Note: Thanks KS for helping me through this and the beta. Would Like to Thank all my FANTASTIC List sib's on both The Magnificent Two and A Gambler's Lust list for their constant support.... and they have all demanded a happy ending, so one will be forthcoming.... Promise!!

He saw the bullet leave the barrel of the revolver. He watched as the bullet traveled towards his lover. He could hear his own voice scream out a warning to his unprotected love. He watched in morbid fascination as the bullet struck the man's head. The force of the impact throwing the man into the wall, the man slid lifelessly down the wall, crumbling onto the dirty warehouse floor.

The loud anguished, "NOOOOOOO!?!" brought Chris to his friend's side. The black clad leader had always dreaded the moment when something like this would happen to the two lovers. Chris knew something was not right in the relationship for the last couple of days and hoped they had worked it out. Chris knew this was one of Tanner's greatest fears since he had started the relationship with the touchy southern undercover agent.

Nathan took one look at the man, yelling, "We need the paramedics in here, NOW!?!," as he pushed the man out of the way to get to the injured agent.

"It doesn't look to bad. Just a graze. The impact with the wall didn't help him any." The relief in the Team was palatable as Buck whooped and slapped JD's newsboy cap off his head.

"Buck cut it out!" But there wasn't much heat behind the words. He was more distracted by his worry for both his brothers. He had tried to talk to Ezra today but the gambler just gave him a blank look and refused to say a word.

JD watched as they put the injured man into the ambulance.

"I'll drive the jeep for you." Vin gave him a grateful look as he handed JD the keys. Then climbed into the ambulance with his injured lover.

Vin paced as they waited to hear from the doctor on Ezra's diagnoses. His thoughts, eating and tearing away at his soul. How could he have been so stupid? He had let the feeling of betrayal turn into anger. He had almost welcomed the new feelings. He had been afraid he would never feel anything other than the fear and the soul dragging sorrow, that he would never get Ezra to love him. Now his worse fear had had happened. He had not been able to see Ezra before he had gone undercover into the sting and then the bust had gone bad. Never getting to tell him why he had gotten angry? Never getting to tell him how much he loved him and always would.

Every time he closed his eye's he could see the bullet strike Ezra and every time he felt the bullet tear through his soul leaving a jagged hole in the wake of its carnage. His heart broke knowing Ezra might die thinking he was like all the rest of his lovers. Then Nathan said Ezra would be fine. Destiny had granted him another chance and he would honor her gift, by making Ezra realize that he could not exist without him or vise versa.

Vin was jerked out of his torturous thoughts by someone demanding to know how Agent Standish was. The Team turned as one to see who was wanting to know about their friend. What they saw sent them reeling.

Vin was beyond shock. The betrayal he had felt before was nothing compared to what he felt now. Then it was replaced by a thunderous murderous rage. This was the man that had hurt his lover. This was the man that had made it impossible for Ezra to love him. This is the man he would take his revenge on. He'd seen his picture with Ezra's things.

Chris placed a restraining hand on the enraged tracker. Then an authoritative voice, "Can we help you?"

"Hope so. My name is Dakota Paske I'm an old friend of agent Standish's. I was in town looking for him and heard he was injured. How is he? Is he all right?"

The doctor came in at that moment, "You gentlemen waiting on Agent Standish?"

"Yes, I'm agent Larabee."

"Dr. Stanton. Agent Standish is in a coma. The bullet grazed his head but the force that he hit the wall with, caused his brain to swell. We have given him anti-inflammatory and the coma that is allowing him to rest, will hopefully be what his brain needs to recover from the trauma he has suffered."

"May we see him?"

"He is in ICU. I know how important it is for coma patients to have loved ones around. So I'll allow one of you to stay with him at all times. Talk to him. Let him know you're here. I'll let you decided who goes in first."

They all went to the ICU floor. The others all went to the waiting room as Vin started to walk to Ezra's room.

They all stopped dead in their tracks as they realized Dakota Paske was also walking to Ezra's room.

Vin felt the unwelcome presence behind him. He turned and hit the unsuspecting man in the jaw. Then continued into Ezra's room without a word or looking back.

Dakota rubbed his jaw and took the proffered hand by the giant man in front of him. "Son, I would suggest you stay away from that man and very far away from Ezra."

"I will not. Ezra and I go way back. I have no intentions of letting that man get between Ezra and I. I came here to reconcile our relationship and I will get Ezra back. You best keep that man away from me or else I will bring charges against him and you. I'll come back tonight and see Ezra and I don't want to see any of you."

With that Dakota left the men. He had not seen the hostile threatening looks he was getting from the dangerous men or he would never had turned his back on them. He would never know how close to death he had been that day or the days that lay ahead.

"Who's going to be the one to tell Vin about that bastards intentions of trying to take Ez from him?" Buck didn't want to be around when Vin found out, much less be the idiot that told him about it.

Chris sighed, "I'll do it. Let's give him a couple of hours before we drop the bombshell on him. C'mon let's go get some dinner or something. Let them be alone for a while." Chris was dreading having to tell Vin about this on top of everything else. He wasn't sure if the sharpshooter could handle this, or the Team, for that matter.

The End

To be continued in The Disregard of Timekeeping