Ok, please don't hate me because I have always wanted to see what Olivia would do if Peter had a girlfriend, but if any of you have read my other stuff then you know that I am 100% P/O so please don't stress to much…

Now I am only testing the waters with this one so I will see how it goes and what you guys think, and then I will decide if I keep going so please let me know

One The Side Lines

Chapter 1 – Losing Battle

Olivia Dunham was never one to be jealous, never one to wear her heart on her sleeve but when her life was turned upside down by one Peter Bishop she had become the type of person that she never expected to be. Walking into the lab with Astrid by her side, they laughed about something Walter had done the day before. Pushing open the door Astrid allowed Olivia to walk in first but as she came to follow Olivia, she almost pumped into her back. Looking over Olivia's shoulder she heard a small gasp leave Olivia's mouth. Leaning against a counter, seeming oblivious to what was happening around him, Peter Bishop had his hands tangled in some girl's hair and her tongue down his throat.

Astrid watched as Olivia dropped her head at the sight in front of her and her heart ached for the agent. Olivia had been through so much and now she could see that in Olivia's mind it was as if she was losing Peter suddenly. Astrid cleared her throat loud enough for Peter to here. She watched as he pulled away from the girl and looked over her shoulder. His eyes landed on Olivia first and he suddenly decided to push himself away from the bench top.

"Livia, Astrid. Hey sorry I didn't here you guys come in." Olivia still hadn't looked up from the ground, biting her lip to try and keep from screaming, her head suddenly snapped up and looked him straight in the eyes. Straightening her back, Olivia snapped out of her daze and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "It's ok Peter. Hi, I'm Olivia and this is Astrid." Olivia motioned to both the girl standing very, very close to Peter and Astrid who was quiet behind her.

"It's nice to meet you, although I wish it was a better way than this, I'm Tayla." The girl, no taller than Olivia, beautiful curly blonde hair that sat at almost the middle of her back, smiled back at Olivia. Swallowing her pride, Olivia took the last few steps down into the lab and came closer to the girl, she really was beautiful, the sort of girl Olivia knew was Peter's type. The type of girl who would go out, was happy and outgoing...everything Olivia wasn't. Holding out her hand for Tayla to take Olivia watched as something flashed behind her eyes but was gone within a moment. "It's nice to meet you too. I didn't realise Peter was seeing anybody..." Olivia tried not to be rude but she just wanted to know a) if this was serious and b) if Peter had been keeping things from her.

"Yea well, it was kinda sudden." Tayla smiled forcefully at Olivia and looked up to Peter who seemed to have become quiet. He was looking down at his feet, lost in thought and only looked up when he felt the gaze of three woman on him. Whatever was going through his mind was now gone as he smiled back at Tayla and Olivia and spoke for the first time in about five minutes, "Yea it was." Peter's eyes locked with Olivia's for a moment and he thought he saw something behind them...pain, hurt, jealousy? He didn't have time to think more about it when another thought came to mind. "Oh and happy birthday Livia." He smiled at her as if he didn't know she hated her birthday but she then realized that last year she had told him that no letter had come from her abusive stepfather but when one was waiting for her at home after leaving Peter at his hotel room she had never told him she received one. As far as he was concerned, there was no letter and Olivia deserved to have a birthday to celebrate.

"Yeah, great birthday, excuse me." Olivia mumbled before pushing herself past Peter and Tayla into her office and slamming the door. As she took a seat at her desk she looked down at the pile of mail in her hand and sighed, searching through it she found what she was after.

Thinking of you!

And there it was. The only thing in her life that could make her afraid. Make her want to run and hide for the rest of her life…the card from her stepfather. Swallowing the anger and fear that was rising in her throat, Olivia dropped the card. Her head snapped up when she heard someone knock at her office door. Expecting to see Peter standing there she tried to pull herself together and found Astrid standing there. She silently walked in and closed the door behind her. Out in the lab Olivia could hear Peter and Walter arguing about a new formula for some sort of food, she could also vaguely hear Tayla laughing at them both.

"Olivia, are you ok? I didn't know it was your birthday…" Astrid trailed off seeing the distant look in Olivia's eyes. "Are you ok?"

"Yea Astrid I'm fine. Look I have to go out for a few hours, could you just cover for me, especially with Peter, if he asks just tell him I had something to do." Olivia rose from her seat gathering her things, she barely saw Astrid nod as she left. Without even looking up, Olivia left the lab allowing the doors to slam shut behind her.

Pulling up behind the hearse, Olivia killed the engine of her SUV. The scene in front of her brought back memories of her father and her mother. Pulling herself out of the car she made her way up to the headstones that read Jonathon Dunham and Ann Dunham. She traced her fingers over the names and sighed, this was going to be one hell of a birthday.

As the rain began to fall, Olivia made her way back to the SUV only to find three missed calls. Peter Bishop. Groaning Olivia threw her phone back onto the passenger side seat only to hear it vibrating against the seat once more. Clicking the button on her hand's free system she spoke, "Dunham."

"Hey, Livia. Is everything ok? I tried calling you but you didn't answer." Peter's voice filled the car and she sagged her shoulders.

"Yes fine Peter. What do you want?" her reply was short and she was close to losing her temper with him. It wasn't his fault, he had the right to date anyone he wanted, she just wished it was her.

"Oh, well. Broyles is here with a case…" it was as if she could hear him shrug while speaking to her.

"Right, I'm on my way." Without even letting Peter finish Olivia ended the call and made her way back to the lab.