SNIPPET 6 : HEROES AND FRIENDS

By Thalia

Disclaimer and the rest: See first page

Notes: "Heroes and Friends" is from Randy Travis' album of the same name.

Pairing: None

Summary: A few bad weeks, a bad end to a mission, long days of rain and here are the guys, at the saloon, where the atmosphere doesn't really help since everybody has the blues. The jukebox plays on and Nathan takes a good look at his friends…

7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Nathan walked back from the stockroom, wondering how he should react, still shaken by the sight of Ezra and Buck kissing… wondering who had initiated the gesture… 'That damn conman, no doubt' he thought frowning. Then stopped dead in his tracks.

"Damn, bad habits really die hard with me," he muttered. Sometimes, he just couldn't understand himself. How could he always be expecting the worst from the man when he had demonstrated time and time again that he could be trusted?

Smiling, he remembered all those times when he had expected the worst and had gotten it… until an innocent remark from JD and a deep conversation with Josiah shed a light. He had thought he was the only one the undercover agent was 'playing' with, but detaching himself from the situations and getting a really good look, the pattern had started to unfold. Every single time they had expected the worst from Ezra, he had never disappointed them. And had always managed to come out of it on top. The man was slipperier than a snake. And he enjoyed baiting his fellow agents so much, that it was a wonder he was still alive.

Standing near the bar, Nathan looked over the table to his friends. After four years of working together, they were as tight as brothers, if not more, for they were brothers by choice.

If they were all still alive, it was thanks to each other. Even if they had wanted, they wouldn't be able to tell how many times one had saved the life of another… although, if he had to take a bet, he'd say that Ez and Vin were in a tie… for 'on the job' action. 'After the job' action was his alone. Fortunately and unfortunately. Fortunately, for that meant they were all alive. Unfortunately, for that meant that they had been so close to not staying that way so many times he didn't even want to count them. Their near death bravery had him, many times close to nervous breakdown… and each other, too near desperation.

And if he was alive today to count his blessings, it was thanks to them too. He could still remember the times when he was so enthusiastic about the team and didn't want anything to blur the picture… as if they were all perfect and all. None of them was, he had learned that the hard way. The team had been close, a few times, to being disbanded, too close for them to think that it would last forever. And the colors shown by each and everyone one of them those few times had had him take a good look at himself and his 'know- it-all' and 'mightier than thou' attitudes. For he was as human and capable of failures as they were.

In fact, they had helped him face himself and his self-importance and not fall in the opposite bucket of self-pity. Sure, they had never really reacted as he thought they should… 'Proof of it is in the stockroom right now,' he mused. 'Who would have thought…' and then Vin! Of course, Vin was Ez's best friend, or as close as Ez would let him be…

And Nathan turned his eyes to Vin… and had the second epiphany of his day! The way Vin and Chris were looking at each other… was… scandalous to say the least! They looked ready to jump each other and he felt like yelling to them 'For God's sake, go get a room!'… and almost laughed at that. Then he looked at the others to see if they had noticed… JD was smiling to himself and Josiah was nursing his beer, lost in thoughts. Was he the only one who'd noticed? And then he crossed the amused gaze of JD and felt like he could hear the young agent bouncing and saying 'Hey man, ain't that way cool?!!' He smiled ruefully to JD and the smile that was in his eyes descended on his lips. The kid was positively brimming with happiness. How could HE be less than happy for his friends? More so, what kind of a friend would he be if there were conditions for his loving them?

If there was one thing his father had taught him, it was to fight discrimination. He could certainly not do less for those he loved. They had put no reservation, no condition whatsoever to his being one of them. And they had stayed by his side, even when he was wrong in his beliefs.

Today, after what had happened at the warehouse, he had thanked the Lord that it was none of his friends, none of his team laying dead on the cold floor. Even if, as an ex-EMT, not being able to help, not being able to save a life was still so hard on him, he had rejoiced that today THEY would go back home. Weary maybe, with nightmares for some, emotionally drained for all of them. But alive. And that had been enough.

Feeling an insistent look upon him, he lifted his head and crossed Josiah worried gaze. He smiled to him, letting him know that everything was well in his world and that he had found his peace. And that there would be no quarrel from him, no question, no doubt. Only support for he was one of them and they were his friends and brothers.

Josiah just nodded his head, pleased with his friend's peace of mind.

And in the background, another song came on…

to snippet 7 : Walk Our Own Road