So I have had this in my head for minths and conpletely blanked on the fact that I was gonna be traveling on Father's Day. So here I am typing on my phone in between my driving shifts.
I've noticed lately my oneshot that aren't smut just aren't getting as many reviews. I'm glad you guys like my smut, but I really hope people are enjoying my other oneshots as well.
Walter could tell by the expression Ralph's face that the person on the other end of the phone call was Drew.
It made sense. It was Father's Day after all. And while Ralph had made it quite clear - for a good while now - that Walter was his dad, biologically Drew was his father, and since it was Father's Day, he made sure that he gave a courtesy call to the man who he used to miss so very much.
"It's Drew," Paige said, coming into view and confirming what Walter had suspected. "He doesn't have to be at the field until ten and Ralph figured it was best to call him now, before we go in."
"Get it over with," Walter said, nodding. "Good idea." He paused, then grunted. "He doesn't deserve that phone call."
"It really should be called Dad's Day," Paige said. "But, you know, Ralph takes that difference very seriously. You're his Dad. Some people can be fathers and dads, you know." She smiled fondly at him.
Walter kissed her on the temple.
"Yeah. Okay," Ralph was saying. "Have a good day, Drew." He made a face. "...you too. Bye." Hanging up, the boy shook his head and shoved his phone in his pocket, walking over to Walter and Paige and throwing his arms around each of them.
"It was nice of you to make sure you called him," Paige said, as she had last year. But it was different this year. This year, he certainly didn't have to call. "Will you be ready to go in a few minutes?" Paige asked him. "Cabe wants to get the grill going within the hour so we can eat at noon."
"I'm ready now." Ralph said.
"Well, we're ready too," she said. "Let's get going. We don't want to be the last ones there."
"No way Happy and Toby beat us," Ralph said. "They never get Trish ready on time."
"It's me!" The little girl ran into the garage, waving happily at everyone she could see. "It's me!"
"Are we sure this is Trishie?" Cane asked, hunkering down as the toddler ran to him. "Is this Trishie?"
"Cabe," Happy said warningly, "What did I tell you about calling her Trishie?"
"That it's cutesy and not the nickname you had in mind when you named her after your father?"
"Precisecly," Happy said. "Although the exact phrase I used was don't."
"I'm one of her granddaddies," Cabe said. "I can call her whatever I want."
"I'm her father and even I can't call her Trishie," Toby said, slinging his arm around his wife's waist. "You don't have a snowball's chance in a microwave of winning this one."
"He gives enough of those names to my sister's children," Allie said. "And they're older than Patricia is."
"Nellie is a cute nickname for Penelope."
"Her name is Penny."
"Everyone is so unreasonable," Cabe said jokingly. He patted the top of the little girl's head, unable to ruffle her hair as it was done back in a tight braid. "Do you want to come upstairs with me and Allie? Sylvester is up there and we are about to start making the burgers."
"Hot dogs?" Trish turned back toward her parents. "I want hot dogs! Hot dogs!"
"We have hot dogs too, sweetie," Allie said. "Come up with us, there are hot dogs on the roof."
Apparently satisfied by the promise, Trish took Allie's hand and skipped along with her as she and Cabe headed for the stairs.
"Well, would you look at that," Paige said as the car pulled into the parking lot of the garage. "The Quinn - Curtis clan beat us."
"That's okay," Ralph said. "We were going to tell all of them together anyway, right?"
"Let's wait until after we eat," Paige said. "It's Father's Day for Cane and Toby too. We don't want to take over."
"I know," Ralph said. He smiled. "I'm just so excited. And I've kept it a secret for three days!"
"Just another hour or so, okay?" Paige suggested. "Or if you want, you could go up to the roof, I'm sure Sylvester is up there, and you can tell him. It's probably better if we tell them individually. "Saving it for today is enough. We don't have to make a big announcement."
Having been given permission to tell somebody, Ralph grinned and threw open the door, jumping out of the car and running for the door.
"Everyone on the roof will know before we even get inside," Paige joked as she exited the vehicle.
Walter closed his door, then walked around to stand in front of her. They smiled at each other, and she stepped into his arms. Walter closed his eyes as their lips met.
Taking his hand, Paige walked to the door. As they stepped inside, Walter spotted Happy at her work station and Toby sitting on the floor next to her. "Hey, Waige," he said, looking over at them. "I just saw this flash go by and it resembled Ralph."
Paige walked over to them, extending her arms as Toby stood up. "Happy Father's Day, Toby. And Dad's Day"
"Thanks, Lady," Toby said, hugging her back. He glanced at Happy as he took a step back. "Get you a guy who can do both, am I right?"
Happy rolled her eyes, looking amused.
"Happy Father's Day," Walter said, smiling at Toby and not minding when it seemed the situation called for a brief hug.
"Thanks, Walt," Toby said.
"And, uh..." Walter glanced at Paige, who gave him a smile that told him she knew what he was doing and approved. He looked back at Toby. "You feel free to wish me the same."
"Happy Dad's..." Toby trailed off. "Fath...Father's Day?"
Walter smiled. "That's right."
"Hey!" He said with a grin, giving Walter a clap on the back. "The papers got signed? Ralph's yours?"
"As of Friday morning," Walter said.
Toby jumped in the air and threw his arms around his friend. "Oh my gosh, man," he said. "Congratulations."
The way Walter told Happy and Toby he had officially adopted Ralph is the exact way my dad told his brother (who's wife had had their first child a month before Father's Day 1992) that he and my mom were expecting their first (me). And I always liked that story so I thought it'd be fun to incorporate it into a fic.
