Author's note: This is a test. An attempt at a post-series interaction. My first attempt at such a thing. Admittedly, this is narrow in time and focus, purposely avoiding how much time elapsed since Lie in the Sand.
Walter couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't take another moment alone. Alone in the garage. He had to go see her. Had to talk to her. He wasn't sure exactly what he would say, but he knew he had to say something.
He didn't trust himself behind the wheel. Cliffhanging in that Ferrari was not something he cared to repeat. So he ran.
Despite the things that had been said, that hadn't changed how he had felt about her. Admittedly, he told himself it was an overblown reaction but it was still his fault.
The rest of the team walking out had left him stunned. Brain overloaded. He needed to talk to Paige. Couldn't believe she had walked out again. Knew on some level that she needed him to fight for them, where he hadn't the night of their first kiss.
So he ran the whole way to her condo. The last time he tried this, Drew had been there and he had chickened out. While he couldn't be certain, he was sure that type of obstacle wouldn't be there now. He hurt too much to chicken out. The only prescription was her. Scorpion was nothing without her.
Paige had been miserable. She told herself time would make things better. That she could get over him. She was wrong. On so many levels, she was wrong. She thought for sure Walter would have reached out by now. She needed him. She loved him.
Yes, she knew she could have reached out. She knew she had been the one to walk out. Deep down, she had hoped he would follow her. No, she had expected him to follow her out the door and fight for her.
It disappointed her that he hadn't, just like that first kiss. How much time was lost, not just now, but after that kiss. Where they weren't honest about how it made them feel.
She questioned whether he had moved on. That had to be why he hadn't reached out. "Maybe he doesn't love..." she thought before she was interrupted by a soft knocking on her door.
Paige hesitated answering the door. It was late and she was not exactly dressed for visitors. Maybe they would go away.
knock knock
She had to get up and answer. It wasn't an accidental knock. Before she could look through the viewer, she heard a soft voice through the door.
"Paige?"
She knew that voice. Had longed to hear that voice. His voice. Yet she wasn't sure if she was ready. Here he was, at her doorstep. Just as she had wanted ever since that night.
Her heart overrode her mind as her hands unlocked the deadbolt. This was either going to be a disaster, or it could be the beginning of their recovery. Neither would happen if she didn't give him a chance to speak.
She owed him that much at least.
Walter stood there waiting for her to answer, and as he knocked a second time cried out her name softly. It was already late and he had no desire to wake the neighborhood.
He hadn't been sure she had heard him.
*click*
He tried to compose himself on hearing the deadbolt unlock. All that thinking on the way here and she still flummoxed him. Deep down, his heart tried to tell him the words were less important than the act of him speaking them for her ears only.
The door opened. The wait had seemed like forever, but it had only been a few seconds. A wave of relief came over him as she came into view. He knew she wouldn't have answered dressed like that for anyone else.
"Paige."
"Walter..."
What happened next was not on his menu card.
Paige opened the door and before her stood Walter. Her Walter. All sweaty. If she had any mind control over her heart, she lost it here. He didn't have to say why he was here. She knew. She would give him a chance to talk later, she told herself.
Within seconds, she closed the gap to where he was standing. She opened her arms intending to hug him. A signal to him that she wanted his touch. Craved his touch.
She opened her mouth, intending to invite him inside. But nothing came out. After a few seconds she whispered to him.
"Walter. Kiss me."
Taking her command as permission to enter, Walter embraced Paige and closed the door behind them.
He wanted to honor her request. He needed to honor her request. He avoided looking directly into her eyes as long as he could. He knew they needed to have a conversation. Open the lines of communication.
Realizing that a kiss is a form of comnunication, his logic gave way to his heart. He could feel her gaze. He gave in and looked up at hers. No words, yet so much being said in their eyes. One look and he was a goner. He complied. He kissed her.
It started simple. Their passion wouldn't allow it to stay that way. Instinctively, he deepened the kiss. There would be time to talk. Later, he told himself. He wouldn't be the first one to break the kiss. Not this time.
Paige knew they needed to talk.
Passion had never been a problem. She felt guilty having told him he didn't satisfy her. It wasn't the only thing she felt the need to apologize for, but it may have been the most egregious half-truth that night.
But in the moment, she could hardly think being back in his arms.
Oh Boy!
When he listened to her quiet plea, she simply melted. Whatever needed to be said would have to wait. She wanted this. She needed this. When he deepened the kiss she stopped thinking. She gave in. She would see how far he would go, determined not to pull back.
She would have to breathe eventually. So would he. But for now, she was lost in the moment with him. Right back where they started after their parachute jump from the weather balloon. Where they almost returned after the train derailment. In the closet at Kovelsky's. Oh that memory!
Please no outside interruptions.
Thankfully, Ralph was at a sleepover. They had the condo to themselves. Though she suspected he would approve of her current situation, even as he would feign disgust at the show of affection.
Bull poop.
She knew Ralph considered Walter a father figure, that he wanted them to be a family. That for all intents and purposes, they were a family.
She did need to talk to Walter. But not right now. It felt way too good to stop.
Walter blinked first. But he did not pull back from their embrace. He allowed Paige to catch her breath, while he did the same.
He spoke softly to her, almost a whisper.
"Paige, I'm sorry. I know we need to talk. But..."
He dove back in for another kiss, surprised she didn't stop him. "Later", she murmured as his lips met hers again.
Paige knew she should have answered substantively. It was clear he still had feelings. Good God it was clear.
At their next breath, she whispered: "Walter, I'm sorry too. I love you."
Oh Boy. That was more direct than she intended. Now she had some intrepidation as to whether he would reciprocate.
He was there, hadn't released their embrace. But it seemed as if that admission had caught him off guard. Should she say more?
Walter was sure he just heard her say love. Not past tense. But right here in the present. He knew he did too, but he struggled with his response. His brain half-jelly looking at her.
"P- Paige, I, uh, uh, l-love y-you too", Walter stuttered. A smile adorned her face. He gained confidence as he took that as a sign to continue. "I'm sorry it took me this long to fight for us. There is no Scorpion without you, Paige. You mean more. Perhaps I lost sight of that. If I would have gone with you to the cabin last Christmas..." he trailed off with that thought.
Paige motioned to the couch. The talk was here whether she was ready for it or not. Picking up on her cue, Walter broke their embrace but kept ahold of her hand. He allowed his eyes to wander about her body on the way there. He saw that she had been crying at some point before he had arrived.
"I'm really sorry I hurt you", he continued. "It doesn't matter why, but trying not to hurt you only ended up hurting you more."
Paige sat down, inviting him to sit to her left. When she finally spoke, it was as if the dam had burst. Tears fell from her eyes. She knew the white-lie lesson was a catalyst. It was her fault.
"Walter, I need you to know what I spoke in anger that night I regret deeply. Much of it was trying to hurt you because I was hurt. I think I was less emotionally mature than you."
Walter was half shocked. But he let her continue, "I hope you know that you satisfied me. And I missed our walks on the beach, I learned so much from you. But I think I am most sorry for not confronting you in private about the lecture tickets. It's my fault Scorpion fell apart."
Walter laced his fingers with hers, offering support. When he finally spoke, she gasped.
"Paige, I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me. I can't have another minute without you in my life. I have been in love with you since the day we met at Nemos. I want nothing more than to be a family to you and Ralph. I've wanted that for a long time."
She sat there in shock at his raw admission. But he wasn't done.
"I want more. More communication. More time together away from the office."
Walter shifted down to the floor. Paige looked at him with a quizzed look on her face, wondering what he was up to. He continued, "I want us to live together, raise kids together."
Did he say kids?
Oh boy!
When she realized he was on one knee, a big grin hit her face.
"Paige, despite the recent unpleasantness, I had already resolved to ask you to marry me. Become my wife, let me be your husband. I tried to ask you before, but the timing wasn't quite right. I love you and I don't want to waste another moment before starting our life together."
Paige was balling. Walter pulled a ring box out of his pocket, opening it for her to see.
"Paige Dineen, will you marry me?"
Now she had to answer. There was no doubt in her mind she would say yes. But how to eloquently express that back to him.
"Yes! Yes I forgive you. And yes, I will marry you. A thousand times Yes!", she exclaimed.
So much for eloquence
Walter put the ring on her left hand. She was happy. No, she was elated. Yes, they still had more work to do, things to talk about. As she admired the ring, she wanted to know the story behind it.
"Walter, tell me about this ring?"
With a smirk on his face, Walter replied. "I've had this ring for over two years. In truth, I'd wanted to ask you since our first kiss. But it was the train derailment that triggered getting the ring."
Did he just say what I thought he said?
"Walter, that was almost three years ago! What took you so long? I would have said yes in a heartbeat. After all, I've been in love with you since the day we met."
He shyly responded, "I was afraid you would say no. I mean we were a couple even when we weren't. And you were and are my best friend. I think I was finally confident around last Valentine's Day. But the timing wasn't right. Then the spiral toward the fight, it seemed wrong timing."
Oh Walter.
She struggled with that. The commitment that the proposal and ring entail would have negated her fears of losing him, she told herself.
Realizing they had not kissed since he put the ring on her finger, Walter leaned in and mashed his lips to hers.
Paige had more to talk about. But for now, she let him in. This celebratory passion was off the charts. She was happy. No, she was elated. But a little sad that Ralph wasn't here for it.
After a minute or two, she broke the kiss. She spoke in soft tones, "Timing was always our issue. But Walter, the timing now is just right. We have the rest of our lives to work on everything else."
Walter nodded. Then he surprised her with a second question.
"Paige, I'd like to adopt Ralph. I'd like us to become a real family. I love him as if he were my son. You are the two most important people in my life."
He hadn't stuttered. It was as if he was certain he wanted this too. She wanted it. For Ralph. She replied, "I would love that too, Walter. But I'm only half the consent you need."
Damnit, Walter thought. Slightly frustrated. He wanted Ralph here to answer the question but he also wanted Paige to himself for the night. "Maybe we can tell him our news and I can ask him when he gets home tomorrow?"
Paige smiled. It was as if he had read her mind. "Tomorrow is fine. I have a feeling we will be up a while yet tonight, talking about things", she said with a wink.
