It's finally finished! It only took me 3 days but I present you Chapter 7. Thank you everyone for being so patient, I'm sorry for the long wait. Thank you for all the reviews I am so glad to hear from all of you and that ya'll are enjoying it. so much. Next Chapter and every one after will have the entire Cartwright family, because the girls finally meet Ben. Ya'll will also get an insight into Kathleen's past. I hope ya'll enjoy this and I will update chapter 8 as soon as I can, but for those of you that are reading The Cartwright Sister as well, I will be updating that either tonight or tomorrow morning. Thank you again.

"Well, well what do we have here...?"

Kathleen and Adam froze, their lips barely touching, they knew exactly who's voice that was and Adam knew they array of jokes and annoyances that would come from his youngest brother's knowledge . Adam and Kathleen quickly separated awkwardly and both looked to the ground for a minute trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Joe stood leaning up against the living room wall with a huge grin on his face, he knew he had us right where he wanted us.
"Joe it isn't what it looks like, I mean we don't like each other, right Kathleen?"

"Right I mean I can't stand Adam, I tried to kill him today, and have you met him?"

Joe just glanced at both of us not buying a word, as Kathleen and Adam rambled on about how much they hated each other.

"Ya'll are just so much alike, and made for each other, and ya'll don't even realize it."

In unison," Excuse me?"

"See ya'll did it again, the way ya'll argue and fight, You both have that same stubbornness and refusal to give up, neither one of you will budge an inch on anything, ya'll are perfect for each other."

Kathleen and Adam looked to Joe and then to each other processing what he had said, after a few seconds they began talking at the same time complaining, and describing why he was so wrong at what he said.

"You can't be serious Joe, me being attracted to anything like that," she glanced and motioned to Adam who stood rolling his eyes," I could never be attracted to such a pig. He's rude and bossy and controlling and shows no respect for women what so ever. How could you ever say such a thing?"

"As much as I hate to agree with her, she has a point I could never fall in love with such a pitiful excuse for a woman with so little respect and boundaries," He looked over to Kathleen who only glared at him, he noticed the way her eyes almost sparkled when she was angry, for a few seconds he found himself lost in her eyes until Joe's laughter brought him back to reality.

"I don't have time to argue with you two; I've wasted enough time on you." With that she stormed off muttering to herself as she walked upstairs.

Joe still chuckling walked over to Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder, Adam was still staring after Kathleen.

"She's something else isn't she Adam? Adam? Hey Adam the real world is over here."

"Oh uh sure Joe."

Studying his big brothers face Joe realized what he already knew and with that Joe smiled to himself and turned and started to walk to the barn. He stopped when he reached the door and turned around.

"I won't tell anyone Adam?"

Adam looked at Joe confused. It wasn't a phrase Joe said often.

"Tell about what?" Adam was being cautious; he knew how his littlest brother's mind worked. And his brother wouldn't just let something like this go without a price.

"About what I saw between you and Kathleen." Joe spoke easily, that little half smile of his never left his lips. He could tell what was happening between his brother and Kathleen. They were so attracted to each other, but their minds hadn't caught up yet. They were so alike, and they played to each other's strengths and weakness perfectly. It was only a matter of time before they realized that they were made for each other. Joe smiled again to himself.

"What are you up to Joe?"

"Oh nothing just waiting?" He laughed again and walked out.

Adam stood there for a minute before sighing and getting back to work.

"Ok is everyone all loaded up?"

Adam was on his horse Sport as he watched everyone get ready. Hoss was just finishing helping the girls get everything on the buckboard, and was now getting on Chubb. Kathleen was going to drive the buckboard with Isabelle, and Lila was going to ride double with Joe. We will have to keep a close eye on them 2.

"I think we got everything Adam."

"Isabelle did you get everything out of the bedroom?"

"I'm pretty sure sis."

"Well go check again."

This was going to be a very very long drive. Adam sighed and shook his head.

About 30 minutes later they rode out. Adam was leading with Hoss right beside him Kathleen and Isabelle were in the middle with Joe and Lila in the back. Hoss and Adam were to take turns rotating around to keep an eye out. The first 2 hours went by pretty smoothly, so we decided to take a break for lunch.

"So Adam what's the Ponderosa like?" Isabelle looked to Adam with wide curious eyes. She was helping Hoss cook their lunch of beans and pork and bread.

"Yeah what is it like, and what do you do all day?" Now Lila was curious she had calmed down a bit since Adam's 'lesson' earlier.

Adam had to smile despite himself at the girls eagerness," Well it's huge for one thing we have thousands of acres of forests, and miles of open grassland. The mountains are a sight that will take your breath away no matter how many times you have seen them. And then there's Lake Tahoe, now that's a sight to see." Adam smiled to himself describing the Ponderosa. He had helped build it; it was as much him as anything. The girls were listening intently, as Joe and Hoss took over telling stories of growing up and about Pa.

Kathleen POV

I could see Isabelle and Lila's eyes light up as they listened to Hoss and Joe's stories, they always had enjoyed stories, and I use to have to tell them a bedtime story every night before they would go to sleep. I smiled to myself remembering the time we all made a storybook. That was a month before the accident. We gave it to Pa and Ma for their trip, and it was one of the only things returned to us. I shut my eyes tight with the memory and willed the tears not to fall. When they did I got up and walked off toward the stream.

"I'm being such a baby, come on Kathleen, get your stuff together," I started pacing back and forth along the stream," I have to stay strong for them, I'll be damned if I show any weakness in front of Adam." I fell to my knees as the memories overwhelmed me and I cried. 5 years' worth of grief that had been held back all came out at once. I saw the day Isabelle was born, I saw Ma rocking Lila to sleep at night, and Pa taking me fishing. I saw Pa smoking his pipe in the evenings and telling me stories. I saw Ma teaching me to cook Pa's favorite pie. And I saw Ma and Pa hugging us tight and telling us they'd be back in 3 days, it was the last time I ever saw them alive. I saw myself trying to explain to a 10 year old Lila and a 13 year old Isabelle that our parents weren't coming home, And I saw the looks on my sisters' faces when they first saw our parents in their caskets at the funeral. I saw myself holding my sisters hands as the preacher spoke, and I saw myself and Isabelle dragging Lila away from my Pa's casket and holding her as they lowered him into the ground. I saw myself comforting Isabelle and Lila both for nights on end and not being able to leave home without them crying and being afraid that I wouldn't come home. The only time I cried was when I was called to the sheriff's office and asked to identify 2 bodies, it was my parents. But I only cried for a few minutes. I had to stay strong and make arrangements for my parents. I had to come up with the money. I sold our farm and all our livestock and I had to stay strong for my sisters. All these years I've stayed strong until this moment. I don't know why of all times I've decided to stop being strong, maybe it's because for the first time in 5 years I'm not fully in charge there is someone else to take care of my sisters. I don't know there's just too much going on and I'm just too much of a mess if memories and tears and heartbreak. So much so that I don't even object when I feel arms wrap around me and hold me tight. I heard the deep strong voice talk to me and tell me everything was going to be ok, but I just couldn't stop crying until I had cried it all out, and I did. And Adam sat there the entire time holding me.

Adam had seen Kathleen run off and had followed her he saw her break down and heard what she said. His heart broke when he saw this strong woman absolutely fall to pieces right before his eyes and he could only imagine what kind of grief and hurt she must be holding inside her to break her. He gave no second thought to walking over to her and grabbing her up off the ground and holding her tight trying to ease some of the pain. He didn't know if it helped her but he stayed until she finally stopped crying. Kathleen stayed quite for a few minutes before sitting back and looking at Adam, almost embarrassed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I guess there is only so much a person can take and hold in." Her hand tucked a strand of lose hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about it. Are you ok though?"

Kathleen thought about this for a moment," I think I will be."

Adam looked into her eyes trying to read her, before hesitantly asking," Do you want to talk about it; I'm a pretty good listener."

Kathleen bowed her head and took in a deep breath," Yeah I think I am ready to tell someone."

"Ok let's get the children packed up and I'll ride in the buckboard with you and we can talk."

"Ok."

Adam got up and offered a hand to Kathleen who looked up at him and smiled as she took his hand. It was like seeing each other for the first time. As they walked back Adam studied her, and the woman he saw looked like an entirely different person, she looked years younger, like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was able to live again. Walking back into camp everyone stared at them with worried expressions.

"Well dagum Adam I done thought some wild animal had got ya, don't go runnin' off without tellin' someone where ya goin' it just ain't safe out here."

"Yeah, where did you go Kathleen, I was scared to death that someone or something had got you. We're you two together the entire time?" Isabelle looked from Kathleen to Adam with a concerned face.

"Well not entirely I just had to get away for a bit to clear my head and Adam found me and we talked. "Kathleen looked back at Adam and smiled.

Isabelle and Lila's faces fell and Joe started laughing. Lila smacked Joe who tried to stifle his laugh and went off to hook up with wagon.

A shocked Isabelle," You didn't try to kill each other?"

Kathleen giggled and hugged her very confused sister," No we can get along sometimes."

Adam cleared his throat and decided it was time everyone got moving if they were to make it back to the Ponderosa before nightfall. Pa is got to be worried sick.

"Alright everyone let's get back on the road." Adam pulled Isabelle aside," Will you ride my horse for me?"

Isabelle looked at Adam confused, "Why?"

"Your sister wanted to talk to me, so I figured I could ride with her and we could talk on the way home. If you don't mind."

Isabelle thought about it for a minute," Okey I can ride up there with Hoss then." She took off running to tell Hoss who picked her up and swung her around before putting her on Sport. Adam saw Joe flirting with Lila as she hopped up on Cochise with Joe following behind. Adam chuckled to himself, Oh Pa you are going to have my hide when you see what I have brought home.

Adam sat next to Kathleen on the buckboard and snapped the reins to get the horse going. Kathleen sat next to him still with her eyes closed breathing deeply.

"You can begin whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready." She began her story telling Adam about her life. She told about all the happy times with her sisters, and then she got to the accident," My parents were going to visit my Grandmother who was ill in San Francisco. The stage coach they were on was robbed, or well a failed robbery. The guy was trying to rob the stage coach and he spooked the horse. They were riding by a drop off cliff and the horse got to close to the edge and they fell over." Kathleen's voice broke and she was struggling to stay together, Adam placed his hand on top of hers and gave a reassuring squeeze as Kathleen continued," The deputy came by my house the next day telling me I needed to go to town that the sheriff needed to see me and I went, I left the girls with one of the hands and followed him into town. I remember thinking about what might be wrong, but I never would have expected what I was told. He told me what happened, and I remembered hearing only half before I blacked out, I woke up later at the doctor's office where he continued. He said a group of guys on a trip to Carson City found the coach and reported it. After I had calmed down he asked me to identify the bodies. "Adam felt her tense up and the hand under his curled up into a fist. He remembered watching Inger and Marie die and the pain, but losing both your parents at the same time, and being left with no one. Kathleen's voice took on a flat emotionless tone as she relived the painful memory," I prayed harder that day then I ever have before, I prayed that when I walked into that room it wouldn't be my parents, but sure enough it was. All beaten up and still bloody, the doctor hadn't even finished cleaning them. I remember losing all touch of reality when I saw them there, like I was watching myself see them, I wasn't really there. That wasn't the worst part though; they had arrested the guy, but weren't going to charge him." Adam watched Kathleen's face twist up as she laughed coldly." He was the neighboring town's mayor's son. Did I tell you they found a bullet in my Pa? Yeah the guy shot him and they let him go. I tried everything in my power to get them to charge him but no, he walked away a free man, while I walked away arranging 2 funerals and going home to try and explain to my kid sisters that our parents were dead!" Adam jumped a little at the end when Kathleen yelled that last part. She had tears streaming down her face and was shaking as sobs wracked her body. Adam put his arm around her and held her for a few minutes. He understood everything now. Why she was so cross and had to be so tough and controlling. She had to grow up to fast and under such harsh conditions. One day a care free 18 year old, the next she has lost her parents and has to sell everything to survive and raise 2 children. It all made sense. And his family had walked in and disrupted this safe world she had made to protect her broken family and was now moving them to a unfamiliar world that she couldn't control or manage.

"I know how you feel."

Kathleen looked up at him with tear stained eyes and a broken voice, "what do you mean?"

"I've lost 3 mothers, and after my 2nd and 3rd mother's death, I had to practically raise my brothers."

They were silent the rest of the way home, a new sense of understanding and respect lay between them.

They rode into the front yard a little after 7 pm. Ben had been sitting in his chair sipping on coffee reading the newspaper. It had been 2 days since he saw Adam and Hoss and 5 days since Joe disappeared. He heard the horses come in and ran to the door afraid of what he would find. What he saw was beyond anything he could imagine. There stood his 3 boys. Thank God, he whispered in a silent prayer, but what he saw behind his sons stopped him dead in his tracks. There stood 3 young ladies. Adam had ordered his brothers to unload the buckboard as he crossed over to a wide mouthed Ben.

"Pa I can explain."

"Oh you better get to explaining son, Now I have seen Joe bring home quite a few girls, and on rare occasions Hoss and you, but never have all 3 of you gone missing to arrive home with 3 ladies all at once."

"Well it's a long story Pa." Adam and Ben looked over to the girls and boys as they unloaded. Hoss and Joe were showing off.

"Well Adam I have plenty of time."

Well what did ya'll think? Please review or PM me ya'lls opinions. Oh and what would ya'll think of a separate one shot of Kathleen's story of her parents death?