WriterFreak001:

We're getting so much closer to the premiere, I can barely hold in my fangirling squeals. XD I just about died watching the sneak peeks, and I so so so so can't wait for the season to start. :D

P.S. I don't know if I ever specified where Walter and Paige started the case, but they're in Chicago. Should have made that clear from the beginning, lol.


"Look at that boy over there. Think about how important you are to him. Think about the team, your friends. How important you are to them. Think about… Think about how important you are… to me." – Paige Dineen, 2x07


Chapter Nine

~ SCORPION ~

"Thanks Carlene. Late last night, the second elevator of Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago came to an abrupt stop between the eighth and ninth floors, injuring several people. Luckily, there were no fatalities during the rescue, and we have Team Scorpion from Los Angeles to thank for that. Team Leader Walter O'Brien and a few members of his company came to Chicago the day before last to work on a private case unrelated to the events at the hotel. If it wasn't for the fact that two of the team members were on the elevator at the time of the incident, we have no idea where we would be today.

"These geniuses were able to put their heads together and come up with a fast solution to bring medical aid to the injured. But that's not all. You see, it was only after they were able to save a young asthmatic girl from almost certain death that Mechanical Prodigy Happy Quinn discovered there was a bomb hidden in the elevator's panel. Determining that the bomb would be activated by pressure if everybody left the elevator, the team used a trick out of the book and made a switcheroo with luggage to compensate for the weight as people were rescued. Just when we think the team would leave the job to the Bomb Squad, Team Scorpion's youngest member, Ralph Dineen, jumped back into the elevator and successfully disabled the bomb.

Behind me, we see mother and son reunited along wit—"

Paige couldn't listen anymore. No mother should go through what she went through, and if she had it her way, she would be grounding Ralph for all eternity and anchor him to his bedroom with a ball and chain. Ralph was right. He was grounded big time. For two months at most. Three if the trauma didn't settle by then. Summer was not going to be pleasant for him. No video games. No computer. No phone. When they return to LA tomorrow, the only place he can go to other than his room would be the garage while she's at work. He would be on constant supervision. If she had to pay for his sitter to babysit her son for the full duration of the summer, then so be it. For the emotional trauma Ralph Dineen had put her in, she was not going to be the good cop this time.

"Mommmm," Ralph was restless, continuously tapping his fingers on the chair next to her hospital bed, "Can I g—"

"No." Paige shook her head. "You're staying right here. With me."

"But mommm, I said I was sorry, and I saved everyone. It was a win, win! Why am I the one being punished?" Ralph should have kept his mouth shut. From a logical standpoint, he didn't understand. He did good. He saved a lot of people. Lots of people. He made the news. People were proud of him and praising him, and his mother was even hugging him to death after Walter brought him back out of the shaft. So to punish him for doing something good seemed irrational. However… he knew going back into that elevator was dangerous, and he knew he made his mom go nuts after he disappeared into the lift, but if disobeying her deemed good results, did it really matter that he was being disobedient?

Technically, he did tell his mom he expected to be grounded as he flew down into the elevator, but he didn't actually think she would go through with it once he was successful. It was stupid. He did good. He did really good.

Paige had to blink back her tears and count to ten in order to keep herself from saying something she might regret. Was she proud her son was able to disable a bomb when others couldn't? Yes. Yes, she was. She was very proud. Ecstatic, even! But at what cost? Would she have to go through the same heartache each time her son wanted to save the world? She already goes through it with Walter, and she knows Walter can't help it sometimes, but Ralph is still young. Ralph doesn't have to be the hero all the time like Walter. She wasn't grounding him because he went out of harm's way to save everyone. She was grounding him because he deliberately disobeyed her orders. That behavior – no matter the reason – was unacceptable. She did not teach Ralph to disobey authority. She will need to nip that habit in the bud immediately.

She just wanted her sweet, quiet son back. He used to be such an indoor cat, and yes, he saved a lot of people, and yes, he made her proud, but she wasn't ready for the emotional toll his decision to save everyone impacted her with. She wasn't ready for the fear of losing her boy, her precious, little boy. From now on, if Ralph is to help on any missions, he's to assist from the garage and only the garage. She couldn't afford to lose him. She's already lost so much, and heaven forbid she lose her son too.

"You're staying right here, and that's final." Paige replied with a clipped voice as she exhaled slowly. She leaned back against the elevated bed and winced as her back shoulder smacked against the cold leather.

Ralph immediately rose to his feet. "Are you okay? Should I get the doctor? Are you bleeding again?" He tried to inspect her shoulder from behind, "Did you tear a stitch?"

Paige let out a little laugh and reached forward to grab her son's hand before bringing it to her lips. "I'm fine, Ralphie. It's just uncomfortable."

"Maybe I should get Toby. He should look at it again just to be sure." Ralph was no longer upset with his mother for grounding him but worried. Very worried. He started to leave, but Paige pulled him back towards her.

"Nice try," she giggled, but his worried expression did not fall. Her smile did, though, when she noticed tears in the corners of his eyes. "What's wrong, baby?"

He inhaled deeply and pressed his lips together. He forced a smile and released her hand. "It's nothing." Before she could stop him, he sauntered towards the door. "I need to use the facilities. It's just down the hall. I'll be back, I promise."

Frowning, Paige decided not to fight her son. "Okay…."

Ralph did not wait any longer before leaving the hospital room, but he apologized quickly when he accidentally bumped into Walter on his way out. The older genius lifted an eyebrow towards the back of the boy's head and then turned to Paige with concern, ignoring the hot cups of coffee in his hands. "What did I miss?"

Paige sighed and messily combed her fingers through her hair. "I don't…," she worried her bottom lip with her teeth and inhaled slowly. "I don't know myself… He was ornery at first because I wouldn't let him leave the hospital room by himself, and then I winced a little bit because of the pain in my shoulder. Before I know it, it seemed as if… as if he was panicking. I don't know," she shrugged a little, letting out a groan of pain. "I don't know what's bothering him. He wouldn't tell me… He just… He said he was fine and left." She gave Walter a tired smile. "Sound familiar?"

Walter nodded, recognizing the pattern immediately. "Do you…," he pointed towards the hallway, "Erm… would you like me to talk to him?"

Paige's eyes lit up. "Could you? I m-mean," she flushed a little. They never really talked about their kiss back inside the elevator, "T-That is, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Walter nodded with a smile. He leaned forward to place the two coffee cups he had been holding on the little table attached to Paige's hospital bed. "Yours is on the right, closest to you," he noted quietly before quickly circling back over to the door.

"Walter?"

He didn't hesitate to stop and immediately spun around to see what Paige needed. "Yes?"

Paige smiled warmly at the man she loved. "Thank you."

Walter grinned a little as he gave Paige a thumb's up. "No problem."

And as Walter hurried after Ralph, Paige sighed loudly. When it came to her two favorite geniuses, she definitely had her hands full, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.

~ SCORPION ~

Ralph actually did have to go to the bathroom. That was not a lie. But it wasn't an entire truth either. After relieving himself, in spite of his promise to return immediately, he wondered around the corner of the hallway and took a seat on the bench stretching along the adjacent wall. He leaned forward and folded his hands together, resting his forehead on his knuckles as his elbows propped themselves up on his knees. He closed his eyes, needing to think.

His reaction… it was illogical at best. He knew his mom was fine. Her stitches were still there, but both Toby and the doctor said her wound would heal nicely in time. She was in no more danger. He knew that. He really did, but… the way his mom passed off her pain like she did in the elevator made him angry. Not at her. Most definitely not at her. But at himself. He was helpless. He couldn't do anything for her on the elevator, and he couldn't do anything for her a few minutes ago to ease her discomfort.

That's why he did what he did. That's why he risked his life to save everyone… to save his mom. Walter. The Team. The civilians. He knew he could disarm the bomb. He was very confident in himself, and disarming bombs – that was something he could do with ease. That was something he could do without panic and without fearing the unknown. He hated the unknown.

Yes, he disobeyed his mother, but he just couldn't place his faith in the Bomb Squad. He knew how to disarm it. He knew how to keep his family safe so he felt entitled to it.

Ralph exhaled. No matter his reason, his mother wouldn't understand. She couldn't understand…, could she?

He heard a faint creak and opened his eyes to find Walter sitting next to him. His mentor was leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him. They made eye contact briefly before Ralph looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed for some reason.

"You took a big risk today," was the first thing Walter said after several minutes of deafening silence.

"You take big risks all the time," Ralph retorted with a small frown. "I'm just like you, Walt. We think alike. I don't see why you're so surprised."

"Yes, we do think alike," Walter agreed but matched Ralph's frown. "But, you and I both know, we're not entirely the same. You're more like your mother than you know. Over the years, I've watched you strive in establishing and maintaining friendships with your peers, something I've never been able to do when I was your age. You might hate going to a school with Normals and sitting in classrooms through lectures you knew about since you were four or five, but thanks to Paige, it's helping you on a social front. You've been to birthday parties, and you weren't made into a laughing stock. That's a major accomplishment if you ask me."

Ralph had to admit that Walter was right. He does make friends pretty easily…, but that's beside the point. "And that's significant to what I did because…?"

"Think about it… for one moment, forget about your success. Forget about disarming the bomb and forget about your confidence in the knowledge behind disarming it. What do you think would have happened if you failed?"

"A lot of people would die." Ralph replied slowly.

"Maybe, maybe not. Most of the building was already evacuated by the time the rescue team came to the hotel. And had it not been for the confidence we had in your intellect, we would have been forcefully removed from the premises too. They have protocols to follow. Albeit, Team Scorpion has been known not to follow them from time to time, but that's another lecture for another time." Walter could see that Ralph was struggling to understand him so he decided to take things from a different approach. "When you and your mother were on that sabotaged train last year, and when I selfishly uncoupled the train after knowing you two would be safe, what was going through your mind?"

Ralph understood it now. "I was upset. I was scared and knew that if that moment was the last time I'd see you, I would miss you very much."

Walter gave the boy a small grin. "Yes. And if you were unsuccessful tod—"

"If I had been unsuccessful, my mom… you… the team… my friends… You guys would all be sad and would miss me terribly." Ralph replied quietly. He felt sick to his stomach. He didn't think… He should have considered that outcome….

"Which is why..."

"Which is why I shouldn't jump at the chance to be the hero…" Ralph concluded as he clenched his fists. "I'm sorry… I didn't… I'm sorry."

"Living, I've discovered," Walter mindlessly patted Ralph's shoulder, "is much more important than being a hero sometimes." The older genius smiled softly at his prodigy. "I learned that the hard way… when Megan passed."

Ralph blinked, wondering what Walter could mean.

As if reading the boy's mind, Walter explained. "That night… when we got back to the garage after Megan's passing, I felt like the biggest failure in the world. I had failed my sister, and I had failed myself because I made a promise to both of us… that I would find a way to save her. But in the end, it was too late. Instead of focusing on my time trying to save Megan, I should have spent those last months with her as much as possible. I regret that very much, but you know what?"

"What?" Ralph didn't blink as he waited for Walter to continue.

"Despite my failure as a brother and as a genius to save her, I still had your mother…, you…, my parents…, Cabe…. I had everybody that really mattered right there with me when I needed them. Even, if at the time, I didn't think I needed them, I'm glad all of you guys had my back because it helped me move forward." Walter smiled wider and surprised the boy when he tugged Ralph closer to him for a side hug. "The point is… at the end of the day, no matter the outcome of a case, we're all still family. The people who love you will continue loving you no matter what. You and I both need to remember that before we do something stupid, okay?"

Ralph nodded slowly. "Okay."

Walter gave Ralph a quick hug before standing up. "If you need to stay here and think some more, I don't think that should be a problem. I should go back and check on your mother."

As Walter turned to leave, Ralph reached for his mentor's hand and grabbed it. "Wait."

Walter spun around and frowned when he saw the distress in Ralph's eyes. Immediately, Walter was on his knees, kneeling in front of the child. "What is it, buddy? What's wrong?"

"Mom… Do you think she's really mad at me for doing what I did?"

Walter could see the guilt in Ralph's eyes, and it pained him to see Ralph internally struggling so much. "I think your mother was scared, Ralph. You know as well as I do that she has lost a lot of people in her life, and when you went back into the elevator without a second's thought, she was hysterical. She tried to climb back down after you, but because she was so rattled, she couldn't figure out how to undo her harness. And when we were on the landing above, she tried her damnedest to go after you. Cabe had to hold on to her to keep her from doing something rash. That's why I went back down… because I knew – I had faith in your abilities – you would need help getting out of the elevator once the bomb was disarmed. Success aside, you really scared her, Ralph. All she wants is to protect you… we all do… and we can't do that if you're reckless."

Ralph kicked at the floor and frowned as his mind tried to wrap around Walter's response. "So I'm grounded because she's scared to lose me and wants to lock me up forever?"

Walter laughed a little. "No… I don't think that's the entire reason. Fear might play a part of it, but you did disobey her, Ralph. Being grounded is a logical repercussion."

"But for two months?" Ralph pursed his lips. "Why two months? That's a bit… much, don't you think?"

"Only time will tell," Walter shrugged. "If you're good and don't step out of line, she might give you back at least some of your freedom… Might." Walter could tell there was something still bothering Ralph as he constantly glanced down the hallway where his mother's hospital room was located. "Something's still bothering you, Ralph. Even I can pick up on it."

Ralph peered around the corner and looked at the door to Paige's room. "Is Mom really all right? She seemed like she was in pain earlier."

Walter exhaled and nodded. "She's going to be fine. She's just a little uncomfortable. That's all."

"But how do you know?" Ralph asked, his question stumping Walter.

"Because," Walter grinned reassuringly, "Medicine… Science… dictates she will make a full recovery."

Ralph frowned. "But she… her shoulder… the elevator…." Ralph felt thick in the chest and started breathing heavier. In full panic, Ralph turned to Walter. "You have to help her, Walter! Her shoulder! Her shoulder is injured! She's losing blood! Mom is losing so much blood!" Ralph grasped his head and collapsed to his knees. "I can't do anything for her… I'm useless. She's losing so much blo-"

"Ralph!" Walter cupped the boy's face and shook him gently. "Ralph!" The boy's eyes flickered to the older genius, and Walter could tell he got through to him. "Ralph, your mother is safe. She's in the hospital and safe." He quickly brought the boy into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Your mother is perfectly safe, okay? Okay?"

"But she was…"

"She's okay, Ralph." Walter moved back a little. "And you weren't useless. You helped so many people yesterday and were very brave for Paige. You helped her when it mattered most, and because of you, because you continuously kept her from falling asleep and aided her in any way she needed, she's alive." Walter smiled softly, wiping away Ralph's tears with his thumbs. "Paige is alive because of you. Don't you dare think otherwise. You understand me?"

The boy's mentor raised his eyebrows, waiting for Ralph to respond.

Ralph nodded slowly again and sniffed a little. "I wasn't useless?"

"No," Walter shook his head with a genuine grin, "You weren't."

The boy's eyes lit up much like his mother's earlier, and he smiled. He stood up and stretched before tugging on Walter's hand towards the opposite end of the hallway, away from Paige's room. "I want to buy Mom some flowers as an apology…," he looked up at his father figure. "Do you mind paying?"

Walter grinned ear to ear. "Not at all. In fact," he ruffled the boy's hair, "let's both get some."

Ralph and Walter smiled the whole way to the flower shop.

~ SCORPION ~

Paige's eyes were wide as she was ambushed with two very beautiful bouquets of assorted blooms blocking her sight from the rest of the room. She could smell a mix of lavender and roses, carnations and lilies, daffodils and daisies. If she didn't know better, the whole floral shop was burying her alive. It wasn't until Walter and Ralph stepped back did realize the arrangements were smaller than she thought. Ralph climbed up on her hospital bed and handed her his bouquet. "We didn't know what sort of flowers to get, so we got a bunch of them." Ralph seemed quite proud of this accomplishment, making Paige smile. "Why thank you, baby…, but," she cocked an eyebrow, "what are they for?"

"I wanted to apologize," Ralph bit his lip softly and let out a breath to compose himself. "I was rash, and I didn't realize how selfish my actions were until just recently… I shouldn't be upset with you for grounding me. It's a logical punishment despite my success, and I technically did ask for it… Anyway," he shook his thoughts, "I was inconsiderate of your feelings and of your orders, and to make up for being an egotistical imbecile earlier, I wanted to give you these." He brought the flowers up to her nose again, and she sniffed them slowly.

"They're beautiful," Paige beamed, holding the arrangement of blooms in one hand while leaning over to hug her son with the other. "You have a good eye."

Deciding not to counter her statement, Ralph nodded quietly and flushed with embarrassment. "Th-Thanks." He paused for a moment and cringed a little. "Am I still grounded?"

"Yup." Paige smiled without hesitation.

"Dang. Had to try at least." Ralph shrugged before moving closer to his mother. He snuggled as close to Paige as possible and yawned loudly, causing Paige to giggle quietly while combing her fingers through his thick hair.

The boy was out in minutes.

Paige then turned her attention to Walter. "And what are those for."

A smile colored the genius's lips. "They're for you."

She blinked. "Why?"

Walter shrugged a little and casually responded, "Just because."

Paige couldn't help the grin forming on her lips. "Come here," she instructed him. He was immediately in front of her, taking Ralph's bouquet and placing it on the chair with his bouquet behind him as if he already knew what she was planning. Paige then threaded her fingers through Walter's curls and tugged him downward until his lips met hers.

Walter moved in to kiss her deeper, lightly grazing her tongue with his, but before anything progressed, Ralph stirred, forcing the two apart. Both genius and liaison watched Ralph for a moment, and Paige leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "I love him so much, and I'm glad he finally came around, but… I wish I knew what was bothering him. He hardly tells me anything anymore."

"There was a lot he was dealing with on his own," Walter replied quietly as he took Paige's hand in his and squeezed her fingers gently, sending her a small smile. "He'll tell you when he's ready. I'm sure of it."

Paige beamed at her son. "If you say so." Paige noticed the bags under her son's little eyes, "I'm really proud of him…. In spite of his recklessness, I'm a very proud mother. Because of Ralph, so many good things happen." She squeezed Walter's hand gently. "Because of Ralphie, people are alive. Lots of people." She blinked back her tears, "Giving birth to Ralph was the best thing that could ever happen to me. I was scared out of my mind when he was born… Not like yesterday, but still very scared. Drew wasn't around during the delivery…, and my father passed away long before then so I was alone in the hospital giving birth to this beautiful boy. I am a better person because of him, and I really hope, one day, he realizes just how precious he is to me."

"I think he already does," Walter smirked proudly. "After all, you, Paige, are also his most important person. You're his constant. He wouldn't know what to do without you. Trust me on that fact. I know it all too well."

Paige eyes met Walter's abruptly, and then she smiled widely. "Yeah?"

The genius, in turn, grinned ear to ear.

"Yeah."

~ SCORPION ~


There you have it! The end!

For those wondering how it was inspired by WeBuiltThePyramid's "In the Name of Silence" … here's how: When I first came up with the story, it was after Paige gave birth to Ralph in ITNOS. I started imagining all of the ways Paige could be proud of Ralph and how she would look back on the day of his birth and regard it as the best day of her life no matter how lonely and painful it must have been.

At first, I was going to have Ralph deliver a baby in the elevator (hence the pregnant lady). As I continued the story, it involved into something much more complex so I decided to axe the elevator birth idea and went with what is written now.

Hope that makes sense.

Please review! You know us writers love them! :D