What a Family Does by Debby (PG-13)

[wneleh.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Pairing: Gen
Length: ~3,000
Author on LJ: sablecain
Author Website: Sablecain's Bit of Fiction
Why this must be read:

This is my second rec to focus on Ezra Standish; I'll probably post one more before I lose the keys to the van.

This story is my favorite of a genre that I think of as "Everybody loves Ezra." I'm not so much a fan of h/c as of fic in which a character has to let go of a bit of himself to accept the comfort offered; in this story Ezra is, well, a mess.

A snippet:

Vin approached slowly, casting angry looks at the members of Team Two, still laughing at the incident. It was a joke, Tanner realized. They’d filled the dummy’s head with ketchup and raw hamburger; he could smell it now. He knew Ezra had checked his weapon before the session, he’d watched him. Someone must have slipped in a live round during the safety lecture.

“Idiots.” Josiah moved in beside him, mumbling in a low growl. “Someone could have gotten seriously hurt.”

Vin nodded. “You okay, Ezra?” he asked the still silent undercover agent. “Ez?” He reached out and grasped Standish’s elbow when he didn’t get a response.

Ezra jerked away from the touch, his eyes darting fearfully around the room.

“You alright, Brother?” Josiah’s concern immediately drowned out his earlier anger.

Standish backed away another step; his eyes flitted down quickly to the mess on the floor and then back up to his teammates. He made no move to wipe away the splattered ketchup or meat from his face or ruined clothing, he just stared blankly. “H- He’s dead,” he whispered, gagging on his own words.

What a Family Does