OConnellAboo writes Walter and Pete like no one else - she (and they) shine in this chapter! Thanks again for reading - enjoy!
"So…. Can I add cattle rustler to your resume?" Olivia stood in front of what looked like an oversized Winnebago, watching Peter lead Gene into a cavernous stall at the back of the vehicle while Walter danced nervously at her side.
Peter flashed one of those smiles that made Olivia feel warm all the way down to her toes. She liked this feeling, she decided… much better than the emptiness that she vaguely remembered feeling before.
"That sounds so… illegal when you put it that way." Peter chuckled as he closed the stall behind Gene and hopped to the ground.
"Seriously, Peter. Where did this come from?" Olivia gestured at the immense carrier in front of her. "And who's going to drive it?"
"I'm riding back here with Gene," Walter announced. Olivia looked at him doubtfully, then glanced at Peter.
"That's fine, Walter," Peter said kindly as he helped Walter up the ramp. "Plenty of room in the back."
"Goodness gracious! Would you look at this? It's like a mansion on wheels!" Walter exclaimed. "Honestly, it's more spacious than the first apartment Elizabeth and I had after we were married!"
Peter grinned. "Really? I can't imagine you in a shoebox apartment, Walter."
"Fifth floor walkup in a rather dodgy section of town," Walter replied. "Your mother… " Walter paused, a stricken look on his face.
"It's okay. What about Elizabeth?" Peter said softly.
"Elizabeth hated the place. The stove didn't work properly, the faucet leaked… We could have used your expertise in fixing things!" Walter smiled.
"I think I recall seeing 'plumber' listed as one of your many career choices," Olivia joked.
Walter leaned against the stall as Gene mooed contentedly. "Do you know, this reminds me of when Bellie and I went to Woodstock."
"Oh, no… " Peter groaned.
"What a marvelous time we had! There was this young woman… her father owned a dairy farm nearby, and they had the most spacious trailers for their cows. Very humane."
"I'm sure," Olivia said in a deadpan voice.
"Well, she let Bellie and I spend some time in one of her father's trailers when the weather turned bad. Oh, we had such a marvelous time in that trailer… the three of us… she taught us the most extraordinary sexual positions! I don't think we ever saw any of the groups. And I was so looking forward to seeing The Who… " Walter stroked Gene's head. "But I especially recall a particular three-way when – "
"Ooookay, Walter, Olivia and I will be right up front if you need us, okay?" Peter said, blushing as Olivia giggled.
"Are you sure you and Olivia wouldn't like to stay back here? I'm sure the walls are thick enough that I wouldn't be disturbed by even the loudest intercourse!" Walter offered. "Look at how much room you'd have, son! Why, you could even – "
"Bye, Walter," Peter said as he shut the doors to the trailer.
He draped his arm around Olivia's shoulders as he steered her to the front. "So," Olivia said, "The trailer? Where'd you get it?"
"It belongs to Nina Sharp."
Olivia eyed him curiously. "What did she want in return? Nothing untoward, I hope."
Peter's brow furrowed as he opened the cab door for Olivia. "Untoward? Haven't we had this conversation before?"
Olivia looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled. "It does sound familiar, now that I think about it… but seriously, Peter – I don't think Nina's very happy with you right now. I'm sure she made you pay for this one way or another."
"Actually, she did ask a favor in return, but it's something I would do… well, I'd do it for you, anyway. We can talk about it on the way. We need to get going before Walter thinks of something else he needs to bring along, and the picnic basket should be ready at Damiano's by now."
About ten minutes into the drive, Olivia was definitely beginning to relax. Following Peter's advice, she'd changed from her usual black pant suit into a pair of worn jeans and a warm sweater. She had just discovered that the captain's chairs were close enough together that she could comfortably put her feet in Peter's lap while he drove, so she was removing her boots and settling in for the drive to Warwick.
They chatted idly as Peter maneuvered the vehicle through the city streets. Olivia hopped out at Damiano's to pick up their lunch as he circled the block, biting her tongue when the portly Italian woman behind the counter handed her an extra takeout container. "For your husband," she had said conspiratorially, waggling her thick black eyebrows and looking over Olivia's shoulder to see if Peter was outside. "I know how much he loves my braciole. Food of love." Olivia laughed all the way back to the trailer, and finally they were on their way, headed to Lowell on I-495.
ooo
"So… full disclosure, Peter." She teased his ribs with her toes. "What made you call Nina, and what did you have to promise her?"
Peter looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He so did not want to have this conversation. He was about to say something evasive, when a crackling sound was heard. "What the hell?" Peter said.
"Hello?" Walter's voice boomed into the cab. "Hello, is anyone there? This is Doctor Walter Bishop."
"Walter?" Peter called back. Olivia shook her head at him, then gestured toward a knob on the dashboard marked ICM. "Oh," Peter sighed. "Fantastic." He turned the knob. "Hello, Walter, this is your son, Peter Bishop," he said jokingly.
"Silly boy, I know perfectly well who you are," Walter barked as Olivia tried to contain her laughter. "Peter, there's an intercom here!"
"Yes, Walter, we've figured that out," Peter said dryly.
"Isn't it fantastic?"
"Walter, Peter just said the exact same thing," Olivia chimed in.
"Did he? Great minds think alike, eh, son?"
"Yes, Walter. Is there something you need?"
"No, why do you ask?"
Rolling his eyes, Peter replied, "Oh, no reason. You have fun back there, okay? No soda for Gene, though, ya hear?"
He heard Walter sigh loudly. "When did you get to be such a stick in the mud?" Walter mumbled before turning off the intercom.
Olivia nudged Peter with her toe. "So… Nina, remember?"
He massaged her foot with one hand, stalling for time. "She's concerned about you. Just like we all are."
"Peter, I'm –"
"Fine. Right.'
They rode in silence for a few minutes. As both of them started to speak, the intercom crackled again.
"Peter, did you know that the Bhagavad Gita states that cows are the mothers of all creatures? They are mothers of the demigods that administrate creation in the material existence throughout all the universes."
"That's good to know, Walter," Peter replied calmly.
"That's something you might want to think about the next time you eat a hamburger in the lab… right in front of Gene!" Walter said snippily.
"Walter, are you ever gonna let me live that – " Peter suddenly stopped. At Olivia's questioning glance, he shook his head.
Olivia's eyes widened. He's remembering? She mouthed to him. Peter just shrugged.
"Peter? What were you saying, son?" Walter's voice interrupted again.
"Nothing, Walter. I promise I'll keep that in mind. You two okay back there?"
"Yes, of course, we're fine!" Walter answered happily.
"That's good. Talk to you later," Peter said as he turned off the intercom. He glanced over at Olivia. "Don't look at me like that," he warned.
"Like what?"
"All… I dunno… hopeful," he said. "I can't let myself hope that Walter will remember, too. I just… "
"It's okay to hope, Peter," Olivia encouraged him. She hated to see that haunted look on his face; it had abated somewhat since her memories returned, but she knew that the months he spent alone and unloved among the people he loved most still hurt him deeply. "I refuse to believe it was just the cortexiphan that made my memories return. Walter loves you."
"Walter loves his son. I'm just a substitute. I mean, we're getting to a good place again, like before I got in the Machine, but it won't ever be the same. I'm not his Peter, and I'm not the Peter he took from the other universe. At least, not in Walter's memories."
"We explained it to him, Peter," Olivia insisted. "And I think he accepts that this is your timeline. Give him time – I honestly think he's starting to remember." Peter only nodded, rubbing her legs affectionately. It felt so good to touch her again, not to restrain his natural impulse to stroke her cheek or push that strand of hair behind her ear. "But we digress," she added. "Nina?"
He began again. "Nina cares for you a lot. She worries about you."
Olivia made a little face, pursing her lips. "Why would Nina Sharp worry about me? Doesn't Massive Dynamic keep her busy enough?'
Peter glanced at Olivia's face. Is she kidding around? Or does she really not remember?
"Olivia…"
"Peter?" Walter's voice chimed in.
Peter gripped the wheel briefly in frustration as a smirking Olivia turned their intercom on, then took yet another deep breath. "Yes, Walter?"
"Are we there yet?"
They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Walter's eccentricities were morphing from obsessive and debilitating to something no less eccentric, but certainly more light-hearted.
"Soon, Walter," Olivia said to him.
"Oh! Olivia, hello! Are you having a nice time up there with my son?"
Olivia's eyebrow shot up and she looked at Peter with a "See, I told you so," look. "We're having a fine time, Walter."
"It's… " Walter paused for a moment. "It's like… it's like a lovely family outing," he said, his voice wistful. "Well, I think Gene needs milking."
"Walter, I don't know if there's a – " Peter started to say, but Walter turned the intercom off. "Hoo-boy," he said.
"You're really good for him" Olivia said fondly. "He's opened up so much since you've been back."
"He really has, hasn't he?" Peter laughed. "When I first came back, he wouldn't leave the lab. And now – he's the one planning the field trips!"
