A/N: Hello, Hello! I'm incredible sorry that it has taken so long to update this (RL is often a downer), but I will endeavor to keep that from happening again. I do hope you enjoy the next couple of chapters and apologize now that some of them are so short.

Appearances Darlin', are Everything

Part XII

"She's a monster! To think that sweet young man could be related to that woman?" Gloria Potter was enraged; she had spent the day trying to get the image of what the town's gambler's childhood must have been like out of her head. "That explains why he tries to stay at a distance from all of us, anytime that poor boy has tried to get close that woman ruins it. I'm shocked that Mr. Larabee and the others have gotten as close to him as they have."

"They haven't really. If you talk to Senior Tanner it's all a show. It looks like he's as close as the other's but if you are in the group it is obvious that he is the outsider." Inez responded from where she was sitting in Mary's kitchen. They had long finished dinner and were now trying to plan how they would help Ezra, while enjoying one of Miss Nettie's pies with coffee. "I believe the only true friends that Senior Standish feels he has are Vin, JD and Chaucer-."

"The author?," Mary replied quickly, she knew that the con man enjoyed reading but to count an author as a friend seemed odd, even for one of the seven.

"No, sorry I forgot that not many know. Chaucer is what he named his horse. I believe the senior considers the remainder of the seven his … associates?" Inez paused before using the word she had heard the gambler use many times around the saloon. When she received nods from the women in the kitchen that they understood what she was saying she continued. "This is probably why he is so worried about what his mother has planned; he thinks the people of this town see him as just someone they work with, someone who they can replace. He does not think any of us will stand with him, or up for him."

As the Mexican bartender continued talking they began having difficulty hearing her, it was almost as if she was afraid of how they would react to what she was saying. Looking around the faces in the room Inez saw a mixture of expressions of shock and guilt. One face though had her surprised when she realized that the look it held meant that she was not the only one who knew this about the card sharp.

"You knew this already, did you not Seniora?"

Every eye in the kitchen turned in the direction of the elderly ranch owner. Before she started talking she was nodding her head yes to the question.

"When them boys came out yesterday to help out around my place I got Fancy Man to talk for a little bit. He was too slippery for me to find out what that woman has planned, what I did find out was that she has done this to him once before." Nettie took a few sips of her coffee, letting it register with the others what those words meant. When she saw signs that the women of Four Corners were on the same page as her she continued. "Yes indeed, it seems that our smooth talking con man once called a small town in Tennessee home, his mother felt he was wasting his life there and turned the town against him. The folks he called his friends and family quickly changed their tune after a few well placed words by Maude."

"That is terrible! To think a woman could be so selfish to continue to ruin her son's life to full fill her needs. We need to find some way to keep that from happening here."

"You don't believe that could, do you Mrs. Potter? I mean Ezra's so nice to everyone, how could anyone in town want to run him out?" Casey had been sitting silently next to Inez during the whole discussion but at the thought that people would turn on her friend she had to speak up. When no one answered the question immediately she began to worry for the southern gentleman. Seeing that no one knew how to answer the news editor in Mary decided to take over.

"Casey … it's not a matter of what Mr. Standish has done since he came to town, it will matter on what he did prior to joining the Seven."

"But everyone's done something they're not proud of … look at what people say about Chris?"

"Casey darling, that's different."

"Why Aunt Nettie? Just 'cause Chris talks about his past and Ezra doesn't?"

"No Casey, see-."

"No, she may have something there." All sound and movement stopped at Mrs. Potter's statement. "Think about it Mary, when Mr. Larabee first came to town you printed that article about him. Everyone knew who and what he was, after he and the others helped out Judge Travis and stayed on to protect the town people decided that he was turning over a new leaf, trying to atone for everything he's done."

"Still Gloria, I don't see what this has to do with Mr. Standish."

"That's simple; you never printed anything like that about him. To everyone in town he is still the unknown factor. Who of those boys would strike you as having a spotted past?"

"Chris and Ezra," Nettie answered for the others, she could see where the shop owner was taking this. "But out of those two we know next to nothing about Ezra. As far as anyone in town is concerned this is just another con for him. That boy has made no sign of wanting to settle here or letting people in … why should any of the town stand with him against his mother?"

"So what shall we do to help? I don't think printing an article about him right now would be the best idea."

"No that would not help, the senior is too private of a man. But perhaps there is something we could do to help. We know the senior, and the town listens to your opinions if you were to start showing your support for him, speak up when you hear something being said about him?" Inez knew this would not be much but each little bit would no doubt help.

"That may help a little Inez, but will he still feel like he can trust us to stand with him?"

"I do not know Casey, but starting right now we do everything we can to make the senior see that we do." Inez wasn't sure what she and the others would do but she swore right there to ensure that if it was in her power it would be done. Ezra had suffered his mother alone for too long. It was time that woman learned he did not need her anymore, if he ever did.

"I'm with Inez, it may not be enough but WE need to make that boy see he has a home now and that no mother of his can ruin it for him."

"Alright then, so we all agree tomorrow we start making the southern fool see we need him around as much as the other six. Lord knows the others would pull up and leave right after him."

"Nettie's right, I don't know what kind of bond those men have, but if we can't convince Mr. Standish to stay and fight for what he has here we will most likely lose them all." Mary had known from the begin of their thirty day there was something that brought those seven together beyond her step-father. It was the only way to explain why a group of such different personalities could work together so well so quickly. "We start tomorrow, agreed?"

"Yes."

"Definitely."

"Yep."

"Si, tomorrow we show that woman and Senior Standish just what he means to the people of this town."

"And we make the idiots of this town see that boy for who he really is."

With their packed now made the ladies of the newly formed Protect Ezra Standish Society finished their pie and coffee before helping Mary clean up her kitchen and head to their homes. Each one planning how to make Ezra see his worth and their responses next time they heard someone bad mouth the gambler.

A/N: So what did you think? How could the girls help get their gambler to stay? I almost feel sorry for Maude … almost. Please review.