Wheelsy AU ~ Tire changing

[noteasytobepink]

"You know Bill..." Clarice drawled cheerfully. "When you said you wanted to show me the nearest 'city' I thought you meant we'd actually get there." She took her hat off and fanned herself with it, the ballcap doing little to stir the hot, damp air, but at least it was better than glowering.

"And yeah, that really does look like dry rot in the spare there. Never seen it in a tire before but I've seen it in other materials..." She wasn't even sure why they had headed out. A better bar where no one expected him to fix their problems? A place she was suppose to get fitted for a civilian aid uniform? Who knew!

Comments

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill was kneeling in the dirt beside the jack, looking at the miserable remains of his busted tire, and the pathetic condition of his spare.

"Just... gimme a minute."

He scrubbed his forearm across his brow and sighed.

It was damn hot. He'd hoped to get there just as evening was falling and the night life of Columbia was getting started, but right now there was too much damn sun left in the sky, and it was burning up the air.

Even he wasn't a sure why he'd come out here. Part of him had needed to get out, he'd spent too much time lately stuck in a rut.

He'd also needed to get away. Everyone in town seemed to know about Starla, and he'd gotten tired of the whispering, and sad looks tossed his way. He felt like a dog left on the highway; everyone was sad to see him standing there, but no one was kind enough to stop and pick him up.

Except maybe Clarice. She was trying to get him through it and push him along, but even that was something he needed a break from.

Since he couldn't have a drink at the lodge without the looks or people's problems finding him, and he couldn't do it at the house without Clarice monitoring him and disappearing things, he thought to head out of town.

So here they were, stranded on the side of the road. Obviously this was a great plan.

"Shit."

[noteasytobepink]

"Hey, relax." Clarice sunk down to squat on her heels next to him and offered a small smile. "Could be worse right?" Certainly it could be! Someone could be shooting at them!

"We could walk a bit, see if we can find a phone? If we walk on the other side of the road it's even shaded." If there was something this area wasn't lacking, it was trees! "It'll be an adventure."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

With one last disgusted look at the tire, he turned to Clarice and nodded.

"Worse. Yeah."

Standing up, he dusted his hands off on his jeans, looking up and down the road.

"I guess we can head back towards Wheelsy. If we don't find a phone at least there's the chance of runnin' into someone who'll pick us up."

[noteasytobepink]

Given the day she was glad she'd opted for a tank top and cut offs. Even a sun dress would have been too much fabric in her opinion. Still, as tempting as home was..."Where's the fun in that?" She asked Bill with a lopsided grin. "If we head toward the city we may actually get there you know."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Yeah, but how're we gettin' back?"

Looking up the road, Bill debated a moment, then shrugged.

"Sure, why the hell not."

He could call someone from there, or hire a tow truck in the city. And, he did still want to get away for a bit.

Long walk might not be so bad.

Locking up the truck, he pocketed his keys and hooked his thumbs into his belt loops.

"C'mon, oughta be somethin' up ahead."

[noteasytobepink]

"Bill, we never get far if we're always worried about getting back." Clarice laughed and then very pointedly picked up a stick to twirl in her fingers. "Besides, dumb question." If they were really, really stuck she'd teleport them. Duh.

"Besides, I've always wanted to try hitchhiking! Wouldn't it be fun?" She grinned and fell in beside him naturally. "Got any suggestions for getting a car to stop besides tackling the hood?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Guess that's true." Getting home was always the priority for him, but he knew he was the exception, and Clarice was certainly working him away from that comfort zone.

He still made a face when she suggested teleporting, though. It was still a 'no' for him on that front (but at least it wasn't the hell no it was before).

"That's what y'got a thumb for," he replied, rolling his eyes at the hood jumping. "Lookin' sad, an' not like a serial killer helps, too."

Kicking at a rock, he glanced up at the trees.

"I'm fine t'walk for a bit, though. Hitchhikin' usually means sittin' in a car gettin' chatted up by some stranger."

And strangers asked a lot of questions.

[noteasytobepink]

"Have you seen how people drive around here Bill?" Clarice chuckled and tapped her stick against his arm. "I didn't figure they'd notice a thumb at those speeds!" Hence, tackling.

"And I guess that's how people deal with the oddness of picking someone up? They feel daring because, well, stranger on the side of the road, but nervous too...so the logical way to handle it is to get to know the person? Makes them less strange I guess." Or something at any rate. "Walking is good though. Can't complain about the company."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"'Course, it's my job t'pull 'em over, but you think the best way to deal with it is jumpin' at the speedin' cars?"

He shook his head, that one having bad idea written all over it.

"I guess that makes sense, but there're a lot of weirdos out there. So walkin' is good. I've got no complaints against the company either."

[noteasytobepink]

"Exactly. Think about it Bill, who's more panicked in such a situation? The person driving or the person who can land both feet on the hood and roll over the top of the car?" And panicked people tended to stop!

Besides, it was good practice.

"Bill...we're weirder than anything that'd stop for us." She was secure in her weirdness. It was a good kinda weird! "So tell me about the city and where we're going?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I've seen too much roadkill t'even think about tryin' it."

Tire treads and extremely thin just wouldn't be a good look for him.

"How am I weird? Actually, nevermind, I'd rather not know."

They'd already gone over some of the qualities that made him stranger than other people.

"Columbia? Well, it's a city. Pretty big, I guess. Got a lot there."

[noteasytobepink]

"Hmm, point. You do get an up close perspective on things going wrong with cars." She tapped her chin thoughtfully then shrugged. "I'll save car tackling as a last resort!" And really she'd only suggested it to get a rise out of him.

"And, well, for starters you happened to take 'pink person from another universe' in stride and even worked to integrate her. That's weird." It was, no denying.

"What are we going to do in Columbia?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Definitely a last resort." He'd teleport before they started throwing themselves at cars.

"That don't make me weird, it means I'm a nice guy."

He threw her a smile, and kicked his rock again as they caught up to it.

"I figure we could check out what's goin' on. Maybe play some pool if you wanted, grab a bite t'eat somewhere. I dunno, didn't have too much of a plan when we headed out."

The focus was on getting out for a bit, and finding some peace and a drink somewhere.

[noteasytobepink]

"Yes yes yes, no playing in traffic." Hey, she wouldn't ask him to join her! He'd be on standby for getting the car door open once it stopped!

"Nice and weird." Just saying. Still!

"You dragged me out without a plan?!" She gasped and held a hand to her chest, shocked. Shocked!! "Sounds good to me. Pool is fun and no one knows me yet in Columbia." As opposed to folk in Wheelsy who were getting a bit leery about betting anything in pool.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I thought you'd be glad just t'see me out of the house." She had been trying to get him to go out for awhile now, ever since his return from California.

"I reckon I could go for bein' an' unknown, too. S'why I decided on the city.

She could hussle people, and he could be left alone for a bit.

[noteasytobepink]

"I am," she flashed him a smile, utterly and completely honest about that. "Doesn't stop my natural curiosity though! I always wonder what people are thinking or where we're going or the like!" She was so very feline sometimes. She blamed Mr. Creed.

"Unknown and unreachable is why you left your phone at home right? And your radio?" She could live with that, easy. "Thought that might be the case."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Fair enough," he allowed. He already knew about how she liked to ask questions, and wanting to know what's going on with him. It was chipping away at his usual tendency to put up walls, and keep things to himself.

He wasn't a talker when it came to himself, and not many people asked, so having her around was a new experience.

"Yeah. 'Course that's the time when my truck decides t'have a blow out." Just his luck.

[noteasytobepink]

Why not ask questions? Questions led to getting to know people, and she liked people! Besides, Bill was fun to talk to.

"Of course it is, law of inconvenience and all." She chuckled and poked her stick at a clump of rags along the road. Nope, not a daed thing, just a discarded shirt. "Better than my luck though, we haven't been attacked yet!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Attacked?"

Yeah, he was glad that hadn't happened yet.

"It's not so bad, though. Aside from havin' t'pay for a new tire an' a tow, I don't mind. I guess walkin' can be better'n bein' shut in a cab sometimes."

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, yeah. Vigilante Bill. Generally when I go out of contact I end up with badguys." She chuckled and went back to trotting down the road instead of poking at things.

"Maybe I can win enough for the tow, or the tire. Maybe both!" Maybe! People underestimated pink! "What do you think, shirt low cut enough to make people forget what they're agreeing to wager?" It was a standard tank top but still, fun to tease.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Well, y'lucked out this time so we can go ahead and skip the attacks."

His rock went skittering over the asphalt again as Bill kicked it.

"Would be nice if y'did, just don't go gettin' us in trouble. And uh, any an' all wardrobe choices are yours."

[noteasytobepink]

"Your lips to the ears of the universe Bill." She reached out to tap his lips, naturally, for good luck and to stop any jinxing that comment led to!

"And hey, I'm not against dirty tricks and feminine charms to make money for the towing! Though, admittedly, I could teleport the whole rig back to your drive way...but it'd be hard for people not to notice that you know?" And therefore she felt obligated to do what she could in a non-powered way! "And if I can't make towing money I'll still get us free drinks."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He blinked in surprise when her fingers fell on his lips, then chuckled and smiled.

"You could really do that?" He asked in surprise, looking over at her. "Teleport it, I mean."

[noteasytobepink]

"Sure. It doesn't need a careful ride, it won't get hurt if I misjudge by an inch or two. It's just solid and heavy, which means it'd be a little strain and I'd have to not teleport something else for a while." The 'throw a glowing spike at it' method instead of 'opening a portal' method!

"Though if you hadn't added that amendment I'd have been hurt you thinking I couldn't at least score free drinks."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Huh. Cool."

He really was impressed. Maybe one day they could have a round of 'okay, teleport that' with random objects.

"Oh, I'm sure you could get free drinks easy, even without the changes you were sayin'."