I'm so excited to write the rest of this story! I think (hope) you'll all enjoy these last three chapters. For anyone who's interested, there's now an FFN forum to talk about new episodes and anything else Scorpion-related. The link is on my profile so check it out. :)
What made Paige think she could do this?
She and Walter hadn't fought in over a month. As grateful as she was for that reprieve—and for the corresponding improvement in Ralph's mood—she was losing control. She could feel it. Without the haze of anger, Paige saw how hard the genius was trying. It was in every cup of coffee he brought her. Every smile he shot her from his desk. Every time he shielded her instinctively during a case. Every moment he looked at Ralph like her son was the center of the universe.
Those were the little things that made her fall for him once, and she had the worst hunch that it was happening again.
Maybe her feelings had never changed, not really, but without Tim Armstrong's pleasant, constant distraction, there was nothing left for Paige to hide behind. Nothing to stop her from dreaming of Walter, from flushing under his gaze, from thinking about his hand on hers and how sensitive she was to his touch, even after all they had been through.
But she'd pushed to stay friends for a reason and it wasn't because she enjoyed torturing herself. She wanted more because things were good, but things were only good because they were setting their emotions aside. That was the best thing for her, for Ralph, and for Walter. The logical solution. They couldn't have everything, but they could get close, if she just stopped being so selfish.
"Are you gonna zip me up or do I have to call in Sly to do it?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and refocused on Happy, who was staring expectantly over her shoulder at the liaison with one eyebrow raised. Paige tugged on the zipper and pulled it closed, careful not to snag the dark blue fabric. She had never pegged Happy as a white gown kind of girl, and wasn't surprised when the bride opted for a simple floor-length dress with an exposed zipper in the back. I don't wear anything that doesn't have hardware, she'd said.
"What's your deal, Dineen? You look like you'd rather be getting tortured." Happy grabbed the top of the dress and wiggled to pull it higher over her chest. "I thought this stuff was what you lived for."
Paige smirked. She never thought the phrase always a bridesmaid would apply to her, but if she was doing this for anyone, she was glad it was the mechanic. Happy and Toby were going to last. It wasn't hard to see how ridiculously devoted they were to each other, even before they were really together.
"I'm fine. Just a lot of details on my mind, that's all."
"Nope," Happy countered, turning around to face her. "Your tension is making me tense and only one of us can be in crisis mode right now. That person is obviously me."
Paige dropped her eyes, embarrassed. Her head should have been on making this the perfect day for her friends, not on a problem she was creating for herself. She picked up Cabe's pin from the vanity and lifted the dress away from Happy's waist so she could attach it without stabbing the other woman.
"I'm really happy for you," she deflected as she secured the pin and smoothed the fabric back into place. "And proud of you. For opening up. I know one day you'll have the family you always wanted."
Happy was quiet and Paige knew she'd treaded on sensitive territory. But Happy was never one to accept defeat, and she and Toby wouldn't stop trying until they had a few little Quintises terrorizing the garage.
"You're very sappy today," the mechanic noted pointedly.
"Everyone's sappy at weddings."
"Are you moping about Walt again?"
Paige halted as she was reaching for Happy's heels. She didn't know why she was surprised. The geniuses were frustratingly good at connecting the dots and Happy had learned a few too many tricks from being around the behaviorist. That doesn't matter, this is your day, I'm going to shut up now.
But her next words just slipped out unencumbered. "How does Toby make it work? With you?" She winced, realizing how much that sounded like a backhanded insult. "Sorry. That came out wrong."
Happy huffed out a laugh. "No it didn't." She angled toward the mirror again, blinking her eyes and dusting off the speck of mascara that fell onto her cheek. "The doc was an idiot to pick me. We don't always understand each other and we never deal with things the same way. My marriage to Walter, the non-starter pregnancy…" The mechanic shrugged. "But you push through. You push through the stuff that sucks so you can get back to the good part."
Paige crossed her arms, careful not to rumple the bodice of her own dress. "It's hard. With Walter. There's so much baggage and we're so different—."
"Come on, Paige. It's always hard. If it isn't, you're not that serious." She grabbed for a can of spray to smooth back a strand of unruly hair. "It's like working for Scorpion, right? Sometimes it's rough and our lives are in danger, no one appreciates what we do, and we just want to give up. But we're still here. Because when it's good, it's worth it." Seemingly satisfied, she patted her waves and met Paige's eyes in the mirror. "You and Walt are never going to be perfect. But if something makes you happy more often than not, then statistically, it's worth doing."
The liaison's lips curved. Everything came down to facts for them. They felt fear—even Walter, who swore he was immune to it—but they always trusted the odds, for better or worse. She wished she could be that…logical.
Paige checked her phone and felt a small spark of relief that she would be saved from answering for the moment. "Alright, Hap. Time to get hitched."
"Hey, mom." Paige grinned when she spotted Ralph bounding toward her, painfully adorable in his suit. She'd barely seen him the whole reception—too busy grilling Toby's psychiatrist friends, she suspected—but now that the crowd was starting to thin out, she thought they might be able to spend some time together. Maybe she could even cajole him into dancing. "Walter needs your help with something," he said when he reached her.
Paige's smile faded slightly. She'd exchanged even fewer words with the genius, who had been regularly disappearing throughout the night to help out behind the scenes. When he was around, he always seemed to be on the opposite side of the room from wherever she was.
He was out of his element and Paige knew she should be by his side, helping him navigate, but it was difficult to think when Happy's words were still pounding in her head.
"Uh, okay." Ralph pointed to Walter, who was standing by the entrance. She fiddled nervously with the asymmetrical strap on her dress and took a deep breath before making her way toward him.
When had she gotten so nervous around Walter? Granted, seeing him in a suit always made her heart stutter. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he was staring out into space, no doubt lost in his own brain. If Toby was an idiot for picking Happy, then she was certainly an idiot for falling for Walter. He was stubborn, arrogant, and aggravating, but right now, all Paige could think about was how gorgeous he looked.
"Hey." She slapped on a friendly smile to mask her anxiety as she came to a stop next to him. Walter glanced over at her in surprise, as if he wasn't sure she was really standing there—not unusual when she pulled him out of his thoughts. "Ralph said you asked for my help?"
The genius furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I haven't talked to him in hours."
"Oh." Her voice was equal parts disappointment and annoyance with her son, who was once again nowhere to be found. She knew full well what Ralph's plan had been, but she played it off. "Maybe I misunderstood him."
Neither of them moved for a few seconds, and then Walter turned to her, one hand coming out of his pocket to scratch the back of his neck. "Do you want to dance?" Paige froze, thoroughly unprepared for the offer, and the genius shifted his weight awkwardly. "I don't know this song, but…"
"Yes," she said quickly, cringing at her overeagerness. But this was Walter. She didn't need be smooth or play games to keep him interested. Paige drew in another breath to relax. "I'm sure you'll pick it up."
Walter nodded and Paige followed as he stepped into the main area, staying near the edge of the dance floor. There were still plenty of couples in the reception hall and they blended in easily among the guests as his right hand grasped hers and his left hand dropped to the curve of her back, landing on the precise spot she'd showed him. Paige didn't recognize the song either but they fell in sync quickly. Walter clearly hadn't forgotten a thing since their first dance.
"I'm sorry about Ralph," she murmured. Walter didn't have to ask what she meant. This wasn't the first time he plotted to get them all in the same room and then made a hasty excuse to leave or simply disappeared. It was happening more and more frequently and Paige knew she was going to have to address his interference.
Walter sighed, but he seemed amused. "Side effect of being a genius. You start to think you can control everything."
"Hmm. I hadn't noticed," she answered, quirking her lips so he would know she was teasing.
His expression grew serious again and he tightened his grip on her, so imperceptibly she wondered if she was imagining it. "Ralph told me once that I should have taken you dancing. When you went to the veteran's ball." Paige swallowed as she thought back to that night, being in Tim's arms, knowing something wasn't right but fighting her instincts. She didn't feel that way now. "I guess he's helping me make up for that oversight."
A shiver traveled down Paige's spine and she wondered if Walter could feel it. If he could hear her heartbeat, which suddenly sounded very loud in her ears. "He's not good at minding his own business," she said a little more breathlessly than she'd intended.
Walter's eyes darkened, making it even harder for Paige to catch her breath, and his palm slid lower on her back as her fingers curled around his shoulder. This was escalating quickly, months or years of suppressed attraction bubbling to the surface at once, and whatever boundaries she had been imposing on their relationship clearly went out the window as soon as she agreed to dance with him. "He just knows what he wants," the genius said quietly, and Paige's head was spinning too much to decipher whether he was still speaking about Ralph or not.
His breath was hot on her neck and Paige wondered if Walter had pulled her closer or if she'd been the one to lessen the distance. "And w-what does he want?" she managed, stepping forward so he wouldn't see her eyes slip shut. This was dangerous, but maybe it was time to take Happy's advice. Maybe she could handle being hurt by Walter again if everything else would feel this good.
"He wants a family." There was no uncertainty in the words and Paige's knees almost buckled when she realized that he was talking about himself as much as Ralph. She forced herself to pull back and look at him, trying to memorize the emotion in his eyes, sliding her palm up to the base of his neck to encourage him. "Paige, I…"
And then, as if someone had flipped a switch, Walter stiffened and his expression turned to stone. His hands dropped to his sides and he took a step backward, leaving Paige feeling cold and exposed.
"Excuse me," he said through gritted teeth before spinning on his heel and walking straight out of the room. Paige blinked, stunned by the sudden change. Of course he would be overwhelmed, they were so close, he was so close to—.
To saying how he felt. The dancing, the clothes…
They couldn't have recreated the conditions any better if she was holding a plate of Baked Alaska.
He remembers.
