The Legend of Madame Ling
(A standalone story in the Five Dollars Series)
By Starwinder

Author's Note:
This was supposed to be a short PWP, my take on Ez in a dress, because although I love the idea of Ezra in a dress that purple horror in 'Working Girls' did nothing for me. I felt like our consummate conman could do better than that, much better. So I was writing this little PWP and then it went and developed a plot. All by itself, I swear. LOL!

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"That ain't the Clarion, is it, Ez?" Vin Tanner dropped into a chair at the kitchen table in the house that he now shared with his lover, Ezra Standish. He cupped his hands around the coffee cup he held and took a small sip of the steaming brew. 'Damn, Ez, makes good coffee!'

Ezra looked up and smiled at Vin, "No, darling. It's the Bristol City News." He reached out his hand and Vin gave him the coffee cup. Ezra took a sip and handed it back. "It is nearly a week old but has some quite interesting items in it."

"Such as?" Vin inquired, handing the coffee cup back to Ezra. As he watched his partner drink, a small smile curved his lips. Sharing a cup of coffee, passing the cup back and forth between them was one of the small 'couple habits' that they had picked up. They only did it at home in their own kitchen. To Vin it bespoke an intimacy that he had never had with anyone before Ezra.

Ezra folded the paper and lay it on the table in front of Vin. "There is to be a poker tournament, with quite a large pot." He tapped the quarter page advertisement.

Vin looked down at it. The first thing that caught his eye was the twenty-five thousand dollars printed across the top of the ad in huge bold black letters. The second thing that he noted was the date of the tournament, almost three months away. He drew the paper closer to study it, slowly working his way through the ad, while Ezra waited patiently.

He appreciated his lover's patience. Ezra never made him feel bad that he took so much longer than Ezra did to read things. Nor did he break into Vin's concentration by telling him what it said. He knew that Vin was proud of his slowly improving reading skills and took care not to embarrass him about them.

After a long few minutes, Vin sat back and said. "Too bad you're barred from Hightower's."

Hightower's Crystal Palace Casino and Saloon was where the poker tournament was to be held and Ezra had been barred for life a couple of months earlier after becoming involved in a fight that had resulted in major damage to the casino. The city magistrate had ruled that the men who started the fight, not Ezra, were liable for the damages. Hightower had been furious as the men didn't have the money to cover the damages while he knew that Ezra did have enough money. He had barred Ezra from the casino along with the other men.

Ezra leaned back and sighed, "Yes, indeed, it's quite terrible that *Ezra Standish* shan't be able to compete."

Vin frowned, noting the way Ezra had stressed his name. "What you got in that sneaky, little brain of yours?"

"Before Mike Hightower can toss Ezra Standish out of the Crystal Palace he must first recognize that he is there."

"How you plan to keep him from recognizing you? He'll be expecting ya to try and sneak in."

"Perhaps… and I may not be able to pull it off, but it is worth the risk. Twenty-five thousand dollars will set us up for life. We can pay off the ranch, giving Mister McGlamory what it is actually worth, including paying for the mares. We can buy more stock, put money in the bank and have more than enough to pay for having the charges against you investigated."

Vin frowned, studying Ezra for a long moment before saying, "Okay, but ya ain't going in alone. I'm going with ya."

Ezra chuckled. "I was counting on that, darling!"

************************************************
Three months later
Bristol City
************************************************

The soft knock on his hotel room door had Ezra Standish extending his hand out of the tub full of steaming bubble bath he was ensconced in and reaching for his pistol that lay conveniently on a nearby chair.

"Who is it?" he demanded.

"Vin… com'n in," A hushed voice responded, then the doorknob turned.

Ezra didn't lay the gun aside until Vin Tanner had stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Then the gambler slid lower in the tub. With a devilish grin he lay back.

"Your timing is as always impeccable, Mister Tanner," he purred as Vin locked the door then turned to toss his hat on the dresser and shrug out of his coat, dropping it on the floor nearby.

Ezra paused as he extended one long, lean, well formed leg out of the tub, "I was just about ta shave mah legs… and knowing how much you love mah legs… I thought perhaps ya'd like to do it for me."

Grinning, Vin stepped close and caught the waving limb. Bending he placed a kiss on the well-turned ankle. "Hell, Ez, Ah just plain love getting mah hands on ya when yer all wet and slick like now." He ran his hands along the long lean leg, "Ya ain't gotta whole lotta hair here. Ya really need ta shave them?"

"Details, Mister Tanner. Success is in the details."

"Didn't shave'em fer Wickestown…."

The gambler sat up in the tub abruptly, yanking his foot out of Vin's grip and sloshing water on the floor. "That debacle was hardly representative of mah best work, Sir!" he snapped. "You gentlemen… and I use the term very loosely… simply threw that horrid dress at me and said, 'Put this on.'! Ah had no proper wardrobe, no believable make up and no *time* to prepare for the role! Ah assure you, this will be a much more *professional* masquerade!"

"That what yer wearing?" Vin gestured at the pale green, brocade, silk sheath hanging on the valet.

"It is."

"Don't see how ya plan to *distract* them other card sharks in that. It'll cover ya plumb up."

"Sometimes, Mister Tanner, more is less… besides if you look closely you will ascertain that that simple frock is split up the side to… I believe the expression is… 'high heaven'."

Vin strolled over to the valet and reached out to examine the dress. It was a Chinese-style sheath dress with long sleeves and a high Mandarin collar. The left side was split to a point that would fall well above Ezra's knee. "Damn!" Vin turned back to Ezra grinning, "Reckon ah better get to shaving them legs a'yers!"

Ezra chuckled and slid back down in the water, lifting his leg out again, resting it on the side of the tub this time.

Vin gathered up the things he would need to shave Ezra's legs then pulled the chair close to the side of the tub and began his task. He took a deep breath of the scent rising from the tub, "Smells good. What's it."

Ezra sighed softly, "Jasmine. It has an exotic fragrance. Suitable for a flower of the orient."

"Ya done shaved yer face," Vin observed noting how smooth the conman's countenance looked.

"Not shaved… waxed. Unpleasant but necessary. Much smoother and I won't have to do it again tomorrow." He chuckled softly, "In fact I won't have to shave for several weeks."

Vin leaned forward and ran the back of his hand across the gambler's jaw, "Soft, too," he murmured.

Ezra smiled at him then pushed his hand away. "Work before pleasure, Mister Tanner. We'll play… *after* you shave mah legs."

Vin grinned at him and went back to work, making sure that he checked for any spots he might have missed by running his hands along Ezra's legs in long gentle caresses. Occasionally, he would dip a hand into the water to stroke between Ezra's legs.

By the time he finished the assigned task, Ezra was lying back in the tub with both legs resting on the sides, his hips rising and falling in the water, as he moaned and sighed, whimpering in need.

The floor was wet. Vin was wet… and both men were thoroughly aroused.

Vin lay the razor aside and stood up, chuckling "Ya done got me all wet, Ez."

He grinned wickedly at the gambler. "Reckon ah might as well take me a bath, too."

He began slowly removing the rest of his clothes while Ezra watched him with hungry eyes.

One of Ezra's hands left the side of the tub to dip into the water and between his spread thighs.

"Uh… uh… huh!" Vin admonished. "Hands where ah can see'm!"

With a whimper Ezra returned the hand to its place gripping the side of the tub.

When Vin was naked, he moved to the end of the tub and stood for a minute, just looking at the gambler.

Ezra looked utterly wanton splayed out in front of him. His head was thrown back, resting on the rim of the slanted back of the tub. He was panting, lips parted, nostrils flaring. His hands had a white knuckled grip on the sides of the tub. His thighs were spread as wide as he could spread them within the confines of the tub. His freshly shaved legs rested on the sides of the tub, slick with water and soap. His hips moved restlessly, up and down, churning the water. His rock hard cock appeared and disappeared as the water and suds responded to the movements of his hips.

Vin licked his lips and reached down to stroke his own, rampart cock. He knew he wouldn't last long once he was in the tub… and in the gambler.

He stepped over the edge of the end of the tub, standing for an instant before slowly kneeling down, between the gambler's wantonly spread thighs.

His cock bumped against Ezra's buttocks and the gambler growled with need, pressing his hips down to get more contact.

Vin was as eager as Ezra now. He grabbed the soap and ran it along the other man's crack, hastily preparing the gambler. He was too impatient to take a lot of time.

The gambler was too, "Take me, take me, take me," Ezra chanted as Vin worked two fingers up inside him. He pressed down on the fingers moaning. "Please, please, please…"

Vin removed his fingers and pressed the head of his cock to hi eager lover's hole. Gripping the gambler's hips, he pulled Ezra down on his cock.

Ezra groaned and used his grip on the edge of the tub to push himself down on Vin's cock, taking it deep inside himself, groaning at the pleasure of being filled by his lover. "Oh, Lord! Vin!" he cried out as Vin pulled back then thrust back in.

Vin groaned with him, quickly picking up the pace, pounding into the gambler's compliant body, heedless of the water that sloshed over the rim of the tub with every thrust. It only took a dozen or so strokes before Vin was coming. "Ezzzzzzzzzzzzz! Oh God! Ez!"

"VinVinVinVinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" Ezra's legs dropped to lock around Vin's waist and pull him close as Ezra bucked into him, his cum shooting between them.

"Oh, God!" Ezra moaned softly as Vin collapsed on top of him.

Vin let his head drop to Ezra's shoulder, thinking distractedly that it was a good thing that they had sloshed most of the water out of the tub or they might both drown.

They lay tangled together panting for a few moments, letting their breathing and heart rates return to something akin to normal.

After a long few minutes of just lying there, Ezra nudged Vin, "Get off me."

"Can't. Ya killed me."

Ezra chuckled, waited a few seconds and nudged him again, "Don't you dare go to sleep!"

"'m 'wake."

"Prove it."

"Ummmm?"

"Get off me."

"'kay." Vin snuggled closer.

"Vin?"

No answer.

"Vin!"

No answer.

"Dammmit Vin! Wake up!"

"Snnnnnorrrrrrrrrrre."

"Aw, hell!"

Ezra wiggled around and slid up the slanted back of the tub, until he was sitting on the rim and Vin's head was resting on his legs, just barely out of the remaining water.

"I ought to let you drown," he muttered, knowing perfectly well that he wouldn't.

He tugged on Vin to get him farther out of the water and started trying to turn him over. He got Vin on his side then holding on to the tracker, he climbed the rest of the way out of the tub and managed to manhandle Vin on to his back in the tub.

He stood back to look at the tracker. Shaking his head, he muttered, "And this is the man who wakes up when a damn snake slithers across the campsite twenty feet from him!"

He poured warm water from the bucket that sat on the floor to the basin on the washstand and taking a washrag, rinsed himself off. When he was done he looked back at Vin and sighed, "Might as well bathe you since you're already wet."

Vin woke up during the bath. Looking over at Ezra he said, "Sorry Ez. Tireder than I thought I reckon."

Ezra smiled at him as he continued to stroke the tracker with the washcloth. "You had a long ride… and I never could stay mad at you. All is forgiven. Now," he stood up and handed Vin the cloth, "finish up while I start dressing. You are taking Ling Mi to dinner."

"That gonna be your name?"

"Yes, Madame Ling Mi Rennat, a Chinese woman that Captain Vincente Rennat married in the Orient. So you better get used to being Mister Vincente Rennat. I go under Madame Ling because marriage between whites and Orientals are not recognized in the United States. Technically Captain Rennat owns Madame Ling. You have the papers to prove it."

He moved gracefully to the dressing table and sat down before the mirror. He opened a box of theatrical makeup and sat for a long moment studying his face in the mirror before beginning to change his appearance.

An hour later Vin Tanner stepped out of the room looking nothing like hr usually did. He had on a pair of snug fitting tailored pants, with a white silk shirt, (plain, not frilled up, he had refused to accept the ruffled one that Ezra had wanted him to wear), a deep royal blue brocaded silk waistcoat, and a royal blue dove tail coat. He was wearing the black hat that Ezra normally wore and Ezra's gunbelt. He had on thick heeled shiny black boots. He looked every inch the gentleman.

He held the door for his companion. If he had not seen the transformation himself he would never have recognized Ezra. Wearing flat-soled brocade silk slippers that matched his dress, in contrast to the thick-heeled boots Vin wore, Ezra now appeared nearer five inches shorter than Vin rather than the two inches shorter that he actually was. The heavily brocaded silk dress skimmed over his body, covering him completely. The tightly laced corset that he wore under the dress provided the curves that gave the illusion of a womanly form. The high standup collar hid his throat with its giveaway Adam's apple.

The wig he wore was black and the hair fell down his back in a long glossy braid that reminded Vin of Li Pong. Ezra had somehow managed to give his eyes the illusion of a slight upward slant. Their green depths were ringed with thick long lashes. The smooth skin was dusted lightly with a pale powder and the lips, with their bright red rouge stood out like a beacon.

He moved with a graceful gliding motion, taking short little steps. Seeing Vin staring at him, he smiled and shifted his weight so that the left leg peeked out of the slit up the side of the dress. In a soft sibilant voice, modeled on Li Pong's broken English, he asked, "You like? You think Ling Mi ..." he tilted his head to the side as if trying to think of the words as he said, "how you say? De…zire…able?"

"Hell, yeah!" Vin grinned down at him. "I's ready ta haul you back in there and--"

With a soft laugh Ezra cut him off, reaching up to lay a finger across his lips. "Bus… i… ness before pleasure," he murmured being careful to break the word up as if uncertain of the pronunciation. "Ling Mi must reg…is…ter for poker tourn…a…ment."

He moved to Vin's side and slipped his hand in the crook of Vin's arm. "Now, my husband, escort Ling Mi to supper."

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After supper Vin escorted 'Ling Mi' down the main street of Bristol City to the swinging doors of the Hightower Casino where the poker tournament that Ezra had come to enter was being held.

Ling Mi walked proudly, head up, eyes ahead, one hand resting easily in the crook of her husband's arm. The time spent at dinner had been worth it. It had given him reassurance that Ling Mi was indeed a viable character. Not one person in the hotel dining room had given the slightest indication that they thought that Ling Mi was anything other than what she appeared.

The Hightower Casino would be the true test however. Mike Hightower, the casino owner, had personally thrown Ezra Standish out of the casino just over five months before, threatening to shoot him, if he ever returned. That was the main reason for this masquerade. Ezra was determined to win the poker tournament that was being held there and take home the twenty-five *thousand* dollars that would be on the table. If he had to do it incognito… so be it.

The noise in the casino faded a bit as Vin escorted Ling Mi through the door and lead her across the floor to the table that had been set up for the gamblers who wished to enter the tournament to register at.

"Is this where you register for the tournament?" Vin asked, careful to use the proper word since he was imitating Ezra's normal speech patterns.

The tall, broad-shouldered man sitting behind the desk looked up and studied the couple with dark blue eyes. "It is. Just write your name right here." He turned a book around to Vin.

"Not me, mah good man. Mah woman is the poker playah in the family," Vin said, and reached for the pen.

"Don't know as we want a China woman in the game," Hightower said with a frown.

Vin straightened, anger flaring in his eyes.

Ling Mi turned to lay a hand on his arm. "Be calm… my husband."

She turned to face Mike Hightower. "I be told, five hundred dollar all required to play."

She opened her purse and drew out a wad of bills. "Ling Mi have five hundred dollar. Ling Mi play." She looked the man in the eyes holding the gaze steadily.

He looked away first. His gaze going to the open book. He needed this tourney to stay in business. That damn fight five months ago had cost him plenty. He was still trying to get everything replaced or repaired. He'd gone out on a limb at the bank borrowing money to refurbish the bar when he had bought it, bringing in all new furnishing, brass fixtures and crystal chandeliers, faro tables, roulette wheels and other gambling equipment. His was the finest gambling hall between St. Louis and Denver but the fight had destroyed a lot of it.

He had promised a poker tournament with fifty players and a pot of twenty-five thousand dollars. He was charging admission to watch the game based on that promise. So far there were only forty-one entries on the list of contestants. He needed nine more. If he let her enter, then he would only need eight more. The game started tomorrow night. He didn't have time enough to be picky about who he let play.

He turned the book around, looking up at her. "You have to sign the book yourself. He can't do it for you. Name and where you're from."

She smiled at him. "I sign." Picking up the pen she wrote in the book, 'Madame Ling, San Francisco'.

He looked at the register then said, "I have to count the money. You'll get chips to hold for the game." He held out his hand for the money and she handed it over.

He counted it and started to drop it in the cash box on the table.

Her hand caught his. "Chips." The smile was gone.

"You'll get them," he snapped.

He pulled his hand loose… and suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of a derringer, held in the woman's slender hand.

"Chips now." The green eyes had turned to ice. The derringer didn't waiver.

He cut his eyes up at the man standing beside the woman.

The man grinned at him. "She can get right nasty 'bout money," he drawled.

Hightower's eyes went back to the woman.

"You give Ling Mi chips… then… you put money in box… not before." The voice was as cold as the eyes and the derringer held steady.

He dropped the money on the table and counted out five one-hundred-dollar chips.

She picked them up with her free hand and looked at them. The derringer disappeared up her sleeve. She nodded to him and turned away. The tall handsome man with her grinned at Hightower, then tipped his hat to the casino owner and followed her out.

************************************************

As they made their way down the boardwalk from the Casino heading back towards the hotel, Ling stopped suddenly to look in the window of a photographer's shop.

Vin came to a halt behind his lover. His eyes searching for what had caught her/his attention.

"What is it, dahlin'?" he asked in a passable imitation of Ezra's southern drawl, his hands coming to rest on her/his shoulders.

He felt the shoulders tense and saw his lover swallow hard.

Then the soft, sibilant voice said, "Is nothing… my husband." Ling turned away, but Vin's hands held her.

"Ya want a picture, Baby?" He leaned in close, "Gotta say I wouldn't mind one. I *like* how you look. I'd love to be able ta look at a picture and remember this adventure."

"You really don't mind?" The voice was still soft, but the broken English was gone.

"I really not mind." Vin whispered in Ezra's ear, using the broken English to remind him that *he* was the one that had insisted that they hold their characters for the duration.

His lover looked up at him and smiled, "Ling Mi, want." S/he said softly.

Smiling Vin guided her to the door and opened it, escorting her in.

The photographer came out of the back, as the bell tinkled to let him know he had a customer.

"Evenin' folks. I'm Ed Hawkins, the photographer. I ain't usually open this late, but what can I do for you?"

"My wife would like a picture of us, if its not too much trouble, Mister Hawkins?"

"Well… since I'm still here. I don't see any problem."

"Would we be able to get two copies?" Vin asked, "Don't mean ta make it more difficult but my wife's ma's in San Francisco, she ain't never seen me and well Ling kinda wanted to send her a picture and I… I want one to keep."

"Sure, I'll just take two pictures. Ya'll pay fer two and ya get two."

He led them back into the other room and began hurrying around arranging things. He looked them over. "Hummmm. I think the little lady should sit down and you, sir, can stand behind her…." He gestured to a chair.

Ling Mi moved hesitantly towards it and sat carefully, letting her hands rest on the chair arms. She looked up at the man with wide green eyes.

"Your hands should be in your lap ma'am." He instructed gently, seeing the uncertainty there.

She carefully folded her hands in her lap and ducked her head.

Vin stepped behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. Instantly one of Ling's hand reached up to capture one of his.

"No, my dear," Mister Hawkins chided quietly, "Leave your hands in your lap."

She returned the hand to her lap, twisting it with the other one. Her head bowed again.

Mister Hawkins looked at them through the camera and made some adjustments then stepped out again. "You have to look at the camera, dear."

She looked up and shied back a bit reaching for Vin's hand again.

Mister Hawkins frowned.

Vin cleared his throat, "Excuse me, sir. I know you're the expert and all but how about we compromise. Ya let her keep a hold on my hand and she'll sit real still and look at the camera for ya. That way we can get this done." He looked down at Ling, "That be all right with you, dahlin'?"

She bobbed her head once in a quick, nod of agreement. "Please?"

"Well… It's ya'lls picture. Reckon we can pose it that'a'way iffn ya want."

Vin grinned at him and nodded. A few minutes later the pictures had been taken and were being developed.

Some time later when Ed brought the pictures out to them, he showed them to Vin first.

Vin grinned and held them out to Ling, "I think they came out real good. I like them."

S/he looked down at the photographs. Vin stood behind her, his left hand rested on her shoulder, the other reached a bit farther down to hold her right hand.

In the first she faced straight ahead, one hand on the armrest of the chair, her legs turned just slightly to the left, concealing the slit in her dress.

In the second she sat slightly sideways, facing right. Her face was closer to three quarter's view than straight-ahead. She wore a slight enigmatic smile. One brow arched prettily. Her left hand lay in her lap and the slit in her dress was open to reveal a flash of creamy skin and a garter with a long, thin, pearl-handled blade slipped under it.

Both clearly showed the wedding bands on their hands.

Vin picked up the second one. "This one," he said, "is mine!"

Ling Mi blushed.

Vin paid the photographer and they left with the pictures.

Ling Mi seemed thoughtful. As they neared the hotel, she asked, "My husband?"

"Yes, dahlin'."

"Why two, picture?"

Vin's grin grew wicked, "Like I told the gentleman, gonna send one to yer ma."

Ling's jaw dropped, "I. *Will*. Kill. You!" s/he hissed, jerking away from him and hurrying into the hotel. She padded up the stairs to their room, quickly opening the door.

She was waiting, holding the door open when Vin arrived. She slammed it closed behind him.

"Maude is *nevah* to see this picture!" S/he snarled before he could say anything. "Nevah! Do you hear me, Vin Tannah? I will personally slit your throat, if I ever suspect she has seen it!"

"Now, Ez… calm down, dahlin'…"

"Don't you dahlin, me you…. You… hmmmphhh!" S/he broke off abruptly as Vin grabbed her and kissed her.

When he felt the tension start to leave Ezra, he stepped back.

S/he shook her head, but the smile had come back to her face. "That not fair… my husband. How am I to be angry with you when you so sexy." She took a gliding step towards him, a gleam in her eyes.

He backed away.

S/he kept coming. The short gliding steps somehow reminded him of a tiger stalking its prey.

His knees hit the edge of the bed and he sat down abruptly.

She stepped closer and slipped one leg between his knees pushing them apart so that she could step between them.

He looked up into the hot green eyes and smiling face of his lover. He arms reached up to encircle the slender waist and pull his lover to him. He breathed deeply. Jasmine… not the more familiar smell of sandalwood but it didn't matter. He loved the person in his arms.

His hands caressed the curves of the form he held, knowing that they were an illusion and not caring. Form did not matter. Clothes did not matter. Nothing mattered except that underneath was Ezra… and Ezra was his… his alone.

He wrapped his arms around the narrow waist and buried his face against the warm body. He kissed the brocaded silk knowing that Ezra would understand the intent, even though the thick brocaded silk and the corset beneath would make it impossible for him to really feel the kisses.

Ling arched into the embrace and one hand moved to sweep the narrow brimmed black hat off Vin's head and toss it blindly towards the valet. 

Her fingers tangled in Vin's hair, guiding his head as he continued to press kisses across the flat belly.

With a moan s/he reached back and caught the hands that encircled her waist and drew them forward, breaking his hold on her.

Vin looked up at her questioningly.  

S/he smiled and taking a delicate step back sank slowly to her knees between his spread thighs. S/he released his hands and nimble fingers dropped to open the buttons of his pants.

With a groan of anticipation he leaned back and opened his thighs wider, giving her better access.

He looked down into the face that was now level with his groin, a face that both was and was not his beloved Ezra's.

Green eyes glittered with amused pleasure, the scarlet painted lips curved in a familiar smile. A pink tongue flicked out and licked the corner of the upper lip in a familiar gesture that would forever remind him of a cat, licking away cream.

Then one slender hand closed around his bludgeoning cock and pulled it out of his pants. The smile grew into a smirk as Ling Mi looked up at him.

Finally, as his breath began to hitch at the mere thought of what was to come, the dark head ducked down and red lips spread to take in the head of his leaking cock. After one long glide of soft lips down the shaft the head lifted again and s/he looked up into his eyes as she carefully licked the very tip of the cock, dipping the warm, wet tongue into the weeping slit there.

His groan brought a soft laugh from her and s/he sat back and smirked at him, deliberately making him wait.

Vin's hips thrust upward, into the soft hand that held his cock. The grip tightened, pumped up and down once then the mouth returned to take him in all at once to the root of the shaft. He cried out and fell back on the bed as s/he began working him in earnest. The hot wet cavern surrounding his cock, applied suction then released it, slid down him to the root then rose completely off. The agile tongue slipped around the flared crown and dipped into the slit again then slid down the shaft, licking the full length of the underside. Sharp little teeth nipped their way back up the shaft then the tongue delved into the slit again before the heated cavern again enclosed his aching shaft.

S/he worked him diligently until he thought he had to explode or die… then suddenly all contact was gone. He cried out at the loss and reached out blindly, panting with need.

S/he laughed and was suddenly standing again between his legs.

He sat up and grabbed her around the waist, thrusting against her and trying to pull her down on him but s/he was braced against it and he could not.

"My husband…" the voice was playful, almost sing-songy.

He forced himself to look up into the gleaming green eyes, knowing that s/he wanted something but almost to far-gone to care.

"Ling Mi wear red dress tomorrow…."

He knew it meant something but his mind was too fogged to realize what until the voice continued.

"Ling Mi not need this dress again."

Realization dawned as the slim hand guided his larger one to the slit in the side of the dress. With a growl he wrapped his other arm around her hips and clutched the other edge of the slit. He pulled hard and was rewarded with the sound of the seam ripping up her side all the way to the armhole seam.

He rose from the bed and spun her in his arms throwing her onto the bed on her knees, facing away from him. He threw back the torn open dress to reveal her buttocks. They were naked between where the silk wrapped corset ended and the silk fabric wrapped around her upper thighs to keep Ezra's cock and balls out of sight between his legs and remind him to use the dainty short steps that Ling Mi would walk with. A finger delved between them and he felt the slicked up entrance.

"Oh God!" he groaned. Thankful that Ezra had planned this and had prepared for it. He was so hot for his lover that he didn't know if he could have taken the time to use the grease. He grabbed his cock and rubbed it up and down the slick crack.

As soon as it brushed across the entrance to his body, Ezra cried out, "Yes! Please take me, my husband! Take Ling Mi!"

He could not deny Ezra anything, so he did. He drove forward hard, impaling his excited lover on his eager shaft. His hands grabbed the narrow hips, bare on one side and covered with the brocaded silk of the pale green dress on the other and pulled them back as he gave his lover what he wanted.

Somehow even in the throes of passion Ezra maintained his persona and his cries of pleasure came out in the higher-pitched, broken English of Ling Mi.

"Yes, My Husband! Harder! Take Ling Mi! Ling Mi… belong you! Only you!"

Vin pounded into the body beneath him mercilessly. Reality blurred as the dark braid bounced across her back and his hands clutched at the silk of her dress. For the last few seconds as he felt his climax building s/he was Ling Mi. S/he was his wife.

"Ling Mi!" His coarse cry mingled with hers. "My Ling! My wife! Mine! Mine! Mine!" he chanted, each word punctuated with a savage thrust into the body beneath him.

"Yours! Yours! Yours!" Ling Mi echoed back at him as he went rigid and emptied his seed into her.

He collapsed across her back, the brocaded silk of her dress rough against his cheek as he gasped for breath.

She remained, knelling on the edge of the bed, her face turned to the side now and pressed into the mattress by his weight, as out of breath as he was.

After a long moment he dragged himself off her with a groan. Pulling her up with him he hugged her from behind and kissed up the side of her neck to the ear lobe and nibbled at it.

"Oh, Lord, Vin, that was intense," Ezra sighed.

One of Vin's hands drifted towards his groin.

Ezra pushed it away. "No, mah love. Ah've come and Ah have not the strength to go another round. If you would be so kind…" he gave a soft chuckle, to indicate that he knew he was missing his accent and his persona, "my husband, as to clean us up. Ah do believe I shall have no difficulty sleeping this night."

Vin nodded still plastered against his lover's back. "Let me catch my breath, Baby."

Ezra smiled and as Vin finally released him, kicked off the brocaded silk slippers and slid off the bed just long enough to throw back the covers and slide in. He was asleep by the time Vin returned with a rag to clean him up.

He barely stirred as Vin carefully cleaned him then crawled into the bed, spooning up close behind him. Vin wrapped an arm around his love and kissed the slender neck once more. "Night, Ez," he whispered.

"Nite, love," a sleepy murmur replied.

************************************************

Morning found Vin up at the crack of dawn. He rode out of town for a short distance, looking for a place where he could have a little peace and quiet to commune with nature and get his nerves settled before he had to face the crowd in the casino. He knew that Ezra wouldn't be up until almost noon so he had plenty of time.

He meandered along, following the streambed of a small creek until he came to a place where the small stream widened out and formed a small pool. It was canopied by tall oaks and well shaded. He ground tied Peso, loosing the cinch on the saddle and leaving him on the creek bank where he had good grass and could reach the water to drink.

He sat down under one of the big oaks, leaning back and looking up at the clear blue sky through the shading branches. It was going to be a beautiful day. A soft breeze blew across the creek and he took off his hat, letting the wind blow through his hair. It reminded him of the way Ezra's fingers would gently brush through his hair when they were just lying together, cuddling.

He couldn't remember ever being so content or happy before he had come to Four Corners. He'd spent his life virtually alone after his mother's death when he was five. Now he had friends… Nettie, Miz Travis, Mrs. Potter, Inez and Casey… and a family… five brothers… and a lover.

He smiled when he thought of Ezra. How a man like Ezra had fallen in love with him was still a mystery to him… but he had no doubts about that love. Ezra did love him. That was one of the few things that he was certain of in this world.

God the man was so… versatile. Versatile was an 'Ezra word' as he liked to think of some of the words he now used, long words with precise meanings that he had learned from his lover.

Chris had said once that he thought that there was a frustrated actor in Ezra somewhere.

Vin had just laughed. He had thought it would be obvious to Chris that as a conman Ezra had to be an actor. After all that was really all a con was, a play where the main character, the conman, directed the action of the other players, who didn't know they where taking part in a play, making them do what he wanted. It took a damned good actor to pull it off.

He grinned. Ezra was a damned good actor. Ling Mi was proof of that. Hell, there were moments when even Vin, who knew perfectly well that Ling Mi wasn't real, still couldn't 'see' Ezra under the disguise.

The fantasy that they had indulged in last night had been incredible. He felt himself growing hard at the memory. He pulled out the pocket watch (Ezra's watch) that he was wearing as part of his Vincente Rennat disguise and checked the time. Almost ten. If he headed back now, he should be back before Ezra was awake.

He smiled to himself as he tightened Peso's cinch and swung into the saddle. He loved to watch Ezra wake up, loved to see the sleepy green eyes blink up at him and the soft smile spread across Ezra's face as he slowly came awake and realized that Vin was there with him. He loved the look of wonder and love that shone in Ezra's eyes… as if he still couldn't quite believe that Vin was there, that he was loved in turn.

He turned Peso back towards town, eager now to get back to his lover.

************************************************

Ezra stirred in his sleep. Something tickled his nose. He brushed at it with an indolent hand and snuggled deeper into the soft featherbed. It returned and someone blew gently on his neck just below his ear.

A smile spread slowly across his face. "Vin," he murmured.

"Yeah, time to wake up sleepyhead." Vin drawled in his ear before catching the lobe between his lips and tugging gently.

Ezra rolled over to blink up at him, long lashes, brushing his cheeks as he did. The deep red of the rouge on his lips had worn off some during the night but they still looked full and soft and inviting.

Vin leaned in and kissed them.

Ezra chuckled, "Ah get the impression that you didn't wake me up to get me out of bed?"

Vin chuckled in turn, "Now what gave ya that idea?"

"Well, now, it could have something to do with your being stark naked and…" he let one hand glide down Vin's chest and across his stomach to brush against the rock hard cock standing at attention against that flat belly, "…and rather obviously eager for some lovin'." He smiled up at Vin with love filled eyes.

Vin reached up to run a hand lightly over the dark wig that Ezra still wore. "Ya know I love ya, Ez… don't matter none to me how yer dressed but there's just something about ya in a dress that makes me horny as hell."

Ezra grinned again. "I rather like the idea that I can still make you horny as hell after all this time."

"Only been a year, Ez."

"I know but… neither of us has a history of long term relationships. Now, do we?"

Vin nodded, leaning in to kiss the soft lips again. "Hadn't ever thought about spending my whole life with somebody before ya."

Ezra quirked an eyebrow at him wondering, if he should ask about Charlotte.

Vin seemed to hear the unspoken question. "Weren't really nothin' ta me'n Charlotte. Never done more'n kiss her and knowed all the time that I was just runnin' from what I's feelin' fer ya. I's all frustrated with wantin' ya and thinkin' that there weren't no way ya'd ever want me. Still ain't quite sure what ya want with me…"

"*You* love *me*, Mister Tanner. Me, with all my many fallacies and phobias, with all my schemes and dreams and low morals. You ask nothing of me except that I love you in return. I don't have the words to explain to you what that means to me, to have finally found someone who does not want anything of me or from me, someone who only wants me... just as I am." He reached up to caress the tracker's face, "And for that person to be you… a man of honor, moral strength and pride, overwhelms me. I can do nothing but feel honored and grateful that you would even look at me."

Vin smiled down at him and shifted to lie atop him, "Right now, my love, I wanna do a lot more than look at you."

Ezra's delighted chuckle was his only answer as the gambler reached up to pull him closer.

************************************************

They had a late lunch in the hotel dining room. Vin was glad that there were few people there. He was feeling distinctly jealous of Ezra as Ling Mi. He didn't want everyone gawking at his lover.

Ezra looked fantastic in the red silk sheath dress. Although it was exactly the same style as the green one had been, it seemed some how more erotic and Ezra seemed to practically glow in it. He moved with easy grace, his eyes shining and a slight smile on his elegant features. He wore just enough makeup to bring out his natural coloring. He looked energized and Vin could almost feel an aura of power surrounding him.

He had the feeling that Ezra had been right about coming for the tournament. He felt lucky. He felt that Ezra would be lucky in the game.

After lunch they strolled around town getting the lay of the land so to speak. Although they had been to Bristol City several times in the last year, it was a growing community and had changed considerably just in the five months since their last visit.

************************************************

The poker tournament was due to start Friday afternoon and last until. Mike Hightower had requested that all the gamblers who had registered to play assemble at the hall no later than six o'clock in the afternoon.

He had closed the doors to the public at four and would reopen them with everything arranged for the tournament at seven.

When Vin and Ezra arrived only about half of the other forty-nine entrants and any entourages that they might have were already assembled. They were filling up the seats that sat the closest to the roped off area where Hightower's people were sitting up the tables and chairs for the game. There were ten tables with six chairs each. Every table would seat five players and a professional dealer to discourage cheating.

Vin escorted Ling Mi to the front row and grabbed them a pair of seats almost directly in front of Hightower.

Hightower waited until all the registered players were there before beginning his speech.

"First I want to welcome you all and say what a great pleasure it is to have so many fine poker players assembled under my humble roof." He paused to let the gruffs of laughter die down as people glanced up at the high vaulted ceiling with its ostentatious crystal chandeliers and gold glided frescoes.

When things had quieted down a bit, he went on. "Now I'd like to explain how the tournament will work. Each of you holds five one hundred-dollar chips. After you have been assigned a beginning table you will trade your chips for the cash which I have been keeping in my safe for you. You will then proceed to your tables and wait to begin play. The doors to the casino will be opened to the public at seven o'clock sharp. Play begins at seven-thirty, sharp."

He paused to look around, "I see that some of you have others with you. I will permit any player who wishes to have a bodyguard. However, no player may have a weapon on his," he paused to look pointedly at Ling Mi, "or her person nor may the bodyguard wear a concealed weapon. Player's weapons will be turned in when you trade your chips for cash and will be held by my casino guards until the tournament is over. If you have no bodyguard I can provide a member of my casino staff to fill that role."

He looked around to see who might be upset by the no weapons edict and was a bit surprised that Ling Mi seemed unperturbed by it, since he had made it solely because of her and the derringer she had stuck in his face the previous day.

"The first round will consist of ten tables with five players and a dealer each. Play continues until only one player remains at each table, holding all the money from all the players at that table. Those ten players will advance to the second round, which will consist of two tables of five players and a dealer each. Again play will continue until only one player remains at each table. In the final round those two players will play against each other."

He looked around and asked, "Any questions."

"Yes, dahling," a female voice speaking in a distinctly southern drawl came from the back of the assemblage, "should the play continue through the night, might I ask if we shall be granted a brief respite upon occasion?"

Vin's head almost snapped around to look for the source of the voice but Ling Mi's hand suddenly turning into a death grip on his arm froze him. He no longer needed to look. The grip alone told him that he hadn't mistaken the voice.

Maude Standish was in the game.

He felt the tension knotting up every muscle of Ling Mi's body for just a second then, he heard her draw in a deep breath, hold it and let it out slowly. The death grip loosened and the tension seemed to flow out of her.

She tilted her elegant head and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Mother. So be it."

She drew back and leaned back in the chair as if she had not a concern in the world. "Relax, my husband."

He looked down into her eyes and saw the resolution there. They would go on. If s/he ended up at the table with Maude they would deal with it when it happened. S/he would simply pray to Josiah's god that s/he did not have to go head to head with Maude in the final round… and if she did… if she could fool Maude. Well, that would be something, wouldn't it?

************************************************

The tables were assigned on a first come first served basis. The first person in line to the first table, the second to the second table and so on until all the tables had one player seated. Then the pattern repeated.

Ling Mi was assigned to the fifth table, almost exactly in the middle of the roped off area. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maude, being her pushy self as usual, had moved to the head of the line and was assigned to the first table.

Ling Mi stepped up to the table to exchange her chips for money and remove her weapons.

Hightower asked for her weapons first. "I'll want that derringer," he said pointedly.

Ling Mi smiled and said, "Ling Mi no bring derringer." She pulled her sleeves up to show that she had nothing up either sleeve.

Still smiling she continued. "Ling Mi have dagger, though." She turned and shifted her weight so that the slit in her dress opened to reveal the long thin dagger slipped under her garter.

Hightower's eyes widened at the long smooth expanse of leg that she showed him as she drew the dagger from its place and held it out to him. Only the hard look in her husband's eyes as the man stood close behind her kept Hightower from doing something foolish.

************************************************

Play began at seven-thirty precisely. The balcony overlooking the playing area was filled to capacity.  

Ling Mi proved to be as lucky as Vin had thought s/he would be. It was barely ten o'clock when she closed down her table. Now all there was to do was wait until the other tables closed.

Since theirs was the first table to be closed, s/he and Vin remained at the table being joined by the other winners as each table was closed.

It was midnight before Maude's table was closed, by that time there were already five players seated at the table with Ling Mi and one or two at the second table. As soon as the last two tables closed, the next round would begin.

Vin had breathed a sigh of relief that Maude hadn't ended up at the table with Ezra. She would have to make it through the next round before he'd have to worry about Ezra having to face her across the table and it was possible that she wouldn't win her table again.

As they waited for the next round, they ate and drank.

Hightower was providing food and drink to all the players. Vin noted that Ezra was being very careful of how much alcohol he was consuming, asking if there was tea available. He kept a close watch on his own alcohol consumption, carefully nursing a single beer through out the long wait.

Finally, at around three o'clock, the last table closed.

Ezra had told Vin that the second round should go much faster than the first one. Everyone was tired, many were drowsy and a few were even drunk.

Ling Mi leaned in close to her husband, whispering, "My husband, the young gentleman is being most careful of his drink."

"The one in the black suit?" Vin whispered back.

They continued the conversation in whispers.

"Yes. He is one of the Maverick boys, I believe."

"Maverick boys?"

"Famous gamblers. He is the one."

"You think he'll win the table, not Maude?"

"She drinks too much. She does when she is overconfident. It is a mistake."

"Didn't seem to slow her down when she was in town."

"There was no real competition there."

Vin nodded. He'd never seen so many good poker players in one place before.

The tables were cleared while the winner of the last table to close ate a hasty meal then play began on the second round.

Although it was almost three-thirty in the morning, a surprising number of spectators remained.

Ling Mi was right about the Maverick boy, as she had called him. He won the other table just moments after Ling Mi again closed out her table.

As the third and final round began at a quarter to five in the morning, it was Ling Mi and Ben Maverick at the last table.

Hightower was clearly not pleased.

Vin wasn't sure why Hightower wasn't pleased, but he was clearly unhappy about who was sitting at the final table. Vin decided to keep an eye on him while Ezra played. He remained close to the table but tracked Hightower with his eyes. The man spoke sharply to several of the other gamblers that had made up the two tables in the second round. To Vin it seemed as if he were berating them for not winning. Had Hightower had a fix in?

************************************************

"Hey, Chris!"

The dark clad gunslinger turned to see Buck Wilmington forcing his way through the crowd towards the table where Chris was ensconced. JD Dunne hurried along behind him.

The big man made it though the crowd to Chris. "Hey pard ya gotta come over ta Hightower's with us!" Buck grinned.

"No."

"Awww, come'n Chris, we need ya to settle a bet."

"Let some body else settle it."

"Can't no body else settle it."

Chris favored his oldest friend with a disbelieving look.

"Well, unless we ask the fella hizself and iffn we do that and I'm right… well we'll mess up what ever Vin's up to."

"Vin?"

"Yeah. He's at Hightower's," Buck nodded hopefully.

"It ain't Vin," JD put in. "He'd never dress like that!"

"Like what?" Chris demanded.

"Well," Buck drawled, dragging out the word, "It kinda looks like he got into Ezra's wardrobe."

Chris fixed him with a disbelieving look. Vin might be sleeping with Ezra but no way would he wear Ezra's clothes.

"See. I told ya. Chris knows it ain't him without even looking!" JD crowed triumphantly.

"Now wait a minute! Ya can't do that. Only way ta know fer sure is ta go over there! I'm tellin' ya iffn that ain't Vin then he's got a fancy dressing twin brother!"

Chris looked from one to the other of them. He still wasn't sure what he was doing here in the first place. Buck and the kid had dragged him off saying he needed a vacation. True, he had been somewhat grouchy lately. Since Mary was in Santa Fe, visiting her father-in-law, Judge Travis, and his wife, and Vin, had ridden out to God only knows where, because he and Ezra had had a "fuss", as Vin referred to the arguments that he and his lover sometimes had. It didn't matter if the "fuss" was a few harsh words or if Ezra had tossed him out, telling him he could sleep in his wagon, Vin still called it a "fuss", period.

Considering, that the two men were among the muleheadedest he'd ever set eyes to, it amazed him that they had stayed together as long as they had. Still, this particular quarrel had seemed different. It was too public. The shouting match had taken place in the saloon in front of all of them… and it had been Ezra that stormed out first, saddling Chaucer and riding away. Vin had remained in the saloon, sullen and drinking late into the night, refusing to talk to anyone, waiting until the next morning to saddle Peso and ride out, telling Chris he'd be back in a few days, a week at most.

Now Buck thought he'd seen Vin at Hightower's casino. Something was definitely going on.

He shoved his chair back and rose. "Don't reckon it'll hurt to look."

************************************************

They had to pay to get into the balcony above the main floor where the poker tournament was in process, in order to get close enough to the tables to see what Buck was talking about.

There were only two players left in the game, a tall dark-haired man in a black broadcloth suit and a Chinese woman. It was the man who stood behind the woman that Buck had decided was Vin.

Chris only needed one look to know.

As soon as the man felt Chris' eyes on him he looked up and their eyes met.

Whatever had passed between them that first day on the street, passed between them again.

It was *Vin*… and he did look as if he had gotten into Ezra's wardrobe… except that the coat and pants fit him too well. They had to have been tailored for him. The gunbelt that hung around his waist though, that *was* Ezra's… and Ezra had been wearing it when he left Four Corners… which meant Ezra was here.

Vin's hand fell to the shoulder of the Chinese woman sitting at the table. She raised her head, just enough to see Chris and one eyebrow rose in a familiar gesture.

Chris blinked… and looked again.

The 'woman' had turned her attention back to the game. She smiled a tiny little smile that showed no teeth.

In that instant Chris got it. He nearly laughed out loud. The 'quarrel' had been staged. Ezra was sitting at the table with Vin's hand on his shoulder… and twenty-five thousand dollars in the pot!

"That sneaky son of a bitch!" Chris couldn't keep the admiration out of his voice.

"Hey! That ain't no way to talk about your best friend, Chris!" Buck exclaimed then added, "You do mean that's Vin, don'tcha?" Then switched back to his original thought, "even if he is off gallivanting with some woman while Ez--"

"Not Vin, Buck. Ezra."

"Ezra?" Buck and JD both turned stunned eyes on him.

"You were wrong, Buck."

"It ain't Vin! I knew it!" JD crowed.

"Oh, that's Vin down there, all right." Chris started making his way back out of the crowded, casino, leaving the other two to follow if they had more questions.

On the relatively deserted street, Buck caught up to him. "Whoa up, pard! If that's Vin in there, then I win! So, what am I wrong about."

"Green," Chris said firmly.

"Green? What the hell does that mean?" Buck was totally confused now.

"It ain't Ezra's color."

"What?" Both JD and Buck were looking at him like he was nuts now.

"After Wickestown, ya kept teasing Ezra about the purple dress, sayin' ya was gonna buy him a green dress to match his eyes…"

"So?"

"So ya better make it red."

They both looked at him in confusion, still not getting it.

Buck looked at JD and JD looked at Buck as realization began to dawn.

"Oh, my God!" JD suddenly started to laugh.

Buck turned several interesting shades of red. "No… n-no," he stammered, "It can't be… ain't no way…. That… China doll… no… uh-huh. No way. It. Can. Not. Be. That ain't Ezra!" He finally managed to get out in a strangled voice. "Buck Wilmington, knows a woman when he sees one and… and…" He turned desperate eyes on Chris, "Please… please tell me that… that ain't…." He couldn't finish the sentence.

Chris leaned in close and wrapped an arm around Buck's shoulder and then leaned forward to look around Buck at JD, "Is there some reason for Buck to be upset about Ezra wearing a dress, JD?"

JD was still laughing. He snorted, helplessly, "Naw, he's just been going on and on and on about what a doll that China woman was. How lucky the guy with her is and how much he'd like ta just… well ya know, Buck." He mimicked his best buddy, "'Ole Buck'd show her a *real* good time.'."

Buck stood head hung down, "Jesus!" he whispered.

Chris gave him a hug. "Look on the bright side, pard. All you did was look and talk," he grinned at his old friend. "Could have been a hell of a lot worse! Once upon a time… a long time ago… I took this really gorgeous woman up to my room and got me one hell of a surprise!"

Buck gave him a serious look, "Ya ain't just sayin' that are ya Chris? To make me feel better? 'Cause we been friends a long time and this is the first I heard of this."

"Buck it ain't the kind of thing that a guy would just up and tell another guy… without a reason." JD put in. The laughter was gone from his voice.

"It's the truth Buck… and after I got over the shock… hell! He was damned good in bed! Best blowjob I ever had."

Buck nodded slowly. He looked at JD and said, "Could we maybe just forget this ever happened, kid? Forget about the bet and everything…. Just head on home?"

JD smiled at him, "Sure, Buck. If that's okay with Chris."

Chris shrugged, "Fine by me. I didn't wanna come in the first place."

As they rode out of town they could hear whoops and yells coming from the casino. Fireworks were being set off on the roof.

"Wonder who won?" JD said.

"Hell, JD," Buck laughed, "Ezra was at the table! Who the hell do ya think won?"

"Well that other fella was a professional gambler, too…" JD protested.

************************************************

Ben Maverick looked down at his cards with a sigh. He'd learned to play at his daddy's knee, his uncles were all in the game. He'd really thought that he had a chance at the twenty-five thousand-dollar prize in this tournament… and really he hadn't done too badly. He had made it all the way to the final table just to lose it all to the little China doll sitting across from him. He forced a smile and nodded as she reached to pull the pot to her.

He rose and nodded to the man behind her. "Mrs. Rennat, Mr. Rennat. Been a pleasure."

"It has been great pleasure, Mister Maverick." She rose gracefully and extended her hand.

He took it and bent to kiss the back lightly. "Perhaps, we'll meet again sometime."

"Perhaps." She smiled a demure smile and bowed her head.

He picked up his hat and tipped it to them then walked away.

Ling Mi and her husband finished collecting the money. She sorted it quickly and efficiently by denomination and tucked it into her bag, ignoring Hightower who had come over and was attempting to get them to join him at the bar for a congratulatory drink.

"We can secure the money in my safe," he was saying.

"No." Ling Mi's voice was sharp cutting through the conversation between her husband and the casino manager. "We go Hotel. They have safe."

She held out a roll of bills towards Hightower. "Twenty percent, Casino share."

Hightower took the roll and quickly thumbed through it ignoring the insulted look that Ling Mi threw him.

"It all there!" she snapped then turned to her husband, "Come, my husband. We go now."

Vin followed Ezra out of the Casino and across the street to the hotel. He could tell by the set of Ezra's shoulders that his lover was angry.

They were barely in their room. Vin turning to lock the door when Ezra snarled, "The nerve of that man! Counting the money! He might as well have called me a liar!"

Vin, who was stripping out of the fancy duds that Ezra had had him wear and changing back into his buckskins, tried to placate him. "Reckon he figured that he oughta since he don't know this Ling Mi Rennat at'll, Baby."

Ezra sniffed. "Still it was an insult." He turned his back to Vin. "Get this off of me."

Vin grabbed up his knife from the dresser he had left it on and slipped it under the collar of the dress quickly slitting the dress down the back so that it fell open.

Ezra quickly slid the sleeves off and stepped out of the dress.

Vin took a step as well staying with Ezra and slipping the knife under the bottom edge of the corset, slitting it open as well, letting it fall away. He paused a moment letting Ezra take the first really deep breaths he had had since putting the corset on that morning before he slipped the knife under the edge of the silk bindings that held Ezra's thighs together and cut them off as well.

As Ezra moved away to step into his silk briefs and pull his pinstriped black pants up over them, he said, "I expect Mother will be here shortly."

Vin nodded. He hadn't expected Maude to be fooled by Ezra's disguise for long. Once she was no longer distracted by the game, and could just look at Ling Mi he was pretty sure she'd get it.

There was a light knock at the door.

Vin grabbed up his mare's leg from the desk and Ezra plucked his Remington out of the holster that Vin had hung from the bedpost when he took it off.

He gave Vin a nod and the tracker opened the door.

Maude Standish stood there as if conjured up by their thoughts of her. She stared at Ezra for a long moment and his brow furrowed in puzzlement then he shook his head.

He was still wearing the wig.

He turned back to the room, tossing his gun on the bed and reaching up to pull off the wig. It didn't come easily. He had used spirit gum around the edges of the wig near the eyes to keep the wig in place and pull the skin up and give his eyes a slight slant.

Maude stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, "Ezra?"

"Yes, Mother. It is me. Unfortunately there isn't time for lengthy explanations."

Vin snorted, thinking that was the damned truth, especially given the fact that both Ezra and his Mother could talk the horns off a brass billy goat.

Maude turned her head to glance at Vin when he snorted.

Ezra ignored it and continued talking to Maude. "Vin and I are leaving. Now. I suggest you come with us, before Hightower realizes that Ling Mi and I are one and the same. He knows you are my mother. When he realizes who I am and remembers that you did nothing to betray my identity, he'll be most unpleasant towards you."

"I'll need a few minutes to pack."

"Be at the livery in ten minutes or we leave without you," Ezra said sharply.

She nodded and turned to leave.

"Mother!" Ezra called her back. He moved to the bag that Vin had been packing and pulled out a pair of his pants. "You'll need these. I doubt that you have riding clothes."

"No, I don't have anything suitable for a long ride," Maude admitted.

Ezra nodded, then snatching up the bag that Ling Mi had used to put the money in, he pulled out a handful of bills and quickly counted them before thrusting them at Maude. "There's a thousand dollars here-- emergency money, in case we should get separated."

Maude hesitated just a moment before taking it and, in an uncharacteristic sentimental moment, stepping close and drawing Ezra to her, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You're a good son, Ezra and one hell of a con. I'm proud of you."

She turned and swept out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Ezra stood a moment more, a surprised but pleased smile lingering on his lips.

"Ez," Vin's voice drew him back to their preparations to leave. He was stuffing the clothes that he had changed out of into the carpetbag that already held everything else that they were taking with them.

Ezra turned back with a nod, picking up the dark colored shirt that lay on the bed and quickly putting it on. He dressed rapidly while Vin shoved the remains of the red dress into the bag.

Removing the money from the bag it was in, he separated it into two fairly even stacks and shoved them into envelopes that he had ready for them. He handed Vin one and tucked the other into the inside pocket of his dark jacket.

He gave the room a quick once over then asked, "Do we have everything?"

"Think so," Vin confirmed.

They left the wig lying in the middle of the tightly made bed in plain sight.

At the livery they quickly saddled four horses. Vin had brought Chaucer and two spares with him when he had arrived in Bristol City. They had intended to ride relay back to Four Corners, changing between Peso and Chaucer and the two extra horses. Now with Maude coming along they would only have one spare horse. Still, by trading off with it, they could let each horse have a breather and move faster than if they only had Peso and Chaucer.

Maude arrived as they were swinging into the saddle. She quickly mounted and the three of them headed out.

Less than twenty minutes had passed since Ezra and Vin had left the poker tournament as Ling Mi and Vincente Rennat.

**************************************

Mike Hightower was not having a good night.

He had hired ten professional gamblers, paying their entrance fee and putting one at each table in the hopes that one of them would win the twenty-five thousand dollar prize. The deal had been that they played for him. If one of them won, that one got twenty percent of the pot, five thousand dollars and Hightower kept the other twenty thousand.

Unfortunately none of his people had won. Now, instead of twenty thousand dollars he had only gotten the five thousand dollars that he had claimed for hosting the game. The entry fees for the gamblers had cost that.

The only money that he had actually made on the game was what he had made selling tickets to the game and watered down whiskey to the observers and even that was reduced by the costs of hosting the game.

He had wanted that other twenty thousand dollars.

He emptied his glass with a single gulp and slammed the glass down on the bar. Turning to one of men he had hired as extra security for the game he snarled, "Come with me."

He led the way out of the casino, gathering up half-a-dozen more of the extra security guards as he went.

He entered the Royal Arms Hotel, where he knew the Rennat's had been staying and demanded their room number from the clerk.

The man, knowing who Hightower was and not wanting any trouble with him gave it immediately.

Moments later Hightower was banging on the door to the room. When he got no answer he stepped back.

"Kick it in," he ordered the nearest of his guards.

The big man did so immediately then stepped back to let his boss enter first.

The lamps were lit in the room making it easy to see that no one was there.

Hightower's gaze landed on the wig lying on the bed and he crossed the room in three angry strides to grab it up off the bed. Swearing viciously, he crumbled it in his hand then slung it at the wall.

"Son of a bitch! That miserable sneaky son of a bitch!"

"Who, boss?" the head guard asked.

"Standish!" Hightower snarled. "Nobody else would dare pull something like this. The little sneak. Fucking con artist." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The little bastard had been instrumental in the fight that had nearly ruined him and now even after being banned from the casino he had as good as stolen the damned tournament money.

"They can't have got far." Offered up one of the guards standing near the door.

"Yeah" another agreed, "Ain't been long since the game ended."

Hightower pulled out his pocket watch. Thirty minutes. It had only been thirty minutes. They really couldn't be that far away. They would have had to get livery horses, there wasn't any stage at this time of night.

He frowned. He didn't know how they had arrived in town.

He turned to the head guard. "Check the liveries, all of them. Find out if anyone has rented horses or taken horses that they had stabled there."

"You," he grabbed one of the younger guard's arm, "See to getting our horses saddled. Everyone meet back at the casino stables in fifteen minutes."

"We can't track in the dark, boss." One of the braver men pointed out.

"We don't have to. It's almost sunrise. Besides, I heard that Standish bought the McGlamory place just outside of Four Corners. We'll head there."

************************************************

By the time Hightower and his men were mounted up and ready to ride, it was nearly an hour after the game had ended.

At that time Vin, Ezra and Maude were a good ten miles from Bristol City.

Vin had been a little surprised at how quickly Maude had arrived at the livery and how she had simply followed their lead without question.

She had been wearing a dark blouse and jacket along with the pants that Ezra had given her. Vin couldn't help noticing that they fit quite well and like Ezra, the dark clothing made her almost invisible in the darkness.

All four of the horses were dark colored. Peso's white blaze was the most outstanding marking on any of them. Chaucer was a dark sorrel, and the two spare horses were blood bays.

He had foregone his usual tan colored pants for a pair of dark blue jeans that blended in with the night almost as good as Ezra's and Maude's black pants.

All in all, they were nearly invisible in the predawn light.

**************************************

Chris, Buck and JD had left Bristol City heading back to Four Corners an hour and a half before sunrise, using the light of the full moon hanging low in the sky to get an early start.

They were taking it easy, letting the horses walk and were therefore only a little over ten miles out of Bristol city when they heard horses coming up fast behind them as the sun was rising.

Chris frowned and signaled the other two to move off the road and into concealment in a small stand of trees just to one side of the road.

A moment later the riders came into view. Vin was leading the way and Chris recognized him immediately.

Kneeing Pony forward, Chris returned to the road, drawing up when to his surprise he found himself looking down the bore of three guns. One eyebrow rose as he noted that the third gun was held in Maude Standish's delicate hand.

He placed his hands on his saddle horn and grinned at them, "Morning boys, Miz Standish, headed home?"

The three guns disappeared.

Vin gave him a nod. "Mite of a hurry. Figure Hightower ain't happy that we're gone."

"Why's that?" Buck asked as he joined Chris with JD right behind him.

"Mister Hightower had several of the other gamblers on his payroll. If one of them had won he would have gotten most of the twenty-five thousand dollar pot." Maude informed them, confirming what Ezra had suspected.

Ezra's lips tightened at the confirmation of what he had believed. "He won't take losing that amount of money lightly. I suspect that he is on our trail even now."

"Do you think he knows that it's you he's after?" Chris asked, noting that although Ezra had changed back into male clothes, he still wore the make up that had created the illusion of the China doll he had been pretending to be. Only the wig was missing.

Ezra grinned wolfishly, "I believe so. I left the wig for him to find."

"Why'd ya do a fool thing like that?" Buck demanded.

"I'd rather deal with him now than later." Ezra replied with a shrug. "I detest loose ends and unfinished business."

"Think he knows where you live?" Chris asked.

"I'm sure of it. He knew that I was one of the peacekeepers in Four Corners when he barred me from the Crystal Palace five months ago. I'm sure he's heard about Vin and I buying the ranch. Gossip travels fast out here."

Vin looked around at the group, "Now that the sun's up we can cut across country, be at the ranch in a couple of hours, if we push."

He turned to Maude. "It'll be a rough ride. You up to it?"

She gave him a smile that echoed Ezra's wolfish grin and said, "Ah taught Ezra to ride, Mistah Tannah. Any where he can go, I can go."

Vin raised an eyebrow to Ezra. The smirk and small nod he got in reply told him that he really didn't need to worry about Maude keeping up. "Okay then, let's go."

He turned off the road, leading them across country towards the ranch.

**************************************

Hightower was rapidly descending into a blind rage. A part of him knew that there wasn't any real reason to be so furious at Standish but he just couldn't help it. On top of losing the money that he had planned to use to get his casino out of debt, it galled that the man had pulled the wool over his eyes so thoroughly. He couldn't believe that he hadn't recognized Standish. He had been completely taken in by Ling Mi and her 'husband'.

He was pulled from his thoughts as one of the men that he had with him called out, "Mister Hightower!"

Drawing his horse to a halt he turned to regard the man that had spoken. "What is it?"

"Over there," the man pointed to the side of the road, "Looks like a bunch of horses left the road and cut across country."

Hightower looked at the tracks that the man had pointed out. "That looks like more than four horses."

"They could have met up with somebody. One of the men at the livery said that Larabee and a couple of his men had been in town. Don't Standish work with them?"

"Yeah," another man said, "if she was Standish, I bet that husband of hers was another one of them."

Hightower's rage only grew as at the thought that the seven had been working with Standish to steal what he thought of as his money.

"Can you follow them?" he demanded.

"Sure," the first man said. "Seven horses, moving fast, not even trying to cover their trail. Easy as pie."

"Do it." Hightower ordered.

The man turned off the trail, Hightower right on his heels and the others following behind.

They rode fast following the trail.

**************************************

It was barely ten o'clock by the position of the sun when Vin led the small group into the yard of his and Ezra's ranch. They swung down grabbing their rifles and saddlebags from the horses as they did so.

Rafe Mosely, their foreman, and Matt Brewster, their hired hand, came out to greet them, taking the horses to cool them down and put them away.

"Put them in paddock behind the house," Vin instructed. We got trouble comin'. Want them out of the line of fire."

"When you are done the two of you should head into town," Ezra added, wanting their two employees out of the line of fire.

"I can handle a rifle!" Matt protested just as Rafe said, "I'm staying."

Chris cut in. "You can stay, Rafe, but you are going, Matt. Your pa would never forgive us if you got hurt. You can escort Mrs. Standish and let Nathan and Josiah know that we may need them out here."

"I am not leaving," Maude stated

Both Vin and Chris turned to give Ezra a questioning look.

"She taught me to shoot, as well as ride," Ezra said with a grin as he tossed her a rifle. "Upstairs bedroom, left-hand side," he instructed.

"Buck, upstairs, the right-hand side. Vin, the barn-loft." At Vin's frown he added, "You're our best rifle shot. I want you up high with a clear field of fire."

Vin gave a quick bob of his head in agreement and trotted towards the barn, taking his rifle and the saddlebags he had slung over his shoulder. He had two boxes of ammo in his bags.

"JD," Ezra instructed, "you and Rafe take the opposite side of the yard from the barn. The well would make good cover for one of you, the retaining wall for the other. Mister Larabee, you are with me on the porch."

"You think that they'll ride straight in?" Chris asked.

"Hightower doesn't know the lay of the land well enough to try to sneak up on us. They'll be following us and we cut into the road a mile up and followed it to the ranch. They'll come straight through the main gate just like we did."

"And you're just going to be standing here waiting for them." Chris said.

"Yes."

"Think you have time to wash your makeup off?"

"Yes, but I have no intention of doing so."

"And that would be because?"

"Because it will piss Hightower off that I don't even try to pretend that I didn't con him. An angry man makes mistakes."

"And you want me here because?" Chris asked, the amusement in his voice telling Ezra that he already knew the answer.

"Because you are the infamous gunfighter, Chris Larabee. Your mere presence is enough to give some of Hightower's men pause."

"And that pause can cost them their lives." Chris agreed, "You're a sneaky bastard, Ezra Standish."

"Yet you always seem to understand my thought processes when it comes to strategy. How is that, Mister Larabee?"

"Reckon I'm a sneaky bastard, too," Chris grinned.

Ezra laughed delightedly then turned and went to sit in one of the rocking chairs that lined the porch.

Chris grinned again when he realized that there were seven rockers on the porch. He claimed one for himself.

**************************************

Matt and Rafe had finished cooling down the horses and turned them into the paddock behind the house and Matt had been gone just over ten minutes when Hightower and his men arrived shortly after ten-thirty.

They rode in through the front gate just as Ezra had predicted that they would.

Hightower scowled when he saw Standish and Larabee sitting in matching rocking chairs on the front porch of the big house. Larabee sat in a chair just to the left of the front door. Standish sat in the first chair to the right of the door.

They rose when Hightower led his men into the yard. As they stepped forward into the bright sunlight at the edge of the porch, Hightower could see that Standish hadn't even taken the time to wash off his makeup.

Without the wig it looked strange and somehow ominous.

The men behind Hightower exchanged nervous glances. There wasn't a one of them that really thought that he could take Chris Larabee.

Their unease was increased by the way Standish looked. Without the wig and dress the makeup appeared weird and foreboding in the harsh sunlight, his skin turned pale as death by powder, his eyes made huge by black liner and his lips turned a garish red with the lip coloring. It was unnerving.

Hightower didn't seem to notice the rifles poking out of the upstairs windows but his men did and looked around for others. The senior security man scowled at what he saw. They were caught in a three-way crossfire, covered from the front and both sides.

Hightower snarled, "Standish! I want my money."

"Your money? I won that money fairly," Ezra replied calmly.

"You were barred from the casino! You had no right to even be there!"

"That still doesn't make the money yours. Ah gave you the casino's share." His voice remained calm and even in the face of Hightower's rage.

"Give me the damned money!" Hightower snarled. He didn't seem to notice Larabee's hand resting on his gun butt or his own men starting to back slowly away.

"No." Ezra said quietly.

Blinded by his rage and hatred for Ezra Standish, Hightower reached for his gun.

Ezra let him clear leather before he shot him.

Several of Hightower's men had reached for their guns then stopped as warning shots from three directions hit the ground around them. They watched as their boss toppled from his horse to lay dead in the dirt of the ranch yard.

"Go home, gentlemen," Ezra tiredly told the men that had ridden in with Hightower, "And take that with you." He motioned towards Hightower's body.

Turning his back on the men, trusting Chris to watch it for him he said quietly, "I need a bath."

Chris nodded and said, "Go. We'll take care of this."

Ezra gladly left him to it and went inside.

Maude stepped away from the window and laid the rifle on the dresser when he came into the room.

"Are you all right, darling?" she asked, following him as he moved through the bedroom and into the bathroom beside it. She watched as he lit the coal oil burner under the hot water tank. "You have running hot and cold water!" she exclaimed.

"I'm fine Mother and yes, we do have running water. And before you ask, yes, you may have a hot bath when I am done. It will take a half an hour for the water to get hot enough for me to bathe. By the time that I am done the water in the tank will be hot enough that you will need to add cold water before you can bathe."

"What about Mister Tanner?"

"If he chooses to bath now instead of waiting until bedtime, there will be enough hot water. The tank holds three times the water that the tub does. Once it gets hot I'll turn the burner down to low and just let it stay warm, turning it up again just before he's ready to bathe."

"Then I'd love a bath. Would you like me to help you get that makeup off? I have cold cream in my bag."

"There is cold cream on the dresser in the bedroom as well, but I would appreciate the help."

"Then you just sit down and let me take care of it."

"There should be hot water on the stove in the kitchen. Matt keeps the fire there going for us when we are away since he and Rafe use the kitchen."

"I'll go get what I need. You just sit down and rest," Maude said then left.

Ezra sank into the nearest armchair to wait for her return.

He hadn't enjoyed killing Mike Hightower but he had come to the realization back when Hightower had banned him from the casino that he might have to. His troubles with Hightower went back a long ways. He had never told Vin but Hightower had been trying to get him into bed for years. Being banned from the casino had less to do with the fight than it had to do with his once again refusing Hightower's advances.

**************************************

Nathan and Josiah rode in just as Hightower's men rode out with his body.

As they were dismounting and tying their horses to the hitching post beside the porch they heard Vin say, "I need to talk to Ez."

"Hightower drew on him, Vin."

"I know that. Know Ez provoked it, too. Just wondering why." Vin told him before heading inside.

"Something wrong?" Josiah asked as they joined Chris on the porch.

"Vin seems to think that Ezra planned this." He gestured towards the men riding off with Hightower's body tied to his horse.

"Ya mean he set that fella up so as he could kill him?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know what to think," Chris admitted. It had seemed pretty straightforward before. Ezra had tricked Hightower into letting him compete in the tournament. Then Hightower, angry over the deception and wanting the money from the tournament for himself, had come after Ezra. He drew on Ezra and Ezra had had to shoot him. Now… maybe it wasn't that simple.

**************************************

Vin stepped into his and Ezra's bedroom stopping when he saw that Maude was there. She was washing Ezra's face, scrubbing it actually.

Ezra sat in the chair in front of his dressing table, his head titled back, letting her.

Maude looked up when Vin came in but Ezra didn't. He looked totally exhausted.

Vin dragged a chair close and sat down beside Ezra, reaching out to take his hand. "You all right?" he asked.

Ezra turned his head towards Vin at the sound of his voice but waited until Maude had taken another rag and rinsed the soap off his face before opening his eyes to look at Vin.

Maude stepped back, waiting to finish washing Ezra's face until he and Vin had had their conversation.

"I will be," Ezra said. "I know you have questions. I'd rather not have to tell the sorry tale but once and I believe the others need to hear it as well. I wouldn't want this to cause problems between any of us."

"Okay. You gonna be long?"

"No. I was looking forwards to a long soak in the tub but I'll just take a quick wash and change clothes. I can soak later. I'll be down in about fifteen minutes."

"That'll work." He smiled at Ezra, "I need a bath, too."

"Then we can bathe together after the others leave." Ezra said, making it clear to Maude that he and Vin were a couple and to Vin that he didn't mind Maude knowing.

At Vin's startled glance up at Maude, Ezra added, "Mother has known about my predilections since I was fifteen. She may as well get used to us."

"All right then, see ya down stairs." Vin leaned in and kissed Ezra's forehead before rising and going back out.

Maude returned to washing Ezra's face. "You are serious about this relationship?"

"Yes, Mother. Mister Tanner and I intend to remain together for the rest of our lives."

"This is a very nice house for these parts," Maude ventured.

"It is and we got it at a very good price."

"You are putting down roots."

"Yes, Mother. I am. Think of it this way. You will always have a place to run to when one of your cons goes wrong. You'll have not only me to come to your assistance, but Vin as well, perhaps even some of the others."

"How so?"

"This is a horse breeding ranch. Mister Larabee and Mister Wilmington have some experience in breeding and training horses. We are considering asking them if they would like to become partners. We have the land, the horses and now capital as well, they have considerably more experience and a small piece of land, which by the way adjoins this one, but no horses and little capital. It would be a win-win situation. Far better than having them start their own horse ranch in competition with us."

"Have you given up on owning your own saloon?"

"I have a home. That's what I really wanted."

"But you'd enjoy the saloon more than this ranch."

"Perhaps. Get to your point, Mother."

"I have reacquired the Standish Tavern."

"How much do you want for it?" Ezra asked tiredly.

She sat in the chair that Vin had vacated, taking his hand in hers. "If you are serious about this, if you truly intend to remain in this town and with Mister Tanner then I'll give it to you."

"Why?" he demanded.

"Appearances, darling. The more properties you own here, the more you appear to be an upstanding citizen and the safer you and Mister Tanner will be. I suggest that you buy up what ever you can afford."

"I already have an interest in the newspaper and the livery."

"Good."

"But you will sell me the saloon, not give it to me. You'll keep the thousand I gave you for emergency money and we'll draw up a bill of sale that says I bought the saloon with it." Ezra said shrewdly.

"Excellent," she smiled at him then tilted his head looking at the results of her washing. "There is still a bit of eyeliner but that is very difficult to wash off. It'll wear off in a day or two. Make yourself presentable. I'll change and meet you down stairs. I believe I heard Mister Sanchez's voice and I wouldn't want him to see me in these pants."

Ezra smiled fondly after her as she headed across to the other bedroom to change, only noticing when she picked her bag up off the bed that she had brought it in with her when she had come up earlier.

He wasn't looking forwards to telling the others about his history with Mike Hightower but he knew it had to be done. Maude already knew most of it.

He finished cleaning up and quickly chose a white shirt, and a fresh vest and jacket from his wardrobe before collecting Maude and descending the stairs to where every one was gathered around the huge dining table.

************************************************

When Ezra stepped into the dining room dressed to the nines in his most formal suit, Chris sighed to himself. If Ezra felt the need to wrap himself in his finery like it was armor then whatever he was about to tell them was bad.

Even worse, Maude was hovering over him, sitting beside him at the table and resting a concerned hand on his arm in an uncharacteristic display of motherly support.

Ezra sat in silence for a long moment staring at the tabletop, visibly girding himself to tell them the story. Finally he looked up. When he spoke his voice was firm and clear and completely devoid of any emotion,

"The first time that I ran afoul of Mike Hightower, I was fifteen years old. It was in New Orleans. I was playing in a private, high stakes poker tournament held by one of the casinos. Hightower was one of the other players. He was drinking quite heavily and losing badly in part because it quickly became apparent that he was far more interested in me than in the game. The more he drank, the more aggressive he became in his pursuit of me. During one of the breaks, he began making physical advances. I tried to fight him off but he was older, larger and stronger than I was. Had not our host intervened and had him thrown out of the game and the casino, I have no doubt that he would have succeeded in dragging me off to one of the private rooms and having his way with me."

"The bastard tried to rape you?!" Vin snarled, reaching to take Ezra's free hand.

"Yes." Ezra confirmed. For a moment he looked very young and very lost. Then he forced his poker face back into place.

"Ez," Vin murmured, shifting closer, "You don't gotta hide from us."

There were mutters of agreement from the others.

Ezra gave Vin a small smile. "I know that, darling, but I can't tell this if I don't distance myself from it."

He bowed his head then lifted it again and went on. "The second time was on a riverboat. I was on my way to St. Louis to meet Mother and he came aboard at one of the stops. That time he was the one with friends in high places so to speak. The boat's captain was a good friend of his and I quickly learned that no one on the boat would interfere with Hightower's intentions. I ended up jumping overboard and swimming to shore to escape him. That encounter cost me everything that I had except the clothes on my back and what little money I had on my person when I jumped overboard." He paused, then went on. "That was when I started carrying all my money on my person at all times."

"The next time was in Ft. Worth. He was drunk and I was grown and had some experience with fisticuffs by that time. I escaped fairly unscathed from that encounter. The last time was five months ago in Bristol City. When I entered the Crystal Palace I was not aware that Hightower was the owner. After I had been playing for a while, he had one of his men tell me that the owner wished to speak to me and escort me to his office. Once there he dismissed his stooge and made it clear that he intended to finish what he had started all those years ago in New Orleans. He wasn't drunk that time and he had the advantages of height, weight and reach. I fought him off as best I could but if the fight hadn't broken out and someone hadn't crashed through his office door, when they did, I doubt that I would have escaped. Truly he needn't have barred me from the casino, I never intended to return there."

"Then why did you?" Nathan asked.

"Twenty thousand dollars is a lot of money. It will secure my and Vin's future. That money will allow us to pay off the ranch, purchase the mares from Mister McGlamory and hire an investigator to try and clear Vin's name. I was confident that I could fool him with the Ling Mi persona and with Vin to back me up, I thought the risk was acceptable."

"But why lure him here and kill him?" Nathan persisted.

"He knew where I live. During our encounter five months ago, I made the mistake of telling him that I would be missed, that I was one of the peacekeepers in Four Corners. I thought that if he knew that I was one of Chris Larabee's men, he'd leave me alone. I was mistaken. Last month I ran into him in Eagle Bend. He made it clear that he hadn't given up on his intentions."

Ezra looked around at them all, "I've made a home here. I don't want to leave and I was tired of fighting him off. In the end there was only two ways it could end. Either he succeeded in raping me or I killed him. Would you gentlemen have preferred that I let him rape me?"

"No!"

"Of course not!"

"Ezra! Don't even think that!"

"Bastard needed killing."

"Never!"

The protests lapped over each other as each of the other men hurried to assure him that they would never wish that on him.

Vin pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly as he murmured, "God! Ez! You shoulda told me!"

Ezra drew back from Vin's embrace slightly, "Would you have let me try to run the con if I had?"

Vin looked deep into his eyes for a long moment then sighed, "No, reckon not. Would have wanted to keep you safe."

"But as long as he was alive, I would have never been safe."

"If he'd hurt you, I'da tracked him down and killed him myself!" Vin vowed.

Ezra smiled at him, "I know... but that would have been murder. This was considered self-defense. He drew on me. He could have ridden away and I would have let him go."

He looked up at the other men hoping that they understood.

JD gave him a nod, "You're right. He could have ridden away. Choice was his. He chose to draw on you."

The other men exchanged glances and nods. As far as they were concerned, it had been self-defense. If there were ever any questions about what had happened they would testify to that.

************************************************
Epilogue
************************************************

"You sure about this, Ezra?" Vin asked.

"Vin do you know which side of town the railroad will be building on?" Ezra replied.

"Nope."

"Well I do," Ezra said with a grin. "Remember my little foray into the railroad camp? Well, I saw a map of the planned route. The line will run on the eastside of the town, Vin. If I buy not only the Standish Tavern and the hotel behind it, but Digger Dan's, the empty building between it and the boarding house, the boarding house itself, the cigar store, the empty building next to it and the closed up hotel on that end of the street we will own one entire block facing the railroad right of way."

"Have we got the money to do all that?"

"Three of the buildings are completely empty, the two hotels are closed and Mr. Andrews is closing the Cigar Store when he leaves town. Digger Dan's and the boarding house are the only businesses still open. Digger wants to join his brother in San Francisco and Mrs. Carmichael has been talking about going back east for months now. After we paid Mr. McGlamory the rest of what we owed on the ranch and for the mares we had thirteen thousand five hundred left. I gave Mother a thousand for the Standish Tavern, lock, stock and barrel. Digger's saloon is half the size of the Standish Tavern. I won't give him more than five hundred for it. Mister Andrews is taking the Cigar store stock with him when he moves to Bitter Creek, so I'm only buying the building for two hundred dollars. Mrs. Carmichael is only asking fifteen hundred for the boarding house including furnishings. I've spoken to the bank manager and he will sell me the empty buildings for one thousand even just to get rid of them. That's forty-two hundred dollars for the entire block. If we set aside another forty-three hundred dollars for renovations, that leaves us five thousand dollars."

"We'll own all of it, free and clear and we'll still have five thousand cash?"

"Yep," Ezra gave him a smug grin.

A slow grin spread over Vin's face, "You do realize that if ya do this, we're gonna own half the town."

Ezra's grin spread to show his gold tooth. "Yep."

The End