A/N: This is the end, my friends! Thanks for coming along another journey with me! I tried a different writing style approach with this story, not sure how I liked it. I tend to indulge in the chaotic details of every scene (which is how I end up with 9k word chapters, and stories that take 6 months to write), so let me know your thoughts.

Xoxo

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The garage buzzed with conversation, warmth radiating through the space despite its usual drafty nature. The makeshift table was full of life as everyone shared stories, food, and laughs, their voices overlapping in a comfortable cacophony.

Happy gently rocked baby Grace in her arms, her fierce eyes soft with a maternal glow, while Toby beamed beside her, clearly in awe of their newly adopted little girl.

"So, Happy, where did the name Grace come from? It's such a beautiful name, fitting for such a beautiful girl." Allie asked, smiling over at the baby. She sat close to Cabe, her hand resting lightly on his arm, the gleam of her engagement ring catching the light.

Happy's expression softened even more, a rare vulnerability in her eyes.

"We named her after my mom," she said quietly, looking down at Grace with a tender smile. "Her name was Grace too."

"That's precious," Allie said, her voice gentle. "She'd be so proud of you."

Toby, with a grin, leaned closer to Happy, pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head.

"Happy and Grace… two of the toughest women I know." he joked, earning a soft elbow to the ribs from Happy, though her smile remained.

Cabe, glancing at the pair with an approving smile, took a sip from his coffee mug.

"You definitely hit it big on this one, Doc." He said to Toby, admiring his new pseudo-granddaughter.

"Sure did. No game of poker could ever come close to the endorphin rush of this."

"So, Cabe, Allie… have you set a date for the wedding yet?" Florence interrupted their ogling of baby Grace to ask.

Allie laughed, shaking her head.

"Not yet. We're still trying to figure out logistics. But definitely before Sylvester runs for President." she teased.

Cabe raised his eyebrows, clearly amused.

"You're optimistic." He muttered, and the table laughed.

Patty chimed in, elbowing Sylvester with a playful grin. "First alderman, then mayor, then world domination, right, Sly?"

Sylvester, looking bashful but pleased, shrugged.

"I'm not sure world domination is really my thing. But, uh, the campaign's going well! Thanks to Patty, we've got some great new endorsements lined up."

"And it doesn't hurt to have a political genius for a campaign manager." Ralph added, smiling at his friend.

"You better believe it." Patty agreed with a grin. "We're going to take that re-election by storm."

"Hey Walt… if Sly becomes president, he could give you a pardon every time you did something questionably legal." Ralph joked excitedly, making Walter's brow rise at the possibilities that Ralph's theory presented.

"I think I would prefer it if Walter just refrained from doing questionably legal activities." Paige scolded with a mock glare at her boys.

"I agree. Also, Patty please add Walter's questionable activities to the list of reasons not to run for president." Sylvester joked, though the real anxiety the idea presented shined through.

As the conversation swirled around them, Walter and Ralph were locked in a familiar debate about physics, their energy palpable as they bounced ideas off each other.

"You're still not accounting for the variable torque in that scenario," Walter said, his tone the one he always used when he was deep in thought. "If you increase the rotational force without accounting for the angular momentum, you'll--"

"Overcompensate and destabilize the axis, I know," Ralph interrupted, grinning at Walter's approving nod. "But I'm telling you, it's worth testing. We could refine the model."

Paige couldn't help but smile at the sight of them, the bond between Walter and her son as strong as ever, their conversations filled with the kind of mutual respect that made her heart swell. It was a rare thing to witness, the way Walter lit up around Ralph, the way they both thrived in each other's intellectual company. Ralph, thankfully, had returned to her sweet, loving boy upon her returning from the Summit, hand in hand with Walter.

As they continued their conversation, Toby with a chuckle, spoke up.

"Hey, Walt, you heard from Ray lately?"

There was a brief pause before the table erupted into laughter.

"Last I heard he was trying to figure out why everyone from Greece had New York accents, there were no greek ladies, and there were a lot of McDonalds." Walter shook his head at the absurdity that was Ray.

"Wait… what? No, where was he?" Paige laughed. She missed Ray. He kept everyone guessing.

"Oh, he went to Greece…" The chuckle bubbled up his chest. "Greece, New York…" Everyone shared a laugh. "But that was months ago. He's Ray. The odds are high he's still sleeping in the alley out back." Walter deadpanned, causing another round of laughter to ripple through the group.

Cabe shook his head with a grin.

"Wouldn't surprise me. Ray's got his own… methods."

"And by methods, you mean total unpredictability." Happy chimed in, rolling her eyes, though a smirk tugged at her lips. "He could show up here tomorrow, or not for another year."

"Or he's out in the desert somewhere making friends with a cactus." Paige added, earning a laugh from the group.

"Hey, you could always have him officiate your wedding!" Paige suggested to Cabe and Allie playfully.

"Not a chance, Sweetheart." Cabe laughed, taking a sip from his Super Fun Guy mug.

Amidst the jokes, Walter turned back to Sylvester, raising an eyebrow. "Well, Ray aside, Sly, did I see your face… very large… face on a billboard today? Off the 405?"

Sylvester nodded, a rare but proud smile spreading across his face. "That was all Patty's doing. We had a large benefactor donate the billboard space. Just in general, this campaign is going really well. I've been able to push some important policies through the city council, and with Patty's help, I've been building stronger relationships with key donors. We're really optimistic."

"Of course," Patty added confidently. "We've got the numbers on our side."

Walter smiled at the pair, his hand absently fiddling with Paige's fingers under the table, before his attention shifted slightly to a different topic.

"Actually, speaking of numbers, how's 'Walter's Whiz Kids' shaping up? I've been thinking of some new segments we could add."

"Still in production mode," Sylvester answered. "But we've got some great feedback from the pilot episodes."

Ralph's eyes lit up at the mention of their science show.

"We could start incorporating more real-world applications of scientific theories. Stuff like renewable energy and AI integration into everyday life."

Walter nodded thoughtfully.

"Definitely. I've got a few ideas we could try out for future episodes. And… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually kind of miss Meatball."

The table broke into laughter at the mention of the nickname of the boy from the science group, the hyperactive, gluttonous boy Walter had barely tolerated at the time but who had somehow grown on him.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that." Paige teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"Me neither." Walter admitted, a rare smile breaking through his usual serious demeanor. "He was annoying, and ate… everything, but… somehow… endearing."

As the laughter died down, Paige rose from her seat, clearing her throat to gather everyone's attention. Walter's hand, which had been resting comfortably at her side, stayed there as he gave her an encouraging nod. The room quieted, and all eyes turned toward her as she raised her mug - and old, chipped one with a cartoon octopus on it that she loved so much, though she could never figure out what it was about it she found so alluring.

"Well," Paige began, glancing around at the faces of the people she loved, "it's hard to believe we're all back here, together, with so much to celebrate, so much to look forward to. When I look around this table, I see more than just colleagues. I see family. A family that's been through some tough times, but one that's stronger for it."

She paused, her voice thickening with emotion, but felt Walter's hand rub gently on her hip. "I never thought we'd get here again. But over these last two months, I've learned something important: Family is messy. It's… complicated. But when it's right, it's worth fighting for. And I'm so grateful we all fought, and found our way back to each other."

Walter's arm tightened around her waist, and she looked down at him briefly, sharing a quiet smile. Then, with her gaze back on the table, she continued.

"We've been reunited, and I know, no matter what comes next, we'll face it together. So, I'd like to toast to the new Scorpion Partners, to baby Grace joining the Scorpion family, and to Cabe finally getting up the nerve to ask Allie to marry him!" Everyone with bright and eager smiles looked around the table, and Paige scanned them all, taking an extra moment with Sylvester and Florence, and then to Walter and Ralph. "And to other new beginnings and the promise they hold for a great future ahead of us."

"Here here!" Toby cheered, causing baby Grace to stir, to which he winced, and whispering added. "I mean, here here!"

There were murmurs of agreement, and a few glances exchanged between team members who had also needed to mend their own relationships, but everyone was putting in the work. Paige looked over to Walter, who, true to form, had been nervously waiting for his moment. He stood up beside her, still holding his mug, and cleared his throat in that slightly awkward way that was so inherently him.

"I uh… I don't usually do speeches. Not very good at them…" Walter began, prompting an amused chuckle from the team. "But I've been thinking about how to explain what this reunion feels like to me, how best to describe it. You see, when molecules drift apart in a reaction, sometimes the bond is permanently broken. And uh, two months ago, I believed us to be that. That I'd lost everything. But other times, given the right conditions, the molecules that drifted apart can actually recombine to form something even stronger. It's called a reformation reaction."

There were a few groans of mock frustration at the chemistry reference, though everyone's wet eyes, or proud expressions told the truth, and Walter pushed on, his tone growing more serious. "We're a team that's undergone some pretty extreme pressure. We've all drifted, some of us further than others." He glanced around the table, his eyes briefly landing on Florence, then Sylvester, before returning to Paige. "But under the right conditions, in our case a chance encounter at a business summit, combined with open communication, trust, patience, and a little bit of humility, and well those bonds were able to reform, to be even stronger than before." His gaze softened as he looked down at Paige. "I think that's what we've done here. We've reformed. And this time, we're not just a team, not just business partners, not even just family. We're something more… something unbreakable. So, uh, I am very grateful that in our situation, our drift was not permanent, and I'm eager to see how this family can continue to grow and evolve. So, uh, cheers, to Scorpion Partners!"

Everyone raised their mugs again, laughing as they clinked their mismatched cups together, the sound of celebration filling the room once more. Paige leaned closer to Walter, her heart light, a smile tugging at her lips.

"You always have to turn everything into science, don't you?" she whispered.

Walter smirked, glancing at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What can I say? It's how I process everything."

Paige rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of their newfound bond settle into her chest. "I'm really glad I went to that summit, Walter" she whispered.

Walter looked down at her, his eyes full of warmth and affection.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Turns out, that was one conference that I actually learned something at."