INVASION EVASION

AN: Finally! The promised epilogue! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys rock!

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They'd only been back a few weeks, but life was settling in to their version of normal again. Without a whole lot of discussion or fuss, Walter had moved into Paige's condo once they'd returned to Earth and he only periodically stayed in the loft when a case went particularly late. When that happened, Paige and Ralph usually ended up staying with him. It felt so easy, so unbelievably right, being a family again.

It took a bit more time for the team to dissolve Centipede Partners and draw up newer, fairer employee contracts with Scorpion. They were just beginning to take on new cases again. They were forging onward and the future looked brighter.

But Walter still seemed a little off some days, as if he was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. That particular day, he'd been acting agitated and disappeared some time after lunch. Unable to concentrate because she was beginning to worry, Paige stopped typing mid-invoice and decided to leave her desk to go and hunt for him.

"There you are. I was wondering where you'd gone." She found him in the loft, leaning on the railing and peering down into the garage from above.

When Walter only gave her a crooked half smile in response, Paige tilted her head to one side and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Walter held out a hand for hers and replied, "Yes. Everything is perfect. Almost too perfect." He shook his head, "I know that sounds dumb."

Instead of taking his proffered hand, she stepped over next to him and slipped her arms around his waist. They both watched the activity below for a few minutes. Toby and Happy were in the midst of a rubber band war with Sylvester and Ralph caught in the crossfire. Sly was covering his head with his arms and shrieking that he didn't want to play and Ralph was picking up discarded ammo and returning fire. Cabe roared at them all to grow up before setting his coffee mug down and joining forces with Ralph. The former marine's aim was better than anyone else's and he soon had them all ducking for cover and cowering behind their respective desks.

Paige chuckled. "So this is your idea of perfection?" They shared an amused look.

"Yes. It's a big improvement, believe me." He pressed a kiss to her temple.

The noise and chaos floated up and washed over them momentarily unnoticed while their gazes caught and held.

"Happy to be home?" She asked, suddenly filled with affection for the man at her side and the family they'd built.

"Yes. Very much so." After a pause, his brow furrowed, "And still a little concerned at the same time."

"Oh? What about?"

"How fragile all this is. How easily it fell apart. I feel like I could mess up at any time and I'd lose it all again. If it hadn't been for this case..."

"Hey," Paige turned and took his face between her palms. "It won't. You won't. I promise I'll always fight like hell for us before it ever gets that far again."

He gave her a skeptical look. "No one can't guarantee that. I thought we were strong last time when we split up."

She let her hands drop to his neck, pulled him in and kissed him hard on the mouth. "We all messed up last time and yet here we are. We made our way back to each other in the end. Like we always do."

When he still didn't seem convinced, she sighed. "Besides, since you up and married me, it would be quite a bit harder to just walk out. But, how about this? Let's get some professional help this time around. I'll talk to someone about my insecurities. You can work on showing appreciation. And together, we can both work on effective communication. And if all that doesn't do the trick? We'll take another terrifyingly dangerous case where the situation is dire and we need each other and everything will fall in place again. How does that sound?"

Walter pulled her against him. "Now, that sounds perfect."