CAN I GET A WITNESS?
CHAPTER TWO: FARM OUT
AN: Hey, all! Thanks for the encouragement and reviews. I wanted to give a quick disclaimer. This isn't going to be an exciting, action-packed case story. The case will be more background than anything. Nor will there be any random explosions. (Sorry, Pamz;-) And they've already resolved things with the team, so it's not technically another 'fix-it' story either. I think I'm finally ready to move past the horrible finale and explore 'how does Waige move forward and heal from here?' instead. Stage 5 of the grieving process? Maybe. I sincerely hope no one's disappointed. If you're still with me, read on...
OXOXOXOXOXO
"How the hell should I know?" Cabe gave his 'son' a disgusted look. "I grew up in the city. Cows are a complete mystery to me. You're the one who grew up on a farm. You tell me."
Walter clenched his teeth, biting back an irritable response. "I grew up on a dairy farm. These are beef cattle. I have no idea what I'm doing here either. It's not like I can Google it. We currently don't have internet. Or had you forgotten? Isn't the owner of this place an old friend of yours from the Marines? Didn't he leave any instructions?"
"Oh, excuse me. Let me consult the owner's manual… Of course he didn't 'leave instructions'. My buddy figured a genius with a farming background would know what to do." Cabe continued to grumble as he lifted a foot to examine the sole of one of his second best pair of wingtips. It was caked with pie. Cow pie.
For the umpteenth time since they arrived, Walter wondered if this whole endeavor was going to work. Not only did they have no idea what they were doing, none of them had appropriate clothing for this sort of thing. Although his own wardrobe was slightly better than the requisite federal agent gear Cabe was currently sporting. It was no use. They couldn't be more obviously ignorant or inept if they wore flashing neon signs around their necks.
Then he caught sight of Ralph's ear-to-ear grin. He supposed the boy's temporary amusement might be worth something. At least when he was laughing at their expense, he wasn't experiencing anxiety over his mother's recovery or the danger he was in. He'd taken to having bad dreams almost nightly since their arrival.
"You could always use an ancient method. One they invented long before computers existed," the young genius suggested with a wholly superior tone, "You might've heard of it. It's called a liiiibrary." He drawled the last word as if explaining to someone particularly thick-headed. "And while we're in town, we could pick up some overalls and cowboy boots for Farmer Gramps over there." He giggled to himself and nearly toppled off the top rail of the corral where he was perched.
Cabe aimed a disgusted look at Ralph. "You'll think it's real funny when you fall backwards into a pile of crap. C'mon,… 'Julian'. What'd you say we go into town and do some recon. Allie, I mean 'Shelly', wants to buy more groceries anyway."
"I'm not sure it's a great idea for, um, 'Julian' to go with you…" Walter started.
Cabe interrupted before he could finish speaking, "No one knows to look for us in rural Idaho, son."
"There are still cameras around town. There's one at the bank and they likely have them at the grocery store as well. We can't risk…"
"Seriously, Dad?" Ralph chimed in. "I've been cooped up out here for nearly three weeks. I'm going to start clucking and laying eggs soon. I'll wear a baseball hat and I'll borrow some of Grandpa's sunglasses. He's got at least one spare pair in the truck and in every room of the farmhouse you know. Then no one would recognize me even if they did think to look for us here. Plus, we're in a serious tech black hole, don't forget. The security cameras, if they've even got 'em, probably still use those old VHS tapes or something."
"Look, the kid deserves a break. He's been fetching and carrying inside the house for his mom and 'Grandma' for days, not to mention trying to help us figure out what the hell we're doing with these dumb cows. And I could use his help if we're really going to have to do research in an actual library too." The kid under discussion mouthed a quick 'Thank you' at Cabe for taking his side.
Walter sighed. He knew Ralph was going stir crazy. Walter sure was. And logically he also knew it was unlikely the boy would be spotted, but he simply didn't feel comfortable with Ralph out of his sight anymore. Perhaps he was being selfish.
Walter sighed and nodded once thus giving grudging permission. "Alright."
The teen didn't have to be told twice. He gave an enthusiastic fist pump and hopped off of the fence to make a dash for the house to grab a hat and tell Allie. "Take one of the disposable phones!" Walter called after him.
Cabe slapped a hand to Walter's shoulder as they strolled toward the ancient work truck in the driveway. "It's okay, son. I've got him. I won't let anything happen to him."
"Thanks. I know. It'll give Al…, uh, 'Mom' a break too. I can go inside and look after P-p… 'Jessica' for a while," Walter paused and made a disgusted noise, "I'm never going to get this name thing straight, am I?"
Cabe gave him a pointed look over the rim of his aviator shades. "You will. We all will. Because we know it's important."
Ralph shot from the screen door like a bullet from a gun and hustled toward the truck before Walter could talk Cabe out of the short reprieve. He wrenched one rusty door open preparing to climb inside.
Walter gave him a firm 'dad' look. The boy rolled his eyes, snatched the cap from his back pocket and crammed it haphazardly on his head squashing his hair over his ears. Then he reached into the glove compartment and took out one of Cabe's extra pairs of sunglasses and slid them into place. "Happy now?" He asked.
When Walter continued eyeing him, Ralph smirked and pulled the disposable phone half way out of his front pocket to show him.
"Now I'm happy. Well, not entirely. Promise you'll stay where your 'Grandpa' can see you at all times? I'm serious."
Ralph's expression turned solemn and he nodded. "I promise."
Allie, who'd followed Ralph out of the house at a much more sedate pace, gave Walter a quick one-armed hug. "We'll take good care of him, 'Joe'. And we'll remember to call him 'Julian' even though he hates it." She got in beside Ralph and buckled up.
Cabe ruffled the kid's hair. "Or we could just call him 'Cutie' or 'Honey' or 'Punkin' like all grandparents do. Would you prefer that?"
At Ralph's horrified look, Cabe chuckled and said, "'Julian' it is."
The old truck wheezed to life and backed slowly down the driveway. Walter couldn't help it. He watched them roll away in the direction of town until he could no longer hear the crunch of the tires and the truck was obscured by a dense cloud of dust from the gravel road. And yet he still faced the direction they'd gone, willing them to come back, his heart hammering in his chest.
He had to admit, sometimes it'd been easier when he was a robot and he could effectively suppress or deny his feelings. There were times when emotions were vastly inconvenient and unpleasant sensations.
oxoxoxoxo
The screen door banged loud enough to make her jump. Most loud noises had the same effect. Toby said it was a normal reaction to the trauma of being shot. That fact didn't make her feel much better.
"Sorry! I'm sorry." Walter winced. "I didn't mean for the door to slam. I lost my grip."
And Paige was tired of feeling like she was losing hers. So she chose to ignore it. "Allie said she and Cabe are headed to the grocery store and they're taking Ralph to help do some ranching research? Did I hear that right?"
"Remember it's 'Carl' and 'Shelly' or 'Mom' and 'Dad' it you find it easier," Walter lectured even though he'd stumbled over everyone's fake names only moments before.
He quailed a little at her look, then continued, "And-and, uh, 'Julian'. He and I haven't had time to completely set up our secure network yet, so in order to know how to care for the specific animals on this property, we need to do some quick research the old-fashioned way. They're going to stop by a library. And I think they are going to buy some appropriate clothes for all of us while they're in town."
"I guess wearing a suit and tie on the range isn't very practical," Paige grinned, then added, "I sure hope Cabe, I mean 'Carl', picks up some of the food himself this time around. I love... 'Shelly' to death, but if I don't eat something with meat in it soon, I'm likely to go feral and prey on the next poor unsuspecting forest creature who wanders by. She won't even fix the eggs she and Ralph gather every morning. I've taken to boiling up a few and scarfing them down when she's busy doing other things."
"Um, complete proteins with all the essential amino acids are important for healing tissues. I'll talk to her."
"No. Walter. That's not necessary. Think about how she feels being vegan and living on a cattle ranch. I'm sure it's hard enough for her just being here and she never complains about it. If you would allow me to do some of the cooking. Please? I really don't mind."
"I don't want you having a set back." His face was taking on that mulish look of his. "And what do you think you're doing there?" He said impatiently as he gestured vaguely at the mop handle she was leaning on.
She deliberately plunged the mop head up and down a few times in the bucket at her feet. "I'm doing my nails."
Paige bent and wrung out the old string mop. It had seen better days, but it was her only option at present. Immediately after Ralph and Allie left, she'd gone to text one of them with a request for a Swiffer. Then she remembered it wasn't an option, either the Swiffer or the text. Their cell phones were all back at the garage in LA.
She dropped the head to the kitchen tile with a squishy plop and pushed it toward Walter leaving a wet streak on the floor until she nudged at his foot. "You are literally standing in the way of progress."
He wasn't amused. "I told you everyone else could deal with the household chores! You should be resting!"
"It's a fortunate thing I think you're cute. Otherwise I'm afraid I'd have to hurt you. Walter, this place is filthy and I refuse to sit around and do nothing all day while everyone else is busy trying to make this house livable while waiting on me hand and foot. A little mopping won't kill me, but I might kill you if you try to stop me."
He scowled at her for a few seconds in a silent stand off. He eventually relented and looked away first, throwing his hands up in aggravated surrender. "Fine! But don't over tax yourself." He started to walk away, but then he turned, looking more worried than annoyed as if mopping the floor would literally take her away from him. It tugged at her heart. He added a pained, "And please promise me you'll lie down for a while after you're done."
"I promise." She wanted to hug him and tell him she wasn't going anywhere, but realized that promise was as impossible as her thwarted text message to Ralph. She couldn't guarantee something wouldn't go badly wrong with the whole situation. And he was all too aware of that fact. Paige resumed mopping before Walter could change his mind and argue with her some more.
oxoxoxoxoxo
"Paige?"
She was reluctant to open her eyes. She wanted to cling to the vestiges of her dream a little bit longer. It was just getting to the good part.
"I-I mean, um, 'Jessica'? Sorry. I'm having trouble getting used to your new name. I didn't want to wake you, but it's time for your pill." She felt the cushion depress as he sat one hip next to her prone figure on the couch.
It appeared the actual subject of her lovely dream wasn't going to let her drift back to sleep. Maybe she could get lucky and make the dream a reality. And Walter would get lucky in the process too. He'd been wound so tightly lately.
An enticing smile curled her lips at the thought and her eyelashes fluttered open for only a moment to ensure her aim wouldn't be off. Her arms reached out to embrace him and caught him off guard. She captured his little surprised gasp with her mouth. Taking her time, she nibbled and kissed his lips until he hummed deep in his throat.
He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and pushed slightly away looking dazed and flushed and way too delicious for her sanity. "Um, w-we shouldn't." He swallowed hard.
During the course of their relationship, Walter didn't often initiate intimacy. He'd once told her it was because he 'wasn't adept at gauging her interest' or some such garbage and he didn't want to 'over step or make her uncomfortable'. The one thing he'd never done was turn her down.
Ever.
Her old insecurities began looming, whispering lies into her mind. Maybe he wasn't attracted to her anymore. Maybe he was turned off by the fresh scars on her once smooth skin.
She knew it was all nonsense, but Paige couldn't help it. She pouted. "Why not?" She asked petulantly. "Don't you miss being with me?" They hadn't made love since they'd reconciled and 'Mama' was feeling more than a little 'pent up' and now she was dealing with a niggling doubt he didn't want her as much as he used to.
"Yes," he answered simply and truthfully, "But you've been injured. And-and you're still recovering."
Ah. Good answer.
Feeling more confident, Paige all but purred, "I feel fine. Almost as good as new."
She tried to lean in and resume kissing him but he still held her at arm's length, his eyes begging her to stop or to keep going. She wasn't sure which. "Says the woman who just took an hour and forty-seven minute nap…" He frowned at her, but his heightened color and the heat in his gaze gave him away. It was both frustrating and irresistible.
When he didn't move any farther away and his hands began a slow glide up and down her arms, Paige took it as a good sign and kept pushing at him. She bit her lip in the way she knew drove him the tiniest bit crazy. Then she said, "Walter, I'm not fragile. I won't break."
She could see his resolve weakening further. "I don't want to hurt you," he almost whined, attempting to be sensible one last time.
Silly Walter.
Paige pulled out all stops and gave him her best alluring look. The one that said she wanted to have her wicked way with him. Now. "Don't worry. I won't let you."
With that promise, she watched his remaining resistance crumble. She maneuvered around and straddled his lap, claiming his mouth almost fiercely. He wasn't going to talk his way out of it again. She set about proving to him healing can take many forms.
