noteasytobepink | Wheelsy AU ~ Hollywood Nights

"Probably the only one who does is Dave, an' only 'cause he's married."

Police work attracted a lot of bachelor's and often kept them that way. The danger, the hours, and the stress didn't make for the best relationships.

"Just do me a favor an' don't hurt 'im too bad if he does."

"And Dave signed on to hold stop signs and direct traffic." It was a guaranteed pay check that wasn't the mail service, and he wasn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. Sweet, father of four, his wife handled the complicated stuff.

Though, admittedly, well, Clarice would have been a cop in any other life really!

"Nah, I won't. I'll explain things nice and proper and point out that I'm probably older than he is and can bench press him if necessary."

"He does more'n that. You can count on Dave when y'need to."

Bill emptied his cup again, but didn't pour again; mindful of Clarice.

"Good, it'll be easier for him if you're nice, an' honest about it."

"Yes, I know Dave does more, but he'd be content if all he did was signs and traffic Bill. He's granite." She didn't mean that in a bad way at all, it was just the truth. and the need for someone else to take initiative in things he didn't have experience with!

"I'm always nice Bill, and honest. I only fall back on violence when the first two don't work." And if the boy got pushy she'd be nice and start with breaking just a finger instead of a knee.

"At least he's good at it." Not that it's all that hard, but traffic isn't really everyone's favorite assignment, so it was good to have someone who would always volunteer.

"I'm sure it won't come to you needin' to hurt him. If it does lemme talk to him before you start dislocatin' things on him."

"Yes, he is. And he always smiles. He has a nice smile." Clarice was happy to note. It was always nice to run into truly content people.

"Young idiots are always going to be young idiots Bill, but if it comes to that I will let you talk to him. I'm not sure if you having the 'I'm the adult male in her life' talk with him will help with the mooning, but hey, can't hurt?"

"I could also go with the 'I'm the sheriff an' orderin' you' angle."

Was he being protective? Maybe, but she was his friend, and he also had to keep order in the department.

"an' if that don't work maybe me givin' him a good whop upside the head'll do it."

"Oh, so you can break him but I can't? That's not fair!" Awwwwwwwwwwwwww spoilsport. "You're tromping on my self protection thing!"

"I ain't gonna break 'im, just knock some sense into him."

Totally different thing.

"Sorry, but I'm protective, it ain't a thing that can be helped."

"Depending on the sense you're knocking into him then he could get broken anyway." It was almost a hopeful sound!

"Hmmm, can I be protective in return?"

"That all depends on him."

Now his beer was done, and Bill leaned back in his chair to pull another from the nearby mini-fridge.

"Protect me? Well, you've already walked me home once, an' I hope you'd be nice enough to point out if I'm about to fall in a hole or somethin'."

"I'm not sure which part of the equation I should root for. Lotsa knocks for the action or quick learning for the deputy..." She was joking, naturally.

"Sure, walking home and not walking you into a hole is a normal thing but you know I kinda want to hurt Starla right?"

The can top hissed, and Bill's eyes flicked to her.

"She's still my friend."

"She may be," Clarice allowed easily. "But I don't know her and I don't like what she does to you." In the realm of picking a side she was firmly on Bill's side and she was a violent woman.

"I think just about anybody who cared about you might feel a little aggressive, seeing this."

His head went down, and he stared at the top of his can.

"It's not her fault. I-- she didn't know. I never told her."

Never mind the fact that everyone else in the world knew. Or all the time he spent with her. Or the night he risked everything to save her.

"She didn't do this on purpose."

"Because Starla is pure as the driven snow," Clarice sighed. No use trying to convince him otherwise really.

"I still don't like her, don't expect me to. She may not have known, or guessed, but she still used you and rather casually at that so I'm not happy."

Looking up again, he eyed her.

"I never said she was perfect, no one is, but she didn't use me."

"We can agree to disagree there." Because from what Clarice could tell there was a whole lot of Bill going out on limbs for Starla, and...not much reciprocal risk going on.

"Perhaps I'm a jealous little pink girl."

Bill was ready to press the issue, but a part of him realized he might not like the outcome if he did.

Instead he poured out another cup of whiskey, and used the action as an ending point on the argument.

"Why would you be jealous?"

No, he probably not like it at all. And he wouldn't want to layer angry on top of disappointment and depression tonight would he?

"Hmmm? Why not? What's not to be jealous of?"

He tilted his head, studying her, but couldn't tell if she was knocking him, or what she was getting at.

"Who are you jealous of?" Maybe that was the better question to ask.

"You, sometimes, I would guess. You live a very simple life with a lot of black and white with little in between." People were good, or they were bad, and even when they betrayed him they were still good people. "You have a lot of faith in people." Even when misplaced.

"And maybe a little of her. She doesn't know what she's turned aside."

His jaw ticked on the word 'simple', but that's not what she was calling him. He did keep a pretty straightforward catalog of people, and it was very hard and rare for him to move anyone from one column to the other. Even when maybe he should.

"Some people would call that naive." If they were being nice and not just flat out calling it stupid.

The truth was, Bill was built for a small town, and made to be a cop there. Black and white, faith and manners had taken him up through the ranks in Wheelsy, but the chances were slim he'd survive anywhere else; and he knew it.

"My simple life for bright lights an' fame... I guess I can't really blame her."

"I could wish for simple." she shrugged. "I couldn't stop analyzing if I tried now. There's always angles, Bill, and there's always reasons behind the reasons." It was important to know them all.

"Easier to ignore the shadows when the lights never go out Bill, I'll give the bright lights that." She pulled a stick into her lap to sharpen. "But you never see the stars or grow if there's no still nights either. I like it here."

"Sometimes people are just people." With their heart out on their sleeve. Like him. Or so he thought.

Her last words surprised him.

"Y'do?"

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