With impeccable timing, Vin roused as the door closed. Assailed by nausea, he tried frantically to sit up, failed and was sick all over himself.
Feeling that he might well follow suit, Ezra gulped, muttered something about getting a bowl and fairly bolted out of the room.
Fearing the sharpshooter might choke in his own vomit, Jackson hurried across the room, pulled Vin into a semi-upright position and held his shaking shoulders.
Vin started to gasp out something about the bed, clearly very upset and agitated about the mess he was creating. "I'm sorry ... I cain't ... The bed's gettin' ...I cain't ...," he gasped, struggling weakly to get off the bed.
"It's okay, Vin, don't worry about the bed," Nathan said reassuringly, continuing to hold him supportively.
"B-But Ch-Chris ... Chris'll get mad ... I cain't ..."
"Chris won't mind," Jackson said, soothingly.
"He will! He will!" Vin insisted, tears rolling unchecked down his cheeks. "Ya dunno what I's done. He ... He's already awful m-mad with me."
"Don't worry about him," Jackson said, gently rubbing Vin's back as the sharpshooter started to retch again.
This time it was only bile as Vin had little left in his stomach.
Ezra opened the door and entered, carrying a bowl and a towel.
Jackson turned to him. "Thanks, Ezra, but hopefully he's emptied his stomach now. Can you help me get him out of the bed?"
Standish moved forward reluctantly, hoping not to disgrace himself by being sick at the smell. He gingerly reached for Vin's arm, only to unwittingly closing his hand over the bleeding wound left by the disgruntled Peso. He was keeping his face averted and so missed the grimace of pain that crossed Tanner's pale face.
Together, they eased Tanner up until he was sitting on the side of the bed. Knowing how embarrassed Vin would be to be clad in only a shirt, Ezra managed to wrap the towel around Vin's waist. "Where do you want to put him?" he asked.
"I think we'd better take him along to the bathroom and try to clean him up a bit. Then I'll need to talk about the next move with Chris. I'd prefer Vin was admitted to hospital so we can get him properly checked out, but I want to find out what seems to have brought on this sickness first."
It was on the tip of Ezra's tongue to say that, as far as he was concerned, there was no way Larabee was having any say in anything, but he decided that could wait. Instead, he asked, "How do you want to do this?"
"We'd better take a side each, I think," Nathan replied.
Both slid an arm under Vin's thighs and put their other arm across his back to support him. Then they carefully manoeuvred their way along the passage to the bathroom, with Jackson wondering where on earth Larabee could be. Not that he needed his boss hovering over Vin, in his usual protective mode, especially in the confined space that the bathroom would offer, but his absence was so unexpected that Jackson was feeling most confused as to just what was going on.
As they gently lowered Vin down onto the bathroom chair, Ezra realized his hand was streaked with blood. "What the hell-" he started.
"What is it?" Jackson asked, surprised at such an expression from Ezra's lips.
By way of explanation, Ezra held out his hand.
Frowning, Jackson quickly realized that the black shirt must be concealing some injury. "Help me get his ... " he started, hesitating as the thought struck him that the shirt was unlikely to belong to the sharpshooter, and then finishing, "... shirt off."
His eyes were immediately drawn to the bleeding wound and, no fool, he immediately recognized the cause, having had to deal with the results of the cantankerous horse's temper before. "Well, you told me Chris is mad with you and now I can see why," he commented sagely.
Vin kept his head down, hiding shamefaced behind his tangled curls, but Ezra looked at Jackson in surprise. "What on earth do you mean?" he questioned.
"Look at the fool's arm," Nathan said. "That's a Peso bite! The idiot's been out to see that damned horse. No wonder Chris is angry with him."
"But that still does not justify what-" Standish started to argue.
However, Jackson cut him off. Knowing that Larabee would have attempted to clean and dress the wound had he been aware of its existence, he continued, "And you did not see fit to tell Chris about the bite did you?"
"N-No, but -" Vin started.
However, Jackson was in no mood to listen to any excuses. "Well, the wound's not infected, not yet anyway, so what else have you done to make yourself sick?"
Vin gulped. Although he felt marginally better after emptying his stomach, he wasn't up to countering one of Jackson's searching interrogations. In any case, now that the medic knew about the visit to Peso, he was already in big trouble. Besides he knew only too well that there was no real point in trying to conceal the large bump on the back of his head as the persistent and thorough Jackson would, no doubt, insist on giving him a full physical examination and so would inevitably discover the injury. "I'm sorry," he started, "I just ... I j-just ..."
"Just what? Tell me!" Jackson ordered firmly.
"I-I sorta fell," Vin admitted.
"Fell? How? Where?"
"I's hangin' onto the side of Peso's stall and I f-fell."
"You mean he bit you and you fell," Nathan corrected. "I should shoot that damned horse," he added, never for one moment seriously considering such a thing.
However, sick and upset, Vin was not reasoning clearly and was horrified. "No! Ya cain't! Ya cain't. Please, Nate, he d-didn't mean it," he protested, desperately. "It was ... It was my fault ... all my fault."
Ezra was moved to intervene. He glared at Jackson and said, "I consider you are being unduly harsh, Mr Jackson. Can this interrogation not await a more propitious time?" As he spoke, he put a supporting hand on Vin's shoulder. Then, turning to the sharpshooter, he said gently, "It is okay, Vin, Mr Jackson will not really hurt Peso."
However, having got the proverbial bit between his teeth, Jackson was not to be deterred from a line of questioning that he considered to be in his reluctant patient's best interests. Totally ignoring the undercover man, he asked, "And why was it your fault?"
"I forgot to take him a snack," Vin admitted. Aware that that was no real excuse, he added, in further mitigation of his beloved horse's 'crime', "I-I d-don't reckon he meant to do it."
"I would put nothing past that horse," Nathan said. "Anyway, enough of him for the moment, my real interest is in what's caused this sickness."
"Dunno 'xactly. I j-jest bumped my head a bit when I fell."
Nathan was not buying that. "A bit? Did you lose consciousness?"
"I s'pose so. Jest for a bit."
"And were you sick when you came round?" Nathan asked, as he ran his hand over Vin's head, easily locating the large bump.
Vin winced and sucked in his breath as the medic lightly touched the injury. "Yeah, a bit."
"I'm getting the feeling that all these 'bits' add up into something serious," Jackson opined. "You've given yourself concussion as I suspect you already know."
"Yeah, I know," Vin conceded sadly. It was by no means the first time he had had a concussion and so had recognized the symptoms.
"And it didn't occur to you to tell Chris about that either, did it?" Jackson continued relentlessly.
"He was already sorta mad and I thought ... I thought ..."
"No, you didn't think, Vin. You never do! Concussions can be extremely serious. It was stupid and irresponsible," Jackson scolded. As he spoke, he moved behind Vin to check that there was a shower stool in the cubicle and turned on the shower.
Stung by Jackson's attitude and hating to see Vin so upset, Ezra tried to intervene on the sharpshooter's behalf. "Surely this can wait, Mr Jackson," he protested. "If you want to vent your spleen upon someone it surely ought to be Mr Larabee."
"Don't talk rubbish, Ezra," Jackson responded testily. "We both know how much time and care Chris has put into looking after Vin since he broke his ankles. This can't be blamed on him."
Ezra started to open his mouth to say just what he thought of Larabee's notion of care, when he felt Vin clutch his hand. He looked down at Vin, surprised at the touch from a man who shied away from physical contact with others.
Unseen by Jackson, Vin raised distressed, blue eyes to Ezra and silently mouthed a desperate plea, "No! Please, no!" From Ezra's comments, Vin assumed he knew about the spanking and the humiliated sharpshooter did not want anyone else to know about it.
Ezra was in a quandary. If Larabee had indeed done what he feared, he knew Vin should be checked over by Nathan, but could he ignore Vin's frantic appeal? No, he knew he could not. He could not bring himself to betray Vin, even if he believed that would be in Tanner's best interests to do so, because he knew that the sharpshooter trusted him unconditionally and had done so right from the moment they had first met.
Why Vin did so Ezra could not say. Nobody else did. Even his own mother did not. And, in truth, Ezra did not blame her. Indeed, Standish cynically considered that it was pure foolishness on Vin's part. However, when he had taxed Vin with his folly, the latter had simply replied, "Yer a good person, Ez. I know that" and soon Ezra had unaccountably found himself treasuring Tanner's regard.
So now he gave Vin's hand a small squeeze of reassurance and said, "Have you adjusted that shower to a satisfactory temperature? I fear that Mr Tanner is becoming somewhat chilled and, on my part, I shall be exceptionally grateful if the unsettling aroma of his unfortunate bout of biliousness can be expeditiously eradicated."
"Yes, it's fine," Jackson replied, moving to help Ezra get Vin upright.
"Will you allow me to assist your ablutions, Mr Tanner," Ezra asked smoothly, as they carefully manoeuvred Vin into the cubicle and onto the shower stool. Knowing that Vin did not want Nathan to know what Larabee had done, he knew it would be necessary to ensure Jackson did not observe the marks on Vin's buttocks.
"Thank ya, Ez," Vin replied, gratefully, as Ezra removed his own jacket and shirt to protect them from the water.
Jackson blinked in surprise. Ezra Standish was notorious for his desire to avoid any unpleasant tasks and for his remarkable skill in weaseling out of them. Yet here he was actually volunteering for a job that many others would rather avoid. He would never understand Standish.
"Well, if you are happy to do that, you won't find me arguing," he said. "I'll go and get the bed changed and then talk to Chris about taking Vin to the clinic. Call me when he's ready to go back to his room." He bustled off.
"Thanks, Ez," Vin repeated.
"I will not say it is my pleasure," Ezra responded, as he started to gently sponge Vin down. "It is my opinion that you should have told him what Mr Larabee did and allowed him to check you over."
"I d-don't want people to know. I's shamed," Vin admitted.
"You have no reason to be, Vin. It's Mr Larabee who should be ashamed of doing such a thing."
"Ch-Chris? Why should he?" Vin asked in perplexity. "It w-was all m-my fault."
"Look, Vin, you are the victim here and you know sexual assaults are not the victim's fault."
Vin gaped at him in shock. "Did ya think ... Ya cain't ... L-Look, Ez, yer wrong," he started, as he suddenly realized in just what direction Standish's thoughts had gone. And to think that he had been embarrassed by the thought that anyone might learn that Chris had spanked him! Hell that was nothing compared to this. He could not have anyone thinking that Chris might have actually raped him. That would be totally unfair on Larabee, especially considering it was Vin who had disgraced himself by becoming aroused by the spanking. So, pulling himself together with an effort, he continued, quietly, but firmly, "Chris didn't sexually assault me."
It was Standish's turn to look surprised. Although he and Wilmington had discussed how Vin would always fly to Larabee's defense, it stunned him to think that, in these circumstances, Vin would still seek to protect Larabee. However, the thought struck him that perhaps Vin feared what had happened might become public knowledge and, dreading that exposure, had opted to deny what had happened. Well, that was, of course, his prerogative, however misguided Ezra might consider it to be, but Standish knew there were other things to be considered. A violent rape might have damaged Vin physically as well as emotionally.
With this concern in mind, he continued, "Look, Vin, you don't have to press charges or anything if you do not want to, but you need to let Mr Jackson or a doctor check you over. It would be absolutely confidential. You do not need to worry that anyone else would be told."
"No! No! I don't want anyone checkin' me. I deserved wh-"
"Stop that!" Ezra snapped, more harshly than he intended. "You did not deserve what he did. Nobody deserves to be raped."
"Ez, I told you he didn't rape me," Vin protested.
"So what were you doing lying half-naked on the floor? How do you explain the marks on your buttocks?" Ezra asked, in some exasperation. "If it wasn't Mr Larabee, who on earth could have assaulted you?"
"Well, I 'spose he sorta 'ssaulted me," Vin admitted, "but not like ya think an' I deserved it."
Deciding to ignore the final statement, for the moment, Ezra asked, "Pray enlighten me as to how anyone 'sorta assaults' someone?"
"Ya won't tell anyone?" Vin asked, fearfully.
"No, Mr Tanner, you have my word, reluctant though I am to give such assurance, that the matter is strictly on a need to know basis." As he spoke, he hoped that Vin, upset and hurting as he was, would not realize that he had actually managed to avoid promising not to divulge the information. Although he was quite capable of swearing that black was white, without a moment's qualm, Vin Tanner was the one person to whom he did not feel comfortable lying.
As Ezra hoped, Vin misunderstood his words and started to hurriedly gabble out an explanation to try to get it over with as quickly as possible. "Chris was mad 'cause I went outside and I cheeked him and got him madder and he saw I's wearin' his jeans and he got even madder and I's tryin' to get them off and then he realized that I'd cut his favourite jeans to get them over my casts and he grabbed me and ... and then ... and then ..."
"And then?" Standish prompted.
"He put his belt across me."
"He spanked you?" Ezra asked, with some surprise.
Vin nodded, blushing hotly.
"Did he remove your clothing to do that?"
"No. Like I said, I's tryin' to get the jeans off when he realized I'd hacked up his favourite ones. I didn't mean to. All of them looked alike to me. They's all black," he added unnecessarily
"And that is all that Mr Larabee did to you?"
"Yeah, that's all," Vin said, feeling relieved that it was over without the need to reveal his most shameful secret of all.
"And how did you end up on the floor?" Standish asked, as he reached to turn off the shower and assisted Vin to stand.
'Damn!' Vin thought, 'I shoulda known Ez would pick up on that.' "I just fell offa his knee when Chris got up," he explained, dismissively.
"And he did not stay to assist you?" Ezra questioned as he started to towel Vin dry.
"He didn't know I was hurt."
Ezra frowned. There was clearly something Vin was not telling him. He tried another tack. "Why did he phone Buck to come and get you?"
"Dunno," Vin muttered, evasively, "I 'spose it was because he was so mad with me."
"But he had already punished you."
"Yeah, but ... but ..."
"But?"
"Aw hell, Ez, I cain't say. It's 'barrassing. Please don't make me tell."
"Tell me, Vin. You know I will not tell anyone else. I thought you trusted me," he added sneakily.
"I do!" Vin insisted.
"Well, then," Ezra said inexorably.
"All right. Iffen I have ta," Vin agreed reluctantly. "Ya see Chris found out somethin' 'bout me and I don't reckon he'll want to have anythin' to with me now."
"I cannot imagine Mr Larabee behaving like that, Vin. He has always valued your friendship."
"Yeah, but I don't reckon he 'spected anythin' like this. Ya see it sounds stupid, but when I's over his knee I got ... I got ... It would've been against his leg an' I think that he realized an' that's why he suddenly dumped me on the floor and took off."
"Are you trying to tell me that you got an erection?" Standish queried.
Vin nodded. "I don't understand 'xactly why," he admitted.
"I believe it is not uncommon for some people to be ah ... shall we say, excited when the object of their affection shows a bit of mastery. And you do love him, do you not?"
Vin's eyes widened with shock. He had thought that he had managed to successfully conceal that shameful secret from his friends. His first impulse was to deny the truth, but he had never been a good liar and he knew that the undercover agent was an expert in reading others. "H-How do ya know th-that?" he asked hesitantly.
"It is only too apparent," Ezra replied smoothly.
Vin looked horrified. "D-Does everyone ... Do the others kn-know?" he asked.
Standish hastened to reassure him. "I would venture to doubt that. They lack my perspicacity."
"Yer what?"
"They are not as observant as I am. Although perhaps Mr Wilmington suspects ..." he started, unwilling to lie outright to Vin.
"Y-Yeah, Buck'd pick it iffen any of them did," Vin opined sadly. "I s'pect he wouldn't ... he'd not ... not ... um ... like it 'cause-"
"I am certain Mr Wilmington would not be offended. He appears exceptionally tolerant of any sexual peccadilloes between consenting adults."
"I dunno what armadillos have got to do with it, but I reckon he'd mind 'cause it's Chris I want."
"I beg to differ. I am sure that Mr Wilmington would say that that was between you and Mr Larabee."
"P'raps," Vin ventured doubtfully, "but it don't matter now since I reckon Chris' ain't interested. Hell, ya shoulda seen the speed with which he dumped me an' took off."
"It certainly seems most uncharacteristic of Mr Larabee to run away from anything," Ezra admitted, "but perchance you caught him off guard. Once he has had time to think things over he might-"
"No, he won't, Ez. I don't reckon he's goin' ta want anythin' to do with me now."
"I would doubt that."
"I don't! He ain't goin' ta trust me no more."
"Look, Vin, even if Chris is not interested in having a sexual relationship with you that does not mean he will not want to retain your friendship. And I am certain that he would not object to you having a male partner if you found someone else."
"Maybe, but the trouble is I don't want anyone else. I j-just want Ch-Chris. I's gonna have ta leave the team. I don't reckon I can handle seein' him everyday and knowin' I cain't ... That he doesn't ... That there's no hope that ... Aw, hell!" He broke off, rubbing at his eyes in a vain attempt to stem the flow of hot tears coursing down his face.
Standish wrapped his arms around the trembling sharpshooter and held him close to his chest, stroking his back comfortingly. It tore at his heart to see Vin so upset. How the hell could Larabee reject Vin Tanner? Was the man blind and stupid? Anyone else would jump at the chance to have the beautiful Texan. Shit! Anyone else??? Hell! 'Clearly Mr Larabee does not have the monopoly on 'blind and stupid',' Ezra thought ruefully, as the penny dropped and he realized just how much Vin Tanner had come to mean to him.
He also realized that now was definitely not the time, if there was ever to be a time, which he sincerely doubted, to share his revelation.
Somehow he managed to loose his hold on Vin and to wrap him a toweling robe. Then hurriedly donned his shirt and jacket. Finally he opened the door of the medicine cabinet, located a box of tissues and gently wiped the tears from Vin's face.
"Everything will be all right, Vin. Trust me," he promised, wondering what on earth he could do to make it so, but knowing he had to do it. Unlike Vin, he knew that, for him, it would be harder not to see the object of his affection every day than to wonder where he was and whether he was all right. No, even if it tore his own heart apart, he resolved to do what he could to get Chris Larabee to realize how much he loved Vin Tanner. Anything was better than Vin Tanner leaving.
"Do you feel able to walk back to your room," Ezra asked, "or shall I summon Mr Jackson?"
"I's fine," Vin assured him, characteristically and inaccurately, as he took the supporting arm Standish was offering.
Wondering how best to proceed with his plans to unite his leader and the sharpshooter, and knowing how Vin always sought to protect Larabee, Ezra said, "I am afraid that I owe Mr Larabee an apology."
"Why?"
"Well, as you know, I leapt to an unfortunate conclusion when I saw you. I am afraid I stormed out to confront him. He told me you deserved what he did to you and I ..." He trailed off.
"What did ya do, Ez?" Vin asked, in some trepidation.
"I hit him," Ezra confessed.
"And yer still alive?" Vin said, his voice tinged with awe.
"Surprisingly, yes. Though I expect I will have occasion to regret it in the future."
"No, ya won't. He'll realize ya were upset. No, I reckon he'll be too busy bein' mad with me ta get at ya."
"Vin, I told you it is going to be all right. Believe me, it will." As he spoke, he opened the door to Vin's room, to find Jackson had remade the bed and was currently on his cell phone, having been called by Josiah to discuss some details of a pending trial.
"I'll have to go, Josiah," he said. "I'll see you as soon as I can." He turned to Vin. "How are you feeling now?" he asked, not unkindly, adding, "And don't you dare say 'fine'".
"A bit better," Vin said.
"Well, you look cleaner anyway. I haven't had a chance to speak to Chris yet. Josiah called about the Masterton Case. I'll go and find Chris now. Get Vin into bed please, Ezra."
"My pleasure," Standish replied, only too aware of the irony of receiving such an instruction.+ + + + + + +
Meanwhile, out on the porch, Buck Wilmington was trying to deal with an agitated Chris Larabee, who had finally followed him out, and was all for going to check on the nature of Vin's injury. "Calm down, Chris," he appealed. "Nate'll let you know what the damage is as soon as he's checked Junior over."
"Don't tell me to calm down. I want to know what that damned Tanner has managed to do to himself now."
"Done to himself?" Wilmington questioned. "It's what you've done to him that's worrying me."
"I don't know why it should. Like I told you, he asked for it."
Buck could not believe what he was hearing. Of course, as an ex-cop, he had heard men make such a comment to justify their assaults on females, but to hear Chris repeat such rubbish was unbelievable, especially when the victim was Vin Tanner, who seemed to be closer to Larabee's heart than anyone had been since Sarah ... possibly even closer than she had been. No, this was totally incomprehensible. For a moment, he was even tempted to emulate Standish and plant one on his friend to bring him to his senses and stop him spouting such rot.
Somehow he forced the anger down and said, quietly, "He didn't ask for it, Chris."
"How do you know? You weren't here," Larabee snarled belligerently. "You don't know how close I've come to strangling the stroppy, little bastard over the last few days. I reckon he got off damned lightly with a sore ass."
Wilmington looked horrified. "Chris, you can't ... Look, you could be heaps of trouble if Junior decides to take this further." He had to make his friend see sense.
"But he won't. He'll be too embarrassed to tell anyone," Chris said, hoping to hell he was right. After all, he reasoned, if Vin thought about it he would realize what a laughing-stock he'd be if it got out. An ex-army ranger and ATF sharpshooter spanked like a naughty child. What a joke! Hell, Vin'd realize the need to keep quiet about that for sure.
Of course, that didn't do anything for their tattered friendship, but perhaps that could still be salvaged. With any luck, he might have managed to dump Vin off his knee before the sharpshooter had become aware of his erection. If so, he might get away with an apology – after all, Tanner had been at fault too and was usually only too ready to shoulder the blame when anything went amiss.
"But he'll need to get checked out. I know AIDS won't be an issue, but ..."
"AIDS? Shit, Buck, what are you talking about? Who gets AIDS from a spanking?"
"A spanking? Chris, are you telling me that that's all you did to him?"
"Yeah, and that's all I did. If Tanner chooses to call it sexual assault that's his prerogative, but it was just a good old-fashioned spanking ... and well deserved."
Wilmington sank down into a chair and uttered a sigh of relief. "Thank God," he murmured fervently. However, on reflection, he soon realized that was not the whole story. "Then what on earth was Vin doing unconscious on the floor?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Larabee announced. He turned for the front door. "Coming?"
As his hand groped for the handle, the door opened and Nathan Jackson stepped out. "Oh, there you are! I was wondering where you both were. Ezra's got Vin cleaned up and is putting him back to bed."
"Ezra?" Buck asked, in surprise. "Are you sure? That sounds rather like menial labour and we all know our Ezra doesn't do that."
"Surprised me too, but he offered and, even more surprising, that damned Tanner seemed happy to accept his help. None of that bitching I get from him. So I left them to it."
"But you examined him?" Wilmington questioned.
"Of course! He's got a large bump on the back of his fool head and a dose of concussion, to say nothing of the marks of Peso's teeth adorning his arm."
"What? How?" Larabee demanded.
"I thought you knew."
"No, I found him lounging on the back step in the sun when I got home. It appeared that he'd just gone out."
"Just about got back in is more like it. No, the stupid idiot managed to get out to visit that damned horse. It seems he pulled himself up onto the rails of the stall and Peso decided to take a bite out of his arm. Vin fell and knocked himself out. Result: concussion! I suppose he neglected to mention all this."
Wilmington sniggered. "Trust Junior!" he exclaimed. "If Peso hadn't bitten him, he'd probably have got away with the whole escapade with no-one the wiser. Hell, I bet it gave him a fright when he heard your voice. It was real quick thinking on his part to fool you into thinking he had just been getting a bit of sun, Chris."
"It's no joke, Buck," Jackson scolded. "Concussion is a serious thing. Sometimes I feel like blistering that boy's ass for him!"
"I know the feeling," Larabee observed wryly, catching Buck's eye unobserved by the medic. The fact that Jackson had made no mention of the existing marks on Vin's buttocks had not been lost on either of them. Clearly Vin had managed to avoid him seeing them and to do that he would have needed an accomplice. Suddenly both understood the reason for Standish's uncharacteristic willingness to work.
"Right, well now the issue is whether I take him back into town to be checked over by the clinic or not. We all know what Tanner's opinion about that will be."
"Yeah, well it's not up to him," Larabee said. Although he knew there would be a risk that someone tending Vin might observe the marks, he was not prepared to risk Vin's health if Jackson deemed admission to the clinic necessary.
"I'd prefer to take him in, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary, provided someone's here to monitor him."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to let him out of my sight," Larabee promised.
"Okay, I'll just check that he's settled. Then I'd better get back to the office. Josiah and I still need to go over a few more details of the Masterton Case before he testifies tomorrow."
Moments later, he reemerged. "I'll be off now, Chris. If you'd like to walk out to the car with me, I'll give you a few instructions. I think Vin will be fine, but you'll need to keep a close eye on him tonight. I know there's no point in telling Vin how to look after himself, he never listens."
As Chris followed Nathan outside, Ezra quickly turned to Buck. "Has Mr Larabee enlightened you as to what transpired?" he asked urgently.
"If you mean 'Has Chris told me what happened?', he has ... or, at least, some of it. I know that he spanked Junior, if that's what you mean."
"Nothing else?"
Mistakenly assuming Ezra suspected Larabee had done more, Wilmington hastened to reassure him. "He says that's all that he did to him, Ezra, and I believe him," he added.
"And I do too. However, that is not the issue in question. Did he divulge his reason for dumping Mr Tanner so unceremoniously upon the floor and why he summoned you so urgently to collect Mr Tanner?"
Erroneously assuming that it was really only the second part of the question that really interested Ezra, Buck replied, "No. I suppose he might have thought that Vin would want to leave after what had happened or maybe he was worried he might really lay one on him if Junior continued to provoke him."
"So he did not ... ah ... This is somewhat delicate, since I hesitate to betray a confidence, but ..."
"Just tell me, Ezra! Quickly! Chris'll be back soon."
Hoping that Vin would see fit to forgive him, Ezra continued, "He did not say that he was ... shall we say, upset or maybe even felt threatened by the fact that Mr Tanner managed to get an erection while over his knee?"
"Did he?" Buck grinned broadly in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "So our obtuse friends are finally getting somewhere! About time!"
"Maybe it is 'about time', as you so indelicately put it, but we may both be misreading the situation. If Mr Larabee is not happy with developments, we could have a disaster pending."
He pulled the curtain aside and peered out. "He is on his way back inside. Look, you talk to Mr Tanner. He thinks that he has ruined everything and will have to leave the team. Try to get him to confess what he feels for Chris and then convince him that all is not lost. For my part, I will try to converse with Mr Larabee."
"Play nice! No hitting!" Buck warned, only half in jest.
"I assure you that I have no desire to further risk my person by taking another shot at our esteemed leader. Now hurry!"
Buck complied, heading into Vin's room and sitting down on the side of his bed. "Hey, Junior, feeling a bit better?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks, Bucklin," Vin replied, trying, as usual, to put a brave face on things. In reality, he felt emotionally shattered and, for the life of him, could see no way that Ezra's prediction that things would be all right could possibly be true.
"You're looking a bit better than you did when Ezra and I arrived, but you're still not right, are you?"
"Think I's finished bein' sick," Vin said, trying to evade the question.
"Maybe, but that's only part of the problem, isn't it?" Buck commented. "Things have been getting a bit strained between you and old Chris, have they?"
"Yeah,'cause I ain't been ... I shoulda behaved better. It's all my fault. I's a bad patient."
"No, it isn't, Junior. Anyone would have gone stir crazy having to lie around out here with no entertainment. If you'd been in town I could have got some of my lady-friends to call."
"Mrs Carstairs?" Vin asked, fearfully.
"Well, her too, if you want, but I was thinking of a few younger ladies, who know just how to make being in bed entertaining. Actually I suppose I could bring Kay and Anna out to 'visit' if you like."
Vin blushed hotly. "B-But I-I don't kn-know them," he stammered.
Wilmington grinned at Vin's innocent choice of expression. "You soon would 'know' them! Intimately, if you get my drift. They're real friendly girls and they really get off on threesomes. You'll love them. I'll call them now and see if they can come out tomorrow." As he spoke, he reached into his jacket pocket for his cell phone.
Vin hastened to demur. "N-No! Th-Thank ya, Buck, but no I don't ... I-I cain't ... aw hell!"
"What's wrong, Junior?" Buck asked kindly, suppressing his amusement at the sight of Vin panicking.
"I-I'm sorry I cain't ... I don't ... It's kind of ya to offer, but ... but ... I don't ..."
"Not up to two at the moment, Junior? That's okay. I'll just ask Anna to come out."
"No! Please, Buck, I don't want ..."
"Don't worry, Junior. She'll do whatever you do want. She's a very accommodating lady ... and talented." He waited gleefully for Vin's reaction, but was caught completely off-guard by what followed.
"Maybe she is, but I ain't."
"What do you mean?"
"I ain't never had sex with anyone before," Vin explained dejectedly.
He knew he risked ridicule in making the admission. Hell, he expected it. After all, they all knew of Wilmington's much vaunted and extensive sexual activities, so Buck was bound to think him stupid. However, to his surprise, Buck did not laugh.
In truth, the ladies' man had always suspected that the quiet sharpshooter had had little sexual experience, from his tendency to blush when Buck told some of his hot stories or teased him to relate some of his own, but he had never suspected him to be a virgin. However, he was not insensitive and knew what it would have cost Vin to make such an admission, so he simply asked, "Why not?"
"Too scared, I s'pose," came the honest reply.
"Too many predatory Mrs Carstairs in the world eh, Junior."
Vin flicked a nervous tongue over dry lips. "Not 'xactly, but, ya see, I never ... I ain't never met a lady I wanted."
"Men then?"
"No!" Vin quickly denied, but knew there was no fooling Buck on such matters. "Well, sorta," he confessed. I's looked, but I's never met anyone I trusted enough to ... to ..."
"Never?" Buck questioned.
"Well, nobody'd that be interested in me."
"And you're sure of that, are you?"
"What do ya mean?" Vin asked, looking confused.
"You're sure Chris doesn't love you?"
"Ch-Chris?" Vin looked absolutely gob smacked.
"Who else could we be talking about, Junior?" Buck asked blithely.
"Ez –" Vin started.
"You want Ezra?" Buck questioned incredulously.
"No! I's goin' ta say, Ezra reckoned ya might have cottoned on that I love Chris. I hoped ya hadn't. I-I didn't want anyone ta know."
"Not even Chris?"
"'Specially not him! I knew what his wife meant ta him. I figured it wouldn't matter if I loved him, as long as he never found out. Hell, I's never understood how the likes of me was lucky enough to get the friendship of someone like him. I told m'self that should be enough. It has ta be."
"No, it doesn't, Junior. Trust old Uncle Buck, I know about matters of the heart. I think you're reading Chris wrong. He's been a changed man since he met you. Hell, if you think he has black moods now, you should have seen him before he met you. Your friendship's changed him back to the old Chris I used to know and I'll always be grateful for it."
"Bein' friends is one thin', but now he knows the truth 'bout me it'll be different," Vin said sadly.+ + + + + + +
Meanwhile, Larabee had entered the living room where he found Ezra waiting for him.
"Did you want something, Standish?" he asked, guardedly, but without the belligerence Ezra had anticipated.
"Firstly, I would like to offer my sincere apologies for my uncharacteristically violent behaviour earlier. It appears that, in my concern for Mr Tanner's well-being, I misinterpreted the situation."
Surprised by Ezra's conciliatory words, Larabee said, "It's forgotten, Ezra. I know you were only trying to protect Vin and I would like to thank you for helping him conceal the results of my stupidity from Nate. He might periodically threaten to punish Vin himself, but he'd have given me a real dressing down for actually doing such a thing, especially when Vin was hurt."
"I imagine that he might well have done. Mr Jackson has a tiresome tendency to be a tad sententious on occasion. However, please refrain from putting me in like category."
"Huh?"
"Do not assume that I have any objection to you putting our contumacious sharpshooter across your knee, either for some well-merited correction ... or even just for the hell of it," he added cheekily, gold tooth flashing.
Larabee looked flabbergasted. "Wh-What?" he managed, wondering if he had misheard.
"You heard me correctly. What concerns me is what you do afterwards ... or to put it more crudely, as Mr Wilmington would no doubt say, 'what you do to him afterwards'."
"What do you mean?"
"Surely you do not need me to spell it out for you, but I would have thought dumping him unceremoniously on the floor was hardly to be recommended as the next stage in foreplay ... although, I admit, my experiences of such things may well be at variance from your own."
"Damn! I hoped he hadn't noticed."
"I cannot see how Mr Tanner could have possibly overlooked being deposited forcibly onto the floor," Ezra responded matter-of-factly, successfully hiding his surprise at Larabee's comment.
"You know I didn't mean that! Look, I thought ... Well, I hoped I'd tipped him off before he realized I'd got the damned erection."
"And you wished to hide that fact from him because...?" Ezra prompted, inwardly exulting at the new information. His task was going to be easier than he had feared it might be.
"Because I was embarrassed ... I-I thought he might feel threatened and certainly wouldn't want me caring for him if he thought ... if he thought I wanted ..." He trailed off awkwardly.
"However, you thought perchance you had moved expeditiously enough to preclude Mr Tanner becoming cognizant of your ... ah ... your arousal."
"Yeah, at least I did until you arrived to collect him and then I figured he must have noticed and was running scared in case I decided to molest him."
"However, that does not explain why you elected to call Mr Wilmington to request that he remove Mr Tanner post haste from the ranch," Ezra observed.
"I'm afraid it does. I read the situation exactly the same way that Vin did," Chris confessed, shamefacedly. "I was scared I might ... I wanted to ... Hell, Ezra, I don't know where the thought came from. I've never had sexual thoughts about another man, but I wanted him. And where the hell that leaves our friendship now I don't know. I've ruined everything!"
"Would it ease your mind to learn that Mr Tanner was totally oblivious of your state of arousal?"
"Really? So did he want to leave only because he was upset about the spanking?" Chris asked. "I don't really mean 'only' because I should never have done it. I had no right. But if that's what he's upset about, do you think if I apologized he'd-"
"No."
"But if I said how sorry I am, that it will never happen again and -"
"Mr Larabee, you need to understand that Mr Tanner thinks he has to leave the team."
"What? He can't! There's no need."
"You've just shown that there is."
"But I can give him my word that I'll never ever touch him again," Chris protested, desperately.
Ezra decided it was time to relent. "Surely you can appreciate that that is the last thing that Mr Tanner wants to hear."
Larabee threw up his hands in despair. "You've lost me completely. What does he want? Please, Ezra, tell me what can I do to make things right."
"That is easy answered ... If you will pardon the somewhat crude expression, you 'do' Vin Tanner."
"What???"
"You see, Mr Larabee, for an ATF leader you have shown yourself to be woefully unobservant. You were so preoccupied with your own erection, you failed to notice that Vin was suffering the same 'problem'."
"Vin had an erection too?"
"Yes, and, unfortunately, your hasty departure convinced him that you had detected his arousal and were shocked and angered by it. This was, as you can appreciate, very upsetting and embarrassing for him, hence his urgent call to me for transportation."
"So we both had the same reaction to the spanking?" Larabee asked, still trying to assimilate the new, and unsettling, information.
"Yes, but there was one important difference. You see although his erection caught him off guard, Mr Tanner already knew that he loved you."
"Loved me?" Larabee asked, in a voice of wonder.
"Yes. Though, of course, Mr Tanner being blind to his own not inconsiderable 'charms' never anticipated that you would return his affection. Ergo he elected to keep his feelings to himself, to save any upset or awkwardness, and clung to your friendship as the best thing that had happened to him or that was likely to happen. However, he could not manage to completely suppress all hope. As you can imagine your extreme reaction, to what he presumed to be 'his' erection, has shattered him. That tiny flame of hope has gone and he is convinced your friendship has also been extinguished. So, the question remains, what are you going to do to put things right? You think about it, while I go and check on Vin."+ + + + + + +
Back in Vin's room, Buck was finding that the sharpshooter was not as sanguine as he was about the future. Indeed, anything but.
"Bucklin, I know both ya and Ez are tryin' ta make me feel better an' I 'ppreciate yer kindness, but I don't ... I don't ... Look, ya both came out ta get me an' I still want ... I want ta go home. Please, Bucklin."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Junior, especially after your head injury. You stay here tonight and rest up and think things over. I promise I'll come out first thing tomorrow and collect you if you still want to go home."
"No, please, Buck, I want to go now!" His beautiful sky-blue eyes welled with tears as he spoke.
Wilmington was torn. Although he believed that Larabee loved Vin, he was still not certain that his oldest friend realized it or that he would ever admit it even if he did, and he hated seeing Vin in such distress. Perhaps it would be best to comply with the sharpshooter's request and let both Vin and Chris have some time apart to think.
"All right, Vin," he conceded, "if that's what you want, I'll take you, but it'll be to my place, not yours. Hell, Nate'd skin me alive if I left you alone in Purgatorio in your condition."
"Th-Thanks, Bucklin."
"I'll go and tell Ezra what's happening and get your things. I might be a couple of minutes, so you just lie back and try to relax."+ + + + + + +
Thus it was that Buck emerged into the passage only to encounter Ezra heading for Vin's room.
"How did you fare with Mr Tanner?" Standish asked.
"I'm afraid he still wants to leave, Ezra."
"But did he admit that he loves Mr Larabee?"
"Yeah, I successfully manoeuvred him into that, but I couldn't convince him that Chris feels the same way about him. Perhaps he could sense my doubts."
"Doubts?"
"Oh, I still think it's true, but whether Chris'll ever even realize it, let alone admit it, is another thing."
"He does! He has!" Ezra announced triumphantly.
"Really!" Buck exclaimed, joyfully.
"You surely did not presume to doubt my ability to get him to confess the truth."
"Yeah, I reckon I did," Buck conceded, "but why did he want to get shot of Vin then?"
"Let me tell you an amusing little story," Ezra said and proceeded to relate what Chris had told him about the spanking incident.
Wilmington's grin grew wider as he listened. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"I think the next move is up to Mr Larabee and we need to leave them to it."
Buck sobered a little and said, "But I've promised Vin that I'll take him home."
Ezra paused, briefly considering, and then said, "That's fine. Just play along. Bring him out to the living room. I will play the 'bad guy' and veto the idea of him leaving. I will say that I could not countenance such an occurrence because I have assured Mr Jackson that he will remain here."
"Why bother to bring him out of bed then?"
"For one thing the living room is a bit more neutral territory if they want to talk, whereas Vin's room is where our esteemed colleagues had their little contretemps. However, more importantly, leaving Mr Tanner in the living room ensures Mr Larabee can't completely bottle out and avoid the issue. He will have to carry Mr Tanner to bed so, one way or another, Vin will be in his arms and I will lay you odds that the bedroom Mr Tanner finally sleeps in will not be the one he currently occupies."
"I never thought I'd be saying this, but I like the way you think, Ezra."
"Naturally. You go and collect Mr Tanner. I will return to the living room."+ + + + + + +
Accordingly, a short time later, Buck entered the living room with Vin, clad in the toweling robe, in his arms and placed him on the sofa.
"Why have you brought Mr Tanner out here?" Ezra asked. "Mr Jackson specified that he was to stay in bed."
"I want ta go home, Ez" Vin said. He turned to Chris. "Ch-Chris, could ya tell Buck where ya put my thin's please?"
"There's no need for you to go, Vin," Larabee said.
"I want to."
"But ... But you don't ... I don't ..." He trailed off, clearly unsure what to say.
"Allow me, Mr Larabee," Ezra said smoothly. "Mr Tanner, Mr Jackson was extremely reluctant to leave you here. He would have preferred to have you admitted to the clinic for observation. I gave him my word that you would behave sensibly if permitted to remain. What you are proposing is foolhardy in the extreme and I cannot permit it."
"Ya don't have ta. Buck said he'd take me so ya won't be breakin' yer word," Vin said.
Ezra smiled inwardly. He knew the store that Vin placed on his word and so had anticipated that the sharpshooter would have noted his use of the expression. "Mr Wilmington has clearly overlooked the fact that he has no transportation of his own available. We came out here in my car and taking you with us would therefore constitute a betrayal of my promise, would it not?"
Vin hung his head. "S'pose so," he conceded reluctantly.
"That is decided then!" Ezra announced briskly. "Mr Wilmington and I will come back tomorrow morning, with Mr Jackson, and I promise you we will take you home then, if you are still desirous of leaving."
"Th-Thank ya, Ez," Vin muttered, keeping his head down and using his tousled curls to shield his face. Being abandoned by Ezra was the final straw and he was fighting back tears once more.
Larabee had been listening to all this in amazement. Standish was even more devious than he had thought and at the moment he was damned glad of it.
"Perhaps you would be so good as to see us out, Mr Larabee," Ezra said, sweeping from the room.
Wilmington and Larabee exchanged bemused glances and followed him out to the car.
"Right, Mr Larabee, I have done what I can the rest is up to you," Ezra said as he slid into the driving-seat of the Jaguar.
Buck hurriedly wound the passenger window down. "Don't waste too much time talking. Show him that you love him, Stud," Buck urged, as the Jag began to pull away.
Larabee returned to the house and went into the living room. The sharpshooter was lying on the sofa, eyes closed, tear tracks on his pale cheeks betraying his distress.
Larabee hesitated, wondering what he should say. Then he thought of Buck's parting words. If anyone was an expert in relationships it was the ladies' man.
"Well, Tanner, you've had quite a day. Let's get you to bed," Larabee said. As he spoke, he scooped the sharpshooter up into his arms.
Vin started to open his mouth to protest on principle that he wasn't ready for bed, when, with considerable shock, he realized that Larabee was carrying him straight past his room.
Moments later, he found himself being deposited on Larabee's bed. Chris folded back the covers and deftly removed Vin's robe, leaving him naked, before helping him under the covers.
"Ch-Chris ...?" he started apprehensively. "Are ya ... Are ya certain ... Do ya r-really ..." Could Ezra and Buck possibly be right? No, he still could not credit that Larabee might really return his feelings. Hell, a man like Chris Larabee could have anyone he wanted. he didn't have to settle for a scruffy ex-bounty hunter, with no social graces, who seemed destined to cause him endless trouble and aggravation. As much as Vin wanted the blond, he could not bear to think that Chris was doing this because he felt sorry for him.
"Yes, I'm certain!" Larabee said, decisively, hurriedly stripping off his own clothing and climbing into bed. "I'm sure I want you right here where I can keep an eye on you."
"But ... But ... Do ya ... Do ya really ..."
"Look, Vin, you've had a head injury. Nathan told me I need to monitor you two-hourly through the night and I'll be damned if I'm going to keep getting out of bed to do that."
Vin's hopes plummeted. He had clearly misinterpreted Larabee's motives. After the day that he had had it was too much. He rolled away and buried his stricken face in the pillow to try to hide the tears that flooded his eyes, but Chris had not missed the reaction. Feeling guilty for teasing Vin, he hurriedly added, "And there's nowhere my eyes would rather be than looking at the man I love."
Vin turned back, his eyes wide with shock. "Love? Do ya really ... Do ya ... Ya ain't just sayin' ..."
"No, I 'ain't just sayin'", Larabee said, reaching out a tentative hand to caress the sharpshooter's worried face. "I reckon I'll be doing something about it too when you're a bit better ... if it's okay with you, Vin."
"Reckon," the sharpshooter responded, sky eyes blazing with love, as he wriggled across the bed and snuggled happily into Chris' waiting arms.The End