The song referred to is 'Somebody's Out There Watching' by the Kinleys

A cold wind ruffled Ezra's hair as he stepped out onto the roof of the Federal Building. He pulled his coat tighter as he walked slowly over to the edge and looked out over the city. He smiled sadly when his eyes passed over The Saloon, where the other members of Team Seven would be enjoying a relaxing drink before heading home after a successful bust. He hadn't been invited, but he couldn't find it in his heart to blame them.

Ezra knew that he had not been good company for what was going on several weeks now. A mistake that he had made had nearly cost JD his life, and while no one on the team was blaming him, Ezra was doing a good job of blaming himself. He knew that if he had been paying attention to the younger man instead of glancing to make certain that Chris was all right that JD would not have been shot. It was a mistake that the undercover agent had vowed never to make again.

He had tried his best to distance himself from the others, but to no avail. He had finally resorted to snapping and growling at them, trying to push them away instead. As he looked down from his perch, he mused that it seemed that he had finally succeeded in driving them all away. If only that thought wouldn't hurt so much.

Ezra sat on the ledge, dangling his legs off the edge of the building. He had been trying vainly to fight his feelings for Chris Larabee ever since the man had given him a second chance. He sighed as the wind whipped past him, pushing his body closer to the edge. He was tired of fighting and tired of pretending.

He glanced down, suddenly thinking about how easy it would be to slide forward that extra foot and just let himself fall. It would be an end to the fighting, the pretending, and the hopelessness. He had heard somewhere that everyone needed hope, peace of mind that was their own. He had never let himself entertain the hope that Chris Larabee would ever feel anything more for him than friendship, at the very best.

Ezra snorted. The man didn't even trust him, let alone consider him a friend. Not that Ezra could blame him. Chris Larabee simply was not the kind of man to make friends with conmen, and a conman was all Ezra knew how to be. But he didn't think he could manage to live without just a little trust anymore.

He closed his eyes, feeling hot tears begin to slide down his cold cheeks. While he hadn't been sure when he came up to the roof, he had left a short note on his desk anyway, just in case he decided to go through with it. He thought back over the song that had inspired it.

Everybody needs love, just a little trust
Cause sometimes eatin', sleepin', breathin' just ain't enough.

Well, it wasn't enough, not anymore. He slid his hands out from where they had burrowed under his coat and prepared to push himself off of the roof.

Ezra had barely moved an inch when a pair of arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him backwards off the ledge. He landed hard between two outstretched legs, leaning back against a sturdy chest. The arms tightened around him as a husky voice began whispering one word in his ear, over and over.

"Why?"

Still shocked at being pulled back from the brink of self-destruction, Ezra could only shrug. "Why not?"

Ezra could feel a chin resting on his shoulder and warm breath against his ear. His rescuer sighed, then answered. "Cause I love you, that's why not. I have since I saw you in Atlanta, but I was afraid to tell you." Hands began stroking up and down Ezra's arms. "I thought if I admitted that I loved you, I'd lose you like I lost Sarah. Guess it was the other way around this time."

Ezra closed his eyes, feeling hope for the first time in over a year. "You haven't lost me, Chris."

"No, but I very nearly did." His lips found Ezra's neck. "If I'd been a minute later, you'd have been gone forever and I couldn't have dealt with that."

Ezra leaned back into Chris, tilting his head to give Chris better access to his neck. "I am so sorry, Chris." He suddenly shivered as he began to feel the cold again.

Chris pressed a final kiss to Ezra's throat and pulled him to his feet, leading him back towards the door. "You won't have to deal with anything alone anymore, Ez. I'm gonna be watching you, and I promise that I won't let it get this bad again." He wrapped his arms around the undercover agent again, desperate to just feel him.

The words to the song flew through Ezra's mind once again and he smiled, secure in Chris's arms. Somebody was indeed watching over him, after all.

The End