I do not own Bonanza or any of the original Cartwright characters.

A/N This and a number of the following chapters will be in italics-as they are memories.

For the Love of a Brother

Chapter Three

Little Joe opened the front door and then picked up Carolyn's luggage, he would have to come back for his. Carolyn was standing by the horses when he threw the items in the back of the wagon. "I'll be back and then we'll be on our way." He gave her a kiss and hurried back inside.

Little Joe felt as if he was walking on air as he went for his luggage. He headed for it only to hear Hoss let out a holler in the kitchen. He whirled around and busted up laughing. Hop Sing was chasing Hoss out of the kitchen and waving a spatula at him. "Missa Hoss no eat food before cooked!"

"Dadburnit, Hop Sing!" Hoss protested, as he shook his hand up and down, trying to get rid of the sting the china man had inflicted up on it, "I was only tryin' ta get a little taste! That's all!"

Little Joe grabbed his bag, laughed and hurried outside. It took only minutes for him to put the bag in with Carolyn's and help her up into the wagon. Hoss hurried outside. He didn't want them to leave when he hadn't said his proper goodbyes. "Take care of yerselves and have fun, see you when ya get back." He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't worry 'bout us, big brother," Little Joe answered as he picked up the reins, "We'll be just fine." He brought the reins down and started on their journey.

Hoss watched them until they disappeared and then headed towards the barn. He'd gotten very little sleep due to the sick calf he was tending to. He was hoping the poor thing was still making progress, as he really wanted to lie down and get a decent sleep.

"Hey, there," Hoss knelt down by the side of the calf and started talking to it, relieved to see it was indeed getting better. "Ya gave me quite the scare there, don't need ya to go dyin' on me, ya know?" He continued talking to the animal for a good thirty minutes when he heard a horse approaching, and it sounded like the rider was pushing him. He stood up and hurried outside.

His eyes widened when he saw the rider was Adam. He was supposed to be checking fence lines and talking to their hired hands about a project their father had in mind. The man looked as if the sky had just fallen. "What is it, Adam? What's wrong?" He asked the questions before he noticed the hat that rested on top of Adam's saddle horn. His eyes widened even more and he felt his heart start to race. "That's Little Joe's! What happened?"

Adam shook his head and barked, realizing that Hoss would not have the answers he had hoped. "I don't know, but the wagon is standing by itself a mile down the road; it's back wheels are lying on alongside the road. I was hoping Joe and Carolyn had made it back here. There are signs of other riders, at least two, maybe three."

Adam was visibly upset and scared. Both knew of only one person who may have reason for causing Little Joe and Carolyn problems, Simon Bywater; Carolyn's ex fiancé, very unstable ex fiancé'.

Hoss shook his head. He didn't like this. "I'll tell ya what. That calf is doin' good enough fer now, I'll hurry and saddle Chubby, and we can start looking for them. Iffn' we can't find them, we'll have ta let Roy know."

"I already sent Jason into town. Michael went to get some of the other men so they could start searching. I just came to get you and," he said as he dismounted Sport, "to get a few things before we start." He hurried into the house.

Hoss didn't ask what his brother was talking about, he figured the man was talking about extra bullets in case they ran into trouble. It didn't take him long to get his horse saddled and get his own gun fully loaded, along with grabbing extra shells himself.

000

Carolyn's heart beat fast as James threw a bound and unconscious Joe down next to her. She had never met Tyler or James and had no idea why the two men had ridden up to them, knocked out Little Joe before he knew what hit him and then brought them to a remote shack on the Ponderosa. She tried to get the men to talk. "What do you want from us?" she begged.

An evil grin appeared on both men's faces, but it was Tyler that answered, "Let's just say a friend of ours has unfinished business." He then turned and walked out of the hut, leaving James to secure Carolyn to one of the few chairs.

Again, Carolyn tried to get some answers. "Who are you?" She asked desperately, as she tried to study the man's face. She felt strongly that she should know the man, there was something familiar about him and yet she was sure she had never met him before.. Somehow, she wasn't surprised when the man did not answer her question.

"Don't worry 'bout me!" James' grin again sent chills down her back. "I'd be worryin' more 'bout that man of yours, once my brother gets here." He laughed. His laugh held the tone of someone gone insane and it sent shivers down her spine and all the way to her toes. He then turned and walked out the door.

Looking over to a nearby table, she noticed that the men had, without thinking, left a pistol laying out in the open. With James standing right outside the window, Carolyn did her best to loosen the ropes around her wrists without moving enough to draw attention. If she could just get free, she might be able to get the firearm, free Little Joe and get away.