Sorry for the delay. I will try to post what I have already written by Thanksgiving and get some more done over the holiday…

Chapter 20: Perspectives part 2

Walter Skinner was dead tired. Totally exhausted. *I'm too old for this.* The case he was working had been a nightmare from the beginning and tonight it ended badly. First case of the new year and everything had gone to Hell. One agent was in the hospital with severe burns from an explosion caused by the suspect. Skinner supposed he should have headed straight to his condo and sacked out for several hours, but he was yearning for comfort as well as sleep. Ironic, as once Sharon had practically begged to comfort him during a hard personal case and he had stubbornly refused. Now, he was heading to Maggie's house, in the wee hours of the morning, to throw himself at her feet and beg her to hold him and love him until the pain was gone. Pulling in to her driveway, Walter reconsidered his plan. She wasn't expecting him; their mutual understanding was that if he had to work past 9:00, he would spend the night at his condo, instead of driving the extra hour from his office to Baltimore. It was now 2:30am, but it was also Friday and he had no pressing reason to go into the office during the weekend. He did have a key. Would it be presumptuous of him to let himself in?
Deciding he was too tired to drive back to the city, Walter used his key to open Maggie's front door. The house was dark and quiet, as Walter would expect it to be this late at night/early in the morning. There was no sign of Tara, Charles or any of the children. All of the bedroom doors were tightly shut. Quietly opening the hallway door that led into the master bath, he shucked his clothing down to his underwear and let himself in to Maggie's bedroom through the connecting door.
He made it to her bedside before she stirred. "Walter?" Her sleepy voice came to him from the dark. "Yeah, it's me Maggie. I'm sorry I woke you." He climbed into bed next to her.
"Is your case over? What happened?"
Walter's breath caught in his throat as he tried to answer. "Yeah, it's over. It ended badly Maggie. Agent Elkins is in the hospital. She's just a kid. God, I'm sorry for just showing up like this, so late, but after today, I wanted to see you so badly."
Maggie reached out her arms to him. "Come here Walter. Let me hold you." Walter laid down with his head on her chest, letting her arms soothe the horrors of the day. Maggie spoke reassuringly in his ear. "Shhh, honey. You can relax, you're home now. Everything's going to be ok."
Walter felt the tension seep out of his body as Maggie's hands moved over the sore muscles of his back and shoulders. Before long, he drifted off to sleep in Maggie's arms.
Walter woke up the next morning feeling rested and content. His running to Maggie the previous night may have seemed cowardly, but it had done the trick; he felt like a new man. He rolled over toward her and kissed her gently on the lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily. "Good morning." Skinner said quietly, "Thank you for last night."
Maggie stretched under the blankets. "I didn't really do anything. You just needed a little extra TLC." She leaned over and kissed him solidly, "I will always be willing to provide that for you. Besides, I've missed you the last couple of days. You've been working so hard."
Skinner rolled so the Maggie lay beneath him. "I'm sorry that sometimes I have to be gone so much." He groaned as she lay delicate kisses over his pectorals. "I wish I could just retire and stay here making love to you all day."
"Well," Maggie grasped ahold of him and made him gasp. "We'll just have to make the best of the time we do have together."
She pushed him off of her and onto his back against the bed. "I think you need a little more TLC, Assistant Director."
"Yes, ma'am." Skinner tried to breath slowly and evenly as Maggie tortured him with her mouth. He didn't think he would ever get used to the feel of her hands on him, or how hot her mouth was, the tickle of her little pink tongue against his skin.
Maggie didn't even pause when a small knock sounded at the door. "Are you awake Grandma?"
Skinner took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "Grandma will be out in just a little while Charlotte. AH." Charlie, who had apparently been right behind Charlotte in the hall, heard Skinner's exclamation. "Dear Lord. Charlotte, come downstairs before you're scarred for life. Before I'm scarred for life."

The couple came downstairs to find Charlotte sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal and Charlie refilling his coffee cup. "Good morning kids." Charlie's shock had apparently given way to amusement. Walter blushed, but Maggie simply smiled at her son as she moved to pour herself some coffee.
"So," Charlie said, trying to change to subject from his mother's sex life. "I talked to the social worker and since the DNA has come back proving I am Charlotte's father and the adoption is in process, I am allowed to take her out of state. Kate's parents, up in New Jersey, have been asking to meet Charlotte. I thought she and I would take a little road trip before I have to go back to work."
"Did you get a new position?" Skinner asked. Charlie used to travel very extensively for his job and needed something closer to home now that he was a single father.
"Yeah," Charlie said happily, "They gave me a promotion actually. Editor and project lead. I will be able to travel exactly as much, or as little, as I want."
"Oh, Charlie. That's wonderful." Maggie gave her son a side hug as she moved to join her family at the table. "When are you leaving for New Jersey?"
"The first part of next week, I think. After Tara and the kids go home. We'll be gone for a week I guess. More if we're really having fun, huh, little one?"
"Yes Daddy." Charlotte giggled at her father's excitement. Though she still missed her mother, Charlotte had been thriving since she moved in with her father and grandmother. Even so, Charlie was doing everything he could to help her feel grounded. They were doing both individual and family therapy and trying to introduce new people slowly.
Charlie looked intently at his mother and Skinner. "Um, when I spoke with the social worker, I mentioned wanting to get Charlotte and I our own place. She strongly suggested that I keep this as my primary residence until the adoption is final. I know you guys are making plans, looking forward to getting married. I just wanted to say thanks for being so understanding with our situation."
"Charlie," Walter spoke before Maggie had a chance to, knowing that Charlie's comment had been directed more to himself than his mother. "It's true that we're looking forward to getting married. But, more than that, I am looking forward to being a part of your family. If that means we live here for another period of time to make it easier for you to adopt Charlotte, even though it's a very long commute for me..." He glanced at Maggie, "Have I mentioned how long the commute is to my office?" "A time or two, dear." Maggie murmured with amusement.
"Charlie, it'll be worth it." Skinner stared at him intently. "So, don't worry, ok? You just take care of yourself and my granddaughter."
Charlie stood quickly to shake off the emotion of the moment. He held his hand out to Charlotte. "Common kiddo. Let's get you dressed. We have an appointment with the family counselor today."
Skinner glanced up from the table and found Maggie staring at him, dewy eyed. "What?" He asked. Silently, she came to where he was sitting and settled herself in his lap. "I love you, you know that?"