Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait - but here's my next story at long last! I know, it's taken me ages, but I've just been so busy. Poor excuse, I know - but anyway, here it is! Enjoy!

Her Mother's Daughter

Chapter 1 – The Running S

Adam sang the last refrain of 'Beautiful Dreamer', and then put down his guitar. He stood up and walked over to the side of Louise's bed. She lay there so still – it was as if she were caught in some magic spell. He stroked away a stray brown wisp of hair from her face. Her eyes were closed, and her rapid breathing kept the night from being completely silent. A smile played at her lips, and even in her sleep she blew Adam a kiss back as he bent forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She looked so sweet.

Smiling as he remembered how his sister had gradually come round to him since his return from college a few weeks ago, he quietly left the room and walked down the stairs, running his hand down the bannister ponderously. Ben and Hoss were still up, but Joe was in bed reading a dime store novel.

"She asleep?" Ben asked as Adam took a seat in front of the fire.

"Yes," Adam replied with a smile.

"Plumb tuckered out, weren't she?" Hoss said.

"We've been trying to decide what to get Louise for her birthday this year," Ben explained. "Any suggestions?"

Hoss began to count off their ideas on his fingers. "We've thought of a kitten, or a new doll, or …"

"Pa," Adam interrupted Hoss' list. "Why won't you let Louise learn to ride?"

Ben raised his eyebrows at the suddenness of Adam's question before letting his brow furrow in a pained expression. When he replied, his words spoke of an old wound. "Because I want to keep her safe!"

"Is this because of Marie?" Adam asked.

Ben clutched his knee at the mention of his wife's name. He opened his mouth, and the words that came out were rapid and nervous – almost as if he was trying not to answer Adam's question. "She's so like her mother, isn't she Adam. She has her expressive eyes, and something of her face. She loves horses, too …"

"Exactly! So why don't you let her ride? At her age I could ride a pony. Hoss was riding, too – and Little Joe. A pony would be the perfect birthday present!"

"I can't lose her, too, Adam," Ben said. His eyes had a desperate look in them as they met Adam's steady gaze. "She's all I've got left of Marie – her and Joseph!"

"But you let Joe ride!"

"He could already ride before … Marie's accident. Louise hasn't learnt to love riding yet because she's never tried. I don't want her to end up getting killed by the same thing that took her mother from me!"

"Who says she would have a bad accident?"

"I don't want to take that risk!" Ben said, slamming his fist down on the table fiercely. He closed his eyes and sighed before continuing. "Listen to me, Adam. She has one of Marie's traits in her that frightens me every time I see it. Yes, it frightens me! She can be reckless at times. You never know what she's going to do next. Marie died from being reckless. I can't risk anything the same happening to Louise!"

Adam shook his head. "You mean you'll never let her ride? That's ridiculous, Pa! I'm sorry, but it is! Sometimes it's necessary to ride a horse. Horses are the only means of transport around here, Pa – and if there was an emergency sometime, then Louise might need to know how to ride!"

"There are always ranch hands about if there was an emergency. Look, I don't want to talk about it Adam. My mind is made up. I'm not going to lose my baby girl."

"Well, I want to talk about it," Adam said, beginning to lose his temper. "I love that little girl, just like you do, Pa. But I think you love us all to the same extent as you love Louise."

"Of course …"

"Well, does that mean that you're going to stop Joe from riding? Or Hoss? Or are you going to stop me? Well, Pa? Are you?"

"Show some respect when you're talking to your father," Ben said, raising his voice as he stood up from his armchair.

"I … uh … think I'll turn in now," Hoss said, standing up nervously and quickly making his way up the stairs and into the sanctuary of his room. He knew only too well that his father and older brother were equally stubborn. When they got into a heated discussion, it was best to stay out of the line of fire.

"Look Pa, I'm sorry. But give it a chance. Louise deserves to ride horses. You can't keep her from danger all her life. You saw that a few weeks ago when Russ threatened her with his gun. Pa, I'm not saying she won't ever fall. She will because everyone falls off their horses at some point. It's part of learning to ride. But I promise that if you let her learn to ride, then I will be there to teach her every step of the way. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe. I love my little sister, Pa. I'll take of her. I promise. Please, Pa. She loves horses. You can see she's her mother's daughter."

Her mother's daughter!

Ben's eyes grew distant and faraway as he sank back into his chair. The sound of Marie's laugh rippled in his ears. A flash of her radiant smile came to his mind's eye as moisture crept to his eyes. He was remembering that smile that she had given him when he had brought back a new horse for her from a trip; the embrace that she had given him – the kisses that she had planted on his cheek and lips! How he missed the feel of her lips – the touch of her hands – the warmth of her smile; the bright sparkle of her merry eyes whenever she mounted a horse and galloped about! The childish excitement that she got out of racing with him across the Ponderosa!

Could he deny his daughter that same joy when she loved horses so very, very much?

But once more he heard the pounding hooves, saw Marie riding towards the yard, and heard her cry out as the horse fell, crushing her beneath its weight.

What if the same thing happened to Louise Marie? His precious daughter! The daughter that reminded him so much of his wife!

"Louise is not Marie," Adam's voice interrupted the memories that had stirred in Ben's mind. "She is her own person. Don't let her be a china doll that will break at the slightest touch. Please, Pa. You can't keep her boxed up all her life. Let her have a pony!"

Ben looked up at Adam, startled. Was that what he was doing? In his attempts to keep his baby girl safe, was he treating her like a fragile doll that could break at any moment?

"Please, Mon Cherie," a voice seemed to whisper in his ear. "Let her ride. Let her fly. Let ma petite love the horses like I did!"

A faint smile edged Ben's lips as he cast his eyes above him. "But, Marie!" he thought. "She's our daughter. I can't lose her like I've lost you!"

"Faith, Mon Cherie! Ask God to keep her safe!"

Though his wife was not speaking to him, Ben knew what she would have said if she had been there. "Alright, Marie!" he thought. "If it's what you would have wanted."

He turned to look at Adam. "You'd better turn in if you've got an early start."

"Pa?" Adam said with a frown, not sure where Ben was leading.

"Well, are you going to buy a pony for her birthday, or not?"

Adam was surprised at the suddenness of Ben's change of mind. "You mean you'll let her?!"

"Yes, son – but please watch her closely and keep her from danger as much as you can!"

"Thank you, Pa. I will!" Adam promised. He turned towards the stairs before looking back at Ben. "What changed your mind so suddenly?"

Ben smiled. "Marie. I knew it was what she would have wanted."

Adam nodded. "And don't worry about Louise, Pa. I'll make sure that she's safe."

"I know you will, Adam. And I'll pray to God that he'll keep her safe, too."

"So will I!" Adam said, smiling. "Goodnight!"

As Ben watched Adam walk up the staircase towards his room, a shudder went through his body. He couldn't help remembering that awful day when his precious wife had had her fatal accident. What if the same thing happened to Louise?

"Please, God," he prayed silently. "Keep my baby girl safe."

Then, with his thoughts turning back to his wife, he whispered, "Oh, Marie, I still love you. And how I love our little girl! I'd do anything to keep her safe. I hope I've done the right thing!"

Adam rode under a large wooden archway that had 'Running S' carved on it. Corrals surrounded him on either side, and the chiming sounds of someone hammering away at a horse shoe alerted him that he wasn't the only human being on that ranch.

He urged Sport forwards, following the sound, and found two men, a little younger than him, outside one of the barns. One was shoeing a bay mare, and the other was carefully mending a small saddle.

The man who was doing the smithy work looked up as Adam approached, and wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm, bobbed his head in welcome and called, "Howdy!"

Adam nodded his head, "Good day. I don't know if you can help me, but I'm looking for a gentle pony, fit for a six year old to ride. Got anything that would suit?"

The man who was busy mending the saddle looked up, and glancing at the first man, grinned and said, "Me and my brother have just the thing for you!"

Adam dismounted from his horse, and swinging the reins round a shrub, stepped up to the first man.

"My name's Adam Cartwright. Come from the Ponderosa ranch, near Virginia City," he said, shaking hands with him. "It's my sister's birthday in a couple of days, and I've had no success so far in getting the perfect pony for her. Now if you could quickly show me the pony – I don't want be late home."

"Abel Shaw," the man replied. "My brother's Seth. Cain's in the breaking corral. Ma was always one for Bible names – heck, she'd have gladly had twelve sons so she could name 'em after Jacob's. But when we three came at once, she settled on Adam and Eve's kids!" He turned to Seth and ordered, "Show Mr. Cartwright the paint pony!"

Seth laid down the saddle, and hobbled up to Adam. "He's this way," he said, motioning for Adam to follow.

Adam did, finding himself frowning slightly for no apparent reason. There was something about the energetic friendliness of Abel, the quiet, grinning Seth, and the whole quietness of the place that puzzled him, though he didn't know why.

As Adam walked round to the corral with Seth, he couldn't help noticing the way that the man walked. He was limping, and sort of shuffled across the ground.

"Born with one leg shorter than t'other," Seth suddenly explained without turning around to look at Adam, as if he knew that was what Adam was thinking about. "I knew you was looking. Everyone does. I suppose they has a right to know."

Adam felt suddenly embarrassed, and looked about him, not really paying attention until he saw something. It was then that he realized why everything had appeared so strangely quiet.

The remains of a blackened ranch house stood out from the sooty, orange dust.

"Lost it two weeks ago. Lost everything we had – 'cept the horses. Stopped it from spreading to the barns. Only lost one corral. Took Ma, though. Pa died years ago – but it's just us now. Anyway, here's the pony."

Adam tried to focus on the pony, but he couldn't help but notice the sad yet resigned way in which the man next to him spoke. Shaking off the feeling of sympathy, he found himself looking a small Chincoteague pinto pony. He looked up at Adam with wide, trusting eyes, and in that one moment, Adam knew he was the one.

"He's broke – was my sister's pony a while back. She was always small and weak, and she died of Scarlet Fever before she even outgrew him. You can have my word he's the best pony a girl could ever have. We wouldn't have trusted our sister's life with any other pony," and this time the man's voice cracked with emotion. He carried on though, normally, as before, "That's a fine gelding, and you won't be finding a better. And he's yours, tack and all, for $80."

Adam looked at the pony's imploring eyes before turning back to Seth and gripping his hand firmly in a shake of agreement. "Done!"

Seth grabbed a rope halter, and easily caught the pony. Then, handing the rope to Adam, he said, "Come and get his tack."

Adam followed the man back to where Abel had just finished shoeing the mare.

"You like him?" Abel asked.

"He's perfect – Louise will love him."

"Well I'll be …" Abel exclaimed. "Louise was our sister's name. Nothing Biblical 'bout it, but it was Ma's name, so she got it, too."

Adam smiled sadly in response.

"Be sure to include the saddle with the price," Abel stressed to his brother. "Can't have the girl riding bareback!"

Seth nodded and picked up the saddle that he had been mending. He put it on the pony, and then transferred the rope halter for a bridle, attaching a rope to the bridle so that Adam could tow the pony behind him as he rode. When he was done he turned to Adam and said, "He's all ready for you."

"Thank you," Adam said, pressing some money into Seth's hand.

"This is too much," Seth said, looking at the money in his hand. "I said eighty, not a hundred."

"He's worth more – and I don't have change," Adam said.

To his surprise, Seth's eyes filled with remorse instead of gratefulness.

"I ran up a bill of sale whilst you were looking at him – I knew you'd want him. He's every girl's dream pony. The receipt ain't much to look at because we lost near everything in the fire – but it's genuine," Abel said.

When the business was complete, Adam turned to Sport, and mounting up, took his farewell of the Shaw brothers and the Running S ranch, towing the pony behind him.

Well, I hope you liked the first chapter. Please let me know your thoughts. I can't wait to hear from you! Thanks for reading! :-)