Peter laid awake through much of the night. He stared at the ceiling and picked shapes out of the shadows. He shifted to lay his head at the other end of the couch, her room within his view. He stared, willing in his mind that magically overnight she would remember him. When he gave up on that he flopped over onto his stomach and played with the fringe on one of her throw pillows he had tossed to the floor. He wanted to sleep. But his mind wouldn't rest.

His mess of muddled thoughts was interrupted by a soft murmur from the other room. Peter opened his eyes and listened hard.

"No." it was a bit louder this time. Olivia... He sat up and waited again. When he heard her softly cry out the third time he got up. Peter went to her door and looked in through the pane window. She lay crumpled, tangled in her covers. Her face was twisted in an expression of pain. Seeing her like that hurt. Peter continued to watch for a few moments, his forehead against her door, soon his eyes started to close.

"Stop!" Olivia cried. Peter shook himself and without thinking opened her door. She didn't wake. He crept to her side and knelt on the floor. Gently he reached out a hand and brushed the hair from her eyes. Olivia turned her head towards him. Peter froze before he noticed her face had softened.

He sat by her side for a long time. When she would stir in her nightmares again he would stroke her hair, soothing her pain. He wanted to wake her like he used to. To save her from what haunted her most. She'd be trembling but Peter would pull her close, kiss her forehead and tell her she was going to be fine.

"My Olivia..." he whispered softly. "What do I do? How can I make you remember?"

The next thing he knew Olivia was wide awake with her gun trained on him. "Don't move."

"'Livia relax!"

"Dammit don't-don't call me that!" She hated hearing the nickname come from his mouth. No one had ever called her that and she hated how much she liked it, considering the man it came from.

He nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry Olivia... Honestly I swear I just wanted to make sure you were okay... You were having a nightmare again! and judging by the look on your face and the way you cried out it was the one with your step father..."

"Get out."

"Olivia..."

"Get. Out. Despite what you might think I don't know you and never have. We've never been together. I don't understand how you have so much information about me and my life and my job but I know damn sure you aren't Walter's dead son and that you don't belong with me. Get out of my apartment.


Peter left and unsure of where to go he settled into sitting on the stairs that led to the ground floor. No one ever used them any more except Liv herself. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the rail. An hour went by.

He was exhausted still and sleep was all too far off. "Oh thank god!" he heard her exclaim behind him. "You didn't take off..." Olivia said in astonishment.

Peter didn't open his eyes. "Well I knew if you lost track of me Broyles and Nina would have flipped. Which I assume you realized that too and that's why you came; to hunt me down."

Olivia sighed deeply and sat next to him on the top step. The stairs were narrow and she had to sit rather close. He sensed her there, his entire body raging with fire, but pretended not to care.

"Actually Peter... I wanted to say I'm sorry for freaking out... It's just one moment I'm 7 years old and running for my life out the back door and the next moment I'm opening my eyes to a semi-comatose man with his hand on my head." Liv nudged him and he smiled weakly.

"And to be honest... you terrify me..."

Peter turned to look at her in concern.

She smiled reassuringly. "I'm not worried that you're going to hurt me... I'm just scared that you're actually telling the truth. And what could possibly make forget the man I loved? I just don't understand still..." She told him.

Peter didn't move an inch.

"But I dreamt about you. I still do... On the nights that aren't haunted by ridiculous cases or flashbacks of the past, you're there." she whispered. "You make me feel safe to go to sleep."

"What is it that you dream about... With me?"

She shook her head. "Thats just it. I don't know. All it is is your face alone... but when I wake up... I don't know. There's the rush off comfort. But as soon as the longing sets in, it hurts."

Peter smiled and rested his head on her shoulder. "It's a start Olivia." he murmured.

She sat there awkwardly for a second before she put an arm around him timidly.

Peter melted inside. But exhaustion was ultimately wearing him down and in matter of seconds Peter had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder.

Olivia was still. She felt strange having him so close. But to her surprise it didn't make her uneasy.

Whether she liked it or not Peter had cut through all her defenses and had sunk his teeth in her heart.