"Whatever are you lookin' for, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra asked, while looking at steering wheel covers.
"I'm lookin' for a top for my Jeep."
"You mean to tell me that Miss Ruby didn't give you one?"
Vin snorted. "Uh uh. Somthin' about thinkin' we was gonna live in the hot, dry Southwest. I don't know." He shook his head. "Anyway, Mog had to 'mention' one for me, and *it* still lets the rain in, so I'm gonna get a good ole hardtop!"
"Oh." Ezra looked around at the various auto parts. "Hmmm. Well, Miss Ruby might have slighted you, but she sure did give me an exceptional vehicle."
"Nuh uh! You don't even want to know what Ruby wanted to give you. Mog gave you the Jaguar."
"Oh." Ezra frowned. "Well, still, it's a beautiful piece of machinery, none the less." He looked puzzled. "What *did* Ruby want to give me?"
Vin chuckled. "I'm not tellin'."
"Oh, for shame, Mr. Tanner, you can tell me."
"Nope." Vin turned back, looking at the various air fresheners. Picking one up, he showed it to Ezra. "Hey, we could get this for Buck."
Ezra rolled his eyes, smirking.
Vin walked a little further, standing in front of the running boards for pick up trucks. With his brow furrowed, he sighed, looking over at Ezra. "You know, there's somthin' that's been botherin' me. She gave Chris this big, all black, sleek, club cab Dodge Ram...and she gave me a beat up Jeep that doesn't have a top, paint's fadin' and it's seen better days - pretty much a piece of shit. What gives?"
"Well, maybe she likes our Mr. Larabee better than she does you."
Vin shook his head. "Nuh uh. I know for a fact, she likes me better. You, then me, then JD, *then* Chris."
Ezra stuck his nose up in the air, looking conceited.
"Oh, stop gloating. It's just the 'loner, black sheep' she likes in you. Besides, you don't know what she *was* gonna make you drive around in." Vin laughed.
Ezra harrumphed, shaking his head. "It couldn't have been *that* bad."
Vin just laughed harder. "I don't know, pard." He chuckled.
Ezra mock laughed, turning away from his friend.
"Still doesn't explain the choices for me and Chris. I mean, you think she'd have given me a better ride than him." Vin replied.
"Well, maybe she was picking vehicles that fit our personalities. I mean she gave JD a fast motorcycle, and the kid's just full of energy. She gave Josiah a nice, reliable Suburban - that fits him. And she gave Chris a long, lean, 'dressed in black,' powerful...need I go on? It is the perfect vehicle for Mr. Larabee's personality."
"Oh, so you're sayin' that I've seen better day's, my paint's fadin', and I'm a piece of shit?"
Vin asked so seriously, that Ezra couldn't hide the chortle that erupted. "Now, Vin, I highly doubt that Miss Ruby thinks you're a 'piece of shit.' " He laughed. "I'm sure she just wanted to capture that wild, untamed, animal side of yours."
"Are you sayin' I'm an animal?"
"Errrrgggg!" Ezra grunted. "Nevermind. Just find your top and let's remove ourselves from these premises. If I have to ride in that monstrosity you call a 'piece of shit,' I'd like to get home before we get into any car accidents."
Vin rolled his eyes. "Now, when has *that* happened? Um...oh, nevermind. Let's just go, I'll get my top later."
The two federal agents climbed into the aforementioned piece of shit and drove off.
"Uh, Mr. Tanner, did you just feel a rain drop."
"No, I...oh...yeah...guess it's rainin'."
"Wonderful." Ezra scowled. "All we need now is to get into an acci-"
Scrreeeeech...crash!
The End
