I'm working on College Bound but I got stuck on it yesterday while writting so I wrote this instead, so yeah now I've got two stories up for Bonanza I'm working on. I probably want be quick to updates. Its in Beths pov Idk if it will have anyother povs. And also this storie doesn't really have a plot...I'm winging it.
Character Ages - Beth 17 Joe 16 Hoss 22 Adam 28
Disclaimer - I Don't own Bonanza, or the Cartwright's...well I do own Mary Elizabeth Cartwright, and Shelly, and the Harnesses...
Whats written in Bold is Beth's memories/story.
One little fuss was all it took for Roy throw us in the calaboose claming we have fought enough today! And only because toughs dang saloon girls ran and told the Roy that I pulled my gun on Shelly. I'm starting to wish I would have, all her belly aching given me a migraine! And besides that Pa will tan my hide when I get home, seventeen or not I know I'm not to old to be thrown over his knee, or well he said we ain't.
"If it wouldn't have been for you we wouldn't be here right now!" Shelly complained for the good thousandth time.
"Shelly, shut the heck up." I growled out keeping my voice as neutral as possible. Her lying wasn't getting me know where. "Sheriff Coffee! Can you please come here for a minuet?" I hollered.
"Beth what is it?" He ask walking through the door and giving me a sorry look.
"Roy, you know I didn't pull no gun on her. Can't you let us out before you have me in here for a real reason?" He shook his head leaving me sighing. He also had a disaproving look at my reason.
"Beth I know you didn't pull that gun, and it was proven by some of the folks you were around. But your Pa doesn't know that and neither dose Shelly's folks." I saw the smirk hit Shelly's face quickly. "The both of you are safer in jail tonight, tomorrow I will explain to Ben, Abigail, & Luke what happened but for now your stuck here. Your both just gonna have to get along tonight."
"Alright Roy, but my hides still gonna be tanned." Shelly smirked at me showing clearly she wouldn't be in no spot for a tanning. Roy gave me a small smile but it didn't help me none.
So here I am spending the night in jail, with Shelly Harness.
The only good thing is Roy let me keep my hat, so putting that over my eyes I laid back on the bunk closed at her noise and drifted to sleep fearing tomorrow. I know though that I'm gonna have to Stand the gaff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE NEXT MORNING~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Beth, Lissy" I heard someone calling me by different nick names but I ignored them. "Mary Elizabeth up now." I jumped my hat falling to the floor as I looked up at Roy.
"Sorry." I mumbled grabbing the hat that fell and standing up.
"Your Pa and brothers are on their way." I nodded while stretching and following him out of the cell and sitting in a chair next to Shelly.
Her dress was wrinkled and her hair had in knots all in it, hard core for me not to laugh. Which my hair probably doesn't look much better. The only good part is mines tied up.
"Coffee?" I took a cup Roy offered but Shelly declined, wrinkling her nose. I rolled my eyes at her sipping on the drink.
"Mary Elizabeth Cartwright!" I jumped nearly spilling my coffee, glancing at the door I looked at Pa. Adam, Hoss, and Joe were behind him. Joe of course seeing this as funny, where Adam had the most serious look on his face, and Hoss didn't know what to think. Pa though, I was to scared to look him in the face.
"Oh Shelly!" A shrill voice rang through, Abigail Harness came running in pushing Joe out of the way as her arms went around her niece. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you?" She glared at me I just raised an eyebrow showing I wasn't about to cower away from her. I might respect people older then me but I ain't getting ba=lamed fully for this.
Before she could say anything Joe was in front of me hugging me, "Oh Beth! We were so worried are you hurt? Injured? Wounded? Did you kill her?" I could here the mocking noise in Joe's voice, and I tried not to laugh even Hoss and Adam had to turn their backs to keep the amusement from showing.
"Joseph." Joe stood up and walked away so he was standing by Hoss, I could still see the laughter on his face.
"Mary Elizabeth, what was the meaning of you pulling a gun on Miss. Harness?' I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by Shelly's sobs.
"It was so horrible, I-I Thought she was going to kill me!" Shelly screamed, and I stared at her biting my tongue from actually going for a gun. "She would have killed me in cold blood!" She pointed an accusing finger at me while Mrs. Harness sent a glare my way.
"Ben, I know we've known each other for a long time but your girls taken it to far." Luke spoke sending me a cold look, I started to reply but Shelly let an anguished filled cry escape and Abigail quickly went to comforting her.
"Pa! I didn't pull a gun!" I yelled out finally raising my voice to be heard over the fake cries. "I'm not about to go to jail or be hung or something for something I didn't do." Sometime or another my voice turned awfully cold.
"Now see here! My Shelly would never lie about something like this."
"And Beth would never lie about it either." Joe spoke, I noticed he was the only one of my brothers to speak. Adam was to busy staring at Shelly, complex look on his face…trying to see a lie maybe. And Hoss, well Hoss looked confused.
"Ben." Mr. Harness spoke, "You know your daughters never liked my niece." Pa looked from me to Shelly and frowned.
"Pa.."
"Beth, that's enough. I don't know if you pulled that gun…I would hope you would have more since in you then that. But I want have any child of mine pul-"
"Ben." Roy came in and I felt relief wash over me. "I thought I could leave the eight of you here and you would work this out…but all I see is accusing fingers being pointed at Beth when they shouldn't be."
"Sheriff, are you saying that Beth didn't have a gun?" Mr. Harness ask.
"No she had a gun, but that gun was where it always is." Roy lifted my gun belt up. "According to some of the men out there Beth didn't once take that gun out of it holster." Pa looked at me, and I nodded.
"She lies." I looked to my left at Abigail. Swallowing hard.
"Sir, ma'am. I've known the both of you for as long as I can remember have I ever once told a lie to you?" I looked between everyone in this room. " I'll admit, I have lied before but there has never been a lie that I've told go unpunished. And I have never once told a lie about not pulling a gun on someone. I have pulled my gun on people before and in all times it was self-defense for myself or my family." Adam looked at me his time and moved putting his hand on my shoulder.
"I believe her Pa." Joe walked to stand beside Adam I was shocked. They actually agreed on something.
Shelly cried harder and I looked up at Adam and Joe grateful. As Hoss walked over I gave the same greatful look to him.
"Neither Shelly nor Beth will stay in this jail any longer." Shelly's head snapped up her glare meeting mine but she followed her aunt and uncle out.
"Thank you Roy." Pa said while heading for the door. Roy nodded and I was shepherded out after retrieving my gun belt and knife the was normaly in my pocket.
"Little sister you got to be more careful." Hoss said finally speaking. I shrugged and looked at Pa while I saddled MoonStar. He never said a word and his face gave nothing away.
"Pa?"
"What is it Beth."
"Are you mad?" he sighed and looked at me.
"Not as mad as Hop Sing." I smiled slightly as we followed him out of town and back to home. "Why don't you and Shelly get along?"
"I don't know Pa. We just never had."
"Well find out why, I want have a repeat of this again. I aspect an answer before the end of the week." Me and Joe looked at each other, both knowing I might never have an answer.
"Beth, when was the first time the two of you hated each other?" Adam asked while we watched Pa go inside after tending to Buck and we tended are own horses.
"When we first met." Joe laughed remembering that. "The first time Beth ever threatened to beat someone!" Adam and Hoss looked form me to Joe both shaking their heads. Hoss was the only one who looked half amused of the two.
"Well we can help you find the source, Pa might not have tanned you yet but if this keeps going he will." Adam said while clapping me on the shoulder.
After we had Sport, Chub, MoonStar, and Cochise fixed and in the stable we sat down up in the loft.
"Alright little sister." I looked at Hoss for a seconded while I thought about mine and Shelly's first meeting.
"Well…when we first met each other."
"Joe slow down!" I yelled to my little brother as he raced down the street. Adam had brought us to town with him and told me and Joe we could play just don't leave this street. We decided to play tag, and I was it. "Got ya!" I called out tagging his shoulder then turning on my heels running back the opposite direction.
"Lissy Beth!" Joe called chasing after me. I laughed and ran across the street just as someone exited the stage couch. I ran right into the person knocking both of us down.
"I'm sorry." I stood up and offered a hand to the girl I knocked down. She glared up at me and ran her eyes over my pants and shirt.
"Oh Shelly!" Mrs. Harness had came walking over and helped the girl up just as Joe got over to me.
"Hello there Beth, Little Joe." Mr. Harness said to us.
"Hello" We had a tendency of reply at the same time the same words even though we weren't twins or nothing.
"I'ma story for running into you." I said once again apologizing to the girl Shelly.
"Look boy, I don't need your apologies if you weren't running around like a hoodlum I wouldn't have gotten knocked down." I looked at her then at Joe then at my hair that hung loosely in curls around my face.
"Shelly, darlin this is Beth, a girl not a boy." Mrs. Harness spoke while brushing dust off Shelly's dress.
"Then where is her dress."
"I don't wear dresses unless I have to." She looked me up and down before sticking her nose up.
"So your just street trash."
"Shelly, Beth lives on the Ponderosa with her Pa and brothers, she isn't poor." Mrs. Harness sooth while having a dreamy look upon her face. Shelly looked at Joe but she kept her face from mine.
"Back where I'm from your looked down on for not wearing a dress, so your no more then a maid to me." She looked at me now and handed out her bag. "Carry my luggage to the carriage." I took her luggage and realized how heavy it was, I gave her a small smile and dropped it on her foot.
"You ever tell me to carry your luggage again, you will be in bed for a week." I turned on my heels to leave dragging Joe behind me leaving the three of them their with their luggage.
Me and Joe met back up with Adam and went home.
"And I never knew about this why?" I smiled at my oldest brother and laid back in the hay.
"We just never did tell ya. Wasn't important." I heard him mumble something that sounded like 'Is now'.
What things meant
Calaboose ~ Jail
Stand The Gaff ~ Take Punishment In Good Spirit
I'll have the next chapter posted sometime for College Bound once I get it wrote
Same with this one...