CHAPTER 11:

As everyone sat back down in the living room, Colleen sighed. She knew Doctor Mike and Sully were in trouble these days, but what he had done, and the way he had tried to save her was so romantic. She sincerely hoped that the young woman would pull through.

"Is there something between Sully and Doctor Mike?" Olive asked the Cooper family indiscreetly.

"At least it looked like it." laughed Grace, enthusiastic about this story.

"They court each other." Charlotte replied simply as Brian sat on her lap and Matthew was building a fire, kneeling in front of the fireplace.

"Really? But I thought Doctor Mike had only been here a short time." Loren's sister said, confused.

"They came back together from Boston. Apparently Sully was there for work." Matthew replied, still looking up at the fireplace.

"Oh…I really hope Dr. Mike will be okay…" Grace said followed by a nod from Charlotte and Olive.

Sully leaned over Michaela and unbuttoned her top. He pulled it off, leaving her chest completely bare. He turned her over on her stomach, to protect her modesty in case someone entered. He looked at her, still sweating and distressed, and at a loss for what to do, feeling utterly helpless. Then he had an idea. He took off his shirt and got shirtless as well. He lay down on the bed, next to the young woman. He stared at her for a few moments as her sweaty red face was turned towards him. Even so, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. After a few minutes, he wrapped his arms around her and laid her on his chest. Unconsciously, she clung to him, her head lightly rubbing his chest.

"Sully..." she moaned as she had when he entered the room earlier.

"I'm here, Michaela…" he answered her even though he knew she certainly did not hear him. "You know, I understand why you've been so distant lately. At first I thought that… that it was because I had run away after our argument. I know it's partly for that, but I mostly understood that I had broken your trust... You don't trust me anymore in reality... You gave your trust to very few people in your life and I… I was lucky enough to be one of those people." Sully said sadly.

He sighed as he noticed that the young woman seemed less agitated. As if his heartbeat had calmed her down.

"I'm really sorry, Michaela. I promise you that this kind of thing won't happen again... Although I also understood that your confidence had crumbled because of the promise I made to you before leaving for Colorado Springs. I promised you that I wouldn't give up on you. But that's exactly what I did, and from day one. I am an impulsive and touchy person, but for you I can make an effort… Even if I know that it will not be easy to correct that." he chuckled lightly. "I need you… more than anything. I love you Michaela." Sully finished.

He could not quite remember when, but at some point he had fallen asleep. He had dreamed of a large blinding blue light. He turned around and saw Michaela suddenly fall to the ground. And before he could reach her, Cloud Dancing had found himself near her and lifted her up in his arms. Then he had taken her into this blue light and they had disappeared under the cries of Sully who begged them to come back to him. The blue light then surrounded him and gently caressed his face.

Then he opened his eyes as the delicate caressing sensation on his face continued. "Michaela…" he whispered.

"Sully."

The young man jumped at the clear voice of his lover. He sat up and watched her smile at him, her eyes shining.

"Michaela! How are you doing? You…" Sully stammered before raising his hand to her forehead. "You don't have a fever anymore!"

"No." Michaela laughed weakly. "I'm tired, but I feel much better."

The couple looked into each other's eyes for a moment, smiles on their lips, breathing lightly and relaxed.

"Sully…I heard everything you said earlier…And you are right. My confidence crumbled. I thought you would be there to support me. But, I think I need to move on. You have always been lovely to me and... I overpaid you for your mistake. Everyone can be wrong."

"No, Michaela, you didn't overcharge me for my mistake... You were right... I was cowardly and above all, everything I told you, I should have told you during that you were awake. But I was too scared. I suck, don't I?"

A silence stretched for a few seconds as Michaela focused her gaze on Sully.

"Yes you suck." she concluded before laughing gently.

Sully also laughed, feeling both embarrassed at his own behavior and more than happy to have the indisputable right to hear that wonderful laugh again.

"I promise you that won't happen again." Sully assured as he noticed for the first time that night had fallen.

"I believe you, Sully. So we move on…" she smiled at him while they were still both, chest to chest, locked in an embrace. The young man leaned down and kissed the lips of Michaela who, this time, responded enthusiastically. She put a hand to her companion's cheek to kiss him even deeper. They parted slowly, forehead to forehead, before the young woman dove back into his arms, completely relaxed.

"How come I feel so good?" Michaela asked before giving Sully a light chest kiss. "What happened? I remember I was on the porch after Brian woke up and, nothing…"

"You were taken to your room and Olive, Grace, Charlotte and Colleen took care of you. They said you had used all the medicine for the others and there was nothing we could do. So I took you to the Cheyenne." Sully explained as he could see the young woman's eyebrows rising in surprise. "Cloud Dancing gave you one of those remedies... Remember, we talked about it..."

"Oh yes… We had a fight? Besides. I apologize for that…"

"But I understood the reasons why you did not want to give this remedy to your patients." added the young man.

"Yes… But if it is that effective, I would really like to hear a little more about it."

"Well, Cloud Dancing would like to teach you his medicine. If you would like to come and help them heal their tribesmen as well… They would be delighted."

"Yes, that would really please me, Sully." smiled the young woman, very enthusiastic about this suggestion.

"By the way… I'm really impressed with how much you managed to accomplish in such a short time. I think things will get better and better Michaela. And this time, I'll be by your side." he smiled at her.

"Thank you Sully." she smiled at him happily.

Sully sat up suddenly. "I have to go tell the others that you are feeling better, they must be worried down there."

"Oh yes, of course."

"But first… We're going to get you dressed." laughed Sully, feeling the happiest in the world.

Michaela laughed at her own state of undress. Indeed, it might be wiser to hedge.

Note : Well, they finally reconciled haha. I found this part important (the part of their argument) because I didn't want in my story, Michaela to rely too much on Sully to do things when she had frankly done well in the series, even if she got a little help here and there. And also, not everything could be rosy between them, too easy right? haha!

Thank you for your comments, I'm so happy that it's your little routine to read a new chapter at the start of the day! I'm sure it puts you in a good mood haha! Too funny because when I post, I usually go to bed :)