Author's Note:Hello my friends, apologies galore for abandoning you for months! My new job had consumed practically every ounce of spare time I had, but alas with a free day I finally found some time to get another chapter done! I do hope it won't take me two months again! I'm hoping to update "Crossroads" soon as well, bear with me!

Reviews welcome from anyone still reading! I hope this was worth the wait!

Horizons

Over There

For the third time tonight Lincoln felt like he was falling. Foot after foot, second after second he found himself in a dark abyss and in a helpless nosedive that left him spiraling out of control, his fingers causing small streaks of clouds as he continued to plummet faster and faster. Wind shrieked past his ears, howling like a wolf as the wind nipped at his skin, the teeth of the atmosphere was enough to make his eyes tear in pain and sorrow. This wasn't the first dream Lincoln had had of this. He knew where he was falling towards. It was the same dream over and over, his mind stuck on an endless replay of the day before his world ended.

"Hey Linc," came the blurry voice of an angel. Opening his eyes Lincoln found himself once again rooted into the ground, his boots planted as the woman before him materialized. As always, he found himself standing in her apartment. It was dim, but unusually bright. Quickly he scanned the room for the location of the voice. Footsteps echoed near the two closed doors of her bedroom. He knew what would happen next and deep inside his heart smiled. It was always her smell he'd sense first; a rustic, yet immensely feminine perfume Olivia wore always made his mouth water. Next it was her eyes; those wide green orbs would cut through the fog in his mind and look deep into his soul.

Lincoln felt his heart stop as once again, for the third time that night, Olivia appeared before him. "Hey," he'd whisper with a smile.

She grinned- that classic Olivia-grin. "Hey to you too. Where have you been?"

"I could as you the same thing, Liv," he would say, choking back. "What happened to you?"

"Is Henry safe?" Olivia would ask, always avoiding his questions. Lincoln gave no reply simply pressed his lips together and bowed his head. "Lincoln," she'd say, her head cocked slightly towards one side. Lincoln knew that look.

He nodded, "Yes, he's with your mother. We moved her into your office at Headquarters. He's got a ton of people watching out for him, and your mother. They're safe."

Olivia would always smile. "I knew I could trust you Lincoln," she'd whisper and kiss his cheek. "Thank you." Her question that came next would always break his heart, turn his brain into mush and his emotions liquefy in a cascade of tears. "What's wrong, Linc? I've never seen you cry."

He could feel his body shake, frozen despite the warmth of her apartment. Licking his try lips he brought his gaze back up to hers. "You," he whispered, quivers racking his voice in his throat. "I should have gone with you. I s-shou-"

Her warm hands cupped his pale cheeks. "Lincoln James Lee, you listen to me." She would be so close, so close where he could almost taste her. Slowly he'd raise his hands over hers, her cold fingers circling the stubble on his chin. "None of this, I repeat, none of this is your fault. I chose this fate. I chose it, and I left you behind because I know you're the one person who can protect Henry, protect my mother, and who can protect our universe." It was always at this part he'd begin to cry, sobs pouring like sour honey. "Lincoln, honey, listen to me," she said, bringing his face eye level with hers; his tear stricken, blood shot eyes connected with hers. "When Henry was born you made me a promise. No matter the cost you'd protect him, so please. Let me go, Lincoln. He needs you more than I do."

He swallowed hard, his throat running drier and drier. "I can't Liv," he whispered into her palms, his lips grazing her soft, tender skin, "I can't."

"Yes you can," she restated, her voice firmer. "You have to. For Charlie, for my mother, and for Henry. Let me go, Lincoln. You promised to take care of them. So promise me again, Linc, and never let go of that promise."

He held his breath as he felt his blood turn to ice. "I love you, Liv," he'd always whisper.

The ending was always the same. She'd smile and press a kiss towards his forehead, a soft chuckle echoed in his hears. Encasing his trembling body in her arms Olivia would never stop smiling as he felt her disappear, her voice drifting past his ears in three final, fatal words.

"Never let go…"

Jolting from his sleep Lincoln drew in a hot, sharp breath. Calming his raging heart he sat up and immediately hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees as he cried into the night. It wasn't enough to remember those last few minutes with her, the years of anguish and protectiveness he felt was despairing, a mission he had been secretly granted and he failed at. He promised to protect her and each night, each time he visited her again should have been a blessing. Instead it was a nightmare. The guilt, the despair he felt over losing her was enough to drive him insane. He'd awake each night wracked with sobs, the stress of the day unrolling like a waterfall.

He should have never let her go.

Pounding his fist into the sheets he threw his head back and stared into the dark corners of his room, another wave of guilty washed over him. His body shook, his lungs burned and his muscles ached. Whispering her name into the navy blue walls he ran his fingers through his hair and threw himself back into control. It wasn't until the pounding in his head stopped did he hear a baby cry off into the distance. At first it was hard to place; after a few moments of listening he knew where it was coming from instantly.

Slipping into his shorts and a t-shirt Lincoln stood stiffly and exited his bedroom-slash-office and made the short trek down the hallway, the crying grew louder. With a hand trailing on the wall he finally came to the door he knew Henry resided behind. Gently he twisted the handle to see the baby wriggling in his crib, his hands and feet wildly thrashing. Before Lincoln could process the information he picked up the small child and cradled him in his arms. Instantly Henry quieted, his tiny fingers wrapped around Lincoln's finger and brought it to his lips, closing his gums around it and began to suck.

"Did you have a bad dream too?" whispered Lincoln as he began to circle the room's perimeter. Henry cooed in his arms, happy to have a bit of human contact once again. "Me too. I dreamed of your mother, my Olivia. You're better off not remembering the day before she… disappeared. I was with her, and you, but you were asleep." Sitting down in a chair Lincoln swallowed, reached for a stored bottle and began to feed him. "She loved you very much, Henry, almost as much as I loved her."

For hours Lincoln sat in the baby's room and discussed with him the heavy burdens that reside in his heart: the sorrow he felt for his universe, the disgust he had for the Secretary's lack of initiative and his secrets, but just as present, his guilt for not being able to help Olivia. He could forgive himself only once, and yet a thousand more waves of pressing guilt would surface, crash over him and again Lincoln found himself drowning in self hatred.

Mourning was a vicious cycle, he knew. Each day the wheels kept turning, pedaled by the power of human emotion. Spokes driving directly into his thoughts, his confidence, and either came out clean or left behind scar tissue, irreparable damage that made him feel a little less strong. But each night after he awoke from his dream he'd hear Henry cry; each night he'd come in to feed him, to change his diaper, or simply hold him. It was a reminder that somewhere in the vast landscape of the human mind that perhaps some good was left, that perhaps, someday, Lincoln could forgive himself.

That day, Lincoln knew, was a long shot at best. He had a promise to keep; he kept reminding himself as he held Henry in his arms. He was going to be a father, Marilyn had told him last week. She wanted Lincoln to adopt Henry as his own and be a part of his family. He needed a solid father figure, Marilyn had told him, and Lincoln was just that. Know this, knowing he was going to be a father had brought a spark of… something into his spirit. It was in those single seconds Lincoln felt a dying emotion that made him believe he could let his emotions go, that he could be the savior Olivia believed him to be.

Invincibility. With that power alone, Lincoln knew, he could do almost anything.

Over Here

Brighton, MA
8:00pm

"Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both." smiled Olivia as Ella sat comfortably in the crook of her shoulder, her aunt's strong arms wrapped around her small body and locked securely by the book in her arms. Closing the object cover to cover Olivia glanced down at Ella's teary face. "I told you it was a good book, didn't I?"

Ella sniffed, wiping a small tear from her eyes, her glistening orbs shone in the dim light of Olivia's bedroom. "It was, but it was so sad. Why'd Charlotte have to die? It wasn't fair. She did all that for Wilbur and she had to die!"

"Charlotte did something noble for her friend. She made it her life's mission, her good deed, to help Wilbur," she replied, "And friends like that, one who would risk their life to save someone else, is someone who's truly rare and special in this world. Charlotte teaches that without selflessness, without sacrifice, there can be no good in this world."

Ella smiled brightly up towards Olivia. "Like you, Aunt Liv. You're like Charlotte. You help people."

Olivia couldn't help but laugh. "So then who's Wilbur?"

"Peter!" Ella exclaimed, "Because he likes bacon."

From across the room Peter glanced slowly towards where the small, innocent voice called his name and felt his heart warm for the small child in Olivia's arms. Rachel shook her head and folded the cards in her hands. "Big plans tonight, Pete?" Rachel asked at the hour long smirk on Peter's face as Olivia read to Ella. "I couldn't help but notice the amount of times you glanced at the clock and smiled." A red tint glowed on Peter's face. "Usually a man smiles like that for two reasons. One, there's some kind of sport on TV or he knows he's going to get laid. It's too early for football season and there isn't a baseball or hockey game on tonight so I'm going to guess the latter."

Peter chuckled. "Well, we were going to have a little evening to ourselves but your headstrong daughter got a hold of your sister before I could." Rachel offered an apologetic smile but Peter shook his head. "But this is okay, I don't mind it. It's adorable at how much Ella admires your sister."

"I think it's the other way around," nodded Rachel with a chuckle. "Since the day Ella was born, I've never seen Olivia smile more," she paused, "other than when you came into her life. You'll never guess what Ella wants to be."

He smirked, "I can only guess. After what you two went through with your stepfather, you guys deserve something to smile about.

"Liv told you about that," Rachel said, her voice dropping in volume. Peter nodded slowly. "She always got it worse than I did, for trying to stand up for us and for Mom. It was… terrifying." Glancing towards where Olivia reclined with Ella, Rachel sighed. "I had always feared that she'd have a mental breakdown or something as we got older, but after that night I always knew we'd be okay."

Reaching across the table Peter grabbed her hand and smiled. "I've always thought it's our past experiences that make us who we are, that shape and mold us into the people we were meant to be. Your sister, for one, is one of the most dedicated people I know, and after hearing what hell you two went through I'm proud to say I know her. She, and you, Rach, are perfect role models for Ella. Don't let that jerk off of an ex-husband let you think otherwise."

The patter of small feet flopping across the floor sounded off as Ella came galloping into the living room and jumped into Rachel's lap. "We finished the book!" Following suit behind her was Olivia, who chuckled lightly and rested her palms on Peter's shoulders. "It was a good book, sad, but a good book."

Rachel nodded. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed it. Pack everything up we're heading over to Susanne's house for the night."

Ella's eyes opened wide. "What? We're leaving? But it's only-"

"No buts, Ella Jay. You've spent every night with Aunt Liv and Peter, they need a night to themselves," she said, glancing at the sly smile on Olivia's face. Ella went to protest but Rachel cut her off. "Now." Grunting Ella stomped into the bedroom and gathered her stuffed monkey and their book.

As she walked angrily back towards the living room Peter scooped her up. "Just one night with your Aunt, and I promise tomorrow you can have her back."

"Promise?" she pouted and Peter nodded and squinted, earning a chuckle from her. Hoping off Peter's lap she grabbed her backpack and waited for Rachel to say her goodbyes at the door. After hugging Peter she squinted at him. "Tomorrow, Peter. If you're nice you can come too, we're going to the amusement park."

Peter grinned. "Well that depends on if we're dragging your Aunt onto a roller coaster again. I'm sorry to say I missed-" With Olivia's hand on the backside of his head she stopped and caught the embarrassing expression on her face as he chuckled. "I look forward to it, Ella." Kissing her good bye Ella and Rachel left quickly, the door closing behind them.

Wrapping his arms around Olivia's waist he pressed his lips against the corner of her neck. "I thought she'd never leave," he muttered against her skin, kissing her again. "Finally I get to have you to myself for the night."

"Oh stop, Peter, you know you enjoy having her here," she countered, his lips tracing the outline of her shoulder.

"I adore your niece. But I can't enjoy you with her here. Not in the R-rated sense at least."

Breaking his grip she parted and headed towards her closet to pull out a skirt and a shirt. "You've got a dirty mind, Peter Bishop, you know that?" she called from around the wall, making Peter smirk.

"I never hear you complain though."

"Is that all men really think about is sex?"

Leaning against her door frame Peter let himself indulge in the beautiful sight before him- a half dressed FBI Agent, unarmed for the first time in a few days which was a first by any standards. "No, right now I'm thinking about dinner. Then during dinner I'll be thinking about sex."

Running a brush through her hair she smirked at him in the mirror. "And during sex, what's going to be on your mind, if I may be brave enough to ask?"

Peter grinned as she applied a light layer of make-up. "Probably how the Sox are going to do in tomorrow night's game."

Rolling her eyes Olivia huffed. "Typical." Slipping into her shoes she grabbed her handbag and headed towards the door, hiding a small, amused smile that spread across her cheeks.

Over There

Liberty Island
Midnight

There was a reason why humans had evolved out of swinging from trees, Charlie decided. Monkeys made it look all too easy to scale the thick, rough branches and moves through the vines, their limbs defied the rules of gravity as they reached for threads and gave no second thought to the threats that lay hidden below. For Charlie and Lincoln, their ascent up the metal fence was far less graceful. Slowly, rung by rung they scaled the metal rings of a shaky fifteen foot chain link fence; each jolt of the loose links made Charlie curse his evolutionary ancestors for not gracing him with the ability to simply climb to reach his destination.

With every inch of his body he clung to the warm metal, his fingers and toes gripping desperately for whatever thin sheath he could find, chest panting and his muscles clenching as he as he slowly threw his legs over the top of the fence and fought to find his footing. Instead of grabbing his step he dropped towards the ground and landed on two feet, tripoding to catch his breath. Wiping a line of sweat from his forehead he watched as Lincoln did the same, toppling over the crooked fence and landed with a hard thud on the ground. "That was graceful," he commented as Lincoln stood and shot him a look.

"And the last time you visited a gym was when?" he replied, remarking at the quick, rapid breaths his partner drew in. "Come on, it has to be around here somewhere."

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder Charlie rolled his eyes and followed suit. "So the Secretary really gave you the go ahead to find a way to cross over? I can't believe he'd actually agree to something like that. I thought it was a far stretch in itself," he sighed, feeling his heart rate lower slightly, "I guess I was wrong."

In the black of night, Lincoln turned to Charlie and grinned. "I'll admit I was surprised when I got his letter giving the go ahead. I figure he's got a few different thought processes. Option A; we're going to find a way to cross over but not come back. Option B; we're going to find a way to cross over and come back with reinforcements."

Pushing past a fallen tree, Charlie spoke. "Option C?"

"We die trying to find a way. This place is a jungle gym from what Fayette said. I mean, this was the origin of the wave, God only knows whats left of this place. There were still people trapped inside when the statue collapsed-"

Charlie gagged as his skin crawled, suppressing the urge to suddenly vomit at the thought. "Alright, enough thought of carnage, if I walk into a body I'm puking in your lap." Silently they progressed towards the southern end of the island until they found the object they were looking for. Hidden behind a twisted metal gate sat a medium sized door, cracked and broken with rust and decay. Glancing at one another they both sighed. This was it.

There was no turning back.

It took both of them, a twisted crowbar and all the strength they could possibly muster to pry the mangled door to the base open. They pulled, twisted, and cursed at the rusted piece of wall in any attempt to pry it open. With one more heave and a loud snap! They flew backwards as it finally popped open enough for them to squeeze through. Turning on a flashlight Lincoln and Charlie squeezed past the debris and made a treacherous journey down the familiar hallway. All around them metal and wires clustered together like a mangled metal fence. Instead of red roses they found jagged petals of contorted beams, their roots twisted from the wall in metallic roots. An occasional curse could be heard muttered from either of them as they caught themselves on a metal sticker, bright blood oozed from the broken skin. What they hoped was going to be a walk in the park felt more like a run through a thorn bush.

Walking through the black hallways the only light they had to guide them was the flashlights they held onto. Blue-white lights that cut through the dark like lasers, slicing the invisible thicket down to a path where they could walk. Heat from the summer trapped within the buildings and made them sweat, their lungs heave with the thickness of the air. The stench was what got them next. It made their stomachs turn, and at least once either Lincoln or Charlie turned to vomit. It assaulted their noses and made their mouths sour. Lincoln knew they had animals somewhere in this building, but where was yet to be determined. They felt sticky and the walls moist with summer condensation. Neither wanted to admit but they were sure that beyond some of these closed doors a few trapped souls rested silently, unearthed and undisturbed for almost five weeks nor counting. In the staggering summer sun he could only imagine the horror show that sat a meager foot away, blocked by a wall of concrete- and a wall Lincoln was thankful for.

What should have taken them only a few minutes had ended up being an hour endeavor to pass through the treacherous playground that used to be one of the most famed locations in the world. Sweat mixed with silent tears to see the famed monument cut down to size, slaughtered and left to die in a pile of bloody rust and broken metal bones. Finally they reached the end of their journey and kicked down the half-broken door. Dust and mold few into the air as they coughed and gagged, covered in sweat, blood and whatever other substance was growing on the walls and floors. Falling to their knees they glanced at once another and shook their heads.

"Whoa," was the only word Charlie could muster as he looked upward at the gigantic shadow they found themselves in, a dormant creature that sat towering in a disturbing, peaceful slumber. "Is that… the machine Liv always talked about?"

Following his gaze Lincoln too was speechless at the sheer size of it. "I believe so."

Charlie's brows scrunched in sudden confusion as he glanced at the scattered chaos around him. "Call me crazy but it still looks-"

"Intact." Lincoln muttered in astonishment, his eyes widening. "How is that possible? Everything here was destroyed, torn bit by bit and yet this thing looks… untouched." He stood and began to walk towards the device, his mind reeling with impossibilities. This technology looked clean, unscathed and unbroken. It was impossible, Lincoln knew. Based on the destruction on the outside this should be in pieces and yet here it was, clear as day, standing tall and true. They separated and began to scour the room for any hints on what happened in this room, a mystery still.

"Lincoln!" Charlie hollered from across the room, which sent his partner into a sprint, jousting past broken desks and punctured computers. Standing with his back turned Charlie was silent as he held a white jumpsuit jacket that was stained a sinister reddish-brown. "Look," he whispered and held the lapels. Lincoln swallowed as tears came to his eyes. A single word was stitched into the fabric, the threads broken and torn, soaked with blood.

Dunham.

"She's alive," Lincoln whispered into the thick, hot air around them as he slowly grasped a sleeve Charlie and squeezed it tight, tears welling in his eyes. "She has to be." He held in a heavy breath, "We need to keep on looking for a way to cross over," his voice cracked, "C'mon."

Charlie gripped the jacket tightly and kept walking in any last attempt to hold into the third point of their team. His knuckles turned white against the fabric in any attempt to feel the foreign heart beat Lincoln still believed in. The longer this went on, the more Charlie was beginning to lose faith. But he saw the passion in Lincoln's eyes, a passion he wasn't willing to let go just yet. In silence they trekked onward again and moved to another hallway. Going into the stairwell they carefully made their way down four floors.

"You know this would be so much easier if those damned elevators worked," grumbled Charlie as he placed a careful foot on the mangled metal.

Lincoln laughed, "Sure and risk plummeting three floors into a fireball of-" Before he could finish the platform beneath them cracked and screamed, breaking into pieces and sent Lincoln and Charlie falling almost fifteen feet straight to the ground floor. Landing on a pile of scrap they cursed aloud and groaned.

"You were saying about plummeting?" Charlie snickered. Helping one another stand and assess their injuries Lincoln shot him a dirty look and stepped slowly through the door. "What's down here?"

"A lab, if I remember correctly. Olivia said they may have some sort of generator down here; it's where she crossed back over when she returned from the other side all those months ago. If it's where she crossed over maybe we can too."

His partner huffed. "Yea, and if I remember correctly they had those rod things jutted into her skin. They had to chime on both sides, Mr. Scientist," said Charlie as they climbed over a broken beam. "So there's one idea shot."

Lincoln glared at him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal."

Despite the circumstances Charlie smiled. Walking down the hallway, and one that wasn't too badly damaged for that matter, Lincoln turned into a wide room. Much like the room upstairs this one was also in shambles, however much to their surprise, somewhat intact. Walking into the corner Charlie pulled the cord for the electric generator. On the fifth attempt the engine hummed to life sending two computers and the tank against the west wall of the room. Most of the lights were broken and a few cracks graced the computer screen but it was something. Sitting down at the computer Lincoln brushed away a layer of dust and began typing away, thankful something was going right for a chance.

"We've got maybe ten minutes of power and after that it's lights out." Charlie began a careful walk around the room and came to a sealed metal cabinet. Prying it open he found a bag of red liquid, his eyes scrunching. "Linc take a look at this, I found it in the fridge." Walking over he handed Lincoln a bag as they both glanced at it in silence. "What the hell's Cortexiphan?"

"I've never heard of it, it must be something new." Lincoln muttered and took post at the computer once again and began a search. After a few minutes he spoke again, "Cortexiphan is a drug, it appears. It doesn't show up on any of the databa-" he paused, his eyes widening. "Wait. Charlie, I think you've found what we're looking for."

Charlie blinked. "What?"

Lincoln glanced over his shoulder, "We've found a way to cross over. It's all here in Fayette's files. It's an experimental drug from the other Olivia," he read, "Apparently they found it in her brain chemistry and it's what they believed that gave her the ability to cross over during those experiments. Get all the bags you can find and a few syringes, I've got an idea," Lincoln said quickly and stood, gathering the materials he needed into a bag. A low hum from the corner began to die down as the lights flickered. Without another word they left on hurried wings and began their journey back to the surface, leaving the room behind them in darkness.

A chill ran down Charlie's cut up arm as Lincoln injected another bag full of the drug into his shoulder, his teeth clenching together as Lincoln depressed the plunger. "So how long are we supposed to just sit here and let this stuff work?" Charlie asked as he rubbed the several needle sticks in his arm, as Lincoln injected the last of the bag into his partner. "This had better be work it cause that stuff hurts."

Lincoln shrugged, "According to Fayette's documents the drug worked on perception. So if you can dream a better world you can create it. They tried a few times with the other Olivia, but it didn't work. Not until they immersed her in a tank with water. It had something to do with sensory input, creating a womb-like atmosphere that enabled her to cross over. If all goes accordingly it should work," he glanced over the side of the base and into the rocking waters below, "We just need to clear our minds and think about the other side."

"Sounds more like a Jedi mind trick. So if this doesn't work then all that time was wasted," Charlie groaned.

"It's going to work, Charlie, have faith." Lincoln said as he drew up another few bags and injected himself with the red liquid. Once they were empty they both stood at the ledge and glanced down at the inky waters. "You ready for this?"

Grabbing Lincoln's jacket nervously Charlie nodded. "Just don't let go, Rose, and I'll be fine."

"Clear your mind, focus on the other side. Relax and it should work." Lincoln said as Charlie nodded. It didn't help that he hated the water. "Ready?" He could hear Charlie swallow. "On three… one… two… three!" Launching off the side the duo fell another thirty or so feet crashed into the icy waters, landing with a rough splash as they barely missing the rocks below. Surfacing once again they treaded and caught their breaths and let their hearts calm. With a nod to the other they dove below the surface and grabbed a hold of a broken buoy line.

Lincoln squeezed his eyes shut and let himself relax, the only sound in his ear was the beating of his heart and the soft rocking of the currents beneath him. Relax he told himself. Just… relax… In his mind he found himself calming as his heart rate slowed, and the face of a woman he loved began to mold into the chilly darkness around him. He couldn't help but smile.

That's when it happened- a sudden uneasiness began to settle over. Suddenly he felt himself falling, pulled with the current, faster and faster as he spun, sucked towards the dark bottom below. Panic arose as he began to thrash with the sudden urge for oxygen. His skin tingled and his lungs burned. He couldn't take it anymore. Launching upward towards the surface he kicked furiously until his head broke the surface and he inhaled deeply. Next to him Charlie did the same, gasping and flailing in the waters. Coughing and shaking they made their way back toward the rocks of Liberty Island. Charlie cursed loudly as he clung to the rocks and breathed deeply.

"You're insane, Lincoln!" Charlie called from his perch, numb hands grasping the slippery rocks, "The currents are too strong."

"I don't understand it should have worked," Lincoln muttered with wet lips and chattering teeth, "We did exactly as the directions said-"

Glancing upward towards a light Charlie's breathing ceased. "Lincoln,"

His fist pounded on the rocks angrily, "We should have stayed under longer, we were almost there I felt it-"

"Lincoln-"

"We failed, all that effort and we-"

"Lincoln!" Charlie hollered and pulled Lincoln's matted head upward at the sight before them, "The Statue of Liberty, she's…." Standing proud and tall before them, skin oxidized to a soft sea green stood the infamous Lady Liberty, intact and true.

Lincoln shut his mouth and turned around slowly, lost for words at the landscape before them. "I almost forgot," he whispered. Behind them, car horns and sirens sounded at a distance as they stared off into the luminous background before them. The Empire State building shone brightly, illuminated in a soft blue light against the skyline as their eyes searched for the World Trade Center, but their search was short-lived. Lincoln glanced at Charlie as they both eyed the skyline in sheer amazement. In large lettering to their right read five words that brought Charlie and Lincoln into utter silence.

Welcome to New York City…

Over Here

New York Harbor
05:30am

Sunrise.

Lincoln had almost forgotten what it looked like; the way the ocean and the peaking sun would melt together in brilliant pastels of blue, pink, orange and an occasional streak red. The clouds, he decided, were his favorite. Instead of floating cumulonimbus they looked more like wisps of pink tinted cotton, strung together on a weave and frozen in motion. Back on his side there were no more sunrises or sunsets- just dark, toxic clouds that corroded the skyline with chemicals and no promise of a better day. Sun was a rare occasion nowadays and any chance he had to witness the sacred beauty he would. A split second glimpse of that burning star was just as precious as water; a single drop had to last for weeks. Here, in this seemingly untouched world, sun and warmth was as infinite as the stars it surrounded. The sky around it was clear, water colored blue and orange that brought a quiet line of tears of Lincoln's face; a sorrowful reminder of what they had lost, and how much they had taken advantage of something as simple as a sunrise. In a way they reminded Lincoln of a snow flake- there were never two of the exact same kind.

"It's beautiful," Charlie sighed beside him, silently echoing his own thoughts. Lincoln let a quivering breath he held release slowly. They had been there for almost an hour as they allowed their clothes to dry; wrapped in towels they managed to swipe from an unlocked boat in the harbor. The chill they had previously slowly began to fade, their skin glowing a sun-kissed orange as they simply watched the horizon. It was a kiss of sweetness that one may find in any ripe orange. Reclining back Charlie and Lincoln sighed simultaneously as their feet dangling over the dock lazily. It almost felt for a moment they were home.

Almost.

"I had forgotten," whispered Lincoln as the sun began to peak over the distant horizon, "what it looked like. Liv used to say that this was her favorite time of day, you know. She said it's because of the promise of a new day, that all the prior worries would just… melt away."

Charlie placed a rough palm on his friend's shoulder. "Well, in this case she's right. Today, we find the other Olivia and hope they sympathize enough to help. If she's anything like our Liv I'm sure she will. We all need a little hope in this world, buddy." Turning towards him, Lincoln smiled at Charlie.

Hope. It was a small, innocent word that could change the views, alter the situation and perhaps even change the future. Somewhere, Lincoln knew, here, that despite the darkness he knew the world was just a little brighter, a little lighter, and with the promise of a better time. They sat for another hour or so and simply watched the orange globe rise higher, their hopes for help became a little brighter. For a moment, Lincoln felt invincible with the idea this could work, the reason he kept repeating over and over in his head. Seeing the sunrise had restored that small portion of his mind that drove him to keep going.

It was hope, he knew, because everyone needs just a little ray of that.

I do hope this was worth the wait! Chapter 4 coming soon!