Saturday morning, April 14th, 2001:

Paige and Happy stood on the porch of the O'Brien home waiting after knocking. Happy rode over to the O'Brien farm with Paige so she could evaluate the braces she made that Megan was now using. Paige of course was there for another reason, Walter.

The door opened and Louise smiled at the two young ladies.

"My daughter, why didn't you just come in?" Louise asked as she welcomed Paige into her arms hugging each other tightly.

"Just trying to be respectful Mom." Paige told her as they broke their hug.

Louise waved it off as she smiled and hugged Happy.

"How's my little girl?" Louise asked.

"I'm good, Aunt Louise. I wanted to check on the braces." Happy told her.

Louise stepped to the stairs.

"Megan, Walter, you have company." Louise smiled.

A door flew open almost instantly and Walter came flying down the stairs and swooped into Paige's arms. Much to the general mirth of Louise and Happy but as soon as they started kissing Happy made a face and shook her head which elicited more laughter from Louise.

"Is it okay if we go out for a walk?" Walter asked as he looked at his Mother.

"Walter, you don't have to ask for permission to go. Just let me know you're going and when you expect to be home. What about lunch?" Louise told him gently.

Walter blushed.

"Uh, Mom, we're going to go for a walk. And we'll probably get lunch in town since it is 12:30. And I expect to be back by dinner." Walter finally told her.

"Have a good time you two." Louise nodded with a smile.

"I'll see you later Mom. Happy, I'll have one of the agents stay here with the SUV for you." Paige told her as they turned to leave.

Walter and Paige were grinning at each other as they left the house.

They paused long enough for Paige to tell Cabe and his partner what they were doing and then kept walking towards town.

Both of them had fairly silly grins on their faces now that they were alone and Walter kept looking over at Paige as they walked hand in hand.

"What?" Paige asked quietly as Cabe followed along behind them at a respectful distance.

"I just really enjoyed what we did last night, that's all." Walter told her just as quietly.

"Well, I did too." Paige smiled back.

"But I think your Mom was right last night, we need to get protection if we're going to do it again. Uh, we are going to do it again right?" Walter asked a bit anxiously.

Paige smiled.

"Well, while I hadn't meant for us to go that far last night. Now that we have, I do hope so, Walter. We can't do it all the time, but we're really going to have to be careful and not just in making sure we have protection. If our classmates find out that might change things in how they treat us. Thanks to what you did to Thomas and Conner that first day and with the way Volkov acted, we've enjoyed better treatment. You've seen how the guys have changed around some of the girls when rumors spread that they were having sex, true or not. And the other girls have been vicious towards them as well. I don't want to go through the next almost three years being attacked verbally by the other girls or having to have you or my detail defend me from the boys. We'll have to figure out how to do this so we're not found out. And I really don't want our parents finding out. I can hear their screams now." Paige told him softly.

Walter nodded.

"Those are very good points. I'll have to figure out how to get condoms so no one knows. And we have to wait until we have them to do it again." Walter said quietly as his brilliant mind began considering everything she said.

Paige smiled and waved at some passing neighbors. Walter smiled and waved as well.

"Just don't take too long in figuring out how to get them." Paige whispered.

"I wonder if Cabe would buy them for us?" Walter asked.

"Uh, no Walter. While my detail might not talk about it and they won't interfere with us over it. I don't want to involve them anymore than they need to be. This is something we need to do." Paige told him.

Walter nodded and then his eyes opened wider as they were approaching the gas and stop on the corner.

"I need to run in here and use the restroom real quick." Walter told Paige.

Paige nodded as she stopped walking. She watched as Walter ran across the lot and into the building. Cabe walked on up and stood with her. They saw Walter look around as he stepped in and then moved to the back of the store to disappear into a hallway.

"Nature called?" Cabe chuckled.

Paige grinned as she nodded.

They saw various people moving in and out of the store as people got gas and things for the weekend. As well as quite a few went down the same hallway.

"Sure is taking him longer than I would have thought." Cabe said as he looked at his watch and saw it was nearly 1 p.m.

Paige nodded with a frown.

"Hope he didn't fall in." Paige teased.

Cabe laughed and then he had a flash of a thought and he swallowed. 'Please tell me he isn't buying condoms.'

Finally Walter emerged out of the hallway and made his way back out to them. Cabe's eyes naturally looked at Walter's pants pockets after his thought and he was pretty sure there was something in his pocket that hadn't been there before.

"Did you fall in?" Paige teased.

Walter blushed as he shook his head.

"Sorry, I kept getting interrupted." Walter said as he took her hand back in his and they continued walking to the cafe.

"Interrupted?" Paige asked while clearly confused.

"I'll explain later." Walter told her softly as he turned his head and kissed her cheek.

Most of the lunch crowd had already left when they got there and Mr. Walsh set them at a back table. After a word from Mr. Dineen asking that they help protect Paige and Walter's privacy when they were together, Mr. and Mrs. Walsh always tried to ensure they had as much privacy as they could.

Cabe sat at a table that had been set up specifically for whenever a member of the Dineen family came in so they had an unrestricted view of the cafe and could react instantly to a threat.

After ordering Walter slipped his left hand under the table and into his pocket. He pulled it back out a moment later after making sure no one could see him. He brought his hand up and turned it over and Paige saw a small box of three condoms. Paige giggled.

"How did you get them? Did anyone see you?" Paige whispered as he put them back in his pocket.

Walter shook his head.

"There is a vending machine in the bathrooms in the gas and stop. That's what took so long, people kept coming and going while I pretended to either be peeing or washing my hands." Walter explained.

Paige grinned and winked at him.

Monday as Walter said goodbye to Paige at her house Cabe walked out with him.

"How are you doing Walter?" Cabe asked.

Walter nodded.

"I don't think I could be happier right now Cabe." Walter told him.

"Good. Look son, you know I've told you that you can come to me anytime if you have questions or concerns right?" Cabe asked.

Walter nodded but was puzzled why he brought it up now.

"Well I did some speculation this weekend and I picked something up on Sunday for you." Cabe told him as he opened the back of the SUV and pulled a bag out and handed it to Walter.

Walter frowned but looked inside and saw a large box of condoms and his face went red.

"Cabe!" Walter said quietly but with extreme shock.

"Look kid, I was a teen long before you were and I've noticed a few little signs and then that little stunt you pulled going into that convenience store Saturday. Put those someplace safe but that you have access too. You don't want an unplanned pregnancy." Cabe told him.

Walter slowly nodded.

"Thanks Cabe. While I'd be happy to Father a child with Paige, I know we're not old enough for that. I appreciate you looking out for me." Walter told him.

"You're welcome. See you in the morning, or are we coming over tonight?" Cabe asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure." Walter blushed before he walked away. He quickly put the bag at the bottom of the backpack he used to help carry Paige's books when they walked to and from school. He took off running. He needed to find someplace he could store the condoms that hopefully his parents wouldn't find.

Walter and Paige found a couple of times over the next two weeks to be intimate again but they had to find a different field as his Father had moved the herd into that field two days after Paige's birthday. He'd been afraid she'd be mad that Cabe got them the condoms but Paige just seemed more pleased as Walter hadn't asked.

April 30th, Monday:

Walter walked up to the Dineen house and frowned seeing the SUV that usually followed them around gone. He shrugged thinking maybe someone needed something and he walked on up and knocked on the door.

"Good morning Mr. O'Brien." Sylvia greeted him.

"Good morning Sylvia." Walter smiled as she stepped back letting him enter.

"Mrs. Dineen is in the Family room." Sylvia told him as she closed the door and led him to her.

Walter frowned wondering why she didn't say Paige.

"Walter? Good morning, but what are you doing here?" Veronica asked, clearly puzzled but stood up and gave him a hug.

"I-" Walter was confused. "I came to walk with Paige and Happy to school." Walter finally finished.

"Paige said she needed to be at school early. They didn't stop and pick you up?" Veronica frowned.

"No one came by for at least a half hour before I walked over." Walter shook his head.

"Well if that isn't strange. Would you like me to have one of the guys run you to school?" Veronica asked.

Walter gave her a clearly fake smile as he shook his head.

"Thanks anyway Mom. See you this evening." Walter told her as he kissed her cheek and left.

Walter frowned the entire way to school as his mind ran over possibilities. He saw the SUV in the parking lot as he topped the hill the school sat on. Kids were moving to and from, going about their normal routines before the first bell.

"Hey, look, it's the shadow without its person." One of the boys laughed as he saw Walter walking alone. "What's the matter, shadow? Did you misplace your body?"

Walter just glared but kept walking. Walter stopped at his locker and exchanged his backpack for his math and geography books and moved down the hall for his first period. Paige along with her detail were nowhere to be seen and so he sighed as he sat down in his chair in class.

"Earth to Mr. O'Brien." Father Williams announced loudly before slamming his meterstick on Walter's desk causing Walter to jump.

Walter just kind of glared at him as a few of the remaining students laughed on their way out the door.

"Well don't just sit there daydreaming Mr. O'Brien, get to your next class." Father Williams told him before going back to his desk.

Walter sighed as he couldn't believe he hadn't even noticed the passage of time or whatever happened in math class. But he walked out of the room and looked around but Paige wasn't in the hall anywhere like normal. He turned and made his way to the second floor for geography. He walked in and saw Paige sitting at her desk next to his. Walter walked over and sat down.

"Good morning." Paige said softly without looking at him.

Walter looked at her but Paige just kept her head slightly down like she was reading the book on her desk.

"Did I do something wrong?" Walter asked.

Paige shook her head.

"What's going on? Why didn't you wait for me?" Walter asked.

"Not right now." Paige said softly and then the bell, for class to start, rang.

As the bell rang to dismiss them from second period Paige was quicker than Walter and was out the door before Walter stood up.

Walter felt someone bump him and he looked over and saw Thomas, not really smiling looking at him.

"Trouble in paradise mate?" Thomas asked with what sounded like genuine concern to his voice.

"I don't know to be honest." Walter shrugged.

"Well don't sweat it." Thomas told him. "There are always other fish in the lake."

Walter frowned as he walked off, as if he's ever going to want anyone else.

Paige didn't show up at any of their normal spots the rest of the day. He didn't even see her at lunch. As he came out of school at the end of the day he saw the SUV driving away at normal speed, which meant Paige wasn't walking. He sighed as he began to walk across the lawn to walk down the hill towards his parents' farm.

"Walter? You're home early." Megan said as he walked in the door.

Walter just nodded and walked through to get a drink before going to the barn loft. Walter pulled out his phone to send a text to Paige once he got up there.

"Paige, I don't understand. You say I didn't do anything wrong but you are acting like I did. What is going on? I love you." Walter finished and sent the message.

Walter sat there waiting for a response. His mind was recalling every encounter he'd had with Paige over the last couple of weeks but he couldn't see anything that seemed to suggest she was mad about anything.

"Walter? Didn't you hear me? Dinner is on the table." Megan called out again.

"S-sorry, I'm on my way." Walter said finally and he wiped his face down realizing he had been crying. "Is this how we will end? Not with a bang but a whimper?" Walter paraphrased T.S. Eliot as he made his way down the ladder.

"What's that boy?" Sean asked as he walked in from the fields.

"Oh, uh nothing really Dad, just a quote we had today." Walter told him quickly before moving to the house.

"Megan said you came home early today Walter. Everything okay?" Louise asked as they sat down for dinner.

"Uh, yes ma'am. Uh Paige, uh had a lot of homework and she had the detail drive us home. That way she could maximize her time." Walter tried lying.

His parents and sister all looked at him as if to say collectively, "Really? You expect us to believe that?"

Walter laid on his bed staring at the computer screen across from him but Paige's icon never lit up to say her computer was online. He sighed as he pulled up his phone and checked it for the tenth time since laying down but finding no response.

Finally he typed a text to Cabe.

"Hey Cabe. I know, as her detail, you can't discuss her behavior, but I'm really concerned about Paige. She is more or less ignoring me. What have I done?" Walter sent.

Walter stared at his phone for several long moments and then it finally chimed. He pulled up his messages and clicked on Cabe.

"Walter, son, I'm not sure what is going on to be honest. She's been very closed mouth, I'm a bit concerned about her myself. I know it doesn't really help, but I don't believe you have done anything wrong." Cabe replied.

Walter sighed as he sat his phone on the nightstand and tried to go to sleep. But sleep wasn't forthcoming.

Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Monday the tech was here to look at my mobility scooter and he confirmed it was DOA. Would need a new motor. But the VA said no, with the age, we'll order a new scooter...so in the meantime I'm glad my Mom kept my Dad's electric wheelchair, it might be a pain to get into and out of and drive, but it is better than crawling on the floor. lol

Tuesday I got a surprise...not a good one either. Found out kind of by accident that 14 months ago someone copied the first 27 chapters of "Secrets" and posted them to Wattpad as their story. *face palm* So I wrote Wattpad and filed a copyright infringement. Linked them the original story. And Wednesday got word back from them that they have deactivated the story. Apparently as long as whoever doesn't file a "valid" counter claim, it will remain inaccessible. But if they do, then I'll have to get an attorney and/or court order in order to get it removed. *face palm* Really irritated me to say the least.

Railman - So glad you loved the chapter! Seems something isn't right in Callan...

Margaret - Me too! lol

Susan - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! Me too...16 and 15 is really too young for a kid. But maybe Ralph will have an older sibling?! hehe

To the Adventure! -Tim