Title: Poet and Lauren's Trip to Oz
Author: Derien Nada
Rating: PG so far (and I think it will stay that way)
Pairing: Poet and Lauren (duh)
Warnings: Some femmeslash.  Probably you're more in danger of being bored than squicked.  
Disclaimers: Poet Norse Blue and Lauren Scavenger, being real people, belong 
only to themselves, and offered to let their names and vague descriptions be 
borrowed for this story.  Oz may belong to the estate of L. Frank Baum, but I had in 
mind Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" and Robert Heinlein's "Number of the Beast."  Arnold 
"Ace" Rimmer belongs to Grant Naylor.  I'm making no money from this (or anything else 
for that matter), so suing me would be a big waste of time.
Derivation/Reason for existing: Work in progress, written for the Red Dwarf Slash 
Society's "Slash the Slashers" challenge/game.  
Many Thanks To: My Muse and Beta, Eor.:)

------------------------------------------------------


Part Three: Another Lost One
(In which they meet a witch in a flying house.)

Lauren didn't realize she had drifted off to sleep until she drifted awake, again.  For 
half a moment it crossed her mind that she'd find herself back on the train, again.  But 
no, she was lying on a soft bed, and she opened her eyes to the same bedroom.  Poet 
appeared so sweet and peaceful, asleep, she decided not to wake her, so slid quietly off 
the bed and went to have a look out the window.  Pushing the lace under-curtain she looked 
out past thick dark leaves of a bush which were encroaching on the window from the left.  
Cobblestones created a sort of patio area and walks between herb and flower gardens.  She 
let her eyes roam over the scene with only half her mind on what she was seeing, the other 
half listening to Poet's breathing behind her, until suddenly some parts of what she was 
seeing coalesced into something she hadn't expected to see in any back yard, let alone of 
this particular cottage, and she let out a little gasp.

"What is it?"  Poet mumbled from the bed.

"I'm not quite sure.  Look to the left of that furry-looking tree with the hanging branches 
- what do you think that is?"  

Poet rolled off the bed and padded over, rubbing her eyes.  Then her eyes widened and the 
lines of her face sharpened.  "I think I want to go find out what it is."

When they bounced out through the living area Lotta followed them out to the back, curious 
to see what had them so riled up.  It did appear to be some type of ship, actually rather 
larger than the cottage it sat behind, and taller, up on it's legs.  "Oh, her," said Lotta.  
"You can't get much sense out of her.  Though you're welcome to try.  Go on up to her, 
she'll talk to you."

"Who's 'she'?  The ship, or someone inside it?"  Poet asked.

The only answer Lotta gave was a noncomittal shrug.  
 
Poet approached the ship.  "Er, hello...?"

A melodious female voice spoke in return.  "Hello.  I must warn you that the hull of this 
ship is electrified.  Any attempt to break in will cause a shock powerful enough to 
possibly cause death."

"Who are you?" Lauren asked.

"I am the computer of this ship.  The ship is Wildfire."

"Hi, Wildfire. I'm Lauren.  This is Poet."  

"Wildfire?"  Poet asked.  "The name rings a bell, but I can't quite place it.  Why are you 
here?  Where did you come from?"

"I'm looking for my captain.  Somehow that woman over there has him imprisoned somewhere in 
her house."

Lotta was frowning and shaking her head.  "Now, you've seen nearly all the inside of my 
house," she said to Lauren and Poet, "Where could I have a man hidden?  I don't know why 
she insists on believing this.  But she won't come out and look around my house, herself."

Poet pondered a moment.  "Wildfire, it's true, there's not much space inside there.  Are 
you sure you're not mistaken?"  

"I AM NOT MISTAKEN!" Wildfire's voice boomed out, anguished.  "I've got his readings, he's 
IN there!  He's not dead!  Bring him back to me!"  Lauren jumped, toward Poet, and reached 
instinctively for her hand.  

"Okay, um, okay!" Lauren responded, "If we find him, bringing him back to you will be the 
first thing we do, promise!"  They backed quickly away and through the back door, which 
Lotta was holding open for them.  She shut it quickly behind them. 

"Well!  And now you see what I mean.  I need a cup of tea," said Lotta, and went accross 
to the cupboard.  "Honestly, I don't know what to make of her," she said, as she brought 
out a teapot and cups.  "That's why I was almost hoping you were witches.  I hoped maybe 
that if you were you might be able to talk a sister witch into taking her flying house out 
of my back yard."

"Oh!" said Lauren.  "Well."

Lotta measured tea leaves into the pot.

"Well," Poet responded, "We could try, anyway.  She seems so upset, poor thing."  She 
crossed the room and sat at the table in front of a teacup.

Lauren pondered.  "Wildfire.  Why does the name sound familiar?  Space-ship... Oz...  
Could she be the dimension-hopping ship from 'Number of the Beast'?  In which case her 
Captain would be the young guy, DeeTee's boyfriend."  

"No..." said Poet, "I'm pretty sure I never read that book, and Wildfire sounded familiar 
to me, too."  

"Damned corny name," said Lauren.

Lotta poured tea.  Lauren reached over and put her hands atop both of Poet's, looking 
steadily into Poet's puzzled eyes until Lotta had put honey in her own tea and had taken 
several sips. 

 "Lotta..." Lauren began, "After we finish our tea, we're still a little tired, but we'd be 
happy to wash up the dishes for you.  But, would you be willing to walk down to the train 
station and see if I left my book in that house?  It's title is 'Arsenic and Old Lace.'"