The Young Riders: Buck Cross Prompt 84 -- He
Title: One More River
Fandom: The Young Riders
Characters: Buck Cross, Teaspoon, Polly, Kid, Lou, Jeremiah, Theresa
Prompt: 084 -- He
Word Count: 976
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Pony Express has ended, and the Civil War has torn the Express family apart. A few of them decide to strike out across the country to Oregon and a fresh start.
Author's Note: This is section 43 of a continuing story dealing with the journey from Rock Creek, Nebraska, to the West Coast via the Oregon Trail.
He had no idea how long he’d been sitting out there in the dark, eyes closed, when he heard the soft click of the door behind him. He looked over, certain who it would be.
Emma stepped out onto the porch on pulled the door shut. She adjusted the quilt around her shoulders as she stepped forward. “I thought maybe I’d find you out here.”
Buck slid over, making room on the swing. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
She shook her head. “Sam Jr. was whimpering about something in his sleep. I went to check on him, and you weren’t there.” She paused, looking into his eyes. “Couldn’t sleep?”
Buck shook his head. “Too many things on my mind,” he admitted.
“I’m a good listener.”
He thought about that for a moment. There was no doubt Emma could be a good listener, but . . . “I don’t know where to even start,” he admitted.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, rocking gently. Then Emma suggested a starting place. “What are you planning to do next?”
Buck sighed and looked up at the stars, almost as though he was hoping the heavens would provide the answer. But the sky remained silent, and he finally started to speak. “It’s been a really hard trip, Emma,” he said, so softly that she had to lean closer to hear his words. “Really hard. I think . . . I think maybe we both need a break.”
“From the trip, or from each other?” Emma asked gently.
“I don’t know. Maybe both.”
“You figure to take that break here at Fort Laramie?”
Buck took a deep breath, hoping he could say this next part right. “I thought . . . I thought maybe I’d go with Sam in the morning, help him track down those outlaws.”
“I see. And Julie?”
“Well, I thought maybe she could stay here with you,” Buck said quickly - hopefully. “She really seems to like you, and you . . . well . . . you can . . .” He paused, searching for words. “You can give her something I can’t,” he finally concluded.
“And what would that be?” Emma asked softly.
Buck turned to look at her, his brown eyes deep with pain. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just know she needs something I can’t give her.”
Emma reached for his hand and sat back, considering that for a moment. “She’s been through a lot, Buck.”
“I know that, Emma. And I’ve tried not to push her too hard.”
“I know you have.”
“It’s just . . .” He sighed and shook his head. “She’s talking about still wanting to push on to Oregon. It’s too late.”
“Well, if all you really got is an agreement to get her somewhere safe, maybe you already done that,” Emma said slowly. “She’d be safe here, and there’s a lawyer in town. Once you file that divorce, it wouldn’t be your problem any more.”
Buck looked at her in surprise. “She’s not ready,” he argued. “It’s . . . it’s too soon after losing her family.”
“That the only reason?” Emma asked, turning to look at him.
“I made a promise,” he started.
“To get her somewhere safe,” Emma supplied. She gripped his hand tighter and tugged, forcing him to look into her eyes. “Are you in love with Julie, Buck?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
In love? He opened his mouth to deny it, but no words came out. “I could love her,” he finally admitted, so softly the words were almost lost to the night breeze. “But I can’t let myself think that.”
“Why not?”
“I promised her, marriage in name only.”
“Buck things have changed.”
He shook his head and pulled his hand away. Standing, he walked to the porch railing and looked out across the fort grounds. “They’ve changed,” he agreed. “But the promise hasn’t. And anyway, she deserves better.”
“Better than what?” Emma asked, coming to stand next to him.
“Better than a half-breed with no idea what he should do with his life.”
She leaned her head against his arm and was silent for a moment. “Maybe that’s changing too,” she finally said.
The idea made him shiver suddenly, and he pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders. But he knew it wasn’t the chilly night that was the cause.
“Have you talked to Julie about staying here for a few days?” Emma finally asked.
“No,” he admitted.
“Well, you do that in the morning,” she said. “If it’s all right with her, I’d love to have the company while Sam’s gone.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Emma.”
She stepped back, turning toward the door. “You should try and get some sleep now,” she said as she opened the door. And then she turned back. “And you think on that other idea, about how things are changing.”
Buck watched the door close behind her, and then he leaned his hip against the rail.
How had Emma seen through him so clearly?
Truth be told, he had been thinking about Julie a lot recently - and what it would be like to have a real marriage with her. But none of that changed the fact that he had given his word. And despite what people like Tompkins might have thought of him, his word was his honor.
He sighed and stood up, no closer to answers than when he had come out. In fact, Emma had given him even more to think about. But she had been right when she told him to try and sleep. He didn’t really think it would work, but if he was going to ride out with the posse in the morning, he knew he needed to try.
Maybe a few days away with Sam would give him some answers.
Fandom: The Young Riders
Characters: Buck Cross, Teaspoon, Polly, Kid, Lou, Jeremiah, Theresa
Prompt: 084 -- He
Word Count: 976
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Pony Express has ended, and the Civil War has torn the Express family apart. A few of them decide to strike out across the country to Oregon and a fresh start.
Author's Note: This is section 43 of a continuing story dealing with the journey from Rock Creek, Nebraska, to the West Coast via the Oregon Trail.
He had no idea how long he’d been sitting out there in the dark, eyes closed, when he heard the soft click of the door behind him. He looked over, certain who it would be.
Emma stepped out onto the porch on pulled the door shut. She adjusted the quilt around her shoulders as she stepped forward. “I thought maybe I’d find you out here.”
Buck slid over, making room on the swing. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
She shook her head. “Sam Jr. was whimpering about something in his sleep. I went to check on him, and you weren’t there.” She paused, looking into his eyes. “Couldn’t sleep?”
Buck shook his head. “Too many things on my mind,” he admitted.
“I’m a good listener.”
He thought about that for a moment. There was no doubt Emma could be a good listener, but . . . “I don’t know where to even start,” he admitted.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, rocking gently. Then Emma suggested a starting place. “What are you planning to do next?”
Buck sighed and looked up at the stars, almost as though he was hoping the heavens would provide the answer. But the sky remained silent, and he finally started to speak. “It’s been a really hard trip, Emma,” he said, so softly that she had to lean closer to hear his words. “Really hard. I think . . . I think maybe we both need a break.”
“From the trip, or from each other?” Emma asked gently.
“I don’t know. Maybe both.”
“You figure to take that break here at Fort Laramie?”
Buck took a deep breath, hoping he could say this next part right. “I thought . . . I thought maybe I’d go with Sam in the morning, help him track down those outlaws.”
“I see. And Julie?”
“Well, I thought maybe she could stay here with you,” Buck said quickly - hopefully. “She really seems to like you, and you . . . well . . . you can . . .” He paused, searching for words. “You can give her something I can’t,” he finally concluded.
“And what would that be?” Emma asked softly.
Buck turned to look at her, his brown eyes deep with pain. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just know she needs something I can’t give her.”
Emma reached for his hand and sat back, considering that for a moment. “She’s been through a lot, Buck.”
“I know that, Emma. And I’ve tried not to push her too hard.”
“I know you have.”
“It’s just . . .” He sighed and shook his head. “She’s talking about still wanting to push on to Oregon. It’s too late.”
“Well, if all you really got is an agreement to get her somewhere safe, maybe you already done that,” Emma said slowly. “She’d be safe here, and there’s a lawyer in town. Once you file that divorce, it wouldn’t be your problem any more.”
Buck looked at her in surprise. “She’s not ready,” he argued. “It’s . . . it’s too soon after losing her family.”
“That the only reason?” Emma asked, turning to look at him.
“I made a promise,” he started.
“To get her somewhere safe,” Emma supplied. She gripped his hand tighter and tugged, forcing him to look into her eyes. “Are you in love with Julie, Buck?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
In love? He opened his mouth to deny it, but no words came out. “I could love her,” he finally admitted, so softly the words were almost lost to the night breeze. “But I can’t let myself think that.”
“Why not?”
“I promised her, marriage in name only.”
“Buck things have changed.”
He shook his head and pulled his hand away. Standing, he walked to the porch railing and looked out across the fort grounds. “They’ve changed,” he agreed. “But the promise hasn’t. And anyway, she deserves better.”
“Better than what?” Emma asked, coming to stand next to him.
“Better than a half-breed with no idea what he should do with his life.”
She leaned her head against his arm and was silent for a moment. “Maybe that’s changing too,” she finally said.
The idea made him shiver suddenly, and he pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders. But he knew it wasn’t the chilly night that was the cause.
“Have you talked to Julie about staying here for a few days?” Emma finally asked.
“No,” he admitted.
“Well, you do that in the morning,” she said. “If it’s all right with her, I’d love to have the company while Sam’s gone.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Emma.”
She stepped back, turning toward the door. “You should try and get some sleep now,” she said as she opened the door. And then she turned back. “And you think on that other idea, about how things are changing.”
Buck watched the door close behind her, and then he leaned his hip against the rail.
How had Emma seen through him so clearly?
Truth be told, he had been thinking about Julie a lot recently - and what it would be like to have a real marriage with her. But none of that changed the fact that he had given his word. And despite what people like Tompkins might have thought of him, his word was his honor.
He sighed and stood up, no closer to answers than when he had come out. In fact, Emma had given him even more to think about. But she had been right when she told him to try and sleep. He didn’t really think it would work, but if he was going to ride out with the posse in the morning, he knew he needed to try.
Maybe a few days away with Sam would give him some answers.