Yes I'm doing it again . . . And I will say I am doing this against my will. My cohorts have read this-since its been sitting on my hard drive for the past few days- and twisted my arm to make me post it. and while I was hesitant at first I have to say that I am interested in it . . . . and that is helping with my massive writer's blocks that pop up and smack down my creativity. So just let me know what you think-but I'll probably keep posting regardless. I also want to put it out there that this isn't going to be like the other tow. Yes Chaosia will be here but this is a prelude to the movie. As in before Memphis left. The outlines I have for it take it well into after the movie . . . but who knows. There will be more action in this and I have yet to decide on whether or not to add the romance . . . but again, who knows. I have the attention span of a gnat on crack sometimes so . . . Please, no one kill me . . . And enjoy it.

Dog Days of Summer

Otto watched with somber eyes as Junie helped their goddaughter redecorate the bedroom in the back guest house. He was, for the millionth time, glad that when their son had wanted freedom he had converted the formerly unused space of the ancient carriage house behind their home into the almost 800 sq. ft. apartment with two car garage that Jason had used until he moved to the East Coast for work. He sighed as Junie looked to him, eyes sad and watery before she forced a smile for their new charge.

Ripley was doing well, better than he or Junie could have ever hoped for . . . but they were still worried about the girl.

Otto turned, walking down the steps to go back to the shop. He knew he was reorganizing his entire operation . . . but he needed to do this. His old office space was now being turned back into an apartment for Ripley, which meant he would be moving his offices back into the unused storage loft over the work docks of the garage. Thank God all they had been used for since he moved his offices to the house was storage . . .

Memphis, Santoro and Donnie were there now, moving the rest of the furniture in and the old equipment out. He knew he owed them for this. Big. They'd come through in the pinch, helping out when they still hadn't met his new fosterling. Which just proved how close they'd all become since the group had started to trickle in one-by-one. What had started as a few boosts occassionally working together had transformed into a well-oiled crew . . . and was steadily becoming more and more like an extended family. One he was very glad to be a member of right about now . . .

As he went to get in the work truck, he kept getting the feeling he was forgetting something. Something he needed . . . He shook his head and groaned, laying his head on the steering wheel as soon as he shut the door to the truck. Though try as he might, shutting that door didn't shut him from the issues at hand or the pain that watching the two girls- his girls- inside were dealing with. He sighed again, glancing up at the roof of the truck. he knew it'd been so long since he'd asked anything but he was at his wits end here . . .

"God, just let us help her be okay. She's lost everything. Let us give her something."

A knock on the window had his eyes turning towards the glass. There had been far too many close calls with Johnny B's boys and some of the other crews and solo boosts. And while the gangster seemed content to leave the infamous Memphis Raines and his runners alone for now, he knew there was too much greed-not to mention too many fine and expensive ladies- floating around Long Beach for the peace to be permanent. Which kept him on red alert . . . especially with all of this going on . . .

He relaxed, seeing Ripley standing there. Her hair was piled atop her head, platinum and gold curls escaping to frame her face. Her thick black rimmed 'buddy holly' glasses were on her head, helping hold up her bangs. She looked with him with worried sea glass green eyes. The same eyes of her father and her grandmother.

He smiled, shaking himself mentally as he opened the door to let her step closer.

"Yeah, hun?"

She blushed, fidgeting in her huge sweatshirt before producing his truck keys. She grinned bashfully at him, though her eye held the same sarcasm her father's would have in the situation.

"You need these, Uncle Otto."

He chuckled, taking them as he shook his head. He knew he'd been forgetting something . . .

"I might indeed, sweet pea. Thanks. You and Junie gonna come by the shop?"

She smiled, this one friendly and hopeful. And while it was nowhere near as vibrant as it would've been before, he was happy to see it regardless. He would hate for her to lose the joy she'd carried before this shitstorm landed on them . . .

"Yeah, while the paint dries."

She stopped, her expression turning serious as she looked at her feet. Toeing a clump of grass that Kip had managed to scatter even everywhere . . . even here on the stones. He had learned a valuable lesson yesterday: Memphis Raines in any vehicle was only half as fast as his little brother on a powered lawnmower. . . and about ten times less dangerous. he shuddered, trying to bring himself out of the post traumatic shock he'd accquired after almost being run down by Raines's bratty-but-eager sibling . . . He could relive that later.

"I'm sorry about stealing your office, Otto."

He sighed, pulling her into a hug.

"Sweet pea, I needed to move my office back to the shop months ago. Plus . . . me and Junie thought that maybe having your own space might do you some good. You didn't just need some little back bedroom, you know? You're almost eighteen."

She smiled, laughing as she hugged him back. Otto chuckled, rubbing her shoulder as he continued, "Besides, after that tub comes in tomorrow, you're gonna have a better bathroom than I do."

She laughed louder, ribbing him with her elbow.

"Honestly, Uncle Otto. It's a claw foot tub not a whirlpool monster like yours and Junie's!"

She squeezed him again, before telling him goodbye and heading back into the house. He sighed, starting the truck. He'd better go to work and explain the situation . . . and the rules where Ripley was concerned . . . And keep Memphis and Santoro out of his desk drawers.

Memphis watched Otto walk into the shop knew off the bat that something was wrong. Very wrong. Otto looked depressed, like the world had swallowed most of his joy and he was clinging at the last strands of what was left.

The infamous Otto Halliwell never seemed down or depressed. Furious, agitated, frustrated or "driven insane by crazy ass boosts", yes. But never this.

He called the shop workers into the paint dock, the boosts present tagging along for the hell of it and curiosity. Sway, who had just arrived a few minutes before bringing with her news that Atley was enroute with Sphinx and Frankie would be there within the hour, stood near Memphis on the back wall. She seemed as interested in what Otto had to say as he was . . . and as worried about his mood.

Santoro and Donnie stayed closer to the door, opting to smoke while Otto looked the assembled lot over. As he opened his mouth to speak, Memphis couldn't shake the feeling that whatever he was about to say was going to change things in major way.

"As most of you know, Junie and I had to attend a funeral earlier this week . . ."

A chorus of murmurs and nods told Otto to keep going.

"Well, to make a long story short . . . an old friend of mine and his wife were killed. As if this isn't bad enough, this leaves me and Junie with a new . . . we're going to be taking on . . ." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing. "We're now the legal guardians of their daughter."

Almost at once, the garage fell silent. And in two heartbeats, it exploded into life and noise. Questions, condolences and concerns were shouted as the workers and boosts absorbed just what Otto's words meant. Another person would be in and out of the shop now . . . meaning a potential way for their very way of life to be exposed.

Otto listened a few minutes, before waving his hands to silence everybody.

"You'll all meet her sometime, I'm sure . . . but I'm asking you to keep it friendly. She's seventeen and she's just lost her whole family. Junie and I, while shocked about all of this, wouldn't have it any other way and we want to make her time with us as happy as we can. So when you meet her . . . just please try to be nice."

Sway stopped, knowing from personal experience how hard it was to lose family. She looked to Memphis, who pulled her against him in a quick hug. He knew just how tough the kid would have it, too.

San piped up from the back as Sphinx and Atley came in, Donnie quietly filling them in on the new addition to the Halliwell family roster.

"What's the kid's name Otto?"

"We call her Ripley . . . and her and Junie will be by later if you want to stick around and meet her. Just don't mention anything about boosts and chop shops. I do not want her finding out about any of our more . . . lucrative and illegal actives. Clear?"

The chorus of "clears" obviously put Otto at ease . . . but Memphis knew that it would only be a matter of time before the kid found out exactly what her godfather did.

The only question was, how would she handle it?

okay . . . if you have to kill me just aim for the head. My dad already has dibs on my liver so . . . yeah . . .