Peter jolted upward in a tangle of sweaty sheets and thrashing limbs. Another nightmare. His mother. Or who he thought was his mother. It was all just so confusing. Why? Why did he have to go through all that with her if she wasn't his birth mother? He was having flashbacks of the night Walter took him from his bed. He remembered the look in her eyes as she kissed him goodbye for what she didn't know was the last time. How must she have felt? Her son whom she had loved so much; gone.

On what she must have thought of as a regular night. But the thing was, he didn't know her. He knew this universes Claire. He had loved her so much. Had comforted her after Walter was institutionalized. Then she took her own life. Of course he blamed himself. What had he done? Maybe he wasn't there for her as much as he thought he had been. Guilt ripped through him so often. For her death; her blood on his hands.

For loving her all this time when it was not her that should have had his love. But Peter could not find it in himself to regret it. She had needed him. Her Peter had died and she needed him. She had told him that quite often. But Walter, that was a whole other story. Anger bubbled in his stomach at the mere thought of him.

How could he do this? I had a family! Peter thought. Walter had no right. He wanted to hate him. He wanted to curse his name and forget the man ever existed, the thing was he couldn't. Every time he tried an image of Walter attempting to make smoothies; or one of his inappropriate jokes would pop n his head. The thing was he loved the man, and could do nothing to change that. He tried to think of his real father, and what he must be like. He doubted very much that he had ever been in a mental institution. Cool, calm, and collected; a scientist. Did he want a father like that?

He wasn't so sure of anything anymore. Except one thing,

Olivia.

Her name rang in his head like a thousand church bells. He didn't know why; he couldn't explain it, but her betrayal hurt most of all. He trusted her with his life; would never think twice about it. She lied to him. Made him believe it was his fault, again. He just thought everyone was mad at him; thought she was mad at him. He spent all his time wondering what he had done to make her hate him so much. Now Peter wondered if she ever cared about him.

Did it even come close to what he felt for her? No. she didn't love him. Love? Yes, Peter thought. That much was certain. He got out of bed and started to pack. He needed to get out of that little town in Washington and head for the airport.

XXX

Olivia found herself pacing back and forth in the lab; yet again. Where was he? That was the question that had been haunting her ever since he disappeared. She had checked everywhere, every nook and cranny that he had ever mentioned, living, hanging out at, or passing by. She was absently chewing on the tip of her thumb going through a mental check list. Goddamn it, where was Peter? Yet another wave of guilt flooded over her. She had done this. If only she told him the truth! Why didn't she? Because she was afraid he would leave. Leave Walter, leave the team, leave her.

She was just so scared of that possibility. Now she could laugh at herself. She rubbed her hands over her overworked and exhausted face. She was terrified she would never see Peter again. That he would go back to the family he was supposed to have. He would meet the other universe's Olivia and forget all about her. And that was what she feared most; that the man she loved would forget about her. She had spent all her time trying to avoid something more. He was her best friend, her rock, her hand to hold, and her shoulder to lean on.

She realized it too late. If she had any tears left, she would have shed them then. She was so sorry. So sorry she couldn't even word it. She wanted so much to tell him that. Just one more chance, she thought. One more chance to tell Peter how she felt.

That was when she heard the door open. At first she thought Walter had come back to talk, to experiment, cry, or make yet some more food. What she saw made her gasp.

It was Peter.

Olivia's first reaction was to blink several times. After all this was not the first time her mind had played tricks on her, showing her Peter. She would see him across the street, or in the back of the lab, in her kitchen, or even in her bathtub. Each time with the same hurt, exhausted, and betrayed look on his face.

But this time he was smiling.

"Peter?"