A/N - Their wedding day continues on.
Railman - Walter had a lot to share. It's just how much he loves her. Yes they did exchange rings. Paige loved her ring and how it matched her new diamond earrings.
Margaret - glad you are caught back up again. They seemed to all have a great time at the bachelorette/bachelor parties. Walter definitely came prepared. More wedding festivities ahead. Hope you are on the mend and feeling better.
LouBe - Haha, Paige probably thought ahead and did apply the waterproof kind. She knew Walter would knock his vows out of the park. The karaoke crowd wanted to show out for sure.
Pearliegirl- I agree. I liked Walter's better too. More emotional towards how much he loves Paige completely. He could have gone on for hours probably.
Part 23 Saturday July 4, 2018
After a few hugs and kisses and handshakes with all their friends, Walter and Paige told Ralph they wanted to talk to him for a minute, just the three of them.
As Sylvester watched them make their way to a more private setting, he had some tears start to well up in his eyes, and before he could wipe them away, they were spotted by a certain Harvard trained individual.
"So tell me Sly, what's going on in that little family huddle over there. Because something tells me, you know something that we don't." Toby asked right away. "So spill the beans before i get it out of you."
"Toby, for once in your life, just sit back and watch. Don't say anything okay. Please." Sly told him as he turned the video camera towards them and zoomed in. He had snuck a microphone into Ralph's tie earlier while they were in the room just for this occasion. He would later splice the video and audio to sync it up so they could watch it over and over again.
Toby tilted his head a little and after Happy gave him a bit of a stink eye he listened.
"Mom, is everything okay?" Ralph asked not sure why they wanted to talk to him at that moment.
"Yes, perfect. We just wanted a minute, just the three of us." Paige told him as she smiled at him.
"Ralph, I want to say thank you first for helping me out there. I needed your support at the beginning." Walter told him. "I couldn't have done it without you, I appreciated that."
"Me too sweetie, after hearing what your dad, um Walter, said, I needed you too." Paige pulled him in for a hug and over the top of him mouthed, "sorry" to Walter who smiled back and nodded his head saying it was okay.
"Speaking of, Ralph." Walter said, using Paige's slip as the perfect segway. Damn she thought, he is quick on his feet. And perfect.
"Speaking of what?" Ralph asked back, still confused as to why they were alone.
"Me, and um what you want to call me. I mean now that me and your mom are married. I have always loved it when you sometimes called me dad instead of Walter. So, me and your mom wanted to ask what you would prefer to call me from now on."
"Well, you have always treated me like I was your son and I have wanted to call you my dad for a really long time, so if it's okay with you I think I want to call you dad from now on." Ralph told him bringing tears to Walter's and Paige's eyes. "I mean as long as that's okay with you; and you too mom."
"Oh baby, i wouldn't mind it at all." Paige told him as she rubbed the side of his face. "How about you Walter."
"I like the sound of that Ralph. I actually like it so much we have another question for you." Walter told him starting to sense some extra emotions coming on. Just breathe.
"Can I ask you guys something first?" Ralph asked.
"Of course." Paige quickly said. "You can always ask us anything."
"Are you going to change your last name to O'Brien? I know I asked the other day and you said we could talk after the wedding, I know not right now, but you told everyone you were O'Brien now, so I just wanted to see if you really wanted to be called O'Brien."
"Yes sweetie, I do want to change my last name to O'Brien, and I think now is a fine time to talk about this don't you think Walter?" Paige asked holding his hand and gripping it tightly.
"Ralph, are you ready to answer a question for us now?" Walter asked with a smile.
"OK." Ralph nodded.
"Me and your mom have given this a lot of thought. And have been working on something for you. You remember the pictures we made and the locket we found for your mom, right?" Walter started out trying to remain poised and calm.
"Yeah, it was only a few weeks ago. It looks really pretty on you mom." Ralph told her honestly. "It even matches your dress."
"Aww, thanks sweetie." Paige said back to him. "I absolutely love it."
"Ralph, I had an inscription added to the back, do you want to see what it says?" Walter asked him.
Paige grabbed hold of the locket and turned it around for Ralph to see.
"July 4, 2018 – Our Family's Birthday. That's nice, I like it, the day we became a real family. That's really cool actually."
"Yes, you're right Ralph, the day we all three became a real family. And in a real family you would be with your mom and your dad, right?" Walter started to say with tears starting to fill in his eyes matching the ones in Paige's.
"You're better than my real dad Walter, just so you know." Ralph told him. "And you have been for a long time.."
"Well w-what if I um was your um real um dad?" Walter asked as his nerves were beginning to take over and tears started to trickle down his face.
"I don't get it?" Ralph asked seeing Walter starting to become more emotional, his mom too. "Are you okay?"
"I mean, wh-what if I um if I adopted you and could be your um real dad." Walter got out as Paige watched on in tears, still holding on to the man of her dreams.
"That could take years though, I already started looking into it, besides I don't think Drew would ever agree to it or even talk to you about it." Ralph said, still unsure of why Walter was acting the way he was.
Walter reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a certificate and handed it to Ralph as he clutched Paige in his arms as he started to break down.
"What the hell is going on over there Sly? Walter is sobbing like a baby. You don't think Paige told him she wants out do you?" Toby asked. "Should I go over there and talk to them? Poor Walter."
"Dumbass." Happy said as she elbowed his kidney as tears started to flow out of her eyes as well seeing everything unfold, figuring it out before her husband.
"Just wait." Sly told them as more tears fell down his cheeks too. "Let's see what happens, okay."
Ralph read the paper and suddenly tackled Walter to the ground in a huge hug. Paige had her hands on her face crying as well seeing how happy their son was.
Toby, Cabe and Allie all turned to Sly and were waiting for him to speak.
"What?" Sly told them as a smile grew on his face.
"Spill it Sly." They all said in unison.
A few seconds later, Ralph came running over to them, ahead of Walter and Paige. They had never seen a smile like that on him before.
"Walter's my dad! Walter's my dad!" He yelled at them as he was almost to them. Sly grinning from ear to ear hearing the joy in his voice. "He's my dad!"
"Hey kiddo, that was some wedding huh? So you decided to call Walt dad? I'm sure he is gonna be fine with that." Cabe said as he made his way in front of them to hug Ralph.
"No, my real dad." Ralph told them again. "He's my dad!"
"Hey Ralph, I know you are smarter than me, but we both know he isn't your real dad…." Toby started before another elbow caught his kidney. "…ooof. I mean unless they could get Andrew to…. Sly you dirty dog you." Toby finished saying as he figured it out too.
"Sly what?" Cabe and Allie asked.
"Walter adopted me. So he's my dad now. I have my family. I finally get my family." Ralph said and then realized exactly what it meant to him before he started crying as he broke down and turned into the side of his mom and dad as they arrived.
"You son of a bitch O'Brien. You thought of every damn thing didn't you." Toby told Walter as he reached out and put his arm around Walter's other shoulder.
"I gotta hand it to you Walt. You're a stud. Those vows today made my damn knees go weak, I can only imagine what they did to the waitress. You know, if you told me those things at our wedding, I would have kept you around. And that right there (Happy pointed at Ralph still nestled between Walter and Paige) that was so epic. Coolest thing you've ever done, and you've done some pretty cool shit."
"Well, we have Sly to thank for that, and we both know at our wedding, neither one of us had feelings like I have for Paige." Walter told her as he ruffled his son's hair and still held on tight to his wife.
Ralph went over to give Sylvester a hug next thanking him for what he did after hearing what his dad say that he had helped with everything.
The next couple of hours were spent taking pictures and relishing in the wedding that just took place. Paige made Walter go with her as she thanked some of the patrons from the karaoke bar that showed up. All of them said they were coming back tonight to celebrate with them at the reception and fireworks display. They couldn't wait to join in all the fun.
Around the same time the wedding coordinator caught up with them.
"Walter, I have to admit, those were the most amazing and the sweetest vows I have ever heard. Not that yours were lacking Paige, but mmmm boy." She said shaking her head looking at Walter. "Incredible."
"Thank you, but I thought Paige's vows were perfect, just like her." Walter said while intently looking at Paige, who was pretty certain someone was hitting on her husband. "You really are perfect, Paige."
"Damn, where did you find him again?" She asked playfully with a smile as she fanned herself. "Hey, I do have a question for you guys, and since you aren't leaving tomorrow right, you're still leaving on Monday to fly out to…"
"…Yes, Monday, we um fly out Monday." Walter quickly said after realizing the planner was even talking to him and before anything was revealed.
"Oooh, you know where we're flying to don't you. Where are we going? He won't tell me." Paige pleaded.
"Almost slipped out. Sorry. I was sworn to secrecy, our little secret Walter, and I only know where the flight from here lands, not the final destination. But I may have something to ask you guys about tomorrow. I will track you down sometime tomorrow Walter. I don't want to keep you today, go enjoy yourselves." She told them as she left them alone.
"Someone has a crush on my husband." Paige whispered in his ear.
"What, who?" Walter asked.
"Hmm, let's see, first Happy thought it was hot the way you were looking at me when I first walked up to the altar." Paige informed him as she moved her fingers through his hair.
"You were um absolutely breathtaking; I mean you are always breathtaking." Walter told her before kissing her hand as she was smiling at him.
"Then she said you were a stud that made her knees weak with your vows." Paige told him flirtatiously whispering in his ear. "And then our coordinator just hit on you right in front of me. What am going to have to do with you Mr. O'Brien?" Paige finished.
"Nobody was hitting on me, what did she even say or do, I was too busy admiring you, Mrs. O'Brien." Walter told her as he smiled calling her that.
"That's my boy." Paige told him placing her hands on his jaw before boldly kissing him again. "You uh, ready to consummate this marriage, stud?" Paige continued. "And this way I can show you just what those vows really did to me." She finished with her eyebrows raised and a smile on her face that no man, especially her man could ever say no to.
They snuck off for the next couple of hours to have some special time to themselves. And Paige let Walter know just what those vows did to her. He did of course carry her into their suite for the first time as a married couple. He was going to stop at nothing to make this a perfect day for her.
Showered and changed into some new clothes they headed back out to join everyone else who were still out celebrating. It was close to 4:30 and they had a couple of hours to relax before the dinner and then reception was set to start. They watched as the resort built a small stage on the beach and started bringing out speakers and lights. They were going to go all out tonight. All on less than 24 hours' notice.
"So where did you two sneak off to, another broom closet?" Toby asked, smiling, before adding, "Don't answer that, it's none of my business."
"What the hell did you do with Toby Curtis?" Paige asked sarcastically.
"Funny. Real funny. Seriously though, coolest part about today, no offense to you guys tying the knot, but seeing that kid right there get his family that he has wanted, priceless. I have never seen him smile like that." Toby told them before getting a hug from Paige. "I didn't see that coming today and it looked like Ralphy boy didn't either."
"You know Walter flew out to Portland and got Drew to agree to everything." Paige told him.
"How the hell did you pull that off?" Toby asked.
"I stated facts and spoke from the heart." Walter told him.
"What the hell did you do to 197 might the question we need to be asking ourselves." Toby said getting a playful smack on the shoulder from Paige. "That I can handle, when the wife is around, I get elbows to vital organs for comments like that."
"Speaking of, where is your wife?" Paige asked. "She looked amazing in her dress."
"She did, there's not many people she would wear something like that for. In fact, most of them are sitting at this table right now. Happy wanted to help set up the speaker system of course, they are going all out with this karaoke thing tonight. Asked me to emcee it. You guys better have a couple of songs ready to go. Paige you're my big star tonight, whenever I need you, got it." Toby told her. "And I've already recruited Ralph as my deejay."
"On one condition." Paige told him.
"Name it." Toby said to her.
Paige whispered something in Toby's ear that caused him to smile and nod his head. They gave each other a high five.
"Pleasure doing business with you Mrs. O'Brien. I like the sound of that by the way, Mrs. O'Brien has a nice ring to it." Toby told them. "Get it,ring to it, never mind. My talents are wasted on you people."
"What was her one condition?" Walter asked Toby.
"You my friend will find out soon enough. You have seen Dirty Dancing, right?" Toby asked him, holding back a smile as best he could.
"Why would someone want to dance when they are dirty? That doesn't make any sense." Walter asked. "Dancing should be done indoors anyway, not in anything that could make you dirty. Right Paige?"
"There's my 197, good to have you back pal." Toby said with a smile.
"Paige?" Walter asked.
"He's just messing with you. Lover boy." Paige told him with a wink while caressing his face. Toby laughed out loud. Tonight was going to be a blast.
"Lover boy? What does that mean?" Walter asked to more laughter from Toby. "Are you guys making fun of me?"
"Come on, let's mingle. We need to make an appearance at our own wedding." Paige said to Walter as he looked confused to the two of them.
"I am perfectly fine with just you and me in our room. They can have the time of their lives without us and if they call and we don't answer…" Walter started saying and saw Paige realize he was on to them.
"…Walter O'Brien when did you watch Dirty Dancing?" Paige asked in a shocked expression. "Have you been holding out on me?"
"Again, why would someone want to dance if they were dirty?" Walter asked her again, trying to hold back his smile.
"Oh, you are in for it tonight." Paige told him with a wicked smile. "Big, big trouble!"
"Bring it O'Brien." Walter told her. "I like trouble."
"Consider it brought O'Brien." Paige told him before jumping into his arms for a kiss.
Toby gulped not knowing what kind of fireworks were going to happen tonight. He couldn't wait to find out.
It was setting up to be some kind of night.
The meal they shared together was special. Laughing and crying together as one big happy family. They all took turns toasting the newlyweds and they all tried to get Walter to fess up to where he was taking Paige for their honeymoon. Five hundred bucks was still on the line to anyone who could get some information out of him. She'd been trying for weeks for something. Anything. He wouldn't budge. Walter had this on lock down. He was going for perfection.
Toby told everyone to get their requests into him for the karaoke that was taking place, he was taking his roll very seriously.