When I woke up at eight o'clock I got dressed quietly and left out the basement door and rode to the address Toni gave me the night before and soon found myself in front of a rundown trailer that was still in pretty good enough shape to house someone. I approached the door and knocked. An old native american man answered the door. "Yes?"
"Hi. My name is Daniel Boyce and I'm supposed to meet Toni here but I'm early so I was wondering if I could come in and just wait for her to get here."
"Daniel Boyce you said?" He asked. I nodded then it hit me.
"Wait. Uncle Thomas?" He hugged me and I hugged him back. "Wow. I never thought that I'd see you here."
"Hows your mom?" He asked pulling me inside.
"She died a year ago."
"Ohh. Sorry to hear that." He frowned as he gestured to the sofa as he sat in his lounge chair.
"Well, it was bound to happen someday."
"But it shouldn't have happened to a young kid." Thomas said.
"I agree but sometimes if not all the time life is not fair at all."
"True. So what business do you have with my grand daughter?"
"I'm trying to become a South Side Serpent." He nodded. "So I'm going to go through the initiation process starting Monday."
"Well it seems you are on the right track. I noticed your jacket. The Cobra Kings. I remember hearing about you guys in the papers. You protected witnesses, victims anyone that was innocent. I'm happy to see that your mom raised you well. They were an honorable group. But judging by the fact that your here means they split up. On good terms I hope."
"Yes. They did. But I couldn't stay in the city anymore. Even though we did the right thing. People still scrutinized us and blamed us for their short comings. So after we disbanded. I headed somewhere that wasn't Idaho Falls."
"Now your here in Riverdale." He smiled.
"Yes, Uncle T."
"You liking it so far?"
"It's a far cry better than Idaho Falls."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. You are a good boy. I even heard about you saving Toni from a pair of jocks. Thank you." Then a knock came to the door and Toni walked in.
"Grandpa?"
"In here Toni." Thomas said.
"Hey, I'm meeting, oh, he's already here."
"Toni." I greeted.
"Daniel. I see you already met my grandpa."
"More than that. I knew Daniel when he was four years old." Thomas smiled.
"How?" Toni asked.
"I used to visit his mom when I rode through Idaho Falls years ago. She helped me when I had nowhere else to go so I usually made a point to visit her everytime I was in town. Daniel used to call me Uncle Thomas when he was little."
"Still do apparently." I grinned. Toni sat next to me and smiled.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew my grandpa?" She asked.
"You didn't tell me his name. So I didn't know I knew him as well." I replied.
"It's okay Toni. So Daniel tells me that he wants to be part of the Serpents."
"Yes, grandpa. I was wondering if it would be okay if he didn't go through the gauntlet?" Toni asked. I was surprised but it made sense since I took down Chuck in less than four minutes the other day.
"What do you think Daniel? Do you want to skip the gauntlet or do you want to go through it?"
"Normally I'd say no. But since I understand why Toni is asking for this big favor. I'm going to say yes. I'd like to skip the gauntlet if I may?" Thomas nodded and Toni smiled.
"Consider it done my boy." He grinned. "By the way. If you ever need a place to crash you can crash here any time you need to."
"Thank you Uncle Thomas."
"And Toni. May I speak to you alone." He said. I nodded as I left his trailer and waited outside.
"What is it Grandpa?"
"I noticed while you asked for your favor that your voice was shaking not to mention that you raised and lowered your eyes at Daniel as if you were sizing him up for something?" He smiled as she blushed. "Do you like him Toni?" She smiled as she looked down at the floor and nodded. "Then why don't you two go out on a date and see where it leads?"
"What if he isn't interested in a girlfriend?"
"Toni. He's a good boy, he nearly broke a vagrants arm just for trying to grab you again the other day, that aside he is all alone. He needs someone to look after him. And vice versa. Besides I think it would be good for the two of you to be together."
"Okay, okay. I'll give it a shot but don't expect me to be happy about it grandpa." She smiled.
"Oooh, I think you'll be happy alright. Besides he'll be a Serpent within the week just you wait and see." Thomas chuckled as Toni grinned wider. "Go on. I'm sure he's wondering where you are." Toni kissed her grandpa on the cheek and left and found me on my bike.
"Ready to go?"
"Where?" Toni asked.
"I thought we'd go to Sweetwater River and study the Laws there."
"No studying today. Let's drop by Pops and get something to eat at Sweetwater River. And make it a relaxing day." She suggested as I smiled.
"Sounds good." I tossed her the spare helmet. "Come on then." She got on behind me and I could tell just by how tight she was holding onto me that she had something to tell me. But I thought it would be better to wait until we got to Sweetwater River before asking her what it was.

After getting some burgers and drinks to go we went to Sweetwater River and pitched a temporary camp as it were. We relaxed listening to the river and the birds in the woods.
"Toni." I started she looked at me. "I was wondering if your okay with me foregoing the gauntlet."
"Why would I not be okay with that?"
"You were holding me as we were riding to Pops then here. As if you were conflicted about something."
She sighed and put down her burger. "My grandpa suggested that we give it a try. At being a couple."
"Hmm. Well, your grandpa is wise. But I want you to decide for yourself. I mean. I know he's looking out for me and probably told you that I need someone to look after me if not watch over me and  vice versa right?" She grinned. "Uh huh. Thought so."
"Dan. You've been a surprise every day and when you put Chuck's arm in the Kimura really surprised me and although I don't like boys in a certain way. I can definitely see my way to giving us a shot."
"Like I said Toni you decide for yourself. If you want to give us a shot. Then good. If not I'm okay with it. I don't like pressuring people into doing something they don't want to do. The only time I do is when they deserve it."
"Your making it difficult to say no to giving it a shot." She giggled.
"One does what one can." I smiled. "But seriously. If you want to go out with someone else. I'd understand."
"What if I wanted to have a girlfriend on the side?"
"That's a landmine question." I smiled wider. "I'd be okay with it."
"Well, I know that you don't want to do the gauntlet but I'm sure that Sweet Pea and the others will probably heckle you and call you a coward for not doing it. And even though I don't want to see you hurt. I'd hate for you to feel unwelcome among the young serpents for not doing the gauntlet."
"Then I'll do it. I'm a self taught mixed martial artist who learned how to do the judo throw and kimura lock from a video and a book. So surviving the gauntlet should be more less a cake walk for me."
"Okay. How about this." Toni approached me and put her burger left overs back in the Pops paper bag. "If you survive. You and I will give it a shot. And I'll be all yours. No one elses."
"That doesn't really seem fair to you Toni."
"We'll iron out the add on details after the gauntlet." Toni smiled. "Until then." She wrapped her arms around my neck. "Let's focus on just relaxing and having fun. Because starting tomorrow. Your real work begins." And how right she was. Because later that day I got a call from Jugghead telling me that I had been approved to go through initiation. Starting on Monday. When we got back to the Wyrm.
I talked with FP for some bar tending shifts at the Wyrm. He agreed to let me tend bar after school and on the weekends. I'd be working with Toni on the weekends and sometimes on my own on the weekdays after school which didn't bother me all that much because he agreed to teach me some specialty drinks only served at the Wyrm. I was so happy to be working at the Wyrm and be aorund who would soon be my brothers and sisters in leather and chains. Toni and I worked on the Laws one last time before playing a round or two of pool. She enjoyed the game. I think its because she won both rounds. I kissed her in front of everyone and Sweet Pea pulled me off her and I could tell he was mad.
"Whoa, Sweet Pea. Calm down. Daniel's going to be one of us soon." Toni said pulling him away a bit and standing in between him and me.
"Doesn't mean I can't rearrange his face until then."
"Sweet Pea. You touch him and you'll be giving me your jacket for a month." FP said. Sweet Pea looked at all the serpents present and just walked away. Toni approached me and I wrapped my arms around her. "Although that is an interesting sight. A serpent and a cobra."
"Come on, Dan." Toni led me outside and we approached my chopper.
"See you tomorrow?" I asked Toni.
"What do you think?" She slid into my arms and kissed me.
"Alright." I grinned.
"Be careful on your way home." I got on my chopper and put my helmet on. "Call me when you get home."
"I will. I promise." I smiled as I started my chopper then headed home.
"He's quite the catch Toni. I have a good feeling with you two." FP said coming out of the Wyrm.
"Grandpa called you didn't he?" She asked. FP nodded.
"I know guys like Daniel. They'd sooner slice their noses off than hurt the ones they love. So a little advice from someone who knows. Hold onto him Toni. Because you won't find another one like him who is as understanding about your real proclivities as him in your  lifetime."
"I plan to." She grinned. "I just wish he had a place to stay instead of with that born again south sider Alice Cooper."
"I hear ya. Maybe he could stay upstairs in one  of the rooms of the Whyte Wyrm. He'd be close to his work but also he'd have full reign of anything he needed. Food, drink, bathrooms." FP giggled.
"We don't have rooms upstairs."
"Actually there's the office which has a cot in it. I think if he does well in the initiation we can convert it into a room for him. And you when you need a place to crash." Toni looked at FP and grinned. "Go on inside. I'll drop you off at your uncles and if he's locked you out you can stay at my place on the couch."
"Thank you FP."
"No problem."

I made it home and called Toni and told her that I made it home safely and said goodnight to her. After I thought about what I could do about my own place instead of staying  with the Coopers I headed inside and went straight to bed.