Authors Note: This story takes place a year before the first episode.

Disclaimer* I do not own these characters. All rights and property belong solely to NBC.

Chapter

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friend.

~.~

The young man, with his mind only on the boy leaning into his bosom, didn't notice the horses in the shadows as they rode in. "We're almost there. Hang on." He assured. The painted horse tethered behind his own brown mare. He wasn't sure if the other men of the house had returned yet. The yard was clear, but their horses could have been resting in the stable by now. Stopping in front of the water basin, he jumped down, keeping close care of the boy. "Come on Little Joe." He pulls the still body off of his horse and cradles him like a babe. "We got to get you into the house." He had no time to tend to his mount. His priority was returning the boy to the safe arms of his family. His next task would be riding into town to summon the doc.

He wasn't sure who to expect when he walked in the door cradling the young man, but it sure wasn't these guys. Strangers to him. Perhaps friends to the family. Would the family be friends to such unscrupulous creatures? They might have passed for ranch hands branded by too many years in the sun. He might have thought that, had he not caught a glimpse of the young Chinese man bound and gagged at the family's dinner table. He had walked in on something. He wasn't sure what, but he was sure he didn't want to be a part of it.

The door creaked closed behind him followed by the distinct clicking sound of a hammer being drawn back and his blood curdled. They had him surrounded. Two men stood to his front, a third to his rear. The gun on his hip he couldn't get to due to the boy in his arms. Probably better that way anyways. He wasn't a fast draw. There would have been no way he could have taken them all out at once. It would have been suicide to try. If given the chance he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't have tried. He could feel his pistol being ripped from its holster, ripping away all temptation.

"Who are you?" The broad man to his front asked. Between the broad man and the china man was another, more slender than the speaker, but still broader than himself

His eyes darted about the room as he tried to imbibe as much information as he could, while he could. Where were the rest of the family? Were they here? Bound and gagged around the corner or up the stairs? Or worse. Did they kill them? Would these men kill the family and leave the Chinese man alive? They might have only planned on killing them. Maybe it was personal. His head was spinning with the possibilities. It could have been the Chinese man was the intended target. Though the family, due to their wealth is typically the assumed target, he couldn't discount that this man had a sorted past or maybe he just rubbed them the wrong way. The town was full of men who were none too fond of the Chinese population. They would soon rather see them all perish.

"I asked your name, boy?" The stranger demanded, commanding his attention.

"Who's asking?" He answered. At the risk of upsetting them, he had to know what they wanted.

"Shut up and answer the question." The slender man to the left charged forward, causing the boy to step back involuntarily. He straightened himself when the squally man was held back by the controlled arm of the broad man, seemingly the one in charge.

"We're looking for the Cartwright's." The man in front offered. Subtly, his eyes fell to the boy before meeting there's again.

"What's your business here?" He held his ground.

"He just told ya. We're looking for the Cartwright's." The slender one castigated.

"Well, not all of them." The cool one corrected. "Just one. Preferably the youngest, but anyone will do." He eyed him and his charge. "Are you one?" He felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He glanced at the Chinese man whose eye had begun to swell.

"Why? What do you want?" He asked knowing already the reason couldn't have been good. The squally man eyed the cool man astounded at the obstinacy, to which the cool one ignored.

"We're going to try to squeeze some money out of the old man and we need one of his sons to help us do that." His charge had a sudden and overwhelming weight to him as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him. He had to work a little extra harder to keep himself upright. The men noticed his sudden change in demeanor and shared sly smiles of satisfaction. His mouth immediately lost all moisture. Looking down at the boy again, he considered. What are they going to see when they get here? One son missing, their cook beaten and he at the center of it all. If he was lucky, these men would let him live, but there was no guarantee in that; after all he meant nothing to nobody. If the boy goes with them, he's not going to make it in the condition he's in. He'll never survive this. A healthy Cartwright maybe, but this boy. He needs a doctor. He can't let them take him. The family would never forgive him for this. He would never be able to forgive himself. His mind spun. He had to stop them. He couldn't think of how. He can't fight them. Trying would be trifling and futile. His eyes dart around again. He's got to think of something, anything. "Who's this?" The broad man asked nodding to the limp corpse. He doesn't know. He doesn't recognize him. It was just then he recalled the question asked of him only a moment prior. "Are you one?" They clearly don't know the family, or at least not this one. He locked eyes with the China man bound and gagged. They inadvertently provided him with the means to save the boy. Their own stupidity and ill planning provided him the out he needed.

"He's a hand. He fell off his horse when the horse got spooked. Hit his head. He's been out since then." Only part of that were true.

"What's his name?"

"Daniel, Daniel O'Lewis." He gave his own name to the boy.

"…and that would make you?" He swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"J-Joe, Joe Cartwright." He stammered. The China man gave no effort to counter him. His eyes were a strange mixture of gratefulness and regret. He must have really loved the boy.

"Little Joe?" The Bossman asked.

"That's what people like to call me."

"Why give yourself up so easily?"

"My father and brothers are due back any minute. I'd hate for them to walk in on the likes of you."

"Ah yes, the famous Cartwright's. The only thing that trumps their love of money is their love for each other. That's why we chose you. This is a perfect fit." Holding back the tears threatening to form at the danger he was putting himself in. When they find out he's an impostor, and they will eventually find out, he knew they were going to kill him. There would be no reason not to. His life had no value at all. He was no good to anyone. He'd been around this family long enough to have seen the undying love they have for each other. He though, there was no one left for him. That's why it should be him going. He could only hope he would have gotten them as far away from the family as possible. This family, once aware of the danger they were all in, could be protected.

"So, you'll go with us."

"I'm not assuming I have much of a choice."

"Well, no. I mean, you could fight us, but the end result would be the same, just with a few unnecessary bruises."

"I already told you I want you out of this house." The weight of the boy in his arms though nothing moments prior was beginning to deplete his strength. He would have to preserve as much as he could for his little journey he would be forced to endure. He stepped forward breaking the ranks pushing past them and around to the front side of the settee, lowering his burden upon it. He didn't really know the Chinese man's name- 'Hop' something- So he avoided using it. "When we're gone. This boy's going to need medical attention. Send for a Doc."

"Well, that's not going to happen." The boss went to Hopsing. "Now that we have you, there's no more need to keep him alive." He said, pressing a gun to the china man's head. Daniel's heart fell to his stomach.

"What, why?" Act fast. He stepped forward, wanting to come between the gun and the servant, but fearful if he got too close the gunman would pull the trigger. He had to be cautious. "Why would you kill him?" He had to talk him down.

"He's seen our faces."

"There's no need for that."

"He can ID us." Think fast.

"That's stupid."

"Watch your mouth boy."

"He can't ID you."

"What are you talking about? Of course he can."

"No he can't. He's Chinese."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" He repeated back stalling for time to form the thoughts. What does that have to do with anything? "Okay, well, you know how all Chinese look alike? I mean would you be able to ID him?" They pondered the question wondering where he was going with it. "Well, it's the same for them. He can't tell one white man from another. Think about it." He'd had the slender man fooled who nodded understandingly. The man in charge was on the fence. "Besides, don't you need someone to deliver the message? Or haven't you thought that far?"

"We have a note."

"And that's more reliable then word of mouth? What if it gets lost or they don't see it right away? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you're all swell guys, but I don't want to be with you any longer than I have to. Tell the Chinaman what you want to say. He'll deliver the message."

For one excruciatingly long minute, the gun pressed behind the china man's ear, the boss considered the choice. Hopsing closed his eyes. A squeeze of the finger was all it would take to end his life. The boss met the boy's gaze and smirked. In that evil smile telling him he saw right through him. He knew exactly what the boy was doing. Daniel hadn't fooled him at all.

"Alright." The bossman pulled the gun away. Hopsing opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "We'll keep him alive. Bogs give him the note." The scruffy round man at the door pulled the paper from his brown leather vest and handed it to the boss. The boss leaned into him. "You can be a good boy and deliver this can't you?" He shoved the note into the china man's breast pocket. He pulled a small ivory folding knife from his own pocket and stabbed it into the table startling the bound man. "When we leave you can release yourself." Having this man so close to him gave Hopsing a chill. He was admittedly afraid of him, of the power he held. "Tie his hands." The scary man stood upright directing his attention back to the boy.

"I already said, I wasn't going to try nothing." Hopsing worried for the kid now.

"This gives us peace of mind." With a leather strap his hands were tied in front. He grimaced as the strap so callously dug into his skin. The boy locked eyes with the China man before his eyes slid down to his wrist. It was only now as his own hands were being drawn in so tightly that he noticed how tightly the straps had been around the wrists of the servant. His hands had a slight bluish tinge and the surrounding skin protruded through the gaps. Hopsing cared nothing of his own calamity now. The boss turned to the China man.

"Don't even think of coming after us or the boy's dead. Just deliver the message like a good boy and everything will be fine." The new Joe heard this and shared one final glance with the servant as he was led out the door into the darkness. Hopsing was left alone with the sleeping Joe.

Authors Note:

So, I had a little fun with pulling some names and places from the show. There's the obvious main characters that if you watch the show you would know. Aside from them, I used others that might have been mentioned only once. Since this story takes place a year before the first episode starts. A lot of the townsfolk were characters featured in different episodes in the first few seasons. See if you could recognize them as they come along. I'll try and point them out as they come. Of course there are quite a bit of original characters as well. As you have seen in this first chapter via the assailants and the altruist who happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.