Disclaimer - I don't own any part of Fringe, it all belongs to fox, along with my sanity for having make me wait two months for a new eipsode!!
Spoilers - 2X15 (Technically 2X14 - They found an episode from an alternate universe and plugged it in the second season. Go figure) Whatever. Spoilers for "Jacksonville"
Author's note - Hey all and thanks for reading. I love Fringe and a big fan fic reader but never wrote one, so here's my first! I just had to get this down, it would not leave me alone! Hope you all like it and please feel free to review. Any typos or other errors please let me know. I try to edit myself, but it's really difficult editing your own work. Sometimes you can't see the errors. Anyways that's all. Go Fringe!
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. It's so good to know that people are enjoying what I'm writing! Chapter 4 is up, but I'm not sure if I'm going to update. If I think of a good place to take this story then I will, definitely.
"Olivia, please don't tell him"
With the realization dawning upon her and tears in her eyes, she gazes at Walter in disbelief as he whispers these words to her. This man, who experimented on her as a child and is unknowingly, the cause of all the events that have happened over the past 2 years, is now asking her to keep this secret from Peter.
Peter, she thinks as she gazes up the stairs where he is innocently putting on his jacket so they can go and have their night out together. Peter, who has always been there for her, comforting her, protecting her, has been deceived his whole life. She thinks back to Massive Dynamic and where they almost kissed and how afraid she had been in that moment and how that cannot even compare to the pain and fear she feels right now, standing in his doorway.
How could she keep this from him? He meant so much to her. Over the past 2 years they both had gone to hell and back together and despite her character, military training and bad experiences in the past, she had fallen for him. But she was happy. When he had called and asked her to go out for drinks she smiled and knew that something great could come out of this. She would give it a shot; he was worth the risk. And they might perhaps pick up where they left off in the computer lab. But now, walking through his door, dressed in her best, hair down and loose, worry free for the moment she sees him and knows he doesn't belong. She knows the real reason why he has lived his nomadic lifestyle. She cannot bear the thought of losing him, or of keeping this secret from him even if it is for his own good. She cannot betray him like that. She knows what it is like to be lied to, and cannot bear to cause him the same pain. Too many thoughts travel through her mind in an instant and as she hears Peter walk down the stairs she pulls herself together, as only Olivia can do.
"Not tonight," she quickly whispers back to Walter before she smiles up at Peter, fighting back tears.
"Ready to go?" she asks.
"More than ready. It's just a couple of blocks away, we should get going. Walter, be good. And try to let Astrid win at Monopoly just once. We all know your IQ is 195 but you don't always need to be rubbing it in!" Peter replies with a playful grin on his face and winks at Olivia.
Olivia and Peter walk down the steps and on to the street, Peter leading the way and rambling about this place he discovered a few weeks ago and how he's wanted to take her there.
'He's nervous.' Olivia thought. 'He's rambling and fidgeting with his jacket. He's always so calm and collective but right now he just thinks this is a date and everything's fine and ok, when everything is far from being ok.'
"Hey, did you hear me? I said what did Broyles have to say about that news report?"
Olivia turned her head to the left to see Peter stopped a few feet behind her and was staring at her.
"Oh I'm sorry Peter, I just had something on my mind, it's kind of been a long day." She says shrugging her shoulders, trying to downplay how truly shaken up she was by what has happened in the past 10 minutes.
"Is everything ok Liv? Listen, if you want to go somewhere else or whatever…"
"No! I'm sorry, I do want to go out, I most definitely do need a drink." She says as she smiles and grabs his arm and pulls him towards her so they can continue walking.
Peter, enjoying the contact, keeps her arm linked with his. When Olivia looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and wry grin, he smirks back and tells her, "It's cold out, just trying to keep you warm you know?"
"Hmmm right, freezing." She replies, grateful he at least will act like himself tonight.
She needs time to think. To understand and process what has happened in the last 5 hours, their almost kiss, the universes colliding and the revelation about Peter. It was all so much, so much she thought that alcohol might not work this time. Only the truth.
