The Universal Price

Spoilers: All Seasons

Disclaimer: I own nothing...unfortunately!

The general idea of labor was an easy transition from pregnant to new mother, with some pain and anxiety added in. Olivia Dunham never imagined her labor would be a defining moment between life and death, that the anger of one man with reach so far would forever change her life. If one thing was for certain, after the birth of her son she'd agreed that they had the children they wanted…one beautiful vibrant son and a daughter who would once again change their lives.

Peter entered the delivery suite to see Olivia on her side breathing in and out. She was obviously in a great deal of pain, pain he'd take away in an instant if at all possible. Nina clasped his shoulder before leaving the room; he sat down beside her on the bed. "Hey…how are you?"

Olivia looked at him, she didn't look like her usual self with her hair all out and sweating. "Fine," she took his hand and Peter leaned down, kissing her head. "Last the doctor said, I was six centimeters dilated. He said by late tonight we'll have a baby boy."

"Well, Etta is currently playing 'Spot the Difference' with Liv and Lincoln here in New York. I figured it would keep her occupied for a while."

Olivia rolled onto her back and groaned, squeezing his hand as a contraction worsened. It let up and the blond agent looked at Peter to see his reaction, he squeezed her hand. "I can't wait to see him, to hold him after so long."

"Me either…I saw him once, in September's mind and he was beautiful. I want you to see that, to see him and know that he was perfect. The only difference is, this time he is ours…mine and yours."

About to answer, Olivia felt a pain rip through her and she groaned. It wasn't a contraction; it was something much more painful than the contractions she had been having before. "Peter get the doctor, get the doctor!"

Peter was out of the room and to the office of her doctor in an instant. Julian Kyser immediately was in the room with nurses, quickly checking the agent. "Her contractions are erratic, get me an ultrasound immediately!"

A device was handed to him and he scanned her quickly, Peter frantically looked at the doctor. "What is going on with her?"

"The fetus is in distress and Olivia is having erratic contractions, we need to stabilize Olivia before we can finish delivery or perform a surgical delivery." He turned to the nearby nurse, "full blood panel immediately. I also need a fetal scanner, we're going to look at this little boy and see what is going on with him."

Olivia laid in pain as Peter held her hand, reassuring her everything would be alright. It took twenty minutes before Kyser walked back in the room with a grave look on his face. Peter just asked the question they were both wondering. "What is going on?"

"Nanite infection, we're tracking down the source…this attack was deliberate and we're going to find who is responsible. As of right now though, we need to deliver the baby surgically because it is attempting to attack the baby as we speak. Olivia is fine, it's not attacking her…"

"Let's go." Olivia looked at him, she was in a level of pain they could discern from her face alone. "Let's get him out of me, get him away from these nanites."

Kyser nodded, "ten minutes and we'll be rolling you in. We're going to make sure he's safe Olivia."

Peter paced as he waited, they didn't want him in the room and he understood why. He had called Liv and told her to bring Etta by, the little girl was sitting feet away on a couch with her feet swinging as if she was perfectly calm…and she was. Liv and Lincoln had left to head back to their home so it was just him and Etta as Astrid was staying with Walter.

"He did it Daddy…he made Mommy sick and is hurting Brother."

That made his steps stop; he bent down in front of Etta and stared. "Who did Etta, who is doing this?"

"Mr. Bell…because he thinks my brother will be like me, he thinks Brother will be unstoppable too. He was afraid of what Brother would one day do."

"Etta, how special will your brother be?"

She shrugged, "I don't know till I look at him. Daddy…the future I see isn't for real; they can change at any time."

Peter thought back to a few weeks before when he'd entered the interrogation room where Bell had been held on the other side. The end of the conversation had basically been all talk by Bell, a threat that Peter knew he'd never carry through.

Entering the interrogation room, Peter watched as Bell sat up straighter in the chair he was in. His hands cuffed to the table without a chance of escape, especially with a guard a few feet again. Fringe Agents were trained very highly and Peter knew they wouldn't fall for anything.

"Hello Young Peter." Bell smiled, "how very nice to see you again…I am guessing you want to kill me since my actions lead to Olivia's untimely demise. My condolences on her death, you seemed very attached. Given who she is and who you are, it's a twist of irony that she would find a partner in Walter's son. Thus, however, was most likely because destiny was twisted…your double, Walter's biological son, was to join the trials not long before his sickness took over. Olivia was to be his partner…we had great hopes for them both. Again, her death saddens me…she was such a promising child, a skilled warrior in this ever ongoing battle."

Peter sat down and stared at him, "why her…you had all the others under your thumb, why Olivia?"

"Peter…you must understand, she is the only real Cortexiphan success. The only one to achieve every possible outcome ever put to her, she's blown past the expectations Walter and I had. Defying death, bringing a man back from nothing…she brought you back from death and as a man, which tells me she's capable of anything. I guess, in truth, there is a manner of her death that is justifiable. The idea that she could pass on this infinite capability to children…that is a danger the world could not handle. Walter and I always predicted that if the children reproduced…the second generation would be even more in tune with their abilities and much more dangerous. It is a pity however, any children you and Olivia produced together in my new world would have allowed for generations of gifted individuals."

"So a second generation is too deadly to have but a first…one that destroys the world is okay?"

"The second would have destroyed the world…it would have been unstable. In reality Peter, the universes would not have been able to cope with the reproduction between you and Olivia due to your separate molecular structure as each universe is tuned to a different frequency. The new world would have been the only place you could have had children that survived…because it's creation was of two universes."

Peter stood up and walked over to the window, pressing a code into the keypad. "Bring her in Liv."

"You sure?" The voice asked hesitantly and Peter merely nodded.

Turning he saw Bell staring at him, "Agent Dunham and you have gotten very close it seems…trading one Olivia Dunham for another is hardly a way to cope Peter."

"Been there, done that…not happening again. She's a friend, no more…"

The door opened and Peter walked over to it, stooping down as Etta entered the room. Liv nodded to the guard and he exited, she closed the door and stood by it. Her hand on her gun as she did so, Etta stared at Bell. "It's okay Squirt, I'm here and he's not going to do anything to you or your dad."

"He won't…every attempt he would make leads to his death." She looked back at Peter, "I know what you want Daddy…I can do it."

Peter nodded, "I knew you would Princess…" he stood up and walked behind her as she walked to the table and sat down in Peter's chair. "William Bell, Etta Bishop."

"This charade has long ago ended Peter, you would endanger and innocent girl to get answers you know I will not give."

"You won't speak so we'll just have to let actions speak for themselves…besides, Etta is safe with or without us."

Etta looked at Bell, "you hurt my Mommy…making her destroy my homes. Mr. Bell, you have never succeeded in any timeline but in one timeline you messed things up so bad people came to correct and take over our world. I was born in that world…lived in it and lost my whole family because of you. This time, our friend saved me…let me live so I could stop the bad people who would come. I did save them and you were stopped too. Tell me your secrets or I will look myself."

"You think you can read my mind little one…am I to guess you are Olivia Dunham's daughter as well."

"From a future that will never be, yes I am." Etta sat back and sighed, "my brother took my place and will soon come to be while I reside outside my right timeframe." Shaking her head she looked at Peter, "I have to do it Daddy…since he won't tell us anything."

"Read my mind all you want little one, you'll find nothing."

She looked back at him, "I won't read your mind…" Etta leaned forward towards him but not too close. "I'm going to read your time ribbon and see every moment of time in your life. My ability is temporal manipulation…I can see and move through time as if it is water. I only have to look at a person to see their entire life and I have just seen yours since I first looked at you." She got off the chair and went to Peter, "I'm done Daddy…"

After Etta left with Liv, Peter sat down in front of Bell. "I must say Peter…you play a nice game but the girl can't read time any more than you or I could change it."

"Give it two minutes," his tablet beeped and he smiled. "Let's start with your childhood, the night it changed. Or perhaps the time you lost your daughter Elizabeth, or about the moment you realized that your lymphoma wasn't going to get any better so you decided that leaving those in pain was better off than you suffering." He looked up to see Bell staring at him, "did I miss something?"

"The child can read time…memories of a life. Your next one will not be so fortunate, the power the girl holds cannot be repeated. If Olivia is alive, the child will not live…it won't be able to."

His name being called brought Peter back to the present, he found Kyser sitting down across from them. "We've managed to deliver your son but unfortunately the nanites attached the umbilical cord before we could deliver…"

Peter shook his head, "please…"

"I'm sorry, now when Olivia regains consciousness I can have him brought to you so you can see him or you can see him now if you want. Peter I am sorry, whoever did this committed murder and they will pay, we will find them. Nina has already issued a lockdown to find the individual and we are printing everything in Olivia's room."

Etta tugged on Peter's arm, "Daddy…see Brother now."

Peter looked at his little girl, "Doc if you could give me a moment to explain to Etta about her brother, we'll go with you to see him."

"Sure thing, I'll be right here." He got up and left, standing by the doorway.

Turning to his daughter, Peter looked at her. "Etta…Finn died inside Mommy before the doctors could help him."

"I know," she smiled, "but it'll be okay Daddy…I promise. Can we go see him now?"

He knew she understood the words but not the implications and it broke Peter that his daughter was expecting a baby brother who lived and breathed. She'd only get disappointment upon seeing him, Etta would unfortunately have to learn the hard way.

The trip to the small room where Finn laid at was hard on Peter; every step signified a step towards his dead son. He hadn't lived as Henry in the other timeline and he wasn't living as Finley in the current one, it made him realize that his son really wasn't meant to be. Getting to the room, Peter walked over after Etta rushed over. The baby was beautiful, perfect and Peter only wished he'd cry…cry and tell his father he was there before him wanting to be held.

"Hi Brother…I'm Etta, your sister." She looked at Kyser, "can I hold him please?"

Kyser looked at Peter, who nodded knowing it was all the time Etta would get with Finn. The little girl sat down and Kyser put the baby in her arms, helping her to hold him. "Careful…"

"I have him," she spoke quietly to the baby boy. "I look at you and see so much but you're still instead…Brother you have to wake up."

Peter bent down beside Etta, "Princess, Finn isn't asleep…he's not going to wake up."

"Yes he will Daddy," she smiled and bent down, kissing the baby's head. "Wake up Finn, it's time to see Mommy and Daddy."

Peter watched in amazement as did Kyser as the baby's tiny chest began to rise and fall, seconds later a wail was let go. The baby's eyes opened and Peter found a soft blue, looking back at Etta she smiled. "Did you do that Etta?"

"Do what, I just told Finn he had to wake up?" She held out her arms and Peter took the crying baby, holding him close. Kyser was calling nurses to get exam equipment ready to review the baby.

The baby cried and Peter held him, kissing his head. "I'm here Finn, I'm here and this time I'm always going to be there for you."

"He's special Daddy," Etta stood up, "he feels what you feel…you have to be happy for him to be happy."

Calming himself, Peter thought of Olivia and Etta…how happy they made him. Finn began to calm and nestled into his father's arms, content once again. Peter smiled at the baby, he was perfect and Etta had helped keep her brother alive. Once again he was faced with a miracle he would never comprehend; his daughter had saved his son…for a second time. She truly deserved the name Henrietta because she had saved the little boy that had once been Henry twice over.

After Olivia was awake, they went in and she immediately took Finn in her arms without a word. Peter put Etta on the bed and watched as Olivia kissed their son's head. "Hello Finn, I'm your mom."

"He likes you a lot Mommy, he feels what you feel."

Peter met her eyes, "he's an empath like Nick…except normal, he feels what others feel. Cried till I thought happy things then settled."

"Here we thought you wouldn't be born special," Olivia smiled and took his hand. "He's perfect Peter…just perfect."

"Yeah he is, two perfect kids…two special kids too." He smiled at Etta, "I'm guessing you want a sister next huh?"

Olivia chuckled, "no more…I'm sorry Etta but Mommy isn't having any more babies so there won't be any more brothers or sisters. I hope you're okay with Finn…"

"I'll have Tyler too one day," Etta smiled. "two brothers is more than enough." She said it so dramatically that Peter chuckled.

"Who is Tyler?" Olivia was curious about who she was speaking about.

Etta shrugged, "Aunt Liv and Uncle Lincoln's son…he's cool I guess, but too crazy like original Uncle Linc or so Aunt Liv will say."

"So they have a kid too…well I guess that means you won't be the only kid around huh?"

"I'm fine being alone but I like you and Daddy better, Finn too." She shrugged, "and I met Simon today, at least in this timeline and he goes to Harvard. I like he's close by…I can talk to him more, but not about the future or other future."

Olivia chuckled as Peter rolled his eyes, "too much for you knowing your son-in-law is just a few buildings over or is it the thought of your little girl's infatuation already with a guy three times her age currently."

"Don't even start! The fact that the kid is something like fifteen years older than her doesn't sit well with me."

"Actually he's eighteen years older than me." Etta smiled and Peter groaned, Olivia chuckled and looked at her son…enthralled at how much he resembled his father.

A/N: I honestly don't know how many more chapters this will be, I have so many ideas. I want to hear what you all want...what should I do next?

Please, please review...