Disclaimer: I don't own Adam or Hoss Cartwright or anything else that is Bonanza-ish in this fic.

A/N: I wrote this on January 26 (or the 25) but I forgot about posting it until now. Ooops. Well, here you go.

Witch's Brew

Hoss Cartwright was nearly fourteen years old when he came into Carson City with his brother, Adam, on Halloween night. They were heading home after a long cattle drive and were instructed to wait in Carson until their father's arrival in the following days. Ben Cartwright still had small matters of business to attend to and knowing his boys were anxious to get back, he sent them ahead. After riding for most of the day, Adam and Hoss had finally arrived in town to witness the beautiful Halloween sunset. The town had an eerie glow to it as Adam told Hoss that he had decided that he would take care of their arrangements for the night while Hoss would care for the horses. Hoss was a bit uneasy at the job he had been assigned didn't want to be left alone on Halloween. He might have nearly been fourteen years old but ghost stories scared him just like he was a little child again.

"What's the matter, little brother? Afraid the witches will come and get you? You know, I heard a story about a witch who was killed here years ago because they found out what she was." Adam had told his little brother with a twinkle in his eye.

"A-a-adam, are you sure you don't want me to get our rooms for the night? I-I-I don't want to be left out all alone here," Hoss said with wide eyes as he wished that he was back on the Ponderosa with Little Joe sitting in his lap.

His older brother had laughed at him before leaving him all alone to care for the horses. Adam didn't believe in such nonsense anymore. He knew his brother would be alright; he had unsaddled the horses on many nights like this before.

Hoss was scared by every sound he heard as he bedded the horses down for the night. It became even worse when he closed the stable door with a loud squeak and started his walk to their hotel for the night. Somehow he knew that there was nothing to fear but he was scared just the same.

"Dadburnit, Adam," Hoss muttered under his breath as he heading towards their hotel room. "You're supposed to look out for me, older brother."

Ever noise Hoss heard as he walked along made him spring back in fear. The creaking of an old shutter and even the loud music that came from the saloon sounded sinister and evil to him. The teenager took a deep breath as he continued towards his home for the night. He knew that he would be alright. Halloween was just like any ordinary night.

"There's nothin' to be afraid of, Hoss. It's just like any other night. Just any other night," he muttered to himself as he stepped off the porch of the general store.

All the words he had muttered to himself to keep himself from being scared left his mind as soon as he saw the woman walking towards the alleyway in front of him. Hoss knew it must have been the woman that Adam had told him about. He knew it had to be the witch.

The woman looked as if she glided down to the alleyway in the black dress that she wore as Hoss watched with wide eyes. Her hair was placed upon her head in a loose bun with white and black strands falling down to her shoulders. Hoss Cartwright was frightened at the sight of this strange woman as she walked on without noticing him. She continued down the alleyway until the woman disappeared around a corner and out of Hoss' sight. Curiosity soon got the better of him as the thirteen year old decided to find out where that woman was going. If it was a witch, he wanted to see if she would vanish from his sight without a trace with her magic.

Staying a distance behind her, Hoss Cartwright followed the woman for a while before she disappeared behind a corner of another building again. After a moment, he followed her down the alley but found her nowhere in sight. He was worried that she might have been on to him and disappeared until he saw a little black kitten staring up at him. The cat blinked its golden eyes before meowing softly to him.

His eyes grew wide. Perhaps she really was a witch and had changed herself into the innocent kitten in front of him.

The gentlest Cartwright knelt down beside the kitten to pick her up as he began to speak to it softly. "Are you that lady I was followin' down the alleyway?" he asked as the kitten responded by meowing loudly at him again before it began to purr.

"Well, ma'm, I ain't leavin' you alone in this alley. Not until I show my brother what you jest done to yerself," Hoss told the little kitten as he scooped it up into his paw-like hands. In response to being picked up the black cat meowed loudly at him again in annoyance before continuing to purr.

"I know ma'm but my brother ain't gonna believe it if I told him. How did you learn to do that anyways?" Hoss asked the kitten who had curled up in his arms with a content purr.

Hoss knew strange things happened on Halloween but this had to be the strangest of them all. A woman had changed herself into a cat and he really couldn't understand how it happened. How was it possible? How could she be a cat? It had happened though. There had been no sign of her anywhere except for this black cat that Hoss had found. He just had to show Adam. His big brother would never believe it if he just told him anyways.

"Hey, Mister," Hoss said to the clerk as he opened the door to the hotel Adam had told him they were staying at. "Have you seen my brother? He's got dark hair and brown eyes. His name's Adam Cartwright," he told the clerk in a rush.

"Whoa. Listen Mister, you can't have any animals in here," the clerk said as he pointed at the cat in Hoss' arms. "And you're brother is in there, getting something to eat," he added as he pointed passed the curtain and into the small bar in the hotel.

Hoss went passed him and into the next room as he ignored the clerk's comment about cats not being allowed in their restaurant either. Didn't matter what the clerk said about animals being allowed in the hotel or not, Hoss knew she was really that old woman he saw.

"Adam," he said as he approached his older brother who sat at an empty table with an empty drink in front of him. "Adam, you won't believe what happened!"

His older brother looked up at him calmly as his brown eyes spied the black cat that Hoss held in his arms. "It looks like you found a kitten," Adam replied calmly to his brother.

Hoss shook his head quickly, "It ain't no regular cat, Adam. It's really human."

Adam gave him a look of disbelief. "Alright little brother, I know it's Halloween but bringing a stray black cat into the hotel isn't going to make me believe this yarn that you're telling me. I'm just a bit too tired to play any games tonight."

"Adam, I'm tellin' ya the truth. When I was coming back from the stable, I saw this lady going down the alleyway all dressed in black with long black and white hair and when I followed her, she turned into this," Hoss told his brother with wide eyes.

Adam Cartwright doubted his brother's story. "People don't turn into animals, Hoss," he insisted with a shake of his head.

"But she did, Adam!" Hoss cried.

"It's impossible! People cannot turn themselves into animals," Adam told him firmly.

His younger brother looked down at him sadly as the black cat in his arms continued to purr, seemingly amused by the conversation that had just taken place.

A moment of silence passed between the two brothers, each of them firmly believing they were right. The timing of a young cowboy and some of his friends coming into the bar helped both of the brothers to end their silence.

"Say, don't that look like the Witch's cat?" the taller cowboy said to his friend as he passed the two arguing brothers.

"Yeah, it sure does. Couldn't be 'im though, the Witch wouldn't let him out at night," the other replied as the headed towards the bar.

"The Witch?" Adam questioned with wide eyes as he turned to look up at his brother. "The Witch!" he repeated, nearly shouting it this time.

"I done told you, Adam, didn't I?" Hoss asked as the cat his arms purred loudly and slowly blinked as if it was amused by his brother's conclusion.

"You're going to show me where you found this cat, Hoss," Adam told his younger brother as he grabbed his hat and nearly leaped out of his seat.

"I told you there was something funny about tonight. I could just feel it," Hoss muttered as he followed his brother to the door.

As Adam reached for the door handle, it flew opened before him and the lady that Hoss had seen go down the alleyway stood in front of them looking from a spirit from beyond. It was the old lady they now knew was the witch. Her eyes nearly glowed green and her old hair seemed to hang about her in a distressed manner as she looked with strange eyes towards Adam.

"Have you seen my Brew?" the old woman asked as she pointed a guilty finger at Adam.

Adam Cartwright nearly jumped back at fright. "What!" he yelped in reply.

"Have you seen my Brew?" the old woman repeated a bit gentler again. Realizing she wasn't going to get a response from Adam, she looked over towards Hoss who stood at his right side with the kitten curled up in his arms.

"Oh, Brew," she said with a sigh of relief. "There you are."

Hoss felt frozen in fear as she approached him. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he hoped that the witch would turn him into a strange object that he didn't wish to be. He was a bit confused when he felt the light weight in his arms being taken from him as she took the kitten from his grasp.

Opening one eye at a time, he noticed the old woman cooing softly to the cat who had continued purring as it left Hoss' arms and nestled into those of its owner. Hoss released the breath he was holding before he looked over at Adam. He noticed his brother seemed less frightened than he had been a moment ago when the witch had accused him of taking her 'Brew'. They now realized that 'Brew' must have been her cat.

"Brew, Ma?" Adam asked the old woman curiously as she petted her black cat who was basking in the attention it was receiving.

"Yes. It's short for Brewster," the old woman replied as she noticed the color returning back to their faces. "I am Miss Wells, the school teacher in Carson City. I'm sorry if I frightened you boys. I get very worried about my little Brew when he runs away."

Hoss felt a bit relieved. Ms. Wells looked a bit different in the light of the hotel. The dress that he had though was black was only a dark blue that was fitting for someone of her age. Her hair was not black and white as it seemed when he had seen her before but it was more of different shades of black that mixed in with the gray and white hairs that Hoss knew must have been from her years as a school teacher.

"It's alright, Ma'm, you just startled us a bit that's all," Adam replied for the both of them while Hoss worked on getting his voice back to speak again.

"Oh, I am sorry about that young man. I mistook you for a boy I use to teach in school who would have been about your age now. I'm sorry if I frightened the both of you," she told them gently.

"M-m-ma'm," Hoss began nervously. He fidgeted for a moment before deciding not to ask her why she was called 'the Witch'. "I'm glad you got your cat back."

Ms. Wells smiled cheerfully at the boy and Hoss saw she didn't look like a witch at all. "Well, I'm glad you found him, young man. What was you're name again?"

"Hoss, Hoss Cartwright. This is my brother, Adam," he told her.

"Well, young Hoss Cartwright and you as well, Adam," I thank you for finding my Brewster for me. I thought I had lost him this time for good," Ms. Wells told them gratefully as her black cat purred happily in her arms.

"He sure is a happy fellow, isn't he," Adam commented as he scratched the cat behind his ears.

As if in agreement, Brew let out a cheerful meow that made the three of them laugh at the little animal. "Well, I thank you again boys, for finding my Brew for me but I really must be going or both our suppers will get cold," Ms. Wells told them gratefully.

"Have a good evening, Ma'm," Hoss told her as Adam bided her goodnight as well with a nod of his head.

"Good night boys," she told them before she closed the hotel door behind her.

Adam turned to his brother after Ms. Wells had left and raised his forehead at his little brother. "I think it's time for bed, Hoss. Seems like you've had enough excitement for one evening."

"But Adam, how was I supposed to know that was the school teacher's cat?" Hoss Cartwright replied innocently as his brother led him towards the stairway.

"Because I told you that people do not turn into animals. It's just not possible," Adam replied as he led his brother up the stairs.

"But Adam..," Hoss trailed off.

"Shame about the Witch wasn't it? Can't believe she died in that awful fire in the schoolhouse," the cowboy from the bar said as he passed by the Cartwrights on his way outside with his friends. "I couldn't have sworn that was her cat though."

The boys paused on the stairway as they heard the same cowboy's voice that they had heard in the restaurant. Exchanging a wide-eyed look with each other, they began to realize what had just taken place.

"You..."

"She..."

"Pa won't believe it."

"I told you Adam."

"Pa will never believe it."