Adam tied Sport alongside Cochise and moved towards the clearing. Taking his usual stance leaning on a tree he looked over towards his brother. His BABY brother, why did he still think of him that way? Joe was a young man in his twenties, but as Adam was well into his thirties and had helped raise Joe, he couldn't help but think of him as his responsibility.
22, thought Adam, and how much anguish and suffering he had already endured. This was the West, a harsh country, Adam himself had witnessed and suffered his fair share too, why even getting into your thirties seemed an accomplishment at times. But as Adam looked over at the seemingly small figure knelt at his mother's grave he felt a knot in his stomach. He gave himself a slight shake, reigning in the outward signs of emotion as was his mantra. Not so for young Joe who'd raced off hell – for – leather, again….
It hadn't been hard to find him, Adam knew this was a haven for Joe, somewhere he would come when faced with life's harsh turns. And then, once calmed, Joe would seek Adam for some straight talking and Pa for a reassuring embrace.
But why?! Screamed Adam internally, why Joe AGAIN. Losing his mother at such a young age. Then the lost loves Julia Bulette and Laura White. Not to mention the fights, beatings and countless times being shot, once even by Adam himself. At that thought Adam smiled to himself, yes they were a real piece of work adding that one into the mix. But why oh why couldn't they leave Little Joe alone. It would be years before Landon got in on the script writing lark and things like the horrors of Alice and the fire, but here they were doing it again. Did they sit round cooking up ways to hurt his young brother?
Adam gave a soft sigh, his family was at their mercy and all he could do was run with it. Adam glanced again over at Joe knelt in the lakeside clearing. At least he has a grave to visit, haven't seen my Ma's grave since I returned from Boston and we buried poor Inger on the trail…
Come to think of it Joe doesn't know how lucky he is really, a few hazy memories and stories of Marie are better than nothing, as I have. Adam stiffened as his gaze wandered to the horizon and more memories flooded his mind. Images of Laura laughing as they walked through the fields, Peggy running on ahead giggling. Then cousin Will's face appeared, smiling in that suave way he has and just as suddenly Adam was left watching the buggy as it drove Laura out of his life.
Adam was suddenly jolted with more painful memories. Kane in the desert, taunting and goading. How I wanted to stop him, stop it all. I never got to ask why.
WHY? There were no answers. And it wasn't just for Joe he was asking this time. WHY? Did they sit round cooking up ways to hurt him too?
Glancing once more at his brother Adam turned on his heel and made his was to Sport. He noticed a strangely dressed young lady standing under a nearby tree. She was holding a clipboard and smiled ruefully at him. She was one of them. He turned to her and spoke "He's all yours, I've had my share of hard knocks too and come through it, time he did." Then mounting Sport, Adam tipped his hat and rode for home.