A/N: Since you all asked nicely (and gave such nice reviews) I've decided to write a few more chapters of the story. It'll keep me busy while we have to endure the hiatus. I hope this chapter is as good as the first one.
Alt. Olivia did not sleep for the rest of that night. She just sat on her couch; gun in hand with her eyes trained on the front door. She kept thinking that the other 'her' was going to come bursting through that front door. She couldn't risk her getting the drop on her. She spent the entire night panicking. "If Olivia could use her power to communicate between this dimension and the next then who's to say she wouldn't try to tell the Fringe Division that they have the wrong Olivia on their side," she thought. "And once they knew the truth they'd… I don't even want to think about it. Peter would be pissed and he might even try to torture me."
Olivia wound up falling asleep on the couch. She woke up at the feeling of someone shaking her.
"Morning Peter," she said stirring awake.
"Morning Liv," Peter said. "Surprised to not find you in bed when I woke up," he said.
"Sorry. I couldn't sleep so I came out here to think for a while; must've fallen asleep on the couch."
"Do you always sleep with a gun in hand?" he asked.
"Shit. The gun," Olivia thought. "Just being a little overly cautious," Alt. Olivia lied. "Thought maybe the guy we put behind bars last night may somehow break out and try to kill us," she laughed. "Are you kidding me? What kind of an excuse was that?" She berated herself for giving such a lame excuse. "But let's not talk about that," she said linking her hands around Peter's neck. "Why don't we finish what we started last night?"
"Ain't gonna argue with that," Peter agreed and was about to kiss her when the phone started to ring. Peter let out a very frustrated sigh. "I'll get that," he said starting to walk towards the phone.
"No!" Olivia almost shouted getting her a weird look from Peter. "I mean, I'll get it. It's going to be for me after all," Olivia said trying to calm down. She couldn't risk Peter answering and the other Olivia being on the other end. Alt. Olivia walked past the confused Peter and answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Get the Bishops," Broyles ordered. "We have a problem with the suspect."
"On our way," Alt. Olivia responded.
"Another mission?" Peter guessed.
"Afraid so," Alt. Olivia answered wondering just what had happened with the suspect.
Massive Dynamic: Walter's Lab
"He was a shape shifter too," Peter said as they examined him.
"Any guesses as to the cause of death?" Alt. Olivia asked.
"We haven't been able to find any bullet holes or any other marks on his body. We can only guess that it was a suicide. How he killed himself is a different question all together. Any suggestions, Dr. Bishop?" He asked as Walter continued to examine the body.
"I can't be certain," Walter said. "Perhaps his mind had some sort of self-destruct feature installed in it. I need to examine his body in order to be certain."
"Take whatever time you need doctor. In the meantime, Agent Dunham, report back to headquarters and go over the security footage from last night so we can tell if it was a suicide or murder. Take Peter with you."
"That's alright. I can do it on my own," Alt. Olivia offered. "It'd probably be boring for him."
"Actually I don't have a problem with that," Peter said already heading for the elevator. "I'd feel like too much of a third wheel anyway," he said looking at Astrid and Walter.
"Terrific," Alt. Olivia thought entering the elevator with Peter. "How am I going to get out of this one? The footage is going to show me giving him the data. I can't let my cover get put into question now after all this time."
Fringe Headquarters
"You ok?" Peter asked Alt. Olivia.
"Of course I am. Why do you ask?"
"You've been fidgeting with your hands for the past five minutes. Are you nervous about anything?"
"Probably from the lack of sleep last night," Alt. Olivia said.
"Right," Peter said and looked back at the footage they were viewing on the computer.
"You idiot! You're getting sloppy," Alt. Olivia thought. "He's going to start asking questions soon if you don't keep your act together," she continued to think as they got closer to the footage of her with the data from the shifter. "Hey Peter. I think I left my phone in the car. Can you get it for me?" She asked nicely.
"Uh, sure," Peter said giving her a weird look and leaving the room. Alt. Olivia watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief. She fast forward through the rest of the footage up to the part where she handed the data to the shifter. She was about to delete it when the screen went black.
"Crap! Not now!" Alt. Olivia thought randomly pressing keys on the keyboard. A message suddenly appeared on the monitor.
You disappoint me my twin. Your actions this morning practically scream 'I have something to hide'. You better get yourself together soon or people are gonna start asking questions. That is unless that haven't already figured you out and now the con-woman is the one being conned. By the way, all of Walternate's precious secrets are falling into my hands with each passing day. It won't be long before I know everything he has planned.
The monitor went black and returned to the security footage. Peter opened the door to the room and Olivia was about to have a panic attack when she saw the words 'section deleted' appear and then vanish from screen.
"Find anything?" He asked handing her back her phone while still looking a little uneasy at her.
"Looks like someone beat us to it," Alt. Olivia said showing him the blank screen.
"Looks like we're back at square one again," Peter mumbled. Olivia felt her phone vibrate and saw she had a text message. It read:
Now who could've deleted that part of the footage? Talk about cutting it close. ;)
Liv
"Son of a bitch. She's playing with me."
Alt. Olivia rushed into the backroom that housed the type writer; beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She slid into her chair and quickly began to type.
We have a problem! Olivia remembers everything. She's discovered whatever it is you're up to.
Alt. Olivia looked at the mirror and waited for the Walter on her side to respond to her message. After a few seconds the type writer started to type.
We're sorry. The man bent on universal destruction that you're trying to reach is currently unavailable. If you'd like to leave a message he will get back to you at the most convenient time.
Love,
The Real Olivia Dunham
"Real Olivia Duhnam? Real Olivia Dunham!" Alt. Olivia screamed and almost destroyed the type writer. "I'm not a copy you bitch! I'M NOT A COPY!" Olivia slammed her fists on to the table and continued to punch it until her fists started to bleed. "I'm not a copy," she whispered. "Not a copy."
Alt. Olivia stumbled up the steps to her apartment. She didn't want to think about the mission, Peter, or Olivia. All she wanted to do now was sleep. She was so focused on her troubles that she forgot to pull out her keys and instead just reach for the doorknob. It turned in Alt. Olivia's hands and put her back on alert. Olivia reached into her purse and pulled out her gun. She cautiously stepped forward into her apartment; she heard a voice coming from inside her bedroom. She kicked the door open aiming her gun causing Ella to scream. She calmed down when she saw it was her Aunt Liv.
"Ella? What is it! ?" Rachel screamed barging into the room and then saw Olivia with her gun.
"Sorry Rachel. I didn't mean to scare her," Alt. Olivia apologized wiping her sweating forehead.
"It's no problem Olivia. Sorry for appearing unannounced. Peter called me and said you looked very on edge all day. He asked me if everything was ok."
"It's just the job. Been going through a lot as of late," Alt. Olivia explained.
"Well Ella and I are eating out tonight and we wondered if you'd want to join us," Rachel said to her.
Alt. Olivia smiled. "Sure. I'd love to."
Dinner was going by pretty smoothly for the three of them. Alt. Olivia did her best to not seem like she had something to hide. As Rachel started to tell Alt. Olivia how her day went she looked at Ella and saw the necklace Olivia had given her.
"That's a nice necklace, Ella," Alt. Olivia said. "I don't think I've seen you wear it before."
Ella stopped drinking her water, set her cup down, and looked at Alt. Olivia. "Don't you remember Aunt Liv? You gave it to me." Alt. Olivia swallowed thickly. These were the kind of mistakes she wasn't supposed to make!
"Can you excuse me for a second? I need to use the restroom," Alt. Olivia said and rushed from her seat before Rachel or Ella could question her.
Alt. Olivia entered the restroom and turned the water on to hot. She splashed it into her face in an attempt to calm herself down. That was way too close. She's lucky that Rachel and Ella don't know the truth about what went down that night. But what if they told Peter or worse Walter about her lapse in memory? It wouldn't take a genius to put two and two together. She can't be discovered before the she completed her mission.
"The mission," she thought turning off the water and grabbing a paper towel. "What the Hell am I even doing this for? All Walternate… great. I'm starting to call him Walternate now as if he were just some sort of cheap knock off of the original. Damn it!" She slammed her fists on the bathroom counter. "I used the word 'original'! We aren't clones! We're every bit as human as the people of this universe." She balled up the paper towel and absent mindedly tossed it into the garbage can. She looked back at the mirror and jumped back at the sight of… not her reflection, but Olivia. She was smiling at Alt. Olivia.
"You just keep messing up," she chuckled. "Only a matter of time before you forget something so serious that you won't be able to avoid or talk your way out of it."
"Leave me alone!" She screamed at her and pulled out her gun.
"Oh that's a real smart idea. Firing a gun in a public restroom; like that won't seem suspicious to anyone that knows you in the Fringe division," Olivia said.
"If you can come back why don't you?" Alt. Olivia asked still pointing her gun at the mirror.
"I don't think I've tormented you enough," Olivia said grimly. Alt. Olivia blinked and then found herself looking at her own reflection. Hands shaking, she holstered her gun. Olivia stumbled out of the bathroom feeling very lightheaded. She saw Rachel just hanging up her cell phone.
"Who was that?" Alt. Olivia asked Rachel.
"Peter. He was just checking up on us."
"What did you tell him?" Alt. Olivia asked almost stumbling over her words.
"Are you alright Olivia? You've been acting strange the last few weeks now. It's almost like you're an entirely different person."
"Don't be silly," she nervously laughed sitting back down. "I'm still the same Olivia Dunham," she said picking up her glass only to see Olivia looking at her again for a split second. "Stop it," she whispered.
"What did you say Olivia?"
"Nothing," she lied and smiled though Rachel gave her a weird look.
"Thanks for dinner," Alt. Olivia thanked Rachel once they arrived back at her apartment.
"You're welcome," Rachel said giving Alt. Olivia a hug. "Listen Olivia. I think you should maybe ask for a few days off. Just to clear your head a bit," Rachel suggested.
"I think you're right. I have been feeling a little overworked," Alt. Olivia agreed.
"I'll be in touch," Rachel said and drove off. Alt. Olivia entered her apartment and plopped down on the couch. "Today has been the day from Hell," she thought. "I'd made too many mistakes today; too many close calls and then there was Olivia. If I could see her right now I'd put a bullet in that pretty little head of her's." As she thought about this a noise penetrated her thoughts. It sounded like running water. Alt. Olivia stood up and fought her urge to draw her gun. She snuck towards her bathroom and saw that water was running, but not on her side. It was running in the reflection. "Stop doing this to me," she ordered. "Show yourself you coward!" She yelled at the top of her voice.
"Since you asked nicely," Olivia said from behind her. Alt. Olivia felt Olivia's hands grab her neck. Alt. Olivia tried to fight back, but Olivia's grip was too great. She dragged her double back towards the living room and then Alt. Olivia saw a bright flash of red that blinded her for a brief moment. Olivia roughly tossed her into the couch. Alt. Olivia got off the couch and ran at Olivia, who delivered a kick to Alt. Olivia's jaw knocking her to the floor. Alt. Olivia felt blood in her mouth and spit it out. Just as she was about to go back on the attack an intense flame surrounded her preventing her from moving any further. Alt. Olivia looked through the flames and saw Olivia's fists were on fire.
"Welcome home, bitch," Olivia cursed.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Looks like it's payback time. See ya soon! Thanks again for the reviews.
