Duet

Songs used: "Faded" by Soul Decision
"Bluebird" by Electric Light Orchestra

The first thing Chris heard when he walked into the Four Corners nightclub was Ezra's indignant, "I will not sing this....this.....this piece of garbage!"

The guitarist sighed. It obviously was going to be a long day. He walked over to the bandstand where Ezra was waving a sheaf of papers under Buck's nose and going off on a tirade, so angry his five-dollar words were left behind.

Seeing the other three members of the band -- Vin's guitar was leaned against the bar, but he was nowhere in sight -- clustered around the drum set watching with amused grins, Chris realised they'd be no help. He stepped onto the raised area. "Havin' problems?"

Ezra whirled and flung the top sheet of paper toward Chris. "Read this!" he huffed. "I refuse to sing anything so... so damned crude!"

Buck sighed. "He's got a problem with the second line."

"Damn straight!" Ezra growled. "The rest of the song is merely frustration and desire -- that I can tolerate -- but that second line!"

Chris lowered his eyes to the paper and an eyebrow raised as he scanned the first verse. "Let me guess--- you write this, Buck?"

The mustachioed bassist stuck out his barreled chest in pride. "I sure did!"

"Been workin' on that for a week," JD put in. "Had me and Josiah working out the music with him."

"I can tell," Chris said with a chuckle. He read the first lines aloud. "'When I get you all alone, I'm gonna take off all your clothes'....hate t'say it, Buck, but this time Ezra's got a point. That is a bit..."

"Crude!" Ezra fumed.

At Chris's nod, Buck visibly deflated. "....Well.....if you want me to change it, I'll change it."

"I like the double guitar riff he's worked into it." Vin's quiet voice behind Chris nearly sent the blonde bandleader off the bandstand in surprise.

"Shit, Cowboy! Where the hell did you sneak up from!"

"Had to go down to Trent's for strings --- my G's a bit worn." He grinned. "Nice day, figured I'd walk."

A low whistle interrupted the by-play. Ezra's voice read aloud, "'When I get you all alone, I'm gonna move in nice and close'....Mister Wilmington, I'm impressed. That's a vast improvement."

"So let's practice this masterpiece of yours, Buck," Chris chuckled. "I'm assumin' you've got the music for us all?"

"It's hardly an opus," Ezra chuckled as he helped pass out the sheet music. "But I am also impressed with the fact I am not singing the entire song myself."

That got Chris's attention. "What? What're you talkin' about?"

Vin grinned. "Check the chorus, Chris --- he's written it so Ez solos on about half of it -- and you and I do the rest."

"Uh-uh, no way," Chris said, glaring at Buck. "I. Do. Not. Sing. Lead."

"You're not singing lead," Buck pointed out. "You and Vin have a couple of solo lines -- singing together -- while Ez takes a breath." Chris opened his mouth, and Buck held up a hand. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Famous last words, Bucklin," Chris growled as he scanned the music.

"For your love!" the two guitarists sang. "For your love!"

Ezra nodded his head to the beat and sang, "I'd give the moon and stars if they were mine to give..."

Inez smiled as she wiped down the bar. She loved to come in and listen to the Seven practice under the guise of stocking and cleaning the bar. Not that those things didn't need to be done --- she just liked to time them with the Seven's practice sessions. She'd never heard anyone cover versions as well as these could.

They finished with the Yardbirds song and moved into one that Buck had teased them for featuring, but they did anyway. Herman’s Hermits was a strange choice, but Vin especially liked the optimistic song, so they featured it.

The first notes sounded, and the song moved forward. "Listen...people...to what.... I say.... I say....every..... body's got to have their day, don't you know that everybody's got to love somebody sometime..."

Inez smiled and closed her eyes, drifting with the airy music. After that song, she waited eagerly to hear what was next.

"Faded?" she heard Buck ask hopefully. She frowned. 'Faded?' What in the world was that?

"I dunno, Buck...." Chris said.

"Hey, Chris!" JD piped up. "If you don't wanna sing, I'll do it!"

The black-clad guitarist shot him a Look. There was a Very Good Reason JD played and didn't sing. He sighed, capitulating. "All right, all right."

Inez shrugged and went back to her work, only half paying attention to the banter from the bandstand. Suddenly a thumping bass got her attention, with an almost surreal sounding keyboard behind it. She frowned.

Then Ezra's voice, singing with amusement lacing his tone, the guitars chiming in underneath his words.

"When I get you all alone
I'm gonna move in nice and close
ain't nobody gonna interrupt my game, oh no no..."

Inez looked up, startled.

"Ever since you've been hangin' round
I've been tryin' to figure out
what I can say to you to get something, yeah..."

Chris and Vin stepped up and three voices merged.

"Can we do what we did last night again?"
Then Ezra dropped completely out, and the guitarists sang alone. "Baby, you and I'd be better friends."
Ezra solo now: "Don't you think it's time we went a bit further?"
Three together: "Every night when we say goodbye"
Ezra gone: "How can I help lookin' in your eyes"
Then just Ezra "Wonderin' why you and I haven't hit it -- can we get it on?"

Then Ezra stepped back and clapped his hands with the beat as Chris and Vin sang completely solo, a new and wonderful duet.

"I'm kinda faded but I feel alright
Thinkin' bout makin my move tonight
I can't pretend that you're only my friend
When you're holdin' my body tight
Cause I like the way you're makin' me move
I like the way you're makin' me wait
At the end of the night when I make up your mind
You'll be comin' on home with me...."

They stopped there at the sound of glass breaking. They all looked to the bar, where Inez stood gaping at them. "Inez?" Buck asked in some alarm.

"Madre...." she gasped. "That...that was...."

"I knew it," Chris growled. "Buck, I told you us singin' was a bad idea --"

"No!" Inez said. "No.... it was different.... a good different!"

The bassist smiled, as did Vin. Chris frowned, still unsure.

And suddenly, Ezra didn't feel too sure himself.

Rehearsals continued, and suddenly it was time for "Faded" to debut in concert.

Too soon for Ezra's taste. He'd been unusually quiet the last few weeks, and it had grown worse and worse the closer to the time for the concert.

Manager Travis introduced them, and the Seven walked onto the stage. They bowed to the patrons of the Four Corners nightclub, then launched into their songs.

"The Magnificent Seven", their instrumental theme song. "For your love." "Celebrate Youth". "All for Love". "Travellin' Man". "Listen People". A rollicking instrumental piece, still unnamed, that had come from a jam session. "Rock the Casbah" by request. "Take me higher" by request. Then Ezra looked uncertainly toward Chris and Vin.

It was time.

Chris said one word into the microphone. "Faded."

Then the thumping bass and surreal keyboards. Ezra licked suddenly dry lips and stepped up to the microphone.

"When I get you all alone
I'm gonna move in nice and close
ain't nobody gonna interrupt my game, oh no no
Ever since you've been hangin' round
I've been tryin' to figure out
what I can say to you to get something, yeah"

Then the strange three-two-one singing.

"Can we do what we did last night again?
Baby, you and I'd be better friends.
Don't you think it's time we went a bit further?
Every night when we say goodbye
How can I help lookin' in your eyes
Wonderin' why you and I haven't hit it -- can we get it on?"

Ezra bit his lip and stepped back, leaving Chris and Vin to sing their chorus duet.

"I'm kinda faded but I feel alright
Thinkin' bout makin my move tonight
I can't pretend that you're only my friend
When you're holdin' my body tight
Cause I like the way you're makin' me move
I like the way you're makin' me wait
At the end of the night when I make up your mind
You'll be comin' on home with me"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Vin sang as Ezra stepped back up and did his verse.

"Girl you know you got it
And you know I want it
I can't wait to take you home"

Chris and Vin chimed in again. "You know you've got it tonight," then Ezra resumed:

"I don't wanna be rude at all,
I just wanna be where you go
Think what we could do alone, yeah"

Then the cycle started again:

"Can we do what we did last night again?
Baby, you and I'd be better friends.
Don't you think it's time we went a bit further?
Every night when we say goodbye
How can I help lookin' in your eyes
Wonderin' why you and I haven't hit it -- can we get it on?

I'm kinda faded but I feel alright
Thinkin' bout makin my move tonight
I can't pretend that you're only my friend
When you're holdin' my body tight
Cause I like the way you're makin' me move
I like the way you're makin' me wait
At the end of the night when I make up your mind
You'll be comin' on home with me…"

At this point, Buck had written in a small rap for himself, but the other six hated it, so they just rolled right into the chorus again with Ezra doing a soft scat singing over it.

"I'm kinda faded but I feel alright
Thinkin' bout makin my move tonight
I can't pretend that you're only my friend
When you're holdin' my body tight
Cause I like the way you're makin' me move
I like the way you're makin' me wait
At the end of the night when I make up your mind
You'll be comin' on home with me."

They sang it twice more, then Ezra ended, "Yeah yeah yeah..." and JD played a clockwork riff to end the song.

After a moment of silence, Four Corners --- erupted. The Magnificent Seven had their first ever standing ovation.

Chris looked stunned. Vin, Buck, Josiah and JD were grinning to beat the band. Nathan just shook his head, more amused than anything.

Nobody noticed Ezra's expression of utter devastation as the ovation rolled on and on and on.

After that rather surreal experience, the Seven kept practicing as usual. Ezra stayed quiet and reserved, which alarmed Vin and Josiah. But every time one of them tried to talk to him about it, they would be distracted.

"New music!" JD chuckled as he came in, waving a sheaf of papers.

"More?" Ezra groaned. "Not more from the prolific Mister Wilmington?"

Buck laughed. "Not this time, Ez. This is all JD's work."

"Is not!" JD elbowed him. "I wrote it, but you arranged it!"

Ezra scanned the words. "Not bad, Mister Dunne. Feeling stifled are we?"

JD chuckled. "No, just put myself in the character's shoes. Like you suggested, Ezra."

Ezra smiled. "This is very good. The feeling of being 'stuck' comes through loud an---- uhm....what's this on the chorus?"

"That's my doin'," Buck boasted. "The duet on 'Faded' sounded so good, I thought a spin on it might work here. Stead of Chris and Vin, though, I've got a double solo part."

"Really?" Ezra ground out. "Who is replacing me this time?"

Buck blinked. "No one's replacin' you, Ez. You background solo on the two lines, Vin lead solos."

"I do what?" Vin burst out. "Now hang on a sec!"

"You made me do it, cowboy," Chris chuckled.

"That was different!" Vin growled. "My voice is thready, Buck! There's no way I can handle a solo unsupported!"

Buck grinned at him. "That's what I was countin' on! I've heard you sing unsupported, and I wrote in a part that swoops -- perfect for what your voice does on those notes naturally! And you're not unsupported -- Ez'll be backin' you up! He's great at that!"

Ezra's reaction was nonverbal, but eloquent. With one motion, he tore the sheet of paper with the words in half and flung both halves at Buck. Then he stalked to the bar, grabbed a bottle from the startled Inez, and stormed out of Four Corners.

Buck looked at Chris. "What'd I say?"

Josiah was already halfway to the door. Vin supported himself on the stool JD sat on while he played and vaulted over the overturned amp, jogging to catch up with Josiah.

Nathan walked up beside Buck. "I think Ezra's pride took a severe biting."

"How?" Buck asked, frowning.

"Ya gotta admit, Buck," Chris said slowly. "You did write and arrange two songs in a row where Ezra sings background instead of lead."

The bassist nodded. "I figured he'd get tired of singin' point all the time. I was just givin' him a break!"

Chris looked toward the door and sat down, picking up the white Gretsch 12-string he'd bought off of Ebay and strumming as he answered, "Somehow, I don't think Ezra sees it that way."

They caught up with Ezra on a bench outside the park a couple of blocks down the road. Vin plunked himself down by the lead singer without a word, while Josiah crouched on his other side. Ezra looked at them both before taking a pull on the bottle. "Don't you have a rehearsal to attend?"

"Yup," Vin said. "And so do you."

Ezra snorted, a sound so incongruous that Vin and Josiah looked at each other in disbelief. Then he retorted, "Don' gotta be nowhere. Don' need me no more. Keep writin' me outta songs."

Josiah looked at the bottle in Ezra's hands. Pure whiskey. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Don' r'member," Ezra slurred, taking another pull from the bottle.

"I think that's more than enough," Josiah said, taking the half-full bottle from his hand.

"Hey!" Ezra growled, grabbing for the keyboardist. "Gimme!"

"You've had enough," Vin said sternly, holding Ezra back against the bench.

"I've not had near enough," the Southerner growled, swinging wildly at Vin.

Vin shook his head. "Sorry bout this, pal," he said before he doubled up a fist and slammed it into Ezra's jaw. The force of the blow sent him against the bench and out.

Ezra awoke to a vision he'd only seen twice before -- the Seven onstage, playing -- without him. He groaned and raised his head from the table they'd set him at.

The music stopped. "Welcome back," Josiah's bass voice chuckled. "How're you feeling?"

"Like the Rockettes are practicing in my head," Ezra sighed. "That wasn't too bad -- what was that song?"

"Bluebird," Chris said. "The new one."

"Oh." Ezra seemed to wilt inside himself.

"Ain't finished, though," Vin said. "Needs somethin'."

"What does it need?" Ezra frowned as he stood shakily. "Sounded just fine to me. It doesn't need a thing."

"Sure does," Buck said with a grin. "Needs a lead singer."

Ezra snorted again. "Get Vin t'do it. You seem so hell-bent on replacing me with him anyway."

Buck set the bass aside and stepped forward. "Now, Ez, that ain't so. If you'd'a given me a chance t'explain---"

"You don't need to waste your breath, I understand perfectly." Ezra began to walk away.

"I wasn't tryin' t'replace you, I was tryin' to give you a break!" Buck burst out in a rapid rush. "You sing nearly every note on nearly every song -- I was only tryin' to help!"

Ezra stopped. He turned back toward the bandstand. "Seriously?" he asked after a long pause.

Buck nodded. "Seriously."

"You could have told me."

"I know. Just assumed you'd like the break, I guess."

Ezra shook his head. "Ask me first, Mister Wilmington." But he was walking back toward the bandstand.

Buck grinned and helped him clamber onto the stage without using the stairs. "Are we good again?"

"No, Mister Wilmington," Ezra said honestly. "You hurt me with what you did. Badly. We are not good." He picked up the paper with his part on it. "But we are better."

"I just don't get it," Buck sighed as the band set up a couple of days later. "Why's he still mad at me?"

"Put it this way, Buck," Josiah said. "Imagine Ezra wrote a song. And, thinking your fingers are tired, he gave the bass part to me to play on the keys. Without asking you."

"Then he did it on the next song, too," Nathan put in.

And all of a sudden, the bassist understood. He walked over and squeezed Ezra's shoulder. "Guess I was five miles outta line, huh, Ez?"

"It's nothing remotely new with you, Mister Wilmington," Ezra huffed.

"Anyhow....I'm sorry."

Ezra met his eyes and nodded. "Apology accepted. Next time you think I need a break, though, ask!"

Buck nodded and went back to his place.

Chris turned to them. "Ready?"

"Let's do this," Ezra said. "I am curious as to how it sounds all put together."

JD counted them off. Then "Bluebird" began.

Guitars, drums, and keyboards merged into a flighty riff. Ezra stepped forward and began to sing.

"The streets, the signs are pointin' all one way
But you don't realise just what they say
You may fight" (You may fight )the lower register voices sang behind him.
"You may run (You may run)
You may know (You may know)
What you've done" (What you've done)

Ezra then looked over at Vin, who sang his solo lines with Ezra doing the background.

'It makes me feel so sad' "Makes me feel so sad"
'To think what I might'a had' "What I might have had"

Ezra then took over again. He smiled at Vin and the song rolled on.

"I watch the sky (I watch the sky)
I watch the sun (I watch the sun)
Now I watch for anyone
But it's only make-believe......

"You work, you work, you work so hard and then
Someone, someone will come around again
You may think (you may think)
It's for real (It's for real)
But you know (but you know)
How you feel"(how you feel)

'The places that I go' "Places that I go"
'Don't feel good anymore' "Don't feel good anymore....

"I've seen it all
Rainbows in fall
I see her face upon my wall
But it's only make-believe...

"Fly away...bluebird, fly away from me
To a place... somewhere far across the sea
Fly away (fly away)
Far away (far away)
Don't look back (don't look back)
Go today"(Go today)

'The waves that crash upon the sand' "Crash upon the sand"
'Another place, a far off land' "place, a far off land...

"And every day (and every day)
I have to stay (I have to stay)
But you are free, you can fly away!
But it's only make-believe......

"Bluebird, fly away from me...
Bluebird, bluebird fly away...."

The song wound down and the instrument players smiled at each other. They had sounded great.

And finally, Ezra shared the smile with them.

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