A/N - Thanks for the reviews - once again, I hope that you continue to read and enojoy...made a major break through on this story last night. What a twisted little number it has become!

Someone questioned the normality that I am trying to inject between the action. So let me explain. I assume that with any case, there will be gaps, moments when things are not on full throttle. I also think that with Etta, Peter and Olivia will never be able to do as they did before, going from case to case with little room for pause. With Etta, they are forced to a stop occasionally, regardless of the case.

So yeah...

Read and review follks!

Chapter Eleven – Safety Is Just Danger With Its Shudders Down

She could feel every heavy inch of Peter's looks as they unloaded the few belongings that Angela and Michael had brought with them. He didn't comment on her lack of action, allowing it to linger noisily between them. She didn't need him to speak to know that one of his concerns was the fact that they were followed. If that was the case, than they also had details of the truck. The same truck that they used for personal use as well as for work. Someone knew too much. With Angela and Michael settled, Peter took her hand and pulled her outside, the lush backyard sweet smelling and bright.

"What was that?"

"What?"

Peter frowned.

"They were following us."

Olivia said nothing, choosing to focus on a bird that was fluttering around the backyard. She had hesitated. And she hated herself for it. Worse still, she wasn't sure why she had hesitated.

"Michael told me what you promised."

"It was true."

"I never questioned that. What I wanted to show you was the note that they left. Broyles took the main copy but Angela took a picture with her phone."

Peter pulled out his phone, taking a few minutes to find it before offering it to Olivia. She glanced at the screen, her stomach a hand ball in her throat.

You Are Not As Safe As You Think. They Can't Help You

Olivia frowned.

"That's why Michael freaked out. He saw the note."

"Michael freaked out?"

"Yeah. He's still a kid, despite being as overtly gifted one. He's scared."

"He should be. Did you call Broyles?"

"Yes. He's sending someone here to keep as eye on the place until we have this mess figured out. Which we need to do quickly by the way. I get the feeling that Michael will be the next move."

"Well, we need to figure out our own first."

"I know."

Peter moved closer to her, resting an arm around her waist.

"We will wait for the agent and then we will head back to the lab ok? Go over everything that we know. The answers there, I know it."

Olivia nodded, her thoughts with her daughter and the danger that this case had put them all in.

Still not one hundred percent comfortable with the threat that lingered, Olivia insisted on picking Etta up on the way to the lab sending Kathleen home early. She remained silent in the turck, her hand on Etta's tiny ankle as Peter kept chattering, Etta occasionally joining in. She had called ahead to make sure that Walter got rid of the more dangerous things in the lab so Etta's eager little hands wouldn't find them. She had waved off Walter's excited concern and he hadn't protested. He never did when it came to Etta. When they had arrived at the lab, it was in a delightfully peaceful mode. Walter was sitting behind the piano, singing softly as he played a piece that Olivia didn't recognise, Astrid milling around the lab doing all the small tasks that often got over looked.

"Trid!"

Etta's voice echoed across the lab, breaking the peace as she saw Astrid, her face lighting up. Olivia found it deeply reassuring that Etta had inherited her father's love of people. It was one of his best traits. Astrid smiled back, pulling off her gloves as she got closer.

"Hey Etta! Have you been a good girl today?"

Etta smiled widely again.

"No"

Astrid smiled as she scooped Etta into her arms.

"Sounds about right."

She looked between Peter and Olivia reading the tension between them.

"What happened?"

Olivia sighed.

"The threat has just become bigger. I would feel better if I had Etta close. I hope you don't mind."

Astrid smiled as Etta clapped her hands to the music that Walter was still playing.

"Don't be ridiculous. This little darling is the highlight of my day. Come on Etta, let's go see Pop."

Etta pointed to Walter.

"Pop. Pop boogie."

Olivia watched as Astrid moved Etta closer to Walter. Once close enough, Etta smacked him on the head, giggling with delight at his loud protest. Walter swung around, his face pulled into a frown. It instantly melted when he saw Etta.

"Hello my darling. Come, sit with Pop. We will play the piano."

Etta happily slipped into Walter's lap and started banging on the keys. Olivia always wondered at the infinite patience that Walter had with his grand-daughter, despite the zero tolerance he tended to have for the rest of the world. Peter's hand around her own pulled her back to earth and she let him lead her into Walter's office.

They spent hours studying the files. When Etta came in, hungry and tired, Peter read her a story, falling asleep about the same time as his daughter. They were both sleeping peacefully, Etta on Peter's chest, just over his heart, a small smile on her face, while Olivia continued roaming through the files. It reminded her of a puzzle that Etta had dropped into the bath. Once it was dried out, it appeared fine. It wasn't until they had tried to put it back together that they realized that the pieces didn't fit together anymore. They had all the pieces but nothing fit. It irritated the hell out of Olivia. She knew it was there, she just didn't know where.

"Sorry Liv."

She raised her eyes slightly, smiling. Peter yawned and rubbed his eyes, trying not to move Etta.

"It's ok. You looked very cute though. You were drooling, Etta was drooling. I almost asked Astrid for a bucket."

Peter chuckled, shifting carefully on the sofa, sitting up in the same move that he shifted Etta onto his shoulder. He paused for a moment to make sure she was still out before moving to the desk.

"Did you find anything?"

Olivia frowned.

"I'm not sure. Something is irritating me."

Peter carefully pulled a seat closer, settling down beside Olivia.

"What?"

Olivia shuffled through the files, trying to find the one that had caught her eye earlier.

"Wyndell James. He interviewed each of the families with a missing child."

"So?"

"He didn't meet all families, normally only a handful over the course of the year. You don't think that it's odd that he met with all six?"

Etta stirred in her sleep and Peter rocked her slightly, stroking her head until she settled again.

"Yeah, it's suspicious, I'll give you that. Anything else pop up?"

"He had stocks in the Wainwright's computer company."

"What! We never saw that before."

"Because we weren't looking. Wainwright's Computing was sold when the Wainwright's died."

"Did he lose anything?"

"No, he was paid out quite nicely. My point was the fact that they had a connection. A big one."

"Ok, so we dig a bit deeper into Wyndell James."

"Exactly."

"Right, but first, we need to get this one to bed. And you need rest too. I'm going to find out what Walter is up to."

Peter carefully slid Etta into Olivia's arms before leaving the office. Olivia rubbed small circles on Etta's back as she kept going over the files, wondering about the motive. What would cause Wyndell James to kidnap five kids, threaten FBI agents and scare the sixth child? And why these kids? Etta stirred, murmuring something in her sleep, her breath hot on Olivia's neck. She shifted in her sleep again before opening her eyes slightly.

"Hey pretty girl."

"Momma."

"I know, we will go home soon. Daddy is just checking on Pop."

"Pop sleep?"

"Not yet."

"K."

Olivia stood and started to rock Etta, waiting for her eyes to close again. She felt that steady burn again, slowly burning her chest and spreading to the rest of her body. If Wyndell James was behind this, the threats and the fear, then she would stop him. And if Peter wasn't nearby, she would inflict some pain of her own.

Olivia was alone in the kitchen, still searching for the files, trying to find the reason behind Wyndell James and the kidnappings. She needed to sleep, her eyes kept drifting closed before she pulled herself up again. She always laughed when Etta did that but it wasn't so funny when it was happening to her.

"Right, that's enough."

Peter had slipped into the kitchen. He took the coffee from her hand, pouring the rest of the cold brew into the sink before turning back to Olivia.

"Bed."

"I'm fine. What I need-"

"Is to sleep. "

"I can't. Michael, I promised him that he would be safe."

Peter leaned forward and captured her face in his hands.

"Honey, you are no good to anyone without sleep. Please listen to me. Michael is safe tonight and so is Etta. You need to rest."

Olivia studied him for a moment. He was worried, could see it etched in his eyes. He was always worried. About her, about Etta, it didn't matter. And when he had that look, she could refuse him nothing. And it didn't help that she could hear her bed calling her, an inviting whisper that it was getting harder and harder to ignore.

"Ok."

Peter smiled as he released her face and took her hand, tugging her to her feet. She felt sluggish, drunk with exhaustion. She followed him and watched as he checked the front door again, the fourth time that night by her count, before they headed upstairs. She was sleep before her head hit the pillow.