Author's Note: This is a one shot with the Magnificent Seven. Why is Casey mad at JD, the question was raised by several readers after my last story, and this is the explanation. Follows behind Ya Never Know Until Ya Check.

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….

I Am What I Am

Ezra gave a slightly disapproving frown as Chris came up to the rest of the group with Vin in tow. The week before there had been a bet made at the office and he had, to his shock and dismay, lost. He was still not quite certain how it had happened as he only ever bet on a sure thing.

As ATF agents there were certain things required of them, one of those being they had to attend seminars on occasion. It all concerned operational procedures of various kinds and he had to admit it made sense. It never bothered him much even when he had to sit and listen to a boring lecture. If it did not concern him he would tune it out and turn his mind to more important things.

The bet he had lost had been concerning a two day seminar. JD had started it really, the young computer specialist had talked about the trouble that would follow any such event that they attended and Ezra had thought the odds were in his favour for a bet. After all, certain things happened on those occasions as certainly as the fact that the sun rose in the east and the cowboy rode into the sunset, in the west.

JD would always get hyper active with excitement and sugar to the point where Chris usually had to restrain himself from strangling him. Also JD would usually manage to annoy someone who resented the fact that he was not only younger, but more intelligent and better at his job.

Buck would be certain to try to chat up every lady he met, and while most of them would be flattered there were the ones who were offended. Not to mention the very angry husbands and boyfriends that were bound to follow….

Josiah could be hot tempered at times, and the different personalities there, often intolerant and inclined towards prejudice, would grow on his nerves. Oh, there would be plenty of prejudice and prejudice was one thing the profiler did not handle too well so the first time someone insulted a member of his team, his family, he started getting mad.

Nathan usually displayed a calmness one could always count on, but seminars tested even him. Or perhaps it was partially JD and Vin with their constant junk food eating that started to test his patience. Buck's refusal to pay any attention to any part of the first aid lecture not demonstrated on a female personage did not help….

Vin normally calm and quiet tended to be hyper active due to the junk food. He and JD seemed to be in some competition about who could devour the largest amount on any such occasion. The crowd of people would trigger the claustrophobia he experienced at times and their sniper simply wasn't made to function in public. It made him nervous and edgy, it also seemed to affect his self esteem as he became aware of the fact that everyone else was making notes while he relied on his memory. Dyslexia did not make taking notes easy.

This all would set off their fearless leader. He was fiercely protective of his group, and could display an explosive temper at the best of time. Being forced to handle their miserable group could try anyone's patience and it usually didn't take long before the blonde was just short of strangling them all.

This had been the reason why he found it safe to make a bet on how long they could go without getting into trouble. It just wasn't possible for them to attend a seminar without trouble, it simply wasn't possible.

The sun rose in the west, and the cowboy rode off into the sunset, in the east. Or perhaps that would be the cowboy came riding out of the sunset in the east… He wasn't certain, it did not matter, what did matter was that he had made a bet on there being trouble, and there had been none.

None at all, he couldn't believe it. No one had been angry at JD, no one had taken offence at Buck, he hadn't even been able to count on Vin's status as a trouble magnet.

Thus he had lost the bet and now had to take the others to a restaurant. That had been what they had agreed on, the loser had to treat the others to a dinner. Now, he could have taken them to a lesser establishment, but he refused to set foot in one of those. So, in spite of better judgment he had booked a table at one of his eating establishments of preference and had instructed them firmly on how to carry themselves there.

Chris who had taken pity on him had informed the others that if Ezra was to be expected to hold up his end, the others weren't allowed to make it any harder for him, and he expected them for one thing to respect the dress code.

The others had already appeared clad in shirts and ties, Nathan and Josiah wore full suits while JD and Buck were dressed more leisurely but still suitable. He was not surprised at all that Chris showed up in a black suit, not surprised at all. Vin though had an interesting interpretation of 'jacket and tie.'

He had certainly made an effort, Ezra was more than willing to admit as much. He had brushed his cowboy boots and put a shine on them. He wore jeans, but as they were black it looked better and they were obviously his good pair. Normally all his jeans were stained and worn but these were in perfect condition, and they even appeared to be ironed. The denim shirt rather suited him and Ezra was more than willing to admit that the colour suited him perfectly. The light blue brought out the colour of his eyes. It was made in a cowboy style with inlays of darker blue and Ezra was surprised over how tasteful it looked and how well the darker blue tie went with it. He had also found a jacket in the same dark blue and if it looked slightly odd it still wasn't bad.

The waiter who showed them to their table gave him a slightly disapproving frown, but they certainly could not complain. He had followed the dress code, just in his own certain way.

"Is that really okay?" JD asked with a questioningly look as they took their seats.

"Somewhat unusual, not quite what is expected, but I dare to say that it is acceptable," decided Ezra. "Our friend has simply followed the rules laid out in his own somewhat unique way."

"Oh," JD decided if Ezra said it was okay then it had to truly be so. "I thought you had to do it the same way everyone else does."

"Not always my young compatriot," Ezra mused. "As you can tell it is not entirely appreciated, and while I am not certain if it is a style I approve off. I must say I appreciate the effort our friend has clearly made."

"Some men do not march to the beat of the same drum," Josiah mused. "They set their own beat and I would say our young sharpshooter here certainly is one of them."

"That's pretty cool," beamed JD. "You really don't care what others think huh?"

"Nope, that's not really important," Vin beamed. "Was a wise man gave some good advice once JD, words worth listening to."

"What?" JD leaned closer, eagerly hanging on to his every word.

"I am what I am, and that's all what I am," Vin shrugged. "I ain't gonna change what I am to suit someone, just ain't worth it."

"That's Popeye," JD frowned. "It's Popeye said that."

"Don't mean it ain't worth listening too, Popeye's a good guy," Vin defended his hero.

"So you see yourself as Popeye," Buck chuckled, finding it quite amusing.

"No, he can't be," JD spoke up. This instantly got the attention of the others. JD often displayed something akin to hero worship when it came to Vin, and he'd never speak against him in that way. "I mean, don't you guys realize this, but Vin'd never, ever eats spinach…"

Buck burst out laughing loudly, as did Josiah, their amusement clear to everyone in the restaurant. Nathan and Chris both chuckled with wide grins.

"See there Vin, you really should lay off the junk food and eat healthier," Nathan decided.

"Yeah, if you did, you could be like Popeye," Buck slapped his back good naturally. "Now wouldn't that be something huh?"

"I beg to differ," Ezra decided. "That wretched musical instrument that our compatriot insists on torturing us with on occasion is more than bad enough, I will not contemplate what he would be like if he were to have the use of a musical pipe…."

Buck laughed, once more slapping the younger man on the back so that he winced from the force.

They were perhaps a little more rowdy than the restaurant approved of Ezra decide, but at the time he did not really care. They were all good friends and well, they were what they were, and that was all what they were, and if the owner of the restaurant couldn't understand this, then he sadly had no experience of true friendship….

The End

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