Okay so Tumblr and Fanforum discourse last night has led to me writing this – it's an extension of the pilot, when Walter and Ralph are done playing the video game. It's short, but I feel like their good night conversation that night would be, after all, they hardly know each other.
"Okay Ralph," Paige said after the game was shut down and the controllers put away. "It's bedtime. Say good night."
"Good night, Walter," he said.
"Night, kiddo," Walter responded, holding his hand out. Paige was briefly confused, given their conversation earlier, but when Ralph responded by slapping the older man's hand, she realized a high five had been what he was going for all along.
"Night, sweetheart," Paige said, bending to be eye level with him. "I love you. Now go get in bed and I'll be there in a minute, okay?"
The boy nodded as he turned to go.
"I've never lost that game," Walter remarked as Ralph's bedroom door clicked closed.
"So you didn't..." she trailed off, remembering the chess game earlier. "No. You didn't let him win."
"No." His smile was broad. "Your son is incredible. I know you know that..."
"I..." she shook her head, looking in the direction of his room, "I didn't realize how incredible." She looked back at him. "You know just twelve hours ago our lives were..." she trailed off again, taking a deep breath to compose herself.
"This job will be unpredictable," Walter said, "in the sorts of things we'll encounter. But your son...you both will thrive in it."
"Nothing about our lives has ever been predictable," she said, folding her arms. "And that used to be a bad thing. But...but maybe not anymore."
Their conversation continued for a few moments in their smiles, and then Walter moved toward the door. "Well, I'll see you at work, then. Good night."
"Walter?"
He was halfway out the door and leaned back, using the door to hold himself as he looked back at her. "Yeah?"
She cocked her head. "Where is work?"
"Oh. Oh, right, uh..." he stepped back into the apartment, looking around awkwardly. "Do you, uh..."
She recognized his gesticulations and grabbed a pad of paper for him to write down the address. "Thanks," she said. "See you at work, then."
"Yes. Night." He smiled at her once more, then ducked out the door.
After he had gone, Paige stood in the kitchen area another minute, smiling to herself, then walked down the hall to Ralph's room.
He was sitting up in bed, looking thoughtful. "Hey buddy," she said. "That was a fun night, wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Come on," she said, raising her eyebrows, and he scooted under the covers, adjusting his pillow. She sank down on the edge of the bed next to him, tucking him in and then running her fingers through his hair. "Are you excited to see those guys again?"
"Yeah."
There was a smile on his face. Paige loved that smile.