Chapter 96
May 5th 1871 – Colorado Springs
Michaela looked up from her reading when she heard a crash from upstairs, followed by a very loud, "No! Pup!" Quickly jumping up from behind her desk, she started to the stairs, only to see three very wet wolf pups rushing down the stairs with a soaked Johnny and Sully following closely behind them. Michaela stepped out of the way, as the pups invaded the back room, hiding under the kitchen table so that they wouldn't have to continue on with their baths.
"What on Earth is going on?" she asked with a laugh, seeing Sully's hair damp with suds and water.
"We were washin' the pups up like ya asked, Ma," Johnny said, "and they didn't like it too much."
"Well, I can certainly see that," she said, shaking her head.
"We'll clean it up, Michaela. Don't worry," Sully assured her.
"I'm not worried," she said with a laugh.
"Ya mean…ya ain't mad?" Johnny asked, a suspicious look in his eyes. The way Michaela's mood swings had been lately often left him worried that he was going to get in trouble. He knew his mother didn't mean to yell, but she'd been a little edgy lately. Neither he nor Sully ever knew when her mood would change.
"Of course not," Michaela replied. "It's just soap and water. It'll dry." Feeling relieved that he wasn't going to get scolded, Johnny hurried to collect the pups in order to corral them upstairs and dry them off. Sully turned to Michaela, and she smiled, putting her hand against his damp cheek.
"Ya feel alright today?" he asked. "I know the past couple weeks have been difficult…adjustin' to bein' back home."
"I'm fine," Michaela said with a smile. "I received a telegram from Marjorie this morning. She's going to try to make it out here for the wedding." Sully smiled broadly, happy that Michaela's relationship with her older sister was still on the mend.
"That's good. I'm glad she's tryin'." Michaela nodded.
"So am I."
"Nothin' from Claudette or Maureen?"
"Not even a note of thank you for sending the journal. I don't think there's any chance of them ever accepting this. But I'm beginning to realize that I don't care what they think. I don't need their approval. I never have." She sighed, as he pulled her close.
"Then what're you worried about?"
"I'm not worried," Michaela said gently, her eyes giving her away. When he cocked his head to the side, Michaela sighed heavily, taking his hand and leading him into the exam room so Johnny wouldn't have to overhear their conversation. "Alright. I'm just…worried that we've come this far, and we haven't had any complications in a while."
"That's a good thing, Michaela."
"I've spoken with both Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird, and they're both certain everything is going to go according to plan."
"But?"
"But…those dreams…"
"Michaela, those don't mean anything. Those were just our fears about…about losin' each other."
"But they were so real, Sully. The way you described your own gave me chills." She turned away from him, but he placed his hands on her shoulders, gently squeezing them.
"They were dreams, Michaela. I swear to you…I'd never let anything like that happen."
"Some things are beyond our control, Sully." She turned back to face him. "I just can't help but think about what could happen."
"If we spend every minute thinkin' like that, we'd never get anything done. We can't worry about what might happen. We gotta focus on what's happenin' right here. Right now." Michaela closed her eyes, letting his words fill her, and she pulled her arms around him, holding him close. "Don't worry, Michaela. Everything's gonna be alright. You'll see. The only thing we gotta worry about right now is getting married…and maybe the honeymoon." Michaela grinned up at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking of.
"Where did you want to go?" she asked.
"Wherever you wanna go," Sully decided. Michaela thought for a moment, and she grinned from ear to ear.
"I don't want to go anywhere," she whispered. "I want to stay here with you." Standing on her tiptoes, she sought his lips with her own, and her tongue sought immediate entrance into his mouth. Not denying her that, he opened up to her, hearing her moan, as their tongues met. His hands moved down her back and rested on her waist, pulling her as close as he could get her with her belly protruding the way it was. Finally, she released him from their embrace, and she smiled up at him, her cheeks blushing with thoughts of what she had to look forward to in just fifteen more days. Somehow forty-four days had dwindled down to a mere fifteen, and though the nights had been long, Michaela was surprised at how quickly the days passed.
"Maybe we can ask Rebecca to watch Johnny for a few days…" Sully suggested, leaning down to kiss her again. She smiled against his lips.
"I'm sure Mary wouldn't mind that," Michaela giggled.
"She's sweet on him," Sully deduced. Michaela nodded. "Yeah, I figured."
"Apparently, Quinn women can't stay away from you Sully men," Michaela laughed.
"Can ya blame 'em?" Sully teased. Michaela giggled, shaking her head, as he pulled her into a tight embrace. She tilted her head back, letting their kiss deepen from the start, and they didn't pull back until they heard a snicker from the doorway.
"Y'know, Doc, I got some perfectly good rooms in the back of my establishment," Hank laughed. "If ya wanna do this on business hours, ya might as well get paid for it." Michaela immediately noticed Sully tensing with anger and annoyance.
"Didn't you ever learn how to knock, Hank?" Michaela asked bitterly, her eyes flashing with fire that made his grin broaden. Michaela internally scolded herself. No matter how rude a patient was, she'd never been rude back.
"Who're you to tell me how to act all proper?" Hank asked. Michaela sighed with frustration, but she kept herself calm. She looked him straight in the eye. It was then that she noticed the twinge of pain in his eyes, and she looked down, seeing the blood-soaked cloth he'd wrapped around his hand. Without thinking, the next irritated remark came from her lips. She couldn't help herself. She was tired and aching, and the last person she wanted to deal with right now was him.
"Would you like me to stitch that up, or would you like to stand there and bleed all over my porch?" she asked, glaring into his icy blue eyes.
"Well, normally I'd go to Jake, but seein' as he's dead, and none of my girls can sew worth a lick, I figured you was my last choice."
"Wonderful," she muttered under her breath. "Please come in." Sully, having kept silent throughout this awkward exchange, spoke up, squeezing Michaela's hand in support.
"Want me to stay?" Sully asked. Michaela shook her head, casting a smile in his direction.
"That won't be necessary. I'm sure Robert E. could use you at the livery." Sully nodded, and he cast a glance at Hank that warned him that if he upset Michaela in any way, he'd have consequences to pay later on. With that, he left, and Michaela directed Hank to the examination table. He climbed up and unwrapped his hand. A gash was cut across his palm, and as Michaela began to disinfect it, she found the silence to be worse than his insults.
"How did this happen?"
"I blamed a fella for cheatin' at poker. He didn't like that too much," Hank replied, as Michaela dabbed a damp cloth over the cut, cleaning up the excess blood.
"This will definitely need stitches," she said quietly, beginning to spray the something on the wound. Hank flinched, but he made no sound. Instead, he decided to continue to prod the doctor. He enjoyed pushing people's buttons, especially hers. He enjoyed the arguments.
"So…you and Sully must be lookin' forward to that weddin'."
"Of course," Michaela said sharply. "We love each other just as many people do when they marry. Why wouldn't we be looking forward to it, Hank?"
"Well, it ain't like ya got much surprise in store…ya know…for the weddin' night." Michaela's ministrations became a bit rough, and she sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep herself from further damaging his hand.
"I don't believe that's entirely appropriate to be discussing…"
"Why do ya do that?"
"Do what?"
"Ya talk so prim and proper…like you're better'n everybody else." He looked down at her swollen belly, indicating that she wasn't any better than anyone else.
"That isn't true, Hank, and you know it. I speak the way I do, because it's how I was raised. I can't help the way I am any better than you can help the way you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Michaela shook her head.
"Take it as you will." Hank smirked, as she started sewing up the cut on his hand. He watched her, and he saw that she was trying hard to hold her tongue, not wanting to say something she might regret or that might make the situation worse.
"What is it, Doc?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You wanna say somethin' to me, don't ya? Ya wanna say somethin' so bad it's takin' everything ya got to stop ya from sayin' it." Michaela shook her head.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now if you'll be quiet long enough for me to finish this…"
"Maybe I got you all wrong. Maybe you're just pretendin'." He watched her. "I didn't take ya for somebody to get herself in trouble 'fore she was married. Maybe I was right about him. He hurt you?" Michaela looked up at him, tasting venom, as her eyes glared like hot embers on the darkest night.
"This is none of your business! But for the record, you have no right to accuse Sully of something he's not guilty of. He wouldn't hurt me."
"And somebody getting hurt would lie to protect him…'cause she's afraid he might hurt her worse."
"I'm not afraid," she replied angrily. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and if you'd like me to save your hand, I'll kindly ask you to stop making assumptions!"
"Ok, ok," he replied. "Fine. You just better know what folks are sayin'…"
"I know exactly what people are saying, and frankly, it doesn't matter."
"Sure it does. Every time somebody looks at ya funny at the store or at Grace's, I see it hurt ya a little bit. Ya like to pretend it don't matter, but it does bother ya, don't it? They're sayin' ya let him do whatever he wants to ya…and that ya only got pregnant so you could keep him in your life. They're sayin' you could never be as good a wife as Abagail." With that, Michaela reached up to slap him, but he caught her wrist with his hand. "Just bein' honest, Doc."
"Nobody understands," she hissed. "If people had their facts straight, they'd know that Sully and I were engaged before we even came to Colorado Springs." She shook her head. "I shouldn't even be explaining myself to you!"
"Well, if ya want my opinion, I think they're wrong. You're feisty, Michaela. Sully's getting one hell of a woman. I never saw Sully look at Abagail the way he looks at you."
"If that was your attempt at an apology…"
"You're foolin' yourself, Doc. Just 'cause ya got some friends that're happy that you're havin' this baby with Sully don't mean everybody feels that way. You're goin' around flauntin' what ya done in front of everybody each time ya go outside. They can see, and they know." Michaela looked up into his eyes now, her own shimmering with tears.
"You don't think I know that? You don't think that every time I go outside, I run this risk of being…of being ostracized by my own community? You're right. I am fooling myself, Hank. I already have been. But what you fail to realize is that this is my home now. Wanted or not, I'm staying. I'm going to build a life with the man I love and our children. If anybody has a problem with it, they're only wasting their time. They should worry about their own problems and their own families and stop focusing on mine." She finished the final stitch and quickly snipped the string. "Two dollars please." She wrapped up his stitched hand, as he dug into his pocket for the cash.
"Here ya go, Doc." He put the money on the pillow of the exam table, much like his customers paid his whores. When he stood up, she took a few steps back, her eyes on his. "For the record, Doc, I think it's awful brave of ya."
"Please, don't patronize me."
"I ain't," he replied, his face lacking apathy or contempt now. "I say the things I say 'cause that's who I am. I can't much help it…just like ya can't help the way ya talk. Truth is, any woman who stands up to an entire town like you did must have guts." Michaela turned away from him, washing her hands in the basin. "I saw it here today. Ya didn't let me say them things to ya without bitin' back." He grinned at her. "I ain't the bastard I set myself up to be sometimes, and I think ya know that."
"You're mistaken, Mr. Lawson," she replied. "I haven't seen anything out of you except for contempt and cowardliness." He stepped toward her, his eyes dark.
"So maybe that's all you'll ever see." Hank left quickly, leaving Michaela confused by the encounter. Within a minute, Sully re-entered, uncertain of how he'd find Michaela, but he found her folding clean towels and cloths.
"What happened? What'd he say to you?"
"Oh, nothing I haven't heard before," she replied. She looked up at him, smiling. "Don't worry. I can handle him." She dropped her pan of bandages, and just as she bent over to pick it up, she felt a pain shoot up her back. She gasped, and Sully rushed around he help her up. "I'm fine. I'm fine, Sully." She took a few ragged breaths, as he picked up her bandage pan. He took her hand and led her to her desk chair.
"Michaela?"
"It's just a cramp in my back, Sully. It's nothing."
"After all you been through, nothin' is nothin'." Michaela shook her head and placed her hand on her belly.
"Dr. Bernard will be here tomorrow," she assured him. "I'm sure he'll say everything is fine. Stop worrying. You're the one that told me to stop thinking of everything that could go wrong, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but that's the future…this is the present, Michaela." He knelt down by her chair and put his hand on her belly. She took his hand, and she smiled.
"I'm fine," she whispered. "But I appreciate your concern." She leaned down to kiss his lips, and she placed her free hand on his cheek. "Please don't worry, Sully. The baby and I are fine. Nothing is going to change that…nothing."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Johnny ventured outside of the clinic after having cleaned up the mess the pups had made. Now that school was out for the summer, he had a world of time on his hands. He looked toward the mercantile, debating on whether or not to buy some candy, but when he saw Gabby standing there with Timothy, as he spoke to Carrie about something, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't taken her to Snow Creek yet.
Stepping back into the clinic, he found his mother now sitting at her desk.
"Ma?"
"Yes Johnny?" Michaela asked, looking up from her reading.
"Where's Pa?"
"He went to the telegraph office to make sure Dr. Bernard is coming tomorrow," she said with a chuckle, knowing Sully was worrying, even though she knew in her heart that everything would be ok. "You just missed him."
"Oh," Johnny replied, "well, do ya think it'd be ok if I took Gabby to Snow Creek? I promised her I'd show her." Michaela nodded.
"I don't see why not," she said with a smile. "Why don't you find Mary and take her too?"
"I think she's with Aunt Rebecca picking flowers." Michaela nodded.
"Alright. Well, be careful, and have fun." Johnny nodded, and he rushed out of the clinic, leaving Michaela shaking her head.
"Hey Gabby!" Johnny exclaimed, rushing into the mercantile, startling both Timothy and Carrie. Gabby turned with a smile.
"Hi Johnny."
"Wanna come to Snow Creek with me? I haven't shown it to ya yet." Gabby grinned and turned expectantly to her father.
"May I?" she asked.
"Well, as long as you're back before dinner," he assured her.
"I will be," she said.
"Well, alright then. Have fun. Be careful!" he hollered, as Gabby and Johnny made their way across town, running quickly toward the tree line.
"Wait!" Gabby laughed. "What about Mary?" Johnny stopped at the fence to catch his breath.
"Saw her this mornin', and she said she was gonna go pick flowers with her ma. If she was back, I'd ask her too, but she ain't."
"Think she'll get mad?"
"Why?" Johnny asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.
"Well, I don't want her to feel left out, Johnny. Maybe we should wait." Johnny looked up at the sky.
"What if it rains later?" he asked. "I'm sure she won't care, Gabby. She's been to Snow Creek plenty of times." Gabby thought for a moment, but she didn't have much time before Johnny shot off toward the trees again. Laughing, she started after him, picking up her skirts so she wouldn't get dirty, and as she began to gain on him, she saw the look of shock on his face.
"Last one to the trees buys the other one candy!" she giggled, as she surpassed his stride. Johnny's eyes widened, as she ran even faster than him, and though his pride was hurt a little, he forced himself on, willing himself to be the champion. But Gabby's hands touched the first tree six seconds before Johnny's, and she grinned, victory shimmering in her eyes. "I'll take gumdrops, please," she teased. Johnny made a face at her, and she giggled.
"Next time we're at Carrie's, I'll get ya one."
"One?" she asked. "Just one?"
"You didn't say how many candies," he replied. "Ya said 'last one to the trees buys the other one candy."
"You know what I meant!" she exclaimed, pushing his shoulder. He laughed.
"Hey, you're the one that set the rules," Johnny said, throwing his hands up in defense. Gabby eyed him before taking off through the trees. "Hey! What're you doin'! Don't run through there! You could get hurt!"
"I'm being careful," she assured him, her blonde hair flying wickedly behind her. He shook his head, watching her spring through the trees with the ease of a wood nymph.
"Gabby Thompson, if you get yourself hurt, it's gonna be my hide!"
"Don't worry so much," she laughed, easily leaping over a fallen tree, giving Johnny momentary heart failure. But his worry quickly turned to relief, when Gabby stopped and settled down on a tree stump to rest.
"Tired already?"
"No," she replied, making a face. "Just waiting for you to catch up." She smiled, her green-blue eyes sparkling in the filtered sunlight. Johnny slowly sat down beside her, and he yawned. "Tired already?"
"Nah," he replied. He watched her smile and look away. "What're ya thinkin' about?"
"Me?" she asked, surprised. "Nothing." She shrugged and sighed. "Well, maybe not nothing."
"What's wrong, Gabby?"
"Just thinking about my father and…and Mary's mother."
"What about 'em?" Johnny asked slowly.
"Well, just a few days ago…I saw somethin'."
"Saw what?" Johnny watched Gabby pick at a loose string on the sleeve of her dress, and he saw her chew her bottom lip nervously. He reached over and touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him.
"I saw them kiss."
"Really?" Johnny asked with a grin. She nodded.
"They didn't know I saw. I was hiding in my room, and they were in the church…I…well, I didn't say anything, because I got embarrassed."
"My ma and pa kiss a lot too. Ma's face gets all red when she knows I saw," he laughed. "It's what grown ups do. Ya don't gotta be embarrassed. They like each other. That's what folks do when they like each other." Gabby giggled. "Anyway, I used to think it was gross."
"Used to?" Gabby asked. "What made you change your mind, Johnny?"
"I dunno," he shrugged, standing up and stuffing his hands in his pocket. He started to walk off, and Gabby rushed to catch up with him. "I guess seein' folks kissin' around town and not feelin' gross about it kinda made me realize it ain't so bad."
"You ever kissed anybody?" she asked, her eyes searching his nervously. He looked away and shrugged.
"Not really," he replied. "We're just kids…kissin' ain't important when we're kids. That's what my pa says anyway." Gabby laughed and nodded her head.
"On the way to Colorado Springs, when we stopped in St. Louis, my father saw some boy staring at me, and he said that I shouldn't be interested in boys until I'm twenty or…or thirty." She giggled. "I don't believe him though, because I saw a bunch of girls at school with beaus." She blushed, and shook her head. "I don't really want a beau. I just…well, it's nice to be liked, really." She glanced at Johnny, who was staring straight ahead. When he glanced at her, she looked away, and they continued on in an awkward silence. "I wasn't trying to say that…"
"What?" Johnny asked quietly.
"I don't know. I mean, I've always wondered what it's like…I just haven't tried it, and…well…"
"What're ya talkin' about, Gabby?" Johnny asked, squinting in confusion.
"Kissing," she blushed.
"Oh. I ain't either, but I don't know what the big deal is."
"Me neither," she agreed. "I think it means more if you love somebody." Johnny nodded.
"Yeah. That's what my ma and pa said," he replied. Suddenly, Gabby turned toward him, and he saw apprehension in her eyes. So he stopped and turned toward her. "What's the matter?"
"I don't think Mary likes us being friends."
"I just talked to her yesterday. She's ok, Gabby," Johnny said quietly.
"Do you really think that? Every time I talk to her, she seems sad." Johnny sighed and shook his head.
"She ain't got nothin' to be jealous about. She's still just as much my friend as she was before. She's been my best friend since she moved here. I mean…I can tell her things I can't even tell Brian, ya know?" Gabby nodded.
"I've never had a friend like that before," she said gently. "I'm glad you've got Mary." Johnny eyed her.
"And you got me. You can tell me anything, ya know? I know it ain't been easy with everything that's happened. I don't want ya to feel like you don't got any friends."
"Is that why you've been spending so much time with me?" she asked softly. "You don't want me to feel left out?"
"I guess partly," he shrugged, "but you're a lot of fun, and I like bein' your friend." Gabby smiled, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"Thanks Johnny." When she pulled back, she blushed, and his cheeks reddened too. Without thinking, Johnny closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing a very quick kiss to Gabby's lips. Before either of them realized what had just happened, they pulled back, their eyes wide in surprise.
"I…I'm sorry, Gabby. I wasn't thinkin'. I don't know what I…all this talk about kissin', and…" His face was now as red as the dots on Gabby's bonnet. He saw that her cheeks were flushed, and he felt guilty.
"It's ok," she assured him. "I kind've wanted you to do that anyway…I just…didn't know how to ask." Her face fell, and she swallowed hard, immediately realizing that this would probably upset Mary if she ever found out. But at the same time, she felt good about having such a good friend like Johnny. She'd never met anyone like him before, and he was a lot of fun. Perhaps someday he could be her beau. She knew she was far too young to think about things like that, but she couldn't help but think about it nevertheless.
"Ya did? Ya wanted to kiss me?" he asked nervously. She nodded. "Oh. Well, I…I guess ya coulda asked."
"We shouldn't be kissing," she whispered. "It's not proper until we're of age. That's what…what my grandmother used to tell me." Johnny didn't really know what to say, and he put his hands back in his pocket.
"Ok," he finally replied.
"But I don't know if she was right. It didn't seem improper…I mean…" Her cheeks reddened further. "I'm sorry, Johnny."
"It ain't your fault. Just…um…let me know when it's alright to kiss ya again." Gabby grinned a little, but she quickly shook her head
"What about Mary?" Johnny frowned deeply.
"Mary's my friend. She's…well, I don't know. She's a lot younger than me, and…I never really thought much about it."
"Really?"
"I guess…maybe," he said with a shrug. "But…well, like ya said, we're kids. We're too young to worry 'bout that right now." Gabby eyed him.
"I think she's sweet on you, Johnny."
"Mary?" he asked nervously. "I dunno." He cleared his throat and looked ahead. "Maybe."
"And you?"
"What about me?"
"Would you ever…kiss her?" Johnny realized he was sweating, and he wiped the palms of his hands on his pant legs. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest.
"Mary's just six, and I'm…well, I'm nearly eleven. My first ma and my pa didn't kiss 'til they was fifteen. Maybe they didn't know how to feel 'bout each other 'til then."
"Maybe when you're older…"
"I don't know," he said quietly. "Maybe." Gabby nodded and quickly realized how uncomfortable both she and her friend were, so she decided to change the subject.
"Umm…what time do you suppose it is?" Feeling relieved that he no longer had to talk about kissing, Johnny perked up.
"We got hours 'fore we gotta be back," Johnny replied. "Snow Creek's just up this hill."
"Okay," she said with a nod. And with that, they began to their ascent up the small hill to reach their destination. Little did they know, a curious pair of eyes flooded with tears, and the young girl turned silently from the tree she'd been hiding behind and rushed back toward town.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Finding her mother still gathering flowers in the meadow, Mary rushed over.
"Sweetheart, I thought you were going to catch up with Gabby and Johnny," Rebecca said softly. Mary shook her head. She'd dried her tears before she'd left the woods, and she was ready to stop thinking about what she'd just seen; everything she had just heard.
"I…uh…they were too fast for me. I couldn't catch up, so I decided to turn back." Rebecca nodded slowly.
"You're sure you're alright?"
"Yes," Mary said with a fake smiled. "Oh, daisies!" She stooped low to pick a few. "I'll give these to Aunt Michaela for the vase on her desk."
"I'm sure she'd love those, darling," Rebecca said softly. "That's very thoughtful." Mary simply nodded.
"Good afternoon, ladies." Both Rebecca and Mary turned to see Timothy walking toward them. Mary glanced up to see her mother smile happily.
"Good afternoon, Timothy," she smiled. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Sure is," he replied. "Would you ladies like to join me for a lemonade at Grace's?"
"That would be lovely, but I've promised Mary I'd spend the day with her."
"No," Mary said quickly. "It's alright. I need to…I'm going to go lie down."
"Are you feeling ill?" Rebecca asked, immediately placing her hand against Mary's forehead.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little warm from the sun. Go on…" Mary smiled up reassuringly at Rebecca.
"Are you sure, sweetheart? I promised you we'd spend today together, and I don't want you to think…"
"It's alright. We can gather flowers another day," Mary assured her. She gave her mother a quick hug around the middle before rushing off toward town, leaving the daisies forgotten on the ground. Rebecca stared at her in wonderment for a few moments before turning back to Timothy. She knew by now that the best thing to do was to leave her daughter alone to think for a while.
"I'm not quite certain what that was about," Rebecca said slowly, "but I have the feeling it involves your daughter and my nephew." Timothy sighed and shook his head, before he hooked his arm with Rebecca's, and they started off toward the café.
Meanwhile, Mary entered the clinic via the back stairs, and she tore into her bedroom, tears streaming down her face. The first thing she saw was the wooden dove that Johnny had made her for her birthday. The memory of him kissing Gabby flashed before her eyes, and she angrily picked up the bird and threw it across the room. A curtain cushioned its impact on the wall, and it slid down onto the wooden floorboards, unharmed.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sully entered the clinic to find Michaela sitting at her desk, just where he'd left her a couple of hours before. He had kept both Horace and Robert E. on alert just in case something were to happen while he was out at the homestead. Michaela had insisted that he get out of her hair for a little while, though she'd urged him in much more docile words.
"Michaela?"
"Hello," she said with a grin.
"You feelin' ok?"
"Is that always your first question?" she asked with a laugh. "It was just a cramp in my back, Sully. I promise…everything's fine."
"I'll believe that after Dr. Bernard examines ya tomorrow." Michaela nodded.
"I see how it is…you don't trust me," she said, trying to hide her amusement, but she saw that Sully feared another mood swing was coming along.
"'Course I do, Michaela. I just…"
"It's alright," she laughed, standing up and moving around the desk so she could give him a proper greeting. She wrapped her arms around him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. The softness of her lips caused Sully to shudder with desire, and his arms tightened around her. She smiled, as he sought entrance into her mouth and traced his tongue along her lower lip. She muffled a moan, as her tongue found his, entwining with it, as their breaths began to come in ragged gasps, and Sully was leaning against Michaela's desk with one arm, as the other held her close.
"Mmm…Michaela," he stammered between kisses, as her mouth tenderly suckled his neck. Michaela grinned, and she pulled back.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "It's been…" But before she could finish that sentence, a knock came at the door. Pulling back and straightening herself up, Michaela gave him a knowing look before starting toward the door. When she opened it up, she was surprised to see Brian Cooper standing there.
"Hi Dr. Mike," he said with a smile.
"Hello Brian. What brings you here?"
"I was lookin' for Johnny. Is he here?" He waved to Sully. "Hey Sully!"
"Brian," Sully said with a smile and a nod.
"I'm afraid Johnny's not here right now," she said quietly. "He took Gabby Thompson to Snow Creek." Brian frowned.
"Oh, alright. He said we'd go fishin' soon, and it seems like a real good day to go."
"Well, I'll tell him you stopped by, and perhaps the two of you could go tomorrow." Brian nodded.
"Maybe," he replied. "See ya later, Dr. Mike." The boy turned and walked off.
"Goodbye, Brian," she called after him, shaking her head with a smile on her face. Shutting the door and turning back to Sully, she grinned in surprise when she found him quickly closing the gap between them. She giggled, as he picked her up into his arm.
"Fifteen more days, and I'll be callin' you Mrs. Sully," Sully said with a grin, as he kissed her neck. He heard her clear her throat, and he chuckled. "'Course…you'll still be Dr. Quinn." Michaela grinned.
"You're really alright with that?"
"Sure I am," he replied. He kissed her softly. "Dr. Quinn is what ya worked all your life to become." Michaela nodded slowly, and a smile slowly spread across her face.
"Yes, but I've also waited a very long time to be Mrs. Sully," she whispered. Letting her out of his arms and taking her hands in his, Sully looked deep into her eyes, watching her relax further. "And that's exactly who I'll be."