Friday evening:
"CBS News has learned that Homeland director Christopher Paul Merrick has been relieved of his position following an investigation launched by Sen. John McCain of the Senate's Intelligence Committee. Speaking on the record Sen. McCain said he had become aware of some discrepancies and had an investigation launched. Merrick is currently in Federal custody awaiting a hearing. This comes on the heels of a call for War Criminal charges to be filed. We have unnamed sources who are saying that Merrick was the mastermind behind that bombing. The US Attorney General is currently declining to comment on the matter." The reporter announced as Ralph shut the TV off.
"Feels good." Ralph smiled at Veronica.
"And you are sure this can't affect Walter now, right?" Veronica asked worriedly as she fed Emmett.
"Yep, one of the guys on the Security council gave up the tapes for the decision to trick Walter into writing that code. It contained so much evidence against Merrick I'm pretty sure he'll be the first US citizen the US will give to the International Criminal Court in The Hague." Ralph smiled.
"Why are they saying that John launched the investigation?" Veronica asked.
"Because, we go back a long way. He's a good man and he's helped with a lot of the things we've needed in order to get all the information. It wouldn't help my career in any way and he wanted to help protect us." Ralph explained. "Plus he's going to help ensure there is no blow back on Walter over this. He was extremely upset when I discussed this with him."
"I'm so glad you are who you are." Veronica smiled.
Ralph just grinned.
Saturday evening:
"So where are we going Walter?" Paige asked for the thirtieth time since Walter asked her to go out on a date with him.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." Walter told her as he stepped into the bedroom wearing the tuxedo he had worn back last Christmas.
"You know, I think next time you ask me out, I'm going to insist on knowing what you are planning before I say yes. How do I look?" Paige grinned wickedly at him even as she stood up from her vanity.
Walter swallowed hard as his hands messed with the bowtie.
"You look ravishing." Walter told her as he continued to try and adjust his collar.
Paige smiled as she stepped up to him. Her hands rose up and she adjusted his collar and bowtie for him.
"Better?" Paige asked with a grin.
Walter nodded.
They walked up to the main floor and Toby whistled as he sat with Happy going over the rover design. Everyone else looked over and saw the young couple and grinned.
"You both look so gorgeous." Veronica grinned as she got up to get her camera.
"Thank you." Paige grinned as she hugged Walter's arm.
"Where are you two going?" Ralph asked, smiling.
"Walter won't tell me." Paige pouted.
"Hey, that's part of the magic." Toby chipped in.
"I've got to get some pics so we can remember this and send it to Sean and Louise." Veronica said as she came back and gestured for them to move over to a different wall.
Paige pulled and Walter stepped over and they posed for almost ten minutes in different positions and then Walter cleared his throat looking at his watch.
"We'll need to get going to make our dinner reservation." Walter told them.
"See what you have to look forward to when you start dating?" Paige looked at Happy.
Happy rolled her eyes and went back to work on the design.
"Make sure you take extra detail with you Walt." Toby joked with him. "Otherwise you are going to be fighting all the guys fawning all over Paige."
Paige laughed as she shook her head. She walked over and kissed her Dad's cheek and then her Mom's.
"We'll see you tomorrow." Paige told them before they turned and left with her security detail.
"We're going to La Campania's?" Paige gasped as they pulled up out front.
Walter just nodded with a grin even as the doorman quickly stepped out and opened the door. Walter slipped out and reached his hand in and Paige took it before sliding out in her tiny, saucy, black dress. Photographers were snapping pictures as Paige stopped to pose with Walter for several seconds before they walked on into the restaurant.
The maîtresse d' stepped up and greeted them as they entered and showed them to the table Ralph had reserved for them. Walter held her chair as she sat down and then scooted in before he sat down.
The maîtresse d' made a few recommendations before she moved off as their server stepped up.
Walter basked in the look of love Paige gave him the entire meal. He almost felt like crying the way that love impacted him.
As they pulled away from the curb Paige leaned over to Walter.
"When we get home, you better buckle up nerd because I'm going to rock your world." Paige breathlessly whispered into his ear.
Walter's eyes went wide even as he looked at her and the devilish grin she was wearing.
"W-well…well t-the date isn't over yet." Walter stuttered.
"It isn't?" Paige looked surprised. "We're not going to the opera are we?"
Walter shook his head.
"Another surprise?" Paige asked.
Walter nodded, not trusting to speak.
"Hrmmm, I wonder what it could be?" Paige said very seductively as her finger ran down Walter's chest. "Any clues?"
Walter shook his head. He almost felt like he did that first Christmas as Paige cornered him in that Embassy limo.
Paige just grinned as she turned and leaned into Walter's side and took his hands in hers.
Paige looked out and saw they were headed towards Sophia's dance club.
"Are you kidding me Walter?" Paige looked at him.
Walter shook his head while grinning.
"We didn't get to really dance last Christmas and I thought this would be a great time." Walter told her.
Paige just nodded.
"Do you know how to tango, congo or salsa?" Paige asked, surprised.
"Well I studied a few videos but they offer a short dance course." Walter told her.
Paige just grinned bigger.
Once again Ralph had used his influence to arrange their visit and they were given about fifteen minutes of instructions and then allowed to just dance.
Walter and Paige were grinning and laughing at times and at others they were stuck together as the DJ played a rumba song. They were both quite flushed as they left and got into the SUV to go home. And true to her word, Walter seriously needed a safety harness that night.
Walter groaned as he heard his phone ringing the next day. Walter's hand reached out and grabbed it and dragged it back under the blanket. His eyes barely made out "Veronica". Walter swallowed as his eyes closed and he hit to answer.
"Hey Mom." Walter said softly.
"Good afternoon sleepy heads. I take it your date went well?" Veronica asked in an amused voice.
"Afternoon?" Walter questioned as his eyes opened and he looked at the screen. "Oh no, Richard's people are supposed to be calling."
"Already called my boy. They'll be phoning back in about an hour." Veronica told him.
"Thanks Mom and yes, the date was pure heaven." Walter told her as he kissed the top of Paige's head as she still slept on his chest.
"Alright, well get up and get ready then." Veronica laughed and hung up.
"Well there you two are." Ralph grinned as Paige and Walter walked into the main house. "How was the date?"
"Oh Daddy, it was magical. Walter took me to that Italian restaurant La Campania's for dinner and then to Sophia's Dance Club after!" Paige gushed.
"I know." Ralph told her with a teasing smile and lilt to his voice.
"How do you know?" Paige frowned and then she saw her Dad had the Sunday's social paper sitting there. Paige almost squealed as she grabbed it up and read through and found six different pictures of them. Two arriving and leaving La Campania's, two arriving and leaving Sophia's and two of them dancing inside.
She quickly read the write up over the section they were in and she just grinned bigger and bigger. She was still reading when the tech called Walter back and he sat down at his laptop he brought up with him.
He quickly accessed Richard's network and took over control of the tech's computer and began showing him how Collins had infiltrated the network and redirected resources. The tech was completely horrified that Walter had taken over his computer without him giving Walter access. As the call came to an end he mentioned that Walter shouldn't be doing that anymore.
"Well then, don't make it so easy." Walter told him and then hung up on the guy.
"Walter?" Ralph asked, looking at him.
"He was upset that I was able to take control of his computer without him giving me any permission to do so. So I told him not to make it so easy next time. Richard doesn't pay me to be slow." Walter told Ralph.
Ralph just laughed.
Monday morning:
As Paige and Walter walked down the hallway towards her first class one of the girls came running up to her.
"Paige, you got it!" The girl said excitedly for her.
"Got what?" Paige frowned.
"You got the female lead in the play of course. Did you have some doubt about it?" The girl asked, clearly surprised at her reaction.
"Paige, that's amazing, I told you that you would wow them." Walter grinned as he pulled her in and hugged her.
"Thank you." Paige told Walter as she hugged him back and then she thanked her classmate. "I wonder when rehearsals will start?"
"They'll start in a week but you'll need to go get your script from the office as soon as possible." The girl told her. "And congrats again."
"Thank you." Paige smiled.
They watched the girl move off as they stood outside her classroom door.
"Well, what do you really think?" Paige asked.
"I told you, you'd wow them. I'm so proud of you." Walter told her seriously.
"Thank you Walter. I really appreciate you being on my side." Paige told him softly.
"Always Ms Dineen." Walter told her before kissing her again. "I'll see you later?"
"You know it." Paige said as she blew him a kiss and walked into the room.
"Walter! Oh my gosh, I saw the pictures of you and Paige in the paper yesterday. And I have to say, you did such an amazing job capturing her likeness." Michelle greeted him enthusiastically as he entered the Jack Frost art studio.
Walter blushed as Glenda was standing there and they both started clapping.
"Walter, it really is an amazing likeness." Glenda nodded.
"Thank you both." Walter said, still blushing.
"Well you go ahead and start, if you need anything just let me know." Michelle told him.
Walter nodded and quickly moved into the other side of the building. The other students kind of waved and he waved back. Walter spent the next three hours capturing the way Paige's hair looked Saturday night. As he stepped back to look at it from a distance he heard a gasp and then saw Michelle there.
"Walter! You perfectly captured her hair from Saturday night. Does she wear it this way a lot?" Michelle asked as she squatted down to look at it closer.
"No, that was the first time Saturday." Walter told her.
"Damn, what I wouldn't give to have your memory." Michelle said as she still stared at the bust. She slowly rotated it around looking at it from every angle. "Walter, there is an art contest coming up in a month, I want you to enter this piece." Michelle looked up at him.
Walter kind of hemmed about even as he thought she only sees the benefit of his mental ability. She couldn't understand the cost to his earlier life because of it.
"I don't know, I suppose if Paige doesn't mind." Walter finally decided.
Michelle smiled.
"Walter, I can't imagine she'd mind at all. She's beautiful and this really captures her beauty. Are you done with it so we can start the firing process?" Michelle asked.
"I think so." Walter nodded.
Michelle had him move it to another room where it would sit until tomorrow when it would be loaded into the kiln. Walter finished cleaning up and then left for his meeting with Toby.
Toby was grinning as he walked into the restaurant they usually got lunch from before starting their session.
"Damn Walt. It looked like you really rocked Paige's night from the pictures I saw in the paper." Toby told him as he sat down next to him at the counter.
"Thanks. She was really surprised. Ralph got the reservations for us and that helped a lot." Walter told him.
"Maybe, but it was the company she loved, trust me." Toby told him even as he ordered his regular sandwich. "How's the art class going?"
"I just finished my first piece. The teacher wants me to submit it to an art contest in a month." Walter told him.
"No kidding?" Toby looked surprised. "You just started it on Friday right? Did you go over all weekend and work on it?"
"No, I just worked on it for three and a half hours Friday and during class today. The teacher seemed really shocked at how good and quickly I did it." Walter said softly.
"Damn Walter…Is there anything you can't do?" Toby asked seriously.
"Understand emotions very well. They're still a puzzle to me at times. I had to have Dad sit with me meeting Richard to be sure he didn't lie to me." Walter told him.
"Well, I'm not sure how much of that will change Walt. Just being honest with you. But you are putting in a hell of an effort and it shows. Just so you know I contacted your teachers and other members of the community in Callan to get information on your childhood." Toby told him.
"Didn't trust my words?" Walter asked.
"It isn't that, it helps to understand the people you grew up with. They all speak very highly of you after you met Paige. She had an amazing effect on you. I'm sorry you had such a rough upbringing. But we'll get some of it straightened out, I promise." Toby told him as he cupped Walter's shoulder.
"Thanks. According to Happy you didn't have a great upbringing either." Walter told him.
"That's true. A bipolar Mother and a Father who would drown his sorrows at the track. He constantly took me with him when Mother was down and out so he could escape his life. Probably would have been a lot better had he just divorced her and left us. Mother could have gotten better help through state agencies as a single parent. And I spent my youth trying to make Dad see me. About the only thing he ever saw was when I picked the winners. And that's how I got on the track of gambling on horses and stuff. Thankfully casino games don't really inspire anything, at least at this time." Toby told him just before their lunches arrived.
Toby paid for the food and tipped the server before they left for their spot in the park.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Railman - Toby is definitely rocking the doctor and friendship roles! Yes, Walter is all about Paige and since he is doing it for her, the first piece had to be her without a doubt. Collins is definitely opportunistic and doesn't have a problem with obfuscating "rules"...right up Merrick's alley for sure! And definitely Collins has all the data somewhere else. Let's hope he's no where close to perfecting it.
LouBe - hehe Toby said definitely just enjoyed watching Walter work. He's not that interested in the math it would take to operate on Walter's level. lol That doesn't sound too spoilery, so yes, we'll see Paige's reaction to the piece Sunday. Yes, Ralph has kind of rubbed off on Richard a good bit and he's operating on a level that is more acceptable to Ralph. hehe Well I can't say how they will be kept apart for now...don't want to give anything away. lol And it would be wise to assume that Collins is allowing himself to be used by Merrick for his own reasons... He probably would have been if they had told him that he had a hand in the development of the tech that caused it. lol But it might inspire him to look into researchers who might be working on such a thing. He might be more forward thinking environmentally and socially than most capitalists, but he's still a capitalist...$$$ talks and BS walks in that world. It has been a crazy few days writing. I almost feel like I aged a year from everything going on. lol
Pearliegirl - So glad you had faith in our genius boy! hehe Well, I hope JerBr will be back...I think I saw someone had commented anonymously on one of the other writers' story the other day using a name that made me think it was him. Time will tell. haha Well there are much worse things to be stuck with than you.
2LawDog - hehe That's the way I like it! lol Toby did good on the gambling and as we see here casino gambling hadn't gotten into his psyche here like it did in the show. So hopefully it never will. Definitely it will be beneficial to Walter I think. Well Walter is the most intelligent in the room for a good number of years to come...hopefully. I believe it falls under The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 18 U.S.C. 1030 But in this case it doesn't matter because Richard would have to go to the DA for a legal charge or to his own attorneys to file a civil case against Walter and he's not about to bite the golden goose he's been trying to catch up in his web! lol So glad you enjoyed it!
To the Adventure! -Tim