Chapter 63

Teeny warning: This chapter does a flashback to an adult scene. Read at your own discretion.

Valentine's Day 1871 – Colorado Springs

The day of the dance was here, and the town was abuzz with giddy young girls preparing themselves for the evening, as frantic mothers and fathers threatened to take a switch to any young man who acted as anything less than a gentleman.

Olive had enlisted Rebecca and Grace's help in getting Carrie's dance dress ready. Carrie was helping too, but her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, and Olive knew that she was only thinking about Daniel. Little did Carrie know that Daniel had plans of his own, and Olive couldn't help but feel a little proud that she was in on it.

Tommy had distracted Daniel, however, and he had gotten him to help pack up for his departure in the morning. He would stay to watch his little girl dance, but after that, he had to leave. The past years were haunting him, and he felt that the only way to get away was to go back to the cattle drive and leave everything behind for a little while. He knew it wasn't going to go away, but just for a little while, he wouldn't have to feel guilty every time he saw Olive or Carrie or both of them together.

Kid Cole and Ruth were quickly settling into a home they'd purchased in town. It was small but spacious at the same time, and they were definitely growing accustomed to the townspeople already. Kid Cole and Daniel had already cleaned out the sheriff's office and had made it more conducive to getting their job done. Now it was just a matter of making sure all was well with the town and no trouble was coming around. The most trouble they had had lately was a couple of drunken fights at the saloon. Otherwise, all was well, and it seemed as if Daniel was quickly settling into his position as deputy, and leaving Colorado Springs seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind.

Horace had been very quiet lately, which surprised many of the townsfolk. He usually grabbed a quick dinner at Grace's after work and went home for the evening. He'd been approached by Hank and Timothy both, but he always claimed to be tired and said nothing more. People were beginning to grow suspicious, because they knew that if Horace was being this quiet, something was definitely going on.

Meanwhile, Michaela was still on bed rest after having been examined by Dr. Bernard. He had made a quick stop in Colorado Springs on his way to Dallas, and he had once again given Michaela a clean bill of health with even more strict limitations on what she could and couldn't do. The townsfolk were healthy, but the occasional sniffling child that came in was no problem for Michaela. But, folks were quickly beginning to wonder why they never saw her out and about, so Sully would simply tell them that she was feeling under the weather. Most folks accepted that.

"Ya sure ya ain't upset about not goin' to the dance tonight?" Sully asked, as he sat down at the foot of Michaela's bed and took her bare feet into his lap. She smiled a little and shook her head.

"Of course not," she said softly. "It's just a silly dance."

"As I recall, you love them silly dances." Michaela smiled and shook her head.

"I love dancing with you," she pointed out. She watched him smile, as he gently began to massage her feet. She was relieved that they hadn't spoken anymore about Sully's nightmare, and each morning she saw him, he looked a little better, so she hoped that meant that the dreams were gone and that they could focus on the future, on telling the people of Colorado Springs that they were expecting, and of course, they wanted to focus on getting married. The wedding was approaching quickly, but they both knew it wouldn't be quickly enough to hide the growing life that thrived inside of Michaela's womb. But, they were doing things their own way, and they were heeding Cloud Dancing's words, which still haunted them in the dark hours of the night. "Sully?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Snowbird's alright?" she asked quietly, out of the blue, trying to take her mind off of everything else.

"Snowbird? I'm sure she's alright. If somethin' was wrong, we'd have heard from Cloud Dancin' by now."

"I suppose that's true." She sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. She was sick of lying down and waiting…waiting for what? Waiting to feel better? Waiting to be stronger? Waiting for a miscarriage? Sully smiled a little.

"Ya want me to go check on 'em, don't ya?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Naw. Ya just got a good heart. Ya think 'bout everybody else first." Sully stood and covered her bare feet with a blanket. "Can I get ya anything 'fore I go?"

"No. Just promise me you'll be back before nightfall. You owe me a dance."

"No dancin' for you," he replied, bending down to softly kiss her lips. "But I promise ya I'll spend the entire evenin' with ya."

"I'll hold you to it," she replied, her eyes twinkling. Their lips met once more, before Sully grabbed his coat and headed out.

Michaela slowly pulled herself out of bed, feeling a little sore but much better. She walked over to the balcony doors and looked out, watching Sully mount up and head out of town. She frowned, already missing him, but this would be the first bit of alone time she'd had in a while. Though she loved Sully's company, she was looking forward to just being alone and gathering her thoughts for a few hours. But, before she could think twice about it, a knock came to her bedroom door. She looked back out to see that Sully was still riding away, so she cleared her throat and called out.

"Come in," she called, wrapping her robe tightly around her body, as she stood at the doors. Slowly, the door opened, and Carrie walked in, much to her surprise.

"Hey Dr. Mike," she said tiredly.

"Carrie! What a nice surprise," Michaela said with a genuine smile. "You aren't feeling ill are you?"

"No, no. I'm fine. I just came to see if you were feelin' alright."

"That's very kind of you. I'm…I'm alright."

"You think you'll be feelin' up to the dance tonight?"

"I don't think so. Not this year," Michaela replied quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Dr. Mike. Miss Grace, Miss Olive, and your sister are helpin' me with my dress. They told me to get out, 'cause I wasn't payin' attention." She shrugged shortly. "Guess I have other things on my mind."

"Things like…Daniel?" A twinkle came to Michaela's eyes, as she moved back to her bed and slowly settled down between the sheets. Carrie stared at her in surprise.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I know the feeling. It's difficult to concentrate when you're in love." She could have been mistaken, but she thought she saw a blush rise to Carrie's cheeks.

"In love…" Carrie bit her lower lip. "Who told ya?" Michaela chuckled a little.

"Daniel and Sully are very good friends, you know," Michaela pointed out. Carrie let out a little laugh that made Michaela smile wider.

"What am I gonna do, Dr. Mike?"

"Aren't you happy?"

"'Course I am. I'm just…well, my Pa is leavin' tomorrow, and Daniel seems to really wanna stay here."

"What do you want?"

"I thought…I thought I wanted to see the world, but now…now I just…I just wanna be…"

"With Daniel?" Michaela finished.

"Yeah." Her smile turned to a frown.

"You aren't happy about that?"

"Well…well, I always told myself I wouldn't…I wouldn't let myself feel like this. Now that I do, I ain't sure what I want."

"It's natural to feel uncertain," Michaela said quietly. "Everyone is uncertain about something once in a while." She saw something flicker in Carrie's eyes. "What is it, Carrie?"

"Well, you're a doctor…and a lady…and…well…"

"Yes?"

"Well, things we say to each other…they can stay between us, right?" Michaela nodded.

"Of course."

"I don't wanna trouble ya if ya ain't feelin' up to it," Carrie pointed out.

"What is it?" Michaela asked with a smile.

"Well, I ain't…well, when ladies get married, don't their husbands expect that…that they're well…that they haven't…" Michaela held her breath for a moment, and she studied Carrie's face. "Well, Daniel knows my past, but…but I'm scared that…that…that he might think twice 'bout wantin' to be with me…" Michaela shook her head.

"Daniel loves you, Carrie," she said softly. "If he knows what you've been through and still wants to be with you, he's a good man. I've seen the way he looks at you, and I've seen Sully look that way at me. It's love, Carrie, and when love is involved, your past shouldn't get in the way." She looked down into her own hands. "Everybody has choices, and you've made yours." Carrie nodded her head. "Daniel loves you, and I have no doubt that you'll be very happy together."

"Well, it ain't like we're getting married or anything. I ain't sure I'm ready for that. Sometimes I think I am, and other times I just realize that I ain't twenty-one years old yet. I still got a lot of years to live, and settlin' down…well, I know girls've done it younger than me, but I ain't like most girls." She smiled a little. "I think you can understand that, can't ya, Dr. Mike?"

"Yes. Yes, I can," Michaela said with a wink. Her own chest felt lighter, and she took a deep breath. Carrie began to get off of the bed, but she noticed Michaela's sigh.

"You alright?"

"Just fine, Carrie. Thank you for our talk."

"Maybe we can do it again sometime?" Carrie asked. Michaela nodded, her eyes tearing up.

"Yes. Yes, I'd like that." Carrie noticed the sudden change in Michaela's mood, and she cocked her head to the side.

"Did I say somethin'…"

"No, no," she said, brushing off her sudden mood swing. "I think I had better get a little rest."

"Well, alright. Feel better, Dr. Mike." Carrie slowly shut herself out of the room, paused in the hallway, thought about going back in and finding out what was going on, but decided to mind her own business and go try to help the ladies finish her dress for the dance.

Michaela settled back down into the bed and gently put her hand on her stomach.

"No dance for me this year, little one, but your father will be back very soon." She smiled a little bit. "You have no idea how much we want you and how badly we want to meet you. It's going to be a while before you're here, but until then, I promise I'm going to do everything possible to keep you safe."

Valentine's Day 1871 – Boston

She put down her pen. She was finished. She closed the journal she'd re-written her letters in. This book was her legacy. This book was exactly what she'd kept herself busy with day in and day out. She was finished. There was still so much left to tell, but her heart knew that this was what was most important.

Her hand trembled, as she placed the book onto her bedside table, and she took a heavy breath, feeling tired and weak. But, she found enough strength to pick up the wedding band and chain that rested on the table. She smiled solemnly and dangled it in front of her, and the glint of firelight sparked her memories once more.

She sighed softly at the thought of her firstborn children. She'd been so protective of them. She'd been determined that her family would grow and prosper and be closer than she had been with her parents. She'd kept a watchful eye on the children, letting Martha only help when she was unable to run after both children at once. It had been a trying time, but at the same time, one of the most wonderful.

October 1872 – Boston

"Elizabeth? Have you seen my tie?" Josef asked, rushing into the parlor with his shirt unkempt and his cufflinks unfastened. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as she bounced young Rebecca on her lap.

"Which tie, darling?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"The tie!" Josef exclaimed, a little scatterbrained. It wasn't his fault. The last year had gone by so quickly and with two one-year-old babies becoming mobile enough to dart away without a moment's notice, he was constantly on edge.

"That isn't very helpful, dear," Elizabeth said with a roll of her eyes, as she placed young Rebecca down on the floor to play with her twin brother Robert. Robert and Rebecca looked very much alike, both with dark hair and wise eyes. They were timid but curious—always getting into things—and they constantly vied for their parents' attention.

"The one…oh, never mind. It must be around here somewhere." Josef rushed away, and Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle when she saw the tie stuck to the back of his suit coat. Something sticky held it there, and she put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh dear. Josef!" She rushed after him and yanked the tie from its spot. Josef turned quickly and sighed in relief when he saw it. But, he noticed the gooey substance that was stuck to his tie. It was ruined, as was his suit!

"What on…"

"I'm afraid it's from that delicious blackberry pie you love so much," she laughed.

"Those two are always getting into things," Josef said, shaking his head. "Well, could you have Martha see if she can take care of this?" Young Martha had come to take Fiona's place just a few days after Robert and Rebecca had been born.

"Of course." Elizabeth chuckled and helped him out of his coat. "You should be going, Josef. You're going to be late!"

"I know, but…well, it's a little warm, so I suppose I don't need my coat, but..." Elizabeth shook her head and pushed him toward the door, handing him his medical bag.

"Hurry!" she laughed. "You don't want to keep Mr. Martin waiting!" Josef turned quickly and gave Elizabeth a loving kiss before he headed out to work. Elizabeth turned back to see Rebecca and Robert crawling out of the parlor and into the foyer. "You two! Don't worry. Your father isn't angry with you. He's just running late, and you know how he has to be on time." Robert giggled and outstretched his arms. Elizabeth pulled him up, and she adjusted him on her hip. Rebecca tugged at her dress, and she scooped her up too. "You two are going to give your mother a very sore back." She laughed and kissed them both upon the cheek.

"Duck!" Robert exclaimed.

"You want to go see the ducks?" Robert giggled, and buried his head on his mother's shoulder. She bounced both children on her hips. "Alright. Let mother take your father's coat and tie to Martha, and then we'll go see the ducks. Just the three of us. Would you like that?" Robert and Rebecca both grinned widely.

She took them back into the parlor and placed them down to play.

"Martha!" Martha came gliding into the room, her arms overloaded with dirty baby clothes.

"Yes Mrs. Quinn?"

"Would you mind…adding a few more items to your load?" She smiled sheepishly, and Martha sighed but smiled. "I'm taking Robert and Rebecca to feed the ducks."

"Of course, Ma'am. You've been very busy lately. You deserve some relaxation." Elizabeth wasn't certain if Martha was being sarcastic or not, but she was too tired to care either way.

"Thank you, Martha." Elizabeth quickly handed her Josef's tie and coat, and the maid hurried off to do the washing. Elizabeth went back to her little ones and found their coats and hats. "Come along, little ones. Let's go." She bundled them up, picked them up, and headed off toward the Charles.

Valentine's Day 1871 – Cheyenne Reservation

"How is the woman doctor?" Cloud Dancing asked, as he and Sully walked the perimeter of the reservation.

"She's restin'," Sully said quietly. "We've had some scares with the pregnancy." They paused as a young Cheyenne boy ran by them. "It's…it's really hard to deal with. I feel like…like this is my fault."

"Fault?" Cloud Dancing thought for a moment. "It takes two people to create a life, my brother."

"I know that," Sully pointed out flatly. "I'm just worried about her. I feel like if I'd have stopped us…well, she wouldn't have to be worryin' herself right now. She'd be getting ready to go to the dance. She'd be happy."

"She is not happy now?"

"Well, she's happy, but with the stress of this pregnancy, and…and with not knowin' how to tell folks…"

"Are there regrets? You speak as if you would prefer a different path." Sully shook his head.

"No. This is the path we chose. This is the path we want."

"Good."

"What?"

"You said 'we,"" Cloud Dancing pointed out. "That shows that you do mean to see this through." Sully stared at him questioningly.

"'Course we do. Why wouldn't we?"

"There are many obstacles ahead." Cloud Dancing glanced toward his teepee, where Snow Bird stood outside, rubbing her barely-showing belly. "The seasons change and so do we." Cloud Dancing took a deep breath. "There are more who know of the child?"

"A few folks know," Sully said quietly. "They ain't sayin' anything."

"You should be cautious of who you tell and who you do not."

"The only folks that know are important to us, Cloud Dancin'," Sully said gently.

"The Spirits say to be wary."

"Are ya sayin' that somebody else knows?" Cloud Dancing said nothing, and Sully took a deep breath.

"We're plannin' on tellin' everybody once Michaela's feelin' better."

"It will not be long before it will be obvious." Sully nodded.

"She's already startin' to…well, she keeps herself covered up well enough, but…but it ain't fair that she's gotta hide herself."

"This is the path you chose," Cloud Dancing repeated.

"It is." He glanced at his brother. "The Spirits tell you things…"

"Some things, yes."

"You…you know if my child will live?"

"The Spirits do not tell me directly. They send me visions, and those visions tell me of the future."

"What vision do you have about the baby?" Cloud Dancing paused, and Sully turned to face him.

"A long journey awaits you…one longer than the one you travel now." Sully shook his head in confusion.

"What's that mean? What aren't ya tellin' me?"

"It is all I know," Cloud Dancing replied. "But be careful. The life inside of her is fragile. She must rest, and you must take care of her."

"Ya don't gotta worry about that," Sully said quietly. "She's in good hands." Cloud Dancing eyed him.

"You have had visions too."

"I…" The nightmare came flashing through his mind. "That was a vision?"

"Visions come in forms of dreams and in nightmares."

"You're sayin' I'm gonna kill her?" he asked incredulously. "She's gonna die because of me?" He couldn't believe that. He'd never hurt her intentionally. Never.

"I'm saying that the danger has not passed. You must take caution or risk losing her forever."

"To…to death?" The elder shook his head.

"To life," Cloud Dancing replied. "You love her."

"More than anything."

"You would die for her?" Sully swallowed hard.

"In a heartbeat." Cloud Dancing continued on ahead, and Sully watched after him for a moment. "You're sayin' that…that one of us…" But Cloud Dancing said nothing. Sully sighed in frustration. He wished Cloud Dancing could tell him more. Why did he have to say the things he said in the ways he had? Sully felt no better than he had before. Now he only feared that he would be the reason Michaela might lose her life. But, Cloud Dancing's words stopped his thoughts again.

"You love her too much to hurt her, my brother. But, sometimes love blinds a man from seeing the truth."

"The truth?"

"Danger has yet to pass, and you must be cautious. She needs you now. If she pushes you away, push harder to stay by her side." Sully felt a lump forming at his throat again.

"I understand. I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to her, Cloud Dancin'. I'd die first. She…she's everything to me." The two walked on in silence, but Sully felt the overwhelming need to get back to town. Before long, he hugged his friend, they parted ways, and he mounted his horse to head back to town.

Together, their hands slid his buckskins down his legs, and soon, she was working by herself, as he lay back, relaxing the tension in his back. He groaned softly, and when he felt her breath against his neck again, he searched for her lips, pulling her hair back and running his fingers through it.

"Ya scared?" he asked softly.

"A little," she admitted. "But, I don't care. I'm with you. In my heart, it's right." Her body pressed against his, and they relaxed together. They explored one another with tender kisses and caresses, and Michaela's nerves began to fade away. She started to relax just a little in the arms of the man she loved; the man she was going to spend her life with.

When their lips met once again, Sully gently began to join with Michaela. He heard her gasp into his mouth, and he pulled back, waiting for her trembling to ease.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No. No, it's alright," she promised.

"We don't…"

"Sully," she moaned, kissing his lips softly. "If you think I'll regret this…you're wrong." With those final words of reassurance, he kissed her and joined completely with her, feeling her warmth surround him and ignite his body with the flames of passion.

Her body shuddered in response to the memory of their first time. No regrets. She still had none. She was happy despite the pain and hiding everything from everyone. She had the support of her loving sister, her fiancé, and her friend Charlotte. It was enough for now. But, she was missing her mother and her other sisters. Those connections had been mangled through time, and she was grateful for Rebecca's ever-strong bond with her. She was grateful she had somebody to turn to besides Sully.

Michaela heard music begin to play, and her heart fell. She knew her sister and her friends were all out there enjoying the Sweetheart's Dance, as she lay in bed and counted the hours until her thirty-first birthday.

She couldn't believe how fast time was passing. In some respects, it seemed as if they had been reunited only yesterday, but in others, she felt as if each day were a year long. She knew that May 20th was only a few months away, but those few months seemed like an eternity away. She wasn't certain what could happen before then, but she knew that she had an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Cloud Dancing's warning kept coming back to haunt her. She was ready. She wanted to marry Sully now. May 20th was a nice thought, but the thought of being his wife now in every way seemed even nicer.

No. No, it had to be May 20th. That was the day. No sooner. No later.

A knock on her door startled her, but she quickly relaxed, hoping Sully had returned. But, she was surprised to see Ruth Cole come in with a tray in her hands.

"Mrs. Cole?" Michaela asked.

"Please, call me Ruth," she said with a kind smile.

"Why aren't you at the dance?" Michaela wondered.

"Well, turns out some fella got a little carried away with his whiskey, and that husband of mine had to haul him off." Michaela shook her head. "I thought I'd bring ya up somethin' to eat. It ain't my cookin'. My ma died 'fore she could teach me how to cook worth a lick, but I'm learnin'. Grace sent me up with this."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that, Ruth." Ruth smiled and settled the tray into Michaela's lap. "Your dress is beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you," Ruth said with a smile. "I had to pull this outta my luggage and do a little fixin' up on it. Helpin' Carrie with her dress kinda took all of my time away from me." Michaela smiled a little. "But she sure looks pretty tonight."

"I'm sure she does," Michaela said with a nod. She closed her eyes for a minute, as the smell of Grace's cooking infiltrated her nostrils. Her stomach began to tense, and she placed her hand over her mouth.

"Dr. Quinn?"

"I…I…" She quickly pushed the tray off of her lap and leapt out of bed. Ruth caught the tray quickly before it could clatter to the floor, and Michaela rushed toward the nearest bucket. Ruth's eyes followed her, and she grimaced when the doctor began to vomit. When she finally stood and brushed her mouth off with her arm sleeve, she turned to Ruth with tears in her eyes. "I'm…"

"Pregnant?" Michaela's eyes widened. "Pardon me for bein' so forward, Dr. Quinn. I just…well, growin' up, my grandma was a midwife, and she treated all sorts of ladies. I…I'd say…"

"Please, don't say anything," Michaela begged, too tired to even deny it. "We haven't told many people yet, and…"

"Honey, ya can count on me. I know we ain't much more than strangers, but if there's one thing I know…a secret like this ain't meant to be told 'til the right time. You don't gotta worry." Michaela slowly settled down into her bed, and the tears began to come forward. Ruth quickly sat down on the edge of the bed. "Don't cry, Dr. Quinn. You just rest. Don't worry. You and that Mr. Sully seem to love each other a lot, and a baby lucky enough to have you two as parents is gonna be brought into this world kickin' and screamin' and ready to be loved. Don't you worry 'bout nothin' else but havin' a healthy, strong little baby."

"It isn't so simple, Ruth," Michaela whispered.

"Nothin' is ever simple, Dr. Quinn. But, ya just gotta remember that we're only on this earth for a tiny bit of time. Compared to what God's seen, it ain't more than a blink or two and we're gone. What matters is what's happenin' now. Now is that ya love the man ya created this baby with. Ya love this baby." Michaela nodded, brushing her tears away. She was surprised at how wise this young woman was. She was surprised at how easily the people she had told so far had taken the news. She was unmarried. She was a doctor. She was a future mother. She had enough black marks against her to have her run out of town, yet here she was, carrying this life inside of her and spilling her heart out to a complete stranger, who embraced her and told her everything was going to be alright.

When the door opened again, Ruth and Michaela both looked up to see Sully walk in. The look in his eyes made Michaela want to cry again, but she sniffled and stiffened her lip.

"Thank you for everything, Ruth. I…I appreciate it." Ruth nodded and squeezed Michaela's hand.

"You can count on me not to say nothin'. I know that trustin' strangers ain't easy, but if there's one thing you should know about me…I know when folks needs understandin'. I know when they need somebody to accept 'em." Michaela nodded slowly, and Ruth left, giving Sully a nod. Sully closed the door after her and turned to Michaela.

"What happened?" he asked, hurrying to her bedside.

"She knows."

"I figured that. How…"

"Oh, she brought me food, and I…well, I suppose my stomach didn't take well to the smell." She shook her head. "I can't do this anymore Sully. We have to tell them." Sully slowly sat down at her bedside.

"Alright," he said with a nod. "We'll tell 'em. We'll tell 'em after your birthday. I want ya to enjoy tonight. I want ya to enjoy tomorrow. Ya deserve that, Michaela." She scooted over in the bed, and he crawled in beside her, wrapping his arms around her, as her head rested against his chest.

"It won't be easy," she said quietly. "We could lose everything we've worked for since we arrived." She swallowed hard. "But for our family…I'll risk it." She smiled tiredly. "Now tell me how your visit with Cloud Dancing went."

The dance was in full swing, and those without dance partners stood at the punch bowl talking and eating sweets. Hank and Jake stood off to the side, not really caring whether or not they danced, just having their own fun by watching others make fools of themselves with bad dancing and inconsiderate groping.

"What do ya think he's hidin'?" Hank asked Jake, who sipped a glass of punch and eyed Carrie, who was dancing happily in Daniel's arms. Tommy was standing nearby, keeping his eye on Jake.

"Don't care," Jake replied. "Probably nothin' I wanna know about."

"Yeah, well, he's been too quiet. I wanna know what's goin' on."

"Well, you have fun with that. I'm takin' the festivities home. I'll celebrate this miserable holiday by myself." Jake took his flask out of his coat pocket and started off to sit on the barbershop steps and watch everyone from a distance. Hank shook his head and turned his attention back to Horace, who sat alone off to the side. He cleared his throat and poured a glass of punch. He looked over his shoulder, making sure nobody was watching, and he poured a few ounces of whiskey into the cup from his flask. He figured Horace's lips would loosen up once he got some alcohol into his system. It was only a matter of time now.

"Hey Liddie," Hank said to one of his girls. The young woman walked over, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.

"What ya want, Hank? I'm off duty tonight, remember?"

"Ain't nothin' like that, Liddie. I want ya to take this cup over to Horace."

"What for?"

"Just do it." Liddie eyed him but complied, figuring it wasn't going to hurt her any. She waltzed over to the chair that Horace was settled into, thinking hard about something.

"Care for a drink, handsome?" Liddie asked. Horace looked up quickly.

"Huh?"

"Ya look thirsty." She held the punch out to him. "Have some of this." Horace slowly took the cup from her, took a sip, and deciding he liked it, he drank it all down quickly. "Care to dance?"

"With you?"

"With who else?" she asked with a laugh. "Don't worry…ain't no charge this time." She winked at him, and she took his hand, pulling him up. Hank watched from the side, as he poured another spiked punch, readying it for Horace's break.

Meanwhile, the rest of the dancers, began to take their own breaks, and Carrie pulled Daniel off to the side.

"Alright," she said softly, "I need your help."

"With what?" He could feel the ring box in his pocket, and he was just waiting for the perfect moment.

"See my pa?"

"Yep."

"He's not dancin'."

"Right."

"See Miss Olive?"

"Uh-huh."

"She ain't either."

"So…"

"So ya need to help me get them to dance!" she exclaimed.

"What if they don't want to?"

"What's the harm in it? He's leavin' tomorrow anyway." Daniel sighed heavily, and he listened to Carrie's scheme. Meanwhile, Olive gently picked at a loose string at the hem of her dress. She could see Tommy out of the corner of her eye, and she wished and feared at the same time that he would ask her to dance. She was about to give up and go home for the night, but she figured that staying would be a way to show Tommy that she was over him, even if that was a lie.

"Miss Olive? Would ya care to dance?" Daniel asked, as a slow song struck up. Olive looked up in surprise.

"Shouldn't you be dancin' with that fiancée of yours?"

"She ain't my fiancée yet, Miss Olive," he said quietly. "I still ain't asked her. But right now, I'm askin' you to dance."

"Well, then how could I refuse?" She winked at him and took his hand. At the same time, Carrie lured her father out onto the dance floor, and they began to sway along with the other couples, dancing to the beat of a beautiful song. Olive looked up at Daniel and raised an eyebrow. "I think ya should be savin' this dance for the woman ya love." Daniel paused and glanced at Carrie.

"Ya know…you're right." He took Olive's hand and led her over to Carrie and Tommy. He tapped on Tommy's shoulder, and Tommy turned. "Care if I steal away your beautiful daughter?" Tommy chuckled and shook his head.

"I ain't much of a dancer anyway."

"Sure ya are!" Carrie said with a grin, as Daniel took her into his arms. "Miss Olive, you dance with him and reassure him that he's a good dancer."

"I don't think…" Olive started.

"It's just a dance," Carrie pointed out, rolling her eyes. With that, she and Daniel danced away, and Olive and Tommy stared at one another in the middle of a crowed of dancing couples. Giving up, Tommy finally extended his hand and shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not?" he asked. Olive sighed heavily and shook her head. They were treading dangerous waters. But what was wrong with one dance? It was just a dance, right? It didn't have to mean anything. So, she fought her thoughts and went with her heart. She reached for his hand, and he spun her out onto into a slow dance, as those familiar feelings began to burn anew.

His hand traveled down her shoulder and her arm, caressing the side of her breast, gently grazing over her hip, and finally landed gently upon her stomach. He felt the small bump there. Their child lay underneath his touch. It was such an intense feeling to know that this child was growing by the day, and it was still so, so fragile.

Her hand moved to his before traveling up his arm, to his cheek, and finally burying itself in his long, curly hair. She smiled, as he smiled down at her, and his lips found her forehead, gently kissing her there.

"I miss you," she whispered. "I miss us."

"We're still us," he breathed. "Always will be." Their fingers locked together, and she slowly inhaled the scent of him, missing the nights when he held her in his arms and made love to her. When would it be like that again?

"I can't think of a greater birthday gift than to wake up in your arms."

"I think I can handle that," he chuckled, yawning, as he pulled her closer, and the music from the dance floated up into the room. "You rest now. I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He closed his eyes, trying not to think about his conversation with Cloud Dancing. His hand stroked her hair, and he placed soft kisses to her temple, listening to her breathing, before he placed his hand back on her belly. They drifted off to sleep, holding the moment in their hearts forever, treasuring this peace and quiet, because they both knew that at any moment, it could change forever.