A/N: Hello again my fellow readers, here is the next chapter for your enjoyment :D Thanks go to Uroboros75 for the beta work :)

Chapter Eleven: Aid

"What concerns me is the fact that this isn't the first time we've had a doppelganger from the Other Side pose as someone from Over Here," Nina Sharp said as she led Peter, Walter and Astrid through a lean, white hallway in Massive Dynamic. "As I recall, Agent Francis also fell victim to such events," she added.

"Charlie was killed by a shape shifter who took over his persona," Peter said. "This woman literally is Olivia, just from the Other Side."

Nina spared a brief glance towards Peter as she walked. "It's a bit disconcerting, isn't it? Knowing that someone can get under our skins that easily." A door swished open in front of them as the white planes and sharp angles of Nina's office gleamed into existence.

Nina strolled behind her desk and sat down before motioning for the others to take a seat.

"I for one," she continued, "find it highly disconcerting that there are other versions of ourselves - including myself, in all likelihood - that could impersonate us so easily and almost get away with it."

"Almost?" Astrid piped in.

Nina folded her hands in front of her. "When Olivia -her alternate, that is- was here, she seemed rather aloof. She acted..." Nina paused, gathering her words. "...almost as if she had never seen me before."

"Perhaps that's a sign that there is no Nina Sharp on the other side," Peter said.

"Oh I think that's a bit pre-emptive, Peter," Walter chimed in. "The more likely scenario is that their Olivia simply hasn't met Nina on the Other Side."

Nina pressed her lips lightly against her gloved hands; Peter could tell that she was thinking pensively.

"So," she said. "In all likelihood, this means that our Olivia Dunham is trapped on the Other Side."

"There's no doubt about it at all," Peter said as he took a piece of paper from his coat pocket and set it on the table in front of Nina.

It showed the anagram, scrambled at first into its strange form and then decoded a little further down the page. Nina furrowed her brow, and Peter knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice having lost a good margin of its intensity.

"We found pieced it together at the crime scenes of pyrokinesis victims. The letters were burned into pieces of paper."

She turned the page slightly, scrutinizing the letters further. "Do we know who is responsible for this?"

"No," Peter and Astrid said.

Walter however, said a quiet "Yes."

Three heads turned to him, the spotlight shining brightly on him. Peter felt his jaw drop, a severe amount of shock pulsing through his veins. He couldn't understand how Walter knew, and more importantly why he didn't tell them.

"Walter," he said, "what are you talking about?

The man sighed and shook his head; Peter could see a slight tremble in his lower lip.

"Walter," he said again, this time more gently. "What happened?"

Walter swallowed and took a breath. Peter thought that he could see a tear twinkling in his one eye.

"I went out for a milkshake, and on my way back from the bistro... I encountered the Observer."

There was a pregnant silence in the room that quickly settled like lead on all their shoulders until Astrid snapped the silence.

"Walter," she said as she stepped over to him, her hands falling gently on his shoulders. "What did the Observer say to you?"

Walter's face was flushed slightly; Peter could tell that he was upset, but wasn't sure what about.

"He told me that the letters were important," he said with a sniffle. "But... I learned something else, and it was mostly out of my own curiosity."

"What Walter?" Nina pressed. "What did you learn?"

Walter took a sharp breath and closed his eyes, the wrinkles on his face deepening momentarily before he spoke again. "The Observer is the pyrokinetic."

Another pause filled the room, thick and dark like shadow.

"How is that possible?" Astrid asked.

"How is not the most difficult question, Agent Farnsworth," Nina said. "The Observers do not view time as we do. In all likelihood they could have ventured to a time where such an ability is prominent among humans." She looked back at Walter. "A better question would be why."

Walter's face was solemn and his calm tone verged on the edge of taunting; Peter wanted nothing more than to embrace him in a kind hug.

"He said that he saw that it would happen, and that because of that he could not avoid it."

Peter crossed his arms. "Then he must have known about Olivia." He felt a few more pieces tumble onto the picture in his mind, and after a few more fell in a deep chill ran through his blood. He resisted the urge to shiver. "Which means that he knew that our Olivia was going to be replaced with theirs."

"It would seem so," Nina said.

"Why didn't you tell us, Walter?" asked Peter.

The man shook his head gently; his shoulders quivered and his eyes were shaded a ghostly red. His lips curved downward as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Because," he said. "I didn't remember. After you showed me the anagram I forgot my encounter with the Observer completely."

A gentle sob tumbled from him, and Astrid placed her hands more firmly on his shoulders.

"Shh... Walter," she said softly. "It's okay. What else did the Observer say?"

Walter swallowed thickly before looking to Peter.

"Son," he said. "I'm sorry."

Peter nodded lightly. The blurry mural of Walter's guilt was sharply evident, blinking in a harsh red against a soft blue backdrop.

"I know, Walter," he responded.

"Peter," Walter continued. "Olivia said that it was an Observer who gave her the drawing of you in the machine before she crossed over. The Observers could simply be orchestrating this entire charade so that you end up in that machine!"

"It's a risk that we have to take," Nina said, cutting in before Peter could answer. "If Agent Dunham is trapped on the Other Side, then it is imperative that we get her back."

"Of course it is! Don't you think that I know that, Nina?" Walter said, a thick, gritty steel in his voice. "But it is also imperative that we do not give Walternate the means to destroy our universe. If he has Peter, then he will have control over every one of us."

Peter stroked his chin lightly. Something heavy and dark had settled on his chest, and it pressed down on him, coiling his muscles into thick knots.

There was still only one option that he could see.

"Walter, I have to cross over."

Walter scoffed lightly. "Well that much is evident. But how exactly do you intend on doing so, Peter? My door is destroyed and we have no Cortexiphan children to open a door for us."

"There is another way," Nina said.

Peter looked at her, and she appeared slightly flustered, unsure of herself. She took a breath and continued, her eyes trained on Peter.

"When you returned from the Other Side, you mentioned that you returned over here with the use of a particle accelerator. Based on your descriptions, Massive Dynamic has been working on a prototype for the last two months and we just recently began testing."

Peter felt something inside him spark and fill him with warm hope, spreading over his body like melted butter.

"How soon can it be ready?"

Nina made a sound of frustration. "Peter, this device is merely a prototype, perhaps in a few weeks..."

"Olivia doesn't have weeks!" he retorted swiftly. The calming ambiance that had washed over him only moments before was gone, replaced by a steaming hot anger that was fueled by his impatience. He paused for a moment and realized that his breath was pouring from his body in thick waves, heavy with anger. He relaxed, a few the knots in his shoulders melting as he ran a hand over his chin; the stubble bristled against his palm.

He sighed, "We don't know how much time Olivia has. We need to cross over now."

Nina's shoulders fell slightly as Peter looked over to Astrid, whose big eyes were wide with concern as her one arm was wrapped around Walter's shoulders. What a broken little family.

"Peter," Nina said. "Come with me. Astrid and Walter as well."

She walked to a door outlined against a white wall in the office, beneath a particularly sharp portion of architecture. Peter imagined a set of twin talons reaching for him, preparing to sink its jet-black claws into his shoulders.

The lab was similar to the rest of Massive Dynamic in one particularly uncanny characteristic: it was stark white. Aside from the occasional splash of silver or black lacing a piece of equipment, the lab was bathed in white. It made Peter think of a morgue.

"Peter," Nina interjected. "I'm sure you remember our lead scientist Brandon Fayette." She motioned to the young man with a shag of brown hair peering into a microscope. He looked up and Peter nodded to him.

"How are the tests progressing, Brandon?" Nina asked.

He pursed his lips before answering. "Well, we've tested the various particles for any signs of significant stress or damage after being under the influence of the particle accelerator, and so far the results have been promising."

"Good," Nina answered. "I'm afraid that we're going to have to cut the tests short, as Peter has need of it."

Brandon raised an eyebrow and quirked his lips to the left significantly. "Why?"

Peter didn't spare him any of it. "Agent Dunham is trapped in the other universe."

He had never seen eyebrows rise quite that high before.

"So then, the Agent Dunham who was here today requesting those files..."

"Was her alternate," Peter answered.

Brandon opened his mouth. "Huh," he said with a huff.

"When can the device be ready?" Walter asked.

Brandon looked to the accelerator and then back to the trio. "Anytime, really. I just can't guarantee its reliability."

"It's a chance we have to take," Peter said. "Do you have any idea of a crossover point or time that we could use?"

He held up a finger. "Yes, actually. After the incident a few months ago where the two universes merged momentarily, we've been monitoring the frequencies of both universes."

He strolled over to a desk and sat down, his fingers moving quickly over the keyboard as a slight glow shone on his face. There was a momentary pause before he said anything.

"Hmm," he said, eyes still glued to the screen.

"Hmm what?" asked Peter.

Brandon looked to him and then back to the screen. "Oh, nothing. It's just strange."

"What is?" asked Astrid.

"The frequencies are projected to match later today... at 3:14 PM. Pretty neat coincidence if you ask me."

"Are there any optimal cross over points?" Peter asked.

Brandon clicked a few more keys on the keyboard. Peter had to resist the urge to walk over and stand over his shoulder. When he leaned back in his chair slightly Peter became concerned.

"The location that I'm getting is... Reiden Lake."

"That's not possible," Walter protested. "Reiden Lake is the focal point for these incidents, the fabric of the universe is highly permeable and delicate there."

"Probably why that location turned up then," Brandon said. "It's easy to break through there."

Space isn't the only thing that's broken there, Peter thought distantly.

"Then Reiden Lake it is," Nina said as she looked to the others. "I'll have the accelerator transported over to Walter's lab."

Peter nodded at her. "Thank you Nina."

He turned to follow Walter and Astrid out, only to hear Walter off on another tangent about some food that was associated with one of his faded memories.

"We're about to cross over to another universe. Of course this is a time for lemon-meringue pie!"

Peter smirked. Only Walter could crave pie at ten AM.

Thoughts? Theories? Leave me a review and let me know :D