Disclaimer: I don't own Scorpion or any of the characters

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the kind reviews and for your patience in waiting for the next chapter. Work has kept me pretty busy especially since I had to fill in as the boss while mine took some leave time and of course everything picks up closer to the holidays. The other reason for the delay in getting the next chapter out is because my feelings regarding Sylvester's and Toby's actions are a bit mixed and so I struggled trying to determine the direction I wanted the letter for Toby to go in and why I struggled writing the one for Sylvester. I also had to re-watch a lot of episodes to try to get things straight (and to avoid confusion from having read too many fanfics with alternate storylines).


"I'm not going to read this out loud, so stop watching me and read your own damn letters," Cabe yells, but Toby was anticipating it, having watched Cabe closely as he started to read his letter. He watched as his wife leaned over to pick up her letter and he followed suit, though not anxious to read anything from Mr. Big Brain.

He slowly pulls the letter from the envelope, pulling along a poker chip. He recognizes the name of the Coronet Room, how could he forget, it's where he and Walter first crossed paths. 197 had saved his butt from a vicious Pit Boss named Swanky Sue. Sue was a real mean guy and was ready to tear Toby to shreds before Walter stepped in and paid off his not so insignificant debt. It was only later that Toby found out that Walter used his money that he had been saving to start up Scorpion to pay Sue off.

Toby clenches his left fist around the poker chip, trying to banish that memory of Walter from his mind. He then turns to the folded pages of the letter and unfolds them to begin reading prepared for the megalomaniac to either beg for them to join up and to lay all the blame of them.

"To Dr. Tobias M. Curtis,

Thank you Dr. Curtis for your invaluable help with Scorpion and its many cases over the past several years.

You have changed so much from the being a person not to be trusted with money for our rent and bills to someone who has allowed love to change them into a better person.

If anyone deserves that, it's Happy, so thank you for becoming a man she deserves. As long as you keep thinking of Happy you'll be just fine."

Toby pauses, this he didn't expect. From how he addressed the letter to what Walter has said, Toby doesn't think he could have ever predicted, and he hates being wrong. He re-reads the beginning again before looking over at Happy.

Happy is reading her letter intently, almost no emotions showing on her face, but he knows her, and he can tell she affected by what she is reading. How she's affected is where he is unsure, he needs to be able to fully study her but having sensed his gaze, Happy throws a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye which tells him he has been caught. Before Happy can retaliate or say anything, Toby turns his attention back to his own letter.

"I know we have butted heads a lot over the years, but I am grateful for the friendship we had over the years Dr. Curtis and I'm sorry for calling you and Happy "know-it-alls" that last night in the garage. Though we both know, that's what I've labelled you in phone my phone for years now, just like you have your own names for me in yours. Still, I shouldn't have yelled at either of your when it wasn't your fault.

You would call that displacement, right? I guess I've been doing a lot of displacing over the years, but then again, I'm not the only one right, Dr. Curtis?"

Toby stops reading again. Why was Walter referring to him as Dr. Curtis? Walter has always called him Toby, even when they were angry at each other. And all the references in the past tense, what was he trying to pull here? And this last bit… was Walter insinuating that he, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, has been displacing too?

Toby gives a brief scoff before going back to the letter.

"I have probably written this letter a million times, unsure what to say to you. I've be angry with you, disappointed in you, wanted to apologize, and so I've written this repeatedly. I started to think about our interactions over the last several years.

Do you remember when I told you 'I do try to be a cognizant friend to you. To Happy, Sly, cause we're supposed to understand each other.' You and I had been fighting over the most ridiculous stuff, like creamer, and Paige made us go see Dr. Rizzuto. Do you remember?

I had stopped by your apartment to tell you I that I just wanted to be a good friend and not drive people crazy, and you told me I hadn't done anything wrong, that you self-sabotage because you were happy and what better way to self-sabotage than picking a fight with your boss. Though I know now why you were so happy, I began to wonder about your behavior more as I was looking back over our time together.

I think you were right Dr. Curtis, when you said you self-sabotage. Whenever you're happy you pick fights with me or try to bring me down or even give me bad advice regarding my relationship with Paige. Yet, when you are not happy, or things aren't going well for you, it's when it seems like you become determined to make things better with those around you and a lot of your focus has been on me.

Over the years I have considered you to be a friend and thought this was mutual on your side, but having looked back I'm begging to feel that I was never anything a long-term case study. Just someone for you to manipulate or take advantage of."

Toby felt has though he had been punched in the gut. Was that what Walter really thought of him? Had he been doing that to Walter?

Toby started to reflect on it, and he could see some truth to Walter's words. Why was it that he just always focused on Walter and sometimes Paige too? All this time he had been laying blame down on Walter's feet but maybe, just maybe, he was in part to blame.

It hurt to think that Walter was right about this. It was like being in that jail all over again and Walter telling him "No, I'm not always right. I thought I could count you. I sure wasn't right about that." Those words had haunted Toby for several weeks after that case. He had sworn to himself he would do better, be better as a friend.

He looks around at the others all reading their letters. How has he been treating them? Had he been a good friend to them, or has he been letting them down too? He watches Happy for a moment, but he knows she wouldn't let him get away jerking her around.

Glancing to his other side, he observes the Homeland agent as he reads over his own letter. Cabe he hasn't seen in a few months, and he can't recall anything that would have put him and Cabe at odds other than the recent Scorpion vs Centipede event and well not calling Cabe back when he tried to reach out. Toby gives an internal wince at that, alright so he's been a jerk to Cabe.

Not wanting to dwell, he looks across the coffee table and over at Sylvester. Sylvester looks pale and on the verge of a break down. Toby considers interrupting to check on him, but also wants to see how this plays out, how Sylvester will react. It's with a sharp sense of pain, that he realizes what he just decided. He wants to see Sylvester break down. What is wrong with me? Why would I enjoy seeing a friend break down? Maybe for the same reason I've been teasing him and giving him grief almost constantly since we've started Centipede.

Shame replaces the punches in his gut, but he knows there is one more person and he can't bring himself to look at her. He already knows how he has treated Paige and not only while they were at Scorpion but since they started up Centipede too. He has given her hell, arguing with her about stupid… his eyes widen… stuff. Just like he used to do with Walter.

At this realization Toby, takes a quick peak at Paige. Tears are streaming down her face, and she is displaying at least three other markers showing she is distraught or is it heartbroken?

Not wanting to face this truth about himself any longer Toby considers leaving the rest of the letter unread, but he knows his curiosity won't allow him to and with a heavy heart, he begins to read again.

"You've always talked about wanting to crack my brain, so how have your experiments worked out on me? What is your final thesis regarding how I work?

I would really like to know, Dr. Curtis. Trying to become more human, to increase my EQ has just led me to one failure after another. I'm lost now, even with all my intelligence, I no longer know who I am anymore or where I belong.

However, despite everything you've done, there is only one person that I truly blame for my failure with Paige and that's myself. I should never have gone to you or trusted you with something so important to me, but again it was my fault for how things ended up.

You once told me that all you ever wanted to do was show me that you were worth my effort, that you could be counted on the way you can count on me." Well, you were somewhat right. I've spent years investing in you, in your talent and potential. You have so much potential, all of Scorpion, well Centipede does. I've wasted millions of dollars down the drain just bailing you out of trouble all in the name of friendship and my belief in you and still that wasn't enough for you.

I can't regret spending that money and giving you and Happy money for fertility treatments was something I was proud and happy to do for you both, but I am sorry that my continuous bailing you out just enabled your addiction issues. I never realized that I would be your next addiction, or that my EQ, or lack thereof, would provide you with so much entertainment.

Regardless of all our past interactions I want nothing but joy for you and Happy, because for nothing else, she deserves it and you've proven you'll do anything for her. Please continue to be the man that Happy and your future family needs you to be, because there is nothing in the world that will take away the devastation you will feel once everything you love has been taken away.

I ask for one last favor, if our friendship ever meant anything you, please look out for the team but more importantly look out for Ralph. Paige doesn't want Ralph to become like me and we both know he is miles ahead of me when it comes to intellect but more importantly when it comes to his emotional growth. So please help Paige in continuing to develop his EQ but I ask you, no, I beg you, please don't turn him into another experiment to study like me. Ralph deserves better than any of us could ever give him, but I at least want him to be happy and for that he needs what is left of his cyclone. So be there for him and Paige, but do so with the integrity and honesty, that I know you have inside you.

Goodbye Dr. Curtis. I wish you well.

Sincerely,

Walter O'Brien"

Toby's fingers on his left hand are stiff as he uncurls them. The poker chip has been gripped so tightly that the impression from the chip in his palm will likely remain for several minutes. Walter never explained why he kept a poker chip from the Coronet Room in the letter, but Toby can guess. His remaining anger at Walter begins to ebb away from him as he stares down at the chip. The meaning behind the chip and wording of the letter has him slightly fearful and he can only hope that the chip and letter are not the last he'll ever hear from Walter O'Brien.

Toby is jolted from these thoughts however when his wife jumps from the couch and sprints off in the direction of the garage slash workshop. He sits stunned for just a moment before gathering his wits and takes off after her.