Chapter 1

Rescued

"Adam, the girls are gone! They've ran away!" Milly yelled on top of her lungs as she rushed towards her husband, who was busy confronting his younger brothers. Upon hearing this news, Adam turned to face his siblings horrified. "Well, go get 'em! Get 'em back!"

"Ruth! Dorcas! Martha! Sarah! Liza! Alice!" The boys started calling for their sweethearts and ran around the farm to find them.

"Milly, you go inside and stay with Hannah" Adam told his wife, as he too went to aid his brothers in searching for the six young women.

Milly obeyed her dear husband and went in the cabin. She quickly picked her newborn daughter up in her arms and rocked her gently. The little girl was sleeping soundly and peacefully. Several emotional thoughts were occupying Milly Pontipee's mind. She knew that the six young women had forgiven the boys for the kidnappings, they even fell in love with them and got comfortable on the homestead. But it never occurred to Milly that the girls didn't want to go back to town anymore. She thought that they would be happy to see their families again. So after she and Adam reconciled, Adam had made his intentions known to her. He was determined to fix his terrible mistake. After all, it was he who urged his brothers to abduct the girls. Now however, Adam wanted to change. He decided to return the kidnapped young girls to their fathers. When Milly got upstairs to tell the women to get ready, she was downright shocked to see them all gone. Milly gazed down at her baby worryingly, she only wished that everything would turn out just fine. The anxious and nervous thoughts however, weren't leaving her. All Milly could do was sit and wait till the boys found their girls and took them to town. The passes were already open, God forbid if the townsfolk got on the farm, they'd hang the Pontipees to the kidnappings. Milly decided to put these terrible thoughts aside, and focused on the positive.

"Where can these sassy girls be?" Adam Pontipee wondered as he continued his search. He had underestimated women's power. These girls weren't just some pretty faces, they were strong-willed, stubborn, determined, passionate, and sassy as can be! Just when he had learned his mistake, realized how angry he would be if someone had carried his baby girl at night, and had made a decision to return the young women to their families, they go and pull a stunt like this! No sir! Adam Pontipee was going to find the girls and carry them to town! No one would stop him from doing so, not even his brothers!

"Alice? Please, Alice!" Youngest brother Gideon begged, as he looked for his pretty blonde. "Where are you?" Gideon approached the henhouse, ready to give up. Suddenly, one of the chickens flew out of the coop, followed by another. The youngest Pontipee rushed inside and grabbed his lady, who struggled to get away from him. He pulled Alice out of the coop, determined to take her towards the wagon.

"I'm not going back!" Reverend's daughter yelled frantically. "I want to stay here with you!"

"You've got to! It's the only way!" Gideon exclaimed and swung the blonde over his shoulders, as she tried to resist.

In the meantime, the fathers, brothers, and the suitors of the girls, after finding out that the passes were open, rode up to the Pontipee farm armed with weapons. As the boys were searching for their girls, the family members had already arrived, and were quietly getting ready to attack the brothers and rescue the damsels. Steve Johnson, Alice's suitor was hiding in the bushes together with Liza's brother Robert, when he heard Alice's screams! The boys looked at each other terrified. "It's Alice!" Yelled Steve, as he recognized his soon to be fiance.

"Come on, Ruth!" Caleb, the third Pontipee brother called out to his sweetheart. In no time, he noticed someone hiding behind the huge piles of hay, as he went up to discover who it was, the girl tried to run away. But Caleb caught her swiftly by the dress. It was Liza, Eph's girl, trying to get away from him. The two struggled, but lost their balance and fell down to the ground. Liza screamed and yelled. "No! I'm staying with Ephraim!" She pushed the Pontipee boy, trying to run off yet again. Caleb however, picked her up and threw her over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but you have to leave!" Her answered sternly, as the girl beat on his back. No big deal for Caleb, Liza was petite and he carried her like a light feather.

"This was Liza! I can tell!" Cried out Robert in dismay, as he and Steve rushed to the girls' search. They were quickly followed by Mr. Kine, Matt Dorcas's suitor, and Mr. Gailen. The girls' loud and horrifying screams made them all sure what kind of monsters these Pontipees were. The farm itself was very huge and took a while for everyone to find each other. Besides, the townsfolk weren't familiar with the place, so they were practically lost. Only thing that helped them get closer to their girls was their screams and cries.

"Dorcas! Come back!" Benjamin Pontipee yelled, as he and Frank searched for their women. "Don't get hurt!"

"Sarah!" Frank called out. The two brothers came upon the fence where they kept cows, and soon discovered two girls hiding under them. It was Dorcas and Ruth... when they saw the boys they decided to run off again, but Frank wasn't having it. He quick rushed towards the golden haired Ruth, who was Caleb's sweetheart, and seized her by the hand. "No, let me go!" She cried out. But the second youngest Pontipee boy, vigorously dragged her towards the wagon. Last thing he needed was capricious behavior from Caleb's gal.

Dorcas was quickly caught by Benjamin as he struggled to pick her up. "No, no!" Dorcas squealed meekly. This terrifying sight was seen by her father and suitor from a far. Clearly, they misunderstood the situation and thought that Ben was assaulting her. Matt aimed his shotgun at Benjamin Pontipee, ready to kill him right then and there. "Don't! You might hit Dorcas!" Mr. Gailen stopped him.

"Come back Martha, don't run away!" Desperate Daniel yelled, and kept looking for his light haired maiden. Ephraim on the other hand was saving his breath, he instead of wasting time in calling for Liza, scanned the area. He knew that calling the girls would be useless if anything, they would give themselves away and the women would find out when they were approaching. As he was still searching with his eyes for Liza's pink dress, he caught two figures up on the roof of their house. Sarah and Martha were sitting up their very quietly.

"Hey, there they are!" Ephraim informed his brother as he leaped up to climb the roof. The women screamed and jumped down, landing safely in the remained snow that was already melting from the Spring weather. Daniel and Ephraim picked the girls up, caught them strongly, and carried them towards the wagon where Adam was waiting for them.

Reverend Elcott the father of Alice, Ruth's uncle, and Carl, who was Sarah's suitor, neared the Pontipee cabin. The parson found himself dismayed when he heard the baby crying in the house. It was Hannah. Because of the screams and loud noses, the little girl woke up and started weeping. Milly gently shushed her baby, as she looked out of the window, hoping and praying that everything was going alright. Well, she was about to be highly disappointed. When preacher heard the baby, he looked up at the sky helplessly. "Oh, no! Not that!"

"Hurry boys!" Adam called. The wagon was hitched and ready to go, but the girls weren't planning to give up. Martha kicked Daniel as he was stuffing her in the curt and hurried to hide in the barn. Sarah also, managed to sneak away from Ephraim, who was distracted with aiding Caleb in catching Liza, and she followed after her friend. Both Daniel and Ephraim ran towards the barn in hot pursuit. Dorcas angrily pushed Benjamin away from her, the second oldest Pontipee lost his balance and fell on Frank, who was bitten on the arm by 'gentle' Ruth. Liza hopped out of the wagon, Gideon tried to stop her and dashed after her. Little Alice pushed Caleb off from the wheeled cart and onto the ground. After that, she too raced towards the barn in order to hide. It was a big chaos!

Adam was very shocked with what he was witnessing. The girls had escaped yet again and his strong brothers looked like bunch of idiots right now. "What's the matter with you boys?" He asked dumbfounded.

Benjamin, Caleb, and Frank regained their strength and darted to catch their women again, and Adam went after them.

"Grab her dress, Ben!" He called out to his brother, as Benjamin climbed the hayloft. The boys found their girls once again, but had a hard time in carrying them to the wagon. The girls struggled furiously! They weren't giving up the fight and were determined to stay on the farm with their men!

"They're inside!" Cried out Mr. Gailen, as he and the rest of the townfolk rushed towards the barn and seized Adam Pontipee, taking him outside. "Ruth! Dorcas! Alice!" They called for their girls. Carl, Mr. Kine, Mr. Hallum, and Robert grabbed Ephraim and Daniel and dragged them away forcefully.

"Why, Sarah?" Asked Carl, as he helped the girl up on her feet. "What are you planning for them?" Martha questioned her father desperately. "Justice!" Declared her Pa with confidence. Unable to hold back their tears, the two girls sobbed bitterly.

Benjamin was still wrestling with Dorcas in the hay, when Mr. Gailen grabbed him. The whole situation looked as if the boys were forcing themselves on the girls. When the townspeople caught the rest of the Pontipees they shoved them out off the barn and tied their hands with ropes.

"What are you going to do to him?" Liza caught Matt's arm. "We'll hang him with the rest of them, to nearest tree!" He replied bitterly and exited the barn.

"No! No!" The girls wept in dismay, as their fathers hugged them tight.

The seven Pontipees were rounded up outside of the barn and the suitors had their shotguns aimed at them. "This whole thing was my idea!" Announced Adam. "Let my brothers go!"

At this moment, Milly rushed towards them with baby Hannah in her arms. "Oh my goodness!" She gasped, when she saw the horrifying scene. "Oh, please Matt, let them go! For heaven's sakes." She begged desperately. "They were returning the girls!"

"How dare you protect such savages, Milly?" Questioned angry Robert. "Don't you justify these monsters!"

"They're criminals!" Cried out Steve. "And deserve to be hanged for their crimes!" Added Joe Miller in disgust.

"Milly, go back to the house!" Ordered Adam, wanting to protect his precious wife and child.

"No, Adam!" Protested Milly. "I won't let them hang you!"

While all this was happening outside, meanwhile, the six girls and their fathers were in the barn. Reverend Elcott calmed the sobbing women and asked them a very important question. "A while back I heard a wee baby crying in the house. Whose is it? Don't be afraid to tell." He asked as gently as possible, silently praying that his precious daughter and other girls weren't violated and forced. "None of this is your fault. We're all fathers here and we love you." He added softly.

"MINE!" The women cried out simultaneously. This almost gave their poor fathers a heart attack.

"W-what?" Ruth's uncle asked after a pregnant pause. Before the desperate girls could answer, Milly burst threw the door with her baby in her arms.

"Oh Reverend, you won't let them kill the boys, right?" She begged, as tears leaked her beautiful blue eyes.

"Wait a minute," Dorcas' father said in realisation. "That's Adam and Milly's baby, isn't it?"

"Yes, she's our daughter." Milly confirmed, which caused the other girls to frown in disappointment. "Please, don't take her father away. She's so young for losing a parent."

"So she's the only child on this farm?" Asked the parson with raised eyebrows.

"Why, of course!" Milly exclaimed, while Dorcas facepalmed. Only then did Milly understand what was happening.

"You must understand that boys did nothing to your daughters." Milly announced confidently. "I made sure that they were all safe and sound. You see, I banished the boys in the barn, while the girls remained in the house with me all winter. You've got to believe me that nothing happened!"

"The Pontipees have changed!" Cut in anxious Dorcas. "They know better now!"

"Then why did you girls say that you were the mothers of this child?" Questioned the Reverend.

"Because we don't want you to hang the brothers!" Alice cried out in frustration.

"Reverend, what decision did you make?" Barged in Matt. "Should we hang them Pontipees?"

"We should!" Carl said with a nod. "No! Wait!" The parson yelled.

He took a deep breath and then announced. "We'll take them to town and let the mayor decide."

"No! Pa no!" Alice sobbed bitterly and clung to Sarah, who was weeping silently.

"You can't do this!" Martha cried enraged, as she hugged and comforted sobbing Liza.

"Our decision is final!" Mr. Gailen said as he took his daughter's arm and led her outside. "Pa, please!" Dorcas protested. "Quiet, Dorcas!" He told her sternly.

Milly embraced Ruth who was too weak to speak, she had wept so much that her tears were gone. "Don't worry, honey. We'll save our boys." Milly said determined.

After Revered Elcott told the suitors about their decision, the Pontipees were dragged to town. The girls were taken there as well by their fathers, and Milly together with Hannah joined them. No matter what, each young woman was ready to stand up to their parents, friends, and the town's mayor, in order to protect their true loves. No one was going to stop them! No one! With such strong-willed and determined thoughts they left the farm and made their way to town.

Thanks for reading this story. So basically, I thought about what would happen if the fathers found out the truth about whose baby Hannah was. I wanted the story to be more realistic then what we saw in the movie. It would be hard for each girl to convince their families that the Pontipees had indeed changed. So this story focuses on the seven brides saving their seven Pontipee brothers. Next chapter will be up soon! Review please!