A/N: Sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter! I've been trying to get myself to finish it, but I only managed to today. -hides face- Thank you all for your reviews and your faithful reading! This could have been longer, but I wanted to post it. There may be flashbacks later about the 'battle scene' itself, but right now I wasn't quite in the mood to write in detail about 'mini-world war five'.
This chapter hasn't been check over as carefully as the others, so please forgive any mistakes.
A/N: Thank you, Celesta SunStar, for pointing out to me that - what with Ezra being an itty bitty child now - there are no ' Seven'. About time I fixed that. :)
Disclaimer: The horses are MINE, thanks. Except for Peso; he belongs to.... whichever fanfic write invented the name. I was too bored to think up another one. Dan, Jake and Johnny from Vin's story are entirely fanfictional. ;D Everything else belongs to the creators of Mag7.
It's Raining Men With Guns!
Vin surreptitiously glanced at Ezra as he silently rode behind him. Peso snorted loudly and gave his head a shake; Vin absently patted his neck, still studying Ezra.
When Nathan and Chris had cornered him in the cave, Ezra erupted in what had seemed to be a panic attack. They had only been able to get the name of Vin's attacker--Raymond O'Brien--before he clamped up and refused to say another word, curling up near his horse and staring blankly at the ceiling. Nothing they had said or done had made him react, though Vin finally managed to get him to eat something after a good twenty minutes of pleading, threatening and begging.
Suffice it to say, they hadn't tried that again.
Now that they were back on the road, however, and with a good three hours behind them since Ezra's panicked retreat, Vin had been delegated the task of getting Ezra to talk. According to Chris, he was the best of the Six at enticing people to spill their guts, and if Nathan was to be believed, he was also the least threatening of the three of them and, therefore, the best candidate for the job.
Though the thought that none of them considered him threatening was rather insulting, he had to admit that he was quite good at subtle interrogation.
'Sides, Vin thought with another glance in Ezra's direction, s'not like I have anythin' better ta do. I reckon it's 'bout time I got ta know the kid anyway.
He nudged his horse forward until he was beside Ezra, who was currently staring blankly at the back of his horse's head.
"Penny fer yer thoughts."
Ezra started and would have fallen off his horse if Vin hadn't grabbed his arm and steadied him. Ezra gave him a rather tight smile, his eyes still widened in surprise.
"Sorry 'bout that, didn' mean ta startle ya," Vin said.
Ezra nodded his understanding and went back to staring at Hespera's head. It seemed to take him a moment to realize that Vin had asked him a question.
"Ah'm sorry?"
"I said, penny fer yer thoughts."
Ezra blinked at him owlishly, a puzzled frown on his face. "What?"
Vin grinned in amusement. "Yer actin' like you've never heard the sayin' b'fore."
"Well, ah--ah haven't; not from what ah can recall."
Vin raised his eyebrows, rather taken aback. How odd. He tucked that away for future contemplation. "It basically means tha I'll give ya a penny if ya tell me what yer thinkin'."
"Oh." The small boy furrowed his brow for a moment before looking up at him cautiously. "Well, ah wasn't really thinking about anythin' in particular, ah guess. Mister Tannah'," he quickly corrected himself.
Vin noticed that he'd mostly stopped talking those big words of his. 'Bout time, too. Wonder if he's finally gettin' comfortable with us. "Call me Vin."
Ezra, by now used to people asking him to call them by their first names, only nodded.
"Well, I was jist wonderin' something tha I want ta ask you 'bout." Vin studied his face, wondering if Ezra would clamp up again like the night before. "Why did ya react the way ya did last night, jist 'cause we were askin' ya some questions?"
Ezra face immediately closed up. Vin could tell that if Ezra could have his way, this would be the end of the conversation. But Vin was running this game, and he wasn't prepared to give up just yet.
"Ya don't have ta tell me anythin' ya don't want ta," Vin said gently. "If it makes ya uncomfortable, we don't have ta talk 'bout O'Brien, yer mom, or even where ya come from. I jist want ta get ta know ya, even jist a little bit."
Ezra looked uncomfortable, but he didn't seem as tense and closed off as he had a moment before, and Vin took that as a good sign. After a moments consideration, he exhaled tiredly and turned to look at Vin with reluctance.
"What would you like to know?"
Nathan smiled at the pair as they talked. Ezra looked relaxed, open and happy, a far cry from how he'd been since they'd he'd first run into them. He actually looked his age for once.
Nathan had asked Vin to talk to him because he had known how good Vin was with children, and coupled with the fact that he was a good interrogator, he had had every confidence in the man--enough confidence to bet on him against Chris Larabee and know he was going to win.
Which I just have, Nathan thought with a smirk.
"Quit your smirkin', doc; no need to be so smug about it," Chris grumbled as he handed him a five-dollar bill, annoyed at losing the bet.
"Your fault for betting on the losing side," Nathan shot back.
Chris just grunted and kicked his horse into a light trot. Nathan chuckled in amusement and spurred his horse after him. Chris had never really been a good loser. He'd been rather surprised when Chris had bet on Ezra and not Vin. He figured that Ezra had gotten to Chris more than even Chris realized.
He looked back at the chatting duo. They'd only been talking for about an hour, but they already looked they'd known each other for years.
Almost like siblings, Nathan thought absently as brought his attention back to the road. Almost like brothers.
"-and she screamed so loud that the cheater jumped in surprise and tripped over a table, dropping all the cards he'd hidden unda' his sleeve!"
Ezra smiled in remembered satisfaction while Vin laughed loudly. It was almost surreal to be finally talking about his life to someone; he was usually so careful about keeping his past to himself. Something about Vin, though... something about him just made you want to talk and talk and spill all your well hidden secrets.
He's just a good listener, ah guess, Ezra thought, grinning back at Vin when he turned his way. Whateva' the case, it does feel good to talk freely without worry of speaking out of turn. And Vin had yet to begin interrogating him. He'd asked a few questions in the beginning, but after that, he'd just let Ezra talk about whatever he felt like talking about. No pressure, no angles and no digging for information.
Like ah said--well, thought; he's a good listener.
"You've had quite the life, Ez; more interestin' than mine, even. When'd ya first learn ta play cards? I bet you'd beat anyone of us without breakin' a sweat!" Vin was careful to speak carelessly, as if he had no motive for asking the question other than simple curiosity. It seemed to work, because Ezra answered back immediately and without censure or suspicion.
"Sometime afta' mah fourth birthday," Ezra said, adding a quick, "And don't call me Ez! Mah name is Ezra; EZ-RA!"
Vin smirked and reached out a hand to ruffle his hair. "Whatever ya say, Ez."
Ezra ducked and scowled at him good-naturedly. It had taken a bit of a while to get him to loosen up, but he had eventually become more open to questions and had started to provide information on his own. Vin still had to be careful to make it seem like he wasn't digging for information, but he seemed to be doing all right so far. And he had to admit, he quite enjoyed talking to the kid. Ezra was surprisingly intelligent and engaging for his age, and he had a sharp wit and a rather wry sense of humor. He hadn't had so much fun talking with someone in years.
Vin turned back slightly in his saddle to ask Ezra another question, when he happened to notice movement out of the corner of his eye. He immediately pulled Peso to a stop, carefully honed instincts from years of looking over his shoulder screaming at him that danger was near. He reached down and grabbed his eyeglass, peering out at the cloud of dust that was closing in on them rapidly
"Chris, we've got company!" He shouted, reaching down to pull his shotgun from where he'd attached it to the saddle. He turned Peso around in a full circle, facing the faint silhouettes of the approaching riders.
"Dammit, this can't be good! Can you see what they look like?" Chris asked as he pulled up beside him.
Vin shook his head. "Still too far off. From what I can tell, there's 'bout four of'm, maybe five. Anyone ridin' that fast and with tha number can't mean any good. O'Brien prob'ly decided ta send someone after us ta finish the job."
Chris sighed in exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose. Could things really get any worse than this?
"Perfect, just what we need," he muttered under his breath."How soon till they reach us?"
"A few minutes, prob'ly less," Vin shrugged, checking over his mare's leg to make sure it was ready for use. He looked up with an oath when he remembered their small companion.
"Chris, what're we gonna do with Ezra? Ain't safe fer him ta be here when the riders reach us."
Chris uttered a few choice curses, causing Nathan to raise an eyebrow and shoot him a look of disapproval.
"If your done taking the Lord's name in vain, I have an idea; I think it would be best if Vin went ahead with Ezra to find cover while we take care of whoever it is that's heading our way." Nathan raised a hand to halt Vin's protests. "Your still injured, Vin; don't even try to tell me you ain't hurting. Getting into a fire fight could tear up your stitches all over again. It'll be safest for all of us if you just take Ezra somewhere safe."
Vin scowled angrily, and was about to start up protesting again when Chris decided to speak up.
"Nathan's right. You ain't up for a fight. Take Ezra somewhere safe."
That said, Chris turned his attention to his pistols, tuning everything else out. Vin gaped at him, indignant and totally flabbergasted. Did he expect Vin to just... obey that stilted order, without so much as a good counter argument?? Well, that certainly proved that the old man was going senile. Who did he think he was to order him around? His damn lord, his Goddamn boss? Well, he could dream on, because Vin wasn't going anywhe-
"Vin."
Vin blinked and shut his mouth with a click. He really hated it when Chris did that to him. The man really needed to start talking in full sentences and stop using his Glare of Death, or one of these days he was going to piss the wrong person off, and then all Hell would bre-
"Vin. Get!"
Vin rolled his eyes, still a little miffed but willing to let this go for now. He jerked his head at Ezra. "Common, ya heard the man; let's get our asses off ta somewhere safe. His royal highness's too busy ta babysit us."
Deliberately ignoring Chris's glare, Vin haughtily kicked Peso into a gallop. Beat that, Larabee - score one for Tanner.
Ezra slid carefully off the saddle once they reached the relative safety of a hollow canyon surrounded by trees and thick shrubbery. As much as he would have wanted to stay and observe the fight, even he had to admit that he was rather relieved he had been sent towards safety.
He peeked at Vin through the hair in his face, absently noting that he needed to get a hair cut soon. Vin was still scowling, something suspiciously pout-like in his general demeanor; apparently, their short ride hadn't improved his humor any.
Ezra rolled his eyes, careful to keep Vin from seeing it. He hoped Nathan and Chris finished up their... business soon, because Vin really didn't seem in the mood for company or polite conversation, and Ezra could see this becoming painfully awkward quite quickly.
Too bad Vin doesn't seem interested in finishing our conva'sation, Ezra thought with a touch of regret. Ah haven't talked with an adult like that in... well, eva'. Ah had hoped ah could learn more about him... oh well. So much fore that.
Resigned to a long, boring wait, Ezra curled up against a tree and stared resolutely into the distance, letting his mind wander. Though he was unwilling to admit it even to himself, he was afraid--afraid that his new friends would lose the fight, and that he would end up back with O'Brien and his sick, twisted mind, destined to forever be his slave...
"So..." Nathan trailed off and shot an unreadable look in Chris's direction. Chris remained seemingly oblivious, continuing on silently with his examinations.
Rubbing a hand across his face, Nathan tried again. "Chris, was it really a good idea to send Vin off with Ezra?"
"Nope."
One word answers it is, Nathan thought ruefully. "Then why'd you let them go?"
"May not have been a good idea, but it was still our best option."
Chris finally looked up then, and Nathan took the opportunity to have an actual face-to-face conversation. "So... how are we gonna take care of this?"
"Simple," Chris said. "We're just gonna go with flow." He walked off, then, leaving Nathan to stare at him in consternation.
"Oh God," he moaned silently, glaring up at the sky, seriously tempted to shake his fist at it. "This is really going to be bad, isn't it?"
Ezra peeked in Vin's direction for what felt like the millionth time in past few minutes. Vin had been silent for a while now, staring at his arm and his guns periodically, a scowl etched firmly on his face. Ezra wanted desperately to break the stony silence, but he couldn't figure out how. He knew that Vin wasn't mad at him--probably at Chris and life in general--but he really, really wished that he would say something and just stop scowling.
The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he was speaking.
"Ah neva' really had a good, or even proper, childhood, you know."
He winced almost instinctively. Rubbing a sheepish hand through his hair and staring resolutely at the ground, he murmured, "Did I just say that out loud?"
Vin looked up at him, his lips twitching into a half-smile. "Yep, I'd say so. What do ya mean ya didn't have a proper childhood?"
In for a penny, in for a pound, Ezra thought glumly. He idly considered that saying for a moment, smiling inwardly as he remembered that Vin didn't think he knew the well-known saying, 'Penny for your thoughts'. He just hadn't wanted Vin to know that Vin's accent had made it close to impossible to understand what he'd been saying. At least he'd caught it the second time.
"Ah... that is, ah mean..." Sigh. "Neva' mind. Ah'm sorry ah disturbed yore contemplation."
Vin cocked his head and stared, his face a thoughtful mask. Ezra tried to pretend that he wasn't bothered by it.
After what seemed like hours, Vin finally spoke. "As I said b'fore, ya don't have ta tell me anythin' ya ain't comfortable with. If yer feelin' up ta it, though, I'd like ta hear about yer childhood."
Ezra swallowed, torn. He liked Vin, he really did, which was a rather novel thing for him as he didn't get along with most people older than him. As much as he wanted to talk to him, however, his mother's training and his extreme lack of trust held him back.
For some reason he didn't understand, he began to talk. He told Vin about all the nights, alone, wondering where his mother was and wishing it wasn't so dark and scary; all those times when he'd try to hug her or simply talk to her and she'd just brush him aside like a discarded toy; and all the times he just wanted to play like a normal kid, but his mother had ordered him to help her with one of her cons.
He kept on talking until his throat hurt and he had run out of things to say. Throughout his speech, he vaguely remembered flinching at the sound of gunfire, but each time Vin managed to redirect his attention and get his mind off the fighting. Ezra barely even remembered what he'd said, and was starting to worry that maybe he'd said just a bit too much.
Vin, however, was quick to allay his fears.
Nodding slowly, a contemplative look on his face, he said, "Seems like ya've had a tough life, there, Ez. Thank ya fer tellin' me 'bout yerself. Why don't I tell ya a little somethin' about myself too."
Ezra, with an unconscious smile of relief, move to sit near Vin, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his hands.
"Sure, ah'd like that."
"Righty then," Vin said. He moved a few inches back to lean against a tree, his eyes going a bit glassy as he tried to remember a good story to tell. A smirk crossed his face as his eyes lit up; he knew just the one.
"Well, ya see, there was this one time when I was 'bout 15. I'd just joined a team of buffalo hunters, and they were just beginnin' to get ta know me. It all started out quite innocently at first..."
Nathan kicked the prone man on the ground, smiling in satisfaction when it elicited a groan of pain from his wounded attacker. He swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead and turned to where Chris was tying up one of the other men. Out of the five men who'd attacked them, only two had survived, and the one Chris was standing threateningly over looked very close to meeting his maker. Personally, Nathan figured that most of his injuries had actually been acquired after the short gun fight. Chris certainly wasn't being gentle.
After one last good kick, Nathan reluctantly started to tie the man up. Though not usually one to resort to extreme violence, this man had been trying to take Ezra from them. Besides, the guy'd managed to nick his arm with the knife he'd pulled on him, so Nathan was feeling rather in the mood for revenge.
He turned his head just in time to see Chris throw a punch at his captive's face and knock him out cold. Nathan winced. That had looked rather painful. He'd have one Hell of a bruise if he survived the night.
"You know, Chris, that man looks like he's close to dyin' anyway. Maybe you should lay off for a bit?" It came out as a question, more because Nathan wasn't feeling that sympathetic himself.
Chris shrugged nonchalantly and rolled the unconscious man over with his foot. "He tried to hurt Ezra. And he probably works for the guy that shot Vin."
Nathan waited for him to say more, but when no more was forthcoming, he shrugged and figured that was as good a reason as any. Whistling sharply for his horse--Raine, something he'd been teased mercilessly about--he lifted the groaning man up on his saddle and tied the man's hands in front of him.
"You get anything from your guy?" Nathan asked. He watched as Chris pulled out a small flask and took a long pull.
"Not much," Chris said, offering it to Nathan and shrugging carelessly when he shook his head. "But we can always question them tomorrow."
"If they're alive tomorrow," Nathan said under his breath.
"-Jake wasn' too happy 'bout tha, ya see, but me an' Johnny managed ta convince him tha it wouldn' happen again. So he let us off... tha time."
Ezra shook his head in a mixture of amazement and disbelief. It seemed Vin had been quite reckless and mischievous when he was younger. And thinking on it, Ezra realized that he was probably just as much of a trouble maker now as he had been back then.
"So you didn't get punished? They didn't mind that you'd messed up?" Ezra asked, eyes still rather wide. "You almost got shot! And you almost set the camp on fire."
Vin scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, fer one thin', nobody knew 'bout the fire. And as fer gettin' punished... Jake let us off, but..." He grimaced. "Dan wasn' as inclined ta let us get away with it, and he set a private fire on each'o our backsides."
They both winced, Vin in remembered discomfort and Ezra in sympathy, even though he secretly thought that they'd probably deserved it. Letting all the captured buffaloes out, almost setting fire to the camp and nearly getting shot in the process?? Accident or no, they'd definitely deserved it.
They noticed the sound of approaching voices almost simultaneously. Vin, who'd immediately stiffened and moved into a defensive posture, shoved Ezra behind him and grabbed his gun. Ezra ran behind a tree without needing to be told, holding his breath carefully, idly noting that it was becoming a bit more natural for him.
As the voices got closer, Vin recognized them as Chris and Nathan. Letting the tension seep out of his body, he called out to Ezra that it was safe to come out.
Both Chris and Nathan looked to have come out of the fight relatively unscathed, though Nathan was holding his arm a bit too carefully. The both had something tied to their saddles, though they were too far away for Vin to make out what they were. He gave a shout of greeting, waving his good arm in their direction. He got a tired wave from Nathan in return.
"They're back." Ezra seemed more shocked than anything, which puzzled Vin for a bit until he realized that Ezra hadn't been sure they'd return. His face morphing into a sympathetic expression, he placed an arm gently over Ezra's shoulders and pulled him in closer for a one-armed hug.
Ezra stiffened initially, but he soon relaxed and even reciprocated. They stood side by side until their two 'guardians' pulled to a stop in front of them.
Now that they were close enough for him to see them, Vin realized that on each one's, horse there was a man tied down on it. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, but decided to wait and ask them later, perhaps once Ezra was alseep.
Vin moved forward to help Chris get the man off of his horse, but Chris brushed him aside, telling him he shouldn't aggravate his shoulder. Vin frowned in annoyance but let it go for now.
"How'd it go?" He asked, leaning against a tree and nodding to Nathan in question. "You guys survive without me?"
Nathan grinned tiredly as he pulled his captive off his horse, letting him fall to the ground with a groan. Giving his horse a thankful pat, he answered dryly, "Was a piece of cake, Vin; a piece'o cake."
A/N: Please try to remember that reviews are my drug; when giving them to me, you give me really great highs. Not that I'd know anything about that...
