With dinner over and Cabe, Megan and Mark leaving it was just Walter, Paige and Ralph with Happy, Patrick and Toby at the table talking quietly when Walter's phone sounded.
Walter frowned as he pulled his phone out and read the message. They saw him grin and nod.
"Happy, if I paid you extra for it, how fast could you get your current job done?" Walter asked.
"Walter?" Paige asked.
"Just a moment." Walter smiled at her as he held up a finger.
"Well, if I worked fourteen hours a day, I could have it done in a week." Happy frowned.
"Could Patrick's help get that time down?" Walter asked.
"I'm not sure if I am qualified to help her." Patrick frowned.
"If Dad wants to, with his help I could probably knock two days off of it. Why do you need it done so fast?" Happy asked as she thought.
"Is your passport up to date?" Walter asked first.
Happy frowned.
"Of course, working for Homeland requires it. What are you wanting?" Happy was now demanding.
"I worked out a deal with someone but I need someone I trust to inspect it and confirm it matches his claims. I'll pay you both twenty grand to get that job done as fast as possible. I'll pay you another thirty grand and have my travel agent take care of all accommodations for you over there, I'll rent a plane to fly you there and bring you and the item back." Walter told her as he typed a response back to the man.
"Rent a plane? What's wrong with yours or commercial? What am I going to be inspecting?" Happy asked quietly.
"The what, is a secret." Walter grinned. The item is too big for my plane and I don't trust normal cargo planes to carry it."
"Well, what do you say Dad? Want to make an easy twenty grand?" Happy asked.
"It would be nice to have some money to get my garage going again. The banks haven't been responding well to my loan requests." Patrick nodded even as he looked at Walter. "This is legal, right?"
Walter smiled.
"Yes, I would never endanger Happy in such a manner. She'll be protected while she's in Paris as well, I promise. I'd send Toby with her, but he's potentially got so much going on with all the profiling at Homeland right now." Walter told them.
"Paris?!" All four of them said loudly.
"Oui, oui." Walter smiled. "How much have you been trying to borrow?" Walter asked.
Patrick's face took on a puzzled expression as he tried to guess Walter's game.
"One hundred thousand." Patrick finally told him.
Walter nodded and pulled his checkbook out and scribbled on a check.
Paige sat floored watching him write a check for one hundred grand like it was a ten dollar grocery bill.
Walter tore the check off and passed it over to Patrick.
"I'll give you a year to get your business going before expecting payments. A basic five percent interest, deal?" Walter asked.
Patrick sat staring at the check and they saw his eyes redden and he slowly nodded.
"Thank you." Patrick told him.
Happy looked at Walter and mouthed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Walter replied.
"So why do you need Happy to go to Paris?" Paige asked softly as Walter drove them home.
"She's the best engineer I know and I trust her implicitly." Walter explained quietly. "No, this isn't some kind of sexual or emotional thing."
"What is so important you'd spend that kind of money to send her over there?" Paige asked with a slight edge.
"It is a special present for my sister. I've been negotiating with the guy since shortly after I woke up the first time in the hospital. He's been ignoring my communication attempts for a while before that. The old me was really tempted to do something nasty to him before I woke up." Walter smiled. "Her birthday is on Oct 30th, there is just enough time to have it here if Happy says it matches the man's description."
"Walter, that's so sweet. What is it?" Paige asked.
"You promise not to tell?" Walter asked with a grin.
"Of course I promise." Paige huffed.
Walter leaned over at the next red light and whispered into her ear. Paige's eyes opened wide as she looked at Walter. Her eyes blinked several times and watched as Walter nodded.
"Are you serious?" Paige finally found her voice.
"Yep." Walter said before he took off after the light turned green.
"May I make a request about that money you are going to donate?" Paige asked suddenly.
"Of course you can. Do you have an organization that can use it?" Walter smiled.
"She Is Hope LA. They do a lot of work with single Mothers. They could use all the help they can get." Paige told him.
"Sounds like a worthwhile cause. Consider it done." Walter smiled.
"That was very kind, what you did for Patrick." Paige told him.
"The very least I could do." Walter told her as he turned into the outlying housing before Paradise Bluff Cove.
Next Morning:
"Hey Doc." Cabe said as Toby walked in.
"What's up Cabe?" Toby asked as he walked over, seeing him standing by the monitor tree.
"I had an idea last night. Follow me." Cabe told him as he turned and walked to the back of the Garage.
Toby frowned seeing an old canvas punching bag hanging from a ceiling joist.
"What's this?" Toby asked.
Cabe turned around as he grabbed something off a bench nearby.
"I've decided to take you under my wing and try and help you." Cabe said as he held up a pair of boxing gloves.
"Uh, no offense, but you know these are delicate instruments." Toby said suspiciously while holding his hands in the air.
"See, that right there, that isn't going to score any points with Happy. You need to toughen up a little more." Cabe told him.
"When did you decide all of this?" Toby asked softly.
"After I found out that you and Happy were spending some time together. If you want it to last, you need to grow a bit. Show her you are more than snide and snark. That you are worth the effort. We can build you up while knocking a few donuts out of you. And I've got you an appointment to see a meditation specialist." Cabe told him.
"Uh, you know I'm a doctor right? A trained, licensed psychologist." Toby asked quickly.
"And yet you haven't made a dent in how you act. Look doc, you want to keep being a little kid, fine. I can't help you if you don't want to change. But, when the way you are backfires with Happy and she kicks you to the curb, I don't want to hear you whining." Cabe said in disgust as he threw the gloves at him and walked away.
Toby barely caught them before they fell to the floor and then stood up straight watching Cabe walking into the kitchen.
"Hey, Cabe?" Toby called out.
"Yeah?" Cabe stopped and looked back.
"How are you going to teach me if you walk away?" Toby asked.
Cabe grinned and nodded as he began walking back.
"Umm, Walter. We appreciate that you need Happy to do something, but we can't afford to give her and her Dad twenty grand to get her job done quicker." Mark told him as he came down the stairs from the Loft the next morning.
Walter smiled as he shook his head.
"I'm paying them, not the company Mark. And since Happy doesn't have a job after it right now I'm sending her to Paris to evaluate and buy something for me." Walter told him.
"What is going on Walter?" Mark asked.
"Nothing to worry about Mark. Just something I need done. Happy is the best choice to do it." Walter explained.
"Walter, this is the kind of thing we talked about. We need to be kept in the loop on it." Mark explained.
"Mark, the deal hadn't been approved until after dinner last night. I was going to speak with you guys about it, I just needed to finish a few things before I did. Since there was no work for Happy I figured you'd be happy about it." Walter told him.
"What if a job comes in? We got several jobs we've bid on." Mark asked.
Walter shook his head.
"Ms Dineen, do you have the contract ready?" Walter asked without taking his eyes off of Mark.
"Right here Mr O'Brien." Paige told him with a grin as she handed him the sheets of paper.
Walter signed both spots on the forms as both accepting the job and agreeing to the cost of the job. He turned and handed it to Mark to look at.
"She's already been assigned to a new job. Any company submitting a requisition for her services will have to wait until she has fulfilled this job next." Walter told him.
Mark frowned as he scanned the standard contract they used.
"What is she evaluating?" Mark asked as he looked up.
"Can't say." Walter told him.
"Then how do we know we're getting fair compensation?" Mark looked at Walter closely.
"Because at most, she'll be gone for a week. She needs no tools, no materials or parts. She just needs to examine and evaluate something for me and bring it back. And for that, she's getting paid very well from me personally and from the company of which I am paying for her a second time. I've analyzed all of your previous contracts and I've paid a premium for this. Do we really need to butt heads over this?" Walter asked.
"We'd just appreciate you talking to us beforehand." Mark told him before handing the papers back.
"So is that what you meant by wanting me to run this company? To bring every decision to you to make? If that's the case I'll just go home." Walter said, a bit irritated.
"Mark? What are you doing?" Megan asked as she came down the ramp on her scooter.
"Trying to understand why Walter didn't talk to us about this first." Mark explained.
"What's for him to talk to us about? We took a leave of absence. We gave Walter and Paige all the authority. Now leave them alone and get back to the Loft." Megan told him as she reached the Garage floor.
"Sorry." Mark sighed as he nodded and went back upstairs.
"Sorry Walter, Paige. He's finding it a bit harder letting go than he thought he would. I think the stress of trying to figure out this procedure of his is getting to him. Please don't be offended by his words." Megan explained.
"I can understand that." Paige said quickly as Walter nodded.
"I'll try my best to remember what he's going through and not get upset." Walter told her.
Megan grinned.
"That wouldn't have even blipped on the old Walter-upset scale." Megan laughed.
Paige joined her laughter and Walter slowly chuckled.
"What are you guys doing for lunch?" Megan asked.
"I think Walter wanted to go somewhere, but hadn't told me yet." Paige said as she looked at Walter.
"I've got a table at Joanie's downtown." Walter told them.
"Are you serious? When did you book it?" Paige asked with shock written over her face.
"Last night before I went to sleep." Walter told her as he sat back down.
"Last night? They've got like a three month waiting list." Paige frowned.
"Not for Walter. You'll find he can get into almost any place, at any time he wants." Megan smirked.
"Really? Well I might have to test that sometime." Paige grinned. "What about you and Mark? Would you like to go with us?"
"Oh, I don't know." Megan said softly looking at Walter.
Walter looked up even as he shrugged.
"It's just lunch, if you guys would like to go, you are more than welcome. Sylvester could watch Anthony for us." Walter told her.
"If you really don't mind. I'd love to. I haven't been there since my birthday last year when you took us." Megan grinned.
"Well this birthday is hopefully going to be much better." Walter grinned.
"What are you up to deartháir?" Megan asked. Her eyes narrowed as she tried her best to pick up on anything his body might say.
"You'll have to wait until your birthday. Provided everything works out right for it." Walter smiled before looking down at the laptop before him.
"Is this what Happy's going to Paris for? Walter, no. I don't know what it is, but it is too much money." Megan said seriously.
"I'm sorry, I was looking at this job. Did you say something?" Walter asked.
Megan huffed but turned her scooter around and went back upstairs.
Walter sat grinning but he looked back at the laptop.
Just before lunch the door of the Garage opened and a well dressed man walked in carrying several bags of food from Papa Carpini's.
"Walter O'Brien?" The man asked as he looked about the Garage. Hoping he hadn't been had.
Walter stood up and pointed to the large bench in front of the monitor tree.
"Just set it there. Thank you for being prompt." Walter said as he walked over.
The man sat the bags down and then handed him the receipt.
Walter quickly scribbled his name. He wrote in a forty percent tip before handing it back.
The man's eyes went wide.
"Thanks a lot, hope you enjoy your lunch." He grinned before leaving.
"Happy, Patrick." Walter said before looking back. "Sylvester, where's Toby and Cabe?" And then they heard a series of smacks coming from the back of the Garage. Walter frowned and walked around the North side of the Garage to the back. He found Cabe standing there with Toby who had just started working the heavy bag. "Guys?" Walter asked.
"Oh, hey kid. Sorry, just working with the doc. Been having him do some exercises and now he's starting on the heavy bag." Cabe told him.
Walter nodded.
"You need to check your form Toby, you are going to hurt your wrist." Walter told him. "Lunch for you guys was just delivered if you are hungry." Walter told them.
"What's wrong with my form?" Toby asked.
"You got your wrist slightly twisted. The wrong impact and you will either jam it or break it." Walter told him before he turned to leave.
"You know boxing?" Toby said in surprise.
"Cabe taught me when I was about fifteen. I've kept up with it since." Walter told him and walked over and demonstrated the correct form and then rapidly punched the bag six times. He flinched from the pain in his right hand and arm and then shook it. "Forgot I broke it." Walter stopped and felt the bag. "This isn't in very good condition. You might want to see if there is a better side to work from with it. Or we can get you a new one."
Toby stared as Walter walked back up front.
"What the hell? Is there anything he can't do?" Toby whined.
Cabe shook his head.
"Remember what I said about growing some? You need to get over that doc. No one is the best at anything for long. Walter just has a lot of interests and he's exercised those interests a lot.
Toby nodded as Cabe untied his gloves.
"I'm going to go wash up real quick." Toby sighed.
"So what is up with training Toby?" Walter whispered as Cabe joined them up front.
"Well I thought maybe I could give him some pointers, maybe help him grow a bit for, well you know." Cabe whispered back to him.
Walter looked over at Happy talking to her Dad as they filled their plates and nodded.
"Sylvester, Paige and I are going out with Megan and Mark. We'll need you to keep an eye on Anthony while we're gone. Make sure he eats well." Walter told him.
"You've got it. Thanks for lunch." Sylvester smiled.
Walter just nodded as they heard Megan's mobility scooter. He looked up and smiled seeing Anthony riding down with her. Mark walked down the steps and walked over to Walter.
"Umm, Walter, I might need some help with our part of the bill." Mark said softly.
Walter shrugged.
"You were invited, don't worry about it." Walter told him quietly. "Speaking of which, if you need anything in your research, let me know. I'll get it for you."
Mark stared at him for a moment and slowly nodded.
"Thanks, I could use some help with costs." Mark said with pain on his face.
"Hey, you guys are family. Don't worry about it." Walter whispered to him. "Uh, who is driving?" Walter asked the other three adults.
"I guess I am." Mark chuckled as Megan and Paige stepped over to them.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Railman - Worked much better than Sly's! lol Yep. I think Paige is fed up with feeling 2nd place. Not that Walter would do that intentionally. Happy's intervention while mostly motivated because of how she feels towards Sandra, she does enjoy the friendship she has building with Paige too. Well she didn't exactly want her date to go over there...but when she shows up with a bruise growing on her throat and no way to cover it, how do you explain it to your date? lol I almost felt sorry for her...almost.
LouBe - So glad you enjoyed it! I do get carried away sometimes...some chapters are like...dead and then others bustle with things. lol Yep, Walter is something else in this story for sure. She certainly could no doubt there! Will she? Well, that might spoil it...Yes, Happy's relationship with Megan so early really helped bring Happy out of that relationship well she stayed in. I think Paige will be good for her too. Oh his accident was pretty bad. But thankfully recovered. No one song really stuck for this story, but one of my faves while writing and editing it is Heart's You Ain't So Tough.
JerBr23 - Nope, ain't no crap taking by this crew! lol Yeah, poor Ralph. All those years struggling to figure out how to relate/engage people.
Pearliegirl - Oh I get that for sure! It is a strange dynamic. In reality I think if Happy hadn't had such a messed up childhood, she probably would have fought against them bringing Walter in to head CP. But that along with her relationship with Walter numbed her so to speak. Plus she really cares about Megan and Mark and the only way for them to get this chance to save Megan is for Walter to take over the company. There really isn't anyone else they'd "trust" as well to guide them, if such a thing could be said. Hope that helps clear it up a bit? Never worry if something isn't making sense you can always ask, here or Twitter or IG, I'll do my best to explain my thoughts...now that is a scary thought!
Chipbass - Thank you, I try my best! lol Toby is very curious by nature, absolutely! I wonder if that is a good trait for a psychologist? lol I loved Toby to start but the writers just kept changing him into more of a antagonist for Walter instead of the older brother of S1.
Lucy - hehe that she is! lol
To the Adventure! -Tim