Just a short Missing scene set immediately after the end of Season 4 Episode 3 - 'Grow a Deer, a Female Deer'.
I hope you enjoy it, all comments welcome, thank you kindly.
MAMA DEEREST
"I'll check on the soup." Paige reluctantly untangled her fingers from Walter's, took her other arm from around Ralph's shoulders and rose from her seat.
Toby watched her walk towards the kitchen. He glanced back at Happy and kissed her cheek again before getting to his feet and following Paige. "I'll give you a hand," he said as he joined her in the kitchen.
"Oh, thanks," smiled Paige. "Can you slice the bread? Knife's in the drawer." She pointed as she was fairly sure Toby didn't know where they kept the breadknife.
"Sure," replied Toby and he rummaged amongst the utensils until he found the knife. "So, do you know what you did today?"
"What I did?" asked Paige in surprise. "I didn't do anything compared to what you did. Have you ever done that before?" She dipped a spoon into the pan of soup and sipped the hot liquid.
"Delivered a rare, pre-term fawn by C-section on my knees in the dusty plains of Africa while being shot at by poachers, you mean?" asked Toby with a grin.
Paige chuckled. "Yeah, that," she confirmed, adding a sprinkle of pepper to the pan and stirring it slowly.
"I think that was my first time," he replied, feigning doubt. Then he dipped his head towards her ear. "Do you think anyone else saw my hands shaking?" he whispered with genuine concern.
Paige shook her head. She knew Toby had been scared about performing the surgery, especially in such extreme circumstances. She couldn't help but admire his determination to save the deer and her unborn baby.
There had never been any doubt in Toby's mind that he'd had to do whatever he could to save them both, so he'd covered his fear with a myriad of appalling puns and jokes, much to the disgust of the other members of the team.
"Thanks for the assist," he added as he began to slice the bread.
"Anytime," she replied. Then she stopped stirring and looked at him. "We did something amazing today, didn't we."
"Which brings me back to you," said Toby. "You do realise the significance of what you did today, don't you?"
Paige put the spoon down on the side and shook her head.
"You carried that baby girl in your womb!" exclaimed Toby.
"No, I stuffed her under my shirt," Paige corrected him.
"Oh, right," nodded Toby. "No symbolism there at all then."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," replied Paige with a frown.
Toby looked at her. "Your maternal instincts were overwhelming today. So overwhelming that you yelled at Happy. No one does that and expects to live to tell the tale!" He glanced lovingly over at his wife who was still engrossed in the live video feed with the rest of the team. Then he returned his attention to Paige. "You're broody!" he announced, keeping his voice low.
"I am not!" exclaimed Paige.
"Oh come on," said Toby. "You're in a relationship with a man you clearly love and you want his babies. It's perfectly normal."
"Walter and I have only been together for a few weeks," retorted Paige. "We're not at that stage yet, not even close."
"Yet," repeated Toby.
"I have Ralph," continued Paige. "And Walter loves him like his own son."
"He does," agreed Toby. "But I think you can hear the tick-tock of that body clock."
"You of all people should know that concept is nonsense," retorted Paige. At Toby's surprised look she added, "I read it in a magazine at the dentist."
"It's true that there is no biological reason for women to develop a sudden urge to procreate," admitted Toby. "But you already have those instincts and now you want to mix your genes with some good old O'Brien DNA."
Paige shook her head. "I have enough on my plate babysitting you geniuses, I don't have time for another baby."
"But your baby is growing up," Toby pointed out. "Ralph is developing an interest in girls and I don't mean the kind of pre-pubescent crush he had on Sloan, this time his hormones are all fired up over an older woman!"
"Toby!" Paige looked at him in mild disgust. It was true that she was not at all happy about her son's sudden interest in Patty, but she couldn't see what that had to do with her using her body heat to keep a baby deer alive.
"Your nurturing instincts are desperately seeking a new subject," continued Toby. "I predict the pitter-patter of tiny Dineen-O'Brien feet before you can say Oh-Look-Toby's-Right-Again."
Paige opened her mouth to speak, to deny Toby's prophecy, but she suddenly realised he might be right. A strange feeling washed over her. She glanced across at Walter who was talking to Ralph, using his hands to animate whatever he was saying. She loved them both so much and she couldn't imagine doing anything to disrupt their fledgling family unit, not when things were so new, but she couldn't deny helping Toby bring new life into the world today had fired something inside her.
She had never really considered having another baby before. Raising Ralph alone for the first nine years of his life had not exactly been without its challenges so it just wasn't something which had ever been on her radar. There had been many wonderful, joyous moments too, of course, but it had been challenging nonetheless. Then the last three years had been, well, Paige couldn't really put it into words, even in her own head. Now, for the first time in a long time, she felt happy and fulfilled and yet perhaps there was something else, something missing…
She glanced at Toby and tried desperately to hide just how flustered she'd become, although she knew her efforts would be in vain. "Wipe that grin off your face, Curtis," she hissed.
Toby nodded slowly, but the grin didn't fade. Without saying another word he cut one more slice of bread and then returned to his seat beside Happy with a smug sense of satisfaction at the way the conversation had gone.
"What's with the dumb smirk?" Happy asked as he draped his arm around her shoulders again.
"Nothing, sugarplum" he replied, planting another kiss on her cheek. He glanced back at Paige and noted with glee that she was still flustered. "Nothing at all."
THE END.