"You're sure you will be okay here while I'm gone to my appointment? I don't mind waiting until you are feeling better." Walter asked Paige for the third time since they'd come down to the Garage floor.

Paige smiled as she nodded.

"Yes my heart. Happy and Sylvester will be with me. And don't forget, if you are sure it is okay for me to talk to her, give Sarah your permission for me to call and talk with her about you." Paige told him even as she kissed him again.

Walter nodded.

"Wait, I mean that as in I'll remember not as in I am not sure if it is okay for you to talk to her." Walter fretted.

Paige smiled as she shook her head.

"It is okay Walter. I knew what you meant." Paige kissed him again.

"Walter, come on and get out here. Stop stalling." Cabe yelled from the door.

"Okay Cabe." Walter said as he looked at Paige again. "I'm really sorry."

"Walter, there is nothing for you to apologize for. I told you, I was hurt by my choice. So go on before Cabe has a coronary." Paige smiled at him and watched as Walter did a slight dance of indecision and then took off for the door.

When they knew they'd all be back at the Garage Happy moved her workbench further back from the door. She had wanted to help give Walter peace of mind coming and going.


Sylvester slowly moved over to Paige's desk. With Happy where she was it gave him a chance to talk with her without Happy overhearing him.

"Umm, Paige." Sylvester started.

Paige looked up and smiled before she pointed at the chair beside her desk.

"Have a seat Sly. What is going on?" Paige asked before he moved over.

Sylvester nodded as he stepped around and sat down.

"I don't know how to ask this." Sylvester hemmed around a bit.

Paige smiled until she looked up and saw the expression on his face.

"Sylvester, what is wrong?" Paige asked concerned.

"I don't know and that's why I came over. Cabe tells me it is very complicated and that I would be sorry if I knew the truth but honestly. I really feel bad that something is going on with Walter and I don't know how to help in this situation. I trust you Paige. Can you explain what is going on, please?" Sylvester asked.

Tears immediately sprung up in Paige's eyes as Sylvester's words left his mouth and she slowly nodded.

"If you really want to know I'll tell you." Paige spoke softly. "But the full truth will probably horrify you and change how you view me. Just so you have some idea of what to expect."

Sylvester frowned.

"So, you are saying you did something that has somehow really hurt Walter. To such a degree that it causes him to have some kind of flashbacks but he still loves and wants to be with you?" Sylvester asked slowly.

Paige nodded as she waited for his permission to go into detail.

"He warned me to talk to someone first and I chose not to do that and worse I inadvertently did something with Walter that has hurt him emotionally. And then in order for Toby to distract Amy from killing Happy he said something to her, something that had some truth in it, but his words, his words were over heard by Walter. They triggered the flashback." Paige explained as broadly as she could.

Sylvester slowly nodded.

"While I don't fully understand, that at least makes it a little better. And I really wouldn't want to know something that you think would make me change my feelings for you. I don't like that you did something that has hurt Walter but it is clear you are remorseful and want to do whatever you can to help Walter. Thank you." Sylvester told her before he stood up.

Paige just nodded.


Sarah sat looking at Walter as he finally opened up about what he had feared happening when Paige returned to the Garage. She smiled even as Toby looked on.

"Thank you Walter. I knew something wasn't sitting well with you. I knew it was connected to Paige but wasn't sure because you hadn't told me the dream had stopped. Did you have it or anything like it last night? How are you feeling after your first night with Paige back?" Sarah asked.

Walter smiled. And then Walter blushed a moment just as he glanced at Toby before part of the night replayed in high definition, his memory of making love to Paige.

"I really feel a lot better than I thought I would. I didn't really sleep much so no, I didn't have any bad dreams last night. It was a pretty pleasant night even though it was a bit nerve wracking and I didn't get much sleep." Walter finally said.

"Nerve wracking? Was that because of trying to find a sleeping position with her ribs?" Sarah asked.

Walter shook his head and then nodded as his face contorted

"Yes and no. Finding a good compromise for her to sleep wasn't difficult but, she really wanted." Walter paused as his cheeks darkened even more. "She wanted to make love." His voice trailed off quietly at the end.

Sarah just smiled.

"Walter, it is okay to talk to me about this or anything else to do with your relationship with Paige or anyone else. I'm not here to judge you, just to help you." Sarah told him.

Walter took in a deep breath and nodded.

"I wasn't really comfortable with the idea last night, after her surgeon seemed like he'd rather we didn't. Toby made a suggestion to Paige and she agreed that she was willing to let me dictate how we, performed." Walter said still blushing.

Sarah just smiled and nodded trying to encourage him.

"It helped me relax enough to feel more comfortable and we had a mutually pleasing time. After that she fell asleep easily after I helped her to the bathroom and back. I had to be on the other side of the bed and it was enough to throw me off and I couldn't get to sleep. So I worked on a project on my tablet until around 3 a.m. when Paige woke up due to a muscle spasm and she wanted me to turn off the light to try and sleep." Walter finished.

"Well I am glad Toby was able to give you both some advice to help you last night. And sleeping on the opposite side of the bed can be bothersome or is it because you like being closer or further from the doorway? If so maybe you can rearrange the bedroom so the doorway is on the side of the bed you prefer." Sarah suggested.

Walter slowly nodded.

"That might be it, I'll have to move the bed around and try that tonight." Walter agreed.

"So let's talk about Paige's offer to go stay at her condo for a while." Sarah said as her eyes pierced into Walter.

Walter immediately began fidgeting.

"T-T-That would not be desirable, n-n-not in the least." Walter stuttered.

"Why isn't it desirable?" Sarah pressed.

"Because, I love her, I need her near me, to know she is well cared for. I also need my son by me. If she wanted to be at the condo then as long as I could go with her that would be okay." Walter finished.

Sarah nodded.

"When was the last time you guys stayed at her condo?" Sarah scribbled.

Walter frowned.

"I'm actually, I'm actually not sure." Walter looked to Toby but then looked back at the plant along the wall across from him. "It has been some time."

Sarah nodded.

"It's okay if you don't remember Walter. It is interesting that with your memory and recall that you don't. Have you had any bad experiences at her condo?" Sarah asked.

Walter shook his head.

"No, I just prefer my Loft and since we got back together Paige has just been agreeable to staying there." Walter told her.

"It is a little weird with the cost, have you discussed her releasing the condo and moving into the Loft full time? Or are you waiting until after the wedding?" Sarah asked.

"We haven't actually discussed it. But I think now we should. It is an unneeded expense for her. Maybe Paige doesn't feel like the Garage and Loft is hers so she keeps the condo. Most if not all the things she values is at the Loft anyway." Walter said as he scratched at his chin.

"How are you and Happy doing since all of this has happened?" Sarah asked.

"You mean, like, do I blame her for Paige getting hurt saving her?" Walter frowned.

Sarah smiled.

"In part yes, but I also mean in general. Do the two of you still talk like before that weekend?" Sarah continued.

"Well I don't blame her for Paige being hurt. I blame myself for that. Because I froze, because I couldn't put Toby's words out of my head I wasn't there when Paige needed me the most. As for Happy, I think we actually talk a little better than we did before. But I still feel a little uncomfortable being in close proximity to her. She actually noticed it and she moved her workbench further from where the door in and out of the Garage is to give me, I guess a sense of security." Walter tried to explain.

Sarah nodded with a smile just as a timer beeped.

"Well Walter I think you are making good progress over all. I do encourage you to try rearranging your bed, but also maybe the three of you can try staying at the condo and see how you feel there, perhaps this weekend. Maybe it will help you in general being away from where it happened. And talk with Paige about the condo, maybe the two of you need to set a time table for her getting rid of it since you said you really want to live in the Loft." Sarah told him as she put her notebook on her desk.

Walter nodded as he stood.

"Thank you Sarah, I really appreciate your help. Oh and don't forget if Paige calls you, you have my permission to discuss whatever she wants to discuss with you." Walter told her as he left the room.


Sarah looked at Toby.

"How are you doing with all of this?" Sarah asked him seriously.

Toby gave her a half smile.

"With Walter, I've never felt better. With Paige and Happy, it is still a process. Some days I really want to go off on them even more. But over all everything I have seen of Walter makes me believe he's getting better thanks to you." Toby told her.

Sarah nodded.

"How are your sessions with Cecil? Are you just doing couples counseling or are you talking to him or anyone else about things personally?" Sarah probed.

"I'm only seeing him with Happy. I'm not seeing anyone privately." Toby told her.

Sarah nodded.

"Well I'd be happy to have sessions with you if you want, I think it would do you some good talking about the things I am sure you are holding back on with Happy and Paige since Cecil and Cabe, and it was Cabe right? After the both of them laid down the law on what you had done." Sarah asked as she flipped back into Walter's notebook.

Toby smiled and nodded.

"Yep, Cabe, he's been like a Father to all of us. With the exception of Paige we all had crappy Dads. I mean they tried, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to handling kids with IQs as high as we have and with the EQ problems we all had it just wasn't easy on any of them. Then add in the trauma some of them went through, like Happy's Mom dying giving birth, my Dad dealing with my Mom's mental issues, Sylvester's Dad the typical absent military Father."

"But at least he is now trying to repair some of that with Sylvester. But Cabe has just been a true blessing. It might not be a bad idea if I start coming to talk to you. I do want to have Happy come talk to you. She's not doing well with what she did to Walter. It might even be good to get Paige to see you. Maybe you should just come to the Garage three days a week, we'd keep you busy." Toby laughed trying to joke to push the emotions he was feeling for Cabe and about his own childhood out of his mind.

Sarah smiled and nodded.

"Well you talk it over with Happy and Paige, I'll be happy to help all three of you. Though maybe this Cabe could use some couch time too." Sarah said as she stood up.

Toby laughed as he stood.

"Good luck with him. He doesn't really believe in this kind of thing personally. Though he did pretty well with me helping him through his boyhood trauma of when his Father was murdered in front of him." Toby told her as he put on his hat. "Oh, I'm sure Paige and Happy will ask me. If you think they might get to come and be with Walter anytime soon."

Sarah shook her head.

"No, Walter is improving. And while I think my initial two weeks will see him back to where he was before Happy was kidnapped, I'm still going to want at least another three months of regular visits before I even consider letting either of them come sit in on a session." Sarah told him seriously as she held out her hand.

Toby nodded even as he shook her hand.

"I'm curious, why don't you come with Walter every appointment?" Sarah asked as Toby was about to leave.

Toby smiled.

"To give him a chance to say anything he might be feeling that he might not want to say in front of me." Toby tipped his hat and then left the office.


Cabe smiled as Walter came out of the office.

"Well, how did it go kid?" Cabe asked as Walter bounded across the parking lot.

"It was a lot better than I thought it might go. I might have to take a nap when we get back though. I'm really dragging." Walter told him as he stopped to talk with while waiting on Toby.

"Where's the Doc?" Cabe asked as he looked up at the door.

"I heard Sarah ask him how he was doing with all of this. He might be a few minutes at least." Walter told him as he looked back.

"Cabe, you've always been fairly straight with me, even when I didn't like what you had to say. And I know you are feeling particularly protective over me right now but, do you think less of me over this?" Walter asked.

Cabe stared at him a moment and then reached up and grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him in close. He kissed his cheek.

"You are one of the strongest men I know and don't you think otherwise for even one minute." Cabe told him.


Greetings! Hope this finds you all well! And this chapter finds you completely caught up with me. With WUTB (Walter Under The Bridge), and the next Knight's Tale stories talking so much I've not heard from this one in quite a while. And there is another story idea that came to mind and I wasn't sure how to tell it until I was talking with Railman privately the idea of how to tell it came to me and I'm about done with chapter 2 of it. The story idea I love, I'm not sure about the style but I'm not sure how to tell it otherwise. So I'll see. So at least until this story speaks again I'll only be posting Caber. That will be Tuesday, Thursday and the final on Saturday. Knight's Tale will probably be a short 3 chapter leg. I think that is all the news. Caber should be live by 11 am EDT tomorrow as I will post it before I leave for the VA.

Railman - Paige said thank you, like she told Walter she had just been Mom for so long and even though she was having a great time with Walter that way when Happy came out to her it caused a yearning and if she had known what would be the result of that she'd never have crossed that line. Yep the differences in health care systems. Though you will meet some pretty judgmental and horse's butts in ours, most of them are pretty chill and they know the food in the hospital leaves a lot to be desired, but I will say I am so glad in the changes made. I use to HATE going with my Dad when he'd go to clinic, as a young boy. The smell of that gawd awful barley soup permeated the hospital from basement to roof. I can still smell it to this day more than 50 years later. So the menus have improved but they still have a ways to go.

Margaret - Sarah's working with 2 things, the 2 weeks of daily sessions is to help Walter get back to where he was before the kidnapping and Paige got hurt. What Ralph was happy with was that until that morning Walter would just give him what he wanted. But he actually stopped and gave an alternative, which to Ralph is progress in him returning to before his flashback at the warehouse. The actual recovery from his feelings of betrayal and feeling raped will take months or longer. This story probably won't (at least I hope it doesn't) actually go that long. It will probably time jump from point to point. My wife use to have PTSD workbook but it was called something else back then. But I'll be darned if I can remember what it was now. When she was faithful with it, it helped her a lot. The big turning point for the wife was when her "destructive" personality finally came to see me as an ally an not someone actively against her. And really "Kendra" wasn't the true destructive personality. She was the one with the anger and self loathing that the destructive personality could manipulate to cause her to be destructive. Mostly to herself, sometimes to possessions. It was very interesting when it happened, physically Cathy's head would grow extremely warm and she'd be sweating around her head because of it. I always guessed it was because of increased neural activity but I have no clue if that was truly the reason.

Lucy - Thank you! hehe Walter is loved! lol

To the Adventure! -Tim