Cabe stood taking a sip of his coffee when he heard the paper go thump outside of the small apartment he was renting. He neatly folded a paper towel and sat it down and put his cup on it before walking to the front room and getting the paper. He paused long enough to look in on his seven year old daughter sleeping even as he heard his wife taking her shower. He smiled as he was so grateful Rebecca had brought Amanda for the Christmas break. They had plans to look at some places for when her transfer came through and they both could join him full time in Ireland. As he started back towards the kitchen his eyes casually drifted over the headline of the paper and they closed a moment after they'd opened wide.
"Today isn't going to be a good day." Cabe said as he walked into the kitchen and sat down.
"And clearly the biggest surprise of the evening was this young man seen in the pictures with the daughter of renowned diplomat Ralph Dineen. Sources have confirmed the young man is an Irish national by the name of Walter O'Brien of Callan. Mr. O'Brien became the life of the party when he was able to persuade the band to abandon the approved playlist of music and rocked out to Janet Jackson's "Black Cat". As he leapt from the stage he began dancing in the form of the pop and lock dancing as popularized by stars such as Janet Jackson. He was first joined by his sister Megan and as the pair continued pop locking across the floor they were joined moments later by none other than Ralph Dineen. Who at first seemed on the verge of disciplining young Mr. O'Brien when he suddenly and unexpectedly began dancing with them."
"The unlikely trio continued moving across the dance floor paying no attention to the looks others were giving them before being joined by Ms O'Brien's escort Staff Sergeant Aaron Wilmore. They were further joined moments later by Mrs. Dineen and a member of Ms. Dineen's protection detail agent Cabe Gallo. Ms. Dineen was seen grinning and laughing at the antics as well as mirroring Mr. O'Brien until she finally joined them on the dance floor. The unlikely ensemble continued dancing and laughing. Before the song ended they had been joined by most everyone present including the Ambassador and his wife. The band was clearly enjoying the response to the song and so they continued without stopping by playing Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much."
"The young pair shared a small kiss at the end of the dance, and Mr. Dineen didn't seem too appreciative of that display of affection. The young couple moved off to sit and talk by themselves before sneaking off for a little romantic kissing. And just as the couple broke things off to return to the party they were discovered by agent Gallo. Who proceeded to get them back to the party after Ms. Dineen took a moment to remove the evidence of her lipstick on Mr. O'Brien. And I think I can safely say with certainty that many of the hopeful sons of dignitaries at the ball last night don't stand a snowball's chance at winning Ms. Dineen's affection from Mr. O'Brien. They both clearly only have eyes for each other." Cabe finished reading as he sighed.
"What's wrong Cabe?" Rebecca heard his sigh as she walked into the kitchen.
"Apparently one of the photographers at the ball last night caught Paige sneaking off with Walter and got a few pictures of them kissing in one of the cars." Cabe told her.
"That's horrible, why don't they leave the kids alone?" Rebecca complained as she stepped up and kissed Cabe.
"I can't believe I didn't see whoever it was or that they got through so many checkpoints. Would be nice if the kids had been left alone, now I'm wondering if switching jobs to be part of her protection detail is going to blow up in my face." Cabe told her as he slid the paper over for her to see.
"Well surely they won't blame you for this. How can you be responsible for someone else's behavior, your job is to provide protection from hostiles." Rebecca said as she began reading.
"You'd be surprised." Cabe said as he got up and refilled his coffee cup.
"Wait, Walter O'Brien? Isn't he the boy you arrested earlier this month? And the Embassy let him in?" Rebecca asked.
Cabe nodded.
"He's the one that hacked NASA's computers four years ago, right?" Rebecca asked.
Cabe nodded.
"Ralph Dineen has become a big champion of his. If it hadn't been for that new kid they hired back in November we'd never have caught him. But he was able to break through the encryption of those three servers in Norway that Walter hid a lot of his connections through." Cabe told her.
"Right, that always struck me as interesting. If it hadn't been for Walter admitting to you he did it I always thought that guy had been involved. Who was he again?" Rebecca asked.
"I know what you mean, Mark gives off weird vibes. And the way he looks at you, like you don't matter to him in the slightest. Yet still kind of like how Walter looks at you, but with Walter it is just the sense that he is trying to understand you. Mark Collins is more like he's deciding if he should kill you." Cabe said before he sipped his coffee.
The door opened after Sean knocked and the maid welcomed him and his family into the Dineen house and showed them to the den before leaving to get Mr. Dineen.
A moment later Paige ran into the room and right into Walter's arms crying. Walter stood there with his arms around her, a single tear running down his cheek as he tried to figure out how to protect her from what he was dreading was going to happen.
Megan ignored the look her Father had and stepped over and was rubbing Paige's back. This had to be one of the worst things to happen after having such a wonderful evening.
Ralph and Veronica walked into the room a short bit after. Ralph and Sean shook hands even as Louise and Veronica hugged for a moment.
"I'm really sorry my boy did this Ralph. We've come over to apologize and see what we can do to fix this." Sean said.
Ralph smirked as he pointed to the various seats in the room. Ralph sat down next to the chessboard even as Sean sat down across from him. Both wives sat on the sofa, leaving Walter and Paige holding each other with Megan kind of acting as a guard over them.
"You can't blame Paige, it is all my fault. If you need to punish anyone you should punish me." Walter said quickly.
"There is no reason for anyone to be apologizing, Sean. And I'm not interested in punishing anyone Walter, least of all you." Ralph started.
Paige looked up hearing his words and looked stunned at him.
"Our kids did what kids do, Sean. They didn't do anything we didn't do at their age. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about it, and I highly disapprove of this, at least at this stage of their relationship. But I am also glad that they used restraint." Ralph continued. "I'm just sorry that what should have been a private issue between the family has been dragged out into this neon spotlight."
"That's very kind of you to consider Ralph. I'm not sure I'd be as forgiving if the position was reversed." Sean admitted.
Ralph smiled.
"But it is reversed. Why would it be more upsetting for you if it had been Megan and some boy? It is still your son doing something you disapprove of right? Some day, some way, we've got to find a way to quit being more upset about our daughters doing something than our sons. As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango" Ralph told them.
Sean looked at him for a moment and slowly nodded his head.
"I never really thought about it. I guess it is because a daughter could get pregnant and how that would totally change her future." Sean finally said.
"Well while I'm not happy about this, I'm also not terribly upset. But I am concerned, not because of how close our children are growing. If they grow up and want to be together as husband and wife, I'd be proud to call Walter my son. Walter has been good for Paige in a lot of ways and if the reports I've received are true, then she's been really good for him too." Ralph said even as Megan was nodding her head agreeing with him.
"Walter, you are developing a keen protective streak for Paige and nothing could make me happier than that. Except it also presents another problem. As I said this should have just been a private matter between this family but now it not only has international attention it can cause problems locally. The media is going to be scrutinizing the two of you whenever you are outside together. Any place that can be classified as public. So they will be following you, pictures will be taken, articles written, dissecting every little thing. There will be people who will even try to orchestrate things, such as a fight between you, anything to create drama to help sell stories." Ralph advised them all.
"We all have to remain on guard for such situations and protect them. Now the protective detail can do some things but ultimately as long as they are on public property there isn't a lot we can do, short of them creating a dangerous situation. If everyone is in agreement, I can work to negotiate a deal with a news source that might help limit some of it, but that will mean interviews, photo ops, allowing people to peer into our lives. Veronica and I are more used to it than Paige, but it will be very different for the four of you. But tabloid rags won't care, they will want what will sell papers, and they won't care how they get it. But Walter, this is really critical now, are you listening to me?" Ralph asked as he reached out and pulled on Walter's hand.
Walter looked at him and nodded.
"Walter, kids you know, kids who have teased and made fun of you all your life are going to be emboldened by this development. I know from Paige that they'd been making some fun of you being with her. This will escalate that. Hopefully what you did to Thomas and Conner will counter some of it. But they could start calling Paige names and trying to make passes at her, making very rude comments. Things that will drive jealousy and anger in you. It won't be easy but you've got to figure out how to let it slide. Once they get under your skin, they will stay there with it. Both of you are going through changes and hormones will amplify feelings. You both have to promise us to be respectful of each other. If someone tells you they saw or heard the other do something you don't like. Do not respond, do not get mad, talk to each other or talk to us about it. We'll get it settled quietly among us. Because I'm sure whatever it is will have been wholly fabricated just to upset you and push your buttons."
"All of us here love both of you and we don't want your lives turning into a hell of horrible emotions, self doubt and anger. I believe we all like your relationship and we don't want anything to sour it. And I don't want to have to come down to the Gardia and bail you out of jail for beating someone up or worse, Walter." Ralph said with a half smile. "That was just a bit of a joke, but I'm also serious. Can you promise me to do your absolute best not to give into the base emotions and just focus on school and your relationships with Paige and the rest of us?"
"I don't know." Walter said softly. "I don't want to be that way but I can't abide someone being that way to Paige." He smiled at Paige who returned his smile.
"Ralph's right boy. You get your hot head from my family and the example I've always set before you. I know how I would respond to such a thing but you have got to be better than me. Because I know you are, you are meant for great things, things I'll never comprehend. Names and stuff can hurt, but an over reaction on your part would be so much worse. It can mess up both of your futures." Sean told him.
Everyone nodded.
"I promise to do my best." Walter finally told them as Paige squeezed his hand.
"I'll do my best not to let what people say reflect in my emotions so hopefully it won't bother you so much." Paige told him.
"I spoke with the Ambassador about this earlier and he is understandably dismayed. Not at what the two of you did, though he had a good time at my expense over it." Ralph told them with a grin. "He wanted everyone to know that we have the full support of the Embassy. He confirmed where the photos were taken that it was outside of authorized access and while there isn't anything we can do about it having been published, we could go after the photographer and paper. He's moving to pull the credentials of the photographer and to see what he can do about the paper. But this is stuff we'll discuss after lunch."
"Walter, Paige, it's about an hour until lunch is ready, so why don't you go to the living room and talk with each other. I don't know how much of your relationship you have discussed but I think it might be a good time for you to talk about it. About what you both are feeling, over this spectacle and what your relationship means to you. Where you see it going, where you want it to go, we'll need to make some decisions later and it will be easier if we know how you feel." Veronica told them.
Walter timidly looked at his Father as he recalled his angry words as he stood naked and soaking wet in the shower, about never being alone with Paige again. While he didn't fear his Father's belt, he didn't want it to happen in front of Paige.
"Go on boy." Sean nodded.
Ralph's thoughts drifted back to two hours earlier.
"Hey pumpkin, wake up, your Mom and I need to talk to you." Ralph said gently as he shook Paige's shoulder.
Slowly Paige stirred and her eyes opened and saw her Dad sitting beside her on the bed and her Mom standing next to him.
"Did something bad happen? Is someone hurt?" Paige panicked.
Ralph held up both hands shaking his head.
"No, no one is hurt, yet, sweetheart. But something happened and we're going to have to talk about it." Ralph told her. Veronica slapped his arm.
Paige rubbed her eyes and looked and saw the clock read 9:38.
"Okay, so, what happened that we need to talk about?" Paige asked finally.
"Well." Ralph looked at his wife and she handed him the paper. Ralph took it and held it out to Paige.
Paige looked at the headline and her eyes went wide seeing the pictures. Her cheeks flushed.
"Daddy." Paige started to explain and he held up his hand.
"We'll have to get into the reason for this later, but we've called and spoken with the O'Briens and they will be here in about two hours. We just wanted you to know and give you a chance to process what is happening and dress before they got here." Ralph told her before he kissed her forehead. Ralph stood leaving the paper with Paige and as they walked out of her room he turned. "I love you pumpkin."
"I love you Daddy." Paige said as she started to read the actual article.
Ralph's attention came back to the den as Walter and Paige stepped around the corner of the den and disappeared.
"You know, when I woke up this morning, short of the death of a loved one, the worst thing I could have found out was that my daughter and Walter had done something like this. But finding out that it has been broadcasted out to the whole world and that while they have no reason to feel shame or anything over it, they are going to go through some hell for it and there ain't a damn thing I can do to stop it. Our love should never be used against us like this." Ralph said with his eyes red. "I wanted to be so mad at Walter over this, but I just can't. And all I want to do now is protect them both."
Sean nodded.
"I know what you mean Ralph. Oh, I was so mad this morning and I raised so much hell with my boy I woke Megan. Even tore into her for not stopping this. But at the same time I thought of how different my boy is now. You guys don't know the Walter we used to know. It was so hard in the beginning and it just seemed to get harder. I'm sure you see how he shies back from the touch of others. Imagine your baby is crying and distraught and you go to comfort them but your very touch is so alien to them that it makes the situation worse. Poor Louise had to figure out a way to breastfeed him without actually holding him. Megan used to be the only one that could touch him but he'd still shy away a little at first each time. Since Paige, he's learned some coping techniques. He never cared before her to try and learn." Sean said quietly.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Hope your Holiday season has been and continues to be joyful!
Cat - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it even if it was a bit of a shocking place to leave it. hehe
Railman - Indeed Walter was in trouble with Sean! lol I think Sean and my Dad were cut from the same cloth. Yes, it seems like being good in sports can get kids out of the worst of trouble, at least in this country. While I loved playing little league baseball I also hated it. It was supposed to be a sport for the kids but sometimes the parents really went too far. Though thankfully not as far as they go now a days.
2LawDog - Thank you! hehe Yeah he does! I wouldn't want Ralph mad at me, for sure! lol Yep Megan needed the info. lol Thankfully she was doing it more as someone concerned over their loved one. hehe
Heleen - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! Might have to talk to one of my artist friends and see if they can make some art of them through the window of a car. May my stories always surprise, I guess if they don't I should stop writing. lol
To the Adventure! -Tim