Ralph Dineen was sitting next to his wife with his family that evening as Paige played the animation on the large screen TV to get everyone's input on the colors for the barn. His head rested on his hand with his elbow on the arm of the couch. He had what could only be called a dreamy smile on his face. He had been looking forward to this day since Walter first gave Paige the promise ring.
His head turned as he heard a knock at the front door. He sighed even as he stood and held his hand out as one of the domestics moved to go to the front room. As he opened the front door his smile was replaced with a sour look as he looked at Jeremy standing on his front porch.
Jeremy's eyes went wide and he swallowed hard seeing Mr Dineen standing there.
"G-good evening Mr Dineen, sir. I-is Happy home?" Jeremy stuttered.
What could be best described as a deep bass, low growl came out of his mouth even as Ralph turned slightly and gestured for the boy to enter the house.
Jeremy stepped inside and off to the side and froze like a statue.
"She's in the family room." Ralph almost barked as he closed the door.
Jeremy nodded even as he turned and quickly made his way through the home.
Ralph liked Jeremy even less than he liked Toby initially. And that was with knowing Toby had a problem with drinking and gambling. But Happy had met him last summer and the two of them got along fairly well. Too well for Ralph's comfort. He was never more glad she had a secret service detail then when Jeremy came into their lives. He tried not to think of how Paige had ditched her detail when she was fifteen and had sex with Walter the first time. Happy would be fifteen on February 3rd and while Ralph was looking forward to her birthday, he had major reservations about it.
Happy was sitting on the loveseat with Toby as they watched the video for the third time as they whittled down the candidates for the paint job when Jeremy walked into the room.
Happy grinned at Jeremy as she jumped up and moved across the floor and hugged him.
"I didn't know you were going to come by tonight." Happy said as she broke the hug.
"I didn't think he would be here." Jeremy said softly.
"Toby is my friend." Happy told him threateningly.
"I thought maybe we could go to the corner and get a soda or something." Jeremy said quickly.
Happy looked at him for a minute even as her Dad walked past them and sat back down next to her Mom.
"Mom, Dad, we're going to the corner for a little bit." Happy told them before walking out of the room with Jeremy.
Ralph growled even as they heard the door close behind them.
"Ralph?" Veronica asked softly.
"I hate that kid. There is something about him that just rankles me like nothing else." Ralph said quietly.
"Well you didn't want her getting closer to Toby. So she has to spend time with someone else." Veronica whispered.
"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Ralph whispered back.
Toby felt horrible. While he knew Happy needed regular experiences he still missed their friendship when she did. And he had girlfriends of his own from time to time. But he really enjoyed his friendship with Happy and he was worried that one day one boy or another might persuade her that her relationship with him was wrong…He sat there for another ten minutes giving his input on the colors before he said he had probably better get going.
Walter and the Dineens felt bad for him but understood. Walter walked with him to the front door and said goodbye to him.
"I don't get it Happy, why is that old creepy guy always around you?" Jeremy asked as they walked with her detail down the street.
"You don't have to get it. Toby is my friend and he isn't old. And there isn't anything creepy about him. We just enjoy each other's company." Happy said in a warning voice.
"He's almost ancient. What is he, twenty five? I don't think it is appropriate." Jeremy told her.
"He's twenty one, you idiot. And that is far from old, let alone ancient. And I don't care if you think my relationship with him isn't appropriate. Keep it up and we're done." Happy told him.
"Well if you are going to be my girlfriend then you need to kick him to the curb. I'm not putting up with it anymore." Jeremy told her.
Happy stopped dead and stared at him as he turned around to look at her.
"Look, I'm me and the only ones I belong to are my family. I'm definitely not your girlfriend. If I wouldn't let my Dad bully me about Toby I sure as hell am not going to let some snot nose prep school wanna be, dictate anything to me." Happy told him angrily.
"He's just a pedophile waiting for his chance to get in your panties." Jeremy said angrily.
Happy's fist doubled up but one of the agents moved in and forced Jeremy to move back from her.
"I think you should say good night and leave." The agent told the boy.
"And if you ever come around me again I'll give you the busted nose and black eye you deserve for saying that, you sick, controlling freak." Happy told him.
"Good riddance to trash." Jeremy said as he turned and walked away.
As Toby opened the door of his car he saw Happy heading back with her agents and no Jeremy. The way she walked would best be described as pissed off. Toby sighed wondering what happened. He knew Jeremy didn't like him because of how close he was with Happy. But as long as Happy and her parents were comfortable with their relationship he wasn't abandoning Happy. She'd been hurt by her biological Father that way and Toby would rather be beaten by the enforcer of his bookie again than to hurt her that way.
Toby waved but Happy was already moving like she was coming to talk to him.
"Jeremy problems?" Toby asked neutrally as she drew closer.
"Not anymore." Happy said before coming to a stop before him. "Why are you leaving?"
"Just seemed like the thing to do." Toby shrugged.
"You're still Walter and Paige's friend too." Happy told him.
"So what did Jeremy do?" Toby tried to obfuscate out of that conversation.
"He told me if I was going to be his girlfriend I needed to kick you to the curb. I told him I only belong to my family and that I certainly wasn't his girlfriend. No one is going to tell me who my friends are." Happy told him.
Toby smiled a little at that.
"You haven't mentioned her today, so how's Steff-any?" Happy asked with a bit of a catty attitude.
Toby grinned. Happy hated his girlfriend, well she'd hated all of them so far. One of them had really ticked her off by referring to Happy as a little girl.
"Didn't you just kick Jeremy down the road for making demands about who you were friends with?" Toby grinned.
"Did you hear me say you couldn't spend time with her or anyone else?" Happy asked as she arched her brow at him.
"You got me there." Toby laughed. "Actually we broke up the other night. She told me she didn't think our relationship was appropriate and wanted me to stop coming around you. I told her she would never be able to dictate my life so she might as well hit the bricks. She was spectacularly ticked at me." Toby grinned at Happy's grin.
"Well let's go back inside. I think numbers five and three are the best color match." Happy said as she grabbed Toby's hand and pulled him back to the house.
"Hey Robert." Toby said as he walked into the hospital administrator's office the next day. Toby frowned seeing one of the human resource people there.
"Toby." Robert smiled. "Have a seat." Robert pointed at a chair in front of his desk.
"What's going on?" Toby asked.
"We had an anonymous call about you this morning. Claiming you are stalking an underage girl." Robert explained.
Toby sighed.
"No, I haven't been stalking anyone. The so-called anonymous caller is most likely a boy named Jeremy Bottoms. And he is referring to my friendship with Ralph Dineen's youngest daughter Happy. Whom I've been friends with since she was a participant in my thesis program. I'm never alone with Happy, and I respect every thing that Ralph requires of us as friends." Toby told him.
"How do you know this boy?" Robert frowned.
"He met Happy last summer. They kind of hit it off and he's been coming around spending time with her. Last night I had been asked over to help Happy's sister Paige decide on what colors to paint the barn, she plans to get married this summer. I'm the best man for the wedding. Jeremy showed up unexpectedly and was miffed that I was there. Happy went for a walk with him and he demanded that she stop being my friend and she told him off. She squashed any thoughts he had of a deeper relationship with her and he's mad." Toby explained.
"I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you stop seeing this little girl." The woman told them.
"First she isn't a "little girl", yes she is under age. And I am not seeing her. She's just a friend and her family doesn't have a problem with us being friends. I have my girlfriends and until last night she had her boyfriend." Toby told them.
"You're more than ten years older than her. That's too much." The woman told them.
"You should really get your facts straight. She's fifteen next month and I'm twenty one until October." Toby told her.
"That's still too much of a difference." The woman told him.
"Says who? Show me the law that says people have to be only so many years apart to be friends. Robert, this is bull poop." Toby told him.
"Well I know Ralph and Veronica and if they are really okay with your friendship with Happy I am willing to accept it. But I got to caution you Toby. Whoever this boy is, he's got a grudge against you. If he feels like we aren't doing anything about this he's liable to try and escalate it. Maybe even going to the police or the papers. Why don't you have a sit down with Ralph and Veronica, along with Happy and talk about this? Maybe you can just be friends over the phone or internet? Make this kid think at least physically he won and backs down. Maybe in a few months you can start being friends in person again." Robert suggested.
"I don't want to do any kind of discipline or fire you if this goes further. Your clients all speak highly of you. Some of your colleagues don't but that isn't the biggest deal. We can't let this affect the hospital and by extension let Harvard get a black eye over this." Robert finished.
"Well I promise to speak with Ralph and the family and will abide by their decision. But just so we're clear here. Please understand, I don't say this lightly. But if their position is that Happy and I can be friends, and if you guys do push to punish or fire me over it, I will retain counsel and sue. There is no law against friendships. And I will name specific people in the suit as well, such as Ms Simpson over there." Toby told them.
"Well I think we all know where we all stand then. Let's hope this is the end of it so nothing has to go further." Robert told him.
Toby was pissed as he left the office…he stormed down the hallway and got in the elevator. He pulled his phone out and called the receptionist that maintained his and the other doctors' schedule asking him to cancel and reschedule the rest of his appointments for the day.
Toby walked out and got into his car and sat there for several minutes before his hands beat down on the steering wheel several times. There was only one thing he could think to do. He started the car and drove to Cambridge.
Before he knew it he was knocking on the front door of the Dineen home. Gladys opened the door and welcomed him into the home. She left him in the entry and went to Ralph's study. She returned a few moments later and told him that Ralph could see him.
Toby walked through the house and into Ralph's study.
Ralph had stood and they shook hands before Ralph gestured to the chair by his desk and sat down.
"What's going on Toby?" Ralph said as Toby settled into the chair.
Toby explained what had happened.
Ralph sighed.
"You know, I've been worried something like this might happen. I was really concerned over the Christmas ball back in 2003 and last year. But the papers handled it quite politely. I know there is no doubt in you that I'm not thrilled with your relationship with Happy but you've always been respectful. Since meeting you back in 2003, you haven't done anything to make me question it or put my foot down on the relationship. Other than your gambling in 2003, but since then you have done a great job of getting help over it and I applaud you over it." Ralph told him.
"This has the potential to be a very big mess, politically and personally. And not just for you. But for our family as well." Ralph said as he was calculating all the diplomatic variables of the situation.
"I really don't want to make anything harder for you or Happy." Toby told him. "But I can't just walk off and abandon Happy. I'm willing to do anything other than that, that she agrees with. Even staying away and only talking through the computer or on the phone."
Ralph smiled and nodded.
"Well I don't think we're at that point yet. Did they admit that it was Jeremy that made this claim?" Ralph asked.
"They didn't deny it and Robert asked me how I knew of him. Ms Simpson definitely got defensive when I said the name so I'm quite positive it was." Toby explained.
"I'll call Bob and see if he will level with me for sure if it was him. I'll also make sure he understands that you and Happy have our blessing to be friends. And that you gave me your word you will never sneak away from her detail." Ralph's eyes focused on Toby in such a way that it made Toby nervous.
"Oh, absolutely, I would never sneak away from them with Happy." Toby promised.
"Good." Ralph smiled. "I'm going to have to call Jeremy's parents and have a talk with them about this. Especially if Bob confirms it was him that called them."
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Guest197 - Paige laughed and said you are welcome to miss her, she'll never miss the "old" Becky! lol Well, hold on cause it's going to be a bumpy ride! lol
LouBe - He really is very worried about unintended consequences because of Baghdad indeed! Paige likes Becky now, but after what she did with Walter, she still doesn't feel comfortable with a out of school friendship. It's kind of a unspoken rule, when Walter shows up, Becky leaves if she's with Paige. Yep, even Ralph and Veronica got some new friends out of it, however it looks like that might not happen with Jeremy's parents. LOL Paige laughed, nope, not going to share the baby plans yet. She said not because she didn't think they'd support it, just wanted to keep it between them for now. Yeah, thanks to Ralph and the effect the Dineens had on the O'Briens Walter doesn't "need" another Father but I guess he's kind of like an uncle, maybe? This Toby seems to be growing a lot better than his counter part thanks to Happy, Walter and the Dineens, definitely! Well, I just finished chapter 3 of the new story yesterday. So 3 chapters in 3 days feels really good! I'm still no closer to liking the whole concept...kind of. Well, I like the concept and where it is headed, I just don't like how it has to happen. Is that clear as mud?
Pearliegirl - Callan is that wonderful place for me, kind of like an old favorite tv show. Ya'all come back now ya hear? lol Paige is heart broken you don't like it. *grin* The barn is going to be white, just with pink and blue trim...if she can get Sean to agree to it...lol
To the Adventure! -Tim