Chapter 9: Making Out with Gene

Rating: T (just to be safe)

"NO! STOP!!" Olivia screams as she watches memory-John stab his co-conspirator in the stomach with a knife. Her John wouldn't do this. Only a cold blooded traitor would stab someone like that. "GET ME OUTTA HERE! WALTER!?" And then she is being yanked out of the memory and water filled tank by strong arms. Olivia clings to the body that has dragged her out of the tank for dear life, gasping for air and trying not to scream until her lungs were fit to burst. The arms are rocking her and holding her close, unawares that she is drenching her savior. A hand comes around to her and begins to gently unstick the electrodes around her face, but the two strong arms holding her in place don't budge. When her shaking finally subsides she loosens her grip and looks up into Peter Bishop's face. He's giving her that soul searching look that says he's overly concerned and wanted to know if she was okay.

"I-I'm okay Peter, really." Olivia tries to sit up but she's shaking too much and she collapses back into Peter's arms. "Sorry." She mumbles and blushes.

"Think nothing of it," he says quietly. Scooping her up into his arms, he stands and carries her to one of the lab tables that was against the wall and sets her down so she can lean back against the brick. After making sure she was ok to sit like she was he slowly began to peel off the electrodes on other parts of her body. He tried to remain as detached as possible but she would shiver when his fingers came into prolonged contact with her bare skin. "Are you cold? Did you want me to grab a blanket for you?" He glanced up into her eyes and they looked a little darker than normal. They were narrowed to sleepy slits and her lips were slightly parted. "Olivia, are you okay?" He moved his hand to cup her face and get her attention.

Olivia slowly focused her eyes on the man in front of her. She loathed admitting it, but there were still some of the drugs in her system and every time Peter touched her to get those damn electrodes off it sent heat and shivers through her body. It was like her skin was ultra-sensitive to everything. Even the air around her was making her insides clench in a very sexual way and the thought caused her to shiver again.

"Olivia, you're starting to worry me here." He brought his face closer to hers so that there were only a few inches between their eyes.

"Please, just get these off me." She pleaded in a hoarse voice. Peter quickly resumed taking the electrodes off her and unwound a few wires that had gotten tangled in her hair.

"There all done. I'll just grab some towels for you, so stay put." He said sternly; knowing she was going to want to run. He waited until she nodded grudgingly and only squirmed a bit to raise herself up on the wall. Satisfied with her response, Peter walked across the room and grabbed two towels and a bottle of Gatorade. Walking back he watched her with the eyes of a scientist and not of a man with a half naked woman in front of him and he noticed her eyes were a little too dilated than what was normal and her body seemed to be blushing and shivering at the same time. He handed her the bottle and began to cover her body with the towels, gently rubbing down her arms. She started to object, but he shook his head.

"Drink that, it'll help." Olivia sighed and obeyed him. She slowly sipped at it and she nearly choked when his hands moved to towel dry her legs. He only looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she studiously ignored him and continued to drink. Olivia had gotten half way through the drink when she began to feel a little more like herself. She capped the drink and began to straighten up. Her muscles protested at first but she could sit up on her own.

"I think I can take it from here," She said, taking the towel from his hands.

"Want to place a wager on that?" He smirked at her, knowing she wouldn't turn down a challenge. "I bet you don't make it to the office on your own two feet and back into your clothes without falling."

She scowled at him, "you're on, Bishop. What's the wager?"

He grinned that grin that Olivia knew meant she was in trouble and she almost took it back, but it was a challenge, and she never turned those down.

"A kiss, on the lips that lasts at least 20 seconds." He kept that same smile and Olivia's jaw dropped.

"No." She sputtered. "There's no way."

"I knew it! You can't make it across on your own. Guess I'll have to carry you over to the office." Peter said triumphantly, as if he were still winning.

"Ugh, fine! But!!" Olivia thought furiously. "If I make it you have to kiss Gene." She smiled at her clever idea.

"That's the best you've got? Kissing a cow??" Peter asked incredulously.

"On the mouth." Olivia said, now completely satisfied.

Peter grimaced, "well now I'll be throwing stuff at you to make sure you don't make it."

"Nope, that's against the rules." Olivia said, edging herself closer to the end of the table.

"What rules?" Peter asked, keeping his arms ready to catch her if she fell.

"The ones I just created." She was now completely consumed with her legs, dangling off the table edge and getting her toes closer to the ground.

"Any other rules I should know about before you can't even stand?" Peter asked, sorely tempted to fold his arms across his chest, but then he wouldn't be able to help her.

"Nope," and she slid the remaining distance off the table onto her already shaky legs, but they held. She smiled excitedly and he only shook his head. He followed beside her with his arms ready as she slowly made her way to the office and she was almost there when she stumbled and her knees buckled. She was about to hit the floor when Peter caught her around the waist. He reached an arm under her legs and lifted her whole body up and carried her the remainder of the trip. She was blushing, but still looking rather smug.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he set her down on the couch in her office. He checked her over silently, lifting limbs when he needed to see under them.

"Peter! I'm fine. Honest." She blushed and sat back in the seat.

"Promise me you won't ever go back into that thing." Peter said, staring into her eyes.

"You know I can't, Peter." Olivia said softly. "We don't know if other people's lives hang in the balance on whether or not I go into that tank."

Peter sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know – really I do. But why is it always your life on the line? Isn't there a few hundred other agents out there who can take your place in that tank every once in awhile?"

The old Olivia might have snapped at him, because she wasn't willing to risk other lives in the search of her evidence, but Peter was only saying these things because he cared. Against all odds, they had become friends. The cop and the conman. She smiled at him and rested her hand on his knee. It was all she could really offer for reassurance. Peter sighed and straightened up.

"Well, at least I get that kiss." He smiled cheekily.

"Yep," she smiled, "with Gene." Her smile actually touched her eyes and Peter almost didn't regret what had put it there.

"No, you fell. So I win." He countered.

"No, you caught me so I didn't technically fall." She laughed at his outrageous look. She had conned the conman!

"You – you tricked me?" Peter looked like a fish out of water as he searched for words. "I couldn't just let you fall!" He argued.

"That's not my problem."

"Please Olivia!" He begged and when he never saw her face waiver he bowed his head in acceptance of his fate. That should teach him to help a lady in trouble. Peter stood and was about to head towards the office door when Olivia put a hand on his arm.

"Peter, wait – " And she tugged his arm down so that his face was down near hers and kissed him. His lips were so soft and warm and even though she had intended for the kiss to be short and sweet, she found herself deepening it. Brushing her tongue along his lips until his mouth all but jerked open so that they could really taste each other.

She tasted like peanut butter and coffee. A combination he could grow to love if it came on her lips every time. He wants to make her enjoy this so that she'll want more, so he pulls out all his secrets with kissing and she's almost mewling into his mouth, leaning in for more. Peter fights the grin attempting to take over his face, but then she is kissing him like she was burning from passion and now he's groaning into her mouth and is putty in her hands. She slowly backs away. "Just let me get my camera before your big debut with Gene." She whispers, grinning ear to ear.

Peter groans out loud. He was never going to live this down.

A/N: Alright it's been awhile before I've left one of these author note things, but I'd really like to know what's going on in everyone's minds. I'm all about constructive advice if people are willing to give it, so shoot away please!