Fan Fiction

Bonanza

A Blast From the Past

Candy

I do not own the copyrights to Bonanza only to my OC, Adeline

Authoress note: I got this idea off three sources…none of which was Bonanza, but I figured it would be great way to get Candy a wife .

"Happy Birthday to you…." All the Cartwrights - along with Adeline - and little Alan - sang to Candy. It was only after it was done that Little Joe asked Candy and Adeline to open up about themselves.

"Adeline shows up with Alan, tells you that you're married to each other - that Alan is your son - and you slide into the husband role without argument; what's the deal?" Little Joe asked not because he was irked - or hated Adeline - but because he was more curious than the any stray bobcat looking for food as to why Candy had given no fight to the gal now his wife.

"Oh, like I could deny this boy?" Candy bounced eighteen-month old Alan on his knee. "He's the spitting image of myself."

"And the marriage?" Little Joe then apologized if he was being rude.

"No, if you had a blast from the past show up on the doorstep with your son I'd probably be asking the same thing." Candy looked at Adeline as if to say 'who tells'.

"Be my guest. Hop Sing promised to teach me how to cook." Adeline dove into the kitchen leaving Candy to explain to the Cartwrights.

"Chicken!" Candy hollered and joined in the laughter when everyone heard his wife make the sound of that particular animal from the kitchen without attempting to come back out.

"So?" Ben asked as he sat down along side Jennifer.

"I was up in Montana, just before I headed down to Stockton and then over here." He shrugged his shoulders. "Some ranch hand was getting married and a party started up. Adeline doesn't drink - you know that." No one argued that point and he went on. "Whiskey started being passed around…."

"Come on Adeline, you don't have to drink much, but it's a party. Surely, one drink's okay." Candy watched the saloon girl convince her friend to take the glass and went to sit by her himself.

"Here's to Tommy." He lifted his glass and she - hesitantly - touched it with hers.

"She'd not ever drank before but I didn't know that. I was guzzling the stuff down and got pretty stinkin' drunk, but not before I noticed she wasn't holding her liquor well. I did get her to the room before going back downstairs." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't' remember much, other than some preacher coming in and getting drunk himself and offering to officiate for any wedding. We humored the fellow, but figured it wasn't legal as he was so drunk. Adeline found out otherwise, but by then I was already gone."

"Adeline, I love you." He'd barely been able to stand.

"You're just saying that cause you're drunk." Her hiccupping made him giggle.

"And you aren't?" He pulled her close and pulled the ribbon from her hair.

"And what do you think you're doing?" "She really didn't put up much of a fight." He sighed when he saw the looks on their faces - not judgmental ones, but ones that clearly showed what they thought of getting that stone drunk. "I'm not saying what we did was right, but it happened."

"Adeline, sweet Adeline…" Candy whispered as he got her to loosen up.

"I don't remember anything else of that night, but in the morning her hair piece was on the table, and my ring was gone. I hightailed it to Stockton figuring she'd probably have my hide if I didn't." He looked at Ben. "I swear I didn't know about my son until she showed up with her relatives hot on her heels."

"I remember that." Ben grimaced -those relatives had been something else.

"I'm her husband." Candy had stood between Adeline and Alan. Ben and his family were all gathered in the front of the house with them as Nolan and Harriet Jackman had shown up insisting Adeline come back east with them.

"What kind of husband gets his wife with child and then rides away and doesn't speak to her for almost two years and then finally sends for her?" Harriet glared at him. "We're taking you to court and proving you can't take care of Alan. That boy is coming back with us."

"I figured if we hadn't had your support they might have succeeded, the lies they threw out were atrocious." Candy shuddered at the thought.

"Just be grateful it's over." Ben remembered the day in court.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jackman, Candy has been working at the same ranch for a year now, Mr. Cartwright is very well known and if he says Candy's not a thief and liar than he's not. Plus Ben's not only paying your niece's husband a wage, but he has given them a home in which to live. And even if he hadn't…" The judge glared at the stuck-up snobs. "He is the father of the child and has done nothing in which to warrant the law taking the child from him, nor has his wife. You haven't a leg to stand on. I highly suggest you go back east."

"They left all right." Candy scowled. "Tried to kidnap Alan at the same time."

"Just be glad you all saw them boarding the stagecoach with him." Jennifer picked up her own son who had came waddling over to her.

"Oh, I am. Believe me I am." Candy held his son close.

"Where's Alan?" Adeline couldn't sit still and keep pacing the front room floor, or the ground in front of the Cartwright home. "Candy…."

"We'll find him." Candy had hopped on his horse - along with Ben and Hoss as they scoured the land only to spot a local station loading up passengers.

"Stop!" He, along with Ben and Hoss hollered over and over.

"What's up, Ben?" The driver asked as Candy flew off his horse.

"That couple is attempting to kidnap his son." Ben glared at the Jackmans as Candy threw open the door to the stagecoach and demanded his son back.

"I can't believe the nerve of Harriet, that b…broad actually tried keeping the child from me en with you all sitting on your horses viewing the whole thing. I think it was only Ben's barking that got her to hand him over."

"I dare say you're right. But they're in jail now - last I heard they planned on staying back east once they got out." Ben then asked him if he ever regretted the night of Alan's conception.

"I don't regret having a son, or Adeline in my life, but…" He looked at Ben. "…when she showed back up with him in tow I did regret talking her into staying at the party. I don't think she's dropped an ounce of liquor since."

"I haven't." Adeline came out of the kitchen. "And I won't either. Promised myself the next time I was with child I was going to remember the conception." She patted her growing belly and shook her head when Candy - jokingly- said he had no idea who planted the watermelon seed.

"I think your blast from the past is here to stay." Jennifer winked as Ben chuckled - along with his sons.

"I think so too." Candy reached up and pulled Adeline down onto his lap. "Which is perfectly fine with me."