Walter gives everyone the day off and spends it with Paige while Toby and Happy pay a visit to the orphanage...

(A little more of the Waige storyline, plus I thought we should meet the soon-to-be Quintis twins! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, all comments welcome, thank you for reading!)

CHAPTER 3.

"That was the hospital, the kid had a comfortable night. They're sending him home this afternoon." Cabe pocketed his phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

Walter looked up from his computer. "That is pleasing news," he noted.

Toby and the paramedics had worked to stabilise Josh before he had been taken away in the ambulance and Cabe had spoken to his parents later, asking to be kept informed of his condition. One of Josh's friends had talked to Paige at the beach and explained that Josh wasn't a very good swimmer. The group had been teasing him and messing around and the next thing they knew he was out of his depth and had slipped under the water. The girl had been inconsolable with guilt and Paige had done her best to reassure her that the accident wasn't her fault.

"Any word on the missing lifeguard?" asked Toby.

"Nothing on any of the feeds," replied Sylvester, glancing at his laptop.

The lifeguard station had reported that the lifeguard who had been patrolling the area – the man the team had briefly spoken to during their picnic – had failed to return to HQ after his shift. Sylvester had been scanning social media and the more unconventional channels for any pertinent information, but so far there had been nothing.

Paige sighed. "Not exactly the way I hoped yesterday was going to turn out," she noted. "I mean, I'm glad Josh is going to be OK, but…" she trailed off and sighed again.

Toby glanced up at her with concern before turning to Walter, hoping he had picked up on her despondency and, to Toby's great relief, he was already on his feet. A year ago he would have been completely oblivious, but today Walter O'Brien was a changed man – he had worked so hard to improve his EQ and his ability to interpret and react to Paige's moods and all his hard work had really started to pay off.

"I very much enjoyed spending time with you, Paige a…and with everyone at the beach yesterday, but I agree the way the afternoon ended was unfortunate," said Walter, with a delicate touch of her forearm. "I don't believe we have any urgent work requiring my attention here today, so w…why don't you and I spend the day together? You can choose the activity."

Toby snickered and Happy elbowed him in the ribs. "Perv," she hissed.

Paige caught Toby's eye, but chose to ignore the suggestive grin on his face. "That sounds lovely, Walter," she replied with a smile. "Why don't we drive out to that new Moroccan restaurant?"

"Moroccan?" replied Walter. "Hmmm, OK. Sharing a new culinary experience with you would be most enjoyable." He glanced at Toby and was reassured by his nod of approval.

Paige beamed with delight and wrapped her arms around Walter's neck. "I love you," she said.

"Reciprocated," responded Walter. Then he turned to the rest of the team. "In fact," he continued. "I think we can all afford to take the day off. A relaxed and rejuvenated team is a more efficient team. I'll see you all in the morning."

The first person on his feet was Sylvester. "I'm off to the Warlock's Chest!" he announced, slinging his bag over his shoulder and running out of the door with a huge grin on his face.

Cabe was next. "Allie wants me to paint the spare room," he announced. "Apparently the walls of my apartment aren't colourful enough for her."

"Yellow," said Toby, quickly. "Stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain. Makes you feel good. Unless you're going for something a little more calming, then you'll want to paint it a soft blue."

Cabe sneered at him in disbelief. "Thanks for the advice that I didn't ask for, Doc," he said, sarcastically. "But it'll be whatever colour is on special at Home Depot. I'm outta here, see you kids tomorrow."

"We're gonna cut this joint too," said Happy. "Come on, Doc. Why don't we go see the girls?"

"Great idea!" exclaimed Toby, grabbing her hand and half-dragging her towards the door. "I'll call the orphanage on the way." Without slowing, he turned back briefly to call out to Walter and Paige. "Have fun, lovebirds! Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"

Walter sneered as they disappeared out of the garage. "I'm not sure that there's anything those two wouldn't do at least once," he noted.

Paige giggled and squeezed his arm. "You could be right," she said. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You know," she said, her voice a little softer now. "It is a little early for lunch, we could… y'know… go upstairs for a while?" She lifted her head and drew her lower lip in between her teeth.

Walter felt his face flush red. He couldn't explain it, but that simple gesture had always had the same effect on him. He tenderly stroked her hair with his fingertips. "We… we do have the p…place to ourselves," he replied. "It would be remiss of us n…not to take advantage."

Paige lifted herself on tiptoe and their lips met in a passionate kiss. "I love you, Walter," she said, for the second time that morning… and her heart skipped a beat at his reply.

"I love you too, Paige."

xXxXxXxXx

Caitlin and Stella soon-to-be Quinn-Curtis were the most adorable fourteen month old twins Happy had ever met. Not that she'd met many fourteen month old twins before, but she had fallen in love with these girls the moment she'd laid eyes on them.

"Hey, look who's here!"

Toby and Happy stood up to greet Anthea, the senior childcare worker who had been taking care of the twins since they had arrived at the orphanage three months ago. Anthea was holding Stella's hand and the little girl broke free as soon as she recognised their visitors, running with confidence into Toby's outstretched arms. Toby lifted her into the air and she squealed with delight.

"Someone's pleased to see Mommy and Daddy!" grinned Toby. The girls' grandmother had told them that her son and his wife had always referred to themselves as Mama and Papa, so they had all agreed Caitlin and Stella could know Happy and Toby as 'Mommy and Daddy' right from the start of the adoption process without it causing any confusion for them.

Happy exchanged small talk with Anthea and watched Toby playing with Stella, wishing – not for the first time - that she was as comfortable around the children as her husband was. She desperately wanted to join with their games, but she simply didn't know how and it scared her that it didn't come naturally to her.

"Caitlin's quiet again today," noted Happy. Anthea still had Caitlin in her arms and the little girl clung tightly to her neck, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. It was the same every time they visited the orphanage. Caitlin was much more reticent than Stella, lacking her sister's confidence and it always took her a little while to come out of her shell.

"Why don't you have a cuddle with Mommy?" suggested Anthea softly, trying to peel the child away from her.

Happy stepped forward and Anthea passed the still reluctant little girl into her arms before sitting on the couch, glad to have her hands free again. Caitlin started to whimper and Happy found herself making soothing noises to calm her, rocking her gently from side to side as she did so. Toby looked up from the floor and smiled, delighted to see his wife looking so natural with Caitlin in her arms.

Caitlin seemed to be calmed by the motion and Happy smiled at her. "Hey, so, you remember who I am now?" she asked. She picked up a soft toy – Happy hadn't quite decided if it was a bear or a rabbit – and held it out for Caitlin. The little girl took it from her and a small smile danced at the corners of her lips.

Toby turned his attention back to Stella. She had been carefully piling up some plastic blocks and Toby grinned at her. "Look, Hap," he said. "We might have another engineer in the family!" Just then, Stella deliberately knocked down the bricks with a swipe of her hand. "And she has your passion for smashing things too," added Toby with a smirk.

Happy just shrugged a nonchalant gesture and tried to encourage Caitlin to play with another toy, but the little girl appeared happy with the one she was already clutching in her tiny hand.

Stella and Caitlin both carried the scars of the terrible car accident that had killed their parents. Caitlin had escaped relatively unscathed, physically at least, but she appeared to have some emotional scars. She had been pulled from the wreckage fully conscious and when they'd first been considering the adoption Toby had explained to Happy that even at ten months old such a traumatic experience would have affected her. It went some way to explaining her quiet personality.

Stella had sustained a serious head injury which had left her with a large scar down the left side of her face. Doctors had originally feared she would lose her eye, but it had been saved, thanks to the skilful surgeons at the children's hospital and now her sight was slowly improving. The twins had been through so much in their short lives already, but the strength and determination they had both shown since the accident had convinced Happy and Toby that they were the perfect children to bring into their lives.

"Hey," continued Toby, grinning broadly at Stella. "Shall we play the noisy car game?"

Happy and Anthea exchanged a smile. The first time they'd met the twins, Toby had invented the 'noisy car game' and he played it with Stella every time they visited. Stella thought it was just a game, she had no idea that Toby was using the game to carefully monitor how well she was recovering from her injuries.

"Look at the car!" Toby urged, picking up the 'noisy car' - a small police car with a siren and flashing light on the roof – and holding it up in the air. He pressed the button to set off the light and sound and Stella giggled as her eyes began to follow it around the room. "Wow, look at that extraocular muscle strength!" Toby said, smiling with delight and rewarding Stella with a raspberry on her neck. He looked up at Happy and Anthea. "So much improvement on last time," he said.

"Good," said Happy. Caitlin wriggled in her arms and grabbed at Happy's hair, causing her to wince in pain.

"Hey, I think Mommy wants to play the noisy car game now," said Toby, getting up off the floor. He crossed to the couch and took Caitlin from Happy. Happy instinctively kissed the little girl before taking her place on the floor and, somewhat awkwardly, starting to drive the toy vehicles around the rug while Stella grabbed at them.

"I'm so sorry the paperwork is taking so long," said Anthea as Toby settled Caitlin on his knee. "We're almost there. Your lawyer, Mr Dodd, is working so hard for you. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be nearly this close already. The whole adoption process is absurd. It makes me so mad every time we go through this. All our kids need parents now, not this time next year!"

Toby nodded in agreement. "You'd think we were trying to become Supreme Leaders of the Universe, not adopt a couple of beautiful little girls," he noted, dryly. "Although I like the sound of Supreme Leader of the Universe, that's a title I could carry off, don't y'think?" He grinned smugly and Happy scowled at him. Toby lowered his voice and leaned towards Anthea. "Happy likes to pretend she's the supreme leader of our marriage," he noted.

"Because I am," said Happy, without missing a beat. "You couldn't lead a moth to a flame."

Just then, Anthea's phone played a five note melody. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen. "It's a text from my sister," she explained. "Our Mom's been sick, I should call her back," she added and she walked out of the room.

Toby sat Caitlin on the couch and encouraged her to play with the toy bear – it was definitely a bear, he decided, despite Happy's suggestion that it could be a rabbit. He studied every move the child made, every time she reached for the toy, the way she looked at it, or at him and the way she reacted to the noises he made as he jumped the bear up and down in front of her. He was starting to form a much clearer picture of her psyche and the way she was processing the traumatic events that had invaded her young life. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, making her a silent promise that he and Happy would protect her and her sister from any more harm.

Happy noticed the gesture. She had seen a definite change in Toby since they'd decided to adopt Stella and Caitlin. Definitely a change for the better, she acknowledged. Despite all the heartbreak they'd endured along the way – not least of which was Scorpion falling apart, albeit only for a few weeks, right at the start of their journey – they had stayed strong for each other and Happy knew Toby was going to be the best father any kid could ever have. She just hoped and wished she could be a good mother.

Happy had to remind herself that in less than six months, once the baby was born, they'd be the proud parents of three kids under two years old. That prospect terrified and excited her in ways she would never understand. Toby understood, though. He always understood her... even when he was being a doofus, she thought to herself with a smile.

Anthea entered the room with a sombre look on her face.

"Everything OK with your mom?" asked Toby with concern.

"What? Oh, yeah, she's fine," replied Anthea. "My sister wasn't calling about her at all. She's a county lifeguard. They just pulled a body from the ocean, he was one of their own, a veteran lifeguard. She's known him ever since she was a rookie. She's devastated."

Happy and Toby exchanged a shocked look. "Um, we were at the beach yesterday," Happy explained. "I think we might have seen the guy before he went missing. Some kid got into trouble in the water, we had to rescue him. The lifeguard wasn't around. If he'd been watching the water the kid would never have gotten so far out of his depth."

"We should call Cabe," said Toby. "He'll want to know, if he doesn't already and the cops'll probably want statements from all of us. We may have been the last people to see the guy alive."

"Oh, god," said Anthea. "The police?"

"Standard procedure," replied Happy.

Toby got to his feet with Caitlin in his arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he said. "We were having so much fun, but Mommy and Daddy have to go now." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "We'll be back soon, I promise." The little girl clung tightly to his neck, just as she had done to Anthea when they'd arrived.

"I hate leaving them," said Happy, forcing down a wave of emotion as she hugged Stella, while Andrea prised Caitlin from Toby.

"Hey, tell your sister we're sorry about her friend," said Toby.

As they walked back to the car their phones both simultaneously buzzed. "That'll be Sly," said Happy and she checked her screen just to be sure. "Yep," she confirmed. "Looks like the news has hit cyberspace."

xXxXxXxXx

Paige opened her eyes and blinked deeply. She reached across the bed, her lips stretching into a smile, but there was no one there. She sat bolt upright and drew a sharp breath. Walter was sitting across the loft at his desk and a terrible feeling of déjà vu suddenly overwhelmed her. "Walter?" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The first time she had woken up in Walter's bed – almost two years ago now – her dizzy excitement and sheer bliss had quickly been replaced by crushing uncertainty. She'd asked him if their first night together had been worth waiting three years for, only for him to hesitate and ultimately not give her any answer at all. The next thing she remembered was him talking about Mark Collins. She had expected something more from him and his apparent indifference had sent her into a spiral of insecurity.

Walter was now sitting in exactly the same position as he had been on that morning and for one terrifying moment Paige could see it all happening again. But this time something was different. Walter was different. Still the same Walter she had fallen in love with, but now he understood her more than he had ever done before. Now they communicated, told each other if they were worried or upset and their relationship was more secure than it had ever been. "Walter?" she repeated.

Walter looked round. "Hey, sleepyhead," he said with a smile. "I didn't want to disturb you." He got up from his chair and walked back to the bed, sitting himself down on the edge. He gently caressed the side of Paige's face and smiled before leaning in for a kiss.

Paige's pulse quickened at the touch of his lips on hers and she desperately tried to relax and enjoy this moment, but she was still shaken by her harsh memories.

Walter pulled away and looked at her with concern. "Is… is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Paige answered, dismissively.

"I don't believe that answer w…was accurate," replied Walter. "Please tell me, did I do something wrong? I… I very much enjoyed our intimacy, but if you didn't you should tell me. This is a very important part of our relationship a…and we've never had problems with… with… intimacy before, but…" he desperately searched for a way to complete his sentence.

Paige laughed lightly. "Relax, Walter, I very much enjoyed our intimacy too," she said, imitating his choice of words. "Very much," she repeated with a flirty raise of her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, it's just…" she trailed off and her face fell. "This is going to sound silly, but can we reorganise?"

"Reorganise what, exactly?"

"The loft," replied Paige. "Move the furniture around, I mean. Maybe put the bed over against that wall and your desk could go nearer to the shelves?"

"Why?" asked Walter. "The current arrangement is the most efficient. The electricity outlets are all along that wall and…"

"Happy can put in new outlets," Paige interrupted him.

Walter was confused, but didn't want to argue with her. "OK, why not."

Paige smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I should get ready if we want to get to the restaurant."

"Ah," said Walter with a guilty look. "I'm so sorry, Paige, but I had a call from Cabe. The team are on their way back here."

"We have a case?" queried Paige, pulling back the covers and leaping out of bed.

"Not exactly," responded Walter. "Unless Scorpion is taking on homicide investigations now."

To be continued…