Walter sat at his desk working most of the afternoon, keeping a loose ear out for the conversations happening around him. As it got closer to 4 p.m. Paige took Megan up to the loft to start dinner. She'd managed to get Walter to agree to having a meal with the guys.
While Louise wasn't happy about missing time with them, Sean was. He was hoping it would help get Walter over things and he could offer Sylvester a job. Louise was relieved when Ralph called and told her he'd pick them up to bring them over for dinner.
Happy, Juan and Sylvester followed Paige upstairs and shortly after Ralph got up and went to the back of the offices…a moment later the bay door opened and Ralph started the SUV and then backed out of the building.
Walter sighed as Toby stayed in the office with him.
"I was wondering if I could discuss something with you." Toby finally spoke to Walter.
"I'm not hiring you back." Walter flat out told him.
"Yes, roger that, you've been pretty emphatic about that." Toby replied. "No, I want to speak about the office space I saw up for lease next door."
Walter looked over his computer screen at him. "What about it?"
"I checked out the website listed on the sign I saw last night, a short bit ago, before you guys got here and discovered your company owns this whole building. After everything Happy's told me, I'm sure you know we don't have the money or credit to actually lease the office." Toby told Walter and saw him nod.
"I'd like to make a proposal." Toby trudged on. "I need to do something more for our life together. My being there for Juan was enough for a while but with her being in school full time this fall like last year, there's not much to do."
Walter leaned back in his chair while his fingers touched his chin and he watched Toby to see where he was going.
"It is the right size and set up for a small professional office according to the website. I'd like to turn it into a doctor's office and resume my practice." Toby told him.
"And you want us to give you a deferral for the lease payments?" Walter asked.
"Partly, since you guys own it. But I will also need capital to buy furnishings, to employ a receptionist. We could work out an arrangement based on profit." Toby said softly.
"I don't know Toby." Walter said, his eyes were clearly showing he was calculating all the variables he could conceive. "But, I will bring it up with Paige and Ralph. As my partners they have the right to know about and voice their feelings on anything I might consider as well as vote on it."
"Well, that is a better response than I thought I would get." Toby grinned. "Thank you. I'm really glad that despite my actions you and Paige were able to get back together and make a life with each other."
"Thank you." Walter said noncommittally.
"So you guys used IVF to have Megan?" Happy asked as she played with Megan while Paige worked.
"We did." Paige nodded.
"There wasn't anything wrong with you, was there?" Happy asked cautiously.
"No…" Paige sighed. She hated talking about that time of her life. "The first visit with my gynecologist after I broke up with Walter, she asked how things were going and I told her about breaking up. She asked if I still wanted to have more kids or not."
"I said I would, Ralph really didn't need me anymore at the time. But of course without a partner anymore, it didn't make sense. She said while I was more than healthy to continue having kids for another decade or more, there were other concerns. Not counting how long it could take to find someone else, for both of us to decide if we wanted to be with each other and if they would want children or not. So she handed me some literature and walked me through it. She said I was getting close to an age where my eggs could have chromosome problems as well as higher risks in infertility and miscarriage. After I got home, I read through the literature again, did some web searches and scheduled an appointment with her facility to have some of my eggs harvested for future use. The last thing I would want to do is give my child a harder life with health issues, and IVF could help eliminate that risk." Paige explained.
"I take it by the set up downstairs, Walter was all for the service?" Happy asked.
Paige nodded. "He had been worried when I told him I still was interested in kids after we got back together and so I explained what I had done. He was relieved about it. And then last year he grew concerned over some of the rhetoric we were hearing from politicians and the courts, so he designed our own cryogenics chamber. Ralph just finished the redundant power back ups for it. We're going to move the rest of my eggs into the chamber in the next few weeks. Well, after we find out I am pregnant again."
"You're going to have another baby?" Happy grinned.
"I wasn't exactly ready to do it again, I just got my figure back from Megan. But Walter made some good points, without knowing who will win this election we should go ahead and get pregnant again just in case." Paige sighed. "So on Monday I have to call them and make an appointment."
"How'd his parents take it? That you guys used IVF?" Happy asked.
"His Mom has been ecstatic regardless, but still she worries over the health of Megan. Sean…he's been a bit of a pill over it. He teased Walter the first time when we told them I was pregnant and how I got pregnant. That was a mistake, never should have." Paige growled. "He told Walter to be sure he got a DNA test to make sure the company used his sperm to create Megan."
"You have got to be kidding me…" Happy growled herself. "What is it with jackasses?"
"I don't know, but Walter tore into him before I had the chance." Paige smiled. "Sean kept trying to say he was just teasing but Walter wouldn't let it go. Not to mention, Sean has been so pissed at Walter for not doing more for Sylvester over the breakup as well. They've had daily arguments over it since they got here. Walter told me that Sean started in on it last night but Louise cut him off fairly quickly. And every once in a while Sean will say something like, "Megan is a real O'Brien." Over one thing or another and I quickly get on to him about it."
"What a serious jackass." Happy swore.
Sylvester had walked out of the hallway to the bedrooms and froze hearing Paige and Happy's conversation. He swallowed hard before going back to Ralph's bedroom and closing the door.
Sylvester sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out his phone and stared at it for a moment.
"Sylvester?" Sean said, surprised at seeing his name come up on his phone.
"Hey Dad, how are you and Mom?" Sylvester asked softly.
"We're fine lad. How are you?" Sean asked.
"I'm doing okay Dad. I didn't realize you guys were here. Umm…are you and Mom coming over for dinner?" Sylvester asked.
"Yeah, we're just waiting for Ralph to show up to pick us up." Sean replied but thought he could hear something in his voice. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing exactly, but I do have a request." Sylvester sighed.
"I'm trying lad, Walter's being so stubborn over doing anything to help you." Sean sighed.
"No, that's just it Dad, I want you to stop that. I want you to make up with Walter." Sylvester told him.
"What?" Sean said, confused.
"Dad, I don't know if it is how I explained the break up or if you're predisposed to just blame Walter, but it needs to stop." Sylvester told him. "I'm to blame for my situation, not Walter. I hurt Walter over what I did and I hadn't even said I was sorry until last night. If it hadn't been for the trust fund Walter set up for me when I worked for him, I'd probably be dead."
"You're his brother, he should be doing more for you. Regardless of if you have apologized or not." Sean said stubbornly.
"No Dad…" Sylvester tried again. "He has a right to be upset with me over it. He owes me nothing. He didn't do anything against me, but I did plenty against him. And I just overheard Paige talking to Happy, she told Happy how you are treating Walter and I want it to stop. I know you did it out of love for Megan and me, but you owe Walter an apology. And please, stop commenting that their Megan is an O'Brien. Do you not get how insensitive that is?"
"That's a fine, how do you do…" Sean growled.
"I'm not trying to upset you Dad." Sylvester promised. "But do you hear and feel how upset you are over just hearing this one time from me? Now imagine if it was said over and over, like you've been doing over little Megan. That's how you make Paige feel, and I'm sure to some degree, Walter as well."
Sean sighed.
"Fine." Sean said.
"I know it isn't easy Dad. You're so used to blaming Walter. And I'm sure you don't mean it in an insulting way over little Megan, but it really is." Sylvester told him.
"I suppose we'll see you in an hour or so." Sean said.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you both." Sylvester smiled.
"Goodbye." Sean said and hung up.
"Dad, you're being awfully quiet this evening." Paige said as they all sat eating. "I don't think you've said anything other than hello to anyone."
"Seems everyone finds fault with what I say, so other than greeting people I figure I'll just be quiet." Sean told her.
"We're just tired of arguing with you over certain things." Walter told him. "And I realize you mean it as a compliment but Megan is my child, just like Ralph is. They are also Paige's children. We don't want you constantly saying that something she does means she's an O'Brien. It's like you are saying Paige isn't important and that half of Megan isn't worthy."
Everyone kind of froze at that. Sean's face blanched at first and then slowly began turning red.
"Excuse me." Sean said as he put down his fork and pushed back from the table.
"Dad, don't leave." Paige told him.
Sean just walked off towards the living room.
Paige sighed as she looked at Walter.
"Well, that's how it comes across to me." Walter told her.
"And you are entitled to feel that way, Walter." Paige shook her head. "I know you were defending me and I appreciate that. But you didn't have to say it right here in front of everyone."
Walter sighed but pushed back and stood up.
"Daideo." Megan said from her highchair.
Walter paused and scooped Megan up from her chair and kissed her cheek before taking her with him as he walked after Sean.
"Daideo?" Happy looked at Paige.
"Grandpa in Gaelic." Paige smiled.
"She doesn't use Gaelic for Daddy?" Happy asked.
"She knows the words, but hasn't used them since learning them." Paige shook her head. "We're just Mommy and Daddy."
"Not really surprising." Toby said. "Since she's been calling you that for longer than she's been learning Gaelic."
"Daideo." Megan said as Walter stepped up to him in the research area.
"There's my girl." Sean smiled at Megan as he turned around. He reached in and pulled her from Walter's arms as she held out her hands to him. "If that's acceptable to your parents."
"Daideo…No sad. Mommy, Daddy and Megan love you." Megan told him seriously.
Sean looked at Walter surprised.
"We do." Walter nodded. "And of course it is fine for you to call her your girl. We just don't want you to seem to be denying the rest of Megan. Paige and her part of Megan and Ralph's DNA matter."
"I know they do, son." Sean shook his head. "That's never been my intention, I'm just so proud of this little lady. In some ways she's like you were, only…" Sean paused as he considered the next phrase.
"Better?" Walter offered. "I take no offense if you are looking for something else to say."
"Well…" Sean stammered a bit. "Emotions were never your thing, so to speak. But Megan obviously is different in that regard."
"Megan definitely deviates from me and Ralph." Walter nodded. "She's got a good bit of her Mom's emotionality as well. And it just seems to be as perfect of a blend as can be."
"Well thank you." Paige smiled as she stepped up beside Walter and they both slipped an arm around the other.
"Paige, I never meant any of that as a disparagement against you." Sean told her quickly.
"I know Dad." Paige smiled. "But, on days I'm tired or frustrated over something, it really rubs thin on it."
"I can understand that." Sean nodded and then leaned Megan towards Paige as she reached out for her Mother.
"There's my angel." Paige smiled and took the little girl into her arms as she giggled.
"I promise to do my best not to say anything like Megan is an O'Brien anymore." Sean told them.
"Thank you." They both told him before the three of them went back to dinner.
"So your predictive algorithm was right again…" Paige said as she sat in their home office with Ralph talking after returning from Stellar. "Letting them stay at the office has motivated him. I'm glad you talked me out of accepting that last tenant."
Walter smiled at her.
"I'm still not sold on the idea." Ralph said softly. "But, I'll go along with it provisionally."
Walter chuckled.
"What's your provision?" Paige asked.
"That we review his behavior every six months. And after two years if his practice isn't sustainable, we pull the plug." Ralph explained. "By my calculations that will be over two hundred fifty thousand dollars we'll have invested in his practice by then."
Walter nodded.
"What about these bi-yearly reviews?" Paige asked.
"Well, I guess as long as he isn't any worse than he is now, it's fine. But if he gets worse or spikes at times we consider pulling the plug early." Ralph explained.
"I can back that." Paige nodded. "Now, what do we do about Sylvester?"
Walter sighed. It was his least favorite topic.
"Well, technically with Dad and me, we don't really need Sylvester's probabilities and mathematical talents…But it could open up more programming jobs for us to go after." Ralph shrugged. "And he seems pretty repentant over what has happened."
"I felt the same way." Paige nodded. "But, regardless of that…However you want to handle it Walter, I'm supporting your position."
"Ditto." Ralph grinned.
"Well, if we're going to finance Toby's practice, we could use the extra income to make back the money we've already lost holding the space open as well as to offset what he'll need to get going." Walter sighed. "But, I don't want this set up as us being some kind of partnership with Toby. We need to set it up as a two year deferment of payments. At the end of the two years if he can't start making monthly rent and interest payments we call in the loan and shut it down. Unless he can find another backer."
Paige and Ralph both nodded.
"You don't want to be on the hook as a partner if he screws up?" Ralph grinned.
"Definitely not, but I have a good feeling he won't hurt anyone." Walter nodded.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
LouBe - It's definitely different when Toby looks inwards...makes you want to check and see if you are still in the same universe or not. LOL So far it looks like Toby is serious...Megan is a little treasure for sure, I think she's got a great start going on here. LOL Yeah, I flashed back to the Amatans as well! You're welcome, nothing has really changed for him as of the last communication I got from him. So, keeping good thoughts and prayers for him.
Pearliegirl - I would love to for sure. I was barely able to get this put together for this week, so we'll see. I'm not sure what it will take for the Muse to get me fired up again. I'm just going to take it slow and let her speak when she speaks.
Guest - Thanks! I'm glad you guys enjoy my writing and I'm so glad we got a few other writers on the scene to pick up the slack.
To the Adventure! -Tim