I was watching the Leverage DVD extras that I got from the library and I found out that Parker's counterpart in the Two Live Crew Job is the show's crime/pickpocket consultant! And the character is actually named after him. His name is Apollo Robbins. I love this show SO much! I love that they actually had a thief consultant on the payroll. Iconic! Such a criminally underrated show
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Other asks here.
Snippet
Hopper buried his head into his hands and let out a pained scream. He lifted his head as far back as he could and sighed heavily.
“What would you have me do?” he asked Dr. Owens, distraught. “I want to get Steve out alive, but I’m terrified the second he walks out those doors, someone is going to kill him.”
“Are there back doors?” Dr. Owens asked. “Like an employees’ entrance, perhaps?”
“Nice thought, but no,” he said, shaking his head. “Otherwise I’d have my men on it.”
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Snippet
“REDACTED,” Eddie said dryly. “I think she’s been involved from the beginning.”
“Fuck.”
~
“It’s gonna take too long to get these things analyzed,” Hopper growled, holding up the bags that Steve had put his clothes and the gun in. “But according to the file, they were never in evidence in the first place.”
Dr. Owens grimaced. “That is more then just a cover-up, that is a full blown conspiracy.”
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Other asks here.
Snippet
“What the honest fuck?” Vince hissed. “Your mother wrote that about you?”
Robin and Dustin turned to him in shock.
“She did,” Steve muttered, his lip starting to quiver. “She hid it for years. I have about a half dozen of these diaries that she wrote over the course of my life talking about how I ruined hers. Then five years ago she died. Of a brain bleed. And she left the bulk of her money except a handful of direct amounts to certain people to the drama department at my school. Which is when my dad discovered these.”
He threw the diary on the coffee table where it made a dull smacking noise. “Eddie had accidentally left the drama door unlocked that day and something in me just...snapped.”
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Snippet
Robin put her arm over his shoulders. “Let’s get back to your apartment and you can tell us there.”
Steve nodded and then slipped into the driver’s seat, everyone else piling into the car behind him.
When they got back to the apartment, Steve wandered into his bedroom and came back with a dark red, leather bound book.
“I guess, I should start at the beginning,” he murmured and turned to a page halfway through the book. “‘February 16th, 1967. He’s defective. He can’t even do something right as crawl forward. He’s crawling backward of all things. I blame Charles for this. It must have been his genes that caused this thing to be born like this. If this was ancient Greece, he’d be thrown off a cliff for the good of the community...’ the diary of Sophia Harrington.” He stopped a beat. “My mother.”
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Other asks here, here.
I choose Rockstar
Snippet
“Was anything irreplaceable broken?” Dustin asked, as Robin picked up the diary and began flipping through it.
Steve shook his head. “It was mostly stuff that was going to be replaced by newer, better stuff. But it was still thousands of dollars in damages.” He scoffed. “There was one thing that survived.” He picked up his copy of the album and flipped it over to the cover.
He held it up for them to see.
There in middle of a black background was a throne with blood red velvet cushions and bronze filigree. A spotlight shone on it and underneath were the words ‘King of the World’.
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Other asks here, here.
Snippet
Dustin just smiled and began to purr.
Eddie eyed him for a moment and then just shook his head. Cats were mysterious in their ways and this one in particular.
Then at dusk, the cat pawed at the door to be let out and Eddie stood up, walking over to the door. “What would you do if I didn’t let you out?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Jump through the window,” Dustin said with a grin. “This is just easier.”
WIP Wednesday! Just clearing out my inbox join me next time.
Other asks here, here.
Snippet
“How fun!” she said, following his example, happily eating her corn on the cob. But if Steve noticed she only had the one, he wisely kept it to himself.
After dinner, she let him back out onto the front yard where Steve played while she cleaned up and put away the food.
Tommy and Nick hadn’t come back out let, but that was fine. Steve had learned to play by himself since he was five.
He had gotten a basketball for his birthday a couple of month ago and his dad had set up a hoop above the garage. So he decided to practice just getting it into the hoop.
Phew! I almost forgot to schedule this! It's been a hell of a week! But welcome back! This story is also complete so here we go!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 |
~
Steve sat in the courtroom just behind Max. They had gotten lucky that they had gotten a different judge, one that might listen to her about what she wanted.
And the judge had sneakily postponed the hearing until after Max’s twelfth birthday, as well. to make sure she had the best outcome for the hearing.
Steve had already liked the guy, but after this he hoped that everyone of his charges got Judge Bob Newby going forward.
“Let me understand, Miss Fraser,” Judge Newby said dryly, “your client wants her violent and abusive ex to take custody of her twelve year old daughter, is that correct?”
“That is an over-exaggeration, your honor!” Miss Fraser huffed. She was Sue Hargrove’s lawyer. She was public defender, but she was good at what she did.
“This man has a rap sheet that is longer than my arm,” Judge Newby barked back. “His own son was removed from his custody three times for abuse. It’s an accurate depiction, counselor.”
“The law is for reunification,” she pointed out primly.
“At my discretion,” he said firmly. “And frankly sending Max Mayfield back to her former stepfather’s care is a death sentence I refuse to give a twelve year old.”
“Your honor!” Miss Fraser protested.
“I am awarding temporary custody to the state of Indiana,” Judge Newby said, ignoring her protests. “And I am requesting that Mrs. Hargrove take a good hard look at the future she wants to give her daughter and give up parental right all together. This in and out of prison is not good for the welfare of the child and as I understand it your client won’t be able for even parole until the child is eighteen, is that correct?”
“Yes, your honor.” Miss Fraser sat down hard. She knew she had lost.
Sue looked back at Max in the gallery and then back at the judge. “I’ll sign away my rights right now if you have a pen and paper.”
There was some quiet muttering from the gallery.
“Are you certain, Susan?” Miss Fraser asked. “You don’t have to do this. We can continue to push of reunification.”
Sue shook her head. “No. I need to do this. The judge is right. Max deserves every chance to excel and she can’t do that with me as her mother.”
Miss Fraser nodded and took out the appropriate document. She handed it to Sue, who promptly signed at the bottom after a quick scan to make sure it was the right one. She handed it to the bailiff who then brought it to Judge Newby.
“The court thanks you, Mrs. Hargrove for your sacrifice,” he said solemnly. “The custody of Maxine Mayfield will be released into the hands of the Hawkins Hope House until further notice. The next hearing will be in two months to decide where she is to be placed. Court dismissed.”
Steve and Robin leapt to their feet cheering while Max just sat there in stunned silence. She couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t going to Neil’s. She was going to stay with Steve for at least two months.
As her mom was being lead away to be taken back to prison, Max ran to her and hugged her tight. “Thank you!”
Sue kissed the top of her head. “Come see me once in a while, yeah?”
“I’ll try,” Max murmured and then allowed Steve to pull her away.
“Take care of my baby,” Sue told Steve.
Steve nodded and then led Max away, back to where Robin was waiting for them.
“Let’s get some ice cream to celebrate!” Robin said, tussling her hair. “I’ll call the Hope House and see if Chrissy could bring Dustin for a little cheering up too.”
“Do we have to bring him?” Max whined. “He’s either super mopey about his dad dying or he’s talking about D&D, there is no in between.”
“Be nice,” Steve admonished. “He’s just trying to get you interested in what he likes.”
“It’s boring,” Max said bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “The only good thing about that stupid game is that it means Lucas comes over all the time.”
Robin and Steve shared a surprised glance over her head. That was certainly a new development.
“How about a compromise?” Steve suggested. “We go out for ice cream and bring Dustin, Chrissy and Eddie some after we’ve had ours?”
Max tapped her lips for a moment, cocking her head to the side. “That is acceptable. We get the treat first and they don’t get mad at us.”
“Great!” Robin said, clapping her hands. “I’ll give the House a call and find out what they want and I’ll meet you guys at the car!”
“Sounds great!” Steve said and steered Max toward the car, both of them happily chatting about the outcome of the hearing.
They didn’t have long to wait before Robin came bursting out of the courthouse. She ran over to Steve’s car and yanked open the passenger seat, sliding in.
“Move it, dingus!” she huffed. “Max’s mom’s lawyer is on a war path and she gunning for you and me.”
Steve let out a pained sigh and shifted into gear, pulling out of the parking lot. “What did she want?”
“She tried to say that the cessation of parental rights was invalid because it was obviously done under duress and she was going to sue us and Judge Newby,” Robin explained.
Max scoffed in the backseat. “That’s just bullshit! It was the right thing to do! She just wants to try to squeeze more money from Mom and Neil.”
Robin whipped around to look her in the eye. “Wait I thought Regina Fraser was a public defender.”
Max shook her head. “Maybe she started out that way, but nope! Neil’s been paying her for awhile now.”
“Well that explains why she was pushing so hard to have Neil take custody of you!” Steve crowed. “That bitch!”
Robin mumbled her agreement. “She can’t win of course, especially since Sue wouldn’t pursue it. Neil might but it would be tied up for months even years and hopefully by then you would have been placed with a family all your own.”
“I wish Steve could adopt me...” Max muttered under breath.
Robin and Steve looked at each and shook their heads. They wished that too. But they doubted that the state would allow her to stay at Hope House not with all the coming and goings of people of every stripe.
“Me too, Maxie,” he murmured back. “Me too.”
~
They arrived back at the Hawkins Hope house just before dinner, bringing ice cream for the people at the House and burgers for all.
“I’m not sure I can eat burgers from elsewhere,” Eddie said as Steve handed him his, “it might be a conflict of interest or some shit.”
Robin snorted. “As if we would get shakes and burgers from anywhere but Benny’s? That would be a sacrilege.”
Eddie opened up his burger and then nodded. “Rightly so.”
Steve handed out everyone’s burgers, handing Max hers last. “Here you go, Miss Californian Girl. One Cali burger just for you.”
Dustin peered over Max’s shoulder to see what the fuss was about.
“I just like it this way,” she huffed, taking a bite and smiling happily.
Dustin looked at her burger and then over at Eddie. “So what’s in it?”
“It’s one patty with Colby Jack cheese, sliced avocado and Chipotle ranch,” Eddie said with a shrug. “It’s pretty popular, so Benny keeps it around.”
“But that doesn’t sound like a burger at all,” Dustin protested. “Where’s the ketchup and the American cheese? The tomato and mustard? You can’t go wrong with a classic!”
Steve looked over at Robin and lifted his eyebrow at her. “You want to tell him your burger order, Missy.”
Robin stuck out her tongue at him. “It’s just cheese, ketchup, and mayo. No veggies at all.”
“That’s horrible!” Dustin complained. “At least Max has a vegetable. What is wrong with you people?”
“I like mine with caramelized onions, lettuce, pepperjack cheese, and ranch,” Chrissy said with a shrug. “I think everyone has different preferences and that’s okay.”
But Dustin didn’t want to let it go. “What about you and Eddie?” he asked rounding on Steve. “What are you burgers like?”
“Oh, mine’s an everything burger,” Eddie said with a grin. “Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, three different cheeses, two patties, and drenched in all the sauces, ketchup, mayo, mustard, relish. Oh and for an extra punch I throw on three slices of bacon just to get that extra crunch.”
“That is the most unhinged thing I’ve every heard,” Max said with her eyes wide. “That’s wicked!”
“I have ketchup, mayo, mustard, cheddar cheese, and bacon,” Steve said with a shrug. “I don’t like warm veggies that should be cold.”
Dustin threw his hands up in the air. “I give up with you lot. None of you are normal!”
“Sounds great to me,” Eddie said around a bit of burger. “I never wanted to be like anyone else. Like sure, finding people who like the same things I do is good, because everyone needs a tribe, but pass me on that conformity bullshit.”
Dustin blinked up at him for a moment. “So you’re saying it’s good everyone likes something different?”
“Right in one, kid!” Eddie said ruffling his hair.
Dustin turned a bright pink and it took every ounce of will power Steve had not to giggle.
~
Steve was running out of time for Max. He needed find someone who would be willing to foster her so that he could start the process of being made her official guardian. And he only had two weeks to do it.
But the people he trusted to not traumatize her further couldn’t take her in at this time and he just couldn’t leave her to the system.
Far too many foster parents were only in it for the pay check they got for taking the kid in and that meant abuses that would make the Geneva Convention gasp in shock and horror.
The one good thing that had come out of the whole mess so far was that no judge would hear Regina Fraser’s lawsuit against the Hawkins Hope House for manipulating Sue Hargrove into giving up her rights to Max.
“And you’re sure Joyce can’t take her?” Chrissy asked for the billionth time.
Steve shook his head. “For the same reason I can’t. Conflict of interest. And if I don’t find someone willing to take her before school starts, Judge Newby will have no choice but to put her in the system.”
“That’s just bullshit,” Robin cursed. “You should be able to keep her here! This is where all her friends are! Which is amazing, she’s making any to begin with!”
He let out a pained sigh. He knew all this. He had been letting it rotate in his head like a washer stuck in the spin cycle. But he didn’t have anymore answers today then he did almost five months ago since Max had been brought to the House.
Just then the door opened, the bell above heralding the man’s arrival.
He was in his mid to late forties with weathered appearance of a man who had worked hard his whole life and loved every minute of it.
“Hi!” Steve greeted cheerfully. “I’m Steve and welcome to Hawkins Hope House. How can I help you today?”
The man chuckled. “Oh good, I have the right place. Hi Steve, I’m here to see my nephew.”
Steve frowned, he didn’t remember Dustin having an uncle. Because then he would have been placed in the man’s care instead of here.
“That’s sweet,” he said instead. “Can I get your name please?”
The man burst out laughing. “He said you lot were tight lipped, but I guess I never really put much stock in it.”
Steve’s frown deepened. He was even less sure about this whole thing with each passing moment.
“I’m afraid we have to be,” he explained. “We get some battered spouses and abused kids we don’t want to give any information to the wrong person and get them hurt or worse.”
The man cocked his head to the side. “That is very wise. And no doubt a lesson learned the hard way.”
“Sad but true,” he acknowledged solemnly.
Just then Eddie came tearing down the stairs. “I thought that was your truck!” he cried, running straight into the arms of the old man.
It was slowly dawning on Steve who this was.
“What are you doing here, you old rascal?!” Eddie said pulling back from the hug to look the man in the eyes.
“I’m here to see your scaly white ass,” the man huffed.
“Uncle Wayne!” Eddie crowed, confirming it for him. “There are civilized people present!”
Idk where you live but look to see if the museums/galleries you want to go to have a free/discounted day. A lot of the museums here do things like that and when I worked in a museum, it was acknowledged as an important part of the mission: to be accessible to those who can't necessarily pay or can't pay every time.
Unfortunately they're all on Tuesday which is one of my busy days at work 😭 I might have more chances with school preschool out now though!
That being said, most of the local museums are historical and I don't actually mind paying full price to support them! I can still walk through the original 1916 one-room school house in my town to check out the art, and most fees go directly to its upkeep!
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
stormborns
pixelskylines
romaincrisis
discoholicmusic
germansingergirl
dededos
yousharknotpass
