Fanon:Altos in Bridgeport/Chapter One

The limo cruises down the hill-edged lane heading into Bridgeport. Inside the black status symbol is a small family of three: Nicholas, Victoria, and Holly Alto. Despite their high-class vehicle, they are confused, sleepless, and disgruntled, because, though they'd never admit it to the people they are going to meet, they have just fled their home in terror for life as they knew it.

"Nick," Victoria said, "Please tell me that our new house is already brought and servants already arranged and everything."

This was so unlike Vita's usual cool, poised self that it startled Nick. "Yes, it is. Marco arranged everything."

"Good." Vita pours herself a glass of juice from the minibar and sips it. "So. Who exactly are these people, and why should we trust them in our current...predicament?"

Nick sighs. "I've told you, Vita. They're my family--my brother, sister-in-law, their children, and my father. We can trust them. They...They do roughly the same kind of work we did in Sunset Valley."

"That's why I don't trust them," Holly, the daughter of the family, puts in. "I thought we were trying to turn over a new leaf here, for one thing. For another, they could easily turn us in, or blackmail us."

There's a bit of a silence before Nick says, "As only one of those points was valid, I'm going to ignore the other. But they can't turn us in/blackmail us because I've got quite a bit of dirt on them too." He grins. "They're not the only ones who know about someone else's businesses."

Holly sighs and puts her head in her hands. She'd thought that just maybe her parents could be a little less criminally inclined in this new city, but they apparently have no such intentions, and the talk about blackmailing family reminds her painfully of how out of place she is in this unscrupulous family. Her kindergarten teacher when she first started going to school was a kind but firm woman who had become a role model for the young girl and taught her better than to follow the family example. Still friends years later, both women were sorrowful at their seperation. All Holly can do now is hope that the good is deeply enough instilled in her. She wants a life for herself: a loving husband, a few children, a nice suburban home and maybe a job at her own daycare. She can't have that if what happened to her parents happens to her.

The Alto couple's limo was driving by their warehouse base, they with every intention of going in to work when they noticed the flashing red and blue lights and saw several policemen herding their underlings out in handcuffs.

"Simmit, Nick!" Vita burst out. "Those sim Landgraabs must've informed on us. What do we do?"

Nick knew that his crime supported his public life entirely. Without it, he'd be left destitute and scorned. And his wife and daughter would be too. "We have to get out of town," he snarled. "We'll go to Bridgeport...I'll call my family there. They'll arrange for us to stay."

"For how long?" Vita asked, while the limo started again. The driver knew that his employers wanted to get out of there.

"We can never go back, Vita, if that's what you're asking. I know we've got business here, but we can start up again in Bridgeport."

The pair went home, collected Holly and a few possessions, and left town.

They've been driving for four days since. Sleeping in the limo, eating in the limo, arguing in the limo, worrying in the limo. Secretly Nick isn't so sure about whether his family will really welcome him back with open arms, or if they simply feel obligated because he's their son/brother/brother-in-law/uncle. Besides, Vita and Holly are strangers to them. Holly, well...Holly isn't even legitimate. Vita's stepdaughter, Nick's ex-fiancee's love child. In a family with an almost Victorian code of family honor, that's shame--Plus Holly's tendencies towards the lighter side of life, they may toss her back into the street like a stray dog.

By this time the limo's pulled into town fully, drawing attention from those hoping for their favorite celebrities but unable to see past the heavy tint of the windows. They cross the bridge and at last pull into the island of Bridgport; full of expensive homes and high-class people. Vita's glad more than ever that she's found time earlier in the day to fix her hair and change her clothes. The limo stops in front of a brownish-red edifice, in front of which stands seven people--one more than was expected.