So, I went to Disneyland the week after Thanksgiving (My classes are online, so I can do that kind of thing lol). While I was there, I had a Waige 'what if' moment. So when I got back I started writing this.
NOTE: This takes place sometime in the future, in a universe where Tim takes that job and they are no longer a couple. I thought about having them still together, because it would've created more of an internal dilemma on Paige's part. I actually did write, and still have versions of parts of this story where they are still together. But I really wanted Walter and Paige to be together by the end of the story, and I didn't want to make Paige a cheater. So, here we are. Hope you enjoy!
Ralph ran into the garage, "We're going to Disneyland!"
Walter looked up from his computer and smiled at the boy's obvious excitement, "You are? That's great!"
The door swung open again, an irate Paige struggling through with her purse, a backpack, and a laptop, "Ralph, I told you to grab your school stuff from the car." They were the first ones to arrive that morning: there were no peeping eyes, no listening ears, and no Tobys, so Walter allowed himself a smile at Paige's arrival.
Ralph pressed his lips together in a deflated look before turning to take his stuff from his mom. He then quickly dumped it on her desk, anxious to tell Walter about their upcoming vacation. He froze when he heard his mom's voice again, "Ralph! No, not on my desk. Go put it in the loft."
Walter tried to hide his amusement at the exchange, but failed, earning him a glare from Paige. As she set her purse on her desk and took off her jacket, he got up and walked over to her, "So, Disneyland?"
That earned him that smile he loved. He could see she was excited as well. "Yeah, I was never able to take Ralph before Scorpion, and I've never actually gone myself. I thought it'd be fun." Her demeanor changed to apologetic, "I know I haven't even asked for the time off, and I wasn't going to tell Ralph until I did, but you geniuses have a knack for finding out things you're not supposed to, and-."
She'd started rambling, so he cut her off and chuckled, "It's fine Paige, we can spare you for a day or two, permitting there's no national emergency."
She hesitated before responding, "Well, um, I was actually hoping for three days? I also thought it'd be nice to stay at one of their hotels. They have a spa, and a pool, a nice restaurant, and an arcade I'm sure Ralph would enjoy…" She bit her lip, mentally crossing her fingers.
Walter was momentarily distracted by her lip-biting, but by now he'd had lots of practice not letting it show. So after a small, barely noticeable silence, he smiled, "Of course. You deserve it." He knew he was going to miss her presence for two days. Would it be weird if he called to check with her? He wasn't sure. He knew couples did that, but friends and colleagues? Maybe it would be less weird if he had someone else calling with him. Sly, probably. It wasn't ideal, but better than not talking to her at all.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Ralph called, running down the stairs, "Can Walter come with us?"
"Oh." Both Walter and Paige said at the same time. They stared at each other for a second, then Paige looked back at Ralph, "I-I mean, if he wants to…" She hadn't expected this. The thought never even entered her mind. She had to admit she had been looking forward to some alone time with her son. But Ralph and Walter had always had a special bond, and she had a feeling she'd feel too guilty if she said no.
Seeming to read her thoughts, Walter responded, "No, no this is for you and your mom." In truth, he wanted to go. Not because he actually wanted to go to Disneyland; in fact, the idea of those crowds made him superbly uncomfortable, and he was never one to particularly enjoy rides or shows, and definitely not parades. No, he wanted to go for the time he could spend with Paige and Ralph.
When Paige and Tim had broken up two months ago, he'd been ecstatic. He would no longer have to watch her develop a romantic relationship with another man, letting her slip away as she grew more committed to someone else. He wouldn't have to watch her leave with Tim and Ralph for a family dinner, desperately wishing she would just turn around and stay with him, and they could talk and laugh and have the old them back… He never said any of that to Paige, but he suspected she knew. But even with Tim gone, there was still the obstacle of himself. He still had a lot of room for growth, and he didn't deserve her yet.
Even so… It'd been about eight months since Ralph said he should've taken Paige dancing, but those words still haunted him. It had made him long not only for Paige, but also to be Ralph's dad. Officially. He knew that he was getting way ahead of himself, even if he and Paige were together. But now the idea of going to Disneyland, the three of them… As a family. Even if it wasn't quite the kind of family he longed for, even if he couldn't hold Paige's hand as they walk through the park, or hug her for warmth while watching fireworks, or kiss her goodnight… He still liked the idea of them having fun together. He and Paige had gained some of their closeness back after Tim left, but they never fully recovered, mainly because Walter always maintained distance, so he didn't accidentally get too close too soon, before he was ready for a relationship with her.
And it was for that reason he said no. He was afraid that if he went, if he felt the old them coming back, he wouldn't be able to maintain the distance anymore. He couldn't take Paige dancing. Maybe someday he would, but not today. Not until he was 'fully baked.'
And that's when Ralph hit him with the one thing he would never have expected, "But we're partners, remember?"
Walter's gaze snapped to Ralph's. The boy was giving him a meaningful look, and Walter's eyes conveyed some strange mix of a glare and affection.
Paige wasn't sure what was transpiring between the two geniuses, but she'd long learned there were many things they shared that she would never understand. So she simply waited as Walter opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure what to say.
Finally he spoke, "Ralph, I, um… I don't know…" He should say no. But that look Ralph was giving him… he could never say no when he gave him that look. Man, that boy really had him wrapped around his finger.
"But I do know," Ralph responded, and continued looking up at Walter. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew why Walter didn't want to go. He was pretty sure everyone thought he was relatively clueless about what was happening between his mom and Walter. They certainly tried to hide it from him, because being a genius doesn't mean you're not still a kid. But he'd learned a thing or two from Toby, and he could see enough to figure out the gist of what was going on in both their heads. It was honestly agonizing to watch. He had tried telling his mom what Walter was thinking, but he didn't think she believed him. That's one of the sucky things about being a kid: no one takes your opinions on adult matters seriously, even if you're a genius.
He'd been trying to formulate a plan to get them together for some time now, but this Disneyland trip presented the perfect opportunity. What better way to get them together than at the Happiest Place on Earth?
Eventually Walter sighed and his shoulders sagged, caving. He looked back and forth between Paige and Ralph, uncertain. "I mean, if your mom doesn't mind…"
She did mind. Not because she didn't like Walter, of course, but… When Tim left, she'd almost expected Walter to jump at the opportunity. She wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't even wait an appropriate amount of time after Tim, in his usual abrasive, cumbersome… Walter way. But he didn't. And when he didn't, she knew she shouldn't place all the expectation on him. If she didn't act, how could she fault him for not acting? But at the same time, he was showing no hints of feelings for her. Like, none. The longer she knew him, the better she got at reading him, and she'd been able to pick up signs of his attraction to her, even jealousy when she was with Tim. But now? There was absolutely nothing, and she could never get up the courage to come right out and ask him, convincing herself that the odds were he'd reject her. She wasn't sure she could handle that.
And the longer this went on, the more she believed that the things he said up in space nearly a year ago… that those thoughts always existed purely in his subconscious, and perhaps they were completely gone now. And she wasn't sure she could have a fun time whilst wondering if the man next to her, the man she loved, loved her back.
But, again, she couldn't say no, especially when it was purely for selfish reasons. She'd endured worse things for Ralph, so she could do this. Taking a deep breath, she replied with a smile, "I don't mind."
Walter wasn't sure if he was disappointed or delighted by her answer. He gave a forced smile, "Okay, looks like I'm going to Disneyland."
And Ralph grinned widely, the only genuine smile in the room, relishing the obvious tension and looking forward to them being a real family, finally.
So, that's the first chapter, hope you liked it! That scene with Ralph telling Walter they could've been partners forever just broke my heart, and I feel like the show hasn't explored Ralph's feelings on this whole mess enough. So future chapters will contain more of Ralph's scheming.