A/N: Sorry for a later then usual update. I'd been sick for several weeks and only just went back to work, on a double shift, so I'm sore and all I want to do is sleep.

Only a few chapters left in this story, but my exams are coming up, so depending on free time and internet access, updates will be a bit hazy over the next 2 weeks.

Chapter 8 - Family Ties

A week. That's 7 days. 168 hours. That's ten thousand and eighty minutes since she was released from the Massive Dynamic infirmary. He couldn't help but count them. Deep in his heart, he still feared that, even though she now had Lacey, that she would run, try to return to Over There. So he counted. Every day he woke and she was still there so a victory in his eyes.

But it had been 7 days where Lacey never slept alone. At some point in the night, even if her mother had tucked her in, Peter would hear her soft echoes as she tip-toed down the hallway to Peter's room, where her mother was. That's how he found them every morning, curled up together, Olivia holding onto her, like she feared if she held her too loosely, Lacey would slip away. Peter couldn't blame her. She had already spent what must have felt like an eternity without her when they first took her. Peter, if he had known, never would have left without Lacey in the first place. But he hadn't known.

Peter had noticed many changes in her. Bits and pieces, flashes, of her original personality seeping through. Half the time she didn't seem to notice. Old habits appearing, the way she'd speak, or how she'd dress. She'd taken to wearing a grey flower-printed dress instead of one of the other colourful ones.

Olivia had taken to reading to Lacey downstairs. Peter loved listening to her. Watching her interact with her daughter. Even if she was another man's daughter, she was still Liv's, and that's all that mattered to him. He listened as Olivia asked Lacey questions, got her to point to things on the page, and heard Lacey clapping her hands and laughing.

Later, Olivia was settled on the couch in the living room, Lacey curled up in her mother's lap, as they watched the Lion King. Lacey had fallen in love with that film after Walter had shown her it, and several other Disney classics. But Lion King was her favourite.

Peter had been in the kitchen on the phone to Olivia's sister, Rachel for about 30 minutes now,

"No, Rachel, I guarantee she's fine, everything is fine now...Yes...Do you remember? ...Good, that'll make things easier to explain...No, she remembers hardly anything...I think it would help...Yes, bring Ella...Dinner sounds great, see you then, Rachel." And with that he hung up,

"Who's Rachel?" Peter hadn't noticed Olivia's presence in the kitchen doorway,

"You don't remember? She's your younger sister, with—"

"—the daughter, Ella, yeah I remember that part." She said with confidence, "It's still coming in flashes, pieces that don't match up. It's like watching a movie out of order, and not being able to understand, or remember what order it's supposed to be in."

Peter smiled softly, "It'll get better. How's Lacey?"

"She fell asleep halfway through the third time of watching the Lion King."

"Rachel is coming down tomorrow, for Dinner. She's bringing Ella."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Does she know . . . about all this?"

"We filled her in on . . . well everything a year after you . . . went missing. We had to tell her, Broyles felt that we owed her that much, owed her at least knowing what happened to you after everything you've done to save and protect this universe. She took it rather well, finding out about everything, not about what happened to you." Peter paused, "They're going to stay the night, I'm going to arrange for Walter to stay at Massive Dynamic for the night, keep him out of the way so you and Rachel can . . . remember. She said Ella missed you."

"How old is she now? 13?"

"Yeah, I think so. I haven't really spoken to them in a while."

"What will she say about Lacey?"

"We'll have to wait and see, but I'm sure everything will be alright."

oOo

Olivia had greeted her sister with a hug. It just felt right, to hug her. Like some sibling instinct, sibling bond.

"So this is Lacey?"

"Yeah."

Lacey clutched at her mother, her face buried in Olivia's hair, peeking out shyly.

Rachel moved to kneel in front of Olivia, "Lacey, I'm your Auntie Rach."

The child peered out from behind Olivia's blond hair, giving Rachel a small wave before quickly hiding her face again.

"Come on, honey, say hi. She's not scary." Olivia coaxed.

"Hi," came the muffled reply.

"So Peter tells me your 2 years old, that's a big number."

"I not two!" Lacey protested,

"She insists on everyone knowing she is 2 and 3 quarters. She's actually 2 and a half, nearly 3 quarters, but to her that doesn't mean she can't say so now." Olivia laughed, pressing a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "I'm not sure whether she's going to be stubborn or shy when she grows up."

"Peter tells me you don't remember much. Do you remember me? Or Ella?"

"Yes, but only bits."

"Well, guess I get to share all those embarrassing stories that you never wanted anyone to hear."

Rachel, Ella and Lacey went into the kitchen, Peter keeping Olivia back for a moment.

"I'm guessing you never told Lacey that on the other side there is no Rachel and Ella Dunham?"

"No. She barely understood when we told her that Grandpa was dead. She only asked because Frank told her that she had two Grandpa's but one was dead. She couldn't understand how her granddaddy was in the sky. I just figured it was easier to wait until she was older to tell her."

"No need now." Peter smiled, "She has an aunt and a cousin." Trying to get her to remember that, and not that according to the memory implants, she shouldn't.

oOo

Dinner went better than originally thought. Rachel told stories, and a few times, Olivia added on, remembering them as Rachel went on and on. They were all the 'happy' points in Olivia's childhood and teenage life, this Peter noticed. Details, important details, like her step-father, all the things that haunted her, the things that made her Olivia Dunham. Peter couldn't help but wonder if Rachel knew she was leaving out things. He'd told her to tell Olivia everything.

"She needs to know!" Peter argued in a hushed voice.

Olivia had taken Lacey upstairs, putting her to bed. Ella following, looking just as tired. Peter used the moment to confront The youngest Dunham.

"No, she doesn't. Look at her, she is happy, for the first time since our stepfather left she is happy! What about Lacey? Hmm? Do you want to expose her to such a monster?"
"Of course not! But she needs to remember! And he is a vital part of who she is, why she did the things she's done. I only know half of it, you know the rest, you know what happened between them when you were younger."

"I can't, Peter. He destroyed our childhoods, even before she . . . Went missing he was sending her birthday cards, as taunts!" she sighed, running her hand through her hair, "I can't tell her. She's happy. I won't ruin that for her. Can't you just let her be happy, for once?" she whispered.

They left the next day.

A/N: Bit jumpy this chapter, in all honesty, it was really start-stop-school-work-start-writers block-finish :/ (if that makes sense)