I was hoping you all would never read this fic. But here goes. Ten chapters (well, a prologue and nine full chapters), making up my official headcanon for season five. Maybe if I do a good enough job it can be yours, too.

Note: this does not exist in the same universe as The Cyclone Trap. That fic is more for fun. This is serious. I mean it, this may be the hardest I've ever worked on something. Thanks to Chelsea and Laura for looking over my outline all those weeks ago when we still hoped this wouldn't ever be published.

The first two weeks following the blowup, their tiny team focused solely on work, lining up jobs, distributing duties, perfecting their efficiency by spending as little time actually together as possible. Walter tried not to think about what the others might be doing, tried not to think about how the three people who were with him before Paige entered their lives were the three who left with her, and how the two people who he initially wanted nothing to do with were the ones who had stayed. The three of them didn't talk about what happened, and he and Florence avoided each other whenever they didn't have to present a united front at a consultation.

It was an arrangement that worked, until he saw Paige again. Then he couldn't keep pretending everything was okay. He couldn't continue telling himself that screw it, he didn't need her or the others anyway. And he certainly couldn't keep putting off a conversation that he needed to have with the woman he now saw every day, the woman whose presence was the entire reason he didn't take Paige out for her birthday the week before. So, when Florence brought him a solution she had created in her lab, one they needed for the afternoon's work, he hesitated when she turned away, then spoke up. "Florence, can you come here for a moment?"

She turned, a somber look on her face. He thought he saw a bit of dread mixed in there too. "Yeah?"

She sounded tired. Walter took a breath. "I know you didn't…you weren't trying to cause issues between me and Paige. I don't blame you, and…" he wondered if it was wrong to speak for his ex, even if he was sure she would agree. "…I, I don't think she does either."

Florence gave a small, formal looking nod. "Thank you."

"But, uh…" he leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk and folding his hands. "I do need to make it clear that nothing is going to happen with you and me."

"I know," Florence said, almost immediately. "I didn't say anything before I did because of your relationship, and…because I care about Paige. And I know how much you love her. You being single now doesn't change that."

Walter nodded. "I wasn't expecting you to be so understanding."

She appeared defensive. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm not a stone – cold, home - wrecking bitch. Sorry," she said, almost immediately, dropping her eyes. The silence that hung in the air was uncomfortable. Walter opened his mouth to speak to discover he really had no idea how to respond. The silence continued, and if Walter didn't know it wasn't an impossibility, he would have sworn the seconds were stretching out longer. Of course, time was a construct, so…he wasn't sure about anything anymore.

After a moment or so – one that could have very well lasted an hour, for all Walter knew, it wasn't like there was a defined amount of time that a moment lasted anyway, Florence lifted her head. "But honestly. It's okay. I understand. And I enjoy our professional relationship, and I don't want to lose that." She pressed her lips together. "We've all lost enough already."

Walter nodded. He wanted to ask her if she missed Sylvester, even if just as a friend. But he didn't know if he wanted to hear her answer. He didn't want to know if his friend was just going to get hurt even more, should they ever actually talk about what happened that night.

"I want us to still be friends, Walter," Florence added after another uncomfortable, heavy silence. "I don't have many, you know. I promise I won't do anything. I just hate that we've been actively staying away from each other. I want us to be friends in addition to coworkers."

He nodded. "Good. Me too."

"Good." She nodded, stood there another moment, and then turned to head back to her lab. Walter watched her go, pleased with how the conversation had gone, but not feeling much better. It's not like anything was going to change now. Paige already knew he didn't have feelings for Florence.

And it hadn't mattered.