Breaking Point
Written by: Addie Price
Summary: 'It was a war, Peter. And every war has its casualties. I'm just sorry it had to be Olivia who was made to suffer.' Everybody has a breaking point. And Olivia may have just met hers.
Words: 1,050
Note: A big thanks to padmay97, Starlight77, noz4a2, o0MissBennet0o, MadeOfStars and 7 for their kind reviews. I really appreciate it! Because this story has received such good feedback, I am posting the next chapter tonight. Normally I wouldn't do this, but you guys who faved this and reviewed (especially those who reviewed) encouraged me to post this tonight. If more people review, I will be more motivated to update sooner!

Rated T for brief language and my own paranoia.
Disclaimer: FRINGE is the property of FOX Broadcasting Company and its associates. I am in no way affiliated with FOX nor do I own any of the characters depicted in this story.

"If you were going insane, you'd likely have no idea what's happening."
- Walter Bishop

The door to the lab slams open. Astrid jumps at the noise but Walter remains complacent, milking Gene with an air of calmness that none of them should be allowed to enjoy. Angry footsteps make their way over to him and he can tell that Peter's visit to Olivia did not go well. He asks anyways, despite his better judgment.

"Peter! Glad to see your back. How is Olivia today?" He carefully avoids Peter's gaze.

The anger in his son's voice is thick. "Not good, Walter. What are you doing?"

"Today's milking day," Walter answers calmly. Gene moos in agreement.

Peter slams a fist into the wall of Gene's pen. Walter jumps and looks up at Peter. "You need to find a way to get Bell and Fauxlivia out of her. Before anymore damage is done."

Walter turns back to Gene to resume her milking. "Olivia's fine, Peter. I spoke with her the last time I saw her; she's a strong girl, she'll be able to pull through this."

Peter takes a step to meet Walter and grabs the shoulder of his lab coat, turning his father roughly towards him. "She is not fine, Walter. You haven't seen her in three months because you're too damn scared to step inside the hospital!"

"Peter!" Astrid's voice is sharp and stern. She's the only one who's remained relatively sane throughout this whole thing. And so it's come to her to be the voice of reason when things get out of hand.

Peter releases his father and takes a step back, his chest heaving. He leaves Gene's pen, running his hands through his hair as he begins to pace the lab. Astrid watches him helplessly, barely noticing Walter as he comes to her side.

"He's stressed," Walter observes, chewing idly on a gummy worm.

"We all are, Walter," Astrid replies, her patience wearing thin. "We can't work without Olivia here. Even when Bell had control, she still kept us together. Now we're tearing apart at the seams."

She waits a moment for a reply before turning to the older man. "Walter?"

"Sorry, Asteroid. Did you say something?"

Astrid sighs, turning to watch Peter continue his pacing. "Walter, do you have any idea about how to get Fauxlivia and Bell out of Olivia's body?"

Walter shakes his head. "No, dear. I'm afraid I don't. I was hoping that if we were able to find a suitable host for Belly then it wouldn't be too difficult to remove him from Olivia's consciousness. However, I never expected Fauxlivia to return. If only I could figure out how Walternate planted her memories in our Olivia in the first place, then I should be able to find a way to reverse the composition and remove the same memories from her mind. To return her to herself."

They've been too involved in their conversation to notice that Peter has stopped and is standing near them know, listening to Walter's every word with a keen interest.

"If we can't remove Bell and Fauxlivia from her mind," Peter begins, his words heavy. He raises his eyes to look at Walter and for the first time he sees the toll this ordeal has taken on his son. His face is heavy, his eyes sunken from lack of sleep and dark circles under his eyes. He can see the weariness of the past few months etched into every line on his son's face, weaving themselves into a story of such heart-wrenching sadness and loss that he feels his own heart go out farther than it has ever gone before in his less-than-empathetic life.

"Peter.." He reaches out for his son but Peter's hardening eyes stops him.

"If we can't remove Bell and Fauxlivia from her mind, we'll lose her forever."

Silence descends over them. Moments pass until Peter speaks again, his voice soft, all the anger gone, replaced by a weariness that Walter finds difficult to comprehend. "John Scott is back."

Astrid's head snaps up, her eyes widening in concern and confusion. "Agent John Scott?" Peter nods. "But-he's dead. How can he be back?"

Walter understands; he knew that John's mind was around long after the man was dead, that he had been the first to implant himself in Olivia's mind. He had begun the process that led to the breaking point caused by Bell. He speaks, offering a small respite for his son. "John's memories were the first implanted in Olivia's mind. I had thought she expelled him completely after discovering that he was a traitor and after his death; evidently, I was wrong."

Silence envelops them once more. Walter retreats to his microscopes and test tubes and experiments while Peter drops into the chair near her computer. She looks between the two of them, their morose expressions and defeated postures. After another moment of silence, she feels a resolve build within her. She straightens, hands curling into bold fists at her sides. She's sat around watching these two mope for far too long while Olivia wasted away within the confines of her bleach-white cell.

"Enough!" The two men jerk their heads up to stare at her, startled. It's rare to see Astrid express much emotion, much less anger. "Your moping around the lab isn't going to do Olivia any good. Peter, you need to stop blaming Walter and instead try being productive and help him." Walter stares at Astrid and shock as she reprimands his son before she turns on him. "And Walter, you're no better. I get it that you don't like mental facilities, but this is Olivia we're talking about. She did plenty of things that she didn't like for you. And you can't do this for her, not even to save her life? You two are pathetic."

Peter and Walter watch her with the same dumb-founded expressions as she turns away from them and marches into Olivia's office, pulling out her cell to presumably call Broyles about this latest development in Olivia's rapidly deteriorating health.

The two Bishops stare at each other for another moment, jaws slack as they process what she had said to them. Peter is the first to recover; he turns to the computer behind him, an idea forming in his mind as he searches the FBI database. "Walter, come here. I have an idea."