The southerner threw his coat on the rack and dropped his attach� case by the door. He sighed deeply and slid out of his suit jacket and holster. Laying the guns on the end table, he settled onto the couch and closed his eyes.
Some time later he opened them again, to find that he�d dosed off. Ezra looked at the clock. It was barely 12 o�clock, hardly his usual bedtime, but Chris wanted them all at the office early the next day and Ezra was already tired enough to sleep. Taking these things into account, the southerner decided to call it a night and headed up the steps to the comfort of his featherbed. Within moments of entering his room, Ezra had stripped off his clothes and put on the old gray sweatpants he wore to bed. He closed his eyes and settled into the warmth of the down pillow and was soon fast asleep.
**************************************************************************************
The first thing Ezra noticed when he woke was the incessant pounding on the door to his room. This struck him as strange, since he knew that he should be alone in his house. Ezra sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Gasping in surprise, the southerner realized that he was no longer in the bed at his townhouse and was no longer wearing his old sweatpants. Instead, he had a rather old fashioned nightshirt on and was in a room that, while it was not his bedroom, appeared strangely familiar.
�Ezra! Time ta get movin�. Chris wants to ride out early,� called a voice from the hallway.
Ezra recognized the voice immediately and answered, �I shall be along shortly, Mistah Tannah!� The reply seemed to satisfy the impatient Texan, since Ezra heard his footsteps retreat down the hallway. Ezra shook his head in confusion. Where was he and where did Mr. Larabee intend for them to be riding to?
With a deep sigh, Ezra climbed out of bed and crossed the room to a large wardrobe. He opened it to find some fine clothing, dated from the late 1800�s. Ezra shrugged and turned to a pitcher and bowl on a small table nearby. He washed and shaved, then decided it was time he got dressed. He put the on a neatly pressed shirt, a gold colored vest, a moss green jacket and pants and a thin black bow tie. Next he found his gun belt and settled it onto his hips. The southerner appraised his appearance in the large wall mirror and decided that he looked put together enough to pass inspection. With a sigh, he made for the door. Grabbing his hat off the hook, he flung the door open and came face-to-face with an angry looking Chris Larabee.
�Took ya long enough,� the black-clad man grumbled.
Ezra shrugged, �I only just woke up Mistah Larabee. You�ll have to pardon me if my mornin� ablutions take slightly longer than you would have liked. I, however, feel that my appearance is something I need to take time with.�
Chris shrugged and turned to head down the hallway. Ezra shook his head and followed. They were met at the base of the stairs by the rest of the team. Ezra smiled and greeted all of them with a hearty �Good Mornin�.� Vin and JD smiled in response, Nathan rolled his eyes slightly and Josiah replied in kind. Buck grinned and said, �You�re lookin� wide awake considerin� you don�t usually get up before noon.�
Ezra shrugged, �I retired early last night, the better to get a fresh start this mornin�.�
Chris scowled slightly, �Still the last to get up though.� Ezra shrugged and looked around. Outside he could see a wide dirt road with horses, wagons and carriages traveling up and down it. By the looks of things, Ezra was indeed in the late 1800�s. He covered his confusion by smiling at their leader and saying, �Perhaps we have time for some breakfast before we set out?�
Chris scowled and shook his head. Without another word he headed out the door. Ezra shrugged and turned to Vin, �Perhaps not.�
Vin chuckled softly, �Chris don�t like ta be kept waitin�. You know that by now.�
Ezra shrugged, �You should have woken me sooner, then he wouldn�t have had to wait so long.� The Texan shrugged silently and followed the others out the door, with Ezra close behind him. As they mounted their horses, the southerner looked at Vin and said softly, �I realize that I should know this, so forgive me in advance, but�Where exactly are we goin� at this ungodly hour of the day?�
Vin scowled, �Goin� out ta see if we can find the bandits that attacked the stage and kidnapped that lady.� Ezra nodded, then opened his mouth to ask another question. Vin, as though he�d read the southerner�s mind, said, �Erica Simpson, some singer from back East. She was comin� out here ta put on a show. You said yesterday you knew her, but ya wouldn�t say how.� Ezra scowled, he did indeed know an Erica Simpson; she�d been his stepsister for a while. Until his mother and her father had finally divorced.
Vin scowled slightly, with growing concern he asked, �Did you hit your head or something, Ez?�
Ezra looked up in surprise and shook his head, �I most certainly did not.� Ezra knew that he needed to think of some plausible explanation for his confusion, so he quickly added, �It�s merely that it is quite early and I fear that I am not completely awake yet.� The Texan nodded slightly, seemingly pleased with the explanation.
The men rode in silence for some time, until Chris suddenly called a halt. He hopped off his horse and said, �This is where the driver said he was attacked.� The men dismounted and began looking around. Vin identified the tracks of four different horses at the scene. Ezra wandered around the periphery of the area, until something sparkling caught his eye. The southerner bent down and picked up a small broach. Ezra looked up and called to the others. When they got near to him, he said, �This broach belongs to Miss Simpson.�
Chris took the pin from him and looked at it. It was a delicately carved cameo of a young woman, rimmed in gold and accented with tiny pearls. He looked up at Ezra, �You sure?�
The southerner nodded and took the broach back, sliding it quickly into his jacket pocket, �I gave it to her. It�s entirely unique, I had it specially made for her.�
Buck raised his eyebrows at the southerner, �You holdin� out on us, Ezra?�
Ezra rolled his eyes, �Please, Mistah Wilmington, remove your mind from the guttah for a short time!�
Josiah noticed how upset the southerner was and scowled. He walked up to Ezra and laid a hand on his shoulder, �How do you know her, Brother?�
Ezra sighed and looked away from the group for a moment. His voice thick with emotion, he said softly, �She�s- she was my stepsistah. We were rathah close.�
JD scowled in concern, in a subdued tone, he asked, �What happened?�
Ezra sighed again, �Our parents divorced, I moved out West, she stayed in Georgia.�
Chris nodded, �We�ll find her,� he said confidently. Ezra nodded in reply and silently hoped that they would find her before her kidnappers did anything to her.
Vin looked over at the group, �The tracks lead off this away.�
Chris nodded, �Let�s get going. They already have a lead on us.� The team mounted up and followed the trail.
Vin smiled slightly, �With one horse ridin� two, they won�t be able to go as fast as us. We should catch them pretty easily.�
**************************************************************************************
After some time, they came upon a campsite. Vin walked over and looked at the burned out fire. He looked at the others and grinned, �Still warm. They can�t be more than an hour or two ahead of us.�
Josiah nodded, �And with the lady, they can�t move too quickly.� He turned to Ezra, �We�ll catch them before tomorrow.�
JD scowled, �Why do you think they waited so long before they set out?�
With trepidation, Ezra dismounted and scanned the area, �Erica musta tried to get away. They spent the mornin� lookin� for her.�
Vin nodded, �Signs of a scuffle over here.� The others looked where the quiet Texan had indicated and could see that many feet had disturbed the dirt in that area. Ezra peered into some nearby bushes and came out holding something.
Chris scowled, �What�d you find?� Ezra held up a delicate pair of moss green slippers. Chris�s scowl deepened and he asked softly, �Hers?� Ezra nodded slightly and slid the shoes into his saddlebag.
Ezra looked at the their leader, �You don�t suppose they�d...harm her, do you?�
Chris met the southerner�s eyes and was surprised to see real fear there. Chris shook his head slowly, part of him wanted to reassure the younger man, but Ezra deserved to hear the truth, �No way ta tell, that�s why we have to catch them as quickly as possible.�
Ezra nodded, silently praying they were in time to help the woman he still considered his sister, even after all this time. The team mounted up and headed off, again following the trail that would lead them to the bandits and their captive.
*************************************************************************************
As night came upon them, the team reached the crest of a small hill. In the valley below was a small farmhouse with a thin tendril of smoke rising out of the chimney. Vin peered through his spyglass and nodded slightly, �Yup, looks like there�s five of�em. Musta left one behind when they robbed the stage.�
Ezra scowled slightly. Pointing to the glass, he asked, �May I, Mistah Tannah?� Vin nodded silently and handed the object over to the southerner, who peered down at the house below. Looking through one of the windows, Ezra saw a beautiful, young woman with long dark curls leaning over a large pot on the stove. Ezra sighed in relief, �Erica appears to be unharmed,� he reported to the rest of the group.
Buck smiled, �It�s definitely your sister then?�
Ezra nodded, adding, �She looks much as I remember her. Still sweet and innocent and quite beautiful. Like a delicate rose among so many thorns.� The others looked at the southerner, who was lost in thought. Ezra blinked quickly and came out of his reverie. After a muttered apology, he looked over at Chris, �We have to help her soon. What�s the plan?�
Chris looked at the group, �Once they seem to have settled in for the evening, Josiah and Nathan will sneak in the back and get her out. Meanwhile the rest of us attack from the front and distract them.�
Ezra scowled and shook his head, �No, Chris, that won�t work.� All eyes turned to the southerner, Chris glared coldly. Ezra held up a hand to forestall any arguments from the black-clad man, �Erica doesn�t know them, Chris. She�s just been kidnapped, what do you think her reaction will be if two men, whom she doesn�t know, sneak into her room in the dead of night?�
Josiah nodded in comprehension, �I dare say the poor girl would be quite frightened.�
Vin agreed saying, �Probably scream loud enough to wake the whole place up.� Ezra nodded slightly and turned back to Chris.
Chris shrugged, �All right, Ezra and Nathan sneak around back and get her out, the rest of us will distract them by attacking the front. We�ll give you guys to the count of 100 to get her out, before we come in.� Everybody nodded and sat back to wait for activity in the small building to dwindle.
**************************************************************************************
After several hours of watching and waiting, the building grew dark. Ezra and Nathan snuck down the hill and around the back, carefully avoiding notice by the guard on look-out. Once inside, it was simple to find the room that Erica had been locked in. Nathan was suddenly grateful that Ezra was along, as the southerner made quick work of the lock on the door.
Cautiously, they peered into the dark room. Seeing that the room was empty, except for a small bed, and its sleeping occupant, Ezra crept over to the bed. Erica lay, asleep on the bed. In the moonlight shining through the window, Ezra could see that chains bound her wrist to the bedpost. Ezra fought to control the rage filling him at the thought of the cruel chains binding sweet Erica�s delicate wrists. Once he felt he was in control of his emotions, he gently covered her mouth with his hand.
Instantly the girl awoke and began struggling. Ezra scowled slightly and whispered, �Rikki, it�s me, Ez. I�m here to help you.� The girl stilled and Ezra removed his hand.
�Oh, Ez,� she whispered breathlessly, �I�m so glad to see you!�
Ezra nodded and went to work on the chains that bound the young woman. As he did he whispered, �This is my friend, Nathan Jackson.�
Nathan nodded and politely whispered, �Ma�am.� Then he turned to Ezra, �Time�s almost up. We gotta get her outa here!�
Ezra nodded, �Almost got it...There,� he muttered as the chains came loose. Ezra gently lifted the small woman into his arms and indicated for Nathan to get the door. They snuck back out the way they�d come in, with no one the wiser. Soon they had made it to the cover of some nearby trees. Ezra laid Erica down on the ground and placed his jacket over her shoulders. Behind him, he could hear the fighting start.
Nathan looked up at the southerner, �Go, give them a hand. I�ll stay and watch the girl.� Ezra nodded and bounded out of cover to assist his friends.
The fight was pretty evenly matched and his friends seemed to be holding their own against the bandits. Ezra began to make his way over to where Josiah was taking cover behind an old wagon, when he noticed a rifle sticking out of one of the windows on the second floor. Ezra quickly realized that the unknown rifleman had Vin Tanner in his sights. Acting quickly, Ezra shot up at the assailant and called out a warning to Vin.
Several things happened at once. Vin turned slightly at the sound of his name then began to duck, the rifleman managed to get a shot off, before Ezra�s bullet found its mark and he fell from the window, and Ezra noticed Vin fall to the ground as the rifleman�s bullet hit him.
The fighting was resolved soon after that. Chris rushed to Vin�s side and asked, �You okay, cowboy?�
Vin nodded slightly and sat up, holding his arm, �Just winged me. I�ll be fine.�
Josiah turned to Ezra and smiled, �You did good, Brother Ezra.� Ezra smiled and turned away slightly so that his friends could not see the slightly blush that had crept into his cheeks.
Looking back at his friends, as Vin mumbled his thanks, Ezra noticed that the men were staring at a point behind him. Turning back around, he saw Nathan approaching with Erica beside him. Ezra gasped at the thought of Erica walking across the harsh ground with nothing on her feet but stockings and rushed over to his horse. Just as Nathan and the young woman joined the team, Ezra retrieved the soft moss-green slippers from his saddlebags and handed them over to her.
Erica smiled brightly and slid the shoes onto her delicate feet. She turned to Chris and offered her hand, �You must be Mistah Larabee,� she said softly, �Ez has told me so much about you in his lettahs, I feel as though we�ve already met.�
Chris took her hand gently and nodded slightly. �Ma�am,� he said in a soft voice. Chris looked at Ezra and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
The southerner shrugged slightly, �Surely you didn�t think that my mother is the only person with whom I correspond, Mistah Larabee.� Ezra turned back to Erica and said, �This is JD Dunne, Josiah Sanchez, Vin Tanner-�
Erica gasped, �Oh, you�re hurt!� Without saying another word, she knelt beside the suddenly embarrassed Texan and began fussing with his wound.
Nathan started to push her aside, to led his assistance, when Ezra laid a hand on his shoulder. The southerner smiled slightly, �Did I fail to mention that Erica has worked as a nurse?�
Nathan smiled and turned to the small woman with new respect. He knelt on the other side of Vin and watched as, with hands as skilled as his own, Erica cleaned and bandaged Vin�s bleeding arm.
The young woman tucked a long tendril of hair behind her ear and drawled, �It was only a flesh wound, but the bandages will have to be changed frequently to prevent infection.�
Ezra knelt beside her and whispered something in her ear. A look of recognition crossed her face and she smiled at Nathan, �So you�re the Nathan Jackson that Ez has to told me tends to the wounds he receives as a result of his service to the fair town of Four Corners?�
Nathan smiled and nodded slightly, �That I am, ma�am.�
Erica laughed softly, �Please, gentlemen, call me Erica, or Rikki as Ez does.� She got to her feet and brushed off her skirts. With a smile to Ezra, she added, �Bein� addressed as �ma�am� makes me feel so elderly.�
Ezra smiled and pointed over to Buck, who seemed to be feeling left out. �This is Buck Wilmington, Rikki.�
Erica smiled, �Ez has told me ever so much about you, Mistah Wilmington. So I�ll warn you now, unless you enjoy making a fool of yourself, mind your mannahs.�
Buck blinked in confusion and JD chuckled, �Shot down before he even had a chance to start.� The others joined in with hearty laughter.
Chris looked around slightly, �Let�s make camp for the night. We can set out at first light and use their wagon to bring them into town. Everyone agreed and settled down around a small fire to sleep while they could. Chris kept watch over the prisoners first, promising to wake Vin in two hours time. Vin would in turn wake Buck, who would wake Josiah, who would watch until morning.
**************************************************************************************
Ezra was awaked quite early by Josiah. He squinted up at the big man and asked sleepily, �Mornin� already?�
Josiah nodded and added, �You�re the last one to wake, with exception of the young lady.�
Ezra nodded and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Vin had already made coffee for the group and Nathan was working on a small breakfast. Ezra got to his feet and approached Erica. In a soft voice he said, �Rikki, it�s morin�, time to get up.�
The young woman sat up and rubbed her eyes. With a scowl she said, �Ez, do you typically rise at this ungodly hour? Why it�s hardly even light out yet.�
The others chuckled and JD said, �You two could be blood-kin, you�re so alike!�
Ezra smiled, �I am rarely up before noon, however we do want to get back to town quickly, so these miscreants may be placed where they belong, in our humble town�s jail.�
Erica nodded and answered, �Yes, and the sooner the better.� She scowled slightly, �Ez, you didn�t, perchance, find my broach on the trail, did you?�
Ezra smiled and reached into his jacket pocket, �As a matter of fact, Rikki.� Handing the small pin to her, he said, �It�s my pleasure to give it to you a second time.�
Erica smiled, �I was so afraid that I�d lost it forever!� She turned to the other men, �Ez gave this to me on our birthday. I had turned sixteen and he had turned twenty. It was just before he moved out West. I always keep it close to my heart, since that is where Ezra will always reside.�
JD scowled slightly, �You two have the same birthday?�
Ezra chuckled, �Yes, Mistah Dunne, by some wild coincidence, Erica chanced to have been born on my birthday. As a result, that day has always been quite special to us.�
**************************************************************************************
They set out for town not long afterwards, and reached Four Corners by noon. After arriving in the town, the surviving bandits were placed in the jail under guard. Ezra escorted Erica to the hotel, where they had a small lunch. While they were eating, Mary entered the dining room and approached their table.
She smiled and said, �Excuse me, Mr. Standish, but Chris told me you were here with Miss Simpson.�
Ezra smiled slightly, �Would you care to join us?� Mary smiled and sat down next to Ezra. The southerner smiled and said, �Erica, this is Mrs. Mary Travis. Mrs. Travis, this is Miss Erica Simpson.�
Erica smiled brightly, �Mrs. Travis, you run the charming newspaper in this fair town, do you not?� Mary smiled and nodded in reply. �Ez sends me copies of your fine paper, and I am quite honored to finally meet the talented woman who writes such splendid articles.�
Mary smiled and looked at Ezra, �Why, Mr. Standish, I wasn�t aware that you were sending my articles to other places in the territories!�
Ezra shrugged slightly and said, �I thought Erica might like to know what a talented entrepreneur we had in this quaint municipality. The newspaper also helped her know what to expect when she arrived.�
Mary nodded, �Of course.� She turned to Erica, �So I hear you�re planning to put on a show for us this evening.�
Erica nodded, �That�s correct, Mrs. Travis. Unfortunately, my normal accompanist was hurt when the stage was held up. However, I don�t think that will be a problem.� She glanced at Ezra, �I feel confident that I can find another competent musician to assist me.�
Ezra blinked in surprise at Erica, then glanced at Mary and was thankful to see that she didn�t understand what the young lady was implying.
**************************************************************************************
That evening, Ezra and Erica were dressed in their finest clothes. Ezra blinked nervously at her as he noticed that most of the townsfolk had arrived to watch the performance. In a nervous voice, he drawled, �It�s been a long time, Rikki. I�m not so sure I remember how to do this.�
Erica smiled, �Oh, Ez! You�ve been practicing all evening.� She patted his cheek and whispered, �You�ll do fine!�
Without another word, she stepped out onto the makeshift stage, to resounding applause. She smiled at the audience and held up a hand for silence. Once the crowd had quieted, she spoke up, �As many of you know, on my way to your fair town, I was kidnapped by bandits and my usual accompanist was injured.� She turned to Chris and smiled brightly, �Thanks to Mistah Larabee and his companions, I was rescued and safely completed my journey to Four Corners. I was left with a problem, however, since my pianist was unable to play, due to his injuries.� She turned and glanced at Ezra, who was standing off stage, �I have found a more than adequate replacement and so now, I would like you all to enjoy the show.�
She beckoned to Ezra, and he timidly joined her on stage. The crowd gasped in surprise, but Erica simply smiled and pushed Ezra in the direction of the up-right piano in the corner. Ezra sat down and played a chord. Erica nodded, then she began to sing.
The crowd listened in awe as her sweet voice filled the room. �Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me starlight and moonbeams are waitin' for thee. Sounds of the rude world heard in the day lulled by the moonlight, have all passed away. Beautiful dreamer, King of my song, list while I woo thee with soft melody. Gone are the cares of life's busy throng. Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me. Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me.�
They did several other numbers together, Ezra playing the piano and Erica singing in a sweet, soft voice. At last, the evening neared its end. Erica decided to do one last song, she smiled at Ezra and whispered, �Sing with me, dear.�
Ezra blushed and played the opening chord. Then to the surprise of the crowd, including his friends, Ezra joined Erica in song, �From this valley they say you are going. We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile, for they say you are taking the sunshine that has brightened our pathways awhile. Come and sit by my side, if you love me, do not hasten to bid me adieu. Just remember the Red River Valley, and the cowboy who loved you so true.�
The duet ended to rousing applause, and Ezra and Erica took their bows. As the audience dispersed, Chris and the rest of the team approached the two.
Josiah smiled, �I never knew you were so musically talented, Brother Ezra.�
Ezra shrugged and mumbled shyly, �You never asked.� He looked at his friends, �I seem to recall an incident where I had to sing for a bunch of hoodlums. No one seemed surprised then.�
Vin shrugged, �None of us got to hear you sing, either.� The others agreed softly. They all congratulated Erica on the success of the evening and bid them a friendly, �Goodnight.�
Once they were alone, Ezra hugged his �sister� close and said, �Lord, I�ve missed you, Erica!�
Erica hugged him back, then smiled, �I really should be calling it a night, it�s quite late.�
Ezra nodded, �Or quite early, depending on your point of view.� She chuckled and the two went off to their beds.
Once up in his room, Ezra sighed deeply. As enjoyable as the whole experience had been, he knew that this was not his world. He wondered if he would be forced to spend the rest of his days in the past and shuddered at the thought. Shaking his head slightly, he climbed under the thick quilts and closed his eyes.
**************************************************************************************
Ezra awoke to the high-pitched wail of his alarm clock, and silenced it without a second thought. Then he sat up abruptly and looked around. He was snuggled deep in the thick blankets of his featherbed, in the bedroom of his townhouse.
Was it all a dream, then? Ezra climbed out of bed, and was ready to dismiss it as just that, but then looked down at what he was wearing. A long, old-fashioned nightshirt covered Ezra to his knees. He blinked in surprise. How was that possible? Before he could come up with any theories, however, the phone rang. �Hello,� he said softly.
�Hey, Ezra. Chris wanted to make sure you�d be okay ta drive in the snow today,� drawled the soft voice on the line.
Ezra glanced out the window and sighed. It was indeed snowing fairly heavily. He answered the caller, �No, you�d best come pick me up, Mistah Sanchez.�
Josiah replied, �Can do, Ezra. See you soon.�
Ezra smiled, �Yes, thank you, good-bye.�
�Welcome, good-bye.�
Ezra smiled slightly, he was indeed back home, but that was most certainly not a dream. Shaking his head in disbelief, the southerner headed to the shower. He wondered if he should tell the others. With a chuckle he decided that they would never believe him.
The End?