Breakfast was a quiet affair, the only conversation coming form Adam and Ben going over the Cattle Drive plans. Hoss ate greedily, listening but not saying very much. Joe however, just played with his food, only taking a bite when Ben looked at him.

For the most part, Joe tuned everyone out. He was tired, and his head hurt, so did his stomach. He felt bad, even for a Monday. 'Probably 'cause you were crying,' Joe thought with disgust. 'When are you just gonna grow up?' For a moment Joe wondered why his inner voice sounded so much like Adam, and ten he realized that Adam was talking to him.

"Joe, Pa's talking to you. You might want to listen," Adam said in a voice that didn't hide his disapproval. He was still angry at Joe's supposed tantrums and assumed that his younger brother was ignoring his family.

Joe gave Adam and angry flash of hazel eyes before he turned his attention back to his plate. He took a deep breath and for a moment Ben swore he could hear his youngest counting to ten. He had to hide a smile behind his napkin as he waited for Joe to relax.

"Sorry Pa, what were you saying?" Joe asked, looking a little calmer.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew what is expected," Ben said eyeing his son, feeling a peg of worry because to his fatherly eyes Joe looked a little under the weather. 'Stop worrying, Joe's fine,' Ben scolded himself.

"Yes sir," Joe said with a tired sigh. He knew what was expected, he knew what he had to do. They'd only gone over it a thousand times. Why couldn't they just let him be? He really wasn't feeling up to this.

"I want you to go to school, come straight home and do your chores then head over to Mr. Walter's. He's excepting you a little after four. For the next week you're to ride here before school, do your morning chores, go to school, and come home for your evening chores then go back to Mr. Walter's."

"Yes sir," Joe replied simply.

"That means you'll have to be getting up earlier," Adam commented, again with the disapproving tone of voice. Every morning it took awake up call to get Joe out of bed, today, however, it had taken both Ben and Hoss to give that wake up call. It was just another tally against Joe in Adam's books.

Joe sent another glare at his brother before turning his attention back to his father. "May I be excused?" Joe asked through gritted teeth.

Ben frowned as he looked at his son's plate. Most of the meal had been untouched and he was sure that Joe was upset. He hated to see one of his son's leave angry. "Are you sure you're done eating?" Ben asked softly, hoping that the tone would sooth his youngest. But he knew just by a glance at Joe that it wouldn't help. Joe was so angry that he was visibly shaking.

"Yes," was the short reply, and Joe pretended not to notice the disapproving glare Adam was sending to him.

With a sigh Ben gave in, keeping Joe inside when he was worked up was like shooting a gun with bad bullets. "Very well son, go saddle your horse for school then come back. We're leaving after breakfast and I want time to say goodbye."

"Yes sir," Joe mumbled as he walked away from the table.

Outside, Joe quickly made his way for the barn forcing his temper down until he was sure he would be able to let it lose with no one watching. Once inside, he lashed out at the first thing he say, a hay bail close to the stables. Joe started pounding it with all his might, eventually feeling his anger draining and his arm tiring. With one last hit, Joe crumbled into the hay bail and shouted "I'm not a child!"

"Then stop acting like one," Adam snapped from the barn door.

Joe spun around, surprised. He had been so concentrated on beating the hey bail that he hadn't heard anyone coming up. Now he was standing there facing his older brother who had caught him having a 'tantrum.' Embarrassment now helped to fuel his anger and he snapped at Adam, "What do you want?"

"I want you to grow up!" Adam snapped back. Only Joe could get him so worked up. Only Joe could make him lose his death grip on his emotions, and he hated it.

Adam walked up to Joe, stopping only a few inches from him. His plan was to use his height to intimidate his younger, smaller brother. It failed. Joe, whose anger was on a second wind, wasn't even impressed let alone intimidated.

"Leave me alone," he growled at Adam, his tiny hands balling into fists.

"You're acting like a spoiled brat," Adam snapped, ignoring Joe's anger. "So what if you're being left behind? What are you worried about? No one here to hold your hand? Learn to take care of yourself!" He spat in his younger brother's face. He was so angry at Joe for the carelessness he had been showing everyone as of late that he failed to notice the shocked look on Joe's face or the hurt in his younger brother's eyes.

"You're sitting here acting like your feelings are the only ones that matter, well they're not! Right now I could care less what you're feeling; you're not working yourself to the bone to make a living for us all! Pa's got the ranch to worry about; he's got the cattle drive to worry about! He doesn't need to worry about you!"

Joe stared at Adam, jaw dropped. Rarely had he'd seen his brother so angry and it always had the same stupefying affect on him. Adam for his part, now that his anger had abated some, finally saw the look on his younger brother's face. As quickly Joe could anger him, he could make him feel guilty and the hurt on Joe's face was more then enough.

"Look Joe," Adam began in a softer tone, "we all have to do things we don't want. Pa doesn't want to leave you. He doesn't want you to have to leave the Ponderosa, but he knows it has to be done." Adam tried to put his hand on Joe shoulder but the boy side step him.

"You think that I don't know that Adam? You think that I don't know about the cats that have been hunting the herd?! You think I don't know that all the ranch hands left for the mines or that the cattle's sick?! I know what's going on, I have eyes too ya know! Pa's worried, Hoss is worried, you are, and guess what so am I! You think you know everything Adam?! You don't know me!" Joe yelled at him, then pushed passed his brother and ran for the house.

With a sigh, Adam followed him. They reached the house at the same time and practically bumped into each other on their way in.