Well, here's the final piece of this crazy tale. Thank you to all my reviewers! Every word you wrote holds special value to me and encouraged me to finish this story. Hope you let me know what you think now that the last word's been said.







It was dusk by the time Nathan finished his doctoring and four rabbits lay over the campfire. Chris silently watched his friends as they joked about the hunter's skill. (Vin had shot 4 rabbits while JD had killed a tree stump and a discarded shawl. Buck bragged up his own skill, boasting that had he been on the hunt, he alone would have returned with no less than 8 rabbits.)

They acted like it was just another night under the stars but Chris knew differently. He had betrayed them all to save his reputation today. Maybe they were so used to his screw-ups that this was like any other night. Except this time his pride had lead Buck into an ambush that nearly got him killed. And he had ruthlessly sacrificed Vin's own pride to save his reputation. As for the rest of his friends, he had walked away from them like they didn't deserve a second look.

Now here they were, acting like nothing had happened. Hell, they had come to his rescue without any recriminations. They were simply going to let him get away with it. Let him sweep it under a rug and pretend it never happened. Chris wanted to take them up on their offer, wanted to copout and retain his pride.

Chris climbed to his feet quicker than anyone thought possible with his wound. Immediately Nathan was by his side, "Chris, what do you think you're doin'?"

"Going for a walk," Chris gruffly answered even as he side stepped Nathan's grasping hand and headed into the woods.

Chris heard footsteps approaching and braced himself for a pep speech from Josiah or a "Reckon it's time to eat," from Vin. But the coughing that broke through the silence didn't seem like Josiah's or Vin's. He turned around and was surprised to find Ezra approaching.

"How do you bear this abhorrent brand?" Ezra groused as he withdrew the lighted cigarette from his mouth and handed it to Chris like it was a venomous snake he had just been bitten by.

Taking the cigarette gratefully, Chris took a deep drag before replying, "It's an acquired taste."

"Some things aren't worth acquiring," Ezra said around another cough.

Chris eyed Ezra for a moment, still surprised at his presence as well as his thoughtfulness. "Thanks Ezra," his tone serious.

Unprepared for such sincerity, Ezra felt a blush rise. When he offered to seek out the leader, he had braced himself to receive barbs from Chris. But now that he was faced with a situation that lacked barbs or curses or challenges, he was quite uncertain have to revise the speech he had planned. To his further surprise, Chris broke the silence.

"You get the short straw, Ezra?"

Both men knew that there had been no prodding involved in Ezra's appearance but this was easier territory.

"I knew I should not have allowed Buck to hold the straws," Ezra played along.

Chris smiled, "Why don't you head back, Ezra. I'll come back soon and tell 'em you gave me a rousing speech."

"Rousing?" Ezra drawled with a laugh. "I didn't know you knew the word or that I could evoke that kind of speech." This earned him a smirk from Chris. But Ezra didn't take the escape Chris had offered but instead stepped closer to his friend. "Vin knows why you perpetrated that melodrama and the only anger he feels is directed at himself."

This earned Ezra a surprised, confused look from Chris and so Ezra elaborated, "He is berating himself for making you appear vulnerable."

Chris scoffed, "Damn fool! Doesn't he know that I sacrificed his pride for my reputation!" Abruptly Chris spun around and ventured further into the woods but by the ripping of fabric and the curses that rent the air he knew Ezra had taken up pursuit.

An uncallused hand snagged until Chris' arm, pulling him to a halt. "Not for your reputation but for our lives as well as your own! I know the worth of your reputation."

"Worth!?" Chris snarled. "It has no worth 'less you enjoying killing and getting killed."

But Ezra met Chris eyes unflinchingly, "Yes, you know it's cost but you've also molded it to have value. How many of us would have walked out of that saloon alive if you hadn't been with us?"

"No!' Chris denied Ezra's logic. "I brought the danger on all your heads in there!"

Ezra smiled, "Oh really. And I suppose none of them recognized Vin from his wanted poster at the town's jail." Chris grimaced and Ezra knew he too had seen the poster as they entered the town.

But Ezra wasn't done proving his point, "And I suppose the husband of Buck's latest paramour, who entered the bar after we did, wasn't going to perpetrate violence." Again Ezra knew Chris hadn't missed a thing. "I also thought I saw some unsavory glances at the minority of Nathan's skin color. Of course, I believe you also had some admirers scattered about the establishment."

"Our numbers scared off the threats you saw, not me and my damn reputation!"

"You're running from the truth and that surprises me,' Ezra challenged. "The enemies we collectively amassed in that saloon were triple our "number". You know it was your reputation that spared us any harm. You knew it and knew how volatile the situation would get for all of us if you did not retain that reputation. You hurt Vin's pride to save his life, all of our lives."

A voice spoke up behind them. "Hell, Chris, my pride's easy to fix but bullet holes ain't," and Vin stepped into the clearing.

Chris' eyes met Vin's and he knew Vin had forgiven him, just like that.

"Come on, the rabbits are done cookin'," Vin invited as he tilted his head back toward the camp. Both Vin and Ezra watched Chris, wondering if the stubborn man would accept the forgiveness that was offered.

Taking a deep drag on the cigarette, Chris looked away for a moment. "Well, let's go then," he said quietly as he walked by the two men, heading for the camp.

Ezra and Vin exchanged looks, both knew that things were not resolved with their friend.



The relief the men at the camp felt at Chris's return lasted only until they saw got a good look at their leader's face. The burden of guilt had eased but a new resolve had taken it's place. A resolve each man knew they wouldn't take a liking to.

Nathan had enough sense to not lecture Chris about his injury or about the small portion of the meal he ate. In fact, few words were spoken among the men as they ate. Chris eyed up the men that surrounded him and his anger grew.

"You're just gonna sit there and pretend nothin' happened today?!" Chris challenged heatedly. "Forget that I humiliated Vin, abandoned the rest of you and almost got Buck killed?!"

Josiah met Chris' hard look, "No one's forgotten what happened today, Chris. But we see it a little different than you. We are celebrating another won battle."

"'Course every battle has it's causalities," Nathan added, "and it's cost. I'm thankin' God that we didn't have to pay a price none of us could bear."

"My wounded pride's already healed but my jaw, " and Vin rubbed his jaw as he threw a smirk Chris' way, "that'll take a few days more."

"Yeah, I'll be back dallying with the ladies in no time," Buck sallied.

"I best ride ahead and warn 'em," JD joked, earning him a swat on the head from Buck.

"Looks like we beat the odds," Ezra announced to the group and then eyed Chris, "Again. Together."

Silence fell on the friends as all eyes focused on Chris, waiting for his reaction. "I can't change my reputation, can't change what people think of me."

Nathan smiled, "If ya gave a damn 'bout what people think, ya wouldna risked your life to save a freed slaved."

"You coulda turned me in for five hundred dollars,' Vin drawled and continued with a twinkle in his eye, "That woulda bought you a nice supply of Red Eye Whiskey ...or have you changed to Rye Whiskey." The men broke into snickers around the campfire, even Chris couldn't hold back a snort.

JD's piped up, "And you would never have given a kid like me a chance to ride with you."

"I'ld still be tryin' to build that stone church for penance if you hadn't given me a chance to believe again in goodness. Even my own goodness," Josiah solemnly said as he nodded a thank you to Chris.

Buck looked at his oldest friend with a gentleness and strength that had saved Chris' soul more than once. "I don't remember anyone else running out in the middle of Gettysburg, dodging bullets and cannon balls to drag my wounded carcass off the battlefield. I guess people thought it was as stupid a move as I did."

Ezra cleared his throat nervously, "Well, I suppose it's safe to hazard that I may have benefited from your acquaintance, Chris." Then a devilish smile pulled onto Ezra's face, "My mother is still agitated that you have nurtured my conscious to emerge. That alone is worth dodging a few bullets a week." Smirks broke onto each man's face.

Chris shook his head in good-humored defeat. "Alright, I'll give ya that we ain't the pick of the litter. But what I am to the world, gets people dead."

"Like traveling with a wanted man's safe," Vin snorted.

"Yeah and how 'bout the time Buck slept with the wife of that huge lumberjack" JD supplied even as he jerked away from another swat by Buck.

"Or when JD, here, shot his mouth off in Tombstone?" Buck accused as he still tried to land a swat to the young man at his side.

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen, must we debase ourselves with recounting your faults," Ezra interrupted.

"Our faults?!" Nathan scoffed, "You're the one that got us run out of that mining town cause you cheated the mayor!"

Ezra immediately went on the defensive. "That reprobate didn't look like the mayor of any community. He looked like the town drunk!" Laughter erupts again within the group.

"Face it, Chris. We deserve each other" Nathan stated firmly.

Josiah added, "I think that's something the world would agree with." No one even tried to deny that one.

"You know this reputation thing ain't gonna go away," Chris warned, meeting each man's gaze.

"Yeah, well, neither are we," Vin retorted, as he settled back onto his bedroll.

"Yup, we're stuck with each other for the long haul, Pard," Buck promised.

Chris groaned, "That ain't comforting, Buck." Then his tone turned hopeful, "Maybe I can slow down my draw and some young wannabe gunfighter will put me outta my misery."

Suddenly rabbit bones pelted Chris from every angle even as the seven friends laughed and thanked the Lord for His divine wisdom. Yeah, seven was a lucky number is His book, too.

The End.



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