Olivia was at a complete loss for words or actions. She'd never been in a relationship where the man was such a romantic. It probably spoke volumes for how sad her past relationships were and that she never really required romantic gestures to begin with, but Peter Bishop was making her more feminine side peak out in relish with his little acts of love. After breakfast this morning they had parted ways to get ready for work and although Olivia felt happy that she had some time alone (she blamed years of solitude and independence) a large part of her ached to be apart from him and she mentally scolded herself. When she'd arrived at the lab it was actually empty and it took her a minute to shake the confusion. Trying to ignore the growing worry for her team she went straight to her office to find a tall thermos with a single white daisy laying beside it. Olivia couldn't stop the grin on her face and as she got closer she noticed there was a note under the thermos and flower.
Livia,
Walter was craving Devil Dogs and since it's been a slow morning and Astrid is off, we're out in search of the elusive chocolaty treat. Just give me a call if something comes up and we'll speed back to the lab. Also, Gene may require feeding around noon if you're at the lab by then.
Love,
Peter
PS- I hope you enjoy the coffee, we splurged on the good stuff recently.
Now the stupid grin had to be plastered on Olivia's face and she didn't fight it. Setting the note down she picked up the flower and brought it up to her nose and inhaled slowly. The most pleasant sense of giddiness washed over her and Olivia bit her lip so she wouldn't giggle. What was she; 16? Olivia went back out into the lab and snagged test tube rack and a longer test tube and filled it with water. Satisfied with her ingenuity she went back to the office and placed the flower in the test tube.
Olivia settled into her paperwork until the sound of Gene's mooing broke her from her work-mode. Remembering that she needed to be fed, Olivia stretched her body out and resigned herself to feeding the cow. She gave Gene a good rub on the neck before maneuvering her way around the cow to the supply of hay kept in a small storage area behind her. Olivia went to grab the pitch fork they used to transfer hay over when she saw another daisy tied with a piece of hay to the pitch fork handle. A laugh slipped past her lips as she smiled again. What was with all the flowers? But as much as Olivia reminded herself that such romantic gestures were lost on her she couldn't help but feel loved that he would go through all this trouble just to make her smile. Olivia untied the flower and caught a flash of green as something fell to the floor. Olivia bent over and picked up a small scrap of string that was wound and braided into the shape of a ring. Her stomach fluttered as she laid it out on her palm. It wasn't diamonds or anything gold, but he knew her better than that. There was no way she'd go for all the shiny things involved in relationships. But this was just cute and quirky; like him. She slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her left hand and set the second daisy aside while she forked some hay into Gene's pen.
When she was finished she plucked her newest daisy from the stable shelf and made her way back to the office. About fifteen minutes into her work she realized she was out of coffee and definitely needed more. So she got up from her work area and crossed the lab for the coffee maker. She only made it half way there when she saw yet another daisy. Olivia rolled her eyes and finished the distance across the lab. She picked the flower up from the top of the coffee maker and set it aside only to see a note card had been hidden underneath.
REMEMBER TO EAT.
And under the card was a turkey salad sandwich. Oh he knew her all too well as her stomach growled at the reminder of lunch. She set the sandwich aside to start the coffee and then munched on it while she waited for the coffee to brew. When the coffee had finished and she had nearly inhaled the tasty sandwich, she poured her coffee and carried her third flower in the other hand, heading back to her office. Placing the flower with its friends, Olivia leaned back in her seat and breathed in the steam from her coffee. She was about to set the thermos down and return to her work when her cell phone began twittering. Checking the caller ID, it read BROYLES.
"Dunham," she answered, setting her coffee down.
"We've received an anonymous tip that Margaret Sampson might have some information on your case. I've sent the address to your gps already. I'd take Mr. Bishop on this one." Broyles was short and to the point as usual.
"Okay, any other vague details you're holding back on me?" Olivia asked, trying not to sound too frustrated with the lack of information.
"I've told you everything I know. Let me know what you find out from her when you're done."
"Yes, sir." Olivia hung up and dialed Peter's number. It rang twice before he answered.
"I really didn't expect to hear from you today," he said with his charming voice.
"Are you disappointed?" She asked.
"To hear from you? Never!" Peter said cheerfully. "What can I do you for?"
"Broyles sent me a lead and insisted I take you," Olivia said, fiddling with one of her daisies.
"Oh… so you weren't going to ask me otherwise." He said it as more of a statement.
"Well I didn't want to ruin the father/son day, but I'm not upset about ruining it if it means I get to see my favorite mad scientist's son." Olivia said flirtatiously.
"I'd say you always say the most romantic things, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only mad scientist's son you know," Peter chuckled.
"Maybe…" Olivia smiled into the phone. "So, when can you be back?"
"Uhh, how about fifteen minutes?" Peter half asked, half said and she heard Walter grumbling in the background. "We were just thinking of heading back anyways."
"Okay, I'll see you then." Olivia said, ready to hang up her phone and clean up her desk before heading out, but his voice stopped her.
"Livia?"
"Yeah, Peter?"
"Love you," Peter's voice said softly as if he were covering his mouth and putting it closer to the receiver so Walter wouldn't hear. Olivia blushed even though she knew no one who didn't already know could hear him.
"Love you too," she murmured and before she hung up she heard Walter excitedly babbling about something and some of the words that stuck out were: weddings and babies. Olivia groaned out loud. If she had to listen to talks of weddings and babies for the entirety of their relationship she might end up at St. Claire's herself.
Peter was, of course, right on time and Olivia was just sitting on the edge of one of the lab tables, reviewing a case file when he sidled in with Walter in tow. Olivia hopped off the table and met them half way, handing the file to Peter.
"Something for you to read on the way," she grinned at him in amusement.
"Oh, agent Dunham, you know you two don't have to hold back on my account. I've seen far more," Walter waggled his eyebrows suggestively making Peter roll his eyes.
"And on that note I think we need to get going," Peter motioned to Olivia to hurry up. "Walter, you have my number if anything comes up and please stay at the lab, we'll be back soon."
They were out the door before Walter could say anything else and they both heaved a sigh of relief.
"So what have we got here?" Peter asked, flipping the file open as they walked out to the car.
"Single, Caucasian female, aged 29, has two roommates, and works as a Teacher's assistant at the local community college." Olivia recited.
"What does she teach?" Peter asked, flipping another page.
"English. Why?" Olivia asked giving him a side glance.
"Just seeing if you knew," he smirked down at the paper and continued.
"Smart ass," Olivia muttered.
"I know for a fact you love that ass of mine," he smiled wide still trying to keep reading but wanting to look up at her and see her reaction.
Olivia was torn between showing him exactly how much she liked it and denying it with every breath in her body, but she did neither. "Maybe," she said non-committaly and shrugged.
Peter rolled his eyes and they kept walking. When they were piled into the car, Olivia paused before turning the key in the ignition and turned in her seat to face him.
"Peter," she started but stopped to be sure he looked up at her. "Thank you, for all those things… in the lab." She finished lamely and mentally cringed. "They're completely unnecessary, but they were sweet of you all the same."
Peter tried not to smile too much for fear she would think he was laughing at her. He glanced down at her left hand and noticed she was wearing the ring, despite how childish it seemed and then he couldn't not grin. He reached across the seat and took her right hand from the wheel and brought it up to his lips to kiss it.
"You're welcome," he smiled up at her and Olivia had the fleeting thought that she probably wasn't the first woman to melt because of that smile, but she hoped like hell she'd be the last. "But, I suppose we have a lead to chase."
Olivia nodded and let her cop face slip back into place. "Let's get this over with."
They were walking up to the small bungalow home fifteen minutes later and Olivia wrapped her knuckles on the door. Footsteps could be heard on the other side and soon the door was being swung open revealing a woman a few inches shorter than Olivia with long black curly hair and immaculately trendy make up.
"Yes?" She asked, eyeing Olivia up suspiciously, but then she noticed Peter and her face noticeably brightened. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, we're looking for Margaret Sampson." Olivia spoke up, drawing the woman's attention back to her.
"And you would be?" She asked, back to being suspicious.
"I'm agent Olivia Dunham, with the FBI," Olivia flashed her badge at the woman and while she took a closer look, she nodded toward Peter. "And this is my partner Peter Bishop."
The woman's gaze went from the badge and back to Peter and Olivia could've sworn she was undressing him with her eyes and she even saw the woman's lips part and her breath quicken. Oh for the love of God. Olivia thought, ready to drag her and Peter off this doorstep and away from her before she pounced on her poor unsuspecting partner, but she doubted Broyles would understand her reasoning. So straightening her shoulders she cleared her throat to get the woman's attention.
"That would be me, um, did you want to come in?" She was still completely absorbed in Peter.
He glanced over at her and quirked a brow.
"Yes, may we?" Peter asked looking back at the woman. She nodded eagerly, and opened the door wider to let them in. Olivia stepped in first followed by Peter and then Margaret led them into the living room off to the right. Peter took a seat on the longer couch and Olivia was quick to join him, leaving enough space to be professional but not enough for Margaret to sit between them if she got bold. Margaret instead chose the arm chair across from Peter and Olivia soon found out why when she leaned down under the pretense of being able to talk, but flashing a generous amount of chest in the mean time. Olivia could feel her face begin to screw up in disgust and had to draw on all her reserve strength not to punch this woman's lights out.
"Ms. Sampson-" Peter started.
"Please, call me Mags," she gushed, pressing her arms into her body and thrusting her chest out.
"Okay, Mags, do you know a George Jamison?" Peter asked, looking her in the face.
Olivia had to give him props for not staring because even she was having a hard time not when they were just right there.
Mags nodded. "Yes, he was one of my students a term ago, dropped my class half way through though."
"Why did he drop out?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know, but he looked to be very stressed about something. He was always so fidgety and he only came to every other class. At first I thought it was because he had so many other classes, but when I checked with the registrar they said he was only taking three courses."
"Do you remember what other courses?" Peter asked, choosing a tangent Olivia hadn't expected as usual.
"Umm, Biology and Chemistry." Mags said, thinking carefully. "I think the chemistry one was an advanced class of some sort and was more of an independent study."
"Did George have any friends in your course or that you just saw him around with?" Olivia asked.
"No… he was always alone." She said, furrowing her brow in thought. "Wait! I did see him with this one guy. I'd never seen him before and he made George very egdy."
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Peter asked.
"Yeah… he had blonde hair, taller than George by just a few inches, but he was very broad in the shoulder and had a strong jaw line. Looked like he was more muscle than brains." She said.
Olivia dug a card and pen out of her pocket and wrote down a name on the back of the card. She handed it to Mags who hesitantly took, glancing toward Peter as if hoping for one of his cards instead.
"We've got someone at the Federal Building who can draw up that man you saw, and if you could swing by there sometime today and meet with him, tell him what you saw, I'd appreciate it."
Mags nodded and kept giving furtive glances at Peter.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Sampson?" Olivia asked, getting agitated with the woman.
"Well, ummm. I don't normally do this, but…" she turned to Peter and even as naïve as Olivia was with the whole courting and flirting thing, she saw this coming from a mile away. "Would you maybe want to go out for drinks sometime?" She batted her eyelashes at Peter and Olivia felt that urge to smack this woman but somehow managed to quell the urge.
Peter actually smiled at the woman and for a horrific second Olivia thought he would say 'yes' and of course he caught that flash of horror across her face before she could hide it.
"Actually, I'm in a relationship right now. I'm flattered, but I'm going to have to pass." Peter said, smiling nicely at Mags in hopes that she would take it gracefully.
"Oh – so am I, but that doesn't mean we can't still get out and have some fun." And the way she smiled at him when she said the word 'fun' left little to the imagination as to what she could possibly mean.
Peter almost choked on a laugh and shook his head. "I, huh, really love this girl and I really think it's going somewhere and I'm not about to ruin that."
Olivia tried to hide the stupid grin spreading across her face, but it was too hard. She had to actually turn away from them so neither would see.
"Thanks for the help, Ms. Sampson." Peter said and they headed for the door. When they were outside, Peter kept stealing glances at Olivia who was still fighting a very large smile. "You look like the kid who stole all the cookies and got away with it."
Olivia tried to scowl at him but she could only smile like an idiot and then laugh. "Sorry," she didn't know what she was apologizing for, but it just came out.
"For any particular reason?" Peter raised his eyebrows at her as they got closer to her truck.
"Well, she was pretty attractive and-"
"Don't even go there, Livia. I've got you and that's all I want. Sometimes I think you might be too much woman for me – no way am I adding another side woman to the picture." Peter said wryly.
"Oh so now I'm fat," Olivia said, narrowing her eyebrows at him and when she saw him clam up she laughed and shook her head. "I'm just kidding, Peter. Could you drive? I want to call Broyles and give him the update."
Relieved that he wasn't about to have to defend himself Peter agreed. Olivia tossed him the keys and they went their separate ways around the vehicle to get in. Olivia had already dialed Broyles' number as he backed out of the driveway and headed toward the lab. She relayed the information in her FBI voice; all business and possible leads and Peter couldn't help but get a little turned on by her authoritive voice. Peter squirmed in his seat as discretely as possible in hopes that without having hand interference his impending erection would disappear. Her dominating him had been one of his original fantasies starring Olivia Dunham and without being able to stop himself, some of those old images he'd dreamt up flitted through his minds' eye except now he could fill in those little details that were fuzzy before with the real thing now that he'd seen her naked. Peter scrunched his face up in both pain from the new state of arousal and concentration for driving and thinking of anything else.
Broyles in a thong, Broyles in a thong. Peter repeated in his head, and just when it was starting to work something brushed against the front of him making him swerve the car a little.
"JESUS! Olivia!" Peter straightened the wheel out and waved an apology to all the vehicles honking at them. When he turned to glance at her she was giving him large innocent eyes and if he didn't know her better he would think it was just an accident.
"Looks like someone has something on his mind…" Olivia grinned saucily at him.
Peter blushed and tried to focus on driving and getting them to the lab alive.
"So, what were you thinking about?" Olivia asked, brushing her hand against him again, but this time Peter kept them on the road and only his breath hitched. "Not going to say?"
Peter gave her a side glance and then focused on the road again not saying anything. So Olivia deftly undid the button on his jeans and wiggled the zipper down, releasing the pressure on his arousal. He sighed in relief but then almost swerved the truck again when she wound her fingers around him and began caressing him through the fabric of his boxer shorts.
"Livia…" he groaned and had to fight to keep his eyes open and focused on the road.
"What were you thinking of?" She murmured huskily as she slipped her fingers past the last barrier and grasped him and pumped down.
Peter growled in his throat and his head threatened to fall back into the seat in pleasure.
"I'm not going to stop…" She purred and continued to stroke the length of him.
"Isn't this illegal, or something?" Peter gasped as her fingers brushed the top of him.
"Since when did legalities bother you, Bishop?" Olivia quipped, rotating her hand around him making him buck his hips up into her hand.
"Okay, okay! It's that all business voice you have makes me think about you dominating me!" Peter blurted and Olivia actually paused, shocked that he had said anything.
"Hmmm," Olivia hummed, very pleased with the idea of him at her mercy. "That does sound like fun." She began to stroke him again, but she was pulling out all the movements that would finish him for sure.
Peter yelped and groaned, "please, Livia – I'm going to-" He moaned again when she'd found a sensitive spot. Peter forced himself to refocus on the road and he swerved into a side road and then an abandoned looking alley where he threw the vehicle into park and took the keys out of the ignition. He only had to look over at Olivia and then to the backseat before they were both scrambling to get into the back. Once back there Peter worked furiously with Olivia's pants while she licked and kissed his neck, grinding her center onto his arousal. After some awkward tumbling to get Olivia's pants off she was quickly straddling him again and hooking a finger in the crotch of her panties, he moved them to the side while she held him at her entrance and lowered herself onto him. Having done no foreplay for Olivia he had been expecting her to be tight, but it hadn't prepared him for how amazing she felt.
Peter let his head drop forward to her shoulder where he kissed and nipped. He held her hips tight in place so she couldn't move and after a minute, Olivia was beginning to worry.
"Peter?"
"Sorry, please just don't move for a second. I swear if you do I'll finish now and it won't be any fun for you." Peter said with an almost pained voice.
Olivia bit her lip and grinned. "Okay."
She only had to wait ten more seconds before she felt his hands loosening up on her hips and he nodded. She slowly rose up and then lowered herself back down, feeling the length of him buried in her, but she already wanted more and so her pace quickened and soon Peter was helping lift and drive her back down onto him. Soon, Olivia was beginning to see stars at the edge of her vision as waves of pleasure washed over her and she shuddered in his hands. Peter growled her name as he came inside her, driving himself deep where he wanted to stay forever. They stayed relaxed in each others' arms for a few minutes before the cold began to permeate into the vehicle sending goose bumps down Olivia's bare legs. Noticing the chill, Peter rubbed her legs with his hands to warm them up a bit before looking into her eyes.
"I suppose we'd better get back to work, huh?" Peter asked, his body and mind humming in pleasure and happiness, but at the same time, hating that they had to go the rest of the day playing like they weren't an item.
"Peter, do you really think this is going somewhere?" Olivia bit her lip and searched his gaze with her own.
"Of course! Or well, I hope. It's kind of a two way street. Just because I want us to really work out doesn't mean it will. You have to want that as well," he gave her a hopeful smile that she returned. She closed the distance between them and gave him a soft and loving kiss before pulling back.
"I really do want it to, Peter." She murmured against his lips.
"Good, because I've never felt this way before and I need to know where this goes – where we go."
Olivia chuckled at him, "must be the scientist in you; needing to poke, prod, and understand everything." They both laughed before slowly pulling apart and redressing. Peter resumed his place in the driver's seat while Olivia moved back into the passenger seat and they took off to the lab. When they made it back and were parked, Peter turned the ignition off but before he could get out, Olivia rested her hand on his arm to stop him.
"Peter," she gave a wavering sigh. "You mean a lot to me and the way I feel about you – I've never felt like this." She paused and finally found the courage to look him in the eyes. "Even with John, I never felt for him the way I feel about you and that terrifies me because I barely kept it together when he died. If I lost you I- I don't know what I would do. I don't know how I would survive it." Tears welled up into her eyes but she kept them at bay until Peter leaned over the council and wrapped his arms around her. Despite her best efforts the tears fell.
"Livia, I'll do everything in my power to never leave you, I swear." He murmured into her hair.
"I'm holding you to that," she whispered. They sat in the car, just holding each other until Olivia finally felt more like herself. Wiping hastily at the tears she laughed. "I don't know about you, but this has been one emotional rollercoaster these last few days."
Peter chuckled and nodded. "It should be over for awhile though."
"I certainly hope so. Getting to this point was probably most of the battle." Olivia smirked at him.
They got out of the vehicle and began making their way inside.
"Well, you fought valiantly, Dunham, but I'm glad I won." Peter said giving her a wink.
"Who says I didn't let you win?" Olivia grinned in return.
They exchanged playful banter all the way up the entrance to the lab and then they forced themselves back into work mode much to Walter's disappointment. Olivia went straight to her office to grab some files and check her email before she had to head out to her appointment with Dr. O'Brian. Clicking open her email she grinned stupidly when she saw she had one from Peter.
Livia,
I'm not really sure if I ever wanted siblings. It would have been nice to have had someone to play with but then again they would have had to have suffered the same abuse that I did and we both know that I was ill as a child, inherited disease. Who knows if my sibling or siblings would have had it? What would have happened if we had all been sick and died? Would Walter have gone to the other side and saved us all? Or would he have stayed on this side and never went after us? I'm not sure; I guess this over thinking is just my tired brain screaming at me to get some sleep. Too bad that seems to be eluding me. My mother was a wonderful person. She was strong, brave, caring, everything that you would ever want in a parent. She died when I was younger leaving me by myself with no other family. I started traveling then; it made me feel less alone. But now that I'm back in Boston, I no longer feel alone.
-Peter
His words echoed in her head. I no longer feel alone. And neither did she. Han Solo was no more. She thought over all the other things he said. He'd been one of those children that was so loved but he'd missed out on having sibling rivalries and hard lessons in sharing. Shaking her head she saw the time and decided she needed to run now if she was going to be on time. Realizing she'd left her light jacket out in the lab she grabbed her keys that she'd taken from Peter and headed out. Upon entering the lab she saw that her jacket was hanging on the back of Peter's regular chair and she smirked. He'd probably done that so she would have to say goodbye and she really didn't mind. He wasn't sitting in the chair, just near it, when she approached and he smiled at seeing her. She made to grab the jacket but Peter maneuvered himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and began planting soft kisses against her neck and down to her collar.
"Peter!" She whispered, half gone in lust already and half worried. "What about Walter?"
"He's in the bathroom," he murmured into her neck and gently bit down on the skin between her neck and shoulder.
Olivia moaned and let her head tip back in pleasure. Peter wound his hands up the front of her torso to caress her breasts making her gasp his name. He moved his hands back down and let them rest on her stomach when they heard the sound of glass shattering only ten feet away. Their heads shot up and Olivia was already reaching for her gun when they saw it was just Walter with his jaw dropped and eyes almost bugging out.
"Does this mean I'm getting grandbabies?" Walter asked, his face shaping from shock to sheer happiness.
Olivia rolled her eyes and decided she'd leave the explanation to Peter.
"Just seven more months, Walter," Peter rubbed Olivia's stomach tenderly as if she were actually pregnant and placing a tender kiss on top of her head. Olivia's jaw dropped and she tried to whip around and ask him what the hell he was talking about when she caught the look of delight on Walter's face as he half ran, half danced off toward the landline.
"I've got to tell Astro!"
A/N: This is the end of one of the most enjoyable fics I've ever had the pleasure of taking part in and I want to give Americanchick a huge thanks for writing this with me. We really were 50/50 the entire way through and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Also, thanks to those who read and especially to the ones who reviewed. We hope that you all enjoyed this fic and we'll love you forever in a not-crazy or stalker-ish manner if you review :D