Click title to read story.
Pa? You Listening? – by JoaniePaiute
Summary: An intimate look at 5-year-old Adam’s thoughts on berry jam, Miss Inger, and what Pa should do about them both.
Rated: K WC 800
Summary: Just a little unanswered scene in my humble opinion from ‘Inger, My Love.’ After Ben proposes to Inger in the street they both go off in the opposite direction of the boarding house forgetting all about poor Adam! Which they seem to do a lot in this episode… This is my attempt to fix that.
Rating: K WC 2900
Pa’s Christmas Gift – by HelenA
Summary: It’s Christmas time on the Ponderosa. What are the boys planning to get Ben for Christmas?
Rating: K 5,785 words
Summary: A visit from Ben’s old friend leads to a startling realization.
Rated: T WC 2200
Summary; When first you conspire to deceive… It’s mighty hard to keep a secret with Little Joe around.
Rating: K 9,850 words
Pain and the Fury (The) – by Justafan
Summary: WHN for The Magnificent Adah. Joe was assaulted by one of Ben’s rivals. Hoss dealt with the gentleman and the episode ends with Ben, Hoss, and Adam returning from the saloon to check on Joe.
13,957 words Rating: K+ has some description of physical assault
Pain Goes On and On (The) – by Dodo
Summary: A WHI for First Born – Clay Stafford arrives in Virginia City to meet his brother Joe, but only finds heartache at the Ponderosa.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 20178
Painful Truth (The) – by BettyHT
Summary: The Ponderosa is in crisis and the family asks Adam to come home to help, but that sets in motion a plot that leads to tragedy and loss and surprises too with the two drifters who showed up on the ranch.
22,010 Rating: T
Summary: Adam falls in love only to find he has a rival, his own father.
Rated: K+ 16,260 words
Pains of Love #2 – A Flame Rekindled – by KateP
Summary: Sequel to Pains of Love. Twelve years have passed and now Carrie is back in town.
Rated: K+ 31,535 words
Pains of Love #3 – Legacy of Love – by KateP
Summary: Two young visitors bring a surprise for the Cartwrights.
Rated: K+ 14,725 words
Painted Lady (The) by mcfair_58
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Little Joe Cartwright is in love and, as usual, it brings a world of trouble. Can big brother Adam save the day or will he too be drawn in by the Painted Lady and lose not only his way, but maybe his life?
Rating: PG Word Count: 29,166
Summary: Joe receives a very special gift and learns to follow his dreams, with some surprises along the way.
Rated: K
Paiute Necklace (The) – by SusanG
Summary: The return of a legendary necklace as part of a peace treaty could save countless lives.
Word Count: 27,700 Rated: T
Paiute Pony (The) – by Cinderella
Summary: A short story of how Cochise and a new friend came to Joe.
Rated: K+ 1,190 words
Summary: A trip to Sacramento brings illness, new friends, romance and life lessons to Joe Cartwright.
Rated: T 71,855 words
Summary: Everyone at school had a secret in the family so Joe was convinced there had to be a secret in his own, and where better to find it than in a certain box in his father’s room.
Rating: G 2,190 words
Summary: Little Joe learns that opening a locked box can release troubles and cause all manner of problems.
Rating: PG (4,840 words)
Pandora’s Sisters – by freyakendra
Summary: The unexpected arrival of a mysterious group of women complicates—and threatens—Cartwright lives, turning the Ponderosa into a decisive battleground.
Rated: T
Pantalettes and Kisses and Passionate Misses – by Puchi Ann
Summary: On a secret mission, adolescent Joe Cartwright tracks his best source of discovering what girls are hiding beneath their frilly drawers—his brother Adam.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 8954
Paper Toy-Theater (The) – by Sibylle
Summary: Adam wishes to share a Christmas memory with Hoss, a memory begun by Inger.
Rating: K+ 1175 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Paradise #1 – And So Ends Another Day in Paradise – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Joe finds himself traveling into a different type of town.
Rated MA – Adult Themes Word Count: 12000
Paradise #2 – Paradise Encore – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Adam retraces Joe’s steps and they lead him to Paradise. Written by Tahoe Ladies Pam and Coyote.
Word Count: 11500 Rated MA – Adult Themes
Summary: Adam has the chance to expand his ‘education’ before going to college, but little brothers, fallen angels and his ‘creator’ have different ideas.
Rated: T WC 4900
Paradise Pool (The) – by JennyG
Summary: Lost and alone, a trip turns into an erotic adventure for Adam.
WARNING: Sexually Explicit
Rating: R for Mature Readers only 3,200 words
Part of the Rainbow #1 – by DebbieB
Summary: When an ex-slave comes to Virginia City, bringing with him, his son who enrolls in the local school, and whom Little Joe tries to befriend, the community is divided on the issue. Certain facts about the family begin to surface, teaching everyone that every child is part of God’s beautiful rainbow.
Rated: PG13 deals with racism 15, 450 words
Part of the Rainbow #2 – The Dark Side of the Rainbow – by DebbieB
Summary: Part 2 of Part of the Rainbow. Five years later Joe meets his old friend and now US Marshal, Bass Reeves, but this time under much different circumstances. Both learn that there are two sides to the rainbow…can one help the other see beyond the dark side of the rainbow?
Rated: PG 17,300 words
Parties and Pickles – by BettyHT
Summary: Marie wants a party, but it doesn’t end as she hoped. However, the man who caused the party to end finds his plans don’t go well at all either.
Rating T Word count 2,698
Summary: Adam Cartwright relates an early adventure of the three Cartwright brothers
Word count: 6191 Rating: K
Party Hearty, A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: Another Really lost episode.
Rating: T Words 3181
Party (The) – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Cartwrights are going to have a party for the Giggly Sisters. But who will they invite? A very light-hearted look at this subject.
Rated: K+ WC 1700
Summary: From tragedy to laughter, a family’s life is made up of many passages.
Rated: K+ 11,680 words
Passing Time and Popping Corn – by patina
Summary: After a long day of fence repairs, Adam, Hoss, and Joe decide to camp by the lake. What could be better on a chilly night than some hot popcorn?
Rating: K Word Count=1792
Passions and Dreams – by AC1830
Summary – Adam Cartwright and Lotta Crabtree were supposed to be strangers when her carriage broke down on the Ponderosa, but something in their demeanor seemed to say otherwise. Based on the episode A Rose for Lotta. Dialogue in the last chapter is from the episode written by David Dortort.
Rating – T Word Count – 7909
Past Returns (The) – by HelenB
Summary: After taking over the Army contract and seeing it through to completion, Joe is given a week vacation. Nothing to worry about, right?
Rating: T 21, 170 words
Past, The Present, and The Future (The) – by Krystyna
Summary: This could be considered a WHN of The Paiute War although it takes place two years after the events of that episode.
Rating: T 8,800 words
Patriarch of the Ponderosa (The) – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Ben Cartwright casts a fatherly eye upon the important facts of family life at the Ponderosa.
Rated: T 1900
Summary: This is my story for the Halloween challenge.
Rated: K+ 3300
Payback for a Kill – by HelenD & JennyD
Summary: A WHN for Credit for a Kill.
Rating: T 15,700 words
Payback for a Kill – by JennyD & HelenB
Summary: A WHN for Credit for a Kill.
Rating: T 15,700 words
Summary: Will it be worth the cost to refuse to sell lumber to a new mine owner?
Rating: T 20,180 words
Summary: Someone is trying to take a piece of the Ponderosa, Ben is shot and Adam meets an old acquaintance.
Rated: K+ 15,400 words
Payment for Past Deeds – by Starbuck
Synopsis: Adam and Joe’s constant fighting has landed them in jail along with Hoss. Their fighting had not only caused a rift but has also signed the death warrant for one of the Cartwright brothers.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 21,200
Summary: Christmas candles, a cranky baby, and a neglected Cartwright all add up to one special Christmas.
Rating: G 2,420 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Peace on Earth – by PatD in PA
Summary: A blizzard and a case of the flu conspire to make the Cartwright boys wonder if Christmas would find it’s way to the Ponderosa
Rating: K/G (10,885 words)
Summary: The past inspires the true meaning of the season.
Rating: G 2,400 words
Summary: A Post Script for the series and the actors we so grew to love.
Rating K+ WC 1300
Perfect Christmas Eve (The) – by Puppycuddles
Summary: Christmastime on the Ponderosa with a young Cartwright family.
Rating: G Words: 8,620
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Perfect Moment (The) – by Lynlaur
Summary: Ben Spends a happy afternoon reminiscing.
Rated: K+ WC 2500
Explanation: This story is the result of a writing challenge. We were to create the perfect woman for a Cartwright, and we couldn’t kill the character.
Rating: G (11,610 words)
Perro 1 – A Dog Called Perro – by KateP
Summary: Ben and Joe head into trouble.
Rated: K+ 7,760 words
Perro 2 – From the Flames – by KateP
Summary: Perro part 2 – second in the series
Rated: K+ 8,470 words
Perro 3 –The Tracker – by KateP
Summary: The third in the Perro Trilogy. Joe is in mortal peril.
Rated: K+ 13,005 words
Summary: Adam and Ben’s thoughts on a special day in Adam’s life.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 509
Pharoah – by VRON
Summary: A young Adam on the trail west has his first pet and learns a valuable lesson.
Rating: G Words: 1,375
Phoenix Series – Book 1 – Chained – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: The boys thought they would have some fun, only their fun brought down dire consequences for one of the Cartwrights. He reacted based on how he was taught; now he stands on the precipice between justice and revenge. Which will win?
Rated T Word Count: 61,990
Phoenix Series – Book 2 – Rising – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Always the youngest and smallest and trying to measure up; how can events of the past cannot be forgotten when faced with the stark reality on a daily basis. Can he accept and live with the truth?
Rated T Word Count: 54,713
Phoenix Series – Book 3 – Freed – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Like the Phoenix, one must be totally broken and consumed by the flames of the past in order to rise again… stronger, better, a Cartwright no doubt.
Rated T Word Count: 52887
Photograph (The) – by StephanieJ
Synopsis: Afraid that some day he’ll lose his father or brothers, Little Joe feels he needs photographs of his family to help keep his memories alive. But trying to convince his family to take time off to get their pictures taken proves difficult. It takes a tragedy for Ben to realize how important the Photograph really is.
Rating: PG Words: 14,400
Physics 101 – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Adam becomes the ‘butt’ of a joke…
Rated: K+ Word Count: 730
Picker (The) – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: “I-I’ve come to ask you for your daughter’s hand, Sir.”
Rated: K+ 1,244 words
Picking up the Pieces – by pbeaking
Summary: Ben returns to the Ponderosa after a month long absence in San Francisco. He brings along a long-time family friend as a guest in the house. A warm homecoming soon turns into turmoil when Joe finds this guest a threat to his mother’s memory and Adam adds to the issues by choosing to announce his plans for the future at the most inopportune time. It is up to Ben to pick up all the pieces and reassemble his family once more.
Rating: K+ WC 12,000
Picking up the Threads – by JoanS
Summary: Ben finds it difficult to re-enter his boys’ lives after Marie’s death.
Rated: K 13,335 words
Pickle (The) – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: Just how did Hoss end up being the caretaker for two, little, troublemaking girls? The opening scene we were denied in Gallagher’s Sons.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1,259
Summary: The cat gets the mouse or should it be, the middle brother gets the girl.
Rating: K 1,180 words
SUMMARY: Joe is quite the talker especially when it involves finding a way to avoid work, but it is more difficult when his father is right there. He’s clever enough though to find a way that even his father appreciates.
Rating: PG Word Count: 1321
Summary: Trouble comes in all sizes and shapes. This one is 5’5” and tough as an old boot. A rare first person story.
Rating: T 13,085 words
Picture This – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The pictures on the walls of a house tell us so much about the occupants. What do the pictures at the Ponderosa say?
Rated: K+ WC 1800
Summary: While Hop Sing is away for a few days, Little Joe persuades Hoss to help with a surprise for their father and Adam.
Rating: K Word Count: 3695
Part One: One of Ben Cartwright’s sons is missing, will they ever learn what happened to him? Rated: G
Part Two: More in the continuing saga of Missing Pieces. Rating: G
Part Three: The conclusion to Missing Pieces. Rated: PG
Word Count: 25,225
Summary: Joe steals Adam’s pillow which leads to a week of unrest and trouble for the whole family!
Rating: G 3875 words
Summary: This is a prequel in which Little Joe has a daring adventure that becomes a scary ordeal for his family. Hopefully, this will be the first in a series of stories featuring the pine tree, and each will be separated by several years for the family.
Rating: PG Word count: 3,212
Pine Tree #2 – Challenge – by BettyHT
Summary: Another prequel, but Little Joe is eleven in this one, Hoss is seventeen, and Adam is twenty-three. Climbing that pine tree is again key to the story, but it is what happens after that which is most significant.
Rating: T Word count: 5, 575
Pine Tree #3 – Loss and Gains – by BettyHT
Summary: This is the third and last installment in this series. Ben does his best to make amends for what went wrong, but Joe has a plan too. Only time will tell which will be more effective.
Rating: T 7,071
Ping’an Ye or Peaceful Night – by BluewindFarm
Summary: Little Joe isn’t the only Cartwright who can confound Dr. Martin.
Rating: G (1,300 words)
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: Joe is on one of his regular visits to Carrie Prickett when trouble breaks out.
Word count: 2,461 Rating: K+
Summary: Written for an SJS/JPM lover’s birthday. Going to town to get the buggy fixed and to get the mail was easy. Getting home was far more difficult.
Rating: K+ Word Count=4189
Summary: WHN for the episode The Trap. What did Joe and Booth say to each other in that tantalising missing scene. And what happened after that?
11,520 words Rated: T
Summary: An epidemic strikes Virginia City, and the Ponderosa.
Rating: T 13,280 words
Summary: Two years have passed since Alice was murdered. Joe remains convinced he will never find happiness again. But fate decides otherwise…..
Rated: T Word Count: 38983
Play Before Bedtime – by Terri
Summary: After a confrontation with Adam, Joe rides away from the house and into trouble.
Rated: K+ WC 2000
Summary: There are times when one of the Cartwright ends up playing the game of romance even when he hadn’t planned on it and didn’t want to play, but it gets even more complicated when a brother wants to play too.
rating = T word count = 3369
Summary: A childhood dream becomes reality for Joe in a most unexpected way.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 27896
Playing Soldiers #2 – Never Say Never – by Dodo
Summary: Joe’s return to the Ponderosa soon turns into a nightmare.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 20730
Summary: A story created as the result of Ma Hoad’s Valentine R Challenge. Joe confronts Don Miguel’s hot-tempered daughter Margarita….. and what happens surprises them both.
Rated MA 2,500 words
*Warning* This story is rated for Mature Audiences only…. if you are offended by sexual content, please do not read.
Please Don’t Go – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: “I’d never thought much about my own death, but on the rare occasions that I did, I’d always imagined I’d be surrounded by my family when my time came. Now, as I watched Hoss ride away, I knew I wouldn’t even be afforded that luxury.” An extended/AU scene from the episode “Second Chance” Joe’s POV.
Rated: T (for mild language)
Word Count: 920
Please, Not Again – by Adam31845
Summary: A heartfelt plea as the family tries to reunite in the wake of Marie’s death.
Rating: K 2,655 words
Please, Tell me a Story – by bahj
Summary: When Adam begins to doubt his abilities his family bands together to help him keep his dreams alive.
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 2200
Pleasure of Their Company (The) – by Karen & Randy
Summary: Thanks especially to Vickie who supplied Scott Lancer’s voice of reason which was of so much help to poor Griff especially. This is a later seasons Bonanza/Lancer cross-over. Main characters are Joe, Candy, Griff, Jamie and Scott Lancer with brief appearances by Ben, Murdoch and Johnny. We don’t own them, but if we did, this is pretty much what we’d do with them. Thanks to Stephen King from whom we borrowed a little incident from his childhood.
Caution: mostly PG for sexually suggestive situations, but it does cross-over into R in several places toward the middle where the suggestions are carried out. 47,365 words
Pleasure of Their Company (The) – by RandyS & KarenF
Summary: Thanks especially to Vickie who supplied Scott Lancer’s voice of reason which was of so much help to poor Griff especially. This is a later seasons Bonanza/Lancer cross-over. Main characters are Joe, Candy, Griff, Jamie and Scott Lancer with brief appearances by Ben, Murdoch and Johnny. We don’t own them, but if we did, this is pretty much what we’d do with them. Thanks to Stephen King from whom we borrowed a little incident from his childhood.
Caution: mostly PG for sexually suggestive situations, but it does cross-over into R in several places toward the middle where the suggestions are carried out. 47,365 words
Poem: “Tirza’s Lament” – by JoaniePaiute
Summary: My response to the “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary” challenge of January 2017: a poem written in the Gothic style. I’m not sure Poe would approve of my attempt, but Tirza has always fascinated me, and she insisted on being part of this writing challenge.
Rating: K Word Count: 248
Poetry of Ben and Adam Cartwright (The) – by JC
Summary: With such a well of inspiration from which to draw, one could imagine them putting pen to paper on occasion. Ben’s “Journey to the Sea” is an homage to his three wives; “Girl in the Moonlight” was composed by Adam.
Rating K+ WC 291
Polka Dots and Tears – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: Delayed on a trip home from Sacramento to the point that his family searched for him, Adam suddenly appears on the Ponderosa but wounded and wearing clothing clearly not his. Joe is the one to find him but has no answers only questions for the unconscious man. A quest for answers will lead to a variety of trouble for family members.
Rating: T Word Count: 13,797
Polka-Dotted Cowboys (The) – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: When an epidemic of Chickenpox and the Measles breaks out, no one on the Ponderosa is safe!
Rated: K+ 5,885 words
Polluter Pays Principle (The) – by Sibylle
Summary: If you would like to know why Adam always wears black you must look at an incident that seriously affected not only him but the whole family.
Rated: K+ WC 2100
Summary: A cruel taunt sets off a chain of unsettling events at the Cartwright homestead. Prequel to Poltergeist II, but NOT part of the “Bloodlines” Series.
Rating: K+ (15,325)
Ponderosa # 1 – Up in Smoke – by Texas2002
Summary: Hoss’ and Adam’s childhood memories
Rating: G Words: 12,000
Ponderosa # 2 – Heading for the Hills – – by Texas2002
Summary: Following the story Up in Smoke…
Rating: G 7,700 words
Ponderosa # 3 – Just a Day Like Any Other – by Texas2002
Summary: The title says it all.
Rating: G Words: 8,600
Summary: No one signed up for the fourth, so this day was opened to all members in the Forums to try their hand at writing poetry for the season.
Rating: G 135 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: An afternoon spent preparing for Christmas
Rating: PG (1,085 words)
Summary: No one signed up for the fourth, so this day was opened to all members in the Forums to try their hand at writing poetry for the season.
Rating: G 35 words
Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Ponderosa Pachyderm – by patina
Summary: A What Happened Next for Old Sheba.
Rating: K Word Count=4287
Summary: Ben decides to give Adam a welcome home party when he returns from college, but the preparations for it put a strain on everyone.
Rated: K 12,480 words
Ponderosa Pining – by freyakendra
Summary: Poems written in tribute to and framed around our boys, addressing the things that make them so special to us. Rated: K
“Ponderosa Pine” — An homage to the majestic guardian of Cartwright dreams.
“Ben’s Advice” — Cherish what you have, for blessings often carry a price
“The Cartwright Brothers, Three” — A sad yet endearing tale of Adam, old and tired, returning to what isn’t quite the empty home he’d expected.
“From Sea to Saddle” — A sonnet for Adam to honor Pernell’s birthday in response to a challenge posted by Cheaux at the forums.
“To Joe” — When letters don’t suffice, Adam drafts a poem to help Joe understand why he left.
Ponderosa Prankster – by GailG
Summary: With a prankster on the Ponderosa. No telling who the next victim will be.
Rating: G
Words: 13,400
Ponderosa Spirit (The) – by Joan Markowitz
Synopsis: A mischievous spirit (Poltergeist) attaches itself to Hoss and gives him and others in the family a rough time.
(This is a script I wrote that NBC was scheduled to produce, but due to the untimely death of Dan Blocker it didn’t happen.)
Rating: G Words 12,285
Summary: Adam gets into a sticky mess at Halloween. This is a fun story written for an October 2015 photo challenge. The posted picture was the challenge – what were Hoss and Joe looking at?
Rating K Word count = 1000
Ponderosa Yuletide Wit – by wx4rmk
Summary: A poem about Adam’s clever wit bringing joy and cheer during the holidays.
Rating: G (210 words)
Summary: Joe, eager to find something to call his own, joins the Pony Express with Adam’s help. Aside from a passing reference to Ben’s investment in the Pony Express, this story is unrelated to the Season 7 episode “Ride the Wind” which was out of sync with history. The Pony Express existed for 18 months from April 1860 to October 1861 when Joe was 18.
Rating: T 5,700 words
Poor Side of Town (The) – by ACSPeej
Summary: Will Virginia City and the Ponderosa survive during Hop Sing’s and his cousins and their families’ two-week family reunion in San Francisco?
Rating: T 24,070 words
Porcupine Creek – by LillianMontane
Summary: Adam takes care of Joe after a run-in with a wild animal.
Rated: T
Word count: 2917
Summary: Ben has just found the very spot he wants to call home. Can he look past his fear and build his dream into a reality?
Rating: K 650
Power of Blood (The) – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Two brothers battle to keep each other alive.
Rated: K Word Count: 17550
Power of Goodbye (The) – Jess Cartwright
Synopsis: Ponderosa Fan-Fic. The Nevada Territory is plagued by a heat wave and the Greene Ranch is hit the hardest when their house catches fire. Margaret withdraws from the town and Hoss is the only one who might be able to help her… if he can only get over his own guilt.
Rating: PG Words: 4,105
Summary: Joe’s lack of interest in a new girl in town sparks a barrage of intimidation and tragedy.
10,160 words Rated: T
Power of Love #2 – At All Costs – by Rona
Summary: A sequel to Power of Love. On a business trip to Sacramento, Joe encounters Bethany again. Will he survive this time?
Rated: K+ 11,470 words
Power of Love (The) – by BensReader
Summary: After an accident takes place, involving Ben, he is rescued by someone from his past.
Rated: K+ WC 2600
Power of Love (The) – by DebbieB
Summary: Adam and Joe are at it again. When Joe’s temper gets the better of him and he screams out an obscenity, unknowingly cutting his usually reserved brother to the deepest core, Adam retaliates. The end result happens when brother must save brother from a pair of thugs with a grudge against Adam.
Rated PG WC 24,300
Power of the Lake (The) – by AC1830
Summary: Whether it’s for a crisis, a romance, or good old family fun, the Cartwrights are drawn to Lake Tahoe.
Rating – K, WC – 1603
Power of Words (The) – by Puchi Ann
Summary: While sitting in jail, Adam Cartwright ponders the potency of words.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 1,203
Practice Makes Perfect – by patina
Summary: Marie is entering the final weeks of her pregnancy with the newest Cartwright. Will the baby’s birth go according to plan?
Rating: K Word Count=3699
Prank or Not (The) – by BettyHT
Summary: Joe and Hoss do enjoy scheming for fun at Adam’s expense, but as with many of Joe’s schemes, there are unintended consequences.
Rating: T Word count: 1,257
Precious Possessions – by SusanG
Summary: After spending twenty years in prison, has a man returned to Virginia City to exact revenge?
Rating: T 11,540 words
Synopsis: Sometimes life takes a man in a direction he never intended to go.
Rating: T 1682 Words
Prelude #2 – Junction – by JC
Summary: After an extended absence, Adam Cartwright is returning home to the Ponderosa. But an overnight stop in a California town leads to an unforeseeable delay.
Rating: T Word Count: 17939
Summary: Poor judgement leads to a young man’s death, and Adam and Joe are caught in the aftermath.
Rated: K+ 13,490 words
Summary: After sixteen-year-old Adam discovers a mysterious cave, disturbing events follow.
5940 words Rating K
Summary: Can a man truly know when he is going to die? If that time has arrived, can anything be done to change his fate?
Rated: K+ WC 7000
Summary: A simple day in town turns into something more than expected, as a looming sense of apprehension strikes the Cartwrights.
Rated: K+ 5,330 words
Summary: A dying man’s warning and a hunter anxious to target the ideal prey set Adam and Joe on a race for their lives.
Rated: T
Summary: What is the price for standing up for your convictions?
Rating: T 6,880 words
Price of Friendship – by DebbieB
Summary: My version of what happened next after Joe destroyed his lifelong friendship with Mitch Devlin in, Between Heaven and Earth.
Rated: G 3,450 words
Price of Friendship (The) – by SusanG
Summary: Joe isn’t as accepting as the rest of the family when a man from their past returns.
Word Count: 14,500 Rated: T
Price of Truth (The) – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Did Marie have a secret that she kept from Ben?
Rated: T Word Count: 69500
Price You Pay (Thre) – by Linda Br
Synopsis: Adam takes a 15 year old Joe to San Francisco on a business trip. On the way home, the journey goes terribly wrong, for both of them.
Rating: PG-13 Words: 17,450
Pride and Ponderosa – by sandspur
Summary: What happens when Jane Austen’s ultimate chick-fic, “Pride & Prejudice,” crosses into the burly, macho, he-man world of Bonanza? Confusion? Kidnappings? Crossover characters from other series like “Bronco” and “the Big Valley”? Anything can happen—and anything does!
Rating: T. Totally clean, but one description of an unseemly death. WC 86,200
Pride and Promises – by Barbara
Summary: With an increase the boys’ workload; will it be smooth sailing or will this be the straw to break the camel’s back?
Rating: K+ 6,800 words
Synopsis: A poem about what can happen when a man’s pride gets in the way of love. If the subject is a Cartwright, it’s bound to be Adam.
Rating: T Word Count: 400
Pride Comes Before a Fall – by JoanS
Summary: Adam prepares to apply for Harvard.Rating: K+ 37,050 words
Summary: A WHN for Pride of a Man. Joe has one more lesson to teach.
WC 1000 Rating: T
Summary: Just how stubborn can a man be? And how much will he suffer for his pride?
Rated: PG 13 for cruel images. 14, 860 words
Summary: Some men stand by their principles, even when there may be a high price to pay for it. A WHIB for Death at Dawn.
Rating: T Word Count-1243
Summary: A tasking mistress draws Ben away from his family. Will it take losing his family before he sets his priorities right?
Rating: K+ 19,460 words
Summary: An unexpected visit sheds light on some of the privacy of Adam
Rated: MA WC 5500
Summary: When Little Joe is released from prison after serving two years for a crime he didn’t commit, he must fight to rebuild his life as the Cartwrights struggle to protect the bonds that hold the family close.
WARNING: Contains references to violence and sexual assault. Rated: MA
Summary: Accused of murder, the family appeals the conviction and sets out to prove Joe’s innocence.
Rating: T 52,510 words
Summary: In an effort to keep Paul Martin alive and well, the Cartwrights have to match wits with someone whose reality is a very dark place indeed.
Rating: T 18,800 words
Summary: An unconventional older woman; an exceptional young man – everybody has to learn from someone, and Adam is fortunate to find the perfect teacher.
Rating: T 6,245 words
Problem (The) – by LillianMontane
Summary: Hoss thought Joe’s problem with food had been solved years ago. But he wasn’t as right as he thought.
Rating: T, discussion of eating disorders.
Word count: 2,343
Problem with Ezra (The) – by Krystyna
Summary: Sometimes certain people are overlooked until a situation arises when they can not be ignored any longer, which really was the problem with Ezra.
Rating: G 4,510 words
Summary: Joe runs from the law after facing a lynch mob after he is accused of murdering a woman.
Rating: T 19,840 words
Prodigal (The) #1 – by slaine89
Summary: A fight with Adam causes fifteen year old Joe to leave the ranch, and events take a turn for the worse, making it impossible for him to return home whether he wants to or not.
Rated: K 29,195 words
Prodigal (The) #2 – The Outlaw – by slaine89
Summary: Sequel to The Prodigal. Joe is struggling to forget San Quentin State Prison when one of his fellow prisoners shows up wounded on his doorstep.
Rated: K 24,660 words
Prodigal Father (The) – by Jayne
Summary: A prequel: After the sudden death of Marie, Ben Cartwright withdraws himself from his sons, leaving Adam to take care of his young brothers during one of the hardest moments in their lives.
Rated: K+ 5300
Prodigal Sons #1 – by Questfan
Summary: Pitching brother against brother is a cruel game, but turning father against son is even better. Long buried hatred resurfaces in an unexpected way with devastating consequences for the whole family.
Word Count: 39,833 Rating: T
Prodigal Sons #2 – A Friend in Need – by Questfan
Summary: A sequel to Prodigal Sons with some of the characters from that story. When Adam receives an urgent telegram, calling in a marker, he has no idea what he is riding into. A tale of brothers and the bonds that hold them together, no matter what comes against them. This story does go into OC territory, but it all ties in with our favourite family along the way.
Word Count: 39,542 Rating: T
Summary: The introduction of a mowing machine causes problems for the Cartwrights. 5,205 words
Rated: T
Promise Trilogy (The) #1 – by Wrangler
Summary: The Promise is a three-part trilogy.
Rated: T WC 31,000
Promise Trilogy (The) #2 – The Jonah – by Wrangler
Summary: This is the second story of The Promise Trilogy.
Rated. T WC 30,000
Promise Trilogy (The) #3 – With Wings as Eagles – by Wrangler
Summary: This is part 3 of a Trilogy.
Rated: T WC 34,000
Promises – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Adam made a promise he never really thought about during his college days. Now…he finds himself facing one fact…he has a promise to fulfill.
Rated: T 14,500 words
Summary: Rustler strike the ranches around Virginia City, leaving one family grieving and a second worried they too might lose a loved one.
Rating: T 25,550 words
Summary: Joe witnesses a bank robbery, but he is treated more like a suspect than a witness. Can Adam and Hoss get to the bottom of what is going on before it costs Joe his life?
9,455 words Rated: T
Summary: A series of mishaps and an illness show the Cartwrights that it’s not just Ben who has protective urges.
11,425 words Rated: T
Summary: A spat between brothers leads to dire consequences for a third when he take on a task one of them should have done, and encounters bank robbers while in town.
Rating T 12,000 words
Protector (The) – by Sierra Girl
Summary: After six years away, Adam is on his way home. But events conspire against him to delay his long-anticipated return, and he finds himself up to his eyes in a plight that threatens both his life and those around him. With his father and brothers one step behind, will they be able to reach him in time to bring him home to the Ponderosa.
Rated: T 49,558 words
Summary: A WHN for “The Quest.” Adam is taken aback by his reaction to Joe’s success with the Sun Mountain Mining Company contract.
Rated: K+ WC 8300
Summary: This is my story for the May challenge.
Rated: K+ WC 700
Summary: Adam helps a friend whose spouse was wrongly convicted and executed. The song was the inspiration but has nothing to do with the story itself. Published elsewhere as Deadly Conspiring in a shorter version.
Rating: PG Word count: 3,183
Proverbial Chinaman (The) – by Hart4Ben
Summary: A post-canon tribute to Hop Sing.
Rating: K Word Count: 1090
Summary: When Joe returns home with a child that he claims is his, the story is not quite what anyone expects.
Rating – T Word Count – 14,709
Prudence and the Frog – by JoaniePaiute
Summary: What girl wouldn’t be distracted by Adam Cartwright’s presence in church? Shy, reserved Prudence Dane is no exception. Enter little Bobby, a baby frog, and…well, the devil makes her do it.
Rated: K 1250 words
Summary: The strength of ten in one.
Rating: G 1,430 words
Summary: After Joe is attacked by Apaches in an incident that threatens a fragile peace, he is left hanging somewhere between life and death, between Heaven and Hell, and, more importantly, between Army soldiers and Apache warriors on the verge of war. How long must his family watch before the risk of waiting outweighs the risk of action? With Ben facing the ultimate sacrifice, Adam drawn into a fight to the death, Hoss preparing for the worst, and Joe praying for the unthinkable, this is a tale of strength, courage and the limits of human endurance.
Rating: T WC 9600
Summary: One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Written for the Dan Blocker 2012 Birthday Challenge
WC 800 Rated: K
Summary: These are some of Adam’s brooding thoughts about events before he left the Ponderosa. It’s a rather dark tone in the story. I wrote this many years ago, and I must have been in that kind of mood.
PG 4,150
Summary: A quiet evening at home with Ben and the boys results in a scolding for Joe, frustration for Adam, aggravation for Ben and satisfaction for Hoss.
Rated: T 2,160 words