a/n: To everyone who was affected by Hurricane Michael, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I have lived through too many hurricanes, including the Hurricane Grand Slam of 2004 and Irma, but I have never experienced a storm like Michael. I have seen the pictures of the devastation in the panhandle and hope and pray that everyone who was told to evacuate did so.

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Later that night, after Cat had gone to bed, Ben told Adam to accompany him to the barn where they could talk without being overheard. He yelled at his eldest son over the way he had been treating his sister and for hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch her skipping school to go fishing. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY WERE YOU HIDING IN THE BUSHES WITH YOUR BELT OFF, TRYING TO CATCH YOUR SISTER SKIPPING SCHOOL TO GO FISHING? HAVE YOU TAKEN COMPLETE LEAVE OF YOUR SENSES? IF YOU WERE TEN YEARS YOUNGER, INSTEAD OF SITTING HERE TALKING, YOU WOULD BE FEELING THE STING OF MY BELT ON YOUR BARE BOTTOM! YOU WERE WRONG WHEN YOU DID THINGS LIKE THAT TO JOE AND YOU ARE JUST AS WRONG NOW! I DO NOT LIKE YOU DOING THOSE THINGS TO CATHERINE ANY MORE THAN I LIKED YOU DOING THEM TO JOE! FOR MORE THAN A MONTH, YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS KEPT TELLING ME THAT CATHERINE IS NOT JOE AND HERE YOU ARE, TREATING HER THE SAME WAY YOU TREATED YOUR YOUNGEST BROTHER! I am very disappointed in your actions son. What were you thinking? Are you trying to drive your sister away? You know that she won't skip school. You were there when Rip and Matt told her if she skipped school, she wouldn't be allowed to spend the summer with them. Since you decided to stay in town instead of coming back here to do her chores as I instructed you, I have something else in mind for you. Frank was fired today so beginning tomorrow after church, you will be doing his work and Pete will be supervising you. He will be treating you like a green hand and questioning your every move, treating you the way you have been treating your nine year old sister. It is my hope that you will learn how you have been making her feel and come to realize how wrong you have been. You heard me warn your sister about kicking you. If she does it again, bring her to me and I will deal with her. After yesterday, I feel compelled to remind you again that you and your brothers are not allowed to spank her yet. Catherine has only been living here a little more than two months and is not yet comfortable being part of a family. Remember, she was a baby when her father died and her mother took her away. She hasn't been part of a family in eight years and instead of helping her to adjust, you are convincing her that it was better to live with Matt in the Marshal's office in Dodge than here on the Ponderosa. Think about this son. If anything ever happens to me, you will be the one I would depend on to take care of your sister. You can't do that if she doesn't trust you and right now she doesn't trust you at all."

"I'm sorry Pa. Joe used to skip school a lot to go fishing and I just figured Cat would too."

"Joseph did not skip school that much. I remember an incident where he was sent home because he was sick. He stopped at the creek to wash his face and get a drink. You found him, assumed he was skipping school and whipped him before he could even show you the note from his teacher. You were wrong then and you are just as wrong now. I hope the next week or so with Pete treating you the way you have been treating Cat will help you to realize how you are making her feel. She thinks you hate her and you aren't doing anything to convince her otherwise. You had better get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. After church, we're going to be starting to move cattle to their winter pastures. You will be with Pete and doing what he says. Catherine will be chasing strays. Unless you see her doing something that isn't safe or are pointing out a steer that has left the herd, you are not to tell her what to do."

Ben walked back to the house and Adam stayed in the barn thinking. His father was angrier at him than he had ever been before and he had every right to be. Adam thought back to the past. Joe was six when he left to attend college in Boston and was almost ten when he returned. Instead of treating his youngest brother like he was going on ten, he treated him as though he were still six and accused their father of letting the boy run wild. But Joe wasn't running wild. He was just doing things that nine and ten year old boys normally do. Adam didn't see it that way and decided that since his father wasn't going to rein the boy in, he would do it. It wasn't until after he had whipped Joe, he ran away, they thought he had cholera, and he almost died from pneumonia that he realized how he was making his brother feel. Now he was doing the same thing to his younger cousin who was now his sister. Her father had been killed in the war when she was just a baby and her mother left her in Dodge with her father's brother before she was two, then disappeared from her life until a few weeks before her ninth birthday when she suddenly reappeared and was murdered with Cat standing right beside her. Joe had been too young to completely understand what happened to his mother but Cat was not. Even though they had lessened in severity and frequency, she was still having nightmares about that day. Her whole life changed forever that day and instead of helping her adjust to her new life, he was pushing her away. Now he was going to have to spend a week or more being treated like a green hand and learning just how he was making his sister feel in the hopes he would stop expecting and hoping she would do something wrong. He resolved to start treating his sister better. Little did he know that resolve would be tested in a few short weeks and he would fail the test miserably.

When they returned home from church, Ben told Cat to change into her dungarees and boots instead of her buckskins. During dinner, he told her that they were going to be moving cattle to their winter pasture and her job was to chase strays. "I don't want to chase strays Pa. I want to do something important."

Before Ben could say anything, Joe said, "Chasing strays is very important Squirt. You've been here at Christmas and seen how deep the snow gets up in the high pastures. Any cattle that get stuck up there will die because they won't have any food or water. I know you don't want that to happen now do you?"

"No."

"Besides that, you're not just going to be chasing strays. You'll be riding with me and helping to move the herd but when a cow or steer breaks away from the herd, it will be your job to put it back where it belongs."

"Ok."

Cat was afraid that if she wasn't perfect, she would be left home the next time cattle needed to be moved, so she decided that she was going to chase every stray for as long as it took, even if it meant she wouldn't even have time for a drink of water or to rest. She pushed Beauty as hard as she could and took off at a fast gallop after every lose steer. Finally Pete told her to slow down. "I can't Pete. Don't you see, if I even let one get away, I'll get left at home the next time and I don't want to get left at home."

"No Cat, you don't have to be perfect and you won't get left at home. Take a look around. You're not the only one chasing strays. Even your Pa is chasing them. You just have to do the best you can."

Just then Adam and Ben rode up. "What's going on Pete?" asked Ben. "Is Cat in trouble?"

"No Ben. I'm just trying to get her to slow down before she kills herself and her horse. She seems to have gotten the idea that if she doesn't catch every single stray, you'll leave her at home the next time we move cattle."

"Pete is right Kitten. You don't have to catch every single stray. If you don't take it easy, you will injure or kill your horse and yourself and nobody wants that to happen. You are part of the family and I won't leave you at home the next time if you don't catch every single animal that runs off. I don't expect anyone except Pete to be perfect and that's only because he's been telling me for more than fifteen years that he is."

"Look at it this way Cat," added Adam. "We are moving one thousand head of cattle today. If five out of every one hundred cattle run off, that's fifty head that need to be brought back to the herd. Pa and Pete are right. Even Sport and I can't catch that many strays, nobody can. If you try and catch every stray, you and your horse will be exhausted or worse. Look at how hard he's breathing and you look parched. When was the last time you had anything to drink?"

"Just before we left the house."

"No Cat," said Ben. "You can't deny yourself water just because a steer runs off. I want to see you take a long drink out of your canteen right now or I'll send you back to the house with a note for Hop Sing to find something to keep you busy." Cat took a long drink & Ben took her to Joe. "Do not let your sister go chasing any strays until Beauty has cooled down. Somehow she got the notion that if she didn't catch every animal that strayed, I'd make her stay home the next time we move a herd." At Joe's look, he added, "I know you didn't tell her that. I seem to remember another nine year old who had that same idea not too many years ago. Maybe the two of you are so much alike because she was born on your birthday and you got to hold her even before Michael did. Anyway, I don't want her or Beauty getting hurt any more than I wanted you and Windy to get hurt when you were nine so please keep her with you until you are certain Beauty is completely cool." Once Joe was positive that Cat's horse was completely cool, he dismounted and had Cat do the same thing. He pulled her hat off her head, filled it with water from his canteen and told her to let Beauty drink from it. It took all afternoon but they eventually got the herd moved to its winter pasture. Once the pasture gate was closed all of the men, including Adam, praised Cat for her hard work and they all told her the same thing she had heard from Ben and Pete earlier. A very tired nine year old girl climbed into bed that night, dreading having to wake up early in the morning to do chores before eating breakfast and leaving for school.

Ben attended the Cattlemen's Association meeting on Monday and told everyone about Frank being fired and why. Besides telling them about his threats toward Cat, he also told them that the man was lazy and would only work when he was being supervised. He said that he had planned to let him go right after the cattle were moved to winter pastures but things had come to a head on Saturday when Hoss heard him threatening Cat. All of the men who attended the meeting said that if Frank came to them for a job, they would send him packing.

The school board met on Wednesday and Reverend Long told them that he had been working with Annabel and about the essay he had assigned her. He told them that he was pleased with the progress she was making on the essay and believed that she was sincere in her desire to change. Since Cat was the one Annabel had injured and tried to kill, Mr. Miller asked Ben for his opinion. "I am happy that Reverend Long is working with Annabel and I trust him when he says that she sincerely seems to want to change. Annabel is a young child who needs to be in school, so I think she should be allowed to return to school and if necessary, we can review any further behavior problems and modify whatever decision we make today." The board discussed the matter further and eventually decided to allow Annabel to return to school the following Monday with the understanding that any more attempts to injure or kill another child would result in her being excluded from school until the fall term and having to repeat the sixth grade. After the meeting ended, Mr. Miller walked over to the White's house and told them what the school board had decided.

The school week passed slowly for Cat who kept trying to think of ways to get Ben to allow her to drop out. She did not like having two armed men accompany her and Mike to and from school but Ben said it would continue until he was positive that Frank would not attempt to harm her. The only time she did not complain was on the day Joshua and Thaddeus rode with them because they acted like they were just going into town and had met up with the children on the road. When Thaddeus teased the pair about having to go to school, his brother reminded him that he was only fifteen and that Ben would not object if Joshua wanted to use his privilege as Thaddeus' older brother and make him finish school. Both Cat and Mike laughed at the thought of Thaddeus having to go to school with them.

By the time supper was served on Friday night, Adam was tired of having to work for Pete. He was tired of being told what to do, having his every move questioned, and being treated like a green hand. He talked to his father about it after everyone else had gone to bed and was told he would be spending at least one more week working for Pete. He wasn't happy and let his father know about it.

"It's your own fault son. You need to learn how you are making your sister feel. If you continue treating her like you have been, we are going to wake up one morning and find her gone. I don't know how you feel about that but I can assure you that your brothers and I do not want that to happen."

On Saturday, they had one last picnic at Lake Tahoe before the cold weather set in. All of Cat's friends and their families, as well as Joshua and Thaddeus attended and Cat even convinced Hop Sing to join them. The women brought food and sweet cider for dinner so that Hop Sing would not be overwhelmed cooking for what amounted to a small army. They fished, swam and enjoyed a lakeside fish fry for supper. At one point, Cat decided to see how far she could push Adam without getting into trouble. She swam out to the end of the tree, grabbed hold of it and stuck one foot out past it. Knowing what she was up to, Adam pretended not to notice, snuck up behind her and dunked her. Then he stuck her under one arm and swam toward Hoss. "Hey Hoss, I caught a big piece of bait. What do you think we can catch with it?"

"Well now, I don't rightly know. Ifn we had a boat and could go out toward the middle of the lake, we might could catch a whale. But since there ain't no whales this close to shore, ya better let it go before it spoils." After Cat swam off to join her friends, Hoss asked, "What was she doin?" Adam told him and he laughed. "Sometimes that little gal is just too much like little brother for her own good. It don't seem like it's been all that many years since he did the same thing. Are ya planning on tellin' Pa?"

"No. I know exactly what she was doing. She was testing me to see what I would do so I pretended to ignore her. Then I swam up behind her and dunked her good and hard before bringing her to you."

Hoss laughed. "I wonder what her youngin's will be like when she's all growed up."

"I don't know, but if they're anything like her and Joe, I'm going to run away from home."

"If little sister's youngin's are anything like her and Joe, I may join you." The brothers enjoyed a good laugh and then swam off to join the rest of the crowd.

Later that night, Adam told Ben about Cat testing him and what he did about it. "Why didn't you bring her to me son?" asked Ben.

"Because she never went past the tree. She just held onto it and put one foot out past it. She was testing me to see what I would do so I pretended to ignore her then snuck up behind her and dunked her hard. I don't think she'll try that again for a while. By the way, I thought you'd like to know that Hoss and I decided that if Cat's children are anything like her and Joe, we're going to run away from home."

Ben laughed long and hard at the thought of his two grown sons running away from home if their sister's children were anything like her and their younger brother.

The Cartwrights moved another herd to winter pasture on Sunday and once again, Cat spent the afternoon chasing strays. Before leaving the house, Ben reminded Cat that she did not have to catch every stray and she was not to push herself and her horse to the point of exhaustion as she had done the previous week. Her brothers and all of the hands kept an eye on her so she wouldn't be as foolish as she had been last week.

That Friday was Halloween and during the week, Cat listened to her friends and classmates talk about the pranks they were going to pull on Halloween night. She kept hoping someone would give her an idea of what she could do without getting into trouble, but most of the pranks the older children had planned were sure to earn her a spanking if she tried any of them. After school on Thursday, Miss Winter found Cat sitting dejectedly on the steps, waiting for Mike to saddle their horses. "What's wrong Cat? Why are you sitting there looking so sad?"

"Tomorrow is Halloween and I don't know what to do. All of the pranks some of the others are going to do will get me a spanking. We're moving cattle to winter pastures on Saturday and I don't want to spend the day in the saddle with a sore bottom."

"I understand. I had the same problem when I was your age. All of the pranks the older children talked about doing would have earned me a spanking too. I have an idea of something you can do that won't get you into trouble. Your name is Cat. Can you be very quiet and sneaky like a cat?"

"Yes. I used to sneak out of the little room Uncle Matt and I slept in after he went to bed and he never knew and I sneak out of the house a lot at night to use the outhouse and look for baby raccoons. Unless my puppies have to go outside too, I usually climb down the tree by my window."

Susan smiled at Cat's description of her late night antics. "Good. This one time I'm glad you can be very quiet and sneaky. Here's what you can do." She sat next to Cat and whispered something to her.

Cat's smile got bigger and bigger. She hugged Susan and said, "I can do that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. You can tell me how it went when we see each other at church on Sunday."

The next day, many of the students, especially the older boys kept whispering to each other about the pranks they planned to pull that night. Finally Miss Winter rapped her ruler on her desk and said, "That will be enough whispering to each other in class. You have a choice. Either you can stop whispering and pay attention to the lessons or I can send notes home to your parents. I know that I don't have to remind you what their reaction to the notes will be. I know that some of you are just thinking that you'll throw the notes in the stove, but you need to remember that I will be seeing your parents in church on Sunday and will ask them if you gave them the notes. You are in school to learn, not to whisper about what you plan to do on Halloween night. So, which is it going to be, notes home or pay attention to the lessons?" The classroom became silent and Miss Winter said, "Excellent. I am very happy that you made the right choice. Now I want my seventh grade reading class to read for me. Michael Richards, will you please begin?"

Before meeting up with Adam and Hoss, Mike asked Cat what she planned to do that night. "If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone, even Mitch. I don't want my surprise to be spoiled."

"I promise. I won't even tell that new stallion of Pa's that you like so much. You and me and our horses will be the only ones to know." Cat told Mike what Susan Winter had suggested. "Say, that's really good. I hope it works. I wish I could be there tomorrow morning to see everyone's expression when they find out what you did. There's Adam and Hoss. We'd better not say any more. I know how nosey Adam is and if he finds out what you're gonna do, he'll tell your Pa and then you won't be able to do it."

When they met up with Adam and Hoss, Cat said, "You don't have to ride with me. I'm not a baby and don't need anyone riding with me."

"Sorry sis," said Adam. "Pa's orders. Until we are positive that Frank is not going to do anything to you, you are to have two armed men riding with you to and from school."

"I can take care of myself. All I need are my bow and arrows and my puppies. And I've got Mike. He'll help protect me. I don't need grownups with guns. What if the other kids at school saw two grownups riding with me? They'd think I was a baby and wouldn't stop teasing me. I'm almost ten and that's almost grown up."

"I tell ya what little sister," said Hoss. "When we get home, why don't ya tell Pa what ya just told me and Adam and see what he says?"

"I'm gonna do just that. You wait and see. He'll agree with me. I don't need grownups with guns. I hate guns."

The two brothers just smiled and gave each other knowing looks. They knew full well that their nine year old sister was going to be allowed to ride to and from town without an armed escort until their father was sure she wasn't in any danger. Mike was pretty sure of the same thing but didn't say anything to his friend.

After doing her chores and homework, Cat decided to tell Ben that she didn't need anyone riding with her to and from school. So when the family sat down for supper, she said, "Pa, I don't need anybody to ride to school and back home with me. I'm almost ten and that's almost grown up. I'm not a baby and don't need two people making sure I go to school." Her brothers and Hop Sing just looked at each other. They knew where the discussion was going and how it would end.

"We had this discussion two weeks ago. The men are riding with you to protect you, not to make sure you go to school."

"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it since I was little. All I need is my puppies and my bow and arrows. Lassie and Silver Chief won't let anyone hurt me and if someone tries, I'll shoot them with an arrow."

"First of all, you are not almost grown up. You won't even be nine and a half for another week and a half. Second, a pair of six month old puppies will not be able to protect you from a grown man and third, you will not be taking your bow and arrows to school. You cannot have any weapons in the school."

"But they wouldn't be in the school. I'd put them in the shed. What if the other kids find out I have to have two men taking me to school? The older kids would tease me and I would have to kill one of them. Nobody teases or laughs at me and gets away with it."

"The matter is not up for discussion and I don't want to hear any more nonsense from you about killing somebody who laughs at you."

"If Robert Tanner hadn't pulled me off Mark Hansen the day he laughed at me and threw his arithmetic book at me, I would have killed him. I wanted to and I was mad at Robert for stopping me."

"Catherine Michael! I said the matter was not up for discussion. You will have two armed men riding to and from school with you until I am positive the hand Hoss fired is not going to harm you. I told you once before and I am telling you again, if you start a fight with anyone because they teased or laughed at you, I guarantee that you will not like the consequences. Now enough of this talk. Eat your supper. I want you in bed on time tonight. We're going to be moving cattle all day tomorrow and I do not want you falling out of the saddle because you're tired."

Cat started to continue arguing but Joe put a hand on her arm and shook his head 'no'. He knew what would happen if she continued to argue with their father. After supper, he picked her up and carried her outside, followed by Adam and Hoss. Ben knew what his sons were doing and was happy to see them united to help keep their sister out of trouble. "What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?" Asked Joe angrily. "Do you have any idea about what would have happened if you would have continued arguing with Pa?" When Cat shook her head, he said, "You would have ended up going to bed with a very sore bottom."

"Also," added Adam. "You most likely would have spent tomorrow and Sunday in your bedroom instead of helping us move cattle. Or you might have spent the weekend confined to the yard with extra chores. Either way, you would be here instead of out helping us."

"Think about it Punkin," said Hoss. "The three of us learned from experience. When Pa says stop, he means stop. Ifn ya hadn't stopped when Joe said to, Pa probably woulda halled ya out to the barn right then and there and ya would have had ta finish yore supper not bein' able to sit too comfortable. We're tryin' ta keep ya from makin' the same mistakes we made. Next time, we might not be around ta help ya."

"Pay attention to what Hoss is saying," said Joe. "I can tell you from experience that the next time Pa says that's enough and you keep on, that spanking you got for running in the house, causing Pa to spill hot coffee all over himself, will feel like he hit you with a feather compared to what you will get. Even sitting on your bed will hurt. Trust me, I've experienced Pa's anger many times. Even though I'm nineteen now, Pa will still tan my hide for arguing with him or not doing what I've been told to do. Now I suggest that you go back in there and apologize to Pa for arguing with him."

"But what if…"

"He spanks you?" finished Adam. "That's not going to happen this time for two reasons. First, you didn't know the rule about not arguing with Pa and second, because you stopped when Joe told you to. Now go and apologize like Joe said to."

Cat hesitated so Hoss gave her a gentle push and said, "Go on Punkin. It's the right thing to do and ya know it. Ya keep sayin' yore not a baby any more so go and apologize to Pa. Adam already done told ya that Pa ain't gonna spank ya so ya got no reason to be afraid to go in and apologize."

Cat reluctantly walked into the house where Ben was sitting in his chair in the great room reading a book. "I'm sorry I argued with you Pa, it's just that…"

Ben put his book down and pulled her into his lap. "I know Kitten. You don't like having two adults ride to and from school with you. I understand, however, I made that rule for a good reason. Do you think I make rules for my children just to annoy them?"

"Yes. All grownups do."

Ben tickled her. "You little scamp! I do not make rules just to annoy my children. I make them based on what I think is best for them. In this case, threats were made against you and I think it's best that two armed men escort you to and from school until I am certain you will not be harmed. Even if you had your bow and arrows with you, Frank could kill you before you got an arrow out of the quiver. Your puppies are only six months old and are not big or strong enough to protect you. Frank could easily kill them before he killed you and he could kill Michael too, just to keep him from testifying at the trial. Now you have time for a couple games of checkers with Hoss and Joe before bed. I suggest you go and play them before I change my mind and make you clean the barn and chicken coop before bed." He hugged her and held her on his lap when she tried to get off. "I thought you were going to play checkers with your brothers," he teased. "You must really want to clean the barn and chicken coop before bed."

Cat caught Joe trying to cheat, as he had many times in the past when playing against his brothers, while they were playing checkers and became upset with him. "You're cheating! That's not fair! Lassie, Chief, Joe is being mean to me. Make him stop."

Joe found himself under attack by a pair of six month old bundles of fur with fangs. They started nipping at and chewing on him. "OWWWWW! STOP! THAT HURTS! Cat, Adam, Hoss, Pa, make them stop!"

The rest of the family just laughed at Joe's misery. "That's what ya get for cheatin' little brother," laughed Hoss. "I don't know why ya thought little sister would let ya get away with it. Ya deserve everythin' yore getting'."

"Hoss is right," added Adam. "You always try and cheat when you're playing checkers, so it's about time you learned not to. Hoss and I never let you get away with it so I don't know why you thought Cat would."

Knowing they weren't hurting him, Ben allowed Cat's puppies to chew on Joe for a few minutes. Then he finally said, "Alright Cat. Call off your puppies. I think that Joseph has finally learned his lesson about cheating. Adam, Hoss, and I have tried to teach him that lesson many times but it seems that we didn't put enough teeth into the lesson and your puppies have. So it's time to stop them now." Cat called her puppies off Joe and Ben said, "Well Joseph, do you have something you would like to say to your sister?"

Looking at Joe, Adam and Hoss were reminded of several occasions when he had been caught stealing cookies out of the kitchen when he was a boy. "I'm sorry I cheated Cat. I promise I won't do it again. Your puppies' teeth and claws hurt. Will you please forgive me?"

Cat pretended to think about it for a minute and said, "I forgive you Joe but if you ever do it again, I'm gonna get real mad at you and might not call my puppies off when Pa says to."

"Ya know Adam," said Hoss. "It's too bad we didn't know when Joe was little all we needed was some puppies ta get him ta quit cheatin'. We coulda saved ourselves the trouble of finding a little sister to set him right and just got us some puppies instead."

"You might be right," laughed Adam. "We'll never know. Anyway, now we have both a little sister and some puppies."

"It wouldn't have worked," said Cat. "Mary Tanner told me that little sisters have magical powers to make big brothers do things and she's right. John and Robert do anything their sisters ask them to do."

Before her brothers could reply to Cat, Ben said, "Cat, it's time for bed. Why don't you see if you can use those magical powers to get yourself to the outhouse and your puppies outside one more time?"

Cat just sighed and called her puppies. "Come on you two. I have to use the outhouse and you need to go out one more time. Then we have to go to bed. It's too bad that little sister magical powers don't work on parents."

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a/n: I want to thank C. for the idea of having Adam treated like a green hand so he would know what he was making his sister feel like.