Toby nodded. "Well, first as it stands when I saw this video I was pissed as you might imagine. My first thought was to go drinking and then I thought, why not go gambling. So I did."

Happy stared at him.

Toby nodded as she didn't say anything. "I drained our bank account and gambled all night, until about noon the next day, if the time stamps are accurate. But don't worry, all of the money is back plus an extra ten thousand I won."

Happy looked down at her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry. I upset you so bad you went back to gambling."

Toby nodded in acknowledgement. "Second, Walt can just handle the Dam job himself."

"Well, he can, the test gear is already assembled. I'd just need to send them instructions for how to install and run the test." Happy explained.

Toby shook his head. "You give me the instructions and I will relay them. I am not allowing you to contact them this week. You've had far too much time with them as it is. I need to know that you know you are my wife. To make sure you still love me, that you still want this."

Happy nodded before she looked up. "I have just one thing to say or ask I suppose Fungus. While you have every right to be mad and upset at the three of us. Please remember what happened is my fault. I was the one who chose to involve myself in the way I did without talking to you. I allowed my desires for Paige and my desire to keep her happy to motivate me to do what I did with Walter. You can be mad all you want, but, you have to understand this is my fault. I don't want you trying to attack Walter again like when you found out he was my husband."

Toby slowly nodded. "I promise to try and keep myself from killing him. This won't be easy, but I think you and I can work through this together. But until we do, I don't want you having anything to do with Paige."

Happy frowned but nodded. "I really am sorry I let this go too far. And I really do love you. But, couldn't I at least speak with her on the phone? You could sit with me and listen."

Toby shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Paige and you both need to know this wasn't okay. It never should have gotten to the point it did when I left Friday morning. Not even counting what you did with Walter. You at least should have told me what you were feeling. Just like my gambling, now you are going to have to go cold turkey."

Happy slowly nodded. "Did you still want to go have sex?"

Toby shook his head. "I don't have any condoms. So we can wait until you get your test results back."

Happy sighed and nodded as she got up and moved over to begin examining the rocking chair.

Toby pulled out his phone and pulled up Walter's contact and pressed dial.


Walter shook his head as he tried to decide what to do with the information he found. His eyes naturally sought out the one person he'd normally ask but she was upstairs in their bedroom and he seriously doubted she'd be out before dinner if then.

Walter jumped as his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw Toby's name and he swallowed as he hit answer and pulled the phone up to his ear. "Welcome home Toby."

He heard Toby kind of huff. "That's one thing to call it. Just so you know we're going to have words about this but in the meantime there are a few things you need to know that I've already discussed with Happy. One, we're taking this week off. We'll be back next Monday. Two, we're going to be seeing Rizzuto over this and I'm having him send you the bill. Three neither of you are to contact Happy. If you need something you can contact me."

Walter swallowed even as he wiped his hand across his face. "I agree, we've got to speak about this and I have no problems with you taking the week off. But we do have the Hoover Dam job next weekend."

Toby snarked. "You think I don't know that? Happy said the gizmo is already done, when she gets me the instructions I'll send them to you and you can handle it."

Walter nodded. "I don't have a problem with that Toby, look I." He heard a sound as the phone went dead and he looked at the phone and he sighed as he realized Toby had hung up on him. He began trying to run probabilities about the situation and what he should tell Paige.


The Garage door opened just as Walter was about to stand and Ralph moved through followed by Allie and then Cabe. Walter smiled and stood as Ralph ran over and hugged him. "Did you have a good time?"

Ralph nodded. "Thanks to the new telescope you got me. Thank you again."

Walter smiled and nodded. "Of course buddy. You're Mom might still be lying down. She had a bit of a headache earlier, so try not to disturb her if the door is closed."

Ralph nodded as he moved off for the stairs.

Walter smiled at Cabe and Allie. "And how about the two of you, did you have a good time?"

Cabe laughed as he nodded. "Yep, was pretty nice up there this time of year."

Allie frowned looking at Walter. "Is everything okay? You look a little off."

Walter frowned as he looked at his reflection in his phone. "No, I seem normal to me and I feel okay."

Cabe frowned. "No, Allie is right, you look a little, I don't know, paler maybe?"

Walter shrugged. "Oh, Toby got back okay. He called to ask if they could take the week off. I said that was fine."

Cabe nodded and then frowned again. "What about Homeland's job at the Hoover Dam?"

Walter smiled. "The gear is already built and they'll send over instructions for it. We'll be fine. If we need her we can always get Happy out there. It's only a few hours away."

Cabe nodded. "Well since the queen isn't feeling the best, we'll head on home. See you in the morning."

Walter nodded as he watched them turn to leave. "Thanks for taking Ralph. He was really looking forward to this."

Cabe smiled and gestured with his hand as he slipped his arm around Allie and left.

Walter locked up the door and set the alarm before he walked up the stairs and down the hall. He heard Ralph in the other bathroom and he stopped at the bedroom door and rapped gently on it.


"Walter, you don't have to knock." Paige said plaintively.

Walter grimaced but turned the handle and stepped in and closed the door. "Ralph just got home. I told him not to disturb you that you might still have a headache."

Paige looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you Walter."

Walter nodded as he walked around the bed and sat down beside her hip. He spoke softly. "I really am sorry about this. I wish I had been more forceful about you telling Toby to start with."

Paige reached up and ran her hand gently across his cheek. "Walter you don't have anything to be sorry for. This is my own fault. You warned me. But please don't misunderstand me, I'm not sorry I'm with you, that I couldn't be happier about. But the funny thing is I never saw myself falling for Happy this way or this quick." She said just as softly. "I mean part of it I get. It's just I've never been in a situation before where I couldn't charm someone. And Happy has been the exception to that. It took over three years to get to the proverbial first base friendship wise with her. And then it was because she wanted to hang out with us when we started dating for some reason."

There was a light knock on their door and they both looked over at it. "What is it buddy?"

"Sorry Dad, I didn't see you downstairs. Is Mom feeling any better?" Ralph called out.

Walter whispered. "I've got some things to talk to you about later."

Paige nodded even as she smiled at the door. "Come in baby."

The door opened and Ralph slowly stepped in and saw his Dad sitting by his Mom's hip. "Welcome back home baby. Well, Ralph, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting how old and big you are getting."

Ralph smiled as he stepped just inside. "That's okay Mom, I don't mind it here with you and Dad."

"Did you need something buddy?" Walter asked.

Ralph shrugged. "Not exactly, I was just wondering what was planned for dinner. I'm about sick of vegetables. I like Allie a lot, but she can't hold a candle to Mom's cooking."

Paige smiled as Walter chuckled. "Since your Mom still isn't 100% how about for dinner I'll get us Kovelsky's?"

Ralph's eyes got large. "May I have a chocolate shake, a triple double cheese burger and fries?"

Walter and Paige both laughed as they nodded.


Happy sat on the floor as she examined each broken piece of the rocking chair. While she was competent working with wood it wasn't her preferred medium and the extent of the damage to the rocking chair was beyond what any true craftsman would consider repairing. Only the runners, hand rails and top of the back were still viable. The seat had actually cracked in several places with a number of stress cracks throughout. None of the spindles could be salvaged. She looked back at Toby who sat watching her with what looked like dead eyes. "I'm afraid it would be easier to just replace the chair Fungus. We did too much damage to it."

"You mean you did too much damage to it." Toby said softly.

"No, both of us were involved with this." Happy tried to assert.

Toby shook his head. "No, that was your fault."

Happy sighed. 'Now he's issuing demands.' She thought. "Yeah, it is my fault." She said softly.

"I guess you better throw it away then. Bring me another Dr Shaz too. This one is hot." Toby said while negligently gesturing towards the barely touched soda.

Happy got up slowly and picked up the bottle and walked with it into the kitchen and poured it down the sink and ran the water for a moment before getting him a fresh soda. She sat it down on his coaster and began picking up the pieces of the chair and carried them out.

Happy sighed as she threw the pieces into the trash bin at the end of her driveway. She looked sadly up and down the street but it was Sunday and most of her neighbors were usually gone Sunday afternoons. She just stood there for a few moments before she turned and walked slowly back up towards the house. She saw Toby standing there staring at her.

"Planning your next rendezvous, or maybe your escape?" Toby smirked.

Happy shook her head. "Just noticing how dead it is around here on Sunday afternoons." Happy stopped at the door because Toby hadn't moved out of her way.

"Yea, I get that feeling well." Toby said as he turned and before she could take a step closed the door in her face.

Happy sighed and reached up and opened the door and stepped inside.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were coming back inside." Toby smirked.

Happy ignored him and broke out the broom and dustpan and swept up the pieces too big for the sweeper. She brought the vacuum out and stood waiting for Toby to move from the closest outlet. When he didn't move she walked over to the further one and plugged it in. She turned it on and started to sweep up the small particles on the floor when the vacuum suddenly died. Happy frowned before turning it off and back on when she noticed the cord had come undone. Toby stood by the other plug but it wouldn't have been a hard task for him to have pulled the cord so it came unplugged and stood back up.

Happy swallowed but turned it off again and walked over and plugged the cord back in. The vacuum roared back to life and she looked over and saw Toby was sitting back down in his recliner. He was still watching her with those dead eyes. Happy got the rest of the mess cleaned up and put the vacuum up. She stepped back into the front room and looked at Toby. "Did you want to go look at new rocking chairs?"

Toby shrugged. "I suppose, it doesn't really mean much anyway."

Happy watched him get out of the recliner. "Toby, if you really don't want to make this work between us, why don't you just say so?"

"I don't know what you mean." Toby snarked.

Happy sighed as she turned to follow him out of the house only to have him close the door on her again.

As Happy drove down the street Toby bent down and took his shoe off and raised it up and banged it on top of her dash. Happy stared at him like he had lost his mind. Toby pointed. "That doesn't bother you does it?"

Happy sighed as she knew he knew just how much disrespecting her truck bothered her.

The rest of the ten minutes to the local store to look at rocking chairs Toby whistled the theme to Barney. Happy bit the inside of her left cheek trying to get through the ride.

Happy was standing in front of several rocking chairs with Toby to her right when she noticed he'd turned to face her looking towards the end of the aisle. "Boy, look at that slut."

Happy frowned and looked down the aisle but didn't see anyone and looked back and saw Toby still looking her way. "I guess you must have missed her." He looked back at the chairs and pointed. "I guess this one will do."

Happy looked and shook her head. "The weight rating is too low. If you want it to break like the last one then you are right, this one will do."

Toby rolled his eyes. "How many times did I use that chair and it never broke once? It was only when you sat in it that it broke. So stay out of it this time."

Happy's eyes went wide. "Are you calling me fat? It was our combined weight that broke it."

Toby shrugged. "I say to-may-toe and you say to-mat-toe."

"Fine, if that is the one you want to waste money on." Happy said as she turned to leave.

"Um, don't you think you should give me a hand carrying it?" Toby asked.

Happy stopped and looked at him. "Just take a ticket and take it to the check out. It isn't rocket science?"

Toby nodded. "Oh, thanks for that. I didn't think it was any tougher than our wedding vows but that seemed to be confusing for some."


Greetings! Hope everyone is doing well! Sorry for the late posting, had an appoint at the VA this afternoon and I was a lazy slug.

Champagne42 - You are most welcome!

Railman - Yep, his control is definitely slipping!

Susan - Me cackle? LOL Maybe! lol Was Toby closer to being upset like you expected? They didn't to discuss much in this chapter, they get a little more next chapter.

To the Adventure! -Tim