Ch.10

Author's Note: Cheyenne Words used in the chapter include:

Nenaasêstse- Come here

Henova'e- What

Me'ta'ó'h he'oná – hold her hands

September 15th, 2008

Thank God she's okay, he thought to himself. She had a severe concussion, and her head had required a few stitches. She was less than thrilled that they had shaved part of her head in order to stitch it closed. He had assured her that he still thought she was as beautiful as ever. He told her to wear a baseball cap seeing as how she liked them so much, and she had smiled back in response.

He looked down at the cast on her wrist, and then back to her swollen lip. Luckily, it hadn't needed any stitches. It was also lucky it was her left hand with the cast. He didn't even want to consider how difficult it would have been for her if it had been her right. She was starting to develop a black eye, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could control his rage. She had almost been killed. If he hadn't shown up early, she most certainly would have been. He had talked to the police and told them everything he knew, although that wasn't much. They still had yet to talk to her, and she was truly the one with all of the answers. After all, he had come in very late in the game after the damage had already been done.

She began to stir, and he heard her whisper his name. He hadn't left her side since he had found her that night. She had woken several times since in a panic calling out for him. The fear always melted from her face when she saw him beside her.

"Michaela, there's somethin' I need ta talk to ya about" he began. He wasn't sure she was ready for this, but he couldn't hold it inside any longer.

"I know," she answered with a reassuring smile. "And he didn't… I know you've been wondering, but he didn't. I swear to you he didn't," she explained holding back tears.

"Oh thank god," he responded.

Relief instantly washed over him. He had been worrying about that constantly for the last two days. She hadn't really been conscious enough for him to ask. He assumed the doctors would have told him if she had been attacked in that way. But on the other hand, he had trouble as it was getting any information out of them. Because he wasn't considered immediate family, they had refused to share any information with him regarding her condition. He had begged and pleaded, but they had still refused. He finally got in touch with Joseph, who would be flying out in a few days, and Joseph had forced the hospital to inform him of her condition.

"That's actually not what I wanted ta talk about," he explained as she looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's not?" she questioned in confusion.

"No, it's not. I wanted ta tell ya how sorry I am," he said hanging his head in shame.

"Sorry?" she repeated still very confused.

"Yeah. I promised ya that I wouldn't let him hurt ya. I promised he wouldn't get near ya. I promised ta protect you, and I didn't," he answered his voice dripping with shame and regret.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard. He was blaming himself. She quickly took his hand in hers and looked deep into his blue eyes. "Listen to me Sully. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. You did everything you could. It had been weeks since I received that letter, and we thought the threat was over. You saved me. If you hadn't come home when you did, I would have died…"

"Don't talk like that," he stated cutting her off abruptly.

"I would have Sully. That's the honest truth. You did protect me," she spoke with sincerity.

"Not like I shoulda. It's my biggest regret in life…" he trailed off his eyes filled with guilt.

"I thought you didn't believe in regrets?" she questioned back with a smile.

"I don't or rather I didn't… 'til now," he answered.

"Hey, don't talk like that. You said yourself that everything happens for a reason. I'm not mad, angry, or even upset that you weren't by my side every minute of everyday. Things happen Sully, and sometimes we can't stop them. It's what we do about it after they happen. It's our reactions to these things that define who we are," she responded trying to take away his pain.

"You're right. Just hard not ta feel guilty," he answered.

"Don't you dare feel guilty. Just don't, you hear me? I will be mad at you, if you go on blaming yourself for what happened. There is only one person we have to blame for this, and we both know that person is not you."

"Okay," he said with a smile feeling slightly better after talking to her about it. "I well…" he began unsure how to ask his next question.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"What did he do… ta your wrist?" he asked glancing down at the cast extending up to her elbow.

"You mean besides breaking it?" she said teasing him a little. It was easier to talk about if there was some humor involved.

"I mean… what happened?" he asked hoping she would feel comfortable enough to tell him what really happened.

"I know I have to tell you what happened that night, but I'm just not ready yet. Okay?" she questioned with sadness in her eyes.

"Okay. I can understand that. Just promise me ya will tell me someday?"

"I promise," she answered truthfully.

"All right then."

"Though, I will answer that one question now. Just that one," she asked looking to him for agreement.

He simply nodded and she began again. " I… I smacked him across the face. He didn't like that response… so he grabbed my wrist…and," she stammered unable to continue.

He wanted to reassure her, but he realized it might be best to let her work through it in her own mind. So, he sat silently holding her hand in his, and he gave it a small squeeze so she knew he was there for her.

"He squeezed it… until I heard it snap," she turned white as she described that painful incident out loud for the first time.

"I'm… I can't…" he stammered. It was the first time in his life that he was completely at a loss for words. He had always known exactly what he wanted to say, even if that was nothing at all. This time was different. This time he knew he needed to say something, but he was simply at a loss.

"I know," she said almost reading his mind. "But it's over now…" she spoke as a tear fell down her face.

He wiped the tears from her cheek, and pulled her into a close embrace. As he felt her breath against his cheek, he couldn't imagine ever feeling more grateful that she was alive and in his arms.

April 21st, 2010

He would give anything for her to wake up the way she had that day in September almost two years ago. He longed to hold her in his arms again… awake. However, this time was different. Her injury had been more severe. At the time he had thought that attack would be the biggest obstacle they would face for a long time to come. Joey had been arrested soon after the police had questioned Michaela. He was still serving time in jail and would be for years to come. Thankfully, he was no longer a threat to either of them. He still remembered the panic he felt that night at the thought of loosing her, and now he was faced with that very same feeling once again.

October 12th, 1867

She looked down at a pebble on the ground focusing all her effort on holding back tears that threatened to spill over any minute; anything to keep her from focusing on the pain emanating from her blood stained feet. She tried not to panic too much. If she was in a panic, then she couldn't think. She also didn't want them to know how scared she really was; after all they were out in the middle of nowhere. They could do anything they wanted, and there was no one to stop them. Except for Sully… She knew in her heart he had to save her. She felt like he had saved her before. She didn't know when, or if it had simply been a dream. However, something told her he would find her. She just didn't know what condition she would be in when he did…

She couldn't help but wish that she were still back in Boston. She had returned to Colorado Springs a week ago after her mother had recuperated from her illness. Two days later they took her…

The angry dog solider approached her and grabbed her arm violently as he pulled her to her feet. She started back into his one, cold, unfeeling eye before quickly turning her gaze back to the ground. She swallowed hard as the lump in her throat grew by the second. She could feel his piercing gaze engulf her, and she began to pray with all of her heart that God would give her the strength to survive this. Somehow she felt she had begged for God to save her before…

She was quickly jerked out of her thoughts, as the Indian dog solider began to run his hand forcefully across her cheek. She immediately reacted defensively and reached up with both hands aggressively smacking his hand away. She couldn't have regretted her action more, as she saw the white-hot fury in his eyes piercing back down at her. I shouldn't have done that, but it's too late now. I'm going to pay for that… she thought with fear. He quickly drew his hand back, and it collided with her face so strongly that she felt to the ground.

As she lay on the ground reeling from the pain, he grabbed her from behind pulling her to her feet. This time, however, he began to drag her back towards one of the teepees.

"No!," she screamed in terror as she tried with all of her might to resist his pull. She thrashed about in his arms, as she tried everything she could to physically resist him. She was determined to fight his efforts, but it was simply impossible. He was much stronger, and they both knew it. However, she knew that she would fight him to the very end.

As they reached the flap to the teepee, he forced her inside shoving her to the ground. Before she could attempt to stand, he climbed on top of her pinning her to the ground.

In that moment, she felt as if this had happened before. That same feeling that had plagued her numerous times in the last few months was now a throbbing thought in her head. Suddenly, his eye that was not plagued with a patch changed colors before her. The cold, hateful, brown one quickly turned to gray. She blinked her eyes in disbelief, and as her eyelids fluttered open again his eye had returned to a brown hue.

The panic inside of her began to increase even more dramatically at the thought that she was hallucinating. If she didn't stay in this moment, how could she fight back? Chalking it up to fear, she pulled herself back to the present screaming out at him again to stop.

She thrust her bound hands violently against his chest as he leaned down attempting to overtake her lips with his own. The long, dark haired captor didn't falter at her assault and instead forcefully grabbed her bound hands pinning them above her head.

She squirmed around underneath him desperately trying to escape, and he realized that she wasn't going to make this easy. However, he had an idea.

"Nenaasêstse!" her captor shouted through the small opening in the teepee.

With her limited knowledge of the Cheyenne language she didn't know what he was saying, though she knew he wasn't talking to her.

"Henova'e?" a young warrior responded as he entered the teepee.

"Me'ta'ó'h he'oná!" he said in a commanding voice.

The warrior responded by grabbing her hands from her one-eyed captor and pinned them to the floor above her head. Her stomach turned as she realized what they were planning to do. She had known he was going to hurt her… She had known that for some time now. She never contemplated this development, however. He was going to let this other man watch… Her stomach began to heave at this thought, and she swallowed violently trying to keep herself from getting sick.

"Please… No, No," she spoke pleading with desperation.

She fought back more aggressively as panic grew into a more forceful strength. However, it did no good. She knew it wouldn't. She didn't stand a chance against two men with more strength than she could fathom. In that moment, reality hit her with more force then her kidnapper had previously. There was no way out of this. She felt the fear grip her as if someone had cut her with a knife. The terror did not abate, as he began to slowly and tortuously unbutton her shirt. He knew she was in emotional torment, and he was going to enjoy every second of it.

She tried with all of her might to hold back her tears. I can't let them see me cry. They can't see me defeated like that… I can't let that happen. That's the one thing I can still control.

The other warrior pulled a knife out of his belt, and cut her shirt from her arms. He threw it to the side, as her captor began to grope her upper body. She tried to make herself concentrate on something else, anything else, but it was impossible. He continued to tortuously assault her upper body, as the other watched on in amusement. She could hear the warrior's laugh ring through her ears, as her dark haired captor took her lips in his own.

She tried once again to squirm away from him, but he only brought his knees closer together enclosing her hips between them. When his lips left hers, she could hold back her tears no longer. As the cold air went into her lungs, a tear fell from the corner of her eye. As she shut her eyes tight once again, her mind flashed to Sully. Sully. She had to survive this. She had to keep herself alive… for him.

He pushed her skirt up her thighs, and she tried to defend herself once again. She attempted to kick him, but he quickly caught onto her intention and pinned her legs to the ground. He glared back at her clearly angered that his hands were now forced to restrain her legs. This development had not gone unnoticed by the warrior, and he glanced at the one-eyed soldier before pulling a pistol from a small pouch on his leather belt. The one eyed Indian nodded at the warrior, and before she could glance behind her she felt the handle of the pistol collide with the back of her head.

She could fell the warm blood pooling underneath her head as the pain shot through her head. The blinding pain emanating from her head made resistance impossible, which was their intention. Her kidnapper forced her legs apart further, and reached under her skirt. She tried with all the strength inside of her to utter the word 'stop' once again, but her lips couldn't form the words.

The world was beginning to fade as she drifted further and further from consciousness. As she felt his ice-cold hand touch her inner thigh, she gasped aloud as breathing became more difficult by the second. As his finger entered her, she heard the warrior's laughing ringing though her ears, felt his hand inside of her, saw the darkness behind her eyelids, and tasted the blood of her bottom lip as she bit down on it. She knew this horrible nightmare would remain burned into her memory forever…

He saw the teepee in the distance, and from the shadows he could tell they were inside. He ran as fast as he could to the approaching camp, but he had to remain quiet. His stomach dropped to the floor as their silhouettes danced across the animal skin. "Oh, God," he thought his heart sinking knowing what they were doing to her. He increased his pace trying to get to her as quickly as he could.

In the midst of her torment, she heard an unmistakable slashing sound as she drifted back into consciousness. She quickly opened her eyes to see Sully leap through an opening in the back of the teepee he had just created.

The warrior quickly dropped her hands, and before he could pull his pistol out Sully struck him over the head with a large shard of firewood. The one-eyed Indian jumped off of her quickly, and pulled a knife from his belt. He threw the knife directly at Sully, and in that instant she summoned all the strength inside of her to scream his name to warn him.

"Sully!" he heard her desperate cry ring through his ears. He quickly spun around just in time to see the blade headed right towards him. He quickly ducked and prepared himself to face off with his one-eyed attacker.

As soon as the blade left his hand, the dog solider pulled another blade from his belt and crouched down ready to make his next move. When he saw the Sully had ducked just in time to evade the blade, he approached him ready to attack.

He jabbed his blade towards Sully, but he was too quick for the Indian as he grabbed the back of his wrist with one hand. With the other he punched the Indian directly in the face. This was not enough to stop him however, as the dog solider tried in vain to stab Sully once again. Sully's fist attempted to collide with his face again, but this time the solider was ready and blocked it. He forcefully gripped Sully shoulders, and shoved him over backward. As he lay beneath the Indian, the one eyed-warrior pushed the blade towards him. However, Sully maintained a firm grasp on his attacker's wrist, and the solider was unable to break free of his grip. Sully grabbed the Indian's shoulder, and swiftly rocked his weight to the left side. This gave him enough momentum to throw the dog solider off of him. As he threw the Indian to his right, the warrior landed chest first into the blade he had first thrown at Sully.

He could see that the Indian was too injured to fight back. However, he didn't have it in him to finish the dog solider. No, that would take a vengeance that just was not inside of Sully. However, he knew he had to get out of there and fast. There was a good chance this man would not give up the fight until he was dead.

"Michaela," he breathed as the horrible sight in front of him struck him like the blade of a knife.

He had never felt that kind of horror or pain before. His soul mate was bleeding, badly. She might not survive, and that thought terrified him beyond belief. However, he knew he had to focus and move quickly.

He knew he had to get her out of there and fast. The other dog soldiers had probably heard the struggle and would be arriving any moment. He quickly threw his jacket to the ground, and ripped his shirt from his body pressing it against her head to stop the bleeding. He quickly wrapped his jacket around her. Then, with one hand still holding her head, he scooped her up in his arms quickly exiting the teepee the way he had entered.

Oh God, please let her be okay. He began to pray with everything inside of him that he could get her help fast enough. He knew they were quite far from town, and he had left his horse far from the dog soldier's camp. He knew he had no choice other than to go back to his horse.

He begged her to stay with him as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She could hear his voice ringing in her ears, "Michaela, please open your eyes. I need ya to do this for me. Come back to me please…" She opened her eyes when she could, but remaining conscious was impossible. It was just too strong; she just couldn't fight it.

As her eyelids fluttered closed again, he hoped and wished with everything he had that he would be able to get her back to town in time. That she would wake up and be all right….