Chapter 10

Suddenly all hell broke loose. Without warning the door crashed open and in stormed Sully, roaring like a furious lion. Courageously he lunged at Davies with his whole weight so that the intruder wasn't able to react to Sully's rapidity at all. Sully's force threw both men to the ground of the barn and Davies' gun was snatched off his hands by their fall. Horrified, Michaela could only scream her husband's name. Hank was just looking stunned when a fight for life or death between Sully and the stranger broke out on the barn's floor. Fighting hard for control, they rolled around on the ground, each of both men ready to kill the other with bare hands. Sully, however, had more experience and the powerful instinct to protect his family, which gave him a supernatural strength to overwhelm his otherwise equal attacker. Finally, Sully managed to escape Davies' evil stranglehold and turn him around so that he could kneel on him and hold the man down with his weight. Thus he could work on Davies with forceful punches until the man became unconscious. However, that wasn't enough for Sully! In the minute he had seen wolf lying unconsciously on the ground in the corral, presumably knocked out by a powerful blow on his head and in those few seconds he had been looking through the barn window before he had attacked Sully had seen everything he had to know. This bastard had threatened his family in the worst way and not only had that monster to be kept from doing so, no, he should pay for it! Heatedly, Sully further punched on the stranger until his blood began to splash on his own white shirt. As if in daze, he heard Michaela's desperate yelling, but it didn't concern him. He wanted to avenge his wife. Only when Michaela forcefully threw herself onto him and he felt Hank's hand on a shoulder, he finally stopped hitting Davies. Instinctively, he wound his arms around Michaela and pulled her a little away from the unconscious man.

She was still trembling as he held her firmly in his arms and soon he felt his shirt growing damp by her hot tears mingling with the drops of blood by the beast. She couldn't stop crying and all attempts of speaking to him, of thanking him and asking him if he was all-right went under in dreadful stuttering.

So Sully just quietly sat there for a long time, his shaking wife in her torn clothes in his arms, beside them the unconscious attacker and, finally, Hank who'd crouched down again, bleeding and sweating and exhausted.

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Colorado Springs, Sully Homestead barn

Into this very eerie scene burst Daniel, Jake and a few other men from town. Without losing words, Daniel immediately grasped the situation and ordered the men to arrest the semi-conscious Davies and drag him into prison in town.

Seeing Michaela so defenseless in Sully's arms almost broke Daniel's heart. Still, he asked as sensibly as possible. "An'one care ta tell me what's happened in here? Old Shaw jus' came up to me to warn us that he's been seein' a stranger hangin' around on your property. The description matched the guy they're seekin' in Castle Rock. Therefore, I thought it best comin' up to you with the men. Not too early I have ta admit. So what in hell's been happenin'?"

Michaela dried her tears vehemently with her sleeve and asked Daniel. "Can you wait a little?... I will give you all the information you need, but I must look after Hank first. He has lost quite a lot of blood."

When she got up unsteadily Sully became only too conscious of the state of her clothes and an ice-cold hand writhed around his heart. What had this bastard only done to her? Quickly, he got up, took off his jacket and protectively laid it over her shoulders. However, Michaela did not notice this at all. Still shaking, she walked up to Hank, all bad words that had ever been exchanged between them forgotten; just thankful that he had wanted to protect her from this man.

Softly, she shook him off his semi-conscious state. "Hank! Please, wake up, Hank! It's me, Michaela." Hank opened an eye with much of an effort. "Can you manage to get up so that I can attend to your wounds in the house?"

In the end, with Daniel's and Jake's help, Hank could walk the distance to the house. Sully and Michaela remained only briefly to auspiciously fall into each other's arms, rejoicing in the fact that they still had each other. Michaela could only bury her head in his hair and whisper over and over again. "Thank you, Sully! Thank you so much!"

Now Sully had to know it. "Michaela," he looked at her with troubled eyes. "What's happened in here? Did he...?"

Michaela could only shake her head violently and with it took an immense weight from Sully's shoulders. She sobbed: "Hank was here most of the time... He prevented most of it... He was so disgusting. It... I was so scared. I want to see Katie now, please"

Softly, he pressed her against him. He just held on to her for some precious moments and, in his mind, thanked God fervently that He had sent him this vision, so that he had been able to prevent worse.

Sometime later, they both reluctantly separated themselves from each other to devote themselves to her respective tasks. Michaela went to fixing up Hank and to report herself to Daniel and Sully set off to calm his completely distraught, little daughter.

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Colorado Springs, Homestead master bedroom

"You have felt it, haven't you?"

Michaela's question was only one quiet whisper in the glooming dark. Sully was looking up and questioningly gazed into Michaela's face, surprised to hear her voice after a very long period of silence.

After those last terrible hours Sully was now finally lying in their marriage bed with Michaela. Shocked and even now still shaking, she just lay there and stared at the wall. Sully hadn't been able to do anything for her in spite of just being there for her, protectively holding her back narrowly pressed to himself. It was now almost eerily quiet in the house. Everyone who had recently populated it was gone now.

Immediately after they had heard of the incident Matthew, Brian and Jennifer has mutedly approached the homestead and had when they'd noticed that they could do nothing for the comfort of Michaela and Sully had decided to take Katie to an extensive walk. The little one had rather quickly recovered from her early morning trauma due to many comforting words and loving kisses. However, the older siblings had clearly felt their parents need to be alone to anyhow handle the day's events.

While she lay there, Michaela agonized on the dreadful minutes of the morning and let the incident pass over and over again in her mind. She desperately considered if she should have done something different in order to protect her family properly. What couldn't have happened by the hands of this man! He could have gotten mad on Katie, could have done something to her!... My God!... Nearly, he had managed to overpower Sully and kill him! It was a close shave that he'd almost violated her and she could have possibly lost her unborn baby!... As she had learned later, that beast had knocked out Wolf with a sharp blow on his skull as the animal had tried to protect its family with fletched teeth. Fortunately, the old, loyal guardian was a survivor and now on the mend through its masters care... And Hank! Hank who had positioned himself courageously between them had seriously been injured by this devil because he'd wanted to help her. Michaela remembered that she had never before carried out an operation in such a state as she had been forced to do that day. Like in a trance, she had sewn up Hanks wound, driving herself into concentrating on the task. While Hank had slept and recovered from the operation, Daniel who wanted to get as many proofs as possible against Clayton Davies so that he could quickly hand him over to the Denver Marshall had questioned her. Absolutely apathetically and incapable of feeling anything, Michaela had told her story while Sully had sat there with clenched fists and had suppressed the impulse to ride to town to strangle Davies with his own bare hands. However, his family needed him more urgently. Michaela had been so strong all the time. At least, it had the appearance that she was. This, however, had only been a facade, a protective wall that she had built up around herself. But soon afterwards, this wall had completely collapsed when Daniel had gone back to town to look after Davies. Sully had brought down her little daughter who had, quite exhausted by the excitement, fallen asleep once again. Katie had lain in the arms of her father and at the moment she had sensed her mother she had looked up at her sleepily. However, immediately the child had felt that something was not quite right. Her Ma wasn't as happy as usual! There she had stretched out her lean little arms requiring her Mama and Michaela had taken her stormily, almost oppressively, into her arms. As if she never again wanted to let go of her daughter she had closed her arms firmly around her and had covered Katie with kisses. Her tears had flown as if a dam had broken open. 'Oh Katie, my baby! You are fine. Thank God nothing's happened to you. Papa was here... and Hank as well... Everything's going to be fine!'

Then, Sully had also dared to take his family into his arms and they had stood there for a long time and stuck each to other, as if the were destined to drown in a storm-whipped ocean.

When Hank had awoken from his anesthesia and was on his way of improvement, Michaela had not been able to suppress the urgent need to thank him, moved by his attempts of rescuing her. Sobbing, she had fallen around his neck. The hardship of the last hours and the desperate fear felt together had created a bond of friendship between them which both were now ready to recognize openly. 'Oh Hank,' she had sighed. 'I thank you! If it hadn't been for you he could have done a lot worse.'

Nevertheless, Hank had only winked. 'Oh that! It's bin Sully again ta do all the work. He's the hero. I only stumbled in as a livin' target.'

Now, this wasn't true at all! But for once in her life Michaela refrained from contradicting Hank. One day, she would be able to make him see what he'd done for her!

After Hank had been strong enough to be transported to a more hygienically recovery room in the clinic, Sully had brought him there and asked Dorothy to look after the patient. And Michaela had been that exhausted; she had lain down on her bed during the bright day and had indulged herself in her frightening thoughts. Sometime later Sully had come back, had lain down silently by her side and taken her comfortingly and securely in his arms...

Sully didn't answer Michaela's question for a long time. He seemed to have sunk into deep thoughts. There, Michaela asked once again, very quietly. "Sully. You 'have' felt it, haven't you?"

Sully knew what she meant. Still, she pronounced it. "You have told Daniel that you finished your work in Denver earlier and therefore you have appeared so suddenly. But this isn't true, is it? You told me before that you'd need a whole week. Impossibly you could have been finished that soon. You knew that something was not right, didn't you, Sully? You have felt 'us'."

It was no question. Michaela knew Sully's answer.

Quiet, halting, he admitted. "Yes, Michaela. I've seen ya. I had a vision of you cryin' out for me. T' was frightening. I had to get to ya immediately... I thank the Spirits that they've shown me the way..."

"I thank 'you'!", Michaela interrupted passionately. "You have saved us! This... this person would have done dreadful things..."

Sobbing, shaken thoroughly by tears once more, she threw herself into his arms, searching hold. She didn't need to talk. Sully understood her without. Indeed, the immediate menace by Davies was over, but for Michaela the nightmare hadn't stopped yet. This man had taken something away from his Michaela, ostentatiously and intentionally. Her belief in the good of 'all' people. He had threatened her, her family, for no reason at all and this had caused a basic fear in her. He had stained her with his hands, had touched her against her will... Sully couldn't think about that without getting murderous thoughts. Now he had to help his wife to get over that attack, to conclude with this nightmare.

She had narrowly cuddled up to him. Her tears had dried up. Out of exhaustion she had fallen asleep. Affectionately, Sully stroked a lost strand of hair from her face and prayed that she and the baby would get over everything. For a long time he lay awake and worried about Michaela. Then, his eyes also became heavy after this long day and he dropped off.

All of a sudden, he felt Michaela's warm, searching hand on his thigh. Confused, Sully looked up at her. She had turned to him and piercingly gazed at him, requiring, with burning eyes. Rarely, Sully had seen such an incredibly passionate and at the same time begging look in those mismatched eyes. To Sully's greatest surprise, Michaela unyieldingly reached out for his head and led his face stormily near to hers. Hungrily, she took his mouth in a deep, tender kiss. Almost with force, she opened his lips and left her tongue glide in deeply. She took the breath out of him with her hot, aggressive kiss, her tongue that fervently caressed and tasted his.

Sully was too much taken by surprise and attracted to react in any other way. Helplessly and fervently, he instinctively closed his arms around his wife and passionately participated in her thrilling kisses, that she allowed becoming even deeper. An overwhelmed, deep sigh escaped from his throat. Michaela briefly broke the hot contact of their lips to whisper to him shakily. "Please, Sully, love me! Now! I need you... I want to forget this nightmare..."

Sully understood. Michaela searched for a way to come to terms with this act of abuse, which had been done to her today. She had to gain control again somehow. But in addition, she had to let her every feeling, her fury, her hatred and anger for this man, but also her whole passion explode. Sully was the instrument that could help her to do that. Only too willingly, he accepted this challenge. He'd simply do anything to help her and if she had to use him to let go of the pressure then be it!

Hotly and damp, he felt Michaela's lips on his neck, his nape, his shoulders and he forgot all reasons. Deeply, he heard Michaela sighing imploringly and there both lost control.

Sully turned Michaela on her back and immediately bent over her to take up their fiery kisses. More gently than voraciously he stroked her lips with his tongue to entice them to open up for him. However, almost to his consternation, but also to his utmost desire, Michaela wildly pulled on his head and his hair, opened her lips for him and hungrily sucked on his mouth as if she wanted to devour him. There was nothing affectionate, careful in her kiss, however Sully didn't draw back from it. Silently, he capitulated to her, devoted himself fully, unconditionally to her for this time.

Their tongues met, retreated in a primitive, instinctive rhythm. Michaela's hands wandered along his warm body, stroked him in all thrilling places that only she knew and transported him into their own special world on the other side of all logical thinking.

Within seconds Sully shed Michaela's nightgown from her body that had been set into flames and pressed her narrowly to himself. She reared up to him and whispered his name. Sully's heart stopped for a second, so requiring, imploring she had spoken to him. Sully trembled and reflected Michaela's reaction, her shaking body. Almost violently, Michaela turned Sully on his back and assaulted him like a fortress. Again, she let wander down her hot kisses upon his upper body and again higher, playfully teased his nipples. Her hands touched him everywhere, tormented him with sweet passion. Sully breathed heavier and heavier. There she found his mouth and continued her untamed seduction with a renewed greedy kiss. Her hands buried in his hair, she pressed herself as near to him as possible. Their bed-sheets had been pushed away a while ago. Still, none of them felt remotely cold. It was as if an internal fire devoured them.

Sully sealed his mouth on her skin to let slip down a path of kisses on her neck. Michaela threw her head back to enjoy the feeling to the fullest. She felt Sully's hands on her naked back and she trembled at the places he touched her. Her stomach contracted in excitement and her coherent thoughts had left her a long time ago to now let her think of nothing other than being together with Sully. Slowly, enticingly and with a passion that could compete with hers, Sully let his hands glide down her body and deliberately brought her into a state of utmost desire.

Firmly, she buried her fingernails into Sully's backside and he quietly gave a deep groan. As far as he could, he bent his head down to kiss her upper body. Softly and hotly, his tongue caressed her shoulder, her collarbone and, finally, her breasts as if he wanted to wipe off the touch of this man.

Michaela was almost turning crazy now. It was as if her body resolved itself, evaporated in thin air and existed only of overpowering feelings.

Sully gave a loud moan of passion. He could now only think of his desire to feel her near to himself. She beguiled his senses.

Each of them could feel the hard, quick heartbeat of the other like the very own. When Sully felt Michaela's hands everywhere on him, while he himself explored her body with his lips and his tongue, it enticed him so much he could hardly stand it. Then, in the end, during a movement in her wild lover's dance, they finally joined their bodies and souls.

It was neither carefully slow nor mindfully affectionately. They met untamed, in the desperate attempt to become one, to forget everything evil around them for a time. And when they reached their peak, they both screamed out in passion and dedicated themselves to each other completely and definitely.

When they disengaged, in the end, Michaela curled up at her side to snuggle up narrowly into Sully's arms. Exhausted, she soon fell asleep after a few minutes, while Sully still tried to come to a breath again.

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Possibly half an hour later, Jennifer, Matthew and Brian came back with Katie. As it was already almost evening now, Sully asked the boys if they could look after preparing dinner and Katie today. Jennifer friendly offered to help. This, for the first time now on this day, conjured up some smiles on the faces of Sully and the Coopers.

When Sully was sure that everything would be well cared for, he went upstairs again to be around his wife. Silently, he shed his clothes and lay himself beside her in their bed.

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It was in the middle of the night when Sully felt Michaela beside him and he became more and more worried. Tirelessly, she buckled to and fro, expelled some loud moans and over and over again whimpered in her sleep as sweat droplets appeared on her forehead.

Sully helplessly considered what he could do as Michaela, highly frightened, awoke from her dream. "No! Please, don't!", she shouted, while she jerkily sat up in bed.

Sully was immediately there to take his crying wife into his soothing arms, to stroke the damp strands from her face and to whisper reassuring words. "Shhhh, darlin'. Everythin's fine. I'm here. T'was only a nightmare!"

"Oh God, Sully!", sobbed Michaela. "I was so scared!... Katie, the baby, you... Hank! He would have killed us cold-blooded. I have seen it in his eyes... Those eyes! So cold... merciless... It was as if he wanted to force his own will upon me by all means... He would have liked to destroy me, my spirit... I was so afraid of losing our baby... Sully, I couldn't endure this once again! It's hurt so much to lose our last child. I couldn't get through it once again..."

"Michaela!... Michaela!", she was resolutely interrupted by Sully. "Nothin's gonna happen, do ya hear? It's over! That scum's behind bars and he'll stay there for a very long time. I'll make sure of that. It's over now, do ya hear? We ain't losin' our baby! You'll see. In a few months we'll be holdin' her in our arms, strong and healthy."

Sully had detached himself from her to see with questioning eyes whether his urgent words had had an effect on her. They did. Michaela believed his proclamations because Sully would never intentionally lie to her. And deep down within herself she also knew it. It was over. She had this wonderful man by her side who would protect them at all costs, who would make sure that his family was fine and safe. Michaela was calmed. Slowly, she could start forgetting this whole dreadful experience; thankful that by the wish of God or the Spirits worse had been prevented.

"You just called our baby a 'her',", she sniffed.

Smiling, Sully brought her back in her arms and rocked her through the night.

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Colorado Springs

The next days were still a little rough on Michaela's emotional life. On the slightest little things, she always started to cry, until she was calmed in the end by one member of the family. However, the unhampered active movements of her baby that let her know that it was healthy, Sully's steadfast strength and patience, Katie's happy laughter and Brian's amusing stories, Hanks progressive recovery and, finally, the news that Davies was convicted by a Denver judge because of countless crimes, contributed to the fact that Michaela step by step could take up her normal life again in which the dreams became rarer and she didn't need to withdraw into a snail house the way she did when she had been shot point-blank a few years ago.