Someone To Watch Over Me
by Purple Lacey
 

Part 15

The next few days were tense for everyone.  Buck was especially pained, being torn between wanting to spend time with JD before he returned to college and with Ezra who, although he had settled down some, still looked at any attention he paid to his cousin as a sign that he, Ezra, was being pushed aside.  Buck wanted to spend the holidays as a family but the little boy was not willing to acknowledge that JD even WAS a member of his family. 

JD was trying his best, but didn’t know what he could do to let the boy know that he wasn’t trying to undermine his relationship with Buck.   He had made overture after overture to the boy but each was viewed with suspicion and politely refused.  The wary look with which the child watched his every movement was playing hell with JD’s self esteem.  

The child definitely had no problems with Vin, Nathan, or Josiah.  He lit up like a Christmas tree whenever any of the men were around and had no problem acting like the loveable little six year old he was when they came to visit, laughing and chattering with them and being free with his hugs and kisses, but let JD come into the room and the boy shut down completely. This was not the kind of Christmas JD had envisioned.

The one encouraging note in the whole mess as far as Buck was concerned  was the discovery that Ezra still had a strong spirit alive and well underneath the fear of violence that his stepfather had instilled in him. 

The child had been playing in his room one afternoon while Buck was on the phone and JD had decided to try again to get the boy to relax with him. JD had walked into the little boy’s room to find him sitting on the carpet with several of his action figures. 

Putting on a cheerful face he said, “Hi, Ezra.  I thought you might like somebody to play with for awhile.”

The little head had shot up and a scowl flew onto the boy’s face at finding his rival trespassing in his room.  Ezra grabbed up his toys and jumped to his feet without a word.  He ran to the big walk-in closet where his toy chest was located and tossed the toys down on the carpet of the closet then turned around and pulled the door closed in JD’s face.

JD sighed, “Come on, Ezra.  Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to play by yourself?”

The young man started to open the closet door as he talked only to have it jerked out of his hand and re-closed with a loud bang as Ezra yelled, “NO! This is my private space!  Buck says everybody has a private space and nobody can come in unless they get permission first!  You can’t come in unless I say so!”

Ezra was outraged.   As he saw it, JD was breaking the number one rule of the house by not respecting his private space.   Buck had told the little boy that a person’s private space should not be entered without their permission.  Ezra had promised Buck he wouldn’t break that rule and so far he had been very good about keeping his word.  That JD wouldn’t respect Buck’s rule made the little boy livid.

“Ezra!” JD said with exasperation, “A closet isn’t a private space,” and tried to open the door again only to have the child once again jerk it out of his hand and slam it shut.  He tried again, but Ezra grasped the doorknob with both hands and lifted one foot off the ground to brace it against the wall beside the door then the other, his legs now stretched out parallel to the floor with his body suspended over it holding the door shut.  There was no way JD could have opened the door without hurting the child.

“NO!” Ezra shouted angrily.   “It IS my private place!  Just because I said so!  You can’t tell me where my private place is!  It’s mine!  I get to choose, not YOU!” 

“What’s going on in here?” Buck asked as he hurried into the room after hearing Ezra’s shouts.

“Tell him, Buck!” Ezra yelled insistently when he heard Buck’s voice.  “Tell him it is too my private space, and he can’t come in unless I say so!  Tell him he doesn’t get to say where my private space is!”

Buck looked at his now sheepish looking cousin and shook his head with exasperation.

“JD doesn’t get to pick your private space,” Buck confirmed with a voice full of more patience than he actually felt. 

“See!” Ezra said in a voice full of righteous satisfaction, “I TOLD you so!”

Suddenly the humor of the situation got to Buck and he had a hard time keeping the laugh that wanted so desperately to explode out of him contained as he said, “If you want the closet to be your private space then you can have it.  Although it’s going to mean more work for you, I suppose, what with having to put away your own clothes since Nettie won’t be able to get in to do it for you.  You’ll have to make your own bed too, now that I think about it, since your clean sheets and blankets are in your closet too.  Personally, I wouldn’t like to have my closet as my private space, but hey, it’s your choice.”

The room was full of silence as the boy thought on those unforeseen pitfalls to his decision. 

“It’s my private place...for now,” the little voice came through the door stubbornly.

“Do you want to come out and we’ll all sit down and talk some more about it?”  Buck asked.

“No.  I’m having private time,” the six year old stated seriously.

Buck was chuckling silently to himself at the boy’s stubbornness then he played his trump card.  “That’s too bad. I thought maybe all of us could take a walk around the lake.  I guess if you’re too busy, then JD and I will have to go alone.” 

Buck jumped back to avoid getting hit as the closet door was suddenly flung open and Ezra barreled out to stand looking up at him anxiously, “No!  I’m done now!  I can go!”

 “Are you sure?” Buck asked with a serious face although is eyes were dancing with suppressed amusement.  “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your private time if you needed it.”

“No, I’m done,” six year old declared positively.  “I’m ready now.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Buck told him, turning away before the child could see the grin he could no longer contain.  “Well, let’s go get our coats then and head out.  The day isn’t getting any younger.”

Ezra grabbed his hand and started pulling him along eagerly.   

The walk was pleasant enough but Buck was disappointed to see the way Ezra was always careful to keep himself between Buck and JD, going so far as to unconsciously put out an arm to keep JD away when he wandered too close to suit the boy.  

Buck had tried everything he knew to convince Ezra that JD wasn’t a threat but he just didn’t seem to be getting through.  Vin and Josiah had also given it their best shot but the little boy was proving to be a stubborn little cuss when it came to the issue of JD.  Who knows how long the situation might have continued if fate hadn’t decided to take a hand in it.  

Part 16

Part 14

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