Toby looked over at Happy and sighed. He saw her favorite place ahead on the right so he moved over and pulled in when they got there. He pulled up and ordered what she normally liked and slowly handed it over to her. Happy reached out just as slowly ready to snatch her hand back but he didn't budge until she took the bag and pulled it on over.
She watched as he stretched across and put her soda in the cup holder then tore the wrapper off the straw and stuck into the cup for her. She gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, Toby."
"You're welcome Happy. But you don't have to thank me for that." He told her before he pulled back out into traffic.
Happy sat still cowering against the door. She hadn't made a move to open the bag and Toby sighed again. "When was the last time you took your prenatal vitamins?"
"It was yesterday before you got home." Happy said cautiously.
"We'll have to remember when we get home so you can take it." Toby told her as they pulled up to a red light.
Happy just nodded her head.
The rest of the drive was almost as quiet as Happy only responded with the barest of answers to anything Toby brought up. "Well it looks like we've finally arrived. And we have about thirty minutes to spare so you can eat without being rushed."
Toby backed into a parking spot and turned the truck off. He opened his door and got out and closed the door but bent over with his hands on top of the cab while looking into the truck through the driver's window. "Does this make you feel a little more comfortable?"
Happy slowly nodded before she opened the bag.
"Would you prefer me to leave you alone and go inside to wait for you to join me?" Toby asked as softly as he could.
Happy shook her head. "Its okay if you want to wait here for me."
Toby's phone buzzed and he frowned as he pulled it out. He saw a message from Dr. Rizzuto's office and he clicked it. He frowned. "It looks like Dr. Rizzuto is changing our appointment. He wants to see you alone at our regular appointment time and then see me alone after that and then have a co-session after that. Did he message you too?"
Happy shrugged. "I turned my phone off."
"I wonder what brought this on." Toby pondered as he looked towards the building.
"It wasn't me I swear. I haven't used my phone since before I picked you up." Happy said a bit worried he was going to start blaming her.
"I wasn't blaming you Happy. I just asked if you had gotten a text too. It is weird because he is a partnership counselor and to see us separately is just unusual without some kind of context to." Toby paused. "Walter. Walter called and told him what was going on. Why can't he just leave things alone? Let us get this straightened out."
Toby considered everything as he watched Happy slowly eat her food. As she slowly finished he smiled. "I hope you feel a little better with food in your belly."
Happy gave him a slight smile and nodded.
"Happy, can I share something with you? There is something about why I was such a real jerk to you yesterday?" Toby asked a bit apprehensively.
Happy actually looked up at him, her eyes slightly wider than they'd been since before they left to get the rocking chair. Slowly she nodded wondering what insult he was going to throw at her now.
"Well, you know I told you how when I saw that video I went gambling." Toby started as he licked his lips.
Happy nodded.
He could see she was aptly listening to every word. He attributed it to being a good thing. She still wanted their relationship, still wanted to make it better. She was still hoping that he could come to terms with what happened but he realized just how much she wanted him.
Just as he started to go on the door to Dr. Rizzuto's opened and his receptionist stuck her head out. "Ms. Quinn, Dr. Curtis, it is good seeing you both, come on in."
Toby looked at Happy and slowly nodded. "Do you want me to go in first? So you feel safer?"
Happy looked down for a moment. "Please."
She hated feeling this way. She swore she'd never be one of those women. She'd always stand up for herself and in every situation she had. But her guilt was so strong, his pain so sharp.
Then the things he said and did had done something to her. Things she didn't understand and worse she couldn't find her way out from under.
Toby rolled up his window and locked the door. Closing it gently so it didn't spook her before he walked on up and stepped through the door allowing the receptionist to stand and wait for Happy. Happy finally climbed out and shut her door and walked up to the receptionist.
She smiled at Happy. She started to step out to let Happy step in and Happy shook her head. "Would you mind going in first please?"
She frowned but nodded as Happy took the door and she walked in. Happy paused for just a moment as she looked and saw Toby was already sitting on a sofa in the waiting room. She walked over and she looked at Toby. "Is it okay if I sit beside you?"
Toby smiled. "Of course it is Happy. Whatever you need or want."
Happy gave him a slight smile and turned and sat down beside him. She looked at her feet for a moment and swallowed as her hand reached over and tentatively touched his.
Toby looked down with surprise and he turned his hand over slowly. He watched as her fingers pressed in between his and she gripped his hand in hers. As they sat there for a minute he finally reached over with his other hand and pressed his fingers gently into the back of her hand. "I've missed your touch."
Happy just nodded.
The office door opened and Dr. Rizzuto stuck his head out and his large smile slowly shrank as he took in the sight of Happy sitting almost like a wilted flower next to Toby. "Happy, why don't you come on in, so we can talk." It was more of a command than a question.
Happy nodded as she felt Toby's fingers loosen and she stood up. She swallowed and took a deep breath before she took a step. Part of her screamed to turn and look back but she refused to succumb to that feeling. 'I'm safe with Toby.' She told herself. 'Plus we're in a public place. He'd never try anything while we're here.'
"If you need me Happy, I'll be right here." Toby told her softly.
Happy paused long enough to give him a half smile and then continued on into the office.
"Grab some couch Happy." Dr. Rizzuto told her closing the door. He stepped over and poured a tea. "Would you like a tea or anything Happy?"
Happy shook her head. And then she noticed a woman in the room with them.
"Happy this is my nurse practitioner Debra. I asked her to sit in this session with us but if you aren't comfortable with that she can step out." Dr. Rizzuto explained as he walked over and sat in his favorite chair.
Happy shook her head. "I don't mind her being here. But I am curious about the changes and why she is here."
Dr. Rizzuto smiled. "Well short story Walter called me this morning with concerns from Paige. I was troubled by that and asked to speak with Paige and was even more troubled that Walter seemed reluctant for me to talk to her. But after talking with her I felt that caution was warranted concerning this situation. And I've got to say I'm troubled by your demeanor today. This is not the Happy Quinn I know."
Happy shook her head. "I'm not."
Dr. Rizzuto nodded as he saw tears run down her cheeks before she began to explain all that had happened.
Happy poured out every emotional detail that had happened since she woke up from her dream. She elaborated on almost everything that happened. She withheld what happened at the carwash, what happened at the restaurant and she withheld about all the video and pictures.
Dr. Rizzuto was distressed at what she told him Toby had done but he smiled. "You did very well Happy thank you. Are you comfortable to go back and wait in the outer office or would you like to go with Debra?"
"I don't want to go anywhere without Toby knowing." Happy told him.
Dr. Rizzuto nodded and got up and opened the door. "Dr. Curtis, why don't you come on in." It was another command instead of a question or suggestion.
Toby got up and walked over and into the office. He smiled seeing Happy still there.
"Do you have a problem with Happy waiting either in the waiting room or going back with my nurse practitioner?" Dr. Rizzuto asked.
Toby shook his head. "Whichever makes Happy feel safer."
Happy smiled and got up and walked past them and out into the waiting room.
Dr. Rizzuto pointed to the couch. "Grab some couch then Dr. Curtis. Would you like a tea?"
Toby shook his head as he sat down.
Dr. Rizzuto sat down after getting another tea. "So Toby, Happy was very forth coming with me and Debra. Debra is my nurse practitioner. I asked her to sit in on the one on ones because of a conversation I had with Walter and then Paige when I didn't like some of Walter's responses. If you would prefer Debra to step out that is fine."
Toby huffed. "I can only imagine what they had to say about the situation. I'm fine with her being here."
Dr. Rizzuto nodded. "Very well, why don't you tell me what happen from your perspective starting with when you found out something was going on."
Happy had felt a bit better at first when the time was up but as she sat waiting she began to worry. What if this just made Toby angrier? What was she going to do? Get a court order to kick him out of her house? Flee the house for someplace she'd feel safe? Immediately she thought of Paige and her offer of coming to them if she needed anything. Or maybe she should go to Cabe's.
So lost in thought she hadn't heard the door open or the first two times Dr. Rizzuto had called her. She nearly jumped off the couch seeing movement in her peripheral vision. "Happy, it is just me." Dr. Rizzuto told her. "You didn't respond to me."
Happy nodded. "S-s-sorry."
Dr. Rizzuto shook his head. "There is no reason for you to be sorry Happy. Are you okay to come in and join us?"
Happy swallowed as she tried to calm her breathing. "I think so."
Dr. Rizzuto walked into his office first and stood so she could see where Toby was sitting easily. She walked on in and stopped close to the couch and looked at the look on Toby's face and cringed inwardly.
Toby tried to smile comfortingly to her. "It's okay Happy, sit wherever you are comfortable."
Happy took in a breath and turned and sat next to Toby, her hip touching his. She reached over desperately and grabbed his left hand again.
Toby let her interlock their fingers and then he gently patted her hand.
Dr. Rizzuto sat down and looked at both of them. "Okay kids. First, Happy I want to commend you. You have developed enough that who you really are is finally emerging and you sought out that which you needed. Also for your openness in what has transpired. I will say that your account and Paige's were so close I have no doubt of the validity of what happened."
"It is clear that Paige is remorseful over what happened without the two of you talking to Toby first. She was also rightly concerned about the situation going on between the two of you. I've got to say Toby I am rather shocked and appalled at your behavior. I realize you are in pain, you were wronged and you have my utmost sympathy over that. But, as such a skilled Dr I can't believe the steps you went in attacking Happy after making her feel like this was something you wanted to work through."
"And I will be having sessions with both Walter and Paige as well. For a group of geniuses there were so many errors in critical thinking made this weekend. I'm especially troubled in what you have demanded Toby. If Happy had more friends I wouldn't be as upset. But she only has a handful and the only two that she would be comfortable talking to about what has happened and you cut her off from both of them."
"Your other actions border on abuse and I am considering calling Adult Protective Services, even if Happy wasn't pregnant. Now I understand from Happy that you haven't done anything like it since she took her bath yesterday evening. If I find out you have done one more stunt I will be calling APS and I will also be speaking with the ethics board concerning your behavior. Is there anything either of you would like to say in response to what I have just said?" Dr. Rizzuto tried to calm down as he finished.
Happy and Toby both shook their heads. And Dr. Rizzuto nodded.
"Well, Toby told me I could contact Paige after my bath yesterday if I wanted." Happy spoke up. Something in her not only wanted to set the record straight but she kind of wanted to defend Toby as well. 'Why am I defending him?' She questioned. 'It is the right thing to do, even If it is messed up and he probably wouldn't return the favor.'
Dr. Rizzuto looked at her in surprise. "But you have chosen not to?"
Happy nodded. "I didn't want to upset him anymore and I wanted to show him that he could trust me."
Dr. Rizzuto kind of nodded. "That's kind of a wash then. You should be able to talk with your friends without worrying if he is going to be upset."
"Okay, well first I want to address something I picked up on while Happy told me what happened during the weekend." Dr. Rizzuto told them. "Happy I commended you on your openness, but there seemed to be something about the weekend you didn't want me to know about. From what you told me and that Toby has confirmed you told him, and if we're going to get you kids through this and to a healthier place I think you need to tell us what that is."
Greetings! Hope everyone is doing well! I don't know if it is the M rating on this story or if people are that turned off by it but I got to say the numbers aren't looking very good. I thought Lady Knight's numbers were bad. LOL
Railman - Poor Toby he has so much going on right now. He almost told Happy the reason why, but that dang receptionist! lol Maybe next chapter!
I'm temporarily switching this story to T for Teen. When I post chapter 11 it will go back to M for Mature. So if you want to read this further after chapter 10 you'll need to bookmark, watch or go to my profile to see it unless you switch the filter to show you M rated stories.
To the Adventure! -Tim
