Thoughts on the Journey

Title Never Simple
Characters Ben Wade, William Evans, Demeter, Sallie Reynolds
Fandoms 3:10 to Yuma, Greek Mythology, Firefly, Milliways Bar
Rating PG for violence
Disclaimer No one belongs to me
Summary Written for fellow Gemini sardonicynic for her birthday. Thank you to saphyria for betaing.

The prompt she gave me was Ben, Demeter, and William in the infirmary. Potential prompt: reap what you sow. It ended up including the infirmary and a bit of Demeter but more a moment of Ben and William having a chance encounter. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Birthday!


It was meant to be simple. Ben felt that was the refrain of his life; he planned simple jobs because that was what worked. Too many people, too many guns, too many ways for something to go wrong, best to keep it to the bare minimum of what worked. Though the way his luck had been running, maybe he’d do better to get a complicated plan that could go wrong so the simple one would go right.

This one had been one of his best. While the stockyards were full of cattle and cowboys, no one would notice another man walking through and taking the cash being exchanged for the cattle. It was even working and his saddlebags were getting pleasantly full when he ran into what looked to be a boxing ring. When he started to move around it, the fight got bigger. One of those brawls that just kept going and he was trying to stay out of it when he started to get knocked about, which he wasn’t going to put up with, so he punched the first person headed his way.

Now this would have worked just fine but for the fact it was William Evans, who didn’t go down but cursed and punched him in the gut. That wasn’t something he was going to let the boy get away with so Ben used his saddlebags to give the boy a wallop, which slightly overbalanced both of them. Then the fight just kept turning around them until a gate was a door and dirt turned into floor.

It could have just ended there but Demeter and Sallie Reynolds spotted them and they got dragged to the infirmary. Now that wouldn’t have been such a shame as Demeter was fine at caring for a man, but they would keep asking what happened. William gave an admirable explanation about some trouble at the stockyards, though the way he kept eyeing the saddlebags wasn’t helpful; that boy was too smart for his own good.

Once the women had decided that neither of them had broken anything and were just battered and had bandaged them up, they left. Ben enjoyed a moment of peace on the soft bed and watched as William pulled his shirt on before saying, “You still not eatin’ enough?”

“I’m eatin’ fine,” the young man answered as he briefly met Ben’s gaze, a hard look in his eyes to make it clear he wasn’t in the mood to be questioned. His voice was tired, which made him sound like Dan to Ben. “I didn’t see you today.”

He didn’t know what he thought about that but that didn’t matter. He was resting and William was going to be quiet, “No, you didn’t. Just a dangerous day at the stockyards.”