A/N: Sorry this took so long, two words will explain why . . . Harry Potter. Now the boys are back, and Ezra has had enough. Hope you like fireworks; this chapter is full of some. Once again . . . if you LIKE Maude Standish TURN BACK NOW!!!

Appearances Darlin', are Everything

Part VIII

"Inez my dear, please bring another round for these fine gentlemen." Even without watching the southern card sharp sway in his chair it was obvious to everyone present that Ezra was drunk. The southern accent they knew him for got thicker for two reasons, strong emotional displays which were rare or when he was drunk which was even rarer. "What shall we toast to? Oh, ah have got it, to the wonderful children and their delightful mothers who populate this fair hamlet."

Has Ezra raised his glass to salute the non-present honorees of his toast the gambler lend a little too far left, and with a loud bang found himself on the floor, covered with whiskey for the second time this week. Vin and Buck were instantly at their friend's side helping the conman to stand and dust himself off. Once they had Ezra situated back in his righted seat the tracker moved both the whiskey bottle and mug of beer from the card sharp's reach.

"Maybe ya've had enough Ez. How 'bout ya just slow down a bit?"

"Yeah hoss, you don't have ta drink the whole bar tonight. Maybe we'll have something to celebrate tomorrow." Buck spoke to the conman while he made eye contact with the other members of their group. It was plain to see that these men were still worried about their friend but no one knew quite how to open a conversation about Ezra's troubles. "I mean you don't know someone might knock Maude into a water trough or cover her with molasses. I know Inez still needs to clean this place up, we should probable call it a night."

"Oh come now Mr. Wilmington, what good would that suggestion do? No sir, we are here to celebrate a victory against the tyrant known as-, Oaf!" Before Ezra finished his speech he once again found himself on the saloon floor looking up at the smiling face of the group's tracker. "Mr. Tanner I insist you switch this chair for another, I do believe that it is a faulty piece of furniture."

"Sure Ez, I'll switch it for ya. Here . . . try this one." Vin helped the gambler back to his feet and returning him to his chair, the same one as before, at the same time making eye contact with Chris. "How about we get ya some coffee Ez? Think we need to sober ya up a bit." As the Texan made this suggestion Chris went to retrieve the pot Inez had set on the bar for them.

"What are the long faces about my friends? I had thought we were here tonight to celebrate, but it seems that I am the only member of this fellowship interested in a lively li . . li . . . libation." Ezra made for the bottle of whiskey sitting just out of his reach knocking over half of the glasses on the table top.

"Come on Ez, I agree with Vin. Maybe you should switch to coffee-."

"I DO NOT WANT ANY DAMN COFFEE BUCK! Stop trying to be a mother hen, I can take care of myself! Lord knows I've done it most of my life." The gambler once again reached for the bottle, this time he was stopped by a strong pair of hands on his shoulders followed by Josiah's powerful voice.

"Now son, Bother Buck only wants to help-." The ex-preacher found himself staggering backwards as the chair Ezra had been occupying collided with his legs. Faster than they thought he could move in this condition Ezra was up and facing the recovering man.

"I am not your son! I do not have need of a father figure! I have had more of those in my life than I would care to remember! You keep saying I should trust you gentlemen, that you are my friends. Friends would understand that right now all I want to do is get happily drunk so as to forget-." As the southerner continued talking he noticed that the other six lawmen now standing around him where getting taller before his eyes. No, wait it would appear that I am getting shorter. This was Ezra's thought when he suddenly found himself sitting on the floor, looking up at the others.

"Oh my lord, Ezra what are you doing on that floor? Don't you know any better?" Before the others could stop her Maude made her way to her son's side, while trying to help her boy up she began to yell at him again. Maude was completely ignoring the looks she was receiving from the six men around her and was oblivious to the growing waves of anger coming from her son. "I do swear, it's almost like you have no regards for everything I sacrificed for you. Now you throw it all away . . . for what? This job? The town? Those people out there? THESE MEN?! Why darlin' are you wasting your talents here? After everything I did for you? This isn't how I raised you!"

At that statement the men could feel the change in tension in the saloon; the more observant members could see the change that came over their gambling friend. Slowly, ever so slowly Ezra pulled away from Maude's grip. The southern gentleman straightened his jacket, fixed his hair and dusted off his pants, all the while you could see him planning out his next words. Maude simply stood there, unaware to the storm growing next to her; she was to busy aiming dagger like stares at the men around them. Then it happened, with a simply nod of the head, as if he was agreeing to something said in an internal conversation with himself, the walls broke and the distraught young man the peacekeepers had been given peaks of the last few days returned, and went straight after Maude.

"Everything you've sacrificed? Everything you've given up? To raise me, RAISE ME, Mother? What about what I have given up? My childhood?! Oh, it was a grand time wasn't it? Moving from house to house, family to family! That's right you weren't there, you were off with one of your many husbands! Off having fun while I was turned into a ranch hand, or house keeper, or a babysitter, dutifully full filling whatever demands the family made of me so that they would let me stay till you came back for me! Except the only reason you would ever to that was when you needed me for a job! Look cute Ezra! Be a gentleman Ezra! GO DISTRACT THE MAN'S DAUGHTER EZRA! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Ezra's face was bright red from drink and lack of breath due to the words that kept rushing from his mouth, the gambler other wise seemed perfectly calm. Really, anyone who looked at the man would not believe he was the one who had just finished yelling, that was until you looked at his eyes. Staring back at Maude where green eyes had once sat now resided cold, green pieces of ice.

"Oh, now do not listen to him my boys. Ezra is obviously drunk and unaware-."

"You enjoy telling them of my past so much, tell them about my childhood mother. Tell them about how you would dump me at a friend's home to be picked up later like left over luggage? Or abandon me to an aunt or uncle's care till you needed me? How about the time I spent with Aunt Tessa in New Orleans, learning how to gamble and sweet talk the women. From the women who worked her cat house, at the age of six? Or the time I spent with Uncle David? I'm sure Mr. Jackson would like to know that I understand how slaves felt, I can accept his hatred for my accent, since Uncle David beat me like one of his slaves because I tried to help them? I was eight when that happened, wasn't I? That's right you weren't there, you wouldn't know! Maybe you want to tell them how you arranged for me to marry cousin Barry's true love, so he would then be free to marry a girl of his father's choosing, one with more money! The exchange for that was what mother? What was it again? TELL THEM!"

"Ezra's Uncle Steven paid off some of my gambling debts. But you didn't have to marry her. Darlin' it all worked out in the-."

"It all worked out in the end, my mother's philosophy on life. How about this story then? Tell them how I came to be fighting in the war . . . for the south . . . to protect a way of life that I hated with every fiber of my body. Well, mother?" It was obvious this emotional explosion was taking a toll on the conman, the six peacekeepers could see him shaking and his complexion had become almost white, to the others Ezra appeared on the verge of passing out.

The other regulators were glade the saloon had already closed for the night. Everyone knew how private their gambler was, they would have hated to deal with the fallout if there had been witnesses to this display of emotion and spilling of the man's well kept past. As they watched the gambler swayed a few times, but refused to sit down. Vin could see what this was doing to his friend, and wanted to put a stop to it soon. Just when the tracker moved to help his brother his thoughts were interrupted by the soft pleading voice of Maude Standish.

"Ezra, please . . . I did the best I could-."

"NO! I do not want to hear that anymore Mother! The best a mother could do would not land her son fighting in the stead of a stranger's son so that she could escape going to jail for a con gone wrong. The best you could do would mean that this town and these men are not the first time I felt I have a true home and family, because I would have had one with you! Doing your BEST does not mean come to Four Corners and destroy my dreams of running my own saloon because you think my god given talents are getting rusty!"

"Darlin', let me-."

"Doing your best mother means STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM LI PONG! I sent her away so that you couldn't treat her like you did Elizabeth!" Ezra, in the process of yelling had forced Maude down into one of the abandoned chairs at the table. The woman was visible distraught about what all her son had just screamed, but none of the others could tell how Ezra was. Then they saw a change pass through the man before them again, and Ezra turned to address them, much calmer then he had been not moments before. "My friends I must apologize, it would seem I have lost my desire to celebrate. If you gentlemen will excuse me, I do believe I will turn in for the night."

The gambler was to the upper floor when the remaining six lawmen broke ranks, without a word between them they split, each knowing what they needed to do. JD, Buck and Vin ran up the stairs after their brother to take care of him. Nathan left for his clinic in order to get a soothing tea to help Ezra relax and get some real sleep. Josiah walked outside to begin his patrol of the town, planning to keep everything under control so that his brothers could stick to their tasks. Chris, after helping Inez clean up the remains of the Seven's earlier celebration, left in search of the telegraph agent, he need to know who Maude was talking to.

As the six men moved off to take care of their appointed duties they all felt a growing sense of pride and respect for their southern card sharp. That he could have survived all of that to become the strong willed, loyal friend they saw before them was nothing but a miracle. Silently six men made various promises to the man, if only they knew that they all carried the same meaning behind them, it would be clear how close this group now was. They basically boiled down to the same thing, if that bitch goes near him again, I'll shoot her on the spot.

The saloon was now completely empty except for Inez who was still trying to close up the saloon, and the weeping southern bell. But who was Maude crying for, her son whose life she had so greatly hurt? Or was she crying for herself as she watched all of her great plans get turned into a puff of smoke?

"Excuse me, Senora Standish." The Spanish bartender was careful to not upset the woman more, though that was all she wanted to really do. She should pay for what she did to him. How could such a sweet man have come from this woman?

"Oh, yes dear?" Maude turned to the younger woman as if Inez would help her some how. Maybe she would have a soft word or a shoulder to cry on . . . no chance there.

"I need to close up, if you don't mind." Standing there with her hands on her hips it was apparent that Inez was not leaving until Maude was gone.

"Oh, yes of course. I am sorry my dear." Maude was just stepping on to the boardwalk when she heard Inez's soft reply.

"I am not the one you should be apologizing to Senora, and when Senor Standish's friends get done with you. Si you will be sorry."

Oh Ezra, what have I done? How can I make this better? Standing there, alone in the darken street Maude Standish realized what she needed to do. What the town had been trying to show her through their support of her son. Now the question was . . . could she do it? For you my darlin' boy I will try anything.

A/N: One more time . . . what did you think?