The Howrah-Benaras Express [Bronnie/Alan]
Title: The Howrah-Benaras Express
Pairing: Bronnie/Alan Rickman
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,258
Disclaimer: I own only Bronwynian, not that bag of bones. Remember I love you Bronwyn~ <3
Summary:
Bronnie did not know how she ended up at a random train station in London with Joanna and Kelsey in tow. Though it was quite entertaining.
The two were currently at the ticket booth, trying to talk to the saleswoman into giving them a discount by using their sad excuses for British accents along with a long life story. Bronnie sat at bench a few away sipping on a coffee, overloaded with milk and sugar, and tried not to laugh at her friends' sad attempts and the look of utter distain the woman in the booth.
She sighed as she saw them skip approach her with tickets in their hands.
"You guys actually got them?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
"It was due to my powers of persuasion!" Kelsey exclaimed.
"And my acting talents," Joanna butted in.
Bronnie grabbed the tickets from their hands and peered at them. "Well, I say we get going then."
~EnterBreakEnter~
She brought the tickets closer to her eyes. "Where is this fucking platform?!"
The girls had been walking around for a good twenty minutes, thought it would've been fifteen if Kelsey and Joanna hadn't been distracted by a passing ice cream cart. So now they were wandering, though Kelsey still hadn't finished her ice cream and was complaining about how they were walking too fast for her to eat her frozen treat.
"Why don't we ask someone who works here?" Joanna offered, trying not to laugh as Kelsey's ice cream started to melt and drip down and all over her hand.
Bronnie just looked back and forth from the ticket in her hand to the signs around her. "No, no, I have this under control." The brunette kept scanning the different words and stands but couldn't match the numbers up. She furrowed her eyebrows together and stepped to the side, "Maybe if we go this way-oof!"
Bronnie lifted her head to see who she bumped into. She came face to face with his uniform and automatically assumed he was a worker at the station before looking up at his face.
"Ah, finally," Joanna said as she walked over, Kelsey in tow, "excuse my clumsy friend sir, but could you please tell us where this platform is?" She snatched the tickets from Bronnie's hands and gave them to the man.
He smiled and brought the tickets to his face. "I'm actually the conductor for this train," he said as he pulled the tickets down from his face. "Why don't you ladies follow me?"
Bronnie gaped at the man's face while Kelsey bowed while still licking her melted ice cream. Joanna promptly kicked Bronnie and dragged the two after the man who had already started to walk.
After following the kind man for only a minute, the girls came to a huge train, which looked like it was built decades ago, gleaming in front of them.
"How the hell did we miss this?" Bronnie said incredulously.
"Yeah, good job Bronwyn," Joanna said flicking her in the head.
"It looks like it's almost as old as Alan!" Kelsey exclaimed as she poked the side. She quickly ran inside after seeing a certain fro come barreling towards her. "Joanna~"
~EnterBreakEnter~
Finally, after their brief scuffle and Joanna having to separate the two, the three girls boarded the train and got comfy in their seats.
"Where is everyone else?" Joanna asked looking around. "It feels so creepy that we're the only ones here."
"Maybe they're in the other cart," Bronnie suggested while looking through her iTouch for proper traveling music since Kelsey was singing Korean songs to herself while looking out the window.
"Still, we should have more people," Joanna said skeptically.
"It's because of all those Nancy Drew games you play, you're becoming paranoid," Kelsey responded as she propped her feet up.
"Am not! Those things could happen in real life," Joanna protested. "And I'm just being observant."
Just as she finished, the train jolted forward violently, causing Joanna shriek in surprise and onto Bronnie while Kelsey fell forward and off of her seat.
"That was uncalled for," Bronnie stated as she tried to pry the frantic Joanna off of her shoulder.
"You think?" Kelsey said as she got up from the floor and cracked her back. "They need to learn how to drive these things better."
"Watch watch," Joanna warned, still freaked out. "This is just like in my games. There was no announcement, or anything. They didn't even check our tickets and then out of nowhere something will come out an-"
"Hello ladies!"
Joanna screamed and jumped back on top of Bronnie at the sudden booming voice. They turned their heads to see a tall, pale man with piercing blue eyes and a smile that did give off the aura of, as Ali would say, a sketch. But he seemed pleasant enough in his uniform.
"I see you found the train well enough," the man said with a small grin. "Welcome to the Howrah-Benearas Express!"
"The say what now?" Kelsey said with an eyebrow raised.
The man just continued to grin. "May I have your tickets please?" he asked politely.
The girls looked at each, minus Joanna who was just staring at the man with great caution, and took out their tickets. Bronnie squinted her eyes at the man as he took her ticket and started punching holes into it. She squealed, causing Joanna to jump.
"You're Christopher Eccleston!" Bronnie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her seat.
The man tilted his head but still grinned. "I'm sorry miss," he said as handed the young brunette back her ticket. "I think you may be mistaken, my name's Alfred." he said, an air of mystery surrounding him.
"But you...look like him..." Bronnie sputtered, still staring at Alfred who had moved on to take Kelsey's ticket.
He smiled again after Kelsey gave a small thanks. It took him a while when he came to Joanna, who refused to give him her ticket. Bronnie had to give her a swift poke to her side in order for her to let go of the piece of paper. Alfred tipped his hat after the little episode. "Well then, enjoy your trip ladies," he said with a small wave. He began to walk but stopped and looked back. "And do hold on." and with a wink he was gone, almost as if he had disappeared into thin air.
"Oh no..." Joanna managed to say before the car started to shake uncontrollably.
"Calm down Jomo," Bronnie said to her friend. "He's just being nice, I mean if someone looks just like Christopher Eccelston, they have to be nice."
"But he looks creepy! How does that help?" Joanna cried out.
Bronnie gave her infamous dirty look and started hitting her. Meanwhile, Kelsey looked at the ticket that was just punched.
"Uh, dudes," she started. The two stopped for a second, with Joanna giving a quick jab to Bronnie's side. "I may not know a lot about history, but why does our ticket read the year '1973?'" She looked up into the eyes of her friends in confusion.
"That's not right," Bronnie said as she reached to grab the piece of paper out of her shorter friend's hand when the car jolted, as if it hit a huge bump. The three jumped in their seats along with the turbulence.
"What the?" the trio said out loud. Then all of the sudden, the bumps started getting more and more frequent and even more violent. The girls tried to hang onto the chairs and walls around themselves in order to remain steady, but it was a lost cause as their bodies started to fly around the car.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Joanna kept screaming as the girls bounced all around the car, heads and limbs bumping painfully into the walls and ceiling.
"I demand to see these people's licenses!" Kelsey yelled as she tried to hold onto her seat, but her legs kept banging against the window and floor.
"You try to get to the conductor and tell me how well that goes!" Bronnie yelled back as she bobbled up and down with Joanna still clinging to her.
Just as suddenly as it began, the shaking stopped, making all three girls hit the ground harder than they wanted. A chorus of moans and 'are you okays' was heard through the empty car.
"I swear, I'm going to strangle the damn driver of this train," Kelsey said as she massaged her arm.
Bronnie lifted herself from her seat and pulled at her clothes. "Not until I sue them first." She felt her head and flinched at how tender it was. "My head."
"Uh guys." Bronnie turned to look at Kelsey, who was standing by the window, hands splayed against the cool glass. "We’re definitely not in London anymore..."
~EnterBreakEnter~
It took the girls awhile, since Joanna refused to get out of the car until Kelsey mentioned that there was a spider crawling near her leg, then Bronnie and Kelsey watched as the taller girl ran the fastest she ever had. But as soon as they stepped out, they knew something was wrong. The whole place gave off an aura of another era. From the old cars to the small quaint storefronts to the prominence of bell bottoms, old-fashioned skirts and leisure suits. Even the hairstyles screamed 1970's. 'Just like the pictures from Mom and Dad's yearbooks' thought Bronnie.
"It's like we went back in time," Kelsey said in awe. Her eye was caught by a couple of giggling women wearing bell bottoms and plaid shirts. "And I'm not liking it at all."
"Yeah, we're not exactly fitting in," Joanna added as a few people stared at them while passing by. It didn't help that Bronnie was wearing one of her Joker shirts and Joanna's choice of a sundress with matching heels. Not to mention the fact that Kelsey was wearing boys' clothes and high tops.
Bronnie grit her teeth. "I'll ask someone what's going on," she decided as she walked to a stand selling food. Stomping her way there, Bronnie was enraged by the fact that they were stuck in God's knows where instead of visiting RADA like they were planning to. That was her future school and she deserved to see it! She was so caught up in her little rant that she bumped into another person, making her hit her head once again.
"Ow ow OW! Freaking motherfucker!" Bronnie cursed under her breath as she held her poor head in her hands.
Warm hands hesitantly held onto her shoulders. "I'm so sorry ma'am," a deep, British voice apologized. Bronnie knew that there was a part of her that recognized that voice. She just couldn't put her finger on it...
"It's," her accent naturally came in after hearing someone use it towards her,” It’s fine," Bronnie managed to say as she slowly picked up her head to see exactly who she bumped into. She froze. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be... "Alan?"
What seemed to be the exact copy of a younger version of the love of her life stood before her. He was devoid of any signs of aging and wore a pair of brown corduroy pants and a striped white and blue button-up shirt. He wore a light green jacket and a brown scarf over it to shield him from the wind. He nervously tucked a piece of brown (not gray!) hair out of his face before he frowned a bit. "Are we acquaintances?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
Bronnie's mouth gaped. "Not...really," she responded.
"Do you go to RADA?" he asked.
"Um, yes." It wasn't a total lie. She had gotten accepted already, it's just that there were still in the middle of their senior year of school. But technically it was true.
He grins. "I'm sorry to have not noticed you before," he said. "Though it surprised me that I haven't."
"I don't like to go out too much," Bronnie smoothly countered. This was still all too unreal.
A frown sketched itself onto the young (!) face of the man in front of her. "Oh, that's too bad." Bronnie could squeal and attack him if she could, but other questions brought her back to reality.
"Yeah, but my friends are visiting so I decided to show them around," Bronnie said. She turned to see that Joanna and Kelsey were not where Bronnie last left them. Or anywhere in Bronnie's sight for that matter. "They were...right there...." She made a mental note to strangle the duo for abandoning her.
Alan turned his face to see where in the crowd of people the young girl was pointing. "Did they leave you?"
"It seems that way," Bronnie said through gritted teeth. Of course they would ditch her at a time like this.
"Do you need to find them?" Alan offered, shifting onto his other foot.
The brunette turned around to face the taller man. "Um, sure if you don't mind. I don't get out a lot so I don't know the area all that well," she said sheepishly.
He smiled. "It's no problem at all."
And that's how Bronnie ended up walking with Alan, a much much younger Alan. The conversation flowed as if they knew each other for years. She didn't even have to try to fill empty silence. He was a bit of a talker, and soon she knew all about his early life, more than Wikipedia could ever tell her. She did the same, and she smiled at the sight of Alan paying close attention to her and absorbing every word she said. It made Bronnie's heart swell that Alan was the exact same, though much more carefree and did not really want to get in acting.
"It's made for you though!" She protested as they walked past a few stores with decorations in their windows.
One of Alan's eyebrows elegantly rose. "How do you know that?"
Bronnie blushed a bit at her outburst. "Just call it a woman's intuition. Not to mention how amazing it is to act."
"I'm guessing you act then?" He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. It was a little chilly.
Bronnie smiled. "It's just thrilling. Getting up front of an audience and becoming someone who aren't, interacting with others, saying words and doing little habits you normally wouldn't. It's like you’re in a new different world, when you can't be judged because it's not you you're being. Or it could be, the no one can really know." She turned to face her companion with slight expectance, but she blushed at the sight of him intently staring at her.
"I never thought of it like that," Alan slowly said after a few moments, turning his face to the street in front of them. "But I don't know if it's cut out for me."
"You are, I believe you are," Bronnie replied.
His eyes widened a bit, but a smile grew on his face. "Thank you."
Bronnie shivered at the sudden gust of wind that swept through the road. Quickly, Alan unwrapped the scarf he was wearing and draped it around Bronnie's neck.
"Oh you don't have to!" Bronnie felt her face flush for the umpteenth time that day. Though she couldn't help herself since it was Alan.
He smiled. "Just make sure you give it back." His hands lingered around her face for a few moments too long. Bronnie could see herself in his eyes, all bundled up in his scarf, in Alan Rickman's scarf.
"BRONWYNIAN~"
The two jumped apart at the screams. They turned to see Joanna and Kelsey running towards them. Or what Bronnie thought were her friends. Both seemed to have gotten bell bottom pants, Joanna paired hers with a flowery top and Kelsey wore a fringed vest with her thermal she was wearing earlier. On their heads were matching headbands, though Kelsey had decided to wear blue-tinted sunglasses and Joanna wore a daisy in her hair.
"Are those your...friends?" Alan asked quizzically behind Bronnie.
"Sadly," Bronnie replied monotonously as her friends approached her, both panting, though Joanna had a hard time keeping up with the smaller, energetic girl. "What the hell are you two wearing?"
Kelsey grinned. "Do you like?"
"We got hippy-fied!" Joanna said as she clung to Kelsey's shoulders.
"And we knew it was you. We saw your fro a mile away!" Both added, causing Bronnie to let out an air of exasperation.
Joanna tugged on Bronnie's shirt. "Alan looks so much better when he's younger," she whispered.
"How did you know he's Alan?" Bronnie asked, though she had shown her friend many pictures of the man so it didn't surprise her. "Well, it doesn't matter, he just looks like him and has the same name."
"No, Bronnie that's really Alan," Joanna persisted.
"It can't be..." Sure he did have his eyes, his jaw line, the nose and every other feature that her beloved Alan Rickman had, but he was just way too young.
"Bronnie, we're not in 2011 anymore," Joanna said. "That train is magical; we went back in time, to 1973."
"What?!" Bronnie couldn't, wouldn't believe this nonsense. Time traveling just didn't exist, and why would they end up here? Not that she was complaining all that much.
"Can I poke you?" Bronnie's head whirled to see Kelsey standing right in front of Alan, staring at him in her unique blend of determination and innocence.
Alan seemed unsure and tried to form some kind of response to the eccentric question.
"Please?" Both Bronnie and Joanna could hear the pout in their friend's voice and were not surprised when Alan gave into her demands. Kelsey grinned and proceeded to poking the man in the side. "Hey look it doesn't sag!" She exclaimed as she turned to her head to grin playfully at her friends' faces.
Bronnie flushed and moved to pounce on her smaller friend, though Joanna stopped her. Kelsey just giggled and thanked Alan, complete with a bow.
"What," Alan started, "lovely friends you have."
"Aren't they?" Bronnie seethed, though Kelsey hid behind Joanna, amused grins on both of their faces.
"Well it seems that you've found them," he added, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Bronnie frowned. "It seems I have."
Kelsey tugged on Joanna's sleeve. "We have to get back the train!" she whispered a little too loud. "Alfred dude said if we don't, we'll be stuck here forever!"
Both girls turned to stare at Kelsey. "He said what now?" Joanna asked.
"It's true! He said it to me on our way out!"
"And you tell us now?!" Bronnie yelled, ready to strangle her friend once again.
"Sorry! I got distracted by the clothes!" Kelsey said backing away, hands up and defensive.
"What time?" Joanna asked, walking slowly towards their brown friend.
"Two...”
Alan looked down at his watch. "It's 1:38."
"Crap! We have to go," Joanna cried.
Bronnie nodded and looked back at Alan. He smiled back at her. "I don't want to keep you waiting. I'll see you at RADA though," he said happily.
Bronnie felt tears pricking her eyes, her throat closing up. "Y-yeah."
"Come on!" Kelsey yelled, already tugging at Joanna's sleeve.
"Thank you so much Alan," she said. "I hope you change your mind about acting." Before she broke down, Bronnie ran to join her friends and they sprinted towards the direction of the train.
Alan watched the backs of the young girls, with a small wave and a smile playing on his face. "No, thank you."
~EnterBreakEnter~
Bronnie sat on the chair in the shared hotel room on her laptop, waiting for Joanna to finish her shower. Kelsey had already fallen asleep; she was curled under her covers clutching her stuffed panda. She sighed. It really did seem like a dream, one she would never forget.
They had barely made it, but thank God Christopher Alfred decided to get a sandwich at the last minute. The ride back was just as bumpy and painful, though Bronnie didn't seem to mind since she was in her own little world the entire time. The three girls collapsed as soon as they got into their room, though their smiles never left their faces.
Bronnie snuggled closer into the scarf. She had forgotten to give it back, but maybe one of these days she would be able to.
Searching through the web, she decided to check a couple of Alan's websites, to see if maybe something did change. Her eyes scanned a few articles until she came to an interview that made her insides melt.
"AR: There was this girl, I met her while I was thinking of dropping out of RADA, but she convinced me to stay. She said she believed in me. I think if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have stayed at RADA and wouldn't be where I am today.
I: That's so sweet! What was her name, if you don't mind?
AR: I think it was something like, Bronwynian."
Bronnie didn't know if she was smiling at the fact that he remembers her, or that she was now plotting the demise of her so called friends.
~EnterBreakEnter~
AN: I know what you're thinking, God you're so crappy, you made me wait a week for this crap!? I apologize, it's hard to write when all I see is old man in my face! Maybe drabbles will be easier for me? Give me a few prompts and I will work on them right away :D Love you Bronwyn~
"This is Dobe. And this is going to be amazing. And not crappy. bc Teme is that good. <33 " << This my friend is what we call pure blasphemy, but I had to keep it because she would beat me up and I promised not to because it was her birthday. Sigh
Pairing: Bronnie/Alan Rickman
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,258
Disclaimer: I own only Bronwynian, not that bag of bones. Remember I love you Bronwyn~ <3
Summary:
Bronnie did not know how she ended up at a random train station in London with Joanna and Kelsey in tow. Though it was quite entertaining.
The two were currently at the ticket booth, trying to talk to the saleswoman into giving them a discount by using their sad excuses for British accents along with a long life story. Bronnie sat at bench a few away sipping on a coffee, overloaded with milk and sugar, and tried not to laugh at her friends' sad attempts and the look of utter distain the woman in the booth.
She sighed as she saw them skip approach her with tickets in their hands.
"You guys actually got them?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
"It was due to my powers of persuasion!" Kelsey exclaimed.
"And my acting talents," Joanna butted in.
Bronnie grabbed the tickets from their hands and peered at them. "Well, I say we get going then."
~EnterBreakEnter~
She brought the tickets closer to her eyes. "Where is this fucking platform?!"
The girls had been walking around for a good twenty minutes, thought it would've been fifteen if Kelsey and Joanna hadn't been distracted by a passing ice cream cart. So now they were wandering, though Kelsey still hadn't finished her ice cream and was complaining about how they were walking too fast for her to eat her frozen treat.
"Why don't we ask someone who works here?" Joanna offered, trying not to laugh as Kelsey's ice cream started to melt and drip down and all over her hand.
Bronnie just looked back and forth from the ticket in her hand to the signs around her. "No, no, I have this under control." The brunette kept scanning the different words and stands but couldn't match the numbers up. She furrowed her eyebrows together and stepped to the side, "Maybe if we go this way-oof!"
Bronnie lifted her head to see who she bumped into. She came face to face with his uniform and automatically assumed he was a worker at the station before looking up at his face.
"Ah, finally," Joanna said as she walked over, Kelsey in tow, "excuse my clumsy friend sir, but could you please tell us where this platform is?" She snatched the tickets from Bronnie's hands and gave them to the man.
He smiled and brought the tickets to his face. "I'm actually the conductor for this train," he said as he pulled the tickets down from his face. "Why don't you ladies follow me?"
Bronnie gaped at the man's face while Kelsey bowed while still licking her melted ice cream. Joanna promptly kicked Bronnie and dragged the two after the man who had already started to walk.
After following the kind man for only a minute, the girls came to a huge train, which looked like it was built decades ago, gleaming in front of them.
"How the hell did we miss this?" Bronnie said incredulously.
"Yeah, good job Bronwyn," Joanna said flicking her in the head.
"It looks like it's almost as old as Alan!" Kelsey exclaimed as she poked the side. She quickly ran inside after seeing a certain fro come barreling towards her. "Joanna~"
~EnterBreakEnter~
Finally, after their brief scuffle and Joanna having to separate the two, the three girls boarded the train and got comfy in their seats.
"Where is everyone else?" Joanna asked looking around. "It feels so creepy that we're the only ones here."
"Maybe they're in the other cart," Bronnie suggested while looking through her iTouch for proper traveling music since Kelsey was singing Korean songs to herself while looking out the window.
"Still, we should have more people," Joanna said skeptically.
"It's because of all those Nancy Drew games you play, you're becoming paranoid," Kelsey responded as she propped her feet up.
"Am not! Those things could happen in real life," Joanna protested. "And I'm just being observant."
Just as she finished, the train jolted forward violently, causing Joanna shriek in surprise and onto Bronnie while Kelsey fell forward and off of her seat.
"That was uncalled for," Bronnie stated as she tried to pry the frantic Joanna off of her shoulder.
"You think?" Kelsey said as she got up from the floor and cracked her back. "They need to learn how to drive these things better."
"Watch watch," Joanna warned, still freaked out. "This is just like in my games. There was no announcement, or anything. They didn't even check our tickets and then out of nowhere something will come out an-"
"Hello ladies!"
Joanna screamed and jumped back on top of Bronnie at the sudden booming voice. They turned their heads to see a tall, pale man with piercing blue eyes and a smile that did give off the aura of, as Ali would say, a sketch. But he seemed pleasant enough in his uniform.
"I see you found the train well enough," the man said with a small grin. "Welcome to the Howrah-Benearas Express!"
"The say what now?" Kelsey said with an eyebrow raised.
The man just continued to grin. "May I have your tickets please?" he asked politely.
The girls looked at each, minus Joanna who was just staring at the man with great caution, and took out their tickets. Bronnie squinted her eyes at the man as he took her ticket and started punching holes into it. She squealed, causing Joanna to jump.
"You're Christopher Eccleston!" Bronnie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her seat.
The man tilted his head but still grinned. "I'm sorry miss," he said as handed the young brunette back her ticket. "I think you may be mistaken, my name's Alfred." he said, an air of mystery surrounding him.
"But you...look like him..." Bronnie sputtered, still staring at Alfred who had moved on to take Kelsey's ticket.
He smiled again after Kelsey gave a small thanks. It took him a while when he came to Joanna, who refused to give him her ticket. Bronnie had to give her a swift poke to her side in order for her to let go of the piece of paper. Alfred tipped his hat after the little episode. "Well then, enjoy your trip ladies," he said with a small wave. He began to walk but stopped and looked back. "And do hold on." and with a wink he was gone, almost as if he had disappeared into thin air.
"Oh no..." Joanna managed to say before the car started to shake uncontrollably.
"Calm down Jomo," Bronnie said to her friend. "He's just being nice, I mean if someone looks just like Christopher Eccelston, they have to be nice."
"But he looks creepy! How does that help?" Joanna cried out.
Bronnie gave her infamous dirty look and started hitting her. Meanwhile, Kelsey looked at the ticket that was just punched.
"Uh, dudes," she started. The two stopped for a second, with Joanna giving a quick jab to Bronnie's side. "I may not know a lot about history, but why does our ticket read the year '1973?'" She looked up into the eyes of her friends in confusion.
"That's not right," Bronnie said as she reached to grab the piece of paper out of her shorter friend's hand when the car jolted, as if it hit a huge bump. The three jumped in their seats along with the turbulence.
"What the?" the trio said out loud. Then all of the sudden, the bumps started getting more and more frequent and even more violent. The girls tried to hang onto the chairs and walls around themselves in order to remain steady, but it was a lost cause as their bodies started to fly around the car.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Joanna kept screaming as the girls bounced all around the car, heads and limbs bumping painfully into the walls and ceiling.
"I demand to see these people's licenses!" Kelsey yelled as she tried to hold onto her seat, but her legs kept banging against the window and floor.
"You try to get to the conductor and tell me how well that goes!" Bronnie yelled back as she bobbled up and down with Joanna still clinging to her.
Just as suddenly as it began, the shaking stopped, making all three girls hit the ground harder than they wanted. A chorus of moans and 'are you okays' was heard through the empty car.
"I swear, I'm going to strangle the damn driver of this train," Kelsey said as she massaged her arm.
Bronnie lifted herself from her seat and pulled at her clothes. "Not until I sue them first." She felt her head and flinched at how tender it was. "My head."
"Uh guys." Bronnie turned to look at Kelsey, who was standing by the window, hands splayed against the cool glass. "We’re definitely not in London anymore..."
~EnterBreakEnter~
It took the girls awhile, since Joanna refused to get out of the car until Kelsey mentioned that there was a spider crawling near her leg, then Bronnie and Kelsey watched as the taller girl ran the fastest she ever had. But as soon as they stepped out, they knew something was wrong. The whole place gave off an aura of another era. From the old cars to the small quaint storefronts to the prominence of bell bottoms, old-fashioned skirts and leisure suits. Even the hairstyles screamed 1970's. 'Just like the pictures from Mom and Dad's yearbooks' thought Bronnie.
"It's like we went back in time," Kelsey said in awe. Her eye was caught by a couple of giggling women wearing bell bottoms and plaid shirts. "And I'm not liking it at all."
"Yeah, we're not exactly fitting in," Joanna added as a few people stared at them while passing by. It didn't help that Bronnie was wearing one of her Joker shirts and Joanna's choice of a sundress with matching heels. Not to mention the fact that Kelsey was wearing boys' clothes and high tops.
Bronnie grit her teeth. "I'll ask someone what's going on," she decided as she walked to a stand selling food. Stomping her way there, Bronnie was enraged by the fact that they were stuck in God's knows where instead of visiting RADA like they were planning to. That was her future school and she deserved to see it! She was so caught up in her little rant that she bumped into another person, making her hit her head once again.
"Ow ow OW! Freaking motherfucker!" Bronnie cursed under her breath as she held her poor head in her hands.
Warm hands hesitantly held onto her shoulders. "I'm so sorry ma'am," a deep, British voice apologized. Bronnie knew that there was a part of her that recognized that voice. She just couldn't put her finger on it...
"It's," her accent naturally came in after hearing someone use it towards her,” It’s fine," Bronnie managed to say as she slowly picked up her head to see exactly who she bumped into. She froze. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be... "Alan?"
What seemed to be the exact copy of a younger version of the love of her life stood before her. He was devoid of any signs of aging and wore a pair of brown corduroy pants and a striped white and blue button-up shirt. He wore a light green jacket and a brown scarf over it to shield him from the wind. He nervously tucked a piece of brown (not gray!) hair out of his face before he frowned a bit. "Are we acquaintances?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
Bronnie's mouth gaped. "Not...really," she responded.
"Do you go to RADA?" he asked.
"Um, yes." It wasn't a total lie. She had gotten accepted already, it's just that there were still in the middle of their senior year of school. But technically it was true.
He grins. "I'm sorry to have not noticed you before," he said. "Though it surprised me that I haven't."
"I don't like to go out too much," Bronnie smoothly countered. This was still all too unreal.
A frown sketched itself onto the young (!) face of the man in front of her. "Oh, that's too bad." Bronnie could squeal and attack him if she could, but other questions brought her back to reality.
"Yeah, but my friends are visiting so I decided to show them around," Bronnie said. She turned to see that Joanna and Kelsey were not where Bronnie last left them. Or anywhere in Bronnie's sight for that matter. "They were...right there...." She made a mental note to strangle the duo for abandoning her.
Alan turned his face to see where in the crowd of people the young girl was pointing. "Did they leave you?"
"It seems that way," Bronnie said through gritted teeth. Of course they would ditch her at a time like this.
"Do you need to find them?" Alan offered, shifting onto his other foot.
The brunette turned around to face the taller man. "Um, sure if you don't mind. I don't get out a lot so I don't know the area all that well," she said sheepishly.
He smiled. "It's no problem at all."
And that's how Bronnie ended up walking with Alan, a much much younger Alan. The conversation flowed as if they knew each other for years. She didn't even have to try to fill empty silence. He was a bit of a talker, and soon she knew all about his early life, more than Wikipedia could ever tell her. She did the same, and she smiled at the sight of Alan paying close attention to her and absorbing every word she said. It made Bronnie's heart swell that Alan was the exact same, though much more carefree and did not really want to get in acting.
"It's made for you though!" She protested as they walked past a few stores with decorations in their windows.
One of Alan's eyebrows elegantly rose. "How do you know that?"
Bronnie blushed a bit at her outburst. "Just call it a woman's intuition. Not to mention how amazing it is to act."
"I'm guessing you act then?" He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. It was a little chilly.
Bronnie smiled. "It's just thrilling. Getting up front of an audience and becoming someone who aren't, interacting with others, saying words and doing little habits you normally wouldn't. It's like you’re in a new different world, when you can't be judged because it's not you you're being. Or it could be, the no one can really know." She turned to face her companion with slight expectance, but she blushed at the sight of him intently staring at her.
"I never thought of it like that," Alan slowly said after a few moments, turning his face to the street in front of them. "But I don't know if it's cut out for me."
"You are, I believe you are," Bronnie replied.
His eyes widened a bit, but a smile grew on his face. "Thank you."
Bronnie shivered at the sudden gust of wind that swept through the road. Quickly, Alan unwrapped the scarf he was wearing and draped it around Bronnie's neck.
"Oh you don't have to!" Bronnie felt her face flush for the umpteenth time that day. Though she couldn't help herself since it was Alan.
He smiled. "Just make sure you give it back." His hands lingered around her face for a few moments too long. Bronnie could see herself in his eyes, all bundled up in his scarf, in Alan Rickman's scarf.
"BRONWYNIAN~"
The two jumped apart at the screams. They turned to see Joanna and Kelsey running towards them. Or what Bronnie thought were her friends. Both seemed to have gotten bell bottom pants, Joanna paired hers with a flowery top and Kelsey wore a fringed vest with her thermal she was wearing earlier. On their heads were matching headbands, though Kelsey had decided to wear blue-tinted sunglasses and Joanna wore a daisy in her hair.
"Are those your...friends?" Alan asked quizzically behind Bronnie.
"Sadly," Bronnie replied monotonously as her friends approached her, both panting, though Joanna had a hard time keeping up with the smaller, energetic girl. "What the hell are you two wearing?"
Kelsey grinned. "Do you like?"
"We got hippy-fied!" Joanna said as she clung to Kelsey's shoulders.
"And we knew it was you. We saw your fro a mile away!" Both added, causing Bronnie to let out an air of exasperation.
Joanna tugged on Bronnie's shirt. "Alan looks so much better when he's younger," she whispered.
"How did you know he's Alan?" Bronnie asked, though she had shown her friend many pictures of the man so it didn't surprise her. "Well, it doesn't matter, he just looks like him and has the same name."
"No, Bronnie that's really Alan," Joanna persisted.
"It can't be..." Sure he did have his eyes, his jaw line, the nose and every other feature that her beloved Alan Rickman had, but he was just way too young.
"Bronnie, we're not in 2011 anymore," Joanna said. "That train is magical; we went back in time, to 1973."
"What?!" Bronnie couldn't, wouldn't believe this nonsense. Time traveling just didn't exist, and why would they end up here? Not that she was complaining all that much.
"Can I poke you?" Bronnie's head whirled to see Kelsey standing right in front of Alan, staring at him in her unique blend of determination and innocence.
Alan seemed unsure and tried to form some kind of response to the eccentric question.
"Please?" Both Bronnie and Joanna could hear the pout in their friend's voice and were not surprised when Alan gave into her demands. Kelsey grinned and proceeded to poking the man in the side. "Hey look it doesn't sag!" She exclaimed as she turned to her head to grin playfully at her friends' faces.
Bronnie flushed and moved to pounce on her smaller friend, though Joanna stopped her. Kelsey just giggled and thanked Alan, complete with a bow.
"What," Alan started, "lovely friends you have."
"Aren't they?" Bronnie seethed, though Kelsey hid behind Joanna, amused grins on both of their faces.
"Well it seems that you've found them," he added, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Bronnie frowned. "It seems I have."
Kelsey tugged on Joanna's sleeve. "We have to get back the train!" she whispered a little too loud. "Alfred dude said if we don't, we'll be stuck here forever!"
Both girls turned to stare at Kelsey. "He said what now?" Joanna asked.
"It's true! He said it to me on our way out!"
"And you tell us now?!" Bronnie yelled, ready to strangle her friend once again.
"Sorry! I got distracted by the clothes!" Kelsey said backing away, hands up and defensive.
"What time?" Joanna asked, walking slowly towards their brown friend.
"Two...”
Alan looked down at his watch. "It's 1:38."
"Crap! We have to go," Joanna cried.
Bronnie nodded and looked back at Alan. He smiled back at her. "I don't want to keep you waiting. I'll see you at RADA though," he said happily.
Bronnie felt tears pricking her eyes, her throat closing up. "Y-yeah."
"Come on!" Kelsey yelled, already tugging at Joanna's sleeve.
"Thank you so much Alan," she said. "I hope you change your mind about acting." Before she broke down, Bronnie ran to join her friends and they sprinted towards the direction of the train.
Alan watched the backs of the young girls, with a small wave and a smile playing on his face. "No, thank you."
~EnterBreakEnter~
Bronnie sat on the chair in the shared hotel room on her laptop, waiting for Joanna to finish her shower. Kelsey had already fallen asleep; she was curled under her covers clutching her stuffed panda. She sighed. It really did seem like a dream, one she would never forget.
They had barely made it, but thank God Christopher Alfred decided to get a sandwich at the last minute. The ride back was just as bumpy and painful, though Bronnie didn't seem to mind since she was in her own little world the entire time. The three girls collapsed as soon as they got into their room, though their smiles never left their faces.
Bronnie snuggled closer into the scarf. She had forgotten to give it back, but maybe one of these days she would be able to.
Searching through the web, she decided to check a couple of Alan's websites, to see if maybe something did change. Her eyes scanned a few articles until she came to an interview that made her insides melt.
"AR: There was this girl, I met her while I was thinking of dropping out of RADA, but she convinced me to stay. She said she believed in me. I think if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have stayed at RADA and wouldn't be where I am today.
I: That's so sweet! What was her name, if you don't mind?
AR: I think it was something like, Bronwynian."
Bronnie didn't know if she was smiling at the fact that he remembers her, or that she was now plotting the demise of her so called friends.
~EnterBreakEnter~
AN: I know what you're thinking, God you're so crappy, you made me wait a week for this crap!? I apologize, it's hard to write when all I see is old man in my face! Maybe drabbles will be easier for me? Give me a few prompts and I will work on them right away :D Love you Bronwyn~
"This is Dobe. And this is going to be amazing. And not crappy. bc Teme is that good. <33 " << This my friend is what we call pure blasphemy, but I had to keep it because she would beat me up and I promised not to because it was her birthday. Sigh