Chapter Nineteen

They stood outside of the large doors to the Quinn home, and Sully looked deep into her eyes. Their hands joined, and they stood there in the silence, wondering what chaos would await them when they went back inside. It seemed that everywhere they turned, someone was there to disapprove.

"You ready to go in?" he asked. She took a deep breath and nodded uncertainly. A smile spread over Sully's lips, and he shook his head. "Don't worry 'bout your ma. She's just lookin' out for ya."

"That doesn't matter. She has no right to be so rude and vile to you."

"I can live with it," Sully assured her. "C'mon. Let's go inside. We'll talk about Colorado Springs, and then we'll tell your folks what ya decide to do." Michaela smiled, loving how Sully was so understanding. Even though he wanted her to come back with him more than anything, he was still being rather reserved about it and asking her to truly think. He wanted her to want to go without a shadow of a doubt.

The door opened before Michaela even knocked, and Harrison greeted them with a smile.

"Hello Harrison," Michaela said with a relieved smile. She was only glad that it wasn't her mother waiting for her. He nodded, and the two started inside. Josef was just putting on his hat and lighting his pipe. "Father?" Josef noticed that Michaela's eyes were a bit red, and he stepped closer.

"What's happened, Mike?" Michaela looked at Sully, swallowed hard and turned her attention back to her father.

"David," she said softly.

"That's it. I'm going to…"

"No! Please, I just want this to end. I don't want the authorities involved. I don't think David's going to come around again." Josef noticed a bruise starting to form on Sully's jaw. It was faint but visible. He figured that if that was from David's fist, David surely looked much worse for wear. Josef sighed heavily, his mind preoccupied on Elizabeth at the moment. He didn't want to argue with his daughter.

"Nobody needs any stitching up? You're all right, Mike?"

"I'm fine, and Sully's fine as well. I'll see to it that he rests now." Josef smiled and kissed Michaela upon the cheek.

"I worry about you, Mike."

"There's nothing to worry about," she assured him. As far as she was concerned, it was over. If David was stupid enough to try to get near her again, he would certainly deserve what he got for it. She silently admitted to herself that it gave her a small thrill to see Sully beat the tar out of him. She'd never admit it. Well, maybe she would, but probably only to Sully. She turned to Sully and smiled. "Sully, why don't you go sit in the parlor? I'll be there in a moment." Sully nodded and walked away. Michaela turned to Josef. "Where's Mother?" Josef shook his head tiredly.

"She went on a stroll to calm her nerves. She rarely does this, so I should go after her so she doesn't get into any trouble." Michaela smiled a little. Josef always tried to make light of these types of situations. He started toward the door, but Michaela put her hand on her father's arm. "Mike?" Michaela silently slipped the advertisement into his hand. He looked down at it and back up at her. He repeated this for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "You're thinking about it?"

"Yes, though I think I've already made my decision," she admitted, keeping her eyes locked on his. No matter how much she loved her father and didn't want to disappoint him, she knew that she had to break away from his practice someday. "Actually, I know I have. I've made up my mind." Josef nodded slowly and took a deep, thoughtful breath. "Father?" Josef began to smile.

"I've been waiting for this day," he whispered.

"What?" Michaela asked incredulously. "You want me to go?" Josef shook his head.

"Of course I don't want to see you go, but I've been waiting for the day you finally break free and start a practice on your own. I'm so proud of you, Mike." A smile played upon Michaela's lips, and she reached out to embrace her father. He squeezed her tight. "Whatever you do, Mike, I'll support you." He looked toward the door. "Your mother and I will be home shortly." Michaela nodded. Harrison let Master Quinn out, and he turned to Michaela.

"Shall I have Martha bring ice for Mr. Sully's jaw?" Michaela smiled.

"Yes, Harrison. Thank you." Michaela turned toward the parlor and found Sully relaxing in one of the oversized chairs that faced the cold fireplace. Michaela smiled and slowly walked across the room. Sully could hear the swishing of her skirt, and he smiled.

"Everything all right with your ma and pa?" he asked without turning around.

"Yes. Mother went out for some fresh air," Michaela replied. "She doesn't do that very often." Sully chuckled a little.

"I didn't mean to cause such a problem."
"You didn't. Mother is just set in her ways." She stepped up beside the chair, and Sully took her hand in his. He pulled her around, and she fell into his lap. Michaela let out a squeak as Sully's arms encircled her waist. "Sully!" she gasped. Sully laughed and released her. She stood and smoothed out her skirt. He stood, his eyes on hers, and she felt her flesh beginning to tingle.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. She grinned and playfully swatted his shoulder. Martha came in with a bucket in one hand and a towel in another. She placed the bucket of ice down on the floor and left the room.

"It's for your jaw."

"I'm fine. Really," Sully assured her.

"Please humor me. Martha just ran all the way out to the icehouse for you. You can at least…"

"Fine," he chuckled. He pulled a chunk of ice into the towel, wrapped it up and applied it to his jaw. He winced a little, and Michaela knelt down beside the chair. Her hand moved to rest upon his, and their eyes met, captivating one another for a few moments.

"I'm sorry for this," she whispered, her fingers gently caressing his face. He put the towel down and sighed softly.

"There's nothin' to be sorry for. It ain't your fault that David's actin' like this. He's sick, Michaela."

"I know that."

"I'm the one that's worried though. I'm worried 'bout ya, because David's a powerful man. He's roamin' the streets as a free man after what he did. Who knows what else he could do?"

"Well, I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'm going to go to Colorado Springs, and I'm going to start a new life." He saw her say that with a sparkle in her eyes. "Only, I hope you don't think I'm running away from it all." Sully put his fingers to her lips, and she blushed rapidly.

"You're Michaela Quinn. Ya don't run from anything." Michaela smiled. She liked the sound of that! She loved the way he could tell her what he thought without any reservations.

"I have made up my mind, Sully. I am going, because I know it's the right thing to do."

"You're absolutely sure? If ya have any doubts, I don't want ya to rush into it."

"I don't have any doubts, Sully. All I care about is starting a life with my own practice; a life where David doesn't exist."

"He's always gonna exist," Sully whispered. "He's always gonna be in your memories."

"But he won't physically be there, Sully. He won't hurt my family if I'm not there to see him do it. It's better for everyone." She sighed and smiled as she looked into his eyes. Yes, it was time to start a new life with the man she loved. It was time to break free of the comfort of home and face and challenge reality. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to give it a try.

"You really are sure then?" he asked. Michaela grinned and nodded.

"Yes," she breathed. She sighed and settled down in the chair across from him. "I want to go from place to place without looking over my shoulder to see if David is following. I spent so much time being angry with him, and I didn't let myself feel afraid. But, now that I've seen him again, I can't help but feel a little frightened." She blinked back the tears. "I'm only glad he didn't really hurt you today. I couldn't bare the thought…I just want to go with you. I want to know that you're safe, and I want to be happy. I won't be completely happy unless I know you're well." Sully smiled a little.

"As much as I want ya to go with me, I can't help but think 'bout what this is gonna do to your family."

"Father will support me. He's assured me that he will. Mother…well, she never accepts anything I do, so why should I expect her to start now?"

"She does love ya."
"I know, but it's my turn to say what's right and what's wrong. This is right, Sully." Michaela smiled as Sully leaned forward in his chair. She felt herself pulling toward him, and just as their lips were about to meet, Harrison cleared his throat from the doorway. They looked up in surprise.

"Martha's preparing dinner now. It should be done in two hours." Michaela nodded.

"Thank you," she said with a sheepish grin, her cheeks blushing wildly. The butler left, and Michaela and Sully caught one another's gaze. They chuckled together before Michaela stood. "That's another thing I'm looking forward to leaving behind. Being interrupted without a moment's notice." Sully laughed, but his smile turned into a frown when he saw Michaela's eyes searching his.

"What is it?"

"You're the only reason I didn't leave Boston before, Sully. I knew you were coming back. Then what David did…well, I thought that perhaps you wouldn't want to come back."

"Why wouldn't I?" He saw the pain in her eyes, and he felt terrible. He stepped close to her and took her hand into his. He held it with the greatest gentility and felt her fingers curl around his. "Nothin' could ever make me stop lovin' you, Michaela. Nothin'. Ya gotta understand that. I don't give up so easy." He smiled. "It's somethin' we have in common." Michaela grinned.

"We're both stubborn," she said softly. "How's that going to work?" Sully shook his head, loving to see the smile brighten her face. "You're a brave woman, Michaela. You've put up with a lot so we could be together."

"And so have you." She sighed, pursing her lips together. "I knew you'd come back to me. Despite the letter I sent you, I knew in my heart you would return to me."

"'Course ya did. Sometimes it might not seem like it, but we know each other pretty well." It was then that Sully clearly felt the presence of a foreign object in his coat pocket. He realized what it was, and he swallowed hard. He picked her hand up into his again, and he placed a kiss to the center of her palm, sending shivers up her spine. "I told ya you're brave, and I meant it, but ya don't gotta be brave all the time. I'll always love ya just the way ya are." It was then that realization washed over him. He smiled, feeling absolutely free and on top of the world. "Ya know I fell in love with ya a long time ago, but, what ya don't know is that when I was away from ya, I realized that you're the woman I know I'm s'posed to spend the rest of my life with." Michaela felt her body quiver and her heart begin to thump.

"Sully," she whispered, a smile creasing her lips. Sully's smile had faded, however, and he looked a little shaken. "Um, when…when do we have to leave for Colorado Springs?" A woman needed to plan these things, and she couldn't very well pull this off if they had to leave on short notice!

"Not 'til 'round the end of August, I guess," he said, pondering the situation. He didn't have to start up his next assignment for Mr. Smith until the beginning of September. Michaela thought about it. That gave her just about two and a half months to plan for the move, and she knew she'd be able to take care of everything before then. She let out a heavy sigh. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said with a smile. "I suppose it's just overwhelming. I mean, thinking about moving across country is a very scary thing."

"I thought ya didn't have any doubts."
"Oh, I don't!" she promised. "But, I'm sure you had butterflies in your stomach as you were getting closer to Colorado Springs, did you not?" Sully winked at her.

"Ya caught me," he replied. Michaela grinned, and suddenly, she felt increasingly nervous. She remembered the fact that Sully was staying in a little house courtesy of Loren Bray until he could finish building a larger, family-sized home.

"Sully?" Her eyes hesitated on his. "You have a house in Colorado Springs. I…well, where will I stay? Are there boarding houses?" Sully felt himself choke. He hadn't expected her to ask this so soon. He hadn't been prepared for it. Well, maybe he was a little prepared, but he didn't quite know what else to say except for what he really wanted to. How could he say it without scaring her? He didn't think he'd lose her, but he didn't really know if it'd be right to take that chance anyway. "Sully?"
"Boardin' houses," he said quietly. "Yeah, but…" His hand moved to his pocket, and his fist clasped around something.

"Sully?"

"I, uh…" Sully rarely ever found himself at a loss for words. "Let's sit down." Michaela nodded, and she sat down. Sully, however, scooted his chair closer and took her hands.

"Sully?" Sully felt foolish now. His palms were sweating, and as he looked at Michaela, the desire to tell her this became stronger. He knew he was going to startle her, but at this point, he knew he couldn't lose her.

"Michaela, I was thinkin' 'bout us movin' and everything," he explained. She nodded curiously. "Well, what if…what if we lived together?" Michaela's eyes went wide, and she tried not to gasp, but it was too late.

"Sully!" she exclaimed. "That is entirely inappropriate!" This was certainly going downhill quickly! It was time to explain his boldness. So, he shook his head.

"Just hear me out," he said softly, giving her hands a squeeze. Michaela looked into his deep blue eyes, melting in his words and his touch. God, his touch…No! She needed to focus. She swallowed hard, trying to concentrate and hear Sully out on his wild and very unexpected suggestion. But, the way he was looking at her made her tremble. The sensations running through her body and her spirit were making it harder and harder to concentrate. She suddenly became very aware of the fact that her corset was so tight, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. "I didn't mean to startle ya. I just didn't quite know how to say it. I mean…ya were askin', and I just…well, I wasn't figurin' on doin' this for a while."

"I know you didn't," she said, half understanding what he was saying. "But, Sully, it would be improper. We're not married, and…" Her heart began to tell her that she was a fool. Why did propriety matter right now? He was sitting here, pouring out his innermost thoughts from his heart. She needed him to do that, and she was grateful! What was improper about loving someone with your entire being? Nothing that she could think of…only what she'd been taught.

He gently kissed her knuckles, and she shivered at the feeling of his lips upon her skin. When he pulled back, she felt his breath on her skin, and she closed her eyes, waiting for her heart to stop racing.

"Well, what if we were?" he asked. Michaela furrowed her brows, and her eyes snapped open to look at him.

"Well, if we were, it'd be fine, but like I said, we aren't." Sully sighed with exasperation, feeling braver by the second.

"Don't ya hear what I'm askin' ya?" He no longer felt like a nervous adolescent asking a girl for a stroll. He felt what was in his heart, and he knew it was right. Michaela let the words register in her head. He was asking her a question. Think, Michaela! Her heart was racing that she was certain it would beat right out of her chest and break through her corset. She suddenly realized that wearing those silly things weren't good, and she'd make a point not to wear them from now on. They were so constricting, and she didn't like feeling as if part of her was trapped in a prison. "Michaela?" Michaela nodded, letting him continue, though her head was spinning, and she wasn't quite sure she knew what they were talking about anymore. She stopped thinking and froze when she saw the little wooden box that Sully pulled from his coat pocket. Her eyes went wide, and the tears immediately coated them and waited for their cue to fall. "I told ya that I was buildin' a home for any family I might have someday, Michaela. The truth is, you're my family, and you're the only woman I could see myself havin' a family with."

"Sully," she whispered, the air finally returning to her lungs. He opened it, and a humble diamond awaited her eyes, and it rested inside the setting of a simple gold band. To Michaela, it was magnificent.

"I really didn't plan on it, but right now, seein' your face and hearin' plans of ya movin' out to Colorado Springs with me…well, I just…" The words were fumbling around inside of his head too, but when he looked into her eyes, all thoughts were lost except for one. "When I was in Colorado Springs, I had a lot of time to be by myself and to think. Things didn't feel right, and my friend Cloud Dancin' had me go through a ritual that's s'posed to heal the body and the spirit. When I was goin' through that, I had this vision that ya needed me. I felt like I was gonna lose ya, and I realized then that I couldn't let that happen. I realized then that time's short, and we gotta make the most of it." He pulled the ring out of the box. "What I'm askin' ya…" He watched the tears start to fall from Michaela's eyes, and his heart jumped. "Michaela Quinn, will you marry me?"

Without a word, Michaela looked at the delicate ring that rested between Sully's thumb and forefinger. She stared up into his eyes, and she felt the hot tears trickling down her cheeks. She let out a soft laugh and brushed them away. She couldn't think of any words to say that could agree with him more. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and her hand ever so gently moved out. Sully took it in his and he started to slip the ring onto her finger.

"She most certainly will not!" bellowed Elizabeth Quinn as she stormed into the parlor. The ring fell onto the carpeted floor, and Sully's hand still held Michaela's. Beside Elizabeth stood Josef, a beaming smile spread across his pale face. Elizabeth's face was the exact opposite, and she was shaking with anger.

"Mother!" Michaela cried out, anger rising in her. How dare Elizabeth interrupt on the most important moment in Michaela's life? What right did she have?

"What do you think you're doing!" Elizabeth yelled, her temper flaring. "You will not marry him! Michaela, I've told you a hundred times! He's not good enough for you!" Michaela felt her blood boiling and about to shoot from her ears. She was so angry! She only wanted to scream at her mother and make her realize how difficult she'd made life for her for twenty-six years. But the anger didn't come out then. She didn't yell. She didn't say a word. She simply stood, her entire body in tremors, and she walked out of the room. Silence filled in a thick, depressing nothingness. Sully broke the stillness and picked the ring up from the floor. He stood and walked to meet Elizabeth in the center of the parlor.

"Mrs. Quinn," he spoke up. She held a hand up, her eyes angry and full of fire.

"Don't speak to me," she spat. Josef put his hand on his wife's arm.

"Elizabeth," he said sternly. His gaze met Sully's. "Go to her, son." Sully, saying nothing, left the parlor to go after Michaela, his very heart breaking for her. He only wished he could take away the pain her mother had caused by those vehement words. Josef, however, was not going to let this go. He turned his attention back to Elizabeth.

"Josef…"

"How dare you?" he cut her off.

"How dare I what?" she asked. "How dare I look out for my daughter's well being?"

"You don't want what's best for our daughter. You want what's best for yourself." Josef's expression softened. "God knows I love you, Lizzie," he said, using his nickname for her, "but, I can't condone such behavior when it comes to you and our youngest daughter. Michaela has tried to make you proud."
"Proud? She's done nothing but embarrass me since she was a child! She's always done everything to please you. She went to medical school and became a doctor instead of going to finishing school and marrying a suitable husband."

"Have you ever put aside what you and I want? Have you ever thought about what Michaela wants? I told her every day since she was old enough to understand that she didn't have to grow up to be a doctor. But, she insisted that it's what she's destined to do, and I believe she's right. I believe that Michaela will make the choice that works best for her, and I think that choosing to follow her heart will be the best choice." Elizabeth was taken aback.

"You're not seriously suggesting that she's truly in love with Mr. Sully. Infatuated, perhaps, but…"

"I know she is," he said quietly. "Those two are more in love than anyone I've ever seen."

"If she marries this man, she'll disgrace the entire family. I'll never be able to show my face in public again!" Josef felt his temper flaring once more. He rarely ever yelled, but Elizabeth enraged him so often! This was the last straw.

"Will you just stop thinking about yourself for once? That's all you've ever done! You have got to be the most selfish, stubborn woman I've ever met. She's your daughter for goodness sakes! Act like a mother and be happy for her!" Josef turned to storm from the room, but Elizabeth's voice stopped him.

"I thought that giving you one more child would make everything alright," she whispered softly. She sat down in a parlor chair. Josef stayed with his back turned to her. "We were having a rough time with the four daughters we had, and I thought for sure that one more child would make it all better. One more child, a chance for a son would make you look at me the way you looked at me when we were young." Josef turned to his wife. "I thought giving you a son would make you love me again."

"I never stopped, Lizzie," he whispered. "I've loved you from the minute I first saw you. How could you ever think otherwise?" Elizabeth brushed away the tears with a handkerchief.

"Your colleagues were always given sons by their wives. On occasion, a daughter would come, but for us, it was always daughters."

"You think I loved you less because we had no sons?" he asked, moving over to kneel beside his wife's chair.

"We argued all of the time, Josef. You worked later and later at the hospital when the girls began to grow up. I know you loved them, but when you were home, you spent all of your time being a father and not a husband." Josef swallowed hard. "I felt that you spent all of your time loving your daughters, because you felt you'd never have a son, and therefore you had no use for me." Josef shook his head and stood up. "That's why I wanted Michaela to be a boy. Is the fact that we had no sons the reason you took Michaela under your wing? You knew we'd never have a son, so you decided to take Michaela as your…your apprentice?" Josef couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Elizabeth actually believe the words she was saying?

"You really don't know me at all, do you?" He was visibly hurt, and he walked out of the room, feeling as if his entire life had been a lie.

"Josef! Where are you going?"

"Out," he said with absolutely no emotion in his voice. He was bone tired. After nearly forty years of marriage to a woman who never believed in the love he felt for her, he was tired.