Snake Plissken

Snake had the twins for the day. Jondy had been nice enough to take Toby and Cassie to the park. She thought it would be good for them and Snake couldn't agree more. So with a promise to pick Cassie up in a few hours and be home to make dinner since neither Bria or Evie were feeling well today Snake headed out. He wasn't sure what to do at first. His intention was to get the twins out of the house, as well as the dogs who were in the back of the humvee so Bria could relax and feel no obligation to take care of anything other than herself. Finally he settled on going to see Mab. He hadn't visited her since before the birth. He wanted to see the babies and how the two Griffins were doing. Certainly terrorizing the court if nothing else.

He took a leisurely drive out there. No, the court of the fae queen wasn't something you could normally just drive to. It took more than that but Plissken had figured that out months earlier. He left the humvee not far from the main grounds but under the supervision of her guards. Last thing he needed was to come back to find it stripped by a tinkerer or eaten by whichever fae it was that swallowed big things whole. He put Steven up in the backpack and carried Mia with the diaper bag on his shoulder and the dogs in tow. He was certain his arrival was already reaching Mab. Court talk always went fast. Rumors were the only thing that could spread faster.

He wasn't sure where he'd find Mab but headed for the main building. The dogs stayed close by as he walked warily. He wasn't normally worried about being here but with the dogs and his youngest he wouldn't be able to relax until he was with Mab who was much better at keeping an eye out for problems.

Christ. Got lot of friends. You people just going to have to deal with seeing pictures of the ones I got pictures of. Rest of you I don't well, you fault you haven't given me one.

( Friends )


The rest of you people I don't got any pictures of. Not my damned fault I can't put you in here.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. -Jane Howard, "Families"


Snake really loved having the dogs in the shop. He loved having the kids in the shop. It made this worthwhile. Having a steady, regular job had never been his thing but having the family here changed the whole situation. Snake was under the car he was working on with Sarge laying at his side. The dog's head was on his thigh. Sarge was watching the door as he was trained. Snake could hear Cassie giggling. No doubt from the playful bark she was being chased about or licked profusely by one of the other dogs.

Snake stared up at the bottom of the car blankly while he ratcheted the new oil pan into place. Routine repairs sometimes got to him but as soon as the sour mood started a giggle brought the smile back. He really did enjoy having the children here even if it was slightly rare. As usual, today Cassie, Mason and the twins were here because the moms were off buying maternity and baby supplies. Snake didn't mind really. He didn't feel used when he handed over a stack of money or took the kids into the shop. Plissken figured most men would.

Sarge's head raised but when he stood Snake slid out from under the car. Mason was still on the blanket near Plissken's feet pounding blocks together. His attention quickly turned from the baby up to the visitor. Plissken was curious about the man standing there in a business suit. He got to his feet without thinking much of it.

"Can I help you?" Snake asked as Cassie ran up behind his leg to see who was in the shop. Dogs followed. All three of them.

The man looked over the group before Cassie went back to playing with the dogs in the back of the shop. Snake waited to see if there was anything or his time was just being wasted.

"I thought this was an autoshop."

Snake glanced around and shrugged. "Looks like one to me."

The client was staring at Mason on the floor who had taken to banging his block against the metal plate on Plissken's boot shin. Snake barely noticed. Business as usual. Snake was getting furious about what this person was suggesting.

"Do you need something?" Plissken cocked his brow still wiping the oil off his hands. If one more smart remark came out of this person's mouth Snake was going to slug him. From the change of expression Snake knew that his feelings were quite obvious.

"I... my car..."

Snake frowned. "I got that." Plissken tossed the rag down by where he'd been laying on the floor.

"Umm.. It's outside on a tow truck. It stalled out and won't start."

Snake sighed. "Have them pull it in."

The asshole left and Plissken found himself shaking his head as he picked up Mason and his toys. "Come on boy we got idiots to deal with."

Snake laughed when Mason squealed. He was just setting the toys and blanket on the couch in the bay when the Tow truck backed the car in. It was a junky looking car and Plissken assumed it needed more than a little tune up for the bald tires. Surely someone who could buy 100 dollar suits could afford tires. Snake shrugged again when he replaced the block with a bottle.

He was unphased by holding Mason as he popped the hood and started looking over the inside. The thing needed overhauled. Plissken wondered if he would be better off just telling this guy to get a whole new car. Cassie was up peering into it next to him. She just liked doing things with him and sometimes the small hands came in handy

"Are you going to.. with." The guy was motioning at Mason.

Snake felt like he was going to explode. The pressure inside was like an overheated radiator someone was banging on with a hammer. "Got two choices. I can fix the car with the kids here or you can wait until my wife and daughter are done shopping six hours from now. Your choice."

Snake couldn't contain his anger. "This is a family establishment. Don't like it, push your fucking piece of junk down the street and get it the fuck out of my shop."

The customer was shocked into a dumbfounded silence.

"What I thought." Snake ignored him and went back to work on figuring out what was wrong with the car. The whole time explaining it to Cassie. It took about twenty minutes for Plissken to get a list worked up of what had to be replaced. What needed to be replaced and what should be replaced. Cassie had gone back to playing ball with the dogs and Snake still had a now sleeping Mason in his arms. He checked on the twins who were still sleeping in the playpen that occupied a portion of his office. Then he went back out to talk to his customer who seemed to have got some sense.

"Here's the repairs I'd suggest with a estimate." Snake handed the papers over bouncing lightly to keep Mason asleep until he could get him down to nap.

His customer whom he now knew as Bret took the paper in silence. He looked it over and then stood. "I'm so... just the kids and.." He was motioning again.

Snake looked over at Cassie and the dogs where he was motioning toward the back of the shop. "Family establishment."

Bret nodded looking over the chaos Plissken worked in. "Are they all yours?"

Snake finally smiled. "All of them except this one. He's my grandson."

After that Plissken laid Mason down with the twins and went to work setting the baby monitor on the washer fluid reservoir under the hood of Bret's car.

Words: 967

In a field working the dogs.