This fic was written for Yuletide 2010. It's a little "what if" about how the Fringe gang spent the holiday season that year with all of the tension that was present. Spoilers up to 3x09 Marionette.
Snowblind
It was a bitter evening late into December when Agent Astrid Farnsworth found herself stepping into the lab at Harvard, spotting the ever-unpredictable Dr. Walter Bishop muttering wildly to himself as he rushed around.
"Walter?" she ventured gently.
"Astrolabe!" Walter shouted in surprised upon spotting her. "I did not hear you enter."
"Astrid," she corrected, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. Some days she wondered how she ever actually remembered her own name having been given so many monikers. "What are you doing here? I thought Peter took you home."
"He did. Peter is currently at a bar – drowning his sorrows, no doubt – and so I took the opportunity to sneak out without his prior knowledge." Walter continued fidgeting.
"You can't do that; Peter will be worried sick if he doesn't find you at home!" As reckless as Walter was, Astrid knew that it was very rare that he ever ran away. Not unheard of, but still a cause for concern, especially in recent times. "What happened? Did the two of you fight?"
Walter averted his gaze, refusing to make eye contact. "No. Peter and I did not have a fight."
"Then…?"
"It's Olivia. After the Barrett case, she and Peter spoke…and he has not been himself since. I know that something has gone wrong."
"Things have changed between them," Astrid agreed.
"That other version, that imposter Olivia, she came between them by using her salacious charms. If I could just procure the appropriate chemicals to create a potent enough aphrodisiac to give to our Olivia, maybe I can –"
"Walter! You are not giving anyone an aphrodisiac!" Astrid grabbed a beaker of grey powder on the table and moved it out of reach. "Do you really think that would make anything better between them?"
Walter let his shoulders fall. "No…"
Astrid placed her hand on his back comfortingly. "I know how much you care about them, I care about them too, but they need to figure this out on their own."
Walter did not move but did not protest her words, either.
"Come on, I'll take you back home, all right?"
Astrid bit her lip as she led him out the door. She had never seen Dr. Walter Bishop so upset, so lost. So helpless.
Astrid surveyed her handiwork with pride. It had taken her a few hours of manual labour, a trip to the department store and three cups of coffee, but it had been worth it. Walter's lab had been successfully converted into a winter wonderland.
If this didn't cheer him up, she didn't know what would.
"Can we make this quick please, Walter?" Astrid heard Peter's voice filter in as the Bishops entered, then they stopped in their tracks. "What the hell?" Peter exclaimed rather bluntly.
"Oh my." Walter turned around, in awe. "Agent Farnsworth, what have you done to my lab?"
Astrid's heart fell for a moment. She hadn't meant to overstep her bounds, she had hoped...
"Jingle Bells! This is my absolute favourite yuletide carol, how did you know?" Walter asked excitedly, looking on at Astrid in wonder. She had found some of his old Christmas records in storage and had put them to good use.
"Of course. You sing it all the time, no matter what the season. How could I forget?" She gave Peter a knowing look. They had both endured the assault of Walter's unexpected and unwanted seasonal serenades.
"You did this for my father?" Peter asked, surprised, as Walter ran off to dig into the myriad of candy canes Astrid had laid out at the computer desk.
"It's been a tough time for him. For all of us. I thought maybe a little holiday cheer would pick up his spirits."
Peter watched Walter as he gleefully placed a Santa hat on Gene. "It most certainly did."
Astrid hesitated. "So...if you and Olivia could try to keep the mood light..."
Peter's face darkened. "It's not up to me, Astrid," he replied brusquely before walking off. "Talk to Olivia."
Astrid grimaced. That was what she had been afraid of.
Olivia set her shoulders back and braced herself. This was her job, these were her co-workers. She had to put the past behind her as much as she possibly could and move forward. They all had work to do, and that meant they needed to be a fully functioning team.
They didn't have a case on hand, but there was still so much she had to stay on top of and learn about from when she had been missing. There were cases she needed to know inside-out, even if she had been in another universe when they happened. She couldn't slip up, not now, not ever again. Everyone's lives, on both sides, were at stake.
Olivia pushed open the door of Walter's lab, expecting to find Walter, Peter and Astrid hard at work, as usual. What she found was the entire lab decorated from top to floor with Christmas knick-knacks, and the tantalizing smell of freshly baked cookies.
Olivia was shocked into silence. There was surprising and then there was bizarre.
"Olivia!" Walter jumped up eagerly upon her arrival. "Come come, try one of my cookies. I baked them especially for you."
Olivia gave him a speculative stare, examining the cheerful sprinkled treat he offered her. Something about it seemed familiar. She warily took a bite of the cookie and felt a wave of nostalgia flood through her.
"You were quite fond of eating up my spicy cinnamon gingerbread men when you were a much younger girl."
She vaguely recalled it – like a waking dream, far in the recesses of her mind – grabbing cookie after cookie from the generous hands of a bespectacled man in a white lab coat. "And you remembered that?"
Walter smiled broadly. "You called them 'G-men'. Rather ironic considering your current occupation..."
Walter continued to prattle on. It was extremely odd, but so like him. Of course the most considerate thing anyone had done for her in ages was bake her Christmas cookies from her childhood and of course the person to do it was Walter. It was a simple yet sincere gesture and so Olivia pushed back the dark feelings associated with her time in Jacksonville. For the time being she could graciously accept the warmth Dr. Bishop gave her in hopes of numbing her inexhaustible pain.
"Thank you, Walter."
The look in Walter's eyes sobered as he gave her a nod of understanding. "You deserve this and so much more, Olive."
"Quite the madhouse in here…" Olivia felt his presence before she saw him. "Though not quite the kind of gruesome insanity we usually see in here."
"Peter." She wasn't in the mood for small talk. Not yet.
"Look, I know things between us, they're not good." Peter hedged his bets, tackling the topic head-on. "But we can be civil, we can be friends. We can get along for the time being, for the sake of the team. …Right?"
"Right." Olivia tried to ignore the lump forming in her throat. "We can try." She whispered, the anger having died out, making way for a melancholic sense of acceptance.
It would have to be enough.
The day had been a success in Astrid's eyes. Peter and Olivia had kept to themselves and neither had taken out their grievances on Walter. The resident mad scientist, on the other hand, had taken to the festivities with relish. Poor Gene had been subjected to a classic carol medley, no doubt a result of the sugar high from Walter's candy cane consumption.
Astrid caught Peter walking by, skilfully and considerately avoiding Olivia who had holed up in the conference room.
"Peter, I've been looking for you." Astrid said. "Walter wants to speak with you."
"I have to thank you, Astrid." Peter interjected.
"What for?"
"For the way you've been taking care of him while things have been weird for the rest of us. For simply being there for everyone. You're like the glue that keeps us all together" He gave her a rueful smile. "You're kind enough to treat us like some kind of broken family."
Peter made his way to Walter. "Even if we're broken beyond repair…"
"You are my family," Astrid muttered under her breath as she walked back into the storage area to search for past case files. She just wished they could all see it.
"Olivia, here are a few more Agent Broyles wanted you to review." Astrid announced, placing another cardboard box on the desk.
"Thank you, Astrid."
"How are you holding up?" Astrid asked, pointedly catching Olivia's eye to drive home the true meaning of her query.
"As well as possible, considering the circumstances." Olivia admitted. Astrid waited, expectantly. She knew there was more. There was always so much more when it came to Olivia. "Look, Astrid, about before, when I pressed you to talk about Peter and the other me, I shouldn't have and well, I…thank you."
"I know that we don't talk often, Olivia, but what you went through was incredibly tough. If you ever need it my door's always open."
Olivia gave a small sad smile. "That means a lot."
"You're free to come celebrate Christmas with me if you want." Astrid offered.
"Thank you, Astrid. I mean it. But I think I'll head over to Rachel's for the holidays. I've really…I've missed seeing Ella."
Astrid nodded. "I understand. But remember that the invitation is always open, Olivia."
"I will."
"Walter! Astrid said that you were looking for me," Peter called out, snapping Walter from his reverie.
"Oh yes. Peter, I want to give you your present early this year."
"What?" Walter had never bought Peter presents any time during the past three years. Usually he chose to cook a meal he claimed was Peter's favourite but usually catered more to his own tastes.
"I know it's not December 25th quite yet." Walter handed Peter a small box. "But I want you to open this early."
Peter gave his father a bewildered look. Was this another attempt at re-forging their old bond? Peter had chosen Walter over the alternative, but there was still so much that remained unresolved.
His ill-fated relationship with Olivia had been a convenient reprieve from dealing with his father, but even that had ended up blowing up in his face.
"Walter, why are you –"
"Just open it, please."
Peter unwrapped the gift, opening the cover to unveil a small vintage coin.
"This…?"
"It was my son's…it was Peter's lucky coin," Walter explained, his voice wavering. "I want you to keep it."
Peter knew how protective Walter was of his real son's belongings; there were boxes and boxes of children's toys in storage that Walter was entirely unwilling to part with. And this coin? Peter knew how much it meant.
"But why?"
"Because you are my son, Peter. You and him…you are one and the same to me. You are my family."
Peter allowed the coin to glide effortlessly between his knuckles but remained silent.
"How did it go?" Astrid asked. Walter stared up through the window at the snow descending upon them with no end in sight.
Walter gave her a crooked smile. "My son is a man of few words."
Astrid nodded. Peter was the epitome of the strong silent type, but she knew for a fact that he had a soft spot for Walter, whether he admitted it or not.
"And Olivia?"
Walter paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I think that she will be all right."
"I think so too."
Walter turned to her in a slight panic. "I must apologize to you, Astrid. After all of the wonderful arrangements you made I seem to have forgotten to get a gift to give you for Christmas."
"You just did." Astrid smiled warmly. "You remembered my name."
"Astrid." Walter repeated her name with a chuckle. It was only in moments like this, few and far between, when it felt so easy. "Quite the simple gift to give, though I cannot promise I will still get it right tomorrow."
Astrid laughed in spite of herself, quickly squeezing his hand before letting it fall between them.
"Aim to remember it again next Christmas and we'll call it progress."