A/N - Hey guys...I know it's kind of slow but things pick up next chapter, I promise. I like giving them a normal day before I make it crash around them
:)
So...
Read, enjoy and revieiw...It makes me writer faster
:)
Chapter Two – Time Stops Here
"Ma."
Olivia kept her eyes closed, wondering why Etta sounded so close.
"Da."
Olivia felt the tiny hand on her cheek, smiling against the softness. Clearly, Peter had woken up before Olivia and put Etta into bed with her.
"Tata."
Olivia opened her eyes, taking in Etta's gummy grin.
"Hey princess. Did your Daddy let you in our bed again?"
Etta clapped her hands, grabbing at her feet, explaining in complex baby talk exactly what her Daddy had done.
"Is that right?"
Etta sighed and kept talking. Olivia pulled her close, blowing a raspberry into Etta's chubby little neck. Etta squealed.
"Where is your Daddy?"
Etta poked out her tongue and grabbed Olivia's hair, twisting it in her fist. Olivia watched Etta entertain herself with her hair. Olivia could spend hours just watching Etta, even when she was sleeping she was completely fascinating to her.
"I was completely powerless to her charm. She made me do it."
Peter stood in the door way, two cups of coffee in his hand and a bottle tucked under his arm. Olivia rolled her eyes.
"You're going to spoil her rotten, aren't you?"
"In my defence, Walter and Astrid do it too."
Olivia sat up and lifted Etta with her, rearranging the pillows so that they were both sitting. She handed Etta her bottle, which she took eagerly and then took the coffee Peter offered her.
"Thank you."
She sipped her coffee before checking her emails on her laptop. A.J hadn't emailed her back so she assumed that the coffee date was still on.
"Excited?"
Peter offered her a small smile.
"Your first few hours without Etta. You could go wild."
Olivia smiled.
"Sadly, at this point, going wild involves a bubble bath and a good book. A book where I could read more than one page."
"Books are overrated if they don't have simple words and odd morals."
"Dr Seuss doesn't count."
Peter huffed.
"It totally counts. Right Etta?"
Etta looked at Peter seriously, grabbing at his shirt as she continued to drink.
"See? She agrees with me. You can learn a lot from Green Eggs And Ham."
"I prefer The Cat In The Hat."
"Or The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."
"That's a good one."
"I know. I didn't think Etta would stop laughing when we watched that movie."
"I think that was more the dog than anything else."
The first time Etta had met Gene, she had laughed hysterically and Gene didn't help by nibbling at her foot. Etta was the same whenever they met a dog at the park or a cat on the street. Animals seemed to amuse her hugely. Etta dropped the bottle, grinning as Peter scooped her up and rubbed her back. She let out a loud burb and Peter chuckled.
"You ever notice that we find burping so rude yet in children it's encouraged?"
"Yeah, the world is full of contradictions. Breakfast?"
"Sounds like a plan."
Olivia finished her coffee and extracted herself from the covers. It took time to go downstairs with their standard routine of Etta making her way down the stairs. Peter scooped up Etta and they left the room, Peter pausing at the top of the stairs, Olivia making her way down to the bottom.
"Ready?"
Olivia nodded.
"Let her loose."
Peter put Etta down and she sat for a moment, looking between Olivia and Peter, her face serious. She commented on the situation in baby talk before starting to climb her way down the stairs. She paused half way and flashed Olivia a grin.
"Ma."
Olivia held out her arms, returning the grin.
"Come on baby girl, you're almost there."
Etta started again and carefully made her way to the bottom of the steps and Olivia picked her up, spinning her around slightly.
"Clever girl!"
Etta laughed and clapped her hands, clearly proud of herself. They all headed to the kitchen, Olivia doing a serious mash on some bananas for Etta to make a mess of. She had started teething and the chilled banana's seemed to help with the swelling and pain.
"Omelette?"
"I'll make it. I believe it's your turn to be covered in banana mush."
She handed Etta to Peter, kissing him briefly. Peter smiled and settled himself at the breakfast bar, Etta on his lap.
"In that case, I'll have the works."
Olivia started pulling the ingredients from the fridge, flicking on the coffee machine as she went. She heard Peter laugh, glancing over her shoulder to see Etta offering him a scoop of banana off her fingers.
"At least she has manners, sharing her food."
Peter smiled as he took the banana offered, Etta giggling hysterically as Peter pretended to eat her hand as well. That was something that Olivia was grateful for. Etta was such a solid little character. Nothing seemed to faze her. She had Peter's easy smile and an infectious laugh that never seemed to stop. But Olivia could still see aspects of herself when Etta was thinking about something, the same look that Olivia found herself wearing at times. She would frown and you could see the wheels turning in her head. More dangerous still, was she had inherited her father's charm and had everyone she met wrapped around her little finger.
"And we're done."
Peter cleaned off her hands and face before closing the kitchen door and placing Etta on the floor, watching as she immediately scotched away, something about one of the chair legs grabbing her attention.
"What is it with her and the chair leg?"
"You're asking me? I'm still trying to figure out why animals are so amusing to her."
Peter chuckled as he placed her empty bowl in the sink, shifting behind Olivia and wrapping his arms around her, his body moving with hers as she made the omelettes.
"Hey you."
Olivia leaned against him, enjoying the heat of his body against her own. He pressed a kiss to her neck.
"Hey."
Peter kept her in his grasp as she served the omelettes.
"Do you want some toast?"
"Nope, that's good."
He released her to pour two more coffees and taking the plates to the breakfast bar. Olivia watched Etta as she focused her attention on the leg of the chair, talking in baby talk to the piece of wood.
"Our daughter is a beautiful little weirdo."
"Family like ours, what do you expect?"
Etta had lost interest in the chair leg and crawled over to Olivia, using her leg to pull herself up, tapping Olivia on the thigh.
"Ma. Up."
Olivia took another mouthful of food before pushing her plate away out of Etta's reach before lifting her onto her lap. Etta sighed and leaned her head against Olivia's chest, promptly putting her thumb in her mouth. Olivia rested her chin on the top of Etta's soft hair. She loved this time in the mornings. Just the three of them before the real world came and knocked on the door. She had perfected the technique of eating with a baby in her arms long ago and ate around Etta, who kept sucking her thumb and watching Peter.
A few hours later, Etta bathed and sleeping, Olivia started getting ready to go and meet A.J. For the first time in a very long time, Olivia didn't know what to wear. Her standard uniform of dark colours didn't seem to be the kind of thing you met someone you hadn't seen in years in. She pushed past her normal clothes and started going through the things that Rachel had given her over the years. She settled on a pair of jeans and a pheasant blouse that had intricate stitching. She felt like a bit of a hippy wearing it but she liked the way it made her look a little younger and emphasised her long arms and green eyes.
"Sexy."
Olivia offered him a smile in the mirror as he moved deeper into the room, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You are bias."
"You look beautiful."
Olivia gave him a quick kiss as she slipped from his embrace to put on a little makeup. After a quick swipe of lip stick and a little mascara, she ran a brush through her hair and she was ready.
"See, this is why I love you. Some men have wives that take hours to get ready. I never have to worry about that."
Olivia frowned.
"I can't tell if that is an insult or a compliment,"
"Definitely a compliment. Plus, you look wonderful regardless."
Olivia nudged him in the stomach as she tried to find her shoes.
"Flattery huh?"
Peter shrugged.
"What can I say? A man's got to try."
Olivia pulled on her ankle boots and stood, leaning into Peter. She kissed him gently.
"Well, you certainly get bonus points."
Peter linked his fingers through her belt loops and pulled her into him.
"What kind of points?"
Peter pressed a kiss to her throat before pressing a hot trail down to her collarbone. Olivia sighed.
"Big ones."
She felt Peter smile against her throat.
"Really? I can think of a way to get even more."
He abandoned the belt loops and found the edge of her shirt instead, his fingers brushing the bare skin of her stomach. Olivia pulled away slightly.
"I have to go."
Peter frowned.
"Are you sure?"
Olivia kissed him again.
"Yes. But we will pick up where we left off tonight."
"I'll hold you to that."
Olivia grinned grabbing her wallet, phone and keys and putting them into her pocket. She had never been a lover of hand bags. Peter followed her downstairs and watched as she tugged on her coat.
"Go have some fun."
Olivia pressed a kiss to Peter's cheek.
"Call me if Etta needs me ok?"
"I'm her father. I think I have things covered for a few hours."
Olivia smiled as she pulled open the front door.
"Love you."
"Love you too."
Olivia closed the door behind her, resisting the urge to go back inside and stay there. But it had to happen sometime. At some point she would have to do things without Etta. Even if it did leave a hollow feeling in her stomach and an odd ache in her heart.
