OK. So it's taken awhile to get something written. I got the idea from watching a documentary on Women who fought in the Civil War So I decided to make it a bit more believable that the show took place only about 5 years after the Civil War. But this story takes place more after the year 1864. Which makes Ezra for my purposes 32 and 21 during the war. So Sit back and enjoy. This is only the first chapter not sure how many but they will come and each of the boys will have something in their own story. And I'll hint usually about them in the others so have fun and please REVIEW it makes me want to write more. Hugs.
Normally Ezra would have complained about an early morning patrol but not today. He was actually grateful as he hadn't been getting much sleep the past few nights. Old memories that he longed to forget had popped back into his dreams. It had started as an innocent question from JD about the War Between the States. He was too young to remember much other than it had taken his father in its sea of destruction. The others including himself had regaled those around them with the good times with friends. However he had left an integral part of his participation out. It was true he was an army officer in Louisiana, in a prosperous town where he lived quiet comfortably in 1864. He was young only 21 but wise beyond his years with trying to survive Maude.
May 1864
Captain Ezra P. Standish sighed. He was forced once again on patrol. Granted he was the favorite of those above him but he had to on occasion ride so no one thought he was a favorite though everyone knew. A racus near by one of the houses drew his attention to find a young woman in the alley way. She was well dressed but he didn't recognize her from anywhere. What he did notice was blood that seeped from the back of her dress. Dismounting quickly he yelled for help, one of his troop came quickly and carried her to the infirmary.
Three days later Ezra was brought to a jail cell where the mystery woman now sat arm in a sling. "Madam do you know why you are here?"
She looked up at him her eyes flashing for a minute. "Yes I do sir."
"And that would be?"
"You think I am a spy."
"Are you not? You were found to be carrying information about our encampment and strengths.'
"I have tried to tell your superiors that I was trying to bring it to you when I was hurt. I found them laying in the street."
Ezra regarded her for a minute. He knew a con when he saw one, but something about this young woman told him to ignore the truth. In truth he was quiet attracted to her. "I will tell my superiors. Unfortunately they will ultimately decide your fate."
She nodded and swallowed hard. "I understand."
Ezra fought the urge to hug her. "Will you come with me?" She nodded and slowly followed him to a large house that was being used as headquarters. After a few minutes Ezra led her into a room. "Ah Captain Standish. I see you have met Miss Leah Beaumont. How did your interrogation go?"
"I don't believe sir that she is the spy." Ezra stated calmly.
The General looked at him. "Is that so?"
"Sir. She is not capable of doing this." Ezra knew what punishment they had already chosen for her, he also knew it was time to cash in on being the General's favorite subordinate.
"And pray tell Captain how have you come to this conclusion?"
"She is my fiancé sir."
Present:
Ezra shook his head. The farce worked until the General to make him prove both his loyalty and hers to go through the marriage. They had. It was odd to say the least. Pretending to know and love someone that you didn't at least not yet. Luckily he didn't see much action in the war that summer and they spent most of the time together under the General's watchful eye. During that summer Ezra found himself madly in love with her and he hoped she was with him. He still found himself now even though it was six years later still waking up feeling as if he were holding her in his arms like he had on so many mornings then. He could still remember the look on her face when he'd bought her the locket for their first and only Christmas. He swallowed hard, the pain was still to real and raw to tell anyone about it just yet.
The stage rumbled into view. Ezra sat up watching the stage with little real interest until his heart quickened and he got a strange feeling, he hadn't had that since. He shook his head and watched as the passengers disembarked. He stood when one stepped off, she asked a question to JD and walked towards the Hotel. Swallowing hard, he knew that person, the eyes, the hair. He slowly walked towards the hotel ignoring the others as he walked he thought he heard Vin stop the others. He stopped at the desk. "Mr. Jenkins did a young woman just register here?"
"Yes Mr. Standish. In fact I was coming to find you I thought she might be family. Ah yes Mrs. Leah Standish room 216." He barely got the words out when Ezra took the stairs two at a time. He hesitated at the door before knocking gently.
"Yes." Came the disembodied voice from the other side.
Ezra swallowed but no words would come out, his heart was racing so fast he couldn't breathe.
The door opened and he looked up. The shock was written clearly on her face. She shook her head slowly. "They told me you were killed." She whispered tears spilling over her cheeks. "I thought you were dead." She took a tentative step then threw herself into Ezra's waiting arms and she sobbed into his shoulder.
He held her as close as humanly possible spinning her in the hall. "Oh Leah. They said you'd disappeared after an attack and they thought you were dead too. I looked for years Leah." He whispered into her hair. "Oh my Leah." He gently walked her back into her room and shut the door never letting go of her.
She pulled back far enough to see him, she held his face in her hands as if she didn't believe it. "This is real right? I'm not dreaming and will wake up to find I'm by myself again. Please Ezra tell me this is real."
He swallowed hard. "It's real Leah I swear. Those dreams won't come true again." He pulled her close and kissed her.
A few minutes later, he was sitting in a chair with her on his lap neither had wanted to let go. "You're still wearing the ring I gave you." She said softly her head resting on his shoulder.
"I'd never take it off. Just like you." He smiled.
She smiled even though he couldn't see her. "I never stopped loving you Ezra. I can never love anyone else." He pulled her closer. "What happened?"
He swallowed closing his eyes. "My troop was ambushed at a place called Foggy Bush. We got separated and many of us got lost in the swamp. I was hurt and by the time I could travel with the few of us who were still alive it was to late." He swallowed again. "The town was burned. Those still left said you'd been carried away. I searched and searched. I've sent letters to everyone and no one has been able to find you."
"When you left things changed for me. I was no longer welcome in the ladies circles. I was put under house arrest. On the night of the raid the General came to the house and said you'd been killed and I had to leave he wanted nothing more to do with me. So I left. I sent letters requesting to find you. To anyone who knew anything about your death. I tried to find survivors of Foggy Bush but no one would talk or return my letters." Her voice caught.
"Mother tried to help to." Ezra said after a length of silence.
"I'll have to thank her. I never thought she liked me."
"On the contrary. She said you were the only one to keep me on my toes."
Leah laughed, the musicl voice of hers warmed Ezra he forgot how he loved to hear her laugh. "Ezra I love you."
"I you."
A soft knock on the door startled them. "Ez?"
"Just a minute Mr. Tanner." Ezra sighed. "I've got a lot of explaining to do. Care to join me?" He stood and made an exaggerated bow.
"I'd be honored." She gave a curtsy and took his hand.
"Ez?" Vin asked when he opened the door. "Ma'am." He touched his hat. "You alright." He fought a grin at the look on the gamblers face.
"Yes Mr. I mean Vin. Gather the others at the restaurant please. Leah." He took her arm and put on his hat walking past a grinning Vin tanner.
*7*7*7*7*7*7*
"Wow." JD said after the story was told.
Ezra looked at Chris who nodded. Now he understood when the gambler said he knew what the man was going through, Ezra did and had lived in his own private hell for the past 6 years.
"So now what?" JD asked looking around.
"What do you mean kid?" Buck asked perplexed.
"Well one of us is married now."
"So?"
"I mean will it change anything."
"No." Ezra said with Leah and grinned. "JD. I don't quiet understand everything about you seven. But I can tell that you're Ezra's family. So nothings going to really change for him JD."
"Some things are going to change." Buck said with a chuckle causing her to blush and Ezra to scowl at him.
"I get what Leah's saying." Vin said breaking into the laughter. "Is that most things aren't going to change. Other than maybe Ez won't be staying up so late to gamble."
Now Ezra blushed. "Mr. Larabee would you mind if the next few days."
"JD and Buck are taking your patrols for the next week." Chris said grinning into his cup of coffee. He liked the sudden change in the gambler he was more at ease than ever before.
"So any big plans?" Josiah asked after Mrs. Johnson the new hotel owner brought out their lunch.
*7*7*7*7*7*7*
Vin stopped his usual afternoon rounds when he saw the gambler sitting outside the saloon. Vin plopped down beside him in the vacant chair. He didn't say a word he knew the gambler had something on his mind and he could afford to wait.
"She is the only true good memory that I have from the war." Ezra said softly. "When I thought I'd lost her. I'd lost a piece of myself. I gained a small piece back when I joined our little band." Ezra gave a small smile. "But I never had all of me again."
Vin nodded. "Then why are you here?"
"She wants to make sure I'm not shirking my responsibilities." Ezra smirked and then it faded. "Vin I don't know how many times I've woken up in the past six years believing she'd be there. Now I'm afraid I'm gonna wake up."
"But you are awake Ez. And you're never gonna have to worry about waking up alone again."
Ezra chuckled. "That's what I told her." He sighed. "Wait till mother finds out."
"Don't Maud like Leah?"
"No. Quit on the contrary. She adores Leah that's why she's never pushed me to marry again. Leah has been the only one to see Maude for Maude through all her faults and understand them. Even I can't do that."
"Maybe it's because they're so much alike."
Ezra looked at Vin. "In a way my friend. Same childhood but after that they are nowhere near the same."
"When's Maude do in?"
"Tomorrow."
"Looks like the towns gonna get a summer party after all. Mary's all in a fit and so is Ms. Potter getting a party together for the two of you on Sunday. They said since you've never had a proper get together for your wedding it's about time. Especially with such a long absence between the two of you."
Ezra nodded. "I'll have to thank them."
Vin settled back. "Can't believe I'm going to say this. But I can't wait for your ma to arrive tomorrow."
"Neither can I Vin. Neither can I."
*7*7*7*7*7*7*7*
It took some convincing on Ezra's part to get Leah to stay in there room until the signal which she could see from her, correction their temporary room until he had the room above the saloon fixed up.
Ezra saw the others waiting around. When the stage stopped Ezra met his mother like always but she stopped. "Son why is everyone waiting?" She had finally grown used to the fact that the others were now a perminate part of his life. "And why did you take off your hat?"
"Mother there is something I need to talk to you about." He took a step off to the side and turned towards the hotel where Leah now was walking towards them.
"Ezra?" Maude whispered looking at him then her. "She's."
"Alive and well. She stopped here by accident."
Maude walked towards Leah who stood a few feet from Ezra looking nervous. "Leah. Oh my dear child." Maude did something that caused everyone but Ezra to gape. She pulled Leah into a tight hug and even allowed herself a few tears of joy to escape. "We thought you missing."
"I thought Ezra was dead. The General."
"I always did hate that man." Maude said pulling her into a hug. "I'm just glad you're back for good." Maude looked at her.
"I'm not going anywhere again." Leah flashed Ezra a smile.
"Good. Then young lady we have things to catch up on." Maude linked arms with her. "Well gentlemen don't just stand there. Bring my things in and no Ezra there are no bricks. But do be careful. Don't just stand there." Maude led the procession talking as fast as possible while the men only grinned. Life was definitely going to get a lot more interesting and they liked the idea of it.