Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Although the Plain Indians Wars had thought to be mostly ended by 1878, the fresh infusion of hostility by the Indians inspired and aided by the Citadel caused a resurgence that would have impact in the days following the outbreak of violence in the Territory. The army fully prepared for the attack thanks to the intelligence received by General Larabee through his son, kept the reason for their troop movements a secret known only at the highest level, to ensure the Citadel were caught totally unawares. The raids across the Territory had been fierce with casualties on both sides but the Indians did not destroy any of the major towns, although a few outposts had been burnt to the ground. Fortunately, most of these had been warned of the violence in time and had departed before the attack cost them their lives.
Still, there was much damage done throughout the Territory, even if the destruction was nowhere as bad as he anticipated. Lives had nonetheless been lost both Indian and white man. The Citadel had withdrawn when they had seen the army's presence in the towns, leaving their surrogates to face the situation alone even though they had been the ones to instigate the uprising in the first place. The incident inspired the anti-Indian sentiments that Vin Tanner and Kojay had feared throughout the Territory and very soon, the army and the politicians in Washington were drawing up laws to enforce an even more ruthless policy against the Red Man. Even though the Citadel had failed to maintain the chaos that would allow Hannibal Julius to sweep into the Territory, a conquering hero, it still felt as if they had succeeded on some level.
Chris Larabee and Ezra Standish rode all the way to Four Corners without saying a word.
There was really nothing Chris could say and nothing that Ezra wanted to talk about. The blood staining his clothes spoke in greater volume than any words the gambler might have uttered in defense of his actions. However, in complete support of what he had done, Chris did not ask him to justify himself. Julius had done great harm to Ezra, more than Chris Larabee would ever understand but could very well empathize. When Laurel Chase had taken the gunslinger and poisoned him into becoming one of her killers, he had sworn to kill her. That had not changed, no matter how much time had passed. The woman had harmed Mary and she had threatened his children. If he were to see her again as Ezra had found himself face to face with Julius; Chris would have given as little thought to killing Laurel as Ezra had done so ruthlessly to Julius.
Chris had heard the screams and even though he did not see what grisly conclusion Julius had reached, his imagination was quite vivid indeed. There was an instant when Chris thought of entering the room., of making Ezra end Julius' life without suffering. Then he imagined what it would be like if someone had taken him, had used his body as a receptacle of vile seed and gloated triumphantly after shattering every semblance of dignity a man had. When he imagined the horror of it, a splinter in comparison to the reality that Ezra must be living with, Chris found himself holding back and allowing the gambler to do his worse because in all honesty; Julius had it coming.
When Ezra emerged into the night and saw him waiting, there was no remorse on his face at what he had done. Just that damned indifference expression that seemed more impassive of late. It was stronger than granite, darker than obsidian. He had merely returned Chris' gaze as they faced each other with the light of a blood moon casting its illumination on them, soaking them both in the stain of death. Chris did not mind. He and Death were on intimate terms now and it appeared that Ezra was becoming a member of that elite fellowship.
He had stared at Vin and asked simply; "are you done?"
The gambler had taken in the question like a deep breath and responded a second later with a stony expression. "Yes, I believe I am."
"We best get on back." Chris replied, requiring nothing else from the gambler in the way of explanation.
"Yes," Ezra nodded slowly and then Chris saw something that gave him hope that perhaps the dark murdering persona that had castrated Hannibal Julius would not hold Ezra's soul forever. Perhaps what it took to erase one act of violence was simply another. Chris did not know if the moralists would find that a feasible argument but Ezra had needed closure in this and killing Julius had done that because with that slight nod was also a glimmer of the friend he knew and cared for.
The friend who nodded and added in that smooth southern drawl so indicative of Ezra Standish; "its time to go home."
It was almost a day before the convoy that had set out for the railway encampment returned to Four Corners. JD, eager to see Casey had ridden out when the collection of wagons and carriages were still an hour from town. After the encounter with the young Apache boy in the Standish Tavern, JD had a sudden need to see the lovely young woman who had the power to salve his ills by the light of her smile. He knew that he had fallen head over heels in love with Casey the first time he had saw that glorious smile so full of innocence and wonder and knew that even if they were old and gray, he would always look at her and see that same smile. He rode through the convoy seeking Nettie's wagon and almost became concerned when he did not spot it immediately. He was certain that Nettie would be at the head of the wagon train in her eagerness to get back to her spread.
However, Nettie was taking her horses and wagon at a decidedly slow pace as he approached and noticed that Alex's horse Phoebe was tethered to the back of the wagon. At first, he wondered if there was something wrong and then told himself that they were probably travelling together and that his anxiety was unjustified. Still, he could not blame himself for his worry because after the death he had seen since they had left Four Corners, he could be forgiven for displaying just a little apprehension at the fates of his loved ones. He saw Nettie sitting at the head of the wagon with Alex by her side and wondered where Casey was. When they caught sight of him, their expression seemed trouble and JD knew instinctively that something was wrong.
"What's going on?" He asked gingerly after coming to a stop next to the temporarily halted wagon. "Where's Casey?"
"Casey's fine," Nettie responded automatically. "She's just in the back."
"Is she alright?" He questioned again, looking at Alex because the doctor seemed unable to meet his gaze for a few seconds.
"She had an appendicitis attack." Alex quickly answered, thinking of a plausible excuse she could give JD as soon as they had seen him riding up to the carriage.
"Is that serious?" JD demanded, feeling his heart skip a beat at hearing the news.
"It could have been," Alex answered coolly. "All that bouncing around in the wagon did not help much either. It came on just after you boys left us for Four Corners."
"Is she alright now?" He asked, somewhat relieved the situation had not become critical.
"Yes," the doctor nodded. "I had to do an appendectomy which has left her a little tender but after a few days of best rest, Casey should be fine."
"Can I see her?" JD inquired, gripped by this need to see Casey for himself.
Alex glanced in Nettie's direction to indicate to JD that she was the wrong person to be asking about this. Even though Casey was his fiancé now, she had been Nettie's niece first and the old lady was still as protective as ever when it came to her welfare. However, even Nettie knew that JD and Casey's relationship was a case of young love at its most passionate and nothing she did or say would ever keep them apart. It was futile to even try.
"Go on," Nettie said with a slight shift of her eyes towards the canvas covering of the wagon. "Just don't tire her out." The old lady warned as JD nudged his horse towards the rear of the wagon. Once he had rounded the corner and the floorboards of the wagon creaked with the extra weight of JD climbing into it, Nettie turned to Alex and said in a soft voice. "You know she had her appendix out when she was 13."
"It's the best I could do at a moment's notice," Alex responded just as quietly. Besides, it was not as if appendicitis had not been used to cover up other ailments. In Europe, she had heard of doctors who performed abortions under the guise of appendicitis attacks. Young women would be discreetly entered into private sanitariums where the attending physician would perform the procedure without anyone being the wiser. For this present, the lie would serve her just as well. Although neither JD nor Nettie would ever know the real truth behind Casey's pregnancy, they knew enough to be able to offer the girl understanding and support.
Casey would need that in the days to come.
As for Alex, she had spent much of the time following Casey's miscarriage thinking about the events that led up to the tragedy. She had been spared performing the termination and she was glad of that fact. No matter how justified she believed she was in performing this procedure for the best interest of her patient, Alex could not deny being grateful she was saved from carrying it out. Despite herself, she could never really feel comfortable about the issue of abortion. The procedure should always be a solution of last resort, not the answer to cure the ills of irresponsible behavior but to rescue someone who found themselves in a situation with which they could not cope.
She thought of Casey forced into a situation she could not cope, to ponder an agonizing question and finally deciding on a course of action that was no less painful than the one she sought to escape. However fate had stepped in and Casey had lost the unwanted pregnancy anyway, having miscarried during their trip to the railway encampment. It was by no means unusual for pregnancies to go awry in such an early stage and with Casey being under the amount of stress she had been, Alex thought it was not exactly surprising that things had turned out the way it did. Still the emotional toll was significant on Casey's psyche and Alex had more than once since it happen told her that the miscarriage was not a sign from God that she did not deserve her baby but rather an indication that it was simply not meant to be. Casey was able to accept that on some level even though Alex knew that this would be with the girl for a long time.
JD slipped into the wagon and saw Casey curled up underneath her blanket, her face was pale and she was not quite asleep. He saw her eyes were red rimmed as if she were crying and he wondered if she was still in pain for her to be weeping over an appendicitis. Casey's eyes widened as soon as she saw him and she tried to sit up but it was not lost on him that her face illuminated with pleasure at seeing him.
"Oh JD!" She exclaimed and wrapped her arms around him when he was near enough to touch.
For a few seconds, JD held her in his embrace, mystified by her emotional outburst at seeing him. Had she worried that he might not survive the attack on Four Corners by the Indians? That would certainly warrant her happiness at seeing him, although she could have thought she was dying and be equally pleased that she had survived to see him again. Whatever the reason, JD decided not to ponder it too deeply and instead continued holding her because that was what she needed.
"Its okay Casey," he cooed in her hair, loving her scent. The woods, fresh air and wide, open spaces was the smell of Casey and JD relished it. He could sit there and breathe her in forever. "I'm fine. Not a scratch on me."
"I know," she whimpered softly, keeping secret the real reason for her happiness to see him. She could not tell him no matter how much her conscience told her that it was wrong to hide it. Casey felt too raw inside to bear risking the look in his eyes if he knew. "I was just worried about you, that's all."
"Well I'm fine," JD grinned pulling away from her so that they could look at each other. "I'm fine and so is everyone else. We had em running in a few hours." Of course JD felt nowhere that enthused because he was still filled with inner pain over the young brave he was forced to kill. He accepted that in a battle such a thing sometimes had to be but it was nonetheless hard. However, he would not show that sorrow to Casey, not when she was filled with enough worries about him.
"Thank goodness," Casey lay back on her bedding, her eyes glistening with tears still but the smile on her face warmed his heart. "I didn't want to lose you."
Casey had been gripped by this terrible feeling since being told of the miscarriage that she was being punished for considering an abortion. Even though Alex had told her repeatedly that it was natural for pregnancies to terminate early in the term and that there was no reason she could not fall pregnant again. Still Casey could not shake the feeling that God was making her pay for her actions and that his vengeance would not be just the loss of her baby but also to take JD away from her. She had spent the whole time following her miscarriage thinking about that, plagued by nightmares in her sleep that some terrible news was awaiting her in Four Corners about JD's fate.
"You ain't gonna lose me Casey," JD grinned, taking her small hand in his before entwining their fingers together in a deeply intimate gesture of love. "I love you, nothing can happen that would ever change that. I promise you."
Casey blinked and felt warm tears rolled down her face as she heard those words and tightened her grip on his hand with enough pressure to let him know how much his words means to her. However, it also reaffirmed her decision that he was never to know about Blackwood's child who for a time had occupied her body. Whatever happened after this day, she would live with it and perhaps convince herself that her miscarriage was indeed a simple biological function gone askew and not something with deeper meaning to incite more guilt than she felt already.
Aunt Nettie always said that the things that didn't kill you made you stronger. Well hopefully in time, this would make her very strong.
Perhaps then she would tell JD.
"Do you think she'll tell him?" Alex found herself asking Nettie after JD had left them.
Nettie pondered the question for a second before answering. "There's no need to."
"You don't think so?" Alex asked adhering to the wisdom of the older woman.
"No," Nettie replied firmly with a wisdom that came from experience. "It ain't nothing he needs to know. Child wasn't his and it would only cause them both harm if he did. Casey needs to put this whole thing behind and get on with living. JD knowing would remind her of that."
"I suppose so." Alex had to agree with the old woman's reasoning.
"Besides," Nettie shrugged. "It ain't none of his beeswax anyway, this is woman's business."
And she was right, Alex thought as they continued riding towards Four Corners, with JD's horse tethered to the back with the rest of the convoy because that was exactly what this was; women's business.
"Where do you think she got to?" Nathan Jackson asked Ezra Standish as they walked towards the Standish Tavern nearly two days after the attack by the Apache raiders.
"I have no idea," Ezra said tautly, not at all happy to learn that somehow during their battle with the Indians, Diana Belladonna had escaped her jail cell and was at this moment at large, roaming the countryside. "However, creatures like the lovely Miss Belladonna have great difficulty remaining anonymous for long. I have no doubt that she will surface soon enough."
Ezra was carrying a toolbox he had no intention of using, after all, hands as delicate as his own did not perform menial labor unless one could help it. No, he was carrying it for Nathan who in his own hands was ferrying a pane of glass to repair a window that had been broken at the Standish Tavern during all the fighting. Despite the danger that could have returned the town back to the dusty desert from which it was spawned, Four Corners had managed to escape complete destruction even though there was enough damage wrought to ensure everyone was busy for a few days, himself included. The Standish Tavern as his responsibility and part of the healing process he had set for himself in the wake of the last week's events was ensuring that nothing in his life was neglected.
His dear mother used to say on more times then he cared to remember, that which did not kill you ultimately served to make you stronger, well Ezra intended on being very strong and part of maintaining that strength was to take back his life. Julius had tried to steal it from him and Ezra had made the man wish in the very last hour of his life what a terrible mistake that had been but he would have won nothing against Julius, if he did not believe it himself. What Julius did to him was going to stay with him for a very long time, Ezra could still feel its poison inside him and he would not be able to stand his reflection for just as long. It was not simply because he had been violated in the worst way imaginable for any person, man or woman but because that violence had turned him into something he never wanted to see again. It was a sobering thing to know that inside the deepest recesses of one's soul could lurk a monster to rival the one he had murdered. However, he would not make the mistake of denying its existence. Ignorance was usually what gave such creatures the power to escape its confinement in the dark.
"She'll probably run back to the Citadel." Nathan said bitterly, feeling just as much dislike for the woman because she had served Ezra to Julius like a burnt offering.
"Probably," Ezra returned with a cold smile. "However the Citadel is not what it used to be now that Julius is gone."
A delicious feeling of satisfaction overcame him when he thought of what grisly homecoming waited the remains of Julius men after they had been properly trounced by the stiff resistance offered by the army and the townsfolk whom they helped conspire to murder. The great Caesar castrated and suffocated by one of his whores. There was not much about Julius that did not engender rage inside Ezra Standish but that at least felt good to know. Chris Larabee had said nothing about his actions and treated the entire incident as if it had never happened. He asked no questions once they rode away from Julius' hideout and seemed almost as comfortable with Ezra's revenge as Ezra himself.
Nathan did not make comment on that even though the seven knew, even if they did not understand why that Ezra had killed Julius. The others suspected there was something but could not be certain and with neither Chris, Josiah or himself willing to elaborate, they left it at that and decided that some things were better not knowing. If only they knew how right they were about that, Nathan thought to himself.
"Kitson didn't show up though." Nathan declared thinking it prudent to change the subject.
"They are still identifying bodies," Ezra pointed out. "It will be some time before we know for certain whether or not he survived the melee."
"Ezra," Nathan said as they were nearing the tavern. "I'm sorry I told Chris."
Ezra paused a moment and looked up at the healer. "I was angry at you for doing that." Ezra responded, making no effort to lie about his feelings on this matter. "However, considering my behavior, I suppose I did not give you very much choice. Mr Larabee would have shaken it out of one of us eventually."
"I thought if you knew that we didn't think you deserved what happened to you, maybe it would be better for you to handle." Nathan offered awkwardly, wishing he had Ezra's eloquence to make his intentions clearer.
"You wounded me Nathan," Ezra met his gaze. "You wounded me but you also saved me. You are absolutely correct, I needed to know I had friends. Mr Larabee...Chris has shown me uncommon understanding which is not an easy thing for him. I am not so ignorant in my present state of emotional distress to know that. You hurt me but you did it for the very best of reasons and I cannot fault you for that. You have helped me begin the process of healing Nathan and I will always be grateful."
It was not often but Nathan felt somewhat at a loss for words as the two men as different any men could be, stared at each other and knew with certainty that they were friends without having to express it because its power radiated between them. However such moments had a short life and they both looked away, embarrassed by the show of emotion even though another part of them were glad that their bond was felt and strengthened by the display.
"Ezra." Julia Pemberton emerged from Virgil Watson's store with Josiah following her closely with several tins of paint. The whole of Four Corners seemed to be engaged in the activity of repairs and reconstruction in the wake of the Indian attack and the Pemberton Emporium was certainly one of these. According to Chris, the entire store had almost burnt down if not for his and Vin's efforts to extinguish the flames set by the raiders.
"Good morning my dear." Ezra gave the petite redhead an affectionate smile as she came up to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He returned the favor by kissing her gently on the knuckle of her gloved hand. It was an innocent enough gesture but conveyed much about how they felt for one another to those present. They had not seen each other today and Ezra had to admit that seeing her this morning seemed to add more balance to his still off kilter life. In that one meeting of their eyes, so much was said that made a verbal declaration unnecessary and Ezra knew that he still wanted very much to spend his life with her even though he was not ready to marry Julia just yet. Her offer had been enough to prove that she would stay by his side, no matter how difficult the days ahead were.
Aware that they were in too public a place to say anything more intimate, Ezra shifted his gaze past her to the direction of Josiah Sanchez. The preacher was wearing a little smile on his face as if he too approved that things between the gambler and his lady were on the mend. "I see you've drafted Mr Sanchez into this tedious bit of maintenance."
"I see you've conned Nathan into doing yours." Josiah retorted, speaking in that same adversarial manner that indicated that they were still friends and no matter what had happened in the last week with Julius, that would not change.
"A gentlemen does not stoop to menial labor," Ezra grinned, feeling decidedly good about himself today. He knew that he would have good days as well as bad ones in the weeks to come, so he was relishing the good while it lasted. "I am certain Mr Jackson's expertise as a healer will undoubtedly make him more qualified than I to conduct repairs on the Standish Tavern."
"You're a lost cause," Julia chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Well come along Josiah, we've got lots to do."
"We?" Josiah rumbled as he resumed walking.
"We." Julia winked at Ezra as she sauntered by him. "I did pick the paint, now its your turn to do the painting. A perfectly equitable arrangement."
"You two deserve each other." Josiah gave Ezra a look as he walked past.
"Yes," Ezra grinned with a smile he felt all the way down to his toes as he looked upon the retreating figure of the woman who was going to be his wife. "We certainly do."
The End