I don't own Scorpion or any of the CBS affiliates
Again I like to thank everyone for all of the great reviews and the encouragement to continue. Thank you .
Note: I'm just going to put this out there, first and foremost, I am not trying to disrespect any branch of the military. I hold all who serves any branch of the military in the highest of honors and a big THANK YOU for your service to our country. The reason I am putting this out there is because I was trying to portray an angry Paige and I could not think of any other word(s) to use the describe a Navy Seal who is under someone else's command. If there is an alternative word please let me know and I will be more than happy to edit that section providing it is appropriate. You will know it when you read it. Also, Tissue Alert. Hope you enjoy Chapter 4.
Chapter 4: Coming to Terms
While Ralph, Veronica and Drew were upstairs gathering up Bueller and his things, the team was gathered around the table beginning to discuss on where to begin their search for Walter.
"Before we start wasting our time on looking for Walter, why don't you guys just wait for him to return. He did say he was coming back and to use Walter's famous words, 'He only states facts,' right? So, lets wait until he returns on his own. He has probably went off somewhere to throw a tantrum or something because he can't seem to get what he wants."
Everyone looked at Tim with a wide-eyed look like they just couldn't believe what Tim had just said.
"Look, we all know you don't know Walter like the rest of us but like it or not, we really need to locate him. We also know you two have issues because you don't like knowing the fact that Walter is in love with Paige. The entire team heard him say it over the coms remember, "the reason I came to Tahoe is to tell you I LOVE YOU." You and I both know that fact did not sit well with you because you came back over the com with a rather backhanded threat regarding a little talk you wanted to have with Walter over that revelation. Now, what you don't realize is Walter is on an EQ overload and he can act rather reckless and could be in a rather precarious situation at this time. That is the reason we need to find Walter if anything just to make sure he is ok." explained Toby.
"Fine, well, if I'm not needed then I'm gone because Walter already stated he was coming back and from the sound of the note he was of a clear mind. I am only hear until after the beginning of the year and I'm not going to waste it looking for Walter." without turning to look at Paige, "Lets go Paige. We are leaving, your mother can take your ex back to the apartment and Ralph can choose either to come with us or go home with them either way it doesn't matter to me but we are leaving to spend the rest of this holiday together like we talk about last night." said an agitated Tim, with that he stormed out of the garage.
Paige was already under some emotional stress from reading Walter's note. Now, she has Tim ordering her around. Paige told everyone at the table that she will be back and to tell Ralph to wait inside until she comes back in. With an Ok, the team watched with astonishment as Paige walked out of the garage following Tim.
Walking outside, Tim had already unlocked the car doors and opened the door for her. Paige stopped short of the car and looked angrily at Tim. Turning around and looking back at Paige,
Tim asked, "What's wrong with you? What have I done to you to be mad at me for? I'm not the one who ran away to throw a tantrum somewhere."
"What am I mad at you over?" Where do I start Tim?" Paige practically yelled at him. "Lets see, um, lets start with the fact that you knew the real reason why Walter came to Tahoe, you knew Walter was in love with me and you kept it a secret all of this time. Not only did Walter state that little tidbit of information in my note but he also stated the fact that you threatened him if he ever told me. What was that about? Huh, what were you doing regressing back to your days of being a bully. Is that the role model you going to portray to Ralph? Well, that is never going to happen.
Now, on to the other problem that came out of no where. I'm going to make this plain and clear and straight to the point Mr. Timothy Armstrong. "YOU DO NOT EVER ORDER ME AROUND AGAIN. You got that. I am not one of your little Navy peons that you can order about on a whim or because you want too. Now with that being said if you don't want to help find Walter that's your choice. You've already made last night officially your last day anyway. Go spend the last few days with your family since you will be gone for eight months. If what I said isn't clear enough, I'll make it very clear for you. Whether you like it or not I nor Ralph are not leaving with you. We are staying right here and help locate Walter. One more thing, if I had to be perfectly honest with myself, I just can't bring myself to love you. My heart just won't let me. You asked me in Tahoe if there was anything holding me back in LA. I said no because I felt I would never win Walter's heart and I was trying to move on but I have been doing nothing but struggling the whole time. As hard as I tried to moved forward with you the more difficult it became to be with you because as hard as I tried to deny it I can't anymore and I'm not going too. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that I have been in love with Walter for over two and half years now and I've never looked him in the eye and told him that and maybe I need too. Whether it helps patch things up, I don't know but I owe it to Ralph to try. Goodbye Tim."
Paige turned around to head back inside the garage when Tim called back to her and stopped her in her tracks.
"I'm sorry Paige but, can we talk about this. Maybe later after we both calm down. I don't want this relationship to end. You know I get you better than Walter ever could. We are alike you and me and I really want us to work. So, please, can we meet somewhere to talk say around 7:00 tonight at Kovelsky's for coffee. Just you and me so we can talk this over?" pleaded a deflated Tim.
Without turning around Paige, a little calmer, replied with a no. Then turning around to face Tim Paige explained "I don't know when or if we will find him today and knowing you kept that secret all these months from me, I can't help but think what else you've been keeping from me not to mention I've already been down that road with Drew and you see how that ended. I'm sorry Tim, but we are done." Turning back around, Paige called back "Oh and Tim, try to have a Merry Christmas and Goodbye and be safe in Jordan ok.", with that Paige walked back into the garage leaving Tim standing by his car confused on what just actually happen and how he lost Paige to someone like Walter.
Everyone looking at each other in astonishment and surprised that Paige followed Tim out of the garage after being ordered to do so was left speechless. They thought Paige would stand up to anyone who tried ordering her around like that but apparently they were wrong. As the team sat there pondering Paige's action they heard the trio coming out of the loft.
"Ok Ralph, not to make you do all of the work here but your Grandma and I will stay here at the table and you can bring everything here. We would help but we don't know where everything is at and it would be quicker if you brought it to us and then we can take everything to the car, ok."
"Ok Dad. And your right, it would be more efficient if I just get everything. Just wait here and I'll get Bueller and his cage."
Ralph exited to get Bueller and his things and bring them back to the dining table. He handed Bueller to his grandmother then went back to retrieve his cage, toys, and food. After placing Bueller back in his cage, Veronica and Drew turned to go downstairs and asked Ralph if he needed to get anything else while they were up here. Ralph stated that he still needed to get his bed from Walter's desk. Both adults nodded their oks and waited while Ralph went to Walter's desk to get the bed. After approaching the desk, Ralph looked at it wondering why Walter would leave like this. What happen that was so bad that he would leave without warning without a goodbye. He new that somehow someway that he had to find Walter and try to help patch things up between him and his mother if that could be possible. He knows Walter said not to be mad at his mother over this because all of it wasn't her fault, therefore, some of it was Walter's as well but he couldn't help but be mad at his mother more. Reaching over to pick up the bed something occurred to Ralph that gave him some hope that things could go back to the way things were if not hopefully something close to it. Picking up the bed, he went back to the two waiting adults and all three proceeded to go downstairs when they heard the garage door open up. For a split second Ralph face lit up hoping Walter had come back home but then he kind of felt disappointed when it was just his mother coming in from outside.
"Paige, honey what wrong?" ask Veronica
"Nothing, just saying bye to Tim and trying to get through a very long and very stressful Christmas Day is all." stated Paige, and mumbling more to herself, "This is got to be the worst Christmas that I can ever remember."
"Not that we can do much but do you need us here for anything, moral support or whatever."
"No Drew, but thanks anyway. Why don't you guys go on back to the apartment. I will be there as soon as I can and I will call and check upon on you guys, trust me." Paige said with a guarded tone in her voice.
"Where did Tim go by the way? Why isn't he here to help find Walter?"
"Mom, Tim is gone and I don't want to discuss him at this point. What I do want is to start trying to brainstorm on where to start looking for Walter. Hey, Ralph, ruffling her son's hair,and thought she imagine her son pulling away from her ever so slightly, do you have a clue as to where to begin looking for Walter? Maybe you can hack into his laptop and get something that may help us out. What do you say, up for the challenge? Want to give it a shot?" asked Paige.
"No." said Ralph.
Upon hearing Ralph's reply, everyone stood there in stunned silence. Everyone who knew the the bond that Ralph and Walter shared from day one was strong but they didn't expect that answer from Ralph. Not sure who was the most shocked by Ralph's answer but Paige was certainly at the top of the list.
"Why not honey? Don't you want to help bring Walter back home?" asked an extremely shocked Paige.
"Yes, most definitely but I'm not the one who he is mad at. Its all of you he is mad at, especially you mom. You guys are the one who made him leave, so you guys need to be the ones to find him not me. I'm not sure what you did to him besides date Tim but you need to fix it if it can be if you haven't shattered it beyond recognition. In my note, Walter said he needed space from everyone especially mom. He also asked me not to be mad at you mom but right now I can't help it. Look, I know Drew is my father and you can't change biology and Tim may be this great guy but he isn't the right fit for me as a step-dad but Walter, like it or not, and sorry for saying this dad but Walter has been a Dad to me since the day we met. For three years he has always been there for me and accepted me and understood me right from the beginning. If it wasn't for him, you nor dad here would have never known I was a genius let alone be able to connect with me. You two would still think I was this developmentally delayed/ mentally challenged kid. I'm not sure what your part in all of this is but all of you needs to be the one to find my Dad. Three out of five of you are geniuses, so there is enough brain power to look for Walter without the help of this 12 year old genius." Ralph said defiantly, "Grandma, if you and Dad are ready, then I am ready to go as well."
As Ralph, Drew, and Veronica turned to leave an emotional Paige reached out to give her son a hug and the worst thing that could yet happen that day happened. Ralph pulled away from her touch. Something he really hasn't done in three years. Paige just felt like she lost everything at this point, with that the trio left the garage. Now she had no doubt in her mind that she had to do everything in her power to find Walter and try to make amends with him the best she could at this point because she knows finding Walter would be the only way to get her son back.
Paige turned around to the other four members of the team and asked, "What do we have?" Where do we start? All the while thinking to herself 'this is the worst Christmas ever.
Landing at his final destination stop, Walter was sitting at a small table staring at a cup of coffee thinking on whether or not to move forward with whatever he was doing at his point. After arriving at the airport and going through all of the security checkpoints he began to think he made a mistake but then again maybe a few days here would do him some good. He still has a lot of emotional baggage he needs to deal with right now and for some strange reason this is the place where he needs to be to get rid of the excess baggage and begin to heal from years of hurt and frustration. He now knows he needs to find acceptance and for some reason it begins here.
Thinking about the trip here, he was fairly certain that he sat beside an air marshal the whole trip over here. The first leg of the trip the person sitting next to him kept asking question after question and Walter was already in an agitated state since leaving the garage. Walter pretty much kept to himself and answered chosen questions just to try to get him to shut up, he in turned asked him questions that he knew he couldn't answer or talked about subjects well above his intelligence. The second leg of the trip, he had the same thing but this time he had calm down considerably compared to when he left the garage back in LA. But then that particular air marshal asked the question that broke the proverbial camel's back, Walter then unloaded all his emotional baggage on him about Paige leaving him and then possibly taking his son away from him. He ranted at him to the point that the air marshal offered to buy Walter a drink saying he definitely needed it maybe more. By the time Walter was finished, the air marshal had a look on his face that he wished he never started talking to Walter much less asking him if he had a wife or girlfriend or had any children. He wished he'd left him alone. The air marshal also didn't speak to Walter for the rest of the trip, which was perfectly fine with Walter.
Getting up from the table and grabbing his bag he went to the rental car desk to get his car so he can get started on the last leg of his trip. While standing in line he took out his phone and sent a quick text then put his phone back in his bag. It was approximately 3:00p by the time he got on the road. After about a two hour drive and one stop at a convenient store where he picked up a few things and something to eat he pulled into the driveway leading up to the house. After bringing the car to a stop, he just sat there looking at it thinking that this could be home for a while. Who knows, this maybe his permanent home. Getting out of the car he went to unlock the door then proceeded to carry his travel bag and groceries inside. He went ahead and put everything up and then sat on the couch and tried to make sense of the last twenty-four hours. His main thought was to whether or not to continue Scorpion and if so can he continue it with her sitting not five feet away from him everyday? He wasn't sure on what to do and had no idea on how to handle this problem or who to talk to about the problem itself. Maybe a good night's sleep and change of scenery will help bring some prospective to his state of mind and maybe help look at his problems from a different point of view.
Back at the garage:
"Ok, guys, where are we on finding Walter?" asked Paige.
"No where." stated Happy.
"No where, what have you been doing while I was outside with Tim?" asked a frustrated Paige.
"Well, you did leave us in a state of shocked when Timbo ordered you to follow him out of the garage and you complied." stated Toby.
"Oh, well, believe me that won't happen again. After I went outside I gave Tim a piece of my mind about his actions in here and then broke up with him. I broke up with him because if he thinks he can order me around like someone under his command he is completely wrong. I told him in so many words that I was not his to command and I did not like the idea that he kept a secret on why Walter came to Tahoe and the fact that he all but bullied and threatened Walter if Walter ever told me how he felt about me. I told him we were done. And one more thing, don't think I'm going to let it slide about what you—Toby and Cabe—had said to Walter about telling him not to talk to me about his feelings, think again. For now, that dicussion is tabled because the most important thing right now is finding Walter. Now lets start looking for him, OK." said Paige.