Chapter 6: Choices and Revelations

As soon as the rooster crowed at Dawn, Annie's eyes opened. Her eyes were tinted rose from crying herself to sleep the night before. She had begun to remember pieces of the past few months that she had put behind herself. God, how could she have forgotten?

She knew the truth know, or had she all along? She had suppressed the memories that told her the truth about what happened the night her child was conceived. How could she have forgotten running away? It all came back to her in her dreams, and now she knew the truth.

She felt as if she had betrayed Michaela and Sully's trust, however, because she had told them the wrong information. Yes, she had been taken in by Caleb. Yes, he and George had battered and raped her, but there was more to it. She had told them what she thought was true, but it just wasn't. Now she didn't know how to let them know.

Her thoughts were broken by the doorknob turning. She looked up to see Connor Sully standing in the doorway. She smiled as he looked over at her with big, bright eyes.

"Hi Connor," she said with a smile, jumping out of bed and walking over to scoop him up into her arms.

"Ann!" he exclaimed. She smiled and kissed his cheek. Michaela came rushing down the hallway.

"Connor!" She stopped in Annie's doorway, and her heart began to return to a normal speed. "There you are! You scared mama!"

"He's alright," Annie promised, handing the boy to his thankful mother. Annie watched as Michaela held her son in the air and made a face at him. Connor let out a squeal of laughter, and a moment later, Sully walked up with Daniel in his arms.

"Ah, ya found him!"

"Yes. Oh, Annie, I'm sorry if he woke you."

"He didn't," Annie replied. "I was awake just before he came in."

"Sorry we're up so early," Sully said quietly. "Figured we'd get to the reservation early."

"Oh," Annie replied with a faint nod."

"Are the children ready?" Michaela asked, looking at her husband.

"Brian's still getting ready, but Colleen's done and finishin' her readin'."

"Good," Michaela replied with a smile as Sully leaned in to kiss her. Annie smiled a little, wondering if she'd ever have a relationship with someone like Michaela had with Sully. "Annie, we'll be downstairs."

"I'll pack my things," she replied.

"You've decided to move in with your Aunt May?" Michaela wondered.

"I don't know yet. I'm packin' just in case." She slowly closed her door, and Michaela frowned a bit. Sully put his free hand on her back.

"Just remember. She's gonna make the right decision." Michaela swallowed hard.

"I just hope she knows what the decision is." They started down the stairs with the boys in tow.

Meanwhile, Annie pulled the items she'd been given by the Sully family into a knapsack. She was going to miss them, but she felt in her heart that she couldn't stay with them any longer. It wouldn't be right to stay under their roof when she was about to give birth to her own child. Now she felt guilty, because they didn't know the whole truth. But she didn't know if feeling guilty was right considering the fact that it had all come back to her just recently. Those suppressed memories never would have resurfaced if it hadn't been for Michaela and Sully speaking about Silent Eagle and the Cheyenne.

She sighed heavily and pulled on a dress. As she was pulling her shoes on, her unborn child gave her a swift kick to the ribs. She gasped and patted her belly.

"It's alright little one," she whispered. "It's gonna be alright."

"Hank!" Myra exclaimed, rushing out of the house to catch her husband before he rode into town. She was planning on going into town a bit late, and she knew Grace would understand. She had been feeling quite poorly lately.

Hank was just saddling up his horse when he heard his wife. She rushed into the barn.

"Myra? What's goin' on?" He noticed she'd already gotten herself ready for the day.

"On second thought, I wanna go into town with ya."

"Why?"

"I still ain't feelin' my best, and I wanna talk to Dr. Mike."

"I heard she was goin' out to the reservation today, but I'm sure she won't care if ya wait for her." He noticed how pale his wife's face was. "You really don't look like you're feelin' up to ridin' into town."

"I need to go."

"I'll hitch up the wagon," he replied softly. He put his hand on Myra's cheek. He was worried about her. They'd both been so busy with work lately, and he hoped that she wasn't working herself too hard. "Myra, maybe ya should ask Grace for a few days off."

"I can't stop workin', Hank. I'm sending my little sister ten dollars at the end of the month, and I ain't got enough yet."

"I'll take care of it," Hank offered.

"No," Myra insisted. She sighed heavily as Hank began to hitch up the wagon. She watched him, thinking about how far they'd come since they first met.

"Hank?"

"What?"

"Do you remember when we first met?" Hank let out a dry laugh.

"Unfortunately."

"Those weren't very good times, huh?"

"I can't believe ya even wanna think about it. I wasn't nice to ya at all."

"Well, the same goes for me."

"But ya had good reason," Hank laughed. "I was wantin' ya to work for me."

"You never would have convinced me to," Myra replied. "But, from the moment I saw ya, my heart knew you couldn't be all bad. It was right." Hank pulled Myra close, rubbing her back softly with his strong, calloused hands. He had never expected to settle down, but now that he had, he was quite happy with the results.

"I sure am glad ya decided to try and put up with me." Myra laughed and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"Me too," she replied softly, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. Hank gave her another quick kiss before he went back to hitching up the wagon. Myra stood aside to wait, and before too long, the husband and wife were riding into town together for the first time in quite a long while.

Michaela sat in the wagon with Connor and Daniel, who were fussing as usual. She hadn't been feeling so well, so Sully had insisted she take it easy and stay in the wagon. She could still see the scene playing out from a distance.

Sully had taken Annie over to Silent Eagle's hut, and as soon as the two had seen each other for the first time in years, they had embraced and held one another so tightly. Silent Eagle's mother had been shown the scar, and she was letting Sully know where to find Annie's aunt.

Michaela studied Silent Eagle and Annie as they held one another. They had been friends, yes, but the way they looked at one another was a look other than friendship. There was something about the look in Silent Eagle's eyes when he looked at Annie.

Sully didn't seem to notice, as he was too focused on listening to the Cheyenne woman's instructions.

The baby kicked Michaela, distracting her from her observations. She looked at the boys who were sleeping in the back of the wagon. They were so peaceful as they slept, and it was as if all of the bad things in the world couldn't touch them or affect them.

"Ready to go?" Sully asked, hopping into the wagon and startling his wife.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Yes. You know where to go?"

"Yep," he replied. Annie and Silent Eagle were walking hand-in-hand as they started toward the wagon.

"Sully?" Michaela wondered. "Look at them."

"What about 'em."

"You can't possibly say that you can look at them and see only a friendship, can you?" Sully looked again before turning his eyes back to Michaela. "I'd say they're sweet on each other."

"Maybe," Sully replied, swallowing hard. Michaela continued to watch Annie and Silent Eagle. When they approached the back of the wagon, Annie wrapped her arms around her friend's neck, and hugged him tightly. Silent Eagle's arms enclosed around her, and he closed his eyes. It appeared that he was just as reluctant to let go of her as she was of him.

"Annie?" Michaela asked softly. Annie looked at Michaela, and slowly pulled away from Silent Eagle. She whispered a few words to him before he helped her into the back of the wagon. A few moments later, the wagon was pulling away from the reservation, and Annie sat in the back with the boys. She pulled her knees up a bit, and wrapped her arms around them as if she was making herself feel secure.

Michaela was concerned about the girl, and she knew there was more to her relationship with Silent Eagle than just friendship. Daniel woke and became cranky right away. Annie lifted him up and passed him to Michaela.

"Alright sweetheart," she whispered, rocking him slowly as the wagon moved along the dirt road. As everyone rode along in silence, except for young Daniel, Annie began to feel as if she was being suffocated. She needed to breath and to feel free.

"Stop!" she cried out.

"What?" Sully asked. "What for?"

"Just stop!" she screamed. Sully coaxed the horses into a halt, and Annie got out of the back and began to run into the woods.

"Annie!" Michaela called after her.

"I'll go after her."

"No. I'll go," Michaela replied. "Will you watch the boys?" Sully nodded, and Michaela made her way out of the wagon to follow Annie. She found her very quickly. The girl was leaning against a large tree, sobbing silently into her hands. "Annie?" Annie looked up quickly.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Michaela wondered.

"I'm so sorry."

"Come here," Michaela whispered, pulling the girl into a hug. Annie pulled back and sat down at the base of the tree. Michaela slowly situated herself on the ground across from her. "You can tell me."

"No. I'm too ashamed."

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of." Michaela knew this had something to do with Silent Eagle, but she wasn't quite sure what Annie could be so ashamed of. Annie shook her head.

"I swear I didn't remember! Not until my dreams."

"Slow down sweetheart. Just start from the beginning." Annie swallowed hard.

"Don't be mad."

"I won't be."

"Promise?" Michaela smiled and wiped the tears from Annie's cheeks.

"I promise."

"What happened with Caleb and George did happen," Annie began. "It happened a lot, but George made me forget. He scared me so bad that I couldn't remember. I couldn't think. I forced myself to forget."

"To forget what?"

"I ran away from George a while back. I ran away and hid in the woods. I didn't want to go back, but I didn't know where to go or who to go to. Silent Eagle was there. He was on a quest. He brought me to his camp, and we were all alone. We . . . and I went back to George a month later." Michaela swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Annie? Are you saying that Silent Eagle is the father of your baby?" Annie closed her eyes and nodded. Michaela breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn't sure why. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that Annie had remembered this, or if she was relieved that Annie's rapist wasn't the father. "You just bottled all of this up inside?"

"George found me," Annie continued. "Silent Eagle was out collectin' water and food for us. He found me, and he started beatin' me. He told me I had to forget about Silent Eagle; I couldn't even cry over it or he'd hurt me even more. Every time I thought about Silent Eagle, I wanted to cry, so I made myself forget. Over the last few months, I just let my mind push it away."

"I'm so sorry, Annie," Michaela whispered.

"I love him," she cried. "I love Silent Eagle, but we can't be together. His parents are arrangin' for him to marry one of the girls in his village. His ma told me." Michaela sighed heavily. "I don't wanna disrupt that. I couldn't live with the Cheyenne. I don't wanna be a burden to you and your family."

"You're not a burden, Annie," Michaela whispered. Annie shook her head.

"You have too much to do, Dr. Mike. You don't need me and my baby around."

"I don't mind. We'll all adjust. We love having you with us. Colleen thinks of you as a sister." Annie smiled softly.

"You'll always be my family, but I can't stay. I won't feel right about it."

"I'm sure you'll adjust. You've adjusted well already." Annie shook her head again.

"No," she whispered. "I can't depend on you. I can live with my Aunt May."

"Is this truly what you want?" A few tears trickled from Michaela's eyes, truly wanting this girl to stay as a part of the family.

"It's what I need."

Sully and Michaela had met with Annie's aunt, and they had both agreed that she could provide for Annie and her unborn child. After saying their goodbyes, Michaela and Sully parted ways with the young girl they'd taken in just a short time ago.

Annie promised to come visit, and she let Michaela know that she'd come in for visits at the clinic to make sure everything was all right with the baby. She had asked her Aunt May what she'd think about having a half-Cheyenne baby in the house. Her aunt didn't seem to mind, so it was agreed that Annie was safe and would be happy there.

Sully knew that Michaela wanted Annie to stay on as a part of their family. He had to admit that it was nice to have her around as well, but having her and her child around at the same time as the new baby would be a lot to handle, especially with the two rambunctious toddlers wandering around the homestead.

They rode back to town in silence, and Michaela held both Connor and Daniel in her lap. They were both calm now, and were enjoying the view on the ride home.

"Do ya need to go anywhere before we go into town?" Sully asked after a little while.

"No. Town is fine," Michaela answered softly with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"She's gonna be fine, Michaela. Her aunt will take good care of her."

"I know," Michaela said with a nod. "It's just that it won't be the same without her."

"It ain't the same without Matthew either, but we're managin'."

"But the thing is that Matthew wasn't gone long at all before Annie came into our lives. "It's hard to believe that it's been a month. A month ago, our oldest son got married and moved away to college. Just after that, Annie ended up on our front porch. We helped her, and now she's back with her family."

"Ya know she's always gonna be a part of our family."

"Yes. I told her that," Michaela replied with a nod. "I just miss her."

"I do too. She was a good kid." Michaela nodded, and Sully wrapped an arm around her, letting his other arm do the guiding.

They arrived in town to find Hank and Myra sitting on the porch of the clinic. Michaela was immediately concerned, because Hank hadn't even opened up the saloon yet.

"Good morning," Michaela greeted them as Sully helped her down from the wagon. Sully got out of the wagon and took the boys into his arms.

"Dr. Mike, somethin' is wrong with her." Myra rolled her eyes.

"Hank's jumpin' to conclusions. I'm just feelin' poorly is all."

"Well, come on into the clinic," Michaela replied. "Hank, I'm sure Myra's fine."

"Go on to work, honey. I'll be done soon."

"She's right. You should go to work, as much as it pains me to tell you to open up the saloon," Michaela replied, unlocking the door to the clinic.

"I'll take the boys to Grace's for some pie," Sully offered.

"Thank you," Michaela replied with a smile. Myra walked into the clinic.

"I'm stayin' 'til ya find out what's wrong with her," Hank replied.

"You may wait out here then," Michaela replied, closing the door to the clinic, leaving Hank standing alone. Jake and Loren made their way across to the clinic.

"Hank? Why ain't ya opened up the saloon yet?" Jake wondered.

"Hold your horses, Jake. I'm sure ya can wait a few more minutes for a whiskey." Jake shook his head, trying not to think about his problem with alcohol.

"Everything okay?" Loren wondered.

"I dunno," Hank replied with a worried shrug. "Myra's sick." Lorne and Jake exchanged glances. "She's been feelin' bad for the past week, and it ain't lettin' up." Loren chuckled knowingly and pulled a cigar from his pocket. He extended it to Hank. "What?" Hank asked, pulling the cigar into his hand.

"Congratulations, papa," Jake replied. Hank looked at the clinic door.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about? Myra ain't pregnant. She can't be. She . . ." The color from Hank's face seemed to drain all the way into his shoes.

"Just my guess," Loren replied, holding his hands up innocently. "Ah, Jake, can ya picture it now? Hank sittin' up in the middle of the night with a cryin' baby in his arms?"

"Why would I be doin' that?"

"'Cause when the baby ain't hungry, Myra's gonna want ya to do everything else."

"Why?"

"'Cause she's gonna use the excuse that you're the reason she had to go through all that pain when she had the baby," Loren said with a knowing nod. "Maude punished me that way right after Abagail was born. Mark my word, Hank. You're gonna have your hands full. No more late nights at the saloon."

"Hey, that ain't a good thing," Jake said quietly. "You'll be losin' business left and right, 'specially when she makes ya start bringin' the kid to work." Hank was starting to worry. Myra wouldn't do that to him, would she? The men were obviously trying to scare him, but Hank wasn't quite sure if he was ready to be a father again.

A few minutes later, Michaela opened the door, and Myra walked out ahead of her. Hank stood up, swallowed hard, and prepared for whatever news his wife had for him.

"Hank, Myra has some news for you," Michaela said with an awkward smile, not sure of how Hank was going to react.

"Ya do?" Hank wondered. He saw the light in his wife's eyes, and he knew it.

"Hank, we're gonna have a baby!" Jake and Loren began to laugh.

"Congratulations, papa!" Jake said loudly.

"And so it begins," Loren added. Hank's face had to have changed every shade of green known to man before he felt his knees grow weak. He sat down on the bench and stared up at Myra.

"Hank? Hank! Say somethin'!" Myra insisted.

"A baby? A . . ."

"Yeah," Myra replied with a smile. "Well, ain't ya happy?"

"Happy," Hank muttered, not sure of what to think at that exact moment. Jake and Loren had walked off to spread the news that the town's very own bartender was about to have his very own bundle of joy.

"Your baby should be here in March," Michaela pointed out. "Congratulations." Michaela walked into the clinic to give the couple some privacy. Myra sat down next to her husband.

"Hank, please say somethin'."

"I ain't sure what to say, Myra," he replied, looking over at her.

"You don't want the baby, do ya?" she asked with disappointment in her eyes. Tears began to sparkle in her eyes.

"It ain't that," he replied.

"Then what is it?"

"I just ain't sure I'm ready to be a pa again. It didn't work out with Zack, so I'm just worried it ain't gonna work out this time."

"Don't worry, Hank. We're in this together. It's gonna work out," Myra whispered. She pressed her lips to Hank's, and the words she had said to him seemed to click. He wasn't going to have to do this on his own. He had a wife, a wonderful wife, and she was going to be a good ma to his child. He stood up and embraced his wife warmly.

"You're gonna be a good ma, Myra."

"You're gonna be a good pa, too. Our baby's gonna love ya."

"Let's hope so," he replied with a laugh.

"It's getting near lunchtime. I better go start helpin' Grace."

"Yeah. I gotta go open up the saloon. I think it's time the fellas bought me a drink to celebrate." Myra laughed a little and kissed him again.

"Be careful today." She and Hank parted ways, both feeling nervous and happy, yes Hank was happy, about the upcoming arrival. Neither one of them really knew much about kids, but they were going to learn together.

"Come on, boys. It's time to meet the new additions of the family," Sully said happily as he took the boys up the stairs of the homestead and walked into the room he shared with Michaela. She was sitting up in bed with two newborn babies in her arms.

"Babies," Daniel pointed out.

"Your sisters," Michaela said with a tired yawn. "Come meet Katie and Elise."

"Lise," Connor babbled. Michaela giggled at her little boy's pronunciation.

"Say a quick hello, and give mama a kiss. These ladies have had a mighty long day." The boys gave their mother and sisters a kiss. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Just gotta get 'em tucked into bed." Michaela nodded, and waited for Sully's return. When he did return a few minutes later, both Katie and Elise were ready to be put down in their cradles. She slowly stood, and Sully took Katie into his arms. As they placed the children in their cradles, Michaela looked at her husband.

"Can you believe it, Sully? This is the second group of Sully children to sleep in these cradles."

"Never know," Sully added with a nod, "maybe their children will sleep in 'em someday."

Sully opened his eyes and sat up in bed. It was storming outside, and the lightning and thunderclap had woken him from his dream. Michaela was sleeping peacefully at his side, her hands planted softly upon her swollen belly.

He moved his hand to stroke the side of her stomach, and he could feel a tiny foot kick him. He knew Michaela didn't believe him, but he was sure of it. He dreamed it all the time, and though he didn't want Cloud Dancing to tell him what the spirits said to him about this pregnancy, he knew in his heart that this was some power's way of telling him he was going to have twin daughters by Christmas.

A few days had passed, and Michaela seemed to be growing more energetic by the day. Sully hadn't seen her so full of life since before Annie came to stay. Having Annie around had seemed to take a little life out of Michaela, because she had become so focused on helping the girl. Sully didn't think his wife had noticed, but he sure had.

The children had the day off of school, so they were at home watching their little brothers while Sully was at the reservation and Michaela was at the clinic. Colleen had wanted to go into town to help Michaela at the clinic, but Michaela had insisted that she take a break seeing as she didn't have to go to school for a couple of days.

Brian was sitting on the floor while Connor and Daniel played with the old woodcarvings Brian used to play with. He had passed them down to his little brothers, and they seemed to enjoy them tremendously. Brian had even taught them how to make train sounds, and the boy couldn't wait until the train pulled into the station for the first time ever in Colorado Springs. That was supposed to be sometime in December, and Brian wondered if he'd be allowed to go visit Matthew in Denver once the train arrived.

"Colleen?" Brian asked, looking over at his sister as she wrote in her diary.

"Hmm?"

"Ain't ya gonna go visit Becky?"

"Remember, I ain't allowed to visit my friends right now."

"Oh yeah. It's 'cause of that night ya tried to sneak out, ain't it?" Colleen nodded with annoyance. "Well I think ya been punished enough anyway." Colleen thought about her brother's words for a moment. "I bet ma and pa will let ya go see Becky real soon." Just as Brian had said that, Sully came walking through the door.

"Hey pa," Colleen greeted him.

"Papa!" the twins exclaimed in unison.

"Hey kids," Sully greeted them. Brian looked at Colleen.

"Ain't ya gonna ask?"

"Brian!" she exclaimed.

"Ask me what?" Sully wondered. Colleen stood from the table and walked over to her father.

"Well, I was wonderin' if I could . . . Well, Becky needs help with her math homework, and I wanted to know if I could go help her." Sully hung his coat up on the door and turned back to her.

"I was talkin' with your ma this mornin', and we both think you've been punished enough." Colleen's face brightened with a smile.

"You mean I can go?"

"Yep. Don't be out too late."

"I'll be home before dark," Colleen promised.

"Best get out there and saddle up Shakespeare. He's been missin' ya." Colleen hurried over to hug her father.

"Thanks pa!"

"Remember to just go to Becky's house and back."

"I will. It ain't too far."

"Brian, maybe you should go with her."

"Why?" Brian wondered. Sully swallowed hard.

"Well, why don't I take ya over there?"

"Pa, I'm not a little girl. I can take myself." She saw the fear in his eyes. "Don't worry 'bout me. I'll hurry, alright? I was getting good at ridin' fast." Sully thought about it for a moment.

"Alright. Start back home while it's still real light out. Stick to the main roads."

"I will. I promise." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be back soon." She grabbed her shawl and rushed out to the barn.

Sully picked Connor up into his arms. The boy laughed and clapped his hands.

"Brian, help me get these two upstairs. They should probably take a nap before we go pick your ma up."

"Okay pa." Brian picked up Daniel, and the Sully men all traveled upstairs. Once Connor and Daniel were put down into their beds, Brian looked at the two empty cradles. "It's gonna be different havin' another baby around, ain't it pa?"

"Yeah. But it'll be good different." Brian looked up at his father as they walked into the hallway.

"I kinda want a baby sister this time around."

"Ya know the responsibility that comes with havin' a little sister, don't ya?" Brian nodded.

"Sure I do. Matthew always said he'd beat up any boy who ever looked at Colleen." Sully laughed. "But he didn't."

"That's right," Sully said with a nod.

"I'll protect her. I'll be a good big brother." Sully patted his son on the back.

"I know ya will. You're growin' up, son." Brian smiled proudly at his father before they retreated down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Colleen had finished saddling Shakespeare like Sully and Matthew had taught her, and she was just leaving the barn. She brought her horse into a steady gallop, and though she told Sully she'd stick to the main roads, she decided to take a shortcut through the woods.

The sunlight was filtering through the trees, and Colleen sucked in a breath of fresh air, happy to be out from under her parents' punishment. Her blonde hair was blow gently by the autumn breeze. Colleen felt so happy. She loved spending time with her little brothers, but it was nice to get away for just a little while. She couldn't wait to see her best friend. Sure, she saw her at school all the time, but they never got to spend any time together out of school.

As Colleen was thinking, a young man of about sixteen rode out on a large brown horse. He was ruggedly handsome, with a bit of stubble on his chin. His hair was dark, and his eyes were even darker. He was handsome, but there was something unsettling about him to Colleen.

"Afternoon, ma'am," he said, tipping his hat. Colleen swallowed hard and stared forward. He brought his horse up to ride next to hers. "Ain't ya gonna say hello?"

Colleen gently kicked Shakespeare's sides to get him to ride faster.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? What's a pretty girl like you ridin' out here all alone for? C'mon. At least tell me your name."

"No," Colleen replied.

"Well, I'll tell ya mine. My name's Charlie Lloyd." Colleen brought her horse into a faster gallop.

"C'mon boy," she whispered to the horse. The rugged-looking young man brought his horse to the same speed. Colleen didn't dare look at him.

"You're awful pretty," he said with a smile. "Ya remind me of a girl I used to know. Ya don't really look like her that much, but you're awful quiet." He reached out to touch her hair, but she jerked her head away.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled as she brought her horse into his fastest run. She heard him chuckle behind her.

"I didn't mean ya no harm!" The young man smiled in Colleen's direction, tipped his hat again, turned his horse, and started off away from Colleen.