This story has been split into two parts.

Looking about the small campsite, Chris spotted a relatively secluded area, back a bit from the fire. The remains of a fallen tree would provide almost a bench. Perfect. He led the way over to it, conscious of Ezra following him. He sat down and watched as Ezra gingerly perched himself on the make-shift bench.

"Just what is it that you need to know?" Ezra asked.

Chris shot him a sideways look. "Why don't you tell me what I need to know?" Damned closed-mouth man. He wasn't going to volunteer any information that wasn't specifically asked for. A reluctant smile touched his lips. That was Ezra. Stubborn, even now.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bore you with too many details," the southern man said easily. "I believe this will go much more quickly if you ask me what you wish to know."

Knowing he was beat, Chris nodded. "Fine. I want to have an idea of what we'll be running into. I don't know the players in this game, so I've got no idea which direction they're gonna jump when things get hot."

"They'll be jumping in front of Allister," Ezra said, a small shake of his head the only outward sign of his irritation. "Protecting him is going to be their primary goal." His tongue crept out to wet his lower lip. "And surely you've had contact with the military mind before, Mr. Larabee. You know what to expect."

True. Chris had served in the Union Army. Adherence to regulations and a certain desire to see the members of the Seven follow the rules. With Ezra leading the resistance, there was no way that was ever going to happen. "How's Allister going to react to seeing you again?"

"I honestly do not know. I am technically a deserter, so he may very well order me arrested and held over for trial."

"He can order anything he wants. We'll just see what actually happens." Chris caught himself flexing his fingers and forced them to relax. "Do you think he'd actually try it?"

"He's done it once before....but no. I think he wants me to apologize and tell him I was fool to leave. Then I think he'll want me to play stalking horse and draw out Darlson."

Chris was liking this guy less and less. So Allister was the one to order Ezra imprisoned? Oh, Chris himself had let Ezra cool his heels in JD's office before, but only as a joke and never for long. The man had refused to let Ezra try to save his men. It may have been a fool's suicide mission, but those were his men. He'd had the right to try and Chris understood how Ezra's anger could still burn today. Ezra was still holding all his cards close to his vest, but Chris couldn't control his curiosity. "Is there anyone else we'll have to watch out for at the fort? Anyone else you might have history with?" Like this mysterious Andrew, for example...

The gambler looked away from him to stare sightlessly into the fire. His lower lip glistened in the light and the flames cast shadows in the hollows of cheeks and throat. The flames summoned up glints of red in Ezra's hair, making him look like a creature of fire. "Andrew," he said quietly. "Andrew Allister. The old man's son."

"He was just a boy during the war. Oh, I know we were all young back then, but he seemed merely a boy, not a scared young man. He'd followed his father to war and was tremendously proud of that. The only good thing that Allister ever did was keeping his son by him and off the field. He never would have survived, physically or mentally."

"So you knew him because you were under his father's command?"

"Andrew was always at his father's side, acting as a clerk and a gopher. He'd sit in on our briefings and hear me report what me and my men had managed to do. He wanted to join my team, said that he could be one of us, help me win the war one trip behind lines at a time. I wouldn't allow him to join, even if his father had been amenable to the suggestion. It would have been to dangerous for him and it would have invited too much interference from Allister." A small smile touched his lips. "It was the only time in my life that I had a chance to be someone's hero. That's worth swallowing my pride. That's worth returning to Allister."

Chris didn't realize he was going to move until he'd placed his hand over Ezra's. "We're going to get this guy, Ezra. And then we're going to go home." If he had to kill Darlson himself, Chris was going to make sure that Ezra left Fort Davies as soon as possible and as safe as possible.

Ezra blinked. "Thank you," he said quietly, his smile loosing some of the pain that had lurked behind it.

For a moment, Chris forgot where they were and why. All that mattered was that Ezra was staring at him with those brilliant green eyes, sitting so close that Chris could feel his heat and smell the faint set of his soap. He wanted to lean forward, to see if Ezra's lips were as soft as he'd imagined.

"All done!" Josiah's cheerful voice broke the spell.

Ezra recovered first, blinking rapidly and then standing up quickly, sliding his hand out from under Chris's and backing away. His eyes were wide, almost panicked and he turned around quickly. "Mr. Sanchez, I can hardly wait."

Damn Josiah and his big mouth! Chris pulled himself together. Josiah hadn't done anything wrong. Chris got to his feet and walked toward the fire. He looked up and caught Buck glaring at Josiah. Christ, they all had to be getting tired if Buck wasn't happy to hear about food.

They all ate quickly and turned in right away. Chris took first watch knowing that the army wasn't too far off and keeping half an ear reserved for them. The hours until he awoke Nathan to relieve him passed quickly and when he slept it was with dreams of fire-burnished skin behind his eyes.

Vin's predictions about when they'd reach the base proved to accurate. Chris could see the buildings by mid-morning and by afternoon they were just outside of town. As they neared it, a sudden pounding of hoofbeats sounded from behind them. Chris reined in his horse and turned in the saddle. The company of soldiers were riding swiftly in an obvious attempt to overtake them. Chris began to swear.

"I bet we can still beat them," Buck said.

"It's not worth it," Ezra said. "They want to draw us into the game so they can try to force us to play by their rules."

"But we're not going to follow the rules, right Ezra?" JD asked.

Chris laughed as he suddenly understood what Ezra was thinking. "No. We're not going to play their game at all."

"Very astute, Mr. Larabee." Ezra nodded. "Let them ride into town first. Arriving first means nothing. It is a petty victory that they will discover to be utterly empty."

Nathan watched the soldiers ride past, Claire in their midst. "And they look so happy about it now. That is a shame."

After the horsemen had passed, the Seven resumed riding into the fort. Curious faces watched them as they moved down the central street.

"Do you know where to find this General Allister?" Josiah asked.

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Uniformed men were approaching them. "Getting away from him is where we're going to find difficulty."

As the uniformed men came closer, Chris recognized Lark and his superior, Evers. The third man with them was young and a stranger. Ezra knew him though: there was recognition in the stiff set of his shoulders. Chris studied him carefully. Dark hair cut very short matched equally dark eyes that were set in a face that was regular and handsome.

"We're here to take you to the General," the stranger said.

Ezra inclined his head. "What about our mounts?"

"They'll be taken care of."

"Yes. Because we shall see to their care. Where would you suggest we take them?"

"The General is waiting."

"And he will continue to wait." For all his stubbornness, Ezra's voice remained mild, almost genial. "If you cannot suggest a place, we will find one ourselves."

The stranger's jaw tightened. "Lark. Help them see to their horses and bring them to the General's office when they're finished." He turned and walked away with Evers without looking back.

Chris looked over at Ezra but the gambler's face was studiously blank. He followed Lark without speaking. Once they reached the livery it didn't take long for them to stable their mounts. Ezra tipped the hostler to ensure that their belongings would be safeguarded as well.

As they walked behind Lark, Chris maneuvered himself so he was walking beside Ezra. There was no way he was going to let Ezra feel like he was alone in this. Evers and the stranger awaited them outside of a small building.

"Thank you, Lark." The stranger dismissed Lark and returned his salute. He looked over the Seven. "We weren't expecting you to bring company."

"I deplore being predictable," Ezra said. "They are with me."

The stranger raised his chin a bit, but after a few moments sighed and turned his back on them. "This way."

Wise man. Chris didn't know anyone who could win a staring contest with Ezra. The young man led them into a large office. A man stood behind the desk. His hair was iron gray instead of dark, but the resemblance between him and young man was unmistakable. The young man had to be Andrew.

Andrew saluted his father. "General."

Allister returned the salute. "Thank you." He focused his attention on Ezra. "Captain Sanders. It is traditional to salute in the presence of a superior officer."

"I do apologize. There seems to be some kind of confusion here. My name is Ezra Standish."

"Damn it, Sanders, this is not the time for one of your games!" Allister slammed his fist down on the desk.

"Standish," Ezra said.

"Sanders-"

"Standish." Ezra's voice was firm. "That part of my life is over. This is just a final detail that I have to attend to before I can finally leave it behind."

"Sanders."

"Standish. Or I walk out now and you may deal with Darlson in any way you please, for I will no longer be involved."

"Anytime you're ready to go," Chris murmured.

"And who are these people?" Allister's anger was gone just like that, brought under control by what Chris guessed was formidable will. This wasn't just a man who's decisions years ago had prompted Ezra to shed his name and flee westward. This was a man who had risen through the ranks of the United States Army, a man who'd spent his life in command of himself and others. Chris wasn't going to let himself forget that again.

"I work with these gentlemen. They have decided to accompany me here, feeling that they may be of help."

"They aren't needed. I have a base full of soldiers."

"Yeah, I heard how well that worked for Colonel Stocker." Chris kept his tone mild but he didn't back down under the full force of Allister's glare. This wasn't about this man. It was about Ezra and keeping him safe.

"Fine. You can try to turn this into a damn circus if you want. Change your name, paint yourself blue. You will not cause disorder in my fort. Is that understood?"

"Most definitely. I'm sure Darlson will cause enough disorder to more than compensate for the restraint of both my friends and myself." Ezra straightened his cuffs, a nervous gesture that made Chris want to pack him up and take him home to Four Corners. "We've been riding for several days now. I am fatigued and my friends are as well. Have you any suggestions as to where we might find lodging?"

"I hadn't expected you to bring half your damn town with you, so the room I'd reserved for you at the boarding house won't be adequate. I don't know if there are more available or not." He glanced over at his son for the first time. "Andrew can show you the way there." He looked back over at Ezra and the first flash of humor Chris had seen flickered dimly in his expression. "Would it do any good to tell you that you're dismissed?"

Ezra inclined his head. "Only because I wish to leave."

Andrew saluted his father and left the room, Ezra close on his heels. Chris knew this because he was right beside Ezra the whole way. If the gambler was nervous enough to be fidgeting, no matter how mildly, then Chris wasn't going to leave him alone for a moment. Ezra wasn't going to have to face his past on his own. Not if Chris had anything to do with it.

"The boarding house is just over here," Andrew said as he led them off the main street onto one of the smaller side roads. He stared straight ahead, not looking over at Ezra.

"You shouldn't be here," Ezra said abruptly. "Darlson is killing the people he blames for his family's deaths. He wants your father but he'd be more than happy to kill you as well, just to try to increase the price of vengeance."

"Darlson is after my father. Not just my father, but my commanding officer. If you think I'm going to abandon him, especially at a time like this, you're crazy." He marched resolutely ahead.

"You're just making yourself a target. You'd help your father better by removing yourself from danger so he wouldn't have to split his attention between protecting himself and you as well." Ezra reached out toward the younger man but let his hand fall back to his side.

Andrew turned and glared at Ezra, his eyes full of scorn. "Running away might be your trick, Standish, but it will never be mine. So long as my father needs me I'll be staying right by his side." He jerked his head over toward the building to his left. "That's the boarding house. You'll be told what to do once the General finishes drawing up his strategy." He walked back the way he'd come, not looking back.

Chris watched Ezra carefully. The gambler stood very still for a moment, staring blankly at the dirt in the street. He visibly came back to himself as he turned to raise his eyebrows at the rest of the Seven. "Well, gentlemen. Let's see who will be joining me in staying here and who will be bedding down in the stables, shall we?" He walked toward the boarding house.

It took Chris a moment to catch up with him. This wasn't good, but it was pretty much what he had expected. Ezra was going to pretend that the damn poker face was the way he always looked, that he was fine and nothing could touch him.

By the time Chris reached Ezra's side, the green-eyed man was already talking to the manager of the house. "Ah, Mr. Larabee. The news is mixed."

"Mixed?"

"Good and bad. There are rooms available, yet I fear there are not seven, so some of us are going to have to share."

"How many of us are going to have to share?" Nathan asked. "Four to a room isn't sharing."

"It's penance," Josiah agreed. "And the Lord isn't that hard on us men down here below."

"It isn't that dire," Ezra reassured them. "There are three rooms available, so you will only be three to a room."

"We'll only be three to a room?" JD asked suspiciously.

"My room was reserved for me ahead of time. That leave the other two for the rest of you." The humor in Ezra's eyes was there. It was strained and weak and mostly for show, but the fact that it was still there gave Chris hope.

"Oh, you're not going to be able to work it like that," Buck said. "Besides, if we're gonna make sure you're safe, then there is no way you get a room to yourself." He glanced around at the others. "Chris should stay with you."

"Mr. Wilmington -" All the humor had fled from Ezra's eyes.

Chris took three seconds to consider it. He'd be in the same room as Ezra, so if Darlson somehow got to him there, Chris would be able to send the bastard to hell as soon as he showed his face. He'd be in the same room as Ezra, so he'd get to watch him sleep, maybe hear him laugh quietly, maybe see him dress. He'd be in the same room as Ezra, so he might just give himself away and reveal the emotions he'd been increasingly unable to conceal. "Good idea, Buck."

Vin jumped into the conversation before Ezra could renew his objections. "And I think Buck and JD should take another room."

"Buck snores!" JD's smile belied his objection.

"And you sleep like the dead, so it'll work out," Nathan countered.

"That means the three of us would be in a room together," Josiah said.

"Two of you," Vin said. "I'm gonna stay out of town nights. Keep an eye on what's happening outside the fort."

Ezra left off glaring at Buck for a moment. "Are you certain, Mr. Tanner? I would in no way wish for you to be deprived of a bed."

"I'm sure. 'Sides, Josiah snores worse than Buck." Vin grinned and ducked Josiah's swat.

"Looks like you have everything figured out," the manager said. "Everything but the bill."

Ezra stepped in front of Chris to stand squarely before the manager. "Very true, sir. We haven't decided how long we'll be in town." He handed the man a bill. "Consider this a deposit. If we stay longer than this will buy, you will of course be further compensated."

"Of course," the manager agreed. "Here are the keys to the rooms. They're on the second floor, last three at the end of the hall."

As Ezra passed out the keys, Chris looked over the others. "I think we should get our things, take a few minutes to get settled. This place has to have a restaurant. We can get something to eat and work out a plan."

Nods of agreement met his suggestion, so they headed over to the livery to retrieve their belongings. The entire trip there and back, Chris kept a careful eye on Ezra. The other man had gone quiet, only coming to life if one of the others asked him a question. If left to himself he remained silent and introspective. Andrew's rejection was no doubt eating away at him and Chris wasn't going to let him brood over it for much longer. It didn't take long for them to return to the boarding house. The rooms were grouped together. Chris claimed the center room for Ezra and himself. He wanted to be sure the gambler was protected on as many sides as possible.

Alone in the center room, he and Ezra set about unpacking. Chris watched in amusement as Ezra carefully placed his clothing in the tiny bureau that was in the room. The Army might require its men to adhere to certain standards of appearance, but Ezra was going to make all the soldiers look slovenly.

It became obvious that Ezra wasn't going to talk about the thoughts that were occupying his attention. Nothing new there. That meant it was up to Chris to try to get this started. "Ezra?"

"Yes, Mr. Larabee?"

"That Andrew...he seemed pretty angry."

"He had reason." Ezra refused to turn around.

"Maybe. Doesn't make everything he said right, though."

"It sounded like truth to me. I did run away from the Army. You should be able to believe that, Mr. Larabee. After all, I ran out on you, too."

"No!" Chris was surprised by his own vehemence, but at least it got Ezra to turn around and face him. "You didn't run out on me, Ezra. You ran out on your own demons...for a few moments. You came back and you've been there every day since. So based on that...I have to say that while Andrew might be angry, he definitely isn't right."

Ezra stared at him for a few moments, lips barely parted. "Mr. Larabee-"

"I'm right, Ezra, even if you can't see it. Trust me." He held Ezra's gaze as he took a few steps forward, willing the other man to believe him.

Ezra's lips remained parted, but he didn't make another attempt to speak. He stared at Chris, searching the gunslinger's gaze with his own. He was intent on his search, taking a few steps forward so he could better see. He seemed to find whatever it was he was looking for, because after long minutes a slight smile touched his lips. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," Chris said, voice just as quiet. Ezra's smile remained and Chris returned it. They'd come very close to each other in the past few minutes and Chris was reluctant to move away, liking being so near to the other man. There was an openness to Ezra's gaze that Chris wasn't used to seeing and thought it maybe it meant something, that perhaps the time was right to let Ezra know how he felt and find out if the gambler felt the same. He was almost sure now that Ezra did. He leaned forward, gaze pinned on Ezra's still parted lips. Ezra's eyes began to slowly droop closed.

"Buck here is looking hungry enough to maybe start snacking on the rest of us!" Josiah's voice accompanied loud knocking on the he door. "Tell Ezra to finish folding his clothes after we eat."

Ezra blinked and then staggered back, distancing himself from Chris and heading for the door. "We shouldn't keep them waiting," he muttered as he pulled the door open.

Chris shook his hat and grabbed his hat off his bed. He wasn't going to punch Josiah in the mouth when he saw him. It would be a struggle, but he wasn't going to do it. He might not have gotten to taste Ezra's lips, but he'd seen Ezra's eyes start to close, felt him begin to lean forward. He wasn't alone in attraction. He knew that now, knew it for a certainty.

That was enough to save Josiah from a fat lip.

He walked down the stairs and found the others waiting for him outside on the street. "Any idea of where there's a restaurant in this place?"

"The guy inside said there's one a few doors down," JD said.

"Well then let's get down there before Buck gets so hungry he starts nibbling on you." Chris couldn't resist the urge to tease JD. One day the other man was going to get too old to blush and Chris had to get in his jabs while he could. Ignoring Buck's glare, Chris led the way toward the restaurant. The faster they ate, the sooner they'd be planning, the sooner they'd be turning in for the night, the sooner he'd have Ezra back in their room and they'd have a chance to finish what they started.

The restaurant was larger than Chris had been expecting and they were able to find a table for ten. Ezra nodded reluctantly when he saw the table Chris had chosen.

"There's only seven of us," Buck pointed out.

"Someone will be joining us shortly," Ezra explained. "Either Andrew or the general or perhaps both."

Chris maneuvered so that he was sitting next to Ezra. The gambler was avoiding his eyes but he hadn't made any real effort to move to sit somewhere else. Chris ate quickly once the food came. He was hungry and could feel the longing for a night of sleep in a real bed building within him. The others were no doubt weary as well and there wasn't much conversation until they were finished eating and lingering over coffee.

"So what do you think we should do?" JD asked at last.

Chris stayed quiet, waiting for Ezra to answer.

The green-eyed man stared down at his coffee, a bitter twist to his lips. "We could wait for Darlson to kill Allister and then catch him in the act."

"I like that plan," Chris said.

Josiah cleared his throat and sounded disapproving.

"Maybe just let Darlson rough him up a bit?" Chris asked hopefully.

"No," Ezra said quietly, refuting his own suggestion. "Waiting for Darlson to attack Allison isn't feasible. It puts us purely on the defensive, relying only on his actions, his plans. I would rather not stay here any longer than absolutely necessary."

"So how do we make this guy follow our plans?" Nathan asked. "Wait. Set a trap."

"With bait he won't be able to resist," Ezra said.

"What? No!" Chris objected, knowing what Ezra was going to suggest.

"I don't think that is a good idea," said General Allister, approaching their table. "We are outlining a strategy of how to deal with Darlson. No heroics are necessary on your part, Standish." He stood at the empty head of the table, Andrew by his side.

"So what exactly are we supposed to do?" Ezra asked.

"Stay out of trouble while we finalize the details. You are here so that you will be protected. Darlson is the Army's problem and the Army will solve him. Just stay here and obey the orders you are given and you will be taken care of."

"No. I am not just going to sit here idly and wait for Darlson to attempt to kill me or you. Nor will I just stand by and ignore potential risks the lives of my friends. I came here to take action, not wait."

"While you are here you will abide by the orders you are given," Allister said. "You, and your friends."

Those were the wrong words to use with Ezra. Chris knew it even before Ezra stood up to face Allister squarely. "Abide by orders? No. Especially not orders given by you. You lost the right to give me orders when you left the finest men I had ever known to die and denied me the right to die with them." Ezra walked around the table and headed for the door.

Chris was immediately on his feet, following Ezra. He could hear chairs pushing back behind him and knew that the others were following. Ezra didn't speak on the way back to the hotel and remained silent until all the others had joined him and Chris in their hotel room. They all crowded in, Ezra standing near the window, JD sitting on Chris's bed with Buck close by him, Nathan on Ezra's bed, Josiah near the door. Chris hovered by Ezra, not wanting to crowd him but unable to be too far from him.

Ezra stared out the window for a few minutes, features lit by the light of the setting sun. Visibly returning to himself, he turned around to look at the others. "I fear I lost my temper in the restaurant. My apologies."

"You're not the one that owes apologies," Chris said.

A quick flash of a golden smile was his reward. "Thank you. But my outburst prevented us from formulating a plan. If you gentlemen would care to continue..."

"Not if you're going to keep talking about being bait, we're not." No way was Ezra going to set himself up to be killed.

"It is the most logical course of action to take. And it isn't as though I would be doing this on my own. I would have you gentlemen to back me up."

"How do we know that Darlson will go after you? He could just kill Allister first." Buck's glance over at Chris was sly. "Or is that part of the plan?"

"No," Ezra said quellingly. "We should leave the fort as we have found it with all its occupants alive and well. But Darlson will seek me out before the general. During his trial he blamed me for his 'persecution', blamed me for his conviction, blamed me for everything. We never got along and our mutual dislike has no doubt deepened into hatred. If given the opportunity, he will attempt to kill me before moving on to Allister."

"No," Chris said. "It's too dangerous."

"So is just sitting and waiting," said Vin. "If we set the trap instead of waiting for Darlson, we've got a chance of staying in control."

Chris shook his head stubbornly. He wasn't going to let Ezra be taken from him before he'd had a chance to explore what they might have together.

"We don't have to make a decision tonight," Josiah said. "I suggest we all get some sleep and discuss this in the morning."

JD yawned hugely. "That sounds good to me."

The members of the Seven prepared to leave. Ezra cleared his throat as they did so. "Mr. Tanner? Are you certain that you wish to sleep outside?"

"I'm good, Ezra. Thanks, though." Vin glanced over at Chris and a grin began to stretch his lips before he turned and left.

And Chris was alone with Ezra once more.

The green-eyed man shifted nervously. "I find that I am most tired. I think I shall retire now if that is acceptable to you."

"Yeah. Yeah, sleep sounds good." He turned around and pulled a pair of long underwear bottoms out of his bags. He didn't want to sleep in his clothes, but if anything happened during the night, he wasn't going to be running around naked while there was trouble. He was hyper aware of Ezra behind him and was tempted to make his way to the bathroom at the end of the in order to change.

"I'll be back shortly," Ezra said, jerking open the door and quickly leaving.

Damn it, he wasn't supposed to keep doing that! Chris followed him out into the hall, then stopped as Ezra disappeared into the bathroom. He nodded to himself. Looked like Ezra was about as nervous as he was. The realization that Ezra, the master of unflappable calm, was off-balance reassured Chris and made him feel more in control. He might not be sure of what was going to happen next, but Ezra was lost too and they'd find their way together. Suddenly cheered, he reentered the bedroom and changed quickly. He didn't want to make Ezra uncomfortable. A little nervous, a little excited sure, but never uncomfortable.

He was tugging back the covers on his bed when Ezra returned to the room. Chris finished pulling the blanket back. "You're going to have to stop doing that, you know."

"Doing what?"

Chris turned around. "Walk.." Ezra had changed his clothes as well. He placed his worn clothing away in an empty saddle bag, then turned to face Chris. He was wearing short pants of some soft-looking material and his shirt, now unbuttoned and hanging open in the front, revealing a strip of bare, muscled flesh. Chris cleared his throat. "Walking out into hallways and out of buildings without letting me check them first. Just until this is over."

Ezra lifted his chin in a familiar stubborn gesture, then shook his head as a rueful grin touched his lips. "You're right. I shall do my best to remember that, sir." He turned his back on Chris. With hesitant hands, he pulled away his shirt and placed it in the bag. He walked to the head of his bed and started to undo the bedcovers, muscles shifting and flexing under the smooth skin of his back.

Unable to resist, Chris reached out and traced a finger down that firm skin, finding that it was as soft as it looked and hotter than he would have believed.

Ezra stiffened with a gasp and turned to face him. "What?"

"I-" He shook his head. He was going to fail if he tried to do this with words alone. They would twist on his tongue and betray him. He took a step closer to Ezra and could feel the warmth of the other man's skin, so near to his own. Careful to hold his arms at his sides, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ezra's in a tentative brush of flesh over flesh. Another small gasp escaped the gambler, but Ezra made no move to escape so Chris pressed his luck, kissing him again, a firm press of lips that set his hands to shaking with the need to touch. Still he refrained, and he forced himself to lean back a little.

Eyes fluttering open, Ezra had to try several times before he was able to speak. "Mr. Larabee? What...why?"

"Because I wanted to know, Ezra. Wanted to know if you tasted like I dreamt you did." Chris watched the other man swallow convulsively and pressed his advantage. "Wanted to know if your kiss was as sweet as I imagined."

"Mr. Larabee-"

"I wanted to see if you would smile at me after, Ezra, smile just for me. Wanted to see how my name sounded on your lips."

"Mister-"

"Chris. Please, Ezra. Chris."

"M-Chris. I...I don't know what this is." Panic was flickering at the edges of Ezra's gaze as he licked his lips.

"Oh, I'm not exactly sure either, Ezra. But I know what I'd like it to be." He leaned forward and kissed Ezra again, sneaking his tongue out to steal a taste of that tempting lower lip before he leaned back again. "I care about you, Ezra. More than I thought I'd ever be able to care about anyone again."

"Mr. Larabee-"

"Chris, please."

"Chris, I don't understand. You don't...you're not..." Ezra shook his head, obviously frustrated with himself.

"Ezra, I'm not sure exactly about what that is. That is true. But is also true that I care about you, that I think that could maybe be l-"

"Don't," Ezra said. "Don't say anymore."

"I want to," Chris said.

"I think I want you to," Ezra admitted, although he still seemed jumpy. "But why now? Why here?"

"Ezra, if you think I'm going be able to explain love, you're crazier then people say I am. Because you're you, because each day I want to see you more and like being parted from you less." The words were coming to him now and he was thankful for that. "I just want to find out what this could be."

"I don't want to play a game," Ezra said.

"No games," Chris promised. "This is serious. I'm not looking for a diversion or way to pass the time."

Ezra's weight was held forward on the balls of his feet as if he was still half-ready to run. He swallowed hard and reached out to lay a trembling hand over Chris's heart. "Be sure. Please be sure. If you were to change your mind-"

"No," Chris said, reaching up to cover Ezra's hand with his own. "And however long as it takes to convince you, whatever it takes, I'm willing to do it." He stared at Ezra, willing him to believe.

Ezra smiled a little. "I think I would like to find out, too," he said quietly, catching Chris's hand in his and raising it to his lips for a quick kiss. "But now, I would like to sleep."

Chris laughed a little. "Thank you," he said.

"No," Ezra countered. "Thank you." He darted forward quickly, stealing a brief kiss before sliding into bed and hiding himself beneath his blankets.

Chris shook he head and blew out the candle before climbing into bed himself. He could still feel Ezra's lips against his own, the warmth and firmness of them. Sleep wouldn't come easily, he knew. That was all right. It would just give him more time to remember and more time to plan. Ezra would need convincing, and Chris was going to give him as much as he needed. Smiling to himself, he listened to Ezra breathe and thought about the coming days.

Ezra awoke slowly, sleep unwilling to release its hold on him. For a few moments he fought the urgings of his body. The mattress was soft and the blankets sleep-warm and his muscles were all too eager to remind him of the riding he'd been doing. He let one eye open to a mere slit, just to judge the light and convince himself that he could sleep longer. It was mid-morning, by the light coming through the window and cascading over Chris's empty bed.

Chris.

Ezra sat up in bed, memories of the night before flooding his mind. Chris's lips on his, the incredible heat of the other man's hands on his skin...the even more incredible words the gunslinger had spoken. In the fresh light of morning the memories seemed like a dream. Ezra raised a hand to his lips and felt them still tingle a little from Chris's touch. It was no dream.

So where was Chris? Ezra slowly climbed out of bed. Had the other man changed his mind, come to his senses in a sudden rush of sanity and left so to avoid an awkward moment the morning after? Why else would he be gone? If he truly felt the way he said he did, then he'd share Ezra's need to hold him in his gaze, to be close to him even if no words were exchanged. For him to slip out in the morning rather than waking Ezra up...closing his eyes against a rush of despair, Ezra got dressed roughly, jerking his clothing into place. After strapping on his guns, Ezra took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Fine. He'd made a mistake, made himself a fool. It didn't mean he had to look one. Chris would no doubt to keep his little misadventure to himself and there was no reason anyone else had to know. He took some extra time to make sure everything was in place, smoothing his clothing into place and settling his hair into its usual arrangement. As he reached for the doorknob, a bitter little smile twisted his lips. So much for all Chris's protectiveness. The request for him not to leave rooms without someone being with him was apparently as forgotten as their kisses.

The door opened abruptly, slamming into his knuckles. With a muffled oath, Ezra stumbled backwards, drawing his gun in the processes.

Chris stared down the barrel of his weapon with widened eyes. "No need for that, Ezra."

Don't be to sure, Ezra thought viciously before regaining control of himself. "Mr. Larabee. I trust the morning finds you well." There. Calm and controlled and as cool as the gunslinger could wish.

"Mr. Lara- Ezra? Ezra, what's this?" Chris cocked his head to the side as he stepped into the room.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Ezra said. "I was merely hoping to rejoin the rest of our colleagues and continue to work on our strategy."

"I told you to stop going outside on your own."

"You told me many things, didn't you?" Ezra brought himself back under control before he could act even more a fool.

Chris stared at him for a moment, then took several aggressive steps forward into Ezra's space. Ezra took a few steps backwards, confused by Chris's actions. The blue-eyed man shoved a pair of mugs onto the low dresser then continued his forward motion into Ezra's space. The gambler opened his mouth to demand that the other man back off.

"No, Ezra. I don't know what you've managed to tell yourself, but it's going to stop here." Chris reached out and cradled Ezra's face in his hands, palms warm against the green-eyed man's skin. "What happened?"

Ezra wanted to hold onto his anger; it was the only thing keeping the hurt away. But Chris was looking at him with confusion and pleading in his eyes. "You were gone," he said quietly. "I woke up and you were just gone."

Chris nodded, a slow smile crossing his face. "I woke up before you," he said. "Of course, everyone wakes up before you do. I left because Buck is sitting in the hall watching the door and I wanted to get you coffee."

"Coffee?" Ezra's gaze remained locked on Chris, but he could smell the contents of the mugs on the dresser.

"Coffee," Chris confirmed.

Ezra licked his lips. So he'd been a fool after all, but he'd done it all on his own without any help from Chris. He could feel a blush rising in his cheeks and he turned around. If Chris hadn't had second thoughts before he surely would begin to now, after Ezra had acted like a clinging, choking vine. He tried to come up with words that would retrieve the situation.

A tentative hand brushed over his shoulder and gave him hope.

"Perhaps we could start this morning over again?" He couldn't force his voice to be any louder. What if Chris came to his senses and said no?

"Let's," Chris agreed, both hands on Ezra's shoulders.

Ezra turned around to face him. "Good morning."

"Morning." Chris leaned forward and kissed Ezra gently.

Ezra returned the kiss eagerly, moving closer to Chris. He wrapped his arms around Chris's middle to pull him close. Chris moved easily into his arms, not breaking the kiss for a moment. Feeling a little light-headed from the close contact with the gunslinger, Ezra finally had to break the kiss. He rested his forehead against Chris's and closed his eyes. "I am a fool," he admitted quietly.

"No," Chris said.

"I have seen many fools in my time, sir. If I say that I am a fool, rest assured that I truly am one, and that I am a most remarkable specimen."

Chris kissed him again, harder this time. "If you're a fool, then so am I. I surprised you last night, dumped all my feelings on you without any warning. What were you supposed to think when I disappeared this morning without any explanation?"

"That you went to get me coffee?" Ezra suggested.

"Smart as you are, Ezra, even you can't tell the future." He kissed the corner of Ezra's mouth. "Forgive me?"

"For what? I am the one who should be asking your forgiveness."

"Then let's forget the whole thing." Chris glanced over at the dresser. "That coffee's going to get cold."

"Let it." Ezra captured Chris's mouth in a kiss, deepening it quickly, relishing the slick glide of tongue over tongue. He slid his hands inside Chris's jacket, stroking them up the length of his back. Chris responded instantly, pushing against Ezra, forcing him to walk backwards until the back of his legs hit his bed. Ezra stumbled and sat down heavily on the bed.

Breathing heavily, Chris looked down at him. "We can't do this. Not right now."

"Do what?" Ezra did his best to look innocent.

"Don't you sit there and look at me like that. Not when we have plans to make." Chris raked his hand through his hair.

"I have no idea what you mean," Ezra said. He leaned back on his elbows and tilted his head back a little.

"You-" Chris raised his hand and shook his finger at him. He turned and grabbed the mugs of coffee, thrusting one of them at Ezra. "Take this and let's get going. We have to meet the others."

Ezra sat up and took the mug. The coffee within was still warm and he sipped at it gratefully. "Of course. Shall we join them now?"

Chris stalked over to the door and jerked it open. "Everything clear?" he called.

"All clear," answered Buck cheerfully. "Is Ez actually up?"

"I am," Ezra answered for himself. He followed Chris out the door after settling his hat on his head. Buck's grin was huge and Ezra refused to react to it. He was still adjusting to what he had Chris had just done and he wasn't sure he was ready to share it just yet.

"The others are out and about. I told'em to meet us at the restaurant in a bit. We could go wait for them there." When they nodded, Buck led them out of the hotel.

Ezra was intensely aware of Chris walking behind him. He had to forcibly remind himself to stay aware of his surroundings rather than focus on Chris. The fort streets were quiet, soldiers in uniform conspicuous as they walked about it groups of three and four, patrolling with watchful eyes. Ezra doubted they even knew what Darlson looked like, but if there was trouble on the streets, they'd be on hand immediately.

JD was waiting in the restaurant when they arrived. Buck sat down beside him and glanced up at Chris. "You want to go take a look for the others? JD and me will watch Ezra."

"I do not need keepers," Ezra griped quietly.

Chris hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. I can do that. All three of you stay sharp, you hear?" He looked at Ezra for a few moments more, then turned and walked quickly out of the restaurant.

Ezra leaned back in his chair and looked back and forth between Buck and JD. "And why exactly did you send Chris out on that errand?"

"Because of the promise we made," JD said. "About watching you and Chris on the ride here."

Ezra had almost forgotten that. "Gentlemen, while I appreciate your efforts, it is truly unnecessary." He wasn't quite sure how to tell them what had occurred between him and Chris, wasn't even sure that he could tell them without discussing it with Chris first. Either way, their efforts on his behalf on the ride over were moot at this point.

"Oh, no you don't," Buck said. "You don't want to hear anything because you've managed to convince yourself that it's impossible, but it isn't. See, while you were watching your back and keeping an eye on the army, I was watching Chris. And you want to know what he was watching?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"Chris was watching you. All it took was a little hint that you might be tired and he'd call a halt to the day's ride."

"And he was always making sure the Buck or me took care of Chaucer so you wouldn't have to," JD jumped in. "I don't know how he talked him into it, but Vin took care of Chris's horse for him a few times so Chris could be with you."

"Remember a few days back when you tried to skip eating lunch? I thought Chris was gonna sit on you until you ate something."

"And the night before, when you two were sitting off to the side, Chris looked like he wanted to hit Josiah for interrupting you when you were talking. He was touching your hand, too."

"I've know Chris a long time," Buck said. "He's never touched my hand like that."

"He cares," JD said earnestly. "I think he's worried about you and he's letting his feelings show more than usual because of it." He stared at Ezra, all brown eyes and pleading.

Ezra laughed. "Mr. Wilmington, do you ever win an argument with him?"

"Only if I don't look at him." Buck's words were teasing, but his eyes were warm when he looked at JD.

JD pouted for a moment, then gave in to a smile of his own. After a few moments he looked back over at Ezra. "Do you believe us now? That there's a chance?"

Ezra held himself very still. He had to answer this carefully. He couldn't betray Chris, but neither could he refuse JD's pleading or Buck's generous hope. He licked his lips. "For the moment, I am willing to concede that there may be a chance." He couldn't say anymore. Fortunately, it was enough.

Buck slapped him on the back hard enough to rock him forward. JD whooped and slapped the table. "Yes! That's what we wanted to hear!" the younger man exclaimed.

Ezra smiled, glad that he had made them happy. He was relieved when the others started to arrive because it meant an end to the conversation, though. He wasn't quite sure he was up to dancing around the subject of Chris with them. They'd known his secret heart for too long and he feared that he would give himself away without realizing it. He greeted Nathan eagerly and was soon being told more about the dangers of over-using laudanum then he'd ever expected to know. And information was useful and Nathan seemed quite excited about it, so Ezra was glad to listen. Even as he nodded, he was aware of Chris's return and felt a rush of warmth when Chris took the chair next to him.

Once they were all in place, the mood became solemn as they all focused on the business ahead of them. Ezra was reluctant to speak. He'd been distracted for most of the time away from the others, but he'd done some thinking and he hadn't been able to come up with a better plan then he'd suggested the night before. If he brought it up again, Chris would just object again.

"I was awake for a long time last night," Josiah said. "This is a deadly serious matter. There is a man out there who wishes to kill our brother and we need to make sure he doesn't succeed. The whole reason we're here is to keep Ezra safe...and I don't see a way to do that without putting him in danger."

"No," Chris said.

"Mr. Larabee, it is the only way to draw him out. It is the only way to draw him out and have any hope of forcing him to conform to our plans. Any other course of action leaves us completely at the mercy of his whims."

"Like Josiah said, we're here to keep you safe. Setting you up like some kinda lamb to slaughter isn't keeping you safe."

"Chris," Buck said quietly. "Ezra ain't exactly a lamb. I've never seen a lamb who can handle a gun like him, anyway."

"This isn't a joke," Chris said.

"Oh, believe me, I know it. But Ezra and Josiah are right. We're dealing with a man who's not in his right mind. We don't have a lot of choices here. Setting a trap is our best chance to get a handle on him."

"Ezra won't be alone," Vin said quietly.

"Not alone at all," Nathan agreed. "As soon as Darlson sees him, we're gonna spot him." A fierce expression crossed his face, making him look very much unlike a healer. "And then God help him when we do."

Ezra blinked. He hadn't expected Nathan to get quite so vehement.

"I'm not sure God will be enough to help him," said JD. The sheriff looked over at Josiah and blushed a little, but he didn't take back his words.

Chris stared at the rest of the Seven and then turned to face Ezra directly. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can find a different way if you're not sure."

"I'm sure," Ezra said. "This is the only way I can see, especially since our time is so limited. With you gentlemen watching my back, I am confident that this will work."

"What will work?" Andrew Allister's voice preceded him as he approached the table.

"Our plans for lunch." Ezra forced himself to answer and keep his tone light. The Army was his responsibility to handle.

"I don't believe it. You were told that the general was going to develop a strategy. There isn't a need for amateurs to be interfering."

Restless stirring was the only sign of the rest of the Seven's anger. Ezra kept his features blank. "I am sure that the general will develop a most useful and effective plan. We were merely speculating. Discussing possibilities and trying to develop our own strategy will keep us out of trouble."

"Don't try that with me, San-Standish. I know you. You won't be content to just sit and make plans. I don't doubt that your friends are just the same."

"What have we done?" Ezra asked. "We're attempting to enjoy breakfast and pass the time with idle speculation."

Andrew shook his head. "No. I was young during the war, but I wasn't that young. I remember you. I remember how you and your men used to operate. You can protest all you like. I'll be watching you."

"And while you're sitting and watching, we're going to take of Darlson for you," Chris said.

Ezra repressed a groan. There went the pretense of innocence.

"I knew it," Andrew said.

"Forgive Mr. Larabee. He tends to be quite inhuman until he's eaten. Would you like to join us?" Ezra asked. "Then you can see that we're just talking and eating breakfast and all your fears will be allayed."

"I have work to do. I can't just pick up and leave my duties for days at a time. I don't have time to linger over meals for hours." He shook his head. "I don't remember what I saw in you." He turned around and walked away.

Ezra retreated behind the familiar lines of his poker face as he absorbed the hurt. His words from just a few days in the past returned to haunt him. Someone's hero? If he'd been a hero once, he wasn't any longer. There wasn't much about the war years that he cared to remember but Andrew's company and admiration had been something to he'd secretly treasured.

Chris's hand on his arm drew him out of the maze of his own mind. The blue-eyed man stared at him intently. "He's worried about his father. He's scared but he can't let it show because he doesn't want to disappoint the man and he's taking it out on you."

"Mr. Larabee-"

"And now he's seeing you here with us," JD said. "It's not easy - when you all were first getting together and I was on the outside, I wanted to be a part of this so bad I could taste it. He never got to be a part of unit during the war and he's not going to be a part of us now. He's acting like he doesn't care but inside it's making him crazy and that's something else he's taking out on you." Beside him, Buck nodded vigorously.

And the pain was suddenly manageable. His friends were looking at him with support instead of condemnation and Chris hand was warm even through the cloth of his jacket. He drew in a deep breath. "Thank you," he said simply. He forced his mind away from Andrew's words and his own loss and focused once more on the problem at hand. "On to more important matter, then," he said.

With a final squeeze, Chris slowly withdrew his hand. "Are you going to insist on this damn baiting a trap plan?"

"Can you honestly see another way?"

Chris shook his head in frustration. "No. But if we're going to this, then we're going to do it careful and we're going to do it right. We might be risking your life but we're not going to take any chances while we do it."

Ezra nodded. As they began to debate ideas, Ezra relaxed. The plan they would outline would no doubt be risky, but it would be crafted by men who called him brother, by a man who spoke of love to him. There would be danger, but it would be danger shared and they would face this challenge as they had faced so many others and once again emerge victorious. The smile on his face became firmer and real and he joined in the planning.

"Better keep that scowl buried in your drink or else you're going to scare the bastard off before we can spot him." Buck's voice was quiet but it broke through the haze of Chris's thoughts.

Chris quickly smoothed his features. "I hate this."

"None of us like it, but it's the only plan we've got."

It was a struggle, but he kept the scowl off his face. He glanced across the saloon to where Ezra sat at a table dealing out a fresh hand of cards. He couldn't let his gaze linger or else he might be observed showing too much interest in him. He and Buck were loitering at the bar, slowly nursing their drinks as they tried to keep an eye on Ezra.

This was the first full day that they were trying to lay a trap for Darlson and Chris hated enacting the plan more than he'd hated the idea of it. Ezra was all the across the room, acting the part of a frightened gambler looking for protection from the Army. In order to further that illusion, Ezra was avoiding the others while in public, spending all his time in the saloon talking to soldiers and engaging anyone who crossed his path in games of chance. The rest of the Seven took turns watching the street and watching Ezra himself. He and Chris still shared a room, but as it was hardly uncommon in a crowded boarding house for strangers to share rooms it didn't interfere too badly with their plan.

So far no one had displayed any unusual interest in Ezra, but that was small comfort to Chris. To keep the trap intact, Chris couldn't go near the gambler during the day. Ezra had to look as though he was on his own so he would seem to be a more attractive target. That meant the only time that Chris got to spend with Ezra would be at night.

In their room.

The gunslinger immediately took a sip of his drink in order to hide his face. It wasn't that he wasn't looking forward to seeing Ezra in their room. Last night, they'd shared a series of goodnight kisses that had left Chris unable to sleep for hours. He couldn't wait to get back to the room and feel Ezra's body against his again but he worried about what might happen in the time before they got there. He hadn't realized that Ezra was so skittish, but the green-eyed man's reaction to finding him gone the night after Chris had revealed his feelings had taught him that lesson well. Chris worried that the enforced distance between them could worry Ezra and the other man didn't need to have any more stress put on him.

"You're taking this awful hard," Buck said. "Ezra's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

Chris shook his head. "I know that, Buck. But we came hear to protect him and what are we doing? We're leaving him out there on his own."

"He's not on his own, Chris. We're watching him every moment of every day." Buck toyed idly with the glass in his hands. "There any particular reason you're so upset about not being able to talk to him?" The glance he shot at Chris was sly, knowing.

What was this? Chris sat up a little more. Buck was hinting at something in his usual less-then-subtle style, but Chris wasn't sure exactly what the other man was getting at. He didn't think he done anything to reveal his feelings for Ezra and the gambler was too self-aware to have accidentally slipped up. Chris had always been close-mouthed about his personal life, but this was Buck. Buck, who was involved with JD...with a shrug, Chris met Buck's gaze evenly. "Maybe there is."

"Care to share that reason?" Buck's grin had grown.

"I have a feeling you're not going to let this drop, so I guess I do." His gaze slid back over to Ezra for a moment and then he looked back at Buck. "I'm falling in love with him," he said quietly.

Buck's eyes lit up just like a kid's. "Really? You sure it's not just a passing fancy?"

"No. I thought it might have been, but I know better now. This is love."

"Hot damn. Have you told him?"

Chris cocked his head to the side. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Come on. You can tell me."

"Yeah, I can. That doesn't mean I'm going to."

Some of the teasing faded from Buck's eyes. "You have to tell him."

"What do you care, Buck?" Chris watched his friend carefully. Buck was always cheerfully nosy, happy to insinuate himself into the lives of his friends. This urgency, though, was out of character.

"He needs to know," Buck said. "How else is anything going to happen?"

"I don't even know if he feels the same."

"All the more reason to tell him. Nothing ventured and all that." Buck's excitement was out of sync with the moment. It was as if the other man was already sure about Ezra's feelings and just wanted Chris to find them out as well. Chris looked over at Ezra and caught the gambler looking away from him and Buck. The glance lasted barely a moment but it was long enough for Chris to catch the concern in the green eyes.

That settled it. Buck knew more than he was saying.

Chris leaned back. "I don't know, Buck. The man just doesn't seem interested and with all the stress he's under, I don't want to add to it. I think I'd better just keep this to myself."

Buck looked about ready to fly apart, he was so upset by Chris's lack of resolve. "No! This could be just what he needs."

Green eyes glanced toward them again and Chris knew he had to stop playing. It was a golden opportunity to finally pay Buck back for all the teasing he owed him, but Ezra was picking up on the tension between them and the gambler didn't need the distraction. "Keep your voice down," Chris said. "Calm down." He took a sip of his drink. "I already told him."

"What?" Buck hissed. "When?"

"Day before yesterday."

Buck stared at him, then swore even as he started to laugh. "You two deserve each other. That sneaky bastard looked me right in the eye yesterday and told me that maybe you two might have a chance to get together. When this is over, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

"When this is over," Chris emphasized. He matched Buck's grin. "You completely fell for the line he fed you, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. Ez is a professional." The smile faded from Buck's eyes. "You know this is serious, don't you? You can't play a game with him."

"I wouldn't do that," Chris said. "Not to Ezra." He leaned in toward Buck. "And why is that so important to you?"

Buck met his gaze evenly. "Ezra's a friend, Chris." He drank the rest of his whiskey in a final gulp. "And he got me and JD together."

Chris hadn't known that. "Ezra?"

Buck blinked. "You're not surprised about me and JD?"

It was too late to be tactful. "Already figured that out. I didn't know that Ezra had a hand in it, though."

"I didn't either, at first," Buck admitted. "He's slicker than we realize. It took me a while to work it out, but he definitely guided the whole thing. After, we both wanted a way to pay him back. JD figured out how he felt about you, but he'd never let us try to do anything. I'm real glad that you two got together on your own."

"How long ago did you notice?"

"That's not my place to tell. Long enough for me to tell you that you have to be careful. No games, Chris. I mean it."

"I won't," Chris promised. He tossed back the rest of his drink. It was time for them to leave. He and Buck stood together and left without looking back at Ezra or acknowledging Josiah, who had just slipped into the saloon. Chris wanted nothing more than to look back at the smiling gambler but he didn't dare show too much interest.

They barely reached the street when Andrew Allister fell into step with them. "This is your grand plan?" the younger man asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chris said.

"You're not fooling anyone. You all came into the fort together."

"Ezra's a gambler. He usually spend his time in saloons." Buck's voice was quiet, patient.

"Right. You can pretend whatever you like. I'm going to be watching you." Allister walked off without further comment.

"Do you think he's going to be a problem?" Buck asked.

"Maybe. For right now, there isn't much we can do so let's not worry about it. He isn't going to try to kill Ezra." Chris lapsed into silence. Allister wasn't saying anything that Chris hadn't thought himself. Seeing Ezra in the saloon had helped to convince him that it just might work. The green-eyed man had fallen easily into the role of a frightened gambler hiding at the fort for protection. His act could fool anyone who didn't know him well. It could fool Darlson. It had to.

Grateful for Buck's company, Chris walked around the fort, looking for anything out of the ordinary but not expecting to find anything. He had to do something to fill the hours that he was separated from Ezra, though, and this made him feel like at least he was being useful.

When night finally began to fall, Chris headed eagerly over the restaurant. He'd volunteered to get dinner for Ezra, so he ordered enough food for two and paid extra to be able to take the plates over to the hotel. He carried his burden quickly, knowing that Ezra wouldn't linger in the saloon too long today. He was just beginning to establish himself about town. Tomorrow he'd spend more of the evening in the saloon, but for tonight he was coming back to Chris.

Chris noticed light coming from under the door to the hotel room as he walked down the hall. He paused at the door and knocked on it, careful not to drop the food. "It's Chris."

The door opened and Vin glanced him up and down, then shot a look down the hallway. "C'mon in."

Ezra was in his shirtsleeves, sitting on his bed. Chris sat down next to him and handed over dinner. "I expected to have everyone else inside here."

"They decided to get dinner at the restaurant, rather than try to cram themselves in here." Ezra looked over the plate in front of him. "Thank you, Mr. Larabee. Did the proprietor of the restaurant by any chance give you utensils?"

What? Chris looked down at the slices of beef and bread on his plate and groaned. He'd forgotten to get forks.

"It's all right," Ezra said. "I have some in my bag." He put his plate to the side and rose to his feet.

"I'll clear out and let you eat," Vin said.

"Are you certain? Your presence is always welcome," Ezra said.

"I'm sure. I think I might stop and get myself some dinner. That smells good." Vin opened the door. "I'll be back in town tomorrow. Maybe I'll stop by and lose some money to you, Ezra."

"Please do, Mr. Tanner. Your company and your money will be appreciated."

"Good night, Vin," Chris said.

"Night." With a final smile, Vin was gone.

Ezra walked over to the corner where he'd stored his bags. He bent at the waist as he searched through the pile for the utensils, his pants drawing tight as he did so. Chris drew in a long breath but didn't look away. After a few moments of searching Ezra retrieved a mismatched pair of forks. With a small smile, he presented one to Chris.

They ate quickly, quietly. Chris wouldn't have believed that just watching and brooding would work up an appetite, but he finished eating before Ezra. He used the extra time to look the other man over. Ezra looked fine, a little tired and stressed but that was to be expected.

As he finished eating, Ezra glanced up and caught Chris looking at him. "Is anything amiss?"

"No. How did everything go today? From what I saw everything was pretty quiet but I wasn't there for very long."

"The day progressed much as I expected. I was able to make a modest profit, but I did not see anyone who could be Darlson." Ezra stood and moved their plates to the dresser by the door. "I believe that this will work, Mr. Larabee. We just need to give Darlson enough time to reach the fort."

Chris didn't want to talk about Darlson any longer. And he didn't want Ezra to slip back into calling him Mr. Larabee, either. "Chris. You didn't have any trouble calling me Chris this morning." He leered a little at the memory of the kiss they'd shared before leaving the room for the day.

Ezra smiled back at him. "Chris. Old habits are difficult to break."

"I'll help you work on it." Chris patted the bed next to himself.

"I have no doubt of that." Ezra sat down next to him but kept a little distance between them. "Did anything of interest happen to you today?"

"Nothing. Except...Buck and I ran into Allister's son." He briefly described the encounter. "Do you think it's anything to worry about?"

"No. Andrew has enough common sense to guarantee his silence while we're working." A sad smile touched Ezra's lips. "And I remember as a child he had little patience for waiting games. I doubt his interest in our activities will last more than a day or two more." He looked down at his hands, eyes far away as he lost himself in thought.

Chris didn't want him to brood over the past. Not now, when he had enough other things to worry about. He reached out and took one of Ezra's hands in his. "This is going to be over soon. We'll be able to go home."

Ezra sighed. "Thank you." He looked up at Chris. "Since this is going to be over soon, I suppose we shouldn't waste any time."

"What-" Chris never got the chance to finish his question. Ezra leaned forward and cut him off with a kiss. Chris was willing to let the question go in favor of exploring Ezra's mouth: wet devouring warmth that he couldn't quite get enough of.

Warm hands skimmed up his sides and he turned to face Ezra more fully and pulled the other man to him. The contact wasn't enough and Chris pushed against Ezra until he was lying on top of him, still feeding from that tantalizing mouth.

Clever fingers had his shirt unbuttoned and he only realized it when Ezra began to jerk the shirt down his arms. He left off trying to get his hands under Ezra's shirt and cooperated. He smiled down at him. "Sneaky." A thumb moving roughly over one nipple made him gasp.

Ezra smirked at him. "You're just jealous."

Chris was. He wanted a chance to feel the heat of Ezra's skin against his own. He sat up to work at the buttons on Ezra's shirt. He took a brief detour to remove his boots and tug off his lover's as well. He straddled Ezra's hips and looked down at him. He saw muscles covered by smooth skin and he couldn't resist touching, hand stroking firmly over the warm flesh.

Ezra arched up into the touch, his own hands sliding up Chris's thighs. Green eyes hot with desire, he trailed his fingers over Chris's stomach, moving upwards to trace the faint lines of various scars before bringing his hand back down to rest on Chris's belt. He raised an eyebrow in a wordless gesture of inquiry.

Leaning down to kiss Ezra fiercely was Chris's answer. Long fingers worked at his belt and he returned the favor, moving off to the side to make the whole thing easier. A few minutes effort and he was finally skin to skin with Ezra, the lean body he'd coveted for so long pressed tight against him as he returned to his mouth again and again. He reached up to twist his fingers in Ezra's hair, finding the strands there even softer than he'd imagined. Needy sounds reached his ears and they only increased his desire. He pulled Ezra to him once more and was surprised when Ezra continued the rolling movement so he stared down at Chris.

Sucking hard on Chris's lower lip, Ezra thrust against him. "What do you want?" he asked in a rasping whisper.

"You," Chris said. "You, Ezra." He ran his hands down the muscled back to rest them on Ezra ass and hold him close as he thrust up against him. "Just you." Words left him as they found a rhythm together, moving against one another ever faster as completion came closer and closer. Hearing his name on Ezra's lips as the green-eyed man orgasmed was enough to push Chris over the edge and he gasped his pleasure into Ezra's mouth as he did.

Ezra lay still atop him for a moment, then pushed himself up as though he intended to rise. Chris locked his arms around his waist and held him close. "Don't go."

"I will be too heavy for you."

"No." Chris slowly eased Ezra back down to relax against him. He breathed deeply, feeling the weight of his lover against him and inhaling the warm scent of his skin.

"We should clean up," Ezra said.

"Later. Please?"

A warm kiss was pressed to his shoulder. "All right." Ezra cuddled closer to him, his breath soft against Chris's skin. "I love you."

Chris stroked his hands up and down the length of Ezra's back, soaking in the closeness between them. "Love you, too." In a few moments he would get up and help Ezra get cleaned up, but for the moment he just wanted to keep Ezra and near and feel the reality of finally having his love so close.

The next morning came too fast. Chris had persuaded Ezra to share a bed with him despite the tight quarters. He'd spent the entire night wrapped around Ezra and he was reluctant to face a day during which he'd be separated from him. He knew there was no way they'd be able to hide away in the room for the rest of the day but that didn't mean he had to like getting up. He sat on the bed and watched Ezra finish getting dressed. A thought occurred to him and he smiled a little as Ezra carefully brushed down his pants. "I had a talk with Buck yesterday."

"You were with him all day. I would certainly hope that you spoke with him."

"We were talking about you."

Ezra paused. "And what exactly were you talking about?"

"The fact that he and JD knew how you felt about me." Chris watched as Ezra froze and immediately regretted the potential accusation in his words. He rushed to fill in more details. "He was pushing me to talk to you, to tell you how I felt and I told him about us, that there was an us and he told me a little about you."

The gambler relaxed and finished dressing. "So Buck and JD know about us, then?"

"It only seemed fair. He told me that you got him and JD together."

Ezra grinned. "It wasn't difficult to push them to do something they both wanted so very badly." His look became calculating. "So Buck and JD know about you and I, while everyone knows about Buck and JD."

"Do you want everyone to know about us?" Chris caught himself holding his breath, but this was important. He'd never been comfortable sharing his private life with people, but he didn't like hiding. He wanted to know how Ezra felt, though. This was something they hadn't talked about at all.

Ezra dropped his jacket over the back of a chair and walked over to sit beside Chris. "I never really believed that there would be any need to have this conversation," he admitted quietly. "I am not ashamed of how I feel, of what I've found with you. But I have no wish to open the doors to my personal life and invite the comments of others upon it, either."

"Our friends should know." Chris didn't want to hide anything from them. Withholding the information could be dangerous, as well. He didn't want their relationship to somehow be used against the rest of the Seven.

"Yes," Ezra agreed. "When we finally have a chance to sit down together as a group, we should consider telling them. Perhaps we can decide how to proceed with others when need to do so arises?"

"Works for me." Chris took advantage of Ezra's nearness and slid a hand up and around his neck to cradle the back of his head and pull him in for a kiss. Ezra relaxed into the caress, deepening the kiss and reaching up to cup Chris's face between his hands.

They remained connected for long moments until Ezra pulled away. "I have to get to work."

"Breakfast, then work."

Ezra smiled and stood up. "You worry too much."

"Get used to it." Chris finished pulling on his boots and led the way out of the room. He scanned the street and nodded as though to himself once he saw it was clear. He walked over to the restaurant and returned the plates from dinner the night before. He claimed a seat and waited for Ezra to appear. And waited. And waited.

With a muffled oath, he realized that Ezra had followed his usual inclinations and skipped breakfast, probably heading directly over to the saloon. They'd risen later than Chris was accustomed to so it would not be difficult for him to find someone to engage in a game of poker. Chris wanted to follow Ezra to the saloon but doing so would reveal their connection to casual observers and he couldn't do that. Fighting down his irritation, he ordered breakfast and ate swiftly.

As he was finishing up, Josiah walked into the room and sat down next to him. "Morning, Chris."

"Morning, Josiah." Chris slowed down eating. It would be rude to scarf down his dinner and then take off now that Josiah had arrived.

"Vin asked me to tell you that as soon as you're finished here, he'd be much obliged if you could go to the saloon and relieve him."

"He's with Ezra?" Good to know that the gambler hadn't just gone over on his own.

"Yes, but he wants breakfast so I'm sure he'd be grateful for you to show up."

That almost sounded like permission to go back to wolfing his meal down and Chris took it that way. He finished off the rest of his meal with more speed then finesse and stood up. "I'll send Vin over to take my place."

Josiah grinned at him but didn't reply. Chris quickly made his way to the saloon. He spotted Vin but ignored him in favor of claming a table off in the corner of the room. He'd had enough practice hiding in the corners of bars across the west to know how to sink into the shadows and let his glower frighten off anyone who approached him. He ordered a drink and let himself sink into silent contemplation of it. He kept his attention on Ezra, watching him from the corners of his eyes and listening as closely as he could to any conversation that might possibly concern Ezra.

The day passed much like the one before and that night he once again held Ezra in his arms until well past dawn. Chris fought down irritation and restlessness when the same thing happened the day after as well. He wouldn't trade the time spent with Ezra for anything, but the waiting was slowly driving him crazy. On the fourth day of waiting the only improvement Chris could see was the fact that Andrew had lost all interest in their activities.

It wasn't much, but Chris would take what he could get.

Ezra understood intuition and hunches. He was a professional gambler and so disdained playing with his gut as so many amateurs did, but he was familiar with the way a hunch could twist a man's stomach. He didn't rely on such feelings when they came to him, but nor did he ignore them completely. He merely acknowledged the feelings and kept them in mind as he continued to remain focused on facts and experience.

It was for this reason that he didn't immediately react to the man sitting across from him, even though he was getting a bad feeling about him. The man was older but Ezra couldn't tell much else about his appearance since he hadn't removed his hat and wore it pulled low in the front. He didn't speak much, just requested cards in a low voice and grunted instead of answering questions fully.

Ezra had been playing card and skulking around Fort Davies for a week and even he was beginning to lose patience with the plan he'd supported so fully. He was half-inclined to leave and let fate take its course back in Four Corners. The thought of bringing danger to the people who lived back in the dusty little town stopped him, but it was the nights he spent with Chris that kept him going. He could face any amount of boredom and false alarms if it meant he'd be able to taste Chris's lips that night, feel his heat and his strength against him.

He forced those memories to the back of his mind. Right now he needed to focus his attention on the man across from him. He didn't want to appear too curious so there was no way he could just lean forward and peer into the man's face but there was something about him that unsettled Ezra too much to be ignored. As the current hand came to an end, Ezra excused himself for just a moment and rose to his feet, stretching luxuriously in the manner of a man who had been sitting too long.

Across the room, Chris put down his drink and Josiah straightened in his chair. The stretch was their pre-arranged signal for needing to watch someone at the table. It had been a long day and night had nearly fallen, but both of them came instantly to alert and were ready for anything.

Ezra returned the game, aware of the increased attention from his friends. The game continued slowly. Two other men beside the silent stranger were at the table. If the stranger was Darlson, Ezra wanted to have as few bystanders near as possible. He concentrated on making sure that they lost quite a bit of money in the next round. One man left in an angry huff.

The other tried one more round before conceding defeat. He tossed his cards down on the table. "One day, Sanders, I'll get my revenge," he said, but with a good-natured smile. Shaking his head, he left the saloon.

"He was merely joking," Ezra said, moving to placate a potentially rattled opponent.

"It doesn't matter," the stranger said.

"Hm?" Ezra asked, dealing out another round of cards.

"You won't be around for him to try to take any revenge."

This was it. Ezra left off shuffling and looked up. The stranger tilted his head back a little and met his gaze fully for the first time. "Darlson," Ezra murmured.

"Sanders. Nice to see that you haven't forgotten me." Darlson's face was deeply creased. Ezra knew the man couldn't be much older than fifty but he had the features of a much older man. Lines drew his mouth down in a permanent scowling frown. His eyes were dark, not just in color but dark inside. Darlson looked embittered, angry, the harshness in his voice matched by that in his face.

"Don't do this." Ezra knew that words would do no good but he had to try.

"So will you beg me for your life after all, coward? The others didn't, but somehow I always knew you would."

The others? Did that mean Allister was already dead? "We're in the middle of a saloon. In the middle of Fort Davies! You'll never be able to do this and get away."

"I don't have to get away. I just have to kill you and then blow Allister away before they cut me down. I think I can manage that. I wasn't the little golden boy tactician, but I can still make a plan that works."

Allister lived, then. "Darlson, this isn't a plan. It's madness. You don't have to do this."

"I've got nothing left. You ruined my life. You destroyed everything I had to live for."

Ezra shook his head with the slightest of motions. "You ruined your own life. Your mistakes and your crimes are completely your own." He refused to shoulder the burden of Darlson's guilt as well, not even now. He had enough of his own to carry without taking on this that was so undeserved.

"How do you propose to kill me undetected? We are in a public place."

"Not for long. I've got a gun on you under the table. Don't make any sudden moves, but I want you on your feet."

"Don't make any moves? Or else what? You'll kill me?"

"No. But I'll start killing the rest of the people in here. I want Allister, but I want you more. Get up or have innocent blood on your hands."

Ezra carefully stacked his cards at the edge of the table and rose to his feet with easy, unhurried motions. He couldn't risk setting Darlson off here where innocent people might die. He took the time to straighten the hang of his jacket before walking slowly toward the door.

He was surprised by the lack of fear he found within himself. He believed absolutely that Darlson would kill him as soon as he had a chance but that failed to terrify him. It wasn't that he had any special confidence in his abilities to escape from the situation, but rather that he had confidence in the men who were watching him. Finally, finally he knew he wasn't alone. He no longer had to face life on his own. Not only in this, when he faced a man who sought to end his life but in everything. He knew he could rely on himself, had known that since he was a child. There was a certain security to knowing that he didn't have to hold himself up by his own power, though. If his burden was too heavy, if it was too broad for his shoulders, then he had friends who were eager to help him carry it.

Even if something were to go wrong, his death would not go unnoticed. His plan to protect innocents and ensure that Darlson hurt no one else would be carried out, whether or not he himself fell. He found enormous comfort in that. It kept his heart from racing, made his step sure and steady he walked out onto the street and paused, waiting for Darlson's next order. He didn't look up or around. He knew the other men were there. He didn't have to see them to know that.

"Don't stop," Darlson said, voice rasping behind him.

Ezra nodded and walked away from the center of town. If he could avoid endangering anyone else then he would do so. He followed a path he'd half-mapped out in head, angling away from the main street and heading for an alley that had no residences on it. When he reached the mouth of the alley he hesitated. This wasn't supposed to be shi show; Darlson was the one with the gun.

"Here's as good a place as any," Darlson said. "It would be fitting for you to die in a forgotten back alley. Go in. All the way in."

Ezra nodded and entered the alley. Halfway in, he stopped and turned around.

"I said all the way." Darlson pointed the gun at him openly.

"You no longer have innocents with which to threaten me. You intend to kill me. How will you coerce me now?"

Darlson stepped closer to him, the gun steady and even. "You always were a smug little bastard. Always so smooth with your words, always outshining me with your fancy words and flashy moves."

Ezra spread his hands. "I am who I am. I don't deny that. You are who you are, Darlson. You are who you've chosen to be."

"Alone? Imprisoned? I never chose that. That was what you did to me."

"You did it to yourself. You took a life. That demands a price."

"Not the lives of my family!" Darlson's hands clenched white before he regained control of himself.

"That wasn't me. It wasn't anyone. Accidents and tragedies happen everyday and the blame lies with no one. The death of your family was horrible, yet there is no one who deserves the blame for it. The only person here deserving blame is you, Darlson. You started your own downfall with murder and you've only compounded that mistake."

"No, I'm just setting things to rights now."

"Killing me won't bring them back. It won't erase your crimes. The past is set in stone, Darlson. Immutable stone that your violence cannot change." Ezra spread his hands. "Stop this insanity now."

"Or what?" Darlson laughed at him. "What will you threaten me with? There's nothing left for me here. Nothing except revenge and that's what I'm going to take." He stepped closer to Ezra, only a few feet away from him now.

Ezra lowered his arms, ready to spring the derringer loose. He knew he would be able to fire before Darlson, though, not at that range, so he held himself ready rather than taking the chance. He wasn't out of options yet.

"Maybe Ezra won't threaten you," a new voice said behind Darlson. "But I sure as hell will." Chris stood at the mouth of the alley.

Darlson's reaction was instantaneous. He didn't turn around; he leapt forward, grabbing Ezra and spinning him around so the gambler was a living shield before him. The barrel of the madman's gun dug painfully into the corner of Ezra's jaw. "Who the hell are you?"

Chris and Josiah stood at the mouth of the alley, the gunslinger in front. His face was frozen, his expression utterly blank. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is the fact that I'll see you dead if you don't throw that gun down and step the hell away from him."

"You always manage to find yourself some friends, don't you?" Darlson snarled.

Ezra didn't reply. He was barely able to continue breathing. Facing Darlson with a few feet between them was one thing; having him so close with his gun bruising his flesh was something else entirely. He didn't want to do anything to goad Darlson into shooting. No one survived a head shot like that.

"He does find friends," Josiah agreed. "And brothers. Let him go. The minute your finger twitches, you're a dead man."

"The minute my finger twitches, he'll be dead, and that's what matters."

Ezra clenched his jaw against a hiss of pain as the barrel dug further into his skin. He looked across the dirt of the alley to meet Chris's gaze. The blond man's features might be impassive, but his eyes were alive with fury and fear. Ezra managed a slight smile. Chris and Josiah were in front of him...which likely meant Vin was up on the room with JD. Buck and Nathan would hopefully be near Allister to ensure that if Darlson somehow got out of this he wouldn't be able to take any more lives.

Chris didn't react but some of the fear lessened in his eyes. "Darlson, this isn't going to happen. In a few more minutes everyone in the fort is going to know you're here. You won't be able to move a foot outside this alley without being cut down."

Darlson snarled, his breath hot against Ezra's ear. "Doesn't matter. So long as this bastard dies, nothing else matters."

"That's all I needed to hear," Chris said. "Vin!"

Ezra knew what was coming. He took advantage of Darlson's momentary distraction to twist his head to the side, away from the gun. He continued the motion, throwing himself to the side. Vin was an amazing marksman but he didn't want to risk Darlson's reaction. The sound of two shot overlapping rang in his ears as he fell heavily to the dirt. He lay stunned for a moment, not sure what had happened, not sure he wanted to know. If he'd been hit...

The choice to move was taken out of his hands when Chris grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him over. "Ezra! Are you hit?" Frantic hands stroked over his clothing, searching for any sign of an injury.

Breathing deeply to calm himself down, Ezra realized that besides an ache in his jaw, he wasn't in any pain. He hadn't been hit. With a shaky sigh, he relaxed back against the ground. "I'm fine," he said.

Chris's hand continued their search, moving over his legs then back up to ruffle through his hair.

Ezra jerked his head away. "Mr. Larabee, I assure you I am fine. Aside from a few bruises-" He gave up talking as Chris tilted his head to the side. Allowing his head to be moved by the always surprisingly gentle fingers, Ezra watched as the gunslinger examined the soft skin of his jaw. With touches so light they brought no pain, Chris mapped out the bruise Ezra knew would be forming.

"Are you sure he's dead?" Chris asked.

Josiah looked up from his examination of Darlson's body. "Yes. Vin shot true."

Chris didn't look satisfied.

Josiah shook his head. "You can shoot him again if you like, but he isn't going to feel it."

Footstep at the mouth of the alley drew their attention. Rifle balanced on his shoulder, Vin had his head cocked to the side. JD stood beside him, a shaky grin on his lips. "Never thought I'd see the day that you'd just lay there in the dirt, Ezra."

Looking down at his clothing, Ezra swore and scrambled to his feet, using Chris to push himself upwards. He was covered in dust and out on the street. He beat at the dirt on his clothing, knowing that he couldn't fix the wrinkles but needing get the dirt off. He was careful not to look at the corpse in the street behind him. He didn't need any reminders about how close he'd come to dying.

"Ezra, calm down," Chris said. "We'll get you back to the hotel and you can change."

"There isn't time." Ezra twisted his neck but he couldn't see the back of himself. "Mr. Tanner, I know that you have impeccable skill, but I must ask: was I spattered at all with blood when you felled Darlson?"

"Not a drop," Vin said, sounding slightly offended.

"Thank you, sir. I have faith in your abilities, but I had to be sure."

Chris stepped in front of him. "Ezra, what's going on?"

"Buck and Nathan went to Allister?"

"That was the plan, yes." Chris grimaced. "So now Allister know that Darlson is here." He raised his hands and grabbed Ezra's shoulders, turning him around. He began to brush off Ezra's back, helping to clear him of the dust.

Ezra shot him a grateful smile when he turned around. He didn't want to appear before Allister in filthy, rumpled clothing.

While he was working on his clothing, JD studied the walls. "Look!" he said, pointing upwards. "You can see where his bullet nicked the eave of this roof."

Ezra glanced up briefly. "Thank you, Mr. Dunne." With Chris's help he soon had the worst of the dirt removed, allowing him to feel a little more settled, a little more in control. With that finished, he had no other reason to delay. He nodded in the general direction of the corpse. "What do you think we should do with that?"

"Leave it," Chris said. "He can rot there."

"That hardly sounds healthy." Ezra didn't want to touch it, nor did he want to leave any of his friends to stand guard over it. "Mr. Tanner, might I impose upon you?"

"What do you need?"

"I'm going to fetch a few soldiers and have them take possession of the body, but while I'm doing so would you be so good as to stand watch over it?"

"Sure, Ezra. Just don't leave me out when you go to talk to the general, all right?"

"All right, and thank you." He moved to leave the alley and smiled as Chris fell into step right beside him. "This is almost finished," he said quietly.

"Damn right it is," Chris said. He looked up at the sky. "I suppose it's too late for us to leave."

Ezra smiled again, amazed that he could do so honestly after having a gun to his head. "By several hours, yes. We will be much better off waiting for morning. Or afternoon."

"Morning," Chris said. "Dawn."

"No," Ezra said. "Not dawn."

"I want out of this place."

"I do as well, but not enough to allow myself to go mad." Ezra stopped talking as they encountered two uniformed soldiers.

"We heard shots," one of them said.

"Yes. If you head back two streets and over to the east, you'll find a gentleman keep watch over a body. Would you be so kind as to relieve him?" Ezra forestalled their objections by raising his hand. "It's Darlson. The general would be most grateful."

After staring at him for a moment, the two young men took off at a fast trot, disappearing into the darkness. "We should wait for Vin," Ezra said.

"Good," Josiah said. That'll give us time to talk you into leaving at dawn."

"Homesick?" Ezra asked. He grinned. "Or church sick?"

"A little bit of both, actually. This isn't home and I don't like the feeling of leaving something behind me unfinished. It doesn't sit right with me anymore."

Vin approached them silently out of the darkness. "What's the meeting about?"

"What time we leave tomorrow," Chris answered. "Ezra thinks we should leave at dawn."

"Best time of the day for it."

Ezra threw up his hands in surrender. "Fine. We leave at dawn." He ignored Chris's grin and JD's out right laughter. He looked over the men standing near him. "I need to speak with Allister. After I speak to him, I will be finished with this place."

"And we can go home," JD said.

"Yes," Ezra agreed. "Since Darlson is dead, I no longer require an escort so you gentlemen are free to do as you like."

"I'm going with you," Chris said.

"Me, too," JD said.

Vin just stood there and Josiah crossed his arms, neither giving any sign that they intended to leave. Josiah shrugged one shoulder. "We met that man as group and it just seems right that we leave him the same way."

"Besides," Chris said. "Just because Darlson is gone doesn't mean you don't need an escort. You get into enough trouble on your own without any outside help."

Ezra didn't bother to fight his smile. "And who would you suggest take that post, hm? I could always advertise in Mrs. Travis's publication, I suppose."

"That won't be necessary," Chris said. "I think I know someone who can take the job." He leaned closer to Ezra, then seemed to remember himself and pulled away.

Ezra blinked and looked at the others. JD already knew how he felt about Chris, but Vin and Josiah were unknown factors. He looked over at them. Vin was grinning and Josiah looked as though he was on the verge of laughing out loud. The tall man looked back and forth between Ezra and Chris and then gave in, laughing. "You two? Lord, you're not much better at hiding anything than JD and Buck!"

"Hey!" Josiah laughed right over JD's objection.

"Bout damn time," Vin said.

Ezra was inclined to be offended, but Chris didn't give him the chance to reply. He just pulled Ezra to him. Ezra's protests were covered by Chris's lips. He gave into the sensation of being so close to the man he loved for a moment before coming to his senses and then pushed Chris away. "Enough."

"C'mon, Ezra."

"Propriety is propriety, sir. We are on the street."

"It's night time," Chris said.

"Isn't like someone could see you past Josiah, anyhow," JD said

Ezra just shook his head. "I'll deal with you later," he promised Chris is a low voice. He didn't look back as he headed for Allister's office. He didn't have to. Chris was immediately at his side and he could hear the others close behind. It was the same confidence that had carried him through the confrontation with Darlson. Just as he knew he'd walk through hell to do anything to help his friends, he was now beginning to believe that they might feel the same way about him.

It was a short walk to Allister's office. Two uniformed soldiers guarded the door. They moved closer together as Ezra and the others approached.

"You can relax, gentlemen," Ezra said. "Darlson will no longer be a problem."

"Because you say so?" one of the men asked, tightening his grip on the rifle in his hands.

"Yeah," Chris said. "And now he'd like to see Allister." He took a step forward, his voice more dangerous than usual.

Ezra raised his hands before the situation could escalate. "Sir, if you could just inform the general that I am here, I am sure he will ask you to allow us entrance."

"Fine." One of the soldiers ducked inside the office door, leaving his comrade to stand and watch them on his own.

Taking a few prudent steps backwards, Ezra pushed Chris back as well. Common sense dictated that they not crowd the nervous man with the gun.

"I can't believe he didn't leave orders for you to be let in," Chris said.

Hm. He hadn't anticipated this. "Chris, this meeting is not likely to be terribly pleasant. It might be better if you and the others waited elsewhere." He didn't want Chris to do anything rash while he was speaking to Allister. This was his last chance to free himself of the bindings the army kept trying to slip around him. If Chris didn't give him or Allister the chance to speak, than he was going to risk being dragged back into he military at some future time and he didn't want that. He wanted to finally be able to consider his past dead, dead and buried and so far behind him that he might actually begin to forget it.

"No, I want to be there."

"But can you be there quietly?" Ezra asked. "That is the true heart of the matter."

Chris stared at him for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.

Ezra smiled gratefully at him, and then turned his attention to the others. "The same holds true for you gentlemen." He looked especially hard at JD. "I understand the temptation to speak out, especially if Allister is his usual charming self. Please leave him to me." He waited until he had all of their nods, then turned around just in time to see the second guard reappear.

"The general says he'll see you now." He stood aside and held the door open for them.

Ezra nodded his head gratefully as he passed him. As he'd supposed, Buck and Nathan were both with Allister; Buck was seated by a window, while Nathan stood in the shadows in the back.

Allister stood behind his desk, Andrew close by. "There were shots," said the general.

"That was Mr. Tanner. He took it upon himself to solve the problem of Darlson for us." Beside him Chris shifted restlessly, but held his peace.

"He's dead?" Andrew asked.

"Yes. Your men have custody of the body even as we speak." Ezra watched as Andrew looked openly relieved and even Allister relaxed a bit. "The situation that brought me here has been resolved. I will be taking my leave of Fort Davies in the morning."

"Just like that?" Andrew asked.

"Yes. I would be most appreciative if you would cease to speak of me once I am gone. I want to avoid any further complications from the past, which would be far easier if people forgot about me."

"Forgot that you are a deserter? Forgot that you ran away from your duties and abandoned your country to become a drifter?" Allister's voice was cold.

Chris shifted more obviously so Ezra moved as well so he was standing more or less in front of the gunslinger. "Call it whatever you like. The fact remains that I am leaving in the morning. My friends and I managed to take Darlson down before he was able to do any real harm in this town, either to you or anyone dear to you."

"You save your own life."

"That could have been done in Four Corners. We could have easily handled Darlson at home, but that would have involved waiting for him to kill you. I preferred to show a little more initiative."

Allister glared at him. "You want a pardon?"

"For what? You try to bring me to trial. Do you truly believe you could get any sort of conviction with the war so long over? People want to bury their dead, not dig them up again. Leave Sanders in his grave. That's all I want. Just let him and his men rest."

"You are Sanders!" Andrew objected.

"I was," Ezra corrected. He caught Allister's gaze and held it. "Just forget about him. About me. It's not so much to ask." He didn't look away from the eyes that weighed him and found him wanting. He just waited and refused to look away.

At last Allister turned his attention to the papers on his desk. "Fine. Go. Don't come back here, though. If you want out this bad, then you are going all the way out and there will be no returning for you."

"Thank you." Ezra inclined his head towards Andrew as well. "Good-bye." He turned and walked out of the office. When he heard the door to Allister's office close firmly behind Josiah, the last of them to leave, he finally allowed himself to relax. "It's over."

"You're sure?" Chris asked.

"He might not like it but he'll keep his word. He won't be telling anyone else where I am and his children should hold their tongues now as well."

"So we can go home?" JD asked.

"Yes. Tomorrow." Ezra rolled his eyes. "At dawn."

"What?" Buck asked. "Dawn?" He looked over at Nathan. "You might want to have a look at him."

Ezra grinned at the laughter of the others. He was going to go home. "Dinner?" he suggested hopefully. Being scared half out of his mind usually put him off the idea of food, but he found he was recovering nicely, surrounded as he was by his friends.

"Sounds good," Buck said, turning toward the restaurant.

Chris shook his head. "Of course it does." He didn't move up beside Buck to continue the teasing as he usually would, though. Instead, he walked beside Ezra, close enough for their shoulders to brush with each step.

In the dim light and with all their friends surrounding them, it was unlikely that anyone would be able to see them and Ezra decided to just relax and enjoy being so close to the other man.

Warm fingers brushed against his, a barely there caress that Ezra half-thought he'd imagined until it happened again. He didn't look at Chris but he thought he could feel the man's smile anyway. When the fingers again touched his he immediately tangled his own fingers through them, capturing Chris's wayward had for his own.

A scuffled step behind them drew Ezra's attention and he looked back to see Nathan regaining his balance. The healer's gaze stuttered up to meet Ezra's, startlement written clear on his features.

The green-eyed man tried to tug his hand away from Chris's but the other man didn't let go. "Chris," Ezra murmured.

Chris just tightened his grip. Ezra looked him in the face and saw the determined look on the other man's face. "You knew," he half-whispered.

"Yeah, and now Nathan does. So it's completely out in the open."

Ezra glanced back at Nathan. The other man shook his head, and then grinned at Ezra. "I will say this," Nathan said. "You never seem to run out of surprises, Ezra."

Enormously relieved, Ezra grinned back. He'd been worried about how some of the others would react to him and Chris. Buck and JD would of course be fine with it, but the others were unknown quantities. Vin had seemed amazingly unsurprised which somehow fit with Ezra's perception of him. Josiah and Nathan had been the two he truly worried over and he was pleased to see that he had wasted a lot of time over nothing. Both of them had far exceeded even his wildest expectations. He squeezed Chris's hand. He got a soft squeeze in return and then they were nearing the restaurant so they had to let go. Ezra curled his fingers in on themselves, already missing the contact.

Dinner was a celebration. All of them were alive and unharmed and they would be heading home in the morning. They were the loudest table in the restaurant and Ezra didn't mind a bit. He raised his glass and cleared his throat, calling for silence as he made his toast. "To friendship, gentlemen."

"To going home," Chris added, raising his glass.

"To good aim," Josiah said, glancing at Vin.

"To good planning," Vin returned.

"To family," JD said.

"To life," Nathan suggested.

"To love," Buck finished, looking first at JD, and then over from Chris to Ezra.

A blush rose up on JD's cheeks but he kept his glass and head held high. Ezra caught his eye and inclined his head in a small gesture of respect. JD returned the nod. Everything was now out in the open, even the secrets that weren't actually secrets. Feeling incredibly pleased, Ezra leaned forward and the others followed suit, gently tapping their glasses together.

Ezra held Chris's gaze as he swallowed the contents of his glass. He agreed with all of the toasts, but especially to love. Judging by the look in the blond man's eyes, he felt the same. Ezra ate quickly, eager to get to bed so they could leave early in the morning. He saw the others doing the same; even Buck was inhaling dinner faster than usual. Ezra sat back after he finished, watching the others do the same. He was please to be able to sit with them once more instead of grabbing solitary meals here or eating furtively with Chris in the hotel.

Movement at the door drew his attention and he repressed a sigh as he watched Andrew walked in. He'd hoped that he'd be able to leave town without any further confrontations. He was ready to leave the past behind. He could accept that he no longer held a place among Andrew's heroes, but once upon a time he had attained that honor and that would have to be enough for him. It was time to focus on the future, on the friends he had found and the place he had won.

He kept his face blank as Andrew approached him.

"You're really going to do it, aren't you?" Andrew asked. "Just leave?"

"I have no reason to stay," Ezra said quietly.

"So you're happy, just being a gambler and hiding under a fake name? You aren't the man I remember at all."

Ezra wasn't sure he ever was the man Andrew thought he remembered. He wasn't going to argue the point, though. There was a time to fight and a time to just give in and let go. Giving in wouldn't hurt him at all, so why fight this? He cocked his head to the side. "I'm not," he said evenly.

"No," Andrew said, voice full of contempt. "You're not." With a final shake of his head he left the room.

Chris pushed back in his chair a little. "I've got half a mind -"

"I think you underestimate yourself," Ezra said, interrupting him. "But let him go. He's entitled to his opinion."

"Even if he is dead wrong," Chris said, but he relaxed back down into his chair.

Ezra stretched, feeling weariness creep up upon him. "I think it is time to retire. If you gentlemen are determined to leave at an utterly ungodly hour..."

"I'd leave right now if I thought we could get away with it," Nathan said.

"The horses-" Vin shook his head. "We can't risk them."

Ezra blinked. They were seriously considering leaving at night. "The morning is fine, gentlemen. We could all do with a night's sleep, no matter how brief." He didn't especially want to admit it, but he was eager to leave the fort. He might not have gone so far as to suggest leaving at Dawn but he found he had surprisingly few objections to the idea. Leaving at night would be too dangerous to the horses and too wearying for themselves.

"Then we're best off heading for bed," Buck said. "Dawn, Ezra? You are a cruel man."

Ezra shook his head but grinned as laughter welled up around him. "Then you'd best seek your bed, Mr. Wilmington." He rose to his feet. "That is what I'm going to do." He walked out of the restaurant and onto the street, but he stopped moving before he got any further. "Mr. Larabee, Darlson is dead. If you wish to linger over dinner you are more than able to now. I have nothing left to fear in this place."

A single step forward put Chris inches away from Ezra, almost uncomfortably close. "I'm not following you because I need to, Ezra. I'm following you because I want to." Holding Ezra's gaze, he stepped around him and headed for the hotel.

The green-eyed man stared after him for a moment and then gave into his own desires and followed him to the hotel. He didn't really notice much of anything as he made his way down the street and into the building; all his attention was focused on the man in front of him who was leading the way through the lobby and up the stair. Chris only turned around once, just as he opened up the door to the room and pushed his way inside. His lips were quirked in a small smile.

Ezra walked into the completely dark room and stumbled to a stop. Why hadn't Chris lit a candle? "Chris?" he said quietly.

The door slammed shut behind him. Ezra turned quickly, but the darkness was too thick. He couldn't see anything. "Chris?" he called again, still quiet.

Warm hands cupped his face, startling him. Before he could pull away, strong arms pulled him forward and he was cradled against a hot body. He leaned forward further and captured Chris's mouth, claming those lips for his own and moving his own arms to pull Chris closer.

"I could have lost you today," Chris murmured, twisting his head to the side to kiss Ezra's jaw, his throat.

"But you didn't. None of us was hurt. We're going home." He scored his teeth over Chris's throat in turn. He pushed against the other man, walking him over to the closest bed and pushing him down on it. Ezra shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it to the other bed, for once uncaring of potential wrinkles. His eyes had adjusted to the dim light and he was able to see Chris quickly removing his own clothing. Soon the rest of his clothing was on the bed and his boots had been kicked beneath it while Chris's clothing lay in a pile on the floor.

Ezra wasted no time; he needed to feel Chris's skin against his own, to reassure himself that the other man was whole and alive and with him still. Darlson could have easily shot Chris and destroyed Ezra's future. He lay down atop Chris and caught his mouth once more, unable to get enough of the wet heat that assured him of his lover's well being. Chris arched up beneath him and ran his hands up and over Ezra's back, roughly pulling him down to demand more contact.

There would be time in the future for full exploration, to learn the blue-eyed man's body until he knew it better than his own. That would have to wait; Ezra needed this haste, this immediacy and he felt answering impatience in every whispered curse that fell from Chris's lips. He thrust against his lover, gasping a little as the feeling of slick hardness gliding along his own and the matching thrust of Chris's body in return. He returned again and again to the other man's mouth, needing that connection as well as their bodies moved in an instinctual rhythm made new all over again. It didn't last long - it couldn't, not with the heat between them growing so quickly. A few minutes more and Ezra was softly crying out his release against Chris's lips and tasted his lover's own gasp of completion a moment later.

He relaxed against Chris, blanketing the other man's body with his own. In a moment, he'd suggest a quick clean up and switching to the other bed. They'd lie entwined in the too small quarters, sleeping as close as possible without sharing the same skin. They would pack hurriedly in the morning and face sly looks and teasing laughter from their friends on the ride home and then there would be the future and the rest of their lives to live and to love together. For right now, though, Ezra was content to relax in Chris's fierce embrace and live in the moment, to revel in the feeling that he'd found. He'd at last found his home, the place he belonged, the space where he was most truly himself. It was Chris's arms, and from the way Chris was holding him, he was never going to have to leave that home again. He pressed a gentle kiss to Chris's shoulder and received a similar one to his temple in return.

He was home.