Summary: Two young children show up in town stealing food, clothes and eventually the hearts of all seven peace keepers.

Disclaimers: I do not own The Magnificent Seven, its characters or stories.

This story will contain the SPANKING of minors so if that bothers you please move on and enjoy a different story.

This is only my second fanfic so please please send your reviews and suggestions!

Caleb and Sarah Beth

CHAPTER 1

They had been on the train for such a long time and making sure they continued to keep themselves hidden was becoming harder and harder. Caleb looked out of the window from the compartment they were hiding in and figured this town looked just as good as any to stop in and if it didn't work out they could just hitch a ride on a train coming through another day. He looked down at his sleeping little sister and woke her quietly.

"Sissy its time to get moving…ssshhhh don't make any noise just sit up next to me and move when I tell you to but ONLY when I tell you to" Caleb whispered to his little sister trying to sound like he knew what he was doing for the umpteenth time that day.

"Did you find us a new home Caleb?" Sarah Beth asked as quietly as she could

"SSSHHHHH" "I told you to be quiet, now mind me Sarah Beth and lets us start moving." He really hated being harsh with her but now was not the time for questions. He needed to get them off this train without being noticed and get them settled someplace safe before night fall.

Sarah Beth followed her big brother as quietly as a 7 year old can and was relieved when they finally made it off of the train and were heading into town. This town didn't look much different to her than the other towns her brother had brought her to …she just hoped this time they could stay a little longer – it seemed every time she started to like it somewhere Caleb would tell her it was time to move on again.

Caleb kept a tight hold on his sister's hand, almost pulling her along. He was not trying to hurt her but they needed to get out of sight before anyone started wondering who they were or where their parents are. Every town was the same once they realized it was just the 2 of them alone - people meant well but as soon as they started to realize that he was taking care of his sister on his own they wanted to split them up and farm them out to families or send them to the nearest orphanage and that was NOT going to happen…not as long as there was breath left in his body. He may only be 14 but he had been raising Sarah Beth for the last year on his own since his parents died and he would keep raising her until she was grown…he was now the man of the family and it was his job to take care of her.

As he got them around the buildings he started to take in the lay of the town. Four Corners seemed like a nice enough place with a few shops that would hopefully need a little help so he could earn some extra money for them. That's how the whole last year had been –he would work some odd jobs until the towns people started to recognize him and his sister and then they would move on to another town. He knew she was tired of moving but there just was not any other options for them right now. In a few years he would be old enough to be her legal guardian and then they could make a home somewhere but for right now he would just do the best he could to keep them fed and clothed.

Caleb spotted an outbuilding a little behind the saloon that did not look like it had been used in awhile – he figured they would be ok there for a night or two until he found something better a little further out of town. Grabbing the small bag of possession they had he tugged Sarah Beth along behind him 'til they got to the outbuilding. Once they reached the building he opened a blanket for his sister and gave her one of the 3 books they had telling her to practice her reading for a while so he could go out for a bit. They both had to drop out of school when their parents died of the fever last year but he had done his best to keep schooling her every day.

"Sissy I have to go out for a little bit to get some food but I want you to stay put right here and read. Do not for any reason leave this building without me -you hear me?" he asked making sure to add a little threat to his voice to keep her obeying him. "geez Caleb I know the drill by now you don't have to sound like such a meanie." She whined back at him. "you watch that sass little girl or the only thing you'll be eating for supper is a bar of soap!" he scolded. "yes sir" she said as politely as she could without sounding sarcastic. "I'm sorry and I ain't gonna leave without ya I promise." "Good girl" Caleb said as he bent down to kiss her head before he left.

He walked around town some more trying to see if there was anywhere easy to snatch a little food for tonight. He hated stealing but right now they were really low on money so he would steal if he had to to keep his sister fed. He spotted a bushel of apples unattended out back of the general store and snuck around to grab a few for his pockets without anyone noticing. He then snatched a pie that had been set out to cool off on the back steps of what looked to be a boarding house. Satisfied with his food he went back to the outbuilding. What he didn't know was that a black clad gun fighter had been watching from the corner of the boarding house yard where he had went to smoke a few minutes before Caleb arrived. The same man was now quietly following him back to the outbuilding.

Chris had never seen this boy before today and that intrigued him enough to pay attention to what the kid was doing. Then he saw him very swiftly steal the apples and move over to take the pie. Much as it pained him to watch what he knew would be a very tasty blueberry pie disappear her figured it was more important to find out who this kid was and what he was doing in his town. Chris made it a point to know everyone in and around Four Corners – so if there was a new family, especially one that had a youngin' who liked to take things that didn't belong to him, he wanted to know and figured it would be easier to follow than ask the kid questions.

He watched as the boy silently snuck back behind the saloon and up towards the old abandoned outbuilding. No one had used the building in years - they just kept it around to store stuff occasionally if need be. He was just about to say something to the kid when a little girl came running around the side of the building holding a kitten. "Look Caleb what I found out back – ain't it so cute" "Sarah Beth Johnson what in world are you doing out here. I done tole you not to come outside without me, didn't I?" He emphasized his frustration with a small shake of her shoulders.

"Im sorry Caleb but I heard her meowing and I just had to come and look." Sarah Beth tried to explain to her brother who did not appear to be swayed by her explanation at all.

"Well your right she is cute" he said bending to pet the kitten on the head, "but I hope she is worth the whippin your gonna get when I get you inside for disobeyin' me." Caleb said flatly. With that he spun her around and propelled her, and the kitten in her arms, forward with a sharp smack to her backside.

"Ow Caleb don't that hurt" Sarah Beth whined. "yeah well its gonna hurt a lot more in a minute – now you put that kitten down and bring your butt on over here ta me" Caleb said trying to calm the anger from his voice that came from the fear he instantly felt when he saw her outside the house while he was gone. He knew she thought he was too strict – an he was strict – much stricter then his ma an pa had been with either of them but he had to be – he had to know that she would obey him without question – especially when he had to leave her alone and if tanning her bottom every night was what it took to insure that she would mind him then as much as he hated it, that is what he'd do.

Sarah Beth put the kitten down and then walked the few steps over to where Caleb was sitting on an upside down crate. "Sissy didn't I tell ya to stay inside while I was gone and didn't ya pomise me ya would?" he asked pinning her with a glare. She just kicked the dirt on the floor with her foot and said "yes sir" without even looking up.

"Then I 'spect you know why you earned this tannin'" and with that he bent his little sister over his knees and raised her dress so that all she had covering her bottom was her union suit. He quickly undid the string and bared her bottom for his hand. Although Caleb had gotten more than his fair share of lickins' in his short life (at least there were too many to his way of thinkin') he didn't have much experience in givin' the spanking which is why he only spanked her bare to make sure he could see how red she was gettin' and didn't over do the spankin'. He only wanted her to mind him – not be fearful of him.

Without any further talkin' he raised his hand and brought it down on her upturned backside with a crack. He never spanked her too hard – she was so little he didn't have to spank hard to get his point across – but he still made sure she knew she had been spanked for a long while after. His Pa always said a spankin' that didn't leave your tail stingin' until at least the next day weren't gonna teach ya anything and was a plum waste of his time. It didn't take but about 3 spanks before his sister started wiggling and crying. "Oh please Caleb stop I'm sorry please stop bubby please" Caleb had to stop the smile from entering his face – she only called him bubby anymore when she really wanted something badly from him. He guessed getting a spankin' to stop qualified. But he continued to spank her about 10 more swats until her bottom was a nice dark pink and she was crying over his knee. Then very carefully he fixed her clothes and brought her up to sit on his lap keeping her bottom off to the side so as not to hurt her more.

As much as Sarah Beth hated getting a lickin' she loved being cuddled on her brother's lap just like this. She just sat there and cried into his shirt until her tears all dried up. He stood her back up and kissed her forehead before standing himself. "I'm sorry I had to do that sissy but I need know you will mind me when I'm not here – its for your own safety and I won't tolerate you disobeyin' me on it – are we clear?" he asked it like a question but they both knew the answer he expected. "yes sir Caleb – I'm sorry for bein' bad. You spanked me really hard this time though and I really didn't like it one bit!" She said with her bottom lip so far out Caleb thought it might fall off. Caleb just smirked at his baby sister – she looked so sweet when she was trying to pout like that "Good" he said as he walked by her to check on the kitten "then maybe you'll think on that a bit before you go ignorin' my rules again anytime soon." And with that he sat down and started petting the sleeping kitten.

A kitten…that was definitely the last thing they needed but his sister had so few things and asked for so little that he didn't have the heart to put the cat out – at least not tonight. Sarah Beth began bunching the blanket up into a type of pillow that would be softer for her sore butt to sit on and sat next to her brother and began snuggling the purring kitten.

What neither of the children inside that out building knew was that the gunfighter in black had listened to the whole exchange and was watching them through the small window. "well if this just don't beat all" Chris thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold. It was clear these two were brother and sister and very close. He had watched their whole exchange from the licking the little girl got to the hugs after. He might not know who they are yet but he knew love and caring when he saw it. Confident the children would be ok for the night he headed back to the jail to see if any wires about lost or runaway children had come over this week that he had missed.