Thanks goes out to Carrie the best beta ever :)

Sequel to: To Court or Not to Court

Josiah let out a soft worried sigh as he turned and walked back from the telegram office. He had just finished sending Maude a telegram asking her for permission to court Ezra.

He ran nervous fingers through his salt and peppered hair as he headed towards the saloon. Now all he needed to do was ask their leader's permission, followed by the rest of their group, and have them talk to Nathan privately about his and Ezra's courtship.

'Simple,' he thought. Then he remembered who he was dealing with.

As Josiah passed a storefront window, he paused to look at himself. He moved his hands up to fix his black lariat. He brushed the street dust off of his gray Sunday suit and then smiled his best smile.

He turned away from the window and continued onto the saloon. As he walked, he remembered how nervous Ezra was this morning at breakfast. No matter how many times Josiah had told Ezra in the last couple of days that everything was going to be fine, Ezra became increasingly worried about receiving Chris's permission. It worried him more than anything else. As leader of the seven, both he and Ezra held him in high regard. Josiah also considered him a true friend. Yes, he knew that Ezra and Chris had butted heads often and that it had taken Chris a couple of years to learn to trust Ezra and vice versa, but that trust had been won. It was now the question of Josiah and Ezra's growing relationship that was held in Chris's hands.

They both knew that if Chris told them no, then Josiah and Ezra would end their relationship. However, Josiah had told his love just last night as he had walked him to his room upstairs in the saloon that he had every confidence that Chris would give his permission.

Still, as he walked into the aforementioned bar, he couldn't help the slight feeling of apprehension that came over him as he walked up to the table to stand before their leader.

As he looked up, he noticed his love quietly sitting at the top of the stairs.

He watched as Ezra turned and looked down at him. He could tell that his love was still nervous about this meeting by the way he was shuffling his cards. Josiah gave his love a reassuring smile and a wink as he waited for Chris to finish giving Buck and JD their orders for the day.

Ezra sat down nervously at the top of the stairs as he watched his love walk into the saloon.

He let out a soft worried sigh as he leaned his head against the wooden railing of the staircase.

He took out the ever-present deck of cards from his jacket pocket and began to quickly shuffle them around in his hands.

He was worried that Chris would turn Josiah down and tell him no.

Chris had many good reasons why Josiah shouldn't court a man like him.

One of them was that Chris had considered him untrustworthy for nearly two years. 'Well,' he admitted to himself, 'I didn't exactly help matters, what with leaving them the first time I met them, and then there was that time with the money I had hidden in my jacket. Other then that,' he thought, 'I think I've done pretty good since then. I really believe that Chris has slowly begun to trust me.'

The other strike against him was his own shady past; a past full of deceit, lies, swindling and conning. Sure he had done all that and more, but he liked to think that he had changed since then.

Ezra looked down once more and caught his love's eyes. He watched as Josiah gifted him with a smile and a wink in a vain attempt to try and reassure him.

Ezra nodded his head and continued shuffling his cards from hand to hand as a soft whistle came from behind him. He looked up as he noticed Vin standing over him.

"Hey Ez, what's J'siah all dressed up for?" he asked as he took a seat next to him.

Ezra looked down at his fast moving cards before he spoke. "He's asking Chris for permission," he quietly stated as he looked down once again and watched his love standing before Chris.

Chris took another drink of whiskey before he looked up at the man standing before him.

He watched as Josiah ran nervous fingers over the brim of his hat.

"Who died?" Chris asked as he motioned for Josiah to take the seat next to him.

Josiah looked confused for a moment before he realized that Chris was referring to the way he was dressed. In the past, he had only worn his gray suit to funerals.

"No, Chris," he said with a teasing smile. "No one died today."

Chris returned the teasing smile as he sipped at his drink.

Josiah took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before he spoke.

"Chris, do you remember when I went to Prayer Rock?"

Chris thought for a moment before he nodded his head.

"During my stay there, I had many visions that came to me in answer to a question I was seeking. The visions all showed me that my answers lie in one man."

Chris watched as Josiah's big hands began to nervously run across the worn table.

"For two years now, I have been falling slowly in love with someone, and it wasn't until those visions at Prayer Rock that I knew he was the one for me."

Chris raised an eyebrow up at Josiah's having mentioned a man twice now. He smiled slowly as he watched his nervous friend's fingers move across the rough table once again.

'Finally,' Chris thought as he listened to Josiah. 'They finally got it together. About damn time!' He took another drink as he continued to listen.

"Chris," Josiah paused as he waited for Chris to finish his drink. "I've come here to ask your permission to court Ezra. " Josiah stated quickly.

Chris paused as he put his drink down, and then looked at Josiah in surprise and confusion before he asked, "Josiah, why are you asking me for permission to court Ezra?"

Josiah swallowed as he explained. "Chris, as our leader, Ezra and I have both come to respect you and your wishes. We would like your permission to start courting."

Chris thought for a moment before he spoke, "Josiah, I will grant you the permission to court Ezra on the condition that you ask the rest of the men for their approval also. If any of them find a good reason why you and Ezra should not court, then I will not give you permission to court Ezra."

Josiah let out a soft sigh and nodded his head. As he got up from the table he asked, "Which of our friends should I ask first?"

Chris thought for a moment and then said, "If you look up, you will notice Vin sitting next to Ezra. I would ask him first."

Josiah nodded his head as he made his way towards the stairs.

Ezra watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes.

He ignored the tugging on his arm from Vin and just kept his eyes focused on his love.

He watched the conversation going on below him and then saw Josiah nod his head as he got up from the table.

Fear slowly gripped his heart as he watched his love head for the stairs.

Suddenly, he knew by the look in Josiah's blue eyes, that Chris hadn't given his permission. He was ready to run and hide.

He knew Chris had told them no. He had thought that Chris was starting to trust him.

"Ezra," Josiah softly spoke to his love as he noticed the fear and anger that were present in his green eyes. "Come here, Ezra," Josiah said as he motioned for his love to come over to him.

Ezra stop and moved to where Josiah stood.

Josiah smiled down at his worried love and gently placed a reassuring hand on his cheek.

He leaned down and softly explained to Ezra what Chris had said.

He watched the different expressions flicker across Ezra's handsome face as he told him that Chris would give his permission once he had asked the others.

'Asking the other's,' Ezra thought, 'Would mean Josiah would have to ask his old flame for permission too. Something, I'd would rather do myself.'

Ezra smiled up at his love as he softly spoke. "Josiah, would it be okay if I asked Nathan's permission instead of you?"

Josiah raised a confused eyebrow at Ezra's request and thought for a moment before he nodded his head in agreement. He knew that Ezra was still worried about him having feelings for Nathan and maybe this would calm those fears of his.

Josiah smiled and bent down to place a chaste kiss on Ezra's lips and then looked up at Vin.

"Vin, we need to talk." Vin looked from the blushing Ezra to their tall ex-preacher and nodded his head.

Vin got up and walked down the stairs. As he looked at Chris sitting at the table, he raised an eyebrow at him, asking a silent question. Chris smiled and nodded his head as he watched his lover turn and look at Josiah. "About damn time you two finally got together," he said softly. Then he walked out of the saloon and waited for the very shocked Josiah to follow.

Chris turned to watch Ezra, who then also walked out and headed for the clinic.

Ezra swallowed down his nervous feelings as raised his hand and tapped on the door.

"Come in!" Nathan called out as Ezra walked into the room. He stood silently for a while, watching Nathan putting away bandages.

"What can I do for you today, Ezra?" Nathan asked as he wiped his hands on a clean cloth.

Ezra shifted nervously back and forth on his feet, while looking around at anything but Nathan's face.

He knew that Josiah and Nathan were in a relationship before they met, but Josiah never really spoke about it. Ezra just assumed that it had ended on friendly terms, but he didn't know if Nathan still had feelings for Josiah. "Ezra, are you feelin' alright?" Nathan asked with concern in his dark brown eyes.

Ezra silently nodded his head as he softly asked, "Nathan, what is your opinion of Josiah?"

Confused at Ezra's question, Nathan took a seat as he answered. "Josiah...Josiah is a good and honest man. Why do you ask?"

Ezra nodded his head at Nathan's answer as he asked what he thought would be the toughest question for Nathan to answer. "Nathan, what is your opinion of me?"

Nathan looked up at the man standing before him and saw the fear and nervousness in Ezra's green eyes.

He took a deep breath before he answered him honestly. "Ezra, if you had asked me that question two years ago, I would have told you that you were a low down, dirty coward who was only interested in one thing and one thing only, and that is you. You are a survivor, Ezra. Always have been and always will be. Now I know that there is nothing wrong with being a survivor, but at that time I thought you were going about it the wrong way."

Nathan paused as he looked at the man standing before him, and then he continued, "Things change, though, Ezra. You have changed since that time two years ago. Oh, you are still a survivor through and through, but now your goals have changed. Where your goal once was to look out for only yourself, now that includes your friends and the town.

"Yes, Ezra, you have become a man that I can trust to watch my back and to be my friend."

Ezra smiled at Nathan's praise as he brought up his courage to ask his most important question. "Then would you consider me a good companion for Josiah?"

Nathan sat back in surprise at Ezra question. "Ezra, you and Josiah have been friends since the day we all met. You have never cared about mine or anyone's opinion regarding your friendship with any of us, so why do you care now?"

Ezra swallowed the lump in his throat as he softly replied, "Because we have become lovers." Ezra paused, letting that sink in. He watched as the different expressions crossed Nathan's dark face.

"Josiah is currently," Ezra continued as he watched Nathan try to close his gaping mouth, "asking permission from our friends to court me, but I wanted to ask you personally for your permission to court Josiah.

"I know that you and Josiah once had an intimate relationship before we met up, and so I would like to know if it is alright with you for me and Josiah to court?"

"You are also wondering if I still have feelings for him, aren't you?" Nathan quietly inquired once he got over his surprise at Ezra's announcement.

Ezra nodded his head and waited for Nathan to collect himself.

Nathan sighed as he looked at Ezra.

"How long has this been going on?"

Ezra shrugged his shoulders as he answered Nathan's question.

"To be honest with you Nathan, I really don't know. I know that I have been in love with him for a while now. It just happened so gradually that I didn't realize how much I was in love with him until that day when he was put in jail for a murder he didn't commit. I realized while we were all fighting for him how much I had fallen in love with him, and that it was to late for me to go back."

"And you say that Josiah feels the same way?"

At Ezra's nod, Nathan looked away. "Josiah and I had known each other for three years before we met up and joined with you. During those last two years, we had become involved."

"Oh, we both knew that we weren't in love with each other," He said as he looked at the man he now could call friend. "At that time we just needed to feel needed by someone."

"It wasn't until the day that I met Rain that I truly fell in love," He said with a shy smile. "I told Josiah about her, and we both agreed that it was time for it to end and just become friends. We've been 'just' friends, Ezra, ever since then."

Nathan smiled when he saw Ezra let out a relieved sigh. "The only feelings I have for Josiah now are of friendship and that is all, Ezra."

"Thank you, Nathan," Ezra said with a heartening smile.

"You're welcome. As for you being a good companion to Josiah, I think that you two would make a great couple."

Nathan laughed softly as he watched Ezra's face bloom into a bright red.

"Come on, Ezra," Nathan said with a teasing smile, "I think I owe you a drink." With that, Nathan and Ezra walked out the door and headed for the saloon.

As they went, Nathan turned to Ezra and asked, "So, who did Josiah already ask?"

Ezra looked at Nathan as he spoke, "So far he has asked Chris and Vin." Ezra paused in his speaking to look up at the sheriff's office as he then continued. "It looks like he's asking Buck and JD for their permission now."

"I wonder what Buck and JD will think of this?" Nathan asked as they walked into the saloon.

As Josiah walked towards the jail, he noticed his love leaving Nathan's clinic and made a mental note to talk to Nathan later on.

He thought that his talk with Vin had gone well. Vin had surprised him with the knowledge that he knew Josiah and Ezra belonged together long before Josiah had even realized it.

'Hell J'siah,' he remembered as Vin gave him that shy, knowing smile of his. 'I knew you two were meant to be when Ezra sought you out that day we came together to save the Seminal village.'

He softly chuckled as the sound of J.D.'s voice came through the open window of the jail and brought him out of his memories.

"Get it Buck, it's Boo Who," Josiah said with a smile as he walked into the office. He saw J.D. smile back as he motioned him in, while Buck leaned back in a chair with his feet propped on the edge of the desk.

"Hey Josiah," J.D. said as he turned to look at their friend.

"Who died?" was Buck's greeting.

Josiah gave a soft chuckle as he shook his head, "No Buck, no one died today."

Buck nodded his head as they waited for Josiah to go on.

Josiah once more swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat as he looked at the men he had come to think of as brothers.

He cleared his throat once more as he started to speak. "Last week, a problem came to me that I had no answer for, so in a search for that answer, I went to Prayer Rock. I stayed there for four days searching for the answer to my problem.

"It was on the fourth day that my answer came to me, and it could only be found in one man." He paused as he looked from J.D. to Buck before he went on.

"I've always thought that I was too old to love, or that I was unworthy of love, because of past sins. Well, in the two years since I have met up with you, I have been called friend and brother, and now I find myself in love and my love returned to me.

"My love is what brings me here. I have come to ask your permission to court Ezra."

Stunned silence filled the room as Josiah looked at the startled expressions that came over J.D. and Buck's faces. He thought for a moment that if this wasn't so serious, he would start laughing at their comical expressions.

"Ezra?" J.D. sputtered out, and was what he thought of as a very intelligent statement since he was still reeling over the thought of Josiah and Ezra together.

"Our Ezra?" Was Buck's response.

Josiah smiled as he nodded his head.

"When did this happen?" J.D. softly asked as his fingers ran across the rough wooden desk.

Josiah smiled softly as he remembered all the events that had led up to now. "Well J.D., it happened so gradually that I almost didn't realize I had fallen in love with him."

Josiah watched as J.D. longingly looked at Buck from the corner of his eye and softly smiled. 'J.D.,' he thought, 'seems to know what I am talking about.'

"Well Josiah," Buck smiled as he rubbed his hand across his chin. "My Ma always taught me that if you are lucky enough to find love, then it doesn't matter what form it comes in, as long as you know that you are loved. I will say that you and Ezra caught me by surprise, but I do think that you two will be good for each other."

J.D. smiled as he nodded his head, "Yes Josiah, after all that you and Ezra have been through, I think you two deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, J.D., " he said as the door to the jail opened once more. Vin stuck his head in and smiled.

"Chris wants us all back in the saloon; he's got something to say."

They all nodded and headed for the appointed meeting place.

As Josiah swung open the saloon door, his blue eyes automatically began to search out the emerald green ones of his love.

He smiled when he saw him standing next to the long haired Texan, quietly talking. Josiah slowly moved up to stand behind his love, and giving Vin a teasing wink, he slowly wrapped his strong arms around his lover's body and pulled him close.

Ezra gave out a startled gasp, then slowly smiled as he felt that it was Josiah's arms around him.

"Hello Love," he said as he turned his head to look up at Josiah. "Has everyone been asked?"

"Yep," Josiah softly spoke near his love's ear.

"Boys," came Chris's stern voice as motioned for everyone to gather around their corner table.

They did so and silently waited for Chris to speak.

He nodded his head towards Josiah as he spoke. "Josiah has taken on the hard and difficult task of asking us for permission to court Ezra."

He paused as he gave Josiah a teasing smile. He then looked around the group and watched as they nodded in agreement, while Josiah felt his love nervously take a hold of his hand, for they still needed Chris's permission.

Chris took a sip of his whiskey as he silently watched them. Oh, he knew he was going to grant them permission, but it wasn't too often that he had their calm, cool and collected Southerner rattled.

Chris was sitting back and enjoying the nervous looks Ezra kept sending Josiah. He softly smiled as he watched Ezra's hand seek out Josiah's strong one for reassurance. Josiah smiled down at his love and gave him a confident squeeze.

Chris let out a soft grunt as he felt Vin give him a slight kick, silently telling his love to get a move on.

Chris tried to glare at him, but Vin just gave him a sly wink, and a smile that made his pants feel suddenly tight.

Chris shook his head at Vin's teasing and then looked up at the new lovers of their group.

"In the two years that we have been together, we have formed a friendship and have become a small family.

"In the two years that I have known you, Josiah, you have come to represent to us a man to go to for guidance, a good man to watch your back, and a friend."

Josiah smiled as he watched Chris then turn to his lover. He felt Ezra's hand squeeze his tighter in his nervousness.

Chris let out a soft sigh as he looked at their resident gambler. "Ezra," he spoke as he shook his head. "Ezra, two years ago if Josiah had come to me and asked me for permission to court you, I would have told him flat out, 'No.' Then, I would have sent him to Nathan to make sure he was feelin' alright. Now though, I can honestly say that you are a good man, Ezra P. Standish. A man that I can now call friend, brother, and a good man to watch your back. You have changed, Ezra, and have become an important part of us now.

"When Josiah came to me this morning to ask for permission, my first thought was that it was about damn time you two finally got together. Hell, Vin's been trying to get you two stubborn people together for the past six months now." Chris smiled at the look of surprise on Josiah and Ezra's faces.

"When Josiah asked me for permission to court you though, I was taken aback, simply because I thought that you two were grown men and didn't need anyone's approval. However, after he asked, I started thinking it over, and I realized how much we have come to mean to each other and depend upon each other, so much that our opinions of what is going on in the lives of our little family is important to all of us. So, with that thought in mind, I am very happy that you two have finally gotten together and I wish you happiness."

Ezra could barely swallow the lump that had formed in his throat as he roughly whispered, "Thank You, Chris."

Chris smiled as he raised his whisky in a silent toast.

Josiah smiled and then turned to his love and softly whispered, "See, I told you everything would be alright."

Ezra smiled up at his lover and silently nodded his head as Josiah bent down to place a soft kiss on his lips.

Three weeks later

Josiah let out a soft pleased sigh as he held his lover in his strong arms and watched the comings and goings of the town from the stairs of the church.

He looked down at his sleeping lover. He gently brushed a kiss on his hair as he watched the noon stagecoach slowly come into town.

He let out a soft chuckle as he watched Buck go and greet the stagecoach.

Young J.D. had been gone for three weeks on business for the Judge, and Buck had been beside himself. He was driving Chris mad with his constant worry over J.D., and the constant asking of when he would be back. Three days after J.D. had left, Buck had started going out of his way to meet the morning, noon, and evening stagecoach. Of course, it didn't help matters that they had had no word from J.D. since he had arrived at the Judge's place.

Suddenly, Josiah stiffened as he watched a beautiful blonde woman step out of the stage. His immovable body caused his lover to wake.

"J... J..Josiah?" came the sleepily southern drawl of his waking lover.

Josiah didn't say anything except nod his head towards the woman now headed for the saloon.

Ezra suddenly sat up at the sight of the beautiful older woman.

"Maude," Ezra roughly whispered as he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

Maude had come to town.