I DO NOT OWN! THE CHARACTERS ALL BELONG TO OTHERS!

JD Dunne rode his motorcycle through the streets of Denver. He had no particular destination in mind, and was randomly choosing directions. Right now, the freedom the motorcycle provided was the distraction the young man needed.

Working for the local Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency was invigoration, but at times, everything just seemed to drag on. Right now was one of those times, and when he had a free afternoon or day, the young man took it, needing to get out of the office, to feel the wind on his face (what wind that managed to whip under the full-faced hemlat that is), and the knowledge that he was in control of his life.

JD knew the others felt similar at times. It was one reason they all had hobbies outside of work. Some hobbies were common knowledge, others held 'secret' because they wanted an area that gave the illusion of being untouched by the outside world. Chris Larabee had the ranch, and everyone was welcome to it – even the Judge though, Orrin Travis tended not to barge in on Chris's off-duty time, which as the supervisor of all the teams, his very presence meant the ranch wasn't as relaxing or welcome as it could be at other times. Buck Wilmington's favorite stop after work was the Saloon, and soft-spoken Vin Tanner, liked the wilderness. Josiah Sanchez helped out at the church, Nathan Jackson and Ezra Standish … Well, the medic did have a wife, and the con artist hadn't survived being the top undercover agent as long as he had by being predictable or easy to figure out.

Whatever Ezra's way of unwinding was, he didn't see fit to share it with others. That was fine with JD, considering he had need to be completely alone on occasion. Besides, what the others didn't know, they couldn't tease the youngest man with.

JD Dunne saw, bud did not notice as he left the well-to-do neighborhoods and entered the slums of the city. He might have been seeking out the other 'side' of Denver, wondering what drove the average man towards purchasing black-market guns and other substances. Perhaps if JD knew the differences between his current life and the life of the destitution, he could understand them better. At the very least, he might figure out why Vin, Nate, Josiah, and various men from other teams, were focused on helping them.

A backfiring muffler finally caught JD's attention. To his ear, it sounded almost like a shotgun going off, but with a subtle difference. That distinction is the only thing keeping his reflexes from throwing him off the moving motorcycle and diving for the nearest cover. Which happened to be a rusted car frame that was missing nearly everything.

Pulling off to the side, JD slid to a stop and turned off the engine. The glass visor flipped up, allowing a slightly better view of the forward area. While the young computer technician's good vision meant he didn't need glasses, there were still details he missed. However, that jeep parked by a debilitated four-story building looked a lot like Vin's.

Taking a chance that his motorcycle wouldn't be stolen the second he turned his back, JD slid off his 'cycle and walked towards the dark blue door less, metal top-Jeep Wrangler. He blinked. That was Vin's jeep. Which meant …

JD felt his mouth drop. "This is Purgatorio!" he whispered to himself, astonished at finding himself in Vin's neighborhood. He hadn't deliberately driven to a low-income section of Denver. Well, maybe he had, JD considered as he thought about the path he'd taken. Subconsciously he'd driven by the homes of the rest of the team, excluding Chris.

JD took a look around, shrugged, and, helmat off, hanging in his left hand, JD walked down the street, towards the jeep, which was near Vin's pad. The car with a broken muffler had left a while ago, and the only thing holding the young man here was his curiosity. It might be interesting to figure out what Vin did on his free Saturdays.

Young kids having fun sounded similar in many languages. While JD might not have recognized the words, he did grasp there was a sporting event of some kind going on around the corner. Keeping to a moderate walk, the hacker wandered around the corner and felt his jaw drop. Again.

Vin Tanner, sharpshooter and tracker, was doing a handstand in the middle of the street! There was a small crowd of pre-teens laughing as the unbalanced (Vin? Uncoordinated? unthinkable). upside down man fell forward and somehow landed on his feet after rolling into a ball. Vin stood up from his crouch, laughed with the kids, and nodded his head towards the jeep.

Shrieking with delight, the gathering of youngsters ran towards the jeep. One of the taller boys clamored over the passenger seat and pulled out small bottles. The boy handed out the bottles, and each kid that received one stepped back and proceeded to guzzle the sweet drink down.

Vin, not surprisingly, managed to get within two feet of JD without being noticed. "Hey, kid."

JD barely managed from jumping. At least he didn't have a hand landing on his shoulder. "Hey yourself."

Vin examined shorter man. "What brings you here?"

JD shrugged. "Just clearing my mind." A comfortable silence settled around the two as the kids removed the last of the soda bottles and took off in all directions. "What's that about?"

Vin leaned against the building. "Javier's twelfth birthday last week. They waited until I could join them to throw a party. 'Sides, everyone knows I hand out soda afterwards." He grinned. "I think the moms just want a little time to themselves every now and then, letting me watch everyone."

JD snorted. "Need another player for street hockey?"

"A player, no. A coach. Maybe. Not many these kids speak English well, and most won't respect strangers. Not even those who claim to be my friend."

"Well, I'm not claiming it. You're saying it."

Vin laughed. "Not translating for 'ya. You want to teach them, gotta learn their lingo." Vin frowned. "And find a better spot to put your bike. I don't tolerate stealing, but there are gangs nearby that who will remove everything not tied down."

JD put his helmet back on his head. "Got any suggestions?"

"Yeah, get something less flashy and not as nice or new looking. Marks you as an outsider."

Written 12 February 2012