A Night Stroll and a Fiery Union
They didn't know how long it had been since (what Walter believed to be the New Year), they'd lost count days ago. Winter had ended. They could only guess it was nearing the middle-end of Spring. Walter had "estimated" that Ashley's age to be around 7-8 months.
It came to no surprise to Walter when Olivia's cries of joy echoed through the lab.
"Peter! Peter, come here, quick!"
Peter rushed through the lab, pushing past Walter who was huddled at the door. The fear that something bad had happened was replaced with complete glee when he saw the sight in front of him.
Ashley had discovered her hands and feet a few months after her birth, 'gabaga' and 'bubu' are, for the moment, her favourite words. She had learnt 'mama' a bit after Walter's New Year which Olivia had been ecstatic about for the next several days.
Peter watched as his daughter crawled, on her hands and knees, towards Olivia. She sat in the corner furthest from her, enticing her on, clapping her hands, drawing Ashley's curiosity, and therefore her desire to crawl towards it. Once she got to her, Olivia scooped her up and her smile as wide as Ashley's. Ashley had a goofy grin of excitement, clapping her hands clumsily in joy.
Peter joined in, sitting on the ground next to the door and calling for his daughter. She pushed away from Olivia and started crawling towards Peter.
They stayed like this for what seemed like forever. Broyles, John and Charlie stood behind Astrid and Walter as they all watched from the doorway. The peering, curious eyes of Katie and Ella could be seen through the office's windows.
They all watched as the adorable blond haired child crawled on her hands and knees back and forth between her parents.
She was giggling and still wearing that goofy grin. Soon, Ashley started yawning, her crawling slowing. Olivia held her, cradling her to her body. The child aimlessly grabbed at Olivia's breast, pulling on the material separating her from her food.
"I think someone's hungry." She moved to sit on the couch.
Taking the hint, everyone dispersed quickly, closing the door and leaving the newbie parents and their daughter in privacy.
Peter watched as the mother and daughter bonded. Olivia trying to get Ashley to latch on without much success. Peter leant forward, stroking down Ashley's check, letting her suck on his fingertip. Olivia moved her closer to her breast. This had worked in the past. Peter would slowly remove his finger while Olivia replaced it with her nipple, getting Ashley to feed.
Once Ashley started, Olivia settled back into the couch.
"We should get married."
Olivia looked at him with a mix of awe and surprise.
". . . um . . . how?" was all she could manage.
"Just us. Forever. We don't need a priest to make it 'official' because it would be official to us no matter what."
"Yes."
"Yes?" Peter repeated her; slightly taken back that she'd answered so quickly.
"Yes." She nodded.
Peter kissed her with everything he had. Their tongues tangling together.
Peter pulled back when he felt a sharp kick in his stomach from the child squished between them.
"She just loves kicking me doesn't she." He shook his head, "Not a sharer are you sweetheart?" he asked, brushing his thumb over her cheek again.
"I thought I was your sweetheart?" Olivia asked him, looking at him with mock hurt.
"You both are. I reckon she's all you. She'll be our beautiful, feisty, stubborn-like-her-mother, daughter. She'll be just as beautiful as you and hopefully have an IQ like mine. On that note I should make a 'DADD' shirt. Since I doubt that I can find one."
"'DADD'?"
"'Dad's Against Daughter's Dating'. I always wanted a little girl; I planned on buying a shirt like that once she was old enough."
"It all depends on if there are any boys left for her to date."
It was needless to say that they were both thinking of their future with their daughter.
Their moment was interrupted by a soft knock and Walter's head appearing through the crack in the door. His eyes were squeezed shut.
"Agent Dunham, are you decent?"
"Just a second, Walter."
With that Walter disappeared back out the door. Olivia quickly dressed herself while Peter patted Ashley's back until she burped before placing her down to nap.
When they exited the office, they found Walter pacing with a strange look on his face.
"Uh oh. I know that look." Peter sighed.
"What look?"
"The look Walter has right now."
Olivia looked at Walter. He looked deep in thought.
"He wants to do an experiment. He would always have that look when he had an idea he wanted to 'test' on either me or some unknowing subject." Peter turned to his father, "Walter, what do you want to do now?"
"I wish to test Olivia's abilities further."
"How much further?" Olivia asked cautiously.
"I wish to know if you can completely cover your body. In flames. Become a human torch." Walter, slightly distracted by his own words began to ramble, "You know Peter never did like the Fantastic Four films. I, personally, loved them. Though I must say the science could have been better."
"Walter. When do you want Olivia to do this?" Peter said, pulling Walter back to reality.
"Well, now, if you wish. Outside would be best."
Olivia, Peter and Walter went outside. They were just about to start when Charlie called from teh window.
"Oy. Ash is crying." That was it. Chalrie knew better then to try and comfort the child. She had thrown up on him the last time he tried to help.
"I'll be back later. Don't let him do anything that could harm you, or him." Peter kissed Olivia quickly before rushing off to tend to his child.
-Several Hours Later: Dusk-
Olivia took Peter's hand, pulling him out of the lab and down the hallway. They sat on the stairs, watching as the sunset across Boston.
"Liv, shouldn't we get back inside, you know, before it gets dark?"
"Nope. I want to show you something."
"Seriously, 'Livia, we have no weapons on us. We're walking targets. Free food."
"Just trust me on this."
As the sky darkened, Olivia pulled Peter out to stand in the middle of the yard. Wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him close.
"Just trust me on this, okay?" Peter nodded his 'yes'.
She buried her face into his neck, her breath washing over his skin.
Peter felt Olivia's body grow hotter and hotter. Her skin was glowing, a fire red. The flames started at her feet, slowly crawling up her legs, over her hips, her chest, eventually her whole body was on fire. But Peter couldn't feel a thing. It was barely a slight warmth over his body, not burning like it looked like it should.
Peter felt Olivia 'push' the flames onto him, the wave of energy that encompassed the two as they stood wrapped in their embrace in the middle of the night. The fire consumed all of them, but neither could feel it. Their clothes untouched, their skin unburned, nothing was scorched like it should have been. It was just them.
Slowly Olivia pulled away from him, taking his hand in hers. The flames still surrounded them both, lighting the earth around them, protecting them form the creatures that hid in the darkness.
"This is . . . I don't have words to describe this."
"Walter helped me. This is what he showed me how to do after you had left."
Peter just looked at Olivia in amazement.
"Walter thinks that he might be able to . . . essentially, harness this, my ability and create a weapon. Something bigger than the test tube ones. He seems to think that if he can create an electromagnetic 'bubble' of sorts. He thinks that he can make one big enough that my fire can sort of, i think he said, 'hitchhike' onto the wave, powering it more, so it can encompass the world. All I have to do is think of the creatures as I produce the flame, just keep pushing it out so it destroys them all and not any survivors. I know it's a long shot, but its something when we have nothing."
"Liv, I don't care where we are, what happens, as long as I have you, I'm as happy as I'll ever be."
Peter dug into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. It was one of those necklaces that had extremely large metal rings all chained together. Peter found two that seemed the right sizes and separated them from the larger rings of the necklace.
"I found this the other day. I'd wanted to have something to give to you before I asked. I thought it was appropriate given our current situation."
He took her left hand, taking the smallest of the metal rings and slipping it onto her ring finger. Olivia took the other ring and did the same to Peter.
"I love you, with all my heart. Since the day I met you, I knew you'd be a pain in my arse, you were so stubborn, determined, prepared to jump into a tank while pumped full of drugs to save the man you loved. I could only hope I'd find someone willing to do that for me. Little did I know that you'd be my someone."
"You are everything John wasn't. You risked your life for me, several times. You stuck by my side even when things got tough. You always came back."
They came together, their lips touching. The kiss was soft, passionate, and full of love. The flames grew stronger, brighter, spreading out around them, lighting the night.
A/N: So I know that the whole electromagnetic field idea would definitely not work,
(Just remember I'm not even 21 yet, reality and truth means squat to me)
But hey, its fiction, I can do what I want, bend the world to my will, do the impossible. Besides, it's how I get to the drama later on.
The John Part: basically episode 1 happens up until where John dies – he is still found a traitor but his knowledge and connections spare him the death sentence and he is forced to help the Fringe Division. (if that makes sense) - that's how my little world here works.