SCORPION - MISSED OUR CHANCE - One Shot
Okay so I know that I currently have a Waige story to finish but the more I think about last episode, the more I feel like writing angsty things (and I know I'm not the only one, the best thing about this last episode is all the good stories you guys wrote in here). So I came up with this and I have to warn you, this is probably not going to heal the Waige wound. I just think that this romantic plot should be over by now, either by getting them together, either by deciding to stop it all. Enjoy it anyway, and leave me feedbacks :)
When Paige asked were was Walter, something she asked on a daily base, if not twice a day, she didn't expected Toby to lie to her so obviously, even less to eventually reveal her that...
"Okay Paige he is on a date."
"On a ... What ? With who? Since when is Walter dating?"
« I'm sorry. He didn't want you to know. Frankly I didn't want you to know either. But you're kind of scary when you want to know the truth. Maybe you should spend less time with Happy, women are too scary around here, you're supposed to be..."
"Cut the crap Toby, and answer my question will you?"
« See, you're doing it right now! »
Paige shot Toby a glare that immediately made him start to talk about what she wanted to know.
"I don't know much more than you, he just told me that he started seeing someone when he... When he understood that it wasn't his right place to question your personal life. And that he was seeing her tonight. But he didn't even want to tell me her name."
Paige felt he was still lying to her about some things and that he knew more than what he said but she didn't have the strength to argue. She should be relieved that Walter finally decided to stop interfering with her relationship with Tim, which was still on track despite his new job. She should be happy that he moved on and found someone too. So why did she felt so betrayed? She couldn't think of anything but the pain she felt at Toby's words. She had no right to feel this way considering she was the one who decided to have this lasting relationship with another man that Walter, so why couldn't she help it?
"Okay then I guess I'll see him tomorrow." She said with the most neutral voice she could take right now.
"Paige are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine thanks. »
The lie was obvious. Even her could hear that her tone sounded fake. And she cursed herself for not knowing how to hide her emotions better because she knew the behaviorist wouldn't drop it.
"Are you really okay?" Toby insisted. "I could understand if you weren't you know. Walter dating someone else than you must be quiet a shock."
Of course she wanted to tell him that she was sad and that she even wanted to be angry about it but that would make her the most selfish woman on earth right?
"I don't see why I should be upset with Walter's private life. I'm with Tim now, he can date whoever the hell he wants, I'm perfectly okay with this. »
« Okay… Just… Be careful please. »
« About what? »
« Talking to him about this. He is finally moving on, trying his shot to happiness. Don't destroy it all. »
« I didn't intend to… » talk to him about this she wanted to say. But who was she kidding? Of course she was going to talk to him about this. She knew herself, if she tried to avoid the subject, things between Walter and her would be even more awkward than they already were and she would blurt an allusion out of nowhere and they would have to talk about it in the end. « Okay Toby, I'll be careful. »
He nodded to her and went back to whatever he was doing before. As for Paige, she left the garage to go pick Ralph at the sitter's and went straight home after this. She had troubles sleeping this night, picturing Walter with another woman than her, and wanting to kick herself for being jealous when she was with another man. At this moment, she understood what Walter felt after Tahoe, and she thought she shouldn't have been this angry at him for trying to sabotage their relationship because it was exactly what she wanted to do now. Except she wouldn't actually do it because she was always preaching for an honest talk rather than actions with hidden attentions, and that was what she intended to have with Walter. A good honest talk which would fix everything.
The next morning, when Paige arrived to the garage, she was surprised to ran across a pretty brunette, who was just about to get out.
Hi, can I help you? »
« Oh hi! You must be Paige. No thanks I was just leaving. »
« Okay… and you are? »
« Oh yeah I forgot, I'm Iris. Very nice to meet you. »
And she left without saying more. She really was pretty, Paige thought. And she seemed confident and smart. But they only exchanged a few words so Paige couldn't judge if she liked her yet. Besides, if she was the one Walter saw, her judgment might be a little biased. She wondered how she knew her name. Does Walter really talk about her to his new girlfriend? But after all she decided it wasn't so strange since there isn't a day with Tim where Walter didn't came up in the conversation. Maybe he just told her about his job and his team. But to be certain, she had to go talk to him. She came early to the garage on purpose so the rest of the team wasn't here yet. She quickly went upstairs and knocked on Walter's door.
« Iris? Did you forgot something? » he said before opening. Then he saw Paige and was first surprised but he rapidly got himself together.
« Oh hi Paige. What are you doing here so early? »
« I… Can I come in? I think we need to talk. »
« Sure, come in. »
Walter seemed different, she thought. He was more confident and he wasn't acting weirdly, or didn't seem embarrassed, like he usually does when he is around her. It should have been a good thing but she was a bit worried about what this meant.
« So, what do you want to talk about? »
« I just… Well first you and I both noticed that relations between us are not at their best since Tim left. And I don't want things to be like that anymore. I miss you Walter. »
« Yeah I thought about that too. I miss you too and I've made a huge work on myself you know. I really want thing to be back to what they were between us before all this happened. »
Did he meant that he wanted them to be friends like they used to be or did he meant that he wanted them to … start flirting with each other again? None of this made sense to Paige.
« So if we're both cool with this, let's forget all these fights over nothing and go downstairs take a breakfast okay? »
How could she be cool with this? These fights over nothing he said? How could he consider their feelings to be nothing?
« Unless you have something else to tell me? »
« Uh no… let's go… take breakfast. »
God when did they reversed the roles like this? Since when was he the one doing all the talk and she was the one paralyzed, not daring to express her feelings? She had something else to tell.
« Wait actually Walter, I do have something else I want to ask you. »
« Yeah I'm listening? »
« Who… who is Iris? »
« Oh. You met her I presume? » Paige nodded. « Well after Christmas I wasn't doing okay at all so I went to see Toby for some therapy or anything that could help me. He told me that if I really wanted help, I should go to someone who isn't my friend and knows nothing about me because he wouldn't be perfectly objective. So he addressed me to Iris, she's a psychiatrist. »
Some hope was growing back into Paige. She felt sad that Walter wasn't well to the point that he needed to see someone, and angry that she couldn't see it herself. But if this woman was just one of Toby's colleague, and her relation with Walter was strictly professional maybe their talk could take another turn. But…
« And do you often have sessions with your therapist this early in the morning? »
« Well she's not my therapist anymore. You see she… she is really smart. She isn't a genius but she know a lot about us and we get along well. So after one of our meeting I… I asked her out and she said yes. We met a few times after this and… I don't know Paige she just seems to understand me so well… I guess she was there for me when I thought no-one was and now… Well this is still all new for me and I feel awkward saying this but I think we can say that we are together now. »
Paige felt crushed on the inside, like every single words Walter pronounced was ripping all of her organs one by one like a knife, and that her heart was slowly bleeding out. Walter must have noticed she wasn't feeling well because he brought her a chair and made her sit down.
« Paige are you okay? »
« Yeah I just… Who am I kidding, no I'm not. Please don't do this. Don't give up on us Walter. »
Walter's expression came from interrogative to angry and Paige has to say she was a little scared by this look he had in his eyes. She never saw him like this before.
« How can you say this now? Do you enjoy watching me suffer? »
« No no I don't want you to ever think that. I just… when I said that I don't want things to be like this anymore I meant that I … I think I want to be with you Walter. I want us to try. »
« It isn't fair of you to decide that you want to be with me when I finally move on with someone else. This isn't how it works. You made it very clear to me when you started dating Tim. And I'm sorry but she makes me happy. She accepted me as I am and was very patient with me, even when all I could talk to her about at first was you. I'm not going to leave her. Can't you just be happy for me?»
Paige didn't bother holding back her tears. Not that she wanted him to pity her, but she just knew he was right, she never thought about a future where he stopped fighting for her, but there it was, and she had no right no want things to be another way.
« I'm sorry Walter. I just assumed… »
« What did you assumed? That I would watch you have your nice little relationship with Tim, that I would let this hurt me every single day until you finally decide that you're tired of your shiny boy toy and that you want me after all ? Who do you think you are to expect me to wait for you my whole life ? »
Paige didn't know why but at this moment, she thought about her mother. She would be so disappointed. She liked Walter so much and made it pretty clear she wanted the two of them together. But for once, she didn't ruin everything. Paige had no troubles doing this on her own. She thought about her little boy too. It would be so hard on him to see the one he considered as his father with another woman than his mother. He would never understand. Like he was reading his mind, Walter said :
« Don't worry about Ralph. I'll always consider him as my son and I'll always have time for him. » he paused before adding : « I'll always have time for you too you know. »
Paige raised her head to risk looking at him. He didn't seem angry anymore, he had a gentle look, with a shade of sadness. Paige blamed herself for being so busy with her relationship with Tim that she didn't noticed how changed was Walter. He seemed to be in control of his emotions now, he was less afraid of talking honestly and he was actually the one comforting her right now. Maybe this woman was really good for him. Better than she was. Walter knelt in front of her and took her hands.
"We missed our chance at being happy together. And I'm so sorry we did. But you'll always be my best friend. »
Of course I know things won't go this way and Walter and Paige will have their happy ending but still, I think something like this would bother me less than the last episode. Have a lovely christmas!