WARNING-WARNING-WARNING: Might need a hanky. And . and I've . uhm . killed Vin. At least it wasn't Ezra. That I leave to Sig AND before you ask how Vin dies all I'm gonna say is that it was a crazy-motorcycle-slips-on-a-banana-peel-kind-of-accident.

"Where's Ezra?" Chris asked. It was well after 10:00 in the morning and his undercover agent had yet to show.

"Where do you think?" Josiah said. "It's been one year today."

"You going after him," Nathan stated as the older man got to his feet.

"Yeap."

"I thought he was getting better," JD said.

"He is, JD," Chris told him. "But he still has good days and bad days. Today is one of those bad ones."

Ezra opened the door and immediately tumbled out of his car. With the help of the side mirror he managed to pull himself up. Leaning against the door Ezra took several deep breaths trying in vain to clear in his head. Looking around at his surrounding sobered him up faster than he was ready.

"I hate what this place represents," he mumbled then shuddered as tears and bone deep sorrow threatened to overwhelm him. But Ezra was determined that that wasn't going to happen.

Reaching into the car he pulled a lever and popped the trunk of his car and removed a bag. Slamming the trunk closed Ezra made to walk away only to be jerked to the ground. Swearing he turned and swore again when he saw that the straps of the bag were caught in the closed trunk.

"Dammit!" he said as he got to his feet. "I can't do this without you, Vin! I ... I can't! Why did you leave me?" Ezra demanded. Then he slammed his fist on the closed trunk causing it to pop open hitting him on the chin and throwing him back to the ground.

Ezra lay there for a couple of minutes before sitting up and wiping the blood away. Staggering to his feet he grabbed the bag and held it well away from the trunk as he closed it.

Walking up to the gate he came to a stop as a thought suddenly occurred to him. Why do you suppose they put a fence around a graveyard? Is it to keep things in? Or out? Tears blurred his vision as he realized that he never should have buried Vin here. The Texan hated being fenced in.

Swallowing his tears Ezra stepped through the gate and headed to a secluded spot toward the back of the cemetery. This spot was perfect for the love of his life. Vin had never liked crowds so he was off by himself. The closest grave to him was the plot reserved for Chris, which was next to Sarah and Adam. And to make sure that no one but him would rest beside Vin, Ezra bought two plots beside him. One for him and the other was for Josiah.

Dropping the bag Ezra knelt down next to it and removed a sprig of white roses and a toy horse. Those he placed on Sarah and Adam's graves. Turning back around he cleaned off Vin's grave then pulled seven small ceramic wolves from the bag and placed them on the headstone under his name.

"I'll have you know I searched all over Colorado and New Mexico for these," he told him. "This black formative one is Chris, for oblivious reasons," he quipped. "I thought of Buck when I saw this one. See how its tongue hangs out of its mouth," he grinned. "This thin sleek one is Nathan. Josiah's the burly one," Ezra told him. Then with a laugh continued, "I almost got pup for JD, but then I realized that he's earned his place within the pack. So I got another one like Buck's." Ezra arranged the figures. And with a trembling hand he picked up the last one, which had two wolves standing side by side. "These two are us. Did you know that wolves mate for live? I didn't, but that's what the sales person told me. Mates. That's what we are ... life mates."

"I told myself I wasn't going to cry," Ezra said as he wiped his eyes. "Anyway, the pack's still together. And always will be. Not even d..death can keep us apart."

After a moment he started talking again. "Last night I had a crazy dream," he whispered. "A wish was granted just for me. It could be for anything. I ... I didn't ask for money," Ezra stopped to wipe more tears away. "Or a mansion in Malibu. I simply wished, for one more day with you." The dam broke and there was no stopping the tears now. They streamed down his face as he continued, "One more day. One more time. One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied. But then again, I know what it would do. Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you."

Dropping his head Ezra bit his lip and tried to regain some control. After a couple of minutes he was able to go on. "If I could have that wish then the first thing I'd do, is pray for time to crawl. Then I'd unplug the telephone and keep the TV off. I'd hold you every second. Say a million I love you's. That's ... that's what I'd do, with one more day with you," he whispered in a watery voice. "Oh, God, I miss you so much Vin," Ezra cried then laid on the ground next to Vin's grave and gave into his tears and sorrow.

That's how Josiah found him two hours later.

With a heart felt sigh Josiah knelt next to the Southerner and gently shook him awake. "Ezra? Come on, son," he said. "It's time to go home."

Ezra blinked up at him and whispered, "I am home. I want to be with Vin."

"I know you do, but you can't. Not right now ..."

"But why? Why can't I be with him?"

"Because Vin's gone," Josiah told him in a harsh voice making him flinch. "Ezra ..."

Ezra pulled away from him and got to his feet.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself ..."

"What? What am I doing ..."

"Slowly killing yourself! That's what!" Josiah cried as he too got to his feet. "Have you looked at yourself lately? When's the last time you ate? Or slept?"

Ezra could only shrug his shoulders.

"Vin wouldn't want to do this to yourself ..."

"Vin's dead! So what he wants doesn't matter any more!"

"If you really believe that then what are you doing here?"

Ezra opened to his mouth to snap off some retort, but nothing came out. After a couple minutes had past he whispered, "'Cause I miss him. N..nothing's the same." He paused to wipe a stray tear away before continuing, "I feel like I've b..been torn apart then put back together, but with some m..major parts m..missing."

"It'll get better ..."

"When? It's been a year Josiah and still I ... I ache."

"I'd gladly spare you that pain if I could," Josiah told him.

"No, Josiah, 'cause even this pain ... this nothingness is worth the time I did have with Vin and I wouldn't trade one second of that ... for anything," Ezra told him.

Josiah watched as Ezra sat back down on the cold damp grass and noticed for the first time the family of wolves sitting on Vin's headstone. The pack's still together, he thought.

"Do you like them?" Ezra asked indicating the wolves.

"Yeah, I do," he said. "Who's who?"

With a grin the Southerner took great pleasure in telling him. Looking up at the older man Ezra felt tears fill his eyes and said, "I had this crazy dream last night. Do you want to hear about it?"

"Yes."

"A wish was granted just for me. It could be for anything. I ... I didn't ask for money," Ezra stopped and at Josiah as he sat next to him. "Or a mansion in Malibu. I simply wished, for one more day with Vin." One lone tear rolled down his cheek. "One more day. One more time. One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied. That's all I wanted. But then again, I know what it would do. Leave me wishing still, for one more day with him."

"Oh, Ezra," Josiah whispered and gathered the younger man in his arms.

"But one more day just wouldn't be enough," Ezra whispered taking the comfort that Josiah offered.

The End

ONE MORE DAY

     Last night I had a crazy dream
     A wish was granted just for me
     It could be for anything I didn't ask for money
     Or a mansion in Malibu
     I simply wished, for one more day with you

     Chorus

     One more day
     One more time
     One more sunset,
     maybe I'd be satisfied
     But then again
     I know what it would do
     Leave me wishing still,
     for one more day with you

     First thing I'd do,
     is pray for time to crawl
     Then I'd unplug the telephone
     And keep the TV off
     I'd hold you every second

     Say a million I love you's
     That's what I'd do,
     with one more day with you

     Chorus

     Leave me wishing still,
     for one more day
     Leave me wishing still,
     for one more day


Please send feedback to Jo Ann .::. Story posted to The Magnificent Two, The Sihnful Zone