Fan-Fiction

Bonanza

Accidental Jump

I do not own the rights to the show Bonanza

NOTE: I know Virginia City is not a ghost town - nor was it one in 1950 - but for the sake of this storyline I am making it one. If you happen to live near, or in the town, please do not take any insult.

Also I have Adam, Candy and Jamie mentioned together in this scene because Anne is seeing anyone that ever lived on, or near, the Ponderosa.

Scene 1

Julie walked down the barren streets of Virginia City with Deana. Her light-brown hair with stardust sprinkled throughout her head was quiet the contrast to Deana's brunette crown. And her five-foot three frame would need another six inches -at least - to catch up with her companions. They two got along as well as oil and water, but were somehow managing to be polite toe each other. They were visiting the buildings which had stopped being in use before the year shown on the bus' calendar - which was nineteen fifty-one.

Old Saloons and stores cried out for company and voices of the past rode on the wind's waves. It was something that Julie was -conveniently keeping quiet on- instead she stuck with looking inside dusty windows and taking mental notes. And when a giant of a man wearing an off-white hat and brownish vest stepped out of the closest thing this town had once had to a dance hall slash restaurant establishment she bit her lip hard.

"Julie!" Deana griped as she bumped into her companion not having expected her to come to an abrupt halt.

"Sorry?" She lifted a shoulder. "I got distracted?"

"By what? There's nothing here!" When Julie went to speak Deana decided to order the other woman her to keep her big mouth shut as Roxy's ex college room-mate had been acting weird - and saying strange things - all morning.

"Okay, if you say so, but I wouldn't be trying to sit on that bench if I were you." Julie's eyes danced as she went inside only to hear Deana give a loud yelp. "So, much for her listening to me." Julie spoke under her breath and chose an empty seat at a table at the far end of the room. A railing separated it - and others keeping it company - from the rest of the dining area.

Julie silently sized up the room -and the people. She could see Ben, his wife -Jennifer, Adam, Celeste, Little Joe and his wife - Alice, along with Candy and Jamie. Of course, there was the sheriff and his wife -Rose- not to mention Deputy Foster and quite a few of the town folk. None of them could be seen by Deana though as she walked into the deserted building.

"Someone really needs to put a new bench out there." She held up a sliver of wood.

"I told you not to sit there." Deana's companion for the day spoke innocently enough and the words were innocent of any amusement - her eyes were not. Fortunately the lady could not see that, however, Hoss -who had just walked back in could; as did the rest of his family.

"Pa, reckon she can see us?" Hoss' face was puzzled as Julie began playing a game of solitaire without the slightest hint of having heard the man.

"If she warned her friend not to sit there then …I dare say she very well might." However when Hoss waved a hand in front of her face a couple of times the woman only continued to play her game.

"Guess not." Little Joe spoke up as he took a sip of his drink.

"Uh…Deana, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Julie spoke just as the lady was about to climb up on a stool at the end of the bar.

"And why not?" Deana demanded an answer.

"I can't tell you." Julie tossed a card down griping over not getting the card she needed.

"And why not?" The saxophone player was nothing short of annoyed.

"Because you ordered me to keep my mouth shut." Everyone but Deana could see Julie's eyes roaring with laughter.

Deana almost listened to Julie, but instead she climbed up and sat down - only to find herself shooting off the stool and pulling another sliver out of her lower back side. "Okay, how come you knew about the bad chair."

"It's not a bad chair, you just shouldn't have sat there." Julie picked up the cards and began shuffling them.

"And where - pray tell should I sit?" Deana spoke with sheer irritation at having to figure out which -empty- chair to sit in.

"Why not just come over here by me? I'll even put up my game of solitaire." Stashing the cards in her pocket Anne watched the woman come and sit down at the same table as she.

"Roxy isn't happy with you." Deana spoke figuring -maybe- she could talk some sense into the band member who really wasn't an official member.

"Surprise, surprise, surprise." Julie mimicked the private on some tv show…just don't ask her his name.. and stood up deciding to head for the stage. "And might I ask what crime did I commit this time that has your big sister so fed up with me?" Roy saw the lady roll her eyeballs and knew the woman was not guilty of breaking any law.

"You know full well what she's irked at. You are talented enough to be a professional, and she's invited you to be permanent addition to the band more than once. I think you would be wise to accept the invite." Deana turned in her own chair as Julie began to play the piano and sing the theme song from The Way We Were.

The piano stopped after only a few bars as did Julie as she spoke with controlled fire in her voice, "I'd rather bite a bullet than be any musical payroll."

"Oh, come on, it wouldn't be that bad. Besides, you're good…I mean really good." Deana watched as Julie stood and walked to the middle of the stage and push at the flooring with the toe of her boot as if the stuff were dirt. The jeans she wore would have appalled her grandmother, but she hated traveling in a dress.

"You and Roxy may love the life of an entertaining, but I don't. And you now why?" She looked straight at the gal waiting for an answer. She' not be having this conversation had she not been made to hang around her all morning - due to some stupid rule the band's leader had made because of a minor incident in Leas Vegas which had been overblown by the drummer.

"No." Deana thought a musician's life wonderful and could not grasp anyone loaded with talent - as Julie was- turning it down.

"Because it requires constant travel across the country and sometimes overseas, deprives you of - properly- flying under the radar…and besides…" She grinned wide as her back straightened up. "…if I went into the business someone would have to send me to prison for life. Heck, over hundred years ago they'd have had to hang me."

"What in the world for? You're not that bad." Deana's voice held true shock at the mere suggestion of Julie swinging.

"Because I'd kill any idiotic manager that crossed my path. I have no patience for their stupidity." Julie crossed her arms as she grinned wide listening to the room busting up in laughter -including the sheriff.

"Not all managers are that horrible." Deana defended the profession.

"No, just the ones I have the unfortunate business of crossing paths with." Julie spoke dryly. Going back to where the Roxy's sister sat she positioned herself on the railing just as Roxy and Anne walked into the room. When they were warned not to sit at any tables - other than the one they were at- Anne listened and Roxy stayed standing.

"We're heading out in the morning. Our gig will be tomorrow night." Roxy spoke thinking surely her sister had gotten through to Julie.

"You mean you're heading out to Carson City. I ain't gonna go to no cock-eyed city. Any commitment I agreed to is over." Julie slipped from time to time in her English - especially if she was massively annoyed at someone. The gal spoke vehemently while cleaning her fingernails. Roxy started to protest the young lady not sticking with the band only to have Deana wave her hand in the air.

"Don't waste your breath. She's hopeless." Her eyes glared at Julie who was -conveniently ignoring her stare.

"Richard's going to be there." Roxy thought for sure that would get the gal's attention only to be appalled when Julie grabbed her chest begging for someone to shoot her first. "Julie Antoinette! That's not funny. You just gave Deana heart failure." Roxy sent fort her own glare towards her old schoolmate who had - expertly - fallen to the ground as if indeed shot.

"In that case, …" Julie propped herself with her elbows and hollered "… Is there a doc in the house!" That set Dr. Martin - and others- into fits of laughter, but it only got Roxy and Deana out the door.

"You really are impossible." Anne tried to be stern as her friend stood up and brushed her slacks off. "I think Deana was almost as scared when she saw you fall off that railing as when you brought Benny onto the bus."

"Ah, there was nothing wrong with Benny." Julie grinned wide. "He was very good pet." Her eyes began to twinkle again as she leaned against one of the windows.

"Pet?" Anne laughed herself. "I don't think Deana classifies a brown bear as a pet." That got everyone's eyes wide -except Hoss' whose own face held admiration.

"Good grief, he was raised in captivity. If it hadn't been for a whole in his fence he'd have never gotten out in the first place. And he would have only struck out if he thought he was in danger. Besides, I took him to the nearest zoo as soon as the tour was over just as I promised. And -give me a break - that gal screamed bloody-murder over a tiny spider; and I mean tiny - crawling up the wall across the hall from her. I swear I could walk into her room - without being sneaky, say boo and that gal would still be hollering at the top of her lungs." Julie did not hide her grin as a chuckle came out of more than one mouth.

"Still probably wouldn't be polite if you scared her like that in her own room." Anne tried to be stern, but her own grin betrayed her true opinions.

"That reminds me…" Julie set down her file and stared hard - right at Hoss. "You ever wave your hand in front of my face again while I am playing solitaire and I'll royally smack ever bone in that hand of yours. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." The gentle giant grinned but then grew serious as he asked why she hadn't said anything before now.

"Hey, darlin', I'm crazy - not stupid." That really set the whole room to laughing.

"Can you hear and see us too?"" Hoss asked Anne who wasn't even batting an eye at the whole conversation.

"Not as well as Julie can, but ya, I very well aware of you." Anne looked back at Julie who now had her eye on her. "What?"

"Since when can you see what I see? You've always said you believed me, but not because you had first hand experience." Julie was slightly annoyed at being left in the dark and her lowered eyebrows proved it.

"Every time I went to talk to you Roxy was around, and straight jackets don't go with my spring attire any better than they do yours." Anne chuckled and the rest of the room smiled.

Julie wasn't surprised when Anne asked where she was heading out to if she wasn't waiting til morning and going with the band. "Not sure, but not going with that bunch. What about you?"

"I'll stick with the band. I might not like my job, but - for now - my commitment is to them and my aunt." Anne spoke and the two headed out pausing long enough for Julie to inform the sheriff he'd put on his jacket inside-out. When the women made their exit Coffee looked down embarrassed to see the one called Julie was right.