"Do you think Paige knows of Walter's feelings for her?" Happy asks Toby as they step into the kitchen. They were both coincidentally grabbing dinner at the same time.
"What makes you suddenly ask that question?" Toby asks back as he puts his food on a microwavable plate.
"Paige was asking for time off to go see Ralph and Drew in Maine. You should have seen Walt's face." Happy answers as she put her food in the microwave.
"I thought it was very sweet of Ralph to want to spend half the summer with his dad when he could be spending the whole summer with us, specifically with Walter working on the rocket. Paige wanting a week off to spend time with Ralph considering she's probably never been more than a few days apart is expected." Toby states.
"Ralph spending almost two month with Drew without Paige will be hard on everyone." Happy agrees as she recalls how Paige had been reticent about Drew's extravagant request. Happy wasn't a great student of human behavior but it seemed to her that once Ralph was secure in the knowledge that he didn't have to leave Scorpion, Ralph was able to fulfill his father's request to stay half the summer with him. "Doc, you still didn't answer my question about Paige and Walt." Happy presses.
"Oh I think Paige doesn't know about Walter's feelings for her." Toby says as he sits down and gestures Happy to take the seat opposite him. "And, I don't think she knows or if she does know, acknowledges the full extent of her feelings for Walter either." Toby finishes.
"Hmm." Happy shrugs in response as she continued eating.
"You're not going to ask me why Paige doesn't know or acknowledge her feelings for Walter or maybe why she's blind to his feelings for her when we all know he does have feelings for her?" Toby asks, waving a fork in the air.
"It's her business. Besides, why bother asking when you're going to tell me what you think anyway." Happy replies with a raised eyebrow.
"How astute of you Miz' Quinn, I am going to tell you anyway." Toby says with a grin. Happy rolls her eyes at Toby's relentless need to talk about everything. Even so, she waves her hand, gesturing for him to get it all out.
"Paige is a single mom and any responsible single mom most important thing is her child. A child is impressible. Parents tend to feel protective and don't want their children to get hurt. Hence, most single moms are very wary of dating or even introducing adults to their child, especially male adults due to the fear of their child's natural desire to fill a paternal vacuum. I'm going to guess Paige hasn't been on a date since Drew left and hasn't thought of going on one still Ralph is at least a teenager. This was probably especially so since she thought Ralph was disabled rather enabled. So Paige for the last seven years has gotten into the habit of not thinking about romance or sexual desires. Hence even when those feelings start to develop, she is unable to recognise them for what they are and dismisses them." Toby started. He paused to take a breath. Happy was already more than halfway through her food.
"Why do I feel you're just getting warming up" Happy remarks. Happy had become accustomed to Toby's speeches.
"A large driver behind Paige decision to work with us was because of Ralph, she knew that as a community, we would be good for Ralph. However, everybody knows that Ralph and Walter have a special connection and maybe Paige just didn't know how special till the case at the biogas lab. On picture day, Ralph consciously dressed as Walter, a clear indication that even Ralph acknowledges he looks up to Walter above all of us. If I didn't love both Walter and Ralph so much, Ralph's decision to be like Walter would sting so much." Toby continued without missing a beat.
"Do many boys want to be gambling addicts?" Happy asks.
"Sure Happy, take cheap shots at me." Toby says lightly, shaking off any judgement from Happy earlier statement.
"Would you rather me have said broke psychiatrist?" Happy counters.
"I guess that would have been better." Toby concedes as he looks understandingly at Happy. He knew that Happy's constant need to point out his flaws was her way of protecting herself from him.
"My point to that digression about Ralph is to point out that the additional knowledge that Walter is important to Ralph means that Paige is even more determined to ensure that this triangular dynamic between Ralph, Walter and herself focusses on benefitting Ralph more than anyone else. Identifying she has romantic feelings for any guy would have been hard for Paige, but throw in Ralph and Walter's relationship; it's near impossible." Toby concluded. Happy was almost done eating and Toby had barely touched his food. "Anyway, why do you care if Paige knows about Walter's feelings for her?" Toby asks as he takes a bite of food.
"Because if Walter acts on it, we will lose Paige and Ralph. Not good." Happy replies.
"What makes you think it's definitely going to fail and we will lose them?" Toby asks.
"Because Walt sucks at relationship. He's never been in one that lasted more than six months. Women leave him all the time. Paige will leave us. If he acts we have to be prepared" Happy answers.
"Why do you always have to be so pessimistic. You're going to tell Walter not to act on those feelings aren't you" Toby sighs.
"If he ask. Walt wants Paige around for Scorpion."Happy says simply.
"Well I don't think they will fail. I already told Walter he should tell Paige about his feelings for her." Toby counters.
"Of course you would, you never think of the larger picture." Happy shoots back.
"Me telling him to take that risk and ask Paige out is because I am thinking of the larger picture. Drew will steal Paige away if she doesn't believe there is more for her here than just a job." Toby responds.
"Paige decided to stay after the car crash without the knowledge of Walter's feelings for her. Your point is moot." Happy argues.
"Paige decided to stay because on some subconscious level, that near death experience tapped on her feelings for Walter. Paige isn't like the girls Walter has been with before. They really have a shot of working if they gave it a chance." Toby says as he finished his food.
"Paige is different from the rest but Walter on emotional stuff just sucks that much. " Happy points out.
"Part of the reason why the rest didn't work was because they were too different from Walter. It's not the case for them."Toby starts. "They have an incredibly similar value system. And even if they do it for different things, both of them love fixing problem and show creativity when they do it. Paige's sweetness complements Walter's harsh exterior and speaks to Walter's really gooey inner core. Paige's intellectual curiosity and emotional points of view will give them topics to discuss for a long time. Happy, Paige has the best shot of making it work with Walter than anyone I know." Toby says to Happy's pensive expression.
"Successful couples should be a both similar and different. Think about how both of us have a strong desire to protect even if we do it differently. You think that Walter and Paige not acting on their feelings will be the best way to preserve Scorpion. I think that them acting on those feelings will achieve the same result. We want the same things Happy and maybe our different points of views working together will be how we can get the best results." Toby continues cautiously as he observes Happy's changing features.
"You love to bring up the idea of us at the most inappropriate moments." Happy says harshly.
"Maybe I do that to remind you that I still think about us and believe we can still work. Happy, I could be the perfect match to your wit and a perfect foil to your disposition. You know our similarities is what enables me to understand you better than anyone." Toby says quietly.
Happy thinks about how being abandoned by their parents at a young age meant they were both street fighters with tenacious spirits. Both of them had a way with machines; Happy with mechanical ones while Toby with biological ones. She knew that they had different strengths and different ways but that he was right, they did always want the same things.
"Happy, I'll be here, whenever you're ready." Toby says resolutely as he looks into Happy's uncertain eyes.
"I know." Happy replies.
