You haven't seen any FauxLiv stuff from me because I'm still trying to process it all, but this one-shot got into my head and refused to leave.
Has anyone else noticed the stories in this fandom lately have been so dramatic? Here's a little humor with your bittersweet.
I own nothing to do with Fringe. Any spelling mistakes are mine.
The following songs are credited in this story: 1) 'Don't Rain On My Parade,' by Bob Merrill(made famous by Barbara Streisand and GLEE), 2) 'Lean On Me' by Bill Whithers(and recently, GLEE), and 3) 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' by Nancy Sinatra(yeah I used this in 'Rouge' also 'cause I love this song). These are all oldies but goodies and you should check them out if you don't know them. It will help you appreciate this story.
Please review if you like this.
This fic is dedicated to oranfly, who is recovering from surgery. Heal quickly, friend. :)
The pot-bellied manager Astrid Farnsworth knew as 'Bill' grabbed the microphone and tapped it twice to make sure it was working. Hearing the audible pats loud and clear through the speakers, he squinted into the spotlights and took a second to check out the evening's patrons as the din died down. There were lots of college kids, some after-work professionals, and that African-American chick was back-this time with a small, rowdy-looking group, instead of her usual female companion. Bill loved these little moments of fame and proceeded to light up like a Christmas tree.
"Good evening, folks. Karaoke Night at the Grille is officially open! Have fun, and keep it clean, please." Bill set the mike back down in its stand and walked off the small stage.
"Oh! I just love musicals!" Walter Bishop gushed loudly. "Are we all going to sing here tonight?" he asked as he turned toward his acquired son, getting more excited by the second. "Even you, Peter?"
Olivia Dunham snorted and leaned into the senior Bishop. "Of course he's going to sing, Walter! If I have to, he does too." She laughed as she, Walter, and Astrid all looked in Peter Bishop's direction and smiled.
Peter laughed. "A set-up if I ever smelled one. Thanks alot, Astrid," he sneered at the junior agent. "But I don't have to go first, you know." Then a thought hit him. "And I haven't had enough to drink. None of us have, actually..." Peter stuck his hand in the air signaling their waitress over. The young woman quickly made her way over to their table. "A round for everyone," Peter stated loudly. "On me."
"I'll have a Sam Adams Lite," Astrid quickly told the waitress, and then looked over at Walter.
"I would like an Old Fashioned, Miss. Do they still make those?" Walter asked timidly. "Normally I'd distill my own alcohol but I can't do that when I'm away from the lab, can I?" he directed toward the young woman who was looking quite confused.
Peter jumped in, gesticulating madly. "Don't mind him, he doesn't get out much. The lady and I will both have a shot of Stoli. And keep them coming, please." The waitress nodded acknowledgement and walked hurriedly away.
"Oh no, Peter," Olivia piped up. "I really don't feel like drinking anymore tonight." Unbeknownst to Peter she'd only taken a few sips of her beer earlier, and had poured the rest of it into the plant on their table when he'd gone off to the men's room and the others weren't paying attention.
Peter leaned in toward Olivia so closely his lips were almost against her ear. "C'mon, Sweethart. Loosten up. We're all getting shit-faced tonight...and singing, according to Astrid."
It had been only a little more than a week since Walter, Peter, and Olivia had returned from the Other Side. The Bureau hadn't done anything to celebrate their safe return, so Astrid had come up with the idea for an outing. A chance for the four of them to just be together casually after work at her favorite watering hole. No one had any idea it was the Cambridge Bar & Grille's weekly Karaoke Night except Astrid, and she somehow managed to keep that a surprise until Bill had graced the stage. Astrid glanced over at Olivia. She had been acting a little weird since their return, and Astrid was truly worried about her. Originally Astrid thought maybe Olivia was suffering from a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but for some reason she thought Olivia might have a deeper problem. She had never seen her so quiet toward the three of them, and so oddly aggressive at the most unusual times. Astrid sighed. Sensing Astrid checking her out, Olivia gave her a big smile.
Their waitress suddenly re-appeared and distributed their drinks. Peter waited until everyone at the table had theirs and lifted his shotglass full of Stolichnaya in a toast. "To us. Together again. Safe and sound. And to all things weird." He looked over at Olivia for a hint of recognition, but there was none.
"To all things weird," Astrid said lifting her beer bottle, and Walter and Olivia repeated her words in unison lifting their drinks. Olivia put her shotglass to her lips and took a delicate sip, wrinnkling her nose afterwards while making a sound of disgust.
Peter furrowed his brow, worriedly, watching her. Weird Olivia Dunham reaction number 2,561, he said to himself. He couldn't hold it in any longer as she set her shotglass down. "What's wrong, Dunham? I thought you loved Stoli," he said with annoyance, remembering one of their after-work outings that seemed like years ago, before all hell had broken loose.
"It's alright," she told him unconvincingly. "This is the first alcohol I've had since...It just tastes strong."
"I hope so," Peter said empahtically. "The Russians age it for years before they bottle it. Best vodka in the world." As an afterthought he added, "Probably both worlds."
Astrid could feel the tone changing at their table. She stood up. "Let me show you people how this is done." She walked up and onto the stage to the sudden applause of Walter, Peter, and Olivia, and the patrons who were paying attention. She looked through the Karaoke song directory and almost immediately tapped her finger on the screen. As the beginning music started Astrid picked up the microphone and looked out into the audience. Then she burst into song.
Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade.
"Oh! I love Barbara Streisand!" Walter shouted as Peter attempted to shush him.
Astrid got confidently into the song, strutting around the stage and belting out the lyrics better than Lea Michele. Olivia's eyes widened in shock and amazement, her hands pushing on the table. She was so distracted by Astrid's outward display of emotion that it took her a few moments to remember where she was and who she with with. When the realization hit she quickly settled herself and sat back in her seat as Peter watched on confusedly. What was that about? Peter thought to himself.
The music ended and so did Astrid's singing. All of the patrons, including Walter, Peter, and Olivia gave her a standing ovation. Astrid smiled brilliantly and spoke into the microphone. "Okay, Peter and Walter. Let's hear you do a duet. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bishop Boys," Astrid said into the mike, pointing and waving to Walter and Peter to come up onstage.
Their was wild applause as Walter nearly jumped out of his chair and grabbed Peter's arm as he stood. "Come on, Peter, this is wonderful!" They walked onto the stage as Astrid walked off, a smirk on her face. The two Bishop men sat on the high stools on the stage as Peter looked through the duet section of the Karaoke song list. He pointed to one and the two of them nodded their heads. They both picked up their microphones from the stands as the music started. Astrid laughed and leaned toward Olivia as she recognized the tune. "This is very appropos. You know this one?" Astrid asked her. Olivia just shook her head 'no' and looked back at the men on the stage.
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow.
The two men sang in unison. Peter put his arm around Walter's shoulders as the song continued.
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on.
Walter's eyes were wet with tears but his voice held firm. When the song ended everyone in the place stood and applauded them. Peter and Walter replaced their microphones and walked back to their table.
"Very impressive, guys. Peter, I didn't know you knew that song," Astrid said emphatically, holding her almost empty beer. The waitress came and set new drinks around their table.
Peter laughed as he sat down, draping an arm around the back of Olivia's chair. "Walter used to sing that to me every once in awhile." Peter looked over at Olivia, sadly noticing her ongoing stiffness. He touched her flaxen hair with his right hand and smiled at her. "Your turn, 'Livia."
Olivia's eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights, as she pushed her newly arrived shotglass to the side. "But I really don't w-"
"Come on," Peter said grabbing her arm and pulling her out of her chair. "We all did so you have to now. Go on. And pick something good!" he shouted to her retreating form. He picked up his newest shot of vodka and tossed it down in one gulp.
Olivia Dunham made her way to the stage in her bright red sweater and tight blue jeans and scrolled through the song menu. Giving a rather evil-looking smirk she tapped the screen. Waiting for the music to start she lifted the microphone from its stand and scanned the audience with her eyes, stopping when she caught Peter's wink. The guitar riffs started and she became another person.
You keep saying you've got something for me
something you call love but confess
You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been a messin'
and now someone else is gettin' all your best.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just
what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
Peter's lust-filled eyes locked onto Olivia as she sang, now strutting around the stage like a pro. Obviously she had performed this song before somewhere at some time, and her performance was smooth. Mechanical, though, he thought to himself. Too mechanical. Two chairs away Astrid was thinking the same thoughts. Poilished. Rehearsed. Flawless. But robot-like.
Walter had started clapping his hands to the beat and looked over at his son, smiling. He leaned across the table and shouted. "I didn't realize she could...sing!" Walter didn't wait for an acknowledgement but turned back towards the stage, lost in his enthusiasm.
Olivia's performance was riveting until near the end of the song when she got the words and the music wrong and was singing an entirely different ending. She looked up in shock and embarassment, hearing entirely different words and music coming out of the speakers. She stopped singing and just bowed her head slightly while putting the mike back into its stand. Sheepishly she made her way back to their table to the sound of moderate applause.
Peter leaned toward Astrid as Olivia returned the microphone. "What the heck just happened?" he asked her loudly.
"I don't know. It's like she sang a different ending..." Astrid stated as she shrugged. Walter, Peter, and Astrid all watched in silence as Olivia made her way back to their table.
Olivia fell back into her chair, exhaling loudly. "OK. I did my time. Now get me a Coke," she demanded Peter.
Peter shook his head and removed his hand from the back of her chair to signal their waitress. As he watched the young woman nod her head and make her way over, Peter tried to assess the feeling of caution suddenly washing through him. He knew when he got a chance he needed to process this entire evening. The energy between he and Olivia felt wrong in some inexplicable way, and it bothered him greatly. He needed answers. The memory of Walter handing an old teddy bear to Christine Hollis suddenly entered his brain. Walter had told the young woman the bald man had asked him to give her something. Peter hadn't even known Walter had made contact with him. The frustration of not knowing had driven him almost mad, and he felt restless like that now. What's going on here? He watched as Walter and the women fell into light conversation. Maybe he would talk with Astrid about it on Monday morning.