Disclaimer: I don't own Scorpion or the characters.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who left such nice comments on the last chapter, though I'm sorry I made some of you cry. I'm glad you are enjoying the story. I had hoped to get this up a lot earlier but work has been super busy and I had a hard time writing this letter. Cabe's was so much easier but I hope I kept Walter's voice the same for both letters.


It seemed like a lifetime had passed to Sylvester as he anxiously watches Cabe open his letter. He is staring so hard he is almost afraid the letter in the agent's hands will burst into flames. The thought makes Sly give a little internal smirk. He likes the idea of having a superpower like his comic book heroes.

Just as the words "comic book" crosses his thoughts, they bring back that night in the garage and everything Walter said to him.

Anger wells up inside Sylvester and he tries to hold on to it. The anger is easy, he can handle anger. It's when he forgets to be angry that the guilt and sadness set in and that he can't handle. The pain is unbearable so he sticks with anger as much as he can.

"I'm not going to read this out loud, so stop watching me and read your own damn letters," Cabe yells, startling Sylvester from his thoughts.

Sylvester moves his gaze to the others, and he watches as they all move to grab their own from the table, and not even really thinking about it, he mimics their actions.

Soon he is settled back in his own chair, with Walter's letter to him firmly clutched in his hands.

He holds it as far as from him as he possibly can. He is both curious and filled with trepidation of what Walter has to say. He is finding it difficult to hold to the anger now and in twisted sense of irony that causes him to be even more angry. It doesn't make sense and Sylvester doesn't know how to handle something that doesn't make sense and so he continues to struggle internally, stuck in a loop.

Lost in his emotions that are being wound tighter and tighter, Sly is once again startled out of his thoughts by Cabe, this time though the agent has touched his arm to grab his attention.

Cabe is looking at him sternly and he is confused as to why until the agent looks pointedly down at the letter Sly is still clutching as though it were a bomb about to go off before looking back to him.

Sylvester doesn't move. He still isn't ready to face what's inside, but Cabe doesn't give him a choice as the agent rolls his eyes and orders Sylvester to read.

With Cabe still watching him and waiting for him to comply with his order, Sylvester slumps down, drawing as much of himself inward as he can. With a grimace, and hesitation, Sylvester slowly opens the envelope and pulls out the folded sheets of paper. Against the screaming of his inner voice telling him not read the letter, he can't help himself and his eidetic memory has already been pulled towards the words on the page.

As he finishes unfolding the pages, a small object falls out onto his lap. Almost jumping with fright, Sylvester looks down and sees it is a plastic hotel room key. Without picking it up, he knows exactly where they key is from, but he also knows where it was the last time he saw it. Why did Walter include this? The ramifications of the key being included in the letter just increases Sylvester's anxiety. He must know what the full letter says now.

"Sylvester,

Allow me to apologize for the words I said that night in the garage. There is no excuse for what I said and saying you weren't a real man couldn't be further from the truth. Out of everyone on the team, you have shown the most courage. I watched you time and time again push through your fears and phobias to save everyone. You are the bravest out of all of us.

Calling you a "comic book-reading baby boy" was out of line and in truth it has been your child like enthusiasm and outlook that has saved the day more than once. Even your knowledge of comic books has helped us a time or two on a case. Even my life was saved through the sacrifice of one of your actions figures, though technically Ralph sacrificed it, it was still your action figure.

Most of all Megan loved all those things about you and wouldn't want you to change.

For the rest of my words that night, I can't offer an apology as I still stand by what I said though I do believe I could have said it better rather than in the emotional rage I was in and so I apologize for that."

Sylvester stops there, he knows what Walter is referring to as he easily replays the words he and Walter exchanged that night. Everything seems a little different now with the apology, but he is still bitter regarding Florence.

Steeling himself and desperately holding onto the anger and bitterness from that night, he continues to read.

"I never made Florence fall in love with me. I can't make someone having feelings for me and neither can you. I can only control how I feel, and I don't now, nor did I ever have, any romantic feelings for her. I also didn't know she had developed feelings for me until she said so that night, and I didn't know you were interested in Florence until then either.

I still believe you should have asked her out a long time ago if you were interested in her but if anyone understands how hard is to do, it would be me. I also understand how terrible is feels to have waited to long and believe someone else beat you to the woman you love.

However, that you would think I would ever intentionally do that to you, someone I considered a friend, and even called brother, hurts.

The lecture that Paige and I were supposed to go to, and the reason I lied about it being cancelled was because I overheard Paige talking to Ralph and from their conversation Paige didn't want to go to the lecture. Trying to take her feelings into consideration and her teachings about "white lies" I told her the lecture had been cancelled. I still wanted to go and since I had an extra ticket, I turned to Happy and Toby to see if they had plans for that night. They said they were staying in and having pizza. I then asked you, but you were going to make sure Patty got home safe and then go check on Cabe and since Cabe was in the hospital, Florence was my last option.

But what's done is done. I'm sure there were things I could have done that would have made the situation better, but I'm not as developed as you are or as Toby and Happy when it comes to understanding emotional outcomes of different social situations, but I was trying.

I tried to follow Toby's advice, I tried to follow Paige's advice and instructions, but everything ended up conflicting and not adding up and I'm sorry I hurt you due to my own personal failure with my EQ."

Sylvester paused thinking back to that night of the lecture, he remembers Walter coming over before he and Patty walked out the door asking what they were doing that night. He can now see the hopeful look on Walter's face as he asked.

How would things have been different if I had just asked why or said I didn't have plans? Shaking his head, as though to banish the thoughts, Sylvester knows it's too late for what ifs, as Walter said in his letter, "what's done is done." With a sigh, Sylvester continues reading.

"I now would like to ask you a favor, well two favors. I know I may not have any right to ask, but I'm asking as your brother.

Please look after my parents for me. I know that you stay in contact with my parents, and it is no secret that you have a better relationship with them then I do. I also know that you told them what had happened that night. To say that they were not pleased with me, is putting it mildly. Actually, they both just yelled at me and before I could really say anything they hung up the call. I haven't been able to talk with them since then. So, I need you to take care of them.

Next year I'm predicting a harsh winter followed by a difficult harvest, which will make life at the farm very difficult especially for my father. He'll need extra help. I've sent him some plans a few months back, but I figure it will be like condensation catcher that I sent a few years ago that they ignored but listened to when you sent them information on it. The plans are in the garage in a box that I'm leaving for Centipede so if you could send it to my parents I would appreciate it."

The guilt just rises inside Sylvester. He had told Sean and Louise about what had happened that night in the garage, blaming Walter and about quitting Scorpion. He hasn't told them yet about Centipede Partners and competing for jobs, he just tells them that he doesn't speak to Walter anymore and that Walter hasn't apologized for stealing Florence.

Thinking on it now, Sylvester feels sick to stomach, and he knows Megan would be ashamed of him for the way he treated her brother and influenced their parents against their own son. Finding what little resolve he has left in him; Sylvester once again picks up the letter.

"I know that you know of my box of "tokens." Megan told me about snooping through the box and you telling her what some of the items represented, including the hotel key.

I know that you don't like to talk about that time when I tracked you to the hotel and how I found you inside, but I think it is important to say something now. Sylvester that day you were at your lowest point, and you have often thanked me in the past for "saving" you, but nothing could be further from the truth.

I offered you friendship, someone you could have a meeting of the minds with, but it was you who saved yourself Sylvester. You took the steps; you placed your trust in me when I had nothing to really offer you. As I said at the beginning, you were always the bravest of all of us.

Megan, after questioning me about her bracelet when we returned from Bosnia, took the bracelet, and then threw into the alley behind the garage. She then told me, "'I don't want you to keep memories of me when I was sick. Let's make new ones while we still can, okay?'

So, I'm returning the key to you as I no longer need it, and I want you to take the advice Megan gave me Sylvester. You have achieved so much since that day in the hotel room. You are far stronger than you realize, and you've proven that by standing up for yourself, standing up to me, to your father, facing your fears, just everything you've done since that day.

So go and make new memories, be brave and bold. Second chances don't always come, and life is not always as long as we would sometimes wish it would be.

Thank you for your trust all those years ago and for your friendship, just know that I am better for having known you.

Remember to be who you are brother, no matter what.

Sincerely,

Walter O'Brien"

The guilt, shame, anger, sadness, grief and so many other emotions just surged through Sylvester as the words from the letter just kept repeating inside his head. Unable to hold the emotions back anymore Sly just let them overtake him as he began to sob, the letter crushed in hands and hotel key now laying on the floor.