Chapter Title:You and I Must Fight to Survive

Chapter Genre: Humour, Suspense

Chapter Rating: M for the usual

Chapter Notes: What did Astrid and Walter do while Peter and Olivia were back in Iraq?

Takes Place: During 2.03

Song: "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse (as found on Guitar Heroes III)

Disclaimer: None of it's mine

"Come ride with me,

Through the veins of history,

I'll show you a god

Who falls asleep on the job.

And how can we win,

When fools can be kings,

Don't waste your time,

Or time will waste you"

Astrid watched Peter pause in packing up his back full of electronics to place his hand gently on his father's shoulder. "I know you want to come along, Walter. But it's dangerous over there."

Walter looked at her helplessly, then went to Gene's stall to snatch away a glass nazar—the Turkish ward for the evil eye—that he'd placed on the wall. "Well then at least take this! I bought it so her milk wouldn't sour, but you could use it more."

"Thank you, Walter." Peter slipped the small amulet into his pocket and then to her surprise, gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks again, Astrid."

Blushing slightly as she zipped up his electronic bags, she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "No problem. We'll probably stay up late watching movies and eating popcorn."

"I'm going to give you a new manicure. Yours looks dreadful," Walter said, giving her a knowing look.

Astrid rolled her eyes, but hid her hands in her pockets as she followed Peter towards the door. Lowering her voice, she gave him a worried glance.

"Be careful over there, Peter. Normally I wouldn't worry because you have Olivia, but she's not going to be able to help if you need it…"

"I know. Don't worry. We'll be fine," he said softly, giving her a sad smile. But he quickly recovered, handing her a torn piece of paper, his voice considerably more up beat. "Here's the list of movies he's not allowed to watch."

Astrid giggled as she read it. "Borat. Can you imagine him quoting that?"

"Exactly."

Olivia leaned in the doorway of the lab. "I don't have all day, Peter!"

"Stay safe, Olivia!" Astrid called out.

"Take care of Peter, Agent Dunham!" Walter shouted as the two left.

The door to the lab shut, leaving just Astrid and Walter alone.

"I miss them already," the scientist said sadly.

"Don't worry—we're going to pick them up from the airport tomorrow," she assured him.

"I want to finger paint," he said in an incredibly depressed tone.

She patted his shoulder gently and went over to the fridge where the homemade edible fingerpaint she'd made earlier in the week waited in specimen cups. "Sounds good."

He brought out the large roll of butcher paper they used and soon they were getting their fingers dirty. Walter began to smear around red and blue, and cleared his throat.

"So Agent Farnsworth, if you don't think it too forward of me, I was wondering if you wanted to stay the night."

She let her fingers make green swirls across the paper. "That was already the plan, Walter. Peter doesn't trust you on your own."

"No, I meant we could have a sleepover. Here."

Astrid's eyes widened. "In the lab?"

He nodded, looking hopeful. "Yes. We already have everything we want—food, candy, sugar, TV, and you can have the cot if you want."

"Where would you sleep?"

"In the hay."

She thought for a moment and shrugged. "Well, if you're sure you want to. I suppose we could."

Walter clapped his hands together, splattering them with red and blue fingerpaint. "Wonderful!"

"This one goes out to the young lady who's supported everything I've ever done here in this lab," Walter declared as he held the game's guitar shaped controller and then glanced back over his shoulder. "Here's to you, Gene. You look beautiful this evening!"

His assistant, who was standing on the freshly cleaned autopsy table behind him in her pyjamas, held her own guitar controller, pressing the buttons absentmindedly as she watched him begin to play; Walter smiled smugly as he saw her freshly painted fingernails—he hadn't smudged a single one!

They'd made a quick run back to her apartment after they ordered the pizza for dinner to pick up and extra set of clothes for her along with pillows and extra blankets; Walter had noticed the strange guitar shaped devices next to her TV and upon enquiring, he was told it was a video game. Naturally, he demanded she bring it back to the lab with them and while it certainly was no Pong, it was a thrilling game.

"Grande finale!" he shouted, lifting the guitar controller above his head to smash down it down on the floor for extra points.

"Walter, stop! You're going to bust my game!" she cried out, grabbing onto the false guitar to prevent him from smashing it to bits.

He turned around, glancing up at her. "You're just jealous at how well I've taken to it."

"That's not true at all. It's nice to have someone to play with. But you need to be careful."

"Just pick another song," he said with a sigh, wishing it was still his turn, though he quickly warned her, "I hate Barracuda!"

"Me, too." Suddenly she giggled as she highlighted 'Welcome to the Jungle'. "Oh man. I have to pick that one—I have a whole dance for it!"

"What kind of dance? A jungle dance?"

"No. Mostly a ripoff of ACDC's exaggerated guitar moves and Molly Ringwald's footwork in 'Breakfast Club'." She demonstrated by wiggling her hips a bit, her bare feet squeaking on the metal surface of the autopsy table.

Walter pretended to strum a sweet riff and addressed the young agent by her player name. "Let's rock this town, LabBunny."

"You're on, LabDad1," she replied with a wink.

Astrid was surprised at how comfortable her makeshift bed was; one of the cold chambers that they stored bodies in had broken, so she pulled out the large tray and moved the cot's mattress onto it. However comfortable the bed was, she was still a light sleeper and the moment the scratching noise across the lab started, she woke up.

'Rats?' she wondered, but it sounded like metal on metal—'The door!' she realised. 'Someone's trying to open the door!'

She found the small handgun she'd been assigned and quickly left her bed to hurry over to Gene's stall where Walter was sleeping.

"Walter!" she hissed.

Walter rolled over in the hay, his eyes opening just slight enough that she could see a slit of pupil. His voice was thick and groggy as he pulled his blanket around him tighter.

"Young lady, I refuse to let you take advantage of me, no matter how fetching you look in your scrubs—"

She held a finger to her lips to silence him, whispering. "Walter, I think someone's trying to break into the lab."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Listen!" They both held their breathes to listen to the door knob rattling slightly. "Get under the hay and don't come out until I say it's safe, okay?"

He nodded fervently, quickly burrowing down into the long golden stalks as she made her way over to door. She could now see someone's silhouette on the opposite side of the frosted glass, their head bowed as the scratching at the door handle continued. Shit, whoever it was picking the lock!

Astrid moved across the floor silently, her bare feet on the cold concrete, cold gun in her bare hands. She'd never shot anyone before but now that she was seeing someone trying to break in, the adrenaline running through her veins making her heart race, and she knew she was ready for anything.

Hiding in the shadows by the coat tree, the door finally opened and she pressed her gun against the intruder's temple—

"Charlie!" she exclaimed, quickly lowering her weapon.

He smiled at her, looking a little surprised. "Oh, hello. What are you still doing here?"

"I'm staying the night to watch Walter." Her hand went up to her chest and she gave a nervous laugh. "You scared me! Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine." He glanced around the quiet laboratory. "Where are you sleeping?"

She gestured her hand towards the southern wall.

"On one of the cold chamber tables. It's broken and I just pulled it out all the way and put the cot mattress…" Astrid looked back at him, her eyes narrowed slightly as she realised how baffling the whole situation was. "What are you doing here? It's almost three."

"I had a weird dream that the bald guy Olivia calls the Observer was here and I came to check," he said casually.

She raised an eyebrow. "You dreamed about it?"

He chuckled. "Pretty silly, huh?"

"I didn't realize you two were holding down the fort." Charlie's eye scanned the lab before returning to hers and he gave her a Cheshire grin. "Astrid, do you think we could keep this secret? I don't want Olivia worried."

She nodded. "Sure, sure."

Charlie slowly backed out the door, winking. "I'll bring some doughnuts around in the morning."

"None of those jelly filled maple bars. Those are worse than tripe," Walter called out from the depths of the hay.

"He likes the ones with confectioners' sugar."

Charlie's broad smile seemed so different as he began to walk down the hallway. "Sleep tight."

"Sweet dreams," she called out, waving.

Morning arrived much quicker than she expected. Walter was dressed and trying to figure out how to turn her Wii on, muttering darkly under his breath. Astrid yawned and stretched, allowing herself to roll off the edge of the cold chamber bed. Going over to the Wii, she turned it on for him and as he sang her praises of allowing him to play along to 90s New Wave, she took her change of clothes to spruce up.

Just as she exited the lab's bathroom, fully dressed and ready for the day, Charlie arrived with a big pink bakery box in his hands.

"Morning! Everyone awake?"

"Good morning, Charlie!" she called out amicably.

"Doughnuts, doughnuts!" Walter sang, quickly setting the guitar controller down.

"Go wash your hands," she instructed, giving him her 'no nonsense' look.

"Damn," he grumbled, heading over to the deep sinks.

Astrid happily carried the pink box of baked goods over towards the table with the comfortable chairs. In her glee, she didn't notice the bundle of cords lying across the floor.

"Oh!" she cried out as she tripped, the box of doughnuts flying through the air.

Quickly, Charlie began to pick them up with a paper towel he'd snatched off the counter next to them. "I'm sure they're still good to eat—"

She took the doughnuts out of his hands and tossed them into the hazardous waste bin. "No. One of the lab rules is 'no five second rule'. After all the shit that gets dropped on the floor, I don't want anyone to get sick, 'specially him."

Charlie seemed to be silently seething and Astrid quickly hurried over to her purse, pulling out a five and one, which she brought back to him; she didn't miss his balled fists.

"Sorry. We really appreciate it, though."

Charlie gave her a strained smile. "Of course."

A/N: What kind of sneaky shit was not!Charlie up to?

Homemade fingerpaint can be done by adding Jello to boiling water, which you mix until it gets gooey. And Faust, it was an homage to you ;)