Click title to read story.
Summary: Ben pays for the night before, much of which he can’t remember.
Written for day 24 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
Rating: G Word Count: 1400
Summary: Hoss fights his family while they fight for his life.
Rating: K+ 15,371 words
Summary: Joe asks Adam the meaning of the words “half brother”. Can Adam explain it correctly so a ten-year old Joe can understand?
Rating: G Word count: 1250
Half of Nothing, All of Everything – by DebbieB
Summary: Dan, Bobby and Cody have decided that they don’t want Joe’s kind at school any more. But just what is Joe’s kind? And what did they mean when they told him that he was half of nothing? Can he find the courage to prove to everyone, including himself, that he’s much more than that to those who love him most?
Rated: PG13 for fight scenes. 8,700 words
Half-Brothers, Half-Truths, and Whole Hearts – by MissJudy
Summary: Adam has been home from school for a short time when he witnesses 11 year-old Joe “stealing” from a store in town. After finding out that his brother had been pressured into doing this by two brothers who are new to the area, he tries to help. His assistance is met by Joe’s anger, resentment, and profession that Adam means nothing to him anymore. Adam still promises that he will protect Joe from these boys…or die trying. His words prove prophetic.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 21,463
Hallow’s Eve – by DebbieB & JennieA
Summary: Just when you think it’s safe to go to a Harvest Barn Dance.
Rated: PG 10,080 words
Hallow’s Eve – by JennieA & DebbieB
Summary: Just when you think it’s safe to go to a Harvest Barn Dance.
Rated: PG 10,080 words
Halloween Campfire Stories – by BettyHT
Summary: What is there to do on a dark and rainy evening on a fall cattle drive than to tell spooky stories to entertain each other. Some have humor, some have mystery, and some have a bit of a fright factor.
rating = T WC = 11,760
Halloween of the Heart – by SJR Cartwright
Summary: It’s Halloween night. Things happen. Some things are special. And some are very special. Share this night with a woman in love and will soon have heart’s desire come true. Alternative Universe. Written for the 2021 Bonanza Brand Boonanza Challenge.
Rating: T Word Count: 1430
Halloween Silly – by SJR Cartwright
Summary: The silliest things can happen. Halloween is a perfect time for nonsense. The Cartwrights had some special guests for their dinner this night.
Rating: G Word Count: 501
Hand of Fate (The) – by SusanG
Summary: The stage on which Joe is riding home is held up and robbed, sending Ben and Hoss on a mission to rescue Joe.
Rating: T 19,900 words
Handkerchief (The) – by freyakendra
Summary: Caught in a mudslide, Little Joe’s survival might just depend on a lacy handkerchief. Written for the 2018 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.
Rated: K+ 1,675 words
Summary: Joe and Adam plan on an afternoon at the summer picnic. Unfortunately, their plans aren’t compatible. Hoss has plans too, but he ought to know better than to listen to Joe, if he wants a quiet boys’ afternoon!
Rating: G (7,170 words)
Hangin’ Tree (The) – by DebbieB
Summary: Left hanging from an old oak tree to die a horrific death, Joe’s life takes on a strange twist when he is cut down. An old mountain woman that he meets, isn’t what she appears to be. Neither is anyone else it seems.
Rated: PG13 for violence 30,700 words
Hanging Around – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The weather is getting colder and the Cartwrights discuss their winter jackets, under the watchful gaze of the Giggly Sisters and Pa.
Rated: K+ WC 1900
Hanging Posse (The) – by Jules / J7339
Summary: Ben Cartwright is confronted by some rather angry husbands and families of Fanfiction writers who try and take matters in to their own hands to get some normality in their lives.
Rated: K+ 5,075 words
Hangtown Nightmares – by BettyHT
Summary: Appropriate to the Halloween season, Adam has nightmares from a troubling experience he had while visiting Placerville. It affects his relationships with his family, but the nature of the dreams means he cannot discuss them with his family and must face the issue alone. Although there is nothing specific, there are implications of sexual behavior so this is a warning if that offends you.
Rating = R/Mature Word count = 1888
Happy Birthday, Big Brother – by DebbieB
Summary: Joe is away on Adam’s special day, but still manages to send his respects.
Rated: G 1,200 words
Happy Birthday, Hoss! – by DJK
Summary: It’s Hoss’ first birthday, and Adam’s determined it will be special.
Rated: K+ Word count: 4765
Happy Birthday, Pa – by DebbieB
Summary: Joe’s down in Texas on Pa’s birthday…but he hasn’t forgotten his father’s special day. He has written a letter home to wish Ben a Happy Birthday.
Rated: G 780 words
Happy Father’s Day, Pa – by DebbieB
Summary: Away on business once again, Joe writes a letter home, accusing his father of purposely sending him away on every holiday.
Rating: G 1,900 words
Happy Mother’s Day, Pa – by DebbieB
Summary: Little Joe pays homage to his father, on Mother’s Day
Rating: G 1,225 words
Harbor Lights – by SadieSpinner
Synopsis: On a Business trip to San Francisco Ben finds himself haunted by the harbor lights-until a turn of events brings them into focus, and in doing so remind him how much of himself there is in his sons.
Rating G (18,950 words)
Hard Headed Woman – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: Marie would do anything to protect her sons, anything…including this.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 737
ummary: Two opposites collide, a serial killer targeting young men and 17 year old Little Joe whose cavalier attitude puts him in harm’s way.
Rating T, WC 31,000
Summary: The brothers toil over a gift the Widow Hawkins intends to give the local orphanage.
Rating: G 2,365 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.
Summary: The annual Harvest Dance turns into a harrowing experience for Little Joe. outlaws, kidnapping, SJS, JAM JPM
Rating K+ 7,895 words
Harvest Dance #2 – Repercussions – by Belle
Summary: Returning the outlaws to Virginia City to face justice initiates a chain of violent events.
8,634 words Rating: K+
Harvest Festival – by ljlover2001
Summary: Joe soon begins to regret a hasty decision
Rated: K 1,835 words
Hat in the Water (The) – by debpet
Summary: Joe and Hoss spot something floating in a pond, and the implications are devastating
Rated: K+ WC 2500
Summary: A local man marries an Indian girl, and stirs up a racial backlash, which encompasses the Cartwrights, who offer friendship.
10,500 words Rated: T
Summary: After Little Joe’s testimony helps put a noose around the neck of a murderer, his nightmares are nothing compared to the reality that comes to haunt him.
Rated: T word count: 25,450
Summary: Hoss has an otherworldly experience after a dangerous man has an angry and violent outburst against his father putting other members of the family at risk too.
Rating: PG Word count: 1043
Haunting (The) #1 – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: It sounds like a Halloween story and there is a ghost story involved, but it is more a story of Adam coming to terms with his lost dreams and making a decision on his future.
Rating = T Word Count = 18559
Haunting (The) #2 – Broken – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: In this one, there is a darker tone as Adam and Savannah have to face a villainous foe who will stop at nothing to get a major part of the Ponderosa for the timber there.
Rating = T Word count = 11,947
Haunting (The) #3 – Christmas Story – by BettyHT
SUMMARY: This is, as the title suggests though, a lighter story set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day focusing mostly on Adam and his wife, Savannah, and children, Owen and Eva, although Adam’s father and brothers play roles in the drama as well.
Rating: PG Word count = 4496
Hauntings and Nightmares – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a prequel in which Adam returns from college, and Little Joe has bad dreams and bad friends which turn out to be a terrible combination. Trouble on the Ponderosa combines with that to cause a combustible situation and Little Joe is the key to resolving the complex web as he learns some important lessons. It is the key to resolving a problem years later as well.
Rating = T 21,071
Have a Civil New Year – by MicheleBE
Summary: Aaron and Rebekah Kaufmann have a New Year’s Day that starts out badly.
Rated: K+ 605 words
Summary: What’s wrong with being ‘a good friend’? Nothing, unless…
Rating: T 1,650 words
Summary: When the abduction of one brother leads to injury for another, it seems that two Cartwrights may be about to meet their maker. But fraternal bonds aren’t easily severed, especially on Paiute land.
Rating: PG-13 / Word count: 12,596
Summary: In this prequel, Ben tries for a romantic interlude, but the weather and hay fever conspire against him.
Rating: PG Word Count: 1,619
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – by freyakendra
Summary: When Hoss’s life is hanging in the balance, Joe gives no thought to the limits of his own strength.
Rated: K+ WC 2800
He Had a Bad Day – by Ffeyakendra
Summary: No bad day could ever compare to Joe’s bad day. Next time you have a bad day, read this and suddenly it won’t seem so bad after all!
Rated: K+ WC 6400
He Just Wanted to Help – by Lima
Summary: Ben is away on business, leaving 22-year-old Adam in charge of the ranch and his brothers. However, a bank robbery in Carson City and Little Joe’s stubborn insistence on helping is more than enough trouble for him. After Adam forbids Joe from helping, the 10-year-old decides to take matters into his own hands and ends up in the hands of the robbers. Now the only chance Adam has of seeing his youngest brother again is to track down the robbers, and hope he finds them in time.
Rated: K+ 35,170 words
He Said Not To Tell – by DebbieB
The author requests those who wish to read this series contact her via eMail: DLB1234@aol.com
Summary: Fifteen year old Little Joe tells his father that he wants to get married. Ben isn’t at a loss for words; he has plenty to say on the subject. When the truth is revealed, hearts are broken. Find out why.
Rated: R…deals with incest and rape, but no graphic details. 16,550 words
He was Brave that Day – by Robin
Summary: It all started with Hoss saving the life of a neighbor.
Rating: T 6,800 words
Summary: What Happened Next for the episode “Triangle”
Rating: K+ 7,100 words
Summary: A short WHN for Hoss’ loss of Margie.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 694
He’s Gone – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: Joe’s thoughts as he rides after Billy Chapin. A missing scene from The Legacy.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 575
He’s My Father Too – by MissJudy
Summary: Farmer Perkins and Sam Bryant are dead and Ben is safe, yet his sons are at odds. Little Joe and Adam’s argument tears them apart, and Hoss realizes that while his father survived, the bond between his other brothers died at dawn. Ben wants to solve things but must step back to let his sons find their way back to each other.
Rating K 20,920 words
Head Examining on the High Sierra! – A REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: The aftermath of Tirza.
Rating: T 2,570 words
Head, Heart, and Gut – by freyakendra
Summary: Joe postpones a tough decision—and learns about the power of “3.”
Rated: K+ WC 2000
Summary: Adam’s unexpected illness; an unexpected visitor, and Ben’s unexpected reaction to a developing situation leaves the Cartwright home in upheaval. Can the information this stranger holds, bring healing to old and new wounds?
Rating: G Word Count: 25743
Healing Process (The) – by JoanS
Summary: An accident leaves Joe and Cochise emotionally hurt and estranged from each other.
Rated: T 22,465 words
Healing Touch (The) – by SusanG
Summary: Joe is wounded when the stage he and Ben were riding in is robbed.
Word Count: 5100 Rated T
Heap on More Wood! – by Heather-Chrysalis
Summary: He only did what he needed to do.
Rating: G Words: 160
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
Heart of a Hero (The) – by Christy
Summary: Joe and Hoss have taken time off on a fine spring day to go fishing when something terribly wrong brings the Cartwright’s worst nightmare to reality. How will the heart of a hero see them through their darkest days? I’m sorry I’m not a Jamie fan. He does not exist in this story.
Rating: G 8,200 words
Summary: While being held prisoner by a gang of bank robbers, Joe makes contact with a man from his past. Confused by why this certain person is associated with the bandits, Joe struggles to put the pieces of the puzzle into one. Not until much heartache later is the truth revealed to him, and then it is up to Joe to learn to forgive.
Rated: G 13,425 words
Summary: A new school teacher comes to town and Adam and Hoss fear their little brother is growing too attached to her. Little do they know that the real danger is to their father. Will Ben’s heart break if he dares to love again, and what secrets does this mysterious woman hold?
Word count: 50,584 Rated: PG-13
Heart of the Ponderosa – by Jules / J7339
Summary: A sad time for all at the Ponderosa
Rated: K+ 900 words
Heartaches by the Dozen – sklamb
Summary: Life hadn’t been going exactly as planned, nor as dreamed.
Rating: G 1,530 words
Written for the Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Summary: As the first anniversary of Marie’s death approaches, Ben takes the boys to San Francisco in an attempt to divert them from sad memories. Instead the family is faced with their worst nightmares. Can the fire in their hearts keep them going long enough to survive one more tragic event?
Rating: PG 14,680 words
Hearts Afire #2 – Choices – by Christy
Summary: Just before Adam goes away to college, an unexpected near tragedy teaches him how choices in his life may or may not change how his family feels about him…no matter where he is. Rating: G 5,200 words
Hearts Afire #3 – Consequences – by Christy
Summary: Adam made choices when he left for college. Now eight years later, there is an empty spot in the hearts of Ben, Hoss and most especially Little Joe. What will the final consequences of Adam’s choices be and how will those consequences affect Little Joe and the Cartwright’s?
Rated: PG for some violence 12,650 words
Summary: Ben blames himself for the condition of his two desperately wounded sons.
Rated: K+ 6,590 words
Summary: There’s more than one way to cool down during a heat wave, or did things just get steamier?
Rating: T 2,525 words
Summary: Joe makes a promise. An October Chaps & Spurs challenge response.
Rated: K+ 2,375 words
Hell or High Water… The Day Will Come – by DebbieB
Summary: Both Ben and Little Joe become the target for revenge when a neighbor’s son dies in an accident that might have been prevented if only….
Rated: PG contains some violence 22, 050 words
Hellbent, Population – 98 – by Wrangler
Summary: On a layover in the town of Hellbent, Ben and Joe encounter more than they ever expected. Now they recount their story to Hoss and hope he believes them.
Rating T WC 16,326
Hello Darkness — or, The Sound of Silence – by PSW
Summary: Written for the Missing Man Challenge — Add Adam into any Season 7-14 episode as if he never left. My story is a WHI for ‘To Die In Darkness’ — Season 9.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 14,737
Help Wanted – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: Running the Ponderosa is a full-time job, as we all know. But who takes care of all the little tasks that make a house a home? Rated: K+ WC 2000
Summary: Joe is ambushed and left to die on a lonely road.
Rated: T 20,900 words
Summary: When the rifle Adam bought as a gift for Pa is stolen, Hoss wrangles Joe into helping him find a way to make it all better.
Rating: G (Words: 6,620)
Hens and Chickens or Wrench aka Three French Hens – by Patina
Summary: It’s not exactly the twelve days of Christmas, but this present was the best of all.
Rating: G 1,180 words
Summary: For all the mothers out there who give us so much. An innocent comment by the reverend at church sends 40 year old Ben Cartwright on a journey into his young son’s hearts.
Rated: G Word count: 3,427
Summary: A WHI for “The First Born.” Ben recounts the arrival of Clay Stafford, Marie’s first-born son.
Rated: K+ WC 16,600
Her First Born #2 – Saying Goodbye – by pjb
Summary: Eight years after Clay Stafford’s departure from the Ponderosa, the truth is revealed.
Rated: K WC 3700
Summary: Not exactly a WHN for My Brother’s Keeper, but the action takes place after that story and involves some reflection on its events, as once again Adam finds himself pondering whether to move back East to a more “civilized” country. Rating: K+ Word Count: 2,051
Heritage Companion – Centennial! A Journey of Discovery – by Puchi Ann
Summary: When Adam receives his father’s permission to take one brother with him on an extended trip east to visit the Centennial Exposition, even he is surprised at which brother he chooses and at the critical turn the grand adventure takes.
Rating: K+ Word Count: 277, 566
Heritage Companion – Never Alone – by Puchi Ann
Summary: The first weeks after the death of Inger Cartwright, as seen through the eyes of young Adam. The time and location of her death correspond to the Heritage of Honor series, which differs to a minor degree from the series.
Word Count: 2680 Rating: K+
Heritage of Honor, Book 1 – A Dream Deferred – by Puchi Ann
Summary: Ben Cartwright meets and marries Inger Borgstrom. With young Adam, they journey west, meeting new people along the way, developing friendships that will last a lifetime, and adding one more member to the family before Inger’s death and Ben’s settlement in what will become Nevada.
Word Count: 211, 512 Rating: K
Heritage of Honor, Book 2 – A Dream’s First Bud – by Puchi Ann
Summary: As he deals with problems in a sparsely settled land, Ben fights his own loneliness after Inger’s death. Another death takes him to New Orleans, where he meets Marie, and they return to struggles at home and the birth of a third son.
Word Count: 200,442 Rating: T
Heritage of Honor, Book 3 – A Dream Imperiled – by Puchi Ann
Summary: The Cartwrights are caught up in ever-increasing conflict between Indians and white settlers, culminating in the greatest peril of all, the Pyramid Lake Indian War.
Rating: T Word Count: 222,074
Heritage of Honor, Book 4 – A Dream’s Darkest Hour – by Puchi Ann
Summary: Ben Cartwright begins to see his boldest dreams take root and blossom, but dark clouds loom on the horizon. The long-dreaded storm of the Civil War breaks, and the death of Marie plunges the Cartwrights into the darkest hour of their lives.
Rating: T Word Count: 196,262
Heritage of Honor, Book 5–A Dream Divided – by Puchi Ann
Summary: Following the death of his wife Marie and his son Adam’s departure for college, Ben Cartwright and his two younger sons struggle to deal with both losses while meeting the challenges of a growing community and the crises in the lives of their friends.
Word Count: 161850 Rated: T
Summary: All Joe wanted was some blackberry pie; was that too much to ask for?
Rating: T mild violence and a mention of blood
Word Count: 2659
Summary: Living up to the responsibility of being a Cartwright, places Joe’s life in jeopardy, more than once.
Rating: T 22,430 words
Hero of the Charles (The) – by Pat D in PA
Summary: When Adam finds himself short of cash, fate and his college buddy come up with an ingenious way to fatten his wallet! Written for the Second Quarter 2025 Chaps and Spurs Challenge.
Wordcount: 3,345
Summary: What makes a hero? Sometimes the answer isn’t what you’d expect. A bank robbery goes bad; in the midst of the chaos Joe and Adam are badly injured, and the Cartwrights struggle to find a way out.
Rated: T WC 16,200
Summary: Tensions are high as a powerful snowstorm blankets the Ponderosa. However, Adam’s quick thinking brings about more than one positive result.
Rating: K+ Word: 2005
Synopsis: Problems for Little Joe in school are a reflection of something else that is troubling him. A trip in the mountains with Adam reveals the problem.
Rating: G 24,280 words
Summary: Hoss is having trouble at school and uses a boast of Adam’s to help him out. The boast threatens to have tragic consequences when Adam feels obliged to carry it through.
Rating: G (11,300 words)
Summary: Hoss decides to sweeten one family’s day.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1256
Summary: Be careful what games you play!
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 1074
Summary: Joe is accused of murder.
Word Count: 18,000 Rated: T
Hiding in Fear – by BluewindFarm
Summary: An unenviable situation finds the brothers hiding and praying they won’t be found.
715 words Rating: K
High Cost of Pride (The) #1 – by HelenB
Summary: A young Ponderosa ranch hand learns that sometimes the cost of pride can be too high.
Rating: T 10,950 words
High Cost of Pride (The) #2 – The Seeds of Hate – by HelenB
Summary: When someone with a grudge against a friend of the Cartwrights starts causing trouble, the Cartwrights are drawn into it.
Rating: T 9,570 words
High Finance or, How to Keep your Mutton-Headed Sons from Getting Robbed – by PJB
SUMMARY: Oh, the lengths a father must go to in order to protect his sons. . .
Rating: K Word count: 1,100
Summary: A WHN for “The Gamble.” As events unfold subsequent to their being exonerated of robbery and murder charges, it becomes apparent that more was at stake in Alkalai than the Cartwrights knew.
3,570 words Rated: T
High Stakes in Ragtown – by DJK
Summary: The Carwright brothers stopped in Ragtown for a bath, food, and a trip to the saloon. They picked the wrong saloon. Of course, Opal did not think so.
Rating: T/PG13 Word count: 12,217
Hijacking a Family – by BettyHT
Summary: Hop Sing plays the pivotal role in this story about bringing a family member back where he belongs despite his resistance.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,143
Summary: Written for the November ‘missing scene’ challenge. Taken from The Legacy. What happens after Joe leaves Ben to chase after the poacher?
Rated: K+ Word Count: 4418
His Choice – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Adam finds himself having to choose between his family and a woman he falls in love with. There’s only one problem…he’s in a coma, and she’s in the twentieth century. Guess that makes this Sci-Fi .
Rated: T 18,088 words
Summary: He was special, even among the special men: his father. If only….
1,600 words, rated T
His Father’s Arms (by mcfair_58)
Summary: Written in honor of Lorne Green’s birthday, 2021. A stand-off at the bank reveals what’s truly important to Ben Cartwright.
Rated: PG Word count: 4088
His Father’s Son – by Inca / Tye
Summary: A murder on a cattle drive; Joe vanishes and Ben is forced to face the ghosts of the past, bringing his family into terrible danger. Only Hoss’ stoic perseverance and Adam’s selfless heroism can save the life of the youngest Cartwright. My response to an SJS challenge.
WC 26,000 Rated: T
Summary: The first story is about Adam at the beginning of his third year at college and his introduction to an extra-curricular activity. The second story follows Adam back to Boston, six years after graduating.
Rating: Mature audience SEXUALLY EXPLICIT 16,950 words
His First Time #2 – Return to Boston – by EROS
Summary: Follow Adam as he returns to Boston six years after graduating college.
Rating: MA – Mature Audiences only SEXUALLY EXPLICIT 7620 words
Summary: There’s a guest on the Ponderosa who is very taken with Adam, but she’s only three years old. It’s a Christmas story so there’s trouble but a warm fuzzy ending.
Rating: PG Word count: 1,181
His Legacy – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Hoss surprises the family by coming home with a wife. Only one problem…her brother wants her inheritance bad enough to kill.
Rating: K+ 22,200 words
Summary: The first Christmas after Hoss is gone is difficult for everyone even with Adam there.
Rating: PG Word count: 1223
Summary: A slice-of-life from Hop Sing’s point of view.
Rated: K Word count: 736
Summary: A WHN for the episode The Hunter. What did happen to Joe after those closing credits rolled?
9,360 words Rated: T
His Wild Irish Rose – by Tauna Petit-Strawn
Summary: Adam is shot and left for dead.
Rated: K+ 16,625 words
Synopsis: A tragic accident kills a family friend’s eldest son and nearly costs Ben the life of his eldest son. Will the advice Ben gives his eldest son about a younger brother bent on revenge be a costly mistake?
Rating: PG (10,250 words)
History Essay (The) – by patina
Summary: Little Joe has to write an essay on George Washington. His first draft is so bad that Adam makes him rewrite it. Ben can’t believe the second version got turned in. Read the final version and see if Little Joe finally got the facts right.
Rating: K Word Count=3554
Hitting the Barn Door – by Krystyna
Summary: A hot day and a lot of frayed tempers so Adam suggests going into town for a cool beer… only to be challenged to a duel.
Rated: K 3,040 words
Summary: When Little Joe comes up with another one of his infamous “bright ideas”; The Cartwright brothers find themselves in yet another “jam” in this fun-filled Christmas story.
Rated: K 4,410 words
Summary: A Hillbilly family seeks revenge after Joe kills two of their members. A WHN story for ‘The Spitfire’.
Rated: T 19,990 words
Summary: The best laid plan often doesn’t play out as we’d imagined. WHN for Any Friend of Walter’s.
Rating: K Word Count=1893
Summary: When Joe is trapped and facing what they believe will mean certain death, Adam’s heroic refusal to let go sets him on a heart-wrenching and soul-searching journey it takes Hoss to sort out. Excerpt: “And if the measure of a man’s worth in this life was in how much he refused to let go, then both Pa and Adam were worth more than Hoss could count”.
Rated: T WC 11,300
Summary: Adam returns from college and struggles to renew his relationship with Joe.
Rated: K+ 16,545 words
Hole in the Barn Door aka Pieces of the Whole – by Questfan
Summary: A failed attempt at past traditions leads to memories of the boys’ mothers. A AU post-series Christmas.
Rating G 1,900 words
Summary: Some people have devils on their heels, chasing them every step of the way. Others invite the devil to walk with them, right in their shoes. When Joe meets a man in chains for doing exactly that, he soon becomes devil’s bait in a deadly endgame for the man’s hollow soul. Can good overcome evil when the devil holds all the cards?
Rated: T Word Count: 19,600
Summary: Adam returns home after a long absence and find things quite different than he left them.
Rated: G 25, 300 words
Summary: Where we love is home. A short WHIB for Forever.
Rating: K Word Count=1701
Summary: Hoss and Joe alone at home. A prequel
Rated: K WC 600
Summary: Ben has waited anxiously for Adam and Joe to return from the war. Adam comes home carrying a secret that has virtually destroyed him and Joe at the same time. How will the family go on?
Rated: PG 19,150 words
Summary: Wanting to go home after missing, a little boy suddenly has a change of heart.
Rated: PG 5,475 words
Home for Christmas – by Lynnette
Summary: When Adam receives a letter from his brother, he decides that it’s high time that he return home to visit his family after having been away for four years. As he makes his way from Boston towards home, his mind travels back to years past and memories long forgotten. Will snowstorms or dangers encountered along the way, keep him from reaching the place he most longs to be for Christmas?
Rating: G
Words: 7,550
Home for the Holidays – by southplains
Summary: Inspired by a Pinecone prompt.
Rating: K Word Count: 1400
Summary: A broke-down stage plus a hotel filled to capacity equals visitors at the Ponderosa. Just another day at the ranch. Oh, was it mentioned that Ben was away and the visitors were of the female persuasion?
Rating: K+ 3,087 words
Home is Never Far Away – by Hart4Ben
Summary: Ben and Adam’s summertime musings following Kenny and Susan Clarke’s stay at the Ponderosa. WHN Blessed Are They.
Rating: K Word Count: 654
Home is the Sailor #1 – by Krystyna
Summary: The Commodore’s letter of resignation has long been accepted. Will the mundane life of a rancher be enough? A story where old foes and new, as well as the past and the present entwine to continue the lives created in the World of Captain Cartwright.
Rating: K+ 214,200
Home is the Sailor #2 – The Iron Horsemen – by Krystyna
Summary: It is the winter of 1877 and two of Adam and Olivia’s children are lost during the blizzards. This story is about the iron like qualities the Cartwrights need in order to find a child.
Rating: K+ 182,450
Home is the Sailor #3 – There Will Always be Rainbows – by Krystyna
Summary: Events from the past come back to haunt Adam and his family.
Rating T WC 140,975
Home is the Sailor #4 – The Pledge – by Krystyna
Summary: Adam and Joe go on a cattle drive while Reuben joins a gang, as life continues on the Ponderosa.
Rating: T 240,110 words
Home is the Sailor #5 – No Greater Love – by Krystyna
Summary: Murder and an accused, and trouble in town. But is all as it appears. Fifth in the Home is the Sailor Series. Rating: T 201,700 words
Home is the Sailor #6 – Kismet – by Krystyna
Summary: Emancipation for Women and the Vote become a big issue when Peggy Dayton visits the Ponderosa. The result of her visit has long lasting repercussions in Virgiina City and the Cartwright families.
Rating: T WC: 219,977
Home is the Sailor #7 – The Gap – by Krystyna
Summary: A trip to San Francisco sets the family on an adventure.
Rating: T 198,800
Home is the Sailor #8 – A New Direction – Changes – by Krystyna
Home is the Sailor #9 – Equinox – by Krystyna
Summary: The Cartwrights face an unseen enemy who is preying upon the young women of Virginia City .. can it possibly be the man Adam suspects?
Rating: T (164,625 words)
Home is the Sailor #10 – Cattle Station (The) – by Krystyna
Summary: At last the long awaited cattle station is being built on Ponderosa land close to Carson City. It seems a good idea at the time and the Cartwrights are anticipating big things as a result…until their neighbouring rancher decides to put a stop to the whole thing. But as the Cartwrights find out ..there is a lot more involved than the building of a cattle station
Rating: PG
Word Count: 168,941
Home is the Sailor #11 – Love Thyself Least – by Krystyna
Summary: The latest in the Home is the Sailor Series
Rating: PT Words: 134,000
Home is the Sailor #12 – No-body’s Hero – by Krystyna
Summary: A continuation of the Home is the Sailor Series
Rating: PG (164,925 words)
Home is Where Love Dwells – by DebbieB
Summary: Joe’s private search to find himself, leads him to learn one very important lesson, home is where love dwells, be it back at the ranch or in a far distant cabin surrounded by those he loves.
Rated: G 9,200 Words
Home is Where the Heart Is – by Terri
Summary: Ben finally returns home after the death of Marie.
Rated: K+ WC 2900
Home Thoughts – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Giggly Sisters cast their inimitable eye over some morning thoughts.
Rated: K+ WC 1500
Summary: Months after Marie’s death, Ben is ready to come back to his life on the ranch. Now it’s a matter of finding the way back home.
Rating: PG (Words 3,680)
Summary: A misunderstood tragedy brings a man home for the first time in years.
Rated: K 1,750 words
Summary: After many years, Adam returns home. How will his return affect him and his family? This is set roughly about season 12 of the show.
9,380 words Rated: T
Homecoming (The) – by Kimberley
Summary: Joe is reunited with a childhood sweetheart
Rating: Teen+
Words: 3,500
Summary: Far from home, a special person helps ease the ache.
Rating: G 1,840 words
Note: This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, posted in the Forums.
Summary: After so many years, Adam is coming home.
540 words, rated T
Homing Pigeon — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: When it’s only men, they become slightly distracted on the risque’ side when discussing pigeons, or was it horses?
Rating: T 2,500 words
Summary: A dark and mysterious cave, a whispering pendant, and a ruthless enemy. It’s just an old legend, right? **Halloween Story**
Rated: PG-13 for scariness. Well, sort of / Word count: 3510
Honor # 1 – Changes – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Part 1 of the Season 15 Series as envisaged by Tahoe Ladies. Better known as the Honor Series
Rated T Word Count: 27727
Honor # 2 – Steps Forward and Back – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Part of the Joe and Honor series. The 15th Season
Rated: T Word Count: 15354
Honor # 3 – Broken Promise – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Following Changes and Steps Forward and Back we arrive at the third story from Season 15 as envisaged by Tahoe Ladies
Rated: T Word Count: 53000
Honor # 4 – Whisper My Name – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 continues…episode number 4 A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: T Word Count: 10700
Honor # 5 – Reclaimed Love – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 continues – episode 5 A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: T Word Count: 45300
Honor # 6 – Romantic Interlude – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Episode 6 A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: T Word Count: 2797
Honor # 7 – When Little Boys Grow Up – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Set Somewhere between Episodes 6 and 8. A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: K Word Count: 8663
Honor # 8 – The Most Important Job in the World – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Episode 7 A continuation of The Honor Series
Rated: T Word Count: 1734
Honor # 9 – I do, I do – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Episode 8 A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: T Word Count: 6746
Honor #10 – Twenty Years Means Nothing to the Pines – by theTahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Episode 9 A What Happened Later story A continuation of the Honor Series
Rated: K Word Count: 1994
Honor #11 – Old Shadows – by the Tahoe Ladies
Summary: Season 15 – Episode 10 Finale to the Honor Series
Rated: K Word Count: 14200
Honor Among Thieves – by slaine89
Summary: A stranger finds Joe near death and decides to help him but things are complicated by Joe’s inability to remember who he is and by the man’s own dark past.
Rated: T 18,985 words
Hooked on a Feeling – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: One minute he was standing there and the next, he was sprawled face down in the dirt….Booth Shannon’s thoughts after the shootout between him and Little Joe.
Rating: T (for mentions of blood) Word Count: 834
Hop Sing’s Fortune Cookies – by AC1830
Summary: My responses to the February Challenge, Hop Sing’s Fortune Cookies – to write a 100 word drabble from a prompt for each of the days during Chinese New Year – Feb. 5-19.
Rating: K, Word Count : 1650
Hop Sing’s Fortune Cookies – by wx4rmk
Summary: Just some short drabbles/snippets (each 100 words) inspired by a posted fortune. Completed the first 5 or 6 fortunes that were missed during the original challenge in the forums and then combined them all to be posted here. Written for the 2020 Better Late Than Never Challenge.
Rating: K+ / Word Count: 1668
Summary: Hope is the thing with feathers…it falls into your lap, but is blown away so easily.
1,650 words, rated T
Hope, Faith, and Trust – by BettyHT
Summary: A trip to help an old friend and confronting an old nemesis propels Adam to make a decision that alters the course of his life. No would have anticipated the twists of fate in store for him once he decided to pursue goals that had only been dreams.
Rating: T Word count: 34055
Hope Springs Eternal – by Doolittle
Summary: WHN/Missing Scene for The Hopefuls. My first ever Bonanza Fanfiction story.
Rating: G 3,900 words
Summary: In The Hopefuls, Adam and Regina had been in love, but circumstances drove them apart. She kept a secret, and five years later, it will cause dramatic changes in Adam’s life. First part of the story is based in part on the episode The Hopefuls.
40,282 words. Rating: Teen.
Horace Greely Comes to the Ponderosa – by frasrgrl
Summary: An old friend of Bens, from his younger, wilder days comes to visit.
Word Count: 1,037 Rated: K
Horse Auction (The) – by MillianMontane
Summary: Adam and Joe go to a horse auction.
Rated: K+ Word count: 1239
Horses (The) – by the Giggly Sisters
Summary: The Giggly Sisters turn their discerning eye upon the Cartwright mounts.
Rated: K+ WC 1750
Hoss and the Fairies – by frasrgrl
Summary: I think the title says it all.
Word Count: 1,102 Rated: K
Hoss and the Rabbit Business – by CareBear
Summary: After Ben sold the rabbits to Barlow and Clyde, he believed the Ponderosa had seen the last of them.
Rating: GWord Count:1154
Hoss and the Saloon Girl – by ChristyG
Summary: He swears he hasn’t had a drink, but his vision has to been seen to be believed. And you won’t believe it.
Rating: K+ 2,100 words
Summary: You’ll find it under “H” in the dictionary
Rated: Family Friendly / Word count: 1140
Summary: The story focuses on Hoss when one of his brothers is badly wounded. Hoss has to care for him to save his life and then sets out to apprehend those who did it. Which brother is it? Not saying as the story is a Hoss centric.
WC = 6034 Rating = T mostly for violence and language.
Hoss, North and South – by Writing Woman
Summary: Written for the April Chaps and Spurs Challenge. While on a cattle drive headed east, Hoss becomes involved in the war between the North and South.
Rated: K WC 625
Summary: Hoss’s Journal 1849-1853 A “Camp in the Pines” story
During the four and a half years when Adam’s away at college, Hoss grows from a boy into a young man. In the process he learns a lot about big brothers, girls, love, and especially himself, but Joe and Adam are seldom far from his thoughts. A prequel.
Rated: K+ WC 25,500
Summary: I think we underestimated Hoss Cartwright
Rating: G (690 words)
Summary: Hoss has a secret and Adam and Joe are determined to find out what it is!
Rating: G (Words: 6,695)
Summary: a story of captivity, survival and compassion.
Rated: T – Word Count: 40500
Hostage (The) – by Camera Chic
Summary: Just a very short story about what one brother would do for the other one.
Rating: PG for violence 1,650 words
Hot #1 – I Was Hot – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a prequel in which Marie’s grand gala for the ladies of the area is interrupted by a son in a most shocking way as two other sons cavort elsewhere. The family has to pull together to fix this mess.
Rating: PG Word count: 1470
Hot #2 – She Was Hot – by BettyHT
Summary: This is a sequel to “I Was Hot” and is Marie’s response to her toddler son’s interruption of what had been planned as her grand party. However, a suggestion that she take the story and own it becomes her plan and this is the story of her execution of that plan.
Rating: PG Word count: 1747
Summary: A new hotel intrigues Hoss but doesn’t interest Joe initially.
6,085 words Rated: T
House Jack Built (The) – by Sibylle
Summary: An offering of shelter and memories, to each his own.
Rating: G 1,410 words
House on Kay Street (The) – by Bonanzaluver
Summary: Adam and Joe are asked to fix up an old house for a friend of Ben’s who is about to move in to it. What they find is that there is someone or something opposed to their doing so. A little Halloween story narrated by Joe that I made last year.
Rated: K+ 3,200 words
House on Watson’s Hill (The) – by SusanG
Summary: Strange things abound when the family takes shelter in an abandoned Victorian era house, but is it really abandoned?
Word Count: 8100 Rated: T
House that Adam Built (The) – by Krystyna
Summary: A man’s dream….a child’s hope.
Rating: T (57,620 words)
Summary: The aftermath of bloodshed from a different perspective…the one who has to clean it up.
Rated: K+ 3,540 words
Houston, We have a Problem on the Ponderosa — a REALLY Lost Episode – by Robin
Summary: There’s a problem, and only Houston can help the Cartwrights.
Rating: T 1,100 words
Summary: A personal recollection and comparison.
Rating: G 1,860 words
How Adam Saved Christmas – by Patina
Summary: Adam tells no ordinary bedtime story on Christmas Eve
Rating: G Words: 2,380
Written for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
How Do I Love Thee – by DebbieB
Summary: Little Joe, battling his conscience, refuses to tell his father why he was beaten up, until a neighbor’s barn is burnt and the Cartwright’s barn almost meets the same fate, with more than just their horses trapped inside.
Rated: G 15,000 words
How Do you Say Goodbye – by DebbieB
Summary: For most of us, saying goodbye to someone you love is often difficult. Joe tells us in his own words how and why it was so hard for him.
Rated: G 15,750 words
How Simple Can You Get? – by Laura Brodie
Summary: comedy with Hoss and Joe showing just how risky it is to team up together to get a reward. Getting rich was never supposed to be simple!
Rated: K 9,780 words
How Sweet the Moonlight – by Pat D in PA
Summary: The vastness of the heavens speak to the poetry in a young man’s soul, offering comfort during the lonely times.
(1,462 words)
Summary: There comes a time when we need to say goodbye to a beloved person
WC 1300 Warnings: Character death
How Traditions are Born – by ElayneA
Summary: A slapstick fun story of Adam getting bested. A word to the wise, always double check what you’re ordering, especially in the 1800s. Out of his fiasco, came a family tradition out of necessity.
Rating: G Words 1100
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar
Howling at the Moon – by pbeaking
Summary: Joe becomes concerned that his brother may be something other than human after reading a book about the behaviorisms of non-human beings. When Adam gets wind of Joe’s beliefs, he decides to have a little fun with younger brother.
Rating: K+ WC 5300
Summary: This is my take on what might have happened if Mark Twain had revisited the Ponderosa seeking inspiration. It is meant as a purely affectionate look at my favourite tv family. It mainly features Hoss and Joe although the whole family appears.
Rated: K+ WC 670
Summary: As Adam and Joe lock horns, Adam finds ‘humble pie’ is on the menu again and again.
Rated: K+ WC 19,000
Summary: Written as a Birthday challenge for one of our most devout fanfic readers. SJS for Devonshire: Sometimes a father’s intuition is worth its weight in gold.
Rated: K+ Word Count: 4632
Hunt (The) – by Kathleen Pafford
Summary: When Joe and Adam are hurt during a hunting trip, Adam’s determination to help his brother could cost him his life…
Rating: PG Word Count: 12,300
Hunt for Danny Miller (The) – by Annie K Cowgirl
Summary: When Little Joe searches for a friend against his father’s wishes, he gets into more trouble than he bargained for.
Rated: K+ 9,570 words
Summary: When an old friend of Ben’s visits the Ponderosa, Ben has no idea that the world renowned wild game hunter is there to hunt the most elusive animal of all…man. He has three young men to pick from…what makes him choose the youngest?
Rated PG13 WC 13,500
Hunted Woman (The) – by SallyAnn
Summary: Hoss helps a woman escape from her controlling and conniving cousins. This leads to a blossoming romance, and danger!
Rated: K+ 5,790 words
Hunting for Hidden Gold – by Rona
Summary: Joe falls foul of a group of young men who are hunting for something on the Ponderosa.
8,555 words Rated: T
Hunting for Memories – by MissJudy
Summary: Ben is enjoying a hunting trip with Adam when it takes an unexpected turn and forces a detour to the cabin in the woods where the Cartwrights first lived and trapped on the Ponderosa. Adam has not been there since he was a child, and Ben is filled with trepidation over how his son might remember those days. All seems well, even though a few of Ben’s memories leave him wondering what his son is thinking. Then a vivid dream about a incident from Adam’s childhood leaves him thoroughly shaken, and he finally finds out just what Adam thought of his early years on the Ponderosa. This story occurs a year after Adam got back from school in Boston.
Rating: K Word Count: 20,876
Summary: Joe gets down on himself after the whole town turns against him. Can Candy help?
WARNING! Rape mentioned. Not of a main character, but it is still a part of the story, so I’ve warninged and age-gated it.
Rating: M Word count: 11,056
Hypothermia – by LillianMontane
Summary: Adam and Little Joe rely on each other to survive.
Rating: T Word Count: 3,758