Bonanza Fan Fiction

Based on Is There Any Man Here

I do NOT own the copyrights to the show Bonanza or any

Of that show's characters

This is my version of the Episode titled Is There Any Man Here. And I DID use quite a bit of the show in it; at least the first part.

Scene 5

Jennifer stood at the top of the stairs shocked - but not surprised - when Ben read a letter out loud in front of her father and the stranger who had delivered it to the Ponderosa. It was one from Tuttle and it accused him of using all sorts of wily ways to get Jennifer out to Nevada and he had come out west to get the young lady back on track. The letter also demanded Ben come and see him in person. As Jennifer descended the stairs Ben turned and asked her if she knew Tuttle was going to send the letter.

"No, but I should have." She spoke calmly as her feet stopped in front of Ben.

"How come?" Ben asked wondering what made Jennifer thinks she should have figured it out.

"Because…" Jennifer spoke gently, but softly. "… I told him I belonged out here with you on the Ponderosa as your wife and not with him back east." Ben's eyes widened as did Harry's. But her father - used to her ways - recovered faster.

"I think you can leave now." Harry spoke to the stranger as Ben was still glued onto Jennifer -who remained perfectly composed. "We'll be over later." The young lady's father accompanied the man outside as to allow Ben time to talk to Jennifer.

"Jennifer…" Ben's face once again showed confusion, but he got no further as she laid a finger on his mouth.

"We can talk later. I think - for now- you should go handle Tuttle; which - I am confident you can do very well." Ben-still mulling over Jennifer's reason for coming to the Ponderosa- allowed himself to be shown to the door.

Tuttle was standing in a room with full-length white curtains, an expensive white table and talking to a friend, Alan, who had come along - as both Tom and Cody had come up with excuses as not to make the trip. Jennifer was the main topic.

"She doesn't know what she wants. This is all just an uncontrollable adventure to her." Tuttle heard a knock on the door and beckoned Alan to open it -as if touching a door handle with his own hand was beneath his status in life.

"You must be Ben." Tuttle spoke with chin titled slightly giving Ben the urge to ask if the man needed a handkerchief to stop any bloody noses - it was a thought kept in check.

"Yes, and you know Harry." Ben tilted his head towards Jennifer's father. "Now, about your letter." Ben crossed his arms and asked him what made him sure so Jennifer wanted to go back east. "I mean, she did come out here of her own accord. It wasn't like I made the offer."

"She fancies herself in love with you. But I know she's not. This is just a wild hair that needs a firm hand to squelch." Tuttle spoke with more arrogance than Ben had ever heard.

"You know, a firm hand can be good, but overused it's abusive. Most women - I have found - do not appreciate that." Ben found himself instantly disliking this fellow. No wonder Jennifer had left him at the alter.

"Mr. Cartwright, do not get involved with her. She's far too young for you." It was a statement he would have -normally- agreed with , but this man's nose was too high into the air for Ben to concede to any point.

"I think Jennifer is a full-grown woman who is very capable of deciding who she is, or is not with. If you are so certain I am at fault for her being here. Why not talk to her yourself? I'm sure she'll be in town within the next couple of days." Ben controlled the veins in his neck incredibly well -considering he wanted to wring this young man's neck, or better yet, bend him over his knee.

"I'll do that." His eyes said more, but it was something Ben chose to ignore.

Scene 6

Ben had spent much of the day in town, but not so much that he and Harry couldn't go back out to the mining pump and actually go over it. Harry was helping get it set in right as last time they'd had failed to get it level. It felt good to be out in the wide open spaces instead of a cramped town.

Town was not the topic as Harry talked to Ben, nor was it the well -which had already been explained upon his arrival. The object of discussion was Jennifer.

"Did you know why she was coming out here?" Ben asked as they watched the machine in action.

"No." Harry spoke as he watched the pump as it showed it was working properly. "Oh, I knew she had at thing for your family, but I figured if she was coming out here she had her sights on one of your sons - not you. ." He wiped his brow.

"That make sense." Ben stuck his hands in his pocket as he had his friend turn off the machine.

"She always talked about you, your wives and sons." Harry continued on as shrugged his shoulders. "But -like I've just stated- I thought she had her eyes on Hoss, Little Joe, or even Candy. I mean I know Candy isn't your son, but he does live out here.." The man then asked Ben what he honestly thought of Jennifer and did he think the gal playing the fool's part. "I mean, no insult dear friend, but there is a vast age difference between you two."

"I realize that." Ben scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, I don't know what to think."

"Better figure it out, or Jennifer will make it up for you." Harry winked, "She's very good at it -just like her mother." The way he spoke got both the men to laughing.

"I think we'd best get the men to use this pump on a regular basis. I like what I am seeing." It was no lie - Ben was genuinely impressed with his friend's pump.

The sun had fallen as Ben shut the door to the smaller building next to the house and hung up a board holding papers which held record of what the supplies he'd been going through. It was just as he closed the door he heard the footsteps of someone - he figured it had to be Jennifer - behind him.

"I've been waiting for you." As usual her voice was soft and her smile gentle. "I've been talking to my father."

"So, you know about our meeting with Tuttle." Ben faced her and with no trace of meanness in his raised eyebrows.

"Yes, of course, but it makes no difference." Jennifer stopped right in front of Ben. "It doesn't change things."

"It might…if he knew the truth." Ben's smile was that of a patient - understanding - father who thought he knew he had the whole facts.

"And that would be?" Jennifer asked patiently as she walked past him and leaned against the post.

The night remained silent as Ben gave a smile with one side of his mouth as he stated he figured she could just tell Tuttle she wasn't running after Ben -she was simply running away from Tuttle.

"And that's the truth?" Jennifer didn't give the man behind her time to answer as she asked him if he remembered a tall stranger bringing a young twelve-year old girl flowers. And then told him he'd shown her a whole new San Francisco. "I'd lived there my whole life and never saw it like that."

"Jennifer, you were a child." Ben's smile was filled with a gentle laugh -not a vicious, or condescending one.

"Yes…" She turned around to face him. "…but I knew then what kind of man I wanted to marry. I wanted one like you."

"Tuttle?" His eyebrow went up.

"No… that whole thing was a massive mistake." Jennifer's face had turned sober, but it quickly changed back to the gentle smile she was famous for. "But it showed I didn't want a man like you." Her eyes then shouted to him "I wanted you.'

Ben lifted his hand to her cheek and his face took on the look of someone wishing it could be so. "If it were a different time." The Cartwright patriarch dropped his hand and turned to go only to find his footsteps halted by Jennifer coming up from behind and getting him to turn to face her.

"Ben, can't you see. This is our time." Her voice pleaded with him to see what she saw.

Once again he gave a smile of resignation as if he wished it were the case, lifting his hand to her cheek he gave her a gentle, but quick, kiss. Turning his head as if to go inside he found her arms around his waist and her mouth back on his. For a second his body took the stance of shock, then slow acceptance of what was being offered, but quickly turned to him - and her- pulling each other close and sharing a kiss with far more feeling than he'd ever expected.

Any lights on the house were ignored and the sound of a lone animal crying off in the far distant was ignored as it would have barely been audible had the two been listening. Jennifer pulled back, smiled and led him to the house.

"I'll see you in the morning, Ben." The man watched her go up the stairs and around the corner before turning into bed himself.

The moonlight slid into Jennifer's room and watched her face glowing brighter than any of its beams before she fell asleep. In his own room Ben lay with one hand behind his head and one on his chest. Is Jennifer right? Is this our time? Is there one last Ponderosa Ma for this place? He fell asleep with the picture of a young lady with soft brown hair being held in his arms still not sure if he was willing to go down that path again.