Chapter 4
To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

Ben yawned as he opened the door. To his surprise the house was completely quiet. He frowned and put his hat and gun belt on the cabinet. Ben was about to get a cup of coffee when he discovered Adam and Hoss sitting silently at the dinner table.

"Evening, boys!", he said cheerful. Then he looked at their faces and could tell that something was wrong.

"How did the business go?", Adam asked blandly.

"Good… I bought some fine steers… what… what happened here in the meantime?"

Hoss scrutinized the pattern on the table cloth while Adam fidgeted on his chair.

"Have you traded the Ponderosa for a faked emerald while I was gone?" Ben tried to lighten up the mood; without success.

"No…", Adam sighed and lowered his head before looking up to Ben: "I'm afraid I have to tell you an ugly story..."

"HE DID WHAT?", shouted Ben and jumped up. "Is he in his room?" Ben was about to leave as Adam interrupted his father.

"Pa, please… let me finish. That was only half the story."

With a questioning look, Ben sat down again.

"I… I was in some kind of a daze… I couldn't help it…", Adam sighed after he was finished.

Ben wiped his face and groaned. "Adam… you were supposed to act like an ADULT… and that means using your HEAD!" Ben pounded his hand on the table. "You should have calmed down before you punished him... and besides, IT IS NOT YOURS TO DO THAT!"

Adam closed his eyes. "I know…", he said contrite while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Ben stood up and started pacing around the room in order to calm himself down. Hoss bit his lip while he was watching the scene and wondered whether his father was angrier with Adam or with Joe. Ben was not sure about that himself.

"Have you talked to Little Joe, yet?", he asked tensed.

"Nope... he'd probably throw a knife at me if I went near him."

"Pa... he was asking for you.", Hoss interjected.

Ben looked at Hoss and then at Adam.

"I know that I should have never lost my temper, please tell him that.", Adam said frustrated.

Suddenly, Ben's eyes grew wide and he pursed his lips. "Adam… maybe one problem can solve another."

Ben turned and walked towards the staircase leaving his boys looking quizzically at each other.

oooOOOooo

Ben slowly turned the knob to Little Joe's room and saw his youngest lying on his stomach, asleep. His pillow half-covered his head and the blanket was lying on the ground. As Ben walked closer to him he saw dried tears on Joe's cheeks. He picked up the blanket and carefully tucked his son in. As soon as the cover touched his shoulders, Little Joe opened his eyes.

"How are you, son?" Ben said warmly.

Joe stretched and sat up. As soon as his backside made contact with the mattress, he contorted his face and groaned with pain. His father swiftly picked him up and stood him on the ground. Joe pressed his eyes closed and tried to rub the sting away. Ben kneeled down and softly touched his son's shoulder.

"Adam told me what happened… I guess you won't be bustin' any broncs for the next few days."

Joe rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "He is in trouble, ain't he?"

"Well…" Ben sat down on the chair next to his son's bed. "Do you think he should be?"

"Yes, Pa! It hurts like hell!"

"Joe…", Ben reprimanded.

"But it really hurts like hell. The preacher said that hell is full of fire and burning and that's exactly what it's like!", Joe said with a dead-serious expression on his face.

Ben had to suppress a smirk. "Don't you think you deserved it?", he asked calmly.

Joe lowered his head. "I didn't think… that… you know… it was supposed to be a joke." He looked up. "I'm sorry, Pa… but he DIDN'T HAVE TO BEAT ME LIKE THIS! He was like a loco steer! You should have seen him…", Joe said with pleading eyes.

Ben kept a straight face. "So you don'tthink that he had the right to beat you, even though you provoked him pretty badly."

Joe did not understand where the conversation was going, so he hesitated. "No… he didn't have no right to!", he finally said.

"I agree. So what should we do about it?", Ben asked stoically.

Joe was surprised by the question and started thinking. "Well… you could give him lots of chores… like cutting wood and cleaning all the tools and the barn… and… washing dishes… I know he hates that."

Ben nodded. "Uh-hm. Do you think one month of extra chores is fair?"

Joe paused for a second. "Maybe two moths is better.", he said gloating.

Ben clapped his hands together. "Alright.", he said determined. "I'll make a long list for Adam… and for you."

He was about to stand up but was interrupted by Joe's stammering. "W-What? Why me?! I already got it for the prank!"

"It isn't for the prank, Joe.", Ben said calmly.

"B-But why…?"

Ben interrupted him: "You want Adam punished for losing his temper, right? Well, yesterday you did exactly the same thing… and you know that I don't play favorites."

Joe looked at his father with big eyes. However, Ben could see the wheels turning in his son's head.

Ben sat down on Joe's bed. He turned his youngest towards him, placed his hands on his shoulders, and looked him deeply in the eyes: "Little Joe, today you experienced firsthand what it means when someone loses control of himself… I hope you understand now what damage can occur when someone lets his temper control his brains, like it happened to your brother today."

Ben squeezed Joe's shoulders. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" It took a few seconds until Ben's words sank in. "You provoked Adam just like Billy had provoked you…", he added.

"... and… I guess I shouldn't have punched him in the nose... I'm sorry, Pa.", Joe said meekly. Contrary to yesterday, Ben could see in Little Joe's eyes that he meant what he said. He took his hands from his shoulders. "Now… I want you to promise me that you will do your best to restrain yourself in the future."

Joe nodded. "I promise."

Ben knew that this was easier said than done but he considered it a good start.

"Pa?", Joe asked shyly.

"What is it?"

"Do I really have to do all those chores?"

"Well, if Adam is stuck with them then so are you."

"Ehm… maybe you shouldn't be too hard on Adam… I guess the thing with the snake was pretty mean. Maybe you can just forget about it?", Joe said meekly.

Ben could not suppress a little smile. "Alright."

Little Joe exhaled in relief.

"I'm afraid we are not finished yet.", Ben continued in a stricter tone.

"Joseph, I couldn't believe my ears when Adam told me what you did this afternoon. It was not only mean and foolish, but also dangerous… and I'm deeply disappointed in you." Those last five words bored into Little Joe's stomach like a knife. Ashamed, he lowered his head but Ben held his son's chin up.

"DO YOU REALIZE THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH AND ADAM COULD HAVE…", Ben's voice broke. "…he could have killed you…" He let go of him.

Little Joe's lips were trembling and tears started running down his cheeks.

"Young man, playing with other people's fear is disgraceful… and believe me, if I had been here instead of Adam you wouldn't want to sit down either."

Joe stared at the floor and sobbed silently when suddenly, Ben held up his head again. With his thumbs he carefully wiped the tears out of Joe's face. "Both of you did wrong today, so I guess you're even.", Ben said calmly and stroked the boy's head. "Adam is waiting downstairs…", he said encouraging and patted Joe on the shoulder. Then he left.

oooOOOooo

"Well?", Adam asked as Ben headed for his red chair.

"He'll be alright.", Ben said contently and sat down. "And Adam…" He motioned him to come to the settee. "Until Joe is able sit in the saddle again, you will drive him to school every morning and pick him up in the afternoon."

Adam sat down. "But you wanted me to go to the north pasture tomorrow and school is in the opposite direction… it will take hours… why can't Hoss…?"

The look on Ben's face told Adam that arguing was a waste of time. So he scratched his forehead and nodded.

A few minutes later, Joe was coming down the staircase. Adam slowly stood up and walked to him. Ben decided to give them some privacy and headed for the kitchen. On his way he tapped Hoss on the shoulder motioning him to come with him.

"I don't...", Joe stammered as he stood in front of his big brother. "I don't want you to be dead, Adam. Honest, I don't."

"Well...", Adam said surprised. "That's probably the biggest compliment a brother can get..." He smiled lightly and put his hand around Little Joe's neck. Then he pulled Joe close and pressed his head against his stomach. "I'm sorry...", Adam whispered. "I should have never hit you." Joe slung his arms around his hip and pressed his eyes closed.

After a while Joe let go. "I'm sorry, too. I thinked the thing with the rattlesnake was funny, but it weren't."

Adam smiled. "Thought and wasn't."

"Now what does that mean?! Speak English, will ya!", Joe said in an insulted tone.

Adam laughed out loud and patted him on the head. "I forgive you, Shakespeare."

"But I'd like to know one thing…", Adam began in a serious tone. "Why did you do it?"

Joe pulled a wry face and looked in the other direction.

"Why?", Adam asked again.

Joe knew his brother well enough to know that he would not give up until he had an answer. "Dammit… well… Adam, you are perfect! You never make mistakes and everybody says that you are…" Joe hesitated. "…better than me."

That was not the answer that Adam had expected. "Now who says that?"

"Miss Jones!", Joe shouted.

"Since when are youlistening to that old maid?"

Joe had to smirk.

"Was that really the reason?"

"Well… yesterday you told Pa that he should give me a 'talking to' for beating up Billy… Adam, you're my brother… we should stick together!"

"When did you hear that?"

"I wanted to get a glass of water and I heard you upstairs."

"Joe… I didn't really mean that. I was just sore because Pa is always so easy on you."

"He is what?"

"Of course he is… I got spanked for starting a fight when I was your age."

"You started a fight?", Joe asked unbelievingly.

"Do you think I'm some kind of a saint? I not only started a fight, I took bets for it... but only until Pa caught me."

Joe's eyes grew big. "How much money did you make?"

"Well… I don't wanna brag, but I was probably the richest… JOE, THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Adam noticed that he got carried away. "The point is that you get away with murder in this house… and I guess sometimes I am a little jealous because you can enjoy being a kid… whereas I had to act like a grown up ever since I can remember."

Joe could not believe what he had just heard and suddenly, Adam started chuckling.

"Great! We're jealous at each other. Isn't this stupid?"

"I guess it is…"

"Then let's forget about this nonsense." Adam smiled.

"BUT…" His smile faded and his voice grew stern. "Only if you promise me that you will never scare me like this again. I couldn't forgive myself if anything had happened to you." Little Joe saw the fear in Adam's eyes.

"I promise, big brother.", he whispered.

Sorry that it took so long for me to update an thank you for all your nice comments. I will try to post the next chapter sooner.