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

[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!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"People are heavy. What if one lands on me?" It wasn't that he didn't care! He just didn't want to get pancaked.

Hopping at the tweak, he made a face at her, then headed inside.

[noteasytobepink]

"You only need to save their heads!" Duh! "Fajitas babe. Fajjjjiiiiitaaaaaasssssss..."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"So strap a helmet on 'em before you toss 'em out of the tree." Duh!

Bill asked for a table for two, putting his arm around her as they followed the waiter.

"Yes, fajitas. An' no tequila."

[noteasytobepink]

"I can't carry helmets while tree running, they snag and I'll fall to my death." And he didn't want that right? He didn't want that at all!

"You can have a margarita. One. You have to drive when we get back."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"You're more agile than that. You could probably carry a tray of glassware an' not break a thing." He'd seen her work out, she was graceful and balanced!

"Margaritas are so girly," he complained, still probably going to order one anyways, since she was letting him.

[noteasytobepink]

"Glassware is easy," she chuckled, "It's balanced. Helmets dangle on straps and knock around, they're a pain!" See? Her statement was perfectly valid!

"So order the manly, top shelf, forged for the lips of tough guys margarita!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"That's why you wear it til it's time to pass it on." He could counter her logic with his own!

"Do they have those?" Because now his interest was piqued.

[noteasytobepink]

"If I'm looking for one hiker I'm just as likely to be looking for several hikers! I can't wear that many helmets!" It'd be silly and awkward!

"Usually? Look for anything called gold or silver, top shelf, or on the rocks rather than blended?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Nah, usually if you're lookin' for hikers it's the one that wandered away from the group." He'd been searching for lost folks in the woods around Wheelsy for a long time now, he knew! "At most you'll get a couple kids, an' I could catch one of them."

It was the full grown people he was worried about.

"Hm, I think I'll do that, then. So, beef or chicken fajitas? Or both." He was totally in favor of both if she wanted to go that way.

[noteasytobepink]

"Last year it was that family that mistook a hiking trail though..." she countered cheerfully. "But sure, we hunt kids I'll trust you to catch them!" She would!

"Both so we can mix and match? Smells like they grill things right here!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Alright, deal." He'd help her anyways, but it was always good to agree with your girlfriend.

"I like the way you think," he grinned at her, putting in the order and asking for his top shelf margarita. He went ahead and went with the blended ice, because why not?

[noteasytobepink]

He'd help because he was the sheriff and those were his woods as it were! And he'd worry if he didn't get to help!

"Well, there's reasons we get along babe!" she laughed and teased her foot up his leg under the table. "Ooo, manly enough to handle a little girly slush?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He managed not to jump with the brush of her foot, but not to fully contain the heat that crept into his features.

"Mm, you betcha I am."

[noteasytobepink]

HE WAS SO MUCH FUN IN PUBLIC! He really was, a year later and he was still so easy to fluster!

"I believe you! I also want to steal a sip when it comes!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

It wasn't funny!

Except for the part where it totally was.

"I suppose I could give you a small sip, but what do I get?"