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New Years is another happy day they spend together.
Angel proudly makes pozole for New Years all on her own, and actually does well.
Tim walks them both through how to make buñuelos and champurrado, Curly begs to stock up on ingredients for both, having quite a sweet tooth. Tim doesn't think he could handle Curly on a sugar high any average day.
Tim takes them on a lap of the area he's chased most stragglers out of, including the empty lot across the street from their home and the park on the other side, where they'll be allowed to explore so long as they listen for him and don't talk to strangers.
They were also allowed to go to the Curtis house if any cops tried to talk to them or they got hurt and Tim wasn't nearby.
They eat grapes with each chime of the midnight clock and Tim shows them which pots make the best instruments or loudest noises until they both crash from too much sugar.
A week later for Wise Men's Day indulges the twins in letting them drag him all over the park to see their favorite discoveries, ending up with him wrapping a scrape on Curly's arm from where Angel had shoved him into the creek for annoying her. Which had been hilarious and probably a long time coming, Curly was definitely going to get revenge judging by his thoughtful face.
They have spicy tamales and horchata that night, Curly excited to show off how good he is at making things spicy. Which is really just pouring way too much hot souce on the plate.
Tim smiles as he read the notes written for the Wise men later that night, the top of Curly's list being a hoolahoop (that Angel had mentioned wanting for a few weeks now, anticipating getting to go outside.) With Angel asking for a slow cooker to learn some Oklahoma recipes.
The first month goes great, Tim loops around the area he laid out for the twins to make sure nobody else was moving in and nobody so much as glanced over. The twins all too happy to be outside that they were willing to stay in the set area. (For now, Tim knows this won't last forever, but he doesn't need it too)
Tim had been going to the same church for Candlemas his entire life.
It was a church of Christ and didn't welcome Catholic worship, but there was a Priest who was willing to do blessings or turn his gaze away for them on the one day of the year.
This year the Priest tells them they'll need to find a different church the next year as he won't be around and the other Priests would be unwilling to help them.
Tim takes the news with a hitched breath and a firm nod. He thanks the Priest for all he has done for them.
The Priest dies a month later, Tim doesn't go to the funeral but he gives an offering for Santa Muerte in his honor at their home altar wishing for him to find what he'd been working for in his rest.
Tim had a few dealers that stuck around into the new year, willing to keep working for him. Among them was a fifteen year old named Jeremy Hunters, and his sixteen year old friend Hugo Carlson.
They'd started selling for Tim together, taking twenty percent cut from every sale, going into twenty-five when they stuck around for the new year.
Tim didn't know why they worked for him, he didn't really care, they did good work and usually split their profits between them so Tim left them be.
Then he turns the corner on his way to the drop off point just in time to see Hunters shove Carlson into a wall looking very pissed off.
"I cannot believe yer high right now Hugo! Yah can't be fuckin smokin Shepard's shit! We're supposed to be sellin it!" That has Tim pausing, neither of them have seen him yet.
"Fucks that little boy gonna do, Jer? I'm what, four years older than em? I can handle a fuckin twelve year old pipsqueak." Carlson is speaking slower then he usually does, voice slurring a bit around his words.
"You smokin our shit is less for me to sell Hugo. I ain't know bout you but I fuckin need this money, this is a good gig, so you better pay me fer all of it so I can keep it." Jeremy sounds almost desperate, Tim actually wonders what exactly Jeremy needs the money for now.
"Whatcha gon do if I don't?" Carlson spits in response.
"I'm gonna break ya legs, and then go tell that Tiger street group that yer out here pissin off the competition instead ah tryna pay em back. Who knows, maybe they'll lower my debt fer turnin ya over." Jeremy is practically growling in Carlson's face, pushing him harder up against the wall.
"Fuckin hell, fine."
Tim watches as Jeremy rips the cash out of Carlson's hand and shoves him in the opposite direction of Tim. Not yet having seen him he runs a hand through his hair and hisses out a cuss through his teeth.
"Ya owe those Tiger's some money? How much?"
Jeremy jolts back, a hand coming up to cover his chest as a quiet yelp escapes him. "Jesus Christ Shepard, fuckin warn a man will ya?"
Tim tilts his head in observation, Jeremy's hands were shaking from adrenaline and he's a bit tense, probably wondering about Tim's reaction to what happened.
"How much ya owe the Tigers?" Tim tries again, watching as Jeremy's eyes flick down in embarrassment.
"Sixty. Hugo owes thirty. My pa had a gamblin problem and when he kicked the bucket it fell ta me. My ma can't pay that much."
"I'm cutting Carlson loose. Ain't profitable for him or me if I tried ta keep him on. You're welcome to stick around." Tim hands over the bag of this weeks supply, Jeremy smiles gratefully, exchanging the merchandise for the cash from the last week.
Tim spends Children's Day learning how to play jumprope and hulahoop with the twins.
Then he tracks down the Tiber Street Tigers, who will be making their debut as an official gang at the end of the year Tim was sure. He pays Marcus Clark sixty-five in cash to buy out Jeremy Hunters entirely from debt and from their books.
Marcus Clark isn't too pleased, but is too wary of picking a fight with Tim to protest. He'd been trying to get in touch with Tim for a supply line anyway.
Jeremy looks like he's going to cry when Tim tells him the debts been forgiven. Tim waves it off as just rewarding good behavior.
The Norteños sell Tim a car when they find him poking around for one, as well as send him a driver to teach him, Santiago Morales Hernandez.
Tim sends Santiago back once he's learned, not wnating more support from the Norteños then he could afford to pay back.
Franklin Chambers throws a huge hissy fit about losing the Tigers as potential customers, but Tim doesn't care.
Tim brings Jeremy to the New Moon bonfire the next month, setting Jeremy up to make sales and keep thirty percent. Jeremy seems happy to be pulled further into Tim's circle.
Tim spends twenty minutes introducing Jeremy to people before Mathews shows up dragging a lanky ten year old with him.
When Tim makes eye contact with the new kid they both freeze for a moment, long enough for Jeremy to nudge Tim curiously which shakes him out of it.
He learns the kid's name is Dallas Winston, and that he's fresh out of jail and the streets of New York, where he worked with the mafia.
Mathews had found him getting jumped and did what he did best, dragged him back to Mrs. Curtis's to get patched up and he stuck around them like a stray cat after that.
Tim finds himself constantly glancing over at Winston, feeling whenever the Hoods eyes were on him. He hasn't felt that threatened since that first time at the Norteños house.
Nobody really picks fights with Tim anymore now that he knows how to fight, but Tim can feel the impending brawl with Winston all night, his mind constantly tracking his movements.
Winston looks like he has never eaten consistently in his life. His frame deceptively thin, but Tim can see in the way he moves that he has learned how to fight the same way Tim did. His eyes were hard with a specific type of anger at the world.
Tim is glad he brought Jeremy as he wouldn't have made any sales otherwise. Jeremy seems to understand something is distracting him and gladly takes point on all the sales.
As the sun rose Jeremy packs up to head home, tucking Tim's cut into the glove compartment, having sold most of the supply and eager to get home.
That's when it all comes to a head. When Winston realizes the bonfire is ending and Mathews is trying to get him to leave, he stomps his way over to Tim and gets in Tim's face- clearly trying to instigate a fight with the biggest threat around, Tim should've been flattered.
Tim gives him what he was asking for, the fight is loud and violent. Mathews is in the crowd loudly cheering, Jeremy had slipped out already but most of the other Hoods had been waiting for it to happen all night so they'd stuck around to see the show.
Mathews was taking bets as Winston and Tim both hit the ground, Tim is bigger and physically stronger then Winston so he easily pins him down. Pushing the kids face into the dirt until he gets a leg under him and shoves Tim off and throws himself back at Tim while he's getting to his feet.
The kid had clearly never had a broken rib before, judging by the way he'd flinched and backed down after Tim cracked one, his hand flying up to press against it gingerly. He'd probably never actually fought like this before, he moved like he was expecting for Tim to shank him which left his guards wide open.
He grins at Tim in a very fox-like way, waving his bloody knuckles as he's dragged off by Mathews.
Tim went home with a cracked rib, a black eye, a body painted with bruises, and a grin.
A few days later, Jeremy is waiting at their drop point with a smirk, telling all about how Winston had been seen limping to the Curtis house on the New Moon day and hadn't reappeared yet. Tim sends him off to work snickering at Tim's face.
Winston keeps turning up after that.
The first month he's wears just those same bloody, dirty, clothes.
He's spotted nosing around every drop point just hours after Tim and Jeremy have vacated, and every drop point where Tim or Jeremy meet any of the other lower dealers. Tim starts assigning tougher dealers as enforcers, getting a cut of Tim's profits to escort the dealers around and kerp them safe.
Oddly enough this seems to increase sales, Dealers more willing to risk dangerous clients and less clients shortchange them now that they have someone with them.
Tim puts Jeremy in charge of organizing these pairs or groups, not having the time to figure out who gets along and who doesn't.
One day Tim finds Mathews getting jumped by some rich West side kids who call themselves Socialites, he's getting his ass handed to him by five of them so Tim jumps in to help and drags Mathews halfway to the Curtis house before Winston turns up.
He leaves Mathews with Winston and ditches the two on the side of the road so he could get home.
Tim brings Jeremy with him to the next resupply with the Norteños. He holds himself confidently, impressively managing to not piss himself when Miguel flashes his gun at him, but seems far too happy when Tim tells him to wait outside.
Jeremy proves himself useful when a thud echoes through the building and he calls out "Got Winston here."
"Who is this? He yours?" Miguel asks, inspecting the New Yorker.
"New in town Yankee, trying to get in on my business." Tim answers, Yankee coming out in English. His only reminder he's speaking Spanish is Winston's confused face, Jeremy didn't react at all when Tim had first slipped into it while speaking to Miguel.
"Want me to pop him? Be done with it?" Miguel was clearly happy to have his first gun, with this being the second time he's threatened to kill someone for Tim today.
"Nah. He came from the mafia up there, he might end up helpful later on"
Tim turns to Jeremy and consciously speaks English. "We're almost done here, I'll signal you when we're ready to go and you can release him at your own discretion."
Jeremy grins, and Tim knows he'd be shotting him a thumbs up if his hands weren't occupied holding down the feral ten year old.
Tim is meeting with two new dealers Terry Parker and Colleta O'Reilly a few days later and sends Jeremy in his place to deliver to the Tiger's, figuring if Winston was going to show up it'd be better for him not to show up to that deal.
Except he doesn't show up.
If Tim was any less paranoid he wouldn't have gone traipsing through the quickly growing Shepard Gang territory looking for Jeremy and would've instead waited for the meetup time they'd set up.
But he's not any less paranoid, so he does go traipsing through the territory. He's glad he did when he hears a breathy whistle, like someone was blowing on their knuckles the way Tim taught the twins but weren't well practiced at it.
Tim finds Jeremy leaned against a wall between to building with a stab wound in his side and a faint grin on his face.
"Hey boss. Funny seeing ya here. Wasn't expecting you to look fer me. Thought I was pretty consistent about not being late."
"Hell happened to you? Came lookin when Winston didn't show up to poke me, thought he mighta come to you thinkin it was gonna be me." Tim helps him stand, pressing his shirt tight against the wound.
"That's exactly wut happened. Yer quite smart boss. He was pissed whoever told 'im it was you lied, took it out on me."
Tim manages to haul Jeremy back to the Shepard house without him losing too much more blood.
"Looks Hunters, ain't nobody is allowed to know where this is, so don't go tellin anyone or Winston is the last thing ya have to worry about." Tim tells him, getting a surprised nod in return as he opened the door.
He knew both twins were home for lunch and a nap afterwards, he could smell the enchiladas Angel was making and hear Curly's raucous laughter.
Jeremy almost misses his next step at the sound, but Tim pushes the taller kid onto the couch right as Curly comes flying into the room to greet Tim.
Angel pauses in the doorway and both twins are staring at Jeremy who looks just as suprised as them. Tim is already pulling out the first aid kit he'd started keeping in the front room when they all seem to come to their senses at once.
"Who's this?" Curly asks, not quite in Tim's soace but watching from over his shoulder.
"This is Jeremy, he works for me." Tim starts cleaning the cut, it's not nearly as bad as it looked with all the blood so he's no longer as worried as he was.
"You're a boss?" Angel speaks up this time, now close enough to watch as well
"Yes, I am." Tim pulls out the sowing kit, getting a nod from Jeremy when he shows it to him.
"How'd he get hurt?" Tim smacks away Curly's hand when he reaches out to poke the stab wound.
"He was doing his job and someone didn't like that."
"Why are you helping him?" "Are you like Mrs. Curtis?" Angel and Curly ask at the same time.
"No. Mrs. Curtis helps anyone who is hurt. I'm helping Jeremy because as his boss it's my job to protect him." Tim answers patiently, this is the first time he's brought anyone over so they were bound to be curious.
"You didn't do a very good job if he's hurt." Angel states matter-of-factly, making Tim's lips curve up in a grin.
"That's because it's also my job to protect my boss. I was protecting him while he was busy with his other underlings." Jeremy speaks up, his voice barely sounding pained as Tim finishes the stitches.
"You protected Emilio?" Curly has awe in his voice that has Tim ruffling his hair.
"Yep, and now he's protecting me. He can't protect all of us perfectly, but it goes a long way to help afterwards." Jeremy is grinning at Tim, his eyes warm.
Angel comes bursting back into the room announcing that Jeremy had to try her enchiladas, her horchata, and her pozole, and Jeremy just accepts whatever she hands him with that same grin.
The twins badger Jeremy with questions all through lunch before they both went to take their nap, Tim tells Jeremy to stay on the couch and nap because an afterlunch nap is mandatory in this household.
"How should I avenge you, Hunters?" Jeremy seems suprised by Tim's question the next day, when he was about to go back home to his ma.
"Ya don't havta do that man. I appreciate ya patchin me up."
"No, I have to show Winston he can't be fuckin with my shit. That includes you. If he'd stabbed any of my other dealers I wouldn't have thought to look fer them."
Jeremy laughs and waves him off. "I dun know man, break his nose or sumthin. He don't look like he's ever felt that before."
By the end of the month Winston still hadn't made a reappearance around Tim, probably because Tim was actually pissed off now.
So Tim went to the Curtis house and stood outside it leaning against his car. He knew it'd be taken as a threat, it was intended as a threat.
It's a threat Tim would never follow through on, he thinks Mrs. Curtis knows that judging by her kind smile when she'd come home and seen him, but Winston didn't know that, so Winston would come.
Winston was pissed when he showed up, not enjoying that Tim knew who to go after to actually get Winston's attention.
He'd gotten in Tim's face and opened his mouth to say soemthing but Tim just punched him as hard as he could in the nose, definitely breaking it and sending the ten year old sprawling.
Tim ignored the approaching rush of steps of the other Curtis kids as he kicked Winston in the side to roll him over and look at his face.
"Don't fuckin touch my shit Winston. I'll play with ya all day, but you fuckin touch anyone else of mine and that'll be game over."
Tim continues ignoring the other Curtis kids, sticking around long enough to get a good look at Winston's bleeding face and to wave a peace hand signal at Mrs. Curtis who stood on her porch staring at him.
Winston shows back up the next week, poking at Tim while he does deals, but he notably does not get close to whoever Tim is doing business with.
Then Winston started slashing his tires whenever he'd be looking for Tim and not find him or find him too busy he'd instead go for his car. It was annoying enough to get Winston the fight he wanted.
It only took a few weeks of this for Tim to realize Winston was trying to learn how to fight fair, too used to fighting to survive in New York while most people only fought faur here.
He showed up consistently enough that one day whem Tim is teaching a group of Dealers the whistle system him and Jeremy were working out, Mathews had shown up and stood leaning against Tim's car for an hour, only to grab Winston when he appeared and lead him off, apparently that's who he'd been waiting for and figured it'd be easier to find him around Tim.
Jeremy brings Tim to a party house run by a cowardly man named Buck, who wanted to set up a deal with the Shepard gang for supplies or space for Dealers to consistently sell at. Tim ignores Winston's startled face when the Hood steps down the stares looking half awake.
Winston had come over and sat right next to Tim and listened to the negotiations without a word, Buck looking at him with a raised eyebrow for a second before ignoring him as well.
Javier invites Tim and the twins back for independence day again, they bring chiles en nogada this year to a resounding cheer.
Curly goes nuts and shreds a piñata at the party, didn't even want the candy or goodies inside, was just excited to be allowed to smash something.
Angel had grabbed some of Curly's favorite treats to give to him afterwards, making Curly even more excited, dragging her off to play some ball game or another.
Tim gets caught up on news, Javier warning him about their territory dispute with the Sureños so Tim knows to keep away from contested areas.
Curly and Angel get included in the reenactment of some great battle or another, it's hard to tell because Curly has overwhelmed both sides with the sheer force of his battle prowess. Tim can tell José was regretting choosing the team against Curly but all of the adults at the party seem wildly entertained. Javier is cackling as he watches his son get waled on with a balloon sword for calling Angel a little girl.
Tim has to carry Curly home he's so tired, he tries to pay attention to Angel's spanish as she describes the argument that led to Curly waling on José but Tim's attention is pulled by Winston.
Winston is standing on the corner, well within Shepard Gang territory, watching with wide, suprised eyes as Tim walks his kid siblings home.
Tim brushes it off. Winston knows better then to go after Tim at this point and its fairly common knowledge that Tim had two young kid siblings to look after.
Winston does reappear days later when Tim is paying Jeremy for an out of town trip to visit a few suppliers the Norteños had directed him to check out. He doesn't mention the independence night, and acts exactly as he did before. Which is an odd relief to Tim.
They set up another Ofrenda for this day of the dead, Tim preemptively learning how to make sugar skulls a week prior so he can teach the twins on the day of.
The twins are very excited to visit the graves, laying a trail of petals from the graves to the house that mostly gets lost in the wind and earns them a few odd looks as the graveyard was down the block from their house.
This time the twins sit with him all night, silently listening as Tim tells their family stories of everything the twins got up to that year, of what they learned and accomplished.
The rest of the year flies by, Jeremy successfully returning with two solid suppliers who make or grow their own stuff, keeping a solid income all year, the Shepard Gang was still growing every week.
The twins had an excellent Posadas with the Norteños again, Tim receiving another warning about the territory dispute.
Navidad greeted them with a stack of stolen, good quality, school books on their porch with no sign of where they came from.
Tim was fairly certain it was Dallas, as Jeremy showed up later to drop off sweaters his ma had made for them and hadn't said a word about it.
Jeremy was invited to stay for the turkey, volteado de piña, and ponche navideño that Tim and Angel had made. Curly got to cut the turkey because he didn't try to stab Jeremy or Tim the moment he picked it up the second time. (Tim prefers not to mention the first time Curly picked up the carving knife. Angel's cackles will probably echo in Jeremy's nightmares for awhile.)
Jeremy goes home, leaving Tim and the twins to build a blanket fort to sleep in. Taking over the entirety of the front room so Curly had the space to pretend to be a dragon and Angel could pretend to be the princess trying to slay the dragon and save the helpless knight who was Tim.