Someone To Watch Over Me
by Purple Lacey
 

Part 23

Ezra turned over and blinked sleepily toward the window where the soft beams of early morning light were shining in. He snuggled down into the warm, soft covers of his bed and his eyes were slowly sliding shut again when suddenly they flew open wide and he sat up like a puppet with its strings yanked.

“It’s Christmas!” The words flew from his lips almost as fast as his body flew from the bed. His feet had barely touched the floor before he was racing toward the door. He threw it open and rushed into the hall and next door to Buck’s room. The child pushed open his foster father’s door and raced across the room to throw himself on the bed and shake the sleeping man lying there with both hands, bouncing on the bed energetically as he tried to wake him.

“Buck! Buck! Wake up! It’s Christmas! Do you think Santa came? Did he leave us presents? Do you think so?”

Buck sat up quickly and pulled the excited little boy to him for a hug as he laughed and teasingly said, “I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to go see, won’t we?” The words had barely left his mouth before Ezra was shooting out of his arms and scooting backwards off the bed, his firm grip on Buck’s hand dragging the man along as best he could.

The last few days had been a whirl of fun to the little boy who was unused to the kind of loving adult attention Buck, and JD as well, showered on him. The men had enjoyed showing him the rituals of the Christmas season and sharing their favorite activities with him, including a few rousing games of one-on-two on the backyard basket ball court, Buck and Ezra usually playing against JD. Buck had begun to teach him how to dribble the ball and he had even held Ezra up and let him throw the ball in the hoop. Ezra had the time of his life.

Buck had arranged more activities to keep him occupied including a trip to a local petting zoo, and another movie. JD and Casey had taken him to the kid–oriented pizza place to give Buck a chance to wrap the boy’s gifts and just give him a break for awhile.

Vin had been by to see Nettie and Buck had suggested Ezra owed the man an apology for wandering off at the mall. Ezra had given it with a hug and Vin had accepted it in kind. Then Vin and Buck had had a long talk. Ezra wasn’t sure what it was about as Buck had him go out side to play with Casey for awhile, but what ever it was had them both smiling at each other again when it was over. Vin had come by a couple of times that week after work to hang out and play with Ezra. He had even taken Ezra riding on his horse once --while Buck was stuck on the phone-- and let the boy hold the reins himself. Ezra had adored it. He felt so big!

Josiah had also paid a visit or two as well, and Nathan sometimes stopped on his way home from work to say hello and see how things were with the boy and his new caretakers. Buck had thought it was hilarious when Ezra talked Nathan up into his fort to play and the tall man had gotten his leg folded behind him awkwardly and gotten stuck there. Nathan had not been amused when a laughing Buck had to climb up after them and help untangle him so he could get out. Although even Nathan had to crack a smile when JD later showed the video the he had shot of the rescue.

The week had flown by for the child then suddenly it had been Christmas Eve. All his new friends had gathered in the den and spent the evening laughing and talking, challenging each other to video games and pinball and a no-holds-barred air hockey tournament. It was the kind of warm, fun-filled family holiday that Ezra had seen on TV sometimes but never experienced. He had happily cuddled on Buck’s lap while Josiah read the Christmas story from the new book he had purchased for the boy and then topped it off with the verse about the night before Christmas. The little boy had been spellbound listening to the Christmas classics for the first time. The adults had felt their hearts swell with tenderness as they watched their little one’s wonder and delight in each story.

When Nathan had told an anecdote about how he and his siblings used to fight over which cookies were Santa’s favorite and which kind they should leave for him, Ezra’s little ears perked up and he turned to Buck.

“Do we have the right cookies to give Santa?” he had asked with concern. “Will he not come if we don’t put the ones he likes the best out for him?”

Buck had hugged the worried little one and assured him that Santa liked all cookies and would be happy with whatever kind they left him. Ezra had slumped in relief. “I think we better leave him some of Miz Nettie’s chocolate chip cookies, anyway. They’re the best and if he is going to be kind enough to bring us presents then we should be nice enough to share Miz Nettie’s cookies with him.”

“That sounds like a really fine thing to do for ole Santa, Short Stack,” Buck had told him with a proud smile, then bent over to whisper in his ear, “But we better get some soon before Vin scarfs them all up. He loves Nettie’s chocolate chip cookies.”

Ezra had looked up at his foster father and grinned. The boy had slid from Buck’s lap and hastened into the kitchen to beg Nettie to set aside a few of her cookies for Santa. Ezra had returned with a small plate with two cookies on it and a cup of milk and placed them on the end table closest to the fireplace then stared at the cheery fire burning there in dismay. He had run to his foster father --who was laughing at a joke Josiah had just told -- and tugged urgently on his sleeve to get his attention.

“Buck!” Ezra said horror-struck. “Santa can’t come in! He’ll get burned! Buck, you got to tell him not to come!”

Buck dropped his hands on the boy’s shoulders to hold him still while he tried to calm him. “It’s okay, Ez. Santa won’t get burned, I promise you. He’s been doing this for years and years. He has some real powerful Christmas magic he uses to get down fireplaces, even ones with a fire in them. He’ll be just fine. You don’t have to fret.”

Ezra glanced over his shoulder at the fireplace, still worried, and asked, “Are you sure, Buck? Will he really be okay? I can do without presents. Really! I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Touched by the little boy’s big heart and willingness to sacrifice his own happiness for the mythical figure, Buck swept the boy in for a hug and told him warmly, “You’ve got a good heart, Ezra Standish, and I’m proud of you for the offer, but you don’t have to worry about Santa. I promise he’ll be just fine.”

The tight, tense muscles on the little frame had eased and softened as Ezra had sighed, his fear now alleviated.

“I’m sure Santa will really appreciate the thought though,” Buck had assured him gently. Ezra had snuggled against Buck for a few minutes recovering from the fright his little imagination had caused.

Ezra had thought he was too excited to sleep when his bed time rolled around, and Buck had excused them and carried him from the den; but his eyes began getting heavy and he had fallen asleep before Buck had even gotten halfway through the storybook he was reading. Buck had quietly closed the book and left it on the nightstand then rose from the bed where he had been reclining next to Ezra and leaned over to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight.

He had waited a few minutes to make sure the child was fast asleep then returned to his friends downstairs. He had a lot to do before he could retire for the night. Santa had his work cut out for him tonight. Buck had rubbed his hands together gleefully at the thought of Ezra’s face in the morning, but as he walked back into the den he had come to an abrupt stop.

His voice had snapped out with annoyance, “Tanner! I’m the one that gets to be Santa in this house! Put down my cookies, damn it!”

Vin had jumped, startled, and looked with guilt at the chocolate chip cookie he had been about to take a bite of.

“I didn’t think you’d mind, Buck. After all, it’s Christmas,” Vin had told him with an innocent look.

“That’s right. It is Christmas.” Buck had advanced on the man, voice full of irritation. “Ezra put those cookies out with his own two little hands for his personal Santa Claus, and that’s ME! Nobody eats Ez’s cookies but me, got it! You want a damn cookie then go get one from Nettie, but leave mine the hell alone!”

Vin had dropped the cookie back on the plate and raised his hands in a placating gesture then backed away from the cookies slowly. Nathan and Josiah had almost been rolling on the floor with laughter. JD had collapsed over the top of one of the pinball machines, incapacitated with his own laughter.

Buck had hrumphed at the long haired detective and had given him an annoyed glare then stomped over to the cookie plate and snatched one up. He was still glaring balefully at the man’s turpitude when he took a bite. “Stealing Santa’s cookies,” he had grumbled around the sweet, still sounding outraged, “That’s just WRONG.”

Vin had stood back watching his disgruntled friend and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from exploding with laughter. “Sorry,” Vin had tried his best to say with a straight face. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Buck had glared at him one final time then put it aside. He had too much do.

“Okay,” he had said as he finished the cookie and licked the crumbs from his fingers. “Nettie is going to stay with Ezra while we go collect his gifts from Bob’s. You guys ready?”

“Lead on, Santa,” Josiah had remarked flippantly, “Us elves will follow.”

Buck chuckled and the men had grabbed their coats and headed for Bob’s garage apartment. The night was clear and crisply cold, and the men didn’t tarry but hurried across the estate grounds at a quick clip. The men walked up the stairs to Bob’s place to find the man waiting at the top with the door open.

“I got to tell you, Boss,” Bob said with a grin, “I’m sure glad Christmas is here so I can get my living space back. It was getting hard to move around in here.”

Then men followed him inside when he stepped back to let them in. Josiah and Nathan stopped just inside the door and stared around the apartment in disbelief. JD and Vin didn’t blink since they had seen it already.

“How many toy stores did you buy out?” Nathan said incredulously.

Buck looked around self consciously and said defensively, “It’s not really that much. Some of them are just big, is all.”

“This all for Ezra?” Josiah asked just as stunned as Nathan?

Buck had shrugged as he answered, “Well, yeah. I already had JD’s stuff hidden in the house. I didn’t have room for Ezra’s, too.”

Nathan had looked at Josiah. Josiah had looked at Nathan...and both men lost it again. Nathan had leaned against Josiah who had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling over because he was laughing so hard. “You owe me ten bucks,” Nathan wheezed at the judge holding him up. Josiah nodded but couldn’t speak as he tried to draw a breath.

“I’m disappointed in you, Buck,” Josiah finally managed to get his hilarity under control enough to say. “I thought for sure you would manage to keep the number of gifts under thirty. I can see for myself that I underestimated you.”

Buck glared at the two men, “Ha, ha, ha. You want to save some of that for later and give me a hand getting this stuff over to the house BEFORE Ezra wakes and wonders why Santa didn’t bring him anything again?”

The two men had agreeably moved forward to assist. They eventually wound up loading the bed of Buck’s red truck and ferrying the gifts over. It had taken an hour and two trips but eventually all the cheerfully wrapped presents had joined the ones already under the tree, or more accurately surrounding it in a high, wide circle. A brand new bicycle with a big green bow tied to the handlebars stood off to one side, and JD had gotten busy un-boxing and setting up the new computer Buck had purchased for Ezra. It was an impressive sight just from the sheer volume of merrily wrapped and be-ribboned boxes. Buck had looked at it and sighed with satisfaction.

The men had remained for awhile teasing their big-hearted friend about his extravagance but Buck took it in stride. He was certain that he would attain his goal of making this the best Christmas that Ezra had ever had, and that was all he cared about.

“So how are you going to top this one next year?” Vin had asked with a teasing smirk from where he had been pushed back in one of the big recliners.

“Yeah, Buck,” Josiah had tossed in his two cents worth. “That’s a whole lot of stuff you’ve gotten Ezra. He’ll expect the same next year.”

Buck had looked at the men smugly and explained, “I got it all figured out already. By the time I finish explaining it to him he’ll know that Santa will be bringing him fewer presents next year.”

“Which will still, no doubt, single-handedly keep the toy industry in business for another year,” Nathan had smirked.

The others, including Buck, had laughed.

Now morning had arrived and an excited little boy was pulling his foster father toward JD’s room to wake the third member of the household up.

Ezra stopped before of the closed door of JD’s bedroom and yelled loudly, “JD! It’s Christmas! We get to go see if Santa came or not! JD!” Every other word was punctuated with a solid bang of his hand on the door.

JD shuffled toward the door, clothes sleep-rumpled and hair standing on end, and pulled the door open then stood leaning against it sleepily as a huge yawn stretched his jaws wide.

“Come ON, JD!” Ezra said with little boy impatience as he made a grab for the young man’s hand and tried to pull him from the room. “It’s Christmas! We get to open presents now. Buck said we got to go together so you got to come with us.”

Buck had made sure the previous night that Ezra was aware he had to wait for both himself and JD to accompany him before he could go downstairs to in the morning. Buck didn’t want to miss the look on Ezra’s face when he saw the bounty that was waiting downstairs for him. The anticipation had Buck almost as excited as the child. JD looked at the little boy tenaciously tugging at him then shared a smile over the boy’s head with Buck.

“Let me get the video camera,” the young man told him. “We wouldn’t want to miss getting this down for posterity considering it’s the very first Christmas we get to share with each other.” JD hurried over and snatched up the video camera he had been charging all night in preparation for this moment. He had loaded the camera with a new tape the night before and had it all set and ready to go. JD rejoined the waiting pair at the door and said with a grin, “Well? What are we waiting for?”

Ezra whooped and grabbed for his free hand again. The trio headed downstairs and right before they reached the door for the den, JD disengaged his hand from the boy’s and, while Buck held the child back for one moment, turned to face Ezra and Buck pointing his now running video camera at them and began carefully walking backward into the living room. The camera was trained on the boy’s face as Buck led him around the corner and he got his first look at the room.

Ezra’s first reaction was amazement. Then wonder and little boy greed swiftly followed.

“A bike! Santa brought me a bike! Look Buck!” he squealed in delight. Buck laughed and released the little hand pulling against his and watched with his own delight as the child ran across the room to grab one of the handle bars of his shiny green and silver bicycle.

Buck flipped a switch by the door that was wired to one of the electric outlets on the wall. Usually that outlet had a lamp plugged into it, but not today. A sudden tinny rumbling and a tiny whistle caught Ezra’s attention next and he squealed out again as he threw himself down on the floor on his stomach. “Buck, Santa brought a train set! Is it for me?”

Buck had leaned against the doorframe comfortably as he watched the child scramble toward the presents. Now he answered the child’s question with, “Yep. I do believe that has to be for you. Looks like Santa organized it so everything on that sided of the tree,” he waved to the left, “is yours and ours are on the right side.”

Ezra looked around and then turned to look at Buck and JD with guilty distress written all over his face. “But he brought me more stuff than he did you and JD. That’s not fair.”

Buck straightened from the doorframe and walked over to kneel in front of the child. “It’s okay, Short Stack. JD and I expected it.”

Ezra looked at him uncertainly. “You did?”

Buck nodded and reached out to hug the boy. “Sure. Remember Santa didn’t get to give you presents for a long time because he wasn’t welcome at your old house, so he’s trying to catch up. You’re getting all the presents you missed from those other years, that’s all. It’s okay that you got more than JD and me this year because we already got our presents from those times.”

Ezra considered this and realized it made sense. His grin returned as his guilt faded and he happily dove back into the pile of wrapped gifts waiting for his attention. From behind his camera, JD gave his cousin a thumbs-up in approval of the man’s explanation and Buck took a pleased bow in acknowledgement.

With Buck and JD urging him on, the little boy happily ripped and squealed his way through gift after gift. Piles of toys, games, computer programs, video games, and even some clothes were made as the boy gleefully unwrapped box after box. The pair of cowboy boots and the child sized black Stetson hat were a big hit with the boy. Buck almost herniated something trying not to laugh at the boy proudly walking around in Spiderman pajamas, cowboy boots, and the black hat.

Ezra was almost half way through the lot when he noticed than Buck and JD were not opening theirs. That wouldn’t do for the generous hearted little one. Nothing would satisfy him until Buck and JD agreed to open their gifts, too. Ezra had found each of them a present and from then on, they opened their gifts one at time, the others watching with interest.

It had taken close to two hours to work their way through the gifts, and when they came down to the last present it looked like a wrapping paper factory had exploded in their living room. Buck couldn’t help noticing that Ezra had saved his own present to Buck for last. The boy held the small, brightly wrapped square against his chest for a moment looking at Buck anxiously before he screwed up his courage enough to walk to his foster father with it.

Ezra had been so sure that Buck would like the gift but now that the time had come to give it to him he was having second thoughts. He suddenly thought of a dozen other things he had seen when Buck took him shopping that the man would like more. Ezra suddenly had to fight back tears as he stood in front of the man that had taken him from that dark place that was his former life and led him to a better, brighter place full of love and attention and acceptance. Ezra looked down at the gift he had purchased and knew it wasn’t anywhere near good enough for the man who had taken him in.

Buck had watched the emotions speed across Ezra’s face as he looked at the gift-wrapped package in his hands and seen excitement give way to sadness. Buck didn’t know what was going through his little one’s head but he didn’t like it. Determined to put the light back in that little face, Buck bent his head down to look Ezra in the eyes and smiled asking softly, “Is that for me?”

Ezra instinctively clutched the package to his chest in automatic denial, but knew Buck could probably see the tag he had painstakingly printed out with Buck’s name. With his little head hanging low, he reluctantly handed Buck the package. He wrapped his now empty hands around himself in an unconscious attempt at self comfort as he waited for Buck to open his gift and express his disappointment.

Buck reached out and lifted the little chin until Ezra’s teary eyes met his own. “Thank you, Ezra,” Buck said. “I know that what ever it is, I will love it. Do you know why?”

Ezra shook his head staring into Buck’s loving blue eyes. Buck smiled and answered truthfully, “I’ll love it because you gave it to me, Ezra. I know it will be the second best gift I’ll get this Christmas, because I got it from my BEST Christmas gift, and that’s you.”

“I’M your Christmas gift?” Ezra asked in surprise.

“Yep,” Buck told him. “You’re my Christmas gift from Chris and you’re the best one I ever got. I couldn’t dream of a better one.”

Ezra looked at him in wonder as he gauged his sincerity and then the boy threw both arms around Buck’s neck and held on tight. The big man’s arms wrapped around and hugged back.

Buck sat back in his chair and pulled Ezra into his lap. He settled the child and held Ezra’s gift in front of him and with a voice full of anticipation said, “Now let’s just see what my little man got for me”

Buck grinned down at the little boy who was smiling once again and ripped off the paper to reveal a CD case. Buck looked with interest on the front cover. “Thanks, Ezra! This is really great.”

Buck turned it over and nearly laughed when he got a glimpse of the back. Ezra had wanted to make sure Buck knew he had picked out the CD with one song in mind. The child had taken his markers and drawn a circle around the thirteenth track. He had circled it so darkly that it was impossible to make out the title of the song through the marker. Buck figured Ezra must have gotten carried away at that point because the rest of the plastic back was decorated with stick figures that Buck guessed, mostly from the colors, were supposed to be Santa and his reindeer.

Curious about what song his little man wanted to give him, Buck grinned down at the boy and said, “I think I have to hear this right now. I don’t think I can wait.” Buck stood up with Ezra in his arms walked with him to the den with JD following behind with his video camera recording everything. Buck pushed the button to open the drawer for the CD player on his stereo and then pulled open the jewel case to remove the CD and place in inside. He punched the button again to close the drawer then hit the advance button until the number thirteen was showing on the display. He pushed the play button and stepped back, settling Ezra on his hip as he stood listening. The soft notes of a piano began playing and the captivating voice of Celine Dion came from the speakers.

I was forgotten until you called my name,
Lost in the shadows until you shined your light my way.
Now I believe again in all my dreams again
I’m wide eyed and innocent; those doubting days are so far away.

Buck felt his throat start to tighten, a lump forming there as he listened.

And I will fall and you will catch me always.
Time has taught me this.
I will fly and you’ll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart’s highest wish.
I feel you close to me and I know what love is.

Bucks arms tightened around the little boy almost convulsively, moved beyond words because he recognized that even though someone else was singing the words, the feelings behind them were actually coming straight from Ezra’s heart.

Now there’s no mountain too high for me to climb.
No ocean so wide that I could not reach the other side.
Now I believe in me ‘cause you live and breathe in me.
Nothing can come between.
We are one star no night can darken.

Buck felt the tears start to fill his eyes and didn’t even try to stop them from falling.

I will fall and you will catch me always.
Time has taught me this.
I will fly and you’ll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart’s highest wish.
I feel you close to me and I know what love is.

It’s an unspoken thing, a quiet opening.
There’s no words that go that deep but I know, I know

Ezra felt something wet fall on his arm and pulled back enough to see the tears flowing down his foster father’s face. Before Ezra could begin to worry that he had done something to upset him, Buck smiled. The tender, loving look on his face reassured the child who lifted his hands to wipe at the man’s cheeks when he realized the Buck’s tears were falling because he was happy and not because he was sad.

I will fall and you will catch me always.
Time has taught me this.
I will fly and you’ll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart’s highest wish.
I feel you close to me and I know what love is.

As the last note died away, Buck swallowed his emotions down enough to say, “I think I just found a new favorite song.” Buck hugged Ezra close again.

“Do you really like it?” Ezra asked with an eager look.

“Oh, yeah! I do, Ezra. I love it. Thank you, for my beautiful gift,” Buck told him and pulled him in to place a kiss on his forehead.

JD had to swallow against the lump of emotion in his own throat before he could say, “Great choice, Ez. You did good.”

Ezra beamed back at him proudly.

Note: The song was from Celine Dion’s ‘A New Day has Come’ album and the song was ‘I Know what Love Is'
Written by Ric Wake and Arnie Roman. I claim no rights to the song in anyway,and am making no money from it or intend any copyright infringement. I think that covers it.


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