Walter Stark - a man putting his life back together

*Author's note. Dear readers, this will be a bit of a slow burn and perhaps a slightly different type of story from the others but I hope you all enjoy it all the same.*

"I hate seeing you like this Walt."

Walter Stark, Walt to his friends, looked up from his drink at the bar to look at the man who had spoken to him and recognized Roger. Roger was a bit younger than he and used his money well to appear even younger despite his middle age. Not that Walter wasn't bad looking for his age himself but in a crowd of good looking, well to do people like he currently found himself in he definitely wasn't bothering to put in the same effort.

Walter sighed. "Hi Rog," He greeted and lifted his glass. "You're not the first to have said so. You're looking well as usual though."

Roger smiled and lightly tapped their glasses together. "Well it's good to see you too. I take it you're only here on business, then?"

"I have been reminded that attending these events are a part of doing said 'business' and that I should attend, so I am 'attending'." Walter downed his drink and catching the bartender's eye said, "Same again, Lloyd. Thanks."

Roger watched as the smiling Lloyd from The Shinning refilled his friends glass, noting that the other bartender, a Guinan character from Startrek, very tellingly refused to look towards their end of the bar. He wondered if her disapproval was for how his friend was drinking or if she just didn't like working with Lloyd. "How many is that?" He motioned towards the drink and Walter shrugged. "I honestly couldn't say. I wasn't keeping track. I'm not nearly drunk thanks to the all the things I've had done to me but I do have a slight buzz going on right now so maybe moving towards that direction."

Roger raised an eyebrow. He knew that to get his friend into such state would take quite a large amount of potent beverages. "How is it?"

Walt stared at his glass contemplating a moment before taking another drink. "It's... green."

Rog laughed. "Aldebaran Whiskey, then. No wonder Guinan looks a little put out!" He motioned to Lloyd, "Could I get another martini, please?"

The Lloyd character smiled. "Certainly, Sir."

While they watched Lloyd make the martini Rog said to Walt, "Thanks again by the way. We had a good time at the ranch the last time we were out there. It's good to let the characters go all out and even get some training in. It's hard to challenge them all, but you and your staff are the experts at it."

Walt smiled for his friend though it hardly seemed to reach his eyes. "I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves. I'll let the staff know that you all were pleased."

Roger sighed and shook his head. "Are you upset with me, the event or is it the usual?"

Walt sighed again and hunched over his drink. "Sorry Rog. I'm just poor company. It's not you, or even the shareholders event. It's just the usual."

Rog smiled sadly at his widower friend patting his shoulder. "She's been gone a longtime now, Walt. She wouldn't want you to be miserable all of the time like this. I'm not saying you should let her go but you did everything you could, and more. You spent years chasing every possible avenue and got no where. There is no way possible to bring back the prime world dead, pre-portal time. I wish it wasn't so."

Walt simply stared into his glass. "Me too..."