-With Walter and Paige away the team begin to make progress, but not without a few arguments and Veronica's behaviour gives Toby cause for concern.-

Apologies for keeping you all waiting for another month. Thank you for sticking with this story. I still feel as passionate about keeping Scorpion alive through fan fiction as I did when I started writing - I just wish I had more free time! I hope you enjoy this chapter, all reviews are very welcome. Thank you kindly.

CHAPTER 8.

"No, we're not calling Walter."

Cabe's firm words were barely heard over the noise of the rest of the team arguing. They'd been at it ever since Cabe, Toby and Happy had arrived at the garage. Sylvester was desperate to get Walter home as soon as possible, terrified that Cooper would be arrested before they could find the evidence they needed to prove she was being framed, but not everyone shared his opinion.

"I agree with Cabe," said Veronica. "I don't think my daughter would be too happy if we interrupt their mini vacation."

"Walt and Paige are due back tomorrow," Toby pointed out. "Let the lovebirds finish their dirty weekend."

Cabe clapped his hands over Ralph's ears and frowned at Toby.

"What?" shrugged Toby, innocently. "Y'think the genius teen doesn't know his folks planned a whole weekend of rumbusticating?"

"Rum… what?" asked Cabe, screwing up his face.

Ralph shrugged off Cabe's hands and spun round to face him with a frown aimed squarely at the older man. "It means having sex," he explained in a matter of fact way. "It's OK," he added, when Cabe actually blushed a little. "They're trying to have a baby. That's how you get one, you don't need to be a genius to know the basics of human reproduction, Cabe. They teach it at elementary school."

Sylvester threw his hands in the air. "Can we get back to the emergency, please?" he begged. "Walter and Paige can… can… they can spend time alone together another day."

"I'm with Sly," said Happy, earning a disappointed look from her husband. "Right now we need them back here."

"Thank you, Happy," replied Sylvester, with a slightly smug look on his face. "Ralph and I kept hitting brick wall after brick wall last night."

Cabe scratched his head. "I thought they were called firewalls?" he asked, with a puzzled expression on his face.

Ralph rolled his eyes. He loved Cabe dearly, but sometimes he found conversations with non-geniuses way more frustrating than they should be.

"We got through all the encryption on the transactions," continued Sylvester, tapping his fingers on the desk anxiously. "But we couldn't trace the source. If there were three of us working on it..."

"Sly, relax," urged Toby, interrupting him before his blood pressure rose any higher. "If anyone can do this it's Ralphy-Boy and the Sly-Dog!"

"Toby's right," agreed Ralph.

"Of course I am," said Toby, with a wink.

"My grandson, the genius," smiled Veronica, proudly.

"We can do this, Sylvester!" Ralph raised his hand in Sylvester's direction for a high five, but Sylvester just folded his arms across his chest and shook his head defiantly.

Instead, Toby reached across and slapped Ralph's palm. "Don't leave the kid hanging, Sly!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks, Toby," said Ralph with a grin.

Ralph knew that his mum and Walter really needed some time away. He had learnt to recognise when Paige's old insecurities were starting to get the better of her and he'd seen it getting worse over the last couple of weeks. His grandmother showing up hadn't helped matters, but he knew there was more to it than that. The last thing he wanted was to interrupt her much needed break and drag her and Walter back to reality unless it was a real emergency.

"Listen," said Toby, his face becoming more serious. "Whoever is doing all of this has been sitting on this financial stuff for days. They've had plenty of opportunity to use it already, but they haven't. That means they're planning something big, much bigger than having Director Cooper thrown in jail. They need all the pieces of their plan to fall into place at the right time then they'll drop their bomb. Um… figuratively speaking. I mean, there's no evidence that the plan involves explosives of any kind. What I'm trying to say is, we have a little breathing space."

"Here's my plan," said Cabe. "Sly, Ralph, you get back onto hacking those financial records. Toby, you and me are gonna go pick up Gannon. Give him a little shake, see what falls out."

"Gannon's just a Homeland tech nerd," said Sylvester. "He's not corrupt, he can't be."

"That's the thing about corruption, pal," said Toby. "Good people can get corrupted."

Sylvester looked despondent. He knew he could be paranoid sometimes, but even he didn't believe the whole of Homeland Security was somehow implicit in whatever was going on. He wished Kimberley was here so he could talk to her about… well, about anything that wasn't this. He missed her so much. They'd only been together a few weeks and she wasn't a million miles away, but she was far enough away for him to feel very alone. Their nightly video chats weren't enough.

"Give her a call." Toby's words broke into his thoughts.

"Huh?" Sylvester reacted with a startled look. It still freaked him out slightly whenever Toby told him what he was thinking about before he'd even realised himself.

"Kimberley," Toby clarified. "Give her a call. Maybe you could fly up there for a couple days? She's not having an easy time of it with her Mom right now, she'd probably love to have you there for support."

"Oh… um…" Sylvester stumbled over his words. He'd been so wrapped up in his own feelings of loneliness he'd momentarily forgotten what his girlfriend must be going through trying to take care of her sick mother. His face flushed as the guilt washed over him. "Sure… I mean, I might," he finally responded.

Toby slapped a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"So we're agreed about Gannon?" said Cabe, eager to get the conversation back on track and Toby nodded. "Great," continued Cabe. "Let me make a couple calls and then we'll go, I have an idea."

"Good Doc, Bad Cop?" suggested Toby with a grin. "It's my favourite game. You're so damn hot when you're playing angry," he added with a wink.

Cabe scowled at him. "I was thinking more like Stupid and Irritating Doc, Good Cop, or Moron Doc, Good Cop, or…"

"OK, OK, I get it," Toby interrupted him. He clutched at his chest with both hands. "Your words hurt me right here, Cabe," he added, stifling another grin.

Cabe rolled his eyes. "Just grab whatever you need and be ready in ten. Happy, we all agree the tracking device is the key to this whole thing, so maybe there's something in those blueprints that can give us a clue."

"I've been all over those specs already, Cabe," replied Happy.

"I know," agreed Cabe. "But we don't have much else to go on, kid, so do it again. Think outside the box… or whatever that goddam expression is."

Toby sniggered. "The Eighties called, Cabe," he began. "They want their innovative metaphors back."

"Shut it," snapped Cabe. "Or my boot and your ass…"

"Stop!"

It was Cooper. Her sudden exclamation stunned everyone into silence.

"Please, I can't take any more," she added. Her voice was a little quieter this time, but the determination was still evident. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I think I need to deal with this on my own now. I can't risk pulling you guys into this."

"I think we're already in," noted Cabe.

Cooper sighed. "There are plenty of people I trust," she said. "I'll go to them for help. We can't allow a few lowlifes to bring down Homeland. I'll pack my things and get out of your way."

"Oh no you don't," said Toby, firmly. "You're still recovering from that time someone tried to kill you, or did you forget about that already?"

Cooper glared at him. "Of course I didn't," she retorted. "But I don't need twenty four hour care anymore. I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine now."

"Sure, fit as a fiddle," replied Toby sarcastically. "Never better. In fact, if I were you, I'd be cartwheeling all the way back to your apartment. The apartment with the really basic security system that's bound to stop whoever mowed you down the other day from trying their luck again."

Cooper opened her mouth to snap back a retort, but she couldn't find the words. Instead she just closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Except she'd forgotten that taking a deep breath really hurt her fractured ribs. "Ow! Jesus!"

Toby looked at her. "Still going with 'perfectly fine'?"

Cooper shuddered with the pain and Veronica reached over to squeeze her forearm supportively. "I'm… I'm…" she stammered, trying to get her breathing under control.

"Hey," said Toby, squatting down beside the chair she was sitting on. "Slowly," he urged, all hint of sarcasm gone from his voice. "Take it easy."

Cooper nodded and managed to regain her composure. "Maybe I'll, er… maybe I'll just stay here for another day or so."

Toby nodded. "Sounds like a plan," he said.

"But I meant what I said before," she continued. "I don't want you guys getting yourself in over your heads for me. I'll take what you've already discovered back to Homeland and let my people figure it out. This conspiracy can't be as big as all that. We're a government agency, for god's sake!"

"And government agencies are always one hundred per cent trustworthy," noted Happy, dryly, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "Besides, you've been suspended."

"I have to do something," replied Cooper. "I'm starting to lose my mind! This morning Veronica and I were talking about heading out to the mall. It seemed like such a great idea, just doing something normal again. I guess I hadn't considered the danger. Someone out there wants me dead…" she trailed off and sighed again.

"We can go another time," said Veronica with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't need a new dress. I'll call Richard and tell him our date's off."

"Why don't you go the mall next week with Paige instead?" suggested Cooper. "You were really looking forward to going to Avec Nous."

"Wait," said Toby, spreading his hands out in front of him in surprise. "Our friendly neighbourhood multi-millionaire is taking you to Avec Nous?"

Veronica shook her head. "No… well, he was, but I'm cancelling it," she replied. Her fingers twitched as she spoke. "It was a crazy idea. If Richard still wants a second date we'll order in and eat right here in the garage, where it's safe."

"Safe?" repeated Toby, narrowing his eyes. It was an odd choice of words for Veronica. He watched her as she blinked rapidly for a second.

"For Katherine, safe for Katherine," Veronica clarified. "Just in case anything happens."

"One of us could stay here with her instead," noted Toby. He was really fascinated by Veronica's behaviour now.

Paige's mother wasn't usually this easy to read, but right now something was off and she was an open book to him. Then suddenly it was as if she'd flicked a switch and she wasn't giving him any markers at all. Toby began to wonder if he'd imagined what he'd just seen.

"I don't need a babysitter!" exclaimed Cooper. "I'm sure I'll be OK for one evening."

"Right, enough of this," snapped Veronica. "I think you need to rest, wouldn't you agree, Doctor Curtis?" She looked Toby straight in the eye.

Toby couldn't help but be impressed by her ability to completely block his abilities. "Um, absolutely," he replied. "Rest."

Veronica helped Katherine up the ramp to the loft while Cabe explained to Toby the details of his plan for getting Steve Gannon to talk. Sylvester and Ralph buried their heads back into the financial records they'd uncovered the previous night.

"What's with you, Doc?" asked Happy after a while. She had begun to look at the specs for the tracking device again, but wasn't sure what Cabe expected her to find. "I thought you and Cabe were gonna go put the thumb screws on that Homeland Teach Team guy?"

"We're just going to talk to him," Toby corrected her. "He's not a suspect, but One Ninety Seven thinks he knows something so we're gonna ask him nicely if he wouldn't mind sharing because sharing is caring."

"Hmmm," responded Happy. "Well I hope Cabe's taking his thumb screws."

"Ye of little faith," huffed Toby.

"I still think we should get O'Brien back here ASAP," said Happy.

"I respectfully disagree, Honeybunch. Sly and Ralph are on it, they'll have this mysterious account information hacked before the end of the day, I'm sure of it."

"Is he gonna ask Paige to marry him?"

"Huh?" Happy's question took Toby unexpectedly by surprise. "Sly, or Ralph?" he asked, risking a rebuke from his wife.

"Jerk," responded Happy. "I mean is O'Brien gonna propose? Is that what this weekend is for, or are they just spending the whole time in the sack? Because if they are they can put it on hold until we're not working a really important case and get their asses back here."

"Woah!" exclaimed Toby. "Where did all this come from?"

"I just don't get it," Happy tried to explain. "They got through all that crap before, they fixed all their issues - well, at least they're communicating right these days - and now they're talking about babies, so what's he waiting for? They need to get married like we did, or is he one of those commitment phobic morons?"

"Um, OK..." began Toby, perching on the corner of Happy's desk. "You think because we went the traditional marriage-then-kids route, Walt and Paige should follow our lead and get hitched?"

"Something like that," admitted Happy.

"But they're not us, Sunflower," replied Toby. "One Ninety Seven has a very different idea of how to do relationships. You wanted to get married because you've longed to be part of a family your whole life."

"I guess."

"And because I'm perfect husband material, of course."

"Hmmm."

"I'm pretty sure this isn't some kinda moral, or religious thing with you so… oh, I see what you're doing here," continued Toby. "OK, just think about it for a second. Walt grew up in the perfect nuclear family. The kind of family you craved as a kid. Except his wasn't the dream childhood it should've been, not for him anyway. He looks back at his folks and he sees a happily married couple, with two kids, living in the countryside – what more could a kid want? But his childhood sucked. So where's the incentive for him to get married? The last thing Walt wants to do is replicate all his parents' mistakes and recreate what he had back then with his own family. He needs to do it differently. And Paige, well her parents were married too and look how that turned out. I don't think either of them are in any hurry."

Happy's brow furrowed as she thought about her husband's words. Maybe he had a point? Her childhood in foster care had been hell on earth. She'd watched other kids get adopted by loving parents and her heart had ached each time she'd been rejected. Toby was right. All she'd ever wanted was a family and now she had her own with the man she loved and two – soon to be three - children. It was perfect for her. It was her dream come true. But it wasn't Walter's.

"I just want him to be happy," she said quietly.

"I know," replied Toby. "And he is. He's the happiest I've ever seen him. He's with the woman he loves and they've already proved how strong their love is, so he doesn't need a piece of paper to demonstrate it to anyone and neither does Paige. Having said that, I figure one day the timing will be right for them and he'll get down on one knee. In fact if I was a betting man… which I'm not, you know that… I'd lay money on it."

Happy nodded. "I guess families are all different. There's no right or wrong way to do it is there."

Toby smiled and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Nope, there isn't," he agreed. Then he leaned over and kissed her baby bump. "But this way seems to working out pretty well for us."

Happy smiled back at him.

"Doc!" yelled Cabe from the other side of the garage. "Shake a tail feather!"

"On my way," replied Toby. Then he kissed Happy again. "Do me a favour, will you? Go check on Katherine for me."

"Me?" queried Happy. "I'm not the Doc around here."

"Just go up to the loft and see she's OK," urged Toby. "Please? She and Veronica were talking up there for a while, but Veronica didn't say much when she came down. After what she said before, I just need to know Cooper's not a flight risk."

Happy nodded. "OK," she reluctantly agreed. "I'll go talk to her. Just briefly."

She watched as Toby ran over and jumped into Cabe's truck where the older man had been impatiently waiting with the engine running. She deactivated the alarm and waited until the garage door had safely shut again before reactivating the security system.

Happy would be glad when they could deactivate the stupid alarm permanently. She knew it was for Cooper's safety, but she also knew any one of them could be in danger if someone did try to come after her again, including her children. She hadn't felt this on edge since Mark Collins had been on the loose, determined to get his revenge on Walter and the team. At least with Collins they'd known who they were dealing with. It was the unknown in this situation that scared her. It could be anyone and they didn't even really understand what their motive was.

"You OK?" Sylvester called out to her.

She spun round towards his desk. "What? Oh, yeah, I'm good, thanks, Sly," she replied.

She'd almost forgotten how good the young genius was at sensing when his friends were jittery. He was almost as good as Toby sometimes.

"Just coping with a few somersaults," she added, running her hand over her bump and hoping it would be enough to stop Sylvester worrying about her.

The baby had been kicking all morning and as much as she loved the feeling inside her, she was hoping Baby Quintis would quit his high intensity workout, for a while at least.

"How you guys doing?" she asked.

"We've made some progress," replied Sylvester. "Well, Ralph has."

"We both have," Ralph added.

"Great, good, great," replied Happy. "I, er, I'm just gonna go check on Cooper."

She took a deep breath and walked over to the ramp, half hoping Katherine was already asleep so she wouldn't have to talk to her after all, but she wasn't.

"Hey, Happy," smiled Katherine as the younger woman appeared. "Look, I'm sorry about before," she added before Happy had chance to say anything. "I'm just…" she trailed off and sighed. "I guess I'm not used to being stuck indoors feeling so helpless."

"Kinda like being eight months pregnant," noted Happy with a wry smile.

Katherine chuckled. "I guess so," she said. "It's been a long time since I was pregnant. My son's twenty three now. He's been living in Italy for the past year."

"Italy's nice," replied Happy, trying to make small talk. She was going to kill Toby for making her do this. "So, um, can I get you anything?" she added, wondering if it would be easier if she just asked Cooper directly if she was OK to get it over and done with.

"Actually, would you mind passing me my phone?" asked Katherine. "It's in my purse." She pointed to the chair where she'd left it. "I'm going to call my son. Veronica persuaded me I should. I wasn't going to bother him with all this, but she said I should let him know something's going on even if I don't give him all the gory details."

"She's probably right," agreed Happy, passing her the phone.

"She was really insistent," added Katherine, with a slight frown. "I've not seen Veronica be so serious before. I know she and Paige were estranged for some time, I guess she doesn't want history to repeat itself. It's different for me and Eddie, though. He's just working over in Europe for a couple years, we keep in touch and we still get on just fine."

"Glad to hear it," replied Happy. She momentarily considered talking about her relationship with her father, but then thought better of it. Normal people might find it easy to share personal experiences with other people in order to help them deal with their own issues, but geniuses with low EQs definitely did not.

"I think Veronica has a lot of regrets," continued Katherine. "She didn't say as much, but she's not going to let me get away with not calling my son. I guess when you get sick it puts a lot of things in perspective. Being told you have cancer must be awful. I still think she should sue for what they put her through."

"Veronica has cancer?" exclaimed Happy. "But I thought…"

"Oh, god, no!" replied Katherine, quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't explain that very well. I thought you knew? Oh dear, I think I may have just put my foot in it. She doesn't have cancer, but she was misdiagnosed to start with. They told her she only had a fifty per cent chance of surviving the rest of the year. Then they realised they'd got it all wrong. Now she's on those new meds for her condition and she's going to be fine, as long as she remembers to take them, of course. I think the whole thing hit her pretty hard, though."

"Wow," Happy took a moment to digest this new information. "No, I didn't know about that. I guess she may have told Toby, or Paige, but…"

"She's going to kill me," said Katherine. "I didn't realise she'd told me in confidence, I just assumed… anyway, please don't say anything to anyone else."

"Scout's honour," replied Happy, although she was definitely going to talk to Toby about it. Scout's honour didn't apply between spouses, right?

To be continued…