Happy sat at her computer going over the paperwork Walter had given her on Toby and she sighed. 'What else is he hiding?' Happy wondered. She clicked on MSN Messenger and waited as it loaded and connected to the servers. It was a little early for Toby to be on, his rounds didn't usually get over until almost her dinner time but she hoped maybe he had an early day since it was Sunday. She sighed seeing his name as offline. She minimized the window and pulled up her CAD program.
She had a project due in her engineering class at the end of the first semester but she hated waiting until the last minute to finish things. She saw the necklace she was given as a keepsake after the memorial service of her Dad's sister. It hung from a tack she'd put into the computer hutch, she wanted it where she'd always be reminded of how blessed she had been because of Aunt Jo. It was a replica of a family heirloom lost when the American Airlines flight she traveled on went into the Pacific. She was so glad she had been found by Josephine three years ago. She wasn't sure what her life would have been like if Aunt Jo had lived and became her Mother, raising her, but her new family had been a blessing she was so happy about. She wouldn't trade them for anything. Well maybe if her Mom could have lived. Happy shrugged off the melancholy feelings that came up and continued to work on her project.
Her Dad had gotten her signed up with an online distance learning course in robotics and mechanical engineering. He'd worked with the University of Dublin throughout the fall of 2000 and spring of 2001 and had finally gotten Happy enrolled into their courses for fall of 2001, despite her young age.
The Dineen's didn't want Happy's talent stagnating at what little the secondary school could teach. The private tutor they had hired couldn't even begin to keep up with her. Even advancing four grade levels she was still out distancing her instructors. And Ralph spent at least four hours a month in 2000 at the school arguing on behalf of Walter or Happy when one of them inevitably got in trouble. The school had finally given ground and admitted that they both were bored because they were too bright for the level of education they could teach even the most gifted students in their school. They opted to cut their class times in half and they would spend the second half of each class in a study hall so it didn't disrupt the other students.
He had made provisions for Walter as well for different course works but had met resistance with Walter on it. He hadn't figured there would be such resistance from him so he was completely blindsided. He didn't realize that Walter didn't really want to go to college, he had just assumed that Walter would go on to get a dozen PhDs. But since Paige wanted to go to college, Walter planned to take the first year after he graduated off to start building his business and then he'd go with Paige to college once she graduated. Ralph gave in only because Paige showed him the books Walter studied when no one else was around. Ralph shook his head. He was a well educated man but the concept and level of depth the books dealt with overwhelmed him.
Happy heard a door opening like sound and she moved her mouse over and brought the MSN messenger program up and saw that Toby was online. She sighed as she clicked his name.
"Hey Toby." She typed and hit enter, sending it off to him.
"Hey Happy. How are things in Ireland?" Toby responded.
"Things are getting back to normal here. I hope they are there too." Happy sent back to him.
"Slowly, of course the closer you get to the affected areas the more messed up it is. I think they've given up on hoping to find survivors though." Happy read from him.
"That's got to be so rough. I don't think I told you, but Dad got me into an online learning course with the University of Dublin. I'm taking mechanical engineering and robotics. Since secondary school can't keep up with me. haha" Toby read with a smile.
"You ain't no joke girl. Keep it up and you'll beat my record." Toby sent back.
"Haha! You say that like it would be difficult. Or do you mean your police and juvie record?" Happy decided to lob one over to him.
Toby sat there staring at the screen and he swallowed.
"Uh, just what do you think you know about that?" Toby asked.
"I know everything that was in your police file and court records. Toby, you are a brilliant guy. You can make an impact on this world, why are you doing this? You are only going to make things harder on yourself." Happy sighed as she hit enter.
"Look, I don't need another Mother." Toby typed back.
"From the looks of these files you need something Toby. I'm trying to be your friend. You've got a great sense of humor. You pick up on things others miss. You got your doctorate and are an intern at seventeen. Do you not understand how amazing that is?" Happy sent back.
"When you grow up in the shadow of the void of parents like mine, you don't always see how good you are. You think horrible thoughts about yourself. You do things and take risks in things that they find value in, like gambling. It really isn't easy." Toby replied.
"I get that Toby. My Mom died giving birth to me, imagine carrying that guilt, was I the reason she died? Did she need something to save her life but it was detrimental to me so she put it off? I told you how my Dad lived in his alcohol bottles. It only got worse as time moved on. Until one day he just couldn't choose me over his damn alcohol and gave me away. I spent five long years in a place where kids aren't appreciated at all. It was just a warehouse, a place to hold us until we were fostered out, or we aged out of the system."
"We don't get any special considerations, no more support. We're supposed to be ready to just walk out the door, get a job, get an apartment and continue moving forward. People didn't want me, they wanted a princess they could dolt over. I had resigned myself to never being loved again. Of never being wanted. And then Aunt Jo came along and fell in love with me as I was. And then her husband was hurt and she sent me to live with her brother's family until she could get things cleared with her husband's health. And then she died coming back after her husband's death."
"I was unbelievably fortunate for once in my seven years, as the Dineen's loved me and wanted me to have the best of what they could give me. So I know what neglect can do to you Toby, I know how it can eat at your soul. But I do care about you. But I need you to work harder, get counseling, the hospital should provide it for you. There isn't anything I can do for you over here other than to tell you from what I see you have so much potential and you seem to be wasting it." Happy told him with a crying face.
"Actually it means a lot to me and does a lot for me. If you're lucky most people you don't know just cheer you on to get you past them. But I get the feeling you actually care about me. So, thank you. I better go, I don't have much time left on my down time and I need to get a couple of hours of sleep." Toby sent a smiley face back.
"Until next time." Happy responded before signing off.
Friday Ralph was relaxing in his den still on his little vacation following what happened after 9/11. Charles rapped on his door. Ralph smiled as he saw him and gestured for him to come in.
"Good afternoon Charles. How is everything?" Ralph asked as he pointed at a chair in front of him.
Charles nodded as he sat down.
"So far so good, I got a report here for you." Charles told him as he held out a manilla envelope.
Ralph frowned and reached out for it.
"What's this?" Ralph said as he broke the seal on it.
"This is what we could find out on your daughter's penpal." Charles told him.
Ralph nodded as he pulled the papers out and began reading.
"He's seventeen? Why is a seventeen year old being matched up with a ten year old?" Ralph said almost immediately.
"Apparently there was an odd number of students who signed up and your daughter wasn't matched to any. So he wrote to her to explain what happened. He designed the program that matched the students and they've been talking since, just through MSN Messenger and email though." Charles told him. "From what we've been able to backtrack through the chats they've been friendly only. Nothing inappropriate. And it appears he is the Dr who recommended that they try to get Paige to Walter to help bring him out of that coma."
"Really?" Ralph seemed impressed. "Seventeen and he is a Dr?"
"Well, he is in his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital where a lot of Harvard doctors go. He's quite brilliant, they say." Charles explained.
"I see, I'll have to speak to Ronnie about this. I guess as far as this goes, it explains how he knew Happy's school and classes. So it isn't like he's a stalker or something." Ralph nodded.
Charles cleared his throat and Ralph looked up at him.
"Actually there was a discrepancy when we investigated his name. While there are no police records, quite a few officers all know this guy. And they talk about troubles with booze and gambling. They were all shocked when they couldn't locate records they themselves had placed. One officer still had his paper records of his last arrest. But searching for the case number and nothing came up." Charles explained.
"Wa-damn it." Ralph swore as he threw the papers on the desk. He knew exactly why his thoughts first went to Walter having done something but he didn't want Charles to know. "Alright Charles, thank you. Would you get word to my daughters' detail, I want them & Walter brought home immediately after school, as fast as possible." Ralph said as he thrust his finger down into the top of his desk.
"Of course sir." Charles said as he stood and walked out of his den.
Ralph began pacing his den, his hands clasped behind his back as his anger grew. He'd given freely, everything within him to Walter and he went behind his back to protect a stranger that could be a menace to his daughter.
Sylvia stepped into the small nook where the family usually had small meals and it wasn't the normal hustle and bustle of the day. She had a look of apprehension on her face.
"Sylvia?" Veronica asked with concern.
"Uh, I'm sorry Mrs Dineen, Mr Dineen seems to be rather upset and he just glared at me when I told him you were waiting for him for lunch." Sylvia explained.
Veronica sighed as she nodded.
"Thank you Sylvia, I'm sorry he treated you that way. I'll get to the bottom of it." Veronica promised as she stood and went to his den.
Veronica could see him pacing past his door every few moments and his face was positively livid. She sighed as she stepped in and slammed his door shut.
Ralph looked at her with a glare and she glared right back.
"And what has got you so mad you were rude to Sylvia?" Veronica demanded.
"Do you know what that boy did?" Ralph demanded.
Veronica frowned.
"Well there are quite a few boys in the world Ralph, would you care to narrow the field?" Veronica retorted.
"Walter, who else would I be speaking about?" Ralph said disgustedly.
"Well since you didn't say our son, I didn't think you were talking about him." Veronica told him.
"He ain't our son. He's a traitor, and he stabbed us in the back." Ralph complained.
"What?" Veronica said halfway between disbelief and laughing at him. "Why would you ever say something like that? You know how much love he has for us, how much he respects us."
"Oh sure, he respects us huh? I asked him, politely, to see if he could find out who this guy is that is talking to Happy. What does he do? He finds out, then he hacks his criminal records and deletes them so we won't know what kind of scum bucket is chasing our little girl." Ralph roared.
"What? Walter wouldn't do anything that would put any of us, let alone Happy, in danger. And how do you know he did what you claim?" Veronica demanded.
Ralph stepped over and grabbed the papers from his desk and gave them to her.
Veronica read through his school records smiling.
"Well I'm not crazy about him being seventeen, but it says he's already got his doctorate and he is an intern at Massachusetts General. How does this prove Walter did anything wrong?" Veronica demanded.
"Because the Secret Service spoke with the police. A number of them know this guy and talked about how he keeps getting into trouble for gambling and drinking. And he has his whole college career. When they tried to bring up his records with the case numbers nothing was in the system. They even spoke with one of the last officers who still had all his paper records over the arrest. Who else do we know who could do something like that with computers?" Ralph barked.
Veronica's eyes went wide.
"Ralph Emmett Dineen, you talk to me one more time like that and I'm bringing my Mother over to spend a couple of months with us." Veronica threatened him.
Ralph blanched. While he usually got along with Veronica's Mother it was nonetheless an annoying time and Veronica knew exactly how to manipulate her Mom to make matters worse with her.
"Fine." Ralph sighed as he slumped into his chair. "I'm sorry."
Veronica smiled and stepped over and sat on his lap.
"I've treated that boy like he was my own. I've given him all the love I give our girls. And this hurts." Ralph told her quietly.
Veronica nodded as she wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him down along the side of her head.
"I know my big bear. But we don't know for sure he did it and maybe he had a reason, one he plans to tell us. Wouldn't you rather give him the benefit of the doubt?" Veronica asked.
Ralph sighed again as he nodded slowly.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Well, it looks like trouble has come a calling again! Poor Walter.
Railman - Yep, Walter just seems to always follow what his mind thinks regardless. *sigh* Paige is definitely a pistol lol I think Walter is definitely not keeping up with her. lol
Margaret - Times are definitely changing. Sorry you find her that appalling.
Susan - Poor Walter indeed and it doesn't seem to be over yet for him...lol Ralph definitely got his attention. lol
2LawDog - hehe Our boy genius...all for his Cyclone! hehe Paige is definitely 15 going on 30. She's definitely growing into a strong willed young lady. She'll be challenging the norms and not settling for less than what she wants and woe be unto the one that dares to challenge it. Happy and Toby have so far been the hardest to work with, granted Toby hasn't had a lot of time in the story yet. Trying to work with those personalities as we knew them in the show and then trying to understand how they would have changed given the interventions they experience in this story. But, I have dearly loved every minute of working on it.
To the Adventure! -Tim