Cork Ireland
Walter had spent the last day and a half in the corporate style room common to all Travel Lodges across the Country . Most of the time his thoughts were why Paige hated him so much to put him through the pain of seeing her in the arms of Tim . She may not have loved him but he thought she could have at least been able to stay friends with him . But has happened at school no one could put up with his ways for long . He however thought she was different , but no it had obviously only been an act , that she dropped as soon as a normal appeared on the scene . In future he will know not to trust anyone else with his feelings , he could not go though all this pain again .
After his second nights stay he was up early ,his bags repacked and a hire car arranged he paid his bill .Once he had collected his car , he started his journey to Callan and his parents farm for a meeting he was not to sure of .
Paige's Condo
She was so stunned at the sight of the bed not slept in , and the folded piece of white paper , she could not move and seemed incapable of even breathing . She went down onto her knees and eventually managed to scream ,"RALPH" before bursting into tears . It was fifteen minutes before she felt she could read the note , she stretched her hand out to reach the folded piece of paper on the pillow . She slowly unfolded it and began to read .
Mom
Walter told me not to hate you , so i will not . Walter told me not to blame you, so i will not ., but only with a large amount of reserve on that . But when it comes to Daniel , i can hate you and i can blame you , if Walter had been there he would have rescued Daniel , but the tin man and lion you had following Daniel , in a crisis they are as much use as a chocolate coffee maker . So the last person i want to talk to or be around is you . Walter the person who knows me best as left . Daniel the only friend i have managed to really make at school is dead. . I need to get away so i have phoned dad (Drew) and i am going to stay with him . By the time you read this i will most likely be over east California . Also i have blocked yours's and all the team's numbers on my phone , so you will not be able to contact me . If you phone Drew he may pass on information , but i will not talk to you . Maybe in a little while i may want to speak to you again as i said last night Scorpion can be no more , it has lost it's head and sting . Good Bye Ralph .
At first she could not believe what she had just read , so she had to read it again , even then it appeared she was actually in a dream . She eventually got up of her knees and with unsteady legs made her way to the sofa , collapsing onto it she closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling down her face . Ten minutes later still not understanding what had gone on in the last thirty minutes , she picked up her phone and called Cabe . He answered after a couple of rings .
" Hi kid are you alright ?"
" No Cabe , can you please come over to my condo now and as quickly as possible ."
Before he answered her , she heard him turn on the sirens in his car .
" I'm on my way , stay strong ."
"Thank you Cabe ." Paige answered trying but not really succeeding to stop the catch in her voice .
Cabe arrived ten minutes later , he knocked on Paige's door , which flew open and Paige ran into his arms , hugging him tight and crying . Cabe managed to move himself and Paige back into the condo , kicking the front door shut while still holding on to Paige . With an effort he managed to get Paige over to the sofa , he gently pushed her back onto the sofa . He removed his overcoat and put it over a chair and sat down at the side of Paige .
"Ok sweetheart do you want to tell me what has happened ?"
Paige opened her hand and passed the now crumpled note to Cabe
Cabe took it from her and unfolded and straightened the paper out so he could read it . He too had to read it twice to totally understand it .
"What does he think he his doing ?" Shouted an angry Cabe . Paige just gave a slight shrug of her shoulders , to upset to speak .
"I think we need Sly's computer skills to see if we can track were he as gone . " Cabe took out his phone and called Happy to ask her to collect Sly and bring him over to Paige's condo . While waiting for Sly to arrive Cabe slowly began to get more details out of Paige . She told him of the voice message on Walter's phone and the way Ralph had spoken to her the night before . Cabe's temper was rising by the minute .
"I thought Ralph had better manners than that ." Cabe said in a raised voice . Paige just looked at him for a minute before she felt capable of opening her mouth to speak .
" He was so upset at Daniel's death , then to hear Walter's voice on the phone it was just to much for him . However i never expected he would react this badly as to want to go and stay with Drew . If he intended to do anything i had thought he may pull a stunt and some how go over to Ireland to find Walter ."
Sly , Happy and Toby arrived fifteen minutes later . Cabe filled them in with the basic facts about Ralph , then turning to Sly asked .
" Can you check when Ralph checked in and what flight he will be on ." Sly removed his computer from his bag and once powered up he began to hack into LAX records . After a few minutes he found the information he needed .
"He has booked on an American Airways flight , traveling as an unaccompanied child , but he has claimed he was over 15 so does not need a chaperone . The flight was due to take off at 6.00am but technical difficulties meant it was delayed until 7.00am. It should arrive at JFK airport New York about 11.00am L. A . time 2.00pm local time. There is a connecting flight to Portland , Maine , due to take off 30 minutes later ."
Paige looked totally defeated , she turned to Cabe and in a very soft voice asked . " How did he manage to find the money to book the tickets and he has also lied about his age . "
Cabe looked rather sheepish and after giving a small cough started to explain to Paige . " Well i maybe able to answer that question of the money . Shortly after you met Walter ,Walter being Walter was determined neither you or Ralph would ever be desperate for money again . he opened an account in Ralph's name , the idea was to put money into it for Ralph's future college education . He started to put $500 a month into the account and any bonus he was paid he would put in 10% of it into Ralph's account , so by my reckoning there is probably close to $20,000 in the account . He would not tell you about it because he thought you would be mad at him for interfering in your affairs , but i know he gave Ralph a cash card to the account to be used in an emergency only ."
"Oh Cabe why would i have been mad , that is a lot more than his real father as ever done for Ralph . It seems i am learning more and more about Walter each day that only makes me want to have him and love him more ." Said a weeping Paige .
"I think i will ring Katherine maybe she can get an agent from New York to meet the plane and get Ralph sent back ." Suggested Cabe .
" No , do not do that it will not do any good at all . Once you get him back home , he would do the same again or something worse , but cover his tracks better . Maybe Katherine could ask an agent at the airport to make sure he makes his connection ok ." Replied an almost catatonic Paige .
"Ok , let me phone Katherine ." Cabe managed to contact Katherine and advised her of the situation , she agreed to contact the New York office to see what she could do . Paige had just remained seated on the sofa , Happy had gone to the kitchen to make coffee . Once Cabe had finished his call to Katherine he came over and sat on the sofa by Paige .
"Sweetheart , Katherine is checking with New York office and she will let us know as soon as she can ." Paige whispered a thank you to Cabe . Five minutes later Cabe's phone rang .
" Gallo ,oh hello Katherine , yes, ok, great, thank you contact you later , bye ." Turning to Paige with for the first time today a smile on his face .
" Katherine has contacted the New York office and arranged for an agent to board the plane once it lands and to escort Ralph all the way to Drew's , so that he will be safe ."
" Thank you Cabe i feel a little happier now, i should phone Ralph's school and tell them he will not be going back to school for an undetermined time ." Said Paige still with tears in her eyes .
" Leave that chore to me , you just stay here for a time ." Paige mouthed a thank you to Cabe . Happy came back from the kitchen with coffee for everyone . After a hour Sly ,Happy and Toby decided to go back to the garage . Happy wanted to finish her wrench modification and Sly was still working on his maths game . Cabe stopped at Paige's . At 5.00pm. Paige's phone pinged to say she had received a text . She checked the message .
Safe at Drew's thank Cabe for escort Ralph
As she read the message she began crying again , the message she thought so cold and clinical , in the past Ralph always finished his texts to her with/ love Ralph . How could so much go wrong in such a short time .Because of her pride she thought . Cabe spent the night on the sofa as he did not feel that Paige should be left alone that night .
Callen _The O'Brians Farm
Two hours after leaving Cork , Walter passed through the gates on the driveway , that led to his parent's farm . Pulling up outside the farmhouse , he felt the tension return that he suffered while he lived there before . He slowly got out of the car and with trepidation and worry made his way up the steps and knocked the door . After a minute he saw movement through the door , which slowly began to open to show his mother standing there .
"Walter , my boy you are home ." Shrieked Louise as she hugged Walter tight . Walter returned the hug and sobbed incessantly on his mothers shoulder . Louise held him tight for five minutes before she could get him to move into the house .
" Walter please sit on the couch and try and calm down." Spoke Louise in a low Irish brogue , a voice she used when Walter was really young , even though it rarely ever worked on the young Walter . By now Walter had stopped crying and was wiping the tears away from his face using both his hands .
" Thank you mammy i needed that i have been holding on to that for over three days . Paige hates me and now i can never return to the States ."
" Paige that attractive young lady who's hand you were squeezing when you told the story of Megan saving you from the cane , on the night of her death . Wait, you cannot return to America , what ever have you done committed murder ?" Asked a very confused Louise .
" His father here ? I don't really want to tell my story over and over . Replied Walter .
"Well he his working in the barn but he should be back in about another hour . Can i get you something to eat or drink ."
" Coffee would be great , thank you ." Louise served coffee and some home made Irish biscuits .
An hour later Sean came in from the barn and stopped in his tracks as he saw Walter sitting on the sofa . " Walter what a surprise , how are you ?"
" Not so good , i nave had to leave America and cannot go back again . Replied Walter . Sean looked at him with a look on his face of a very confused man . At that moment Louise returned from the kitchen .
" Leave him alone , he has a lot to tell us , but wanted to wait for you to be here so he did not have to repeat himself . Would you like some coffee ? Walter would you like a refill ?" Walter and Sean both answered yes . Once they had their coffee ,both Sean and Louise sat on chairs facing Walter .
" So do you want to tell us what is going on ." Asked Sean in a deep , gruff , Irish brogue .
"Let me tell you , but please do not ask any questions until i have finished my story , i promise i will answer any questions , you will have , and i am sure there will a few ,once i finish . Both Louise and Sean nodded in agreement .
" Well first Paige , without really understanding i have been in love with her since the first day i met her and Ralph her son . But my EQ would not accept it as love . We became close friends and apart from one kiss nothing happened between us . The feelings i have when i am around her are unlike anything i have known before . I loved Megan but the feelings towards her were totally different to what i have when i was around Paige , but i could not put into words how i felt . I think i was afraid Paige would laugh at me for having such feelings for her . The problem started when Tim came on the scene and joined Scorpion , my team , but he was allocated to us by Homeland without any discussion with me . It was apparent he was attracted to Paige on his first meeting , although i found out later that it was a $250,000 bribe he was actually attracted to . Paige also seemed attracted to him . Eventually they began dating , i was seeing a girl called Linda , but her attraction to me was a damsel distress syndrome , Toby's words , because i had saved her from a bomb which had been strapped to her body . She finally dumped me . While we were still together i had bought tickets for a festival at Tahoe , Happy pushed me to ask Paige , but i chickened out and gave them to her and Tim . Once they had gone i realized what i had done , i chased after them , but the first thing i saw when i got there was them kissing apparently enjoying it . Once we got back , Paige made sure to flirt , kiss and have private conversations with Tim but always in my eyeline , which i took to mean she hated me . " Walter stopped talking to take a drink of coffee ,
" That is some story Walter ." Said Louise /
" Yes, but i have not finished it yet i staged my own death , with the help of Cabe , Katherine and Richard . This was so i could uncover some treachery going on to break up Scorpion . Once it was sorted i went back to see them all . I confronted Paige about her hating me , but did not give her a chance to reply . I also told Happy to send me divorce papers to me here . "
"Divorce papers , when were you married ?" Shouted Sean as he got up from his chair and walked towards Walter .
" Calm down father it was just over six years ago it was a marriage of convenience so i could stay in America , we have never been together . However she is in love with Toby and so they can get married i have agreed to the divorce , but because i have not been married for eight years ,my permit to stay is now void and i am classed as an illegal ."
"Well that is a very perculiar arrangment , is there no way you can go back ?" Asked Sean
"Well no, at least none i can think off , basically i am a felon for using a false marriage to stay in the States . I know you have many questions which i will be pleased to answer them , but i have had a really bad few weeks and i need to rest . " Walter looked at both Sean and Louise with the look of a little boy lost .
" Ok your old room is still much as it was when you left , let me change the sheets and you can go and rest ." A smiling Louise answered .
Paige's Condo -Next Morning
Paige was up , after a restless night , showered ,and dressed by 6.00am. She made her way to the kitchen and was shocked to see Cabe asleep on the sofa , she had forgotten he had offered to stay the night . She put a pot of coffee on ,then walked to the living room and woke Cabe by shaking his shoulder , He opened his eyes and seemed a little surprised to see Paige staring down at him .
"Morning Cabe , coffee and breakfast ?" Paige asked .
" That would be good , could i go and freshen up first ?"
"Sure the bathroom is just down the hall second left door ."
Paige began breakfast , by the time Cabe back she had prepared scrambled eggs and toast . As Cabe tucked into his breakfast , Paige sat there watching him and suddenly spoke .
" We have to get Walter back , America needs him , Scorpion needs him , Ralph needs him and above all i need to tell him just how much i love him . I AM GOING TO GET HIM AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP ."