The Pass Along Fanfic

*Mountain Lion on the Loose*

Chapter 34 - written by: Tess

In town, Colleen had her hands full. Despite help from Myra, Dorothy and Grace, the four women were no match for Hank in a drunken rage. Thankfully they had finished bandaging him up before he came to from his brief whiskey induced coma. He was lucky – Elizabeth's bullet had only grazed him.

"Hank, you need to rest," Colleen tried to reason with him. "You could start hemorrhaging again."

"What's wrong with yous people?" Hank expressed loudly. "Don't you know that my Jules is being held captive by some heathen!? Ya ain't gonna stop me from saving her and claiming what's mine!"

"Hank," Myra attempted in her sweetest voice, "a posse already went to get Dr. Mike. They'll be back soon."

"What's that got to do with my Jules?" he sputtered as he forced his way through them to his horse hitched outside the saloon.

"They'll already be there by the time you get catch up to them, Hank," Myra reasoned.

"That's what yous think," he drawled while attempting to swing himself up into the saddle. It took two tries. "I know a short cut." Accomplishing his goal, Hank spurred his horse into a gallop.

"I hope he doesn't get hurt," Grace uttered sympathetically.

"Grace…" Dorothy verbalized happily with the same amount of surprise as could be seen on the faces of the other women. "That was very thoughtful of you to say."

Grace turned to head back to the café. "I was talkin' about the horse."

DQ-DQ-DQ

The unexpected gunshot awoke Sully with a start as the scent of burnt wood touched his nostrils. Immediately, his hand reached for his wavy mane that had been severely scorched – it was fine… he was fine. With great relief, he realized it had all been an incredibly horrible dream…. or maybe a premonition. That last thought stunned him. In a near panic, he shifted to an upright position on the deerskin throw to witness his wife, still in her glorious birthday suit, deposit another log on the flames.

"Michaela - no!" Sully bolted for her, but it was too late as the new log was already in place.

"Sully, what is it?"

Wrapping his arms about her, he pulled her back from the hearth and then quickly removed the deerskin throw.

"I ain't takin' any chances."

"Chances?" His confused wife watched as he filled an empty bucket with water from the tub and tossed it onto the fire in the hearth. "Sully, what are you doing?"

"I'm putting out the fire."

"I can see that." She crossed her arms. "But why?"

He filled another bucket and repeated the action. "Just in case."

"In case?"

"In case somethin' would happen." A third bucket did the trick. Satisfied, he set it aside.

Michaela approached her husband. "Sully, are you feeling alright?"

She moved to touch a hand to his forehead, but Sully had other ideas. Turning, he seized her undergarment and hurriedly slid it over her head.

"We need to hurry," came his response to her astonished expression.

"Sully, you're putting my clothes… on?"

"Someone might come."

"Who's going to find us out here?"

"Your mother."

"My mother?!"

"She already saw too much."

"What are you talking about?"

Realizing that he spoke of a very embarrassing part of his dream he muttered, "Never mind." Stooping before her, he forced her feet into her bloomers then slid them up her legs.

"I can't believe you're doing this."

"Neither can I." His hungry gaze betrayed his heart's appetite, but something much more powerful had him driven with purpose. Standing, he donned his buckskins then helped Michaela into her skirt and blouse.

"Sully, I don't understand why we have to get dressed so fast."

"Just trust me ok?"

"Can you at least tell me why? And what does my mother have to do with it?" Her eyes rolled when Sully pushed her hands aside as he took over the task of buttoning her blouse. Apparently she wasn't moving fast enough.

"I had a dream," he finally admitted.

"A dream? All of this rushing just because of a dream?" With her arms held steady at her sides while Sully worked on her clothing, she suddenly felt like one of her porcelain dolls that she used to dress when she was a small child.

"It could be a warning, Michaela. Like I said, I ain't takin' any chances. We have to get out of here."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't want Matthew living with us either."

Now THAT sure made everything crystal clear. His strange behavior was beginning to worry her. "Sully you're not making any sense."

"This homestead burned down in my dream."

"Burned down?" Now she understood why he doused the fire, but with the fire out, he should have nothing to worry about. He tried to move passed her to grab his shirt, but her arms encircled his waist. "Sully, please stop for a minute."

He released a pent breath then and took a good long look at her. Gosh, she was beautiful. Clothing rumpled... hair in slight disarray. If it wasn't for that crazy dream, he'd still be laying with her on the deerskin throw… and they wouldn't be sleeping either. Betraying his current intuition, his arms encircled her, drawing her against him. Goodness, she felt like heaven.

"I don't want to leave yet. I like having you all to myself," Michaela admitted as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't think we really can leave anyway."

Sully pulled back to look her in the eye. "Why do you say that?"

"Have you forgotten the mountain lion lurking around outside?"

In his haste, yes he had. Realization hit home and a slow embarrassed grin brightened his expression. "Guess I did."

Throwing caution to the wind and acting on impulse, he imprisoned her within a snug embrace and kissed her soundly. Now this was more to what Michaela had in mind. Her hands snaked up to curve over his bare back and shoulders, and her nails dug into his exposed flesh leaving telltale markings as their kisses heated with fervent speed. His mountain lion was back and she was driving him wild.

As hastily as he had dressed her only moments ago, he now began releasing the buttons on her blouse. Michaela excitedly joined his efforts and hooked her fingers into the waistband of his buckskins. Grasping the clasp, she released the zipper.

Sully pulled back in shock. "You can't do that?"

"I just did."

"Michaela, zippers haven't been invented yet."

"Then how could I do that?"

"We're in a fanfic."

"Sully, you're not making any sense."

"A fanfic, Michaela... this one doesn't have to make any sense – why do you think you never get pregnant?"

"Did you hit your head?"

"I'm being serious here," he insisted.

"So am I. What's a fanfic?"

"It's just a made-up story about us… and a mountain lion."

"Do you believe that? That we're really in some silly story?"

"I don't know what I believe anymore."

Michaela thought seriously for a moment. "If we're in a fanfic, then I want some food and an apple pie. I'm starved." Glancing back at the table, it was now set with all she had mentioned.

"Sully, I'm scared."

"Don't be, Tess wouldn't do anything to hurt us."

"Who's Tess?"

"The crazy lady writin' this scene."

"Can we trust her?"

"Do we have any choice?"

The hungry couple moved towards the table and the food disappeared right before their eyes.

"I thought you said we could trust her?"

"H'mmm, I thought I had her wrapped around my little finger."

Michaela grinned at her perplexed husband. "Guess again."

"Maybe it was just our imaginations since we haven't eaten since yesterday," he justified.

"That's just an excuse she's throwing into your manly brain so you won't be mad at her for teasing us with food."

"Michaela, you better watch what you say; she has control over us."

"Well she doesn't have control over me." She folded her arms defensively. "This is one woman she can't tell what to do."

Sully grinned at her knowingly. "Wanna bet."

The lady doctor became quiet for a moment. "Sully, I'm starting to feel… strange."

"Strange?"

Michaela suddenly looked at him as if he were edible. "I hear you mountain men really like mountain lions," she purred sensuously.

Stunned, Sully took a step back as Michaela lunged for him. They nearly fell backwards as her mouth attempted to devour his. Boy, she was hungry! Lip-locked with his adventurously enthusiastic wife, he stumbled over a chair then found himself suddenly seated in it. Michaela wasted no time in pouncing on him, plopping herself down onto his lap.

"This isn't like you," he managed to mutter between her fiery hot kisses.

"I know," she breathed out helplessly, "I can't help myself."

Seizing the opportunity when she spoke, Sully cradled Michaela's face lovingly in two strong hands while trying to draw a few deep much needed breaths. "I told ya… you don't want to mess with Tess," he panted out. "She's got a one-track mind. Ya never know what she'll make ya do next."

"Oh, I think I know," Michaela claimed brazenly as she dove into another heated kiss with her beloved husband.

"Jules! Darling! I came to rescue ya! You let my woman go you savage!"

At the sudden sound of Hank's bellowing voice, Michaela and Sully, and the chair they were perched upon, tipped then crashed to the floor. Scrambling to their feet, Sully secured his buckskins and then quickly helped Michaela "do up the buttons" on her blouse yet again. They managed to peek out the window in time to see Hank, shirtless with a bandage over his shoulder, fall off his horse with a whiskey bottle still clenched in one hand.

"Hank's drunk," Sully announced in disgust.

"There's no doubt about that. What do we do? That mountain lion is still out there."

"Let it eat 'im."

"Sully! That doesn't sound like you!"

"I know - Tess made me say it. Don't worry, she has a conscience."

"I certainly hope so."

Sully moved to secure his belt, containing his knife and tomahawk, about his waist.

"You're not thinking about going out there alone?"

"It's what I do Michaela, I rescue everybody. Haven't you ever seen our show?"

"No, television hasn't been invented yet."

"Oh - forgot about that." He placed comforting hands on her shoulders. "I always do dangerous things like this and everything usually works out just fine. Don't worry." He bent to kiss her quickly then, but her softness, femininity, and vulnerable expression drew him in. The kiss lasted longer, and longer, and longer… until…

Michaela broke away, "Did you hear that?"

"The mountain lion's back – I gotta get Hank!"

Sully dashed out the door just as the mountain lion appeared around the corner of the barn. He could hear the horses acting up, aware of the lion's presence. Without wasting another moment, he darted to Hank's side and tried to pull the big man to his feet. Just then a gunshot rang out as the posse, led by Mrs. Quinn, rounded the bend into view. Much to Sully's amazement, his dream was unraveling right before his eyes, but at least this time, the homestead wasn't burning and he and Michaela were mostly dressed.