TURN THE PAIGE
AN: I cranked this story out pretty quickly and I didn't have time to edit this as much as I normally do. Please excuse any typos, misspellings or any other crimes against the English language. The family Christmas crazies start today for me, so I was on a deadline to get this out. This one is at the request of lookingforthestars. I hope you enjoy it! And for MetalKyria who wanted to read a more cheerful story than my last one. And for Bicii and pamz and all my other faithful reviewers, your encouragement keeps me typing. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
This is a future fic with a K+ rating.
"So, you wanna tell me what your problem is?" Toby asked squinting into Walter's face.
"Currently it's you," the Scorpion leader answered, leaning away and scowling at the behaviorist.
The two of them were alone in the garage sitting at the kitchen table trying to unwind after a particularly tricky case. The rest of the team had already left pleading fatigue. Walter had been contemplating his coffee cup absently. Toby was considering his boss intently.
Ignoring the obvious brush off and wading in where angels fear to tread as usual, the shrink said, "You haven't been yourself recently. I don't think it's organic. You are always disgustingly healthy if you don't count fractures, burns and contusions from our more interesting cases. But you've just been off lately. Is there trouble in paradise? Did the little woman cut you off? Too many nights spent on the couch? What gives?"
Sending his chair back with a screech, Walter stood and stalked back to his desk. "Just leave it, Toby," he grumbled as he walked. He slouched into his office chair with a sigh and ran an agitated hand over his face. In spite of himself, he spoke up, "I've been wracking my brain. I just can't figure it out…"
"That's a helluva lot of wracking considering your brain's storage capacity. C'mon and spill. It might help to talk it out."
"I think Paige is going to terminate our relationship," Walter said in a rush, raising anguished eyes to his friend. "I don't know what I've done or how to fix it."
Toby made his way across the room dragging Paige's rolling chair with him before settling beside the other man's desk. A quizzical look was on his face while he propped his feet on the corner and crossed them at the ankles. "Well. That wasn't the answer I was expecting. Why would you think a thing like that? The two of you have been going strong with only a few minor glitches for almost two years now. Did she actually say that? In those words?"
"Twenty months. It's been twenty months."
"Thanks for the clarity, pal. But the exact duration isn't the issue."
"If you'd like I could break it down into weeks and days and even hours and minutes. And, no, the duration isn't the issue other than it's been the longest successful relationship I've ever had. Or at least I assumed it was successful until…" Walter pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Has she actually said she wants to break up with you?"
"Well, no. Not exactly. But her behavior toward me is…different."
"I'm a psychiatrist, not a dentist, but getting information from you is like pulling teeth. When did her behavior toward you change?" Toby raised one eyebrow, waiting.
"It started just after the conversation we had… that was, uh, seventeen days ago."
"Okay. Now we're getting somewhere." Toby smirked. "I can only guess this 'conversation' was the catalyst. Can you elaborate a little more on the context?"
"It was the conversation. You know." When Toby still looked confused, he explained further. "Shortly after Paige and I marked our one year anniversary, you told me to anticipate it."
Toby slapped his forehead knocking his hat askew. "Oh, no. What the hell did you say to her when she posed that question? I told you to be careful! And that your answer would be critical and fraught with possible relationship peril!"
Walter shook his head looking baffled. "I kept waiting, but she never brought it up." He shrugged. "So I did."
Toby's feet left the desk and landed on the floor with a thud and after an exaggerated gasp, he said, "What!? You didn't!"
Offended, the other genius retorted, "Well, why not?! It's a subject that concerns me as much as it does her. And I really do want to know where she sees our relationship going. I just want to make sure she and I have similar ideas concerning the future…"
"You've probably upset some sort of balance in the universe now. But tell me, how did she react and how is she acting differently now? Is she avoiding you? Ignoring calls and texts?"
Blinking in puzzlement as he recalled the details, the genius said, "No. None of that. She acted a little surprised when I asked. And then she was kind of quiet for a while. I didn't think she was going to talk about it at first. She expressed to me that she was a little shocked I was thinking along those lines and she indicated she would need time to consider her answer. Then she, uh, dis-distracted me… I didn't think about it again at the time, but every time I've brought it up since then, she gives me a noncommittal answer and employs the same, um, e-evasive maneuvers."
"Evasive maneuvers?"
Walter flushed and cleared his throat.
Chuckling and nodding knowingly, Toby asked, "So, I'm guessing the physical aspect of the relationship hasn't ceased since 'the conversation' either? I'm not sure where you're seeing a problem. It seems like you're still on the same Paige, if you get my meaning." Toby waggled his eyebrows with a smirk.
Refusing to acknowledge the crude inuendo, Walter stated, "The, uh, distractionary techniques have increased in frequency due to her avoidance of an answer to the question I posed. However, my ability to, um, distract her in return has become a bit more challenging…" He hastened to add, "Not that I'm not up to the challenge in that arena. I've just had to employ some unusual methods lately to get her… completely, uh, there. It's like she's sometimes distracted by something else while she's trying to distract me. But aside from that, she has been secretive in other ways too. It's like she's hiding something... or someone else." Walter closed his eyes tightly as if the idea caused him physical pain, before finishing with, "I'm really tempted to hack her phone records or track her cell phone, but I couldn't do that to her. Paige would hate that and if she ever found out, she would dump me for sure."
"In my professional opinion, you probably caught her off guard with your question and she's just not ready to talk about it yet. Paige doesn't strike me as the cheating kind, so I don't think she has a man on the side. My advice? Stop pushing her. She'll tell you when she's ready. Oh, and it might help if you blow her socks off with an amazingly romantic Christmas gift this year." With those words, Toby slapped his boss on the shoulder and headed home to his wife.
Still unconvinced, Walter sat at his desk brooding for several more minutes. He decided he would heed Toby's advice as well as redouble his efforts to be a considerate romantic partner. Perhaps he could avert disaster after all.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
The whole cyclone was gathered around Toby who was pretending to be passed out on the couch by the Christmas tree.
"Get up, idiot!" Happy said obviously amused in contrast to the harshness of her words. "I won't let my kids grow up with a wimp for a father!" She poked her husband hard in the ribs.
"Ow!" he protested, clutching his side, "That's spousal abuse! And it's not every Christmas when a guy finds out his wife's having twins! TWINS?! Leave it to you to get over enthusiastic and decide to have two at one time. You probably thought it would be more efficient, right?"
The expectant father had just opened his gift from his wife. What he thought was a new smart phone turned out to be a framed sonogram photo showing his offspring looking like little beans with tiny arms. But there were unquestionably two. Ever the drama king, Toby's eyes rolled up and he fell back onto the sofa causing the rest of the team members to rush to his side.
For several minutes laughter and congratulations echoed around the garage for the flabbergasted father and delighted mother. And Toby used the opportunity to suggest to Walter that they would need double the paternity and maternity leave because of the new circumstances.
In the minutes during which chaos still reigned, Paige tugged on Walter's arm pulling him around to face her. "I hate to detract from their happy news. I mean, it's their moment, but there's something I need to say to you."
Sure that Paige was going to dump him, dread flooded Walter while the blood drained from his face. "W-what? Right, uh, now? In-in front of everyone?"
"Well this concerns everyone to some degree…"
"But…it's, uh, Christmas. Shouldn't you at least wait…?"
Paige took one of Walter's shaking, clammy hands in hers. "No. I've been waiting to say this for weeks now…"
"Please... I don't want to lose you."
Taking in her boyfriend's distress, the liaison soothed, "Lose me? Where on Earth did you get an idea like that?" And still holding his hand in hers, she pulled a small box out of her sweater pocket and dropped down on one knee with a melodramatic flourish.
Grinning up into his startled face, Paige pressed the box into Walter's outstretched hand as she said, "You asked me a question a few weeks ago and I've done nothing but think about it since then. The only answer I could think up was in the form of a question for you. Walter O'Brien, I love you now. I fully expect to love you every day in my future. And I want to spend every day of that future with you. Will you please make me the happiest woman in the world and marry me?"
Stunned and speechless, Walter's mouth fell open and his legs gave out. He sat down hard on the sofa beside Toby. Paige dropped down on both of her knees and edged toward him searching his wide open eyes for an answer. Or any indication he'd heard. Or a sign of life.
"I think he might have had a stroke," Sylvester said, wringing his hands.
"Walter?" Paige whispered. "Walter?!" She tried a bit louder. "Are you alright?"
The team leader didn't hear much around the roaring in his ears, but he managed to stutter in a stifled croak, "Uh…Y-yes."
"Yes, you're alright? Or yes, you'll marry me?" Paige asked, confused.
Walter swallowed hard and a huge grin spread slowly across his face. "Both!"
And the crowd went wild as Paige launched herself at him and planted a hard kiss on his smiling mouth. No mistletoe required.
