Title: Father's Day with the Bishop's
Author: doctors gal1792/ hushsoundislove on tumblr
Beta: The beautiful elialys
Rating: K+
Prompt: Father's Day
Summary: It's Father's day and Olivia and Etta have made breakfast for Peter. Just a little fluffy one shot about Etta's day with her daddy.
Author's Note: Okay so I went nuts and wanted prompts so strawberryflavoreddeath on Tumblr sent me this prompt and another one. I have only one of two betaed so this is getting posted first. I hope you all like it….I only have written for Fringe a total of three times and sometimes I struggle to find the characters voices…so I would appreciate constructive criticism on this. This is just pure Bishop family fluff….
XX
"Okay Etta, be very quiet," Olivia said, barely above a whisper, "Got it?" she held a finger up to her mouth for extra measure.
The child nodded enthusiastically as she brought a finger up to her mouth, following her mother's action. Olivia smiled and kissed her daughter on the head, before grabbing the tray of food off the kitchen counter. Etta climbed up onto a chair and grabbed a thin piece of paper off the table, covered with her drawings. She jumped down, and the two and a half year old took off running through the living room and to the stairs that led to the second floor. Olivia followed her little girl upstairs.
Etta had stopped just outside of her parents' bedroom; she gave her a mother a questioning look, one that said, "Can I go in?" Olivia gave Etta an encouraging nod, and the little girl's small hand reached up and wrapped around the brass doorknob. The door gave way and the small blonde haired child disappeared inside. Olivia was even quieter now as she approached her room. She listened as the bed squeaked under the weight of the little girl climbing in beside her father.
"Daddy," she whispered, poking him directly in the middle of his chest.
There was a noise of protest that came from Peter Bishop, and Henrietta tried again. This time however, she poked him in the side, "Daddy?"
Peter's eyes opened and he looked around, his eyes falling onto the small being beside him, "Etta?" he asked, clearly perplexed about what she was doing.
"Happy daddy day," Etta said, smiling as she handed him her drawing.
Peter took the paper from his daughter, and smiled as his eyes scanned the picture. "Is this our family?" he asked her.
Etta nodded enthusiastically, "Thas you!" she said, pointing at a crayon image of Peter, who was amused to see his hair sticking up; he was also wearing his peacoat. "And thas me," Etta said, pointing at the small child in the drawing.
"Is this mommy?" Peter asked, pointing at a blonde haired woman.
Etta grinned, "There is grandpa, he has a stawberry drink and red vines and thas Aunt Astrid telling Grandpa to stop givin' Gene the red vines."
Peter looked at his daughter, who looked very proud as she finished explaining her drawing to him, "It is very beautiful, Etta," he kissed her forehead, "You captured our family so perfectly."
That was when Olivia pushed the bedroom door open and walked in, "Good morning," she said, smiling at her husband.
Peter's eyes flew to his wife, and he smiled, "Good morning," he then looked at the tray in her hands, "There is more?" Instantly, he began to sit up as Olivia brought the tray over.
"Etta told me to make the whole pack of bacon, because she knows it is her daddy's favorite," Olivia explained.
Peter laughed, "Etta, how do you know me so well?"
Etta's grin widened even more, showing a mouth full of baby teeth.
Olivia smiled, "But I told her daddy couldn't have just bacon for breakfast, so we made waffles and eggs, too," she said.
"Complete with a hot cup of joe?" Peter asked, eying the steaming mug of coffee.
"Of course," Olivia said, walking around the bed and climbing in on her side.
Etta moved to her mother's lap as Peter picked a piece of bacon up off the plate, "How did I get so lucky?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with joy as he popped a piece of bacon into his mouth.
"Ah, I think the question is, how did we get so lucky?" Olivia asked.
Peter leaned over and gently cupped Olivia's cheek, bringing her lips towards his. She smiled into the kiss just before they pulled apart, "Tastes like bacon," she said with a laugh.
"I wan' some bacon," Etta said, looking up at her parents.
"Dig in kiddo, there is enough bacon here to feed an army of Bishops," Peter said, smiling.
Etta's hands reached over and grabbed the "chewiest" looking piece she could find, and popped it into her mouth.
"Napkin on your lap, little one," Olivia said as she grabbed some tissues from the box on her bedside table.
Etta straightened up and spread the napkins out on her lap like her mother had shown her before.
Peter laughed as he picked up a fork and began to cut into the waffles, "These look great," he said. He took a bite and closed his eyes, chewing, "And they taste just as amazing, too."
The three Bishops ate together until the plates were completely cleaned off. Olivia got up from the bed and grabbed the dishes, "Alright Miss. Etta, time for you to get dressed for the day. I'm going to put these in the sink and when I get back, we'll pick out our clothes, okay?"
Etta jumped up on the bed, "Okay!"
"Woah you," Peter said, grabbing her by the waist, "No jumping on the bed."
Olivia gave Etta a look, before carrying the dirty dishes out of the room.
"So, what do you say, kiddo? What do you wanna do today?" Peter asked Etta once Olivia was gone.
Etta shrugged, thinking about it, then finally saying, "We should go to grandpa! If today is daddy's day and he's your daddy, we need to see him!"
Peter nodded, "You are absolutely right. Your daddy needs to get a shower and then we'll set off for Harvard, okay?"
Etta bounced on his lap, "Okay!"
"Alright little one, go wait in your room for your mom while I get in the shower."
She kissed her father on the cheek and then took off running out of the bedroom. Peter smiled to himself as he got out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom.
This was his third father's day and by far his favorite, because Etta was getting old enough to understand it a little better. She still had some issues with speaking, but what two year old had perfect pronunciation? But he definitely loved this stage of Etta's life the best so far, because she always looked at him with so much love, wonder, and amazement, like she knew he was her dad, and that he would always be there to protect her.
It had taken them a while to adjust after Etta was born. The late nights definitely took their toll on a couple who needed sleep to function, but eventually, it got easier. They had gotten better at not being so clumsy, and Walter had finally learned not to leave dangerous substances lying around the lab. They left work at work, and never had anything laying around that Etta could get into and potentially harm herself with.
But the thing that amazed Peter the most was how easy it all truly was, and how much, out of all the jobs he had ever had, being a father was the one he was the best at. The highlight of his day had gone from being at the lab to being at home with his family, reading 'just one more story' to his little girl. Peter was truly at peace with his life and where it was now. Etta was his and Olivia's perfect little miracle, and she was not something he would ever take for granted.
Eventually, Peter finished up in the shower and emerged to find Olivia in the bedroom making the bed, "Hey, thanks for breakfast by the way," he said as he closed the bedroom door, ensuring his child wouldn't run in while he was getting dressed.
Olivia shrugged, "You are welcome," she said.
Peter pulled open a drawer and grabbed a pair of jeans and began to dress, "Etta and I are going to see Walter at the lab, do you want to join us?"
She shook her head, "Nah that's okay. It's father's day, so today is for you two," Olivia moved to pick up the dirty laundry that was piled in the corner of the room and tossed it into the basket, "Besides, I was thinking about making a roast or something, so I'll stay here and work on that. Make sure Walter and Astrid know they're coming over."
Peter smiled, "I love it when you go all domestic and do things like make a roast."
"I think you just like my cooking," she replied, watching him pull a gray t-shirt over his head.
"Well, that I can't deny, my wife can make a mean dish," Peter was smiling.
"Stop buttering me up," she told him.
"Why can't a man compliment his wife's excellent skills in the kitchen without being accused of buttering her up?" He asked with a mock appalled look on his face.
Peter sat down on the bed to put his shoes on, and Olivia sat down beside him, "Well anyway," she began, "You all get going, and I will see you in a bit, okay?"
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her, "See you in a bit," he replied.
Olivia stood up and followed Peter out of the room, "Etta," Peter called, "Let's get going!"
Etta came tearing out of the room with her blonde locks pulled up into a ponytail, which swayed back and forth as she ran for the stairs.
"Henrietta, do not run down the stairs," Olivia warned.
The child came to an immediate stop, and then calmly walked down the stairs, her hand on the bannister.
"Thank you," Olivia called after her daughter.
Peter simply smiled again and followed his daughter down the stairs with Olivia right behind him. "Come on kiddo," he said.
"Mommy, are you comin'?" Etta asked as Peter grabbed his car keys.
"No, I'm going to stay here and cook dinner and clean up so that when you, daddy, and Grandpa come back, you'll have a nice meal ready for you," Olivia explained.
"Yay!" Etta jumped up and down again before running and throwing her arms around her mother's leg.
Olivia bent over to wrap an arm around her child, "Be good and I love you," she said, kissing the top of Etta's head.
"Yes mommy," Etta said before reaching up to kiss her mother on the cheek.
Olivia stood up to her full height and watched Etta walk out onto the front porch.
"I'll see you later," Peter said, kissing Olivia goodbye, before following his daughter outside.
"Bye!" Olivia called and waved as Peter took Etta to the car. She stood in the doorway for a moment and watched Peter hook Etta into her car seat. A few minutes later, they were pulling out of the driveway, and Olivia disappeared into the house.
After a while, Peter pulled into a parking spot at Harvard. He got Etta out of her car seat and carried her across campus and to the lab, just as Astrid was coming out of the room.
"Hi Astrid!" Etta cried.
"Well hello there Etta," Astrid greeted with a warm smile, "What brings you along on this beautiful day?" she asked.
"We're gon' see Grandpa for daddy's day!" Etta told Astrid.
"I think your grandpa would really like that," Astrid said and then she looked at Peter, "I was just about to make a store run. Walter's snack supply is running a little low."
"Alright, see you in a bit Astrid," Peter said smiling as he walked into the lab.
Walter was across the lab, in the stall with Gene. He was carefully brushing her short hair and mumbling about wanting a strawberry milkshake.
"Hi Walter," Peter called.
Walter dropped the brush in surprise, and his face broke into a huge grin, "Peter and Etta!" he cried as he rushed over to them.
"Hi grandpa," Etta said, smiling.
Walter held out his arms for his granddaughter. Peter happily passed the toddler off to his father.
Etta was smiling as she wrapped her arms around her grandfather's neck, "Happy daddy's day!" she said.
"Well, thank you Etta," Walter said, "I was just finishing grooming Gene, would you like to help me?"
Etta nodded enthusiastically, "Yes!"
Walter carried his granddaughter over to the stall and set her down on her feet. He grabbed a soft brush from the bucket that hung on a wall and handed it to her, "Remember to be very gentle," Walter instructed, "Otherwise Gene might get upset with you."
Etta took the brush and began to gently run it down Gene's leg. The cow gave a noise and reached down to nuzzle Etta's head, which caused the child to squeal with glee. Walter patted the cow on the head, "Gene likes her legs being brushed," he said.
Peter sat at the table, watching his daughter and father interact with one another. It was moments like these that made him even more grateful for what life had handed them. Despite everything that had happened in the original timeline and in this one, he had managed to find his way back to his father, and they had maintained the best relationship they had ever had.
This was another thing that could be said about his daughter; Etta was given a chance to see a side of Walter that no one else had ever seen, and since she was so young, she knew nothing of her grandfather's past. It was incredible, to see things through the eyes of a child, because in Etta's world, everything was perfect.
The three Bishops spent the day playing games, and when Astrid returned, they all enjoyed strawberry milkshakes and toasted peanut butter sandwiches. Etta squealed with joy every time Walter intentionally used his tweezers to touch the side of the 'Operation' game board. By the end of it, Etta had a whole pile of plastic game pieces on her side.
"I win!" Etta declared.
"Yes, you do," Peter said. He glanced at the clock on the wall, "Man it has gotten late. We better get home before your mom comes looking for us."
"Awww!" Etta cried, "I don' wanna!"
"Etta, do not throw a tantrum," Walter said calmly.
Etta looked at her grandfather and gave him the biggest frown she could possibly muster.
"Hey kid," Peter said, "Your grandpa and Aunt Astrid are coming too. Mommy is making dinner for all of us, remember?"
Etta's frown suddenly turned into a huge smile, "Yay!"
Peter shook his head and laughed, "Let's help clean up, then we can go home."
Together, they all cleaned up the messes they had made, and Etta was very proud when Astrid told her what a great job she had done at putting all of the board games away in the right closet.
Peter grabbed his child by the waist and carried her out of the lab when they were all done, and they went to the car together. Walter sat in the back seat with Etta, and Astrid joined Peter in the front. By the time they made it home, Olivia was in the backyard, setting the picnic table.
"Mommy!" Etta cried when she made it to the backyard.
"Hi baby girl," Olivia greeted as she bent down to her child's height to let Etta hug her.
"Mommy, we had so much fun today!" Etta said.
"Yeah? What did you all do?" Olivia asked.
She listened intently as Etta told her mother about their entire day, from Gene nuzzling her head right, to how she beat her father and grandfather at 'Operation', and how the man made funny noises when you touched the sides.
"Well, it sounds like you had a very fun day with your daddy and grandpa," Olivia said, just as Peter, Astrid, and Walter came into the back from the kitchen.
"Oh we had an excellent day," Walter said with a smile, "Including strawberry milkshakes."
"Man, I missed out!" Olivia said.
Peter wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her in greeting, "Hi there."
Olivia was smiling when they broke their kiss, "Hi."
"This looks incredible, Olivia," Astrid said, eying all of the food.
"Well I hope it tastes just as good," Olivia looked towards the swing set where Etta was playing, "Come on baby girl, we need to wash our hands before we eat!"
Etta jumped off the swing and ran towards the kitchen, her father followed close behind to make sure she did the proper hand washing routine, with soap and not just water.
"She is growing up to be such a beautiful little girl," Astrid mused, "She's so smart and so advanced for her age, too."
Olivia smiled and couldn't help the pride clearly plastered across her face, "I never knew I could love someone so much, but everyday, she fills me with joy and emotions I never knew I even had in me."
Astrid smiled, "Well, you and Peter are great parents, you really are."
"Thank you, Astrid," Olivia replied.
Just then, Etta came running back outside, followed by her father, "All done!" she declared.
"Good, because I am all ready!" Olivia told her.
Etta climbed up onto the bench and sat between her grandfather and Astrid, while Peter and Olivia sat on the opposite side of the table, side by side.
The family began to eat, and everyone agreed it was one of the best things Olivia had ever cooked.
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Liv," Peter said, smiling at her.
"Well, I just have to say," Olivia began, "You and Etta are the best part of my life. You amaze me every day, Peter, being the incredible man you are, and the incredible father you have become. I wanted to show you my gratitude by cooking this meal, because I can't ever say it enough, that I love you."
Peter smiled, leaning over to kiss her, "Thank you, Olivia."
She kissed him back and then broke apart, "And Walter," she said, looking at him, "You are the definition of a devoted father. You have always been there for me, Peter, Astrid, or Etta when we need you. You have always been there with a joke and a quick smile to make us all feel better. You have been a true life savior since Etta came into this world. I don't think Peter and I would have made it this far without your help. I just want you to know how much I love you, Walter," Olivia told him.
Walter smiled, a tear rolling down his cheek, "I love you all so much. It is during moments like these that I know God did forgive me for my past actions. Everyday, I feel so blessed when I get to work with my family and I get to see my beautiful granddaughter," he smiled, "I love you all so much," he repeated.
Etta snuggled in closer to her grandfather, who wrapped an arm around her, "I love you too!" the child said, looking up at Walter.
Walter bent his head down and kissed Etta on the top of her head.
"Happy father's day," Olivia said at last. She held up her glass in a sort of toast, and took a sip of her red wine.
The three other adults all followed suit and took a sip of their drinks.
"Happy father's day, dad," Peter said to Walter.
Walter simply smiled and replied in the same quiet voice he always adopted when Peter called him 'dad,' "Happy father's day, son."
xxx