"And I can't make good decisions without the full truth. And for Tim, Cabe or even Toby to interfere and keep the truth from me is what is wrong. They're treating me like I am some idiot incapable of making decisions." Paige told him and he could hear the fire in her voice. "First, Walter…I honestly did not hear you say that to me that day. I want you to know this beyond any doubt. I never would have acted in such a manner when you stepped out to be vulnerable like that. That would have really helped me that day, it would have put everything you had done in perspective for me."
Paige looked at him for a moment and then finally nodded as she made up her mind.
"Walter, Toby told me not to tell you about or help you remember something that happened when you were on the rocket." Paige told him softly as she reached down and took his hands in hers. "Do I have your permission to do so? Toby seemed to think it would be bad for you." Paige explained.
Walter nodded.
"I always want the truth, regardless of how painful it is." Walter told her.
Paige squeezed his hands and then explained what they had said to each other while Walter was on the rocket.
Walter blinked several times while staring at her and listening to her words. As she finished a slight smile rose up on his lips.
"That explains the dreams I've had." Walter told her softly.
"Dreams?" Paige asked.
Walter nodded.
"I had, what I had assumed, were just dreams of us in some kind of disco of sorts, we'd been dancing. I was wearing a tuxedo and you were wearing that beautiful black dress. You said it was a Halston and I said it should have been called a Galaxy, because it contained a heavenly body." Walter told her.
Paige blushed but grinned nonetheless.
"I was feeling pain, here." Walter separated one hand from Paige's and thumped his chest hard several times. "It was hard to breathe. I'd told you how I loved you and that it hurt because you chose Tim. And you told me that you loved me too." Walter said as tears welled up in his eyes even as he took her hand back. "But every day I'd wake and you were still with Tim."
"Walter, we have been severely abused by some of the people closest to us, Cabe, Tim and Toby. I am so upset over this." Paige told him before she grabbed her phone.
"Paige?" Walter asked worriedly.
Paige opened up her messenger program and linked all three geniuses and Cabe and sent a priority message. "EVERYONE is needed back at the Garage IMMEDIATELY."
She held up her finger after sending the message and dialed Tim's number.
"Hey Paige, thanks…" Was all Tim got out.
"We are over Mr Armstrong." Tim tried to interrupt. "Don't interrupt me. Delete all my contact info. If and when you return to the States do not come back around, either me or anyone from Scorpion. You are no longer welcome here, GOOD BYE." Paige told him and then hung up.
"I've got a headache coming on, Walter." Paige told him.
"I've got generic Tylenol upstairs. I'll go get it." Walter told her.
Paige shook her head.
"I know where it is in the kitchen." Paige smiled as she stood.
"There is also a cold pack in the freezer." Walter told her with concern.
"The guys should be here shortly. I'll be back down then." Paige told him before she kissed his cheek and went upstairs.
"Paige?" Walter asked, clearly puzzled.
Cabe returned first. He looked around the Garage puzzled as he came in.
"I hope this is important, I left Allie at the restaurant. What's up son?" Cabe asked.
Walter shrugged as he looked upstairs.
"Paige is a bit upset about some things. She called the meeting." Walter told him in a voice that told Cabe he wasn't very happy either.
Cabe sighed as he walked over and sat on the chair at the side of Walter's desk.
"What exactly is she upset with?" Cabe asked.
Walter's phone activated as Paige's voice came over the intercom.
"I'll tell you when everyone is here." Paige's voice told him.
Cabe's eyes opened wide at the tone.
"What the hell does Homeland want now?" Toby complained as he walked in with Happy and Sylvester moments later.
"Not Homeland." Cabe said, looking at Walter.
"Umm, Paige, everyone that can be here is here." Walter said to his phone.
Paige got up from Walter's couch, where she had been lying, and took the gel pack back into the kitchen. She put it in the freezer before heading down stairs.
Toby started to say something but the look on Paige's face told him to shut up.
"Walter and I had a discussion earlier trying to fix things between us and right now, I'm about as pissed off at you guys as I can be. Especially Toby and Cabe." Paige started.
"Me? What did I do?" Cabe asked.
"So, earlier today, Tim wanted to knock your head off. And I stood up for you, not because you're right, but because I care for you, and I know how bad it hurts to lose a woman you have feelings for."
"It hurts me to tell you this, but you like facts, so here it is. She deserves more than you're capable of giving her at this stage in your life. You're not fully formed yet. You're almost there, but you're half-baked. And for you to try to go to win the love of a woman like Paige before you're ready is selfish and wrong. And it's not fair to her." Paige recited what Walter told her perfectly. "Ring any bells?" Paige demanded.
Cabe swallowed.
"That was a private conversation." Cabe said even as his cheeks flushed.
"I don't care that it was a private conversation." Paige nearly screamed. "Look, Cabe, I appreciate you, I love you and your presence, for the most part, you have been a wonderful role model for Ralph and these guys. But, this is MY life." Paige's hand jerked up, thrusting her thumb to her chest. "No one gets to dictate anything about it. All of you heard Walter that day say that he went to Tahoe to tell me he loved me. Didn't you?"
The look on her face forced them all to just nod.
"All of you knew and none of you bothered to tell me. And worse Cabe, you berated Walter over his feelings for me which you had no right to do. Walter is already working on a deficit of understanding his emotions. What he needed from you, was to help him navigate his feelings so he could come to me. I am fully capable of deciding what is right for me. I get to choose who is in my life and who isn't and in what capacity." Paige tore into Cabe mostly.
"And you doctor quack." Paige turned glaringly at Toby.
"Hey, I didn't do anything wrong." Toby tried to interject.
"Bull poop. Right now, tell the truth of what you told me after Walter came home following the rocket launch. Was anything you said legitimate or were you just still pissed at Walter over the smart building and pissed at Happy because she wouldn't tell you who her husband was so you took all of that plus your pain out on Walter and me by covering it up with some psycho babble?" Paige demanded.
"What did you do Fungus?" Happy demanded from Toby as the seconds ticked by without him answering.
"Nothing important." Toby said softly.
"Nothing important as in it was pure hogwash. You were in pain and you decided to cause Walter and I pain. I can't believe I let you guide me in this. I wasted four months on your idiocy because I trusted you. Be assured I will NEVER trust you again. Did you know Walter's been having dreams of what happened on the rocket? Did you suspect? You KNEW the truth. You knew Walter had faced his fear and told me he loved me, TWICE. But you hamstrung us. You convinced me that Walter was trying to move past any feelings he had for me. Tried to make me think I was moving past my feelings for Walter. And you knew all of that was a lie, you purposely made me waste my precious time on this world. Have you been enjoying your handiwork? Seeing me waste time with Tim when I should have been with Walter? I bet you enjoyed watching Walter's suffering every time I walked out of here with Tim, DIDN'T YOU?" Paige yelled.
"Toby?" Happy asked since he was just sitting there pale.
"I already sent Tim packing, but if Toby hadn't been an ass, if Cabe hadn't confused the issue, if ANY of you had told me what Walter said over the coms that day, I could have done it months ago. Walter and I could have been exploring a real romantic relationship." Paige yelled.
"It wasn't our place to tell you, he should have told you again. Besides, why didn't you hear him?" Sylvester whined.
"Since when? You blabbermouths haven't been able to keep a secret before this. Ask yourself why this secret was so easy to keep. And Walter couldn't tell me again, because he thought I heard him and just walked away from him, not caring how he felt. I had walked, inadvertently, into an electronic dead zone, so I didn't hear him. We're supposed to be a Cyclone, you jackass." Paige glared at him. "And because of that, I unintentionally hurt Walter over and over these past months, while suffering myself, knowing Walter loved me because he admitted it while he was hallucinating on the rocket. But I couldn't risk bringing it up because I followed an arsehole's advice, believing he was being honest and factual with me."
"And now, even worse, I hurt Walter even more the last couple of weeks making him feel abandoned. Do you know how much that hurts me too? And I bet you were eating that right up too weren't you Toby? Sure you warned me about your Waltcon chart bull poop, but you knew the truth. You could have helped me, and I could have adjusted what I was doing. I'm so fed up, all of you get out of here I don't want to see any of you right now. And just so we're clear, we're no longer friends." Paige yelled before she turned and found Walter was now standing right behind her.
Paige's lips trembled as she mumbled. "I'm so sorry." And as Walter's arms rose up she fell into them and hugged him fiercely to her sobbing.
Walter held her for several moments just letting her feel what she felt. He didn't know what to do but this seemed right somehow. Cabe slowly stood and tried to clear his voice and the look Walter shot him caused him to stop.
Walter gently turned with Paige and walked with her to the stairs and they began climbing them as the four other members of Scorpion stood or sat in various stages of disbelief. After Walter and Paige disappeared up the stairs they all finally left the Garage quietly.
Tuesday:
Cabe cautiously stepped into the Garage the next morning. He didn't see Walter, and Paige's car wasn't there, but since the door wasn't locked and the alarm not set, he decided it meant Scorpion was open for business. He cautiously walked across the floor towards Paige's desk as it sat closest to the small passage to the kitchen.
Walter stepped out with a cup of coffee and they both froze staring at each other.
"Good morning Walt." Cabe said cautiously.
"Good morning." Walter said before walking over to his desk.
"Am I welcome here?" Cabe asked carefully.
Walter sat his cup down before he turned to look back at Cabe.
"You know, I didn't know any better that day. My emotions were as you said, half baked. I relied on you, as someone I felt always operated in my best interest. Even when what you said hurt me." Walter held his hand up as Cabe started to speak.
"I clearly didn't have the experience to understand that night. I assumed with your advanced experience and emotional knowledge you had guided me well. But listening to Paige last night I realized you failed me while trying to protect Paige. I can't really be mad at you for trying to protect Paige, but in reality you hurt her. And it is very difficult for me to forgive that. For now, you are welcome here until Paige says otherwise. But if you ever hurt Paige again, I will not be…so…accommodating." Walter told him.
Cabe's eyes had tears in them as he listened to the pain in Walter's voice and slowly he nodded.
"I promise you I was only trying to protect Paige. I didn't stop to think that her silence following you telling her you loved her meant she didn't hear you. I thought she was setting a boundary with you. That she was with Tim and she didn't want you complicating their relationship." Cabe explained.
"I understand." Walter said as he settled into his chair to work.
Cabe nodded but walked back and got a cup of coffee. He looked at the other counter but didn't see the box of donuts that would normally be there for everyone and he swallowed hard. Paige always got them donuts.
"Would you like me to go pick up some donuts?" Cabe asked as he walked up to Walter's desk.
"From a company standpoint, no, thank you." Walter told him. "What you do as yourself is your business."
Cabe sighed as he nodded and walked over to his desk.
Sylvester walked in slowly a few moments later but only saw Walter and Cabe. He walked over to Cabe quickly.
"How's the water?" Sylvester asked quietly.
"Frigid so far." Cabe half whispered.
"Good morning." Sylvester said softly as he nodded and walked towards his desk. "Good morning Walter." Sylvester said neutrally.
"Sylvester." Walter responded but kept working.
Toby and Happy walked in a few moments later. Happy walked on over to her work area and got ready to begin working. Toby paused and looked at Cabe.
"So what's the story?" Toby asked him.
Cabe shrugged as he sipped his coffee. Toby walked on by and then noticed something new on Paige's desk. He walked over and stared at the name plaque for a moment and then picked it up.
"Is she kidding us with this crap?" Toby demanded looking at Walter.
"If something doesn't belong to you, don't touch it without permission." Walter told him and continued working.
"What…ever." Toby said as he made a face and turned around so the other three could see the plaque read "Ms Dineen". He froze as Paige was standing just inside the door looking at him.
Toby quickly put the plaque back on her desk even as Paige began walking towards him.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! For those of you who celebrate it, happy Thanksgiving! For those that don't happy Thursday!
Railman - Well I hope you enjoy as far as it goes. I really don't need another story trying to rewrite the show, but this one had to be told. hehe Yes, CBS had a certain formula for shows and while Scorpion really bucked the trend at the time, it was clear a lot of their requirements were still being enforced.
Marti - Indeed Cabe is. lol I always try not to blame the writers too much, after all, they are writing to tell the best story they can while adhering to what the bosses want. Doesn't make it any less frustrating. lol But season 4...ugh...lol
Lucy - So glad you enjoyed it! It isn't over just yet. lol
Margaret - Thank you! I was still "new" to social media back then, I'd been on FB for some time and had a Twitter account when the show was on, but I didn't know the show, stars and fans were using it to discuss the show. I had heard some things later once I really started writing Scorpion stories because I began to really use Twitter. FB was still mostly a family and friends thing. And I was sadden to hear about the way the fans went after the Nicks and stuff. From what I was told Nick Santora gave up social media because of the backlash and I think Nick Wootan still has his. That just wasn't the way to go about trying to support the show or even hope to get it brought back. The shows that were cancelled after Scorpion that got brought back the fans just rallied around the shows/stars/crew and showed how much it needed to continue. And sadly I'm afraid the negative reaction of the fans probably doomed Scorpion's chance. The funny thing is, while the numbers for the show did drop, even with them switching the show to a bad time slot, Scorpion still outperformed most of CBS's shows and was close to rivaling their 2 biggest NCIS and BBT. Today in reruns, the parrot reports have Scorpion blowing every show out of the water, even currently produced shows. Clearly there is still a huge fanbase, we just need them to get active on social media, tweet the hashtag #SaveScorpion every chance they get. It is the only way to hope for closure at least.
JerBr23 - Thank you! As I told Railman privately GMTA. hehe Hope it doesn't discourage you from continuing the new story!
LouBe - hehe What was your first clue? LOL And you are absolutely correct...Circles is because of how they kept circling each other! hehe You're welcome, what might have contributed to the confusion is, the lands of Scorpion Keep, Necromancers had been "removed". But that wasn't the end of all Necromancers. They still exist outside of his lands and they can move back in like a wolf in sheep's clothing. There might even be a future story dealing with them...LOL
Pearliegirl - You're welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed the start of this story! Thank you! Yep, I do live in the US so thank you! If you observe it, happy Thanksgiving! Here is to you always enjoying my stories! hehe Not to mention everyone else's!
To the Adventure! -Tim