23- New Beginnings… chapter twenty-three

The warm and cozy configuration turned out to be Walter on his side, Lynn's head on his arm her back against him and a pillow in her arms against her chest with his arm over her and the pillow. He did not sleep at all being unsure of her reaction should she awake- that is why he wanted the light to remain on. But, she slept well just lightly waking a couple times in the night.

Walter continued to lay there listening to her breathing, until she woke up. Walter kissed the top of her head on his arm, "Good morning, sleep well?"

"This is so nice, a cozy nest. Thank you."

Walter chuckled. "Thank me- for what? Having a pleasant, warm night with you? Anytime."

Lynn turned over to face him. "Do you really mean that?"

Walter smiled, gave her a kiss on the forehead: "Lynn, I told you, more than once that my door is always open for you, day or night. I do not sleep much so whenever you want or need company, you know the security code, come on in. Bring some movies with you, and while you won't get a home cooked meal, I am always able to have pizza delivered."

"You ready for some coffee?"

"Yes, ready for coffee and do you have whole milk?"

"Whole milk? Of course, never saw you put milk in your coffee, but OK. I'll go get the coffee going and get dressed- meet you in the kitchen." She got up and took off upstairs while Walter went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, use the facilities, run a comb through his hair then get dressed to head to the kitchen just when Lynn came down the stairs.

Walter sat at the counter pulling the laptop over to check mail but there was nothing. Lynn pulled the pie and quart of whole milk out of the fridge, got two cups out of the cabinet, poured coffee for both and went to cut two slices of pie then turned to open a cabinet to get two plates.

"Put my piece in a bowl with a spoon, please," Walter said with a grin. "It is my Walter thing, not Irish thing when it comes to apple pie in the morning." He got up to get the milk carton and put it on the counter by his coffee and sat down when she handed him his piece of apple pie in a bowl with spoon.

Taking the pie, he used the spoon to chop it into small pieces then to Lynn's surprise poured milk on top.

"Milk on apple pie? Like breakfast cereal? That is a new on one me, I must say." Lynn said, "So this is a Walter thing?"

"Yes, this is most excellent- try it." Walter said. "But it has to be excellent pie and must be very cold whole milk for optimum enjoyment. Crappy pie and skim milk is terrible. You try it with your excellent pie and whole milk, you may become a believer."

"OK, I will try your 'Walter thing'," Lynn said and got a bowl and spoon, transferred her pie to chop it into small pieces and poured on some milk. She spooned some up, looked at Walter and took a bite. "Wow, this IS good. Whatever possessed you to do this?"

"When I parted company with the US government I ended up cruising around getting odd jobs as I could, eating was not a regular thing. In a little community I was going through, they still had milk delivery and I stole a quart of milk from a place that had four quarts so I figure they would still have enough. And I stole a pie from a store. Not wanting to explain should I get stopped, I pulled my bowl out of my backpack, put the pie in and poured the milk in and disposed of the pie tin and milk container so I had no evidence on me. Ate it as I walked to the next little town and that is how I discovered this tasty delight."

"Wow, Walter O'Brien stole stuff. How old were you in your criminal days?"

"Fifteen, then I worked my way out to LA and parked it here. Got odd jobs and fixed computers until eighteen and started getting real jobs- fortunately no one thought to ask me my citizenship status and never really had any run-ins with the cops. Always had the worry of being deported, but even that faded when the idea to start Scorpion came to me. But that is all over and done. Now a real American citizen, actually have money in the bank, and secure jobs as long as there are hackers in the world and people like Richard are worried about their data being stolen."

"Walter O'Brien a real American rags to riches story."

"Yeah, those days of wandering around I came to appreciate the so-called average Joe American. I am sure some of them were quite aware I was illegal as I still had the accent, and to be honest looked rather younger than my actual age- the gangly teenager years I eventually grew into proper proportion. Haven't always been the old fart I am now."

"You are NOT an old fart…. well, you are but a young old fart."

"So you have things to do to get ready for your work week. I will empty out the dishwasher while you get to your laundry. After I am done I want to send another message to Gene in Arizona. And see what if anything he discovered so far."

Walter emptied the dishwasher then put the breakfast dishes in then sat at the counter, opened the laptop to write to Gene.

Gene- Waiting- got any data on the engine fluctuation? Are you still going through the monitoring data? Got to learn to read faster, buddy. Walter

"No wonder he is colorful when he replies with you writing stuff like that." Lynn chuckled reading over Walter's shoulder.

"If I wrote nice like you he would know it was not me. Like I said, will be interesting should we ever meet. He is very smart, knows his stuff and I can see why Richard has him there." Walter said turning to Lynn. "I got my job done- everything put away and kitchen cleaned up, so what is next?"

"Laundry is started, so nothing for the time being. How are you feeling- notice you are not wearing the rib brace anymore and not using your cane."

"The doctor said that was OK as long as I have no discomfort. I have more discomfort wearing the rib brace than not. The cane is around somewhere, but really not needed, either. I am doing quite well and since I am not into doing any acrobatics I should continue to 100% pretty soon," Walter said with a smile turning back to the laptop and bringing up the appointment calendar. "Good thing as this is going to be a pretty full week. Tomorrow, Richard is sending a car to go to the data center and back, Thursday the engineering crew is coming to see about opening the wall between the bays- may open the wall between the lofts, too make it one big usable space. I just hope opening the wall the place does not collapse- not the newest structure in the area. They said they will be researching the structure since erected through all sources, governmental, real estate, legal owners, usages over the years, on and on, so Thursday the decision could be made depending on their recommendation. Just think of the palace we will have when the entire structure is opened up and usable- including the loft. Then Friday I will probably have the data center's security ready to download so Richard will send a car and that one will be done. The following Wednesday he will send a car for the next data center on his list- one each week until all are done. I should be back to driving well before they are all completed so this being carted around by others will no longer be necessary."

Lynn had looked at him when he made the comment about the 'palace WE will have when the entire structure is opened up' then blinked and raised her eyebrows when he made the comment about being 'carted around by others'.

"You don't like being carted around by others? Others like me in a Corvair"

Walter looked up from the laptop screen, "Lynn, you should be well aware by now you are not what I consider a member of the group 'others'." He stood up, slowly put his arms around her and gave her a deep, lingering kiss. Looking into her eyes, "you are so very, very much more than that." He then sat back down and returned to his laptop. "Richard has not mentioned how many data centers he has needing security software. I should ask him." He looked back at Lynn who had remained standing there, hand raised to her lips. "We going to have leftovers of that chicken tonight or would you like to go out? Round two with a lobster or burgers at Kovelski's then a chess session at the garage? You have work tomorrow so no late night, and I have to be ready for Richard's car in the morning." He swiveled the stool around to look at her, "Lynn?"

Her wide eyes flashed to his, she put her hands on his chest and slowly slid them up around his neck and into his dark curls giving him an equally gentle, deep and lingering kiss. "Oh my," she whispered.

Walter looked at her with a smile, "Oh my? What do you mean 'oh my'? Leftovers, lobster or Kovelski's?"

"Oh my…. the washer… the washer is done…. gotta' get things in the dryer," and she disappeared into the laundry room.

Walter turned back to his laptop hoping he had not moved too fast, worried he may have upset her equilibrium….. do not want to cause nightmares, he has had enough experience of that himself without having the direct physical trauma she had experienced. He pushed the laptop back and leaned his elbows on the counter in deep thought wondering if he should get advice from a psychiatrist, but was jaded from all the years of advice from Toby that had less than optimum results.

Lynn cane back from the laundry room to see Walter in obvious deep thought. She came up behind him, put her hands on his shoulders, then slid them under his arms to give him a hug, laying her head against his back. "Thank you, Walter."

"You have absolutely nothing to thank me for, Lynn," Walter said quietly putting his hand over hers against his chest.

"You must need to straighten out after sitting like this for so long. Nothing to do until the dryer buzzer pops so let's kick back for a bit on the sofa."

Walter shut the laptop and got up to go stretch out on the sofa, legs hanging over the arm, put his head up so Lynn could sit with his head on her lap. She put one hand on his chest and ran her fingers through his hair. "Getting long, and for an old fart, don't see one gray hair. Do Arcturans age at the same rate an Earther does?"

Walter snickered, "highly doubtful. Every solar system will age at different rates depending on its environmental make up. An 'Earth day' is quite different from a 'Jovan day' and that is the same solar system. A hummingbird ages at a different rate than a frigate bird, stands to reason an alien from some galactic center will age at a different rate than an Earthling situated in the galactic backwater."

"So Earth is a galactic backwater, huh?"

"Man should be very proud of himself, really. In a virtual micro-blink of time man has managed to drag himself out of the muck, grow limbs, lungs, and eventually a bicameral mind able to contemplate string theory, time, and multidimensional reality…. not to mention my favorite- theoretical mathematics."

"Of course that is your favorite because you are from another world."

Walter laughed, "Ireland is hardly another world. Certainly different from sunny SoCal, yes, don't call it the Emerald Isle without reason. The intense greenery of Ireland SoCal will never attain even if the state got off its stupid butt and actually built water storage reservoirs. Even piping runoff overflow from Washington and Oregon could not green up the LA valley to match the hills of County Cork."

"Do you miss Ireland, Walter? Ever think of returning?"

"Do I miss it… no. Don't have many 'fond memories' and I have been here in the United States much longer than the time I spent there. I was just born there, no longing to return, no ties that bind me to the place. Yes, it is beautiful, but the green, gentle rolling hills of Pennsylvania and Ohio can match it easily. The rocky coastlines are just as rugged as those of New England on down to the Carolinas….. I have come to prefer the warmth of the American people as well as the warmth of LA County, so here I will stay." Walter brought her hand up and kissed the palm then placed it back on his chest and closed his eyes. Lynn continued to run her fingers through his hair, "Still looking for this old fart's gray hair?"

"You would think as dark as your hair is any gray would stick out like a beacon, but nothin'." The buzzer for the dryer sounded. "You stay put and relax I be back in a while."

Walter smiled, "I get any more relaxed I will turn into a puddle."

Lynn got up and turned to him, "Puddle?"

Walter laughed, looking up at her, "so relaxed as to lose all molecular cohesion turning from solid to liquid, hence puddle."

Lynn laughed as she headed for the laundry room to finish her laundry. Fifty minutes later, she had everything in hamper and basket and took it upstairs to put away in preparation of the coming work week. Coming back down the stairs she saw his arm was hanging over the sofa edge and he appeared in a doze. She smiled, "relaxed, indeed," and headed for the kitchen. Getting out the leftovers, she divided the leftover chicken onto two plates, the small amount of stuffing she put on his plate and divided up the veggies, poured the rest of the gravy on each and nuked them to put on the counter. Going into the living room, she sat on the edge of the sofa, "Walter- dinner, come-n-get it."

Walter opened his eyes, "smells good," he said getting up. "Pie for dessert, too, right?"

"Yup, pie for dessert. Matter of fact, I will put the rest of the pie in a container for your breakfast in the morning."
"Ahhh, you are too good to me. Will have to pop into a convenience store to pick up some milk on the way to the garage." Walter said. "When we are done, I will pack up and we can head to the garage- time for one quick game? I am enjoying getting back into the playing without board and pieces…. If you would like, anyway."

Lynn got up and put her plate in the dishwasher as well as the emptied containers. "No, sounds like a plan." Lynn laughed, "Better watch your play, I only have ninety-nine more games to go." She said handing Walter his dessert. "Eat up, buddy, I feel a win coming my way." She headed upstairs to get a jacket for the drive to the garage.

Walter finished eating, put his plate and utensils in the dishwasher, wiped down the counter and went to the guest room to pack up his duffle. Going out to the living room with it, he put the laptop in its case, looked around for his cane then remembered it was still on the convertible's back seat. Going out to the garage he put his duffle with his cane on the back seat as well as the laptop.

Lynn came out with jacket on and a container of pie in a bag to add to the pile on the back seat. "Don't forget, need to stop off for milk," Walter said opening the driver door for Lynn to get in and stuff her hair under her fedora while he got in and buckled up.

"You won't be cold?" Lynn asked pressing the automatic garage door opener and hitting the ignition.

"Nope, just fine- remember I was born in a cooler land."

"Thought Arcturus was a red giant."

Walter laughed as they headed for the garage stopping off for a quart of whole milk on the way.

Reaching the garage, Walter entered the security and opened the door for Lynn then followed her in turning on lights as he went through putting his laptop on his desk then up the stairs to drop off his duffle in the bedroom. Lynn put the container of pie and milk in the downstairs fridge then got out the chess set and set it up on the common area coffee table. "Want a bottle of water?" She called as he came down the stairs. "You gonna' do the guru thing and kick back on the sofa while I move pieces?"

"You want some water?" Walter asked, "I'm already up and can get it."

"Yup, and all set up and ready for you, pick a hand."

"Left"

"HA! I got white this time! Prepare to lose buddy, game on."

Thirty-seven minutes later, Walter laying back on the sofa, legs hanging over the arm, eyes closed, sipping his water fully relaxed. "DAMN!" Lynn said tipping over her king. "Well, ninety-eight more games to go, now."

Walter got up, "I'll put things away, you be careful going home." Walter said helping Lynn on with her jacket and walking her to the car to open the driver door for her. "Do me a favor, Lynn, message me when you get home so I know you got there safe- just a precaution, OK?"

"You gonna' be up that late?" Lynn asked laughing. "OK, OK, will message you when I get in. Good night, Walter."

"Good night, Lynn. Careful driving." He stood there until she rounded the corner then returned inside to go to his desk and pull the laptop out of its case and open it to sit on the corner of his desk while he powered up the desktop unit. Once again he was viewing the engine test clip to see if the other engines showed any fluctuation when the laptop signaled new mail. He pulled it closer and saw a message from Lynn.

Walter- Made it home in one piece, no problems, no tickets, just a nice drive. Good night. Lynn

He hit reply:

Lynn, thanks, sleep well. Walter

And he returned to the engine test clip, slowing the display even more, but the number three engine seemed the only one with a problem. He got up, stretched, powered down the desktop unit thinking of a message to send to Gene tomorrow. Headed up the stairs to shower, and go to bed.