Chapter Seven

Warning: This chapter deals with a very sad situation. It isn't very graphic, but it's still sad, so you have been warned.

"Dr. Quinn," came a sweet, soft voice from behind Michaela. She jolted awake, hearing Penelope's voice. She glanced over toward Sully to see that he was sleeping, and for a split second, she thought he was in a coma again. But, he stirred in his sleep, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Dr. Quinn?" Michaela turned toward Penelope. The young nurse was holding a sleeping Katie in her arms. "She's fed and changed, and she's lonely. I'm afraid she'll wake soon, and you have such a way with her." Michaela sighed softly and nodded her head. She took Katie into her arms, and the baby stretched, yawned and opened up her eyes. Michaela could have sworn she saw a smile as the baby drifted off to sleep again. "What are you going to do about her?" Michaela shook her head and shrugged her shoulders slightly

"I don't know," Michaela breathed. "He asked me to find her a good home. Charlotte would have given her a good home. I didn't know her long, but those children thought the world of her, and she of them. I don't know what to do."

"You'll think of something," Penelope said with a smile. "But to tell you the truth, she looks as comfortable with you as she did with her own mother." The nurse left the room, and Michaela looked down at the child in her arms. She felt a cramp again, and she winced. She knew it wasn't good. She was holding on and resting as best as she could, but her body was telling her it wasn't good enough. Her unborn child needed her to do everything possible to protect it. She wanted to, but stress and anxiety weren't healthy either, and they weren't going away so easily.

"Katie, you have no idea what kind of a world you've been born into, do you?" She sighed softly, and kissed the baby's cheek. "You need a mother to teach you what's right and wrong; one to show you the good there is in such a harsh world. You need a mother to love you and watch you grow and support you in all that you do." She blinked the tears from her eyes. "I could be her…but…" She felt that pain again, and she closed her eyes tightly. "Let's get you back to the nursery." She kissed the baby's forehead. "We'll talk about this later, sweetheart." She already felt like a mother to this little girl, and she wanted to be a mother more than anything. But, something wasn't right, and she needed to find Dr. Bernard.

She carried the baby down the hallway and found Penelope.

"Dr. Quinn?" They walked into the nursery, and Michaela put Katie down. Michaela stared down at the little girl, and a moment later, she felt the pain again and doubled over. Penelope rushed over to her.

"Oh!" She wrapped her arms around her waist, and Penelope caught her before she fell to her knees. "No! No!"

"Dr. Quinn!"

"My baby! My baby…" Penelope helped Michaela over to a chair.

"Sit here. Don't move! I'll be back." Tears rushed down Michaela's cheeks. This couldn't be happening! This was her baby…Sully's baby. She couldn't lose this child. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. He didn't even know. She needed him now. She felt guilty for this. She wanted to hold on, but she knew what was happening. Stopping it was almost impossible now.

"No!" she cried, doubling over in the chair. The pain grew intense, and she closed her eyes. She felt two arms lift her up, and she heard Dr. Bernard tell Penelope to prepare a bed. Michaela was being carried away, and when she felt the blood starting to trickle between her legs, she knew it was the end; the end for her child…Sully's child. "Sully…"

"It's going to be all right."

"I need Sully. I need him. Please, take me to him." Dr. Bernard whispered something to Penelope about Sully, and she nodded and walked away. Michaela felt herself being placed upon a bed. "Please. I need Sully. I know it's not…I just…I need him!"

"We'll get him. Don't worry."


Sully opened his eyes. She wasn't there. She said she wouldn't leave. Now Abagail was sitting at his side.

"Michaela. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Abagail replied. "I just got here. How're ya feelin'?"

"I need my wife." He tried to sit up, but the pain was almost blinding. He lay back, and Abagail poured him a cup of water. "I need Michaela…is she okay?"

"As far as I know, she's fine. Ya had me worried for awhile…accusin' me of killin' her."

"I was dreamin'," Sully replied. "I'm sorry." He still felt uneasy around her, but he knew Michaela was alive. She was fine, and he had seen her for himself, hadn't he? At that moment, a young nurse rushed in.

"Mr. Sully?"

"Yeah?"

"Your wife's asking for you." Sully sat up in bed despite the pain, and Abagail got out of the way.

"Whaddya mean?"

"She's…she needs you. She may be having a miscarriage." Sully's eyes went wide.

"She's…she's pregnant. But that's a dream…" Sully shook his head. She had been pregnant in the dream. Abagail had killed her. But…he didn't remember her truly being pregnant. "Never mind. I gotta see her." Sully stood shakily, feeling ill but needing to get to his wife.

"Mr. Sully!"

"I don't care. I need to see her."

"We have a chair for you." Penelope took hold of his arm and lowered him down into a wheelchair. Sully felt sick, but he didn't care. He felt his world spinning as Penelope wheeled him down the hallway. When he heard Michaela's screams, he tried to get up. But, he nearly collapsed, and Penelope caught him with the chair.

"Please, Mr. Sully!" she exclaimed. "You can't help her now. Please wait there until she's able to have visitors. It isn't proper."

"I don't care about what's proper!" he screamed painfully. "I need my wife!" He pulled himself up and pushed his way into the room. That's when he saw her, tears and sweat dripping from her face, blood on the doctor's hands…blood. Sully felt himself grow sick, and he looked at Michaela. She was shaking and sobbing. Her body was crying out for his comfort.

"Sully," she sobbed. "Our baby…"

"Get him out of here!" Dr. Bernard called frantically.

"I want him," Michaela cried. They'd been apart for too long. This was no time to push him out.

"This is highly unorthodox," he muttered under his breath. He looked at Sully, and Penelope helped him back into the chair. Dr. Bernard continued to work on Michaela, and she began to sob harder. He watched as these two souls yearned to comfort each other, and he couldn't stand in the way of that. It wasn't his place. He glanced at Penelope. "He can stay. She needs him." Penelope slowly wheeled Sully's chair over to Michaela's bedside, and he took her hand in his. She squeezed it hard. He looked away from the blood and everything else that was going on. He stared into her eyes.

"Just look at me, Michaela. Focus on me. I'm here, Michaela. I ain't gonna leave ya."

"Promise?"

"I swear it."


"Ya didn't tell me," Sully whispered later that night, stroking his wife's hair off of her forehead as she rested comfortably. He was sitting next to her bedside, his entire body aching, but it didn't matter. Michaela was what was important right now.

"You should rest," Michaela whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.

"I'm fine. I rested enough. How long did ya know?"

"Not long. I just found out. Sully…I'm sorry."

"Shh," he whispered. "Ya ain't got a thing to be sorry 'bout. Ya just need to focus on lettin' your body heal. Ya been through somethin' terrible."

"It was your baby too," she cried. "Our baby, Sully. It's gone…" She took a deep breath and shook her head. "It can't be…"

"I'm sorry, Michaela. I shoulda been…"

"You couldn't help it, Sully. You couldn't control what happened. I only just found out, Sully. I didn't know very long, but I should have taken better care…"

"Ya did the best ya could. I'm so proud of ya, Michaela. You're so strong. You're stronger than I could ever be." Michaela swallowed hard and shook her head.

"I feel like I let you down."

"Ya didn't. Michaela, I love you with everythin' I have. I almost lost ya 'cause of that accident, and I ain't gonna risk losin' ya again. This baby…it just wasn't meant to be." Michaela began to sob again, and he wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms, but it was then that Penelope came in.

"Dr. Bernard wants you both to rest."

"I ain't leavin' her," Sully protested. "I'll sleep in here."

"He wants you in your own room. It's important that you follow his rules, Mr. Sully. She needs rest, and you can see her first thing in the morning." Michaela let go of her husband's hand.

"You do need rest. You need to regain your strength," she whispered. "I'll be all right."

"I don't doubt you think that, Michaela, but I don't wanna leave ya right now. Not after…"

"Sully, please get some rest. You're not helping me by making yourself weaker. I'll be all right. Please, don't worry."

"It's my job as your husband to worry." Michaela felt the tears starting to form again, as he kissed her forehead. "I don't wanna leave."

"Go on. I'm going to sleep." She felt her body quivering from exhaustion, anger, nausea and just about every other emotion that caused her to want to cry. Penelope moved to the back of Sully's wheelchair. "Go." Sully finally submitted to his weak state and let Penelope take him away. Michaela curled up on her side, putting her hand on her stomach, and she sobbed into her pillow. Nobody had to know about this miscarriage except for her and Sully. It would be better to not speak of it to anyone. She didn't want their pity.

She closed her eyes, trying to picture that baby. She couldn't. She hadn't taken the time to think about what that child could be like or look like. She'd been too busy worrying about her husband and taking care of Charlotte's children. Now Charlotte was gone, and Sully was awake. The children were gone now. Except for Katie. Katie! She still had to figure out what to do about her.

She sighed, and her tear-stained eyes stared up at the dark ceiling. Her heart was heavy and full of guilt and so much motherly love left to give. She wanted a child. She wanted her child back, but she knew it wasn't meant to be. Whatever hardships had been meant for her had all come crashing down at once. Why now? Why did she have to lose her child now? What about Katie? Katie had lost her entire family. They were alike, really. They'd both lost so much, but at least Katie was too young to understand.

She turned back onto her side. She placed her hand on her stomach. She could almost feel her child in there, though she knew it was impossible. She didn't feel like she wasn't pregnant. She felt like everything was going to be all right, but how could that be when everything was a disaster?

"Dr. Quinn?" Penelope walked in with Katie in her arms. "I know this isn't the best time, but I thought you could use some company."

"Is Sully all right?"

"Yes. He's just fine. Gretta's taking over, and she's going to keep watch over him. You have a visitor outside too, but I told her it was late."

"Who?"

"Abagail…something. Gray?"

"Bray," Michaela breathed. Penelope's eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Yes!"

"She can come in." Penelope started toward the door. "Wait. Leave Katie. You're right. I could use the company."

"I was starting to think I shouldn't have brought her. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I know it happens to a lot of women. It doesn't lessen the pain any, but I know…how could I deny this sweet little girl? She deserves love, Penelope."

"That she does." Penelope gently placed Katie in Michaela's arms. "She's ready to go home, you know? If we don't find her a home within the next week, we'll need to send her to an orphanage." Michaela swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head.

"She'll have a home," Michaela breathed, her heart already taking this child as her own. "I won't let her go through life without one." Penelope left the room, and Michaela cradled little Katie. Abagail slowly stepped in, and Michaela looked up at her.

"Dr. Mike," she breathed. "I'm so sorry." Michaela bit her trembling lip.

"You heard about the baby?" Abagail nodded.

"Please, don't mention it to anyone," Michaela said softly. "Sully and I need to deal with this on our own first."

"I understand. Dr. Mike, I'm just glad you're all right. Sully too. I was there when he woke up." Michaela swallowed hard.

"You were?" Abagail nodded. "He was callin' for ya. You're real lucky, Dr. Mike. He loves ya an awful lot." Michaela nodded. She was lucky. She felt like the luckiest woman on Earth to have such a wonderful husband. She knew that he was going to help her get through this ordeal. They would see it through together, the way they were meant to. "I'll leave ya be now. I'm real sorry 'bout your loss. I'll be takin' the stagecoach back to Colorado Springs tomorrow to let everybody know Sully's awake. You'll be home soon?" Michaela only nodded, and she burst into tears again after Abagail left. She cradled Katie close to her body, and she waited out the night, afraid to go to sleep lest something else would happen that would affect her life forever.


"You've made remarkable progress, Mr. Sully," Dr. Bernard marveled as he removed the bandage upon his head. The hair was growing over the incision, and Sully's long hair was able to conceal the bald patch until it grew in. That didn't matter to Michaela, however, because she was grateful he was alive. That was what mattered.

"When can he go home?"

"I'll start working on the papers now," Dr. Bernard replied. "I'd like for the both of you to walk around. If he doesn't feel dizzy anymore, he's free to go." Michaela grinned and looked at Sully.

"I told you," she whispered, kissing him upon the cheek. He smiled a little, and he kissed her hand. Dr. Bernard left, and Michaela took Sully's hand. They started for the door. Sully had been telling Michaela all about his dream from his coma. She found it amazing how she'd been pregnant in his dream. She had told him that he probably knew subconsciously that she really was pregnant. The one thing he hadn't told her about was Abagail killing her. He didn't want to upset her unnecessarily.

"When Abagail left," Michaela began as they walked down the hallway, "she promised not to say anything about…"

"Nobody needs to know if ya don't want 'em to." Michaela nodded.

"And, she's going to tell them that we're coming home soon. I can't wait to get there, Sully."

'Neither can I." He smiled at his wife as they continued down the hallway together, holding one another. Abagail and Michaela had become very good friends over the course of the last week. He was glad she already had a friend from Colorado Springs, but he was still weary because of his dream. "Any news on Ethan Cooper?" He knew how concerned Michaela was for that little girl. Michaela had told him all about Charlotte and the children, especially little Brian. He felt like he knew them, though he had never met them before. Michaela explained how Brian had come to his room a lot, and she said that Brian had been pulling for him to wake up so she wouldn't be lonely.

Sully had met young Katie, and he had taken to her right away. He and Michaela kept her company, and they took turns feeding her. She spent more time with them than she did in the nursery, though Michaela felt she owed the child that much. She felt as if she was somehow at fault for Charlotte's death, though she knew the truth.

"No," Michaela replied. "I don't think he's coming back. He's most likely back in Kansas by now." She shook her head. "Those poor children." Michaela turned to Sully. "We need to talk." He nodded his head.

"I know," he replied. "We've talked 'bout everything but…the miscarriage." Michaela led Sully to a couple of empty chairs in a secluded corner. They sat down together, and Michaela took a deep breath. "Michaela, ya know it don't mean we can't have more."

"I know," Michaela replied. "Sully, I've accepted that our baby is gone, because I know that holding onto the past isn't healthy. But…"

"But what?"

"My…my body hasn't accepted it. I still feel pregnant, Sully. I don't know how to describe it, but I feel like he's still here with us." She shook her head. "I know it's silly. I hadn't known long at all…"

"It's not silly," Sully said softly. "You're his Ma, Michaela. Ya got the right to feel that way. I miss 'im too, and I never even knew…"

"I wish I'd told you when you woke, but you were so confused. I didn't…"

"You were right not to tell me. It only woulda made things more difficult to understand. It was so real, Michaela. It seemed like I was livin' life as if the train wreck never happened."

"I wish that were the case."

"No ya don't," Sully replied quickly, catching Michaela by surprise.

"Sully?" Sully stood shakily.

"It's nothin'." Michaela studied him carefully and stood up to face him.

"Tell me?"

"I don't wanna scare ya."

"Sully," Michaela warned. "Please?" Before Sully could say a word, Penelope came rushing down the hall.

"Dr. Quinn! We've found a family for Katie!" Michaela felt her heart break in two. "We want you to meet them, because you have a good sense about her." Michaela nodded and squeezed Sully's hand. He followed the two women down the hall and into a large room filled with sleeping and crying infants. An older man and woman were standing over Katie's bed, and Michaela watched in the doorway for a moment. The man was tall with graying hair, and he reminded her a lot of Ethan. His hand was firmly gripping the side of his wife's skirt, and Michaela didn't like that at all. He was tugging on the fabric as if to keep her at bay. The woman looked absolutely dreadful. She was shaking and calloused. She looked as if she'd had a hard life, and Michaela felt bad for her.

"Dr. Michaela Quinn, this is Mr. John Ryan and his wife Esther."

"How do you do?" Michaela eyed them, and little Katie began to squirm. The woman picked the child up, and Katie began to wail. John backed away and looked at Michaela with surprise.

"She always do that?
"When she's around those she doesn't know," she said softly, her heart tugging. Katie had never wailed so hard with her. Katie obviously felt uneasy in the woman's shaking arms, and Michaela couldn't blame her. She looked at Sully who seemed to be thinking the same thing. They couldn't, in good conscience, let this little girl leave with these people.

"Look, we didn't come here expectin' a crier."

"All babies cry, Mr. Ryan," Penelope insisted. "Some more than others."

"Well, me an my wife got six boys at home who cry enough. We don't want a girl that does that too." Michaela scoffed at the man's words. How could they come to a hospital expecting to find a baby that didn't cry?

"John, please!" Esther begged. "Ya know we ain't had no luck…"

"Quiet," John said forcefully. Michaela quickly took Katie into her arms. "Well, maybe it wouldn't be…"

"I'm sorry, but we've already found a family for her. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Sully stepped up and put his hands on Michaela's shoulders, and for a moment, she thought he was going to warn her, but he didn't.

"That's right. Found a real good home for her," Sully replied, giving his wife's shoulder a squeeze. She looked back at him with surprise, and John took off his hat.

"We come all the way from Boulder…"

"I'm sorry for your waste of time," Michaela said quickly. "I'd be happy to pay your way home." The man shook his head and angrily stomped out of the nursery. His wife cautiously followed behind. Michaela and Penelope turned toward Sully.

"We'll have to start over now," Penelope said softly. "Or we'll have to send her to the orphanage."

"No need for that," Sully said quietly, a smile playing over his lips as he watched little Katie lay quietly in Michaela's arms. "I think Katie's already picked the family she wants." Michaela stared at him in confusion for a moment.

"Sully?" Penelope sensed that she needed to give them time alone, so she moved away to check on a few of her other newborn patients. "Sully, what are you saying? You want us to take her?" Sully watched as Michaela placed the baby down in her little bed. She was afraid to touch her now; afraid that her dreams would be taken away from her. "Sully, I don't…If this is about the baby we lost…"

"It's not," Sully assured her. "Michaela, nothin' is ever goin' to make up for what we lost, but we can't stop livin' life. This baby needs a home. You're good with her, Michaela. I know ya are. I seen ya with her, and it sounds like her Pa ain't comin' back." Tears filled Michaela's eyes and threatened to spill over. After everything that had happened lately, this child had been there through it all. Katie was a survivor, and Michaela knew that she was too. This child was meant to be a part of their lives, and Charlotte brought her into the world for a reason. Katie had a purpose, and it was up to Michaela and Sully to guide her through life to fulfill it. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them. "Ya want this, Michaela. I know ya do." Michaela nodded her head. Oh, she wanted it. She wanted it with everything she possessed. Her heart was bursting from the need to be a mother and to love a child. The energy her spirit possessed was pouring from her heart, her eyes, her ears, her fingertips and her toes. She was a mother without a child. Katie was a child without a mother.

"I do," she breathed, "more than anything. But, Sully, I don't know how…"

"You do," Sully replied, pulling her into his arms. "You've been a mother since ya were born. You've loved, you've nurtured, and you've taught people. You're a mother, Michaela, and there's a little girl who needs ya more than she needs anybody." Her tears spilled over, and she shook her head.

"It isn't right. Our baby…"

"Our baby'd want his ma and pa to be happy. We'll be with him again someday."

"Oh, Sully," she breathed.

"Ya know it's right. Ya can feel it in your heart." He pulled her close, and they held each other up, keeping one another from falling as they had always done. "What do you want, Michaela? Tell me what ya want, 'cause I wanna give it to ya." She looked up into his azure eyes, and she saw the years that lay ahead of them. He was a grieving father, and she was a grieving mother. Grief was nothing to base a life on. It was time to make a decision, though her heart had already made it.

"Sully, let's take our little girl home."


"I almost don't remember what she looks like," Brian whispered as he, Matthew and Colleen sat around Charlotte's grave, planting her favorite flowers in the fresh soil. Colleen looked at Brian slowly. For being a girl of ten-years-old, she had sure seen more than some women saw in a lifetime. She'd been through a lot.

"No," she whispered. "You'll never forget, Brian. You'll always remember how dark her hair was, and how folks always wondered how such a dark-haired lady could have three kids with hair as light as ours. You'll always remember how her eyes twinkled when she was yellin', 'cause she loved ya more than she was mad at ya. You'll always remember, Brian. Never forget." Matthew reached over and put his hand on Colleen's shoulder. "Matthew, when are we goin' after Katie?" Matthew looked toward the burned down farm. Ethan was rebuilding, and they were sleeping in the barn until he could finish the homestead.

"Soon," he said softly, gazing at Mitchell's grave. "We won't be away forever."

"Ya think they're takin' good care of her there?"

"I'm sure of it."

"Maybe Dr. Mike's takin' care of her."

"She's got a lot to worry 'bout, Brian," Matthew warned. "Takin' Katie…"

"She's a good lady, Matthew!" Brian insisted.

"I ain't sayin' she's not. I'm just sayin'…"

"Lunch ready?" Ethan asked, walking up. Colleen looked up at her father.

"I ain't had time to fix it yet, Pa. We been plantin' flowers on Ma's grave."

"I'm hungry. A man can't go all day without eatin'. I'm goin' into Topeka to take care of some business. Food better be ready 'fore I get back or ya'll will be doin' extra chores for a week." Ethan turned and walked back toward the barn. Matthew stood and sighed heavily.

"Brian, go help Colleen start a fire. I'll go catch some fish," he instructed. Brian nodded and took Colleen's hand. They hurried up the hill toward their burned down home. "Hey." The turned back to their brother. "Soon. I promise. Just as soon as I can, I'll get us back to Colorado. We're gonna get our sister back. We're gonna be a family again."


"Thirsty?" Lydia asked as she walked up onto the steps of the Sully homestead. Albert was sweeping out all of the dust that had collected since Sully had been gone. Lydia would have done it, but he insisted that she rest for the baby. So, Grace had sent out a jar of lemonade and a basket of fried chicken, and they were making a day of cleaning the dust and dirt out. They'd received word that Sully and Michaela were coming home and would be boarding a stagecoach the next morning. Twenty-four hours from now, they were going to be reunited with their friends.

"Thank you, darling," Albert said, kissing Lydia upon the cheek as she handed him a cold glass. He drank the liquid down, and Lydia moved to sit upon the railing of the porch. She sighed softly and stretched her arms.

"It's beautiful out here. The town doesn't do this land justice. It's wonderful, and you don't even notice it when you sleep above the clinic."

"It is beautiful," Albert replied. "Someday we'll have our own house that faces the sunrise. We'll sit outside with the baby in the evenings and watch the sun go down."

"That sounds perfect," Lydia said with a sigh. "I can't wait, but I'm willing to, because I know it'll be worth it." She felt a swift kick in her side. "Oh!"

"What?" Albert dropped the broom and rushed to her side. "The baby?" Lydia blushed sheepishly.

"He just kicked," she grinned. "I'm sorry I worried you." Albert took a deep breath and pulled his wife into his arms.

"Have I told you how lucky I am to have you lately?" Lydia shook her head.

"No, but a reminder is always lovely." Albert's lips found hers, and they held onto one another. It was then that they heard a voice clear his throat. They both pulled apart, startled, when they saw a Cheyenne man standing before them with a wolf at his heels. "Oh!"

"I am looking for Sully. He was supposed to arrive from Boston. The Spirits told me he was harmed but is well now." Albert was stunned, but he realized that this must be Cloud Dancing, the medicine man that Sully spoke so fondly of.

"He's on his way home with his wife," Albert said quickly.

"The Sprits told me he was happy," Cloud Dancing said proudly. "When will he be back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Lydia spoke up. Cloud Dancing nodded.

"I will wait."

"He's going to be awfully busy when he returns," Albert spoke up. "But, you're welcome to stay around here. You look like you've come a long way." Cloud Dancing merely nodded. He had been on a vision quest, and he had only just returned.

"I will do that." Cloud Dancing moved toward the barn with Wolf, and Lydia looked at Albert and shrugged.

"We should start back into town before it gets late," she suggested. She playfully rubbed her stomach. "I think the baby's ready for some rest and relaxation, don't you?" Albert raised an eyebrow.

"The baby, huh?" She nodded, and they pulled one another into another kiss.

"All right. I'll go hitch the wagon." Lydia watched him walk off and smiled to herself. They had started to adapt quite well to their new surroundings. Lydia was itching to ride a horse, because she hadn't ridden in years. Once the baby was born, she knew she would be free to do so. She couldn't believe the birth was just over two months away. She couldn't wait to be a mother. She couldn't wait to see the look on Albert's face when their child was brought into the world. Yes, their child. She sighed softly and closed her eyes as she leaned against the porch rail of the Sully home. She only hoped her child would never have to know his true father. David Lewis was nothing but a bad memory, and Lydia intended to keep him that way.


"Excuse me, but where will the train be stopping next?" David asked as a conductor walked past. The conductor checked his schedule and cleared his throat.

"Next stop? Topeka, Kansas," he replied. "We'll be pulling into the station in about an hour." David nodded.

"Good," he replied. From Topeka, he'd board a train to Denver. He was almost there. He was going to find the woman he loved and take her home. He knew she was going to be there. From what he'd gathered, she had gone with Lydia, Albert and Sully on the train to Denver, and they were going on to Colorado Springs from there. Colorado Springs wasn't Michaela's home. Boston was her home, and David would make sure she realized that.

"Your family is waiting for you." David turned to face a mysterious woman with long blonde hair pulled up into a bun. She was dressed classily, and she had a frown creasing her lips. She looked kind enough, but he wasn't sure what to make of her.

"What makes you think that?"

"You seem eager to get home to them." David shook his head.

"I don't have a family. I thought I did once, but…" He shook his head and turned away from her. She watched him. There was a sadness about him, and it was intriguing. She was the kind of person who could read people. She loved people and studied them closely. Dark sides always fascinated her, because she had met a lot of tortured souls in her life. Nothing could scare her, and David sensed that just sitting near her. She made him uncomfortable, and he moved away. He could feel her watching him, and for a moment, he knew what it felt like for Michaela when he had been watching her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his heart pounded in frustration, perhaps even fear. He glanced over toward her, and her eyes bore into his soul. Who was she? A demon? What did she want to talk to him for? She didn't even know him. Strangers were no good. Strangers were supposed to be evil.

He turned to look at her again, and her blue, devilish eyes continued to stare into his good one. His bad eye throbbed under his patch, and he felt very uncomfortable. Her lips curled into a smile, and he trembled. How could a complete stranger have such an effect on him. He couldn't let her get to him. She wasn't supposed to matter, so why was his mind focusing on how much she bothered him? A child nearby began to scream at his father, and David took solace in that. One more hour until Topeka, one hour closer to seeing Michaela again, one hour away from never having to see this stranger again.