"Can we see him?" Paige asked the nurse that was in Walter's room.

"Yes, but he's still out from surgery. I'm going to start trying to ease him out of it so that we know he's conscious and responding before we allow him to fly."

The group nodded and slowly came into the room but stayed on the edges as the nurses bustled around Walter. He was alone in the room, Cabe's insisted he was a government asset that needed to be kept secluded from any other men at the base. It wasn't necessary but they all appreciated being able to have the space alone with Walter.

It was still a tight squeeze for all of them in the room but they all seemed to want to cluster together around Walter's bed anyway as soon as the nurse gave them the okay. Paige took his hand again and saw Cabe put his hand over Walter's other hand.

She was sure how long it took as time seemed infinitely long just waiting for some proof that Walter was still in there and okay. The nurse came in several times and reassured them, and Toby was constantly checking Walter's vitals and saying he looked good. It was just a lot for the body to go through and they knew he was weak and exhausted, so coming out of sedation was a longer process.

"Hey Kid," Cabe said being the first to notice when Walter's eyes started fluttering open. He moved his hand to put it on Walter's head in a very fatherly way. "Never been so glad to see someone wake up in my life. "

Walter smiled weakly.

"Hey, jerk when we get home I'm going to get you back for making us think you were dead." Happy said with her usual bite.

"Yeah, and taking a missing without us. We're a team I thought we went over this after that terrible interview." Toby joked.

"And you better call your parents because I'm not good with awkward conversations and I'm pretty sure they already put a stone for you next to Megan," Sly said.

"Hey Walter, remember when you got me that shitty vintage motorcycle for my birthday after I told you I'd never gotten a real birthday present? We didn't have much money but you tried and I don't think a single thing on that bike worked. Putting it together and fixing it with you, the two of us spending all night in the garage…" Happy trailed off a bit. But everyone could see how much that really meant to her.

"Where is this bike? I haven't heard this story?" Toby said.

Happy started laughing. "Blew up." Which caused Walter to laugh as well until it ended in a harsh cough.

"Thanks for coming for me. I'm sorry I tried to tell – " Walter's voice gave out.

"I'll get some water, we can try and see how well you are able to swallow and if you can keep fluids down." The nurse said from behind Paige. "Good to see you awake Mr. O'Brien. The surgeon had a few close calls with you on the operating table. Your friends seem to want to get you home as soon as possible so we're getting everything ready. Tomorrow you'll be back stateside." The nurse chattered.

"Not friends, family," Walter said. "Sorry," Walter repeated.

"Come out of this pal and we'll call it even," Toby said seriously.

"Yeah, don't make me put a boot in your ass, you just keep fighting kid we all need you. Love you, kid." Cabe said giving Walter's hand a squeeze.

Walter turned to Paige. "Ralph?" He questioned.

Paige teared up, it never ceased to touch her just how much Walter loved her son.

"He's okay. It's been a rough month. He's missed you so much. I – I missed you too Walter." Tears slid down her cheeks a sign of both her sadness and her relief. He really was alive.

"9/22/2014," Walter said softly, "that day saved me."

"What?" Paige asked not sure she heard him correctly.

But Walter's eyes closed.

"Hey, buddy you still good?" Toby ran up to check the monitors looking at each measurement twice, then sighed. "He's fine, well fine as expected. Just tired."

Paige watched as Toby stayed by Walter's bed on the flight. The doctor had suggested a sedative and Toby had agreed but Walter had asked to stay awake. Said he wanted to be with Scorpion as long as he could. Toby had argued saying it was better if Walter stayed calm, but Walter had responded that he had been out of commission from his team long enough. Despite that Walter seemed too exhausted to stay awake long.

Paige watched as Sly came to sit by Walter and she heard Cabe grumble beside her. "Now it's Sly's turn. Damn geniuses."

"Cabe?" Paige questioned. It was like Cabe to speak so darkly.

"They keep saying goodbye and saying they love him like he's about to die." He sighed. "I suppose they're right though, they didn't get the change last time and it probably does Walter good to hear it."

"I stand by my point! That stupid comic book guy had no idea what Super Fun Guy is capable of and to compare him to Superman. What kind of lame name is that? But then you started doing the math to prove Super Fun Guy was more powerful according to science.. He thought you were insane and writing gibberish on the back of his autographed poster."

Cabe smiled. "They fight so much because they are so alike. On that cliff that was how he told all of us he loved us and they're doing the same. They understand what it means."

Paige smiled. "He really does have feelings."

"Of course, he just shows it in different ways, through actions or his own words. Speaking of that cliff – all he really cared about was not dying without getting to talk to you. I think he knew. All of us know we mean something to him without the words, but you? You need the words and that's why he tries." Cabe got up then and went to sit by Walter during his few awake moments. Paige realized that even as she acted as liaison, there was so much she still needed to know about geniuses. It was true that by his actions Walter did show how he cared, like all the times he put her and Ralph first, or made sure they were safe before even worrying about himself.

The plane jostled a bit as it hit turbulence and she watched how the three men around Walter immediately tried to protect him and Toby seem to age ten years. She smiled. There truly was so much love on this team, even if they might try to deny it.

Her eyes fell on Tim who was sitting as far as possible from the rest of the team who were staying close by Walter. As much as she wanted to join them she suddenly felt like she didn't quite belong and she owed it to Tim to at least try and talk to him.

She sat down beside him and waited for him to speak first.

"How can I get them to understand I didn't want to hurt anyone and I didn't want to get Walter killed but I had orders and I believed I was doing the right thing."

Paige sighed. "Blind adherence to authority is not something they understand. All of them believe in doing what they know is right and being there for each other no matter what the risk or what anyone tells them. I've seen Walter do amazing things and always willing to give his life to save someone else."

Tim nodded. "Will they forgive me? Will you?" Tim asked.

"I don't know but I know don't think they will be able to trust you. Now they know you'll betray any one of them if someone orders you to." And it was with that realization of her own that she knew she could not be with Tim.

The flight was mercifully uneventful. They all turn shifts staying awake to watch over Walter, but Paige couldn't sleep, and she noticed Toby rarely did either. She also found she kept her distance from him, unable to look at him while he was awake or face him after knowing what Cabe had told her and what Walter had said in the rocket. Walter loved her. She had always sort of known, but wrote it off that was just a crush, that Walter wasn't really capable of it in the way that she needed. Yet Cabe and everyone else could see that he loved them and not only understood the ways he told them, but they knew how to say it back in a way he understood, but also kept out the emotionally charged words they all struggled with.

Toby was seated by Walter and Paige noticed Walter was asleep, making it safe for her to approach without having to face Walter's eyes.

"Hey Toby, how are you doing? Shouldn't you try and sleep?" Toby turned to her for just a moment before turning his attention back to his patient.

"I can't. If I was asleep and something happened…" Toby trailed.

"You saved him, Toby. He's stable. You can sleep." She pressed.

Toby shook his head.

"His heart is beating, that's about all we got. We don't know for sure how much is broken yet, a bad break somewhere and he could throw a clot, one of those puncture wounds could be infected, a broken rib could puncture a lung, a stitch pulls and he's bleeding out again. Won't even know what that damn battery did to his heart or brain till we run more tests. Maybe we should have stayed longer." Toby looked at his watch again, counting the seconds until Walter was back in a hospital.

"Stop thinking of worst cases. Think positively." Paige offered.

"Well, I'm positive I can't close my eyes because if I do I'll just think about how he came back from the dead just to die slowly in front of me." Toby's breath shuddered and Paige wondered if he was going to say something that his group of geniuses never did.

"Toby even if – whatever happens, you got to tell him how much he means to you, to all of you and he knows that Scorpion never let him down. No matter what fights or anger happens between all of you, you will always be there for him, and vice versa."

Toby nodded and breathed deeply to calm himself.

"Hard to believe he's here. There are so many things I want to - Cabe said he loves me in his own way, he just doesn't show it the way other people do."

"He's completely smitten Paige and you'd see how deeply Walter loves if you pay attention. He might not always be willing to say it and he may try and hide it but only because he's terrified of losing everything he loves. But don't let him know you heard it from me. 197 can't be vulnerable to emotions." Toby said with a smile.

An alarm beeped louder causing Toby's attention to fly to the monitors.

"What is it?" Paige asked.

"His heart rate is dropping. It's struggling but it might just be that he's so weak. We don't even know the last time he got food other than the IV. As long as it doesn't keep dropping and he doesn't spike a fever or start bleeding we should be okay."

"We'll be starting to descend in just a few minutes. Have you on the ground in 30 minutes. Mr. Elia has arranged for medical transport to greet you at the runway and take Mr. O'Brien right to the hospital where they are expecting him. He tells me they did receive the records that were sent over from the base."

Paige watched as Toby relaxed just a little but his eyes never left Walter's heart monitor.