Hey everyone! It's me again, ready to bring you some Fringey goodness to get you through the too-long hiatus *grumble, grumble* Anyway, this is an AU story about the Fringies during their FBI training. It will involve old favourites Charlie and John as well as the usual gang, and I hope you like it!
Any reviews and comments are gratefully appreciated : )
Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe or any of its characters/storylines. I also don't own any of the songs or lyrics referenced in any of the chapters
Thanks, and God bless : )
Olivia didn't know what she was feeling. She was on the verge of laughing but at the same time her hands were shaking. She was going to Quantico. She was going right now. She had spent all day in the car with Rachael. The drive from Illinois to Virginia was over 700 miles long and they got up at 5am for the trip. Olivia looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was now 5:52 pm. She exhaled. As long as they got there by 7pm for the welcome speeches then she'd be fine. She started fiddling with the frays at the bottom of her Northwestern t-shirt, not knowing what to expect from her upcoming five months of FBI training.
Rachael noticed her fidgeting and laughed. "Liv, seriously? You're not even there yet and you're already driving yourself crazy."
"I'm not going crazy. The anticipation's making me a little antsy, that's all. Plus the long car ride. You know I'm no good at sitting around. Can I at least have another turn driving?"
"Liv, you just had your turn."
"But you're going to have to drive all the way back to Northwestern," Olivia countered. "You need to save your energy."
"Don't worry about me. I'm not going to make it back tonight anyway. I'll have to stop at a motel or something."
Olivia sent her sister a grateful smile. "You didn't have to drive me, you know. I could have caught a plane or something."
"Nah, you're a starving college student, remember? No money for plane tickets. Besides, how could I ever resist seeing the terror on your face when get your first glimpse of the academy?"
Olivia gave her a gentle slap on the arm. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Rach. I feel so much better now. And don't give me that crap about you wanting to save me money. We both know the real reason you're driving across three states to drop me off."
Rachael smiled playfully. "Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"You just want to see all those FBI boys working out on the front lawn. And don't you deny it."
Rachael laughed. "You know me too well, Liv. Just don't tell Greg," she joked.
"You really should ditch that guy, Rach. You know he's bad for you. You deserve so much better." Olivia said, genuinely concerned for her sister.
"Look, I know he's made some mistakes in the past, but I know I can change him. He says he really loves me. Whenever he does something bad he always makes up for it afterwards. He tries so hard, Liv. He really is a great guy. If you knew him like I do you'd see that."
Olivia was careful not to hurt her sister, but kept pushing. Who knew what kind of hell Rachael was going to go through with Greg now that she wasn't going to be around to protect her. "Rach, I'm not trying to upset you. I just want you to be careful, OK? And you know if you ever need anything while I'm in Quantico you can just call and I'll go over as soon as I can. I've always got your back. You know that, right?"
Rachael smiled warmly. "Yeah, I know. You were always the strong one. I know Mum's a bit nervous about you having such a dangerous job and everything, but I know you can handle it." She paused to keep her words steady. "And for what it's worth, I think Dad would be really proud of what you're doing. In fact, I'm sure of it."
Olivia's breath caught when Rachael said that. It had been along time since they had spoken about their father since his death. Rachael spoke up again to break the ice, "I'm really proud of you too, you know."
"Thanks, Rach. That means a lot to me."
The two young women fell into a pensive silence and Olivia turned up the radio, allowing the music to wash over her and calm her nerves.
Hey, Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just try your best,
Try everything you can.
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away.
You know they're all the same.
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now.
Yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else.
It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.
"OH MY GOD, LIV!"
Olivia snapped out of her reverie. "What? What's wrong?" Then she looked up. Ahead of her was an enormous sign that read "WELCOME TO QUANTICO" Then another sign: "FBI TRAINING ACADEMY, 10 MILES". Rachael squealed beside her and she laughed out loud. They didn't make any attempt to contain themselves as they continued past the various signs to the Academy, counting down the miles as they went. Olivia was euphoric. She was finally here. At Quantico. The place that had filled her dreams every night that she was working her arse off in college. This was it.
When they entered the gates of the academy, they were both cheering and laughing like idiots, but neither of them cared. They drove through the grounds ecstatically, and Rachael was barely able to take her eyes off the groups of young men jogging beside the car. They joined a bunch of other cars that were dropping people off. All around them people were smiling, gathering bags, struggling to read maps and saying goodbye to their families.
Olivia and Rachael got out of the car and soaked up the atmosphere. Olivia was beaming and taking in the surroundings that she would be calling home until her training was over. Rachael was bouncing up and down. "Oh, Liv, this place is so cool!" She looked over to where some of the FBI trainees in workout gear had gathered to observe the fresh blood. She spotted a guy in the crowd. "Oh, he's cute. Liv, you better get me some decent phone numbers while you're staying here."
Olivia laughed. "Sure thing, Rach. I'm sure I could squeeze it in between my many very stressful and time-consuming classes, assignments and training sessions."
They started unloading Olivia's bags from the car. "Are you sure you can carry all of this?" Rachael asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I hiked through Washington with worse, remember?"
"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to help."
"I know, Rach. You're the best."
Rachael started to tear up. "Shit, Liv, you're making me cry."
Olivia chuckled and hugged her sister tightly, whispering into her hair. "Don't worry, Rach. I'm going to be fine, and you're going to be just fine without me."
"Easy for you to say," Rachael said. "It's only for a few months, right?"
"Yeah. And I'll be calling you all the time to find out what's going on with you, like when I first went to college."
"You better, coz I want to hear all about your awesome FBI adventures."
"I'll make you guys proud, I promise."
They pulled apart and Olivia gathered her bags. She gave Rachael one last kiss on the cheek and watched as her sister started the long drive back to Illinois, the threat of tears stinging her eyes.
When Rachael's car disappeared from view, she looked up to the buildings behind her. She was overwhelmed with every emotion her mind could muster. She felt elated. She felt terrified. She felt homesick. She felt strong, like she could breathe smoke. But more than anything, she felt already like this was where she was born to be.
She took a deep breath and smiled to herself, taking one last look at everyone saying goodbye as the sun set over the woods of Virginia. Then, with a simple step, she started the journey of a lifetime towards her dormitory, walking like she was soon to own the world.
Thanks for reading! I will be sure to update soon : )
Ps. The song lyrics come from The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. I'm trying to include lots of music in the story to bring about some of that early 2000's nostalgia : )