I Quit:

Jax sat in the mill keeping the books for the fifth day in a row steaming. Today Adam was with her instead of Charlie. He was honestly sick of the silent treatment and he hoped sitting there all day would break the streak. Jax didn't like silence, but after four hours his hopes were dashed. Finally, he decided to say something.

"Jax, quit pouting."

"I'm not pouting, I'm working," Jax said not bothering to look up from her books.

"I get that, but the silent treatment isn't going to change my mind. You'll get to do something new next week I promise," Adam pleaded.

"Yeah right, like you promised to train me," Jax said sounding hurt.

"I am training you."

"No your not, if you were I wouldn't be sitting here doing a job a monkey could do."

Adam had to smile at that.

"How about next week you count how many trees are cut down?"

"How about next week I cut a tree down?" Jax tried giving him a smile.

"You're not even close to doing that yet."

"Meaning, I'm never going to do that."

"Jax, I didn't say that. Would you please be reasonable about this?"

"You be reasonable, Adam. I…" Jax started but decided to turn away from her brother when another batch of wood came in.

"You what?"

"Nothing. I have to finish my work, so maybe just maybe my older brother will think I'm worth something," Jax said looking down.

"Jax, you are worth more to me than anything on this ranch."

"Then why don't you trust that I'll listen to you and why won't you give me a chance."

"Because I'm afraid you won't listen in a dangerous situation," Adam admitted.

"But I will listen."

"I don't think you will," Adam said gently.

"So are you going to give me a chance?"

"Yes, at my own pace and as long as you do as I say. Jax, you have to understand that as a little girl I'm not going to allow…"

"I QUIT," Jax said throwing the clipboard at her brother, running out of the mill, and jumping on her horse racing her out of the lumber camp. Adam knew better than to bring up the girl aspect.

"Jax, stop," Adam said looked around the yard and was happy to see Charlie standing there. "Charlie, I need you to take over."

Charlie had seen Jax run out of the mill with tears in her eyes. So he ran up the stairs to take over.

Adam was on his horse a few seconds later. He had a feeling that his sister wasn't going home and this was his fault.

"JACQUELINE ANNE-MARIE STOP RIGHT NOW!" Adam yelled the second he was in hearing distance.

Jax decided to slow down so she could shout back,

"Sorry you're not my employer anymore, so I really don't have to listen to you."

"I'm your brother and I promise if you don't stop you'll be over my knee the second I catch up to you."

Jax slowed her horse so Adam could catch up. He rode alongside her and said,

"You can't quit."

Jax just rode without looking at him.

"Jax, I'm talking to you."

Jax looked over at him with hurt and anger in her brown eyes.

"I realize that, Adam. I'm just not answering you, because you have nothing to say that interests me."

"Jax, quit."

"Already did," Jax said angrily.

"Girl, you are asking for it."

"Why? Because you lied to me, because you don't believe in me, or because you don't want me to succeed?" Jax asked.

"I didn't lie, I do believe in you and you know I want you to succeed."

"Prove it."

"How? What do you want from me?"

"Show me how to do your job or at least show me how I can be a vital part of this ranch," Jax said tearing up.

"Jax, I'll give you a chance."

"When?"

"When I think you're ready."

"But I'm really never going to be ready in your eyes am I," Jax said turning away letting the tears fall.

"Please stop so we can talk."

"I just want to go home and honestly I don't want to talk to you," Jax said.

"Are you going home?" Adam asked with concern.

"I'll be home before you, but I need to stop somewhere first."

"Alright," Adam said deciding to let her go.

Jax rode the two hours back to the ranch, tears falling most of the way. She hated arguing with Adam, she loved her brother more than anything and it killed her that he didn't trust her. She finally stopped, sat down by her mother's grave and sobbed.

Adam watched from a distance and his heart broke for his little sister. He needed to change something or he really was going to lose her. He knew better than to walk over there right now so he decided to talk to Little Joe and Hoss, more days than not she would listen to at least one of her brothers.

Jax walked into the house a little over two hours later.

"Early day?" Ben asked looking up from his book.

"No sir. I'm no longer working on your ranch," Jax said walking up to her room.

Ben sat there for a few minutes before deciding to talk to his daughter. He walked up the stairs and saw his daughter looking out the window. He could tell that she had cried most of the afternoon.

"Jax?"

"Pa, would you please leave me alone. I really don't want to talk about it."

"Sweetheart, I want to know what's bothering you."

"Pa, please don't make me talk about it."

Ben sat down on her bed and asked,

"What did you mean when you said you were no longer working this ranch?"

"I quit," Jax said with a shrug.

"Why?"

"Because your son doesn't believe in me."

"Adam believes in you."

"Believes that I know how to count and keep inventory. Adam wants me to be a glorified bookkeeper and I want to work. We couldn't come up with a compromise, so I quit."

"Jax, we're just being cautious."

"Are you being cautious with Joe and Billy? My bet is no."

"It's different."

"No it isn't. I proved that last month or at least I thought I did."

"So you're quitting is going to accomplish what?"

"Nothing. But working was doing the same, so why bother?"

Ben sighed and determined that there was no getting through to his daughter tonight, he would try again tomorrow. He walked over and dropped a kiss on the top of her head and walked out of the room.

Adam walked into the barn and was glad to see Little Joe and Billy getting off their horses.

"Where's Jax?" Joe asked.

"In the house," Adam said.

"What did you do to her?" Joe demanded.

"Don't take that tone with me. I've had enough of my younger siblings thinking they can disrespect me," Adam said harshly landing a hard swat that made Joe yelp.

"Fine, will you please tell me what you did to my sister? If she was fine, she would be out here talking to us, not being wherever she is right now," Joe said through gritted teeth trying to keep his temper.

"She quit."

"After everything we went through she quit?" Billy asked in amazement. "Jax wanted this more than anything. Why would she quit?"

"She doesn't think I trust her," Adam admitted.

"Because you don't. She's told me what you've allowed her to do and Pa would've let her do that before she left. He probably would've let us do that when we were little if he didn't have the money for workers. She wants to be out in the action, she wants to follow you around and see what it is you do all day. Why won't you give her that chance?" Joe asked angrily.

"What if something happens to her?"

"Something could happen in the mill too," Hoss said deciding to help his little sister out. "The saw could break…"

"Don't give him ideas Hoss, or he won't even let her leave her room. Jax isn't a piece of China, Adam. She's tougher than you, me, and Hoss put together. She has to be," Joe said and stormed out of the barn.

Billy decided to put his two cents in and said,

"Jax is amazing. You should've seen everything she could do on the O'Kelly Ranch. Just give her a chance and you'll wonder why you didn't beforehand."

"Thanks Billy," Adam said and watched as the boy rode off the Ponderosa.

XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO

Joe ran into the house and was stopped by his father's quick chastisement,

"Did you wash up young man?"

"I need to check on Jax first."

"She can wait. Wash up before you walk into this house."

Joe groaned and walked out to the washhouse and cleaned up in record time. He ran back into the house and asked,

"Jax upstairs?"

"Don't push her Joseph."

"I won't."

Joe tapped on his sister's door before opening it.

"Ok, what did old granite head do today?"

"Nothing, he's never going to let me do this, Joe."

"Jax, come and sit with me," Joe said sitting on his sister's bed.

Jax walked over looking miserable.

"You really quit? After everything you went through?"

"Yep. I plan on job hunting tomorrow," Jax said giving her brother a slight smile.

"Like Pa's gonna let you do that," Joe said smiling back.

"So what should I do?"

"Whatever you do I'll be there so will Billy."

"Before Adam decided to take over babysitting duties, Charlie showed me a couple of things, maybe…"

There was another tap on the door that interrupted their conversation.

"Hey, pumpkin," Hoss said walking in.

"Hoss, can I come and work with you?"

"I'd hire you in a second, but Pa said no and Adam said…"

"I don't care what Adam said," Jax said angrily.

"Give Adam a break," Hoss said.

"Why should I? I'm not asking for the moon, I'm asking him to do what he promised."

"He is showing you how to do his job," Hoss said.

"He's showing me the boring part of his job. I heard the men talking, there was a problem with one of the riggings and Adam had to design something to help fix it. I can do that Hoss."

"But while he was designing it, it was extremely dangerous up on the hill. Adam wouldn't have been able to concentrate if you were there."

"Why? Charlie would've watched me and I promised…"

"Pumpkin, there are times when you break your promises too.

"I know that Hoss, but you know how important this is to me, so I won't. Why doesn't Adam understand how important this is to me?"

"Jax, you have to talk to Adam," Hoss said.

"Why so we can fight?"

"No so you can compromise. You can't expect him to let you pick up a saw and get to work, just like he can't expect you to stay in that mill counting all day."

"Do you think he'll compromise?" Jax asked with hope.

"I think so. Just keep this in mind Jax, you're his baby sister and he will always worry about you, but he'll fight for you too. He was the one who convinced Pa to give you a chance in the first place."

"Ok, I'll talk to him," Jax said giving Hoss a weak smile.

"Good. Can I send him up?" Hoss asked.

"Ok."

"Come on Little Joe let's go play some checkers."

Joe squeezed his sister's hand and whispered,

"I'll talk to you later."

"K."

Adam walked in a few minutes later and sighed.

"First, I do trust you Jax."

"Prove it."

"Alright, tomorrow you ride the ridge with me, but I warn you Jax if you don't listen once I'll turn you over my knee and you're back in the mill for a month."

Jax smiled brightly and gave him a huge hug. Adam hugged her back before he landed a hard swat which make Jax yelp and ask,

"What was that for?"

"The way you talked to me earlier. You know better," Adam said giving her another hug.

"Come on some of it was funny," Jax said smiling.

"Yep, but you still deserved that swat."

"You wouldn't be Adam if you didn't think that," Jax said smiling brightly.