"So, what did you want to talk about today?"

Oh god, where should she start?

Paige was talking to the same therapist she had all those years ago, Dr. Pentiti. Paige hadn't been here since she started with Scorpion, so she quickly told her about Scorpion, Ralph's genius, and Walter. Well, she didn't explain Walter very quickly. Walter could never be explained quickly. They were about half way through the hour session when Paige finally caught her up to everything that happened up to now.

When Paige finished, Dr. Pentiti asked, "So, have you told anyone in Scorpion about your eating disorder?"

Paige shook her head, "No, and that's actually something I wanted to talk about. The thought of telling them... I don't know, it almost makes feel panicked. I don't get it. I didn't feel that way telling Drew or Ralph about it."

"Let me make sure I understand your role in Scorpion. These geniuses... they have trouble with their emotions, and communicating? And you act as something of a... an emotional referee?"

Paige nodded, "That's right."

"And they look to you for guidance, not just professionally but personally as well?"

"Yeah."

Dr. Pentiti leaned forward, "Do you think that maybe you're afraid to tell them because you feel pressure to always know how to handle emotions? Maybe... maybe you're afraid they'll see a weakness in what is your greatest asset to the team, that they'll think less of you for it."

Paige sat a little straighter, "Oh. I had never thought of that before."

"Do you think that's how you feel?"

Paige inhaled a deep breath, "I guess... Yeah, I guess that's possible."

"Let me ask you this. Do you see your anorexia as a weakness? Do you think less of yourself for it?"

Crap. Paige forgot how jarring these sessions could be. She looked down at her hands, fiddling with them, and bit her lip, then slowly nodded her head yes.

"I want you to do a little thought experiment with me, Paige." Paige looked back up, taking a shaky breath. "Think of Happy. When she opened up to a relationship with Toby, did you view that as a strength or weakness?"

"...Strength," Paige answered hesitantly, unsure where this was going.

"And what about Toby? When he overcame his gambling addiction?"

"Strength."

"And Sylvester, when he pushes through his phobias to save lives. Weakness or strength?"

"Strength." Paige sighed, catching on.

"Finally, Walter. When he makes emotional progress. Like the time he let himself fully grieve for his sister. Weakness, or..."

"Strength." Paige's vision was starting to blur from tears.

Softening her voice, Dr. Pentiti asked the final question, "So, when they find out about your recovery from anorexia, do you think they'll see that as a weakness, or a strength."

Paige whispered, "Strength," and she wiped away a few stray tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

Dr. Pentiti sat in silence for several seconds, allowing that to soak in. Then she continued, "Paige, I think that while the stress of your personal relationships has no doubt exasperated the problem, the real issue here is that you are not at peace with your struggle."

Paige sighed, "I... I didn't know there was anything to make peace with."

"There is more to recovering from anorexia than changing your body image and thought patterns to eat healthy. You also must learn to reconcile it with who you are now, and the person you want to be. You need to learn to see your strength in the healing process, rather than weakness in the eating disorder itself."

Paige swallowed, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." After a pause, Paige added, "I think I um... I want to come back. Next week."

Dr Pentiti smiled, "Good. Do you think that you can tell one of the team members by then? Tell me how it goes?"

"Yeah, I'll do that." And Paige knew exactly who she would tell.

Just talking about her situation made Paige feel lighter, so when she got back to the garage and was greeted with a small bag of kisses on her desk, she couldn't help but laugh. Walking over to Walter, she smirked, "You know, you don't have to keep giving me snacks and candy. Whole meals are great too."

She had meant it as a joke, but his eyes were earnest when he said, "We could go to dinner." He must have seen her surprise, because he fumbled, "I-I mean, with Ralph, as, as f-friends. I didn't mean-"

She hastily replied, "Oh, yeah I know." She couldn't deny that she was a little disappointed he hadn't meant date. Even if she also knew it'd be too soon after Tim. She hadn't loved him, but she still needed time to sort through that relationship and how it ended.

Beginning to ramble, Walter continued, "I mean, not that I don't want to... just, I wouldn't, so soon after... I wouldn't ask, um-"

Putting him out of his misery, Paige interrupted, "I know, Walter."

There was an awkward pause where they both avoided eye contact, then she spoke, "Um, tonight?" Seeing his uncertainty, she clarified, "I know I said I'd explain stuff today after work. And I will. I meant... after that."

"Uh, yeah. That works."

She smiled, "Okay." It felt nice to be getting back to their old habits.

As soon as Paige sat down at her desk and began working, Toby swooped up in front of her. She didn't acknowledge him at first, knowing that Toby needed no invitation to begin speaking. But he just stood there, and she could feel his gaze psychoanalyzing her. She slowly looked up, slightly annoyed, "Yes?"

Toby pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, "You broke up with Tim, didn't you?"

Paige looked back down at her paper and continued writing, hoping to dismiss him, "None of your business, Toby."

"So that is what this is about. He's trying to get you back. But why didn't I see that he was lying?"

"I honestly don't know what you are talking about."

Toby studied her for a moment, "Usually when people say that, it's a lie. But you're telling the truth."

Sighing in exasperation and giving up on shaking him, Paige lifted her gaze back to Toby and leaned back in her chair, "Of course I am. So are you gunna tell me what you're talking about, or leave me alone?"

Breezing past her question, Toby asked, "Did you tell Walter that you broke up with Tim?"

Paige raised her eyebrows, "I'm not going to be interrogated, Toby."

Toby narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a long time. She grew uncomfortable, and rolled her eyes in an effort to hide her anxiety, then went back to her paperwork. She knew he was still there, but she thought he had finally given up when he leaned his weight on her desk, "I can't figure this out."

He had a tone of wonder in his voice, as if she were a case study that finally stumped him. Growing frustrated and nervous that he'd uncover everything she was hiding, she threw her pen down on her desk and snapped at him, "Toby."

The gleam in Toby's eye faded at her tone, and his voice grew serious, "Hey, I'm a smartass, not an asshole. This isn't just intellectual curiosity. I'm asking as a friend."

Paige softened her glare a little, but her voice was still stern and guarded when she spoke, though even she could hear the tone of tiredness that leaked through, "My personal business is mine, Toby."

"Alright," he finally conceded, "You know where to find me."

Paige sighed with relief. She would tell him eventually. She would tell all of them eventually. But she really wanted Walter to know first.

Paige was fidgety the rest of the day. She was still far from comfortable about telling Walter, but understanding why... it helped. It brought it down from a panic to anxiety. When Happy and Toby, the last ones in the garage, began gathering their things to leave, she almost wished they wouldn't. But if she were ever going to get over this, she needed to just do it. And if she trusted anyone with this, it was Walter.

She took a deep breath and strode to his desk, "Walter?"

He looked up, "Hmm?"

"Um, loft?"

Realization dawned on his face, "Oh, yeah okay." He stood and followed her upstairs.

She sat on the couch, and he sat next to her, leaving a respectable distance between them, but close enough that she could lean over and hug him if she wanted. "Um, I want to start by saying that I lied to you, about the checkup appointment." He frowned, from concern or irritation, she couldn't tell. "It was, uh, actually a therapy appointment." Yep, concern. Taking a shaky breath, she looked down at the couch between them, "Um, before Ralph was born, I had, uh..." her voice faltered, and she swallowed before trying again, "I had anorexia." She heard him inhale, but refused to look up, needing to get through this. "I recovered, I'm fine now. But... I don't know, I guess I've been unhappy lately, and it's caused something of a relapse. That's why I went to therapy today."

Paige didn't know what to say next, so she stayed silent and still for a moment, until Walter exhaled her name, "Paige."

She looked up at him, and the intensity she saw in his eyes was overwhelming. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked away again so she could continue, "I... I found out that I still have a lot to work through. It's gunna take some time... But, Walter, I also wanted to talk to you about..." her voice grew shaky, "about what's happened between us." She glanced up at him again, the movement in her eyes making the tears that had been building up spill over and trickle down her cheek. Paige wiped at them and stared at the clear liquid on her hands, not even realizing she had been crying. God, she was crying a lot lately. She was getting tired of it.

Then Paige saw Walter move his hand toward her, then pull back. When she looked up at him, she saw uncertainty in his eyes. She gave a sad smile and covered his hand with hers. In response, he turned his hand up to slide his fingers between hers, and brought his other hand to rest on hers. Walter spoke for the first time, his voice barely above a whisper, "Is that... is that what you're unhappy about?"

Paige took a deep breath and closed her eyes, somewhat calmed by his touch. "In part, yes. Walter... We've both made a lot of mistakes, but I haven't admitted to mine, not till now. I... I was never really into my relationship with Tim. I tried to make myself think I was, but..." she shook her head, "I was so unfair to everyone involved, including you, and I want to apologize for that. I was scared, and hurt, and... well, like I said, I have a lot to work through."

"You were scared and hurt because of me." She lifted her gaze back to him, and saw regret. Without thinking about it, she raised her hand that wasn't clasped between Walter's, and cupped his cheek, then slid her hand up into his curly hair to gently scratch just above his ear. He shuddered under her touch. "Maybe. But it was other things too. It wasn't all you. I don't want you to carry all the blame for this. Promise me?"

He stared at her, not answering. She scooted slightly closer, "Walter, promise me?"

He exhaled a shaky breath, "I promise I'll try."

Paige tilted her head and slid her fingers through his hair to the back of his head, making his eyes flutter. Then she gently slipped her other hand from his, and slowly pulled him in for a hug. Walter immediately reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her closer.

Suddenly he pulled back, enough to look her in the eye, "The snacks. Did I, was that...?" Paige ran her hand up and down his back, shook her head, and smiled, "No, Walter, that was good. I needed that."

He nodded, searching her eyes, and whispered, "Okay."

She stared at him for a moment, then changed the subject, her voice still quiet, "Um, it's almost time for me to pick up Ralph from Katie's. Do you want to come with me, and then we can all go to dinner together?" Paige wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed that the conversation was over. She and Walter hadn't been this close in so long, and she was reluctant to pull away from their embrace. But she suspected that this conversation was only one of many they would have. And for a conversation she had been dreading so much, she was looking forward to having more of them.

Walter nodded to her question, and they silently walked out of the garage. Paige noticed that Walter was hovering closer to her than normal, and she smiled to herself. Yeah, the two of them would definitely be closer from now on.

There will be one more chapter after this... thank you guys for all the love!