Bonanza Brand FanFiction Library

Summary:  When Adam invited Joe to come to Europe for a holiday, he never imagined the consequences.

Rating: T Word Count: 9,898

Summary: A young Ben takes part in a lumberjack contest, but the consequences aren’t what he expected.

Rating: K+ Word Count:  2893

Summary:  Adam and Joe cope with trouble.

Rating: T Word Count:  6,197

Summary:  When help is desperately needed, Cochise provides it.

Rating: T Word Count: 4,208

Summary: After suffering a tragic loss Ben learns true friends are really family.

Rating: K+ Word Count: 822

Summary: The Broken Ballad episode ends with many unanswered questions. Life would have changed in small and huge ways following Ed’s death. So … what happened to Will Cass, whose grief pushed him to do despicable things? How does Billy explain his reason for shooting Payson in what could be described as legal murder when Ed refused to shoot first? How do Adam and Sally make sense in the loss of their friend who simply wanted a chance at a normal life? And how do Adam and his father find common ground after Ben sided with Will Cass against his own son and continues to think Adam should have expected this outcome all along?” This story takes a realistic view of what they each faced in the hours and days after Ed’s ballad was sung at the cemetery.

There’s a twist in this story connecting Broken Ballad to an earlier episode, Blood on the Land that should prove interesting to the story.

Rating: K

Count: 16510

Summary: Guilt and misplaced anger between two brothers after an accident with Adam’s young daughter cause a rift that might never heal. When a rescue becomes a search the Cartwrights finally learn the truth of what happened to the child, but will it bring healing or more hurt for the brothers?

Rating: G, Word Count: 3451

Summary: While it’s become abundantly clear that some hurts never heal, a small bullet wound and a night trapped out in the rain reveal that the scars that stick around do so with a vengeance. Every time Adam tries to take a step toward healing, his mind forces him to take two steps back. This time around, Joe is there to have his back. A WHN for The Crucible.
Word Count: 2,561  Rating: G

Summary:  Are Black and Adam Cartwright synonymous? In more ways than one might think. 

Rating: K, Word count: 871

Summary: A look at Sue Ellen Terry from The Sisters. What she felt and thought during her time with Adam. Author’s Note: I started this piece as a pinecone challenge in July 2023, then I developed it a bit more into a short story.

Rating: T    Wordcount: 3,314

Summary: Adam and Joe are having nightmares about Hoss and don’t know what they mean. Too late, one brother understands the message that was sent. It’s a WHI for the end of the series.
Rating: T  Word count: 6,705

Summary:  Written in Response to the May 2023 – Double Drabble Prompts:  “Will he kiss me?” and “Metamorphosis!”
Rating:  Teen  (Words: 600)

Summary: Of love, loss, and hope for the future. A poem from Ben’s point of view.

Rating: K

Word Count: 202

Summary: This is a set of five stories that are not related except in showing that men are still boys in many ways whether it is what they do, say, aspire to be, or the mistakes they can make. A short summary precedes each story.
Rating: T  Word count: 6,995

Summary:  While on his journey out west with his Pa, five-year-old Adam asks Santa for a very special Christmas present.  A/N: Inspired by my favorite holiday song “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”.

Rating: G   Word Count: 9,397

Adam entertains an old flame. Could it be love the second time around?
Rating: Teen Words: 750

Summary: On a trip to Cheyenne, Adam expects to meet a gunfighter but instead is surprised to meet someone who eventually becomes a part of the Cartwright clan.
Rating: PG  Word count: 1,491

Summary: To find justice after a tragedy, Adam and Joe employ unusual and perhaps morally and ethically questionable methods.
Rating: T   Word count: 1,276

Summary: Heading out on a hunting trip that Adam had requested for his birthday, the family runs into a lot more trouble than expected when they find signs of rustlers working on the Ponderosa.
Rating: T  Word count: 2,919

Summary: After a question posed by Ben, Adam reflects on why he has been in so many dangerous situations.  There are numerous references to Bonanza episodes.  
Rating: PG  Word count:  1,423

Summary: Sitting in near darkness around a campfire can help men reveal thoughts and feelings to each other that they otherwise would conceal.  The Cartwrights are like that. 
Rating: PG  Word count: 1,817

Summary: Ben witnessed a robbery and murder. Threats to his life have caused him to go into hiding until the trial, but it is Adam who suffers the consequences as accomplices of the accused set out to find Ben’s location by questioning Adam who finds that his mind is his only weapon against their relentless brutal inquisition.   
Rating T  Word count 4,354

Summary: A prequel story — Ever wonder how Adam got that little scar on his lip?  This story tries to explain. Then —  the same story except from Ben’s POV.
Rating T   Word count 3,647

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: 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: Five vignettes of family life tied in some way to the shore of Lake Tahoe. The first four are prequel stories.
PG   5,345

Summary: This is a sequel to Painful Truth with the same OCs. It is about sharing family stories and memories to pull members closer together by having a shared past.
PG    3,152

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  T