The Bachelor Party
by Evil Jacquie
Write about a situation where two of the seven have to agree to disagree. Something comes up that they cannot agree on no matter how much they fight about or discuss it. In the end, they disagree. Hopefully there is a lot of manly cussing before they come to that understanding.
"Leave me the fuck alone!" Chris shrugged off the helpful hands. At least he tried to.
"Come on, Chris, this is supposed to be a celebration." Nathan hoisted him up and managed to get an arm around his waist to keep him from stumbling back down.
Ezra moved in from the other side and kept him from listing. "Why don't you let me drive you home, Mr. Larabee?"
"I said leave me alone. I can get myself to the john just fine, I don't need any help," Chris argued.
"Oh, is that where you were going? You're no where near the men's room; it's back in the other direction," Nathan waved his free hand for Ezra to turn them back that way.
"I can get there! I don't need your fucking help!" Chris repeated as he struggled to break free of Nathan's grip and elbowed Ezra in the ribs.
"Settle down, Cowboy," Vin coming to the rescue took over for Ezra who was doubled over.
"Let's get him out of the main room," Nathan muttered.
"Yeah, let's," Vin agreed. "Larabee if you don't stop fighting me I'm gonna belt you one!"
"Oh please, allow me," Ezra offered.
Chris tried to glare at both men simultaneously and stumbled again. Only Vin's and Nathan's strong arms kept him from hitting the floor. He gave up and concentrated on walking and listening.
"Did Buck notice?" Nathan asked.
"Don't think so. JD and Josiah are keeping him busy," Vin answered.
"You know he'll notice before long," Ezra snorted.
"Sonofabitch, who the hell needs him," Chris snarled suddenly.
Ezra and Vin exchanged knowing glances.
Nathan stared at Chris. "Why would you say a thing like that, Chris? I'd have thought you'd be happy for Buck."
Chris just snorted.
"Here we are, Chris," Ezra pushed the men's room door open and held it.
Vin and Nathan maneuvered Chris through the door and towards the urinals. Chris didn't resist their help until he was standing in front of the gleaming ceramic.
"Let me go. I can take a piss on my own." He managed to unbuckle and unzip. Vin stepped back and left Nathan to keep their team leader on his feet.
Ezra was drying his hands already. He jerked his head towards Chris and gave Vin a telling look.
Vin shrugged. "Think I better take him home before he says something he'll regret."
"I think that would be wise, Vin. Are you sure you can handle him on your own?"
"You offering to help?" Vin grinned.
"I am if you need me," Ezra smiled.
"Nope, I reckon I can handle him. Hell, as much as he had to drink he'll probably pass out before we get to his place," Vin sighed, "besides Buck deserves to have some of his friends here with him tonight."
"He'll be unhappy when he realizes that Chris and you have left," Ezra observed.
"Yeah, he will." They both turned to watch Chris and Nathan coming towards them. Chris had gotten his pants zipped but his belt was eluding his grasp and Nathan had his hands full just keeping the man from running into the bank of electronic hand dryers.
"Steady now, Chris," Nathan murmured as he steered Chris a foot to the right. Nathan looked thoroughly worried.
"I'm fine," Chris snapped back.
"No, Cowboy, you ain't," Vin said flatly.
Nathan frowned and then in a stern tone told Chris the truth. "Chris, you're way too drunk. You can't even walk. I don't know why you'd go and do something like this to Buck, but one of us is gonna have to take you home before you ruin his bachelor party."
Chris hitched himself up using the counter to steady himself. "I am not drunk and Buck won't care if I am."
"He'll care if you go and wrap yourself around a telephone pole or run some innocent driver off the road." Nathan didn't back down.
Vin felt Ezra's hand on his shoulder and glance over. Ezra nodded to the door. Vin turned to find Buck standing there looking unhappy.
"Y'all having a private party in here?" Buck asked with a grin. His gaze settled on Chris and his grin fell.
"No, Chris just did a little too much celebrating." Nathan was holding onto Chris's shoulder again when the team leader jerked away from him and tumbled to the floor.
"Shit!"
"What the hell?"
"I thought I had him."
"Let us help you, Chris."
"Shall I bring his truck to the front door?"
Vin tried to capture Chris's flailing arm to help, but Chris was having none of it.
"Get the fuck off me, Vin!" He struck out at Vin and nearly caught him with a blow to the head.
"Damn, Chris, what are you playing at?" Vin backed off, looking shocked.
"Aw, Chris, why you gotta be like this now?" Buck bent down and grabbed one of Chris's boots and yanked.
The jerking motion forced Chris to slam his hands down onto the floor to keep from falling. He glared at Buck.
"Are you gonna behave or am I gonna have to beat the shit outta you?" Buck glared right back. "Vin, you and Ezra go and get his truck. Nathan, if you would, please go and tell Josiah and JD that the party is over. I got this." Buck indicated Chris still sitting on the floor looking like a pissed off rattler.
"Are you sure, Buck?" Vin asked. "I mean this is your party."
"Yeah, Buck, we can get Chris home okay. You stay here and enjoy your last night of freedom." Nathan tried to tease but it felt flat to all of them as they watched Buck watching Chris.
"No, it's alright. I was really about ready to go on home anyway. I promised Louisa that I wouldn't get carried away tonight, and I sure don't want a hangover on my wedding day." Buck threw a quick smile at his other friends, before turning back to Chris. "You're gonna let me take you home aren't you, Chris?"
"If the party is over then there ain't no reason for me to stay," Chris admitted. He still looked angry but he wasn't tensing up like he might try to jump on them all.
Ezra shook his head. "I suppose that we should all call it an early evening in order to be at our best tomorrow." He exited the room followed by Nathan.
Vin just watched Chris and Buck without saying anything.
Buck held out his hand to Chris. "Come on, Old Dog, let's get you home."
Chris took his hand immediately and allowed Buck to pull him to his feet. He even let Buck wrap one arm around him to steady his steps.
Vin moved to get the door and met Buck's eyes as the two men passed him.
"He'll be all right in the morning," Buck assured Vin.
"I hope you're right, Buck, but somehow I don't think so."
Buck shook his head. "You hear that, Chris. Now, you got Vin to worrying about you, and you know Nathan's gonna be at you about how you're having a hangover at the wedding. See what happens when you let all that cussedness out?"
Chris snorted, "I didn't ask for any fucking help from any of them!"
"Yeah, that's something to be proud of," Vin said as he walked passed them.
Chris struggled and nearly got away from Buck's grasp. "Fuck you, Tanner!"
"That the best come back you got, Stud?" Buck sounded almost amused, but his eyes were sad. "Come on now, there's no one else here for you to fight with."
"You're here," Chris said.
"Yeah, but I'm sure as shit not going to fight you," Buck shook his head as they neared the front of the bar. "We should've just gone to the Saloon."
Chris nodded but said. "We shouldn't have had a fucking party at all. You shouldn't be marrying that . . . witch!"
"Don't start that shit again, Chris!" Buck grated out, as he hauled Chris through the door. The outside air was on the chilly side and seemed to promise snow. "We already decided that we're just gonna have to disagree about Louisa," he sighed and his shoulders slumped.
"You decided. I never decided. I wanted you to . . . do something else." Chris seemed to lose his train of thought for a moment when Buck manhandled him over to the truck just as Vin drove up to the front door. Ezra climbed out of the passenger side and held the door open, while Vin slid over to help Buck.
"You said I should get my head examined, but I ain't crazy, Chris. I'm in love." Buck managed a smile at Ezra and Vin as they maneuvered Chris into the passenger seat and got him buckled in.
"And you're a selfish bastard!" Vin snapped. "Let me drive him home, Buck. There ain't no reason for you to listen to his shit tonight."
"Nah, it's okay, Vin, but I do appreciate the thought. You'll have your hands full tomorrow, I reckon. I don't know why he don't like her, but he don't have to get his panties in a bunch."
"That's right, Chris, you're not the one that's gonna marry her," Vin added.
"Yeah, you'll probably hardly ever see her after tomorrow anyway. Because I know she ain't gonna want to watch us get drunk and burn steaks on the grill every weekend, but that don't mean I won't get to drop by sometimes. It'll be fine, you'll see," Buck assured his friend.
"You're an idiot," Chris muttered.
Buck shook his head and patted Vin's shoulder. "He's just drunk, don't worry, he'll get over this, eventually."
"You believe that Mr. Larabee will stop being so . . .," even Ezra couldn't seem to find appropriate words to describe Chris's behavior. "in time for tomorrow's nuptials?"
"He better," Buck shrugged as he exchanged places with Vin. He gripped the steering wheel and turned the key as Vin slammed the door shut. "See you both tomorrow, don't be late."
"Yes, well, don't you be late!" Ezra called as Buck and Chris roared off into traffic. Turning to Vin he asked. "Would you care for one more for the road?"
"Yeah, I believe I would," Vin nodded.
"You know this could be a recipe for disaster?"
"Yep, but there ain't a damn thing we can do about it, is there?"
"No, I suppose not." Ezra stared after their team mates. "Do you think Buck knows why Chris is acting this way?"
"Hell, Ezra, I don't think Chris knows his own self," Vin fumed, "and it ain't up to us to enlighten either of them, is it?"
"It is most definitely not!" Ezra agreed vehemently, as they returned to the bar to find a puzzled JD and a somber Josiah sitting with Nathan.
"What happened?" JD asked, evidently not for the first time.
"I told you, JD. Buck had to take Chris home. He's had too much to drink and wasn't feeling well," Nathan said with the air of one who is repeating himself.
"But why did Buck have to take him? This is his party. It's the last time he's gonna be able to come out with us." JD definitely sounded hurt and disappointed.
"I believe those two have some things to talk over and work out between them," Josiah answered. He caught Vin's eyes and held them.
Vin shrugged and ordered a beer from the closest waitress. "If you mean Buck's gonna try and get Chris to see that he loves Louisa, it's gonna take more than one night. Chris don't like her, he never has, and I don't see that changing," JD grumbled.
"Indeed," Ezra agreed. "Out of the mouths of babes."
"Well, he'd better change his mind or Buck's gonna start resenting the hell out him. He's gonna marry Louisa Perkins tomorrow afternoon and she's gonna be around from now on," Nathan stated the obvious.
"Well, Brothers, whatever happens tomorrow, some things are going to change," Josiah's words sounded prophetic.
"Nah, Buck will still be Buck. Getting married isn't going to change him," JD stated positively and then frowned. "Well, not that much, right?"
"I don't reckon Buck will be around for long if Chris don't change," Vin muttered mostly to himself.
Nodding, Ezra said softly to Vin, "I don't look for him to be with us much longer at any rate. I believe Ms. Perkins has bigger plans for herself and her spouse."
"Yeah, I think you're right, Ezra." Vin tilted back his bottle and finished it. "Good night boys; I'm going home." He rose and headed for the door, again hearing JD's complaints.
"But this was supposed to be a party!"
The End
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