And onto Chapter 3 Everyone!
The Road To Hell
Olivia had not spoken to him since the shooting. And for good reason too, as he hadn't given her any of the answers she wanted. In fact, he didn't give her any answers at all. But now, after three days of near silence, he could literally feel the cold bitter grasp of guilt grasping his heart and squeezing. Each time he got a glance of her, he would feel it grabbing at his heart tighter, squeezing at him in a mocking manner. His heart was seizing up and his mind was beginning to feel the weight of his conscience hitting him. What made it worse was that since the shooting, the nightmares mysteriously vanished. Although he should be glad, this unsettled him worse than before, and now he dare to attempt to sleep, because the plaguing feeling of complete emptiness would take him over, and he would rather be subjected to nightmares than to this unbearable emptiness.
This unbearable emptiness he brought upon him self, he thought darkly as he dressed. The morning sun was not yet breaking through the sky, but he could see that the day was gloomy. He didn't bother to look in the mirror because he knew what a sight he was. The nightmares had given him a glimpse of his face now, unshaven, gruff and tired. He could barely stand to stare himself in his eyes anymore. He cursed his reflection more than once, and on several occasions, broken the damn mirror at home. He wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He was Peter Bishop, con man extraordniare, he never felt this fear in him, never felt the fear that he did yesterday, or the instinct that took over him. Why had he thought he had to ensure Olivia's safety? Where did the sudden feeling that he needed to make sure she was all right come from? Grumbling to himself, he pulled on a dark jacket and headed out, Olivia invaded his thoughts.
This morning he looked for her in their café, but she was not there. The rain drizzled down into the streets making the mood gloomy and dull, and Peter was feeling the full extent of it. He pulled out a stool and took a seat at the booth, looking down at his folded hands. Maybe she was running late, maybe she had left, or maybe, just maybe she didn't care. An involuntary shudder ran down his spine as the waitress placed a mug of coffee in front of him. Peter grunted unceremonously at the woman before drinking in a sip deeply. It was then, he heard the bell ding and turned around, locking eyes with the blonde that refused to speak with him. She took her seat next to him.
"Coffee, please," she said with a smile. The waitress nodded and headed off to get it. Peter stole a sideways glance at Olivia only to discover a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. Was that sadness? Guilt washed over him again.
No words were spoken. He wanted to say something, he really did, but what was there to say to her? He hadn't the slightest clue. He didn't have to wait very long or have much time to think because she looked at him, then away, then back.
"All right," she said with a heavy sigh, turning her back on him. She looked out the window at the street outside with the drizzling rain on it.
"If you're not going to tell me who that was, then I guess I'll just arrest you."
"Why? What for?" he asked shocked she played the I-can-arrest-you card with him.
"For endangering a federal agent," she answered smugly. She whipped around and harshly whispered in his ear, "Listen I know you're in trouble here and I can guarantee its' not going to go away anytime soon, so tell me what happened."
"I owe a guy some money," he answered, not looking at her. He was being completely shallow in his response to her. For some strange reason, he did not want her to know, maybe because he didn't want her in his mess. After all, this was his problem not hers, and he didn't want the FBI sticking their nose in his business anymore than they already did.
"A guy? Money?" she asked, looking at him.
"That's what I said, yes," Peter spoke cynically. Olivia looked at him.
"I need answers Peter," she said, staring him in the eyes, "I was shot at."
"No, they wanted me, they wanted me dead, not you, All right?" he hissed at her, his eyes growing darker, "I owe a guy a lot of money all right?"
"Fine," answered, ending the conversation. The challenge still hung in her eyes and he looked away angrily, angry at himself, before staring into the depths of his coffee. He wanted very much to say something, but he kept his mouth shut, he didn't need to be dragging Olivia into this at all.
"Peter?" she called. He snapped his head up to look at her. She was standing and waiting from him by the door, "We have to go."
Peter staggered to his feet, like he had been drinking- yet he hadn't one sip of alcohol. Olivia held open the door for him and he looked around outside, his suspicions had yet to die down.
"Be careful, Liv," he muttered out of concern. Actually it felt more right to mutter that then anything else. Olivia looked at him before entering the car and driving out to the road. Peter watched her manuver the road the best she could, but his mind kept replaying the car accident, and how it had effected her driving for a while. He was frightened for her and for Walter, but never scared for himself. That was Peter he was the strong, brooding one. A dark chuckle escaped his mouth, but before Olivia could ask what was so amusing, he posed his own question to her.
"So do we have any new information about our freaky hiker friends?" he asked.
"So, Astrid told me that Sherri was actually a sismetologist, that she was working on a project called Hole. Astrid's trying to see what's left on her computer of the project, but someone had trashed her place when we got there. I'm thinking that having them stumble upon this hole couldn't have been an accident."
"You're saying they went looking for it?" Peter said, watching the road in his solemn mood.
"That's what I'm thinking, or maybe they created it."
"It would take a lot of time to create a portal like that, Livia," Peter said in a doubtful tone.
"I know, but Walter had a theory," she spoke, turning down the dirt road.
"Does he?" Peter said with a cynical tone.
"Yes," Olivia answered flatly, again ignoring his cynical words, "He says that he knows of a device that could rip open our time fabric and expose another time fabric."
"Like the one he built?" Peter scoffed.
"Like it," Olivia answered, "But different. It doesn't travel between worlds, it travels between dimensions."
"Imagine that," Peter muttered darkly.
"The only problem with it, is that Walter thinks it might have fallen into the pit when it was opened."
"Well that's a lot of help," he said, climbing out of the now parked car, "How do we get it back?"
"Walter doesn't know."
"Well, here's an idea," Peter said, looking down into the hole, "Has anyone even tried to jump in it?"
"That's insane," Olivia said, shocked, "We don't know where it goes, or what it does, or how to get out."
"Well, the same way those hikers or scientists got out," Peter said, nudging a rock in, "We need to find the machine."
"And what if it doesn't let us out Peter? What if we're trapped?"
"Well, that's a chance we'll have to take," he said, looking into the hole. Olivia shook her head.
"I can't let you do that Peter," she said sternly, "It's too dangerous."
"What about the creatures on the other side, Liv," he argued, "What if they find the device? What happens then? What if they get loose in our world?"
"Peter, I can't," she said with defeat.
"Yes, you can, Olivia, I'll go by myself if you want," he urged, looking around the forest, "Or you can send me down with one of them."
"No, Peter," she argued again, "I won't let you go. I can't."
"It's the only way!" he practically shouted. Olivia shook her head.
"Peter," she said, "Calm down, your not yourself today-"
"That's because you nearly got killed Olivia! And it's all my fault!"
The words blurted from his lips before he could even register their meaning. Her face went from shock to confusion to realization to deep thought as he watched her face. Her emotions, so carefully calculated, flashed quickly through her eyes as she thought of him. He mentally kicked himself for blurting out what he said.
"Look, Livia, I-"
"You what Peter?" she asked dangerously, "You're sorry."
"No, Olivia," he hissed, "I'm not sorry, I wanted to say that that's what's wrong with me, I understand your anger, but we need to get past that. It will all come in time, it will. But right now, we need to focus on getting the object back."
"I still can't let you go through," she whispered calmly, "It's too risky."
"Hey, Babe, we're in the fringe division, everything is risky."
Peter had enough of the waiting. He was frankly sick of it. Olivia had been on the phone for nearly and hour, asking Walter every question she could possibly think of, trying to find every reason not to go in. But when he told exactly what she wanted to hear, her eyes would sparkle with the prospect of adventure, and Peter knew that she secretly wanted to do this, and with more words from Walter in her ears, he saw that it was set in cement, she was determined to go through the hole. Peter smiled to himself just a bit, hoping that for a moment she would forget about what they had fought about. Peter scanned the area, noting the scarcity of the agents, and what few appeared bored to his eye. In his mind, Peter began to plan, a plot that formed in his mind that he would enter without her, she had all ready been in enough danger thanks to him
Her phone clicked off about an hour later, her eyes gleaming with excitement that she quickly concealed from Peter, the all-knowing man standing near her. Peter's attention however, was not focused on her, but rather the supply tent that lay in wait behind her. Finally, once he turned his eyes on her face, she smiled at him and he returned it.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning," she said, her eyes confirming that. Peter, however, unsure if he was even going to live till tomorrow groan and tugged at his hair.
"We can go now," Peter urged, shoving into the tent.
"Peter, what are you doing?" Olivia asked, following him into the FBI pitched tent.
"I'm getting things I'll need," he said, stuffing a bag full of random items.
"You are not going in there," she answered him, trying to stop him.
"No, Olivia, I am, those people are dead, and I want to know why!"
"It's not safe!"
"Babe," he chuckled darkly, stroking her cheek with his hand, "Nothing we do is safe."
"Peter stop!" she shouted, watching in horror as he headed straight for the hole. Peter didn't hear her though, without a second glance between them, Peter stepped over the ledge of the hole, disappearing from Olivia's sight.
"Peter!"
With lightning speed she didn't know she had she ran towards the hole, not thinking twice about what she was about to do. Without a second glance, Olivia went in after him. After all,
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
And this is the orginal scene that played out in my mind when i had begun musing this story. I think it fits well. But please tell me what you think!
Reviews are always a welcomed bonus!
