A\N: After two years the last chapter is finally done! And yes, I am alive. Real life combined with computer troubles have been making it difficult to write (I'm using an onscreen keyboard to write this), but this came in bits and pieces and is finally done. Hopefully there are a few people still interested in reading it :)

*.*.*.*.*

*.*.*.*

Vin sat back on his side of the sofa, happy he wasn't getting the sermon this time, but still wincing for his teammates as Josiah lectured on. The big man wasn't yelling. Instead, he was doing that thing where he looked at you, half-angry and half-sad, and recited all the reasons you shouldn't have done what you did, and worse, why he'd expected you to already know better. 'Siah hadn't really been upset until he'd looked at the bottle of absinthe and realized that it had gone from about three quarters full when he'd taken it away to barely a quarter full, but once he'd seen that...well, Vin was definitely glad he wasn't Ezra or JD. Right now he'd moved on from the dangers of drinking large amounts of strong liquor to why they shouldn't have taken back the bottle after he'd confiscated it. The first bit was a little hypocritical coming from Josiah, but it wasn't like any of them were about to tell him that. He winced again as Ezra muttered something about not being a child louder than he probably should have, but before Josiah could react a snickering Buck crowed, "Hey, don't backtalk your father," and then started laughing out loud as JD threw a couch cushion at him, a grin spreading across Vin's face as he watched. Buck calmed down a little as Josiah swiveled his head to stare at him, but didn't quite manage to stop his chuckles.

"Bucklin, don't think I don't know it had to have been you that got that bottle for them, and I'm not happy with you either. They'd already had plenty." Buck's attempt at looking remorseful was ruined by the smile that kept tugging his lips up.

"Sorry, Dad." The smile on his face turned into a shit-eating, wide as anything, grin with the look of clear confusion on Josiah's face. Vin supposed that most of the time when they made jokes like that they went straight to 'mom'.

"What are you going on about?"

"JD, show him your paper." JD hesitated from his spot on the floor, hand moving to hover over the sheet, but not picking it up. "Go on, bet ya he'll be tickled." Looking curious, if still kind of unhappy, Josiah held out his hand, and biting his lip, JD handed it over. Vin hadn't realized he was nervous about the family tree until the big man's face softened as he read it, clearing his throat and still sounding a little hoarse as he spoke.

"You made this JD?"

JD was drunk and nervous enough that he blurted his next statement out loud and fast, "Uh, yeah, me and Ezra and Vin," looking up uncertainly at Josiah after he finished.

"I...that's very...thank you, boys," He looked around at the three of them in turn, smiled, sniffed in a manner that made Vin wonder if Josiah had been hitting the sauce himself, and at least for the moment seemed to be dropping the lecture, moving to sit in the armchair Buck was leaning on the side of. He was staring at the paper, still smiling, when JD cleared his throat.

"Um, Josiah, can we have it back? It's just, we aren't done yet. We have to add the Travises. And Team Eight." JD said this like it was an incredibly important task, and Josiah, his smile shifting to indulgent, passed it back.

"And what spaces will they fill on our family tree?"

"We finally settled on great Aunt and Uncle, did we not, JD?" Ezra said, Vin having to hide a smile at how carefully he could tell Ezra was choosing his words, trying not to sound nearly as drunk as he was.

"Yep! And Miz Nettie's the grandma." JD had bent over his task again, so he didn't see Vin start to choke on his breath for just a second, though he had to have heard the laugh he snorted out a second later. No one had told him that! He wasn't quite sure how the tough old lady would take to that, not to mention...

"JD, do ya realize that would make ya an' Casey cousins?" Vin grinned as his tease got JD's head lifting up in horror and Ezra snorting from where he sat to the right of Vin's feet. A second later his youngest 'brother' was shaking his head vehemently.

"It's what everybody is like to each other, not what they actually are, it's not the same thing at all!" He glared at Vin for good measure, who wasn't quite prepared to let the joke go.

"So, she's 'like' a cousin...that's...interestin'." Not his best line, but JD was drunk enough Vin didn't have to be very clever to get his goat, the strangled noise he let out at Vin's comment making his smirk widen in satisfaction.

"The phrase is 'kissing cousins' for a reason, Ah suppose." Ezra chiming in with a tone that was meant to sound soothing, when Vin was sure he intended to be anything but, and had JD switching his glare to him, cheeks red with frustration.

"I'm not-Casey isn't-I don't kiss cousins!"

"Hell boy, you been dating that girl all this time and you still ain't kissed her?" Buck, tone reproachful, shook his head mournfully, unable to resist joining in a moment longer, "I ain't taught you nothing."

"That isn't what I said!" JD almost wailed it, he was so riled up now, and Vin woulda felt bad, if it weren't so damn funny.

"Boys," Josiah warned, though the amusement was thick enough in his voice, Vin was waiting for the joke, "let JD alone now." JD had just enough time to turn a grateful look on Josiah before he grinned wickedly and continued, "After all, up until about the mid 1800's cousin marriages were some of the most common of all." JD's mouth dropped open in indignant horror as a laugh burst from Vin's lips and Ezra gave up all pretense of dignity and started to howl with laughter, Buck already having slid off the arm of Josiah's chair and started making loud, seal like noises.

"Jo-siahh!"

*.*.*.*.*

"Nate," JD said, his incredibly serious voice belied by the fact that he appeared to be attempting to poke an annoyed looking Nathan in the nose, "I can walk by my-self." Nathan, a little wobbly himself still, swatted JD's hand away and heaved an extra loud version of his usual exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, that's why you keep fallin' back on the couch." Attempting once again to pull JD up and loop his arm around Nathan's shoulder didn't go any better than it had the first two times, mostly because JD's insistence on pulling away from the medic the second he was upright kept sending him tumbling back down. "Dammit, JD! I told ya to quit it!"

"You quit it!" Nathan growled and wondered if maybe he should just leave JD to sleep where he was sitting-he'd gotten a couple glasses of water and some preemptive Tylenol in the kid and so far he hadn't puked it up, he should be fine. Looking down at a drunkenly pouting JD, and figuring he should really be getting himself a glass of water and claiming the pull-out before Buck or Vin got it, Nathan shrugged. Kid was a little far away from the bathroom for as drunk as he was-if he wasn't sick in the morning Nathan would eat his badge, that's how sure he was it was going to happen-but since Nathan wouldn't be the one cleaning it up if he didn't make it he was considering not caring.

"Fine. Sleep sitting on the couch with your clothes on. You're the one who's gonna regret it in the morning, not me." Already knowing he'd be back in a minute to try again, and kind of hating himself for it, Nathan turned to trudge away and saw Josiah standing in the doorway watching their little show, apparently amused. Sighing disgustedly, Nathan asked, "You gonna help? Or just watch."

Chuckling a little, Josiah answered, "I already put Himself to bed, you telling me I have to wrangle Drunky the Kid too?"

Before Nathan could answer, JD piped up, "'Siahhhhh, Nate's being mean! Make'im leave me alone!"

Nathan's head whipped back towards the couch as his mouth dropped open and he stared in outrage at JD. Really? Tried to help and this was the thanks he got? "Figures," Nathan muttered, mostly annoyed and exasperated, but a little hurt too.

"Really? You sure Brother Nathan isn't just trying to help you out?" Josiah's voice was smooth as he crossed the room, but his look was a little pointed, his eyebrow rising, and Nathan felt slightly vindicated even though JD's answer back was a mostly unintelligible mumble that sounded about as rebellious as a mostly unintelligible mumble could.

Possibly both Josiah and him had just been told they sucked, but it was equally possible JD had said going to bed, or the couch, or pretty much anything else sucked. Kid was pretty well in his cups.

"Is that right?" Had Josiah actually understood that or was he just pretending? Looking at his old friend, Nathan was pretty sure he had no clue what JD had said and wasn't a bit worried about it, and snorted before he could stop himself, earning a quick smirk before Josiah turned his attention back to their youngest teammate. "How about I help you find your feet and then you can walk the rest of the way to bed yourself?"

JD considered this, head cocking to the side, and he finally said, eyes squinting at Josiah so suspiciously that Nathan had to bite back another snort, "But I can do it my-self?"

"As long as you're capable, of course. I already had to carry one of you blotto brothers off to bed, that's enough for my back." Now, Nathan thought, that would make for some entertaining conversation, letting Ezra know how he'd gotten to bed in the morning. He couldn't wait.

Ezra'd been snoring too. It really was golden material.

JD had finally had enough of squinting at Josiah so suspiciously and mumbled, "'Kay."

He didn't, Nathan noticed with a grumble, yank away from Josiah the second he was on his feet, but actually let the big man do what Nathan had intended, wait until he found his balance, and then let him at least mostly walk on his own towards the hallway.

*.*.*.*.*

Chris stood in the doorway of the second guest room, hallway light on behind him, observing the unmoving lumps in the twin beds. Ezra was sprawled on his back with one arm draping off the bed and snoring enthusiastically, in a way he only did when he'd been well and truly drunk, and JD was curled up in a ball, entirely buried under his covers. He watched them for any signs of movement, truthfully more amused than anything about their dumbass stunt the night before.

Not, a wicked grin playing about the edges of Chris's lips as his hand moved towards the light switch, that he was going to let them get away with it.

The room flooded with light.

Chris waited. There was nothing for a moment and then Ezra first shifted, and then groaned very quietly. Still far more asleep than awake, Chris reckoned. JD was curled up in his ball, not moving, head submerged. Deciding that that wasn't fair, Chris stepped into the room and up to his youngest teammate's bed, hands quickly grasping a handful of blanket in each and giving one sharp tug that left JD uncovered and shivering a little as air nipped at his arms and legs.

He stayed determinedly fast asleep, only curling in a little tighter. Chris grimaced. That wasn't expected.

Ezra, slightly more awake now and making pained noises that would have alarmed anyone who didn't know what he'd been getting up to the night before, pulled his blanket over his head.

He couldn't have that, now could he?

A second later a second blanket lay on the bedroom floor and Ezra was cursing Chris, light, alcohol, all the gods of the earth, Chris, and alcohol some more. He smirked. That was more like it.

Observing the mess that now lay on the bedroom floor, Chris decided that the boys would just have to make their beds once they were up. Neatly. Turning his attention back to JD, he saw that the kid had flipped over, but curled right back up. Probably trying to get away from the racket Ezra was making.

Chris walked calmly over to the side of JD's bed, put his hands out and clapped once right above JD's ear. JD groaned. Chris did it again. JD moved enough to clamp a hand over the ear that wasn't pressed to the bed. Good.

The wicked grin playing up about his lips again, Chris lowered his hands even closer and clapped again. "Buckkkkk! G'way..."

Hiding a snort as JD's last word trailed off, the young man yawning and trying to snuggle deeper into the bed, Chris shook his head slowly. "I'm not Buck."

From the other bed there was a hoarse murmur of, "You're the devil." Chris chuckled. Suddenly, JD's eyes popped wide open and he was pushing off the bed like it had bitten him. Chris, sure he knew where the kid was headed, stepped hastily out of the way. Sure enough, a second later you could hear the bathroom door crash into the wall and whoever was in the shower yelping in surprise. As retching sounds trailed back to him, Chris's mouth twisted in reluctant sympathy.

Still, maybe JD might learn something. Like that the easier the booze is to gulp the stupider it is to do it.

A glance at a now greenish Ezra, who was doing that slow, shallow, breathing of those trying very hard to not be sick, had Chris grinning a little again. JD was young enough to still be learning those lessons. Ezra knew them, and ignored them when convenient. He had far less patience for that. "Hope you're not about to get sick. The other bathroom is mighty far away."

"I hate you," Ezra said with feeling. Chris laughed.

*.*.*.*.*

"I can't eat eggs and bacon now," JD moaned, holding his stomach as he slumped at the table and looked at Josiah like he was about to stretch him on the rack, "just the smell..." He did, Ezra thought, with as much sympathy as he could muster with a hangover of such huge proportions that it was currently threatening to cave in his skull, which was not a particularly large amount, look rather queasy.

Really, what Ezra wanted most of all was to go back to bed. Since Mr. Larabee had made it clear that was not an option available to him, he at least wished JD would whine at a quieter volume. His head throbbed in time with every moan.

"It'll do you good," Nathan ordered as much as stated, JD slowly swiveling his tortured look the medic's direction, "makes no sense, but all that oil and grease really does seem to help a hangover." As Ezra watched with detached interest, as most of it was still being used to will his head not to explode (or possibly to explode if the pounding would only stop), JD attempted to combine his puppy dog eyes with his pathetic about to die look. It was a fairly impressive attempt. Nathan wasn't immune, but he was resistant, and just asked, "Do you want some juice or something to sip on while you wait? Might help settle your stomach. You too, Ezra, want something to drink?" JD, either giving up or going for all out pathetic, Ezra wasn't sure, flopped his head down onto the table with a groan instead of answering. Nathan rolled his eyes. Ezra approved of this, but it was too much effort to smirk in appreciation.

Had he mentioned that his head literally felt as though it was being excavated by minuscule miners? That was not a misuse of the word, either.

A second later he realized that a far too amused looking Nathan was still waiting for an answer, and, a trifle embarrassed, shook his head and lifted his coffee mug slightly while muttering something that he hoped would pass as a thank you. "Uhg, Ez, are you sure your mom didn't send us poison? 'Cause I think I'm dying…" JD moaned, head never moving a millimeter from its spot on the table. Ezra tried to work up the energy to be offended, but, as he found himself tempted to consider the possibility, he could only get halfway there.

"If you will recall, Mr. Dunne, your response to mah telling you to be cautious with the amount you drank was to down a copious amount straight from the bottle." Ezra drawled wearily, not surprised when JD's only response was to groan again.

*.*.*.*.*.*

Josiah knocked on the office doorway before stepping through. Chris nodded at him, looking glad to turn away from his keyboard for a minute. Grinning a little, as it was the stifling paperwork piled on his desk that had got him onto his feet as much as the question he had for his team leader, Josiah nodded amblicably back as he settled into the visitors' chair. Chris raised an eyebrow at him, a silent order, though with more idle curiosity than impatience in it, to get to the point. Josiah obliged him. "JD and Ezra have been waiting for the other shoe to drop since Saturday, and it's getting a mite cruel to leave them in suspense. JD's head pops up like it's on a spring every time you leave your office. It keeps up he might give himself whiplash." Chris didn't even try to stop the small, but deeply satisfied smile that spread across his face, Josiah shaking his head even as he couldn't keep the grin from tugging at his own lips.

"I figured my wake up routine was punishment enough." Chris's voice was mild, but there was no mistaking the rare bit of mischief in his eyes.

"Were you ever going to tell them that?" Chris's only response was to shrug, his smile widening a tiny bit. "You are a cruel man, Chris Larabee," Josiah said, finally giving into the urge to laugh.

*.*.*.*.*.*

Chris told them before the clock hit five-even though Ezra had been back late from lunch. Only after he put the citations for excellent work on the Aldon case in their files.

Buck wasn't the only one who was proud.