Happy sat on the console while laying back in Walter's arms, moments like these with Walter endeared him ever more into her heart. His smile told her he was pleased after lunch. Walter's grin became a smirk as he lazily caressed her breasts through her turtleneck.
"As wonderful as this time has been and as good as your company has made me feel, I suppose we should get back to our day." Walter sighed.
"It might be best, at least for Centipede, I don't want to fall behind on my job." Happy told him.
Walter kissed her tenderly at first and then with a little fire. They both let out their breaths as they broke their kiss. Walter pulled his hand back so Happy could get back up. He assisted her as he pushed gently with his left hand against the back of her shoulders.
"Happy, I meant what I said earlier, you know that right?" Walter asked.
Happy nodded.
"I won't try to cover for anyone who upsets me like that again. I promise." Happy told him.
"Toby's beginning to get too big of a head, I might still have to teach him a lesson, but for now he's safe." Walter smiled.
"Did you make up your mind about tonight?" Happy asked as she slipped her arms into her Centipede work shirt to put it back on. While the restaurant wasn't about to upset Walter, they had politely requested if it was okay, that she remove it for lunch.
"While she makes this white shirt look so nice, her turtleneck is so pretty compared to the work shirt Mr O'Brien…wouldn't you rather people see it than this plain, boring white shirt?" The maitre d had asked.
"Well I won't know until we're into the date and how it is going. But, something about today is making me feel like I just want to give you things. I won't be coming over tonight. You can keep whatever plans you have." Walter smiled as he brushed his hand along her cheek.
Happy gave him a weak smile.
"Thank you…but you can still come over." Happy mentally kicked herself for adding that.
"Well actually, there is one thing you might have to do tonight now that I think about it." Walter grinned.
'Here it comes.' Happy thought.
"Provided they move swiftly and can get to the Governor, your Dad might be released by the end of business today." Walter told her.
Happy's eyes went wide even as she gasped.
"Wha-what? How?" Happy asked as she stared at him.
"It seems someone who was really pleased with you and who had intimate details of how it was done, provided all the proof required to demonstrate how your Dad was framed for the crime. They gave it to The Innocence Project." Walter told her as his eyes bore into hers.
A slight tear ran down her face.
"If you have no objections Walter, I'd like to kiss you. Since I don't know who went out of their way to do this for my Dad." Happy told him.
"If you want to kiss me, I'll be happy to accept it on this person's behalf. But they didn't do it for your Dad, they did it for you." Walter told her just before she came over the console and kissed him passionately.
Happy walked into the Garage even as Walter took off down the street. Without looking at anyone she walked over and pulled her go bag out from under her workbench. She opened it and pulled a couple of things out and walked to the bathroom in the back of the Garage.
Megan came over to her workbench after she returned and hugged her.
"Are you okay?" Megan asked.
Happy shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
"I will be better, especially if my Dad is released soon." Happy flashed a small smile.
"Walter told you?" Megan seemed surprised.
"Well he didn't admit he did it, just that someone who was really pleased with me and had access to all the data about how Dad was framed and turned it over to The Innocence Project." Happy told her.
"Well Happy, you know you can count on us. We will back you in however you want to handle my brother. I know you probably hold back a little because he is my brother but I don't want you too. I want you to break from his control. And Mark and I will support you. We also want you to spend at least the next week here in our spare bedroom. And we're not taking no for an answer." Megan smiled.
Paige closed the door of her crappy apartment and leaned back against the door with a dreamy smile on her lips. Her date with Walter had blown her mind. He had been completely charming, witty, attentive and all of the knowledge he seemed to possess. His eyes had been so deep, she had felt drawn into them deeper and deeper. She really enjoyed his car as well. She'd never been in a Jag before and when she had expressed how she loved it, he took her out to a track after the movie. The maintenance man at the track happily opened the gate after Walter gave him some money. The Jag was clocked at zero to sixty in just under three seconds.
Walter popped the top off before they flew around the track. Paige's hair cascaded behind her in the air flow and at one point she looked over and saw they were exceeding two hundred miles an hour. But Walter's confidence was so powerful and his hands worked masterfully on the controls of the car she never felt unsafe. And then he did something she couldn't believe. He pulled over and let her drive.
Walter had to explain the clutch, and walked her through it a couple of times as she practiced pushing the clutch in and then pretending to shift. She finally felt like she was comfortable and so she followed his instructions and started the car. It took a couple of tries getting the car moving without killing the engine from releasing the clutch without enough torque from the engine to keep it from stalling. She kept looking at him when it died, embarrassment and fear on her face. But Walter's face never once looked upset, angry or like he thought she was stupid. He just chuckled lightly and smile while encouraging her more.
Soon they began moving, slowly, but Walter would say "Clutch" and she'd push it in and he'd guide her hand to shift and she'd maintain her position on the gas and release the clutch and they'd pick up speed. He kept pushing her to try more, to go faster and when she saw they were well past one hundred and sixty she swallowed as she took her foot off the gas and took it out of gear as she applied the brake and brought the car to a stop.
Paige nearly melted on the spot as they stood outside of her door and he kissed her goodnight. If there was one thing Walter knew about women, in general, it was how to kiss them. He had a long list of exes who could attest to the power of his passionate kisses. And Paige was caught up in that kiss. So much so, she was about to break her first rule, no sex on the first date. But after breaking the kiss Walter smiled at her again, his bedroom eyes piercing deep into hers and then he kissed her tenderly.
"I hope that I was able to earn a second date, because I really enjoyed our time together." Walter whispered. Part of him was screaming at him to take her right then, but he refused.
Paige inhaled and nodded with a big smile.
"I would love that Walter. Will I see you tomorrow?" Paige smiled as she reached out her hand to toy with the topmost buttoned button of his shirt. Her eyes were drinking in the four inches of his chest exposed by it as she still struggled with desire to have sex with him. Her tongue licked her lips as her eyes looked at the outline of the small dip in his neck where the clavicles and top of his sternum ended.
"Oh I can promise you, you will see me tomorrow. I'm not letting go without a fight." Walter winked.
Paige nodded while smiling and watched him walk back to his car, biting her lower lip. They waved and she stepped into her apartment and as his door closed she closed her door.
Walter watched her door for a moment before he started his car.
Paige grinned as she heard the powerful engine roar to life. She grinned even more knowing she'd probably hear some complaints about that noise.
Walter grinned as he drove away. Part of him couldn't believe he didn't take her as he got into the car, but he knew now, Paige was the one. The one he had been searching for, for all his life. Like Happy she molded herself to him but there was something different about it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it and he tried, desperately, to put his finger on it. He was in such a good mood, life was finally making things right for him. He didn't deserve what happened to him at sixteen and for the first time he didn't have to cover his feelings of self loathing and hate with acts of power against another.
He needed to talk to his sister…to his brother Mark. They needed to know, he was different, he was better. He was healed. He would need to talk to Happy. She was free, he had to let her go. He had to let her seek out her life. Whatever she needed or wanted.
He was almost shocked as he realized he was at the Garage already. The intervening space and time from Paige's had passed in total oblivion to him. He looked at his dash clock and saw it was almost 2 a.m. as he pulled up in front of the Garage. 'Well hopefully they won't be too upset that I'm here so late.' Walter thought.
Walter pulled out his phone and he typed a message to Paige.
"Paige, I was going to wait but…that was by far the best date I have ever had. What an amazing evening. I don't even dare to hope that it was for you as well, as I don't want to jinx anything. But at the same time I am." Walter smiled and sent it off.
He reached over and pulled the handle and got out of his car. He dropped his phone in his pocket and shut the door. He chuckled at how happy he felt. His hand hit the button locking the door and arming the alarm before he began to slowly walk back down the sidewalk to the front door of Centipede. So oblivious, he didn't even see Happy's truck parked out front.
Megan sat up in bed quickly. She was sure she heard something.
"Mark, Mark, I think someone just came into the Garage." Megan told him as she shook his shoulder.
"Huh, uh, what?" Mark groaned before he looked at his watch. "It's two twenty in the morning Megan." Mark complained.
"Mark, someone came into the Garage, I'm sure of it." Megan told him again.
Mark's eyes went wide and he quickly climbed out of their bed. He slipped on his slippers and robe before grabbing his baseball bat.
"Just be careful, it could be Walter. He might have gone looking for Happy and came here when he couldn't find her." Megan told him.
Mark nodded as he moved out of their bedroom. He hit the wall switch as he walked out of the hallway into the living area and the lights over the Garage came on.
"Who's there?" Mark called out as he stepped to the railing and looked down around the floor. "Walter?" He called out. Then his eyes saw the alarm panel and he saw something red on it and his eyes opened wider. His eyes saw red smeared around the floor from the door to the alarm and then over to the side of the ramp and stopped. A cold chill ran down Mark's back as he moved quickly down the steps to the Garage floor.
"Walter!" Mark yelled in panic. "Megan, call nine one one. Walter has been attacked." Mark said as he dropped the bat and rushed forward. "Hang in there Walter." Mark said as he slipped his fingers around the knife blade stuck in his torso. His hand pressed down against the wound hoping to stop the blood flow. "Who did this to you Walter?"
Walter's eyes were swollen and unfocused and his lips seemed to mouth something. He almost looked like a fish out of water.
Happy came running out of her room hearing the yelling and she froze at the top of the stairs. She could see Mark was on his knees beside the ramp. His arms were out before him like he was pressing down on something. She began running down the stairs and froze as she saw the blood on the concrete floor and the body lying in front of Mark.
Mark's head turned as he heard a gasp behind him and saw Happy standing there with her hand to her mouth.
"Happy, get the first aid kit, quickly." Mark yelled.
Happy ran into the kitchen and a minute later she came running back out with the kit. She ran up and dropped the kit when she saw Walter lying there. His nose was broken, both eyes were swollen. Blood flowed from his nose and mouth.
"Walter." Happy said weakly.
"Happy, I need your help." Mark snapped trying to get her to focus.
Something in Happy did focus, but not completely the way Mark meant. Things started to become clear to Happy and slowly she knelt down and finally began helping trying to stem the blood loss.
"Ambulance is on its way. Our alarm company already called the police. They'd received an emergency code through the alarm panel." Megan said as she rode her scooter down the ramp. As she turned off the ramp and got around Mark and Happy, Megan broke and began crying seeing Walter. "Is he dead?" Megan choked out.
"No, but we've got to get this bleeding under control or he will be." Mark told her as he worked with Happy.
The police were on scene first and then the paramedics. They let Megan and Happy leave to follow the ambulance while Mark stayed to give his statement and take care of Anthony.
It was nearly six thirty when Mark finally got all the blood and mess cleaned up. He carefully got their sleeping son up and let him sleep as he took him to the hospital. Since Happy and Megan had taken their accessible van, he took the company car.
It had taken over twelve hours but the surgeons had repaired the damage and saved Walter's life. Megan sat beside him for over three days. Walter woke periodically for a few minutes but usually passed out quickly. One of the times he woke up with enough clarity, Happy was sitting with Megan.
"Walter, I'm no longer yours. I'm done with you, do not seek me out again." Happy told him before she stood and started leaving.
"Wait, Happy, please." Walter said with pain in his jaw. His speech was affected since they had to wire his mouth shut.
Happy kept walking and was almost to the door.
"Megan, please, I have to tell her something. It is important for her." Walter pleaded pathetically.
Megan swallowed hard. She loved her brother and she loved Happy. She bit her lip but looked back.
"Happy, Mark and I fully support you and you have broken this finally, but is it within you to listen to what he seems to need to tell you?" Megan asked cautiously.
Happy's head slumped but she turned and walked back in.
"What?" Happy said curtly.
Walter tried to smile but just his lips curled up, he could barely make out that it was her.
"Happy, I acknowledge what you have decided. I won't ever bother you again, I promise. But there is something I need for you to do. The only other person I trust is my sister, but she can't do it with her condition." Walter explained.
"I don't need your acknowledgement. Why should I do anything for you?" Happy demanded from him.
"Because it isn't for me, it is to protect you." Walter told her.
Happy rolled her eyes.
"I'm not getting rid of any evidence against you Walter." Happy told him.
"No, but the police might go to my place to try and figure out who did this to me. They most likely won't find it, it is in my safe. You remember where it is and how to get into it. My Elite Pro T laptop, the only thing on it is all our memories." Walter stressed the word memories. "You need to get that laptop and execute my doomsday protocol on it. I don't want anyone to see those memories of you and me. And Happy, you don't need this, you might not even want to hear it, but I am so very sorry. For everything I've done to you. You deserve so much better than me." Walter told her.
"Why are you being human all of a sudden?" Happy cried. "Are you trying to trick me?"
Walter shook his head.
"No, no tricks, I want you to forget me and go live your life. I just have lots of regret for the pain I've caused and the life I squandered. I should have celebrated the love we had, for it was truly a gift." Walter told her.
Happy snorted.
"Right, so you wait until someone nearly kills you to change." Happy said in disgust.
"No, I had changed before I was attacked. I was coming to talk to Megan and Mark, to explain how I was no longer who I was. I had planned to explain it to you the next day, to tell you how much I did love you. How much I wanted you to live free and find someone to love you, like you loved me. All I can say is, the pain and horror that I experienced has been removed. And I'm completely different." Walter promised her.
"Gawd I hate you." Happy told him.
"Happy, I know you hate what I did, but I know even now, you still love me and that's okay. I still love you. But you deserve to have someone who's never hurt you like I have, someone who will only love you as you deserve." Walter told her.
Happy shook her head and walked off even as tears fell from her eyes.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! So, that happened...lol
Railman - Thank you! Like bread crumbs along the path...hehe tiny bits of info to keep coming! lol He does indeed...but that looks to be over now...
Marti - Looks like you are on to something...Is bad Walter truly gone? I can neither confirm or deny if Mark might flip...after all, if he fails at saving Megan...that could be a very bad thing. What if bad Walter and bad Mark join forces? eek!
JerBr23 - hehe Toby has been so much fun to torment in this story! LOL *bad Tim* Well, it looks like the date was a success! But...who tried to kill Walter?