"Grab your jacket."

"Why? Did Broyles call you about something?"

"No. I called Broyles and got a babysitter for Walter. Get a jacket. We're going out."

"Where? Peter, it's late."

"It's a surprise."

"Peter..." Low and warning. Eyes glaring hard at mine. Nothing to do but grin in response.

"Come on. It's a good surprise. Not like clowns or people who give out dental floss for Halloween. Trust me, Olivia." Hold her eyes until she caves. And she wants to. Doesn't want to be alone with whatever demons make her so tired some mornings, leave smudgy bruises under her eyes.

"There had better not be clowns."

Have to laugh at that, and a real grin now. A hand behind her am to lead her along as she closes the door. Want to wrap my arm around her shoulder but no... that would make her eyes harden again. Just barely touching her arm, down to the car, Walter's of course.

"Peter." Exasperated now, nose wrinkling.

"What? Runs like a dream." Not going to impress her but it's fun to see her try to think of an excuse to bail out. I'm behind the wheel, though, reaching across to open the door. Seriously, she's thinking of bolting back to her apartment. "Embarrassed to be seen in such a classic?"

A snort of laughter and she's siding in, slamming the door worthy of a Sherman tank behind her and the beast roars to life. New choke, new plugs and I do have to admit it's running pretty well. Doesn't backfire like a little bitch anymore more, at least.

"Really, Peter, where are we going? It's late and I've got to be in the office tomorrow to go over forensic reports with..."

"Olivia." Gently, waiting for her to look over, meet her eyes before returning them to the road. "It'll take fifteen minutes to get there. If you're not suitably impressed we can turn around and come right back."

"Fine," and she's staring out the passenger window, face carefully blank. She's good at that, that non-expression. Not what I was hoping for. Almost just tell her, but she's here and not complaining too much. Radio only gets AM so it's crackly oldies until we get there.

She's leaned her head against the window well before we arrive, eyes closed. Now I feel like an ass for dragging her out here, for making her humor me even though she probably just wanted to go to bed and dream harmless things. The big gate's closed and we're not the only car crouched around it. The little pedestrian gate is open, illuminated weakly by a tired streetlight.

"Hey, Sleepy"

"Mmmnn?"

"We're here."

I'm out and moving around to the back of the car before she can really look around, the theory being she'll follow me.

Theory confirmed.

"Peter, this is where local kids come to make out. Pissed doesn't even begin to cover this."

She's not kidding. Don't think anyone will ever find my body. Make her laugh, dumbass.

"Olivia, please, give me some credit here. If I was going to take you somewhere to make out, it'd be much classier than this." The laugh sounds forced even to me. God, please don't kill me, Olivia. "Here, hold this." Oh, stupid...

"A blanket?" That's scorn, people, dripping with just a touch of revulsion. "I'm getting back in the car now."

I grab her arm and pull her back around, careful to keep her at arm's length. She could probably kill me with that blanket.

"Ok, that stupid light is going to screw with your night vision, but look up."

"What?"

"Up, Olivia. Opposite from down." Her face goes carefully blank again. That's worse than scorn. Hurts to hold her eyes now, wanna just give up, hang my head and drive her home. Apologize for wrecking her night but she does it. Tilts her head back and stares up at the sky and I start breathing again.

"And?"

"Watch." Nearly whispering, trying I suppose to draw as little attention to myself as possible.

She snaps then, still staring up, thank god for small favors because her eyes would probably make my face melt. "What the hell am I watch..." and she breaks off with a little gasp that might be the sexiest thing I've ever heard.

"That," I smirk, "is what you're watching for." I pull the other blanket out and slam the trunk closed. She's still staring up. I circle my fingers around her wrist and gently pull her along behind me. "Your neck will be killing you in the morning if you watch like that." She follows quietly to the little hill I scoped out earlier. Even if she'd said no, I'd still be here. Spread out one of the blankets and flop down, fold my hands behind my head. Still quiet, watching me now, the complicated gears that make up the mind of Olivia Dunham twirling like an antikythera machine, unfathomable from this distance. It's so dark, can't see her eyes, but I swear I can feel them on mine.

"Lie down, Olivia. Watch the show."

Miracle of miracles, she does.

The heat from her body radiates along me and I want to roll onto my side and watch her but I've pushed my luck far enough tonight.

"They're meteors?"

"Yeah, the Leonids."

"How did you know...?"

"They happen the same time every year. They're actually bits of a comet. Tempel-Tuttle. Just pieces of dust, mostly. They're atomized in the atmosphere when they collide with air molecules. They're not directly in the comet's tail, but blown into our atmosphere by solar wind..." Stutter to a halt, babbling like Walter. Wonder if that's even what she meant. "Sorry."

"No. I, um... It's nice to have you explain things."

"Nice?"

"Mmmn." A throaty sound of agreement. "Yeah." Soft, barely voiced.

She wraps her arms around her then. Pull the blanket over us and am rewarded with another little purr of assent. Time slows, little streaks of light race to their doom, her breathing evens and slows. Having never been one to quit while I'm ahead I turn to watch her, anticipating a glare in return. She's fully absorbed in the sky. Can just make out the curve of her cheek, slightly parted lips. Just see her tongue as it licks at her lower lip. Mine imitates it reflexively. Her eyes are dark pools and like a kid up too late on Christmas they're losing the battle to stay open.

Let my mind roam for a moment and I'm rolling over her to stare at stars reflected in impossibly green eyes before crushing my mouth to hers. Twining my fingers through her hair and molding myself along her lean length and she's soft and sweet and... not mine.

I sigh loud enough to startle her awake. "Sorry."

"No. 'sok. Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, a little. Getting cold. Ready to go home?"

Thick with sleep, "Yeah. 'K."

She keeps the blanket wrapped around her as we walk back, close enough to bump into each other every few steps.

"Didn't lock it."

"Huh? Oh, jeez Olivia, who would want to steal this piece of shit?" She snickers and keeps the blanket around her when she climbs in. She's asleep before we're back on the street. Drive slow, because I'm a selfish jerk but we get back to her place eventually and she's awake and yawning as we pull up. Trying to decide if I should walk her to the door, but she's untangled herself from the blanket I'm going to wrap myself in tonight and is opening the door already.

"'Night, Peter."

"'Night, Olivia." Turns then, sleepy eyes on mine and I want to gather her in my arm and carry her off to bed.

"Thank you for that." Smile unguarded and irresistible.

"You're welcome." She's up to her door and in and gone.