"PAIGE!", he remembers yelling her name. The next thing he remembers is holding her in his arms and all of a sudden, he is sitting on a chair in the hospital waiting room. He tried so hard to focus, to figure out what went wrong - horribly wrong - with the case, but he couldn't bring his mind to it. All he saw was blood. Her blood.
"It's going to be ok. You're going to be ok.", he remembers reassuring her, although it felt more like he was trying to convince himself. He couldn't bare to lose her. After losing Megan, his sister, his rock, the person he loved most in the world, losing Paige was not an option.
Cabe came in and brought him coffee - he didn't even take a sip. Sly was also there with him, calculating algorithms to distract himself from the ugly truth, that their colleague, their friend had been shot and was now laying on an operating table, fighting for her life. Happy and Toby had gone to pick up Ralph. Ralph. Walter thought of the boy. How much he had grown and how he had found his place in their team, their little family. A family that would have been broken if it wasn't for Paige. No, Ralph couldn't lose his mother like that. He wouldn't allow it.
He thought back to the case. They were told by Homeland that it would be a simple exchange. They would give the bad guys the money that they would later track and they would give them the file with the agents' names. Paige was the only one who could meet with them, as they knew that the rest of Team Scorpion's members were working with Homeland. So she would pose as a client, get the file, give them the money and leave. Walter insisted on someone else doing the exchange but Paige reassured him she would be fine. They agreed that he and Cabe would wait in a car nearby, just in case anything happened. And it did. Faster than anyone could react, the mob's leader pulled out his gun and shot Paige twice in the stomach. Walter felt as if time had stopped before he could react.
The hospital doors opened and in came a little boy with tears in his eyes, followed by an equally upset couple. Happy and Toby spotted the rest of the gang and Toby took Ralph's hand and led him there. Walter, not knowing what to say, just stared at the young boy. He tried mustering the words " I'm sorry", but then his eyes started welling up with tears and Ralph wrapped his hands around his neck giving him a big hug. They both needed that hug.
Walter didn't know how much time had passed since she went into surgery. All he knew was that he needed to see her. He needed her to give him that big, beautiful smile, that made his heart beat faster everytime he saw it. He had forbade himself of giving thought to these feelings and letting himself accept them. He had let himself believe that a relationship between the two of them might compromise the integrity of the team, but deep down he knew he was just afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't be enough for her, that he would hurt her and then he would hurt himself. But watching Toby and Happy together made him feel jealous. He wanted to have what they have and he wanted it with Paige. He needed to stor being afraid. Paige couldn't leave until she knew how Walter felt about her.
The doctor came in and asked for Ms Dineen's family. They all stood up. She informed them that Paige was in critical state for a while but she was ok now and she would make a full recovery. Sounds of happiness and relief filled the room. Happy asked if they could see her. "Just for a little while. She is very tired.", the doctor replied.
The only thing Paige felt was numbness. She had no clue where she was or what had happened. All she knew was that she was lying down and she couldn't feel a thing. Then like puzzle pieces, her memories connected. The memory of her handing the case full of money, the man in front of her pulling out his gun, the sound of it firing, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and then hospital lights and a voice telling her everything was going to be alright. Walter. It was his voice reassuring her then and his voice greeting her now. And then she felt it; pain. Sharp pain going through her entire body, leaving her almost breathless.
"Hey it's ok, it's fine, I'm right here.", he tried comforting her with a voice as soothing as possible. "Walter, Ralph", she tried to call for them, but she was in a lot of pain and she was weak. "He's right here.", said Walter, as the boy took his mother's hand. Toby messed with some buttons and bags and said: "There, you will feel much better now." As soon as the morphine started kicking in, Paige felt the numbness again, though this time it was better. The pain went away and she was pleased that she wasn't hurting and that she wasn't alone. She hated being alone, but with Scorpion, her cyclone, she wasn't. She felt safe around them. And even this had happened, she still felt safe. It wasn't their fault and Paige knew it. She would always trust them with her's and her son's life. Homeland on the other hand...not so much.
She looked at Ralph. Her little boy was different than the other kids his age. However, in Team Scorpion, he found his identity, his home. Walter was a big part of that change. He was a father figure to Ralph, as he wasn't so close with his biological father. Yes, Walter played a big role in both of their lives and she was grateful for that. She wouldn't have it any other way. Well, actually, she would.
She thought she had managed to hide away her feelings for the genious , but she realised she couldn't. He made her feel special and she loved that about him. She loved his rare smile, his eyes, the way his brain worked. Even though she didn't understand his thoughts most of the time, she admired his intelligence. If only he realised that it wouldn't be a problem in their relationship. And now she almost died and she would have lost the people she loved most in the world and they would have lost her.
Suddently, Walter's vooice interrupted her train of thought. "How are you feeling?", he asked in concerned tone. "Sore, numb, I don't know. I'm just happy you are here. All of you.", she replied quietly. "You gave us quite a scare!", said Cabe with a smile. "I'm really sorry guys. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to do this. I was just..." "Being yourself? Always trying to help.", Walter interrupted. Paige gave him a sad smile and he returned it. "All that matters now is that you're ok.", said Sylvester, who was still feeling anxious and worried about his friend, even though she wasn't at risk. Paige thanked him and gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "We should leave you to rest. Ralph can sleep at our place.", Happy offered. Her relationship with Toby was strong and the couple had moved in together in an apartment near the garage. Happy figured that Walter would want to stay with Paige, so she decided to let Ralph stay with them for the night. "Really? Thanks guys! For everything. I love you guys. I should have said that sooner...", she replied emotionally. "We love you too", they said.
Ralph hugged his mother and after exchanging goodnights, the team left the hospital. All of them except Walter, who insisted on staying just in case she needed anything. "I'm not going to let you spend the entire night on a hospital chair!", she argued, but he was firm in his decision. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. He was scared that if he left, if he wasn't with her, something bad would happen and he would lose her. So Paige gave up trying to convince him to go home and rest. If she was honest, she didn't mind a little company, especially Walters.
She soon fell asleep and Walter stayed by her side, sat on an uncomfortable chair. Time was passing when suddently a loud noise - like thunder - woke her up. She found Walter looking out of the window, where it was raining heavily. "Hey", she said weakly. "Hey. Did the storm wake you up?" "Yeah", she replied. "Are you feeling any better?", he asked with concern. "Yes, a bit." "Paige, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have never let you do this. I should have been more careful, more causious.", he apologised. "Walter stop it. None of this is your fault. It was my decision, my recklessness, my carelessness." Walter exhaled, letting out a sigh and stared at her, his eyes expressing sadness mixed with regret mixed with fear. "Can I ask you something?", she continued. "Of course.", he replied. "Why are you here? I know you are going to say that you wanted to keep an eye on me, but why?" Deep down, Paige already knew the answer. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?", Walter replied, confused and hesitant. "We both know what I'm talking about. Walter, I almost died today. I need to know. I need you to say what you feel about me. Whatever that is. I just...I have to know, because the next time I may not be so lucky and I'm scared. I am really scared right now. Please Walter.", she explained, tears running from her eyes down her cheeks.
Walter took a deep breath and without even thinking anymore he said: "I love you. I love you, Paige. I feel like my entire life I've been missing something. This feeling that everyone around me seemed to have. I didn't think I could ever have it. I believed that, because of how my brain works, I could never be able to feel this way for someone. But I met you, my world, the world I had build, the walls I had put up, they all fell apart. And a new world was created for me. I found myself experience something I never had before. I started falling in love and it terrified me! So I tried to push it away. But the thought of losing you made even more scared. I don't want to lose you. I love you."
Paige was now fully crying. She never thought she would ever hear him say that, that he would never express how he felt. Walter moved closer to her and kissed her. This kiss was different from their previous one. None of them were nervous or scared. Their previous kiss was full of lust and passion and hidden, compressed feelings. This one was full of love and honesty. It marked the beginning of their relationship. Paige broke out the kiss, smiled and said: "I love you too,Walter."
They fell asleep in eachother's arms that night. Ralph, who found them in the morning, saw them and whispered to himself in relief "It was about time!"