Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ezra’s eyes were getting worse, much quicker than he was expecting. Sitting in the crowd of children at the campfire he could hear the crackle of the fire, but only faint shadows moved in his vision.
“I wish I could see everything that you have,” one of the children remarked. Ezra stopped, suddenly the pain he normally felt in his eyes never felt more overwhelming. Yes, it was true that he had seen many wonders in his life, but to know that it was coming to an end weighed heavy in his heart.
“Someday, you shall see more,” Ezra said softly. “Well, children, you have a big day tomorrow. I believe it would be time for you to become reacquainted with the comforts of your beds.”
Vin watched as Ezra grew more quite after the children left. Ezra, by nature, was not quiet and these moments always scared Vin. Josiah joined Ezra before Vin could decide if he should try to combat Ezra’s sour mood.
Josiah laid a hand on Ezra’s shoulder as he passed and noticed a sharp intake of breath. “Clear night, wouldn’t you say?”
Ezra paused, he knew the other suspected something was off with his eyes. “Josiah, tell me, what do you expect to gain by joining Mr. Larabee’s crusade against injustice?”
Josiah described his dream and the crows he had observed. “If death is inevitable, I’d rather meet it head-on. When I was a preacher, the congregation expected me to see the world a certain way, but I soon learned that I saw the world differently from them. What about you?”
Ezra sighed, while he didn’t doubt the truth behind Josiah’s words, he also knew he was leaving the conversation open to confession. However, Ezra was not a spiritual man and he did not believe in the power of confession.
~*~
Vin watched the sunrise cast shadows over the horizon, when Chris joined him. “There’s a backwater town in the Texas panhandle by the name of Tascosa. It’s flatter than a felt-covered poker table. You know of it?”
“Heard of it.”
“I wind up getting killed, I want to take my body back there and get the five hundred bounty for it. The only thing I ask is that you give Ezra half of it.”
Chris’s eyebrows crinkled, “Why are you so valuable and what does Ezra have to do with it?”
As distrustful as Ezra was of the others, Vin trusted Chris. He knew he couldn’t betray Ezra’s trust in him, but he could put plans in place to protect Ezra if he didn’t walk away from this fight. “When I met Ezra, he was a lieutenant for the confederacy. He made a sacrifice that saved my life.”
Chris’s eyes steeled with anger, “Do he hold that over you? Make you think that you owe him?”
“NO!” Vin swiped his hat off in frustration. “I made a vow to protect him, but I did that on my own. If it were up to Ezra, he…well, he thinks he is a burden to me.”
“Is Ezra blind?”
“Chris, I trust you, but…”
“Ezra doesn’t. I understand. What I don’t understand is why you are so valuable.” Chris knew that Vin wouldn’t betray Ezra’s trust by telling him his secret, however, he all but confirmed the notion.
Vin chuckled, “Me and Ezra, we have been traveling together since the war. I began bounty hunting to help make us money. A man, Eli Joe, was wanted death or alive. When I found him dead, I turned him in for the bounty. Only it wasn’t him. It was a trap. Ezra helped me escape before they could decide to hang me. Now I’ve got a price on my head. The way I figure it, when I die, Ezra will have to fend for himself. I know he will never turn me in for the money, but if you turn me in and give him the money, I doubt you would take no for an answer from him.”
“Ezra means that much to you?”
“He’s the closest thing I got to family. He’s my brother.”
~*~
It was morning, or well, Ezra assumed it was morning. There were no shadows or even the faintest speckle of light. The only confirmation that morning had arrived was Mr. Wilmington’s boisterous bellow intent on waking J.D.
Ezra sighed softly, it was only a matter of time for his eyesight to degrade completely, but he couldn’t escape the pain he felt in his chest with the implications of losing his eyesight.
Vin must have assumed his eyes were worse as he hovered more than usual. When he finally pulled Ezra aside, Ezra’s eyes began to ache. “Ezra, you know the soldiers are going to be coming back, right?”
“I had assumed they wouldn’t accept defeat as easily.”
“Well, I got a feeling. Tomorrow, I’m going to set you on that path to the mine. Stay there till I come for you.”
“Vin, I think it’s time to accept that I am not only a liability in the fighting, but a liability to you. I think it would be best if we were to permanently absolve the vow you made to me.”
Vin snatched Ezra’s arm, “Stop. Not this, again. You will wait for me.”
Ezra hesitated, before doing something he had never done to Vin. He lied. “Alright I will wait for you at the mine, if you feel it is best.”
That night, his sight hadn’t resurfaced and the pain in his eyes made the world spin. When Vin finally retired for the night, Ezra remained by the fire, listening to the others each soon follow. He rubbed again at his eyes, but couldn’t relive the pain. It wouldn’t be long now.
“Have you tried an herbal press for your eyes?” Ezra’s hand instinctively reached for his gun as he turned toward the voice.
“Pardon me, Mr. Jackson?”
“To relieve some of the pain.”
“I don’t understand your accusation.”
“Look, Ezra, we all know that there is something wrong with your eyes.”
“I’m fine, just have a small headache.”
“No, I saw you putting drops in your eyes. Come into the light so I can see your eyes.”
“I said that I’m fine.”
“If you would quit being so stubborn and tell us, there might be something I can do to help.”
Ezra found himself wishing that Nathan could help. But if the shamans and healers that Vin had taken him to couldn’t help him, what could Nathan do? No there was only one thing that would help his situation now.
When the village finally began to quiet, Ezra crept to his horse. He saddled quickly and passed a sugar cube to Vin’s trusty mount. “Take care of Vin for me,” he whispered to the horse. Then Ezra did the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He left.

Chapter Text

A cannon exploded near the Seminole village causing the villagers scattering. Vin scanned the village, but couldn’t find the bright red jacket that Ezra wore. Another shot of the cannon caused him to run for cover.

“Where’s Ezra?!” Chris demanded.

“EZRA!” Vin called, but there was no answer.

Nathan didn’t look surprised, “That figures, just before the real fighting he takes off to avoid getting his clothes dirty.”

Chris seen Vin start to rise to his feet and stepped in front of the healer, “We need to get to that cannon. Ezra will have to wait.”

“It would be suicide just to charge up there,” Buck said.

Where are you, Ezra? Vin spared a last glance around, but knew he wouldn’t find his friend.

~*~

Ezra heard an explosion that shook the ground and vibrated deep in his chest. Vin, his heart clenched at the thought of his friend being in danger. He knew Vin would not be happy if he were to return to fight knowing that he couldn’t see anything, but Ezra also knew that he couldn’t let anything happen to Vin. Not when he owed Vin so much for staying by his side while he struggled with his eyes.

It wasn’t hard to follow the thundering echo of the canon. Ezra didn’t know what he was going to do. Without his eye sight, chances were that he wouldn’t be able to aim his gun at any of the Ghosts. Debris on the ground, constricted his path causing him to be send sprawling to the ground in an ungraceful heap. When he found the obstruction, he knew immediately how he would stop the canon.

Walking into the camp was not as difficult as Ezra anticipated. He walked hunched over, covered in a plain duster. His breath caught further when he heard to voices of the men he defended the village with. They weren’t yelling out orders, but conversing quietly contained near the edge of the cliff.

“Enjoy the view, boys, it will be the last thing you see before your deaths!” A Ghost taunted.

“You should take the same liberties, as in a moment, you will have to choose among yourselves who would like to join them!” said Ezra opening the duster to reveal the gun powder he cradled to his chest, gun aim surely at its center.

“Y-you ain’t about to kill yourself.” Ezra could hear the hesitation in the soldier’s voice.

A smirk spread across Ezra’s face, “Then you severely underestimate how much I value my own life. Put the guns down and release them.”

Vin watched, holding his breath. This wasn’t the Ezra he had come to know on their travels. This Ezra was most similar to when Ezra first had learned of the loss of his eyesight. On more than one occasion, Vin had to save Ezra from his own recklessness.

“We will die for the Confederacy! Besides, that barrel is marked. That is wet gun powder.”

At this point, Chris had managed to slip his handcuff and leap for the man nearest him. Ezra’s head whipped toward the commotion out of habit. He aimed at the soldiers who yelled and fired.

“Down!” The familiar order had Ezra dropping to the dirt as a final gunshot rang out.

As the dust settled, an awkward silence fell upon the cliff. Ezra didn’t immediately rise from the ground, he could feel the stares of the men on him. For the first time in his life, he was glad he couldn’t see their looks of disappointment.

“Ezra! You damn fool!” Vin shouted as he embraced Ezra tightly. He pulled away to scan for any injuries the gambler may have sustained, but when he saw none pulled Ezra back for another tight hug. Ezra didn’t hug back. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but this was the moment most people realized that we wasn’t worth the effort and forced him to leave. As much as he wanted Vin to leave him, he also knew that it would hurt much more than everyone else who had abandoned him.

Ezra heard the light and determined steps of Mr. Larabee approach, “Don’t ever run out on me, again.”

~*~

During one of the hugs, Vin had slipped Ezra’s favorite playing cards from his pocket and into his own. It was an old habit from when their travels first started. He knew that Ezra would return to ask for his playing cards. While Vin held the cards, Ezra would always return. The soft smile on the man’s lips showed that he also knew what Vin had done.

Ezra was left in charge of the canon on the cliff. The swift battle was over in a matter of minutes. With Buck and Josiah injured in the battle, Nathan was too preoccupied to demand answers from Ezra.

Chris watched, but didn’t ask. The way Ezra hovered near Vin and his hands consistently shuffling his playing cards, caused a deep rooted ache from his past. Adam used to display the same worried behaviors after getting in trouble, fiddling with his favorite toy while staying close enough to reassure himself that he was still wanted and loved.

Villagers flocked the men as they gathered to leave. Ezra, having avoided Nathan, was already on his horse waiting for Vin. Vin chuckled as he mounted his horse, “You gonna ride with us?”

“I’m going to stay here to help with the village and someone has to keep Josiah out of trouble.”

“It was a pleasure to ride with you, Mr. Jackson,” Ezra finally spoke.

“Ezra, I never did get a chance to ask you about your eyes. Why don’t you hop down off there and I can take a quick look?”

“I would hate to delay our departure, you know how cantankerous Mr. Larabee can get,” Ezra smiled.

“Sure, that’s the only reason, right?” Nathan could see the avoidance.

Ezra touched the brim of his hat, “Of course.” His full tooth smile allowed his golden tooth to shine in the afternoon sun. However, his smile soon fell when he heard Josiah ignoring Nathan’s orders.

Vin laughed quietly, as they were joined by Josiah and Nathan. He always tried to make things easy on Ezra, but Ezra had a habit of being stubborn. Between Chris and Nathan, Vin wondered if Ezra would lose that battle of wills. The strong glare thrown his way proved that Ezra was less than confident, as well.

Chapter Text

It was quiet afternoon in the saloon as Ezra sipped on his whiskey while J.D. rambled on next to him. Vin had finally began to let Ezra further out of his sight without fear that he would run away at the first chance. So far, Ezra had managed to disappear whenever Nathan inquired about his eyes.

“I have twenty dollars for anyone brave enough to be sheriff,” the booming voice of Judge Travis echoed in the saloon. Ezra froze. Even with his poor eyesight, he could see that he was trapped in the saloon.

Keeping his head down, he waited for the judge to move past the saloon in search of a new sheriff, but he didn’t consider J.D. volunteering. When J.D. returned to his side to rant further about his new job, the judge noticed Ezra standing at the bar.

“You have gone by many names, Ezra Simpson, Ezra Smith, Ezra Standish,” Ezra could feel the cold barrel of a shotgun pressed into his back, “however, I never forget a face. Especially of the blind bail jumper that I put away in Fort Laramie. You are under arrest. Take his guns, son.”

Amidst his cloudy vision, Ezra could see the hesitation from J.D. “Please, don’t do this, my friend.” However, J.D. wouldn’t listen to his pleas on the way to the jail.

~*~

Vin approached the bartender at the saloon. “I’m looking for the gambler with the red jacket.”

“Well, son, you are going to have to wait until the judge gets through with him.”

“Judge?”

“Judge Travis just had the gambler arrested for jumping bail. He’s sitting in the jail. Guess he won’t be stealing anyone’s money for a while.”

Vin clenched his jaw to avoid responding. Ezra may act like a cheat, but he knew that was merely a mask to protect the fact that Ezra tends to care about people too much. He had seen Ezra purposefully lose a game of poker to help a young cowboy earn enough money to marry a young lady with child.

As Vin made his way to the jail, he witnessed a crowd begin to gather. The crowd couldn’t have been due to Ezra. He watched as J.D. tried to keep them at bay while they fought to release the man who had killed Mr. Potter. When it was clear that J.D. wouldn’t be able to hold them back on his own, Vin fired a single shot to warn them that the sheriff wasn’t alone.

“Having some trouble, Sheriff?”

The crowd began to shift uncomfortably, many deciding to leave before they became the target of the next bullet. Mrs. Potter shared a soft look to the men ensuring that justice would be found for her late husband.

~*~

“Vin! Finally, someone that can assist me,” Ezra grinned as he heard the familiar drawl outside the door. Lucas James had been taken to his trial and Ezra was beginning to grow incredibly bored.

“I don’t know about that, Ezra. I kinda like knowing where you are.”

Ezra glared at the ground, “Vin, I have apologized for my haste departure from the Seminole Village. You cannot keep holding that against me.”

“Not the first time you’ve done it.” That was true. Every time Ezra ran off, he returned or Vin found him. Vin made it clear that if Ezra wanted to go separate ways, he could. The only stipulation was that Ezra would have to tell Vin to his face for Vin to respect the decision.

Ezra sighed, he hated goodbyes and as such never bid anyone he cared about farewell. “I know.”

Nathan wandered into the jail with his bag in hand causing Vin to smirk at the look of horror on Ezra’s face.

“Looks like you finally have enough time for me to check out those eyes.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Jackson,” Ezra said.

Nathan unlocked the cell and entered, while Ezra cast a final pleading glance at Vin’s retreating back. “Alright, Ezra. If you would just hold still…”

“Mr. Jackson…Nathan…I’m sure we can reach a compromise…”

~*~

Chris was saddling up to leave town when Vin approached. “Planning on leaving?”

Chris grunted, “I suppose its times for me to move on.”

“Reckon I’ll go to Tascosa to clear my name while Ezra finishes his stay at the jail. Care to join?”

“Sounds as good a place as any.”

Gunshots rang out. “The Saloon!”

Drawing their guns, Vin and Chris ran to the saloon. Lucas took aim at Judge Travis as Chris burst through the window. Lucas James’s men fired at the intruders, making their way to the door. As Chris returned fire, he made his way to Judge Travis’s side. When the criminals escaped he shouted to J.D. to get Nathan.

~*~

“Ezra!” Nathan growled. “Hold still.”

“I object to this superfluous treatment!”

Nathan attempted to grab Ezra’s chin to get a better look into his eyes, Ezra ducking out of the way.

“I can’t help you, unless you let me.”

“I do not need, nor want your help!”

“Ezra! There is no need to be scared, you are acting like a child. I just want to look at your eyes.”

“Why don’t we settle this with a game of chance?” Ezra bargained. From his pocket, he pulled out his deck and began shuffling. Luckily, today, his eyes were allowing him to see things closer. “If you win, I’ll let you examine my eyes.”

Nathan sighed, crossing his arms. “And if you win?”

“Then you go help someone who actual needs your help.”

“NATHAN! It’s the judge!” J.D. yelled.

“We’ll finish this when I return, Ezra.”

Nathan rushed in the direction of the yell, leaving a relieved Ezra in the jail. It wasn’t that Ezra didn’t trust Nathan as a healer, but Ezra could physically take the disappointment that would come from hoping that Nathan might find a cure. Ezra knew that Nathan wouldn’t quit until he found a cure, it was one of the things that made him such a great healer, but if none of the other healers could help him then there was nothing that Nathan could do.

Chapter Text

In the bright afternoon sun, Ezra could make out the silhouette of Chris entering the jail. They were loading up on guns to bring Lucas back for justice, but were refusing to listen to Ezra’s attempts to get them to free him.

“Lucas likes me,” Ezra said. “I can get you in.”

“Tell me what you see,” Chris crossed his arms.

“You and young Mr. Dunne.” It was true that his sight was dreadful, but he could see the rough outlines of the men.

“You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”

“I swear to you on my sainted mother’s grave.”

J.D. glanced up, “You told me that your mother is still alive.”

“Figure of speech,” muttered Ezra.

Chris sighed, “We need the manpower, but Vin would put me in an early grave if anything happens to you.”

“Vin is NOT my keeper,” growled Ezra. “I can relieve you of any responsibility to my life in writing, if you would prefer.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, the way I figure it, Vin wouldn’t be very happy with you either.”

~*~

Walking into the camp was easy. Getting Lucas to walk out of camp was easy, but when Lucas’s father began to get suspicious their plan got significantly harder. Vin too aim from atop a building, ensuring that the men could make their way back to their horses.

Lucas’s men followed, firing at the men until Buck came out of the bushes taking the remaining criminals by surprise.

“Knew you men would need my help.”

Lucas was taken immediately to the jail when Judge Travis revealed his survival. After a jury had volunteered, the judge turned to the men.

“Would you men be willing to stick around for thirty days until I get back? I’ll pay you a dollar a day and room and board.”

Each man agreed, J.D. grinned ear to ear as his heroes decided to stick around. “So, I’ve got six men.”

“Seven, Judge,” interrupted J.D.

“Sorry, son,” said Judge Travis, “I can’t hire a blind peacekeeper.”

“But you are willing to hire six gunmen instead?” Chis asked.

“I may be able to help Ezra treat his eyes,” interrupted Nathan.

“So you think that the blindness is temporary?”

“Without checking him out, it is hard to tell,” said Nathan.

Ezra glared down at the horse under him. “Please proceed then, Nathan,” replied the Judge.

“I’m still a felon,” muttered Ezra.

“A pardon can be arranged.”

“Do I get any say in this, at all?”

“No,” growled Chris and Vin. The Judge chuckled.

“Yes, sirs,” Ezra saluted with a harsh glare at Nathan’s failed attempt to hide his smirk.

~*~

“Hold Still! Alright, move your head to the left.”

“Ezra, listen to Nathan,” growled Chris.

“It isn’t my fault that he is giving controversial commands,” whined Ezra. “ ‘Hold still, Ezra. Move, Ezra. Can you do any more tricks, Ezra?’ ”

“Getting him to shut up would be a nice trick,” whispered Buck.

Nathan lowered the light to peer into Ezra’s eyes. “Your pupils respond. What is J. D. holding in his hands?”

Ezra blinked slowly. He stared in the direction of J.D., but blinked again obviously having a difficult time. Sighing deep, he stared harder while his right hand shook slightly. Vin had to look away to keep from stepping in to help his friend.

“I…” Ezra shook his head “I don’t know.”

“That’s alright, Ezra.” The test continued with J.D. moving closer until Ezra could see the sheriff’s badge that he held up. Then, J.D. was given something else to hold up and forced to move around further testing Ezra’s range of sight.

The longer that the testing went on, the softer Ezra’s responses became. Vin knew from experience that Ezra was preparing for the inevitability of bad news. However, Nathan kept pushing for more results. Finally, Vin couldn’t take seeing the emotional pain any longer. He left the clinic.

“I need some air.” Chris followed, but didn’t say anything. “Ezra is shutting down. He did it with the last doctor I took him to. He wants to see so badly, that he tries to force himself to see. Then tries to stop caring because it hurts too much.”

“If there is any chance that Nathan can help him, he will.”

“What if he can’t help him?”

~*~

When the testing was concluded, Ezra escaped to his room where Vin already waited for him. “Ezra, you ok?”

Ezra struggled to answer, “Yes. I’m just tired.” He roughly kicked off his boots and tossed his jacket onto the nearby chair. He held the chair in a tight grip, slowly losing the battle with his emotions. Vin pulled Ezra into a tight embrace. While in public, he knew that Ezra wouldn’t appreciate it, but now he needed to protect him. Ezra’s body shook uncontrollably while his tears soaked the shoulder of Vin’s shirt.

Long after the tears have turned to soft sniffles, Vin led Ezra over to the bed to rest, but continued to hold him tightly refusing to be the one to pull away first.

“Nathan has some herbs that he thinks may be able to help,” Ezra offered quietly.

“That’s good.”

“No, it isn’t. The conditions of my pardon and stay is dependent on becoming a peacekeeper for the judge. If I can’t be healed, I won’t be…needed.” Vin knew that Ezra meant ‘wanted.’ Growing up never wanted in the dozens of homes that he was sent to, Ezra had a difficult time feeling accepted.

~*~

“So Mr. Standish can be healed?” Judge Travis asked.

“I can start his treatments with the herbs and in time it is possible that his blindness is temporary,” Nathan said.

“Then it appears that I have seven men to watch the town for me.”

Chris turned to Nathan after the Judge had left. “Thanks, Nathan.”

“I didn’t lie, it is possible that the blindness is temporary. Protecting the town would be easier with Vin’s help and he wouldn’t help if Ezra isn’t allowed to stay. Do you think we can trust him not to run off again?”

“No."

Chapter Text

Even blind, Ezra could see that the rest of the peacekeepers didn’t want him around. While they eagerly invited Vin to join them, he was met with more hesitation. Instead Ezra would take his normal table, doling cards to any fool who sat down while listening to the barbs Nathan threw his way.

~*~

Unsurprisingly, Chris always ordered someone else to accompany Ezra on patrol. J.D. and Buck were always the first volunteers. After a long day in the sun patrolling with Buck, Ezra’s eyes began to burn badly. He closed them, rubbed at them, even splashed some water on them, but the persistent burn blurred his vision. Buck continued to ramble about a recent female companion, oblivious to Ezra’s pain.

“Hey, pard, care to stop to rest in the shade before heading back to town?” Buck asked.

“No,” answered Ezra. “Mr. Larabee would most undoubtedly prefer a prompt return.”

Buck hesitated, watching Ezra rub at his eyes again. Chris often claimed that Buck didn’t pay attention to anyone who wasn’t of the fairer sex, but being observant was a skill he learned with the Texas Rangers. He knew that Ezra was having trouble seeing, but Vin was the one to take care of everything. What should he do?

As they headed near town, Buck could see J.D. waiting for them at the jail. “Kid, why don’t you untack our horses and we can meet at the saloon for lunch after ole Ezra and I knock off some of this trail dust?”

“Sure thing, Buck!”

“Gentlemen, while I appreciate the offer I am going to have to politely refuse.”

“Come on, Ezra, you gotta join us!” Buck smiled at J.D.’s easy acceptance of the wily gambler.

“My appetite is somewhat lacking at the moment. Perhaps another day?”

“Oh, Ezra, almost forgot! Vin had to go help Miss Nettie. A fence broke and some goats and cows got out. He said it might be a few days before he’s back,” J.D. said. Ezra nodded and proceeded to walk to his room.

Ezra wasted no time locking the door and collapsing into the chair. In the pocket of his jacket held the letter from a doctor in San Francisco. The doctor claimed that he could help Ezra by drilling a hole into his skull to relieve the pressure that is causing his blindness. Previous doctors had wanted to attempt the same thing, but if anything were to go wrong Ezra could die. While Ezra thought that it were an acceptable risk, Vin refused to let him gamble with his life.

Each passing day, Ezra was getting worse. He hadn’t seen anything clearly for three days. How much longer would he even have part of his eyesight? He was already too much of a liability to the others. He slipped out the letter to read again, even though he already knew the words written.

With Vin gone for a few days, it would be easy to get to San Francisco. Ezra had just enough money to travel there, but he wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of any treatment or to get back. Perhaps he could sell one of his gold rings in the city to cover any other expenses? If he had the opportunity to see again, he could start to repay Vin for everything that he had done since the war.

A soft knock disrupted his thoughts. “Ezra, its Buck.”

“Mr. Wilmington, unless it is of the utmost importance I would like to be left alone.”

“Come on, hoss, open the door first.” Ezra haphazardly shoved the letter under a book before opening the door. Buck surveyed his friend. His eyes were pinched tight and beads of sweat gathered near his hairline. “I brought you some grub. Figured that you should eat something. Mary said it would be light on your stomach in case you weren’t feeling too good.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but would prefer a chance to get reacquainted with my feather bed.”

“Why not just try the soup?” urged Buck. Ezra sighed and let Buck enter his room. He expected Buck to leave the tray of food and exit the room, but instead the man sat down in the only chair. Sitting on the bed to eat was not very civilized, but Ezra’s mother wasn’t there to reprimand his poor manners. As Ezra slowly ate, Buck fiddled with the items Ezra kept on the dresser.

At last Ezra finished the food and brushed the crumbs off the bed. He handed Buck the tray and politely shoved the man out of his room, not noticing that the man pocketed something on his way out. Although Ezra wasn’t planning on resting, his feather bed did look awfully inviting.

~*~

Buck heard the lock click and pulled out the letter he pocketed.

Dear Mr. Standish,

While much is uncertain until further examination, it sounds similar to previous cases that I have treated. An epidural hematoma causes blood to accumulate on the brain that can lead to blindness, severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. If this is the cause of your blast-related ocular trauma, we would treat this by drilling a hole in your skull to relieve any built up pressure from the blood. It goes without saying that this procedure has its own risks, but delaying treatment continues to carry the highest risks. I apologize that diagnosis cannot be made without an examination. When can I expect your arrival?

Doctor Thaddeus Carmichael

In the war, he had witnessed the procedure end with the patient never regaining consciousness. Many good men were lost due to mistakes and complications. If Ezra was hiding the letter, there was a good chance that Vin didn’t approve of the risks either.

~*~

“Where’s Ezra?” Chris growled into his plate. Josiah and Nathan glanced up from their spots around the table.

“Go easy on him, pard,” begged Buck. “His eyes are really starting to bother him.”

“How bad? Did he use any of the herbs?” Nathan sighed. “Of course he didn’t. It not like I wasn’t trying to help him, he could try to use the treatments instead of complaining.”

J.D. approached the table, “Is that why he didn’t want to have lunch with us?”

“Give him some slack,” argued Buck. “He never complains about his eyes.”

“Just everything else,” mutters Nathan.

“The bible says that ‘if one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts share in its suffering,’” Josiah replied.

No wonder why Ezra never accepted their invitations to join them. The other men didn’t go out of their way make him feel welcome, just the opposite. Buck let the argument go, for now. Chris wasn’t one to let go of a grudge, even if it was misplaced. He caught the sight of a red jacket sneaking out of the back door of the saloon.

Shots echoed through Four corners. The five men at the table leapt to their feet, guns in hand, unprepared for the crumpled red jacket in the street.

Chapter Text

A dust-covered man stood over Ezra’s prone form, gun held loosely in his hand. Buck reacted first, punching the man across the face and wrestling the gun away from him. Nathan rushed to Ezra, while Chris glared when the crowd tried to creep closer.

“Buck, I’ll take him down to the jail,” J.D. offered.

“Jail?!” cried the man. “I ain’t done nothing wrong!”

Buck furiously gather the lapels of the man’s coat and pulled him face-to-face. “In this town, shooting a peacekeeper is against the law.”

“I didn’t shoot a peacekeeper, just a two-bit, stealin’ and cheatin’ gambler! I want the reward money,” argued the man as he was dragged to the jail.

Josiah and Chris gently carried Ezra’s unconscious body up the stairs and into the clinic.

“Nathan, how’s Ezra?” Buck asked before he could follow the trio.

“I’ll do what I can for him.” Then Buck was left among the crowd on the street.

~*~

“I told ya, I want my money,” demanded the man in the cell.

J.D.’s eyes flew to Buck as soon as he entered the jail. “Buck, he’s got a wanted poster.” He offered the paper to Buck who took it. It read: Wanted Dead or Alive Ezra Standish for a $100 accomplice to Vin Tanner. It was from Tascosa.

“When I get out of here, I’m going for Vin Tanner next. Where that gambler is, he is nearby. Ya’ll should be thankin’ me for getting that scum off the street and puttin’ ‘im six feet under where he deserves,” called the man.

“Buck, what do we do?”

“Keep him in jail until the judge can pass sentence. J.D. go to the telegraph office and wire the judge. I’ll watch the prisoner.”

J.D. hesitated at the door of the jail. It wasn’t often that he questioned Buck, but he also knew that Buck was fiercely protective of his friends. If the man were to say the wrong thing, it wouldn’t take much for Buck to lose his temper and shoot him. J.D. shook his head, what was he even thinking? Buck was one of the best men that the West had. He had more honor than that.
“J.D.,” called Buck. “When you are done there, Miss Nettie needs some help with a fence up at her farm.”

~*~

“Don’t you go and do something stupid, boy,” demanded Miss Nettie. “Nathan can take care of Mr. Fancy Pants and rest of them boys can deal with that bounty hunter. You ought to stay here, out of sight until he’s gone.”

“Miss Nettie is right, Vin,” J.D. added. “I saw Ezra before I came here. Nathan said that he will be fine.”

“Ezra needs me,” growled Vin.

“Son, he needs you to be out of the way and safe. Can’t help him if you yourself is sitting in a grave,” sniped Miss Nettie.

Vin collapsed into a nearby chair and held his head in his hands. Miss Nettie was right, of course, but it was the first time in years that Ezra needed him and he was unable to help. While Vin completely trusted the boys to take care of Ezra, he also knew how ill-tempered he could be when in pain. It was his fault that Ezra was wanted. The damn fool refused to let Vin hang for a crime he was innocent of. Ezra’s pardon should have cleared him of all crimes, however, bounty hunters weren’t famous with having the most current information.

“I got to get back to relieve Buck at the jail,” J.D. said. “One of us will come by to update you when we know more.”

“Son, tell Nathan that when Mr. Fancy Pants is up to it, he can stay here at the farm while you boys handle the situation in town,” Miss Nettie said.

After J.D. had left Vin turned to Miss Nettie, “I thought that you didn’t like Ezra.”

“Where did you get a fool thought like that?”

“You both bicker at each other all the time.”

“Son, that’s just our way. Most of them barbs thrown are dull and meaningless. Besides, the best way to keep you out of town is to put him where you can keep an eye on him.” Then Miss Nettie, left Vin to his thoughts.

~*~

Buck leaned back in his chair at Ezra’s bedside. The lively man was uncharacteristically quiet and still, which made Buck’s stomach twist uncomfortably. Nathan agreed to let Buck stay with Ezra until he woke up, sure that Ezra would make a clean and speedy recovery.

While Nathan moved around the clinic, organizing and cleaning his tools, Buck fought with himself. Should he tell Nathan about the letter? Nathan didn’t think highly of Ezra and often spoke his opinion within earshot of the man. However, he could help prevent Ezra from getting himself killed chasing a cure for his eyesight.

“Buck?”

Buck startled from his thoughts and turned to Nathan, who was waiting. Had he said something?

“A game of chess to pass the time?” Buck agreed. They were halfway through the first game, when Buck had finally decided what he wanted to do.

“Nathan, can I ask you something real quick?”

“Sure.”

Buck glanced at Ezra’s unconscious form. “Outside.” With furrowed brows, Nathan agreed and followed the man outside onto the balcony.

“Buck, what’s-” Buck shoved the letter into Nathan’s hands interrupting his question. Nathan unfolded the letter and Buck watched as his face turned from confusion to exasperation.

“That ignorant fool.”

“Ezra might have a reason-”

“Not Ezra, that doctor. He is ignoring half the facts! Ezra has been losing his sight for years. If it was caused by pressure, he would have headaches and have lost his sight completely a lot sooner. His eyes also wouldn’t have a normal response to light. Drilling a hole in his head isn’t going to fix his eyes, but it could kill him.”

“Do you think that the herbs you gave him will work?”

“If he gives them a chance to, yes. I’m sure Vin wasn’t too pleased with this letter.”

“He doesn’t know about it.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow, “Ezra told you something that he didn’t tell Vin?”

“Well…Not exactly.”

Nathan closed his eyes, this is what he knew would happen. Ezra would be looking for the easy way out and eagerly run away at the first chance. “I see.”

“Nathan, losing his eyesight can’t be easy for him. It makes him vulnerable. I mean, did he even know that bounty hunter was there before he was shot?”

A noise from inside the clinic had both men rushing back inside. Ezra was standing – more like swaying on his feet – near the bed as he single handedly pulled on his bloody, red jacket leaving his shot arm out of the sleeve.

“Get back in that bed!” ordered Nathan.

“Why? So that you and Buck can gossip more about me outside the door? No.”

“Pard, it wasn’t like that,” pleaded Buck. “I was worried and figured that Nathan would know more.”

“You,” Ezra pointed an angry finger at Buck, “stole a private letter, and proceeded to spread news of my malady around. It is a private matter that was none of your concern.”

“Is it any of Vin’s concern?” replied Buck.

“No.”

Ezra attempted to storm past the men, only to be stopped by Nathan. “You leave this clinic your wound could become infected. You should stay just a bit longer.”

“I’d rather take my chances.”

Nathan sighed, “That wasn’t an option. Either you stay or we’ll tie you to the bed and I can give you something that will help you rest.”

Ezra’s eyes narrowed, “You wouldn’t.”

“He might not, but I will,” Chris called from behind Nathan and Buck. Ezra knew when he was out of aces and grudgingly allowed himself to be settled back onto the bed. Chris watched from the door, eyeing Buck and Nathan knowing there was something that he didn’t know. While he didn’t like it, there were bigger matters at hand.

Chapter Text

Buck couldn’t decide what was worse, the eerie quiet when Ezra was unconscious or how quiet Ezra was now that he was angry at them. It was unnatural. Ezra was a man of too many words, but even J.D. was unable to draw him into conversation.

Buck leaned back in his seat at the jail, letting his thoughts wander. The judge was due in town any day to settle the matter with the bounty hunter, but Buck was becoming more and more worried that the second Ezra and Vin were out of danger that he would lose one of his friends.

Buck had to admit that the gambler didn’t make it easy to become friends. He was always on guard and suspicious, but there were six men in this town that Buck trusted his life with and Ezra was one of those men. The only problem was that he doubted that Ezra would ever trust him again now that his letter had been passed amongst the men and they had ultimately convinced – more like forced – Ezra not to go.

It was also decided that the best place to keep Ezra was in town where all the peacekeepers could help make sure he didn’t sneak off. Vin sat with Ezra in the clinic out of sight of any other bounty hunters that were looking for them.

“Ezra?” Vin asked, hesitantly. Ezra had his eyes closed, feigning sleep. He pointed ignored Vin. “Ezra, why didn’t you tell me about that doctor?”

“Would you have let me go if I decided to?”

“Ezra, you could die!”

Ezra opened his eyes to glance at Vin, “Would that be such a terrible fate?”

Vin’s heart clenched. He was reminded of the man who had put his own life in danger at the Seminole village to protect everyone. “Does everything that I had done for you the past few years mean that little to you? That you could just throw it away and let yourself be killed?”

Ezra closed his eyes and didn’t answer. He was grateful for everything that Vin had done for him, but sooner or later Vin would realize that he was an anchor dragging him down. When that happened he would be thrown to the side like his mother and relatives had done. Ezra felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. How could he leave the one person who fought to keep him around? How could he survive when Vin decided that he was no longer worth the fight?

~*~

Judge Travis conducted court immediately and made it clear to the bounty hunter that both Ezra and Vin were pardoned by the U.S. government. After the sentencing, he went to see the progress Nathan had made on healing Ezra’s eyes. Ezra had made a perfect show of being able to see even though the peacekeepers knew he was relying on his other senses. Chris was the one to offer the judge an early dinner to give Ezra the chance to rest some more.

If Ezra was surprised that the men allowed him to lie to the judge, he didn’t show it. In fact he acted indifferent about the entire exchange. Little did he know, he hadn’t lied as well as he had thought.

“Son, you know I could hold you in contempt of court,” Judge Travis said as soon as he and Chris were out of ear-shot of the clinic.

“I don’t know–”

“I raised my son and my grandson, I know when people are lying,” the judge interrupted. “Particularly to avoid something.”

“Nathan is working with Ezra,” Chris argued.

“But is Ezra working with Nathan?”

Chris sighed. Ezra was fighting tooth and nail about the entire process making Nathan’s job ten times harder than necessary.

“I might not know as much about medicine as I do the law, but I do know that a patient must want to heal in order for a treatment to have a chance of working. Does Ezra want Nathan’s treatment to work?”

Chris faltered, he knew that Ezra wanted his eyesight back otherwise he wouldn’t have contacted that fancy doctor, but was he concerned about owing Nathan for healing him. Perhaps he was concerned that they would hold it over him as a form of blackmail.

Chris finally answered, “Ezra wants his eyesight back, without a doubt.”

~*~

Buck had finally gone to see Ezra again. He was still on bedrest and being watched over by Josiah.

“Ez, will you talk to me?”

“I believe my name is ‘Ezra,’ Mr. Wilmington,” Ezra replied.

Buck smiled to himself, “You know the boys and I are worried about you, right?”

“I assumed as much when it was decided for me that I would not be meeting with Doctor Carmichael,” Ezra growled.

Buck sighed, “That procedure is dangerous and you know it!”

“Again, you assume things about me without any evidence.”

“Really? Why didn’t you tell Vin, then? Or let Chris know that you would be gone for a few weeks? You knew from the beginning that none of us would be alright with it, that’s why you never said anything!” Buck stood over the man ranting.

“I don’t know that. You can always find another hired gun to protect the town, my help isn’t necessary. I can convince Vin to stay if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“So that’s it, huh?” Buck asked. “You’re right, we could find any number of men that could be hired to protect the town. We just keep you around so that Vin will stay. Is that what you want to hear? But listen to me, you hard-headed mule, I wouldn’t trust just anyone to watch my back. Blind or not, I trust you more than I would trust just any gunslinger. If you want to get yourself killed because you can’t see that you have friends that care about you, don’t expect us to just sit around and watch. You can be angry and resent us for refusing to let you kill yourself, but I’d rather you be alive to hate me than dead.”

Somewhere throughout the ranting, Ezra had gone silent. He wanted to argue, but couldn’t trust himself not to release any of the tears he held back. Buck was wrong. Chris and the others didn’t need him. They couldn’t. He had worked hard to keep them at a distance. Buck had to have been wrong.

~*~

Leaning against the outside of the clinic listening to the argument was Vin. Vin knew that the last few days had been difficult for Ezra. Ezra was the one to always find a loophole and twist a situation in his favor, but their friends had stood firm. It was a characteristic that made him so effective in the war and at the poker tables. There was no loophole for Ezra to use and no way that he could sway any of their friends.

Vin crept away trusting Buck with Ezra. He joined Nathan and Chris as they waited for the stage coach to arrive.

“How’s Ezra?” Nathan asked.

“Getting a talking to from Buck.”

Chris chuckled, sharing a knowing look with Vin. Chris was no stranger to Buck’s lectures when he had fallen in the bottle after his family had been murdered. If anyone could convince Ezra of his place amongst the men, it was Buck.

When the stage stopped in town, Nathan approached to receive the books he had ordered. He was shocked when the door was thrust open and a golden-haired woman threw her luggage at him.

“Make sure these see their way to the hotel. This should cover your tip,” the tossed a coin at him.

“Mrs. Standish, Nathan is not a servant,” Vin intervened. “He’s a doctor.”

“Healer,” corrected Nathan.

“Vincent, good to see you again,” smiled Maude Standish, “Where is my darling boy?”

“Resting.” The reply was short and sharp, conveying the suspicions that the man held for the woman.

Her luggage was getting thrown from the top of the stage when she turned to shout at the men, “Be careful with that, it’s from France.” Turning back to Vin, she demanded, “Well, take me to Ezra.”

Vin’s resolve hardened, “No, he’s resting. I’ll let him know that you arrived.”

“I want to see my son,” Maude insisted, her kind tone slowly slipping away.

“He was shot and needs time to heal,” growled Vin.

“Fine, then you can take my luggage to the hotel,” she spat. Her gentlewoman facade returned as she loudly said, “What a fine town you boys have found!”

Chris watched the exchange from a distance as Vin and Nathan hauled Mrs. Standish’s suitcases to the hotel.

“Who is that beautiful woman?” Josiah asked.

“Apparently Ezra’s mother,” replied Chris.

“Huh, I always thought Ezra was raised by wolves.”

Chris watched as Vin shepherd Mrs. Standish farther away from where Ezra was kept, a bewildered Nathan following.

“Starting to think that wolves may have been the better for him,” Chris muttered.

~*~

After delivering Mrs. Standish’s suitcases to the hotel, Vin drug Nathan away. “Do you think Ezra would be up for a short wagon ride?”

“Why?”

“I don’t reckon seeing his ma would be what Ezra needs right now.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Nathan, you said that Ezra needs to rest and Miss Nettie has offered to let me and Ezra stay with her for a bit.”

“I still think its wrong to keep a woman’s son away from her.”

“You don’t know Ezra’s ma.”

~*~

As the rest of the men were busy entertaining Maude, Vin was loading Ezra into a wagon and heading for Miss Nettie’s farm.

“Might I assume that my mother’s recent visitation to our remote hamlet the reason behind our relocation to Miss Nettie’s?” Ezra had seen Vin intercept his mother and lead her away, it was a welcoming sight. Not only were Ezra’s eyes feeling a bit better, but he wouldn’t have to face his mother as soon as he expected.

“Look, Ezra,” Vin started.

“I understand, Vin. Whether I deserve it or not, you always do what you can to help me.”

“Suppose Buck’s yelling got through to you.”

“Of course you heard and didn’t do anything to put an end to my misery,” muttered Ezra.

“’Bout time you heard it from someone else.”

Ezra rolled his eyes, and smirks, “Well, do you think our generous host will provide us with some desert following dinner?”

Vin returns Ezra’s glee, “A wild berry pie. She said you only get a slice if you use the herbs Nathan packed for you.”

Ezra’s smile fell, “That wizened crone.”

Chapter Text

Vin was busy chopping wood, just within earshot of Miss Nettie’s house. Ezra had attempted to charm his way to a slice of pie and convince Miss Nettie that the herbs were useless. Unfortunately, Miss Nettie was a quick witted, formidable woman who had seen through Ezra’s charm.

Ezra, who doesn’t do well with sitting still without something to keep his hands busy, was fiddling with the pungent herb compress over his eyes. Ezra was stationed on a chair on the porch beside Casey. Casey eagerly listened to the tales Ezra spun while she peeled potatoes for supper.

“I see those hands messing with that compress again and there won’t be any pie after supper for you. You best leave the herbs alone to work,” Miss Nettie demanded. Ezra’s hands snapped from his face immediately.

Vin chuckled to himself, turning to the pile of wood to avoid catching Miss Nettie’s attention. Unfortunately he didn’t escape her attention. “Vin, you bring in some wood for the stove so I can get started on supper.”

As Vin passed Ezra, he reached in his pocket and passed over the cards he always carried. Ezra began shuffling them and instinctively finding the ace of spades, flipping it over then reshuffling the deck. Vin had always suspected it was a marked deck, since Ezra refused to use it in any card game, but he was attached to the deck.

Miss Nettie returned for the potatoes, and allowed Ezra reprieve from the compress only to force him to drink more tea. He gulped is down, ignoring the taste then rushed to the barn to help Vin with the chores.

“I thought you didn’t do ‘menial labor?’” Vin asked.

“I have partaken in menial labor a time or two for the sake of a con.”

“Still trying to con Miss Nettie out of forcing you use those herbs Nathan sent?”

“I wouldn’t use the term con, per se. Perhaps, discuss the opportunities of alternative measures?” Ezra grinned.

“How’s the eyes?”

Ezra sighed and quietly answered, “Every day, I am beginning to see less.”

“Is there something you really want to see before...?”

Ezra didn’t answer. He had already seen the West, the East, Paris, and many other wonders that people often hoped to see. He had seen sunrises and sunsets, and fields of beautiful wildflowers as horses grazed. By most people’s standards he had seen it all, but there was still one thing he wanted to see. Ezra shook his head, wishing was the worst of cons. “No. There’s nothing left in this world that I wish to see.”

“Boys, supper,” Miss Nettie interrupted, entering the barn. “Vin, can you go check the gate on the cows real quick?”

Once Vin was out of earshot, Miss Nettie turned to Ezra. “For a conman, you ain’t fooling anyone.”

“I have absolutely no idea what it is that you may be insinuating.”

“He ain’t going to leave you like who ever had left in the past. You keep pushing him away and Vin is only going to hold on tighter.”

“Perhaps that is what I fear. Miss Nettie, I am many things, a conman, a gambler, a thief, but a good man is not something many would accuse me of being. Whatever danger seeks me out could affect Vin if he is too close.”

Miss Nettie began to head back to the house, she replied, “Only a good man would be concerned about the welfare of others. Supper time.”

~*~

Vin smiled into his pie as Ezra was served two helpings of stew before being allowed a slice of pie. He knew that Ezra hated the fussing, but also appreciated that fact that someone else was actively caring for his brother.

“Ezra? Do you remember when you were helping those working girls?” Casey asked.

Ezra winced at the reaction that his “Charm School” had on the town’s folk. “Not one of my finer moments, my dear.”

“Well, you know a lot about how ladies are supposed to act, right?”

“I suppose so.” Ezra glanced at Casey who was wringing her hands. “I assume this has something to do with our young Mr. Dunne and Mr. Wilmington’s failed attempt to help you catch his attention?”

“You heard about that?” Casey’s voice raised, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “No. Why would you assume that? It ain’t got nothing to do with J.D! I just…well, I mean I should be more lady-like. Shouldn’t I?”

“Buck already asked me how to salvage the situation. I believe he is attempting to make it up to you in order to win your forgiveness.”

“I don’t want Buck’s help. He already messed everything up and the entire town laughed at me.”

“An honest mistake, I assure you. Casey, Buck knows J.D. and how to win the affections of a suitor.”

“So you ain’t going to help me?”

Ezra chuckled, “I did not say that. I simply said that to dismiss any of Buck’s ideas would be an error judgement. With Miss Nettie’s permission, I can tutor you in the ways of civilization after dinner tomorrow.”

Miss Nettie nodded, “As long as all of your chores are done and you,” Miss Nettie pointed a finger at Ezra, “use Nathan’s herbs.”

“Yes, Aunt Nettie.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

~*~

Maude wiped at a tear, “I do miss my dear boy. It has been so long since I have last seen Ezra.”

Mrs. Potter glanced at her own children who played outside the general store.

Maude watched her reaction and sniffled audibly, “Where would Vin take my sweet boy?”

Mrs. Potter leaned forward and whispered, “The Wells farm, a few miles outside of town. Now I know that it is to protect Ezra especially since that bounty hunter, but every boy needs his mother. Vin or Miss Nettie will be coming into town sometime today or tomorrow for supplies, maybe they could escort you back to the farm?”

“Oh, what a marvelous idea!” Maude smiled at Mrs. Potter.

~*~

When Vin arrived in town, Maude began her journey to the Wells farm. She found Ezra and the Wells girl playing cards on the front porch.

“Honestly, Ezra, Go Fish?” Maude asked, “What a horrible waste of your God-given talents.”

“Mother,” Ezra’s greeting was short.

“Aren’t you going to stand up to say hello to me?”

“Ezra is resting,” a voice called from the barn. “He is supposed to stay off his feet.”

“Last I heard, it was his arm that was injured and not his feet,” snapped Maude, quickly losing her friendly composure.

Ezra raised to his feet, “Thank you, Miss Nettie, but I am feeling much better and could use a chance to stretch my legs.”

“Alright, just around the farm,” said Miss Nettie, mostly directed to Maude.

Ezra held out his uninjured arm out to Maude and led her away. Casey shuffled up to Nettie, not taking her eyes off of Maude. “I don’t like her, Aunt Nettie.”

“Neither do I.”

~*~

“Ezra, why don’t you return to San Francisco with me? I heard that there is a doctor there with an impeccable reputation.”

Part of Ezra wanted to join Maude and maybe believe that some of her concern stemmed from maternal instincts, but deep down he knew there was an ulterior motive. “I am doing quite fine with Mr. Jackson’s treatment. He has hope that it will prove beneficial.”

“Hope is for suckers,” growled Maude. “I taught you better than that.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“So, how much longer will Mr. Tanner blackmail you into traveling with him?”

“Vin has never blackmailed me, unlike present company.”

“You best mind your manners in front of your mother. I raised you better than that.”

“‘Raised me’” Ezra repeated, laughing cruelly pulling away from Maude. “You didn’t raise me as well as a…as a stray cat raises a litter. You dumped me, remember? At any ‘aunt’ or ‘uncle’s’ who you could con into taking me until you needed me for a con. I was just an inconvenience for you.” Ezra took a second to recollect some of his composure. “I must kindly as you to leave, now.”

“When you have decided to be more civil, I’ll be at the hotel until the end of the week.”

Ezra pinched his nose. “When I said leave, I meant more than just the farm, mother. You are not welcome in this town.”

“How dare you!” shouted Maude. “What happens when those men find out what you really are? They would never want you to stay. When you have no one to turn to, don’t come crawling back to me.” Maude swiftly turned on her heel.

“Good riddance,” muttered Miss Nettie. Ezra didn’t have the energy to agree.

~*~

Ezra awoke from his nap to the thundering of hooves. His gun was in his hand in a second and he burst out of Miss Nettie’s spare room to where Nettie was handing Casey a pistol. “Save the last bullet for yourself, if necessary. Ezra, protect Casey.”

“I’m not leaving you to confront these curmudgeons on your own.”

“Ezra! You will stay here!” snapped Miss Nettie. Nettie left the room, closing the door behind her.

“Ezra? What’s going to happen?” Casey asked in a small voice.

“I don’t know.”

He motioned for Casey to remain quiet when he heard Miss Nettie talking to the men. Guy Royal was threatening Miss. Nettie. As Guy Royal entered the house, Ezra took aim.

“I’d advise you to vacate the premises,” Ezra hissed.

“Now, why would I do that? Nettie was just about to give me a gift.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Son, you ought to hold your tongue. I’d hate for one of my men to get a little antsy. Someone may get shot,” Guy Royal grinned. Ezra could see Nettie’s spencer in the hands of one of Royal’s men. He motioned to Casey to lower her pistol while he stood protectively in front of her.

Royal grabbed a small music box, and strut outside the house. Nettie chased after him trying to retrieve the box. Ezra wrapped an arm around her to hold her back. “There’s too many of them. We’ll get it back.”

Casey stepped out around Ezra to throw a stone at Guy Royal, “Rot in hell!”

“You will leave the territory tomorrow. You won’t tell anyone that I was here or I’ll toss your niece to my men, shoot your boy there, and burn your house with you in it,” threatened Royal.

Chapter Text

“You know the thing I don’t understand, why did Ezra just let Royal and his men ride away? He faced the Ghosts of the Confederacy without backing down,” Nathan asked as he held up a board for Vin to nail back into place. Nathan, Vin, and Josiah had already repaired the barn, now all that was left was the fencing for the horses.

“We had the element of surprise at the village, here Ezra was the one surprised,” Vin growled. He hated the insinuation that Ezra was a coward. He’d seen the man put his own life at risk time and time again to help people.

Josiah, seeing that Nathan was beginning to wear on Vin’s last patience, intervened, “‘He who runs may fight again, which he can never do if slain.’” Nathan began to open his mouth, only to sigh and shut it when Josiah shook his head. The last thing Nathan or Vin needed was to get into another fight about Ezra. Had it been any of the others, Nathan would have agreed that backing down was the best option.

~*~

While the boys worked to restore Miss Nettie’s farm back to its original glory, Ezra could feel the disapproving stares on his back. At first he ignored them, then he leaned back and used his hat to cover his eyes.

His mother was right, of course. He was getting too attached to this town and the people. Why did he care if the boys blamed him? Why did their judgement bother him?

Ezra could hear a determined shuffling walk approach and stop near him. “Miss Nettie?”

“Regardless of what anyone thinks, you did the right thing.”

Ezra sighed, “I let Royal take that music box from you and destroy your farm.”

“You made sure that Casey and I were still alive.”

Ezra lifted his hat from his eyes to stare at the blurry figure of Nettie. “People like me are selfish. I was merely looking out for my own interests.”

Ezra rose and went to the barn to retrieve his horse. Vin caught sight of Ezra leaving and called out, “Where you going?”

“To clear my head,” was the uncharacteristically short reply.

“Is your vision clear enough to ride?” asked Nathan. “If you disturb that bullet wound, it will take longer to heal.”

“I think I’ll be fine,” snapped Ezra.

With all of the men distracted with Royal and Miss Nettie, no one noticed Ezra entering the bank. Ezra sighed, sucked in a breath to steady himself, then sighed again. This was the only way. He walked up to the nearest clerk, “The manager, please, my good man.”

“Mr. Standish, what do I owe the pleasure?” A short, pig-like man stood before Ezra tucking his pocket watch back into the pocket of his black suit.

“Mr. Franklin, a word, in private.”

“My office, then.” Mr. Franklin shut the door to his office and sat in his chair eyeing Ezra. Ezra was no stranger to him, but he had never seen the elusive man in the bank. “I assure you that your money will be perfectly safe in my establishment.”

“That is not why I’m here. I am inquiring about a mortgage on a farm.”

Mr. Franklin laughed, “I highly doubt that a man of your particular tastes would find farming to be…advantageous, Mr. Standish.”

Ezra grinned, “True, someone of my particular skill and status does not participate in menial labor. No, I am here on behalf of Nettie Wells and the mortgage on her farm.”

“Nettie Wells?” Mr. Franklin turned to his large file cabinet and withdrew a file. “Looks like she owes about $300. Why does it concern you?”

Ezra drew a shaky breath then gathered his courage, “I, as one of the peacekeepers of this town, have been entrusted with the $300 that will pay off her mortgage.”

“How did she come up with the money so quickly?”

“Money, is money. Does it really matter where she attained it?”

“That old hag has had trouble

The longer Ezra held his $300 in his hand, the harder it was to let it go. “I assure you that this money was donated to Nettie by a generous benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous.”

“Mr. Standish, are you sure you don’t want Nettie to know who paid off her mortgage?”

Ezra chuckled, “The day the sanctified dead rise from their graves to receive judgement, I’ll start doling out cash. I’m merely the messenger.”

Mr. Franklin’s entire body shook with his laughs, “Well, who am I to deny a payment? I assume that you will require a receipt.”

“Of course. Put Miss Nettie’s name on it,” said Ezra.

~*~

“Ezra, darling, come to demand that I leave this remote hamlet, again?” Ezra’s mother snapped. She brushed out her skirts while waiting for the stagecoach to load her luggage.

“No, I came to extend my sincerest apologies for my earlier outburst, Mother.”

Maude opened her hand fan. “I still think that you would greatly benefit from traveling with me for a bit.”

“You mean, you would benefit, Mother.”

Maude used her free hand to caress Ezra’s right cheek. She glanced down at the golden tooth and pulled away from her son. “My darling boy, there is no shame in running when you have everything to lose.”

Ezra swallowed his fear, “There is shame in being a coward. Mother, my cowardice has already hurt too many people.”

Maude shushed Ezra, “Well, then. If your mind is made up, I’ll take my leave. When I arrive in San Francisco, I’ll talk with that doctor. Goodbye, Ezra.”

“Goodbye, Mother.”

~*~

Ezra began to rub absentmindedly at his eyes during his ride back to Nettie’s farm. While he didn’t want to face the boys quite yet, facing Nettie’s wrath for being late to supper was far more frightening. Crickets and birds chirped in the surrounding forest as his horse’s hooves clattered on.

“Lookee what we have here,” called a voice. It was in that instant that Ezra scolded himself for not noticing how the forest grew deadly quiet.

“Can I help you?” Ezra asked coarsely. A group of men rode out of the trees and surrounded Ezra’s horse, their guns drawn.

“Marshall Bob Spikes, but you may know me better as Top Hat Bob,” announced the man closest to Ezra. “I heard you are Nettie’s boy. I have a message for Larabee. From now on, all dealings with Mr. Royal go through me.”

“And you just assumed that I’m a good messenger?” asked Ezra, his eyes never leaving Bob’s.

“You delivered the payment for the mortgage on that farm, didn’t you?” grinned Bob. “Don’t worry, you aren’t the messenger. You are the message.”

Ezra’s eyes widened before he pulled his horse around, looking for a space to run. He was surrounded. Each breath he took came faster as the men closed the distance to him, dragging him from his horse. Ezra swung his fist blindly at a man gripping his wounded arm. Then a sharp, familiar click of a gun hammer had him stilling.

Two men held onto his arms as Top Hat Bob approached, “I think it would be awful nice for you to give me your jacket for Mr. Royal.”

“I think it would be awful nice for you to back away so I don’t have to smell you!” replied Ezra.

Bob backhanded Ezra across the face. Then the laughing men forcibly removed Ezra’s jacket. Ezra could see a spot of blood leaking through the sleeve of his shirt where Nathan’s stitches had ripped open.

“Boys, teach him a lesson,” called Bob as he rode off with Ezra’s jacket hanging over the horn of his saddle.

Chapter Text

Ezra laid quietly as the men soon grew tired and rode away. He had been stripped of his guns, boots, and hat. His arms burned and ached. They were still bent up to protect his face from the various blows and kicks. The rest of his body hadn’t been as lucky, taking the brunt of the men’s anger.

Ezra didn’t know how long he had laid on the ground willing the pain to subside, but it didn’t. When he finally decided to get up, it was dark. Sitting up, Ezra wrapped his arms tightly around his body as he wheezed and his head spun. Breathing shallow, his head finally cleared enough for him to use a tree to get to his feet.

Miss Nettie’s farm was a much shorter walk than heading back to town, but she was bound to notice the beating he took. Perhaps it was better if he just headed back to his room in town. Ezra scrubbed at his face with a hand, his fuzzy head made it hard to think. Miss Nettie was liable to get upset if he didn’t return and go looking for him in town, but by then he would be better prepared to act fine.

The trek back to town took longer than it should have. Ezra, having doubled over in pain, leaned against a tree. He could see the town in the faint rays of the sunrise. Keeping in the shadows, Ezra slipped in the back door of the saloon and up to his room.

Slowly he removed his dirt-caked clothing, hissing when the shirt stuck to the dried blood from his bullet wound. He fingered the torn pocket of his vest. The once nice material frayed and ruined beyond repair. In the mirror on the dresser, he looked over the bruising that covered his torso and back. Finally, he finally looked at his face. A light purple dusting lay under his eye where Spikes had backhanded him and his lip had been split when one of the men kneed him in the face, but for the most part his arms were able to shield his face from the attack. Both arms hung painfully at his sides. The stitches on his bullet wound had ripped and would need to be re-done, but with the dark purpling that covered his arms the rest of his injuries would not go unnoticed.

A sharp banging on the door startled Ezra. He reached for bedpost for his gun only to remember that it was taken from him. More banging persisted. He debated on whether he should just remain quiet until the person left.

“I told you that I didn’t think he was here,” said J.D. from behind the door. “I was in front of the jail all night and he didn’t go in the saloon.”

“He can be as slippery as a greased pig,” Buck said. “I’m going to look around the room real quick.”

“Buck,” admonished J.D. “I don’t think Ez would like that very much.”

“You heard what Miss Nettie said. He never returned for supper.”

“Maybe he just decided to sleep under the stars?” tried J.D.

Buck started laughing, “Ole Ez would rather lose at poker than sleep outside. You can stay out here if you’re worried about him shooting you.”

Ezra slowly eased a shirt on, just as the lock clicked and the door handle twisted. He kept his back to the door. “Ezra? Where in the hell were you?”

“Here. Now that you know, you may take your leave.”

“Not until you talk to us, hoss,” demanded Buck. Buck caught a glimpse of Ezra in the mirror. “What happened to your face?”

Buck strode across the room in three powerful steps and gently grabbed Ezra’s chin when he began to turn away. “J.D., go get Nathan.”

“My face is fine.” Technically it was not a lie.

“But that’s not,” Buck pointed at Ezra’s arm were blood began to seep through the fresh shirt. “Might as well take the shirt off.”

“I don’t need Nathan,” argued Ezra. “I can administer the required aid myself.”

Buck stared at Ezra, eyes narrowing in thought. “Take it off,” he demanded in a hard voice that brokered no argument. It was a tone that the man only ever used with J.D.

“No. It is unnecessary.”

“What’s going on here? Ezra, are you hurt?” demanded Nathan, Chris and J.D. standing in the hallway. “Miss Nettie and Vin were looking for you all night.”

“I was occupied by Royal’s newest hire.”

“His bullet wound is bleeding, again, but Ezra won’t take off his shirt,” interrupted Buck.

“As I was telling Mr. Wilmington, I will be fine,” Ezra sighed, “If everyone can kindly depart from my room so that I can finish getting prepared for the day, I’ll inform you all about the new gun afterwards.”

“Let me see that arm first,” Nathan said. “Just take off the shirt, you’ll probably just put a clean one on anyway.”

Ezra grit his teeth. His body ached, lack of sleep was clouding his mind, and he could feel his poker face beginning to slip. “I’m a bit cold, can’t I just roll up my sleeve, Nathan?”

Buck began to protest, but Nathan interrupted, “That would work. Don’t want you getting cold, now do we?” Ezra relaxed and sat on his bed, rolling up the sleeve for Nathan. Nathan’s eyes roamed over Ezra’s face and his bruised arm, “Buck, could you go get me some of the extra salve I have in my clinic? It should be on the second shelf, but maybe you should take J.D. with you to search in case I moved it somewhere else?”

Buck hesitated at the door, he didn’t want to leave Ezra when he was obviously hiding some more injuries under his shirt, but he trusted Nathan and Chris. As soon as Buck left, Nathan finished stitching and leaned back to look Ezra over again. Chris stepped into the room to ask, “So, do you want to tell us what’s going on? The short version, preferably.”

Ezra took a shallow breath to recite the story he practiced in his head. “I was riding back to Miss Nettie’s farm when a Bob Spikes wanted to introduce himself and inform you that he is now the new liaison for Guy Royal.”

“How did you rip your stitches and hurt your face?” asked Nathan.

“I thought you wanted the short version?”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “Out with it.”

“Bob Spikes seems like the type to remove obstacles, even if it means brutalizing anyone in his path.”

“You hurt anywhere else?” Nathan asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Ezra replied. “Bob Spikes is a hired gun. We should move Miss Nettie and Casey into town until the situation is over.”

Chris walked over to Ezra’s closet taking out a fresh shirt and passing it over to the gambler. “Don’t want to get blood on one of your fancy jackets, do you?”

Ezra smiled, “I think I will forego the jacket for today.”

“Why?”

“I’m feeling a bit too warm.”

Nathan pressed a hand into Ezra’s forehead. Ezra batted at the offending hand. “No fever. I thought you were too cold to remove your shirt?” Ezra’s smile fell.

“Shirt off, now,” demanded Chris.

“The indecency!” cried Ezra. “I already told you, you have to get to Miss Nettie and keep her and Casey safe.”

“We will when you show us what injuries you are hiding.”

“I’m not hiding anything!” argued Ezra. “I am fine.”

Buck and J.D. strode into the room, J.D. handing the salve to Nathan, “It was in the way back on the top shelf, Nathan. No where near the usual spot.”

“Thanks, J.D.,” said Nathan. “Could you find Vin and send him up here?”

Ezra glared and straightened his shoulders defiantly. “So, since I’m not going to do as you ask, you are going to get my ‘keeper’ to make me listen?”

“Ez, it ain’t that we don’t trust you, but you have a habit of complaining about every little inconvenience, except what is actually wrong,” explained Buck. “I’m sure that if you do what Nathan asks, we could keep whatever it is you’re hiding between us?”

Ezra’s harsh gaze shifted to Nathan, “Have I got any choice in this matter?”

“I got to check to make sure you aren’t really hurt bad.”

“Then I guess I’d prefer the smaller audience to witness this completely involuntary indecent exposure,” grumbled Ezra.

Slowly, Ezra unbuttoned his shirt, showing off the bruises on his torso then closing his eyes to avoid seeing the judgement in the other men’s eyes. He was a gambler and getting beaten was not uncommon for people of his status.

“What happened?” Nathan asked quietly while he prodded Ezra’s ribs.

“Just a disagreement of opinions.” More like Ezra’s mouth got him into trouble again.

Buck gestured at Nathan from behind Ezra. A glaringly obvious blue-purpled hued boot print colored Ezra’s back.

“Do your disagreements always end with boot prints on your back?” Buck asked sarcastically. “Hey, wait just a minute! Where are your boots? And your guns?”

“Seems they were taken to be gifted to Mr. Royal. My hat and coat too.”

“I don’t feel anything broken. The bruising should start to heal in a week or two.”

“I told you this was completely unnecessary,” reminded Ezra, knowing that it was childish to say, but not caring in the slightest.

~*~

“You missed supper,” Nettie scolded. “We searched for you well into the night!” Ezra was wise enough to finally keep his mouth shut. Chris chuckled to himself. If he had known that all it would take for Ezra to be quiet and repentant was the angry woman, he would have introduced them as soon as Ezra became a peacekeeper.

“I’m truly sorry, Miss Nettie.”

Miss Nettie’s eyes scanned over Ezra. “You also missed one of your treatments, so you know what that means.”

“Miss Nettie! That’s hardly fair!” shouted Ezra. “I was…otherwise engaged!”

“Boy, I know you didn’t just raise your voice to me,” warned Nettie. Buck and J.D. had to hide their faces to keep from laughing, while the rest of the men smiled at the ground. Ezra hung his head lower.

“We are going to settle this with Royal tonight, Nettie. Mrs. Travis has offered for you and Casey to stay with her tonight,” said Chris. “By tomorrow, Royal won’t be a problem.”

“Good, then I expect all of you to be at dinner tomorrow,” Nettie said pointedly at Ezra.

“Yes, ma’am.” They all replied.

~*~

Vin pulled Ezra away from the rest of the men. “He beat you, didn’t he?”

“While I’m certain that Mr. Larabee has entertained the thought, he has yet to strike me.”

“I meant Spikes. You’re walking stiff.”

“Nathan already concluded that I will survive my injuries.”

“You went to Nathan?” Vin asked. “How bad are you hurt?”

“Apparently, Mr. Wilmington and Mr. Larabee are more observant than I thought. They insisted that Nathan check my injuries.”

“‘Insisted?’ I’m sure they did,” Vin said. He adjusted his hat before deciding what to say. “Look, Ezra, I know what you did.”

For a split second his mother’s words rang in his ears, but there was no way that Vin could know. No way. Ezra had buried his secret deep.

“You paid off Miss Nettie’s mortgage with the money you were saving for a saloon,” continued Vin.

“A gambler and conman such as myself would never bestow money upon anyone other than oneself.”

Vin shook his head, annoyed. “Ain’t just a gambler and conman.”

No, Ezra thought grimly, I’m something much, much worse.

Chapter Text

Ezra’s eyes were having a good day, but his wardrobe was having a bad day. He could see Royal dressed in his newly tailored jacket. His boots and hat were no where to be seen, but he was sure they were somewhere inside the bunkhouse with Bob Spikes. The Seven were crouched outside of Royal’s farmhouse planning their move.

“Probably ten or fifteen men in the bunkhouse, not counting the guards,” said Buck.

“Looks like we’re outnumbered, again,” commented Nathan.

Chris watched as five more men rode up and delivered more stolen items to Royal. Royal smiled and brought the trinkets inside before the riders retired to the bunkhouse. Shadows of the men inside danced through the door that was propped open to allow airflow into the bunkhouse. “Now there’s more.”

Chris tapped his fingers in thought, “Vin, think you can keep the men in the bunkhouse and Royal separated?”

“At this range?” replied Vin. “There’s probably a back door to Royal’s house. He’ll escape while the bunkhouse draws our fire. No way you’re pistols will hit the wall of the bunkhouse at this distance.”

“We would just be wasting bullets,” said Nathan.

“We’re going to need a distraction to get close,” Buck said.

“‘A distraction?’” repeated Ezra glancing at Vin, grinning widely showing off his gold tooth. “Why didn’t you just say so?” Ezra disappeared back to the horses.

“Why’s Ez smiling?” J.D. asked.

“Used to do it in the war,” Vin grumbled. “Never a good sign.”

“What is he planning?” asked Chris.

“A distraction.”

~*~

Buck followed Ezra to the horses. “Whoa, there pard, dynamite?”

“There are two exits to the bunkhouse,” Ezra muttered, fiddling with the dynamite stick. “Once I walk up there, everyone will scurry for the back exit. Just make sure you don’t shoot the man with my clothes.”

“I’ll get Nathan and J.D. to help with the back door.”

Ezra waited for them to get into place before striding up to the open door of the bunkhouse with his dynamite sticks in hand. He lit the fuse and rolled the stick through the open door. Shouts filled the bunkhouse as the men scrambled for the back exit only to be apprehended by Buck, Nathan, and J.D.

The forced the men to the ground at gunpoint a safe distance from the bunkhouse. Ezra slowly strode through the empty bunkhouse passing the sizzling stick of dynamite. Hanging on a bed frame waited his gun holster and hat. He swiped them placing his hat on his head and slinging his holster over a shoulder.

“Ezra! Get out of there!” shouted Buck. “It’s going to blow!”

“Ezra!” called Nathan and J.D. “Run!”

Ezra grinned again and leaned against the door frame twirling a spare stick of dynamite in his hands as Buck shouted and motioned for him to move. The dynamite fuse on the floor continued to burn. Buck seen the fuse almost out and closed his eyes. He couldn’t watch his friend get blown up. He couldn’t. He tensed for the explosion, squeezing his eyes even tighter.

Silence filled the night. Any second now. Nothing.

Slowly, Buck opened one eye and then the other. Ezra was still leaning against the frame grinning like a fool. The dynamite hadn’t gone off and that smug son-of-a-bitch knew it, Buck shook with anger. Ezra had knowingly allowed Buck to believe that he was going to be blown up.

“I took the core out. It was a dud,” laughed Ezra. “But, this one is not.” He lit the second stick, tossed it into the bunkhouse and walked to where Buck was still fuming.

A loud explosion blew out the windows of the bunkhouse and shook the ranch. Royal raced out of the farmhouse with a rifle in hand. It only took a matter of seconds for him to see that his men were captured and he was outnumbered. Dropping the gun, he slowly raised his hands in a surrender.

Vin shook his head as Ezra misread Buck’s anger. Ezra must have thought that Buck hated being tricked into believing the first stick was live, instead he saw the fear he always felt when Ezra decided his life was a worthy sacrifice. Buck swung an arm behind Ezra and cuffed him around the back of the head. Firm enough to swipe the smug look from his face and knock his hat into the dirt, but not hard enough to aggravate any of his previous injuries.

Ezra froze in confusion. He stared at his hat in the dirt before slowly picking it up and dusting it off. “I implore you to take caution with my wardrobe, Mr. Wilmington. They have already be atrociously mishandled.” It didn’t pass his notice the harsh glare tossed his way by both Buck and Nathan.

“Aw, Buck was just worried like a mother hen,” jeered J.D.

~*~

“This is great berry cobbler, Miss Nettie,” said Buck. All seven men gathered around the table at Miss Nettie’s finishing their dinner. Ezra pouted as the boys continued to compliment the desert he wasn’t allowed a piece of since he missed an herb treatment.

“Sure you don’t want some, Ezra?” Nathan chuckled.

“Since Ezra can’t have a piece, can I have his?” asked J.D.

“Boys!” Chris watched as Ezra wilted further. Ezra glanced up, grateful someone was ending his misery. Vin had decided that heckling and humbling was a good thing for Ezra.

“Miss Nettie, I used the herbs as instructed today. It would hardly be fair to pass judgement on a situation that was out of my control,” Ezra began slowly.

“That is why I saved a piece,” said Nettie. “If you use your herbs tomorrow, you will get it. Don’t think that I haven’t heard about the trick with the dynamite.”

Color rose in Ezra’s face as he rolled his eyes. “In my humble defense,” Ezra started.

“When has Ezra ever been humble?” asked Nathan.

Tossing a glare across the table, Ezra continued, “I knew that the dynamite would not go off. Though I needed everyone to think otherwise for the ruse to succeed.”

“Who do you think you are fooling?” snapped Vin.

Ezra pulled back as if slapped. Vin stared hard at the man he called a brother. He had thought that Ezra had left the reckless behavior on the battle fields. Turns out he didn’t know Ezra as well as he thought he did.

“It was a calculated risk,” replied Ezra.

“Ain’t worth it,” Vin left the table, but stopped near the door. “You ain’t going to be the only one to get hurt if something goes wrong.”

Vin left the cabin, but Ezra followed. Vin kicked at the dirt, venting the anger that had bubbled since Ezra shot him the crooked grin. “Can’t get hurt, when I have you watching my back.”

Ezra stood just out of arm’s reach of Vin staring up at the sky. His eyes could see blurred specks of light. Sighing he said, “I’m sorry. I know that I often took things too far during the war, but now it’s different.”

“Different?”

“In the war, I thought I had found redemption. As it would seem, the road to redemption is a rocky path. With you by my side, I think I might make it.”

“If I have to drag you kicking and screaming,” affirmed Vin. Vin stepped closer to Ezra, resting a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t know why Ezra felt that he needed to be redeemed, but he could protect him while he made his journey. “Just don’t care for you being reckless.”

“I shall try to rein in my impulsiveness.”

Vin squeezed Ezra’s shoulder, “That’ll be the day.”

Chapter Text

It was no secret that Ezra was a secretive man. Despite his colorful wardrobe and vocabulary that screamed for attention, he had become proficient at directing people’s focus away from himself. When Vin and Ezra had started traveling together, Vin would feel momentary panic when he realized that Ezra had vanished. After months of practice, he began to notice when Ezra shifted the conversation to slink away and rest his eyes.

In Four Corners, Ezra still vanished when his head began to pound and his vision faded out of existence. However, Vin realized that he was no longer the only one noticing the conman’s departure. The first to notice was Buck. He would watch as Ezra walked away before glancing around the group and meeting Vin’s concerned gaze. Ever since he gave the wily gambler a talking to, Buck began to watch him closer.

At first it was subtle glances, then after the debacle at Royal’s ranch it became more obvious that Buck was concerned with how Ezra tried to face everything alone. Even when enchanted by a lady in the saloon, Buck would place himself in a seat that would allow him to see the table Ezra often played at.

Chris was the next to notice Ezra’s departures. At first it was because he started to give the missing man orders, only to realize he was no where in sight. Then he caught Buck watching as Ezra slipped away. While Chris noticed Ezra’s departures more often, he reacted much more subtle than Buck.

He would place Ezra on patrol with Buck, knowing his old friend would never allow something to happen to Ezra. He also knew that Ezra, while he complained about the work, would rise early to go on his scheduled patrol despite Chris’s orders to rest his eyes. It was like the man actively did the opposite of what Chris told him to do. Chris knew that the only way to win a fight with Ezra was to be just as mischievous as the man himself.

Vin leaned back in his chair in the saloon as the men chatted. Ezra had left some time ago. A departure that went unnoticed by Josiah, Nathan, and J.D. He had been rubbing at his eyes, crushing the heels of his hands into his face when he assumed no one was watching. Buck threw a worried glance to Vin, who shook his head. The easiest way to spook Ezra into hiding his pain further was to make a public spectacle out of him. Dealing with Ezra was like playing poker. You had to hide what you knew behind a mask of indifference.

~*~

A soft knock echoed through Ezra’s room. He sighed. The boys had been more watchful, particularly Buck. Mrs. Nettie had finally allowed him to move back into town with Nathan’s approval and Buck had taken it upon himself to ensure that Ezra had everything he needed. His arm had healed, but the herbs seemed to be doing nothing for his eyes. Opening the door, he raised an eyebrow for the newcomer to state their business.

“You’s got a telegraph, Mr. Standish,” said Tommy, the telegraph operator’s son. Ezra sucked in a surprised breath, expecting Buck or Vin, though now that he thought about it they rarely knocked.

“Thank you,” accepted Ezra. He passed a coin to Tommy. “Mrs. Potter has gotten some new candy in the store that you may enjoy.”

“Wowee!” Tommy exclaimed. “Thanks, Mr. Standish!”

Ezra closed the door and ran his fingers over the paper, unable to see it. Whatever the missive, it would have to wait. He removed his jacket and boots, tossing his had on the bedpost near his guns. In a very ungentlemanly way, he fell into bed crushing his hands against his pounding head.

Another knock rang out, but this time Ezra ignored it. If it were important, there were six other lawmen in the town.

~*~

The men had gathered in the saloon that night, but Ezra had yet to make an appearance. Nathan scoffed, “Guess there isn’t anyone to fleece tonight.”

“Brother Nathan,” Josiah warned. He had seen Vin’s forced inhale barely holding his anger.

“Josiah,” replied Nathan, oblivious to Vin. “All I’m saying is that he could conduct himself more like a peacekeeper than a conman. We have a hard enough time earning the trust of the townsfolk.”

“They don’t trust us because we’re hired guns,” interrupted Buck. “Hell, I reckon they are more scared of Chris than any of us.”

“Who’d be afraid of Chris?” asked J.D. causing Buck to burst into laughter. “He wouldn’t do anything to anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“Sure we know that, but people tell stories, kid,” Buck replied. “The way I figure it, you can never judge a man by what you hear from others.”

“Like Vin and Ezra?” asked J.D.

Vin’s head snapped up, “What do you mean?”

“Hey!” warned Buck. He sat up a little straighter leaning in front of J.D. in a protective gesture. Vin had a bad habit of flying off the handle where Ezra was concerned, but Buck would be damned if he allowed Vin to lose his temper with J.D. over an innocent question.

“What do you mean?” demanded Vin.

“There was a wanted poster about a man named Elijah Stevens,” J.D. said, eyeing Vin cautiously. “I figured it was like your wanted poster. A misunderstanding.”

“So what, kid?”

“It had a picture of Ezra on it.”

Vin knew Ezra was wanted for gambling, conning, and as an accomplice. “Judge Travis’s pardon will clear up those charges.”

“I know that, but Ezra is wanted for murder of five people in New Orleans,” whispered J.D.

“Got to be a mistake,” said Vin. “Ezra and I never went to New Orleans.”

“The date on it puts it before the war,” said J.D.

“Maybe someone who looks like Ez?” Chris supplied.

“Maybe it happened when he went to visit his mother?” wondered Nathan.

Vin furrowed his brows together. After they started traveling together, he and Ezra stayed together as Ezra healed from his wounds. Even after Ezra no longer needed him that much, Ezra didn’t wander off on his own. Having come across Maude more than once during their travels, he also knew that nothing good came of Maude’s visits. She had to been involved. However, Ezra wasn’t a murderer. This, Vin would stake his life on.

“Do we ask him about it?” J.D. asked. “I mean Ezra does like to keep to himself. Do we even really know him?”

Without thinking, Vin was out of his chair and he was shocked to find J.D. sprawled on the floor. Buck knelt near J.D. glaring at Vin, who stared at his stinging fist in shock. J.D. wore a matching red mark across the side of his jaw, withering wide-eyed under Vin’s firm gaze.

“Ezra ain’t a murder,” replied Vin strongly.

“Look, pard,” snapped Buck. “The kid didn’t accuse Ezra of murder, just saying that we don’t know him all too good.”

“It was implied.”

“Vin-I, well…Ezra…he,” J.D. stuttered. “Never mind.”

“This is why Ezra stays away from y’all,” muttered Vin. “See a wanted poster with Ez’s picture on, then he must have done it. Some people lose money playing against him, Ez must have swindled them.”

“Well, he’s been lying to us about his eyes since we met him, what else is there that he’s lying about?” Nathan reminded.

“Do you know what it was like when people found out he was blind?” Vin growled. “Ezra was an officer, so even though he was hurt the Union army took him and the rest of us to a containment camp. They tortured him. At first to get him to talk, then just ‘cause. I got him out of there, but even after the war people ain’t very nice to blind people. In one town, a preacher claimed that the Lord would open the eyes of the blind sinner when he repented for his crimes. Townsfolk would throw things at him because he couldn’t see it coming and then hog tied him to tar and feather him. Then there was Maude…” Vin took a breath that ended his ranting. Ezra wouldn’t be too thrilled knowing what he had just told the boys. “Of course, he lied to y’all about not being able to see. Everyone else took advantage of him, why wouldn’t you?”

Josiah sighed, “It would appear that our black sheep needs to be pulled back into the fold.”

~*~

Vin found himself watching the sunrise from Ezra’s room. Ezra was snoring softly from the bed, but Vin had too many questions to quiet him mind enough for sleep. Outside the window, the townsfolk began to stir with the morning light. Ezra shifted around in the bed, grunting softly as he was pulled from sleep.

“Vin?” Ezra rubbed at his tired eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“Wanted poster came in a few days ago about a murder of five people in New Orleans before the war.”

“So you came to arrest me? I must thank you for allowing me to get a full night’s rest on my feather bed. The cots in the jail are horrendous on the back.”

“Think it’s time to move on?”

Ezra tossed an arm over his face. “So, you are going to let me run away?”

“No, but if’n you decide to, I’m coming with.” Vin knew that if he had to choose between his brother and his friends, his brother would always come first.

“Are you going to ask if I committed the heinous crime I’m accused of?” Ezra drawled, his accent thicker from sleep.

“Don’t need to,” answered Vin. “Way I figure it, if you did it, you probably had a good reason. If you didn’t do it, you were probably at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“What ever did I do to inspire such misplaced confidence of my character?” Ezra murmured from behind his arm. “Would your answer change if you knew that those people were innocent and it was in fact my fault?”

“What happened?”

“That, my friend, is a long story that shouldn’t be started before I have received an adequate amount of coffee.”

Chapter Text

Ezra sipped on his coffee while sitting at the table with the six other men. He glanced around the table and his stomach began to unsettle. It was likely that after hearing this tale, most of the men would be disgusted with Ezra and ask him to leave. Vin always seen the good in Ezra, even when there wasn’t any good to see, but the others always had a clear view of what kind of man Ezra is.

“I do ask that you boys refrain from asking questions until the very end,” started Ezra. “This tale is not the easiest to hear, nor tell.” The boys nodded. Ezra gathered his courage. “It began the summer of my seventeenth year. At this time I was inhabiting most of the largest gambling halls in the south. I was doing quite well for myself, though I was quite a bit more arrogant then.”

“Just then?” asked Nathan.

“Where was your ma?” asked J.D.

“I was unaware of my mother’s locale. Not particularly unusual, though I must admit it did pose some challenges when people began to question my age,” Ezra replied.

J.D.’s brow furrowed further, “But you were only a kid, didn’t she care that you were all alone?”

Buck kicked J.D. under the table. The rest of the men watched Ezra for a reaction. His face remained unchanging, however, his breath halted while he composed himself for an answer warranted of a gentleman. “My mother has only one interest and that is monetary gain.”

“Not every woman is made to be a mother, J.D.,” Josiah interrupted. Ezra nodded his appreciation and agreement.

“May I continue?” Ezra took a deep breath, drawing his deck of cards out of his pocket to shuffle. “When the skills of a seventeen year old rival that of seasoned gamblers, people happen to become jealous and suspicious. An aggressive reaction is not uncommon. One night I was doing well at the tables, which had angered a group of my fellow gamblers. Unlike the men I play in this saloon, true gamblers rarely take revenge into their own hands. It’s messy and unbecoming of a gentleman, but they will provide the necessary fund for uncouth personnel to facilitate their plans.”

“Tar and feathers?” asked Chris.

“No, it would seem that as I was still a boy at the time, they felt that a whipping would be more appropriate,” griped Ezra. “As I was dragged, quite uncivilized to the barn, an old farmer that was just leaving witnessed the altercation. It was his rifle that dissuaded the mob.”

Ezra smiled to himself as he remembered the way Mr. Jenkins pulled a young Ezra behind him to prevent the mob from hurting him. As a man stepped forward, the gun cocked and Mr. Jenkins called out a warning, “The next person to lay a hand on this boy, will be laying with the Lord.”

“Not worth it,” growled a man, which persuaded many of the others to dissipate.

“I must express my immense gratitude, sir,” said young Ezra his chest heaving from the excitement.

“You can come back to the farm with me,” said Mr. Jenkins. “Unless you want to stay with that mob still roaming?”

“Perhaps, you may have a point.”

“Good, name’s Henry Jenkins.” The grey haired farmer smiled showing off his crooked teeth.

“Ezra P. Standish, at your service.”

At the farm, after caring for the horses, Mr. Jenkins introduced Ezra to Mrs. Madeline Jenkins. She took one look at the small boy, straightening his brightly colored jacket, and added a plate to the dinner table. That night, Ezra made up an area in the barn to sleep. As he stared up at the ceiling of the barn, he began to wonder what his mother was doing. Did she worry about him?

Morning came much too soon for Ezra, who was awaken by Mr. Jenkins milking cows. Trying to repay the farmer for his kindness, Ezra offered to help. Mr. Jenkins explained each chore to the enthusiastic boy. While Ezra was feeding the chickens, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins observed from the porch of their house.

“Henry, that boy is too young to be on his own,” said Mrs. Jenkins.

“Madeline, he is old enough to make his own decisions. Besides we–”

“Could use some help around the farm. Excellent idea!”

“Wait a minute! I didn’t–”

“Have a chance to ask him yet?” asked Mrs. Jenkins. “Now, would be as good a time as any.”

“Madeline, his kind isn’t quite used to the hard work that comes with living on a farm.”

“Then we will teach him.”

“Go ask him. I’ll prepare some lunch.”

Mr. Jenkins wandered over to where Ezra was petting on a barn cat. Ezra seen the old farmer and stood immediately brushing off his clothing. “Well, I must thank you for your kindness towards me, sir, but I should be going.”

“Ezra, son, do you have somewhere to go?”

Ezra smiled, “I always find my way.”

“That I don’t doubt. Madeline and I…well, you are welcome to stay for a bit longer. You might not want to head back to town so soon after that mob was ready to beat you.”

“I do not take charity, sir.”

“Not charity if you work for your upkeep, is it?”

“No, I suppose it isn’t.”

“Then it’s settled. Come, Madeline is preparing some lunch.”

Ezra soon found the longer he stayed with the Jenkins, the harder leaving became. Soon, he was invited to sleep in the spare room in the house. His fancy, brightly colored clothes were kept clean in a trunk in the room, while he donned older work clothes to complete his chores. He truly enjoyed his life on the farm, but he knew that the work he did didn’t pay for his upkeep.

One night he snuck out to the town dressed in his brightly colored jacket, he strode into the gambling hall. He talked his way into a hand of poker. As his pockets began to fill slowly with his earnings, he felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to prickle. Slowly, fighting every instinct to run, he turned and looked up at a very livid Mr. Jenkins.

“Collect your winnings,” demanded Mr. Jenkins. “Madeline’s been worried sick.”

Ezra did as asked, but the men around the table laughed. “Jenkins, you going to take him out to the woodshed?” Ezra’s ears burned and he fought the temptation to drop his head like the disobedient boy he felt like.

Ignoring the other men, Mr. Jenkins led the way back to the farm. Nothing was said the entire trip back. Ezra’s mind wheeled for something, anything to say that would allow him to gauge Mr. Jenkins’ anger. Once in the barn, caring for the horses, Mr. Jenkins finally spoke, all the anger had faded from his voice, “If you want to leave, just say so.”

Ezra considered his options. “To be honest, sir, I want to stay. More than anything I’d like to stay. You and Mrs. Jenkins have showed me more kindness than I deserve, I was trying to win enough to pay you back for your generosity.”

“Son, you ain’t got to pay us back. I thought we agreed that working would be enough.”

“I don’t work enough to pay for my upkeep. I don’t want to be a burden.” Ezra handed the older farmer the money he had won, “This should be sufficient for the food and supplies I have used so far.”

Mr. Jenkins looked down at the money, sadly. Then he reached over to tuck it into the pocket of Ezra’s jacket, “You are not a burden. I don’t know who taught you that you owed everybody who did something nice for you, but some people do nice things without expecting any payment in return.”

“Why did you help me that night?”

“Reckon, I don’t quite know.” Mr. Jenkins patted Ezra’s shoulder as he left the barn. “Madeline and I aren’t your parents, but if you leave the farm we’d like to know where you go. Never know when you might find trouble.”

“I endeavor to avoid trouble.”

Chapter Text

Ezra sipped on his coffee while sitting at the table with the six other men. He glanced around the table and his stomach began to unsettle. It was likely that after hearing this tale, most of the men would be disgusted with Ezra and ask him to leave. Vin always seen the good in Ezra, even when there wasn’t any good to see, but the others always had a clear view of what kind of man Ezra is.

“I do ask that you boys refrain from asking questions until the very end,” started Ezra. “This tale is not the easiest to hear, nor tell.” The boys nodded. Ezra gathered his courage. “It began the summer of my seventeenth year. At this time I was inhabiting most of the largest gambling halls in the south. I was doing quite well for myself, though I was quite a bit more arrogant then.”

“Just then?” asked Nathan.

“Where was your ma?” asked J.D.

“I was unaware of my mother’s locale. Not particularly unusual, though I must admit it did pose some challenges when people began to question my age,” Ezra replied.

J.D.’s brow furrowed further, “But you were only a kid, didn’t she care that you were all alone?”

Buck kicked J.D. under the table. The rest of the men watched Ezra for a reaction. His face remained unchanging, however, his breath halted while he composed himself for an answer warranted of a gentleman. “My mother has only one interest and that is monetary gain.”

“Not every woman is made to be a mother, J.D.,” Josiah interrupted. Ezra nodded his appreciation and agreement.

“May I continue?” Ezra took a deep breath, drawing his deck of cards out of his pocket to shuffle. “When the skills of a seventeen year old rival that of seasoned gamblers, people happen to become jealous and suspicious. An aggressive reaction is not uncommon. One night I was doing well at the tables, which had angered a group of my fellow gamblers. Unlike the men I play in this saloon, true gamblers rarely take revenge into their own hands. It’s messy and unbecoming of a gentleman, but they will provide the necessary fund for uncouth personnel to facilitate their plans.”

“Tar and feathers?” asked Chris.

“No, it would seem that as I was still a boy at the time, they felt that a whipping would be more appropriate,” griped Ezra. “As I was dragged, quite uncivilized to the barn, an old farmer that was just leaving witnessed the altercation. It was his rifle that dissuaded the mob.”

Ezra smiled to himself as he remembered the way Mr. Jenkins pulled a young Ezra behind him to prevent the mob from hurting him. As a man stepped forward, the gun cocked and Mr. Jenkins called out a warning, “The next person to lay a hand on this boy, will be laying with the Lord.”

“Not worth it,” growled a man, which persuaded many of the others to dissipate.

“I must express my immense gratitude, sir,” said young Ezra his chest heaving from the excitement.

“You can come back to the farm with me,” said Mr. Jenkins. “Unless you want to stay with that mob still roaming?”

“Perhaps, you may have a point.”

“Good, name’s Henry Jenkins.” The grey haired farmer smiled showing off his crooked teeth.

“Ezra P. Standish, at your service.”

At the farm, after caring for the horses, Mr. Jenkins introduced Ezra to Mrs. Madeline Jenkins. She took one look at the small boy, straightening his brightly colored jacket, and added a plate to the dinner table. That night, Ezra made up an area in the barn to sleep. As he stared up at the ceiling of the barn, he began to wonder what his mother was doing. Did she worry about him?

Morning came much too soon for Ezra, who was awaken by Mr. Jenkins milking cows. Trying to repay the farmer for his kindness, Ezra offered to help. Mr. Jenkins explained each chore to the enthusiastic boy. While Ezra was feeding the chickens, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins observed from the porch of their house.

“Henry, that boy is too young to be on his own,” said Mrs. Jenkins.

“Madeline, he is old enough to make his own decisions. Besides we–”

“Could use some help around the farm. Excellent idea!”

“Wait a minute! I didn’t–”

“Have a chance to ask him yet?” asked Mrs. Jenkins. “Now, would be as good a time as any.”

“Madeline, his kind isn’t quite used to the hard work that comes with living on a farm.”

“Then we will teach him.”

“Go ask him. I’ll prepare some lunch.”

Mr. Jenkins wandered over to where Ezra was petting on a barn cat. Ezra seen the old farmer and stood immediately brushing off his clothing. “Well, I must thank you for your kindness towards me, sir, but I should be going.”

“Ezra, son, do you have somewhere to go?”

Ezra smiled, “I always find my way.”

“That I don’t doubt. Madeline and I…well, you are welcome to stay for a bit longer. You might not want to head back to town so soon after that mob was ready to beat you.”

“I do not take charity, sir.”

“Not charity if you work for your upkeep, is it?”

“No, I suppose it isn’t.”

“Then it’s settled. Come, Madeline is preparing some lunch.”

Ezra soon found the longer he stayed with the Jenkins, the harder leaving became. Soon, he was invited to sleep in the spare room in the house. His fancy, brightly colored clothes were kept clean in a trunk in the room, while he donned older work clothes to complete his chores. He truly enjoyed his life on the farm, but he knew that the work he did didn’t pay for his upkeep.

One night he snuck out to the town dressed in his brightly colored jacket, he strode into the gambling hall. He talked his way into a hand of poker. As his pockets began to fill slowly with his earnings, he felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to prickle. Slowly, fighting every instinct to run, he turned and looked up at a very livid Mr. Jenkins.

“Collect your winnings,” demanded Mr. Jenkins. “Madeline’s been worried sick.”

Ezra did as asked, but the men around the table laughed. “Jenkins, you going to take him out to the woodshed?” Ezra’s ears burned and he fought the temptation to drop his head like the disobedient boy he felt like.

Ignoring the other men, Mr. Jenkins led the way back to the farm. Nothing was said the entire trip back. Ezra’s mind wheeled for something, anything to say that would allow him to gauge Mr. Jenkins’ anger. Once in the barn, caring for the horses, Mr. Jenkins finally spoke, all the anger had faded from his voice, “If you want to leave, just say so.”

Ezra considered his options. “To be honest, sir, I want to stay. More than anything I’d like to stay. You and Mrs. Jenkins have showed me more kindness than I deserve, I was trying to win enough to pay you back for your generosity.”

“Son, you ain’t got to pay us back. I thought we agreed that working would be enough.”

“I don’t work enough to pay for my upkeep. I don’t want to be a burden.” Ezra handed the older farmer the money he had won, “This should be sufficient for the food and supplies I have used so far.”

Mr. Jenkins looked down at the money, sadly. Then he reached over to tuck it into the pocket of Ezra’s jacket, “You are not a burden. I don’t know who taught you that you owed everybody who did something nice for you, but some people do nice things without expecting any payment in return.”

“Why did you help me that night?”

“Reckon, I don’t quite know.” Mr. Jenkins patted Ezra’s shoulder as he left the barn. “Madeline and I aren’t your parents, but if you leave the farm we’d like to know where you go. Never know when you might find trouble.”

“I endeavor to avoid trouble.”
 
Chapter Fourteen

Whispers followed the Jenkins and Ezra into the church. When Ezra attempted to slink off to another pew, Mrs. Jenkins thread her arm though Ezra’s and led him to the Jenkin’s usual spot.

“Madeline, who is this young gentleman?” called a shrill woman’s voice.

“Constance, this is Ezra. Ezra, Constance Samuels,” replied Mrs. Jenkins shortly.

“You should hear what everyone is saying! Is it true that you adopted him?” asked Constance. “What charity! I don’t think my John and I would be able to let a stranger into our home and family. Especially one with his…um…history.”

Ezra was wilting beside Mrs. Jenkins, but she wouldn’t release his arm. “Ezra is joining our family. I highly doubt that you would have the confidence to say such gossip about me, nor my husband, so do not assume that it alright to treat Ezra any different, understand?”

Constance huffed away. Ezra leaned down to whisper to Mrs. Jenkins. “Why didn’t you just deny that claim? Association with my kind would negatively affect your reputation.”

“Your kind? You are a boy who was doing what he knew to survive. There is no shame in surviving,” replied Mrs. Jenkins.

“She believes I’ve been adopted.”

“Everybody needs somebody,” Mrs. Jenkins smiled at Ezra. “Besides, we’d be honored to be your family, even if its only for a little bit.”

“I think I’d be more honored.”

~*~

Ezra sat back in his chair in the saloon of Four Corners. He sipped at his coffee again. He then glanced up at the men listening to his story, “I stayed with the Jenkins for two years. They treated me like a son, and soon the townsfolk knew no different.”

Chris scratched at his face while he watched Ezra subconsciously rub at a ring on his hand. “That from the Jenkins?”

“Pardon?” Ezra looked slightly lost in his memories.

“Your ring, pard,” said Buck.

“Oh, yes. Mrs. Jenkins gave it to me. It was her father’s, passed down from his father. Since she was the only child it was passed to her to pass on to her children. I don’t know what possessed her to devote such a treasured gift upon me.”

“You were their family,” answered Josiah.

“I was just someone they took in,” denied Ezra.

Josiah chuckled, “Family isn’t always who you are related to, but who cares about you.”

“Right before the war, everyone was becoming very unsettled. We could tell that something was building on the horizon. Three men arrived at the farm one evening, while I was out in town gathering supplies.”

Vin leaned forward, “They killed the Jenkins’ while you were out, didn’t they?”

“I heard a shot and raced back to the farm. Mr. Jenkins was already…when I arrived…Mrs. Jenkins was just laying on the porch while the men laughed as they ransacked the house. She wanted me to run, but I couldn’t leave her. Those three men are who I killed. They were from ‘upstanding’ political families in New Orleans. They used the war as an excuse to terrorize people,” Ezra scrubbed at his face as his voice cracked. “I held her, Mrs. Jenkins, when she died right there on the porch.”

Vin rested a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. The only comfort he knew Ezra would except. “Because of their status, you were suspected of murder instead of the men who did it.”

“Indeed,” agreed Ezra. “I was distraught. The only family that had ever accepted me was murdered. The town’s people blamed me and I was consumed with anger. So when the war did start, I joined.”

“With no plans of surviving, I reckon,” muttered Buck.

“My family died in front of me, I was wanted for their murder, and I just felt lost,” Ezra sighed. “So, Mr. Larabee, when are you going to see to my incarceration so I can stand trial?”

“Way I figure it, was self-defense. Besides, the judge already pardoned you for your crimes.”

~*~

“What’s on your mind, Vin?” Ezra asked as he rested his hat over his eyes. He had retired early. The wounds that the Jenkins’ deaths had left on him were still too raw.

“You never told me none of that.”

“I didn’t.”

“Is that why you saved me?”

“By the time I had met you, my anger had dissipated. My actions were selfless, I believe.”

Vin nodded. “Good. Sometimes its hard to tell what is going on in that head of yours, but you always were a good man.”

“To be honest,” Ezra and Vin chuckled at the phrasing, “I never told anyone what had happened, but finally saying it does relieve some of the burden I’ve been carrying all these years.”

“Wasn’t your fault.”

“Deep down, I think I believe that, but now you know why I’ve always been a bit reckless.”

“Promise me something?” Ezra lifted the hat from his eyes to glance at Vin. Vin continued, “Before you do something reckless, give me a bit more warning than that crooked smirk. Somebody’s got to keep you from getting yourself killed.”

“I always endeavor to avoid trouble.”

Chapter Text

Buck had corralled the men to the saloon with the promise of a round of beer on him. Ezra had politely declined the offer, twice. Buck scanned the saloon for the gambler, but found that he wasn’t in the saloon. He glanced at Vin then pointedly looked to the saloon stairs that led to Ezra’s room. Vin shook his head. Ezra wasn’t in his room.

Vin had to smirk in amusement. It seemed that Ezra’s recent favorite pastime became doing to opposite of what Buck wanted and expected. Several months after Vin and Ezra had left the battlefields, he finally accepted the fact that Vin wouldn’t leave, but even to this day Vin could see the doubt lingering in Ezra’s eyes. Buck’s sudden protective behavior was startling to Ezra, so he pushed away in typical Ezra fashion. To his credit, Buck took every chance to involve Ezra, to defend him, to check up on him, even when Ezra had done everything to annoy the man.

“Where you going, Buck?” asked J.D. when Buck rose from his seat.

“Got to check on something.”

“More like someone,” mutter Nathan. “Don’t know why you try so hard to get him to socialize with us when he obviously doesn’t want to.”

“He’s our friend, don’t need any other reason,” declared Buck.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” argued Nathan. “The only person he that he trusts is Vin. Did you know that he stopped using the herbs I gave him for his eyes? He doesn’t trust us.”

“Got to be more to it than just that.”

“Like what?” asked Nathan.

“I don’t know, but I will when I find him.”

“Can’t force the man to join us, Buck,” reminded Chris.

J.D. laughed, “Since when has that ever stopped Buck.”

Everyone laughed as Buck strode out of the saloon to find Ezra and drag him to the saloon kicking and screaming, if it came to it. A few seconds passed before Ezra waltzed into the saloon, causing the boys to laugh even harder as the wily gambler easily avoided Buck. He bowed his hat to the boys and snuck up to his room.

When he returned down to the saloon, Ezra sat in the chair Buck had recently vacated. Vin whispered softly to Ezra, “Be careful.”

Ezra seemed to enjoy playing games with the overprotective, former Texas Ranger. Vin was sure that Ezra wouldn’t like the consequences when he realized he was poking at a bear with a stick. Buck returned to the saloon looking frustrated, then seen Ezra in his seat, and glared. “Where have you been?”

“Enjoying the company of our compatriots.”

Buck shook his head and let some of his anger go. Ezra very much reminded him of an unrestrained child with his antics; however, knowing his history, Ezra probably never had the chance to revel in his childhood. If he could relax enough around Buck to play these childish games, Buck was going to let him. At least, just for a little bit until it became annoying.

Ezra pulled out cards, knowing most of the men were low on funds and would prefer a friendly hand of poker. One by one they left until, only Buck, Vin, and Ezra remained. Vin folded his hand and left the saloon.

“So, pard, how’s the eyes feeling?” asked Buck.

Ezra sat still for a moment, judging how to proceed. “My eyes are feeling quite well.”

“Nathan’s herbs must be working then?”

Ezra’s hands stilled. Collecting his thoughts, he said, “The herbs worked well, but now I am using alternative methods to relieve some of the discomfort attributed from my condition.”

“Really? What has Nathan suggested?” Again, Buck mentioned Nathan. Nathan must have said something to the men before Ezra had joined them. Maybe that’s why they wanted Ezra to join them?

Ezra set his cards aside and sighed, “I see.”

“No, you don’t.” Buck reached over and flipped over Ezra’s cards. A flush. He rested his own cards just over Ezra’s. “Who won?”

“It would appear I have the better hand.”

Any other day, Buck may have believed that the man could see. Ezra had his head down like he was analyzing the cards, but if he could see, he would have seen the ace the Buck slipped into his own hand.

“You sure?”

Ezra’s brow furrowed in confusion. What was he missing? He felt his cards. It was the flush that he had drawn. He moved his hand to Buck’s cards, one felt differently. It wasn’t marked like the deck he had used.

He picked up the unmarked card and held it out to Buck. “You cheated, which would automatically mean I have won.”

Buck had wondered why Ezra wasn’t betting on any of their hands, but now he knew without a doubt that the deck was marked so that even blind Ezra could know what cards he dealt and held.

“Real fancy trick, pard, but using a marked deck ain’t going to make me think you can see any better than yesterday. Why did you stop using the herbs?”

“Mr. Wilmington, the decisions regarding my health are my decisions to make. I do not owe an explanation to you, Nathan, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Maybe not, but as your friend, I’d like to help you. Tell you what, lets play for an explanation. I can go get Nathan to shuffle and cut the cards if you’re worried about me cheating again. You draw one, I’ll draw one. Highest card wins.”

“Mr. Jackson has already retired for the night. It would be rude to bother him. Besides, I abhor gambling, and as such choose to leave nothing to chance.”

“You’re scared to tell me the truth?” Buck asked. Ezra chose not to answer. “Maybe you know that I wouldn’t accept the truth? Look, Ez, whatever your reasons I just want to understand. That’s all. I’m not going to force you to do anything.”

“You already have!” exclaimed Ezra. “All of you! The deal with the pardon, when I was shot, that letter from the doctor, after that altercation with Bob Spikes! Every time I didn’t agree with something you all wanted, you just forced your will onto me.”

Buck looked down. It was true, in each of those situations they took Ezra’s choice away because they thought they knew better. “Ezra, did you really feel forced?”

“I felt like I have no choice in any of those situations. I understand that you are protective of those you consider friends, but Vin has never taken away my ability to choose for myself.”

“He tells you what he thinks and you consider it. When the rest of us talk, you don’t. I don’t think any of the boys meant to force you into anything. We’re just…well, honestly, we’re a mite scared.”

“That if I die, Vin will leave?” Ezra asked evenly. Ezra kept his face neutral, but couldn’t help but noticing the squeeze his heart gave when he said those words.

Buck’s eyes widened, “That you will die thinking the only reason you are around is because of
Vin. True, we all like Vin. But let me tell you, Chris wouldn’t shout at you if he didn’t care. Nathan wouldn’t fuss over your injuries and eyes. J.D. wouldn’t ask you to tell him stories of your travels. Josiah wouldn’t let you hide in his church when you’re hiding from us. We all care about you in our own way.”

“You know about the church? Why didn’t you just come in, then?”

“Josiah said that you needed a place to escape and think, besides a church is a good place to do that. Do you understand why we may seem a bit forceful?”

“I suppose.”

“All of us have lost people who were important to us. If we can stop it from happening again, we’ll do anything. Don’t you understand?”

Ezra stared at Buck long and hard. While he could understand doing anything for those most important, he couldn’t understand why they thought he was important. He was just a gambler, a cheat, and a coward. “The sentiment itself, I understand.”

“Alright, I’ll shuffle then,” said Buck. Ezra frowned. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Buck to be honest, but his mother had instilled a distrust for everyone, especially when there was a bet in place. This bet was based in luck, and if there was something that Ezra learned it was that luck can sour fast. Ezra gathered up his cards and for a second Buck thought he was just going to leave, then slowly as if he was fighting a force holding him back Ezra pushed the deck towards Buck.

Buck shuffled once, then twice, then cut the deck. After the deck had been restacked and placed in front of Ezra, he drew the top card. Lady Luck must have blessed him with the most fortunate luck. Smiling, Ezra flipped the ace of spades face up on the table. Buck drew his card and flipped it up on the table. A seven of hearts.

“Well, pard, looks like you win. Have a good night,” Buck muttered as he passed Ezra, making sure to pat him on the shoulder. Ezra felt for Buck’s card.

“Mr. Wilmington, wait,” Ezra called. He heard Buck stop. “Winter’s coming. Herbs will be hard to find. I doubt my condition will ever improve, so it would be unwise to waste valuable herbs on me when they could save someone else’s life. That is why I have chosen an alternative treatment.”

Buck hesitated. A part of him wanted to rush to say that the herbs would heal Ezra if he only gave them a chance, but a part of him knew that there was a chance Ezra’s eyes would never heal. “What made you decide to tell me?”

“Mr. Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘A brother may not always be a friend, but a friend will always be a brother,’” Ezra pushed the seven of hearts towards Buck.

Buck seen the card and smiled. “Well, sounds like you’ve spent too much time in the church with Josiah.”

~*~

A man from New Orleans watched the Four Corner’s saloon with a Kansas woman. They watched the saloon as the peacekeepers left and the gambler retired for the night.

“What did that man even do?” asked the Kansas woman.

“He soiled my cousins’ good names,” growled the man. “The law always stood with my cousins, but the townsfolk turned always believed his lies. I have been searching for that scoundrel for years.”

“Why’d it take so long?”

“Sneaky bastard changes his name. His name was Elijah Stevens, then he went by Ezra Standish in New Orleans, Ezra Simpson in Laramie, Ethan Summers in Dodge. If he would have kept traveling, never would have found him, but he stopped here. There’s something here that is worth something to him.”

“What’s his real name?”

“Does his name matter?”

The Kansas woman grinned, “No, just curious what name he’ll be buried under.”

“I don’t want him to die, not just yet. First, he must lose everything. When he has nothing left to lose, then, an only then, will he meet the same tragic end as my cousins.”

Chapter Text

Ezra inwardly grimaced, while outwardly he grinned encouragingly. Casey was still insisting on lessons in being a civilized lady and she ad refused any of Buck’s help without Ezra to ensure that Buck didn’t screw it up as monumentally as last time. It was partly amusing that the young J.D. was still resisting her charms when he was desperately in love with her.

“Sip your tea slowly, my dear, it isn’t Mr. Larabee’s rotgut that needs to be swallowed in a single gulp,” advised Ezra.

Casey struggled to understand why “civilized” behaved as they did. Why say ten words when two would suffice, why take an hour to drink tea that will chill, why must everything boil down to appearances? She had told Ezra as much on more than one occasion.

“My tea is getting cold.”

“When you are invited for tea, it isn’t to just drink tea. Tea is served while the ladies discuss matters of importance,” instructed Ezra.

“You mean, gossip,” pointed out Casey.

Ezra smirked, “Do you want to learn, or insult the behaviors that make a woman appear more civilized?”

“Appear? I don’t want to just appear to be a lady, I want to be one. One that J.D. would be happy to walk through town with and not feel embarrassed over.”

Ezra sighed, “Casey, I can teach you how society believes a lady should act, but you shouldn’t change yourself for anyone. You, my dear, are much more genuine and should stay as such. Do you understand?”

“Not really,” muttered Casey, though she did understand what he was trying to say.

“If you wish to learn to be honest, honorable, and someone that you, and only you, can be proud of, those are lessons you should be taking with Miss Nettie.”

Casey grew quiet, fiddling with her hands. “Well, I got to…I have to feed the pigs. Thank you, Ezra.” Casey walked to the barn still mulling over what Ezra had said.

“You know, Fancy pants, I was worried about these lessons making Casey feel uncivilized, but you are doing alright,” said Miss Nettie.

“I’ve seen the most ‘civilized’ of ladies commit some of the harshest acts against humanity and society never acknowledged the crimes because they were ladies. Casey, shouldn’t learn that.”

“She won’t,” reassured Miss Nettie. “It’s about time I started supper.”

“Very well, I’ll leave you and the young Miss Wells to enjoy your evening,” said Ezra, rising from his chair and head towards the barn.

“You’re staying for supper.”

“I really should be getting back before Mr. Larabee has to send for me.”

Miss Nettie frowned, “It wasn’t a suggestion. We still have some things to discuss. Don’t think that I don’t know that the mortgage on my farm was paid off during that scuffle with Guy Royal or that Nathan has been angry with you for not using those herbs.”

Ezra frowned. He was hoping that she would go blissfully unaware of those facts just a bit longer. “Miss Nettie, I have reasons that have dictated my recent behaviors that other people have found unjust.”

“It ain’t that we think it’s unjust, first of all, you saved my farm. Rest assured though, I will be paying you back every cent. I don’t take charity. I understand, son, why you didn’t tell anyone about the mortgage, but the confusing one is the herbs. Why not just tell Nathan that they weren’t working?”

“I’ve been living with this condition for so long, I don’t know if I would recognize when a treatment is indeed working or merely concealing some of the symptoms. But that doesn’t take from the fact that Nathan may need those herbs in an emergency and I would hate to be the cause of any depleted supplies.”

“Have you mentioned any of that to Nathan?”

“Well…it goes without saying–”

Miss Nettie glared, “The answer is ‘no,’ isn’t it?”

“The fact of the matter is–”

“Once again, you go off on your own to do something that you assume to be the truth without talking it through with anyone else,” lectured Miss Nettie. “I understand, that you are used to handling situations on your own. Ezra, for a man of so many words, you don’t use them when you need to.”

“Miss Nettie, please, Mr. Wilmington has already talked to me about this particular topic.”

“Have you listened to him?” asked Miss Nettie. When she received no answer, she knew the truth. “Then, I guess you will have to hear it again. Into the kitchen, I must put a pot on the stove.”

~*~

When Ezra had finally managed to escape from Miss Nettie, he collapsed on his soft featherbed sinking down into the covers.

“If you have come to lecture me, you might as well save your breath. I have already received lectures from both Buck and Miss Nettie, and if the determined look Nathan gave me tonight is any indicator then I am to receive another tomorrow when he checks my eyes,” muttered Ezra.

Vin chuckled, his friends had a very direct way of dealing with Ezra. Ezra never delt with direct confrontation well. His instinct was to put up walls and direct the focus elsewhere, but that only made the boys fight harder and Ezra flee faster.

“They’re worried.” Ezra sighed, but chose not to say anything. No one was willing to listen anyway. “Hey, Ezra, I got a question.”

“I am tired, Vin.”

“Only take a second,” assured Vin. “If you would have known what would happen to your eyes, would you still have done it?”

Ezra watched as Vin shuffled his feet, avoiding his eyes. Vin’s past undoubtedly left some permanent marks, but many of them framed the honest, confident man that he was today. Ezra often forgot that, Vin could be incredibly insecure.

“Vin, the most noble thing I have ever done has been to save you and the rest of our men on that battlefield. I am not honest, nor would I use the word ‘selfless’ to describe myself. However, if I were to choose one moment of my life that I am proud of, it would be the moment that I chose to be noble and selfless. Besides, without that instance, it is rather uncertain whether you and I would have decided to travel together. Why would you ask something like that?”

“Well…” Vin hesitated. “It seems that you would have been better off if you would have just walked away that day. You’ve been pushing the boys and I away lately and I guess I was just wondering if you were starting to think regret it.”

“Not for a moment.” Ezra patted the bed beside him. “Come, I’m awfully tired and your back has been bothering you.”

“How would you know that?”

“Your cadence shifts when you try to accommodate for pain,” explained Ezra. Vin shook his head, chuckling. His brother knew him better than anyone else.

~*~

“Darlene, is it done?”

The Kansas woman, sipped on her tea, smirking. “Kenny, do you doubt my abilities?”

“Good.”

“By this time tomorrow, the gambler will have lost at least one friend,” she laughed.

~*~

Vin was the first to overhear the commotion, sitting up in Ezra’s featherbed he scrambled for his boots and gun belt. Ezra instantly woke and threw on clothes to join Vin as they rushed down the saloon stairs toward the chaos.

“Nathan!” shouted Buck. Nathan was pushing though the crowd that had gathered. Josiah and Chris were attempting to keep the crowd at bay.

Vin fired his gun once in warning, “Best of y’all to go about your business.”

As the crowd dissipated, Vin and Ezra saw the cause of the commotion. J.D. sat leaning against the wall of the jail on the ground. His lip was busted, nose bleeding, and face covered in purple bruises. His boots were missing and his bare feet bloody. Buck’s hands hovered over the boy. He wanted to offer comfort, but didn’t know a place that wouldn’t hurt him.

“I got to get him to my clinic,” demanded Nathan. “Josiah, Buck, you two can carry him. Chris and Vin, keep the townsfolk out of the way. Ezra–”

“No!” J.D. shouted, hoarsely. Buck and Nathan jumped at the shout. “N–not Ezra. Please.” J.D. continued to ramble, incoherently.

Harsh glares were thrown at Ezra, making him want to shrink back, though his pride prevented such a reaction. Buck’s glare was the most painful for Ezra.

“Get him out of here, before I do something I won’t regret,” demanded Buck.

Chris stepped in front of his enraged friend and turned to Ezra. “You’re on patrol.” Ezra needed no other excuse to escape.

The men carefully gathered up, J.D. who cried out at ever movement. Once inside the clinic, Nathan began to clean and patch his wounds. J.D. was still confused, lost in his own head. Every touch causing him to flinch away, his shouting had lost some of its volume as his voice was too hoarse to get louder.

After J.D. had been patched up and was resting under Buck’s watchful eyes, Chris pulled Nathan aside.

“I warned Ezra that if he kept swindling money, someone would hunt for revenge,” angrily muttered Nathan.

“Why go after J.D.? It makes no sense, if they wanted their money back, J.D. wouldn’t have it,” reminded Chris.

“Don’t excuse his behavior just because you want Vin to stay,” demanded Nathan.

Chris clenched his jaw, “Nathan, you are going to go back in there and take care of J.D. I’ll be back later.”

“Where you going?”

“To find out what actually happened.”

~*~

“Chris, I’m telling you, it ain’t Ezra’s fault!” Vin argued.

“I know that!” Chris grumbled. “I was in the saloon all night, he wasn’t there at all. Still need to find out what actually happened. Which means I got to talk to Ezra.”

“No.”

“I ain’t going to shoot him.”

“I said, ‘no.’ I won’t let you or anyone else try to put the blame on Ezra.”

“Buck and Nathan are ready to hang him.”

“Which is why I said no.”

“Vin,” growled Chris. Vin stood, resolutely under Chris’s glare. “If Ezra didn’t do anything, prove it.”

“I plan to.”

Chapter Text

J.D. became feverish and rambled incoherently. Buck had to be dragged from the clinic to keep him out of Nathan’s way, but when he was allowed back in, he sat in the chair next to the bed facing the door.

“No!” shouted J.D. Nathan had to tie him to the bed to keep him from flailing onto the ground. “Not Ezra!”

Buck’s murderous glare darkened. “It’s alright, kid. Ezra ain’t going to cause you any more trouble. I’ll see to that.”

J.D. groaned, his head falling back to the pillow. Buck dabbed at his sweaty forehead with a cool rag. “N-not…n-not…”

Buck hummed to the boy, brushing his hair from his face. “Just rest, son.”

“Ezra…fault…”

“I know,” muttered Buck. “We shouldn’t have trusted that gambler. He lied to us about his eyes from the beginning. No telling what he has lied about since then.”

“Buck, shut up,” demanded Nathan. “Listen.”

“Help!” shouted J.D. “Ezra!”

“He was there? Why didn’t he help J.D.?” growled Buck.

“J.D.’s saying the same thing over and over. Put the words together.”

No, not Ezra’s fault. Help Ezra.

Nathan lost his breath. J.D. wasn’t condemning Ezra, he was trying to warn him. “I’m getting Chris.”

~*~

Turns out Chris was trying to find Nathan.

Josiah had been working on the old church, trying to wrap his head around the mystery that was Ezra, when he heard a creak. The hammer in his hand, stilled as he listened further. That’s when he heard the ladder creak again and give out under his weight. He grabbed at the wall to no avail, crashed down to the hard, wood flooring.

Chris wanted to talk with the preacher about Ezra when he heard the crash. Rushing into the church, he found Josiah under a pile of boards. “Josiah! You alright?”

“My leg!” groaned Josiah. “I think its broken.”

“Don’t move. I’ll get Nathan.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

~*~

“Wait, just a minute,” said Buck. “I get that you are all worried about Ezra being alone, but he’s still got Vin. Vin ain’t going to let anyone get to Ez.”

Nathan looked away from the men, attempting to appear occupied with organizing the bandages. “Nathan?”

“Vin, is tracking Ezra,” said Nathan. “But Vin taught Ezra how to erase a trail. Vin doesn’t know where he went.”

“So our black sheep really is alone with the wolves,” muttered Josiah, his foot propped on a pillow on a nearby chair.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Buck asked.

“When?” demanded Nathan. “When you wanted to shoot him?”

“I’m not the only one who blamed him,” growled Buck, pointing a finger at Nathan.

Nathan scoffed, “That might be so, but you didn’t see the look on his face when he realized that you blamed him. Out of all of us, you and Vin are the ones he’s closest to.”

“Wait, just a minute,” argued Buck.

“Can it, Buck,” snapped Chris. “We wait any longer and Ezra could be dead.”

“Still doesn’t answer why someone is going to all this trouble, though,” Nathan said.

Josiah rubbed at his face, “It’s a bit suspicious. The timing of everything. First the bounty hunter, shoots him. Then, the wanted poster arrives at the jail. Followed by J.D. getting beaten.”

“Suppose those men that Ezra had killed had family,” started Chris. “Reckon, they’d be awfully angry with him.”

“If they were angry, why not just kill him?” asked Nathan. “Why wait so long?”

Buck knew the answer. “Lot more ways to hurt a man than just kill him.” Chris strode out of the clinic, Buck hot on his tail. “Where you going, hoss?”

“Find some answers from Ezra,” replied Chris.

“How you going to do that, when we don’t even know where he is?”

“I’ll start with his room. Willing to bet he left something important behind.”

~*~

“Hey, Chris, check this out,” called Buck. On the dresser there appeared to be an uncompleted game of solitaire, except one card didn’t match the deck. The seven of hearts that Buck had snuck into Ezra’s deck, but it wasn’t in play, instead it rested on the ace of spades. Buck fingered the cards. There had to be something Ezra was trying to tell them. Buck knew that Ezra often identified with the ace of spades and it was behind the seven of hearts. It was watching the seven’s back.

“Solitaire?” asked Chris.

“He didn’t run. He’s watching our backs.” Buck pointed at the cards. Chris’s face grew more confused. He didn’t know how Buck could read so much into cards, but he trusted his old friend.

“From who?”

“Whoever hurt J.D.?”

There was a knock on the door. Little Tommy from the telegraph office held a telegram in his hand.

“I’s got a telegraph for Mr. Standish,” he announced.

“I will take it, Tommy,” said Chris, reaching out for the message.

Tommy backed up and looked unsure. “Daddy said not to give’em to anybody else, but who they for.”

Chris crouched down by Tommy. “That’s a mighty smart thing to do. If your ma had a message and she wasn’t around, would you be able to give it to your daddy?”

Tommy nodded, “They’s family.”

“Well, Ezra is a member of my family, so wouldn’t it be alright to leave it with me. I promise you, son, I’ll make sure I get it to him,” assured Chris.

“Well, I guess.” Tommy handed over the telegram. Chris glanced down at the telegram, read the words, and bolted from the room.

You were right the Jenkins killer had cousin STOP. Cousin on way for revenge STOP.

Vin was crossing the street headed towards the saloon when Chris burst from the building. People scurried out of the man in black’s way. “Vin, got to find Ezra. Now.”

“I’ve been trying. He can be sneakier than a snake when he wants to be,” answered Vin. “Doesn’t help that he thinks all of his friends hate him.”

“The men who killed the Jenkins had a cousin whose out for revenge.”

Vin froze, “How would you know that?”

Chris handed over the telegram. Vin looked at it and stumbled for the right words, “Ezra…no, he said the telegraphs was from his ma and I shouldn’t worry about it.”

“How far did you track him?”

“’bout a mile south of town, then the trail when cold,” replied Vin. “Almost like–”

Buck interrupted, “He doubled back.” Vin nodded. “Because we blamed him, he’s finding J.D.’s attacker on his own.”

Vin glared, “I remember two people who blamed him. I never doubted him.”

Buck looked down, sheepishly.

“Vin, how do we find Ezra?” Chris repeated.

“We don’t.” Vin sighed, it was similar to what happened in Tascosa. “He’ll come to us when he’s ready.”

“Until then, I want everyone on their guard,” demanded Chris. “We’ll work in pairs. If the cousin’s working alone, he’ll be less likely to attack two men at once.”

“Don’t we want to draw him out?” asked Buck.

“No,” replied Chris. “Whatever Ezra’s planning, we are going to have to trust him and back up whatever move he makes.”

Trust wouldn’t be easy for Buck to win back. Not when he tossed it away as soon as there was a sliver of doubt, but he knew that Ezra would give him a second chance to win back that trust. If he could prove he deserved it before Ezra got himself killed trying to protect them.

Chapter Text

Ezra had found refuge in Chris’s cabin outside of town. It wasn’t quite finished, but it kept the rain and weather off. His fingers itched for something to do, but he had left his cards for the boys to find. He was hoping Buck’s anger had worn off enough read the message he sent. Though when he thought of Buck, something in his chest clenched tight making it hard to breathe. Buck knew how he felt about the boys, that he saw them as friends, how could he assume that Ezra would do anything that would get one of the boys hurt?

Ezra shook his head. Nathan always seemed to see the worst in him, so nothing new there, but he had finally opened up to Buck…Ezra flopped back onto his bedroll dramatically. He had too many questions and not enough answers to even find sleep. He was letting Buck distract him, instead he should be focusing on J.D.’s attacker.

~*~

“Ezra?” called J.D. his voice going hoarse. Buck leaned forward to brush the hair from his head, but his hand froze, “Buck?”

“Hey, there, kid,” smiled Buck. “How you feeling?”

“Like I stepped in front of a stage coach.”

Buck chuckled, then turned serious, “Do you remember what happened?”

J.D.’s face screwed up in thought, then he blinked, eyes widening, “Ezra! Is he ok?”

J.D. fought to sit up and look for Ezra. Buck gently pushed him back down onto the bed. “He’s going to be fine. Listen, son, we need to know what’s going to happen to Ezra.”

“Where is he?” demanded J.D.

“Waiting to catch the man who hurt you,” answered Buck, hoping J.D. couldn’t see his guilt.

J.D.’s brow furrowed, “It wasn’t a man. Well, I mean, I was beaten up by two men, but a woman was the one asking questions.”

“What did this ‘woman’ look like?” Buck spat.

“Red nails and lips,” J.D. answered slowly.

“Black hair?”

“I don’t remember,” whined J.D., “I just remember red nails and lips. Oh! And she had a locket, it wasn’t fancy or anything which is why I noticed it.”

“It didn’t match the rest of her attire,” continued Buck.

~*~

Making his way back to Four Corners, a sharp crack of a branch echoed through the forest. Ezra froze, listening for more movement.

“Easy, Ezra, it’s just me,” called Vin. Vin rode out from the trees towards Ezra, sighing in relief when he finally saw him.

“How did you find me?”

“Knew you wouldn’t sleep outside if you could avoid it,” replied Vin, hopping from his horse.

Ezra also dismounted, “Did you get my message?”

“Buck did,” said Vin. Vin saw a soft glow of hurt in his brother’s eyes, before he snapped on his mask of indifference. “He’s mighty sorry, by the way.”

“I know, but that does not excuse the fact that he thought that I would have…could have hurt any of you,” snapped Ezra.

More hurt bubbled under the surface of Ezra’s mask. Vin pulled him into a tight embrace, kneading at the tense muscles at nape of Ezra’s neck. Ezra remained ridged for several seconds before collapsing into the embrace finally releasing the tension he held.

“What do you want to do?” asked Vin softly, only releasing Ezra when Ezra pulled away.

“We have to find whoever hurt J.D. and stop them.”

“After that, what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know,” replied Ezra. “I doubt the boys will want to work with someone that they don’t trust, and I will not end up in prison or hung because of a false accusation.”

“I’d never let that happen,” declared Vin.

Ezra sighed, “I can’t make you choose between me and the boys.”

“Way I figure it,” said Vin. “Ain’t a choice. I can’t let someone else watch your back, if they are putting a target on it themselves.”

“Lets find J.D.’s attacker and figure the rest out later.”

~*~

Vin and Ezra, discreetly entered the clinic, first to check on J.D. Josiah was resting in a chair snoring while J.D. stared up at the ceiling. He glanced toward the door when it opened and burst into a large smile when he seen Ezra.

“You’re ok!” The exclamation pulled Josiah from his slumber.

“Ezra, son, glad you finally returned to us,” he also smiled.

Ezra scanned the clinic, feeling relieved when Buck and Nathan weren’t there. “We still have a perpetrator to catch.”

“Buck will be happy to see you,” said J.D. “He’s been fussing like a mother hen!”

Ezra’s eyes darkened, “Perhaps, he merely wants to pass more blame onto me.”

“Blame? For what happened to me? That wasn’t your fault,” said J.D., his voice starting to rise.

“In the heat of the moment, no one seemed aware of that,” said Ezra.

J.D. sputtered trying to find the right words, “That’s not fair, how could someone think you’d hurt one of your friends!”

“Son, I believe we have larger matters to discuss,” interrupted Josiah. “The culprit was a woman.”

“With painted nails and lips,” said J.D. “And an old locket.”

“What did she want?” Vin asked.

“She was asking about all of us, but mostly Ezra and how he fit into our group. She also demanded to know his past and if anyone in the town knew. I swear, Ezra, I didn’t tell her anything.”

“They wouldn’t have beaten you, if you had,” replied Ezra.

J.D.’s jaw clenched in anger, “I’d never betray a friend like that. Anyway, she didn’t seem to know hardly anything about you. It was strange.”

“Almost like she was working for someone else?” asked Vin. J.D. nodded.

“If their target is Ezra, why ask questions about the rest of us?” asked J.D.

“They want my name and reputation completely destroyed, like I did to those men in New Orleans when they killed the Jenkins. What better way than to have me ostracized from the cohort?”

“Huh? What does that mean?” asked J.D., causing Josiah and Vin to chuckle.

“It means we have a motive,” said Josiah.

“And a plan,” added Vin.

~*~

Darlene smiled as she freshened up the paint on her nails. “So, I heard that our resident gambler was arrested. Apparently, he tried to sneak into the clinic to have a chat with that boy and was caught.”

Kenny frowned, “I wanted the pleasure of killing that son of a bitch, myself.”

“Well, now you can’t be tried for murder. Especially if the law hangs him. Besides, don’t you want to see the look on his face when his so-called friends are the ones doing the hanging?”

Kenny thought for a moment, “You may be right. That kind of betrayal would be much more interesting, but there may be a way that I can still get my revenge without alerting the law. Perhaps, the gambler will have a moment of guilt and fear, thus hanging himself in the jail before his trial. Just to ensure our revenge, of course.”

Darlene smirked, “You are a wicked man. I love it! I can even get you a few moments alone with the gambler. It would appear that buffoon, Wilmington, seeks my womanly attentions.”

Chapter Text

Buck stomped to the jail to confront Chris, Vin, J.D. even, he didn’t care who it was, they were going to listen to him. He saw Ezra reclining behind the bars of a cell and Buck froze. When J.D. had been hurt he wanted Ezra behind bars, or shot, but now that he could see his friend sitting on the cot in the cell, he felt sick to his stomach.

“Get him out of there,” demanded Buck.

Chris seen Buck’s face turn a light shade of green, “Buck, Ezra is right where he should be.”

“No,” snapped Buck. “Ezra, didn’t do anything. I won’t leave him there while the real attackers are still out hunting him down.”

“Mr. Wilmington,” interrupted Ezra from the cell, “I do believe, not too long ago, you were one advocating for my arrest. What changed your perspective?”

“I don’t care who did what. You are not staying here. It is not safe.”

Ezra, who was still quite upset about Buck’s original accusation, replied in an icy voice, “I find it peculiar that you worry about my welfare, when you were the one who was about to end my existence because of a misunderstanding.”

Buck’s face darkened into a deeper shade of green. Buck swallowed, “Hoss, I’ve got a lot to make up for, but can’t do that if you’re already dead.”

“Buck,” warned Chris. “Now’s not the time.”

“Chris,” replied Buck. “I ain’t going to leave him there. He didn’t do anything.”

“Don’t do something you will regret,” warned Chris. Buck glanced at Ezra reclining in the cell, and stomped away from the jail.

“Satisfied?” asked Chris, once Buck had left.

“No,” replied Ezra. “His concern is one stemming from guilt. I do not wish for Mr. Wilmington to feel guilty, just wanted see what he originally wanted.”

Chris sighed, he knew Ezra was still upset about the entire altercation. He may not be as close with Ezra, but the man was sensitive and insecure. Buck played on those fears and it would take time to heal those wounds.

“Buck means well, sometimes he gets carried away. Now, we need to tell him the plan, before he does something stupid.”

~*~

Darkness had fallen on Four Corners. Vin sat on an adjacent roof, watching the jail. A slow movement caught his eye, someone in a long coat with their head bowed low strode into the jail. He whistled to alert Nathan, who was positioned on the ground that someone was in the jail, before rushing down to help.

Inside the jail, Ezra rested back with his hat covering his eyes. He hadn’t been given his cards, which he had asked for, and he desperately needed something to keep his hands busy. Waiting to be killed, was not an easy thing.

The door of the jail opened. Ezra pushed his hat back to the top of his head, sighing in relief when he realized it was just Buck. Buck rifled through the jail’s desk then ran to the cell with the keys in one hand and Ezra’s holster and gun in the other.

“Come on, Ezra, I’m getting you out of here,” said Buck. Buck motioned to Ezra to follow him, but Ezra hadn’t moved. Buck glanced back and motioned again, “Ezra! Come on, there’s not much time!”

“I think not, Mr. Wilmington,” replied Ezra. “I’m quite comfortable where I am. Besides my plan requires that I’m in jail.”

“Sorry, pard, you ain’t staying here,” said Buck. “I’m going to save you.”

Buck entered the jail cell and yanked Ezra to his feet. Ezra gave a loud squawk, then protested being manhandled in such a brutish manner. Buck secured Ezra’s gun belt back in place and began to forcibly drag his friend to the door of the cell.

“Let me go! I don’t want to be saved,” yelled Ezra. “I need to stay here! You idiot!” Ezra reached out and caught a bar of the cell in his hand and used it to pull away from Buck.

“I got your horse in the livery waiting, we’re going to go to Chris’s cabin until the boys come to their senses and realize you ain’t at fault. Now, let go of those damn bars!”

Buck wrapped his arm around Ezra’s middle and started to pull him hard toward the door. Ezra latched on to the bars with both hands, hollering at Buck, “Aren’t you listening?! This is the plan! Get your hands off me!!”

“Come on, Ez, I ain’t going to hurt you,” growled Buck.

The door of the jail burst open. Nathan and Vin entered with their guns drawn. Nathan’s mouth fell open. He expected to find the attacker, not Buck trying to save an unwilling Ezra. Vin struggled to keep a neutral face. He didn’t know what was more amusing, the fact that Buck was trying to drag Ezra away, or that Ezra was clinging to the jail cell.

Buck wheeled around, gun drawn, and saw Nathan and Vin at the door. “You boys ain’t going to stop us from leaving.”

“Looks like your damsel in distress doesn’t want to be saved, Buck,” laughed Vin.

“He ain’t got a choice, you ain’t going to hang an innocent man.”

“I am not a damsel in distress and I do not need saving, Buck,” Ezra growled. “Will someone please try to explain to this neanderthal that this is part of the plan, since he isn’t listening to me.”

Ezra removed his gun belt, handed to Vin, then strode back inside the cell. Nathan explained the plan to Buck.

“I’m real sorry, hoss,” Buck said approaching the cell.

Ezra didn’t even glance up when he replied, “For what? For your premature assumption when J.D. was grievously injured, or the mistreatment I faced at your hands when you attempted to manhandle me to safety?”

“I reckon I should’ve listened to what Chris was trying to say when you were first arrested. But I ain’t saying sorry for trying to rescue my friend.”

Ezra rolled his eyes, “As you are now aware, I do not require rescuing. In fact, it may be better for you to leave.”

“Nope,” grinned Buck. “It’s my turn to guard the prisoner.”

Ezra muttered indignantly under his breath.

~*~

Vin waited for Chris to approach. “You didn’t tell Buck about the plan.”

Chris chuckled, lighting a cigar, “Guess he tried to save Ezra? I told him the plan, but I also knew he wasn’t listening.”

Vin laughed, “Should’ve seen Ezra clinging to those bars while Buck tried to drag him out the door. Apparently wasn’t listening to Ezra either.”

“Good ole Buck.”

Chapter Text

“Do you have something to say, Mr. Wilmington,” sighed Ezra. As much as he didn’t want to talk to Buck, sitting in the tense silence was worse. Ezra reached up to rub at his eyes, only to drop his hand early.

Buck rose from his seat at the jail desk, “As a matter of fact, I do. I don’t like it. I don’t like this plan of yours one bit.”

“I am sorry that you feel that way, but I do not remember ever asking for your opinion,” muttered Ezra.

Buck scrubbed a hand down his face. His took a breath and growled, “Ez, what do you want me to say? Do you want me to say sorry for overreacting? For trying to save your fancy ass? I ain’t. The only thing I’m sorry for is that I overreacted when J.D. was hurt.”

“Mr. Wilmington,” said Ezra, tensely. He rubbed at his eyes, again. “I was unsurprised at Mr. Jackson’s low opinion of my person. He has never once pretended to think any different. However, you were my…well, I believe the word ‘friend’ would be appropriate, so your lack of confidence struck differently.”

Buck swallowed down his pride, “I know, pard.”

“Now I understand that my character is not one of upstanding status in society. I’ve cheated, I’ve lied, and I’ve killed. Working with you and the others goes against everything I was ever taught my entire life. Perhaps this way of life, is not made for someone like me. Once my pardon is granted, I plan to terminate my employment.”

“You’re leaving? When will you be back?”

“I do believe the permanence of the situation was implied.”

“How long?” started Buck.

“Do you not understand the word ‘permanent?’” snapped Ezra.

“Ez, not what I was asking. How long until your pardon?”

“A month.”

“Then I got a month to change your mind,” grinned Buck. Buck saw Ezra reach for his eyes a third time. “Eyes bothering you again?”

“Since I’ve been in this cell, my vision has been nonexistent,” muttered Ezra. “I am sure that after all this stress has passed, my vision shall return to its usual quality.”

Buck’s grin fell, there was a shake to Ezra’s voice. “You’ll be alright, pard. I promise that.”

“Don’t ever make promises that you can’t keep.”

“I don’t.”

~*~

Darlene swayed up to Buck as he leaned back in the chair in the jail. “You must be incredibly brave to guard such criminals, Buck,” she batted her eyes, seductively.

“Would you two like a moment alone?” called Ezra from the cell. “You can just toss me the keys and I’ll see myself out.”

“Shut up!” yelled Buck. He sauntered up to Darlene, “My duties to the town require me to make many sacrifices, but it is all to keep beautiful ladies like you safe.”

“Wow, Buck, that’s so courageous,” Darlene smiled, with one hand she absentmindedly plaid with her locket. “Would you be willing to tell me more? I mean, if you are able to take a break from guard duty.”

Buck smiles, “I would see it as my personal duty to make sure you get back to your room safely.” Buck allowed Darlene to lead him out of the jail.

~*~

Kenny passed a wink to Darlene as she directed Buck away. He crept slowly into the jail and quietly watched the gambler who killed his cousins.

“I don’t believe we’ve met. Ezra Standish at your service,” greeted Ezra.

Kenny replied, “You killed my cousins in New Orleans.”

“They killed the family that took me in,” accused Ezra.

“No,” denied Kenny. “They wouldn’t do that. They were looking for political leverage. Killing someone would do the exact opposite.”

“The Jenkins’ only crime was speaking out against your cousins outlandish political agenda,” yelled Ezra.

“Lies!” hollered Kenny. “It doesn’t matter, soon you can tell your lies to your maker.”

“How to you propose to do that?”

“I originally wanted to kill you myself, but then I thought about the irony of my cousins’ killer killing himself. That way I also can’t convicted of any crime.”

“There is one small error in your plan,” said Ezra. “I am not suicidal, nor do I intend to be.”

“That won’t be a problem,” grinned Kenny. “You see, Darlene, is an acquaintance of my mine. If I do not knock on the door in twenty minutes, she will poison Buck Wilmington. Now, is the time in which you ask what will make me knock on that door.”

“You have already told me that. You desire to watch my death by my own hands.”

“Not just that,” informed Kenny. “You are going to write a letter describing your guilt and pain, but failure to find it. Since you could see no other way to deal with your guilt, you just wanted it to end.”

“You get away without a conviction that could hang you–”

Kenny interrupted, “And the world loses another conman and gambler. Not much of a loss if you ask me. I wonder, will they actually have a funeral and headstone for you, or will you end up in an unmarked grave?”

Ezra closed his eyes, his mind raced. If he didn’t do this, Buck would die. If he did, he would die. When he opened his eyes, he knew the answer. “You leave Buck Wilmington and the rest of the peacekeepers alone, leave town, and never return, then I’ll do it.”

“I don’t care about them, never have. They were only a means to an end,” Kenny smiled. He strode to the desk and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. “Now, its time for it to end.”

~*~

“Buck, you are so strong,” said Darlene, her hand resting on his bicep. “Why don’t you rest on the bed, and I’ll join you in a second?”

“Whatever you wish for, Miss Darlene, it is my command,” laughed Buck.

Darlene had her back to Buck and she removed her locket. “Can I offer you a refreshment? Whiskey?” She poured the whiskey into two glasses, and checked her pocket watch. Opening er locket, she dumped the powder into the whiskey. She rechecked her watch. Kenny was late. She turned around with the glasses of whiskey and held out the glass for Buck. Two quick knocks, then a short knock sounded on the door. Darlene moved her hand back, and dropped the glass. It shattered, spilling the poisoned whiskey.

“Oops!”

“No worries, Darlene, I didn’t want whiskey, just wanted to see how far you would go to use me as leverage against Ezra.”

“What?” Darlene’s eyes grew large.

Buck withdrew his gun and pointed it down at the ground. “Now, don’t make me use this. I seen the powder you poured in that drink from your locket.”

“How did you know?”

Buck said, “You like to get your hands dirty. Guess what? J.D. described you and I knew exactly who’d done it.”

Buck glanced out the window to the rooftop across the road. He gave a single nod.

~*~

Vin got the signal from Buck. He raced over the edge of the roof and climbed down. Running to the jail, he burst in with his gun drawn. His heart stopped. Ezra was in the jail cell, hanging from the bars in the window. A piece of paper at his feet.

Nathan pushed around Vin. “Ezra!” Nathan wrapped an arm around Ezra’s legs and lifted him up. “Vin, get the rope off.”

Vin snapped into action. They carefully laid Ezra onto the ground. “Nathan, he’s not breathing!”

Nathan hesitated, “I hope this works.” Nathan rolled Ezra onto his back, pinched his nose, and forced air into Ezra’s mouth. No response. He did it again. And again. “Come on, Ezra!” He forced more air into Ezra’s lungs. “I know you know how to cheat! Come on, cheat death!” More air was pushed into Ezra’s lungs.

Ezra gasped, drawing in ragged breaths, coughing. “I…do…not…cheat!” he muttered around gasps.

“Just breathe, Ezra,” said Nathan, patting Ezra on the chest. “Turns out those medical volumes you bought me came in use.”

“I…knew…they would,” wheezed Ezra. “Buck?”

“Got Darlene arrested,” answered Vin. “Chris should have caught the cousin, too.”

Nathan picked up the paper, and scanned the words. “Ezra, you hung yourself?”

“That was always his plan…To get away without alerting the law.”

Nathan asked, “Why didn’t you follow our plan?”

“I was unsure…if Buck would know…Darlene…poison.”

Nathan pinched his eyes closed and focused on breathing slow, he wanted to shake the man before him until his teeth rattled and some sense worked its way into his head. Ezra, the man who could gamble and cheat with the best of them, laid down his life to protect one of them. He knew that he could always count on Ezra to watch his back, but this made Nathan feel uneasy.

Nathan glanced up at Vin. They needed to have a conversation with the others. If Ezra was suicidal, they needed to be prepared for it.

~*~

“Nathan has assured me that I will receive a full recovery,” argued Ezra. “Now, if you gentlemen don’t mind, I would like to take my leave to finish my recovery in the comforts of my feather bed.” He was ready to leave the jail, but the boys insisted on having Nathan check him over, again.

“Ezra, we got to talk about what happened,” Buck said. “You tried to kill yourself.”

Ezra rolled his eyes, “I knew that we needed actual evidence to convict Darlene and Kenny. I ensured that would happen and knew that Vin and Nathan would find me posthaste.”

“You couldn’t’ve known that I could bring you back once you stopped breathing, though,” pointed out Nathan.

“I knew that you have read those medical volumes several times and have consumed most of the knowledge held beneath their covers,” said Ezra. “Besides, if I were to hasten my demise, I wouldn’t do it where someone could possibly interfere with my plan. I can assure you that I am not, nor will I ever be, suicidal.”

“Not good enough,” grumbled Chris.

“There was no other option,” argued Ezra.

Chris stormed closer, grabbing a fist of Ezra’s collar to get his attention. “Still not good enough. I don’t care what’s going on in that fool head of yours, but next time, suicide is not an option.”

Ezra opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it and gave Chris a polite nod. “May I see my own way out?” Chris released Ezra.

“You remember what I told you in the village,” Chris asked.

“Of course.”

“Good,” said Chris quietly. Ezra knew better than to run out on Chris. Chris was someone that the Devil himself wouldn’t want to tangle with. Chris was likely to drag him back from the dead, just so he could kill him again for running out on them.

~*~

“Mr. Wilmington, just so we are clear, your illustrious singing skills leave much to be desired,” said Ezra. “If this is the method in which you choose to try to make me stay, you are sadly misinformed about my enjoyment of the arts.” Ezra urged his horse a bit faster.

“Oh, come on, Ez!” said Buck. “My singing ain’t that bad. Besides it’s a sunny day and Chris agreed to partner us up for patrol for the next month.”

“However did you manage to convince him of that?”

“We all know your eyes have been bothering you,” admitted Buck. “Chris ain’t too happy with your decision to leave either. So two birds, one stone kind of thing.”

“You informed Mr. Larabee of my departure after my pardon?”

“The boys had to know,” said Buck. “If anyone can convince you to stay, it’s us.”

“That is why you’ve all been so inclusive of my person lately.”

Buck hung his reins on the saddle horn and rubbed at his face. This was not how he wanted this conversation to go. “Listen to me, we tried to let you come to us when you were ready, but turns out you’re a stubborn son of a bitch.”

“I would like you to refrain from insulting my mother. So now I have no choice?” asked Ezra.

“No, you have a choice,” smiled Buck. “The easy way or the hard way.”

“Let me guess, the hard way includes being forcibly dragged along?”

Buck laughed, “I imagine there’d be some kicking and screaming, too! Better choose the easy way, hoss.”

“And this is all to convince me to extend my stay in this remote hamlet?”

“Naw,” admitted Buck. “We ain’t going to stop you if you want to leave, but just know you can always come home if you want.”

Chapter Text

“Ezra!” Buck shouted as he climbed the stairs and burst into Ezra’s room.

Underneath the mountain of blankets, Ezra groaned. “Should I begin kicking and screaming now, or will you give me an hour to consume some coffee before the forced participation?”

“The kid and I are going fishing.”

Ezra groaned again, “Am I to assume that I will be dragged along?”

“You betcha, hoss,” laughed Buck.

“Well, I don’t feel up to fishing this fine morning, perhaps on another day?” sighed Ezra. Buck crept closer to the bed, assuming that Ezra was less likely to shoot him now that he was awake. He pressed a hand to Ezra’s forehead, much to Ezra’s dismay.

“Ain’t got a fever,” muttered Buck. “Want me to send up Nathan?”

Ezra rolled away from Buck to face the other wall. “Dear Lord, no. I nearly died a few days ago. I merely wish to enjoy a moment of relaxation, if you would kindly allow, sir.”

“That’s why we’re going fishing.”

Ezra groaned again, but slowly crawled from under the blankets. As the three men rode out of town, Vin laughed at Ezra’s grumbling. Josiah was resting his foot on a chair while an open book sat in his lap.

“I didn’t know Ezra liked fishing,” commented Josiah.

Vin laughed, “He doesn’t. Guessing Buck didn’t give either of them a choice.”

~*~

J.D.’s excited jabber echoed over the lake. Buck was answering the call of nature. Ezra leaned back with a cup of coffee, not concerned with actually fishing. “Hey, Ez, did your pa ever take you fishing?”

“My father left my mother before I was born.”

J.D. grew quiet, “Mine died.”

“My condolences, Mr. Dunne.”

“Ma tried her best, but then she got sick,” J.D. continued quietly. Ezra didn’t say anything. “Sometimes I wonder if my pa would’ve been proud of me.”

“Son, he’d be a fool not to be,” answered Ezra. “You have done nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I wish that were true,” whispered J.D. under his breath. Ezra glanced at J.D., sure he wasn’t meant to hear the last statement, but unsure what it could mean. He sipped his coffee, while Buck thundered back to the lakeside.

“Got any bites?” Buck grinned. “Kid, you got to throw out the line further.”

~*~

Fish weren’t biting at all. When Buck finally decided to head back to town, Ezra was more than ready to return. J.D. had left his mind in a chaotic whirl. Sure, none of the men were innocent, but J.D. was the most innocent of their group. He volunteered to help anyone who needed help, he was always telling pathetic jokes to brighten someone’s day, he was just a kid.

They entered the saloon and J.D. burst into tales of their fishing trip. The rest of the men paid him little mind, but that didn’t deter J.D.

“Buck completely lost a big ole’ fish,” laughed J.D. “You should’ve seen the look on his face when that big fella jumped back into the water and swam away.”

“Kid, why don’t we tell them about how many tree roots you ended up hooking?” said Buck. Something caught J.D.’s attention, his face paling. Then men watched as J.D. left the saloon, tripping over his own feet.

“Buck,” chastised Chris. “What’s wrong with the kid?”

“I don’t know,” said Buck. “Ez, he say anything to you?”

Yes, Ezra thought, but nothing overly revealing. Ezra shook his head. The conversation drifted away from J.D. and Ezra discretely slipped out of the saloon. Mentally, he ran through a list of likely places J.D. would seek refuge. He’d probably look for a place he could be alone. A place that none of the other men would think to look. So, that crossed his room at the boarding house and the church off the list. Didn’t J.D. once mention his job as a stable-boy back East?

Ezra found J.D. in the livery, brushing his horse furiously. The horse wasn’t paying him any attention as he munched away at the hay in his stall.

“J.D.,” Ezra called. J.D. sniffed, but didn’t turn towards Ezra. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

“Then, explain to me why you are brushing the hair off your horse?”

J.D. leaned his forehead against his horse. “She lied,” he whispered. “I thought…and then, she was gone.”

“Your mother?” guessed Ezra.

“She said he was dead, but just now, there he was,” sobbed J.D. “She said he was a lawman.” He sniffed again, entwining his fingers in his horse’s mane.

“Your father. Are you sure?”

J.D. floundered with his pockets, searching, then he pulled out a worn photograph. He held it out to Ezra, still not facing him. Ezra gently took the photograph and sighed. The face was undeniably the gambler he’d seen that night at the tables. In their remote hamlet, it wasn’t often that a gambler of skill would entertain a game, so Ezra had already pegged the man as a worthy mark.

“J.D.,” Ezra started, then hesitated. Buck would be so much better at this. What could he say to the distraught young man before him that would make all of this better? He tried to hand the photograph back, but J.D. refused to take it.

“Ezra, I want to be alone.” Ezra didn’t need to be told twice, but maybe, he could help J.D. in his own way.

He straightened his hat and strode into the saloon, looking for J.D.’s father. Quietly he observed the poker hand before clearing his throat. The rotund gambler glanced at Ezra, “Son, you’re going to have to wait your turn.”

“My wait won’t be long, unless you fancy finishing the game against the cheater,” drawled Ezra. The cowhand reached for his gun, Ezra drew his faster, “I would kindly depart if I were you.”

The gambler raised an eyebrow, “That could have gotten you killed.”

“An acceptable risk, I suppose,” Ezra muttered. “Now, you mentioned a hand?”

The gambler chuckled and began shuffling the cards. After the first hand, Ezra shuffled for a second. Then, they played a third. Neither glanced more than a second at their cards before watching the other, intently.

“Son, you ever going to ask your questions, or you planning on continuing to lose money?” said the gambler.

“What makes you believe I hold a losing hand?”

“It’s not about how you hold your hand,” informed the gambler. “The way you hold your eyes says you’re out of aces. You buy the whiskey, and I’ll answer your questions.”

Ezra motioned to the barkeep, not moving his gaze from the gambler. “Does the name Dunne ring a bell?”

The gambler drank deeply from his glass of whiskey, “It might, depends on why you want to know.”

“Lets just say, I’m an interested party.”

The gambler shook his head, “You’re too old to be John and Marion always said she’s never allow him to follow in my footsteps. So what makes you so interested?”

“So this profession is not particularly new?”

“Do my skills infer that I am new to the game?”

Ezra growled, “You obviously know about John, why’d you leave?”

“So that is what this is about? Let me give you some advice,” the gambler took another swallow of whiskey. “Every gambler knows, the secret to survival is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.”

“So you decided to throw away your family? Your family isn’t a poker hand!” Ezra’s hand itched to reach for his gun, again. How could this pathetic excuse of a man just throw away his family?

The gambler’s face grew red, he rose from the table and pointed a chubby finger at Ezra. “Don’t you ever, tell me what I gave up! Someday, son, you’ll realize that for gamblers, the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep.”

The gambler swept up his winnings and angrily waddled away. Ezra tossed his hand to the center of the table, and gulped down the last of his whiskey. He’d hoped that J.D.’s father had left for honorable reasons. He entertained the idea of J.D.’s father leaving to earn money to pay for Marion’s treatment when she got sick, or to send J.D. to college, but this was the harsh reality that he’d hoped to avoid.

He rose from the table, passed the boys who were still watching him curiously, and went to find J.D.

Ezra found J.D., still in the livery, but now brushing Buck’s horse. His mind whirled on what he should tell J.D.

“My ma lied about him being a lawman, didn’t she?” called out J.D. His voice, dejected and still wet with tears.

“Your mother wished to provide you with a suitable role model to aspire to be,” said Ezra. “Someone, I believe, you have already found and has already taken you under his tutelage.”

“Huh?” asked J.D. “You talking about Buck?”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t follow Mr. Wilmington’s advice when it comes to romantic aspirations, but to become a good man that you can be proud of there is no one better to learn from,” said Ezra. “Good night, J.D.”

As Ezra left the livery, Buck waited outside, worriedly looking in at J.D. Buck rested a hand on Ezra’s shoulder and mouthed a ‘thank you’ before entering the barn.

Chapter Text

The next morning, J.D. rose before the sun. He had too many questions and too many unanswered questions to sleep. The hotel clerk told him which room that “rude gambler” was in and J.D. found himself staring at the door. All he had to do was knock and get some answers, but did he really want answers? J.D. finally knocked and the door opened.

The round man on the other side of the door, surveyed J.D., before saying, “John.”

“Umm, it’s J.D.”

“I was very sorry to hear about your mother. Marion was…”

J.D. swallowed hard and interrupted, “Why’d you leave?”

“Son, perhaps this is a conversation that requires some privacy rather than a hallway.” The gambler looked around at the other closed hotel doors.

J.D. stepped into the hotel room and repeated his question, “Why’d you leave?”

“I don’t know what your mother has told you about me,” he began, “but I left to protect you both.”

“From what?” J.D. firmly asked.

“I had acquired a great some of debt. When your mother realized we were going to have you, she begged me to give it up and to get a job that would allow us to settle down. Those debt collectors are relentless and all I needed was one good night, but Lady Luck wasn’t on my side at that moment. Marion went to her parents to ask about a loan that would pay back my debt, but they were enraged that she was with a bastard child and refused.”

J.D. tried to act how Ezra would in this situation, unemotionally, but he had always wondered why he never met his grandparents and why his mother always cried when she looked at the picture of her parents. It was his fault.

“When?” J.D. finally asked.

“When did I leave?” J.D. nodded. “After the debt collectors threatened your mother, we relocated to Boston. You were born shortly after. Everything was going great until I lost quite a bit of money in the gambling halls in Boston. The debt collectors came into our home and had picked you up, they held you while threatening your mother. She had demanded that I choose which was more important to me, you and her, or gambling.”

“And you chose gambling over us?”

“No, son, I just had to pay them back.”

“Did Ma ever borrow money?”

“No, she was too proud.”

J.D. blinked back the angry tears that threatened to fall. “So, all the money we had to work to pay back was because of you! Ma worked as a maid until she was too sick to work because whenever we paid back some of the money there was more interest to be paid.”

“I’m very sorry, son.”

“Don’t call me that. You lost that right when you left us.”

“Somehow we crossed paths again,” muttered the gambler. “With my winnings from last night, I should have almost enough to finish paying off my debts. I’d only need about fifty dollars more. If you helped me pay it, I could stay here.”

“For how long?” spat J.D.

“What do you mean?”

“Until you owe more and you ask for more money?” asked J.D. “Look, I’ve been alright my entire life without you. I don’t need you now. You ain’t going to bring trouble here. The next stage leaves tomorrow at 10am. Do everyone a favor, be on it.”

“John,” demanded the gambler.

“I already told you, it’s J.D.” J.D. left the room, seething.

~*~

J.D. happened to avoid the rest of the peacekeepers all day. Today had stirred up enough old memories and J.D. didn’t feel loke pretending he was alright. He held his Ma’s old Bible that he hid in a drawer in the dresser. J.D. wasn’t religious like his Ma, but he had hid portions of his wages within the book. An old habit from when he planned his escape out of Boston, but knowing he could go anywhere whenever he wanted was a relief. That night he was still hiding in his room when a knock sounded at the door. J.D. sighed, but didn’t move to answer it. Maybe if they thought he wasn’t here, they’d leave?

“I know you’re in there,” Vin muttered softly. “J.D., it’s alright to not be alright. Ezra gets the same way when he sees his Ma. Just know we’re here for you, kid.”

J.D. didn’t reply as Vin left, just sat leaning against the window, hugging the worn Bible to his chest. Morning came by quickly. J.D. must have fallen asleep at some point because it was like he blinked and the sun had started to rise. J.D. checked his pocket watch, 9:55am, but his father still hadn’t made an appearance at the stage coach. Final call to load up, and still nothing. At 10am when it left, it left minus the one passenger that J.D. had hoped would be on it.

He tucked the Bible safely in his drawer. J.D. couldn’t hide forever. Down the dusty road a large crowd gathered on the steps of the hotel. Vin and Ezra were blocking the door.

“There he is! He was the only one who went up there all night!” shouted the hotel clerk from the crowd.

“He must have killed him!” shouted another person.

“Done us all a favor, if you ask me,” called one more. “Good riddance. We don’t need his kind in our town.”

Ezra kept his head held high, but those words stung. He watched as J.D.’s face morphed from confusion to shocked realization.

“Jedidiah Dunne is dead?” he asked quietly, looking to Vin and Ezra for confirmation. Vin gave a soft nod.

“Good for you, son,” called another person for the crowd.

Chris strode out of the hotel and seen J.D. frozen. “You’d think you all would have better things to do,” he said, the threat hanging in the air. The crowd grumbled as they dispersed. “J.D.”

Buck was on Chris’s heels, “Kid, I’m so sorry.”

“Guess that was why he wasn’t on the morning stage,” muttered J.D.

“He was going to leave?” asked Vin.

“I don’t know,” admitted J.D. “I told him to. How’d he…?”

The boys glanced between themselves, no one wanted to break the bad news to J.D. Chris sighed, “Murdered. Strangulation.”

“Kid, do you know who would want to kill him?” Buck asked.

“Anyone who met him?” deadpanned J.D. “He owed a lot of money, to a lot of people.”

“We’ll find out who did it, kid,” Vin reassured.

J.D. nodded. “I think I want to be alone.”

When he returned to his room, the door was already open and someone was throwing around his belongings haphazardly. J.D. peered around the door frame, two men in long dusters rifled through his stuff, tossing things to the side and pocketing other things.

“Reckon that gambler gave it to his son?” asked one of the thieves.

“Why else would he be here?”

J.D. stepped around the door frame and drew his guns, “Don’t move! You are both under arrest for the murder of Jedidiah Dunne.”

The men slowly turned around arms raised in a surrender. “The both of us? Kid, you should work on your counting.” J.D.’s eyes grew large as he tried to turn, but a blinding pain in the back of his head sent him into a dark abyss.

Chapter Text

Pain in the back of his head, startled J.D. back into consciousness. From a distance he could hear arguing. A deep voice demanding answers, “What do we do with the brat? Those gunslingers will be lookin’ for him.”

“I told you two not to do anything until I got here,” growled another voice. A chill ran down J.D.’s spine. “We have to find the pocket watch.”

“It wasn’t on Dunne,” whined a nasally, third voice.

“Of course it wasn’t, you fool!” growled the second voice. It must be the leader, J.D. realized. “Dunne knew we were after him, he wouldn’t have kept it where we could find it. Did you at least get a chance to ask any questions before he died?”

“You see, boss, we were trying to get the answers from him,” whined the third voice. “But then he just died.”

“Yeah, we really did try to get the information, but he wouldn’t talk,” said the deep voice.

“Was that before or after you strangled him?!” the leader sighed. “Did one of you idiots check the kid for the pocket watch?”

J.D. forced himself to breathe deep as thin fingers dug through his pockets and tossed his body around. The nasal voice replied, “Nothing.”

“When he wakes up, ask him if he knows where it is,” demanded the leader. “And Cletus, don’t kill him until I’ve had a chance to ask my own questions. Got it?”

“Yes, boss,” the deep voice, Cletus, responded. After footsteps echoed away, Cletus said, “Jimmy, when you reckon he’s gonna wake up.”

Slow footsteps approached J.D. then the nasally voice responded, “I think he’s already awake. Ain’t ya boy?”

J.D. opened his eyes. Staring the crouched man in the eyes, he swallowed his fear. “And I heard everything.”

The man leaned back on his heels and laughed, “Boy, I don’t think you’re in a position to make threats.”

~*~

Ezra shuffled his deck of cards an additional time. His mind reeling. He could understand why Chris had done it, but lying to someone like J.D. felt wrong. J.D. had always been fully trusting and accepting of everything that the men had told him. He accepted the lie without question. It could have been the shock of learning his father had been killed or the trust that he had put in the men to be honest with him. Regardless, Ezra felt uneasy about the lie.

Ezra pocketed his cards and headed for the clinic. If Nathan was surprised by Ezra’s appearance, he didn’t show it.

“Ezra, are your eyes bothering you?” Nathan asked. “The Seminoles told me about another herb that may help a bit better.” Ezra listened to Nathan rifling through his supplies.

Ezra squeezed his eyes together and sighed trying to control his emotions, “It isn’t my eyes that bother me. The lie that Mr. Larabee told J.D. is what bothers me and I think you know more than you are letting on.”

Nathan hesitated, still elbow deep in his supplies. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Ezra felt his anger spur him on, “You can’t lie to a con man, Mr. Jackson! On numerous occasions you remind me that I lie for a living, so you can bet I can detect one when I hear it.”

“Ezra,” Nathan started slowly. He turned to face Ezra, hands up to placate the irate man. “Jedidiah Dunne was murdered.”

“And..” Ezra prompted.

Nathan hesitated, “His body showed sign of torture.”

“Torture?”

“Bruises, burns, shallow cuts. All in–”

“Non-fatal locations,” Ezra finished. Nathan hummed softly in agreement. “So it was a collector.”

“A what?”

Ezra rubbed a hand down his face, “Ruthless men paid to collect on debts either in money or blood if there is no money.”

“He still had all of his winnings in his pocket.”

“Then the debt wasn’t of the monetary variety,” Ezra mumbled. Jedidiah Dunne arrived in town, and soon after was brutally murdered…Ezra felt his heart stop. “J.D.”

~*~
Chris wouldn’t show that any of the hits affected him, J.D. thought meekly. Buck would continue to distract by talking. Nathan would stand firm. Vin would take everything with a silent stubbornness. Ezra would try to get into their heads and con them. Josiah would probably preach to them. But J.D., he was the weakest of them all. He wasn’t brave or strong or stubborn or smart, like the others. J.D. was just the kid of the group.

Cletus returned before Jimmy. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on you while Jimmy is gone,” Cletus said.

“What’s so important about this pocket watch?” J.D. asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” admitted Cletus. “We were hired to find it.”

“It was a family heirloom,” interrupted Jimmy. “The Stuarts were a prominent family of Providence, Rhode Island. Heard of ‘em?”

J.D. clenched his jaw. That was his mother’s maiden name.

“It was stolen by your old man,” continued Jimmy. “Any idea where it could be?”

“My father never gave me a pocket watch,” J.D. growled through gritted teeth. “Maybe he sold it?”

Jimmy chuckled, then sneered, “Maybe he did, but the boss thinks that he kept the watch and gave it to his boy.”

“Then he’s not as smart as he seems to think that he is,” replied J.D. “I’d never even seen him until two nights ago.”

“Kid, you’re gonna tell us where that pocket watch is.”

J.D. swallowed his fear once more and stared Jimmy straight in his cold eyes, “Or what.”

“We ain’t got no use for you, we’ll just kill you.”

Cletus rung his hands, “Dunne was an accident, Jimmy, we can’t kill him if he ain’t done nothing wrong.”

“Cletus,” Jimmy rubbed at his face. “The kid’s seen our faces! He’s one of them peacekeepers.”

Cletus stared down at the floor, unsure of what to do, but Jimmy seemed to know what to do. He always did in the past.

~*~

“Ezra, are you sure J.D. is in danger?” Nathan asked, for the third time. Ezra wasn’t slowing his pace as he strode to J.D.’s room.

“A collector looking for something wouldn’t stop once the debtor dies, not if they were paid for acquisition of the item. J.D. would be the logical next inquiry,” explained Ezra. “I’m going to make sure J.D. is alright. Get Chris and the others. We need to be ready for when the collectors make their move.”

“Nathan! Ezra!” Vin called from the boarding house, motioning them to follow.

“Looks like the collectors have already made their move,” Nathan told Ezra softly.

They entered J.D.’s room. Clothes and objects lay strewn across the small room. Buck stared at the room in shock while Chris knelt beside J.D.’s guns laying abandoned on the floor. As Ezra entered the room, the toe of his boot hit a book. He picked up the old Bible. He could feel the money stuffed between the pages, not the safest hiding spot. Ezra slipped the tattered Bible into his coat pocket and tried to see the rest of the damage done to the room. Through the blurry outline of the room, it wasn’t hard to gather that the collectors were looking for something and they had thought the item rest in J.D.’s possession.

Ezra was not a religious man by any means, but he prayed that J.D. would be able to hold on long enough to find him.

Chapter Text

Each of the peacekeepers were busy doing what they could to help J.D. Chris and Buck were going through J.D. and Jedidiah’s rooms for clues. Josiah was in the church praying. Vin looking for tracks. Nathan was preparing the clinic. Each man was doing what he knew best to try to find J.D. Except Ezra, as Nathan had pointed out when he passed on his way to ready a first aid kit. Ezra was leaning back in a chair in front of the saloon, his hat hung low over his eyes. To the average passerby, he would look like he was taking a carefree nap. Vin knew that while Ezra’s eyes may not function as they should, the rest of his senses were on high alert.

Vin stopped near Ezra, leaning against the railing, “No tracks out of town.”

“Then they haven’t left yet.”

“That’s a good sign,” Vin muttered. “Will make J.D. easier to find.”

“Unless he is hurt to where they are not worried about him being discovered.”

Vin swallowed the lump in this throat that had formed since J.D. went missing. “Don’t have time to think like that.”

Ezra remained silent. He knew that Vin had already considered the worst case scenarios. He didn’t need to mention the likelihood that J.D. was already dead, brutally murdered for a debt he undoubtedly knew nothing about.

“I’ll make a few passes through town,” said Vin softly, “see what I can find.”

~*~

J.D. looked around the room. Dirt floor, no windows, one door. Good, J.D. thought, one entrance, I can always see them coming. Crates and filled sacks littered the far side of the room, where J.D. was bound to a support beam with rope it had looked to be freshly cleared. The only light was from a lantern that sat near Cletus.

J.D. knew he was no match for the larger man, but Cletus hadn’t seemed like he wanted to kill J.D.

“May I have some water?” J.D. asked.

Cletus glanced at him, then his eyes shifted to his canteen. “Jimmy said not to talk to you.”

“You don’t have to talk to me, I’m just a bit thirsty,” replied J.D. “You could pass me the canteen without talking?”

Cletus started to nervously fiddle with his hands, mentally working through if Jimmy would be alright with it. The boy was right though that we wouldn’t have to talk to him to pass over the canteen, but he wasn’t sure Jimmy would be happy. He shook his head. Better not, just in case.

J.D. sighed and leaned back against the support beam, staring at the knots that bound his hands together. Maybe he could work the knot loose enough to slip his wrists out of the ropes.

The door creaked open. Jimmy strode down the stairs, J.D. caught a glimpse of more stairs outside the door. Basement, J.D. realized.

“No one suspects anything,” Jimmy said to Cletus.

“That’s good, isn’t it, Jimmy?” asked Cletus. “They won’t find us here.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate them,” muttered J.D.

Jimmy turned to the prisoner, and smiled. His face reflected the same look cats got when they have a mouse in their sights, cornered. J.D. felt a shiver creep down his spine. Don’t show fear, he reminded himself.

“Oh, really?” Jimmy crouched over J.D, threateningly. J.D. tried to lean back, but had nowhere to escape. “And why’s that?”

“T-they’re my…friends.” The stutter sold out the uncertainty that J.D. had felt.

“Oh and let me guess, you mean so much to them?” Jimmy taunted. “If you meant so much, why didn’t the gambler even start to look for you? The preacher is back in the church and the doc is in his clinic. Even that tracker is sitting in the saloon. If you mean so much, why don’t they care enough to look for you?”

J.D. felt like the ceiling had collapsed on top of him. He knew he was younger than the other men and could occasionally be annoying, but he was certain that they were friends. He had been shot and beaten on several occasions to protect them. J.D. slowly realized that he had been the one trailing them. He wanted so much to be like the other men and accepted, perhaps he had missed the signs. This was their attempt at manipulation, but it wasn’t going to work.

“No, you’re wrong,” muttered J.D. “They are coming for me. They are looking for me.” Even to J.D. it sounded unsure.

“No, they are not. The way I figure it, they must be relieved not to have you constantly following them around. Did anyone even invite you along, or did you just assume you were welcome because they felt bad for the poor orphan boy who they couldn’t get rid of?”

They want him around, J.D. told himself, but a small voice of doubt asked, right?

~*~

Ezra rose from his chair in front of the saloon and strode towards the general store. Mrs. Potter was stocking the shelves as he entered. He started to sifting through the merchandise, until he found what he was looking for. Approaching the counter, Mrs. Potter seen the items in Ezra’s hands and sighed.

“No charge, Mr. Standish,” she replied. “If you ever need a…job, you would have one here.”

“No, ma’am,” Ezra’s cheeks reddened, realizing the implications of his purchases. “As far as I am still aware, I am still employed as one of this town’s respectable peacekeepers, but should the status of my employment change I shall keep your generous offer in mind. How much?”

After leaving the general store, Ezra pulled his hat down low and extended the new cane he had purchased. He tapped it back and forth in front of him as he made his way along the boardwalk.

Across the road Buck and Chris watched Ezra navigate with the cane, at first Buck was worried that during their search for J.D., something worse had happened to Ezra’s eyes that he was hiding. Then Ezra tripped. Buck stepped forward and Chris snagged his sleeve.

“Wait. Watch.”

Ezra stumbled. A tall, lean man was attempting to hurry around Ezra, but ended up running right into him during the stumble. The man picked himself up, kicked the cane away from Ezra while proceeding to yell about “ridiculous blind, wannabe lawmen.”

Chris seen Ezra touch his right pocket, snag his cane, and continued to tap it on the ground as he walked. “You reckon, it was on purpose?” Buck asked.

“Do you think Ezra would ever use a cane without an ulterior motive?”

Both men walked across the street and Buck snagged Ezra’s arm. “Find anything?”

Ezra passed a paper over to Buck. “It’s a telegram. Find that pocket watch.”

“I think do believe that is what Mister Dunne’s captors are looking for.”

“Wait just a minute,” Chris said. “How do you know that that man is one of J.D.’s captors?”

“It is simple,” Ezra replied. His blurry eyes could see the glare Chris shot his way. “He arrived just after Jedediah Dunne did. e is always hurrying, but only ever to the hotel and telegram office. And lastly, I had never introduced myself to him. How would he know I was a lawman without doing prior research?”

“Any other suspects?”

“One. But unfortunately he is lacking in the intelligence required to hide Mister Dunne’s location from our esteemed tracker.”

“Shoot, Ez, you learn all of that sitting in front of the saloon?” Buck asked.

Ezra pulled away from Buck, Nathan’s snide comments filtering to the front of his mind, “What else do you think I was doing? Avoiding my duties? Willingly allowing harm to come to our youngest member?”

“No, that ain’t what I was thinking at all, pard,” replied Buck. He figured one of the barbs that Nathan occasionally threw at Ezra was still a bit sore. “Just amazed you learned all that.”

“Ezra, get to the jail. Buck and I will get the others. We need a plan to get J.D. back.”

Little did Chris and Buck know, Ezra already had a plan. Although it was likely safer to include the others, Nathan’s words still echoed in Ezra’s mind. The words echoed in all of the voices of his friends. Lazy. Useless. No-good gambler. Deceitful.

Chapter Text

Ezra straightened his back, continued to tap the cane in front of him as he walked forward. He had had his fair share of run-ins with collectors in the past. His mother was known for escaping several precarious situations, typically leaving Ezra to deal with the consequences.

Thankfully, Vin had thought it prudent to teach Ezra to navigate without his eyes. As Ezra listened, he could hear the rapid footsteps of the hurried stranger. Following, he entered the back of an abandoned store at the edge of town. The owners had left long before the Seven had joined forces to protect the town.

Inside the building he heard the angry voices of three men arguing, then a sharp cry from a younger voice. J.D. Whatever thoughts or doubts Ezra had about dealing with the situation alone ended when he heard J.D.’s pained cry.

Ezra descended the stairs, gathering his courage, he entered the basement.

“Well, well, gentlemen, it seems that while you can’t get blood from rock you can obtain it from a boy playing sheriff,” Ezra smiled.

“You’re the blind lawman,” Jimmy growled. “How’d you find us?”

“Oh, it was easy, when you know what to look for. One might say even a blind man could follow your trail,” Ezra chuckled. “Now, I might have come across a particular pocket watch that I may be considering parting with, for a price, you see.”

“Boss, how’d he know about the watch?” asked Cletus.

Ezra smiled, his gold tooth shining in the lantern light. “The former Mr. Dunne lost the watch in a game of chance against me. Seems he was relieved to be rid of it.”

“What would you want for the watch, Mr. Standish?” asked the Boss. “Let me guess, you want the boy?”

Ezra snorted, “What would I want with the boy? Since becoming the sheriff he has arrested me, had me thrown in jail, and causes a nuisance in the saloon.”

Ezra pretended to ignore how J.D. deflated at his accusations. The Boss smirked, “Well, someone who caused you so much trouble, surely would like to exact your revenge?”

J.D. spoke up, pulling on his rope, “I thought you were one of us, but you’re not! Nathan was right, once a criminal, always a criminal!”

Ezra finally turned to look at J.D. before saying, “He has been a thorn in my side since I arrived in this town. I’ll give you the pocket watch, but I want $10 and for you to leave the boy sheriff tied up here in the basement. Let him learn what incarceration feels like.”

The Boss pulled out his money, handing Ezra the requested $10. Ezra reached into his pocket and handed over the pocket watch. The Boss opened it, examined the face, and then pocketed the watch. He reached a hand out, “Pleasure doing business.”

Ezra felt a dropping feeling in his gut. He heard a the rustling of a jacket sleave. Diving to the left, Ezra jerked his arm to extend his derringer into his waiting hand. He fired where he had heard the rustling, the Boss rushed past as Cletus caught Ezra’s coat lapel in his large fists. Cletus lifted Ezra off the ground, Ezra bashed the empty derringer against Cletus’s head. The large man dropped Ezra to the ground.

Ezra rolled away and drew his pistol from his hip. He fired. Cletus froze and slowly fell. As he fell, he landed on top of crate holding the lantern, as it shattered, flame engulfed the crates. Ezra scrambled to J.D.

J.D. was pulling on the ropes wiggling his hands, but the knots would not loosen. Flames had overtaken most of the basement and blocked the only exit.

“J.D., stop pulling! You are only tightening the knots,” Ezra began working on the knots. The building began to creak as the boards weakened and fell.

“Ezra! Behind you!” Ezra was hit, hard across the back with a burnt board. Jimmy, who had been shot by the derringer, held a burning board as he attacked Ezra.

“That was for Cletus,” Jimmy growled, holding his arm across his wounded side. He raised the board, hitting Ezra again, and again. Ezra eyes burned and watered, but he could not make out much in the chaos of the burning basement. After a hit to his side, he caught the board and used it to propel Jimmy forward into his fist. Jimmy pulled Ezra down into the dirt.

Jimmy tried to reach for the board, Ezra kicked out. Jimmy collided headfirst into a wall and stopped moving.

J.D. in the commotion had loosened the ropes enough to break free. The building gave another threatening groan. He grabbed Ezra’s arm, and drug him near the door. The flames roared. “Head down,” he shouted at Ezra. He kicked dirt at the door, just enough for a gap to escape. He drug Ezra up the stairs and out of the building.

They collapsed to the ground, coughing out the smoke they had inhaled. The other men, who were leading efforts to control the flames rushed over. Buck pulled J.D. into a tight embrace.

Ezra’s eyes continued to burn. He used the palms of his hands to push into his eyes, but it did little to help. A hand touched his back. Startled, Ezra swung a fist, blindly.

“Damn it, Ezra!” yelled Nathan. “Let me see your eyes, the smoke probably irritated them!”

“My apologies, Nathan, my eyes…well, they are not functioning as they should,” Ezra admitted.

“Seems your brain ain’t ‘functioning’ much better,” snapped Chris. “I told you to wait.”

“I believe your instructions were to get to the jail, I fully intended to do so...After freeing our young Mister Dunne from his confinement,” muttered Ezra. Ezra knew that it was a weak argument, but he did not want to admit the truth. He had let his own insecurities goad him into a bad situation, half-cocked, and nearly got J.D. killed in the process.

Chapter Text

“No,” growled Chris. “You knew, damn well, what I meant and you didn’t do it.”

Nathan had hauled Ezra and J.D. away from the burning wreckage. He wouldn’t admit it, but Ezra’s recent escapade scared him. He couldn’t put his finger on what unsettled him the most, how Ezra had recklessly endangered J.D. and himself to prove a point or how quiet and shutdown the man had become after reprimanded by Chris.

Ezra had yet to speak once arriving at the clinic, his hands kept wandering to his burning eyes only to be swatted away by Nathan. He didn’t complain, in fact, contrary to popular belief, Ezra felt a bit relieved that no one was paying much attention to him. He felt a knot in his stomach. It felt suffocating, like it was strangling him from the inside.

“Ezra, hold this to your eyes,” Nathan ordered as he passed. A cold, wet towel was pushed into Ezra’s hands. The distinctive sweet and soapy smell of yarrow radiated from the rag. Ezra sighed in relief as he pressed the cool cloth against his eyes. He rested his elbows on his knees, in a rather ungentlemanly slouch.

Nathan left the room for more supplies for J.D. J.D. hesitantly spoke, “Ezra?”

Ezra turned slightly towards the voice, but otherwise didn’t say anything. “Thank you for coming for me. I know…” J.D. tapered off, there was several things he wanted to say. I know that I’ve been annoying and more of a liability than actual help but thank you for still saving me. Instead, he continued, “I know you lost the card game to Jedidiah. You gave them your pocket watch, didn’t ya?”

“I fear it will only be a short reprieve before they learn of the falsification of the watch’s origins,” Ezra finally sighed. “Hopefully they will take their losses with the new-found knowledge that you are not in possession of the watch they are so desperately trying to acquire.”

“I’m gonna get you a new watch,” swore J.D. “I promise, it might take some time for me to save the money for it, but I’m gonna replace the one you lost.”

It was the desperate tone, that Ezra recognized immediately. He had heard it when he used to beg his mother not to leave him behind. It was filled with promises of being better. Ezra felt his heart freeze in his chest. “I would rather lose a pocket watch than a friend.”

Nathan waited at the doorway, neither man was hurt bad enough to require him to interrupt their conversation, but he also felt the heaviness in the air. There was more to it than either of the men would be willing to share. He noticed Ezra refused to say more and used the silence to stride back into the clinic.

~*~

Vin was busy passing water buckets to Josiah, but he kept an eye on the gambler. While Vin understood Chris handled worry and fear with anger, but he wasn’t sure Ezra understood. Once the fire was out, Vin approached Chris and Buck, cautiously. It seemed that his anger merely simmered.

“We’ve got this settled, I’m going to check on J.D. and Ezra,” announced Buck.

Chris sighed. “Ezra knew I wanted him to wait.”

Vin edged closer. “Let me handle it. I think you need to cool that temper a bit, cowboy. Yelling is just going to get him defensive.” Chris sighed, again, anger still brewing, but nodded at Vin.

Vin wasn’t surprised by the silence within the clinic. J.D. had just been kidnapped and likely still processing what happened. Ezra held a damp cloth to his eyes, his head bowed as if hiding from the world.

He sat gently beside the gambler. He took the deck of cards from Ezra’s jacket pocket and slid them into his own before resting a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. Ezra tensed, momentarily, then relaxed slightly.

Buck fussed over J.D., hovering enough that Nathan glared at the older man. “Buck, I swear, I will kick you out of the clinic if you don’t stay out of my way!”

“Perhaps, it would provide more room in the clinic if Vin and I were to return at a better time,” Ezra offered quietly.

“Don’t you dare move. I haven’t even looked at your eyes, Ezra,” snapped Nathan.

Vin felt Ezra flinch under his hand. “Nate,” warned Vin. Nathan glanced up from J.D.’s wounds, Ezra wasn’t sure if Vin was glaring or not, but he assumed so. Seconds later he agreed if Ezra rested his eyes and continued the herbal compress.

Inside the safety of his room, Ezra fully relaxed against his bed, placing the herbal cloth back over his eyes. “Do you also wish to reprimand me?”

Vin leaned against the window, not looking at Ezra. He thought that he would be better suited to speak to Ezra and keep a hold on his temper, but he found himself at a loss. Ezra had once again hidden his struggles from him and acted on a whim. He wanted to strangle Ezra.

“Honestly?” Vin started. “I don’t know. I thought you were doin’ better. What happened?”

“I think,” Ezra mumbled. “I may have conned myself into believing that someone like me could ever be redeemed. I’ve done horrible things. I’ve cheated and I’ve lied. I just thought that I could prove that I could be more than just a conman and I could do the right thing.” Ezra’s voice cracked. He pushed the herbal cloth tighter into his eyes.

Vin turned to look at Ezra, he felt the previous anger seep away and be replaced by a deep sorrow. “‘Someone like you?’ Someone who helped me escape after being framed by Eli Joe or paid off Nettie’s mortgage or purposely lost a poker game for information on J.D.’s pa. That ain’t what conmen do.”

Ezra scoffed, “You have always seen the best in me. Why? Because I saved your life? If you feel indebted to me, I assure you that you have already paid that debt, tenfold.”

“The Kiowa believe that the strongest bonds you have is with family. It connects you to those around you, like woven fabric. Family is where even the lost find a place to belong. When I call you ‘brother’ it means somethin’.”

“I know,” whispered Ezra. The last word barely audible, but Vin still heard it. “Brother.”

Chapter Text

J.D. fought with Nathan to get a clean bill of health. Nathan argued that his cuts could become infected, but J.D. promised to let Nathan check on them daily. Nathan suggested that some rest in the clinic would do J.D. some good. However, J.D. reminded him that the lumpy cots were not as nice as his own bed. Finally, Nathan relented. It had seemed that the others’ dislike for the clinic was contagious.

Buck offered to walk with him back to the boarding house. J.D. snapped, “I don’t need a babysitter, Buck.”

Although J.D. was ready to be out of the clinic, as soon as he walked into his room, he froze. His belongings, haphazardly tossed about the room, still littered the floor. He was in his room when he was initially taken. The one place he should have been safe.

Maybe another night in the clinic wouldn’t be a bad idea. He could tell Nathan he had a…dizzy spell…and thought he shouldn’t risk it. Who was he kidding? Nate would see right through that lie and probably tell Buck, who already wouldn’t stop fussing. He could do this. Just had to put his room back together and he would feel better. That was it.

J.D. stepped inside the room and locked the door. He tested the handle twice just to make sure it wouldn’t move, then hung a tin cup to the handle. If someone picked the lock, he would have a warning of the intruder.

Bit by bit he picked everything up. He put the mattress back on the bed, changed the torn sheets, set aside the ruined ones in a pile, and started rearranging his clothes back into the dresser. Once everything was off the floor, J.D. still hadn’t found his ma’s old Bible. He knew hiding his wages in it wasn’t the smartest choice, but had hoped that his kidnappers would have at least discarded the Bible once they had the money. It wasn’t under the dresser or bed, either. Finally, J.D. gave up and laid in bed.

He tossed and turned, but his mind wouldn’t let him sleep. Every noise had him reaching for his revolvers with shaky hands. Too stubborn to J.D. lay in bed staring at the ceiling when a knock sounded on his door. He was up, instantly. Revolvers in hand, he pressed himself against the wall.

“J.D.?” a familiar southern drawl asked. “Are you awake?”

J.D. returned his revolvers to their holster and released the breath he had been holding. He scrambled on unsteady legs to unlock the door. “Just a minute.”

“I do apologize if it is a bit late, but when you went missing, I found your Bible and wanted to return it.” Ezra held out the warn book, “Might I suggest a different hiding place for your wages?”

J.D. clutched the book to his chest. He knew it was old and to someone like Ezra probably not worth much, but to J.D. he’d rather lose all his wages than the book, “It’s my ma’s Bible.”

Ezra sucked in a breath and rushed to reassure J.D., “I’m not suggesting getting rid of something that holds so much sentiment but just moving the wages somewhere else if not to protect the wages, then to protect the Bible.”

“What do you mean?

“If someone is looking for valuables, things that are typically disturbed are containers that can hold the valuables. The Bible obviously has things tucked between its pages, if I were a common thief, it would be one of the first things I would search. Thieves tend to be destructive in their search, if it appears not to hold anything then there is a better chance it would be left alone,” Ezra explained.

J.D. nodded; it made sense. “I’m not quite sure were to hide my money.”

“Well, I’ve found the most successful places to be ones that are hidden in plain sight,” Ezra suggested.

The thunder of footsteps rushed by the still open door. Although Ezra stood in the doorway, J.D. gasped and backed himself into the room. Ezra frowned and his eyebrows gathered in thought momentarily.

“Shall I close the door?” he asked, in a cheerful tone. J.D. agreed, softly. Ezra navigated to the chair and drug it closer to where J.D. had sat on the bed. “J.D., I know you went through a lot in the past several days, but you can ask for help when you need it.”

J.D. snorted, “I suppose that’s what you do?”

While Ezra didn’t answer, he gave a knowing smile. It wasn’t what he did, nor any of the others, but he really hoped that J.D. would learn from their mistakes.

“Rest assured, no one who means to harm you will get to that door.”

“How do you know that? I didn’t expect anyone to come after me in the first place. What if they come in while I’m sleeping–”

“J.D.”

“–or jump me from behind again–”

“J.D.” Ezra tried again.

“–I wouldn’t be able to protect myself and then–”

“John Daniel Dunne,” growled Ezra in a manner more fitting of Chris than Ezra. J.D. stopped his rant and sheepishly glanced at the gambler. “If you would allow me a word, I know your mother raised you with more manners.”

J.D. bowed his head slightly. Ezra continued, “I assure you, you are safe.”

“You sure?”

Ezra realized what J.D. was asking. It was the same question soldiers had when returning from the war. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, but the mind was telling the body that it must be ready to fight or flee as nowhere would be safe.

Ezra sighed; he would be lying if he said the collectors wouldn’t return. While some collectors gave up after defeat, there were some that wouldn’t. Instead, he asked, “Do you think Buck or Chris, or any of the others would allow you to be in danger?”

J.D. squirmed. “No, but I don’t think they meant for me to be taken the first time.”

“Look out your window, second roof to the right.”

J.D. pulled the curtain away from the window and glanced out. “Vin.”

“Now look straight across from the boarding house in the boardwalk to the left.”

“Chris and Buck.”

“I know it doesn’t feel safe, but you have people who care. After my accident in the war, I couldn’t see and there were several things moving around me. It was overwhelming. Vin stayed by my side as I recovered the initial blast and protected me during that time. It didn’t fully remove the fear, but it made it more manageable. It was then that we started traveling together.”

J.D. moved back to the bed. He leaned against the wall. Ezra was spinning a chaotic tale of the adventures he had with Vin. Something about a girl who wore flowers in her hair and a father who was a fugitive with a bounty on his head. At some point during the story, J.D. snagged his pillow and leaned heavily against it.

Ezra watched as J.D.’s eyes grew heavier. As hard as he tried to fight sleep, J.D. finally allowed himself to relax enough to drift off peacefully. Ezra chuckled and draped the blanket from the foot of the bed over J.D.

Through the haze of his vision, Ezra began to see the start of the morning sun creeping into the room. A slight creak of the floorboards outside J.D.’s door and the soft knock, let Ezra know that Buck was ready to take the next watch. If Ezra pulled the banket higher over J.D.’s shoulders, no one would be the wiser.

Buck softly clapped him on the shoulder as he passed before tiptoeing into the room.