For personal use and select distribution only © December 2000 by Amber Miller
A Christmas to Remember (cont'd)
by Tiffany Miller
"Breakfast is ready!" Colleen announced around mid-morning.
They had all gotten a late start this morning, since they had been awake late last night, playing games and alternately worrying about Dr. Mike and Sully. They had all expected to somehow hear they were all right, but the storm no doubt prevented that from happening. Now, they were continuing with their routines, just as if nothing was different. It was important for Katie that they keep a positive outlook. If she knew how much they were all worried, she would most likely be a lot more difficult to handle.
"Mmm, sure smells good," Andrew complimented his wife, sniffing the air. He gave her a quick kiss before sitting down at the table.
Brian and Matthew helped get the dishes and Colleen set everything on the table. They all held hands and asked the blessing over the food, praying for Dr. Mike and Sully's safety, wherever they were.
"Mmmm," Katie exclaimed after taking a bite of her eggs. "Better than Mama!" she said.
Everyone laughed at the little girl, and for a few moments, it seemed as if everything was all right. They heard a slight scratching at the door, and Matthew got up to investigate. He opened the door and in came Wolf.
"Wolf! What are you doin' here, boy?" he said out loud.
"Mama? Papa?" Katie asked upon seeing their dog.
Brian jumped up and ran to the door, expecting to see Dr. Mike and Sully, but all he saw was white. He turned back, dejectedly, and closed the door.
"Looks like he has a note attached to him," Andrew observed.
Matthew untied the string and took the note off, unfolding it. "It's from Dr. Mike and Sully!" he announced. "It says they're all right, and that they're stuck in an old cabin not far from here. They can't get home ‘cause of the storm, and they don't wanna try comin' with the threat of more snow. They miss us and say they'll be home as soon as they can, but not sure it will be in time for Christmas," he finished.
"Well, at least we know they're all right," Colleen stated.
"Yes, that is certainly a relief for us all," Andrew agreed.
"Do ya think we should send Wolf back with a note that we got their note?" Brian asked. "If we write quick, he can probably make it back before any more snow falls. They can't be that far away."
"You may be right, Brian," Matthew said.
"I write Mama an' Papa?" Katie asked.
"Sure, you can write a word or two," Matthew agreed, walking to Dr. Mike's desk to get a pencil. He came back to the table and sat down with everyone else, and they all discussed what they would write.
* * * * *
Christmas day dawned, bright and cold, with a light flurrying snow falling to the ground. Hank exited through the swinging doors of the Gold Nugget and carefully made his way around to the jail. He looked around, thinking the town looked more like a ghost town with no one walking about, nothing at all what Christmas had been like in recent years. He arrived at the jail and knocked on the door.
"Daniel!" he called. There was no sound coming from inside, so he knocked again. "Daniel!" he shouted, this time much louder.
The door opened, revealing a disheveled Daniel. "Whaddya want, Hank?" he asked, gruffly.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, sheriff," Hank replied, sarcastically.
"Merry Christmas, Hank, now are ya gonna tell me why you're here?"
"Yeah, seein's how the sun's out and the snow ain't comin' down so heavy, thought it might not be a bad idea to go check on some of them homesteaders a little ways out of town," he suggested.
"You mean, you actually want to pay a house call on people? Didn't think you much cared about them, since they ain't livin' here in town," Daniel chastised.
"Don't go makin' more outta this than there is, sheriff. I just figured we'd do our job and check on folks. It's Christmas, after all," Hank defended himself.
"Yeah, ya got a point." Daniel turned and looked back into his office. "All right, give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready to go. Why don't ya come on in and wait," he invited.
Hank entered and closed the door behind him and watched Daniel go into the newly added back room off the jail, where he primarily lived. A few minutes later, Daniel emerged and the two were on their way.
They didn't have to stop and check on Jake and Teresa, since they had left before the storm to visit Teresa's family. Preston and the chateau would have faired all right, as well, so they spent the next several hours walking the paths, not making their horses strain themselves any more than necessary. Finally, they came to the Sheehan's place.
Anna Marie met them at the door, having heard their approach. "Well, Sheriff Simon. Mr. Lawson. This is quite a pleasant surprise," she greeted warmly. "Merry Christmas to you both. Won't you come in?"
"Thank you, ma'am," Daniel replied. He and Hank dismounted and tied their reins to the porch post before following Mrs. Sheehan inside.
"Would you care for a cup of cocoa or coffee?" she offered.
"Coffee sounds real good, ma'am," Daniel replied.
"Mr. Lawson?"
"Coffee's fine for me, too."
"Sarah? Would you please bring me two cups from the kitchen?" Anna Marie asked her daughter.
"Yes, ma'am," Sarah replied.
As she poured, Anna Marie looked at their two visitors. "So, what brings you out this way on a day like today?"
"We thought it might not be a bad idea to check on some of the folks livin' out here, see how they fared through the storm," Daniel offered.
"That's very noble of you both," Anna Marie complimented. "Has there been anyone in need?"
Hank and Daniel exchanged a quick glance. "Well, we did find one man who didn't make it. Had to take him back to his family," Hank answered, not at all happy to be the bearer of bad news.
"Oh, my! That's so terrible!" Anna Marie exclaimed. "His family? How are they doing?"
"Well, there was just his wife and grown son," Daniel said.
"Yeah, seems he was headed into town, but he never made it to the barn before he lost his way and froze to death," Hank added.
"Oh, what an awful thing to happen on Christmas! I'll have to be sure to stop by and see them in a few days. What was his name?"
"Jason Edwards was his name. His wife is Harriet and his son is Jonathan," Daniel supplied.
"Mama?" Sarah interrupted.
"Yes, Sarah?" Anna Marie replied, turning to face her daughter..
"Do you think we could go see Brian and his family? They invited us for Christmas, and I want to make sure they're all right."
Anna Marie turned back to Daniel and Hank. "Have you been out that way, yet today?"
"No, ma'am. In fact, we thought they would be all right, but now that ya mention it, I reckon we should make our way out there," Daniel stated.
"Would you mind if Sarah and I accompanied you? It's not that far from here, and she and I can ride double on a horse to save time."
"Sure, why not?" Hank answered.
"Thank you," Anna Marie said, graciously. "Just give us a few moments to gather our things, and we'll be ready to ride with you."
* * * * *
"Brian, are ya ever gonna come away from that window?" Matthew asked, coming into the living room from the back door, carrying firewood he had just collected from the side of the homestead.
"I'm waitin' for Ma and Pa," Brian replied, turning away from the window and facing his brother. "It's Christmas, and they should be here by now," he complained.
"Well, you heard what they said in their note. They said they're all right, and they would get here as soon as they could. You see what's happenin' out there. It's still snowin'. Ain't like they're gonna try comin' home with that," Matthew reasoned.
"Yes, Brian," Colleen said, coming in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "If they're safe and warm, they won't risk getting caught in another storm. I know it's not easy, not having them here for Christmas, but they'll be here soon. We just have to wait for them," she comforted.
All of sudden, they heard the sound of horses whinnying. "They're home!" Brian shouted in excitement, not even bothering to look out the window before running to throw open the front door. But, it wasn't Michaela and Sully who greeted them; rather, it was the quartet of Daniel, Hank, Mrs. Sheehan and Sarah.
"Hello, Brian," Sarah said, coming up the steps to the door. "Merry Christmas." She leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, and Brian blushed a little.
"Merry Christmas, Sarah. Mrs. Sheehan. Hey, Daniel. Hey, Hank," he called, as the other three members of the group made their way to the front porch. "Come on in," he invited.
"Daniel! Hank!" Matthew exclaimed. "Everythin' all right in town?" His instincts were immediately alert.
"Everythin's fine, Matthew," Daniel assured him. "We brought some visitors for Christmas to you." He gestured to Mrs. Sheehan and Sarah.
"Yeah, an' we thought we'd come and see how y'all were doin'. Figured you'd be fine with Sully around here. Hey, where is he, anyhow? And Michaela?" Hank asked.
"They ain't, here," Brian replied.
"Ain't here? Where are they?" Hank questioned, and Daniel was instantly ready to act.
"They were out and got caught in the storm. Found some old cabin a few miles from here, and holed up there to wait it out," Matthew explained.
"Oh, goodness!" Anna Marie exclaimed.
"But, they're both all right?" Daniel wanted to know.
"Yeah, they're fine. Sent us a note with Wolf yesterday, tellin' us not to worry. Said they'd be home as soon as they could," Matthew replied.
Katie toddled over and stood next to Hank, pulling on his trouser leg, causing him to look down. "Mama an' Papa go away." She pouted.
Hank cleared his throat and shifted from one leg to the other, hoping no one else saw his battle of emotion at seeing little Katie so sad. Bending his knees and dropping to her level, he chucked her chin, lightly and patted her head. "Hey, there, little one. They just took a little trip. They'll be back soon," he tried to comfort, but he was quite out of practice. There was just something about this girl that melted his heart.
"Think we should go out and find ‘em?" Daniel wondered.
Everyone in the room fell silent. Hank looked around the main room and happened to catch Colleen's eye. The look on her face told him more was going on than what they were saying. "Must've been some sort of an argument," he thought to himself. He wasn't blind. He'd seen the two of them together, lately, and something wasn't right.
"Nah, I think they'll be fine, sheriff." Hank broke the silence, standing straight again. "It's Sully, remember? He knows how to survive in this. Besides, Michaela ain't likely to give up, either. She's just as stubborn and determined as he is."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Daniel agreed. "Well, seems like you've all got things under control here. Reckon Hank and I should head on back to town."
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna stop in and take Grace up on her offer for a nice, hot, Christmas meal," Hank replied.
"You're more than welcome to stay with us," Colleen offered.
The two men looked at her for a moment before Daniel spoke. "Thanks, Colleen, but you've got enough people here without worryin' about us. Sure appreciate the offer, though."
"Sure do," Hank agreed, "but we should be in town in case somethin' happens."
"Guess we'll see ya both later, then," Matthew replied, walking with them to the front door.
"Merry Christmas!" Hank and Daniel called.
"Merry Christmas!" everyone else replied.
Matthew closed the door and turned around. No one spoke for several moments, until Anna Marie cleared her throat. "Why is everyone looking so unhappy? It's Christmas!" She tried to interject some amount of cheer.
"Sure don't seem like it," Brian replied. He even rejected Fifi's attempts at getting his attention. Sarah had made sure to bring her with them, hoping he would be happy to see her.
"Now, I realize it's not the same without Dr. Mike and Mr. Sully here with you, but that doesn't mean everything else has to stop." She turned to Matthew. "Matthew, you said they wrote in their note that they would come home as soon as they could." Matthew nodded. "How are you to know when that will be? How do you know they aren't on their way home right now? And what would they find when they arrived? Their family, sitting around and missing them. Why don't we all work together and get everything ready for when they do arrive?" she suggested.
"Do you mean cook the food and put out the gifts we have?" Colleen asked.
"That's exactly what I mean, although, I'm not certain we should cook everything just yet. We can prepare what we can and hold off the cooking until they are here. It won't take long after that if everything is ready," Anna Marie instructed.
"Are ya sayin' we should act like they are comin' home and continue like we normally would?" Brian entered the conversation.
"Yes. After all, don't you think they would appreciate their family having Christmas ready for them instead of sitting around waiting for them to come home?"
No one replied, but Andrew finally decided to say something. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I believe Mrs. Sheehan is correct in her suggestion. Not only would it be a welcome sight when Michaela and Sully do return, but it would help us get our minds off the fact that they aren't here."
"Andrew's right," Colleen added. "Ma and Sully wouldn't want us feelin' like this, and it's Christmas. We should be happy we're all together and that they're safe."
"So, is everyone in agreement, then?" Anna Marie asked.
Nods of assent were seen all around, and everyone moved into action, each accepting a job. Sarah offered to entertain Katie, so she found some paper for the little girl to write a Christmas card for her parents. Colleen and Anna Marie worked together to prepare the food, and Matthew, Andrew and Brian went outside to begin working on the turkey Matthew had caught on Monday. It seemed like the Christmas spirit had begun to return to the homestead.
* * * * *
Sully awoke to the touch of Wolf's cold nose on his face. He rolled away from Michaela and threw off the blanket, being careful not to awaken his wife. "Ya need to go out, boy?" Wolf ran straight to the door, and Sully quickly followed. No sooner did he have the door open a crack and Wolf immediately ran out into the snow, playfully biting at it before running a short distance from the house. Sully watched him for a few moments before turning his attention to focus on the lightly falling snow. He could see the first glimpse of the sun, trying to peek its way through the cloud cover. It was difficult to ascertain the time, but he assumed it to be nearing mid-day.
"Anything of interest outside?" Michaela said from directly beside him.
Sully turned, quickly, at her voice, surprised she had been able to come up behind him without him hearing. She was standing with a blanket wrapped around her. "Just the same thing it's been for days, now," Sully replied, turning to face his wife and opening his arms, into which she stepped willingly. "Merry Christmas, Michaela," he said softly.
"Merry Christmas, Sully," she replied and lifted her face for his kiss. All a sudden, a cold wind blew into the cabin through the partially open door, and Michaela shivered.
"Hey." He looked down at her bare feet. "You'll catch your death, standin' here like this." He whistled for Wolf, who came bounding back to the cabin, stopping to shake the snow off his fur before coming back inside. "Come on, let's get the fire goin' again and get us both warm," he suggested, leading her back over to the fireplace. "How does a nice, hot bath sound?"
"Mmm, sounds heavenly!" she replied.
"You wait right there, and I'll get the water heated for ya," he instructed, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders before walking back to the kitchen to put some water to heat on the stove and checking the fire to make sure it was burning strongly.
It took several trips, and more than one round of heating pots of water to fill the tub, but finally, it was full, and he managed to locate a bar of soap for her to use. He took a couple of steps toward Michaela and held out his hand. "Ready?"
"More than ready!" she replied, taking his hand and accepting his assistance.
He stood behind her and held the blanket around her to protect her from any chill inside the cabin as she removed her undergarments. She had reached to slide the arms of her chemise down her arms, when Sully's hand reached out and stopped her. She turned her head back to the right to look at him, and his silent instruction to allow him to help stilled whatever protest she would have made.
Sully tenderly and slowly slid the arms of the chemise off and reached for the straps of her camisole, removing it as well. He stood behind her and helped her into the tup of hot water, and she immediately slid down until the water covered every part of her except her head, which she leaned back against the back of the tub.
Sully kneeled down behind her on the floor, reaching for the bar of soap and dipping it and his hands into the water to work a good lather. Then, he applied the soap, first to each arm, then her neck, and finally her shoulders, before sliding under the water. She tensed, slightly, at his touch, but just as quickly relaxed and enjoyed his ministrations. He even moved down to the foot of the tub to wash her legs and feet, placing a kiss on each foot once they were clean.
Next, he reached for the last pot he had brought over after he filled the tub and repositioned himself behind her. "Lean up," he instructed her, to which she obeyed. He lifted the pot over her head and slowly poured the water over her, making sure to gently massage her scalp and hair as the water ran through it. Michaela closed her eyes through all of this and sighed in complete contentment.
When he was finished, he moved her hair aside and placed a kiss on her shoulder, moving to the base of her neck, then her ear, before turning her face to capture her lips. She broke apart and sat up straight. "Now, it's your turn," she announced.
"My turn?" Sully asked, puzzled.
"Yes. You had your chance to tend to me, and now I would like a chance to tend to you," she replied.
"Michaela," he protested.
"No, Sully. This water is still hot enough for you, and you need one just as much as I. I won't hear of any arguments," she stated, concisely. Sully looked at her for several long moments, not saying a word. "Either you agree, willingly, or I'll make certain you get in this water. Either way, you're going to have a bath, too," she promised.
Sully chuckled. "What am I gonna do with you?" He tenderly cupped her cheek." My beautiful, stubborn, Michaela."
"Yes, now help me up, and then it's your turn," she instructed.
He lifted the blanket she had used to wrap around her earlier and helped her from the tub, wrapping the blanket securely around her and pulling her hair from underneath it to hang down her back. He rubbed his hands up and down to help her dry a little, but she suddenly turned around to face him.
"No more stalling," she said. "In you go!"
Sully sighed, and they switched places, this time Michaela stood behind him as he quickly removed his buckskins and stepped into the tub. She knotted the ends of the blanket at her shoulders and reached for the same bar of soap he had used for her, kneeling behind him to begin her ministrations.
* * * * *
A little while later, they both sat in front of the fireplace, wrapped in warm blankets, having put on the clothes they had before. Sully reached out to put his arm around Michaela's shoulders and drew her closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now," she breathed.
"I know what ya mean. This turned out pretty well. Things coulda been worse," he pointed out.
"Yes, but they weren't," she quickly stopped him. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again. "Sully?"
"Mmh?"
"What do you think the children are doing right now?"
"Oh, probably wonderin' when we're gonna be home, maybe playin' some games or hopin' we'll get home soon, so they can open the presents." He smiled.
"You're probably right. I miss them so much, and I wish we could have been home right now."
"I know, Michaela. Me, too. But, ya know we couldn't head back without bein' sure the weather was clear enough. What would happen if we both got caught in it?"
"Yes, I know." She sighed again.
"Hey," he whispered." I saw the sky earlier, and it looks like it's clearin' up. I think we might be able to head back tomorrow morning, first thing."
Michaela turned to look at him in excitement. "Oh, do you really think so, Sully?"
"Don't see why not." He shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, we got Flash, so you can ride and I can walk to make things easier."
"Flash!" Michaela suddenly exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! I can't believe I forgot about her. Is she all right?"
"Don't worry, Michaela. She's fine," Sully assured her. "I went out not long after you arrived and put her in the animal barn. It ain't much, but it was solid enough to keep her warm."
"Oh, thank you, Sully," she breathed. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to her."
"Well, ya ain't gotta worry about it, now. She's fine. We're both fine, and I'm sure the children are doin' well at home. We'll probably see ‘em tomorrow." He pulled her back into his embrace. "Until then, why don't we just enjoy this time alone together. Don't happen very often, and ya know we won't get much once we get back home," he pointed out.
"That sounds like a perfectly wonderful idea," she agreed, laying her head back on his shoulder and leaning into his embrace.
* * * * *
Sully quietly opened the door to the homestead and looked inside. He motioned to Michaela to follow him, closing the door behind her once she was inside. The house was so quiet, and not a soul was around.
"Sully, where do you think everyone is? It's well past the morning hours."
"I don't know, Michaela. Maybe they stayed up late waitin' for us last night and decided to sleep in this mornin'," he suggested.
"Perhaps," she agreed.
"Why don't we go find out?"
"Oh, Sully," she mildly protested. "I don't want to wake them if they were up late last night."
"Michaela, trust me. They ain't gonna be upset with us for wakin' them. Come on!" He held out his hand, and she willingly placed hers in it, walking with him towards the stairs.
When they reached the top, they walked to Brian's room, first, and opened the door. They both peeked inside and saw Brian and Matthew sound asleep. Andrew was sleeping on the floor by the wall, and they shared a questioning look at this arrangement. They closed the door, softly, and walked to Colleen's room. When they opened that door, they found Anna Marie Sheehan and Sarah sharing Colleen's bed, with Colleen sleeping on a cot. Deciding not to disturb the older members just yet, they closed the door and turned to enter Katie's room. Michaela smiled at the sight of her little girl curled into a ball and snuggled under the covers, a peaceful look on her face.
She moved slowly towards the bed and sat down, as carefully as she could, upon the edge. Reaching out to brush a tiny tendril of hair away from her daughter's face, she felt a tear fall from her eye and run down her cheek. She was so happy to be back home, warm and safe, and happy to see her little girl again.
"Go ahead, Michaela," Sully urged in a whisper.
Michaela touched her daughter's shoulder. "Katie," she called, quietly. There was no response. "Katie," she called again. "Come on, sweetheart. It's Mama. Wake up."
Katie stirred, slightly, and struggled to open her eyes. Reaching her hands up above her head, she streteched and yawned, then her eyes fluttered a couple of times before opening. It took her a moment to focus on the person sitting on her bed.
"Mama!" she squealed in delight, sitting up and throwing her arms around Michaela's neck.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Michaela said, hugging her back.
"Where's Papa?" Katie asked, as she pulled away.
"Right here, Kates," Sully replied, stepping to the side of the bed.
"Papa!" Katie exclaimed and pushed the covers back before she clumsily crawled towards him.
Sully reached out and swung her into his arms, and she giggled in delight. Her laughter awoke the other members of the household. It didn't take long for the other six people to find their way to Katie's room, where hugs and greetings were exchanged all around, mixed with Christmas wishes and expressions of pleasure at Sully and Michaela being home.
"Well, I don't know about all of you, but I'm starved!" Sully finally announced.
"Yes, why don't we continue this reunion downstairs and prepare something to eat for all of us," Michaela suggested.
"Sure!" They all agreed.
* * * * *
"So, what did ya do out there, waitin' for the storm to pass?" Brian wanted to know a couple of hours later, after their small meal was completed and cleared away, and everyone was gathered around the fireplace. Brian and Sarah sat next to each other on the floor on one side of the fireplace, and Colleen and Andrew sat on the other side. Michaela and Sully sat in the wingback chairs, and Katie was on Michaela's lap. Mrs. Sheehan and Matthew had pulled two chairs from the table over and were sitting on either side of the wingback chairs. Wolf and Fifi were sleeping over in front of the fireplace.
Sully and Michaela exchanged secret looks and smiles. "Well, Brian. I guess you can say we learned some real important things about ourselves," he offered as a reply.
"I would say by lookin' at ya both, that things are better than they were when ya both left?" Matthew inquired.
Michaela reached for Sully's hand and clasped it with her own. "Yes, they certainly are," she agreed.
"That's good, Ma," Colleen interjected. "We were all worried about you."
"Yes, I know, and we're very sorry we couldn't be here for Christmas."
"That's all right, Ma," Brian assured her. "We held Christmas for ya."
"Yeah, just wouldn't be the same without ya," Matthew added, causing Sully and Michaela to smile with happiness.
"Now, how did you and Sarah come to be here, Mrs. Sheehan," Michaela asked.
"Oh, that's a little bit of a story, but Sheriff Simon and Mr. Lawson were out visiting neighboring homesteads after the worst of the storm had passed," she began to explain.
"Hank was out with Daniel?" Sully asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I know," Matthew answered. "We were surprised, too. Never woulda thought we'd see that happen!"
"Go on, Mrs. Sheehan," Michaela encouraged.
"Well, they stopped by our place a couple of hours after noontime. We assured them we were all right, but Sarah asked about Brian and all of you. That was when I had the idea of coming over here. After all, you had invited us to join you last week, and we didn't want to miss out. So, I asked Mr. Simon and Mr. Lawson if they would mind us accompanying them over here. They didn't, and here we are!" she finished.
"I'm extremely pleased you could make it," Michaela stated with a warm smile.
"Me, too!" Brian chimed in, then blushed when everyone looked at him and smiled. Sarah reached for his hand and gave it a little squeeze.
"So," Sully suddenly announced. "If ya held Christmas for us, where's the turkey and the fixin's?"
"Oh, everything is almost ready. We only have to cook the turkey," Colleen announced.
"Yes, when Mrs. Sheehan arrived, she encouraged us all to get into the spirit of things and have Christmas ready for your return," Andrew interjected.
"We were all waitin' for ya both, but she helped us see there was no use sittin' around doin' nothin', so we got everythin' ready," Brian added.
"Thank you, again." Michaela smiled.
"It was my pleasure, believe me," Anna Marie replied. "It was certainly more enjoyable than sitting at home with just Sarah. Besides," she whispered, "I could see she wanted to come just as much as I."
Sarah lowered her head in embarassment, and the adults all smiled.
"Well, how about we put aside our talking and begin opening our presents?" Michaela suggested.
It took them all a few moments to rearrange themselves so they were all around the Christmas tree, but Brian soon began handing out gifts. They didn't really take turns, but after each gift was opened, the contents were held up and displayed for all to see.
Colleen received a new hair comb from Sully to match the one he had given her a couple of years before. She also received a bottle of perfume from Andrew, a pair of gloves from Brian, a scarf from Michaela, a pair of small ear bobs from Matthew, and a picture of her and Andrew drawn by Katie.
"Thank you, everyone," she said after she had opened the last of her gifts. "Thank you, Andrew," she whispered and gave him a quick kiss.
"All right, Brian. What about you?" Matthew asked.
"I got a new scarf from Ma, a new bow and arrow from Pa, a book of Mark Twain from Colleen and Andrew, a knife from Matthew, and a new pair of gloves from Sarah. Thanks, everyone. They're great gifts!"
Katie received a new doll from Colleen and Andrew, a new dress from Michaela, a comb from Sully, and a set of crayons and paper from Matthew and Brian. She was absolutely delighted, even though she didn't quite understand why everyone was getting gifts. She immediately took her doll and crayons and paper and went to the table to begin drawing.
Matthew received a new saw and ax from Sully, a scarf from Michaela, a couple of law books from Colleen and Andrew, and picture frame with a picture of him and Ingrid in it from Brian. "Where'd ya get this, little brother?"
"It took a little doin', but it was from the town picture several years ago. I had to get Colleen and Andrew to help on their way out here. They stopped in Denver and had it made," Brian explained.
"Thanks!" Matthew replied, reaching out to tousle Brian's hair.
Andrew received a new medical bag from Michaela and Colleen, and the men had chipped in to get him a new hat to wear. "To make ya look like a real doctor," Brian had sad.
The only gift for Sarah was from Brian, and it was a small music box he had found in Loren's store. "Oh, Brian! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and giving him a hug. He returned her hug, but pulled back in embarassment, still not quite comfortable with everyone else's looks at the two of them together.
Next, it was Sully's turn. He received a new bucksaw from Brian and Matthew and Andrew and Colleen. "A little birdie told us you needed one," Colleen said, and Sully turned to see the smile on Michaela's face. Katie had drawn him a picture as well, but it had him and Michaela and the four children all in it. Michaela handed him her gift, and he opened it, slowly, enjoying the anticipation on everyone's faces.
Once he had the final wrapping off, he opened the box to find a new shirt, much like the one they had given to Cloud Dancing after Washita. It even had the stones on it, but they were arranged differently.
"I always wanted to make you a shirt, and I thought now would be the perfect time," Michaela explained.
"Thank you." Sully leaned over and gave her a brief kiss, smiling into her eyes.
Finally, it was Michaela's turn. She opened each gift slowly, treasuring these special moments with her family and friends. She gasped as she lifted the final wrapping from her gift from the children. It was a new instrument case for her medical instruments, only this one was came with a smaller case she could carry with her in her medical bag when she went out on calls.
"I saw it in a store in Philadelphia, and I told Colleen. She agreed it would be a good gift," Andrew told her.
"It is!" Michaela agreed. "I'm at a loss for words." Everyone laughed at this, so she amended. "All right, so I'm not, but it truly is quite a treasure. Thank you, all." Sully reached behind him and held out his gift to Michaela, and she took it, slowly opening it, and wondering what was inside. She pushed aside the paper and lifted an expensive bottle of her favorite perfume. "Oh, Sully!" she gasped.
"I been savin' for a while and wanted ya to have it," he told her.
Tears filled her eyes at the gifts and having her family all together with her. "This is the best Christmas, ever!" she announced.
"Well," Sully interrupted. "Whaddya say we start gettin' supper ready. I know I'm ready for that big bird ya brought, Matthew!"
Everyone readily agreed, and they quickly cleaned up the paper and things from the gifts before moving to the kitchen and table as they all worked together to prepare the meal.
* * * * *
A couple of hours later, everyone had gone to bed, and Michaela and Sully sat together in front of the fireplace, looking at the beautiful tree and the candles in the windows, just enjoying each other's company.
Suddenly, Sully pulled away slightly and moved to reach back behind the tree. Michaela watched him with a puzzled look on her face until he pulled his hand out and revealed another small gift.
"Oh, Sully," she protested. "You shouldn't have."
"Yes, I should've, Michaela," he replied. "It's a little extra somethin' I picked up on one of my trips." He handed the box to her and she opened it to reveal a small necklace with a heart-shaped locket attached. "Open the locket," he instructed.
She did and gasped when she saw what was inside. "Oh, Sully! It's beautiful!" Opposite each other were two pictures, one of Sully and one of Katie. "How did you ever do this?"
"I got my ways," he hedged. "Can't go spoilin' the secret, now can I?"
"I love you," she replied.
"I love you, too, Michaela." He reached and took the necklace from her. "Turn around," he instructed. She did, and he lifted her hair to secure the necklace around her neck. "There, now let me see how it looks." She turned back around to face him. "Beautiful," he replied, looking directly into her eyes.
"Oh, Sully," she breathed.
He hooked her chin with his finger and pulled her towards him, covering her lips with his own and initiating a very loving, very passionate kiss.
Several moments later, they broke apart, both breathing heavily. "I don't know how to thank you enough," Michaela whispered.
"You already did," he replied. "I got you back, and that's all I need."
"We got each other back," she corrected.
He smiled and leaned in closer. "Now, about thankin' me...."
He covered her mouth again with his, only this time, he slowly leaned her back to the floor and the rug in front of the fireplace, and they began the timeless dance of love which bonded their hearts and souls together for eternity. The flickering flames of the candle and the fireplace joined with them in their dance of unity, and the stars outside shone down, wrapping the homestead in their light.
THE END
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