The first video I watched made me want to cry, it was of the little girl's 4th birthday. She was so happy, always asking me to watch and see what she can do, now that she is a big girl. I could not remember a time in these last months that I had ever felt that smile on my face, the smile of pure love and happiness. I wanted to cry because of the loss of that love, I couldn't remember it, even watching these videos and hearing the voices of my family could not bring any memory of them to me.
I couldn't take the feeling anymore, so I turned it off, and I skipped over the other tapes that were of family occasions. I didn't want to feel the loss anymore. I then came to one that had the words 'Lab Moments' written on it, I imagined that Walter had written it, it had a scroll to it that I imagined Walter to have. After a moment of hesitation, I put the DVD in the player, and watched moments from my life flash across the TV.
"Oh, Astrid. I thought we agreed that hiding the camera was the best idea." I heard Peter's voice say off screen, the camera was focused on a cow.
"I tried Peter. He found it, it isn't like I can take it away from him now. Besides, he isn't causing any harm." A woman's voice answered, I took that to be Astrid.
"Ah, son. Good thing you're here. That blasted turn table broke again. I was hoping you could fix it like you did last time." Walter said as he panned the camera around the room and focused in on Peter.
"Of course it broke again. God only knows what you do to the damn thing that makes it break this often." Peter responded both annoyed and humored at the same time.
"I don't do anything son, it just breaks, all of its own accord." Walter answered, turning the camera on Astrid, just as she rolled her eyes and smiled at Peter. "Now, where is Agent Dunham, I need to make sure she gets on this video before one of you manage to take it away from me."
"She's in the office Walter." Astrid answered, and picked up some kind of bowl and carried it off screen as Walter walked toward some wooden doors.
He opened the doors and camera trained on me, I was busy looking over some papers and I was wearing glasses. I found that strange, as I didn't wear glasses now, I saw just fine, though, too much reading did make my eyes blur. "There you are Agent Dunham."
I looked up when he spoke, and then down again, "Really Walter? I thought Peter was taking that away from you after what happened the last time."
"I tried, but apparently Astrid didn't hide it well enough." Peter answered from nowhere, then he appeared when Walter slightly turned the camera, he was pouring a cup of coffee. "I'll just have to do better next time."
"I guess you will." I told him, giving him a smile before turning back to my paperwork.
"Come on Walter. Give Olivia some space, she has a lot of work to do." Peter said and lead Walter out of the room.
The tape went blank for a moment, then came back, It started with the camera moving slowly toward the office door but this time it was showing me and Peter talking at the table not me hunched over working on endless paper work. "Come on Peter, just one game." I said, giving him a sly smile.
"Not a chance Livia. I know you can count cards, that puts me a disadvantage." He answered, pretending to be angry, but it was easily seen through.
"Oh, I'm sure you have tricks up your sleeve that allow you to counteract that." I was challenging him, and he knew it.
"I'm sure I do but the whole point of this card game is just so you can beat me, I know it." He accused. I noticed that neither of us had noticed Walter entering the room.
"Now, that isn't true. I just want to see if you are good as you say you are." I was trying to defend my reason, but I had a feeling that Peter was right about my intentions.
"Meaning, you want to beat me." Peter pointed out, a smug smile on his face.
"If I admit to that will you play, just one game Peter." I was giving him a very flirty smile, something else I know I haven't done in my non-memory life, "Please." It wasn't a beg, and there were undertones in the word I didn't understand.
"Fine. But just to warn you when I win, there will be consequences." He warned as he started shuffling the cards, and I could see me silently giggling.
"Oh, I'm terrified." I joked.
He winked at me, "You should be sweetheart, you should be." There was humorous malice in his voice, and I laughed when I heard it, both the me on the tape and the me watching it.
I watched as I looked up, straight at the camera, "Walter, where did you get that video camera?"
Peter turned his head and also looked at Walter, "I bet it is was in one of those boxes he found yesterday." Peter got up from the table, "Give me the camera Walter."
"No son. I am rather enjoying persevering this tender moment between you and Olivia." Walter said and the camera did a swift upturn toward the ceiling, I assumed that Peter made a grab for it.
It went black again, but when it came back it was just Walter sitting in front on the camera, "Olivia. I know you won't remember any of the things that I just showed you, but of all the videos I have taken in the lab, I thought that those two would be the best to help you understand. Understand what, I cannot tell you, for you must figure that out for yourself. If my theory is correct in what robbed you of your memories, then only you can bring them back. You will just need the right catalyst and I'm sure, you will have no trouble finding it."
As it went black again, all I could think about was Walter's words and the looks that I had given Peter. Was it possible that I was in love in Peter? I did believe that Peter loved me, from what he said at the door, and the looks that I was given in the video. I just….
"Peter. Don't worry, we will find her." Astrid's voice said suddenly from the TV, I had stopped looking at it, so I hadn't even realized that there was more after Walter's explanations.
"I know that Astrid." Peter answered coldly and continued to work on some sort of electronic device.
Astrid looked sad and walked up to Walter, he wasn't holding the camera, so it much just be sitting on a table, focused at the area the three of them were in, "I'm worried Walter. I haven't seen him this shut off since he returned from over there."
"He just misses Olivia. She saved him, and now he hates that he can't save her. Do you think some taffee would make him feel better or a custard?" Walter asked suddenly.
"No Walter. I don't think either of those things are going to make him feel better." Astrid answered and walked away.
"No, I didn't think so either." Walter whispered as he turned off the camera.
A knock at my door completely distracted me from the sudden heartbreak I felt on seeing that look on Peter's face. I turned off the DVD player and answered the door, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see if you would accompany me to be dinner?" Officer Annoyance asked, "Are you alright? You look like something as been upsetting you."
"I'm fine Randy. I'm sorry, I can't have dinner with you, I already have plans." I made up the lie quickly, there was nothing I wanted less in the world then go to dinner with Randy Bates.
"Come on Olivia. You said that too quickly for it to be the truth." Randy told me, guess that is what I get for him being a cop.
"Which part?" I asked, getting really annoyed at his persistence.
"Both. Something is upsetting you and you don't have dinner plans." He informed me and with each word I was liking him less and less.
"Well, I'm not sure about the first part, but the second part is most definitely the truth. She has dinner plans with me." Peter's voice said from behind Randy.
I felt my face light up at the sight him, and Randy saw, which would probably only make this worse, and it did, "And you are?" Randy asked angrily.
"Peter Bishop. And who might you be?" Peter inquired, keeping his cool, but I could see in his eyes that he was annoyed.
"Officer Randy Bates." He answered proudly, and I rolled my eyes. Lucky for me Randy had turned to face Peter, so he didn't see it but Peter did and he cracked a smile. "Do you find that funny?"
"No, not at all. Law enforcement is a noble profession, one that I myself am in." Peter answered with the ease of born liar, though only half of what he said was a lie. "Now, if you don't mind. My date and I are running late. You have all of your stuff together sweetheart?"
"Yes I do." I answered and grabbed my purse, "Let's go. Bye Randy." I said after I locked my door, and walked with Peter down the hall.
"Your admirer I take it?" Peter asked when we were out of earshot from Randy.
"Yes, he doesn't seem to take no for an answer. He is very harmless, but also very persistent." I explained to Peter. "Thank you, by the way."
"Any time 'Livia. You're just lucky I was coming to see you when I was."
"Why were you coming to see me?" I asked, suddenly very curious.
"To see if you would have dinner with me." He answered and gave me a sly smile and a wink.
I gave a little laugh, "Of course you were." I said and looked up at his smiling face, and knew that there was something going on between us that he hadn't told me yet.
Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think. The next chapter will be up on Friday.
