The disclaimer is and always will be I don’t own ‘em and never made a plug nickel off ‘em. Wish I did. This fic-let is just a snapshot of the days following “The Chronicles of Skin and Bones”. This is a series of stories where Ezra’s a child and the remaining seven are adults. In a Modern universe where the boys are working in Chris’ and Buck’s 4C agency as private investigators, bounty hunters and body guards 9/15/02. Lyrics for Blurry by Wesley Reid Scantlin: Puddle of Mudd.
Everything is so blurry
Everyone’s so fake
Everybody’s empty
And everything is so messed upA fine coat of dust that coated the bedside table had been disturbed the picture frame that sat on top had been shifted from its resting place. The covers on the small bed were still rumpled from its last occupant. Chris Larabee hesitated for a moment before stepped into Adam’s room quietly closing the door behind him mindful of the exhausted boy that slept in the guest room down the hall. The room’s air was still stale and despite its recent use remained the same as his son had left it, a moment forever frozen in time Chris stood there half expecting his little dark haired boy to come running in at any second.
I am lost without you
I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumbled and I crawlPainful memories of that black day never seemed to fade. Not even after he had began the long journey towards sobriety he had remained little more than a shell of the man he used to be. But somewhere during past week Chris gained something, hope and the realization he had to let go in order to move forward.
I wonder what you are doing
Wonder where you are
There oceans in between us
That’s not very farLetting out a tight breath as he deposited the cardboard box next to the bed, tracing where Ezra’s fingerprints smudged the glass of the picture frame that held a cherished professional studio family photograph one of the rare few Chris actually been present to sit for. A shaky hand lifted up the cherished image while its mate diligently dusted away revealing the faces of his wife and son smiling happily back at him. With a grim resolve Chris gently placed the photo back before setting about his task, first drawing back the curtains allowing the sun flood in and second by pulling the sash up letting a breeze of fresh air waft through the stale room.
Everyone is changing
There’s no one left that is realThe bright warm morning light washed over the modest guest room waking the bed’s sole occupant. The eleven year-old lay there with his eyes closed for an extended period of time trying to sort through the odd assortment of memories that had surfaced in his hazy mind. Ezra knew where he was but found it a little disconcerting that he couldn’t exactly remember how he had returned to Colorado much less Denver. What he did remember was embarrassing, never he had cried so much in his young life. A few facts were crystal clear, his mother was gone again and he was back at the ranch in Mr. Larabee’s temporary custody. Ezra knew pondering on such morose and bewildering thoughts would accomplish nothing. With stomach growling he carefully rolled over wearily sitting up while rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes with his good hand before sliding off the edge of the bed and padding barefoot across the wood floor.
So make up your own ending
And let me know just how you feelSomewhere in the midst of packing up Adam’s belongings as he placed several well worn children’s books into the crisp cardboard box, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled up and Chris realized for the first time he wasn’t alone. At some point the door had been opened, just a sliver but wide enough for him to see just who the silent observer was.
Ezra.
The boy stood motionless in the hall noticeably paling when he realized that Chris had seen him.
“Come on in…” The stern look that had graced the older man’s face softened as he quietly beckoned the eleven year-old into the room adding a half whispered. “Please…” When he failed to move.
Taking a few hesitant steps forward Ezra’s small feet inched over wood floor until he stood wordlessly by the bed watching Mr. Larabee, involuntarily stiffening as the man reached out and tugged him to a seated position on the bare mattress next to him gently draping an arm of the over his shoulders. Ezra sat down with his mind still reeling. Chris’ earlier apology had taken him by surprise. The entire incident had him completely mystified because whether they had been right or wrong no one had ever bothered before.
“We’ll figure this out…” Sensing the boy’s discomfort Chris faltered. “Maybe not today but one way or another we eventually will…” The words dropped away and he pulled Ezra into a warm embrace, running his hand through the tousled mop of brown hair as the boy’s thin frame leaned into his ribs. Nothing else mattered other than this particular moment in time.