Snapshot: ~Unleashed~ Mornings Secrets

Hopefully you guys like it, let me know what you think because I've got a couple other stories on the way! This is going to be part of my snapshot series of Fringe moments during the season, pieces in time that should have happened.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own something as cool as Fringe.

Type: Sequel Oneshot to Night Struggles

Rated: K+

Pairing: Olivia/Peter

Beta'd by: blackiebrens‏ (thank you so much for taking the time to fix the mistakes!)

Olivia POV

The shrill ringing of an alarm going off reverberated through her consciousness.

Slowly and sluggishly, Olivia became aware of the noise around her. More tired than when she had first tried to sleep, she reached out to turn the alarm off, and then lay back down and stared at the ceiling.

She knew she needed to get up; there was far too much to do today for her to indulge in a little laziness. Truth be told though, there was always too much to do and never room for a slow day. She needed to talk to Charlie and make sure he was okay after yesterday. Needed to catch her boss up on everything that had taken place, while glossing over that part where Walter had managed to trick them and then almost died.

She needed to talk to Peter.

She had yet to apologize for the way she had acted, had yet to thank him for protecting her.

Had yet to be honest with herself or him.

"Aunt Olivia?" Trying to be quiet, Ella stuck her head into her bedroom, her blue eyes darting to the bed.

"Hi Sweetie."

Smiling largely, Ella stepped into the room, her intent clear in her eyes.

Realizing what she had planned, Olivia moved to the side and pulled back the covers. Rushing forward Ella jumped up and landed with a bounce on the sheets. Giggling, she curled beside Olivia.

"Mommy said you were still asleep but I heard your alarm." She whispered as if her mother would suddenly hear her. "So I decided to come visit."

Delighted, Olivia simply hugged the girl. "Hmm...well in that case, I think you deserve...a tickling!"

Her arms shot out, her fingers nimbly tickling the little girl, whose bursts of laughter couldn't be muffled.

"Ahem."

Standing at the door and trying to look intimidating was her sister.

"What happened to letting Aunt Olivia sleep in?" Her words directed at her daughter.
Clearly unhindered by her mother's words, she grinned. "She was already awake, I was just giving her a hug. Right Aunt Olivia?"

Nodding in agreement Olivia shuffled out of bed and picked Ella up. "That she was and what a hug!" Walking over to the door she held the struggling bundle to her sister. "I do believe this rug-rat is yours."

Playing along Rachel snagged her daughter before throwing her over her shoulder. "You might be right, I wonder if she wants pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yes!"

Shaking her head at the scene before her, she shut the door to her room to get cleaned up and changed.

Coming into the kitchen, Olivia ran her fingers through her wet hair, trying and failing to untangle the knots. Already late compared to a normal morning, she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.

Arriving at the University she got out of her car, making her way to the side entrance.

"Olivia!"

Turning, she watched as Peter and Walter got out of their car, which was parked a few down from her own. A few strides ahead of his father, Peter, dressed in his normal outfit of dark jeans and black coat, carried two coffees towards her.

"Morning." He said, handing her cup.

Surprised, she thanked him for the drink.

Neither drank their coffee right away; instead, they both watched as Walter, who was still aways behind them, struggled with the tab on his drink, clearly not impressed with the design of it.

Unsure of what to say and suddenly embarrassed at the idea of apologizing out of the blue, Olivia blew on the top of her drink before taking a sip. Watching her intently, Peter's gaze never wavered from her face.

Glancing up, Olivia was struck by the seriousness of his stare. Refusing to look away, she was caught in the hypnotic darkening of his eyes.

"Olivia my dear, has your cup got a malfunctioning lid as well?" Walter asked, completely unaware of what he had just interrupted.

Her mind utterly incapable of complex thought, Olivia could only stare at Walter.

Sighing in frustration Peter nearly growled. "Walter, just rip the tab then push it down onto the cup."

Oblivious to the sarcasm or Peter's tone, Walter complied. "Oh...yes. Ingenious! I say, this reminds me of that....."

"Drink your coffee before it gets cold." Peter grumbled.

Olivia wasn't sure if she was thankful for Walter's interruption or angry at him for ruining the moment.

She knew it was getting out of hand, she hadn't even apologized yet and she was already uncomfortable. They were colleagues, she reminded herself. It was no one's fault but her own if she read too far into a simple look. Distance, she needed to distance herself if only for a while, while she got her bearings.

"Thanks for the coffee. I ah..I've got paper work to do." Without waiting for a response she walked away. As she opened the door, she snuck a look back only to find Peter in the same spot as before – staring directly at her.

****

Leaning back in her chair, Olivia looked up at the clock, noting she had been in her office for almost three hours. All of the paper work was done and she had caught up on everything she had been putting off for the last week. Charlie had even called her with calm reassurance that he was more than fine.

She needed to do something, anything to keep distracted.

She was flustered and she did not relish the thought that Peter and a single welcoming look were the cause of it.

Right now, more than anything, she needed to get out of the small cramped room and stretch her legs.

Opening the door slowly, she looked out into the lab. Peter was nowhere in sight. Walter was leaning over a table in the corner, fiddling with something she couldn't make out and Astrid was seated beside her computer listening to music. Pushing aside the disappointment she felt at Peter not being there, she headed for the door.

After making her way off campus and past the first diner she saw, Olivia found herself walking into one she deemed smaller and more secluded. Sitting down in the corner booth she ordered a coffee. While waiting for her drink, she stared out the window, watching the cars fly by the diner.

She caught movement from the corner of her eye a second before Peter, dressed in his black coat, sat down across from her.

"In the five minutes I'm gone, you manage to disappear." He stated dryly, a smile tugging at his lips.

Raising an eyebrow she stayed quiet.

"I went to the car to get an atom model for Walter, don't ask me why he'd need it. I come back and your office door is open and you're gone." Leaning across the table he finally smiled, his face losing its hard edges. "Thankfully there are only a few diners around here that serve coffee strong enough for your liking."

Leaning in as well she returned his smile, impressed with how well he knew her. "Very good Mr. Bishop, it seems we'll make an FBI agent out of you yet."

"Ah, but Agent Dunham if I were an agent, who would follow you around, keeping you safe?"

Glaring at him, she couldn't hold back the laugh. "The better question is who would have to watch Walter 24/7."

"Ouch." Fake frowning, he reached out tugging on a piece of her hair.

Suddenly aware of how close they were, Olivia lost her smile.

Aware of the sudden shift in mood, Peter grabbed her hand before she could move away from him.

Catching her gaze, he made sure she wasn't going to look away.

"Last night when I called...I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Watching her struggle to accept his words as the truth, he ran his thumb across the top of her fingers.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay after everything that had happened."

She tightened her hand around his own.

"And..." He started hesitantly. "I just wanted to hear your voice, know I wasn't alone."

He looked nervous now, unsure of how she would take his honesty.

Staring into his eyes, she saw his every insecurity, saw how difficult the last few months had been for him. They had more in common than most people, a connection built on the knowledge of just how cruel the world could be. People weren't perfect, no even close to it and Peter was no different but just this once Olivia wanted to take the leap of faith.

Smiling, her eyes lit up. "Would you like to get dinner tonight?"

Staring at her with his eyebrows knitted together he asked quietly: "Does this change anything?"

If there's a time to back out its now, she knows that once this happens nothing can change it. Pros and cons fill her mind, hidden desires and past disappointments duel it out. In the end, it comes down to the simple truth that she's tired of being alone and can trust him to help put her back together.

"Yes." She breathes. "It changes everything."

"Perfect." He answers, his eyes lighter once again.

There's the second part to night struggles, le me know what you think. Read n' Review!

I should be posting another fringe oneshot in the next week or so. :)