This Masquerade
Ezra stared in horror at the garment hanging from two fingers of his right hand.
“You wish me to wear this…outlandish monstrosity?!” he practically shouted at a grinning Buck.
Buck’s grin just grew, loving getting Ezra riled up. “Sure. Judge Travis said it was a costume party, and Chris said I was supposed to get the costumes.” Buck looked around, his grin not effected at all by the six glares burning into him.
“Buck, a rabbit!” JD ground out, holding up the swirling pastels of the rabbit suit.
Vin looked just as disgusted as he growled, “I ain’t going as no clown!”
“I have been told that green is not my color, Brother Buck,” Josiah said setting the body suit back into the box. Trust Buck to try to dress him up as a comic book character.
“And this isn’t even in my size,” Nathan huffed as he stuffed his back in the box. The vampire costume was at least three inched too short.
Chris didn’t say anything, just looked from one man to another catching their eyes. As one they pelted Buck with costumes and boxes.
“Hey!” Buck yelp as Vin’s box bounced off his head. “Chris, You said…”
“I said if you were so all fire excited maybe you should come up with some ideas for costumes, not that you had cart blanche to dress us up like a bunch of idiots,” Chris growled. “Take those monkey suits back to wherever you got them. Keep yours if you like, but we’ll get our own. Come on, boys.” Buck watched the other six members of his team stomp out, determined to come up with something for this Halloween party.
Buck grinned, it was worth the barrage he had lived with to see what they would come up with. Picking up the costume that had been going to be his, he grinned. They hadn’t even seen it, but he knew they’d get a kick out of it.
He wondered what they would pick out.
<<<~M7~>>>
A week later, Buck was still wondering, since they refused to let him see them before hand. Even JD was holding fast.
Buck strode into the party, his cowboy costume perfect, at least in his mind. Stopping just inside, he looked around trying to spot his team, but to no avail. Shrugging, he ambled over to check greet the Judge. Nodding to the brightly dressed man the Judge was speaking with. He waited until they were finished. “Evenin’, Judge Travis. Any of the guys here yet?”
Both Judge Travis and the brightly dressed man started laughed.
“My dear Mr. Wilmington, perhaps it would be advisable to schedule your annual physical soon. It seems your eyesight is failing.” Ezra grinned at the stunned expression on his teammate’s face. Buck suddenly realized he was dressed as a riverboat gambler, complete with bright red coat, frilled shirt, and flat crowned black hat.
“You might be onto something there, Brother Ezra,” Josiah said as he came up beside the undercover agent. A bright striped serape and homespun pants lent him the air of an Old West ranch hand.
“I here Dr. Parker has openings on Monday. I could set you up an appointment, if you like, Buck.” Nathan offered as he joined them from behind Buck. He was also dressed as on Old west figure, but the brace of knives strapped across his back made it obvious he wasn’t your typical cowboy.
“He’s overdue for his physical anyway, Nate. Set him up,” Chris through in as he joined them. Dressed all in black, he looked very dangerous, a gunslinger with complete confidence in his speed.
“Hey, Buck, good to see you,” JD bounced up to Buck from the opposite side as Chris, effectively penning Buck in. JD was dressed in a suit jacket over more typical Old West clothes, but the thing that caught one’s attention was the beat up bowler hat perched on his head.
“Buck,” Vin greeted as he stepped up beside Chris. He was made up as a tracker, complete with ratty leather coat.
Buck was slightly slack jawed as he looked from one of his teammates to another.
