Sensitive issues contained in this chapter. Loss of unborn child. If this is upsetting to you, please skip.

Vin paused his systematic currying of Ezra's pet donkey, Daphne, to watch as Ezra gave an elaborate, low bow to the hippogriff that had chosen to share Daphne's barn and Ezra's affection. Grinning as the regal animal returned Ezra's bow, he wondered at the southerner's ability with animals. Getting a sturdy nudge from Daphne to remind him of his duties, he returned to his grooming as he asked, "How ya gonna clear my name, Ez? What Jackson says makes sense, now I think on it. Cain't see Eli Joe confessing voluntarily neither."

Scratching Orlando's neck thoughtfully, Ezra drawled, "Uncle Alastor says that he cannot be here at this time, due to the uprisings of the Deatheaters in Britain and his duties there. But he suggested we set a trap for Eli Joe. Tell me, what led up to him setting you up? Why were you chasing him?"

Frowning, Vin put the curry brush away and moved over to sit on a bale of hay outside Daphne's stall. "I wanted a bounty that would pay well and would take me out of town…"

"Why did you need to get out of town?"

Flushing a deep red, Vin plucked fretfully at the loose hay and muttered, "Don't matter none."

Sensing something was up, Ezra moved to crouch in front of Vin, trying to see his face behind the veil of hair. "Vin? It could be important…"

Exploding upwards, Vin knocked Ezra back onto his butt and caused Orlando to shriek and rear angrily. Unaware, he started pacing and yelled, "I's trying ta git away from a love gone bad! Okay? Woman who said her husband beat her; treated her mean and wanted to kill her, came inta my office and paid me ta protect her. Only after a few nights a talkin' real late, she starts ta asking me ta hold her 'til she goes ter sleep. Says she can't sleep otherwise, but I makes her feel safe. I ain't never been real popular with women. I's a mite shy 'round 'em, truth be told. They's bafflin' ter me, tha way they carry on, wantin' a man ta talk on feelin's and such, then wantin' ta change ya even though ya's good enough fer 'em ta start with. But Charlotte seemed ta like me 'n then after a couple 'o nights of just holdin'… she … we… Aw hell!"

Sprawled on the floor of the barn, Ezra stared at his distraught friend in open-mouthed astonishment. He'd never seen the man so animated. Gathering his wits, when Vin wound down, he drew his legs up to sit tailor style on the floor and prompted, "You and Charlotte became.. intimate?"

Running a hand through his hair before letting the hand fall to his side, Vin looked at Ezra with despairing eyes and nodded. "Intimate. Yeah, guess that's a word fer it. Charlotte was wild in bed. I'd been with a woman before, but ain't never knew it could be like that, Ez. The things that woman did ter me. Guess I just plumb lost ma mind. Anyway, I fell hard fer her but weren't long 'fore she … well, I guess she got tired o' being with the help. Did I tell ya her husband was rich? Not as rich as y'all, but richer'n some no-hoping bounty hunter. She just up n' left one day when I's out on a grocery run. Left a cheque and a note saying thanks but she was going ta give her husband another chance. Never did cash that cheque."

Heart hurting for his friend, Ezra asked tentatively, "How long were you lovers?"

"'Bout a month," whispered Vin morosely, sinking down to sit on the bale again. "Weren't long really. Dunno why I'm carryin' on like this…"

"The heart wants, what the heart wants, Vin," murmured Ezra absently, patting his friend's jean clad knee. "I have a couple of somewhat delicate questions to put to you, but I don't want to offend you."

"Just ask, Ez," said Vin, exhaustion dripping from his voice.

"You mentioned she was uninhibited in the bedroom… well, there's really no other way to say this… Did you use protection?"

Vin shook his head. "She said she's on tha pill 'n couldn't use condoms 'cos she's allergic ter tha stuff on 'em. Said she'd only been with her husband so she's clean 'n that she knew I was too. Why?"

Pinching his nose as his suspicions were seemingly confirmed, Ezra held up a hand and asked urgently, "You say she was with you a month. Did she run her courses in that time?"

"How tha hell would I know? She weren't for the last three weeks anyway, 'cos we's going at it pretty regular and I'da noticed then. What are ya thinkin', Ez?"

Fishing his wand from his pocket and standing, Ezra motioned for Vin to follow him as he strode over to the water trough in Daphne's stall. Waving his wand over the water, he asked, "Did you ever see the husband? And what was his name?"

"No and Richmond. Will Richmond. Why? Ez, what are ya thinkin'?"

An image wavered in the trough of a somewhat pretty brunette hanging on the arm of a tall man with blue eyes similar to Vin's.

"That's her. That's Charlotte. She didn't mention having kids though. I'd never have got in tha middle iffun there's kids involved," declared Vin, pointing at the woman who was most definitely pregnant.

"That is Will Richmond of Richmond Haulage, Vin. He's a very rich man and from all appearances, given the information I have here, your Charlotte is a gold digger. Generally speaking, rich men desire heirs. Male heirs. If their wives do not provide them with male heirs, they tend to rid themselves of the wife and marry another, hopefully more fertile, woman. Sometimes, if they have a string of unsuccessful pairings, which cost them money in alimony and divorce lawyers fees, they even write it into the prenuptial agreement. Since Richmond is now on his third wife in five years, I would say chances are good that he is a) infertile, and b) unwilling to admit it, blaming the lack of success on his wives. A common enough reaction, I assure you. Charlotte appears to be more cunning than her predecessors and has outsourced for an heir. If her child is born with your eyes, it will be all the better for her, given the similarity to her husband's eyes."

Vin had gone first white, then red, then white again during Ezra's discourse. Fists clenched, he heaved in a breath and growled, "Ya saying that she used me as a stud? That the baby in her belly's probably mine? That what ya sayin'?"

Making a tiny sad noise, Ezra flipped through another 'page' of the information in the water trough. "She didn't carry the child to term, Vin, I'm sorry. I'm looking at her medical records and it shows her admission for the premature birth of a daughter. The child was too early and appeared to have severe birth defects. The doctors couldn't save her. I'm sorry."

"What about Charlotte? She okay?"

"No, she hemorrhaged and died on the operating table," read Ezra, reaching out to hold on to the trembling arm of the shaken young man beside him.

Shaking his head slowly, bewildered by the news that he was a father and then having that snatched away from him, Vin suddenly ran for the door. Ezra watched him go, but gave him some space, scanning the rest of the information that he'd summoned. It was a fair bet that Richmond knew that the child wasn't his if he read the medical report. The blood types didn't match up. Sighing, he figured that Eli Joe may have been paid by Richmond to lure Vin along and then frame him in retaliation. As sad as that was, it did give him a way to get Eli Joe to show himself. At least he knew that Richmond wasn't a Deatheater, since he and his wife had both been muggles.

Terminating his scrying spell, he started slowly from the barn, ruminating on his plan. Distracted by the sounds of retching, he altered course and found Vin losing his stomach contents into his gardenias. Walking up behind his friend, he rubbed circles on the straining back and waited for the dry heaves to end.

"Done?"

Spitting one last time, Vin nodded and straightened up. Tears trailed down his face from the effort of vomiting, but he made no effort to wipe them away. Letting Ezra guide him, he plodded along as he tried to reconcile the latest bad thing to befall him.

"Neldy?"

"Yes, Master Ezra?"

"Vin isn't feeling well, could you make some chicken and dumplings for dinner, please? And could you bring some hot, sweet tea into the living room, please?"

"Certainly, Master Ezra."

Taking Vin through to the great room, he gently guided his charge down onto the biggest sofa. Achacius watched attentively from his perch on the back of the other sofa. Kneeling, Ezra removed Vin's boots, placing them neatly under the coffee table. Standing, he took off Vin's coat and placed it over the arm of the nearby armchair. Then he sat next to the shivering man, after grabbing the afghan off the back of the sofa and wrapping it around Vin.

"Ez?"

"Yes, Vin."

"Ya reckon I'da been a good Pa?"

Fighting back the prickling tears, Ezra cleared his throat and said firmly, "You would have been the best Pa ever. What's more you WILL be the best Pa ever, when the time is right."

Nodding, Vin let the tears fall. Turning to Ez, he murmured, "It hurts, Ez."

Sucking in a breath at the pain in the large, tear washed, sky blue eyes, Ezra reached out and hauled Vin into his arms in a huge hug. When the Texan burrowed his face into his shoulder, Ezra tightened his hold further and mumbled, "I know, Vin. I know. I'm sorry."

TBC