Howdy! I thought of this on the spot a couple hours ago, and I just had to get it down. It's going to be a few chappies long in the end, I think, all based on the events of Bad Dreams (BEST EP EVER!).

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will. You'd know if I did. TRUST ME, you would. ;)

Spoilers for Bad Dreams, obviously. Peter/Olivia all the way.

Enjoy!!!

Every Pebble Makes a Difference

It was long past midnight, but Olivia Dunham could not sleep. The day had been a long, confusing, emotional, deeply scarring one, no different than any other day, but there was something nagging at the corners of her mind that would not let her sleep. And God knows she needed it. Whatever it was, now that she had clamed down and her already over stimulated brain had begun to cool down, it was driving her sleep-deprived self crazy, both mentally and physically.

Olivia tossed and turned in her bed, trying to find a comfortable position. She already knew that it was going to be one of 'those nights' when nothing she did made any difference as to how well she would end up sleeping. Every time she tried to reposition herself, the sheets would only get tangled and, in her growing frustration, she would kick them off. Less than a minute later, she would begin to feel cold and have to grope around in the semi-darkness trying to find them. When she would get too hot from all her tossing and turning, Olivia would get tangled once again and find herself sweating and forcefully thrash about until the covers were almost off the bed. Then the vicious cycle would repeat itself again and again until Olivia could no longer stand it.

No longer feeling tired, the blonde agent kicked off the covers for the last time and angrily threw her legs over the side of the bed, panting. Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears well up inside her. They were tears of exhaustion, rage, frustration and a billion and one other things she couldn't name, but the majority of it was definitely the lack of sleep catching up with her. Even though she couldn't. Her damned mind wouldn't let her! Rocking back and forth slightly on the edge of the bed, eyes still shut; Olivia bit her lower lip – hard. It was starting to tremble and she could not let that happen, not even in the comfort of her own home with her own family. Olivia swore under her breath. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this frustrated with… everything. It wasn't one specific thing; it was a whole mesh of small pebbles and boulders that, over time, had created a landslide that she could barely hold her ground in. It was something she fought every day, and today, right now even, a few more rocks from the day's events had been added and she was losing her footing.

Closer to tears than ever, Olivia got up and padded her way on silent bare feet to the kitchen. With every thought of Nick, her precious friend that she couldn't even remember anything about, the mysterious cortexiphan that ran through her veins, her visions… it was another pebble in a world that was seemingly going out of its way to bring her down.

Then there was Peter.

"Oh, Peter…" Olivia whispered, her voice cracking as she sat down at one of the bar stools and lay her cheek against the cool granite counter. She didn't have the strength to stand up, not when Peter was a fresh thought in her mind. He had always shown his compassion and care for her, but today more than ever he had been the very definition of a knight in shining armor. With a sigh, Olivia recounted the moment that they had shared in the hospital corridor. She had allowed herself to break down in front of him then, but not fully. What had seemed like many, many days ago, when it had in fact only been less than twenty-four hours, Olivia had felt the need for him to hold her. Her memory of standing before him as his voice had slowly eased her breathing and her racing pulse was one that played over and over in her mind's eye. In that moment she had wanted, needed him to wrap his arms around her. Olivia remembered the burning need she had felt and the desperation she had tried to convey through her eyes as he stared her down with his own beautiful, green ones. Obviously, Peter had gotten the message. He had enveloped her and been her shield from the raging avalanche that existed just beyond his circle of comfort. He had take the heat for her for just a moment, and in that moment, Olivia had regained enough strength to carry on.

Or at least she'd thought that it would be enough.

Later, even though she'd been in a deep, hypnotically induced REM sleep, somewhere in that darkness between visions, his touch had somehow found her and it had once again put her troubled mind at ease. When she couldn't find the strength to go on, when slipping into nothingness felt like it would be a nicer existence than the one she would wake up to, he had been there to pull her back, to anchor her against the onslaught and give her time to find her footing again.

It wasn't something that Olivia was willing to admit out loud, but her brain, whatever part of it was still making any kind of rational sense, had come to a conclusion: it was Peter – the thing that had been stopping her from sleeping until she'd figured it out, it was all Peter. It was the fact that Peter was the only one who could save her from the forces of nature that had her on her knees. The only one who knew exactly what to do to help her, and always exactly when she needed it. The only one who she trusted enough to come that close.

Her head snapped up as a knock on the door broke into her thoughts and made her jump.

Who the hell would be here at this hour?

Olivia frowned with her hand on the doorknob, a thought suddenly crossing her mind. A wild, ridiculous, out-of-this-world thought – a guess, a faint hope, even.

Without even looking into the peephole, she pulled the door wide open and her tired eyes went as wide as saucers. For there stood Peter Bishop, her knight in shining armor… or in just an un-tucked shirt and jeans. But, at this hour, and in this mindset, Olivia honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two.

So? How did I do?

Y'all must know that the chappies come faster with more reviews.... haha, kidding! They'll be coming no matter what... but I'd love to hear your thoughts anyways!

xoxo