Kid Walter
This is just an AU that popped into my head recently. "What if Cabe had adopted Walter?" So here you go. Kid Walter chapter 1.
Cabe Gallo was always a man of action. He was never the type to settle down and take a break from his job and start a family. He had already tried that. And failed, horribly. But when the government asked him to go to Ireland to find "Scorpion" who had hacked into NASA, he was surprised to find an eleven-year-old boy walking out in handcuffs, curly dark brown hair and a sweater with a rocket. They were in the helicopter and the boy was sitting next to him. He couldn't tell if the kid was scared or not, his face showed no emotions.
"You never told me your name, son." He said gently
"Walter."
"Well, Walter, you've got some mind if you can hack into NASA like that."
"You're not going to punish me, are you?" Walter asked
"Of course not, kid. I wouldn't dream of hurting a kid like you."
"Will they try to?" Walter pointed to the other agents who were avoiding him.
"If they do I'm gonna shoot them myself."
"Agent Gallo, a word with you?" his boss walked over to them
"If you have anything to say, say it. I'm not leaving this kid's side."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You're protecting that kid like he's your own!"
"He was just taken away from his family! Of course I'm going to protect him!"
"Taken away?! That kid hacked into NASA! That's government property!"
"That kid is special in more ways than one! He needs someone to teach him how to do things properly! He didn't know it was government property, he's eleven!"
"Properly won't cut it. He's going straight to Social Services we're done."
"If he's going to Social Services then I'm taking him with me."
"Agent Gallo if you take that kid with you I will put you on suspension."
"Go ahead, then."
"Agent Gallo!" Cabe walked away before his boss could say any more.
Walter had been watching them argue the whole time. He couldn't tell if Cabe's boss was angry with him, or him and Cabe. The boy knew he wasn't liked among the American agents because he had hacked into NASA, he really was sorry. He didn't know how many times he had to apologize to them.
"Sorry about that, Walter." He didn't realize Cabe had been standing in front of him. Walter looked up at him, still emotionless. "Don't you feel anything?" Cabe frowned as Walter shook his head.
"I don't know emotions." Cabe frowned when the kid said that
"Well, why don't I teach you?"
"I don't think I can."
"Walter, from what I've seen from you today you are capable of anything. Even learning about your emotions."
"I want my sister." Walter whimpered
"She's a few hundred miles away, kiddo. We can't go back."
"Go back! I want Megan!" Walter yelled, making Cabe jump.
"What the hell is going on here Agent Gallo?" Cabe's boss said, walking over to them.
"Kid wants his sister. If we could just-"
"There's no going back, Agent Gallo. We have Scorpion. We're leaving." The director interrupted
"Megan!" Walter cried
"And that's emotion, kiddo." Cabe muttered
"Calm him down. Now." The director growled. He turned and left.
"Megan!"
"Listen to me, Walter. I'll send someone out to get your sister tomorrow if you calm down now." Walter looked up at him, tears in his eyes, he nodded and kept quiet. Five minutes passed before Walter finally spoke,
"Aren't you in trouble?"
"No, no. Well, yes, but I have friends who would be willing to help me out."
"Won't they get in trouble, too?"
"Only if they say something about it. Hey, Charlie!" a man with blond hair looked over at him. "Come here for a minute, will you?"
"Cabe, if you're doing something that's going to get you into deeper trouble, don't do it." Charlie said
"I need a favor. A small one. I'll pay you back."
"Fine. What's the trouble?"
"You're the only pilot I know. Could you possibly fly back out to Ireland, tomorrow, and find the kid's sister?"
"I'll see what I can do." Charlie left them alone and Walter watched, confused and surprised.
"That's what friends do for each other, Walter."
"But won't he get in trouble for not telling anyone about it?"
"He'll get in trouble if he opens his mouth and tells the director. He also knows that he's dead meat even keeping it a secret."
"Oh."
The helicopter landed in L.A. a few hours later. The director took Cabe and Walter to a guarded office.
"Agent Gallo, please wait outside."
"No."
"I'm sorry. Agent Gallo, please wait outside. That's an order." Cabe growled and sat in one of the chairs outside of the room.
"Please, sit, Mr. O'Brien." Sean Riley said, gesturing to the chair across the table.
Walter followed orders and sat in the seat before Director Riley, who sat down after him.
"Would you care to tell me how an eleven-year-old Irish boy hacked into a government protected American space station's website?" Walter shook his head and Sean sighed. "Do you know anything about American laws?"
"Not really."
"Well, Mr. O'Brien, when someone hacks into government property, they are usually thrown in jail. And since your too young for jail, you will be spending some time here in the US while we get this mess you made cleared up."
"I could help. I mean I-"
"We are the ones who created NASA, Mr. O'Brien. We will solve our own problems. Without your help."
"Will I be able to see my sister?"
"Miss O'Brien is thousands of miles away. Whatever you want to tell her can wait until we release you from the country."
"But I-"
"Enough small talk Mr. O'Brien. You realize what you've done wrong, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then I suppose you'll have no trouble learning that your mistakes have consequences." Director Riley stood up "That will be all, Mr. O'Brien." He opened the door "Good luck."
Cabe got up as soon as Walter walked out "What happened? What did he say to you?"
"He said I was going to stay here." Walter whimpered, holding onto Cabe. "Without Megan!"
"Don't worry about it. My buddy left a few minutes ago."
Is it cringe? Kinda? I guess? Well at least it's not a Criminal Case fanfic. I'll be all over the cringe in a heartbeat. I wrote this because I love the father/son relationship between Cabe and Walter in the actual series. And sometimes it's like Cabe needs to chill tf out and other times Walter needs to chill tf out. Try to guess who's coming in chapter 2! (I still can't figure out why the word count jumped from 1134 to 1210)
S.A.L