Legends Live On ~ by Patrick Councilor

[Author's Note: This was my very first FanFiction that I wrote back in 2005/2006. I hope you enjoy it.]

Cruising down the early morning streets of Milwaukee, the motorcyclist rode a Harley Davison. In boots, blue jeans, a black motorcycle helmet and a leather jacket, the cyclist caused a sudden burst of acceleration and popped a wheelie to ride it out for two city blocks. Milwaukee streets were bare at two in the morning. The driver leaned into a turn and continued down this street enhanced by the gloomy streetlights of the city that lit the way through the brisk air. Pulling up into a house driveway, the driver shut the bike off and dismounted.

The house key was carefully slid into the lock of the back door and turned. Still wearing the helmet, the man quietly closed the door behind him and started his way across the tile of the kitchen floor. He made a quick stop at the refrigerator to take up a bucket of chicken. There was a sudden thumping sound and the kitchen lights came on. He stood up straight and when he closed the door, he was face to face with the Fonz.

The Fonz's hair was perfect as usual - not a hair out of place. He was in a bathrobe and was holding a pot of spaghetti and a thin loaf of uncut bread. "What, are you nutso?" Fonzie hit him over the helmet with the loaf of bread. The loaf broke on impact. He closed the refrigerator door. "It's two in the morning. I cooked spaghetti."

"Sorry Dad," a voice echoed from inside the helmet.

Fonzie put the pot on the table. "Come here." He pointed to the floor beside himself. After his son did as he asked, he continued. "I can't hear you through the helmet, Danny. Take the helmet off."

Danny set the chicken down on the table and did as he asked, revealing a black eye.

"Danny, what happened?"

"Nothing Dad. I fell off the bike."

"Fell off the bike… it looks like you fell into someone's fist." Fonzie's voice was more of concern than that of anger. "Let me take a look." He put his hand up to lift Danny's chin, but Danny pulled away.

"It's nothing. Really."

"I thought I taught you better than to rumble." Fonzie's stern voice quickly faded. "Did you win?"

"I…"

"Never mind about that." Fonz cut him off. "You shouldn't rumble. That is always the last resort."

"Let's just drop this. I won't need your pity," Danny's voice grew in temperament as he stepped back away from the Fonz.

"Danny, that's what fathers are for. They help their kids and stuff like that." Fonzie was emotionally reaching out to his son.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed." Danny headed back into his room.

"You must be tired…" Fonzie's voice raged in anger. "...from all of these activities you've been doing because the principal called. You haven't been in school. No more borrowing the bike until you bring me an 'A' and take off my jacket. You're grounded."

"Whatever," Danny's voice sounded from the hall and the leather jacket was pitched from the hall to the kitchen floor.

Fonzie walked over to the jacket and slowly picket it up. He held it in his fists. His words were softly spoken to himself. "That's what fathers do. They're there for you - give you advice - pick you up when you're down. Danny, don't make the same mistakes I did. Where am I going wrong?"

Dressed in his leather jacket and a black T-shirt, Fonz swung the saloon doors open and walked into Arnold's. It was a light crowd for the lunch hour. He strolled over to the bar counter and planted his lips on a petite blonde. "Jenny," Fonzie dragged out each syllable of her name with a smile on his face.

She spun around with a smirk across her face. "Fonzie, where were you last night?"

"About last night..." He set his thermos on the counter. "I'm sorry about that, but Danny didn't show up for dinner last night and I got a little worried so I waited up for him." He moved in for another kiss, but his lips were stopped with her index finger.

"We've been dating for three months now. Every time we plan a romantic evening, Danny seems to step in the middle of it."

"Jennifer, I will make this up to you." He snuck another kiss. This time he held her closer to prolong the tenderness.

She pulled back with one eyebrow raised. "I'm tired of being put on the back burner."

"Jenny. I will keep you on the front burner and things will really heat up."

She finally responded with a smile and kissed him back.

A short Asian man quickly came from the kitchen with a mixing bowl and wooded spoon in hand. "Hi Fonzie."

Fonz spun around. "Arnie. Could you fill up my thermos? Mrs. C. usually does it when I stop by in the mornings, but they are in California visiting Richie."

"No time for coffee, Fonzie. I am going to pick up my niece at the airport today. I am so nervous. I haven't seen her since she ate my chicken wings. Maybe that's why she stopped talking to me. Bah ha ha ha !" He laughed.

Fonz glanced into Arnold's mixing bowl. "You must be nervous, Arnie. You forgot that you need to add water when you're making bread."

"Oh Fonzie, I'm not making bread." He turned back toward the kitchen but looked back for one more comment. "I'm making flour. Bah ha ha ha ha!"

"Fonz, I'm over here. Remember?" Jennifer reminded him that she needed his attention.

"Jenny." He kissed her again. "I am here for your every need." He gave her a devious grin. "And I mean e-ver-y-thing." In a flash, Fonzie snapped his fingers, and pointed to the door. "Why aren't you in school?" He spun around to see Danny coming

through the door with his arm around a girl and two of his friends.

"What?" Danny responded innocently. "I'm on my lunch break."

Fonz turned toward his son. "Don't play games with me Danny. I happen to know that lunch is usually not before 9 AM."

When Fonzie turned to talk to Danny, Jennifer angrily picked up her purse from the counter and walked out the door. Fonzie noticed about two seconds too late. "Jenny." He took a few steps toward the door, but stopped short. He faced his son and the friends Danny was with. "She a… likes to start my bike for me."

Danny laughed, but Fonzie stopped him short with a look that could kill. "Danny, could I see you in my office." He pointed to the men's room.

"Actually Dad, we can't stay. Can this wait?"

Fonzie clenched his teeth and rolled his hands into fist to maintain his cool. "Uh-ha." His head started to tremble in anger.

"Great," Danny said with a quick nod. "I'll see you then." With that, Danny and his friends left.

Fonzie took a hold of the counter to keep his cool.

Roger walked through the front door. "Hey Fonz. I just passed Danny on the way in. Why isn't he in school?"

As Roger come closer, Fonzie put his arm around him. "Rog, I don't know what to do. This kid is driving me crazy…"

"A… Fonz…" Roger cringed in pain as Fonzie's grip on Roger's collar grew tight.

"… He's hanging out with those bums: Tommy and Cedar. What kind of name is Cedar anyway?"

"Fonz." Roger called again as his posture was warping in pain.

"He's staying out all hours of the night. He doesn't come home for dinner. He doesn't take care of my bike when he borrows it…"

"Fonzie!"

Fonz realized what he was doing and let him go. "You see what he's doing: he's making me hurt my friends."

Roger stood up straight and fixed his tie. He shrugged his sore shoulder. "For my sake, I'm glad he didn't eat all of the animal crackers."

"Sure, kick the Fonz when he's down."

"I'm sorry Fonz." Roger picked up Fonzie's thermos and went behind the counter to fill it for him. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"I just did. Weren't you listening?"

"I wasn't the best recipient during ephemeral moments of vast afflicted writhing."

Fonzie took a good look into his eyes. "Whatever." He pulled himself up to sit on the counter. "This parenting stuff is not what it's cracked up to be, Rog. Mr. C. made it look so easy."

"'Lacking all sense of right and wrong, a child can do nothing which is morally

evil, or which merits either punishment or reproof.' That was Rousseau."

Fonzie again looked into his eyes. "One problem at a time here Roger. Then we'll talk to Roso."

"I'm sorry, Fonz. So Danny is a little inconsiderate. Do you notice anything different about his moods or attitudes?"

"I don't know… some times he's really happy - other times he's depressed."

After filling the thermos, Roger put the lid back on. "It sounds like it could be bipolar disorder. Does he experience extreme mood swings?"

"No."

Roger shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's just a phase." He ducked into the kitchen.

"Oh, thanks a lot, Rog," Fonzie said sarcastically.

"Thanks Arnold," Roger called back into the kitchen as he returned with his lunch in a brown bag. "I'm sorry Fonz. I've got to run." He headed for the door. "Give me a call tonight. We'll talk more."

"Right." Fonz half-heartedly waved as Roger left. He walked over to the phone, picked up the receiver and gave it a wrap. He waited. He suddenly perked up. "Al… Al, how are you doing?…How's Aunt Louisa?… That's great Al. How's Joanie?… Give her a kiss for me, uh?… "He leaned against the wall by the phone. "Well, you tell her that she better take it easy… I know Chachi's in California on tour… Let her know that I saw these leather baby booties I picked up from Stanford's for the kid… I will be there with bells on when that little one wants to see the world…" Fonzie laughed. "I miss you guys too Al… Listen Al, I've got a small problem with Danny. I feel like we're loosing communication… What's that?… Uh-ha…. I feel like we don't have time for each other… What?… Oh, the baby kicked… No. No problem Al. I'll call you later." Fonzie slowly hung up the phone. He picked up his thermos as he headed for the door.

Fonzie's Garage had a car inside with two young mechanics working on it. One was underneath it, while the other was working under the hood. The Fonz strolled in with a rapid strut. "Hey Robby," he called out. "Hey Tony."

They both replied in unison, "Hi Fonz."

Fonz set his thermos down on the shop's counter.

"Seventeen girls called while you were out." Tony popped his head out from under the hood. "They wanted to know if you were available. They said that Jennifer walked out of Arnold's on you."

"News travels fast," Fonz said just low enough that no one would hear. He took the messages that were pinned to the wall and tossed them into the air. "How can I think of girls at a time like this?" He spun around. "Tony, can I speak to you for a moment please?"

The dark haired Italian came over while wiping a wrench with a rag. "What is it Fonz?"

"Do you see your father much?"

"That depends. What do you mean by 'much'?"

"Do you visit your father once in a while?"

"When you say 'once in a while', do you mean at least once a year?"

Fonz turned to pick up some of the messages that he had just tossed down. He slapped them in the palm of Tony's hand. "That's it. Take Robby with you. Call some girls. Take them out. There is no work today."

Robby rolled out from underneath the car. "What!? We have to finish this car by 2 o'clock. We only have an hour and a half to finish rebuilding the carburetor and replace the drive shaft."

Fonz looked Robby in the eyes. "I will take care of it. Will you guys get out of here?"

"There's no doubt that you can do it in time Fonz," Tony said. "You are the best."

"I know," Fonzie replied without modesty as he looked at his fingernails.

"We just don't want to leave you with all of this work."

"It's a paid day off," Fonz added.

"We're out of here." On Fonzie's last word, both mechanics turned on their heals for the front door.

As they left the garage, Fonz called out, "And go visit your father!" He walked over to the phone and took the time to dial. He waited. "Richiiiiiiiiie!" He perked up. "How are you doing? Listen, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be there for the opening of your big movie. What's the name of it?" There was a pause. "That's right: A River of Blacktop. I remember you telling me before. That sounds like my kind of movie, Red." He tossed the phone into the other hand. "When are you coming back to Milwaukee? Say that again… You're taking your folks to see the movie, right now. Oh no, I understand - you were heading out the door. Red before your go, let me ask you for some advice. Remember that time that Richie Jr. was distancing himself from you? Why was he doing that?… Uh-hu… Uh-hu… You wouldn't let him feed his ice cream to his goldfish… What's that?… No no, just a small problem. I can handle it. No, Richie we can talk later. Take your folks to the show… and congratulations Red… No, I'll call you later. Okay. Give Lori Beth a kiss for me and give both of the kids a dollar from me - I'll pay you the next time I see you… Hey, inflation. I can't be cheap with my Godchildren. You have a good time at the movies. You tell Richie Jr. and Beth not to spend the whole dollar at the snack bar… Okay, Richie. Hey, I want a rematch with another game of pool… Good-bye Red." Fonzie hung up. He picked up his overhauls and went into the office to change into them.