Rescuing you

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Dr Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and the show belong to the creators not me. This is just a story for fun.

Chapter 9

The Next Morning

Sully had secured himself a room at the same hotel as Michaela after he had left her room. The night before went better than he though it could possibly have gone. They had taken the biggest step in their relationship so far; they had admitted their feelings for each other!

Sully felt as if he was walking on air this morning all he wanted to do was to see Michaela from the moment he woke up. He went to her room as he was unable to stand the tension of waiting for her in the dinning room at breakfast.

Knocking lightly on her door she opened with a happy smile on her face knowing exactly who it was going to be. She had been unable to contain her smile this morning knowing that Sully was in New York with her and that they were in love.

"Morning" he grinned taking her in.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?"

"Fine you?"

"Quite well thank you. Do you want to go for breakfast now? I thought we could go for a walk afterwards" she reached for her cloak.

"Yeah that will be good but don't you think walking around in snow would be a bit cold?" he asked as they took off down the hall together towards the staircase.

"Ok perhaps we could take a buggy ride instead?" she looked sideways at him unable to tear her eyes away from him, afraid that she had dreamt last night.

"Sounds good" he smiled and took her hand in his.

Streets around New York

Michaela and Sully sat close together in a hired buggy with a blanket wrapped around their legs to keep warm. Sully drove the buggy around the edge of the park through the snow. They watched the landscape pass them by. The snow had created a beautiful blank canvas over night. Michaela sighed and rested her head on Sully's arm. He looked down at her "You ok? Not too cold?"

She looked up in to his blue eyes that seemed to twinkle in the bright light. "Yes I'm fine."

"What was that sigh for then?" he smiled and turned his head back to the road ahead.

"Nothing really just content I suppose"

Sully smiled to himself please that she felt content with him. "Do ya want to stop here and walk a bit?" he asked.

"That would be nice" Michaela replied. Sully pulled the buggy to a stop near some trees and jumped down. He turned and reached up for Michaela, he held on to her waist and gently placed her on the ground. She made to move way but stopped when she caught his eye, they stood there looking at each other memorizing every moment. Sully dipped his head and kissed her sweetly; Michaela leaned into him and deepened the kiss holding on to the lapels of his jacket.

Finally breaking apart Sully offered her his hand which she gladly took in hers. They walked along the snow covered path beside the trees until they stumbled on some boys who were trying to balance across a low hanging branch to get to the next tree. They stopped and watched the boys for a while laughing at their attempts to reach the other side. Each of the boys would reach about half way across and then fall in to the muddy snow beneath.

Sully leaned his head close to Michaela. "Ya know their doing it all wrong their looking at each other or at the ground they should be looking at their destination, that's why they keep losing their balance."

Michaela glanced at him with a teasing up turned smile "Do you think you can do any better?"

Meeting her playful smile he grinned "Is that a challenge?"

"Well you give good pointers but can you follow them through?" She raised her eyebrow.

Feeling determined to prove to her he could do this he accepted her challenge. He took off his jacket and handed in to Michaela. He approached the thick branch and climbed up, the boys all stood around cheering him on as he took his first steps.

It wasn't until he reached about half way across when a startled bird suddenly flew out of a nearby bush. Sully was caught off guard and wobbled slightly trying to gain his balance back again.

Michaela's heart froze in her chest when she thought he may have fallen, she raised her hand to her mouth in worry wishing she had never challenged him to do such a thing.

Sully straightened up again and the boys all cheered at their entertainer. He took another step before he was fully ready and fell off the branch straight into the mud below.

"Sully!" Michaela cried as she quickly made her way to him worried that he had hurt himself. It wasn't until she reached him surrounded by the boys she noticed that he was laughing in the mud.

Mud covered him from head to foot. It was all down his back, on his face and all down his arms. Michaela couldn't help but laugh at the mess he had got himself into. She reached out her hand to help him up; they walked away from the muddy ground.

"Mister that was so funny" one of the boys said as he clutched his side.

"Yeah, Are you going to try again mister?" another said.

Sully took a look at himself cover in mud and then up at Michaela who was still laughing. "Ah, no I don't think so boys. I think I learnt my lesson" He chuckled.

The boys ran off again to keep trying to cross the branch. Michaela finally controlled her laughter. "Did you hurt anything?"

"No I'm ok, just a bit muddy" he laughed flicking some mud from his trousers.

"Well you did insist on showing me that you could do it"

"If I remember you dared me" He loved this playful side of Michaela.

"Well…if you would have not boasted I wouldn't have challenged you" she grinned.

Sully shook his head in amusement before taking another look at his sorry state. "Perhaps we'd better go back so I can get cleaned up"

"I think that would be a good idea" she burst into another fit of giggles.

The Hotel

Michaela walked with Sully to his hotel room. He had put his jacked on over his soiled shirt so that they wouldn't get too many stares as they entered the hotel. Sully fished through his pockets but could find the thing he really needed. He paused in the hallway and Michaela stopped to face him it suddenly dawned on her.

"Don't tell me you dropped your key?"

Sully looked up at her a little sheepishly "Yep…" he then chuckled and grabbed her hand pulling her back down the hallway.

"Sully! Where are we going?" she was surprised by his sudden actions.

"Let's go find my key. I'm sure it's in the mud by that tree, besides it's your turn to get muddy now" he grinned. Michaela laughed and he looked back at her then stopped suddenly catching her in his arms they laughed together.

"Come on you can use my room to get cleaned up. Then we can go to reception and ask for the spare key to your room."

"Thanks" he watched her control her laughter.

"Oh I'm only helping because I don't want to get covered in mud" she joked with a twinkle in her eye. She grabbed his hand and led him to her hotel room.

Michaela's Room

Michaela exited her small bathroom with her hair loose. She was feeling more comfortable now that she was in the cozy hotel room. As she walked across the room she frozen in place, Sully was sat on the floor by the glowing hearth without his shirt on. He turned to face her; the blush crept to Michaela's cheeks.

"I'm sorry I had to take my shirt off it was damp it needed to dry out" he explained.

"Oh…Uh …that's fine" she stumbled over her words trying to cover her reaction to his finely toned chest.

Sully smiled and gestured for her to sit on the floor with him by the fire. She sat in front of him looking into the flames dancing around.

"I would never hear the end of it if my mother could see me sat here with you like this" Michaela mused.

Sully reached for her hand. "We aren't doing anything wrong. Your mother isn't in New York anyway none of them are but us" he paused watching her gazing into the flames. "If you feel uncomfortable I will put my shirt back on."

Michaela grasped his hand a little firmer then turned to face him. "No Sully it needs to dry properly, I don't want you getting sick!"

He smiled at her concern, he moved closer to her raising her hand to kiss her palm. "I like your hair loose like this" he reached up and caressed the ends of her auburn hair.

Leaning in he kissed her and lifted his hand to her neck to gently caress the area. Michaela's pulse quickened. Pulling back by only a millimeter Sully closed his eyes taking her in, her smell, the feel of her so close and the warmth of her skin.

Teasingly Michaela touched her lips to the corners of his mouth and then his chin. Their lips came together again and they slowly reclined back against the floor. Wrapping her arms around his neck Michaela pulled his body closer to hers and she softly caressed the hair at the base of his neck. Their mouths moved in time with each other as if they were always meant to be together.

Sully's hand moved down her side and rested on her waist. Slowly they pulled apart only to kiss again tenderly as their breathing returned to normal and their heart rates clamed.

"You're so beautiful, I love you" he whispered as their eyes locked.

Michaela smiled and tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear. "I love you too" Sully leaned in to kiss her again.

"I noticed there is a ball tomorrow night in the hotel would you like to go?" he asked.

Michaela broke into a broad smile "Yes…yes I'd love to go with you."

"Good" he grinned and then rolled onto the floor next to her pulling her into his arms. Michaela was hesitant at first but then wrapped her arms around his waist feeling for the first time that she was safe and protected but yet free to do anything her heart desired.

Chapter 10 coming soon

Thanks for reading.