Revelations
By Starwinder
A Houston Knights/Mag7 ATF Xover
Slash Vin/Ezra, Joe/Levon
Mention of Chris/Buck
Mention of het Nathan/Rain, JD/Casey
[All you can do, all you can do, is support him.] The refrain played itself over and over in Joe LaFiamma's mind as he followed his fast-walking lover through the Denver airport, glad that he'd kept his packing down to the carry-on backpack-rolling bag that he was now wearing on his back. Levon was in no mood to wait while he chased bags around a luggage carousel.
His lover of more than a dozen years, Levon Lundy, strode ahead of him. The cowboy forged a path through the airport crowd with the same single- minded determination that had led to innumerable
touchdowns, when he was a quarterback on the football team at Texas A&M. Levon's one and only bag was a battered old gym bag that he carried tucked under one arm as he plowed ahead. The heels of his cowboy boots clicked sharply on the stone floor of the airport, his cowboy hat was set just so on his head and the sinfully tight jeans hugged a trim figure that belied the fact that Lundy had passed the half a century mark.
Joe sighed, again. Levon hadn't slowed down in over two months, not since the day that he'd run into an old acquaintance from his college days and gotten the news that had ultimately brought them here.
Lundy strode purposefully up to the rental car counter and plunked his bag down on it. "Levon Lundy. I got a Jeep Grand Cherokee four-wheel drive reserved."
The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes said it damn well better be waiting.
Joe stopped a step behind and to the side, giving the woman behind the counter a sympathetic smile and a shrug, letting her know that while he sympathized, she wouldn't be getting any help from him. After all, he had to live with the man.
Fortunately there was a Cherokee available. Joe would have hated for there not to have been. It could have gotten real nasty. Levon could be as laid back as a sleepy old cat until he got focused on something, like he was focused right now, then he could turn into an unholy terror.
Once, when they were still street cops, Levon had accused Joe of being the pushiest thing he'd ever seen in a pair of pants. Joe figured Levon had just never taken the time to look in a mirror when he was on a tear himself. When he was like this, the man gave new meaning to the word 'pushy'.
Joe reached up and laid his hand over the St. Christopher medal, that he always wore on the chain around his neck under his shirt, and said a silent thank you to the patron saint of travelers for the Jeep being ready for them.
They didn't talk much in the Jeep, but then they hadn't talked much lately at all. Levon had been so focused on what he was after and Joe had been so determined to be supportive that words had sort of fallen by the way.
There had never been any doubt about what Levon would do, once he knew what the old acquaintance had told him. It had taken them two months and a whole heap of favors to find the man they were looking for but they had the address now and Joe had printed out the directions and a map showing the way from the airport to the man's apartment.
Three hours later, they pulled into a parking spot across from the apartment building that they were looking for, after having gotten lost no less than four times. Apparently the operators of the website that Joe had used to print his map and directions were not aware that the Denver infrastructure was undergoing renovations resulting in various streets being blocked off and numerous detours being set up.
Levon held out his hand and Joe handed over the file folder he had been using to keep the map and directions in. Levon flipped it open and looked down at the black-and-white photo of a handsome young man. His fingers ghosted over the picture tracing the jaw line, touching a cheek, tracing a shoulder length curl.
Joe settled back in the seat to wait, reminded of dozens of stakeouts that they had shared through their years as cops in Houston.
Levon looked up from the photo and around at the area they were in. After a long moment of silence, he said, "Lousy neighborhood. Kid's an ATF agent. You'd think he could afford better."
"According to his financial records, he can." Joe told him.
Levon gave him a look. "You checked his financial records?"
"You wanted a thorough background check. Finances are a big part of that."
"Then he lives here by choice. Why'd anybody *want* to live here?"
"I plotted his past addresses on the Denver map. He lived in this same neighborhood when he was growing up. Came back after he got out of the army.
Moved down to Austin, when he was with the US Marshals then back here when he took to bounty hunting. When he's living in Denver, he's always lived in this neighborhood. I suppose it's home."
"Shouldn't have had to be."
"It's *not* your fault. You didn't know he existed." Joe hesitated, unsure if he should voice what he was thinking, then shrugged. It wouldn't be the first time they had had a "difference of opinion" and he doubted that it would be the last.
"You know," he said carefully, "he might not be what you're hoping he is."
"Timing's right."
"Still, you can't be sure...."
"I know that!" Levon snapped. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, an old habit that he had when he was nervous. "... and even if he is, I reckon that I'll be lucky if he don't spit in my face, showing up now, after all this time... when he don't need me no more." After a minute he repeated the words softly, all the determination that had kept him going for the last two months fading away, as he looked down at the picture, touching it again. "He don't need me anymore."
He looked up at Joe then, his eyes troubled. "Am I doing the right thing, Joe, or am I just being selfish, wanting to meet him, get to know him...?"
Joe reached out and laid a hand on Levon's arm. "You're doing the right thing. You've got a right to know. So has he... and yeah, he may be mad, he may not want anything to do with you, at least to start with, but I think that it's worth the risk to know the truth."
He paused, looking into Levon's eyes. "If this Vin Tanner is your son, you have the right to have a chance to tell him that you didn't just abandon him, that you never knew he existed. You've got the right to tell him that when you learned that he might, just might, be yours, you came looking for him... and you know, he might just need to hear that."
Levon sighed and nodded, laying his hand over Joe's on his arm, he squeezed it gently. "Thanks, Joe. You always know what to say to make me feel better... and thanks for putting up with me the last couple of months."
Joe grinned, that wicked grin that always set Levon's heart to pounding, and gave him a wink as he said in an exaggerated Texas accent, "Aw, shucks, Cowboy, Ah've put up with ya fer nigh on ta fifteen years, what's a couple of rough months between friends?"
Levon laughed, all the fear and tension draining out of him at Joe's teasing. God but he loved the man.
Which was just one more thing to worry about. If Tanner was his son, how would he take the fact that his father was in a long term relationship with another man?
He sighed again and went back to scanning the street, waiting for the man, who just might be his son, to get home.
The sun was setting when a dark green Jaguar slid smooth as silk into a parking space in front of Tanner's building and two men stepped out.
Tanner, in dress jeans and a western shirt with a fringed leather jacket over it, well-worn cowboy boots on his feet and an equally well-worn Stetson on his head, got out of the passenger side.
A well-dressed man in a thousand-dollar suit, emerged from the driver's side and rounded the car to stand beside Tanner as a group of neighborhood teens who had been keeping an eye on the rented Jeep and its occupants all afternoon surrounded the two men. From the gestures the teen made towards the vehicle it appeared that they were telling Tanner and his companion about the two men who had been watching the building all afternoon.
Tanner turned and looked towards the Jeep but his companion laid a hand on his arm and nodded towards the building and they moved off along the broken up sidewalk to the entranceway, disappearing inside.
The teens surrounded the Jag, clearly in protective mode.
Joe reached over and tugged a second photo out from under the one of Tanner in the folder. It was a group shot of seven men. Glancing at it he nodded,
"Other one's Standish, another member of the ATF team that Tanner's on."
Levon took the picture back and looked at it a minute before nodding and closing the folder, dropping it on the seat beside him, then reaching over the back of the seat to pick up his hat from the back seat.
They exited the vehicle and Joe stood waiting for Levon to join him before crossing the street to where the Jag was parked. "So, how you wanna play this, Cowboy?"
Levon set his hat on his head and grinned at Joe, "Never hurts to be polite."
He sauntered across the street, a smiling Joe trailing behind him and walked up to the obvious leader of the teens surrounding the fancy car.
"Howdy," he said, reaching up to touch a finger to his hat brim, "Ya'll reckon Mister Tanner might be receiving visitors this evening?"
The teens looked more than a bit taken back by the easy, drawled question, then the leader said. "He's got company."
"I saw that, but maybe you could just ask him if he might be willing to spare a minute for a couple of fellow officers from down Texas way." He held out his business card to the kid.
The kid took it and glanced down at the name.
"Levon E. Lundy, Chief of Detectives, Houston Police Department, Houston Texas."
Ramon Delgaro frowned at the card then looked back up at Lundy, "Official business?" he asked
Lundy shook his head, "Nope, just need a word with him."
The teen studied them for a long moment then gave a sharp nod, "Carlos!" he commanded.
A younger teen stepped up beside the leader, "Si, Ramon."
"Take this up to Senor Vin. Tell him that the gentleman asked to see him in an unofficial capacity."
The younger teen grabbed the card and hurried away.
Levon turned to watch him go.
Joe stepped closer to Ramon. "Nice colors. Your gang got a name?"
Ramon's head came up, proud and defiant. "We are not a gang. We are a club. Senor Vin organized us at the youth center to keep us *out* of the gangs. We carry no weapons. He teaches us martial arts for self- defense only. We patrol these streets, help him keep them safe for our families."
"Band of the Hand," Levon murmured just loud enough for Joe to hear.
Joe gave Ramon a nod. "So, this club got a name?"
"The Guardians."
Joe nodded again, "Good name."
It was also a good indication that Tanner still lived here because he wanted to give back to the community where he grew up. The more he found out about Tanner the more he hoped that he would be the son that Levon wanted him to be.
He went to stand beside Levon watching the building.A few minutes later Carlos returned and hurried up to Ramon.
"Well," Ramon demanded.
"Senor Vin said to send them up," Carlos reported.
Ramon gave a sharp nod and turned to Joe and Levon. Now that the messenger boy bit was done he would escort the strangers to his hero himself.
"Follow me."
He led off, not looking back.
His second-in-command, Juan, immediately took his place in the honor guard surrounding the Jag.
Joe laid a hand on Levon's shoulder and squeezed slightly as Levon muttered, "Here we go."
Ezra Standish leaned against the breakfast bar that separated the living area of Vin's apartment from the kitchen and ran the business card, that Carlos had brought up, across his knuckles in much the same way that he frequently ran his calling card, the ace of spades, across them. A slight frown marred his handsome face. He couldn't think of any reason why the Chief of Detectives from Houston, Texas might want to meet with his partner, either officially or unofficially.
Vin paced back and forth in front of the couch obviously not knowing any reason for the visit either and just as obviously nervous about it. After a moment, Ezra slapped the card down on the bar with enough force to get Vin's attention. "Sit down, Mister Tanner. You should at least appear relaxed in your own home."
"I ain't relaxed," Vin snapped.
Ezra shrugged and said, "I know that... but there is no reason why they should." He moved to the refrigerator and took out two beers, sighing at the fact that Vin only had Bud Lights. Would it kill the man to get some decent beer?
Considering how much time he had been spending with the sharpshooter, Vin had to know that he preferred imported.
He handed Vin a beer and motioned for him to sit on the couch as he moved to a nearby armchair and seated himself.
"The first rule of undercover work, Mister Tanner, is 'never let them see you sweat'." He twisted the cap off his beer and lay it on the end table beside his chair before taking a sip.
Vin sighed, nodding, and reached up to run a hand through his hair before twisting the cap off the beer and tossing it towards the trash can that stood behind the counter in the kitchen.
Ezra didn't have to see the cap go in the can to know it had. Vin had an uncanny ability to ring the damn thing even though he couldn't actually see it from the couch. Ezra hadn't tried to toss his cap in the can even though he could see it from where he sat because he knew he'd miss.
A couple of minutes later, Ramon tapped on the door and called out, "Senor Vin?"
"Come on in," Vin replied.
Ezra studied the two men that followed the teenager into the room.
The shorter of the two men had collar-length blond hair which was streaked with silver and slightly curly.
He was dressed in what Ezra thought of as Country casual; jeans, boots, western shirt and jacket topped off with a Stetson. He was also long and lean, almost the exact same height as Vin. As he reached up to remove his hat, he ran a hand through his hair, suddenly reminding Ezra of the way that Vin had done the same thing just moments before.
The other man was taller and broader with dark- brown hair just beginning to show silver at the temples and sideburns. He was dressed in an expensive suit, but not as expensive as the ones that Ezra normally wore. It had probably cost at most five hundred dollars, but it was still definitely a cut above usual office attire. He had startling blue eyes that again reminded Ezra of Vin.
Ramon stopped in front of Vin and said, "Senor Vin, this is Senor Lundy" he gestured towards the blond, "and Senor..." He trailed off realizing that the other man had never supplied his name.
"LaFiamma," the dark-haired man supplied in a vibrant baritone.
Ezra felt the sensuality in the voice and knew that a few months before, before he had met Vin Tanner, that voice would have had him as hard as a rock and ready for anything the man might suggest. Now though, he just catalogued the fact that LaFiamma was a strikingly handsome man, who most likely had no trouble at all getting women or men for that matter.
Vin stood and shook hands with the two men. Then there was a moment of awkward silence before Lundy spoke.
Sighing and turning his hat around in his hands, another nervous gesture that reminded Ezra of Vin, Lundy finally said, "So, you're Emma Lynn's boy...."
LaFiamma rolled his eyes behind Lundy's back.
Why the stranger would do that Ezra couldn't be sure, then suddenly his quick mind jumped to the most outrageous conclusion and he sat up, startled by the thought.
Vin's attention was suddenly completely on Lundy.
"You knew my ma?" he asked eagerly.
Lundy continued to roll his hat in his hands as he answered. "Yes, yes I did. Didn't know she had a son until just recently. Couple of months ago in fact. Took me a while to find you...."
Ezra couldn't keep his mouth shut. "And you wanted to find Mister Tanner because...."
Lundy took a deep breath and let it out slowly before looking at Vin and saying, "Because, I reckon I could be... I mean it's possible that," he hesitated obviously nervous, then finished in a rush, "that I could be your father."
Vin stepped back and sat down on the couch, stunned.
"And you are here now because...?" Ezra demanded when Vin seemed unable to speak. He rose sitting his beer aside and coming to take up a protective stance near where Vin sat on the couch.
"Because I'd like to know for sure. I thought if Vin was willin' we might have a DNA test run."
He turned back to look at Vin, "I wanted you to know that if you are my son, I'm real sorry that I never knew about you, sorry I wasn't there for you when you were growing up. And I wanted you to know, that if I had knowed about you, I'd been there for you."
"You're here now, Cowboy." LaFiamma said quietly, into the silence that followed that.
"Somehow *now* seems a little late to me." Lundy replied, equally quietly.
Vin looked up at the man that might just be his father, seeing the genuine regret in his face and hearing it in the quietly spoken words.
He turned to look at Ezra, his expression questioning. He wasn't really sure why he turned to his friend for guidance in this, but when he saw the slight nod Ezra gave him, he felt relieved that Ezra agreed that he should at least find out if the man was his father.
He stood and after taking a deep breath said. "Don't reckon it'd hurt to know for sure." He glanced at Ezra again, "I think we know somebody that can draw the blood and get the test done with no questions asked."
Ezra nodded. "I do believe you can trust to Mister Jackson's discretion in that matter."
Lundy looked at LaFiamma and the dark-haired man supplied, "Team medic, forensics expert."
Ezra cocked an eyebrow, "It would seem you did more than simply locate, Mister Tanner...." he let it trail off into a question.
"I did a thorough background check." LaFiamma stated unrepentantly.
"Might I inquire, exactly what is your position in all this?" Ezra challenged.
Lundy answered, "Officially, Joe's my Assistant Chief of Detectives. Unofficially, he's my bodyguard, the inter-departmental liaison, inter-agency liaison and departmental multi-lingual translator."
"Seems like you wear a lot of hats," Vin observed.
Lundy chuckled suddenly, cutting his eyes at LaFiamma.
"This is funny?" Ezra inquired.
"Given that Joe plumb refuses to wear a hat, any kinda hat, yeah," Lundy said with a grin.
Then he sobered and turned back to Vin, "I reckon that you gotta right to know, in case it makes a difference to ya in whether you want to know if I'm your father or not, that on the personal side of things, Joe's my life partner. We're coming up on our twelfth anniversary."
Joe stepped closer obviously in protective mode.
Vin cocked an eyebrow, then said, "Then I reckon you got a right to know, just in case it makes a difference to whether you want to know if I'm your son or not that I'm bi-sexual."
Ezra let out a sigh of relief, not only at the way LaFiamma relaxed his defensive stance, but also at the discovery that his dreams of being more than friends with Vin might not be as impossible as he had thought.
"Shall I call Mister Jackson?" he asked casually.
"Yeah," Vin said.
Lundy nodded, "Please do."
"It'll take him a bit to get here, ya'll might as well have a seat. Ya want something to drink?"
Lundy accepted a beer and LaFiamma asked if they had bottled water.
With only the couch and one chair in the living room they settled on sitting down at Vin's small kitchen table.
After another awkward silence Vin looked up and grinned before saying, "So, I reckon ya *did* know my ma."
Lundy laughed, his eyes sparkling suddenly, "Oh, yeah! Your ma was a hella'va woman. Strong willed, independent, stubborn, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Knocked me for a loop I can tell you."
For the next hour or so, until Nathan's arrival, Lundy regaled them with stories about Vin's mother. It was clear from his enthusiasm that he had truly cared for the woman, possibly even been in love with her.
Ezra watched LaFiamma as he listened to Lundy's stories. He was a little surprised that the other man showed no signs of jealousy. The dark-haired man smiled indulgently at Lundy, apparently completely unperturbed by the fact that his lover was reminiscing about an old lover with obvious affection for her.
When Ezra rose to make coffee after a bit, LaFiamma rose as well and came to lean against the kitchen counter while Ezra filled the coffee maker.
"You got something that you want to ask me?" Joe ventured quietly, pitching his voice so as not to intrude on the conversation still going on at the table a few feet away.
"You don't have a problem with Mister Lundy...." Ezra trailed off gesturing towards the table uncertain of just how to ask what he wanted to ask.
"With Lundy remembering Vin's mother?"
"Not exactly... but something like that."
Joe thought a minute before saying, "When I met Lundy, he was not only still carrying a torch for his dead wife, but also a lotta guilt about her death. She was killed in a car bomb meant for him," he explained in an aside.
"Later I found out that his mom died when he was young and that his dad was an alcoholic. Because of that he didn't have the greatest childhood. He went to college on a football scholarship, only to hurt his shoulder in the last season of play and lose his dream of playing pro-ball. He married his childhood sweetheart, only to have her turn into an alcoholic and then, like I said, be killed by a bomb meant for nim. He's got a lot of bad memories. I love him too much to be jealous of the few good memories he has. Besides it would be petty to be jealous of a woman that was already dead when I met him, especially when I know that he's happy with me."
Ezra turned to lean against the counter as he waited for the coffee to make, studying the two men at the table with a pensive expression. A hand falling on his shoulder startled him out of his reverie and he flinched away before he could catch himself.
Joe murmured an apology, the hand stroking his shoulder soothingly before he said, softly, "You should tell him."
"Tell him what?" Ezra croaked, shrugging out from under the hand.
LaFiamma shook his head, giving a long suffering sigh, "That you love him," he explained patiently.
When Ezra opened his mouth to protest, LaFiamma raised a hand to stop him, "Takes one to know one," he informed the undercover agent. "You've got it so bad you could die of it. I know that feeling."
He looked over at Lundy, his expression sad. "When I first realized how I felt about him, I thought I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell. He was so obviously carrying a torch for his dead wife and so obviously a macho heterosexual male that I couldn't believe he'd even consider me."
"What happened to change that?"
"We spent a couple of years fighting like cats and dogs then one night in the middle of a screaming match he grabbed me and started trying to remove my tonsils with his tongue. I don't recall how we ended up in his bed but we did and somehow I never made it back to sleeping in mine. Oh, we have our differences but I can count on my fingers the times we've slept apart since then that wasn't purely due to the job or our need to keep our relationship a secret."
"You think that I have a chance?"
"I think that you at least know that he likes guys... beyond that, you can figure the odds for yourself. Think about who he spends time with. Does he seek out your company? Does he seem glad when you seek out his? Notice the little things. Like does he seem to notice what you like and dislike? If you go to lunch together, does he always want to go to a place he likes or does he make an effort to go somewhere you like? If he brings in snacks, does he bring something specifically for you, something that he knows you're fond of? Stuff like that can tell you a lot."
Ezra smiled suddenly, a sly secretive smile.
LaFiamma raised an eyebrow at him.
"Bagels," Ezra said, "whole wheat bagels. Only two people in the office eat them, Mister Jackson and myself. Normally Vin wouldn't touch a whole wheat anything with a ten-foot pole but lately whenever it is his turn to bring in the snacks as you put it, he brings two whole-wheat bagels. And while he often forgets Mister Jackson's cream cheese, he recently brought in a small jar of Smucker's Pure Fruit in strawberry flavor, which is my favorite." His smile widened as he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "It may interest you to know that Mister Tanner is allergic to strawberries."
"Now that does sound interesting," Joe smiled back at him. "Good luck," he added just as someone knocked on the apartment door.
Ezra called to Vin, "I'll get it," waving his partner back into his seat, where Vin returned to eagerly listening to Levon talk about Emma Lynn Tanner.
Joe turned back to the counter as the coffeemaker dinged. He opened a cabinet, looking for cups and things. In just a few minutes, he had found what he needed. He set up a serving tray with five cups, saucers and spoons, all mismatched but serviceable, a jar of sugar, (it was an old instant tea jar, with a green screw on lid) and two plastic half-pints of coffee creamer from the fridge. He noted with a grin that Tanner had both plain creamer and hazelnut flavored. He'd be willing to bet that hazelnut was Standish's favorite flavor. He added the pot of coffee and moved to the table.
He set the tray down, earning an embarrassed look from Vin just as Ezra escorted a tall, colored man into the kitchen.
Introductions were made while the men helped themselves to coffee.
Joe smiled when Standish was the only one that used the hazelnut-flavored creamer.
Silence fell after a moment then Jackson said, "Now, ya'll want to tell me why you asked me to come over and bring the equipment to draw blood?"
Vin and Ezra exchanged looks then Ezra said to Vin,
"I believe you should be the one to tell him... and it would most likely be best to ensure that he knows you wish this to remain confidential for the time being."
Nathan cocked his head at that and gave Standish a scowl, "If this is some scheme of yours, Ezra..." he started only to be interrupted by Vin.
"Ez ain't got a thing to do with this, he was just here when Joe and Levon showed up," Vin snapped.
Jackson looked a bit abashed but didn't make any attempt to apologize to Ezra for his insinuation.
Vin went on, "but he is right. I do want this kept just between us for now. As to what 'xactly I want. I want you to take blood from me and Lundy, run a DNA to see if we might be... related."
"Related how?" Jackson asked. Some quick math told him that it most likely that the test was to see, if Lundy was Vin's father but he want to hear it.
"There's a possibility that I'm his father." Lundy said quietly.
"And you're just showing up now?" Jackson demanded.
Ezra dropped his head to stare down at his coffee cup to hide his amusement, as he saw LaFiamma's hackles start to rise. He'd give odds that, although Nathan was both taller and broader than LaFiamma, in a fight LaFiamma would cream Nathan. Lundy lay a restraining hand on LaFiamma's arm and said quietly, "Just found out a couple of months ago that his ma had a kid. Took me a while to track him down."
"Joe and Levon are cops. Chief and assistant chief of detectives in Houston," Vin supplied.
Nathan nodded. "All right. I'll draw the blood and take it into the lab. It might take some time to get the results. It not being official business the lab won't make it a priority, especially if I can't tell them what it's for."
"We got some time. Officially me'n Joe are on vacation." Levon said.
Jackson nodded and began to prepare to take the blood.
When he was finished he didn't linger long, just said his good-byes and left.
Awkward silence fell again, until Ezra asked, "Do you gentlemen have someplace to stay?"
"Yeah," Joe replied, "We've got reservations at the Rocky Mountain Resort. Figured if we were supposed to be on vacation we might as well make the most of it."
"It is a nice place," Ezra informed them, "but not easily found by out-of-towners, especially after dark. Perhaps I should show you the way?"
Levon chuckled, "Well, considering that we only got lost four times trying to find this place, we'd appreciate it."
"Hey, Lundy, it ain't no fun if you don't get lost!" Joe teased his lover.
"Well, it's been a long day so I'd rather not get lost trying to find our bed." Levon responded.
"Then allow me to get my jacket and I'll escort you to your accommodations," Ezra smiled.
As they headed for the door, Vin grabbed up his jacket. "How about I ride along?"
Ezra looked back at him a bit surprised. "Certainly, if you wish."
As Vin and Levon headed for the stairs, chatting animatedly, Ezra made sure the apartment door was locked. He looked askance at Joe, thinking that most likely Vin would ride with them to continue his conversation with Levon about his mother.
Joe shrugged, but he wasn't really surprised when Vin stopped beside the Jag, waiting for Ezra to open the doors rather than head across the street to the rental Jeep.
The Rocky Mountain Resort and Spa was nearly an hour's drive out of Denver proper. By the time that Vin and Ezra escorted the two Texas cops to the resort and got back into Denver it was close to midnight.
Vin glanced over at Ezra, "Know you don't wanna take the Jag into Purgatorio at this time of night an' your place is closer anyhow, so how about I stay over in your guest room?"
He hesitated, knowing that Ezra wouldn't want to get up as early as he would to be in to work and that he would need to get up even earlier than usual to get back to his place to bath and change clothes. He added, "I could grab a cab back to my place in the morning."
Ezra smiled at him, "That would be acceptable," he said casually, his heart secretly soaring.
He continued to smile to himself as he drove them to his condo. If LaFiamma was right about the little things having big meanings then Vin's suggesting that he stay over at Ezra went a long way to encouraging the Southerner that his feelings might well be returned. None-the-less, he would take it slow. He would wait for more indications before making a move on his handsome co-worker.
Back at the resort, Joe and Levon were settling into their quarters.
Levon had been expecting a room, what he got was a suite, a big suite. There was a living room, a separate dining room and kitchen, (completely outfitted except for groceries) a laundry room complete with washer and dryer and two bedrooms with baths. The master bedroom had a California king-size bed and the master bath boasted a Jacuzzi. French doors opened off the master bedroom to a balcony with a spectacular view of the lake that the resort sat on and the towering mountains beyond.
When they had unpacked what little they had brought, Levon stepped over to the French doors and stood looking out.
"Wanna sit out on the balcony a while?" Joe asked coming up behind him and resting his hands on his partner's shoulders, beginning to massage them.
"Naw. Too cool. Be nice tomorrow when it warms up a bit, though." He sighed, "Thought we's just getting a room...." He let it trail off into a question.
"We've got the travel club membership, Cowboy. Might as well use it. This whole suite is costing less per night than a double room at the Uptown Holiday Inn would. Not only do we have our own Jacuzzi, but there's a full spa and a gym downstairs, to boot. There's even an indoor heated pool."
"You're spoilin' me."
"Figure that's part of my job. You sure don't spoil yourself."
After a moment Levon sighed then asked, "What do ya think of him?"
"Seems like a good guy," Joe said quietly, slipping his arms around Levon and hugging him gently.
"Glad he don't seem to have a problem with us."
"Uh-huh," Joe murmured nuzzling Levon's hair.
"Speaking of us, how about I go fire up that Jacuzzi and we have a little soak?"
"Sounds like a plan," Levon agreed. Turning in Joe's arms, he slipped his arms around Joe's neck. "Maybe we could do more'n have a soak. Seems to me that I've been neglecting a real important part of my life lately."
"It's all right," Joe smiled at him.
"No. It ain't. No matter what happens here, how this turns out, me'n you, us bein' together, that's the most important part of my life. I'll be right happy to find out that that boy is my son and I'll make time for him and love him and be proud of him but you will always be the most important person in my life. Understand me?"
"Yeah, Cowboy. I understand perfectly. You love me, just as much as I love you." Joe smiled, his eyes soft as he looked into his lover's. "You will always be the most important person in my life, too."
He leaned in for a long gentle kiss, a sweet affirmation of their love, his mind was already planning just how he'd show Levon how much he still loved him after all the years they had been together.
The Jacuzzi was the perfect place to start, then a long, slow, full-body massage followed by equally long, slow, tender loving.
Vin awoke to the smell of bacon cooking.
He rolled over and blinked as he looked around the room he lay in. He *was* in Ezra's guestroom.
Surely Ezra wasn't up already? Unless *he* was late?
He blinked the bedside clock into focus. Six-twenty-seven. Three minutes until his alarm went off. He wasn't late. So, why was Ezra up? It had to be Ezra. Who else would be cooking bacon in the condo?
Hell, for that matter why would Ezra be cooking bacon? He didn't eat it. He said it was unhealthy. As far as Vin knew he didn't even have bacon in the place.
Deciding that he might as well get up and find out what was going on he threw back the covers and sat up on the side of the bed. Reaching for his clothes, which were thrown over the back of a nearby chair, he dressed.
A few minutes later he wandered into Ezra's well- appointed kitchen to be greeted by a smiling undercover agent.
"Good morning, Mister Tanner," Ezra said cheerfully as he sat a plate of bacon, sunny-side-up eggs and grits on the table. "Please sit down, breakfast is almost done. I'm only waiting for the toast to pop up."
Vin stared at him, then at the plate of bacon, eggs and grits. The bacon was fried crispy just the way he liked it. The eggs were fried so that the edges of the whites were crinkled and brown, but the yolks were barely cooked and would run, when he stuck his fork into them, just the way he liked them. Just the way Ezra always said made him nauseous to look at.
He looked back up at Ezra. "Who are you... and what have you done with Ezra?"
Ezra grinned at him. "What ever do you mean, Mister Tanner?"
"My Ezra wouldn't be awake this early! Let alone alert enough ta cook!"
Ezra's grin widened.
"Your Ezra?" he purred, sidling closer.
"What?" Vin sputtered, backing up slightly.
Ezra pursued him, "You said, *my* Ezra. I simply asked if you meant that as possessively as it sounded."
Vin backed into the breakfast bar.
Ezra moved in close, leaning against Vin, pinning him to breakfast bar. To hell with taking it slow. The man had stated a claim. "Am I? Your Ezra?" he purred.
Vin gulped and looked down into the gleaming, green eyes. He could see desire in them, a hunger that matched his own. He could feel Ezra's erection pressing into his thigh.
Suddenly certain of his welcome, his eyes took on a predatory gleam of their own. "Damn right, you're mine!" he growled. His hands came up, tangling in Ezra's hair as he leaned in to claim that smiling mouth in a passion-drenched kiss.
He tripped Ezra backwards, lowering him to the kitchen floor.
They'd just have'ta be late for work.
Levon awoke slowly, snuggled in Joe's arms. He smiled as he stretched slightly, not wanting to pull out of the warm embrace. He had the most delicious ache in his backside.
Joe didn't often take the lead in their lovemaking, was more inclined to prefer the bottom than the top but when he did top it was always wonderful. He was a gentle and thoughtful lover, never rough or harsh in his demands.
He'd begun his seduction in the Jacuzzi with lingering kisses and gentle caresses, continued it by carrying Levon to the bed and taking his time giving him a thorough and sensuous full-body massage. By the time Joe had entered him, Levon had been reduced to mindless begging.
It had always been that way. While Joe liked to be taken hard and fast, when the tables were turned he was the most gentle and tender lover Levon had ever known. Joe knew that the only other relatively long- term, same-sex relationship that Levon had been involved in, had turned abusive. Perhaps that was why he was so gentle.
Bobby Wilton. Maybe it was a good thing that the man had been killed by the mob he had worked for. Joe had never liked him. When he'd found out that Levon and Bobby had been lovers once and just how badly Bobby had hurt Levon, he'd been furious. If the man hadn't already been dead, Levon was sure that Joe would have killed Wilton himself.
His sweet, gentle, tender lover was a dangerous man.
"You all right, babe?"
The soft question jolted him out of his thoughts and he realized that thinking about Bobby had made him tense up. Joe had felt the tension in his body, even while asleep, and had awakened to check on him.
He twisted around to face Joe, snuggling in closer, letting the tension drain out of his body. "I'm fine. Just thinkin' 'bout things I don't need ta."
"The kid?" Joe asked, knowing Levon would know that he meant Vin Tanner.
"Naw. Bobby." He saw the slight reproach in Joe's eyes and sighed, "Told ya it was things I didn't need to be thinkin' about. Forget it, okay?"
"Done," Joe said, kissing him softly.
"So, what'cha want ta do today?" Levon asked.
"Thought we might do some shopping. I was thinking about inviting Vin and Ezra over for supper."
Levon raised an eyebrow at him in question.
Joe chuckled. "I think you better get used to the phrase, 'Vin and Ezra'," he said. "You were kind of preoccupied with Tanner, but I'm telling you, those two are together. They just don't know it yet."
Levon snorted. "I'll trust your instincts, especially about that. Never seen anybody with a better nose for sniffing out gay couples."
"I've been wrong."
"Not often. So, what are ya gonna feed our kids?"
"*Our* kids?"
"Uh-huh. Don't go tryin' to tell me, you ain't adopted them. I know you better than that. Hell! Even if the test is negative, you'll be naggin' at them to give us a call, have them comin' down to visit.... "
"I'm not that bad!"
"Ha! Words 'extended family' mean anything to you? How many godchildren have we got, courtesy of your cousins, ex-girlfriends and old friends? How many people come to our Sunday afternoon cookouts? Why do we have eight bedrooms in our house? Whose family waltzes through there like it's got a revolving door? Why do JD and Ryan call our place the 'Lundy-LaFiamma home for wayward teens, old spook retirement farm and daycare center'?"
"All right, all right, so, I am that bad. Can't help it. I come from this huge family..."
"I know... and we ain't ever gonna have kids of our own."
"Well, I didn't think we would, but now...."
"But now, if Vin is mine, you're hoping he won't mind being yours, too."
"Well, yeah."
"It'll be okay, you know. I got this feeling deep down that he is my son... and I think that he'd appreciate knowing he's got family. It might take some getting used to. I figure he's been on his own most all his life. It won't be easy to suddenly find himself surrounded by folks. Especially your folks. Really think we should hold off on telling him that ya got a hundred and fifty-seven cousins. I can just see him headin' for the hills when he hears that."
Joe laughed. "Takes after you then. I thought I was gonna have to call out the bloodhounds to find you the first time, great-aunt Rosa and her brood showed up, all eight kids, their wives and husbands and twenty-three grand kids."
Levon chuckled, "Was a heck of a shock." He snuggled a bit longer then asked, "So, where you want to start your shopping?"
"Phonebook. I think I'll make my lasagna, with salad and fresh fruit for dessert. I'll look up a farmer's market for the fresh veggies, and a specialty shop for the pasta. I want fresh made."
"You think you'll find a shop that makes fresh pasta in Denver?"
"There should be one. Denver's a big, cosmopolitan city... and if there's not, well, I can always make my own."
Levon grinned as they got up and dressed, only Joe would consider making his own pasta for a simple meal.
Josiah Sanchez looked up as Vin sauntered into Team Seven's bullpen, then did a double take as Ezra Standish strolled in behind him.
Vin looked unusually well put together. He wore dress jeans with a crease down the legs and a western style shirt in a turquoise blue that complimented his eyes. His tie was a bolo, with a turquoise stone the size of a half-a-dollar. The stone was unusual in that it was half blue turquoise and half green, the colors blending together along the middle.
He also wore a very self-satisfied smile.
He shrugged out of the fringed suede leather jacket he always wore hanging it on the coat rack near his and Ezra's desks. He hung his hat there too.
Ezra practically floated past Josiah, smiling as he greeted him cheerfully. "Good morning, Mister Sanchez."
Josiah turned completely around in his chair to look at the clock on the wall behind Buck and JD's desk.
Eight o'clock. Late for Vin. Early for Ezra, very early for Ezra and the man was smiling.
He turned back to stare at Vin and Ezra in time to see Vin help Ezra out of his jacket and hang it up for the undercover agent.
Well, hell's bells! Well-fucked. That's what they looked like. Both of them. And it was about damned time! Anybody with half a brain and a pair of eyes could see that the two of them were crazy about each other.
He turned back to his desk and hid a grin. It might be just as well that Nathan could be blind as a bat sometimes. Somehow, Josiah didn't think he'd be as happy for them as Josiah was.
It only took three phone calls for Joe to locate a farmer's market that he thought would be acceptable. Still he marked the other two on the map as well. It took longer to find a specialty shop that sold fresh made pasta, but when he did he was pleased to learn that they also sold fresh made Italian bread and the ingredients to make your own.
Levon rolled his eyes, knowing full well that when they returned to the suite it would soon be filled with the smell of baking bread. Joe loved to bake his own bread, even though most of the time Levon couldn't tell the difference between his and the fresh baked bread that Joe occasionally bought at the specialty bakery back in Houston. Not that he would ever tell Joe that and there was something to be said for having the opportunity to savor the smell of the bread baking.
This time before they left Joe tuned the clock-radio beside the bed to the commuter's advisory station and marked off the detours and blocked roads on his map.
Levon found it surprisingly easy to navigate the unfamiliar streets with Joe handling the map and locating their turns. Only once did they end up in a turn lane that forced them to circle the block to get back to where they needed to be.
They headed for the farmer's market first and Levon couldn't help grinning at the way Joe fit in there as easily as he did at the one back home. He conversed with each stand owner in his or her own language, not once encountering a language that he didn't understand. The small farmers that didn't speak much English were mostly Vietnamese, Thai or Mexican; all languages that Joe was fluent in.
Levon wasn't certain why Joe was so happy to find fresh strawberries or why he bought enough of them and of peaches to make two separate desserts, but he figured Joe would tell him soon enough.
When they left the market they went directly to the specialty shop where, as Levon had expected, Joe bought the ready-made pasta after questioning the owner extensively about the ingredients he used, but bought the ingredients for the bread so he could bake it himself.
As they were leaving, Joe remembered he hadn't bought wine to go with the meal and asked the owner to recommend a shop, which he gladly did.
Levon knew that with his lover focused on cooking they wouldn't be doing any sightseeing at least not that day so, when Joe was through shopping he headed back towards the resort.
When they reached the suite Joe headed for the kitchen to put up the supplies.
Levon stopped in the living room. "I'm gonna call Vin. Reckon if you want them here for supper, we ought to let them know."
He dropped down on the couch and dialed the Federal Building number that Ezra had given Joe the night before.
Josiah didn't pay much attention when Vin's phone rang, but when he heard the sharpshooter say, "Just a minute, I'll ask him," his ears perked up.
Vin leaned forwards, across his desk to the one facing him as he called softly, "Ez?"
When Ezra looked up, Vin continued, "Levon wants to know if we'll come up to the Resort an' have supper with him and Joe?"
"I am amenable, if you are," Ezra replied.
Vin grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Sure, Levon. We'll be there. Ya'll need us to bring anything?" He chuckled at something that Levon said then said, "Okay. You tell Joe not to put himself out. Ya'll are supposed to be on vacation." He chuckled again then, said, "Okay. See ya'll about seven-thirty."
Ezra had listened to the conversation with interest.
When Vin hung up he asked, "What should we bring?"
"'Cording to Levon, nothing. Apparently Joe spent all morning draggin' him all over Denver shopping. Seems Joe likes ta cook and is real particular about his ingredients."
"I can understand that. A meal is only as good as the ingredients." Ezra said.
Vin regarded him a moment before asking, "You cook?"
Ezra smiled, "Well, yes, actually. I am quite a good cook. And yourself?"
"I can make a double Dutch chocolate cake with butter creme chocolate icing to die for. Unfortunately that's the only thing that I'm really good at making, 'sides barbecue and grilled stuff, of course."
"Well, if we are to return Joe and Levon's hospitality, we'll just have to work together on it."
"Sounds like a plan," Vin said with a grin.
He couldn't help thinking that it would be nice if Levon was his father but even if he wasn't, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends. It would be nice to have someone that he could talk to about his new relationship with Ezra without having to worry about censure of disapproval.
He found it encouraging that the invitation had included Ezra.
The first thing that Vin noticed when they arrived at Joe and Levon's suite at the resort was the smell of fresh baked bread. It filled the large airy condo and made it seem more like a home than a vacation resort.
Joe had made himself at home in the kitchen, expressing an appreciation that the resort manager hadn't skimped when it came to outfitting the kitchen.
A gourmet chef would have been completely at home in it. A fact that Levon was grateful for since Joe was a certified chef having graduated from the Chicago Culinary Institute and wouldn't have had the least bit of a problem with telling the resort association exactly what he thought had he not been pleased with the cookware available.
In fact Joe would be writing the association when they returned home in any event. He made a point of always sending a letter of comment to the management of any place that they stayed. Most of the time the letters were complimentary but on occasion they had been scathing reviews of what Joe considered the shortcomings of the accommodations.
"Ah, fresh baked bread!" Ezra commented as Joe took their coats. "A man after my own heart, I see. Italian or French?" he asked with a teasing light in his eyes.
"Italian of course!" Joe answered with mock shock. Ezra laughed and followed him towards the kitchen while Vin and Levon stopped off in the living room, Levon sprawling on the couch and Vin taking the nearby, overstuffed chair in a similar sprawl.
In the kitchen Joe raised an eyebrow at Ezra and looked back towards the living room his eyes indicating Vin as he said, "You look like a happy man."
Ezra's smile widened, showing his dimples. "Vin invited himself to stay over at my place last night."
"Ah. A good indication that he's interested."
Ezra's chuckled. "Oh, yes, indeed. He most certainly is interested."
"He made a pass?"
Ezra blushed, "More like a home run."
"You didn't!"
"What can I say? When it comes to Mister Tanner, I'm easy."
Joe shook his head, but he was smiling. "Well, just remember you don't want to take it too fast. Even if you've already slept together you still need time to get to know each other and adjust to being a couple. My advice: Keep it to yourselves at least for a while. Enjoy just being a couple, settle into it before letting anybody else know."
Ezra inclined his head in a slight nod. "Both Vin and I are private people. We are not inclined to discuss our personal lives with anyone. Our colleagues are accustomed to being ignored or put off when they inquire into our personal lives."
Joe nodded, "That's good. But somebody's bound to notice that you're in love. You're positively glowing and Vin looks like the cat that ate the canary."
Ezra blushed again. "Hopefully it will take our friends some time to connect the dots so to speak. We shall have to be a bit more careful. I will speak to Vin about it."
Joe gave him another nod. "Good enough. Now, you want to take the salad to the table?"