WriterFreak001:
I hate not being able to update more frequently. This internship is making me a little busier than I originally planned, but that's okay! Sometimes a breather is necessary! Anyway, while I still have a super, awesome one-shot in the planning phase, I wanted to go ahead and treat you with the next chapter of poaching! :)
Thank you for your patience! :D
Title | Poaching
Fandom | Scorpion (CBS)
Description | Post-Deception. Post-Mind Games. A month has passed since the ending of Mind Games, and just when the members of Team Scorpion think they're going to be able to relax between they're usual cases, a multi-billionaire – Richard Elia – sees what Scorpion, more importantly, Walter O'Brien, is capable of and wants to recruit the team leader for his Think Tank. When Walter turns him down the first time, Elia becomes more persistent, using Walter's taste for technology to his advantage. And when his briberies do not work, Richard Elia may consider resorting to dirty methods to poach Walter away from Scorpion. With a baby on the way, will Walter be able to thwart Elia's plans, or will he consider working for Elia in order to protect his family and friends from the megalomaniac's ploys? And IF he decides to leave Scorpion and follow Elia, will his decision have a price on his marriage? Find out!
Rating| This fanfiction will be rated T for violence, obscene language, sexual themes as well as brain stuff and fluff.
POV | Limited Third Person
Disclaimer | While CBS owns Scorpion, I am the owner of this masterpiece.
Claimer | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!
Poaching
Masterminds of Deceit Vol. 3
Written by WriterFreak001
Chapter 10
~ SCORPION ~
About an hour later, Cabe left for Homeland HQ, and Toby was busy ordering Chinese takeout for the team. Happy was welding for another one of her projects, and Sylvester was at his board, working on his latest algorithm. Ralph was upstairs in his bedroom working on his homework. Walter was just about to go upstairs and check on his family again when a gentle rap sounded from the front door. Perhaps it was Richard Elia again.
He started for the door, but Toby beat him to the chase and wasted no time opening it. Walter froze. "Mom…."
…
"Mom?" Toby's eyebrows lifted as Happy and Sylvester hustled behind him.
Walter ignored Toby as he clasped his hands together and advanced his mother. "W-what are you doing here?"
She shrugged. "Megan told Angus and me what was going on with Paige and your babby so I decided to fly out here to help."
"And… Da… he was okay with this?" Walter asked as his native accent crept into his speech. He still ignored the three pairs of stares he was receiving from his friends.
"Okay?" Caitríona laughed as she walked into the garage; Walter closed the door behind her. "It was yer da's idea!" She hoisted her suitcase into the air and thrust it into Walter's arms; he grumbled as the heavy box hit his chest. "Your da felt t'was only proper fer me t'visit and help – especially since there's too much at stake when yer not working a job."
"Now wait a minute," Toby placed his hands on his hips and frowned. "Walt's not the only hero in this company."
"Shut up," Happy mumbled, elbowing the shrink's side. "This doesn't concern you."
Walter pretended not to hear Toby's outburst and forced a smiled. "Um, okay." He pursed his lips and swallowed before adding, "Not that it's important or anything, but how exactly did you manage to afford a trip to California?"
Caitríona smiled after placing a smaller bag on top of her suitcase; Walter strained to keep his back straight and his knees from buckling. He grumbled and pretended everything was fine as his mother answered his inquiry. "Me and yer da have been savin' money t'visit yeh and Megan fer years, but 'cause o'th'farm, we couldn't find a right time to visit; me and yer da thought now was a good time as any. Now," she paused and scanned her surroundings, "where ya keepin' me daughter-in-law and me future grandbabby?"
"They're upstairs," Walter glanced towards the loft. "I'll show you." Still ignoring the blatant stares he was receiving from his friends, he trudged towards the rusty steps and grumbled as he slowly ascended them. Sylvester offered his help, but Walter assured the human calculator he could handle it. His mother marched up the steps behind him, and when he finally reached the top, he dropped the suitcase and bag, making a note to come back for it later. "Follow me." He took a minute to catch his breath and made his way towards the door to the loft, propping it open for his mother before following her inside. "Ralph's in his bedroom if you want to meet him in person, too."
"Oh, is he now?" Caitríona blinked as she silently familiarized herself with the loft.
"Yep," Walter nodded while cracking his back. "And um," Walter scratched the back of his head, "we don't really have a guest room right now so unless you prefer an inflatable mattress or a couch, you'll have to use Ralph's room…, but I don't know how well he will favor that last idea."
"Nonsense," Caitríona shook her head and placed her hand on Walter's shoulder. "I'll be takin' no one's room durin' my stay here. An inflatable mattress will do me just fine, me boy."
"Okay," Walter inhaled a deep breath of hair and let it out slowly. "I'll, uh, I'll set it up after a while." He led her to Ralph's bedroom and knocked on the door; when he heard a faint approval, he pushed the door open and slipped his head inside. "Ralph?"
"Yeah?" Ralph muttered without taking his eyes away from his computer.
"Can you come here for a sec?" Walter's plea caused the boy to stop what he was doing and look at him. "I promise it'll be quick."
"Is Mom okay?" Ralph blinked as he climbed off of his chair and made his way to Walter. "She's not getting worse, is she?"
"What?" Walter's eyebrows rose to the ceiling, then furrowed. "No." When the boy stood inches in front of him, he reached out to ruffle Ralph's hair as he gently guided him out of his bedroom. "I want you to officially meet my mom."
Ralph cocked his head as he stared at Caitríona. "I remember you."
Caitríona smiled. "Yer Paige's boy."
Ralph looked at Walter and then shifted his eyes towards the middle-aged woman. "Yeah." Ralph's face contorted as he continued staring at Walter's mother. "Unless there's something wrong with my mother, I do not understand your purpose for being here."
Caitríona crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow before glancing at Walter. "Are y'sure yer not th'boy's father?"
Walter forced a chuckle and ruffled Ralph's hair. "I am sure." Ralph suddenly turned to look at Walter with confusion. "Uh, what I mean is," Walter gulped, "I did not, uh, I did not contribute to the boy's conception, but, in the broadest of terms, I would be considered Ralph's legal father."
Caitríona rolled her eyes and laughed. "Always so literal." She bent down to Ralph's level and smiled. "I'm here because me Megan told me and Angus yer ma's condition, and we figured she'd need help around home 'cause yer step-father has a very, very important job he cannot afford t'skip out on."
Ralph blinked and then nodded. "Okay. Sounds like a logical reason to me."
Caitríona patted Ralph's shoulder and then rose to her feet. "Yer ma's in good hands now; I'm gonna be at her beck and call so that me boy," she placed her hand on Walter's arm, "can start returnin' t'work t'help those who need him."
Ralph's lips curled into a grin. "I understand. You helping my mom ultimately helps the greater good by letting Walter return to his duties with Scorpion."
Caitríona gave Ralph a small smile. "Yer a smart boy, me lad."
"So I've been told," Ralph shrugged and then found Walter's eyes. "Are we done?"
"Yeah, we're done," Walter chuckled and ran his hands through Ralph's hair one more time as the boy started to turn for his door. Then he paused and glanced back at the pair of O'Briens.
"I'd like to thank you," Ralph's eyes flicked over towards Caitríona.
"For what?" Caitríona laughed and bent back down to his level. "I'ven't done anything yet."
Ralph walked up close to her and loudly whispered, "For giving me and my mom a family." Without another word, he spun back around and disappeared into his room, leaving a shocked Walter and a baffled Caitríona behind.
When Walter finally returned to his senses, he grinned. "That's Ralph's way of saying he likes you."
A warm smile found Caitríona's lips. "He's a very special one, that boy."
"You have no idea." Walter smirked. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and then silently led his mother to his bedroom where Paige was resting. "I'll, um, I'll check in on her first. Wait here." Before his mother responded, he slipped into his bedroom to find his wife watching a movie on his Surface Pro. She paused whatever she was watching and smiled at him.
"Hey."
"Hey," Walter greeted her as he walked up to her and took her hand. "How're you feeling?"
"Better than before," Paige brought his knuckles to her lips and kissed them gingerly. "How's Ralph?"
"He's good," Walter smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. "He's working on his homework in his room right now."
"Perhaps I should go see if he needs help," Paige said as she tried to get up. Walter gently pushed her back down.
"What're you doing?"
"I need to stretch my legs."
"You're not supposed to be on your feet unless you absolutely have to be. Ralph's fine. He hasn't asked for help yet, and I'm sure he will if he needs it." Walter looked at her swollen belly and placed his hand over it.
Paige raised an eyebrow. "Do you ever ask for help when you need it?"
"S-sometimes," Walter pursed his lips. "But you and I both know Ralph's been better at asking for help than I've ever been. He's a good kid; if he's stuck, he knows he doesn't have to face his problems by himself."
"Still," Paige tried to sit up, "I should go check on him."
"I've already done that," Walter pushed her back down. "He's fine."
Paige sighed. "If you say so."
"And if it makes you feel better," Walter shrugged, leaning close to her, "I'll have him bring in his English assignment for you to critique later."
Paige smiled. "I'd like that."
"Thought you would," Walter smirked before lightly pressing his lips against hers. Paige snaked her arms over his shoulders and latched her fingers behind his neck as she kissed him harder.
"You're too kind to me," she mumbled against his lips. Her fingers curled into his hair, and every rational fiber within his being told him to break away from her, but her allure was too strong for his willpower. She briefly pulled away from him and tugged on his shirt as she slid it over his head and dropped it to the floor. "Now that we're alone," her palms graced his skin as they traced his well-toned torso, "I want you to get those strawberries."
Walter paused, remembering his mother standing outside the door. "Uh… about that…" He scratched his head, "We might have to take a raincheck on that…."
Paige frowned. "Why?"
Walter inhaled a deep breath and sighed. "My mother's standing outside the door."
"Oh." Paige sighed. "Wait…," she froze and shot her full attention to Walter. "What?!"
"She literally walked in the door only ten minutes ago…. I didn't know she was coming, but apparently Megan told her and my da what's going on; Ma flew out here as soon as she could to help." Walter explained as he bent down to pick up his shirt. He slid it back on and sighed. "That's why I came in here initially – to tell you."
"Well why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Paige swatted his arm. "I can't believe you!"
"In my defense, I had every intention to tell you," Walter ran his hand through his hair. "I just got… distracted."
Paige rolled her eyes and chuckled. "So it would seem."
Walter pressed his lips together. "So, uh, you want me to get her?"
"Yes!" Paige laughed, lightly pushing him towards the door. Walter nodded and turned the knob, pushing the door open. His mother was standing patiently on the other side, waiting for him.
"You, uh, you can come in now," Walter spoke softly, and his mother briskly walked by him and rushed to Paige's side, giving his wife a gentle but affectionate hug. After the women greeted each other, his mother started reminiscing all of the times she was pregnant with Walter, and when she started listing all of the strange things she made his father do for her during her pregnancy, Walter took that conversation starter as his cue to leave the women alone and return downstairs, knowing his mother and his wife would be fine on their own.
~ SCORPION ~
"Walter, whatever you're thinking," Toby glared at his friend, "I highly advise against you returning to work until after the baby is born."
"It's been a week since my mom's untimely arrival; she's been helping Paige left and right. I'd only be in the way if I stay at the garage instead of return to work." Walter raked his hands through his hair and sighed. To be honest, as much as he appreciated his mother's help, him not having a minute alone with his wife save for the night was driving him insane. Either he needed to get back out into the field or find a way to share his wife with his mother for the next few months; otherwise, he would drive himself crazy.
"And that's great that your mother is helping Paige, but you going out on cases is a bad idea. What happens if your life is endangered and Paige finds out about it? She'll stop at nothing to leave the garage and find you – your reckless behavior could do Paige more harm than good. You don't have to worry about being paid because the government is still going to send you a paycheck regardless of your participation so why bother risking your ass just to risk your wife's and your baby's lives? Returning to the field isn't worth it." Toby folded his arms and leaned against the stairs. "Look, I know you want to get back out there, but Paige needs you here; having you nearby keeps her calm whether she knows it or not; the last thing you want to do is distress her, I'm sure."
"Of course I don't want to distress her, but staying here on the off chance I'm needed is driving me crazy. I can hardly focus on my personal projects because I'm worried if I dive too deep without anyone here to keep me accountable, I might lose myself down the Rabbit Hole again; or worse, Paige will need me, and I won't hear her." Walter groaned into his hands as he slumped into his desk chair.
"Walt, if you're so worried something will happen to Paige while you're in the garage, what makes you think that nagging feeling will leave you when you're out on the field? Do you really think you can focus on your assignments without knowing how you're wife is doing at home?" Toby cocked an eyebrow and made his way to the 197 IQ genius. "You're needed here, whether you realize it or not. Scorpion can thrive without you for a while, dude. Your wife is 26 weeks into her pregnancy; she has roughly 14 weeks left. Surely you can handle 14 weeks, Walt."
"I guess," Walter shrugged and started to say something but paused when the door to the garage opened. Richard Elia strode into the garage with a smug grin plastered on his face. Something set Walter off about the way Richard was looking at him, and he was beginning to wonder if his wife had been right about Richard all along. Toby frowned but didn't move. "May I help you?" Walter rose to his feet and folded his arms in front of him.
"I stopped by last week, and your wife said you'd call. You never did." Richard matched Walter's stance as Walter noticed his friend studying the man.
"I've been busy," Walter quickly said and then cleared his throat to clarify. "My wife's pregnant, and I have a company to run, too. If you have a case, you can contact Agent Gallo and refer your request to him, and he'll get back to us ASAP."
"I don't have a case," Richard Elia chuckled as he lightly shook his head. "I was wondering if I could treat you to a business meal for lunch and discuss some things regarding my offer a few weeks ago."
"Offer?" Toby raised an eyebrow. "What offer?"
"He offered me a job," Walter answered flatly. "I declined it, though."
"Woah, he offered you a job and you didn't think to tell us about it?" Toby grabbed Walter's arm and pulled him away from Elia. "What the hell, Walt?"
"I didn't see a reason to disclose the offer with you because I turned it down after speaking to Paige about it. There was no reason to bring it up again." Walter pursed his lips together. "Don't worry, Toby. I'm not leaving Scorpion."
"If Elia wasn't Richard Elia, I wouldn't be worried, but he is, and I am. Walter," Toby whispered in a hushed tone as he glanced at an impatient billionaire tech mogul, "If Elia is like any other stingy megalomaniac, he won't stop at anything to get what he wants. Be careful of him, Walt; I don't like this at all."
"No one else seems to either," Walter mumbled before ripping his arm out of Toby's grip and making his way to Richard Elia. "There will be no need for a business dinner, Mr. Elia. I already turned you down on your offer so there's no reason to waste your money on redundancy."
"Fine. No meal. Just give me five minutes of your time and then I'll be out of your hair." Richard Elia clapped his hands together and took a step closer to Walter. "Surely, you can spare five minutes, yes?"
Walter glanced at Toby who was violently shaking his head no. "Fine," Walter sighed and ran his hand through his unruly hair. "You have five minutes."
~ SCORPION ~
WriterFreak001:
So what do you think is going to happen? Let me know! :) This chapter was hard to write. :/ Please let me know if something doesn't make sense.
