A/N – Hey guys….so this is the new story as promised. I wanted to try something that went a little against what we normally find in Fringe. I like the idea that while it rests between season four and five, there is still so much to know before they came to us in the awesome show that I Fringe. So, in saying that, this is what I have decided to do with this story.

So read, enjoy and review.

P.S – I know this is a little slow but there is a bit of setting up to do before really getting into the meat and bones of the project. So stick with it – it will be worth it.

Chapter One – The Silence Of The Storm

Twinkle twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are.

She swayed her legs slightly as she moved her fingers above Etta, causing her to squeal and smile. Her little legs kicked Olivia's stomach with surprising force as she got more excited.

"Want Mommy to sing again?"

Olivia smiled, making her fingers move again as Etta tried to grab them. She had a thing about other people's hands at the moment, apparently her own weren't all that interesting.

You are my sunshine,

My only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are grey,

You'll never know dear,

How much I love you,

Please don't take my sunshine away

Olivia let Etta finally capture her thumb, which Etta promptly put into her mouth, gumming it gently. Olivia kissed the bottom of Etta' s foot, marvelling at the soft, sweet smelling skin. Etta giggled and Olivia did it again, causing Etta to squeal.

"Ticklish little girl, aren't you?

It didn't feel real until the day that she was born. For nine months, Olivia felt like nothing more than a portable incubator. She didn't feel like a mother. And then Etta came along and it finally felt tangible. What surprised Olivia was how natural it felt. In fact the love she felt for her tiny daughter was damn near obsessive. She hated not having her in sight at all times. And she was completely addicted to that delicious baby scent the came from the Etta's wriggling body. Everything about her was amazing and now she understood everything Rachel had ever told her. She became one of those people that she used to roll her eyes at. She would bring out pictures of Etta at the drop of a hat, happily having conversations with strangers who stopped to admire Etta. All the things she swore she would never do.

"Dinner is served."

Peter tested the temperature of the milk on his wrist with practised ease before handing her the bottle. Etta took it eagerly, her eyes on Olivia as she sucked, releasing her thumb to focus her killer grip on her bottle. Olivia kept one finger on the bottom of the bottle to keep up the flow of milk. Peter settled himself beside them, one arm around Olivia, the other stroking the soft hair on Etta's head. Gone were the days where she longed for the thrill of being out in the field. This was her idea of nirvana now. Peter and Etta. She didn't need anything else. Her eyes felt heavy after a long day filled with normal, domesticated life and she could not hold back the yawn.

"Tired?"

"You could say that. For someone who can't walk yet, Etta keeps me busy."

Etta had been doing everything ahead of time and it had worried Olivia at first. They had never been able to figure out if she still had Cortexiphan in her system when Etta was conceived. Olivia had watched with pride and fear when Etta held her own head up hours after she had been born. Her stomach had hit her toes when Etta had managed to hold things on her own just a few weeks later. It hadn't helped that Etta had a strange intensity about things. The way she watched people, taking every movement and every word had scared Olivia even more. Peter didn't seem as worried as she was, almost bursting with pride at every milestone that Etta shattered. Olivia had gone on a furious mission through the books they had purchased before Etta was born, trying to find something to soothe her fear. Then, coming up with nothing, she had contacted a mid-wife. Despite Walter's protests that he could examine Etta himself, Olivia had invited the woman into their home. It was nerve racking watching as she checked every inch of Etta, talking softly to her. Olivia had almost kissed the mid-wife when she declared that Etta was in perfect health and that some babies were simply faster than others. After that, she had relaxed and watched as Etta grew, getting longer and chubbier. She was hard to keep up with since she started crawling a few weeks ago. Olivia would turn her head for a second and Etta would be off, getting into trouble and finding all the things that Olivia thought she had hidden. Just last night after her bath, she had sat Etta on the bath mat, wrapped in a towel, leaning over to pull out the plug and rinse out the bubble bath. She turned her head and Etta was gone. She followed the little water trail to her closet, where Etta was busy playing with one of Peter's socks. She was already saying a few words, even her own name. Somewhat mangled, coming out at 'Tata' but still, it was exciting. She could still remember the first time Etta had said 'Ma'. Olivia had her back turned and clearly, Etta wasn't getting the attention she craved and so yelled out 'Ma' to get her attention. It had worked.

"Got to love food comas"

Olivia glanced down at Peter's words. Etta was fast asleep, the nipple from the bottle half hanging out of her mouth, her grip on it still tight. Olivia gently extracted the bottle from her grip before handing it back to Peter, slipping Etta over her shoulder. She made gentle circles on her back, wanting for the cheerful burb before handing her to Peter.

"Bed time, Daddy."

Peter pressed a kiss to Etta's cheek, who mumbled and stirred in her sleep.

"I put the macaroni and cheese on."

"Thanks. Night princess."

Olivia watched as Peter made his way upstairs, talking softly to his daughter. He was brilliant with her, stepping into fatherhood with incredible ease. For all of them, it seemed as if Etta had been there they whole time. Olivia could not imagine her life without Etta. Olivia stood and stretched, heading to the kitchen. She got out two plates and flicked through the thin pile of bills that had arrived that morning. She had bet them to it and had spent time paying the bills this morning while Etta was having a nap. She poured herself a small glass of wine and set about making her and Peter dinner.

"She's talking in her sleep again."

Peter put the baby monitor on the breakfast bar and Olivia could hear Etta's soft mumblings as she slept.

"She gets that off you."

"No, she's gets her charm off me."

"That too. Do you want a glass?"

She indicated her glass of wine and Peter shook his head, grabbing a beer from the fridge. He popped it open and leaned against the counter with a sigh.

"So, what movie do you want to watch tonight?"

Their movie watching had been born when they had first brought Etta home. She was waking up every couple of hours to eat and because she had been breastfeeding, Olivia found it easier to stay in the living room with Etta's tiny bassinet. She liked having the soft dim of the television as Etta fed. The intention of that was so that Peter could still get some rest. He was still working and Olivia had hated the idea of him being out in the field more tired than he needed to be. But it was a failed plan. Peter had joined them in the living room, making good use out of the fold out sofa they had purchased the same time they had gotten their home. So for the first few weeks of Etta's life, they spent their nights there, watching movies and feeding Etta. Now it was part of their routine. Etta would be down for the night and they would unwind with dinner, a glass of wine and TV. Olivia found the news far too depressing and there were only so many documentaries you could watch. So they settled for movies, a collection that had expanded rapidly in her last two months of pregnancy.

"Rachel said that The King's Speech was fantastic."

"Ok, we'll give that one a go."

They moved together as they served dinner and then headed into the living room.

Olivia sighed as she tapped a few keys on her laptop. She checked her emails, surprised to see one from A. J or Anna Jane Oliver if she was in a serious mood. They had met in high school, finding themselves in the same college. Over the years, they had exchanged the occasional email but Olivia hadn't heard from her in months, since the last email she had sent, detailing her pregnancy. Even though things had changed for Olivia, her memories becoming her own again with Peter's encouragement, she discovered that it only extended so far. The stories that she and A.J shared hadn't changed as much as other things had. The same connection was still there.

Hey Olivia,

Did you want to meet up for coffee tomorrow? I think we are overdue for a proper catch up.

A.J

"That's odd."

Peter lowered his book, giving her his full attention.

"What's odd?"

"A.J wants to meet up for coffee."

Peter frowned.

"Why is that odd?"

Olivia shrugged.

"We never really did that since college. She's always too busy with her writing."

"In her defence, you've been busy saving the world, getting married and having a child."

Olivia smiled.

"True. She wants to meet up tomorrow."

"You should go."

Olivia hated the thought of leaving Etta. They hadn't really spent all that much time apart since she had been born and the concept of leaving her made her palms sweat and her stomach churn. Peter offered her a gentle smile.

"Liv, you have to leave her at some point."

"I know."

"And you'll only be gone for a while, right?"

"Yes."

"So email A.J back and tell her you want to catch up."

Despite Peter's encouragement, Olivia still hesitated before typing in a quick reply, not allowing herself to second guess leaving Etta. Peter was right. As much as she would love too, she couldn't stay in the house forever with Etta and Peter. And catching up with A.J could be fun. She was about to call it a night and close her laptop when she noticed that A.J had emailed her back.

Hey,

Great. How about Grinder, the coffee house on Paxton Street? They have great coffee.

A.J

Hey,

Sounds good. I'll meet you there at noon.

Olivia

Olivia closed her laptop and snuggled under the covers.

"I wonder why she wants to catch up."

Peter sighed and closed his book, flicking off the light and encasing the room in darkness.

"You are overanalysing, Liv. She's an old friend."

Peter opened his arms and she curled into them and closed her eyes.

"I guess you're right."

Peter kissed the top of her head.

"I usually am."