"Happy, what's this Toby was telling me about you going to Paris next week?" Cabe asked Happy as they sat eating lunch.
"Oh." Happy said as she looked up at Cabe and then Toby. "Something Walter wants to buy. He said I was the only one he trusts to judge its condition. So he's paying Dad and me extra to get this job done and then flying me over to Paris." Happy explained.
Cabe frowned.
"What is it?" Cabe asked.
"Not a clue. Walter said it's a secret. I guess I'll find out when I get there." Happy said before taking another bite.
"Anyone going with you?" Cabe asked.
"No, he hinted at wanting to send Toby but he needs to be here for the whole Homeland investigation." Happy told him. "What's going on with you guys in the back?"
"Personal improvement project." Cabe grinned as he clapped his hand on Toby's shoulder. "He told me he wanted to make a commitment to put away some of his childish behaviors. So proud of him, I told him I'd do my best to help him."
Toby blushed as he knew Cabe was trying to make Happy think it was his idea.
"Uh, Doc, you know Walter doing this isn't about him and me right? We're just…friends-ish now. I have no desire for him and I wouldn't disrespect Paige or anyone else, even if I did." Her eyes were focused solely on him when she said "anyone else".
Toby swallowed.
"Cabe's just trying to help me since I had such a crappy Father. He's giving me the guidance I should have had a long time ago." Toby told her softly.
Happy slowly nodded.
"Well, try not to hurt yourself. You never know when you will need your strength." Happy told him.
Toby's eyes went wide from the signal he picked up from her body language.
"You ready Dad?" Happy said with a grin as she stood up seeing the expression on Toby's face.
"Right behind you, I just need to hit the head." Patrick said as he stood and moved off for the back of the Garage.
"She's actually impressed by this?" Toby whispered.
"Women are always impressed when a person they like is trying to improve themselves." Cabe whispered back to him.
"Thanks for making it seem like this was my idea." Toby told him.
"It was, kid. I had walked away, remember?" Cabe grinned as he squeezed his shoulder.
Toby smiled at the small bit of subterfuge realizing that had been Cabe's ploy all along.
Paige frowned as the waitress stood before them and recited the menu to them.
"How am I supposed to know what to order if I don't know how much something is?" Paige whispered to Walter as she leaned over to him.
Walter grinned and whispered back. "Don't worry about cost. Just get whatever sounds good to you."
Paige looked at him through her narrowed eyes.
"Anything?" Paige asked cautiously.
Walter smiled as he looked at the young woman before them.
"Is the Louis Roederer Brut Champagne Cristal still the best wine you have?" Walter asked.
"Yes sir, it is." She smiled.
"A bottle of that should be fine then." Walter smiled.
Paige's eyes went wide.
"Walter." She whispered. "That's over $300 a bottle."
"You know what." Walter smiled at the waitress.
Paige breathed a sigh of relief believing he was changing his order.
"If you have it, why don't you set aside a case of it for us to take with us as well." Walter told her.
Paige's eyes nearly bugged out as the waitress grinned and nodded as she jotted it down.
"Are you ready to order, or would you like me to bring back the bottle so you can try it?" She asked.
"Go ahead and bring the bottle and maybe everyone will know what they want then." Walter told her. Walter waited until she moved off some distance. "Guys, order whatever you want to eat. Seriously, this is celebratory, so don't even begin to worry about cost. And if memory serves, it goes very well with their crab and lobster."
"Are there any other surprises you have in store for us?" Paige asked.
"You never know with Walter. He's as chaotic as a hurricane at times." Megan grinned. "And when Walter takes the gloves off on cost, then do what I do. And splurge." Megan laughed. "But I do remember it went well with the Alaskan red king crab, which is what I'm getting."
Walter just grinned at her.
"Well there actually is another surprise. One which I will share now. Next summer, when Ralph gets out of school. If we're still running CP I'm going to shut it down for three months. So we'll need to plan jobs not to overlap into that time. I'll pay everyone for the time off myself, so calm down brother." Walter told them while looking at Mark.
"For three months? What do you have planned?" Megan frowned.
"I'm going to take Paige and Ralph on a three month trip around the world. My travel agent is already putting together an itinerary for us. I do hope all your posts on social media are up to date on what and where you'd like to visit, otherwise it will be a strange vacation." Walter grinned at Paige.
"Walter, are you serious? You and this are too much." Paige said softly as she hugged his arm.
"I'm going to spoil you so bad you won't ever want to leave me." Walter said softly as he kissed her.
"You've already ensured that, Mister." Paige said as she kissed him back.
"You two are so cute." Megan grinned.
Paige grinned back at her.
"So tell me, how did you and Mark meet?" Paige asked as she reached over and squeezed her hand.
Megan looked at Mark and smiled.
"Nothing really out of this world, but to me it was beyond Pluto. I had gone in for my new therapy time slot back in 2007 and there was this man sitting in the middle of all these kids who all had MS as well. And he was reading them stories. I watched from the therapy room and he was so gentle and kind with the kids. Those who needed a little extra help, he helped. Those that didn't, he let them do whatever on their own. I asked my therapist about him, asking when he started working there. She laughed and said he was a volunteer. He came in every Tuesday and Wednesday to try and entertain and educate the kids." Megan said as she squeezed his arm with hers.
"I made it a point to get introduced to him. He was so cute and bashful." Megan grinned at him.
"All part of my master plan to lure you into my clutches." Mark grinned back.
Megan and Paige laughed.
"Then why did I have to ask you out first?" Megan eyed him.
"It worked didn't it?" Mark continued grinning.
Megan laughed as she shook her head. "I suppose it did, my heart."
"So when Walter first told me about you, I guess he had been coming to visit you at the diner where you worked for a number of weeks? He said it had been a chance event but he couldn't stop himself after meeting you." Megan grinned at Walter shaking his head.
"You just have to try and knock me down a peg or two don't you?" Walter grinned.
"Of course baby brother. That's what a big sister is for." Megan grinned as Paige laughed.
"Well, actually we have come to find out a few nights ago that we actually knew each other nine years ago." Paige said smiling as she hugged his arm as her head kind of leaned in against his shoulder.
"Really?" Megan said shocked as the waitress returned with the bottle.
They watched as she carefully, but expertly, worked the stopper and then there was a small pop sound as the cork came free. She gently poured a glass for each of them. The glasses had been chilled just a bit and the mix of the chilled liquid with the chilled crystal created an ambient sound that piqued the interests of all who could hear.
They all decided to go with the crab and the waitress smiled before leaving them.
"Now I'm really curious how my brother, who can recall with perfect clarity everything he's ever known, somehow forgot he knew you." Megan said before she took a small slip of the champagne.
"I wasn't going to bring that up." Walter looked at Paige. "But if you wish to tell her, be my guest." Walter kissed her.
"It's okay Walter." Paige smiled as she caressed his cheek.
"We met at a special party in San Francisco." Paige told her with a slight blush.
"And this is what Toby was trying to find out about?" Megan asked, looking intently at her.
Paige nodded.
"It is a little embarrassing to tell, but Drew, my boyfriend at the time, wanted us to go to this costume and masquerade ball." Paige started explaining the story of how they met.
"And you think there is a chance that Ralph might be Walter's son?" Megan looked shocked.
Paige and Walter nodded.
"We're waiting on a DNA test we had done to be sure." Walter told her.
"Oh Walter, if this is true, I'm going to be so happy for you. And it will really tickle Mom." Megan told him.
Walter sighed.
"Must we bring her into this conversation?" Walter asked plaintively.
"Walter." Megan said tiredly and with pain. "I know deartháir, I know your pain, I know all of it. But, one day, Mom won't be here anymore. I gave up on trying to get you to see it for Father. You're right, he was horrible to you and has done some unforgivable things to you. And maybe by her silence she has too, but she does love you. She's constantly asking about you, asking me to try and intercede, to get her just a chance with you. I don't know why it has taken this long, maybe Father's vileness has finally come to light with her."
"But she's never once called me, has she? Has she ever asked you for my number?" Walter asked, his voice warbling with anger.
"Maybe we can table this discussion for later and just try and relax. So we can enjoy our time here and the food that we're going to be eating." Paige said quickly.
Mark nodded as Walter and Megan continued to stare at each other.
"I think that is an excellent suggestion. No more discussion of extended family matters." Mark told them. "I'm curious though, what happened that you two figured out you had known each other?"
Paige blushed.
"I've a mole over my right breast that isn't normally seen unless I'm topless." Paige answered.
Mark looked shocked at first and then nodded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't even think of something like that. I apologize, I didn't mean for you to speak of such an intimate thing." Mark told her.
Paige just smiled and shook her head.
Megan started laughing as she heard that.
"Now, that's my baby brother for sure." Megan said as Walter grinned at her and nodded.
"Well, looks like you have decided to live." The attorney said to Drew as he woke up from the nap he took.
"What do you want?" Drew asked slowly as he blinked.
"What do I want? I want to be able to stop defending people who do the things you did. That's what I want. But I'm here to tell you the investigation is over. I've gone over all the evidence with the Judge and DA and we all agreed. There is no sign of demonstrable negligence or malicious intent on behalf of the facility to warrant your lawsuit. So the judge squashed it." His attorney told him.
"Damn it, I at least deserve something. Even some time off for their negligence." Drew said bitterly.
"That is not going to happen, unless a parole board when you go before them determines that it warrants early release. And you got a blessing after being stabbed. That blessing was because one of the inmates used to be a doctor and was able to save you until they got you on the operating table." The attorney told him.
"If I ever get my hands on that guy, I'll show him how to stab correctly." Drew said even as his hand went to his abdomen.
"Right, you didn't even kill the guy you stabbed, remember? What do you think you can show him to improve on?" The attorney asked.
"He lived? Damn it, I can't catch a break. I was hoping there had been enough damage to let him linger a bit so they both could suffer and then he'd croak." Drew told him.
"So why did you attack the guy?" The attorney asked.
"I was watching her place like normal. Saw him pull up in that fancy ass car of his. I just knew he was slumming, looking for an easy piece of ass, I never thought she'd give in to him. Then I saw her face when they returned, I knew right then she wanted him, wanted him more than anyone before. All the others before him, she had no real interest in. She wanted him more than she ever wanted me back in the beginning. We were all merely timekeepers for her, to occupy her time until he came along. I could tell, if he hadn't walked away she'd have become his slut that night. And I wasn't having it, no one but me gets her. Not anymore. I wasn't about to let him take her away from me." Drew said with anger.
"Well I commend you on that. Most of you just go and kill the woman and maybe yourself. Wish you guys would learn to just kill yourself and save everyone else the hassle of dealing with everything you do." The attorney told him.
"What the hell, you are supposed to be my attorney." Drew grunted.
"Hey, would you put a step on it counselor? Your time is over." The guard called from down the hall.
"Be right there." The attorney smiled and waved.
"Doesn't mean I have to like you or support your idiocy. Have a good life." The attorney told him.
"Heywood, wait. You're still going to represent my parole hearings right?" Drew asked as he jumped up and grabbed the cell bars.
"If I'm still practicing criminal law then." Heywood told him before he continued walking.
"Why you doing this to yourself man? You're too sensitive for this crap." The guard asked Heywood.
"Trying to get some experience, maybe learn some techniques. I'm not doing well in my civil practice. Not that I'm doing any good in these cases, but at least I get clients this way and I get some money for it." Heywood told him.
"Well, just be careful man. Some of these guys are really terrible people. And if they don't think you did your best for them, they might come looking for you." The guard told him.
"I know. I just wish I knew what else to do." Heywood told him.
"Have you considered tax law?" The guard asked as they stepped through the gate and it was closed behind them.
"Have you ever tried to read the tax code? It is a mathematician's nightmare translated by an attorney and then transcribed by a doctor. I'd rather go home and tell my Mom I'm a failure." Heywood told him.
"I get you man, just be careful. Or one day one of these guys will turn on you." The guard said as Heywood walked out the next gate.
The guard watched as he raised his hand up. The guard ticked his head as he said. "You got a good heart Heywood, hope you get the chance to demonstrate it soon."
Greetings! I hope this finds you well! Well, did the name of the chapter tip off the name of the attorney? lol I had the guard say it like that as a teaser. Hope it was amusing. I do have a name for the new story finally! And I think I am going to post it next after this story, it ties into one of the things January is an awareness month for. Chapter 2, will reveal how it ties in. The story is definitely more suited for M rated...but the first chapter is not, so I might post the first chapter as T for Teen and then change it to M before posting chapter 2. The title will be in Google translated French, which might give a clue as to what the awareness is about too. lol
Railman - Something very special indeed! Chapter 28 is the reveal and starts off referencing a particular color, and if you want a spoiler before reading, if you Google the color, the first thing that comes up will reveal what the surprise is. Yep it is indeed very large for a personal plane and very expensive. And he is paying almost 30x more for it then what he is paying Happy and Dad + the expense of the trip for her to buy it and the CP contract. Yes, he actually feels very bad about what he did to Patrick, just a small gesture for it. Mark is having a rough time with his research and he felt like he needed to interject his will back into CP. Poor guy.
Marti - hehe I debated spilling the beans but I decided nope...I'm not revealing it until the chapter is posted. If you want to spoil it you'll be able to follow my directions to Railman and find out without reading the whole of chapter 28. lol Yep, Dark Walter is definitely a much different character.
JerBr23 -You might be right! Now that is an interesting idea...Walter and Toby step into the square circle. It would be interesting to see how they trash talk each other. Walter certainly knows a lot of Toby's weak spots when it comes to trash talk. lol
LouBe - First, my apology, I told you the song plays a part in chapter 4, how I typed 4 instead of 9 is beyond me, but...there it was. lol Chapter 9 is the chapter the song will play a part in the new story. LOL Yeah it was kind of a comedy moment...how could you forget you got a cast on your right hand and arm? lol And you hit it, Walter was a bit jealous of Cabe working with Toby like that. You and JerBr might be right...might be a car. Never know. lol Yep, got to keep it secret a bit longer! lol Yeah, Mark is in a bad spot at the moment. His life in the balance, putting everything else off try and save his love. I had thought about it, but didn't know if the over exuberance of Anthony and Walter was too much or not so I just decided to let that happen in the background instead. Sorry. You're welcome, hope you enjoyed it!
Pearliegirl - I'm so glad the explanation made sense for you!
To the Adventure! -Tim