MORNING SUN
Author's note: Written for fanfic night 2002. Thanks to Sameena
for the idea to continue "Acceptance" and for all her help with this
story. You're the best!
Disclaimer: The characters of The Young Riders were created for television by
Ed Spielman. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992. This story
is a sequel to my story "Acceptance"
which took place six years after the Pony express was disbanded.
The next morning found the couple still resting in each other's
embrace. As Teresa stirred, Buck work up. He gently untangled himself from her
arms and sat up on the side of the bed. He watched her sleep for a few minutes
and then gently kissed her forehead. "I love you, Teresa Cross," he
whispered as he slipped off the bed and knelt so he could put his head near
her belly. "And you, Mary Morning Sun," he said. "You need to
wait a little longer before you come be with us. Be patient my little one, and
we can all be happy."
Teresa woke while Buck was talking. She touched his head. "She say anything?"
Buck smiled. "She promised not to try and come early if you promise to
say in bed and rest."
Teresa smiled back at Buck. "Tell her it's a deal."
Buck whispered something to his daughter and kissed his wife's belly. He straightened
up and sat back on the bed. "I'm going to go get you something to eat,"
he said. "I won't be gone long." He quickly pulled on his boots and
headed out of the room.
Later that evening, the doctor stopped back to check on Teresa. "She's
doing fine," he told the group assembled in the sitting room. "She
just needs to continue to take it easy."
"Does she need to stay in bed?" asked Louise "Or can she move
around as long as she doesn't over do it?"
"I'd keep her in bed for a while and see how things go. If, after a few
days, there's no more pain, she can try moving out of the bed and sitting in
this room or out on the porch during the day. She still can't be doing any type
of work," Doc answered.
"Could we move her before a week if she lets us do all the work?"
asked Jeremiah.
"What do you mean?" asked the doctor.
"Yeah," said Buck. "What are you getting at?"
Kid stood, "Don't get upset. We were just thinking it might be better if
you both moved back to hour house. We have the room, and that way someone's
always nearby without anyone having to stop doing their normal chores. Teresa's
going to hate it if she feels like she's making other people have to alter their
regular lives to tend to her."
Louise joined Kid, "We just want what's best for all three of you. You
can't keep watch on her all day and night without help, or you'll get sick too."
Buck relaxed. "Thank you," he said.
"That should be fine," the doctor replied. "I'll come back again
tomorrow evening and check on how she's doing.
As Buck showed the doctor out, Louise went to explain the situation to Teresa.
When she came back out, she said, "Teresa is fine with the move. She only
asked that we wait until the morning. I told her that was acceptable."
Buck went to sit with Teresa. The others went back to their home to prepare
for the next morning.
A couple of months later, Buck returned from his house where he had finally
put the finishing touches on the nursery. He entered the room he shared with
his wife, and instantly sensed something was wrong, "What?" he asked.
"I think it's time," said Teresa. "Jeremiah already went to get
Doc. Just hold me until he gets here. I'm scared."
Buck was by her side in an instant. He held her close and whispered soothing
words to both her and their baby. He bathed her head and neck with a cool rag
and offered up silent prayers for their safety.
"Buck," said Louise, "you need to go wait outside with Kid and
Jeremiah. Doc and I will take care of her now."
Buck allowed Kid to take him from the room. His face was filled with worry and
fear. Kid put his arm around his friend. "She's strong. She'll be fine,"
he said, but the fear was evident in his voice. He couldn't help but remember
the not so distant past when Louise had been in the same situation, and things
hadn't turned out so well.
Buck searched Kid's face. He desperately wanted to believe him. He didn't think
he could survive losing someone he loved so much again. The assurance he needed
wasn't to be found in Kid's face or anywhere else he looked.
Jeremiah watched the two older men. He could tell they were both worried. He
offered up a quick prayer for his sister's well-being and the health of her
unborn child. He turned to face his friends, "She's going to be fine,"
he said. "She promised me when I left that everything was going to be fine.
She never breaks a promise."
Buck pulled away from Kid and turned to face Jeremiah. The confidence he saw
in the boy's face helped him hold on to the hope they all shared. The three
men sat and watched the sunset as they listened to the sounds of labor from
Teresa's room.
Hours later, there was a loud scream from where Teresa was trying to bring Mary
Morning Sun into the world. This was followed by silence and then, the beautiful
sound of a baby's cry.
Buck rushed into the room and instantly was at Teresa's side. "They're
both fine," the doctor said.
Teresa held their daughter up for Buck to see. "Isn't she beautiful?"
she asked.
Buck gently hugged his family to him. "Just like her mother," he answered
as the light of the new day filled the room. "Just like her mother."