Don't Look Down
A/N – One shot, post "Forget Me Nots"
Disclaimer – I own nothing.
She stared at the trophy in her hands. First place!
She vaguely heard Drew mumble good night, and she gave a half-hearted wave in his direction, careful to not let Ralph's prize slip from her fingers. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips, reading the inscription indicating her son's success. She set it down carefully on the desk, turning towards the rear of the garage as she heard her son's soft exclamation of "cool!"
Moving quietly towards the workstation she knew she'd find Ralph and Walter huddled around, she paused at the corner, taking in the way Walter and Ralph sat, their shoulders brushing. Two peas in a pod, she thought, chuckling silently to herself. She sent up a silent thank you for the millionth time since meeting Walter O'Brien and his brilliant team. Ralph had never demonstrated even a tenth of the social behavior he now exhibited, encouraged to come out of his shell by the man who was animatedly explaining how changing the propellant would generate a stronger thrust in the engine.
"It's amazing how they click, huh?" Toby's soft voice startled her, and she jumped, coming to face the doctor. "Sorry." Paige laughed softly, shaking her head.
"It's okay. Lost in thought. And yes, it is." She smiled at the pair who were oblivious to the attention given them by Paige and Toby. "Sometimes I think of how different my life would be if the internet hadn't gone down that day in the diner and it just… "She trailed off, emotion working its way into her voice. "I'm just blown away how different Ralph is."
"He's not the only one who's different, Paige. Walter has changed… grown. And it is because of Ralph." Toby paused. "And you." Paige glanced up at Toby, unsure of how to respond to his statement. "Don't sell yourself short. As much as you feel you've benefitted from knowing Walter, he's benefitted just as much. Honestly, maybe more." Toby shrugged. "We all have." He squeezed her arm gently. "I hope that you know that… especially with any potential decisions you may make in the near future." He smiled at her, before moving off towards the kitchen. She stared at him for a moment, taking in the information. She sighed, glancing back at Walter and her son. Walter had moved from the bench and was watching her intently, his hand resting gently on Ralph's shoulder as the boy adjusted the clamps on the table. He gave her a hesitant smile, and she smiled at him before heading towards the genius pair.
"We're working on boosting the power of the engine," Walter started, and Paige shook her head reassuringly as she came up next to him, glancing down over Ralph's shoulder to see his progress.
"Take your time. We're in no rush tonight, Walter." He gave her a real smile at her words, straightening a bit as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Look, Mom, how we change the manifold direction," Ralph stated, pointing at a section of the engine. "Walter says this will make it super loud!" Paige chuckled, running her fingers through her son's hair.
"That looks very impressive, Ralph. When you guys are finished, will you show me?" Paige said, and Ralph nodded.
"That might be tomorrow," Walter's voice came from close to her ear. His shoulder was brushing hers. "I'll have to go get some supplies." Paige couldn't help but notice how close Walter had gotten to her; if she leaned back, she'd be resting against his chest. She made no attempt to move, waiting for him to figure this out, but he seemed content with their positions. Interesting, she thought, a smile crossing her lips. "Are you… I mean, I know it is Saturday tomorrow –" His voice had an almost desperate tone in it, and she nodded, ending his hesitant question.
"We can come over tomorrow, sure." His smile made her sure of her decision. She stayed there for a moment, enjoying the interaction between her son and Walter, before deciding she should try to finish up the report for Cabe. She was shocked when Walter's hand landed gently on her hip, keeping her enveloped between Ralph and Walter's own body.
"Stay. We can finish the report later," Walter murmured quietly, nodding towards Ralph. "He wants you to see this."
"Okay," Paige acquiesced, more than a little surprised by Walter's tactile approach. Even more shocking was that he made no attempt to move his hand, and Paige leaned a little into his body to see his response. She could feel him tense, but he didn't move away, and she let herself relax. Paige found herself letting her mind wander, listening to the tonal differences between her son and Walter but not catching the words. Walter had relaxed behind her as he continued to offer Ralph advice on how to modify the small engine clamped to the table. Ralph had smiled up at her after answering one of Walter's questions, and she leaned over, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
When Ralph's work was interrupted by a big yawn, Paige glanced at her watch, shocked at how late it had gotten. "Ralph, I think we should start to head home. It's late, and you should get some sleep so you can come work on this some more tomorrow." Ralph rubbed at his eyes, and Paige could tell her little genius wanted to stay longer. "Besides, we should let Walter get some rest, it was a long day." That seemed to get Ralph's attention, and he glanced up at Walter. They almost seemed to have a silent conversation, Ralph finally nodding.
"Okay. Can I help Walter clean up?" Paige smiled at her son's question.
"Sure. Five minutes, though, okay?" Ralph nodded, grabbing up several of his wrenches and sliding off the bench towards the storage unit for the tools. Paige turned slightly, catching Walter's gaze. His hand, which hadn't left her hip, finally fell away, back to his side. She could tell he was nervous.
"Maybe tomorrow morning we could come over early and make breakfast?" Paige offered, and Walter's countenance seemed to settle.
"That would be… fine. I mean good." He smiled, and Paige smiled back, a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. "I s-should go help Ralph." Paige reached out and gently squeezed his arm.
"I'm going to go get my stuff ready to go. Five minutes, okay?" He nodded, and Paige headed out into the office area. Ralph's trophy caught her attention again. Sitting next to that brochure from Drew. She picked it up, glancing at the panels again. She sighed, hesitating for a moment, but glanced down at the trophy and back into the workspace where Walter and Ralph were sitting together, putting socket wrench heads back in their correct order.
She let the brochure fall into the trash can.