Thanks as always to Carrie for being the best beta ever :0)

Sequel to: Faith

'Hope,' Ezra Standish reflectively thought as he shuffled his cards from hand to hand and leaned back in the wooden chair to survey the comings and goings of the people of Four Corners, 'hope is what brought seven different men together to save a small village.

'Hope is the basis for survival in the West.

'People come from all over in hope of a better life out here.

'They hope for better living conditions than what they had before.

'They hope to find the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.'

Ezra looked up as he watched Nathan come down the stairs of the clinic.

'They come out West in hope of getting the exceptanc that was never given to them.'

He looked to his right as he heard the sound of Chris's and Vin's boots walking along the hard wooden planks.

'They come out West in hope of obtaining the forgiveness for things they had no control over and to avenge lost loved ones.'

He watched as Vin leaned against the wall of a building and laughed at something his love said.

'They come out West in the hopes of retribution against wrongful accusations.

'And in doing so, they find love and someone to live for,' he thought as he watched Chris, out of the corner of his eye, lean down and place a loving kiss on Vin's smiling lips.

The sound of laughter coming from the Sheriff's office brought his attention to the loving play by play between Buck and JD.

'The young,' Ezra thought, 'come out West in hopes of finding adventure at every turn.'

He silently watched as Buck wrapped a protective arm around JD's waist and brought him closer to him.

'Old friends come out West,' he thought as he watched Buck and JD head for their room, 'to protect their friends from their own personal demons, but in doing so, find someone to love and protect even more.

'Now me,' Ezra thought as he continued to move the cards in his hands. 'I came out West like many others, in hope of finding that proverbial pot of gold.

'I had hopes of owning my own saloon.

'However, my mother thought otherwise, and took not only that from me, but crashed my hopes as well.

'At first,' he paused, 'I thought I had lost my hope then.'

Ezra stopped his constant movement of the cards as he watched Josiah walk out of the old church and head for the saloon.

'I thought I had lost you to my mother's clutches, but in reality I think it opened your eyes to her true self.

'For you had come to me after she left.

'You stood there with your head bowed hoping for forgiveness.

'Forgiveness that I was unable to give you at the time.

'But eventually I did, because then I realized that I was in love with you.

'Now I find myself not hoping to find that elusive pot of gold, but hoping to have my love for you returned.

'For after all, love is the greatest of gift of all.'