Title: Warm Me Up

Author: SamSpade

Rating: M

Summary: Olivia returns home to find out things aren't exactly what she had hoped for.

She hated Christmas. Maybe it was because everyone spent the holidays with family and almost every year she spent it alone. She didn't bother putting up a tree or decorations. There was no need. No one to enjoy the sights and besides she hardly was ever home with work.

This year she wondered if it would be different. Rachel and Ella were in Chicago, though they wanted to come out and visit the tickets hadn't been purchased and Olivia had reminded Rachel that it was fine, that she had plans. She lied. She told her sister she had plans with Peter.

She'd barely spoken to Peter, at least outside of work since he'd confessed to her about what he'd done. It had been hard at first, listening to it. She'd pretended it didn't bother her. What else was she supposed to say? She had pulled further away though, from Peter, from everyone. The home she had come back to didn't feel quite like the home she remembered.

It was Christmas Eve and she watched as the snow was blanketing the city. She could hear the plow trucks two blocks over and she reached for a book as she curled up on the chair.

Her eyes focused on the words but her mind was still racing with everything that had happened over the past few weeks. She had easily forgiven Peter for not coming to save her. She hadn't expected him to. It wasn't as though he had Cortexiphan in his body and was capable of the journey on his own. She had hoped Walter would have devised a plan but she also knew there were some challenges she had to face on her own.

The lights in her apartment flickered and she closed her book peeking outside just as the lights shut off and the heater stopped running. The entire block was dark.

"Shit." She muttered to herself standing up as she carefully made her way towards the kitchen grabbing a flashlight. Reluctantly she found her phone, wondering if this was such a good idea. She dialed and waited for Peter to pick up.

"Hello," Peter answered grabbing the phone as he watched Walter like a hawk. "Don't move my piece!" He warned his father as they'd been playing a board game together.

"I should have known you'd be busy," Olivia breathed. It was afterall Christmas Eve.

Peter paused, surprised it was Olivia. "No, Walter and I were just playing Monopoly. What's up? Everything okay?" He'd barely spoken to her, or rather she'd barely spoken two words to him except for the occasional 'I'm fine.' He knew she hadn't been fine and all he could think to do was give her space. She seemed to need it and he didn't blame her. He'd been an idiot, not seeing that she wasn't his Olivia. He wasn't sure she'd ever forgive him but she was calling and he had to reach out to her any chance he got.

Olivia sighed, "I, uh, the electricity went out. The whole neighborhood is black."

Peter nodded in understanding, "your heat is out." He knew it was cold outside, in the single digits. "You're welcome to come over, spend Christmas at the Bishops," Peter offered.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be an imposition," Olivia admitted. She really wanted to say she didn't want it to be awkward but if she came over it was certain to feel weird and uncomfortable. Afterall he'd slept with the other Olivia.

Peter smiled, "do you need me to come pick you up?"

Olivia shook her head, "no. You stay with Walter. There's no sense in you coming out and then driving twice as long in the snow. I'll pack a bag and I'll come right over."

"Okay. If you need anything," Peter continued.

"Yeah, I know. I'll be fine." She answered hanging up and carefully making her way to the bedroom, flashlight in hand. She packed a change of clothes for overnight and then grabbed her coat, carefully making her way down to the car.

She started her car, tossing her overnight bag into the backseat and letting it warm up as she cleaned off the snow as quickly as she could. The ground was icy and the roads were a mess. Was she absolutely crazy going out in the snow?

Climbing into the front seat she carefully pulled out of the parking space and onto the snow covered road towards Peter's.

Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the road as the snow was coming down heavier and sticking to her wipers, turning it to ice. Visibility was terrible and Olivia gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white, as she focused on finding the road in front of her.

Her eyes widened in horror as she watched another car opposite of her losing control coming towards her. She quickly maneuvered out of the way, her own car spinning as she found herself slammed into a snowbank.

"This is not happening," Olivia muttered, as she tried reversing the car but it wouldn't budge. Her wheels were spinning on ice. Olivia pulled out her keys and stepped out of the car surveying the damage and the scene. There was no way she'd be able to move the car on her own. She reached into her car, grabbing her overnight bag and suddenly realizing she didn't have her phone.

She knew she was only a few miles from Peter's house but she'd have to walk the rest of the way. With her bag in hand she headed for the sidewalk which was now covered in eight inches of snow. It seemed safer than walking in the street, especially after managing to get her own car stuck and watching the other vehicle nearly hitting her.

Shivering and cold she walked it to the Bishops house. Her hands and toes were red and numb. Her body was soaking wet from the snow that coated her clothes.

Olivia rang the doorbell, standing there sopping wet, shaking. Her face was bright red.

Peter's eyes widened as he saw her on the porch steps. He glanced behind her, "where's your car, Olivia?" He asked not seeing it behind her.

"It got stuck a few miles back." Her teeth chattered and Peter widened the door, ushering her inside. "I would have called but I forgot my phone." She admitted, working off her wet jacket and shoes.

Peter nodded, "Walter grab us some blankets!" He called to his father. He took her bag, feeling the outside soaked and knowing the contents inside would be just as wet. "Why don't you follow me upstairs? I can give you something to change into and we can get your clothes dried."

Olivia nodded silently following Peter towards the stairs. She seemed incapable of taking another step. Her legs were numb. Her toes tingled. "Peter, do you mind just bringing something down for me to wear?"

He turned around, searching her eyes, "yeah why don't you go warm up by the fireplace?" He suggested. "Walter should have those blankets for you. I'll be quick." He took the steps two at a time and headed into his room finding a sweatshirt and sweatpants with a drawstring. He hoped they'd fit her but knew the clothes would probably be too big. Coming back downstairs in just as much a rush he stopped when he saw her standing by the fireplace, her eyes on the pictures at the mantel. "You can get changed in the bathroom down the hall," Peter offered.

"Okay," her voice was a mere whisper. He watched as she carefully took the clothes, from him. Her hands were shaking and bright red from the cold. He worried about frostbite and hypothermia but he was trying his best to warm her up. He knew she would refuse any sort of medical treatment.

She headed quietly down the hall to the bathroom, past Walter as she shut the door. She stripped out of her wet clothes and was grateful for the towel Peter had provided at the bottom stack of the clothes. She dried herself off as best she could be putting on Peter's clothes. They were definitely too big and without underwear on, as hers was soaked she really hoped the sweatpants wouldn't fall down. She tied the waistband as tight as she could not caring how bunched it looked. She pulled the sweatshirt on over her head, glad for the extra warmth and wrapped her wet clothes up in the towel as she came back out to the living room.

"Here," Peter offered taking her wet clothes and the towel. He grabbed her bag of clothes from earlier as well, "I'll be right back. You sit and relax." He headed towards the laundry room, tossing her clothes in and pausing for a long moment. He felt terrible that he hadn't come out to pick her up. If he had, she wouldn't have walked the rest of the way to his apartment.

Finally coming back into the living room, he watched Olivia sitting quietly across from the fireplace. He was silently grateful that Walter had made himself scarce. Peter came over, sitting beside her on the sofa. "Any warmer?" He asked.

Olivia smiled weakly, "being out of cold wet clothes helps." She was still shivering as she had her arms crossed against her chest and her legs were bouncing against the floor.

Peter grabbed one of the blankets Walter had left on the couch and he wrapped it around her legs, moving closer he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Body heat helps too."

"Peter," her voice held warning.

"I'm just trying to help warm you up." He stared at her, "it looks like you were outside for awhile."

Olivia nodded slowly, "an hour I think. I can't remember. I didn't look at a clock." She hadn't noticed what time she'd gotten to Peter's either.

Peter shook his head, "I think you were out longer than that. I was getting worried when you didn't show up on time. I figured you'd be a few minutes late," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Olivia. I should have come looking for you."

Olivia shook her head, "you wouldn't have known where I was," she glanced at him feeling a brief moment of déjà vu. "Besides I made it here all right. A little cold and wet but you took care of that." She gave him the faintest of smiles. She knew he was trying and she didn't want to be so hard on him. It just-it wasn't easy. Nothing came easy for these two.

His arm rested over her shoulders and slowly it moved over her back in soft circles. He heard her let out a tiny soft sigh and he smiled scooting closer if at all possible. His body was pressed up against hers. He watched as her eyes closed and her breathing was slowing down, relaxing. "If you fall asleep I won't bite," he teased watching as she gave him a strange look.

"Scoot down," she gestured and he frowned not wanting to move away from her but doing as asked. Olivia shifted on the sofa, stretching out though keeping the blanket curled around her body while she shuffled down, coming to rest her head in Peter's lap. She didn't even bother to ask if it was all right. He'd slept with the other Olivia, she was fairly confident this wouldn't bother him. She let her eyes close again, enjoying the smallest amount of intimacy and sighing contently as she felt his hands in her hair.

The past few weeks had been difficult for her. Coming home, thinking that everything would be exactly as it was if not better. She'd been sorely mistaken, to find out Peter had slept with the woman he believed was in fact her. His confession had hurt her more than she realized. She knew she cared about Peter, knew she wanted to try for more than just partners but hearing the details, imagining what they did, it made her heart ache because she realized as much as she loved him, what she wanted might never come to be.

Her eyes had long since closed and her breathing settled again, drifting to sleep in Peter's lap. It hadn't taken long as his gentle touch had lulled her to sleep.

Walter came in, carrying two cups of hot chocolate. "I thought Agent Dunham might want some hot cocoa." He offered, his eyes widening as he took a step back, nearly dancing in excitement seeing her sound asleep in Peter's lap.

Peter watched, his eyes wide hoping his father wouldn't burn himself. "You can put it on the coffee table," he whispered, trying not to wake Olivia.

Walter nodded enthusiastically putting both cups down on the table in front of Peter, making a bit of a loud clanking though neither cup spilled.

"Peter?" Olivia mumbled half-asleep, hearing the noise but not fully registering what it was or even where she was.

"It's okay, go back to sleep." He reassured her, one hand in her hair the other holding her close against him as she fell back asleep in his lap.