A/n: Sorry, again for a long wait in update, the combination of taking a four week summer course and starting three new stories made me neglect this one but I've figured out an updating schedule for all my stories ,which will go into effect after next week,which will be when said course is over with, enjoy the new chapter.

-Pessi Rom

Thanks to: YMH , catchmeifucancuzucant and wjobsessed ,for reviewing the previous chapter, I appreciate your reviews and interest,I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter Five : Steven Fuller

Harvard

Olivia walked into the lab, after getting back from Scottsburg, carrying the bag with Steven Fuller's shirt. Walter was still doing tests on the rock, while Peter watched and Astrid searched the FBI database for any cases that might be similar to the one they were working on as well as information on Steven Fuller.

"That the shirt?" Peter asked ,when she walked into the lab.

"Yeah..." Olivia said, and Peter could immediately tell something was bothering her.

"Everything ok?" He asked after she handed the bag, containing the shirt, to Walter.

"Not really...the adult victims wife, was my college roommate, we haven't seen or spoken to each other in years." Olivia said knowing she couldn't completely hide her emotions from Peter, he always seemed to be able to tell when something was on her mind , or bothering her, and she surprisingly found it both easy and comforting to confide in him.

"It's always tougher, when the case is personal." Peter said understanding.

"Yeah, it is." Olivia agreed. They both stood there awkwardly, neither knowing what to say next.

"So, Walter, you find anything yet?" Olivia said turning her attention to the older Bishop.

"Yes..but nothing that can help the boy, I am still examining the clothes , I may still find something that can help ." Walter said.

"K, keep doing what you're doing,call me as soon as you find something." Olivia said. Walter nodded,then Olivia walked over to Astrid's space in the lab.

"I've got the address of Fuller's old job, his phone records and I'm waiting on the GPS records on his car." Astrid said handing Olivia some printed sheets.

"Thanks, Astrid. I'm going to go check in on James, then I'll be checking out Fuller's workplace." Olivia said.

"I'll come with you." Peter said almost like a question.

"Yeah, James seems to trust you,maybe you can get him to tell you more about what happened." Olivia said adding also, in her head, that she was happy to have him tag along, though Peter did much more then just tag along, he also gave another set of eyes and another perspective to help solve a case.

"He's gotten himself in a bad situation, he's scared and somewhat lonely, I get how it feels, that's all." Peter said downplaying his ability to help the kid.

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Olivia said, Peter just smiled at her, then they headed out to the hospital.

"How's he doing?" Olivia asked the doctor,while Peter walked into the room to talk to James.

"The burns have spread to his lower abdomen,if whatever this is continues to spread upward he won't be able to breath on his own, I've never seen anything like this,its almost as if he was exposed to radiation,but this isn't any of the known types." The doctor said.

"We're working on finding out, what it is." Olivia told the doctor.

"I hope you find it soon, for James sake." The doctor said then went to examine her other patients.

Olivia watched, from the doorway of James' isolated hospital room,as Peter talked to the young boy.

"Did you find out whats happening to me." James asked Peter.

"Not yet, but we're working on it, your lucky,because Liv is the best, if anyone can find out whats going on she can." Peter said to James.

"You were right." James suddenly said.

"About what?" Peter asked confused.

"About my Mom, she was sad about Carter,but she didn't get mad at me,shes just happy that you guys can still fix it." James said.

"Mom's are the best." Peter said then his face got real serious, as if he was thinking of something.

"How you feeling James." Olivia said walking into the room.

"It still doesn't hurt,but it feels weird like I've got something weighing down my arms and legs." James said.

"James, I know its tough to think about what happened,but do you remember anything else , about what happened, that you haven't told us yet." Peter asked having snapped out , of whatever he had been thinking about when Olivia entered the room.

"No...I don't think so." James said.

"Did you see a powdery substance, or smell a strange smell?" Olivia asked thinking back to what Stacey Fuller told her.

"No..wait there was a smell,when the rock cracked open." James said suddenly remembering.

"Can you describe it to me?" Olivia asked. James proceeded to describe the strange smell , almost identically to the way Stacey had described it.

"Thank you, James." Olivia said after writing down his description of the smell.

"Hang in there kid." Peter said getting up from the chair he was sitting in, while he talked to James.

"Will you come back,later?" James asked having grown attached to Peter.

"Sure,kid." Peter said. Then he and Olivia exited his hospital room.

" He's just a kid,We have to find a way to save him." Peter said frustrated as they walked toward the Hospitals exit.

"We will." Olivia said confidently.

Hartford Technologies

"This is it." Olivia said stopping the car in front of a medium sized building. They got out of the car and entered the building.

"Olivia Dunham,FBI, I need to speak to someone about a former employee,Steven Fuller." Olivia said to the receptionist.

"You'll need to talk to Marc Jones on the third floor, he was Steven's floor manager." The receptionist said.

"Thanks." Olivia said then proceeded to walk with Peter toward the exited the elevator on the third floor and asked one of the employees where they could find the floor manager.

"Marc's office is down the hall and to the right." A male employee said.

"Thanks." Olivia and Peter both said, then followed the directions to Marc Jones' office.

"Can I help you?" Marc said when Olivia and Peter walked into his office.

" Olivia Dunham, FBI, we need to ask you some questions about Steven Fuller." Olivia said.

"Why does the FBI want to know about Steven." Marc asked.

"We're not at liberty to say right now,but we could use your cooperation." Peter said ,just in case Steven's old boss may have been involved.

"Of course, what do you want to know about Steven Fuller?" Marc said after motioning for Peter and Olivia to take a seat.

"First,why did Steven leave his job here." Olivia asked.

"Well Steven was one of our model employees until about six months ago, when his behavior drastically changed." Marc said.

"How so?" Olivia asked.

"Well,while his ability at his work improved his personality shifted, he was edgy and easily irritated, when I confronted him,he made some excuse about stress at home, so I gave him a few days off to sort it out,but when he came back, his personality was worse." Marc said.

"What exactly do you mean, by his ability at his work, improved?" Olivia asked.

"Well, for one his speed at his workload improved, as well as the efficiency." Marc answered.

"What exactly did Fuller do here at Hartford?" Peter asked noticing that the manager had yet to give specifics on Stevens work.

"Steven was a tech. His job was to analyze and fix any glitches within the system, which included monitoring security codes. He also made sure
that the research done here was in no way released to the public before it's ready. This all normally took between seven and eight hours, but Steven
started finishing his work between four and five hours, and there was no evidence of him cutting any corners ." Marc explained.

"So is that why you fired him?" Peter asked.

"No,but, actually I was going to, we have a drug free policy here and they way he was acting made me suspect him of using speed or some other type of drug,but he quit before I could fire him, said he found a better job." Marc explained.

"Did Steven have access to the computers ,for work ,as well as personal use?" Olivia asked.

"Not at his work station,but each employee had a email account,they could access in cubicle five, I can give you his login information." Marc answered.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about Steven?" Peter asked after Marc handed him the user name and password.

"No,but Allen Jenkins, the other main tech on this floor knew him better than I did,he might know something, hes in cubicle four." Marc said.

"Thanks." Olivia said as she and Peter got up from their chairs.

They walked out of Marc Jones' office and Olivia went to talk to Allen ,while Peter checked out the computer in cubicle five.

"Olivia Dunham, FBI, what can you tell me about Steven Fuller." Olivia said when she approached Allen Jenkins.

" Is Steve in trouble with the FBI?" Allen asked.

" I'm not at liberty to say,can you tell me about Steven's behavior before he quit six months ago."

"Yeah, Steve started acting weird out of nowhere,it was like he was strung out on something, he would practically bite your head off,if you asked him anything while he was working, he even cut back his breaks, we're supposed to switch shifts every two hours,but Steve was doing like four hours straight,it was weird,then one day he was on the computer in cubicle five, reading some email and like the very next day, he up and quits. Said he was going to be doing big things, things that were going to be bigger than what happens here at Hartford." Allen said.

"Liv, I think I found something." Peter said calling Olivia over to cubicle five.

" There's some type of encrypted file hidden within his email." Peter said when Olivia walked over.

" Do you think it can be decrypted?" Olivia asked standing next to him and looking down at the computer.

" I think so." Peter said .

"K, I'll have a team come and pick up the computer." Olivia said.

"Have them check out his work computer too, he may have found a way to hide files there too." Peter said.

"Good idea, I was wondering why I keep you around." Olivia said joking.

"Because you like me, admit it." Peter said joking, Olivia just smiled at him, then made the call to the FBI.

"Come on, lets see if Walter's made any progress with the rock." Olivia said after she hung up with the tech people at the FBI.

A/n: Thanks for reading, hope you liked the chapter , I'll update again in about a week and a half or sooner ,construct criticism/suggestions/reviews are greatly appreciated.

-Pessi .Rom