Close to two weeks had passed since Josiah's drunken attack on Ezra. Close to two weeks since the storm and the destruction it had left behind. People were still busy rebuilding, helping each other, waiting patiently and sometimes not so patiently for supplies. Outside help wasn't expected. The Territories were mostly on their own and support only happened when requests were made.

Chris had talked to the mayor and the council of Four Corners, which sounded more pompous than it really was. Being a mayor or a councilperson was a loose job description. It meant they were the three persons the townspeople went to when something didn't run smoothly, but none of them handled criminal matters or the law. That was Chris' area of expertise. Now, after the storm, the regulators and the council worked together to insure everyone was getting through the rebuilding. They took stock of how much crops and livestock had been damaged or destroyed. And Chris had everyone on alert when it came to travelling salesmen and whoever else suddenly popped up and tried to part the hard working people from their money.

Construction crews had been deployed to repair downed towers. They were local. They knew their way around and wouldn't get lost in this land. Anyone not from the Territory was immediately a person of interest, though.

Ezra had found himself busy coordinating the efforts, immersing himself completely in sending aid, taking care of incoming requests, shipments, and work forces. Together with Buck and Josiah he quickly weeded out the unsavory characters, out to make a quick buck or ten by offering outrageously priced services.

Ezra was a pro in that regard. Fooling him was hard. He could spot them a mile away. Josiah easily complimented them out of town and Buck made sure they stayed away, too.

Four Corners was running smoothly, the stores were open, the businesses operational, and those who had lost their homes for the time being had either found shelter with neighbors or in the local hotel. Ezra had made a deal with the proprietor, securing incredibly good rates and meal deals.

The science expedition had already returned, looking a little disgruntled. Ezra had smoothly inquired as to their success, offering a round of hot beverages to the men and women as they had looked like they needed that. The team leader, Dr. Dr. Martin Dean, had accepted the offer and Ezra had spent two informative hours with the scientists, listening to their woes and small successes.

Apparently the ley lines were brimming with energy, shorting out whatever equipment they had brought along, including what had been declared as the latest tech that wouldn't blow out, or up. According to Horace, their guide, something had blown up. Repeatedly. The man had dropped by Ezra's current office, the sheriff station, and had told him a few tales from the trail.

"The Territories are rather… exceptional," Ezra told Dr. Dean, drinking his Coffee of the Day. Inez's bartender liked to experiment and this one was a smooth, aromatic blend with a little spicy aftertaste. "And single-minded."

"That stuff isn't alive," Dean grumbled into his own drink, a spiked version of the usual black coffee on the menu. "It's energy. We can work with that when we can get a true reading off it."

"Which was met with little success, I take?"

Some of the others looked contrite, angry or resigned. It was rather amusing. Horace had told him everything, from the smoke coming out of the fancy machines, to the sparks and squeals of death before one had blown and another had simply switched off.

"We will one day. We will understand what makes Territories so unpredictable. The weather system that blew over the land had been forecast as a mild autumn storm, but it developed into a category five, a centennial to boot, and no one knows how it happened. You got the brunt of it, but by the time it blew into the Beacon Hills area, it was nothing but a strong wind that barely rattled a window. It must be something within the make-up of this place."

Dean looked frustrated. By the way he flagged down the bartender for another drink, with more than a little extra, he was truly pissed off.

"I've been to Beacon Hills. And Gull's Way. Nothing fits. It never fits. Not even in comparison." Dean ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I wanted to see if we could talk to the Seminole, but Horace found no trace of them."

"They move deeper into the Territory with the approach of winter," Ezra answered easily. "They are also not the most sociable of people. They like to keep away from us."

Except maybe Vin. And sometimes they would show themselves when the pack patrolled. They rarely if ever came close enough to talk to them.

Dean grunted something.

Ezra stayed with the less than fortunate team of scientists until all trudged over to the hotel for a hot shower. Dean had already rented the breakfast room for the afternoon and the night to go over their results. Knowing Ursa Beurer, the proprietor of the establishment, she had given them a reasonable but still hefty rate.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Vin found their resident crossbreed late in the afternoon, sitting on the flat roof of the sheriff station, enjoying the rare warmth of the sun. After the storm, a sunny day was something to enjoy.

"Mr. Tanner," Ezra greeted him with an easy smile, the glint in the green eyes belying the so formal address. It was a game to him, one he loved playing, and it was all a matter of the tone of voice, not the way he addressed someone.

Vin gave him an easy grin, seeing the greeting as what it was. "Ez."

He settled down next to him, long legs stretched out in front as his back rested against the low wall behind him.

"Sun bathing?"

"Hardly. Taking a time out from too many requests, some rather outrageous now, I have to say, and our sheriff's continuous inquiries into my technical skills."

Vin chuckled. "So you hid on the sheriff station's roof?"

It got him a shrug.

They both watched the busy street for a while, their presence removed from prying eyes, though they were perfectly well able to see what was going on.

"May I ask what brought you here?" Ezra asked after a while.

"Just wanted to make sure you're doing okay."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Also, we're still good in case you want company."

The green eyes slid sideways, looking at the tracker, taking in the other man. Despite their differences, both men had become good friends and aside from Chris, Vin was one of the closest relationships Ezra had had all his life. Sure, he had never trusted him with his true heritage, but it somehow had never even come up in his musings. Vin was Vin. He was this easy-going, laid-back and very grounded individual, someone who was so very much at home in the wilderness beyond the town's borders, and who was sure to watch and wait before passing judgment.

Vin had taught him a few things, even if he would never confess to it to anyone. Chris probably knew anyway. They had talked about Vin's affinity to the land, to nature, to the energy that ran through everything.

"It's not a living thing," Ezra had stated.

"No."

"Sounds like one, though. The way you talk about it."

"The land is alive. It's not aware, though. It's not some ancient creature in slumber. It's just… there. We are all part of it. We all belong or we don't. The Territory chooses the protectors, not the other way around."

"So… it chose you?"

Vin had only shrugged.

"And us? We're… tolerated?"

"The pack is part of the Territory. We belong."

And that had been that. Ezra hadn't tried to dig deeper, but he had browsed the extensive library in town, spent hours of his off-time in the silent rooms, reading through quite interesting texts. Nothing really answered his questions, but instinctively he knew that Vin was right. You belonged or you didn't. Like him.

"I might just pick you up on that," he now said.

"Might throw JD even more off your trail if you might do it now."

He laughed, shaking his head, the emotion real and spontaneous. "Have anything in mind?"

"Just a quick visit to Nettie's. She's still refusing even the most basic in comm devices. Just want to make sure."

Ezra rose, all fluid grace, and dusted off his clothes. "Well, then let's check in on the lady. I think I should stretch my legs a little after the grueling office work."

Vin slapped his back. "See you in fifteen minutes. Be prepared to run."

The crossbreed scowled at him. "What is it with you and Mr. Larabee wanting to see me in my shifted form all the time now?" he complained.

"You've been hiding yourself way too long, Ez. Also, it's been two weeks now. I'd go stir-crazy."

"I'm not hiding," he muttered.

Vin cocked his head, lips twitching a little. Ezra's glower intensified.

"We have perfectly good modes of transportation. Horses, Mr. Tanner. Riding is an accepted way of travel."

"So is your own legs."

He rolled his eyes. "You're not going to let me ride," Ezra grumbled.

"Nope. You've been cooped up in town for too long. Muscles need exercise."

"I wasn't complaining," Standish muttered darkly. "I like this town. I like being cooped up here."

Vin slapped his shoulder. "No, you don't."

"Do you even know me?" Ezra asked, mock-insulted.

"Only too well."

"Apparently not. I'm not an outdoors man."

Vin gave him a look that called Ezra not so much a liar but more someone who was really bad at what he was doing right now.

He sighed.

It got Ezra a toothy grin, then the tracker just pushed him toward the trap door that led from the roof to the staircase.

"Fifteen minutes, Ez. Counting."

Ezra kept mutter insincere complaints all the way down the stairs. Vin kept ignoring him.

XxXxXx

But he was there, on time, as a red fox, the wind ruffling his fur, ears turning as he took in the sounds around him, listening with all his senses.

The sleek form of the mountain lion silently padded along the back road behind the business buildings, down an alley that led to the stables and from there into the wilderness beyond the town's borders.

No words were needed as the two shifters left Four Corners.

tbc...