I do not own Bonanza or any of the original characters. Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are still my own. Thanks to my Beta Reader for help, though all mistakes are my own.

A/N I am very well aware Candy and Adam were not on the series at the same time, but I needed him.

A Place to Belong

Chapter One

Opening Scene

The night breeze was blowing softly through the trees, wrestling the green summer leaves as it did so. Ben and his sons set up camp; Ben had left Candy in charge of the ranch while he and the boys went to visit their Paiute friends. An owl could be heard off in the distance and a few small animals could be heard scurrying through the nearby grass.

The Cartwrights had visited their friends the day before and were heading home. Ben had visited an old friend, a Paiute he'd known for twenty years by the name of Running Fox. Now Ben sat up against a boulder unable to sleep, the words of his ill Paiute friend still rang in his mind, 'You save life of my wife years ago. We said we give you reward someday. I send brave to your home next week; he bring reward'

"He's stubborn isn't he?" Adam sat up and lookedat his father. He was speaking about his father's friend. The man would not listen when Ben had said it was not necessary.

"Yes, he is," Ben shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slightly, "I'm almost afraid to see what my reward is."

"As long as it's not another blanket," Adam pointed to the small pile of blankets that sat next to Hoss who was sleeping soundly. Ben only chuckled and made himself lie down. As morning came early, he needed all the sleep he could get.

Scene One

Adam was chopping wood while Hoss and Little Joe had taken off early to mend some fences when he saw them, a Paiute brave riding next to a young white woman with her arm around a child, a white girl, no more than three years old. 'Oh boy' Adam thought as he put down the axe, 'How come I get the funny feeling Pa's 'reward' just arrived?' "Hello," Adam smiled as the brave and woman stopped their horses, "May I help you?"

"Child," the brave pointed to the young girl, "my grandfather says is Mr. Cartwright's daughter now, this," he pointed to the woman who wore no expression on her face, "is woman for Mr. Cartwright, mother for daughter."

It took everything Adam had in him, but he smiled politely and said, "I'll get my Pa." Only when his back was to the brave and young woman did he roll his eyeballs and grin slightly. "Pa!" he called as he opened the door.

"He take daughter, she lost white child" the young woman looked at the man beside her, "He not have me, you see. No man, Paiute or White, want half-breed'.

"You look white, you and child his now. He take both, you see." Before the brave could say anything else Ben and Adam came back outside. The brave repeated the words he'd spoken to Adam and quickly left; he was not going to take a chance of the young woman's words being proven true. The Paiute's actions only served to get the woman to shoot glares at his back as he rode away.

Ben felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. He knew full well that to send the woman and child back would be considered a great insult, and who knows what his friend would do if he sent this 'reward' back. Guess, for the time being, he'd have to make room for them. Walking over to the horse, Ben held up his arms for the child. At first the woman did nothing then she handed him the girl and dismounted herself.

"Adam," Ben looked at his oldest, "please take the horse to the stable. Come with me." He looked at the woman next to him; she had to be closer to Little Joe's age than his. Once they got to the front door, Ben opened the door and let the woman in.

Once inside, Ben looked at the child in his arms then asked the young woman, "What's your name? What's her name?"

"My name Brooke. Name Paiute give her," she pointed to the child, "Little Star; not know white name. Mother and Father killed by Paiute enemy. My uncle find her. Bring her home." The woman answered.

"I want to eat." the child wiggled off of Ben's lap and walked up to the woman who had been taking care of her for the past six months. Brooke looked at Ben, he stood up, "I'll have Hop Sing get something then I can show you to your room."

Scene Two

Brooke sat in the rocker Ben had brought into the room holding Little Star and singing the only songs she knew. Ben's putting them both in the same room only confirmed to her what she'd told the Paiute brave who had brought them there. No white man wanted a half-breed.

While Brooke took care of Little Star, Ben and his sons were talking. "You have got to be kidding!" Little Joe couldn't help but raise his voice slightly; he was shocked beyond measure. Hoss was grinning at the spot his pa had found himself in; that is finding himself with a "wife" and daughter, but Hoss kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not kidding," Ben looked up towards the top of the stairs, "Question now is, what to do about this situation." He had not expected his friend to send a woman and a child to his house!

"Can't ya just send them back?" Little Joe asked, "After all, Adam said the woman didn't look happy 'bout being here."

Ben shook his head, "I'm afraid they'd kill them both, or at least the woman. She didn't say it, but I think she's only half Paiute."

It was a few minutes before Hoss spoke, "I reckon we best get used to havin' them around fer a spell, at least, fer awhile."

Before any of the Cartwrights could answer Hop Sing came out of the kitchen, "I start supper. How many eat?"

"All of us," Ben said as he headed for the stairs, "just keep in mind, I doubt Star will be eating much."

Adam and his brothers watched as their father disappeared up the stairs, "You reckon we have really got ourselves a new ma?" Hoss asked once Ben had disappeared out of sight.

"Don't know," Adam stood up and headed for the door, "but I have a few things I need to get done before supper."

Little Joe and Hoss grinned; they knew what that really meant. Adam was seeing Mary after supper. Mary was a gal who Adam seemed to be getting quite close to. "You know Joe, maybe Adam will get a wife before this mess with pa is through."

"Maybe," Little Joe said nothing more as he too headed out to get a few things done before supper.

0000

Ben stood next to the slightly opened window, a gentle breeze blew in and brushed against his face and then lit upon Brooke. Little Star was asleep in the woman's lap. "You are more than welcome to stay here for now, but my people, for the most part, do not just up and marry someone they do not know. Do you understand?" Ben was doing his best to explain why he couldn't just marry her the way his friend expected him to; he kept his eyes on the young woman. There was still no emotion on her face or in her eyes.

Brooke knew the ways of the white man, she knew the white haired gentleman before her spoke the truth. However, she also believed time would not be changing her circumstances. She looked at the child asleep on her lap and, for a split second, Ben saw a smile upon the young woman's face; then it disappeared. "I know white man's ways. They not need time take in child. Star your daughter now. I stay. Take care of her. You not want wife, but she need mother."

Ben felt the cold air in the room and inwardly sighed. A man didn't have to have twenty/twenty vision to see the woman did not believe it was just the facts he'd stated that kept him from marrying her. He might have said something about the age difference too, only Adam stuck his head in the door, "Hop Sing says supper will be ready in thirty minutes." At the sound of his voice Little Star woke up and practically flew over to Adam's side. Before he, or anyone else, could stop her the child had her legs and arms around the man's leg.

Ben and Brooke both stared as Adam smiled, leaned down, and picked the young girl up. Little Star's arms were around his neck faster than lightening moved through the sky.

Brooke stood, "She know big brother. Good sign. I go help this," she looked at Ben, "Hop Sing?" When he nodded in the affirmative Brooke turned and left the room.