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Making Up Is Half The Fun
Ace
Ezra, OFC
Note: Thanks to my beta, I really don’t think I could do any of this without you.
Ezra and Vin walk by the saloon, it’s late evening and there seems to be somewhat of a brawl going on inside.
"Take it outside!" Samantha yells above the noise.
Ezra and Vin walk in and immediately see some men here and there throwing punches at each other.
"I said take it outside!" Samantha yells once again.
Vin ducks a punch and retaliates on the man.
"Why don’t we take it outside?" one drunk man leers, staggering toward Samantha.
"Why don’t you back off?" Samantha responds, pushing him off.
The man draws back and throws a punch at Samantha who ducks and comes up swinging, only to see Ezra knock the man out.
She throws a glare at the gambler, then turns to try and get some more of the men to leave.
"You need to take it outside, or you’re gonna sleep it off in jail," she tells a group of fighters who stop and stumble their way out of the saloon.
"Get on out of here," Vin orders, pushing a few out the batwing doors.
"I said to leave," Samantha yells at two men in the corner.
Ezra walks over and begins to push them toward the doors. "You heard the lady."
One of the men turns around and punches Ezra in the nose. Vin comes over and finishes pushing them out, while the injured man puts a hankerchief up to his bloody nose.
Once the brawlers are all outside Samantha begins to clean up and sets one of the upturned tables right again.
"Well, that’s enough excitement for one night," Ezra exclaims, massaging his tender nose and looking over to Samantha. "Wouldn’t you say so?"
Samantha takes a deep breath and shaking her head she walks out the batwing doors, pushing Vin aside.
Vin notices the scowl on her face when she gives him a shove.
"What’d you do to her?" Vin questions the gambler.
Ezra tilts his head to one side, shrugges his shoulders and walks out of the saloon after the girl still holding the hankerchief to his bloody and sore nose.
"Samantha," Ezra calls after her.
Samantha doesn’t turn around, but continues on down the street toward the church.
Ezra begins to follow her and walks right behind her into the sacred building.
"Evening…" Josiah begins to greet, but stops seeing the look on Samantha’s face and Ezra’s bloody nose.
"What did I do?" Ezra questions Samantha.
" Ah...I’ll be in the back room. You two feel free to discuss whatever the problem is that you are having," the preacher states, turning and walking out.
Samantha turns to Ezra, "What did you do? You want to know what you did?" she shouts at him.
Ezra nods his head, giving his nose another wipe.
"I’m not some damsel in distress Ezra. I can handle myself. I didn’t need you to step in earlier," she yells at him and then turns around leaving him to stare at her back.
"Samantha, you mean to tell me that you’re mad at me because I saved you!" he exclaims unbelievingly.
Turning back around to face him, Samantha puts her hands on her hips and with a glare, retorts, "Saved me? You...you saved me? Ezra, you simply punched the guy out. Something I could have done myself, but no, you had to butt in instead of letting me handle it on my own. Besides, look, you’re the one who ended up with a bloody nose," the young girl responds, with an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands up in the air.
"I was only trying to help," Ezra remarks, getting upset at the fact she’s yelling at him.
"Well, maybe I don’t need your help," she says barely above a whisper, turning her back to him again.
"Well, excuse me for caring," the gambler responds, barely audible.
Samantha can hear the tears in his voice and forces her own tears not to fall as she hears the door close, signaling Ezra’s exit.
She turns around quickly, but he’s gone. She was not used to having someone stick up for her. She was used to fighting for herself and having Ezra help out put her in a defensive mood.
"May I ask what happened?" Josiah questions, walking in from the back.
Samantha turns around to face Josiah, tears in her eyes.
"I’m used to defending myself," she states simply.
"Well, you’re gonna have to get used to people watching your back because around here you have at least seven men who are going to watch it for you. No one wants to take anything away from you, certainly not your independence. It's simply showing that we care and we don't want you to get hurt," he tells her.
Samantha wipes away some tears, grins, and hugs Josiah, kissing him on the cheek. "Thanks."+ + + + + + +
Ezra stomps on down the boardwalk, checking his nose again for any more blood. Seeing that it has finally stopped, he pockets the bloodied handkerchief all the while thinking on what had been said. Stopping suddenly, he turns and begins running back toward the church.
Samantha runs out of the church and down the steps, where she promptly runs into another figure, causing them both to fall to the ground. Samantha looks up to see who it is that’s on top of her. She grins a little, realizing it is Ezra.
"I was just coming to speak with you," she tells him.
"And me with you. I want you to know that, no matter how much you dislike it, I’ll knock out anyone who seems a threat to you. So you can just get over this defensive little attitude of yours," Ezra states, somewhat angry yet.
Samantha ponders for a second and then nods her head in agreement.
"You through?" she questions Ezra, who is still on top of her.
"Yes I am," he responds.
"Good, I want to apologize for being so rude," she states.
Ezra nods his head in acceptance, and then feels his head pulled to Samantha’s. She gives him a quick kiss on the lips, and then lets his head go.
"Now, get off me. You weigh a ton," she smirks.
"Get off you? First you worry me, then you make me angry, and now you hurt my feelings. I believe you owe me more than that my dear," he tells her with a dimpled grin.
Samantha tilts her head a little in question and then Ezra leans down and gives her a down and out breath-taking kiss.
Meanwhile, standing outside of the saloon, Vin is joined first by Chris and then by JD and Buck.
The four look over at the two on the ground in front of the church building.
"And to think I thought she was mad at him," Vin states, shaking his head as they all slowly begin to walk over to the church.
"Aw hell, making up’s half the fun of gettin’ in a fight," Buck states, grinning.
"Well, they sure are making up," JD exclaims as they continue their journey to the two, who are still on the ground, in each other's arms, kissing.
Ezra finally lifts his head up and Samantha smiles, looking into his eyes. She then catches movement out of the corner of her eye and looks up to see the four peacekeepers watching them. She blushes and hides her face in Ezra’s coat. Ezra looks up and grins a little.
"Gentlemen," he greets, giving them a nod of his head.
"Ezra, what happened here?" Chris questions the grinning con man.
"Well, see it started out in the church…" Ezra begins.
"No wonder you’re out here. Josiah must of kicked you out," the youngest exclaims, laughing.
"No that’s not…well it’s sort of a long story," the gambler responds.
"Well, do you mind?" Chris questions, motioning for Ezra to stand.
Ezra does as his leader requests and helps Samantha to her feet. She then moves behind Ezra to hide her face.
"Something wrong with your face Sam, you look a bit flushed," Buck teases.
"Ha, ha, ha," Samantha laughs sarcastically.
"Why don’t we go over to the saloon, then you can tell us what happened," Chris suggests.
They nod their heads and follow their leader toward the saloon.+ + + + + + +
"Now, Mr. Larabee…" Ezra begins to explain what had happened.
Chris throws up his hand, stopping him, as Samantha disappears upstairs.
"Listen Ezra, whatever happened is between you and her. I was only joking," the man in black says.
Ezra nods his head at him and then heads upstairs himself.+ + + + + + +
Samantha leans against her door, not opening it just yet. She thinks about what had happened. She had kissed Ezra, true, but Ezra had kissed her back and with much more passion. She had given up on falling in love. Was she falling in love with him?
"Goodnight my dear," Ezra states, pulling her out of her reverie.
"Oh, goodnight Ezra," she responds, flashing a smile.
Nope she wasn’t falling in love with him that was obvious. The fact of the matter was, she had already been in love with him long before this.
The two stand there, neither one opening their doors. Ezra watching and waiting for her to open her door and Samantha standing there thinking and staring at him.
Ezra takes a few steps forward, knowing he needs to pull her out of this daydream she seems to be in.
"I’m gonna give you a goodnight kiss, then you’re gonna go in your room and shut your door, and then I’ll go in my room," he tells her.
Samantha nods her head in agreement.
Ezra leans down and kisses her like before, only this time she wraps her arms around his neck and he places his arms around her waist. They kiss for a few seconds before Samantha reaches back fumbling for the doorknob. She finds it, opens her door and backs up into her room, Ezra following, and shutting the door behind them.
Meanwhile downstairs…
"You think we should go up and check to make sure they go in their own separate rooms?" Buck asks. "JD how bout you go knock on Sam’s door."
"Sorry Buck, but I like my life," the kid responds.
"Vin?" the peacekeeper questions.
"Ain’t none of my business Bucklin," the tracker tells him.
"Leave it be Buck," the leader orders.
Six hours later…
Vin and Chris make their way into the saloon and up the stairs to find Buck sitting on the top step.
" Didn't I tell you to leave it be Buck?" the black-clad man asks as he and Vin make it to the top of the stairs.
"But Chris I was…" Buck protests.
" Being nosy as an old woman," the leader says, grabbing Buck by the ear and dragging him downstairs.
Buck yells in pain a few times as Vin laughs from the top of the stairs.
Vin then hears a door open and turns to watch Ezra exit Samantha’s room. Ezra tips his hat to Vin who does the same, signaling to Ezra that his secret is safe with him.
The End
Comments to: Cheyenne_2003@hotmail.com
Note: See, I left it open for people’s imagination. Nobody knows what happened exactly, for all we know they could have spent the night in each other’s arms talking. So, I leave it to the imagination.