Down By the Lake
Spoilers: All Seasons
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Fringe related!
Peter looked out at the lake that had once been how he came to the universe he called home. The lake wasn't a lake anymore...the water was gone after the battle of the universes, it was just a giant hole and had been for five years.
Sitting on the dock, he sighed and thought about it all...the war that had cost billions of lives. The other universe hadn't survived, a few people made it across including his son. He chuckled at the thought of Little Henry who had become a prominent part of his life, his reason for existence. When he had been brought across by a very dirty, very weak Marilyn Dunham, who had been among only a hundred survivors...he hadn't been expected.
It surprised him how fast Olivia took her alternate mother into her arms and clung to the boy, holding him close and tried to sooth him, telling him he was safe and loved. Peter doubted her attitude would last for long but she held fast to the two year old who knew no difference between his mother and Olivia...they looked too alike. Funny how alike they were when it came to children, Henry had no 'why are you doing that?' or 'you're doing it different Mommy' because Olivia didn't do anything differently than her alternate, even Marilyn said so.
"Daddy!" Peter turned to see Henry running towards him and he reached out, catching the blond little boy before he got near the edge of the empty lake. "Daddy, why is there a hole in the ground?"
Peter chuckled and ruffled his hair, pulling him down into his lap. "Well when the war happened, the water dried up due to reverse weather conditions, instead of raining, water was sucked up into the sky."
"Oh, why don't you fill it up?"
"That's a good question, I guess I just haven't had the time to fill it up...having to save the world, help rebuild it, take care you and Mom and everything else in between...the lake hasn't really mattered."
Henry looked at him, blue eyes met blue eyes. "I think you should, that way we can come during the summer and I can learn to swim."
"You want to know a secret," Peter pulled his son closer and rested his chin on the boy's head. "When Grandpa brought me from the other side, we crossed right here at Reiden Lake. I fell into the water and almost died but an Observer saved me. I came to this universe from right here at this place."
"Is that why you like it here?"
Peter sighed, "no, my favorite place in any universe is with your mother and you." He kissed his blond hair and smiled, "that's where I'm at home most."
"Grandpa told me about my real mother...was she really bad and hurt you?"
Peter looked at the boy, "your mother, your real mother wasn't bad but yes she did hurt me. She knew I loved your mother and she tried to be her, tricking me and that hurt very much. They were alike, they looked alike but I was too blind to see the difference, too happy and I hurt Mom very much with that."
"But you still love each other, Billy's dad hurt his mom and they got a divorce. Will you and Mom every get one?"
"Never," he smiled, "I love her too much and we've proven how far we would go for each other. She crossed into the other universe to bring me back where I belong...to this world with her."
"Does Mom hate me...sometimes I hear her talking to Grandma about me, I heard her say that she was never meant to be my mother. I think she pretends to like me but she doesn't."
Peter stood the boy up and looked him in the eye, "Henry Robert Bishop I want you to listen to me and make it stick in that mind of yours. Your mother loves you very much, she'd sooner die than loose you. If she said that, she meant that if the universes hadn't been at war...you would still be with your real mom. I know for a fact that she wouldn't trade you for anything at all so don't think that...don't ever think she doesn't care because she does." He sighed, "do you understand?"
"But Mike said that if your mother says something like that, she doesn't like you."
"Who are you going to believe, a little boy who doesn't your mother or your father that knows her better than anyone?"
Henry looked down, "I'm wrong aren't I?"
"Very much but guess what?" He pushed the boy's chin up so their eyes were level, "being wrong is all part of life...we learn from our mistakes and become better at preventing them. Now you'll never question if she loves you or not."
"Yeah you're right. Dad can we go shopping for a gift for Mother's Day? I saw this perfect sweater for Mom and I know she'll like it."
Peter stood up and pulled the boy into his arms, "let's go tell Mom that we're going out for the day, why don't we take Grandpa with us...just us men?"
"Nah, Grandpa's weird at the stores...I don't know him if he's with me."
Peter laughed as they walked back to the store, "okay then just the two of us, we'll let your grandparents and your mother finish fixing the house...they kicked me out from doing so."
"Grandma Elizabeth said they had to kick you out or you'd work yourself to death, Grandma Marilyn only agreed."
"I bet your mother put them up to it."
Henry nodded, "yep she did."
Peter shook his head and remembered ten years before when the blond had marched into an Iraqi hotel demanding he come with her...even ten years later he didn't regret doing it despite regretting it at the time.
A/N: Just a little one shot about some time between Henry and Peter, I thought of this and was like...there isn't one done yet so I decided to give father and son a few moments to discuss everything that goes on.