A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! My laptop screen completely quit working and it took a million years for me to be able to get my files off of it, and the google docs version of this story was a way earlier version. I really should've gone to bed like an hour and a half ago, but I waited for my hard drive to be turned into a portable hard drive and then got this ready to publish, it was killing me to not have it up here. It will most definitely not be so long for the next chapter!

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JD held onto his hat as he ran across the road, barely taking the time to make sure he didn't get broadsided by a passing wagon, eyes intent on Ezra and Buck. He skidded to a stop right in front of the stairs to Nathan's and leapt up onto the boardwalk. Buck was scowling at him, probably because of the wagon, but, grinning wide, JD didn't pay him any mind, "Ezra, you're alright!" Ezra smiled at him, but JD thought he still looked kind of sad.

"Yes, Ah apologize for any worry Ah inflicted on you. But things have been put to rights now."

JD shrugged at Ezra's apology, figuring that since Ezra'd just been upset, not planning to worry them, he didn't have any real reason to be mad. "It's alright. I'm just glad Buck found you." Then, unable to help it, JD threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around Ezra in a bear hug. Ezra made an exasperated sighing noise, but JD figured he owed him a hug at least for scaring him like that, and after a second Ezra hugged him back. He pulled away first too, but it was Ezra, so that didn't bother him at all either. JD sure hadn't cared about being 'dignified' at thirteen, but Ezra thought it was about the most important thing in the world.

"Alright, you've seen he's doing okay, got a couple scrapes Nate needs to take a look at. You wanna help, how about you go and put in a couple of dinner orders in with Inez? Borrow a tray from somebody and bring it back to the boarding house." JD squawked as Buck reached out and knocked his hat off his head, ruffling his hair so it stuck up every which way before he could duck, and then was shepherding Ezra up the stairs before JD had his hat back on.

Rolling his eyes expressively, even though Buck couldn't see him anymore, JD called out, "You ever heard of please?" The rogue ignored him, and after watching for a second longer, still so relieved he could whoop with it, he turned and, with a wave at Josiah, jogged across the street-though he looked both ways this time.

He clattered into the saloon, weaving around a pair of drunks who were singing in such slurred voices JD couldn't understand a single word-he could still tell they were off-key. He rubbed his ear as a particularly screeching note grated across the room, and grinned a little when he saw Inez with a face that said she was considering going for her broom. Sliding into a spot of open counter close to her, JD announced, "Ezra's back, Buck found him."

"Si, Senor Vin came in and told me a little while ago." Popping a bottle down in front of a traveler who still had trail dust falling off him and taking a handful of coins with a smile, Inez continued, "And is the chiquito knowing better now?" She sniffed, "Senor Buck is no prize, but he is far from a cruel man."

"And Ezra's practically his kid, everybody says so." JD shifted back as a snarl came from beside him, as a ranch hand from the McGregor's knocked into the stranger and swore instead of apologizing, letting the star pinned to the inside of his lapel show. "Hey now, let's keep it friendly, guys. Leave the fella be, Clyde, he just wants a drink, same as you." The ranch hand swore again, but staggered off away from the bar, the stranger nodding and sliding down the bar a little.

"He is not the only one everybody says that of." Inez smiled knowingly at him as red tinged his ears, then inclined her head towards Clyde, "Thank you."

Shrugging, JD said, "It's my job. Say, what's the special tonight? Buck wanted a couple dinners for him and Ezra. I'm supposed to find a tray from somewhere and take it back to the boarding house."

Inez nodded decisively and called over one of the girls to take over for her. "I will make up a tray for you to take." JD watched a bit bemusedly as Inez headed for the back, then, as she beckoned him to follow with a wave of her hand, he scrambled to follow her, having to weave and dodge his way to the end of the counter. Maybe she wanted him to taste test…

Twenty minutes later JD all but staggered out of the saloon under the weight of the meal Inez had piled on the tray, belly pleasantly full and anticipating it soon being fuller-there was no way Buck and Ezra would be able to eat it all themselves.

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"Now, you probably want to stay out of the sun for a couple days too," Nathan said, smearing a thick mixture of herbs and aloe onto the places a mutinously glaring Ezra had missed. His hat and jacket had protected him from the worst of sunburn, but the tops of his cheeks and his nose were a bright red, and his neck, or a broad and uneven strip of it that must have shown between his hat and his jacket, his head hanging from the heat, was scarlet. "Your neck is gonna peel for sure, your nose and cheeks might too."

"Ah am perfectly capable of applying-" The boy tried to twist away from him, but Nathan had dealt with wilier patients than him before and just moved with him, thickly layering the last half inch of burn on his neck.

"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Yes, yes, it would be unwise to expose mahself to further of the harsh rays that beat down upon us daily. Such an idea never would've occurred to me." A bit surprised at just how sullen Ezra was being, Nathan just regarded him for a moment. The kid always gave him trouble, always had a cheeky tongue if he needed tending to, but there was something...angry in him now. It wasn't the disdain he'd shown him when they first met, until Buck had put a stop to that. Just...anger.

"Ezra, don't sass the doc," Buck warned quietly and the teen mumbled something that might have been an apology. Turning away for a minute as Ezra continued to sulk, Nathan found a little pot to put the rest of the salve in and a cloth to tie over the top. Ezra had been quiet and reluctant to let Nathan get a look at him when they'd come in, but he'd let Nathan hug him and exclaim over how glad he was that he'd been found with only a squirm. The longer he'd been in the clinic though, the surlier Ezra had become. Turning back, he held out the pot to Ezra as something of a peace offering, instead of giving it to Buck.

"You're gonna need to put some of this on in the morning and tomorrow night, and in the meantime you can use it whenever the sunburn gets to bothering you." Ezra took it without a fuss, but Nathan found himself doubting he had any intentions of using it. "It'll help with the peeling, too." If nothing else the boy's vanity might get him to listen, and the healer had no problem using it.

Ezra's hands were cleaned and bandaged, and he'd insisted he'd drank heavily from the stream before he'd fallen asleep and then at least a canteen of water after Buck and Vin had found him. Nathan had had him sipping on a cup anyway, and told Buck to keep making him drink. He didn't like that Ezra had been walking in the sun for so long at all, that he hadn't had any water all that time was a scary thought. "Well, alright. I reckon you're pretty hungry and tired after all that, and I ain't got no more reason to keep you up here." Ezra nodded and stood up like someone had lit a fire under him.

When Nathan heard the muttered, "No more excuse to torture me with your so called ministrations," he had a temptation to light a little fire himself, frustrated that a boy he considered as near to a nephew as he had was talking to him like that. He sucked in a deep breath, knowing the kid had had more than a hard day and, combine that with being exhausted, it was no wonder his tongue was sharper than ever. Didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"If cleaning scrapes counts as torture I guess I'm a regular professional." He fixed Ezra with a look, and got a scoffing glare for it. "I was just trying to make sure you were alright, and you should know better than to think I'd ever do something just to hurt you."

"Well, Ah don't." The words were snapped, and Nathan found himself reeling back a little.

"Ezra, that ain't no way to talk to Nate, especially when he's been fixing you up," Buck scolded, surprised and reproachful, "He's been worried about you and now you're being nasty to him. I-"

Stiffening, those words breaking a cord Nathan hadn't even felt until it snapped, Ezra choked out, "No, he was not! Why would he be when you both believe that life would be simpler minus mah presence!" Buck, who'd been leaning against the wall next to the back window had started to push himself up with Ezra's first shout, but the surprise of the words had him moving like he was wading through quicksand, too slow for the boy who whirled around and snatched the door open, tearing through it. That got Buck moving with a curse, chasing after him, as a slow trickle of realization swept up Nathan's spine.

Oh, Lord.

They might not have been meant for him, but it had been words coming out of his and Buck's mouths that had caused all this.

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It took Buck, his hat flapping behind him as he darted after Ezra, weaving around the people who were jumping out of the barreling boy's way, a little longer to remember who'd said those words first.

At the moment, as worried as he was, he was also annoyed that Ezra seemed determined to believe Buck didn't care for him. He tried to be a decent guy, do his duty, but if he actually didn't like the kid, didn't want him around, he wouldn't have been doing things like taking him fishing or treating him to pie at the restaurant every Sunday. Wouldn't have loved the hell out of him not just in spite of, but a little bit because, of all the mischief the boy got up to.

Then it hit him, the end of the realization that had started up in the clinic before Ezra had taken off and he'd shot after him, worried he'd end up God knew where.

Ezra had heard what they'd said about Eli. Had thought they were talking about him. Most of him was glaring at and sliding around a fat business man who managed to stumble back into his way while trying to get out of it, but the rest was cursing his loose tongue. If they hadn't been talking bad about one boy, his never would've gotten the wrong idea.

Knowing that Ezra had a trick that let him wedge his door shut, Buck put on a burst of speed when his cousin reached the boarding house porch-JD might just be right, he was getting slow in his old age-and leapt up the steps after him-

Only to have the door slam so close to his face he felt it shudder as it hit the frame. His expression darkened at the near miss, but by the time he'd shoved the door open again Buck's anger had been redirected back at himself. Miss Virginia, looking a bit like the doors had been blown right off their hinges, not just slammed, pointed up the stairs. Buck, already moving that direction, barely took the time to incline his head.

By the time he got up them Ezra's hallway door had been wedged shut, and when Buck went around to the door that connected their rooms the kid had gotten that one too. The burly man could've forced either door open with enough force, but it would be loud, angry sounding, and he could hear the ragged breathing on the other side, close to sobs again. Leaning close, he opened his mouth to try and explain through the door.

Then he heard something he hadn't expected. "Ezra, what's wrong? Why'd you jam the doors like that?" JD's voice was earnest and worried, and it sounded like he was rewarded by Ezra chucking something at him.

"Why are you in mah bedroom? What gives you the right to intrude?!"

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JD lowered his voice a little, instinctively going into the soothing tones he used on horses as he looked at an Ezra that was an entirely different creature than the boy he'd hugged on the boardwalk. Ezra was always composed, or almost always, JD and Vin teased him a little sometimes about how proper he always was-Ezra could be rude in a way that sounded all dignified and that JD secretly admired. He wasn't sure he'd want to try it, but it was impressive. This Ezra was raw around the edges, and looked like he was was going to start blubbering or screaming, maybe both, any second now.

Also, JD didn't want something else thrown at his head. "I was bringing back dinner from the saloon, remember?" He pointed over to the bedside table that was currently holding the tray. "What happened, Ez? Did somebody yell at you?" Having got the full story from Vin when he'd been taste testing, he knew Ezra had walked all the way to some little green pocket miles out in the desert, without even a canteen. That did deserve a scolding, but not, JD thought a little crossly, right now when he'd already been so miserable. If Buck or any of the guys had, JD was going to tell them right off, and he didn't care if he got yelled at back for it.

Ezra kept glaring with eyes that were practically spitting bullets at him for another moment, and then he just...crumpled. Not to the floor or anything, but all his anger just collapsed and he was clearly fighting tears as best he could while still standing like he might spring at JD at any minute. JD knew he wouldn't. Slowly, not wanting to startle him, he more slid than walked across the floor to Ezra. JD had to swallow at how sad he looked, tears trying to wring their way to his own eyes as he put a hand on Ezra's shoulder and then pulled him close. "What's wrong? You can tell me, and I won't tell anybody if you don't want me too."

The younger boy just kept breathing hard, little sounds that were almost, but not quite sobs escaping every once in a while. JD kept telling him he was okay, that it was alright, and rubbing his back in a way that Ezra would've shoved him off for regularly, and after awhile he was holding onto JD as much as JD was holding onto him. Buck had been calling through the door off and on, and JD could hear he was working on pushing it open now. Ezra had done something to the hinges of the door to the hallway while JD had still been gaping, but he'd only shoved a wedge under the door that went to Buck's room. Part of JD wanted to go and unjam the door, because Ezra was starting to cry for real now and the way he was clinging to him was starting to really scare him, but he'd have to push Ezra off of him to do it.

Plus, Buck was saying stuff through the door like, 'I can explain,' and, 'Ezra, it wasn't how it sounded,' along with a few, 'Dammit, JD, let me in''s, and JD was wondering just what he'd said to get what was basically his little brother acting like his whole world was ending. He scowled. It couldn't have been anything good.

Maybe, JD gulped, it feeling like a rock had just sunk straight through his stomach, it hadbeen Buck he heard earlier. Ezra couldn't have understood right, Buck never would've said anything like that, JD knew he'd even been talking to the judge about how to keep Ezra with them even if his mother came back for him, but...

'It wasn't how it sounded' sure sounded a lot like Buck had said something that Ezra could've thought meant he was sending him away, and even if it wasn't that, if he'd said something after Ezra was already so upset that was almost even worse.

Only, if Buck had said something to Ezra to upset him so bad, it was probably Buck he needed to hold him, and tell him he didn't mean it, or Ezra hadn't understood what he meant, or…

JD didn't know what to do.

"Ezra? I think Buck really wants to talk to you."

Ezra gasped in a long breath, making a wet snorting sound that might have been a laugh, before struggling for a minute to force out words, "Well, Ah have no desire to listen to his falsehoods." JD frowned, because Buck was a storyteller, but he wasn't a liar-he expected everyone to know his tall tales were half crap, half exaggeration, and whatever he'd said, no matter how bad he felt about it, JD couldn't imagine he'd be lying afterwards.

"Buck ain't a liar and I'm-"

"You clearly don't know Mr. Wilmington as well as you believe," Ezra started to pull away from him and JD tightened his arms instinctively, "as Ah assure you he has lied most grievously to mah face." Ezra gave up on pulling away surprisingly quickly for the stubborn kid JD was used to, sagging a little in a way that frightened JD even as he was annoyed that he was still calling Buck a liar.

"What'd he lie about then? Maybe he just said it wrong?" Apologies were still coming in the door that was slowly being pushed open, the wedge of wood scraping across the floor and scratching it. "C'mon, Ez, tell me, I won't let nobody be mean to you." Even if it was Buck, he thought, glaring a little at the door. Buck wasn't a liar, but JD knew he could be a real pain, and he'd done something really wrong, really terrible, to have Ezra this upset, even if JD was pretty sure he couldn't have meant to.

"He is going to send me away, he doesn't want me here." Ezra was crying just a little, and he sounded defeated, heartbroken, and JD had to swallow.

"No, no, Ezra that's not true! Buck ain't gonna send you anywhere, it's whoever said that that's the liar! I promise!"

Ezra's head shook fiercely against his chest, as he blurted, "But he said it! He said things would be simpler without me! And Nathan said he wouldn't mind seeing the back of me!" JD's mouth dropped open, disbelief and horror waging war in him-Buck's voice insisting it wasn't how it had sounded popping right to the front of his mind. How else could something so horrible have sounded? What was wrong with him? No wonder Ezra had run off!

Sure, he'd been wondering if maybe Ezra hadn't understood something Buck said, maybe even something kind of mean, but he never, never expected to hear anything that awful.

The door finally gave enough that Buck could slide through as JD was still reeling, and he snapped back to reality with a snarl, turning and pulling Ezra with him so he was in between him and Buck. "Get out," cracked out of his mouth before he could think better of it. Buck faltered for half a second, his body leaning back like JD's words had been a physical push, but it was only that half a second before he straightened and pressed forward.

"I ain't going anywhere." JD glared and opened his mouth again, but Buck had moved quick and was already around by the side of him, hunching down to talk to Ezra, and his quick, plain words had JD glad he hadn't gotten anything else out. "We were talking about Eli, not you, Ezra. Not ever you. Shouldn'ta been saying that about him either, but I'd never, ever say nothing like that about you, and neither would Nathan. Not ever, son." Buck reached out for him, hesitant, and Ezra pulled back, shaking his head.

"Ah don't believe you!"

"It's the truth. You're staying right here with me, and that's right where I want you." More insistent this time, Buck put a hand on Ezra's back and started rubbing. JD would've gladly passed him over to Buck now that he at least mostly understood what was going on, but Ezra's hands tightened on him.

"Ez, why don't you believe Buck? It makes more sense, don't it?" Ezra shook his head again, and JD hated that, because it should make more, he should know Buck and JD and all of them loved him. He should.

But he must not.

"C'mere, Ezra," Buck pulled Ezra towards him, grabbing him gently by his shoulder, and this time Ezra let him, hands finally loosening on JD, "I gotcha, Bud, and I'm gonna keep you right here with me, I promise, Ez. I promise."

"No one ever does," the boy whispered, letting Buck hold him, but not gripping back, "No one ever lets me stay, not forever."

"Then they were stupid," JD announced stoutly, Buck chuckling a little at it, somehow sounding sad.

"JD's right, Ezra, anyone who didn't see how fine a boy you are probably couldn't see their nose, let alone see past it." The teen's hands started moving, one gripping the back of Buck's jacket and the other sort of pinwheeling through the air until it found its way to his sleeve. Neither of them moved for a long moment, and, starting to feel out of place, JD slid back to the slightly open door. He stepped back and watched for a moment, then sidled over to the barely open door, squeezing through and trying to be quiet about it, though Buck's eyes flicking up at him, mouth quirking a quick smile before his attention dropped back to Ezra, told him he hadn't been quiet enough.

Slipping across the hall to his own room, JD found himself laying down on his bed and staring up at the ceiling, swallowing. It was like he'd said. Ezra should know they all cared for him, loved him, wanted him to stay here with them. But he didn't.

JD didn't know everything Ezra had heard, or maybe he did and Ezra had only heard that little bit-bad enough, with him thinking that Buck and Nathan were talking about him. But, Ezra must not have heard them say anybody's name, or he would've known they weren't talking about him. Which meant that even though he hadn't heard his own name he'd thought they were saying such awful, cruel things about him, and JD had to swallow about how sad and not right that was.

Ezra still didn't talk a lot about what his life had been like before he came here, a few big stories of 'adventures' that all the guys had heard, or funny bits about odd relatives, but other than that it was mostly little pieces he let slip. JD had thought it was kind of weird at first, how Ezra could talk and talk and never really tell you much of anything you didn't already know, about him at least, but now it just seemed normal.

JD remembered how much he'd yelled at him over that egg, how angry and embarrassed he'd been, not wanting to believe that Ezra hadn't been planning all along to throw it at him, and other times, when he hadn't wanted to have Ezra tagging along, so he'd made some excuse or slipped away.

He remembered times he'd been jealous, hurt, because suddenly Buck had this new kid to care about, and JD had wished Ezra would just go away, that he wasn't here suddenly filling JD's place. Later, he'd realized how stupid that was, that Buck wasn't just going to forget about or replace him, but maybe Ezra had noticed and still remembered, maybe if JD hadn't been such a brat...

Swiping his arm quickly over his eyes, JD nodded to himself decisively. He'd just have to make sure Ezra knew how much JD wanted him around.

He wondered if Casey would care if Ezra went fishing with them on Saturday?

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