Bonanza: "The Return of April."

Chapter Two

The next morning, Jamie comes down the stairs with April following him. "Come, April. Here, girl." Ben is sitting at his desk and looks up and sees him and says. "Good morning, Jamie." "Morning, Pa." He replies. Ben gets up from his desk as he asks with a smile and looks down at April. "And how is April doing this morning, hm?" April wags her tail and takes a seat as Jamie gives a soft chuckle and replies. "She's just fine, Pa." "Good." Ben replies and then says. "I wonder if you'd do me a favor." "Sure." Jamie says as Ben then tells him. "I'd like you to go into town to the bank and deposit this for me, it's very important." He goes around to his desk and picks up a bank draft and hands it over to Jamie who replies. "Sure thing, Pa. Can April come along with me?" "Well, as long as you make sure she behaves herself." Ben tells him. Jamie gives a soft chuckle as he replies. "I will, Pa." "Alright." Ben says as Jamie says to April. "April, come." April follows Jamie to the door as Jamie says to Ben. "See ya, Pa." "Bye and be careful." He says. "We will, Pa." Jamie says as he opens the door and walks out with April following him.

A little while later in Virginia City, two brothers, Vic and Lenny, come out from around the corner and stop as they look towards the Virginia City Bank. Vic turns to his younger brother and says to him quietly. "You remember the plan, right?" He answers in a nervous tone with. "Yeah, sure." Vic grabs him by the collar and says. "You're not chickening out on me now, are you?" Lenny quickly shakes his head and says. "N..no Vic, I'm with you." Vic lets go of him as he says. "Alright, let's go." They then head over to the bank.

They reach the bank with Lenny in front of Vic as he then turns to him and starts to say. "Hey, Vic, what if something were to uh..oh!" He bumps right into Jamie and says. "Hey, watch where you're.." "Oh, I'm sorry, sir." Jamie says. "I didn't see you there." Vic then speaks up and says. "You'll have to forgive my brother, he don't know his manners." Jamie smiles as he says. "That's alright." He then looks down at April and says. "Come on, April." They then head inside the bank and Vic and Lenny follow.

Inside the bank, Jamie comes up to the bank teller who turns to him and says. "How may I help.." He looks down and sees April. "Ohh." Jamie then tells him. "Oh, it's alright, she's friendly, she won't hurt anybody." "Oh." He gives a bit of a nervous chuckle and then asks. "How may I help you?" Jamie pulls out the bank note from his pocket and hands it over to him as he replies. "My Pa asked me to give this to you." He takes a look at it and says. "Ah, yes, Ben Cartwright. You must be Jamie." Jamie smiles and nods. "Yeah." The bank teller then tells him. "I'll be happy to take care of this for you."

Vic whispers to Lenny in the corner. "Get ready, I'll tell you when to move." April turns her head to Lenny who moves his hand towards his gun. She then hurries over to him and starts barking as she jumps up onto him and Lenny yelps as he falls to the ground. "Whoa!!" Jamie turns his head to her and says. "Oh, no, April!" He hurries over to her as April hovers over Lenny barking. "April heel!" Jamie then says to Lenny. "I'm really sorry, sir, she's usually not like that." Lenny then yells. "Would you get this mutt off me!?" "I'm sorry." Jamie says and Vic then says. "You heard him, he said get the mutt off him." "Oh." He takes April's collar and she steps off of Lenny as Jamie then apologizes again. "I'm really sorry." The bank teller then says. "Oh, Jamie?" Jamie turns and walks back over to the bank teller as he hands him the receipt. "Your receipt." Jamie takes it as he says. "Thank you." The bank teller then remarks. "Friendly, huh?" Jamie gives a guilty expression as he then looks down at April and says. "Come on." He then turns and exits the bank with April. The bank teller then looks over at Vic and Lenny and asks them. "May I help you gentlemen?" Lenny rubs the back of his head as Vic answers and says. "Uh, no, thanks, uh..you know, we changed our minds, we'll be going now." "Alright, good day, gentlemen." The bank teller says as Vic and Lenny head out of the bank.

While outside, Vic says in frustration. "We were so close! We had it right in our hands if it hadn't of been for that stupid mutt!" "What do we do now, Vic?" Lenny asks. "I'm thinking, I'm thinking." He replies as he paces back and forth. "Well?" Lenny says. Vic then says to him in frustration. "Don't rush me! I need more time. Alright, we'll head back over to the hideout and come up with a new plan, come on." They walk off in the direction of their hideout.

Meanwhile, back at Joe and Alice's house, Candy and his fiancee Hannah are having lunch with Joe and Alice outside on a picnic table with little Sara Marie in her high chair and wearing a pink bonnet and dress. Candy, Joe, and Hannah are sitting down and conversing with each other and laughing as Alice comes back with a pitcher and tray and tells them. "I brought some more lemonade." Joe turns around to her and quickly gets up and heads over to her and attempts to help her carry the tray as he says. "Here, honey, let me get that for you." "Joe, it's fine, it's really no trouble for me." She tells him. But he is persistent. "Well, if it's no trouble then let me do it." "Joe.." She starts to say when Hannah speaks up and says. "Oh, let him do it, Alice. I don't think you're going to talk him out of it." Joe smiles at her and Alice can't help but smirk as she relents. "Alright." She hands him over the tray as he says. "Thank you, my dear."

They then walk back over to the table and Joe places the tray down as Alice remarks. "You know, it would be nice to do something myself for once." Alice takes a seat at the table as Joe remarks back. "Women in your condition should not be doing any heavy lifting." He takes a seat at the table as Alice then tells him. "I don't really consider carrying a tray of lemonade "heavy lifting." She then tells Hannah. "If you think he's bad now, you should have seen him during my first pregnancy with Sara. He drove me absolutely crazy." She giggles a bit. Hannah then responds as they pass around the food. "Well, I think it's sweet. I would hope that Candy would be the same way with me when we have children." Candy gives a nervous chuckle as he says. "We're already talking kids now, huh?" "Well, it could happen someday." Hannah tells him and Candy then says. "Well, I'd kinda like to get married first, wouldn't you?" Joe chuckles and then asks Candy. "You're not nervous about the big day are ya?" "Me? No, I'm not nervous, not as much as you were." Candy replies. "I was not nervous." Joe tells him. Candy then says. "Oh, really? Then how come your Pa had to send your brother to get you to come downstairs, huh?" Joe gives him a look of annoyance and Alice smirks as Joe then confesses. "Alright, so maybe I was a little nervous." He then looks at Alice and smiles as he says. "But as soon as I saw Alice walking down that aisle, any nerves I had all went away in that very moment." Alice smiles at him as he lightly squeezes her hand. Candy then says. "Well, remind me not to take any marriage advice from you." Joe gives him a mock smile as Alice and Hannah giggle.

They then hear the sound of a dog barking as April comes up to the table and takes a fried chicken leg out of the picnic basket as Joe shouts. "Hey!" April then runs off as Joe shakes his head and says under his breath. "That dog." He throws his napkin down on the table as Jamie comes up to him on horseback screaming. "April!!" Jamie then looks down at Joe and says. "I'm really sorry, Joe." Joe then says to him in frustration. "Just learn to control that dog of yours, will ya?" Jamie gives a guilty expression as he says. "I'm sorry." He then looks ahead and calls out to April. "April..heel!! Sit!!" He then gets his horse moving and rides after her as Joe shakes his head and sits back down again. Candy then remarks to Alice. "I guess she couldn't resist your fried chicken." He then takes a bit of it and shrugs his shoulders a bit as he says. "Mm, can't say I blame her." Alice smirks and looks over at Joe who shakes his head and then can't help but chuckle.

Later that evening Vic is pacing back and forth in his and Lenny's hideout. He quickly pounds his fist against the wall in frustration as he says. "That money could have been ours!" Lenny, who is seated at the table, replies. "Yeah, if it hadn't been for that stupid dog." Vic then grunts in frustration and says. "Boy if I get my hands on that kid and that dog I'd strangle them!!" "Yeah." Lenny then gives a look of curiosity as he says. "That name sounded familiar though, what was it uh..Cartwheel?" Vic sighs as he replies. "It's Cartwright, you birdbrain, yes!" Lenny nods as he says. "Yeah. They got a lot of money don't they? Them Cartwright's?" "Yeah.." Vic then gives a look like he's discovered something and then a grin spreads across his face as he says. "Yeah. And I bet that boy of his would be all torn up if he lost that dumb dog of his, wouldn't he?" Lenny nods. "Yeah." He then gives a puzzled look as he says. "He would?" "Of course he would." Vic then quickly pulls up a chair next to him as he says. "Don't you see what I'm getting at here?" Lenny continues to look puzzled as he shakes his head. "No." Vic then explains to him. "Look, the Cartwright's got a lot of money right?" "Right." Lenny says as Vic then says. "And the kid loves the dog right?" Lenny shrugs his shoulders as he replies. "I guess so." Vic then says. "So I bet they'd pay a huge ransom to the fellow that finds him right?" "Right." Lenny replies and Vic then asks him. "So you see now where I'm going with this?" Lenny gives a contemplative look and then replies. "No." Vic rolls his eyes and tells him. "We steal the mutt!" Lenny then finally understands and says. "Ohh. But I thought we was robbers, not kidnappers." "Well, maybe it's time for a new line of work." Vic tells him. "We'll get our money and then we'll be on our way to Frisco." Lenny smiles as he says. "Yeah." Vic then places his hand on his back as he says. "Here's what we're gonna do.." He then starts telling him the plan as Lenny listens intently and they both start laughing.