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Post by Sarah S on Jan 31, 2011 23:30:41 GMT -5
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Post by Sarah S on Feb 1, 2011 0:56:38 GMT -5
[[This is an idea I've had in my head ever since I started writing How I Met Your Mother (which I will be re-writing and posting on the Story Board eventually). I'm sure some/all the people who know my families from the Mabtown board will read this and go "Really, Sarah? Really?", but…it's stuck in my head, and to hell with it, I'm gonna run with it.]]
Ezra and Xavier both sat in their room, killing time on their computers. Ezra was looking at images he'd saved from the PostSecret blog. There was one that had always really stood out to him - "I am a peaceful person who happens to be filled with violent rage".
He'd been feeling like that a lot lately. Ever since he turned eighteen. For some reason he'd thought that everyone would stop the damn charade once he was eighteen, once he was an "adult", but his birthday had come and gone and the expected conversation with his mom or with his father had never happened. He didn't understand why they all still insisted on hiding it. The older he got, the more he grew up, the more obvious it became. Even without all the old pictures in his mom's college photo album to look at, to see a face identical to his looking back at him. He'd long since gotten past the anger of what had so obviously happened nineteen years ago. But he was furious that no one ever admitted to it. He had a right to know where he had come from, didn't he?
"Xavier," he said suddenly.
"Mm?" Xavier didn't look up from his screen.
"Do you know we're brothers?"
Xavier glanced across the room at Ezra.
"That's sweet, Ezzy," he said in a sugary voice.
"No. Seriously."
Xavier half-closed his laptop. Ezra could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He seemed to be choosing his next words very carefully.
"Was it supposed to be a secret?" he asked finally. Ezra shrugged. "How long have you known?"
"Since I was thirteen or fourteen," Ezra replied evenly, though emotions warred inside him. "It finally dawned on me why that vein in my dad's temple would twitch as he looked at me every time 'Uncle Ezra's' name was mentioned. How long have you known?"
"For sure, only since Giorgio arrived. I think Dad was in a confessional mood. But I guessed around the same time you did."
Ezra scowled and spun his chair back around so he faced away from Xavier.
"So he told you, but he never even-"
"Chill," Xavier interrupted. "Your mom asked him not to say anything to you."
"Of course." Ezra muttered. "I look just like him, I'm fucking named after him, I'm sure the whole fucking town knew about it, but no, no one should say anything to the actual bastard child..."
"Ezra." Xavier interrupted again. Ezra spun his chair back around.
"What?"
"If you've known for five years, why are you just bringing this up now?"
"I don't know. I just thought someone would have told me by now. I was wondering if other people knew."
They both sat in silence.
"I want to get my name changed." Ezra said finally. Xavier nodded.
"Okay. You plan on talking to Dad or your mom about it first?"
"No."
"You plan on telling them at all?"
"Yeah."
Xavier nodded again.
"Okay."
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A week later, Ezra stood filling out the paperwork at the Riverside County Social Security office. He paused, tapping the pen against the blank where he was to write out his new name.
"Last chance, Mr. Leonard," Xavier said, looking over his shoulder.
"Suck it," Ezra muttered to his half-brother. "You're stuck with me now." He filled in the blank.
Ezra Pine, Jr.
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