Guns and Switches

3rd story in the Alexandra Series.

Summary: Alexandra has some life lessons to learn. Alex tries to persuade Adam of her reasons for needing a gun. Adam has some persuasion methods of his own in mind. But there is another life lesson for Alex, one that may prepare her for a special, but difficult journey. A short story.

Warning: CP of a minor in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bonanza, or any of its characters. David Dortort and Fred Hamilton created them and played with them for 14 years. The series is owned by NBC.

Previously

Alex went to the window and watched Adam and Joe walk to the barn, each leading an animal. She chewed on her bottom lip, as Joe entered with Cochise. She was about to step back, when Adam stopped and looked up at her window and met her eyes. He frowned, and then undid his belt buckle before going into the barn.

Alex threw herself on the bed, "Dang, blast, damn, damn, blasted, dang, darn," she cussed and purged aloud, "this is all my doing, poor Uncle Little Joe."

Chapter 2

Oh Brother.

Joe looked cautiously at his older brother as he came into the barn, tightening the buckle of his belt. While Joe unsaddled Cochise, Adam led the calf into the smaller stall at the end of the barn. He returned to Joe's stall where he grabbed a brush and worked on Cochise coat opposite Joe.

They worked in silence for a moment, Adam enjoying Joe's uncomfortable demeanour.

Joe made the first move throwing his curry brush into the wooden box next to the stall and sat on a hay bale trying to look casual and unperturbed. Adam continued to curry the last traces of dust out of the painted pony's coat.

"Alright, Adam I was wrong." Joe stated sincerely.

"You were. It wasn't your place to undermine me. I'm her father." He said as he grabbed the horse's tail and gave it a quick comb through.

Joe sat on his hands, knowing that Adam did not always respond to the emotional squeals accompanied by his dramatic hand gesticulations. "Yeah well you often spoke for Pa, more than speak on several occasions, if I remember it right."

"That I did, and most times with Pa's blessing," Adam said as a matter of fact, before throwing his brush down and leaning on one of the stalls rails. He crossed his arms and ankles. "With Pa's expectations," he added with an arrogant smirk.

"And sometimes not." Joe scowled.

Adam never moved. "Is that what all this is about? You trying to be a kinder big brother to Alex. You think I was too hard on you and I'm being too hard on her?"

"Yes, well no… You were kind of hard on me, Adam."

"Well I needed to be. You were just a little boy and I was 17, the same age as you are now, when Marie died. Pa went away for a bit, trying to cope with his grief. So I guess there were times it seemed like I acted more like a pa than a big brother." Adam stood straighter and uncrossed his arms. "But believe me, Joe I was trying to be a big brother."

"Yeah well, there was times I thought you were just a bully."

Adam suddenly looked incredulous. "A bully! Boy, you are out of line."

'I'm not a boy!" yelled Joe.

Adam went to move towards Joe, but stopped when he saw Joe stand up and subconsciously puff his chest out. "Put your chest away, BOY," he threatened. "You want to be treated like a man, act like one."

"Adam you know that riles me. I'm sick of being considered a kid…orders barked at me and threats, bullied!"

Adam was so tempted to give him a barrelling lecture about being an ungrateful little nuisance most of the time when they were growing up. He was also tempted to dust the kid's britches with the side of his boot, but that was not the action called for here.

Adam had let his temper get the best of him. He had not intended to go real hard on Joe, He drew a huge deep breath and pinched his nose to remind him of his original plan and approach. "I know it must have seemed like that Joe. But it…"

"Wasn't, I know, and I wasn't the spoiled brat, or Pa's favourite that everybody seemed ta tell me I was."

Adam laughed. "You were Joe, you were everybody's favourite. We couldn't help it. We just wanted to protect you, you were little and you only had us, and when Marie died and Pa left, you had no one but us. You were Hoss's and my favourite."

"I was your favourite?" Joe asked surprised.

"Sort of, don't look so surprised, you and Hoss are my favourite brothers, you my littlest favourite. I'm Hoss's favourite older brother and you're his favourite little brother, you're everybody's favourite pest and besides all that we love you," he laughed.

"Jesssh, Adam, now you sounding like Alexandra."

Adam recognised that Joe wanted to be treated like a man and not the boy that Adam would have treated him like only months before. "Well that's why we are here..." Adam put his hands in his pockets and paced the barn floor. "Alexandra, the other pest that I love with my whole being; one I'm trying to raise, and keep safe, teach right from wrong. To do that, I need your help. When she takes foolish risks I depend on you to act like the adult."

Joe sat down again and looked up at his older brother looking rather guilty. He grabbed a large straw poking out from the twine beside him and started to chew on it nervously. "I wasn't trying ta make it difficult for you Adam, and I..." Joe threw the straw away and stood, "and I apologise for causing a problem. I'm sorry for thinking I could handle it without telling you. I understand why you're disappointed."

Adam stopped pacing and turned to face Joe, "I'm listening Joe, what you were trying to do?"

"Like you, I was trying to be a responsible adult…"

"You think letting a ten year old handle a gun is responsible? You…"

"Are you going to just keep yelling at me, or are you going to let me finish. Because, Adam, if you're not, then I'm just going to walk out that door. I've apologized, like a man, now you start listening and stop interrupting."

"Careful Joe, I'm still entitled to some respect, especially on this matter. You might have apologized, but that doesn't mean you are automatically excused from the consequences of your decisions."

Joe saw red this time, and from a safe distance aimed his pointed figure at his brother. "Well that's another thing, I ain't gonna let you tan me like a ten year old. A while ago I mighta let ya, even an hour ago, cause I feel so rotten about this whole thing, cause that's just what I did; MADE A BAD DECISION."

"So, what, you want me to punch you in the nose? Because, Joe I could, but that would mess up that pretty little boy face of yours."

Joe growled and suddenly lunged. He grabbed Adam around the waist, hurtling him backwards into an empty stall waiting to be mucked out. Adam landed on his rump, and then fell flat on his back. He wrestled with Joe's light form, trying to get a hold of his shoulders, but he was too low down to get his hands underneath them. Instead he threw one leg over the back of Joe's knees and scissors flipped him into the stall wall. "Joe don't be stupid, you're no match for…"

Before Adam could finish the sentence Joe kicked out, "no match for you, or your smart mouth," he puffed, "well how about I put my boot…"

Adam grabbed Joe's foot before it made contact. "That was foolish, BOY!" He said and twisted Joe's foot.

Joe squirmed and slid his boot off, leaving Adam standing with his empty shoe. He stood up and pushed Adam square in the chest. "You see, you see, you get all fired up, ya go making assumptions before anyone's had their say."

Adam threw the boot into the soiled hay beside the manure pile, and then pushed Joe back. "You know, you get so damn ornery as soon as anyone dares to correct you, dares to offer you some sensible advice, just like the adolescent you really are. You want to be treated like a man, then take a smart mouth quip for what it is, just that."

"Advice, I'm the one tryin to g…" Joe threw a punch.

Adam weaved, and Joe fell forward. He was then was propelled onto the open dirt floor of the barn from a sharp kick to his backside. "How about you stop this performance and we continue talking…"

Joe ran this time, again trying to bear hug his older brother. He knocked him into the workbench, causing a large bag of grain to split open. Adam grabbed Joe by his collar and swung him around placing him under a steady stream of pellets from the split grain bag which then poured down over Joe's head.

Adam rolled his eyes, "You're not doing to a good job of trying to convince me that you are an adult and that I shouldn't lay you out, or take the hide off of you…"

"WHAT IN TARNATION?" bellowed Ben, as he burst through the barn door.

Both boys stopped immediately. "Pa." They chorused.

Ben looked around at the mess. He stared at each of his sons covered in straw, dirt and manure, and then took a deep breath. "I will tell Hop Sing to keep a plate warm for you two, while you get this barn SPIC AND SPAN." he yelled.

Adam and Joe winched at their father's thunderous demand.

Ben hooked his thumbs into the sides of his belt. "You can hear this raucous all the way to the mountains. There is a ten year old child in there listening as well, who's chewing her bottom lip off with worry. Now, finish your discussion in a civilized manner. Do not return to that house until you have done so, or you'll be both feeling my belt. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes, sir," both answered.

Neither one moved until Ben had pivoted on the heel of his boots and exited the Barn.

"Darn, I hate it when he does that," whispered Joe.

"Me too," smiled Adam.

"Well you started it; ya just had ta goad me."

Joe was right, Adam needed to quit with the sarcastic remarks, give the kid the benefit of the doubt, well at least, and have his say. He'd been in exactly the same boat with his Pa on several occasions. He always appreciated that Ben would hear him out, even if the discussion got quite heated.

Adam picked up the bags of grain and emptied the remaining pellets into the feed bin. "Okay, Joe, you're right. I really hadn't intended to come down on you that hard, or tan your backside for that matter. I had, however, intended a mighty big dressing down. Sometimes the big brother in me corrupts the clear thinking intelligent educated and wise Adam," he conceded.

Joe smiled and grabbed the wire rake and started to make neater piles out of the dishevelled hay. "I'll take that as an apology. It's as close to one as I'll get from you any anyhow."

Joe stopped and leant on the rake, it was time to tell Adam his side of the story. "I caught Alex playing with my old rifle up behind the barn where I practice with the targets. She wasn't shooting the thing, cause it was jammed. She'd found the shells and was trying to load them and un- jam the thing. I panicked when I saw her manhandling the gun and snatched out of her hand. I swatted her backside so hard I scared myself. She give me such I fright, I just smacked without thinking.. Then she started tellin me how important it was ta her survival that she learn ta shoot a gun. I can't remember everything she said, but a couple of things kind of made sense. The one thing that I definitely thought I should do was show her how ta use the gun correctly, put the safety on, load it safely and hold it. Alexandra promised me that she would never pick up a gun ever again, unless there was no other way of protectin herself or another person. She promised. So I showed her how to hold it and shoot it straight. I shoulda known better, I shoulda known that she was too young ta keep a promise like that."

"She is just as inquisitive as you were at the same age, Joe," said Adam, as he re- arranged the tack on the pegs. "Yeah, you should have figured on that one, but you should have told me."

"Yep darn tootin, I should have. Now, she's disappointed me and disobeyed you. I've disappointed you and she's going to be punished because I wasn't responsible enough to ..."

"Teach her the right lesson."

"I thought it was the right lesson. It's true; too, I didn't want you punishing her too hard. It hadn't been long after she had taken off to the tree house because she thought you didn't want her. I was scared she'd hate you and me if she got punished for playing with the gun again. I also didn't want her thinking that you were very disappointed in her. Little kids, they think that their parents hate them when they feel they have disappointed them. They confuse the two. I know that sounds like something a dumb kid would say."

"No it's not. You said there were times when Pa didn't give me permission to tan your hide, that I just took it upon myself, to bully you as you put it. But, Joe it was the same with Pa, I could cope with him being disappointed with me, and sometimes with you, but I just hated it when you were so guilt ridden because Pa was disappointed in you, so I took it upon myself to teach the lesson or deal with the consequences of one of your harebrained schemes. I got caught out a couple times on it too. I made bad decisions."

"Like the time you let me try and break that colt."

"Ohhh," Adam winced and nodded, "Yeah I remember that. I was 22, and Pa didn't hesitate to take a switch to me after he finished with you in the barn."

"I didn't know that."

"Yes, well, I wasn't going to announce it. I was 22 years old, not a boy, but still my father's son. It had been foolish of me. You could have been hurt."

"But I wasn't."

"True but that wasn't the point. I had let your natural talent awe me. I was so engrossed in your abilities; I let you ride a wild stallion, when Marie had been killed in a riding accident. I wasn't thinking of why Pa didn't want you near the broncos until he thought you were old enough."

"But, he would never have let me near them Adam, if you hadn't stepped in."

"Maybe and maybe not? But, I should not have undermined him on that. It was serious, as serious as guns, Joe. You know why I don't want her near guns, ever."

"No I don't really, Adam. I know it has something to do with Katherine and her killing that kid."

"She panicked, she was unstable and she got scared and she shot a stupid young drunk boy out of fear. Her fear of…" Adam hesitated, "well, it goes back further than that. She was hurt real bad once and she never forgot. This kid well he was just drunk and full of himself, but he was unarmed. If he had…"

"It could have been Katherine."

Both Adam and Joe grew quiet for a moment. Adam going over the "what if's" of his past and Joe a little better enlighten bout his brother's pain and concern.

Adam snapped himself out of his thoughts. "The main point is; Alex is a child, a little girl child. Too young, too fool hardy. It's all a game to her."

"I don't know about that, Adam. I can understand your fear. But, I was also thinking about her fear?"

"Right now, the only fear I'm interested in is mine, and making sure she fears my open palm on her backside enough to never touch a gun."

"I understand that Adam, but heck I remember what your hand on my backside felt like and I was trying to protect Alex from that. I thought my strong talkin to her was enough; I told her how dangerous guns were and she promised never to touch a gun again. She's my niece; I needed her to know I loved her and was concerned for her."

" I know Alexandra is uncertain about a lot of things. I am dealing with them one thing at a time, but this gun thing… Look, we both know the stories of gun accidents, small children. It's been part of this hard life that many families, many children and many parents have had to endure; the loss of a child. I intend to avoid that completely."

"I know, I know. I understand your reasoning."

"And I can understand you getting drawn in to her energy. And teaching her gun safety, when you caught her with it, was actually sensible. Your only mistake was that you didn't tell me."

"You're right, I should have told ya. I wasn't trying to undermine you or go behind your back."

"Just keep her out of trouble with me."

"Yeah, well, now, I feel rotten about that too because, she's in bigger trouble."

"And this time I'm going to let you suffer with the guilt on that one. And let Alex feel a little bit of guilt for her part in all this; she broke a promise to you."

"Well, I'm not sure that makes me feel any better than a belt burning my butt, but…"

"Oh no, the guilt is not the only consequence of your interference, little brother…"

"Little bother?" growled Joe.

"Yeah, my favourite little brother, and Alexandra's favourite Uncle Little Joe, you two can spend a lot more time together over the next two weeks. Alex is restricted to the yard, supervised. I've planned a couple of day rides with Marty. You're now on babysitting duty."

"Aww, no Adam, I had an outing planned with Daisymae," Joe whined.

"Great, she can help. Come on, Joe, she thinks Alex is adorable." Laughed Adam and clapped his brother on the back, "besides it's not up for negotiation. Pa's given his blessing on the matter, whatever my decision." Adam smirked and headed for the house.

"Hey," called Joe, "can I change my mind? You can rip the hide offa me, all will be forgiven, and I get to court Daisymae."

Adam just laughed and continued on his way.

"Wait, Adam, no wait, how many days… two?"

"Two weeks, little brother," he shouted back before going into the house, only to be quickly turned around by an irate Hop Sing swatting his backside with a wooden spoon.

"You not come into this House, first you wash up, get little naughty Joe too, now go! Ai ya"

oOo

Alexandra had been sitting on her bed for the last hour. She had tucked her legs up under her nightshirt and rested her head on her knees thinking about the mess she had caused.

Dad and Uncle Joe sure looked messed up when they came inta supper. Looks like dad had a mighty big necessary talk with Uncle Joe. Poor Uncle Joe he was limpin, dad must gone hard on him, cause he was looked sore as well. That's what they must mean when parents say it hurts them as much as they hurts you, when they're punishing you. Dad's hand must be stinging somethin fierce, cause neither of them looked happy. Well I suppose that's ta be expected. Who's gonna look happy when ya jist had the hide takin offa ya. Even ifin ya forgiven and no body's angry anymore, ya still ain't happy on the outside cause ya butt jist seems like it'll be stingin forever.

They say; shh shh, it's all over now, I'm not angry anymore, jist promise me ya won't do it agin. All is forgiven. Well ifin all is forgiven how come thay say, but next time ya do that it will be worsa. Ya can't even think what could be worsa, cause ya butts still burning like the fires of hell. And ya been crying ya eyes out, ya jist wanna stop the snot and the tears from running all over ya clothes and rub the sting outta ya butt at the same time, which is real hard ta do, you need ta be an octopus to cover all that mess.

And they are talking ta ya, tellin ya they don't like havin ta do that, that it hurts them as much, well I hope that's true, cause that seems only fair. But, ya can't think straight, so jist go noddin ya head, wishing ya hadn't got into all this mess in the first place, but, well, kids have jist got a bad memory. We forget and we do it again. Most times I don't mean ta do it ta begin with. I don't think things are gonna turn out this bad, so, how the heck am I'm gonna remember not ta do it again? I suppose they think it's like training puppies or somethin, just keep smacking them on the nose, ceptin it's our butts. They should be trainin us ta reads minds, like "Rashid The Mystic." Him and his lovely assistant, Shabbat, everybody has a lovely assistant, would read people's mind and each others.

Shabbat would hold up an item from one of the miners and Rashid would have a real black blind fold on, then he would read Shabbat's mind and say what the object was. Sometimes they could tell peoples fortune and what was in the future, but most of the time they could jist tell what ya were thinking. I must have some ability, cause I'm pretty sure I can tell what dad's thinking, when he jist gives me that look and talks real quiet like. Even ifin I had a blind fold on and he held up a belt in his hand and said, " and pray tell, what have I got in my hand, Miss Alexandra Williameena Cartwright"….I'd know from dad's voice that it weren't something good. I really need ta be able ta tell the future, cause I would sure remember it then, ya can't remember it when ya in the now, cause well the future hasn't happened yet.

They say that don't they, "You're being spanked so that next time you'll remember." What do they mean, remember being spanked or remember things are jist not in ya control when they go all wrong? How am I supposed ta remember things that might not go wrong? Maybe its jist me, I ain't smart, cause I got no good mind reading abilities, like puppies.

Joe didn't look too happy. He had this big ole scowl on his face. The look on dad's face weren't no better. He looked angry and real disappointed. He's disappointed in me, and now Joe, and Joe's disappointed in me. Everybody's just dog gone dang disappointed over me touching a gun. Don't know what the big deal is. Everybody has guns out here. They go huntin and they need ta protect themselves, how come us kids ain't allowed ta protect ourselves.

Everybody was real quiet at supper, even more when Dad and Joe walked in from the barn. Uncle Hoss just watched everybody while he ate, Uncle Joe screwed up his face, Grandpa was short fused with them, and daddy didn't let me say a thing, just sent me to my room and told me ta wait.

No,things don't look too promising at all,and really,it was all m fault,well kinda.

Alex was abruptly pulled from her silent grumblings when her door opened and Adam walked in. He stopped just inside the door waiting for his daughter to acknowledge his presence. Alex stayed still, her knees tucked up and her head resting on their covered peaks.

"Ready for bed?" he asked.

"Ah huh," she responded not moving her head from its perch as she stared at her wriggling toes peeking out from beneath her night gown.

Adam walked over and sat on the end of her bed not far from those same wriggling toes. He tickled them, "Looking forward to school tomorrow? You haven't seen any of your friends for over a week."

" Nope', she bluntly retorted, then quickly withdrew her toes. " Fer two main reasons; First off, I hate school work and Miss Jones is gonna have everybody doing a heap of work on account of how much we done missed. And second cause I reckon I ain't gonna be too comfortable … You know why."

"So do you think, I shouldn't be spanking you, you think that I should back down on your punishment? You think I'm just being mean?"

"Yep."

"Come here, please."

"No thank you."

"Alexandra, come here."

Alex unfolded herself and moved towards her father, then crawled up on his lap and tucked herself into his chest, "You mad? She whispered.

"No."

"You disappointed?"

"A little."

"Still. How come?"

"You disobeyed me."

"But..."

"Alexandra, it was the fourth time. We have spoken about the gun, and you touching them, and why I don't want you to touch them, but you just keep disobeying me."

Alex looked up into her father's face, "So even if I jist touched them with my little finger, like that." She demonstrated, "ever so soft, you'd still be disappointed?"

"Alex you are being pedantic."

"What's that mean?"

"Too particular, picky, exacting; to make a ludicrous literal point".

"Still don't know what all that means ceptin' the picky part, and you is way more picky than me."

"Are Picky, not is picky. It's YOU are picky."

"No I ain't."

"You mean, No I am not."

"See ya are."

"Alex you are just delaying your punishment. You were warned that if you touched a gun again, let alone fire one, you would be over my knee every night for a week as a reminder of the need to obey me."

"But, it was self defence, dad."

"But, Alexandra, you sneaking off behind the barn for target practice wasn't."

"Would you have me defenceless and ignoramus as well?"

"Ignorant," he corrected. "Do you know what that means?"

"Yep, I'd be a real dummy iffin I didn't. I heard Uncle Joe call Willy Kain's Pa an ignorant bas…"

Adam quickly placed his hand over the child's mouth and growled, "No!" Adam took an exasperated sigh and lifted Alex from his lap and stood her in front of him.

"Aww, I was jist getting comfortable, Daddy."

"Too bad, that's not the lesson to be taught today. You get back there when we have finished with the business end of our bargain."

"I didn't make no bargain."

"Yes you did. You promised me and then Joe that you would not touch a gun again, You broke that bargain and that's why you are here."

"Can I make a new bargain?" she pleaded.

"And what would that be?"

"Hmmm, let me think on it for a minute."

"Deal."

Alex got to chew on her fingers for a second before Adam gently pulled them away and held both hands in his. "Well, I could promise never to shoot a gun until I'm old enough, say 11 and do all the barn chores for a week. Or I could promise never to actually touch a gun even with my pinkie unless there was robbers in the house or a big bear that was trying ta eat a family member or loved one, and only them, cause iffin a bear was trying ta eat a robber I wouldn't care so much so I wouldn't touch a gun, or shoot one. Or you could make a pledge that even ifin I accidently not remembered to not touch a gun, ever again; I don't get spanked, ever again."

Adam ignored at all the double negatives she had just barrelled out, sure there was a catch in there somewhere. "Times Up," he suddenly declared and put her swiftly face down across his knees. Before Alex had time to register the sudden change of view, he landed three sharp smacks to her backside.

"Ow, ow, but what about my bargain, oww, which one?"

"The one; where you could have a minute to think about it." He announced with each stinging swat.

"Ow, but that's not fair, owwwa, ya supposed to, owww, owww, dad, ya supposed to re- neg…ow," yelped Alex, adding several kicks to accentuate her growing disapproval of the proceedings.

"There is no negotiation on past crimes, Alexandra. And there will be no negotiation on future disobedience, lying, breaking promises, putting yourself in any kind danger, whether you accidently forgot or not forgot on purpose, and most of all playing with guns or any sort of weapon."

"Oww, ow, you being awfully picky, owww, again," she still yelled and kicked in anger.

Adam shook his head, as she pounded her small fists on his thigh. "You can be angry about this all you like, Alexandra, but you will learn that I keep my promises ,young lady," he chastised, as he flipped the hem of her night dress up to bunch at the waist and added the last five wallops to Alexandra' bare bottom in quick succession.

"Owwwwwwww!" Shocked by the stinging swats to her now bare backside, Alex immediately stoped punching, and pushed herself up, trying to get off her father's knees. When that initiated another extremely firm smack from her father's open hand, she squealed, resigned and lay there, a limp and sobbing little girl.

Adam replaced Alex's her nightgown, wincing himself when she jumped as the soft cotton made contact with the small pink bottom. He rubbed her back until the sobbing quieten to tears and sniffles, then picked her up and placed her back on his lap.

"No," she grizzled, "ain't comfortable anymore." Alex threw herself face first into her pillow and cried some more.

Adam pulled the blankets back and continued to rub Alexandra's back letting her work through the last of her tears. "It's supposed to hurt, Alexandra. It's a lesson you need to learn. A bargain you need to keep. So you don't get injured. Or harm someone else."

"Even iffin a bear is chewing on you dad, I promise not to touch a gun and shoot it." She mumbled into the feathered pillow.

"Oh, you are so angry at me that you'd have me eaten by a bear?" He tried to humour her.

"No, I wouldn't have ya eaten, not completely, anyways," she sniffed, "I'd maybe, try and hit the bear…, sniff, sniff, over the head with somethin… sniff, like… sniff…. YOUR GUITAR." She blurted out.

Adam tried not to laugh. "Really; that sounds a bit mean. You sure you're not angry at me or the bear."

"Neither, jist my butts awfully disappointed still. Ya might be lucky, ifin ya don't get attacked in the near future, and my butts forgotten jist how disappointed it is right now."

"Well you're not the only one who is disappointed."

Alex put her head up and turned to look over her shoulder at Adam. "You still disappointed in me Dad? Ya supposed ta say all is forgiven now, it's over and things like that."

"I'm not disappointed in you anymore, but, I was with Joe and your Uncle is still disappointed in you and himself. And it isn't over, Alexandra; there are still a couple more spankings to go I do not make idle threats. I want my message to get across this time."

Alexandra whipped her head back down into the pillow, as her emotions caused a new round of tears.

Adam recognised her guilt and frustration. And while he was so tempted to pick her up and cradle her, and reassure her that Joe would forgive her; had forgiven her, he also wanted her to learn that her actions and disobedience had effects on others. He didn't just want her to behave for him. Alexandra needed to think of others too.

That didn't mean he couldn't let her know that he loved her. He stood up and pulled the covers slowly and gently over her, then knelt down beside her, trying to get a look at some of her buried face. He bent over and kissed her curly head, then whispered, "I love you very much, Alexandra, nothing, nothing ever, could stop me from loving you with all my heart. And Uncle Joe loves you with every inch of his soul. You need to let him know that you love him and respect him too, sweetheart." He kissed her again and left his face there just a bit longer than he normally would.

Alexandra turned her head and looked at him then stroked his cheek. "That's the only good thing about tonight. I knowed ya love me dad, but I always like hearing it."

Adam wiped at the tears that still trickled down her forlorn face. "Maybe, Uncle Joe might like to hear that from you too."

"Good idea dad."

oOo

Adam descended the stairs to the eyes of his family. While the house was built by Adams own hands and the thick Pine trunks from the land that surrounded them, the interior walls were thin.

Hoss had gone out to finish the last of the evening chores, while Ben looked over some contracts in his den. Joe just sat in the large big red chair feeling rotten every time he heard the smack and yelps echo through the hallway and down into the big room.

While Alexandra deserved it to some extent and it was Adam's right as a father to teach the lesson needed to be learnt, his way, Joe couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the kid. He thought to himself that Adam must be right, because, in some ways he still thought like a kid, or remembered how they thought.

Adam was also right; the worst was feeling guilty when his Pa had been disappointed in him. He remembered what Adam had said out in the barn and why he had sometimes taken it upon himself to punish him. Until now Joe had never really understood what Adam was doing. How hard it must have been to be a big brother. Sure Adam was a great big brother there was lots of times that he encouraged him, looked out for him, saved his life, and Joe always had a great respect. But, there were times he just dang near hated Adam, hated that he was harsh, or bossy or condescending, and nearly always RIGHT. He laughed to himself, before watching the sad eyes of his older brother descend the steps.

"Not looking forward to that again tomorrow night," said Adam,

"Sorry Adam, I should have made sure she couldn't even get to the guns."

"Joe, she's ten, stop being sorry that she broke the rules, it was her decision. She was warned and now, well, she pays the price. Better that, than a gunshot wound."

"Yeah, I should have told you, we could have nipped it in the bud. I guess and then there would be no tomorrow night.

"I'm wondering about that now. I still think you should have told me, but I'm wondering if it would have made any difference. Alex was still trying to talk me into some sort of bargain about learning to shoot. She is really determined. Maybe you have a point, maybe there's something a little deeper there, her fear, or a better way to get my point across. Even so she can't disobey any of us. We are the adults. And Pa always said; don't make threats you don't intend to keep."

"That I did, Adam, but I think one shouldn't be afraid to abandon them when they are not working." Ben had watched in silence from the chair of his den. He watched his boys and glad they were all becoming such good friends. He was glad there were times he had been tough on them, because, it had sure paid off in his book. He stood up and moved closer to the fire. "What is the lesson, one of disobedience, or her defiant obsession with guns and your concerns for Alex's safety?

"Both Pa. and not just learning to respect me, but Joe, and all of you."

"Well, I think, you pretty much covered the disobedience and the defiant attitude. Two spankings, she restricted to the yard, supervised by her miscreant Uncle. The only thing now is how do you teach her the rules about guns and safety and have her really understand the reasons for your disapproval of them?"

They all go hand in hand, Pa, but she's far too young to be given too many details about my personal fears and where they stem from.".

"Well I had a pretty sure proof method with you and Joe, if I remember.

Both Adam and Joe's eyes lit up, suddenly remembering their father's method.

"No way Pa, she's too little," said Joe.

"Too young," added Adam.

"You might be right. Perhaps you could get her to write lines, or tell her one of the horrific tales of accidental shootings. You know how that feels too, Adam."

"Pa, okay, some of that would be worse. Though I think you have an idea with the lines. I think she should perhaps do an essay though, on the safety rules she knows so far. I'll have a think on it, in the morning. Really, I'm too tired to think about it anymore. . I'm heading for bed."

"Me too big brother," said Hoss, as he came through the front door.

"Where have you been?" asked Adam.

"Jist checkin on Alexandra's posse. I figured she didn't get ta bed them down before supper. But, she had managed to fill their feed bins. She sure knows how ta look after her animals. That little George got enough carrots in his storage tub ta feed him for a year."

All three laughed, "Let's toss for it; who gets ta tell Hop Sing, we've found his stolen vegetables."

"Hop Sing will be happy, so will I, I love his honey and sesame seed carrot cake" Said Joe.

"Okay, so who tells Alexandra." asked Hoss.

"Not me, she's had enough punishment for tonight," said Adam.

" Let's just let ole Hop Sing surprise her. I put a tub of them in the Kitchen," laughed Hoss.

Ben smiled once again, glad that Adam had the help of the whole family in raising Alexandra. There were times, after the death of Inger, then Marie, lonely times where he sure could have used some extra advice or just a second opinion. He was thankful that Adam was old enough and mature enough to step up with Joe and then there was…

"Vely late; no more coffee for boys," Hop Sing babbled as he came into the big room and grabbed the coffee tray.

"We are not boys Hop Sing."

"Always boys, always boys to watch out for, for father, for each other and now for little missy. Ole Hop Sing always busy always, busy with crazy family. Crazy family that steal carrots, bring back carrots. Would go back to china but, I'm just tài gāisǐ de lèi. Also what my loving family do without this ài guǎnjiā. "

"What did he say?" asked Joe.

"Something about being very tired but loves his family," said Ben as he stepped quietly into the light in front of the fire. Ben stood next to Adam and laid his hand on his shoulder. "We are all a little tired; it's been a big week, how about we hit the sack."

"Got no argument from me, Pa," said Hoss

"Nor me," said Adam, as he fell in line behind Hoss.

"Joe?" asked Ben.

"Yeah, Pa. I'll head up in a minute, I'll snuff the lights, you go ahead."

"Okay, boy, but … Okay, Joseph. See you in the morning." Ben turned and poked the last of the fire's embers, pushing back as many as the logs, to slowly smoulder for the rest of the night. Then turned and went to his room.

Within five minutes Joe found himself alone in the quiet of the big room. Content for the moment in the last warm glow of the fire he lent back against the worn and comfortable leather and cushions of the big red Chair. It was not often he sat here when Pa was home, or Adam for that matter. He smiled, he always liked this chair, it had worn well over the years. Joe always remembered it being like it had the invisible shapes of each member of his family. He closed his eyes and imagined their forms around him, part of the chair, the room and this moment.

When he opened his eyes, deciding he too may head to bed, he spotted a tearful Alexandra standing on the middle landing of the stairs staring back at him. .

"Hey, Pip Squeak, I thought you were asleep."

"Can't sleep, Dad is still mad at you, you still disappointed in me?" she sniffed, scrubbing at her face.

"Your dad's not mad at me anymore. I'm sad that you broke a promise to me, but .."

Alex ran to Joe and stopped short, hesitating just at his knees. "I love you Uncle Joe. And I'm sorry ya had ta have a discussion with my daddy…. But I'm glad he's not mad at ya no more…, he's like that; he forgives ya real fast."

Joe could see the tears in her eyes. He lifted her and pulled her onto his lap, then drew her in close. "Hey, I'd be a lot sadder if you had gotten hurt."

"Daddy said the same thing…Guess we both got hurt after all."

Joe tried not ta laugh at Alex's misunderstanding. He decided to leave it and let Alex think that he'd been giving a good licking by Adam. It was like Adam said; Alex needed to take some responsibility for her actions and the way they affected others.

"Yep, in more ways than one, I guess. I hate disappointing people I care about the most, worse than any tanning ya daddy could give me or even ya grandpa. Disappointing someone is a lot more of a hurt, I reckon."

"I don't, my butt's never gonna be the same."

"Really, so that's why you are here?"

Alex sat back and played with the buttons on Joe's shirt. "No, not really; I'm ashamed that I tricked ya into showin me how ta shoot a gun. And I told ya it was the first time I ever done it. I sorta lied, it was only the first time, I tried ta have target practice. I can't sleep, knowing what a rotten niece I am ta ya. I'm never gonna trick ya agin, well not on something so important as this. We still friends Uncle little Joe?"

"Hmm, sort of; a little more than friends, Alex. For starters I'm a lot older than you and two I love you. You are part of Adam and I am part of him, so it's my place ta be a proper Uncle to ya. Sometimes that means no funning all the time and tricking each other; it means you never, never telling me a lie or breakin ya promise to me."

"Same as you, no lying to me, or breakin promises?"

"Yep, same."

"What happens… for breakin them rules?"

"I'll be talking ta ya Dad and he'll be talking ta you."

"So does that mean I can talk to your Pa?"

"Guess so."

"We all good now, Uncle Joe?'

"Yeah we are all good, now give me a kiss and a hug."

Alex jumped up, threw her arms around his neck and gave her favourite Uncle little Joe the biggest kiss and hug she could muster.

TBC

Chapter 3 :

The Petition and The Right To Defend Against Armed Bears.

A.N. Big THANK YOU to carita and thewizardandthedragon for their suggestions with Adam and Joe. An extra shout out to Lajoci, who beta read this and offered some fantastic advice to Adam.

Hop Sing says, just tài gāisǐ de lèi (too damn tired) and this ài guǎnjiā. (loving housekeeper), then qǐng jiǎnyuè (Please review.)