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

[noteasytobepink]

"Hey! Little ghost girls need something to make them smile too!" What if she had died young and became a little ghost girl huh? WOULD SHE BE CREEPY?!

"And you'd better. Panic buttons in coffins are a major upgrade you know? It has to have a long battery life and all."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I'm sure they do. I'm also sure that most of the time what makes 'em smile is haunting folk an' bein' creepy. Y'ever seen The Shining?"

So yes, yes she would be creepy as a little ghost girl.

"Yeah, I guess y'couldn't be replacin' 'em too easy. How'd we get t'talkin' 'bout buryin' me again?"

[noteasytobepink]

"No? Is the shining a haunted place then?" Made as much sense as a place name The Commons or The Arrows or something!

She would not be creepy. She'd be pink. "As far as I know ghosts tend to be the same kind of people they were in life. Some creepy, some sad, some lost, etc." Anyway.

"You said I'd be responsible for your funeral."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"It's a scary movie. Based on a book, but I ain't ever read it."

Bill shook his head.

"A ghost is a ghost, an' they're all scary. I personally don't want anything to do with any types of dead people."

It was just safer that way.

"Oh, right. If you give me a heart attack. Well, let's just stick to walks an' creek wadin', an' avoid the whole funeral thing."

[noteasytobepink]

"Oh, well, then no I've never seen it." She snorted and kicked water in a wave ahead of them.

"And not all ghosts are scary, at least that I've had to deal with! You've dealt with scarier!" Because slug zombies from space were certainly scarier than most things. "Besides, most of them can't hurt you." At all. Most ghosts had no power over the living world!

"And yes, no funerals. I'm bad at them anyway and the creek is a lot more fun. Hey, look, minnows!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill pauses a step, then keeps walking, eyes on her.

"You've really dealt with ghosts before?"

Yes he's dealt with scary, but of the alien kind, not supernatural.

[noteasytobepink]

"Run into all kinds of things popping through realities." A shrug, she didn't want it to be a big deal? "Seems easier, in some worlds, for dead people to stick around." Ghosts, vampires, zombies, all kinds of creepy crazy magic types that had made her blink a lot!

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Huh."

She really has seen a bit of everything.

Looking down at the tiny fish darting around, he smiles.

"There's a lot of 'em in here. Turtles an' crawfish likely, too."

[noteasytobepink]

She looked down at the water and grinned. "Turtles?! Really? Here, help me find one!" Crayfish she could take or leave, they were a food source when in need but...that was about it.

Turtles were just cute.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"You wanna find a turtle?"

Bill looked around, as if expecting one to just be sitting nearby.

"Best place I remember findin' 'em was on rocks an' logs sunnin' themselves."

[noteasytobepink]

"Hey, I haven't seen many turtles! And they're cute!" So there! Hmmm, not much place for sunning in the nicely moving creek then. "Maybe they'll be ahead? If the creek deepens or widens?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Hey, wasn't sayin' nothin' against findin' turtles. Outta be fun."

Gesturing down the way they're headed, he nods.

"Could be. Only one way to find out."

[noteasytobepink]

"Alright, as long as you weren't looking down on it," she sniffed in mock-snobbishness then grinned. "Race you around that bend down there?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill looked ahead and judged the bend.

He gave a sort of shrug, almost shaking his head.

"Eh, I dunno, seems-- GO!"

And like that he was off, splashing ahead and trying not to slip and fall on his ass.

[noteasytobepink]

"Eh?!" HOW DARE HE DO THAT! "CHEATER!" yes, she was tearing after him.

Or possibly diving at his legs.

Either worked really.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill grins.

Picking his way through slippery rocks and swirling water wasn't the easiest thing, it was damn impossible when he had a pink person attached to his legs.

"Wh-- "

With an ungraceful flop Bill hit the water.

He got his arms out to pick himself up, sputtering water.

"Jesus, that's cold."

[noteasytobepink]

"Hey, I had to get soaked too so relax." She laughed, sitting in the water for a moment. "Besides, it feels nice on a day like this. We should be dry before we get anywhere important." In theory!

Granted, she had more hair to wring water out of than he did!

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Slogging out of the creek, Bill dragged himself onto the bank and sat in the grass.

"Probably, since we'll be walkin' the rest of the way," he laughed. No one liked soggy hitchhikers.

Untucking his shirt, Bill rang out the bottom of it. His blue jeans would probably stay damp all evening, though. Darn denim.

[noteasytobepink]

She joined him on the bank, still grinning cheerfully. "Maybe. Coudl always run into someone with a truck who'll let us ride in back." Optimism was fun?

"Besides, you look good soaked. You can just lounge beside the road and some caring lady will stop!"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Maybe."

Picking up a few rocks, he started skipping them across the water.

"I do, huh? Think you're just set on makin' me blush."

[noteasytobepink]

"Nah, I just figure you haven't hear tell that you're an attractive guy enough in your life so why bother restraining myself?" She watched him skip rocks and...didn't join in. Instead she picked up a stick to doodle in the mud.

"And since you are, to use the terminology of your world, 'Hot' and soaked to the skin I'm pretty sure folk would stop."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

And now he was blushing, but he was also smiling at the compliment and thought behind her words.

"Well thanks. But you ain't worried 'bout me growin' an ego?"

It could happen. Probably not.

"So you want me t'flaunt myself t'get us a ride?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Everyone should have some ego Bill, keeps you healthy." She nodded easily. "There's only a problem if it gets big enough to mess with your head." And she didn't see that happening! Bill was a well grounded person.

"Oh, would you? Flash a little leg, swing a little hip?" Oh yes, teasing teasing teasing.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Well I promise not to let it, then."

His next rock plunked into the water instead of skipping over it as he began to laugh.

"I will not. I'm just gonna stick with the thumb, alright?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Awww, where's your sense of adventure?" She tried to look indignant and failed, falling into laughter so hard she tumbled against his side. "Thumbs it is. That way neither of us needs to be rescued from an earthier sort."