M7 FIC: These Five Words- 5/?
Title: These Five Words
Author: Jourdana Standish
Pairing: Ezra/Inez, mentions of others but they are the focus. I do come up with the different pairings that are not always others' cups of tea, but I like 'em. :-D
Synopsis: What happens when one woman's world is shattered? What will one man do to make it right for her again?
Author's Notes: It's been at least 5 years since I wrote a Mag 7 fanfic, maybe longer. This came to me listening to a Bon Jovi song. I'm finally getting a stride with this one, but it will be slow to post parts as I find time to write on it and the other Ezra/Inez I have started working on. Feedback is appreciated.
Chapter Notes: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but was necessary to stop where I did. Updates might be a bit slower for a few weeks. I mostly do my writing at work between things, but I am really busy of late starting to do some end of the year things.
~~
It didn't take a fool to note the change in the seven men that protected the quaint town of Four Corners, but no one knew what had happened to cause the change. Oh it didn't affect how they did their jobs, but the jovial light hearted banter that had once been between the men was no longer there. Now there was a cold indifference between some of them and a definitely line had been drawn in the group. They also noted the differences between Inez and Ezra, the gambler rarely leaving the young woman's side.
A week went by after the confrontation with the other men before Inez went to speak to Mary. She knocked softly and entered when she heard the blonde call to come in. "Senora?" she called as she stepped inside.
"Inez," Mary said, smiling. "This is a surprise."
"I wish it were a pleasant one," Inez said, her tone sad.
Mary frowned and moved closer, gesturing to a chair for Inez to sit down. The lovely woman, who now had an air of sadness about her, took a seat. She toyed with the edges o fher shawl as she sat across from Mary. Finally she lifted her dark eyes.
"I'm pregnant..."
Mary felt her heart drop. She knew that this possibility was highly likely considering what Inez had gone through, but she had prayed that perhaps Inez would be spared. "Does Ezra know?" she asked.
Inez shook her head. "Though I think he suspects," she said quietly. "I realized I was when I counted back to when I had my last cycle. It was just after the... what happened. My body has been changing as well..."
"You should tell him," Mary said softly.
"He's already done so much for me, Senora," Inez said. "I can't possibly burden him with this news."
"I doubt he would see it as a burden, Inez," Mary said. "He cares for you a great deal."
"She's right," Ezra said from behind them. Inez spun in her seat to look at Ezra and Vin standing there. Mary looked up, not having heard the two men enter.
"How... how much did you hear?" Inez whispered, her face draining of color.
"Enough," Ezra said, walking over to her. He knelt beside her chair. "I told you that I would be here for you, no matter what."
"But... I couldn't possibly bur--," Inez started to say.
"You are not a burden. Nothing about you is," Ezra said. Inez's lower lip trembled and he drew her into the comfort of his arms as she started to cry. He gently stroked her back, glancing at Vin and Mary, who now stood side by side.
"We'll tell everyone the child is mine," Ezra said. Inez pulled back to protest but Ezra stopped her. "They already know we are growing closer. The other men and Mary will know the truth, obviously, but no one else has to."
"Ezra, no..." Inez started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
"Mary, I do apologize since this is your domicile and business but could you and Vin give us a moment?" Ezra asked the blonde reporter.
"Of course," Mary said. Vin rested his hand against the small of her back, escorting her out of the Clarion. She glanced up at him. "Do you think he's doing the right thing?"
"He thinks he is," Vin said. "He's got some mighty strong feelin's for Inez."
"I hope they'll be okay," Mary said. Vin put his arm around her as the two waited.
~~
Ezra shifted his body and pulled a chair over so he could sit properly but still hold Inez's hand. He stroked her knuckles before looking at her. "Inez, I know you think you and this child would be a burden, but you are wrong," he said.
"Ezra, I can't let you throw your life away," Inez said. "Tying yourself down with a woman you don't love and a child conceived due to her rape..."
"Who said I don't love you?" Ezra questioned, arching a brow at her.
Inez was shocked at his words, her jaw clacking shut in astonishment. She shook her head, trying to find the words that were not coming to her. Frowning she tilted her head. "You can't possibly mean..."
"You haven't seen how I have felt and I've never pushed," Ezra said. "Perhaps Nathan is right and I take advantage of people's pain--"
"Madre dios, don't you ever say that again!" Inez interrupted vehmently. "Nathan is far too prejudiced against you and very wrong."
"In this case, is he too far off?" Ezra questioned. "I've had feelings for you for some time and I seem to be taking advantage of the situation where you were hurt as bad as you were and I am swooping in to be to you what I've wanted to be for a long time."
Inez reached a hand up and brushed her fingers along his cheek. "I feel the same way," she admitted. Ezra's eyebrow arched and she gave him a sad smile. "I have since I first saw you, but how can I tie you down when I am no longer that woman anymore? When I don't even know if I could stomach being with you and you deserve and making you raise a child conceived in violence and pain?"
Ezra shook his head and reached up to cover the hand on his cheek. Looking into her eyes, he spoke. "Inez, I don't care about those things," he said. "I love you. I have for some time, probably since I saw you as well, but Buck showed his interest and I didn't fight him." When she started to speak, he stopped her. "I want to be with you, Inez. And if you can never stomach my touch beyond me holding you or wiping a tear away, that's okay. I'm with you and that's all that matters to me. I will raise your child as my own and he or she will never know the manner in which it was conceived."
Tears slipped down Inez's cheeks as she shook her head. "I don't deserve you..." she whispered.
Ezra reached a hand up and brushed the tears away. "I believe, my dear, that those are the words I should be uttering," he said. "Inez, will you marry me?"
She smiled through her tears, it was both sad and hopeful. She was quiet so long, Ezra thought maybe she would decline, but finally she spoke.
"Yes, I will."
Author: Jourdana Standish
Pairing: Ezra/Inez, mentions of others but they are the focus. I do come up with the different pairings that are not always others' cups of tea, but I like 'em. :-D
Synopsis: What happens when one woman's world is shattered? What will one man do to make it right for her again?
Author's Notes: It's been at least 5 years since I wrote a Mag 7 fanfic, maybe longer. This came to me listening to a Bon Jovi song. I'm finally getting a stride with this one, but it will be slow to post parts as I find time to write on it and the other Ezra/Inez I have started working on. Feedback is appreciated.
Chapter Notes: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but was necessary to stop where I did. Updates might be a bit slower for a few weeks. I mostly do my writing at work between things, but I am really busy of late starting to do some end of the year things.
~~
It didn't take a fool to note the change in the seven men that protected the quaint town of Four Corners, but no one knew what had happened to cause the change. Oh it didn't affect how they did their jobs, but the jovial light hearted banter that had once been between the men was no longer there. Now there was a cold indifference between some of them and a definitely line had been drawn in the group. They also noted the differences between Inez and Ezra, the gambler rarely leaving the young woman's side.
A week went by after the confrontation with the other men before Inez went to speak to Mary. She knocked softly and entered when she heard the blonde call to come in. "Senora?" she called as she stepped inside.
"Inez," Mary said, smiling. "This is a surprise."
"I wish it were a pleasant one," Inez said, her tone sad.
Mary frowned and moved closer, gesturing to a chair for Inez to sit down. The lovely woman, who now had an air of sadness about her, took a seat. She toyed with the edges o fher shawl as she sat across from Mary. Finally she lifted her dark eyes.
"I'm pregnant..."
Mary felt her heart drop. She knew that this possibility was highly likely considering what Inez had gone through, but she had prayed that perhaps Inez would be spared. "Does Ezra know?" she asked.
Inez shook her head. "Though I think he suspects," she said quietly. "I realized I was when I counted back to when I had my last cycle. It was just after the... what happened. My body has been changing as well..."
"You should tell him," Mary said softly.
"He's already done so much for me, Senora," Inez said. "I can't possibly burden him with this news."
"I doubt he would see it as a burden, Inez," Mary said. "He cares for you a great deal."
"She's right," Ezra said from behind them. Inez spun in her seat to look at Ezra and Vin standing there. Mary looked up, not having heard the two men enter.
"How... how much did you hear?" Inez whispered, her face draining of color.
"Enough," Ezra said, walking over to her. He knelt beside her chair. "I told you that I would be here for you, no matter what."
"But... I couldn't possibly bur--," Inez started to say.
"You are not a burden. Nothing about you is," Ezra said. Inez's lower lip trembled and he drew her into the comfort of his arms as she started to cry. He gently stroked her back, glancing at Vin and Mary, who now stood side by side.
"We'll tell everyone the child is mine," Ezra said. Inez pulled back to protest but Ezra stopped her. "They already know we are growing closer. The other men and Mary will know the truth, obviously, but no one else has to."
"Ezra, no..." Inez started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
"Mary, I do apologize since this is your domicile and business but could you and Vin give us a moment?" Ezra asked the blonde reporter.
"Of course," Mary said. Vin rested his hand against the small of her back, escorting her out of the Clarion. She glanced up at him. "Do you think he's doing the right thing?"
"He thinks he is," Vin said. "He's got some mighty strong feelin's for Inez."
"I hope they'll be okay," Mary said. Vin put his arm around her as the two waited.
~~
Ezra shifted his body and pulled a chair over so he could sit properly but still hold Inez's hand. He stroked her knuckles before looking at her. "Inez, I know you think you and this child would be a burden, but you are wrong," he said.
"Ezra, I can't let you throw your life away," Inez said. "Tying yourself down with a woman you don't love and a child conceived due to her rape..."
"Who said I don't love you?" Ezra questioned, arching a brow at her.
Inez was shocked at his words, her jaw clacking shut in astonishment. She shook her head, trying to find the words that were not coming to her. Frowning she tilted her head. "You can't possibly mean..."
"You haven't seen how I have felt and I've never pushed," Ezra said. "Perhaps Nathan is right and I take advantage of people's pain--"
"Madre dios, don't you ever say that again!" Inez interrupted vehmently. "Nathan is far too prejudiced against you and very wrong."
"In this case, is he too far off?" Ezra questioned. "I've had feelings for you for some time and I seem to be taking advantage of the situation where you were hurt as bad as you were and I am swooping in to be to you what I've wanted to be for a long time."
Inez reached a hand up and brushed her fingers along his cheek. "I feel the same way," she admitted. Ezra's eyebrow arched and she gave him a sad smile. "I have since I first saw you, but how can I tie you down when I am no longer that woman anymore? When I don't even know if I could stomach being with you and you deserve and making you raise a child conceived in violence and pain?"
Ezra shook his head and reached up to cover the hand on his cheek. Looking into her eyes, he spoke. "Inez, I don't care about those things," he said. "I love you. I have for some time, probably since I saw you as well, but Buck showed his interest and I didn't fight him." When she started to speak, he stopped her. "I want to be with you, Inez. And if you can never stomach my touch beyond me holding you or wiping a tear away, that's okay. I'm with you and that's all that matters to me. I will raise your child as my own and he or she will never know the manner in which it was conceived."
Tears slipped down Inez's cheeks as she shook her head. "I don't deserve you..." she whispered.
Ezra reached a hand up and brushed the tears away. "I believe, my dear, that those are the words I should be uttering," he said. "Inez, will you marry me?"
She smiled through her tears, it was both sad and hopeful. She was quiet so long, Ezra thought maybe she would decline, but finally she spoke.
"Yes, I will."