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azombiewritesTitle: Burnout
Rating: PG
Warnings: Strong Language.
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: ATF
Main Characters: Ezra, Chris, Josiah, the rest of the guys and an OMC.
Summary: After spending a prolonged period working undercover, Ezra suffers from 'Burnout'.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 26,949
The room was dark, the small lamp that sat on the dresser sent graying filters of light through the room. The clock on the bedside table read 12:03. The sound of a phone ringing filled the room, it was attempting to wake the figure sleeping in the bed. The only answer it received was a slight movement from the covered form. The ringing finally stopped. Ten minutes later the caller tried again, they were determined to wake the sleeper.
Ezra was pulled from his exhausted induced sleep, he groaned and rolled over. He felt weak and tired, he didn't want to wake up but the insistent ringing wouldn't stop. It had to be answered. He was surprised that someone else hadn't already answered his phone. There had to be someone in the other room. He forced his eyes open and struggled to throw the bed cover off his body. Aw hell, why didn't someone answer the god damn phone!
He listened for a moment hoping that the ringing would stop. He frowned at the realisation that it was his mobile ringing. It would be in this room still, that's why it hadn't been answered. They probably couldn't hear it. He sat up and tried to determine where the sound was coming from. He stood up and slowly walked to his dresser and pulled the middle draw open. His jacket had been folded and pushed into the drawer.
Buck would be the person responsible for this. He pulled the mobile phone from his pocket, the noise became instantly louder. He answered it without thinking, his mind was still clouded by sleep.
"Standish." He yawned then made his way back to his bed.
"Ezra Standish! Where have you been and why haven't you been answering your phone." His mother demanded.
"Hello mother." Ezra grimaced as he sat down. He looked at the clock beside him. 12:22. "Aw hell."
"Don't you swear at me young man. I'm your mother!" She spat into the phone.
"I was talking to the clock mother." Ezra replied calmly.
"You haven't answered my questions." She reminded him.
"I've been busy mother and as for my phone, I only just heard it." he laid down because he knew it would be a long conversation. He shouldn't have answered it in the first place. "What do you want mother?"
"I wanted to know if you received my gift?" Maude's voice softened as she spoke.
"What gift? It's not another pair of socks is it?"
"No, it's something much better. I want you to use it to come home Ezra." Maude explained to him.
"I am home." Ezra told her. His eyes flickered towards the door.
"Your home is with your mother. I have sent you some money and a plane ticket. I want you to use them Ezra. I want you here for the wedding."
"I've already been to three of your weddings, I don't believe that I'll be missing anything. Do you?"
"I want you there to give me away Ezra." The anger and frustration began to sound in his mother's voice.
"We've been through this before mother. I am not coming!"
"You are coming Ezra. Even if I have to send someone to bring you back."
Ezra knew she was capable of doing that. "They will have to go through my friends first mother."
"How many times have I told you. They are not your friends. They're only using you because of your god given talents which you should be using for better things instead of that pathetic job you are doing."
"I like what I do." he yawned again as he thought about hanging up on her but he knew if he did things would only get worse. "Mother I have to go . . . "
"You wouldn't have anywhere to go at this time of night Ezra except here to join me."
"I'm not coming, how many times do I have to say it."
"You’re coming!" Maude disconnected the call.
"No I'm not mother." Ezra muttered into the silent phone.
He turned it off and placed it on the bedside table, he didn't want to be caught like that again. It had happened too often with Porter. Ezra thought about what he had told the psychologist, he had never spoken to anyone like that before and Chris had been there to hear part of the first time event. He was grateful he didn't hear the other part, he wouldn't have been able to look his friend in the eye again. They would probably think of him as a child if they found out, he felt like one after he'd finally let out what he had been afraid of. But now he worried even more, what if Chris did something. Porter could retaliate and it would start all over again. He could still loose his friends.
He decided he needed a drink, he hadn't had one for over six weeks. He didn't want to risk it, if Porter had smelt alcohol on him he would have used it against him. He got out of his bed and walked towards the door to his room. He didn't consider putting anything on, he wore only his boxer shorts. He could easily grab a bottle and glass then return to his bed. He opened the door and carefully moved into the living room. Ezra flicked the light switch on thinking that no one was spending the night on the lounge.
"What the . . . " Buck jerked awake and sat up. He rubbed at his eyes to try and force himself to become more alert. When he did he saw Ezra walking towards the front door. "Ezra? What are you doing up."
"Now you wake up." Ezra grumbled. You couldn't have woken up earlier and answer the phone, he added to himself.
"What time is it?" Buck followed Ezra into the hallway and watched as he began to go through his mail.
"What the hell are you doin' Ezra?"
"Isn't it obvious." He had been surprised to see Buck on the sofa and even more surprised that the phone or his own voice hadn't woken him up.
"Not really. Is there something wrong?" Buck leaned against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest.
The night was cold and he could see that Ezra only wore his boxers. He contemplated calling Nathan but decided to wait a while first.
Ezra searched through the mail, he ignored everything that didn't have his mother's trademark. It didn't take him long to find the envelope. The smell of his mother's perfume drifted up to fill him with good childhood memories, there were enough of them for him to count on one hand. His muscles were already beginning to ache with overuse, feeling this weak was something he was finding hard to deal with. He had to sit down before he fell down. He walked back to the sofa that Buck had been sleeping on.
"Buck, I need a drink." Ezra looked at him. "Something strong." He hated asking for something that he should have been able to do. It made him feel helpless.
"I don't think you should be drinking alcohol at this time of night." Buck protested.
"Buck, either you get me a drink or you leave, it's up to you." Ezra didn't look up at him, his green eyes were staring at the envelope in his hands.
"Well, when you put it that way." Buck knew Ezra wouldn't be able to force him out of his home but Nathan had told him not to allow the Southerner to become aggravated or angry. He had to stay relaxed and do nothing physical that would drain his energy.
"The good stuff is in the cabinet beneath." Ezra told him as he tore open the envelope. He pulled out the airplane ticket that his mother had mentioned and without looking at it he ripped it in half and put the remains on the floor, he would pick them up later. The only other occupant was a cheque. It was for a large amount but even that couldn't bribe him. He didn't tear it up, he would do what he always did with the cheques his mother sent him. He would give it to a local charity.
"What's that you've got there Ezra?" Buck sat down next to him and handed him a shot of malt whiskey.
"It doesn't concern you Buck." Ezra took the drink and swallowed it in one go, he gave it back to the ladies man. He wanted another. "Bring the bottle back with you this time."
"Your not planning on getting drunk are you?" Buck asked.
"That's exactly what I plan on doing. Would you care to join me?"
"Don't really have anything to get drunk over but I can keep you company."
"No, you don't do you." Ezra smiled at him. He didn't have a mother like his or a life. The only thing they had in common was the lack of a father.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Buck tried to cover Ezra with one of the blankets he was using but the smaller man shrugged it off. "It's cold, you'll make your cold worse." He tried again and this time he succeeded.
"Apart from being sick? Nothing." He emptied his glass and gave it back, he would have held it for him but he didn't have the strength.
"You'll get better, Nathan said you'll be fine. You just need time Ezra." Buck poured him a third drink. "You sure you want this?" In answer to Buck's question Ezra drank the scotch and handed him his glass. "When your sick in the morning don't blame me, Chris and Nathan will do that for you."
"I'm a grown man Buck, I can take responsibility for my own actions." Ezra retorted.
"But they're not going to blame you though are they." Buck filled the glass up again.
Ezra yawned before emptying the glass. "Have a drink with me Buck."
"It's a bit early for me Ezra." Buck looked down at his watch, it was now 1:12 in the morning. He hadn't gone to bed until eleven. He had continued to check in on his friend. Once he was reassured that Ezra was sleeping deeply he allowed himself to go to sleep and now he was up again.
"Your not going to let me drink alone are you. Your supposed to be a friend Buck." Ezra's words were beginning to slur because of the alcohol he had drunk and the Burnout he was suffering from.
"I have to work tomorrow Ezra." Buck tried to make his excuses.
"Hasn't stopped you before." Ezra passed his glass back to Buck. He wanted another one. But he had no intentions at stopping at one. The last six weeks had been hell, he needed to drown his sorrows but he didn't want to do it alone. He was sick of spending his time alone.
"Just one Ezra." Buck got up and returned a few seconds later with a glass. He poured himself a drink and another one for Ezra. He knew Nathan was going to take it out of his hide for allowing Ezra to drink but he didn't really want to stop Ezra. There was a reason for it and if he didn't do it now he would want to do it later.
Ezra took the drink and rested it on his thigh. He stared at the cheque. He couldn't understand why his mother thought she could still buy him. One day she sends him a pair of socks and a few weeks later it's a large cheque and an airplane ticket.
"Did your mother ever try to bribe you into doing something you didn't want to do?" Ezra asked him.
"She use to use chocolate, I would have done anything for chocolate when I was a kid." Buck smiled at the memory.
Ezra passed the cheque to Buck. The ladies man took it and after staring at it for a few seconds he let out a low whistle. "What's this?"
"That's what my mother tries to bribe me with." Ezra laughed then coughed.
"Your mother bribes you with money?" Buck was shocked.
"Money, cars, expensive suits, and socks. Can't forget the socks." Ezra muttered through the alcohol.
"She ever try just asking?" Buck looked sideways at Ezra and saw the forlorn expression he wore.
"She doesn't ask, she demands."
"And being the stubborn cuss that you are, you refuse."
"Yep." Ezra handed Buck his glass.
It was filled and returned. Buck also decided to have another one. He didn't want Ezra to drown in his misery alone. They all knew that Ezra didn't have a good relationship with his mother but he didn't know it was this bad. What sort of mother would bribe their son with expensive gifts.
"What does she want?" Buck asked carefully. He hoped the alcohol would keep the Southerner talking.
"Want's me to give her away."
"Maude's getting married?"
"Again." Ezra added. "Want's me to give her away."
"You don't want to do it?" Buck filled their glasses again.
"No."
"Want to tell me why?"
"Noooo."
Ezra was finding it hard to keep his head up and his eyes open. He found himself falling towards the pillow. He didn't bother to try and stop himself, he wouldn't have been able to anyway, Buck was also pushing him towards sleep. He could see and feel the darkness closing in on him. He felt the weight of the blanket close over him and the warmth flowed through him. It was only a matter of minutes before he was asleep.
Buck changed positions, he now sat in the large comfortable chair that sat near the sofa. He watched the Southerner sleep. His mind drifted over what Ezra had said about his mother. He knew the only reason he spoke about it was because of the alcohol, he wouldn't have said a thing otherwise. He would have to let Chris and Nathan know in the morning. They were both arriving early. Ezra was going to need Nathan, especially after the amount of alcohol he'd drunk on an empty stomach. He was going to be very sick in the morning.
________________________________________
Chris drove through the quiet streets of Denver, the sun was only beginning to rise above the distant mountains. He hadn't been able to sleep so he had decided to make his way back to Ezra's town house. He didn't like being at a distance from the man, not after what he had learnt in Hancock's office. If only he'd known that Ezra was having so much trouble with Porter. Normally Ezra would have dealt with the man then gotten on with his job but he hadn't. There had to be something else, something that stopped him from coping with the situation, something that caused the young Southerner to become so stressed that he'd gotten sick.
That was what they had talked about after he'd left the room. He could phone the Doctor and ask him but he wouldn't tell him. He could ask Ezra but that would be like getting blood out of a stone. He would have to wait, maybe Ezra will tell him in his own time. But he knew if he waited that long he'd probably be dying of old age. The only other option was to ask Porter himself. He would get an answer from that man even if he had to beat it out of him, that was something he would enjoy doing.
After parking his car on the street he made his way to the apartment complex. Ezra's was on the ground floor and was surrounded by large bushes and vines. It gave the entrance way a welcoming feeling. He used one of the six spare keys that he had made from Ezra's original to gain access to the townhouse. He expected Ezra to still be sleeping in his bed and Buck to be making coffee but that's not the way he found them. Buck was sleeping uncomfortably in one of the two chairs on the living room and Ezra lay on the couch. Chris grimaced at the sight of the near empty whiskey bottle and two glasses.
"Someone had a party last night." Chris muttered as he tucked the blanket tighter around Ezra's shoulders. He knelt down on the floor when he saw what remained of an airplane ticket. The destination was Rome, Italy. He wondered how Ezra could afford it. A cheque lay next to it. Maude Standish's signature was on it. That's how he could afford it. Maude had sent it to, she would no doubt expect him to use. Ezra of course would have refused. It explained the drinking. He didn't want to wake either of them so he walked quietly into the kitchen to make some coffee. His two friends were going to need it when they woke up. He wasn't sure how much they'd had to drink but he knew he'd find out later.
Chris was sitting in the second chair drinking his third cup of coffee when Buck began to stir. He smiled as his long time friend swore under his breath. He looked towards Ezra when he heard a groan escape the Southerner. He watched as Ezra rolled over then pull the blanket up over his head. Chris felt like jumping up and tearing the blanket from the sleeping form to wake him up but the smaller man's physical ailment stopped him.
"What time is it?" Buck asked when he saw Chris sitting opposite him.
"Just after seven." Chris informed him. "So what did you two get up to last night?"
"Got any of that coffee for me?" Buck squirmed under Chris' stare.
"After you answer my question."
"I'm still not sure what happened. Ezra woke me after midnight, he went through his mail then told me to either get him a drink or leave. So I got him a drink."
"The airplane ticket and cheque from Maude." Chris nodded in understanding. But what made Ezra want to check his mail in the first place. Maude must have made contact with him. He looked over at the phone, it was still disconnected. "Did Maude phone last night?"
"No. The phone would have woken me up."
"How much did you have to drink?" Chris smiled at his friend.
"Only two."
"And Ezra?"
"Lost count. Speaking of that, when do you expect Nathan?" Buck turned his eyes towards Ezra's inert form.
"He drank all that on an empty stomach, he'll probably be pretty sick when he does wake up."
"He should be here any minute." Chris made his way back to the kitchen for more coffee. "So why did you let him get drunk?"
"Looked like he needed to. I know I could have stopped him but it just didn't seem like a good idea." Buck explained.
"Did he say anything interesting?"
"Only that his mother bribes him with expensive gifts when she wants something instead of asking."
"Nothing about Porter?" Chris was watching Ezra from his position against the kitchen archway.
"Why would he say anything about Porter." Buck thought for a moment then the realisation hit him. "Did Porter do something to Ezra. Did he hurt him in some way?"
"I told Ezra I wouldn't tell you guys."
"I don't give a shit what Ezra said, if Porter did something to him, I want to know about it!" Buck demanded.
"Sorry Buck, I'm not going to loose the trust that I've gained with Ezra by telling you. Give him time and he might tell you himself."
"Son of a bitch." Buck growled.
"Me or Porter?" Chris raised an eyebrow at his friend.
"Both." Buck retorted. "But I accept your apology."
"Sorry Buck." Chris repeated. He wanted to tell him and the others but his respect and trust for Ezra kept him from doing so. If he did, he would loose it all and probably wouldn't be able to get Ezra back. It had been too difficult the first time round to get him to accept their friendship, he didn't want to go through that again.
"Where's that coffee you promised me?"
Chris reached out with his arm, the coffee was hot and strong. When Buck relieved him of it he walked towards the chair he'd spent the early morning sitting in. He sat down and began to wait for Ezra to wake up. He didn't have long to wait.
"Aw hell!" It was a strangled cry that came from the tightly curled form under the blanket. "Buck!" The accusation was clearly evident in his tone.
"Right here Ezra." Buck rushed to Ezra's side while Chris ran into the kitchen.
"Bastard!" Ezra spoke with anger in his voice. "Why the hell do I let them do this to me."
"Do what Ezra?" The smaller man had given him an opportunity and he wasn't going to allow the door to slam in his face without trying to grab a hold of the information Ezra might be willing to give.
"I'm gonna be sick." Ezra announced as tried to curl even tighter around himself.
Buck heard Chris fall to the floor next to him. "Ready when you are Ezra." Chris held a large bowl for Ezra.
Buck pulled the blanket away and rolled Ezra over until he was facing them. The pale features were becoming grey. Buck paled at the sight. He shouldn't have let his friend drink so much strong alcohol on an empty stomach.
"We've got something for you to be sick in Ezra." Chris told him. He nodded to Buck to change places and take the bowl from him. "Ezra?"
"What?"
"I'm going to sit you up, okay." Chris warned him.
"Noooo." Ezra groaned. He didn't want to move again. He thought if he started to throw up that he wouldn't be able to stop. Why did he drink so much last night. He should have listened to Buck. His own mind hadn't been thinking straight, it had been clouded by his mother's phone call. She had always known how to get to him.
"You'll feel better once it's over Ezra." This wasn't necessarily true. He didn't wait for a protest but instead pulled Ezra into a sitting position. He allowed the smaller man's body weight to lean against him and he put his arm around Ezra's shoulders to support the ailing agent.
Ezra didn't have a choice, he couldn't hold it down, he lost the battle as his stomach reveled in it's victory. He vomited into the bowl he'd only purchased two months ago. But he didn't see it, he was yet to open his eyes. He felt a hand begin to rub his back as he continued to be sick. God he hated being so weak and vulnerable in front of others. Especially Chris Larabee, he always felt a need to prove himself to that man, to prove he was strong, loyal and trustworthy. Being this weak wouldn't make him look good. But then that was no longer a problem. Chris would already believe he was a weak individual that wasn't capable of doing his job because of what he allowed Porter to do to him.
When Ezra finished for the first time - Chris knew there would be more to come - he leaned back into the lounge and took Ezra's form with him. He pulled the blanket up to cover the trembling Southerner that now leaned against him.
"You might want to empty that Buck and bring a damp cloth back with you." Chris pulled Ezra closer and made sure his head rested comfortably on his shoulder.
"Now I know why you swapped positions." Buck held the bowl away from his nose and was grateful he'd only had two drinks.
"That's why I'm the boss Buck, I'm smarter than you." Chris winked at him.
"That's what we want you to think." Buck retorted as he walked away.
Chris looked over his shoulder when he heard the front door open. He knew it would be Nathan. He waited patiently for the verbal assault that none of them deserved but there wasn't any. Nathan understood the situation and only showed sympathy towards the Southerner. He also couldn't blame the others for what Ezra had done to himself.
Nathan moved to the couch quickly when he saw the condition Ezra was in. He sat on the other side of the agent and placed a hand on Ezra's forehead. There was a fever growing. "What happened?"
"Ezra had a bit too much to drink late last night. Quite a bit from what I heard. Things are starting to get to him Nathan." Chris explained.
"He wanted to drown his sorrows." Buck added when he returned with the empty bowl. "But he fell asleep before he could."
"Mother tried to bribe me again." Ezra muttered.
"Maude's getting married, want's Ezra to give her away." Buck finished what Ezra was saying.
"If I go, she won't let me come back." Ezra admitted.
"When did you talk to her last Ezra?" Chris asked him. He had to wait until Nathan finished wiping Ezra's mouth and face.
"Last night." He wanted to push Nathan's hand away from him but he didn't have the strength.
Chris looked at Buck. "Not on this phone." Buck told him.
"The phone's disconnected Ezra." Chris explained to him.
"Mobile." Ezra answered the statement and grimaced.
"Here we go again." Chris could feel Ezra tense up under his comforting hold.
Nathan held the bowl this time while Ezra filled it again. When he was finished Nathan took Ezra from
Chris and laid him back down. He pulled the blankets up to cover him. "See if you can get some sleep Ezra." Nathan suggested to him.
"Feel sick still." Ezra told him.
"You will for a while Ezra. Now get some sleep." The ex-medic ordered him.
Chris caught Buck's attention and nodded towards Ezra's bedroom door. Buck knew what he wanted, Ezra's mobile phone. He didn't want Maude phoning back and causing anymore damage to an already unstable Ezra Standish.
________________________________________
Ezra thought he was in hell because he hurt all over, every muscle ached, but his head felt like it had been split open by an axe. Even his stomach muscles hurt, he wasn't sure why, they weren't hurting like this yesterday. Was it the next day already. He was becoming confused, he could fall asleep one day and wake up the next. Ezra was no longer sure what day it was.
"What happened?" Ezra asked somebody, anybody.
"You got drunk." Chris stayed where he was, he didn't think Ezra would stay awake long enough to talk to him.
"Oh right, forgot." Ezra went back to sleep without another spoken word or silent thought.
"What else happened Ezra? Porter wouldn't have gotten to you like that." Chris spoke to the man he knew was asleep again. Even if Ezra was still awake he wouldn't have expected an answer.
"Did I hear Ezra?" Nathan came back into the living room from the kitchen with homemade sandwiches and coffee.
"Yeah but he went straight back to sleep." Chris kept watching Ezra while he tried to figure out what was happening with his agent.
________________________________________
Ezra groaned as the bright light caused him to grimace in pain. He tried to roll over but came up against an obstacle. He opened his eyes and saw the white material of his couch. What the hell am I doing here? he asked himself. He concentrated to try and remember what happened but the memory refused to return to him. He had a choice, he could either roll over and look around the room hoping that it would shift his brain into gear or he could speak. It seemed as though it would take as much effort to speak as it would to move but if he moved he would only have to move once. If he spoke he might have to take part in a conversation. He chose to roll over.
It took a lot of effort but once he was done he had a clear view of the room. Chris sat in one of his armchairs, he was engrossed in a file. The vein on the side of his forehead was pulsating. He wondered what was making him so angry. Was it something he himself did. He didn't think so, Chris was supporting him through this even if he might consider him to be weak. He was a friend and friends stood by each other through thick and thin.
"Chris." Ezra grimaced at the foul taste in his mouth.
Chris looked up from the folder that JD had delivered to him earlier. He quickly hid it from Ezra's view, he didn't want the Southerner to know he'd had a background check done on Porter. He placed his own poker face in place and regretfully hoped Ezra was too sick to see through it. He knew Ezra was capable of seeing emotions through a brick wall when he wanted to.
"Feeling any better Ezra?"
"I would if I knew what happened."
"You got drunk last night after you spoke to Maude." Chris stood up and moved towards the couch.
"Can I have some water please?" Ezra tried to sit himself up. There goes the idea of not moving a second time, and he was taking part in a conversation. Why didn't things ever work out as they should. He'd had a plan, it failed. He was doing what he didn't want to do. Move and talk.
"Sure." Chris frowned down at Ezra then turned away from him. "I hear Maude tried to bribe you again." Chris raised his voice so Ezra could hear him.
"Who told you that?" Ezra wanted to know.
"You did. You told me, Nathan and Buck." Chris smiled.
"Ah hell." It was a mistake to get drunk. He had to make sure it was something he didn't do again while he had company.
"She been bothering you much lately Ezra?"
"Only when she demands something from me." Ezra didn't want to put up his wall or put on a false facade. He didn't have the energy mentally. "Want's me to give her away at her wedding."
"You don't want to do that?" Chris came back into the room and saw that Ezra had finally managed to get into a sitting position. He handed the smaller man a glass of water and a pain killer.
"Thanks. And no, I've been to enough of her weddings. I don't particularly feel like meeting another step father." Ezra murmured.
"You also said that if you went she wouldn't let you come back."
Ezra lowered his eyes. He didn't realise he talked so much when he was drunk. Now they had a weapon they could use against him. If they want him to talk all they had to do was to get him drunk. "She'd take my passport and do anything else she could do to keep me there, even if it meant keeping me under lock and key." Ezra took the pill and a drink of cool water. "She says it's for the best, that she knows what I need."
"You know that we wouldn't let that happen."
"That's what I told her. You should expect someone to arrive in the next few days. She said she would send someone to take me back."
"You mean she would actually kidnap you?" Chris was stunned.
"I wouldn't put it past her Chris. She likes to get her own way."
"So it wasn't just Porter then was it." Chris stated.
"What wasn't?" Ezra frowned in confusion.
"The stress?"
"Chris I'm twenty eight years old, if I got stressed every time I had to deal with my mother I would be in an institution by now." Ezra sighed. "I learnt to cope with her a long time ago."
"By that you mean you get drunk." Chris laughed.
"Sometimes I get drunk, sometimes I do my job. She does get to me sometimes though. Last night wasn't a good time for me to deal with her."
"Then what is it?"
"What's what?" Ezra asked again. He wished Chris would stop confusing him.
"What caused you to get stressed so much that you ended up sick." Chris was getting frustrated. Why couldn't Ezra just answer the damn question without throwing a question back at him.
"I thought I went through that already." Ezra leaned back and closed his eyes.
The hell you will Chris shouted in his mind, your not going to sleep on me now. "I know you've put up with that kind of shit before, there's something else. Something that you haven't had to deal with before. This is something new and you couldn't cope with it. You wanna tell me what it is or do I have to find out myself."
"Family." Ezra simply stated as his began to panic. He knew he shouldn't tell Chris, he'd hoped that he resisted in the same way that he always did. Put up his brick wall, put his poker face in place and tell him that nothing was wrong. But he didn't have the strength or willpower to push his friend away. If Chris had asked him this question when he was feeling better he would have been able to refuse. "Jesus, I feel like a two year old."
Chris moved forward and sat down on the couch. He took the glass from Ezra's shaking hand and put it on the coffee table. "Family?" Chris frown down at the man who's face was now full of fear. "You want to elaborate on that?" his voice was gentle in it's tone, he had no intention of pushing Ezra into a corner. He was grateful and relieved that his agent had decided to talk to him, he hoped that he would finish what he wanted to say before he realised what he was doing.
"I don't want to loose it." Ezra refused to look up at Chris.
"Loose what?" Chris was beginning to think he was going to loose Ezra, that he was going to become frustrated with his lack of understanding and shut him out.
"Family." Ezra repeated. "You the others. I don't want to loose what you and the others gave me."
"What makes you think your going to loose us?" Chris put his hand on Ezra's leg and felt him flinch back from the touch, he removed his hand.
"If I retaliated, gave back to Porter what he was giving me . . . I'd loose you."
"I'm sorry Ezra, but I'm not really understanding what your trying to say."
"I'm not use to talking like this, I told the Doctor, he said I should ask you, told me that you wouldn't allow it to happen." Ezra took another drink of the cool water.
"Then ask me."
"If I stopped Porter, if I hit him back, if they believed him and not me and I got transferred or fired." he looked up into Chris' blue eyes. "Would you allow me to go? Would I loose you and the others?"
"No." Chris assured him but he was still a little confused about what Ezra was trying to tell him. "We're family Ezra. We'd fight them, do what we could to prove that you were the victim." He stopped when Ezra grimaced at the term 'victim'.
"I spent six weeks putting up the shit that he threw at me because I was scared that I would be sent away and loose the family that you guys fought so hard to complete by including me."
"So it wasn't what Porter was doing?" He watched as Ezra shook his head. "It was because you were afraid that you'd loose us." Ezra nodded.
"When I was young I had actually managed to make two friends, mother took me away and I lost them. I wasn't going to allow it to happen again. And now I thought it was. I actually began to enjoy the feeling of being part of a family, of having friends. I didn't want to loose it all again."
"You wouldn't have Ezra and you won't. The only thing that would seperate you from us would be death. Nothing else, not anyone, not even you."
"Well, you have threatened to shoot me on occasions." Ezra smiled.
"If I did Ezra," Chris patted his leg, "you would have deserved it."
"Thanks. I think."
"Feel better now that you've go that out."
"Yeah a bit." Ezra looked at his hands. "Thought you would think I was being weak."
"It's taking a lot of courage to talk about what's bothering you when you find it so hard to do."
"Doctor said to think of it as an everyday question and just answer it." Ezra shrugged. "The idea helps but it bothers me what your going to think after I've said it."
"You can talk to your family and friends Ezra. That's part of what they do. They listen and help you. We didn't go through all that trouble just so you could be your old normal self. I mean your the best line backer we've come across. Can't loose you now."
"Knew I was good for something." Ezra smiled and felt his stomach growl in hunger.
"We'll it's not your charming wit and intelligence that's for sure. So what are we going to do about Porter?"
"There's nothing to do Chris. I don't want to go through the hassle. It's not up to you, it'll be up to others to decide and they won't believe me. Even though I now know I won't loose you guys, I don't want to go through it. I'm too tired, I just want to get over this thing and get on with life."
"If that's what you want Ezra. You know we'll stand by you."
________________________________________
Once Ezra had eaten something and then settled into a restful sleep in his own bed Chris returned to the folder that had arrived with JD that morning. So far there had been nothing that he could use against Porter. He wanted to abide by Ezra's decision but if he could do something that Ezra didn't have to know about then he would. He read through the rest of the information that JD had obtained but it was useless to him. He would have to think of something else. Ezra was too tired and sick to retaliate but he wasn't.
Chris looked at his watch and put the folder away in his bag. The others were going to be arriving shortly and he didn't want the to know what he was trying to do and that was to repay Porter for what he had put Ezra through. Chris could feel his anger building. The knock at the door caused him to push it back down. He frowned, the others had a key, they should be letting themselves in. He moved towards the front door, his gun suddenly appeared in his hand. He held it behind his back and opened the door.
"Mr Standish? Ezra Standish?" A man in a dark suit asked Chris.
"No." Chris replied and held his gun in a tighter grip.
"This is where he lives isn't it?" The man looked down at a piece of paper he held in his hand.
"No." Chris repeated. "What do you want anyway? You trying to sell something?"
"I was told that this was where Ezra Standish lived." The tall man growled down at Chris.
The ATF agent didn't flinch, he returned the glare, his blue eyes showing the anger that began to grow once again but this time for a different reason. "So what if he does?"
The man took a step forward. "I'm here to escort him to his mother's wedding."
Chris' mouth fell open, he knew Ezra was serious when he said he wouldn't put it past his mother to send someone to take him back to Italy but he didn't think Maude would actually do it. He brought his gun around and shoved it into the face of the man that was trying to gain entrance into Ezra's townhouse. "Over my dead body and the dead bodies of his other five friends."
The man heard the threat and smiled. "Your on your own aren't you." It wasn't a question. The man was confident. He had been warned about Standish's friends but thought he was quite capable of taking care of them.
"No he isn't." Buck growled at the man's back. "You go back and tell Maude that she can't have him. He's our family now, not hers."
"I can come back." The man moved away from Chris and the gun that had been pressed into his face.
"You do and you'll be arrested for kidnapping." Chris growled at him.
"I'll get my chance." He turned away and pushed his way past Buck and turned around the group of vines that now hid him from sight.
"Was he here to do what I thought he said he was here to do and what Ezra said Maude would do?" Buck asked Chris.
"Huh?" Chris looked at him, Buck had actually sounded like Ezra for a moment.
"I said . . . " Buck started.
"He said he was here to take Ezra back to Italy for Maude's wedding." Chris told him.
"Isn't that what I just said!" Buck growled at him and stepped past him into the hallway of Ezra's apartment.
"Yep, sounding defentely like Ezra." Chris followed him into the room. They both missed the sight of the bedroom door closing.
________________________________________
Ezra had heard everything, the sound of knocking had woken him. He listened as Chris informed the man that he was willing to die and so were his friends to stop him from taking Ezra. He heard Buck state with effection that he was their family now and not Maude's. He felt the strength of friendship grow within him. He wasn't going to loose these men and they weren't willing to loose him. He now believed that. He pulled the robe off the back of his bedroom door and put it on. He had a phone call to make.
He moved to his bed to get the phone that he had left on the bedside table. It was no longer there. Ezra turned and looked around the room in case he had remembered incorrectly. It wasn't anywhere to be found. He would have to use the one in the living room. That didn't matter, his friends were out there. He smiled and made his way to the door. He felt a surge of hope fill him. He still felt weak, tired, his muscles still trembled with overuse but he felt as though a weight had been take off his shoulders.
He opened the door and smiled in greeting at Buck. Chris was frowning at him but stood up and moved towards up. His expression changed to one of concern.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Chris took his arm and helped him to the sofa.
"I need to make a phone call." Ezra told him.
"To who?" Buck sat next to him.
"My mother." Ezra smiled.
After plugging the phone back in and handing it to Ezra, Chris and Buck walked into the kitchen to give the younger man some privacy while he spoke to his mother. Ezra dialed the number and waited for an answer. It was a few minutes before he heard a voice on the other end of the line.
"Maude Standish please." Ezra waited while the other person told him that she wasn't available. "Tell her it's her son."
"Ezra darlin' you've come to your senses." Maude's accent came over the phone thick and strong in only a matter of seconds.
"Yes I have mother. I want you to call off your goon." Ezra spoke calmly.
"Goon, what goon are you talking about dear." The smile was in her voice but Ezra knew it was her poker face.
"I am not coming mother. That is final."
"But I want you to come Ezra. This is my wedding, you should be here with me."
"What if I told you I was sick." He knew the answer already.
"Don't be stupid Ezra, you never get sick." Maude chastised him.
"If your goon comes back he'll be arrested, we will get a confession out of him. If I come to Italy mother, it will be to arrest you for kidnapping."
"What ever do you mean. I'm not trying to kidnap you." Maude said in her defense.
"You have someone trying to use force to make me abandone my home, my job and my friends against my will. That's kidnapping. It's a felony and you will go to jail."
"It can't be done Ezra, it will be my word against the goon's." Maude's tone smiled again.
"Maybe, but I'm sure your future husband wouldn't like it." Ezra warned her.
"He wouldn't believe you."
"He doesn't have to. It's just that if you were to be arrested at your wedding well, he may change his mind about marrying you and then you'll loose all that money your marrying." Ezra smiled. Money was all his mother wanted. She wasn't marrying for love, he didn't believe she ever did. He wasn't sure about his own father though, he'd always hoped that there was some love involved in his conception.
"You wouldn't?" There was the first sound of doubt in his mother's voice.
"I would. You may get me there mother but I will make sure the wedding is stopped and your engagement ended. He won't marry you."
"Fine! If that is what you want Ezra. After all I've done for you . . . your an inconsiderate child Ezra Standish." She paused for a moment. "And I'm proud of you. You've won this one Ezra but it will be a long time before you win again." She hung up the phone. Ezra looked at it. Her words repeated in his mind. She was proud of him. Now that was a first. But it was for doing something that she had taught him to do and not for what he wanted to do with his life.
"Well?" Chris asked from the kitchen.
"She got the point. The goon will be going back without me." Ezra yawned.
"Why don't you go back to bed Ezra." Chris ordered even though it sounded more like a suggestion. "Don't forget you've got that appointment with Doctor Hancock tomorrow."
"Aw hell." Ezra grumbled. "Maybe going to Italy isn't such a bad idea afterall."
Buck followed Ezra into the bedroom for two reasons; one to catch him if he began to fall and to talk to him about what Chris had told him. He helped the smaller man into the large bed and sat down in the chair next to him. He watched as Ezra closed his eyes. He had to say something now.
"Ezra. Chris told me what Porter did and how you felt about loosing us. I know you didn't want us to know and Chris promised he wouldn't tell us but he didn't think you would mind now that he knows what happened. Porter's an asshole Ezra. You don't have to worry about him, you won't loose us. If you did, it would be over our dead bodies." He thought Ezra had fallen asleep on him but he saw the smile creep onto his face. "Ezra."
"It's okay Buck. I should have told all of you what happened. I'll know better next time."
"Good. We're still one down on the football games, we need to beat you to make it equal."
"Over my bruised and broken body." Ezra growled at him.
"You got it Ezra. We'll do what we can to acomadate you on that." He got up and moved towards the door.
"I was kidding Buck." Ezra opened his eyes.
"You kid, never, you don't know how to. Nope. If we have to bruise you and break you to win then we will." Buck smiled and left the room. He closed the door to drown out the vulgarity that came from the Southerner's mouth.
________________________________________
Chris stared at the numbers on the elevator panel. He growled at them hoping it would hurry them up. He was eager to get this done and then get back to the others. Ezra was improving everyday but Doctor Renneth said that it would still be a few weeks before he could return to work. It would then be a desk job for another two weeks. When Ezra had argued the decision they knew he was coming back to them. The appointment with Hancock had gone well. Ezra openly talked about things and once the Doctor had been reassured what was causing the stress and that Ezra had dealt with it by talking to his friends he allowed him to leave.
Mentally he was fine but he still needed to heal physically. The next football game would have to wait.
The elevator finally stopped on the twelth floor. He stepped off it. He walked with a purpose, the black coat flowed behind him. His expression was one of pure anger and hatred. No one tried to stop him. Some of the agents knew him and had heard of his reputation. They knew he was going to do something. They followed him at a distance to watch the show. Chris knew where he was going. He turned a corner and saw the sign that indicated that he was where he wanted to be. He stepped into the office and slammed the door behind him.
The figure behind the desk stood up and moved to face him. He was too stupid to realise what the look and body language meant. Chris hit the man with all the strength he could muster. Porter fell to the ground, his nose was bloody. He felt the hands as they pulled him back up onto his feet. He fell to the ground a second time. This time his nose was broken.
"What are you doing?" He spat out at the man who hovered over him. "I'll have you arrested for this!"
"Not if I arrest you first. That was for Ezra. The next time you do anything like that to him or any other agent I'll have your balls in a sling!" Chris warned him with a cold stare. "Do you understand me Porter."
"I didn't do anything to Standish. He's lying." Porter held onto his nose trying to stop the blood that was now flowing freely from it.
"I believe Ezra and other people will too. Now. Do we have an understanding or do I have to hit you again?"
"I have witnesses, he doesn't."
"I don't see any witnesses, do you?" Chris turned to the window. He could see the men out there who had been watching. Most of them wore a smile and they turned away when Chris raised an eyebrow at them.
"Nope, no witnesses."
"I'll have you thrown out for this Larabee!" Porter gurgled through the blood that was filling his mouth.
"No one will believe you Porter." Chris smiled and turned away from him. He opened the door and left. This time his body language gave an air of confidence. Ezra wasn't going anywhere. He had a home and a family, no he wasn't leaving them, not now and not later.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Rating: PG
Warnings: Strong Language.
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
AU: ATF
Main Characters: Ezra, Chris, Josiah, the rest of the guys and an OMC.
Summary: After spending a prolonged period working undercover, Ezra suffers from 'Burnout'.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 26,949
The room was dark, the small lamp that sat on the dresser sent graying filters of light through the room. The clock on the bedside table read 12:03. The sound of a phone ringing filled the room, it was attempting to wake the figure sleeping in the bed. The only answer it received was a slight movement from the covered form. The ringing finally stopped. Ten minutes later the caller tried again, they were determined to wake the sleeper.
Ezra was pulled from his exhausted induced sleep, he groaned and rolled over. He felt weak and tired, he didn't want to wake up but the insistent ringing wouldn't stop. It had to be answered. He was surprised that someone else hadn't already answered his phone. There had to be someone in the other room. He forced his eyes open and struggled to throw the bed cover off his body. Aw hell, why didn't someone answer the god damn phone!
He listened for a moment hoping that the ringing would stop. He frowned at the realisation that it was his mobile ringing. It would be in this room still, that's why it hadn't been answered. They probably couldn't hear it. He sat up and tried to determine where the sound was coming from. He stood up and slowly walked to his dresser and pulled the middle draw open. His jacket had been folded and pushed into the drawer.
Buck would be the person responsible for this. He pulled the mobile phone from his pocket, the noise became instantly louder. He answered it without thinking, his mind was still clouded by sleep.
"Standish." He yawned then made his way back to his bed.
"Ezra Standish! Where have you been and why haven't you been answering your phone." His mother demanded.
"Hello mother." Ezra grimaced as he sat down. He looked at the clock beside him. 12:22. "Aw hell."
"Don't you swear at me young man. I'm your mother!" She spat into the phone.
"I was talking to the clock mother." Ezra replied calmly.
"You haven't answered my questions." She reminded him.
"I've been busy mother and as for my phone, I only just heard it." he laid down because he knew it would be a long conversation. He shouldn't have answered it in the first place. "What do you want mother?"
"I wanted to know if you received my gift?" Maude's voice softened as she spoke.
"What gift? It's not another pair of socks is it?"
"No, it's something much better. I want you to use it to come home Ezra." Maude explained to him.
"I am home." Ezra told her. His eyes flickered towards the door.
"Your home is with your mother. I have sent you some money and a plane ticket. I want you to use them Ezra. I want you here for the wedding."
"I've already been to three of your weddings, I don't believe that I'll be missing anything. Do you?"
"I want you there to give me away Ezra." The anger and frustration began to sound in his mother's voice.
"We've been through this before mother. I am not coming!"
"You are coming Ezra. Even if I have to send someone to bring you back."
Ezra knew she was capable of doing that. "They will have to go through my friends first mother."
"How many times have I told you. They are not your friends. They're only using you because of your god given talents which you should be using for better things instead of that pathetic job you are doing."
"I like what I do." he yawned again as he thought about hanging up on her but he knew if he did things would only get worse. "Mother I have to go . . . "
"You wouldn't have anywhere to go at this time of night Ezra except here to join me."
"I'm not coming, how many times do I have to say it."
"You’re coming!" Maude disconnected the call.
"No I'm not mother." Ezra muttered into the silent phone.
He turned it off and placed it on the bedside table, he didn't want to be caught like that again. It had happened too often with Porter. Ezra thought about what he had told the psychologist, he had never spoken to anyone like that before and Chris had been there to hear part of the first time event. He was grateful he didn't hear the other part, he wouldn't have been able to look his friend in the eye again. They would probably think of him as a child if they found out, he felt like one after he'd finally let out what he had been afraid of. But now he worried even more, what if Chris did something. Porter could retaliate and it would start all over again. He could still loose his friends.
He decided he needed a drink, he hadn't had one for over six weeks. He didn't want to risk it, if Porter had smelt alcohol on him he would have used it against him. He got out of his bed and walked towards the door to his room. He didn't consider putting anything on, he wore only his boxer shorts. He could easily grab a bottle and glass then return to his bed. He opened the door and carefully moved into the living room. Ezra flicked the light switch on thinking that no one was spending the night on the lounge.
"What the . . . " Buck jerked awake and sat up. He rubbed at his eyes to try and force himself to become more alert. When he did he saw Ezra walking towards the front door. "Ezra? What are you doing up."
"Now you wake up." Ezra grumbled. You couldn't have woken up earlier and answer the phone, he added to himself.
"What time is it?" Buck followed Ezra into the hallway and watched as he began to go through his mail.
"What the hell are you doin' Ezra?"
"Isn't it obvious." He had been surprised to see Buck on the sofa and even more surprised that the phone or his own voice hadn't woken him up.
"Not really. Is there something wrong?" Buck leaned against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest.
The night was cold and he could see that Ezra only wore his boxers. He contemplated calling Nathan but decided to wait a while first.
Ezra searched through the mail, he ignored everything that didn't have his mother's trademark. It didn't take him long to find the envelope. The smell of his mother's perfume drifted up to fill him with good childhood memories, there were enough of them for him to count on one hand. His muscles were already beginning to ache with overuse, feeling this weak was something he was finding hard to deal with. He had to sit down before he fell down. He walked back to the sofa that Buck had been sleeping on.
"Buck, I need a drink." Ezra looked at him. "Something strong." He hated asking for something that he should have been able to do. It made him feel helpless.
"I don't think you should be drinking alcohol at this time of night." Buck protested.
"Buck, either you get me a drink or you leave, it's up to you." Ezra didn't look up at him, his green eyes were staring at the envelope in his hands.
"Well, when you put it that way." Buck knew Ezra wouldn't be able to force him out of his home but Nathan had told him not to allow the Southerner to become aggravated or angry. He had to stay relaxed and do nothing physical that would drain his energy.
"The good stuff is in the cabinet beneath." Ezra told him as he tore open the envelope. He pulled out the airplane ticket that his mother had mentioned and without looking at it he ripped it in half and put the remains on the floor, he would pick them up later. The only other occupant was a cheque. It was for a large amount but even that couldn't bribe him. He didn't tear it up, he would do what he always did with the cheques his mother sent him. He would give it to a local charity.
"What's that you've got there Ezra?" Buck sat down next to him and handed him a shot of malt whiskey.
"It doesn't concern you Buck." Ezra took the drink and swallowed it in one go, he gave it back to the ladies man. He wanted another. "Bring the bottle back with you this time."
"Your not planning on getting drunk are you?" Buck asked.
"That's exactly what I plan on doing. Would you care to join me?"
"Don't really have anything to get drunk over but I can keep you company."
"No, you don't do you." Ezra smiled at him. He didn't have a mother like his or a life. The only thing they had in common was the lack of a father.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Buck tried to cover Ezra with one of the blankets he was using but the smaller man shrugged it off. "It's cold, you'll make your cold worse." He tried again and this time he succeeded.
"Apart from being sick? Nothing." He emptied his glass and gave it back, he would have held it for him but he didn't have the strength.
"You'll get better, Nathan said you'll be fine. You just need time Ezra." Buck poured him a third drink. "You sure you want this?" In answer to Buck's question Ezra drank the scotch and handed him his glass. "When your sick in the morning don't blame me, Chris and Nathan will do that for you."
"I'm a grown man Buck, I can take responsibility for my own actions." Ezra retorted.
"But they're not going to blame you though are they." Buck filled the glass up again.
Ezra yawned before emptying the glass. "Have a drink with me Buck."
"It's a bit early for me Ezra." Buck looked down at his watch, it was now 1:12 in the morning. He hadn't gone to bed until eleven. He had continued to check in on his friend. Once he was reassured that Ezra was sleeping deeply he allowed himself to go to sleep and now he was up again.
"Your not going to let me drink alone are you. Your supposed to be a friend Buck." Ezra's words were beginning to slur because of the alcohol he had drunk and the Burnout he was suffering from.
"I have to work tomorrow Ezra." Buck tried to make his excuses.
"Hasn't stopped you before." Ezra passed his glass back to Buck. He wanted another one. But he had no intentions at stopping at one. The last six weeks had been hell, he needed to drown his sorrows but he didn't want to do it alone. He was sick of spending his time alone.
"Just one Ezra." Buck got up and returned a few seconds later with a glass. He poured himself a drink and another one for Ezra. He knew Nathan was going to take it out of his hide for allowing Ezra to drink but he didn't really want to stop Ezra. There was a reason for it and if he didn't do it now he would want to do it later.
Ezra took the drink and rested it on his thigh. He stared at the cheque. He couldn't understand why his mother thought she could still buy him. One day she sends him a pair of socks and a few weeks later it's a large cheque and an airplane ticket.
"Did your mother ever try to bribe you into doing something you didn't want to do?" Ezra asked him.
"She use to use chocolate, I would have done anything for chocolate when I was a kid." Buck smiled at the memory.
Ezra passed the cheque to Buck. The ladies man took it and after staring at it for a few seconds he let out a low whistle. "What's this?"
"That's what my mother tries to bribe me with." Ezra laughed then coughed.
"Your mother bribes you with money?" Buck was shocked.
"Money, cars, expensive suits, and socks. Can't forget the socks." Ezra muttered through the alcohol.
"She ever try just asking?" Buck looked sideways at Ezra and saw the forlorn expression he wore.
"She doesn't ask, she demands."
"And being the stubborn cuss that you are, you refuse."
"Yep." Ezra handed Buck his glass.
It was filled and returned. Buck also decided to have another one. He didn't want Ezra to drown in his misery alone. They all knew that Ezra didn't have a good relationship with his mother but he didn't know it was this bad. What sort of mother would bribe their son with expensive gifts.
"What does she want?" Buck asked carefully. He hoped the alcohol would keep the Southerner talking.
"Want's me to give her away."
"Maude's getting married?"
"Again." Ezra added. "Want's me to give her away."
"You don't want to do it?" Buck filled their glasses again.
"No."
"Want to tell me why?"
"Noooo."
Ezra was finding it hard to keep his head up and his eyes open. He found himself falling towards the pillow. He didn't bother to try and stop himself, he wouldn't have been able to anyway, Buck was also pushing him towards sleep. He could see and feel the darkness closing in on him. He felt the weight of the blanket close over him and the warmth flowed through him. It was only a matter of minutes before he was asleep.
Buck changed positions, he now sat in the large comfortable chair that sat near the sofa. He watched the Southerner sleep. His mind drifted over what Ezra had said about his mother. He knew the only reason he spoke about it was because of the alcohol, he wouldn't have said a thing otherwise. He would have to let Chris and Nathan know in the morning. They were both arriving early. Ezra was going to need Nathan, especially after the amount of alcohol he'd drunk on an empty stomach. He was going to be very sick in the morning.
________________________________________
Chris drove through the quiet streets of Denver, the sun was only beginning to rise above the distant mountains. He hadn't been able to sleep so he had decided to make his way back to Ezra's town house. He didn't like being at a distance from the man, not after what he had learnt in Hancock's office. If only he'd known that Ezra was having so much trouble with Porter. Normally Ezra would have dealt with the man then gotten on with his job but he hadn't. There had to be something else, something that stopped him from coping with the situation, something that caused the young Southerner to become so stressed that he'd gotten sick.
That was what they had talked about after he'd left the room. He could phone the Doctor and ask him but he wouldn't tell him. He could ask Ezra but that would be like getting blood out of a stone. He would have to wait, maybe Ezra will tell him in his own time. But he knew if he waited that long he'd probably be dying of old age. The only other option was to ask Porter himself. He would get an answer from that man even if he had to beat it out of him, that was something he would enjoy doing.
After parking his car on the street he made his way to the apartment complex. Ezra's was on the ground floor and was surrounded by large bushes and vines. It gave the entrance way a welcoming feeling. He used one of the six spare keys that he had made from Ezra's original to gain access to the townhouse. He expected Ezra to still be sleeping in his bed and Buck to be making coffee but that's not the way he found them. Buck was sleeping uncomfortably in one of the two chairs on the living room and Ezra lay on the couch. Chris grimaced at the sight of the near empty whiskey bottle and two glasses.
"Someone had a party last night." Chris muttered as he tucked the blanket tighter around Ezra's shoulders. He knelt down on the floor when he saw what remained of an airplane ticket. The destination was Rome, Italy. He wondered how Ezra could afford it. A cheque lay next to it. Maude Standish's signature was on it. That's how he could afford it. Maude had sent it to, she would no doubt expect him to use. Ezra of course would have refused. It explained the drinking. He didn't want to wake either of them so he walked quietly into the kitchen to make some coffee. His two friends were going to need it when they woke up. He wasn't sure how much they'd had to drink but he knew he'd find out later.
Chris was sitting in the second chair drinking his third cup of coffee when Buck began to stir. He smiled as his long time friend swore under his breath. He looked towards Ezra when he heard a groan escape the Southerner. He watched as Ezra rolled over then pull the blanket up over his head. Chris felt like jumping up and tearing the blanket from the sleeping form to wake him up but the smaller man's physical ailment stopped him.
"What time is it?" Buck asked when he saw Chris sitting opposite him.
"Just after seven." Chris informed him. "So what did you two get up to last night?"
"Got any of that coffee for me?" Buck squirmed under Chris' stare.
"After you answer my question."
"I'm still not sure what happened. Ezra woke me after midnight, he went through his mail then told me to either get him a drink or leave. So I got him a drink."
"The airplane ticket and cheque from Maude." Chris nodded in understanding. But what made Ezra want to check his mail in the first place. Maude must have made contact with him. He looked over at the phone, it was still disconnected. "Did Maude phone last night?"
"No. The phone would have woken me up."
"How much did you have to drink?" Chris smiled at his friend.
"Only two."
"And Ezra?"
"Lost count. Speaking of that, when do you expect Nathan?" Buck turned his eyes towards Ezra's inert form.
"He drank all that on an empty stomach, he'll probably be pretty sick when he does wake up."
"He should be here any minute." Chris made his way back to the kitchen for more coffee. "So why did you let him get drunk?"
"Looked like he needed to. I know I could have stopped him but it just didn't seem like a good idea." Buck explained.
"Did he say anything interesting?"
"Only that his mother bribes him with expensive gifts when she wants something instead of asking."
"Nothing about Porter?" Chris was watching Ezra from his position against the kitchen archway.
"Why would he say anything about Porter." Buck thought for a moment then the realisation hit him. "Did Porter do something to Ezra. Did he hurt him in some way?"
"I told Ezra I wouldn't tell you guys."
"I don't give a shit what Ezra said, if Porter did something to him, I want to know about it!" Buck demanded.
"Sorry Buck, I'm not going to loose the trust that I've gained with Ezra by telling you. Give him time and he might tell you himself."
"Son of a bitch." Buck growled.
"Me or Porter?" Chris raised an eyebrow at his friend.
"Both." Buck retorted. "But I accept your apology."
"Sorry Buck." Chris repeated. He wanted to tell him and the others but his respect and trust for Ezra kept him from doing so. If he did, he would loose it all and probably wouldn't be able to get Ezra back. It had been too difficult the first time round to get him to accept their friendship, he didn't want to go through that again.
"Where's that coffee you promised me?"
Chris reached out with his arm, the coffee was hot and strong. When Buck relieved him of it he walked towards the chair he'd spent the early morning sitting in. He sat down and began to wait for Ezra to wake up. He didn't have long to wait.
"Aw hell!" It was a strangled cry that came from the tightly curled form under the blanket. "Buck!" The accusation was clearly evident in his tone.
"Right here Ezra." Buck rushed to Ezra's side while Chris ran into the kitchen.
"Bastard!" Ezra spoke with anger in his voice. "Why the hell do I let them do this to me."
"Do what Ezra?" The smaller man had given him an opportunity and he wasn't going to allow the door to slam in his face without trying to grab a hold of the information Ezra might be willing to give.
"I'm gonna be sick." Ezra announced as tried to curl even tighter around himself.
Buck heard Chris fall to the floor next to him. "Ready when you are Ezra." Chris held a large bowl for Ezra.
Buck pulled the blanket away and rolled Ezra over until he was facing them. The pale features were becoming grey. Buck paled at the sight. He shouldn't have let his friend drink so much strong alcohol on an empty stomach.
"We've got something for you to be sick in Ezra." Chris told him. He nodded to Buck to change places and take the bowl from him. "Ezra?"
"What?"
"I'm going to sit you up, okay." Chris warned him.
"Noooo." Ezra groaned. He didn't want to move again. He thought if he started to throw up that he wouldn't be able to stop. Why did he drink so much last night. He should have listened to Buck. His own mind hadn't been thinking straight, it had been clouded by his mother's phone call. She had always known how to get to him.
"You'll feel better once it's over Ezra." This wasn't necessarily true. He didn't wait for a protest but instead pulled Ezra into a sitting position. He allowed the smaller man's body weight to lean against him and he put his arm around Ezra's shoulders to support the ailing agent.
Ezra didn't have a choice, he couldn't hold it down, he lost the battle as his stomach reveled in it's victory. He vomited into the bowl he'd only purchased two months ago. But he didn't see it, he was yet to open his eyes. He felt a hand begin to rub his back as he continued to be sick. God he hated being so weak and vulnerable in front of others. Especially Chris Larabee, he always felt a need to prove himself to that man, to prove he was strong, loyal and trustworthy. Being this weak wouldn't make him look good. But then that was no longer a problem. Chris would already believe he was a weak individual that wasn't capable of doing his job because of what he allowed Porter to do to him.
When Ezra finished for the first time - Chris knew there would be more to come - he leaned back into the lounge and took Ezra's form with him. He pulled the blanket up to cover the trembling Southerner that now leaned against him.
"You might want to empty that Buck and bring a damp cloth back with you." Chris pulled Ezra closer and made sure his head rested comfortably on his shoulder.
"Now I know why you swapped positions." Buck held the bowl away from his nose and was grateful he'd only had two drinks.
"That's why I'm the boss Buck, I'm smarter than you." Chris winked at him.
"That's what we want you to think." Buck retorted as he walked away.
Chris looked over his shoulder when he heard the front door open. He knew it would be Nathan. He waited patiently for the verbal assault that none of them deserved but there wasn't any. Nathan understood the situation and only showed sympathy towards the Southerner. He also couldn't blame the others for what Ezra had done to himself.
Nathan moved to the couch quickly when he saw the condition Ezra was in. He sat on the other side of the agent and placed a hand on Ezra's forehead. There was a fever growing. "What happened?"
"Ezra had a bit too much to drink late last night. Quite a bit from what I heard. Things are starting to get to him Nathan." Chris explained.
"He wanted to drown his sorrows." Buck added when he returned with the empty bowl. "But he fell asleep before he could."
"Mother tried to bribe me again." Ezra muttered.
"Maude's getting married, want's Ezra to give her away." Buck finished what Ezra was saying.
"If I go, she won't let me come back." Ezra admitted.
"When did you talk to her last Ezra?" Chris asked him. He had to wait until Nathan finished wiping Ezra's mouth and face.
"Last night." He wanted to push Nathan's hand away from him but he didn't have the strength.
Chris looked at Buck. "Not on this phone." Buck told him.
"The phone's disconnected Ezra." Chris explained to him.
"Mobile." Ezra answered the statement and grimaced.
"Here we go again." Chris could feel Ezra tense up under his comforting hold.
Nathan held the bowl this time while Ezra filled it again. When he was finished Nathan took Ezra from
Chris and laid him back down. He pulled the blankets up to cover him. "See if you can get some sleep Ezra." Nathan suggested to him.
"Feel sick still." Ezra told him.
"You will for a while Ezra. Now get some sleep." The ex-medic ordered him.
Chris caught Buck's attention and nodded towards Ezra's bedroom door. Buck knew what he wanted, Ezra's mobile phone. He didn't want Maude phoning back and causing anymore damage to an already unstable Ezra Standish.
________________________________________
Ezra thought he was in hell because he hurt all over, every muscle ached, but his head felt like it had been split open by an axe. Even his stomach muscles hurt, he wasn't sure why, they weren't hurting like this yesterday. Was it the next day already. He was becoming confused, he could fall asleep one day and wake up the next. Ezra was no longer sure what day it was.
"What happened?" Ezra asked somebody, anybody.
"You got drunk." Chris stayed where he was, he didn't think Ezra would stay awake long enough to talk to him.
"Oh right, forgot." Ezra went back to sleep without another spoken word or silent thought.
"What else happened Ezra? Porter wouldn't have gotten to you like that." Chris spoke to the man he knew was asleep again. Even if Ezra was still awake he wouldn't have expected an answer.
"Did I hear Ezra?" Nathan came back into the living room from the kitchen with homemade sandwiches and coffee.
"Yeah but he went straight back to sleep." Chris kept watching Ezra while he tried to figure out what was happening with his agent.
________________________________________
Ezra groaned as the bright light caused him to grimace in pain. He tried to roll over but came up against an obstacle. He opened his eyes and saw the white material of his couch. What the hell am I doing here? he asked himself. He concentrated to try and remember what happened but the memory refused to return to him. He had a choice, he could either roll over and look around the room hoping that it would shift his brain into gear or he could speak. It seemed as though it would take as much effort to speak as it would to move but if he moved he would only have to move once. If he spoke he might have to take part in a conversation. He chose to roll over.
It took a lot of effort but once he was done he had a clear view of the room. Chris sat in one of his armchairs, he was engrossed in a file. The vein on the side of his forehead was pulsating. He wondered what was making him so angry. Was it something he himself did. He didn't think so, Chris was supporting him through this even if he might consider him to be weak. He was a friend and friends stood by each other through thick and thin.
"Chris." Ezra grimaced at the foul taste in his mouth.
Chris looked up from the folder that JD had delivered to him earlier. He quickly hid it from Ezra's view, he didn't want the Southerner to know he'd had a background check done on Porter. He placed his own poker face in place and regretfully hoped Ezra was too sick to see through it. He knew Ezra was capable of seeing emotions through a brick wall when he wanted to.
"Feeling any better Ezra?"
"I would if I knew what happened."
"You got drunk last night after you spoke to Maude." Chris stood up and moved towards the couch.
"Can I have some water please?" Ezra tried to sit himself up. There goes the idea of not moving a second time, and he was taking part in a conversation. Why didn't things ever work out as they should. He'd had a plan, it failed. He was doing what he didn't want to do. Move and talk.
"Sure." Chris frowned down at Ezra then turned away from him. "I hear Maude tried to bribe you again." Chris raised his voice so Ezra could hear him.
"Who told you that?" Ezra wanted to know.
"You did. You told me, Nathan and Buck." Chris smiled.
"Ah hell." It was a mistake to get drunk. He had to make sure it was something he didn't do again while he had company.
"She been bothering you much lately Ezra?"
"Only when she demands something from me." Ezra didn't want to put up his wall or put on a false facade. He didn't have the energy mentally. "Want's me to give her away at her wedding."
"You don't want to do that?" Chris came back into the room and saw that Ezra had finally managed to get into a sitting position. He handed the smaller man a glass of water and a pain killer.
"Thanks. And no, I've been to enough of her weddings. I don't particularly feel like meeting another step father." Ezra murmured.
"You also said that if you went she wouldn't let you come back."
Ezra lowered his eyes. He didn't realise he talked so much when he was drunk. Now they had a weapon they could use against him. If they want him to talk all they had to do was to get him drunk. "She'd take my passport and do anything else she could do to keep me there, even if it meant keeping me under lock and key." Ezra took the pill and a drink of cool water. "She says it's for the best, that she knows what I need."
"You know that we wouldn't let that happen."
"That's what I told her. You should expect someone to arrive in the next few days. She said she would send someone to take me back."
"You mean she would actually kidnap you?" Chris was stunned.
"I wouldn't put it past her Chris. She likes to get her own way."
"So it wasn't just Porter then was it." Chris stated.
"What wasn't?" Ezra frowned in confusion.
"The stress?"
"Chris I'm twenty eight years old, if I got stressed every time I had to deal with my mother I would be in an institution by now." Ezra sighed. "I learnt to cope with her a long time ago."
"By that you mean you get drunk." Chris laughed.
"Sometimes I get drunk, sometimes I do my job. She does get to me sometimes though. Last night wasn't a good time for me to deal with her."
"Then what is it?"
"What's what?" Ezra asked again. He wished Chris would stop confusing him.
"What caused you to get stressed so much that you ended up sick." Chris was getting frustrated. Why couldn't Ezra just answer the damn question without throwing a question back at him.
"I thought I went through that already." Ezra leaned back and closed his eyes.
The hell you will Chris shouted in his mind, your not going to sleep on me now. "I know you've put up with that kind of shit before, there's something else. Something that you haven't had to deal with before. This is something new and you couldn't cope with it. You wanna tell me what it is or do I have to find out myself."
"Family." Ezra simply stated as his began to panic. He knew he shouldn't tell Chris, he'd hoped that he resisted in the same way that he always did. Put up his brick wall, put his poker face in place and tell him that nothing was wrong. But he didn't have the strength or willpower to push his friend away. If Chris had asked him this question when he was feeling better he would have been able to refuse. "Jesus, I feel like a two year old."
Chris moved forward and sat down on the couch. He took the glass from Ezra's shaking hand and put it on the coffee table. "Family?" Chris frown down at the man who's face was now full of fear. "You want to elaborate on that?" his voice was gentle in it's tone, he had no intention of pushing Ezra into a corner. He was grateful and relieved that his agent had decided to talk to him, he hoped that he would finish what he wanted to say before he realised what he was doing.
"I don't want to loose it." Ezra refused to look up at Chris.
"Loose what?" Chris was beginning to think he was going to loose Ezra, that he was going to become frustrated with his lack of understanding and shut him out.
"Family." Ezra repeated. "You the others. I don't want to loose what you and the others gave me."
"What makes you think your going to loose us?" Chris put his hand on Ezra's leg and felt him flinch back from the touch, he removed his hand.
"If I retaliated, gave back to Porter what he was giving me . . . I'd loose you."
"I'm sorry Ezra, but I'm not really understanding what your trying to say."
"I'm not use to talking like this, I told the Doctor, he said I should ask you, told me that you wouldn't allow it to happen." Ezra took another drink of the cool water.
"Then ask me."
"If I stopped Porter, if I hit him back, if they believed him and not me and I got transferred or fired." he looked up into Chris' blue eyes. "Would you allow me to go? Would I loose you and the others?"
"No." Chris assured him but he was still a little confused about what Ezra was trying to tell him. "We're family Ezra. We'd fight them, do what we could to prove that you were the victim." He stopped when Ezra grimaced at the term 'victim'.
"I spent six weeks putting up the shit that he threw at me because I was scared that I would be sent away and loose the family that you guys fought so hard to complete by including me."
"So it wasn't what Porter was doing?" He watched as Ezra shook his head. "It was because you were afraid that you'd loose us." Ezra nodded.
"When I was young I had actually managed to make two friends, mother took me away and I lost them. I wasn't going to allow it to happen again. And now I thought it was. I actually began to enjoy the feeling of being part of a family, of having friends. I didn't want to loose it all again."
"You wouldn't have Ezra and you won't. The only thing that would seperate you from us would be death. Nothing else, not anyone, not even you."
"Well, you have threatened to shoot me on occasions." Ezra smiled.
"If I did Ezra," Chris patted his leg, "you would have deserved it."
"Thanks. I think."
"Feel better now that you've go that out."
"Yeah a bit." Ezra looked at his hands. "Thought you would think I was being weak."
"It's taking a lot of courage to talk about what's bothering you when you find it so hard to do."
"Doctor said to think of it as an everyday question and just answer it." Ezra shrugged. "The idea helps but it bothers me what your going to think after I've said it."
"You can talk to your family and friends Ezra. That's part of what they do. They listen and help you. We didn't go through all that trouble just so you could be your old normal self. I mean your the best line backer we've come across. Can't loose you now."
"Knew I was good for something." Ezra smiled and felt his stomach growl in hunger.
"We'll it's not your charming wit and intelligence that's for sure. So what are we going to do about Porter?"
"There's nothing to do Chris. I don't want to go through the hassle. It's not up to you, it'll be up to others to decide and they won't believe me. Even though I now know I won't loose you guys, I don't want to go through it. I'm too tired, I just want to get over this thing and get on with life."
"If that's what you want Ezra. You know we'll stand by you."
________________________________________
Once Ezra had eaten something and then settled into a restful sleep in his own bed Chris returned to the folder that had arrived with JD that morning. So far there had been nothing that he could use against Porter. He wanted to abide by Ezra's decision but if he could do something that Ezra didn't have to know about then he would. He read through the rest of the information that JD had obtained but it was useless to him. He would have to think of something else. Ezra was too tired and sick to retaliate but he wasn't.
Chris looked at his watch and put the folder away in his bag. The others were going to be arriving shortly and he didn't want the to know what he was trying to do and that was to repay Porter for what he had put Ezra through. Chris could feel his anger building. The knock at the door caused him to push it back down. He frowned, the others had a key, they should be letting themselves in. He moved towards the front door, his gun suddenly appeared in his hand. He held it behind his back and opened the door.
"Mr Standish? Ezra Standish?" A man in a dark suit asked Chris.
"No." Chris replied and held his gun in a tighter grip.
"This is where he lives isn't it?" The man looked down at a piece of paper he held in his hand.
"No." Chris repeated. "What do you want anyway? You trying to sell something?"
"I was told that this was where Ezra Standish lived." The tall man growled down at Chris.
The ATF agent didn't flinch, he returned the glare, his blue eyes showing the anger that began to grow once again but this time for a different reason. "So what if he does?"
The man took a step forward. "I'm here to escort him to his mother's wedding."
Chris' mouth fell open, he knew Ezra was serious when he said he wouldn't put it past his mother to send someone to take him back to Italy but he didn't think Maude would actually do it. He brought his gun around and shoved it into the face of the man that was trying to gain entrance into Ezra's townhouse. "Over my dead body and the dead bodies of his other five friends."
The man heard the threat and smiled. "Your on your own aren't you." It wasn't a question. The man was confident. He had been warned about Standish's friends but thought he was quite capable of taking care of them.
"No he isn't." Buck growled at the man's back. "You go back and tell Maude that she can't have him. He's our family now, not hers."
"I can come back." The man moved away from Chris and the gun that had been pressed into his face.
"You do and you'll be arrested for kidnapping." Chris growled at him.
"I'll get my chance." He turned away and pushed his way past Buck and turned around the group of vines that now hid him from sight.
"Was he here to do what I thought he said he was here to do and what Ezra said Maude would do?" Buck asked Chris.
"Huh?" Chris looked at him, Buck had actually sounded like Ezra for a moment.
"I said . . . " Buck started.
"He said he was here to take Ezra back to Italy for Maude's wedding." Chris told him.
"Isn't that what I just said!" Buck growled at him and stepped past him into the hallway of Ezra's apartment.
"Yep, sounding defentely like Ezra." Chris followed him into the room. They both missed the sight of the bedroom door closing.
________________________________________
Ezra had heard everything, the sound of knocking had woken him. He listened as Chris informed the man that he was willing to die and so were his friends to stop him from taking Ezra. He heard Buck state with effection that he was their family now and not Maude's. He felt the strength of friendship grow within him. He wasn't going to loose these men and they weren't willing to loose him. He now believed that. He pulled the robe off the back of his bedroom door and put it on. He had a phone call to make.
He moved to his bed to get the phone that he had left on the bedside table. It was no longer there. Ezra turned and looked around the room in case he had remembered incorrectly. It wasn't anywhere to be found. He would have to use the one in the living room. That didn't matter, his friends were out there. He smiled and made his way to the door. He felt a surge of hope fill him. He still felt weak, tired, his muscles still trembled with overuse but he felt as though a weight had been take off his shoulders.
He opened the door and smiled in greeting at Buck. Chris was frowning at him but stood up and moved towards up. His expression changed to one of concern.
"What's wrong Ezra?" Chris took his arm and helped him to the sofa.
"I need to make a phone call." Ezra told him.
"To who?" Buck sat next to him.
"My mother." Ezra smiled.
After plugging the phone back in and handing it to Ezra, Chris and Buck walked into the kitchen to give the younger man some privacy while he spoke to his mother. Ezra dialed the number and waited for an answer. It was a few minutes before he heard a voice on the other end of the line.
"Maude Standish please." Ezra waited while the other person told him that she wasn't available. "Tell her it's her son."
"Ezra darlin' you've come to your senses." Maude's accent came over the phone thick and strong in only a matter of seconds.
"Yes I have mother. I want you to call off your goon." Ezra spoke calmly.
"Goon, what goon are you talking about dear." The smile was in her voice but Ezra knew it was her poker face.
"I am not coming mother. That is final."
"But I want you to come Ezra. This is my wedding, you should be here with me."
"What if I told you I was sick." He knew the answer already.
"Don't be stupid Ezra, you never get sick." Maude chastised him.
"If your goon comes back he'll be arrested, we will get a confession out of him. If I come to Italy mother, it will be to arrest you for kidnapping."
"What ever do you mean. I'm not trying to kidnap you." Maude said in her defense.
"You have someone trying to use force to make me abandone my home, my job and my friends against my will. That's kidnapping. It's a felony and you will go to jail."
"It can't be done Ezra, it will be my word against the goon's." Maude's tone smiled again.
"Maybe, but I'm sure your future husband wouldn't like it." Ezra warned her.
"He wouldn't believe you."
"He doesn't have to. It's just that if you were to be arrested at your wedding well, he may change his mind about marrying you and then you'll loose all that money your marrying." Ezra smiled. Money was all his mother wanted. She wasn't marrying for love, he didn't believe she ever did. He wasn't sure about his own father though, he'd always hoped that there was some love involved in his conception.
"You wouldn't?" There was the first sound of doubt in his mother's voice.
"I would. You may get me there mother but I will make sure the wedding is stopped and your engagement ended. He won't marry you."
"Fine! If that is what you want Ezra. After all I've done for you . . . your an inconsiderate child Ezra Standish." She paused for a moment. "And I'm proud of you. You've won this one Ezra but it will be a long time before you win again." She hung up the phone. Ezra looked at it. Her words repeated in his mind. She was proud of him. Now that was a first. But it was for doing something that she had taught him to do and not for what he wanted to do with his life.
"Well?" Chris asked from the kitchen.
"She got the point. The goon will be going back without me." Ezra yawned.
"Why don't you go back to bed Ezra." Chris ordered even though it sounded more like a suggestion. "Don't forget you've got that appointment with Doctor Hancock tomorrow."
"Aw hell." Ezra grumbled. "Maybe going to Italy isn't such a bad idea afterall."
Buck followed Ezra into the bedroom for two reasons; one to catch him if he began to fall and to talk to him about what Chris had told him. He helped the smaller man into the large bed and sat down in the chair next to him. He watched as Ezra closed his eyes. He had to say something now.
"Ezra. Chris told me what Porter did and how you felt about loosing us. I know you didn't want us to know and Chris promised he wouldn't tell us but he didn't think you would mind now that he knows what happened. Porter's an asshole Ezra. You don't have to worry about him, you won't loose us. If you did, it would be over our dead bodies." He thought Ezra had fallen asleep on him but he saw the smile creep onto his face. "Ezra."
"It's okay Buck. I should have told all of you what happened. I'll know better next time."
"Good. We're still one down on the football games, we need to beat you to make it equal."
"Over my bruised and broken body." Ezra growled at him.
"You got it Ezra. We'll do what we can to acomadate you on that." He got up and moved towards the door.
"I was kidding Buck." Ezra opened his eyes.
"You kid, never, you don't know how to. Nope. If we have to bruise you and break you to win then we will." Buck smiled and left the room. He closed the door to drown out the vulgarity that came from the Southerner's mouth.
________________________________________
Chris stared at the numbers on the elevator panel. He growled at them hoping it would hurry them up. He was eager to get this done and then get back to the others. Ezra was improving everyday but Doctor Renneth said that it would still be a few weeks before he could return to work. It would then be a desk job for another two weeks. When Ezra had argued the decision they knew he was coming back to them. The appointment with Hancock had gone well. Ezra openly talked about things and once the Doctor had been reassured what was causing the stress and that Ezra had dealt with it by talking to his friends he allowed him to leave.
Mentally he was fine but he still needed to heal physically. The next football game would have to wait.
The elevator finally stopped on the twelth floor. He stepped off it. He walked with a purpose, the black coat flowed behind him. His expression was one of pure anger and hatred. No one tried to stop him. Some of the agents knew him and had heard of his reputation. They knew he was going to do something. They followed him at a distance to watch the show. Chris knew where he was going. He turned a corner and saw the sign that indicated that he was where he wanted to be. He stepped into the office and slammed the door behind him.
The figure behind the desk stood up and moved to face him. He was too stupid to realise what the look and body language meant. Chris hit the man with all the strength he could muster. Porter fell to the ground, his nose was bloody. He felt the hands as they pulled him back up onto his feet. He fell to the ground a second time. This time his nose was broken.
"What are you doing?" He spat out at the man who hovered over him. "I'll have you arrested for this!"
"Not if I arrest you first. That was for Ezra. The next time you do anything like that to him or any other agent I'll have your balls in a sling!" Chris warned him with a cold stare. "Do you understand me Porter."
"I didn't do anything to Standish. He's lying." Porter held onto his nose trying to stop the blood that was now flowing freely from it.
"I believe Ezra and other people will too. Now. Do we have an understanding or do I have to hit you again?"
"I have witnesses, he doesn't."
"I don't see any witnesses, do you?" Chris turned to the window. He could see the men out there who had been watching. Most of them wore a smile and they turned away when Chris raised an eyebrow at them.
"Nope, no witnesses."
"I'll have you thrown out for this Larabee!" Porter gurgled through the blood that was filling his mouth.
"No one will believe you Porter." Chris smiled and turned away from him. He opened the door and left. This time his body language gave an air of confidence. Ezra wasn't going anywhere. He had a home and a family, no he wasn't leaving them, not now and not later.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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