FAMILY AGAIN

Chapter 43

Seven men dismounted in front of the sheriff's office in Bentwood Junction close to eleven o'clock the next morning. They had made good time and were glad to get down and stretch their legs for a bit.

"Is everybody displaying a badge?" Adam said as he surveyed the group. He sighed, "Joe, where is yours?"

Joe moved his jacket aside to show the badge pinned to a vest. "Either put that on your jacket or take the jacket off. Your choice." Adam said, a little irritated.

His youngest brother quickly moved the badge to his jacket. "Where's yours?" he shot back with a smart-aleck grin.

"I don't want to display mine yet," was Adam's curt reply as his deputies and Hoss grinned. They knew he always had a good reason for everything he did.

"Ready? Now I want you all to line up behind me and try to keep a straight face. No smiling and for God's sake, no matter what you hear don't laugh!"

They all nodded as Adam turned to the door. He gave them one more glance, this one over his shoulder to check their expressions. Then he turned the knob, pushed the door open forcefully, and strode through with the rest right behind him.

A stocky, dark-haired young man wearing a deputy sheriff's badge looked up, badly startled by the sudden appearance of the seven men.

Adam walked up to the counter and started speaking first. "I'm here to take custody of a prisoner - his name is Will Cartwright."

The deputy just stared at him blankly for a second then seemed to find his voice. "We don't..." he started to say, but Adam cut him off.

"You don't want to be lying to a federal marshal son, so stop right there. Now go in the back and bring him out."

"But..." the young man's voice almost squeaked. Adam briefly clenched his teeth to keep from laughing.

"I told you not to lie to me. Either bring him out right now or we will go back and get him."

At this point the deputy was looking around frantically for help, but realized he was on his own. He tried another tactic.

"The sheriff is out of town right now and I can't release anyone without his authorization," he looked at Adam hoping he would buy that excuse.

Adam gave him a menacing smile as he pulled some folded papers from a pocket inside his suit coat. "Nice try, but here is all the authorization you will ever need." He dropped the papers on the counter and the deputy finally stood and came toward him reluctantly. The young man reached out, staying away from the counter to pick up the papers. When he looked at them his mouth dropped open again as he looked first at Adam and then at the six men backing him up.

He jumped when Adam abruptly pulled out the wallet that held his badge and his identification, opened it, and dropped it on the counter too. The solid gold badge made a heavy thudding sound when it hit the wood, unnerving the deputy even more.

"So what's it going to be son?" Adam said in a quiet, but hard voice. "Are you going to be sensible and cooperate or do we have to go bring him out ourselves?" He bared his teeth in what could possibly be considered a smile.

That broke the deputy's resistance. He grabbed the ring of keys from his desk and hurried through the door that led to the cells in the back.

They could all hear two voices then, one plainly the deputy urging the prisoner to get moving and a deeper voice asking questions.

Adam glanced over his shoulder at his men and shook his head. But he turned quickly back and everyone wiped the smiles off their faces as they heard footsteps approaching.

Will came through the door first and he almost stopped walking when he saw the men waiting for him. The deputy was behind Will so it was safe for Adam to shake his head and put a finger to his lips. Will got the message quickly and just kept going while dropping his gaze to the floor.

Turning his head to look back at his men again, Adam made an impatient gesture. Dylan and Hoss instantly moved forward to each take one of Will's arms in a firm grip.

"What are you waiting for? Take the prisoner outside," Adam said irritably so Will was led outside by the two men with the other four following closely.

Adam turned back to the deputy and picked up the wallet and tucked it away. "When the sheriff gets back in town you can tell him you had no choice and that federal warrant will back up your story. You can also tell him that if he wants to take issue with me about this he can find me in Virginia City."

He paused to see if this was sinking into the badly intimidated deputy's brain. "And I have a bit of advice for the genius who thought this little scheme up - you can't pull off a jailhouse shuffle with only one jail. It just doesn't work." The other man's face turned red so Adam knew he was the one behind this mistake.

He began to turn away and the deputy had just started to relax a little, but he turned quickly back, startling the young man again. "One other thing you can tell your boss," he said in almost a whisper as he leaned across the counter, getting right into the other man's face. "You picked the wrong man to pull this on. And because of that I will be watching all of you in this quaint little town. So it might be a good idea to either go straight or close up shop and move on. And if I hear even the faintest rumor that you have been holding anyone illegally again I'm going to come back and shut you down myself." He kept staring intently at the other man who was staring back in horrified fascination.

"Understand?" Adam barked and the deputy nodded quickly and almost couldn't seem to stop. "Good," he said shortly then turned and strode out the door.

The deputy stayed at the counter, nervously waiting and trying to be prepared for the tall, dark man in black to come back and threaten him some more. He didn't move away from the counter or relax for almost half-an- hour, but when he did he hurried off to report to the others what had happened.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The eight men had ridden away quickly to the west and Adam kept up the fast pace until they were far enough away from the town to be out of sight. Raising a hand to signal they should stop, he stopped his own horse and turned around to face them.

"Here is where we start riding to the east again," he said and they all stared back at him surprised.

"You don't think they're just going to let us ride away with Will, do you? That deputy must have regained his wits by now and I'm sure the other idiots he's working with are scrambling to come after us. No, we're going to skirt the town and keep going east until we reach Unionville. Then we'll be catching a train back to Virginia City."

Not waiting for any discussion or questions he urged his horse forward and the rest fell into line.

They reached Unionville quickly and after they dismounted Adam went into the depot and came back with a small, wizened man who lead them toward a box car that had bales of hay stacked around the inside walls. The men watered their horses as the little man went to get some help after a quick conversation with Adam. He came back with four huge men who were hauling a ramp that was normally used to load cattle.

The horses were loaded into the car without too much trouble and Adam was the last to lead his up and in. The horses fell to munching the hay on one end of the car while the men went to sit on the bales on the other end.

Will sat down with a deep sigh and looked around him with a dazed expression. He turned to Adam. "What the hell was that and where the hell have you been?" he said shaking his head.

Adam looked back at his cousin impassively then yawned. "Sorry, I was up way too late last night," he said and yawned again. "Both of those explanations are long and they can wait until we get to Virginia City." He turned and stretched out across three bales, tipped his hat over his eyes, folded his arms and crossed his ankles. "Keep it down, boys," was all he said and seemed to immediately fall asleep.

The rest of the men moved as far away from him as they could and sat down. Will looked at Hoss saying, "Well, how did you get me out of there?"

"WE didn't," Hoss answered him quietly. "That was all Adam's doin'."

"Alright, but how?"

"He's a federal marshal now," Joe answered him with a grin. "I wish you could have seen it Will, he almost made that deputy wet himself."

"I'm completely confused. When did he come home? Where has he been? Who are these other men, and how the hell did he end up being a federal marshal?"

Joe introduced the deputies then quickly told his cousin about Adam leaving with Allan, how he had been beaten and stabbed to death, and brought back by Thea. Then Nate took over, filling him in on Adam's time with Pinkerton, taking the last name of Eden, marrying Thea, and the moves to Chicago, then San Francisco. The other deputies threw in a few anecdotes about working with the man.

Then Joe told him how he actually just stumbled across Adam while walking down the street, the time they spent with the family in San Francisco, and how they had all been pulled into the shutting down of Jackson's organization. Will laughed when Joe described the kidnapping and how Adam had neatly turned the tables on his enemy.

Hoss took over then telling about the happenings during the family's visit to the ranch and everything that had happened since they moved to Virginia City. Will was shaking his head in wonder when Hoss finished.

"That has to be the strangest story I think I've ever heard," he said.

"If you think it's strange hearing about it, imagine what it's been like living it." Adam said from the other side of the car and they all jumped a little.

He flicked the hat off his face and sat up to twist his back to loosen the muscles. "Is story time over? We should be pulling in soon," he said and stood to go over and pull the door open a crack. Staring out at the familiar countryside he said, "Yep, and in a few minutes I would think."

Will came over to stand next to him. "Thank you for getting me out of there," he said low.

"Don't thank me and don't thank my deputies either," Adam said giving his cousin a cool look. "We were just doing our jobs," he said brusquely and turned his gaze back to watching out the door.

His cousin stared at him in surprise for a moment then turned back to the other men who were looking just as puzzled. Hoss shrugged his shoulders and Joe shook his head. They had no idea why Adam was treating Will with barely concealed hostility. None of them believed it could possibly be because of Laura. Adam was happily married, deeply in love with his wife, and didn't even remember the woman - It just didn't make any sense.

"We're about to pull in Will, so either sit down or grab onto something," Adam said in a neutral tone of voice. His cousin hurried to sit back down.

As soon as the train came to a stop Adam pulled the door open further and jumped down, no doubt to go find another ramp for the horses.

The other men just sat there and waited for him to come back, which he did fairly quickly. Adam jumped up, grabbed the door and pulled himself in. Then he dragged the door back the whole way and motioned for the others to come and collect their horses as the ramp was being put in place.

He had been the last one into the car and he was the last one out of the car, as usual making sure everyone else had been taken care of first.

They all swung up into the saddle and in a few minutes they had reached the front of the house. Nate pulled up beside Adam. "Why don't you, Hoss, Joe, and Will go ahead on in. We'll take care of the horses."

His boss turned to him and smiled. "Thank you," he said and they all dismounted. Each deputy then led two horses around to the barn at the back of the house.

Adam had already opened the gate and started up the walk while Will was still on the front sidewalk staring up at the house. Then the front door opened and Thea came running across the porch and down the steps to throw herself into her husband's arms. He laughed and swung her around before setting her back down.

Will turned to Hoss. "You mean to tell me that little woman is Thea? The doctor-surgeon-wife you were telling me about?

Hoss nodded and grinned at his cousin, "Yep, couldn't tell just by lookin' at her, could you?" He turned back to the house when they heard the door open again. This time Dora came rushing out.

"Here comes mine," Hoss said and chuckled at Will's expression as the beautiful, tall woman almost knocked Hoss over when she ran up to throw her arms around him.

Will frowned then; expecting Laura to come hurrying out too, but was surprised when she didn't. Instead, Ben came out to greet Will instead as Adam and Hoss went in with their ladies.

Ben shook Will's hand and the younger man nodded when asked if he was all right. The two started up the steps and went in, closely followed by Joe.

They were moving down the hall toward the kitchen when Will was distracted by Adam's deep tones mingled with children's voices. He turned toward the door with the gate and walked over to look in.

Adam was sitting cross-legged on the floor and almost buried under his children while Thea sat in a chair laughing at their antics. She seemed to sense Will standing there because she quickly turned her head toward the door then gestured for him to come in. He stepped over the gate and came toward them.

Thea stood and held her right hand out to the man when he reached her. Will automatically took her hand in his and shook hands without thinking. She looked up at the tall man carefully and he could have sworn for a second that she was sizing him up. But that look vanished as quickly as it had come and he found himself staring down into a truly lovely face and exotic hazel eyes.

Thea smiled saying, "Welcome cousin."

Adam had put a finger to his lips and the twins had plopped down to sit one on either side of him while the babies had managed to cram themselves into his lap. The children had remained quiet while their father closely watched the brief exchange between his wife and his cousin.

He grinned when he saw Will shake her hand, knowing that was what Thea had intended. She wanted to establish herself in his mind as more than just another woman and his cousin's wife. But he quickly assumed a neutral expression when the two turned toward him.

"Will," he said with quiet pride, "this is my daughter Annalise and my son Alexander." The twins looked up at the tall man and gave him small smiles, responding to the coolness in their father's voice.

Adam looked down at the babies in his lap. "And these are my sons Benjamin, Matthew, and Thomas," he said, indicating who was who by dropping a quick kiss on the top of each little head after saying each name.

Will looked down at the three grinning boys in surprise. "Triplets?" he asked, envy plain in his voice.

"Yes they are," Adam answered. "Annalise and Alexander are twins," he added as his two older children looked up at Will proudly. "Children, this is my cousin, Will Cartwright," he added.

Thea gave the two a look that plainly said to remember their manners, so they got to their feet then Alexander bowed and Annalise curtsied as they said, "Pleased to meet you," in unison.

Will nodded to the two children with a wide smile and quietly said, "You're a very lucky man, Adam."

"Yes, I know and I try to remember that," Adam responded and narrowed his eyes, watching Will's expression closely. He saw that same flash of yearning cross his cousin's face that he had seen on Laura's the afternoon before. He mentally nodded - his assessment of the situation and the problems between the two people had been correct, at least so far.

Thea had seen the look too, and her heart softened toward the tall man just a touch. Adam's, however, had not. He was still just as furious with his cousin right then as he had been early in the morning when Thea had filled him in on what Laura had told her.

They all heard the deputies coming in the back door and the sound level in the kitchen increase. Then Marie came to look in and ask if anyone wanted coffee and some of the apple pies she had just taken out of the oven.

Thea laughed and hurried to open the gate and link arms with the other woman. "Thank you Marie, I swear I don't think I gave those pies another thought after I put them in." The two turned and moved off toward the kitchen.

Adam looked at the twins and nodded toward Will, so they scampered up to him and each took one of his hands in both of theirs to tug him out of the room and down the hall.

All three of the babies had their heads tipped back to look up at their father. "Well boys," he said seriously, as though they could understand, "what'll it be? Stay here or go eat pie?"

"Pie!" Benjamin crowed and Adam started to laugh as Thomas clapped his hands. Matthew just continued to stare up at his father. "Sorry son, majority rules and you'll just have to grin and bear it." He looked up to see Joe and Hoss come into the room.

"Thea sent us," Joe said and came forward to collect Matthew. Adam handed Thomas over to Hoss and stood after shifting Benjamin to his shoulder.

The three men walked into the kitchen and Adam gave Benjamin to his grandfather. Then he moved over toward the sink where Thea was standing washing dishes. He reached into a drawer, pulled out a dishtowel and began drying them. She gave him a bright smile and he leaned down to speak low in her ear. "What do you think now that you've met Will? Is it going to work?"

Thea nodded and the two exchanged a conspiratorial look then continued working quietly while listening to the conversations going on at the table behind them.

Will was puzzled. When he had entered the kitchen with the twins Laura had smiled at him and asked if he was all right. After he nodded, she came over to hug him, but then moved quickly away to let Hoss introduce him to Dora, Marie, and Cassie. After that he looked around for his wife and spotted her sitting next to Joe, trying to help the young man feed some apple pie to Matthew with a spoon as he sat in Joe's lap. The two of them were laughing because it was plain to see the baby had more of it ON him than IN him. Will frowned and came around the table so sit in the empty chair next to her.

Laura turned to her husband and smiled at him as she asked if he wanted pie and coffee. He nodded and she rose to get it for him. He watched as she moved toward the sink and stood there chatting with Thea and Adam. The two had finished the first batch of dishes and Adam was sitting on the counter with Thea standing in between his knees and facing the table. He had his arms around his wife and she was holding on to his forearms with both hands as she leaned back against him. Laura quickly cut a piece of pie, placed it on a plate, poured Will's coffee and collected a fork, spoon, and napkin. Then she hurried back to the table to set them in front of her husband.

He expected her to sit down next to him again, but she continued on to walk around the table and began collecting empty dishes, which she carried over to the sink. "Break's over," he heard Adam say with a laugh, so Thea stepped up to the dishpan and he hopped down from the counter.

"I'll dry," Laura said, taking the dishtowel off of Adam, so he just leaned against the counter and the three talked quietly. Will's eyes narrowed in ill temper as he watched his wife laughing and having a good time without him.

Finally his temper got the better of him when the dishes were finished and Laura stayed, leaning back against the counter next to Adam with Thea standing in front of her husband.

Will abruptly pushed his chair back, stalked around the table and came up to the three of them. Without a word he grabbed Laura by the arm and dragged her behind him as he came back around the table. He pushed her down into the chair next to his and sat down again, his face tight with anger.

No one except Adam and Thea had paid attention and the couple glanced at each other before turning their eyes back to Will.

Laura sat there with her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes flashing with anger. "What is the matter with you? You just embarrassed us both," she hissed.

Will's eyes opened wide in surprise at the tone she was taking with him and his face turned red. "The least you can do is keep me company since you're completely useless at every other wifely duty," he said angrily so his voice was a little too loud.

All the other conversations at the table stopped and everyone turned to look at him. His face turned even redder with embarrassment.

Thea's back stiffened and her eyes narrowed to mere slits. She turned and sped away so quickly Adam didn't even have a chance to make a grab for her. Will was looking down at the table and trying to get his temper under control so he didn't notice her coming. No one did, so they were shocked when she stopped behind him and slapped him in the back of the head as hard as she could. Adam winced at the sound the blow made and thought, "Now things are going to get nasty," as he hurried after his wife.

Will lurched to his feet and swung around to look down at Thea, astonished by her daring to hit him. She glared up at him with her hands on her hips and her face a mask of righteous fury. "I'm warning you, if I EVER hear you say something that awful to her again I will climb up there and strangle you!" she shouted.

The tall man put his hand to the back of his head and grimaced with pain, a lump was already starting to form. Thea was a strong woman and had clocked him a good one.

Adam had reached them by then and pulled Thea back by the shoulders and stepped in front of her. Will looked at him in amazement. "Are you going to let her get away with that?"

"Yes I am, you deserved it," Adam said calmly while struggling to keep Thea behind him and prevent her from attacking Will again. He gave Hoss a pointed look and the big man came to put his arms around his sister-in-law and gently pull her away. "Calm down," he whispered in her ear, "Adam doesn't need to be worryin' about what you're gonna do right now." That seemed to get through to her so she stopped struggling, but still stood there in Hoss's arms, practically vibrating with rage.

Will put his hand to the back of his head again and this time his fingers came away with a smear of blood. Thea's blow must have split the skin. He stared down at the blood on his hand and said, "I can't believe that bitch hit me!"

The room became deathly quiet - everyone froze and held their breath, knowing what was coming as Adam's face went dark with fury.

"What did you say?" he said in an ominously quiet voice.

Will was still looking at the blood on his hand and hadn't noticed the change in Adam's expression or heard the menacing tone to his voice. "I said I can't believe that bi..." He never got a chance to finish.

Adam grabbed the taller man by the front of his shirt, dragged him away from the table, and toward the back door. "Hey!" Will protested and tried to loosen the other man's grip, but couldn't and that both surprised and unnerved him. The inner back door had been left open since the day was only a little cool, but sunny. Adam didn't bother opening the screen door; he just threw Will right through it. Then he kicked the frame open before hurrying down the stairs his cousin had just rolled down.

The tall man had landed on his back on the ground at the bottom of the steps and he lay there stunned for a moment before turning over. He had just gotten his feet under him and was about to straighten up when Adam reached down, grabbed his right arm and twisted it up behind his back. Clamping his other hand on the back of his cousin's neck, Adam pushed him toward the barn. The sliding door was partway open so he shoved Will through, stepped in, and pulled the door shut behind them.

Will had stumbled into a slatted stall wall and was lying on his back again. Adam came to stand over him.

"Never say anything like that about my wife again Will. The next time I won't be so nice," he said quietly.

His cousin stared up at him, stunned, but beginning to feel his anger flare to life again. He made a grab for the other man's legs to pull him down, but Adam simply stepped back and continued to look down at Will with contempt.

"You coward," he said calmly. "You ignorant, selfish, bastard," he added.

"What are you talking about?" Will said, genuinely not understanding why Adam was calling him names.

"Right there is the problem with you, Will. You have absolutely no idea why I am so furious - and it's not just because you referred to my wife as a bitch."

"No, I DON'T understand!" his cousin used the stall wall to pull himself to his feet. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me? You - that's what's the matter with me. You make me sick, who do you think you are, treating Laura that way?"

"Oh, so that's it," Will said, "you're trying to break us up so you can have her back."

Adam rolled his eyes in disgust, "Sure, that makes sense. I want to mess up MY marriage, the best thing that ever happened to me and run the risk of losing my children all for a woman I don't even remember."

Will stared at him in surprise.

"That's right, I have absolutely no memories of Laura and barely remember you. The only interest I have in your wife is as a female member of this family who needs protection, and right now she needs protection from you."

"Me?!"

"Yes, you. I've seen this before, Will, over and over again. That little display of physical strength you showed your wife is just the beginning. Your self-pitying anger is going keep increasing. You've been blaming her for something that is not her fault for years now and you are getting dangerously close to becoming a wife beater. Is that what you want?"

"You're wrong," Will said stubbornly.

"No, I am not," Adam answered him firmly.

"How can you think I would ever hurt Laura, I love her."

"Yeah, that's what they all say. They say that before they do it, while they do it, and after they do it."

"No...no," Will shook his head vigorously. "That's impossible, I would never do something so disgusting."

Adam sighed deeply and shook his head.

"What?" the other man said impatiently.

"I'm sighing because you're refusing to be sensible and forcing me to beat the crap out of you now. In my experience, it's the only way to get through to men like you."

Will smiled down at his cousin. "Do you really think you can take me in a fair fight?"

"I know I can." Adam's confident attitude wiped the smile off the other man's face.

"So what's it going to be, Will?" he continued as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. "Are you going to stand up, be a man, and face this problem of yours honestly? Or are you going to keep hiding your head in the sand? Make up your mind, I don't have all day and I'd like to get your beating over with while we still have some daylight left."

That last comment made the other man's temper snap, just as it had been intended to do. Will rushed Adam with a roar and the two crashed through one of the large shuttered windows that faced the house.

The two men rolled across the barnyard until Adam managed to pull one foot up and flip his cousin over his head. Will hit the ground hard as Adam rolled to his feet and just stood there waiting. Neither of them noticed the rest of the family spilling out the door.

"Finished already?" he said to the man on the ground and Will felt another wave of fury break over him as he scrambled to his feet. He rushed his cousin again, but this time Adam didn't just stay there waiting. He stepped to the side at the last second and Will kept going, unable to stop so he stumbled into the fence with a loud thud. He quickly turned and took a powerful, stiff-knuckled blow to the side of his neck. He went down like a ton of bricks, almost unconscious.

Adam went down on one knee next to his head. "Ready to admit it yet?" he asked. Will shook his head then closed his eyes against the dizziness.

"Too bad," Adam said as he hauled the other man to his feet and let go before backing away. He watched his cousin sway for a few seconds then regain his focus.

Will came at him quickly, but not in a rush this time and started swinging wildly. Adam easily evaded the uncontrolled punches for a while, not making any attempt to hit the other man - he was waiting for Will to tire.

The other men, Dora, Thea, and Laura were watching this odd display from the back stairs while the children were still inside with Cassie and Marie. Laura lifted one hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp and started to go down the steps. She only got down one more before Thea grabbed her from behind with one strong arm around the other woman's neck.

"Stay out of it, Adam knows what he's doing."

Laura struggled for a moment, but then gave up - she was no match for Thea's still burning rage. The rest of the family heard what Thea said and relaxed now that they knew this was more than just a fight. Adam must be up to something again.

Adam was still watching Will closely as he backed away and saw the first signs that the man was running out of energy. That's when he connected with his first real punch that snapped Will's head back and made him stagger. But he still kept coming so he gave Will a powerful blow to the gut that doubled him over.

"Admit it," Adam said as his cousin straightened up painfully but shook his head. "Alright, be stupid," he said and lashed out with a right cross. Will staggered to the side.

"Come on, give it up and I'll stop."

"No, you're wrong," the other man persisted.

"God you're stubborn..."

Will shook his head and seemed to regain his wits. He dug his heels in and came after his cousin more slowly this time. He circled a few times then tried to connect with an uppercut. Adam leaned back and shifted to the side then staggered Will again with a left cross that had all his weight and power behind it.

The other man almost went down.

"Say it, Will. Say it!"

"NO! Damn it! I'm not like that!" He was bent over and wiping away the blood that was running down his chin.

"Coward," Adam said softly, "poor, pitiful you."

Will's face turned beet red and he rushed his cousin, slamming his shoulder into his opponent's midsection. Adam staggered back a few steps, then kneed the other man in the stomach while bringing both fists down on the back of his neck - he went down again.

Will rolled onto his back, breathing heavy and shaking his head.

"God Will, you can't even fight worth a damn anymore," Adam said. "Get up, you gutless wonder. I'm not finished with you yet." That had the affect Adam had wanted - Will staggered to his feet and tried to lunge at him, but was barely able to stand.

Adam sighed and just shoved his cousin instead of punching him this time. Will almost went over once more.

"Admit it!" Adam shouted into his dazed face.

"No!"

Adam shoved him again and this time Will DID go down, hitting the ground hard. He went down on one knee next to the man again and pulled him up by the front of his shirt until they were almost nose-to-nose.

"Stop being such an idiot...admit it and I'll leave you alone."

Will just stared back with dazed eyes so Adam shook him, hard. "Say it!" he insisted.

His cousin's eyes finally seemed to see him. "Come on, Will. A real man doesn't deny the truth, a real man stands up and faces it." That finally broke the other man's resistance and the painful knowledge of what he had been doing for years filled his eyes. He put his hands over his face and cried out, "You're right, dear God help me, you're right!"

Adam sighed with relief and put his arms around Will as the other man shook with pain. "Damn Will, did you have to be so stubborn?" he said low then raised his head to look at Laura. He motioned for her to come to them so Thea let her go and the woman ran up then dropped to her knees next to her husband. Adam let go as she slipped her arms around Will.

He stood stiffly and walked over to Thea, leaving the couple alone to say what they needed to say in private. Putting his arms around his wife he sighed.

"Happy everything worked out?" Thea asked and he shook his head. "No, I was just thinking that I'm getting too old for this foolishness," he said and smiled as his wife laughed and squeezed him tightly.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ben asked his eldest son.

"Let's go back inside and I'll explain it to you," he answered his father, then groaned slightly as he stretched his back before putting his arm around his wife's shoulders. They followed the rest back inside.

Thea stopped Adam partway into the kitchen and gently took his hands to lift them up get a close look - she shook her head, "You're going to need a couple stitches this time, come on." She held him by the wrist and started tugging him out of the kitchen and toward her office.

Adam jerked his head to the side, telling his father to follow without the others noticing. Ben did.

When the three entered the examining room Thea let go and Adam automatically sat down in the chair next to a small, draped suture table. She went into her office to retrieve her bag and Ben sat down on the only other available seat - the examining table.

When Thea came back in she smiled seeing that Ben felt comfortable enough in her presence now to do something like hop up on the table without a second thought. She put her bag down on a tiled counter and pulled the drape off. A tray of instruments for suturing was waiting and she glanced at her father-in-law who was watching with interest.

"I learned a long time ago to have a suture set ready at all times. I think I've put more stitches in him than a quilt!"

Ben smiled as he saw Adam grin and shake his head.

"So, what happened out there?" he asked his eldest son.

"Well," Adam said as Thea turned back to open a cupboard door and take down a large bottle filled with a clear liquid. "Thea and Laura had a long talk last night, don't ask why..." he paused to chuckle, "and from everything she said I could see that Will was getting closer and closer to the point of actually beating his wife."

"Will?!"

"Yes, Will."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I know, it's always hard to believe, but I've seen it happen hundreds of times and you'd be surprised at how many men you know who are guilty of it."

"In this town?"

"Yep. It always starts the same way, with self-pitying anger, then little things until it grows to the point where they finally start using their fists." He turned back to Thea when she cleared her throat - she was ready, so he laid his left arm on the table, palm down. She began to clean his knuckles.

"I have to tell you that the only way I know of to deal with men who have fallen so low is to force them to admit what they've been doing."

"I see," Ben said. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes," Adam gave his father a sideways, slightly irritated glance. "If I hadn't been sure Pa, I never would have provoked him into attacking me."

Thea broke in, "And I'm sure you are aware that your son here definitely has a natural talent for provoking people."

Adam grinned as his father chuckled.

His expression turning serious, Adam turned his attention to his wife who had finished with his left hand and had begun on his right.

"Speaking of provoking people, what the hell did you think you were doing by hitting Will in the back of the head like that?"

"I'm sorry, but I just lost my temper," Thea answered him then picked up a pair of long tweezers from the tray. "Hold still, you have a tiny bone chip here I have to get out before I can finish."

"Don't try to change the subject."

"I'm not, you DO have a bone chip in here. I'm trying to get it out without having to cut."

"Theadora."

She looked up at him impatiently, "All right! I promise I won't go around hitting people anymore. Are you happy now?"

Adam nodded and she turned her attention back to her task. When he turned his head to look at his father he saw that Ben was definitely amused.

"Ah, there you are," Thea said and pulled out the small chip. Two more stitches and she was almost finished. She carefully swabbed the open abrasions and stitches with her usual carbolic acid and water mixture then dried his hands with a clean, linen cloth.

"I better go see what kind of shape Will is in," she said as she stood, and quickly left the room.

Both men watched her go and Ben spoke first. "That was smart."

"What?" Adam asked, even though he knew what his father was referring to.

"Taking her to task for hitting Will while she was concentrating on you," Ben chuckled. "You get less of an argument out of her then, don't you?"

Adam nodded. "Yep," he said and laughed. "I'm not stupid, I'll use any advantage I can get. It's hard to handle her sometimes."

"Sometimes?" his father said and a look of understanding passed between them as they both stood and headed back to the kitchen.

When they entered, Will and Laura were just coming in through the back door. Will looked at Adam, chagrined.

"I'll fix that door for you."

"Don't worry about it," Adam answered then smiled at his cousin.

Startled, Will blinked at him and relaxed as he tried to smile back, but winced at the pain in his jaw.

Thea came forward, took Will by the wrist and started to pull him out of the kitchen saying, "Come on, I need to look you over and make sure you're all right."

Will followed reluctantly. "You're not going to hit me again are you?"

She paused and her eyes narrowed. "Not if you watch that mouth of yours."

"Yes ma'am," he said meekly and the two left. Laura started to follow, but stopped when Adam stepped in front of her.

"Stay here, Thea won't appreciate your presence when she's working."

Laura looked up at him with a red face, embarrassed that he now knew everything about her marital problems. Then Adam smiled down at her. She found herself smiling back.

"Thank you," she said quietly and he just nodded.

"You might as well sit down, Thea is very thorough when she examines someone."

While Laura found a seat at the table Adam went to sit next to Joe and held out his arms for Benjamin. His younger brother handed the baby over without protest.

He settled his son in his lap and the child looked up at him with a delighted grin, but when Adam rested one hand on the table Benjamin's eyes opened wide. He turned his head to look at his father's face then reached out to place one small hand on the back of Adam's hand.

"Pa!" the child said. Everyone at the table interrupted their conversations to turn and listen.

"What?" his father asked him.

"Boo-boo!" Benjamin said seriously.

Adam smiled. So did everyone else.

"That's right, your mother had to put some stitches in my hand."

Benjamin glanced back at his father's face again then patted his wrist.

"Owie!" he said in a sorrowful tone and everyone chuckled while Adam lifted his son and gave him a hug.

"That's alright, Benny, it doesn't hurt all that much."

The baby leaned back to look at his father's face. Reassured by his expression the child grinned then laid his head back down on Adam's hard chest and yawned.

Will came back at that moment and everyone watched as he came to sit in the empty chair next to Adam. He cleared his throat then looked around the table.

"I want to apologize to all of you for my behavior. I'm sorry for being so thoughtless and rude." He swept his eyes around the table again and was surprised to only see smiles and nods in return.

When everyone resumed their conversations he relaxed, beginning to understand that they were used to this sort of thing. He was right.

Will turned to Adam, embarrassed, "I don't really know what to say to you - besides 'Thank you'."

Adam looked back at his cousin impassively for a few moments, "You're welcome, but understand this...admitting you have a problem is only the beginning. You have to learn how to control your temper and stop placing blame where it doesn't belong." He paused to rub Benjamin's back when the child moved restlessly.

The other man dropped his eyes and stared down at his hands while he thought that over. Raising his head he forced himself to look Adam in the eye. "Will you help me?" he asked in a low voice.

Taking his time, Adam stared back at his cousin, assessing his sincerity. Then he smiled.

"Of course."

Will relaxed, relieved that he wouldn't be facing this problem alone. His gaze dropped and he looked at Benjamin with a pained look. "May I hold him?"

"Sure."

Adam carefully handed the child to his cousin while watching him closely. The other man took Benjamin in his arms, treating him as though he was fragile. When the baby was snuggled up against his chest Will sighed with regret then dropped a quick kiss on the top of the boy's head.

Adam leaned toward him. "There's one more thing we need to get straight between us before all is forgiven and forgotten," he said low enough so no one else could hear. His cousin stiffened.

"I expect to hear you apologize to Thea."

Will nodded. "I know and I'm sorry for calling her something she isn't."

"Oh no, my wife can be and I'm proud of her for it." His cousin just stared back, shocked. Adam smiled at his expression.

"Thea doesn't take any crap off of anyone...except me," he paused to pat his astonished cousin on the shoulder. "You would do well to remember that."

Will was still staring at him, not believing what he was hearing. But when Adam raised his eyebrows and gave him a cocky grin he started to laugh.

Thea came back to the kitchen then and she paused in the doorway to smile at the scene before her. If not for the state Adam's hands were in and Will's battered face anyone looking on would have thought they were all the best of friends and had been for years.

She moved to stand behind her husband and slipped her arms around him as she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I really am sorry for what I did and I meant it when I promised not to put you in that position again."

Adam quickly looked up at her over his shoulder, pleased that she understood the true reason for his anger. He took one of her hands, tugged her over and to the side before pulling her into his lap. She smiled up into his face.

"I'm glad you understand. I DON'T need to be worrying about what you are going to do during a confrontation, Theadora. Being distracted can cause me to make a mistake and possibly get killed in a really dangerous situation. Remember that."

Thea nodded, her expression both serious and contrite. She leaned close to whisper, "I promise." He hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

They stayed that way for a few moments until the clock chimed the hour.

"Four o'clock!" Thea exclaimed and jumped up from her husband's lap. "I haven't even started dinner yet. Who is staying?" she asked the room at large.

A chorus of voices saying "me!" made her laugh and the other ladies rose to help. They all gathered around her to receive orders then scattered.

Benjamin stirred in Will's arms at the commotion and leaned back to take a look at the person who was holding him. He looked up into Will's battered face and his wide eyes filled with tears. "Ooo owie!" he cried then turned to hold his arms out to his father.

Everyone else, including Will, laughed, but Adam just shook his head and took his son back into his arms to hold him close and comfort him.