Hey everybody! Here's part two, part three is already half written so it should be up either tomorrow or the next day.

Thank you to SherryO and MamaBear2Two for reviewing :)

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Buck leaned back in his chair and listened indulgently as Ezra poured out his heart, not bothering to keep the grin off his face, though he was reining in the teasing about moon-eyes and love sick calves. Didn't want to scare his little brother off after all, not when Buck could see he was so clearly in need of his good advice. Letting his glass slide back and forth between his fingers on the rough table he nodded occasionally as Ezra waxed on about Lei Pan's charms. Kid was all but spouting verse, and while Buck had never understood the point of longing for someone far away, not when there were so many lovely and charming ladies all around, he'd learned when Chris had his heart set on Sarah, not even a buckshot filled backside enough to deter him, that sense had nothing to do with romance. If it did Buck would have had a heck of a lot less notches on his belt, anyway. The boy finished up a couple lines about how Lei Pan occupied his thoughts at all times, Buck not able to help the, "Probably your dreams too," that slipped out, but where JD would have been scandalized and probably screeched his name like a scalded alley cat, Ezra's cheeks tinted the slightest bit pink, he nodded and let out a slightly over dramatic sigh. Jeez, this kid had it bad.

"Yes, even in mah sleep Ah pine for her," Ezra said, like it was a confession, "Being separated is like torture of a kind unknown to man, only to devils." Huh. Okay, no matter how bad he had it for that pretty little China girl, Buck hadn't expected him to admit to something like that and he had to stop his eyebrows climbing to his hairline as he answered. He found himself wondering if Ezra wasn't laying it on just a mite too thick...

"Well, a woman can do that to a man, torture him without ever meanin' to." Inez passed by then, carrying a tray to another table, and Buck called out to her, "Just like you're torturin' me with this ruse, darlin', makin' me suffer by pretendin' you don't care for me."

Inez shot him an annoyed look over her shoulder, snapping out, "I hope it's painful...El burro sabe mas

que tu!" Buck put his hand to his heart and pretended to slump in his seat, jerking a little like he'd taken a bullet right to the organ.

"You're killin' me here, Inez, with this cold shoulder."

Setting down the tray Inez nodded at her customer, smiling as they thanked her, and then walked back towards the kitchen, stopping long enough to say, "One can only hope," and, to Ezra, "This is who you ask for advice?", then, with a swirl of her skirts, disappeared behind the bar.

Buck had seen the half smile on her face. She might not ever admit it out loud, but Inez liked him plenty, and the dance between the two of them was one hell of a lot of fun. He turned back to Ezra, who was trying not to look horrified that Inez had figured out what they were talking about, but heck they were sitting close to the bar and the saloon was half deserted, too early for the night time crowd, but late enough most folks were thinking about heading home for supper-weren't enough voices to drown them out. Inez was a sharp woman, nothing that happened in her bar got past her anyway. "Heck, don't mind Inez, pard, betcha she'd think you writing to Lei Pan was real sweet, right romantic thing to do." Ezra looked even more horrified, and Buck tried to choke back his laugh, he really did, but it only came out strangled, half snorted out his nose.

"Ah think perhaps Ah was hasty in-" Ezra started to rise out of his chair and Buck put up his hands, waving to him to sit back down enthusiastically. Not only did he actually want to help his little brother with whatever his girl problem was-heck, who else was the kid gonna ask? Josiah, maybe, but out of the rest Buck was the only real choice-but at this point he wanted to know because he was at least half certain that Ezra had something up his sleeve, and that was never good.

"Whoa, hold on there, hoss, you ain't even givin' me a chance to help you out here! C'mon, you gotta at least ask your question before decidin' I don't have the answer." Ezra looked at him doubtfully, and Buck gave him his most winning smile. "If you don't like my advice, ya don't gotta use it, but you seemed like you really wanted it earlier." Slowly, Ezra sank back into his chair, nodding a little.

As Ezra carried on a bit longer, still laying it on more than a bit thick, Buck's brain went back to working, starting from that damn cat that ate the canary look. Buck Wilmington might be a sentimental sap, but he was no fool. The boy wasn't lying exactly... that wistful, dreamy look he'd had on outside was definitely no lie-but Ezra was working some kind of angle, was trying to get something out of him. Buck might not have spotted it, but all the kids, hell, even Nathan, had him pegged as the easy mark, the one who'd most likely give in if they asked for something-they weren't wrong, he liked to be the fun one, and more than once just hadn't seen the harm in something-only to have Chris or Josiah asking him what the heck he'd been thinking later.

Which meant he had nearly as much experience as Josiah with Ezra trying to talk him into things, and one like this-where the kid was using his real emotions as part of the gambit, had actually told him he'd been writing letters to her when he had to know Buck was gonna tease him about that like crazy eventually-that was going to be something big.

Really, Buck thought as he twisted his glass around in his hands it was pretty sweet that the boy would put himself out like that for his little girly, that she meant that much to him. He really hoped that this was something he could help him with, not something he was going to have to put the kibosh on, but Buck wasn't going to hold his breath.

"In her latest missive she extended me the honor of an invitation to the fair town of San Francisco to meet her family and stay for a time." Oh boy. Hoss sure didn't ask for a lot, Buck thought, taking a swallow off his drink. Unless Josiah had said yes-which was not a bet Buck would take no matter how big the payoff-and Ezra was going to ask him for help picking out a gift to take her, his little brother was going to be mighty disappointed at the end of this conversation. "Her parents wish to meet the man who helped send her back to them, and Lei Pan herself has said that she longs for mah presence."

Fighting down the urge to ask if he was sure that was what Lei Pan was longing for-this wasn't Chris, or even Josiah, but that didn't mean that that wasn't the perfect set-up-, Buck nodded thoughtfully, "And what does 'Siah have to say about the invitation?"

Ezra twisted his glass, which had mostly sat ignored this whole time, around slightly, nerves showing, which was a give away that the preacher had said no if there ever was one. "Mistah Sanchez does not quite understand the importance of this situation, and you know yourself how ovahprotective he can be. He always carries on as though immediate death and destruction is due if one of us steps out of his sight." Ezra went to carry on, but Buck cut him off with a laugh, shaking his head.

"No offense pard, but you youngin's haven't exactly given him reason to think otherwise."

Ezra looked a little exasperated, and declared, "Perhaps that is so, Ah can admit to having made some less than stellar decisions in mah time with you gentleman, but Ah am growing oldah and it has been some time since any such incidents have occurred. Ah have a more mature outlook on-"

"Yep, sure, you're a big boy now," Buck rolled his eyes, and when Ezra stared at him, incensed, Buck fixed him with a look, "That's why you broke cover in the middle of a gunfight, just stood up straight, and scared the life out of all of us two months ago." Ezra maintained his offended stare for a good twenty seconds of Buck drilling his eyes into his and then seemed to realize that wasn't getting him anywhere and dropped them contritely to the table.

"Ah only broke covah for a second before dropping down again-and they were aiming at Sue Ellen, simply to be cruel." Ezra might be acting contrite, but there was a hint of rebellion, of still thinking he'd been right in his tone, and even two months later it set Buck's hackles on edge.

"Hoss, Sue Ellen is a cat."

"Amelia and Josh's cat!" Ezra's head came up as he made his point, and Buck had to suck in a breath before he continued. He loved Hoss like crazy-wouldn't have cared what the boy did if he didn't, would he?-but out of all his brother's except Chris the boy could get his dander up the worst. JD was exasperating, but not like this.

Not to mention baffle the hell out of him. He'd been worried the boy would be jealous of the twins as Josiah and Mrs. Potter's almost courtship progressed, but he'd become just as protective of the two as he was of JD.

It would've been cute if it hadn't nearly gotten him killed. "Ezra, I gotta tell you, you ain't doin' a good job convincin' me you wouldn't make more 'less than stellar decisions' on your way to San Francisco, let alone once you're there. And it ain't me ya have to convince anyway, it's Josiah."

"Ah would find no trouble simply because all mah faculties would be invested in preparing for meeting Lei Pan and making a positive impression on her parents-what sort of gentleman does not go to the side of the one you desire to court when her parents have requested it? It would be nothing short of ghastly to not present mahself to them in a timely mannah." Wondering if Ezra really understood the meeting the parents part of courtship, what it implied, and thinking he might just have found a way to convince him to put off his visit for a few years yet, Buck waited, seeing that Ezra was finally winding up to his big finale. "Ah thought you, Buck, knowing you have the heart of a true romantic, one who does not give up or allow obstacles to stand in your way, would be best able to help me solve mah dilemma-without inciting Mr. Sanchez's wrath onto either of our persons, of course."

Buck took another sip of his whiskey-Ezra had tried to get him to buy them each a glass of port, but that wasn't happening on a dollar a day and he was extra glad he hadn't given in now-as he tried to keep an exasperated look off his face. Boy, when the kid had said it wasn't something 'Siah would kill him for Buck had actually believed him for awhile, and now he found himself wondering why. "Hoss, I know you ain't askin' me to help you sneak outta town, 'cause you might be slipperier than spit on a doorknob, but you ain't slippery enough to get past the preacher, and if you try I might just whup your behind myself."

A very brief flash of pure disappointment passed over Ezra's face, something in what Buck's voice apparently sinking that big, shiny, NO in deep, but it was Ezra, so he recovered in time to look appropriately offended, "Certainly not! Ah merely was hoping that you would help me to persuade him into a more agreeable outlook on the venture."

"Uh-huh, sure you were." Seeing his little brother's face start to screw up in indignation, Buck carried on before he could protest, "Before you tell me what you had in mind, why don't we talk about just what Miss Lei Pan is probably expecting if she's invitin' you home to ma and pa, little brother." He leaned back in his chair, the sternness gone from his face, but the seriousness not moving an inch and made sure to catch Ezra's eye straight on. A shadow of wariness passed across Ezra's face, mostly sticking to his eyes. Good. That's exactly how Buck wanted him to look.

"While, Ah would think that she is wanting me to show that there is potential in our future match..."

Buck shook his head, snorted out a muted, "Future," and then tossed the rest of his drink back. Ezra wasn't the only one who knew how to pull other people in. Sure enough, his brother shifted a little in his seat, his hands moving to straighten out already perfectly straight coat sleeves. "A girl don't invite you home to her folks until she's thinkin' that the future's comin' awful quick, and that's the plain truth right there. Not when you're here and she's all the way in 'Frisco."

"Nonsense, Lei Pan is enjoying her time with her family after their separation, and Ah-Ah have mah duties here, and that's ignoring the fact that neither of us have reached the age of majority. She knows Ah need time to build mah fortune, to repurchase the saloon at the least." Ezra's eyes didn't reflect the confidence the rest of his face showed, and his voice wasn't any too convincing either.

"You sure about that, pard?" Buck tilted his head questioningly, "I'd be willing to bet you ain't the only one staring off into the clouds, building castles, and what are you going to do if you show up and that is what she expects? You going to disappoint her?" The face looking back at him couldn't quite conceal its horror, and Buck had to fight to keep the amused satisfaction off his face. This was easier than he'd expected. "Now, you just listen to ol' Buck, we'll get this all straightened out..."

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