English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But if you want to apply for the job as my beta reader… Be my guest!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the character of Jonas "John" Kerrigan!

Rating: I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

Warnings: This is NOT a very happy story! So, don't like… don't read... This story is the sequel to "Past Fears". If you haven't read that story I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

Summary: Hank and Sully are traveling to Denver to make sure Zack is safe from John Kerrigan. But will Zack really be safe?

Chapter 4

"If everything goes right, we'll be in Denver tonight," Jake said to Michaela. She just nodded at him. To Michaela their journey to Denver seemed to take forever. She kept thinking about all the things that could have happened to Sully and Hank already… and not to mention Zack. She tried to stay calm; however, she didn't really succeed. It didn't help one bit that she had children of her own. She imagined how she would feel if someone would be after Brian or Colleen… She shivered at the thought. I'd go crazy… she thought to herself.

Jake looked at her questioningly. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. The sound of his voice startled Michaela. "What… oh… Nothing really…" she said and lowered her head. "You shouldn't worry about it so much," Jake said. Michaela shook her head and looked at him. "I know… but I can't help it… What if we are too late, Jake?" Jake saw tears welling up in her eyes and his heart sank. "I just try not to think about that," he said softly, "It wouldn't be good for anyone if we panicked right now… Their lives may depend on us… We just have to try to stay calm… for them…" Michaela listened to his words and knew he was right. Still, she couldn't get rid of that enormous knot in her stomach... the bad feeling that something awful was going to happen. She couldn't get it out of her head… and nor could Jake.

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Hank looked at the people around him and shook his head. I can't believe I'm actually doing this… he thought and then looked back at the beautiful lady who was sitting across from him. She smiled at him. "What's on your mind?" Elena asked him. Hank grinned. "Just wondering how the hell ya got me to have dinner with you in such a classy restaurant," he said to her. She had asked him to go with him earlier today and to his own surprise he had said 'yes'. And here he was, feeling a little uncomfortable in this very classy restaurant with very classy people. The food had been good though, he looked at his empty plate. "You don't like it?" she asked. "Well… let's just say that classy restaurants and me usually don't go together," he said. Elena laughed. Oh, how he loved her laugh! He couldn't help but to laugh as well. "Let me guess," she said, "You are more a saloon-kind-of-guy." Hank lowered his head a little. "You could say that," he said softly, "I own one…"

Now was the moment of truth. He had just told her what he did for a living and he knew that most people were disgusted with jobs like that. Especially people from the city… he had learned that the hard way… He looked at her closely, watching every expression on her face. "So that means that I get free drinks then," she said cheekily. She couldn't help but to laugh again when she saw the surprised look on his face. "Ya don't mind?" he asked a little uncertain. "What? Free drinks? Are you kidding me!" she gave him a flashing smile. Hank grinned. "No, I meant me being a saloon owner," he said. Elena gave him a serious look. "I don't care what you do for a living, as long as you are a nice man, a good man, who treats people right and cares for his fellow-man. And I think you are such a man," she said to him. Hank shook his head. "Then I don't think ya know me very well…" he looked her straight in the eyes with a bitter look on his face. Again she smiled at him.

"If you mean that you can be grumpy, and rude, and arrogant and a bit selfish from time to time… Stubborn, unreasonable and high-spirited…" as she spoke she watched Hank's face closely. He was desperately trying to control his temper. She suddenly grabbed his hand. "I already know these things about you," she started, "I've seen it these last few days… But you know what? Nobody's perfect… And I know that deep down inside you ARE a good man… Otherwise you wouldn't be here protecting your son from a madman." Hank closed his eyes as he heard her speak. He had told her his story earlier that day. She had listened to him and even comforted him as he had told her how scared he was for his son. And now she was talking to him again, holding his hand, telling him he was a good man. He opened his eyes again and looked at Elena. She was still holding his hand, rubbing his fingers with her thumb. He didn't say a word to her… he just couldn't. She smiled at him. "You know," she began, "Men like you keep this life interesting… Imagine that every man on this earth would be sweat and kind, never yelling or fighting or arguing… I think the world would be pretty boring, don't you think?" Hank thought about her words and imagined a world full of Horaces. He shook his head and laughed. "I don't think 'boring' is the right word," he said. Then he saw the confused look on Elena's face and said: "Never mind… I'll tell you some other time…"

He noticed she was still holding his hand and to his own surprise he didn't mind it at all. He squeezed her hand and as he did that he saw her face light up again. "Did ya really mean what ya just said?" he asked her softly. "Yes," she said, "every word of it…" For the first time in ages Hank blushed. "Ow, how cute!" she said with a grin on her face. "Don't ya start!" Hank warned her and then laughed. "So, you like rude men?" Hank asked her. "I never said that," she answered, "but I do like men who are… I don't know… different from the regular guy… I can't really define it… It's a certain charisma… Like the new English teacher!" Hank looked up. "New English teacher?" he asked. "Oh, don't worry… he won't be any competition for you," she said with a smile, "He's old enough to be my father! But he has a certain charisma… I don't know…"

Hank's mind was racing. Not because Elena had just admitted that she was attracted to another man, but because there was a stranger walking around at the art school… a man who could be John Kerrigan for all he knew. "What's his name?" he asked. "John Wilson," she answered, "Why?" she didn't understand why he wanted to know that, but then it hit her. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, "You don't think that he could be the man…" Hank didn't let her finish her sentence as he had already stood up. He threw some money on the table and practically run out of the restaurant. Elena had no choice but to follow him. Please, don't let it be him! Hank thought as he run outside. Please, let it be somebody else! He tried not to panic. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder… it was Elena. "Let's go," she said softly and he nodded. Please let it be somebody else…

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Sully sat on a chair with a book in his hand. He didn't feel like reading, but he wanted to keep himself busy until Hank came back. He had promised Hank to keep an eye on Zack, while Hank would go out to diner with the lovely Elena. Sully smiled. Hank had totally fallen for her; even a blind man would be able to see that. Hank had nervously told him that she had asked him out to diner and that he would love to go, but couldn't leave Zack alone. So Sully had offered to stay with Zack until Hank got back.

He looked over at Zack who was sound asleep in his bed. He looked so innocent and sweet. He just couldn't believe that anyone would want to hurt this young boy. He sighed and opened the book he held in his hands and after a few pages, he actually enjoyed reading it. He was so consumed by the story that he didn't hear the door open. Not until the very last moment he realized that someone else was in the room with him as well. He got up with a start and as he turned around he saw someone lash out at him. He tried to avoid the blow, but the person was able to hit him anyway. He lost his balance and fell on the ground. He tried to get up as fast as he could; however, he was too late. He felt a blow to the back of his head and his world went black…

"Sully!" Zack yelled. The noises of people fighting had woken him and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was some stranger knocking Sully out. The stranger, however, had heard Zack's cry and was now making his move on him. Zack tried to get away, but it was of no avail. There was no place he could run to. "Don't you make a sound boy," the man said, "or I'll make sure none of you will survive…" The man spoke softly but Zack heard danger in every word he said. "Who… are y-you?" Zack asked. The man chuckled evilly. "I'm your worst nightmare..." he said as he grabbed a cloth from his left pocket and a tiny little bottle from his right. "We're going to play a little game with your father," he said as he put some liquid from the bottle on the cloth. He moved closer to Zack. "But first you're going to take a little nap…" he said and brought the cloth to Zack's face. Zack struggled as the man pressed the cloth against his nose. He tried to scream but then he smelled something strange. The smell made him lightheaded and then he surrendered to the blackness that followed… The man picked Zack up and carried him out of the room. "Well, well, Hank," John Kerrigan said softly, looking at the small boy in his arms, "Let the game begin…"

TBC

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, but there are many things going on in my life right now. But I haven't forgotten about this story! I just hope you haven't either… I'd like to thank everyone again for all the lovely reviews! You are great!