The Transitive Property (3/6) - Mag7/Make It Or Break It
Title: The Transitive Property (3/6)
Author: strangevisitor7
Fandom: Magnificent 7 & Make It or break It
Beta: ithildyn
Rating: PG13
Universe :: Mag 7 ATF and Pre-series for MIOBI
Characters: : Ezra Standish, Vin Tanner, Steve Tanner, Lauren Tanner and the rest of the seven are around
Summary: Vin Tanner returns to Boulder, Colorado to stay with his brother Steve when he takes a job with Chris Larabee's ATF team in Denver. Vin doesn't know what to think when meets Ezra Standish, who could be his brother's twin.
A/N: You don't need to know anything about Make it or Break It except that Steve Tanner and Ezra Standish are both played by Anthony Starke. Steve Tanner has a 17 yr-old daughter who is an Olympic Level Gymnast
Chapter List: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6
Chapter 3
During dinner Vin had avoided talking directly about work, he hadn't wanted to discuss Ezra in front of his niece. He'd told Lauren that he was thinking about moving Peso out to Chris' place and that, thankfully, had occupied most of the dinner conversation
After assuring Lauren that she'd still be able to ride Peso when ever she had the time, the teenager had excused herself and disappeared into her room.
"So now that Lauren's gone, you want to tell me why you've been avoiding all my questions about your first day?" Steve asked.
"I don't know what you mean." Vin picked up his dish and walked toward the kitchen.
"And just so you know running into the next room is just another form of avoidance," Steve called after him and chuckled as Vin shot him a familiar hand gesture.
Vin placed the dish in the sink. He didn't turn around when Steve came up beside him and put his own dish down.
"I ain't running away. I just don't know how to explain what happened today."
Steve leaned back against the counter. "I thought you like this Larabee guy?"
"Chris is great. Feel like I've known him forever. I told you, we clicked."
Steve nodded and stayed silent waiting for him to explain. Vin turned around to mirror his brother's leaning position against the counter. "There's this one guy on the team - " Vin paused not sure what to say.
"He picking on you," Steve teased as he bumped shoulders with Vin. "Need me to beat him up."
"I'm not twelve any more," Vin laughed. "But I appreciate the offer."
"Anytime."
Vin stared at the opposite wall unwilling to meet his brother's eyes as he explained, "The guy, Ezra Standish, he looks just like you. I'm telling you it was freaky like I was looking at you only he's about ten years younger." Vin took a deep breath and let it out.
He wished Steve would say something, but his brother was silent. Vin risked glancing sideways at him and was unsettled by what he saw.
Steve had gone pale and was staring at him. "Did you say Standish?"
Vin turned to face him. "What is it? Do you know this guy?"
His brother rubbed a hand over his mouth and shook his head. When he started pacing, Vin got nervous. "Steve, you scaring me. Say something."
Steve stopped and hung his head. "I just never thought - I mean - Aw hell. Wait here."
He disappeared into his study and Vin headed back to the dining room to sit back down at the table. The way his brother was acting had him worried and he figured he'd be better off seated when Steve returned.
It was five minutes before Steve came back into the dining room carrying several important looking documents. He sat down opposite Vin and there was a sadness in his eyes that only confirmed Vin's fear that something important was about to change.
Steve laid the papers on the table and smoothed them as he spoke, "I never thought I'd ever have to share this with you," he looked up to meet Vin's gaze. "I never thought it mattered and I didn't think you needed to know."
Vin swallowed before he asked. "Know what?."
Steve didn't say a word just slid the top paper across the table. Vin glanced briefly a the paper recognizing the formal lettering at the top. "This is your birth certificate, so what?"
"Read it."
"Steven Stan - " Vin stopped and looked up. "It says here that your father's name was Preston Standish. I don't understand."
Steve passed over some other papers. "Dad. Our dad," he gestured between them, "The only dad I ever knew was not my biological father. These are the papers from my adoption at age two and when my name was officially changed to Tanner."
Vin quickly looked through the pile of documents, feeling his blood run cold as he read the words confirming that Steve had not been born a Tanner. Anger welled up in him as he shoved the papers back at his brother and stood up so quickly the chair fell backwards. "Why didn't you ever tell me that we're not really brothers!" Vin slammed fist on the table as he felt himself fighting back all the childhood fears of abandonment. Fears that had haunted him through the years in foster care and beyond. This was his worst nightmare made real; to be alone without family.
Steve stood and circling the table he grabbed Vin by the shoulders. "Hey!" He shook him. "Look at me! We are brothers. We have the same mom and Laurence Tanner raised us both. He is the only father we ever had. The only one that mattered. Hell, I named Lauren after him even after I knew the truth."
Anger still running high, Vin pulled out of his grasp. "How long have you known?"
"Since the crash. I found all this in their papers," Steve said sadly. "I didn't want to believe it - " he chuckled ruefully. "For a long time I didn't believe it, but the papers don't lie."
Vin's anger was losing it's intensity as he realized that his brother had been carrying this burden around for over twenty years. "Mom - She never told you?"
Steve shook his head. "Guess she felt it didn't matter. Hell, from what I can tell the guy never married her and never showed up again, but - " he paused. "Well, I always wondered, you know?"
"You should have told me," Vin said finding himself the one trying to give comfort now. They'd both lost their parents the day of the car accident, but Vin understood that Steve was afraid he'd lost even more; his identity. "I could have helped somehow."
Steve snorted. "You were just a little kid when - when - they died," he stumbled over the words, "there was no way I was going to dump my issues on you. We went through almost six years of hell with social serves trying to get you out of foster care and I barely got to see you as it was. Did you really think I was going to risk all that because of some papers that those idiots might use to deny my rights as your brother?"
Vin nodded his understanding as he remembered that turbulent time in their lives. His brother had been allowed periodic visits with him while he'd been languishing in foster care, but it didn't ease the pain of separation. Vin had felt so alone; wondering each time Steve was forced to leave, if it might be the last time he ever saw his brother. Steve had worked hard to graduate from college early and finally, fresh out of law school, he'd taken on the entire system to prove that at twenty-two he was more that capable of taking custody of his twelve year old brother. Steve was destined to be an amazing lawyer and that had been his most important case. Vin would never forget the day the court said they could be together; it had been the single happiest day of his life.
"And once we were together."
"It never mattered."
"And now?"
Steve breathed in and out slowly. "It still doesn't matter."
Vin looked at his brother and realized that he was just as scared as Vin of being alone. But they weren't alone they had each other. "No, it doesn't matter," he confirmed. "So what do we do about Ezra.?"
"Nothing."
"He's got to be related. I mean if you saw him, you'd believe he was your brother."
"You're my brother," Steve said in the tone that brooked no arguments.
"Don't you want to know the truth?"
Steve sighed. "Can we cross that bridge when we come to it? I mean what are the chances I'd ever meet the guy."
He was surprised that Steve was trying to avoid the whole thing, that wasn't his brother's style, but then Vin had been reluctant to share Ezra's existence with Steve. Vin thought about the way the others had pressured him for a meeting with his brother. "Actually, I think they're pretty high."
"Not yet then." Steve was practically pleading for Vin to drop the whole thing.
Vin understood that they both needed time to process this new information. "If you don't want to meet Ezra just yet, I'm ok with that." Vin was sure he could put off his teammates' curiosity until Steve was ready to meet them all.
"Are we good then?"
Vin smiled. "We're always good.
"Come here, you." Steve said returning the smile and pulling Vin into a fierce hug. "I'm sorry I never told you."
"I understand why you did it; always trying to protect me," Vin said as they broke the embrace.
"It's what I do."
"You're very good at it too."
Steve actually laughed. "I know." He then reached toward the table and picked up the dirty serving tray handing it to Vin. "I cooked so the dishes are yours."
Vin smiled as he took the tray. Yeah they were good, he thought.
******************************************
Vin headed down to the kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs drifting toward him as he reached the bottom of the steps. It seemed Steve was cooking again. He paused in the hall when he heard his brother's voice.
"That's right Standish," Steve said spelling the name out. "I want to know who his parents were, where he was born, his work history. I expect to know his favorite color by the time your investigation is complete."
Vin wasn't that surprised his brother was having Ezra investigated. In fact he was relieved to hear Steve taking charge, this was the in control commanding brother he was used to not the man who wanted to avoid the topic from last night.
And while part of him didn't like the idea of investigating a co-worker, Vin understood that his brother wasn't going to walk into an unknown situation without all the facts, and truthfully, Vin wanted to know too.
He waited until the phone call had ended before entering the kitchen. If Steve wanted to tell him about the investigation he would. If not, well Vin figured he'd at least hear about the results eventually.
"Morning," Vin said as he sat down at the kitchen table.
Steve placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. "Eat up. You're still a growing boy."
"I thought we established that I don't need you to take care of me."
Steve smirked, grabbed the plate and settled down across the table to eat it himself. "In that case, little brother, you can get your own."
Vin reached across the table and snagged the plate back. "Don't mind if I do."
Steve gave an exaggerated sigh before standing and getting his own breakfast. As he sat back down he asked, "You ready to face him today?"
He knew Steve was referring to Ezra and having to sit across from the man everyday. "I'm actually not minding the whole idea," Vin replied and it was the truth. After the conversation last night, Vin knew that, no matter what, his relationship with Steve would never change. As for Ezra, whether or not he turned out to be a relative, he was still a co-worker and Vin was looking forward to getting to know all of his new teammates better.
Author: strangevisitor7
Fandom: Magnificent 7 & Make It or break It
Beta: ithildyn
Rating: PG13
Universe :: Mag 7 ATF and Pre-series for MIOBI
Characters: : Ezra Standish, Vin Tanner, Steve Tanner, Lauren Tanner and the rest of the seven are around
Summary: Vin Tanner returns to Boulder, Colorado to stay with his brother Steve when he takes a job with Chris Larabee's ATF team in Denver. Vin doesn't know what to think when meets Ezra Standish, who could be his brother's twin.
A/N: You don't need to know anything about Make it or Break It except that Steve Tanner and Ezra Standish are both played by Anthony Starke. Steve Tanner has a 17 yr-old daughter who is an Olympic Level Gymnast
Chapter List: Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6
Chapter 3
During dinner Vin had avoided talking directly about work, he hadn't wanted to discuss Ezra in front of his niece. He'd told Lauren that he was thinking about moving Peso out to Chris' place and that, thankfully, had occupied most of the dinner conversation
After assuring Lauren that she'd still be able to ride Peso when ever she had the time, the teenager had excused herself and disappeared into her room.
"So now that Lauren's gone, you want to tell me why you've been avoiding all my questions about your first day?" Steve asked.
"I don't know what you mean." Vin picked up his dish and walked toward the kitchen.
"And just so you know running into the next room is just another form of avoidance," Steve called after him and chuckled as Vin shot him a familiar hand gesture.
Vin placed the dish in the sink. He didn't turn around when Steve came up beside him and put his own dish down.
"I ain't running away. I just don't know how to explain what happened today."
Steve leaned back against the counter. "I thought you like this Larabee guy?"
"Chris is great. Feel like I've known him forever. I told you, we clicked."
Steve nodded and stayed silent waiting for him to explain. Vin turned around to mirror his brother's leaning position against the counter. "There's this one guy on the team - " Vin paused not sure what to say.
"He picking on you," Steve teased as he bumped shoulders with Vin. "Need me to beat him up."
"I'm not twelve any more," Vin laughed. "But I appreciate the offer."
"Anytime."
Vin stared at the opposite wall unwilling to meet his brother's eyes as he explained, "The guy, Ezra Standish, he looks just like you. I'm telling you it was freaky like I was looking at you only he's about ten years younger." Vin took a deep breath and let it out.
He wished Steve would say something, but his brother was silent. Vin risked glancing sideways at him and was unsettled by what he saw.
Steve had gone pale and was staring at him. "Did you say Standish?"
Vin turned to face him. "What is it? Do you know this guy?"
His brother rubbed a hand over his mouth and shook his head. When he started pacing, Vin got nervous. "Steve, you scaring me. Say something."
Steve stopped and hung his head. "I just never thought - I mean - Aw hell. Wait here."
He disappeared into his study and Vin headed back to the dining room to sit back down at the table. The way his brother was acting had him worried and he figured he'd be better off seated when Steve returned.
It was five minutes before Steve came back into the dining room carrying several important looking documents. He sat down opposite Vin and there was a sadness in his eyes that only confirmed Vin's fear that something important was about to change.
Steve laid the papers on the table and smoothed them as he spoke, "I never thought I'd ever have to share this with you," he looked up to meet Vin's gaze. "I never thought it mattered and I didn't think you needed to know."
Vin swallowed before he asked. "Know what?."
Steve didn't say a word just slid the top paper across the table. Vin glanced briefly a the paper recognizing the formal lettering at the top. "This is your birth certificate, so what?"
"Read it."
"Steven Stan - " Vin stopped and looked up. "It says here that your father's name was Preston Standish. I don't understand."
Steve passed over some other papers. "Dad. Our dad," he gestured between them, "The only dad I ever knew was not my biological father. These are the papers from my adoption at age two and when my name was officially changed to Tanner."
Vin quickly looked through the pile of documents, feeling his blood run cold as he read the words confirming that Steve had not been born a Tanner. Anger welled up in him as he shoved the papers back at his brother and stood up so quickly the chair fell backwards. "Why didn't you ever tell me that we're not really brothers!" Vin slammed fist on the table as he felt himself fighting back all the childhood fears of abandonment. Fears that had haunted him through the years in foster care and beyond. This was his worst nightmare made real; to be alone without family.
Steve stood and circling the table he grabbed Vin by the shoulders. "Hey!" He shook him. "Look at me! We are brothers. We have the same mom and Laurence Tanner raised us both. He is the only father we ever had. The only one that mattered. Hell, I named Lauren after him even after I knew the truth."
Anger still running high, Vin pulled out of his grasp. "How long have you known?"
"Since the crash. I found all this in their papers," Steve said sadly. "I didn't want to believe it - " he chuckled ruefully. "For a long time I didn't believe it, but the papers don't lie."
Vin's anger was losing it's intensity as he realized that his brother had been carrying this burden around for over twenty years. "Mom - She never told you?"
Steve shook his head. "Guess she felt it didn't matter. Hell, from what I can tell the guy never married her and never showed up again, but - " he paused. "Well, I always wondered, you know?"
"You should have told me," Vin said finding himself the one trying to give comfort now. They'd both lost their parents the day of the car accident, but Vin understood that Steve was afraid he'd lost even more; his identity. "I could have helped somehow."
Steve snorted. "You were just a little kid when - when - they died," he stumbled over the words, "there was no way I was going to dump my issues on you. We went through almost six years of hell with social serves trying to get you out of foster care and I barely got to see you as it was. Did you really think I was going to risk all that because of some papers that those idiots might use to deny my rights as your brother?"
Vin nodded his understanding as he remembered that turbulent time in their lives. His brother had been allowed periodic visits with him while he'd been languishing in foster care, but it didn't ease the pain of separation. Vin had felt so alone; wondering each time Steve was forced to leave, if it might be the last time he ever saw his brother. Steve had worked hard to graduate from college early and finally, fresh out of law school, he'd taken on the entire system to prove that at twenty-two he was more that capable of taking custody of his twelve year old brother. Steve was destined to be an amazing lawyer and that had been his most important case. Vin would never forget the day the court said they could be together; it had been the single happiest day of his life.
"And once we were together."
"It never mattered."
"And now?"
Steve breathed in and out slowly. "It still doesn't matter."
Vin looked at his brother and realized that he was just as scared as Vin of being alone. But they weren't alone they had each other. "No, it doesn't matter," he confirmed. "So what do we do about Ezra.?"
"Nothing."
"He's got to be related. I mean if you saw him, you'd believe he was your brother."
"You're my brother," Steve said in the tone that brooked no arguments.
"Don't you want to know the truth?"
Steve sighed. "Can we cross that bridge when we come to it? I mean what are the chances I'd ever meet the guy."
He was surprised that Steve was trying to avoid the whole thing, that wasn't his brother's style, but then Vin had been reluctant to share Ezra's existence with Steve. Vin thought about the way the others had pressured him for a meeting with his brother. "Actually, I think they're pretty high."
"Not yet then." Steve was practically pleading for Vin to drop the whole thing.
Vin understood that they both needed time to process this new information. "If you don't want to meet Ezra just yet, I'm ok with that." Vin was sure he could put off his teammates' curiosity until Steve was ready to meet them all.
"Are we good then?"
Vin smiled. "We're always good.
"Come here, you." Steve said returning the smile and pulling Vin into a fierce hug. "I'm sorry I never told you."
"I understand why you did it; always trying to protect me," Vin said as they broke the embrace.
"It's what I do."
"You're very good at it too."
Steve actually laughed. "I know." He then reached toward the table and picked up the dirty serving tray handing it to Vin. "I cooked so the dishes are yours."
Vin smiled as he took the tray. Yeah they were good, he thought.
******************************************
Vin headed down to the kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs drifting toward him as he reached the bottom of the steps. It seemed Steve was cooking again. He paused in the hall when he heard his brother's voice.
"That's right Standish," Steve said spelling the name out. "I want to know who his parents were, where he was born, his work history. I expect to know his favorite color by the time your investigation is complete."
Vin wasn't that surprised his brother was having Ezra investigated. In fact he was relieved to hear Steve taking charge, this was the in control commanding brother he was used to not the man who wanted to avoid the topic from last night.
And while part of him didn't like the idea of investigating a co-worker, Vin understood that his brother wasn't going to walk into an unknown situation without all the facts, and truthfully, Vin wanted to know too.
He waited until the phone call had ended before entering the kitchen. If Steve wanted to tell him about the investigation he would. If not, well Vin figured he'd at least hear about the results eventually.
"Morning," Vin said as he sat down at the kitchen table.
Steve placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. "Eat up. You're still a growing boy."
"I thought we established that I don't need you to take care of me."
Steve smirked, grabbed the plate and settled down across the table to eat it himself. "In that case, little brother, you can get your own."
Vin reached across the table and snagged the plate back. "Don't mind if I do."
Steve gave an exaggerated sigh before standing and getting his own breakfast. As he sat back down he asked, "You ready to face him today?"
He knew Steve was referring to Ezra and having to sit across from the man everyday. "I'm actually not minding the whole idea," Vin replied and it was the truth. After the conversation last night, Vin knew that, no matter what, his relationship with Steve would never change. As for Ezra, whether or not he turned out to be a relative, he was still a co-worker and Vin was looking forward to getting to know all of his new teammates better.