Slowly opening her eyes, Michaela was so in love. She rapidly searched her emotions and she could feel them all at the same time. "Sully, thank you for our beautiful home," she kissed his lips again, " it's so beautiful, and I love it." She leaned into him closer and kissed him softly. "And thank you for our beautiful bed." He gently took her hand and led her to the mirror, turning her towards it. He leaned against her and placed his lips to her ear. "You're beautiful Michaela, I built this home for us, I built it for our family." He kissed her neck and moved back to her ear. "As far as the bed goes," she felt a button on her skirt release, and then the rest of them. Blush spread across her face and her skirt dropped to the floor. "We'll get to that in just a moment."

His hands ran up and down her thighs and then moved to her abdomen. He started unbuttoning her blouse as she watched him in the mirror. She watched his hands moving about her body and even though she saw his movements, his touch was still very much anticipated. He stopped and kissed her neck, then he moved to her side and ran his hands down her arm as he did so. Taking her hand, she watched him as he kissed the palm of her hand and unbuttoned the cuff of her blouse. He slowly pulled her blouse, and she pulled her arm out. Sully took his time as he moved up her arm, kissing her wrist and then the soft skin on the inside of her arm, all the way up to her elbow.

Then he moved to the outer side of her arm and eventually he kissed her shoulder as he moved behind her. He gathered her hair and pulled it over her shoulder. Her long dark copper hair fell against her chest and fell to her waist as she tensed her abdomen. He leaned in and kissed her neck, right in the center. His hand slowly caressed her skin as he removed the rest of her blouse. He took her hand and raised it, the last button slipped from its proper place, and when he lowered her arm again, he pushed the fabric as the blouse softly fell down her arm to the floor.

He moved even closer and his hands caressed over her chemises, pulling at the buttons, they released their hold with tension. She watched him pull the chemises from each side of her breasts as they were exposed to herself in the mirror. She blushed and looked down. He released the pantalettes she wore and pushed them down over her hips to help her remove them. Standing straight again, he moved his hand over her.

Moving close to her ear, he softly whispered. "Enjoy this with me Michaela, lift your eyes." She blushed even more, " Sully, I can't, I don't look at myself like this." He softly caressed her shoulder with the back of his fingers. "Why not? You're beautiful." He gently kissed her shoulder and raised his eyes to look in the mirror. His lips remained as he slowly caressed her with them, and continued to gently kiss her skin. He whispered, " Come on, what do you see?" She timidly glanced at herself, "I see anatomy Sully, it's just a result of the job I suppose." He breathed in her perfume a little and kissed her shoulder softly, "That's not what I see."

She smiled a little, "What do you see Sully?" She expected any number of typical comments, but he wasn't typical and that's what was so very attractive about him. " Everything that is a woman, I see right now. The curve of your neck as it meets your back and fades into the soft expanse of ivory skin that goes on and on across your beauty. A calm alabaster sea. I would get lost here and never return, I could get lost here." His hand moved over her back and up the side, he stopped right under her breast. His other hand moved over the outside of her thigh and softly moved back up until his hand could move over her midsection and stop right on the inside of her hip.

She felt her core contract and she tried to calm herself as he continued. His hands were so close to a more pleasing touch, and she felt it within her very deepest desires. He leaned into the other shoulder and gently kissed her skin. "A gentle softness that touches my soul but fights when necessary with the strength of a warrior." His hands were moving with his words, he reached the gentle curve of her neck and kissed her again with a little more force, even more passion, and a reaction within her that left her feeling very warm. The want within her was certainly increasing. He could hear her breathing now. "You have a gift, to take me inside of you and make our love into something we would both cherish, a son or a daughter. You're amazing and beautiful, tender and kind, fierce and bold, skilled and intelligent, and you're my song in my heart, connected to my soul like no one else. That's what I see when I look at you."

Then his hands turned and moved across her abdomen. "Do you think we've made a baby yet, Michaela?" He had caught her off-guard. All the beautiful things he had mentioned and yet she still couldn't really be sure she would ever have a child. She wanted to change the subject. She timidly said, "I don't know, it's too soon to tell." Turning in his arms, Sully looked at her form in the mirror. His hand moved down her back and over her backside. She reached for his hand and backed away a little. "Let me tell you what I see Sully, let me show you how I see you." She started pulling his clothes off of his body. Soon she stood back and observed the reflection of his strong masculine form. He only wanted her reaction, to see her eyes move about him, and they did as she took in the sight before her. She stood at his side with her arm around his back and her hand steadied herself against him, between his shoulders. She used her other hand to move to the places on his body she wished to discuss.

Starting with the inside of his thigh, she looked in the mirror and slowly traced a path up his body. "Gracilis…. sartorius….. tricept adductor femoris…. iliacus…." Turning her head to his actual body, she paused, then she placed her two fingers lightly against his hip and caressed him. She stood there staring at his body wanting to move closer but somehow restraining herself. She softly spoke, "Crest of iliac." She paused again, her fingertips softly caressed him. Sully reached down to her hand. She simply said, "Sully, I don't think I was very fair to you today, I got caught up in everything, it wasn't that I didn't want your things in the house, I'm just so happy to have this, to have this home that you built. If you want to bring your things in from the barn tomorrow, I think you should." She stopped and looked up the side of his body until her eyes met his. "You're strong and fair, and you've given me everything I could hope for already. I see how kind your heart is, how loving you are, and I…. I've never felt so strongly about this, you are the best man I've ever known."

Her eyes were searching his, Sully knew that Michaela's father was her hero. He had often heard her mention Joseph Quinn, with very high regard. She reached for his neck, caressing up the side and to his face. "Sterno-cleido-mastoid,"she paused for a moment feeling his pulse, "Carotid artery…..masseter….. zygomaticus major." She stopped talking and his eyes were heavy with want for her to finish her view of him. Turning into her he kissed her passionately and picked her up. He placed her on the bed and slid over her with ease, being accepted with great desire. He entered her and she closed her eyes as she softly gasped, aware of any vocalizations she might keep to herself. He kissed her again and again. Then he passionately moved within her until she was just on the edge of a desired pleasure. The smallest moan briefly escaped and he kissed her lips. He looked into her eyes and smiled a little, then falling to her ear he whispered, "shhhh," as he continued. She grabbed the sheets of their bed and his back. He could hear her longing to vocalize just on the other side of a heavy gasping breath. Kissing her lips passionately, he took her breath away, and she gasped as quietly as she could. She moved her head to his shoulder. Pressing her lips onto his skin, she breathed through her nose and desperately clung to him as he completed his own desires. She had not expected such intensity between them for this night, but their passions had no other outlet than to satisfy the desire of their admirations. She felt so good to him. He removed himself and collapsed beside her. She moved to his chest and laid her head against him as he pulled her to him. Both of his hands slid across her back and he slowly caressed her. She could still hear the rapid heart beat within him and she continued to steady her breathing as he did the same. Sleep was now very present for them both.

Sully woke up in the middle of the night. Knowing they should both dress in something appropriate for the children possibly needing them. He gently woke Michaela and they both got up and dressed in their night clothes. Michaela got back in the bed first, so when he got back to the bed, he simply moved under the covers and slid over to her back as he kissed her shoulder and put his arm over her body so he could pull her close and hold her. She fit perfectly in his arms, and before long, she was asleep again, comforted by his warm embrace. He drifted off for a little while but shortly after waking he realized that despite the pleasure he had recently had, he now felt guilty, ashamed, and desperate for understanding.

Gently rolling away from Michaela he stood up and walked to the window in their room. Looking through the glass he didn't hear all of the familiar sounds of being outside and it was very quiet, too quiet. He had nothing to distract his thoughts, no cautions to take being safe in the house. He never wished to sleep without her again but with their honeymoon over, Sully was now realizing just how much his world had actually changed. All he could think about was how silent it was and he knew Cloud Dancing was not experiencing the same. He wasn't safe either. Michaela's words came back to him. "You're the best man I've ever known." He certainly didn't feel like a good man while his friend remained in hiding, hoping for safety each day. He needed to do something, he needed to see his Cheyenne brother.

Subconsciously noticing the lack of warmth, Michaela shifted in the bed, leaning back towards where he should have been. He felt guilty again, so he crawled back under the blanket and took her into his arms. But his thoughts still made him uncomfortable. Snowbird was dead, massacred. He couldn't contemplate losing Michaela, but even worse would be losing her and losing everything else too. He needed to see Cloud Dancing, he needed to make sure that he would be safe. Making up his mind, he continued laying there with his wife in his arms, waiting until he heard the birds singing. Gently removing his arms he got up and got dressed. As he walked for the door, Sully paused beside the bed. She looked so peaceful, perfect and beautiful. He wanted to wake her but he couldn't admit his feelings of inadequacy when what they had shared last night was so powerful, so beautiful, so honest. He knew if she woke up he would not want to disappoint her by leaving, and he needed to find his friend. He softly opened the door and walked out.

Michaela heard the door close. She slowly opened her eyes wondering which one of the children had opened their door. In a short amount of time she realized that she was alone. She hadn't expected to wake up like this the first morning in their new home, but she quickly reasoned that Sully was downstairs, maybe making breakfast. She wanted to look beautiful for him so she got up and started fixing her hair, meticulously braiding it. Then she picked out a dress and walked down the stairs. Looking around she didn't see him, and when she saw Brian sitting by the fire she quickly said, "Good morning Brian, how was your bedroom last night? Brian looked at her and smiled, "Good ma, how was your bedroom?" She blushed a little and busied herself so she didn't look flustered in front of him. "It was nice," she quickly changed the subject, "Have you seen Sully?" Brian quickly answered, "He's out in the barn." She was surprised, "Did he say why?" Brian thought for a moment, "No, he just said he had to go somewhere." She moved to the place she had left her shawl and quickly wrapped it around her. "I'll be right back to get started on breakfast Brian." He happily continued doing as he wished. "Ok ma."

Making her way across the front yard she could see him leading his horse out in the open. It was unbelievable that he was just going to go, but she knew it was for the best. After speaking with him she had accepted that he wanted to find Cloud Dancing. It had concerned her when he didn't commit to being home for supper, but she didn't want to appear overbearing. She was a little overbearing yesterday. She was surprised when he jumped up on his horse and didn't even kiss her. Maybe she just needed to give him a little more space, she was going to start on her garden anyway. Watching him leave, she turned and started towards the house to make breakfast for the children.