Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Fringe, just the thoughts in my head.
Rating: T (violence and mildly suggestive situations)
Summary: There's no place like home – a journey both within and without as Peter and Olivia find their way back to each other.
Spoilers: Post-ep to Over There 1 & 2
Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for the delay; between building a new business and writing web content, this got sidetracked. Not to mention the incredible difficulty of writing a scene with two characters with the same name who look identical. Remind me never to do that again. Anyway, this is truly the second last chapter this time. All that's left after this is the epilogue.
Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this and especially those of you who've taken the time to let me know what you think. I hope you've enjoyed what has become my alternate first half of season 3. I never intended for this to take so long. Do let me know what you think
Happy birthday to my best friend and beta, Joy. Your real present is coming , but hopefully this will tide you over, even though you had to work for it :)
Chapter 9
'I think I'll miss you most of all.'
The mantle clock ticked loudly from its new position under the couch, each second echoing ominously against the hardwood floor in the otherwise silent room. Olivia edged herself off of Peter's lap into a crouch, her hand sliding to her hip only to find her holster empty. Her sidearm must have slipped out in the explosion. Scanning the carnage that was her apartment, she spotted her Glock under the chair her doppelganger was currently occupying. A quick glance at their intruder confirmed her suspicions that the Fringe agent knew it was there and was prepared to snag it if necessary.
Peter, for his part, eyed their newcomer carefully, looking for any sign that she'd been replaced by the shapeshifter that had taken out her guard detail. After Charlie, he'd promised himself that he would never be fooled again. He spotted no immediate red flags, but there was only one way to be sure.
Liv eyed the couple expectantly.
"So, what'd I miss?" she asked, angling herself more comfortably in her chair. When an answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, she ploughed on. "From the looks of things, quite a bit, but first things first," her eyes cut to her counterpart, a smile tugging at her lips. "Welcome home."
The FBI agent nodded stiffly, coiled and ready to fight, their last encounter still fresh in her memory.
Sensing his partner's distress, Peter stood, seeking to defuse the tension that was building again in the room. Reaching down, he offered a hand, surprised when Olivia took it and braced herself against his weight, pulling herself to her feet.
"So, what happened to you?" he asked, trying to seem nonchalant as he edged closer to their otherworldly visitor. "If the Bureau's accommodations were not to your liking, I'm sure there were other ways to let us know."
Liv fixed him with a glare he knew well, but from a different set of eyes. "Some guy came bustin' into the place and says I'm being recalled. Next thing I know, I'm face down on the floor of this van racing along the turnpike to God knows where."
Keeping his gaze trained on their intruder as she wove her story, Peter palmed a shard of broken mirror, just the weapon he needed, that lay atop the arm of the loveseat. A quick glance at his partner confirmed that she understood his plan and was ready to play her part.
"How'd you escape?" she asked, wondering, not for the first time, at how it felt talking to her reflection.
"Let's just say that he hadn't quite mastered his defensive driving skills."
The rueful smile that ghosted across her doppelganger's face tugged at a spot deep in Olivia's chest, and she knew that the Fringe agent wasn't a shapeshifter. The guilt she could see in her eyes at having to take a life was a feeling she knew too well. Still, Peter would need to be satisfied.
As if reading her thoughts, he lunged forward, and she joined him, snagging her double's left arm and wrenching it around into a hold, while Peter rucked up the sleeve of the woman's blue sweatshirt and raked the glass down the exposed skin.
"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?"
Olivia held firm until she saw blood bloom, crimson and untainted, from the wound, then she backed off, knowing just how strong her counterpart's left hook was.
"We just needed to be sure," Peter replied, unapologetic.
"Sure of what?"
He dropped the shard, adding to the mess at his feet. "Sure that you weren't a shapeshifter."
Liv's eyebrows rose sharply as understanding dawned. "So that's what he was. I knew something wasn't right about him."
As the tension finally left the room, Liv tucked her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt, searching for something to say. The owner of said sweatshirt watched her warily, and a wave of shame threatened to sweep her feet out from under her as Liv took note of the evidence of what that Olivia must have gone through to get home. Her fatigue was palpable, but the FBI agent was holding herself together with every ounce of strength she had left.
"I'm glad you're back," Liv said finally and immediately wished she'd been able to come up with something less lame.
"Thanks." A spark lit eyes that were indeed a shade darker than hers and Liv found the words she'd been looking for.
"Look, I'm sorry for all of this," she continued, sweeping her arms out as a vague attempt to encompass her role in taking over this woman's life. "I know I could say that I was just following orders and while that would be true, it would in no way excuse what I took from you."
Olivia stood stoic and Liv wondered at their differences despite the mirror image. There would be no way that she could stay still if the shoe had been on the other foot.
"No," the FBI agent conceded. "It doesn't, but I get it. You had no reason to trust me … to trust us."
"Yeah, well, I just wanted you to know that I see the big picture now and I want to help."
A faint smile broke Olivia's stony countenance and Liv couldn't help but answer with one of her own.
"We appreciate that," Olivia replied, casting a quick glance to Peter to make sure he shared the sentiment. "Oh, and I should apologize too."
"For what?" Liv asked, her brow furrowed.
The spark grew just a bit brighter. "For knocking you over the head with a lamp and tying you to a chair."
Liv laughed for what felt like the first time in years. "Somehow, I don't think we're quite even yet."
"I suppose not."
She arched an eyebrow. "I could always let you beat the crap out of me again."
Olivia's brow rose to match. "Peter would probably enjoy watching that."
"You know I'm standing right here, right?" the man in question's voice slipped up an octave, despite his best efforts. Two Olivia Dunhams were going to be the death of him, assuming any of them survived to see the end of the day. The grim thought drew him back to the matter at hand.
"As heart-warming and strangely creepy as this little truce is, we have bigger problems to worry about. Where there's one shapeshifter, there's usually more."
Both women hardened immediately into Agent Dunham, and Peter had to stifle a laugh at their unconscious symmetry.
"What's our next move?" Liv asked, her eyes drifting over the apartment, still wondering what she'd missed. Whatever it was, it must have been spectacular.
"They're just going to keep coming until they get you back over to the other side," Olivia surmised. "So I think we should do just that."
The others simply stared back at her like she'd grown two heads.
"Are you crazy, 'Livia?" Peter cried. "I know you're not exactly over the whole 'she took over my life' thing, but they'll kill her."
Olivia smiled reassuringly at her double. "Not if we get her to the right people."
Peter regarded his partner quizzically and waited for her to elaborate. She didn't disappoint.
"Your mother, Peter," she continued, reminding him of the role Elizabeth had played in her escape. "She helped me slip past the checkpoints. Your world may be dying, but she knows what Walternate is planning and she believes it's wrong, believes that there has to be another way. She's probably in hiding by now, but if Olivia can find her, I'm sure she could keep her safe; with the two of them working on their side, maybe we can figure this mess out once and for all."
His heart swelled with grateful warmth as Peter thought about his mother helping Olivia make it home. After what his father had put her through, it seemed fitting that his own flesh and blood would help repair the damage. Still, he couldn't fathom the Elizabeth Bishop he'd met plotting to subvert the Secretary of Defence. "Look, 'Livia, I know she got you home, but you're telling me that my mother is part of some sort of resistance?"
Olivia's smile grew larger. "Not quite, Peter," she replied, not entirely sure how much detail she wanted to get into at the moment. She's only glazed over the details, earlier, of William Bell's role in Elizabeth's life. "It's complicated. I don't think she planned the path she's on now, but she doesn't want to see anybody destroyed. Besides," she continued, her eyes softening. "Her son is on this side and she only wants what's best for you."
Before either of them could let the emotions she'd stirred up overwhelm them, Olivia returned their little ragtag group back to the problem at hand. "Anyway," she said, turning to her counterpart. "If we can get you back and you can find Elizabeth, she'd make sure you're safe."
Still trying to process this new world of warring universes, shapeshifters and stolen childhoods, Liv furrowed her brow in thought. "How am I supposed to get back? I can't cross over like you apparently can."
Olivia was quick with a solution. "I can probably flash you over, but-"
"Wait!" Peter interjected, crowding his partner, willing her to look at him. "What … no way, Olivia! I saw what it did to you the last time. There's no way I'm going to let you risk it."
Olivia met his glare with one of her own, her voice level and low. "Can you think of any other way to do it?" She may not have wanted her 'gifts', but she was damned well going to make use of every tool at her disposal.
Peter didn't relent; stepping closer, he towered over her. "You could barely move when I found you in the lab. Taking a passenger is only going to make it worse. Heath didn't even survive the first attempt. You've crossed over three times if you count the time Bell took you. How much is too much?"
The partners' argument dissolved into a silent standoff as Liv regarded them from the other side of the room, with no idea how to end the stalemate. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time they'd had this particular argument. The tension building between them was electric and if it hadn't been clear before, Liv was certain now that there would have been no way she could've pulled off her charade with Peter any longer than she had. Peter and Olivia's jaws may have been set in defiance, but their eyes spoke of a bond unlike anything she'd ever seen, and she had to bite back the bitter taste of jealousy as she realized that none of her relationships had ever reached these depths.
Before Liv could come up with something intelligent to add, an idea dawned across her counterpart's face.
"We can use another soft spot," the FBI agent ventured, her mind whirring behind her eyes. "I wouldn't have to work as hard to make the jump."
Peter visibly deflated, stepping back and running his hand through his hair. It was obvious that he'd lost this battle and was now steeling himself for the inevitable. Watching the scene unfold, Liv couldn't quite suppress the wave of fear that surged up from her gut. What exactly was she getting into?
Olivia smiled grimly, taking no real pleasure in her victory and already moving onto the logistics of the plan. "Okay, call Walter and find a location, then we'll-"
"No need," Peter replied, cutting off her train of thought. "I know just the place."
'Are we there, yet?'
The childish whine ran through his head as Peter navigated the road to Reiden Lake. Memories of weekend drives to the summer house flashed past his mind's eye like a slide show and he tried to tease out which were from Over There and which had happened after his abduction. He couldn't really be sure, and he found that he actually kind of liked the idea that his lives on either side had stitched together into one whole. If only they could do the same for the universes that had been left in the wake of his father's foolishness.
Now, he just wanted the drive to end. The tension inside Olivia's FBI-issue Navigator had built to the point that he was pretty sure it would register on a barometer. Walter had confirmed the soft spot still existed near his childhood retreat and they'd immediately set out for the lake. Now, all three were scanning the roads and surrounding landscape for anything out of the ordinary, hoping beyond hope that they'd make this flight under Walternate's radar.
They were so close, and Peter was about to suggest a round of eye-spy to alleviate some of the anxiety, when he caught sight of a vehicle closing in behind them.
"We've got company."
The two Olivias turned in unison to see a black SUV bearing down on their bumper.
Peter gunned the 8-cylinder engine, sending the truck hurtling down the tree-lined road at a speed that threatened to leave them careening out of control with one wrong turn of the wheel. Fear gnawed at his heart, and he swallowed hard against the nausea churning in his gut. Slipping his eyes up to the rear-view mirror, Peter began musing under his breath in an instinctive attempt to beat back his uneasiness.
"Why is it that bad guys always drive black SUVs? Is it like some universal constant or is it different on your side?" he wondered, throwing the ridiculous question over his shoulder to their charge in the back seat. "Are they always black Over There too, or maybe they're purple, or green or something else." His mind had totally slipped the rails at this point, but he couldn't help himself, needing an outlet for his growing agitation. He was beginning to truly believe that he was his father's son.
"Drive, Peter!"
The admonition came in stereo and it was enough to snap him back to the present. The first bullet landed dead centre in the passenger-side mirror, shattering the glass and causing Olivia to recoil in shock. The second drove a spider web crack through the rear window that left Peter grateful for the reinforced glass of the government-issue SUV. The tires crunched loudly on the gravel shoulder as Peter swung the hulking vehicle around a tight corner, buying them a few precious seconds of tree cover.
The Fringe agent, now more appropriately dressed in jeans, t-shirt and hooded jacket, twisted around and rolled down the driver's side window, the blast of moist air sending her hair flying behind her like a fiery mane. Carefully, she aimed Olivia's back-up piece at their followers. Firing off two rounds in quick succession, she was rewarded with the tell-tale whoosh of a blown-out tire. The pursuing SUV swung violently into the oncoming lane, its momentum pushing it into a spectacular roll down the embankment, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
"Nice shot," Olivia gasped as her doppelganger sat back against the leather cushion, brushing a few stray locks out of her eyes.
"Thanks," she replied, not quite able to repress a grin of pride as she stowed the Sig in the waistband of her pants. "I've had a lot of practice."
Turning his attention back to the road, Peter sucked in a hopeful breath. The lake was in sight. Only a few more yards….
Suddenly, a force like a freight train caught the tail-end of the Navigator, wrenching it across the oncoming lane and slamming the broad side into the solid trunk of an old maple. Bullets rained down on them now, digging into the passenger side glass, carving it into a fragile mosaic.
"Olivia, get down!" Peter cried, palming the back of her skull, thrusting her sideways into the seat, and dropping his body over hers just as the glass reached its breaking point, sending tempered shards showering down over them and the next bullet into the driver's headrest. Breathing in large gulps, Peter tucked his nose into his partner's ponytail, trying to steady his erratic heartbeat with the soothing scent of her hair mixed with the leather upholstery.
"We need to get out of here, now!" Liv called over the din as she kicked against her door. The impact had crumpled the frame, wedging it shut.
His mind once again focused, Peter kept his head down and shoved open his own door, slipping to the ground behind the vehicle and pulling Olivia with him. The shrubs and two layers of metal provided at least some protection from the sudden onslaught.
Liv kicked viciously at her only escape route, her pounding unrelenting as panic slipped into the edges of her consciousness. They wouldn't leave her behind, not now, not after everything. A wave of sickening fear shot down her spine, and she thrust her legs forward as hard as she could. The latch finally gave as her heels connected soundly with the handle. Suddenly, four sets of fingers slipped into the cracks, and between her pushing and Peter and Olivia's pulling, the mangled metal creaked open enough to afford an escape.
A bullet sailed through the shattered windows, imbedding itself in the maple with a solid thud, then all went quiet.
The trio behind the Navigator held their collective breaths, and Olivia cursed their position. They were literally fighting blind. Seized with an idea, she sat back on her haunches, her eyes slipping closed as she pushed her consciousness up and outward, thought rippling around the trees down to the lakeshore, marvelling for a moment at how each attempt got easier to control.
"Uh, 'Livia?" Peter's hand fell heavily to her shoulder, shaking her gently. "I don't really think now is such a good time for a nap."
"Shh," she chastised, trying to maintain her focus. "They're coming up the road from behind us. I count three … no, four, circling around to our position." She opened her eyes and fixed Peter with a glare that brooked no argument. "We need to move to the lake, now! I'll lay down cover and you two go ahead."
Peter opened his mouth to argue, but her eyes made it clear that he wouldn't win and it would only waste time. Sliding his gaze to woman who was the reason they were here in the first place, he arched a brow in question. "You ready?"
Liv nodded solemnly before turning her eyes to their goal, mentally mapping the distance they had to cover.
"Go!" Olivia cried as she fired precise shots into the bushes behind them, aiming directly for each attacker as she saw them in her mind's eye. Once her final clip was empty, she took off after Peter and her counterpart, hoping she'd held the shapeshifters off for as long as they needed to make the shore.
She didn't manage to buy them much time, but it was enough. The three of them fell into a tangle of willows by the dock just as their pursuers regrouped and returned fire, switching back to the big guns and splintering the larger trees with energy blasts.
"We're not going to make it," Liv rasped as wood shavings rained down over their head. "I'll try and hold them off" she suggested, pulling their only weapon left from under her belt. "You two might have time to get away-"
Olivia cut her off, grasping her hand tightly and turning to catch her eye. "Not a chance," she hissed, eyes bright with determination, but Peter could see the darker shadows of resignation lurking in their depths. He knew what she was planning.
"'Livia, no."
"It's our only option, Peter."
"Can you even control it?" he asked, remembering the carnage of the apartment.
"I'm going to have to," she replied, scanning their position for a place to stand.
"Control what?" Liv asked, unsure if it was fear or curiosity colouring her voice.
Instead of answering, the FBI agent tugged her out into the open with a whispered, "Stay behind me and follow my lead."
Liv could only stare in disbelief as her double stepped further away from their only cover, hands in the air in the classic gesture of surrender. Peter followed, brow set, eyes grim, never straying more than a couple inches away. Although every molecule in her body resisted the idea of giving up, she followed, obeying Olivia's order and staying behind her human shield.
The woods were silent, save for the rustling of footsteps on leaf-strewn gravel as their would-be captors edged closer just as the three agents eased back towards the lake. Liv's boot connected with the dock, the sound of her heel hollow against the wood. Still, Olivia forced them backwards, leaving them truly cornered as Liv could now make out the faces of the shapeshifters moving in on them.
They looked normal, just like any other thug, and she supposed that was the point. The only red flag was the flash of silver dripping from the brow of the one who was apparently their leader.
No one spoke; their enemies simply closed in, weapons drawn, as though unsure of what they were walking into. Liv was definitely unsure. She was certain that these people with whom she'd entrusted her life were not actually giving up, but she couldn't fathom what sort of recourse they could possibly have with their backs to the figurative wall.
Drawing her eyes away from the guns pointed at her centre of mass, she cast a glance to the woman in front of her and had to bite back a gasp.
Olivia was glowing.
At least she thought she was; it was so subtle that it was unlikely the shapeshifters could see it, but Liv was certain that she could detect a faint glimmer dancing over the woman's shoulders and down her arms, concentrating in the palms of her hands. Looking closer, she could see that every muscle in Olivia's body was taut, strung so tight the agent was practically vibrating.
Peter wasn't much better. His expression even darker, he hovered as close to Olivia as he could without touching. Finally he broke the silence.
"Are you sure about this, 'Livia?"
"We're committed now, Peter," she bit back, as though it took a great deal of effort to talk.
"What can we do?" His voice softened as he broke the unspoken barrier and laid a gentle hand in the centre of Olivia's back. Liv was sure her glow flared brighter at his touch.
Her answer was strained as what looked like unbearable pressure built beneath her skin. "Hope I can aim; if not, hit the water as fast as you can."
Liv couldn't take her eyes off her double, watching, enthralled as the glow began to pulse with was she could only assume was the woman's heartbeat, it's rapid rhythm faltering every few seconds. The air around them was thick and heavy, like a weight pressing them to the ground. Suddenly the pressure broke, and a deafening roar, like an out of control forest fire, swept up from within the woman in front of her. The sound was immediately followed by a scorching arc of energy that thrust out ahead of the trio, sweeping across the boat landing like a giant blinding wave, consuming everything in its path.
It dissipated before Liv had barely registered its existence and their pursuers were gone. All that remained were blackened lumps amid the singed trees and ash. Shock held her immobile as she took in the devastation, suddenly understanding what had happened back in the apartment.
Olivia's knees threatened to betray her but she fought to keep upright. There was still more work to do. Peter's hand stayed firm on her back. He'd kept it there the whole time, certain in her abilities. Now, it held her up and Olivia could swear that she could feel his strength flowing into her, filling her voids. She couldn't see how something like that would be possible, but at the moment, she was willing to take whatever support she could get.
Once she was certain that she could move without falling over, Olivia turned to the woman behind her.
"It's time to go."
Liv followed the FBI agent back off of the dock. Olivia had reasoned that they couldn't be sure the structure existed on both sides and she didn't want to dump them both in the lake. Looking over at Peter, Liv couldn't help but feel a little like Dorothy saying goodbye to the Scarecrow.
She didn't know what to say.
He seemed to understand that and smiled in response, holding out his hand. She took it gratefully.
"I'm not sure sorry's the right word here," she admitted quietly.
"It's alright," he replied. "We'll figure this mess out one of these days."
Liv smiled at that. "Yeah, I hope so."
"Take care of yourself … and tell my mom-" his voice broke as he seemed to struggle for the right words.
"I'll give her your best," she said, hoping that he realized that she understood all that he was trying to say.
He nodded briskly, and backed off, leaving the two women a wide berth.
Olivia caught her gaze, her eyes full of conflicting emotions. Liv was pretty certain it was a look she mirrored. The FBI agent held out her hands, palms up, offering an anchor. Slipping their skin together, Liv shuddered at the jolt of recognition that rocketed through her veins. Her counterpart's wide eyes confirmed that she'd felt it too. Somehow that knowledge settled her a little and she found the words she'd been searching for.
"This whole ride has been completely surreal and I know you had it a lot harder." A shadow darkened Olivia's face at her words, but Liv ploughed forward. "I know I'll never fully be able to make up for what I did to you, but if there's anything I can do-" The warm hands tightening around her own derailed her thoughts.
"Just help us fix this," Olivia rasped, and Liv couldn't help the sudden wave of compassion that washed over her. They were alike in so many ways, and she just wished that this Olivia could find some of the peace in life that she'd enjoyed up until now, that she could just stop fighting long enough to let the people who loved her close enough to help her make her stand.
Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, she couldn't help but smile at the obvious concern written all over Peter's features. Apparently, the people who loved her were going to help Olivia whether she wanted them to or not.
Turning her gaze back to the subject of her thoughts, Liv nodded solemnly. "We'll figure this out," she replied, borrowing Peter's words.
Moment over, Agent Dunham slipped back into her role.
"This is going to be quick, so hold on until I tell you to let go," she instructed.
Liv chuckled wryly. "Do I need to click my heels together three times?"
Olivia arched her brow in response before her eyes softened again. "And since there won't be any time for goodbyes over there, be safe."
Her eyes had slipped closed before Liv could answer in kind, so she followed suit, feeling a little silly standing there, holding hands on the edge of a lake. A strange rush of vertigo suddenly raced down her spine, leaving her knees wobbly. The air chilled and shifted around her. She felt a whisper of a voice, but she couldn't make out the words and then her hands were empty.
Opening her eyes, the Fringe Agent was stunned into silence. Peter and Olivia were gone. The ash and smoke that had burned her nostrils had been replaced with the crisp air of an autumn evening, the scorched forest replaced with the parched trees that were so characteristic of the Blight.
She was home.
Strong arms were around her before the world had even come back into focus, pulling her tight against a broad chest as her legs gave way to gravity. Letting go, Olivia slumped against Peter's body, allowing him to slowly ease them to the sooty ground.
"Shh," he whispered into her hair. "You're home; you're safe. You're gonna be fine."
Her lips quirked up at his words as she let herself melt bonelessly into his warmth, thinking for the first time in a long first time in a long while that maybe he was right.
