First chapter of my first fringe story…wish me luck ;-)

Walter Bishop shuffled through the lab with uneasiness,Astrid knew this because she liked to think she had been working with him long sometimes called her his mood detector while Peter was referred to as his translator.

Also if the inability to sit still for two minutes like a dog that cant decide whether he wants to mark his territory or not was any thing to go by she felt her theory was the best choice.

The third time he smacked a conical flask on the countertop reciting a tune from hunchback of Notre Dame she finally snapped

'Walter please don't do that,we have totalled our maximum allowance of conical flasks from our supplier'

He looks at the floor with that hurt childish face of his.

'Listen Walter I know you are frustrated because its been a while since we have had a case but-

'If time were a linear pattern it would be an era since we have had a case,Thomas Malthus' theory suggests a certain amount of the population needs to be eliminated so the rest can support ourselves on the resources given to us'

'Walter that's a horrible thing to-

As if the man himself had heard Walter's plea Peter came to tell them that there had been a murder.

Walter was still humming the song from The Hunchback when they arrived at the crime scene.

'is it me or does this look like he went a bit Tarzan?' as ever Peters sense of humour couldn't help but make Olivia smile even at these inappropriate times.

There was a tree branch grasped in the mans grip as if he was swinging from the tree beforehand.

Peter began searching the crime scene, his perception rivalled Sherlock Holmes when he made observations. Olivia was secretly in awe of this but she would never admit it,if only to keep Peter's ego in check.

As Walter knelt to examine the body he noticed the distinct smell of Sap on the man's body,and when he searched the tree he noticed it was intact bark and all.

'Aster-

'Astrid, Walter my name is Astrid-

'Yes,am come here please do you smell that overpowering stench of sap?'

'ugh yes Walter and I don't even have to go that near,is that sap as in sap from the inside of a tree?'

'Yes I believe so and I think its coming from the wound at his neck here from where the branch entered his body'

'Walter are you saying his blood is oozing sap?'

'mmm I like that word oozing very onomatopoeic, don't you think? It reminds me of….'

As Walter drifted off again Astrid shook his arm to try and bring him back to the moment.

'What does it remind you of Walter?'

'Pie, I would love some pie where the apples ooze from the pastry,haven't had it in years'

'Peter can we please go get some pie on the way back to the lab while this body is being transported'

Peter had to smile to ease his slightly demented father. It always had a calming effect on Walter for some reason.

'Broyles says the victim had a wife maybe she has an idea what her husband was up to and why he was here'

This case wasn't going to be easy Olivia thought since there were no witnesses. The furrow that marked her brows made Peter smile secretly to himself,he knew she was having an internal debate with herself but she looked so beautifully vulnerable on the outside it was such a rare look he couldn't help but relish it.

To try and distract himself from staring he voiced his own opinions

'there's something odd about that branch,it almost seems like it attacked the victim,do you see how it bends from its natural course of growth to end up protruding from the victim'

'I suppose anything is possible Peter,is it perhaps possible to go get some Pie now Peter?'

'Yes Walter we can go get some pie now,we can catch up with Olivia later ok'

'Ya I'll go question the wife'

It tug at her heart to see Peter's protectiveness and caring side towards his felt the same way towards her sister of course especially with her sister's capacity to make bad life choices but the patience with which Peter dealt with his father and his afflictions made Olivia admire him…though she would never admit it….