A/N: Hey guys :) It sound like everybody is enjoying it so far, yay. Here is the second chapter. Like the first chapter, there are a couple lines pulled right from the show's dialogue, I don't own them anymore than I own the boys.

Thank you to the reviewers for all the support, your comments and insights really keep me going :) Thanks, Wockerjabi, guest, panda's eagle, sibylla29, ooshaboosha, guest, MamaBearTwo2, KellyA, and Lunez. Love you guys

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"Ezra...?", Orin frowned at the russet colored head hunched over and facing away from him at the bar, a tension he'd been carrying in his shoulders for a year now eased away as first recognition hit him, then relief. Ezra. Solid, in one piece, and seemingly hale and hearty, bearing no signs of the terrible things Orin had worried would befall him. Then anger-in the year since he'd left them, sneaking out in the middle of the night with only a note, the boy couldn't have sent a single letter, a telegram? Evie had been beside herself for months, still made him promise to look for him whenever he traveled out of town. Hell, they'd both been beside themselves. And what did he think he was doing, joining up with a band of hired guns? He might not have recognized him in all the commotion on the street, but there had been a man with a red jacket like the one Ezra had on, and Orin had no doubt it had been him. He marched up to the counter and stood to the side of Ezra, just staring at the lad. The boy he'd just hired as Sheriff-and he may need to rethink that, because he looked no older than Ezra, who was only just eighteen-was looking confusedly between them, not sure what was going on. Finally, when Orin had been all but staring holes in him for what felt like an eternity, he ground out, "Ezra Patrick, you look at me right now."

It took a few seconds, but Ezra put down his drink and turned to face the judge with a winning smile, "Hello Judge Travis, what brings you to this fair municipality?"

"Don't you hello Judge me, do you have any idea how worried Aunt Evie and I have been about you?" The smile dropped off Ezra's face, and Mr. Dunne, next to him, already appearing uneasy from the staring contest his new boss had been having with the side of Ezra's head, muttered 'okay, then', and slunk away, only stopping when he almost ran into another of the hired guns, the tall one with the mustache, a few feet away. "And what happened to Uncle Orin?"

His face that careful mask that the boy only put up when upset or unsure, Ezra murmured politely, "Ah wasn't sure-"

"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought. Some things don't change." A flash of what might have been relief rose in Ezra's eyes before they quickly closed off again, and Orin bit back a noise of exasperation, an emotion that even after a year he still associated with the lad. "Do you have a room?"

"No, sah."

"Good. That'll save you the trouble of collecting your things. I'm staying with Mary, and now so are you. Come along." Orin stepped back and motioned for Ezra to stand up. He wanted to get the boy somewhere he could talk to him alone, both make sure he was actually alright and express exactly how he felt about his disappearing act and the worry he'd put them all through. Ezra slowly and reluctantly stood up, like he was heading off to the gallows instead of off to a good talking to and maybe a tanning. Orin hadn't decided on that yet, though he was certainly leaning in its favor. He still didn't know why Ezra had run away, his note hadn't been a damn bit of good in that department, but he was going to find out.

He'd have to send a wire to Evie right away, set her mind at rest.

Glancing over to where his two friends-how long Ezra had been with them was something else he was going to find out-were standing, the older one, Orin noted, looking amused, and the new sheriff looking like he was trying to figure out if he was supposed to be doing something, Ezra was clearly a trifle embarrassed as he said, "Uncle Orin, Ah don't think-"

Leaning in close and lowering his voice he started talking right over the boy, who quickly shut his mouth, "Either you come with me right now, or I ask those two where the nearest woodshed can be found and drag you there by your ear, understood?" Blanching, Ezra nodded just once, a quick up and down of the head, but it was enough. "Good, come on then." Orin motioned for Ezra to walk in front of him, and this time he listened, acting purposely casual, like any teenager not wanting his friends to know he was in trouble. Only Ezra actually made a good job of it, good enough that it would have fooled most people, even with him dogging his steps the whole time, not about to let the wily young man out of his sight now that he'd found him. Orin nodded at Mr. Dunne as he passed by, saying quietly, "I will drop into the jail to discuss your duties with you in more detail tomorrow morning, sheriff."

They were halfway to the doors when he heard the tall man say loudly, "Wait a minute-JD, did the judge just call you sheriff?"

"Yeah Buck, you're looking at Four Corners newest lawman." The excited, slightly boastful, tone of the boy's voice did not inspire confidence in the judge.

"I'm looking at Four Corners newest dead man. Have you lost your dang mind, son?" Shaking his head and wondering whether he'd soon be looking for a new sheriff again if the young man was talked out of it, Orin put a hand on Ezra's shoulder, who had stopped at the doors, and guided him out and down the steps, heading across the street in the direction of the newspaper office. He couldn't exactly blame the man for not wanting his young friend to take the position, if there had been any other choices Orin wouldn't have given it to him. Hmm, perhaps...it wouldn't hurt to ask. The worst he could do was say no. Looking at Ezra again, he found a fond smile on his lips, as even here, in the middle of nowhere and with trail dust still on his heels, the boy was dressed like the dandy he was. He'd grown, at least an inch, maybe two. He did not, however, look as though he'd gained any weight to go with those inches, and while the muscle under his hand felt solid, there seemed to be little flesh to go with it.

"I expect you haven't eaten, since you boys just rode in a little while ago. Are you hungry?"

"Ah have had sufficient comestibles fah the time being, thank you kindly." Ezra was stiff in front of him, if Orin had the right of it more scared than angry at being found, and he squeezed his shoulder firmly.

"That's not what I asked you." He watched Ezra carefully as he waited for his response, not at all sure he'd get the truth.

"Sustenance would not go amiss at the moment." He said it just a hint begrudgingly, and then went slightly pink as his stomach growled.

"Clearly not. C'mon, we'll let Mary fuss at you while I get us something to eat." Giving Ezra no choice in the matter as he started to balk at the idea of seeing Mary-as she was likely going to alternate between smothering him and giving him a talking to he'd remember well into his old age for awhile, Orin couldn't quite blame him-he 'helped' the lad up the steps towards the newspaper office. "After we eat you and I will have a talk." The threat of that distracted him long enough for Orin to get him through the doors of the newspaper without any trouble, and he propelled Ezra along in front of him until they were behind Mary.

"I'm almost done." Mary said it distractedly, taking notes on a piece of paper as she stood against the counter, her back to them. No doubt she was preparing a piece on the murder of Mr. Potter, and how the murderer had been brought down.

"Good, 'cause we're starving." There was a pause and Orin could see the confusion start to form, her pencil set down deliberately as she turned to see who 'we' was. She stopped when she saw Ezra, her hands slowly moving to her mouth as she stared at him.

"Hello, Mary."

"Ohh...", It was more of a gasp than a real word and in two long strides she had crossed to him and pulled him into a hug, Ezra seeming not to know what to do with himself at first before tentatively returning the embrace, relaxing a little as she only squeezed him tighter in response. Finally, Mary stepped back, keeping a hand on the side of each of his shoulders as she looked at him, "Where in the world have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we've been about you?" Then she pulled him back in before he could answer, holding him so close Orin wasn't entirely sure he could take a full breath. Taking pity on him he spoke up, matter of factly.

"Ezra's hungry, I'm going to pick up some food. Where would you recommend?"

Pulling away from Ezra, Mary took a moment to collect herself, before saying, "Well, we've only got one restaurant left open."

"I'll go there then." He took the time to pat Ezra solidly on the back, letting his hand linger as he said, "I won't be long." A glance back before he went out the door showed that the two were standing there, Ezra awkward as Mary fussed about him, though she was at least no longer half choking the boy. Looking around to see which restaurant it was that was still open, Orin set off down the street at a fair clip, the few people around on the street either nodding in thanks or glaring. The glarers, he supposed, thought he was putting them in danger by holding Lucas James but he'd be damned before he let a cold blooded killer like that go. He took his duties seriously, and while there was no pleasure in dispensing justice, there was a satisfaction in seeing it carried out. No more innocent men would be cut down by that cocky little bastard. Stepping into the restaurant he didn't see James man watching him, or signaling to his boss down the road.