WriterFreak001:

I was having trouble writing the last chapter to Worth, so this is what happened instead.

This story is a bit AU, merely because it showcases a reality where Walter had met Paige before Scorpion.

Title | Once Before

Fandom | Scorpion (CBS)

Description | I had a plot bunny and had to let it hop. :) This is just a three part story that will explore the possibility of Walter actually meeting Paige and Ralph BEFORE September 22, 2014.

Rating| This fanfiction will be rated T for the third chapter.

Once Before

Written by WriterFreak001

Part 1

~ SCORPION ~

As much as Walter O'Brien loved technology and coding and reminding people of his remarkable IQ, he absolutely hated his job. He hated authority and tracking people down and leaving two hours early so his rundown Datsun could get him to work on time, but if it wasn't for the pay rate, he would quit immediately.

Unfortunately, there was just too much at stake.

On top of paying for his sister's medical bills, he had been putting away a decent amount of savings each paycheck, hoping, one day, his funds would be his ticket out of this godforsaken bank. Walter just had to endure another few months before he could make a deposit on the company he hoped to start as a side gig.

But with the type of job he had at the bank, waiting for a few months to pass by was easier said than done. Just even getting through one day without arguing with his arrogant, unintelligible boss was nearly impossible, but if he wanted to ensure the start of and survival of his future company, he had to constantly remind himself why he was still working for them.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Ricky Muniz, the oldest teller at the bank, leaned his round belly forward and peered over the counter, "I sympathize with your situation, truly, I do, but there's nothing I can do for you…. You still haven't paid back the last loan you borrowed."

Walter glanced at the young, distressed woman – no older than 22 at the most – in front of the counter as she scooped a small boy into her arms, and he watched her carefully. "Please, sir," the woman's voice cracked as her eyes welled up with tears, "Please. I h-ha… I have a son, and if I miss my rent again…."

"As much as I would like to help," Ricky lowered his soft voice gently, "I can't…. Company policy states that clients must pay down previous, outstanding loans before applying for a new one."

"But I—"

"No buts," Ricky held up his hand, silencing the woman. "Now unless you're here to pay down your loan from last month, there is nothing I can do for you."

The woman inhaled deeply and blinked her eyes before looking at the ceiling. She then shifted the boy's weight in her arms as he stared mindlessly at the clock on the wall while sucking his thumb. "Let's go, baby," she gently turned and pressed a soft kiss to her son's cheek before backing away from the counter. "We'll figure something out."

The boy made no indication that he heard his mother and didn't seem to return the woman's affection as he continued staring at the wall clock. Walter began to observe the pair exiting the bank as the boy's piercing brown eyes met his. There was something oddly familiar with the intensity behind the child's stare, and Walter – beyond all logic – could not help but want to assist in some way.

But as the pair disappeared behind the double doors, he realized he had missed his chance. For some reason, though, he had to know more about them. The genius spent the next few minutes rapidly finishing up his given task and then turned off his computer before approaching Ricky. Crossing his arms in front of him and leaning against the counter, Walter pinned his bottom lip between his teeth before asking, "Who were they?"

"Trouble," Ricky replied absentmindedly as he pulled out his cash box, covered it and printed out a statement. "Every month or so, that woman comes in with her son in her arms, begging for assistance. We gave her a few loans over the last six months, and she's been able to pay them off for a while, but she lost her job recently."

"Are there not… extenuating circumstances for single mothers?" Walter frowned as Ricky shook his head.

"Unfortunately, no. However, if she really needs assistance, she should go find a church. Not a bank." Ricky added with a gruff. "Seriously, people have no common sense these days."

Though Walter very much agreed with Ricky's statement, he had a strong feeling that that woman was not an idiot. Just desperate. "What's her name, and how much is her debt with this bank?"

"Sorry. Can't disclose that information to you. Client confidentiality, remember?" Ricky almost laughed as he bent down to tie his shoe. "However," he looked up momentarily, "if you wanted to pay it off, I could at least let you in on the amount."

Having a soft spot for young kids, Walter nodded. "Fine. I'll settle it, whatever it is." He had $375 in cash on his person so it should be enough to cover whatever debt the woman had.

He hoped.

After tying the other shoe, Ricky slowly straightened his back and started typing away at his computer. "She currently owes…," he clicked a few buttons on the screen, "$1,073."

Walter nearly choked. "$1,073?! Why does she owe so much?"

Ricky shrugged. "Rent? Car payment? Electricity and water bills? Food? There's tons of reasons why people need loans, Einstein. And since she has no solid income, we can't lend out more money when we don't even know when she will be able to pay her last loan back."

Walter sighed.

Aside from the cash he had in his wallet, he had an account utilized solely for his research on his sister's condition and money saved up in another account for his future company establishment. But because he wouldn't dare touch the fund used for Megan's benefit, he was willing to tap into his company savings to assist the woman and her child. So much for leaving in a few months.

"Okay," Walter rolled his neck slowly and pinched his nose, not understanding why he was doing what he was doing, but there was just something about that woman and her child he couldn't ignore. "I'll pay $373 of it in cash tonight, and I'll settle the rest of it tomorrow after I go to my personal bank to withdraw the necessary amount." He dug his left hand into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Will that suffice?"

Ricky gave Walter a small smile as the genius slipped his wallet back into his back pocket. "Sure. After tomorrow, I'll notify the woman that her loan has been settled."

"Thank you," Walter nodded as he gave Ricky $375. "I'd like to remain anonymous if possible."

"Of course," Ricky replied as he placed the money inside the cash box, handed Walter back two dollars and adjusted the woman's debt. "Now you only have $700 left to pay."

"Copy that," Walter mumbled, pocketing the two dollars into his front left pocket. "Anyway, I've finished upgrading the security system. I'm going to call it a night and start analyzing that data we received today tomorrow when I come in."

"Sounds good." Ricky waved Walter off as the genius gathered is computer bag and circled around the counter before clocking out. "See ya tomorrow, O'Brien."

"Yeah," Walter absentmindedly replied as he headed for the double doors, "tomorrow." After pushing his way through the doors, he made his way towards his Datsun when he noticed the woman from earlier standing underneath a bus stop shelter with her son sleeping in her arms. Walter glanced at his watch and noted that the bus wasn't due for another ten minutes.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and watched her closely. She was pacing, possibly rocking her son to sleep in the process, but she was definitely pacing impatiently. Walter wasn't sure if he should approach her or stay still, but he felt the two dollars still in his pocket and pursed his lips.

Maybe two lousy dollars would help the pair out more than it would him.

With a stride in his step, Walter crossed the street and jogged over to the woman. At first, she was alarmed, preparing to run, but he held out a hand to stop her and said, "It's okay," as he panted. He really needed to work out a little bit more. "I'm not here to rob you… or hurt you… or anything."

Cautiously, she held her son tighter to her body, protecting him with all of her might as she eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"Nobody," the genius answered way too quickly. "I'm nobody… just a tech analyst." It was probably best he didn't reveal his name to her since he most likely won't see her again. "I just… I saw you at the bank earlier…, and I know this is a bit u-unorthodox since you d-don't even know me, and I d-don't even know you, but I w-wanted to," he straightened himself up and took a deep breath, "I wanted to g-give you this," he pulled out two crumpled dollars and waved them in the air. "It's all I have on me right now, but based on extenuating factors, I'm quite certain you need these two dollars more than I do."

The woman's eyes welled up with tears, but after she swallowed, she looked away from him. "I don't need pity money."

"It's not… pity money…."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him with disbelief.

He held up his other hand and briefly explained himself, "I'm… different than other people. I don't have feelings. I don't experience them, and I never have experienced them so with my extraordinarily high IQ, giving someone money out of sympathy would be… a wrongful and illogical assumption. I just… merely compared your situation to mine and weighed the facts. Logically, you do need these two dollars more than me." He forced a chuckle, "So, technically, you wouldn't be receiving pity money. Just… money… from one person to another." He immediately stopped talking when she smiled sweetly at him and laughed a little.

"You really are different, aren't you?"

Walter swallowed thickly. "Yeah."

The woman carefully placed her sleeping son on the bench behind her and bit her lip as she turned towards him. "What's your name? I'll pay you back."

"No need," Walter shook his head swiftly. "Consider it a gift," he smiled a little more. "I know it's… not exactly breadwinning money, but… I'm sure it'll help somehow." He didn't dare tell her what happened to the rest of his cash. He extended his hand to her again. "Please," he found himself pleading, "take it and use it however you need to."

The woman inhaled a deep breath and smiled softly before briefly touching her hand to his, sliding the money into her palm. The sensation tingled a little, but Walter decided he would file it away and analyze it later. "Thank you," she blew out a shaky breath as her eyes welled up with tears again. Uh oh. She was going to cry. Walter began to panic; he didn't handle crying well and would feel like a jerk if he tried escaping without mediating the situation.

But as she clenched her fingers around the two dollars, she didn't shed a single tear.

"Do you, uh, do you have money for the bus fare?" Walter found himself asking as she slipped the money into her front pocket, and she nodded.

"I only had $1.50 left, but now I have $3.50 left." She then beamed and licked her lips slowly. "I'll remember your kindness." She then cocked her head to the left, "You still haven't told me your name yet."

"Oh, um," Walter hesitated for a moment, "W-Walter." He cleared his throat. "My name is Walter."

The woman licked her lips again. "Walter," she muttered softly. "That's a lovely name. It fits you well."

His cheeks flushed deeply as he wondered how the hell a single woman could make him react in such a strange way. The warmth behind his cheeks was a new sensation he had never experienced before, and for some reason, some completely illogical reason, he couldn't help but want to hear the beautiful woman say his name again. Repeatedly.

"Paige," the woman suddenly said as she swept her son up into her arms. The boy stirred a little but remained in a deep sleep even as he yawned. "And this is Ralph."

Walter watched them with fascination, and he could see the resemblance immediately. The young boy had his mother's eyes, her nose and her lips, and there was something about the way he slept soundly in her arms that highly intrigued Walter.

He suddenly wanted to know even more about the pair, but as he opened his mouth to speak, the bus pulled up, and the driver opened its doors.

"I should go…," Paige shifted Ralph's weight a little bit as she graciously smiled at him. "Thank you, Walter," she closed the gap between them with a gentle kiss to his warm cheek, and as he froze in place, she took a small step back. "Your kindness means a lot," she paused before adding with a shy smile, "I hope this isn't the last time we meet."

"Okay," Walter squeaked before clearing his throat loudly and forcing out a strained, "M-Me too."

Laughing quietly, Paige kissed Ralph's crown and whispered, "Bye…."

"Bye," Walter found himself waving as she stepped inside the bus, paid the $1.50 bus fare and took her seat near the back. She waved back at him, her smile never leaving her plump lips as the bus carried her and her son away into the night.

And when the genius realized he was still waving, he awkwardly brought his hand to the back of his head and scratched his neck as he slowly returned to his Datsun, wondering if he would ever see Paige and Ralph again.

He surely hoped so.

~ SCORPION ~

Six years later…

Walter was sure he was looking at the same mother and child he had helped many years ago and closely watched the child as he played with diner condiments. He noticed how the boy moved away from his mom as she tried to hug him, and Walter pursed his lips.

He suddenly stepped down from his ladder and walked over to the boy before moving a creamer packet. The boy quickly responded by pushing an empty dressing container, and then he took away the creamer. Walter counteracted his move swiftly, moving a cup of gravy. Ralph removed the cup and stacked it on top of the creamer before moving another piece.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh," Walter mumbled as he moved a salt shaker with a pepper shaker. The boy then stopped and looked at him curiously.

"Excuse me," Paige marched over to Walter as the boy turned towards his mother. Paige made eye contact with Ralph before meeting Walter's eyes. "Can I help you?"

She didn't seem to remember him so instead of forcing her to remember, he shook his head slowly and muttered, "No, but you should help him." And as he turned towards the door, he swung his laptop case forward and glanced at the owner. "Wireless is up." As the owner nodded towards him, he then added, "Don't yell at that boy."

After he unlocked his Datsun, he glanced at the mother who was wiping down the counter before finding himself staring at Ralph in awe.

Paige's child was a genius…

Maybe…

Maybe he could actually help them out in more ways after all.

…

He would certainly like to try.

~ SCORPION ~

WriterFreak001:

I loved playing with this idea.

:)

This will be a three-part story. Next chapter will feature Paige's POV, and the third will be sort of an epilogue. I won't write the next two chapters until after I finish Worth though. ;) So please have patience!

As always, read and review!