WriterFreak001:

I'm taking a break from my WIPs for a few more days because this idea has been itching me like crazy, and I don't think it's going to go away until I've finished writing it. So please bear with me a little while longer.

This fic will be written in at most 5 parts, and it will all be in Paige's POV.

Title | Worth

Description | Even when she tries to forget him, she can't. He won't let her.

Rating| This fanfiction will be rated M.

Disclaimer | While CBS owns Scorpion, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

Worth

Written by WriterFreak001

Part 1

~ SCORPION ~

"I tried to hate you, to forgive you, all just to forget you, but I'm only capable of loving you. You're tattooed onto my skin, and the more I try to erase you, the deeper you sink in." ― Llarjme, Missing Variables

She didn't know what she was expecting when she slipped into the car with Tim, but she wasn't going to go back. She wouldn't go back. She had given him every chance to stop her, to beg her to stay, to do anything to keep her from leaving Los Angeles, but after he looked into her eyes… after he blatantly encouraged her to leave even though she had wanted him to want her to stay…, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him again.

Walter O'Brien made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing beyond friendship with her.

And if that was what he wanted, that was what he was going to get.

She was done.

And she was that mad, that angry, that upset with him. Because underneath the fake smiles and the quiet responses, she was heartbroken. She wasn't as special to him like she thought she was. She wasn't someone he wanted to be with, and it would seem that any feelings he had had for her a year ago were gone now.

Hell, she wasn't even sure if they were even there to begin with, but she didn't care anymore. That chapter of her life was over, and from now on, she was going to ignore any feelings she had for Walter O'Brien and focus on the man sitting next to her, taking her to Tahoe.

She owed Tim that much, at least.

Her phone suddenly buzzed, and she looked down at the screen cradled within the palms of her hands. Walter O'Brien. Paige frowned and immediately dropped her phone into her purse, not wanting to deal with that man right now.

Anything he had to say to her could wait until she after returned from her trip.

"You're awfully quiet," Tim muttered as he drove off the road and glided his car next to a gas pump. "Way too quiet, if I'm being honest." He turned to look at her and gave her a small smile before reaching for her hand. She absentmindedly moved it, and he flexed his fingers awkwardly before bringing them back to his side. "Is everything all right?"

Paige nodded slowly, ignoring the churning in her stomach. "Yes. Everything's fine. I'm just… beat from the case, you know?"

Tim chuckled softly and popped open the door as he slipped one leg outside of the car. "Today was crazy, wasn't it?"

"A bit," she shrugged as a flickering neon sign caught her attention. Walter's Brewery. She immediately glanced down at her fidgeting fingers and closed her eyes before continuing. "I just hope we made the right decision leaving for Tahoe…. It feels… it feels wrong."

Tim climbed out of the car and leaned against its side as he raised an eyebrow at Paige. "Do you want to go back?"

Paige thought for a moment. Going back would mean seeing Walter again, and she didn't think she was ready to confront him yet. Perhaps giving Toby and Happy some space would be best after all. "No," she slowly shook her head. "Happy clearly wanted to be by herself, and Walter's with Toby. Cabe's in the area too so I think we should be okay going to Tahoe." Paige flashed a quick smile, ignoring the sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. "If they need us for anything, they wouldn't hesitate to call. I'm sure of it."

"Paige," Tim pressed his knees against the car step and gave the Scorpion liaison an understanding smile. "We can go back. I don't mind."

"No!" Paige exclaimed almost way too loudly and too quickly. Tim's eyebrows shot straight up, and Paige pinned her bottom lip between her teeth. Going back now would mean absolute defeat. She needed to see where her budding relationship with Tim was going without Walter's interference, and Tahoe would be the perfect experiment. Paige wasn't going to wait around for Walter to decide whether or not he wanted her. She needed to move on, and the sooner she forgets her feelings, the better. "I mean," she inhaled a deep breath and forced a smile. "We've come so far… I'm sure Happy and Toby don't need us to be their pity committee tonight, and I'm sure the tickets W—" Let's try that again. "I'm sure the tickets we got were very expensive, and if we didn't end up going to Tahoe, the tickets would be wasted."

"Are you sure?"

Paige nodded, reaching over to grab his hand and squeeze it. "Yes," she gave him a small grin, "I'm sure."

A colorful smile stretched across Tim's lips as he turned his hand and latched his fingers onto hers. She inwardly frowned as she stared at their conjoined hands. The way he held her hand… the way it felt… It… It didn't feel right. His palm was calloused in all of the wrong areas. His touch was rough and clammy, and he was squeezing her fingers too tightly, even though she knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. The sensation was just… different… than what she was used to.

And she began to wonder if she had made a mistake after all….

Eventually Tim released her hand and pushed himself outside of the vehicle to finish his almost forgotten task. She heard the fuel door cover pop open and the cap twist off before the pump was pushed inside, and as Tim stayed beside the pump, she turned herself back around and leaned towards the passenger side window, her eyes mindlessly wandering over to the bright blue flickering neon sign off in the distance.

She suddenly felt calm again.

~ SCORPION ~

Paige stirred awake as the breaks squeaked loudly. One reason of several others detailing why she wished she'd had Tim take her Malibu instead of his classic Cadillac. The car was great for short distances and was impressively well taken care of, but after riding inside of it for a number of hours, she really didn't think it was the best vehicle for travel. But Tim insisted his "baby" was a natural so who was she to argue?

"How long was I sleeping?" She stretched her arms in a catlike manner and yawned quietly as Tim parked his car. She looked at the time. 2:14 AM. "Are we here already?"

"Just pulled up," Tim whispered with a slight nod. "You go in check in. I'll grab the bags."

Too tired to argue, Paige unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed out of the Caddy and arched her back until it popped before sauntering towards the hotel. She shivered as the chilly breeze kissed her arms and her face and then shoved her hands into her pockets as she continued towards the entrance, making a mental note to unpack her sweater in the morning in preparation for the nippy lake weather.

Portland is cold… and wet.

Paige's chest ached at the memory of Walter giving her a brief assessment of Portland, Maine after Drew had asked her and Ralph to move up there with him. His words were harsh and cold, icy like the wind blowing around her, but she couldn't help but want to hear them again…. He tried fighting for her to stay last year when she had almost agreed to leave with Ralph's father, but this time… this time he didn't. If he had fought for her, if he had asked her to stay, grabbed her arm and begged her not to leave, she wouldn't have left.

She would have turned around in a heartbeat if he had had the courage to stop her.

But it was too late.

He didn't fight for her so why should she fight for him?

Paige inhaled a deep, shaky breath and exhaled slowly to calm her throbbing heart. She blinked back her tears and sniffed quietly as she reached for the door handle. She tugged with little effort and slipped through the double doors before making her way to the reception's desk.

A woman with deep red hair and bright green eyes looked up from her computer and gave Paige a small smile. "Last name?"

"O'Brien," Paige replied softly as Tim dragged and carried their luggage through the double doors. "The reservations should be under Walter O'Brien."

The receptionist nodded and made a few clicks before rising to her feet. She tucked a few card keys inside a tiny envelope and handed it to Paige. "Your suite is ready for you and your husband, Mrs. O'Brien. No need to worry about payment; it's already been paid in full. Just take the elevator to the twelfth floor, and the entrance will be directly in front. Room 1201. If you need assistance with your luggage, one of our porters will be more than happy to help you."

"That won't be necessary," Paige pinned her bottom lip between her teeth and inwardly flushed from the thought of being mistaken as Mrs. O'Brien. Surely she should have seen it coming, but hearing the name alone – even if it was an honest mistake – did crazy things inside of her.

Mrs. O'Brien.

Mrs. Paige Dineen O'Brien.

Her heart suddenly started to throb again, and she almost laughed at herself.

She was such an idiot.

~ SCORPION ~

"Not that I'm complaining, but…," Tim plopped his luggage bag on top of a chair and zipped it open before looking at her, "why didn't you correct the receptionist when she accidentally called you Mrs. O'Brien?"

"I figured keeping up the pretense would be less confusing. If they weren't aware that we were using the reservation instead of Walter," she purposely left out Linda, "then it would have caused unnecessary problems. Pretending I was Mrs. O'Brien was efficient."

"If you say so," Tim yawned as he tore the sheets off of one bed. "I'll be back," he popped his neck before grabbing his sleepwear, "I'm going to change for bed."

"Okay," Paige nodded as she fished for her silky pajamas. They weren't sexy, in her opinion, but at least they were comfortable, and if she and Tim were going to take their "relationship" to the next level, then they probably won't be on long anyway. "I'll change when you're done."

"Sounds like a plan," Tim chuckled as he gave her a thumb's up before disappearing into the bathroom. And when he came out, she silently slipped inside. She slowly washed her face and brushed her teeth, and then she slithered out of her day clothes before sliding into her soft camisole and slick lavender pants. After flipping her hair out from underneath her straps, she turned on the water again and splashed her hot cheeks, unsure if she was prepared for what could be outside the bathroom door.

There was only one way to find out.

As she pulled on the door handle, Paige half expected to see Tim impatiently waiting for her, but he was decently dressed, resting against the mountain of pillows behind him and reading a sports magazine. Paige also noticed that he had left room for her as well.

When he saw her ease her way into the room, he immediately dropped the magazine and climbed out of the bed, approaching her swiftly. "Wow," he gave her a onceover, "even in simple PJs, you look stunning."

"Thanks," she blushed, curling a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I think."

She folded her arms across her chest when she noticed how he was staring at her, suddenly feeling more exposed than ever. His eyes were glossed over with desire, making her feel slightly more uncomfortable. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. His eyes were darker and fiercer than the gentle and loving eyes she was used to.

She inhaled a deep breath.

She shouldn't be thinking of Walter right now. Walter wasn't here, he wasn't the one who wanted to come to Tahoe with her, and she certainly shouldn't be comparing him to Tim. That wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She should be thinking only about Tim tonight and tomorrow night and the night after that, and if their vacation went well, he should be on her mind every day and night afterwards, but if that was the case, then why couldn't she stop thinking about Walter? Why now? Why here?

Paige suddenly felt Tim's large, calloused hands covering her shoulders, and she immediately searched his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on inside that tactically-trained brain of his. Out of nowhere, he dropped his face down and surprised her with a hard kiss, and she froze. Those lips were foreign and chapped and uncaring. They were rough and desperate and not the lips she wanted to be kissing, and when his arms snaked around her, pulling her closer, red flags shot up everywhere.

This was not something she wanted to do with a man she didn't love.

Without warning, she forcibly pushed Tim away.

"I'm sorry," she bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. "I can't do this right now."

And without a word, she bolted out of the suite, completely and absolutely embarrassed with herself.

~ SCORPION ~

Paige never exited a building so fast. She knew Tim had done nothing wrong, and she shouldn't have raced out of the suite so impulsively, but she didn't really know where else to go. She just couldn't face him, and she couldn't imagine what was currently going through his mind right now. He must be furious with her for leading him on. He must be packing up his bags this instant, preparing to drive the hell out of Tahoe at first light. She wouldn't blame him. He must be confused and embarrassed as well because he was the one who put himself out there… who assumed she was ready for the next phase.

She wanted to like him. She wanted herself to want to enjoy kissing him and enjoy letting him have his wicked way with her, but Tim wasn't Walter. Tim would never be Walter, no matter how sweet he was towards her. He just wasn't that idiot genius buried deep within her heart.

Paige groaned loudly into her hands as she leaned against the cold, white wall of the hotel, needing some time to herself. She could have wandered about the halls and pretended to be on the phone so people wouldn't approach her and ask her if she was lost, but she was too embarrassed to talk to other people, and she didn't want the extra attention.

She half expected Tim to follow her, chase her down and demand for an explanation, but he never did, and she was grateful for it. She didn't even know if she had one, really. She just… It was just… it was just too much too soon.

"I'm such an idiot," she grumbled into her hands, desperately wanting to crawl underneath the biggest rock and hide from the world forever. She was that embarrassed.

"Paige…."

The Scorpion immediately liaison froze. What was he doing here? Slowly, she pulled her hands away from her face and found the very man she had been trying to forget standing in front of her, looking at her like he had just had his breath taken away. His feet were a foot apart, his chest was heaving up and down, and his fingers were flexing as he stared deeply into her eyes.

"W-Walter," she found herself uttering his name, and he took one step closer to her. Her chest felt heavy with pain. Gravely, she asked, "Why are you here?"

"I came here to tell you something," was his first reply as he daringly approached her. Standing only a few inches from her, he looked around and then frowned. "Where's Tim?"

"Why? Came here to drag us away for a case?" Her response was cold and bitter, but she had no right to be kind to him after he had so easily pushed her away towards another man.

"What?" Walter's eyes grew wide before his expression fell as he shook his head. "No."

"Then why do you care?"

"Because I don't want any interruptions," Walter answered swiftly, suddenly grabbing her hands with his and squeezing them gently. She gasped a little, and he leaned closer to her until she could feel his warm breath brushing over her face and neck. Good god, did she miss this.

"I-Interruptions?" She had half a mind to think right now.

Without warning, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an intimate embrace. She grew tense, weary of his actions, wondering what had changed between Los Angeles and Tahoe. She heard him inhale a deep breath as he nuzzled his nose against the crook of her neck, and she exhaled through her nose, her insides liquefying from his intimate touch. He pressed a kiss to her neck and then he cupped her cheeks before pressing his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes as her fingers drifted up to his dark curls. She needed proof he was there, that she wasn't going insane and simply imagining him.

If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.

She could feel him move closer to her, pressing his body against hers and trapping her against the side of the hotel building, and everything felt so natural. Her body burned badly for him, and she didn't want anything to ruin this building moment between them.

"I love you."

Paige's eyes shot open and immediately found Walter's. And when she didn't say anything, he continued.

"I'm such a moron for taking this long to realize my feelings and I know the timing probably sucks, but I need you to know how I feel about you because sending you away with Tim was a mistake. I should be the one here, not him." He dropped his hands to her waist and brought his lips to her ear. "Come back with me."

Paige's heart caught in her throat, and he pulled back just enough to touch his nose to hers as their breaths intermingled within the small space between them.

"Please," he pleaded, his left palm snaking to the small of her back. "Please don't make me go back alone."

"Walter…," Paige could barely speak above a whisper. This was… unexpected. So unexpected. Never did she think she would hear those words come from Walter O'Brien's mouth, and the fact that he had said it so… easily… so naturally… overwhelmed her. She gazed into his eyes, and she could tell he wasn't lying.

This man loved her.

Walter O'Brien. The man she loved will all of her heart was actually in love with her.

Her heart could burst.

"I really do love you," Walter restated as though he could read her thoughts.

She inhaled a breath and licked her lips slowly, and before she knew what was happening, Walter closed the distance between them with a deep kiss, and Paige couldn't find a reason to stop him. And she couldn't stop herself from kissing him back as her fingers clumsily clutched and pulled at his dark curls.

He fluttered his tongue over hers, and she moaned deep into his mouth as she felt his hips push harder against her. She rested his palms over her breasts, and he gave them a gentle squeeze as his thumbs flicked her apparent nipples poking through her camisole. She squeaked as bursts of electricity shot down to her core so he did it again… and again… and again, driving the woman crazy.

And then it struck her.

This man was the same man who had broken her heart not even a day ago. He didn't fight for her when he had the chance, so why should she even give him a chance now? Why should she give him the time of day and let him kiss her and hold her and touch her, when, not even twenty-f0ur hours ago, he didn't want anything romantic to do with her? This wasn't right. She shouldn't be letting him off the hook so easily, and even though everything he was doing with her and to her felt so goddamn good… even though she was insane for not wanting to continue…, he should have to fight harder to earn his way back into her heart.

Paige stopped kissing him, and he backed away immediately. "Is… Is everything okay?"

She shook her head. "No."

"What is it? What's wrong? Was I too forceful?"

Paige shook her head and gazed into his eyes. "I can't do this right now."

"Do what?"

"This!" she waved her hands around, gesturing towards their intimate embrace. She wiggled her way away from him and pushed back her bangs as she straightened her camisole. "I'm sorry, Walter. I can't… I just can't be with you right now."

"I don't understand," Walter frowned and crossed his arms, taking a step away from her. "I thought… Did I assume incorrectly?"

Paige blinked back her tears and shook her head. "No." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly, suddenly remembering how cold it was outside. "I do love you, Walter. I really do," her voice cracked and her heart started to break all over again, "but… with everything that's happened, even though I believe you, I just…," her nose burned, and her eyes started to swell with tears, "I can't trust you right now."

Walter's bottom lip quivered before he threw his hand towards the hotel angrily. "But you can trust him?"

"Don't bring Tim into this," she snapped harshly.

"Tim is already in the middle of this," Walter was quick to respond. "He has been in the middle for weeks now, enchanting you with that voodoo charm of his, and even though you knew I had feelings for you, you couldn't say no to him, could you?!"

Paige smacked Walter hard on the cheek.

"How dare you!" Paige wanted to slap him again but refrained herself as she continued. "If I recall, you also knew I had feelings for you, and I thought we were finally moving somewhere, but then you go off and date other women! So unless you want me to remind you about Linda – the woman you were going to take to this romantic three-day-weekend, you better think twice before you accuse me of hitting things off with Tim!"

Paige started to march back towards the entrance of the hotel, but stopped, trying so hard not to cry in front of Walter. She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut as her tears spilled, but she dared not make a sound.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Paige clenched her fists tightly as a fresh wave of tears dripped from her eyes. "I think you should go, Walter."

"But Paige –"

"Don't bother me again," Paige forced out between silent sobs but as she tried to leave, he grabbed her arm desperately. "Let go!" He didn't. "Dammit, Walter. If you love me like you say you do, then let me go this instant!"

Walter then didn't hesitate and released her arm immediately.

Paige didn't move though.

So that was it. He was willing to give up again upon command and not risk anything to keep her standing there. Paige took a few slow steps and then paused again, whispering loud enough for Walter to hear her, "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have let me leave."

With nothing left to say or do, she disappeared as quickly as she could inside the hotel and sprinted for the elevator. And when she was finally alone, when she absolutely certain Walter did not follow her, she sank to the floor of the lift and cried her eyes out.

~ SCORPION ~

WriterFreak001:

Please let me know what you think so far.

Like I said, this story will be at most five chapters long. Hope you stick with it!