It had snowed overnight. The fact that Ezra was up at the crack of dawn to
watch the flakes drift down was a point of concern for the undercover
agent. Insomniac though he might be, he assumed his injuries and
medication would guarantee at least six hours of continuous sleep.
Unfortunately, his subconscious had other ideas and kept throwing new
nightmares his way. It was probably just the medication, at least that's
what he told himself for reassurance. They just needed to solve this case
and he'd be back to normal in no time at all. If he had a normal anymore.
. .
The clang of a frying pan on the stove implied one of the team was up and making breakfast. He heard the fridge open as the smell of coffee teased his nose.
"Please let it not be Vin," he murmured almost inaudibly. Josiah was snoring peacefully on his camping cot next to the modest full size bed and Ezra had no desire to wake him. Josiah, Nathan, and Chris had gotten in late the night before, and the tension of the past weeks was telling on the team. Besides, he was happy going to pieces by himself. He didn't need an audience.
But now that the others were waking, he wanted to get out of bed. If they caught him brooding he'd never hear the end of it. Besides, lounging around was losing its appeal after a week in the hospital. Was it just two days ago that he was released? It seemed like years. The events at the bust nearly two weeks ago seemed even more distant. It would have been nice if they never happened.
There he went brooding again and footsteps were coming down the hall so the master bedroom was about to be invaded by more than Josiah's unholy noise. Ezra pushed himself away from the headboard, back cramped after slouching against its hard surface for too long. Trying gingerly to stretch, he decided it was still a little soon to think about moving his ribs in any way, and so he swung his right leg over the bed's edge, glad Josiah had decided to camp out on the other side. His crutches were almost within reach, and he realized they were intentionally a little beyond his arm- span. Nathan ensuring that he would have to wake one of them before gallivanting across the countryside. As if he could.
Buck caught the derisive snort as he poked his head around the door. "You up?" He whispered unnecessarily over Josiah's chainsaw effect.
"Let me think on it," came the sarcastic reply. Ezra tried to hook the crutches with his fingers once more. Seeing them start to tip, Buck came forward to assist and helped swing the bulky knee brace around. Ezra smiled wanly and scooted to the bathroom, reminding himself that, should he refuse to leave the privy, his teammates would inevitably become concerned and break the door down. Besides, he was done brooding. Just as soon as he stopped staring at his battered face.
He hadn't gotten a good look at himself yesterday. Lord knows he hadn't seen a mirror in the hospital, and the day before he had been put straight to bed when he arrived home. After that he had only hopped into the bathroom to relieve himself, but truthfully, he had ignored his reflection on purpose. His right cheek was badly bruised, as was his eye, but the swelling had gone down considerably since he had first woke up. It didn't feel like his brain was trying to pulse out of his skull anymore, either. Hopefully the cuts on his forehead and nose wouldn't scar. They were rather noticeable and in his profession he relied on blending in when needed. He was amazed he didn't have any dental damage, if his nightmares about being slammed into the kitchen floor were true, but his one molar did feel a little looser than before. Of course, the thugs had been focusing on causing the most painful damage in the shortest amount of time. At least they were efficient thugs.
Well, he must be feeling better if he was making caustic remarks, even just in his head. He stared into bright green eyes, searching for something. Exactly what, he wasn't sure.
"You okay in there, Ez?" Buck tapped lightly on the door.
"I'm fine, Buck."
"Breakfast's on, if you feel up to eatin' right now?"
Ezra was notorious for not eating breakfast (or waking up in time to actually have breakfast), but he had been up for hours already and the smells were making his stomach growl. With a final glance at the mirror, he hobbled out into the hallway. Someone had thoughtfully moved the throw rugs from the floor, so he had a much easier time getting around than the night before.
"Nathan even remembered to bring that fancy creamer you like," Buck added as he walked toward the kitchen, throwing a grin over his shoulder.
"Since there's no Starbucks for miles, I'm grateful."
"Hell, Ez, there ain't nothin' around for miles." Buck joked as they entered the dining area. The table had been covered with files, notes, and pictures, but someone had thoughtfully cleared a few seats.
"Ya'll better eat up while you can," Vin drawled as he came from the kitchen with a plate of eggs and mug of coffee for Ezra. "Chris wants us to go through everything, maybe figger out what these guys think we know. Seems like if we know what, we'll have some direction to go in."
"Wonderful." Ezra eyed the mound of papers with near-despair. The sheer amount of information on the case was daunting, and if they hadn't realized what this looming 'Something' was before, it meant they would have to go through everything with a fine toothed comb.
Shaking his head, Buck just dug into his own breakfast with a rueful grin. Vin smirked and went to wake up JD.
***************************************
Later that evening
***************************************
Taking a break from the case files, Josiah, Buck and Ezra settled in to watch an old black and white movie playing on the single station the battered TV received. Bouncing around half the night, JD was banished to the far side of the family room to fiddle with his lap top, and Buck threw the youngest member's stash of candy bars in his general direction as the demolition expert settled on the couch with Josiah. Ezra had been given the recliner so that he could prop his injured leg up without much trouble.
It wasn't even ten minutes into the movie before Buck, semi-bored, spoke up.
"So this English dude, he gets lots of women right? Action and intrigue and all that?"
"This 'dude' is already married," Ezra responded absently.
"Then why's he in France all over the place instead of at home gettin' some lovin'?" Trying to be as obnoxious as possible, Buck grabbed a handful of Josiah's trail mix and rammed it all in his mouth. Ezra had seemed withdrawn all day, so he figured the best way to get him riled was to insult one of the "classics." Man never could turn down an argument against Buck when it came to being refined.
Rising to the bait as expected, Ezra glared at Buck around Josiah. "He is extricating his fellow aristocrats from the certain death of Madame Guillotine, Bucklin. It's a noble pursuit that even you should be able to recognize."
"Then why's he dressed like a woman?"
"In order to effect the release of his social brethren, he must first blend in with the revolutionary rabble to reach them." Ezra turned back to the screen while Josiah continued munching complacently. Buck smiled.
"Seems kinda funny to me, him dressing up like a woman. Plus, he's named after a flower."
"It's a very elegant bloom, but you miss the point. He has many disguises, not just the old woman, so that he may evade capture. In a time where France was in major political upheaval, slaughtering the innocent bourgeoisie as well as any 'enemies of the people,' this one man and his chosen few were willing to risk life and limb, using their resources as English noblemen, to rescue these unfortunate people."
"Unfortunate oppressors," Vin muttered to Ezra as he sat on the carpet next to the arm chair.
"So he goes undercover. Dressed as a woman."
"Yes, Buck." Ezra deadpanned.
From the kitchen table, Nathan couldn't hold back a slight snicker. Chris exchanged amuse glances with him over the latest case file. The rest of the team had realized was Buck was doing and waited to see what the results would be.
"Ain't you done that once, Ez?" JD chimed in from the window seat. Laughter erupted around the room and Ezra sighed in good-natured resignation.
"Toss me one of them Snicker bars, JD," Vin called out over Ezra.
"Oh Lord, let me get back to bed first," the conman murmured, mockingly reaching for his crutches while JD set aside the laptop to rummage in his bag of snacks.
"Catch."
The bar nearly pegged Ezra in the head and went sailing off down the hall. Shrugging, JD threw another but it bounced off Vin's cast. A third one was ready to be launched, but Vin was trying in vain to reach the second with the tips of his toes.
"You two hooligans are picking up every single thing you throw in here," Chris intoned from the dining room table without looking up.
"JD's the one with bad aim." Vin pointed out as he triumphantly snagged the second chocolate bar with the edge of a throw blanket.
"Fine. JD." Chris was using his leader voice.
"Yes, sir." JD sighed and went to get the Snickers in the hall. Just as he slid off the window seat, however, the window seemed to explode next to him. The team dived for cover with guns drawn before the last of the glass hit the floor.
"JD?" Chris called from behind the kitchen island.
"I'm fine." He had dropped in front of the seat on all fours, and cussed up a storm when he landed on window shards. Unfortunately, he was pinned in his position. "I ain't goin' nowhere, though."
Vin had pulled Ezra down next to him on the floor, and now inched towards the hall, using the couch as cover. Josiah and Buck crouched behind the flipped coffee table, while Nathan waited around the corner of the hall for Vin and Ezra.
The clang of a frying pan on the stove implied one of the team was up and making breakfast. He heard the fridge open as the smell of coffee teased his nose.
"Please let it not be Vin," he murmured almost inaudibly. Josiah was snoring peacefully on his camping cot next to the modest full size bed and Ezra had no desire to wake him. Josiah, Nathan, and Chris had gotten in late the night before, and the tension of the past weeks was telling on the team. Besides, he was happy going to pieces by himself. He didn't need an audience.
But now that the others were waking, he wanted to get out of bed. If they caught him brooding he'd never hear the end of it. Besides, lounging around was losing its appeal after a week in the hospital. Was it just two days ago that he was released? It seemed like years. The events at the bust nearly two weeks ago seemed even more distant. It would have been nice if they never happened.
There he went brooding again and footsteps were coming down the hall so the master bedroom was about to be invaded by more than Josiah's unholy noise. Ezra pushed himself away from the headboard, back cramped after slouching against its hard surface for too long. Trying gingerly to stretch, he decided it was still a little soon to think about moving his ribs in any way, and so he swung his right leg over the bed's edge, glad Josiah had decided to camp out on the other side. His crutches were almost within reach, and he realized they were intentionally a little beyond his arm- span. Nathan ensuring that he would have to wake one of them before gallivanting across the countryside. As if he could.
Buck caught the derisive snort as he poked his head around the door. "You up?" He whispered unnecessarily over Josiah's chainsaw effect.
"Let me think on it," came the sarcastic reply. Ezra tried to hook the crutches with his fingers once more. Seeing them start to tip, Buck came forward to assist and helped swing the bulky knee brace around. Ezra smiled wanly and scooted to the bathroom, reminding himself that, should he refuse to leave the privy, his teammates would inevitably become concerned and break the door down. Besides, he was done brooding. Just as soon as he stopped staring at his battered face.
He hadn't gotten a good look at himself yesterday. Lord knows he hadn't seen a mirror in the hospital, and the day before he had been put straight to bed when he arrived home. After that he had only hopped into the bathroom to relieve himself, but truthfully, he had ignored his reflection on purpose. His right cheek was badly bruised, as was his eye, but the swelling had gone down considerably since he had first woke up. It didn't feel like his brain was trying to pulse out of his skull anymore, either. Hopefully the cuts on his forehead and nose wouldn't scar. They were rather noticeable and in his profession he relied on blending in when needed. He was amazed he didn't have any dental damage, if his nightmares about being slammed into the kitchen floor were true, but his one molar did feel a little looser than before. Of course, the thugs had been focusing on causing the most painful damage in the shortest amount of time. At least they were efficient thugs.
Well, he must be feeling better if he was making caustic remarks, even just in his head. He stared into bright green eyes, searching for something. Exactly what, he wasn't sure.
"You okay in there, Ez?" Buck tapped lightly on the door.
"I'm fine, Buck."
"Breakfast's on, if you feel up to eatin' right now?"
Ezra was notorious for not eating breakfast (or waking up in time to actually have breakfast), but he had been up for hours already and the smells were making his stomach growl. With a final glance at the mirror, he hobbled out into the hallway. Someone had thoughtfully moved the throw rugs from the floor, so he had a much easier time getting around than the night before.
"Nathan even remembered to bring that fancy creamer you like," Buck added as he walked toward the kitchen, throwing a grin over his shoulder.
"Since there's no Starbucks for miles, I'm grateful."
"Hell, Ez, there ain't nothin' around for miles." Buck joked as they entered the dining area. The table had been covered with files, notes, and pictures, but someone had thoughtfully cleared a few seats.
"Ya'll better eat up while you can," Vin drawled as he came from the kitchen with a plate of eggs and mug of coffee for Ezra. "Chris wants us to go through everything, maybe figger out what these guys think we know. Seems like if we know what, we'll have some direction to go in."
"Wonderful." Ezra eyed the mound of papers with near-despair. The sheer amount of information on the case was daunting, and if they hadn't realized what this looming 'Something' was before, it meant they would have to go through everything with a fine toothed comb.
Shaking his head, Buck just dug into his own breakfast with a rueful grin. Vin smirked and went to wake up JD.
***************************************
Later that evening
***************************************
Taking a break from the case files, Josiah, Buck and Ezra settled in to watch an old black and white movie playing on the single station the battered TV received. Bouncing around half the night, JD was banished to the far side of the family room to fiddle with his lap top, and Buck threw the youngest member's stash of candy bars in his general direction as the demolition expert settled on the couch with Josiah. Ezra had been given the recliner so that he could prop his injured leg up without much trouble.
It wasn't even ten minutes into the movie before Buck, semi-bored, spoke up.
"So this English dude, he gets lots of women right? Action and intrigue and all that?"
"This 'dude' is already married," Ezra responded absently.
"Then why's he in France all over the place instead of at home gettin' some lovin'?" Trying to be as obnoxious as possible, Buck grabbed a handful of Josiah's trail mix and rammed it all in his mouth. Ezra had seemed withdrawn all day, so he figured the best way to get him riled was to insult one of the "classics." Man never could turn down an argument against Buck when it came to being refined.
Rising to the bait as expected, Ezra glared at Buck around Josiah. "He is extricating his fellow aristocrats from the certain death of Madame Guillotine, Bucklin. It's a noble pursuit that even you should be able to recognize."
"Then why's he dressed like a woman?"
"In order to effect the release of his social brethren, he must first blend in with the revolutionary rabble to reach them." Ezra turned back to the screen while Josiah continued munching complacently. Buck smiled.
"Seems kinda funny to me, him dressing up like a woman. Plus, he's named after a flower."
"It's a very elegant bloom, but you miss the point. He has many disguises, not just the old woman, so that he may evade capture. In a time where France was in major political upheaval, slaughtering the innocent bourgeoisie as well as any 'enemies of the people,' this one man and his chosen few were willing to risk life and limb, using their resources as English noblemen, to rescue these unfortunate people."
"Unfortunate oppressors," Vin muttered to Ezra as he sat on the carpet next to the arm chair.
"So he goes undercover. Dressed as a woman."
"Yes, Buck." Ezra deadpanned.
From the kitchen table, Nathan couldn't hold back a slight snicker. Chris exchanged amuse glances with him over the latest case file. The rest of the team had realized was Buck was doing and waited to see what the results would be.
"Ain't you done that once, Ez?" JD chimed in from the window seat. Laughter erupted around the room and Ezra sighed in good-natured resignation.
"Toss me one of them Snicker bars, JD," Vin called out over Ezra.
"Oh Lord, let me get back to bed first," the conman murmured, mockingly reaching for his crutches while JD set aside the laptop to rummage in his bag of snacks.
"Catch."
The bar nearly pegged Ezra in the head and went sailing off down the hall. Shrugging, JD threw another but it bounced off Vin's cast. A third one was ready to be launched, but Vin was trying in vain to reach the second with the tips of his toes.
"You two hooligans are picking up every single thing you throw in here," Chris intoned from the dining room table without looking up.
"JD's the one with bad aim." Vin pointed out as he triumphantly snagged the second chocolate bar with the edge of a throw blanket.
"Fine. JD." Chris was using his leader voice.
"Yes, sir." JD sighed and went to get the Snickers in the hall. Just as he slid off the window seat, however, the window seemed to explode next to him. The team dived for cover with guns drawn before the last of the glass hit the floor.
"JD?" Chris called from behind the kitchen island.
"I'm fine." He had dropped in front of the seat on all fours, and cussed up a storm when he landed on window shards. Unfortunately, he was pinned in his position. "I ain't goin' nowhere, though."
Vin had pulled Ezra down next to him on the floor, and now inched towards the hall, using the couch as cover. Josiah and Buck crouched behind the flipped coffee table, while Nathan waited around the corner of the hall for Vin and Ezra.