...But It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn.

[Author's note: lots of exposition and just Walter ahead Blah, Blah, Blahing away before he does what all know he's going do. If you don't like that sort of thing and just want to skip to the end and enjoy the pudding without having to eat the meat that's perfectly fine and I won't tell ;)]

Walter was in shock. He, with the exception of one AI and a very small handful of robots and droids, had spent most his life never personally ownIng a character.

Sure, his company owned tons of them but they weren't his, they were company assets and he was the boss, and as the boss he took good care of company characters. Most if not all of the character assets were treated as good as, if not better than, employees. He as the boss wasn't going to let the company treat Solid Snake, Sam Fisher or Master Chief the sameway as Betty down in filing (and believe me Betty's treated pretty well). He knew some companies , just like some owners, treated their characters poorly. Not at 3s. Employess were paid a generous wage or salary and most characters got credits which would work like cash. Employees usually had to pay for taxes and the like. Not characters who generally had all their needs taken care of as well. Someplaces only gave their characters the basics. Not Walter's. He gave them the best! 3S was an oddly character progressive company. He tried to make their make their living conditions and needs as good as, or better than, their homeworlds had been.

But they were the company's, he wasn't taking them home, having them make dinner him and ask him about his day.

(Though he did invite them sometimes as personal guests where he might fire up the grill himself and pour them drinks. Sometimes he'd gather them up in large bunchs for what he called 'appreciation days' where they were also guests. Treat them to the finest things he could. Food, drinks, entertainment, everything. )

But with those exceptions, he had never really personally owned characters before. And he wasn't some anti-character owning nut job hypocrites like W.A.R. or any of those other kooks. Like he'd told Rog at the party it was way too late for any kind of nonsensical thinking like that. The genies well and truly out of the bottle and had been for years. Not only did walt believe that they couldn't put the genie back, he was willing to bet no one probably knew where to find it anymore.

He had his reasons. They were a minority but there was still a small percentage of the population that could be found that just didn't own characters for either economic or personal reasons.

For him a part of it was because during his time as an agent of RealDreams he spent as much time, or often more, in their worlds then this one. He'd go completely native and blend in. It makes it hard too not see characters as the friends and neighbors and companions he'd had in those worlds.

Another of his reasons was he was of the age to have faught in the Character War's. When he was called up to active duty again he'd served, and the experience he had from before and everything from working with and living among characters proved invaluable. But a lot of veterans of the War's chose not to own characters.

It was a dark time he tried not to think about.Sometimes his dreams were uneasy with memories.

Having to take down another division Metal Gears, while fighting in the burned out wreckage of what was once a DeathStar and Borg Cube that had gone down plumeting from the sky's twisted together.

Crawling over the charred remains of what was left of a company of Yoshi Riders. Trying to get to the point were he need to be so as to provide covering fire. Praying that unit of G.I. Joe's get that Bomber Man through.

Feeling a gush as he'd crawled around and realizing he'd stuck his hands into the puddle of go that was left of a Lion-O's face.

Or leading a band of woodland elves and hearing the tell tale roar of yet another King Kong.

How many gut shot Marios, half vaporized Links and Peter Parkers only there from the waist up, and many others, asking him to write their princesses and girlfriends. All the while he knew that the odds were better than 68% percent they were on their hands and knees under a boardroom or kitchen table, if not an office or gaming desk, happily slobbering on some guys knob. Probably that very moment, too bimbofied to even read said letter anymore.

Yeah. A large number of veterans of the Character Wars simply choose not to own characters for personal reasons.

Another reason was until recently, Walt had spent more time away from home than at it. He had considered getting characters for the grounds work and upkeep and animal care but ultimately as his wealth grew he decided it was best keep paying the few employees from who had always done the work before and keep paying them generously.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. and the robots kept the house in good enough order for a man who was seldom there. He'd had a maid service come through regularly for a bit but that actually hadn't worked out well between F.R.I.D.A.Y. and them.

'She' kept telling him the Robots and simple droids weren't enough. That he should upgrade to androids and the like or those hardlight upgrades she kept bugging him about, but he knew how much trouble "she'd" given comicbook Tony a time or three. Best to not leave temptation laying about for a bored AI and engage with her personally, but not too personally, instead.

In the beginning when he was young it was just too big and empty and remote. The property was his as he had inherited it and had been the Stark's for many generations. It was huge! The kind of ridiculously big that people couldn't imagine anymore except for the rich. But for one young man it was just too much.

He and the wife only moved in after they were married. He'd support her and her art by doing what he did best. The military paid well enough but just barely. The house and the land were expensive and he was wealthy on paper because of them. Meanwhile they had to live pretty simply. Knowing you're technically worth a lot but scraping for change just to buy gas or milk is humbling.

But the difference was now Walt loved it. What was a pain when was younger was now he and the wifes joy. Living so remotely was a balm for his war weary soul and inspirational for her work. He scrapped and saved just enough to fix up one of the unused barns, doing most of the work himself, turning it into her studio where she could create to her hearts content. And her art was really starting to take off, meanwhile Walt had almost risen as far as he could go as an enlisted man but he was one of the best, and highly decorated and the pay had become pretty darn good. If her next big showcase was a hit she'd be a raising star, a virtuoso in the arts. Walt would retire early dreaming of becoming a writer and they could finally start building a family and fill the big house up.

But that wasn't meant to be. Nobody saw the accident coming and it slowly took it's time killing her. By the time **** was finally through killing her and took her away Walt was about to break. His wife was dead, the hospitals and treatments and finally the funeral expenses had eaten every last cent, and he was so far into the red soon he'd lose everything else too.

Most thought he had a drinking problem at that time. They were correct but that was only the half of it. Walt had a plan as he kept sinking lower and lower. He was purposely seeking worse and worse dives. Knowing eventually they'd find him dead in a ditch somewhere. He'd given up, had enough and was about to tap out.

That was when RealDreams found him and a new life began. They dangled the carrot and he bit. A quest for what was impossible in this world and yet a reality in so many others. RealDreams knew it and used him and his skills, just like he used them. No big scheme or hidden agendas. It became mutually beneficial. They each needed what the other had. Bit by bit he invested in their company while he helped it flourish and before long he'd made one of his own and a another successful parternship of aligned interests was formed.

But as he'd told Diana and a few others while he was successful in his personal quest so many times bringing him fortune and glory, it was bitter and hollow. The miracles he'd obtained wouldn't bring back the thing he wanted most.

There was a catch when it comes to ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■ They ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■ Earth Prime (or Prime Earth as the other Party likes. Walt finds both ridiculous and is in the small minor fringe group that support changing the name to Terra)■■■ the ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■. ■■■ ■ it ■■■ a ■■■ of the ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■ to ■■■■■■■ and it ■■■■■■ the '■■■■'. From that ■■■■ on the ■■■, ■■■, ■■■, or ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■. ■■ it ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■.

After that hope was well and truly crushed for Walter. He didn't know what to do with himself. He buried himself in work for a time but he'd lost his earlier spark and drive. After awhile even work didn't satisfy him in keeping busy.

He realized what he needed to do was either bury himself in misery or learn to finaly accept. It took a longtime but he's only the last few year or so that done the later. He'd finally after all that time achieved some closure and peace was trying to find some joy in life again.

He was trying, with some gentle pushing and prodding, go out and meet up with old friends, maybe make new ones and experience new things. It was Friday who had reminded him about the RealDreams pre-event socials for major shareholders scheduled before they... you know I'm not sure Walt even knew what it was for. But it was an opportunity to do something and ...

... it had all led him to Penny. And now she asked him for this. That if she gave him everything that was herself, could he accept that and claim full ownership of all of her? She was giving him, and asking him to, become the owner of her heart. She offered her everything to him, begged him to take it and claim ownership of it.

Did he deserve it? Could he be deserving of her devotion? Could he be the master she deserved? Could he do that for her? Could he be deserving of her love?

Walt could tell this was the start of something new, for him and for Penny. Their lives would change course with this in new and unexpected ways for the both of them. But she had already begun to change him just by being with him.

He looked into her eyes and knew his answer. He had promised and meant it. He had sworn that he would give her whatever she wanted.

Because he'd already started to fall for her.

Because he'd already started to give her his heart.

He would become an owner worthy of hers. No matter what.