Author's note: AU ending for the 2nd season finale "Toby or Not Toby"
or the AU beginning of the 1st episode of the 3rd season.
Not Too Late
A few minutes past midnight, Walter ran into the hotel lobby and up to
the front desk. "Paige Dineen," he said, gasping for breath. "It's imperative
I know which room she's in."
The clerk, a young woman in her mid-twenties, glanced at the guest register.
"I don't have a Paige Dineen registered here."
"Tim Armstrong, then." Walter was rapidly losing his patience.
"Yes, he signed for a room," she replied, "but I'm not supposed to give
out that kind of information."
"It's an emergency," he lied. Although in all honesty, it was. He had to
tell her, had to stop her. . . Both their futures depended on it.
"Why don't you just call her?" the woman suggested.
"It's not something I can tell her over the phone." He ran his hand through
his hair. He was wasting time. Paige and Tim could already be. . .
Yanking his wallet from his pocket, he opened it and pulled out all the
bills it contained. He slid the cash across the marble counter to the clerk.
"The room number," he pleaded. "Please."
Her eyes flicked from his face to the wad of cash then to the guest list.
"Room 225." she said as she reached for the money. "It's. . ."
Whatever she had been about to say Walter never heard as he sprinted toward
the stairs. He tripped as he came to the first landing, smacking his shins
on the top stair. Undaunted, he continued climbing, limping a little, until
he pushed through the second floor fire door.
Rooms 200-214 to the right. Rooms 215 to 230 to the left. He took off to
the left, catching the room numbers out of the corner of his eyes as he
passed by. Even so, he almost missed the one he was looking for and had
to pivot back.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock on the door. A mantra
ran through his brain - Please don't let me be too late. . .please don't
let me be too late. "Paige," he called as he pounded on the door. "Paige,
please."
The door was jerked open, and there she was. "Walter, what the hell?" she
asked. He could tell she was irritated with him. And she had every right
to be. He was irritated with himself for being so stubborn for so long.
"What's wrong?" she inquired, her tone changing from anger to concern.
He stared at her, still dressed in the clothes she had been wearing when
she had left the garage. Tim was nowhere in sight.
"Nothing," he replied. "Nothing at all."
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he drew her closer before gently touching
his lips to hers. When she didn't resist; and in fact, responded; he deepened
the kiss. His hands traveled down her back as she entwined her arms around
his neck. Encouraged by her enthusiasm, his hands slid further down until
they cupped her bottom.
"Walter?" she asked as they came up for air.
"I. . ." Now that he was face to face, the words which had been so easy
to say at the garage stuck in his throat. But he couldn't let them. Not this
time. "I. . .I love you." He didn't give her a chance to reply as he crushed
his mouth to hers again.
"Hey, Paige, who was at the. . ." Tim stepped out of the bathroom, wearing
pajama bottoms and a tight, white t-shirt. He stopped short when he saw
her standing in the doorway with a man's hands on her ass.
He sighed. He'd been hoping to find her wearing some flirty lingerie or
maybe even his shirt he had left on the bed. Not a genius with a 197 IQ. He'd
known it had been too good to be true. Her heart belonged to Walter O'Brien
and he never really stood a chance with her.
Wondering if he should go back into the bathroom, he swiftly ditched that
idea. Who knew what he'd would walk in on later or how long he'd be trapped
in there. He put his trousers back on over the pajamas and grabbed his shirt.
"Hey, guys," he said in a loud voice as he moved closer to where they were
standing. "I hate to break up the party but. . ."
Both Walter and Paige jumped, awkwardly breaking their embrace, turning
to stare guiltily at Tim. "Oh God, I'm so sorry," she said, glancing at Walter
then back. "So sorry."
"Not as sorry as I am," he said. He picked up his bag which thankfully,
he hadn't even unpacked. "I'll leave you to it."
"Tim, wait." Surprisingly, it was Walter who spoke. "I didn't mean for
this to happen. I. . ." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "You're
still part of the team. . .if you want to be. You were a valuable asset
yesterday." Tim could tell Walter's offer was sincere, and it had to be
the other man's low EQ making him think he would be able to stay after this.
"Thanks. But I'll be moving on," Tim said. He looked at Paige. "I was saving
it for a special moment, but. . . I got cleared to rejoin the Seals. I had
been hoping you would. . . But that's all it was, wasn't it? Hope?"
"I'm sorry, Tim," she said. "You're sweet, and nice, and. . ." She ducked
her head. "Handsome. But. . . I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well," he said. "What's the old saying, all's fair in love and war?"
He smiled ruefully. "Good luck."
He walked past them and out the door. Paige watched him go, tears welling
up in her eyes. He was a good man, he didn't deserve this. She knew he had
certain expectations of what would happen between them this weekend. Expectations
she now knew she would never have been able to fulfill.
"Paige?" She turned to see Walter staring at her, a mixture of fear and
longing in his eyes.
"I can't believe you came after me," she said. "Why? Why now?"
"Because I didn't want to lose you," he replied. "I've been an idiot, a
jerk, an ass, a moron. And if you don't want. . .me. . .I'll understand. I've
been afraid of love for so long, I couldn't admit it was what I felt for
you from the beginning. I know I've hurt you. I'm sorry. Please. . .
She pressed her finger to his lips. "I love you, too, Walter." She replaced
her finger with her mouth. "I forgive you," she said before kissing him
again. "If you'll forgive me."
"What for?"
"I was trying to make you jealous," she confessed. "It did hurt to see
you going off with Linda, and coming back smiling and happy. It was wrong
but. . ."
"No, you're right. I was so stubborn and stupid and. . ." He swallowed
anxiously. "Toby finally made me see what I was risking, what I was losing
by letting you go."
"Oh, God, Toby," she said. "How is he?"
"He's probably passed out drunk by now," Walter said, a worried look on
his face. "He was drinking a bottle of tequila when I left."
Paige couldn't even imagine what their friend was going through. To be
so publicly rejected by the woman he loved, to find out she had kept such
a huge secret from him. It had to be devastating. Love was a huge risk. But
still one she was willing to take.
"I shouldn't have left. . ." she began.
"I shouldn't have let you. . ."
She suddenly became very aware they were alone in a hotel room, with two
queen size beds in close proximity. One glance at Walter's face told her
he had come to the same realization.
"We, uh, you don't have to. . ." he said, his cheeks burning red. "I can
go get another. . ."
"The hotel is fully booked. All the hotels in the area are," she said.
"I can sleep in my car."
"You mean the company car?" she teased, smiling at his bemused expression.
"No, I think you can stay here. There are two beds."
She had to bite her lip to stop from laughing at his crestfallen face.
"Okay," he said. "We should probably. . ."
Paige wrapped her arms around his neck again and kissed him. "I was thinking
once we messed up one of the beds, we could start on the other," she whispered
in his ear before nibbling on his earlobe.
"I.. .uh. . .I think. . .uh. . ." It was obvious thinking was the last
thing he was doing. "Okay."
Their mouths met again as Paige sat on the nearest bed, pulling Walter
down on top of her.
They never did make it to the festival. Nobody likes jazz anyway.