The children trained Rufus well and he kept them occupied enough that Walter could stay at his lab in Cambridge more often and not have to worry about the children getting into trouble. William Bell hadn't been heard from for quite some time and it had him worried but Walter wasn't gonna let that bother him.

As no new word ever came from Jacksonville, Olivia was allowed to remain in the Bishops' care but still she worried that one day, her happiness here would come to an abrupt end. She knew she couldn't stay here forever but she would dread the day when it comes…whenever it comes. Not soon she hoped.

Eventually a year would pass and then on her 11th birthday, another card came from her stepfather. She had spent that birthday sitting in the darkness of her bedroom with Rufus. Peter had torn and thrown away the card before she could see it but she knew it would come. As long as he was still out there, he would find a way to get it to her. There were no parties or cake anymore. Eventually the Bishops would respect this was how Olivia would want it to be.

But at least the children were doing well in their studies. Olivia and Peter helped each other catch up and soon they were years ahead of their peers gaining skills and knowledge at a high school grade level (though Peter still had trouble with history until he no longer cared).

...

In the summer of that year, Walter got a break from his work. He wanted to take the children camping further north.

"Isn't this wonderful," Walter said as he set up the tents. "Peter I remember bringing you up here and we stayed at this very camp. You would mark your territory…not literally of course…but you would claim this whole park as 'Petertopia'. Yes, I think that was what you called it."

Peter and Elizabeth stared at Walter blankly. Olivia leaned over to ask "what's wrong?"

Peter whispered to her. "He's talking about someone else. I've never seen this camp before in my whole life. I think my mom knows it too."

"It's getting late," said Walter. "Lets get to sleep."

There were two tents, its occupants divided by gender. Neither child was getting a decent sleep. Peter was forced to spend the whole night hearing his father mumble strange equations in his sleep, the same ones he would recite at home. Olivia spent the whole night listening to Elizabeth sobbing quietly. Only Rufus was lucky enough to be sleeping outside of the tents.

The next morning, Walter happily filled up a picnic basket for the kids. He was going to send them off on a little "date" by themselves while he had a private conversation with Elizabeth. Peter carried the basket, Olivia carried Rufus, and they took to a trail until they arrived at the beach of a small lake.

"What do you think your mom and dad are talking about?" asked Olivia. "I hope it's not about sending me back."

"To Jacksonville?" said Peter. "I doubt it."

"I don't think your mom likes me. At least you're her son."

"But I'm not. My mom knows it better than Walter ever will. I think having you here makes her more aware of that fact. Don't let her get to you. I bet we could do just fine without them getting on us."

"Maybe," said Olivia. "But I wouldn't want to."

Peter looked out at the lake. "You miss your home, don't you?"

Olivia petted Rufus. "I miss Rachel and my aunt and uncle. Sometimes, I do miss my mom." She was lost in her thoughts until one particular memory brought a smile to her face. "You know what Rachel said in her letter last week?"

"What?"

"She thinks you're my boyfriend."

"Eww!"

Olivia laughed at the site of Peter's face turning red. "But you kissed me, Peter."

"You told her?"

"No, of course not!" said Olivia. "I'm just saying you did. Unless you don't remember last year, when we tried to run away…"

"I do remember," said Peter. "I just don't want mom and Walter finding out."

"Well," Olivia teased. "We'll just leave that in the secret house where it happened."

"Yeah…but…you know if you ever want to do it again…" Before Peter could finish Rufus started jumping around and barking. Seconds later, the kids could feel vibration from the ground. They tried to stand up only they were wobbling. Birds flew around in masses and the trees were shaking.

They screamed.

Walter and Elizabeth were there in a matter of seconds grabbing the children and pulling them away. Before their very eyes, the water in the lake was disappearing in the center and the trees around the area were sinking in as if the whole area was circling down a drain. The family hurried up the hill.

"Rufus!"

Rufus caught up to the humans with the earth slowly sinking behind him. When the shaking stopped, they returned to see an unusual site, a massive large sinking hole were the lake and the surrounding trees once were just minutes ago and what look out structures of buildings sticking out of the earth.

"Children get back."

Walter went ahead of the trees and upon close inspection he saw the remains of what looked like a large airship. His worst fears were realized as the two universes were now on a slow but certain path to collision.

...

It took a lot of effort on Walter and Elizabeth's part to silence the children on what they witnessed, interrupting them before they could speak, keeping their distance from them as much as possible. The stress was getting to Walter to such degrees that he would spend weeks in Cambridge leaving Elizabeth to manage things at home. Tensions only increased when it was just her and the children. Soon enough, Peter and Olivia would find themselves more on their own than ever and life into the next year would be quiet and uncertain. They had to keep themselves sane through books or just through their own company.

"Out!"

Peter heard yelling down the hallway and saw Olivia running out of his parents' bedroom. She ran past Peter and out the door.

"Olivia?"

She wouldn't stop for him and she was running out into the woods.

"Olivia, stop!"

Peter chased after Olivia until they got to the base of their secret house where she sat there shaking. "Olivia, what happened?"

"I…," she said. "I was just looking for more toilet paper."

"Why would my mom yell at you for that?"

"Because," she cried. "I saw them. There was a bunch of empty orange bottles on her sink. I think she's mad that I saw them."

Peter knew what the bottles meant. "Maybe they're Walter's."

"No…I saw her name on them."

"Olivia…"

"Is she going to kick me out? I didn't mean to. I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know you wouldn't," said Peter. "I wouldn't either."

"I'm scared, Peter."

He reached out to hold Olivia's hand and they would stay there until sunset. He walked with her back to the house. To their surprise Elizabeth ignored them and nothing else. Olivia would still be there to stay.

But since then Peter and Olivia knew better than to stay out of her way. They even became accustomed to cooking their own meals. Mostly microwave stuff. Sometimes Peter and Olivia would walk to town and did their own shopping and sometimes for Elizabeth. On a few trips Peter would buy and try to sneak bacon into the house without his mom knowing.

...

"Peter…Olivia…we need to talk."

The worst four words they could hear. Olivia feared the worst, that months after finding the bottles she was now going to be kicked out. Or maybe it was because Olivia herself was going to be 13 soon and perhaps Elizabeth did not want to deal with two teenagers in the house.

Olivia shook as she sat on the couch but Peter was by her side, as always, holding her hand. Elizabeth didn't seem angry or stern this time. In fact, she seemed worried…very worried.

"Mom?"

"Peter, there was an incident…at your father's work. I didn't know how to tell you. It was an explosion in the lab about a week ago."

Peter didn't seem at all worried. This was Walter after all. It didn't surprise him that he would do something like that. But Olivia became generally concerned. She cared about Walter even if Peter did not. "Is Dr. Walter okay?"

"He's fine, Olivia. He wasn't hurt, but a woman was killed, one of his assistants. They had to do an investigation and…he was arrested."

"What?"

"Peter, I'm sorry but they're sending him away…you're father he's not coming home ever again. He might be there forever."

"Forever where?"

But Elizabeth turned her eyes away from the children. She didn't want to see the look on their face when she said it "a mental institution, outside of Boston."

"Mom…what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," she said and as she left the children alone, Olivia burst into tears. Peter was there to hug her though his mind was absorbed with far too much uncertainty for their future.

In case you're confused, this is a time-passing chapter w/ Peter and Olivia going from age 10 to now age 13. Some dark stuff is gonna happen at the end of the next chapter that I'm both nervous and excited to write. Let's just say if you think things are bad for the kids now then you don't know Fantasy Cat. ;)