Hi there. It's been a bit since I've posted any new works but here I am! I talked the ever-talented oranfly, ab89us, HeartsandImagination, and Sam Spade into doing a P/O one-shot summer fanfic challenge for fun. The rule was to work our 8 contributed phrases into the fic(you'll find them bolded in my fic):

You can't kill the dead

Walter can't be trusted with animals

Life isn't all sunshine and daisies

I want your body, not your mind

And where's the fun in that?

Makes me shudder just thinking about it

It takes a licking, and it keeps on ticking

Everything is Bigger in Texas

(Doesn't look like an easy list, does it?)

A quick note:The New England Aquarium is a real place. I was just there recently and petted those little stingrays myself! If you are in the Boston area between now and early August you should go check them out for yourself.

I do not own anything to do with Fringe. I just LOVE borrowing the characters for endless fun. All mistakes are mine.

If you feel motivated to try your hand at creating a P/O one-shot using our phrases, please do, and put "P/O summer one-shot challenge" in your summary so we go check yours out!

This one is dedicated to my fellow writers I listed above. You guys rock! Hope you like my entry. ;)

Summer Fun

"Wow! A blue lobster, Auntie Olivia! Can you believe it's really blue?" Ella Dunham shouted excitedly as she turned her head and looked at her aunt, bent over at the waist staring into the viewing tank. Olivia Dunham glanced at the crustacean in the viewing tank, one hand on her knee, the other nestled in her lover's warm hand.

"Not really. I've heard they existed but it's the first blue lobster I've ever seen." Olivia stood up and looked at the man standing close to her, a smile on his face as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm gonna take a picture. My mom will be so surprised!" Hurriedly, Ella removed her digital camera from her shorts pocket and snapped several pictures.

Peter Bishop gave Olivia's hand a quick squeeze. He was enjoying watching the Dunham girls, as he called them when they were having quality time together, marveling over the most unusual lobster before them.

"But honestly, Atrisk, life isn't all sunshine and daisies for those cute little penguins. Many of them get gobbled up by predators higher on the food chain. Sure they look splendid now, playing and preening themselves, but in their natural habitat it's a daily struggle!" Walter Bishop said emphatically as Astrid Farnsworth closed the distance, standing near the others. Walter had been ranting about the perils of the three penguin species housed at the New England Aquarium, in their natural habitat for the last 5 minutes and she needed a break. She pulled the daily schedule out of her pocket and studied it.

"Oh look! There's a talk at the top of the tank in 5 minutes!" she exclaimed trying to get Walter's attention.

"With a real marine scientist?" Walter asked with skepticism, turning toward her.

"Let's go find out," she answered him.

Olivia smirked while watching the scene play out. She appreciated Astrid's candor and patience with Walter. Although the elder Bishop had grown on her over the last 2 years he could still be quite irritating at times. She secretly hoped that she could steal a moment in the very public place with her new boyfriend. Ever since they had consummated their realtionship just days ago, she found herself needing to be as close to him as possible, and she was pretty sure he felt the same way. They had an unspoken pact of trying to see how much PDA they could accomplish within little snippets of time in public. With her niece Ella Jaye present it would be much more of a challenge. Olivia had been truly thrilled when her sister Rachel had called and asked if she could watch Ella for the weekend while she visited a collge friend in Boston. This was Olivia's last day with the little girl, and while she cherished every second with her, marveling at her spiritual and physical growth, she felt an insatiable need for physical closeness to her man.

Always keenly aware of events going on around her, Ella grabbed her aunt's free hand. "C'mon Aunt Olivia and Uncle Peter. Uncle Walter wants to see if a real scientist is giving the tank talk." Her eyes locked with Peter's and he marveled at the level of years' older understanding that he believed lived behind them. In his mind he oftened compared the two blood-related women, sometimes shocked at the similarities despite their age difference. Peter gave her a smile and a nod as they headed towards the inclined circular walk that lined the outside of the giant tank.

"Uncle Walter, what if the person giving the talk isn't an actual marine scientist? There's a lot of young people working here who look like they might be in college or something," Ella thought aloud as they made their way to the top.

Walter Bishop turned toward Ella and slowed his pace, Astrid's hand on his back."And where's the fun in that?" Walter replied indignantly. Astrid increased the pressure on his back. "This is an aquarium. A place for learning about aquatic speices of flora and fauna! There should at least be a few scientists present to do the presentations." Suddenly Walter turned toward Peter. gesturing madly with his fingers. "I need mints or gum. Do you have either, Peter?"

Peter sighed while reaching into his pocket. Quickly he extracted a pack of cinnamon gum, dropping Olivia's hand to unwrap a piece. He handed it to the man he had grown to accept as his father.

"Here, Walter." After Walter popped the gum into his mouth Peter checked the time on his Android. They were going to need to eat lunch soon. He did not want Walter to head into a hypoglycemic situation, and the shouting that usually ensued.

"I'd really like to disect that loud one and take a look at her brain," Walter said pointing to the vociferous fur seal cow to their left.

Astrid gasped, appalled. "You'll do no such thing!" She turned toward Ella whose eyes were as big as saucers. "Walter can't be trusted with animals," she told the child as Walter turned and gave her a glare.

"Then why is Gene in my lab, my dear?" he smirked at Astrid.

Astrid looked at Walter and then back at Ella. "OK, he can be trusted with one animal." Ella laughed in response, and caused laughter to erupt in the others. Peter let his shoulders relax a bit, recognizing that his father was coming back into himself, and that lunch had resolved the falling blood sugar issue.

Just then a woman announced that the fur seal lecture was beginning. Astrid moved Ella so that she had a good view in front of her and Walter. Peter took the opportunity to hurriedly usher Olivia outside into the glorious Sunday afternoon sunshine and warmth. They stood together, their hands still fused, staring out towards the Harbor Islands. Peter leaned in and kissed her flaxen hair, and then pulled back a few centimeters to look at her. They were not the same height, but Olivia was only a few inches shorter. It was one of the many things Peter adored about her.

"I think Ella's having a good time," he said softly to her, his lips only inches from her skin.

"I do too," Olivia said softly back to him. They moved closer until their lips touched and they kissed tenderly. Peter pulled away after a few seconds and studied her face. He could feel the change in her emotions, as he could most of the time, and called her on it, furrowing his brow slightly.

"You're gonna miss her," he said, his blue eyes boring into hers.

Olivia lowered her head and bit her lower lip a little. "Yes. I hate it that they live so far away." Her voice faltered on the last words.

Peter raised her chin with his finger. "You can always hop a plane," he said quickly, trying to lift her mood. He knew their time alone was short, and he wanted to make the best of it. Making Olivia Dunham smile had become one of his life's goals.

Just then they were both started by the horn of a stunning tallship pulling into the harbor. Peter watched as his woman eyed the seaworthy beauty. One beauty eyeing another, he thought to himself. Peter put his lips against her ear. "You like boats, Dunham? Ever done it on a boat?" He kissed her skin softly, feeling her tense deliciously against him. He knew the spot was one of her physical weaknesses.

She chuckled a little, weighing her answer. "No, I haven't. But it sounds...interesting."Olivia pulled him against her thigh and moved her hand so that it just barely cupped the upper part of his right buttock."Maybe we should check that out sometime," she told him softly.

Peter could feel his lower half hardening against her. "Mhmm," he replied. "Think we could find a place to go right now, Sweetheart?" he asked in his low and sultry bedroom voice, his left hand gliding its way down her derriere.

Olivia could feel her insides getting squirmy, and despite their bold foreplay she remained well aware of their very public location. She released a sigh. "I doubt it, but it makes me shudder just thinking about it," she purred back to him.

Peter leaned in and gave her a short but rough kiss, letting her know how she was affecting him. When the kiss ended he pulled back and studied her. "I think we should definitely charter a boat sometime from the harbor- for an afternoon. But we'll need to study up and see if you want a dingy, versus, a motorboat, or even something more sophisticated like a small yacht with radar fore and fishing rods aft..."

Olivia put her arms around his shoulders, not missing his double entendres. She pulled his face closer. "I want you body, not your mind," she told him bluntly.

Peter replied with one of those little alpha male grunts that drover her crazy. His reply threw her mentally off balance, and suddenly Olivia had to remind herself they were in a very public place, and that Ella, Walter, and Astrid were probably wondering where they'd gone. Peter caught her in a hot and abrupt kiss, giving her ass a quick and tiny squeeze.

His deep blue eyes were suddenly burning into hers again with seriousness."Tonight, after Rachel picks up Ella," he told her firmly. Abruptly he removed his arm from her backside and grasped her hand leading them back inside. As they approached the others they realized the show had ended. They could hear Walter's loud, business-like voice as people close to the trio seemed to be moving away, with strange looks on their faces.

"No, Ella, they mate by having the bull get behind and on top of the cow, and then he puts hi-"

"Walter!" Peter shouted abruptly, "I think Rachel can give her that lecture sometime when it's just mother and daughter, you know?" Peter put his hands on Ella and steered her towards the main part of the aquarium.

"I guess so," Walter said disappointedly. "I hope Olivia's sister would call me if she has any questions on the mating habits of fur seals."

Ella, ever on the ball, sensed Walter's chagrin. "It's OK, Uncle Walter. Mom and I have already had that talk. She used birds and bees in hers. Honestly? It wasn't that interesting..." Her voice drifted as she looked towards the glass door. Peter gave Olivia's hand a sharp squeeze, both of them trying to hold back laughter. "Hey, let's go check out the gift shop!" Ella shouted.

As she pulled them towards the door back to the main aquarium someone bumped her hard and her camera fell out of her pocket onto the cement floor. "Oh no!" she cried out. "My camera!" She knelt, picked it up, and placed it in Peter's free hand. "Could you check it, Uncle Peter? I know you can fix anything."

Peter was both humbled by her words and a little scared. It was true he could fix anything mechanical, but he was well aware that the newer digital cameras didn't always do well with falls, even from a short height. He sighed. "Let me take a look." After a few moments and some fiddling, Peter smiled and handed it back to her. "Here ya go. It takes a licking, and keeps on ticking."

Ella giggled. "But it's not a watch, Uncle Peter. You're so silly." The 5 of them walked out the door and down the corridor past the many colorful and huge tanks of sealife.

Olivia leaned in toward Peter so that only he could hear. "Thank you," she told him simply, and gave him one of her rare, radiant smiles.

"You're welcome," he quickly returned, smiling back at her, their hands still entwined.

Ella turned around suddenly at the doors to the gift shop. "Hey! We forgot about the stingray petting exhibit!" Before any of them could reply she made a sharp right turn and ran several yards through a different set of doors. The 4 adults stared at each other for a beat.

"I've never petted a stingray before...a live one anyway. Sounds marvelous!" Walter exclaimed as he took after the little girl. Peter, Olivia, and Astrid all rolled their eyes and hurried after Walter and Ella.

It took a few minutes for the 5 of them to find an open spot in front of the exhibit pool, but they finally managed. Two young girls in uniform were talking into microphones giving petting instructions as the cute little stingrays quickly glided by everyone's hands. Walter was the first to roll up his shirt sleeve and stick his hand down into the water. He looked towards his son and Olivia gesturing with his free hand. "C'mon you two lovebirds. We're all going to pet these exquisite creatures! If only we could hear what they're thinking!"

Peter and Olivia blushed slightly at Walter's words. Astrid shook her head, chuckling, and stuck her hand into the water. Moments later she gasped. "Ah! They're so soft. Like wet velvet." The two lovebirds looked at each other and shook their heads in agreement, their hands submerged next to each other.

"This is so cool, Uncle Walter. I'm glad I remembered it," Ella said excitedly, trying to keep her hand still so the stingrays could glide under it.

"I am glad too, Dear," Walter told her. "Look at this big one over here. It's twice as big as the others. You know what they say, "Everything is bigger in Texas." Astrid, Peter, and Olivia gave Walter a look. Even Ella stopped looking at the rays for a moment and turned toward the elder Bishop.

"You know, that was weird, Uncle Walter, but I still love you." Olivia, Peter, and Astrid tried to contain their snickers.

"Weird isn't always so bad, Ella. As a matter of fact, some of my best girlfriends were a bit weird. Did I ever tell you about-" Peter and Olivia shared a horrified look.

"Oh, look at the time!" Astrid interrupted. "Walter, you wanted to go to the Chinese market before dinner, remember?"

"Yes, I still do," Walter said shaking his head, his previous thought aborted. "OK. Goodbye exquisite little sea creatures. Maybe we can come pet you again sometime..."

Peter pushed the huge glass door open into the heat of the afternoon, and held it open for the others. Ella turned around just past the doorway to face Astrid and Walter behind her."I had a great time today. I'm so glad you and Uncle Walter could join us, Astrid."

Astrid bent over a bit to address the young girl. "Well I am too, Ella. And I hope you'll come back and visit your Auntie Olivia again sometime soon."

There was the sound of a smack as everyone turned to see Walter pushing a large dark bug towards the ground. It fell and lay there motionless near his shoe. Walter picked up his foot and stomped on it more than a few times.

Astrid put her hands on her hips, marveling at him. "You can't kill the dead, Walter."

"Well, I didn't like the looks of that one," Walter replied gruffly.

"You got him Uncle Walter. Let's go get some ice cream on our way back! OK?" Ella yelled jumping up and down.

"Sounds like a plan," Peter said."C'mon kiddo," Peter held his hand out to Ella and she quickly grabbed it. Peter laced the fingers of his other hand with Olivia's and they all started walking toward the "T" stop.

"I have no idea what flavor to get!" Walter told Ella excitedly from behind her. "Ella, did you know Christine's has cotton candy-flavored ice cream? They have both blue and pink but you know I prefer the blue..." Walter's voice faded into the air as the 5 of them walked on, thinking back on the fun afternoon they had just shared.

The End

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