Re: Say the Words - ch.59(Final) -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 09:24:17 03/26/03 Wed
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Say the Words - ch.59(Final)
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Say the Words - ch.58" on 09:20:17 03/26/03 Wed

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE

The crisp night air blanketed the land she knew so well. Oh, how Michaela cherished the quiet stillness of those evening hours when she and Sully would sit side-by-side, alone with nature, and each other.

Pensively, she ran her hand along the fence, almost identical to the one that Sully and Brian had built together so long ago. So many memories� So much to be grateful for...

"Pretty sky tonight," Sully took note of all the stars as he followed his beautiful wife up the path.

"Whatd'ya call it?" he asked, remembering Michaela's words to Sophie. "The infinite meadows o' heaven?"

The thrill Sully and Michaela both felt when listening to the other recite poetry, was still as fresh as always.

"Actually it was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who called it that," Michaela smiled affectionately.

" 'S'pose he was from Boston," Sully guessed with a mischievous smirk.

"As a matter of fact, he was," Michaela replied, greatly enjoying their banter. "It's from a poem of his called, 'Evangeline.' It's about a woman who spends her entire life searching for her lost true love."

"I never want to lose you, Sully," she sighed, reaching up to cup his cheek lovingly in the palm of her hand. Just the thought made her heart ache.

"Ya never will," he promised with tender reassurance.

"Thank you for agreeing to stop here." Michaela tightened her shawl about her shoulders as they walked the familiar trail once again.

"Don't see the harm," Sully smiled, happy to oblige. "We might not be back here fer a while."

"Charity's done a wonderful job," Michaela marveled. "Who would have ever thought I could owe her so much?"

"Hank'd be pleased�" Sully commented wickedly.

"Somehow, I don't mind leaving, knowing that she'll be here, protecting�" Michaela's voice trailed off.

"Protectin'?" Sully questioned her choice of words.

"Our heritage�" Michaela looked out over Pike's Peak, so unchanged in its rugged formation.

"Our home�" Sully came up behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder as they gazed at the homestead he'd built for her with his own hands.

"Peter�" Michaela's voice grew melancholy at the thought of never seeing her beloved grandson again.

"Oh Sully, do you think he'll be all right?" she asked, worried as always.

"'Chaela," Sully chuckled, nibbling his wife's ear, "It's his weddin' night� He's doin' just fine�"

But, as if the fates were out to prove him a liar, the sound of a car engine and the slam of a door broke the evening's tranquility and sent Sully and Michaela behind the barn to quietly observe the ruckus.

Michaela could barely contain her surprise upon seeing a blindfolded Sophie being led, quite unsuccessfully, toward the house by Peter.

As they'd exited the car, with Sophie wearing Peter's tuxedo jacket over her wedding dress, it was obvious that Peter's new bride definitely was not pleased.

"First, you put us on a plane for two hours - with my FATHER," she fumed.
"Then you blindfold me, and drive us God-knows-where� Peter, this is NOT how I planned on spending my honeymoon!"

Patiently, Peter waited for Sophie to finish her tirade, finding her incredibly beautiful, especially when frustrated beyond reason. Only when it appeared that she was about to remove her blindfold did Peter snatch her hands in his.

"Uh-huh-huh�" he threatened with impish delight.

Sophie's anger dissipated as she felt Peter's gentle touch upon her cheeks. Slowly, he lifted the blindfold himself, asking in a low and hopeful voice, "Is this more like it?"

Sophie stood speechless upon the gravelly path and adjusted her eyes to the moonlight. It shone brightly through the sparse evening clouds and bathed the landscape in a mix of shadows, rich and deep.

One by one, the shadows took form - wonderful, familiar, forms. The barn, the corral, the old oak tree, the homestead� Everything was just as she remembered from their last visit. Everything was just as she'd hoped it would be, all those lonely nights she'd spent, longing for Peter's arms.

"Here?" she asked softly, overwhelmed. "We're spending our honeymoon here?"

Peter tried to judge her expression but Sophie's eyes held such a mixture of emotions, he wasn't sure. "I�I booked the bridal suite at the Broadmoor, too," he blurted, wondering if maybe Paris or Tahiti might have been better. "But, I thought�for our first night, at least�"

Peter's nervousness was causing him to babble. Mercifully, Sophie placed her index finger lightly upon his lips. As her face broke into a smile, she felt Peter's mouth do the same. "It's perfect," she whispered. "Just perfect�"

"Really?" Peter grinned, so very relieved.

"Really," Sophie nodded, kissing him deeply, her hand venturing beneath his open collar.

"Let's go inside�" Her invitation was guileless.

Peter closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Not just yet�" he begged her with a firm shake of his head.

"What now?" Sophie demanded an explanation.

"I wanna give you your wedding present," he shrugged, hoping it would please her nearly as much as his choice of honeymoon destinations had.

"Oh�well�okay�I guess�" Sophie grumbled jokingly, beginning to enjoy all of Peter's little surprises.

Eagerly, he took her hand and led Sophie down toward the old oak tree. Her present was waiting there, just as Charity had promised. Shipped via Federal Express and packaged more carefully than gold, the ladies of WALPOCS had seen to its installation with unabashed glee. Now, after so many hours of work, Peter was thrilled to see his creation hung securely from the majestic oak. He only hoped it was everything Sophie had imagined it would be.

"You said you wanted one�" Peter recalled Sophie's daydreams for their future.

Sophie ran her fingertips over the smooth, hand-polished wood. When she'd mentioned the idea of a swing to Peter - on the day of their picnic - Sophie never dreamed he'd actually make one for her. She would have been happy with a simple garden swing, the kind you picked up at the hardware store and installed in thirty minutes or less. But this swing�this was amazing. Nothing less than a finely carved piece of art, Peter had seen to its every detail. From the rich wood, to the delicately curved armrests� He had even chosen a few words to etch into the backboard.

"What does it say?" Sophie traced the letters with her hand, but the light was too dim for her to read.

Peter smiled and touched the swing as proudly as a father would his child. "It says, 'For now and for ever,'" he acknowledged, shyly dipping his head.

Lovingly, Sophie lifted Peter's chin and met his gaze. "It must have taken you for ever," she sighed, awed by his talent - and his love.

"I had a few sleepless nights�" Peter recalled painfully, declining to elaborate further.

"Thank you," Sophie whispered adoringly, as she melted into his arms. "It's wonderful�"

"You wanna try it out?" Peter offered gallantly, his lips against her hair.

"Not right now�" Sophie nuzzled against his neck and toyed playfully with Peter's loosened tie, enjoying the scent of his cologne, faint upon his skin.

"Good�" Peter chuckled deeply. Then, taking Sophie by the hand, they withdrew quickly into the house.

^^^^^^^^

Michaela emerged from behind the barn and brushed the straw from her dress. "Well, this was unexpected," she giggled.

"Swing looks good there," Sully complimented, lazily biting a blade of straw within his teeth. "Always meant t'make one."

"He reminds me so much of you, Sully," Michaela smiled, with such incredible love in her eyes.

"Shall we give it a try?" Sully held out his hand to Michaela as he so often did, encouraging her to join him in whatever adventures life had in store.

"Oh, I don't know, Sully� I'm not sure it's right� I mean, for us to be using their wedding present�" Undecided, Michaela watched him sit on the swing, ignoring her protests.

Patiently, Sully continued holding out his hand, reminding her slyly, "Somethin' tells me they're usin' ours�"

Unable to resist neither her husband's charms, nor his logic, Michaela moved to sit beside him. As Sully proceeded to swing them back and forth, Michaela nestled herself against his chest, feeling more at peace than she had in a very long time.

"Happy Anniversary, Mr. Sully," she whispered softly.

"Same to you, Mrs. S.," he smiled, kissing her first on the forehead, then her nose, and, finally, fully, on her lips.

"Promise me we'll come back here some day, Sully," she sighed, missing her home already.

"Sure we will," he assured her with a confident wink, taking a last furtive glance back toward the homestead.

"When it ain't so crowded�"

^^^^^^

Peter dropped the suitcases on the bedroom floor and flung his tie on the mantle. Wordlessly, he knelt and started a fire in the fireplace while Sophie closed the curtains and lit the candles.

This place was "home" to them now. They knew it as intimately as they did their own house - perhaps even more so because of the memories it held. They had renewed their love there, once before, and the magic of that room captivated their imaginations still. It felt so good to be back - so natural and so right - that neither of them could envision starting their lives as husband and wife anywhere else in the world.

Contentedly, Sophie let Peter's jacket slip from her shoulders and slide onto the rocking chair, her eyes busy, searching for something in particular. Catching sight of it, Sophie mouthed the words "thank you," in silent tribute to Charity's tireless efforts.

Quietly, she lifted the package off the dresser and held it secretly behind her. When Peter stood, expecting Sophie in his arms, she placed the package in his hands instead, a giddy smile on her face.

"What's this?" Peter asked, surprised.

"It's your wedding present," Sophie replied excitedly.

"I couldn't convince Charity to part with the original," she apologized, as Peter opened the gift, "but she found me a local craftsman who copied it exactly, he even weighed it to be sure�"

In contrast to his own babbling, Peter found Sophie's lengthy explanations quite attractive, but her chatter stopped the instant she saw the stunned look on his face.

"Soph�" he whispered, lifting the replica gently from its box.

Sophie watched as Peter held the tomahawk reverently in his hand, running his fingers over the soft leather and the razor-sharp blade. Each mark, each stitch, was exactly as on Sully's original weapon, now sealed safely in a glass case downstairs, thanks to Peter's unauthorized display last Christmas.

"Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.

"I love it," Peter twirled it tentatively with his wrist.

"Do you want to try it out?" Sophie made Peter the same offer.

"Not right now�" he echoed, placing the tomahawk on the bureau with a seductive grin.

Suddenly nervous, Sophie reached for her bag. "Well, then, maybe, I�uh�should go change?" she mumbled awkwardly.

Peter held her wrist and locked his eyes with hers. "No�please�" he said with a hush, his voice surprisingly shaky. "Let me�"

Just as nervously, Peter took Sophie by the hand, led her to the bed and encouraged her to sit. She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to join her. Instead, Peter set about loosening the delicate pearl headband that circled her hair. Once released, Sophie's tresses fell softly into his hands and he knelt before her.

Sophie's heart raced as Peter's fingers brushed lightly against her thigh, on their way to removing her shoes and stockings. The silk of her dress seemed to accentuate his every touch and Sophie found herself reeling from the sensations, and her body's immediate, sharp reaction.

Overcome, she leaned forward, needing to feel his lips on hers. More than willing to oblige, Peter prolonged the kiss languorously, for it provided him all the more time to reach over, in secret, for a last, special gift that Charity had promised would be waiting in the nightstand drawer.

Sophie's expression puzzled as Peter placed the tiny box in her lap.

"Peter, I don't want any more presents�" she pouted, resenting the distraction.

Vexed, Sophie pushed the gift aside, onto the mattress, and stared helplessly into Peter's shining blue eyes. "All I want is you�" she urged him, her voice inviting and ready.

Stubbornly, Peter closed his eyes and concentrated, trying not to see the fullness of Sophie's warms lips or the becoming flush, spreading across her milky skin. They had all the time in the world now and Peter was willing to wait just a little while longer for the look on Sophie's face when she opened that box.

"I promise it'll be good," he breathed in her ear.

Fully aware that he was driving her nearly mad with his taunts, Peter reached slowly for the box once again.

Frustrated, Sophie agreed to focus on the package Peter held before her. Finally giving it her full attention, she recognized its suspicious shape almost at once. A simple box with a beautiful red ribbon� Sophie had seen its likeness many times before. There could be only one item left inside.

"Chuang-Mu�" Sophie smiled broadly, placing her singularly erogenous goddess carefully on the nightstand. At last, all her "girls" had been returned to her, safe and sound.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, tracing Peter's mouth with anticipation.

"Don't forget the quote�" he teased, nipping enticingly at her finger.

Sophie was hardly in the mood for any literary advice; but, still, she was slightly curious to see what Chuang-Mu, her one and only goddess of the bedroom, would have to say on such an occasion.

Sophie glanced quickly at the words and rolled her eyes at Peter's typically clever choice.

"Kisses�" she indulged him by reading the note aloud, "are a better fate than wisdom - ee cummings."

Seeing Peter's self-satisfied grin, Sophie chuckled lightly and let the paper fall onto the nightstand.

Peter's eyes twinkled with devastating charm as he next proceeded to remove Sophie's pearl bracelet. After he'd kissed her shiny new wedding ring, Peter turned Sophie's hand over, and placed his soft, parted lips against the inside of her palm and wrist.

"Don't you agree?" he asked ever-so-innocently, demonstrating the concept with exceptional dexterity.

"Oh, I agree." Sophie's response was as immediate as Peter had hoped. Rising from the bed she urged him up swiftly into her arms. "Completely�"

The kiss was powerful, deep, and satisfying. It was as sweet and familiar, as it was exciting and new. It held the memories of the past and the promises of the future. This wouldn't be their first time together. It wouldn't even be their first time in that bedroom. But, the passion they both felt now was fueled by one, wondrously, irrefutable fact - this would be their first time together as husband and wife. And, although Michaela had told them that everything would feel differently once their vows had been exchanged, only now did Peter and Sophie realize�she was right.

"God, you're so beautiful, Soph�" Peter sighed, as if he were, indeed, seeing her for the very first time.

Sophie felt Peter's hands roaming her body, from her hips to her waist and upwards. She gulped at each skillful touch. She was undeniably his now, and the waves of love she felt for him rippled over her like moonlit waters on a deserted beach: welcoming�soft�and so incredibly intoxicating. When his hands reached her shoulders, Sophie bent her head to kiss his wedding ring, sealing it on her husband's finger, with all her love.

Tenderly, Peter's fingertips traced down and around the silk collar of her neckline, occasionally slipping beneath the fabric, leaving Sophie's skin a path of fire. Slowly, he circled his way back up, lifting her hair, until he could reach the zipper of her dress.

"Have I thanked you for choosing low-cut and luxurious?" he murmured against her skin, as he slid the dress off her shoulders and onto the floor in one smooth, easy motion.

Sophie closed her eyes and tilted her head back, as Peter lifted her into his arms and moved them to the bed, placing her gently onto his lap. He smiled as he heard her breath catch, and, in response, he pulled her closer still.

Sophie's strapless slip was precious little barrier as Peter's lips continued their exploration. A tiny moan escaped her and, eagerly, Sophie began to reciprocate - unbuttoning Peter's shirt and pushing it off his arms until he could shrug it to the floor. With the palm of her hands, she traveled across his broad shoulders and down each sinuous muscle, until her fingers entwined within his chest hair, stirring them both.

All the emotions Sophie had felt watching Peter struggle for life churned within her and made her cling to him even more tightly. Likewise, Peter's fears of losing Sophie to the past were similarly fresh, making their official commitment all the more cherished. Now, with nothing in their way, the pent-up desires of the last few weeks began bursting inside them. Neither needed, or wanted, to limit their passions any further.

Sophie gasped as simultaneously she felt the soft mattress beneath her and the hard weight of Peter's body against hers. Their remaining clothes quickly banished to the floor, Sophie's hands caressed Peter's back and then raked upwards through his hair. Stroking his scalp hypnotically with her fingernails, Sophie heard him growl low in his throat.

As their embrace deepened, the cold steel of Peter's St. Bernard medal fell upon Sophie's breast. An involuntary shiver raced throughout her body. Determined, she reached behind his neck to unclasp it.

Peter watched her every move, mesmerized, as Sophie first brought the medal to her lips, and then tucked it protectively beneath his pillow.

"You don't mind, do you?" she breathed, her heart pounding as loudly as Peter's. "I don't want anything between us tonight."

In reply, Peter's mouth hungrily sought hers. Sophie's words had provoked and kindled a fire within him, which Peter struggled valiantly to control for just a few minutes longer. He wanted tonight to last forever. He wanted Sophie to remember it forever.

"I love you, Soph�I love you so much�" he moaned, burying himself in her neck.

Her delight intensifying, Sophie turned her head slightly to allow his lips freer access. In the process, she chanced to face the nightstand once again. Impulsively, she extended her hand toward it.

Peter raised his head, quizzically at first, his eyes clouded with passion. Then, slowly, his mouth broke into a devilish grin as he watched Sophie smile with rapture and lay a certain figurine, gently, and very purposefully, face down on the table.

Apparently�tonight�there were just some things that even Chuang-Mu shouldn't see�

THE END

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