Trust me...

[noteasytobepink]

Who: Clarice and some kids! And maaaaybe the sheriff's department.
When: Some time after the first year of being stuck on Bill's world, just after she joins the sheriff's department after her florist job.
What: Being a deputy does NOT mean that she can't lie about things a little!

"Hey, you gonna be alright out there rookie?" The snickering was definitely something she could do without. "Those streets get tough about this time of day!"

She glanced up mildly at the rest of the desks around her before leaning down to tighten the straps on her boots. They were tight and double knotted, good. Same for the slow check of her belt and gear, then the brush of fingers up her buttons as she straightened. All in order, picture perfect, and even better everyone's gaze was shying away from hers as she looked around. Better. It was always easier to make the 'senior' people in any business uncomfortable than to try to start shit. Better they avoid ogling the sheriff's girlfriend than have her toss one or two out a window.

No matter how tiresome their joking got. "I believe I can handle myself," she noted mildly as she checked the end of her braided hair. Yes, still secure. All was well with the world. And Jamie was even blushing. Wasn't that cute? "Stay out of trouble oldsters, I won't be here to save you." Okay, maybe a little tail tweaking? A tiny bit.

Yeah, they were totally going to steal her desk chair or something. Or throw pencils at her. Or any number of non-lethal things that tended to make her giggle. Giggling was easy in Wheelsy. She made it out the door while the rest of the crew were arguing over who was actually 'old'. Rather than dwell on the minor victory she glanced up at swore. Almost out of time! "Nice one Clarice..." she muttered, stretching out into a run.

She'd make it.

Barely.

The school bell was ringing as she hopped the last fence across from the bus lot, and she barely beat the munchkins to the cross walk.

She'd laughed when Bill told her it was a necessary job. Really. Cross walks were kinda self explanatory and everyone in town knew where the crosswalk was. They wouldn't mow down kids on purpose, right? This world just...wasn't like that. "Alright, line 'em up kiddos!" she darted across the street to make sure they sorted into lines (lines were easier to handle, right?).

...did they even KNOW what lines were?! "NOT SO FAST!" She snapped, snagging one kid by his hood as he tried to dart across. "Police lady says she WILL dangle you if you try to ditch her!" JUST SAYING!

"BILLY STOP PUSHING!"

"I'M NOT YOU'RE JUST A SLOWPOKE!"

"YOU'RE GONNA GET ARRESTED!"

"Hey, hey Clarice?" She looked down, bemused as one of the youngest stopped in the center of the street to tug on her arm. "Hey, my brother says you're not really pink! No people are really pink!"

...right. "We're in the road," she pointed out. "Tell me that again when we're on the sidewalk okay?" Anything to keep them moving? Besides, that had been...unintentionally stinging. Real people COULD BE PINK. Or Blue. Or Green. Or any other color. Mutants were people too after all, no matter what various realities claimed!

Sidewalk, blessed sidewalk.

"So why are you pink?!"

Right. She sighed and sank down on her heels so that she could be on eye level with the kindergartner. "Well, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes!"

That was good. "I'm only a cop during the day," she admitted.

"So what are you at night?"

"A fairy princess. I'm hiding from an evil king who took away my castle so it's important you don't tell anyone okay?"

"Not even my brother?"

"Not even him. The evil king has spies everywhere and you don't him to hear you telling your brother right?"

The little girl dug her sneaker at the sidewalk for a moment then nodded firmly, "I don't want that. Can you do magic tricks?"

"Only at night." Vampire fairy princess? Sure.

"Do you have wings?!"

"...no. I was hurt and lost my wings. That's why Sheriff Pardy had to take me to the hospital."

"Ohhhhhhh...did it hurt? Did you get a shot?"

"Yes and yes, but it's okay, I'm still alive and that's what matters right?"

"If I'm really good can you show me some magic? I can stay up until eight on Fridays and Saturdays!"

"We'll see kiddo. I may need to do other things to keep everyone safe okay? But we'll see." She spotted the munchkin's mom coming up the walk and grinned, "remember, it's a secret."

"Okay!" And off she went.

Well then. She was betting it was only going to be a few hours before the sheriff's office got calls about corrupting the children or something but it had been fun! Show her some magic tricks indeed...all the tricks she knew weren't good for kids in a world like this one.

It was barely past school letting out so she decided to hang around and escort EVERYONE who wanted to cross the street. Why not after all? It was a SERIOUS job and such.

Wheelsy. Had to love it huh?

Comments

[noteasytobepink]

"No, just being allowed to stop for one," she teased, sauntering over to the passenger side as she peeled her orange crossing vest off.

Slowly.

"Depends on what you're in the mood for...that isn't dipped in grease..." she laughed.

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He watched the vest come off, shaking his head to find focus again so he could keep up with the conversation.

"But grease is what makes good food."

[noteasytobepink]

"Only if you're working hard enough to burn it properly!" she countered, an old argument by this point but no less valid. "It has it's uses, sure, but not in all the circumstances civilized worlds seem to employ it!" It was just a bad body habit in some worlds!

"Fajitas?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I happen t'have an excellent metabolism." Which was true! Look at the shape he was in even with all the sweets he was constantly packing away!

"Hmm... fajitas sound good, but there's a problem with 'em." Rounding the car after shutting her door, he got in and continued, "Gotta have tequila with fajitas."

He waggled his brows at her, daring her to say yes to them anyways.

It was five o'clock somewhere!

[noteasytobepink]

Fewer sweets now! Or at least healthier ones! How he tolerated that much refined sugar in his diet anyway still bemused her. She hadn't grown up with it, so...yeah. "Babe, you've been running more and can keep up with me when I tackle you naked..." she teased. "That's not metabolism that's exercise." And he'd need to do MORE if he wanted more grease!

Ah, "See, there's a problem with that...you're the designated driver. That leaves me drinking it all to make up for you and then I think you just want to impair my judgement..." Fajitas still sounded good though!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Exercise might be helpin', but I was still quite the catch for you showed up t'chase me around," he countered smugly.

"Impairin' your judgement is a given." He smirked at her. "But couldn't you just pop us there an' back again?" Now that he was no longer scared of the portals he wasn't above shamelessly using them for food and fun.

[noteasytobepink]

"Oh, I see how it is," she snorted, "Give one little indicator that you're not perfect and you'd throw yourself back into the dating pool full of good country girls." Fine, be that way!

"Could, but it would mean leaving your car, possibly using more than my hour of break, and possibly getting lost on the way back as you got me drunk." And that wouldn't go well would it?

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I wasn't sayin' that at all. I was just pointing out that this body of mine can handle a greasy burger or three, that's all."

Aww, why did she have to be so practical and smart about these things? That was supposed to be his job, and if he was willing to be a bad influence she should too.

"Why you gotta be so logical all the time?" he asked, starting the car and pulling away from the curb. "Alright, we'll skip the tequila, but I want some of that custard stuff as a consolation prize."

[noteasytobepink]

"Spaced out maybe," she poked his side gently and leaned her head back on the head rest. Huh?

Well...it just...came naturally?

"I...team leader Bill. I kept people alive. A lot of times that meant figuring out consequences fast and acting to mitigate the worst ones." And it became habit. Her daddy raised her well after all.

Negotiations she could work with though! "We bring it back with us so I can watch you eat it properly when we're both off the clock and home." She didn't care for the sweetness of it, as with a lot of desserts? But watching him enjoy it was fun, as was trying to distract him!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He flinched a bit with the poking and almost challenged her to a bet on that count, but she probably wouldn't go for it. So he just threw her a smile instead.

"It don't hurt to bend the rules a little sometimes," he countered. He was a leader, too! But it had been quiet in Wheelsy, and cutting out an hour or two early wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Especially because the both of them often worked so much more than their shifts the rest of the time.

He wasn't going to argue it, though, because really, she was right. Instead, he accepted her terms.

"Alright. Deal."

[noteasytobepink]

"Wow, that was easier than expected," she teased, buckling in and grinning. "Now driver...somewhere private if you want authentic food! Otherwise we're eating at Paco's downtown." Where downtown meant more 'near the courthouse' but hey! It was a small town!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Not a hard negotiation," he replied. He was going to get his custard, so he was happy to agree.

"Hey, Paco's ain't bad," he said, even as he pulled them around to park behind a building. "Where'd you have in mind instead?"

[noteasytobepink]

"I know Paco's isn't bad! You just sounded like you had higher hopes!" she laughed easily. One thing living here allowed for: easy laughter. "Coooould jaunt down to the border if you wanted, but we'll be waaaaay out of emergency contact range..."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I got my cell phone. Long as we stay North of the border this time. I'd like to skip out on them roaming charges." International calling and roaming had never been one of Bill's worries, until he got his cell bill after one of their jaunts.

OUCH.

"Otherwise that sounds good. Just remember I'm lousy at Spanish, so you'll have t'roll my r's for me."

[noteasytobepink]

"Mmm, so we're looking at Arizona or southern California?" she mused, thinking it over. "Border town near Baja should do good fajitas...." If it was anything like it had been in other worlds?

ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!

"Ready for the heat lover?" she teased, wiggling out of her uniform shirt before reaching over to touch him.

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Sounds great, let's go." His only regret besides the tequila would be not having the chance to see her in a bathing suit.

Next time.

[noteasytobepink]

"Alright then," she slid out of the car and picked up a bit of random branch for their portal, then held her hand out for him. 'You realize if anyone finds the car while we're gone they're going to assume we're off in the woods acting like bunnies right?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He got out, making sure the car was locked in case someone did find it.

"They assume that anyways," he laughed. "Could always make up a story 'bout a missing hiker if we had to."

[noteasytobepink]

"Point, I have like...zero good rep here..." she giggled and stepped through her portal once he was through. "Terrible role model for the young ladies. And you better knock on something, I don't want to track a hiker today!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"That ain't true," he said, taking a look around where she'd taken them.

He rapped knuckles on his head, and chuckled. "Sorry, if I managed to jinx things I'll go out and beat the trees with you lookin' for 'em."

[noteasytobepink]

"Sure it is!" she laughed.

Oh dear, "yeah we're doomed. Totally doomed." One hundred percent doomed! "I run through trees dear, I don't beat them!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Well then you can run through 'em, an' I'll stand at the bottom seein' if anyone falls out." He laughed again, bemused by the thought.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, good, that way they won't hurt their head," she snorted. "You're my hero you know that?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Oh, does that mean I have t'catch 'em, too?" He was just going to watch, really.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, a good and caring person would?" she offered sweetly. "But if you're busy..." or distracted by her opening a door for him and tweaking his rear cheerfully!