Ethan Cooper was buried in the Virginia City cemetery, but he was placed among the town's criminals. There was no memorial service. At the time, Adrien was still in very bad shape and the family in Colorado did not want to do anything but forget and move on.

Adrien healed quickly after her stitches burst that once. She was still weak and fainted from time to time. Ben insisted on her staying at the Ponderosa until her color at least came back, but it was hard to tell with the way her face lit up when Rebecca was around.

With her condition and the events of the past weeks, Adrien decided to not go back to Colorado Springs for the summer. Everyone insisted on Rebecca living with her permanently. Ben had even gone as far as decorating one of the upstairs guestrooms for her when she wanted to stay overnight at the Ponderosa. Life seemed to almost be getting back to normal.

Adrien did eventually move back into her own house, much to Adam's reluctance, but he was there with his daughter every day. The inquest into Ethan Cooper's death did send the town into an uproar, but it wasn't exactly what Coffee had expected. At least every parent in Virginia City made it a point to personally tell the Sheriff that questioning her story was a complete outrage. The judge ruled in self-defense and defense of others anyway. Afterward, Hoss joked that the judge would have walked out the door to a lynch mob if he had decided anything different.

As the excitement surrounding the death of Ethan Cooper soon died out with the approaching Founder's Day celebration. Everywhere you looked in town there were streamers and ribbons being hung, and booths replacing storefronts. There had been plans for the school children to do a recitation, Adam and Ben offered to cancel it, but Adrien insisted on going ahead.

The morning of, Adam picked up the girls and took them early into town. It was the first time Rebecca had been in since Adrien had seen Cooper following her. Adam could see the nervousness in Adrien's shaking hands, especially since there would be so many people in town at once, and there were so many miners that would be coming out of the cracks.

"Don't worry, dear. "Adam had told her over and over again. "When she's not with us, she'll either be with Pa or Hoss. Can't you trust them?"

"Of course, I do." She would answer. "But I just can't help it."

The recitation went better than planned, the children had added to the presentation and made it more interesting. The school board was impressed with Adrien, but she had to admit that some of it was Adam's doing.

There was a small parade at noon, and plenty of booths and competitions to keep everyone busy. Little Joe challenged Adam in the horse race, and Joe won. But as Joe bragged that it was his extreme skill and extensive training of Chochise that allowed him to defeat his brother, Adam whispered in Adrien's ear that he had let Joe win. The main event of the day was the burying of the time capsule. Everyone in town had the opportunity to put in some small memento of their own. Many of the miners put in some of the soil or gold from the mine. Some ranchers put in a branding iron or a branded piece of hide. Ben put in a Ponderosa branding iron and a map of the Ponderosa. Rebecca wanted to put in Samantha, but Adrien talked her into just putting in one of her paper dolls. But Adam had decided to put in something rather strange. Much to Adrien's surprise, Adam unwrapped something that Adrien recognized immediately.

"Adam, you're not going to put that in are you?" She asked

"Why not someone will need to know that this town stole one of the best ballerina's that ever graced the stage," he answered.

"No one will know that shoe was mine."

"They will when they find this." He answered, and he placed a program from Giselle and a picture of her in one of her dance costumes in with the ballet slipper. The back of the picture read:

Adrianna Michaela Cooper

Prima Ballerina, 1849-1853, of the Boston Ballet Co.

Teacher in Virginia City, 1855

"Adam, you shouldn't do that." Adrien protested.

"That's too bad, I am." And he placed them in and walked away.

"Adam, why did you only put this year on that anyway?" She asked hurrying to catch up with them. "I'm not done teaching yet, I have a contract to honor, remember?"

"Yes, but how am I supposed to know when you're quitting?" Adam countered.

"Well, you always could have something to do with it," she answered.

Her answer stopped him in his tracks.

Yes, yes, I could always have something to do with it, he thought.

After the capsule was buried, there was a break in the festivities. Adam took Adrien to the room he'd gotten them at the hotel to get ready for the dance and Rebecca to her grandfather for the night.

The dance was amazing. Everyone commented on the purple dress that Adrien wore. It was another of Leita's creations. They'd picked just the right color of purple so she could wear the earrings and the comb that Adam gave her. And now, every time she looked at her wrist she didn't see the reminders of hard times and heartache. Now she'd only remember how he'd come into her hotel room that evening and pulled her arm behind her back.

"Adam, what do you think you're doing?" she'd asked, surprised to see him behind her in the mirror, with a playful smile. "Did you forget how to knock?"

"I know you too well. I knew you would be just touching up by now," he answered with a kiss on her neck.

She felt something go around her wrist. As soon as he let go, she pulled her arm back around to find a beautiful sapphire bracelet to match her earrings and the comb.

"Oh, Adam, " she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "It's beautiful, I don't deserve something like this. I really don't."

"You deserve so much more than this," he answered. Her words from today still ringing in his head, still making the wheels turn.

Adrien kissed him quickly and turned back to the mirror to finish getting ready.

"Here, let me look at you." Adam playfully ordered, turning her around after watching her place the sapphire comb in her hair. He looked into her eyes. They were cool and gentle pools of blue instead of the raging oceans they had been in the past few months.

"You're even more breathtaking than usual," he stated.

She kissed him gently on the cheek.

"You flatter this girl far too much, Love," she whispered. He pulled her close to him and held her for a moment.

"You'd be right darling, if only I could stop making these understatements," he held her even tighter.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?" he asked.

"You've told me a thousand times today, darling," she answered, "but I wouldn't turn down hearing it again."

He kissed her, deeply and passionately. Her fingers found his neck and tussled the hair at the base of it.

"I don't think I could ever live without you, and I never want to try," he whispered.

Thanks to him she'd never forget that statement, gems never forget. He kissed her again with more passion. His hands went across her back and gently stoked the satin.

And luckily, she thought as they waltzed across the floor, I'll never have to forget how this feels.

"Darling," Adam whispered, breaking into her thoughts. "are you happy?"

"Right now…I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."

"But do I make you happy?"

"Oh, darling, " She answered. " You couldn't be more perfect."

The next morning was exceptionally beautiful. Adrien woke up early and put away her purple dress. Then she went out on the porch and watched the sunrise. She went in for a little while to make coffee but returned to the porch to read the new novel she had received. After a few minutes, she rose to wake up Rebecca but paused at the door, remembering that Rebecca had spent the night at the Ponderosa, suddenly something pulled at her heart. It pulled so hard that she fell down onto the porch and for a little while she could not get back up. She felt like she could not breathe, as if she was being smothered. Finally, she pulled herself up and stumbled inside the house, her eyes fell upon the grandfather clock. It was just about time for the Cartwrights to be getting up and sitting down to breakfast…

Meanwhile, Adam woke up wondering why he felt so cold. He could have sworn that he heard a splash, but his heart was still leaping. The events of the night before still had him feeling wonderful. It seemed as if his Adrien was back, the way she was when he first met her. He could not wait to get up and start his day with Rebecca. She had been so upset when he'd given her to her grandfather for the night. Adam would have let her come with her and Adrien, but the day had started early, she needed her sleep and he needed his time with the girl's mother. He had promised to spend all of the next day with her, and now it was here. He hated to see her upset, but he would make it up to her.

Adam quickly got dressed and hurried down to breakfast. He expected that everyone would already be at the table, since he was getting up so late. He found his family downstairs minus Rebecca.

"Has anyone seen Rebecca this morning?" He asked with a little concern.

A confirmed no was the answer that came back. Adam went upstairs to check in her room, but she was not there.

"I'm going to go check the barn," he said as he went out the door, but she wasn't there and neither was her pony, Trixsy. Adam went back in to look in her room once more.

"Was she there?" Ben asked, as Adam appeared downstairs.

"No, " he answered, "Are you all sure that no one has seen her." He hoped that he just had heard wrong.

The answer was the same.

"Well, Trixsy's gone… Rebecca's gone… I don't know why it didn't add up before…" His voice trailed off as he headed towards the door, grabbing his hat and gun. "She's gone for a ride by herself."

"Adam, wait let us go with you," his father called after him, going for his hat and gun.

"No, Pa, you stay here. If Adrien comes by before I get back, stall. I'm going to catch up with her. Hoss, Joe, come with me, you can help me track her."

Several hours later, Adam was riding back to the Ponderosa. He was having trouble believing what he held in his arms. She was so pale and cold and wet. He could not believe it. No, this was not happening. He refused to believe it.

He rode up to the house. Adrien's horse was tied to the hitching post. His heart sank. His father was pacing on the front walk. Adam looked down to him, the girl still in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

"Adam, no. " Ben whispered.

Adam handed Rebecca down to his father. He dismounted and immediately fell to his knees.

Ben looked for some sign of life in her. He brushed her hair away from her face. He left his son to lay her in the downstairs bedroom.

She's still a pretty girl, Ben thought, even in death. Why would such a beautiful, innocent spirit like hers be taken so suddenly? She was such a joy and a breath of fresh air in a house suffocated by the seriousness of adult matters.

Ben had seen the light that shone in Adam's eyes when he was with her. And Adrianna had shone with an even greater beauty when she cared for her daughter.

"You snuffed this candle out all too soon, Lord," he whispered. "All too soon."

Ben came in the house quickly to find Adrien on the staircase.

"I heard the door shut. I was hoping you were Adam, I guess." she explained.

Ben did not answer. He just turned to go back outside to make an attempt to pick up his son. The two would need each other more than ever now.

Hoss came in almost completely supporting his older brother's weight as Adam tried to walk beside his younger brother. Joe followed, carrying Samantha, Rebecca's favorite doll. Hoss sat Adam down on the couch.

"Where's Adrien?" Adam asked.

"She's in Rebecca's room. She doesn't know anything yet."

"Pa, I can't do this." Adam admitted.

"I don't know what to do son, but someone has to tell her."

"Joe, you better go get the undertaker," Hoss tried to quietly whisper. Joe turned to leave.

"Joe, you better get the Doc too. He'll need to make a report and fill out the certificate, and I'm sure that Adrien and Adam…" Ben tried to finish, but his voice trailed off, his youngest son just nodded, his eyes blank in disbelief and his face as full of shock as the rest of the family.

Adam again crumbled into himself even more, sobbing violently.

"Oh, Pa, I don't think I can do this. I don't think I can tell her. I don't think I can make it."

"Son, at least you have someone to make it through with." His father pleaded with him.

"She won't want anything to do with me after this. Pa, I can't tell her."

Hoss picked up Samantha; she was still dripping some from fishing her out of the lake.

"Adam, someone has to tell her." Hoss began, his voice cracking under the weight of his own broken heart, "The longer you wait the more it's gonna hurt her, and if she figures it out on her own, I don't know if she'll ever recover if that happens. I understand that you don't want to do this. It'll be best if you tell her, but if you can't bear it. If you want me to, brother, I'll tell her."

Adam replied with a nod. Hoss took a deep breath. He had no idea how he was going to do this. He was falling apart inside too.

A few minutes later, Adam and Ben heard a loud scream from upstairs.

"No, no. It can't be. You're lying. Admit it. I know you're lying."

Adam stood as he heard an upstairs door slam. Adrien ran down the stairs, but Adam made a quick move and caught her. Their arms went around each other, and they fell to their knees on the floor. Hoss came down the stairs, tears streaming in torrents down his face. He looked at his father, who could not bear it any longer. The two joined Adam and Adrien in the floor to mourn together. Finally, Adam gathered up enough strength to pick up Adrien and carry her upstairs, back to the room across the hall from his.

Ben stood up and poured he and Hoss some brandy.

"Here son, maybe, this will numb the pain a little," he suggested hoarsely as he handed his son the snifter. Hoss took it and sat down by the fireplace.

"Son, do you know how it happened?" Ben asked, sitting down on the other side of the fireplace.

"I ain't for sure, Pa, but I got a purdy good idea," Hoss answered.

"How?"

"Well, we found her face down, floating in the lake. Her doll wasn't far from her. I think she was sittin' up there on the bank, and that doll fell in. It's been her favorite ever since Adam gave it to her. She must have gone in after it. It got too deep for her, and she couldn't swim." Hoss paused for moment. The tears started to flow as he continued, "Pa, I was plannin' on teachin' her how to swim. I just never got around to it. Oh, it's all my fault, Pa."

"Don't blame yourself, Hoss," his father consoled. "There's enough of us blaming ourselves. Adam wishes he'd have spent more time with her. Adrien probably thinks she should have never let the girl out of her sight. I wish I'd have stayed in town with her longer. I've slighted her on my attention the last few weeks. I've been so busy…"

"Pa, you can't go blamin' yourself either."

It was not long until the mortician and the doctor came back with Joe. Adam came downstairs to watch as they loaded his daughter into the wagon to be taken to town. He could not help but send Samantha with her. He would not admit it, but he hoped that somehow, some miracle would happen and she would wake up need her. She never went anywhere without that doll.

The doctor handed Ben some tranquilizers for Adrien.

"I don't even have to see her. If I were in her place, I'd need them."

"But be careful, Ben." The doc continued. "She's been almost too strong. I'm beginning to believe that God wants her to break. A woman like her should never have to go though all that she has."