Work Text:
The Problem
The Department of Homeland Security Agent Cabe Gallo sat and contemplated the future of his genius young friend Walter O'Brien. Cabe admitted to himself weeks ago that he was right to be worried about Scorpion's creator, because their friends leaving the think tank left Walter heading for major emotional issues he was trying to suppress. Come on. The last time Walter had lost friends and suffered a major setback, he had driven a car off a cliff. Sitting at the kitchen counter in his condo the DHS agent stirred his morning coffee. It was important to nip that kind of behaviour in the bud early with the young genius before it became a problem, and for that Cabe needed a distraction and hopefully something that would give the young man new purpose.
For some years Cabe had been privy to sensitive information about a top-secret program an adrenaline junkie like O’Brien, couldn’t help but want to get in on the action if he was willing to leave his company and former friends behind. With the creation of Scorpion, O’Brien successfully surrounded himself with smart people who were outcasts from society and outcasts from academia. Cabe thought that Walter's picks for the think tank didn’t really challenge him on any issue other than his quirks. They had high IQs but apart from Tobias none had higher levels of education, which Cabe believed was because of Walter’s ego. He often thought that the underlying tension between Dr Tobias Curtis and O’Brien was due to jealousy on both ends. Although Toby had a doctorate, Walter who had only a bachelor’s degree hung an awful lot off an IQ score given when he was younger. The IQ of which Toby’s was attributed 170 was lower. Cabe first thought the nick name 197 was more of a taunt than a compliment. After working with the team for 4 years he was certain it was a not so subtle way to insult the team leader. The DHS agent saw the nick name was used like a verbal stick to beat on Walter, poke his ego and to be honest he was surprised that the split in the team hadn’t happened years ago. Maybe it would of if Paige Dineer wasn't such a good group parent. They had collaborated and produced inspired solutions to dire situations and with the strength of that work the Homeland agent was going to approach a contact in Homeworld Command to cash in a favour owed.
Colonel Paul Davis’ Office Washington DC.
The file in front of him was unique and had taken more than one reading. Paul Davis sat contemplating the request from the agent that was currently sitting in front of him.
“Well that's one hell of a fantastic story and Walter O’Brien is someone the SGC would have approached if the circumstances weren’t quite as they are. His colleagues will never have passed the security screening. Which include a bank robber/hacker and a prolific gambler.”
“They will not be a problem, as of a few months ago Walter’s had a loss of key personnel at Scorpion. To be honest with you Miss Tipton is taking on a new contract elsewhere and I’m 61. My impending retirement will free Walter from all responsibilities; this is a great time to take on one of the brightest minds I've had the pleasure to come across. Wait too long and dispite the current lack of contracts someone will take the chance and scoop him into their project.”
“I’m not contesting your man's intelligence or usefulness to the Stargate programme, his resourcefulness or his incredible ability to use that knowledge out in the field would be anything but an asset. Unfortunately, be that as it may, he doesn’t have the qualifications that all of our civilian contractors have. We hire those with doctorates and at the very least masters qualifications. The Stargate Command structure does not have non military positions for those without these requirements, especially for the position you want me to approach O'Brien with.
“You need to make an exception in this case Paul. He’s quirky and thinks outside the box. That’s why I’ve given you the file ahead of this meeting. O’Brien has saved thousands of lives over the last few years. And if I hadn’t stumbled into the Stargate program, I’d say that his talents were being used to their fullest, but with knowing what’s out there... I know he is meant to be doing more.” Cabe's gut was telling him this was the time to push the point home. “If you want your people to think in new and creative ways you need to be more flexible when you recruit them. Let’s face facts, he can waste time getting a doctorate in some science based subject and think exactly the way everyone else will think, or he can put his remarkable intellect to use for the SGC. Learning to… I don’t know... build spaceships.”
Colonel Davis didn’t bother to suppress his smile. In all honesty Paul had been halfway convinced into trying to get O’Brien onto the project after reading the remarkable file in front of him. So instead of arguing he capitulated easily and said, “I’ll do my best to sell the idea of an additional layer of civilian science staffing to the higher ups, which maybe a way of making better use of resources, we can take on one or more civilian technical assistants.” Colonel Davis seemed to be warming to the subject. "The fact that he’s an Irish national with citizenship here, will mean the IOA will be more favourable, as the SGC still has a disproportionate number of Americans over all other nations working on the project…." Agent Gallo and Davis continued to discuss how best to get Walter for the Homeworld Command.
Back at Scorpion Los Angeles
It was several months after Scorpion, or rather Scorpion 2.0, had missed out to another lucrative contract to rival firm Centipede. Agent Cabe Gallo watched with some trepidation as Walter typed at his laptop, frustration radiating from his slim frame. It was the right time, if he left it any longer Walter's behaviour would lend itself to self destructive tendencies. He knew it was the right time, without the other members of the team around it was time to bring Walter into the know. Now, before Walter’s apt brain turned to wallowing, or even tried to approach some kind of reconciliation agreement with his former geek colleagues.
“Son.” Cabe waited until Walter looked up from the screen. The young man leaned back and picked up a bottle of water sitting on his desk taking a sip and tightening back the lid. “Now’s a good a time as any for me to introduce you to some people. I need you to do two things for me kid. Keep an open mind to the things I will be divulging. At least, until I’ve gotten through the whole story and two… come with me no questions. Pack up and come with me for a few days.” Walter looked up from his laptop. Cabe’s heart broke at the look on the young man’s face, over the years he’d seen that look on Walter’s face before, lost, alone, crushed. He walked over and gripped the man’s shoulder firmly, so he’d feel the grip and believe the words that Cabe stated, “It’ll be alright son, it’ll be alright. They’ll be back or they won’t. But I swear it’ll be alright.”
Walter looked away from the older man’s gaze, played with the bottle of water in his hand. Unbidden his thoughts drifted to the missing members of his team. Even with all their bickering, he wasn’t surprised that he missed Tobias Curtis, Happy Quinn and Sylvester Dodd. Walter was however, surprised with how many times his mind turned to his friend. To ask Toby this or discuss that. Although not the first one to be recruited to Scorpion; besides Paige, Toby was the one he had considered to be his closest friend and confidant.
“Ok. I can do that.” The smile that came Cabe’s way was thin and held none of the light that he was used to seeing from the young genius, but it was agreement and with that a new plan of action was set.
Earth’s orbit the Apollo Spaceship
Not even 24 hours later, Walter stood and looked out at the earth. Scorpion was officially disbanded, and he was now a member of Homeworld Command. A “technical” assistant, standing miles above the earth, looking down at the most beautiful sight, he had never before thought he’d see… well except for in that weather balloon with Paige, he corrected himself. It was strange, but in some ways, he was further away from his friends and family, than he had ever been, and yet, at last Walter felt he could look to a brighter future.
Area 53
Not long after first being introduced to the program, O'Brien began working in earnest, with the other scientists, on board the earth’s long-distance spaceships. Walter, thought the week-long stay on the Apollo, was an introduction to a new reality, for the other technical and research assistants. They had been transferred from the Apollo, currently stationed in orbit around earth to the labs at Area 53. Walter tried to catch up with the scientific discoveries and innovations, that had been going on for decades, in isolation from the rest of the planet. In a stroke of fate, Florence Tipton’s new post was on the Atlantis. Going through the piles of new information regarding her own field, Chemistry, she had been one of the new waves of scientists hired. The return trip to the Pegasus galaxy, to take place on the Atlantis starship, had been delayed to shore-up earth’s defences which had been depleted when the wraith had attacked several years ago. Atlantis had remained on earth for 5 years, after the attempted invasion from the Wraith. The length of time it had taken to find new drones, from old Ancient outposts and search for zpms and a control chair. The main reason for the delay was to protect earth whilst earths defences were improved. The current control system, had been created by the combined efforts of the great minds, of Colonel Samantha Carter and Dr Rodney McKay, but still, it didn’t react as well with the drones. The earth defence team had created a new composition of materials, for their new creation of earth built war drones, with intelligent chips inside they worked better with the New control system, not as elegant as ancient tech, but it would do, until a new planet wide defence system, could be created. To infuse the Stargate program with new life, and new blood to continue the work of the old guard, people like Walter O'Brien and Florence Tipton were needed and being actively recruited.
Walter worked tirelessly, as his brain hungrily fed on the new data. He typed frantically with questions and ideas that could push the science forward in one direction or another. He had never before felt this fired up or energised. For the first time since the implosion of Scorpion, Walter could see a path forward and away from his former friends. He’d spent so much wasted time trying to be what society wanted of him and in his own mind, had ended up failing spectacularly, when this was his true niche. His true calling and science had been evolving rapidly for decades without him!
Taking five minutes to refresh his cup of coffee, from the drink station in the lab. Walter stirred his coffee with extra sugar, for the energy, because there was not much sleep to be had in the last few weeks. Due in some part, to his mind working overtime. There had never been so much new scientific discoveries and theorems to absorb since his entry into university. Seeing the cinnamon spice next to the coffee pot, thoughts wondered to Paige and then Ralph. His feelings for them were still raw with how much he missed seeing them. He’d been offered a place at Area 53. Area 51 had been mostly destroyed by the failed wraith invasion. Many of the SGCs scientists, not out on the field, were killed when Area 51 was targeted and destroyed, but regardless of the threat to life, he wanted to live amongst the stars, to be in another galaxy. He wanted to leave behind the ruins of Scorpion and just move on, the others had, and now he was too. Walter contemplated for a moment as he went through the motions of refilling the coffee machine, Centipede had won the big contract over Scorpion. They were set and would be able to continue for some time. His feelings had been hurt, with how quickly they had left him behind. A small voice pointed out that people tended not to like him. That was the pattern set, time after time. How long was he going to wait around for them? It had already been 3 months, without any contact from anyone, other than Ralph that is. Maybe this time there was no healing the breach in the team. It was just like the hallucination. When he’d fallen down the stairs. Without him they were doing just fine, his fear was now his reality. When should he give up waiting for Scorpion to reform? 6 months, 12 months, years? And with waiting around for that moment his life, his genius, his chances would all drift by. Walter’s peers were either here at the SGC, going to be here or had already contributed to the Stargate project. When his time was done in a few decades time he wanted his name to be as integrated into Stargate scientific discoveries as McKay’s, Carter’s, or Zelenka’s. For the first time since it had happened, he thought of his mother and father’s take on life. “I guess they were right: all things happen for a reason.” Smiling sadly, Walter took his freshly made coffee back to his temporary desk and from one minute to the next decided to forget about Paige and the rest of Scorpion, and what might have been. Glad in a bittersweet way, about what now was his life.
It was hard finding time to eat, sleep and shower when there was so much to learn and relearn. So many things that were known by science had been changed or disproved over the last several years. Away from the open discoveries on earth, were so many that were being hidden due to their origin being from outer space. Walter spend the first few weeks of his time before they actually set off. At Area 53, learning and being brought up to speed on what was basic information regarding his new reality, naquadah, Stargate technology, Ancient mechanics, Goa’uld technologies, Wraith and Asgard. Walter was able to push his intellect in ways he hadn’t needed to before. For once in his life he was behind and had to catch up with the rest of his peers. In consequence, what was left of Walter’s previously huge ego, was held in check and maybe, for his own good, reduced even further in size.
“You there. Yes, you with the curly hair, what’s this?” Although he’d been warned by the other boffins nothing had prepared him for the time the Chief Science Officer for Atlantis walked past one of his boards and took notice.
“I’m working on the Wraith beaming technology, if I can just...”
“Is that what this is, I couldn’t tell because of all the whatever the fuck this is.”
Taking out a contrasting colour marker from his pocket, McKay started to strike through areas on the board and scribble over others. Opening his mouth in shock Walter looked over at the other interloper, the man that had arrived with the CSO. The guy’s star marking the man a General. It was obviously something that the man was used to seeing as he just smiled and waited patiently for his colleague to finish. McKay’s flow of insults brought a blush to Walter’s face. Rarely if ever had he received such negative feedback regarding science and maths.
“Dear Lord. Tell me you’re not one of the newbies coming to the Pegasus with us? Sheppard. Look at what they’re giving me to work with. We’re doomed. It’s like they looked for people with online degrees, or something. I mean Curly…” McKay snapped his fingers in Walter’s direction. “How long have you been working for the project?”
“30 days 4 hours.”
“Doctor’s, Masters”
“Bachelor of Science degree in computers and artificial intelli...”
Rodney hummed and mumbled something to his companion that sounded like an incredulous, “interns?”
“Be nice, Rodney.” was the reply, but Walter felt like the guy wasn’t actually disagreeing with the assessment. For a moment Walter wanted to tell the general and CSO that his IQ was 197, but for once, held his tongue remembering Cabe’s advice. Cabe had been so very candid, whist helping the genius prepare for what he had called, “the real world of work,” about letting his labour speak for itself and to put the "197” to bed. Cabe was even more direct when informing Walter that the nick name Toby used, was a taunt, and he needed to leave the safety of bleating out, that he was a genius, behind with this new start. Especially without Agent Callo there, to stop the really dumb people he managed to piss off, from kicking his ass.
However now that Rodney McKay understood Walter’s credentials the CSO didn’t seem quite as affronted as before. “First time working with the maths. So, you’ve spent the last month working with Wraith tech.”
“All of the major tech. I started looking at Wraith maths this week. I’m trying to get a basic understanding of them before we get assigned, so I can be useful in all areas.”
“Show me.” McKay snapped his fingers impatiently again, and Walter had his first impromptu evaluation with the self-confessed smartest man in two galaxies. Respect for the older man went hand in hand with a sense of how others must have felt, when his ego got the better of him. Paige and Agent Gallo had improved Walter’s people skills over the years. McKay was arrogant and abrasive. Showing a considerable amount of condescension over showing Walter, what to him was basic alien science and math. At first Walter was miffed and insulted but his ego couldn’t contest with the facts. Dr Rodney McKay knew his stuff, Walter was the new kid on the block without proof his 197 wasn’t anything more than an idea that he had potential at the age his IQ had been tested. In his years since university he’d achieved lots, in the realm of applying science to practical problems, and it had got him an invitation to work with the SGC. This was a large pond and he wasn’t the biggest fish. O’Brien’s need to learn won out against pride and before long the hurt feelings were put aside, and Walter used the time to clarify ideas and firm his grasp on the science. Grabbing a second laptop in order to work on annotating and correcting his data.
Hours later, Walter looked up and saw that a few of the other scientists had drifted near, and were making use of the chance to clarify and learn from Dr McKay. He only noticed that the General had left when he had come back and was trying to ease the Chief Science Officer away from his, “groupies”.
“Well, you’re not as stupid as I feared." McKay placed his marker back into his pocket and finished up typing an insult and / or correction on Walter's laptop, "Email Dr Kusanagi next week let her know of your progress.” With that McKay wondered away moving to talk with one of the more senior technicians. The General took the liberty of asking for his name whilst McKay was still occupied.
“Walter O’Brien. Technical Assistant.” The man nodded.
“Brigadier General John Sheppard, I’ll let him know if he thinks to ask.” He walked over to McKay to chivvy him onward to wherever they had originally been going, O’Brien supposed. But Walter was already backing up the new information and going over what he had learned.
Area 53 Mess Hall
“So, what was that?” Sheppard asked as they ate in the cafeteria. Just enough time before heading out to Atlantis.
“What was what?”
“You know with the teaching session.”
“Oh, that. At first, I thought, What an idiot! How can you possibly think that’s the right way to grasp Wraith tech? It wasn’t all wrong, but there was enough to cause me concern. And ok. He only had a degree. I expected to spend 5 minutes chewing him out and then go to that really interesting meeting about,” he looked vaguely thoughtful then shrugged his shoulders, “that thing...”
“You can’t even remember, can you?”
“No, my brain should not be wasted on whatever red tape thingy they wanted to over hash again. It’s been years, whatever needed to be said has been said, and re-said again and again and..... AGAIN!”
“The meeting was to discuss the new civilian technical and research assistants, which is? Oh yeah, Rodney, firmly under your remit. I was able to tell them that you were already on board with the project and that you were taking an active interest and taking the time to lend a hand with training. To be honest I’m not sure if that didn’t scare some of them. But we’re off topic, back to the what happened in the labs.”
“Oh, the technician, he kept asking good questions and he grasped quite complex answers. The fact he doesn’t have any in-depth real education was a concern. I’m wasn’t sure why he was here but if he was here, he needed to be not an idiot, but since you cleared that up the whole assistant thing...”
“Well McKay looks like you have an intern and you will have a few assistants allocated with your usual crop of scientists.” Sheppard grinned, “More minions for you to terrorise.”
“I did not terrorise him. He showed an ability to operate at an acceptable level of understanding with a range of different alien tech, which means potential to be an asset to my staff, so its worth it to make sure he gets the basics first time.”
“Does that mean you’re taking your new shiny toy to Atlantis.”
“Curly’s mine, I found him. I don’t want other people getting their grubby hands on him. Just think how stupid he would be if Lee got him, or heavens forbid someone like Kavanagh.” John covered a smile as Rodney actually managed to produce a convincing shiver at the thought.
“Just don’t…”
“What?”
“I'd say break him in gently, but after that session that bird has flown the coop.” McKay huffed.
Consequently, it wasn’t long before Walter was re-assigned to the SGC, and had been put under McKay’s command and then his work load went turbo. The technical assistants had been given the monika "interns" and had been assigned to a department and under direct supervision of a department head. This for him, meant a move to Atlantis which had been, eventually, flown back to the Pegasus galaxy. Dr Kusanagi was officially his supervisor, however in truth he found himself working alongside Dr Kusanagi, Dr Zelenka and the infamous McKay.
What started as a pilot scheme, became normal working practice with the science team numbers increasing as the benefit of technical and research assistants allowed for better efficiencies within the department and freeing up the senior members from routine tasks and yet at the same time bringing an influx of new ideas that would have been seen as "wrong" on earth but were actually needed when relearning the boundaries of what was possible in space or with alien tech. The assistants were allocated around Homeworld Command as needed and finished with accelerated Masters degrees and PhDs in subjects relating to the relevant science be it, astrophysics, applied mechanics , whatever they produced papers for. Under the tutelage of the doctors they were working under.
Later on down the road.
Agent Gallo's retirement party, had been the last time he’d revisited Los Angeles and before he'd left earth for the Pegasus. He sat in a coffee shop near the old warehouse Scorpion had been based in. He’d sublet to a gifted youth project when Scorpion had officially closed for business. 1 year later and here he was to finalize the ending of his responsibility to the warehouse completely. Well that could have been done over the phone. In reality he had just wanted to walk around the area sit in the old coffee shop and revisit his old life. He knew Centipede was doing well and were still in the area, but that was water under the bridge. He was so tired but content. Another planet wide emergency had broken into his scheduled leave and instead of kicking back, he had been working on code and maths. Rigging and wrangling new tech to work with old tech. Still, they’d survived another day and here he was, soaking up the sun, in California. Mid-day at his old haunt, with the knowledge of what really was out there, Walter fully enjoyed this moment of well earned rest and recooperation. The jingle of the bell had him looking each time it rang out. After awhile his patience was rewarded, as he looked up and a gangly youth walked through the doors. Tears sprung up unbidden as Walter looked at Ralph. Of all the regrets, Ralph could have been the biggest, but they’d kept in contact over the months since the break up of Scorpion, phoning and visits by Ralph to the warehouse, before Walter joined the SGC. When he’d gone on to the Pegasus galaxy, irregular emails back and forth had kept them close.
“Ralph!” Walter stood as he called the teen over and as he came close pulled him into a hug.
“Walter.” They both held on for a moment soaking in the feeling of the other.
“Glad to see you.”
“Been ages.” They said overlapping each other's words. “I got you a hot chocolate. You still like those right?”
“Yeah, Walter.” They both sat down around the table with Ralph taking the chair closest to him.
“So are you ok? Things at school going well? Those university courses you’ve taken, how are they? Too easy or just right?”
“Its all been good. Schools about the same Walter, but I do less time there after completing some more of my classes. I’ve been able to spend more time on my university studies and the project I was telling you about.”
“The one for the Eric Temple Bell prize?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a premise going and after your last email, I think I’m ready to start putting it together.”
“With that freshman?”
“Stilinski and he’s not a freshman he’s just taking modules like I am. He’s doing it for fun. I like him he’s entertaining and I like the way he thinks. A bit more like we do but different like so out of the box he doesn’t even see the box...”
Walter smiled as Ralph debated the pros and cons of working with a collaborative partnership and branching out away from his other mentors at Centipede. When Ralph had fully outlined the main points for lone credit, (Sylvester Dodd nor Toby Curtis would want any credit for their input) verses new ideas and shared workload.
“It sounds like the decision is made your friend will help you think in new ways and the team will keep the project going in the right direction.”
“Do you miss working with Scorpion?” Ralph was looking down at his empty cup. Obviously uncomfortable but asking the question anyway. “You could ask if you...”
“Ralph, I do miss the team but things move on both I and my former colleagues have moved on.”
“It’s not the same.”
“No Ralph it isn’t. It’s different.”
“Don’t you miss working as part of a team, rather than on your own. You agree that collaboration is better for my project.”
“I know and I think it is better for you as you develop and Ralph I’m not alone. I work with other people. In fact I work with a lot of other people.”
“But they’re not as smart as Sylvester or Happy.”
“Some are, some aren’t. It’s not about IQ Ralph. Although the people I’m working with are smart, it’s about working towards a common goal.”
“But we were family.”
“I know Ralph. I thought we were too. But honestly, maybe family is what you choose. And we no longer chose each other. Just like blood families we grew apart. We could become close again but the numbers don’t... Ralph they don’t support it.
"The longer two objects travel on different paths away from each other...”
“…the greater the distance between. The less likely they are to reconnect, but Walter...”
“I miss you too. And I miss your Mom. And I can easily admit to missing all you guys. But our journey together is at an end. The way it was with us all together is over. Now I’m hoping for a new way of us reconnecting. I’d love to be able to visit your offices and have lunch, laugh join in some Genius Olympics...”
Ralph laughed remembering the games involving stupid stunts of drinking ice drinks and math puzzles.
“ ...and hang out with them again, but I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m not alone, I’m not trying to fit in. I fit in just fine. I’m not wrong all the time, trying to be a version of normal. I’m Walter O’Brien and that’s just fine.”
The young lad nodded his head in reluctant acceptance. They spoke for a while verbally throwing around ideas to ground and expand Ralph’s research project’s beginnings. The youth filled O'Brien in on his former friends lives, which was bittersweet as always. Walter refilled Ralph’s drink a few times until the time came for them to depart..
“Mom’s picking me up in a few minutes out the front. She’s already picked up Kacey from day-care.” O’Brien smiled and nodded at the boy.
“I’ll wait with you outside then.” They made their way to the front of the coffee shop and out the front door. Taking up a position where they could easily see the car pull up with Paige and her baby daughter. In another life the child would have been his. However the first sonogram proved a surprise for Paige as she was further along than she had thought. Leaving them with the bitter knowledge that ex-boyfriend Tim Armstrong, must be the father. It had only been a few months after parting ways that Paige gave birth to the healthy blond baby girl.
Miss Dineer pulled up not too long later and Walter walked over to meet the vehicle with Ralph. It was awkward between them still, as their feelings made it hard to converse in any other way but stilted.
She smiled at him through her open driver’s window. “Hey Walter, you’re looking tired.”
“Long night.”
“You need to make sure you get some rest when you work on those projects. Ralph wouldn’t have minded if you’d rescheduled.”
“Its nothing… and I’ll be out of the country again soon, so we’ll be back to emails soon enough.”
“Oh Walter don’t let Homeland overwork you. Or is it the CIA?”
“Its kind of like a collection of the alphabet soup. Sly should stop hacking before he gets Centipede in trouble.” Right away Walter knew he’d said the wrong thing, as Paige’s smile became a little less genuine and more tight around the edges.
“I’m sure Sylvester is not the least bit interested in hacking your company Walter, as we're now very well established ourselves."
"Congratulations on that! It's not easy to get a new company off the ground.” Walter tried to show his genuine praise and admiration for the team. “You've been able to get some contracts I hear." for a moment Walter wanted to recover the conversation to leave with some of the warm that they both used to have in abundance for each other.
"How’s Flo? Are you and she still... working together?”
“Yes we’re both working on the same project.” Walter wasn’t quite sure what to say. Should he assure her that their relationship was purely platonic again. But it hadn’t worked previously and in truth the reality was that Flo had never been the reason Paige and Walter hadn’t been able to make their relationship work. It was an excuse. Someone much smarter at human relationships had pointed it out to him after he’d spent sometime discussing the issue with a third party. Now he just couldn’t see himself with her on earth, and was selfishly happier that the relationship had fallen apart. With Paige’s high EQ he could see that she found his new distance peculiar. Not Walter’s normal different. That is the way someone with a low understanding of people would act, just plain peculiar.
“Well… Kacey will want her dinner any minute now.” Right on cue, Walter thought. Any time Florence Tipton was mentioned Paige made moves to leave. It didn’t need the behaviourist Dr Curtis to point out the correlation. Flo wasn’t their problem but a symbol of the relationship problems they’d never worked out. Walter thought that for Paige though, as long as Flo and he worked together she would feel threatened. Sylvester hadn’t opened the lines of communication at all since a year ago although from brief snippets conversation he’d managed with Paige it seemed as if the two of them still thought Walter and Ms Tipton were in some sort of sordid relationship or at least yearning for each other on some level.
“It was good seeing you, Paige. Maybe we can catch up properly some time, please tell the guys hi, for me.”
“Sure.”
“Bye then.” Walter stood back from the car and waved at the little family as they made their way out the car park. He watched as they made their way along the road and out of sight. Turning around Walter walked over to his rental and after starting up paused to contemplate the life he very nearly had. He then put the engine into gear and began the journey to Cabe’s place. The place he’s be staying for the next week, they’d catch up and he’d rest. Sleep for a couple days maybe. Cabe knew the score and as one of the very few people that knew of the Stargate but didn’t actually work for the program he was invaluable to Walter. Allowing him to decompress safely and understood how to get the genius to re-acclimatize to living earth side. Civilian he maybe but living in another Galaxy meant he had a lot to get reused to. Not that Walter was to be earthside for long. R and R was normally taken in the Pegasus for those stationed out there, but every six to nine months people were expected to take a trip back to earth and then go back out.
With a smile and a light heart, Dr Walter O’Brien, slapped on the radio to an upbeat station. Tapping his hand on the steering wheel and taking a deep breath of the late summer LA air. Walter sang and drove, really living life to the full.