TITLE: Home
PAIRING: Astrid/Walter, Peter/Olivia, August/Christine, Amy/Nick, Nina/Broyles, A. Mathis/ William Ferguson
CHARACTERS: Olivia Dunham, Astrid Farnsworth, Walter Bishop, Peter Bishop, Christine Hollis, August, September, the Child, December, July, William Ferguson, A. Mathis, William Bell, Nick Lane, Amy Jessup, Rachel Dunham, Ella Dunham, Nina Sharp, Phillip Broyles, Krista Manning, Susan, Nancy
GENRE: Southern Gothic, Scifi, Fantasy, Alternate Universe
RATING: M
SUMMARY: Living in a mountain paradise called 'Home', isolated from the outside world, a handful of characters of the Fringeverse exist in perfect harmony. It is a primitive place without time or sin, where no one ages or dies, and no one has memories past the week before. The live by the unusual word of the Bible in their Church, warning them of the Wild Things that live in the Woods and of The Dreamlands past Lake Reiden.
However, Astrid is initiated into a dark secret about Home that the local recluse Walter has stumbled across, one that hints that the eden they all live in isn't their universe of origin. Faced with the temptation of knowing her previous life, Astrid is given the choice to remain blissfully unaware in their paradise or return to the universe she once belonged to.
Short stories featuring the other character's lives within Home are interwoven throughout the main story all leading up to Astrid's final decision and what it will cost everyone.
SONGS: "Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Bing Crosby, "Concerning the UFO Sightings Near Highland, Illinois" by Sufjan Stevens, "Say Darlin' Say" by Rising Appalachia, "Take Me to the Water" by Nina Simone
WARNINGS: Adult situations
SPOILERS: Season One, Season Two
Peter Bischoff walked along the trail through the Flats , humming to himself, fishing pole over his shoulder. He was headed home for the evening sans fish, but it had been a relaxing day never the less. Behind him, he could hear heavy footsteps and when he turned around, he saw Miss Livia Dunham struggling with two very large burlap sacks.
He stared at her for a moment before tipping his hat to her. "Hello, Miss Livia. It'd be mighty airish this evenin'."
She tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes meeting his briefly before looking away. "I reckon so, Mr Peter. How you be doin' this evenin'?"
"Mighty fine. I could see you was carrin' all them bags and I's wonderin' if you's needin' some help?" He offered out a hand.
She broke into a smile that made him wonder why he'd never seen it before. "I might like that, Mr Peter."
"They mighty heavy," he said as he took one of the bags from her.
She opened one of the bags to show off the fruits of her day's labour. "Them wild onions. You want one?"
"Thank you." He took a smaller bulb and slipped it into his fishing basket. "Is you goin' to cook them into a stew?
She shook her head. "My sister Rachel will."
They walked in silence together until they reached the Dunham sister cabin.
Setting the bag down next to the front steps, he tipped his hat to her. "Good evenin', Miss Livia."
"Good evenin', Mr Peter," she said softly and took the sacks into the cabin.
It was later that evening, the sunset finally starting to fade when there was a knock on the doorway to Livia's cabin; she excused herself from the conversation she had been having with her younger sister and couldn't help but feel surprised when she saw Mr Peter.
"Evenin', Miss Livia."
Livia smiled shyly upon seeing him at her cabin's doorway. "Evenin', Mr Peter."
He held up a bundle wrapped in waxed parchment. "I brought over some fatback for Miss Rachel. Is she home?"
She was a little stunned, but quickly said, "Oh. Yes she is." She glanced behind her and said, "Rachel? You has a visitor!"
Livia quickly moved away from the doorway, allowing her sister to take her place and pretending to busy herself with the stew in the fireplace, trying not to feel any form of disappointment, because truly, she had no reason to want him to talk to her over her sister.
"Oh hello, Mr Peter. How you be doin' this fine evenin'?" she could hear Rachel say.
"Mighty fine and you be doin' as right as you look?"
"Yes," Rachel giggled.
There was a scuffling noise by the door and Livia turned to see her niece squeeze past him in the doorway, scampering across the cabin. "Hello, Mr Peter!"
"Hello, Miss Ella," he said kindly as the three adults watched her pull pebbles out of her pockets, setting them in an old tin next to the fireplace.
The sound of children's laughter drifted from the path, Ella's little friends waiting for her to join them again and she scampered back to the doorway before declaring,
"I'm off to find me some snails! I'm goin' watch them race across the grass!"
"That sounds mighty fine for the evenin'," Mr Peter said and the little girl gave them a parting wave.
Livia turned her attention back to the stew as she listened to him say, "You sure has a nice daughter, Miss Rachel."
"Thank you, Mr Peter."
She could hear him handing the package over to her sister, the crinkle of paper between their hands. "Miss Livia told me you was fixin' to make a stew with them wild onions and I thought you might be wantin' some of this fatback I had curin' in the smoke house."
"Oh! That be mighty nice of you, Mr Peter!"
"Well, I best let you nice ladies return to your evenin'," he said politely and Livia turned around just in time to see him give them both a nod.
"Good evenin', Mr Peter," both women said as he turned and left.
Livia and Rachel leaned out the doorway, watching him leave and once he was out of sight, Rachel seemed unable to keep her happiness to herself. "He's a right attractive feller, ain't he?"
Livia nodded. "I reckon."
"Mayhap he's a-lookin' for a wife?" Rachel asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"Mayhap," Livia mused sullenly but quickly added, "I reckon he couldn't find a prettier'un than you."
Rachel giggled and danced about the cabin, twirling the ribbons in her hands
The next morning as the sun started to rise, Livia, Rachel, and Ella began their peaceful walk from their cabin in the Flats to the Church only to find Mr Peter waiting on the path, banjo strapped across his back.
"Mr Peter!" Livia said, startled to see him.
He lived in Wide Holler, so while it would make sense that he would use this path—she'd simply never seen him on it until this morning.
"Miss Livia," he greeted and before she could ask him how he was this right fine morning, his eyes left hers and he added, "And Miss Rachel and Ella. I thought you lovely ladies might be wantin' company on your walk to Church this might fine morning."
"Ooh! That'd be right lovely, Mr Peter!" Rachel turned to look at Livia and with a beaming smile, asked, "Don't you agree, Liv?"
She gave a quick nod. "Of course."
Ella danced on the path ahead of them, her small feet kicking dust and small pebbles around. "Mr Peter, you wanna hear me sing? My mama say I got a real nice voice!"
Mr Peter gave her a kind smile. "I'd like that right fine, Ella."
Ella grinned broadly and began to sing loudly. "Hush little darlin' don't say a word, Papa's goin' buy you a mockin' bird, say darlin' say! And if that mockin' bird won't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring, say darlin' say! And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's gonna buy you a lookin' glass, say darlin' say! And if that lookin' glass gets broke, Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat, say darlin' say! And if that billy goat won't pull, Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull, say darlin' say! And if that cart and bull falls over..."
The little girl trailed off as she saw the other children playing marbles in front of the Church and promptly dashed off ahead of them to join the small group; to Livia's surprise, Mr Peter continued singing the song, albeit softly.
"Say little darlin', won't you marry me? Live in a holler 'neath the old oak tree, say darlin' say. In the old oak tree we'll make our home, never more this world to roam, say darlin' say."
Livia caught him looking at her and as her cheeks began to colour, Rachel spoke up, oblivious of her sister's reactions.
"Oh Mr Peter, you's got the most loveliest voice I ever done heard. Don't you 'gree, Livia?"
Livia quickly averted her eyes back to the dirt path, embarrassed to have taken such a liking to him when her sister already had feelings for him. "I reckon so."
"Mr Peter!" someone yelled out cheerfully by the front steps of the Church and the three adults spotted Mr James waving his arm at Mr Peter.
"Mr James!" he shouted back, waving, then turned back to the Dunham sisters. "Ladies."
"See you later, Mr Peter!" Rachel cooed and Livia gave him a polite nod as he left.
"I reckon I'll find my way up to the Pastures after Church today. Don't feel much like swimmin'," Livia said abruptly as they watched the men entering the Church.
Rachel looked caught off-guard. "You sure?"
Livia felt a strange tightening in her gut as she imagined her sister spending their time at the Swimmin' Hole talking about Mr Peter. "Yes."
The Pastures was a large stretch of tall grasses, wild flowers, and different vegetables situated in large valley above Deep Holler, alongside Lake Reiden and beneath Big Rock Candy Mountain. It was quiet and peaceful, an open space where one could stare at the clouds floating in the sky.
Peter couldn't stop thinking about the elder of the Dunham sisters and while he would normally stay down in Valley behind the Church fishing, today he decided to find Livia whom he knew went to the Pastures in the afternoon to gather crops for her sister. As he walked along small single-person path worn in the ground, he picked the long stalked flowers that grew among the grass and plants, accumulating a little more than a handful by the time he reached the sole figure sitting in the colossal meadow.
She turned around upon hearing the sound of his footsteps, pausing in her work of digging through the rich soil of the fields.
"Hello, Miss Livia. I brought you somethin'." He handed over the bouquet of flowers and her eyes widened.
"For me?"
"I thought you might like them." He looked nervous and pointed to the ground. "Can I sit here with you?"
She nodded. "I'd like that."
He watched her quietly continue her work, her focus on the ground and he felt his heart sink somewhat; obviously the flowers hadn't had the effect he'd hoped for.
"What is you lookin' for today?" he asked, watching her turning up the soil.
"Root crop," she said simply.
"Can I help you?" he inquired, hopeful.
"I got a extra diggin' stick," she said, pointing to the burlap sacks buy their feet.
He reached down and uncovered the sturdy branch, tracing it through the dirt, distracted by the wonderful way the sunlight lit up her golden hair. "Why don't you spend more time with them other women?"
"I like bein' alone," she said simply as she pulled thick tubers out of the ground, brushing them off. "The silence feels nice. I like to think."
He held open one of the burlap sacks. "'Bout what?"
"Don't know," she said, her hand coming to rest on his as he reached over to yank another tuber out of the ground. "Careful, you don't want to break it."
He smiled at her touch though she didn't seem to notice. "I like bein' alone, too. Fishin' is a right quiet way to spend the day. I ain't ever catchin' nothin', though."
She brushed a stray strand of hair out her eyes, smudging a small fingerprint of soil on her forehead. "What do you think about when you out fishin'?"
"You ever wondered 'bout what's in the Not-Home?" he asked slowly, lying on his back to look up at the sky.
It was a moment before she answered. "Once. I was lookin' at them stars and I's thinkin' about what them stars look like in the Not-Home." She stopped digging and looked down at him. "Do you reckon they look any different?"
"Mayhap." He sat back up quickly. "I ain't thinkin' about the Otherside! We ain't supposed to be wantin' it! I just thinkin' 'bout the, you know, Not-Home."
"The Not-Home," she agreed, the corners of her lips turning up.
He was relieved that she understood what he meant, that he never wanted to give up his life in Home, and together they spent the rest of the afternoon in the Pastures.
The next morning in Church, Peter found himself absolutely distracted by Miss Livia; he knew that he ought be paying attention to the message of the hymns, but he couldn't keep his eyes off Miss Livia as he played the banjo. Beside him sat Mr Bill Ferguson who played a banjo as well and Mr James who played a guitar, calloused fingers strumming metal strings.
"If I's alive this time next day, will I have arrived in time to share? And mine is about as good this far. And I's still applied to what You are, Lord. And I's joinin' all my thoughts to you, Lord. And I been preparin' every part for you, Lord.
"And I heard from the trees a great parade. And I heard from the hills a band was made. And will I be invited to the sound? And will I be a part of what You've made, Lord?
"And I's throwin' all my thoughts away. And I been destroyin' every bet I done made. And I been joining all my thoughts to You, Lord. And I been preparin' every part for You, Lord."
Peter wondered how he could have never noticed her before as she stomped her bare feet in time to the music, her hands clapping to the rhythm and her lips forming each word perfectly. For the briefest moment their eyes met and he felt as though he'd shared a secret glance with her once before, but he couldn't place when it had been or where and as he shook his head loose of such thoughts, he returned his attention back to the hymn.
It was late evening and Livia was marching through Wide Holler where Mr Peter's cabin was. She was murmuring silently to herself, trying to convince herself she was doing the right thing by going to see the man. She'd felt him staring at her all through Church that morning and it had taken every bit of self control to keep from looking back at him, though Lord knew she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to look into his eyes, tell him that she had never felt more beautiful than when he gave her his attention, that she had no idea why she'd never noticed him before.
From Mr Phillip and Miss Nina's cabin she could hear laughter and as she passed Mr Nick's cabin, she could see that it was empty. Livia continued walking briskly along, her hands in tight fists as she tried to put into words the way she felt, trying to decide how she felt in the first place. The sky above was dark and while she wasn't afraid, she'd never been out alone once the sun set, especially so far from the cabin she shared with her sister and niece, so when she finally reached the edge of the land that Mr Peter inhabited, she felt a bit relieved. Nestled at the edge of the Wood's was his smokehouse, a small circular building created from a hollowed out tree trunk, elevated on stilts with a small vent at the top for smoke to roll out of. She could smell the rich fragrant timbers curing the meats and for the slightest of moments, she wondered what he smelled like.
Livia said a silent prayer as she nervously stood on the path, avoiding the patch of light that came from the cabin, then stepped forward so that she was able to look inside the small home. She could see he was standing by the fireplace, stirring something in a large pot; she caught the scent of an onion and wondered if it was the same one she had given him the day before. She rapped her knuckles on his doorway and he spun around, staring at her.
"Miss Livia! Is everythin' all right?" he asked, hurrying over to the doorway, wiping his hands off on his trousers.
She took a deep breath. "Mr Peter, I got somethin' I's wantin' to say to you."
A smile crept across his lips and she felt her heart pound. "Yes, Miss Livia?"
Her mind was reeling and she felt faint, but she knew she had to say the words, otherwise she wasn't going to be able to bear seeing him anymore without him knowing.
"You's belongin' with me," she said firmly and her thoughts calmed.
He said nothing, but leaned in, closing the distance between them and their lips met. Their kiss was soft and perfect and familiar...
