A/N: I wrote this a few weeks ago and only got around to posting it on here now. This is something I would love to see happen, but we'll see if it actually does. I have faith that the writers will give us some really good stuff though.

Disclaimer: Don't own them or the show.

Everything was back to normal, at least on the surface. She was hunkered over paperwork. He was doing the same. Empty coffee cups lay discarded on the table, and the sound of one of Walter's old records played in the distance. But the familiar domestic air was missing; Peter knew that when things change, they cannot simply go back to what they were before. But he wished more than anything that they could.

It had been quiet, deafeningly so, until she joked about one of the suspects with that dry sarcasm of hers and a hint of the smile, causing him to reply in turn with some of his signature witty snark. Her smirk widened just a bit at his answer. It was their easy rapport and he hadn't really known he had missed until it suddenly wasn't there anymore

The moment was so normal, so like it had been that before he knew it, he was uttering the very words he really had no right to utter.

"I missed you."

The silence that followed was awkward and jarring, slamming them back to the reality of what was.

"Peter…" she began, just wanting to put an end to this already painful subject.

"No," he said a bit forcefully, shaking his head. "I have to say this." She nodded, but didn't meet his eye. In fact, she never really looked at him anymore. He would have been hurt by this if hadn't realized that he really had no right to be hurt in the first place. And yet, he couldn't stop the words from flowing out of his mouth.

"The truth is, I noticed she was different. And I told myself that I liked how you had changed. I liked seeing you happy. But it wasn't until you came back that I realized just how much I missed the little things about you that made me fall in love with you in the first place."

He sighed, softening his expression a bit, as she finally looked up at him. Their eyes locked for a moment and he searched hers for any sign of forgiveness. Instead, he only saw that same haunted look, the one that he had described to the other her, the one that he could now admit was what had drawn her to him in the first place. It was that look that told him that maybe she could understand that very lost part of him, that part that he had tried so hard to keep buried.

He didn't want to go back to who he was, and he could feel himself slipping back there - into that dark place where nothing made sense and only a bottle of liquor could chase away the pain. The machine, Walter, his place in the world, his fate; it was all spinning out of control and he felt his grip on the situation loosening. He needed her in a way that he hadn't imagined possible when they had first met in Iraq over two years ago. Being strong for her made him strong. She made things clear. If he had to tell her that he would.

But, being her, being truly Olivia Dunham, she wouldn't let him. Instead, she tore her eyes away from his, glanced once again at the paperwork on the desk and murmured, "we should get back to work."

And so he did. But as he began to write with his left hand, he suddenly felt her hand on his right. He froze, and glanced up slightly to see her still diligently writing like nothing had changed. But in his heart, he knew that it had. Somewhere deep inside, she had forgiven him. He turned his palm over and held her hand within his.

The moment was small and brief; within seconds, her hand was back on the desk, shuffling through paperwork, and yet, it was enough for Peter. He knew the road ahead was going to be a long and difficult one, but at least now he knew he was on the right path. He didn't need déjà vu to tell him that. He'd seen enough double.

Let me know what you think ;)