"Liv, I don't think the building can take much more of this."
"But she won't let go!"
The windows in apartment 6B shattered suddenly, sending shards of glass flying in every direction. The anxiety level in both the room and on the street was reaching an all time high as Walter Bishop explained what was happening. The vortex was beginning to open.
The old man locked eyes with the Amber detonator that sat in Broyles' hand. There must be something else they could do. Walter didn't know if he could bear losing his son another time; but it was that, or the whole universe.
"How do I trigger the Amber, Doctor Bishop?"
The scientist's mind raced until finally, he knew there was no other option. He slowly told Broyles how to work the device. The head of the Fringe Division did as he was instructed, but yelled into his radio one last time. "Evacuate, now! Do you hear me? That's a direct order!"
In apartment 6B, Peter and Olivia were doing everything they could to stop Alice and Derek. Peter watched as Olivia pleaded with Alice, only to find that nothing she said could stop the heartbroken old woman. He took a few steps forward and stood directly in front of her; it was his turn to try.
"Alice, please, look at me. You need to let him go."
"I can't. I just can't!"
"I know, but you've already had what most of us only dream of. A lifetime with the person you love." He glanced over to Olivia for a second, and then looked back to Alice. "You need to let him go."
"I'm telling you, I can't do that."
"Dunham, Bishop! Evacuate NOW!"
Phillip Broyles momentary looked at Walter, who was almost trembling next to him. The tall man sighed and put his radio down. The wind whipped around them as the glimmer from 6B got bigger and brighter.
"Doctor Bishop, I'm sorry," Broyles sighed. "I… I can't wait any longer."
Walter looked at him, his eyes begging the man to wait a little longer. Phillip closed his eyelids for a moment as he took in a deep breath. Then, in one swift moment—even though it felt like an eternity—he pulled the pin out from the detonator.
February 18, 2021
"We're gathered here today in remembrance of what happened ten years ago. To remember the first release of the Amber, and the agents who sacrificed their lives to save ours."
An older, more worn out Phillip Broyles stood at a podium in front of an apartment building enclosed in a yellow rock-like substance. A huge crowd stood before him, silently listening to his speech.
"Agent Olivia Dunham and Peter Bishop put their lives on the line to stop the cause of the soft spot that night. I deeply regret having to do what we did, but the Amber, developed by the late Walter Bishop, was our only option. Agent Dunham was one of the best agents I ever worked with. She was hard-working and did anything and everything for the cases she worked on. Peter Bishop stood beside her every step of the way, and they, along with Doctor Bishop, surely were the best team Fringe Division had ever seen.
"And so today, we revisit the site to remind us what happened ten years ago. To remind us of the team that did everything they could to stop the soft spot, even if it killed them. They've been trapped in the Amber for ten years, and so far, there's been no way to get them out. But even though they're trapped, they remind us all to be courageous and fearless, and to continue to survive and defeat the Other Side!"
The crowd cheered and clapped as Broyles nodded his head and stepped back into the line of other Fringe Division agents. Agent Astrid Farnsworth smiled at him and clapped with the rest of the crowd.
The world had changed so much in a decade.