Etta was obsessed with the original Fringe team, and none of her friends, co-workers or fellow resistance fighters knew why, except Broyles. There had been heated discussions over whether or not they were alive, and where they were. She refused to listen as everyone else said that they were dead, and everyone else refused to listen when she said they were alive somewhere, and would arrive and save the day. Then came the day when she was brought her Grandfather stuck in amber, and she couldn't hug him, or tell him who she was, she just had to pretend that she only knew him from the stories.
Oliva, her mother she wanted her Mummy back so badly. She wanted to sit and talk, she wanted to cuddle up to her and memorise her. When she told Simon that she couldn't remember her parents faces, she was telling herself that it wouldn't matter soon because she'd have them back. Then to get her Dad, wow that was great but her heart still broke because Oliva wasn't there.
And now they were at her apartment. Walter and Astrid were asleep in the living room, and Etta was cuddled up to her Dad. She knew she should let him go sleep but it was really nice cuddling up to him it made her feel safe. She could ask him about Her, about Oliva and he would answer her questions. So after a few mintues of enjoying a cuddle she spoke.
"Um...Dad, where's Mum?"
"I don't know sweetheart. I don't know." Peter responed holding his daugther slightly tighter.
"What? How can YOU not know?" Etta asked, her fear that she had truly lost her mother starting to break though.
Peter sighed this was not a conversation he ever wanted to have.
"After we lost you, we couldn't hold ourselves together, we were breaking and we didn't know how to stop it. One day your Mother came home and told me we had to go to New York, I refused. I couldn't let go of you and the hope of finding you, so I stayed in Boston and she left. I haven't seen or spoken to her since. Then once I realised what was going on and got to Walter, it was too late she was lost in New York and we got ambered."
Etta started to cry, her hopes of getting her family back fading fast and her image of her parents as inseparable and her safe place started to disapear.
"Etta, Etta baby it's going to be alright, you'll see. We'll find her, together we'll find Oliva and we'll be a family again. I promise." Peter said desperation growing he'd never been very good at placting an upset Etta and the need to have his wife back, to be a family again was growing. He had never been very good at not having Oliva with him.
Etta slowly stopped crying, while she wiped her eyes she looked asked Peter.
"Will you tell me about her?"
"What do you want to know?" He asked wondering why him.
"Everything. What she looks like? What she sounds like? How much of her is in me?"
Peter sighed and taking a deep breath he started.
"OK, well she's blonde like you, green eyes, beautiful. She's quiet, but when she needs to she can full her voice with authority. I don't know how much of her is in you. But at a quess, I'd say quite a lot. You seem to have her determination, her ability to keep Walter on task and I'm sure I'll find more simlarties between my two girls when we get her back... Oh wow I haven't called you two that in so long, it feels weird and wrong." Peter said leaning back against the wall.
"Why wrong?" Etta asked cuddling in to his side like she used to.
"Because the last time I saw you, you were a toddler now you're a grown woman. And the last time I saw Oliva we fought. I broke my heart, thinking I'd lost you both, and even if by some mircle I got you back Oliva was lost to me forever. I don't expect to be anything more than someone she used to know, when we get her back. So calling her mine feels very presumtuous of me." Peter said
Etta's heart broke just a little bit listing to her father, he needed Oliva, well they both need Oliva, she's their everything, the person Etta idolised, the person who held Peter there.
"I know you're disappointed she wasn't there with us." Peter said looking down at his daughter.
Etta looked up surprised. "What...I..no..I...was"
"I see it in your face, in your eyes. When Astrid was the woman not Oliva, it must have hurt you so much. That hope you had, it had been building since Walter was taken to you wasn't it? And then to have it dashed so blantly in front of you, when you had to pretend that it didn't matter so Simon didn't click. Also it's the same feeling I had when I got to Walter and Astrid and heard she'd disappeaed, and when I woke up today and she wasn't there." Peter said brushing her hair away from her face.
Etta smiled up at him.
"It'll be OK Daddy, you'll see Mama will want to be a family again when we get her back. I promise."
Peter smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.
"Lets hope so baby, Lets hope so."
Peter paused here uncertain of how to go on, how to word his next statement. Because even though he had never meet the man, he was still really sorry and thankful to Simon for placing himself in the amber, but he was also pleased he wasn't here with them. So after another deep breath he started
"I am really sorry about your friend Simon, but I'm really glad he isn't here for this talk, because he'd be really confused about how close we are sitting, even though we only meet a few hours ago." Peter said thinking about how weird their current sitting postion would seem to someone who didn't know they were father and daughter.
Etta smiled and nodded, "It would be very confusing for him, to see me here cuddling up to Peter Bishop and calling him Dad. He wouldn't believe you were my Dad, I doubt he'd believe Oliva Dunham is my Mum, but he's not here. We can hope that he's safer than us."
Peter smiled and yawned, realising that he needed sleep, he started to disintangle himself. Etta clamped her arms around his middle and wouldn't let go.
"Goodnight Baby Girl." He said tring to unclamp his daughters hands from around him. Etta shook her head at him
"You can sleep in here, with me if you want...Like old times, when I would hop in with you and Mama." Etta said smiling up at him with a hopeful expression on her face.
Peter laughed and leaning down kissed her forehead.
"No Etta, I'm fine sleeping out on the couch. You go to sleep here, you'll be fine and I'll be just out there if you need me." Peter said manging to remove Etta's hands from about his middle.
Etta smiled at the familiar speech, and hoped for one final thing.
"D...Da...Daddy will you tuck me in?" She asked in a rush embarssed that she'd asked it, but still hopeful.
Peter smiled, he never thought he'd get to tuck his Baby Girl in to bed ever again.
"Of course Etta," He said as he went over and tucked her loosly in the blankets.
"Good night Baby Girl." he said as he walked out in to the dark living room.
"Night night Daddy." She whispered as he left.
Etta smiled a contented smile and fell asleep feeling safer then she had in over 20 years.