren barged through the door before Jake even opened it fully, causing his friend to stumble backwards into the waiting benches. "What the heck is going on?" Jake asked a bit annoyed at being shoved out of the way.

"What do you mean? Don't you have any idea what you've done?" Loren hollered back at him, clearly mad about something.

Jake sat there looking puzzled, what had he done? He'd been nominated to run for major by Loren and had let him be his campaign manager. His actions were slightly dictated by Loren telling him what to do and how to act, which in part drove him a little crazy.

Jake had endured it doing his best to smile and please everyone. He'd even made a promise to Dorothy and Michaela if he got elected and made them promise something if Michaela had been elected as major. But what he had done was beyond thought for the time being.

"No," Jake answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He still wasn't sure what was up and a part of him wanted to hear it from Loren himself.

Loren was fuming, "You've got the whole town in an uproar, especially the woman. Seems your actions the other night let slip you weren't too happy with lettin' women get the right to vote. Can't blame you there, but that's beside the point. One'a Hanks girls heard ya say all that and well you know how woman talk among themselves. Tell one of them something and well they are all gonna know before the days over."

"You telling me that some whore is spreading rumors about me?" Jake answered once some of what Loren said had sunk in.

"That ain't all," said a voice as the crowd of men parted to let Hank through.

Jake and Loren both looked at him, wondering what was coming next. By the look on his face he really wasn't thrilled.

"Oh, what is it Hank?" Jake questioned Hank as he came forward wondering what was going on.

"One of my girls heard you talkin' last night and now she's gone and done something crazy," Hank replied.

"Crazy? What'd ya mean?"

Hank leaned in close to whisper into Jake's ear so as not to let anyone nearby hear what he had to say. "She cut her hair off. Any shorter and she'd look like a man."

Jake looked at Hank for a moment contemplating what he had just heard and why he was being blamed for this. A part of him really didn't care that the whore cut her hair but a lady cutting her hair short like a man's was unheard of.

"Look Hank, I'm sorry for your loss but I don't see what that has to do with me. Sure I had a few drinks and did some talking but what your girls decide to do really isn't any of my business."

"It is your business, Jake; I can't have you filling my girls' heads with fool ideas." Hank shouted before flipping back his long hair and storming out of the barber shop.

Loren stood there for a moment trying to be sympathetic before he too turned to leave, with everyone else not far behind.

Michaela looked deep into Sully's eyes wanting to believe that he would be ok. But a part of her just couldn't leave him there vulnerable and hurt. She wanted to heal him, as a doctor would while her heart told the rest of her not to move.

Sully wanted so much to pull Michaela into his arms at that moment. The way she looked at him could melt any ice into a deep lake of the purest blue-green. He knew Michaela well in her wanting to heal people to make things better and yet he was really beginning to know her as a lover. There was something sensual to seeing that side of Michaela that made his heart swell with love for her.

Michaela felt Sully squeeze her hand as his eyes never left hers. She noticed his lips form a sweet smile as if to say "I'll be alright, you go ahead." Her heart still didn't want her to leave but the doctor in there knew there was a patient to cure.

Michaela rose reluctantly from her warm spot next to Sully. Almost immediately the part of her that was closest to him felt a rush of cold air. She smoothed down her skirts, took one more look over at Sully before turning her back in search of the root.

Sully tried to turn to see Michaela as she disappeared behind a nearby tree, but the pain inside of him was too much. His body let out a loud protest which generated a groan from Sully.

Michaela's head shot out from behind the tree, her face in a panic, "Sully," she called out, "please tell me you are alright?"

"Yep," Sully replied with as much voice as he could muster. The pain was overwhelming though, and so when he spoke the volume was barely higher than a whisper.

Michaela went frantic for a moment unable to hear Sully's reply to her, only a small rustle of leaves. She came fully out from behind the tree and made to rush right back over there but a root tripped her up. Skirts and all came tumbling dowen on the dirt floor below.

Michaela felt a small twinge of pain in her ankle as she tried to get back up, wincing a little as she righted herself again. Her dress and blouse were a little muddy, with a decoration of leaves. One of her hands had found something that was a bit soft and from close inspection looked to be what she was looking for.

Michaela's heart jumped at the thought that the mushy substance in her hand was indeed the salve made from the root her hand had landed upon. She looked down at the forest floor trying to see where exactly the root was, but with everything seeming the same color it took her a few minutes before a somewhat soft root was found. With a slight squeeze the root produced the same thick substance on her hand. The heavy rain during the night had really made it soft.

Michaela gathered up her skirts, careful not to drop the root in her hand as she slowly made her way back to Sully. Her ankle wasn't too happy with her movements and did its best to protest, sending out sharp pains during the walk.

She didn't realize how bad her ankle was until she started walking and even the small distance from the tree root to where Sully was laying in the leaves proved painful.

Sully looked up at Michaela smiling until he saw her dress was spotted in mud and that she was limping. His smile slowly washed away into a face of concern, he didn't like to see her hurt. He remembered the time she had gone out to find water samples near Harding's Mill and while out had fallen and broken her wrist. She did seem to be in a bit of pain and it was like her to ignore it, fight it, to get to what she wanted. That was also the first time they'd been alone together and now here they were again, alone.

Michaela collapsed next to Sully never minding that her ankle screamed at her when she did so. She had the root to make the salve to cure Sully and right now that's all that mattered. He'd suffered much worse before at the hands of a man named Rankin, one whom Michaela disliked with a passion. Her heart had begun to cry out then wanting to save him, but as she learned the healing was a slow process. Now, she wanted more than anything to do the same but things were different now. Her heart belonged to him and as she tried to rub the salve on him, he found ways to bring her face to gaze upon his.

Sully wanted very much to feel Michaela's gentle hands on him working their magic with the salve. He remembered back to the times when they had touched; the electricity running through him during those moments was amazing, something he couldn't put to words.

Jake stood there watching everyone leave before he sauntered over to the door. He looked out at the men dispersing themselves amongst the small crowd of people and somewhere in the middle of that was one of Hank's girls.

Cindy marched right out of the saloon with her small bag in hand headed straight for the barber shop.

Hank happened to met her half way in her trek looked her over and from what Jake could tell started barking at her for one reason or another. He wasn't happy at all for whatever the reason his girl was out in the morning with a small bag.

Cindy held her ground against Hank not wanting him to change her mind. She had talked with Myra late into the night and had already made up her mind. There was no turning back now; she needed to start a new life for herself. Her whole life had revolved around entertaining others which over time she felt used and awful to be someone's one night stand.

"Look, Hank I've got to do this. My mind is made up and there isn't anything you can do to change that," Cindy said defiantly as she stared right into Hank's burning eyes.

"Don't do this to me," Hank replied looking as if he was about to break.

"I'm sorry, but what's done is done, goodbye," Cindy answered a small part of her feeling a little sorry for Hank. She then let her eyes fall from his face as she made to go right past him without looking back.

Hank wasn't done yet, "I said don't do this!" he said almost in a pleading shout that shook Cindy out of her forward gaze.

Cindy's gaze met Hank's for a moment seeing a small amount of sadness and regret in his eyes. He looked and acted as if he cared about her, but were his feelings genuine? She wasn't sure if he really cared or if it was just an act to get her to stay.

Cindy did her best to regain her composure and her thoughts. She had come to Hank when there was no other alternative; after all entertaining was the life she was brought into. Now everything seemed to have changed that.

Cindy no longer wanted to entertain; she wanted to go out there in the world to make something of herself. There was so much out there for her beyond the borders of Colorado Springs no matter how much Hank wanted her to stay.

Jake watched the exchange from his shop door seeing a seething Hank and a girl who wasn't going to let him get away with stopping her. She sure had fire in her. Minutes later he saw she had broken free of Hank's grasp on her arm and began marching away with defiance.

Hank turned and watched as Cindy one of his best girls slipped through his fingers with only the memory of her flowing hair and skirts as something to hold on to in her absence.

Cindy walked briskly away once she had broken free of Hank. She felt the smallest amount of liberation as if she'd finally one a battle. Her thoughts drifted over the plans she had made in her head the night before, plans with many hopes and dreams.

Cindy stopped by the livery on her way out of town, buying a horse with saved up money to start her journey. She found a chestnut horse named Brownie. His temper was gentle while his manners were a bit stubborn, yet he suited her just fine.

Her hands shook a little as she paid Robert E before mounting the horse, taking one last look at town before riding off with the wind at her back.

Cindy let the wind fly through her hair as she rode past the familiar sights of Colorado Springs and into a future with bigger and better things. She had no idea how caged she'd been living at the saloon, working for Hank, there had been no freedom in the job whatsoever. Now she felt like an injured bird that had just been set free.

Cindy smiled to herself; she very much wanted to head east to the big cities. Her heart's desire had been to leave the old life behind and in the new get involved in what was happening in the world. She had been more than intrigued with Jake giving women the right to vote and would jump on the opportunity to give all women that right.

Michaela finished rubbing the salve over Sully's legs as he lay there very still on the hard ground. She had never touched a man's legs before and felt sensations of electricity running through her. Her own desires as her hands smoothed themselves over his legs threatened to overtake at any moment. She tried to hide her flushed cheeks but somehow she felt Sully's deep blue eyes boring into her from behind.

Sully could do nothing but stare into Michaela's long beautiful hair as her hands worked magic on his legs. He was sorry he couldn't quite feel the tenderness of her small hands as they worked. His arms wanted to reach up and embrace her but his strength was weak as the longing played itself out on his face.

Michaela turned to meet Sully's longing gaze her own locking with his, unable to move. Her feelings were surfacing little by little as if some force wanted her near him like a magnet. There was no turning back as she fell to the ground beside him, letting his weak arm surround her in comfort.

"I love you," Sully whispered as his fingers intertwined themselves in Michaela's long beautiful hair.

Michaela could just barely make out the faint sound of Sully's words before she answered back in a whisper of her own, "I love you too."

Sully with his weak arm tried to squeeze Michaela closer to him as his heart swelled with love.

"We should get you to some hot water to wash the salve off," said Michaela in a voice slightly higher than a whisper.

"Mmhmm," Sully mumbled amidst the pleasure he felt being able to hold her close. He was disappointed a minute later when Michaela slipped away. "Don't leave."

"I won't be long," Michaela replied with a sweet smile and a gentle touch on Sully's hand.

Michaela moved gingerly through the forest path before her as she made her way towards the spot where the root had been found. She wanted to see if there was any water nearby, as what she had found was wet.

Her eyes searched everywhere least not to leave any rock untouched. There had to be water somewhere, nearby she hoped.

Michaela made her way over the gnarled root that tripped her earlier before she looked down the small slope to a reflection of light pouring through the trees. She immediately gathered up her skirts and moved as quickly as she could down the slope and to the small amount of light she had seen from above.

Sully could hear Michaela's movements, echoing through his head like the rush of the wind. She wasn't doing a very good job to stay unnoticed, but then again considering what she was looking for any slowness was to be ruled out.

Michaela never looked back as she made her way forward, stopping by the trunk of a tree. She gently laid left hand on the trunk while staring out at the clearing before her. Not far away was what looked to be a hot springs. Her heart leapt with joy before she then attempted to run back to Sully.

Michaela could not longer hold back her joy as she neared Sully. "I found it, found the hot springs," before collapsing on the ground next to him. She reached a hand out to caress the waves of his hair, "We must get you there, and the springs will heal."

Sully smiled weakly up at Michaela, his strength wasn't the best from the blow he had taken. The pain had not washed itself away either, yet for Michaela there was no pain and if there was he would endure every minute of it just to be by her side.

Michaela returned the smile before lifting up his right arm over her head. She had to get him down there somehow and using her as support seemed best.

Sully tried his best not to growl out in too much pain as Michaela attempted to lift him up into a sitting position and from there standing. He could see the determination in her to do this, even though she wasn't all that strong.

Michaela used her left arm to reach under Sully's back and try to gently lift him up. She soon found however that he was heavier than she had anticipated, still he needed to be in those springs.

"Please, Sully try to sit up," Michaela said after minutes of concentration to pull off a rather difficult task for a woman.

"I ca…I can't," Sully replied as the pain started to over take him. "The pain, it's too much, can't do it."

Michaela could feel Sully's body collapsing against her own threatening to take them both to the ground. She didn't want that to happen, he had to sit up just had do. "Sully, please don't!" Michaela cried out fearing the worst that he would end up in another coma while she was beside him and helpless to even move him.

"Michaela," Sully breathed as he tried to will the pain away. "Hurts too much, bring the water to me."

Michaela's passion filled eyes were soon filled with worry and tears that threatened to emerge. She wanted so much to heal him as she'd done before when the salve and the springs had made him whole again. Now she felt as if everything was slipping through her fingers.

Sully looked up into Michaela's eyes seeing the grief and pain across her face. She was a doctor and wanted so much to heal him and when she couldn't seem to, it was as if her world was falling apart. He remembered hearing how she was when Sam died, how much she wanted to save her friend. But Sam would have none of it.

Sully knew deep down that Michaela would heal him, he wasn't dying but the pain was getting to be more than he could bear for the moment. His hand reached up to caress her face before it met her small one enveloping it in his own.

Michaela tried to be strong for the both of them as she felt Sully's strength gripe her hand as the darkness enveloped them with the light of the moon shinning down.

Jake took one last look at Cindy as she rode off into the sunset, her hair flying behind her like the tail of a wild horse. He hadn't thought much of the whore until she stopped to speak with him before mounting the horse she had gotten from Robert E. "I wanna thank you for your words, Mr. Slicker and for keeping your promise about women getting' the vote too. Decided I'm gonna go fight for this right with the greats out there."

Her words stung him sharply like the stinger of a bee, only the feeling lingered on. Women weren't made for fighting unless their husbands got upset at them or they scolded the children. Yet there before him seconds ago was a woman who fought like a man for a right most men knew her kind didn't deserve.

Jake hadn't wanted to keep his promise to Michaela to give women the right to vote. As far as he was concerned the whole thing was a lost cause, yet Sully had found a way around it to let them vote in the town election.

Jake turned his back on her the moment she rounded the corner and was out of sight. He made his way over to his chair to have a seat before any customers wandered in for a haircut or shave. His eyes closed for a moment of solitude before the sound of loud footsteps broke the silence.

"Seems more of those women got fool ideas in their heads," Loren blurted out as he stepped across the threshold to hand Jake the latest copy of the Gazette.

Jake took the paper in his hands looking it over carefully to see what Loren was talking about. Sure enough in bold letters on the front was a mention of a Women's Suffrage Convention in St. Louis.

Loren watched Jake's expressions change as he skimmed over the short article he handed him. He wasn't too sure what was going on in his head but there were a few moments when he gulped back defeat.

"Looks like this movement is a catching thing amongst the woman," Jake said as he stared at the article scanning it for any other important information. "Betcha that's where Hank's girl went off to, some fool convention," he added a moment later.

"Yeah it's fool alright, and us fools made that promise to Dr. Mike that we'd given women the right to vote."

"Maybe we wont' have too, said something about a Elizabeth C. Stanton and a lady named Susan was it, apparently they head up this suffrage movement as the ladies call it."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of yourself there Jake, we gotta promise to keep one way or the other," said Loren realizing fully now that even with such a fool idea as women voting, they did make a promise to Dr. Mike that needed to be kept.

Jake looked up at Loren with a frozen expression on his face. Was he hearing things? Could this man who was about to break down his door for the trouble he caused in the saloon now telling him this wasn't come crazy idea? He was seriously confused over the whole thing.

"Well don't just sit there, get on that horse of yours and do something about this promise we got ourselves into," said Loren before turning to head back to the store leaving Jake sitting there with the paper in midair.

Jake sat there in frozen in his chair long enough to realize what Loren said was true. He did need to get on his horse and do something, make true to his word. There were no two ways about it; he had to go to this meeting or whatever it was in St. Louis no matter how crazy it all sounded.

Sunlight poured through the branches of the tall trees down to the forest floor, casting patches of light wherever it could. Birds began to sing their morning songs, some twittering away others with silence in between.

Michaela nestled herself closer to Sully as the chill of the morning air threatened to envelope her. She missed the warmth of the quilts on her bed, yet was glad to have Sully's warmth against her body.

Sully did his best to hold Michaela's body close to his, wanting more than anything to sit up and wrap her in the saddle blanket Flash used. Her small framed shivered slightly against him as the morning sun gradually grew brighter until it shown right down on them.

Michaela moaned a little as the sunlight found her eyes causing her to open them slowly, only to blink them shut again.

Sully watched her carefully noticing her movements, wanting also to not disturb her. He would lay there as long as she needed him too which he hoped wasn't too long as the root of a tree was gorged in his back.

Michaela opened her eyes a moment later looking down the length of Sully and away from the sun that had blinded her moments ago. The salve had formed a crust over Sully's legs, and in places had become so dried it cracked. She had wanted to wash it off the day before but moving was out of the question, and now what was she to do?

Sully relished the warmth of Michaela's body close to him, the scent of her hair enveloping him in its sweet smell. He ran his fingers through the length of her hair as she lay there motionless.

"Sully," Michaela murmured a moment later.

"Hmm?" Sully answered still in the oblivion of her scent.

"The salve, we need to get it off of your legs. Are you able to sit up at all?" Michaela asked with a small ounce of hope in her voice.

Sully lay there staring up at the trees for a moment thinking hard to see if he really could sit up as she'd asked. He couldn't have done this yesterday, the pain was too much, but just having her by his side gave him strength. "I don't know," Sully replied and added a moment later, "Try pulling me up."

"Alright," Michaela answered as she reluctantly left the warmth of Sully's body exposing her to the cool morning air she'd been trying to avoid. The rush of it all gave her a nasty shiver.

"You alright?" Sully asked with concern at her sudden movement.

"Yes," Michaela answered as she regained her composure and aimed to gather some strength to lift Sully, which wasn't going to be easy.

Michaela seated herself next to Sully before she then reached for both of his hands in her own. She could feel his strong gripe on her as she gently pulled on his hands sending her own strength through him, hoping deep down it would be enough.

Sully nearly screamed in pain as she tried so hard to pull him up by his hands, while his body rejected the sudden movement. He wasn't so sure how much more of it he could take, yet she kept trying.

"Let go of me for a second, maybe I can get up on my own," said Sully thinking he should use his own strength for this and not rely so much on Michaela to get him upright.

Michaela hesitated for a second before she released her hold on Sully, leaving him to get up on his own. She wasn't so sure how he was going to do this if the pain was still shooting through him.

Sully took a few deep breaths before attempting to roll over on his side, which was done with slowness so as not to causing any more shooting pain. He then rested for a moment before using his arms to prop himself up into a sitting position.

Michaela looked on as Sully worked hard to sit up, taking short breaths along the way. She could see the determination in his eyes, the same determination she had seen when he'd been paralyzed before. There was no stopping him then from getting better and none now either.

Sully slumped forward some when he had finally seated himself at eye level with Michaela. His back relished the root being gone, but in its place was a sore spot. He was pleased to have some of his strength back but he needed the rest of it to reach the springs below.

Michaela rested her hand on Sully's arm, "Are you feeling alright?"

Sully nodded in reply, "Yah, it hurt but I got this far. How's your ankle?"

"Oh that," Michaela stammered with a blush. She'd nearly forgotten her bout with the tree root and the fall that accompanied it. "I haven't tried to put any weight on it since yesterday."

"Give it a try, stand on it," said Sully as an idea rolled around in his head for how to get down to the hot springs below.

"You want me to what?" Michaela asked out of disbelief that he would make her stand on a weak ankle.

"Just trust me on this one, ok?"

"Oh all right," said Michaela with a twinkle deep in her eyes before she gathered her skirts and aimed to stand up. The brush underneath her wasn't much help but somehow she managed to stand up with some wobbling along the way. She then took some careful steps forward to test things out. What she didn't see was the small mud slide not far from the site of Sully's fall.

Sully couldn't even have given Michaela a moments notice if he'd tried. He was so focused on her ankle that before he knew it a tumble of skirts and hair flew up and out of his site.

"Michaela!" Sully called out. "Michaela!."

"Sully!" Michaela's voice echoed back from down the hill in front of him.

"Where are you?"

"Down here by the springs," Michaela hollered back up to Sully.

"I'm coming down," Sully answered as he did his best to scoot forward towards the mud slide Michaela's feet had found earlier.

"You're what?" Michaela hollered back.

"Coming," Sully answered in a long syllable as he slide right down leaves and all towards Michaela.

Michaela had enough time to look up and see him flying towards her before the force of his body landed them both clothed and all in the hot springs. Her head came up a moment later searching for Sully whose head was just above the water and looked almost as if he was sinking.

"No!" She cried out as she dived underneath Sully to keep him afloat.

Sully could feel Michaela underneath him struggling to get him above the water, but no matter how hard she tried there just wasn't that kind of strength in a woman.

Michaela attempted to give Sully a good shove towards the surface of the water as best she could, but he pulled her up out of the water before anything could be done.

"Sully! What are you doing?" Michaela asked fuming inside at being pulled out of her task.

"This," Sully replied with a smirk before he enveloped her in an embrace she couldn't get out of and placing a kiss on her lips to keep her from saying anything more for the moment.

Michaela felt everything let out of her like a balloon as the warmth of the springs and the heat of Sully's kiss escorted her into near oblivion.

Courtin' & Sparkin' 3