Hey people I'm back! I guess you all hate me now after the last episode right? THis chapter starts quite grim but it gets better through the end. I wanted to give you guys this chapter as faster as I could but ironically last week was the busiest I had been in the whole month. I couldn't get to the chapter until thursday, and when I did I felt out of touch with Paige's pain, so it was difficult to get into the story again. I also have to say that getting hooked into Teen Wolf (I know I'm six years late :P) wasn't a good idea either.

As always thanks to the amazing eltonjon2001 for his support and everyone that has reviewed the story so far. Interestingly last chapter was the one that got most reviews of all the ones that I have posted.

Also, I'm introducing a new character in this chapter. Originally she didn't exist, but I read a book called The memory of you by Laurie Kellogg (really good ;) and this character came into mind. Her name is Kiara and will become sort of Paige's best friend (except Happy of course)

It's funny that the team barely appears in this chapter ^^' it's due to the fact that at this time Paige doesn't care about anything.

Please enjoy, and don't forget to comment and review! And as always feel free to PM me :)

This happens 2 MONTHS and 3 WEEKS after Walter's disappearance.

Almost three weeks had gone by since the dreaded letter had come in the mail, two weeks since Paige had shed tears for Walter. Since they had the kind of job that could turn dangerous pretty easily she had thought about what how it would feel to lose Walter, but in her imagination it felt nothing like this. She imagined that it would feel like her father's death, the one that had marked her through her teenage years, but it didn't. She remembered crying everyday for a really long time when she lost her close relative, but she couldn't bring herself to cry for Walter. It wasn't like it didn't hurt, because it hurted like hell, but the pain was so strong that the only way she could get through each day was to dull herself to the point that she felt almost nothing at all. As an EQ expert in Scorpion she knew that she wasn't approaching this right, but she didn't find any other way to do so that it wouldn't kill her.

As for Ralph, he wasn't approaching the situation the same as her. He would go to school everyday with renovated energy, and would try to make things good for them again. Every time anything related to Walter would come up he would talk about it, feeling clearly proud of him, trying to celebrate his life instead of dwelling on his death. His positive attitude had made an impact on the team, Paige could see how the ambient felt lighter when he was there. He tried the same attitude at home but it didn't work on her. She tried to stay positive for Ralph, but she wasn't successful. Every time she felt an milliliter of happiness she would remember her love and feel guilty for trying to keep her life going without him by her side. It had come to a point that her son and her almost never spoke. He had tried to cheer Paige up and she answered with false smiles, to which he picked up right away, which eventually made him stop trying. She hated what was happening to their family, but she didn't know how to stop it, she didn't have any strength left.

On her professional life things had changed as well. Worried about her, the team decided that it was better if she handled things from the base, since one of the last times she had been on the field she had been pretty reckless. Their decision was perfectly okay for her, she didn't feel excited anymore from those kind of missions and she knew she would only endanger the team with her behaviour. It had reached a point where everyone was working through it except her. She felt like her clock had stopped with his death, that everyone was moving on without her. She wanted to go with them but she couldn't, his memory was keeping her from moving on.

Toby had been keeping an eye on Paige for the last couple of days, and she knew that he was going to try to talk to her like the last time. Before it had worked, it had made her talk things through with Ralph, but at that moment she couldn't bear to hear Toby telling her that she had to move on, to move past Walter, to rebuild her life without him. Seeing him coming her way and knowing the kitchen wasn't a viable escape route (from previous experience) she headed for the door. The behaviourist looked stunned standing in the middle of the room, when Paige left the garage and whispered to him that she was going to pick up her son. Him, in retaliation, promised that they would have a talk, she had been lucky that Toby hadn't gathered the courage before Ralph's time to leave school.

She waited for the boy at her car, like always, and she saw how he came out talking enthusiastically with a little girl. They were pretty engrossed with their conversation so paige didn't dare to intrude, she would wait until he was finished talking to her. While she was looking at her son she saw someone move closer, Paige didn't move.

"Um, Hi,I'm Kiara Mason, Hayley's mom. We met at the parent's to school day." The woman said, in a polite and friendly tone while she pointed at the girl that was talking to her son. Paige remembered her, she was a very nice woman that she had casually talked to a couple of times that they had run into each other while picking up their kids.

"Hi, yes, I remember you, it's nice to see you." She forced her waitress attitude, it was the only way for her to sound nice now.

Paige was surprised when she saw how she had picked up on charade and wasn't buying it.

"Look, we're not really friends, but if you need anything I'd be willing to listen, if you want. Here, my info." She gave paige a contact card that said her number and profession, she was a passtisier. Taken a little aback she took her card while the other woman called Hayley. The little girl said goodbye to Ralph and went to her mum. "Sometimes it's easier to talk about your problems with a stranger than with people who are close to you. Have a nice day." She said while she went to her own car.

"Thanks Kiara, you too." She answered, stunned. She was surprised that that woman had offered her help when they barely knew each other, but she was more surprised by the fact the she had felt comfortable enough to talk to her about it while she hadn't felt that way with even her own son.

That night was tense at home, Ralph talked about his friend and what he did at school but afterwards the conversation fell flat. They spent the rest of the time eating in silence until he asked.

"Mum, can I have Walter's letter back?" Paige jumped at that question, like she did every time someone said his name.

"I don't have it anymore." She lied. "I threw it away." It was still in her safe, well kept. She would take it out every couple of days, when she felt he was slipping away from her memory, it helped her remember. She was still clinging to his memory but she didn't want her son to go through the same pain as her.

"I know you have it, mum. I have seen you read it every other night." He answered, nervous.

"Why do you want it honey?" She asked calmly, trying to sound reassuring.

"I think it's better if I have it." He said. "It's hurting you."

"I'm sorry Ralph, but I can't give it to you." She felt that if she let go of the letter Walter's existence would disappear.

"Mum-"

"No Ralph, this conversation is over!" Paige was starting to lose her patience, she didn't want keep talking about it.

"We already lost him mum!" Ralph yelled. Paige couldn't respond, her son almost never yelled.

"He didn't chose to leave us, but you are! I don't want to lose you too!" Now he was crying besides his yelling.

"Ralph,-" He didn't let her finish, he stormed to his room, and feeling they both needed some space Paige didn't pursue him.

That night she didn't have the strength to read the letter that was neatly folded in her hands, so she simply caressed it and left it on her nightstand.

When morning came Ralph's mood hadn't improved one bit. They ate breakfast in silence, and when she left her son for school she feared she had already lost him. She left him at the door with her car, like every morning, but all she got was a small "Bye" when the kid left the vehicle in a hurry. She got out and waited for him to get into the building. When Ralph got to the door Hayley joined him and they entered the building together. Realising what that meant she looked around.

Kiara saw her the same instant she did and got closer to say hello. Paige wanted to ask some advice but she didn't know how, so she simply stayed rooted to the ground saying anything. Kiara was able to see through her.

"Why don't we get some coffee or something?" She asked. Paige answered a very relieved yes and they went to a close diner.

They sat down in an empty table and started to drink their respective beverages. Paige wanted to talk about what was going on but didn't feel totally confident doing so, she didn't know anything about the woman sitting across her.

"My husband died ten years ago." Kiara said suddenly. That statement surprised Paige, too stunned to comment on it.

"Hayley was barely two, and with two other kids it was hard." She looked at Paige in the eyes and she realised why she had felt a connection, they had both lost someone important.

"It has been almost three weeks." She heard herself say before she could stop. Kiara looked at her with no special look, no pity or pain, just understanding.

"We worked together in a pretty dangerous job, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise." She continued.

"But it did. I know what you mean." Kiara said. "My husband was a marine and died in the battlefield." She looked down and Paige could see the pain that came with those memories. "It was his third tour. When he left for the first I was terrified for him but he came back. With the second I had more faith that he would come back to our one year old. And by the third I was certain that he would be there to see Hayley's little sister be born, but he didn't make it. He was in the army and it shouldn't have come as a surprise but it did." She smiled, it was a pained smile.

"We weren't really together, we were just starting, but Ralph already loved him like a father, he fitted perfectly with us." Kiara nodded. "We had been friends for almost three years when it happened and it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me." She sighed. "I just don't know how to deal with it, Ralph is my everything but he was… my other half. I'm sure he was the love of my life." A small tear fell from her cheek, for the first time, she didn't stop it. "Now I'm losing my son because I can't pick myself up." SHe let a sad laugh escape her mouth. "He scolded me last night. My son did. He's twelve and he's more mature than me." She stared at the half filled tea she had ordered.

"He's a very mature kid for his age." Kiara responded. "With me it was my little sister. When Harold died she started to come at my house to help me with the kids but at the end she took more care of them than me, and when Sarah was born I couldn't even look at her without breaking into tears, so my sister did everything. A month had passed when she sat me down and laid it all down for me. I cried a lot and I was hurt, but when it was over it helped me out a lot. From that point on I was able to pull through all the pain because I knew I had people who cared." After all of her explanation she looked up at Paige and and smiled, she looked broken but fixed at the same time.

"What should I do?" Paige asked.

"Just talk to him, if he's like you have told me he will definitely forgive you." She smiled again and Paige did the same, feeling a lot better.

Suddenly she smelled something that made her want to puke, so she put her hand over her face and waited. A waitress came through with some coffee on her tray.

"Are you okay?" Kiara jumped to her side.

"Y-yes, don't worry, I have had the flu come and go for the past month, when I think I'm cured it comes again." She laughed a little bit through her hand. Kiara's look made her think of something though.

Paige looked at the now far away cup of coffee and realised it was the smell of the beverage that had made her sick. To be sure she ordered one for herself, and when the same waitress put it in front of her Paige almost barfed. SHe tried to hold it but she wasn't able to so she rushed to the bathroom.

While she puked everything she had eaten the last week she could hear Kiara excusing her and leaving. Great, she had abandoned her to puke in solitude. When she was finished she was going to call her and have some words with her. She didn't have to though. When she opened the stall's door Kiara was there, with a pregnancy test on her hand. Paige blinked.

"I went to the nearest supermarket and bought this." She gave it to Paige. Who was to stunned to respond.

"Just take it." Kiara urged her. "Just to be safe." She gently pushed her into the stall again.

Absentmindedly, Paige did as she had been told, and a million images of a kid that looked like her and Walter popped into her mind. When she came out of the toilet she gave it to Kiara who took it and cleaned it in water a little bit and put it in a small, transparent plastic bag.

"There you go." She gave it to Paige, who was still to stunned to answer.

Kiara helped her out of the bathroom and payed for her, since she was still out of it. When they arrived to the parking lot the other woman took Paige by the shoulders and shook her slightly, that made her snap out of it.

"Keep it your purse and do your normal day today, when you think that you are ready to know look at it, but only when you know you are ready, okay?" Paige nodded. "Okay, call me when you have the answer, even if it's not positive 'kay?" Paige nodded again.

"Thank you a lot Kiara." She managed to say.

"All the luck to you Paige, and know that if you need anything I will be there." She answered while she waved goodbye.

Paige arrived at the garage a little later than usual but since the team was coming back from a mission in australia there was no problem. She went to her desk feeling an enormous weight, and the second she left her purse in her chair it reduced greatly. She realised she was terrified of that peed on stick, it was an answer she still wasn't ready to know. She felt stronger and readier to face life since her talk to Kiara but it was still too soon to think of having another kid.

While she completed the paperwork of their last mission Paige kept looking at her purse every five minutes, not curious but terrified of that transparent bag. In the whole day she didn't even take a peek inside her bag, and when the team came through the door she literally jumped out of her seat from the scare. Everyone looked at her and she awkwardly said hello to everyone, each one of them trying to figure out what what going on with her.

When it was time to pick up Ralph she practically jumped off her seat and left as fast as she could, her nerves were killing her.

Waiting for her son she saw Kiara from afar and waved, she did the same. Ralph came out and she could see how the other woman wished her luck. They smiled at each other and said goodbye.

"Ralph I want to talk to you." They were having dinner in silence, with the twelve year old still angry, and Paige gathered all her courage to speak those words into the quiet kitchen.

"What is it mum?" He spoke politely but she could feel the coldness of his words.

"I'm sorry Ralph." When Paige said those words her son looked up from his plate, surprised.

"Why?" He asked.

"I'm sorry for not being with you through all of this, I'm sorry I almost left you." Her emotions were starting to flow out of her but she didn't care.

The kid looked at her in the eyes and ran to her. She had her arms open in a milisecond. Ralph didn't hugh people and she knew that he had done the effort to show her that he forgave her.

"From now on we will get through this together." She spoke softly in his ear. "And this-" She took out Walter's letter that she had had on her pocket and hanged it up on the fridge with a magnet. "-will stay here so we will know every day how much Walter loved us." She saw the enormous smile that came over Ralph's face and she did the same, feeling liberated at last.

Paige accompanied Ralph in his bed until he fell asleep, after talking for what it seemed like hours about what she had missed in his life the last couple of weeks, it had been a lot.

When her son was at last sleeping a sense of calm engulfed her. She went to her bed and looked at her purse. She didn't feel that sensation of dread that she had felt the whole day, she knew that whatever came she and her son could face it, even if it was another kid with them.

Paige took out the plastic bag carefully without looking and set it on her legs. After a deep breath she opened her eyes and looked down. Two pink lines were welcoming her. Her breath hitched and she started to hyperventilate. Not believing it she closed her eyes and looked at it again, getting the same answer as before.

Not being able to stop looking at the stick, she fumbled in her purse and called Kiara, having saved her number beforehand.

"Yes?" Kiara said through the phone.

"Kiara, I'm pregnant."