OK so I joined the LSD hype, I couldn't help it BUT this is a little different, more so just the memories that I show are different to the usually ones, don't worry it almost killed me not to have the usual ones in. Please review!
Helping
"Walter! What happened?" Peter's voice echoed through the old lab as he ran down the small flight of stairs that separated the offices from the rest of the lab. Skipping the steps, Peter skidded to a stop and fell to his knees on the floor. "I don't know son. She just collapsed." Walter's voice was timid, almost scared.
"Livia? Livia wake up! Come on Livy." Peter's hand ran over her face, her cheek and through her hair, hoping that something would wake her, but nothing did. Lifting her into his arms effortlessly, Peter carried her over to a table, where he laid her down gently. "Walter, can you help me please. I can't wake her." Peter's voice became panicked and it didn't stop once Walter had finished checking her over.
"Son, other than a slight temperature, I cannot find anything wrong with her." Walter shuffled away, to the back of the lab as Peter just watched her. He had noticed the bags under her eyes, the lack of sleep and the pain she had been in since returning home, but he knew not to ask about it, because he knew he was the cause of it. Astrid had pulled a seat over to the table for him to sit down and he did. "Sweetheart please wake up." He ran his hand over her face once more and could feel the heat coming off of her. She was burning up. "Walter, she is burning up! Should we get her into the ice bath?"
Peter spoke, but never took his eye off her, she had begun to shiver, her face contorting as if in pain. Walter had already brought over the ice and was filling the bath, "Peter, take off her clothes!" He didn't mumble or stutter but Peter was shocked at what he was asking. "Walter, I can't just…" "Son, we don't have much time! Now!" Walter and Astrid were hurrying back and forward while Peter just looked down at Olivia and prayed she didn't kill him later for this.
Taking off her shoes and socks, her pants and jacket came next. He left her shirt on until it was time to put her in, luckily, when she was laying down it was long enough to cover her panties. He wanted her to have at least some semblance of self respect. "Now, Peter put her in!" Walter's voice brought him back and started and finished undoing the last of the buttons on her white shirt. Once she was almost completely naked in his arms, he carried her to the ice bath and gently placed her in. Walter had already begun to place electrodes and wires on her body, they recorded brain function and temperature. Peter was beginning to panic.
"Walter what do you think is happening?" Peter swallowed down the lump in this throat. "Well son, I think that her body is finally rejecting her alternate's memories and as well as having Belly in her mind, it has become to much. You said yourself that she was trying to get through the other night. They are too much for her to take and her mind is shutting down, unable to determine which are her own." Peter's eyes snapped up and looked at Walter. Astrid had come closer at the same time as well, "What do you mean Walter? I thought they were out of her system already, and as for Bell, I thought we had more time…"
"As did I but by the look of her brain waves, it looks like her alternates memories are just stored and repressed but they are clashing with our Olivia's real memories. Belly is just in the way." They all looked back over to Olivia, who had stopped shaking. Peter sat by the side of the bath and just watched her, her face contorting. "Is there anything we can do Walter?" Peter's voice was soft, scared. "I don't know son. I don't even know how long she will be like this." Walter dropped his head before shuffling away and back to his station. Astrid followed back to her desk where she had been working away at the laptop.
Peter placed his hand on Olivia's face gently and as if in her state she turned her face towards him. She grabs onto his arm and speaks, "Please don't do this again…" Peter's brow furrows as he watches her. "I don't belong here…Frank" Her voice rose but quieted slightly, "You belong with me." Peter allowed a small tear to slide down his cheek. She was so lost and scared, by the sound of her voice, she couldn't work out what was hers and what was the other hers. Peter turned on his heels and looked at Walter, "We need to do something."
Olivia's body began to convulse violently in the bath, kicking ice up at Peter and as her head thrashed, it connected against the side of the bath, drawing blood and worrying Peter even more. He grasped her shoulders to try and keep her from hurting herself even more, but she stopped and her arms and legs went limp. "Walter, what the hell is going on?" Peter questioned as Walter came up behind him.
"Son, I told you, she is working through the memories in her brain and trying to push Bell out. If she can't do that, she is going to die. The fever should break soon, but we must keep an eye on her." Peter let go of her shoulders when she had started to slow and he just sat and watched over her as her head rolled to the side and face him.
Broyles had come and gone by the time dinner had rolled around. When he turned up, he eyed Olivia in the bath but didn't say a word until he came to Peter's side. "Bishop, what's going on?" his voice echoed in the silent lab, but Peter didn't move from his position on the seat next to Olivia. "She collapsed earlier today and has a fever. Walter doesn't know why it hasn't broken but he suspects that she is trying to work through both her memories and those of the other Olivia." Broyles nodded, "Is there anything that can be done?"
Walter decided to speak up, "No, not unless we can get into her mind and even if we did, there is no way of telling the difference between our Olivia and their Olivia." Peter's head snapped up, "Walter, you said that there wasn't anything to help her. I can help her. I can help work through the memories."
"NO! Its too dangerous. She could hurt you Peter." Walter had moved closer to him now and was able to place his hands on Peter's shoulders. "Walter, please. I am the reason she is this way and I need to help her. Please."
Yes he really had agreed to let Walter inject him with LSD. It didn't take long until Walter had Peter strapped down and drugged up, his own mind linking up to Olivia's in mere seconds. "Son, I need you to remember that you can only guide her, you can't force her to o anything." With a smile Peter nodded, his own voice finding it hard to say what he wanted to. Letting his eyes slip closed, Peter thought only of Olivia and how he needed to help her, and that's all it took for him to be pulled from his consciousness to hers.
"Son, can you hear me?" Walter's voice found his ears and Peter looked around, taking in where he was and what he was wearing. "Yeah, I can hear you…" Glancing down he noticed that he was wearing is dark black jeans and blue button up, his pea coat sitting nicely on his shoulders. "Now I need you to listen closely, I want you to pay close attention to what you see around you and when you see Olivia, you must help her, you must take her through the memory and get her to remember if it's her or not…is that clear?...Peter?"
Walter's voice had drowned out by this time, Peter had stopped listening when he saw a small child sitting on the sand, alone and looking terrified. She was no more than nine years old, shaking under the cold wind, her long blonde hair flapped behind her. His suddenly bare feet crunched through the sand as Peter walked towards the little girl. When he was within a few feet of her, she spoke, "You aren't supposed to be here." She turned to face him, the black and blue bruise over her right eye shining in the moonlight.
"Son what is going on?" Peter ignored his father's voice, although it was suddenly very loud, he took a step closer to who he assumed was Olivia. Slowly lowering himself on to the sand, he spoke, "Why not? It's nice here." He watched as the small girl dropped her shoulders and sighed, a very Olivia trait he had grown to know as when she was upset. "Peter, you don't belong here. Don't you think she has enough people in her head right now?" This shocked Peter, the girl was speaking as if she wasn't Olivia. Scrunching up his brow Peter opened his mouth but before he could speak she cut him off. "The other one's memories aren't here anymore. It's just her and Bell. Don't bother trying to work out which memory I am, you won't find any of hers in here…" turning to face Peter she smirked, "…Walter is wrong. Don't worry it's easier without her in here as well." And with that, the girl stood, brushed herself off and walked away from him.
Peter glanced out at the ocean and closed his eyes, this was going to be harder than he thought. It was hard to read Olivia at the best of time but in here, she could be anywhere. The sound of cars caught his attention and he opened his eyes, finding himself now standing in the middle of a car park, it was dark and the motel he was standing at was dingy. Looking around he noticed as an SUV pulled up at one of the doors and Olivia jumped out, walking towards the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Suddenly inside the room, he watched as, who he assumed was John, started undressing her. They both fought for dominance, wanting to touch more of each other, wanting anything they could get their hands on. This was not something he wanted to see, his girlfriends memory of going at it with her ex.
"This was simple." A voice behind him caused him to jumped, he turned suddenly to find Olivia standing there, watching the scene, completely ok with having him in her mind, watching as well. "This was the night before John was infected. The night before I found out about alternate universes, about Walter, about you…" She glanced at him, Peter's eyes never leaving her. "This, sneaking around behind the bureau's back, was simple." She turned from him and this was the first time he noticed that she was wearing. Her long hair was hanging down her back, resting in the middle of her back, covering the black bra straps. She was missing her work shirt and shoes but her slacks were still on. Peter realized that this was exactly what she was wearing when he 'popped' into the scene of her and John. Peter watched her leave before turning back to the scene in front of him expecting to her and John together but instead the room was empty, save for the cot, the toilet and the curled up ball that was Olivia Dunham with red hair.
She was resting against against the cot, her head on her arms but her body sitting against the floor. Broyles, or AlternateBroyles, was sitting on a chair in front of her, "You're here to make yourself feel more comfortable… They're gonna kill me first. They are going to cut out my brain..." Peter watched on horrified as she pulled back her bangs and showed the marks on her head and face to Broyles. "This was the day I was going to give up. It would have been so easy to just give up right now. I was, I already had." Peter turned to find Olivia standing next to him once more. This time she was wearing the same hospital gown as in the memory. Her feet bare against the cold lanolin flooring. They both watched on as Broyles stood and walked away from her, Olivia reaching out for him as an orderly stepped towards her, Olivia's voice echoed and then faded, "Please…please…"
"Peter…what are you doing!" Walter's voice found him once again, annoyed at his constant nagging Peter spoke, "Walter I'm following Olivia. It's fine." He knew that the woman in front of him wasn't his Olivia but she would ultimately lead him to her. He also he knew that he had to follow her, she wouldn't constantly let him jump into memories. He followed her as her hospital gown turned in her usual work attire, black slacks and winter coat. She lead him down an alley and as they both came to stand side by side, Peter watched as her memory raised her gun and pulled the trigger, landing a bullet directly into Charlie's forehead. Peter had never been told exactly what had happened that day, but here he was watching it happen before his eyes. He knew that every memory Olivia showed him was for a reason and so he turned to her, noticing the tears that were streaking down her cheeks as she watched the shapeshifter fall to the ground silently. "Why did you bring me here Livia?"
She looked at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks, she sighed, "Peter, part of me died this day. Part of me that I will never get back. Thought you should know that even after everything with John and my stepfather, this was the day that I was no longer whole again, I'm still not…without Charlie."
"Peter can you hear me…?" Walter was there again, why couldn't he just leave Peter alone…Peter was making progress on his own. "Yea Walter, I'm good." Peter watched as she closed her eyes once more, she looked so young and broken in this memory. Looking back at the image of Olivia on her knees in the pouring rain, a blue and black butterfly flapped past him face, he pulled back shocked for a moment he blinked, blinded by the sun…SUN? Looking around Peter recognized where he was immediately.
Olivia wasn't around but he knew where he had to go, stepping through the doors of the hotel, Peter stood and watched himself and Olivia meet for the first time. There she stood, brown top and cream cargos, just wanting his help for the man she loved, him wanting nothing at all to do with her, but the look in her eyes and the sound of her desperate voice struck a nerve with him. Glancing past the memory of the two of them, he found his guide, for lack of a better word, sitting on the stairs where he just come from, her knees brought to her chest as she watched on. The memory slowed until it was frozen, Olivia spoke. "Because of you, right here, when I knew you were coming back with me, you gave me hope. A small fraction of a glimmer of hope. I trusted you…" Peter found himself sitting beside Olivia on the staircase. They had a moment to talk, and so he spoke.
"Livia, why are you taking me from memory to memory…? Come back to me, let me help you. Please, you need to come back, I need you to come…" She smiled up at him, a genuine Olivia Dunham smile, "Oh Peter, I can't help with that, I'm just here to get you through. Come on, we need to go, before the storm hits…" Olivia took his hand and walked through the crowd and towards a door sitting off to the side. Walking through it, Peter found himself on the top level of a building. Him and Olivia, the memories, were standing so close to each other. He remembered this day so well, he was so close to kissing her and because it didn't happen, she had plagued his dreams for weeks to come.
"I've never met anyone who can do the things that you can do…?" Both Olivia and Peter watched as he leaned in and was a breath away from her lips…but the Olivia standing next to Peter spoke, "standing here right now, looking back on, I don't know if I was more scared about failing or having you kiss me." She laughed but Peter turned to face her, "Am I that bad?" he was a little shocked that she spoke those words to her, "Peter, the last person I was close to died, my mother, my father, Charlie, John. Did you honestly think that I would want to add you to that list? I was afraid of losing you." Peter nodded and moved back to watch the couple in front of them, how it was only the second time she had opened up and admitted that she was vulnerable. Once when she was dreaming about Nick killing people with his thoughts and now. Peter laughed gently, "You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you that night." Olivia just grinned.
Before the memory faded into a new one, Olivia's words echoed around them, "Peter…I'm scared." As it faded Peter noticed he was standing in a hallway, somewhere he didn't remember but Olivia was there. Her back against the wall, her hands running through her hair. This time though there wasn't two Olivia's, the one standing next to Peter and the other in the memory, but there was another. Standing off to the side, she waited, watched on with a small smile. Peter knew, he just knew that it was her…really her. Walking straight to her side, straight through the memory in front of him, he reached for her hand.
"Livia?" he ducked his head to try and get her attention, her eyes never leaving the two people in front of them. "This day was the day I fell in love. No…it was the day I realized I loved you, that I couldn't lose you…I thought you were going to die." He turned his head and now he could see them both in the basement, or a car park. Peter's hands were at Olivia's throat, holding her against the wall. It was the day he was infected. Watching the scene, he was now standing over her, her gun in his hand. Turning back to the Olivia in front of him, he found that his hands were at her throat, and she was watching in closely. "I thought I lost you…I knew I loved you today…" She turned in his hands, able to get away from the vice grip he had around her neck. "OLIVIA! Wait! You have to come home, please. I need you!" she stopped, turned and faced him.
"Peter I can't…whenever I am happy, something always breaks that. With my happiness comes heartbreak. Why should I go back?" He took a step closer to her, reaching out, he was able to grab a hold of her and bring them to him. "Olivia Dunham. You have to come back, because you have friends, because you have family…" through his words, the world around them spun. Memories collided, mixing together, images and words joining. "I thought she was you Olivia…it's your birthday…I care about you…Peter, what is happening to me?..." Peter brought Olivia closer to him, his arms around her waist, holding her close, his head dipping close to hers, wanting to kiss her, his lips millimeters away from hers, "…I want what you want…what do you think we should do about that…?"
Just as his lips touched hers, Peter spoke the same words as the memory, echoing each other, "…you have to come back…because you belong with me" His lips touched hers as the world mashed into one large blue light.
"Dr. Bishop, what is happening?" Broyles voice filled the lab, they had been silent for the last hour, just watching both Peter and Olivia's brain movements on the monitors. "He is bringing her home…" Walter was smiling at the scene in front of him. Peter and Olivia, who were laying next to each other, moved their head towards each other, faces not far apart, both waking at the same time.
The first thing Olivia noticed was the freezing cold temperature of her body, they had kept her in the ice bath to keep the temperature down, but Peter had already jumped off his bed and to her side, bringing her out of the bath and into his arms on the ground. "Livia…" he whispered as he rocked her back and forth, wanting to keep her close and trying to keep her warm at the same time, Astrid had wrapped them both in a thick blanket. "I love you Livia…" Sighing into Peter's chest, she held onto him. "Thank you Peter…thank you…I love you…"
Broyles, Walter and Astrid watched on as the two held on to each other, no one else knowing that had actually happened in Olivia's mind. The scene was one that was going to become one of the best memories any of them ever had.
Yes I know a lame ending but I wanted this done before the episode tomorrow…SO CAN'T WAIT! please review! Please please please!