WriterFreak001:
This time, I PROMISE this is the final segment to "The Invitation." ;) By the way, I am listening to Katharine McPhee's newest album "Hysteria" as I write this chapter :3
Title | The Invitation
Fandom | Scorpion (CBS)
Description | Paige received a wedding invite from one of her long-forgotten college friends; wanting to catch up, Paige decided to go and added Walter as her plus one… without asking him. What will he say when she brings it up? And… more importantly, will she go? (requested by kstarbear on TUMBLR)
Rating| This fanfiction will be rated T… for now…
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!
The Invitation
Written by WriterFreak001
Part 4
~ SCORPION ~
With a gazillion thoughts on her mind, Paige silently tugged Walter outside the building towards a narrow walkway behind the back entrance of the reception hall and wrapped her arm around his as they slowly walked down the path leading away from the building. For many minutes, neither spoke, but they really didn't need to. Just being together was enough.
As they approached a small gazebo at the end of the path, Paige (who desperately needed to rest her feet and take off her godforsaken heels) led the genius to a readily available bench (she swore it was calling out to her) and encouraged him to take a seat next to her as she sat down herself. Boldly, Paige leaned her cheek against his shoulder and gazed at the ground, completely aware of Walter intensely staring at her. It took everything she had not to blush or grab his cheeks and kiss him hard on the mouth.
And oh, was she tempted.
To ease the tension, Paige, while still avoiding Walter's eyes, eventually said, "Even if," she bit her lip, "Even if you aren't enjoying the night, Walter," she curled a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled at him, "I'm really happy you came."
Walter, who could have supplied Paige a very detailed list of the things he did or didn't enjoy, settled for a simple (and still very accurate) response instead. "I'm glad I came too." Seeing the warm, happy smile stretch across Paige's lips told him he had actually said something right, and that excellent success made him smile widely in return.
Paige, suddenly timid in Walter's presence, bashfully looked away from him, but Walter, not once, turned his eyes away from her. She was like a drug to him… a mathematical algorithm he never wanted to solve… a dream he never wanted to end.
If only he knew how to tell her…
"Ever think about the future, Walter?" Paige, who was mindlessly fiddling with her clutch, bit her lip and braced herself for whatever reply the genius would instinctively cook up for her. She knew Walter wasn't one who liked heart-to-heart conversations, but she just… she couldn't helped, and she half-assumed he would find some reason to avoid answering her.
Walter, not totally expecting her question, blinked in surprise and bit his bottom lip as he fished for an answer to give her. He could ramble off a reason not to answer her, or he could lie to avoid telling her the truth, but… he didn't feel like he had to run from her like he did the rest of the world. So… he decided to do what he did best: state facts. Slowly, he inhaled a deep breath and released it before answering. "There was a time when I didn't…. I didn't see the point since I couldn't change it… I couldn't touch it… or try to solve the mysteries around it. I used to only focus on the past and the present because, by analyzing the past, I could essentially perfect the present to avoid repeating past mistakes. However," he raked his hand through his hair, "after my accident, I started thinking about the future more…. About the things I would have missed if, well, you know, if I had died."
Paige, completely surprised by his honest response, turned towards him in sympathy and blinked back her tears as she remembered all of the horrible, wretched feelings she felt that day when she saw him clinging to life on the edge of a cliff. All of the terrible things she said to him the night before, despite how many times he assured her the result of his reckless driving habits wasn't her fault, never sat well with her, and she would always feel guilty for pushing him past his emotional limits that night, but the relief of him sitting beside her, allowing her to hold him close to her, gave her peace of mind, allowing her to focus on the now instead of dwelling in the past. She could for the hundredth time, tell him she was sorry for everything that contributed to his accident, but she already knew what he would say. Instead, she found herself asking, "What kinds of things?"
"Oh, um," Walter shifted away from her a little bit and scratched the side of his face, unsure how to answer her. "Just… things…. You know… uh… missed opportunities…, um…, things like that."
"Ah," Paige half-expected he wouldn't elaborate, but he didn't need to…. She knew how difficult it was for him to express his feelings so the fact that he said anything at all tonight was a big plus in Paige's book. She didn't want to press him, and she was sure he would tell her when he was ready. He always eventually told her things… just never when she wanted to hear them.
Walter cleared his throat and awkwardly stared at the floor. He wanted to tell her how he often thought about the what-ifs (even though he really shouldn't need to since he was alive, well and fully functional)… how he often imagined having some sort of future with Paige… being some sort of father figure to Ralph and possibly raising a family of his own one day.
He never really considered those kinds of things before his accident; mostly because he just always assumed he would be alone for most of his life since he wasn't great with emotional connections and couldn't find substantial proof for the existence of love, but everything slowly changed after he met Paige. There were times, before his accident, that he did consider small glimpses of what his future could hold, but those fantasies all died when he saw Drew in Paige's apartment the day he ran off to tell her how he felt. Now, however, they often resurfaced, and he wondered if he could truly be happy with Paige… and so far, his secret analysis of his current and future relationship with the woman sitting next to him was quite pleasing.
"What about you?" He figured it would be polite to offer her the same question since she obviously brought it up to possibly reveal some sort of point he couldn't figure out. "Do you think about your future often?"
"Every day," Paige answered almost too quickly as she met his eyes and issued him a soft, but somewhat sad, smile. "Maybe not necessarily my future, but I think about Ralph's future a lot. I wonder about the kinds of amazing things he'll one day do, and the thought of me telling people that he's my son is something I can't wait to share. I know he'll be a great man… like you… one day, and it pleases me that all he wants to do is help people with his abilities. Knowing my son's going to have a solid, successful future brings me relief, and even though I'll probably constantly worry about him… as I do a lot for you…," she nervously laughed and tucked another loose strand of her hair behind her ear, "but I couldn't be prouder of him. Like you… like Scorpion…, Ralph will be able to save hundreds of lives."
"But…," Even with his terrible EQ levels, Walter could sense something was troubling her.
"But," she shrugged, avoiding eye contact, "but as I wonder about Ralph's future, I also tend to think about mine…. And I don't know… I just don't know what my life will be like when Ralph is off saving the world. I can't protect him forever so… as proud as I am of him and his future…, I know mine won't be as great as his. I'm not a genius so I can't compare to all of you guys, and who knows… in ten, twelve years, with Ralph's growing EQ, I might not be needed anymore."
"You'll always be needed, Paige," Walter quietly said, surprising himself as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Even if Ralph has a better EQ than all of us, he's still a genius, and Scorpion can't function without you. We need someone to remind us when to eat… to pull us out of our minds... to literally help us function. As you know, we don't function well without direction, and you help us stay on our feet…." He lightly kissed her temple, and softly added, "You are an important piece of the puzzle, Paige. Scorpion's always going to need you, and Ralph will too."
Paige closed her eyes to keep herself from ruining her makeup and inhaled a slow, shaky breath. Not once did she ever tell someone her concerns about the future. Sure, working for Scorpion had its benefits now, but she didn't know if they would still need in the future. A lot of things could happen in ten to fifteen years. When she finally found the courage to look into his deep, dark brown eyes, she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "What about you?"
"… I need you too." Walter shifted his eyes away from hers and scratched the bridge of his nose, "I'll, uh, I'll always n—" Before he could finish his response, Paige leaned towards him and unexpectedly captured his lips with hers. Walter, initially shocked from the sudden force of her kiss, brought his palms to her cheeks and steadily held her face as he kissed her as passionately as she kissed him. Paige freely hooked her arms around Walter's neck to hold him close to her, needing him to feel everything she was giving him as she curled her fingers through his hair and moaned into his mouth.
Walter, too, did not shy away from giving her his all; he desperately needed her to know how important she was to him… how she was more than just a translator in his company… more than a liaison to the world.
She was his liaison… his translator… the love of his life.
Paige held him undeniably close as she gently tugged on his bottom lip before touching her forehead and nose to his as their warm breaths intermingled in the small space between them. They held each other like that for several minutes; Paige didn't want to overwhelm Walter with too much EQ, and Walter simply wanted to hold onto this moment… savor it… treasure it.
Paige glided her fingers from his hair to his face and lightly tugged him into sweet, intimate kiss, needing assurance that she wasn't dreaming… that it wasn't a fluke or some sort of whim… that everything she was feeling… and experiencing was incredibly real. And when she slowly pulled away from him, she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his and weaved her fingers into his dark curls, softly whispering, "I know you don't believe in it, Walter, but," she kissed the tip of his nose and gently smiled at him, "I think I'm in love with you."
Walter, though still attempting to analyze and understand the possible authenticity of love, was utterly speechless; he knew what love meant to most people, and even though he was still trying to figure out the concept of love himself, he was in awe of Paige. She had such strange faith in him… that he would one day… if not today… feel the same way towards her.
She wasn't afraid to love him like most of the people in his life.
But, in his own way, he knew he did love her… He might not necessarily term what he feels for her as "love," but he really couldn't describe how he felt for her… He didn't even know if he actually could describe it, but… she made him feel alive… special… human….
There were many nights when he often fell asleep while thinking of her, and his day automatically brightened any time she walked into the garage. He went crazy whenever she wasn't near… whenever he didn't know where she was or if she was okay, and was always relieved whenever she called to let him know she was home… that she was all right… and she was okay. He knew she didn't need to call, but she did anyway, and he was always grateful for her kindness. For everything she did, really.
While he wanted to tell her… wanted somehow for her to know how he feels even if he couldn't articulate it… even if he couldn't verbalize his feelings; he needed her to know.
The silence between them made Paige a little nervous, but she shouldn't expect Walter to have a readied response for her. It was a lot to take in – not something a guy with an IQ of 197 could process in seconds. To ease some of her nervousness, she grazed her fingernails down the side of his face and quietly added, "I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me how you feel, Walter," she gently pecked his lips. "I can wait until you're r—."
Without really thinking it through, Walter, with his palms still firmly holding her cheeks, cut her off with a hard, searing kiss, desperate – in his own way –for her to know everything he was feeling whenever he was around her. Paige, a little dazed, forgot what she was even saying as she shifted slightly and pushed forward, forcing Walter to lean his back against the white, wooden pillar behind him. Her fingers twisted through his hair as she fervently kissed him, and his palms traveled from her cheeks to the base of her neck… to her shoulders… her arms… and finally gripped her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.
"Paige, I…," he struggled with the words, but she didn't need to hear them. The words weren't important to her. She knew, despite everything Walter O'Brien had ever said about the nonexistence of love, that in his own way, he loved her. He always protected her and made her feel safe. Just thinking of him made her toes curl at night, and she knew he would do just about anything for her and for Ralph. She never questioned his devotion towards her and her son; he showed her every day how he loved her even if he wasn't aware of it – the cinnamon in the coffee, the lavender-scented diffuser, the way he smiled at her or watched her when he thought she wasn't looking. He always greeted her in the morning when he hardly ever said a word to anybody else as they walked in. In any way possible, he made her feel like a queen, and he wasn't even trying. He was just… being himself.
"I know, Walter," Paige softly touched her fingertips to his lips and smiled. "I know."
Without another word, Paige removed her fingers from his lips and leaned in to kiss him deeply.
…
They didn't leave the gazebo for many long minutes.
~ SCORPION ~
Sometime before the reception ended, Walter and Paige reluctantly left the gazebo and slowly made their way back to the reception hall – in no hurry of rejoining the party any time soon. By the time they strolled to their seats, the reception was winding down; a few people were still dancing, but most of the guests – if they hadn't left yet – were either stuffing their faces with cake or chattering amongst themselves.
Paige's ears perked when her favorite song started playing, but she pretended not to noticed; she knew how much Walter disliked crowds (let alone dancing). Walter, however, noticed Paige's slight pique of interest right away. She probably thought she was hiding it, but she continuously gazed at the small crowd of couples; it wasn't hard for Walter to figure out what she wanted.
Though he hated crowds, the people were vastly disappearing, and Walter guessed there were only a few songs left on the DJ's repertoire. He knew how much Paige had wanted to dance tonight, and there was no way he was going to let her dance alone (if that was even a possibility), and he certainly didn't want some other man to sweep her off her feet and steal her away from him. Not that Paige was his to begin with, but… the thought of Paige with any other man other than him did not sit well with him. Walter, unsure of what he was getting himself into, quietly took Paige's hand and led her to the center of the reception hall.
Paige, with wide eyes, watched him as he tugged her towards the dance floor, and when he instinctively placed his right hand over the small of her back and held her other hand in his, she couldn't help but smile. He, of course, grinned ear to ear, happy to make her happy. Paige then rested her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes as Charlene Soraia's "Wherever You Will Go" slowly filled the reception hall. She had been tempted to sing along, but all she wanted to focus on was the man holding her in his arms and dancing with her.
Another piece of proof that Walter O'Brien was in love with her.
"Thank you," she whispered for his ears only.
He lightly kissed her temple and mumbled against her skin, "You're welcome."
They danced for what seemed like an eternity, and Paige was happy Walter didn't race off to his chair the moment the first song ended. As the music transitioned into the next slow piece, Walter continued to hold her close, slowly swaying her to the music. He used to have to focus on the beats in order to dance successfully (not that he'd had any other experience other than the night at the gala), but just focusing on Paige… focusing on how her skin felt against his and how close she was… was enough. And eventually, he lost sense of everything but the woman in his arms; the world around him obscured, but he didn't care.
The only world he cared about was right in front of him.
And he was determined never to let her go.
~ SCORPION ~
Towards the end of the ceremony, all of the unmarried women were called to the dance floor by the DJ. Walter didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't like it. For all he knew, the DJ would be calling the unmarried men to join the women and find someone to dance with. He would fight anyone who insisted dancing with Paige, and he wasn't afraid to give a nosebleed if warranted.
"Relax, Walter," Paige laughed as she cupped his cheeks, and smooshed his face inward. "You have nothing to worry about."
"Then why is the DJ asking unmarried women to go to the dance floor?" Walter was definitely worried, but he tried to dial it down a notch for Paige's sake.
"Because, silly," Paige kissed his nose, "the bride is going to throw her bouquet; it's a tradition."
"Oh…. That's all?" Walter sighed with relief. To think he was worried over something so… trivial….
"Yes," Paige giggled and kissed him quickly. "I'll explain more afterwards," she winked, "definitely don't want to miss an opportunity to catch the bouquet."
Walter, still baffled over the whole tradition, blinked as Paige happily pranced away from their table towards the dance floor. After all of the unmarried women – at least, Walter assumed all of them were unmarried – gathered together, the bride waltzed to the front of the flock of women – Paige was standing towards the back of the crowd – and waved her bouquet in the air. Multiple women screamed as they jumped up and down (Walter would never understand women… let alone most normals (Paige being the exception, of course)), but Paige was calm and collected. She was smiling ear to ear though.
The bride teetered around on her heels and raised her bouquet in the air as every unmarried woman readied themselves to catch the arrangement of flowers. Paige, however, stood with incredible poise, patiently waiting for the bride to toss the bouquet. Walter calculated the height and weight of the bride, analyzed the length of her arms, the weight of the flowers and determined the bouquet's approximate path of trajectory before the bride even tossed it, and, as he perfectly predicted, the flowers landed in Paige's hands. Her eyes were wide with surprise (though shouldn't have been too surprised given the fact that she was standing amongst the other women in the first place), and she immediately found Walter's baffled gaze. Many women congratulated her (for catching a bouquet?) as she made her way back to the table. She carefully sat down next to Walter as many women gave him an approving look (something else he really wasn't sure about).
Paige placed the bouquet on top of the table and kissed his cheek as she giggled at his puzzled expression. Walter scratched the side of his face as Paige wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned her cheek against his torso.
"So," Walter nervously chuckled, "what was the point of catching the bouquet? What purpose does it, um," he paused as three women winked at him (another gesture he didn't understand) and then quickly returned his attention to Paige, "does it serve?"
"Oh, you know how the saying goes," Paige happily laughed as she smiled amusedly at him, but before she could finish her answer, the bride poked her head between Walter and Paige and laughed in her drunken stupor, "So this is the lucky guy, huh?!"
The bride winked at Walter (he still had no clue why women kept doing that) and hugged Paige. "I'm so glad you found someone else, Paige; you certainly deserve it after what that D-Bag did to you when he abandoned you and your son all those years ago."
Paige bashfully smiled at Walter as she linked her fingers with his, and said to her friend, "Thanks Theresa. I'm happy I found someone else, too."
"Well," Theresa sent Walter another wink (like seriously, what's with that?!) as she gave Paige another side-hug, "I gotta talk to other people and thank them for coming so you, darling, keep in touch. I hope to see a save-the-date and an invitation in the mail soon! Ciao!"
Once Theresa was out of earshot, Walter leaned close to Paige and lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, what's going on? Five women in five minutes winked at me, and several more were giving me quick onceovers. And why did your friend mention something about save-the-dates and invitations? What's she talking about?"
Paige laughed and hooked her arms around his neck as she pulled herself into his lap, still smiling ear to ear. "If I tell you," she whispered into his ear, "I'd have to kill you."
Walter cocked a brow. "I don't understand…."
"You don't have to," Paige muttered softly before weaving her fingers into his curly hair and kissing him hard on the mouth.
Maybe one day she'll tell him what all of this means, but for now… just for now… she wanted his mind solely focused on her… and on the present….
…
They could shape their future tomorrow.
~ SCORPION ~
WriterFreak001:
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! I'm sorry this took so long to update! Real life got in the way, and this chapter ended up longer than expected. I hoped you enjoyed The Invitation all the same! :)
Let me know what you think! :D