I just want to take a moment for my newer readers who haven't read my earlier works. Because I am writing multiple AUs(Alternative Universes) I started making story icons so people can tell at a glance what AU a story belongs to. Though sometimes FF doesn't always load the graphic, almost every summary should contain AU followed by a 2 or 3 digit number. Like my very first set of stories are based on AU 35 or my "Headspace for Rent" storyline. The 35 is followed by a decimal and a 3 digit number, that gives the order of the stories. So AU 35.001 is the very first story of that AU.
If a summary doesn't have AU ###.### or doesn't have AU then it is the only story with no ties to any other of my stories. And in some cases a story could have AU ###.###.### that new set of numbers means it happens in conjunction with the previous set story. Such as AU 1000.009.001, this story is "Megan" inside of my "Knight's Tale" storyline and it happens along side of my story "A Knight In The House" which is AU 1000.009.
Think of it like the TV show. Obviously as canon it is AU 001 and the pilot episode would be AU 001.001 And each following episode raises the count until the last episode which would be AU 001.093 "Lies In The Sand". Hope this helps!
If a new story speaks to me that is tied to them I'll update the summary. So if you are going back now to read other stories make sure to check the summary for the AU #'s and read in order for them to make sense. Very few of the stories beyond the first 3 I think are in progression order. So Dean, if you find your way here, sorry for the confusion when you went from "Consequences" to "A Knight on Honeymoon".
Ralph Dineen pulled his reading glasses off and sat them on the nightstand beside their bed and looked at his wife still reading.
"You know, I think that was the best ball we've ever been to. Well not counting the first one we went to as boyfriend and girlfriend of course." Ralph smiled as he reached over and kissed his wife.
Veronica smiled as she sat the magazine down and returned his kiss.
"It really was and Paige really loved it so much. Who would have thought a boy she didn't know four months ago would have such an effect on her?" Veronica said after their kiss.
Ralph grunted.
"Yeah, don't remind me." Ralph told her.
Veronica smiled and slapped his arm.
"You love that kid too Ralph, don't pretend." Veronica told him.
"Well up to a point I do. They're both still too young but I know if we try to forbid them from seeing each other all we'll do is drive her away." Ralph sighed.
"That's true, that's all my Dad succeeded in doing with us." Veronica grinned.
"Must be part of the Italian heritage." Ralph teased.
Veronica smiled and nodded.
"Or maybe the Scots." Veronica said before they kissed again. "Did you ask agent Gallo where the three of them disappeared too after our dance?"
Ralph shook his head.
"He wouldn't have told me anyway. Part of their oath as protectors. I'm probably glad, I like Walter a lot. I don't want a reason to hate him." Ralph told her as he turned off the light on his nightstand.
Ralph's thoughts as he slowly slipped off to sleep was from four days after Walter was released from the hospital and he went to the School board meeting over what had happened.
"Thank you for the opportunity to talk with the school board over the incident of the first day of school and my daughter being bullied by two boys at the school while being encouraged by other students. And the subsequent beating of another student." Ralph Dineen started.
"I thought we had already dealt with this issue? Why are we entertaining this petition?" One of the board members interrupted Ralph.
"No, you moved for the board to push this under the rug again because you favor the boys involved because they are the schools top male athletes." Mrs. Riley spoke up.
The president gaveled on the desk.
"Enough. While Mrs. Riley is out of order, she is also correct, we have not dealt with this matter. And Mr. Dineen asked us to give him a chance to speak on the matter and so that is what we are doing now." The president told them. "Please continue Mr. Dineen.
"Thank you Mr. President. I've spoken to a number of the residents whose children go to this school or had gone while Thomas and Conner have been there. And I am dismayed at what I have learned. When I first arrived in Ireland to set up our residence I spoke with the old board several times before choosing this district and I was assured that the board listens too and takes the action the community deems appropriate but following this incident I went further. I hired a private investigator and she uncovered a lot of information in the last two days about incidents pertaining to these two boys that the old board had refused to take action on. And historically this board does not take the action the majority of parents have wanted. Being blatantly lied too really angers me." Ralph continued.
"Thomas is without a doubt the bigger aggressor of the two but Conner fully backs him in everything they've done. And according to everyone I've talked to and the information my investigator dug up it is because of their status as athletes and this has to stop. While I could just sell our home and relocate somewhere else, I am not willing to do that. People in this district are paying for an education for their children and their children are not getting what they are paying for."
"As you can see in this graph." Ralph continued as he pressed a remote button and a graphic of a chart was projected on the wall. "This district is paying on average almost 5% more in taxes for schools but because of the shenanigans going on with Thomas and Conner the kids in classes with these boys are getting almost 23% less education as you can clearly see by the test scores. These are just the tests from the classes that Thomas and Conner are part of. If you look at the test scores of the classes they are not part of, but have the same students from classes they are part of they all are better than the average of schools. In classes where these boys have been out of school due to sickness, the test scores rose and then fell after they returned. This principal, Father Flanner, is the main source of problems. Every time there is an incident, two men usually pay him a visit and then nothing is ever done about it. And in fact each complaining student is warned if they persist with their complaints that their academic standings will suffer unless they can provide proof that the boys did something wrong."
"I'm not putting up with this. On the day this happened, that boy." Ralph pointed at Conner. "Took his brother to Father Flanner and blamed Walter O'Brien, claiming he attacked them and beat him and his brother senseless without provocation. And without even investigating the incident Father Flanner was ready to blame Walter. Even when he was corrected by the nurse, Mrs. Riley. He threatened to fire her. I realize the local Catholic church supplies some of the teachers and administrators for the school but this needs to change. I am demanding he be fired and replaced. I'm also demanding that both boys be put on immediate sports suspension and academic probation. The school board in the past has been criminal in its neglect of this situation. I realize this is your first year Mr. President, so I am counting on you to do the right thing here." Ralph told them before giving them a stack of printed forms containing all the information he'd gathered on the boys.
"Because quite frankly, no child deserves this for trying to aid another child." Ralph clicked the remote and a graphic image of Walter beaten in his hospital bed came up. Ralph reached up and wiped his eyes as everyone gasped. "That child suffered six broken bones in his hand. He suffered fractures along his ribs on both sides. Had to have a specialist brought in to ensure his right hand will heal and be normal. All because of these two punk bullies. This image should be burned into every one of our memories so something like this never happens again. Imagine if it was your child that was being bullied and this child stepped in to protect them. Our hearts should be breaking over this."
"Mr. Dineen." The president said weakly as he swallowed hard at the impact of the image. "Thank you for doing such due diligence in getting all of this information. While I know of the past problems regarding these boys I was unable to act on it because of previous rulings by this body. However, armed with this information I am ordering our own investigation to confirm yours. I wasn't sure about your demands concerning these two young men, but after such an impactful image, I am forced to agree. I don't expect the investigation to take more than a week but in that week I am ordering both boys to be suspended from school and not to take part in any school activity during this time. They will undergo psychiatric evaluations during this time as well. They will refrain from going anywhere near the school or any student on their way to or from the school. Provided the information is confirmed I will grant your requests about the boys. I am also ordering that Father Flanner be suspended as principal during this time. The suspension will be upgraded to termination at the conclusion of the investigation pending that it is shown to be factual." The president gavelled.
"Ms. Dineen, I extend the board's sincerest apologies for what transpired on that first day of school. Rest assured we are taking this very seriously. Bullying will not be tolerated moving forward. If Thomas and Conner bother you in the slightest or bully another student moving forward or they interfere with their teachers they will be expelled permanently. When they return to school they will have to report immediately to the office and be escorted to their first class each morning. Each teacher will then escort them to their next class until the end of their school day so they are constantly under supervision since they can't be trusted." The president gavelled again.
"Thank you Mr. President. There is one other thing I would like to request. This school has no chess club. Walter is an amazing player, sports are not the only way a school can achieve recognition. I would appreciate it if the board would look into the feasibility of the school creating a chess club. I can't believe Walter is the only student there that loves the game and so it would benefit more children." Mr. Dineen asked.
"That is an acceptable request. We will investigate the suitability of such a program in the school. The board is in recess." The president gavelled for the final time.
All of the parents present came down and thanked Mr. Dineen for standing up for the children as well as apologized to Paige for how she was treated.
O'Brien home following the ball:
"Well come on Walter, out with it, how was it?" Megan demanded as they sat on his bed looking at each other.
Walter grinned.
"It was really wonderful, I'm really glad I listened to you and asked her to let me escort her. How about you?" Walter asked her.
"Well it was a wonderful time, but Paige was right, she had told me that while going with a Marine was fun, it was kind of weird that he was nearly twice my age. Where did you two disappear too after we danced to Janet Jackson?" Megan asked.
"Well, we were sitting back out of the way when she asked me something strange, if I had heard of seven minutes in heaven." Walter told her.
Megan grinned and covered her mouth as she let out a little squeal.
Walter frowned looking at Megan.
"Are you sweating?" Walter asked.
Megan nodded.
"I've got a touch of fever, no big deal. Probably from all the excitement of the night." Megan told him. "Go on with the story." Megan encouraged him.
"Well she grabbed my hand and led me out of the ballroom. We moved through the Embassy until we reached the garage. She opened one of the cars and we got inside." Walter told her.
Megan was grinning even as her right hand reached over and rubbed at her left wrist.
"I'm not sure I should say anything else. It doesn't feel right." Walter said as he frowned watching her rub her wrist.
"Normally that is right, you don't share what you and your special someone does privately. But this is a special situation and you can tell me." Megan told him.
Walter cocked his head at her for a moment before he continued.
"She reached across me and closed the door and before she sat back she kissed me. But not like on the cheek, on the lips, like in front of her Dad on the dance floor. And then the kiss changed." Walter told her.
"Oh, this is so good, how did it change?" Megan asked.
"She put her tongue in my mouth. I was shocked but at the same time excited?" Walter explained.
Megan squealed again.
"You French kissed Walter!" Megan told him.
"Oh, okay." Walter was puzzled why she seemed so excited about the story. It wasn't happening to her. "I remember she shifted her weight and sat straddling my lap. Her hands were touching me in a way that made me feel different but good. My one hand was on her neck and my other was sliding up her bare leg and I felt, well, I felt like I needed it to stop. Up here." Walter touched his head. "But it felt good everywhere else and I didn't want it to end. So I was trying to remember what you had said to say if I felt it was going too far and apparently she felt like it had gone too far too and we stopped."
"Was she upset?" Megan asked quickly.
"No." Walter shook his head. "She said she thought we had been in heaven for more than seven minutes. She opened the door and Cabe stepped up to the door."
"Oh no, did you get in trouble?" Megan demanded.
"No, Paige said that protection details can't discuss a protectee's behavior. I'm glad, I'm pretty sure Mr. Dineen wouldn't be happy with what we did." Walter told her. "What's wrong with your wrist?" Walter pointed as she was still rubbing it.
"I think it was from all the dancing earlier. It is a little numb." Megan told him.
Walter frowned but nodded.
"Shoot, I'm sorry about Cabe, if I hadn't said anything to him he probably wouldn't have caught you two. But you had disappeared and I was worried about you." Megan told him.
"That's okay." Walter shrugged.
"Now, you don't tell anyone anything about what you two did privately okay? That is no one's business but yours. You'll hurt Paige's feelings if you do, especially boys. Boys just love to brag about things. And I am sure I don't need to say this, but Walter. What you did with Paige, you can't experiment with anyone else to see if you feel the same way with them, do you understand? What you have with Paige is too important. And it would really hurt her if you do." Megan told him. "If, Lord forbid, you two break up and you meet another lady, then you could experiment with her to see if you like it. But otherwise, Paige is the only lady for you, got it?"
Walter nodded.
"I don't want anyone else touching or kissing me for anything." Walter told her.
"Good, I'm going to bed. Sleep well." Megan smiled at him.
Sunday morning Sean walked to the front door and opened it and put his hand up as flashes went off photographing him in his robe as he went to get the morning paper.
"What in the blue blazes of hell? Get off my property you buzzards." Sean yelled and grabbed the paper before slamming the door.
"Sean?" Louise asked as she looked out from the kitchen.
"Idiots out front, I opened the door and they are taking pictures of me in my robe." Sean complained as he walked over and picked up the phone to call for the Garda. "Make sure you don't open the door without being dressed."
Sean threw the paper on the table as he waited for someone to pick up. His eyes scanned the headline.
"Embassy of Rock, Roll and Love!" Exclusive pictures inside!
Sean frowned as he turned the page.
"Yes, this is Sean O'Brien, I got this huge flock of people out here trespassing on my property." Sean bellowed.
"Sweet mother of God." Sean said weakly as he saw pictures of Walter and Paige dancing and then kissing on the floor. Then a picture of the pair leaving. And then several pictures of them in the car. "Louise!" Sean roared.
Walter was just finishing up his shower when he heard feet on the stairs moving quickly and he frowned but didn't really pay attention and then the door opened and his Dad was standing there staring at him. And did he look mad.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! In however you celebrate the winter holidays I wish you the best!
Railman - Weed killer! LOL Nice! Well as we discussed privately, yes, it is noted in passing here in today's chapter. No special present this year sadly. I should have left the original schedule so last chapter was today for the Holiday. lol
Pearliegirl - Thank you! Got some drama brewing...lol
To the Adventure! -Tim