Walter got up an hour before his alarm would normally go off and got ready for his morning chores. His Mom was out back with his Dad. Walter quickly went through his chores and then cleaned up. When his Mom asked what he wanted for breakfast he begged off saying he needed to be at school early and left. Walter climbed the hill that separated the two homes and stood next to the tree on the ridge and just watched the Dineen home. A half hour before he'd normally arrive to walk with Paige he saw the black SUV back out of the drive and then come out on the main road and drove north. The SUV drove past the branch that would take them to his house. Walter sighed. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew it was intentional.

Walter turned and began walking down the hill. He felt lonelier than he ever had before. And without really thinking about it he found himself standing beside the lake he'd always gone to when he was troubled and chucked stones, forcing them to skip across the surface.

Walter picked up a handful of stones and began tossing them as he pondered what he might have done wrong or worse, if she had found someone else that interested her more than he did.

Walter was startled as his phone rang suddenly and he dropped the rocks he had and pulled it out and saw Megan's name. So he hit to answer.

"Megan?" Walter asked, clearly puzzled.

"Deartháir! Where are you? Are you okay? The school's called saying you never showed up today. Mom and Dad are walking the path from here to the school looking for you. The Dineens said they don't know where you are. We've been calling you for over an hour." Megan cried in relief hearing his voice.

Walter frowned as he looked around and saw it was well past 5 p.m. and he swallowed hard as he felt his stomach growl.

"I'm sorry Megan, I had a lot of thinking to do and I guess I just didn't realize how much time passed. I'll be right home." Walter told her.

Walter bent down to grab his backpack and he saw how many rocks were missing from the area and then as his fingers touched the strap they stung and he looked and the ends of his fingers on his left hand were scraped, bleeding and bruised. Walter sighed as he grabbed the backpack with his right hand and began walking.

Walter made his way through the tall weeds up the side of the lake to the road and just as he stepped out a black SUV came to a sliding stop. Walter looked up and the door opened quickly and Ralph Dineen jumped out and ran forward.

"Walter! Are you okay?" Ralph demanded and pulled him into a hug.

Walter nodded trying not to cry as at least Mr Dineen still seemed to care for him.

"Son, where have you been? Paige said she hasn't seen you all day. Your parents called us, scared to death, what's going on?" Ralph asked as he let Walter step back and then he saw his left hand. "What happened to your hand?" Ralph reached out and grabbed it.

"I had a lot of thinking to do and I was down at the lake all day I guess. I don't really recall. Skipping stones for sure." Walter told him weakly.

"Well come on and get in the car, we'll get you home and I'll call your parents." Ralph told him as he led him back.

"I actually just spoke with Megan, I'm sure she's already told them." Walter said as he climbed into the car.

Walter sighed seeing that Paige wasn't in the SUV.

Ralph pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Yes, this is Ralph Dineen. Security code Alpha-Charlie-one-one-nine-twelve. Recall the helicopter our missing child has been found safe. Please relay my gratitude to the searchers." Ralph told someone.

Ralph's eyes closed for a moment as he just gave a silent thank you.

"Walter, with your level of intelligence I can't begin to understand what you might need to think about all day, but you can't do this any more. You really scared all of us. Your sister & Paige told us about something you call a rabbit hole. Is that what happened today?" Ralph asked him.

Walter wasn't sure but he nodded slowly anyway.

"I was trapped thinking about a math equation and I couldn't get back out of it. But Megan's phone call somehow got through to me finally." Walter lied to him, not wanting anyone to think badly of Paige.

Ralph let out his breath.

"Well thank God, we're going to have to figure out some way to ensure this doesn't happen again or that we can find you if it does." Ralph told him seriously and then smiled.

As Walter stepped out of the SUV he was engulfed by a crying Paige as she ran out of his home.

"Walter, what happened? Where have you been? I've been so scared." Paige cried into his neck.

Walter slowly reached up and hugged her gently.

"Sorry, I got lost in the rabbit hole." Walter told her, trying his best not to scream at her that it was all her fault.

Happy was there a second later and hugged them both. Megan with Veronica assisting her came next and they stood there hugging Walter until his parents got back in the SUV that Veronica sent after them.

"Walter, my boy." Louise cried and Walter stood there feeling her embrace.

"Where did you find him?" Sean asked Ralph.

"It is what Megan & Paige feared, he was in that rabbit hole thing they told us about, but he was down by the lake. Some math problem he was trying to figure out. Thankfully her phone call finally got through to him." Ralph told him. "His hand is going to need some first aid too."

They all looked up at the sound and watched as a helicopter flew overhead headed north east.

"Alright boy, let's get you in the house, clean you up, and get some supper in you." Sean said gruffly.

Paige sat beside him and was feeding him bites of supper as Louise tended to his hand.

"Boy, I know from what Megan and Paige said this isn't exactly your fault, but you have got to figure out some way to combat this rabbit hole. I've dealt with the school over this missed day, but that is the least of our concern. We got to know you are safe. Can you promise us not to do this again?" Sean asked.

"I-I don't know to be honest Dad, sometimes when these thoughts come on me, they fester at an alarming rate, sometimes spawning all kinds of probability projections and it can get pretty complicated so quickly I just lose track of everything else." Walter told him even as his eyes brushed over Paige.

Paige swallowed hard knowing from his look that she was the cause of what happened today.

"We'll just have to try harder. I won't go to school early anymore so you can't get side tracked." Paige told him while not admitting to anyone else she was the cause.

After Walter said he was full they let him and Paige walk out to the barn.

"What do you really think?" Veronica asked Ralph as the five adults and Happy sat there in the front room.

"Well it can't be a coincidence that Paige has been taking off early lately and without Walter and then this happened. Plus as moody as Paige is being, I think they had some kind of fight. But if they won't fess up to us I don't know what else to do. Paige is as stubborn as you and won't tell us and Walter will retreat into this rabbit hole thing if we try and force him." Ralph sighed.

"That could be, we saw Thomas cutting down that old dead tree for his Dad as we walked the path Walter used to take to school. He said that yesterday Paige wasn't hanging around Walter and barely spoke to him in the one class they all have together." Louise told them. "I just wish they'd talk to us, we could help them I'm sure of it. They were so happy just a few days ago."

"Do you want to yell at me?" Paige asked quietly once they reached the barn.

"No." Walter said softly.

"I wish you would, to be honest. I don't know why I'm feeling this way Walter." Paige tried to tell him.

"What way are you feeling? Because it feels to me like you don't want anything to do with me anymore." Walter told her.

She wanted to tell him so badly she thought she was pregnant. She didn't know if that was why she was feeling this way or not. But she was afraid he'd get mad and dump her. She thought as long as he was with her she could handle being pregnant and everything that went with it, but to lose him and be pregnant was more than she could bear. She couldn't see that what she was doing was more detrimental to their relationship.

"Nothing? Do you not trust me Paige?" Walter demanded as her silence irritated him.

"Of course I do, I love you Walter. Can't you tell how much I love you?" Paige screamed back at him.

"How much can you love me if you abandoned me? Did you even see me on top of the hill by the tree as your SUV took you to school this morning?" Walter demanded.

Paige shook her head and then she frowned at his word abandoned.

"Abandoned you?" Paige screamed almost in anger.

"Yes, abandoned. Did you even notice I wasn't in school today? You cut off all communications. You take off a half hour early so you won't have to see me in the morning. You hid during lunch, you took off as quickly as you could from geography. You were nowhere to be seen in between classes when we normally would walk and talk and kiss. And then you got your detail to rush you home. I'd call that abandoning me." Walter yelled back.

Agent Todd moved into the barn and got between them.

"Okay, you both need to take five and calm down." Agent Todd told them.

Walter turned and hung his head as he began walking deeper into the barn.

"Walter." Paige said weakly as she watched him reach the back of the barn and then he stepped out the door in that wall. "Walk me to school in the morning Walter." Paige yelled. "Please? I love you."

"Deartháir." Megan said softly as Walter stood by the large haystack behind the barn. "Are you okay?"

"Should you be out here deirfiúr?" Walter asked back.

"Yes, I should be wherever my baby brother needs me." Megan told him as she moved up to stand next to him.

Walter reached his arm around her back and hugged her gently.

"What happened?" Megan asked.

"I don't know, I think Paige is tired of me." Walter told her.

"Deartháir, that isn't happening. I don't know what is going on or why you think that, but I promise you, Paige is crazy about you." Megan told him.

"Actions speak louder than words most of the time. And don't say that her coming over here when she thought something was wrong is an action. It's a reaction." Walter told her.

"What about sitting beside you, looking at you with love and concern. Feeding you bites so you could just rest while Mom tended to your hand?" Megan asked gently.

Walter bowed his head.

"I don't know Megan, I don't understand. You know how I am with emotions. I thought I was getting better with them, but I guess not." Walter told her.

"You have come so far in these almost three years with Paige, Walter. You are a world away from where you used to be. Don't give up, don't think otherwise and don't throw all of this away. Give her some space and time. It might hurt, kids might make fun because you aren't together but that is okay. Because you don't care what they say or think, you are trying to take care of her by doing this. Whatever she is going through, we don't know, but we love her and we can support her. Right? And always remember this Walter, no matter what." Megan raised her free hand up and pressed it into his chest over his heart. "You are your heart, not your brain."

Walter smiled with tears in his eyes as he nodded.

Walter woke up the next morning and ran through his chores and ate breakfast before getting cleaned up and heading to Paige's. Sean followed behind him, staying hidden but Walter never turned or deviated.

Walter swallowed seeing all three SUVs at the house. He wasn't sure if he was happy they were or not, part of him had hoped she was already gone. He let his breath out slowly, but it kind of caught every so often so it was staggered, and uneven as he walked on up.

Happy smiled as she opened the door. She jumped into Walter's arms and they hugged.

"I'm glad you are here. Come with me to the dining room." Happy told him after closing the door and pulled his hand with her.

"Walter's here." Happy told her parents as they entered the dining room.

"Walter, my boy. How are you this morning?" Veronica asked gently as she moved over and hugged him.

"I'm okay Mom, thanks." Walter told her.

"Walter, sit down here." Ralph told him as he folded his paper and put it down while Happy started eating.

Walter sat down and looked at Ralph nervously.

"You know we love you, right?" Ralph asked.

Walter nodded.

"I love you guys too." Walter told him.

"Walter, if there is something going on between you and Paige, you can talk to us. We'll do everything we can to help make things right between you." Ralph told him.

"Thank you, but Paige says we're fine." Walter said before they heard Paige coming down the back staircase.

"Has Walter arrived yet?" Paige said just before she came around the corner and she smiled as she quickly moved up and into Walter's arms as he stood up. "Thank you for coming to walk with me to school today." Paige whispered.

"You're welcome." Walter told her even as his brilliant mind had analyzed how she walked up to him. Clearly she was putting on a front to her parents.

As they left Walter knew for sure that what she did in the house was a show because out here away from her parents she was walking a bit further apart from him and didn't try to hold his hand as they walked to school.

"Megan, I'm really sorry. We're really recommending your family send you to the States, where you can probably get better care to help manage your condition." Doc Johnson explained to Megan and her parents at her follow up from her last fall the day before Paige's fifthteenth birthday. "There is no doubt you have the worst form of MS and the specialists I've been discussing your results with, and we believe that America's program might give you a better chance to live longer and maybe even see a new therapy developed that might cure you or at least prolong your life."

Megan looked down and shook her head.

"I don't want to go. I'd rather stay here with my family." Megan told him.

"You heard him girl, America might have the cure, you got to go." Sean told her. "Our harvest last year will be enough to see you through a year over there and the herd is looking like it will be an excellent year for their wool and meat as well. We can contact that realtor lady and get her to find you a place to live over there. Walter will have to go with you to help you of course."

"Sean no, Walter doesn't need this responsibility pushed onto him. You can ask him but that is it, if he says no then you'll honor that." Louise told him.

"Oh you can ask him if you want, but he's going regardless." Sean told her as they moved out of Doc Johnson's office.

Paige met up with Walter a few times during the day, but she was still distant, quiet and nowhere to be found at lunch again. As they stepped out of the school Walter stopped, he reached out and grabbed her hand. He almost shuddered at that feeling of their flesh touching. He looked at Paige as she was forced to turn towards him.

"Paige, I don't know what is going on, or why you are acting this way. But, if you really don't want to be with me anymore like it seems, I'd just rather you say so and quit forcing our association like this. But know this, I love you no matter what and I'll be here if you ever want to talk about it." Walter told her.

"Walter I know things seem weird with me right now, I'm sorry, I can't explain it. I do love you though." Paige told him.

"Hey shadow, did you find your body finally?" One of the boys yelled as he laughed.

"Drop dead." Paige yelled back. "Let's go Walter." Paige demanded and walked off pulling him along.

Cabe followed along behind them wondering what he could do to help

"Kids, you know you can talk to me, if something is going on. I'd be happy to listen and give you my perspective on it." Cabe offered as they moved down the road towards the Dineen home.

Paige shrieked at his words as she let go of Walter's hand and doubled her walking speed. Leaving Walter standing there more confused even as a Cabe picked up his pace following after her.

Walter just stood there watching them get further and further away. Part of him wanted to catch up to Paige and demand answers, but he had already tried to get her to talk and all she would say is that she didn't understand why she was acting the way she was. Walter sighed and took the north branch road to go home instead. He remembered Megan had her Doctor's appointment today and he was desperate to know how she was doing and what Doc Johnson had to say.

Walter frowned as he got closer to his home. He could hear his Father arguing with someone and then he was able to make out his Mother and sister arguing back. Walter sighed as he stopped outside of the house. He looked around and then thought of his loft in the barn and he began to walk back to the barn when his eyes went wide and anger flashed across his face. He turned and stormed up on the porch and through the front door.

"I'm not going to America!" Walter yelled at his Dad.

Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Don't worry, the drama is about to get a LOT worse. lol

Railman - Thank you! Looks like you guessed right...teen drama unfolding. Just how far will this rabbit hole take us? lol No, they are expensive, probably more so right now than normal. Anything attached to a medical issue quadruples in price instantly because it is medical. Just because they know they can and the people who need it have no other choice. Fortunately for me, the VA is very good about this stuff, might take a while to get it unfortunately. Hope not, I dislike this wheelchair immensely.

Margaret - Thank you! Seems like it...lots of drama. As for the story/stories, best I can hope for without going to court is that they recognize the original published date of my stories here verses anywhere else they might show up. While I can't and won't ever try to claim ownership of the characters or base story of Scorpion, my stories mean a lot to me. So I will always do what I can. Thankfully for now Wattpad is honoring my claim. Hopefully the individual will not try to come up with something else.

Peariegirl - Thank you! hehe Well, it does seem like she thinks she is. But I won't spill the beans...You got 4 more chapters for that. *bwahahaha*

Marie Mac - Thank you! Man, I do have a walker, but it is so difficult. And extremely tiring to use. It is kind of "interesting" how far my condition has deteriorated since Cathy died. It is just like my body said "Thank God, I don't have to keep struggling for her". Wow, I can't believe someone would go so far as to steal family history. I don't get what people get from this. I suppose it is like how someone puts others down, it makes them feel a little better about themselves? Maybe? Sorry someone did that to you.

2LawDog - Thank you! hehe Got to love some teen drama! lol Well she is only 10 if I remember right. lol She'll toughen up! lol Yep, was really weird finding they did that with the story.

Susan - Thank you! Well at least we know now that she is worried she is pregnant, or is she more worried how Walter will react if she is? But she better look at the damage she is causing by not just telling him. Yep, communication is definitely needed here.

To the Adventure! -Tim