Summary: \u00a0Part one of\u00a0my WHI “Forever” series “Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cartwright” \u00a0Joe meets and marries Alice Harper.<\/p>\n
Rated:\u00a0K+ (2,020 words)<\/p>\n
Forever Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Forever Story Notes:<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n Series written for Ange & Smith<\/em><\/p>\n Forever<\/strong><\/p>\n Joe Cartwright walked to room 13<\/strong> of the Palace Hotel and knocked on the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe manager said this was his room,\u201d he said to the woman who opened the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBring him in,\u201d she said disappointedly. \u201cYou can put him in there,\u201d she said directing Joe to the bedroom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe laid him on the bed, \u201cThere was a fight. He didn\u2019t get hurt real bad, he just needs to\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSleep it off, I know!\u201d he was cut-off by the woman. \u201cHe drinks more than he fights. I see you managed to get all of his money.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Joe was confused, but had an idea of what she meant.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI should thank you. You\u2019re the first one who ever bothered to bring him home, or did you think that there might be a little something left? If you thought that, you\u2019re wrong. There\u2019s nothing left. There never is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLook, lady, I didn\u2019t come here to find out about any money and I didn\u2019t take the money he had with him! He got in a card game that he shouldn\u2019t have, I just brought him home, that\u2019s all!\u201d Joe stormed out of the room to the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she stopped him. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have said that, I\u2019m sorry. Thank you for bringing him home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo need, I guess we both lost our tempers. I had no reason to bite your head off either.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFriends?\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFriends. Doc Martin\u2019s a good man if your husband\u2019s hurting when he wakes up\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s my brother\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Doc\u2019s the best in town\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll remember that. Thank you, Mister\u2026.uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCartwright. Joe Cartwright\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlice Harper\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019d better be going. Bye!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood bye,\u201d Alice called.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After Joe had left, she couldn\u2019t help but think to herself.\u00a0I hope I see him again.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next day, Joe was working on the ranch, blowing up old stumps to clear the roads, when Pa came up to him with a letter for him. It was a letter from Alice Harper, thanking him for helping her brother. He decided to go and thank her for it personally, so he went to her place of business. A clothing store in Virginia City.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When he got there, Joe was very surprised to see that this was a store, for\u00a0women\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0clothing. He told the clerk that he wanted to buy a hat for a friend, and was directed to the hat department, where Alice worked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Mr. Cartwright! A pleasure to see you,\u201d she greeted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see you. I wanted to thank you for your thank you note\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oh, well, it was the least I could do. Well, I understand that you want to buy a hat,\u201d she walked around the desk and picked one out. \u201cWe just have a new shipment in from St. Louis. I love this one, I think it\u2019s really lovely. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, it\u2019s nice. I don\u2019t know too much about hats\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know what you mean; it\u2019s not the easiest thing to pick out for a woman. Without her trying it on, I mean. Well, perhaps you\u2019d like to consider something else for Mrs. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere is no Mrs. Cartwright. You see, I really didn\u2019t want to buy anything. I just came her to thank you for the thank you note and ask you if you\u2019d have dinner with me tonight\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like that,\u201d she accepted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s eight-o-clock?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEight\u2019s fine\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll see you at eight!\u201d Joe threw the hat down and ran out of there as fast as her could.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSee you at eight,\u201d Alice said under her breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n That night, before Alice left the hotel room, her brother came home. He was drunk and broke, again. She couldn\u2019t understand why he was always drinking and gambling. She finally had enough! Putting her foot down, Alice kicked him out; surprisingly, he left peacefully. After she was sure he had left, she went on her date with Joe. The two of them were nervous, and were a bit quiet through the evening, until Joe spoke up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow was your dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFine. Thank you\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know you didn\u2019t eat it\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess I wasn\u2019t hungry, I\u2019m sorry\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have come to the store, I kinda put you on the spot when I asked you to go out with me, I\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo. No, I\u2019m glad you did. I wanted\u2026 It has nothing to do with you\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She nodded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it has nothing to do with me, and you really wanted to go out with me, then why are you messing up my evening?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI mean really! You know, it took an awful lot of nerve for me to walk into that store with all those women and ask you to go out with me. They were all staring! What\u2019s so funny?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. You just made me laugh,\u201d Alice smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather not know why you\u2019re\u00a0laughing than to know why you\u2019re crying. Alright then, we go\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere do we go?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there\u2019s only one place that a man takes a woman on a night like this\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo the barn!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe took Alice to the livery stable where a big barn dance was being held. They joined the crowd, clapping and dancing happily along with the gay and festive music. Afterwards, he escorted her back to the hotel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, I had a wonderful time\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSame here,\u201d Joe replied. \u201cI could walk you to your room if you like\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, thank you. I\u2019m fine. Thank you again, I really had a good time\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was my pleasure\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood night\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe grabbed her before she could leave. \u201cCan I see you again?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs tomorrow too soon?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat time do you get off work?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m off tomorrow, it\u2019s Sunday,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, I forgot. Well, let me pick you up early, say two-o-clock?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFine\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe kissed her good-bye just before she walked away. When Alice walked into her room, she didn\u2019t see her brother John anywhere. Then, she heard his voice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you have a good time?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She didn\u2019t answer. He just stayed long enough to tell her that he was sorry, and say good-bye.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After their next day out, Joe came home happier than ever. Just before going to bed, he told his family that he had intentions to marry Alice Harper!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~*****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Surprisingly, 3 and a half weeks later Joe had his and Alice\u2019s house already made and furnished! A week later, Joe and Alice were to be married. The day of the wedding, Joe could simply not get control of himself! He couldn\u2019t button his shirt properly; he couldn\u2019t tie his tie; he couldn\u2019t even make his hair stay in place! And to top it all off, when he walked into the church, he thought he would faint.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But all of his fears and nervousness went away when he saw Alice walk down that aisle. She looked beautiful, clad in a silk white gown with a lace veil. First, Alice took her vows, followed by Joe. He never felt happier in his life than the moment he heard her say, \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~*****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That evening, when they got home, Joe couldn\u2019t believe it. Here he was, in his very own home, with the most beautiful woman in the entire world! He was the happiest man alive!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first few months of their marriage flew bye like the wind. One evening while Joe was finishing up his work, he saw Alice poke her head out the window.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, you know it\u2019s getting late?\u201d she called.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m almost done.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou Pa said supper at six. We\u2019ve been late the last three times.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, who\u2019s fault is that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alice blushed. \u201cNever you mind, you just get a move on, okay?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A few minutes later, Joe was all finished and dresses. When he came into the bedroom, Alice was standing in front of the mirror buttoning a cuff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m already; I thought you were worried about being late.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for you to button me up,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just as Joe was about to fasten the buttons, he began to kiss his wife\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUh..the buttons,\u201d Alice reminded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe buttons! Alright. Is this a new dress?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, typical husband you are! You\u2019ve only seen me in it ten times!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s so darn tight, I can hardly hook it up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally? This material shrinks sometimes,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the buttons were hooked, Joe began to kiss her again, until she reminded him to go hook up the buggy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~*****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Two days later, Joe was working on his land, when Pa and Candy rode up. Ben told Joe that he had just been by the house, and Alice had a special lunch all ready for him. When Joe got home, Alice had just finished cooking everything.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa told me you were making something special. Why all the fuss?\u201d he asked as he washed his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo celebrate\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCelebrate what, we got nothing to celebrate\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe paused. He looked up at Alice in disbelief. She glanced back, with a happy smile and nodded her head. Joe walked to Alice and hugged her lovingly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt means we\u2019re gonna have to add that room on a little sooner than you planned to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you kidding me? I\u2019ll have it built in half-an-hour! I\u2026 I just can\u2019t believe it, a baby!\u201d Joe couldn\u2019t stop smiling. \u201cAre you alright? Do you feel alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she grinned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh-huh, really. I\u2019m sure, now come on, eat something!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, I couldn\u2019t eat. I couldn\u2019t eat if I was starving to death! I just can\u2019t believe it, a baby,\u201d then Joe remembered Pa. \u201cI gotta tell Pa. Maybe I can catch him before he gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before he opened the door, he flew back and kissed Alice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA baby!!\u201d before he closed the door he blew her a kiss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As Ben and Candy were riding home, they heard a wagon coming. They turned around and saw Joe. He was yelling to them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPA!! HEY, PA, WAIT UP!!! PA, WAIT UP!!!!!!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When he got off, he ran to Pa so fast that he nearly fell over more than once.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa, Pa\u2026.\u201d he panted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Alice\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs she alright?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah! Yeah, she\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, then what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa, she\u2019s gonna have a baby!! A BABY!!!!\u201d Joe yelled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA\u2026.a baby?\u201d Ben asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa, a baby!! Can you belive it? I\u2019m gonna be a father! ME!!!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Joseph, this is wonderful!!!\u201d Ben was so excited that he picked up Joe and whirled him around.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ~*****~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That night, Joe was so excited over everything that he couldn\u2019t sleep. Alice woke up, and came out of the bedroom to find him standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm? Oh! Yeah, I\u2019m fine. I just couldn\u2019t sleep,\u201d he put his arm around Alice and held him close to her. \u201cI was thinking about the baby. You should\u2019ve seen the looks on Pa\u2019s face when I told him. He looked like the king rooster in a hen house. You know, if it\u2019s a girl, he\u2019s going to spoil the baby rotten.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s going to be up to\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0not to let him!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I won\u2019t. Because I\u2019ll be too busy spoiling the baby myself,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a few more moments of conversation, the couple went to bed. As Joe lay there, his heart beat with excitement. By the end of that year, he, Joseph Francis Cartwright, would be a father!<\/p>\n THE END<\/p>\n Forever Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n I would do Anything for Love This story is based on the Bonanza episode:\u00a0 Forever<\/p>\n Director:\u00a0 Michael Landon Disclaimer:\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n<\/a>I would do Anything for Love
\n<\/a>The Love of my Life<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>The Love of my Life<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWriters:\u00a0 Michael Landon, David Dortort (created by)<\/p>\n