Not a fool this time…. Chapter 27

Having the pizza and 'college student spaghetti' turned into a pleasant evening. As per usual when Walter and Ralph got together math ensued. Gale and Wayne mainly watched as the math flowed from one white board to another.

Walter glanced at Gale sitting on the sofa smiling and talking with Wayne. Like she could feel he was looking at her, she turned and smiled at Walter.

"At least you know what all those symbols mean in that math they are working," she said to Wayne. "That is total Greek to me, but those two sure do seem to be jazzed over it."

"Yes, I understand the symbols," Wayne said sitting back and watching the two, "understand the math even, just not near as fast as those two….. unless I drag out the calculator…. but, in the time it takes me to enter the problem in the calculator, Walter especially has it answered already."

"He does seem to have a super computer between his ears," Gale chuckled. "Ralph isn't far behind, though."

"Too bad Walter isn't into teaching… he has helped me a lot and I wonder if Ralph would be where he is had he not had Walter working with him the past few years. Ralph sure was bummed when his stepdad had some guy monitoring his computer so he could not contact Walter all that time. Think that was the number one reason for his getting on his own, young as he is. He was a mess when he came to my place- was worried he might do something really stupid if I didn't put him up for a while."

"Not surprising, really. While he may be incredibly smart, Ralph is still a youngster and not necessarily emotionally mature enough to overcome the distress he was experiencing." Gale mused. "I thank you for helping him when he needed it- Walter would have been devastated had any harm come to Ralph… he really is attached to him….. truthfully, any child Walter and I have really will be a brother or sister to Ralph."

Walter finished up the last equation, turned to Gale and said, "Time we get on the road, Gale. You two remember to keep the security on at all times- just in case."

"Next time you guys come over, make it earlier in the day so I have the light to check out your new car. I did see it has Buick on it, but that isn't a car I have seen before."

With a big grin Gale said, "my dad had one- it is a 1962 Buick Special with a V-6, manual and not the most popular of classic cars, but I sure like it… and it is SO much fun to drive- not one computer sensor in it, an AM only radio so you pay attention to driving instead of fiddling around with all the modern crap cars have today….. actually have to LOOK to see if anything is behind you before backing up… novel concept, huh?"

"Maybe you should be a used car dealer, Gale," Walter said. "Went into the wrong line of work with computer programming…. shall we hop in your unusual ride and get home?"

"You guys have a good night," Gale said going out the door being held open by Walter.

Getting behind the wheel while Walter held the driver side door for her, "You tired, Walter?"

Shutting the door, Walter walked around the car to get in the passenger side, he leaned over to kiss her. "Such a pleasant evening, the top down, take the long way home and enjoy the drive… dessert awaits, and we have all night."

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The next few months were a continuing saga of a pleasant married life for Walter and Gale. The work Walter was involved with for Elias Enterprises, space division was interesting, especially once Ralph was installed in his internship.

Gale kept her prenatal appointments and all was progressing as expected. She did notice Walter seemed to stare at her more in quiet moments, would pause his entering code in the desktop when she entered the den, would sit on the patio, laptop ignored, watching her swim, be awake before her in the morning.

"Walter, are your calibrated eyes checking for my stomach growth every day?" Gale asked one afternoon while floating in the pool. "Been noticeable for a while, now, that I am without doubt in a family way."

"You are beautiful."

"You know, I have always heard that men say women are more beautiful when pregnant while we women always feel fat and frumpy."

"You were beautiful before you were pregnant, you are beautiful while pregnant, you will be beautiful after you give birth." Walter said with a smile. "It is your natural state- beautiful." The laptop signaled new mail so Walter opened it to see a message from Homeland Security. Walter frowned then opened it.

Mr. O'Brien- The past few months the tracking software you provided for law enforcement has resulted in the apprehension of 173 criminals (three here in LA including the known EU criminal that tracked you and your wife), and shut down 67 illicit computer hacking 'farms' here as well as in the EU. The working life of that version of software seems to have ended. It is requested you make an up-graded version of that tracking software to continue law enforcement actions. Your work with Homeland in the past leads the present administration to believe you will accept a contract for this project. Please come into the LA office to discuss contract terms.

Brian Phillips, Head Computer Operations, Homeland Security

Walter sat back in his chair, pushing the laptop back.

"Walter, what is it?" Gale asked seeing his reaction to the message.

"That was from Homeland- they want me to come up with another tracking program as the one I GAVE them has ended its usefulness as I warned them it would. Wonder how long it will be before I hear from Interpol as well."

"Homeland has a lot of gall requesting your help. After their treatment of you before and certainly after the Scorpion cases." Gale said. "Ha, tell them to get hold of Centipede Partners…. isn't that who they gave your contract to? They have a computer guru that kept Ralph from contacting you all those months, surely you are not the only programmer to manage such a system. Can't they can incorporate your program and expend on it to make something functional again?"

"You are right, I do not have the time or inclination to get involved in criminal cases." Walter hit reply and wrote: Not interested- O'Brien and hit send.

Walter got up, slipped off his sandals, pulled his t-shirt over his head and dropped it on his chair, dove into the pool and came up next to Gale to give her a kiss. "I doubt there is anything that could get me to work for Homeland again. I told them it would have a limited lifespan so they should have been working on another version long before now. Besides, I never was into capturing the baddies like Cabe and Simone. I sent a reply that I was not interested."

"Yes, a nice, civilized, intelligent computer nerd- age of the geek, right? Think it is time I get out of the pool, my fingers are wrinkled," Gale said. "Want to invite Adam and Sue over for sandwiches and salad- too hot for anything heavier."

Sue joined Gale in the kitchen to fix sandwiches while Gale made salad. "So how is the pregnancy going? Everything check OK with the doctors?"

"Yes, plus Walter's calibrated eyes are keeping track constantly. He has lapsed into that 'you are beautiful' phase all men get into when a woman is pregnant while I feel like an ungainly whale in the pool."

"Yes, I have heard that about men. Think they are just fascinated by what women can do with the baby making. Do you know what it is, boy or girl, names picked?"

"We held off on being told which it is, but I go in for another ultrasound this week so may just say the hell with it and see what it is. May as well make use of the scientific advancements, right?" Gale said. "Hope it is a boy with dark curly hair, deep brown eyes and looks just like his daddy… Walter already nixed the 'Walter junior' two minutes after I told him I was preggers."

"Funny, bet Walter hopes it is a girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes," Sue said. "Oh, almost forgot, we are having a bunch of buddies over this Wednesday- all assorted military- to celebrate a Marine getting married next month. Going to be rather noisy, and would like you and Walter join us. Have no fear, there will be Navy as well as Marines."

"Sounds like fun, I will let Walter know. Let's sit out on the patio, I will turn on the bug zappers- I enjoy it every time a mosquito is fried."

Taking everything out onto the patio tables Adam and Walter got out of the pool to join them. "Walter, Sue said a party is on hand Wednesday- sounds like fun."

"Adam was filling me in, and yes, sounds like fun."

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Wednesday afternoon Gale was with Sue getting things set up for the celebration scheduled for the evening. "All these guys are pretty easy. Beer, some burgers, chicken, hot dogs on the grill, beer, salads, beer, maybe some cake or pie, beer, pretzels, chips, and to round everything out, beer."

"Pretty easy, indeed." Gale said. "You said one guy is getting married?"

"Yeah, Simon is a Navy Seal, Joan is a Marine- a match made in heaven, it seems. Their kids should be something- will pop out saluting, I dare say." Sue said. "A nice pair, really. You would not think to look at them they were dyed in the wool military of the elite kind."

"I do not look at people and jump to conclusions about them. Walter was thought to be 'challenged and a freak' as he put it and he is anything but." Gale laughed. "I am looking forward to meeting everyone. Think I hear the Ferrari, back in a bit."

Gale met Walter as he was pulling the Ferrari into the garage. "How you feeling, Gale," Walter asked getting out of the car. "Have not been over doing it, right?"

"No, my love, just in Sue's kitchen patting hamburger into patties, slicing veggies, and marinating chicken while Adam is getting the grill going. The festivities are supposed to start in a while, so best get out of your work clothes and into party wear."

"I have something I need to take care of on the desktop computer in the den- a bit of a design dispute so need to send some specs. Will be over as soon as I get it sent off." Walter said giving her a kiss. "Won't be long."

"Thought Walter was going to join in," Sue said to Gale. "Most everyone is here and the first of the burgers are ready."

"He said he had some design specs to get off to someone, will go see what the hold up is." Gale left to see what Walter was doing. Entering the den, he was typing away focused on the screen. "Walter, how is it going?"

He looked up, "Sorry, took longer than I expected. Sending the info off now. Any food left? I know a pack of military types can devour food like a swarm of locusts in a wheat field. Let's see if anything is left."

Going through the garages into Sue's kitchen a group of people were talking while leaning against the kitchen counters dipping into bowls of chips and drinking beer- first to spot Walter was Jim Corbett. "Holy crap! Walter O'Brien! What you doing here? HEY SIMON- GUESS WHO IS HERE! I didn't know you knew Adam and Sue- should have said something. HEY SIMON! Geeze, that guy is getting married and his head is just not on point anymore….. SIMON!"

"Walter, want to introduce me to your friend?" Gale asked.

Sue looked at Walter then Jim- "You guys know each other?"

Simon walked in from the yard, "Jim what are you bellowing about… hey, wow, O'Brien! What a surprise, how you been, man, been a long time."

Everyone was looking at Walter. "Ahh, Simon, congratulations on getting married. This is my wife, Gale…. we live next door to Adam and Sue. When they said a bunch of military were coming, I did not know Seals were included."

Jim busted out laughing, "What the hell you think Seals are? Girl Scouts? See you haven't lost your sense of humor, O'Brien. So what have you been doing? Anymore operations overseas?"

Walter looked at them with a frown, "Thought such was not to be discussed."

"Hell, Walter, Bosnia was years ago and it's on the damned internet," Jim said while Simon chuckled. "EVERYTHING is on the damned internet these days. Can't keep anything hush-hush these days. All because of tech and computer nerds like you, to be honest. Phones everywhere, even the government leaking everything to everyone and putting it on the headline of the national news. People look fondly to the days when Bernstein and Woodward that had to actually WORK to get the dirt on Watergate."

Gale continued to look at Walter. "Want to introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh, sorry, Gale, this is Jim and Simon we did some work together a few years ago," Walter said.

"Yeah, your Walter saved some bacon for the US a few years ago. By the way Walt, that pilot- has two more kids, now, and honorably discharged- just moved back to Florida three months ago- said if I ever saw you again to pass along his thanks. Good guy," Jim said. "So what are you doing these days? Let's get some chow and catch up….. still don't drink, huh? Tech nerds, go figure."

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The party didn't break up until midnight with all the drinkers bedded down around Adam and Sue's place- sofas, lounges, spare room and floor. Jim and a couple others ended up in Walter and Gale's living room sofa and floor.

Adam and Sue, being host didn't drink to keep an eye on those who did, Walter and Gale not drinking either were up late on the patio quietly talking.

"Come morning, come over and join us for breakfast- will be manning big skillets of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, and gallons of coffee," Sue said. "Appreciate your letting some of the guys sack out at your place…. gonna' be some big heads in the morning."

"Did you work with Seals often, Walter?" Adam asked. "Takes some special people to get in on their operations."

"I was told any dissemination of information was a capital offence including jail time, so as far as I know, still not at liberty to discuss it," Walter said. "When a general says things like that, you take it seriously…. I did. I was surprised Jim and Simon were so open about it. But then, I do not get onto military, social or news sites on the internet so have no idea what is out there."

"Yes," Gale said with a laugh. "Walter, super computer nerd that he is really does not get into the usual cat videos."

"Ready to call it a night, Gale? We may be over for breakfast- coffee at least," Walter said getting up to help Gale up. "Thanks for the invite, enjoyed the evening…. good night."

"You must be quite tired, Gale," Walter said quietly getting through the living room with the sleeping guests and on into the bedroom. "Take a shower then to bed?"

"Yes, been a long day and I really am tired. By the way, I go in for another ultrasound tomorrow at three. Want to come along and take advantage of the modern equipment and see if we are going to have a son or daughter?"

"Does it make a difference?" Walter asked. "Do you have a preference?"

"Yes, I do." Gale replied. "I want a son, with black curly hair, dark brown eyes that looks just like his daddy so someday a woman can fall in love with him and make another son with black curly hair and dark brown eyes that looks just like his daddy….. on and on through the ages. Do you have a preference?"

"Yes, I do," Walter said. "I want a daughter with long, mahogany brown hair, beautiful hazel eyes that change color and looks just her mother so someday a lonely man can fall in love with her and have his life changed and made worth living. I will go with you tomorrow and we shall see which of us gets their wish."

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