Domestic Shipping Meme: The Fic (3)

[john_amend_all]

19. Liz / Ace — putting away the groceries. Suggested by daibhid_c. This was one of the randomly-generated pairings.

The larder door opened with a bang.

"Here," Ace said. "Delivery for you. Week's groceries from the Home and Colonial." She set down the huge wicker basket she was holding. "This has got to be the Professor's stupidest plan yet."

Liz turned around, the bunch of keys jingling at the waist of her severe black dress. "I daresay he's got his reasons."

She looked Ace up and down. As usual, her maid's uniform was untidy and her cap was askew. Overall, Liz was reminded of a sulky schoolgirl who was deliberately wearing a loathed uniform badly.

"You'll never do like that," she said, and straightened Ace's cap. "Now, what have we got?"

"The usual." Ace reached into the basket, coming up with an armful of cabbages. "Any idea where these go?"

"Top shelf." Liz climbed onto a battered-looking crate. "Hand them up."

"It'd be nice to think he's got his reasons," Ace said, handing the vegetables one by one to Liz. "Half the time it's like he's got this amazing plan that'll work whatever anyone does, and the other half I reckon he's making stuff up as he goes along." She crossed to the basket and retrieved another load of cabbages. "And there are times I reckon he's doing it just to keep me out of the way or wind me up. How come I've got to be the maid and you're the cook?"

"Cook-housekeeper," Liz corrected her. "And I think it's because I can follow a recipe."

"How d'you know I can't?"

"I don't. Prove me wrong some time... only not just now. And the result's got to be edible, not explosive."

Ace shrugged. "Could be both. Put enough booze in it, no-one'll care anyway. That's all the veg. What about these bottles?"

Liz hopped down from her crate, joined Ace beside the basket, and extracted one of the earthenware bottles.

"Vinegar," she said. "Over here. Is there any more?"

"Nope. This one's something called Camp Coffee."

"That goes on this shelf." Liz set the bottle in its rightful place, turned back, and tutted. "Your cap's crooked again."

She reached out and straightened Ace's cap once more.

"I'm beginning to suspect you're doing it on purpose," she added.

A reluctant smile was creeping across Ace's features. "What if I was?"

"Then I'd have to discipline you. That's part of my duties."

"Sounds like fun," Ace said, the smile becoming an impudent grin.

Liz could feel an answering smile on her own face. "I'd make sure it wasn't."

"Want to bet?"

"Just a minute." Liz produced her pocketbook. "I'll put it on the to-do list." She opened the book, and turned to a page bearing a neatly numbered series of items. "Sixteen: Ace to cook us a meal. Seventeen. Experiment to see if Ace enjoys being disciplined by me. We're going to have a busy few days once we've finished here."

Ace laughed. "Can't wait. Hey, do you think all that stuff the Professor said about waiting for Silurians to turn up was just an excuse to leave us both in the past together? Maybe he won't come back until we hook up or something."

"Do you really think he'd go that far?" Liz asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Probably. Yeah."

"Well, I'm not in any hurry." Liz took a step back, and pointed at the half-empty basket. "Duty comes first. Get back to work, Alice."

Ace meekly bent over the basket. "Very good, Mrs. Shaw." Yeah, right, she reflected privately. I don't think that ice-maiden act's going to last much longer. Not if I can help it, anyway.