Yeah, I know it's a little short, but this is my first fanfiction EVER. Please tell me what you think. I'll send the next chapter as soon as I can. Also, I have never seen Adam's eyes widen in horror-so that was my creative license at work.

I.

Little Joe Cartwright was a decent sort of guy, with curled hair and a handsome face. He boiled over often, fell in love easily, and frequently jumped to conclusions. He always seemed to be laughing; his father and older brothers never could stop his pranks or cure his impulsiveness. And sometimes it was that same impulsiveness that nearly killed him and the ones he loved.

Joe stood in the street, feet apart, looking amused. Next to him was his older half-brother, Hoss, and neither could tear their eyes away from Doc Martin's place.

"What in tarnation are they thinkin'?" asked Hoss, the gentle giant of the family.

The cowboy's brother shrugged and laughed a little in his high-pitched way. Adam and Pa rarely quarreled, but when they did, they went all-out. The bellows issuing from Doc's place were beginning to attract attention.

"Well, at least Doc ain't in there; he's safe," observed Joe, his hands on his hips.

Hoss wrinkled up his face like he did when concerned or confused. "Couldn't they at least wait 'til they got home?"

"Love makes a man do crazy things," chuckled Joe, kicking at the dusty ground and looking over at Elizabeth Rawls, Adam's girl. Little Joe liked her. She was caring and gentle, but practical and smart. Still, he didn't feel that she was the girl for Adam Cartwright. Her natural quietness and unwillingness to express her opinions out loud would cause Adam to walk all over her without even knowing he was doing it.

"I didn't know Adam was so far gone on her," he added, for the discernable shouts from Doc's pretty much announced to the world that he wanted to ask Beth to marry him…

And Pa didn't approve.

"I thought Pa liked her," remarked Hoss. "Must be mighty embarrassin' for that gal."

"Yeah," agreed Joe, sympathetic but unable to keep the smirk off his face. It felt good to have Adam be yelled at by Pa for a change. "I wonder how all this got started?"

"No idea. Hey, where are Roy and Doc, anyway?"

Joe didn't answer. Instead he strolled up to Beth, an attractive girl who was a few years younger than Adam. "Sorry 'bout this," he said to her kindly. "Don't know what got into them."

"Oh, it's awful!" wailed Elizabeth rather unconvincingly. Her twinkling blue eyes gave it away: she was both flattered and entertained. (Not a very good actress, is she? thought Joe privately.) Pa's words seemed to glance right off of her, but she soaked up Adam's defensive remarks as though they were sunshine.

"I suppose," agreed Joe. "Don't worry. Doc's gone to get Sheriff Coffee."

Beth looked startled for a moment, then said, "What? Do you think they'll hurt each other?"

Joe hastened to reassure her. "No. Of course not, but they're making a disturbance."

She tried to relax, but her face still showed signs of alarm. "Little Joe, you had me worried."

"Ma'am, those two would never hurt each other!" he said with an easy laugh and a look towards Doc's house.

Adam's last yell seemed to go up in volume, and Pa went silent.

"Sounds like Adam's winning," noticed Beth.

A gun went off. BANG! Little Joe spun around, pushing Beth behind him and searching for the unseen shooter. The door to Doc's flew open. There stood Adam, hazel eyes wide and horrified, but his face cold.

"Adam?" called Joe, running towards his brother, and Hoss right behind him. What had happened? Where was Pa?

Adam didn't wait for them to get there. He took off the opposite way, leapt onto Sport, and galloped away before Joe and Hoss even reached the house.

"Adam!" shrieked Beth, foolishly trying to grab at him as he rode past and missing.

Joe grabbed at the door frame, turned away from Adam's retreating figure, and tried to keep himself upright as he peered into the room. His handsome face grew ashen.

Hoss, right next to him, didn't try to stop Joe as he whirled and ran away, pushing his older brother aside. Stop him? thought Hoss. He couldn't have if he'd wanted to. He was frozen, paralyzed by what he saw…Ben dead on the floor.

People were beginning to crowd around Hoss, trying to push their way inside the house. He turned to face them, letting his bulk fill the doorway so that no one could see or go in. Joe was riding out of town on Cochise, flying to the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights' ranch. Surely he would bring Adam back, and then Adam would explain…

Explain what? What could Adam say to make things better, to talk his way out of this predicament? He'd killed their Pa, hadn't he? Why, bleated Hoss's brain. Why would he shoot the man they all loved so much?