"Hey ScorpJr1, are you out there?" Walter typed into the void of the dark web.
He sat waiting patiently. He was supposed to be at a dinner meeting with Richard but Ralph was far more important to him. After the news he got from the attorneys' office he wasn't about to leave Ralph to feel abandoned.
"Hey." Ralph simply replied.
Walter choked back the feelings that simple one word message conveyed.
"You know that this doesn't change a single thing, right? You are an amazing person and you will be the most amazing man. Drew will kick himself and wish he could have been your Dad." Walter typed back.
"Thanks Dad. You always pick me up." Ralph typed back. "Did Grandpa tell you I got to visit with him and Grandma last week?"
"You don't have to thank me Ralph. I'm in your corner, for life. That's what a Dad does. As for that, yes, he was bursting at the seams the next day." Walter grinned. "Sorry I haven't been able to talk since the day before that. Work got crazier."
Ralph smiled.
"Grandpa told me. He said he thinks he is finally growing used to flying in your helicopter. Really makes me wish I could go up with you. Why didn't you tell me?" Ralph typed back.
"Me too. Well, I wasn't too sure, you are so important to me and I didn't want to come off as showing off or rubbing anything in, that here I am doing so well and, well, your Mom isn't. But it is an amazing experience flying it. Sometimes I take it up just so I have something that my racing thoughts can deal with while I think about important things. Maybe one day, your Mom will back down a little and you can come visit." Walter sighed.
"How's she supposed to back down if you are still ignoring her?" Ralph typed angrily. "You still aren't innocent in all of this. Just because I can see she's at fault too doesn't mean I don't see your culpability." Ralph hurtled the words quickly, not giving Walter a chance to respond. He sighed as he struggled to get his anger back under control. "But getting back to right now, she thinks you don't love her anymore. That you've moved on. She isn't going to back down if she doesn't feel supported." Ralph threw Walter's words back at him.
Walter blanched.
"You're right Ralph. Truth is, I'm still crazy in love with your Mom. I figured by now I'd really hate her, or at least not love her. It takes so much energy to put on the façade I wear at the bids when she's there. But she never approaches me personally, it is always business related. I think I'd crack in half if she ever came up and asked how I was." Walter replied honestly.
"Well apparently you are a great actor now because even the stooges think you hate them. Dad, please, you got to do something. If Mom doesn't see a possibility with you, it won't change. One of these days she's going to meet someone else if she isn't with you." Ralph begged.
"How is she doing?" Walter asked noncommittally.
"She's more weirded out over the possibility that Drew isn't my Dad, thing. She keeps saying she never cheated on him, but, if I am not biologically his, what happened?" Ralph sent back.
"I understand, well for what it is worth Ralph, I believe her. Paige wouldn't have consciously cheated on Drew. Maybe she'd gone to a college party and was roofied." Walter replied.
"Great, so I might be the son of a sick son of a bitch rapist." Ralph sighed but had already thought it had to be the only answer if his Mom was truthful.
"Sorry, I'm sure you had already thought about that too." Walter smiled weakly at the screen.
"Yeah, I had. Hey, don't be mad at me, but all the money you had paid me for helping Scorpion in the past, I gave it to Mom to help her with the bills. I was going to use it to get emancipated, but I tried to think of what you would want me to do." Ralph told him.
"I'm not mad about you using the money that way Ralph. I'm damn proud of you for doing that and supporting your Mom. Thank you." Walter replied.
"Sorry I don't have much time Dad. I've got to go. I have to get to CalTech for class." Ralph sent back.
Walter sighed.
"Alright buddy, if you need me, you know where to find me." Walter finished.
Walter sat there staring at the screen for several minutes. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Richard apologizing for the late cancellation but he would be happy to come in tomorrow to talk.
Walter thought back to when he had looked Paige's history over so he could consider if she'd be a security problem with Homeland. He reached over and opened a file and read through it and found where she had lived around the time Ralph would have been conceived. He pulled up his hacking portal. It took him a while but he set up an algorithm and let it start searching through the internet. It was a long shot, but as Toby had told him many times, sometimes a long shot was all you had.
October 22nd, Centipede Partners Offices:
"I'm telling you guys I don't like the way Paige is looking." Happy complained as they opened up the office for the day. "She's losing weight, she looks like death warmed over.
"I agree, but she isn't confiding in us. What can we do?" Sylvester asked.
"I have done everything I can to try and get her to stop stressing, but nothing is working. I'm sure she's lost close to twenty pounds so far. The bags under her eyes could almost qualify for their own zip code. I hope she listens to her family doctor better than me." Toby finally told them. "The three of us might not be able to splurge on the stuff we used to, but even with the money from Sylvester's rent she's not making it. The stress about the future is killing her. And that doesn't even count what the court case about Ralph's paternity is doing to her."
"I think we have to go to Walter. Make him understand, surely he can't hate us, or her that much. I can't believe he'd want this for her. If he won't back off, we're going to have to tell her to take time off." Happy sighed.
"I can call his attorney and see if we can sit down with him." Sylvester told them as he moved to his desk. "When is she supposed to be in from her doctor's appointment?"
"She said it was at 9 am." Happy told him.
"Unless we make her, she won't stop working, Happy. She'll kill herself first. She feels guilty because she knows we need her to work between us and our clients. But she's also worried about Ralph and now this damn case tomorrow. How's that going Sly?" Toby asked.
"I'm as ready as I can be for it. But there really isn't anything we can do. They weren't married, which would have made Ralph his son no matter what. So if he can prove Ralph isn't his son, he'll win. Best I can hope for is to limit how much she'll have to pay him. She has that vague memory of being with someone when she was heavily intoxicated that one time." Sylvester told him. "Yes. Ms Givens, Sylvester Dodd with Centipede Partners. We've got a problem going on and we really need to have a conversation with Walter, please." Sylvester told her.
"Oh, he isn't? I see, well our partner Ms Dineen has a separate legal issue going on that is really complicating things with her. And her health is getting a little scary, we were hoping to be able to talk with him about altering our agreement in regards to her to help alleviate some of what is happening to her. She's actually got the first hearing for it tomorrow." Sylvester explained.
"No, I understand if he is tied up in business. But can you get the message to him as soon as possible please? It really is bordering on an emergency." Sylvester stopped short of pleading. "I understand and thank you." Sylvester sighed as he hung up.
"She'll get word to Walter but no promises. He's on a case for Homeland and won't be back until tomorrow." Sylvester sighed.
"Well, first you are going to have to put your Dr hat on permanently, Fungus. You are going to have to take Paige's place of working with clients. Use your Harvard training to serve our needs. Because, I'm calling for a vote. When Paige comes in, we tell her she is suspended with pay for two months, period. Will you guys back me?" Happy asked.
Toby and Sylvester nodded.
"Yes dear?" The receptionist at Scorpion Inc looked up and then frowned seeing Paige. "Am I going to have to call security this time?" She asked.
Paige shook her head as she looked at her watch noting the time at just past 10 am.
"I was wanting to put in a job application, please." Paige asked.
"Oh, well of course. I'm not sure if they are hiring right now, though I think Mr O'Brien is wanting a new janitor. But I doubt you'd be interested in that." The older woman noted Paige's beautiful outfit. She smiled and pulled out a clipboard with forms on it. "Did you want to fill it out here or take it with you?"
"At the moment, I'm open to almost anything. I'll fill it out here though." Paige smiled weakly as she took the clipboard. "Umm, do you know if I can get an interview today?" Paige asked.
"That shouldn't be a problem. Are you okay dear? You look ill compared to the first time I saw you." The receptionist tried to smile.
"I-I." Paige started and then just nodded and sat down.
"Ms Dineen?" The woman said as she opened the door out of the reception area.
"You are welcome to call me Paige." Paige told her as she stood up.
"Nice to meet you Paige, I'm Carol. Come on back and let's talk." Carol introduced herself.
Paige couldn't believe it was the same place. It was so professional looking and with a ceiling. A hallway ran from north to south in the building. The entry and the area where Toby's couch sat was all part of the reception area. She could see another hallway opened about where Happy's workbench sat and ran back towards the east end of the Garage. The ramp, if it was still there, was concealed behind the three doors that were along the hallway. They followed the hallway towards where Walter's desks used to sit.
Carol walked past those first three doors and turned into the next and Paige followed her in. There was another hallway that opened where her desk used to sit and it ran back to the east, most likely to the kitchen area and bathroom she thought. She saw an open door opposite of the room Carol went into with a name plaque that said "Allie Jones". There were three more doors at the south end of the hallway.
"Unfortunately Mr O'Brien is away on a job until tomorrow. While I deal with all HR matters, he of course is the final word on hiring and firing. I just try to keep the wheels churning. Thankfully it is a fairly well oiled machine here." Carol told her as she pointed to a chair and moved around the desk to sit down.
"I was shocked seeing your application and of course knowing a little about your time with the company before." Carol smiled.
Paige nodded.
"If I may be truthful Carol, I was an idiot. I let something derail what I had going on here, both as an employee and as a girlfriend. I've failed as a partner, as a person and as a Mother. I don't know what else to do, I had thought I was at my lowest before I met Walter but compared to where I am now, waitressing was cozy. But Walter helped to lift me up to my highest. He believed in me, trusted in me and gave so much to me. And I threw it all away. I just…I just…I don't know what else to do." Paige sobbed.
"Paige?" Allie said as she walked back from the kitchen and heard her. She rushed in and at first was shocked to see the weight that Paige had lost since they'd last been together. She grabbed Paige in a hug and Paige broke down crying.
"Allie, I've messed up so bad. I really need help." Paige cried.
"Well, we're Scorpion, we help people." Allie tried to reassure her as she rubbed her back.
"I've tried so hard, Allie. But the stress of trying to keep CP running, the financial impact of the agreement. Even with the help from the guys I've had to use a lot of my savings to keep my head above water. And my doctor just told me, I've got to quit CP. I've got to find some way to eliminate all the stress. He said I won't live to see Ralph graduate." Paige cried.
Paige pulled into her parking spot at CP. She dreaded this moment. She didn't know what she was going to say or how they were going to react. She walked slowly into the building but no one was up front.
"I'm back." Paige called out.
"Great, we're back here in the conference room." Toby called out.
Paige walked back feeling like she was on her way to be executed. She inhaled several times with her eyes closed as she walked that twenty feet. She was trying to draw on whatever strength she had left to face them. Her eyes opened and she took the last two steps and turned into the room.
"We're glad you're back." Toby started.
"I've got something to tell you guys." Paige started and they both froze.
"Toby will go first." Happy said resolutely.
"Yes, we had a partners' meeting while you were gone and we're putting you on a mandatory two month paid suspension to see if you can get your stress down. We're very concerned about you and the effect it is having on you." Toby told her.
Paige gasped and then collapsed into the closest chair before she began crying.
"Hey, are you okay?" Happy jumped first followed by Toby who grabbed her wrist to check her pulse.
"Jumping salamanders Paige. Your heart rate is going nuts." Toby said as he quickly began trying to get her to relax. "Turn the lights off, Happy." Toby told her as he pulled his phone out and began playing some calming music. With the lights in the room out Toby began speaking in a low, calm voice as the music filled the air.
With just the hallway lights filtering into the room Paige slowly got her emotions and anxiety under control she finally began relaxing a bit.
"Thank you." Paige smiled a little as she looked at the three geniuses before her. "My doctor read me the riot act. He said he hadn't seen numbers like mine in a long time. He said I had to quit Centipede Partners. He'd prefer I wasn't doing anything for several months but I can't afford that. He said if I didn't get it under control I wouldn't see Ralph graduate high school." Paige sobbed.
"I don't want to be a burden to you guys. I stopped by the Garage to see if Walter would give me a job doing something, I don't know what. Carol and Allie both promised to speak with him but he isn't expected back before tomorrow. I'm sorry." Paige told them.
"Hey, this isn't just your problem or fault. All five of us caused this. So regardless of what Walter will do, you're considered suspended with pay for the next two months. So go home, and really relax. We also voted to divert an extra three hundred a week from our pay to you. That should give you enough so you don't have to do anything but recover. If Walter does hire you then we'll just go our separate ways employment wise." Toby told her.
Happy nodded as she bumped Paige's shoulder with her fist and left the room. Happy went into her work area and opened her laptop. She quickly hacked her way into the provider of Cabe's cell phone and found him in the desert but not too far away. She could be there before the end of the day. Happy scribbled a note saying she had to go get parts and snuck out the back door to her truck and left.
Cabe stood on the desert floor as Walter was working on the communications tower for Homeland's private network. Walter had been in an almost foul mood for the last two weeks and today wasn't any better. In fact it was made worse a few hours ago.
"So what has you in such a bad mood today?" Cabe asked.
Walter glared over at the man he'd come to embrace as a Father.
"Ralph, Paige, this whole situation." Walter finally mumbled.
"Well then, do something about it." Cabe barked.
"You think I don't want to? But I'm still so mad at them, well her really. I couldn't give a rat's ass about them. I know I screwed up Cabe and Ralph has only been too happy to remind me, to blame me, every time we've chatted this past month. But damn it, she walked out on me. She only came back that one time to try and sweet talk me out of suing them. Now she comes back crying to Allie and Carol, begging for a job? Why is it only when it's about her?" Walter swore.
"If you did want to, you wouldn't care why she came back. You'd use the reason to make it right. I'm not saying she's innocent, but you caused the problem. You should be the first to say you're sorry." Cabe told him.
"I did, in the video message I made for them over the lawsuit." Walter grumbled.
"You need to do it in person. And releasing them from that damn agreement would be a step in the right direction. All of this is hurting her health. You heard how scared Allie was at her appearance." Cabe told him.
"She's the one that wouldn't listen to me Cabe. And I'm already formulating plans and got the guys working on that." Walter said weakly. "All I wanted was for her to want me. I'd give her the world. But even now, she doesn't want me. Just what I can do for her. She's just using me." Walter said stubbornly.
"Is that what I'm doing? Is that what Allie and the rest are doing? Using you to make a living?" Cabe barked.
"No, and you know what I mean. If her health was fine she wouldn't be back asking for a job. She'd still be held up in their offices trying to figure out how to destroy me." Walter fought back.
"Paige hasn't ever thought about trying to destroy you." Cabe's head turned as his ears picked up the sound of tires on the back road.
"We got some company." Cabe told Walter.
"That's odd, isn't this whole area restricted?" Walter frowned.
"It's supposed to be." Cabe answered and then he saw Happy's truck come over the last ridge. "Looks like Happy tracked us down."
"Just what I don't need." Walter swore as he continued tightening the bolts on the antenna.
"Are you really that mad at us Walt?" Happy screamed as she climbed out of her truck.
"Kid, you do know you are in a restricted area. You could get arrested." Cabe warned her.
"Then they can arrest me." Happy swore.
"Happy, I don't have time for this." Walter told her. As he worked.
"Tough! Wait, what do you think you are doing?" Happy asked as she looked at the system.
"Getting the last of this set up for Homeland's private network." Walter told her.
Happy walked up and pushed him out of the way.
"Then you should have brought an engineer with you." Happy told him as she took over working on it.
"My engineers are all tied up with other jobs and this has to be done now, it can't wait. And I was doing a decent job." Walter told her.
"Barely competent." Happy sighed as she continued to work.
"So what did you want to yell at me about?" Walter asked as he moved to another task.
"Walt, your damn agreement with us is killing Paige. Along with this damn claim by Drew that Ralph isn't his son." Happy told him.
"Then why haven't any of you come over before now?" Walter asked calmly. "Why wait until she has used up so much of her savings and is in such bad shape health wise? Was your guilt over what you did to me so bad it took that to get you to come to me?" Walter asked quietly.
"Yes." Happy said softly. "Look." Happy stopped what she was thinking and shrugged it off even as she continued working. "This isn't about me, you or anyone but Paige. She needs you, needs you to do what you do best. Take the hurting, lost, confused misfit and give them a better life." Happy said as she remembered how she felt when Walter had brought her in.
"You're welcome." Walter told her as he finished his task and began another.
"What?" Happy looked at him.
"In your own way you were thanking me for what I did for you. So I said you are welcome." Walter told her even as he brought the computer online.
Happy looked at Cabe in surprise.
"Walter's turned a corner." Cabe said softly.
Happy nodded as she still was not believing it.
"Look, Walt. We go back longer than anyone. We've been in each other's corner a lot. And we both did some stupid things. And while I want to fix this between us, I'm not here about that at this time. I'm here for my friends. Paige, Ralph and you. You three need each other, but she needs you more right now. Please, I'm asking you for a Walter O'Brien miracle for Paige right now." Happy stopped as she finished the last adjustment.
"It has been my intention all along to help her when she decided she was ready for it." Walter said as Happy and him stood there looking at each other.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! The longest chapter yet. lol Can't remember if it is the longest of the story or not.
Supergirl - Glad to hear it! Could it be? Tune in Thursday for the next exciting chapter! lol
Railman - Walter said getting rid of Carlson was efficient...LOL He also said he's open to small cases, but corporate jobs are a different story. He's still a big softy. He still remembers that pouch he wanted to fight with over the peanut butter. LOL
Guest - Thank you so much! Well if CBS/Viacom/Paramount ever wanted I'd be happy to help with stories for Scorpion. lol
2LawDog - Indeed. And while on the one hand has no logical value with Drew, he was an emotional one and that stung for sure. Drew found a lawyer willing to work off a percentage of the award. (He's also hoping the judge will rule for more money on the emotional duress.)
Marti - Glad the curiosity is quelled! hehe Glad you aren't getting tired of me using it. lol I just don't know how many more ways I can possibly bring it up differently. lol Yep, Walter was always trying once he brought Paige into the Cyclone. You could see it happen in the first episode. And while the others grew some, it was limited. While Toby grew more in regards to Happy, he declined towards Walter. Happy grew in regards to Toby, but she stayed about the same other wise. Sly was kind of surprising. What I didn't like was how rushed they were with his relationship with Megan. We went from "You're chopping my nuts" to dating with no lead up. I know the show only had 40 minutes an episode, but they could have had a few scenes of him just visiting more as a get to know you thing. *shrug* But they had to really push and rush her death which I didn't understand. She could have help Sly a lot more.
Margaret - Yep, Walter is rather impressed himself. He still gives a lot of credit to Paige. The heat isn't going to be good that is for sure. I'm planning to take a couple of frozen wet wash clothes with me and if it gets too much I can pull one out and put on my neck. Even when the coolness is gone the moisture will help a lot.
SkunkeeFunk - Thank you, you are too kind! To actually write for Scorpion, that would have been a dream I didn't know I had come true! lol Going to do my best! You and everyone else too!
To the Adventure! -Tim