Title: Taking His Own Advice
Summary: Established Waige. Married. Oneshot. Ralph approaches Walter on not wanting to go for a school competition. Will Walter let him? And why does he not want to go? Paige is mildly upset by the decision, but she poses one condition.
Characters: Walter x Paige, Ralph
Setting: Four years after season three
DISCLAIMER: All rights go to CBS and relevant parties, as I do not own Scorpion.
Author's Note: This is my very first published fanfiction. The story is inspired by ScorplinginTraining's story of Man to Man in All the Waige.
He stood in the doorway, fiddling with his fingers, watching his dad (stepdad, rather) tinkering away at his workstation on yet another engineering project.
Nervous, he had spent the last five minutes quietly standing there, unsure of whether he should approach. He had something that he wanted to get out, but somehow, he just couldn't muster the courage to open his mouth to ask.
"I know you're right behind me, Ralph." Walter stated as he continued screwing in components on the circuit board, glancing occasionally at the blueprint he drew out. He then added, "If you have something to say, you should let it out...if it makes you feel better."
Ralph took a deep breath and walked forward slowly until he stood next to his mentor. He started to ask, "I uh...You know how I'm representing my high school for a physics competition, right?"
Walter nodded, Ralph had told him and Paige about this weeks ago. He was very excited as Sly had calculated that he had a high probability of making it to the finals, given his intellect. However, at the moment, Walter couldn't see what the problem was for Ralph.
"Could I possibly...not go?" Ralph asked, his voice trailing off towards the end of his sentence. He looked down as he spoke, picking up a pencil from the desk and started indenting its body with his fingers.
"You were excited for it. Why the sudden change of decision?" Walter inquired. He was taken aback by his request. He then turned to face his stepson, noticing that he was almost destroying the pencil. It was his nervous habit, to find something to fiddle with with his fingers.
Walter gently took the pencil away and set it back on the desk. He bent down slightly, but not that much, as Ralph was almost as tall as him. He looked at the teenager affectionately, giving him his undivided attention.
"Uh, the competition date clashes with our school's winter formal." Ralph said, all in one breath. His face was burning up and he silently hoped that Walter could find the implied meaning in his statement.
At first, the mentor didn't quite understand why Ralph would state that. He never once mentioned anything about school dances. Until...oh! A gentle smile overcame his face as it finally dawned upon him what was going on.
"So, you got asked out by a girl?"
"Uh-huh." Ralph nodded.
"That's good." Walter replied. He noted that Ralph was still avoiding eye contact, staring blankly at the desk. Walter gestured towards Ralph, directing his attention towards him.
Walter added, "Hey, there's no need to be nervous. It's normal, and a good thing."
Ralph then inhaled deeply. "I know how Mom wants me to take part in the competition, but...I really think that I should not miss the dance." He then added quietly. "Or I'll be like you."
Walter chuckled as he remembered how four years ago, Ralph said something about he should have taken Paige dancing when he had the chance. It was incredible of how he was so sensible for someone of his age.
"Alright, I'll talk to your mom about that."
"Thanks." Ralph said to Walter, before turning around and headed towards the stairs.
"Hey Ralph?" Walter called out. Ralph stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Do you like this girl?"
Ralph blushed and felt his face turn hot. "I-I don't know how to tell?"
"Come back here," His dad said gently. "Do you think about her a lot?"
He nodded in response. "All the time, especially when I'm not doing anything...she's constantly taking up my thoughts."
Walter smiled as he remembered the similarity in Ralph's feelings to what he felt for Paige. He still think about her constantly. He continued the conversation, saying, "I see. Have you told her if you would go with her to the dance?"
"I said maybe. She knows I have a competition on that day. She gave me the weekend to reply her." Ralph replied.
"You should call her," Walter suggested, a small smile finding his face. "Tell her you're going."
"What about Mom?" Ralph asked, concerned.
"She'll be esctatic." Walter said, as he imagined how Paige would react if she knew that her genius baby boy got a date. Before Ralph could leave, Walter suddenly remembered an important question he had to ask. "Ralph, what's her name?"
"E-Emma. Her name is Emma." Ralph answered nervously, scratching his head with his clipped nails.
"Okay." Walter chuckled at his mentee's nervousness. He didn't mean to, but he just could not help himself.
With that, Ralph darted back up to the loft to make an important call.
-SCORPION-
Later that night, Paige had returned from her girl's night out with her college friends. She ascended to the loft, passing by Ralph's room, happy to know that he was sound asleep. She then entered the master bedroom quietly, changed her clothes and climbed into bed.
"Welcome back, love." Walter said to his wife. He then gave her a soft kiss on her lips and she settled beneath the covers.
She glanced at the clock. "I thought you would be asleep by now."
"Actually, I have something that I have to tell you." Walter said as he glanced away from her tablet to look at her.
"Really? Concerning?" Paige asked, curious to know what her husband wanted to say.
"One of your beloved children." Walter replied. She knew he was teasing her.
"Which one?" Paige asked, playing along as she kissed him passionately on the lips. Walter placed his palms gently on her abdomen, pulled away from her and kissed there, gently.
"Not the one growing in you," He replied, kissing her soundly again on her belly.
"Oh Ralph? What about him?" Paige pulled back, eager to know what Walter would tell her.
"He requested not to go for his physics competition." Walter said. Even with the dim lighting in the bedroom, he saw that she was not pleased.
"Please tell me you didn't allow him to miss the competition."
"He had a good reason, love." Walter justified, hoping that Paige was willing to hear him out.
"Which was?" She added, her arms crossed over her chest.
"He got asked out by a girl - Emma, he said - to go for the school's winter formal. It's on the same day as the competition." Walter explained, hoping that his wife would understand the situation that Ralph was in.
"He wants to go for the dance?" Paige exclaimed. Walter nodded. "You got to be kidding me." She knew how Ralph is with social events. He wouldn't go willingly.
"I'm not." Walter replied, not realising that she did not ask a question. "He was genuine about his request. He did also raise a good point too."
"And since when do you encourage him to go for dances?" Paige teased, a smile creeping up her face at the thought that her baby boy was growing up.
"Since he told me years back, that I should have taken you dancing when I had the chance." Walter replied, looking right into her beautiful eyes. She felt herself melt under his gaze. "So he is taking his own advice."
Paige thought for a moment. Her boy did have a point. However, she couldn't let him off so easily. She added, "Alright. But I have one condition that he has to comply."
"What?"
"I want to meet this Emma girl."
A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry if this story had a lot of dialogue, I'm still new at this. However, please a review if you enjoyed it, or if you have something to say.