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]

He cocked an eyebrow at her after hearing her tone, and shook his head in bemusement, sure she was just trying to get him blushing again.

"You will not. I'll say I fell in an' needed savin' before I run with a story like that." It implied too much, plus was embarrassing.

[noteasytobepink]

Nah, though he was adorable when he blushed! She just thought it was a pretty picture was all, a younger Bill getting talked into going down to the swim hole at night maybe...

"What will you say if I beat you to answering?" she asked, curious. "Would you call me a liar?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

If he could hear her thoughts he would be beet red. As it is, the way she's studying him gets a touch of flushness into his features.

She liked him, he was at least competent enough to tell that, but he was also sure it was as a friend. A friend she liked to tease. Which was fine, because he liked her, too. He was just a little less certain what his feelings were, but was prepared to convince himself it was only friends, too.

No need to mess this up or embarrass himself down the road.

Shaking his head, he casaully replied, "Nah, I'd just tell 'em you're crazy."

[noteasytobepink]

Yeah, well, time would tell? She wasn't going to jump him or anything when for all she knew she could be gone tomorrow, or next week...he didn't deserve that. Until then she could tell him he had a nice ass though, just to watch the blushing!

She'd be just as happy for him if he decided to date one of the nurses or Ms. County-fair pie winner or something!

"Oh sure, go for the easy excuse!" She stuck her tongue out at him as a matter of course. "'You see, she's crazy, what with the all over body tattoo and all. But harmless I assure you please let us in the car!'"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"What? You're the one who wanted t'bring it up at all. Me, I think it'd be funner to act casual, an' make 'em wonder."

Given the chance, people would come up with more outlandish ideas on their own than if they were given one.

[noteasytobepink]

"That's also known as the lazy way," Clarice laughed, peering up and down the road when they got back to it.

"Granted, wouldn't want you running out of energy before we get to town but..."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I prefer easy goin'."

He gave her a nod, then had a look down the road himself.

Such a lonely stretch, which was what made the driving nice. Of course, now that they weren't driving an empty road wasn't so helpful.

Boots crunching gravel, Bill turned himself and started walking up the road.

"Well, someone'll come along eventually, I guess." He hoped. "Too bad we ain't got pictures of the place. You could just-- " He made a gesture with his hand to indicate a jump.

[noteasytobepink]

"Or easy goin', " she allowed easily. She didn't care which term was used really!

And, oh yeah, gravel on the road side. That was why she had shoes right? She stopped a moment to put them back on then caught up with him.

"Are you saying, Bill, that you'd jump through one of my glowing portal today?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

His eyes slid sideways towards her, and he made a short series of shrug like gestures.

"Well, yeah, maybe, but you need t'know where you're goin', right? You can't just be poppin' anywhere."

It was his sureness that she needed directions and didn't have any that he even mentioned it. No, he was not ready to go through one of her glowing portals yet. But, he also wasn't going to admit that he was afraid of the whole teleporting thing.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well..." she drawled, bound and determined to test his 'willingness' today. "...I can get us back to your house, then you can find us a picture online." And then, viola, they'd be where they wanted to be, yeah?

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill felt like he was caught, and quickly tried to find a way to wriggle free.

"Oh, yeah... but, what-- I don't have a computer." was the best he could come up with.

[noteasytobepink]

"Precinct does!" She pointed out far too cheerfully. She was just going to keep walking though, because, well, Bill wouldn't say yes now would he?

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded.

"Yeah, it does."

Most times Bill was quick to decline the idea of teleporting, for the first time he was waffling over the idea.

It was the snake that did it.

Stretched across one lane, a brown snake basked in the sun, as happy as you please, and clearly in no fear of traffic coming along and ironing him out.

Seeing the lazy reptile, Bill sighed and looked down at Clarice.

"You really took the doc all the way to Aruba?"

[noteasytobepink]

Hey, a snake! Clarice only refrained from poking it by paying attention to Bill's comment (snakes could be good eating after all). The stick that had been headed for the poor reptile paused and instead twirled back over her fingers as she turned her gaze fully on Bill. "Yes, I did Bill."

And the doctor had come back from making those hotel reservations with all his fingers and toes, much less other limbs.

"You know I won't hurt you Bill."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I know." And he did, it was just, teleporting was way outside his usual comfort zone.

His mom could be the one doing it and he'd still be leary of it.

"What's it like? When you go?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Depends," she shrugged. "If I open a portal it's just like opening a door you can step through. A little tingle, maybe just a touch longer to cross a threshold, but easy and simple." Under ideal circumstances.

"If I teleport you directly it can get bumpy, or if I'm injured and exhausted the doorway method can get bumpy, but no one has ever dropped more than a foot or two to the ground when they arrive." Maybe Bill's mom would like Aruba?

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Like walkin' through a door."

Okay, so that didn't sound bad, but he still had misgivings. Debating with himself a moment, he looked at the snake.

"Can you do him? Send him to the other side of the road."

He'd seen her do inanimate objects, time for animal testing.

[noteasytobepink]

She gave him an annoyed look to cover the mild hurt; after all, she'd been nothing but honest and she wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't! "Because I'm totally in the habit of interrupting naps." The snake looked comfy!

Damn.

"What method Bill?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He just wanted to see it done! She had him more than halfway to giving in already.

"What if a car comes by? You're savin' his life," he pointed out. "An' I'm not touchin' him to move him through, so the direct method, I guess."

Chances were if it was as easy going as she was saying the snake wouldn't wake up, anyways.

[noteasytobepink]

Yeah yeah yeah.

"You got something against snakes?" Clarice asked after a moment of thought. "Or is it just handy?" Because, well, she'd have chased the snake through a portal if he wanted. Easy.

Either way though, she snapped a small portion of her stick off (she didn't need much for something small), held it until it glowed, then tossed it straight at the poor snake.

Which disappeared.

And reappeared five feet away on the far side of the road.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I just don't wanna get bit."

He laughed when the snake blinked out and reappeared. It looked annoyed, but no worse for wear.

"Wow, that was cool."

[noteasytobepink]

"Gee, thanks." She snorted and twirled her stick cheerfully. "I am good at what I do. I've been blinking for about as long as I've been walking." So there non-believer!

"Unless things are drastically different on your world, a solid colored snake like that with a blunt nose isn't poisonous and isn't likely to bite you so relax Bill. You're safe and all."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Now it was Bill's turn to look affronted.

"I know what a Brown snake looks like. Just 'cause they ain't poisonous doesn't mean tanglin' with one is fun."

He also felt the need to defend his cautious approach to all of this.

"I also haven't done any of this before. It ain't that I don't trust you, it's that I've never done it. You could tell me you've been sky divin' a million times, but I'd still baulk at jumpin' out of a plane."

Looking up and down the road again to check for a car that probably wasn't coming, he muttered, "Ain't even been on an airplane before an' you want me t'leap out of one... "

With a resolved sigh he gave in.

"Alright, but I want the walk through one. I don't wanna be blinked anywhere."

[noteasytobepink]

"Bill...you have been on a plane," she pointed out blandly. Blandly enough that she was probably teasing because yes, she did get where he was coming from.

"Doc put me through the scientific method too, it's just..." eh, she shrugged and charged the bigger stick left in her hand. "Sounds different coming from you is all."

And lo, a portal! It opened about six feet in front of Bill after Clarice threw the stick, unraveling into pink light motes and...a perfect view of Bill's kitchen.

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"The once. An' that whole take off an' landin' thing ain't the best."

He did feel a bit bad for the whole twenty questions thing, though, and so when she made the portal appear he did his best not to blink or jump.

Looking at it, he even smiled, because he was impressed with her abilities.

"Wow."

Looking at her, he nodded, then faced the portal. He was tempted to stick only his hand through, first, but decided in this case taking a plunge was the only way to do it.

Steeling himself, he stepped through.