The two horses were slowly and carefully making their way over the rocky ground. Aside from the dust and loose stones, it was a barren land, the hooves of the horses leaving no signs behind. Even the experienced eyes of the tracker had trouble seing any readable tracks after their animals, the light wind upsetting the dust every now and then. The sunlight was flowing down on them in generous amounts from a relentless blue, open sky.

"We should be near a stream once we're out of here," Vin's Western-tinged voice thought aloud. "We'll stop there for the night."

Removing his hat to brush his fingers through sweatsoaked hair, Ezra nodded. They had both already removed coats and rolled up the shirt sleeves. "Sounds alright by me. God, this heat is unbearable." The hat was soon put back on, providing much needed shadow over the emerald eyes. His usual, elaborate, elegant way of speaking was relaxed to a more familiar, easy drawl that his companion more than appreciated. Vin was feeling the intense heat as well, but they would soon enter the first, scattered trees that meant the end of the stone desert. From there it wasn't long to shadow and water.

They rode in comfortable silence for a while longer, only the soft thudding of hooves against the stone breeching the quiet. Out here the only living thing they would encounter was the occasional sunbathing snake or lizard scurrying away from them.

"Them Caldwell boys must have been mighty disappointed when they found the safe in the bank almost empty last night," Vin casually intoned, humour sparkling in his eyes. The answering smile on Ezra's face was mischievous.

"I'll say. And after all that hard work they probably had with opening it too."

Vin returned the smile. "Oh I don't know about that, Ez... You seemed to get it done easily enough."

Shrugging a little, Ezra ducked his head to hide the light blush. The reins of his horse slid easily between his nimble fingers. He still didn't quite know how to take compliments that well. Especially not from the man that rode next to him. A part of him wondered why the longhaired tracker had decided to bring him into his plan, obvious reasons laid aside. Someone was needed who knew how to open a safe. Ezra was that someone. A tremor of thrill and passion fluttered its way through him at the memories of how Vin had approached him that one late night. Their partnership extended much deeper than simply liberating the bank's safe of its financial contents. Their first night had been unbeliavable, magical, crazy....and everything in between. And by the look of his friend's self assure smile and shining azure eyes in the early morning light, the damned man already knew Ezra was uncapable of denying him anything. Including giving up the rest of their friends and the place he was close to calling home. He had made a point to never look back, always had.

From that morning it had been easy. Somebody Vin knew up in Eagle Bend, he didn't volunter the information and Ezra didn't ask, sent a telegram that the Caldwell gang had headed East, away from Four Corners. So Ezra and Vin's watch in the bank, the night to Saturday, had been the last watch necessary.

Of course it had been all an illusion. The bank was hit the following night, and the five men made it away in the dark, taking the contents of the safe with them.

Or at least so everybody thought.

Nobody even looked twice at them, nobody said anything as they rode out on patrol to try and track down the robbers. If anything they paused a second at the unusual pairing. But nobody made much mention of it.

Squinting up at the sun, Ezra discovered that they had reached the mountains. They wouldn't be expected to return in a few days yet. He wondered what they would say when they didn't return at all. Would anyone make the connection or would they think that they had simply had an accident or run into the wrong kind of people? Oh they would come look for them, without a doubt. If he had been on his own though, they would would just have thought he'd run out on them. Again.

But he was with Vin. Nobody, even in their wildest dreams, he'd imagine, would think Vin had run out on them. "Face it," Ezra told himself, "you've met your match. Heck, more than that...he's better than you ever were. Even mother never suspected a thing."

But that was the beauty of it, the perfect con. And all he could do was to stand back in awe.

"We're here." Vin's voice drew him out of his musings. Peso neared his horse, making Chaucer side step a bit. Leaning forward, Vin caught the reins and pulled their horses together. This close he had no trouble capturing Ezra's mouth as well, connecting their lips in a sultry, promising kiss. The blue sky and the blue gaze fixed on the gambler duelled in intensity and heat.

"It was never just for the money," the words were breathed into his ear. "Without you, I'd never leave. You're all I want."

And home was far away and yet it was right here.

The End