Title: Night is for Sleep

Series: Family

Universe: 7B

Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish I had an Ezra doll to play with…

Warning: angst, fluff, family.

Summary: The young ones have something to discuss and the night seemed to fit in their plans.

Beta: Susan Fulton. Thank you sweetie.

A/N: Josiah is 22, Chris and Buck are 20, Nathan is 19, Vin is 11, JD is 9, Ezra is 7

Vin & JD attend one school, Ezra another.

A/N: Aftermath of "A Day to Remember".

"Are you sure that they are sleeping?" JD asked his older brother.

"I'm sure JD." Vin replied.

"Let's hope that Ezra is awake, I don't want to wake him up." JD said.

"With what happened? I'm not sure that he can sleep that easy." Vin added to his brother.

JD opened the door slowly, and didn't seemed surprised to see Ezra's green eyes staring at them, as he still held the book that Buck bought for him.

"Ezra," he called as he went inside the room while his older brother closed the door, "How do you feel?"

"I can't say exactly what I feel, I've never know this feeling at least not for quite a while." Ezra replied, not wanting to go asleep and to find that all this was a dream.

"I'm sure that you are feeling happy, that's what birthdays do for us." Vin told him.

Ezra nodded and kept staring at them.

"Why are you not asleep?" Ezra asked with curiosity.

"He wants to ask you something." JD replied quickly before Vin could say anything.

"What is it?" Ezra asked fearing that what he had with his brothers earlier will be taken away from him.

"I… I need your help." Vin asked.

Ezra was surprised as he was expecting to hear something else, and that stopped him to speaking as he continued to stare at his brother.

"Ez…?" JD asked and then he exchanges glances with Vin, both were worried.

"Say something," Vin asked, and then he pleaded, "Please…"

"My help?" Ezra finally found the word to speak.

"He lied to Chris, about having an assignment to write a report field trip." JD replied quickly.

"JD!" Vin almost shouts.

"Shush… you don't want them to know, do you?" JD asked.

Ezra tried to overcome his emotions as he scanned his brothers' faces, and then as he came to a decision he asked, "Does Chris love you?"

"What does have to do with the report?" Vin asked.

"If he loves you, and you tell him the truth, he might not hurt you that much by giving you a punishment." Ezra replied.

"Chris won't hurt me, Ez." Vin assured him.

"Then, Vin, you have nothing to fear, by letting your brother know the truth." Ezra told him.

"See, I told you that he will help you." JD told to his brother, as he grinned.

Neither of the boys heard the door cracked open, or noticed that they being watched and heard, as a lone smile appeared in the other side.

'I wonder why Ezra mentions the punishment, and thinks that Chris will hurt Vin…' Josiah wondered and let that thought sink back in his mind as he closed the door as quietly as he could and went back to his room.

"Thank you, Ez, I'm glad that you are my brother." Vin told him.

"Our little brother is very wise," JD agrees and then he added, "Happy Birthday, little one."

The End