M7 Fic: Lies Become Unraveled- 3/?
Title: Lies Become Unraveled
Author: Jourdana Standish
Synopsis: Ezra discovers that everything he has ever known is nothing more than a lie. How does he cope with finding out the truth about himself when a woman from his mother's past forces her to reveal the truth?
Author's Notes: This suddenly came to me and is a nice break up of the major h/c/angst of "These Five Words". I intend on working on them simultaneously. Feedback is appreciated.
~~
"I should go," Ezra said after sitting with Mary awhile. "It would not do for someone to see me here."
Mary frowned and shook her head. "You are my brother, Ezra," she said before pausing a moment. She looked at him and saw amusement in his green eyes. The eyes they inherited from the woman they were certain was both their mother.
"Sounds odd, doesn't it?" Ezra said, chuckling lightly.
"A little," Mary admitted. "But it feels right."
Ezra smiled softly. "Yes, I do have to agree there," he said, but he shifted his body before rising. He reached a hand down to Mary to help her up. "However, I still should go. Let my little sister get some sleep."
Mary smiled, taking Ezra's hand. He tugged her to her feet and she followed him to the door. "I wish you'd reconsider," she said.
"We have time to catch up in the morning," Ezra said, stepping outside. He turned to face her. "Besides, I get to be the nagging brother now about you taking care of yourself."
Mary gaped at him, seeing the mischievous grin that was only accented by his gold tooth. "You wouldn't." He merely grinned again and Mary shook her head. "You are going to really work at being the obnoxious big brother, aren't you?"
"Oh indeed," Ezra said. "And I shall start with asking Mr. Tanner what his intentions towards you are."
Mary blushed a bright red. "We are just friends," she said. "And you know I'm assisting him with reading and writing."
"Hm mm," Ezra said. "But I've seen how you look at one another. It's a brother's right to look out for his sister when it comes to a man's attentions."
"Don't you dare, Ezra," Mary said. He only grinned again and leaned in to give her a hug, which she accepted warmly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he stepped back.
"Good night, Mary."
"Good night, Ezra."
~~
Morning came far too quickly for Ezra. It always did, today it held something different in the air. His mind was still cloudy and he couldn't determine why he felt slightly off kilter. As his head cleared, the memories from the night before returned and the grim realization that his entire life had been a lie loomed over him.
"Dammit, Maude," he murmured. "What did you do?" He ran his fingers through his chestnut hair before rising and reaching for his clothes. He immediately began to plan how he and Mary would find out the truth, or as much of the truth as Maude was willing to admit to.
Tugging on his jacket, his hat in hand, Ezra made his way down to the saloon from his room. He was not prepared to be man-handled once he reached the bottom of the steps. All he knew was he now found the lapels of his jacket gripped in the hands of a curiously pissed off tracker and former bounty hunter, the equally grim visage of a man dressed in black beside him as both looked at Ezra with ice in their eyes.
"Mr. Tanner, I suggest you unhand me at once," Ezra said, his tone hard.
"You got some explain' to do, Ezra," Vin Tanner growled, shaking the man. "And you best start."
"Perhaps if you would explain why it is that you seem to be upset with me, I can," Ezra said. "Otherwise, I suggest releasing me from your neanderthal grip."
"Quit yer fancy talkin' and get to explainin'," Vin said, his anger obviously growing. Ezra couldn't fathom what had riled the normally laid back man or what it had to do with him.
"Explain what, exactly?" Ezra said, annoyance etching his words.
"Don't play stupid, Ezra," Chris Larabee said from where he stood beside Ezra.
"I assure you, Mr. Larabee, in this instance I am not playing," Ezra commented dryly.
"What is going on?" Mary asked as she stepped up to the men. Much like Ezra, she'd awakened feeling slightly off kilter till she remembered their talk the night before.
"Senors?" Inez Recillos asked, coming out of the back office to find the man she was quite fond of pinned to the bar by Vin.
"We saw you leavin' Mary's in the middle of the night," Vin said, his voice low. "Want to explain why?"
"Are you spying on me?" Mary asked, frowning at the tracker. Inez blinked and her face fell slightly. She silently turned and made her way back to the office before listening to the rest. She didn't want to hear the sordid details.
"We were patrolling the town," Chris said to Mary. "Got concerned when we saw your back door open then we saw Ezra coming out."
"I assure you gentlemen that it is not what you think," Ezra said.
Vin shook him. "Then you best be explainin' what it was about," he said.
"You don't have to answer that, Ezra," Mary said, her voice cold as she stared at Vin. "It's none of their business."
"The hell he doesn't," Chris said. "Your reputation could be on the line!"
Ezra shifted and finally shook Vin's hands off him. "I would never jeopardize Mary's reputation. Especially now."
"What do you mean especially now?" Vin demanded, moving to reach for him again but Mary stepped between the men.
"Especially now that we know we are brother and sister," Mary said, her voice cold. Vin stopped dead, his blue eyes widening. He looked at Chris, noting the equal amounts of shock on the gunslinger's face as he knew was on his own.
"What?" Chris asked.
"We aren't certain till we can talk to Maude," Ezra explained. "But the chances are high. And even if we are not brother and sister, we are cousins as it appears that Mother and Mary's mother were sisters." Mary glanced at Ezra when his tone shifted on the word mother. She knew it was hard for him to call Maude anything remotely maternal after what he overheard.
"That's how your aunt knows Ezra's Ma then?" Vin asked. Mary's eyebrow arched in question. "Nathan and I were wonderin' yesterday when they both came into town."
"She is not my mother," Ezra said, his tone a bit colder than he intended. "At least as far as I know. And after seeing an image of Mary's father, I have no doubts that he is mine as well."
"No disrespect, Mary, but does that mean your father had an affair with Maude or was involved with her before he married your Ma?" Chris asked. "I know Ezra's a couple years older."
"No," Mary said. "My... my brother, little Patrick... he..." She took a deep breath. It had always been hard to discuss her brother and still was, even though he stood right beside her. She felt Ezra's hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him and smiled sadly.
"Little Patrick?" Vin asked.
Mary nodded. "My father's name is Ezra Patrick Ashford, Jr. My brother was... is Ezra Patrick Ashford III," she said. "A couple months after I was born, he went missing. No one could find him. Eventually my parents and the rest of the family had to believe that he died."
"But his body was never found?" Chris asked.
Mary shook her head. "No," she said. "Just before I turned two years old, my parents were killed and I went to live with my Aunt Elizabeth and Thios Leonidas."
"Thios?" Vin asked.
"Uncle in Greek," Ezra supplied.
Mary nodded, crossing her arms over her stomach. "My aunt is married to a man from Greece," she said. "They were living out East and raised me as their own. I never met Maude and from what Aunt Elizabeth has said, just before my brother disappeared, she stopped visiting us."
"So Maude kidnapped your brother and raised him as her own?" Chris asked.
"That is what we suspect," Ezra said. "Moth-- Maude tried to flee last night, but Mrs. Lambros must have known enough about her that she was waiting. I overheard them discussing the situation. While Maude threatened her if she said anything to me, she never really denied that she had taken me. In fact, she claimed that Mary's mother neglected me after Mary was born and didn't want me." He didn't want to admit it, but that had lanced a pain through him that he hadn't felt since he was a child.
Mary turned to lookat him. "You didn't tell me that," she said quietly.
"It wasn't important at the time when I came to see you and ask you if it was true that we were siblings," Ezra said.
"You know she's wrong, don't you?" Mary asked. "Mum and Father were devastated when they lost you."
"I wish I could say I do know that," Ezra admitted to her softly. "But considering how she raised me and how often I was dumped with relatives who may not be relatives now... it's difficult to entirely know what is the truth and what is not. Especially finding out that she most likely kidnapped me for her own selfish reasons."
Mary put her hand on his arm, but turned slightly to look at Chris when he spoke. "Is Maude still in town?" he asked.
"As far as I know," Ezra said. "I just woke up and have not had the opportunity to go in search of her to demand answers. The last I saw of her, she was leaving the hotel with Mrs. Lambros hot on her heels."
"Reckon I could find her easily enough," Vin said. "Get some answers."
"That would be a good idea," Chris said. He looked at Ezra and Mary. "That is... if you want our help?"
Mary glanced at her brother and he nodded. She smiled softly at them while Ezra spoke. "Any assistance you gentlemen could provide will be greatly appreciated," he said.
Chris tipped his hat to them and turned to head out of the saloon, Vin following. The younger man paused and turned to look at them, a look of abashment on his features.
"I owe you an apology," he said to Ezra. "I just..."
"I know, Mr. Tanner," Ezra said, surprisingly jovial. "And that is a matter we shall discuss later as I think I have the right to know what your intentions are." Vin's eyes widened slightly.
"Ezra," Mary hissed, jabbing the man in his ribs. Ezra only chuckled, glancing at his sister fondly. Vin did the only thing he could as his cheeks flamed. He quickly ducked out of the saloon to go in search of Maude.
Author: Jourdana Standish
Synopsis: Ezra discovers that everything he has ever known is nothing more than a lie. How does he cope with finding out the truth about himself when a woman from his mother's past forces her to reveal the truth?
Author's Notes: This suddenly came to me and is a nice break up of the major h/c/angst of "These Five Words". I intend on working on them simultaneously. Feedback is appreciated.
~~
"I should go," Ezra said after sitting with Mary awhile. "It would not do for someone to see me here."
Mary frowned and shook her head. "You are my brother, Ezra," she said before pausing a moment. She looked at him and saw amusement in his green eyes. The eyes they inherited from the woman they were certain was both their mother.
"Sounds odd, doesn't it?" Ezra said, chuckling lightly.
"A little," Mary admitted. "But it feels right."
Ezra smiled softly. "Yes, I do have to agree there," he said, but he shifted his body before rising. He reached a hand down to Mary to help her up. "However, I still should go. Let my little sister get some sleep."
Mary smiled, taking Ezra's hand. He tugged her to her feet and she followed him to the door. "I wish you'd reconsider," she said.
"We have time to catch up in the morning," Ezra said, stepping outside. He turned to face her. "Besides, I get to be the nagging brother now about you taking care of yourself."
Mary gaped at him, seeing the mischievous grin that was only accented by his gold tooth. "You wouldn't." He merely grinned again and Mary shook her head. "You are going to really work at being the obnoxious big brother, aren't you?"
"Oh indeed," Ezra said. "And I shall start with asking Mr. Tanner what his intentions towards you are."
Mary blushed a bright red. "We are just friends," she said. "And you know I'm assisting him with reading and writing."
"Hm mm," Ezra said. "But I've seen how you look at one another. It's a brother's right to look out for his sister when it comes to a man's attentions."
"Don't you dare, Ezra," Mary said. He only grinned again and leaned in to give her a hug, which she accepted warmly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he stepped back.
"Good night, Mary."
"Good night, Ezra."
~~
Morning came far too quickly for Ezra. It always did, today it held something different in the air. His mind was still cloudy and he couldn't determine why he felt slightly off kilter. As his head cleared, the memories from the night before returned and the grim realization that his entire life had been a lie loomed over him.
"Dammit, Maude," he murmured. "What did you do?" He ran his fingers through his chestnut hair before rising and reaching for his clothes. He immediately began to plan how he and Mary would find out the truth, or as much of the truth as Maude was willing to admit to.
Tugging on his jacket, his hat in hand, Ezra made his way down to the saloon from his room. He was not prepared to be man-handled once he reached the bottom of the steps. All he knew was he now found the lapels of his jacket gripped in the hands of a curiously pissed off tracker and former bounty hunter, the equally grim visage of a man dressed in black beside him as both looked at Ezra with ice in their eyes.
"Mr. Tanner, I suggest you unhand me at once," Ezra said, his tone hard.
"You got some explain' to do, Ezra," Vin Tanner growled, shaking the man. "And you best start."
"Perhaps if you would explain why it is that you seem to be upset with me, I can," Ezra said. "Otherwise, I suggest releasing me from your neanderthal grip."
"Quit yer fancy talkin' and get to explainin'," Vin said, his anger obviously growing. Ezra couldn't fathom what had riled the normally laid back man or what it had to do with him.
"Explain what, exactly?" Ezra said, annoyance etching his words.
"Don't play stupid, Ezra," Chris Larabee said from where he stood beside Ezra.
"I assure you, Mr. Larabee, in this instance I am not playing," Ezra commented dryly.
"What is going on?" Mary asked as she stepped up to the men. Much like Ezra, she'd awakened feeling slightly off kilter till she remembered their talk the night before.
"Senors?" Inez Recillos asked, coming out of the back office to find the man she was quite fond of pinned to the bar by Vin.
"We saw you leavin' Mary's in the middle of the night," Vin said, his voice low. "Want to explain why?"
"Are you spying on me?" Mary asked, frowning at the tracker. Inez blinked and her face fell slightly. She silently turned and made her way back to the office before listening to the rest. She didn't want to hear the sordid details.
"We were patrolling the town," Chris said to Mary. "Got concerned when we saw your back door open then we saw Ezra coming out."
"I assure you gentlemen that it is not what you think," Ezra said.
Vin shook him. "Then you best be explainin' what it was about," he said.
"You don't have to answer that, Ezra," Mary said, her voice cold as she stared at Vin. "It's none of their business."
"The hell he doesn't," Chris said. "Your reputation could be on the line!"
Ezra shifted and finally shook Vin's hands off him. "I would never jeopardize Mary's reputation. Especially now."
"What do you mean especially now?" Vin demanded, moving to reach for him again but Mary stepped between the men.
"Especially now that we know we are brother and sister," Mary said, her voice cold. Vin stopped dead, his blue eyes widening. He looked at Chris, noting the equal amounts of shock on the gunslinger's face as he knew was on his own.
"What?" Chris asked.
"We aren't certain till we can talk to Maude," Ezra explained. "But the chances are high. And even if we are not brother and sister, we are cousins as it appears that Mother and Mary's mother were sisters." Mary glanced at Ezra when his tone shifted on the word mother. She knew it was hard for him to call Maude anything remotely maternal after what he overheard.
"That's how your aunt knows Ezra's Ma then?" Vin asked. Mary's eyebrow arched in question. "Nathan and I were wonderin' yesterday when they both came into town."
"She is not my mother," Ezra said, his tone a bit colder than he intended. "At least as far as I know. And after seeing an image of Mary's father, I have no doubts that he is mine as well."
"No disrespect, Mary, but does that mean your father had an affair with Maude or was involved with her before he married your Ma?" Chris asked. "I know Ezra's a couple years older."
"No," Mary said. "My... my brother, little Patrick... he..." She took a deep breath. It had always been hard to discuss her brother and still was, even though he stood right beside her. She felt Ezra's hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him and smiled sadly.
"Little Patrick?" Vin asked.
Mary nodded. "My father's name is Ezra Patrick Ashford, Jr. My brother was... is Ezra Patrick Ashford III," she said. "A couple months after I was born, he went missing. No one could find him. Eventually my parents and the rest of the family had to believe that he died."
"But his body was never found?" Chris asked.
Mary shook her head. "No," she said. "Just before I turned two years old, my parents were killed and I went to live with my Aunt Elizabeth and Thios Leonidas."
"Thios?" Vin asked.
"Uncle in Greek," Ezra supplied.
Mary nodded, crossing her arms over her stomach. "My aunt is married to a man from Greece," she said. "They were living out East and raised me as their own. I never met Maude and from what Aunt Elizabeth has said, just before my brother disappeared, she stopped visiting us."
"So Maude kidnapped your brother and raised him as her own?" Chris asked.
"That is what we suspect," Ezra said. "Moth-- Maude tried to flee last night, but Mrs. Lambros must have known enough about her that she was waiting. I overheard them discussing the situation. While Maude threatened her if she said anything to me, she never really denied that she had taken me. In fact, she claimed that Mary's mother neglected me after Mary was born and didn't want me." He didn't want to admit it, but that had lanced a pain through him that he hadn't felt since he was a child.
Mary turned to lookat him. "You didn't tell me that," she said quietly.
"It wasn't important at the time when I came to see you and ask you if it was true that we were siblings," Ezra said.
"You know she's wrong, don't you?" Mary asked. "Mum and Father were devastated when they lost you."
"I wish I could say I do know that," Ezra admitted to her softly. "But considering how she raised me and how often I was dumped with relatives who may not be relatives now... it's difficult to entirely know what is the truth and what is not. Especially finding out that she most likely kidnapped me for her own selfish reasons."
Mary put her hand on his arm, but turned slightly to look at Chris when he spoke. "Is Maude still in town?" he asked.
"As far as I know," Ezra said. "I just woke up and have not had the opportunity to go in search of her to demand answers. The last I saw of her, she was leaving the hotel with Mrs. Lambros hot on her heels."
"Reckon I could find her easily enough," Vin said. "Get some answers."
"That would be a good idea," Chris said. He looked at Ezra and Mary. "That is... if you want our help?"
Mary glanced at her brother and he nodded. She smiled softly at them while Ezra spoke. "Any assistance you gentlemen could provide will be greatly appreciated," he said.
Chris tipped his hat to them and turned to head out of the saloon, Vin following. The younger man paused and turned to look at them, a look of abashment on his features.
"I owe you an apology," he said to Ezra. "I just..."
"I know, Mr. Tanner," Ezra said, surprisingly jovial. "And that is a matter we shall discuss later as I think I have the right to know what your intentions are." Vin's eyes widened slightly.
"Ezra," Mary hissed, jabbing the man in his ribs. Ezra only chuckled, glancing at his sister fondly. Vin did the only thing he could as his cheeks flamed. He quickly ducked out of the saloon to go in search of Maude.