I'd like to give a special shout out to Cate for dragging me into this hell. But I am absolutely in love with Scorpion and this is my very first fic for it. My only hope is that, for the most part, I remained in character. But idk. My editor fell asleep two hours ago. Anywho this is by far the longest fic I've written and I'm super proud so just enjoy!
The sparks are enough to drown out the looks of sympathy and disbelief. He hadn't just proposed. No, of course Toby would never do anything normal. He wrote her a song. An corny, stupid, sweet, heartbreaking song. Then he bought, no, he made her the stupid perfect ring. Then he had the stupid confetti set off right as she had to watch his heart shatter.
It's her fault.
That doesn't stop the looks. Paige frowns at her every time she catches her glancing in Toby's direction. She pretends she doesn't see Sly watching her as she tries to catch his eyes. She wants to punch Walter in his stupid smug face every time he gives her the I told you so look. But the worst are the disbelief. She can feel them staring at her hand, and the lack of the ring. She can see them whispering right as she goes to drive off for the night. You would think a group of geniuses would account for rear view mirrors. Hell, even Ralph is spending more time by Toby's side. One night she caught him up late watching Looney Tunes with Toby so that he wouldn't drink himself into a stupor, or worse, gamble into one.
It's her fault.
So she throws herself into metal work. The whirr of the saws drown out the voices and the sparks distract her from the looks. She's accustomed to the looks anyway. She grew up in a foster home. She had to be accustomed to the looks with her IQ. Even foster parents threw looks so why did she have to pretend she didn't see these?
Because it's her fault.
"Happy!" She snaps her head up at the call of her name. Gallo stands way too close for safety standards. She switches off her saw and flips up her mask to meet his eyes. "We have a mission." She simply nods removing the mask and the apron. Gallo makes his way to the rest of the team gathered around their respective desks. She spies Toby slouched in his own. His fingers twitch every few seconds. It's a tick she is all too familiar with. When his addiction was particularly strong his fingers would twitch every few seconds. She would take his hand to distract him for a while. Obviously that wasn't an option now. "This is Feliks Petrov, he works with the Russian military."
"There has been an attack on The State Tretyakov Gallery." The man deadpans
"Great. Just what we need is more priceless art that people want to steal." Toby mutters. Cabe flashes him a glare which tugs at the corner of her mouth. He still has no idea what happened to the painting from a year or two ago. Toby's eyes on her for a brief second immediately pull the smirk from her. His damned sad eyes. He looks like a puppy she just ran over.
"Not exactly." Feliks frowns. "There has been a great act of terrorism against our country. A group of men have taken hostages in the museum. Their leader, he wants money or he will kill all of them."
"We're a group of geniuses, not police." Walter states with a frown.
"He has advanced technology. It makes it impossible to get in."
"Impossible to the normal mind." Sylvester adds.
"Which is why he found us." Cabe states crossing his arms over his chest. "We will get you all the intel you need on the jet. He's given us a maximum of three days."
"Three days? That's pretty extensive for a proclaimed terrorist." Toby sits up leaning forwards in his seat.
"You think there's another motive?" Feliks questions with a raise of his eyebrow.
"Possibly."
"Well you can consider the possibilities on the flight." Both of the men split from the garage causing them to follow closely behind.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It's been awhile since I've been on a plane where the flight went well." Sylvester remarks stepping off of the jet. "I must say it was a refreshing change." Two black SUVs wait for them outside. Each with their own intimidating driver suited in a tux and sunglasses.
"They look friendly." Toby mutters under his breath climbing into one of the cars. She considers quickly hopping into the other but one look from Walter forces her to set her jaw. If anything she wants to prove to him that they can handle themselves professionally. That was the whole point of this. The car jerks forwards sending her into her seat next to Toby in the back. "Easy." He smiles. For a moment it's like nothing happened. His smile is easy and familiar. Then he looks away snapping her out of the brief moment.
The drive is silent, the only sound being Sylvester typing away on his computer.
"Look, I know you said not to-" Toby starts.
"Shut up." She mutters cutting off his sentence.
"We need to talk about it."
"No we don't." She sets her jaw staring out the window of the other side.
"Can I at least know his name?"
"We are in a car on our way to save innocents and you want to know my husband's name?" She snaps. The flash of sadness in his eyes makes her regret her choice instantly. The rest of the ride is filled with uneasy silence. She even swears that Sylvester's typing has gotten quieter.
"We're here." Feliks announces from the front.
Sure enough the streets are tied off with yellow tape, pedestrians and family members gather around the tape. Women and children scream in the unfamiliar language, most likely begging for information about their family to be disclosed. Her eyes train over the grounds trying to locate what is amiss.
"The door is guarded by a laser technology. They managed to rig the security system so that instead of the alarm if you pass the laser a bomb goes off."
"Every security system has a weakness. Sly, pull up the blueprints for the building." Walter commands.
"Already done. There seems to be an air duct on the roof. Crawling through the ventilation system that leads all throughout the building." Sylvester speaks up.
"Do you have Bird-Droney?" Paige questions.
"Yes, though I am very uncomfortable with him flying. He just finished healing." Sylvester begrudgingly hands over the drone with a frown.
"Not a real pet, Sly." Toby remarks staring up at the building. She keeps her eyes trained on the drone as it flies around the building.
"Tell me," Feliks sighs "how on earth a metal bird is supposed to help us catch these criminals."
"I installed infrared technology on the drone. We find the hostages, we find out how to get them out. Simple." Happy explains.
"And the terrorists?"
"Happy and Toby will go through the vents. Happy will disengage the security system and allow Paige to slip inside. Toby will provide a distraction to whoever is keeping the hostages. While he is distracting Paige will blend in as a tourist. She'll guide the hostages to extraction and then you guys can slip in and take out the terrorists." Walter guides. "Sylvester and I will hack into the monitors and keep watch."
"You make it sound easy." Toby deadpans.
"Let's just get this over with." She states. "Sly can you hack into the outside cameras?"
With a few clicks the mathematician looks up from his laptop. "Done."
"Come on Doc. We got work to do." She steps past the guards digging into her back.
"So what exactly is your plan for getting on to the roof?" He asks. She simply pulls out a grappling hook with a shrug. "I was afraid you'd do that." He sighs. With an quick flick of her arm the hook latches onto the ledge of the roof. Without hesitation the grabs on scaling up the wall.
"Avoid the windows!" She shouts down. Once on the roof she screws into the duct climbing inside.
"Why is it always vents?" She hears him mutter as he climbs in after her. The uncharacteristic silence causes uneasiness to curl down her spine. The sounds of their elbows and knees are the only things that echo in the small chamber. It wasn't like him not to be annoying as all hell. Especially when they're alone.
"Look I'm sorry." She gives unable to equate for the silence any longer. "I shouldn't have snapped at you." Again silence fills the vents. She gives into the silence pushing open the gate to one of the rooms. She drops with ease into the middle of the room. "We're clear." She calls up to Toby. Gracelessly he falls from the vent landing flat on his chest.
"Oh my pancreas." He groans. She switches on her comms stepping towards the small panel on the wall.
"I found the security system. Give me a few minutes and walk in when I say Paige."
"Got it." She replies.
"I'm not mad that you snapped at me." Toby starts grabbing her attention. "I'm pissed cause you didn't even bother to tell me that you're married."
"When was I supposed to say it? When we were in bed or when you were buying the ring?" She fires back.
"I don't know. Normal people mention it before they kiss someone else."
"I didn't mean for it to get this far." She sighs.
"But you meant to cheat on whoever you're married to?"
"It's not like that."
"Then what is it like Hap? Cause I fell in love with you. For a while there I believed that you loved me too." His voice breaks causing her heart to shatter in her chest.
"What do you want to hear? That I was in an abusive foster home that I kept trying to run away from? That every time I escaped the police caught me and dragged me back? Or how about how I faked my ID at sixteen in order to get married to an eighteen year old I knew for a year? How I did that just so I could escape and live away from that? How about how the guy fled three days after we eloped in Vegas, without a trace? I couldn't get an annulment because my birth record would show that I was only sixteen. I finally got him tracked down for a divorce and they said it'd take up to a year. It's been sixteen months."
"I didn't know Hap…" He gapes.
"Nobody does. But you…"
"Your comms are still on." Paige states slowly.
"And the entire team." She sighs rubbing at her eyes. "Let's just focus."
"Uh guys…" Sylvester interjects. "Bird-Droney is only picking up on one other heat signature besides you guys."
"That's not possible. Unless they're…"
"Dead."
"You guys need to get out of there now." Walter commands. She hears him cut off to argue with someone else. She doesn't bother listen. Instead she drops her tools and runs as fast as her feet can carry her. Colors of paintings fly past her vision as her feet carry her towards the roof. She can briefly hear Toby's footsteps echo over her racing heart. She skids to a sudden stop when she spies a man standing in the middle of a large room amongst bodies. Bile builds in her throat at the sight. His lips split into a sickening smile. His gun lies on the ground but he has a vest strapped to his chest.
"It's a trap!" Happy cries into her comm.
"Happy no!" Toby cries pulling her away from the blast. She is propelled backwards with a surprised shout.
As the dust settles the first thing she registers is a painful ringing in her ears. Next is a shooting pain in her skull. She carefully brings her hand to her forehead wincing at her own touch. Her fingers pull back crimson but not terribly so. A small laceration most likely. It would likely need stitches. She pushes herself off the ground looking around. The room is quickly catching a blaze of what was not destroyed in the blast. Her eyes fall on the crumpled form of Toby lying feet away from her.
"Doc." She coughs. Her throat aches with her speech. She scrambles to stand only to shout out in pain and crumple. Pain shoots up her leg quickly. She let's out a string of profanities causing Toby to stir.
Her heart nearly stops when she spies the wood spike sticking out of his stomach.
"Toby!" She cries crawling over to him as quickly as she can. She peels off her burnt flannel pressing it against the wound.
"Hap…" He groans. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She chokes out forcing herself not to pass out at the sight of his blood spilling on to her fingers.
"You're bleeding." He reaches up slowly brushing his fingers across her forehead. She pulls away with a hiss.
"Doc I need your help. You know I'm no good with blood." She speaks quickly, eyes darting between his face and his wound.
"Hap, you need to go. The fire is spreading." He says tiredly, his eyes rolling back.
"Toby I need you to focus." She snaps. "If you think I will leave you I will beat you to death myself."
"Hap…" His eyes begin to flutter shut as her heart jumps in her chest.
"No… Toby!" She cries. "I need you to stay awake." Her fingers tremble against the wound. She can hear heavy footsteps but they're distant.
"I'm tired." He slurs forcing to keep his eyes open.
"Dammit. Just stay awake you moron. Sly? Walt?" Nothing but static echoes in her ears.
"Hap I love you."
"Don't say it like that." She growls. Her flannel is soaked in her hand now. There's too much blood.
"No… I want you to know that I love you just in case-"
"Nothing is going to happen. We're going to get out of here." She panics, her hands violently shaking now. "Help!" His fingers brush her cheek pulling her eyes to his.
"One time." He wheezes. "I want you to say it one time."
"I love you too." She whispers. Her voice is failing her. She can hear the footsteps getting closer. "Help!" Heavy boots storm into the room surrounding her. She can feel herself being painfully ripped from his side. Her leg screaming in pain. "Toby!" A prick on the side of her neck lulls her into darkness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Happy jerks awake with a start in a pristinely white room. She thrashes quickly trying to figure out where she is. Her ankle is caught in something. She kicks trying to free herself desperately.
"Hey!" A voice shouts. "Hey!" Her eyes settle on Paige who is gripping her shoulders. "Calm down."
"Where is he? Where's Toby?" She croaks before falling into a coughing fit.
"He's being treated. You need to relax." Paige states calmly.
"I need to see him." She gasps pushing against her arms.
"You need to stay here. You have a concussion, two broken ribs, and a broken ankle."
"Yeah and Toby is a shish kebob." She growls.
"He's healing. The doctor got the wood out of him and it missed all of his major organs." Paige asserts. "Sly and Walter are in his room. Do you want me to call them?" Happy settles against the bed nodding slightly.
"How long have I been out?" She asks slowly.
"Three days."
"Days?"
"They had to sedate you because you tried to fight the medical team."
"They weren't exactly gentle." She grumbles.
"Yes well with the concussion it kept you down for a while." Paige frowns. "We're glad you're okay."
"As okay as I can be with tubes stuck up my nose." She mutters. Paige smiles slightly dialing the number. Sylvester's face pops up on screen seconds later.
"Hey Happy. How are you feeling?" He asks, eyebrows laced in concern.
"Just peachy." She groans. "Can I see Toby?"
"I don't know if it would be good for your stress levels." Sylvester stutters.
"Sly. Please…" She frowns. He reluctantly flips the camera around. Toby's head is tipped towards the camera, tubes running up his nose to help him breathe. His lips are parted slightly in slumber. She can spy a few burns on his skin from where the fire got too close but the blanket blocks her view of the injury. She swallows heavily before finding the ability to speak. "Has he woken up yet?"
"Twice. Asked for you both times but you were…" Sylvester sighs. "I'm glad you're safe Happy."
"Where's Walt?"
"Him and Cabe went to go get food. They should be back soon."
"Take care of him Sly." She states.
"I will." Happy nods to Paige to hang up the phone with a frown.
"Look, about hearing you two-"
"I don't want to talk about it." Happy interrupts. Paige seems to get the memo letting the silence wash over once again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Happy pulls into the garage letting out a sigh of relief. Her ankle is still bound but she's able to walk without assistance. It's just… good to be back. She is shocked when a small body throws itself at her legs.
"Hey kid." She smiles slightly patting Ralph on the head. "Long time no see."
"Can you blame the kid for not liking hospitals? At least I wasn't assigned to bed rest cause I broke my ribs." Her heart skips a beat as Toby walks up in his stupid hat. She briefly registers Ralph running off when Walter calls his name. She limps over to Toby slightly.
"May I remind you that you were shish kebabed?" She frowns.
"I love you too Hap." He smiles.
"You scared me you asshole." A quick punch lands on his arm.
"Ow." He whimpers rubbing the spot. "At least we know nothing is wrong with your arm."
"I had your blood on my hands."
"I know." He frowns pulling her to his body. "But you scared me too. When I heard you hadn't woken up after two days I freaked."
"Yeah well a doctor told me that you're not supposed to pass out when you get a concussion." She frowns.
"Gee I wonder which doctor that would be." That earns him another punch. "Ow. I'm beginning to think that I need to assess your violent tendencies."
"Don't you ever do that to me again." He smiles slightly pressing a kiss against the side of her head.
"I promise."