Family

Magnificent 7 ATF AU - Ezra/Vin

Vin Tanner was in a good mood as he pulled into the driveway of his lover's townhouse. Sure the day had been spent doing paperwork, but today was Friday which meant he would have the next two days to spend with Ezra without having to think about work. Plus it had been three weeks now since Ezra had taken a bullet to the shoulder during their last bust. His green-eyed lover had called earlier to let him know that the doctor had approved light activity, meaning their enforced celibacy was finally over. Not that he was going to do much to risk putting any strain on Ezra's shoulder, but there were still plenty of things they could do.

Whistling a jaunty, if offkey, tune, Vin grabbed the bag of groceries Ezra had requested he pickup and made his way up the walk. He used his key to open the door, calling out as he stepped in. "Hey, Ez. I'm home!"

He'd turned to close the door, but something made him stop halfway there. Turning slowly, he looked towards the archway that led to the back hallway and the kitchen. The bag of groceries dropped unnoticed from suddenly nerveless fingers. He took one step, then another. Five steps brought him in full view. One hand grabbed ineffectually at the wall as he slid down it to the floor.

He couldn't remember pulling out his cell phone or dialing, unable to tear his gaze away from the sight in front of him, all he knew was he suddenly heard Chris' voice in his ear.

"Hey, Vin. What's up? I thought you and Ezra had an evening planned? Vin? Hello? You there, Vin?"

"Chris?"

"Yeah, Vin? What's going on? Talk to me, pard."

"I'm at...I'm at...I'm..."

"Where are you, Vin? What's happened?"

"I'm at E-e-e-e...at the townhouse."

"I'm on my way, Vin. Okay? I'll be there soon."

"O-okay."

Vin absently ended the call not moving from his spot against the wall.

************

By the time Chris pulled up in front of the townhouse the rest of the team was there. JD was sitting huddled on the front steps, his hands clapped over his ears as if to close out the world around him, tears streaming unchecked down his cheeks. Josiah was sitting next to him, an arm over JD's shoulders, but not saying anything. The older man looked up as he approached, grief etched across his face.

"What the hell happened?" He demanded.

"Not sure," Josiah replied quietly. "Nathan's inside with Ezra's...with Ezra's body. Buck has Vin locked in the bedroom. Ezra's gone."

"How?" Chris managed to croak out.

A shrug was his only reply. Moving past them, Chris noted the open door and the bag of groceries tipped over on the floor. His gaze moved past them to Nathan who had just finished laying a blanket over their friend. He automatically scanned the floor and surrounding walls for blood, for signs of a struggle. He couldn't find any. Nathan looked up as he approached making Chris' stride falter for a moment. The man's dark skin couldn't hide the split lip and swelling starting around one eye. Things that hadn't been there when they'd left the office only a couple of hours earlier.

"What the hell happened, Nathan? How did..."

"My face is courtesy of Vin," Nathan replied with a rueful, grief tinged smile. "He didn't take well to me telling him Ezra was dead."

As if to punctuate that they could hear Vin shouting from the bedroom, calling for Ezra.

"Luckily Buck and Josiah were able to pull him off before he did much damage. I'll be okay." He said in response to Chris' unasked question. "As for how Ezra died, I can't tell you. There are no marks on him besides the healing bullet wound. No signs of infection. Nothing. It's like he just fell over dead."

"Jesus Christ. And Vin found him."

"Yeah. C.S.I. and the coroner are on their way over."

"Thanks, Nate."

Nathan just nodded his head rising to his feet. He patted Chris on the shoulder as he passed him on his way out to the front porch. Chris moved forward then slowly knelt down on one knee. His hand trembled a little as he brushed it over the brown locks sticking out above the blanket.

"Damn, pard. How the hell am I going to get Vin through this?" He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I hope you're at peace wherever you are, Ezra."

Rising to his feet, Chris went to help the friend that he could.

***********

It was hours later when the call came. They were all out at Chris' ranch, trying to find comfort in being together. JD had cried himself to sleep on the couch, while Nathan had sedated Vin in one of the guest bedrooms. Not the one that Vin and Ezra usually shared.

"Larabee. It was what? How could it have happened? It was quick? No pain? Yeah. Thanks. Thanks for calling so late." Chris hung up the phone, staring at it in his hand for several long minutes before putting it down. He didn't want to face the others but knew they needed to know as much as he had. Finally he looked up at them. "It was an aneuryism. They...They said it would have happened fast. He shouldn't...shouldn't have been in pain when it happened."

It was small consolation in the loss of their friend.

The End