Author's note: The characters from Dr. Quinn belong to Beth Sullivan. I only own the ones you don't recognize. In this story, Ingrid and her family don't exist. Also, Dorothy is in this story way earlier than she should be, but I like her and wanted to use her. It also gives Jake a bit different past than the show implied. It starts somewhere between the first and second seasons, before Dr. Mike and Sully were engaged. Some of the things are chronologically correct with the show, but I hope you like it anyway.

Chapter Three

Who Is She?

Dr. Mike and Matthew met Sully outside the clinic just as the stagecoach came in.

"Well, I guess that answers everyone's questions about Jake," Dr. Mike laughed. "He wasn't here to open his shop."

They watched as Jake climbed down, the reached up and lifted a young lady over the steps and on to the ground.

"Who is that?" Dr. Mike wondered aloud.

Sully turned around to see who she was talking about When he saw the young lady he started to grin. "It can't be."

"What?" Both Mike and Matthew asked, but Sully was already gone. He reached the girl and swung her off the ground in a hug.

Her first instinct ws to fight or scream, but when he pulled her close, she smelt wood smoke and leather and remembered.

"Mr. Sully!" She hugged him back. "Put me down," she demanded after a few minutes. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Yer not?" he teased.

"I'm quite grown up," she grinned.

Dr. Mike hung back, watching the whole scene a little confused. She became even more curious when Hank made his way over to them. Sully never had much to do with either man, but this young lady had them all drawn to her.

"Hey, there, Gorgeous," Hank said. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Do ya' remember me?"

She turned towards him and put her hand on his cheek. She knew he was familiar, but she just couldn't quite place him. Then her hands found his hair.

"Hank!"

"Yeah, that's right, Hank," he grinned. He did an uncharacteristic thing and hugged her.

"Who is she?" Dr. Mike asked Myra, who had joined her.

"Larkin Slicker," she replied.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Mike said. "Did you say…"

"Larkin Slicker, yeah, she's Jake's daughter," Myra interrupted.

"But I thought…"

"Jake used to be married," Myra explained. "When Lark was 'bout a year old, his wife, Rebecca, decided she didn't want to be a wife no more and just…left. Just walked out one day and never came back. Jake raised Lark here until she was six."

"What happened then?"

"She got the fever. Almost died. Ever'body in town thought she would and Jake right along with her. He loves that child more'n I've ever seen any man love a child. He didn't leave her bedside 'til she was better. Awful thing was, when she did get better, the fever left 'er blind. That's where she's been. At a school for the blind in Denver. He tried so hard to take care of her, but he just couldn't. Sully's Abigail, she was his closest friend at the time and she's the one who finally convinced him to let her go. Abigail helped him raise that child. She was forever over there telling him do this or don't do that."

"That explains Sully knowing her," Mike said.

"Everybody knew her," Myra laughed. "And ever'body loved her."

"Larkin Slicker," Matthew said, finally recognizing her. Not having been listening, he didn't know Myra had already told Mike, he said, "That's who she is, Dr. Mike. She's been gone s'long I almost forgot she was ever here."

When Sully and Hank moved, Dr. Mike saw for the first time that Larkin's piercing blue eyes were unseeing, that she held onto Jake's arm as though she would be lost without him, and that she turned her head when she someone spoke and not her eyes.

"Dr. Mike, this is my daughter, Larkin," Jake said, proudly. "Lark, this is the lady doctor I was telling you about."

"Hello, Larkin," Dr. Mike said, warmly.

"Hey, Larkin," Matthew spoke up, finally finding his voice.

Now this was a voice Larkin didn't know.

Matthew realized she didn't recognize his deep voice. The last time they had seen each other, she had been six, and him seven.

"Hey, Lark," he said again. "Betcha' I can beat ya' to your pa's shop."

They had made the same bet everyday after school then.

Lark smiled, "Matthew?"

"Yep." He tugged on a strand of her black hair.

She swatted his hand away, and smoothed the curl back behind her ear. "Matthew, do you really want to pick up where we left off?"

"Got t'start somewhere," he replied with a shrug.

"Fine," she declared. "I'm going to tell your ma."

Everyone laughed.