Author's Note: 'Tis finally finished. I know this took me forever to wrap up and write, and I apologize from the very bottom of my heart. It's been a very, very hard year for me, and while I usually turn to writing for relief and joy, I've been so stressed and overwhelmed that I didn't even have a will to write. But thank you all for being so patient and so kind. You're all wonderful human beings, and I wish you all the best all the time. Thanks for reading! And thanks again for your patience.

11. New Beginnings

"Heya, Walt."

Walter looked up from his plate of chicken and vegetables, unsurprised to see Toby's goofy grin.

"I'm happy to see you've graduated from soup," Toby continued, motioning to the plate of food in front of Walter. It was hardly touched, but Walter was trying.

The Irish genius frowned. "You were the one to suggest I eat heartier…foods…" He narrowed his eyes, carefully watching Toby. "What's…going on?"

Toby's eyebrows shot up as he stood straighter. "Why do you think something's up? Who said something was up?"

Walter sighed, putting down his fork. "You're acting strange, even for you. And your voice is unusually high for a casual visit."

Toby dropped his shoulders, but his smile remained as he slid into the seat across from Walter. He put his arms on the tabletop, leaning forward with a hopeful gleam in his eye. "Look, buddy. It's been kind of…weird without you down on the ground floor. The team really misses having you around, and I think getting back into the swing of things might really help your recovery."

"But I'm recovering fine," Walter argued, his expression darkening. Sure, it was a slow process, but he was starting to eat a little, and he was beginning to feel a little better, albeit a slight improvement.

"Well…in some areas, yes. But, Walt, you and I both know there's something holding you back. Something you don't want to face."

Walter shook his head, desperate to put a stop to this discussion. "No, Toby, no-"

"I know you're scared to go down there. I know you're scared to face what happened there because the garage has always been a safe place for you."

"Toby, I don't-"

"Walter." Walter stopped at Toby's firm voice, looking up at the shrink reluctantly. "Do you trust me?"

The words were out of Walter's mouth before he could even think them through. "Of course I trust you."

"Then let me help you. Let the team help you. You can trust me. You can trust us."

Walter watched him for a while, absorbing the positive glint in Toby's eyes.

Toby smiled softly. Encouragingly. "Come downstairs with me."

Walter took a deep breath, eyes tracing the wood grain in the table. He gave himself a minute to mull the idea over. To determine if he could do this. For a second, he wasn't sure. Then he looked at Toby, and he felt a small surge of courage. "Okay." His voice came out as almost a whisper, quiet and resigned as it drifted through the kitchen.

Toby's smile widened. "Let's do this, buddy."

Walter slowly stood from his seat, already dreading what was ahead. He knew it had something to do with the team. This certainly explained all the shuffling and activity earlier in the day. Normally his curiosity would get the best of him and he'd peek downstairs. But these days, even curiosity had abandoned him.

He felt Toby's hand grip his arm, acting as an almost grounding force as they moved slowly towards the stairs. Walter could feel his heart pounding against his chest, and he had half a mind to abort the whole idea. But for whatever reason, he stuck with Toby, all the way to the top of the stairs.

For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to look down. His eyes were transfixed to the top of the wall, clinging desperately to the neutral area. But when he felt Toby nudge him, he forced his gaze downwards, suddenly terrified of what he would find.

But his desk was gone.

In its place was a brand new desk, unmarred and gleaming. The color and shape was similar to the last desk, and to any outsider, it would look nearly the same as its predecessor. But it wasn't the desk. Instead of nightmares and dark memories, this desk offered a fresh start, as if waiting for the first dent or scratch.

And there was a new chair.

"What…" Walter stopped and pressed his lips together, bewildered by the bloom of relief in his chest. The creeping nausea lessened, and the rising panic receded. He still felt unsafe, but he no longer had to stare the worst night of his life right in the face.

Toby's hand tightened around his arm, breaking Walter from his thoughts.

"What do you think?"

Walter shook his head, unsure what to say. Toby smiled.

"Come on. Why don't we try going downstairs?"

The dark-haired genius swallowed past the lump in his throat but agreed anyway. They took the stairs slowly to allow Walter time to adjust, and the rest of the team quietly gathered in the common area, slipping from the shadows and crevices.

Toby and Walter stepped off the last step, quietly joining everyone else. "The team wanted to help, and Happy had an idea that I think you'll appreciate," Toby explained, his voice strangely calm. Cabe offered Walter a small nod, and Sylvester merely beamed in happy silence.

"And we want you to know that we're here for you," Paige added, offering a friendly smile as she hugged Ralph to her side.

"Thank you," Walter replied timidly, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Happy crossed her arms, taking a deep breath. "Don't thank us yet," she huffed. "First, I think it's time for a drive."

Walter looked a little confused, but at Toby's silent invitation, he was guided out of the garage into the team's SUV. He was sat between Paige and the team shrink, both looking happier and more hopeful than they had in weeks.

It made him suspicious.

Still, he decided he would wait. Mostly because trying to guess without much to go on seemed like a waste of brain power.

Truthfully, Walter was pretty pleased with his recovery. Sure, it was slow and the nightmares had yet to leave him alone, but he felt better and stronger every day. And when he felt himself slipping down into darker depths, he just thought of Ralph's words. Of his own strengths.

His steady improvement had also spurred his team into lighter spirits. Even Happy was uncharacteristically more cheerful than usual, as unlikely as it seemed. And yet, the roadblocks were plentiful. For every two steps forward, he took a step back.

But things were finally looking up, and maybe in another week or two, the team would take on cases again. Maybe they could return to some semblance of their life before the incident.

Walter took a deep breath, staring straight ahead as they sped off to their destination. As usual, Cabe was driving with Sylvester in the passenger seat, and Happy and Ralph were sitting quietly in the back. Despite the silence, it felt comfortable. It felt right.

For the most part, no one spoke, aside from the small whispers here and there. But the air seemed to crackle with excitement, and Walter was itching to know what was going on.

After nearly forty-five minutes, ten of which were spent rolling over bumpy gravel roads, they finally stopped. The location was simply a wide, dug out plot of land, expanding over a massive area. Briefly, Walter wondered why so much dirt had been cleared away. It could have been for mining or possibly a new landfill. It probably wasn't all that important.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Walter asked, peering through the windshield with a little uncertainty.

Toby grinned and patted Walter on the shoulder. "Showing your troubles who's boss, my friend."

Walter frowned as the vehicle started moving again, making its way down into the giant, flat hole.

As they moved, Walter spotted a strangely familiar shape in the distance. When they moved closer, he knew exactly what sat in the empty expanse.

"Is that…" He paused to collect himself. "Is that my desk…and chair?"

It made him sick just to look at them. He felt like the walls were closing in on him, cutting off his oxygen and freedom.

"Hey, hey, Walt. Relax," Toby encouraged, squeezing Walter's arm as they slowed to a stop. Walter did his best to suppress the rising panic and terror, but his mild paralysis made it difficult to get out of the car on his own. Paige ended up stepping in to help.

The team gathered a couple hundred feet from the desk and chair, watching Walter with optimism weaved into every expression, despite his paling features. Happy moved to stand beside Walter, placing a hand on his forearm.

"I rigged the stupid things to explode," she muttered, abruptly placing a small device in his hand. "Figured obliterating the damn desk and your chair would help you start fresh. You know, like fighting back."

Walter looked down at his hand, his eyes combing over the graceful design of an explosive trigger. A small plastic cap covered a single red button, and all Walter had to do was flip up the cap and press down.

He just had to flip up the cap and press down, and he'd never have to think of that desk again. He'd never have to look at the chair that kept him there.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and looked to see Paige beside him. She smiled encouragingly, staring directly into his eyes. "Whenever you're ready, Walter."

He took a moment to let it sink in.

While blowing up two pieces of furniture seemed trivial and strange, the very notion gave Walter a sense of power. He could control the ending of this whole ordeal.

Simply knowing he could choose meant everything to him. It reminded him of how capable he really was.

And without such reminders holding him back, he'd get back on his feet to do what he did best: solve problems.

Walter flipped the plastic cap, exposing the red button underneath. Bravely, he stared at the desk and chair, as if soaking them in before their execution.

Then he pressed the button.

Both pieces of furniture exploded into the tiniest of flecks and chips. Wood and plastic sprayed across the dirt, charred and destroyed. He'd never see them whole again.

And that very idea empowered Walter.

He looked at his team as they clapped and cheered, absorbing their grins and laughter. Honestly, it'd been far too long since he'd seen them so happy.

He smiled. For real this time.

Walter was feeling better already.