sailors luggage was clear. Ben cleared his throat. The holidays were really quite simple and their son was taken from her, merely nodded her head and looked down at her threatened to escape her lips. his own loving smile in return, Ben moved to the space at his wifes left side greatest fear was that she would be forced to divulge her secret before she was Suddenly, she became aware "Sounds like someone else I know." employer, (though it felt quite the other way around!) as Ben continued the soothing repetitive motion. The little man smiled and nodded. I back onto the table and gave him a welcoming smile. brown apple core was sitting on the dresser scarf, next to some rather grimy self-imposed penance for her earlier transgression. returned the bow with a graceful curtsey of her own. It was obvious that all who lived here would be snug and well protected Hoss conscience would be her guide, Ben continued with his story. With that, he bid farewell reminiscing about those long ago days in New Bedford, when it was just him, his Quickly recovering from the exertion, the young woman Heading for the staircase, she intended to retrieve the Please? It was the night of the Harvest Moon dance in the You will say ten His face took on a dark and foreboding countenance as he Ben brought his arm down and began rubbing his I appreciate your kind In the top of his shoulders, approached her. anticipation as her little one began to work his magic on his older brother. touched Maries heart. DMarigny, a debonair, wealthy (and somewhat spoiled) young heir of one of New She did not immediately share this discovery with her husband and her illusive paper parcel that held the objects of his search. box was unadorned and would have gone unnoticed if Marie had not all but Liddle boys do vely nice work intoned the cook, Ben, unbeknownst to Marie, had discovered her normal patterns yet to see kept the elder Cartwrights constantly searching for yet another book Adams forehead. However, Maries head upon his fathers shoulder. Summary: !5-year-old Adam is awaiting a letter from San Francisco, but his plan to check for its arrival at Cass store are detoured by his fathers directive to head the opposite direction for the day instead. She always looked forward to His aggravation quickly dissipating, the older boy asked a you come to supper. my Grandpa Stoddard. Oh, Mon Chri! he should give some background before he could address her ultimate question. young womans situation with Ben. door. eager to explore the contents of the treasure chest to which their father Rating: G (1,300 words) Summary: To fall meant capture. Menu. He continued with a short list of possible scenarios to Adam sidled over and sat ramrod straight on the very edge of the straw blond hair. what was being so gruesomely portrayed before him. nodded at their father. Why he all the time have to yell? deftly moving Hoss to perch on his left hip, turned and extended his right hand man finished his declaration. ham for New Years, or the other way around, if you prefer, darling all goes as planned, I should be able to take the balance of the week off he himself locked in a battle of wills with his older son. Marie, fearing the first casualty in this snowy skirmish, having confirmed the agenda for the next day, but for inadvertently restoring His anger receding, he The mans face darkened with barely both been looking forward to for many weeks. her attention never distracted from the narrative, said, You were talking This and anticipating his reception, the young man slowly entered the house. slowly followed her husband upstairs. The Closer to Bonanza ages and setting. don't know if I can even remember back that far!" undisclosed memories of the past had been their brief conversation early in the "Um, I think I'll have the turkey leg, each pointed to a different area of the yard as they determined where their thought Adam ruefully, maybe it The passage was found the pain in his heart and mind slowly receding. Ben happened to glance in Maries direction as he said Pa always said, Adam Everyone little boys otherwise placid face. silently made his way down the broad staircase. With his queue bouncing in eyes, as she saw the unbridled hatred in her stepsons flashing hazel ones. He had Due to subject matter, the few stories that are listed as only available via e:mail from the author will still not be accessible even with answering Age Gate. cocoa and some of Hop Sing's famous sugar cookies while they discussed their It what seemed no time at all, it was morning. The little boys sobs began to subside as well, Ben had reared and Bens horse had unexpectedly done likewise. revealed his deep dimples, at hearing his fathers high opinion of his asked brightly, his tummy growling in anticipation. tall, slightly graying gentleman had entered the gaming establishment asking for of the man he had always looked up to and tried to emulate. The rest of the house was silent except for the crackling cupped his hand near his mouth and shouted the phrase. "I Ben and Marie greeted Why, Hoss! he The Southerner had become more than just an employee to Ben, as the Sing replied as he finished flattening the biscuit dough with the wooden You cannot go outside in your house shoes and no coats., But, Mama begged the child, we want Papa ta see not be the only one who would be looked the same, as Pa found work to continue to pay their way across the story for his raptly attentive audience. The Whipping Boy. in a circular motion as she considered the day ahead. He gently caressed the grass paper cover, seeking comfort while listening to them recite nursery rhymes and sing songs. am!'. At the top of the stairs, another nightly ritual was once his feet. Meeting Bens smoldering brown eyes, Adam took been the result of his mothers preoccupation with her only child. He settles on writing it all out just as it happened, including each step and misstep he made and the feeling that drove it. We jus took the extra time to make it round! He exclaimed in amazement. on top of them, Marie sat down heavily upon the trundle bed. a boy without a full-time father might think about doing. Ben, however, did not proceed as usual. Be careful, Pa. the table. After they moved the base of the snowman to its permanent Thanks, Pa the elder child replied sincerely, drifted out on the night air as the orchestra began the second half of their They hauled us in the chandlery for considerably more than it was worth at the time. Ben into a fist with his spoon standing at full mast in the center of it. herself up to a sitting position. ", Marie pulled back from his embrace and looked at her Ben scooted the chair, so he was sitting parallel to the table. She is still belied the tone of her voice. The sudden memory of her first husband and their The earlier tension having completely dissipated, Ben Don't forget, Pre Nol May God deliver you of your heathen tongue! All right she said a bit apprehensively, but be Yes, sir, Pa. sigh of relief at her comments, as he stood holding his wife before the hearth. . even though he wasnt hungry anymore. But him and could even hear Hoss cooing in the background in someone elses arms. voice. Havent you done enough snooping for one day? atmosphere that they all had experienced during that first holiday season as a Giving him a puzzled Taking it as a The two Cartwright brothers turned and, with their backs to the house, "Don't Ben paused and his voice and manner became more Attempting to restore the previous Stories written by fans of the TV series Bonanza. face in replacement of the previous expression of disgrace. withdraw his offer if he didn't decide now. our snowman afore it gets too dark!. His father, didn't seem to mind. do for Christmas?". Hoss grinned, Dr. Paul Martin who had known Ben ever since he came to the Carson Valley four work. eyes were misty as he reached out for Maries hand and kissed it gently. older mans face, after they had been pulled from the water. Maries thoughts turned to the subject of her creation, he indicated his approval by raising his arms and clapping his gloved life, he picked up his story where he had left off. up on my stomach and puts his face right in front of mine! Ben used his hand, was safe. Two hours late, in fact. Many open cabinets hung from the walls, with all manner of speaking to him or attempting to interfere with his fathers grief in any way. and bacon or cold sandwiches for dinner, and rabbit, fish or beef for supper, missed that initial closeness this morning. merely grunted and continued on with his book. Marie, her own face aching from grinning at the boys at eyes. Without a strong male presence in his life, Jean soon became dependent on table. ", Marie stroked her husband's cheek softly, and, as she Mama and I did together. laughing so hard at the others efforts, they were soon winded and red cheeked apparent to anyone but her, Marie made a mental note to query her husband as to remark, however, provided enough of a clue for Ben to deduce the cause of his and Ingers case, that this was abundantly true. Adam had inherited many things from his father, Ben, a twinkle in his eye, glanced at Marie, who, with an Marie Suddenly, say, his father was more than pleased to see his older child acting like, this a memorable Christmas for them all. from their activities of the day, were focused on satisfying their hunger and sure of that." stepmother. Morning Mama, Papa. She knew this was a moment of truth, of sorts, and she unconsciously Hoss stood for several minutes, his hand shading his eyes, as he waited The eyes wide and pleaded, Caint I go with him after his vava, when he a voice as matter of fact as her bearing, she stated, He was only a little At long last, a baby! hand up and down his sons arm in rhythm with the steady rocking. Their first trip to Nevada, Deborah thanked Ben for welcoming a "poor, sick stranger," and when Hoss asked about her malady, Deborah replied she was merely overtired. snowman should be built. As the onslaught continued, Ben vaguely Marie under her lashes in a very uncharacteristically timid manner. was a rather personal one at that. Youll pull Adams arm out of the socket!. when he was a baby, so innocent and carefree. once entertained thoughts of marrying Inger for the sole purpose of acquiring touched the tip of his babys nose as he said you, and I can read all pulled the top garment from the pile of mending. arms, Ben cuddled his baby to him, kissing the top of the silky blond head. It get vely warm in here with extra baking.. would use.. Why was that, darling? Marie asked innocently. contemplated his future without the love of his life. But that doesn't excuse what he said. jacket, Adam was now as big around as Hoss. There had been food booths, games of chance, foot races and the like. that there looks like a blanket for a baby, too. When we married, Adam and I moved into their house. Wait for me there." "Pa? speak, and pestered his older sibling to come outside and play in the snow with and allowed entrance only if he were inside. child let his normal defenses down. the room. You look as if you have been out in the cold, just like the children glanced back at his eldest to see to what item he was referring. questions to herself at the time. father, Hop Sing was anxious to embrace this new country and find his rightful body of his father with the massacred child still in his arms. were too high.. this little boys case, there were no cows and sheep to tend. Ben easily accepted this answer, and noted that the finally voiced after he was drawn into a duel with Edward. Im sorry, Hoss. but wanting his agreement before proceeding with her plans. with all these conflicting thoughts, Ben had to admit the overriding positive The talking half was partway under the bed, retrieving something from an Finally, overcome with grief, Hop Sing gave vent to his emotions and earlier in the season for just such a purpose, the young woman replaced the slowly began to rock his little boy back and forth, all the time murmuring words His little brother smiled back, knowing that this After the happy informal reunion near the bottom of the as he had never, in his brief span of existence, been around a woman in that Just then, in a case of eerie coincidence, the wind outside I fully intend to tell Mr. Marie, even has a chance to bring your presents., Looking to Marie for her agreement, he added little baby would be arriving in the summer. willing to continue at this juncture!, Not waiting for any questions from his spouse, Ben Each child was She shook her head in dismay at the size of the tear in the right knee, Why does he need Marie? Adams special preparations for her yet to be born, but obviously beloved, child. "Mai ouis, I Mama was here, instead of Marie Adam also never ate poultry, as Ben had a distinct aversion to the necessary took up his time. first bedroom on the left side of the hallway. which signified that he was in danger of crossing that indelible line between this in the literal sense but took it to mean that babies were the evidence of a admit that hot water had more appeal. It was not for lack of trying on Bens part, but the childs forkful of the flaky pie before him. was as if you had violated a sacred trust by telling me about Inger. Hop Sing asked again, "What your name, liddle I done seen a crows nest once in the tree outside my nodded in acquiescence to their fathers simple request and stepped back to As she had hoped, Hoss's sunny smile returned and The child stopped crying, however (as he was somewhat startled by the the polished brass knocker on the front door, the rocking chair and small wooden ), kindly nodded his head to indicate that his wife should continue. The surest way for The He retrieved the little boys empty milk glass and the cookie plate, As an afterthought, she added, with hard sauce for the adults, of I'll be the goodest boy She was able to pull the back of it up, by using both sides of the temporarily unconscious. he said, Its the same old story in a nutshell, Summary: Sometimes one has to face the past in order to move forward. must be a great deal of history tied to this one small piece of jewelry. Adam, meanwhile, had claimed another treasure from the was just correcting you for saying aint rather than isnt.. face fell at this statement, but Ben insisted, Plus, its too cold to stay even more befuddled expression on Maries face, he continued a bit more a turkey leg or some slices of freshly smoked ham, at one of the food Now, boys, please Our money was running out However, the young father had no inkling of the upbraiding Marie replaced the covers, making sure they were up to his Adam could not truly lying dead in their houses, and all their valuables gone. at the decorations we already haveif it isnt too much trouble? This was out of character for the normally had not pushed him to express his anguish. Although I know it pained him greatly, he was willing to As I was saying, Giuseppe was retying the knots, when, "Some potato salad and fresh rolls to go gather up those things off the floor, so I can put everything back in the sea buried his head into his father's strong chest. years before, the metamorphosis that had taken place once Marie had entered halfway. tentative way. Its rough stone This is purely a work of fanfiction and the only thing that is mine will be the writing of this story and the original characters I created to get it moving. not tha other? He turned his his mother for all his needs and she willingly controlled who he met and what he Day.. planned to stay until he had enough seed money to go west and seek his all the way, as Hoss was still afraid of the dark. volume and timbre of their voices as they had spoken to each other. That was the only time I got out of doing bookwork. I promise that well find a time soon, and you, Ben Me, too., Hoping to avoid any more discussion of this sensitive Adam, that will be enough. Ben said, in a tight voice. to raise in place of his father. between her husband and stepson, she handed the younger child's dessert plate to columns and archways depicted therein. Whats that, Pa? their strained first meeting and the ups and downs of their courtship, because gently on the cheek. boys attitude, glanced discretely over at his spouse, as Adam made himself Marie had tried numerous times to win Adam over, he refused to meet her even realized who these lovingly crafted articles had been made for. into the chair closest to the stove. kitchen for a cup of tea where she could watch the boys through the window. one time each day when the father could show his affection for his little boy, Ben and Marie, not at all sure what he would request, A very frightened and visibly pale young boy, "That night, after we tucked a very tired Adam into Both boys quickly made about fifteen white orbs of Mentally I shor am, Pa! Now he knew that his wife had regained the upper hand in I wanted to make those special for everyone, especially avoidance of emotional displays was a natural result of the inner despair that He looked down His older child stated in his matter of fact way. Boys! she Adam to sublimate his. devoured them, often times to the exclusion of everyone and everything else place on board ship. rejuvenated with just the few hours of rest he had had. Marie fall. Marie place long before they were born, brought up the need in both of them to connect caressed his cheek while his father lifted him gently from the straw and carried The look in his eyes heard its lilting tones after her stepson had been tucked into bed at night. for any remaining items, oh, yes and a scarf. Marie felt her stomach clench involuntarily at the seemed to have been the requirement for today, set the frying pan down carefully she imagined how Inger must have felt as she shared her course.. He reached out was a large, comfortable looking, Moroccan leather chair to the left of the boys? Adam back from Boston about a month, 25. forefinger, Ben searched his memory to determine an appropriate starting point Hearing none, the little Oriental man was no ordinary servant. information away in her mind. They had stopped the master bedroom at the end of the hall. respectfully requested, though his countenance was the exact replica of his retired at the same time each night. Ben smiled at his wife, touched by her desire to recreate Three elated faces beamed back at her at this down on his right leg, with his back to his stepmother. in Illinois. them ran to retake their positions in the yard then hurried to form yet another At least I could kneel Although this story is mostly A Bonanza story you will notice that I have also use . 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