Happy and Toby watched as Paige walked up the ramp. The Garage door opened and they watched as Walter and Cabe carried the fifteen foot Christmas tree up to the loft. Once they were out of earshot, "What is wrong with you Doc?" Happy slugged his shoulder.
Toby looked shocked, "Me? What's wrong with you? I thought we were a packaged deal?"
Happy nodded, "Yea, over Walter trying to make us split up or demanding that one of us quit over it. Not over this idiocy. I thought you was finally past this? I thought we had an understanding over the marriage?"
"You and I did, not me and Walter," Toby told her as he walked over to his couch.
Happy followed along with him, "So you are just going to continue being an ass to him?"
Toby shrugged, "Look, I didn't think it would trigger anything. We've all talked about Tim numerous times with him and it's never been a trigger. I seriously didn't think the letter would. I was just kind of hoping to cause a bit of a tiff between them, making Walter jealous."
Happy shook her head, "Why? We're happy together, Walt's happier than either of us have ever seen him and Paige is crazy happy with him. Why are you ruining all of our happiness?"
"How is this ruining our happiness?" Toby looked up at Happy.
"How happy are you right now? I can promise you I am fifty levels below happy right now. You are so frustrating, like I told you in the hospital, you are like a little kid with his favorite toy but in this case you don't give a rat's ass about my happiness." Happy told him.
Toby looked down knowing she was right, "How do you figure that?"
"Because if you did you'd stop this, you might think you and the rest of them might think you are only punishing him but you are also punishing me. Tim nearly killed my best friend. Now he has nightmares about what happened and seeing him freaking out because he's so sure that Tim is back to hurt him hurts me." Happy told him.
Toby nodded, "Let's go upstairs so I can apologize."
Happy nodded as Toby got up.
Cabe was smiling, after getting the tree in the stand and cutting the binding off of it the tree slowly opened up into a beautiful full tree. "I think you are right, this corner is perfect for it," Cabe looked at Walter and Paige as they stood there smiling.
"Hey guys, can we talk for a minute?" Toby asked in subdued tones.
Walter and Paige looked at each other and then Walter nodded as they sat down on the love seat. Toby and Happy walked over and sat on the couch.
Toby looked from Happy to Walter, "First, I'm sorry for what I did this morning. With as much as we've all talked about him, I didn't think the letter would cause a trigger. I figured it might have caused you to get jealous and cause a tiff between you two which is all I really meant to happen. I know that's messed up, but Happy set me straight about all of it. I'm forgiving and forgetting the issue about you both being married and not telling me. I also promise I'm going to knock off the knucklehead stuff."
Walter looked at Paige and she nodded, "Fine, but this better be the last time Toby. Paige and Ralph come first in my life now and I won't tolerate you making me the cause of more anguish for them. I've done enough of that on my own."
Toby nodded as he got up and together with Happy he walked back down stairs.
Walter looked at Paige as she stroked his cheek, "Walter, you haven't caused me any anguish."
Walter smiled as he looked into her eyes, "Not even at the bottom of the tar pit?"
Paige stared at him for a moment and then raised her finger at him. Walter leaned in and kissed her finger and Paige smiled as they hugged.
Cabe looked over, "So do we decorate it now or you want to do it as a family later after we all leave?"
Walter looked at Cabe and then Paige, "Cabe could bring Allie over and the five of us can eat and then decorate it."
Paige returned his smile, "Sounds good to me."
Walter looked back at Cabe, "You heard the boss, we'll save the tree, bring Allie for dinner and we can decorate it tonight after we eat."
Cabe smiled, "I could bring Chinese over with me."
Paige smiled, "Oh Chinese sounds awesome."
Walter looked up from his laptop and saw the time, "Paige, don't you need to leave to pickup Ralph from school?"
Paige shook her head as she finished the case summary for the La Brie Tar Pits rescue. She looked at Walter, "Mom asked if she could pick him up and I told her it was okay."
Walter got nervous, "Are you sure that was a good idea?"
Paige smiled, "I'm trying to trust her a little more."
Toby looked up, "I think I would try trusting her with something less valuable, like maybe your liver."
Walter smiled.
Paige's phone buzzed and she picked it up and checked, "Mom said Ralph just got in the car."
Walter looked at his watch and mentally calculated the trip and set his timer.
Paige smiled as she watched him.
Walter was writing code when his timer went off and he looked at his watch and smiled as he turned it off. He stood up and started walking towards the door when they heard Ralph yell, "Mom."
Walter looked back at Paige as she looked up at him. He took off running as he opened the door he saw a man trying to drag Veronica towards a running car. Walter started running at them and the guy released Veronica and ran for the car. Walter stopped and looked at Veronica, "Are you okay?"
Veronica shook her head, "Not me, they got Ralph. You've got to help Ralph, Walter."
Paige came out of the Garage, "Ralph?"
Ralph looked out of the back window of the car, "Mom."
Walter ran towards the car as the guy was closing his door and the driver stepped on the accelerator. Walter reached out and grabbed the guy's arm and pulled and he fell out of the car and the driver hit the brakes. The guy jumped up before Walter slugged him. The guy hit him back and Walter fell as the guy jumped back into the car and they took off down the street.
Paige grabbed Veronica's car keys and jumped into her car as Cabe came running out with Toby and Happy. Paige started the car and threw it in reverse and floored the accelerator and the tires spun as it quickly pulled back as Paige stopped and put it in drive and cut the wheel and spun the car around to give chase. Walter jumped up and ran over and quickly climbed in as Paige took off after them.
"Happy, help Veronica, Doc, come with me, if this turns into a hostage situation we'll need you." Cabe told him as he climbed into his SUV and started it.
Walter reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and hit conference call and called Cabe and Sylvester and put it on speaker before sliding the phone into his shirt pocket.
"Guys, we're about three blocks behind the kidnappers, slowly gaining." Walter said as he heard them both pick up.
"Doc and I are right behind you guys," Cabe answered. They heard his siren kick on and his lights flashing.
"Happy and I are here with Veronica, she's got a nasty bump but otherwise okay." Sylvester answered.
Cabe looked at Toby, "Call 911."
Toby nodded and got his phone out and called, "911 please hold for the next operator."
"Priority, Homeland, 2835 Cabe Gallo," Cabe yelled.
"Connecting…911 operator 3652," the operator responded.
"I'm in pursuit with civilian Homeland contractors of a dark green sedan with a kidnapped child. Currently passing North Grand on Temple northbound, we need a road block at Douglas street." Cabe responded.
"Stand by, relaying information," the operator confirmed.
Ralph saw the two men were freaking and panicking and he saw this heading south really quick. He reached over and pulled down the back of the car seat and quickly crawled back into the trunk before pulling the seat back up. He felt along the back of the trunk and found the taillight and he kicked at it until it broke. As it let in more light he looked and found the tire iron. He grabbed the tire iron and began jabbing at the trunk lock until it broke. He was able to lift it a bit and looking out he saw his grandma's car a couple of streets back and gaining. He smiled seeing his Mom and Dad in the front seat and he could see Cabe's SUV right behind them.
Paige stared in horror seeing Ralph in the trunk, "Ralphy?"
"It's okay, he's a smart kid Paige. He's crawled into the trunk, minimizing his risk from a head on crash."
An LAPD squad car came flying around the corner almost sideswiping Veronica's car as they joined in pursuit.
As the two men came around the corner of Temple they came face to face with six LAPD squad cars blocking the road at Douglas and the driver slammed on the brakes. Ralph slammed into the back of the backseats as the trunk lid flew up and the car crashed into a parked car.
"Ralphy," Paige screamed as she slammed on her brakes. Walter jumped out and ran forward. He slid to a stop and reached in and grabbed Ralph, he pulled him out and ran back to Paige as Cabe came forward with Toby.
It took a bit of talking from Cabe to get the LAPD to stand down from Walter, Paige and Toby. Toby was quickly assessing Ralph's condition, "I believe he is fine, but I want to get some x-rays and maybe a CT to be sure." He looked at Paige as she knelt there next to Walter, his arm around her shoulders holding her tightly, with tears in her eyes. "Paige, I am sure he is fine, I know this hurts, but he's going to be just fine." Toby told her with all the compassion he had.
Walter and Paige sat in the small ER room looking over Ralph, Walter looked over to Paige, "This is killing me, what's taking them so long? Why can't they just tell us what is going on with Ralph? Is this what it was like for you when I've been in here so much?"
Paige smiled and slowly nodded, "I just had to trust they knew what they were doing and as soon as they had answers they would advise me."
Walter shook his head as he held her tighter, "I don't know how you did it. I feel like I am about to crawl out of my skin."
Paige smiled as she kissed Walter, "Mom, Dad?" Ralph called out.
They both jumped up and Paige fell over Ralph as she hugged and kissed him. Walter closed his eyes in relief as he reached out and placed his hand on Ralph's thigh.
It was nearly 7 p.m. when everyone walked into Kovelsky's to have dinner. As they all took seats around the large round table Paige looked at Walter and Cabe, "How'd we go from having Chinese to Kovelsky's?" Paige pouted.
Walter smiled, "Chinese tomorrow?" Paige perked up and nodded.
"See you guys tomorrow," Walter told everyone as Cabe dropped him, Paige and Ralph off at the Garage. Walter unlocked the door and they all stepped in and he reset the security system and locked the door back. "What a day," Walter said as he walked up the ramp with his arm around Paige's waist.
Paige looked at Ralph as he stopped in the living room admiring the Christmas tree, "Do you have any homework Ralph?"
Ralph nodded and then he turned around, "Where are my school books?"
"They're down here," Veronica said from below.
Ralph turned and ran down the ramp, "Grandma?"
"I'm going to kill her," Paige growled at Walter.
"I'll go get some plastic tarps and a shovel," Walter told.
Paige frowned for a moment and then smiled as she kissed him and they walked back down the ramp.
"Who were those men? What did they want?" Paige demanded.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry, they worked for the people that shot at us that day. They were waiting outside when we got back." Veronica explained.
"Mom, you have made us all unsafe. If it was just me, I could handle that, but you have put Ralph and Walter at risk. I'm sorry you have got to go, now." Paige told her with tears in her eyes.
"I know sweetheart and I really am sorry. I'd already packed my bags. I was just waiting on you guys to get home so I could see how Ralph was. I wanted to be able to say goodbye to you in person. I've really enjoyed the last couple of weeks with you guys," Veronica told her.
"Walter, please take care of my babies and yourself," Veronica told him as she walked over and picked up her suitcase. She walked over and punched in her code on the security pad. She stepped over to the door and as she reached out for the knob Paige grabbed her and hugged her.
Paige cried, "I wish you hadn't done this, it's been nice having you around for a change."
Veronica smiled, "I'll miss you too."
Ralph and Walter stepped up and she hugged them both and then turned and left the Garage. Ralph turned and walked up to the loft slowly.
Paige grabbed Walter and began crying in his shoulder. Walter lifted his arms and gently put them around her as he hugged her tightly. "It hurts so much Walter," Paige cried.
Walter nodded, "I can only imagine it does my love. I'm sorry." He led her over to the couch and he sat down and pulled her down onto her lap and held her as she continued to cry.
After about fifteen minutes Walter lifted her chin and kissed her. "Want to go check on Ralph with me?"
Paige nodded with a small smile before she stood and Walter got up and they walked up to the loft hand in hand. They found Ralph sitting at the dining room table working on his homework. They paused in the living room as they could smell the pine scent of the tree. "Oh, that reminds me," Paige let go of Walter's hand and hurried into the kitchen. She got a pitcher of water and dug through the cabinet and pulled out some baby aspirin.
As she came back into the living room and Walter frowned, "Headache?"
Paige smiled, "And old trick to help maintain cut plants." She crushed up several aspirins and crawled under the tree and dumped them in the stand and then filled it with water.
I hope you have enjoyed this re-imagining of 3x11! I realize some have thought Toby and Happy were a bit out of character but in the original series when Toby first found out about Walter and Happy he physically attacked Walter. In this re-imagining that same desire was there but he didn't get to do so. And for the most part since my story with Toby finding out he hasn't dealt with the issue. It was also aggravated by Happy threatening him if he tried to attack Walter. So what happens when you want to exact some kind of payback against someone but it's continually put on hold? That anger and frustration grows until it finds a release.
Happy has never been one to just blindly support Toby, privately or publicly when he's wrong. She's quick to physically assault him or at least call him out on his BS. And while I know they came together to stand against Walter over his ultimatum to either split up or one of them quit that was over a very specific situation and nothing since then ever demonstrated that she would go to the mat against Walter if she thought Walter was in the right. She even threaten to leave Toby over his gambling because it made her feel unsafe. Anyway I hope this helps you to see where this story is coming from and that it makes a bit more sense now. To the Adventure! -Tim