THE CHOICES WE MAKE

by Julie-Ann S.

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Madison Albright glanced upwards and pointed to the valisse the man was touching. "Yes, that's one. Just place it down here next to me."

As she waited for the stage driver to unload her valisse, she absent-mindedly began smoothing the folds of her dress while she quickly surveyed her surroundings. Sighting the man, who was obviously the manager of the Wells Fargo Office, and also noting that her valisse had been unloaded, she decided to approach him. She needed some information and he would be the most likely person to answer her questions.

Charlie Watson, the manager of the Wells Fargo Office in Virginia City, had just finished dealing with a passenger when he saw a woman walking towards him. He knew that she had been one of the passengers on the stage that just arrived and could already guess why she was coming towards him . When she reached him, he smiled graciously. "Anything I can help you with ma'am?"

Madison smiled. "Yes. Could you please direct me to the best hotel in town?"

Charlie nodded and was about to answer the lady's question when he was interrupted.

"The best hotel would be The International House and it would be my pleasure to escort you there personally."

Madison whirled around to see where the voice had come from. She was surprised to see it came from a handsome man with an equally attractive smile and dazzling green eyes.

Charlie rolled his eyes. Trust Joe Cartwright to be the first to notice any new ladies in town. He just shook his head and went back into the office.

Joe tipped his hat. "The name's Joe Cartwright."

Madison raised an eyebrow. Turning back to face the office manager, she was surprised to see that he was gone. She shrugged her shoulders and faced Joe. "Oh well, I suppose you will have to do. If you would like to follow me. I just need to collect my luggage."

Joe tilted his head in acknowledgement and followed her. After picking up her bags he then started escorting her to the hotel, all the while thinking about how he could get to know her better and trying to engage her in a conversation.

The two of them were a little more than halfway, when Joe heard someone call his name. Madison had heard the call also and turned to look at Joe. She was a little bit amused at the look of dismay that had come upon on his face.

Joe grimaced, as he watched Candy approached him. He had been hoping that his friend wouldn't turn up till later on, well and truly after he had charmed his way into the lovely lady's graces.

Candy smirked. He had just come out of the mercantile and was a bit surprised to see Joe helping a rather attractive lady. This time he was determined that Joe wasn't about to get the jump on him and without hesitation joined his friend.

Candy tipped his hat. "Ma'am. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Virginia City. I see my good friend has already made himself known to you. May I assume that you are heading for The International House?"

Madison nodded once. "Yes we are. Your friend, Mr. Cartwright was kind enough to help me with my luggage and to show me the way."

"Yes, that's right, Candy. Now if you will excuse us, we'll be on our way." Joe said impatiently. "I'm sure that you' re really busy, so I'll see you later."

Candy shook his head. "Not that busy that I can't join you in the rest of your journey." He offered his arm to Madison. "By the way, my name's Candy Canady."

Madison had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself laughing out loud. It was obvious that Joe Cartwright had more than just escorting her to the hotel on his mind. She could see that he was a bit annoyed and frustrated with this sudden intrusion from his friend. Taking Candy's arm, she tilted her head and gave Candy a coy smile. They then continued on to the hotel, with Joe begrudgingly following them all the way.

When they arrived at the hotel, Joe went up to hotel desk and placed her luggage down in front of it. Candy still had a hold of her arm and he seemed very reluctant to let it go. Joe was not happy with this turn of events and he could see that getting rid of Candy was going to be hard. Seeing that the desk clerk was not in sight, he slammed his fist hard down on the bell sitting on the desk.

Candy's head jerked in Joe's direction. "Ok, Joe. You don't have to break it." He knew Joe was not pleased at all with his turning up so unexpectedly. Letting go of the lady's arm, Candy smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for my friend's behaviour. He...he can get a little abrupt like that at times."

"No, it's alright." Walking up to Joe, Madison smiled. "I just want to thank you for helping me with my luggage." Placing her hand on his arm, she kissed his cheek.

Joe smiled broadly. "The pleasure was all mine." He shot a triumphant look at Candy. "Maybe if you are inclined..."

Before Joe could say anything more, Madison calmly walked back to Candy and duly thanked him in the same way she had Joe. Seeing that the desk clerk was now stationed behind the desk, she smiled shyly at the two men. "Now, if you gentlemen would excuse me. I need to go and freshen up. It's been a long journey and I am rather tired."

Joe nodded. "So, I guess I will see you later then?"

Madison gave Joe a dazzling smile. "You most certainly will. I guarantee that." She then quickly winked at Candy before turning her attention to the desk clerk.

Candy nudged Joe, who was still obviously feeling the effects of the smile he had just gotten from the lady. Joe blinked and nodded quickly. The two of them then made their way outside.

Grinning Joe, slapped his friend on the back. "Well, I guess we know which one she likes the best. That smile she gave me told me all I needed to know."

"No, you're wrong there, Joe. She winked at me. So I guess the best man won after all."

"Candy...I think you're dreaming. You could tell it was me she preferred."

After ten minutes of arguing over who the lady liked best, Joe suddenly came to a realisation. "Uh, Candy. I think there's something we forgot to ask the lady."

"What was that?"

Joe smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Her name."

**********************************************

The next day, Joe was still contemplating how he could get to know the mystery lady better. He still didn't know her name, but that didn't matter. From what he could get out of the desk clerk, he knew she would be still in town today. Knowing that he had to act fast and facing the fact that he would have to make his move before Candy could, he had begun formulating a plan. Sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch, Joe had been, for the last fifteen minutes, trying to work out a plan of action that would keep Candy at the ranch long enough for him to get into town and make his play for the lady.

It was at this point that Candy came outside. He had just been talking to Ben and Adam about some work that needed to be done on one of line shacks in the northern section of the Ponderosa and was about to head on out there. He grinned as he saw Joe rocking away deep in thought. He was in no doubt that Joe had been thinking about the lady they had both met yesterday. It was also obvious that Joe was cooking up some scheme to make sure that he didn't get the chance to get to know her even better.

"Whatever it is Joe, it's not going to work. And I still say that the lady prefers me."

Joe stood up and glared at Candy. "We'll see about that."

Suddenly both men were distracted by the sound of a horse and buggy approaching. They both watched as the buggy came closer, wondering for a short time who the visitor could be. As the buggy drew closer, they both looked at each in surprise.

Joe was the first to react and quickly shoved Candy out of the way. Candy recovering quickly, grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him back hard enough to make him fall to the ground. Seeing that Candy was about to get the jump on him, Joe quickly got up and made a run for the buggy which was now pulling to a stop. As he went pass, he pushed a confident Candy out of his way.

Pleased that he had gotten there first, Joe took a moment to catch his breath. Smiling, he took the hand of his mystery lady. "Ma'am, a pleasure always." Joe gazed admiringly into her eyes, as he placed a kiss on her hand. Candy, who had just gotten up off the ground, just stood there with his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes.

Madison smirked as Joe let go of her hand. "Mr. Cartwright. Mr. Canady." she nodded in Candy's direction. Looking back to Joe, she smiled. "I hope you don't mind me calling so unexpectedly."

Joe shook his head. "No, I don't mind. I'm surprised that you took the time to find out where I lived."

"I'm surprised too." Candy said as he watched Joe help the lady out of the buggy. He was bit resentful that Joe had gotten in before him but he was still determined to make sure that Joe didn't win.

After Joe had helped Madison out of the buggy, he faced her and smiled charmingly. "You did neglect one thing, however."

"And what was that?" Madison tilted her head.

"You didn't tell me your name."

She coyly looked at Joe. "Didn't I. How forgetful of me."

Once again, before Joe could get another word out, the front door opened. Ben and Adam had both decided to come outside to see who the unexpected visitor was. Ben was perplexed to see that it was a woman that he had never met before. It was plain to see that Joe and most probably Candy had already made themselves known to the woman prior to today. Looking at his oldest son, Ben became slightly confused, as he saw a flash of recognition cross Adam's face.

"Madison?"

"Adam!" Madison let go of Joe's hand and made her way over to Adam.

Adam greeted her by taking both of her hands and placing a kiss on her right cheek. She greeted him in return by kissing him on his left cheek. Standing back, but still holding her hands, Adam smiled warmly. "You're still as beautiful as ever. How long has it been?"

Madison returned the smile. "Too long I think. I see that you're still as charming as ever."

"Ahem."

Turning to his father, Adam smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Pa." Letting go of Madison hands, Adam placed his arm around her waist and gently propelled her towards his father. "Pa I would like you to meet Madison Albright, an old and dear friend."

Madison held out her hand, which Ben took and shook gently. "Ma'am."

"Mr. Cartwright. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Adam has told me a lot about you."

"Really?" Ben was still feeling a bit confused at the thought of Adam knowing the lovely lady standing in front of him. "I wish I could say the same but I'm afraid Adam as told us nothing about you."

Adam was now starting to feel a little uncomfortable. "How about we go inside and we can talk in there. I'm sure you are thirsty, Madison after the long trip here." Taking Madison's arm, Adam escorted her inside. Ben shook his head slightly and followed them.

Candy and Joe had watched the scene played out in front of them in disbelief. They were both confused and annoyed to see that Adam had already had the distinct advantage of knowing the woman. Candy, reluctantly coming to the conclusion that Adam was already the victor in the race to win the attentions of Madison Albright, promptly took himself out of the running. He shrugged his shoulders and with resignation on his face, patted Joe on the back and went back to work.

Joe, on the other hand, was thinking that the game was only just beginning. Watching Candy go off, he sighed and felt a little sorry for him. Now, that Adam had unexpectedly entered into the picture, Joe knew he that couldn't let up on his pursuit of the lovely Madison. He knew beyond a doubt that Adam had met her during his years away from home. As far as he was concerned, she held the answers to his questions about Adam. Determined not to fail this time around, Joe purposely strode into the house.

**********************************************

Sitting in front of the dressing table, Madison sighed. She had been absent-mindedly playing with the ring that was on the chain around her neck, while she thought about what she needed to next. It was nearly dinner time and hopefully later on in the evening, she would get the chance to speak to Adam. It was very important that she got some time alone with him. She needed to tell him her reason for arriving without any warning. Luckily, both she and Adam had been able to divert a number of questions about their past together by quickly changing the topic of conversation. She knew that Adam knew, that she had a good reason for turning up and he was doing the best that he could with the limited information that he had.

Standing up, she continued to dress for dinner and after placing a kiss on the ring, she tucked it inside her dress. Then, after making sure that she was presentable, she started to making her way downstairs. Just as she opened the door to her bedroom, she was surprised to find Joe standing there about to knock on the door.

"Hi. I was about to see if you were ready to come down. I hope you don't mind if I accompanied you to the dinner table."

Madison sighed. "No, I don't mind, Joe." Taking his offered arm, she and Joe made their way together to dinner.

*********************************************

During dinner that night, Madison was entertained with a number of different stories about the Cartwrights and Virginia City. She could feel herself relaxing and enjoying herself for the first time since she had been told that she would have to come here. However, when they were halfway through the main course, the atmosphere at the table changed.

Joe had been slowly biding his time. He could see that Madison was having a good time and seemed somewhat relaxed. Seizing the moment, Joe turned to look at Madison who was seated across from him. "So Madison, when was the last time that you and Adam enjoyed a dinner like this?"

"I think it was when we were in England."

Ben sat up straight up. "England?" Staring at Adam, he continued. "You never told us that you had been to England."

Adam smiled apologetically. "Sorry Pa. Guess it slipped my mind."

Madison had the sudden urge to crawl under the table. She always had a slight problem about not thinking before she spoke, especially when she was at ease with the company around her. She had been caught off-guard by Joe's question and had blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. Making up her to be more careful around Joe in the future, Madison decided to shut up and concentrate on her meal.

Joe was little more than pleased with himself and he was hoping it didn't show. Madison had given him a clue and he wasn't about to let go of it that easily. Turning his attention to Adam, he smiled. "What did you do while you were in England, Adam?"

"Nothing much. Just toured the country. Looked at buildings and historical sites." Adam waved his fork around in the air. "You know, the usual things one does when they are visiting a foreign country."

"How long were you there for?" Hoss asked as he took another bite of his dinner.

"About six months and then I spent another couple of months touring parts of Europe." Adam went back to his meal, indicating that he wasn't going to answer any more questions for the time being.

**********************************************

"I'm sorry, Adam."

"Sorry for what, Madison?"

"Letting it slip that you were in England. I should have been a bit more careful."

Adam squeezed Madison gently around her shoulders. "No. It's ok. I would've mentioned it myself eventually."

"Thanks Adam. You were always a dear." Madison raised her head and gazed into the night sky. "Hmm...You have a beautiful home and a wonderful family."

Adam grinned. "Yeah, I know. My family are great...even my brother Joe. You'll have to watch out for him. I think he sees you as a way of getting information about me. So don't to be too surprised if he starts laying on the charm a bit thick."

"Don't worry. After that incident at dinner, I've already made up my mind to be extra careful around Joe."

"Speaking of my little brother, you best tell me what you brought you here before he comes outside looking for us."

"Yes you're right. May we sit down?"

Nodding, Adam directed Madison to a bench located at the side of the house. After they were seated, Madision continued. "John Wells sent me because there's been a development that concerns us both."

Adam watched as an uneasy look came across Madison's face. Placing his hands on top of hers, which were sitting on her lap, he gently reassured her that it was alright to continue.

Madison smiled at Adam. "Remember our first case?"

"The one where we got George Mallard for running that land fraud scheme over near the Utah border. If I remember rightly, he's still serving time in Nevada State Prison."

"Not any more. He got out about two weeks ago. Apparently he was released early for being a model prisoner."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Adam frowned. "Now that's something I find hard to believe."

"Well believe it. Do you also remember what he said he would do to us if he ever got out?"

"Yeah I do. But since he doesn't know our real identities I think we can be sure..." Adam stopped abruptly. He now knew why Madison was here. "How did he find out?"

"Well, apparently before you caught up with him, Cody Wallace at some point made a detour to the prison and had a little chat with Mallard. John telegraphed me at home and said it was best that we stick together until Mallard can be stopped."

"I can guess why you agreed with this plan. It was to keep your children safe, wasn't it?"

Slowly nodding, Madison answered Adam's question. She had to keep her children out of harm's way and this was the only way to do it. "My children still have no idea about my life. As far as they are concerned, their mother is just some person who comes to visit them on the odd occassion." She lowered her head. Regret was beginning to sweep over her and she didn't like the way it was affecting her.

"I know I've asked you this before but maybe you should resign from the Secret Service. I don't think John would mind letting you go."

"I wish I could just go and resign but you know as well as I do that I can't. Not until I find the last one." The memory of why she had chosen this way of life was now making her lose control of her emotions.

"Yeah I know." Adam could tell that Madison was remembering her past and he knew the affect those memories had on her. He gently placed both of his arms around her and held her for as long as she needed it.

**********************************************

Adam sat on his horse and gazed out into the distance towards the mountains. It was funny and maddening at the same time, that the ramifications of what Cody Wallace had done before he had caught him, were still being felt. George Mallard was no ordinary criminal and the frustration he was feeling about the current situation wasn't helping much. He and Madison were like sitting ducks waiting for Mallard to make his move. He just hoped that Mallard was caught before anything drastic happened.

Hearing another horse come up beside him, Adam turned and flashed a smile at the rider. Madison was looking much better this morning and had already apologised for her emotional outburst the night before. He liked Madison and at one point was even strongly attracted to her. He recalled the first time he had met Madison. It was about a year after he had left home and nine months after he had joined the Secret Service. Their assignment had them posing as a brother and sister looking to settle in Nevada. Back then, his feelings towards Madison had been purely platonic due to the nature of their work and the roles that had been assigned to them. After Mallard had been caught and put in prison, they had parted company as friends, with each going off in different directions and onto other assignments.

When they were teamed together again, eighteen months later, for an overseas assignment in England, they were posing as a married couple. With one thing leading to another, they had both ended up acting on their mutual attraction to each other. When the assignment was over and the reality of their lives set in once again, they had both agreed that it wouldn't work out. Deciding to remain friends, they had parted company once again. It was true that he was glad to see her again but he wished it was under better circumstances.

Madison studied Adam for a moment or two. He was still as handsome as ever and if things had been different, well she... She shook her head slightly. No, if things had been different then they would have never met at all. Leaning over and patting the neck of the horse she was riding, she sighed. She had made her choice long before she had even heard of Adam Cartwright and nothing was ever going to change that. Sitting upright, she faced Adam. "Well, I guess we'd better start riding back if we going to back the house before dinner."

Adam nodded. "Yes. You're right." He chuckled. "If we're late, it will just give Joe another excuse to come and find us."

"From what I can gather it looks like Joe's mission in life is to find out what your secret is."

"Not exactly. I'd say it's more of a challenge that he finds hard to resist. Besides I'm having fun stringing him along."

She raised her eyebrow. "I was wondering what you were getting out of it. It seems to me that both of you are enjoying the game you're playing with each other a tad too much. Maybe I'll join in while I'm here and stir things up a little bit."

Adam laughed slightly. "Hmm. Let's get going before I decide to let to take you up on that offer."

Madison smirked as they both turned their horses around and headed back to the main house.

**********************************************

A few days later Joe, Candy and Madison were all getting ready to go for a ride down to the lake. Joe had been paying a lot of attention to the beautiful Madison in his quest to gather information about Adam. So far it had been unfruitful but it was not without its rewards. He had used all of his resources and knowledge about women in order gain her favour, including commenting on how lovely her long brown hair was to the way her brown eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Joe was finding that being her with was more even enjoyable than he had anticipated and he yearned to get more closer to her. He had thought he had the field all to himself until yesterday when Candy had once again decided to pursue Madison.

Candy had been carefully watching the interaction between Adam and Madison over the time that she had been here. When he realised that Adam had no interest in pursuing her romantically, he had decided to try his luck one more time. Even though, Joe had a headstart on him, it didn't matter. All he needed was a chance to show Madison that he was the better man.

Madison, on her part was flattered by the attention she had been receiving from both Joe and Candy. At times she wondered how they would react to the news that she had a son who was nearly sixteen years old and twin daughters who were thirteen. Sometimes she found it hard to believe herself. Even though she was seven years older than Joe, she had been greatly blessed with looks and an constitution that made her feel and look younger than she really was. Still there were times when she felt much older, especially the times when she thought about what she needed to do. It had taken years to get to the point where she was now and it was heartening to think that the end was in sight. There was only one more to find and then she could go back to her family knowing that she had put things right.

"Madison? Madison are you okay?" Joe frowned slightly. He was concerned about the faraway look Madison had her face.

Snapping back into reality, Madison smiled shyly at Joe. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about things to come."

Joe had the feeling that she wasn't talking about the ride they were about to go on but he decided not to press her any further. "Time we were going. It's going to take about a hour. You ready Candy?

"Yeah I'm ready." Candy smiled.

The three of them got on their horses and started heading towards the lake. On the way they conversed easily with each other. Both Joe and Candy took the time out to point out places of interest to Madison and relegate her with stories about them. After a leisurely ride, they arrived at the lake.

Getting off their horses and leaving them to graze on the grass, they all walked to the lake foreshore. Seeing a log, Madison made her way there and sat down. Joe and Candy decided to try their luck at skipping stones across the lake. Soon, Joe and Candy were involved in a competition to see who could skip stones the furthest. Madison sat there contently, watching them and enjoying the show.

Ten minutes later, the calm that was all around them was suddenly shattered by a single gunshot. Joe and Candy immediately reacted by dropping the stones they had been holding and drawing out their guns. Quickly looking around, neither of them could determine where the shot had originated from. Candy eyes then fell on Madison. "Joe! Madison's been hit."

They rushed over to Madison who was now lying on the ground, knocked over by the force of the bullet hitting her. She had fallen hard onto the ground and was momentarily dazed. Joe quickly checked over her and easily found where the bullet had hit her. He was slightly relieved to see that she had been hit on the upper part of her left arm. To him it looked like the bullet was still inside but she wasn't bleeding heavily. Candy quickly took off his kerchief and swiftly tied it around her arm to stop the bleeding.

Concerned, Joe helped Madison sit up and placed his right arm around her for support. "Madison? You've been hit on the arm. I think the bullet is still in there. We've put something on to stop the bleeding but we're gonna have to get you to a doctor." Out of the corner of his eye, Joe could see that Candy had already gone to get the horses.

Suddenly Madison grabbed Joe by the arm. "No...no...no doctor. Got to get back the house." She was slowing regaining her senses and knew her arm could wait.

Joe shook his head and gently held Madison down as she tried to get up. "Settle down will ya. No-one at the house can take that bullet out. We've got to go into town and get the doctor to take it."

Shaking her head violently, Madison continued. "No, you don't understand. Adam's in danger. We've got to go back and help him." She gazed up at Joe.

Joe was taken back by the look on her face. There was a mixture of pleading and worry written all over it. "Adam will be fine.", he said assuringly. "We've got to take care of you and your arm. That's what important now."

Again she shook her head in a violent fashion. She was getting frustrated at Joe's lack of understanding. "No, you still don't understand. Someone's after both me and Adam. We've got to go back to the house now!"

Candy was standing by, holding onto the horses. "Look, maybe we should take her back to the house."

Joe sighed and gently touched Madison face, with his free hand. "If it's that important. We will go back to the house."

Relief washed over Madison entire body. She smiled weakly at both Joe and Candy. "Yes it is important. But we will have to be careful approaching the house."

Candy shrugged his shoulders slightly. He didn't know quite what to make of the situation but if it kept Madison calm then so be it. Besides there had to be a reason why someone would take at shot at her and if the answer laid back at the house then all the better.

After helping Madison onto her horse, both Joe and Candy mounted theirs. Sticking close to Madison, who was still slightly dazed from hitting the ground, they began making their way home.

**********************************************

"I winged her just like you said I should."

"Good. That'll keep those three out of the way long enough for me to do what I have to." He then turned to face Adam. "Well, Cartwright it's just you and me now."

Adam sat there calmly and glared at the man staring down at him. He should have been more alert. If he had been, then he wouldn't be sitting here tied to this chair. "What did you do her, Mallard?"

Mallard grinned. "Got my friend, Jackson, here to temporarily take Mrs. Albright out of the picture. I don't want her dead. Well...not just yet. I wanted to take my revenge out on you first. I'll deal with her later." He turned towards the dining table. "For now, I'll think I have a cup of coffee."

Watching Mallard, take a seat and pour himself a cup of coffee, Adam wished he could ram the cup down his throat. Biting his bottom lip, he knew he had to keep a calm exterior and his anger under control so that Mallard didn't think he had the upper hand. Rotating his head to look behind him, he could see that Hoss was still tied to his chair and he was fuming. Every now and then when Mallard and his so-called friends weren't looking, Hoss would make an attempt to get out of the chair but so far hadn't succeeded. Adam then moved his head to check on his father, who sitting to his left. The sight of his father sitting there unconscious, was fueling his anger even more. Mallard had used the butt of his gun to knock Ben out in attempt to get a reaction out of Adam. When Adam had refused to react in the way that he had hoped he would, Mallard was just about to do the same thing to Hoss when Jackson interrupted him.

After taking a sip of coffee, Mallard spun his chair around to face Adam. Reclining lazily in the chair, he smiled. "So now that we have time on our side, I guess we can have a little chat before I do what I came here to do it."

Adam turned his face slowly back to Mallard. "Look. Do what you came here to do but leave my family out of this. It's just between you and me, no need to involve them."

"My, my. We are the impatient one aren't we." He snorted loudly. "I thought you Secret Service people were trained in the fine art of patience. Seems I was sadly misinformed."

Quickly glancing back at Hoss, Adam wasn't surprised to see his brother staring wide-eyed at him. Hoss knew the rest of it now and there was little he could do about it. He was glad Pa hadn't heard Mallard. It would break Pa, if he had found out about his secret life from someone else. Adam closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes slowly, he stared at his foe. "Ok, Mallard. What do you want to talk about?"

**********************************************

Joe looked over to Madison. She was doing okay but he knew she probably still feeling a bit dazed and a little weak. He still wasn't sure that it was a good idea to head for home first before going to the doctor's. The bullet lodged in her arm was going to cause her some pain if it didn't come out soon. It was also likely that the wound could get infected and he didn't want the ramifications of that hanging over him. On the journey so far, he had felt guilty every time he saw her wince. She never complained verbally and he had to admire her determination in getting back to the house. He just hoped her reasons for going there first would be unfounded.

Throughout the ride back to the house, Candy had maintained a watchful eye over Madison. Both Joe and he knew that Madison needed to get to a doctor straight away. But when he saw how frantic she was about getting back to the house, he had relented and let her have her own way. He was now beginning to regret that decision and was about to say so when a sudden movement to his right, caught his attention.

Stopping abruptly, Candy turned his horse around. Staggering from behind a tree, he could see Hank Collins, one of the Ponderosa hands. Hank was rubbing the back of his head as he made his way, groggily to them. Candy, immediately dismounted and ran to Hank. Grabbing a hold of Hank, Candy helped him to the ground.

Madison and Joe had both stopped when they had seen Candy get off his horse. Seeing to it that Madison was alright and after telling her to stay where she was, Joe got of his horse. He ran to where Candy and Hank were sitting. Squatting down, Joe placed both of his hands on Hank's shoulders. "You okay, Hank?"

Hank smiled weakly, "I'm fine. Don't know what happened for sure. I was mending the stock pen just up there." He pointed flimsy to the stock pen situated a little further down from where they were. "These two fellas came up and asked me where the house was. I told them thinking that they had some business with Mr. Cartwright. Next thing I know I'm waking up and they were gone. Was making my way back to the house and needed to rest for a bit by that there tree. When I heard you three coming I had to let you know."

"Good work, Hank." Candy said as he patted the man on the back. "Think you'll be alright or do you need a doctor."

Hank shook his head slowly. "Nah. I don't need a doctor. All I need is a good night's sleep and I'll be fine tomorrow. Been through a lot worse than this in my lifetime."

Joe stood up. Looking up at Madison, he could see that she was still where he had left her. He frowned. It looked like Madison was right after all and there could be trouble at home. Mentally, he began to take a tally on how many men he could count on to help them. Dismally, he came to the conclusion that at best there would be only three others, as most of the hands were out in the opposite direction rounding up cattle to take to the winter pastures.

After making sure that Hank was fine, Candy got up. "I reckon we can count on three at the most."

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I came up with that number as well. What worries me, is how many people are at the house."

"I know Hop Sing isn't there. He went into town to visit his relatives and get some supplies. That leaves only your Pa, Adam and Hoss."

Lowering his head, Joe nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah I know."

Candy put a sympathetic arm around his best friend. "C'mon Joe. We've been in worst trouble than this and with the odds a lot less than they are now."

Raising his head, Joe smiled weakly. "You're right. Time we got those men and see what's happening at home."

**********************************************

"Ok...I managed to get into the barn and get the two rifles that were in there. Not much ammunition though but it should work."

"How many do you reckon there are, Candy?"

"Well, Joe from what I could see and by counting the number of horses out front. There's about seven of them."

"Seven! That's two more than we've got." Joe looked around him. Hank was there leaning against a tree. The man had insisted on coming even though he probably knew he couldn't do much to help. They had managed to find three others - Meyers, Turner and Simpson - repairing a fence about a mile from the house. That left only Madison, who at the moment was staring in the direction of the house."

Madison calmly turned to Joe. "Make that one more than we've got. I'm not going to be left out of this."

"But your arm...and besides you're a lady, I don't expect..."

"Hold on a minute Joe, before you say something you'll regret. It's only my left arm that's been hit and I shoot with my right. Just give me one of those rifles and tell what you want me to do."

Joe was taken aback by the look of determination in Madison face. Clearly she knew what she was doing. "Candy give her one of those rifles."

Candy shrugged his shoulders and did as he was told. At this point, nothing Madison did or said was going to surprise him. He somehow always knew that there was more to the woman than met the eye. "Ok Madison. What do you know about the men at the house?"

"Their leader is a man named Mallard. Adam and I had a run in with him a few years back and he's out for revenge. He probably sent someone to take a shot at me to get us out of the way for a little while to give him the time he needs he to do whatever he wants to do to Adam."

She then proceeded to give Joe and Candy all the information she had about Mallard and the way he operated. When she had finished, she sighed and place her hand on Joe's arm. "I'm sorry that your father and Hoss got involved. I know Adam didn't want to let your family get hurt because of what he did."

Giving her a reassuring smile, Joe placed his hand on her arm. "Don't worry Madison. If I know ol' Adam in there, he's probably already working out a way to get out of this."

**********************************************

Inside the house, Adam had just about had enough of the little chat he had been having with Mallard. His father was now rousing a little but still not enough to make a difference. Adam had no idea what Hoss was up to, as he hadn't even been able to take a quick glance behind to make sure his brother was fine.

Hoss for his part, had been slowly but surely working at loosening the ropes that were tied behind his hands. After looking around the room to see where Mallard and his men were standing, he was thankful that they hadn't bothered to check on him. He could see one man was guarding the front door and that Jackson fella was over near the safe, trying to get it open. Jackson had earlier told Mallard that he wasn't going away empty-handed and Mallard invited him to go and try his luck with the safe. It was clear to Hoss that Mallard was over-confident and didn't expect any trouble from him or his father. Adam was the reason that Mallard had come here in the first place and that was all Mallard was interested in.

Adam was thinking along the same lines as Hoss. Mallard was extremely sure of himself and he definitely felt that he had the upper hand. If Jackson had been correct in what he said about Madison, then he knew that she would have done all she could to convince Joe and Candy to come back here first. Hopefully, they were able to find a couple of the ranch hands that hadn't gone on the roundup.

"Now, Cartwright. Now that I've said what I've wanted to say to you, it's time we got down to business." Mallard rose up from the chair he had been occupying for the last hour. Seeing that Ben was starting to regain consciousness, he smiled. "Maybe I'll wait for a few minutes until papa wakes up. Don't want him to miss anything now would we?"

Adam tensed up immediately. The look on Mallard's face was getting to him. Silently he wished his father would stay unconsciousness long enough for Joe and Candy to get here. Closing his eyes, he prayed that his father would also be spared the sight of seeing one of his sons die right in front of him. He also prayed that help would come soon.

A sudden noise came from behind Mallard, causing Adam to jerk his eyes wide open. He was mildly shocked to see Madison standing behind Mallard with a rifle pointed at his back.

Mallard spun around and was equally shock to see the other person who had made his life a misery standing in front of him pointing a rifle at him. "Well, well, Mrs. Albright. Fancy meeting you here." He said loudly enough, in order to alert the two men who were inside with him.

The man at the door made a move towards Madison, and was intent on shooting her. Madison, however, was too quick for him and got a shot into him before he could take aim. She then quickly re-pointed her gun at Mallard but found him sprawled faced down on the floor with Adam lying on top of him in a pile of ropes and broken pieces of chair.

Adam upon seeing his chance, had gotten up the best he could and had made a charge at Mallard. All of his anger had come to the fore and he wasn't about to let Mallard get away. Hurdling towards Mallard, he slammed hard into the man's back. The force of the impact sent them both crashing to the floor.

While all of this was going on, Jackson had gotten up from the safe and had been cautiously making his way into the room, with his gun cocked and ready to fire. Hoss, who had been keeping an eye on him, had somehow managed to get his hands free of the ropes that had bound them. After quickly bending down and untying his legs, Hoss sprung up and making a bee-line for Jackson, tackled him to the floor. The gun that Jackson had gone off in mid-air the moment he was hit by Hoss.

It was at this point in time that Candy and Joe came in through the front door. They had been outside taking care of the two gunmen who were on guard at the front of the house. Meyers and Turner had been dispatched to take care of the two at the back. Finding out that they really didn't need Simpson to carry out their plan, they had promptly sent him off to town to get Sheriff Foster and a doctor.

Candy surveyed the room. Nudging Joe, he grinned. "Looks like you were right. Adam had a plan after all."

Adam groaned as he heard Candy's comment. If he had a plan, he wouldn't of been here in the first place. Getting up slowly he turned around to check on his father. Joe was by now at their father's side and doing just that. He felt bad about the way things had happened. Going over to Joe, he put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Joe. I didn't mean for anything like this to happen."

"I know Adam." Joe said softly. "Simpson's gone to get Sheriff Foster and a doctor." Joe began untying the ropes at his father's feet.

Adam looked over to Hoss. "How are you going Hoss?"

Hoss was sitting on top of Jackson, with a determined look on his face. He wasn't letting this puny fella up until the sheriff got here. "I'm doin' fine, Adam. Next time, try lettin' me know if somethin' like this is gonna happen before it happens. How's Pa?"

Adam nodded. "Believe me I will. As for Pa, I think he will be fine. He's still coming around." He could see that Candy had gone outside to check on the two men at the front, so he walked over to check on Madison.

Ben slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head. He wasn't feeling too good. Looking around the room the first thing he saw clearly was Hoss sitting down on some man. Hoss grinned when he saw that his father was awake. "Hi Pa."

Ben squeezed his eyes shut and re-opened them again. Sure enough he wasn't seeing things. He tried to move but even though his feet were free, his hands weren't.

"Pa could you keep your hands still for a moment. I'm trying to cut the rope."

"Joseph?" He realised that he must of been out for a fair while. Keeping his hands still, he continued to look around. Near the front door was another man sprawled out on the floor. It was obvious that he had been shot but he couldn't tell if the man was alive or dead. Going past the man, he was shocked to Madison standing there with a rifle pointed at the leader of the gang who was now lying on the floor in a mess of ropes and wood. He could see Adam that was checking Madison's left arm for some reason.

Joe went around to face his father after he had finished cutting the ropes. He smiled as he watched his father rub his wrists. "Well...I'll just go outside to see how Meyers and Turner are going."

Ben took a good look at Joe. His son's shirt was torn and dirtied. He also had a couple bruises on his face. It was evident that Joe had been fighting with someone. Realising he had missed a lot, he shook his head. "Now would someone please kindly tell me what's been going on?"

**********************************************

The next morning, Adam was in the barn examining the horses. He was feeling much better, as was his father, who was none to please with having one less chair at the dinner table. He grinned at the thought. He knew that it was his father's way of letting them know that what was done was done and it was time to get back to normal.

Yesterday, after Mallard and his men had been taken into town by Clem and his deputies, Adam had felt a sense of relief that it was all over. Still he had a decision to make. If he wanted to keep his family safe in the future he was going to have to tell them about his life in the Secret Service. He was still uncertain about how much he should tell them. Leaning, with his back against a post, he folded his arms and began to contemplate what the results would be if he did tell them.

Hoss came in a few minutes later and saw Adam deep in thought. When he had heard Mallard say that Adam was in the Secret Service, he was initially surprised. But the longer he thought about it, the more sense it made. Adam had always been interested in seeing right done and the job obviously gave him the chance to travel, something Hoss knew that Adam had always wanted to do. Hoss had come into the barn with the sole purpose to tell Adam that the choice he had made with his life was okay by him. He cleared his throat.

Adam stood up straight. He had known the moment that Hoss had entered the barn that something was on his mind. "Hoss."

"Adam...Adam." Hoss took a deep breath. "Adam, I just want to say that I understand what you did and why you did it. Now I can't speak for Pa or Joe but I want to let you know that I'm right proud to have you as my brother."

Adam smiled broadly. "Thanks Hoss. That means a lot to me."

Hoss grinned. After a moment, he continued. "You're thinkin' about tellin' them aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Adam was still somewhat amazed at the ability Hoss had of telling what people were like and what they were thinking.

"That's good to hear Adam."

The door at the other end of the barn opened. Madison entered in slowly, expecting to find Adam alone. "Oh I'm sorry. I'll come back later when you're not busy."

Hoss went up to her. "No, that's okay ma'am. I've done sayin' all I wanted to say. I'll see you later, Adam." He quickly walked out.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."

"No. It's fine, Madison." Adam went over to her. "How's the arm today?"

Madison lifted her arm, which was now in a sling. "This. It's fine. Hurts a little every now and then but I can live with it."

"That's good to hear. Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes there is. I've decided to leave tomorrow. With Mallard getting sent back to prison. I think it is safe to go home."

"How long will be there for?"

"Until I'm needed for an assignment or if I get some information on the last one."

Adam felt sorry for Madison and it showed. "How much longer do you think it will take?"

"I don't know." Walking over to Adam, she placed a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about me, Adam. You know I made the choice to go after my husband's killers a long time ago. I couldn't live with myself knowing that one of them is still out there. My children need to know that the men who killed their father didn't get away with it."

"I understand." Smiling, Adam decided that it was time to lighten the moment. "Well, since you are leaving tomorrow, how about we do something to get Joe going?"

Madison grinned at the idea. "I like your brother a real lot, Adam but what the heck. What do you have in mind?"

Adam grinned and began telling Madison what he had in mind for Joe.

**********************************************

"I still think it's funny how they took you in like that, Joe."

Joe grimaced. "Ok that's enough Candy. I get the message."

Candy was still having a hard time trying to suppress the grin that was planted all over his face. "Sorry Joe, but every time I think about I can help stop smiling."

Rolling his eyes, Joe half-smiled. "Alright I admit it. They had me fooled. Happy now."

"I was happy before now." Candy looked up the street. "Talking of Adam and Madison. Here they come now."

As he looked past Candy, Joe smiled. She was very beautiful today, in the dark green travelling dress, that she had on. He was sad to see her leave and wished he had the chance to spend more time with her.

"Joe. Candy. Glad to see that you could come to see me off."

Tipping his hat, Candy smiled. "Ma'am. A pleasure as always."

Madison went up to Candy and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Candy for everything."

"You're welcome. I hope that the next time you come to visit, that you'll stay long enough for me to take you to one of the local dances."

"You can count on it, Candy." Turning to Joe, she smiled. "Could I speak to you privately for a moment, Joe?"

"Yeah sure." Joe offered her his arm and escorted her to the back of the stage office.

When she was sure she was alone, she turned and face Joe. "I want to thank you personally for all that you've done for me during my stay and I want to apologise about yesterday."

"I have say that you and Adam were pretty convincing."

"I'm sorry about that Joe. It was Adam's idea and I couldn't resist the idea. I want you to know that if my life wasn't the way it was, I wouldn't mind staying on longer to get to know you better." She touched his face lightly with her right hand.

Getting the hint, Joe bent his head down and kissed her on lips. When he had finished kissing her, he lifted his head for a moment and then bent it down again to kiss her again.

After a few minutes, the mood was broken by Adam shouting from around the corner. "The stage is here."

Madison smiled as Joe caressed her face. "For the first time in a long time, I regret making the choice I made."

Joe looked into her eyes. "Surely it's not that important."

"It is Joe. Maybe one day when it's all over and if you're still free, we can try again."

"I would like that Madison."

Joe reluctantly let her go and took her back to the waiting stage. Candy simply nodded his head. Joe had won, plain and simple. Well, he'd rather lose to Joe than any other man.

Madison went up to Adam and drew him aside. "Well, Adam I guess this is goodbye. Take care of yourself, my friend."

"You take care, too, dear Madison." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

After kissing Adam on the cheek, she whispered in his ear. "If Joe asks you about me you have my permission to tell him what he needs to know."

Holding Madison, at arms length, Adam nodded. "Don't worry, Madison. I will."

He helped her up into the stage coach. "Until next time, Madison."

She grinned. "Until next time, Adam." Looking past Adam she waved to Candy. "Goodbye Candy. Take care."

Candy waved back and smiled. "Goodbye Madison."

Adam stepped back from the carriage and allowed Joe to go the window. "Farewell, dearest Madison. I'll never forget you."

"And I'll never forget you, Joe Cartwright."

Joe stood back as the stage coach driver geared the team in action. Madison keep on waving until it was no longer possible to do so.

The three men, stood there watching as the stage coach vanished from view. Candy was the first to speak up. "Well I don't know about you two, but I'm off down to The Silver Dollar to get myself a beer. Care to join me?"

Joe patted Candy on the back. "No you go ahead. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Ok." Candy headed off in the direction of The Silver Dollar.

After Candy had disappeared around the corner, Joe turned to Adam. "Well, big brother. What's next?"

Adam frowned. "What do you mean what's next?"

"I mean the last few months, have certainly been interesting. I'm starting to wonder what you've got planned next."

"You're still fishing aren't you, Joe?"

"Now, whatever gave you that idea, Adam?" He grinned. "Let's say we go and join Candy."

Adam raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "You know Joe, you may get what you want sooner than you expected."

**********************************************

After dinner that night, as they sat around the fireplace, Candy had the strangest feeling that he should vacate the premises for a while. He couldn't say how he knew it, he just did. "Umm...I'm just going outside to check on the boys. Be back later."

Joe looked up from the checker board and shrugged his shoulders. That was strange. After Candy had gone, he turned his attention back to the board. He smirked as he waited for Hoss to make the next move.

Adam got up from his chair and walked to the front of the fireplace. Looking at his family, he nodded firmly. He had finally made his decision and there was no turning back. "Pa. Joe. I've got something to tell you. Hoss knows some of it already. What I'm about to tell you must never leave this room."

Ben sat up straight and looked questionably at his oldest son. So, Adam had finally decided to tell him what was going on. He was now suddenly glad that he had the patience to wait for Adam to decide when the time was right to say something.

Joe glanced at Hoss, who just shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly. Joe had a feeling that Adam was about to give him what he wanted. Forgetting about the game, Joe eagerly looked up at Adam. "What is it, Adam?"

Adam smiled warmly at his youngest brother. "Joe. I hope you are ready. You are about to get what you've been waiting for."

THE END

November 2003

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