Who: Ben and Willis What: Catching Up After A Show When: 2nd October, Night Where: Ten In One Tent Rating: Low Status: Complete
“Thank you ladies an’ gentlemen, please kindly see yourselves out the back a’the tent. Remember, ta check out the games and treats on the midway and if ya hurry down the way ya might catch the last showing of the Wild West show ‘fore the sun sets.” Willis proclaimed as two roustabouts who worked the 10in1 helped usher the guests out of the tent. The acts behind him on stage were making last minute sales of their pitchcards and clearing off the stage as the blowout post show completed and he hopped down to follow the crowd out, closing and tying off the tent opening after the last person left.
He turned around to the acts and smiled. “Thank you all, great show, last show bally starts at six stage at six-thirty. So, ya’ll got plenty a’time ta grab somethin’ ta eat or a drink or nap or what have you.” Will felt good working again and not hiding. Even though he did feel a little strange just hoping back into things, as if he hadn’t heard the whispers about him after the fire. He was on the road to recovery, and had to be there for Bella and his kid.
God, he was going to be a father. Willis pulled the flask from his jacket and took a drink from it. Okay, so he was doing better, looked more put together, but was still at least one sheet to the wind at all times still.
--
It was another good show, Ben had sold a few pitch cards afterwards and get some smiles and giggles by offering to light cigarettes and cigars with the snap of a finger, the younger patrons as usual wanted to know how it was done and all Ben would do was put a finger against his lips and whisper to them ‘it’s a secret’, that usually made them smile and go off asking their parents for a nickel for a pitch card.
When the tent was tied close, Ben stood again, stretching his muscles out a bit as Willis thanked them all for the good show. It was good to see the reverend and their wonderful bally again, looking a lot different from the messy and unkempt man that Ben had seen those few weeks ago. As the rest of the performers went off to do whatever it was they wanted Ben walked up to Willis. “Good to see you back, it wasn’t the same without your wit.” He said.
--
Slipping his flask back into his jacket, Will chuckled. “Well, I hope my replacement wasn’t that bad.” He teased, knowing that everyone had their own flair and wouldn’t purposefully do a bad job- it only lessened their cut of the door. “New girl’s a nice addition to the show.” Even if they didn’t really talk much- just something about her that Will couldn’t put his finger on. Had he known, he’d probably make some comment about demons and angels being like cats and dogs, but it was beyond him. “But, I figured I had ta stop feelin’ sorry for m’self an’ bring in some coin. Man’s gotta be responsible after all.”
--
Pretty much everyone knew about the priest’s love of alcohol, so the flask or seeing him taking a belt from it was nothing new although no one really talked about it either, it was just one of those things that was seen and accepted, as long as it didn’t affect how well Willis did his job. It did make Ben a bit thirsty though, maybe a nice hot coffee after he had finished talking, that would be nice as he waited.
“Oui, she is.” He said. “We thought that maybe she might have some problems, her outfit is… quite revealing after all and there have been a few men calling for her to disrobe, but she is stronger than we realised…” He chuckled. “I’m not sure how good your French is, but she has told some of those men to do things that a priest would definitely not approve of.” Of course he often gave a few of the others backstage a translation, especially if he was trying his best not to burst out laughing.
--
The Reverend laughed. “Shame I missed it.” He pulled a pack of lucky’s from his pocket and slipped one of the cigarettes between his lips before offering one to Ben. He shrugged and put the pack away when the man waved him off and did his best not to shake the stick with his chuckle as it was lit for him. Always the showman. He took a drag and shook his head slightly. “Meant t’thank ya for the visit before. I think talkin’ t’someone was jus’ what I needed.” He hadn’t actually had many visitors, at least none that he allowed to see him. Some he had confronted against his better judgement as well. But talking with a fellow man of the cloth had helped lead him back on the path. And his new responsibilities.
He sighed and watched as the two roustabouts cleaned up the scraps and trash people left on the ground around the benches, reading the tent for the next show. “Bella came by not too long after.” He admitted, matter of factly.
--
How could Ben not light the cigarette? It was almost a reflex whenever he saw someone with a cigarette. The flame disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, such parlor tricks didn’t use up too much energy or thought, the bigger the flames the more it took out of him. He didn’t want to mention but quelling the flames at the church had put him back in bed for a few more hours, but it was worth it to save those lives.”You don’t need to thank me for that, we were a bit worried that we hadn’t seen you since the fire.”
He’d agree that sometimes just talking to someone, getting things off your chest so to speak was much needed, even if the other person does nothing except listen. His gaze had fallen on the rouseabouts as well but turned back to Willis when he mentioned Bella had visited him. “She didn’t want to kill you this time?”
--
He shook his head, lips pursed. “‘Pears someone got somethin’ in her head that sparked everythin’.” The phrasing was not intended, but was a bit on the nose. “But we talked… an’ I think we’re on our way to a better place.” Or so he hoped with everything. “An… well she had some news for me.” Willis took another drag from his cigarette and brushed a hand through his hair as he pulled his flask out again. “Seems she’s with child.” He wasn’t sure why he’d shared that, but it sort of felt like a weight coming off him a bit as he did. “Tryin’ ta save up and get a tent or wagon for Bella.” He took another swig.
--
That was something to be thankful for, that Bella wasn't in her right mind when the fire happened and was much better now, it was something that has gone around Zion in whispers, why had she done it, no-one has answers but someone sowing that seed of doubt in her mind made sense. Ben blinked at the news that Willis shared, Bella was pregnant. "Congratulations." He said with a smile, though he wouldn't tell anyone, confidence was something he believed in, he had a few secrets others had shared that he couldn't even tell Fitz, though there weren't any other secrets between them.
--
He nodded a thanks. “Honestly, never thought it would happen, but yea.” Willis put his flask back and gave Ben a crooked smile. “Still not sure how I feel t’be true. Don’t remember my parents, or bein’ a kid, so I’m sure I’ll be messin’ things up left and right.” He chuckled. The Reverend never had much of an ego, outside of his purpose of course. He often didn’t like to show his weaknesses, but not being confident about being a parent wasn’t something he viewed as such.
--
Even in his younger days back in France Ben knew that a wife and children would never be something that he had in his life, even though his friends had given him lessons on feeding and diaper changes when their children had been born and it had come in handy when Kristoph was reborn months before. "I don't think anyone knows how to be a parent, it's trial and error, like everything else in life." Ben said truthfully, or that was what he had learned from those friends. "Or that's what other parents have told me."
--
“I do wish the news hadn’t come after such a…” He sighed, unsure how to even characterize the fiery outburst of Bella. “Or, that I knew where Bella and I really stood.” He smirked at Ben. “I suppose this’ll be something you an’ your husband’ll never have ta worry about huh?”
--
“Display?” Ben suggested, knowing that Willis had meant about the outburst and subsequent loss of the tent and most of the furniture within it. He couldn’t give advice on working out where the priest stood with Bella, he didn’t know her that well, only in passing, though from the way Willis was talking it seemed that they were on a better footing now than they had been which was good. “No, Fitz and I don’t need to worry about that, I can’t imagine little fiery shifters running around Zion.” He said with a chuckle
--
Willis clapped Ben on the shoulder. “That would be a nightmare.” He laughed.
“Thank you.” He said after a moment. “I don’t actually have a lot of friends who I can talk to about this sorta thing. You’ve been there for me… it’s appreciated.” Will had a flock, people normally came to him for advice and direction. And he had no one outside of Bella he really socialized with- well there had been Jean until she failed to see the light. The only other person who’d reached out trying to be social had been the man from the future who seemed to have been the one influencing Bella as he tried to convince Willis he was a demon as well- the reverend had no intention of entertaining the notion.
--
Hearing that Willis appreciated being able to talk to him about just about anything made Ben smile widely and feel appreciated, in a way he did feel a bit bad that he didn’t do the same, instead Jericho seemed to be the one who Ben turned to when he needed some advice or just someone to talk to. “It must be hard to find someone to talk to when everyone comes to you for advice or to confess their sins, I think that some people tend to forget that you are just like them, that you sometimes need to talk to someone about what is bothering you.” He imagined that it was a pretty hard life as a priest and having no real outlet for all the secrets that people shared. “But I am here to listen if you need me, and I am not one to judge. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, correct?”
--
“Couldn’t’ave put it better myself.” Willis laughed. “Come on, let’s get some chow before the next show.”