It isn't that I have writer's block. I know exactly where this is going. It's more like I'm busy, and then when I sit down to write, I get so damn tired.
But I am about two hundred steps away from getting health insurance back (I started a million steps away so this is good progress) and maybe once I have regular medication again I'll be able to write more frequently. I hope so.
Also any of you not watching The Good Place please watch it so I'll have readers for my Good Place fic. ;)
"Alright," Paige said. "We're all here, and so that means I'm officially calling the Team Scorpion board meeting to order."
"I have some new business," Toby said, raising his hand. "This whole meeting concept is stupid. We can have conversations at our desks like we used to."
Paige kept the same smile on her face. "A board meeting setting increases attention span and productivity."
"Can we not call it board meeting, though?" Sylvester asked. "It makes it sound like an episode of The Apprentice."
"The Apprentice did not invent the term 'board meeting'," Paige said, the smile still present, but notably forced. "May we proceed to the point, please?"
"I think we should let Paige get to the point," Walter said.
"Buddy, you're already getting laid consistently, you don't have to pretend you like this boardroom idea."
"I'm insulted that you would think that I would not naturally be in favor of something that should increase efficiency." Walter stood and put an arm around Paige's waist. "And I'm also insulted that you think I would not stand up for Paige simply because she has a good idea."
"Thank you, babe," Paige said with a smile. "Toby, if you're finished?"
He put his hands up in mock surrender.
"Perfect. So as you know, our payment on the Sommers job came in, and we should be paid for the work we did for Molina's contractor by the end of the week. And we've finally fixed our direct deposit issue, so that's one less hoop to jump through. Now, we do have some pretty exciting news to share," Paige said with a smile.
She glanced at Florence. Walter knew Paige had picked a person at random, even subconsciously, to smile at. But when he saw Sylvester's face change, he knew things were about to get confusing.
"Wait, she knows?" Sylvester said in a low voice.
"She doesn't know," Florence said.
"I don't know what?" Paige said.
Sylvester looked confused. "About…the news."
"You know about the news?"
"Why wouldn't I know about the news?" Sylvester asked.
"You told Sylvester the news?" Paige asked, turning to Walter.
"No," Walter said.
"No," Florence said at the same time. "Not your news."
"You haven't heard my news."
"I didn't tell him our news," Walter promised.
"Why did you emphasize 'him' instead of 'didn't' in that sentence?"
Sylvester tapped Florence's arm. "Are you sure Paige doesn't know our news?"
"How would she know our news?" Florence shot Walter a look.
"I didn't tell Paige your news," Walter said.
"You know their news?" Paige asked. She turned to Florence. "Did he tell you our news?"
Toby leaned over to Happy. "Up for a drinking game every time they say 'news'?"
"We have children at home and we can't afford to die or get our stomachs pumped."
"Hey!" Paige clapped her hands together. "Can we have order in the meeting room, please?"
"You were the one who – " Toby began.
"The Tipton – Dodds will not – "
"Hey!"
Walter enjoyed being reminded of how authoritative Paige could be. Seven years of uninterrupted relationship and he still found that hot.
"Sorry," Sylvester mumbled.
"Do you guys want to talk about your news first?" Paige said. "Ours will take a while."
"No," Florence said. "You go first. Ours might end up being distracting."
"You're pregnant," Toby said. He nudged Happy, completely unaware of the deer in the headlights expression on Sylvester's face. "Remember before everyone knew Paige was pregnant with Amber and Ralph and Patty were joking that Flor…"
"Wait, are you?" Happy asked, staring at the Tipton – Dodds.
"You do have that look on your face…"
"Let them tell it," Walter said. "Even I know that we should let them tell it."
"You don't seem surprised," Sylvester said, raising an eyebrow.
"It wasn't her fault. I picked up on it."
"Wait," Paige was looking between Walter and the seated couple. "What's actually…"
"I am a little over twelve weeks pregnant," Florence said with a nod, a smile coming over her face.
"And we definitely took the twelve – week photo on the twelve week day," Sylvester said.
"Why on Earth would you bring that up if we actually did?" Florence asked.
"Because we did." He gave her a wink.
"I'm still confused," Happy said. "Are you…pregnant?"
Florence nodded. "I am. This announcement was made way more complicated than it needed to be, but I am."
"Here." Sylvester dug into his bag. "Sonogram!"
Paige wrapped her arms around Walter's at the elbow. "Oh my gosh," she breathed.
"Exciting," Walter said
Happy took the image and studied it. "Wow, Sly. It has your squiggly black lines."
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Sylvester said.
"Let us see!" Paige said, reaching out for it. She looked at Walter with an eyebrow raised. "Unless you were already privy to this sonogram."
"No. I merely suspected off behavior and she confirmed before leaving last week. I have not seen any imaging."
Paige took the sonogram from Happy. "Aw, this reminds me of when, oh! Walter, Happy and Toby!"
Everyone stared at her. Toby broke the silence. "Uh…what?"
"We should hang up all the kids' sonogram pictures in a row in birth order. We could do it in the kitchen or over by the desks."
"We don't have Tad's," Happy reminded her.
"We can ask if Aimee has a copy. Or can get one." Happy shrugged. "I know they lost a lot in the…the incident, and we didn't ask for her to dig around when we got him, but we could ask now. The worst that can happen is she says she can't get anything. We have certainly been in far more alarming situations."
"Actually," Paige said, "that is a great segue into the news Walter and I have."
Walter watched as Paige pulled up her laptop and projected the presentation they had worked on for hours – many hours – over the past few days. It was simply an explanation of the situation and ideas for which of their many accomplishments to recreate and highlight, but she spoke about it with al the professionalism and excitement of a business pitch. Walter was proud.
And a little turned on. But mostly proud.
"This could be totally lifechanging for us," Happy said when Paige had concluded.
"And for the world," Sylvester said.
"I'm familiar with all of those people," Florence said. "Chana is a former friend of mine, and I've met Beek and Lucas in professional settings."
"Think we can beat them?" Paige asked.
There was a firery competitive glint in her eyes. Florence noticed it, appearing alarmed for a moment. "Uh…" she cleared her throat. "I think our work is just as potentially beneficial as any."
"Uh – uh," Paige said, shaking her head. "Not potentially beneficial. We know that our work changes things. We just have to make sure they're practical applications. And that is where we brainstorm. We have done hundreds over the past ten plus years. We just have to make sure we pick the right ones and present them in the right way."
"How long do we have?" Florence asked.
"About three months," Paige said. "So I know you'll be pushing third trimester by the time we go…"
"People can fly until like, thirty – six weeks, I think," Florence said. "I can fly at twenty – four. Unless of course you all plan to pick successes that predate my addition to the team and do not need me."
"Nonsense," Sylvester said, sliding an arm around her shoulders. "You'll participate in our pitch no matter what we choose to present."
"We are stronger together," Paige said with a nod. "We all go to D.C. if we are all able. I'm sure Cabe would come, too."
"This is the kind of thing that would draw him out of his semi – retirement," Toby said.
"It doesn't take much to draw him out of his semi – retirement," Walter said. "I told him he wouldn't really be able to stay away long."
"He'll definitely want to be here for this," Paige said. She smiled. "Okay, everyone ready to start figuring this out?" At the nods from the rest of the team, she smiled, reaching out to hold her hand over the middle of the table. "Put them here. 'Scorpion' on three."
