In Wolf's Clothing

Chapter 15

Stuck in the empty jail house Ezra pouted as he gave swift jabs to the ratty broom spreading the layers of dirt across the floor. The process was slow and more dirt went flying in the wrong direction than where he was aiming at. "This is so unfair!" he cried kicking at a piece of paper balled up on the floor. His perfect plan to show his usefulness to the men watching over him had been a disaster. "Completely embarrassing! I cannot believe they did that to me. No one is ever going to take me serious in poker again!" His ear tips turned red at the remembered incident from last night that led to his current predicament.

Ezra was thrilled to finally be released from the clinic, even though he had to stay with Chris and not Vin. Although when he thought about it, perhaps the shared room in the boarding house was a better choice than the small wagon Vin slept in. Without being in his wolf form there wouldn't be nearly enough room for the both of them. Chris had given him a handful of change, instructing him to get something to eat before he went to bed for the night while he was out on patrol. The money in his pocket felt warm as he continued to grasp it every few minutes. Finally he had a small stake to ply his trade. He waved at Chris as he rode out of town for his patrol and noted the other men were spread around the town. Vin had his chair kicked back at the jail, sleeping or watchful, Ezra couldn't tell. Nathan he saw at the clinic talking with Josiah and Buck was busy talking to any woman that was within his visual distance. He had no idea where JD had gone, but shrugged his shoulder ignoring the tiny bit of soreness and made a path to the closest saloon. As he entered he breathed a sigh of delight. The loud atmosphere called to him, enticing him to go further into the room.

He was a little hazy on everything that happened, but one moment he was having the time of his life and the next he was looking at the world upside down as he was carried out of the saloon. He remembered hearing the clanking sound of a pair of spurs until the swinging doors whooshed behind them. The silence was broken as he heard the load guffaws of laughter behind him. Now he was stuck here for the rest of the day to 'stay out of trouble' and clean. Neither of which was going to help him show the others that he could be of use to them and to keep him around. Sighing, he went back to sweep dirt in multiple directions again.

~~~~~7~~~~~

He didn't know why Chris was so mad at him this time, he had only been trying to help. He thought about asking, but his face was still beet red and that tiny vein was bulging in an out at a maddening pace. He just followed behind him silently as he yanked the fellow he was escorting to the jail ahead of him. Ezra cringed at how the poor sap was moving quickly on his toes to keep from having his arm yanked out of socket. He even rubbed his own shoulder in sympathy. It was all just so uncivilized, he had had the whole situation in hand until Chris and the others came up behind him. He was finding that happening a lot lately. Seems every time he turned around one of them was kicking on his heels. This instance was no different. He smiled as he heard the cell door close and lock, then pulled a folded wanted poster from his pocket.

"An excellent haul Mr. Larabee, Jay Stiles, Wanted for bail jumping in Fort Laramie. It's a fifty dollar bounty."

Buck snorted before wilting under Chris' steely gaze.

Chris reached forward yanking the paper out of Ezra's hand before crumbling and throwing it toward the wall. "Of all the hair brained things, what ever possessed you to take on a criminal bounty? Do you know what could have happened to you?"

"I was in complete control, I had Mister Stiles exactly where I wanted him. He would have been in the jail all peaceful-like, unlike the frog-march he had over here if you hadn't interfered."

Josiah and Nathan just shook their heads and prayed the brazen little boy would see sense.

"Chris," JD interrupted.

"What!" He wasn't happy to be distracted from getting Ezra to listen.

"There's another poster on Stiles, he's also wanted for rape and murder, killed a family outside of Fort Laramie the day he escaped."

Muttered curses came from the others.

"Well isn't that just great. Now do you understand Ezra? This was extremely dangerous."

Ezra stood stunned. He had screwed up again. I was only trying to help. Turning on his heel he dashed out of the jail.

"Damnit, Ezra, get back here!" Chris started to head out after him.

Vin stepped forward and placed his hand on his shoulder, "I'll find him, 'recon he's a might upset."

Chris nodded and watched the tracker disappear. "Shit!"

~~~~~7~~~~~

Vin approached the small boy sitting on the edge of the mercantile roof. "I often come up here to get away from everyone and think."

Ezra lifted a shoulder in response. Why do I keep messing up everything? I'm only trying to be useful.

Vin sat down next to the silent figure. "Your not messing anything up, guess we just haven't realized how much of a change this has been for you to go through as well."

Ezra turned to look at Vin, "I want to stay here. Here with you and the others, but I don't know how to make you want to keep me around. Mother would leave me with friends and relatives while she worked her cons. None of them wanted me there."

"Is that why you are trying to find ways to be useful to use, so we will want you?"

He nodded his head sniffing a tear back. I don't want to leave.

We don't want you to leave either.

"What about the judge?"

"We'll figure it out Ez."

Ezra leaned into the tracker as they sat silently watching the town activities below.