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Date Posted: 09:10:44 03/25/03 Tue
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: A Journey Home - ch. 15
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: A Journey Home - ch. 14" on 09:06:59 03/25/03 Tue

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sophie ran her hand lightly over Peter's face - his forehead…his cheeks…his lips - cherishing every feature. A chill ran down her spine when she considered the danger she'd placed him in by her actions. She'd never have forgiven herself if anything had happened to him. A temporary postponement of their romantic reunion was such a small price to pay. God willing, they'd have their entire lives together, but tonight, tonight Peter needed to rest.

Not wanting to risk waking him, Sophie decided to let Peter sleep by the fire. Gently, she laid his head upon a pillow from one of the wingback chairs and covered him with a blanket.

"Sleep well, Sparky," she whispered with a smile, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Rising from Peter's side, Sophie looked at her watch. It was only 8pm and here she was, alone on Christmas Eve. In spite of her brush with death, she wasn't tired in the least. In fact, she felt exhilarated, like a little child waiting for Christmas to come and determined not to sleep a wink. That was the joy Sophie felt tonight - a joy of anticipation so powerful she wanted to cherish every precious minute of it.

Opening the front door, Sophie took a deep breath of the sharp, winter air. "Okay…that's enough of that," she laughed and shivered, shutting the door after only a few seconds.

"Well, if we're leaving tomorrow, I might as well start straightening up," she decided.

Sophie began in the kitchen, organizing what was left of the food and setting a cheerful table for their Christmas breakfast of scones and coffee.

"No more willow bark tea for me, thank you very much," Sophie smiled.

As she worked, Sophie found herself contemplating how strange life could be sometimes. She would never have imagined that being stranded in an old, museum relic of a cabin at Christmas could make her so happy. But then, the twists and turns of her life never ceased to amaze her. Somehow she always managed to come full circle: instinctively choosing the right path at first, but then allowing her doubts to surface…telling herself it couldn't be right…running away…and, ultimately, traveling a very long road only to end up right back where she belonged.

It happened in her career, she realized in hindsight. The pain of her childhood had fostered in her a deep desire to help other children and she'd graduated summa cum laude from McGill University with a Master's degree in Educational Counseling. But after a two-year practicum, on her way to her Ph.D., she'd panicked, afraid that perhaps her scars were too deep, that they might, actually, hinder her ability to aid her students' recovery. And so, true to form, she'd left - Tibet, Nigeria, Outer Mongolia…anyplace that struck her imagination. Ironically, often supporting herself by teaching English as a second language - never fully able to commit to a career in education, but never fully able to leave it either.

As Sophie's cleaning moved to the living room, she realized her personal life was just the same… "Leave or stay…story of my life," she moaned.

She'd been doing the same thing with Peter, too, for over seven years. He had needed her desperately when they met in Seattle and she found herself so strangely drawn to the intoxicating mix of passion and security she felt whenever they were together.

The first time she saw him, lying in that hospital bed, she thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. That he was there because of a drug overdose seemed such a waste. When she learned he'd been a high-powered Wall Street executive, she became even more intrigued. How could someone so successful know such despair? Well, she'd had quite a bit of experience with that combination herself, hadn't she?

She and Peter - they each had the same obsessive drives and they each knew the strengths and perils that those tendencies could produce. Soon they were inseparable. Every day - and night - with Peter was an incredible adventure. She didn't need any other. That's what her instincts told her. He was her rock, her touchstone, home base. Yet, time and again, she ran, leaving him wondering if he'd ever see her again, and leaving herself wondering what if…What if she were to let him in her life permanently?

Now, here she was, a counselor at Horizon, on her way to a Ph.D. at the University, and, finally, tonight, telling Peter she was his forever. Guess her instincts had been right after all.

"Sure took me long enough," Sophie smiled ruefully, picking Peter's backpack up off the floor.

The backpack was unzipped and Sophie noticed Sully and Michaela's letters tucked securely inside.

"Back home, safe and sound, my pretties," Sophie cackled with a laugh, her mind gratefully breaking free of its recollections.

Carefully, Sophie removed the letters from Peter's backpack, absent-mindedly running her fingers over the fragile papers. Somehow she hated to part with them. They were what she would miss most when she left here. These letters had given her so much. They had been her link to the past - Peter's past - and a reminder of just what love should be.

Sophie glanced affectionately over at Peter, still peacefully asleep. She wished they'd had a chance to read the letters together tonight.

"Wish we'd had a chance to do a lot of things tonight," Sophie whispered under her breath.

Blowing out the candles with a sigh, Sophie headed upstairs alone, with only the letters to keep her company.

Still unable to sleep, Sophie settled herself in the rocking chair by the bedroom fire and proceeded to read further into the past. Michaela's next letter was dated October 16, 1870. Sully would have been gone for almost two weeks now, Sophie surmised.

"This should be good," she giggled expectantly. But, as she began reading what appeared to be a telegram this time, Sophie's brow furrowed in disappointment…

"URGENT…" it read.

"Sully - Please meet Dr. Maxwell in the lobby of the Virginia City Hotel tomorrow at noon. Forgive me for taking you away from the mines, but the situation is very serious. Dr. Maxwell will give you further details. Thank you. Michaela."

"Probably ran out of willow bark tea," Sophie muttered, irritated by her seeming inability to find romance anywhere tonight.

Dejectedly, she moved on to the next correspondence. "Oh great, another telegram."

Sophie sighed as she pondered the fact that Michaela and Sully would never express their passion as openly in a telegram as they would in their letters.

"And this belongs in the Sully pile," she huffed, noting the Virginia City point of origin, as well as her dismay over the WALPOCS' lack of basic cataloging skills.

"October 17, 1870," she read. "Hmmm, very next day," Sophie mused. "But this can't be right…no greetings…no I miss you's…just this?"

Sophie looked down at the faded, yellowed paper and read the four lonely words that appeared on the otherwise empty page. "I appreciate your enthusiasm…"

"What kind of a telegram is that?" she moaned in exasperation.

Usually Sophie could count on Michaela and Sully's letters to bring her some small glimpse into their relationship, but this mumbo jumbo was just giving her a headache! Sophie leaned her head back against the rocker and closed her eyes…

"Ain't nothin' private with you?" he inquired, with an odd mix of accusation and bemusement.

Sophie knew that voice all too well. "Sully…Please don't start on me, I'm having a bad night, okay?"

"You don't look too bad," Sully complimented with a grin. "Michaela's dress fits ya real good."

"Thank you," Sophie replied weakly.

"Course, not as good as it did her, the night we went to the opening ceremonies for the Colorado Sweepstakes. I can still hear Hank now, whistlin', 'Look what's comin'," Sully reminisced with a laugh.

"Why are you here again, exactly?" Sophie asked, massaging her temples.

"Cause ya got yer nose in our personal life again," Sully reminded her.

"Oh please, I don't think meeting some doctor on urgent medical business is very scintillating," Sophie scoffed.

"Good," Sully replied cryptically.

"What? Oh, come on…" Sophie begged, able to read Sully's expressions clearly now. "Tell me...Take pity on a poor woman alone on Christmas Eve," she pouted exaggeratedly.

"He fell asleep on ya, huh?" Sully smiled.

"Thank you fer takin' such good care 'o him, tonight," he added sincerely.

"I want to take care of him for the rest of my life," Sophie responded just as sincerely.

"I believe ya do, Sophie. I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot," Sully offered. "I know ya love him just as much as Michaela and me do."

"I do," Sophie admitted. "That's why reading about the both of you has helped me so much. I can feel the incredible love that you and Michaela shared and it makes me want to share my love with Peter all the more."

Sully nodded, beginning to see what Peter saw in Sophie. Though at times she was almost as perplexing as Michaela had seemed to him originally, and possibly even more infuriating, there was something about her, a vulnerability, that he found quite endearing.

Since Sully hadn't voiced any comment, Sophie continued tentatively, "That's why…"

"Why…?" Sully prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Why…you should tell me the story of October 16, 1870," Sophie grinned teasingly.

"Gee, Michaela always wanted to hear Dickens on Christmas Eve," Sully joked, tormenting her.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she pouted.

"I s'pose Michaela wouldn't mind. You bein' almost family," he smiled, noticing the sparkling engagement ring on her hand.

Walking over toward the bedroom fireplace, Sully knelt before the hearth, stoking the flames. "October 16, 1870…" he began, as Sophie excitedly crossed her legs beneath her wide green skirt and leaned her chin on her elbows, eager to hear the story…

"Well, I got Michaela's telegram and told Daniel straight off that I'd haveta go inta town the next day. Took me over an hour ta get there. The rains had washed out most of the trails and my horse couldn't hold its footin'. It was almost 12:30 by the time I got to the Hotel, drippin' wet and worried that Dr. Maxwell'd think I wasn't comin'."

Sully turned to see if, perhaps, Sophie had lost interest in the story but her eyes gleamed as she hung on his every word.

"And…" she pleaded for more.

"And…" Sully chuckled, losing himself in the recollection while, incredibly, Sophie found that she could see it all plain as day….

"Can I help ya?" the desk clerk asked suspiciously, noting Sully's straggly appearance.

"S'posed to meet a Dr. Maxwell here at noon. Is he waitin'?" Sully asked hopefully.

The desk clerk shook his head with a smirk that Sully found rather odd. "Got tired 'a waitin'. Said you could go on up when you got here. Room 2 - second door on your right."

"Thank you," Sully nodded, quickly heading for the stairs.

Knocking twice on the door, Sully apologized. "Dr. Maxwell? It's Byron Sully, sorry I'm late."

Sully heard a muffled, "Come in…"

The room was dark and the shades were drawn, with only a few candles to provide some soft light. As Sully tried to focus, a hand came out of nowhere, attempting to cover his eyes. Reacting swiftly, Sully pivoted, grabbing the offending wrist and pinning his attacker tightly against the wall.

"Ouch, Sully, you're hurting me!"

"Michaela?" Sully whispered, immediately breaking his hold on her wrist, stunned to see his wife in Virginia City, let alone in a strange doctor's hotel room.

His eyes more fully adjusted to the dim lighting, Sully was able to discern his wife's features more clearly now as she stood before him, trapped between his arms. Her hair was down and free and she was wearing her camisole invitingly over her skirt, the bodice only loosely tied. She looked as she had in his dreams, every night since he left her.

"Michaela…" he sighed, allowing his fingers to run through her hair.

"Actually, it's Dr. Maxwell…" she replied with a coquettish smile, sighing just as deeply, her heart pounding wildly with the excitement of her little charade.

"Dr. Maxwell, huh?" Sully chuckled low, venturing to place a few soft kisses along her jaw.

"Yes, didn't I ever tell you? My mother's maiden name was Maxwell." Michaela let out a small gasp as Sully lowered his head and droplets of cool rainwater began trickling from his hair, onto her breast.

"I hear I got some urgent business with ya, Dr. Maxwell," Sully moaned, once again pressing her firmly up against the wall.

"I'd be…happy to give you all the details," Michaela offered, her lips beginning their precise explanation….

"Wow…" Sophie didn't realize she'd uttered the word aloud.

Abruptly, Sully's memories ended. Awkwardly, he glanced down at the floorboards before tending to the fire with renewed vigor. "So, now ya know."

"She traveled all the way to Virginia City to surprise you?" Sophie was amazed.

"Yup, five hours by train each way," Sully smiled sheepishly. "Left Colorado Springs at daybreak and I sent her back on the 5pm train with a kiss goodbye and a promise that it'd be only two more weeks 'fore I was home. A friend of ours, Dorothy Jennings, watched the kids while she was gone. Dorothy was the only one ever knew that Michaela wasn't visitin' 'patients' that day."

"That is so romantic," Sophie sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I wish Peter could hear that story."

"Maybe he is," Sully replied in his usual mysterious tone.

"We need to be more romantic," she nodded emphatically.

"Seem to recall you parachutin' into his arms once," Sully encouraged. "And he did climb Pike's Peak in a blizzard to save yer life. Don't that count?"

"Well, sure," Sophie shrugged, "but I was talking about the spontaneity…the passion…You see, we're always surrounded by the kids at Horizon. Their problems are so overwhelming that sometimes there isn't much left…for us."

"Don't matter whether you got three kids or a hundred. You gotta make the time," Sully reminded her gently.

Attempting to prove a final point, Sully walked toward Sophie and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "'Sides, don't see any kids here now."

Before she could answer, he whispered softly in her ear, "Merry Christmas, Sophie," and Sully was gone - again.

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