Saturday morning was damp and foggy. One couldn't make out the opposite side of the street through the fog. It felt thick and gross on Lucy's face as she stepped outside onto the hotel porch for the last time. Her carpetbag (falling apart, of course) held her two well-worn dresses and everything else she owned. As ordered to, she wore the ill-fitting dress. At the last minute, she refused to put her hair back in one of those severe buns. They gave her headaches, and to compensate, she made sure the plait she wove her tresses into were practically perfect. Not a hair out of place.

Lucy had not gone out into the open air since she'd confirmed with Louise that all was lost with Timothy, and that her best option was to take up Ms. Chambers' offer to be her travelling companion. The entire week was spent in her room,getting out every cry she could, taking only tea and a sandwich a few times a day, and trying to figure out what had been going on since she met the Reverend. She'd never found her answer.

Maybe I will just look upon all of this as a romantic dream that will haunt me for the rest of my life, she finally concluded. I fell asleep on the train and woke up in San Francisco. I was never thrown off. Colorado Springs doesn't even exist. There was no Reverend Johnson who played with my heart and threw it on the fire.

That mantra was what she repeated to herself every morning and every night that week. It had yet to become her reality, but that had to have been due to the fact that she hadn't left yet. Once she was California-bound with Louise, perhaps the dream would become vague and reality would mold itself to what she willed it.

As she slowly made her way to the station, Lucy stopped by Dr. Quinn's clinic. She'd written a goodbye letter to the woman, in spite of the fact that she'd only had a few private conversations with her. But, like the note she'd left Grace acknowledging her resignation from the cafe, Lucy felt compelled to say something to recognize the kindness Dr. Quinn had shown her.

Dr. Quinn,

By the time you read this, surely I will be on my way to the coast. But I felt compelled to leave you with some gratitude for the kindness you showed me in my brief stay in this little town.

The fact remains, and I'm sure you felt it once, I am a city girl. You were too, once. But you found true love and family out here in the mountains, and therefore have a reason to stay. I thought I did too, but I had it confirmed for me that the Reverend was only acting with me, and so I'm leaving this morning before the town awakens. I don't imagine I will ever be back.

Timothy has already said his goodbyes to me back on Monday, when he told me he didn't need me in his life, and that I had to move away from here. Perhaps he finally saw how different we were, and I've felt from the beginning that a progressive girl like me has no business falling in step behind a preacher man for the rest of his life. I had hoped I was wrong.

Once I'm gone, please tell him that while my heart remains broken, I still love him. I would have been proud to be his wife, and I would have done all I could do to bring him happiness and companionship. When we were near one another, I felt a force between us that would draw me closer to him, and I'd felt that since meeting him. And I would have given up every dream of my own so we could build new dreams together. I guess he simply didn't see things that way.

When we first met, Dr. Quinn, he'd fallen in the dirt and hit his head. Later, I learned that he'd been blind, and that I was the first face he'd seen upon regaining his sight. He thinks that means I was an angel sent by God to be with him. I wish I could have fulfilled his expectations. Alas, I fell quite short of that.

Please extend to him my apology for not being his angel. And let him know that I will wish for his happiness with someone else in the future.

I still believe in him, and that he deserves it.

Thank you again,

Lucy Greene

Figuring that Dr. Quinn would be home and asleep at this unfortunate hour, Lucy slipped the note under the door and went along her way to the station without looking back.

She didn't notice that someone, indeed, retrieved the note from under the doorway.

"Reverend! REVEREND!"

Timothy couldn't imagine what the trouble would be, especially at this early hour. It sounded like Dr. Mike at the door, and she sounded like she needed him quickly. Perhaps someone was dying and asking for him...

"I'll be right there!" he yelled at the door, quickly pulling on black trousers, a white shirt, and black vest. He grabbed his Bible off of the night stand by his bed and in a flash, was opening the door. Dr. Mike was, indeed, standing there, her hair tussled about. She looked like she hadn't slept well that night. She held a piece of paper on her hand and was out of breath.

"Dr. Mike...what is it? Who is it?" Timothy asked with concern.

"It's Lucy," Dr. Mike said, handing the paper over to him.

Timothy's heart stopped. It was Saturday. Louise was leaving for the coast this morning, and taking Lucy with her. She hadn't been around at all during the week, and Timothy knew why. It was his fault. All his fault. He'd chosen to let her chase her own horizons. After all, he was the dead weight on her shoulders. He was the anchor holding her back. Lucy was too young and spry to be tied down and taken from her aspirations.

Timothy read the letter and felt every emotion he could feel at once.

"I still love him...I felt a force between us that would draw me closer to him, and I'd felt that since meeting him. And I would have given up every dream of my own so we could build new dreams together...I still believe in him..."

His hands trembled violently. He looked at Dr. Mike with a helpless, infantile face, pleading for help.

"I think she's for you," Michaela said bluntly. "Don't let her go!"

"I...I can't do it," he mumbled, letting the letter fall out of his hands and hit the ground.

Dr. Mike scowled. "What on Earth do you mean?"

"She's got too much to see in this world. I can't keep her here. It's like a cage!"

"Who said that? Lucy?" Dr. Mike shot back without missing a beat. Timothy shook his head.

"She's from a big city. She wants to see the world."

Dr. Mike shook her head. "I was from Boston, and Colorado Springs isn't a cage to me. I've never felt more free living here! And anyway, who says you're going to keep her here?"

"I belong here. My people are here," Timothy answered.

Michaela shrugged and nodded. "That is true, but they need me too, and I've been able to leave...just as long as I come back. And we all know very well that you will always come back."

Timothy sighed and looked at the ground.

"...but unless you get to the station, she won't be back. And then what happens, Reverend?"

Timothy looked at Dr. Mike. "I'm terrified."

"That's very normal. But you need to tell her the truth. She wants to be at your side, Reverend. But you need to be at hers too," Dr. Mike said, a smile growing on her face. "And maybe you both can chase your dreams holding each other's hand...no matter where you are."

"No matter where-?" Timothy stopped in the middle of his sentence. "Dr. Mike, I can't-"

"-we know you'll return to us," Michaela countered. "But you need her now. Go. And hurry...her train is going to arrive any moment."

Timothy whipped his head around and looked at the small clock on his mantle. 6:45. Fifteen minutes until the train's scheduled departure.

He turned back to Michaela and smiled. "I love her."

"Oh for goodness sake," Dr. Mike replied, rolling her eyes and raising her voice. "Why are you telling this to me?!"

"Oh...right."

Feeling like a fool, Timothy glanced past Dr. Mike and ran into the foggy air full-speed. In the distance, he heard the high-pitched whistle of a train pulling in across town...

"Lucile, I will only allow this once because we're only travelling out. But once we reach San Francisco, I would really like it if you put your hair up every time we appear in public," Louise scolded.

"It hurts my head," Lucy muttered. Louise stuck her nose in the air.

"Little girls wear their hair down, we're women," Louise replied. "Pain is a part of our lives, and it always has been."

Lucy nodded submissively. She really didn't like this lady very much. She had more pretense in her frigid soul than even Preston Lodge III. At least Preston acknowledged his slimy side. Louise polished herself up enough to disguise it under a layer of rouge. In a way, that made it even more obvious.

"I really prefer to wear my hair down," Lucy asserted through gritted teeth.

"I do hope you won'[t be so flip with me in California," Louise replied. "And remember, your only livelihood out there will be myself until you find work of your own, so please be careful of your tone with me."

Lucy sighed and chose not to add anymore. After all, this was the woman who thought nothing of battering children about. She would have no qualms whipping a full-grown lady in her service.

Even if said fully-grown lady could break her in two without the effort needed to slice bread.

Lucy let Louise step up onto the train first. When it came to be her turn to board, she stopped on the steps and took one last look at Colorado Springs and sighed.

It was just a dream...

"Lucile," Louise snipped. "Come along."

As she mounted the last step, Lucy could hear quick, irregular boot steps on the ground getting closer.

"Wait! Stop! Hold on!"

Louise rolled her eyes. "Oh good Lord, now what does he want?"

Lucy felt her heart thump in her chest. Then came a gentle tug on her skirt hem. She looked down at the platform, and sure enough, there he was.

Timothy was completely out of breath. He'd bolted through the entire town to reach her. He looked up into her eyes, his own pleading with her in silence. Lucy could feel her cheeks go hot. Tears already began flooding her eyes.

"Timothy, honestly," Louise scoffed. "What is the meaning of-"

"-Lucy," Timothy interrupted. "I was wrong. I can't just let you leave. I know it's selfish of me. I know it's absurd, but I can't let you go. You're my angel and I know it. I know it and I love you entirely too much to let you go out to California on your own."

"She is NOT on her own!" Louise barked.

"And even right now, I wouldn't have had time to tell you before you left...had it not been for someone being unable to sleep last night and was thus up early enough to come and help me realize it myself."

"The train is leaving! It's too late," Louise said sharply.

Timothy ignored her again. "Over the past month, I've dealt with people who don't want us happy together, I've dealt with my own desires. I've dealt with God and my faith. And everything keeps leading me back to you. That says it all to me."

"S...says what?" Lucy finally spoke, her voice soft and uneven.

"God did send you to me," Timothy said. "And I don't think it's fair that He did all of this work to ensure our meeting...if I just give it up because I don't know what to do."

"A...and...what will you do?" Lucy asked.

Timothy reached out for Lucy's hand, but the train jerked, and began to move slowly. Timothy missed and began to walk briskly alongside the train, chasing it.

"Lucy...I want to marry you...will you have me?" he asked in between breaths as he struggled to keep up with the train. It was beginning to speed up.

Lucy leaned over the railing and managed to keep her grip on the train as she caught Timothy's outstretched hand.

"RUN FASTER!" she said loudly.

Timothy mustered every ounce of his strength to make a jump onto the car's lower step. Lucy's hand kept him balanced enough to that when he landed, he stayed put. He rushed up the rest of the steps until he was safely on the train.

"Oh, I don't believe this," Louise muttered, going inside, defeated.

Timothy and Lucy took a moment to catch their breaths. Then, Timothy used the railing for balance as he got down into his knees, her hand still tucked into his.

"Would you be my wife?" he asked softly. "Please marry me...you would make me feel like a king."

Lucy let the tears fall. How could this be happening?

"But you can't be here...you belong in Colorado..."

"And I belong to you," he said. "I will be back here soon. But I can't let you fly away," he whispered. "I've had so much happen to me in my life, good, bad, and ugly. But none of it matters if I can't see the sunrise with you."

Lucy pulled him off of his knees and fell into his arms. Please, God, let this not be a dream after all...

"Oh Timothy...how can we make it work?" she trembled.

"We just will."

"But California?"

"I'm not jumping off of this train, Lucy. It's...moving too quickly."

Lucy looked over his shoulder, noticing that Colorado Springs was fading backwards into the misty morning behind them as they pulled away. She looked back and didn't waste a moment before leaning in a a long, deep kiss. Timothy put his shaking hand on her cheek, and it felt cool against her hot cheek, even as her tears ran over his knuckles as they fell. Never had she felt like she belonged anywhere more than where she was right now.

"Well, lucky for you, Reverend," Lucy said, smiling. "I'm well-practiced in the art of sneaking aboard trains. I can show you all of the best hiding places..."