Author's Note: Sorry for being AWOL for nearly a month. Life got a little hectic for awhile, all of it good though. Thank you all for your patience and continued support of this story.

There is a bit of dialogue from my absolute favorite scene from my absolute favorite episode included in this chapter. It fit so perfectly and I couldn't resist.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Paige whimpering his name shook Walter out of the daze he'd fallen into as he held his son. Running the checklist of post-delivery procedures through his head, he cleared the infant's mouth and nose, dried him off with a clean towel, and wrapped him in another before handing the baby to her.

"Oh, God, he's so beautiful," she murmured as she cradled the wailing infant in her arms. "He looks just like you."

The already gigantic lump in his throat swelled even larger and he had to blink away the moisture gathering in his eyes. "You, uh, you might want to let him, er, let him. . .you know," he choked out, vaguely waving in the direction of her chest. It. . .It will help expel the placenta."

She chuckled. "Okay, Doctor O'Brien." She lifted her shirt and held Nicky up to her bared breast. Walter watched in fascination as the baby latched on after only a few moments. Good. The ability to suckle was an important physiological marker.

Reluctantly he looked away as he hadn't yet completed the postpartum chores. Gathering up the isopropyl alcohol and scissors, he realized he needed something to clamp the umbilical cord. "Dammit," he muttered as he scavenged through the midwife's bag, not finding finding anything remotely usable. He couldn't cut it with blocking off the blood supply. Knowing better than to ask Collins, he glanced around the stall for something, anything, but came up empty.

Hanging his head in defeat, he stared down at his shoes. His practical black leather shoes. The pair with the laces. Within seconds, he'd ripped them from their eyelets and doused them, the scissors, and his hands with the alcohol.

"I'm going to cut the cord now," he announced after he had tied the shoelaces into place. His hand trembled as he placed the blades of the surgical scissors on the cord. It contain no nerve endings. Neither Paige nor Nicky would feel the cut. But he still flinched as he squeezed the blades together, severing the physical connection between mother and son.

But the emotional bond between them couldn't be dissolved so easily, he thought as he dealt with the afterbirth. Paige would be devastated if Mark's vile scheme succeeded. And he couldn't allow that to happen.

A plan formulated in Walter's head as he completed the rest of his tasks. Checking for tears, which thankfully there were none as he had no equipment to sew them up. Swapping out the bloody and soiled towels for ones slightly less soiled as there weren't anymore clean ones. Helping Paige back into her yoga pants so she wouldn't be so exposed.

There were other protocols which needed to be done, like weighing and measuring, but he didn't have the means to do them. The risk of infection grew with each passing second mother and child spent in the filthy barn, along with other threats such as hantavirus, fleas, mold inhalation. . .

They needed to be taken to a hospital as soon as possible. And he knew exactly what he had to do.

Walter crawled up to sit by Paige's side. She'd moved the baby to her other breast but he didn't appear to be nursing.

"How's he doing?" he asked as concern swept through him.

"He's fine," Paige replied, a tired smile on her face as she glanced down at their son. "He's just tuckered out, poor little guy. He's had a rough day."

Walter reached out to touch the sleeping infant's hand. The tiny fingers grasped his much larger one with surprising strength. Feeling somewhat reassured, he looked up at Paige. "And how are you feeling?"

"Sore. Tired. Happy," she said before adding, "Scared. We need to get out of here."

"I know," he agreed. Leaning down, he kissed her gently on the lips before placing a kiss on the top of Nicky's head. "I love you," he stated, the words never truer than at that moment. "I love both of you."

"I love you, too," Walter," she murmured.

He wiped away the tear sliding her cheek, wincing when pain shot through his broken finger. Stoically, he stroked his son's face before pushing himself up off the floor.

"If your maudlin spectacle is over. . ." Walter turned to see a sneering Collins standing behind him. The other man took a step forward. "I'll take the baby now."

"They both need medical attention," Walter declared. "Please, let me call for an ambulance."

Collins let out a mirthless laugh. "You just don't stop, do you? No doctor, no hospital, no police. Hand over the brat so I can be on my way."

"Have you really thought this through, Mark," Walter asked, allowing some of his desperation to seep into his voice. "He's going to be totally dependent on you for the first few years. How are you going to take care of him?"

"Don't worry. I've done nothing but plan this for the past five months," replied Collins.

"You don't have the capability to raise a child. You're not equipped. Not physically, financially, emot . ."

"Walter, Walter," the other man interrupted with a smirk. "Are you sure your IQ is still 197?" He shook his head. "Just know he'll be forever out of your reach."

Paige gasped as Walter moved closer to Mark. "Speaking of IQ," he began, "you won't know for years if he's a genius. No one suspected I was a genius until I was eight, when they tested my IQ to see if I need special education classes. Can you afford to wait that long to find out?"

Collins' face grew pensive and Walter hoped he was mulling over his words. "Think of how long it could be," he continued on, sowing seeds of doubt, "how long it could be before you would actually be able to work with him. It could be a decade, maybe longer. And. . ." He paused to take a breath. "And what if his genius lies not in math or science, but in language or music or art? Think of all that wasted time. All the. . ."

"I know what you're doing, Walter," Collins cut in. "And it's not going to change my mind. Give me the baby."

Walter tipped his head back. Damn. It had been a gamble but one he'd had to try. "You can't really want him," he said with a sense of defeat he didn't know if he was feigning any longer. "Not when you could have who you really want."

"And who would that be?" Collins crossed his arms over his chest.

"Me. I'm who you truly want. Take me instead of Nicky."

"Walter! No!"

The terror in her voice sliced through him like a knife. "Paige, I have to do this," he stated. He didn't like it anymore than she did. But there was no other way.

"No, you don't!" she shouted. "We won't let him take Nicky. We can fight him."

"Paige. . ." He feared she was beyond reasoning, her fluctuating hormone levels affecting her ability to make rational decisions, if she thought she could physically take on Collins. She'd just given birth. Not to mention the fact a physical altercation would be inefficient. There was no guarantee he would be the victor. The risk she and baby could be injured would be too great. He could be knocked unconscious, leaving Paige and Nicky vulnerable. It was a no-win situation.

Walter glanced at Collins, saw the other man was tempted by his offer. So he decided to up the ante. "If you take me," he said, "you can have all my research. Brain to brain interface. Artificial intelligence. Time travel. Everything. It's all yours to do with as you please."

"Walter! No!"

"You would do that?" Collins sounded incredulous. "Just abandon your newborn son and the woman who you profess to love?" He shuffled to the side to look at Paige, who was possessively holding onto Nicky. "Did you hear that?" he asked her. "He's so eager to ditch his responsibilities and run away with me just so you can have some medical care."

Mark turned back to look at Walter, a triumphant expression on his face. "I accept your offer," he said before he headed back toward the van. Walter wondered for a moment what the other man was doing, until he saw him opening up the sliding barn doors in front of the vehicle.

"Walter, don't do this!"

Paige's panicked plea captured his attention and he spun around to see tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," he said as he knelt down beside her, and he was, more so than she'd ever know.

"You lied to me," she spat out, the words full of anger and pain. "You told me you'd never leave me."

He reached out to touch her but she shied away. "I said I'd never willingly leave you. I'm sorry. . ."

"Please," she pleaded, her voice softening and he could hear her anguish, "don't do this. You can't trust him. You'll never be safe with him."

He was well aware of the danger he was placing himself in and he didn't like it anymore than she did. But he had no choice.

"I know. But it's guaranteed safety for you and Nicky." And that was all that really mattered.

He leaned forward, intending to kiss her and the baby goodbye. But a hand clamped down on his arm and yanked him to his feet.

"You're mine now," Collins snarled as he dragged Walter away.

Trying to extricate himself from the other man's grasp, Walter twisted his head around to look over his shoulder. "I love you," he called out. "No matter what happens. I love you."

"Walter!" His heart raced as she attempted to stand up. She didn't get far before she flopped back against the burlap bags. Nicky must have been disturbed by her efforts because he began to cry.

Paige comforting their son was the last thing Walter saw before Collins shoved him into the passenger seat of the stolen mental institution van and slammed the door in his face.

ooooo

Paige watched in horror as Mark Collins drove off away, taking Walter with him. Leaving her all alone in a filthy old barn in the middle of nowhere with a newborn baby.

She glanced down at her son as he fussed, no doubt picking up on her distress. Poor little guy. Not even an hour old and already abandoned by his father. At least Drew had waited two years before he'd skipped out on Ralph.

Closing her eyes, she knew she wasn't being fair to Walter. She should have known he would sacrifice himself for their sake. He'd done it before, more times than she cared to count. Him and his damn 'greater good' philosophy. He'd been lucky so far, even if he didn't believe in luck.

But now he was in the hands of a unhealthily obsessed, mentally unstable psychopath. One who thought nothing of threatening to throw a baby into the garbage.. What would he do to Walter if he decided he didn't need him anymore? She shuddered, not wanting to think of the possibilities. . .

Something rustling in the far corner of the stall caused her to sit up in alarm. Oh, God. . . Collins hadn't closed the barn doors. What if some kind of wild animal had made its way inside? Weren't some animals attracted to the smell of blood? Or what that just vampires and werewolves? Damn, she should have known she'd regret watching all those monster movies someday.

She heard the noise again, closer this time. Glancing around, she saw the scissors Walter had used to cut the umbilical cord lying by her hip. She snatched them up, grasping them in her fist. "Who's there?" she murmured as she pressed Nicky to her chest.

Something popped up through the hay a few feet away. Letting out a small shriek, Paige watched as it disappeared, only to emerge once again at the same spot. It didn't look like a mouse or a rat or a coyote. . . It did look a lot like Ferret Bueller. . .but without the mask.

Oh, God. It was a weasel. Hysterical laughter bubbled up inside her as she remembered the Spanish word for weasel was similar to the word for midwife in the same language. La comadreja and la comadrona.

"You're a little late, buddy," she said through her giggles. "The kid's already been born."

Nicky let out a wail and the animal vanished. "Just like everyone else in my life," she muttered, her amusement gone as she check to see if her son was okay. She offered her breast but he ignored it as he settled back into sleep.

Worry washed over her as she considered their circumstances. She obviously couldn't count on Yolondra's assistance. The midwife had left hours ago. Paramedics should have arrived by now if she'd actually gone for help. And what if Collins changed his mind. . . Maybe demanded more from Walter before he'd allow him to call for an ambulance. . .

Her breathing grew shallow. Oh, God. . . They could be stranded here for days before anyone found them. But they couldn't last that long, not without food or water. She'd have to go look for help on her own. But she had no idea where they were or how far away from civilization this crap hole was. It was a no-win situation.

Something inside her broke and the floodgates spilled open. Stress, panic, fear, pain, weariness, hopelessness. . . Just everything. . . The entire day's events. . . From the team being exposed to chemical weapons to being kidnapped to giving birth three weeks early to Walter martyring himself for her sake. It was all just too much.

Tears slid unchecked down her face. Nicky joined in, crying his poor little heart out as hers felt like it was breaking into a million pieces.

"I'm sorry," she said as she tried to soothe him. "I'm so, so sorry." He just wailed louder and she bowed her head, giving into her despair.

"That's either one really weird sounding cow," a familiar smart-assed voice said, "or it's Wally Junior."

Footsteps came from all directions as Paige lifted her gaze to see Toby, Happy, Sylvester, Yolondra, and a police officer approaching her. "His name is Nicky," she said a bit defiantly, even as relief at being rescued swept through her. "Nikola Cabe O'Brien."

"Yikes," said Happy when she came to a halt about a foot away. "And I thought Meriwether was bad."

"Yeah, that's some moniker you're hanging on that poor kid," the shrink said as he glanced around. "Where's the proud papa? Passing out cigars in the pasture?"

"More importantly," Sly cut in before she could answer. "Where's Collins?"

She opened her mouth to tell them but was interrupted by the cop kneeling beside her. "There's an ambulance on the way," he stated in a reassuring manner. "Are you all right, ma'am?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. Her world had been turned upside down in less than twenty-four hours and she was worried it would never be the same again.