Cabe nodded as he called Katherine and asked her to send some men with a gurney to take the final man to the hospital. He stepped out of the room and got the man's gun and stepped back. He watched Walter and Paige as they continued to hug each other. Slowly his memories were coming back to him.

By the time the men with the gurney got to them Cabe and Toby both had their memories back and they were just waiting on a chance to rake Walter over the coals for it. Happy talked both men down from confronting Walter there at the school and they agreed to wait until they were back at the Garage.

After they got the man out of the school the vice principle was escorted back in to the school. She turned on the PA and as she played a special chime she announced the crisis was over. She wanted each classroom to exit the school in an orderly fashion and go to their fire drill locations and wait for further directions.

Ralph hugged both of his parents once they got back out to the command center. Walter had taken a moment to get Ralph's backpack and equipment and gave them to him after they hugged.

Katherine Cooper got team Scorpion placed in unmarked cars and taken away from the school so they could avoid the press that had been swarming the scene since KCBS broke the story on air earlier.

Paige took Ralph with them even though all the school kids were going to be dismissed once the school had a proper counting and parents could get there to pick them up.

Walter had barely sat his gear on his desk when Cabe and Toby both jumped on him for what he'd done. The three of them argued over it for just over thirty minutes when Paige finally whistled shrilly with Happy standing next to her. The three men looked at her. "That's enough." She said in her commanding voice. She pointed at Walter. "Stop arguing and defending your position and apologize to Cabe and Toby. You were out of line in what you did."

Walter stared at her like she'd just stabbed him in the back.

Paige opened her eyes wider and kind of popped her head forward. "Now Walter, I'm not kidding."

Walter tried to give them a non-apology apology but Paige shook her head. "No, a real apology, just like you demanded of Toby for being rude to me."

"But if they hadn't of tried to stop me from carrying out my plan then I wouldn't have had to do what I did to them." Walter stepped towards her.

Paige shook her head. "Walter if your plan can only be defended by using knock out gas on someone then it isn't a good plan and you are more than smart enough to know this."

"But when it comes to you and Ralph I can't always articulate myself properly." Walter half mumbled.

Paige smiled. "Walter, we all understand that, but it isn't about that. It is about you doing something reckless against our friends, two other members of our team. Not to mention the man that most if not all of us view as a father figure. If Toby had done this to get to the person who had threatened Happy you'd be demanding his apology. Now, turn around and apologize."

Walter swallowed and turned to regard the two men. "I'm sorry for what I did as a shortcut to our disagreement. Please forgive me."

Both Toby and Cabe looked to Paige and then to Walter, almost unable to believe they just heard him say those words. Finally Cabe smiled. "Of course son, just trust me a little more next time."

Toby slowly nodded. "But you and I, we need to have some couch time Walter. You've done some rather questionable things of late."

To kind of help appease everyone Walter offered an impromptu family dinner at Kovelsky's. As they walked in they found the two large tables they had that Walter usually preferred to sit at so he could have his fermented fish were already taken. That left one booth that would seat them all and the booths on each side of it were full. He sighed inwardly as the waitress took them over to it.

She passed menus to everyone but Walter, figuring he was going to be ordering his normal fare. She turned and walked away to give them time to decide what they wanted and Walter missed getting her attention for a menu. Paige looked at him seeing the frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

Walter shrugged. "She didn't give me a menu."

Paige smiled. "You always get those fermented fish Walter. Why would you need a menu?"

Walter looked about. "Because we're not at the normal table and we're too close together and there are people behind me. None of you will enjoy your dinner smelling mine."

Paige smiled and leaned over and kissed his cheek. "That's so sweet Walter. But don't worry about it. Get what you want."

Walter shook his head. "No, I'll get something that is more appeasing aroma wise for you guys."

Ralph reached out his menu to Walter. "Here Dad, I know what I'm getting."

Walter smiled. "Thanks buddy."

No one was more thankful than Allie that Walter got the salmon platter instead of the fermented fish. She'd almost begged Cabe to decline but after he told her what had happened earlier she begrudgingly agreed.

Toby looked at Ralph as they were about to get up from the booth. "Hey Ralph, how about you and I have a sit down and talk about some things when we get back to the Garage?"

Ralph shook his head. "Sorry Toby, I've got Caltech tonight."

Paige looked at him. "That's right you do. I don't know Ralph. After what happened today maybe you should stay home?"

Ralph looked at his Mom. "I can't, if I do my lab partner is likely to destroy our project and that is almost forty percent of our grade."

Paige sighed as she looked to Walter. He kind of shrugged. "He's got a point. Since you have been stressing how important his school grades are. As well as working with normals I think he should go."

Paige sighed again. "Whatever happened to you always wanting him to stay home from school?"

Walter grinned. "I've been trying to learn from you."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Fine, you're still taking him right Happy?"

Happy smiled as she stood up from the booth. "Yep, Quintis taxi service is rearing and able to go."

Happy pulled out of the parking lot with Ralph in back and Toby in the passenger seat. He looked back and saw Ralph's long distance stares. "So, let's talk about what's on your mind Ralph."

Ralph looked up at Toby and shrugged. "Today was a little close for a lot of people, including Dad."

"How do you feel knowing those guys were trying to get hold of you to make your Dad do something?" Toby asked as he turned half way around.

Ralph laughed. "Clearly they had no clue who they were up against. Dad handed them their butts."

"Well he did have some help you know." Toby said a bit hurt.

Ralph instantly turned it around on him. "Do you need to talk about your feelings of insecurity when it comes to Dad?"

Happy didn't even try to hide it and just bust out laughing.

Toby looked over at her. "Hey, we're trying to have a serious conversation here."

Happy continued to laugh. "I don't know Doc. I think Ralph has pointed out something we need to talk about."

Ralph grinned at Happy.

"Well be that as it may this is Ralph's time." Toby said as he adjusted his hat and looked back at Ralph.

Cabe pushed Walter up to the loft before he left to meet Allie at home.

Walter sat on the couch with Paige half laying back against him. Walter was going over one of his personal projects as Paige read the revised contract Sylvester had drawn up with Richard and Scorpion. He'd implemented all the conditions Richard's attorneys wanted as well as the ones Paige wanted. Paige pulled her glasses off as she pressed left thumb and index finger into the corner of her eyes. "I swear they made this contract like this on purpose just to give me a headache."

Walter frowned. "Sit up for a minute."

Paige looked back but then sat up. She felt Walter move around and then his hands pulled gently against her shoulders and she leaned back and felt her back press into a cushion and then felt his fingers begin to rub into her neck and trapezius muscles. Paige let out a deep moan. She tossed the contract onto the coffee table.

Walter smiled and leaned forward and kissed the back of her neck. "You had a lot of stress today love."

Paige nodded. "Speaking of stress, if you ever try to do what you did to Cabe and Toby today, to anyone else or you take your coms out so I can't talk with you, you are going to regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Walter half smiled. "I understand Paige, I am sorry."

Paige moaned again as his hands hit another sore spot.

As Walter finally got the last spot that was bothering her, Paige looked at her watch. "You know, we got a little more than a half hour before Ralph's last class is over, and then another half hour before Happy gets him home. Maybe we should go and massage each other in the bedroom."

Walter smiled and bent forward and kissed her neck again. "That sounds like an excellent plan."

Paige sat up and slipped her legs to the floor as Walter put the cushion up and then stood. He smiled as he reached his hand out and Paige grinned taking it before she stood. They walked slowly towards the bedroom, arm in arm their heads leaning towards the other as they whispered their love to each other.

After what happened earlier Happy wasn't taking any chances and walked up to the Garage door with Ralph and saw him safely inside. She turned and walked back to the truck. She climbed in and looked at Toby. "Okay Doc, I know something is on your mind."

Toby nodded. "Something is definitely going on with Ralph. He's being really guarded about it. I'm pretty sure he's done something and he is feeling guilty about it. I just can't figure out what it is."

Happy nodded as she started her truck. As she pulled away from the curb she looked over at Toby again. "Any idea what it is?"

Toby shook his head. "I'd hate to speculate but I got a feeling it isn't legal."

Happy frowned. "Changed grades illegal or ripped off a bank illegal?"

Toby laughed. "Well I don't think it was quite that bad. I wonder if I should try and talk to Walter about it."

Happy thought about it. "Well my feeling is not to mention it to Walter. He's been in a different mood since finding out Ralph is his son. He probably wouldn't appreciate it." She grew quiet as she thought about the possibilities.

As they entered their house Happy immediately turned to the knucklehead engine she was rebuilding for a friend. Working with tools and messing with motors were a great way Happy dealt with unpleasant thoughts at home.

Toby watched her for a few minutes and then walked in and turned the TV on. He immediately went into "guy mode" and started flipping channels. Of course when Happy did it, she was just looking to see what was on. It had become one of their favorite pastimes to tease over before leading into sex. As Toby came to a local news channel he stopped changing channels and frowned. He turned the volume up as he called out. "Hey Happy."

Happy frowned and walked over and looked at the TV as the one the scene reporter nodded their head. "That's right Becky. San Quentin prison officials have confirmed that due to a computer entry error, Drew Baker, who you might remembered pled guilty to sabotaging the brakes of Walter O'Brien's car, was incorrectly identified as a child pornography lynch pin in his prison record. He was subsequently placed in a normal cell instead of a protected cell and was almost immediately beaten up. I've spoken with hospital staff at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Mr. Baker has been in surgery for about thirty minutes so far with another six to eight hours to go. But they are optimistic that he will survive and recover completely."

Toby muted the TV. "I hate it when I'm right."

Happy slapped his hat. "You think Ralph did this?"

Toby looked at her and nodded. "I'll stake my Harvard degree on it. And no, that isn't gambling because I'd win."

"Not good. How are we going to tell them?" Happy looked at him.

Toby's eyes opened wider. "There is a bigger concern here. If their computer techs can prove that he wasn't entered incorrectly but that the data had been manipulated by someone outside of the prison, they are going to come for Walter."

Happy frowned. "That's a bit of a stretch Fungus."

Toby shook his head. "Not really. Who's the biggest hacker the government knows and has motive to see something like this happen to Drew? And even if they didn't suspect Walter, Walter would take the fall for it if it seemed like they were getting close to Ralph."

"Oh man, you're right there Doc. Damn it, I hate when you're right." Happy said as she sat down heavily on the couch beside him. "Damn it Doc." She looked at her watch. "We're going to have to go early to the Garage and talk to them about this. Even before Cabe gets there. I'm sure Cabe would throw himself on a grenade to protect them, but he'd still feel guilty about them having part in this."

Toby nodded. Suddenly he grinned as he leaned over and whispered. "Want to go practice making a baby?"

Happy grinned as she stood up and started walking away. "You grab the can of whipped cream."

Toby's eyes went wide and he jumped up off the sofa and ran for the refrigerator.

Both of their phones went off at five a.m. and they both groaned as they reached to their night stands and turned them off. "Man, we shouldn't have done that when we were getting up so early." Toby complained.

Happy looked back at him a bit annoyed. "Oh, so enjoying some private time with me isn't worth a little missed sleep?"

Toby's eyes shot open as he shook his head. "That is not what I was saying. I was still mostly asleep. You can't hold that against me."

Happy's eyebrow rose. "I can't? Just watch me Jackass."

Toby groaned in misery.

Greetings! Hope this finds you all well! Today has been pretty good so far, the weather broke Sunday evening and we've had above freezing temps, lots of sunshine yesterday and when I went out today most of the snow was gone and so for the first time in about 2 weeks I got to leave my yard and go to the corner store! lol

Railman - Thank you! hehe Good, glad I can still cause you some surprise. I hope today's is no different. lol

Lucy - He definitely would be a scary opponent. You're right, I don't think anyone else would have been able to bring him around. He'd have had to stop himself without her.

Marie - Thank you!

Margaret - Unfortunately I couldn't find any sources for any of the guys who helped to rip off the casino so I can't put a name to him. I could have just gave him one I suppose but I wasn't sure if it really mattered. But you are right, the casino owner's daughter was the brains behind the heist which is why she wasn't in this, she learned her lesson, not to mess with Scorpion! lol

I'm currently also writing a new "original" story, unrelated to Scorpion. I'm not sure when it will be done or if I will ever post it, mainly because of some of the content within the story. FF has an original story board but they only support a mature rating and this story is definitely much more adult then that. I bring it up only because it might interfere with my new normal posting of every other day. But I can't see it pushing it more then maybe posting a chapter every 3 days instead of every 2. You might be wondering why I wrote "original" that way. Mainly because of the many writers in the world who frown on fanfiction, that it isn't real writing. They somehow think that writing a story based off someone else's worlds and characters is too easy in comparison to creating your own world and characters. I don't think they have a clue how hard it is to write beloved characters of another's creation and keeping them in character and believability that the story could be part of the original. Most of the fandoms are quick to pounce on stories where the writer has made a mistake or changed things too much. It is a tight rope to walk.

I also have a website being designed for my stories here. One of the artists who has done a number of my commissions is in school learning all of that and when she found out I was interested in hiring someone to make one was quick to toss her hat into the ring. lol What I have seen so far is really looking good. It would be a way for people to find my stories in a context of being in order and grouped together in each AU. I'll share a link here when it is finally done. With all that said.

To the Adventure! -Tim