He watched as the couple walked hand in hand down the lightly lit sidewalk from his position on the bench. Both were grinning and laughing. Long shadows followed them. Walter hid his face as best as he could behind a newspaper at the sight. But even that couldn't disguise his grudge.

"Oh my gosh Walter!" Paige shrieked and playfully slapped him in the shoulder. He chuckled with her.

Who knew Walter O'Brien could be so hilarious?

The childlike behavior stopped gradually. Soon they were looking at the streetlights that illuminated the park. They cast an orangish film over their surroundings. Paige's thick hair had lovely highlights courtesy of the lighting. Her eyes seemed to sparkle too. Walter squeezed her hand.

There was just something about walking through a park with streetlights at night.

The paper was crumpled and thrown on the ground. He went back to the quiet garage.

What was supposed to be a normal visit with his sister turned into another painful memory. He went up to Megan's door and abruptly stopped in place. She and Sylvester were dancing to something, or possibly nothing.

*this flashback is based off of QueenDineen's oneshot*

They had just gotten back from a case and most of the team had gone home or to Kovelsky's. Paige was still there, however. She broke her wrist that day.

The team leader noticed she was having trouble brushing her hair, and before his 'brain' could stop him, he went over to help.

When the tangles were no more, he put on a random song on his phone, hoping it would work for the moment. It did. It was "Run To You" by someone called Lea Michele. The two started to dance. They moved as one, like a gust of wind and a tree.

That was one of the best moments of Walter's life.

Every night before the man tried to fall asleep, he was haunted by his last memory of her.

"I'll see you after surgery guys!" Paige hollered as she exited the building with her duffel bag. Ralph hugged her goodbye after the team did the same. "Hang in there, Dinee-Paige. See you soon," Happy said. The liaison kissed her son's cheek and hugged him again. Walter led her out to his car.

Today was the day Paige would become cancer free. The doctors would remove the last, big tumor imbedded underneath the muscle. After months and months of treatment and radiation, she would be herself again.

Finally, they reached the hospital. Before Paige got of the car, Walter began to say something.

"Paige-" He blurted.

She turned to him, wide-eyed. "Yeah?" 'He was going to say it. He was going to say it.' She thought and tried to keep her cool.

Walt haltered. "I-I-I.."

Paige waited. 'Just give him some time.'

"I..."

"I hope your surgery goes well."

'Damn it Walter!' he thought, 'You need to tell her!'

"Oh..." Paige muttered, hiding her disappointment for the most part. "Thank you. This means a lot."

Walter opened her door and helped her out of the vehicle. And hugged her. "I'll see you later?"

"You bet," she promised. "You bet."

He didn't see her later.

Or after that.

Or at all.

The procedure did not go as planned. No one in the team (except Toby) listened to the doctor when he explained what happened. They just basically heard that Paige didn't make it. She was gone. And they all agreed justice would be served. But that didn't matter right now.

Because Paige was gone.

Ralph sat up in Walter's loft, throwing his age out the window, and cried himself to sleep.

The adults were downstairs. Some were arguing about interviewing the surgeon before he performed the operation. Some were staring at the dust covered ceiling.

'Paige IS gone.'

That last day should have gone like Walter dreamed:

"Paige-" He blurted.

She turned to him, wide-eyed. "Yeah?" 'He was going to say it. He was going to sayit.' She tried to keep her cool.

Walt haltered. "I-I-I.."

Paige waited. 'Just give him some time.'

"I..."

"I love you."

Paige was going to cry. "Walt-"

"Okay?! I know I sound crazy right now!" He took a breath to continue, but Paige stopped him.

"I love you too."

They both smiled wide.

Oh, how much he wondered about what things would be like if he only said those three words.

The world's just too cruel to let anyone find true happiness.

If anyone meant Walter Patrick O'Brien.