~*~

When they returned to the saloon half an hour later it was getting back to full swing, but there was a heavy silence surrounding one table. Ezra actually, upon stepping through the swinging doors was ready to turn around, citing patrol as his cause. Nathan snorted at his excuse.

"It would be more believeable if you actually took going on patrol seriously. Which everyone here knows ya don't." he commented, and Ezra inwardly cursed, squared his shoulders and continued on inside.

"Gentlemen." he greeted when he reached the table smiling as disarmingly as he could.

"Ez." Vin nodded.

"Brother Ezra, Nathan." Josiah said, looking past Ezra to Nathan, his gaze questioning.

Nathan gave Ezra a slight push. "Sit." he said quietly, knowing Ezra was becoming nervous and would, any moment, begin spouting his mouth off and land himself in some sort of trouble because of it. "Seems like we might have some sort of explaining to do." he addressed the others.

Chris looked between them. "Not if you don't want to." he said. "There ain't nothing we need to know."

"More a case of what we want to know." Buck added.

"We are a little curious." Josiah spoke up.

JD was quiet, but he was virtually vibrating in his seat wanting to know what was going on between them. Vin was a silent watcher.

"Well, see... it's like this..." Nathan began, only to pause as he realised there was no way to put this that would not sound indiscreet; after all, Maude hadn't been married when she'd had him, and women with that stigma were unwelcome a lot of places. And having a coloured child, well, that was probably the worst of all. Could he do that to his mother?

Buck spoke up for him. "Your Ma, and his Ma is the same." he pointed at both Nathan and Ezra, as if they didn't know who they were.

Nathan looked around the table, but found no recriminations there. "Yes." he nodded.

Josiah shook his head in wonderment. "I confess I had thought it might have been a joke."

"Maude!" JD burst out finally, personally he had liked the con woman, but at the same time he harboured some doubts about her at the way she treated, at the time he seemingly only son. "How? Why? She doesn't seem like the kind!"

"The kind to what JD?" Nathan asked.

"To have more than one kid, it's a bit difficult to imagine her with two little kids in tow is all. And she never mentioned you in any of her stories... though I guess can see why 'cuasea the predjudice and that. But it must be cool, having a brother I mean." JD enthused.

Ezra had gone a little stiff during his speech. "I believe you'll find that most of the non horribly embarrassing stories were about Nathan." he said, brushing off his sleeve in apaent disinterest, easily seen through by all at the table. "Cards anyone?" he asked, needing to end the conversation before it delved into aspects of his history he did not want to be present for.

Nathan shot him a quick concerned glance, Chris and Vin shared a knowing look, Josiah hushed JD, and Buck grinned.

"Sure thing Pard, deal them."

Ezra was relieved that somehow they knew how to be tactful, and hopefully the matter was now settled and though he anticipated JD would be asking a lot more questions, because he was just naturally curious and meant nothing by it, but hopefully that would wait and would be directed mostly at Nathan. Nathan knew how to be discreet, he wouldn't bring up anything surrounding his conception and birth.

He dealt the cards and the conversation smoothed naturally back to their normal ones, with only a few questions thrown in from time to time about them and their past.

"Don't think I've forgotten about earlier Ezra." Chris spoke up suddenly, surprising Ezra by the complete 180 of the conversation. "We're gonna have a good long talk about pulled crazy stunts like that, and your gonna listen this time."

Ezra grimaced. He had rather hoped that the whole incident from earlier had been forgotten. "I still don't see what the problem is, no one was harmed and the miscrents were dealt with." he grumbled.

"Still gonna talk about it." Chris told him plainly.

The whole table chuckled at Ezra's put upon expression.

Ok, so the talk with the others went a whole other way that I had planned, but to be honest I could think of no other way to end it so I apologise for the ending.