First of all, I wanted to thank all the people that followed me and liked my stories during this months, your support was a wonderful and incredible surprise, and I'm extremely grateful to all of you! I finally had a little inspiration during these last weeks after all the good stuff the writers had given us on Quintis; and the interviews given by Eddie and Jadyn about the characters' development so… there you go! Enjoy! Please remember that English is not my first language and tell me if you find any mistakes! Any review will be very much appreciated!
Toby stormed into the garage at 9 am that morning. With not even a hint of greeting to Walt, Paige, or Sly, he walked straight to Happy's station; looking enraged and exhausted, liked he had not slept a wink.
"Really, Quinn? A text? What the hell is going on?" said Toby angrily at Happy holding his phone in his hand, on the screen a simple sentence: We're done. I'm sorry.
She purposely avoided his gaze. She couldn't face him. All her will power to be firm and determined in her decision will immediately disappear if she would, even for a moment, intercept his glaring eyes.
"You saw the text, Doc. I have nothing else to say." She tried to keep her tone resolute, but it did not sound like her voice at all.
"I waited all night for you, I made dinner for us, I tried to call you a thousand times but your phone was off, I was almost going to come over to your house, and then the stupid text… will you please tell me what's wrong?" Happy could hear – well, everybody could, considering the volume of his voce – a hint of panic in his voice, and it was really hard to keep concentrating on the screws she was tighten. "Did I do something? Did I say something? I thought we were very good, considering the past few weeks…"
Happy interrupted him: "Look, Doc, it's not you, it's me." She wanted to laugh out loud after saying that stupid sentence, and it would have been a really bitter and sad laugh.
"What? You're using the lamest excuse in the world to break up with me? You know I deserve better than this, Quinn." His volume was a little lower now, but she knew the others could still hear them. Then it became a little more than a whisper, meant only for her ears: "Please, Happy, talk to me. Tell me what is going on."
Toby put his hand over hers, and now Happy was really on the verge of lifting her head and tell him everything. But she didn't. Retracting her hand, Happy used again that weird stern voice: "Go away. Now."
"Fine", answered Toby. She could hear nothing but suffering and disappointment in his voice, and she knew it was all her fault. While Toby turned his back on her and left her station, Happy thought she might start working on something that wasn't metal. Tears did not mix well with iron.
-.-
He couldn't breathe. Right now Toby knew that he couldn't face Walt's perplexed gaze, or Paige worried face, or the panic he was going to find in Sly's eyes. He had to leave now. "Hey, Cabe, you want to go to the gym a little earlier today?" Even someone with a low EQ as Walt would be able to hear how fake that cheery tone he was using sounded.
Cabe looked at Paige first, than at Walter. Both gave him a small sign of approval. It was a quiet morning so far, no big case in sight, so he agreed to anticipate the plans they had for that evening after work.
"Sure, Doc, let's go. Call me if you need us" said the handler to the others, and followed Toby outside the garage. Toby grabbed his gym bag from his car and entered Cabe's SUV.
No one talked during the drive between the garage and the gym.
After an hour of uninterrupted punches to a poor punching bag, Cabe thought it was time to take a little break. "Come on Doc, take some rest. You won't resist long keeping this rhythm without drinking a bit." Toby took off his gloves and grabbed the bottle Cabe was handing out to him.
"You know, Doc, I'm proud of you – said the handler while Toby was drinking – you could have gone to the races and waste away your whole paycheck in an hour, but instead you choose to come here with me. I understand how you must feel right now, and I wanted you to know that even if she cannot realize how far you've come yet, well, I do. Good job, son." Then they heard a buzz, it was Cabe's phone. "Gallo. Yes, ma'am, he's with me at the moment. Yes, will be there in 20."
"Doc – started Cabe when he closed the call – the office has a profiling job for you, we have to go."
Analyzing criminals was the last thing Toby wanted to do that awful day, an eloquent frustrated expression on his face.
"Don't worry, Doc, I got your back", said Cabe, trying to reassure him. As they moved to the showers, Toby felt relieved that at least he could try to concentrate on something else other than Happy.
He patted his back, and Toby emitted his first sentence since they left the garage: "Thank you, Cabe."
-.-
Meanwhile, a worried Paige went into Happy's station. "Hey, Happy, Cabe just texted. He and Toby will be busy at Homeland all day, a profiling job."
"And you came to tell this because?" she didn't try to hide her anger and frustration. Why can't they just leave her alone?
"Well, I thought you should now they are not going to came back soon, so you are free to explain me what happened here before", said Paige tentatively. She was risking a lot on asking Happy to share her feelings out of the blue; but Paige couldn't just stand there and just watching them suffering, especially after she'd seen them so joyous and smitten lately, both holding hands and smiling around.
Paige was glad they finally were able to overcome their difficulties and get together, she really hoped their relationship would convince Walter that office romance wasn't so bad, but after that morning she was starting to agree with him.
Realizing that Happy wasn't going to open up on her own, Paige gave it a start, hoping that she wouldn't punch her. "You're scared to tell him you love him, aren't you?" asked Paige, in her most confident tone.
Happy lifted her face from her work and looked into another person's eyes for the first time that morning.
Of course she knew. Paige and the Doc were the only people who were able to understand this feelings stuff.
Well, that's it – thought Happy – I might as well spill the beans and be done with this entire thing.
"Look, Paige – started Happy – you know me, I'm so freaking scared of getting attached to anyone. With Toby, I thought it might be different, because, you know… it's us. We get on each other's nerves but we understand each other better than anyone else." Happy realized in that moment that it was the first time she was opening up with Page. Usually her father, Toby, or sometimes Walter have been the recipients of her rare moments of disclosure. Paige did that too: she had the ability to get Happy to confide in her, to be there for her when she needed it. Happy kept going "But if I tell him and then after a while we end it… it's going to be much worse, and not just for Toby. For everybody."
Paige let her finish, listening carefully, without interrupting. When she realized Happy was done, Paige started giving her an answer, even if she wasn't sure Happy wanted to hear it.
"You know, Happy, for starters you are going to regret it and you know it. And having regrets it's horrible, we both know that. Do you really want to have another one, one you could actually make disappear if you just try to overcome your fear?" Happy looked at her, unable to give Paige an answer. Since Happy had not made any remark yet, Paige thought she might continue her speech. "And secondly, you and I are perfectly aware that Toby demonstrated his feelings for you in many occasions; he came even close to say it that time in the woods, during the fire, remember?" And it wasn't the only time, Happy thought. Toby may be self-destructive, but he always was adamant on what he felt about her. Since Happy was apparently very interested, Paige kept talking: "You're denying yourself happiness because you are scared of suffering; but look at you, you're already in pain. And Toby is too. You're still scared of the words? Think of the facts."
Many images run through Happy's mind: high fives, smiles, kisses, hugs, fireworks, flames, smoke, snow… She and Toby always faced adversities together, and Happy wanted to face her fears with him, once again, because their love deserved that chance.
"Thank you, Paige", said Happy, leaving Paige a bit surprised.
-.-
Toby didn't want to go inside the garage when Cabe drove him back. He didn't want to talk with the others, and if Happy wanted her space, he was going to leave her alone, hoping that soon she would change her mind and explain her sudden change of heart.
But when they arrived Paige was waiting for him near his car. "What Paige, are you stalking me now?" asked an irritated Toby, not without noticing the subtle nod she gave in Cabe's direction. "Toby, come with me, please." Paige's tone and expression were firm, and Toby realized how Ralph must have felt when he was in trouble. Not that the behaviorist was surprised: he was expecting some kind of scold for the way he behaved in the morning; but he was expecting it from Walter, not from Paige.
Toby patiently followed Paige up on the roof, carefully noticing that Happy, Walt, and Sly were not in the building. He was about to ask where they went; but then Paige opened the door and he saw Happy, surrounded by candlelights. "What is going on here?" asked an astonished Toby. He barely heard Paige closing the door behind him; all his senses were concentrated on Happy, standing a few feet in front of him.
"Look, Doc, I'm sorry for the way I acted last night - and this morning, too. You know I'm not good with expressing my feelings, and I thought that say it out loud would mean that something was going to change, and not for the better. But it doesn't mean I don't feel it."
Happy took a few steps in his direction, and in a few moments, she was on his side. He felt her hand, carefully looking for his. As their fingers intertwined, he moved his gaze from Happy's face to the lights that were coming from the floor.
I love you.