Title: Narrow Escape by Olivia

Olivia stared down over the edge of the kitchen table at a whimpering and fidgeting Rat-Snack who seemed to be doing the infamous "pee dance". She'd tried to ignore it since it was Peter's dog and he'd be out of the shower soon enough but the small dog had the tiniest bladder in the world and she wasn't up for cleaning up the mess. Finally setting her coffee down, she rolled her eyes and went for the dog's leash hanging by the door.

"In and out, Rat-Snack. None of this picking and choosing from a hundred places." She gave the dog a very pointed look and she just danced around Olivia's ankles while she snapped the leash onto her red collar. They exited out of the complex and began a slow walk, Olivia making sure they were being followed by an agent and Rat-Snack doing her happy dance as she flitted from tree to hydrant to old man's leg.

They'd walked at least five blocks before the dog emptied its bladder on a rose bush. At least it wasn't the other function, Olivia thought wryly. Walking back, Olivia let herself get distracted by the changing trees and the smell of the bakery around the corner and she hadn't sensed the impending danger.

A hand wrapped itself around her mouth and an arm around her torso as she was pulled into an alley so hard her vision spun. In reflex her fists balled up tight and she heard the cry of Rat-Snack as her leash tugged hard as well. When she heard the dog cry out Olivia immediately let the leash go so the dog wouldn't get hurt by whoever had her and so she could fight with both hands. Shoving her elbow back she hit the rock hard stomach of her attacker who didn't even seem phased and just gripped her around the middle even harder. Olivia cried out, though it was muffled and went through every defensive move in her book before he had her roughly pressed to the ground.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Dunham." The man growled low in her ear and pressed a knee into her back until she was almost screaming into his hand from pain. Thoughts of Rachel and Ella raced through her brain – and Peter. Oh Peter, Olivia thought sadly. Gun fire sang over her head and the man who had her pressed to the ground pulled back as he took a bullet and wrenched Olivia's arm in the process. His weight was lifted from her in an instant and he was gone, but Olivia stayed pressed to the ground to avoid the gunfire. The gunfire stopped and a male agent was crouched near her.

"Dunham, are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah," her voice was rough from the yelling. "Just get that bastard."

The agent nodded and was talking into a jacket receiver saying that he was in pursuit of a suspect and there was an agent down and gave Olivia's location. Stiffly, Olivia got to her knees and half laughed and cried when Rat-Snack came racing toward her and jumped into her arms, leash dragging behind her. Olivia winced when she brought her left arm around to hold the dog and ended up just leaving it by her side and holding the dog with her right arm. Soon another three agents were running toward her and Rat-Snack was yipping at them madly, trying to protect Olivia.

"I'm okay," she insisted, waving them off.

"Fine, but I'm escorting you back to your place while agents Michaels and Connor back up Huck." He gave the other two a look and they took off in the direction of the other agent while the agent in charge was dressed in street clothes to blend helped her to her feet. Olivia held the dog close to her as they walked back and she tried to ignore all the weird looks she was getting that probably concerned her appearance. She felt like a naughty child who had to be walked home by the nice police man and it annoyed the hell out of her. She should've kicked that guy's ass, but he'd definitely had the upper hand and that made her shiver.

Peter was just drying off when he heard his cell phone ring from the bedroom. He wrapped the towel around his waist and jogged into the room to see Sherlock pacing the length of the bedroom window, staring out. Pushing any reasons the dog might be doing that out of his mind for the time being, Peter picked up the phone.

"Bishop."

"Bishop, I just wanted to inform you that agent Dunham is safe and an agent is escorting her home now. I don't want either of you to leave that apartment for the next two days though – not even for walks. The complex has a courtyard for animals and you can use that for the time being until we can reestablish a perimeter." Broyles voice came over the line.

"Wait – what? Something happened to Olivia?" Peter asked, panicked and his heart began to race frantically. He hadn't even realized she had left.

"I don't have time for this Bishop. She'll be home soon and she'll debrief you on what happened." Then Broyles just hung up.

Peter scrambled to get dressed in whatever he could find and he was just about to head out the apartment door despite Broyles' orders when Olivia walked in carrying Shumba with another agent behind her who appeared to be scanning the room for anything that might jump out and try to kill them.

"Livia!" Peter closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms; Shumba giving a decidedly unhappy yip at being pressed between the two of them.

"I'll be back to debrief you in a few hours," the agent said from behind her and then left, shutting the door behind him.

Peter stood back so she could set the wiggling dog down and then he really looked at her. Her gray t-shirt was torn and muddy, there was a hole in her jeans at the knee where she was bleeding, her hair was caked in dirt, and there was scrape on her cheek that was specked with blood. Peter brought his hand up to caress the uninjured side of her face and he watched as neutrality turned into harden resolve as she backed away.

"Olivia, what happened?" Peter asked, fighting the urge to carry her into the bedroom and lock them both in for days just so he knew she'd be safe.

"I-I was walking Rat-Snack, she had business to do and you were in the shower. We were just on our way back when I got pulled into an alley. He's running now…" Olivia's voice faded as her face darkened.

"Livia," Peter reached out to her but she flinched and side stepped his touch.

"I need a shower." She walked past him and into the apartment toward the bathroom.

Peter sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his wet hair, wanting more than anything to punch a wall, but he restrained himself. He knew there were gaps in her story or she wouldn't be pushing away, but he didn't want to have to force it out of her.

They had finished eating Peter's chili and salad and now sat in the living room; Peter reading a book on one end of the couch while Olivia was curled up on the other with ear buds in and music playing as she appeared to be dozing off. He'd made it to page 54 before she finally broke the silence.

"He had me."

"What?" Peter turned to face her as he set his book down.

"I-I couldn't escape. I tried every move of self defense I was capable of doing under the situation, but he could've killed me if agent Huck hadn't shown up and shot at him." Olivia's face was neutral but cracking. It clearly bugged her that someone had gotten the upper hand and it most definitely unnerved Peter as well. He came too close to losing her. Olivia took the ear buds out of her ears and sat up. "Can I…?" She eyed him and his side of the couch and he opened his arms as an answer.

Olivia crawled across the couch and settled into his warm and strong embrace. Peter breathed in the scent of her shampoo just under his nose as she wriggled in his arms trying to get comfortable and when she settled he just held her, content to do so for as long as needed him. Minutes later Shumba trotted across the room and jumped up next to Peter and curled up into a little ball pressed up against her owner's side for a nap. And soon to follow was Sherlock who took to the spot Olivia had abandoned and rested his head on Olivia's thigh to stare up at Peter before falling asleep.

"I think we need a bigger place…" Peter said dryly making Olivia laugh.

"Are you suggesting that once this is all over we need to move in together?" Olivia said jokingly.

"I think I am…" Peter said in all seriousness.

"Wait – what?" Olivia stammered, sitting up so she could see his face.

"Despite our lives being in immediate danger, living together has been great." Peter said, almost as if it were an epiphany.

"So what you're saying is I'm a better roommate than Walter," Olivia said logically, trying to slow her racing heart.

"Yes, but that's beside the point." He gave her pointed glare. "Sharing a bed, eating breakfast together, and the dog walks – I love it all."

Olivia's heart leapt at that four letter word but she tried to keep her face neutral. "I-I don't know Peter…" The panic seeped into her face enough for him to shake his head down at her and he leaned down to give her a sweet and chaste kiss.

"You don't have to make any decision yet, but the offer stands for as long as you want to think about it." Peter said, not worried at all that she wasn't ready to answer. They had done things backwards and their speed which had been almost at a stand still seemed to be flying by at ninety now. He could give her some time if it meant she would be sure about her decision.

A/N: Likey? Let us know!