Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe.

Author's note: A couple of people asked for a epilogue, so here it is. It's quite short, relatively speaking, but ties up loose ends quite nicely. This is definitely the end for this story though. Thanks for everyone who've been reading, reviewing and adding story alerts!

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"Ooh look, the turkey is ready! This is my favourite part!"

Peter and Olivia shared a smile at Walter's exclamation. He remained endearingly enthusiastic, despite this being the eighth aspect of Christmas Day that he had declared as his favourite so far. Walter was sitting at the end of the table, wearing a blue paper crown on his head and a garland of silver tinsel around his neck. His eyes were shining as a smiling Astrid set the turkey at the centre of the table and took her place next to him.

"Grace! Please can I say the grace?" Walter asked and launched straight into it without waiting for an answer. "Dear God of any denomination who happens to be listening, assuming of course that it is a deity that has developed hearing as one its senses and that it takes interest in what I may or may not be saying. Thank you for this lovely turkey that Astragalus has cooked for us. I really don't know where we would be without Agent Farnsworth, especially now that my son spends all his time in the bedroom with his beloved wife." This caused Peter to choke and protest loudly. "Thank you for bringing Agent Dunham back to us, although she's not really Agent Dunham anymore. Thank you for my beautiful grandchild, who has fortunately inherited her father's intellect, but none of his looks." Peter protested even louder this time. "Thank you for this time we can spend as a family and for all the happiness that this autumn has brought to us. Oh, and please could you bring Gene a bag of liquorice as a Christmas present?"

"Walter, Santa brings presents, not God," Peter pointed out once he decided that his father had probably finished his highly unorthodox grace.

"Don't be silly, Peter, everyone knows that presents can't be delivered by a fictional character." Walter countered as his best lecturing tone.

"Is he referring to Santa or God?" Olivia asked Peter quietly, causing him to chuckle and he forgot to argue back. Peter looked at Olivia for a moment, his love evident in his eyes, and then kissed her gently.

"See, there they go again!" Walter complained to Astrid, but there was warmth in his tone.

Astrid shook her head at the Bishops and distracted Walter by starting to carve the turkey. By the time Peter and Olivia separated again, plates and steaming dishes of food were being passed around. Rachel caught her slightly flushed sister's eye across the table and winked, causing Olivia to blush properly. Ella grinned at her aunt and Peter across the table. Peter checked that the food on Skye's place was cool enough for the toddler and then encouraged her to start eating on her own, which she had mastered very well in the recent months. Olivia looked at the smiling faces of her family gathered around her and felt a tear roll down her cheek. Peter, who was as perceptive around her as ever, noticed this and lay his hand on her arm.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" He asked quietly.

"Everything is perfect," Olivia replied and her radiant smile was enough to make Peter's heart skip a beat.

Olivia was right, everything was perfect. Peter had called Walter three days after arriving at the Olive Branch Ranch and told his father not just the good news of finding Olivia, but that he had a daughter. Walter had taken advantage of Massive Dynamic's resources and hijacked a private jet to fly himself and Astrid to Montana straight away. One of the company's helicopters landing on an unoccupied paddock had caused quite a stir on the ranch, not to mention the world's most powerful corporation's sole owner barging out and greeting Olivia like she was his long lost daughter. Olivia's true identity had not stayed secret long among the ranch's employees, although fortunately they thought that Walter's mutterings about shape shifters and alternate realities were simply ramblings of a slightly insane scientist.

As Peter had predicted, Walter was overjoyed to learn about Skye, and him and his granddaughter became friends instantly. Peter had also been right about Walter refusing to leave them alone once Olivia had been found. He had immediately transferred the whole science division that they worked in to Montana, taking over one of Massive Dynamic's local research facilities for the purpose. His enthusiasm had been curbed only when Olivia sternly threatened him with grievous bodily harm should he ever attempt to experiment with Skye, any of the ranch's animals or on the ranch's land. Thom, who happened to be nearby when the conversation took place, had looked rather shocked at some of the graphic details Olivia used to scare Walter into obedience. Much to Peter's surprise, his father had meekly given his agreement.

Gene had also been transferred to the ranch and seemed very content among her new equine friends. Spending time grazing outdoors was a great deal better than living in a bizarre basement laboratory. Skye had fallen in love with the cow straight away and helped Olivia brush and milk Gene every day. It was uncertain which the bovine liked better, the little girl or all the apples and carrots Skye surreptitiously fed to the animal.

Walter had temporarily moved into one of the cabins meant for the guests, while they built an extension for the farmhouse. When it was completed, it would be a self-contained flat, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. This provided Peter and Olivia with some privacy, while at the same time ensuring that they need not worry about Walter any more than usual. Astrid had found herself a small house in the nearest town, although she spent most of her free time at the ranch. She loved playing with Skye and Duke and was learning to ride. Thom was giving her lessons in the evenings and Peter and Olivia privately thought that there was something going on between the two.

Olivia and Peter had married only two months after Peter had arrived at the ranch. It was a sunny autumn day, the nature seemingly holding its breath during the beautiful ceremony. They were married on the ranch, with the horses watching the proceedings from the nearby paddocks. Olivia had worn a simple white dress and she had looked radiant with Skye by her side as a flower girl. Walter had beamed as Peter's best man, demanding to adjust Peter's bowtie at least five times more than was strictly speaking necessary. Rachel and Ella were also there, Rachel weeping openly at her sister's happiness. Their reunion had been tearful, but as Olivia had suspected, both her sister and niece were delighted to find out about and meet Skye. Ella in particular had taken to her young cousin, which made both Rachel and Olivia smile with pride.

As an icing on the wedding cake, a week after she became Olivia Bishop, Olivia had woken Peter up early one morning and told him that she was pregnant.

Olivia was roused from her fond memories when a large slice of chocolate pudding was placed in front of her. She smiled at Peter but then her attention was caught by Walter turning to address Skye.

"Now listen carefully, my dear. If I say number three, you say?" He looked at his granddaughter expectantly.

"Lithium!" Skye exclaimed and was rewarded with a sharp click. Walter handed her a yellow Smartie, which she ate grinning.

"Lets try another one. I say number nineteen and you say?"

"Potassium!" Skye did not hesitate in her answer and again received a click and a sweet from Walter.

"You really are such a clever little girl!" Walter smiled proudly, while Peter frowned at him.

"Walter, are you using clicker training to teach our daughter the periodic table?" He asked with a great deal of suspicion.

"Yes, and it's working!" Walter seemed inordinately pleased with himself.

"Skye is not a dog!" Peter protested.

"Well of course she's not, she is bipedal after all, but the principles of dog training apply just as appositely to young children. In fact, I wrote a paper on that some time ago, but the pedagogic journal I sent it to never published it for some reason…" Walter's words faded away to mumbling and then he got distracted by the dessert and forgot all about their child rearing differences.

Olivia and Peter rolled their eyes and grinned at each other. While the clicker thing was rather weird, they were glad that Walter was taking such an active role in Skye's education and life, even if his methods were a little unusual at times. Olivia was about to give the chocolate pudding before her the attention it deserved when she felt something flutter inside her and she placed her hand against the swell of her stomach. Peter noticed this and laid his own hand next to Olivia's.

"Everything okay with Charlie?" He asked, watching his wife with a mixture of love and concern.

"Everything is fine, I think he just woke up." She smiled at Peter worrying. Unlike her, he had never done this before and in any case, he was prone to worrying about anything relating to her or the pregnancy. When she had said they were having a boy, a confident statement later confirmed by the ultrasound, there was never any question about what they would name their son. They could hardly wait to meet Charlie Walter Bishop, although there were still some months to go before the baby was due.

In the farmhouse, Christmas celebrations continued until late in the night and the house was filled with laughter and happy voices. Outside, large fluffy flakes of snow began to fall, coating the world in a layer of clean, pure snow. All was well at the Olive Branch Ranch.