"It's one thing for you to avoid going by his place for the past week Vin. Something else altogether for you to skip out of work once you find out he's coming in. Just how do you think you are going to avoid him for the rest of your career?"
Vin avoided making eye contact with Chris, or any of the others on the team.
"I've been thinking on that. Got the paperwork started."
"To do what? Transfer? You'll still be in the building, so that won't work" Buck challenged.
"Or were you thinking maybe another city?" Josiah asked. "You think he wouldn't look for you?"
"Not transferring." Vin answered softly, still avoiding their glares.
"Quit? You plan on quitting?" Chris bellowed.
"Only option I can see."
"If you are truly that unwilling to work with me any more Mr. Tanner, I can make the process much easier for you. It is I who should be tendering my resignation, and indeed I have already done so. Therefore, there is no need for you to abandon a career and a team that is so perfectly suited to you. I came today only to process through the required bureaucracy."
"What the hell do you mean you quit? What is going on here?" Chris' voice was so low it could barely be heard, but the sentiment spoke volumes.
"You can't leave Ezra." JD protested. "Why would you want to do that?"
"I cannot honestly say that I want to. I simply cannot see an alternative."
"Well I sure as hell can. You're not going anywhere." Chris turned to include Vin in his glare. "Either one of you."
"It is patently unfair and impractical for you, any of you, to be required to work with someone you cannot trust. Therefore, I have taken the only logical course open to any of us."
"What do you mean we don't trust you?" Nathan demanded. "Where does that come from?"
"When I am unable to trust my own actions, my own motives, I have no right to assume you would be capable of doing anything differently. And before you consider breaking any laws, let me assure you that my letter of resignation has already been delivered directly to the intended recipient Mr. Larabee."
"First – knock off the 'mister' crap. We've dealt with that one and I do not intend to bust that bronc again. And second, don't you think it is up to us to decide who we do and don't trust? Do and don't want to work with?"
"No, because you will choose the honourable path, and think with your hearts. Such action will get you killed, as it nearly did for Mr. Tanner. I simply refuse to live with that sword dangling over my head."
Vin finally found his voice. "Ezra, are you out of your mind? What happened – at the café – that was my fault. If I'd hung back like you told me to…"
"I would have allowed her to leave, or more likely, left with her."
"Don't believe that. Ezra." Chris challenged. "Not for a second."
"I know what I was thinking."
Even though he was afraid he'd be wasting his breath, Josiah tried to dissuade Ezra. "There is a world of difference between thinking about something and doing it, son. If we got fired, or worse, for what we think, there ain't a man in the team wouldn't be in a dozen kinds of trouble."
"You don't understand."
"Oh, believe me, we do. Even more than you do, I think. You did nothing wrong here Ezra. Not a damn thing. And if the idiots in the FBI or DEA try to say otherwise, there will be hell to pay." Ezra remained unconvinced by Chris's words. "I don't know who she was before Ezra. Don't doubt there was something special there to make you feel this way. But who she became…that's not on you."
"I am supposedly a trained observer and agent. I didn't see the truth then and tried to ignore it now. What does that say about me?"
"Says you were a man in love. Says she made a really bad choice three years and seven months ago."
"As I did last week. Mr. Tanner could have died because of my blindness."
"Told you to knock off the 'mister' crap. And nobody died."
"Damn it Ezra," Vin fought to keep himself controlled, knowing Ezra would misread any anger, "you're the one who almost died. You stepped in front of me, remember."
"I had already removed the bullets. I was in no danger."
Despite the tension, despite everything, Vin couldn't hold back a quick smile. "You have to teach me how you did that by the way."
"I can do that before I leave."
Chris slammed his hands palm down on the desk. "For the last time, nobody is going anywhere."
"It isn't your call. As I said, the paperwork has been submitted."
"And rejected." They all turned in one motion at Judge Travis' voice from the doorway.
"I understand. Firing me would be far more appropriate a response, and will reflect better on the inevitable Internal Affairs review."
"IA has nothing to do with this, and won't be an issue."
"While your support is appreciated, it is also dreadfully inappropriate, and the repercussions…"
"Don't exist. No consequences, no repercussions. This is over. Case is closed, the matter is moot."
"Hang on." Chris was the one objecting now. "What do you mean 'case closed'?"
"Just what I said Larabee. This is over."
The answer dawned on Vin first. "Shit – she turned state's witness, didn't she?" Travis nodded. "But we know everything she does! We have the money trail, the names."
"She has more. She's been –" he hesitated, looking at Ezra.
"Please, there is no need to couch your responses on my account. I am fully aware of what she had been doing."
"Not sure you really are. She's been dealing with some big names on our most wanted lists. And she is one hell of a record keeper. She can provide evidence of everything from smuggling to murder. She was quite the source of information. A perfect little double agent."
"And she walks on this? On all of it?" Buck didn't even try to hide his rage. "Fuck that! She tried to kill Ezra."
Travis chose to let the insubordination go, under the circumstances. "This is bigger than that Mr. Wilmington."
"Nothing is bigger than that." JD argued.
"I would agree," Travis answered, "but it is out of my hands. DEA and FBI had the lead on this, and they get to make the call."
"What happens to her?"
"Witness protection."
"Great. She ends up with some cushy lifetime deal after all of this. That sucks."
Chris agreed with JD, but like the Judge, knew there was nothing they could do about it.
"Well, it could be worse. In light of the – difficulties – she caused for the ATF, the Marshalls have allowed me some input on where her new location would be, and what she'll be doing." There was the faintest hint of a smile on the Judge's face.
"I don't want to know." Ezra said softly.
"And I couldn't tell you if you did. But suffice to say that there is a small accounting firm in a reasonably remote Alaskan town that no longer will have a help wanted sign in the window." A general murmur of appreciation went through the group.
"This does not negate the need for my resignation." Ezra returned them to the original discussion.
"Sure it does. There's no case, no record of any of this. So, and not that there ever was, but there is clearly no need now for you to resign. Or you Tanner." Travis hand the paperwork to Chris. "You might want to have this all shredded," he added as he left.
Chris took in a deep breath, trying to settle himself. None of this made sense. None of it was right, and at this moment, he wasn't sure it would be again. He turned to look at the duo causing him the most heartburn at the moment.
"So, what the hell am I supposed to do with the two of you? Travis won't take your resignations, and you are both just a little too crazy for any other team to want you."
Ezra shook his head at the reality that his life was, for the most part, out of his control. Strangely, that did not bother him nearly as much as it should.
"Can I be assured, Mr. – Vin – that the next time I ask you to stay outside of a matter, you will in fact to so?"
Vin didn't miss a beat. "No." He could feel himself relaxing at the implication of the question. "Can I be assured that you will let us help you out next time you get into a place where your emotions mess with your better judgement?"
"Good heavens – of course not." The two smiled at each other.
Josiah grinned as well, as he stood and turned to Chris. "I'm not sure why you want either one of them to stick around. Likely more trouble than they are worth." He winked broadly.
"Truer words were never said Josiah. Still, watching over them may be a dirty job…"
"-but someone has to do it." Buck finished. "Why do we get all the dirty jobs?"
"'cause we are so damn good at them."
M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7
The end
