WriterFreak001:
Thank you for joining in on the amazing, wild ride during "Mind Games." It's been a pleasure writing this story, and I'm sure some of you cringed during some of the chapters, and that is OK! :) (I love making people cringe because that means the writing was effective). While this is the last chapter to "Mind Games," the "Masterminds of Deceit" series is far from over. :) I haven't decided where I'm going to take the series or if there will be a BIG BAD, but once I do, I promise to return! :D It might not be until after the season finale of Scorpion – by then I should have an idea whether or not there's going to be another baddie in the show. If there's not, then I have free reign to either create one or do something entirely different.
Anyway, here is the last installment to "Mind Games."
Title | Mind Games
Fandom | Scorpion (CBS)
Description | Post-Deception. Four months passed since the ending of "Deception," and it seemed as though life, for the most part, returned to normal for Team Scorpion. Walter and Paige were given a chance to focus on their relationship in the midst of all of the cases that were assigned to the team. However, eventually, all great things must end, and once again, Team Scorpion will have to deal with an even bigger opponent than the Leviathan Mafia. Mark Collins is back for revenge and will have something big in store for Walter – something even the 197 IQ genius might not be able to see coming. And Collins's return just might cause a rift within the Scorpion family in the process, making it next to impossible for them to beat his ultimate game.
Rating| This fanfiction will be rated T for violence, obscene language, sexual themes as well as brain stuff and fluff.
POV | Limited Third Person
Disclaimer | While CBS owns Scorpion, I am the owner of this masterpiece.
Claimer | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!
Mind Games
Sequel to Deception
Written by WriterFreak001
Epilogue
~ SCORPION ~
A month passed since Walter and Paige's honeymoon, and Paige was absolutely radiant. As Walter continued reading the pregnancy guide he had purchased several weeks ago to help him better understand what his wife was going through, he learned that many women undergo a phenomenon known as the pregnancy glow; at first, he had scoffed at the title of the phenomenon because he knew it was impossible for human skin to glow. However, as he continued reading, the phenomenon described increased blood flow (which would account for the reason Paige's face seemed fuller and brighter) and increased oil secretion (which explained why Paige's complexion appeared shinier than usual). He was grateful to know that there was science behind the so-called pregnancy glow because it made him understand the radiance in her features a little bit better. However, every time a random person – usually during a case – told Paige that she was glowing, he had to bite his tongue and hold himself back from explaining the science behind the phenomenon. He had corrected a cashier once, and Paige was a little disappointed at him for ruining the moment with his arrogant explanation. After that incident, he made note to keep the facts to himself and simply let his wife revel in the moment.
Today, they had an appointment with Paige's OB/GYN to see how the baby's health was doing and learn of the child's sex. Paige was eighteen weeks along in her pregnancy, and it was starting to get to a point where Walter had to decide when or when not to bring his wife along for the ride during Scorpion's cases. While he knew his wife loved being part of the field work during their cases, they both mutually agreed as to which cases she should or should not attend. If cases involved weapons, drug cartels, heists or potentially dangerous people, Paige agreed to stay home at the garage where they knew it was safe. However, if the cases entailed simple tech upgrades for security detail, Paige tagged along. But those cases were a rarity, so most of the time, Paige was home. If it wasn't for Megan's frequent visits, Paige had mentioned to Walter once that she would have gone insane. Luckily, in another month, Ralph will be out of school for the summer, and he would be able to help his mother out for a while.
"Before you go to your doctor's appointment," Toby said as he circled around his desk and approached the couch near the entrance to the garage where the married couple were lounging about, "I have a little present for the two of you."
"Oh?" Paige's eyes lit up as she lifted her head from Walter's shoulder. "And what would that be?"
Toby dug into his satchel and revealed a fancy, state-of-the-art stethoscope. "The two of you have only been able to hear the baby's heartbeat at your monthly appointments; with this stethoscope, you'll be able to listen to Waige Junior's heartbeat anytime you want while he or she is blossoming inside of you, Paige. It also might come in handy later if you need to listen for wheezes or irregularities whenever the child is sick."
"Aw, thank you," Paige smiled as Toby dropped the stethoscope into her hands. "That's very thoughtful of you, Toby."
Toby scratched the back of his neck and returned a sheepish grin. "I only want what's best for the growing munchkin; besides," he chuckled, "I am the cool uncle, after all. I want to get an early start on building my reputation for this kid."
"Of course you had an ulterior motive," Walter shook his head in dismay. "Leave it to you to do something nice only to turn around and make it all about you."
"Yep," Toby grinned. "That's me, all right. No shame. No shame." Toby gave Walter and Paige a victory sign before strutting off to his desk.
"You could be a little nicer, Walter," Paige whispered as she plugged the stethoscope into her ears.
"And he could be a little less…Toby." Walter shrugged and watched Paige roll up her shirt and place the diaphragm against her swollen stomach. "Do you hear anything?"
"Shhhh," Paige clamped her hand over his mouth and was silent for a few seconds before a smile found her lips. "The heartbeat sounds strong," she muttered and handed him the ear pieces to him. He inserted them into his ears and listened carefully. There was a soft pitter-patter pulsing from his wife's abdomen.
He removed the stethoscope off of his person and placed it onto the table in front of them. He then looked at his watch. 1:34 PM. Their appointment was at 2 PM. "If we want to make the appointment in time, we should probably head for the car."
"Okay," Paige smiled before planting a quick kiss on his lips. He rose to his feet, helped her onto hers and then led her out of the garage towards the car. Once they were buckled in, he pulled out of the alley and merged onto the main road, heading towards the hospital.
~ SCORPION ~
Once Walter and Paige were led to the ultrasound room, the nurse had Paige lie down on the hospital bed and answer a list of thorough inquiries. When the nurse finished inputting Paige's answers into the computer, she left to fetch Dr. Overton – Paige's OB/GYN. Walter was sitting in a comfortable chair next to Paige and was holding her hand; he knew she was nervous – she was always nervous for the ultrasound appointments. Nervous that they would learn the baby wasn't healthy or find deformities. The list feeding Paige's anxieties was endless, and the only thing Walter could do to help calm her nerves was hold her hand. He still wasn't great with pep talks, but the speeches didn't matter. Paige was a tactile person; he didn't need to say spiels of encouragement in order to comfort her. He only needed to hold her hand – touch her in some way. During her hospitalization after the Collins incident, Paige craved his touch. She didn't speak much for several days. And during her hospitalization, he learned that a simple touch spoke volumes to her.
As he watched her slowly expose her swollen belly, he began thinking about the future, wondering if the child was a boy or a girl. He would find out soon enough, but he couldn't help himself from being curious. Never mind the sex of the baby. What often plagued his mind these days was the unknown IQ of their unborn child. He knew he shouldn't be bothered by something out of his control, but the thought of not being able to connect with his child scared him to no end. He knew what it was like having a difficult relationship with his father – his relationship was still on the mend, but he knew it would take a long time before he completely forgave his father for the way he treated him as a youth. The last thing he wanted for his own flesh and blood was dissociation.
When he first met Paige, he recognized the markers of a genius the moment he saw Ralph; even though he barely knew the family of two at the time, he sympathized with the boy and didn't want history to repeat itself. He could tell that Paige was trying to connect with Ralph, but the boy kept pulling away, and Walter knew he had to intervene in order to salvage the mother and son's relationship. Scorpion was the answer – it was a quick solution that benefited both Paige and Ralph.
And now, here Paige was, sitting next to him, waiting for the ultrasound of their firstborn. Helping Ralph was calculable. Not knowing if he would be able to establish a connection with his unborn child was bothering him to no end; the baby could be born with a high IQ like Walter, but he or she could also inherit an average IQ from his or her mother.
"Walter," Paige muttered his name, shaking him out of his thoughts, "What's on your mind?"
"Hm?"
"Your mind," Paige reiterated as she squeezed his hand. "Usually, when you're very quiet, you're thinking about something. You've been staring at my stomach for the past five minutes." So she noticed. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah," Walter forced a smile but it vanished when she raised an eyebrow at him. She saw through his deception.
"Try again." Paige demanded as she brought his palm to her round belly.
"Now's really not the time," Walter replied, expecting Dr. Overton to arrive at any moment."
"Uh-huh. Right. I don't see Dr. Overton, do you?" Paige deadpanned as she shifted slightly and locked eyes with his. "You know I don't like it when you shut me out."
"I know." Walter inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly as he raked his hand through his hair. Where to begin? Before he had a chance to continue, Dr. Overton, a woman in her late forties with short blonde hair and oval glasses, walked into the room with her clipboard in her hand. Walter pressed his lips together, and Paige's expression told him that their conversation wasn't over and that it would be resumed later. Dr. Overton shook both of their hands and asked Paige a couple more questions before reaching for the ultrasound conducting gel. Walter found the ultrasound appointments the most fascinating; there was a lot of science embedded into the process, and he had a chance to see the continued growth of the baby on the monitor.
He always had a knack for anatomy, and human life was one of the world's wonders in which scientists have been trying to create synthetically for centuries. Prenatal childbirth, alone, was enthralling; at four weeks, the fetus's eyes starts forming. By sixteen weeks, the eyes are fully developed and can process light. If anything, in-utero development of the baby mystified Walter. He understood the process of how fetuses grow into full-grown babies over the course of forty weeks, but for a fetus to only need 23 chromosomes from each parent to generate a custom-made genetic code and develop eyes, organs and life by the end of nine months was a true phenomenon.
And within those unique forty weeks, the child's intellect was also developed. While there would be no sure way to determine the level of intelligence his child would have when he or she was born, the thought still irked him. There might be a small window for Walter to try and connect with his child before he or she develops his or her cognition, but the thought of that window of opportunity vanishing before him made him fear the possibility of dissociation with his child even more.
He knew he and Paige had had this conversation a while ago, but their previous conversation did not negate the fact that still had his worries. It was one thing for him to help Paige connect with Ralph; it's something entirely different for Paige to help him connect with an infant who might not be able to stimulate his mind. The unknown frustrated him, and he feared he would end up like his father after all.
"Walter?" Paige spoke his name and lifted her eyebrow, bringing him back to reality. "Dr. Overton's about to start the ultrasound; you were lost inside your mind again, weren't you." He nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat, giving her a silent apology. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Never better," Walter forced another smile as he squeezed her hand to assure her he was fine.
The look she gave him told him she wasn't convinced, but she turned to Dr. Overton and told her to proceed. The doctor squirted the conducting gel onto Paige's exposed abdomen and instructed them to look at the monitor as she placed the probe onto his wife's stomach. The monitor showed a well-defined profile of the infant's head, and Walter felt Paige squeeze his hand tighter, and the tears in her eyes started to form. He didn't understand why she cried every time they saw an ultrasound image of their child, but he didn't question her reaction; he assumed it had to do with her EQ. While Paige teared up during the ultrasounds, Walter simply studied the images, committing them to memory. They saw a fist as the probe passed over the side of Paige's swollen belly, and Paige made a comment, saying the baby looks like he or she is giving them a fist bump. His wife's statement made him smile; he was very familiar with the fist bump.
"The next image will determine the sex of the baby; do the two of you want to know today, or do you want to wait until the delivery?" Dr. Overton asked as she rested the probe against Paige's stomach and waited for Walter and Paige's answer.
"We want to know today," Paige replied as she gave Walter's hand a gentle squeeze.
"All right," Dr. Overton smiled. "Give me a few seconds to locate the baby's genitalia."
~ SCORPION ~
After learning the sex of the baby and finding out that the baby was in healthy condition, Walter and Paige returned home to the garage with smiles on their faces. Paige's grin was more defined than Walter's, but he was contented with the results. Paige, however, was ecstatic, and her exuberance was what Walter found the most intriguing. Her happiness was contagious and made him forget about his worries for the entire afternoon and evening.
They decided to keep the knowledge of the baby's sex to themselves for a while longer; Paige wanted time for them to revel in the enjoyment before sharing their joy with others. When they returned to the garage, they were bombarded by Toby, Sylvester and – to Walter's surprise – Happy. They all wanted to know whether they were expecting a niece or a nephew, but the expecting parents refused to tell them no matter how much Toby and Sylvester begged and pleaded. Happy simply walked back to her desk with a shrug.
"Oh, come on! Pleeeeeease?!" Toby was on his knees, shaking his clasped hands as he begged Walter to disclose the sex of the baby. "I'm dyin' here!"
"The answer is no." Walter replied as he stepped around Toby and sauntered over to his wife who was speaking with Ralph near her desk. When he approached them, Paige was explaining to Ralph why she didn't want to tell anybody what the sex of the baby was; the boy simply shrugged and nodded before returning to his attention to his Nintendo 3DS game – the game Walter gave him a few weeks ago to mark the date he legally became the boy's father. Walter ruffled Ralph's hair as Paige leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his torso.
As they started to leave Ralph to his own world, the boy caught Walter's attention as he reached over his mother's desk chair and grabbed Walter's wrist. "What is it, buddy?" Walter asked as he and Paige returned to their son. "Is something wrong?"
His voice was soft and quiet. "I have a hypothetical question for you, Dad."
"I'll be upstairs," Paige whispered and gave Walter a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving for the stairs. When she was halfway up the steps, Walter turned his attention back to his son.
"And w-what would that be?" Walter forced a smile as he knelt to the floor and folded his arms against his chest.
Ralph spoke in a soft, quiet voice. "If you and Mom were to have more kids later on, would the baby currently growing in Mom's stomach be sharing my room if no other rooms are vacant?"
Ralph's inquiry took Walter by surprise; the boy certainly knew how to find loopholes. The question was vague, but at the same time, the answer would provide very specific information.
Walter struggled to answer the boy's query but he figured Ralph had a right to know; besides, he wouldn't be telling Ralph a direct answer. Walter could say 'yes' or 'no,' and what Ralph did with the information was not up to him. So, banking on the hope that the boy would not disclose his conclusion with anyone else, Walter gave Ralph his answer.
"Cool." Ralph grinned in response and then returned to his game. Walter rose to his feet and ruffled the boy's hair. As he left for the stairs, Ralph turned to him and added, "Secret is safe with me." He gave Walter a thumb's up. "Scoop."
"Thanks, buddy," Walter walked over to his adopted son and gave him a fist bump before turning to leave for the loft.
~ SCORPION ~
Late that night, after Ralph had retired for the night, Walter and Paige were in bed, wrapped within each other's arms. Paige's cheek was resting against Walter's collarbone while her arm was draped over his chest and her leg was curled around his. Walter's left hand was laced with Paige's, and his other fingers were fiddling his wife's matted hair.
"Ralph knows." Walter whispered as he stared at the ceiling.
"He does?"
"Yeah. He asked me a question I couldn't exactly refuse to answer; you know me and facts," he forced a chuckle as he locked eyes with Paige's soft brown irises. "Anyway, uh, he basically wanted to know if he would ever be sharing a room with the baby…in, um, in the event that we have more children."
"Oh?" Paige lifted her head and turned towards him, resting her chin against his chest. "What did you tell him?"
"The truth; he asked for a yes or no answer – not specifics. Everything was, um, well, you know, it was hypothetical; in no way did I give him a direct answer. I left the conclusion up to him, and since he scoop-promised to keep the knowledge of the baby's sex a secret, I didn't see the harm in answering his inquiry. You're not mad, are you? I mean, you, um, you wanted to keep it a secret…."
"I'm not mad, Walter," Paige laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. "I could never be mad at you for being honest with Ralph; honesty is important, and he didn't get a lot of honesty when Drew was in his life."
"I guess it's a good thing," he chuckled, "that I can't usually tell lies, then."
"No. You don't usually lie." Paige brought his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. "But you do withhold the truth sometimes." Ah. There it was. Walter knew she was going to bring up their earlier conversation sooner or later. "What was on your mind at the doctor's office, Walter?" Walter grew silent for a moment and avoided his wife's pressing gaze. "Walter?" She caressed his face and forced him to look at her. "Hey," her thumb rubbed along the taut skin under his eye, "it's just me. Your scars are my scars, remember?"
Oh, he remembered, all right.
Not wanting to start another unhealthy argument, he gave in and answered his wife's query and sat up in the bed. "I know we've, um, I know that we've had this conversation before, but I still c-can't help b-b-but worry about n-not being able to c-connect with our b-baby." He inhaled a deep breath and laid everything out before her. "I don't want to become distant like m-my father d-d-did f-for years." He paused and inhaled another deep breath. "I s-still have a h-hard time processing touch with oth-other people. I d-don't know the first thing t-to holding a baby, nor d-do I know how t-to interact with them. Babies, f-from what I've read, are t-tactile creatures; th-they depend on t-touch to est-establish connections…. W-what if I c-can't do that ef-f-fectively?" He started to hyperventilate. The reality of the pregnancy was becoming even more real to him. "I a-am ill-equipped, Paige. U-unlike mostly ev-everything I've ever known, a b-baby is not something I kn-know how to calculate." He grabbed his head with both of his hands. "And th-the fear of not knowing whether or n-not I'll be able to connect with our baby girl is eating m-me away inside. And I h-hate the feeling I feel," he closed his eyes and gulped, "every time I think about it."
Paige sat up and then straddled him as she pulled his hands from his face and cupped his cheeks. "Walter," she wiped away the tears he didn't even know he had with her thumbs, "Walter, you need to calm down and breathe." Listening to Paige's slow breaths helped Walter calm himself down, but it took time. When his breathing pattern normalized, Paige forced him to look into her eyes. "I understand your fears, Walter; I do. I spent nine years," a tear fell down her cheek, "not being able to connect with Ralph, and as I've mentioned before, it's a horrible feeling to see your child pull away from you. I know the feeling all too well. If we worry about the intellect of our child, we'll go crazy, Walter. It's not something we can find out the moment she's born. It'll take some time." She leaned her forehead against his. "And as I told you the last time we had this discussion; if our daughter is born with an average IQ, I will help the two of you connect just as you've helped me connect with Ralph." She pulled away and smiled as she caressed his cheeks. "You're not in this alone, Walter." She brought his hands to her stomach and rested them against her baby bump. "I promise we'll figure it all out together…. It just…has to take time."
Suddenly, Walter felt a soft series of pops beating against his left hand. Paige smiled at his response as he immediately directed his attention to her belly. The pops were faint, but he could feel them. "See?" Paige hooked her arms around his neck, causing Walter to meet her warm gaze. Her lips curved to a smile. "She's already anxious to meet her daddy."
Before he had time to respond, Paige pulled him in for a deep kiss and rocked against him; his palms found her backside and he pressed her closer to him. A slow, fervent fire burned between them as their searing kisses… their gentle touches… their ardent loving purified all of their doubts and their fears they shared together.
As Paige physically showed Walter how much she loved him, he realized she was right; he wasn't facing the pregnancy nor the baby alone – she was going to be right beside him, helping him.
"And Walter?" Paige whispered into his ear.
"Hm?"
"You're going to be a great father." Paige muttered before pressing her lips against his cheek.
"How can you be so sure?" Walter asked, causing her to face him.
"Because," Paige smiled, "You are one of the top five smartest people in the world; when you see a problem, you find a solution. It's who you are. I can tell you already love our baby girl – the fear of not connecting with her makes it pretty clear," Paige combed her fingers through his hair. "And since you love her, you'll do whatever you can to hold onto her for as long as possible. Even if you have to struggle a bit in order to connect with her, you'll find a way because you fight for what's important to you. And no matter what, I'll here to help you any way I can. I promise," she kissed his forehead, "our daughter will know her father loves her; one way or another," Paige poked his nose with her finger, "she'll know. Do you trust me?"
Walter nodded. "Always."
"Good," Paige muttered before kissing him hard on the mouth.
Hours passed, and Paige had fallen asleep in Walter's arms, but he was very much awake. He stared at the ceiling and thought about a lot of things. As his wife stirred against him, he softly called out her name.
"Hm?" she grumbled; her voice vibrated against his shoulder.
"Léana."
"Léana?"
"The baby's name. It should be Léana."
"Léana O'Brien…," Paige muttered with a groggy voice. "I like it." She smiled. "But what does the name mean?"
"In Irish, it means 'one who bears the light.'" Walter explained as he continued to stare at the ceiling.
"Sounds fitting," Paige mumbled as she kissed his shoulder.
He started hearing her breaths still. "Paige?"
"Yeah?" she yawned, and he caught her tired eyes with his.
"I, um…," Walter gulped, "I know I d-don't say it a lot…, but, um…, I love you."
"I love you too, Walter." Paige smiled and pulled him down for a kiss.
And as his wife snuggled next to him, he somehow knew everything was going to be all right. That his doubts and his fears were only mind games planted by his cruel childhood experiences, and like all mind games, Walter O'Brien always found ways to conquer them – and he will conquer them.
Someday.
Tonight…, tomorrow…, this week…, he was only going to focus on the certainties in his life because those are the things that matter. The rest will fall into place, and when they do, he'll be ready to face those mind games head on.
Every. Last. One of them.
~ SCORPION ~
WriterFreak001:
And you thought the story was called "Mind Games" because of Collins. MUAHAHAHAHA! MADE YOU THINK! Anyway, this installment concludes the second volume to the "Masterminds of Deceit" series. :)
Please tell me what you think of the chapter AND what you think of the story as a whole.
The third part of the series will not be written for a while, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for being a part of this wild ride! :)