Author's Note: Helloooo. I have finally finished another chapter. After a week's vacation that I desperately needed, I feel refreshed and renewed. Alas, read on. This chapter may be very sad for some of you…I hope it's not too overwhelming. Good reading, all! And please review if you've got a chance; I like to hear from you guys.

7. Loss

Cabe peered through the doorway into Megan's dimly lit room. Paige had reluctantly left a few hours ago to pick up Ralph and take him home for the evening, promising to return in the morning as soon as she was able. As for the rest of the team, Toby and Happy left when Toby realized there wasn't much he could do for Walter at the moment, and Sylvester only left after Cabe had adamantly ordered him to go home and get some sleep.

So, that just left Cabe.

Megan had already fallen asleep for the night, leaving Walter alone at her bedside. The genius sat as close as the chair would permit, his crutch abandoned in the corner. He was currently staring at the floor, his elbow balancing on a knee with his mouth resting on a loose fist. Cabe could tell the boy was hurting, even when he pretended not to.

Taking a deep breath, Cabe pursed his lips together and stepped into the room. "Hey, kid."

Walter's eyes slowly slid to look at the older agent, his movements dull and sluggish.

Cabe pretended not to notice. "Mind if I sit with you for awhile?" He pulled up a chair as Walter gave a small shrug, sliding into the seat as he glanced at Megan. "How're you holding up?"

Walter didn't say anything, dropping his dark gaze to the floor. Cabe gave him a moment to answer, settling into his chair as he carefully watched the young genius.

Slowly, Walter pulled his hand away from his face, dropping it in his lap as he sat up a little more. "Cabe?" His eyes didn't move from the floor, his hands loosely finding solace in one another as they wound together.

"Yeah, son?" Cabe replied softly, watching Walter with courage. Courage to face what might be ahead.

"What if I can't get past this?"

"You will get past this," Cabe answered suddenly, unwilling to let the idea linger for too long. Walter looked at him, that black doubt in his eyes. Cabe didn't waver. "You will."

Walter looked down at his lap, his mouth opening a little as he carefully stitched together his thoughts. "The garage…I can't…It won't ever be the same."

Cabe shifted in his seat, releasing a heavy sigh. "Maybe it won't be the same," he muttered. "But it doesn't have to be all bad."

Walter shot him a curious look, a brief glimpse of the old Walter glittering in his dull eyes. Cabe almost smiled.

"It's about perspective, kid," Cabe replied, raising his eyebrows. "You could see that night as a moment of fear and bad luck, or you could see it as a moment of strength and perseverance."

"I would hardly call that night a victory," Walter mumbled bitterly, his own brow furrowing at his weakness.

Cabe crossed his arms over his chest. "I would. You're alive, aren't you?" Walter looked at him with something akin to disagreement, but said nothing. "Even in a situation like that, you used your head. You used the resources you had when lesser men would've given up." Water's gaze softened, as if properly mulling over the agent's words. Cabe huffed. "You didn't give up; you fought."

Walter swallowed thickly, tilting his head a little. "But, I did give up, in the end," he murmured.

"You didn't give up when it mattered," Cabe countered. "No one can blame you for those last few moments. Most men couldn't endure what you did for as long as you did. But, when you saw there was a problem, you faced it and you did everything in your power. You held on for as long as you could; you fought for as long as you could. There's no shame in that, and there's no shame in depending on the people around you for a little help."

Walter thought about that for a moment, his shoulders slumping a little. Slowly, he shook his head, his hands nervously weaving together. "They look to me. I'm supposed to be their leader."
Cabe leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared boldly into Walter's eyes. Reluctantly, Walter met his gaze, a glimmer of a stronger version of himself in his dark orbs.

"They don't expect you to be strong all the time," Cabe replied quietly. "And they want to help you. You take all these responsibilities on yourself, but they're more than willing to help carry the burden. You expect more out of yourself than they do. Sure, they look to you, but they also respect you and care about you." Cabe leaned back in his seat again, not breaking eye contact. "You're not just a leader, kid. You're a friend too."

Walter's gaze shifted to Megan, his face growing darker as he looked on. "I was supposed to save her." A bitter silence seemed to slip into the room, pooling around Walter's feet.

"I don't think Megan ever held you to that," Cabe muttered. "I think she was happy just to be with you. She was always happiest when she was with you."

Walter's expression softened a little, the dark shadows still etched into his features. "She has Sylvester now."

Cabe frowned. "She has both of you; there's no reason for her to choose one or the other."

"I failed her," Walter lamented, bowing his head a little. "Sylvester's given her everything she wanted."

Cabe watched the young genius with careful eyes, absorbing the shadow of shame on Walter's face. "Walter, I don't think you could ever fail Megan, even if you tried. She thinks the world of you, and I don't see any reason for that to change now."

Walter looked at him, that dull look quickly overtaking his features. The very expression unnerved Cabe, as if the Walter he knew was slowly crumbling away.

"Look, Walter," Cabe huffed, shifting in his seat. "I may not know you like Megan does, but from what I know, you're not just a smart kid. You're thoughtful and you care, even if you don't always realize it. You choose what's right when it matters and you don't back down from a challenge. You're not just a leader because you're smart; you're a leader because you're unafraid to think fast and take responsibility. If that's what I know from the short time I've known you, what do you think Megan knows? If I'm proud to know you, then what kind of pride does Megan have for being your sister?"

Walter seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment, an almost doubtful glint in his eyes.

"Walter," Cabe said firmly, forcing Walter to meet him in the eye with an almost painful reluctance. "Megan is proud of you. She cherishes every minute she spent with you; being a part of her life was more than enough for her."
For a moment, Walter held Cabe's stare, his eyes slowly filling with tears. Suddenly ashamed of the public display of emotion, Walter dropped his gaze, clearing his throat. His head tilted to the side as he pressed his lips together and blinked hard against the salty moisture. He rubbed restlessly at his eyes, his posture withdrawing into himself.

When he spoke again, his voice was tight with emotion, fighting past the tears.

"What am I going to do when Megan's gone?" he croaked, covering his eyes as his head bowed under emotional burden. "How am I going to live without her?"

Cabe's heart shattered into a thousand pieces, the fatherly figure within him mourning with Walter. Without even thinking about it, Cabe pulled his chair as close to Walter's as he could and reached out to hold the grieving genius. Walter immediately fell into his embrace, desperately seeking comfort in a difficult time.

Cabe found himself blinking back the burn in his own eyes.

"It's alright, kid," he muttered, thinking back to the day he'd first met Walter. Even then, when staring into the eyes of a child, he'd known what kind of strength the genius harbored.

Cabe had never seen this coming.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sylvester swallowed thickly as he stared into Megan's room. His regular morning discussion with her doctors had been dire and gray. With somber expressions, they gently explained how much Megan's health had declined. It was only a matter of time, they said. It could only be hours until her suffering would finally come to an end.

He stared down at the bandage on his finger, his mind not only turning to his wife, but also his brother-in-law. For two days, Walter had refused to leave his sister's side, growing thinner and more tired with each passing earth rotation. When Megan was awake, he tried his best to hold a decent conversation, but when she wasn't, he quickly retreated into silence.

Sylvester blinked back the wandering tears in his eyes, determined to be a pillar of strength for Walter. Because today could be the day.

Today could be the day Megan leaves.

And while Sylvester had made peace with that from the beginning, he knew Walter wasn't quite ready. Even now, Sylvester knew Walter was thinking about his research. Still thinking of ways he could save her, even if he understood that his time had run out.

With a deep breath for strength, Sylvester stepped into the room, putting on a small, optimistic smile.

"Hey," he greeted cheerfully, glancing between the two O'Brien siblings. It was one of the rare moments Megan was awake, trying to make the most of her last moments. Walter wore a tired smile, doing his best to cover up how he was really feeling.

Yet, Sylvester could see sorrowful knowing in the subtle lines of the genius's face. Even before Sylvester could tell him, Walter knew. He knew his time with his sister was growing far too short.

Walter's pretend smile was possibly the most heartbreaking expression Sylvester had ever witnessed.

"Hey, Sly," Walter greeted softly. His voice was rough, evidence of too little sleep for an already broken man.

Megan offered a greeting of her own, but it came out in the smallest of whispers. Sylvester had to quickly reign in the emotions swelling in his chest, forcing a smile as he subtly blinked back moisture. She was so beautiful. Even with a sickly complexion and a thinning face, she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. And she'd be gone. Soon, she'd be gone.

If this is how he felt, he could only imagine how Walter felt.

When everyone else treated Walter like an outcast, Megan had been his only friend. Through a whole childhood of his own parents' quiet rejection, Megan had been there for Walter.

How would it be to lose the one positive constant in all his years?

For a moment, Sylvester's eyes met Walter's, a silent message passing between them. The look in Walter's dark orbs was strangely telling, even behind a tired grin. It spoke of quiet reluctance and subtle fear. And suddenly it all became horrifyingly clear.

This was it; their time was up. It wasn't hours; it was minutes.

The very realization hit Sylvester like a ton of bricks. All this time, he'd been hoping for the best, hoping she'd hold out longer than anyone had expected. But, Walter…Walter saw everything in a realistic light. There was no doubt he'd watched his sister's slow decline and knew it was only a matter of time. There were no rose-colored glasses for Walter. There was only what was right in front of him, and what was right in front of him was unbearably clear.

Megan's light was about to be extinguished.

"Sylvester," Megan rasped, reaching for him with her gaze, "come here."

As the human calculator looked into her soft, brown eyes, he could see the acceptance of her fate in her weary orbs. She knew how much time was left. They all knew it. You could suddenly feel it in the air.

Sylvester heard quiet whispering at the door and glanced up at his arriving teammates. His chest quickly grew cold as he turned back to Megan, his optimism quickly sliding off his face. Without hesitation, he stepped to her bedside, taking her lax hand in one of his.

"I love you," she whispered softly, smiling as much as she could. "I just want you to…to know that."

He couldn't stop the sudden burn in his eyes, and tears collected rapidly at the edge of his eyelids. "I know, Megan. I'll always know that."

The curve of her lips widened ever-so-slightly, her dimples gently dipping into her cheeks.

"And Walter," she turned her gaze to her brother, wheezing heavily, "I wanted to tell you…to tell you…don't be…don't be…"

Walter's face seemed to pinch in concentration as he listened, patiently waiting for her to finish. Hoping she would finish.

"Don't be afraid…" Her eyes grew heavier and heavier by the second, the telltale signs suddenly so clear. "Don't be afraid…"

She never did finish.

Her last wheeze slipped between her lips, long and slow. Her eyes softly came to a close, leaving a peaceful, empty expression on her face.

Immediately, Sylvester turned away, covering his mouth to quiet the sudden sobs that hit his chest. He tightly closed his eyes, hoping he could hold back the overwhelming onslaught of tears. He had made peace with her passing, but it didn't make it any less painful.

Suddenly remembering his friend and brother-in-law, Sylvester forced himself to turn back, despite his objections to the very idea. Blinking through the seemingly endless flow of salty moisture, Sylvester took a moment to appraise his leader.

Walter was simply staring at his sister, his eyes dull and his mouth slack. His face held no emotion, but his posture exuded defeat and overwhelming exhaustion. He looked ten years older in an instant, left behind by the one person that knew exactly how to make him feel better.

In seconds, activity seemed to burst into the room. Paige was already offering a comforting embrace to Sylvester while Toby immediately went to Walter's side. Doctors quietly and solemnly entered the room to turn off the machines, silently taking the appropriate notes before saying a few words to Cabe and leaving the team to mourn.

But, even as Sylvester was enveloped by Paige's warm hug, he thought about Walter. About those empty eyes and the tired slouch.

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Author's Note: I just wanted to say…ImpalaLeoCap, when you posted your review presenting the notion of Megan's passing during this fic, I was so tempted to include a note on the following chapter and say, "Aye, I thought so too! Great minds think alike!" But, I didn't want to spoil anything at the time…So, I say it to you now! It's like you were reading my mind.