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 Nineteen

Michaela leaned back against the counter, watching as her two charges colored in the books she had bought them the day before. Moving the phone away from her mouth, she turned to look at Colleen and Brian. "Sully's going to bring home pizza. What do you two like to drink? Milk? Juice?"

The children exchanged a look with each other, thinking that they might be able to get away with asking for something else. "Coke," Brian ventured as Colleen nodded eagerly.

Michaela frowned considering what to do. She had tried all afternoon to help the children feel at home here. After all they had been through recently; she knew it wasn't fun to have to stay with practically complete strangers for the weekend. She tried a compromise. "How about Sprite or 7-Up? I'd prefer something without caffeine."

The children barely registered her words – it was still soda and that was what mattered. "Sprite," she confirmed with Sully.

"Ya three making out alright?"

"Fine," Michaela assured him. "We've had a wonderful afternoon."

"They worn you out yet?" Sully snickered as he asked, knowing she'd been tired the past couple of days, even falling asleep as Sully tried to initiate some romance the evening before.

Michaela laughed too. "No, I feel quite refreshed today. We worked really hard moving all last weekend and then after work at the beginning of the week– I think my body just needed a chance to rest."

"Probably shouldn't have pushed it so hard," Sully muttered.

"No, I wanted to be in before we kept the children for Matthew. I'm fine Sully."

"Okay well I'm at the movie store so I best let you go. I'll be home soon. Love you."

"Love you too. See you soon." With that Michaela hung up the phone and turned towards the children. "Dinner will be here soon," she announced.

"Why aren't you cookin'?" Brian asked looking up from his coloring.

Michaela sat down on the other side of him and tousled his hair. "I don't really do much cooking Brian. Sully is the chef around here."

Brian's eyes grew wide. "Boys don't cook." The statement was strong as if this new information was really assaulting his sensibilities.

"Some boys do," Michaela said gently. "Lots of chefs are men."

"Sides Dr. Mike works at the hospital," Colleen pointed out proudly. "So Sully does the house stuff."

Michaela almost hated to burst her bubble, she looked so full of pride. "We both work. Sully builds houses or well oversees people building houses and I work at the hospital. We share duties around here."

"When ya gonna get a baby?" Brian asked innocently never looking up from his picture.

The color in Michaela's cheeks rose but her voice was calm as she answered. "When the time's right."

Innocently Brian continued. "Sully just has to put his penis in your vagina. Then you'll get a baby." Now Michaela turned bright red and found herself at a loss of words. "That's how you but the baby seeds together. My mommy told me that."

"Well, she's right," Michaela finally managed. Grateful to hear the phone ring as she finished speaking, she quickly jumped up to answer it. "Hello."

"Michaela, the property on Knoll has busted a pipe. I have to go over there and see what's goin' on. I don't know how long that's gonna take me."

"Don't worry Sully. I'll fix something here." There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "I can cook some things," she defended quickly making Sully laugh.

"I'm sorry," he said hastily. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Be careful," Michaela managed to blurt out just as he hung up the phone. She walked to the refrigerator and opened it to see one jug of orange juice, a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Turning to the children, she reached for her keys on the wall hook. "How do you feel about going out for dinner?"

A collective shout went up as the two toe haired children ran for the door.

When Sully pulled up in front of his house, it was late. Rain still pelted the ground, a summer storm having hit the area only an hour before. The problem at the property on Knoll Avenue was bigger than anyone had realized. Not wanting to ask the crew to stay on a Friday night, he and Robert E worked collectively to do what they could to clean up the extensive water that had flooded the house. Now all he could think of was eating some dinner and falling into bed. The lights in the house were turned down as Sully entered and went right to the kitchen. Without even bothering to heat it up, he ate out of the carryout container Michaela had brought back for him from the restaurant. Within minutes, he'd finished the food and then made a beeline for the stairs.

As he opened the door and peered in at his wife, he felt his breath catch in his throat. She looked so beautiful laid out on the bed, her hair spread over his pillow. She was lying towards the middle, turned on her side, each feature kissed by the soft moonlight which crept in the window. Within moments Sully had disrobed completely and slipped in beside her, spooning his form to hers.

Michaela stirred, moving back against him as she awoke. "It's late," she whispered. "You must be tired."

"A little," he affirmed, suddenly feeling invigorated now that the food was in his system. The scent of his wife lying beside him wasn't helping either.

"Did you see your dinner downstairs?"

"I did. Thank you." He raised a hand to stroke along her arm as Michaela relaxed under his movements. She felt his hand slip down further as he moved inside the waistband of her pajama pants, his fingers seeking out her sensitive places. She tensed immediately and Sully stopped his maneuvers. "What's wrong?"

A gentle laugh escaped her mouth. "Brian's in the bed."

"Oh." She could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sorry – the thunderstorm woke him and he was scared."

"It's fine," he assured her. "But I think I best put on some clothes."

"Yes," Michaela said turning to watch as he strolled across the room in the nude, feeling her body warm from just the sight of him.

Sully caught her looking and chuckled softly as he slipped on pajama pants, returning to the bed shirtless. "You should take a picture, it'll last longer," he whispered slipping back beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said again feeling bad that for the second night in a row she'd turned him down.

"'Chaela it's fine," he assured her. "We'll make up for it another night." He kissed her cheek softly and then lay his head down, unaware of how the children's presence would interfere with their private life this weekend.