A/N: First, Sorry it's taken a while to update. After trying for days to bang out something decent I finally found an approach I'm happy with. Secondly, I said before that this chapter would start the trip into Ezra's childhood but after many rewrites I decided there needed to be a little something extra before that. Thirdly, thank all y'all so much for your support. Your reviews, follows, and favorites are encouraging and truly appreciated.
Ezra and Vin shared several drinks in silence, both feeling that what had needed to be said had been, before Ezra pushed back from the table. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Tanner, I'll take my leave now."
"You're all right?" Vin asked.
Ezra grinned, his gold tooth shining. "Naturally. Feel free to finish off the bourbon." He said as he walked past Vin and made his way up the stairs before the tracker had a chance to say anything else.
Once he was in his room Ezra blow out a breath. He had done his part. He had talked. Vin could now go back and tell everyone Ezra wasn't ready to string any of them up and he wasn't drinking himself into oblivion, which is what they were probably afraid of. But, while he'd been glad of Vin's company for a while what he really wanted now was to be alone. Alone with his thoughts and memories.
Jerking off his jacket, Ezra throw it over a chair. He didn't feel like hanging I up now. His guns, waistcoat, and tie quickly joined the red jacket haphazardly on the chair. Giving his boots a rather unceremonious kick into the corner he slipped his spenders from his shoulders and yanked his shirt off. It was only then that he crossed over to the dresser where he gently deposited his ruby ring and gold watch. They were the only belongings of his that would receive any special care tonight.
Ezra ran his hands through his hair with a heavy sigh before he gave the daguerreotype on the dresser a look. He felt a pang when he saw the framed image of the young family setting beside his ring and watch, the ring and watch that had once belonged to the young man in the picture. A ring and a watch that, if life was fair, wouldn't have found their way into Ezra's possession for many years yet. But life wasn't fair, life was what it was, and one had to find a way to deal with it.
Picking up the picture Ezra fell back on his bed and studied the three people in the photograph. The woman was easily recognizable. His mother had lost none of her beauty through the years. On her lap set a four-year-old who had patiently endured the ordeal of being photographed due to the promise of ice cream. Behind the pair stood the man Ezra had idolized. A man who shared many of Ezra's features. And although the expressions of the three were solemn there was an undisguised joy about the family.
Sighing once more Ezra dropped the family portrait on the bed beside him. It was on rare occasions like this that Ezra let his mind wonder to the past and he wondered what that family would be like now if his father hadn't of died, if Maude's other four marriages had not happened, if a war hadn't torn his country apart. But wondering about what might have been was a waste of time. The only thing he could really do was remember what had been and as painful as it might be that was exactly what Ezra planned on doing tonight. Tonight in the safety and solitude of his room he would think about the past, and he would think long and hard about it.
A/N: Well, that was insanely short but I do hope you'll forgive me. Next chapter will be up soon. Promise.
