Category: Brothers
Stories that focus on the relationship of any combination of the brothers.
Adam / Hoss / Joe / Jamie
If I Could Turn Back Time (by Annie K Cowgirl)
Summary: Foolishly, I had thought I’d have more time; there were places I wanted to see, things I wanted to do. Now, due to my stupidity, I’d never get to. A WHN for the episode The First Born.
Rated: T (only for mentions of death)
Word Count: 1,167
Ghostly Miracle (by BettyHT)
Summary: It started as an October pinecone but I couldn’t stop. A little bit spooky but nothing to keep you up at night — probably.
Rating: PG Word count: 1430
Fireworks, Friends, and Innocent Prayers (by DJK)
Summary: Little Joe and friends manage to arrange “the grandest sight the town has ever seen”, and it only required a little deceit and disobeying. This prequel was written for the 3rd Quarter 2025 Chaps & Spurs Challenge.
Rating: Teen Word Count: 5822
Let’s Play Chess (by LillianMontane)
Sumary: Hoss teaches Joe how to play chess. Written for 3rd quarter chaps and spurs.
Rating: G Word count: 1280
The Surprise (by DJK)
Summary: Little Joe should have known pranking his father was a bad idea.
word count: 1,220 rating: PG/teen
The Old Man (by DJK)
Summary: Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright started calling their elder brother “the old man” shortly after their father died and Adam took over the running of the Ponderosa as well as helping his stepmother raise his brothers. Marie decides that Adam has lost too much of his youth and decides he needs a little romance in his life to make him feel young again.
rating: T/PG13 word count: 46,771
The Journey Home (by Tavia42)
Summary: On a trip away from the Ponderosa, the Cartwright boys encounter some old friends and one old foe. Even though he has a grudge against Hoss, Joe becomes the target in his scheme for revenge. A What Happened (Much) Later for “The Ape,” featuring Leonard Nimoy as Freddy, and a What Happened (Long) Before for the “Quaker Girl” episode of Gunsmoke, featuring William Shatner as Fred Bateman. No knowledge of Gunsmoke is necessary to read this story.
Rating: PG | Word Count: 22,322
Seven to One (by LillianMontane)
Summary: The only one not captured, Joe must figure out how to rescue his brothers from a gang of outlaws who invade their home.
Rating: T 9,647 words)
Just a Prank (by DJK)
It was just a boy’s prank, so why did it cause such a rift between brothers. This story was written for the Chaps and Spurs 2025 First Quater challenge.
Rating: K+ word count: 5279
Did We Win (by AC1830)
Summary: The Founders Day horse race was a tradition for Adam and Joe Cartwright, but the question always is – which brother will win?
Rating: G, Word Count: 772
The Marshal (by BettyHT)
Summary: Adam is home for a short visit and goes with Joe, Jamie, and Candy on what is supposed to be a short hunting trip. Things get complicated when Joe goes to a nearby town to replenish their supplies. The four men learn important things about each other as a result. Originally a Man In Black challenge but completed for the Better Late Than Never Challenge.
Rating: T Word count: 4,183
The Storm Whisperer (by mcfair_58)
Summary: Adam’s brothers are missing. Will the Christmas secret he is keeping lead to their rescue?
Rating: G 3,515 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
The Ugliest Christmas Ornament (by DJK)
Summary: Little Joe thinks an ornament is too ugly for the Cartwright tree. Adam has the opposite opinion in this slice-of-life vignette.
Rating: G 610 words
We All Need A Backup Sometimes (by DJK)
Canon refers to Ben leaving the Ponderosa for a time after Marie’s death. This story presents a possibility for how Adam managed during this time. (This is an Old Ned story.)
The Milk of Human Kindness (by Puchi Ann)
Summary: Man and Nature conspire against the Cartwright brothers making it home for Christmas.
Rating: G
Words: 8,220
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
