Chapter 35

Christmas Morning 1870 – Cheyenne Reservation

When Michaela woke in the morning, Sully and Johnny were already up and caring for the remaining puppies. Only three had survived the night. The white one and the light and dark gray pups had made it through their first night, while their brothers had succumbed to the cold and the lack of their mother's nourishment. The runt, the only female in the litter, was doing surprisingly well.

"Lost another one," Sully said quietly. "We're down to three." He covered up the three little ones and patted his son on the shoulder.

"Some Christmas this is," Johnny pouted. "It isn't fair."

"I'm sorry, Johnny," Michaela said tenderly from a few feet away. Johnny frowned and retreated to a position on his stomach so he could peek under the blanket at the newborn pups. Sully scooted across the teepee and gave Michaela a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep ok?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Not particularly," she responded. He pulled his arm around her and gently rubbed her back. "Merry Christmas, Sully."

"Merry Christmas," he whispered back, gently kissing her cheek again. She turned her lips toward him and let him press his against hers for a moment, before she looked out of the corner of her eye to make sure Johnny wasn't watching. She blushed a little and pulled away. After a few beats, she spoke.

"We need to get back to town today," she said quietly.

"Yeah. I'll go help Cloud Dancin' with the horses. I'm sure they can lend ya one to get back to town." Michaela nodded, and she leaned in to kiss him once more, before he headed out to talk to Cloud Dancing. Michaela watched Johnny, who gently handled the puppies, stroking their soft coats and whispering to them.

"This one likes me," he said, pointing to the dark gray animal. Michaela grinned knowingly. "I think I'm gonna name him Pup."

"Why Pup?"

"'Cause…that's what he is."

"Well, what happens when he grows up?" Michaela wondered. "He won't be a pup for long."

"Well, I'll name this one Wolf then," Johnny replied, pointing to the light gray wolf pup. Michaela grinned. "This one's real pretty. You can name it, Dr. Mike." Michaela chewed on her lower lip. She knew that becoming attached wasn't a good thing, but she couldn't help it. The puppies were adorable, and she was already enamored with them. "She looks like a little snowball." Michaela raised an eyebrow.

"She does," Michaela said with a nod. "Why don't we call her Snowball?"

"That don't sound too heroic though," Johnny pointed out. "You could call her Mike!"

"Like you named your horse Byron?" Michaela joked.

"Hey, yeah!" Michaela laughed.

"No, I think Snowball fits her. If you didn't know better, you'd think she was a little snowball. With ears and a tail, of course." Johnny grinned and stroked Snowball gently.

"Hey, Snowball. We're gonna take real good care of ya. Don't you worry."

"Michaela! Michaela?" Michaela turned toward the sound of her voice, recognizing it as Sully's right away. She pulled on her coat and hurried outside to see what was going on.

"Sully?" she asked, seeing him standing beside Snow Bird and Cloud Dancing. A beautiful brown horse with a large, white streak down her nose stood before them.

"Michaela, Snow Bird's got a gift for ya." Michaela stepped up closer to her future husband and his family.

"She's for you," Snow Bird said, handing Michaela the reins. Michaela's eyes widened, and her first instinct was to decline such a wonderful gift. But, she remembered Cloud Dancing saying that refusing a gift was an insult. "She is for your troubles since your arrival."

"Troubles?"

"You are a good doctor. You saved the boy. You saved Sully. You bring medicines that save lives and you learn my husband's medicines." Michaela smiled shyly. "A good doctor needs a fast horse. She will take care of you. Her name is Flash in the Sky."

"Flash," Michaela said gently. She grinned at her future husband. "Now all I have to do is learn how to ride her without someone behind me." She laughed. She could ride, but she was very cautious when she did so. She knew that she would have to get over her worries quickly, because that horse was going to be her transportation from place to place for a long while. "Thank you, Snow Bird. It means a lot to me that you want me to have her." Snow Bird beamed, and Michaela gently scratched the nose of her horse. Flash snorted and stamped her hoof in approval.

"She likes you already," Snow Bird laughed. "You are a fine match." Michaela smiled, but she didn't notice that Snow Bird glanced between Michaela and Sully when she spoke her last line.

"Come," Cloud Dancing said with a nod in Sully's direction. "We must prepare the horses for your journey."

Christmas 1870 – St. Louis

"I can't believe you did that," Carrie said with a dry laugh, and she and Daniel huddled together at the train station. "I can't believe ya made 'em let me go."

"Ya look better out here in the sunlight," he said with a smile. "They were tryin' to keep ya locked in there, where ya couldn't breathe or see the sun." He shook his head. "It ain't right."

"Well, that doesn't matter now. Thank you for getting me out of there." She coughed and wrapped her arms around herself. "When ya think that train's gonna get here?"

"It's runnin' late," Daniel noted. They were waiting on their train to Nevada. They had yet to speak of the kiss they'd shared a few days ago, but all Daniel was interested in was getting Carrie out of St. Louis. He wanted her to breathe mountain air. He wanted to see her eyes sparkle when she saw familiar land.

Carrie put her hand to her forehead, trying to calm the dizzy feeling that had just come over her. She was completely overwhelmed with the outside already. She hadn't realized how bright everything truly was until she'd spent time in that dim hospital room, lying in bed and trying to decide how she was going to get out. Now she was, and though she felt better, she was still trying to adjust.

"Hey, hey…" He pulled his arm around her. "You ok?"

"I'm fine. I just gotta sit down for a minute." He slowly led her to a bench and sat down beside her. His eyes were full of worry, and hers, for the first time, were full of trust. "Ya need to stop fussin' over me."

"I'll stop fussin' when ya stop givin' me somethin' to fuss about," Daniel pointed out. He gently smoothed back her hair, and she looked up at him. What was wrong with her? Why was she letting him get to her like this? What had softened her so much since the cattle drive?

"What are you doin'?" she asked. "Why are ya still here with me, Daniel?"

"Ya should know by now…I care about you."

"Why?"

"You're a good person, Carrie." She laughed.

"Don't it bother you?"

"What?"

"All the men? I been with my share of 'em. I got pregnant, Daniel. I lost that baby, and you're sittin' here tellin' me you care. Do ya know how many times I heard that before? They all cared. Oh, they all cared 'til they got what they wanted, and then they threw me away like…like I didn't matter."

"I ain't gonna do that, and I ain't tellin' ya these things' cause I want to…to…" He cleared his throat. "Carrie, you're my friend. Somethin' happened over these past few weeks. I don't know what, but I don't wanna see ya hurt. I wanna see ya happy. I want…"

"You want what those other cowboys want," she scoffed, deliberately pushing him away for reasons that even she couldn't explain to herself.

"Why are ya doin' this?"

"I…" Carrie swallowed hard, but the sound of a train coming down the tracks stopped her.

"Carrie…"

"Just forget it. I'm sorry," she said quickly, standing up and grabbing her things. Daniel watched her walk toward the platform, and he jumped up to hurry after her. "Don't worry, Daniel. I ain't gonna throw myself in front of the train."

"Why do ya keep avoidin' this? Carrie, when are ya gonna accept the fact that I want to help you?"

"I don't need help. I just need…"

"A friend?" When she looked into his eyes again, she saw his sincerity, and he saw her trust. But she looked away, breaking the connection again.

"Ya shouldn't want to be my friend."

"It's a little late for that." He reached out for her, and she pulled away. "C'mon…"

"Ya think that just 'cause we kissed, that entitles ya to clutch on me like that? Stop it, Daniel. Ok? Just stop." He saw the tears in her eyes, but he didn't say anything when she looked away. She had him running in circles. He knew she was afraid of taking a step with him. He knew that she wanted to live life the way she knew how, but he hoped she didn't wish to revert to her days on the cattle drive. She deserved so much better, and he wanted to make her see that.

Christmas 1870 – Colorado Springs

Sully, Michaela and Johnny came slowly riding into town to find the streets empty and the smoke rising from the chimneys of almost every building. Sully first noticed the smoke coming from the mercantile, and he furrowed his brows. But, before he could say anything, Michaela spoke up.

"Sully? Look." Michaela pointed to the door of the boarding house, and she gently tugged on the horse's reins. She was thankful that the horse seemed to realize she was new at riding stopped right away. Sully dismounted and helped Michaela down. Together, they stepped up onto the porch to see the note from the bank. "Foreclosure? Charlotte didn't say anything about this."

"She probably didn't know 'til the last minute. They're puttin' it up for auction," Sully grumbled. He read down the paper, as Michaela took the bundle of wolf pups from Johnny. Johnny dismounted and hurried to his father's side. "Says here that any existin' tenants can stay 'til the banker arrives for the auction." Michaela sighed wearily.

"I suppose I'll have to start looking for a place sooner than I thought." She looked around. "I wonder where Charlotte is?"

"Probably stayin' with Matthew and Ingrid. They got a pretty big place…enough room for her and the kids." Sully pulled his arm around her waist. "They'll be alright for now."

"I'd like to go visit her."

"Can't it wait 'til tomorrow?" Michaela nodded.

"It can, but I want her to know we're back."

"Ya can tell her tomorrow. Ya need to rest." Michaela cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you giving me orders, Mr. Sully?" she asked with an unintentional purr in her voice. She flushed the moment the words fell from her mouth. Sully chuckled.

"Wouldn't dream of it. We had a long week is all, and I think my back could use some lookin' at." He winked at her, and he kissed her upon the cheek.

"Later, Mr. Sully, unless you feel it needs immediate attention." She felt foolish for realizing the way that had sounded, and she shook her head. "I…"

"I know what ya meant. Don't fret, Michaela. Let's just get inside and get warm." Michaela nodded, and she let Sully unlock the door. He led her inside, and Johnny appeared in the doorway a few moments later.

"Can we go get my stuff from Grandpa's?" he asked nervously, eyeing the mercantile.

"Let's get settled in here first," Sully suggested. Michaela looked around, taking in all of the boxes and crates. "What is all this?"

"My medical supplies," she laughed in astonishment. "They must have stored them here while we were away." She gently placed the blanket full of pups down in an empty crate and removed her coat. Johnny looked around, and he chewed on his lower lip.

"You could use this as a clinic, Dr. Mike," he said, surveying the space. Sully chuckled at his son's comment, but he had to agree.

"Yep. Lots of space. Lots of rooms for privacy," he pointed out.

"This was Charlotte's home, Sully. I can't do that." She was about to say something else, when an unfamiliar voice came floating through the room with sadness and exhaustion.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." All three turned to the voice, and Johnny rushed over to the woman that was a stranger to Michaela.

"Aunt Olive!" he cried. "You're here! When'd ya come?"

"Just a few days ago. I…I came for your Grandpa." Johnny nodded sadly.

"He's gone."

"I know, son," she whispered. "But, I sure am glad to see you." She picked him up and squeezed him lovingly. Michaela glanced questioningly at Sully, and she saw him smile.

"Loren's sister," he whispered.

"Heard you done run off. You okay?"

"I'm fine, Ma'am," he said with a nod. "Dr. Mike fixed me up good." Olive looked at the blushing woman.

"Olive Davis," she said with a nod. "I'd shake your hand, but mine are full right now." Michaela smiled.

"Dr. Michaela Quinn," she said with a nod. "But, most people have been calling me Dr. Mike."

"Nice to meet ya." Olive's dull, red hair was done up in a bun in the back, and her face was outlined with a map of almost-wrinkles, creases perhaps, that seemed to tell a story without words. "Oh, kiddo, you're getting too big for me to hold like this." She placed him back down, and she looked at Sully. "It's been a long time."

"Miss Olive," Sully said with an uncertain smile.

"C'mere and give me a hug already," he laughed. Michaela noticed how demanding Olive's voice was. She seemed like a tough lady with a kind heart. Sully moved toward Olive and hugged her awkwardly, and Olive laughed. "Robert E. was nice enough to fill me in on what's happened. I came to…to well, talk to ya 'bout the mercantile."

"The mercantile?"

"I know Loren left most of his stuff to you, and I'm fine with that. That boy needs a good future. But, I thought that since ya got a lot on your hands right now, I might…well, I thought I might buy the store from ya at full price and run it for Loren." Michaela and Sully shared a glance, but Michaela stayed silent.

"You'd do that, Miss Olive?" Sully asked, realizing that would be easier on him than anything.

"My pa taught both me and Loren the business, so I know what I'm doin'. I've been takin' care of things while you've been off. Heard ya got stuck out at that reservation." Sully nodded, but kept the conversation on track.

"Ya don't have to buy it from me, Miss Olive."

"'Course I do. It's business, and it's only fair. I sold half my stock of cattle, and I got more than enough." Sully cleared his throat and glanced at his son.

"Well, to tell ya the truth, I wasn't sure what I was gonna do with the place. If you want it…you can have it." Olive chuckled.

"That's what I like to hear. Let's just go take care of the paperwork now, and I've got a crate of supplies all ready for ya."

"Now?"

"Sure. It's Christmas. Best to get it over with so ya can spend time with your family." Sully nodded, liking the sound of that. He glanced at Michaela.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded.

"Take your time," she said with a smile.

"Can I go too?" Johnny asked.

"'Course you can," Olive spoke up. "You're my favorite grand nephew."

"I'm your only grand nephew," Johnny said with a laugh. Michaela watched as her future husband and stepson left with Olive, closing the door after them. She sighed and moved over to check on the wolf pups. They had eaten before they'd left the reservation, so they were sleeping snugly there. But she was cold, so she walked over to the stove and lit a match. She tossed it in, and a few minutes later, the boarding house was already starting to warm up.

With a heavy sigh, she settled down into a wooden chair that was propped against the wall. She leaned her head back and looked around the room, seeing so many possibilities. It was the perfect place to set up a clinic, but she couldn't do that to Charlotte. She would simply have to find another way. She had to work fast, because it was time to start her practice in Colorado Springs. A new life was just around the corner.

Christmas 1870 – Boston

"I can't believe we're leaving on Christmas Day, Mother," Rebecca said tiredly, as she boarded the train with her mother and daughter. "This is absolutely silly. Michaela is a grown woman…"

"Save your speech, Rebecca," Elizabeth said tiredly. "Mr. Sully is a fine young man, but Michaela should marry someone…"

"In Boston?" Rebecca asked. "You told her to…"

"You don't have to remind me again, Rebecca. I'm not going to demand her to come back. I'm simply going to convince her." Rebecca held her tongue and tried her best not to roll her eyes.

"I hope you realize what you're doing, Mother. I hope you realize that you could jeopardize your entire relationship with your own daughter." Elizabeth said nothing anymore. She simply sat down in her seat, pursed her lips and folded her hands in her lap. Rebecca sat down with Mary in her lap and held her close.

The conductor gave a final "ALL ABOARD" before the train began to shudder. Next Stop: Colorado Springs.