Chapter 14:
She gave him a few minutes to recooperate. The sweat coated her body and by the looks of it on the monitor, he felt the same way too. Finally standing up, her heart slowed to a steady beat, Olivia walked over to their adjoining door and gave a soft knock before poking her head in. "Hey," she breathed giving a faint smile.
"Hey," he rasped barely able to speak. His voice came out far softer than he anticipated. He was still rather groggy from the medication along with the recent dream sequence he had shared with Olivia.
"So, how'd it go?" She asked coming to sit at the edge of the bed beside him. "Anything?" She hoped he remembered who she was but she was beyond nervous that it hadn't entirely worked.
"I definitely felt something," he felt as though he was covered in a sheath of sweat. He hoped she hadn't noticed.
"Me too," Olivia smiled, "but do you remember?" What she wanted to ask was if he remembered her.
Peter stared at her. He couldn't lie to her. There would be no reason to and no point. She'd find out eventually. "I want to remember but it's as though all of it, is on the tip of my tongue. I had these strange dreams involving you and Walter and I just, none of it I remember from the past but it seems familiar. I wish I remembered more." He confessed, "I wish I remembered everything I'm supposed to."
Olivia nodded slowly, resting a hand on his forearm. "It's okay. It's been a long few days. I'll call a tech in and they can remove the IV and get you ready to head back to the lab."
"The lab?" Peter remembered it from her memories. It was strange, to see his life but from her eyes. "I'm not sure how I can help."
Olivia smiled weakly as she stood up, "I'll catch you up to speed on where we're at and more of the recent events that have transpired. We don't have much time and as much as I'd prefer to take you home – given the doctors orders – Broyles has instructed me to help you revive your memory so that our world isn't destroyed.
Peter stared at her. "Everything we dreamed—it was real?" He assumed it had been memories of their past shared together but it felt incredibly foreign. If he didn't know any better he'd just have thought it was a dream.
Olivia headed for the door, "the good and the bad, all of it was real." She nodded, flagging down a tech.
It wasn't but a few minutes later and they were getting into the car, driving back towards Boston. Olivia spent the next few hours in traffic and explaining to Peter about the machine, how it had jutted him to the future momentarily and how they were now working with the other side but needed his help. He had taken it all in, accepted his fate quite easily considering the circumstances and the overdose of information he'd been given. She hoped he wouldn't meltdown at some point but she had little option of anything else. When she was done and they had arrived at the lab, Olivia glanced at Peter as he stared out the window quietly. "You want to talk about it?" She asked knowing it wasn't easy to be shown your past but have no memory of it. She also knew what she asked of him, to speak to his world and convince them they weren't at war – wasn't an easy thing to do.
He knew what she showed him was the truth but he also knew it was her side of things. He'd seen it from her perspective and he could only help but wonder about the other side. It was difficult hearing her speak, especially in regards to her own death. Even though he didn't remember her, he still felt something now towards her. His mind felt in a whirlspin and as she parked the car he had no desire to get out of it. Maybe if he just sat here, she would eventually leave him alone and give up on him? He doubted it. Since when was he the chosen one to save the universes?
"Peter?" Her voice was soft and rather calm as she reached out, her warm hand finding his arm. Her touch was enough to send a flood of warmth through his body and his pulse quickened. He turned slowly glancing at her. "Talk to me." She smiled wanting to be there for him.
"It's a lot to deal with, Olivia."
"I know," she nodded, "believe me, I know." She turned off the car and unlocked the doors, coming around to wait for Peter. The minute he stood up she watched him wobble and jumped out to trap him between her body and the car. "Maybe we should get you back home." She would have thought by now the sedative had long since wore off but maybe it hadn't? Maybe whatever caused the seizure was taking a toll on his body? She didn't have the answer except that Peter looked a bit off and flushed. She helped him back into the car. "I'm taking you home." It wasn't a question and she didn't wait for him to respond as she closed the door behind him.
She walked around and started the car, driving towards the Bishop home. It wasn't a long drive and it was mostly in silence. Peter seemed to have his attention out the side window and Olivia hadn't minded. It had been an ordeal, Broyles could wait until tomorrow for them to communicate with the other side.
She parked the car out front of their house and walked around, helping Peter out of the car. "I'm going to see to it that you get some sleep, okay?"
Peter nodded, not saying a word. Usually he hated being waited on but in this very instance, he wasn't exactly objecting.
"Come on," Olivia rested a hand over his back as she led him up the stairs and to his bedroom.
Before this afternoon, he'd have made some witty remark about joining him in bed but right now he felt rather speechless. He could have told her that he had it from here but he didn't exactly want her to leave either.
Olivia was surprised by how quiet he was and she couldn't help but worry even more that something was wrong. She led him into his bedroom and watched as he moved to lie above the covers on his bed. "I can step out while you change?" She offered. "I'll be just outside the door."
"No, don't." He shook his head sitting up. He worked his fingers to remove his shirt and then his pants. He left his boxers on before climbing under the sheets. "Lay with me?"
She felt the corners of her lips turn upwards, for the briefest of moments it felt like the old Peter was back. "You know I shouldn't." She told him but moved to sit at the edge of his bed. She laughed unintentionally when she felt his arms swoop out and pull her down onto the mattress. "Peter!" Her voice squealed.
"Ticklish?" This was news to Peter and he wondered if she'd have told him as much in the past. He stopped tickling but his fingers had now moved to her hip, slightly inching up her shirt, feeling over her warm skin.
She smiled, moving to lay her head on the pillow beside him. "Yes." Her cheeks were red and her eyes were a dark shade of green as they both seemed to stare at each other into oblivion. The moment lasted a long time before Peter finally leaned in, closing the gap. His lips gently brushed against hers feeling a warmth sizzle between them. His palm moved over her lower back, pulling her to lie above him. "Peter, we shouldn't."
He didn't listen, he didn't want to hear her words. He knew she wanted this as much as he did. She was fighting it because she thought it was the right thing to do. "I'm fine, you won't break me." He smiled kissing down and across her neck, "but if you want to stop." He held her above but stopped his wonderful assault of kisses on her body.
Olivia moaned in protest. Her body and heart both wanted Peter but she wasn't certain this was the best idea. "You need rest." She gently pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart racing. Her eyes stared into his as she gradually and reluctantly pulled back. "I'm not saying no," she smiled, "I'm saying later."
He liked the sound of those words coming from her lips. "How much later?" Peter asked reaching out, his hand landing on her leg. It felt so familiar.
"I don't know," Olivia laughed, "even without your memory you've always been impatient, haven't you?"
Peter shrugged giving Olivia a grin, "you would know." He reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers together. "Can I ask you a question?" Olivia nodded and he continued, "when we shared that experience-"
"The shared dream, yes," Olivia nodded awaiting his question.
"Do you remember when we met as children?" Peter asked.
Olivia sighed softly, "no, I'm sorry Peter, I don't." She wished she remembered. It was interesting to see a memory and not remember its experience. Slowly she was beginning to truly understand what Peter had been feeling the past few days. "That was your memory, of us?" She guessed.
Peter nodded, "I think so. I mean I remember the white tulips but I didn't know it was you. I'm not sure if I ever did." He shrugged, "can't remember." He gave her a faint smile, it was bothering him less though he knew he had a lot ahead of him that needed remembering.
"How are you feeling?" Olivia asked, moving to lie on her side. One hand rested in his the other moved to his chest. She felt the steady rhythm of his heart.
"Tired," Peter confessed, "though I don't feel as though I should be. I slept quite awhile this afternoon."
"Well you were drugged and given the circumstances your body could probably still use even more rest. Which is why I took you home instead of making you work in the lab. It didn't make sense," Olivia shook her head, "putting you to work in your condition, I know Broyles thinks he's saving the world but he has no idea what he could potentially be doing long-term to your health."
Peter stared at her, "and what world will we have if I don't help now? What if we destroy both worlds again?"
Olivia let out a heavy breath. More and more it was sounding like the Peter she knew and loved. "What are you thinking?" She asked.
"After some much needed rest," Peter smiled, "and maybe a little of something else," he answered suggestively, "we could save the world together."
Olivia gave him a pointed look. "And how might we do that?"
"You leave it to me." He had devised a plan on the way home from Massive Dynamic. It had been a long drive and though he was still heavily drugged and exhausted, Peter also knew what had to be done. He leaned in, brushing his lips gingerly across hers, "in the meantime, I think it would be a good idea if we both got some rest before dinner." His stomach grumbled but he ignored it. He could wait another hour or two to eat. Sleep would do him good and then maybe if he was lucky after dinner he could have some dessert.