Author: Pirate Turner
Dedicated To: Our own little cowboy at the Mardi Gras festival and, as always, my beloved Jack, for whose endless support and love I am eternally graefu
Rating: G
Summary: Chris gets a few reminders of the true treasures at Mardi Gras.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1,546
Date Written: 5 March, 2011
Disclaimer: Chris Larabee, Ezra Standish, Vin Tanner, JD Dunne, Buck Wilmingon, Josiah Sanchez, Nathan Jackson, and The Magnificent Seven are & TM CBS, The Mirisch Group, MGM, and Trilogy Entertainment, none of whom are the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Ezra concentrated as celebratory noises exploded all around him. His green eyes narrowed as he searched the dark streets for any sign of his target. He knew he had other tasks to perform this happy night, but for now, he was intent upon only one thing, only one man. He would find him, and he would make certain he got what he deserved.
"I DON'T SEE HIM!" Buck called from down below on the main set.
Ezra glanced down, seeing JD shaking his head in agreement but being unable to hear the words the Kid spoke for the loud trumpeting of the instruments accompanying their movements.
"DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELVES!" he called down to his team. "LEAVE HIM TO ME! AH'LL TAKE CARE O' HIM!"
He caught their looks that told him how much they hoped that he would indeed do just that for he had a much better advantage point of finding their target and dealing with him appropriately than any of the four men down below did, or the one riding point with the horses ahead of their placement. Ezra straightened and flashed his smile as he turned from one side of his throne to the other, waving and throwing out the occasional item. Then Ezra spied his target standing alone on the sidewalk with his fingers pressed against his temple in honor.
His smile twisted. He had known he would find him alone, though a part of him had hoped that he would show at least a little more interest in the festivities. Jewels sailed to within mere inches of his target's head, and still the man in black stood, stoic and riveted to the spot. He was there, Ezra knew, for only one reason, and though he was glad that he had come to show his respect, he was even more determined to reward him with what he deserved tonight.
He had come to the parade but refused to invest in the merriment. His lips were a tight line of unamusement, and his body held as rigid as though he were about to stalk knowingly straight into a line of gunfire. Ezra shook his head, and his green eyes gleamed. "Well, Mistah Larabee," he breathed, his gold tooth winking, "Ah do believe it is pass time, sir, that you received what you so richly deserve."
He drew a particularly shiny piece from those he clutched in one hand and threw it out with expert ease. It sailed through the air, whipping through many of the hands that attempted to clutch it, and looped around Ezra's target. The gambler beamed in prideful satisfaction as the necklace roped around the brim of Chris' black cowboy hat. It went down perfectly onto the hat, and Ezra couldn't help laughing at the expression on Chris' previously serious face.
Chris glared up at his hat as though the clothing had offended him itself. He gingerly lifted it from his blonde head and looked at the necklace surrounding it in surprise. Yet his dry lips twitched for he knew this was no accident. Shouts in familiar, much loved voices went up from the passing float, and Chris looked up to see his men riding down Main Street.
Vin had passed ahead of them moments before. At least he'd had sense enough not to try to throw anything at him, Chris thought, not realizing that that lack was simply due to the fact that his best friend had simply not had anything to throw. Now, on the other hand, Josiah, JD, Buck, and even Nathan threw out necklaces and moonpies alike, and Chris swore to himself that every one of them was doing their best to hit him. He stood still and let the kids throng around him, their small, greedy hands quickly catching up everything that was thrown.
Yet the man in the starring position, the King of this particular float, threw out only a few items. Their green eyes met, and Chris knew instantly the reason why. Ezra had already passed out that which he had intended. He had been the one to ring Chris' hat! Ezra winked and waved even harder, his gold tooth flashing in the shadowy atmosphere. Chris harrumphed, but then, despite himself, he smiled. In that moment, as they gazed into one another's eyes over the distance, the two friends' smiles shone more to each other than all the lights in the parade.
Then something hit Chris' right boot, and something else, something smaller, struck his left. Chris quickly slid his feet into better positions without even bothering to look down. He heard his men whooping their joy, and his own spirits lifted higher. Perhaps it hadn't been such a bad idea, after all, for them to be involved in this Mardi Gras parade. As long as, Chris added silently and quickly, he didn't have to be involved himself.
He waited until his team and the rest of the law enforcers and military had passed before finally lowering his salute, and still he stood, as quiet and calm as a statue, until the parade had completely come to an end. As the throng of people began moving around him, bustling each other and paying him no heed as they hurried on about the rest of their lives, Chris remained right where he stood. He waited until the last of the parade goers had disappeared, and only then did he move.
Silently, he lifted his boots and stepped to the side. There, alone on the street, with no one to oversee his actions, Chris stooped and retrieved the items that had previously struck his boots. His smile grew as he lifted the gaudy necklace and chocolate moon pie. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of his hunger, and he almost ripped into the moonpie then and there.
He felt movement on the street and looked up to see one of the patrolling cops. Swallowing his delight with a sheepish, embarrassed grin, Chris slipped the necklace off of his hat and slid both necklaces and the moon pie into one of the inside pockets on his long, black trench. He hurried about his way, not daring to meet the questioning eyes of the cop but smiling despite himself.
It would have been worth coming to the parade just to pay tribute to those in the parade who deserved it and to show support of his team, but the night had proved to be a much better, and secretly funner, evening than Chris would have ever thought possible. He knew his men had wanted to do this and had been begged to partake in it, and he knew that they'd ask again to be involved next year. Chris' smile grew as he ducked into his truck. He'd let them without a question next year, and though no force on Earth would get him on one of those floats, he nonetheless already found himself looking forward to it.
He felt his cell phone stir within his breast pocket and pulled it out. His smile shone even brighter as he read the anonymous message. "Happy Mardi Gras, cowboy," it read, and Chris instantly knew the identity of the sender, just as he knew very well who, out of all of his friends, had been the most determined to see him participate in the holiday.
"Happy Mardi Gras, Ezra," he drawled, his green eyes twinkling as, a couple of miles away, Ezra's own smile shone with a touch of gold. Chris started his truck and headed out to rejoin his team, smiling to himself as he both remembered Ezra's earlier smile and looked forward to pulling him aside and thanking him for the beads. He also owed Buck and JD thanks, he thought, for the other necklace and moonpie - if, he amended, he decided to admit that he got them.
It was still partially tempting to pretend he'd missed Ezra's throw, but both men knew that was impossible. Chris' smile shone over his handsome face as the lean, usually serious blonde allowed a chuckle to escape from his wry lips. Leave it to the con man to ring his hat with jewelry! Only Ezra! Chris beamed, laughed, and shook his head. Only Ezra would be a friend both foolish and determined enough to risk his fury by throwing jewelry on his hat, but his dear friend had definitely made this Mardi Gras a night to remember!
He looked forward to thanking him and hoped he could find as memorable a way to show his gratitude as Ezra had incorporated to show Chris the delight of the season! Though he'd never been excited about Mardi Gras before, Chris found himself already looking forward to next year's parade with excitement. How would his boys react, Chris wondered, if they knew that he now liked Mardi Gras? He'd best not show them, he decided. After all, he wanted to see if Ezra could ring his hat again next year! He laughed, the full moon shining down on him in his cab, as he continued on his path way to join his friends in their celebration, a plan already forming in his mind to make the rest of the night just as memorable and to enjoy an even bigger and better parade next year!
The End