A/N: okay so I'm spending the holidays with my family and they're all crazily into Christmas (huge tree, over decorating the house, lights and tinsel and all). My mum's put mistletoe EVERYWHERE, and I got the idea when my brother had to kiss our neighbour's daughter and when my brother got a fortune cookie saying 'Focus on the colour Blue for the next week, it will bring good fortune.' – our neighbour's daughter was wearing a blue ribbon :P
Just a one shot.
Small reference to 1x01 Pilot.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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Fortune Cookies . . . . .
Since Rachel had moved out, the apartment had been extremely empty, quiet. No little pitter-patter of a small child running around in the middle of the night, no more SpongeBob Square-Pants every morning during breakfast (which surprisingly, Olivia missed) and no sister to go to when she needed help with (what Rachel had called) her 'Bishop Problem'.
It had taken Olivia over a year to realise that Rachel was right. She did have feelings for the younger Bishop. But since her realisation, she hasn't been able to look him in the eye without some mental image of them together appearing in her head. Olivia had one hell of an imagination, picturing the different ways she could bed Peter, her apartment, his, the lab, in the SUV, her office, the bathrooms, even one of the classrooms in the rooms surrounding the lab. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get them out of her head.
She was a little iffy at first when invited by an insistent Walter to Christmas dinner at their apartment. She alone agreed upon learning that Astrid, too, would be there. At least she had someone else to talk to and not have sexual images appearing in her head. Olivia could never hold a conversation with Walter longer than 3 minutes; he'd either get distracted by Gene or start mumbling about his latest concoction.
Olivia dressed in a white wavy skirt that stopped mid-shins, a blue singlet and plain flats. Astrid answered the door to the Bishop's apartment, Olivia entering just as Walter was throwing a temper tantrum at Peter, demanding that Peter leave him alone. Walter wanted to cook Christmas dinner himself. Peter carried three beers from the kitchen bench and retreated to the lounge room.
"Do I dare order pizza, or just wait for the inevitable?" he asked sarcastically, handing a beer to Astrid and Olivia.
"Inevitable?" Olivia replied,
"Every holiday, Walter demands to make the dinner, only for it to blow up in his face when he adds the wrong ingredients or for him to literally blow it up." Peter explained, "I've never had a proper holiday dinner, it's usually pizza or Chinese."
"Chinese sounds good." Astrid butted in, beaming from ear to ear. This was apparently normal for the Bishops, Olivia noted.
Olivia moved to sit on the couch with Peter and Astrid.
"Watch-" Astrid called out as Olivia moved around the couch, "the mistletoe!"
Olivia literally jumped sideways away from the leafy green plant hanging from the ceiling.
Peter cracked up in hysterics at her face.
"Walter put it up and has been trying to kiss me since I got here." Astrid explained.
Olivia made a silent 'Oh' and took her seat next to Astrid whilst avoiding the mistletoe.
Astrid was the first to speak, talking about one of her cousins getting married as they all, either drank or played with, their beers.
"...so Marty was telling me about the wedding and all, seeing as Broyles wouldn't let me have time off. Apparently, my other cousin, Gretchen, Liv you remember Gretchen, you met her last month?"
Olivia hadn't really been paying much attention, "Ah, yeah, I think so." She said dully,
"Yeah, well Marty caught Gretchen and one of the waiters in the back seat of her car." Astrid let out a huge laugh, Peter just smiled, unsure of how it was so funny.
"And then- (laugh)...she...(laugh)...Marty said...(uncontrollable laughing continues)—"
Astrid stopped talking, unable to stop laughing, her hand barely holding her beer.
Olivia. Peter. The SUV, suddenly sprang into Olivia's mind. She downed a large gulp of beer, hoping to wash it away.
A small 'splash' followed by a loud 'thud' and 'clang' of metal caused the trio on the couch to jump and rush to the kitchen.
Walter was holding his hand, it was red and swollen. The metal bowl which held the chicken was now in the sink and the vegetables were all over the floor.
"Walter!" Peter groaned, grabbing his hand and shoving it under running cold water.
"I went to take the chicken out and burnt my hand. I dropped it in the sink and the vegetables fell over - at some point."
"Walter, you're supposed to use oven gloves when taking out hot foods. I thought we went over this when you did Easter." Peter complained,
"Chinese." Astrid nodded affirmatively, leaving to get some take our menus.
They ordered and the food arrived shortly thereafter. Walter wrapping his blistered hand in bandages whizzed around setting the dinner table, he still wanted to do his part.
Their Christmas meal contained Fried Wontons, Spring Rolls, Fried Rice, Honey Chicken, Sweet 'n sour pork, noodles in some type of black bean sauce (at least that's what Walter called it) and a huge heap of fortune cookies that Walter had bought near a week ago and had subsequently forgotten.
They each took one when they finished their very untraditional (but Bishop traditional) meal.
Astrid opened hers first, reading the passage aloud, "'Your problem just got bigger. Think, what have you done?' I'm guessing this is Walter-related in so way, shape or form?"
Peter opened his next, "'Focus on the colour Blue for the next week, it will bring good fortune.'"
Olivia became extremely aware of her blue singlet. Peter glancing quickly at her
Olivia looked at hers, mouth opened, unsure of whether to read it or not.
"Go on, Liv. Read it." Astrid encouraged. Olivia looked at them, and summoning the courage read it aloud,
"'You are worth loving. You are also worth the effort it takes to love you.'" The second she finished reading it, she instantly scrunched it up, dumping it impatiently on her plate.
"I'll clean up." She offered unexpectedly,
She stood up, taking the groups plates with her to the dishwasher.
Peter just looked at Astrid, baffled by what they had just witnessed. Walter was none the wiser as to Olivia's mood,
"Well, isn't that lovely." was his only comment.
Peter got up and followed Olivia to the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Her voice slightly broken, she wasn't crying, she held them back, refusing to let them bring back bad memories. "I just don't like Fortune Cookies much." She answered, her back still turned away from him as she packed their dishwasher.
"Why?" Olivia knew Peter well enough to know he wouldn't let it go, he'd question her till he found out what was wrong and found a way to help.
Turning around, facing him, "I got the same one a few years ago. John told me it was a load of shit and that it was wrong. He had basically said I wasn't worth it to my face. Only for him to turn around a few months later and say he loved me."
"Liv, you are worth it. And don't let anyone tell you any different." He approached her, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Olivia then did something that was completely un-Olivia. She leant into his touch, his hand cupping the side of her face. She sighed,
"It's just a stupid cookie." Peter stated, barely a whisper. "They don't even taste good."
Peter took Olivia's hand, leading her back out to join Walter and Astrid. Astrid just smiled sweetly at Olivia.
They sat down for the 'Bishop Traditional' holiday movie. Walter had chosen 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas'. As Jim Carrey danced around the screen, Peter felt Olivia take his hand. He pulled her closer so her head rested on his chest and his arms wrapped around her.
Olivia settled against Peter's body, letting the warmth of his body wash over her.
. . . . . And Mistletoe
The movie ended and Walter jumped from his seat and bolted to the kitchen, calling out something about cookies 'n cream ice cream with maple syrup. Peter and Olivia were unaware of Walter's less-than-obvious wink at Astrid, who stood and followed him.
"Do you want another drink?" Peter asked, standing up,
"Yeah, sure." Olivia stood too, ready to follow him, when he smirked at her.
Confused and slightly afraid as to what Peter had been thinking, she asked, "What?"
"Oh, nothing much. You're just standing under the mistletoe again." His smirk grew wider.
Olivia tried to move away but Peter's arms held her in place. He swooped down and stole a quick kiss from her lips, before whispering in her ear, "You are worth loving, Liv."
Peter didn't have a chance to pull away before Olivia threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him back down.
The kiss was passionate and deep. Olivia tracing her tongue over his bottom lip before Peter let her in. Peter wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as their bodies would allow.
They were too caught up in their embrace to see the peering eyes of Astrid and Walter from the kitchen.
"Well, it worked Walter." Astrid sighed in defeat. She had been certain at least Olivia would back out of the kiss, mistletoe or not.
"I told you they made a good couple, Astrix!" Walter beamed.
**The End**
A/N: Hope it was alright, this is my first holiday fanfic please review, reviews are the best gift to a fanfic writer
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!