The Hidden Prize
Spoilers: Letters In Transit Promo, 6B
Disclaimer: I don't own anything...really, I don't.
"To change time is to change lives. You have no right to control another person's life...never son."
"What if it changes everyone's lives for the better?"
"Then son...billions over one life, then you must change so lives can be saved."
Walter and Peter Bishop, May 26, 2026 "The Day We Died"
"Ready weapons."
Peter pulled Etta to him, holding her as he watched the Observer make a hand motion. "Daddy..."
She was scared, his proud Fringe agent so much like her mother and his very reason for living balled up on his arms as they were to be executed. She hadn't called him Daddy since she'd been twelve, he held her not willing to give her up without a fight. He'd turn and shield her as much as possible, praying the majority of bullets missed her. Praying that Olivia would forgive him for sacrificing his life and making her life a living hell every second of every day for the rest of her life. Hoped his daughter could help her in his death. "It's going to be alright baby." He kissed her temple as the bullets sounded and he turned, quickly but he didn't feel anything.
"Stand down...she's the one we've been searching for."
Peter opened his eyes to see Etta looking around, a blue light surrounded them. "What...are you doing that?"
"No," he smiled, "you are...you are just like your mother but more special."
"I'm no one...I'm not special."
The Observer walked over and stared at them, "you are the holy grail of which we seek. Report to Headquarters with us and we won't be forced to hurt those you care for."
"You aren't taking her anywhere you bastards." Peter looked at him and Etta put a hand out.
"It's okay Dad...they can't hurt me, they won't hurt me. Just like your stories about the heroine sacrificing herself but she wouldn't be harmed. Iphigenia remember, they won't hurt me because I'm too valuable. The Gods won't allow my sacrifice because I'm the sacrifice they aren't expecting. They expect resistance like all these years we've resisted who they are."
Peter nodded, "we hid your identity for this reason."
Etta stared at the Observer, "why do you want me...I'm not special, maybe I got some abilities from my mom but that's nothing worth wanting me over. Why do you want me...tell me!"
"You are...outside the laws, you are who we knew was coming but we cannot see you unless you emit this form. Unless you allow the energy of the universes you hold within to mix."
"I don't understand...energy of the universe, inside me." She looked at Peter, "did Grandpa use me as a guinea pig?"
Peter shook his head, "you were born this way...because of me and your mother, we made you who you are. It's also why we hid the truth." He looked at the Observer, "because I was warned years ago, before your birth by a friend that if you were ever discovered...they'd kill you without hesitation."
"She is the impossible, we allowed you your life Peter Bishop when you should have been erased. Instead of allowing things to be as they were...once again you shifted the universes."
"Now I know, all these years I wondered why you erased my son...now I know you thought he'd be like her. He was innocent, he was normal...he wasn't like his sister. He was from my universe...nothing unique but you couldn't chance it. You couldn't allow..."
The Observer nodded, "we couldn't allow someone from two universes to have the possibility of existing. She's the only one of her kind, the only success in millions of failures. We wondered why, how one could be created and then it was realized...it was not biology."
"No it was destiny. Through time and space her mother and I have been brought back together, met repeatedly so I have to wonder if the universes chose us. It did and that doesn't fit with your scenario."
"Bring her out."
They watched as the Observers pulled a woman into view, her hands cuffed behind her back. "Olivia..."
Peter's voice made her look up, she was still as beautiful as the day they had met in the desert in another timeline. "Peter...Etta, are you alright?"
"We're fine Mom, I think." She looked at her mother, "I have this thing around me and I don't know how to undo it."
The Observer walked over and looked at Olivia, "the girl comes with us or we kill you, she is forced to make a choice."
"Then kill me because I won't let you lay a hand on my daughter." Olivia stood confident, "I knew all along what you wanted her for...I won't let you do the same to my child as you did to Peter's son all those years ago. You've taken one child, there won't be a second."
"Etta!"
The turned to see James Reed, Etta's partner. "James...look out."
The Observer motioned and they fired in his direction, Etta screamed and the light around her got bigger and bigger till it finally became nothing and ceased to be. She ran over and bent down next to him, he was bleeding out from a dozen bullet holes but clearly dead
"James...God no!" She sobbed and held him close, "no...no, please. Baby please...don't leave me."
Peter found Olivia's eyes and she looked down, both knew the pain and had felt it. The idea of loosing your partner was overwhelming, it hurt beyond comprehension especially when you were in love with them. Etta had confessed to loving James just days before over dinner...was thinking of pulling the famous Dunham whiskey-staircase move much to Peter's dismay.
She laid is body down and sobbed, picking up his knife that laid on his waist. Standing with her back to them she spoke. "I want to know why you fear me..."
"You see through time...you are outside of time, as we are."
Etta nodded, "so I'm the first Observer...a shortcut to who you are, you fear me because you can't predict my ways."
"Correct, so you must die."
"Then I die," she turned with the knife positioned at her waist. "Because the pain of loosing everything is not worth living and if it erases this world you've created...so be it. Just know, if I reside outside time then there's nothing to say I won't return. Bishops and Dunhams always return with a vengeance...one that makes us hunt till all the prey is dead."
"Etta no..." Peter's hand was in the air, her mother's face held tears but Etta knew that her mother understood.
She nodded, "it's okay Daddy...I'll see you again and everything will be better."
The knife hurt and the blood running down her front was warm but the pain of James' death was gone. Her father caught her and held her, "Henrietta...why did you have to be so much like your mother?" He brushed back her hair. "Why couldn't you just run like me?"
She smiled, Etta felt things changing...like her childhood dreams. "Daddy...it's okay, I see it...I see the change and it's better." Weakness surrounded her, "I love you Daddy."
"I love you too...my Little Olive." He hadn't called her by that name since she was five when she told him to stop. He noticed the surrounding ripple and the Observers gone, Etta was gone too and the world was normal again.
A/N: Just had too...added my own twist. Review and tell me what you think...please!