I do not own Bonanza or any of the original characters. Thanks to my Beta Reader, though all mistakes are my own.

A Place to Belong

Chapter Twelve

Scene Twenty-Three

The wind blew softly threw the trees as Candy drove the buggy to the pond. He'd succeeded in talking Brooke into going on a ride with him and leaving Star in the care of her father and brothers. Once they arrived at their destination, Candy stopped the horses and helped Brooke down. Soon they were eating the picnic Hop Sing had prepared for them.

"It's a nice day for a picnic; thanks for coming with me." Candy's face lit up as he sat on the blanket and bit into the chicken. However, he grew concerned when she did not answer. He looked at Brooke; her eyes were focused on the trees. "What is it? What do you see?"

She turned her head and looked at him. The fact that she seemed to be able to see through him made Candy a bit uneasy. "You ask me here, you want court me?"

Candy had seen the way Ben had started looking at Brooke; he wasn't blind. The man was genuinely showing interest in the young woman. He had begun wondering what his chances really were. Slowly he nodded, "Yes, I am interested in courting you. I like you. I like you a lot." He watched as she traced her fingers in the dirt beside the blanket. He wondered if he'd waited too long to ask, wondered if Ben had, unintentionally, worked his way into the young woman's heart.

Brooke looked at the birds flying in and out of the branches of the beautiful trees that guarded the pond, as if they were guards hired to protect the life within its waters. "You bird," she turned her attention again to Candy, "You come, go, back and forth, share songs with all. Brighten sky when you leave, brighten up road you return," she sighed, "Life with bird okay," she shrugged her shoulders, "I not sure though. I think. Tell you tomorrow?" she looked at Candy, her eyes begged him to understand her dilemma.

Candy smiled from ear to ear, "Fair enough. Better to have an honest thought out answer than to have having you say yes now and regretting it later." He held out a piece of chicken, "Come and eat, food's getting cold."

Brooke smiled, sat down and took the chicken from Candy, "Thank you. You good bird." That only served to make Candy smile even wider. At least, no matter what, he had her as a friend.

Scene Twenty-Four

"Oh no, you don't!" Ben grabbed Star and removed her from the bookshelf. He couldn't believe she'd managed to pull a chair over, climb up on it and get on the bookshelf. Brooke stood on the stairs laughing so hard tears ran down her face.

"Do you think this is funny?" Ben's eyebrows turned down as he looked at Brooke.

She quickly left the stairs and put Star on the couch, "You sit there. Not climb on bookshelf." She then turned her attention to Ben, "I think funny see man try to be mother. Men fathers, women mothers," she grew quiet as she thought again on Candy and the things he'd asked her the day before, "Candy ask he court me," She kept her eye on Ben, his face did not register shock, "You know?"

Ben nodded and answered honestly, "I knew he was interested. Everyone does."

Brooke took a hold of his hands and held them up to her chin, "I like Candy, he good bird," she spoke slowly to make sure she made herself clear, "but I think. I think all night. I want tree with deep roots. I think same as uncle now. You strong tree, roots go deep. You and I court, not see anyone else," she paused and looked into his eyes, "or you change mind?" As much as she realized she wanted Ben to court her, she was not going to force him too. That much, giving her to Ben without telling him what was coming, was something she'd come to disagree with her uncle on.

Ben looked upon the young woman before him. What did she see in him? He would be a burden to her in a few years. She saw the conflict of emotions in his eyes, she looked past the conflict and into his soul, Brooke smiled, "I not young child. You not too old; Uncle know this. I know this now. Why you not know?"

Ben too had spent many nights thinking about the situation with Brooke. He knew Candy was sincerely interested in the young woman. He'd told himself more than once to make it clear to Brooke that she would be better off with Candy; only the truth was he'd fallen in love with her himself. Still, he found himself once more trying to convince her, or maybe himself, it would not work. "What happens in ten, or fifteen years? You will be burdened with an old man."

"Maybe, and" she smiled as she released his hands and rested her hands on the front of his shoulders, "maybe life happen to me. I burden for you." Okay, it wasn't likely only she knew it to be the truth. She'd seen it happen a time or two. A thousand excuses came into Ben's mind, but none of them escaped his mouth as he nodded and pulled her close, "I'll court you."

Only the sound of Star starting to move broke the two apart," Time Star go bed." Brooke picked the child up.

"Night, Pa." Star held her arms towards Ben. He smiled, took her, gave her a hug and handed her back to Brooke. He watched as the two disappeared up stairs hoping Candy would really understand; after all, he was the best foreman they'd had.