Wheelsy AU ~ Hollywood Nights

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The airport was crowded an d bustling with tourists, the sunlight outside pooling through the plate glass windows like honey. Starla didn't mind the wait. Security meant she could meet him off the plane, but she could stake out the baggage claim where he was suppose to come out!

She was dressed simply in a blue sundress and sandals, nothing fancy, that was for late tonight at the premier. For now she was just a country girl waiting for a country boy and hoping he hadn't managed to get himself lost in the bowels of the airport.

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[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He lifted his hand in a 'what can you do?' gesture.

"S'just the way it is."

Hearing how her world handled housing, he shook his head.

"You come from a pretty fucked up place, y'know that?"

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"Yes, you tell me all the time," she deadpanned. Because, well, really. She knew okay? "It was run by a self styled god, it couldn't help being fucked up. I seem to have turned out okay though so I try not to knock it too hard."

Besides..."In most worlds it's not unusual for people to have some form of fealty going on with their houses. Someone owns land and allows others to live there under certain conditions right? That's just a mild version of what my world was like."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Yeah, well I'd take a thirty year mortgage over all of that."

He definitely got the better deal.

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"Sure sure, rub in it." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I never convince anyone to come to my old reality. I suck as a tour agent." And how!

"What happens if you want to move?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He wrinkled his nose at her in return.

"Person would have t'be pretty crazy to. But y'got other worlds t'visit, right?"

Maybe one of those wouldn't be so bad.

Tilting his head at her, he gave her a genuinely confused look.

"Why would I want to?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Because a lot changes in thirty years? You're not the same person now as you were yesterday, much less waaay back when you bought the house. It might happen you know?" She shrugged.

"And I get to visit other worlds, true, but I don't get to stay, and my powers don't work to hop me between dimensions without the Tallus."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He thought about that and gave a slight shrug.

"I dunno... I guess I could sell it."

It's not something he's ever considered doing.

"Does it make me sad that I've never even seriously considered leavin' my small town?"

[noteasytobepink]

"You can sell things you've contracted years to?" NEW BY HER! Just how did one do that? Someone else stepped in to offer years instead?

"No Bill, it doesn't. It means you love your home and prefer to limit your concerns of the world to one area. That isn't sad, but it is uncommon."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He studied her a moment, and realized maybe he wasn't explaining things right.

"Y'know I don't mean actual years, right? 30 years is just how long I've got t'make payments t'pay off the loan I got. In uh, money."

Maybe that would make more sense.

"I'm startin' to find out there's a lot I do that isn't usual."

Staying when everyone else thought it better to go, working a job that probably doesn't pay him as much as he deserved, loving a woman who never once had feelings for him.

"I reckon that's part of what the doc was referrin' to when he said it ain't really a surprise I'm still single." Or a surprise that made sense, same difference.

[noteasytobepink]

"...no, I didn't." Years made as much sense as money really! "So, you got someone to lend you money, and they give you thirty years to pay them back? That's generous." Maybe, who knew?

"Do they break your knees if you don't pay?" She was familiar with far less savory sorts of money lenders.

"And you're just an unusual guy, Bill. That's not a bad thing really. I prefer unusual to the rank and file...and the rank and file don't tend to be any happier anyway." She grinned at him then, chuckling. "I think the doc meant you're bad at noticing when girls like you."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Yeah, the bank gave me a loan. An' they're not all that generous, they make plenty on interest." Which is quite a bit over thirty years.

"They did give me a decent interest rate, though, since I'm a cop." Which should some people at least appreciated a man in uniform.

"If I don't pay I lose my house. Get booted out on the street an' push around a shoppin' cart, talk t'buildings, whatever else homeless folks do."

He can joke about it now, but growing up it was a real fear.

"Unusual guy, huh? Well, at least I know there's one person out there who don't mind the way I am." He gave her a faint smile, and shook his head about the doc.

"I'm sure the doc meant a lot of things. Man knows more'n I give him credit for, I guess."

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"Ah, so it's a gouging kind of loan then?" She could see that. It was kinda evil really, ergo, right up her alley in that 'must fight it' kind of way. "And we could get a tent in the woods if you lost the house." Because she would still be his roommate right? AS long as she was in his reality.

"And no, I don't mind. I think you're awesome, Bill." She stuck her tongue out at him then laughed. "As for Doc, well, he is a doctor. That makes him inherently smarter than all of us."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"We could, but I don't plan on it. I like ownin' my own place, havin' my name on the mailbox an' all. I aim t'keep it."

His 'we' was a yes to them still being roommates.

"I'm sure it does, an' he knows it, but you won't ever hear me admit it when he's around."

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"That's fair, I know people don't like to give up their things." Clarice chuckled, amused at the idea of trying to get Bill to part with his house. "I will be extra, extra careful when cooking so nothing catches on fire."

Bets she could do!

"Awww, but what if he'd stop teasing you if you just fessed up?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I appreciate it." He really did. Having his house burn to the ground isn't something he'd like to see happen.

"He might stop the teasin', but then I'd have t'put up with how smug he'll be instead."

Teasing was probably the lesser of two evils.

[noteasytobepink]

"He teases because he cares, Bill." Clarice had to point it out really! "He worries about you young single boys...and he warned me to take cover when your ma finds out I"m living with you."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He snorted half a laugh.

"Yeah, that'll be fun."

He planned on taking cover, too.

"It won't really be that bad, once I explain it to her."

[noteasytobepink]

"Frankly I'm a little worried about that. You haven't told her right?" Else Clarice would have heard of it by now! "Which means the gossips probably will tell her soon. Should I sleep at the station for a while...she could ambush us!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Geez, you're makin' it sound like we're doin' somethin' or somethin'," He said. "It ain't a big deal."

The way she was talking about it did make him a bit nervous, though.

"If there's one thing about my mom, it's that she don't listen to the gossips. She'll give me a chance t'explain before she goes crazy or somethin'."

[noteasytobepink]

"I have never dealt with a Mom before, only heard stories." And apparently said stories were terrifying. "The whole town thinks we're doing one thing or another Bill! Assumptions, assumptions...MOMS KILL GIRLS OVER THOSE!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I guess the only hope now is that she's happy just killin' you, an' not me, too," he replied, giving the first genuine smile in awhile.

"If she really does get mad I'm gonna blame you, just so you know."

[noteasytobepink]

"Doomed. I am DOOMED. Why do I worry about you then?" She waved a hand over her head like she was asking the heavens above. "Why?!"

"Oh..."

"...right. You're cute. I'm going to get sacrificed the maternal rage beast over a cute guy. Damn. I'm a sap."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He ducked his head, and tried to cover the action by taking a drink.

Looking at her, he gave a partial shrug.

"Well, if it makes any difference, I appreciate the sacrifice. An' bein' called cute."

[noteasytobepink]

Yeah, the head ducking thing was part of the cute. It was inescapable.

"See that I get an appropriate grave marker and all. I'd hate to end up as Jane Pink or something because someone got clueless at my funeral."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I will. I promise t'even bring you flowers."