IRREFUTABLE FACTS
AN: I'm heartbroken. But I'm mad too. I want Team Scorpion to kick Team Centipede's multi-legged ass. I want Walter to win for a change. I want him to show those jerks, people who claimed to be his 'family', the ones who wouldn't even know each other without him and someone who called himself a 'brother', they can't do without him. I want them to realize what they lost for once. This story only has Paige eating crow, because I'm the maddest at her. I might get to the others later if inspiration hits.
oxoxoxoxoxo
A bleary-eyed Walter grudgingly submitted to the wheelchair ride through the Emergency Department waiting area. Anything to get him discharged and out of there quicker.
He was grubby. His shirt was torn and stained. His shoulder ached even though the physician immobilized his arm.
And he was bruised. Both physically and emotionally. He should be elated, but he found himself on the verge of asinine tears instead. He supposed it was to be expected of someone whose emotional development was equivalent to that of a teenager with no more potential to improve.
The genius with the 197 IQ saved the day again. Hooray for him. He'd effectively shown Team Centipede who was the best leader, who was the smartest, who could solve problems the fastest. He'd beaten them at their own game.
But his team was still obliterated. His family was still fractured. The love of his life still didn't want him. He was incapable of making her happy. Of being what she needed.
His current situation was reminiscent of the time he'd fired Paige. Everyone had walked out on him that night too. Except this time they'd all quit. Given up on him for good.
Less than a month previously he could've expected to see the waiting room full of friendly, concerned faces.
Well, at least Cabe was still around this time.
"Are you ready?"
Walter's head jerked up when he heard her voice, his foolish heart knocking against his ribs even as pain shot from his neck down his injured arm.
He winced and asked more sharply than intended, "What are you doing here?"
Paige just smiled benignly at the orderly pushing the chair. "I'll take it from here," she said mildly as they passed through the automatic double doors.
Walter noticed her Malibu parked in the circle drive.
"Where's Cabe?" Walter asked, frowning in confusion.
As the orderly set the brake, Paige slid a hand under the elbow of Walter's good arm and helped him to his feet.
He'd missed her touch too much. He snatched his arm out of her grasp. "I'm fine. Where is Cabe? He was supposed to wait and give me a ride home." He gritted his teeth. Limping even a few feet on his twisted knee caused his heavy steps to jar his shoulder injury painfully.
Paige opened the passenger door, ignoring his question until he was settled and she was situated behind the wheel. "I sent him home with Ralph. It took some negotiating, but I convinced him I'm capable of making sure you get home in one piece."
Walter scowled out the windshield attempting to quash the idiotic hope that the gesture might mean something. She was probably feeling sorry for him and grateful because he'd been instrumental in saving her son.
"This wasn't necessary." He sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted.
"Nonsense, Walter. You're in no condition to drive yourself. I was available. You're going to need some help over the next few days too. Oh, here. While they were processing your release papers, I had your prescriptions filled." She handed him a small, white paper bag.
Was he supposed to thank her? He hadn't asked for her assistance.
Rather than argue, Walter pretended to succumb to fatigue and shut his eyes, leaning as far away from Paige as possible while sharing the front seat of her car. He was too keyed up to sleep, but too tired to point out the holes in her logic or try to figure out her motives.
He must have actually fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, they were pulling into the parking area by the garage. As they coasted to a stop, he gathered up his ruined jacket, stuffing it awkwardly in the hospital-issued plastic bag and slipped the sack with the prescriptions inside with it.
Unbuckling his seatbelt, Walter turned his head vaguely in Paige's direction and mumbled, "Okay. Thanks for the ride." He didn't pause for her response.
Trying to flee with one arm in a sling and the other holding his belongings, he was off-balance in more ways than one. Not thinking, he tried to shoulder the door open with his bad side. Gasping a harsh, hissing breath through his teeth, he dropped back into the seat, squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for the pain to crest and start to abate.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted Paige clambering out of her side of the car and rushing around to open his door. She muttered what sounded like, "You stubborn ass," under her breath. Then he heard her say more distinctly, "Let me help you, Walter."
He didn't have much of a choice. The fifty feet to the door felt more like fifty miles as he struggled to stay mostly upright and not lean too heavily against Paige. Impossibly, it was more painful than his injuries to have her close by his side again, to smell her shampoo, to feel her too familiar curves pressed against him.
"I'm sorry. I should have thought about opening the bay doors and driving in. It would have been easier on you. I didn't realize you banged up your foot too," she unnecessarily apologized.
As soon as he was able, Walter released his grip on Paige and dropped onto the sofa by the door, sagging back and running a hand down his face. "It's my knee. There's no way you could've known that."
"I'll give you a minute to rest, then we'll get you up to your loft, okay?"
"There's no need. I'll manage on my own. You can go now." Or he might just decide to stay on the couch for the foreseeable future.
"Cabe would never forgive me if I let you fall," she replied airily. "Up you go."
And once again Walter found himself hauled up and leaning on Paige, pressed tightly against her in an effort to keep from tumbling back down the ramp. Her presence was making him as unsteady inside as he was outwardly.
After he made it upstairs at last and sank down onto the couch, he watched her suspiciously as she bustled around his kitchen running water and gathering supplies. It destroyed what was left of his restraint to see her appear so at home there, while he was forced to acknowledge the scope of how much he missed seeing her in his private living space.
"If you're here out of some misguided sense of gratitude or guilt or whatever," Walter snapped caustically, "it is neither necessary nor desired. I really think you should go. I'll be fine on my own now."
With only the thought of escape in mind, he struggled to come to a standing position unassisted, but ended up wrenching his sore knee then jostling his hurt shoulder when he flopped back down.
"Clearly." She nodded in mock agreement.
Instead of looking offended, she appeared to be amused and even more determined. Paige approached him carrying a steaming basin, a towel and wash cloth slung over one arm.
"Wow. It's only been a few weeks, but I see your EQ has sure suffered a major setback," she teased.
Walter glared at her.
Paige set the basin and toweling on the coffee table and sat beside it facing him. Why wouldn't she leave him in peace?
"I think that shirt is a lost cause. Let's get you out of it and get you cleaned up," she suggested. Without waiting for his permission, she began to gently work the strap of the sling free from the buckle while he sat immobile gaping at her gall.
When she'd freed his arm from the sling and started to remove the tattered remains of his shirt, Walter began to sputter, "W-what the… Wha-what are you d-doing? I didn't ask for this! I don't w-want this!"
Paige answered calmly, but there was a hint of color in her cheeks and her gaze remained focused on her hands and the task they were performing. "Don't be such a prude. I've seen everything you have. Multiple times."
"That's hardly the point, Paige," His tone was almost pleading. Walter grasped the fingers of one of her hands, halting her progress momentarily, "I don't understand. Why are you doing this? Are you trying to torture me? Do you want me to suffer more? Having you here. Seeing you again. Knowing how it used to be. It-it's too hard. Don't you think I've been punished enough?"
Her answering smile was trembling and tears welled in her expressive eyes. "I was actually working up to an apology." She looked down as he released her hand and she quickly finished removing his shirt and tossed it on the floor beside her.
She continued to talk as she picked up the clean washrag and soaked it in the basin of warm, soapy water beside her. "I was so wrong about so many things, Walter. I don't even know where to begin."
Wringing out the cloth, she softly stroked it down his good arm. "Let me start by saying thank you. You swooped in and saved the day. Saved my son. Like you always have. We had to use his skills on this job. For hacking. Because you weren't there to do it. I put him in danger this time. It's unbelievable the lengths I went to. Just to prove a stupid point." She huffed out a mirthless laugh as she continued to wash the caked on dirt and dried blood off of Walter's torso avoiding the road rash where possible. "A completely pointless point as it turns out. I was trying to prove to you and myself that I didn't need you. It was stupid. I was so stupid."
"Is-is Ralph okay?" Walter asked softly.
"Not a scratch on him. Which is more than I can say for you." Paige paused in her ministrations. "Here. Turn around so I can get your back now."
He complied this time without protest, groaning when the movement caused a twinge in his abused muscles.
She dipped the cloth in the water and wrung it out again. "Having your back to me might make it a little easier to say the rest." Paige swiped the warm washcloth softly over his sore back. "I should never have suggested you lie to me in the first place. I take full responsibility for that. I should have taught you to be tactful instead. Lying is never a good thing in a relationship. You were wrong too, Walter. Wrong to lie to me. Wrong to hang around with Florence without telling me."
"I've already said…"
She placed a soothing hand on his unhurt shoulder. "Let me finish. But I overreacted. Horribly. I said…" She choked and sniffed then fell silent for a beat. Swallowing audibly, she continued, "I said some awful things. So many hurtful… I'm so sorry. I wish I could unsay them. But unfortunately, I can't. All I can tell you is, I lashed out in anger. I didn't mean it. I was playing on your worst fears and saying all the things I knew would hurt you most because I was hurt. It's not an excuse. Only a reason. Today, I saw you chase down and jump into the back of a truck so you wouldn't lose sight of Ralph. I saw you pull my son off that same truck, using your own body to c-cushion his fall…"
Paige stopped and made a fuss over rinsing out the washrag again. Walter saw her hands were shaking.
Her voice was slightly thready when she said, "That… That man, right there. I fell in love with that guy. I never stopped, Walter. I just forgot for awhile because I was angry. And- and afraid. See, Drew cheated on me and lied to me about it so many times…"
"I'm not…"
"I know. I know you aren't anything like him. I do. But the fear is still there. Buried a bit, but it came to the surface when… It's a self-preservation thing. I swore to myself I would never let it happen again. I would never be that naïve again. So I left you. I abandoned you because I never want to be the one abandoned again. Can you understand? Even a little?"
Walter nodded and leaned into her touch as Paige rested her damp cheek against his bare back. He took his first full, deep breath in what felt like a short forever. "I suppose I can see that. It's not logical, but it is understandable on a certain level."
They stayed in that spot for a few moments, just basking in their closeness.
"More importantly," She whispered across his bare skin, her voice tremulous with emotion, "Can you forgive me? Can we try for open communication this time? Can we work to fix this whole mess together?"
He turned and wrapped his good arm around her. She leaned in and pressed her face into his neck. "I think so. Yes. I'm willing to give it another try if you are. I'll endeavor to do better this time. I'll talk to you about concerns. No more lying."
Paige heaved a sigh and he felt her fully relax against him even as the fist gripping his heart finally let go.
"Uh, Paige. You do know I don't… dislike your friends, right? We could've gone to dinner or the movies with them. I don't mind that. I'm sorry I don't enjoy games or mixers more. I've never been good at small talk or socializing in groups. Don't you think we could enjoy separate interests occasionally with other people?" When Paige pulled away and looked at him strangely, Walter caught on and added quickly, "With full disclosure and approval in advance, of course."
"I guess we don't always have to do everything together. The main thing is we'd have to set aside plenty of time to be alone as a couple and plenty of family time with Ralph. I loved those times. I've really missed those things. I've really missed you. Just you. Are you sure you want to give this another try? Can you accept me, temper and flaws and fears and everything?" Her expression was filled with both longing and hope.
"I love you. That's still an irrefutable fact. So I would. Gladly. Temper and flaws and fears and everything."