December 31, 1872. Adam Cartwright woke up because his wife Mary fled out of bed and had to vomit.
He looked up and asked worried, “Darling, what is the matter?”
Mary came back in bed and looked at her husband.
“Yet another half a year and then our children can play with their new brother or sister”, she said.
“What do you mean?”, her husband asked amazed.
“Your father will have another grandchild and you and I a baby”, she explained.
“Wonderful darling”, Adam said and he kissed her.
Mary grabbed the hand of Adam and put it on her stomach.
“I only hope that it will be just one”, said the young woman.
“How do you mean? That you are expecting twins?”, Adam asked amazed.
Mary nodded and said, “Mitch is one of a twin too. When he was just born he directly got taken away. My friend Janet Smith was with me when Pam came. She took her along until I was in that institute. Peggy Garrison was there as a patient and kidnapped Pam from me.”
“Then we are going to look for her. She is our child and that one belongs to live here at the Ponderosa”, said Adam.
During breakfast Mary dropped with a bang, “Next year there will be added another chair and tonight another one.”
“How do you mean?”, her father-in-law Ben Cartwright asked amazed.
“I am pregnant and Mitch has a twin sister Pam”, answered Mary.
“In my class there is a girl called Pam. She does look like you both a lot”, said Mitch.
“Then she is living here in the area or in town”, said Mary.
Mitch nodded.
“That has to be Pam. So you do have a twin sister”, said Mary said to the young Cartwright.
“Soon there will be more children than grownups at the Ponderosa”, Mitch remarked dry.
“After breakfast we go to town”, Adam said determined.
Meanwhile another child caused in Virginia City a big commotion. The child carried the name Pam and was living with her mother Peggy Garrison.
In the presence of deputy Clem Foster Peggy said, “You don’t live with your real mother but with me.”
“And who is that then?”, Pam asked fierce.
“Your real mother is Mary Watts. But she couldn’t take care of you so she asked me if I wanted to raise you”, Peggy snapped.
She hit Pam so hard that Clem stepped in.
Peggy shocked of it and snapped, “Let that child then stay with her mother. Wherever she might be.”
She pulled loose and walked to her home.
“I know your mother very well because she lives here nearby”, the deputy said to Pam.
At that moment Adam, Mary, Mitch and Lisa came riding into the street. The Cartwrights saw the deputy and the girl and rode towards them.
“Clem, I didn’t know that you had started a daycare for kids”, Adam said teasing.
“Very funny Adam. This young lady got hit by her foster mother.
Mary, is this by accident your daughter?”, asked Clem.
Mary look with big amazing at the girl. ‘It isn’t true’, the young woman thought. She got from the wagon and took the girl into her arms.
“Come here darling. I have missed you so”, said Mary.
“Another woman at the ranch. Can it get any worse?”, Mitch mumbled inaudible.
“Who is that?”, Adam asked amazed.
“Our eldest daughter Pam. Pam, this is your father, your twin brother Mitch and sister Lisa”, said Mary.
Somewhere Mitch and Pam felt that they belonged together.
“Where do you live?”, asked Pam.
“At the Ponderosa. Grandpa owns the ranch. We live there with him, Uncle Hoss, Aunt Lily and their daughter Amber and Uncle Joe too, Hop Sing and Candy. Cody lives there too and that is our dog. It is there smashing cozy. Candy is the foreman and another hand regular hand is Griff”, said Mitch.
“We will collect her stuff”, said Mary.
So said, so done.
Peggy was so angry that she had thrown all things of Pam down on the street. Suddenly Peggy grabbed her rifle. she pointed the weapon at Mitch and shot at him. The boy got hit in his left ankle and foot. Adam drew his revolver and shot Peggy down at his turn. Pam saw everything happen before her eyes and searched for support by Mary and Lisa. Clem came after the shots and saw what had happened.
“She is dead. I see it as self defense”, said the deputy.
“Good. She treated me very bad”, said Pam said without turning a hair.
“You don’t talk like that about your mother, young lady”, they heard someone saying at that moment.
Adam looked up and saw Vera Stone.
“She wasn’t my mother”, reacted Pam.
Adam and Mary looked at each other and noticed that Pam could react very fierce too.
“That’s right because she is our daughter. Any objections?”, asked Mary.
Vera became pale and walked on through. In the meantime Adam cared about his son who was lying dazed on the ground. Clem made sure that the mortal remains of Peggy got moved away.
“Mary, you take the gals to the restaurant of the Collins family. I bring Mitch to the doctor. We see you at the restaurant”, said Adam.
His wife nodded and took her daughters along. Adam picked up Mitch and carried him to the practise of doctor Paul Martin.
At the restaurant Mary made her daughters feel at ease.
“Mitch surely will make it”, said Mary.
Lisa climbed upon her mother’s lap.
“Now you still can sit on my lap but within a while not anymore”, said Mary.
“What do you mean?”, Pam asked amazed.
“I expect a baby in July”, the young woman said.
Then Abigail Jones came by.
“Pamela Garrison, what are you doing with Mrs Cartwright?”, the teacher asked amazed.
“Abigail, Pam is my daughter and also Adam’s. Besides that, she is the twin sister of Mitch”, answered Mary.
Now the teacher knew for sure that Adam would never choose her. Silently she went away.
Meanwhile doctor Paul Martin treated the young Cartwright.
“Mitch, you are lucky because it are just two grazing wounds. you will be the old one again”, said Paul.
“Soon he will be making the ranch unsafe with his twin sister Pam”, Adam remarked.
“And then Cody and Lisa join in it of course”, said Paul.
“I am afraid of yes. Fortunately is Amber is therefore far too little. And then our new baby. I fear the worst for the upcoming years”, said Adam.
“You raise your children very well. That cannot be said of everyone in town”, said Paul.
He wrapped up the wounds and said then:“You may go.”
“Thanks Paul”, said Adam.
They left the practise and went to the restaurant. Mitch leaned on crutches.
“First we go to the restaurant where your mother and sisters are and then back home”, said Adam.
When father and son Cartwright came into the restaurant Pam and Lisa ran directly to Adam like they hadn’t seen him in a thousand years.
Mitch limped to Mary and went to sit next to her.
“What is the matter with you?”, asked Mary.
“Two grazing wounds so actually nothing”, the boy answered careless.
“Are we going home now?”, Pam asked excited.
Adam nodded. He helped everyone upon the wagon and together they rode through the snow home.
Arrived once at the Ponderosa Pam felt at home straight away.
“Pam, these are your two Uncles who often will bring you in trouble if your mother and I don’t look after you very well”, said Adam said to his eldest daughter.
The brothers looked at each other and knew exactly what time it was.
“Pam, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe. Boys, this is Pam, the twin sister of Mitch. She got kidnapped from Mary by a patient from that institute”, said Adam.
“Hello Pam”, said Little Joe.
“Hello Pam”, said Hoss.
Adam helped Mitch on the settee. Pam went to sit next to him and looked around the cozy living room. Then Ben entered the living room. He saw Pam sitting on the settee next to Mitch.
“And who is this young lady?”, he asked.
“Grandpa, this is my twin sister Pam. Pam, this is now our grandpa”, Mitch said directly.
“Miss Pam, welcome at the Ponderosa”, said the rancher.
“Thank you who are Aunt Lily and Amber?”, asked the girl.
“Come along upstairs. then I will introduce you to my wife and daughter”, said Hoss.
Pam got up and walked up stairs with her big Uncle.
Hoss introduced his niece to his wife and daughter.
“The more women at the ranch, the better”, Lily said teasing.
“Mary expects a baby too and that will probably be a daughter again. Since Mitchy there hasn’t been born any boys at this ranch”, Hoss said complaining.
“Ah poor Hoss. I will try to make sure that our next is a boy. But I don’t think so”, reacted Lily.
Now the Cartwright family was complete the old year could be closed down well which did happen.