This story is loosely based on "The Cattle Drive." I never really liked the part where Matthew and Sully fought. So I've written it the way I would have like it to have gone LOL. Be WARNED...there will be spanking of an almost adult. So if it's not your thing feel free to read something else. My opinion is that he had it coming. Matthew was a brat through the whole two episodes. I hope some of you like it :)

Matthew felt like he'd grown an inch everyday since he'd read what Olive had left him in her will. The sadness at losin her was soothed by the generous gift she'd given him. Not just the cattle...the fact that she saw him as a man. A man old enough to run his own ranch with his own cattle. He was determined to prove her right.

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Sully could see Matthew was determined to be in charge. To be the trail boss. To do everythin his way. He'd only offered his advice when he thought the boy was really about to wander off the right path...literally. Matthew was young. Too young to see what a life changing gift had been given to him and too selfish to put his own needs aside to take care of everyone's best interests. If he'd have only listened and let him scout, they'd have had water a lot sooner.

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Matthew jumped from his horse as anger surged through him. He was already mad about Jesse causin the stampede and stealin some of his cattle. But the look on Colleen's face as she realised that Jesse had lied to her... made her look like a fool...even then she didn't want to believe it. Matthew wanted to find him and make him pay...He wouldn't get away with stealin from his people. Not on his trail.

"I'm goin after him." he stated emphatically. Of course Sully tried to stop him...Dr Mike tried to stop him. They thought he was a child and he couldn't hold his own. Well he could and he'd show them.

"Quit tryin to stop me!" he said as he gave Sully a push. Not the smartest move he'd ever made but he was too angry to care. He just wanted the wall of a man to move so he could be on his way.

"I'm not gonna let you go!" Sully had hollered.

"It ain't up to you!" Then Sully had done it. He'd shoved him and he fell right on his backside in front of everyone.

"You ain't goin!" he stated as firmly as any Pa at his wits end with an angsty half grown son. That'd done it. If Sully wanted a fight he'd give him one. He charged at him with a belly full of anger, but as he swung his fist Sully caught it in his own big paw.

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Michaela shook her head and called first one and then the other. The others had all run for cover by now...well Brian had been coaxed away rather forcefully by Mr Bray. He'd been shocked into silence for once by the loud set to that Matthew and Sully were havin. He hadn't never seen Sully that mad...He tried to peak outta the tent but Grace had just hauled him back in and found him a job to do.

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Sully grasped Matthew's arm in a steely grip and marched him behind the wagon. He weren't gonna take this attitude any longer. Out on the trail was a dangerous place and Matthew needed to listen and not take chances. He sat on a wooden crate and tossed the angry young man across his knee clamping his leg over both of Matthew's to keep the boy still.

"You need to get your anger under control." Sully said as he brought his hand down hard on the boy's dusty pants. "You're not thinkin straight."

"Let me go!" Matthew yelped as a flurry of hard smacks followed the first one. "You have no right!" Sully shook his head and continued to pepper the wriggling target with hard smacks.

"Matthew I have every right! I love you like I would if you were my own boy and I'm not going to let you put yourself in harm's way." Matthew stopped yelling but he didn't give up the fight, he just let on that he had. Sully just didn't get it. He wasn't Brian and he wasn't a child.

"Stop Sully." he said. He wasn't stupid either. He knew that Sully wasn't going to stop until he said what he wanted to hear. "I won't go." Sully stopped immediately and helped Matthew stand.

"You can do a good job of bein the trail leader Matthew but you gotta look at the whole picture."Sully said as he patted the boy that he thought of as a son on the shoulder.

Inside Matthew rolled his eyes. He just wanted to get away from there so he could go after Jesse and the other hand. He was gonna get back what was his.

" I said I wouldn't go didn't I?"

"Make sure that you don't."

"Or what? You gonna spank me again?"

"As many times as I have to to keep you safe." Matthew picked his hat up and banged it on his leg to shake off the dust and then stormed back to camp.

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Sully walked into the tent and Michaela glared. There weren't no privacy through a cloth wall. Goin behind the wagon stopped everyone from seein but there wouldn't have been no one that didn't hear.

"I had to." he tried to explain.

"Sully...he's overwhelmed.." Even she was having trouble trying to explain her son's behaviour.

"He's out of control...and out here...that's dangerous." Michaela frowned and then nodded.

"So tomorrow he'll be better?"

"I hope so."

"And if he's not?"

"Then I'll have to make sure that he is."

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A while later the trail leader was back on his horse ready to give his orders.

"We're gonna rest the cattle." he said gruffly while trying not to wriggle in his saddle. He ignored the complaints about people wanting to get home. He sent them back to camp. "I'll take the first watch." he said. He'd be watchin alright. He'd be watchin that Jesse hit the ground.

Brian watched his brother's face. He knew him probably better 'an anyone and he was lyin. Why he'd lie like that after Sully already spanked him he didn't know...But he did know he wasn't gonna let him go alone. It must be real dangerous for Sully to get that mad... Sully hardly never got real mad. Not mad enough to shout anyways. He watched as the others pulled ahead of him, but Mr Bray turned around and shouted for him to hurry.

"I'm just gonna practice my slingshot." he said with an innocent grin. Luckily for him Mr Bray was tired and just wanted to get back to camp. He told Brian to be careful and not be long.

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Matthew followed the trail through the trees but a noise was botherin him. He turned around to find Brian behind him.

"What're you doin?"

"Don't be mad." he started.

The kid argued with him and tried every trick in the book to get his brother to let him stay, but Matthew finally talked him into going back and covering for him. Told him to tell the others that he was hunting game for dinner. Truth was it would be a help and it might keep Sully off his tail...literally.

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Brian turned his horse back towards camp but as soon as Matthew was out of sight he turned and followed him. There was no way he was gonna leave him out here alone.

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Matthew had come through the final thicket of trees and there they were...Jesse was laughin and braggin on his sister and how dumb she was...

"Drop your guns!" Matthew had ordered. But he'd faultered when Jesse had come towards him and Jesse had wrestled his gun from him. He punched him and they'd wrestled around, for a split second Matthew had actually wished he'd listened to Sully. But then Brian had come out shoutin and all thoughts except keepin him safe left his head. Only in the end it had been Brian that had kept him safe...with a sling shot. Thank God nothin had happened to him...

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Michaela paced up and down nervously. Brian hadn't been seen for some time and she was worried. They'd been about to go out and look when Sully spotted them comin over the hill with the cattle following.

Sully didn't allow his gaze to fall from Matthew's face as Brian excitedly told their tale of capturin the thieves. Matthew wasn't going to let it get to him. He hopped down from his horse and tossed everyone there stolen belongings. Jesse had run off with more than just the cattle. He flinched at the look on Colleen's face as she waited hopefully for him to tell her that he'd been mistaken, but he had to make her see. He tossed her the watch that Jesse had stolen from her and she threw it back and ran off cryin. He felt terrible for hurtin her like that but it had to be done...He knew he couldn't avoid Sully any longer so he turned to face him, determined to hold his ground.

"I told you not to go after him." Sully said."You put Brian in danger too."

"I didn't know he was commen." he said. "I told him to come back and..." he stopped, realising that he was about to drop himself and his brother in it further.

"And what?" Sully asked. "To cover for you?" he guessed. Accurately by the looks on both their faces.

"I followed him."Brian said trying to keep his brother out of trouble. A surge of bravado blew through Matthew likw a hurricane, taking with it all common sense.

"Just as well you did Brian." he said as he put his arm around his brother and steered him away. That'd show him who was boss, Matthew thought and the look he gave Sully transferred it as well as if the older man could read minds. He scoffed before bringing his hand down sharply across the seat of Brian's pants.

"Get in the tent." he said. Brian scooted as fast as his little legs would carry him. Matthew didn't have time to get away and there wouldn't have been anywhere to run if he did. If he thought he'd been in trouble with Sully before, he had a rude awakening. "Get on your horse." he said. "We're goin for a ride." He mounted his own horse and took Matthew's reigns and rode towards the nearest clump of trees.

TBC