Chapter 28:

It's My Party

As Walter ran and jumped across the rooftops, he couldn't help but participate in Megan's infectious laughter over his shoulder. She held on tight. Walter had to be careful not to be seen by anyone below, but there were plenty of paths to take as he ran and jumped, albeit with a scenic route, towards the garage.

They were almost there. In their path was one very tall building with brick siding. It was at least fifty feet taller than their current rooftop, and at least forty feet away, far further than any of the buildings he had jumped across on their journey so far. He only sped up.

"Walter…" he heard in his ear. Megan saw the distance as well, but he was almost there, and took a flying leap. His sister screamed in his ear as he flew towards the side of the building.

"Walterrrrrrrrr!"

He grabbed her arm around his neck, securing her as he reached out and grabbed one of the many irregularities and protuberances of the side of the worn wall, stopping their descent. He then hung there on the side of the building like one of the characters from Sly's comic books.

For a moment he thought he had gone too far as Megan breathed heavily in the ear from the adrenaline and fear, but then she squealed.

"That was amazing!" she yelled. Walter then started climbing the wall, using the numerous small holes and occasional missing brick as handholds.

He pulled himself over the edge as they reached the top. He gently leaned over, signaling to Megan to climb down.

She did and leaned over, placing her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

She stood up. "Just, wow!"

He reached out to take her hand. She took it and followed him, skipping the whole way. They reached the edge of the building. It wasn't extremely tall by any means, but it was tall enough to see the ocean, and much of the view of the city from here. The yard that housed Scorpion's garage was not far from here. It was still morning, so the sun highlighted clearly almost everything in sight.

"It's beautiful, Walter," Megan said, taking in the sight before her.

"I come up here occasionally to think, I mean, ever since I started being able to climb buildings. It's…peaceful."

Walter sat down on the building's edge, and Megan mirrored his action. Partially he wanted to give Sylvester and the team more time for preparations, but he also wanted some alone time with his sister.

Walter was fully aware he was not facing what was going to happen tomorrow. Any feelings related to it were still firmly held back by the walls in his mind. He could feel them constantly trying to knock through that wall, but he held it firmly in place. He didn't know if that was the right, human thing to do, but he was enjoying his time with Megan now, and that felt very right.

Megan took his hand. "Thank you, Walter. This has been incredible so far."

"Of course," he answered. He placed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

They sat in silence for several minutes, the only movement from the gentle breeze through the air.

"Walter, um, tomorrow, when I-"

"Today is about you," he interrupted. As she started those words he felt a particularly violent hit on those mental walls, nearly breaking through.

His quick interruption seemed to make it clear to her that he didn't want to talk about it.

They sat there, exchanging a few words until the sun was high in the sky.

"Don't wait anymore, Walter. Don't be afraid," Megan suddenly said.

Walter didn't initially understand what she was referring to.

Megan looked up at him. "Walter, let me share some wisdom from my perspective. From the girl who will live less time than she should, to the guy who will live for more time. Life is short, time is relative. Even if you live for a thousand years, there will never be enough time." She looked out over the landscape. "But you can also make one day seem like it's lasting forever."

Walter wasn't yet understanding her point, so he kept listening.

"I know you, Walter. You're afraid what will happen when I'm gone, so you're afraid what will happen if everyone else is gone someday, too."

Another hard hit to that wall.

"I can't say I'll understand what you might go through someday, but don't let fear keep you from making those human connections. I don't want you to have any regrets. If you don't have any regrets, no matter what happens, I think you'll be surprised at how much life is still worth living, no matter how long you're in it."

Paige. She was referring to Paige, he realized. More broadly, she was referring to him being afraid to get, and stay, close to humans he cared about.

Megan leaned back against his shoulder. "Promise me, Walter, that if you ever have trouble finding your way, you'll think of me. 'Perfectly human' me," Megan quoted his words back at him. "This is how I want you to remember me. Happy and healthy, and someone who loves you so much. Let me be a reminder of how wonderful human existence can be."

She placed a hand on his chest. "Don't be afraid of who you really are. You're not your brain, you're not inhuman, you are your heart. There are people in this world who love you so much. Walter, promise me you won't be afraid to love. I want you to be as happy as I am."

The pressure against his mental walls seemed to recede somewhat at her words. Not because he was letting the wall down, but because the blocked feelings themselves seemed to calm for a time.

"Okay," he said, "I promise."

She smiled at his short, characteristic response. They knew how to communicate with each other, and Megan knew that just a few words from him meant so much more.

Even though Walter wished the two of them could stay on that rooftop forever, there were other plans for the day. They should get going.

"We should go, they'll be waiting for us," he informed Megan.

She nodded and they both stead up. He turned around and she jumped once again on his back. He turned in the direction of the garage.

"Walter?"

"Yes?" He turned his head towards her slightly over his shoulder.

Walter could hear the grin in her voice at her next words, "Don't hold back, go as fast as you can."

He returned her grin and looked straight ahead. "Understood."

Then he took off, doing his best to obey her wish.

From then on, he would always do his best to obey her wishes.

All of them.

****SVD****

Walter and Megan landed on the roof of the garage, then he jumped off the edge and landed smoothly on the ground next to the entrance.

She jumped off his back, turning towards the door.

Walter reached out and opened the door, holding it for Megan as she walked through.

Once they entered, they were met with quite a sight.

The whole garage was decorated. Granted, in a fashion reflecting the short notice they had to do it, but it was decorated from top to bottom.

Happy had threaded together every light they had, it seemed, and strung them up and down the walls and on the ceiling. The desks had been moved to the side to create a makeshift dance floor. A disco ball reflected the numerous lights as it spun in the center of the room.

A table stood to the side filled with all of Megan's favorite foods and drinks. Next to it was a stack of games she loved to play.

In the certain of it though, standing together, stood Scorpion. Everyone, even Ralph, was there for Megan's last day.

After taking in the sight, Megan's hands went up to her mouth, and tears appeared in her eyes.

She then ran at the group of people and launched herself into their arms, hugging each of them in turn. All their expressions were bittersweet, but like she had done with Walter, her joy was infectious, and the bitter half of their expressions soon dissipated.

Walter smiled and walked up to them, joining the celebration.

That day, she ate her favorite foods, reminisced about her favorite memories with Walter and Sylvester. She even had a few good stories about the rest of the team. They also shared their own in turn. Embarrassing, sad, happy, they told them all.

What she enjoyed most of all, was the dancing. Toby started the music, and they danced for hours. Best of all, she and Sylvester were able to dance. Sylvester had told Walter once that he wished he would have been able to truly dance with her, and now he got his chance.

Everyone cut in once or twice. Cabe danced with her very properly and politely, while Toby danced much more loosely with many dips and twirls. Even Ralph got a turn with Megan. Toby and Happy did a lot of dancing together, as their relationship had become a lot closer recently.

Paige and she danced side by side during many of the faster songs, and soon even Happy joined the two other girls. It was much to Walter's chagrin when the three women ran up and dragged him to the dance floor, despite his objections. He didn't think he would have overpowered them even if he used his super strength.

At the end of the night, Sylvester had one more slow dance with Megan. As they did, Walter stepped outside to get what he had asked Sylvester to acquire for him.

****SVD****

Megan rested her head against Sylvester's chest as the song finished. It was very late now, almost past midnight. She knew she didn't have much time left.

Today was one of the best days of her life. She could never express how she felt. Put simply, it had been perfect.

As the song ended, she looked up at looked into Sylvester's eyes. He was smiling at her.

"No regrets?" she asked.

"No regrets," he answered truthfully.

Suddenly she heard the sound of a very powerful engine outside, revving loudly.

"Walter has something for you," Sylvester said.

Apparently she hesitated for a brief moment, because he added a few more words.

"Our time together has been everything I could have ever wanted. It's ok. Go spend some more time with your brother."

She nodded and turned to the rest of the group. They all were looking at her.

"Thank you, everyone, for the best last day I could have ever hoped for."

They all nodded, acknowledging her thanks.

She then turned and ran to the garage door, and opened it.

Once she did she was met with the sight of Walter, hands in his pockets, leaning against a running car, and not just any car. It was her dream car, a yellow Lamborghini.

That was what he told Sylvester to do, find and rent the car she told Walter all those years ago to get her to pay her back for being such an awesome sister.

Her expression must have been matching her amazement, because Walter broke out into a wide grin.

"Want to take it for a spin?" he asked.

She had drove briefly when she was a teenage, before the MS had started affecting her motor function. It had been a while, but she was sure she could figure it out.

"Absolutely," she answered, and ran to the driver's seat.

Megan didn't hold back driving the car. She was very adept at it, it seemed. Far more than someone who physically couldn't drive for twenty years had any business being.

Even Walter got a little nervous at some points. Megan hit his shoulder jokingly when she caught him chanting to himself "I can't die," over and over to remind himself of his durability as she drove at high speeds.

Honestly though, he was pleased with how much Megan was enjoying herself.

Besides some banter and mild reminiscing, they didn't talk much during that time. They didn't need to. Megan had conveyed the messages she wanted to. On the road together, they just enjoyed being.

It was approaching sunrise when Megan pulled back up to the garage. She gave Walter's shoulder a small squeeze before exiting the car. He did the same as she walked around the front of the vehicle.

As she made her way around, he saw her stumble slightly and lean against the hood.

There was a moment of silence before she looked at him with a nervous smile. "I think I've lost my glass slipper. Guess it's time to go back before this Lambo turns back into a pumpkin."

Popular culture references often went over Walter's head, but he understood this one. Cinderella had been Megan's favorite fairy tale as a child.

Paige often spoke about timing when conveying emotion. It was a concept he still struggled with. There were a few words he had to say, but he didn't know if now was the time.

Figuring he would never know, he just said them.

"I love you, Megan. I'm going to miss you."

The words came out quickly and even toned. To any outsider, this words would have sounded inadequate, cold even.

But Megan had been translating Walter all her life. She still understood him better than anyone, although Paige was becoming a very close second.

She pushed herself off the hood, and with her last remaining strength to stand, ran and collapsed into Walter's arms. He caught her in his arms as she gave him the biggest hug she could.

"I love you too, Walter."

They held each other for a moment.

"It's okay to cry, Walter," she whispered in his ear.

And he did. The walls were still standing, but he let some of the emotion through, for her.

"I'm going to miss you," he repeated through his tears.

"I'll always be here. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. Even if it's a thousand years from now, I'll be here." She took her hand and poked at his chest. Abstract concepts usually went over his head, but he felt he understood this one.

He nodded and she let him go. He held on to her, though, as she could no longer stand on her own.

"Ok," she said. "Bell's chiming. Time to leave the palace and go back home."

He gently placed her in the passenger seat of the sports car. He sent a message to Sylvester that he was taking her back to the hospital. His parents would also be arriving soon.

He drove her back and entered with her through the same window which they left. He helped her change back into her hospital gown and get settled back in bed. He had the doctor hook her back up to her IV and machines before releasing his compulsion and erasing the memory of his strange tasks.

When he was finished Megan was nearly back to the state she was before yesterday. Time had caught back up. She fell asleep as soon as she was settled back in her bed.

Walter leaned over and gave her one last kiss on her head before leaving for the airport.

So how am I doing hitting the feels?