Nathan wiped his hand across his brow in a futile effort to remove the accumulated sweat. The day had started out cool but had gotten progressively hotter, the evaporation of the previous day's rain adding an unusually heavy humidity to the mix. Being up on Nettie's roof totally exposed to the harsh southwestern sun had not helped matters.

The healer sighed softly, stretching out a kink in his back as he glanced over to where Vin was efficiently hammering yet another row of shingles into place. The tracker was handy to have around, skilled at many of the day to day tasks that living in the West required. He moved with an economy of motion, setting a pace that made it possible to accomplish a great deal without wasting time or energy. It was a skill that Nathan sometimes envied. He shook his head. [Best to get back to work if we want to get done today.]

His attention was captured by the sound of Casey's laughter. She was sitting under a nearby tree with Ezra. The gambler was gesturing as he talked, clearly using those motions to add to whatever he was saying. Nathan couldn't hear what was said, but suspected it was likely some outlandish tall tale.

He snorted. [Bet that man never lifted a hammer or toted anything in his whole life. Living the life o' ease in some big house while me and my kind busted our asses in the hot sun. Can't understand how he and Vin ever got together. Ain't like the two o' them have much in common. Seem right happy together... least so far as I can tell, so maybe having stuff in common isn't that big a deal for them.]

Vin glanced over at him. "Somethin' wrong, Nate?

"No, Vin, nothing's wrong." Nathan answered. "Just hot."

Vin nodded in agreement before returning to his earlier working rhythm. Never what one would call talkative, it wasn't unusual for the Texan to say little. Although, lately Nathan found his friend's silence unnerving. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had the distinct impression that Vin wasn't quiet simply because he didn't feel the need to talk. It felt more like the tracker didn't want to talk to him.

The healer frowned as he went back to work mulling over the problem, examining it from every angle, looking for what he might have done to offend Vin. Nathan had seen little of either Vin or Ezra since the conversation in the clinic. He realized with a start that other than to check on Ezra's still healing injuries, and at their communal meals, he'd not seen either man. He hammered in a nail with more force than necessary as he realized that both men had been avoiding him.

Nathan frowned trying to figure out why. When they talked in the clinic he thought things were okay between them. At least they had parted on good terms as far as he knew. Nathan realized that he'd probably started things off wrong. But he was just looking out for a friend. Making sure the tracker hadn't been suckered into some nefarious scheme Ezra had concocted, or been seduced by the less than scrupulous gambler.

Nathan pursed his lips, reaching for the next shingle. Ezra had seemed to understand Nathan's position that it wasn't personal, that sometimes Ezra's accent and mannerism just reminded Nathan of people and places he'd rather forget. It was something the healer did find genuinely surprising. [Never would have thought he'd be the sort ta understand that. Didn't figure a man like him would have suffered much in his life that he didn't want to remember.]

What had insulted Ezra more was the idea he was using Vin. But oddly enough, the gambler seemed more inclined to understand Nathan's position far better than Vin had. Ezra seemed quick to realize that the former slave had not meant to offend, that his limited experience with same sex relationships was less than stellar and had colored his thinking. [Didn't think he'd still be angry over that. To be fair, most of the time Ezra can be as easygoing as Buck. Neither one of them are the type to hold a grudge for long. At least I didn't think so. Didn't figure he'd take to avoiding me, that's for sure. Course, I don't really know that he has been doin' that. Man's been takin' it easy, resting like I told him to. And we don't usually cross paths all that often outside o' the saloon. So, maybe I'm reading more into his not being around than there really is.]

The healer bit his lip. Vin might well be another story altogether. Nathan thought over what he'd said in the clinic, and how it was said. [Guess no man likes to be thought of as being too stupid or naïve to be able to take care of himself. And I pretty much came right out and told Vin I thought that. Wasn't what I meant, but it did sound that way.]

Even at the time Nathan was aware he'd made a mistake. He had tried to make amends, apologizing for what he'd said. He'd thought that was enough, but realized maybe more was required. [I know Vin has to be avoiding me. Normally, I see more of him than I have lately. Only reason he'd got to be doing that would be if he was still mad at me.]

Nathan decided the best course of action would be to confront Vin. He had to find a way to fix this. He really didn't want to ruin their friendship, and if he let this continue he was sure that would be the end result. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.

"Vin?"

The tracker looked over at him. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I think ya just did." Vin smirked, his smile reminiscent of one Ezra sometimes wore. "But feel free ta ask another one iffen ya still wanna."

Nathan shook his head. "I think you're hanging around Ezra too much. You're starting to sound like him."

Vin just laughed quietly. "I was a wise ass long 'fore me and Ez got together Nate." The sharpshooter pinned him with a frank look, sky blue eyes unwavering. "Not some babe in arms, ya know. Been on my own since I was five, an' I learned a thing or two along the way 'bout sassing people."

Nathan winced. [Yep. He's still mad at me.] He couldn't help himself as he pointed out, "I said I was sorry."

Vin snorted. "Yeah, ya did. But I'm not sure ya know what you should be sorry for."

"Meaning?" Nathan frowned, not understanding Vin's statement.

Vin laid down his hammer and turned to sit so he faced Nathan directly. "Tell me what exactly yer apologizing for."

That stopped Nathan cold. He thought it was obvious. Evidently what he was thinking showed on his face because Vin glared at him. The healer shifted slightly, uncomfortable being on the receiving end of that look.

"Are ya sorry you thought Ezra was like that bastard you knew? Even after a year of working with the man, you still don't know him any better than that." Vin's voice was soft, but there was an intensity to it carrying every word to Nathan easily. "You all but told him you don't think of him as being any better than yer former master. That you think o' him as being just like those people you spent most of yer life hatin'. How in the hell do you think that made him feel? You even give a damn about that?"

The healer flinched. The gambler had said he understood, and Nathan had been more than willing to let it go at that. He had been far too focused on his own concerns, his own perceptions, and hadn't honestly considered how Ezra might have felt. He also hadn't expected Vin to be angry on Ezra's behalf either. In hindsight, he realized he should have. It was a logical assumption that a man willing to lay his life on the line for his friends would go to even greater lengths for his lover.

"Ain't his fault that he speaks like he comes from the South. He does come from the South. How is he s'posed to talk?" Vin's expression was an odd mixture of anger and disappointment. Nathan found the disappointment hit him much harder than the anger. Before he could even think of a response the tracker had already continued speaking.

"And Ezra has got manners. Nothing wrong with his using 'em, and acting like a gentleman. But you made it sound like there was something wrong with him being polite. Made it sound like it was his fault he reminds you of people and stuff you'd rather forget. Well, it ain't his fault. Not by a long shot."

The lanky Texan's lip curled, all trace of disappointment gone, eyes flashing now with only anger. "Or are you just sorry you thought I was too damn dumb to figure out how to protect myself from someone looking for a good time? You had it figured that I wouldn't know the difference between love and being used. Or that I wasn't man enough to protect myself. Ya think I wear a gun just for show? That maybe I don't know how ta use it?"

Vin cocked his head to one side. "So just what are ya really sorry for, Nate? Your apology isn't worth a damn until you know why you're sorry."

Nathan stared at him, not sure what to say. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. [Aw hell. Looks like I messed this up worse than I thought I did.] He sighed softly. "I'm sorry for all of it."

"Then it's about time you proved it."

"Prove it?" Nathan felt both eyebrows rise.

"Yep." Vin nodded firmly once. "So far all you done is said some words. Talk is easy, Nathan. You really mean it, then it's about damn time you started to act like it."

The healer's brow furled. "How?"

"Well for starters ya can start by seeing Ezra for who he really is."

Nathan stared at him blankly. [Who else would I be... oh. He means what I said in the clinic. Never should have said that. Realize that now.] "About what I said in the clinic... well, that was a mistake."

"Yer damn right it was." Vin growled. "And that ain't the only time ya made it either."

Nathan opened his mouth to protest that he'd only ever seen Ezra as being like his master's brother that one time, but Vin cut him off. "You haven't really seen Ezra since the day you met. All you ever saw was some fancy dressed feller from the south that you were sure owned some o' your kin. Saw someone you were sure wasn't worthy of being trusted or respected. Ain't sure you've learned to see different either."

Vin's expression softened slightly, eyes warming as the anger gave way to the tracker's more typically easygoing nature. "I know it musta been hell the way you grew up. Can't even begin ta imagine what it was like. An' it couldn't have been easy to get free or stay that way. But ya gotta stop lettin' your past color everything in the here and now. It ain't right."

Nathan scowled. He was unwilling to admit that his having been a slave had such a wide-reaching affect on his outlook. He didn't even want to consider the possibility that his old master might still be controlling any aspect of his life, no matter how minor. [I am a free man, damn it. My life is my own.]

"My past doesn't color everything." Nathan protested Vin's assertion.

"Just how you think of Ez, and how ya treat him." The tracker pointed out quietly.

Nathan opened his mouth to deny that charge, but Vin held up a hand stopping his words. He tipped his head toward where Ezra was still talking with Casey. "Ya looked over there just a few minutes ago. Tell me what you were thinkin'."

Nathan shrugged one shoulder. He didn't see the harm in answering honestly, and his innate forthright nature really wouldn't let him lie. ['Sides, knowing Vin he already knows anyway. Man is just uncanny about stuff like that.] "Was thinking Ezra probably never worked a day in his life."

Vin raised one eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure he hasn't?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud... when Maude was here she told us all about him growing up-"

"Yeah, and Maude is such an honest person. Never known that woman to lie." Vin interrupted, his tone dry as dust. "I mean, she only makes her living doing the same stuff you get on Ezra about; lying, cheating and stealing. Ya don't trust him, but her, well, no problem there at all believing whatever crap she says ta ya."

Nathan felt his face warm. He hadn't even considered the possibility that the stories the conwoman told about Ezra's childhood were not the truth. [Well, I didn't think she had a reason to lie about that stuff. Weren't like there was anything ta be gained by it.] Still, he had to concede Vin had a point. Maude was far from trustworthy, and just because he thought there was nothing to be gained by lying didn't mean she saw it the same way. He should have known better than to give her stories so much credence.

He wasn't willing to admit he was wrong just yet though. "Even if she lied, the man told us gentlemen don't do manual labor."

Vin snorted. "He said gentlemen don't do menial labor. There's a difference. And he never said he was a gentlemen... not once. He just let ya assume he was."

That made Nathan pause. He could have sworn the gambler had clearly said he was a gentleman. He was sure that the conman had laid claim to being better than the rest of them. For the first time, Nathan considered that he might have been willingly conned into seeing what he expected to see.

"Was an easy mistake ta make. I mean he knows that useless stuff a gentleman is s'posed ta know. Stuff like how ta wield a sword." Vin smirked. "Course so do you, so maybe that little detail ain't really all that important when it comes ta being a gentlemen."

Vin's lips relaxed into his usual half-smile. "And he's always nice ta the ladies, but then so is Buck. Course, Ezra is a bit more genteel about it."

The tracker cocked his to one side, studying Nathan. "Talks better than most. But that don't really mean anythin'. Josiah can talk pretty to when he puts his mind to it. And Mr. Lovitt, that fat fart banker talks good too, even better than Ez. I ain't never hear ya think of him as a gentlemen. Least wise that weren't what ya said when ya heard he'd taken a header inta that mud puddle the other day."

"Only thing he does different is dress better than anyone else in town. Truth is anyone with enough money could dress just as fancy." Vin chuckled. "Doubt anyone else could do it with the same style. If it's one thing my Ez has, it's style." There was no mistaking the pride in his voice.

"Appearance may not be everythin', Nathan," Vin's expression sobered, blue eyes easily holding Nathan's darker counterparts, "but sometimes it don't take all that much ta make a picture of what people expect ta see. 'Specially if they never think to look any deeper or ask any questions."

The tracker sighed. "All of us are more than what we appear at first glance, Nathan. All I'm sayin' is that you need to look again. Might find ya see more this time 'round."

That was evidently all Vin had to say on the subject. He picked up his hammer, and turned to go back to work. Nathan stared at him totally flabbergasted. He'd never heard Vin Tanner say so much at one time. Or be quite so eloquent.

He really couldn't maintain the façade of righteous indignation, wounded pride, or even honest anger. He wanted to; not willing to admit he'd been mistaken or so easily misled. But Vin's arguments made it impossible for him to ignore the fact that me may well have been wrong, that he had jumped to conclusions where Ezra was concerned. He tried to wrap his mind around everything Vin had said, reevaluating what he thought he knew of Ezra in light of what Vin had pointed out to him. His turbulent thoughts were interrupted by a soft drawl.

"Gentlemen." Ezra leaned casually against the edge of the roof. "Mrs. Wells requested I ascend the dubious stability of this ladder to determine the reason for the sudden halt in your steady cacophony." He raised an eyebrow, eyes moving from Vin to Nathan, and back again. "Is there a problem?"

"Nah, Ez, no problems."

Sharp green eyes seemed to take in everything with just a glance. Nathan shifted uneasily, wondering if it were possible for the gambler to guess what they'd been discussing. He was suddenly ashamed of himself. All this time Ezra had been aware of what Nathan thought and his moral code, of the healer's history, of his dreams and aspirations. And he'd only made assumptions about the other man, never once thinking to just ask for information, to look deeper, or even listen to the answers when someone else thought to ask the question.

Ezra shook his head. "Mr. Tanner." There was the slightest reprimand in Ezra's tone. But Vin didn't look the least repentant. The tracker's chin came up, eyes meeting Ezra's unwaveringly. The healer wasn't sure what, but something definitely passed between the other two men. Ezra's lips quirked upward in a small half-smile, and he dipped his head.

Nathan found himself unable to interpret that simple gesture as anything other than acquiescence on the part of the gambler. Although, he really didn't have a clear idea as to what Ezra had given in to. [Downright creepy they way they can talk and not say a word. At least when Chris and Vin do that I feel like I got some idea o' what they are 'talking' about. Course, I only think I know with them. Seems a lot o' what I thought I knew might just not be so.] The healer sighed and found himself wondering if it was too late to go back to bed and start the day over.

"Since you have come to a temporary halt," Ezra waved a hand toward the pile of shingles yet to be placed, "then perhaps it is time to indulge ourselves in the repast Mrs. Welles has taken upon herself to prepare. She indicated that it would be ready presently."

"I could eat." Vin casually hooked the claw of his hammer so the tool would remain in place on the roof where he evidently intended to leave it, and moved toward the ladder.

Nathan slowly followed suit. He expected to have to wait for Ezra to climb down the ladder, and then Vin. He figured the gambler's shoulder would probably slow him down a bit. But to his amazement the gambler made it back to the ground in record time. Ezra simply positioned his boots so they rested outside the rungs, and using his hands to balance himself, slide swiftly down to come to rest on the ground in an amazingly short time. Vin followed Ezra's example, grinning as he did it. He reminded Nathan of the children when Ezra showed them a new card trick.

The healer opted to utilize the rungs on the ladder rather than risk simply sliding down as Vin and Ezra had done. He had a feeling it was a lot harder to do than either of them made it look. [Two o' them are part squirrel, I swear.]

Ezra shook his head when Vin would have headed straight for the door. Nathan trailed after them when, with one hand on Vin's arm, Ezra led him to where a bucket of clean water, a bar of soap, and two small towels had been left, obviously placed for their use. He waved a hand, inviting both Vin and Nathan to use what was before them.

"I took the liberty of assuming you would both like to clean up a bit before dining. Mrs. Welles was rather, shall we say," The gambler's lips quirked upward in an almost secretive smile, "forceful in her diatribe regarding the sort of people she would reserve a place for at her table. I strongly suggest you both make use of the materials provided, lest she ban you from her delectable kitchen."

Vin chuckled, blue eyes twinkling. "Nettie can be right picky 'bout that sort o' thing."

Ezra nodded sagely. "So it would seem." He patted Vin on the shoulder, tipping his head to Nathan, before heading toward the door. "I'll leave you two to finish your ablutions."

Nathan watched Ezra head inside. He blinked in surprise as he noticed for the first time what the gambler was wearing. He'd failed make note of the simple, almost bland attire earlier, in part because the conman wore it with the same natural grace and elegance that he did is more usual colorful, expensive garb.

[Hunh. Didn't think he owned anything plain or... utilitarian. Man always seems ta wear colors brighter than a peacock, and I'd have bet a month's salary that he wouldn't have been caught in anything so... so... ordinary. Guess Vin was right about Ezra having style. Don't know anyone else who could walk around in such a commonplace outfit and make it seem downright regal.]

Nathan shook his head realizing Vin was right about something else as well. Had Ezra been wearing his current clothing when they first met in the saloon, he might have formed an entirely different opinion. He bit his lower lip, uncomfortable with what that realization said about him.

Was he really that shallow? Until now, he hadn't thought so. Was he really so quick to judge a man with no more to go on than his clothing and speech patterns? Did this make him no better than those he believed to be so quick to judge him based solely on the color of his skin? If it were true, Nathan knew it made him a hypocrite. And that label was not one the former slave wanted to have attached to himself. Determined not to be the type of person he found morally offensive, Nathan resolved to do what Vin had suggested... look again, and see more than he had before. He sighed heavily, suspecting that the task he'd just set for himself might be harder than he expected. [How do you stop yourself from doing stuff when you don't even know you're doing it?]

"You okay there Nate?" Vin asked quietly, looking up from where he was drying his hands and face.

"Yeah, Vin. I'm fine." The healer smiled wanly. "Just thinkin' on what you said."

The tracker nodded, eyes conveying a depth of understanding and sympathy that Nathan hadn't expected. Vin casually draped the damp towel over the nearby fence rail. "Might help if ya were ta talk to Ez." Vin's eyes suddenly twinkled with humor. "It's amazing what ya learn just by askin' a few questions."

"Yeah, but would he answer 'em?"

Vin shrugged one shoulder. "Ez always answers when ya ask him something. But-"

"But only the question you ask." Nathan finished for him. He already knew that. The gambler could take a decidedly literal approach to things when it suited him. [An' for a man who seems to talk so much he can say damn little when he feels like it.]

Vin slapped him lightly on the back as he headed inside. Nathan shook his head, and bent to wash his face and hands. He really had no idea how to approach Ezra. Somehow he just didn't think sitting at Nettie's kitchen table would be a good time to do it.

Nettie tended to defend what she thought was hers. The old woman had placed a claim on Vin early on. Nathan realized that lately she'd seemed to have taken a real shine to Ezra as well. He knew she wouldn't have asked Ezra to teach Casey if she didn't think highly of him. And wafting from the window was the smell of Ezra's favorite pie, something he knew Nettie had to have made especially for the gambler.

Somehow he just couldn't see starting anything in front of her. Nor did he think Ezra would be inclined to talk in front of the ladies. The conman had a tendency to make sure the conversation focused somewhere other than himself when in a group, especially if ladies were present. [S'pose that's part of being a gentlemen. Saw white folks in the big house do that all the time. Ladies pretty much directed the conversation while they was around. Made sure it was light stuff, nothing ta upset the meal or make people uncomfortable. The men split off ta another room later ta smoke and talk. Course, the only time I've ever heard Ezra say much 'bout himself is when he's with just us seven. Might be he don't want other people knowing his business. Can't say I blame him there.]

Nathan chose to overlook the fact there were times when Nettie scared him. He'd already had to deal with an angry and disappointed Vin. He wasn't sure he could handle Nettie in a similar condition, at least not today. Unlike Vin, the homesteader probably wouldn't pull her punches. And he doubted he'd get off as easy with her as he had with Vin.

[Maybe on the way back to town.] He grimaced realizing he wouldn't be alone with Ezra. Vin would be with them. [Funny, that never bothered me before. Course, I never had reason to question my own opinion before either.] The healer sighed again as he dried off his face and hands. He was beginning to appreciate why Chris turned to alcohol so frequently. [A good stiff drink sure would be nice about now.]

Riding back to Four Corners, Vin kept a subtle eye on Nathan. He hadn't expected to confront the healer on the roof, but he wasn't sorry he had. It was apparent to him that the man had been doing some serious thinking, even though the topic hadn't been brought up again. The tracker considered it a measure of success just being able to get the man to question himself and his point of view. [Have to wait an' see if it does any good.]

He watched as Nathan took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. [Definitely getting ready ta do somethin'.] Vin had no worries about Ezra. Even though the gambler might not have known exactly what was said on the roof, he knew the score. Vin felt a flush of pride thinking about his lover. [Not much gets past Ez. An' I ain't really worried about him being able to handle Nate. He's been doing that for the past year]

Nathan cleared his throat. "Ez?"

"Yes, Mr. Jackson?" Ezra cocked his head slightly, indicating Nathan had his attention.

"Who are Hector and Achilles?"

Vin raised both eyebrows, half turning in his saddle to stare at Nathan in surprise. [What the hell? Now that was not what I expected him to ask at all.]

Ezra chuckled, and gave the healer a sly look. "Listening on Miss Casey's lesson were you?"

"Well, I really only heard that last bit." Nathan shrugged. He looked apologetic, and shifted restlessly in his saddle. "Heard ya mention somethin' about a war. Was expectin' ya to be talking about the war between the states, but nothing I heard really had much to do with that."

"Hector and Achilles were heroes of the Trojan War, an event in human history that happened so long ago it is likely more myth than reality." Ezra waved a hand in a graceful, meaningless gesture. "A blind poet by the name of Homer is credited with ensuring the story was not lost to posterity. The story is known as the Iliad. It is a classic piece of literature that I thought Miss Welles would benefit from being exposed to."

Nathan frowned slightly. "Wouldn't it have been easier ta just let her read it than ta read it to her?"

"Ideally, yes, that would be true." Ezra shrugged one shoulder. "Unfortunately, the only copy of the Iliad I happen to possess is in the original Greek. A language, I am fairly certain, Miss Welles is not presently equipped to decipher."

Nathan stared at Ezra. If Vin was reading his expression right, the healer was genuinely astounded. It was a feeling he could relate to. [Coulda knocked me over with a feather when I found out how many different languages he can speak.]

"You speak Greek?" Nathan asked, his skepticism easy to read.

"To a limited degree, yes. I read it far better than I speak it." Ezra casually admitted. His nonchalant demeanor made it obvious he was telling the truth. "So while not as verbally proficient in the language as I would prefer," the gambler waved a hand in a 'more or less' motion, "I am still sufficiently knowledgeable to serve in the capacity of translator, thereby allowing Miss Welles the opportunity to enjoy a truly magnificent work of prose."

Nathan blinked, processing what the gambler had just said. "You learn that in some fancy school?"

Ezra sighed softly. "No, Mr. Jackson, I did not learn Greek in an institution of higher learning."

"So where did ya learn it?"

The conman's gaze shifted to the horizon. He smiled slightly before his expression became as distant as the point his stare was focused on. For a moment, Vin wondered if his lover would refuse to answer. He also wondered if he shouldn't step in and put a halt Nathan's questions, not wanting bad memories to be dredged up for Ezra. Before he could act on that thought, Ezra took breath and refocused on the healer.

"My exposure to Greek actually happened in a broken fashion, off and on again over the course of my childhood. My first introduction occurred when I was six years old." Ezra smiled warmly, and his eyes sparkled slightly. It eased Vin's worry about Nathan's question resurrecting bad memories. [He wouldn't look like that if it were bad stuff.]

"I went to live with a woman I knew only as Aunt Matilda; Mattie to her friends. She believed a classical education was essential for a proper gentleman. Greek and Latin were the principle foundations for said education. So while I was staying with her, Mattie took it upon herself to find instructors for me."

Ezra chuckled and shook his head. "Unfortunately, the individuals whose services she engaged were more apt to slaughter the spoken form of either language than to genuinely teach me the correct usage. Not to mention their penchant for utilizing phrases fit only for use as insults, or propositioning women of the evening."

"You're kidding?" Vin grinned, trying to picture a pint-sized Ezra getting language lessons that involved learning how to talk to prostitutes. [Bet he'd a been a real charmer as a kid. Can just see him flashing those big green eyes and dimples.]

"No, I'm not kidding Vin." Ezra grinned back at him, gold pre-molar flashing for a moment in the sun. "Despite their efforts, rather than because of them, I did learn the basics of how read both languages. And eventually learned what Aunt Matilda had intended; albeit, not until I was a bit older and staying elsewhere."

"Did she know what they were teaching you?" Nathan asked, still incredulous.

Ezra's expression turned wry. "I rather suspect that she was indeed aware that my education was not entirely, shall we say, textbook. But then, as Madame of one of the most profitable houses of pleasure in New Orleans, I seriously doubt there was much that escaped her notice."

Nathan's mouth dropped open. "Your aunt was a whore?"

Ezra raised one eyebrow, green eyes calmly appraising Nathan for a heartbeat or two. The healer had the good sense to look embarrassed. Vin was fairly certain that Nathan had meant no offense, that he was simply taken by surprise to learn that Ezra's family tree had included more than he expected. [Don't know if Ezra will think that though. Kinda looking forward to seein' how he handles this.] Vin settled into his saddle, waiting.

Nathan cleared his throat. "I'm sorr-"

The gambler held up a hand halting Nathan's words. "Specifically, Mattie was not a blood relative. She was more of a family friend than anything else. And she was not a whore, Mr. Jackson. She was a courtesan."

The southerner gave the last word a French accent which added note of regality, subtly emphasizing her station as being better than what Nathan's question implied. "She was, in nearly every sense of the word, a lady, one with impeccable style. Mattie was fully capable of engaging in intelligent discourse on nearly any subject. She was accomplished at several musical instruments, and could sing like an angel."

Ezra tipped his head slightly, a half-smile blossoming on his face. "Of course, she could also play a mean game of poker." His smile grew, dimples appearing. "I do believe that she was far better at the game than even my own dear mother. And she could pick a man's pocket without him ever feeling it. But I don't think any man ever objected to receiving attention from her, no matter how larcenous the intent."

Ezra's expression became one of fond reminiscence. "It was at her knee that I learned my first card trick. Although, it took me years of diligent practice to even come close to the skill she possessed."

"An' Maude thought it was okay for you ta stay with this lady even though she was a... courtesan?" Nathan asked. The black man was quick to add, "I don't mean any offense, Ezra, but don't seem like an appropriate place for a child."

"In my formative years, Mr. Jackson, I spent very little time in places most would consider appropriate for a child." The gambler's tone was dry, but not sarcastic. "Mattie's was one of the better places my mother saw fit to leave me."

Vin was curious about any part of Ezra's past, particularly any part he remembered positively. But he suspected Nathan's next question might have something more to do with Maude, a topic the tracker would prefer not to dwell on. [Don't think Ez really wants to either, so it's probably best to move this on ta other things a bit.]

"How long did ya stay with Mattie, Ez?" The tracker asked, hoping to quietly direct the conversation away from Maude.

"Just over a year."

"Where'd ya go from there?"

"Virginia." Ezra made a movement with his fingers that made the ruby ring he wore spin slightly. "I went to live with Uncle Malcolm."

"Was he another friend of the family?" Nathan inquired. He seemed to be honestly interested.

"Malcolm was the brother to one of my mother's husbands. So, by all rights, he was family, though not a direct blood relative."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "He a gambler too?"

"Oh good heavens, no." Ezra laughed; a sound of open and honest amusement. "Uncle Malcolm couldn't even shuffle a deck of cards." He chortled, trying to regain control, green eyes alight with amusement. "The man was the most mechanically disinclined individual I have ever had the pleasure to know."

Vin's brows pulled down slightly in confusion. "This the same Malcolm who showed you how ta use a sling?"

"One and the same." Ezra waved a hand in another meaningless, yet graceful gesture. "He was a brilliant man. Quite possibly the most intelligent man I've ever encountered. But he was far more gifted with the theoretical aspects of life than the practical. While he was an outstanding educator, he simply wasn't adept when it came applying what he knew."

Ezra's expression turned thoughtful. "That may be one of the reasons he so enjoyed my company. I could apply what he knew, and make it work." The gambler smiled affectionately. "My stays with him were always... enlightening to say the least."

[Stays?] "How long did ya get to stay with him?" Vin asked softly. [He's mentioned Malcolm a time or two, but he's never really said just how long he was with him.]

"From the time I was eight, until my twelfth birthday, my visits with Uncle Malcolm usually lasted several months." Ezra sighed, and his eyes went distant. "All told, my time actual time with him probably amounted to... two, maybe two and a half years."

Nathan stared at the gambler. "Didn't you ever just stay in one place?"

"No, Mr. Jackson, I did not." Ezra cocked his head to one side, his focus once more on the healer. "Four Corners is one of only two places I have had the good fortune to reside in for any length of time."

"What was the other one?"

Ezra's jaw tightened, expression slipping from open to shuttered in less than a heartbeat. Vin knew the other: the Esmerelda. It wasn't something he felt his lover should have to rehash. Intent on disrupting this line of questioning, Vin dug his left heel into Peso. His mount reacted to that sudden jab just as Vin expected him to. Peso snorted and shied, moving so that he shoved Chaucer hard. Chaucer danced away, tossing his head in annoyance, and kicked out slightly with one rear foot. Ezra's natural grace and horsemanship made it easy for him to maintain his seat and stay with his mount's sudden, unexpected movements.

"Really, Vin, you must learn to control that fractious courser." Ezra's tone wasn't nearly as sharp as it would have been if he were truly annoyed.

"Sorry, Ez." Vin did his best to actually sound apologetic. He used subtle pressure from his knees to encourage Peso to prance a bit, making him look somewhat rebellious. "He just gets like this some times."

Ezra allowed Chaucer to sidestep, and put some distance between himself and Peso. He tipped his head to regard Peso, giving the black a hard look. "Perhaps he is in need of some firm discipline or retraining."

[Man really looks irritated... until ya look at his eyes. Pretty sure ole Peso is gonna get an apple for bein' 'fractious'.] Vin shook his head. He needed to stay in the game, and keep the conversation focused on something, anything long enough for Nathan to forget his question and the fact that Ezra hadn't answered it.

"Now Ez - ain't no cause to be hard on 'im." Vin offered. ['Specially when it weren't him, it was me.]

Ezra winked slyly at him so that Nathan couldn't see, giving the tracker a clear signal he understood. The gambler then heaved an exaggerated sigh, and rolled his eyes. "It is exactly that sort of permissive attitude that allows him to persist in this sort of malcontent behavior. I'm certain that Yosemite could recommend a competent trainer to work with Peso and correct his abysmal behavior."

Vin snorted. "Only competent trainer he knows is you."

"You train horses? Since when?" Nathan pulled his mount to a halt, forcing Vin and Ezra to stop as well.

Ezra blinked, clearly taken aback by Nathan's tone. "Since I agreed to Judge Travis' terms of service, and began working in Four Corners as an officer of the law."

"What?" Nathan stared at him, eyes narrowed. "Ya can't con me, Ezra. I work above that livery. No way you been training horses." The healer declared firmly.

"You doubt my word?" Ezra raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing. "You think I am incapable of undertaking such a task? That I lack the necessary skill and ability? Or perhaps it is my work ethic you find lacking?"

The healer hesitated for a second. Vin could tell the man wanted to say yes, but he was thinking it over. Unfortunately, he thought a bit too long. Ezra's lips thinned, green eyes turning cold as ice.

"Between your duties as a peacekeeper and healer, I realize you are often very busy and frequently out of town attending to the needs of others. Perhaps too busy, or gone too often to even notice what goes on under your very nose." The gambler smirked, lips twisting in a parody of a smile.

"In the future you may want to broaden your focus and pay attention to more than just your own concerns. You will most definitely want to pick your replacement mounts with more care, Mr. Jackson." Ezra's normally soft drawl had taken on a harsh undertone. "The horse you are currently astride is one I trained."

Nathan's own horse, Abe, had suffered a stone bruise a few days ago. Not wanting to risk doing permanent damage to him, Nathan had been riding rental mounts. Today the healer had chosen to ride a five year old dun gelding Yosemite had named Buster. Vin had overheard Nathan ask specifically for Buster, stating that the gelding had a smooth gait, a nice disposition and was very well behaved.

"If you doubt my word regarding Buster, then feel free to question Yosemite. I'm sure you will have no reason to doubt his veracity." Ezra tipped his head to Nathan, and then gently nudged Chaucer with his heels, setting the gelding in motion, effectively ending the conversation.

Vin shook his head at Nathan, and the healer had the good grace to look chastised. "I've seen him at the livery, Vin. All the time. Just thought he was there ta spoil that horse o' his. Saw him ride other horses on patrol, but I thought he was just taking it easy on Chaucer. Never thought some fancy dressed gambler would be taking the time to-"

Vin shook his head and held up a hand, not wanting to hear any more that the man had to say. He wasn't angry with Nathan, not really. He was just disappointed that the man could so easily slip back into his old habit of constantly doubting the gambler. [Thought we were getting somewhere here. Always seems ta be one step forward, two steps back.] He urged Peso to move forward, keeping pace with Ezra.

Vin and Ezra rode slightly ahead of Nathan. Vin looked over at Ezra. [Best say something here or Ez might just stay quiet the whole way back. Know the others might not believe it, but Ez can be quiet when he wants ta be. Don't want him brooding on what Nate said... or didn't say.]

"I'm sorry." Vin offered softly, not wanting his voice to carry.

"For what?" Ezra responded, his expression quizzical. The gambler kept his volume equally low, pitched to reach only to Vin. "You did nothing wrong, Cheri."

"Still sorry." Vin shrugged, not entirely certain he agreed with his lover's assessment of his being innocent. [Was me that got the whole thing rolling by opening my mouth on the roof. Was me that told him ta talk to Ez.]

Vin sighed silently. "Thought maybe he was coming around."

Ezra flashed a quick grin at Vin. "He is."

The tracker frowned. "Not sure I see it that way, Ez."

"There was a time when he wouldn't have even asked a question, much less listened to the answers. This is progress, Vin." The gambler shrugged. "It was far too optimistic to believe he would change the habit of a lifetime in only one day."

Ezra sighed, his eyes giving away the measure of disappointment he was feeling. "It is disheartening, to be sure, that he would be so quick to find me wanting, but it was not entirely unexpected."

[Yeah, and that's the part that pisses me off. That ya expected it.] Vin nudged Peso closer to Chaucer, putting him within arm's length so he could reach out and wrap a hand around Ezra's wrist. "Was proud o' you. Told him more than I thought ya would." While he never doubted his lover would answer direct questions, he hadn't expected him to be quite so forthcoming.

Ezra smiled, the elegant fingers of his other hand moving to cover Vin's. "You accused Nathan of not seeing me. I can hardly fault the man for his failure if I never really showed him who I was." He squeezed Vin's hand once before letting go. Vin nodded in understanding as he also let go of Ezra.

"And it was no hardship to talk of Mattie and Malcolm." The gambler's smile was still easy and open. "I enjoyed my time with both of them. It is always nice to have cause to remember them."

"You ever see either of them again?" Vin asked after a moment, not sure if he should ask, but curious just the same. "I mean after," he swallowed hard, hesitating again. He wasn't sure if he should make reference to the Esmerelda again, so he opted for what might be a safer topic. "After the war."

Ezra bit his lip, eyes darkening slightly. "I stopped to see Malcolm... after receiving my parole. Neither of us were in the best of condition. He was dying, and I was... " Ezra's expression turned contrite, "Well, I'm sure you are familiar with how most of us looked at that point."

Vin nodded. He remembered all to well how rough the troops looked after the war. Most were little better than walking skeletons. It was a wonder any of them survived. It had taken him almost a year to recover the weight and health he'd lost. [Probably took Ez just as long, if not longer. He was in 'fore I was, and pretty sure he saw a lot more action than I did.]

Ezra cleared his throat as his fingers moved to spin his ring again. "He gave me the ring before he passed. He told me that he wanted the only relative he ever liked to have the only thing he owned that had any value." The gambler chuckled dryly. "Well, other than his library, but he'd already donated that to West Point. Minus one beloved volume."

"The Iliad." Vin stated unerringly, certain that book was one his lover had gotten from his uncle.

Ezra tipped his head in acknowledgement. "Yes." He smiled slightly. "It was Malcolm's favorite story."

"And yours."

"And mine." Ezra agreed softly. "I have read it countless times, and never grown tired of it."

"Maybe you could read it to me sometime?" Vin would like the opportunity to experience whatever it was his lover found so fascinating, so worthy of numerous re-readings. [An' I love having him read to me.] When he was teaching Vin to read, Ezra had often read out loud to him, something the tracker never got tired of experiencing.

"Certainly." Ezra's eyes sparkled with surprised pleasure. "I would be delighted to introduce to it, Mr. Tanner."

"Good." Vin grinned at him. He cocked his head to one side realizing nothing had been said yet about Mattie. [Still wanna know about her. Was a good part of his past.] "So... what about Mattie? You see her again?"

Ezra nodded. "Mattie and I corresponded regularly throughout my childhood. Well, whenever we were able that is. As you can well imagine, given the gypsy-like nature of my upbringing, there were several lengthy gaps in our communication." The gambler shrugged, nonchalantly. "Like many others, I made my way West after the war. I spent several months with her in New Orleans before continuing westward."

"She was doing okay then?" [Would be nice if one member o' his family, somebody he cared about was still all right.]

"As of her last letter," Ezra smiled widely, gold premolar glinting in the sun, "which I received only two weeks ago, she is in good health, and still operating the Gilded Lily at a considerable profit."

Vin grinned back. He knew his lover regularly received mail, more than anyone else in town, but he'd never given much thought before to who wrote him. "She write to you often?"

"I receive a letter every few months."

Vin's brows pulled together. "Who do all the other letters ya get come from?"

"Most are not letters, Vin." Ezra shook his head. "I subscribe to a number of newspapers."

"Why?"

"Although they are expensive and often months out of date by the time they reach our dusty backwater burg, I believe it important to stay abreast of what happens elsewhere in the country. So many of those events, despite the distance, have an impact on what happens here."

Vin nodded. "Like that statehood stuff that almost got ya killed savin' Mary?"

"Quite." He gave Vin a searching look. "And I was not nearly killed, Cheri. It was a flesh wound."

"Ya got hurt." Vin's jaw tightened. That fact was all that mattered to him. It could have been a lot worse. [Coulda lost him 'fore I even got to know him. Christ... seeing him just put himself in the line o' fire like that.] Vin shuddered, still distressed by the events of that day.

He was pulled out his thoughts by a hand caressing his cheek. "Focus on what did happen, mon couer. Not on what might have happened." Ezra's soft drawl admonished him. "Remember?"

"Right." He took a deep breath before turning his head to place a kiss in Ezra's palm. "I remember."

Ezra nodded once, pulling his hand back. Vin almost wished he would have left it where it was. He suspected the gambler might well have done just that, and more, had Nathan not been only a horse length or two behind them.

Vin sighed and glanced over his shoulder. He hadn't forgotten the healer. [We rode out together. No reason for not to ride in the same way. Think Ez just needed a minute to think, and can't say it hurt Nate ta take a minute ta do the same. But I'm not gonna let Nate nurse wounded pride, or sulk the whole way home. Which is 'xactly what would happen if we stayed ahead o' him. Would just be another step backward. Already took enough o' those today.]

"Ya plannin' on riding back there all day, Nate?" He called out, halting Peso as he did. Ezra and Chaucer stopped as well. "Or you gonna come join us?" His tone made it clear that Nathan was welcome.

The healer gave him a startled look, and then glanced warily at Ezra. The gambler simply raised an eyebrow, and made a small motion with his hand indicating Nathan should continue to close the distance between them. "We have weathered other misunderstandings, Mr. Jackson. Far greater than this one I might add."

Nathan smiled hesitantly, brown eyes reflecting an apology. "That we have."

"We will likely weather a few more." Ezra smiled. There was no hostility in his voice or expression. His statement was a simple acknowledgement that he and Nathan would likely always have differing opinions. Those differences did not preclude them from being friends.

"Probably." Nathan agreed, also with a smile, looking relieved.

[And he should. Not every man would give him as many chances as Ezra has.] Vin's narrowed-eye look was enough to let Nathan know he would still be watching. [Ez might not be one ta hold a grudge but that don't mean I won't be looking out for him. Stand up for him against friend and foe alike.]

Ezra tipped his head and set Chaucer in motion again. Vin kneed Peso, falling in beside his lover. Nathan joined them, the three riding abreast all the way back to town.

Chris chewed on his cheroot. He tried not to worry about the three men who'd spent the day at Nettie's. It was his idea for them to be there together. He manipulated things to get them some time together. If anything went wrong, it would be his fault.

He clamped down angrily on his thin cigar. [Damn it. I take responsibility all the time. This shouldn't be any different.]

But it was. Usually, he only felt accountable for their physical health, not their emotional well-being. This time he'd actually taken an interest, and gotten involved. [If I gotta sweat like this every time, I'm thinking this will be the only time I do this. Should just stick to what I know.]

So intent was his focus on the road where he expected Vin, Ezra and Nathan to appear, he did not immediately acknowledge the arrival of Buck. The tall cowboy slid into the seat next to Chris and propped his feet up on the railing. "They're fine, Chris."

Chris leveled a glare at his old friend. "You don't know that."

Buck rolled his eyes. "They've been working together for more than a year. Ain't nothing 'tween Ez and Nate that been there 'fore. Two haven't killed each other yet. No reason ta think they'll do it today."

Chris removed his cheroot. He pursed his lips before spitting. "What's between Vin and Ezra is new." And that might well be the problem.

Buck waved a hand in dismissal. "Junior ain't gonna fly off the handle. He might get pissed at Nate, but he ain't gonna shoot the man."

"What makes you so sure?"

Buck held up one finger. "First of all, Vin knows Ezra wouldn't approve of him killing the only man this town has that comes close to being a doctor. Nate is needed here and they both know it."

He held up a second finger. "Vin likes Nate." The ladies man gave him a stern look when Chris snorted in response to that argument. "Oh he might not be too happy with him right now, but he does like the man."

"Maybe, but he loves Ezra." Chris pointed out quietly, knowing all too well the lengths a man would go for someone he felt that strongly for.

Buck nodded, signaling his understanding, but not agreement. "That's reason number three. Ezra would be pissed at him for killing Nate. Not ta mention it would mean they'd have to leave. And he knows how much Ez likes it here. Hell, they both do. He won't risk it."

Chris didn't find the last argument very reassuring. Vin and Ezra had made it clear they would have left if he had voiced a dissenting opinion about their relationship. It was obvious to him they valued each other far more than they cared about staying in Four Corners. It was a sentiment he actually approved of. He'd have lived anywhere as long as he could be with Sarah.

"They might like it here, Buck, but that don't guarantee they'd stay."

Buck shrugged. "Only reason they'd leave is if somebody was stupid enough ta make 'em. And Nate may be a lot o' things, but the man is not stupid."

The former ranger settled further into his chair. Blue eyes scanned the street, and Buck casually glanced around making note of their relatively isolated position before he continued speaking. "Sides, they only said they'd leave if there was a problem with the two o' them being together. And that ain't the problem here. Nate is okay with that."

Buck ran thumb and forefinger over his mustache, his expression thoughtful. "Well, saying he's okay with them as a couple might be stretching things a mite. But he's not pitching a fit about them either." Buck sighed. "No Chris, the problem is how Nate and Ezra get along with each other. An' that's reason number four."

Chris frowned. "Come again?"

"This isn't between Vin and Nate. It's really between Ezra and Nate." Buck smiled slightly. "Ez isn't the sort ta hold a grudge, or lose his control o' his temper for long. And he's smart." Buck's eyes twinkled. "He was smart enough ta give you time ta come around."

Chris scowled. "That was different."

Buck raised an eyebrow, and gave Chris a knowing look. "You keep right on thinking that if it makes ya feel better."

The dark clad gunslinger glared at his long time friend. Buck returned the look, not the least bit intimidated, his expression mild. "You were just as quick ta judge Ez as Nate is. Was just for different reasons is all. But after awhile ya saw the light. Nate will too."

Chris sighed. He knew his friend was right about him being quick to judge the gambler. He just hoped Buck was also right about Nate coming around. The last thing he wanted was for there to be, as Ezra would put it, permanent dissention among the ranks. He liked living in Four Corners too. And Chris couldn't picture staying here if there weren't six others to stand with him to protect it.

His gaze shifted back to the road where he expected the three men foremost in his thoughts to appear. There was no way to know for certain how long it would take to repair Nettie's roof, but Chris expected them to show soon. [Damn well better be soon, or I'm riding out there. Buck might be right about Vin not killing Nathan but that doesn't mean they don't need a referee.] He chose to overlook the fact that he had more experience being a combatant than mediator.

His gaze narrowed as he spotted three horses just coming into view. Chris breathed easier once he confirmed they were the men he'd been waiting for and not trail hands or strangers coming into town. Buck straightened up in his chair, his usual easy smile appearing. "See? Told ya they were alright."

Chris rolled his eyes. He growled out a half-hearted warning. "Don't make me belt you one, Buck."

The ladies man just waggled his eyebrows, smile still firmly in place. He reached out and patted Chris on the shoulder. "Don't worry, big dog, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell 'em you were worried."

Chris shot a dirty look at Buck, but knew it was wasted on the man. Subduing the other fun-loving cowboy was no easy task, a personality trait Chris found himself honestly grateful for. He wouldn't be sane or sober were it not for Buck. But there were still times when he wished he could intimidate the man with a glare as easily as he could most of the townspeople.

Chris shook his head and redirected his gaze to Vin, Ezra and Nathan. [At least they're riding together. Figure if there was too much trouble 'tween 'em they wouldn't be quite so close. And no one is sporting any bandages, black eyes, or split lips.]

After sitting to wait for so long he suddenly couldn't stand the idea of sitting any more. Chris rose to his feet and casually leaned against the support pillar, waiting for the three to stop in front of him the way he knew they would. Buck chuckled, a knowing look on his face as he also rose to his feet. The tall cowboy leaned on another nearby pillar, his pose a mirror image of Chris'.

Ezra brought Chaucer to a halt with some unseen signal. Peso and Buster also stopped, lining up in front of Chris with a near military precision. The gambler tipped his head toward Chris and Buck. "Mr. Larabee. Mr. Wilmington."

Vin just smiled slightly and nodded his greeting. Nathan did likewise.

Chris pursed his lips, looking them over. He could read some lingering tension, but nothing major. There was just something about the set of Vin's shoulders; the slight hesitation in Nathan's manner, the way he held his eyes. Chris couldn't read anything from Ezra, but he was used to that. It was rare that the gambler gave away much of anything. [Still, I know something happened. Can't tell if it's good or bad though.]

"Boys." He greeted them as he usually did.

"Y'all get Miz Nettie's roof taken care of?" Buck asked.

"Yep." Vin answered. "Weren't too tough ta fix."

Nathan added commentary on what they had to do, but Chris tuned him out. He pinned Vin with his gaze, silently asking how everything else went, the state of Nettie's roof not honestly being his main concern. The tracker just barely tipped his head, signaling he'd talk to Chris later. The gunslinger wasn't happy, already feeling off kilter from the waiting he'd done, but he wasn't going to argue. [Can't see how I could win anyway. And I know he'll talk to me... just a matter of finding a good time to do it is all.]

Chaucer shifted his weight, stomping one foot, and swishing his tail. Chris would swear sometimes that damn horse was almost human the way he expressed his emotions and opinions. And it was blatantly obvious that Chaucer didn't see much point in standing still, doing nothing. Ezra smiled and dipped his head to Chris and Buck. "If you gentlemen would be so kind as to excuse me, I believe my steed would like to take a well deserved respite from his labors."

When Vin would have nudged Peso to join his lover, Chris shook his head slightly, stopping him, urging his friend to wait. Nathan had already nudged Buster to move with Chaucer down the street. The two rode companionably side by side down the street toward the livery. The tracker raised an eyebrow, expression asking why Chris had stopped him.

"Thought they could use a minute."

Vin sighed. "Probably."

The fact that he didn't argue made Chris even more curious as to what happened. Buck cocked his head to one side, blue eyes narrowed, a faint frown appearing between his brows. "Trouble?" There was an amazing amount of concern and support offered in that one word question.

Chris realized that Buck was not as confident everything would work out as he had sounded earlier. [You'd think that for as long as I've known the man, I'd be able to see through him by now. But then knowing Buck, he really did believe what he said. Just worried now that he might be wrong.]

"Nothing that weren't wrong when we left." Vin replied, answering Buck's question with a weary smile. "Ez says we're making progress, but I ain't sure I see it."

Chris' jaw tightened. His gaze flickered to Ezra and Nathan. They appeared to be more or less as comfortable with one another as they normally did. [Looks like they'll be okay on their own for a bit.] The gunslinger's blue-gray eyes shifted back toward the tracker. "Think I need the whole story, Cowboy."

Vin glanced up the street. Nathan had ridden inside already, but Ezra paused at the livery door, glancing back toward Vin. Despite the distance, Chris was sure their eyes met. He had no idea what message might have been conveyed, but Vin shrugged, and Ezra nodded before heading inside with Chaucer.

Vin dismounted with his usual grace and agility. Chris had expected the tracker to loop the reins around the hitching post, but Vin flipped the reins so they would hang from the saddlehorn and not tangle in Peso's hooves. He stepped away from Peso when Ezra reappeared in the livery door. Ezra raised his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. Peso snorted, and trotted up the street, making a beeline for Ezra.

Buck laughed, and slapped his thigh. "Jus' how long you two been workin' on that little trick?"

Vin shrugged one shoulder. "Not long."

Chris wondered if this was more evidence of Vin's ability to understate things. [Probably worked day and night for weeks to teach that ornery horse to come when Ezra called. Lord only knows when they found the time to do it at all.]

Chris pointed toward the saloon with his chin. "Let's get a drink."

They sat at the seven's usual table. It was almost always vacant. Chris secretly found it amusing that their claim had been staked and honored without a single word having been said. It was simply their table, and everyone knew it. The more wary often left the neighboring tables vacant, just to be on the safe side.

Buck sipped the beer he'd retrieved from the bar before taking his seat. He sat back in his chair, bright blue eyes focused on Vin. "So tell us what happened?"

Vin sighed, and slouched further in his seat, not leaning back it back on two legs as he usually did. The tracker quietly filled them in on what had occurred at Nettie's. He told them about pointing out the assumptions Nathan had made, assumptions Chris found himself silently admitting to having mistakenly made as well. [Should have known better.]

The tracker shrugged one shoulder. "Thought he was startin' ta understand when he said he was thinkin' on what I said. Told him ta ask Ez. That if he really wanted ta know things about the man he should talk to him." Vin sighed heavily. "Then he goes and all but calls Ez a liar."

Chris frowned. "Back up. I think I missed something. Why would he call Ezra a liar?"

Vin pursed his lips. "Ez was saying that Peso needed some retraining on account o' the way he acts sometimes."

Buck saluted that statement with his beer. "Man is right about that. That horse is one ornery son of a bitch."

Vin gave him a dirty look. "Nothin' wrong with my horse, Buck. He does 'xactly what I tell 'im to."

Chris interrupted before the conversation could get too far off topic. "And Peso acting up led to Nate calling Ezra a liar how?"

"I said the only qualified horse trainer Yosemite knew was Ezra."

Buck raised both eyebrows. "Ezra trains horses?"

"Yep."

"Well, I'll be damned." Buck blinked. "Always knew he was good with Chaucer. Taught that miserable critter all sorts o' stuff, so I guess it ain't much of a stretch ta think he could train another horse a thing or two."

Chris felt a flash of satisfaction at knowing something his old friend didn't. He might not have known Ezra was teaching children in town until the gambler told him, but he hadn't failed to note the amount of time Ezra spent at the livery. The gunslinger had a love for horses that ran deep, and he was quick to note a similar depth of emotion in the gambler. He'd seen the conman working with several different horses, and had asked Yosemite about it. [Yosemite told me Ezra said he was just doing it to ensure there would be a quality replacement mount for him to use if Chaucer should ever come up lame or needed a break. But we both know damn good and well the man just loves working with horses. Same way he loves working with the children. And he's mighty good with both.]

Vin's half smile appeared. He was obviously pleased by Buck's comments. The smile faded quickly though. "Problem was Nate was quick ta say he didn't think Ez could do it. Thought Ez was too much of a dandy ta be willing or able ta spend the time and energy ta get the job done."

Chris shook his head. It had taken him awhile to realize it, but despite the odd hours the gambler kept, the man was anything but lazy. And he never had cause to doubt the man's ability with horses. [Just watching the man ride, and the shit he can get Chaucer to do was proof enough of how good he is with horses.]

"Ezra get pissed?" Chris thought it would be natural if he did. [Know I would.]

Vin dipped his head. "Not fer long though. Ez ain't the sort to really lose his temper fer long."

Buck sipped his beer, not quite covering the small smile Chris saw there. He knew Buck thought Vin's statement was further proof he'd been right. He kicked Buck under the table for that not so subtle 'I told you so' gesture. Buck gave him a dirty look in response.

"You said he thought progress was being made." Chris made the statement more of a question, once again focused on Vin.

"Said there was a time when Nate wouldn't have asked him a question, much less bothered ta listen ta the answer. Ez reckons that's a step in the right direction."

[Man has a point there.] Just to make sure he was clear on the issue, Chris asked, "And Nate was asking questions before this problem came up?"

"Yep."

"But you don't see that as positive a sign as Ezra does?"

Vin shrugged, brows pulling together in a small frown. "Was just hopin' for more I guess."

Buck's expression turned sympathetic. "Won't happen over night, Vin. Ya know that. Man don't change the habit of a life time as easy as he does his clothes."

Vin chuckled. "Ez pretty much said the same thing." Blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "But he said it a whole lot better."

Buck rolled his eyes. "O' course he said it better. The man has a gift with words." Buck waggled his eyebrows, a warm grin growing. "Just like I got a gift with the ladies."

"Think Ez got the better deal there, Bucklin." Vin laughed lightly, and sat back in his chair, tipping it back as he usually did. "Least his gift don't ever seem ta let him down."

Buck feigned indignation. "My animal magnetism has never let me down."

"Uh-hunh." Vin arched an eyebrow. "You keep tellin' yourself that every time Inez shoots you down."

Buck snorted. "I keep tellin' you, I'm wearing her down."

Vin shook his head, eyes bright with inner amusement. "Suurre, ya are."

Chris was pleased to see the younger man relax. He could understand the impatience Vin had to be feeling. It seemed a bit out of character for a man who normally didn't get ruffled by much, but Chris could still remember feeling the same way wondering if Sarah's parents and family would ever finally accept him. [Nathan isn't exactly like having in-laws, but we are a family of sorts. An' everyone wants their family ta welcome his choice of... well, I guess spouse don't really fit here. Same idea though.]

He suspected Vin was more patient with him because he was already starting to see the light where Ezra was concerned, recognizing and rectifying his own misconceptions. Chris was honest enough with himself to admit a shove or two from Vin had helped the process along. His initial reservations were more about the nature of their relationship, rather than Ezra per se. Vin was sharp enough to realize that as long as Chris accepted Ezra, he would eventually accept their relationship unconditionally.

[And that's really the heart of the problem with Nathan. He said he's okay with them being together, but he's got issues with Ezra that need to be settled 'fore Vin's really gonna believe that. But I think Buck is right. With some time this should all work out in the end.]

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, wondering if he ought to interfere again. [Didn't do too bad first time around. Well, so far as I know. Think I might need to talk to Ezra and see if he'll cough up more details than Vin did. Doubt it, but won't know until I ask. And Ezra thought there was progress being made. Sounds positive at any rate.]

Chris glanced up when Ezra and Nathan wandered in. It didn't appear as if the few minutes alone in the livery had done any damage. Nathan, at least, seemed more at ease, something Chris had no doubt Ezra had something to do with. The gambler had a way of relaxing hostility and reducing the tension that came with disagreement.

Chris couldn't really read much from Ezra, so he looked to Vin. If anyone could get a handle on what Ezra was thinking or feeling in just a glance it was the tracker. Vin's blue eyes sought out Ezra's green counterparts. He smiled slightly and got an answering smile in return. The gambler took the seat next to Vin, and Chris relaxed. If things were still 'off' Ezra wouldn't have joined them at the table, nor would Vin seem so relaxed.

Nathan sat next to Buck. Dark eyes glanced toward Vin and then away. Chris was fairly certain the healer was trying to gauge Vin's mood. The gunslinger found the irony amusing. [If he'd called any other man a liar, it would be that guy he'd be worried about. It would be that guy he'd be eyeballing for a drawn gun or a fist.] Chris mentally snorted. [Sometimes I think things would be easier if Ezra just acted like the rest of us. If he was inclined to be as uncivilized as he accuses us of being... to just react on those violent impulses, I doubt Nathan would have even opened his mouth.]

Vin gave cast a sly glance toward Chris. That look was enough to let Chris know Vin was aware of his thoughts. The tracker hadn't missed Nathan's covert glances either. Chris waited to see if Vin was going to make things hard on Nathan or not. When Vin ordered a round of drinks he smiled, pleased that his friend had opted not to push the issue. [Think he realizes it won't help. Not that he's forgotten it by any stretch of the imagination. Pretty sure he'll be watching Nate close.]

With the arrival of the drinks the atmosphere at the table slipped easily into their normal camaraderie. Conversation drifted comfortably to what had gone on in town during their absence, and what other damages had been suffered in the area as a result of the storm. It was the same sort of catch up talk that went on whenever any of them left town, no matter how briefly. Chris let it flow around him, not feeling any obligation to contribute, knowing it wasn't really expected that he do so. He reflected that sometimes it was nice to have a reputation for being close-mouthed. It left him free to simply observe the others. Observe and plan.

[First order of business is to talk to Ezra. Can catch him alone tonight before the saloon closes. Know he'll be here until then. And I might get more out of him if it's just the two of us.]

Chris sipped his drink, eyes and ears taking in everything around him, even as he continued to focus on the problem. What he needed was a chance to talk with Nathan. But he wanted it to be natural, not forced. If he cornered the other man he wouldn't get anywhere. [Bit like leading a horse to water; you can't make him drink.] He smiled, finally hitting on the perfect time and place.

[Yosemite got three new horses a few days ago. Know he wanted Ezra ta take a look at them, maybe get a feel for how much work they might need. But Ezra's been laid up since that damn brawl. Be willing to bet he'll be in the livery tomorrow. Nathan didn't object to him riding out of town today, and Ezra is bound to interpret that as him being ready to get back to his usual routine. Which means... other than him bugging me about being put back on the duty roster, he'll be in the livery, and likely working with those horses. Shouldn't be too hard ta get Nathan there. Give us a chance to talk while he sees for himself that Ezra is good with more than just cards.]

Chris nodded to himself, satisfied with his plan. All he needed to do was put it into action, and hope like hell nothing went wrong. He silently wished himself luck and downed the last of his drink.

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