Summary: Little Joe is almost caught in a brothel when he is 17.

Rating: M
Word count: 1476

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Lilah hummed a small laugh when the young man seemed unsure how to continue. She stroked a hand down his bare back and cupped his cheek with the other. He held his eyes tightly closed and his mouth hung slightly open. She could feel his heart racing as he fought to keep his breathing and his body under control. She shifted slightly underneath him and flexed her pelvic muscles, drawing a moan from the young man. But he took the hint and haltingly drew out of her before thrusting back in. He moaned again and tucked his forehead into her shoulder. She chuckled again, knowing that this would be over and done with before too long. A young buck like him though would certainly get it up again soon and have another go at it. She ignored the shouting that started outside the room and down the hall. The young man she was entertaining for the night however, looked up sharply.

“JOSEPH FRANCIS CARTWRIGHT. IF I FIND YOU IN HERE….!!!”

Joe shoved himself away from Lilah and frantically yanked his clothes back on just as the door opened. His eyes widened and he froze. 

“Don’t just stand there! If Pa finds you here and finds out that I was the one who brought you, we’re both dead!” Joe couldn’t ever remember seeing his oldest brother actually scared of their father before, but he certainly was now. Adam put Joe’s hat on his little brother’s head and shoved him toward the window. “I left you at the mercantile. I told you to meet me outside here in an hour. I’m late. You wandered off. Now go!” Joe climbed out the window and Adam took off his own shirt and kicked off his boots. He unfastened all but one button on his pants and ran a hand through his hair to complete the facade. He glanced at Lilah who still sat on the bed with a sheet now pulled up around herself. “You were with me. You’ve never even seen my little brother. Got it?” She nodded.

Adam opened the door to reveal a very irate Ben Cartwright just making it to the top of the brothel steps.

“YOU! WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?”

“Pa!”

“He is only seventeen, Adam. What is he doing in an establishment like this?!”

“Pa, stop shouting, please!”

Ben backed Adam back into the room. “Where is Joseph?!”

“He’s not here! I left him at the mercantile!”

“You most certainly did not. His horse is right outside. Do not lie to me, boy.” Ben’s voice had dropped from shouting to deadly threatening. Adam swallowed. He wasn’t sure which was more terrifying. “We came into town to place the order for the fencing supplies we’ll need in the next few weeks. I left him at the mercantile and told him to meet me outside here in an hour. Guess I lost track of time.” Adam gestured at Lilah while he said the last part. 

Ben glared at his eldest son but couldn’t find any hole to poke in the story. “Is that true?” His gaze pierced Lilah instead. Her eyes widened, “He came up here with me over an hour ago now.”

“You haven’t been with my younger son?”

“Adam paid for my services, sir.” Adam smiled slightly at Lilah’s response. She didn’t lie. He had paid for her services, but it had been for his youngest brother. Little Joe was seventeen now, and bound to be getting into trouble. He had confided in their other brother Hoss that his friends Mitch and Seth were bragging about having been with women. Joe had told Hoss that he didn’t want to be left behind. Hoss of course was worried where that would lead and had brought up the issue to Adam who had cornered Joe while Ben was out of town in Genoa for a week. 

*******yesterday*

“Joe, you tell me honestly. What are Seth and Mitch talking you into?” 

“N…nothing Adam! Why, what have you heard?”

Adam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Joe, you’re not a kid anymore. I know what it’s like to be your age and have friends bragging about certain things. But you-”

“Adam!” Joe blushed and interrupted his brother, really not wanting to have this conversation. 

“But you have to remember not to do anything stupid.” Adam continued ignoring the interruption.

“I’m not gonna do anything stupid!” 

“No? What did your friends tell you?”

“Adam, I really don’t want to have this conversation with you!” Joe’s voice turned pleading.

“Well too bad, cause it’s happening. Joe, you can’t just be doing whatever you want with whomever you want. There’s-”

“I know that!”

Adam glared at him for interrupting again. “There’s places for this sort of thing.”

“Adam please! I… what?” Joe stopped talking and just stared at his oldest brother before not thinking of anything to say and settling on repeating, “What?”

“Like I said, you’re seventeen. You’re gonna be doing this whether I want you to or not. If you do things with the wrong person, you could ruin both of your reputations or your lives. If you go to the wrong place, you could… catch something. I’d rather you go somewhere that is at least discrete and safe.”

And that is how Adam and Joe Cartwright found themselves in the foyer for The Diamond Lil. For all his talk with his friends, Joe was actually quite nervous. He stood nearby as Adam spoke with the proprietor Lily and she batted her eyelashes at him. He didn’t come in very often, but when he did all the girls clambered to be his choice. He had a particular person in mind tonight though. He paid the fee and Lilah walked over and took Joe by the hand to lead him up to her room. He looked back over his shoulder at his older brother who just flashed him a grin and wink. 

Adam sat down in the foyer and chatted with the girls there while he waited for his brother. They had placed the order for the fencing supplies before coming down to the Diamond Lil and they had until tomorrow for their father to be back from Genoa, so Adam figured Joe wouldn’t have to rush through anything. He smiled back at Ruth before catching sight of a very familiar buckskin horse walking past the window. 

“Aw hell.” Adam swore under his breath. With how distinctive Joe’s horse was, there was about zero chance that Ben had missed seeing it outside. He stood and ran up the stairs, making it to the top and around the corner before hearing his father’s bellow.

*******back to the present*

Ben glared at his oldest son again before apologizing to Lilah and leaving the room. Adam followed him, putting his clothes back into order and mouthing ‘thank you’ to the girl. She smiled back at him, entertained by the whole proceeding. He followed meekly behind his father as he stormed out of the Diamond Lil. Adam grinned at the girls downstairs, his dimples making an appearance and assuring them that he’d handled the situation. 

The two of them stood on the boardwalk outside the establishment and Ben again fixed Adam with a harsh look. “Would you care to explain then, just where your younger brother is, son?”

“Well, Pa, we were going to leave from here. He musta walked away for a bit.” Not a lie, Adam reasoned, just vague.

Their heads both turned when they heard the voice of the person in question. “Hey Pa!” Joe waved and crossed the street with Hiram Wood. “Thought you weren’t back until tomorrow! Hey Adam, sorry. I was gonna wait for ya, but ran into Mr. Wood instead.” Joe’s disarming smile and innocent eyes seemed to be able to get him out of any trouble, and today they solidified his story. Adam couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. Trust his little brother to find the most reliable alibi possible. 

“Adam, we’ll discuss your role-modeling later. I’ll see you both at home.” Ben walked off with Hiram and the boys mounted their horses to head back to the Ponderosa. 

“Phew, Adam, I thought we were dead for sure.”

Adam laughed and agreed with his little brother. “Yeah, I wasn’t too sure he was gonna buy the story. Good thing you move quick! And think quick for that matter. Nice choice of witness.” 

Joe grinned at his oldest brother. “Good thing the window leads to the alley. He didn’t see me climbing outta the window, so all I had to do was tell him I was waiting for you and it wasn’t a lie!”

“Too bad your first time was ruined though.” Adam grimaced.

“Yeah… Sure will be memorable though!” Joe’s laugh followed him as he spurred Cochise to a lope toward home.

END