A/N: There is one more chapter after this! Already written, will be posted right away. I have loved writing this story. I had a lot of fun with some of these scenes, and always, turning Tim into the jackass he is. I hope you enjoyed it with me! I'm looking for some story prompts to strike some inspo if you have any ideas! I still have many ideas to write. A lof of reworking S4. I've been rewatching, and the whole season just makes me angry at how dirty the writers did our precious Waige. It gets worse each time I watch it. Someone in the reviews said that it was as if they were looking to purposely sabotage the series, to get it canceled and I can see it. So sad. At least they get a better shot with all of us!

As always, thank you for the incredibly kind words and the encouragement!!!

railman: I got so excited when you commented on them discussing Tim's threat. I planned to make it a little nugget of info in a later chapter, but your comment made me make a point to really stress upon. Thank you!

jcwyatt2000: I have toyed with the idea in this and in Sorcery of actually killing Paige, just to play with how everyone would respond, but I couldn't go through with it! Someday! So, dont think it won't happen! ;)

Okay and last thing: I am as far from a human calculator as they come. The hour math was a lot easier early in the story. So, just know this chapter is two weeks, three days from the end of the last chap!

Thank you and happy reading!!

Hour Four Hundred Eighty Eight

"What is the rush?" She exclaimed impatiently. He knew she was growing annoyed, but he just couldn't help rushing her, he was too excited for the day.

"Just come on, mom!" And so was Ralph.

He had been awake since 4:00 am, anxious for her to arrive at thr garage. It was her first day back at work - on light duty - and he was entirely too excited for her to be back, at her desk, in his close proximity... and for her to see it. He had rationed that her first day being back being a Friday would be a good way for her to ease back in, but it had also saddened him that he would only have one work day with her. Rationally, he had all the non-work days too, but irrationally, he was a hopeless school boy in love with the prom queen. But his excitement had gotten the better of him, and he couldn't wait any longer and had made the eleven minute drive to her apartment.

Though, he was sure she was not very happy when he had shown up on her doorstep just shy of 5:00am begging for her to get up and ready. Ralph had joined him, forcing her up and practically dressing her, urging her to get ready. They had both been a bit overzealous, and she had drawn the line at them assisting in the shower. So they had paced by the door, yelling in every few seconds to hurry up.

"And you... why are you so anxious for me to go to work? I thought you were enjoying me being home?" She chided toward Ralph, as he was trying to put her shoes on for her, and Walter was trying to force feed her a slice of toast. "Would you stop that! My god, you guys! Why are you acting so crazy? I'm going back to work. That's all. You're acting so... weird."

"I just miss going to the garage before school is all!" Ralph innocently offered.

"Sorry, Paige. We're just excited... for you to be back. That you're, uh, feeling better." That was an understatement.

He was excited about everything. Things had been going well. Really well. Two weeks of hanging out, dating, socializing romantically. He even found, surprisingly, he actually enjoyed the X-Files, though probably not in the same way that Paige enjoyed it. He enjoyed pointing out the inaccuracies, the impossibilities, the poor technology. Two weeks of spending time with her and Ralph away from work. Making dinner, watching television, playing board games. Nothing overtly thrilling. Helping Paige with things, giving Ralph rides to his college classes and elementary school. Taking Paige to physical therapy- though, admittedly, he struggled with the male therapist working her leg. Things were going well. Just... quiet. Simple. And he loved it. Every bit of it.

She was alive. They were both alive. They were together.

Their steamy makeout sessions after Ralph went to bed were a solid perk, but they were still taking it... slow. Though, he was sure they were both ready to progress to the next level. The way she would hold him down to her when he would try to get up, worried he'd take it too far, she made it clear she didn't want him to leave. Each night was getting harder and harder to leave, to not give in, scoop her up and take her to her bedroom. He had left the last several nights in need of a cold shower, reciting math facts to distract himself.

Her leg was doing great, no more crutches, no more bandages. Just a deep red, fresh scar. Occasionally she complained of some pain, but nothing intolerable. His shoulder was back to normal, despite Toby's concerns. They were back to normal for the most part. Her getting back to work was just one more tangible proof of that.

Cabe had seen to it that Tim was back in Jordan, and, Walter suspected, had threatened him significantly if he were to try and cause any issues. When Walter had learned of what had transpired at the hospital, how he had treated Paige and Ralp, Walter flipped. Paige had actually walked without the crutches for the first time, out of desperation to chase him and keep him from doing something stupid. He had not been cool about it, at all. Three times he had had to forcibly close his laptop to keep himself from erasing the man. But Paige assured him that Tim didn't matter, that she didn't want Tim to have that kind of power over either of them. They had a good thing going, and it would be foolish to risk it by taking vengeance on a jerk like Tim. He didn't like it, but he agreed with her.

She had a way of getting him to see things differently.

They talked. A lot. About everything and nothing at all. They faced the emotional elephants, and some harsh truths. They discussed things they had done, unintentionally hurting each other in the process. Walter disclosed how he had gone to her apartment when Drew was still hanging around, to confess his feelings, but had cowardly left. Paige had confessed her jealousy over Linda, and she had only agreed to date Tim because of her. They both admitted that they had lied about their feelings after that first kiss. Walter admitted he had planned to ask her to the jazz festival. She admitted that she had sent Tim to Jordan because she knew she was in love with Walter, reluctantly confessed that Veronica had tried to help him win Paige, with the movie night and the grunge, but that he didn't like being deceptive and had told her no more. Paige then confessed to having known the whole time, having overheard that conversation, but, also, that it only made her fall more in love with him. They worked hard to talk through some difficult conversations and clear the air.

They were both in a very good place, moving forward, looking toward the future and living.

Tonight, Paige was making the long awaited chicken picatta... and Ralph was spending the night tonight at Sylvester's. He had barely slept just thinking about what that could mean. She had sent him a text late last night simply saying "Date night in tomorrow? I'll make picatta. Sly offered to keep Ralph for the night..."

It was those '...' that had had his mind racing all night. Those three little dots held so much meaning. Not that he was gutsy enough to confirm that meaning with her. He had been a total putz and wrote back 'sounds great'. He was now a nervous, sexually frustrated, wreck. That, and being anxious for her to get to the garage, and he was a trainwreck.

Since Wednesday, he had been eager for her to come to the garage, but without a real excuse as to why, it had been difficult. Ralph lived with her, she had to care for him, so it made more sense that they spend time there. But, he really wanted her to come to the garage, to see it. Ralph had joined him a few times after school at the garage this week. He was in on it. He knew why he was so anxious, and it was what was making Ralph just as anxious as his mom's new boyfriend.

Which is why she needed to go. Now.

"Alright, alright. I get it. You guys really, really want to get to the garage. My goodness." She was feigning impatience. He unfortunately knew the real thing with her, having been on the receiving end entirely too many times.

"Are you ready? Can we goooo?!" Ralph was practically jumping out of his shoes.

"I guess I'm ready since you crazies won't let me actually get ready. Let's go." Her hair was still wet, and he was certain he would hear about that later.

"Yes!" Ralph grabbed his backpack and scurried out of the door, yelling "Come on!" over his shoulder. She shook her head in amusement, turning to wrap her arms around Walter's shoulders, and he was more than happy to encircle her abdomen with his.

"You're not going to tell me what this is actually about, are you?" He loved the way her eyes squinted like she was trying to read his mind, or will him to fess up.

"Uh, no. But, I will give you a kiss." Paige was a fierce kisser, and someone who enjoyed kissing very much. He had never understood the hype, until her. Now he would happily kiss her breathless all day long. He graced her with his best innocent grin, and pressed his lips to hers. It didn'ttake long for her to deepen it. It never did. Maybe the garage could wait...

Only to have that thought be interrupted by the sound of the car's horn blaring.

"Ralph Dineen! It's 5:30am!" She seethed, to which Ralph shot her back an impatient expression from the car. She pecked a quick kiss to Walter's lips before grabbing her purse. "I haven't even had coffee yet. This better be worth it, Walter O'Brien or I'm making both of you go door to door to apologize to every single one of the neighbors."

Terror, sheer terror. He would literally rather do anything else. Even be caved in than... that. Peopling.

"Ralph, keep it down! Your mom is scary before coffee!" He watched as Ralph slinked back into the seat with an expression matching his own.

One thing he had learned over the last two weeks was that Paige was not the morning person she led everyone to believe.She was a big ol' faker. She came into work every morning cheerful and positive, giving them all a hard time about being grumpy and unpleasant. But, he had learned, Paige had to have at least two cups of coffee before coming to work. Without the coffee, she was... cranky... and unpleasant. And a wee bit terrifying. Each morning he had come early to help her get settled for the day and take Ralph to school, and it only took once to realize he needed to come with coffee in hand. Cranky, unpleasant Paige quickly turned to sweet, happy Paige if you handed her a coffee. He hadn't made that mistake twice.

Except today. Today, he had just raced here out of excitement and forgot to get coffee.

"Alright, let's go." She huffed, shutting off the light and leading them out.

"I'll stop for coffee." He offered, hoping to spare his life. He got a smile. He would take it.

Had to start the day off right.