Sadly, I don't own the boys. Any characters found in my stories that aren't in the television series are mine. Horse's names are from other fanfiction and I thank the person who came up with them.

Vin Tanner was a happy man; warmly snuggled down under the soft clean covers with his brother breathing softly beside him. Ezra had been in the clinic for a week, recovering from his ordeal at the hands of those who'd robbed their bank and the resultant migraine, but had been liberated that day. Chris had been sharing the bed with the tracker, but he and Buck had left that day on business for the Judge. Fearing he was in for a restless night, the young Texan had been overjoyed when Ezra had entered the saloon just after lunch calling for a shot of his favourite Scotch to celebrate his newly regained freedom.

Inhaling the scent of cologne, good Scotch, lavender and something uniquely Ezra, Vin smiled softly as a sense of safety and contentment washed over him. His mind had created a nightmarish jumble of the memories of the savagery of killing the sentry with his bare hands and the residual fear of finding his brother too late. The resulting terrors his unconscious mind produced had been jolting him from sleep multiple times a night whilst Ezra had been in the clinic. Chris wasn't really a cuddler, but he'd tried to comfort Vin in his own gruff way, speaking soothingly and patting the tracker's trembling shoulder until the younger man slid back into an uneasy sleep. Dreams of settling Adam after the child's night terrors had woken him had then drifted through Chris' mind each night once he'd returned to his own slumber.

"What's troubling you, Vin?"

Startled from his dark thoughts, Vin tried to see Ezra's face through the darkness shrouding the room. Unable to see much more than a pair of eyes gleaming in the soft moonlight, he shrugged awkwardly and replied, "I's fine."

A warm chuckle broke from the gambler, as he turned onto his side to face the younger man, saying fondly, "Now I know there's something wrong. What is it, Vin? The truth now."

Ducking his head, Vin scrunched down into the pillow and blankets, trying to avoid giving an answer that he was sure would disappoint and possibly alienate his older brother.

Frowning to himself, Ezra noted the way Vin's body had tensed even further after his prompt. The rigidity was most unusual, since Vin was now so comfortable sharing the bed that in normal circumstances he became almost liquid as soon as the sheets had heated to body temperature. Taking a firm but gentle hold of the tracker's slender wrist despite Vin's attempt to withdraw his hand, Ezra's frown deepened when he felt the faster than normal pulse beneath his fingers. Hand travelling up to stroke the backs of his fingers lightly over the Texan's stubbled cheek, he murmured, "It's alright, Vin. Just tell me what's wrong and we'll work it out together."

Sighing deeply, Vin resigned himself to getting no sleep until he'd answered Ezra and braced himself before saying, "I's been havin' some trouble sleepin' since ya got snatched by them no-account, low down, dirty, mangy, thieving, murderin' …"

Laughing, Ezra interrupted, "Yes, yes, I get the idea. Go on."

"Well, I's been thinkin' on what mighta happened iffun I's too late. Or iffun I'd missed a sign or sumthin'. How I'da felt iffun ya'd been d… iffun ya'd been dead when we got there…," mumbled Vin, his voice choked with emotion, unconsciously pushing his face towards Ezra's hand seeking reassurance.

"It's easy to start imagining all sorts of terrible scenarios when something like this happens, but you have to stop yourself and remember that I am alright, Vin. Thanks to you, Buck and Chris, I am fit and healthy and right here with you. Nothing terrible happened, the miscreants are all dead and everything is just fine," soothed the gambler, running his fingers through the long hair of his brother, trying to smooth away his distress. Feeling the head under his hand nod but not feeling the tension in his younger brother's body release, he asked, "What else?"

Freezing, Vin asked, "Ain't that enough?"

Smiling, Ezra shook his head and said, "No. There's something else and I mean to know what it is, sir."

Turning over so his back was to the southerner when Ezra ended his statement with a teasing poke to the Texan's chest, Vin hugged himself and growled, "Ain't nuthin' else."

Ezra settled into his pillow and waited patiently, humming softly to let his troubled brother know that he hadn't fallen asleep, believing that given time Vin would open up to him eventually.

Stubbornness reigned for fifteen minutes before Vin finally cracked and rasped desperately, "Dunno how ya can bear being 'round me, 's all. I's nuthin' but an animal. Soon as I found out ya'd been hurt and snatched, that ya might be d-dead, I's like a starved cougar. Nothin' mattered but tha hunt. Yer Ma was frettin' on ya 'n I's near ta shakin' her with impatience 'cos she was getting' in tha way o' ma hunt. What does that say 'bout me, Ez, that I's willin' ta shake a sick 'n worried woman?"

"If the woman in question is my muthah, it says that you're like every person who's ever met her. I love my muthah dearly, Vin, but she can be a trying woman," chuckled the gambler, patting the distraught man on the back. "Especially when she's trying to be protective."

Shaking his head in denial, Vin continued his confession, "'S more than that. I's so mad, Ez. So damn mad that someone had taken ya from me. That someone mighta taken ya from me forever. 'S like I weren't even there no more. Like all I was … all that made me ME jist went away. All that was left was tha hunter. So I hunted. 'N when I found ma prey, I reached out 'n I crushed tha life from it wit' ma bare hands… snapped that bandit's neck like he's nuthin'…"

Silence once again filled the room, heavy and oppressive.

"I awoke in total darkness. All I could hear was pebbles trickling down the walls and the deep breathing of another person. My head hurt and I wasn't thinking clearly, but I knew I couldn't just strike out at the other person as it may have been you or Chris. I dragged myself over, guiding myself by the sound of the breathing, until I was close enough to touch them. I checked the hair, but it was short, so I knew it wasn't you. I felt the face and found a heavy beard, so I knew it wasn't one of the others. Then I heard the person's breathing change as he woke and in a moment of blind panic I lifted the rock that I was leaning on and stove in his cranium with repeated blows. As I knelt beside the body, with the rank smell of blood and death all around me in the darkness, I realised that I could have just killed a fellow prisoner. An innocent. As I sat in my cold, dank prison despairing of my own actions, I heard the voices of my brothers and blindly followed them home."

Silence settled as Ezra finished speaking. Vin clutched the blankets in a double grip, his hands in tight fists of rage as he thought of what the bandits had put Ezra through.

Breathing in deeply, Ezra dragged his thoughts back from the darkness and focussed on the trembling man in front of him. Rubbing circles over Vin's back, he continued, "All men, and quite a lot of women, are capable of savagery, Vin. We live in violent times and that isn't likely to change any time soon. However, the difference between us and the miscreants that we deal with is that we resort to savagery only as a last resort. We do not enjoy it. We do not revel in it… and we are remorseful after using it. What you did is entirely understandable under the circumstances, as is what I did. But the fact that we regret doing it is what separates us from the animals."

Stiffening, Vin growled indignantly, "Ain't sorry I killed him, Ez."

"No, nor am I. But I am sorry for the manner in which I killed him. If I have to kill then I prefer to do it when my opponent is armed and facing me, rather than striking from the darkness like a coward."

Relaxing again as he realised that Ezra understood how he felt, Vin nodded and drawled, "Yeah, guess that 'bout covers it."

"Vin, you are a good man. Make your peace that you acted as you had to and don't worry over this anymore," urged Ezra, squeezing the Texan's shoulder tightly. "After all, if you consider yourself an animal for doing what you did, then you must also consider me one. And Chris, for what he had to do whilst incarcerated in the heinous prison. I'm sure that the others, except perhaps young JD, have all been forced into acts of bare handed violence at some point or another in their lives."

"Yer right, Ez. Reckon it's jist gonna take some time ta get it ta lay right 'n ma mind proper, but I can see it clearer now. Thanks, brother," breathed Vin gratefully, feeling the burden fall from his shoulders and wondering why he hadn't talked it over with the clever southerner sooner.

Ezra patted Vin's shoulder again, noting that the stiffness had lessened, and rolled onto his back saying, "Anytime, Vin. You know that I'm always here for you."

Rolling over to his other side and reaching out under the covers to stealthily take a light hold of his brother's flannel nightshirt sleeve, Vin wriggled to make himself more comfortable then sighed as he finally released the last of his tension and slid into a peaceful sleep.

Waking up after a marvellously restful night, Ezra gently untangled Vin's long fingers from his sleeve before creeping from the bed and starting his morning ablutions as silently as possible. Just as he was sitting on the rocking chair to put his boots on, Vin rolled onto his back and yawned like a lion whilst stretching his arms and legs to their fullest. Watching in quiet amusement, the gambler witnessed a groggy Vin drag himself out from under the covers and sit on the edge of the bed with his eyes still closed, smacking his lips and scratching himself in a desultory fashion.

"Good morning, Vin. Ready for breakfast?"

Grunting to signify that he'd heard the man, Vin moved his hand lower to satisfy an itch in a different part of his anatomy. Once done, he groaned as he hauled himself upright and staggered over to the chamber pot to relieve himself. Baker was still curled up in his bed, but had lifted his head to rest it on the side of the box so he could watch his master with bright, curious eyes. The dog was nothing if not intelligent and had learned not to get underfoot in the morning after being stepped on or kicked accidentally a couple of times.

Half an hour later saw the two friends sitting downstairs around their usual table in the company of Josiah, Nathan and JD. Dirty plates and empty mugs were all that remained of five large breakfasts.

Pushing away Ezra's plate after finishing what the gambler couldn't eat as well as his own full plate, the tracker rubbed his full stomach happily and released a mighty belch, murmuring, "'Scuse me."

Deep guffaws broke from Josiah when Nathan slyly remarked, "Better out than in… so long as it's from that end."

JD's giggle morphed into a laugh like a hyena and was soon joined by Nathan's dry chuckle as Vin blushed a deep red at Nathan's comment and muttered, "Hell, I ain't Bucklin, ya know."

Shaking his head with fond indulgence at the coarseness of his family, Ezra suddenly tilted his head in an attitude of listening. Glancing out the front window, he lifted an eyebrow as he saw a horse and buggy roll down the street with a tall, austere woman at the reins. Rising with a quietly murmured excuse, Ezra glided to the doors and peered over them to follow the progress of the buggy.

Those left at the table looked at each other quickly before scrambling to follow their southern brother, as Ezra pushed the doors open and went to stand on the porch.

"Who've ya spotted, Ez?"

"I'm not sure, Vin. But does anything about the lady pulling up in front of the hotel strike you as familiar?"

All five men immediately focussed their attention on the new arrival. Tall for a woman, probably around five foot eight inches, she had the bearing of a person who was accustomed to being obeyed. Shoulders were squared and head was kept up at all times, hair swept back into a tidy and sensible bun at the base of her neck. There was no fashionable bonnet, rather a well-worn plainsman hat rested on her grey hair. A long black winter coat in a sturdy, durable material hid the clothes underneath, but if they were the same as the coat they would be plain and hardy. Suddenly those sharp eyes caught sight of the men gathered on the porch, causing all five men to give a collective gasp.

Striding along towards the men gathered on the front porch of the saloon, the woman moved with a sureness of purpose that belied her age. Stopping in front of the first man, a nattily dressed gambler, she offered her hand and a terse, "Mr Standish, I presume."

Squeezing the gloved hand gently, Ezra gave a sharp half bow and replied, "I am indeed Ezra P. Standish, and I am at your service, Mrs Larabee."

"I suppose that my son is in there," queried Mrs Larabee with a frown, withdrawing her hand and nodding towards the inside of the saloon. "And no doubt that rascal he runs with is out corrupting some poor girl."

"Oh no, ma'am," piped up JD, almost quivering with excitement at the thought of meeting another of his friends' mothers. He'd thought they'd all lost their Ma's, except Ez of course. "Chris and Buck had to go out of town on business for the judge."

Eyes that were the same shade as the solemn gunslingers, with much the same intensity, honed in on JD before they went from face to face as Margaret Larabee sized up the men. She'd been shocked when news of her son's survival had reached her, having long since giving him over to God. To find that he was not only alive, but was making a new life in this dusty little town had given her hope. Much to her eldest daughter's dismay and her youngest daughter and all her grandchildren's urging, she had immediately announced her intention to go visit her boy.

"Mr Standish, I want to thank you for letting me know of my son's whereabouts. We had long since fallen out of contact and I believe that he would never have told me on his own," stated Margaret, clasping her hands in front of her and shrugging one shoulder with a half-smile very like her son's.

Vin stepped forward then and offered quietly, "No ma'am, I know fer a fact that Chris jist wrote ya'll a real long letter, telling yer all about us 'n sending ya a photograph n' all. Ya must've passed it on yer way here."

Nodding, Margaret eyed the scruffy looking man in front of her keenly, replying, "Be that as it may, young man, I've not heard anything good of Christopher since just before the tragedy that claimed my daughter-in-law and grandson."

Realising that whilst Chris' mother recognised him from his obvious profession, she was less sure of his brothers' identities so Ezra hastened to introduce them all.

"Forgive my lack of manners, Mrs Larabee. Please allow me to introduce you to my friends and fellow peacekeepers. The young man you just spoke to is Vin Tanner; the distinguished gentleman to my right is Josiah Sanchez; this gentleman is Nathan Jackson and the young man who is currently bouncing at your elbow is John Daniel Dunne, better known as JD," stated the southerner, with a mild frown at JD's behaviour.

"Pleased to meet ya, Mrs Larabee," chirped JD, oblivious to Ezra's subtle warning to calm down, "Gotta say I was real surprised to see ya this morning. I thought all of us had lost our Ma's, 'cept Ez here, of course. How'd ya find out Chris was here? Musta taken ya a while to get all the way here from Indiana. Say, what was Chris like as a young'un? Was he as serious as he is now? 'Cos I gotta say he's real cranky at times."

The look of subdued astonishment on Mrs Larabee's face was so close to the one often seen on Chris' face after one of JD's overly exuberant bursts, that it made most of the men hide their grins behind their hands or hats.

Realising that Mrs Larabee had completed a long and arduous journey, Ezra stepped forward and crooked his elbow, asking, "Please allow me to escort you back to the hotel, Mrs Larabee. I will procure you one of its finest rooms, where you can rest and refresh yourself. I can have some tea or coffee brought up there, along with a small selection of comestibles from our newly opened bakery. Young JD will be more than happy to take your horse and buggy over to the livery for you. There is plenty of time for a more thorough introduction later. Perhaps you'd be amenable to joining us for dinner at the restaurant at say seven thirty?"

Taking the charming man's arm, Margaret favoured him with a half-smile and replied, "I'm not terribly fatigued, Mr Standish, as I only travelled from Eagle Bend this morning and was there for a day of rest. However, I'd like a chance to put up my belongings and settle in. I'm assuming that my son doesn't have a house so I can stay with him."

"Chris does have a sh… ahem, a cabin outside of town, but it's hardly fitting for guests," answered Ezra, stumbling over his classification of his older brother's shack, "When he's in town, he has a room at the boarding house that is part of his wages. Once again, not someplace that he could have guests. It would be best if you were to stay in comfort at the hotel."

"If you'd like, I could meet you and take you on a brief tour of our small town after you've freshened up, Mrs Larabee," offered Josiah, his voice deep and respectful. "Perhaps we could all meet for lunch at the restaurant, instead of supper."

"That sounds like a fine idea, Mr Sanchez," agreed Margaret, casting a curious eye over the oldest member of her son's friends. At sixty years of age herself, she judged Josiah to be around fifty or near enough. Still a prime specimen of manhood though, as indeed were all of the five men she'd met this morning. Noting the respectful greetings of the people they passed, she started to feel the anxiety regarding her son ease a little. It seemed that he had found a fine group of men to associate with, rather than the dissolute group of gunslingers she'd been led to believe by that ragged piece of fiction that her son-in-law, George, had brought home. Magnificent Seven, indeed!

Having delivered Mrs Larabee and her luggage to the suite next to the one his own mother favoured and arranged for a kettle of fresh, hot water to be delivered, Ezra wandered back out onto the street only to be pounced on by his four friends.

"Ez! Why didn't ya tell us that Chris' Ma was coming?"

Frowning at JD's loud cry, Ezra shook off the boy's hold on his sleeve and said, "Because I was unaware of her intentions, myself. Surely you don't think I would have allowed Chris to go off to Skunkwater if I'd known his mother was coming all the way from Indiana to see him."

"Oh, no, guess not," mumbled the boy, thinking at a mile a minute.

"But ya did tell 'er 'bout Chris n' where he was," nudged Vin, wanting to hear the whole story.

"Well, no. As part of my investigations into that she-devil, Ella Gaines, I had Byron check into any living relatives of Chris' to ensure that she hadn't caused any further evil. I also asked him to give them a subtle warning about Ella, but I didn't know he'd given up Chris' location or any information regarding my own person. Having met Mrs Larabee, however, I can see that she wouldn't rest until she had all the facts. Must be where her son gets it from…" mused Ezra, strolling along the boardwalks with his friends trailing along behind.

Reaching out to stop the gambler, Josiah queried, "Are you going to send a telegram to Chris in Skunkwater to get him back here?"

"The plan was that he would be back tomorrow afternoon anyway and I don't want him distracted on the ride back. What if some nefarious soul decides to waylay him because he was thinking on the reunion? No, I think it best if we allow things to run their course. Having come all this distance, I can't see Mrs Larabee turning around and heading home without seeing her boy, can you?"

Josiah shook his head.

"Anyway, JD could you take Mrs Larabee's horse and buggy over to the livery for her, please? Nathan, I'm sure that Archie is expecting you for your morning's instruction. Josiah, I imagine that you're going to wait on Mrs Larabee in the lobby of the hotel. Vin, you're on morning patrol, aren't you? As for myself, I'm due over at the jail for my shift. Not that anything is happening, but we must be seen to be earning our paltry wages rather than loitering on the boardwalk," urged the gambler, taking his watch from his pocket to check the time. "We should all meet at the restaurant to meet up with Josiah and Mrs Larabee at one o'clock sharp."

Everyone scattered after agreeing to the time, with more than a few backward glances towards the hotel and the lure of Chris' mother.

TBC