A/N: Enjoy!

Little Girl Lost

Chapter 16: Show me how you Burlesque (in 24 hours)

Chapter Summary: Walter and Tessa have a friendly conversation.

"Saving the world gets in the way of life. With great responsibility comes great…loneliness." Sylvester Dodd Season 2 episode 5 Super Fun Guys

Walter O' Brien had never really understood the social equivalent of 'social surface pressure' however…. he thought he had a pretty good understanding of it now.

He's been hammering away at the necessary software for Tessa's invention to work but all throughout he could hear Paige's voice ring through the garage as Happy and Florence each tried to copy the steps that Paige was showing them as Tessa sulked in the corner throwing in her comments here and there while correcting form from the side. Toby for his part was browsing the pictures Tessa gave him, analyzing what he could on each target (and observing every one of them while he does it) and as for Walter himself, as stated he was busy working in software after getting the green light from Kathrine. Now he, along with Ralph (who was refusing to speak with him) and Sly (who was also refusing to speak with him) were all working on the code that was needed.

A good summary of everyone would be tense.

Risking a glance, he looked to the side room where Paige was smiling as it seemed Happy and Florence finally got a step-down, and Walter smiled softly to himself to see Paige somewhat relaxed, unlike the past few days where a frown was a permanent expression. He missed her smiling. She should have reason to smile more. He turned to see Happy and Florence resting as Happy didn't look pleased and Florence kept a wide berth of the unhappy woman (no pun intended). He looked back just as he caught Paige's eye as she startled and quickly looked away, walking out of his view before he could even open his mouth to say hi. Not that he would, but she acknowledged him which was something.

Now risking a glance at Sly who was typing away, his inhaler close to his laptop as they caught each other's eye and quickly turned away. What followed was a very loud sigh from Ralph who turned a stink eye to both.

"I'm going to get a glass of soda, be back when you both are finally talking….this is very tense and I am getting uncomfortable." He declared before scraping his chair loudly and walking away as the two men warily glanced at each other.

"Well…..he's talking at least," Walter commented as Sly nodded.

"He's been very worried for the past few days; truth be told we all have been." Sly mentioned as Walter looked down to the table, lost for words.

"So…uh, how have you been? How are you handling, um, everything?" Walter asked awkwardly as Sly grimaced and sighed.

"Walter, I know what you're doing," Sly mumbled as he turned to face him. "I know how we left things, I know this is very awkward and I know you're asking because you feel just as awkward as I am now. You can pretend with everyone else….just not with me okay?" Sly said as Walter sat back and opened his mouth and Sly shook his head and turned back to the computer.

"I'm asking because I've been concerned about my – my brother," Walter said softly as Sly stilled.

"What did you say?" Sly asked softly, refusing to make eye contact.

"I've been worried about you, and I guess I didn't know how to ask or even if I should."

"No…the other thing. What did you say?" Sly pressed still not looking at him as Walter winced, not used to showing his emotions but wanting to fix something, anything in this mess.

"My bro- brother. I'm worried about my brother." Walter restated as Sly turned to him, vulnerability shown all over his face.

"You've never called me that before. Why did you call me that?" Sly asked as Walter's breathing hitched, and he felt beads of sweat gather at his neck.

"Because that's what you are to me. I only state facts and…I have been concerned, especially on how we left things." Walter asked as Sly opened his mouth before a loud crash echoed and loud voices rang out.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Cabe shouted as Walt and Sly rushed into the room and Ralph and Toby looked on with grim expressions while Paige was holding back Happy, and Florence was yelling back at her. Walter noticed off to the side, Tessa was leaning against a pillar and when she caught him looking, winked at him and raised an apple she was eating as she grinned and looked back on to the scene.

"You purposely bumped into me!" Florence shouted as Happy glared, Paige holding tight as Toby came over and nodded as he gripped Happy's hand, and she calmed down considerably.

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole, you were in my way. You are supposed to turn left, not right. You are just always in the way huh!"

"What!" Florence shouted as Toby got in the middle of the warring woman as Paige let Happy go and turned toward her grinning sister.

"What… are you enjoying this?" Paige hissed out as Tessa shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm enjoying days of our genius considerably. I haven't seen two women fight over a boy since high school." Tessa smirked as everyone shifted to look at Walter, Happy, and Florence; Walter felt his face heat as he slowly backed out of the room but not before catching the eye of Tessa who smirked once more. He was really started to be incensed by that smirk of hers.

Backing out slowly he gathered his laptop and was prepared to go up to the loft to avoid any confrontation when he turned and there was Tessa, grinning like a madwoman as she swiftly took his laptop and papers and set them on the desk behind him before gripping the collar of his shirt and brought his face so close to hers he could see each freckle on her face. (It was 123).

"I think it's time we had that long-overdue chat, Mr. O'Brien." Tessa smiled but in her eyes was a fit of rising anger that made Walter gulp and his knees go weak.

"Well, exactly what is it that you would like to discuss, and can you let go of my shirt?" Walter gritted out as he tried to claw her fingers off, but she swiped his hands away like flies and her grip tightened as she never lost her grin.

"I think its best we take our talk outside" she smiled cruelly as she dragged him to the back alley and covered his mouth to mute his groans as she kicked open the door and threw him against the wall as she closed it and dragged a broken chair, placing it against the knob so no one could come out…and he couldn't get back inside.

"What is the meaning of this!" he demanded as he caught himself on the brick and Tessa stood there, arms crossed as she stared him down.

"I believe it's time we talked – genius to genius. I know you're used to being the smartest in the room, so am I and now were at a crossroads. Quite frankly I would prefer to not do this but as of now my other methods aren't working so I concurred it was time for a direct approach." Tessa replied coldly as she dropped her façade, and her anger was plain on her face.

"What the hell happened to my sister?" She demanded as Walter stuttered and breathed out his response.

"What are you talking about? You are hardly in a position to ask, you would know more about Paige than I do apparently." Walter grumbled as she never dropped her gaze.

"Let me more apparent than – what happened to her when she was working on Scorpion? She's nervous around everyone, won't listen to reason, depressed, she's not thinking clearly, and I've deduced that whatever happened to her head happened because of you, blondie, and this team." She barked out as Walter dropped his shoulders as Tessa walked forward and placed a firm hand on his shoulder as she leaned in close to where he could only hear her.

"Walter. If you loved my sister at all you'll want to talk to me. If you care for her as you claim you do, then I have the information you need. It just so happens that you have the information I want. Bartering has been done for centuries; I see no reason why it can't be applied now." She leaned back as Walter let out a sigh as Tessa waited patiently as he tried to find the words. In all his genius why was forming a sentence so complicated!

"Do you love Paige?" Tessa blurted out as Walter looked up and didn't reply as he couldn't reply to such an invasive question. "Well….do you love her?" Tessa pressed and before Walter could help it he whispered

"Yes."

"Then trust me Mr. O'Brien that we should have the same goals. I love her too. More than anyone knows. She's the person I have in my life that has any meaning to me at all. Everything I do, I do for her. Ensuring her safety, her son's safety…..and now I guess that means ensuring your safety too."

"What do you want?" Walter asked as Tessa sighed and leaned against her side of the wall.

"That's a more complicated answer than I can give right now but rest assured I mean you no malice, despite my act…. I truly want to see your team survive this and I do mean your team. Everyone in there." Tessa gestured towards the door as Walter wisely kept quiet, letting her talk as any information would be better than none even if he couldn't trust her word completely.

"You're the only variable I can't seem to figure out. I've kept my eye on Paige as best as I could from the sidelines. I know that you and Paige had more than just a work relationship – I know that you were the closest thing she had to a best friend. Sure, she had her 'friends' but none of them got as close to her as you did. Now as to how far that relationship went, I admit…I don't know. The doctor and the mathematician are not of much help as they weren't as involved. The mechanic and the chemist are too busy fighting one another for me to read anything and the agent I won't go near." Tessa stopped as she gazed at the door with a somber expression "Paige won't talk to me." She whispered sadly as she sighed and pushed away from the wall until she was standing in front of Walter with her hands on her hips. "So that leaves you." She sighed as she kicked a rock before glaring, the mask of indifference on her features.

"I really don't care to be involved in your personal life. If it were up to me we wouldn't still be here….but we are so here I am. Whatever happened between you and Paige is interfering with her head. It's not clear. I need her head clear. I don't care for the petty drama of humans, but it's affecting Paige and until I know I can't make any moves without all the variables. Despite my dislike for you Walter O' Brien…. you and I are very similar. We are hardwired for facts. We crave them, need them – they are the only things that connect us to the truth. So that's all I want to know – facts. When did you get together? How long you were together for and what caused the failure of the relationship." Tessa spoke bluntly as Walter blinked and his head reeled. He went over countless scenarios for how these next few hours would go but it never occurred to him that Paige's sister would want to speak to him. Much less this… candidly.

"I'm not comfortable divulging the facts and interpersonal affairs of Paige and myself. Especially our past relationship and…. failure." Walter stumbled on the last word as his chest lurched and he felt winded. Even now it still hurt, and he wasn't prepared to divulge his pain to this stranger in front of him.

"I never cared if this was comfortable for you. I asked for the facts. You and I are very much aware that facts rarely care for emotions. I'll even make it easier for you." Tessa smirked as she took a step forward. "My reasons for wanting to know are my own. Any person with a shred of intelligence would be wanting to know them. I'm a stranger to you. My biological relation to Paige has no meaning to you I can tell. As far as you are concerned I'm a threat – not only to you but to the ones you care about. Even the ones you had a falling out with." Tessa smiled as Walter tried to hide his shock.

"Don't look surprised, despite my high intellect I do have an EQ that proves useful in times like these. Anyone can tell that the tense atmosphere is a result of more than my presence. What I want to know is why." Tessa said easily as Walter grew defensive.

"Why do you want to know so badly? Our relationships have very little basis where you're concerned."

"Ah…. but that's where your wrong Walter." Tessa smirked as Walter bristled under her gaze "It does concern me because it concerns my sister. I admit I try to stay out of her affairs as much as possible. More than it's not my business but human interactions, relationships….I'd rather not deal with them. They can be so…. messy. However, it does prove useful. Information, no matter how trivial, is power. I like power Mr. O' Brien." Tessa said lowly, her expression never faltering from her smirk. "I also want to know how hard I should punch you." Tessa finished as Walter blinked.

"Excuse me?" Walter said shocked

"Do I need to repeat myself? I said I want to know how hard I should punch you. That's another reason why I want to know. I admit I don't know all the smaller details that make the picture clearer, but I do know that you made my sister cry." Tessa said lowly, her smirk morphing into a frown as she took another step forward as Walter took a step back. "That's reason enough…now to know exactly what you did to cause it, that would depend on how hard I hit you."

"Why would you even hit me at all?" Walter stumbled out before he was knocked against the wall, Tessa's fist colliding with his stomach as his back hit the wall hard. "Oof" He slid down as the wind was, literally, knocked out of him as Tessa loomed over him.

"That…. was a warning. Don't make me give you another." She threatened as Walter put his hands up in surrender as he coughed and staggered to his feet.

"Alright! I get it, your angry with me for upsetting Paige but she was the one who broke up with me! Okay! If it was solely on me, I would have never ended things!" Walter rushed out as Tessa raised her eyebrow.

"Go on." She replied as Walter sighed and grew frustrated.

"Look I understand you want to keep her safe, so do I! That's why I'm still here, that's why I offered to help. I love her! I've always loved her and will always love her. We had our problems; I understand we never truly communicated. We had problems with that but everything else is trivial. Learning about our relationship won't get you the answers you need. Believe me, I've gone through them so many times I've lost count and I still don't know why –" Walter stopped short as he breathed heavily and tried to compose himself as he looked at the ground and finished quietly "Why she would leave me when she promised we would have been okay."

"Maybe I can help you understand if you help me. We are the only ones who could possibly understand one another over the age of 20 right now. Humor me."

"What's there to humor? I hardly think you wanting information on my personal relationship with Paige will get you any more answers than it did me. Why are you so interested?" Walter asked defeated, tired of the fight he would give to this woman.

Sighing she dropped her arms and gave him a calculating stare before whispering "Because she loves you still."

"What?" Walter asked, unsure of what she said.

"You heard me. I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm really good at what I do Mr. O' Brien. Exceptional at everything I put my brain to….except for the matters of the heart. My EQ may be socially passable but that's about it. I have my own reasons for wanting to know the things I do. I want to know what I can do to help my sister and that involves doing things I don't like and wishing for talents I do not possess. I wish I was more emotionally capable. I wish I could just scan the room and know of the interpersonal cues that Paige knows so well. She wouldn't have to resort to these tactics…she would have already known. In the years that we've had to be away from each other, I had some growing I needed to do and it seems Paige did as well. Seems she's still growing." Tessa whispered as Walter tilted his head in question.

"What do you mean?"

"Ha!" Tessa barked as she shook her head "I'm not budging so easily. The only reason I'm giving you this much insight is that it benefits me and….I find a certain kinship with you." Tessa admitted quietly as the breeze blew her hair away from her face and Walter saw, for the first time, a frightened young woman who looked so much like Paige it made his heart ache.

"Its hard…being us. Having brains like ours. I may be harsh but it's because I have to be. You're a good man Walter O' Brien. The kind of man I always hoped Paige would find but….Paige is complicated. We're complicated. It would be a lot for someone with the best of EQ but people like us? We barely stand a chance. I know that whatever you had….it must have been special, otherwise you would have never heard from her again."

Walter took in a sharp breath at that fact because of the look in Tessa's eyes…. she meant it.

"But" She continued "she's still here and for whatever reason, she trusts you, so I'm going to allow you to ask one question and I'll be completely honest with that answer, but nothing more if you tell me what I want to know."

Walter blinked as Tessa continued to stare and thought about this unexpected opportunity. There was Paige's sister, quite possibly the most mysterious thing about this whole debacle and she was willing to share information with Walter that he wouldn't have to find out himself.

So, taking a deep breath he went into his tirade of about first meeting Paige to their first mission together with the plane and finally Toby and Happy's wedding as Tessa listened intently. "It really did start out as a misunderstanding," Walter explained as Tessa quirked her lip and hmm.

"It always starts out with a misunderstanding, so help me understand with blondie."

Walter, resisting the urge to squirm as he explained how he had a dream of marrying Florence when he almost died falling down the stairs. How he eventually told Paige and they worked through it but when it came to the lecture, he knew that Paige didn't really want to go and no one else could go with him and Florence really was the only one available. How afterward he didn't tell her because he was scared Paige would assume something it wasn't but when he realized he underestimated Paige he didn't want to be caught in the lie and wanted to spare her (and after much probing from Tessa, himself) because he didn't want to lose her.

"But you lost her anyway because you just hit the nail right on the head," Tessa mumbled. "I understand now."

"Wait, wait, wait – what do you mean? What am I missing that you suddenly have so much clarity in?" Walter asked as Tessa shook her head and started to walk back inside.

"Is that the question you really want to be answered as payment or do you want to rethink that?" Tessa shot back as she stared at him with that smirk of hers.

Walter shook his head as he realized he was being an idiot. As much as he wanted to know the answer, he couldn't use this opportunity to further his own curiosity (although he was oh so tempted). No – he needed to think. He needed to be smarter than this woman who had so many secrets. He needed to win this match of chess. Until he realized….

"I'll wait," Walter said smiling as Tessa faltered and raised her eyebrow.

"What, you'll wait. That wasn't part of the deal."

"Actually" Walter stated as he walked beside her "You stated that as payment for answering your questions I could ask any question I wanted with your 100% honestly. You never said when."

Clicking her tongue and pursing her lips she said "You're negotiating on a technicality? Seriously?"

"Yes. I am. Unless you go back on your word?" Walter wagered as Tessa glared.

"I may be a lot of things, but I don't break promises." She hissed as Walter grinned.

"Then thank you Tessa for your cooperation." Walter smiled as her glare turned icy.

"Don't patronize me. I just hope it's worth the wait and you don't waste my time." She said as she turned her back as Walter sighed and said "It's hard being the hero all the time."

"I assume it is, but I wouldn't know. I'm not a hero." Tessa said with hardened eyes "I don't mind doing bad things for good reasons but sometimes those reasons may not be all 'good'. I did what I had to do. Sometimes what you must do comes at a price. Heroes don't pay those kinds of prices. They don't have to. They can do bad things sure, but often it's justified. Protecting my sister? Protecting my mother? Protecting myself? Yeah, all those I can see arguments for but protecting secrets." Tessa shook her head as she looked straight at Walter. "I have no justification for. You pay a price. I was willing to pay it."

"Let's hope you're not still paying," Walter replied as Tessa continued to walk to the door.

"Everyday" Tessa replied before she calmly walked back inside as the chaos ensued leaving Walter to his thoughts.

A/N: Well, that was interesting! Honestly, I love Walter and Tessa together because they are so smart and so snarky and just so much like each other that the animosity and respect between them is just so much fun to write. Please tell me your thoughts on reviews and I'll see you next Monday!

Next time on Little Girl Lost (P.S – It's twice as long as the previous two chapters )

"Well, I understand all that but Paige what you said there…. about the problems between you and Walter. What do you think they were because from the tone of that voice, it sounded bitter and bitterness has a way of shielding us from the truth?" Toby hedged as Paige thinned her lips.

"Well for starters Florence is out there and I'm in here and even now he still can't stop focusing on her. All this time he's had a cranial affair with her, lying to me and how deep down I should have listened to my instincts and broken it off as soon as I looked up and saw boredom on his face!" Paige rushed out as Toby gave her another tissue and she angrily wiped her tears away.

"I mean here you are, telling me you regret not asking about my life while Walter never even tried! He never asked about my life before Ralph and although I knew it was a good thing for his safety and for mine, how could it be good for our relationship if he never cared to ask?"

Paige sniffled "I mean I should have known right? I mean you're a shrink, you did couples counseling for a while. You know what to look for in a cheating partner. I should know by now. On the one-time Florence and I spent time together, I was helping her with her pitch, and she told me she found it nice how Walter asked so much about her childhood and that they went to similar lectures. Seriously? I know logically that Florence developed feelings and Walter claimed he had no knowledge but Toby, be honest with me. Walter and Florence make a better pair than he and I ever did. It was proven over and over again, and I ignored all it because I love him. I wanted to believe him. I wanted….I wanted to believe him." Paige cried as Toby handed her another tissue.