A/N: This was partly inspired by an episode of Big Valley, a show that my sister loves. Its very random and a bit darker than what I usually write for Shannon. I'm not entirely sure if I'll continue with her at this age, so this will remain a completed one shot for now.

"Well, how-do, Miss Shannon?"

Seventeen year old Shannon looked up from the ribbons she was comparing on the counter. "Hello, Jeff," she said to the dark haired young man who had approached her. "I'm doing very well. Thank you for asking. Its a fine day, isn't it?"

"It is at that," Jeff Summers said with a grin. "How are those youngins treating you?"

Wrinkling her nose, Shannon sought a diplomatic answer. "I can't complain," she said slowly. "But I will say that I will be very glad when the school board finds a new teacher to take over."

Miss Rebecca Smith had been the last teacher for Virginia City. Petite, well educated, and pretty, she'd had many men fighting for her attention the moment she stepped off the stage. She'd lasted most of the school year before her heart had been caught and she ran away with the lucky man, leaving the school without a teacher.

"I hear some of the parents are giving you some trouble."

Grimacing, Shannon looked down at the ribbons and she straightened them. She had been the oldest one still attending the school when Miss Smith had left, and she'd been asked by the school board to fill in until a replacement could be found. To say that the younger ones hadn't appreciated her change in status would be an understatement and that resentment had inevitably moved to the parents.

"Has everyone heard about that?" Shannon asked in resignation.

Jeff chuckled. "I think the Vandergrifts made sure everyone knew how much they feel you discriminated against their precious children," he commented.

Shannon heaved a sigh. "Of course they did."

The cowboy cleared his throat. "Anyway, the dance is this Saturday," he said, his tone becoming earnest as he changed the subject. "I was hoping you would be willing to save me a dance."

Before Shannon could respond, a voice said, "Afternoon, Summers."

Flinching, Jeff turned. "Afternoon, Cartwright."

Shannon's older cousin, Will Cartwright, had his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised. "I didn't expect to find you in town today, Shannon," he commented, shifting his gaze to her. "Are you ready to head out to the ranch? I'll ride out with you."

Suspicious, Shannon narrowed her eyes, knowing exactly what he was up to. "No, there's no need for that," she said sweetly. "I haven't made up my mind what I want and I have to check for mail before I head back home."

"That's fine. I'll wait," Will responded, looking at Jeff again. "I've got all the time in the world."

Hastily, the cowboy put his hat on. "I'll see you both at the dance, if not sooner," he said, nodding respectfully at Shannon. He moved around Will and hurried to the door. Will twisted around to make sure the man actually left the store.

Putting her hands on her hips, Shannon glared at her older cousin when he faced her again. "Did you have to scare him away, Will?" she demanded, keeping her voice low. Her cousin didn't seem at all bothered by her annoyance. "He was just being friendly."

"I don't think Uncle Ben would appreciate Jeff's particular kind of friendliness," Will responded, moving closer. "I didn't appreciate it."

With a huff, Shannon turned back to the ribbons. "What was so wrong? He was only asking me to save him a dance," she said to him over her shoulder. "There's no harm in that, is there? It's not as though he asked to escort me, and there will be other men that I dance with on Saturday."

Will didn't say anything. He just crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. Shaking her head, Shannon made her choice of a dark green ribbon and purchased it. She walked out of the general store with her cousin only a few steps behind her. On the boardwalk, she spun around to face him.

"I don't need you to follow me all the way to the Ponderosa, Will," she told him sharply. "I can't imagine that there will be anyone being 'friendly' that you'll have to protect me from between here and home."

"I didn't say I was going all the way to the Ponderosa," Will replied with a slight grin. "I'll just ride out of Virginia City with you. The farm is between here and the Ponderosa as it is."

"Miss Cartwright! Miss Cartwright!" Turning, Shannon spotted Zeke, the telegraph operator, hurrying towards her. "This came for your father, and here's the mail for your family. There's also a letter for Miss Smith, but since she's not here I figured you'd know what to do with it."

The young woman accepted the handful of letters and the telegram from Zeke. She glanced at the envelope on top, frowning at the unfamiliar return address. "Thank you, Zeke," she said, looking up. "I'll see that my pa gets it."

"You're looking especially lovely today, Miss Shannon," he told her. Will's eyes narrowed.

"Thank you, Zeke," Shannon responded, smiling at him.

Nodding, Zeke hurried back the way he'd come. "Well, I guess you can leave now," Will commented, crossing his arms. There was only a small hint of smugness in his voice. "You've got the mail."

"You're not my father, or one of my brothers, Will," Shannon told him, her tone more than a little aggravated. She shoved the mail into her saddlebags where her schoolbooks were already being carried. "I don't need you to be looking over my shoulder. I'm a grown woman."

"That's exactly why you need someone looking over your shoulder," Will informed her calmly. He nodded towards the ground. "You dropped a letter. I'll get my horse and be right back."

Looking down, Shannon saw a single folded piece of paper resting by her foot. Stooping down, she snatched it up. As she went to put it with the rest of the mail, she realized that it had her name written on the one side and that was it. She slowly unfolded the sheet of paper, and her eyes scanned the writing.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate...

Her breath catching, she glanced around. No one was looking her way. "Hey, you coming?" Will asked, getting her attention. He looked down at her from the back of his horse. "Or have you suddenly discovered some new task you need to get done while you're here? I can wait around."

Swiftly, Shannon shoved the paper into her saddlebags. "Why don't you just worry about your own family?" she fired back in as good natured way she could muster.

Will pushed the brim of his hat back with a grin. "You are family, Shannon."

"Don't remind me."

Slipping into the house, Shannon managed to make it unseen to her room. She could hear the rest of the family cleaning up for supper as she passed their bedrooms: footsteps, the splash of water into a basin, and various items thudding on the floor. She closed her door quietly, not wanting to advertise her later than usual arrival and be questioned about where she'd been in the meantime.

Dropping her saddlebags on her bed, Shannon sat down with a sigh. She dumped her books and everything out. The single sheet of paper she'd read in town she hid in the middle of one of the schoolbooks, and the rest of the mail she swept into a small stack to carry back down.

She spotted the envelope that was addressed to Miss Smith and she pulled that one free from the others. Curious, she opened it and scanned the contents. "'After reviewing the information you sent regarding Miss Shannon Cartwright, we would be pleased to accept her in our next term,'" she read aloud in astonishment. She let her hand holding the acceptance letter drop to her lap. "She did it. She actually did it."

She hadn't thought Miss Smith had been serious when she spoke about the possibility of Shannon continuing her education at a college back east. Protests of not wanting to leave her family had obviously fallen on deaf ears though nothing more had been said about the matter after that one conversation.

A loud thud on her door jolted Shannon back to the present. "Shannon, you in there?" Joe called through the door.

"Yes, of course I am," she answered, surging to her feet. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"You always say that and it always turns out to be nearly a half hour," Joe needled. "Hoss is hungry and I don't think it would be a good idea to make him wait."

Scowling, Shannon chose not to respond to that challenge. She pulled a clean, blue dress from her wardrobe and changed out of her more practical school attire. She flipped her braided hair over her shoulder and studied her appearance in the mirror. She smoothed the dark fabric of her dress and gave herself an approving nod.

Before she left her room, she hid the acceptance letter with the other note. Scooping the other mail, Shannon made her way down. Her brothers were having a drink in the living room. "See? I told you I'd only be a few minutes," she said smugly as she stepped off the last stairstep.

"Well, Adam said you'd move faster if I called you slow," Joe informed her with a grin. "I guess he was right about that."

"Adam!"

"Don't drag me into this," Adam said, shifting in his chair. He made a slight wince of pain as he did so. "It's been a long enough day without having to referee you two all evening."

Giving Joe a groan, Shannon walked over to her father's desk and deposited the mail there. Spinning on her heel, she rejoined her brothers and reached to pick up a wine glass. "Oh, no you don't," Hoss exclaimed, catching her wrist. "You know Pa doesn't like you drinking wine."

Shannon did know it but that didn't mean she had to like or agree with her Pa's decision on the subject. "I'm seventeen," she complained, pulling free of Hoss' grip. She crossed her arms and raised her chin. "You're all being impossible. I hope you understand that. I am an adult."

"No you're not," all three of her brothers said in unison. Joe added, "You're not even close to being an adult."

"Men seem to think I am," Shannon muttered. "You all and Pa are the only ones who seem to think I'm a child. Its not fair."

She found herself under her brothers' unamused stares. "What was that?" Adam asked, his tone sharp. "Which men, exactly, have mentioned that they think you're an adult?"

"No one, exactly," Shannon shot back. "Because you or Will or Pa are always there to make sure to remind people of my age and put me in my place."

"What does Will have to do with it?"

Deciding that she didn't want to have Jeff Summers' faults (because there was sure to be something that her family disapproved of) laid out in front of her, Shannon shook her head, pressing her lips together. She had no doubt Will would bring it up to her Pa the next he came over. She'd deal with it then.

"Is this arguing I hear?" Ben asked as he came down the stairs.

"Hi, Pa," Shannon greeted, spinning around. She flung her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"No more than I do every day you go to school," Ben responded in amusement. "Don't think you're going to put me off though. What were you all talking about?"

"The usual," Joe informed him. "Shannon thinking she's an adult and complaining about how she's not treated like one."

"A bit like how you were at that age," Adam pointed out, pushing himself up. His slight hiss of pain did not go unnoticed by the rest of the family, though none of them said anything. He insisted that he'd healed from his accident but the others weren't quite convinced. "Hoss was never as worried about being treated as an adult as you two."

Ben chuckled as he put his arm around Shannon's shoulders. "I seem to remember you being just as anxious as Joe was to be treated with what you saw as respect," he informed his oldest son. He kissed his daughter's forehead as Adam cleared his throat. "Shannon, I am in no hurry for you to be a grown up."

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, Shannon leaned into her father's embrace. "I brought mail and a telegram for you from town," she informed him. "I put it on your desk for you."

"And did you get another note from your secret admirer?" Joe asked as they moved to the dinner table.

Stepping away from Ben, Shannon grimaced. "Actually, I did," she responded reluctantly. She quoted, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:... " She shrugged. "Another of Shakespeare's love sonnets. I think it was left on my saddle while I was in the general store."

"You were in town alone?" Ben asked, his brow furrowing in concern. He stood at the head of the table. "Why?"

Mentally kicking herself, she shrugged. "I know you're not happy that I keep receiving the notes, but I really wanted to purchase some new ribbons for my dress before the dance on Saturday," Shannon answered defensively. "Its not as though I'm in any kind of danger. All he's done is leave notes. I didn't want to worry you."

"He's not the only one concerned," Adam told her as he took the seat beside Shannon. "If this man wants to court you, he should come out and ask if that's what you want. Otherwise, he should stop leaving these poems for you to find everytime you go into town."

"I know that's what you would like," Shannon fired back. "Maybe he realizes that you, Hoss, Joe, and Pa would string him up in the barn if he even tried to ask me if I would be agreeable to him courting me. At least with these notes, he's harmless in his admiration."

"Harmless or not, he should know better than to be leaving stupid notes around," Joe declared. "A man with honor would come right out and tell you he liked you. Not this hiding behind fancy words."

Groaning, Shannon shook her head. "Eventually, he'll get the idea that I'm not interested if I keep ignoring him," she responded. "I'm sure it will all blow over soon."

"But you still read the poems," Joe pointed out. "How is that 'ignoring him'?"

"Well, I'm not going to be completely rude," Shannon objected. "Besides, the poetry is actually really nice. I like Shakespeare."

"You've spent too much time with Adam."

Chuckling, Adam shook his head. "No need to make a little bit of culture sound like a despicable trait, Joe," he said in amusement. "Shannon and I merely appreciate the finer things in life."

Joe made a face. "I remember Miss Jones had a fondness for culture," he commented pointedly. "If that's the kind of attention that culture gets you, I'll pass."

"Miss Jones was a fine woman, Joe, and you should show a little more respect," Ben chided as Hop-Sing brought heaping dishes of food to the table. "And Shannon, I thought we'd agreed that for the time being you wouldn't go into town alone."

Shifting her gaze to the apple cider in her glass, Shannon hummed. "Well, I wasn't completely alone," she answered. "Will found me and insisted on riding out of town with me."

The news seemed to amuse her brothers. "Well that explains your condemnation of our cousin," Adam remarked.

"How is Will?" Ben asked. "I haven't seen him or Laura in quite some time."

Shannon saw Hoss and Joe send looks towards Adam, who was scooping up mashed potatoes. "He seemed fine, but he didn't say much about how he and Laura are doing," she said, fingering the fork by her plate. "Peggy, on the other hand, is making more friends at school and is as sharp as a tack."

Adam chuckled. "She has her mother's wits, that's for sure," he commented. "I have no doubt that she'll give her teacher a run for her money in a few years."

"Adam, do you know when the new teacher is going to be here?" Shannon asked eagerly. "I am more than ready to be a student again."

"More trouble with parents?" Ben asked.

Relieved to have successfully changed the subject, Shannon launched into a detailed account of how her day had gone. "Not with parents, but the boys are a nightmare!"

Laughing, Shannon allowed her students to spin her around and around. A handkerchief was firmly tied around her eyes. She took a moment to regain her balance once the spinning stopped and held her hands out. "I'm going to find you!" she called out.

The younger children were all laughing and taunting her from all sides. Hearing a solid footstep nearby, Shannon spun around and stepped forward. Instead of a wriggling child, though, she ran into a man's chest.

Gasping, she jerked away and pulled the blindfold from her eyes. A tall young man was laughing at her, his brown eyes sparkling with laughter. "That's one way to greet a fellow," he said. "Remind me next time to expect that kind of welcome and I'll make sure to take advantage of it."

Pursing her lips, Shannon turned her back on him. "Alright, I'm done," she called out, handing the handkerchief to the closest boy. "You all go ahead and keep playing. I'm going to be cleaning up inside if you need me."

"Aw, don't be like that, Shannon. You need to just admit that you like me and let me take you on a picnic already."

Taking a deep breath, Shannon looked over her shoulder at the man. "Jimmy Walters, you should realize by now that's never going to happen," she informed him in exasperation. "When are you going to learn that you need to work on your way of asking a girl to spend some time with you?"

The tall young man scoffed as he followed her to the schoolhouse. "See this is why girls shouldn't read so much," he responded, his tone derisive. His eyes were still sparkling with mischief. "You have snobbish ways of thinking that have no place out here, Shannon Cartwright. "

"That is not-," Shannon started to object but she was interrupted.

"Its exactly that," Jimmy told her, his tone sharp. "Your friend Amy would have agreed with me."

Facing him, Shannon glared at him. "Don't you dare bring her into this!"

"Shannon?" Peggy asked running up to them. She scowled at Jimmy. "Is everything alright? "

Turning her back on Jimmy, Shannon smiled at the blonde haired girl who had almost been her niece. "Everything is fine, Peggy," she responded. A glance around the schoolyard told her that most of the students had headed for home. "You just go ahead and play while you wait for your mama to come get you, alright? There's no one to share the swing with now."

Giving Jimmy one last suspicious look, Peggy ran to the swing that hung from one of the trees. "So are you going on a picnic with me or not? I have the afternoon free on Sunday," Jimmy said, his hands kneading the hat in his hands. He almost seemed nervous and his anger had apparently vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "You know you want to. We'll have fun."

Clenching her jaw, Shannon faced him. "No, I will not," she told him sharply. "Not after you insult my dearest friend. Good bye, Jimmy."

Annoyed, Jimmy jammed his hat back onto his head. "You think you're so much better the rest of us just because you're the Cartwright princess," he snapped. "Well, you're not. One of these days, Shannon Cartwright, you're going to realize that and regret how you've treated everyone else. Maybe you'll even figure it out before what happened to Amy Jackson happens to you."

Eyes flashing, Shannon slapped him. "You get out of here, Jimmy, and don't you dare come back," she told him. She turned on her heel and stalked into the school house. She snatched up the rag and began removing the writing she'd put on the chalkboard during the day. "How dare he?"

With the board clean, Shannon discovered she had no other outlet for her anger and she collapsed into the chair behind the teacher's desk. She wasn't sure how long she scowled at the top of the desk when she heard, "Shannon, is everything alright?"

Startled, the young woman looked up and recognized the blonde woman who was in the doorway. "Oh, Laura," she said. She forced a smile. "I didn't realize you'd driven up. Everything is fine."

Laura Dayton Cartwright raised an eyebrow. "When a woman is muttering, that generally means something is not as it should be," she pointed out. She hesitated and then stepped closer. "You know you can tell me."

Heaving a sigh, Shannon rubbed the side of her head. Her fondness for Laura hadn't lessened, even after Laura had chosen to marry Will instead of Adam. There had been many times that a woman's perspective had been preferable to the opinions of her overprotective brothers and father. "Jimmy Walters came by and asked me on a picnic. I'm not being a snob when I refuse to let him court me, am I?"

Frowning, Laura tilted her head. "No, a lady has every right to refuse to step out with a boy," she answered. "Is that what he said when you turned him down?"

"He called me the Cartwright princess," Shannon explained. "He's just so angry that I keep turning him down but every time he asks me, he acts like he expects me to be overjoyed about the prospect of courtship."

"Maybe he's just disappointed and doesn't know how else to show it," Laura pointed out. "And he's probably heard about your secret admirer."

Shannon groaned, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "You've heard about that? I suppose Will must have told you," she said. She shook her head. "I remember the older girls going on about how romantic it would be to have a secret admirer, but honestly, I don't want that kind of attention. Not when I don't know who this man is."

"Knowing would take a little away from the 'secret' part of it," Laura responded, with a smile. "How long, exactly, have you been getting these notes from your secret admirer? I can't remember when Will first told me about it."

"It's been three months now," she answered with a sigh. "My brothers have all tried to catch the guy because they want to have a few words with him. If I didn't have the notes in my hand, I'd think I was imagining the whole thing because they never see him. And Hoss is the best tracker in the territory, which gives you an idea of how talented this man is."

"I can only imagine how your father must be taking this,"

The younger woman chuckled softly. "About as well as my brothers," she admitted. "He hasn't really said, but the fact that he wants me to stay away from town when I'm alone tell me that he's worried about this guy." She shook her head. "In any event, this guy is wasting his time."

Laura frowned at the young woman. "Being a wife isn't what you want?"

Startled by the question, Shannon blinked. "What? No. Well, maybe. Oh, I don't know," she said nervously. "I don't really know, Laura. Someday, I suppose I'll meet someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. But I haven't given it much thought beyond that. I just know I'm not ready for marriage right now."

"Says the girl who gleefully dances with any man who asks her at all the dances and drives her brothers crazy while doing it," Laura teased. "There are more than a few girls your age who are already married or about to be married."

"I'm not them, though," Shannon said stubbornly. She pushed herself to her feet. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't vent my frustrations on you like this. Just sometimes, it's nice to have a woman who understands and not overprotective men who will worry or threaten to teach some guy a lesson."

That was what she'd been looking forward to when Adam and Laura had become engaged: someone who would understand things from a feminine point of view. "I may not be your sister in law, but I am here for you if you ever need to talk," Laura said to her, her tone soft.

Looking down, Shannon focused on the letter that was sticking out from her book. "Well, as long as you're here," she said slowly. She drew out the letter out. "What do you think of this?"

Puzzled, Laura took the envelope and opened it. Her eyes scanned the writing and shock appeared on her face. She looked up quickly. "You've been accepted to Bradford Academy?" she asked. "But...I didn't know that you'd applied for college. Where is Bradford Academy?"

"Bradford Massachusetts," Shannon explained unable to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "At least that's what the letterhead said. Miss Scott applied for me when she was here, I guess. She'd mentioned it once when she said she didn't have much more she could teach me. She thought attending a women's college would be the next step for my education."

"Is it what you want to do?"

"I don't know," she admitted, rubbing her arm. "I love learning, and I'm not ready to be someone's wife. Do I want to leave Pa and my brothers? No. But...I don't know what else I could do with my life."

"Shannon, the day will come when you'll have leave your family," Laura told her seriously. She reached over and took the younger woman's hands. "You don't have to make a decision right now, do you? Ask your father what he thinks. Adam has been there already, he could tell you about it. You don't have to make this decision on your own but your family will stand by you no matter what."

"That's true," Shannon said. She glanced at the clock. "Oh, dear. Look how late it's getting! And I have to stop by the Vandergrifts on my way home."

"Peggy and I have to go past the Vandergrifts, we'll ride along with you to keep you company," Laura offered.

Smiling, Shannon quickly stacked the books and papers she had to grade. "I'd appreciate that," she responded. "And thank you for listening, Laura. It means a lot to me."

"When I promised I would look out for you, I meant it."

The blonde looked suddenly guilty as Shannon frowned at her. "Who made you promise that?" the younger woman asked in resignation. "Was it Pa or Adam?"

"They both actually suggested that you'd like a woman to talk to about personal matters."

Shaking her head, Shannon picked up her books. "Why am I not surprised. Well, let's go. Peggy is probably bored out of her mind already."

At the crossroad that divided the Dayton -now Cartwright- farm from the Vandergrifts, Shannon said goodbye to Laura. She guided Star to the west, not looking forward to her self appointed task. One way or another, she had to get the Vandergrift children back to school.

She slowed Star to a walk as she got closer to the farmhouse. Mentally, she rehearsed every line of logic she could think of to convince the antagonistic parents who'd objected to her taking temporary charge of the school. Something had to get through the parents. Maybe the news that a teacher was on her way from Denver.

"Mrs. Vandergrift!" she called out as she halted Star at the hitching post. "Aaron? Samantha? Is anyone home?"

The only sounds she could hear were coming from the barn animals. Uneasy, the young woman dismounted and tied the reins to the post. Star shied slightly, tossing her head. "Easy, Star," Shannon said softly, patting the horse's neck. "Easy. Everything's fine."

The front door was ajar. "Hello?" Shannon called as she climbed the porch steps. She made herself go to the door and she rapped her knuckles against the door frame. "Is anyone -oh!"

Gasping, Shannon cut herself off as she spotted a puddle of blood on the floor. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she took a step back. She backed down the steps, unwilling to turn her back on the house. Just as she reached Star's side and she was reaching for the reins, there was a shadow at one of the windows.

Glass shattered as she pulled herself into the saddle. A gunshot rang out, and Shannon ducked instinctively, unable to bite back a terrified scream. She kicked Star into action, wheeling the horse's head away from the house. "Go, go, go!" she urged, racing away from the farm.

No more shots sounded but Shannon didn't dare slow down or even glance over her shoulder to see if she was being followed. At the crossroad, she hesitated only a moment between going to town or catching up to Laura and Peggy. She turned Star right and went in the opposite direction from Virginia City.

Laura twisted around in the wagon seat as Shannon raced up alongside the wagon. "Shannon, what's wrong?" she demanded. Peggy straightened up from where she'd been dozing against her mother's arm.

Glancing at the little girl, Shannon paused. "Danger," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I'll tell you and Will when we get off the road. We need to get to your place as soon as possible. Please, trust me, Laura."

The blonde woman looked as though she wanted to ask questions but she just nodded. She slapped the reins and urged her team to gallop. Shannon maneuvered her way in front of them, leading the way to the farm. She was relieved to see that Will was out chopping wood and saw them coming.

"What's wrong?" her tall, dark haired cousin called out, running to meet them. "Shannon, what happened? Are you alright?"

Shannon slid to the ground. "Will, I stopped at the Vandergrifts," she told him, keeping her voice low. Peggy was no doubt already scared, but there was no reason to completely terrify the girl. "I-I think something terrible has happened there. There was blood everywhere. A-and someone shot at me from the window."

Will grabbed her shoulders as Laura brought the wagon to a stop. "Are you alright, though?" he asked. Shannon nodded, suddenly unable to keep from shaking. "I want you, Laura, and Peggy inside the house. Get the gun and stay away from all the windows. Lock the doors and do not let anyone in unless it's one of the family, you understand me?"

Swallowing hard, Shannon managed to nod again. Will let her go and hurried to his horse. He rode over to the wagon, said something to Laura in a low voice, and then kissed his wife's cheek. As Laura and Peggy scrambled to the ground, Will rode away from the farm at a gallop.

"Alright, let's get inside," Laura said, a tremble in her voice. "We'll leave the horses out until later."

The team and Star were tied to the hitching post, and the three females hurried inside. As Laura rushed to lock the doors and close all windows, Shannon lifted the rifle from its resting place on the mantel. Moving as though on instinct, she checked to make sure it was loaded before she moved to the staircase.

"Mama, what's going on?" Peggy asked.

Putting her arm around Peggy's shoulders, Laura guided her daughter to the staircase. "Your Aunt Shannon saw something dangerous and Will has gone to make sure the sheriff takes care of it," she answered, her tone soothing. "We're just going to wait here until it's safe again. Why don't you run upstairs for a toy and come right back."

The young girl frowned but nodded before she ran up the stairs. Shannon took a deep breath, her eyes on the door, and sat on the third step. "Its going to be alright, Shannon," Laura whispered to her, settling in place beside the younger woman. "What happened out there? All Will told me was that he had to go get the sheriff."

Shannon shook her head. "Please don't make me tell you," she asked, keeping her voice low. "I-I just can't say it again. Not now. It's too awful."

Reaching out, Laura put her hand on the younger woman's arm. "Alright."

Peggy fell asleep in the long wait that followed, her head resting against her mother's shoulder and her ragdoll tucked under her arm. Shannon and Laura hadn't said a word to break the silence that had formed in the house. The light outside was growing dim and both women were growing more and more tense.

Then, came the thud of hoof beats sounded from outside followed by footsteps on the porth. Shannon jerked the rifle up, aiming at the front door as the doorknob jiggled. "Laura! Shannon!" the familiar baritone of her oldest brother called out. "You can let me in."

"Adam!" Laura exclaimed in relief. She stood up, setting a slowly waking Peggy on her feet. The girl made a soft sound of protest and crawled into the closest chair, where she curled up to slip back into slumber. As Shannon lowered the rifle, Laura ran to the door and unlocked it. "Is Will with you?"

"Of course," Will answered instead of Adam. He caught his wife and embraced her.

Moving stiffly, Adam walked around the couple and went straight for his sister, who hadn't left her seat on the staircase. He gently pulled the rifle from her tight grip and set it aside. "Pa's on his way, Shannon," he told her, knowing that fact would be the fastest way to sooth her. "You're safe."

Shuddering, Shannon closed her eyes. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Adam's torso. "They're all dead, aren't they," she managed to say, her voice choked with pent up emotion.

"Can you tell me what you saw? Will you be able to describe the man who did this?" Adam asked, hugging her tightly. Shannon shook her head and he rested his hand against the back of her head. "That's fine. There will be time enough for that later."

More horses rode up to the house and Will stepped away from his wife. "That will be the rest of the family," he said. "They must not have been able to follow the tracks very far."

Shannon tensed, lifting her head. Adam rubbed her back and then carefully managed to get free of her grasp. As he stepped to the side, their father rushed in. "Shannon," was all Ben said as he went to his only daughter. He sank onto the step next to her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Pa," Shannon responded and then burst into tears. "There was so much blood. I didn't know what to do."

"I know, sweetheart, I know," Ben responded, rocking her slightly. "You're safe now."

"Whoever he was, he knew what he was doing when he left the Vandergrifts' house," Joe reported in a low voice to Will and Adam. He stood in the doorway with Hoss just behind him. "There's no telling which way he went."

Laura gasped. "He's still out there?"

Will put his arm around her. "I'm afraid so," he answered honestly. "Without some kind of description, we have no idea what this guy looks like and we can't search for him. Coffee is going to warn everyone to keep an eye out for any threatening stranger."

"What happened?" Laura asked. She sent a concerned look at Shannon, who hadn't stopped crying. "She wouldn't say."

"The Vandergrifts are dead," Hoss explained mournfully. "Looks like their savings were taken."

Laura's eyes widened. "Not all of them! There were five children in that family!" she protested. She sucked in her breath as her husband nodded. "No..."

Leaning away, Ben wiped Shannon's tears away with his thumbs. "Let's go home, sweetheart," he said. She nodded, sniffing. Getting to his feet, Ben pulled his daughter up and put his arm around her. "Will, do you mind if we borrow your wagon? We'll return it in the morning."

"Of course, Ben," Will answered quickly.

Joe stepped aside to let his father and sister through the door. Hoss led the way to the wagon, and Adam fell into step behind them. Will and Laura went to the door to watch them leave. "Poor girl," Laura murmured. "I cannot imagine the horror of seeing that like she did."

"Ben isn't going to rest until he's done everything he can to bring that murderer into justice," Will said to her. He glanced over his shoulder. "How much did you tell Peggy?"

"As little as possible," Laura responded.

"Good. I don't think she needs to hear the details."

With a soft groan, Shannon pushed herself up from her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she stumbled to her washstand and splashed water on her face. It seemed like more effort than it was worth to change from the dress she'd slept in but she made herself do it before she made her way downstairs.

She barely remembered the drive to the Ponderosa, where Hop-Sing had forced a cup of tea into her hands to calm her. Having no appetite, she curled up in her bed and tried to forget everything that she had seen. Sleep had not been restful though. Twice she'd woken herself up with screaming, the sound of a gunshot ringing in her ears and the sight of blood in front of her eyes. Both times Ben had been there to soothe and calm her.

"Morning, Lil' Missy," Hop-Sing greeted, startling her when she reached the great room. "Sit. I bring breakfast. I make fresh just for you."

"Thank you, Hop-Sing." Tiredly, Shannon sank onto the settee to wait. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Blood pooling on the floor... Gasping, she opened her eyes and sat up straight. She brought her hands up to cover her face.

The front door opened and closed. Shannon swallowed hard and lowered her hands. She twisted to look over her shoulder. "How are you feeling this morning, Shannon?" Ben asked gently as he crossed the room. He slipped a telegram into his vest pocket.

"Better, I think," she answered with a sigh. "I just can't forget seeing-."

"Shh," Ben said, sitting beside her and putting his arm around her shoulders. "I know, sweetheart. I hate to have to ask you, but did you see anything yesterday? Aside from the Vandergrifts."

Shannon thought back and shook her head. "Not really," she replied. "I didn't even see them. All I saw was blood. Then, I thought I saw a shadow in front of one of the windows before I was shot at. I just got away from there as fast as I could. I went after Laura and Peggy because I wasn't sure if I was being followed and I couldn't not warn them if there was a chance that guy didn't follow me."

"You did just fine, Shannon. Now, Roy is going to want to ask you that and a few other questions," her father told her. "He said he'd come out today after you'd had a chance to get over the shock. Will you mind talking to him?"

"Not if it helps find the terrible man who did this," Shannon answered with as much determination as she could muster. She smiled as her father kissed her cheek but then her attention went to the clock signaling the hour. She counted ten chimes with ever growing panic. "School! I'm late! Why did you let me sleep so long? I have to get to the school! The children will be so worried!"

Ben kept her from jumping up. "The school board has closed the school until next week," he informed her. "Roy agreed that it would be safer for the children if they're not walking to school with so much uncertainty about this murderer."

The young woman winced at the term 'murderer'. The front door opened. "Pa, Shannon's secret admirer is getting bolder," Adam announced as he strode in. "He left another letter on Star's stall in the barn."

Sighing, Shannon shook her head as Hop-Sing came from the kitchen. "Well, I don't have the energy to deal with it right now," she said, standing up. She rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. "At least let me eat something first."

Setting a heaping plate of food on the table, Hop-Sing gestured at her. "Lil' Missy come eat," he insisted. "Not eat dinner, not good. Eat now."

Sending an amused look at her brother, Shannon went to the table and sat down. As Hop-Sing watched, she ate her breakfast. Adam and Ben stayed near the fireplace, talking with their voices low. She could only eat half of what the cook had provided and finally pushed the plate away.

"Lil' Missy need more food," Hop-Sing chided.

"Not when you feed me so well," Shannon countered. The smile she gave the cook wasn't forced. Hop-Sing's concern slipped from his face as he took the plate. "Thank you, Hop-Sing."

Pushing herself up, Shannon left the table. She held her hand out to Adam. "Let me see it now, please," she requested. "You didn't read it, did you?"

Adam shook his head as he handed it over. "Joe and Hoss haven't heard about it, either," he told her. "No doubt they'll have something to say about this guy's timing when they do find out."

His tone said that he'd probably have the same opinion on the subject. Deciding not to grace her brother's opinion with an answer, Shannon opened the letter and began to read. "How many men from town joined the posse to search?" Ben asked, glancing at his oldest son.

"Not as many as I expected, I'm afraid," Adam answered. "I'm almost sorry that I'd told Jud and the others to stick around the ranch. Joe was less than pleased and made sure he let everyone know about it."

As he spoke, Adam kept watching his sister's face. He saw when her eyes widened and all color drained from her face. She made a slight whimper, suddenly wobbling unsteadily. "Shannon," he said, moving to get around the furniture. He flinched in pain as he did so. "Pa, she's going to faint!"

Turning, Ben caught Shannon as she sagged. "Shannon, what is it?" he asked, easing her to the settee. "Talk to me, sweetheart."

Her breathing ragged, Shannon stared at nothing. "My fault," she whispered. "My fault. This is all my fault."

Adam snatched the paper from her hand. "'You shouldn't have had to see that,'" he read aloud, frowning at the words written on the paper. "'Why did you go to their house? They never should have said such horrible things about you. But now you won't have to worry about them ever trying to ruin your reputation.'" He looked up as their implication hit him. "Pa..."

"I heard it, Adam. We'll deal with it later," Ben said, his tone distracted. He knelt in front of his daughter. "Shannon? Shannon, sweetheart, look at me. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. The only person to blame is the man who killed the Vandergrifts. It was his decision to do it."

There was a knock on the door. "That must be Roy," Adam realized, straightening up. He didn't bother to hide his grimace as he moved to the door.

At that moment, Hop-Sing came out of the kitchen and rushed through the dining room. "Lil' Missy not well?" he asked in concern.

"She's had another shock, Hop-Sing," Ben answered. "Bring her some tea."

As the cook hurried out, Roy Coffee stepped inside the house, removing his hat. "I passed Zeke on my way here," he remarked. "Long way to deliver a telegram, if you ask...is this a bad time?"

Adam explained in a low the new development. The sheriff looked concerned as he listened. "Give the girl some brandy, Ben," he suggested as he walked closer. "Ol' Doc Martin would do it for any other victim of shock."

Ben shot his old friend an unamused look before he sighed. "Adam," was all he said. He took Shannon's hands into his, rubbing them. When Adam brought a small amount of brandy in a glass over, he put it in his daughter's hand and guided it to her lips. "Drink this, Shannon."

Obediently, as though she wasn't even aware she was doing so, Shannon sipped it. Her face flushed bright red instantly and she coughed violently. She blinked and then focused on her father. "Pa..."

"Told you it would work," Roy said with only a hint of smugness. He moved around so that he was in front of the young woman. "I know this isn't going to be pleasant, but we do need to talk about what happened, Miss Shannon." Taking a deep breath, Shannon nodded. "What took you out to the Vandergrifts farm?"

"I-I wanted to talk to them about the children coming back to school," Shannon answered, clasping her hands around the glass of brandy. Tears glistened in her dark eyes. "I thought if I went to them, they'd be more willing to let Emma, Bobby, and Carl come back tomorrow-I guess today."

Hop-Sing hurried over. He scowled at the brandy glass and snatched it out of her hands. He replaced it with a cup of steaming tea. "Lil' Miss drink tea," he declared. "Better than brandy!"

The cook left the room, muttering to himself. "Tell me what happened when you arrived at the farm," Roy prompted, ignoring the interruption. "When did you first realize something was wrong?"

"When I reached the house," Shannon answered, swallowing hard. Her fingers tensed around the dainty tea cup "No one answered my call, so I dismounted and started up to the porch. The door was open and I could see in. That's when I saw the blood. Not just a little. A lot. There was so much blood..."

Her hands started shaking and Ben hastily reached out to steady them. He took the cup away from her, concerned she would accidently burn herself by spilling the hot liquid on her hand. "You didn't go in?" Roy asked, getting her attention.

"No," Shannon answered, looking up. "I couldn't. I just saw the blood and I knew I had to get help."

"And then what happened?"

"I thought I saw someone at one of the front windows," Shannon told him, "but it was more like a shadow. I couldn't see the person clearly. I didn't even think to try. I was getting on Star when the glass was broken and then I was being shot at. I kept my head down and got away from there as fast as I could."

A note of guilt had crept into her voice. "There's nothing you would have been able to do if you had gone in, Shannon," Ben told her quickly. "And there is every chance you would have been killed too."

Swallowing hard, Shannon nodded. She brushed at the tears in her eyes. "Why did this happen? Why were they killed?" she asked, glancing at the note that Adam still held.

"It looks like a robbery," Sheriff Coffee told her. "There wasn't anything of value left in the house."

"That could be what the killer wants us to think," Adam commented.

"Shannon, have you kept any of the notes your secret admirer has left for you?" the sheriff asked. She nodded. "I'd like to take them along. I have to look into every possible explanation. Can you bring the letters to me?"

Shannon pushed herself up and walked to the stairs. The men watched her until she vanished. "I don't like this, Ben," Roy commented in a low voice. "What kind of a man kills an entire family over a disagreement they had with a girl?"

"A man who needs help," Adam pointed out, sitting down. He passed the latest note over. "There are those who like to play games with others' minds. That could be what he's trying to do to Shannon since she hasn't responded to his notes."

Ben shook his head, well remembering Adam's experience in the desert with a madman. "What do you recommend, Roy?" he asked. "What should we do now?"

"First, I'd like you to join me in a look around the barn and yard, Ben," the sheriff said. "Maybe we'll find some trail to follow. Not likely, but we have to try. Then, I will join Jake and the posse out at the Vandergrifts' farm. In the meantime, I suggest you make sure your daughter is never alone, even here on the ranch, and keep her out of town."

"We'll make sure of it this time," Ben responded. "I told Shannon to not go alone into town but she didn't think there would be any harm."

"I wish she had been right," Adam commented.

From the stairs, Shannon couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or cry at the conversation. She finished going down and went to the sheriff. "These are the only ones I have left, " she told him. "I liked the poetry."

Pocketing them, Roy stood up. "If I have any more questions, I'll stop by again, Shannon," he said, his tone kind. "You keep to the Ponderosa for now, alright? We'll have this man behind bars soon enough. Ben, if we could look around now?"

"Of course," Ben answered quickly. He kissed Shannon's cheek. "I'll be back in a bit. Adam will be here with you until then."

After the door closed behind the two men, Shannon turned to her oldest brother. "I would have thought you'd be too old for babysitting duty," she commented, trying to reach a light hearted tone. She failed, her voice trembling slightly.

Adam hugged her. "I will never be too old to make sure you're safe, Shannon," he informed her seriously. He picked up the cup of tea and held it out to her "Now drink your tea before Hop-Sing comes back and decides we have insulted his ancestors by refusing his tea."

That drew a weak chuckle from her and she nodded. She wrapped her fingers around it and breathed in the scent of the tea. "I didn't finish grading papers," she realized. "They're in Star's saddlebags."

"Don't worry about it," Adam told her. "I'm going to inform the rest of the school board that you won't be teaching any more."

Part of Shannon wanted to be angry that he was making such a high handed decision but she couldn't muster up the energy. She sighed and nodded.

It was nearly dark when Hoss and Joe walked into the house. Instantly, Shannon abandoned the game of chess she'd been playing with Adam. "You're back!" she exclaimed, moving around the settee.

Dropping his hat and gunbelt on the sideboard, Hoss reached out to hug her. "You alright, Shan?" he asked in concern. "I've got your saddlebags."

"Better now that you're back," she answered, not reaching to take her bags like she usually would have done. "I was worried you got into trouble."

"We would have stayed out there longer but Will wanted to be back to the farm before dark," Joe commented as he walked over. Shannon moved from Hoss' arms to his. "Not that daylight seems to be a deterrent for this guy."

Adam heaved a sigh as Shannon tensed. "Shannon, why don't you go tell Hop-Sing that Joe and Hoss are here, and that we're ready for supper," he suggested. "Pa's in town with Roy and wasn't sure when he'd be back."

"You don't have to send me away just to tell them the bad news," Shannon told him, disentangling herself from Joe. Still, she turned and walked to the kitchen.

Hoss turned his attention to Adam expectantly. "More bad news?" he asked.

Nodding, Adam explained about the note and the possibility of Shannon's secret admirer being the one behind the atrocity at the Vandergrifts' farm. He wasn't surprised when Joe reacted first. "I knew we should have found that creep sooner," the young man said with an angry scowl. "What kind of crazy person does that?"

"Joe, we tried to find him," Adam responded. "There's nothing more we could have done."

"What about Shannon?" Hoss asked, his tone worried. "Is she supposed to stay on the Ponderosa for the rest of her life?"

"I'm sure that long won't be necessary," Adam said firmly. "This guy is bound to make a mistake again. He didn't mean for Shannon to see what he had done. He's going to want to make sure she's alright."

Joe crossed his arms. "We're not going to use Shannon as bait."

"I'm not suggesting that at all."

"Why not?" Shannon asked as she joined them. She entwined her fingers together. "You'd catch him and then this whole thing would be over."

"Absolutely not," Joe said. "Pa wouldn't like. I don't like it. Its not going to happen. I don't care if you do have to spend the rest of your life here because we never figure out who this creep is."

Shannon's dark eyes sparked with anger. "That's what you want for me?"

"Hold on. Both of you need to calm down," Hoss said, stepping between them quickly. "This whole thing has got us all worked up and it won't do us any good if we're snapping at each other."

"Fighting, no good!" Hop-Sing concurred from where he stood at the table. "You all hungry! That why you fight. Eat dinner!"

For a moment longer, Shannon and Joe stared at the other with stubbornness. Shannon's shoulders sagged first and she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Shannon," Hoss said quickly. He sent a glare at his younger brother as he protectively put his arm around his sister. "Joe's just not thinking. As usual."

"Hey!" Joe objected.

"Eat now! No appreciate food? Hop-Sing go back to China!" the cook threatened.

Turning, Hoss pulled Shannon along with him to the table. "You need to watch what you say, Joe," Adam advised in a low voice, catching his brother's arm and holding him back. "Shannon has enough on her mind without you adding to it."

"Well, she doesn't need to start thinking that we're going to use her to catch this guy!" Joe protested.

"There's better ways to say it without upsetting her."

"You two better get over here or there's not going to be anything left for you," Hoss called over. Shannon was watching them with an apprehensive expression on her face.

Letting go of Joe's arm, Adam walked to the table. "I think by now Hop-Sing knows how to cook for all of us," he remarked, taking his seat next to Shannon. He reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly before he accepted the bowl of mashed potatoes that Hoss passed to him.

It was late when Ben got back to the Ponderosa. He knew it had been a long shot that someone had see something the last time Shannon was in town. Two days was a long time for a bystander to remember a trivial detail. Still, he'd had to at least try.

Only Adam was sitting in the great room when he walked in. "Did you find anything?" his dark haired son asked, straightening up.

"No one remembers seeing anything, same as ever," Ben answered tiredly. He glanced at the stairs. "Shannon asleep?"

Adam nodded, closing his book. "She went up soon after supper and was asleep when I checked on her an hour later. Hoss promised he would listen for if she was having a nightmare," he reported.

That drew a tired chuckle from Ben. "Over his snoring? That would be nigh on impossible," he commented, sinking into the armchair. He rested his forehead against his hand. "I can't believe this is happening, Adam. Shannon is just a child. This shouldn't be happening to her."

"Well, she's not a child anymore, Pa," Adam pointed out. "Sooner or later there was bound to be an interest in her. Especially since she's your daughter."

"I always assumed it would be inappropriate men wanting to court her, not a psychopath killing for her."

Shaking his head, Adam shifted the way he was sitting in an attempt to ease the ache in his back. "We don't know for sure that we're dealing with the same person for both situations," he said.

Ben heaved a sigh. "I know, but Roy thinks it's likely," he answered.

"Pa?"

Twisting around, Ben saw his daughter coming down the stairs. She was dressed in a nightgown, a shawl pulled around her shoulders, and her feet were bare. For a moment, he was reminded of the first time she'd come down those same stairs six years earlier. "Shannon, you should be sleeping," he chided.

"I had a bad dream," Shannon answered, reaching the bottom step. She softly walked over to her father's chair. She got down on her knees and leaned her head against his right knee. "So I came down to see if you were awake."

Ben put his hand on her head. "Everything will be alright, sweetheart," he told her, "and we'll all get back to normal."

"I hope so. As much as I love the Ponderosa, I don't think I could stand being trapped here for the rest of my life, with someone always following me to make sure I'm safe."

Frowning, Ben shifted his hand to lift her head. "That's not going to happen, Shannon," he said, concerned at the tears he saw glistening in her eyes. "Why would you even think that?"

"Joe just had to open his mouth," Adam muttered when Shannon just shook her head. He raised his voice when his father glanced questioningly at him, "He thought he was being helpful and discouraging rash behavior. He said it didn't matter if she had to stay on the Ponderosa for the rest of her life."

Ben shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?" he said with a sigh. He shifted his hand to brush Shannon's cheek. "It won't come to that."

"But what if it does?" Shannon asked stubbornly. "Its already been a day, Pa! How many times have you or Adam or Sheriff Coffee said that the longer it takes to find someone, the less likely it is that they will be found? How long will a posse search before they give it up as useless?"

"We will deal with that if it comes to that," Ben told her, keeping his voice soothing. "Think of all the things we've been through as a family. As long as we stand together, we'll get through this as well."

Shannon almost smiled. "Laura said something very similar yesterday before this all happened."

"And what were you talking to Laura about that she would need to say that?" Adam asked curiously.

Shrugging her shoulders, Shannon sighed. "I was already having a bad day yesterday before I went to the Vandergrifts' thanks to Jimmy Walters being a pest again and I just needed to vent to someone who would understand," she explained. "Besides, didn't you both ask her to be there to talk about those kind of things?"

Both men cleared their throat, exchanging embarrassed looks, and she smiled. "Well," Ben said, getting to his feet. "I think the best thing we can do is get some rest now."

He reached down and helped his daughter up. "When you say Jimmy Walters was annoying you 'again', just what do you mean?" Adam asked with a frown.

"He was angry that I wouldn't go on a picnic with him, same as it ever is with him," Shannon answered tiredly. She wasn't too tired, though, to catch the exchange of looks between her oldest brother and her pa. "No. I may not like him but Jimmy wouldn't do something like this. I know he wouldn't!"

"Maybe, but Roy is going to want to check ever suspect," Adam pointed out. "And if the Walters boy has been bothering you already..."

"Your brother is right, Shannon. Roy needs to know you've been bothered by the Walters boy before," Ben agreed.

Shaking her head, Shannon sighed. "This has been a crazy week and it isn't even over yet. I don't want to think about what will happen before it is over," she said. She kissed Ben's cheek. "Good night, Pa."

She retrieved her letter from Adam before she made her way upstairs. Ben shook his head. "Jimmy Walters," Adam said slowly. "He's always given Shannon trouble. I should have thought of him earlier."

"The Walters are a good family," Ben responded shaking his head. "It will destroy them if it really is Jimmy. All we can do is let Roy know and he'll hand the necessary investigations. I'll see you in the morning, Adam."

The following three days passed slowly to Shannon. Her sleep each night was not restful and her patience was severely tested in the daytime. Each time she stepped foot out of the house, one of her brothers and once even Hop-Sing was right behind her and stayed with her until she went back inside.

The posse gave up two days after the attack on the Vandergrift farm. Sheriff Coffee reported no leads on tracking the man down, and no new notes were found on the property. The funeral for the Vandergrifts' was done quietly, and Ben was the only one of the Cartwrights who attended to pay his respects.

By Saturday, Shannon had had enough. That afternoon, with her brothers out finishing up the barn chores, she took the college acceptance letter from her book and went down stairs. "Pa, I want to go to the dance tonight," she said, confronting her father at his desk.

"Shannon, I don't think that would be wise," Ben responded, without looking up from the accounts he was working on.

"But Adam, Hoss, and Joe are all going!"

Ben made a note. "And I will be staying with you," he answered.

"Pa, you said I wouldn't be penned up here, but that is exactly what is happening!" Shannon protested as the front door opened and closed. "For all we know, this guy could have taken off to avoid getting caught and it's pointless for me to be sheltered from the rest of the world!"

"But we don't know that," Ben said firmly, finally looking up. "Shannon, it's too soon."

"Maybe I should just leave Virginia City and be done with the whole thing."

Ben frowned at her. "Leave Virginia City?"

Taking a deep breath, Shannon nodded. "There is another option, if there has to be," she said holding out the letter. "This came for Miss Smith and given to me since I was the replacement teacher. I don't have to stay here."

Adam walked over, looking curious. Surprised, Ben took the letter and unfolded it. "A woman's college back east?" the Cartwright patriarch said, looking up quickly. "I had no idea that's what you wanted. Why haven't you said something about this sooner, Shannon?"

Shannon shook her head. "I didn't know about it," she responded as Adam took the letter from Ben. "I mean, she mentioned it as a possibility but she contacted the school for me without telling me she was doing it. I...just thought it might be better than being here wondering if every man who steps onto the Ponderosa is a suspect."

"And if we don't find this murderer and he follows you to the east? What protection will you have then?"

The young woman's shoulders sagged. "Actually, Pa this is a very good opportunity for her," Adam said, scanning the letter with interest. "I heard a lot about this college when I was back east. Its highly thought of and well respected. To be accepted to study there is an honor."

Shannon rubbed the sides of her head. "Is this what you want to do, Shannon?" Ben asked gently. "If you weren't in the situation you are in, is this something you would want to do?"

The young woman hesitated. "I don't know, Pa," she admitted. "All I really do know is that it's not really living if I'm hidden away here for the rest of my life."

Adam frowned but said nothing as he folded the letter. "There is no use making a swift decision right now," Ben said firmly. "We'll set it aside and talk about it more later." He hesitated. "If it means that much to you, you can go. But there will be conditions. Every man you dance with will have to-."

He was interrupted by Shannon's arms around his neck. "Thank you, Pa!" she exclaimed. She planted a kiss on his cheek and took off for the stairs.

Adam chuckled. "I'm beginning to realize she will always have you wrapped around her finger, Pa."

Ben shook his head and sent a glance at the letter Adam still held. "I didn't think I would have to worry about losing her to the east the way I did you, son," he admitted. "She's too young for all of this."

"Pa, you didn't lose me."

"The civilization of the east is always going to call to you, Adam," Ben pointed out, "just as the west called to me when I was your age. One day, you won't be able to resist it."

The dark haired Cartwright considered and then nodded. "I suppose that's true," he said. "But if it makes you feel better, I think family is what will always call to Shannon, and she'll only find that here."

Chuckling, Ben leaned back in his chair. "Until she finds someone who captures her heart," he responded.

Shrugging, Adam placed the letter on the edge of the desk. "Well, that's what you have Joe, Hoss, and I for," he replied. "Anyone who gets through all three of us will be someone worthy to have her."

Picking the letter up, Ben laughed outright as Adam headed for the stairs. His amusement ended as he looked at the return address on the envelope. He sighed and rubbed his head in an attempt to relieve the headache that was forming. He placed the letter in the drawer of his desk and hide it away there.

The atmosphere of the guests gathered for the dance was one of subdued enjoyment. The music that was being played seemed almost out of place in the background. Conversation was kept low, and the topic was of the horrifying murders that had occurred. Shannon didn't miss how the conversation trailed away whenever she walked within earshot. Hoss squeezed her shoulder as she grew more and more tense.

"They don't mean anything by it, Shan," he told her. "They just don't want to upset you. They know you're the one who found the family."

"No one has asked me to dance or even talked to me," Shannon said softly, looking longingly at the couples dancing in the middle of the room. Joe and Adam were among them, charming their pretty partners. "And it won't upset me to talk about it if they really want to know. Its not as though I saw anything interesting."

Hoss raised his eyebrow at her. "It won't upset you?" he repeated skeptically. He took her clenched right hand in his and rubbed her fingers until she relaxed. "Yeah, you don't look a bit upset, Shannon."

Pulling her hand free, Shannon smoothed her dark blue dress. She caught sight of a young man coming towards her. "I changed my mind," she said, turning to Hoss. "I don't really want to dance. I think I'd like more punch."

Hoss' expression changed to one of confusion as he recognized Jimmy Walters. "You don't have to, sis," he assured her. "You have something against Jimmy?"

"Shan, I bet you're more than ready for a dance," the young man said by way of greeting before Shannon could answer her brother. "Shall we?"

"Walters, I am the only one allowed to call her that," Hoss informed him as his sister edged closer to him. "And that is no way to ask a lady for a dance."

Jimmy's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. You're the ones who sent the sheriff out to talk to me."

Putting his around Shannon, Hoss stared at Jimmy. "What does one thing have to do with the other?" he asked. "All I said was that you don't know how to ask a lady for a dance. Why the sheriff talks to you has nothing to do with us."

"As if the whole town doesn't know that the mighty Cartwrights are anxious for someone to blame."

Flinching, Shannon closed her eyes. "Miss Shannon, would you like to dance?" Jeff Summers asked, coming up behind Jimmy. "If your brother doesn't object."

Hoss shifted his stare to the cowboy. "If that's what Shannon wants," he said after a moment.

"Thank you, Jeff, I would like that very much," Shannon answered with relief in her voice. She stepped away from her brother and allowed the grinning cowboy to escort her to the dancers.

Scowling, Jimmy turned to go but Hoss grabbed his arm. "Walters, I know you're interested in my sister," he said in a low voice. There was a note of warning in his tone. "But you have a lousy way of showing it. You steer clear of Shannon until you know how to treat a lady. You understand?"

He only let go the young man go when Jimmy nodded. Rubbing his arm, the younger man ducked his head and hurried away. "Trouble, Hoss?" Roy Coffee asked as he joined Hoss.

"Not if he learns to treat a lady right."

Roy chuckled. "I think he really does like your sister, Hoss," he commented. "His whole family have been talking about what good match it would be for at least a year."

"They should hold their horses until they've learned whether Shannon is even interested."

The song came to an end a few seconds later. Hoss grinned as he saw Zeke, the industrious telegraph operator, ask Shannon for the next dance. His sister looked over at Ben, who nodded his permission. Passing his own partner off to another man, Ben walked to the sidelines where Hoss and Roy were standing.

"That's the happiest I've seen her all week," he commented. He shook his old friend's hand. "Roy, have you made any progress?"

The sheriff shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he answered. "The only person the Vandergrifts had a quarrel or any kind of problem with was your daughter. I've checked a lot the strangers that have come into town. Whoever this was has just vanished."

Ben shook his head. "People don't just disappear, Roy," he said. "Even if there's two men we're dealing with, we should be able to find one of them."

"Hey, Pa," Hoss said uncertainly. "Where did Shannon go?"

"Zeke, why can't you just give me the telegram now?" Shannon asked as she pulled free of Zeke's grasp. She wrapped her arms around herself as the cool, evening breeze brushed against her. "I'm not supposed to leave without one of my brothers or my pa with me. They're going to be annoyed with me as it is."

Spinning around, Zeke stood between her and the back door they'd just come through. "I appreciate that they take such good care of you, Miss Shannon," he said, reaching into his pocket. He drew a small telegram out and held it out to her. "Its nice to see you free again."

Taking the paper, Shannon turned to go back inside. "You're not going to read it? It might be important. I never knew Miss Smith to get a telegram from Massachusetts before," Zeke remarked, not moving.

Hesitating, Shannon unfolded the paper and held it so that she could read it in the dim light. She scanned the message, from the college stating there was an opening if Miss Cartwright was in a position to come sooner, and she caught her breath. "Bad news?" Zeke asked, his voice full of concern.

"What? Oh, no, its not. Not really," Shannon answered. "Thank you for giving me this, Zeke. I should go back inside now."

"I didn't know you were going east."

Something had changed in the man's voice and Shannon looked at him. "I suppose you know a great deal about what goes on in town, just from the messages that come and go," she said, striving and failing to keep her tone light. "Going east is just an option I've been considering given everything that's been going on."

"Ah, I see," Zeke responded, nodding. He heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry to hear that. Virginia City just won't be the same without you."

Uneasy, Shannon offered a smile. "Thanks, Zeke," she said, taking a step forward. The man still didn't move. "I really do need to go back inside now. Can you please let me by?"

"In a moment. I was hoping that you would have time to grow before I approached you," Zeke said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "After all, you're still young but I don't want to lose you. You remind me so much of my mother."

Horrified, Shannon stared at him. "You? You're the one who's been leaving me those notes?" she asked, trying to pull her hand free.

"You never even noticed," Zeke responded, sounding half proud and half bitter. His fingers tightened on her wrist. "All those times you picked up the mail and messages for your pa, you never saw me. I knew your brothers were watching for me, but I was smarter than them. They never saw me either."

"Zeke, can you please let go of my arm now?" Shannon requested, keeping her voice calm. She looked at the door, hoping someone would come out. "You're starting to hurt me."

Zeke, though, was staring past her at the dark horizon. "No one ever realizes just how much a telegraph operator knows, just from the messages that go in and out," he remarked. "The things I could tell you-will tell you. I don't want there to be any secrets between us, Shannon."

Swallowing hard, Shannon nodded, taking a step to the side. "Secrets do have a way of destroying things," she responded.

"For instance, notices for the sheriff," Zeke continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Did you know that there are at least five known murderers that have been reported around Virginia City in the last six months?"

"No, I didn't know that," Shannon answered, taking another step to the side. She didn't dare look at the door out of fear that he'd guess what she was going to do. "But I have every confidence that Sheriff Coffee will catch them."

Zeke chuckled as his gaze focused on her again. "So naive. I adore that about you," he said. A frown formed on his forehead. "But what will going east do to you, I wonder."

Taking a deep breath, Shannon stepped closer and shoved him as hard as she could. He reeled back, not letting go. "Let me go!" Shannon screamed, hoping she would be heard over the music and conversation inside. "Zeke, let me go!"

Twisting her arm, Zeke forced her down to her knees. She cried out in pain. "Why did you have to try that, Shannon?" he asked, sounding betrayed and angry. "I only have ever wanted to protect you. From the horrible slander people were spreading. You do understand that don't you?"

"Shannon!"

She could hear several voices shouting her name. "Help!" Shannon screamed. "Pa!"

The door was jerked open and Zeke was tackled. Shannon sprawled on the porch as her arm was pulled along when Zeke didn't let her go. Pain radiated through her shoulder and into her arm. A moment later, her wrist was released and she was able to awkwardly push herself up using her left arm.

Ben came through the door then. "Shannon, why did you come out here?" he demanded, kneeling by his daughter. "Are you alright?"

"Pa," Shannon responded, clutching her right arm close to her body. "There's something wrong with my shoulder."

Looking over his shoulder, Ben snapped out an order for someone to find Paul Martin. Hoss and Joe rushed past to get to the fighting men. A small crowd of guests gathered at the door, while several men came running from around the house as the two on the ground were pulled apart.

"Zeke? Summers?" Adam identified. "What's going on here?"

Dr. Martin pushed his way to the porch and knelt beside Shannon. "Zeke left the notes," the young woman said, keeping her eyes on the struggling telegraph operator. "Pa, he did it."

Sheriff Coffee turned and strode forward. "Zeke Jefferson, I'm going to need to take you to jail for a little talk," he said firmly.

"I did it for her!" Zeke shouted as Clem and the sheriff pulled him away. Summers pulled free of Joe's now lax grip and brushed at the dust that was now on his clothes. "Shannon! Shannon!"

The onlookers began murmuring. Shannon closed her eyes. "There's nothing to see here," Joe snapped, turning towards them. "This isn't a circus side show!"

"Joe," Ben said with a sigh. "Enough."

All of the gawkers, though, were hurrying away, leaving just the Cartwrights, Dr. Martin, and Jeff Summers on the porch. "Hoss, I need you to hold her steady," Dr. Martin instructed. "I have to put her shoulder back into place and this will hurt."

Opening her eyes, Shannon looked at the cowboy, who was watching in concern. "Thank you," she said as her brother got into position.

"My pleasure, Miss Shannon."

Her right arm in a sling, Shannon walked out onto the front porch. She breathed in the clean air and smiled as the sun hit her face. "Some people will just use any excuse to get out of chores," Joe commented as he stepped onto the porch.

"I'm only following the example you set for me," Shannon fired back.

"Cheeky," her brother decided, reaching over and tugging on her braid. He hesitated. "Shannon, I'm sorry for what I said last week. I'd never lock you up here on the Ponderosa if being somewhere else is where you really want to be. You do know that, right?"

Nodding, Shannon leaned against the porch railing. "I know, Joe," she said. She sent a grin at him. "I think it's so sweet that you even thought you could in the first place." A comfortable silence fell between them for a few moments. "Has Sheriff Coffee found him yet?"

"The man Zeke hired to kill the Vandergrifts? Not yet, but he has a name to go by now so he's hopeful."

Shannon sighed. "Lovely. He's still out there."

"This isn't going to make you go east, is it?"

There was worry in Joe's voice that was very poorly disguised. "No," Shannon said softly. "But I can't say that I won't go. Someday."

"If I tell you that Jeff Summers was asking about you when I was in town, will that affect your decision?"

Blushing, Shannon shook her head. "He's just being nice."

"That's not what Will says," Joe said smugly.

"Will? What does Will have to do with this?" Shannon demanded. Grinning, Joe just walked away. "Joe, don't you walk away from me! Joe!"

Laughing, Joe took off running towards the barn. Shannon awkwardly raced after him. Adam and Ben came out of the house and watched them. "She seems to have recovered well," Adam commented.

"She hides it well, but the guilt weighs on her mind," Ben responded seriously, looking over at his oldest son. "She still has nightmares at night."

"Has she said anything about the college?"

"No, and that's what worries me."

Shaking his head, Adam sighed. "Pa, she's a Cartwright. If there's one thing we do well, it's survive incidents that would break most people. Its almost a weekly thing with us," he pointed out. "If you'll excuse me, I think I need to rescue Joe from our sister as I think she's got her hands on a pitchfork."

Alarmed, Ben turned to find that Shannon did indeed have a pitchfork in her hand. "Shannon!"