M7 FIC: These Five Words- 6/?
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 is another short-ish chapter done as both foreshadowing on one hand and getting to another part of the story that wouldn't have fit as a whole with this chapter.
~~
"You going to avoid them forever?" Vin asked Ezra as they sat at a table in the saloon.
"I haven't been avoiding them," Ezra said, glancing at the tracker. "I've been busy with my duties in the town and my wife." It had been almost four months since Inez and Ezra were married after the judge came to town the last time. For the first two months after the blow up in the saloon when the other men found out about what happened to Inez, Nathan and Buck had tried to apologize to Ezra every day with no success. They were still trying, but not as often.
"Besides," Ezra continued. "I speak to them when necessary as the job dictates."
"That ain't the same and you know it," Vin pointed out.
"They accused me of some rather vile things, Vin," Ezra said. "I can't just forgive and forget something like that. Especially since they knew, even before Inez did, how I felt about her. And they still accused me of doing that to her."
"So did I," he gently reminded the gambler. "Hell the only ones who technically didn't were JD, Chris and Josiah."
"The difference is, Vin, is that it was a gut reaction for you. You would have reacted that way to any of us," Ezra said. "But you backed off immediately and listened to what I had to say. Buck and Nathan... they didn't do that. They immediately thought the worst of me." He shuffled the cards through his elegant fingers somewhat erratically, the only evidence of his emotions.
"They actually believed I would do that to my wife," he said.
"And they keep trying to make amends for it, yet you ain't givin' them even an inch," Vin said.
"Because frankly they do not deserve it. Not yet," Ezra said. "That's not something a man can just let go easily. I do not let it interfere with the duties the good Judge has bestowed upon me, but I do not know if I can ever call them friend again."
"You ain't gonna give them a chance at least?" Vin asked.
"Only time will tell," Ezra admitted. "Look, Vin, I want to get past this, but their words? Ripped apart any foundation I thought I had here. Even if you, Chris, JD, Josiah, Mary and Kate know the real me... the things they said made me want to turn and run. Only thing keeping me here is Inez now. If she ever told me she wanted to leave this town then I would make sure we were ready to ride out the next day."
Vin had started to lift his beer, but Ezra's words had him pausing mid-sip. "Yer serious," he said.
"Very," Ezra commented. His gaze shifted to where Buck spoke briefly with Nathan before making his way towards the table where Ezra and Vin sat.
"Ezra..." Buck started.
"Something Mr. Larabee or the Judge needs, Mr. Wilmington?" Ezra questioned. Vin's eyebrow arched. The warm, though sad, tone that Ezra had been speaking in with him was gone, now replaced with a cold formality as he addressed Buck.
"No, I just wanted--," Buck started. As Buck spoke, the batwing doors flew open and a group of loud cowboys strolled in as if they owned the place. Vin glanced over and shook his head. He recognized them from a few months before when they had been in town. He started to turn his head back and everything started to fall into place, especially when he saw Inez's face.
Ezra, too, saw the change in his wife's demeanour. While she was still far more quiet and reserved since her attack, she had started to come out of things more after she and Ezra married. There had been some speculation as to why the two married so quickly, speculations that grew stronger as Inez's belly started to swell with the child she carried. However, most knew of the gambler's feelings for the woman so the gossip circle hadn't latched onto the speculation for long.
Both men were out of their seats and heading towards the bar, a confused Buck left in their wake until he also saw the near panic on Inez's face.
"Well if it isn't our favorite jalapenya," one of the cowboys said, giving Inez a gap-toothed sneer as he rested his elbows on the bar and leaned forward. "Gives me a kiss, darlin'."
"Now, Smitty, you know I get that kiss there first," a dark haired cowboy said, advancing on Inez. She refused to back up and let them see the swell of her stomach, but she flinched nonetheless, earning a sadistic chuckle from the obvious leader of their little gang as he got closer.
"How about me, precious?" he said, a deep baritone that rivaled Josiah. Unlike Josiah's softer tone, this man's was utterly malicious. Inez's mind began to flash through the things he had whispered in her ear as he had used her body violently. She wanted to run, wanted to hide, then felt a familiar arm at her waist and some sembelance of calm washed over her.
"I suggest you gentlemen back off," Ezra said, cold ice dripping from every word as it left his mouth.
The leader of the group simply arched a brow and gave him a dark smile. "Well Mr. Fancy Pants, I suggest that you back off. This is between us and the... lady," he said, letting his enunciation of the word lady show his contempt.
Ezra smirked just as darkly at the man, not moving at all from Inez's side. "I beg to differ," he drawled. "Anything you have to say to my wife is of no consequence and it's obvious she wants nothing to do with you. I suggest that you take your leave of her establishment."
The leader's eyebrow arched further and his smile turned even more twisted. "Wife, huh? Well I guess even a Mexican whore could get herself hitched to some fancy pants dandy, huh?"
Ezra's instinct was to put a bullet between the man's eyes, but he felt Inez stiffen further. Buck and Vin were quick to move, Buck's fists balled in the man's shirt as he practically spat in his face. Vin had his shotgun out, cocking it as he waited.
"I suggest, Mister," Buck drawled in a deceptively calm tone. "That you apologize to Mrs. Standish then do yerself a favor and walk on out of here."
"Or what, cowboy?" the man asked.
"Or we'll make you leave. And you won't like how we do it neither," Buck said.
"You and what posse?" the man asked, a sneer coming into his words.
"Us," Chris said, just as the click of his gun barrel resounded through the suddenly silent saloon. Shifting his eyes, the leader of the gang looked and found himself looking down the barrels of six pistols and two shotguns. Ezra hadn't moved from beside Inez and Kate, who had come in with Chris, had leveled her shotgun at the gang with the other men.
"And what gives you the right?" one of the gang members asked.
Chris merely smirked, never taking his eyes off the leader of the gang. "We're the law around here. And you just insulted one of us and his wife. We're lettin' you off easy. For now."
The leader merely smirked and shoved Buck's hands off him. When Buck started to advance, Josiah stopped him. Barely. The leader tugged roughly at his coat and vest to smooth out the creases before glancing at each of the guns staring them down.
"Well, boys," he said. "Reckon we out stayed our welcome this time. Thinkin' we aren't gonna get the same treats we did last time." His gaze flickered to Inez. "Yet." He grinned a bit wider when he saw her stiffen. He could even see the panic in her eyes, ignoring the cold stare Ezra was sending him.
"Let's go." He flicked a finger to his men and they trooped back outside, silence in their wake.
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 is another short-ish chapter done as both foreshadowing on one hand and getting to another part of the story that wouldn't have fit as a whole with this chapter.
~~
"You going to avoid them forever?" Vin asked Ezra as they sat at a table in the saloon.
"I haven't been avoiding them," Ezra said, glancing at the tracker. "I've been busy with my duties in the town and my wife." It had been almost four months since Inez and Ezra were married after the judge came to town the last time. For the first two months after the blow up in the saloon when the other men found out about what happened to Inez, Nathan and Buck had tried to apologize to Ezra every day with no success. They were still trying, but not as often.
"Besides," Ezra continued. "I speak to them when necessary as the job dictates."
"That ain't the same and you know it," Vin pointed out.
"They accused me of some rather vile things, Vin," Ezra said. "I can't just forgive and forget something like that. Especially since they knew, even before Inez did, how I felt about her. And they still accused me of doing that to her."
"So did I," he gently reminded the gambler. "Hell the only ones who technically didn't were JD, Chris and Josiah."
"The difference is, Vin, is that it was a gut reaction for you. You would have reacted that way to any of us," Ezra said. "But you backed off immediately and listened to what I had to say. Buck and Nathan... they didn't do that. They immediately thought the worst of me." He shuffled the cards through his elegant fingers somewhat erratically, the only evidence of his emotions.
"They actually believed I would do that to my wife," he said.
"And they keep trying to make amends for it, yet you ain't givin' them even an inch," Vin said.
"Because frankly they do not deserve it. Not yet," Ezra said. "That's not something a man can just let go easily. I do not let it interfere with the duties the good Judge has bestowed upon me, but I do not know if I can ever call them friend again."
"You ain't gonna give them a chance at least?" Vin asked.
"Only time will tell," Ezra admitted. "Look, Vin, I want to get past this, but their words? Ripped apart any foundation I thought I had here. Even if you, Chris, JD, Josiah, Mary and Kate know the real me... the things they said made me want to turn and run. Only thing keeping me here is Inez now. If she ever told me she wanted to leave this town then I would make sure we were ready to ride out the next day."
Vin had started to lift his beer, but Ezra's words had him pausing mid-sip. "Yer serious," he said.
"Very," Ezra commented. His gaze shifted to where Buck spoke briefly with Nathan before making his way towards the table where Ezra and Vin sat.
"Ezra..." Buck started.
"Something Mr. Larabee or the Judge needs, Mr. Wilmington?" Ezra questioned. Vin's eyebrow arched. The warm, though sad, tone that Ezra had been speaking in with him was gone, now replaced with a cold formality as he addressed Buck.
"No, I just wanted--," Buck started. As Buck spoke, the batwing doors flew open and a group of loud cowboys strolled in as if they owned the place. Vin glanced over and shook his head. He recognized them from a few months before when they had been in town. He started to turn his head back and everything started to fall into place, especially when he saw Inez's face.
Ezra, too, saw the change in his wife's demeanour. While she was still far more quiet and reserved since her attack, she had started to come out of things more after she and Ezra married. There had been some speculation as to why the two married so quickly, speculations that grew stronger as Inez's belly started to swell with the child she carried. However, most knew of the gambler's feelings for the woman so the gossip circle hadn't latched onto the speculation for long.
Both men were out of their seats and heading towards the bar, a confused Buck left in their wake until he also saw the near panic on Inez's face.
"Well if it isn't our favorite jalapenya," one of the cowboys said, giving Inez a gap-toothed sneer as he rested his elbows on the bar and leaned forward. "Gives me a kiss, darlin'."
"Now, Smitty, you know I get that kiss there first," a dark haired cowboy said, advancing on Inez. She refused to back up and let them see the swell of her stomach, but she flinched nonetheless, earning a sadistic chuckle from the obvious leader of their little gang as he got closer.
"How about me, precious?" he said, a deep baritone that rivaled Josiah. Unlike Josiah's softer tone, this man's was utterly malicious. Inez's mind began to flash through the things he had whispered in her ear as he had used her body violently. She wanted to run, wanted to hide, then felt a familiar arm at her waist and some sembelance of calm washed over her.
"I suggest you gentlemen back off," Ezra said, cold ice dripping from every word as it left his mouth.
The leader of the group simply arched a brow and gave him a dark smile. "Well Mr. Fancy Pants, I suggest that you back off. This is between us and the... lady," he said, letting his enunciation of the word lady show his contempt.
Ezra smirked just as darkly at the man, not moving at all from Inez's side. "I beg to differ," he drawled. "Anything you have to say to my wife is of no consequence and it's obvious she wants nothing to do with you. I suggest that you take your leave of her establishment."
The leader's eyebrow arched further and his smile turned even more twisted. "Wife, huh? Well I guess even a Mexican whore could get herself hitched to some fancy pants dandy, huh?"
Ezra's instinct was to put a bullet between the man's eyes, but he felt Inez stiffen further. Buck and Vin were quick to move, Buck's fists balled in the man's shirt as he practically spat in his face. Vin had his shotgun out, cocking it as he waited.
"I suggest, Mister," Buck drawled in a deceptively calm tone. "That you apologize to Mrs. Standish then do yerself a favor and walk on out of here."
"Or what, cowboy?" the man asked.
"Or we'll make you leave. And you won't like how we do it neither," Buck said.
"You and what posse?" the man asked, a sneer coming into his words.
"Us," Chris said, just as the click of his gun barrel resounded through the suddenly silent saloon. Shifting his eyes, the leader of the gang looked and found himself looking down the barrels of six pistols and two shotguns. Ezra hadn't moved from beside Inez and Kate, who had come in with Chris, had leveled her shotgun at the gang with the other men.
"And what gives you the right?" one of the gang members asked.
Chris merely smirked, never taking his eyes off the leader of the gang. "We're the law around here. And you just insulted one of us and his wife. We're lettin' you off easy. For now."
The leader merely smirked and shoved Buck's hands off him. When Buck started to advance, Josiah stopped him. Barely. The leader tugged roughly at his coat and vest to smooth out the creases before glancing at each of the guns staring them down.
"Well, boys," he said. "Reckon we out stayed our welcome this time. Thinkin' we aren't gonna get the same treats we did last time." His gaze flickered to Inez. "Yet." He grinned a bit wider when he saw her stiffen. He could even see the panic in her eyes, ignoring the cold stare Ezra was sending him.
"Let's go." He flicked a finger to his men and they trooped back outside, silence in their wake.