Oh my god! It hasn't been even a week and I have already posted the next chapter! :O The apocalypse is coming! All joking aside I really can't believe I finished it with so little time. The way that it works every time I post a chapter is that that same day I usually start the next one. Usually I write them gradually over the month, but for this chapter for some weird reason I was so into it I couldn't stop. And what do you know, this one is pretty long as well.

eltonjon2001: First of all, thanks for the great review, pointing the stuff that didn't quite click with you was very helpful, I will keep it in mind for future chapters. About what you said about Walter, I don't want to spoil anything since the whole story is based on the mistery of wtf is going on, so I can't tell you how it's gonna go, but what I can say is that the end is going to be amazing, it will finish with a bang ;) About Paige, well if you read this chapter you'll see it's all about her feelings towards Walter's disappearance. Also want to say that don't hesitate to review me again, since your comment is what made me write the next chapter this fast :D

Like I said in the answer, this chapter will be emotional, me have some Page/Toby bonding and some Ralph/Paige as well.

Hope you like it, and please comment and review, it helps me a lot! :P

It had already been a month, she thought that she would have grown accustomed to his lack of presence but it wasn't true, everyday hurt more than the last. Scorpion was running quite smoothly thanks to Sam's involvement in it, and the team was starting
to feel sort of functional again, achieving more than a couple of well done jobs. Paige couldn't stop worrying about the lost genius though. She had been able to block his memory for a while thanks to the adrenaline running through her in that drug
bust mission, but when the endorphins had worn off she couldn't stop thinking about him. She had been able to play off how much it had affected her, but if she didn't do something she would break out crying in front of the team, or worse, in the middle
of a mission.

She suddenly blinked, realising her eyes were drying out. She had been staring into her laptop's screen for quite some time, not doing any kind of work whatsoever. Paige looked around, to see if somebody had seen her. Everyone was doing their personal
projects except Toby, that was discreetly looking at her, what made her nervous, since he was definitely going to ask her about it and she didn't feel ready to talk about it yet. As he got up from the desk and was getting closer to her she looked
around for Ralph or Cabe, the only people that could block him, since Happy was not going to move from her station. Unfortunately Ralph was at school (obviously) and since they weren't on an active mission Cabe was at Homeland. Looking for an escape
she suddenly got up and went to the kitchen, convincing herself that she needed to eat something. Toby did not relent though, and followed her.

Trying to make herself look busy she started to prepare a basic sandwich, ignoring Toby's presence.

"Paige." He talked.

"Oh! Hi Toby." She answered as casually as she could, in hopes that her greeting would stop him from asking things.

His face easily told her that he hadn't bought it even a little bit. She sighed admitting defeat. He wasn't going to leave her alone until he had had his way. She pointed at the lonely couch, if she was going to have such a draining conversation either
way she'd rather be sitting for it. He nodded and followed her. They sat in silence for at least five minutes. Feeling the tension Paige tried to break the ice.

"So, how's everything? The wedding?" The only thing that Toby had been talking about for the past month had been the ceremony, maybe with hopes of lifting the spirit of the team.

"Don't force yourself to make small talk Paige." He looked worried, what put her off for a second. "We are worried about you."

He paused for a second, maybe trying to gauge her reaction, but she had been a waitress for much too long and she could fake a good face. He sighed. "You're the only one that hasn't properly faced his disappearance."

"I don't know what you mean, I've been coping with it." She answered quickly, wanting to be done with that conversation. He sensed her hurry.

"Yes, coping, but you haven't truly dealt with it yet." He was using his shrinky voice now.

"What do you mean? I have been doing the same as you guys." She was now defending herself, but she didn't care at that moment.

"Not really, Happy has talked to me about it, since we are engaged." His voice changed when he uttered that word, he was so in love. It made her feel a twinge of jealousy inside her. "And Sly came to me a week ago to talk about something unrelated and
we ended up discussing our situation."

"What about Cabe then?" She retorted, fearing where this was going.

"He's a grown man, he will be able to get through it." He dismissed him fast.

"Paige, have you talked to someone about it?" His tone changed to a gentler one. "Ralph?"

"N-no, I haven't been able to properly tell him, I fear that if I do it will mean that I've given up on him getting back." Saying the thoughts she had had roaming hear head outloud eased a burden of her shoulders, she felt lighter somehow.

"It won't." She looked at him and she was able to see all the pain hidden behind his eyes, he was missing him too. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about other people Paige, worry about yourself, your son needs to know what is going on,
and telling him about it will help you." He let go of her, and stayed seated next to her in silence.

"I thought you would try to pry it out of me." Paige admitted, showing a little smile.

"Normally I would, but this is something important, and I know that the only people you would feel comfortable sharing this kind of thing would be Walter and Ralph, and since Walter is out of the question you need to speak to your son." Toby's words soothed
her, and she got up to go back to work.

"Thanks Toby, I will…" She suddenly felt a little dizzy and had to ease herself again onto the couch. The psychiatrist was quick to respond.

"Wow, are you okay Paige?" He got closer.

"Y-yes, I just felt dizzy from standing up too fast. It will pass in a second." He didn't relent though. He got even closer to be able to see her face best. She felt a little uncomfortable, but was still feeling dizzy, so she had no strength to refuse
him.

"Paige, you haven't been sleeping enough, and you lack nutrition, you need a breather." He separated himself from her. "Go home, take it easy and spend some quality time with your son." He helped her up and accompanied her to her desk. Feeling that she
wasn't going to win, she accepted her fate.

"Yes, I will. Thanks Toby." Some rest would do her good, and she would never say no to some quality time with her son.

She left the garage after half an hour, ready to go pick Ralph, having called the babysitter about the change of plans.

They went to have lunch at Kowalski's, and hanged out at the library for quite some time, it was one of Ralph's favourite places. Then they went to the park to walk, it was nice out.

They sat on a park bench that was quite separated from the rest, what enabled a little of privacy. Paige tried to start a conversation but found it difficult.

"There's something bothering you, I can tell." The little boy said. She looked at him, and he was looking at her right back, worried.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't enjoy your company because I totally did." She answered him, now calmer, as she ruffled his hair. Her actions made him smile a little bit.

"It's just that there's an issue we should have talked for a long time but I couldn't bring myself to do so." He listened carefully, not wanting to miss a little second of her talking.

"It-it's about Walter, Honey." She saw exact moment her son understood her words, his face tensed, and even though he didn't move a muscle she saw the tension oozing of him.

"He has gone missing, nobody knows where he is." She tried to sound as reassuring as possible, but she knew it wasn't going to have any effect on her son at that moment. He looked back at her, serious.

"Please tell me the circumstances of his disappearance." Even though he was polite she sensed his urgency so she explained as fast as she could.

"It was a month ago, when you stayed with Silvester." He nodded remembering perfectly when she was talking about.

"He disappeared for a whole day, and gladly we found him, but he went to some strange places during the day. He finally got in contact with us and realised it had been only a scare."

She paused, she didn't know how to approach this with Ralph.

"He came to visit me and stayed over, but in the morning he was gone. No sign of him whatsoever." Every word she had spoken was making it more real, and she didn't think that she would be able take much more, she needed a couple of seconds.

Ralph, feeling her distress, got a little closer to her since he knew that physical proximity comforted her. Paige felt a sob escaping her mouth, but she kept herself together, she had to hold on until they were finished with the conversation.

"I'm sorry Ralph, I know how much you like him." She said after taking a couple of seconds to recompose herself. They looked at each other face to face and she could see his pain in his eyes, she was surely feeling the same. She had lost the love of her
life a month ago, but for him was like he had lost a father a second time, and that was one of the things that broke her most of all, her son's pain.

"Mum, I need to show you something." He looked hesitant when he uttered those words. That was the face he had on when he had done something he knew was wrong.

"Ralph, what's wrong?" He looked at his backpack guilty. Instead of answering her he simply reached inside his bag.

He took out a wrinkled and folded paper, and gave it to her. For a second she stared at it, and realised the creases on it, it had probably been folded and unfolded a hundred times. Slowly she opened it, fearing what was inside.

For a second she forgot to breathe, realising the same instant what it was. She had memorised his handwriting in the last month, every morning looking at his note, and looking over all his notes (even if she didn't understand them), it was definitely
Walter's handwriting.

Paige gaped at the paper in front of her, and looked at her son, surprised. He simply stared back, with a worried look on his face.

"Mom, please read it. He said not to show it to anyone but I think you need it." She couldn't stop gaping until a thought made her crinkle a smile. Ralph was acting so mature about all of it being barely 10, and Paige, his mother was acting like a child
about it. It definitely felt like they had switched roles. Shaking her head to ready herself, she looked at the letter and read through it.

"Dear Ralph,

I don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this letter short and efficient.

I have to go. Personal issues prevent me from telling you the reason behind my trip, but I'll have you know this.

This is the only option, I can't face what's to come any other way, if I did everyone would be in danger, and you and your mom are the most important people in my life.

When everyone realises my disappearance I will be long gone. You can't show them this letter, if they know they will all be in danger.

The last issue I want to adress is this one:

I love your mom. I love Paige and I have been in love for three years. I have the highest regards for you as well Ralph, and believe when I say that leaving you both is the hardest issue I've had to face in this endeavour.

Please don't force her to talk about this, I can predict she'll be mad, or if she's not she won't want to talk about it, wait until she's ready to talk to you.

Be strong and believe that I'll be back.

W"

She couldn't stop reading over and over, still find it difficult to believe that he wrote to his son to say goodbye. When she felt a hand resting on her shoulder she realised she was shaking all over. Looking to her left she stared at her son looking
at her. They hugged for the longest time, until she realised it was late and they needed to get home.

That night after having had dinner and put Ralph to bed she relaxed on her own bed, staring at Walter's letter. They had agreed that it was better if Paige kept it in a safe place, since the letter stated that it was dangerous if it got into the wrong
hands. She was going to put it into her safe, but she wanted to read through it one last time before going to sleep.

After looking at it for what she calculated was like fifteen minutes a wave of anger swamped through her. How dare he? After all they had been through that's how he said goodbye to her? With a two-sentence note to her and a beautiful letter to her son?
All questions without a single answer, what was going on?

She wanted to scream, shout and break something, but even with all that bottled up anger she was unable to hate Walter for leaving her. She got up and went to the kitchen, went to the stove and almost burned the damn letter. At the last second though,
she stopped, feeling herself unable to do such thing. Hearing a noise she turned around, and Ralph was there, he probably had trouble sleeping, just like her. At that exact moment she stopped being angry at him. Remembering the contents of the letter
reminded her that he loved them and he would come back for them. Feeling like breaking down Paige went to her son, and they hugged while they both cried. That night they slept together in her bed, hugging each other and imagining Walter was with them.