Author's Introduction – Hello, readers! Like some of you, I'd long wondered how Colleen & Andrew went from the events of "A New Beginning" to those in "The Heart Within." I thought someone must've written a fanfic about it, but I couldn't find one. The obvious solution was that if I wanted to read that particular tale, I'd need to write it myself…
That was back in 2019 (yup - pre-pandemic!). Since then I've written other (shorter) stories that have cut to the front of the line for posting. But the first draft of this was actually the first DQMW fanfic I wrote. It wasn't much then, only about a dozen or so chapters, but between my other stories I kept plugging along on this one. I now have a much better appreciation for fanfics that take YEARS to complete, lol. This is by far the longest story I've written, and I warn you now that some parts continue to undergo rewrites, so posting will be irregular. Nevertheless, the basic storyline is finished and I've been itching to share this one - and some readers have been itching to read it (you know who you are ;-). Ergo... time to drop the first chapter!
All of my stories have a different tone to them, and this one is no exception. For this, I envisioned a sense of verisimilitude, of being true to the time of 1873 (did you know that hotel room service did not yet exist? Now you do!). Turning to history helped me craft the story, providing invaluable inspiration for a couple of incidents and characters. As the show did in its later seasons, I've added notes to explain the actual history, as well as my creative choices.
I've also tried to be true to Colleen & Andrew's characters and give them both a voice. If they seem to get off-track and OOC on occasion, my apologies in advance. Also, apologies for the long prologue at the start, but for anyone unfamiliar with the show (or who hasn't been able to watch it in a while), I felt the recap necessary.
Dedication – I was inspired to attempt this after reading "Falling in Love" by DisPrincess on FFN. That story filled in many missing scenes of the C&A romance that we didn't see on screen. Thank you, DisPrincess, for showing the way.
Also, much appreciation to A.C.T. of Paradigm and Igenlode Wordsmith - gurus of the FFN Writers Anonymous forum - for their tough love concrit, and to my readers for their encouragement for more C&A stories.
Disclaimer – This fanfic is inspired by characters and situations from the show "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." They're not mine; I'm just playing in the sandbox.
And now, on with our story…
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Follow Your Heart - The Cook Chronicles
"The unknown can also be a great adventure. You just have to follow your heart, and trust." - Michaela to Colleen in "Having it All," season 5
Prologue
On May 16, 1873, eighteen-year-old Colleen Cooper married twenty-six-year-old Andrew Cook in Colorado Springs, Colorado Territory. It was a joyous occasion not just for the happy couple, but for the entire town. Too much violence, destruction, misery, and death had occurred over the last twelve months from Indian riots, raids by renegade dog soldiers, occupation by the U.S. Army, personal tragedies, and a deadly diphtheria epidemic. There had also been a shocking betrayal - the entire town had been deceived by one of its leading citizens.
Dr. Mike's dishonesty – pretending that her husband, Byron Sully, was dead, when he was actually alive and hiding out in the woods while wanted for treason for aiding the Indian rebellion – had disturbed the townsfolk greatly. It wasn't just the doctor who had lied to them; her eldest children Matthew, Colleen, and Brian had also been part of the deception. The entire episode had generated many hurt feelings, including between the couple celebrating their nuptials today. It had taken time, but eventually, all was forgiven. Ultimately Sully had been granted a pardon and reunited with his family. The raids on the town ceased as the renegades were either killed or dispersed to other territories by the army. Once peace was restored, the soldiers also left. Townsfolk slowly forgave the woman doctor and her family. Colleen and Andrew reconciled, declared their love for one another, and officially became sweethearts.
When Colleen received her acceptance letter from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania following her graduation from Colorado Seminary, Andrew was torn. Though happy for Colleen, he worried that her feelings for him might change while she was clear across the country, unable to return home for periodic visits. Absence sometimes made the heart grow fonder, but Andrew worried that a prolonged, two-year separation might tear them apart instead. Sully noticed Andrew's torment and nudged the younger man into following his heart. And his heart told him it wouldn't be enough to follow Colleen all the way to Philadelphia only to see her on occasion, as they continued to court. He wanted to marry her, to be with her always, letting nothing or no one come between them again.
Although surprised at his timing, Colleen readily accepted Andrew's proposal. Colleen had had the impression that they would get married once she had earned her medical degree. She knew she wouldn't find anyone else as gentle, respectful, or as devoted to her as the young doctor. They shared a love of medicine, and not many men accepted the fact that she wanted to become a physician herself. It wasn't considered proper.
Andrew, however, had always fully supported Colleen's career ambition (though it had taken him a bit longer to accept the idea of a working wife). He had even asked her at one point if she wanted to work with him once she finished medical school. He took pains to emphasize that she would not be his subordinate, but an equal partner in the practice of medicine. He had asked the question with a kiss. It was their first kiss, on a bench in the rose garden of the Spring Chateau and Health Resort where Andrew worked.
Colleen realized from that kiss that he wasn't just asking her to be his professional partner someday, but his personal one as well. And from that kiss, Colleen knew it had to be a matter of when, not if, Andrew would propose marriage.
It was only a matter of time.
Shy as he was in expressing his feelings, it had taken Andrew some time to work up the nerve for that first kiss. The moment had never seemed to be right. Being from Boston, having grown up in society, he wanted to be respectful of Colleen, and never too forward. She was young, too - just sixteen when they met - and as such he simply considered her a good friend at first. Colleen had welcomed him to Colorado Springs with an outstretched arm when he'd slipped in the muddy street, as the small town's roads were not yet paved. Then she assisted him at her mother's clinic while Dr. Mike took time off after giving birth to a daughter. Katie's impending birth had been the reason Andrew had come out west in the first place, invited by Colleen's grandmother Elizabeth Quinn to deliver the baby and run the clinic until Michaela could return to work.
Things hadn't quite worked out as planned, as Michaela went into early labor in the woods, and Sully had ended up delivering his own child. Andrew's own original plan had been to return to Boston to practice medicine with his uncle once the woman doctor resumed working. But that hadn't gone according to plan either. Andrew decided to forge a new life for himself and stay out west. He eventually took the job running the new clinic at Preston's hotel to escape the shadow of Dr. Mike. And shortly after Katie's first birthday, when Colleen and Andrew had taken that stroll in the garden, he sensed that it was the right moment to kiss her and ask her to be his partner. It was the time to let Colleen know that he wanted more than a friendship with her and more than just a professional partnership with her someday.
It was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, it was shortly after their first kiss that the young couple's budding relationship stalled over the deception about Sully. Colleen returned to her collegiate studies in Denver, widening the gap between them. Now less certain about her future with Andrew, Colleen allowed Patrick Collins, a gentleman from Denver, to call on her during one of her rare visits home. It seemed harmless enough, and she enjoyed being showered with gifts and attention.
It was jealousy that finally prompted Andrew to make his own advances in pursuit of Colleen. He invited Colleen out on a picnic, wooing her with her favorite dishes and a Shakespearian sonnet to convey how he felt. Andrew's understated yet sincere approach confirmed that there was no one else Colleen would rather be with. She just had to bide her time and let Andrew continue to come out of his shell at his own pace.
That pace accelerated rapidly the day after the picnic, with Collins again forcing Andrew's hand. The man became aggressive towards Colleen when she refused him, and Andrew had ended up in a fight to protect her. It was while Colleen was tending to Andrew's injuries that he at last declared his love for her. Colleen immediately returned the sentiment, and the pair officially began courting. Courting was a relative term, seeing as how Colleen was still in college, but it did mean Andrew could pay her a social call in Denver when she was unable to get away from school. And he proudly joined the family in Denver for Colleen's college graduation. Without ever speaking of it, the couple knew that they would be married someday.
Someday came a lot sooner than either of them anticipated, with Colleen's impending departure for medical school. Andrew confessed his fears of losing her to Sully, who urged the young doctor to act on his feelings rather than wallow in them. Sully knew all too well from the tragic deaths of his first wife and child that time was short, time was precious, and that worrying about what-ifs was a poor way of spending that time when you could instead spend it with the person you loved.
Thus, encouraged by Colleen's father, Andrew had proposed. Colleen had accepted with a joyous leap into his arms, and despite a short hiccup when Michaela had temporarily objected, a wedding was hastily arranged.
However, Dr. Mike's motherly concern had been a valid one – what if Colleen became pregnant and was unable to finish medical school?
Andrew shared Michaela's concern. He silently vowed that if Colleen became pregnant, that would merely delay – not derail – Colleen's dream of becoming a doctor. Yet as a physician himself, he knew that passively waiting for nature to take its course wasn't their only option. Though not something ever discussed in polite company, there were ways to be careful.
Thus, before packing up his medical books for the trip back east, Andrew perused them for their expert recommendations, in preparation for tonight.
Tonight… was their wedding night.
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Chapter 1 – Heart, Mind, and Body
Their wedding day had been perfect.
Well… almost perfect.
Two people were notably missing from the day's festivities, lending a bittersweet air whenever the bride and groom spared a thought for their absent friends.
During the ceremony in the church and subsequent reception in the meadow, it was Becky Bonner whom Colleen missed. She should have been here to share in her best friend's day, should have been the one standing beside her as her maid of honor. Becky's tragic death six months ago prevented that, however, so Colleen had bucked tradition and gone with Dr. Mike as her attendant instead. As trying as their relationship could be at times (including the days before the wedding), there was no other woman Colleen felt as close to as her adoptive mother - the same woman who had inspired a thirteen-year-old girl to strive to become a doctor in her own right.
At the following dinner reception at the Spring Chateau for Andrew's co-workers, the prominent absence was that of the proprietor – make that former proprietor – of the establishment, one Preston A. Lodge the third. Though Preston and Andrew's official standing had been that of employer and employee, the pair had a dynamic that at times seemed to transcend that capacity. Fellow Bostonians, fellow alumni of Harvard, and fellow transplants to the same frontier town, Andrew sometimes felt like Preston was the older brother he'd never had – often arrogant and bossy, while at other times encouraging and supportive.
Unfortunately, things had not ended well between them this week, when Andrew had abruptly quit to marry Colleen. Preston had been too consumed by his own concerns to even ask why Andrew was quitting or to thank him for his service or to wish him well as he pursued other options. The young doctor had hoped Preston would at least attend the dinner reception so that they could depart on better terms, but Preston was a no-show, apparently still too self-absorbed to be in the mood for celebrating another's good fortune.
Preston aside, Andrew had arranged the hotel dinner for sentimental reasons. The Spring Chateau and Health Resort had been the site of his and Colleen's first supper together, their first kiss, and the first time they had told each other those three extraordinary words which confirmed how they felt about one another. About the only major milestone in their relationship which had not occurred on the premises had been Andrew's proposal – and, notably, tonight's first would not be held there either, for Michaela had offered the use of her clinic as a wedding present. It was really all she and Sully had to give the couple on short notice, and Andrew knew the significance of Michaela giving them this private retreat after the disappointment she'd been responsible for earlier in the week.
And so it was that Andrew and Colleen were presently headed back to town following the dinner reception. A palpable silence reigned between them; the air thick with anticipation. There was only one thing left to do this evening, and the nerves - which had been quelled after the Reverend had pronounced them husband and wife - were creeping back like a darkening sky descending after sunset.
As the buggy approached its destination, the sole remaining remnant of the day's events was the dancing platform, to be disassembled tomorrow. The tables with their distinctive blue checkered tablecloths had been returned to Grace's Café, the piano moved back into the church, the wedding presents carted off to the Sully homestead for safekeeping.
Andrew pulled the buggy to a halt outside Michaela's clinic. He braced himself for a crude comment from Hank across the street as he handed Colleen down, but thankfully it never came. Apparently, someone – most likely Sully – had given the saloon owner a talking to about minding his manners this one time. In fact, the front of the Gold Nugget was oddly deserted for this time of day. Whether that was by arrangement or happenstance Andrew didn't know, but he would take it. He opened the clinic door, ushering Colleen inside.
The clinic had been converted from a boarding house, and as such the entire second floor was comprised of small bedrooms which were utilized as patient recovery rooms. Andrew himself had been an occupant of one of those rooms before, when he had been ill with spotted fever. Colleen had remained at his sickbed then, nursing him back to health. Fortunately, tonight promised to be a much more pleasant stay of Colleen by his side, and Andrew felt himself becoming hot under the collar as they climbed the stairs.
Candlelight emanated from one of the doorways. Unbeknownst to the couple, Michaela had enlisted the aid of Christy, one of Hank's saloon girls. Her task had been to keep an eye out for the newlyweds from the clinic balcony and light the candles which had been added for the special occasion. The young woman had been happy to help. Dr. Mike was always supportive of the girls and their distinctive health needs, even though the doctor disapproved of their profession entertaining gentlemen.
Her task complete, Christy slipped out using the clinic's side staircase to avoid being seen. Before returning to the Gold Nugget, she went to alert Robert E that the newlyweds had arrived so he could take care of the horse and buggy waiting out front, for they wouldn't be needed again until the morning.
Upstairs, the newlyweds noticed light emanating from one doorway. Peering inside, the groom understood why this room had been prepared for this evening.
It was the room with the largest bed.
Except for the candles scattered about, the room was just as it usually looked. Andrew's medical bag had been placed upon the nearest nightstand, with Colleen's carpet bag and Andrew's suitcase placed on the floor next to the heating stove in the corner. The stove was already lit (by Christy) to help ward off the chilly Colorado night. At the foot of the bed, the lace curtains on the balcony doors were drawn closed against the cares of the world.
The flickering glow of candlelight was intended to provide a romantic atmosphere. Nevertheless, the newlyweds stood uncomfortably by one another just inside the doorway, the nerves now in full force.
Neither of them had ever done this before.
Someone needed to say something.
"Are you tired?" Andrew finally asked Colleen.*
Inwardly, he cringed. It was a valid enough question, seeing as how she'd danced a lot today, but he might as well have added, Any headaches or dizziness? The question sounded too much like a doctor inquiring after a patient. Andrew had thought that his days of being tongue-tied around Colleen were over, but his nerves were preventing him from coming up with anything romantic to say.
Shakespeare, he was not.
Colleen sat on the edge of the bed, glad for a chance to talk and diffuse some of the anxiety. "A little. I had a hard time falling asleep last night."
Relief flooded Andrew at her answer as he joined her on the bed. "So did I. I kept thinking about-" he broke off, realizing what he had been about to say. This moment. Being alone with you. Loving you as a husband loves his wife. He couldn't say that! "Well… everything."
He hadn't said it aloud, but Colleen knew what he meant. It was on her mind, too. Painfully so. At least she was in familiar surroundings. "I'm glad we didn't elope in Philadelphia."
"So am I. I know how important your family is to you, Colleen. They've become important to me as well. It would have been a life-long regret if we hadn't shared this day with them."
"And now you're part of the family." The happy thought returned a smile to Colleen's face.
"Yes." Andrew paused and decided to seize the opportunity. He placed a hand tenderly on her cheek. "As you have become part of mine… Mrs. Cook."
They locked eyes, each knowing the significance of those last two words.
Andrew leaned in, giving his bride a gentle kiss on the mouth, an echo of their kiss in the church.
One kiss led to another, and another.
Colleen allowed herself to get lost in his kisses. She loved kissing Andrew, expressing affection for him this way. She brought a hand up to cup his ear, threading her fingers through his hair.
They sat there, kissing, enjoying this basic expression of their love. At one point Andrew kissed across her cheek, then down her jaw and back to her mouth again, completing a tentative first survey. Colleen's heart was racing, and when Andrew's lips left her mouth for a second time to go exploring down the column of her throat, she let out a gasp at the sensation.
Encouraged by her response, Andrew worked his way back up her neck to her jaw before claiming her mouth again, kissing her more intensely than ever before. Then, still passionately kissing his bride, part of Andrew's mind shifted to the task of removing her cumbersome wedding dress, and his hands began to work at the laces on the back of the gown.
The moment she realized what Andrew was doing, Colleen's past collided with her present, and her anxiety rose.
Colleen had long been self-conscious about her body, about boys wanting to look and touch. In one of her lowest moments, she had even declared that she would forgo marriage, never letting a man see her naked. Over time those feelings had been pushed aside, and she had forgotten them as she had fallen in love with Andrew.
The problem, at present, was the dress. A gorgeous confection of silk and lace, it had been hastily assembled on Michaela's wedding day as a fusion of two different dress designs. A supportive corset was part of the bodice – the very laces Andrew was now attempting to undo. And a camisole underneath would have ruined the neckline, so the dress was worn without one.
In other words, removing the dress meant revealing everything above the waist all at once.
Colleen had thought she was prepared for this special moment, that her love for Andrew would overcome any anxiety. But faced with the reality of the situation, of baring herself to her husband, Colleen found her old insecurities resurfacing. Her nerves got the better of her, and she began to tremble. Abruptly, she pulled away before Andrew's hands could complete their task.
"I, um… I should really… unpin my hair first," she said breathlessly, desperate to stall him. Colleen stepped around the bed, towards the side with the bureau and mirror, putting distance between herself and her groom. "If I don't, it… it will get all tangled… and take twice as long to brush in the morning."
Startled by Colleen's retreat, it took Andrew a second to respond. He, too, was breathing heavily. "Oh, uh… of course… do you need any help?"
The suggestion caught her off guard. "I-I'm not sure. Could you just… wait a bit?" Inwardly, she cringed. This was not how she pictured her wedding night playing out! She just needed some time to regain her composure.
"Certainly. I'll just… wait here."
With an apologetic smile, Colleen turned to stand before the rectangular mirror, letting out a long breath to calm herself before removing her earbobs. She then hesitated at the necklace. Am I supposed to leave it for him? The thought of Andrew possibly fumbling with the tiny clasp prompted her to remove that, too. It made her smile a little, though, the notion of him struggling, just being safe, quiet, ordinary Andrew.
Ordinary Andrew… slipping in the mud, falling off a horse, bumping into her at the train station…
Colleen felt like she was the clumsy one now. She and Andrew had hugged and kissed before, but that was always when there was never any risk of things escalating, of him looking or touching.
She didn't miss the irony of the situation. Here she was, anxious about Andrew looking and touching, which is something he did all the time as a doctor. But it's not the same thing, she rationalized. Patients usually don't take off all their clothes, unless they're being operated on. And touching for an examination is different. It's used to help people, to figure out what's wrong.
The shift in Colleen's thoughts to a medical perspective helped steady her nerves - and gave her an idea. She didn't know why Andrew had volunteered to assist with unpinning her hair, but maybe she could take him up on his offer to spend time with ordinary Andrew again.
But in the interim, she needed to keep him distracted. As she began to work on her hair, Colleen started talking, speaking of the wedding guests and how nice it was for them to come, not expecting so many people due to the brief cancellation of wedding plans, nor for so many gifts on short notice, and how kind it was for people to remember her late mother Charlotte.
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Andrew, meanwhile, was fighting a sense of rejection as Colleen moved as far from him as she could in the small space. Though he didn't doubt the need for her hair to come down (and was more than willing to help with that if she wanted it), the abrupt way she had withdrawn from him was troubling… and strangely familiar. With a sigh, he decided he might as well make himself more comfortable while he waited, divesting himself of jacket and tie, hanging them on the pegs mounted behind the door. At the same time, maybe he could determine what had just gone wrong.
The kissing had been going well, or so he thought. Colleen had been responding to him, enjoying it, until… until she'd pulled away. Why? Nothing had really happened thus far; he had only just started to undress her…
Was she shy about getting undressed?
Colleen had never struck him as the shy type; she was usually very self-assured. And besides, even if she were a little nervous about removing the dress, she would still be covered by her undergarments, at least initially. That wouldn't be any different than a doctor's visit, would it? Doctors were always respectful of a patient's modesty. Andrew knew that from personal experience, from the time Michaela had examined him here at the clinic.
Michaela had examined him… And with sudden clarity, Andrew had his answer.
Colleen's never needed to disrobe for a man before!
The young doctor felt a small sense of relief, feeling he had correctly diagnosed the problem. If so, what was the curative?
Colleen was now chattering on about the wedding, for which he was grateful. He could give brief responses, allowing him more time to think.
He could tell her that nothing needed to happen tonight, that they could change for bed separately and just lie there quietly. It would be an immense disappointment, but he would never force Colleen to do anything she didn't want to. Yet he didn't want to give up that easily. Last night, Colleen had assured him that she wanted to be married, with all that it entailed. There had to be something else he could try first…
Of course. What if he undressed first?
In short order Andrew's vest joined the jacket and tie. Dropping the straps of his suspenders, he was mostly through unbuttoning his shirt when Colleen announced, "You can help me now if you'd like."
Not wishing to keep his bride waiting, Andrew abandoned his undressing effort and went to join her by the mirror. As he drew close, he could see that she had removed her jewelry in addition to the pearl beads that had been part of her wedding coiffure. Her hair was still pinned up, though, meaning that the beads she had removed were decorative only and that other pins remained to secure her hair in place. Colleen would let him assist with those.
"How may I assist?" Andrew asked politely, coming up beside her.
Colleen opened her mouth to answer him and froze as she caught sight of his appearance. Her groom had not been sitting around waiting patiently! She averted her gaze and looked down at the tiny pearl pins collected on the dresser. Keep calm. Pretend you're working together in the clinic, that this is an operation…
"Locate one hairpin at a time and extract it slowly."
Colleen's directive caught Andrew off guard. She didn't usually speak that clinically – not even during a surgical procedure as he or Michaela would. Andrew was perplexed by it, but rather than comment on it he did as he was told, removing one pin carefully before handing it to her as though they were working together again performing an operation.
"Like that?"
"Like that."
True to her instructions, Andrew discovered that removing the hairpins did indeed resemble an operation in a small way, but it was much more than that. No other man had touched Colleen's hair like this, releasing it from its confinement. No, this was his privilege alone, one that Colleen would never grant to anyone else. The knowledge added to the swirl of thoughts already in his head, thoughts about Colleen and her actions thus far. A new plan began to form…
Colleen set the first hairpin down on the dresser and kept her eyes focused on it as Andrew searched for the next one. It was slow in coming, however, so she ventured a look up into the mirror's reflection. Aside from the undone clothing, she was with ordinary Andrew again, the earnest young doctor concentrating on his task. And yet… maybe it was the flickering candlelight providing a new, intimate perspective, but it suddenly struck Colleen that what Andrew was doing was anything but ordinary. Letting down her hair was in preparation for going to bed. Going to bed together… she quickly fixated back on the hairpins, determined not to get nervous again.
Once the pins had been removed, Andrew skimmed his fingers down Colleen's tresses, ostensibly searching for any he might have missed, but really because he hoped his young bride would find the action soothing. He considered saying something to her, offering reassurance that nerves were normal and that everything would be all right, but he didn't want to sound condescending. And what did he know, anyway – this was all new to him, too. Thus, Andrew kept quiet as he prepared to set his plan into motion.
Colleen remained quiet at the mirror as Andrew stroked her hair. It felt nice. Comforting. The way her mother would soothe her when she was troubled. Except that this wasn't a gesture of parental love. This was a lover's caress. Or would-be lover, as Colleen had thwarted Andrew's earlier effort. She didn't want to do that again, didn't want him to regret having married someone so young. Therefore, she waited silently – if a little anxiously - for Andrew to pick up where things had left off and resume undressing her.
Andrew's next action, however, came as a surprise. He swept her hair to the side, draping it over one shoulder. Then, ever so gently, he began to caress her neck.
Colleen shivered at the initial contact. Andrew's fingers on her bare skin were warm, tender… loving. As his hand lingered along her neckline and caressing appeared to be all that he would do, Colleen closed her eyes and let her head drop forward, easing into his touch.
Andrew was pleased by her reaction to his simple gesture. Well, simple for him. As a doctor, he was used to touching people. On the other hand, this was uncharted territory for Colleen. It had taken him a few minutes, but Andrew now understood that his bride's anxiety wasn't just a matter of being undressed and seen by a man - she had never been touched by a man either. Fortunately, the open neckline of the wedding dress provided the perfect opportunity to help Colleen get comfortable with the latter, and Andrew intended to take full advantage of it. He could gradually increase the area of bare skin he was touching without removing a stitch of her clothing.
It was step one of his new plan - and so far, it seemed to be working. Colleen hadn't bolted, which was a good sign. Her eyes were closed, trusting him, which was another good sign.
After a few moments Andrew felt it was time to move on to step two, the part that Colleen herself had inadvertently suggested to him with her clinical direction earlier.
"Cervical," he said quietly, bending down to gently kiss the nape of her neck.
Colleen's eyes flew open.
Andrew moved his hand slowly across her shoulder blade. "Scapula," he said softly, and again gave a gentle kiss.
Colleen felt her heartbeat quicken as his fingertips slid across her skin. "Acromion," he pronounced, and there was another soft kiss on her shoulder.
Colleen and Andrew had always spoken the language of medicine, and now he was using that very language to seduce her! Colleen fully expected her groom to push the loosened bodice down to reach her upper arm and collarbone – humerus and clavicle, respectively - next, or else resume untying the dress to expose even more of her flesh, and she tensed in anticipation.
Much to her astonishment, however, he did neither. Instead, Andrew scooped her up into his arms… and simply turned around to lay her down on the bed.
He settled himself next to her. "Labium," said Andrew, resuming his kisses with one on her mouth. That was followed in short order by kisses to her zygomatic (cheek bone) and glabella (the space between her eyebrows). Frontal resulted in a trail of kisses along her forehead.
With a pleasant shock of insight, Colleen realized that Andrew had sensed her discomfort removing the dress and was now working around it, for he had deliberately positioned her on her back, where the laces were inaccessible to him. The realization made her love him all the more. For this, too, was ordinary Andrew - because ordinary Andrew was the man who cared about her and wanted what was best for her. He was the man who supported her dream of becoming a doctor and wished to work alongside her one day. He was the man who loved her and had married her - to be fully united in heart, mind... and body.
Closing her eyes once more, Colleen felt her tension ebb. And the more she felt at ease, the more she was able to appreciate Andrew's loving attention to her nasal, her mandible, her carotid, her clavicle…
After attending to her collarbone for a time, Andrew lifted his head. He'd effectively run out of real estate, the dress preventing any further explorations. Colleen's eyes fluttered open as she realized the unique anatomy lesson had ended.
"I love you, Colleen. I want you to be comfortable with this. If you'd prefer it darker, I could blow out the candles, or I could leave the room and let you-" She shushed him with a finger to his lips, smiling coyly.
"I believe vertebrae was next." And with that, she rolled onto her side to face away from him.
Andrew's own lopsided smile appeared. His remedy for Colleen's nerves had succeed, and the prognosis for a favorable outcome to this evening was excellent. He returned to the task of untying the wedding dress.
This time, by request.
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Author's Notes:
-The show never specified Andrew's age, but the script for season 4's "When a Child is Born" described him as "mid-20's", so I've gone with 24 as his age at Katie's birth in May, with a June birthday to match Brandon's.
-The description of the wedding dress is based upon the final scene in season 3's "For Better or Worse." You know the scene I mean ;-).
*This line is shamelessly stolen from the fanfic which inspired this one. I needed a place to start writing, so, as a prompt to get myself going, I took this last line of dialog from "Falling in Love" and used it as my first line of dialog (as well as using the setting in the clinic). To make the scene my own, however, I went in a completely different direction from the other story.