Monday, May 31, 2004, Dineen family home Cambridge:
"Hey everyone!" Toby called out as he got out of his car and waved.
"Hey Toby!" Happy and the Dineens called out from the side yard of the house.
Toby stepped back and waited for Sylvester and his parents to get out of their car. Toby smiled at Sylvester encouraging him. As Sylvester reached him Toby turned and walked with him as his parents followed.
"Everyone, this is Sylvester and his parents. Kenneth and Millie Dodd. Kenneth is a Colonel in the US Army. Sylvester, you already know my friends Happy and Walter. This is Paige, Walter's girlfriend. And this is Ralph and his wife Veronica Dineen and their youngest son Emmett." Toby introduced everyone.
"Welcome everyone. Food will be ready shortly." Ralph smiled from the grill.
"Ralph, it is good to meet you again. I was shocked when I found out we were coming to meet you and your family." Kenneth said as he stepped up and stuck his hand out.
Ralph nodded as they shook hands.
"Sweetie." Ralph said, putting his hand out round Veronica. "Kenneth is part of the special weapons division of the Army. We first bumped into each other when I was trying to get him out of Libya back in '83."
"It is nice to meet you Mrs Dineen. Thank God for you Ralph. If it hadn't been for you my wife Millie might have been a widow and my son never born." Kenneth smiled.
"Please, call me Veronica, Kenneth. It is nice to meet you too Millie. Oh yes, I remember that now, you are part of the weapons inspection teams." Veronica said as she reached her hand out to Kenneth and Millie.
"Walter was telling me you really like some kind of roleplaying game." Paige said as she shook Sylvester's hand.
"Fantasy and Frolics." Sylvester nodded enthusiastically. "I heard you liked theater, you'd probably be a natural for it."
Paige laughed.
"I'm afraid my plate is quite full as it is, but thank you. I did enjoy my short foray into stage acting." Paige smiled. "Toby said you are really into math?"
Sylvester nodded.
"Numbers and equations just seem to click for me. Walter was really amazing with them when we met back in March." Sylvester told her.
"Walter told me he was really impressed with you and your aptitude for it. He said he can see the day you will surpass him." Paige said as she hugged Walter's arm.
"Thanks Walter, I don't know if that is true but it does seem the more I'm exposed to, the easier it gets." Sylvester smiled.
"Sylvester seemed really nice." Paige said that night as she laid in Walter's arms in bed.
"He really is. And he is improving with math. Toby's been after me to see if I can help his math teacher to challenge him." Walter said as he kissed the top of her head.
"Oh, are you going to do it?" Paige asked as she tilted her head back to look at his face.
"Well all the math is already out there. So there really isn't anything for me to do. I mean if they just want me to put it in a chronological order of what he should learn, I could probably do that. But I'm not sure what else to do for him in it. Other than grade it if his teacher can't." Walter sighed.
"Well, you've said so many times how the church interfered with the subjects. Maybe you could write it up as you would have preferred it to have been taught to you?" Paige said sleepily.
"Huh, that's an idea I hadn't considered. I've always thought of it from my standpoint of learning, not teaching." Walter nodded.
"See, even us normals are good for something." Paige teased as she bit his chest.
"Hey!" Walter yelped. "You are good for so many things. Never belittle yourself like that." Walter squeezed her tightly.
"Yeah, I guess I run a decent meeting and keep you and Happy out of the fire, even with other geniuses." Paige grinned.
Walter shook his head.
"You want to be spanked don't you?" Walter teased.
"Maybe." Paige said as she looked up at him and winked.
Saturday, June 26, end of the MIT Robotics contest:
"Hi, your robot is really something." A teen boy said to Happy.
Happy was standing at her table packing up the placards that helped explain her robot. Happy smiled.
"Thanks." Happy told him.
"I'm Jeremy." Jeremy said as he held out his hand.
"Happy." Happy told him and shook his hand.
"It is nice to meet you, Happy. I'm hoping to get accepted into one of the accelerated classes like you. I don't know if I could win the contest like you did though." Jeremy smiled.
"I'm not an accelerated class student, I'm a full time student here." Happy told him.
"Really? You don't look that old, I thought you were my age." Jeremy said, puzzled.
"I'm fourteen. I was accepted and granted a scholarship before I graduated secondary school in Ireland. I graduated when I was thirteen." Happy explained.
"Really? That's cool. Would you like to grab a soda or something with me?" Jeremy asked, pointing off towards the refreshment area.
"Sure, let me finish putting this stuff away." Happy told him.
"May I help?" Jeremy asked.
"Sure." Happy shrugged.
"It is amazing you won first place in the contest. You must be really smart." Jeremy smiled as they sat in a booth, each with a soda and hot dog. He kept looking at the two agents who stayed with them.
"I've been blessed in some ways." Happy smiled. "Having an advanced mechanical aptitude and eidetic memory, along with a math proficiency has come in handy. It certainly impressed my advanced class professors in Ireland. When they found out I wanted to go to MIT they used their contacts to help pave the way. But it hasn't always worked out in my favor. The latest was last year when the professor wanted me to work with the other students on a separate project, but they didn't want me."
"They were stupid." Jeremy grinned and Happy grinned back.
"Hey sis." Paige called out.
"Hey Paige." Happy waved as she walked over. "This is Jeremy Bottoms. This is my sister Paige." Happy told him.
"It's nice to meet you." Jeremy said but frowned looking at them both. "Are you adopted or half sisters?"
"We're sisters." Paige shrugged. "Nothing else matters. Mom and Dad wanted to know if you wanted to go get dinner, but I see you are already eating." Paige grinned.
"Well unless they have a strong objection to it, I'm going to stay here for a little while and then the agents can take me home." Happy told her.
Paige nodded.
"She was with a boy?" Ralph asked as they were getting into their SUV.
"And her agents, Dad." Paige nodded.
"I should have bought a house with a dungeon." Ralph sighed, settling into the SUV.
"A dungeon? Really? Come on Daddy." Paige grinned. "Happy's a mechanical genius, she'd escape faster than you could lock the door."
Ralph laughed as he nodded.
"Probably so pumpkin." Ralph said as he side hugged Veronica next to him.
"I wonder if Toby knows." Walter said softly.
Paige shrugged.
"Well that really doesn't matter. He's got his girlfriend and Happy needs more relationships with kids her own age." Ralph said.
Friday, July 2nd, 2004:
"Mom, is it okay if I invite Jeremy over for the cookout?" Happy asked as she practiced on the piano.
"Of course you can sweetheart. We've been wanting to meet him anyway." Veronica smiled from the recliner nearby while listening to Happy play.
"That isn't an invitation for you and Daddy to interrogate him Mom." Happy said sternly.
Veronica laughed.
"Sweetheart, I can assure you, your Father had a dossier on him two days after you met him. Your Dad takes the safety of his kids very seriously." Veronica told her.
Happy shook her head.
"Am I getting as good as Walter?" Happy asked.
"Sweetheart, you are amazing. You don't need to consider if you can compare to him or not." Veronica smiled.
"That isn't an answer." Happy sighed.
Veronica smiled as she stood up.
"Scoot over a little and keep playing." Veronica told her.
Happy did and watched as Veronica sat down next to her. Veronica reached out and began playing a higher pitched counterpoint to Happy's playing. Happy grinned and matched the style. The two of them sat there playing together and back and forth for nearly twenty minutes when Veronica stopped.
They were suddenly shocked by clapping and saw that Ralph had come out of his study along with Walter and Paige coming in from outside the house.
Veronica winked at Happy.
"Now, do you know what you just did, Walter can't do that?" Veronica asked.
Happy frowned and shook her head before looking at Walter.
"See, Walter's talent lies in analyzing and mimicking the song as played or written. But you have the talent of adapting. Both are wonderful skills, but they can't be compared because they are different. What Walter does naturally, takes you time to learn, but through that learning, you learn something Walter would have to work on much harder." Veronica hugged her. "So I can't give you a comparison to if you play as good or better than he does."
Happy nodded with a smile.
Sunday, July 4th, Dineen family cookout:
Jeremy sat a little stiffly next to Happy as his meeting with Ralph hadn't gone very well in his opinion. And Ralph dwarfed him and he was quite sure Happy's Dad would dwarf his own Father as well.
"Toby!" Happy said excitedly as Toby pulled up in the driveway. She jumped up and ran over to greet him.
Toby smiled as he climbed out of the car and they hugged for a moment.
"Is that her uncle?" Jeremy asked Walter quietly as the others all waved at him.
"No, that's Toby. He's been Happy's friend for several years." Walter told him.
"Come on, I want you to meet Jeremy." Happy said, pulling on his hand.
Toby laughed but stopped long enough to shake Ralph's hand as he stood at the grill cooking.
"Toby, this is my friend Jeremy. He's hoping to get into MIT's advanced class for robotics. Jeremy, this is my friend Toby. He's a doctor of psychology." Happy introduced them.
"Nice to meet you Jeremy." Toby said as he extended his hand.
Jeremy didn't want to, but upon remembering his Dad's talk about meeting people he pushed up from the lounge chair. He stood and gave Toby a brief smile as he shook his hand.
"It's nice to meet you too Toby." Jeremy told him.
"Is it just me, or is something weird going on?" Walter leaned over and asked Paige quietly.
Paige gave him a quick flash of her smile but shook her head.
"I think they both are a bit jealous of the other's involvement with Happy." Paige whispered.
"Not good." Walter uttered Ralph and Happy's favorite line.
Saturday, Sept 11th, 2004 Gracie's Ice Cream shop:
"You got your letter?" Happy asked excitedly as they sat sipping on the shakes that Jeremy got them.
Jeremy nodded.
"I've been a little worried about opening it. What if I wasn't chosen?" Jeremy asked.
Happy shrugged.
"What would it matter if you didn't? You're a bright kid. If you have to wait until you graduate from high school to go to MIT, it isn't the end of the world. It might help you graduate early if you do but that doesn't mean much." Happy told him as she squeezed his hand.
"Are you going to think less of me if I do?" Jeremy asked.
"Open the letter." Happy grinned.
Jeremy let out his breath and slipped his finger under the lip of the envelope and slipped it down, half tearing and half pulling the glued ends apart. He reached in and pulled the letter out and unfolded it.
"Dear Mr Bottoms, thank you for your application to the advanced robotics class at MIT. Unfortunately." Jeremy sighed as his voice dropped. "To inform you that you didn't…blah blah blah." Jeremy said as he dropped the letter.
"Look Jeremy, don't let this get you down. You are smart. You probably just over-thought the test." Happy said, squeezing his hand again.
"Yeah, not as smart as you." Jeremy sighed.
"So? Why should that matter? I'm not as smart as Walter. He has his strengths and I have mine." Happy told him.
"You don't think I'm a waste of your time now?" Jeremy asked.
"Because you didn't get into the advanced class? No, how shallow do you think I am? But you keep wallowing in this despair and I will." Happy grinned.
"Would you like to go to the Lucky Strike bowling center?" Jeremy asked.
Happy grinned.
"I'll spot you a strike you can use in any frame you want." Happy told him.
Jeremy laughed even as they finished their shakes and walked out of the shop. Happy reached over and took his hand in hers as they walked out with her detail and got into the SUV.
"Hey Mom, Jeremy and I are going to the bowling alley." Happy said as her Mom picked up the phone. "Okay, yeah I'll be home in time for dinner." Happy grinned.
"She's what?" Ralph asked a second time.
Veronica shook her head.
"I told you, they are going to the bowling alley." Veronica told him again.
"I really don't like this kid." Ralph sighed.
"Well tough. You didn't want her spending so much time with Toby, so she has someone her own age now." Veronica poked.
"Don't remind me. But that kid, he just rubs me the wrong way." Ralph told her as he picked up his paper again.
"It doesn't matter who the boy is, he'd still rub you the wrong way." Veronica laughed.
"Probably not like him. There is just something about him…weaselly." Ralph told her.
"I think you are just too used to having Walter and Toby around and he is nothing like either one of them." Veronica teased.
"That's for sure." Ralph sighed as he flipped his paper out so he could fold it over and continue reading.
"Who isn't like either one of them?" Paige asked as she walked through the dining room towards Ralph's den.
"Jeremy." Veronica smiled as she looked back at Paige. "He's nothing like Walter and Toby and I said that is why your Father can't stand him."
Paige giggled.
"Well you are right about him not being anything like Walter or Toby. Are you afraid she's going to get corrupted and won't be your little girl anymore Daddy?" Paige teased walking into his den.
"Hrmump." Ralph grunted.
"Is that what you think Walter did to me? Corrupted me so I'm not your little girl anymore?" Paige asked as she stepped up next to Ralph and kissed his cheek.
"More like you corrupted him." Ralph teased back.
Paige laughed.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that." Paige said as she continued laughing.
"Where is Walter?" Veronica asked as she looked out the doorway.
"Finishing up his call with Richard. He's had some problems getting Cabe set up as one of the testers for the self-driving car program. The testing center doesn't want any cops. But Walter specifically wants some cops on the program." Paige told her.
"Why wouldn't they want them helping to test them?" Veronica asked.
"They claim it is because cops don't drive the cars enough. But Walter feels it is, if you excuse the pun, a cop out." Paige chuckled.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Well, after last chapter's debacle, let's hope this one works right. Still don't know how the website picked chapter 14 of "Walter Under The Bridge" to insert as the last chapter. While I have a number of documents I can chose to post as a new chapter, only one of them was labeled as "Callan 73" and WUTB 14 doesn't come up in the list to choose without scrolling further down the list. So hopefully that won't happen this time. One reader wrote to let me know about the snafu (even as I was working to try and fix it) that a year ago a similar mistake on my part was made. When I went to update one of the Knight stories and had somehow chosen "Callan" to update. lol But this time, it wasn't a me fault! lol Unfortunately, it takes at least 30 minutes for a story to update on this website and the other day, it took almost 2 hours from the time I saw there was a problem. Normally I immediately check the chapter to be sure it posted properly, but last time, I didn't...*sigh*
Railman - Well we got a little bit more of Sly in this chapter! hehe He has a couple of roles in the coming 12 months!
LouBe - Of course you can ask! lol Actually, from all I was able to research for the story, in the US the Senate holds all the power when it comes to citizenship. The President holds no power, he can put together facts and information, he can ask them to consider something, he can also use political clout to curry favor and stuff to arrange it. Now I don't know if they would actually do what I wrote, but as you said, this is fiction so why not? hehe So glad you enjoyed the birthday scene! As far as I know it doesn't exist as written. There are mechanisms that can operate because of differences in potentials. Such as natural energy transfers from one person to another. So glad you enjoyed Walter and Happy meeting Sly, as for where 2004 is taking us...well it looks like it is taking Happy into the realm of dating! lol
Pearliegirl - hehe Well, I've yet to physically see her, so I've no clue. But if I do, I'll let you know! Glad you guys enjoy Callan. It isn't popular in the fandom but I still enjoy it! lol
To the Adventure! -Tim