A/N – This chapter wasn't in the first draft. But I wanted to include a scene between Andrew and Sully, and Cheyenne Mountain State Park (a real place!) begged to be used. If Sully seems a little OOC here, too meddling, I apologize, but the story needed to go in a certain direction (and hey, let's face it, some scenes & situations on the show were a little forced, too :-).

Chapter 7

About midway through his time in Colorado Springs, Andrew faced a choice. He had yet to select his next position, determining where he would go when Michaela Quinn returned to work. There wasn't a shortage of openings – temporary doctors were needed all the time. The agency's orientation video recommended that health care workers commit to a position sooner rather than later. For one thing, it gave piece of mind to the hospital or clinic or office that there wouldn't be a disruption in service at their location. For another, it gave the traveling employee something to look forward to rather than dwell on the fact that something was coming to an end. The longer Andrew put off arranging his next job, the more he was in denial that his current job would, indeed, end.

He didn't want to leave. He didn't want Dr. Quinn to return and send him packing. He wanted to stay, to continue working with Colleen. Sure, she had a boyfriend now, but that was no guarantee it would lead to anything serious. Though, when she came to work one day sporting a new and rather expensive looking gold bracelet, saying it was from him, Andrew's optimism began to buckle. Who gave jewelry like that after dating only a few weeks? After the fuss she'd made about missing Andrew's birthday it didn't seem like it was a birthday gift, and Christmas was months away. He'd tried asking Alice if she knew anything, but all she'd learned was that the guy's name was Patrick and that they'd met at a college party. Beyond that, the guy was a mystery, and what Colleen saw in him even more so.

Thankfully, Andrew was able to escape his muddled thoughts on the weekends when he ventured around the sites of Colorado Springs. He'd already been to the Historic District (where Bray's Mercantile was located), the U.S. Air Force Academy, the luxurious Broadmoor Resort Hotel and adjacent Seven Falls Waterfall, the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. This weekend, his destination was to be more on the active side now that he felt acclimated to the mile-high altitude. He'd decided to try exploring the wilderness and had hired Sully to act as guide and hiking companion, telling himself that the fact that he was Colleen's quasi-father had nothing to do with it, that he had simply heard that Sully was a knowledgeable guide. The fact that he'd heard that from Colleen herself was beside the point.

Sully recommended they explore Cheyenne Mountain State Park early in the morning when temperatures were cooler. The two men met up at the park's visitor center, and to Andrew's surprise, Sully wasn't alone.

"Andrew," said Sully, extending a hand. He was dressed in a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt, cargo pants, hiking boots and wide brimmed hat, though his tanned face indicated he'd spent plenty of time outdoors without the benefit of sun protection. Unlike Andrew, who had added only a water bottle and protein bar to his t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap ensemble, Sully had accessorized with a walking stick and backpack, presumably carrying a first aid kit in case of emergency. "It's nice to see you again."

"Sully." Andrew noted that the man's handshake was much more congenial than when they'd met before at the office.

"This is a good friend of mine, Larry Cloud Dancing." Sully's friend was the same height, with long, flowing black hair past his shoulder blades. His jeans were accessorized with a sterling silver belt buckle.

"A'ho, Andrew." The men shook hands.

"A'ho… that is hello?"

"He is a fast learner," Cloud Dancing joked to Sully. "Since you are a healer, Sully thought you would be interested in learning about Cheyenne medicine practices during your visit."

Andrew was struck by Sully's thoughtfulness. "Uh, yes, that would be interesting. I know the native peoples used the local vegetation as medicines, such as using willow bark before the development of aspirin, but I wouldn't mind learning more."

"You wanna stick to the easy trails or is something more moderate okay?" asked Sully.

"I'd like to try something moderate; I've been trying to increase my altitude stamina while I've been here."

"Good. We can start with Boulder Run to Blackmer Loop, but if you get tired, we can cut it short and take Medicine Wheel back."

"Medicine Wheel?"

"A poor name for a trail which is not a circle, but the medicine wheel has been used by my people for generations," Cloud Dancing began as the men set off on their journey.

The next several hours were spent hiking the trails, Cloud Dancing sharing information about Cheyenne medicine, and Sully contributing other details about the history and wildlife of the region. By the time they made it back to the visitor center, Andrew's feet were tired, his water bottle emptied, his protein bar consumed, and his head full of new knowledge and an appreciation for the ways of the Cheyenne.

"This has been really great, thank you both," Andrew said, shaking their hands. "Though I'll probably be paying for this tomorrow with sore legs."

"If you need a good doctor, I'm sure we can find you one," Sully joked, and all three men grinned.

"It has been good meeting you, Andrew, but I must go, I promised to meet my wife for lunch. Good day," Larry said before hurrying off.

"Ah, lunch," Andrew sighed. "Can you recommend a place nearby, Sully? I'm famished."

"Sure. You can drive me home and have lunch with us."

Andrew startled at the offer. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no imposition. Besides, I came here with Cloud Dancing, so I need the ride back anyway." Sully gave a smile of you wouldn't leave me here stranded, would you? and indeed, Andrew wouldn't. Sully's gear and Andrew's cap went into the back seat of the rental car, and Sully gave him directions to head for his house.

"Will Colleen be joining us?" Andrew asked, trying to sound casual.

"Probably. I think her date with Patrick isn't until this evening."

"Oh." At the reminder of the thorn in his side, Andrew involuntarily clenched his jaw and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Sully didn't appear to notice, or if he did, he didn't comment on it.

"I know she appreciates the help you've been giving her with her studies. I imagine not many doctors would be so generous with their time."

Andrew relaxed a bit. "It's my pleasure. Colleen's a bright student, Michaela will be fortunate to have her join her practice one day."

There was a brief silence in the car until Sully asked, "And that's all?"

"What else is there?"

Sully smirked. "I think you know and are just too afraid to admit it. To me, and to her."

Andrew did a doubletake, opening his mouth then closing it again. Apparently, the man had noticed his reaction to the mention of Colleen's boyfriend. It crossed his mind to deny it, but he couldn't do it. Because it wouldn't be the truth. And lying to the man Colleen considered her de facto father would be a very bad idea. And so, it all came pouring out, the tea kettle bubbling over.

"Okay, fine. You're right, Sully. She's cute and kind and I'm attracted to her. I know it's inappropriate because I'm her superior… and I know there's a gap in our ages, and that she's committed to her education, and that she's currently seeing someone, and that I've given her no reason to think of me as anything other than a co-worker, and I'm supposed to leave when your wife comes back… and why are you smiling?"

"'Cause I was you, once, making excuses for why it wouldn't work between Michaela and me. She was a doctor, and from Boston, she was used to having things I couldn't give her… but avoiding my feelings wasn't the answer. The answer was to do something about them. If I hadn't taken that leap with Michaela, I wouldn't have the wife and family I have now. And sure, we still have our differences, but that don't mean we can't still love each other."

Was Sully right? Was he making excuses for why he couldn't get involved with Colleen to avoid his feelings? Because feelings could bring hurt as well as happiness. His mother had died, his father had died… then things with Erica hadn't ended in a happily ever after. Were his reasons - excuses - a way of protecting himself? He'd told himself it was for Colleen's sake, to spare her feelings, but just maybe he'd been doing it for his own sake, too.

"Maybe you're right, Sully," Andrew said finally. "Maybe I have been making excuses. And if I were to give it a chance, maybe it could work between us. But I can't tell Colleen to break up with her boyfriend or force her to see me outside of work. That'd be unethical."

"Then don't. Just be honest with Colleen about how you feel."

Andrew shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sully, but I can't be the guy who tries to steal another guy's girl."

Sully shook his head. "You're looking at it all wrong, Andrew, it's not about stealing. It's about being honest with your feelings and giving Colleen all the facts. Right now, all Colleen knows is that Patrick cares about her, and you don't. And sure, maybe he'll turn out to be her dream guy. But what if her dream guy is you, and you were too busy making excuses to let her find that out? Could you really live with yourself knowing that you might've been her dream guy, but you took that chance away from her because you weren't honest with her?"

There was another silence in the car after that, other than the ambient noise of traffic and the radio playing at a low level. Andrew wondered why Sully was pushing so hard on this and immediately answered his own question – If I hadn't taken that leap with Michaela, I wouldn't have the wife and family I have now. Sully had loved and lost and had been wary of trying again. But he had tried again, taking that leap, and it had turned out great. And though their situations were vastly different, Sully was saying that it could happen that way for Andrew, too, if he only had the courage to take that leap. At the very least, he would now always be wondering if he was, in fact, Colleen's dream guy and had let the opportunity slip away.

Sully gave a direction to turn left, and Andrew pulled into the turn pocket.

"All right, you've convinced me. But I still don't see how I'm supposed to let Colleen know how I feel without coming across as a self-centered jerk who's just jealous of her boyfriend."

"Then don't tell her. Show her. Let her see you beyond being a doctor."

Frowning, Andrew replied, "I've been doing that already. I've been helping her with her studies, and this week I told her a bit about myself."

"That's a start. But she hasn't seen who you are when you're not being her boss. She hasn't met the guy under the white coat."

The guy under the white coat… it was true. Colleen was always calling him "Dr. Cook," never "Andrew." She never saw him as anything other than a physician. Even when he'd shared his story, he'd been doing it in his doctor garb. That had been by design – she hadn't wanted it to be a date. "Colleen's made it clear she doesn't want to go out with me," he sighed.

His passenger shrugged. "If dating's off the table, do something else. Join a group activity instead."

"I'm open to suggestions."

Sully smiled knowingly. "Got any plans next weekend?"

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