This is SO late, I am so sorry! Please review and as always, those who always review…you are fantastic! :D I love you all so much!
Reference: SpongeBob Squarepants (Pilot), "…big boy…look after yourself (myself)…" (The Cure), Peter and Olivia on the swings (Jacksonville), "…look how happy she is…" (August), "…sweet a little girl…" (The Day We Died), David Robert Jones (In Which We Meet Mr Jones), "…deep in bio-technology…" (In Which We Meet Mar. Jones), "…what was written…" (Ability)
Chapter 31 - …Not
From lunch time the sun had come out to shine down on Boston and so Peter took the chance to finally get out of the house in a way that didn't require finding a suspect or tracking a criminal, pulling Ella onto his lap as they sat on the couch watching SpongeBob and whispered into her ear, causing her to squeal and pull away from Peter, a smile exploding onto her face before she skipped into the backroom coming back with her coat, Olivia did say that she was beyond her years when it came to smarts. "What have you told her?" Olivia looked at Peter as she curled into his side a little more, enjoying just being able to lay with him and be in his arms, "Oh nothing, just asked if she wanted to go to the park." He smirked down at Olivia as he rose from the couch.
"Oh course you did!" She called out to him as he moved towards the stairs, laughing as he took them one by one to the top floor. "So you wanna go to the park Bell?" the small child nodded almost comically fast, holding out her jacket for her aunt to take. "Ok, Ok, come here monster and we can get your shoes on." Olivia stood from the couch just in time to grab Ella as she ran into her arms, before she was swung up and over Olivia's shoulder in a fireman hold, both the girl's laughter echoing through the room. "You're mine now!" Olivia turned in circles as Ella's legs kicked and she screamed wanted to get down. "Alright, alright." Placing Ella down gently on the floor, Olivia reached for her hand and walked her towards the kitchen, retrieving her shoes as she went. "Come on miss. Lets get these shoes on." Placing Ella on the bar stool, Olivia slipped her shoes on then her jacket, just in time to see Peter coming down the stairs having changed his clothes and holding both their runners in his hand.
"Here, thought you might need these." He handed them to her with a quick but powerful kiss, receiving a 'yuck' from Ella but a cheeky smile was on her face as they turned to face her. "Yuck? Yuck? It's not yuck!" Peter leaned down quickly, capturing Ella's cheek in a slobbery kiss that had her squealing and pulling away from him. "Peter!" she pouted out her bottom lip as she whipped her cheek, Peter's smile growing as she did, sticking his tongue out like a child. "Ok you two children, lets get going…" Olivia pulled Ella into her arms and continued on towards the door, hoping Peter would follow, which he did, shutting off all the lights and locking the door as he went. "Hey! At least wait for me…" he had to jog to catch up with Olivia, deciding to walk as the park was only a few blocks away. "You're a big boy, I'm sure you can look after yourself…"
Halfway to the park Ella wiggled her way out of Olivia's arms and dropped to the ground with a thud before jumping back up and reached for her aunt's hand and Peter's also, standing in between the two as they walked. "Is that better Ella?" Olivia looked down at the child and she nodded, "Yeah Aunt Liv. Happy now." She smiled broadly at Olivia before pulling a little harder on both their hands, wanting them to move a little faster. When the park was in sight, Ella began to bounce like crazy, "Swings!" She dropped Peter's hand with the intention of racing off on her own but Olivia knew better and held on a little tighter, "Ella, you know better than to try and run off, you have to wait for us, ok."
Ella stopped suddenly at her aunt's voice and also with the realisation that only one person had let go. "Yes Aunt Liv…" Her voice was soft, she knew that she should have known better than to try and run off and so her steps died down a little, keeping up with the adults. As the all were with in 100 meters of the swings, Olivia let go of Ella's hand and encouraged her to run towards the swings, "You coming Ella?" Olivia took off with long strides, Ella having to keep up by running her heart out, Peter hanging back and laughing at the two children in front of him. He watched as Olivia lifted Ella onto the child swing and pushed her slowly, the girl's laughter echoing through the almost empty park. "Higher aunt Liv!" her high pitched voice piercing the air.
Peter watched Olivia from the pile of sand he was sitting on, Ella had pulled him into the sand pit to play but Olivia had decided to sit it out and watch them. She had found herself a seat on one of the adult swings, her legs swinging back and forward gently, pushing the swing lightly, almost as if the breeze had taken a hold of it. Fisting handfuls of sand, Peter let it run through his fingers and he watched her, she truly was beautiful, simple and gorgeous. "Hey, Ella I'm going to sit with aunt Liv for a bit ok, I think she wants me to play with her for a little while..." Peter leaned forward to whisper in Ella ear, "I think she is jealous..." Giggles erupted from Ella and Peter smiled, he really could spend his life making her laugh.
Dusting the sand off his jeans as Peter rose from the sandpit, he tracked back up the small path to the swings, taking note of how Olivia could still see Ella completely from her seat. Although as he continued he noticed that someone else had spotted Olivia, ready making his was to her side, sitting on the swing next to her. He couldn't make out what was being said but the smile on her face made him a little jealous, he was the only one who could make her smile like that. As Peter came to Olivia's side, she took a hold of his hand and smiled up at him, "This is my boyfriend Peter..." the other man reached out his hand to shake Peter's. "Peter this is Mrs Johnson's husband. She is the lady down the hall that looks after Ella a couple of times a week. Ella goes to school with Nick's son." Olivia inclined her head to where Ella was now sitting with a young boy and a woman who was about Olivia's age. "My wife saw Ella sitting there so we thought Jacob would enjoy the company." The mans voice was gruff, almost gravelly, Peter sighed a silent sigh of relief, he was jealous, there was no two ways about it but that disappeared when he found out who the man was.
"Daddy!" A young boys voice called out to the man and he smiled, "That's my cue, don't worry, me and Joe won't be moving from the sand pit for a very long time I think, we will make sure Ella doesn't run off." He winked at Olivia as he left the swing, leaving them both alone. Peter nodded a goodbye to the man as he walked passed him, thankful for the few moments alone with Olivia, granted that he was having one of the best days of his life spending it with Ella and the love of his life, but having those couple of minutes to be able to touch her and look away from Ella without having to worry. Stepping behind the swing that Olivia was still swinging gently on, Peter rested his hands on her hips, and leaned down, resting his chin on her shoulder, both of the glancing out toward Ella. "She looks like she is enjoying herself Livia, look how happy she is…this has been an amazing day…" Peter placed a gently kiss on her neck, just below her ear lobe feeling her sigh with happiness.
She nodded against his head, resting hers gently against him as they watched on, Ella reaching and laughing with her little friend. Leaning back from her shoulder, Peter placed his hands on her back gently and slowly began to push her, watching as her hand suddenly gripped the chains, clearly not expecting him to push her. There was comfortable silence between them both as Peter pushed Olivia on the swing gently, the wind taking a hold of Olivia's hair as she was being pushed. Peter had had an idea running through his head for a few hours and finally thinking that this was the best time to actually ask her, he took a hold of Olivia by the hips, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close, "I was thinking that you could call Rachel and tell her that Ella will be staying with us tonight…I want to have Ella stay the night at my place…"
Olivia looked back at Peter, she smile widening, she had secretly been hoping that Peter would bring up the idea of having Ella stay the night, she just didn't want to be the one to impose it on him, "That would be fantastic, I'm sure Rachel will enjoying having a night off, I think she wanted to catch up with some friends anyway…" Olivia placed her hand on Peter's cheek lovingly, stroking the stubble she found there, "You're amazing, you know that?" Smiling like the Cheshire cat, Peter nodded him her hand, placing a kiss on her palm, "Yea I know…you bring out the best in me…" he placed another kiss on her palm before whispering, "I love you so much sweetheart." He craned his neck a little more to the side to capture her lips in a passionate kiss, taking full advantage of his hold on her. "Peter…" his name slipped from her lips as a sigh, Olivia smiling into the kiss. "I love you too."
As the sun started to drop in the skin, Olivia called out towards Ella, "Ella, come on honey, lets go home, we can watch a movie or something if you want." Ella's head snapped up and she nodded quickly, waving a goodbye to her friend before running directly into her Aunt's waiting arms, before she as lifted off the ground and sat on Olivia's hip, "Did you have fun today baby?" Ella's head bobbed like a noddy doll, "Yea, lots of fun! Made sandcastles and…and…house!" She was so excited Ella was almost bouncing off the of Olivia's hip. "Wow! Next time we can go to the beach one day and make big ones?" Ella's eyes widened at her aunts words, "Please!" Olivia just smiled at the enthusiasm of her niece, knowing that it wasn't going to die down anytime soon, especially when she found out that Peter was currently on the phone with her mother, organising for her to spend the night. "You girls read to head home?" Peter's voice soon found their ears and Olivia smiled, "Sure…" Although they both laughed as Ella yawned, rubbing her hands over her eyes, "…I think someone needs a nap…"
After placing Ella down on the couch with a pillow and a blanket, Peter pulled Olivia over to the love seat, holding her close and letting his arms come around her waist, "You are going to make a wonderful mother one Liv, the way you are with her is amazing…" he placed a kiss at the side of her neck, letting his lips travel down her shoulder, "She's a sweet little girl…" Olivia let her head fall onto Peter's shoulder, closing her eyes and just breathing in the smell of him.
"Aunt Liv…where is daddy?" Olivia looked down from the sink to see the doe eyes of her niece staring back at her. It really was a sobering question considering the fun that they had been having all day. It had astounded Olivia how cluey her niece actually was, she may have only been two years old but she was very attuned to the things that were going on in her own life. Olivia thought for a moment, wondering if she had ever asked about her father but came up blank. Dropping the plate into the sink gently, Olivia turned and knelt in front of Ella, her face downcast and sad look in her eyes. "Baby, why do you ask?" The small child shrugged and kept her eyes down. "Ella, what's wrong?" Olivia pulled Ella into her arms and sat on the floor with her back against the cupboard. In her arms, Ella shrugged again but one small word came from her mouth, "Peter…"
It took a moment for Olivia to catch on to what Ella was talking about but the memory came back of the older woman from the park who had asked if Peter was Ella's father. Olivia honestly didn't think anything of it at the time but now she understood that Ella really had understood what was said. "Oh baby, it's ok. You know what…you don't need a daddy because you have mommy, you me and you have uncle Peter…you know that don't you?" Ella nodded into Olivia's chest, sniffing deeply, not wanting to let any tears fall. Olivia had noticed that Ella was much like her, even at her age she held things close to the chest, Olivia could honestly say she was had only ever seen Ella cry once and that was when she was still a baby, even when she was a baby she very rarely cried, very rarely made a noise, she was a quiet and albeit happy baby.
"I love you baby, mommy loves you, remember that, forever…" Olivia placed a kiss on Ella's forehead and held her close, just letting the child hold on for as long as she needed. It was close to twenty minutes later; Ella had fallen asleep within in moments of sitting with her aunt, that Peter gently knocked on the doorframe of the door, trying to get Olivia's attention without waking Ella. When she looked up Peter's face showed every emotion bar happiness. Creasing her eyebrows at him, Olivia rose from her sitting position, keeping Ella close to her chest before they both moved into the lounge room, Olivia following Peter who had his arms crossed over his chest and his shoulders tight. "Peter, what is going on? Peter?" Olivia tried to keep up with Peter as he tracked back through the house and in to the front room. "Hey, what…"
Stopping dead in her tracks Olivia looked around the room, noticing Broyles sitting the couch with Agent Edwards standing be behind him, with his back to the group, looking at the photos on the mantle of the fire place. "Sir, what's going on?" Her heart and stomach had suddenly dropped, there was definitely no good reason to have both of these men in Peter's house past sun down, something must have been very, very wrong. Shifting Ella on her hip Olivia looked between Peter and Broyles, it was clear that Peter knew what, or at least some of what was going on, but she dared not look at Edwards, she didn't think she could stand being told what was going by that man. "Peter…Sir…what is going on?" Broyles stood and dropped his head, "Olivia…"
"Aunt Liv…" Ella's voice caught all of their attentions and her face lifted from Olivia' shoulder and looked around at the men in the room, snuggling deeper into her aunt embrace. "Honey, wanna come with me? You can go and sleep in my room ok?" Ella looked between her Aunt and Peter before nodding and leaning from Olivia's arms into Peter's outstretched hands, holding onto him tightly as he walked away from the group up the stairs and out of view. "Playing happy families are you now?" Edwards finally turned to look at Olivia, holding out a photo of Olivia and Peter, a loving embrace and kiss being shared between them. Olivia sighed and stepped towards Edwards and snatched the photo away from him, placing it back where it was originally.
"Sir, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" She looked towards Broyles now, her arms crossed over her chest and her anger rising. Broyles slipped out a photo from a folder and rested it on the coffee table that was in the middle of the room. Olivia reached for the photo and looked at it, shaking her head, "What about him? Who is he?" She flicked the photo back on the table and looked around, noticing that Peter was back in the room, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed and his head down. "Dunham, his name is David Robert Jones and you have never heard of him before?" Broyles watched as she thought for a moment, shaking her head in reply. Stepping forward Edwards spoke up, "You're sure? Never heard his name in file or in any other cases?" She turned to face him, her anger bubbling over slightly, "No! Ok I haven't ever heard him or ever read his name anywhere. Sir this is ridiculous, just tell me what is going on."
Edwards was about to step forward and reply but it was Broyles who stepped in, "Dunham, Loeb started talking tonight," The look of shock on Olivia's face was only met with more of an explanation, "He wants to make a deal, he gives us everything we wanted and we let his wife go free." Olivia nodded, still not understanding what this man had to do with her or Loeb. "Jones is currently in Maximum Security in Germany, but Loeb told us that Jones is actually the one who he has been working with. We were able to find out a bit about Jones and his background is deep in bio-technology, but he dropped off the grid about ten years ago until Interpol picked him up trying to leave Germany." Blinking a few more times, Olivia still couldn't understand what all of this had to do with her.
"The Bundestag went an Agent to speak to Jones but he wouldn't speak to them, he asked for one person and only one person. Jones knows your name, actually he asked for you by name FBI Special Agent Olivia Ann Dunham. He has asked to speak to you, specifically. We are still trying to determine how he knows you-" Olivia looked up suddenly, a little afraid and shocked that this person knew so much about her, she honestly didn't even think Peter knew her middle name. "So I'll go and speak to him, if he wants to talk to me, I will talk to him. Sir, please this might be our only chance to-" Olivia was suddenly cut off by Broyles standing suddenly. "No. You won't be going to see him, you won't be going anywhere near Jones. Loeb has passed on a little more information regarding his plans for Olivia..." It was Peter's turn to be shocked, pushing himself away from the door frame, his left arm still crossed over his chest but his right coming up to rise in the arm, a mannerism Olivia had associated with confusion.
"Hang on a minute, you never mentioned this to me before…" Peter was now standing by Olivia's side, his left hand sitting on his bicep, squeezing gently to try and contain his anger. "Bishop, this was something I knew the two of you have to hear together. Loeb is letting on that something is going to happen within the next 24 hours, but he wants to talk to you. He has said that 'surviving what was written depends on you…' he has not spoken a word since." Broyles sat again on the couch, taking in the reaction from both Olivia and Peter before sighing, "Dunham, Bishop. Whatever he wants, it has to do with you. Although whatever he does want, we need to find out what's going to happen, we need to stop it…" Olivia nodded and moved away from Peter, "Let me change. We need to finish this, now…" As she moved towards the hallway, she noticed a small pair of eyes watching her from the staircase, "Ella? What are you doing up baby?"
She knelt down to pick up the yawning child, bringing her back into the lounge room. "Peter…" his name was just to get his attention more than anything and when he looked up at her, stopping himself from the seething in anger, he reached for Ella, placing a kiss on her forehead when she snuggled closer to him. "We have nowhere to leave her tonight; I'll look after her while you interview Loeb. We need to know what he wants with you."
Bet you all thought this fic was over… ;D does this warrant a review? :D