Title: 38 Weeks

Author: Agent Alaska

Fandom: Fringe

Pairing: Peter/Alt!Lincoln

Summary: Peter gets a visit from the other side. Will he step up or continue to hide?

38 Weeks

Chapter 3

"You can do better, you can do better, you can be the greatest man in the world…"

- "Do Better" by Say Anything

~ The 12th Week ~

It was strange… seeing his stomach like this. This was probably the most he'd stared at it since this whole thing happened. Really he shouldn't have been staring at it like this, shirt up in front of a mirror in a locker room. No one ever came in here though. So really there was no harm. And they knew he was in here after that horrible incident. Nothing serious really, just disgusting.

This case had been a pretty nasty one. A mutated lizard bug hybrid of some sort. They had managed to kill the thing, but some of the creatures… mucus, or what he hoped was mucus, had managed to get all over him. And of course, this had sent his morning sickness into overdrive. He spent about half an hour groaning in pain over a toilet and the other half showering. He managed to scrub himself clean, thank god, and that seemed to settle his stomach. He was exhausted and it was only noon.

Lincoln tilted his head a little. He hadn't been this fascinated with the bump before. Then again he hadn't really looked this close at it. It wasn't terribly visible as long as he kept wearing baggy shirts, which was strange for him, but it was definitely getting bigger. Normally he wore shirts that showed off his structure, but lately that had become impossible without showing the bump. What the hell is wrong with me? He questioned himself as he placed his hand over his stomach. It was hard. Really hard. But the skin was soft. His cheeks began to burn a little and he let a smile play on his lips. Maybe this wasn't so bad…

"Hey, mucus boy, you're taking too long." Lincoln jumped and spun around. Charlie was standing almost right behind him now, his eyes focused first on Lincoln's face, then they dropped slightly lower. Thankfully he had already managed to get dressed. "What were you…" Lincoln moved his hand quickly, pulling the shirt down over his stomach.

"Nothing. I was doing nothing… I'm done here." He spoke quickly, but at this point Charlie was already staring at his stomach. Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Please tell me he didn't see. Charlie's gaze moved back up to the man's eyes. There was an awkward silence, then Lincoln looked away. He knew he was blushing now. He could feel it burning his cheeks. "Come on, lets-" He had tried to walk pass the man, but Charlie pushed him back gently. This wasn't good. He had seen. He had seen the bump and now he was going to find out everything. "C-Charlie… what are yo-" Before Lincoln could finish the sentence his back was against the mirror and his shirt was being pulled back up. "No. Please do-" But it was too late. The other man's hand was directly on the bump, pressing down gently.

"What is this?" Lincoln heard him ask. His eyes were focused on Charlie's hand pressed against his stomach. He could feel the fear beginning to rise inside of him. His heart began beating rapidly. Soon Charlie's eyes moved up toward the man. "Lincoln… this is…" He knew what was about to happen. He could feel a mood swing coming on. A big one. He knew he wouldn't be able to control it. "Are you… pregnant?" Finally his eyes met Charlie's. There were tears. He could feel them. Not only that, but he was shaking.

"Please… don't tell anyone. Please… you can't." He was begging now as he tried to fight back the tears. Panic began setting in. No one could know. Not yet. "Charlie… please. Please don't tell Broyles… not yet." The tears had begun flowing down his cheeks. Charlie could tell the man was freaking out, so he backed away, removing his hand from his friend's stomach. Before he could say anything he heard someone running into the locker room.

"Get away from him!" He heard Liv say as she rushed to his side. Lincoln had jumped a little, as had Charlie, but once Olivia was at his side, he relaxed a little. But not much. His heart was still pounding and he was shaking. He was also still crying a little as he felt her arm around him. This was bad. This was really bad and Olivia knew it. Her eyes met Charlie's and she could tell he wanted to shout a thousand questions at her. At both of them. But he managed to keep his mouth shut for now. Olivia sighed. "Look… let's get somewhere more private… then we can talk about this." She suggested to him. Lincoln glanced up at him, then he looked at Olivia. He heard Charlie sigh, but saw him nod. Olivia gave Lincoln a smile, then grabbed his hand. He quickly composed himself and the three managed to get somewhere a little less open.

Charlie was staring at him. At this point Lincoln had managed to calm his emotions. He really did hate showing everyone this side of him. He had no control over it though. Well, he had some control, but not much. He had managed to calm himself right now, but it was only a matter of time before something sent him over the edge again. He knew Charlie just wanted to bombard him with questions right now, but was managing to stay silent. Lincoln, for one, was quite glad the man could contain himself.

After a few more moments of awkward staring, Olivia entered the room with a glass of water. She smiled a little and set it in front of Lincoln. He managed to let himself smile back as he took a drink. The woman then walked around the table and sat down in the empty chair. That awkward silence set back in and for a few moments no one spoke. Charlie finally let out a sigh.

"Alright, I've been quiet long enough." Lincoln's eyes moved toward him, then moved away. This was hard. And this was only the beginning, he realized. He couldn't imagine how it would be once he started showing. "What's going on here, Liv?" Charlie had decided to direct his question to Olivia and not to Lincoln right now. He figured it would be easier on Lincoln that way. Olivia was about to answer when Lincoln finally spoke.

"I'm pregnant…" He had decided to skip all the dancing around and just cut right to the chase. He needed this done. Out. As quickly as possible. The longer they sat there and talked about it, the more he risked another emotional break down. He didn't want that. Lincoln sighed. Charlie's eyes were on him now. "That's what you wanted to know… right?" Lincoln questioned as he stared back at Charlie. Liv watched as Charlie and Lincoln stared at each other. She didn't like where this was going. At this point the only emotions Lincoln had seemed to be swinging between were extreme depression and odd moments of excitement and happiness. This time, however, she could feel a slight irritation radiating from him. Olivia bit her lip, but said nothing.

"Well I think I got that already…" Charlie responded, his eyes moving toward Olivia for a moment. He, too, could see the slight change in Lincoln's mood. However, He continued to speak. "How exactly did this happen? I mean… was th-" Before he could finish his question, Lincoln was laughing bitterly.

"How the hell do you think it happened?" There it was. The anger was beginning to break through now. Olivia tensed up a little, ready to step in at any moment. Charlie was staring at Lincoln. The man was smirking bitterly at first, but soon it faded into just an angry glare. His heart was speeding up now. Every second he sat there staring at his friend across the table he felt his anger rising more and more. He had a feeling Charlie was amused. It was probably his hormones talking, but he couldn't get the thought out of his head. He thinks you're pathetic. Lincoln tore his eyes away from the other man.

"So… you're telling me… you had sex…" Charlie paused. "…with a man?" That was all it took. Lincoln was out of his chair, hands on the table, glaring at Charlie. Olivia and Charlie both jumped at the suddenness of his actions.

"Yeah! Does that bother you or something? Since when does my sexuality matter to you, Charlie?" He was yelling. He hadn't even realized it until the words were coming from his lips. Once they started, though, they wouldn't stop. Like a dam that had been waiting to break. "You can stop looking at me like I'm fucking pathetic anytime now… like I've done something to displease you. Like you're better than me!" Olivia was on her feet, as well as Charlie. Suddenly Olivia grabbed Lincoln and pulled him back.

"Lincoln!" The moment he heard her voice, he stepped back and stopped speaking all together. A sudden wave of heat hit his face. What had he just done? What had he just said? He could feel Olivia's arms around him. He was staring, wide eyed, at the man across the table. He honestly couldn't believe what had just happened. He hadn't even been angry. He knew those thoughts had been false. He knew Charlie didn't feel that way. Lincoln's gaze dropped to the table.

"I…" He couldn't speak. He knew he'd fucked up. Charlie was his best friend and he'd just accused him of thoughts he knew weren't true. Charlie let out a sigh and walked around the table, causing Lincoln to look up. He had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry…" He said softly as his eyes moved down again. "I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

"I know." He heard Charlie say before he felt the man place an arm around him. Then he broke again. He was really starting to hate being pregnant. He hated having all these emotions piled up on top of one another. He hated breaking down and crying in front of his friends like this. He hated it so much, but at the same time he enjoyed the feeling of being cared about. Lincoln continued to cry and cling to Charlie for a while longer, before pulling away and moving closer to Olivia. He knew at this point that work was going to be impossible for the rest of the day.

"I want to go home…" He finally managed to say once the tears had subsided. Olivia looked at Charlie and the man nodded to her. They weren't sure what they were going to tell Broyles, but they knew he couldn't continue the day like this. He was too emotionally erratic at the moment. He needed to relax for a while and they knew it. Olivia smiled and kissed Lincoln on the forehead.

"Let's get you home then." She said with a smile. For a moment she stared at Lincoln, who was trying his best to compose himself before leaving the room, then her eyes met Charlie's. He knew there was more to know about this. Stuff she wouldn't and couldn't discuss in front of Lincoln right now. Stuff he knew she'd tell him later. Right now, however, getting Lincoln home was their main priority.

The two managed to get Lincoln home before any other emotional outbursts. Most of the way to his apartment was filled with silence. Liv sat in the back with Lincoln's head positioned on her lap, stroking his hair. Charlie said nothing. He figured it was probably a better idea not to rouse the man's emotions anymore by bringing up the subject at hand. Olivia agreed. A few times the man managed to doze off, but it didn't last long.

Finally they made it to his apartment. Charlie had agreed to stay down in the car while Olivia walked up with him. At first Lincoln protested. He was fine. He didn't like being babied honestly. Then after a few moments of arguing, he agreed to let her walk up with him.

"Liv... really, I'm fine." He said as he unlocked his door. "You didn't need to come up here with me." She was staring at him, a very familiar expression on her face. He knew that look. He also knew she was right for giving him that look. He wasn't fine. He knew he wasn't fine. He didn't know how much longer he could deal with this. In all truth, he was a mess. She let out a sigh as his gaze moved toward the ground. Suddenly her arms were around him. He could not help but cling to her, his emotions surfacing again.

"Lincoln... I love you." She said softly. His eyes snapped shut and he began crying again. This was hard. So hard. "I'm here for you and no matter what, I will be with you through this." He was gripping desperately at her jacket as tears streamed down his face. "I promise." One night had changed everything. His whole life was changed because of that one night. He knew that now. It was becoming all too real to deal with.

"I don't think I can do this..." He whispered softly through tears. She tightened her arms around him, then pulled back. He tried to clear his eyes, but it was no use. The tears kept coming. "I don't know what to do..." Olivia sighed and brought her hand to his face, trying to clear away the tears.

"You are one of the strongest people I know..." She said as she brought her sleeve to his eyes and wiped the tears. A smile then graced her face. "You are strong and I know you can get through this." Lincoln gave her a nod and began wiping his cheek. Her words lifted his spirit a little, causing the tears to subside. He nodded again and sighed. "You get some rest... okay?" He gave another nod and wrapped his arms around her again. "I'll swing back by later."

"Alright." His voice was weak from yelling and crying so much. He hated it. But there was nothing he could do about it. She placed a hand on his cheek, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips quickly. This caused a smile to form on his lips. "Thank you." He said softly before turning and entering his apartment. She nodded quickly then sighed as the door shut. For a moment she stood there, then she began making her way back down to Charlie.

This ends today...

The instant she stepped into the passenger's side of the vehicle, Charlie could feel anger emanating from her. He glanced over and raised an eyebrow. His mouth opened to question her, but she shook her head.

"Just drive and I'll explain everything." She said. He stared at her for a moment, then nodded and began driving. "To the Department of Defense please..." This was it. She was done playing nice with him. Done playing nice with Peter. He had his chance. She couldn't take seeing Lincoln like this. Peter needed to know what he was doing to him. What he was responsible for.

Charlie was staring at her. He had no idea what was going on at this point or why she was angry. But he had an idea. This had to have something to do with what was going on. He didn't protest or ask, at first, why they were headed for the Department of Defense. He simply drove. After a few minutes , though, it finally began getting to him, but she had picked up on that.

"Peter Bishop." His eyebrow raised. He had been briefed on the what had happened up until his return. He knew about the return of the secretary's son, Peter Bishop. He knew about the whole battle going on with this Jones guy. He knew all that, but didn't understand why she was bringing this man up. "He's the one who did this." Charlie's eyes moved from the road for a moment and over to her. "There was a case involving Jones and it was a loss on our part. Afterwards Peter invited me and Lincoln to a bar. I refused because I had plans, but Lincoln went." Charlie sighed. He knew where this was going.

"Let me guess... they got drunk and slept together..." Olivia nodded. Charlie shook his head and sighed again. For a moment the car went silent, then he raised his brow and spoke again. "How? I mean... it doesn't make sense." Liv laughed a little. He knew it wasn't a humorous one. It was a bitter one.

"Hell if I know." She scoffed. Charlie nodded. He didn't question it any further than that. After all, with this job, anything was possible. So there was no telling how it happened. Liv bit her lip and stared out the window. "He refuses to help. He refuses to take responsibility for what he did to Lincoln." Charlie glanced over at her. "Because he's supposedly not suppose to be here in the first place. And no matter what I said he didn't seem to care that Lincoln was suffering."

Charlie said nothing, but Olivia could tell he was getting angry. This is what she needed though. She needed Charlie on her side. She needed as many people on her side. She was tired of being passive and trying to wait for Peter to come to his senses. He needed to know what he was doing wrong.

"Why are we doing to the Department of Defense, Liv?" Charlie finally asked. Liv was biting her nails now, nervous about what she was about to do. Her head snapped toward him, but she stayed silent. Then her eyes moved back toward the window.

"We're crossing over."

~He needs you and believe it or not... you need him...~

Her eyes were on him. They had been on him all day. Judging him. It had been a week since their conversation. Since then the work environment had become silent and awkward. Every moment he was with Olivia was like being in purgatory. He just wanted to run and hide. He felt like shit. He hadn't slept in weeks. He wasn't even eating properly anymore. A few times he had started throwing up. Sympathy Pains? His mind had questioned. He wasn't even around Lincoln and yet he was sharing these feelings.

Maybe that's a sign. He caught himself thinking. Maybe you should be with him. At first he dismissed those thoughts, but the more he thought about it, the sadder it made him feel. He was getting to the point where he replayed the events of that night over and over in his head. Not just the sex, but the conversations they had. It had been fun. Being with Lincoln. He was fun. He was sweet. He was cute. Oh god, what is happening to me?

Peter sighed and looked up from the papers. Olivia was staring at him again. He knew she wanted to talk. He knew she wanted to just go off on him and tell him what a jerk he was being. He knew what she wanted to say... and honestly he agreed with everything she was thinking right now. He was being horrible. He was being stupid. He was abandoning someone who really needed him. But he knew he'd be doing that if he stayed with Lincoln to. He'd be abandoning his Olivia.

All these conflicting thoughts were circling around his head. He just wanted to go back to the way it was. Before all this madness happened. Before he'd fucked up. Before he decided to go to that bar. He let out a sigh and put his pen down.

"Please stop looking at me like that." Olivia's head tilted to the side a little and her brow perked. As if she was questioning what he was talking about. "Don't do that. You know exactly what you're doing. Don't give me that look..." He pushed himself away from the table and stood up. "Look, I know you're pissed. I know you think I'm being a jerk, but you're not me!" He was yelling now. He didn't even realize it at first, but he was. He had finally had enough of this. The lack of sleep and this entire event was now getting to him. "You don't know what it's like! As much as I want to do the right thing, I just can't!"

The entire time her face remained calm and collected. She had seen this outburst coming for a while. Honestly she had been surprised it had taken this long. Finally, he shook his head and stormed out of the room. He needed air. He needed to be away from her. He needed to be alone.

He could see Walter and Astrid staring at him as he stormed out of the lab and out onto the campus. He couldn't take this. He was losing it. This was all too much to handle at the moment. Why was this happening to him? First he was ripped from his timeline. From his family. From his Olivia. Now he'd made the mistake of trying to be happy for a moment and it was ending up being the worst mistake of all. He could never go back now. Even if he did go back, the guilt would ruin him.

Peter sighed as he breathed in the fresh air. The campus yard was empty. Which was a good thing for him. He honestly just wanted to scream... or cry. Crying seemed easier and less crazy. Though screaming might relieve more stress. He sighed again and brought his fingers to his temples and began massaging them. His head was killing him at this point. He was also extremely tired, which didn't help.

"God help me..." He muttered to himself as he continued to massage his temples. He had no idea what to do anymore and every time he tried to evaluate each option carefully, it just ended in pain. Or more stress. He couldn't deny, however, option B, the being responsible option, was becoming more and more tempting to take. He knew the man needed him. He knew he was at fault. He knew all this... but it was so hard to just go and do it. He wanted to deep down in his heart, but he was afraid. Afraid of a lot of things. Afraid of Lincoln's reaction to all this. Afraid of being a father. Afraid of being ripped away again. All these fears were paralyzing him. Making it hard to move. Making it hard to go back over there. Making it hard to do what was right.

Peter was standing there with his eyes closed and his fingers over his temples when it happened. He hadn't even noticed anyone there before, but they had been there the entire time. There was no warning. No sound. Just the pain of the fist impacting with his face.

He fell back onto the ground and his eyes snapped open. What had happened? Everything was a blur at first and all he felt was pain. His first thought was that it was Lincoln coming to finally deal with this himself, but when Peter opened his eyes the first thing he saw was red. Red hair. A sigh escaped his lips. Had she punched him that hard? No. At a second glance he could see Charlie standing over him. Charlie from their side. Peter just laid there staring up at them. Charlie was staring back at him, as was Olivia. Her hands on her hips, that look from before stained on her face.

"Consider that a wake up call." He heard Charlie say. At first, Peter's first instinct was to stand and fight, but soon another emotion hit him. Realization. He was calm. They were right. They were right to do that to him. He deserved it. That was all it took. The last push, so to speak. Peter let out another sigh. He knew this was a sign. He knew what he needed to do. Charlie looked over at Liv, then held out his hand for Peter. For a moment Peter stared at it, a look of disbelief on his face. He had almost expected them to start lecturing him, but no. They were smiling. "Come on. You got a someone to take care of over there and a kid on the way. Stop being scared and be a man." Olivia's mouth was stuck in that smirk she always had. "Or do I have to punch you again?"

Peter didn't say a word. It was just... overwhelming. The love they both had for Lincoln. They would not give up. They truly did love him. It makes me want to love him. Peter's cheeks went a little warm. Suddenly he realized he was laughing. Not only that, but there were tears in his eyes. What is happening to me? He thought briefly before grabbing Charlie's hand. Liv shook her head as she watched him stand.

"Finally coming to your senses?" She questioned. Peter glanced over at her as he held his hand to his jaw. He hadn't even realized how hard he had been hit until just now. Thankfully, nothing was dislocated or broken. Just really bruised. After a few moments, he sighed and looked down, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah." He said, looking up. He saw her nod and smile. This was right. He needed to do this. "I'm sorry..." His eyes moved back toward the ground. Olivia shook her head and stepped forward.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." He heard her say. His eyes met hers again. Her face was serious now. "He needs you." She paused and sighed. "You have no idea how much he needs you... he can't do this without you..." Pain hit his heart. As it had done the first time she'd spoke to him about this. And that second time the Olivia over here had spoken to him. Peter gave a nod and looked down again. The tears were stinging at his eyes again.

"I know..." He said in a shaky voice. "I know he does..." He repeated. He stayed silent, trying to push the tears back. He released a shaky sigh and looked back at her. "And I want to be there." This time there was no but. He knew what he needed to do. He knew what he wanted to do. Olivia had been expecting there to be a 'but', however it never came. She smiled.

"Then let's get you to him."

He had wanted to fall asleep. To just sleep and not think about the problems he was facing. To not think about the child growing inside him or the man that was responsible. He didn't want to think about how lonely the months to come would be. He wasn't alone, not really. He had Charlie. Someone he knew would support him and take care of him despite the reaction he'd given earlier. And he had Olivia. She was wonderful and kind. She would be there for him. A surrogate mother? Yeah. That might actually work.

Thinking about that, however, made him a little sad. Also it made him angry. Slowly he was beginning to hate Peter Bishop. Or at least he was trying. Everytime he thought about him, however, he could only think of that night. He barely knew Peter. Who was he to judge or hate him? After all he, too, was at fault. He'd been the one who wanted it the most that night. Peter was drunk. In a way he had taken advantage of Peter.

Lincoln sighed and turned over. Yeah, he had wanted to sleep but that didn't happen. Instead he found himself staring at the walls feeling even worse than before. The silence wasn't helping either. It just seemed to amplify those thoughts, resulting in him feeling even more depressed.

Finally Lincoln had had enough. He needed to get out of this room. Out of this apartment. Away from the memories. Staring at the walls and lying in his bed just made him think about the event that had led to where he was now. He just needed to get out to somewhere that didn't make him feel terrible. A placed that relaxed him. He could only really think of one place.

Lincoln rolled over and pushed himself off the bed. He really hoped that Olivia didn't try and come by while he was gone. Then again, she knew him, so she would probably know where he was. For a moment he contemplated leaving a note, but then decided against it. Finally he grabbed his coat and keys, then headed out the door.

"Honestly, I don't know how he's going to react." Olivia said as they made their way into the apartment building. "He hasn't really expressed his thoughts on the matter that much." Peter stayed silent as he walked. He was afraid, honestly. Afraid of a lot of things. Afraid of Lincoln's reaction. Afraid of this commitment. He was generally just terrified of this whole ordeal. But he knew this was right. He knew this was where he was supposed to be. Sure it had taken a punch in the face to realize it, but he was here now and that was all that mattered.

"Do I have to be here?" Peter heard Charlie ask. He almost laughed at the man's hesitance to be involved with this right now. Olivia gave him a look. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Lincoln. He's like a brother to me. But…" He paused. "I'd rather not be here when he explodes again." Olivia rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"That's exactly why we are here. So that he doesn't explode." Charlie sighed as they exited the elevator. For a moment it was silent, then she spoke again. "Although…" She glanced back at Peter. "Maybe we should let you deal with it on your own after what an ass you were…" A smirk curled on her lips.

"Please don't..." Peter said. He could feel a slight fear building up inside of him as they neared closer to his door. Great, I'm panicking. He thought briefly. Yes. He was panicking. Olivia shook her head and laughed a little.

"We're not going to leave you, okay?" She finally said as they approached Lincoln's door. Peter had a feeling she was lying. He had a feeling that the moment that door opened, the two would bolt and leave him standing there alone. He really hoped that feeling was wrong. He sighed a little, trying to calm his nerves as Olivia knocked on the door. A few moments of silence passed, then she knocked again. More silence.

"Maybe you should have called…" Charlie said as he knocked on the door a bit louder. Still, there was no answer. Or any indication that anyone was inside. Peter glanced over as Olivia pressed a button on her earpiece. He felt that fear melting away now that he was out of immediate danger.

"He knew I was coming over tonight… that's why I didn't call." Peter stepped back a bit and leaned against the wall. Olivia sighed and let the phone ring. For a moment everything was silent. Peter then pushed off the wall and pressed his ear against the door. He could hear the something ringing inside the apartment. Olivia glanced at Peter and perked a brow. Peter shook his head. "Dammit." She cursed. "Where would he have gone without his phone? He usually has it on all the time…"

"Where would he go if he didn't want to be bothered?" Peter asked. Why was he wanting to help find Lincoln? Why was he suddenly so eager to possibly get yelled at? Because you deserve it. He thought. Because you want to fix this… He watched Olivia glance at Charlie, her brow furrowed. For a moment, things were silence. Finally Olivia began walking down the hall, without a word. Peter raised a brow, but followed. "Okay… I'm going to assume you figured it out." He heard her laugh a little.

"He used to have this big crush on me and one time after a case, he kissed me. I had a boyfriend at the time, so I pushed him away. He said it was okay, but it was obvious that it wasn't. Things got awkward and one time he just disappeared from work." Charlie laughed as Olivia spoke. Obviously the man knew where this story was going. Olivia glanced back at Peter. "I found him lying in the grass in the park, staring up at the zeppelins as they passed overhead. He said it helped him calm down. That's where we'll find him. I know it is." For a moment, Peter just stared at her. Then he nodded.

"It's the best lead we got, so let's do it."

The night air was cool and refreshing. There was a slight breeze, but not enough to really make him cold. He had his jacket, so it was fine. The moon was full and the stars were clearer than normal despite how bright the city was. Lincoln smiled to himself as he watched one of the zeppelins fly overhead. So many people returning from other states. Other countries. Returning to the ones they loved. His smile slowly faded. Usually watching this made him happy. Usually it made him feel hopeful. Today was different though. Watching the zeppelins fly and return lovers to one another just made him sad. It made his heart ache. It made him envious.

He had no one. No one to care for him. No one to be with him. No one to love him. Not in the way that he wanted, anyways. He was alone. Lincoln sighed and sat up from the position he'd been in. He brought his knees to his chest and looked down at the ground. Realization was slowly washing over him. He was pregnant and alone. There would be no father in the picture. Well, really, he would end up probably being the father. What would he tell the child? Did he even want to keep it? A baby that had been an accident? A child that had been a complete surprise? Peter Bishop's child? Lincoln closed his eyes and sighed. No, not really.

He would go through with this pregnancy. But what was the point of keeping the child? He wasn't ready for that kind of life. That kind of responsibility. He wasn't ready to raise a child alone. He was a Fringe Agent after all. His job was dangerous and prevented him from having much time to himself. So really, there was no other choice… right?

Lincoln's eyes moved back toward the sky as the zeppelin pulled out of the station again. Taking more people away. Away from the ones they loved. Separated. Like he was. Peter is nothing to me. The more he told himself that, the less he believed it. Peter was a part of him now. A part that was growing inside of him. It wasn't that easy to forget. Lincoln bit his lip and balled his hand into a fist.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He questioned himself aloud. No one was around. Or at least that's what he was assuming. He couldn't hear anyone and no one ever came to that area. The park was big after all. Either way, he hadn't spoken loud. Someone would have had to been very close to hear him. To hear him talking to himself. He sighed. "Great, I'm going crazy now. Talking to myself." He said, sighing as he glanced up at the sky again. "Why did you leave me…? Why are you leaving me to do this on my own?" What was he expecting? An answer? From what? The sky? The stars? No one was there.

He was alone.

Completely Alone.

Right?

"Because I'm stupid." Before he'd even heard the voice, he felt a hand slip onto his own. His fingers had become entwined with another set of fingers. The touch had surprised him, as had the voice, causing him to look over. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he had not noticed that the man had been sitting there for at least a minute or two. He heard everything? Peter sighed and looked over at Lincoln. He looked different. His hair was messy and his eyes looked dark. Like he hadn't slept in days. Weeks even. Because of me? Lincoln's brows furrowed.

"Why are you here?" He asked. Peter's grip tightened a bit at that question. Like he was afraid. Afraid that Lincoln would pull away. Afraid the man would run. But Lincoln wasn't going anywhere. Not now that Peter was here. He'd came all this way. There had to be a reason.

"I can't do this." The response was short. Lincoln opened his mouth to object, jumping to conclusions about the statement far too quickly. "I mean… I can't do this to you." The man's mouth closed and he nodded for Peter to continue. "I thought I could just forget about it. Just go back to my timeline and forget everything." Peter stopped, his eyes moving toward the ground. "But the more I tried to find a way, the further I felt myself getting. It was like something was stopping me." For a second, he stopped speaking. A laugh left his lips, causing Lincoln to raise a brow. "Like I was stopping myself." Finally Peter's eyes met Lincoln's and he smiled. "You have great friends… do you know that?" Briefly, Lincoln sat there with a look of confusion on his face. Then he noticed the darkening bruise on Peter's cheek and laughed.

"Liv or Charlie?" He questioned, brushing his hand against the bruise lightly. Peter glanced over, his cheeks heating up a little at the touch. Peter let his eyes fall back toward the ground. Lincoln should have known they would finally resort to more drastic measures.

"Charlie." There was a slight feeling of unease about them being the reason he was here. What if it was the only reason? Did he want that? Lincoln stared at Peter. "It was a wake up call, but it's not the reason I'm here… if that's what you're thinking…" Lincoln looked down at their hands, which were still connected. He wasn't sure if he was ready to believe Peter. Not after all this. The man had abandoned him. But he's here now. That's gotta count for something… right? There was movement and causing Lincoln to look over. "I promise you, that's not the reason I'm here." Lincoln said nothing. A sigh escaped his lips. He'd been waiting for this. He should be happy… right? Then why was this so hard.

"I want to believe you." He said softly. "I really do…" At that moment, he could feel Peter's grip loosening. Lincoln looked over. The man was looking down at their hands now, a strange look in his eyes. Was Peter… sad? "How do I know you won't try and leave? Go back to your timeline?" There was silence. Peter's eyes remained on their hands, but he smiled.

"It's my child…" Finally he looked up. "I want to be here for it." There was a pause and all Lincoln could do was stare. He could see truth in Peter's eyes. "And you." He heard the man add. "Just… give me a chance to prove myself… please?" Lincoln paused, still staring at Peter. He could tell the man was sincere. This was real. This was really happening. Peter was here. Asking for forgiveness.

"Okay." He said, a smile spreading across his face. He needed this. He needed Peter. As much as part of his mind wanted to deny that, his heart said otherwise. He couldn't do this alone. Peter was a part of him now. A part of him was in their child. The child that was growing inside of him. He knew that. They both knew that. He couldn't do this alone. He wouldn't do this alone. Peter smiled and stood up, helping Lincoln up as well. "Thank you for coming back…" Lincoln said. Peter took Lincoln's hand again and laughed a little.

"I don't think my conscience would have let me live happy otherwise." He said as he began walking to the entrance of the park, pulling Lincoln along with him. Lincoln laughed a little and followed. He didn't care how this looked at the moment. He was content with it. He was happy. "Even if I would have gone home… I would have felt terrible." His eyes moved toward Lincoln.

"Either way… I'm glad you decided to come back." Lincoln smiled a little. There was a silence as they walked. Neither interrupted it though. Things were just beginning now and they knew it. Lincoln had no idea how hard this was going to be. Or what to even do. In reality, he was terrified, but he'd never show it. As was Peter. But he wasn't alone now. And he wouldn't be alone. Lincoln glanced over at Peter, his eyes narrowing a bit. "Don't go thinking you're sleeping in my bed. You get the couch." He said, a smirk twisting onto his lips. Peter laughed.

"I can deal with that." Lincoln laughed as well as they approached the vehicle. Lincoln could see Olivia and Charlie leaning against it. He smiled at them. Olivia's eyes moved toward Peter and she nodded. He gave a nod back. This was right. This was how it was supposed to be. Peter knew that now. He looked over at Lincoln as he opened the door. "Let's go home then." The man seemed caught off guard for a moment. By both the statement and the action. He couldn't help but stare at Peter for a few moments. He blushed a little. Damn emotions. Finally Lincoln smiled.

"Yeah."

This took a lot longer to write due to my brain going through some difficult times. I have been having trouble thinking lately. Honestly I could use some ideas, if anyone is interested in sharing. I haven't ever finished a fic before, but I am determined to see this one through to the end. xD Oh and if I'm not making Alt!Lincoln in character enough this chapter, it's because of the lack of Fringe. Stupid hiatus :/ Anyways, review my kind Pecoln/Pecalt fans! 3