A/N - So second-to-last chapter...I hope you guys are not too unhappy with the way I have decided to end things. Like I said previously, the stories and characters kind of move on their own. This was not what I originally had planned but it shifted into something else when I realized that the Marion Chessler wasn't as bad as I first imagined her to be. LIke all of the best character's, she's a little bit broken.

So if you are a little bummed, I am sorry. I honestly think the ending works for what it is.

So read, enjoy and review.

And don't forget, one last chapter after this.

Chapter Twenty – Stuck In The Middle With You

With the thin file clutched in her hand, Olivia flashed her I.D and waited for the doors to swing open. As soon as she entered the building itself, her stomach flipped, the smell of ammonia, urine and unhappiness heavy in the air. She remembered it from when she had first seen Walter and she hated it. But this is what Marion had chosen. She itched her arm; it had been driving her crazy since she had gotten the cast taken off the day before. The doctor had given her exercises to do but she figured the act of weight lifting Etta would be enough to get it back to itself. But it still itched. She had even somehow managed to get a light sunburn, which confused her greatly. She smiled stiffly to yet another uniform that showed her a small, bare room. Marion was sitting at the table; her hair pulled back neatly, her face relaxed.

"Agent Dunham. I'm surprised to see you here."

Broyles, despite the case, stood firmly on the side of Marion. She needed help more than she needed punishment. Which is why Olivia was here, she understood. She could only imagine the pain that Marion and Walter lived with. The idea of losing Etta was an unfathomable. She hadn't been planned or expected but life wouldn't be possible without her.

"I have something for you."

Marion shook her head slightly.

"I'm not allowed to keep things here."

"I cleared it with the supervisor for you."

She placed the file on the table, sliding it towards Marion. Marion glanced at the cover before pushing it open. Olivia had taken the pictures out of Celeste from Marion's home to bring for her. No mother should have to live without their child's face. Marion smiled, her eyes filling with tears, her finger following the outline of her daughter's cheek.

"Thank you. I have missed seeing her. Memories don't do her justice."

"I have some news for you as well."

"What?"

"Cassie Burton is speaking again."

Marion glanced up.

"Is she going to be ok?"

"Her doctors are optimistic. It looks good."

Marion shook her head slightly.

"I never meant to hurt them."

"But you did. I suppose you heard the news about Trualific Sciences?"

"That they are now closed down? Yeah I did. I did want to know what happened to the rest of those couples who had eggs waiting for them."

"The ones that we suspected you and your ex-husband toyed with, the families were informed and given a choice. All the other information was destroyed or put into FBI storage."

"Oh."

Olivia leaned back in the seat, trying to get comfortable in the hard, metal chair.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Fire away."

"Why did you agree to this?"

Marion frowned, her eyes back on the pictures of Celeste.

"I thought about killing myself at one point. But I couldn't do it. I still wonder how Wyndell found the courage to do it, to end it all."

"But how does being here help?"

"I'm not completely sure why it helps but it does. I guess having a way to pour out my pain helps. And the medications."

"It didn't help last time."

"Believe it or not, it did. I was almost comatose when I was here last time. Didn't speak, eat or drink. Life was over for me, I just happened to be breathing through it."

Olivia nodded slightly before standing.

"Agent Dunham?"

Marion's voice was soft.

"I hope that you never have to feel what this is like. Chesrish her. Your daughter is a gift that can be taken away at any moment. You never know when God needs more Angels."

Olivia studied Marion for a moment, finding a truth in her soft words. She was right of course but Olivia didn't like imagining Etta with a cold, let alone gone from this world. Instead, she nodded once and made a move for the door.

"Good luck Marion."

"Good bye Agent Dunham. Thank you for the pictures."

"You're welcome."

It wasn't until Olivia was outside that she felt like she could finally breathe. Now it felt like the case was finally closed.

When Olivia finally arrived home Peter greeted her at the doorway with a kiss and a smile.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hey yourself. What's with the grin?"

"What? I can't smile when I see my wife?"

"No, it makes me suspicious."

Peter laughed.

"Noted. Not going to listen but noted."

Olivia glanced toward the living room, hearing excited squeals.

"What's going on in there?"

"I did what you asked. Michael came over a little over an hour ago. He's trying to teach Etta how to play Snap! But I think she's a little too excited by the snap concept to pay attention."

Olivia slipped into the living room quietly, trying to catch out Michael and Etta. She watched as Etta whacked her hand loudly on the stack of cards, giggling. Michael shook his head, his tone patient.

"Etta, you only do that when they are the same."

Etta giggled.

"Snap!"

Olivia smiled. Michael seemed no worse for wear after his ordeal, and aside from being clingy, neither did Etta. Both were safe. Even Cassie Burton was coming back into her own. She sighed as Peter's arms slid around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"So are you going to tell me why he's here?"

"I made a promise."

"Another one?"

"This one is slightly easier to keep."

Peter pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'll have dinner waiting for you when you get home. "

"You will?"

"We had a deal, remember?"

"I forgot about that. What are we having?"

"It's a surprise."

Olivia turned to face Peter, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before breaking from his embrace, smiling as Etta finally realized that she was home.

"Momma."

"Hey baby girl. What are you playing?"

"Snap!"

Michael frowned slightly.

"She seems to like the action and the word rather than the game itself."

"Well, she's still a baby. The rules of games are still a little over her head."

"I was doing middle school level tests at her age."

"Well, people are different. That's what makes the world so interesting."

Michael nodded slightly, considering her words. Olivia scooped Etta up, pressing a kiss to her round cheek.

"Are you going to be good today? Your Daddy needs you to behave."

"Dada?"

"Yes! You are your Daddy are staying home. He can keep trying to teach you your new game."

Etta clapped her hands together.

"Snap!'

Olivia laughed as she put Etta back on the ground before turning to Michael.

"Let's go. Did you bring your coat?"

"Yes. I'll just get it."

When Michael had on his coat, they headed back out to the truck. Michael was strangely quiet and when Olivia glanced at him, she could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

"You're very quiet."

Michael sighed.

"Today is the anniversary of my parent's death. Aunt Angela and I went to visit them."

Olivia frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry Michael, I didn't know."

Michael shrugged his stiff shoulders.

"You weren't to know."

"Are you ok?"

"Depends on your definition. I must admit, trying to teach Etta a basic card game was distracting and entertaining."

Olivia smiled.

"Yeah she's good for that."

Michael turned in his seat slightly.

"Do you think it's immature of me to believe that they are still around somehow? That they see what I do?"

Instead of answering, Olivia waited for an opening in the traffic before easing the truck to a stop on the side of the road, turning in her seat to face him completely.

"Is that what you believe?"

"Yes."

"Then what does it matter? If it helps you, then what others think is redundant."

Michael nodded slightly.

"That makes sense I suppose."

Olivia tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

"You know, after my mother died, I used to write her letters. Long ones, telling her everything that I was doing, you know the boring stuff that seems important. Then, when I had a collection, I would go into the backyard and burn them. I thought that the smoke would get to wherever she was and she would know I was ok."

"And that helped you?"

Olivia thought for a moment.

"I think so."

"I wrote my father a letter in our code. I told him all the things that had happened and buried it at the end of his grave."

"And how did that make you feel?"

Michael frowned slightly.

"Strangely cleansed."

Olivia reached over and squeezed Michael's hand.

"People deal with grief differently. If writing letters and having them watch over you helps, then do it."

Michael nodded slightly.

"I will listen to your advice. I personally like the idea that they are watching me. It makes me feel safe. I don't get to feel safe with people as much as I would like."

"Who do you feel safe with?"

"Aunt Angela, obviously. You and Peter as well."

Olivia smiled, surprised.

"Really?"

Michael nodded.

"Of course. I felt safe with you from the moment I met you. I'm not certain why."

"Well, I'm glad that's how you feel."

Olivia glanced at the dashboard clock, before throwing the truck back into gear and moving back into the traffic. Michael glanced out the window.

"Where are we going?"

"I made you a promise, remember?"

By the time they pulled into the Harvard parking lot, Michael was fidgeting with excitement. His hand found hers as they walked through the building and into the lab. Walter was humming to himself, working on whatever he was working on, a strawberry milkshake close to his hand. Astrid glanced up as they came through the door, her smile wide.

"Hey Olivia. Walter, we have a visitor."

Walter sighed, his eyes still down.

"I don't want to buy any cookies this year."

"Walter, it's not cookies."

Walter glanced up; a wide smile appearing as he finally noticed Olivia.

"Olivia my dear, what a pleasant surprise."

"Hey Walter. I have someone here that has been dying to meet you."

Olivia pulled Michael forward and towards Walter.

"Walter, this is Michal Wainwright. Michael, this is Dr Bishop."

Walter shook Michael's hand.

"Oh yes on of the wunderkinds. Hello son. "

Michael shook Walter's hand, his eyes wide.

"Dr Bishop it is a great honour to meet you."

Walter waved off the compliment.

"Me? I've never met someone like you. Your brain is amazing."

Michael glanced at Olivia.

"My brain?"

"Yes my son. Your brain. To have that level of intelligence, what a gift. You could do great things."

"I hope to one day, Sir."

"Walter. Call me Walter."

Olivia moved back as they started talking, the conversation quickly becoming intense and moving rapidly over Olivia' head. She took a seat as one of the tables, watching as Michael and Walter chatted, both very excited to meet each other.

"Cute kid."

Astrid moved next to her, handing her a coffee.

"Thanks. Yeah, he is. A little too smart for his own good but he's a sweet kid. He was trying to teach Etta how to play Snap!."

Astrid chuckled.

"That would have been funny."

"It was."

"Is he ok?"

Olivia glanced at Michael.

"He should be. All the kids are, which is a huge relief."

Astrid frowned slightly.

"I know that it's none of my business but I heard that you went and saw Marion Chessler today."

"Yes I did."

"Why?"

Olivia shrugged.

"I don't know. I feel a little bad for her. I know she did a terrible thing but it's not often that the bad guys are trying something good. She was trying to help the kids. She went around it the wrong way but still, she was trying to help them."

"We might never have found them."

"But we did and she's getting all the help she needs."

"Well, personally I'm glad she locked up. And that Cassie is going to be fine."

Olivia toyed with the pen that lay in front of her.

"I never understood it personally. You hear stories about the incredible strength and emotions that come with being a parent but you don't understand it. Then when I had Etta, something changed. And I've seen what the grief of losing a child can do. It broke Walter and it broke Marion Chessler. I can't blame her for her actions, even if they were stupid. Because I can't say how I would react. I don't ever want to find out how that feels."

Astrid nodded slightly.

"Did it help? Seeing her I mean?"

"In a way, it closed the case off completely. She's never getting out, I know that much. It's where she wants to be, where she needs to be."

"Did you tell Peter that you saw her?"

"No. He worries and he does not understand the way I do. All he saw were what the kids are going to have to deal with, the aftermath of the kidnappings."

"I can see where he's coming from."

"I know, so do I. So don't judge me too harshly, ok? I needed to finish this thing off completely."

Olivia sipped her coffee as she watched Walter pull up a board and start writing a series of questions on it. She smiled as Michael rapidly answered each one, some before Walter had even finished writing.

"I don't judge you, just so you know. I just wanted to check in and make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine Astrid. I honestly am."

Astrid smiled.

"Good. Do you want a cookie? Walter made a fresh batch last night. He couldn't sleep."

"That's bad news."

"What is?"

"Having a father-in-law who's passion it is to bake when he can't sleep. He's going to make me bigger than I was when I was pregnant with Etta."

Astrid chocked slightly on the edge of her cookie. Olivia smiled, patting her on the back.