Using words like a trickster (liquorishflame) wrote in 1973flashfic,
Using words like a trickster

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The Minor Characters Challenge by liquorishflame

Title: Swinging On A Star
Author: liquorishflame
Rating: Green Cortina
Pairing: Ruth/Maya.
Summary: Ruth Tyler is trapped in 2006!
A/N: Written for The Minor Characters Challenge, and beated by saintvic. I should warn, this is only part one, but it'll be a short series, four to six chapters only. And it's going to be femslash, which suprised me, but there you go. The gods demanded it. :)
Update: Now have removed editing comments. Note to self, pay more attention in the future :)

  Ruth hummed to herself as she vacuumed the floor of the new house, getting rid of all the dust balls and lint left from the previous tenants. The radio was on, playing an old Sinatra song. She began to sing along with it.
'Oh would you like to swing on a star? Carry moonbeams home in a jar? And be better off then you are?...'
Her mum had loved this song. Big Frank Sinatra fan she was. If only she'd lived to see Sammy. Such a young man he was now! Looking more like his father everyday.
Her mouth tightened, and she pushed the vacuum around with more vigor. Yes, his father. Who spent less and less time with his son. And her. Who disappeared, days on end, and tried to make up for it with little nick nacks and novelties. She paused, giving out a sigh, as she leaned against her hands, murmuring the words as the vacuum droned on and on.
'And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo, everyday you meet quite a few. So you see, it's all up to you. You can be better then you are...'
She turned towards the bookshelf and tried to shift it. It was quite heavy, and Ruth frowned as she applied a bit more pressure.
Only to have the whole thing tumble down on her.
'Mum? Mum, have you seen Dad's book-?'
Sammy came down the stairs to see the bookshelf flat on the ground, his mothers's small hand sprawled out from under it as the vacuum droned on.
Ruth Tyler gazed up, and up. In front of her was a wide, tall building, which seemed to be made mostly of curving glass. The sign on it read 'Circus Casino Manchester.' People rushed by her, their dark, drab. Stepping back, she almost slipped on something. Looking down, she saw she'd trod on a ticket stub. Frowning, she picked it up and froze. The printing on it was clearly legible.
This ticket is valid for the day of June 13, 2006.
'Oh my God....'
Ruth Tyler stared around her in wonder and horror.
'Where am I?'
My name is Ruth Tyler. I was minding my own business one day, when all of the sudden I was whisked away, by god knows what, to 2006. Am I losing my mind, in the future, or just suffering from a dodgy lunch? Whatever's happened, it's as if I've wished myself away. Now if only I can figure how, or why, maybe I can get home.
'DI Roy?'
Maya sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
'Yes mam?'
'We've got a disturbance outside the Circus Casino, some nutter.'
Maya turned around from her computer in her swivel chair.
'Do you really think that's my department mam?'
Her DCI smiled meanly, surreptitiously fluffing the ridiculous hairstyle that she currently favoured. It made Maya want to take a run at her with scissors.
'Well Roy, since you've done such a good job swashbuckling your way through the homicide investigations, I thought the circus was the right place for someone with your grandstanding talents.'
Maya felt herself flush and thanked God that her complexion was dark enough to hide it.
'Mam I..........No matter what you think of me, I'm not the sort of person who seeks out attention from the press.'
Her DCI's (replacement DCI, she'd never hold a candle to her Sam) grin grew even wider.
'Is that so Detective Inspector? I do recall something along the lines of "I was just doing what any good police officer would do; I did my duty yap yap yap yap." Grabbed all the headlines and the glory for yourself, didn't you? Never mind that you botched up the investigation, since you ultimately were pursuing an innocent man while your DCI was lying unconscious and bleeding on the tarmac.'
She surged to her feet before she even knew what was happening, the blood roaring in her ears. But smug look on the other woman's face stopped her.
Breathing out slowly, she straightened her blouse and walked past.
'Oh and Roy?'
'Do take a babysitter with you. Whups. Backup I meant.'
Giving her the fuck eye, Roy left.

 Ruth covered her face with her hands. 'Oh my life, oh my life! This isn't happening!'
Ruth was on top of the cinema just across the street from the casino. Don't ask her why, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. She'd just dashed across and up a ladder being used to change the flick's titles. Now everyone was looking at her! Oh Ruthie, a grown woman like you should think before she acts!
She bit her lip as a police car showed up, two people getting out. She blinked. One of them was a woman, an East Indian looked like, or maybe Pakistani. The woman looked up at her, then at the boy by her side, saying something to him. She then walked over.
'Hello there, I'm Detective Inspector Maya Roy. What's your name?' the woman shouted.
Ruth blinked.

'Are you having me on?'

'I'm sorry?'

'You're really an Inspector? You?'

The Indian woman looked up at her as if she was loosing what mind she still had.

'Y-es.' she said slowly, like she were talking to a child. Ruth frowned. There was no need for that tone.

'What do you want then Inspector?' she winced as she heard her voice squeak.
'Nothing, I just want to talk.' said the other woman, spreading her hands wide. 'Can I come up?'
Ruth bit her fingernails worriedly. Let her up? Should she?
'I don't know...'
'Listen, what's your name mam?'
'Ruth, Tyler. Where am I?'
The woman detective shared a worried glance with the young man at her side, who must be her partner, Ruth suddenly realised.
'You're in Manchester Ruth. Look, can I come up?'
Taking in a deep breath, Ruth nodded.
'Thank you. Would you... could you let the ladder down?'
The trip back to CID was uneventful, for which Maya thanked her lucky stars. They'd sat Ruth down in the visitors area, as she wasn't quite sure where she should put her. She looked over to where the woman sat, staring off at nothing as she played with the ends of her apron. Sighing, she shook her head as she poured a cup of coffee.
'I reckon it's attempted rape.'
Maya blinked at her officer, DC Lawrence Carling.
'I see....and you deduced that because...?'
'Well...she's....a young pretty woman...clearly suffering from some sort of shock....she's barefoot...'
'And your mind immediately jumps to attempted rape.' She looked at him in disgust. 'Crikey Larry, you've cracked the case. I'll alert the media.'
Lawrence looked down at the toes of his shoes, blushing.
'Yeh, I hear that's your specialty.' he muttered. She just looked at him, not believing her ears, making him blush more. 'Gotta go.' he said, brushing by her. Closing her eyes and cursing all substitute DCI's, she then poured a hot cup of coffee into a mug and brought it over to Ruth.
'Here you go.' The blonde woman took it gratefully.
'Thank you so much Detective.' Maya sat on the edge of the desk, and then stood up abruptly as she realised she was copying Sam, emulating his interview style. Come on Maya, don't get stupid now. It won't look good if you get misty-eyed while trying to soothe a potential victim.
She focused on the woman in front of her.
'Ruth, what were you doing on top of the cinema?'
Ruth shrugged, lowering her head.
'I don't know. I just...ran.'
But couldn't get away, Maya thought irrelevantly. Pushing '80's pop tunes out of her head, she asked another question.
'Why Ruth? What were you running from?'
'I...I was in my living room. The radio was on, Sammy was upstairs with his books. I was vacuuming, and then-'
She broke off. 'And then...?' The other woman was staring off into space.

'Ruth, what happened?' Maya prodded gently.
'I was there, in front of the casino. And I don't know how I got there. And....'
She shut her eyes, whispering.
'And it's not possible is it? This is, I don't know. Maybe I'm just dreaming. I'll pinch myself really hard and I'll wake up.'
She did, and Maya actually saw tears in her eyes as she realised that it wasn't working. Suddenly, she dropped the coffee mug, and slapped herself, hard. And again, and again. Shocked, Maya actually just stood there for a moment before she grabbed her hands, as carefully as she could. The little blonde had more strength in her then at first glance, and for a second, Maya thought she'd have to call for help. But then some instinct drove her to pull her into a hug. Ruth froze for a moment, and then deep wracking sobs shook her body, and Maya held her and let her cry.

To be continued..
Tags: minor characters challenge
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