Chapter 9

"Ya gonna go after her?" Matthew asked.

They had left for the homestead soon after the stagecoach rolled out of sight. Michaela closed the clinic, claiming that she was too tired to have it open and that if someone needed her, they'd be able to find her at home. Immediately, everyone knew that there was something wrong - Michaela never closed the clinic.

Once they had returned, Colleen had started baking a pecan pie to cheer Michaela up while Matthew tended to the animals and Brian worked on his homework. Sully had tried to get Michaela to rest but, as soon as she had lied down, she was restless. She went outside, saying that she just wanted a breath of fresh air and, before anyone else had noticed, she had saddled up Flash and had ridden away. Matthew went running from the barn, yelling for her to come back but she ignored him. Having heard the horse hooves and Matthew's yelling, Sully went outside to find out what the commotion was all about.

"I don't know, Matthew," Sully answered truthfully. He knew that Michaela was hurting but he also knew the importance of being alone at certain times.

"It's cold out and she ain't slept in a while and she ain't had a good meal. She could get sick, Sully," Matthew explained.

"You know your ma," Sully replied, "she'll come back when she's good and ready."

"I still think ya should go after her."

Sully sighed, wanting nothing more than to just jump on his horse and track her down. He wanted to make sure that she was safe and to let her know that he was there for her as a shoulder to cry on. Yet, he knew that sometimes people just needed to cry alone. Sully looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds overhead. He knew that the rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

"I'll find her," Sully finally said, knowing that he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew she was safe. "Just to make sure she's alright but she's gotta decide for herself when she wants ta come back."

"Think ya should bring some supplies with ya? Just in case?"

Sully nodded. "That'd be a good idea."

"I'll get 'em."

Matthew disappeared into the homestead while Sully made his way into the barn. He hopped onto his horse, bareback as usual, and led him out into the rain. Matthew returned, slinging a bag over the back of the horse.

"Just a blanket, some leftover biscuits, two canteens, and Dr. Mike's medical bag," Matthew said. "I'll watch out for Colleen and Brian."

"I'll leave Wolf with ya," Sully suggested.

"Won't ya need him ta track?"

"The rain woulda washed away any scent. He'll be better off here with you." Sully looked down at Wolf. "Stay," he commanded. Wolf immediately sat.

"Be careful," Matthew warned.

"I'll be back soon," Sully said before galloping away.

Matthew watched him go, wondering how many times he was going to have to watch one of the people he loved ride away to help someone. Of course, he knew that this time Sully was going to help Dr. Mike but he couldn't help but feel that he had witnessed the same scene too many times to count. Matthew shook his head before heading back into the house, wondering what he was going to tell Colleen and Brian.

Sully slid down off of his horse, his feet hitting the mushy ground with a plopping sound. He stared at the horse prints in front of him. Walking slowly so as not to disturb the prints, he led his horse in the direction that the prints were facing. Only a few yards in front of him, Sully saw Flash tied to a tree.

Sully immediately ran to Flash and scanned the vicinity. He looked down at the ground once more and noticed the human prints that led away from the horse. Sully sighed, knowing that Michaela had left Flash there and had gone ahead on foot. Sully tied his horse beside Flash and grabbed the bag that Matthew had slung over the horse's back. He began to follow the footprints, realizing that they were beginning to wash away faster than he could keep up with them. The rain hadn't stopped.

Finally, Sully caught a glimpse of something blue in front of him. He crept forward, slowly and quietly, and saw Michaela sitting on the ground, in her blue dress, just a few yards ahead. Her back was towards him but he could see her long, brown hair soaking wet with some stray leaves clinging to the wet strands. Her body was shivering. Sully took a step forward and a twig broke beneath his foot. Michaela immediately turned.

"Sully!" She exclaimed, standing.

"Michaela."

"You followed me?" She asked, wiping the tears that covered her face. Although it was raining and the raindrops clung to her face, Sully knew that she had been weeping.

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

Part of her wanted to be angry that he would follow her at all. She was quite capable of taking care of herself. The other part of her wanted to run into his arms and thank him for being there.

"Actually," Sully continued, "I wasn't meanin' on lettin' ya know I was here."

"So you were just going to spy on me?"

Sully sighed. "I was just gonna make sure that you were okay."

Michaela stared at him coldly for a moment but then dropped her head and began crying once more. Sully immediately took the blanket from the bag that Matthew had packed, wrapped it around her shoulders, and then hugged her tightly.

"Oh Sully," she cried against his chest.

"I know," he whispered into her wet hair. "It's alright." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Those children…those children are going to be raised by someone who doesn't even love them."

"They love each other," Sully soothed, running his hands through her hair.

"But those children do not belong to her!"

"Those children don't belong to anyone, Michaela. They ain't cattle or horses. Life might be tough for 'em for a little while but they'll always have each other and, when they're old enough, they'll be able to live out on their own and they won't have to worry about their ant anymore."

"When they get older? What happens to them in the meantime?"

Sully shook his head. He wished that he had more answers for her but he simply didn't.

"I don't know, Michaela. Ya just gotta believe that they'll be alright." A silence befell them as she clung to him, continuing to cry. "What is it, Michaela?"

"What?"

"There's somethin' else that you're not tellin' me. Somethin' that's botherin' ya more than seein' those kids go away."

Michaela took a step away from him so that she could look him in the eye even though his hands remained around her waist.

"I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"This isn't a little promise and if you want to say no you can…"

"Just ask me, Michaela," he prompted.

"If anything ever happens to me," she began.

"Michaela, nothin' is gonna happen to you." He tried to pull her closer to him but she resisted. The rain thundered around them, soaking them both.

"Please, Sully. Please…just listen." He nodded, showing her that she had his attention. "If something were to ever happen to me, I need you to promise me that you'd look after Colleen and Brian and Matthew."

"Oh Michaela, that's what's been botherin' ya. Wonderin' what would happen to Colleen and Brian." Sully whispered, actually being somewhat relieved as to her request. He would have done anything for her but he also knew that the one thing she was asking of him was the one thing that she didn't have to ask at all.

"I wouldn't be able to stand it if they were separated or if they had to go live with their father or…or worse…if they had to live with my mother. My mother is a good person, Sully, but those children belong here in Colorado Springs with the rest of the town. And Matthew will try to take care of them himself because he's of age but he's so young and he and Ingrid have their whole lives waiting for them. I know that it's a lot to ask and that they're not really your children but…," she rambled.

He put his finger to her lips, silencing her. "Michaela, ya don't have ta ask me ta take care of Colleen, Brian, or Matthew. Those children are like my own kids, ya know that. I love them like they're my own flesh and blood. I'd do anythin' for 'em…or for you." He leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Besides, we won't have ta worry 'bout any of this stuff after we're married."

"Why's that?"

"Because I figure after we're married, we can adopt 'em…official."

"Adopt them?"

"Figure, if they're our kids, the law should think so, too."

"Oh, Sully," Michaela gasped, throwing herself into his arms once more. Her body shivered against his and he held her as tightly as possible.

"C'mon, we're gonna get sick if we stay out here much longer," Sully remarked a few minutes later. They released their embrace and they began walking back towards the horses with Sully's arm wrapped protectively around Michaela's shoulder.

"Sully," Michaela said as they neared the grazing horses. He turned towards her, holding her hands in his own. "I love you."

He leaned over, kissing her passionately, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"I love you too," he said as their kiss broke away. Although Sully felt like he could stay out there with her for the rest of his life, just holding her and being with her, he knew that wasn't an option.

As Sully helped Michaela onto Flash, she sneezed.