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Forever Love |
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It had been six months since I had seen my heart and soul and each night I cursed fate for separating us. I had taken up with my paints again in my off hours; some of my paintings I would show people, but the ones of Chris and Vin I kept private. I painted them from memory, my bad element and my wild savage, so that my bedchamber was full of them. I had painted them clothed and naked as the day they were born, painted them as I remember making love to them. And I slept feeling that somehow they were watching over me, keeping me safe.
A month after I arrived I couldn’t help myself, so I wrote to JD hoping he wouldn’t recognizes my handwriting and to find out how Vin and Chris were doing. My whole being ached from being separated from them and now I know how a man with amputated limbs must feel, how you can sense them but when you reach out to touch them they are not there. That is what it feels like with my heart and soul.
Morrisville is a small town of about 150 people, I guess just a little bigger than Four Corners, but the people here are much different. The surrounding area is the best farmland in hundreds of miles and the people were quite like the soil they tilled. They were early to rise and early to bed so there wasn’t much trouble from those good people. They seemed to have formed a brotherhood; some of the people were from France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Italy, while others were black families that had moved West to have a fresh start and Chinese workers that decided to stay after the railroad was built. It was interesting to watch them interact with one another and to be able to practice the various languages I knew. What fights there were quickly stopped and when I found out what the problem was between the two parties and dealt with it everyone would be quite embarrassed.
Over the weeks and months spent with these people I found myself welcomed by every member of the town. I helped teach the children and helped folks that wanted to learn English and I’d never felt so useful or respected in my life. I would have loved it here, but my heart and soul were not in Morrisville. Many of the town’s women had tried to set me up, but I how could court any woman knowing that I had given my heart and soul to Vin and Chris? They stopped after a while and I heard the gossip of how I must have lost the great love of my life. How right they were.
It surprised me how the townsfolk pulled together to help one another. Two months after I became sheriff a couple of cowboys decided to have fun with two young women they caught outside of town. Since the cowboy though no one would care about a young black or Chinese woman they could do what they want. The young black woman died of the injuries she had suffered at the hands of the miscreants, and the young Chinese woman would have scars and would always walk with a limp as evidence of the torture she had undergone.
When I found out I arrested the three men. They laughed and told me to let them go free for no white jury would convict a white man for killing a colored woman or raping a China girl. They stopped laughing when over thirty of the white men in the community asked to be part of the jury, and they cursed us as we hung them for what they did. They hadn’t known that the black girl was the daughter of the town preacher or that the Chinese girl was the only daughter of the town banker.
I avoided staying very long in the town’s only saloon for fear that someone would recognize me, but trouble found me anyway. A large cattle baron by the name of David Houston was putting the squeeze on various farmers to sell their land to him and putting pressure on the townsfolk to move on. This of course brought him and me head to head.
David Houston was about six-three or six-four and around 240 pounds with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. Most men and women found him attractive, but there was harshness about him that kept people away. It also allowed him to walk over people if they got in his way, at least until he met an immovable object, which was me.
With the surrounding farmers and townsfolk I formed a home guard that kept his men at bay, but I knew that eventually it would lead to a showdown one way or the other. Hoping to spare innocent lives I challenged him to a game of chance. During the six months I had spent in town I had never played a game nor even handled a deck of cards; the town was worried and Houston thought he had easy pickings…until I took every lease he had gotten illegally.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The people of Morrisville watched as their sheriff put down a royal flush to beat Houston’s full house of three eights and two aces. The town broke out in cheers for the sheriff and was celebrating when their happiness was silenced by the sound of a gun. Houston was so enraged at loosing to Vincent that he’d signaled one of his men to shoot the sheriff in the back.
Then in the shocked silence he commanded, "I want you people gone in one week. If you are still here I will kill everyone left and burn the town down." Then he turned and walked out, stepping over their sheriff’s bleeding body.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I knew something was wrong when I felt the tearing pain of the bullet tearing into my shoulder and then ricocheting sideways through my body to exit in the middle of my back. I felt numb and couldn’t make my body move and then I collapsed.
When Houston was gone Dr. McCloud was sent for. I knew that I had to get help for these people and I … I was dying. I could tell from their faces and the concern in the doctor’s voice. Grabbing hold of McCloud I told him, "Send … send a telegram to … Four Corners … to Larabee and Tanner … tell them I need them … come to Morrisville … sign it … Ezra."~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
JD came running out of the telegraph office yelling "CHRIS, VIN!" at the top of his voice and would have run right into the jail door if Vin hadn’t opened it. He fairly glowed with excitement as he waved the telegram around, and both Vin and Chris tried to unsuccessfully grab the document several times until Chris snapped. "JD! Give me the GOD DAMNED telegram."
Realizing what he was doing, JD shoved the telegram in Chris’ hands. "IT’S FROM EZRA! Vin, it’s from Ezra!"
Vin collapsed into a chair in shock while Chris sat down hard on the sheriff’s desk, both men wearing the same dazed expressions. But as the news sank in they rushed into each other’s arms, Chris whispering, "We found him."
Vin hugged Chris tightly to himself, "Yes, Cowboy, we found him." Unable to suppress their emotions, Chris picked Vin up and twirled him around while Vin let out a loud rebel yell in joy. Both men fought the tears that threaten to spill from their eyes when they heard running footsteps, and Chris quickly released Vin before Josiah, Nathan and Buck stood in the doorway.
Josiah’s started to grin for the pure joy on both Vin and Chris’ face told of their good fortune; Ezra and been found.
Vin started to pull Chris out the door, "Come on Cowboy, we can get to Fort Laramie and be in Morrisville in two days."
Chris just grinned and both men started to the door only to be blocked by Nathan and Buck. Both Chris and Vin’s eyes became cold and hard as they looked at the men that blocked their way. In a voice as savage as a wolf Vin growled, "Out of the way Wilmington, Jackson. We’re going to go and bring him back and NOTHING WILL STOP US." Chris aligned himself with Vin, both readying to draw on the two men if they had to.
But before anything could take place Josiah stepped forward. "Vin, Chris. Brothers, Buck and Nathan don’t want stop you, they only want to talk to you.
Buck and Nathan both held up their hands in surrender and looked pleadingly at Vin and Chris. Buck took a deep breath and said, "Look Vin, Chris, I’m not stopping you. I want to come with you … and apologize to Ezra for what I did. I want to bring him back home. What you three do in the privacy of your own home is none of my business."
Nathan then stepped forward and said, "That goes the same with me. I was too narrow minded and a self-righteous pig. I know I can’t make it up to you three, but at least let me and Buck go so we can apologize to Ezra. Let’s us go and help bring him back home."
Chris and Vin looked at each other, neither really believing what they were hearing, but then Josiah came forward again. "Brothers, they are really sorry. I made sure they understood what they did and they both did penance for their actions. They are truly sorry. Take them with you. JD and I will hold down the fort here, if you need us just send for us."
Vin and Chris still didn’t look convinced, but then Buck said, "Look boys, Ezra promised both Nathan and myself that he wouldn’t contact you. For him to break his word means he must be in a lot of trouble. You’re going to need us."
Vin looked in both Buck and Nathan’s faces and knew they were right. Something was wrong and that made him change his mind about accepting their help. "Chris, I have to agree with Buck; I think Ezra is in danger. We’re going to need them."
Chris must have come to the same understanding because he said, "Okay, Buck you get the supplies, Nathan you better bring some of your healing goods with you. Vin I want you to get our stuff together while I send out a telegram to the sheriff at Morrisville that we are coming and one to the Judge to let him know what’s going on. I want to be away from here in the next hour. Let’s go, folks."
The four men rode hard to Fort Laramie and got there just after dusk. Buck and Nathan checked in at the hotel while Vin stabled their horses and Chris checked the train schedule. When Vin and Chris got back to the hotel they were told that Judge Travis was waiting for them in the restaurant.
As they made their way to the Judge's table they saw Buck and Nathan waiting for them. Both Vin and Chris felt uneasy seeing that the Judge, Buck and Nathan were sitting together and suspicion that they were going to try and stop them from getting to Ezra came to mind. With that thought in mind both men stalked to the table to stare coldly and unforgivingly down at the three men.
The judge ignored the menacing glare directed his way by both Vin and Chris and in a tone that brooked no argument told them, "Gentlemen, please sit down." Vin and Chris sat, but it was clear from their demeanor that they weren't too pleased with the Judge and the other two men. Then the judge asked sternly, "Chris, Vin, I want to know your intentions toward Ezra. I don't want you to go and drag him home only to kick him out again. I want to know what you plans for Ezra are."
Both Chris and Vin were startled at Judge's question, for it reminded Chris of Hank's question concerning his intentions towards Sarah. Chris couldn't declare his love for Ezra in the middle of a crowded dinning room but he could tell the Judge this. "Judge, Ezra is coming home and he won't ever leave again. And if he does he won't be going alone for Vin and I will go with him."
The judge looked at both Chris and Vin's determined faces and smiled; he had an idea of what was going on between the three men, but as long as he didn’t see anything and the men behaved in a correct manner the judge didn’t have to do anything about it. "All right gentlemen, I believe you. I should tell you that Ezra is the sheriff of Morrisville and going by the name of Peter Vincent." The exclamations from the four men made the Judge raise one eyebrow. "I take it that you gentlemen know about Peter Vincent?"
Buck was the first to answer, "Yeah, Judge. Sheriff Vincent telegraphed JD to let us know about a gang heading our way. JD wrote him back to say thanks and they have been writing each other ever since."
A sly smile crossed Chris’ face, "Well that sly little ... he wanted make sure we were all right and if we needed him he would come back home."
The same grin crossed Vin's face as he looked over to Chris, "Well pard, that's Ez for you - making sure that the cards fall just right when the time comes."
The judge cleared his throat to gain the four men's attention. "From what I have heard Ezra had a run in with David Houston who decided that the town had to go. Chris, Vin…from the one report I got Ezra was shot in the back. I don't know if he is alive or dead."
All color drained out of the four men around the table at the news, but a deadly look blazed out of Vin and Chris’ eyes; if Ezra was dead so was this Houston. But it wasn't from them that the next remark came, but from Nathan. "What kind of low-life scum would shoot a sheriff or any man in the back?"
"Well gentlemen, I hope you can answer that because I have four tickets for Morrisville leaving at 5:00am tomorrow. I leave it to you four gentlemen to see to what needs to be done." The judge handed out the four tickets and stood up; as he passed Larabee he rested his hand on Chris’ shoulder. "I'm sorry, Chris. I hope he is all right but...."
Chris didn't look up at the Judge, instead he said, "Thanks, Judge. At lease we found him."
The four men had a quick supper and went to bed, but none of them slept very much during the night. Nathan and Buck lay in their separate beds blaming themselves for what had happened to Ezra and hoping that it wasn't too late to ask for forgiveness while Chris and Vin lay in their own room wrapped tightly in each other's arms, both silently praying that Ezra will be all right.
The next morning saw the four men on their way to Morrisville with heavy hearts but souls burning for vengeance.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A little after three o'clock in the afternoon the town of Morrisville was treated to the sight of four men riding into town. The leader was a blond dressed all in black with eyes as cold and hard as stone. Next to him rode a man all in buckskin with a look of a tracker or buffalo hunter but with the same cold stare as the man in black. The third man was a black man with knives strapped to his back and a burning rage in his eyes, and the last was a big man with a mustache and his face was set in a mask of barely suppressed rage. These men had come for vengeance and god help anyone who stood in their way.
Five of Houston's men came out to meet the men as they pulled up before the saloon. They waited till the men had dismounted and said, "If you want a drink make it fast then get out of town. You're on property that belongs to the Houston ranch and we don't want your kind here.
The blond shifted his duster so that it exposed his guns, the tracker pulled out his sawed-off shotgun and rested it on his shoulder and both of the other men had opened their coats so that they could reach their guns without interference. There was no fear from any of the four men, instead the air of menace around them intensified. They fanned out to face the five men and the blond said, "So you are Houston's men."
"That's right," said the leader of the five men.
The dark haired man with the mustache said in a voice filled with scorn, "So you are the cowards that like to shoot men in the back."
In five minutes it was over and the four men walked away without a scratch, as five of Houston's men lay dead in the street. An older man with the look of a doctor came forward and asked, "Are two of you Larabee and Tanner?"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Vin and Chris knelt by the Ezra's bed to look into the pain-lined, fevered face of the man they loved. Ezra lay on his stomach with his face to the side, his ragged breathing telling the men in the room that he was still fighting and therefore still alive. Chris gently brushed the sweat soaked hair back from Ezra’s forehead with a cool cloth and whispered, "Ezra ... Ezra, wake up."
Vin picked up Ezra’s hand to slowly stroked the back with his thumb and in a raspy whisper pleaded, "Come on, Ez. Open those beautiful green eyes for us. We come all this way. Please wake up."
It was several minutes before Ezra's eyelids started to flutter. Pain filled green eyes opened to take in the worried faces of the other two men, and a glimmer of happiness lit those eyes but then dimmed. His voice was a ragged whisper. "Not real ... a dream..."
Chris gently cupped Ezra's cheek. "No Ezra, Vin and I are not a dream. We are here and we're not go to leave without you."
The light was rekindled in the green eyes and a small smile lit Ezra's face as he believed what he was seeing. The doctor and the two other men exited the room, closing the door on the three men inside.
Buck turned and faced Doctor McCloud. "So Doc, how is Ezra really?"
The doctor sat down in a chair not far from the door. "If he survives the next twenty four hours then he’ll probably make it, but we're not sure if he will ever walk again. It could be from the trauma of being shot, but he can't feel anything from the middle of his back down."
Buck leaned against the wall and the weight of guilt made him lower his head for it was entirely his fault for letting his anger have free reign and now Ezra was a cripple because of him. "Does he know?"
The doctor signed and removed his glasses to clean them. "No, he thinks he is dying and he was waiting for them. I fear that he might just give up now that they are here."
Nathan was pacing this whole time, trying to figure something out, to somehow help this man that was injured because no one guarded his back. This was his fault; if he hadn't allowed his ill feelings to encourage Buck in kicking Ezra out the man wouldn't be lying there crippled or at worst dying. "Is there anything we can do?"
The doctor replaced his glasses and looked at Nathan. "No. The best thing is to have him remain immobile and allow his body to recover, but with only five days left of Houston's threat there won't be enough time."
Both Nathan and Buck straightened; now they had a purpose, to prevent Houston from coming into town. They had faced worse odds, now they will fight to the death to give Ezra a chance. Buck looked at Nathan and said, "Nate, I think we are going to need JD and Josiah, you better send for them." Then turning to the doctor he asked, "Are the folks around here willing to fight for what's theirs?"
The doctor looked at the two strangers and asked, "Why? How can six men stand against Houston's army? Sure you four took down the five men here, but what can you do against thirty or more men?"
Buck smirked at the doctor, "Hell, that's even odds for us. Right Nate?"
Nate just started to grin, "Right Buck. Hell, that won’t even be a challenge for us." Then all joking left his face and voice, which became hard and unyielding. "But they made one mistake. This is about what they did to Ezra and we are going to extract our pound of vengeance - and when Josiah gets a hold of them he will bring fire and damnation with him."
The doctor could tell they weren't really afraid of the odds, which either meant that they were crazy or they knew their stuff. Curiosity won and the doctor asked, "Just who the hell are you that you talk about talking down forty men without any fear?"
Buck gave the doctor his most devil-may-care smile and answered, "Well, the man in black is Chris Larabee, one of the best gunfighters anywhere. The other man is Vin Tanner, the best sharpshooter that I have ever met or heard tell of. This man across from me is Nathan Jackson, knife fighter and healer, and the two at home are JD Dunne the sheriff, and Josiah Sanchez is the town Preacher. I am the town rogue and second best gunfighter around these parts, and the man lying wounded in there is our brother and our strategist Ezra Standish. We are the regulators of Four Corners."
The doctor's eyes widened, for the reputations of the men known as the Magnificent Seven had spread far and wide and become a legend. If the stories were even half true then the town of Morrisville had a chance.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With the help of the townspeople and the arrival of JD and Josiah, Houston's men didn't have a chance. Both Vin and Chris were far more deadly than ever before and rained death and destruction down on the men who came to town thinking it would be easy pickings. But once the smoke had cleared the townsfolk told Chris and Vin that neither Houston nor his right hand man – the one who had shot Ezra - were among the wounded or dead.
So Chris, Vin, Buck, and Josiah saddled up to pay Houston a visit. Houston hadn’t been expecting any visitors, least of all four gunmen that looked like they were out for his blood. The gun battle was short, with Chris facing off Houston and Vin facing off Ezra's shooter, and both Houston and his man fell before Vin and Chris’ bullets. Chris received a bullet gaze on his shoulder but otherwise remained unscathed; Vin, on the other hand, had his left arm broken when one of the ranch’s defenders slammed a chair into him.
The ride back into town was quiet, with each man thinking of their seventh lying immobile in the town's clinic, each concealing their own fears and pain, not wanting to impose on the thoughts other three men.
NATHAN’S POV
I could tell no one was asleep except for Ezra. We are all worried about what tomorrow will bring. I look at my hands, the hands that have patched Ezra and the rest of the men up time and again, these hands that helped to bring life into the world and these hands that helped those who were dying to die without pain.
These hands that might be called upon to help a friend, a brother, to die.
I don’t know if I can do it.
I don’t know how I can’t.
The way these folks look up to Ezra. He had brought them all together to fight for their livelihood and had nothing to gain from it for himself. He is a true hero.
I am a coward because I cannot look him in the eye…because I am not worthy to. I realize that I am everything that I had accused Ezra of being, and I hope that I might someday be worthy to call him friend.
As I looked at him lying there bathed in moonlight he looked like a sleeping angel, and for a minute I feared that we had lost him for he looked too heavenly to be of this earth.
I looked over to where Vin and Chris were sitting together, the moonlight reflected in their eyes, and I saw the pain, the sorrow, the fear of what tomorrow may bring. I pray to whoever will hear me that Ezra will be all right for their sakes, but I fear that we will lose our little lamb and with Ezra’s death we might lose Vin and Chris.
I motion to Buck to come out with me and to get some air. I need to talk to him about what we should do if Ezra dies…or wants to die.
He followed me out quietly. "Nate, what's wrong?"
I couldn't look at him and instead paced around the small porch while he sat down on the steps to look up at the star-filled sky. "I just wanted to talk to you about Ezra."
"What is it?" he asked wearily.
"Buck, what are we going to do if Ezra dies?" I asked, voicing my fears for the first time out loud. "Chris and Vin won’t even acknowledge the possibility … but it could happen."
Buck and I locked gazes, and in his eyes I saw the same guilt and pain that I was feeling. It was our fault that a man that we both liked, both called friend, had almost died and now could be bedridden for the remainder of his short life. "GOD! If Ezra dies we will lose them both. They would blame us and they would be right to do so. I … I couldn’t stay … I’d have to leave town, just disappear and try somehow to make amends for what I did."
"Me too. Couldn’t stay in Four Corners and I wouldn’t want to make Vin a murderer. Chris wouldn’t do anything, but I don’t know about Vin. Vin and Ezra are so close its almost like they’re a mirror image of each other."
Buck nodded, then he said something that froze my heart. "It would kill Chris if Ezra died. It almost killed him with Sarah and Adam, to lose someone else might very well be more than he could take. And I think that would destroy Vin." Groaning, Buck rested his head in his hands. "GOD, what a mess we created."
"Buck … what if Ezra doesn’t want to live life bedridden … what if he wants to end it?
Buck looked up startled. "What?"
"You heard me. The others … I don’t think the others want to acknowledge the fact that it could work out like that. Could you help Ezra to die if he wanted too? I don’t know if I can."
"I don’t know Nate … "
A voice from behind us snarled, "Ezra won’t want to die … so get that thought right out of your mind."
Then another snarling voice joined the first. "That’s right. DON’T YOU TWO GET ANY IDEAS, EITHER!"
Startled, Buck got to his feet trying to figure out if he should run or not; I just spun around to face our leader, who continued, "Ezra is strong. He won’t let this beat him and Vin and I won’t let it either. If you can’t accept that then I don’t want you two anywhere near him."
"That’s right, pard’." Vin stalked forward so that I had to lean away from him. "Don’t let me catch you with anything that would harm Ezra because there won’t be enough of you to bury. That man in there is a fighter and a gambler. HELL, I’ve seen him beat worse odds so DON’T YOU GIVE UP ON HIM."
I held my ground. "Look Chris, Vin, you have to accept the fact Ezra might want to di…"
Chris pushed Vin aside to step up to me and poked me in the chest to emphasis his point. "No Nate, you listen to me. Ezra won’t want to die …and he WILL walk again. Both Vin and I know this and we don’t want anyone around him that can’t believe he will walk again." The tone of Chris’ voice softened a touch. "Look, I know you both feel guilty for what you did. Well, there is only one way to make it up to us and that is by helping us help Ezra." Then his voice became as hard as stone again. "Don’t let Vin and me catch either of you talking like this again or you never get near Ezra again!"
Vin step forward and looked between Buck and me. "JD told us the man he worked for back in Boston had a son that had a similar injury to Ezra’s. They let that young man continue to ride his horse to give him freedom to come and go, and the movement of the horse built up strength and muscle in his back and legs. I think once Ezra is strong enough that’s what we will do."
Chris moved so he stood along side of Vin, barring the way inside. "Listen to me, Ezra doesn’t need this sort of attitude from either of you. If you can’t be there for him, can’t challenge him to live then we don’t want you here."
Vin lifted his chin, challenging the two men. "If you’re both cowards then leave, we don’t need you and Ezra doesn’t either. BUT if you decide THAT YOU’RE MAN ENOUGH, then stay." And with that Vin turned and went back inside.
Chris waited until the door had closed behind Vin before speaking again. "Buck, we have been friends for years and Nate, I still count you as a friend. But like Vin says, if you can’t be there for him then don’t come back inside." Chris followed Vin into the clinic then and left the two men alone on the porch to think.
Buck took a deep breath and started back into the room but I stopped him, "Buck…"
Buck shrugged off my hand and said, "They’re right, Nate. I never ran from a fight before and I’m not going to now. You can go or stay, I won’t think any less of ya."
I looked up at the star filled sky and realized that they were right. This would take all of us and we’d never lost a fight yet. So I went back inside as well.
CHRIS’ POV –
six months later
It had been a long six months and the battle is finally over. Ezra is at rest under the old oak tree that was close to the house so that we can look out to see him and he can overlook our little homestead.
It’s early summer and green leaves adorn the tree branches, the grass has turned from brown to green and a soft, warm breeze caresses us, bringing with it the sounds of birds and the gentle murmur of the little creek that runs nearby. It brings the sound of life.
Vin is sitting with Ezra. He always takes the hour before dinner to sit and talk to him, letting him know what was happening in town, what he saw on patrol, and if he has a new poem to share. My time is in the morning, when I talk with Ezra about the plans for the homestead, the new settlers and our roles in the growing town.
I wipe my hands on the little cloth that I have tucked into my pants after I finish laying out the dinner I’ve prepared.
Looking out the living room window I see that Vin is sound asleep leaning against the old oak tree, the gentle breeze blowing stands of hair across his face. Smiling, I open the door and start out towards them, for it is time for dinner. I quietly kneel down so I won’t startle Vin and gently touch his shoulder, whispering, "Hey Cowboy. Time for dinner."
Sleepy blue eyes blink open and as they look at me a gentle smile greets me. Then we look down into the sleeping face of Ezra. He is starting to put on the weight again, which is good thing since he lost so much while he was struggling to relearn to walk.
I’d never guessed nor had any of the others at the strong, determined spirit that was Ezra. When he woke two days after his fever broke he believed that he would walk again and he kept our spirits up. At first I though it was wishful thinking on his part, but he said that he could feel his toes; a month after that he had us watch as he moved his big toe. He was the one who drove us and kept us together, and on the days that he sank into despair we rallied behind him and pushed him to complete his exercises…and now it has paid off.
He walked out to this spot all by himself without the aid of a cane or anything else to help him, and Vin and I watched from the porch as he covered the distance and settled himself under the tree. The pure, triumphant joy on Ezra’s face had Vin and I laughing for joy too.
But now it was time for my loves to come in and eat. Gently I cupped Ezra’s face to run my thumbs across his beautiful cheekbones and whispered, "Ezra … Ezra dinner is ready." His eyelids fluttered and then opened to reveal green eyes filled with love and happiness. "Hello sleepy head. Let’s get some dinner into you."
He simply smiled as Vin and I helped him get back on his feet and then we walked with him back to the house, encouraging him to push himself to get better. He has a slight limp that Nathan has guaranteed will disappear, as he his back and leg muscles grow stronger. As he gets older it will probably bother him again but Vin and I will be right there with all of our aches and pains and at least we will be together. Together, forever, in love.
END