Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E.
Chapter Forty-nine
Cambridge, Maryland – July 11, 1848
The sky was hazy but that didn't stop the sun's rays from penetrating the cloud cover and scorching the earth. Moisture hung in the air so that every breath felt labored and miserable. Every once in awhile, thunder could be heard in the distance but it never seemed to grow any closer. It had been threatening to rain for four days now but not one single drop had fallen. At night heat lightening lit up the sky in spectacular displays of color but still no relief from the endless heat and humidity. The weather seemed to zap everyone's energy.
Michaela and Sully were lying on the floor of the ballroom pressing their bodies against the bare wood floor for the momentary coolness it offered. When one spot heated up they would move to another spot. Robert and Anne were with them as Rebecca was still in the throws of morning sickness, though as Sully pointed out her morning sickness seemed to last all day. The heat combined with her nausea had made the good natured Rebecca moody and irritable. All four children knew enough to stay out of her way so they had spent the morning swimming. The children were supposed to be upstairs resting but Michaela couldn't fathom the thought of laying upstairs in a bed in this heat. Anna was resting which she did more and more frequently when it was this hot. John and Ida were on the porch drinking lemonade and trying to locate any cool breeze that might find its way off the river and up to the house.
"I can't take it," Michaela exclaimed suddenly standing and pulling at her skirt. "I don't care what anyone says. It's too hot for clothes, especially all of these." With that she pulled off her skirt and petticoat so that she stood in just her bloomers with her shirt hanging down. Her shirt sleeves were already rolled well past her elbows and she looked strange now standing there half undressed. She felt cooler though and that was all she cared about at the moment.
"Aunt Michaela," Anne exclaimed her eyes growing huge. "There are boys." She looked from Robert to Sully as she said this.
"Anne, Robert is three and your brother - he doesn't count."
"And Sully is your brother?" Anne asked innocently trying to understand Michaela's logic.
"Something like that," Michaela replied rolling her eyes and noticing that Sully was suppressing a laugh.
"So he doesn't count either?"
"I don't count?" Sully asked amusement written all over his face.
"Brothers don't count," Michaela replied saucily glancing over at Sully who had now propped himself up on one elbow.
"Brother, hmm?" Sully said questioningly. "I'll have to remember that."
Michaela raised her eyebrows at him before noticing that Anne was now stripping down as well. "Anne what are you doing?"
"I'm hot too," she whined trying hard to pull her pinafore off.
"Come here." The little girl made her way over to Michaela. She was wearing a cotton dress with a pinafore over it. Michaela removed both and then but just the pinafore back on her so that her little arms were bare. "There you go. That will be much cooler."
"I hot too," Robert whined half his body sticking under the couch as he was trying to retrieve a thread spool he was rolling around the floor. "Can we go swimming?" he asked as his head finally emerged.
"We just went swimming an hour ago Robert," Michaela explained. "And you are supposed to be napping. Do I need to lay you down upstairs?"
"I be good," Robert said crawling back across to where the other three were laying.
"I will be good," Michaela corrected him.
"Yes, I will," he said nodding his head up and down enthusiastically.
"Mama always tells Robert stories to make him go to sleep. Do you know any stories Sully?" Anne asked lying down close to him now. She had taken an instant liking to Sully that Michaela found endearing. Sully found it a little annoying as she insisted on sitting beside him at every possible occasion.
"I think your Aunt Michaela is more suited to story telling."
"You don't know any?" Anne asked incredulously.
Michaela smiled over at the two of them as she lay back down. "Yes Sully, don't you know any stories?"
Sully frowned at Michaela giving a little angry snort. "Thanks."
Anne looked over at Sully. "Tell us one of the stories grandmother told you when you were a little boy."
Sully gave her a puzzled look. "Your grandmother never told me any stories," Sully said very matter of fact.
Anne looked over at Sully and then at Michaela. "Did she tell you stories?"
"Anne, grandmother is not Sully's mother," Michaela began to explain.
"Where is your mama?" she asked Sully.
Michaela saw the look on Sully's face change and she started to speak. "Anne,"
"No, it's alright." Sully smiled over at the little girl. "My mama is in heaven."
"I'm sorry," Anne replied her little face falling in true empathy. "Is that why you live with Grandma and Granda?"
Sully smiled at the little girl seeing in her the same compassion he had found in Michaela. "Why don't I tell you that story," he suggested.
Anne eagerly nodded her head bouncing her brown curls up and down in the process. Robert looked over at Sully. "Story?" he asked his brown eyes growing large as he popped his thumb in his mouth.
"Yes a story," Sully confirmed. "My pa died when I was real young so I don't remember much about him. My ma was real sad about that cause she loved my pa a whole lot. Sometimes when people are sad they cry a lot and so my ma used to cry all the time cause she missed my pa. One day she heard my pa call her from heaven and he told her that he missed her too and he wanted her to come be with him there. So my ma she kissed me good-bye and told me to be real good cause she was gonna go see pa in heaven."
"Can you go see people in heaven?" Anne asked.
"You can but then you can't come back here," Sully explained.
"So your mama couldn't come back?"
"No, she had to stay in heaven with my pa."
"Didn't that make you sad?"
"It made me very sad. I was crying very hard and my heart felt like it was broken cause I knew I wouldn't see my mama again." Sully paused here looking first at Robert who was already asleep and then at Anne who was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Finally he looked at Michaela who had tears running down her cheeks and he felt his heart warm. "But sometimes where you're real sad God sends ya someone to help ya not be sad anymore."
Anne looked over at him. "Did he send you someone?" she asked finally closing her eyes.
"He sent me a little girl with beautiful long hair and eyes two different shades of green. She brought me a blanket and a handkerchief to wipe my eyes with. When she wrapped her arm around me and hugged me, I remember she smelled like a spring day after the rain," Sully continued his eyes meeting Michaela's. He remembered the first time he had seen those eyes and how it had seemed impossible to turn away from them. Another tear ran down her cheek and Sully reached across Robert to wipe it away. Michaela raised her hand and held it overtop of his on her cheek. "And she took me home and taught me how to not be sad anymore," Sully finished as the look they shared only increased in intensity.
Michaela bit her bottom lip, not even sure exactly why she was crying. Without breaking their gaze, she mouthed to Sully, "I love you."
"I love you too," he mouthed back as each closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Boston, 1866
"I thought Brian and Matthew could sleep in Sully's old room," Elizabeth said as she led the group up the stairs.
"Sully's old room? Matthew asked, his face twisted up in confusion.
Sully looked over at Michaela. They hadn't even thought about explaining things to the children before they arrived. He saw the worry in her face and he reached over to squeeze her shoulder. "That would be nice," Sully said to Elizabeth ignoring Matthew's statement for the moment. When Matthew turned his face up to Sully to ask again, he raised his eyebrows communicating to him to wait.
It had been so long since he had been in this house that he had once considered his home. Taking a deep breath, he continued to follow Elizabeth until she stopped in front of the door. Memories came rushing back to him now and he shuttered as the ghosts of the past descended upon him. This time it was Michaela who reassured him by slipping her hand into his and interlacing their fingers.
Elizabeth opened the door and stood back for them to enter. "I had Martha air it out while you were at the park," she explained looking around the room. The children quickly rushed in, anxious to see what Sully's old room looked like. Sully was more hesitant but together he and Michaela stepped inside. Things looked exactly as he had left them which was really quite surprising. "I'll show Colleen to your old room," Elizabeth said to Michaela starting for the door.
"Thanks mother but Sully and I need to talk to the children first."
"Okay," Elizabeth said giving her a small frown. "Then I'll leave you alone. Dinner will be ready in an hour. And you will want to dress as everyone will be here."
"Everyone?" Michaela panicked as she repeated the word.
"Your sisters, their husbands and children," Elizabeth said casting a strange look in her daughter's direction. Michaela simply nodded her head as Elizabeth turned to leave.
Quickly Sully stepped over and shut the door behind Elizabeth never letting go of Michaela's hand. "Ya wanna explain?" he asked. Yet before either had a chance to say one more word the children were each asking their own questions.
"Why do ya have a room here Sully?" Brian asked.
"I didn't know you lived in Boston," Colleen chimed in.
"Ya never told us before," Matthew added.
"We should have," Michaela started. "I simply didn't think about it."
"Me either," admitted Sully.
"So why did ya live here?" Matthew asked.
"Michaela's family took me in when my parents died," he began. "I lived here until I went out west when I was fourteen."
"So this is your and Ma's home," Brian said innocently.
Sully inhaled deeply trying to think of how to explain things so that the children would understand but Michaela beat him to it. "This is where I grew up and where Sully spent some time but we don't consider it home, Brian. Our home is in Colorado."
"Ya mean the new homestead that Sully's building?" Colleen asked.
Sully looked at Michaela and smiled. "Home isn't a physical place. It's where ya feel safe and loved. The only place I feel like that is here with Michaela and you three. You're my home."
Cambridge, Maryland – July 11, 1848
When Michaela awoke, the first thing she noticed was that the bare areas of her body were stuck to the floor. The room held the long shadows of afternoon but the temperature had not abated any. The next thing she was cognizant of was voices.
"But mama Michaela said that Sully and Robert didn't count cause they're our brothers."
Michaela let out a deep breath wondering if Rebecca was upset about finding them undressed like this. Slowly she raised her head as she gently peeled her face away from the floor. Sheepishly she looked over at Rebecca. "It was so hot," Michaela began.
Rebecca turned to look at her. "I know it's hot but it's still not appropriate to be in mixed company like this. Michaela this is your niece. You need to set an example of propriety for her."
Michaela sighed as she unstuck the rest of her body from the floor. Her sister seemed to be channeling the spirit of her mother. "I'm sorry," she replied trying to sound sincere.
Rebecca shook her head as if coming out of some reverie and then laughed lightly. "No, I'm sorry," she returned walking across the room. "I can't believe I am standing here making a big deal of this. For goodness sakes my daughter is five years old. I must sound like mother."
"A little," Michaela said as she stood up. "Are you feeling better?"
"I am, thank you." She looked down at Michaela in her bloomers and shook her head. "Are you comfortable?" she asked her eyes twinkling.
"It's better than having my skirt on."
"Mama," Robert called from his place on the floor.
Rebecca leaned down to pick him up. "I'm here sweatheart."
"I gotta go," he said wiping the sleep out of his eyes.
"Okay, let's take you to the privy. Anne why don't you come along as well. I'm sure Sully and Michaela have had a fill of you two for one afternoon."
"But I want to stay with Sully," Anne exclaimed running back to where he still lay on the floor and jumping on top of him. Sully started as he awoke trying to figure out what had landed on his back.
"Anne Claire Seton, get over here this instant," Rebecca's voice resounded across the room. "And apologize to Sully."
"I'm sorry," Anne said as she climbed off of Sully and started across the room hanging her head in the process.
"Sorry," Rebecca reiterated.
"Don't worry," Sully assured both of them as he peeled his bare torso off the floor. Rebecca took Anne's hand in her own and started out of the ballroom with Robert on her hip. Sully looked up at Michaela. "Was she upset?"
"About what?" Michaela asked taking a seat beside him. Her eyes roamed over his chest making her breath catch in her throat. How many times she had seen him like this she didn't know but something was definitely different.
"The fact that you're in bloomers and I'm shirtless."
Michaela laughed. "Not really."
"What if Elizabeth found us this way?" Sully mused.
"She would have me hauled off to a convent or at least to some boarding school," Michaela replied laughing. She leaned over and touched Sully's bare shoulder sending electric ripples through his body.
"Michaela," he said, his voice sounding slightly different than usual.
"Hmm?" Michaela uttered as she trailed her fingers down his arm.
Sully sucked in a sharp breath. It was one thing to be this close to each other when they were fully dressed and quite another to be this close partially undressed. "It's really warm," Sully said standing quickly to avoid an embarrassing scene.
"It is," Michaela replied missing Sully's double meaning. "Let's go get something to drink," she suggested.
"Sounds great." Sully grabbed his shirt and pulled it on only doing up about half of the buttons. Michaela wanted to leave her skirt off but decided that it was best to put it on so she did. As they headed off to the kitchen, Ida met them carrying a tray laden with glasses of lemonade.
"Everyone's comin' out to the porch," she informed them. "I got some lemonade for y'all as well."
"Hope there's a breeze blowin'," Sully commented as he pushed open the screen door then held it for the ladies.
Within moments everyone had congregated on the porch and there was in fact a breeze coming off the river. It wasn't exactly cool but at this point moving air in any form was appreciated. Anne and Robert who were refreshed from their afternoon nap quickly left the porch to play in the shade of the giant oak. The adults sat scattered on the porch trying not to sit too close to each other. They silently watched as the children played.
After enduring the silence for some time, Michaela turned to Anna. "Tell me about granda," she said in a wistful tone.
Anna smiled. "I promised to tell you two years ago, didn't I?" Michaela nodded. "Guess it's about time I got around to it then." She paused before beginning as if pulling out some old files in her memory. "He looked tremendously like your father did as a young man. The first day I met him, he was in a restaurant in Baltimore with some business associates. I had gone for the day to pick up my dress for the summer ball that was held here every year. He bumped into me and knocked my packages out of my hand. That's how we first met. The thing I first noticed about him was his eyes. They were this deep rich shade of brown and when he looked at you they radiated warmth inviting you in to know him."
Rebecca laughed. "Isn't funny that after all this time you still remember things like that? The first thing I noticed about Robert was his eyes as well."
"Me too," Michaela whispered with a pensive look on her face.
"What?" Rebecca asked.
Michaela quickly realized her mistake. "I mean I can imagine that the eyes would make a big impression on anyone."
Anna nodded and then continued. "He insisted on helping me carry them to a carriage which he then shared with me as it seemed we were both staying in the same hotel."
"That's what they call fate," Ida interjected.
"Oh I certainly believed so," Anna replied with a far off look in her eye. "When I invited him to the ball and he accepted, I acted as if he had just asked me to marry him."
"But as I recall it didn't take long for that to happen either," John added chuckling softly.
"No, it didn't. But of course true love never does run smoothly." Anna smiled as she said this but it was apparent that there was still some pain in what she was about to reveal. "William's family were devout Irish Catholics and they couldn't understand why he was insisting on marrying someone from the country who wasn't even in the church. Those were their words anyway. He insisted on bringing me to Boston, knowing that once they met me they would fall in love with me as he had done. I quickly fell in love with Boston but the family was less than impressed by me."
"What did you do?" Rebecca asked as everyone was intently listening to the tale that was unfolding before them.
"I cried. I cried a lot and then William came here and we got married. He told his family either accept me or don't. They didn't come to our wedding because it wasn't held in a Catholic Church or officiated by a priest. When we went back to Boston, they were cold and distant but I was convinced that all William and I needed was each other. When I gave birth to Ezra and then Josef things changed considerably. Any woman who could produce two healthy male heirs couldn't be all bad." The adults laughed while Michaela and Sully merely glanced at each other with perplexed looks on their faces.
"Ezra?" Sully said. "Josef's brother's name is Ezra."
"It's a Quinn family name," Anna informed him.
"And trust me when you bear a son that name will be suggested to you," Rebecca added from her own personal experience. Sully looked over at John and they both burst out laughing.
"It's not that bad," defended Michaela. Sully raised his eyebrows at her. "I can think of worse," she added teasing him.
"So the family finally accepted ya?" Sully asked trying to change the subject, afraid Michaela might reveal his first name.
Anna looked from Sully to Michaela trying to figure out what was going on. "Yes," she said. "Things were different once the boys came into the picture but it soon became obvious that the Quinn family wanted to have a say in how the boys were raised, where they went to school, who they married and what career they choose. Needless to say we clashed many times."
Michaela thought for a moment about her parent's relationship wondering if that had been orchestrated by the Quinn family as well and if that was one of the things that Anna and the Quinns had clashed over. "They told them what to do?" Michaela asked trying to clarify what Anna meant.
"No one ever told anyone what to do. They suggested and then made life seemingly unpleasant if you didn't take the suggestion. Of course they were tickled that Josef wanted to become a doctor. Ezra had to be persuaded to pursue banking but in the end I think he was pleased with his decision. William wasn't someone to really stand up to his family. It seems the one and only time he had was to marry me."
"Were you unhappy?" Rebecca asked her eyes growing large.
"Not with William. I loved him too much. In general, I grew to hate Boston and all the society people."
"That's why ya came back here," Sully interjected.
"Sure is. And the only thing I have ever regretted was not seeing more of my grandchildren." She smiled at Michaela, Sully and Rebecca as she said it.
Cambridge, Maryland - July 16, 1848
Michaela sat on the porch by herself. The children along with Rebecca and Anna were resting as the heat had still not abated nor had it rained. Ida was canning in the kitchen. Michaela knew it needed to be done but it only made the house hotter and the smells were so pungent, she had to flee from inside to get away from them. Sully and John were still crabbing and she was beginning to wish she had gone with them. That was when someone coming around the corner caught her attention and she abruptly stood up.
"Good afternoon," Thomas called from the side of the porch walking ever closer.
Michaela frowned. She was in no mood to deal with Thomas today especially since she was practically alone. "Hello," she returned warily.
"I was out walking in the woods and I decided to stop in and see how everyone was doing."
Michaela saw through his phony excuse and decided to cut right to the chase. "You weren't out walking – I'm sure you intended to come here when you left your house. So just tell me what you want?"
Thomas considered her for a moment as he stepped on the porch. "Michaela I don't know why you are so hostile towards me," he replied in his slickest voice. "I am only trying to be neighborly."
"Right," Michaela replied moving backward slightly.
"And how is your dear brother or excuse me beau, Sully?" Thomas asked trying to get a rise out of Michaela.
"Fairly grown up now," Michaela replied trying to insinuate that Sully could take Thomas on physically if necessary.
"And Anna? How is Anna? I haven't seen her but I hear she's made a full recovery."
"She has." Michaela kept her reply short as she looked down to the river wishing to see the white sail of the boat returning. She had no such luck.
"There is something on my mind though that I wanted to talk to you about," Thomas admitted casually.
"What is it?" Michaela asked. Her heart had sped up now as he continued to move closer to her. She knew she needed to stay calm but she was having trouble suppressing the urge to scream.
"I know that you are set to inherit all this," Thomas began.
Michaela's mouth gaped open. This was the first she had heard of this and frankly she couldn't imagine that it would be true. "I highly doubt that Thomas," she said in her little know it all voice.
Her tone made his blood boil and he found himself rapidly loosing control. "Nonetheless I want to talk about my father's property."
Michaela looked even more confused than she had before. "Why would you want to discuss your father's property with me?"
"Cause your slave lovin' grandmother bought my father out and I want that property back. Things could get pretty ugly around here if I don't get my way soon." Thomas felt a thrill inside as he saw the momentarily look of fear that crossed her face. He was getting to her. Slowly he began to advance on Michaela. She had no where to run to unless she could jump the porch railing. Just as she was preparing herself to do that, the screen door opened.
Thomas was so intent on watching Michaela that he didn't even hear Anna enter the porch until he felt the barrel of a pistol in his back. He started to turn around. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," Anna said. "Now I want you to get the hell off my property and I want you to stay off. I don't appreciate you coming here and threatening my granddaughter or any of the rest of us. Do you understand me?"
Thomas was seething and he seriously considered whether or not he could turn fast enough to wrench the gun out of her hands. After all she was only an old woman; she couldn't possibly put up much of a fight.
Anna was tired of waiting. "I said do you understand me?" She cocked the gun back and Thomas jumped.
"Yes mam," he stated.
"Good, now I am going to back away and I want you to slowly walk off the porch and then get off my property as fast as you can. I warn you if I see you here again – I will shoot you." Slowly she moved backwards keeping the gun trained on him. Thomas did just as she asked and a few moments later he was tearing off for the woods as hard as he could go.
Anna dropped the gun to point at the floor as he ran out of sight. "Michaela I think it would be a good idea for you to not go off alone. I don't trust that boy." Michaela nodded still a little shaken from all that had occurred and from seeing her grandmother wielding a gun.
Michaela swallowed hard wondering what parts of the conversation her grandmother had heard. She was dying to ask Anna about what Thomas had said. Yet she felt funny asking if she was her heir so she went with her other question instead. "Anna do you own the Brooks' property?"
"I do," Anna said giving one final glance at the woods before joining Michaela on the swing.
"But how?"
"I had the means. The Brooks owed many people money. I simply bought out their debts so that I owned them. I allow them to continue to live there for free with the agreement that they freed all their slaves and hired workers for the fields."
"They agreed?" Michaela asked her face beaming with pride over what Anna had done.
"Didn't have much choice as I see it. Doesn't stop them from being bitter though." Anna chuckled.
"Aren't you scared that they might try to hurt you?"
"No I'm not and don't you be either. I'm a pretty good shot with this thing." She held up the gun still in her right hand. "Plus I know that the whole family loves to talk but when it comes right down to it, they are all cowards." She paused for a moment before looking over at Michaela and speaking directly to her. "Michaela, don't let people make you afraid of them. When you begin to fear them, then you give them power over you. Don't let that happen."
Michaela nodded. "I won't."
"Good," Anna said taking a deep breath. "Well I need to put this away," she said pointing to the gun.
"Anna?" Michaela stopped her as she was getting up. The question of the inheritance weighed heavily on her mind.
"What is it?"
Michaela could not bring herself to ask and so after a moment of silence she said, "Nothing."
"Are you sure?" Michaela nodded politely and watched as her grandmother made her way back into the house.
Cambridge, Maryland – July 20, 1848
Michaela sat on the bow of the boat as she normally did. The wind blew through her hair and cooled her body deliciously. The boat cut through the water quickly spraying little droplets up onto the deck. Michaela looked down and noticed she was wearing only her bloomers and camisole. At first she felt slightly embarrassed because she knew she wasn't alone on the boat but the air blowing against her half-naked body felt so good that she quickly overcame her embarrassment.
The boat began to slow and Michaela turned around to see who was sailing. Sully stood on the deck lowering the main sail and preparing to drop anchor. Michaela felt her breath catch in her throat. He was shirtless and his skin was golden in color. Slowly she stood up as he turned to look at her.
"Michaela," he whispered as he beckoned her to come closer. Her heart sped up when he spoke her name and she began to walk towards him, their eyes never leaving one another's.
"Michaela," he said again his voice more urgent than before. Suddenly she was standing in front of him and his hands were on her shoulders. She reached up to touch his bare chest longing to feel her body against his. Her hand went to the string on her camisole as desire overtook her.
"Michaela." Her eyes fluttered open to find Sully leaning over her. "Gracious, you are hard to wake up," he commented moving away.
Michaela was thankful for the darkness which hid her bright red cheeks. She could feel the small droplets of sweat that had formed all over her body and she wasn't sure if that was from the heat or her dream. Yet there was an undeniable tingling inside of her that seemed to radiate all over her body. She knew that was from the dream. Never before had she dreamt of things like that and she felt slightly scared.
"Sully, what do you want?" she asked pulling at the sheet she had cast off earlier.
"You were supposed to meet me down on the porch. I guess you fell asleep."
Michaela remembered now. "Sorry," she offered.
"It's okay. I probably shouldn't have woken ya up," Sully said sheepishly.
"I'm glad you did."
This caused Sully to smile. "Do you feel like going outside for awhile?"
"Sure," Michaela agreed her pulse still racing from her dream.
Silently they slipped down the stairs and out the door, retiring to their favorite place down near the riverbank. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Michaela sighed.
"Is it ever going to rain?" she asked.
"John says it can't hold off forever." Michaela grew quiet as her thoughts again turned to her dream. "Michaela were you dreaming when I woke you up?" Sully asked innocently.
Michaela's eyes grew wide. "Why do you ask that?" she said nervously.
"You were moving around in your sleep," Sully replied. "And you were so hard to wake up. It was like you heard my voice and didn't hear it all at the same time."
"I was dreaming," Michaela admitted looking up at the night sky. The stars were all obscured from view by the clouds and she felt disappointed that she had nothing to distract her.
"About what?"
Michaela took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "About you and me out sailing."
"Oh," was Sully's only response.
Michaela felt relieved that he hadn't asked more but she couldn't resist asking him about his own dreams. "You told me last summer you dream about me too."
"I do," Sully said smiling over at her.
"What are your dreams about me like?"
It was now Sully's turn to blush and to be thankful for the darkness. "Well sometimes we are just doin' regular everyday stuff. And sometimes were alone and I'm kissin' ya. What are your dreams about me like?" he asked this last part hastily trying to distract Michaela from asking him to further talk about his own dreams.
"Same - sometimes we are doing everyday things and sometimes we're kissing."
Michaela's last word made Sully smile. "You dream about us kissin'?"
"Sometimes."
Sully leaned in close to her and raised his hand to the side of her face. At that moment a giant bolt of lightening descended from the sky onto the opposite side of the river bank lighting up the night terrifically and scaring the both of them at the same time. As if that bolt of lightening had finally bust open the clouds, rain began to descend fast and hard. It pelted the ground instantly making mud of the dry dusty earth.
Quickly Michaela and Sully stood and ran towards the house laughing all the way as they slipped on the muddy ground. If it hadn't been for the lightening and thunder they would have sat outside in the downpour. As they made the porch they tried to wipe the mud off of their bare feet before heading inside. Sully smiled over at Michaela and quickly leaned in to give her a light kiss on the lips before he opened the door. Quietly they returned to the top of the stairs but both of them panicked when they spied a small form moving at the end of the hall.
"Aunt Michaela? Sully?" Anne's voice called out.
"What is it Anne?" Michaela replied going to the child who was obviously crying.
"Something is wrong with mama," Anne said through sniffles. "She told me to come get you." Michaela took off down the hall leaving Sully with Anne. She pushed open Rebecca's door to see her sister doubled over on the bed.
"The baby," Rebecca called over to her. "I'm losing the baby."
Quickly, Michaela turned back to the hall. "Sully go get Ida quick!" she yelled.
This is my first fan fiction. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! For an updated timeline of the future scenes check out http/ www. elizaslife. com/ 1849.htm.
