A/N: This is my first fic even though I promised myself I wouldn't be writing any. It's basically my followup to season 2's awesome but depressing cliffhanger. Reviews would be much appreciated. Enjoy! :)

Also, I rewrote this chapter slightly, and deleted Chapters 2 and 3 temporarily for a rewrite. Suggestions would be nice since no definitive end is in place.

~ Olivia

It was cold. A chill that seeped into the very core of Olivia's body. It had been hours, days, maybe even months since she'd first been thrown into this cell. This cage. This prison that brought back all the
repressed terrors of her mind. This pitch-black darkness that rendered her blind of all senses and threw her into a never-ending repetitive train of thoughts and fears.

The window opened without warning like the many times that the window had opened before. The feeble light would always pierce through the dark; and silhouetted against the light would be the cold emotionless
sneer of Walternate. Not her Walter, but the man from this universe whose demeanor was all but slightly different.

Olivia knew that the Secretary wanted something from her, but so far, no hints were revealed as to what his plans were. The sensory deprivation and small amount of sustenance she was allowed was the least of her worries. Her worst fear was being used as some sort of lab rat to fulfill Walternate's sinister deeds.

The Secretary remained silent all the times that he watched her from the small window opposite the corner that Olivia sat in. Whenever she had the chance, she begged, pleaded desperately to be let out, and banged her fists on the cold glass that separated her from the rest of the world. All the attempts were futile as she was left alone in the darkness again and again, the sound of her screams echoing back at her.

However, when the window opened this time, Olivia had neither the heart nor the energy to get up and start her usual routine which always rendered her hopeless and helpless. This time, Olivia sat slumped down into the corner of the small room, head hanging down as she refused to look into the cold eyes of the man that gazed down upon her like she was some dangerous zoo animal that deserved the torturous solitude. When he left, Olivia continued to sit in the dark corner as a lump rose in her throat that threatened tears. She succumbed and as one single lonely tear fought its way down, images of everything leading up to this detainment flashed through her mind's eye:

The desperation clinging at her heart when she saw the sheet of paper with the picture of that machine, with her Peter on it with the sole intention of annihilating the universe.

Nina Sharp's words briefly popped up in her mind: "Only one world will remain..."

One universe, hers or theirs.

She thought of James Heath, dying before her eyes as his abilities backfired upon him once they had made it over there. She thought of Nick and Sally, whose fates she didn't know. Of Bell. Of her Peter and Walter, who she believed or had to believe made it back to her universe. With the other her.

She reminisced about how the last thing she remembered was her shirt and jacket being pulled off of her roughly by a blurry figure with familiar auburn hair; her consciousness slowly ebbed away accompanied by a huge explosion that shook the ground underneath her.

She had been replaced, her alternate in her stead, in her universe. With her Walter. Rachel. Ella. Broyles. Astrid. And Peter.

Peter... Olivia's mind ran into overdrive as she thought of him. Of her confession to him which seemed so long ago. The brief moment of happiness when her heart soared without care or worry about her dreaded reality. The rare moment in which she laid all her feelings bare, like an open book to the world. She had lost John. She had lost Charlie, but she would not and could not have Peter end up with the same fate. And as she leaned up towards Peter, Olivia pressed her lips softly, but firmly against his, as she let it be known to him that she would not be letting go of him anytime soon now that she had him. One hand pressed softly on his heart and the other one carefully pressed on the nape of his neck. Except, she had lost him again. Fate was a tricky thing. Just as Nick had said, but if she wanted out, she would have to change fate herself.

After a long while of pondering about her options, Olivia finally mustered up the strength to get up. As she stood in the dark, listening to the uneven rhythm of her breathing, she spread out her arms to try her Walter's technique of crossing over which would hopefully yield positive results.

"Spread out your arms. You remember how..."

Olivia didn't remember, but she had to try so she could escape this hole. She knew that no help would be coming. Walter from her side had no more ways of crossing over and even if he did, it would be too risky. Peter could not rescue her; returning to this universe would mean his death along with the destruction of her world. If Cortexiphan was meant to do any good, then it would be now.

Olivia stood on the cold tiled floor for what seemed like ages. Her brows furrowed tightly as she concentrated all her fear, desperation, anger, and frustration into her thoughts. Nothing happened, and she opened her eyes slowly to see her surroundings. Olivia was still in her cell, still trapped. She slammed her fists against the wall, livid with annoyance at the refusal of her abilities to activate. She was special wasn't she?

"You were always the strong one..."

"We knew that we had to prepare a guardian, someone to watch the
gate..."

"You have the ability to cross over safely..."

She wasn't strong. She couldn't stop the shapeshifter Charlie. She couldn't stop the raid on Laston-Hennings Cryonics. She couldn't stop Newton... And if she had the ability to cross over, it sure as hell wasn't surfacing any time soon. To be honest, Olivia pitied herself. The state she was in right now was completely worthless. She could usually weasel herself out of difficult situations, but now, everything was a blur and nothing felt right. At all.

Olivia was weak, physically and emotionally. Her tough FBI agent appearance had been replaced with the demeanor of a helpless child. She didn't want to admit it, but it was true. Olivia didn't know how much longer she would last in this endless abyss of black. She curled up against the back wall as she let the darkness takeover her, letting her fears consume her fragile mind as she closed her eyes hoping for a moment's peace without nightmares plaguing her dreams. Without notice and without knowing what she was doing, flames engulfed the entirety of the small room. Smoke rised to the low ceiling as sirens outside her cell went off in a symphony of high pitched wails.