Catching On

Spoilers: All Episodes before 3x07, mainly 3x06 6955kHz.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe!

Peter stood in the kitchen making dinner when he heard a conversation that caught his attention. Olivia was on the phone with Rachel, he walked to the doorway to find her pacing.

"No Rachel, it not that I don't want to come...I do but there's work and...no I'm sure I'll be there for Ella's next birthday. I understand she wants me to come but...really I can't. Yeah, looks I...hello?" She looked at the phone and threw it at the couch, "damn mission."

Peter retreated back and poured Olivia a glass of whiskey, her words suddenly worried him...he didn't know about any mission she was on. She entered the kitchen with a smile and eyed him.

"Hi."

"Hey, I got you something." He presented her with a bottle of whiskey, "I know it's your favorite and after how you inhaled the last one a few months ago...I thought I'd surprise you."

She smiled and accepted the bottle, "why don't we save this for a special occasion. I'll put it up till then."

"One shot." He looked at her, "I already poured it."

She stared at the shot and accepted it, he tipped back his and noted as she made a face afterwards which was odd as Olivia could drink an entire bottle of whiskey without an issue. She smiled afterwards, a forced smile he noted. "What's for dinner?"

"Parmesan Chicken and my mother's Greek salad."

"You do remember I'm allergic to olives right?"

Peter found it extremely strange that she said that when she loved olives, always asking for extra olives on her salads and sandwiches. He'd joke and say 'Olives for Olive' of which she'd laugh and nod.

"I forgot, sorry honey." He looked at her and turned back, things in his mind started to reel about the differences he'd been seeing. Although he didn't say anything, he worried about her health when she failed to remember the numbers earlier that evening...if the trip back was finally revealing some adverse reactions as they'd been back a month.

He had to test a theory and it would be dangerous. Peter saw her at the table setting it for dinner and also noted she was still wearing her work clothes.

Walking over, he placed his hands on her arms and whispered to her. "Go relax, let me do this. Why don't you slip into something more comfortable, you're still in your suit."

"You sure?"

He nodded, "I wanted to make dinner, I'll take care of the table."

She left and he immediately walked to the counter, taking the olive jar and removed some of the juice. He sprinkled it on the untainted salad he prepared and knew if she went into anaphylactic shock that she was not Olivia but her alternate. His mind already dealing with how to take care of that if it was true but he hoped to God it wasn't. He knew Olivia's allergy for bees was extremely high and she kept an epi-pen with the first aid kit under the kitchen sink...he'd use that and then take care of her as she was recovering.

He set the table and she walked in at that moment in sweats and a tank. "Hey, I forewent the pasta as I used olive oil on it and just set the chicken and some salad for you."

She smiled and kissed him, "you are amazing you know that right?"

"Yeah but I like to be reminded."

They sat down and began to eat when minutes into taking a bite she touched her throat and began wheezing.

"Hold on, oh shit." He faked it and went to the first aid kit, grabbing the epi-pen before pulling her onto the floor, laying her straight before using the pen. "I'll be right back, just try to breathe."

She nodded and he headed to the bedroom, grabbing the gun and handcuffs. Peter found her sitting up and trying to breathe again. He pointed the gun at her as she looked up. Her voice rough as she looked at him with a questioning stare. "Peter?"

"Olivia isn't allergic to olives, she always asks for extra when she gets salads. She has a numeral memory, one look at a number and it's with her for life...all the differences, you aren't her...you're the woman I met on the other side."

She eyed him, "you poisoned me?"

"It was test, I had to know...stay where you are." He bent down, gun still pointed as he placed the handcuffs on her and the other on the table. Standing up, he pulled out his phone and dialed Broyles. "It's Peter...we have an issue, they replaced our Olivia with theirs...she's been the one this entire time...I suspect that's how Jones was deactivated. No she's in handcuffs and I have a gun on her...yeah." He hung up and looked at her, "Broyles is on his way...where is Olivia?"

She shook her head, "you must have a lot of questions but I can't give you any answers."

"This from the woman who seduced her way into my life, I guess answers is where you draw the line."

She looked down and eyed him, "I can tell you I have no idea where she is...that was not part of my mission but knowing your father...he probably brainwashed her into thinking she was me. She'd have my memories implanted into her and is living my life...unfortunately I couldn't have hers."

"Is there a way to undo it?"

"No...once the memories are implanted you can't undo them...we do it all the time to help victims not remember the event. There's no way to bring her back...she's gone, the Olivia you knew isn't there anymore."

"You don't know Olivia...the things she can do, she'll remember eventually."

She nodded, "maybe but it could be years or never at all...I'm trying not to hurt you anymore by telling you the truth...I do care for you Peter."

Broyles arrived and they took her away, Peter had already formulated a plan and he'd need her to work it. He was to go with her to the place where she communicated and relay a message about coming home.

It wasn't but four days later that he woke up in his mother's house again, she hugged him and smiled. "You came home...something must have changed your mind...what was it?"

"I met someone and she wasn't who I thought she was...I thought I loved her and it turned out to be a lie. I can't do that again and she was the reason for my returning...so I came home. Is Dad around?"

"At Liberty Island, you want to see him don't you?"

Peter nodded and soon he was given the keys to the spare car, he drove with GPS the entire way before taking a chopper over as before. He found Walternate looking out the window, he smiled.

"Peter...you have decided to come home. You said your reason for staying was no longer there."

He nodded, "I thought I was in love but she turned out to be a lie."

"Sometimes we blindly follow love and it leads up nowhere...but you're home. You'll want to go to your apartment and get settled, we'll begin the project again tomorrow."

Peter nodded, "can I have Agent Dunham again...there was something about her, different from the one on my side...I like her spunk and her vocalness as the other is extremely shy."

Walternate nodded, "she's here doing tests, she should be done...I'll have her take you."

"Thanks."

They walked down to the testing lab and Peter saw Olivia checking her hair as she finished. She looked up and snapped to attention.

"Mr. Secretary, I was unaware I'd be seeing you for this round of tests."

Walternate chuckled, "no my son returned, I was wondering if you'd take him to his apartment again...since you are already here."

She looked at Peter and nodded, "Mr. Bishop...of course sir, I'll take him." She grabbed her bag and looked at Peter, "are you ready to go now?"

"Yes."

They walked and Olivia saluted to several officers, nodding to others before they made it out. Peter noticed the entire chopper ride she was talking to a man named Lincoln over a small communication board and was actually laughing.

"He didn't?"

"Oh he did, serious Liv you should have been there...oh Frank called while you were in tests, he's coming home tomorrow. I thought the four of us could go out for a celebratory drink, no alcohol for you though as you don't drink."

She smiled, "I can't get past the taste...thanks, I've missed Frank. You're a sweetheart you know that. Listen, I have to cancel tonight...code red."

"Well than I'll see you next week, I'll miss you."

She gave a small secret smile, "I'll miss you too babe. Now, go before they realize you're missing as they can't live without you."

"Oh is that right or is it just you?"

"Shut up and tell Charlie if he attempts that again I may smack him...you don't hit on the Colonel's niece...no matter the reason."

"You got it sweetheart...see you around."

They logged off and she looked up at Peter, he smiled. "Boyfriend?"

"No, he's none of your business." She snapped and looked out the window.

Peter realized her alternate was telling the truth, she remembered nothing and was not the Olivia he knew.

They landed and got in a car, he was quiet as they drove but noticed early on they were not driving to his apartment. Instead they drove and kept driving till they headed towards Boston.

"We can't go to Boston, there's a fringe event."

"Shut up, are you insane for coming back Peter?" She looked at him, "I was trying to find a way out and I finally found one but you had to come barging in like the hero. It's no wonder you're still the same pain in the ass I brought from Iraq two years ago."

He looked at her, "you remember who you are?"

"Of course I remember...just because they brainwashed me doesn't mean I wouldn't fight it. I began remembering but ignored it believing I was her but then I crossed over and called Ella on her birthday...I knew who I was and have been me for the past week...but I still pretend to be her and I'm good at it. I must be since I fooled you."

Peter smiled and reached over taking her hand, Olivia smiled and squeezed it. "I'm sorry I left you."

"But you came for me...just like I came for you."

Peter nodded and sighed, "you can cross but I can't."

She nodded, "but if I concentrate I can." She let go of his hand and reached behind her, removing the bag from the back. Peter took it and looked at it. "Front pouch, I stole them from the lab...I have since the tests last week when I remembered."

He pulled out a handful of syringes, "what are they?"

"Psychotropic drugs, I've managed to use them enough to cross over if I concentrate...I've crossed over twice in the tank at Liberty Island. I decided that the only real way home is Walter's lab or Walternate's." She smiled, "do you trust me?"

"With my life."

She took his hand and looked at him, "then trust me to do this...you belong with me so I won't let anything happen to you."

He nodded and kissed her hand, "it was the olives...that's was the breaking point of noticing she wasn't you."

"Olives?"

"You love them, she's allergic...I tested it by pouring olive juice on her salad...she went right into anaphylactic shock. It gave me time to handcuff her and call Broyles."

Olivia smiled, "what else did you notice?"

"No memory of numbers, hair...she likes music, U2 to be exact."

"I like U2 too." She looked at him, "just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't like it. I turn up the radio each time they and Coldplay come on...I happen to like both bands."

Peter became silent and Olivia noticed he let go of her hand, he looked out the window as she drove. Olivia placed a hand on his arm and he shook his head. "Don't Olivia."

"What is it Peter...tell me." She eyed him, "what did she do?"

"I thought she was you...I began suspecting only a week ago when she started acting strange on a case. Before that I thought she was you..."

Olivia didn't need to ask to know what he was trying to say...he'd had sex with her alternate and now after everything felt guilty and as if he betrayed her in the most unforgivable way.

"Lincoln, the guy I was talking to...every Tuesday and Thursday...they were having an affair. Code red is a sign for no sex that week due to periods," she felt awkward saying that but she'd heard worse in the lab with Walter including seeing below his belt before Peter corrected him a year before. "But when I saw you I knew I had a way home so I used that code even if it is false. The things we do don't have to affect us...we move on. I accept that you couldn't tell the differences till she slipped up just as I did what I had to in order to survive." She smiled and took his hand, "what matters is not stepping out when we are together...we aren't, not yet. When we cross that line, that's when we have to judge ourselves and each other."

He looked at her, "how can you..."

"I have my personality and hers mixed together, I'll be optimistic for a while. She's bubbly where I'm not...as much as I hate it, I like it. I'm trying to maintain it so I can change in the future. I've seen her life, the friends she has...the man...men she loves and I want that."

"Men?"

"No, just you...what I want is not to work my life away surrounding my spare time with paperwork and whiskey."

Peter chuckled, "she can't drink either...that's entirely strange. You can down an entire bottle of whiskey without trouble or becoming drunk and she just...her face when she downed a single shot."

"You don't know how much I've wanted to drink these past few days. I'd be identified if I entered a liquor store as everyone is carded and I mean everyone. I watched Charlie and Lincoln drink and I just want to knock them out take a drink and say they passed out from the alcohol."

Peter shook his head, "I still remember you knocking that vase over his head."

"You know, Lincoln brings that up every time there's talk about our side and alternates. Charlie can't live it down that 'a doppelganger cold conked him over the head with a vase' as it's been put and all I can do is laugh...especially since I'm the one who did it."

"And you love it don't you?"

She nodded, "it's like I'm torturing my Charlie again."

They arrived at Harvard and headed down to the lab, Peter found the tank and began filling it with water from the hose outside as Olivia poured the Epsom salt in.

"Okay," Peter looked at the array of drugs, "what do I give you and in what order?"

Olivia picked out several and placed them on the table in order, she pointed to the one on the far left. "This one first and go to the end. I hate needles...being experimented on tends to lead you to hate them."

Peter nodded and took her arm, placing his back to her as her arm rested before him so he was between her line of sight. "You'll feel it but you won't see it."

Olivia rested her head on Peter's back as he injected all six of the drugs, she looked at him as he turned. "Thank you."

"Always." He kissed her head and pulled her chin up, "now...as much as this is going to sound completely wrong...it's time to get wet."

She smiled and nodded, looking at the tank, "once we're in...don't let go of my hand, no matter what happens."

They were getting in as the sound of a helicopter passed over and the sound of banging was heard.

"Something tells me that's not good."

Olivia looked at her arm, "damn, I forgot about the tracking chip...every Fringe Agent has one."

The door to the lab swung open and they both looked up to see Walternate and several other soldiers including Broyles, Lincoln and Charlie.

"Olivia," Peter whispered, "what now?"

"Scare me." She said, "you have to scare me for my abilities to work...Walter said only extreme emotion would do it."

Walternate looked them, "son, you need to stop this...let Agent Dunham go, you can't take her to the other side...she belongs here."

Peter noted they needed her and she wanted to go home, the biggest way to scare her was to turn her over. "Alright, you're right..." he took her arm and pushed her in their direction. "I can't replace one Olivia with another and that's what I'm doing."

Walternate eyed Lincoln, "Agent Lee take your agent."

Lincoln headed over and Olivia turned to Peter, "what are you doing...Peter?"

"I'm sorry Agent Dunham...I thought...it doesn't matter what I thought. Take her, she's your agent."

Lincoln took her arm, "come on Liv, let's get you some help before this breakdown gets full blown."

"No, Peter!" She tried to move towards him and Charlie came over to help Lincoln, "Peter what are you doing? You belong with me..."

"No I don't Agent Dunham, I'm sorry to make you think that."

She shook her head and struggled against the two men, trying to get to Peter. "Peter...please, please don't do this. You came for me, why are you handing me over to them again?"

Her fear spiked and she instantly thought of Peter, disappearing from Lincoln's grip and immediately appeared before Peter. He took a hold of her arms and looked at her. "Thank God, I'm sorry Sweetheart but it was the only way. Can you take us home?"

She closed her eyes and immediately thought of home, "hold on."

"Always."

In an instant they were gone and everyone stared at what had just happened. "What..."

Charlie shook his head, "I told you it wasn't Olivia."

On the other side Astrid was talking to Broyles when the ground shook and they turned to see Peter and Olivia appear, Olivia however fell to the ground and Peter caught her.

She looked as she had the first time she crossed over, dead yet she was breathing and she stared straight ahead.

Olivia opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital room, she turned her head to see Peter in the seat beside the bed. He immediately took her hand and squeezed it.

"Peter." She smiled and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Olivia."

"Don't apologize. You were the only thing that got me through. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have made it back. You saved my life."

He leaned up and kissed her head, whispering as he did. "Welcome home Olivia."

Four Months Later

Olivia sat watching the news when Peter entered the room with a breakfast tray, he placed it before her and she smiled. "Thank you but you don't have to keep doing this every Saturday."

Peter leaned down and kissed her, "I want to...besides you love my cooking."

"Is that your ego talking again?" She pinched his side and he squirmed before taking his coffee and moved around the side of the bed. "So, apparently in my absence they sealed off that well in the Gulf of Mexico but the BP disaster still goes on."

"Hmm and Boston got another five inches in the middle of the night," Peter looked at her, "looks like we'll be staying in today."

Olivia found an envelope under her plate and she pulled it out, "what's this?"

"I don't know but you better find out."

She opened it and found passes to the next NRA Conference, "you didn't..."

"I saw it in your Rifleman subscription and thought why not...I figure we can go down Thursday evening barring any cases and come back Sunday...romantic weekend in Pittsburgh and let you attend on Saturday."

Olivia looked at them and smiled, "thank you...did you talk to Broyles already because I get the idea you did."

"He said as long as we don't have cases we can go, in fact he said if we want we can schedule vacation time to make sure we go...apparently he thinks we are way over due for one."

She looked at the passes, "I have no idea how you managed this."

"Being the son of Massive Dynamic's owner tends to pull strings, plus I made a donation to the Youth Rifle Association."

She leaned in and kissed him, "you are ever the con man, I should arrest you for bribery."

"I know for a fact that you like my con man side, it goes against your straight-laced attitude perfectly." He kissed her again, "I love you."

"I love you too, now leave me to my breakfast."

He chuckled and picked up the remote, turning on the movie they had tried to finish the night before but she had fallen asleep. "I always liked Casablanca...I'm surprised you have it."

"Shh...I want to watch it." She smiled and began eating her omelet and bacon, handing a piece to Peter as she knew he'd try to steal one as he always did.

It was a perfect Saturday morning without any interruptions, both enjoying each other and the fact they were home and together.

A/N: This is my 99th, my 100th is already coming along...I have finished eleven of the sixteen chapters finished in just one night. I hope you enjoyed this...I wrote it after 6955 kHz aired but never posted it because by the time I finished Abducted aired. It was on my mind of what was something so simple that Peter would notice and it ended up being food...strange huh?

Tune in Friday for Fringe 8 but also check in because I will be posting the first chapter of Entwined...the backstory of Callisandra and Corin and how everything came to start.