Author's Note: This is a one shot with the Magnificent Seven. The idea to this came after I wrote the story Somebody is always faster. JD needed to be taught another lesson, that you can't assume the gun is unloaded, or loaded…

Warning: The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Magnificent Seven, I do not make any money on this. If I did, I would be working my way towards owning them… No harm will ever come to them in my care, that not some of Nathan's skunk juice can't fix….

Ya Never Know Until Ya Check

The day was hot, too hot for JD to really feel like doing something. He might have considered going fishing with Casey, now that would have been something he could have worked up some enthusiasm for but Casey was mad at him and he did not even know why, as usual…

The day before he had gone there with Vin to help him patch the barn roof. Vin had asked him to come along since he decided the job was easier with two men, and he had decided that JD was the logical choice. He didn't mind that, not at all. Not only did it allow him to see Casey, but it allowed him to eat Miss Nettie's home cooking and she was a mighty fine cook. He also enjoyed working with Vin, he really did. He didn't know how old Vin was, but he could tell he really wasn't many years older than himself for all he called him kid. That had annoyed him at first. Vin shouldn't call him 'kid' when he was perhaps not more than three years older himself, but Vin did it all the time and JD had come to realize that Vin just had more experience. He had after all been more or less on his own since his mother died when he was five. He still didn't care much for the 'kid' stuff, but he didn't get annoyed at Vin for it. In a way he had started to think that when Vin called him that, he was the lucky one. It was more than that though, Vin was quiet and perhaps even too quiet for JD's liking. He would always find himself talking to him as they worked, but Vin never really replied, just gave a wry smile now and again, a nod here, or a slight shrug. That part could get frustrating, but Vin never seemed to mind teaching him things. He didn't complain when JD didn't know what to do, he just showed him. He allowed him to try it and corrected him without making JD feel clumsy for not knowing, and he appreciated it.

No, working with Vin had been fun and hadn't been a problem, but then after supper Casey had gotten mad at him for some silly reason.

Nettie had served them apple pie, smiling as Vin heaped his plate full. There was nothing strange in that, Miss Nettie spoiled Vin something fierce and they all knew it, but she could really tear into him if she thought he had done something wrong. JD didn't understand it at times, the way Vin just took it from her, but then he had come to realize that Vin had awoken the mother instincts in Nettie, well, he had realized that after Nathan pointed it out to them. When Nettie looked at Vin she saw both the man he was and the boy he had been, and she was determined that the boy needed a mother still. Vin dearly loved Nettie for all her rough edges and JD would rather try to wrestle a grizzly with a sore tooth one handed, than to insult Nettie within Vin's hearing.

A month or so ago some drunk cowhand had mouthed off at Nettie when she was in town collecting supplies and Vin had over heard it.

It had surprised JD for Vin was always so calm and quiet, he had never seen him get mad like the others seemed to be mad. Heck, Chris would glare at several people every day, Nathan generally got mad at Ezra at least once a day and he knew he got mad at Buck enough times. No, Vin was the calm one, the one who didn't get riled up, unless someone did something they shouldn't around Miss Nettie….

He had walked up to that cowhand as calmly as ever and JD hadn't realized how mad he was before he got a look at his eyes. Those soft blue eyes were hard as steel and held an anger so fierce in them that JD found himself taking a step back.

In spite of the man being so much bigger than Vin he had easily brought him down with hard fists, vicious kicks and a few dirty moves. Not that the cowhand didn't fight back, and Vin bore several bruises afterwards, but what had shocked JD the most was when the fight was over. He had thought that Nettie would fuss over Vin and his bruises, but no, she had lit into him for brawling in the streets. She warned him right there and then in view of anyone watching that if he ever acted so childish again he would never see another pie of hers, and Vin just took it. He simply stood there, scuffed the toe of his boot in the dust, kept his head bowed and tried to apologize in halting sentences while Nettie told him he should have let her handle it herself.

Nettie never could stay mad at Vin though, and within five minutes she had dragged him off to the newspaper office to clean him up, to Vin's mortification.

No, JD understood Nettie and her ways, mostly anyways, but Casey was a mystery. He really did not know why she was mad at him. They had eaten the pie, then just before they left when Nettie wrapped up what was left of the pie for Vin like she always did Casey had come with a smaller pie. One that didn't look at all like Nettie's usually neat pies and he couldn't help but think that the old woman had considered it unworthy of Vin. Casey had said she'd wrap it up for him, and JD had declined. He'd rather have another slice of the one Nettie gave to Vin, and then Casey had just blown up at him. Nettie had shaken her head and exchanged a look with Vin that seemed to speak volumes, only JD didn't understand it. Vin just grinned lopsidedly as he looked at JD, then he kissed her cheek and said JD would figure it out eventually, hopefully before he was an old man…

It was rather insulting when he did that, no matter how easy going he was when he taught JD something. What was it he had to figure out about Casey bringing him a pie that really hadn't turned out all that good?

What it all boiled down to was that it would have been a perfect day to go fishing with Casey, but she would never agree to it. Feeling the need to do something, but having no energy he started cleaning out his guns. He had taken a seat outside the jail house and took the gun apart on a barrel. He removed the bullets and tossed them in an empty jar that stood on a crate behind him. He looked up as he saw someone coming across the street and saw Chris and Vin approaching him. Chris carrying two mugs of beer while Vin held one of his own. Chris put one mug down in front of him with a slight smile and JD thanked him as he took a deep drink of the cool liquid. The two men took up positions on the porch beside him. Chris sank down in a chair and Vin leaned against the wall in something of a slouch. All of them drank their beers in silence, but while Chris simply sat his empty mug aside JD was still thirsty and went to fill it from a jug of water inside the jail. He never hesitated to leave the gun outside since both Chris and Vin were there.

Chris however eyed the now re-assembled gun and raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Vin. Vin met his eye and shrugged in response. Buck would complain when they did that, said it was spooky and unnatural to be able to talk like that but Vin didn't think so. It wasn't words that passed between them, it was an understanding and a feeling.

Putting his half empty beer mug silently on the barrel Vin picked up JD's gun and slipped a bullet from the gun belt into the chamber. Some things a man needed to learn the hard way and he would prefer if JD learned it while he could watch over him. By the time the young man returned Vin was back to leaning against the wall, taking slow sips from his beer.

"Ya oughtn't do that JD," he stated softly as JD picked up the gun and twirled it.

"Huh?" JD looked up at him as he took a deep swallow of the water.

"Ya oughtn't do that," Vin repeated. "Ain't no need for flashing the gun around an' ya shouldn't go around doing it like that all the time."

Chris who couldn't quite figure out his plan was still more than willing to go along with it. Vin never did anything without a good reason and he was certain that he had one now, and that he would make certain nothing happened that he didn't want to happen. Vin knew better than to fool around with guns and he was well aware that at the moment JD's gun was loaded with JD thinking it was unloaded. He would have threatened to shoot anyone else who loaded a gun without the owner knowing about it, he felt a little uneasy about Vin doing it but he trusted Vin and was willing to watch.

"Oh come on Vin, what's wrong with it, I've seen Chris do it," Vin's words hadn't had any affect on JD.

"Ya ain't seen him do it like that," pointed out Vin. "Sure, damn cowboy thinks he has to show off now an' again fer the ladies. Fancy gunslinger an' all of that. He'll try an' dazzle the ladies after he's used it, make them think he's the fastest gun-twirler this side o' the Mississippi. But it ain't how fast ya can spin that gun JD, it's how well ya can use it." Vin easily ignored the way Chris glared at him. Chris hated it, that glare should have sent anyone running for cover but Vin couldn't care less, and JD was looking so intently on Vin that he never even noticed, and what was the point in glaring at people if they didn't realize how frightened they should have been?

"The ladies like it," JD twirled the gun around and Vin reached out stopping the gun with one hand and brought the barrel down to point to the boardwalk.

"Ya oughtn't do that," he repeated again, his voice still as soft and quiet as ever but JD looked at him confused. He wasn't used to Vin lecturing him like that. Teaching him yes, but not lecturing him, and this was definitely a lecture and not a lesson. He wasn't so certain he liked it either.

"Aw come on Vin," he almost whined.

"Might wanna listen to me kid, might save ya some grief one day," Vin smiled softly. "Any fool can show off with one of those, doesn't take much of anything to do it. But ya don't see me spinning my piece around jest cause I ain't got nothing better to do, do ya?"

"Ah Vin," he sighed. "You can't do gun tricks with a piece like that," he glanced at Vin's mares leg.

"Can't and won't ain't the same thing kid," Vin smiled softly. "Just because I won't don't mean I couldn't if'n I wanted to. Point is, there is no point in it. An' even more, ya never pick up a gun an' start twirling it around when ya don't know if it's loaded or not. Ya just don't do that."

"It's not loaded, I know that," JD pointed out. "I took the bullets out myself before I started cleaning it, and they're all there," he nodded towards the jar.

"Just cause it was unloaded then ya can't know if it's unloaded now," Vin shook his head, never bothering to look into the jar. "Ya see JD, it's like this, a gun is either loaded or unloaded, but ya never know which until ya have checked. Ya never assume a gun is empty until ya have checked."

"I have checked, it's empty," JD insisted and Vin took a light grip off his arm, pulling him to his feet. He pulled the young man with him through the alley and to the outskirt of the town where it would be safe to fire a shot without hitting anyone.

Now Vin let go of JD's arm and nodded towards a tree. "Why don't ya take aim at that there tree limb there?" he suggested.

"The gun is empty Vin," he sighed.

"I heard ya kid, now take aim at that tree limb," Vin insisted.

"Better do it JD," decided Chris. "You know how stubborn he gets, he won't let us leave here before you do it, and I could use another beer."

Sighting JD took aim, gently pulled the trigger, and jumped in shock as the gun roared.

"I, I," he stammered as he looked at the gun horrified, allowing it to fall from his suddenly numb fingers. Vin calmly picked it up, opened the chamber and after making certain it was empty slipped it into JD's belt.

"That's kinda what I've been telling ya JD," he stated softly. "Ya can't never just assume it's empty cause it's the last ya know. Anytime that guns been outta yer sight, if ya jest turned your back to it for two seconds, ya can't be sure. Ya have to check before ya do something. Some damned old fool might have been there fooling with it, an' ya just don't know."

"But who?" JD looked between them still stunned.

"I did, sorry about it," Vin apologized. "Ain't trying to make a fool of ya or nothing JD. Wouldn't wanna do that, s' just that some things ya gotta learn, an' some things ya gotta learn the hard way."

"Vin's right," Chris allowed. "A gun is too big to make mistakes with JD, if it wasn't Vin now it might have been someone else later. Someone with a grudge could do it hoping to get you in trouble, some kid could have gotten their hands on it. You can't leave it like that just thinking we'll watch it. If you had asked us to, we would, but what if it had been Buck and he had some pretty girl? He might not have realized you left it."

"I, uh, I guess so," JD couldn't help it, he felt silly and humiliated and he barely dared to meet their eyes.

"Listen here kid," Vin urged gently. "It ain't how ya twirl that piece that makes ya the man ya are, an' it ain't how well ya shoot it. It really ain't JD. And there ain't no one here trying to make ya feel like less of a man. Heck, we wouldn't know this if we hadn't been through this already."

"Yep," Chris nodded. He had decided to allow Vin to take the lead but now when he knew where he was going he could help. "I made that mistake once, I thought the rifle was unloaded, was damn certain of it. Back after Sarah and Adam was killed, was drunk all the time and put Buck through hell. He tried to take me to task over it more than once and it wasa never pretty. I had taken the bullets out of that rifle, didn't know that Buck had loaded it the week before to take a shot at a cougar. Then he pissed me off bad and since I knew the rifle was unloaded I aimed it at the ground in front of him and fired. Hell, it wasn't unloaded any longer and you don't forget something like that JD."

"Did that happen to you too Vin?" JD asked.

"Not when I was a kid," Vin admitted. "Hell, back then I was using bow and arrows, and ya rather notice if one of those are loaded or not," he winked at JD. "And no, I ain't ever fired a gun I thought was empty, but I near got shot by one. Was later, some kid had seen his pa clean his gun an' had grabbed it to show a buddy of his, had seen him take out the bullets and was sure it was empty. Didn't know his pa had loaded it again when he wasn't looking. Kid fired off a shot, tore into the wall right in front of me."

"Damn," JD mumbled, he hadn't even thought about something like that, but he realized they were right. Knowing he hadn't paid attention when Vin picked up the gun he carefully took it out and checked the chamber. Making certain it was no longer loaded before slipping it back.

"That's right kid," Vin smiled appreciatively. "Never trust that someone else did it right."

"You're learning," Chris nodded. "And that's what counts."

"I'll never assume a gun isn't loaded again," JD promised. "Never."

"That's good," Vin nodded quietly. "Might wanna remember never to assume it's loaded either…."

"Huh?" JD gave him a confused look. If you couldn't assume the gun wasn't loaded you had to assume it was. It made sense, you had to do that.

Vin however was still giving him that slightly lopsided knowing smile. "Look here, someone rode in here now shooting up the place I'd grab my mares leg an' head up on a roof, an' I wouldn't be wasting the time ta check the gun cause I wouldn't have no time to waste. But if Chris here said we'd ride out ta take care of some business in five minutes, Ya can bet yer boots that I'd check it over. Ya can't assume the gun is loaded, if ya do, one day yer gonna be shot dead by someone who did check."

"But if it's not unloaded it has to be loaded," JD tried to wrap his head around what Vin was saying. It seemed to make sense, but yet in a way he couldn't understand it. Perhaps it was because he wasn't used to Vin speaking so much. He had uttered more words now than he normally seemed to do in a week. It had to be the amount he said that was throwing him off he decided.

"The point is JD, always make certain, one way or another," Chris smiled.

"Yep," Vin nodded. "A gun is always loaded or unloaded, it ain't never neither one, ya got bullets in it, or ya don't, but until ya have checked, ya had better make up yer mind it's both at the same time. Ya think that way an' yer gonna live longer."

"Always check JD," Chris repeated as he noticed that the kid was beginning to understand.

"Now, how about we go back an' load that gun of yers, then we head over to the saloon an' get a beer?" Vin suggested as he patted JD's shoulder.

"I thought you were broke pard," Chris mused as they walked.

"An I thought ya wasn't," Vin winked at JD who couldn't help but chuckle. For a moment when his gun went off he had thought he would lose their trust and their respect, but now he realized they had just wanted to teach him something. The only way he could have lost their respect would have been by refusing to learn that lesson. He might make many mistakes still, but he wasn't about to make 'that' mistake, he respected them far too much to do that…

The End

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