Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Michaela?" She hadn't spoken in about forty-five seconds, and Sully was studying the surprised expression upon her face. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was open, and her face was blushing red. "Michaela? I didn't mean to scare ya." She shook her head.

"No," she whispered as the horse pulled the carriage faster down the street. "I…I didn't think you'd…" He inhaled slowly, closing her eyes as she did so. "You want to marry me today?"

"I wanted to marry ya a long time ago," he said with a grin. "I know ya want to wait."

"No," she breathed softly. "Sully, we've been separated longer than we've really been together, I think, and the time we've shared has been so precious to me. I know what I want, and I want to be your wife. Time doesn't matter. All that matters is what's in here." She placed her hand over her heart and then over his. "I told you before, I don't really care for a large wedding. All I want are people there who are willing to support us as we start our life together." Sully pulled her close and hugged her to him.

"You're sayin' yes?" She nodded happily.

"I'm saying yes." Their lips crushed together in an urgent, celebratory kiss, and they had no reservations anymore. This was right. This was their day. Tonight, they would be lying down to bed as husband and wife.

The carriage pulled up in front of the Quinn home, and Sully helped Michaela out of the carriage. The driver took off, and the two stood outside, holding one another tightly.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked her. She tilted her head up, her green and amber eyes sparkling in the early morning light.

"Without a doubt," she whispered. His lips came back down to brush against hers, and she opened herself up to him, feeling love's kiss…Sully's kiss. A few passers-by looked over at them, but for the most part, they were secluded in their own private world. Nothing could stop them now. Sully took her hand and led her into the house without a word. They expected everything to be quiet, but it was far from it. It was nearly six now, and Martha was cooking breakfast, Harrison was dusting the stair rails, Elizabeth was playing piano in the parlor, and Josef was glancing over the pages in one of his surgical texts.

"You're home!" Josef said, glancing up from his chair in the parlor as they walked in. Elizabeth stopped playing piano and turned around in the seat. Michaela's hair was out of place, her eyes were tired, but she looked radiantly happy. "How's your patient?"

"She's fine," Michaela said with a smile. She woke up, and there was no sign of infection. I think she's going to pull through."

"That's wonderful news," Josef smiled. "Good work, Mike."

"Your daughter's got healin' in her blood," Sully replied with a smile, squeezing her tight. "That's what my friend Cloud Dancin' would say."

"You should both go rest," Elizabeth pointed out. "You've been up all night. Michaela, you should give Martha your dress, and she'll see what she can do."

"It's ruined," Michaela said softly. Though the dress was red, the blood was thick and dark, and there was no way to clean it without ruining the dress further. She still looked surprisingly happy.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked, narrowing her eyes a little. Sully looked at Michaela, and she nodded.

"Well, after what happened tonight, Michaela and me…Michaela and I decided that we don't wanna wait. We wanna get married right now."

"What!" Elizabeth asked, nearly falling off of the piano bench. "You can't possibly!" She caught a glance from Josef. "Well, your wedding is already being planned. The invitations…"

"We'll cancel the invitations," Michaela replied. "We want to get married today…in this house…by Reverend Matthews." She looked up at Sully, and he nodded in agreement.

"But your dress!"

"I have plenty of fine dresses. I even have a lovely white that I've never worn, if you'll recall. You yourself said it was stunning the day I picked it out."

"Do you have a wedding band?" Elizabeth asked, looking at Sully.

"No need for that," Josef replied. He disappeared from the room, leaving them all in confusion. Elizabeth studied her daughter and Sully.

"Mrs. Quinn, I know this ain't been easy on ya, but we're happy. We wanna get married, 'cause we don't see no sense in wastin' all the time we got. We love each other, and we think it's time we did somethin' about it. Two months is a long time away. Two months…there's no tellin' what could happen in two months. You saw Lydia. You saw the pain she was in. She hadn't even told Albert she loved him. She coulda died without him knowin'. Don't ya see? We've been through so much already. We've survived, and we don't wanna sit around and wait for somethin' to come along to hurt us again."

"This is terribly sudden," Elizabeth said quietly. "Michaela, you know this is very unorthodox."

"You said yourself that I was never like normal little girls. Mother, I know that you may not want to give your blessing, but I'm asking you, please, be there for me today…on my wedding day. You don't have to stay afterward. I just want you there."

"I don't know, Michaela. I…" Josef came into the room with a little box in his hands.

"I was going to save this for you wedding day, but I see that day has come sooner than I thought," Josef said softly. He handed the box to Sully, and he opened it. A delicate gold band was revealed, and Michaela's eyes went wide.

"Father?"

"I know you don't like when people give you things for free," Josef said to Sully, "but this is my wedding gift to you. I bought it the day you left for Colorado Springs, because I knew right then that the two of you were going to spend the rest of your lives together." A tear slipped down Michaela's cheek, and she embraced her father.

"Thank you," she whispered. Josef squeezed her tight and then shook Sully's hand.

"I'll ride over to Reverend Matthew's house, and I'll make sure your sisters come along, Mike." Josef hurried out the door, and Michaela was left in the parlor with her mother and the man she would soon be married to. Elizabeth was still seated on the piano bench. She moved to talk to her mother, but Sully stopped her.

"Michaela, why don't ya go upstairs and get a little rest?" Michaela looked at him questioningly, but she realized that he wanted to talk to Elizabeth. He gave her a soft kiss, and she started out of the parlor, hoping things wouldn't end too horribly. Elizabeth turned back to face the piano keys, and Sully moved over to sit down beside her. Her fingers were resting on the keys, but they were unmoving except for the nervous shake. Sully cleared his throat.

"Listen, Mrs. Quinn," Sully began. "Ya don't gotta say anything to me. Just listen. I know ya don't like me very much, and I think I can live with that, 'cause I know you're only lookin' out for your daughter. But, ya gotta understand that I'm doin' the same thing. I love her with all of my heart, and I'm gonna be there for her for the rest of our lives. I'm gonna do everything I can to make her happy and to give her a good life. Ya want her to marry somebody who comes from a wealthy family. I can tell ya, Ma'am, that I don't come from any money at all, but we had plenty of love. That's what I want for my family. I wanna love my wife and the kids we might have. I wanna teach my children to believe in what's right, and I wanna show them what a strong, lovin' family can do for 'em when they need our support. But none of that will ever be the same without you in the picture. I ain't sayin' ya gotta give me your blessin', cause I know that's not gonna happen now. I'm just sayin'…don't cut Michaela out of your life. She needs her Ma. I know what it's like to lose your ma, but to know that she's out there still and doesn't wanna support ya would hurt all the more. Please, Mrs. Quinn, don't push her away 'cause of me. I couldn't bare to see her hurtin' everyday 'cause her ma refused to come to her weddin'." Elizabeth was silent for a moment.

"I told Michaela that I want to support her. I never expected her to choose a man like you." She sighed softly. "The truth is that Josef wasn't the man my mother wanted me to marry. She learned to love him, though. I don't want my daughter to hurt. I don't want you to ever lay a harmful hand on her."

"I swear I'd never do that, Mrs. Quinn. I believe that nobody ought to hurt any livin' thing, especially a lady. I'd never hurt anybody unless they were tryin' to harm me or my family."

"I want to approve, Mr. Sully," she said quietly. "I'm not sure how."

"Just come to the weddin'. Just see how happy Michaela is. She loves me, and I love her. We ain't doin' this to upset ya. We're doin' this 'cause we want to. We want to be husband and wife. Truthfully, ma'am, a piece of paper don't matter to me. What matters is that we wanna spend the rest of our lives together. But, havin' a ceremony means a lot to Michaela, and I want her to be happy."

"Mr. Sully," Elizabeth breathed, "do you honestly think you can give her a life that will support her as a woman and a physician? Do you honestly think you can make a marriage like this work?"

"It takes two to make a marriage work, Mrs. Quinn, and we're both willin' to try." Elizabeth nodded her head.

"How can you be so sure that this is the right thing to do?"

"We know it's the right thing, but we'll never know for sure unless we try, will we?" Elizabeth was silent again, and Sully stood. "I hope ya come to the weddin'. I wanna see her happy, and I know she won't be completely happy without her ma there with her." He turned and walked out of the parlor. Michaela had heard every word of Sully's, and she quickly turned out into the back hallway as to not be caught. She knew he was the man she was supposed to marry. He understood her better than she understood herself.

She silently began to tiptoe through the back hall, and she was surprised when she heard his voice behind her.

"Bein' sneaky, Dr. Quinn?" he asked. Michaela giggled when he pulled her into his arms and twirled her around. Their arms wrapped around each other, and their lips connected like two attracting forces. "Eavesdroppin'?" Michaela winced a little.

"You aren't upset with me, are you?" Sully chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you for trying with her," Michaela whispered against his lips. "She's stubborn like me."

"Guess it's good that I got a way with stubborn women." Michaela raised an eyebrow.

"Have you? Well, we'll see about that. The wedding hasn't started yet. And, do you realize that this is bad luck? It's our wedding day, and here we are…"

"We don't need no more bad luck," Sully replied, placing Michaela's feet on the ground. "But, I say we had enough bad luck for a lifetime. I think it's 'bout time things start goin' right." Michaela smiled and leaned up to kiss him again. When they pulled away, Sully looked down into her eyes. "You nervous?" Michaela bit her bottom lip.

"Yes, a little." Her cheeks flushed crimson. "Are you?" Sully smiled a little and nodded.

"I s'pose we're gonna have to learn from each other, huh?" Michaela buried her face in his chest, and he held her tight. "We'll take it slow. I promise."

"I trust you," she uttered. "With everything I have."

Several hours later, Lydia opened her eyes in the bright hospital room. She squinted as she looked toward the window. The bright sunlight was filtering through the glass, burning heat into every inch of the room. She was comfortable, however, and she smiled when she saw Albert standing by the window in his party suit, his hands buried deep inside of his pockets as a concerned frown creased his lips.

"Haven't you slept?" Lydia asked quietly as the pain in her chest increased. She winced and coughed painfully. Albert turned quickly and rushed to her side.

"Lydia," he breathed. "Just relax. I'll have someone give you something for the pain."

"I'm all right," she insisted. "I've handled worse pain than this before."

"Can I get anything for you?"

"A glass of water would be nice," she replied. Albert moved to her bedside table and picked up the pitcher. He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. She winced, and he moved to help her, but she shook her head. After she'd quenched her thirst, she laid back and smiled up at him. "You're going to stay here all day?"

"Why not? I don't have anyplace else to be."

"What about your clients?"

"They're all happy right now. Nobody's suing anybody." Lydia laughed a little bit, and she groaned in pain. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you laugh."

"Hey, after what I've been through…just, don't stop being you, Albert." He nodded.

"I promise." His fingers lightly danced across the surface of the skin on her hand. Her flesh tingled as he moved his hand up her arm and toward her face. He cupped her face in his hands and brought his mouth down upon hers. He kissed with reservations holding him back. He couldn't hurt her. He couldn't scare her. But, she responded, her lips massaging his, her mouth opening up to him.

She sighed against him, despite the pain in her chest, and when he pulled away, she let out a content hum.

"Oh, Albert." A knock came to the door, and Josef Quinn stepped in.

"Oh! I'm sorry," he said, blushing behind his white beard and mustache. Albert and Lydia flushed red too, but they remained calm when the doctor came in. "Michaela would have been here, but she's been detained."

"Oh?" Lydia asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. She's getting married today."

"What?" Albert asked. "What about August?"

"You two scared her and Mr. Sully last night, though I can't say I'm not relieved. Those two practically act like they're married anyway. They might as well make it official."

"Congratulations," Lydia said with a grin.

"Yes, thank you," Josef chuckled. "How are you feeling, Miss Grayson?"

"Much better, Dr. Quinn. The pain is still there, but I don't feel weak."

"That's wonderful," Josef said with a smile, pulling a syringe out of his medical bag. He pumped it full of a clear liquid.

"What is that?" she wondered.

"Just something to take the pain away. You'll be able to rest that way." Lydia cringed.

"I hate needles," she said with a sigh. Albert smiled a little and took her hand in his.

"It'll only hurt for a moment, Lydia," he promised. "Squeeze my hand if you have to." Lydia smiled appreciatively, and when Josef stuck the needle into her arm, she gave Albert's hand a mighty squeeze. It was all over in a matter of seconds, but they were seconds that Lydia was grateful for. Albert was a perfect gentleman, and she felt lucky to be the one he loved.

"Rest now, Miss Grayson. You should be feeling much better in a few days." Lydia watched as the doctor left, and she closed her eyes. She fell asleep with her hand holding Albert's, and he didn't mind. He'd hold her hand forever if he could. He knew now that he would always be by her side, loving her, holding her, and he couldn't think of anything he wanted more.

Charlotte woke on this early morning, coughing and sputtering as her unborn child kicked her from the inside. She coughed violently, smoke filling her lungs, and for a moment, she wondered if she was dreaming. But, when she opened her eyes, they burned with thick black smoke and the light of the flames that engulfed the roof.

"Oh my God!" she screamed. "Children!"

"Ma!" Brian's cries came from somewhere in the corner of the house.

"House is on fire!" Matthew screamed. The drought that had overtaken their town had taken its toll on the Cooper home.

"Get the kids out!" Charlotte screamed. "Colleen!" Colleen's screams could be heard as she woke from her sleep. They'd all slept in so late, and now they were paying the price. "Get out! Get out! Get the hell out!" Matthew picked up Colleen and Brian and ran with them, not stopping until they got outside. Charlotte pulled her self out of bed. She didn't do what normal people would do. She didn't run. She got on her hands and knees and pulled a box out from underneath the bed. She held it tightly against her body and turned toward the door. Matthew came running back in.

"Ma! C'mon!" He picked her up into his arms and rushed her out just as the roof began to collapse. They tumbled into the dry yellow grass, and Charlotte sucked in fresh air as her lungs burned from the black smoke she'd inhaled.

"Ma!" Colleen screamed, rushing over as Charlotte laid back into the grass. The children gathered around her, and Matthew rushed to the water barrel to attempt to fight the fire. They all knew he was too late. The house was gone. Their life's possessions were gone. Everything was gone except for the clothes on their backs and whatever was in that tiny box that Charlotte had rescued.

"Ma, are ya ok?" Brian asked, his little hand touching her soot-stained forehead.

"I'm fine," Charlotte assured them. "I'm just fine. Let me look at ya." She looked the children over carefully, and she decided there was no damage done.

"What's in the box?" Brian asked as Matthew collapsed in the grass next to them, the hungry flames unyielding to the meager amount of water being thrown into it.

Horses came galloping up as the townsmen came to help. Charlotte was too drained to tell them that it was no use to fight the flames.

"C'mon, Mrs. Cooper. You and the children get into the barn where it's safe," said one of the men, young Mr. Granger. He held his hand out to her, and Charlotte took it. He and Matthew helped her into the barn, and the children settled into a pile of hay beside her.

"Ma, you sure you're ok?" Matthew asked, pulling off his hat and collapsing into the hay. The horses snorted and danced in their stalls. Charlotte nodded her head, and she pulled off her necklace. Hanging on that necklace was a small key. She stuck it inside of the lock and sighed.

"This is everything we have left." She opened up the lid and pulled out the money pouch. The other items included the deed to the land and house, Charlotte's diary, and four birth certificates.

"What are we gonna do, Ma?" Brian asked softly. Charlotte didn't answer. She was too upset to answer. She felt Colleen wrap her arms around her, and she began to sob. Nothing came easy for Charlotte Cooper, and she knew her time was running out.

"Let her rest," Matthew urged. Charlotte shook her head.

"We can't stay here any more. It's time to go." Colleen looked up at Matthew, and he truly looked lost.

"Rest now, Ma. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow. Right now, ya need to rest." Charlotte, still in shock from the house fire, finally fell into a fitful sleep. Matthew pulled Colleen and Brian into a corner of the barn. He swallowed hard, and Colleen began to cry.

"Don't cry, Colleen," Brian said softly, his hand moving to touch his sister's shoulder.

"We ain't got no place to go! Pa don't know. We can't…"

"Pa," Matthew said, his jaw setting firmly. "That's it."

"What?"

"He mailed us a letter…from…Colorado Springs. Remember?" Matthew asked. Colleen nodded.

"That's where we'll go. We'll take the wagon as soon as Ma's ready to travel. We'll go to Colorado Springs and find Pa."

"We don't know if he's gonna be there.'
"I really don't care 'bout that right now, Colleen," Matthew snapped. "But I'm sure somebody woulda seen him. He's gotta know that we ain't got a home. He's gotta know that the family he left behind just lost everything." Brian began to whimper now, and Matthew pulled him into his lap. "Sorry, Brian. Everything's gonna work out. " He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall of the barn. Colleen curled under his arm, and Brian fell asleep in his lap. Matthew searched his mind. Would finding Ethan make it any better? He didn't really believe it would. But, following the trail Ethan had started by sending that letter was certainly a starting point for getting their life back. Frankly, he didn't care if his father did find a job to support the family. He only wanted his mother to be happy, and he wanted his younger brother and sister to grow up happy. As far as Matthew was concerned, Ethan was a deadbeat. But Colleen and Brian were still young enough to be impressionable. He hoped that they wouldn't face disappointment when they found him.

"You look stunning, Michaela," Marjorie said with a grin as she helped fasten the pearls around Michaela's neck. The dress she wore was not as extravagant as most Boston wedding dresses. But, it was beautiful with lace and a long train. It was very stylish, and it made Michaela's eyes sparkle and her skin glow. She was radiant.

"Just way until Sully sees you," Rebecca said with a grin. "He may faint before you finish walking down the aisle!" Michaela was too nervous to hear her, for she was looking in the mirror and asking herself if she would be pleasing to Sully's eyes. She felt a might tug at her back.

"Ow!" she yelped.

"Sorry," Marjorie said with a sheepish grin. "I wasn't sure the corset was tight enough."

"I don't want to wear one at all."

"Oh, but it's simply beautiful."

"It's simply painful and barbaric," Michaela replied with a sigh. Rebecca shrugged, and Marjorie straightened out Michaela's skirt. "How do I look?"

"They'll faint dead away."

"The Reverend?"

"He's downstairs. He's helping father and Sully set up."

"The guests?"

"Maureen and Claudette…they said they couldn't make it. They have sick little ones," Rebecca noted. Michaela knew that was a lie. It was quite ironic that they both had children come down with something on the same day, when their children never played together nor saw one another except on special occasions. They were all spoiled brats who were only allowed to play inside. Catching an illness seemed rather far-fetched for today. "Other than that, I think we're all here."

"Mother?" Michaela wondered.

"She's still in her room," Marjorie noted. "But, that doesn't mean anything. She could be dressing."

"I hope so. I know our relationship isn't very…functional right now, but she's my mother, and she should be there."

"Don't worry, Michaela. It'll be a beautiful wedding regardless of whether or not mother decides to show her face," Marjorie promised. She looked over at the clock. "Oh! I should get down to the piano!" Michaela nodded, and Marjorie gave her a big hug. She hurried out, and Michaela turned to Rebecca.

"You're ready," Rebecca said proudly. "I was wondering when this day was come. I'm so happy to see you so happy."

"I've never been so happy," she breathed. "Sully and I…we're…we're going to be married!"

"Yes, dear," Rebecca giggled. They embraced, and when they pulled apart, a rapping came to the door.

"May I come in?" Michaela exhaled with relief.

"Yes Father!"

"We're all re-" he started. He cut himself off when he saw his daughter's beautiful form. Her hair was done up in gorgeous ringlets, her dress was long and shimmering, and her face was rosy and happy. She was an angel! "Mike, you look terrific."

"Thank you," she said with a grin. Josef looked at Rebecca.

"Becca, would you please go downstairs and get situated?" Rebecca smiled at her father's nickname for her. He had called her that since she was a child. Though she was far from being a child anymore, she still grinned at the name. She kissed her father upon the cheek and left the room. "Mike? Are you ready to become somebody's wife?"

"Yes. I'm not sure how Michaela Sully is going to sound," she laughed, "but I know that being called 'Mrs. Sully' for the first time will be wonderful."

"Sully understands you want to keep your last name?"

"Yes," she promised him. "We talked about it, and he understands that it will be Quinn-Sully, and professionally, I will be Dr. Quinn. He understands how hard I've worked to be a doctor, and changing my name…"

"You don't have to explain, my dear. I'm very happy for you."

"Thank you," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Come along, Mike. Let's get you married." Their arms linked, and they slipped out of Michaela's room, started down the stairs and headed for the parlor.