What happens when Doc is forced to confront the ghosts of his past? How to the decisions we make when we're at our lowest shape us in the present? This is the story of Hudson Longhauler: His family, his career, his downfall...and his redemption.
Once I'm able to post on A03, I'll post it there too.
This fic is mostly my way to explore Doc's past and to flesh out my WOC headcanon. I tried to make it as true to canon as possible.
I drew the sketch before I wrote the blurbo...so some of the details are a bit off...but I still really like this. And! Hey! I finally got sketches of Spinney, Claire and Ezra! Blurbo after the break.
"Pa! The Glenrunner's are here in camp!" Ezra Longhauler skidded to a stop in front a green, Ford model AA pickup truck.
Spinney set down his end of a large, two truck crosscut saw and gave his oldest son a look that tottered somewhere between horrified and confused. "Is it Otis?"
"Not just Otis..." Ezra shifted nervously on his tires. "It's the whole damn clan; at least two dozen of 'em. And they don't look happy."
Spinney pursed his lips. "Round everyone up and meet us at the landing. Have them bring their tools just in case Otis tries somethin'."
The Capital Motors COE nodded and sped off in a cloud of red dust.
Once their son was out of hearing range, Spinney looked towards his wife, a cream colored, Holismobile panel van. "How much you wanna bet Annette set him to this..."
Claire frowned. "It's possible...but she ain't never spurred him to action before..."
"Hmmm..." He started his engine and headed west, ducking around stumps and felled logs, Claire following in his tracks.
"You want I should call in the rest of the family?"
Spinney considered this for a moment. "Maybe...but then again, he could be wantin' that." His shades drew down. "We'll hear him out...and if he wanna call out trouble then we'll answer."
The road curved around a large, isolated outcrop of sandstone before opening up into a pasture the Longhaulers used to house and feed their yarding tractors. Most of the beasts were sleeping, though a few noticed the pair and followed them along the fence line, hoping for a snack.
Beyond the pasture was the landing, a large level area where bucked logs were staged for loading or milling. Beyond these was the sawmill itself. Normally, all the sawers would be inside processing the logs into cants...but everyone was outside in the loading area gawking at a large group of cars that were, effectively, blocking the only road that left the property.
Spinney hesitated, briefly. It wasn't just the Dawsonville Glenrunners... the entire clan was here, cars that he hadn't seen in decades--including Otis' mother and step-father--filling out the ranks...and glaring at him like they wanted to toss him into a smelter.
Otis Glenrunner was idling out front, flanked by all three of his children. Annette looked especially angry, and her stunning, sapphire blue eyes seemed to track him wherever he moved.
"Howdy, y'all," Otis called out. "Might we have a word?" He smiled, then, but it was hardly welcoming. It was a cold and calculating expression...and it sent a jolt of apprehension through Spinney's engine block.
Spinney hesitated, briefly, and opened his mouth to reply...but then Ezra sped up behind him, followed by all of his siblings except for Sam. They formed a protective half circle around and behind their parents, tools brandished like weapons.
The air was suddenly even more tense.
All the Longhaulers glared at the Glenrunners, and the Glenrunners glared right back, struts extended slightly to make themselves seem larger and more intimidating.
Emboldened by his family's show of force, Spinney rolled forward, lips stretched into a menacing grin. "Otis! Always a pleasure to see you in these parts." His shades drew down into a predatory glare. "What can I do ya fer?"
"Spinney..." Claire said after him, concerned. "Somethin' ain't right..."
Otis smirked and canted his wheels in a shrug. "I just wanted to share some good news."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yep."
"Need the whole family fer that, eh?"
Otis's grin deepened. "For this news, yeah." He paused, seemingly for effect. "Annette's carryin'.
Spinney rocked back on his wheels like Otis had rammed him. "What?"
"Got mud on your side windows? Annette's carryin'."
Claire drew back, her expression some strange amalgam of shocked and horrified.
Spinney just stared.
Stared for a full three minutes, mouth hanging open in shock.
"Urm...that's..." he stammered, eyes flicking to the faces of his children...all of whom were staring at him with looks of barely restrained anger. Ezra went a step further and said. "Y'all told us that Annette couldn't have kids. That she was barren..."
The landing got so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Even the surrounding woods seemed to hush up as if they, too, wanted an explanation.
"Well...I..." Spinney stammered.
More silence. More faces turning to glare at the Longhauler patriarch with disdain.
Eventually, Otis' voice hewed the tension like an axe. "Look, I know some things were said that are probably regretful in light of this happy news. But, we just all wanted to say, that here are no hard feelings."
Spinney's right eye twitched and he tried to speak, but found himself incapable of making any sound save for a strangled wheeze.
"We're fixin' to leave for Detroit in the next hour or so. Annette got a hold of Sam, and he's ecstatic! Knew all along that things would work out given enough time." Otis' smirk grew to claim the entirety of his grille. "Figured y'all would wanna be kept in the loop."
Annette looked at her father for a moment, then fixed spinney with a stare and nodded.
Spinney said nothing.
"Y'all are welcome to come with us."
"But..." Finally Spinney found his voice. "How?"
Otis flashed the pickup with a sly stare. "Y'all got 11 kids...pretty sure you know how."
Spinney opened his mouth to offer a scathing retort...but realized, very quickly, that there was nothing that he could say that wouldn't make the situation look really, really bad.
"Unfortunately, we have business commitments here that must be attended to..." Claire interjected, hurriedly. "But, um, do send us a postcard when you get to Detroit." She nudged Spinney's tire and gave him a look that practically screamed "keep your godammed mouth shut." "Where are you going? Ford? Cadillac?"
"Hudson."
"Oh!" Claire gave Otis the most disparaging smile she could manage and nudged Spinney's tire. "Our grandchild will be a...Hudson. Isn't that wonderful, honey?"
Spinney grumbled something that sounded like "Yeah. Nice."
There was another long, tense pause before Annette cleared her throat and said "We really should be going." She looked at her father. "it's a long drive, and the clock's ticking."
Otis nodded though his green eyes were locked onto Spinney's. "Yeah. Can't wait to meet the little one," His expression darkened. "We've been waiting a long, LONG time for this."
"Urm...don't let us keep you." Spinney gestured towards the road with a tire.
Otis held his gaze for a moment. Then he nodded and lowered his front end in a gesture of respect.
But as he brought himself upright, he fixed the rest of the Longhauler clan with a look that scared them all down to their cores. Then, he left, his children turning to follow first, then eventually mirrored by the rest of their family.
