Paige looked at Walter as they walked home from school Friday afternoon. Happy not too far from them but she was talking with a friend from her shop class. They had a joint project to finish up.
"Walter, would you do me a favor?" Paige asked sweetly.
Walter nodded quickly.
"Of course I would. What do you need?" Walter asked.
"You know Dad is taking Happy and your Dad to the farm expo tomorrow right?" Paige asked.
Walter nodded wondering what she could possibly want, that needed that information.
"I want you to go with them." Paige told him.
Walter frowned.
"Did I do something wrong?" Walter asked as it sounded like punishment.
Paige laughed lightly as she shook her head.
"I want to talk with our Mom's tomorrow, kind of like a girls' luncheon. It would be easier if you aren't around." Paige told him.
Walter frowned but nodded.
"If that is what you need." Walter said.
"I just think it is time I was truthful with our Moms. They should probably know that we're having." Paige looked at Happy's classmate but they seemed deep in conversation. Talking loudly and wildly. "Sex." Paige whispered into his ear.
Walter's expression quickly changed to one of fear.
Paige put her finger to her lips.
"Just relax, we'll talk more later." Paige whispered to him.
Walter and Paige sat in her room with the radio on as they both worked on her homework. Since it was the Dineen family's turn to host dinner for the combined family Walter just stayed with Paige. Walter looked at Paige as he hadn't heard anyone out in a hallway for a while.
"So, what are you going to say?" Walter whispered.
Paige frowned and looked at him.
"What?" Paige asked, feeling puzzled by his expression.
"To our Moms." Walter mouthed.
Paige rolled her eyes before she stood and walked to the door and looked out. She walked back over and sat next to Walter so she could see the doorway.
"I'm not completely sure yet Walter. But after what happened with Happy and Toby I think we need to trust our parents. They've told us over and over to come to them and they'd understand. I don't completely trust Daddy, so that's why I want to talk to our Moms. Besides, maybe they might have a better solution than us sneaking out to the fields." Paige whispered.
"I think I'd rather not know that you are going to tell them." Walter told her quietly.
Paige laughed and kissed him.
"Too bad, if you are big enough for this relationship then you have got to be big enough to know I'm going to have this conversation with our Moms. Or do you want to call off this part of our relationship?" Paige asked him pointedly.
"No, I'm just remembering how mad Dad was over Toby." Walter told her.
The family was all gathered at the large dining table talking and passing food around to each other. Paige looked at Walter and jerked her head towards her Dad. Walter swallowed and nodded.
"I was wondering, Dad, since both of you are taking Happy to that Farm Expo, maybe I could go with you?" Walter finally spoke up.
Sean stopped dead and looked at Walter.
"Did you hit your head son?" Sean asked.
Walter blushed and shook his head.
"I just thought I'd like to see what new innovations they might have made." Walter said as his voice wavered.
Sean shrugged and nodded.
"It's fine with me." Sean told him.
"I think that's a fine idea." Ralph smiled.
"Well in that case, maybe the four of us can have a girls' lunch?" Paige said while smiling at both of her Moms.
"Oh I can't. I've got kind of a date tomorrow for lunch." Megan smiled.
"What?" Paige grinned. "You never said anything to me."
"First I'm hearing of it." Sean piped up.
"That's because I'm nineteen Daddy, I think I'm more than capable of accepting a lunch date without input from anyone else." Megan grinned at her Dad before looking at Paige. "And maybe if you didn't always hang all over my brother we'd have a chance to catch up." Megan laughed.
Paige laughed.
"Who are you going to lunch with?" Louise asked while wiping her lips.
"Billy, well you know him as William, Billy Ryan." Megan told her.
"Oh the son of the proprietor's of the General Store?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, when he delivered the order last week for Daddy. He told me he had the day off and wanted to take me out." Megan grinned.
"Excuse me everyone, I'll be right back." Ralph smiled as he wiped his lips and stood up.
Ralph walked out of the dining room and to the rooms where the various detail agents hung out when there.
"Charles." Ralph smiled as he gently knocked on the open door.
Charles looked up from their dining table and quickly stood. Ralph held his hands out for him to just stay but he walked on over.
"Yes Mr Dineen." Charles asked.
"You didn't have to get up Charles. Once you are done eating. I'd like you to bring a spare taser to the living room. I want you to teach Megan how to use it." Ralph told him.
"Of course Mr Dineen." Charles nodded as he sighed.
"Thanks Charles." Ralph said as he walked back through the house to the dining room.
"I don't know Megan, it isn't like you can defend yourself." Sean hemmed about.
"Daddy, I think I'm more than capable of defending myself. And don't you trust my judgment? You've known Billy all his life. It isn't like he just moved to town." Megan complained.
"Family, why don't we just table this conversation for later. We can finish enjoying this wonderful meal and not upset our stomachs with this discussion." Ralph grinned.
The family moved into the living room after dinner. Veronica was going to play the piano for them and Sean got out his harmonica to accompany her. But before they could start Charles entered the room.
"Ah, good, Charles. Hold up you two. Megan, Charles wants to teach you something." Ralph told her.
Charles stepped further in and was followed by James.
"Ms O'Brien. I'm agent Michael Charles. And I want to teach you about this." Charles told her as he held out his hand.
Megan smiled and shook his hand. Charles was always so formal. She's talked with him many times over the last three years.
"This is called a taser." Charles told her while showing her the black plastic looking device. He demonstrated the settings on it. He set it on the lowest setting and handed it to James.
James took the gun and stepped up and pressed it against Charles and pulled the trigger. Everyone jumped as the crackle of energy caused Charles to drop to one knee as he was shocked for five seconds.
"If you keep the trigger depressed the cycle of shocks continues in five second bursts. If you pull the trigger once and let go it only shocks for the initial five seconds." James told her as Charles slowly stood up.
"Why are you showing me this?" Megan asked fearfully.
"Megan, I trust you completely. I think you are a very intelligent and capable young woman. But you do have a physical disadvantage compared to most other women. I know William, I think he is a good guy. But if you are going to be out and about, with him or not, you need some form of protection. I can't assign a security detail to go with you so this taser is the next best thing. I'm sure it would help ease Sean's mind knowing you had something to help keep you safe." Ralph explained.
"I don't want any part of that. I don't want to hurt someone." Megan complained.
"Ms O'Brien it isn't about hurting anyone. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. For a short bit, it incapacitated me. If someone tried to hurt you, this would give you the means to back them off away from you. That is all it is for." Charles told her as he took the gun from James and held it out to her. "I want you to take the gun and use it on me so you know what it is like."
Megan shook her head.
Charles sighed as his free hand shot out and grabbed Ralph's arm standing there next to him. He quickly twisted his arm and brought Ralph to his knees twisting his arm grotesquely behind his back. He applied so much pressure to the joint that Ralph cried out.
"Do it you little coward of a girl, before I break his arm." Charles growled as his face contorted into an evil mockery at her even as everyone gasped.
Happy jumped up and ran towards them but James moved up and held his hands out, keeping everyone back.
Megan took one look at the pain on Ralph's face and knew it was real pain, he wasn't faking it. Her hand flashed out and snatched the gun away and used it on Charles and he quickly fell to the floor in spasms.
The second jolt had really knocked Charles for a loop but they got him up on the couch and got a cold wet compress and applied it to his forehead.
"I didn't want to do that." Megan cried.
Ralph smiled as he nodded.
"No good person wants to do that Megan. But you had to. You want to experience the world, and we want you to be able to do that. So you need something to help ensure you can do that safely. This will do that. And just as you saw, it isn't just about protecting you. It is about protecting those you love as well." Ralph explained while rubbing his arm.
"Are you okay Daddy?" Paige asked, still shocked over what happened. "Why would Charles attack you like that?"
Ralph chuckled.
"Of course I'm okay. As for why, he had to get Megan to use it. Some people might let someone hurt them rather than stop them. But most won't let someone they care for to be hurt without trying something to help them." Ralph told her as he hugged both of his little girls and then hugged Megan.
"I'm sorry to have put you through that Ms O'Brien." Charles told her as he stood up finally.
"I'm sorry too, I didn't want to do that." Megan told him.
"Did you need anything else Mr Dineen?" Charles asked.
"I am hoping we're done with anything else like this, thank you so much Charles." Ralph told him.
"Any time sir." Charles told him as he left with James.
Paige arrived at the O'Brien farm an hour early and entered the house. She moved into the kitchen not seeing Louise or Megan and smiled finding Louise at the sink mixing up lemonade.
"Hi Mom." Paige smiled as she moved over and they hugged each other.
"How's my daughter?" Louise smiled.
"Good, I brought one of my dresses over. I wasn't sure if Megan might want to borrow it for her date. I might be a little stockier than she is, but we're about the same height." Paige smiled.
"Megan is upstairs, but stockier sounds horrible. You're much too beautiful for that word." Louise laughed.
Paige blushed but nodded before she turned and left the room. A moment later she knocked on Megan's door.
"It's open." Megan called out.
"Hey sis." Paige said as she entered. "I wasn't sure but I thought you'd look really good in this dress of mine."
Megan smiled even as Paige began helping her finish getting ready.
Megan came down the stairs just behind Paige. Billy Ryan stood there swallowing hard seeing her come into view.
"Yo-You look beautiful Megan." Billy told her as the flowers he held for her were threatening to fall out of his hand.
"Thank you Billy." Megan told him with a smile. "Are those pretty purple chrysanthemums for me?"
Billy nodded as he held them out to her.
Megan took them and gave them a cursory sniff and smiled at the honey sweet fragrance.
"Thank you Billy, they are gorgeous." Megan told him as she handed them to Louise. "Would you put these in water for me Mother?"
Louise nodded as she took them.
"Did you know that purple chrysanthemums are a wish for people to get well?" Billy asked softly.
"I hadn't heard that. That is very kind of you." Megan told him while she kissed his cheek.
"I know you have difficulties sometimes, with walking. So I brought my delivery bike. It has that back bench for someone to ride on if you don't want to risk trying to walk to town." Billy told her nervously.
"It's okay Billy, thank you. That was very considerate of you. I'd be happy to ride on it." Megan smiled.
Billy nodded and extended his arm and Megan grinned as she looped her hand around his arm and they carefully moved out the front door and down the steps to the three wheel bicycle.
"I'm hoping to have enough saved up for a car soon." Billy said apologetically as she carefully moved behind the driver's seat and climbed up and sat on the bench.
"This is fine Billy, honest." Megan told him.
"I'll have her home in a couple of hours, Mrs O'Brien." Billy told her.
"As long as you are treating her respectfully Billy, you can bring her home when she is ready." Louise told him.
"Yes Ma'am, ab, ab-absolutely Ma'am." Billy replied nervously as he got up on the seat and began pedaling after ensuring nothing was coming down the road.
Louise stood smiling after them with her arm around Paige's shoulders.
"You're getting much too tall my daughter." Louise told her with a little kiss to her cheek.
"Sorry Mom." Paige grinned.
"Oh I sure hope Walter wasn't that nervous with you." Louise told her as they continued to watch them move down the road.
"Well not with me at any rate." Paige laughed.
"So, what is on your mind that you wanted this little luncheon with us?" Louise asked as they turned and walked into the house after seeing Billy turn the corner and disappeared.
"Who said I had anything on my mind?" Paige frowned.
Louise looked at her with a raised brow.
"Well I'd love to tell you now but I think I'd rather tell you both at the same time. I think saying it once would be a lot easier." Paige told her.
Louise walked into the kitchen and got an aspirin out and crushed it. She put the powder into the vase and mixed it well with water. Lastly she put the flowers in it and smiled.
"Does an aspirin really help?" Paige smiled.
"It seems too and they are too pretty not to try. One aspirin is a small price to pay either way." Louise told her.
"Where is everyone?" Veronica called out as she opened the front door and stepped in.
Louise and Paige both laughed even as they moved out of the kitchen.
"Right here." Paige said as she hurried over and got the large picnic basket her Mom had.
"That chicken smells delicious." Louise said as she stepped up and hugged Veronica.
"I was getting so hungry on the way over here." Veronica laughed.
"I saw Megan and Billy on his bicycle, or tricycle I guess? Seems weird to call it a tricycle. I've always associated them with young children." Veronica told them.
Louise nodded as she laughed.
"I tried to get our little Paige to spill the beans early but she refused, she wanted to wait until you were here." Louise told her.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well and didn't shock you too much! I know, bad pun. I'm with Paige, is Walter is big enough to have that relationship he has to be big enough to know what she is doing. After all, it isn't like she's asking him to tell them the truth.
2LawDog - Yep, very close indeed. Sean I think would be move reactive in every situation...especially the impending bomb about to be dropped.
LouBe - You're welcome. Glad to have you here on the coaster with me! hehe 2001 is growing closer to a close but still a lot to happen. So keep those hands inside! lol
Railman - Yes, he might be able to keep a level head in negotiations but, these emotional situations seem to be his Achille's heel. Happy winked at me reading that. She said while it did disturb her to some degree, she said a lot of that was to short circuit her Dad's anger. After all, when one member of the Cyclone is attacked, all the others jump into action! The Dineens too are Catholic in this, though until their association with the O'Briens they were not practicing as some would say. Next chapter, we'll find out!
Margaret - I agree, lets hope that Walter finally learns something here. Yeah right, who are we kidding...he's Walter O'Brien...he's always going to trust his own brain...right?
Pearliegirl - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! That's a very nice thought...they'd make a nice regale couple!
Den - hehe Well it helped that Ralph was so familiar with Walter and what he's done in the past. At least he is protecting him from letting people know what he knows.
To the Adventure! -Tim