The Pass Along Fanfic

*Mountain Lion on the Loose*

Chapter 20 - written by: Tess

"Mmm," Sully murmured, "What was that for?" He moved a hand to gently shift a few stray hairs from his wife's angelic face.

Michaela's eyes sparkled. "Do I need a reason to show my new husband some affection?"

"No," Sully grinned then moved his lips toward her neck, "but it ain't usually like you."

"Is that a problem?" she inquired, tilting his chin up to entice him to kiss her again.

"Nothin' I can't get used to."

Her lips locked with his again, sparking a fire all their own. Blindly, relying totally on memory, Sully steered his wife toward one of the stuffed chairs just a few feet away. When he felt his legs brush against the chair's material, he promptly sat down, pulling his wife into his lap.

"Sully!" Michaela exclaimed in surprise.

"What?" he responded innocently. "Colleen and Brian are with Matthew tonight, right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"But what?"

Michaela was blushing now. "But… it's just not… well… um… here?"

"What's wrong with here?"

She pressed her lips tightly before answering. "It's… it isn't even that dark yet – someone might see."

"That didn't bother you in the woods the other day."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Well no one would come looking for me there. If someone needs a doctor, they'll surely come here when I'm not at the clinic. Hank barging in at the clinic was bad enough."

"We'll lock the doors then."

When she didn't answer, Sully released a long breath. The enamored mood they created a few minutes ago was broken. Realizing that there was obviously something else on his wife's mind, he softly caressed her shoulder.

"Michaela, what's eatin' at you? Did Hank hurt you?"

She relaxed at the concerned tone in his voice. "I'm fine… but the whole thing with him sneaking up on us still bothers me."

"I shouldn't have left you alone with him, sprained ankle or not."

"I was the one who sent you for some ice… besides, I prepared in case he would do something."

"Prepared?"

She nodded then grinned. I had laudanum in one pocket of my apron and chloroform in the other."

"Chloroform?"

"Already on a cloth, ready to use, just in case," she stated matter-of-factly.

Sully grinned at her. "I guess I don't have to worry about you too much after all."

"I assure you," she began, "I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

He pulled her closer to him, "Of that I have no doubts."

Quickly, before Michaela could pull back, Sully captured her lips in a slow seductive kiss. Just because the earlier mood had been broken didn't mean that it couldn't be created again.

"Sully," Michaela began between kisses, "I… need… to ask… you… a… fav… or."

Realizing that his intentions weren't going to work at the moment, he gave in to whatever his wife had on her mind and allowed her to speak freely.

"I need to ask a favor of you."

"The answer's yes."

"But I haven't even asked the question yet."

"Whatever it is, if you need it, the answer is yes."

"Even if it's for Hank?"

"Hank?" Sully's eyebrows raised slightly.

"He needs a pair of crutches and I told him that I'd ask you about making him a set."

"How's he gonna use crutches with a sprained wrist?"

"His wrist isn't that bad. It should heal in a few days. After that, he'll need the crutches to get around."

Surprising his wife, Sully suddenly stood and set her gently on her feet. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead then moved toward their front door.

Bewildered, Michaela called out after him, "Sully… where are you going?"

"To the barn."

"Please don't be upset with me-"

"I'm not." He walked back over toward her and kissed her soundly. "I have some left over wood from building the homestead in the barn. I figure… if I want your attention later, I best start making those crutches." Releasing her, he sauntered back towards the door.

Michaela shook her head. Whenever she thought she couldn't possibly love her mountain man any more than she already did, he seemed to give her another reason.

"I'll make us some supper while you're working on the crutches. Thank you, Sully."

"No hurry," he assured her as he opened the door, "I ain't hungry yet." Just before he shut the door, he added, "At least not for that." Grinning at his wife's now deep blushing complexion, he closed the door.

Struggling to refocus, the blush in her face started to fade. He sure knew how to get to her. Now setting to the task at hand, she prepared a simple meal for two, to the best of her ability. As she cooked, she watched from the kitchen window as storm clouds gathered above. They moved fast with the increasing wind. Wrapping a few slices of bread in linen napkins, she tucked them into her skirt pocket. Placing everything else on a tray, she managed to get halfway to the barn, when she suddenly witnessed Sully press the barn door partway open against the strong wind and wave her back. He called out to her, but the wind carried his voice away. He acted as if something was wrong. Confused, she kept walking towards him and then she saw it. A huge mountain lion stepped around the corner of the barn. Michaela witnessed it growl fiercely, but the wind carried that sound away as well. Not knowing what else to do, she dashed the last few feet toward her husband just as the mountain lion darted in her direction. Dropping the tray, she flung herself into Sully's waiting arms. He whisked her inside and latched the barn door, just before the mountain lion lunged against it. The force of its body weight showed clearly when the wooden doors pressed in towards them.

Sully securely embraced his clearly shaken wife as he breathlessly explained, "It's been trying to get in. It's after the horses."