Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E.

The Places to Love

Chapter Four

Sully opened the front door of the apartment, bags in each of his hands. "Sully?" Michaela asked sticking her head around the corner.

Giving her a disapproving look as he balanced the two bags, he cleared his throat. "You're up because?"

"Because it's good for my circulation. Trust me. I am a doctor remember."

"I remember but I also remember you push yourself too hard sometimes. I don't want you to overdo it." He set the bags down on the counter as he spoke coming to stand just behind her.

"I promise not to overdo it," she said with a slight smile.

It had been three days since her surgery and Michaela was recovering well physically, it was emotionally that Sully was worried about. Still her cheeks had a little color today and the smell of her freshly washed hair was alluring. "You look beautiful," he whispered, running his fingers down the side of her cheek. Michaela leaned back against him, covering her face with her hands, losing all control at Sully's words. Sully wasn't sure what to make of her movements but he carefully looped an arm around her, mindful of her recent surgery. "Sh, sh, it's gonna be alright."

He had been waiting for this moment. It was the first time since the hospital that she'd truly broken down like this. There were moments when she was distant and he knew her thoughts were on the child they'd lost, yet she'd hid this vulnerable side of herself until now. She turned in his arms, sobbing into his chest as Sully gently rubbed the back of her satin robe, the other hand holding her head against him.

"Let it all out Michaela."

She cried and he simply held her knowing this was for the best. After a few minutes, she began to sniffle as she slowly pulled herself together. Then the words came tumbling out quickly, Sully straining to hear everything she was saying. "I didn't know it would hurt so much. I didn't know I loved the baby so much."

"Of course it hurts. We've lost something. It's alright to be upset, you know." Michaela clung to him even more as he spoke.

"I already had thoughts…" Her voice faded as she clenched her eyes shut tight as if building a wall to keep in the tears.

"Tell me," he whispered near her ear, softly stroking her bare neck. "Tell me every dream you had, every thought you had." Michaela nodded which made Sully smile. Gently he led her to the bedroom where they snuggled down under the covers. Sully held her close, her head pressed underneath his chin. Feeling secure in his arms, Michaela dropped all pretenses whispering everything she had thought.

"I imagined a little girl snuggling in bed between us in the morning. I could see her lying on your bare chest with my hand on her back. I could see her running bare foot in the yard at the new house, a dog chasing at her heels. I saw her with a little brother, holding him like a proud sister would."

Sully stroked her hair, nuzzling her forehead. "I saw her at your breast, the morning sun behind you as I entered the nursery. I dropped down on my knees in front of the two of you amazed at the beauty of you together." A single tear fell down his cheek but he didn't wipe at it, feeling emotionally closer to Michaela than ever.

She turned into him, breathing his scent in as his presence comforted her as nothing else had. "I want to make love to you," she whispered wanting her body to be as close as her soul felt to his at that moment.

"Michaela we can't… Cassie said.."

She laid her fingers against his lips to quiet him. "I know. I just feel so close to you right now." As she spoke, she tangled her legs between his so that it was hard to tell where one body began and the other ended. Sully laid his head on top of hers, closing his eyes and simply concentrating on the feeling of oneness. "I love you," she whispered slipping her fingers under the edge of his tee shirt and relaxing completely in his arms.

It wasn't long before they were both asleep, a renewed sense of peace and contentment holding them fast. The sleep was refreshing, something they both needed after such an emotional release and though neither could have known true healing had begun the first rip in their souls begun to knit itself back together. Sully roused as the sun was beginning to set and untangled himself from Michaela to begin dinner. She looked so peaceful that he hated to leave her, afraid to disturb that peace. Yet she barely stirred as he moved away. Leaning over her, he placed a soft kiss to her lips and then tread lightly out of the room.

He pulled the vegetables out of the grocery bag, glad he hadn't bought anything that was perishable at the grocery store since everything had been abandoned on the counter. Next he went for the cutting board, thinking that Michaela would enjoy a nice stir fry tonight. He had already put the chicken in to marinate this morning. The ringing of the phone broke the peace of the apartment. If Michaela wasn't asleep, he wouldn't have answered the phone most likely. They'd been hiding out, screening all calls. Yet this one he picked up so as not to wake her. "Hello."

There was a pause and then a feminine voice that held an indescribable fear. "Byron?" The name jarred him and he felt unable to reply for a moment given the disembodied voice a chance to correct itself. "I'm sorry. You go by Sully now."

"I do," he whispered. "And this is…" Sully knew but couldn't believe it at the same time and wanted to hear the words.

"This is Katherine Oliver – Kat. I'm your mother." The words were met with silence at first, both unsure what else to say. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"I was starting dinner…"

"I'll let you go then," she hastily offered, relief almost obvious in her voice.

"No," Sully said a little louder than needed. "I have some time." Walking over to the couch, he took a seat trying hard to stop his racing heart.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For writing me back… you didn't have to I know."

"I wanted to. I have so many questions."

"I'm sure you do. I just hope I have the answers for you."

Another silence ensued as Sully heard a rustle from the bedroom. "Umm… I want to talk but right now it's kind of difficult." Right now the most important thing to him was Michaela.

"I understand," she whispered, glad that this first contact was short.

Sully started to say good-bye but then stopped himself. "I don't even know what to call you," he whispered.

Kat swallowed hard at that, knowing deep down she wanted to be called mom but also knowing that she couldn't expect that in the least. "How about Kat?"

"Kat," he said as if feeling the name inside as it rolled off his lips. "Kat, I'll talk to you soon?"

"I would like that Sully."

Rebecca stared down into the depths of her coffee cup, avoiding Elizabeth's gaze. "I don't know mom. I haven't spoken to her in two weeks. She does keep a very busy schedule."

"Well of course. But I doubt she is on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I've called three times in two days. She couldn't return one of those calls?" Elizabeth gave an impatient snort and dropped a sugar cube into her coffee with a little too much emotion. Quickly she snatched up her napkin dabbing at the offending liquid that had the audacity to splash out of her cup. "To be honest, she barely talked to me the last time I spoke. Hurried me off the phone to watch some television program."

Marjorie and Rebecca exchanged a look across the table. "Oh mom, why are you getting yourself all worked up?" Claudette asked. "You know how Michaela is." She drew out her sister's name, making the disdain she held for her sister clear.

"Call it mother's intuition but something is wrong."

It was now Maureen's turn to chime in. "The marriage was doomed from the start if you ask me. I mean from what you all have said about Sully," she paused to clear her throat, "Michaela is way out of his league."

"I've never given that impression," Rebecca quickly replied looking a little hurt that her sister would insinuate such a thing.

"Are you all ignoring the obvious?" Marjorie laughed as she asked, giving a shake of her head. "They're newlyweds. Duh! I mean who wants to gab on the phone to their mother when they can…"

"Marjorie," Elizabeth interrupted before her daughter could finish the thought. She gave her a scolding look but the red head simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I have to admit Marjorie has a point," Rebecca spoke quietly, her cheeks blushing appropriately. "I am sure they are quite consumed with one another."

Again Marjorie snickered. "Like animals in heat," she said with a smirk. "Not that I blame her." She ended her statement with a low whistle raising her eyebrows at Claudette who appeared to be disgusted.

Ignoring her daughter's rude behavior, Elizabeth spoke again. "I have half a mind to fly out there for a little visit if she doesn't call me back soon." Rebecca looked up at her mother, wanting to read her expression that went with that statement. She made a mental note to call Michaela because Elizabeth was dead serious.