Chapter 7:
Three months had passed since Peter had proposed. They hadn't planned a wedding, hadn't really spoken about what either wanted. Olivia felt as though Peter already knew since he lived all this once before. It was frustrating and irritating and so many other emotions that Olivia didn't want to feel or focus on. She loved Peter, was happy with him and just wanted to marry him, wanted him to forget the future and just let them be happy together now. Was it too much to wish for?
She didn't talk about it. Most days when he wasn't in the field helping her, Peter spent it in the lab with Walter, working on fixing the holes of the universe while conversing with Lincoln using the typewriter.
She finished a meeting with Broyles, heading into the lab seeing Peter sitting in front of some electrical components, none she recognized. Walter had goggles on and was mixing chemicals with Astrid's assistance.
Olivia strolled over towards Peter watching him curiously. "How's it going?" She asked nodding towards his new project.
Peter sighed, "Lincoln doesn't have access to the same elements and the direction we're taking won't work unless we both do the same thing at the same time."
Olivia nodded slowly, "maybe I can help?"
He shook his head no adamantly, "it's too dangerous. You're not going over there."
Olivia shrugged, "just an option. It's not as though I have any desire to travel to the other side." She noticed his eyes were on the project and not on her. "Peter?"
"Yeah," he didn't look up, he was transfixed by the pieces, his eyes locked on the components staring and thinking.
She let her voice drop down so that only Peter could hear her. "I know we haven't started talking about the wedding but I don't want anything big. I'm not sure I even want the traditional walk down the aisle. I mean it's not like I have anyone to even walk me down." She watched his eyes finally move from the technology on the table to her face.
"Whatever you want, Olivia."
She shook her head. "What do you want? We don't talk about it. I mean when we do it's about how you've already married me and well the last time I checked we're still both single."
"Single?" He raised an eye.
"That's not what I meant." She grimaced at her word choice. "I just mean – legally we're not married. I'm not in a rush but I just, I think we should talk. We've never been at a loss for words but lately I just, I feel like talking about it's weird. It's déjà vu for you and I'm not sure how I feel about that."
Peter stood up and gently guided Olivia out of the lab. He led her down by the lake at the campus and to a bench to sit down. She smiled weakly recognizing this spot as the same location as where he first touched her hand, sparked something within her when John had been dying. Things were different now. So much different.
"If I could forget it all, Olivia, I gladly would." He told her sitting down, taking her hand. "I know this can't come easy with me knowing what our future was like but it's just one possible future. We've already changed it, things already are different. Consider it like a dream, that's it."
"A dream that has come true and not all in the ways we would like." She shook her head. "It's frustrating because I want to talk to you about getting married about me moving in and I know you've already done this once before with me. I just – I don't know, Peter. I feel frustrated and angry that I've been robbed of a life I haven't known and lived and that you have." She let out a heavy frustrated sigh, "maybe I'm just jealous."
He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, "I promise you there is nothing to be jealous of. What we had was fantastic but what we have now is even better. You are amazing, Olivia. There is no one else I'd ever want to spend my life with. Not another version of you – not a future, alternate or even past version. I love and want you." He emphasized.
"I know," she smiled sadly. She felt like crying but no tears came. "It's just been hard." She whispered staring down at his hand in hers. "Maybe I just need to get away from all this for awhile." She glanced at him, "not likely, considering the world is ending."
"We don't know that it is," Peter breathed leaning in and kissing her forehead. "We should get away, just you and me. We could elope? Unless you think it's too soon." He suggested. "A nice long weekend away. I'm sure Broyles can hold the fort down."
"Where?" She asked glancing at him feeling a tiny bit better.
Peter shrugged, "I don't really care. So long as it's with you."
She smiled faintly, brushing her lips tenderly against his. "We should get back to the lab. The world still needs saving."
"The world will always need saving." Peter whispered, leaning in stealing another kiss.
Olivia felt a strange spark between them before she watched him lose control, his body convulsing as he collapsed onto the ground. "Peter!" Her eyes went wide, digging for her phone. She quickly dialed 911 before calling Walter and Astrid in the lab. Moments later Walter and Astrid came rushing out of the lab. Peter seemed unresponsive to anything Walter had attempted to inject. She didn't ask what, didn't care. She wanted Peter to be okay. No. She needed him to be okay.
She didn't know what to do or what was going on. Time seemed to stand still as the paramedics arrived. She watched as they stabilized his body and put him on a stretcher. She felt tears fill her eyes as they carried him into the ambulance bay. She wanted to ride with him and knew Walter would too but they were better off letting the paramedics do their job.
"Come on," she told Walter and Astrid not saying anything else as she led them to her car. She would drive them all to the hospital.
