Not a fool this time…. Chapter 16

Ralph said, "I give my word. I look forward to doing stuff like we used to- if you have the time, that is."

"You know me, enjoy the board work and scope time," Walter replied. "I have missed the interaction with you."

Ralph looked at Walter, "And you have no idea how much I have missed learning from you, especially since being pulled out of my college classes."

Gale enjoyed watching the interaction between the two. Ralph seemed to have a genuine affection for Walter as Walter showed great fondness for Ralph.

Ralph turned to Gale, "the dinner was excellent, thank you."

"Why don't you two get comfortable while I clean things up," Gale said. She later joined them at the desks where they were working problems on the gathered white boards. Walter's laptop was at the and they were getting math problems from it. Each picked a problem for the other to solve and put it on the board as a contest. Walter completed the first two solutions first. She did not even know a lot of the symbols in the problems, much less the covered white board getting to the solutions. Walter explained his methodology getting to his solution, then went over Ralphs so they both got to the solution of his problem.

"Ralph- you have gotten rusty since we last did board work." Walter said with a chuckle.

"Come on, Walter, not 'rusty'," Ralph laughed. "I have never been able to match you on board work like this. That has always been one of my ambitions. When I finish before you, I know I will have moved up a level. Like when I won my first chess game against you- that put me in seventh heaven for days. Especially when I knew you did not let me win."

"No, you certainly earned that win," Walter said. "In the fullness of time you will match and overtake my board work, I have no doubt. Gale, you remember Dave and Sara. Last time I was up there Dave said his twenty-two year old son, Eric, is in MIT now, and doing exceptionally well and before long may give me pause. Have no idea why everyone is ganging up on me."

"Because, my love, you are the paragon of excellence," Gale said from her desk. "Were you not, why would anyone try to do better or compete with you?"

"She is right, Walter," Ralph laughed. "I will know without doubt I will have 'made it' when I can just match you in math, much less be faster. You give some of us something to strive for…. would like to meet this Eric sometime."

"You guys do not seem to remember I have decades more experience, information gathering, research, collaborative correspondence, extensive reading, and lab work than you youngsters- even Eric at twenty-two and certainly you at fifteen." Walter said with a smile. "When you two are my age you will have far exceeded my accomplishments, as it has been throughout the ages- each generation makes progress in the sciences as new foundations and theories are made on the old."

Gale rose and stretched. "You guys going to continue your fun and games or ready to call it a night? Ralph, you going to stay the night? If so I will get some clean sheets for the Airstream."

"Is it OK?" Ralph asked.

"We said you were welcome to stay." Walter said while erasing the white boards.

Gale went to the cabinet under the stairs for clean sheets, pillow cases and towels then headed to the Airstream with Ralph following. Getting in the Airstream, Ralph pulled the sheets off the bed. He looked at Gale, "I know I am older and certainly in a different legal status but being here with Walter makes me feel like a kid again. I wish I had been able to stay in contact with him after the blow-up- must have been a difficult time for him."

"Yes, it was." Gale said spreading out the fitted sheet. "I sincerely hope you never have to endure his experiences to reach the level of accomplishment he has attained."

"How did you and Walter meet?" Ralph asked while stuffing a pillow in a case.

"Fortunately Richard Elias pried him out of the garage to do some security programming for his different data centers. I worked at one that was having 'hack attacks' and had written a program Walter found 'elegant'. Like you, having Walter O'Brien laud a bit of coding on a file I did sent me to the moon. He even erased his and entered mine in one of his extensive security programs, and requested me personally to work on another massive coding job." Gale explained with a smile, then looked up at Ralph, "can you believe he never even checked my work on that job. Working here in the garage on that project was enlightening on what an exceptional individual he is….. how could I not fall in love with him?"

"He certainly appears to be more at ease, content. Between my mom and Toby, they always had him unsure of his thoughts and actions, constantly questioning himself."

"I know after the blow-up of Scorpion he self-isolated for close to eight months here in the garage. Saw no one but delivery guys and curriers picking up his security software," Gale explained. "Can you imagine isolated for that long?"

"Have to admit, Walter is quite the strong personality to have gone through so many adverse experiences over his life and still be open to people and society. That may be the biggest and most important lesson I may ever learn from him," Ralph said.

Gale finished tucking in the top sheet and light blanket, threw the two pillows on the bed and stood up straight to look directly at Ralph. "That you see and understand that shows you have the maturity even at your young age to deserve your emancipation. Maturity far beyond your years and far beyond many far older than you."

"Knowing all that, I am even happier to see you two together," Ralph said. "And I can fully understand his wanting to keep the Scorpion team away. Looking back, while there was a lot of good done by the team working cases with Homeland, the personal interaction over that time was what kept everything on edge, Walter especially. I will endeavor to be as little an intrusion as possible."

"Don't worry, Ralph. You are a good part of Walter's life, now, and that is fine with me," Gale said. "Have a good night." She closed the door and walked through the garage to see Walter at his desk.

Walter looked up, "Ralph settled for the night?" He pushed his chair back so she could sit on his lap and he put his arms around her.

"Yup, all settled in. What you up to?"

"Just checking mail- nothing needing immediate attention," Walter said pushing the laptop to the corner of the desk.

"You two sure had a good time this evening." Gale said with a smile, giving him a kiss. "Have not seen you more enthused than you get working with the eggheads… especially when the theoretical issues are contemplated."

"You see why. Ralph will be a force to recon with in whatever science discipline he chooses to pursue," Walter said giving her a hug. "His abilities will exceed mine once he has the university foundations under his belt to work with. That is why he should never have been pulled out of his college classes. He should be encouraged in every endeavor that increases his knowledge- to curb his learning is a waste."

Gale raised her eye brows and looked at him seriously. "You do realize Paige will come here, she knows once he is legally on his own he will seek you out. I want you to be aware and prepare for what may be coming."

"Yes, I am aware," Walter replied. "I am just sorry you may be subjected to some…. less than pleasant comments, confrontation. I apologize beforehand."

"Do not worry about me, my love. I am the youngest of four and learned how to hold my own with those smarter, stronger, and older than I a long time ago." Gale said with a smile and patted his chest. "How about I set up the coffee for the morning and we head on up to bed….. maybe sing a siren song of pleasure…. sound like a good plan to you?"

Walter gave her a critical look, "sounds very good to me- I will give you a hand setting up the coffee- get it done faster to sooner implement your 'plan'."

Surprisingly, the next day Walter got a message on the address he had given Paige the night she requested his help.

Walter- Ralph has been emancipated- he is legally an adult and on his own. I assume he has contacted you- I will not come to the garage. If he has, please pass on I would like to see him- he has my contact info to give me day, time, and place. Thank you. Paige

Walter sat for a moment. Gale was in the kitchen getting coffee. When she joined him, he pointed to the message on screen for her to read.

Reading while blowing on her coffee before taking a sip she said, "Wow, she is showing more restraint than I expected. I will let him know." Gale then went to the Airstream and knocked on the door….. waited and knocked again but got no response. "Walter, don't think he is here- if he left it must have been quite early, and quietly."

Walter brought up the security buffer while Gale joined him. "Boy, early, indeed. Left at six-seventeen this morning- least he reset the security. Wonder where he is off to so early and not let us know…. no note left anywhere?"

"Well, we will find out sooner or later." Walter said, "In the meantime, I found some properties on-line you might want to check out. All are a couple acres or so- plenty of room for chickens, mud puddles, fruit and nut trees."

"Going to check into solar power and a well? Just think- country living and equipment to keep the place working…. you need to talk to dad. He got into all that stuff years ago and no matter what happens, they have water and power," Gale said looking at the screen. "Look at the line of orange trees along the fence of this place. Fresh orange juice."

Five in the afternoon Ralph knocked at the door. Walter answered to let him in. "You know the security code, not necessary to knock." Ralph came in carrying a box of books with a buddy behind him carrying computer equipment.

"Walter, this is my college buddy Wayne. He has been letting me stay at his place while the legal crap was getting done," Ralph said.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. O'Brien. Have heard a lot about you." Wayne said. "You have Ralph way ahead of his classmates, and fortunately he has been passing it on to Brian and me. Been a big help."

"Nice meeting you Wayne, and call me Walter or Walt, the Mr. O'Brien isn't necessary."

"Have you ever thought of going into teaching? Could be a big help to a lot of students who are lacking the 'math proficiency' as Ralph puts it."

"No, I am under contract work with Elias Enterprises so kept quite busy in all his divisions needing my expertise," Walter said. "Hardly have the time to attend to all he wants me to work on as it is."

"Ralph said you designed components for rocketry. That is the engineering I want to get into. 'Space, the final frontier' and all that," Wane intoned. "Do you think there is life beyond Earth?"

Walter laughed, "Certainly would be a waste of resources if there wasn't something out there. To have nothing in the entire Universe but humans- how depressing, and quite a waste. The innumerable galaxies seen in the deepest space pictures Hubble showed- there has to be countless planets supporting life beyond Earth. The math shows there is. The bigger question is whether Humans will be able to contact any advanced life."

"See, Wayne, told you he was a blast to talk with," Ralph said.

Ralph and Wayne deposited their boxes in the Airstream. Gale came in to see what was going on. "Yup, typical guys. You bring in boxes of books and computer equipment- did you bring any clothes?"

Ralph laughed, "Still in Wayne's car, I really don't have much at this point, anyway. A duffle bag of clothes and another box of books." He and Wayne went back out to Wayne's car to retrieve the rest and get everything settled in the Airstream.

"This is a pretty neat set up, you are lucky Ralph…. had to go through a bunch of crap to get here, but looks to be worth it. Think you will be back in class next semester? See if you can test in to stay with Brian and me?"

"I will e-mail and let you guys know as I find out." Ralph said. "Thanks a bunch for your help, Wayne, appreciate it. Would have been kinda' hard to get this crap from Santa Monica to here walking all the way. Tell Brian if he needs any more help, just e-mail me."

Wayne called "Nice meeting you all," as he left.

Ralph walked into the common area to see Gale and Walter at their respective desks. "I didn't think until a couple blocks away that I should have left a note before leaving this morning," he said. "Going to take a bit of getting used to after crashing with the guys all this time."

"Your mother e-mailed, she wants to see you. You have her contact info to give her place, day and time." Walter said. "I am sure you will want to reassure her you are OK and will keep in touch as time progresses."

"As soon as I get my computer set up I will do that." Ralph said. "Can you give me a hand, Walter? Do I have to run cables into the Airstream or is everything set with WiFi in there? Been a while."

"Sure, let's see what is needed for your system." Walter said getting up to head to the Airstream with Ralph.

"Dinner in about fifteen minutes so don't get too carried away, guys." Gale called.

"Wayne was sure eye-ballin' the Ferrari, surprised he didn't ask about it. You aren't into road racing anymore, I hope."

"No, the need for high speed meditation is over and past," Walter said chuckling. "We can get the WiFi in here, no problem so you're ready to go, just set your rig up on the table at this end for clear signal."

"You sure have the Datsun in pieces. Going to do any modifications or keep it stock? Doing anything to the Ferrari?"

"Nope, keeping the Datsun stock and just using the Ferrari as a daily driver," Walter said. "Dinner should be on the table so let's go eat. Afterwards send that message to your mother."