Child Of My Heart (6/12) - Mag7/Highlander
Title: Child Of My Heart (6/12)
Author: strangevisitor7
Fandom: Magnificent 7 and Highlander
Beta: Much thanks to ithildyn
Prompt: #7 - Days for Crossovers100. My table is here
Rating: PG, Gen
Characters: HL: OFC Charlotte Sparrow (AKA Pearl Black); Mag7: Ezra Standish, Maude Standish, Vin Tanner, JD Dunne
Summary: Maude makes things difficult for Ezra (when doesn't she)
A/N: Charlotte is an Immortal and an original character created by ithildyn. The rest of Charlotte’s stories can be found on ithildyn’s journal Here
A/N2: Events in this chapter occur during "Witness". Some dialog is used and some is altered to fit this AU.
Chapter List
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11; Epilogue
Child Of My Heart, Chapter 6
After spending the day in the saddle in the company of Josiah and JD, all Ezra wanted to do was fall into bed. He’d learned from them that his mother had been busy ingratiating herself with his colleagues.
He was angry to hear that she had been plying her cons on them, though JD seemed unaware that he’d been duped into giving his mother money. They had no way of knowing she wasn’t the fine upstanding woman that Charlotte was. He hoped Maude’s deceitful behavior would not be discovered and possibly change their high opinion of his cousin.
He pushed open the door to his room to find his mother sitting on the bed, reading and waiting for him.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” He sighed as he shed his coat and placed it over the footboard.
“I was waiting for you.”
“It’s been a long day,” he said as he removed his guns, setting them on the dresser. “Was there something specific you wanted to discuss?”
“I found the perfect mark today. We can use the cotton-gin investment scam we pulled in Chicago.”
Ezra turned to face her. “No.” When Maude stared at him as if she hadn’t heard, he repeated it. “No, mother, I won’t help you.”
The disappointment in her eyes cut him to the quick. He moved to sit by her on the bed. “Please understand. I will not risk my position in this town by participating in something illegal.”
“Illegal? Don’t be ridiculous, this is your livelihood. I thought this protection job was just a front.”
Ezra hesitated. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t a front. That for the first time in his life he’d found a modicum of respect from those around him and that he actually wanted this life on the legal side of the line, but she would never understand. “Of course it is,” he said as he patted her hand and stood to finish undressing. He didn’t want her to see the lie in his eyes.
“Ezra,” she entreated him.
He stood silently in front of his dressing table as he removed his tie, keeping his back to her.
“Ezra, don’t tell me you’ve actually joined the ranks of the employed. That would be a waste of your God-given gifts,” she said.
Ezra continued his silence, chuckling to himself at the irony. She would never understand that the things she was most proud of in him were the things he was most ashamed of.
“I raised you better than that!” she exclaimed angrily when he still had not responded.
The words were like a glass of cold water thrown in his face. He felt anger welling up at the ridiculousness of this entire conversation.
“Raised me?” he asked, incredulous that she would even make that claim. He turned to face her. “Raised me? You mean dumped me at every friend and relative’s place you could find unless you needed me for a con. If it weren’t for Cousin Charlotte-“
He stopped his accusations as Maude’s eyes grew dark. “I did the best I could! Are you suggesting that Charlotte was more of a mother to you than I was? She doesn’t care for you the way I do. She’s the one who wants to deny you your birthright.”
“Don’t!” he snapped. “Don’t even suggest that you care for me more than she does. If it weren’t for Charlotte, I wouldn’t even know what it meant to have some semblance of a stable home. This trade you taught me is no birthright.”
“You have no idea what you will be capable of someday, I do,” Maude insisted. “As for Charlotte, she’s nothing but a stuck up snob who thinks she knows what’s best for everyone."
Ezra’s hands gripped the footboard as he held himself back from lashing out. “You have no right to speak of Charlotte that way,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Maude stood and met his angry gaze. “If you are too caught up in her do-gooder mentality to see that I’m right, I may have to take action before she ruins you completely.” She stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.
Ezra stood paralyzed by the venom that his mother had spewed toward Charlotte. He tightened his hold on the footboard so that he wouldn’t go racing after her to apologize. She might be standing right outside the door waiting for him to call out to her. He wasn’t going to do it.
He meant what he said. He just hadn’t meant to tell his mother. He had expected some jealousy, but he was shocked to find out she had such a low opinion of his cousin.
Throughout his life, Charlotte and his mother had been the only ones who mattered. His mother’s life lessons had taught him to trust no one but he always trusted Cousin Charlotte. Would his mother be callous enough to make him choose?
Charlotte. He knew instantly that he would never give her up no matter what his mother asked of him. He’d learned tonight that he could say no to her. Now he just had to see it through and not give in to his constant need to make his mother happy.
He was an adult and his mother needed to understand that this was his life to live. That brought him back to the musings he’d had the morning his mother had arrived before it had all gone sour. He was happy here, working as one of the seven, with Charlotte nearby.
Nodding to himself, he knew he could face his mother. When she was calm tomorrow, he would find her and explain that this was how things were and if she didn’t like it she could leave; but he wasn’t coming with her any more.
*******************************
Ezra spent the next two days helping the rest of the seven trap a murderer. He’d actually been relieved that there had been no time to talk to his mother about what had been said in anger. He was still trying to determine how best to get what he wanted without upsetting her further.
Growing up, he would have done anything to win her approval. But he was finding her approval mattered less today than it ever had.
His mother needed to understand that he loved Cousin Charlotte too. It should be possible to have both of these women that he cared about in his life. There was no way that he was going to dismiss Charlotte, as he’d done in the past, just to keep the peace.
Mumbling to himself, he walked toward the hotel to talk to his mother. He rehearsed what he was going to say as he tried to prepare for the confrontation ahead.
“Talking to yourself there, Ezra?” Vin called from his seat in front of the jail.
Ezra stopped and tilted his head toward the tracker. “I often find that my own conversation is more enlightening than any I can find around here.”
“’Spose that’d be true.” Vin chuckled. “You headed off to talk to your ma?”
Ezra was constantly amazed at Vin’s ability to read people. Sometimes he thought it might rival his own. “Actually, I am. So if you’ll excuse me.” He gestured up the street.
“She ain’t there.”
That was surprising. She hadn’t been in the saloon when he’d come down from his room and he hadn’t seen her on the street. “As you appear to have superior knowledge concerning her location, would you care to enlighten me as to where she might be?” he asked as he climbed the steps to stand beside Vin.
“JD took her out to your cousin’s.”
Ezra paled as he tried to comprehend Vin’s simple statement. “JD took her to my cousin’s,” he repeated.
“That’s what I said.” Vin laughed. “You not hearing so good this morning?
“I heard you,” Ezra snapped. “Why did JD go?”
“She didn’t know where it was and JD offered to show her. ’Spect it was a good excuse to see Miss Jemma again,” Vin said with a knowing smile. “They hitched up a wagon and took off.”
This was not good, Ezra thought. “How long ago did they depart?”
Vin leaned forward to look at the sky. “’Bout an hour ago, I’d guess.”
Ezra left without saying goodbye and practically ran to the livery.
“Everything ok, Ezra?” Vin called after him.
The gambler did not acknowledge the question but kept up his pace to get his horse and get out to Charlotte’s as quickly as possible.
He hoped his concerns were unfounded. Certainly Maude couldn’t do anything to turn his cousin against him; yet, he was unable shake the feeling that a confrontation between his mother and his cousin would not end well. When he was growing up, Charlotte had always given in to Maude’s jealousy. Many times Charlotte had let him leave when they both knew he’d rather stay. It was a game they played, pretending that it was best for him to be with Maude.
Doubt gnawed at him. Maybe Charlotte wasn’t playing a game; maybe she did find his presence a burden when faced with Maude’s displeasure. He tried to push away the thought that he had been the one fooled, that given the choice Charlotte would side with Maude. She had enjoyed having him around all those years, hadn’t she?
He scoffed at his own insecurities. His mother’s presence was like a poison to his relationship with Charlotte. He needed to hear Charlotte take his side against Maude; needed to know that everything he believed about their relationship was true. He didn’t know what he would do if Charlotte asked him to go.
With a single-mindedness that seemed to make his mount nervous, Ezra went about the business of saddling Chaucer.
“Hey, Ez, you okay?” Vin asked. The man had followed him.
“I am fine, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said. “I simply wish to make sure my mother arrived unharmed.”
“JD’s with her. Ain’t nothing ta worry about.”
Ezra sighed as he continued with his task, wishing Vin would go away. “I’m sure they are. I just feel the need to go too.”
Vin nodded. “Want some company?”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“You sure?”
“I am more than capable of getting there on my own,” Ezra said. He looked up to see the frown on Vin’s face.
“Just thought - ” the tracker stopped and shrugged.
As concerned as Ezra was about what might be happening at Charlotte’s, he had to smile at the man’s barely concealed reason for wanting to accompany him. “I will make sure to bring you back some pie.”
“That obvious, huh?” Vin sent him a small smile.
“Yes it is,” he replied. “Your fondness for my cousin’s confections is well known.”
“I’ll still come, iffen ya want the company.”
“Again, your offer, while appreciated, is unnecessary.’
“Well okay, just don’t forget the pie,” Vin teased before exiting the livery.
Vin’s sincere offer of companionship had gone a long way to lifting his dark mood. Chuckling to himself over the magical properties of pie, Ezra returned to his task and was on the trail in less than five minutes.
**************************
Ezra arrived at the Black homestead to find JD and Jemma sitting demurely on the porch, deep in discussion.
As he rode up, JD jumped to his feet and came off the porch to greet him. “Hey Ezra,” he said. “Jemma and I, we were - I mean it is okay that I came out?”
Dismounting, Ezra waved a hand at his friend. “JD, I trust you with my cousin. I’m sure that you were behaving like a gentleman.”
JD beamed at him. “Yep, sure was.”
“Good but the next time my mother asks you to bring her out here, don’t.”
“Sorry, Ezra. She seemed real anxious to get out here and didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Yes I’m sure she did,” he grumbled. “Now, where is she?”
“She and Mrs. Black went to the barn down by the stream. Something about wanting some privacy.”
Ezra nodded, remounted his horse and headed off to find his wayward relatives.
Author: strangevisitor7
Fandom: Magnificent 7 and Highlander
Beta: Much thanks to ithildyn
Prompt: #7 - Days for Crossovers100. My table is here
Rating: PG, Gen
Characters: HL: OFC Charlotte Sparrow (AKA Pearl Black); Mag7: Ezra Standish, Maude Standish, Vin Tanner, JD Dunne
Summary: Maude makes things difficult for Ezra (when doesn't she)
A/N: Charlotte is an Immortal and an original character created by ithildyn. The rest of Charlotte’s stories can be found on ithildyn’s journal Here
A/N2: Events in this chapter occur during "Witness". Some dialog is used and some is altered to fit this AU.
Chapter List
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11; Epilogue
Child Of My Heart, Chapter 6
After spending the day in the saddle in the company of Josiah and JD, all Ezra wanted to do was fall into bed. He’d learned from them that his mother had been busy ingratiating herself with his colleagues.
He was angry to hear that she had been plying her cons on them, though JD seemed unaware that he’d been duped into giving his mother money. They had no way of knowing she wasn’t the fine upstanding woman that Charlotte was. He hoped Maude’s deceitful behavior would not be discovered and possibly change their high opinion of his cousin.
He pushed open the door to his room to find his mother sitting on the bed, reading and waiting for him.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” He sighed as he shed his coat and placed it over the footboard.
“I was waiting for you.”
“It’s been a long day,” he said as he removed his guns, setting them on the dresser. “Was there something specific you wanted to discuss?”
“I found the perfect mark today. We can use the cotton-gin investment scam we pulled in Chicago.”
Ezra turned to face her. “No.” When Maude stared at him as if she hadn’t heard, he repeated it. “No, mother, I won’t help you.”
The disappointment in her eyes cut him to the quick. He moved to sit by her on the bed. “Please understand. I will not risk my position in this town by participating in something illegal.”
“Illegal? Don’t be ridiculous, this is your livelihood. I thought this protection job was just a front.”
Ezra hesitated. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t a front. That for the first time in his life he’d found a modicum of respect from those around him and that he actually wanted this life on the legal side of the line, but she would never understand. “Of course it is,” he said as he patted her hand and stood to finish undressing. He didn’t want her to see the lie in his eyes.
“Ezra,” she entreated him.
He stood silently in front of his dressing table as he removed his tie, keeping his back to her.
“Ezra, don’t tell me you’ve actually joined the ranks of the employed. That would be a waste of your God-given gifts,” she said.
Ezra continued his silence, chuckling to himself at the irony. She would never understand that the things she was most proud of in him were the things he was most ashamed of.
“I raised you better than that!” she exclaimed angrily when he still had not responded.
The words were like a glass of cold water thrown in his face. He felt anger welling up at the ridiculousness of this entire conversation.
“Raised me?” he asked, incredulous that she would even make that claim. He turned to face her. “Raised me? You mean dumped me at every friend and relative’s place you could find unless you needed me for a con. If it weren’t for Cousin Charlotte-“
He stopped his accusations as Maude’s eyes grew dark. “I did the best I could! Are you suggesting that Charlotte was more of a mother to you than I was? She doesn’t care for you the way I do. She’s the one who wants to deny you your birthright.”
“Don’t!” he snapped. “Don’t even suggest that you care for me more than she does. If it weren’t for Charlotte, I wouldn’t even know what it meant to have some semblance of a stable home. This trade you taught me is no birthright.”
“You have no idea what you will be capable of someday, I do,” Maude insisted. “As for Charlotte, she’s nothing but a stuck up snob who thinks she knows what’s best for everyone."
Ezra’s hands gripped the footboard as he held himself back from lashing out. “You have no right to speak of Charlotte that way,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Maude stood and met his angry gaze. “If you are too caught up in her do-gooder mentality to see that I’m right, I may have to take action before she ruins you completely.” She stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.
Ezra stood paralyzed by the venom that his mother had spewed toward Charlotte. He tightened his hold on the footboard so that he wouldn’t go racing after her to apologize. She might be standing right outside the door waiting for him to call out to her. He wasn’t going to do it.
He meant what he said. He just hadn’t meant to tell his mother. He had expected some jealousy, but he was shocked to find out she had such a low opinion of his cousin.
Throughout his life, Charlotte and his mother had been the only ones who mattered. His mother’s life lessons had taught him to trust no one but he always trusted Cousin Charlotte. Would his mother be callous enough to make him choose?
Charlotte. He knew instantly that he would never give her up no matter what his mother asked of him. He’d learned tonight that he could say no to her. Now he just had to see it through and not give in to his constant need to make his mother happy.
He was an adult and his mother needed to understand that this was his life to live. That brought him back to the musings he’d had the morning his mother had arrived before it had all gone sour. He was happy here, working as one of the seven, with Charlotte nearby.
Nodding to himself, he knew he could face his mother. When she was calm tomorrow, he would find her and explain that this was how things were and if she didn’t like it she could leave; but he wasn’t coming with her any more.
*******************************
Ezra spent the next two days helping the rest of the seven trap a murderer. He’d actually been relieved that there had been no time to talk to his mother about what had been said in anger. He was still trying to determine how best to get what he wanted without upsetting her further.
Growing up, he would have done anything to win her approval. But he was finding her approval mattered less today than it ever had.
His mother needed to understand that he loved Cousin Charlotte too. It should be possible to have both of these women that he cared about in his life. There was no way that he was going to dismiss Charlotte, as he’d done in the past, just to keep the peace.
Mumbling to himself, he walked toward the hotel to talk to his mother. He rehearsed what he was going to say as he tried to prepare for the confrontation ahead.
“Talking to yourself there, Ezra?” Vin called from his seat in front of the jail.
Ezra stopped and tilted his head toward the tracker. “I often find that my own conversation is more enlightening than any I can find around here.”
“’Spose that’d be true.” Vin chuckled. “You headed off to talk to your ma?”
Ezra was constantly amazed at Vin’s ability to read people. Sometimes he thought it might rival his own. “Actually, I am. So if you’ll excuse me.” He gestured up the street.
“She ain’t there.”
That was surprising. She hadn’t been in the saloon when he’d come down from his room and he hadn’t seen her on the street. “As you appear to have superior knowledge concerning her location, would you care to enlighten me as to where she might be?” he asked as he climbed the steps to stand beside Vin.
“JD took her out to your cousin’s.”
Ezra paled as he tried to comprehend Vin’s simple statement. “JD took her to my cousin’s,” he repeated.
“That’s what I said.” Vin laughed. “You not hearing so good this morning?
“I heard you,” Ezra snapped. “Why did JD go?”
“She didn’t know where it was and JD offered to show her. ’Spect it was a good excuse to see Miss Jemma again,” Vin said with a knowing smile. “They hitched up a wagon and took off.”
This was not good, Ezra thought. “How long ago did they depart?”
Vin leaned forward to look at the sky. “’Bout an hour ago, I’d guess.”
Ezra left without saying goodbye and practically ran to the livery.
“Everything ok, Ezra?” Vin called after him.
The gambler did not acknowledge the question but kept up his pace to get his horse and get out to Charlotte’s as quickly as possible.
He hoped his concerns were unfounded. Certainly Maude couldn’t do anything to turn his cousin against him; yet, he was unable shake the feeling that a confrontation between his mother and his cousin would not end well. When he was growing up, Charlotte had always given in to Maude’s jealousy. Many times Charlotte had let him leave when they both knew he’d rather stay. It was a game they played, pretending that it was best for him to be with Maude.
Doubt gnawed at him. Maybe Charlotte wasn’t playing a game; maybe she did find his presence a burden when faced with Maude’s displeasure. He tried to push away the thought that he had been the one fooled, that given the choice Charlotte would side with Maude. She had enjoyed having him around all those years, hadn’t she?
He scoffed at his own insecurities. His mother’s presence was like a poison to his relationship with Charlotte. He needed to hear Charlotte take his side against Maude; needed to know that everything he believed about their relationship was true. He didn’t know what he would do if Charlotte asked him to go.
With a single-mindedness that seemed to make his mount nervous, Ezra went about the business of saddling Chaucer.
“Hey, Ez, you okay?” Vin asked. The man had followed him.
“I am fine, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said. “I simply wish to make sure my mother arrived unharmed.”
“JD’s with her. Ain’t nothing ta worry about.”
Ezra sighed as he continued with his task, wishing Vin would go away. “I’m sure they are. I just feel the need to go too.”
Vin nodded. “Want some company?”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“You sure?”
“I am more than capable of getting there on my own,” Ezra said. He looked up to see the frown on Vin’s face.
“Just thought - ” the tracker stopped and shrugged.
As concerned as Ezra was about what might be happening at Charlotte’s, he had to smile at the man’s barely concealed reason for wanting to accompany him. “I will make sure to bring you back some pie.”
“That obvious, huh?” Vin sent him a small smile.
“Yes it is,” he replied. “Your fondness for my cousin’s confections is well known.”
“I’ll still come, iffen ya want the company.”
“Again, your offer, while appreciated, is unnecessary.’
“Well okay, just don’t forget the pie,” Vin teased before exiting the livery.
Vin’s sincere offer of companionship had gone a long way to lifting his dark mood. Chuckling to himself over the magical properties of pie, Ezra returned to his task and was on the trail in less than five minutes.
**************************
Ezra arrived at the Black homestead to find JD and Jemma sitting demurely on the porch, deep in discussion.
As he rode up, JD jumped to his feet and came off the porch to greet him. “Hey Ezra,” he said. “Jemma and I, we were - I mean it is okay that I came out?”
Dismounting, Ezra waved a hand at his friend. “JD, I trust you with my cousin. I’m sure that you were behaving like a gentleman.”
JD beamed at him. “Yep, sure was.”
“Good but the next time my mother asks you to bring her out here, don’t.”
“Sorry, Ezra. She seemed real anxious to get out here and didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Yes I’m sure she did,” he grumbled. “Now, where is she?”
“She and Mrs. Black went to the barn down by the stream. Something about wanting some privacy.”
Ezra nodded, remounted his horse and headed off to find his wayward relatives.