Oh my god…

I can't believe it! I'M FREE!!! FREE AT LAST FROM THIS CRAZY STORY I CANT BELIEVE I CONJURED UP!!!!!

Hahaha!!! Now that I got that out of the way. Let's get to the closing statements.

Despite the rush to finish this fic one day prior to the premiere (in the U.S. anyway) I'm very proud of this fic and feel very accomplished because of it. I say just about nearly everything I intended this story to have when I first conceived it made it in. I did have plot bunny since the early episodes of the show but I held out the whole year and I'm glad I did cuz by the time I started I knew pretty much where the whole thing would start and how it would end so that really helped me out a lot from the get go.

My only regret is that I can't write romance very well or at least not in a fic like this. Try not to hate me for the lack of fluff. I enjoy reading the stuff but it seems icky to me when I write it! :) But I enjoyed what I did with the Peter-Olivia-Gwen dynamic here (hard to believe I actually wrote a baby fic to begin with). I was thinking of doing a series of one-shots associated with this fic. That would be a good way for me to make up for lack of fluff here if ya like that.

I find it hard to believe that this is the longest fic I've ever written (and the biggest one in the Fringe section for now) and that I actually effin finished it in 3.5 months. What a record! Hopefully that will get me writing practice so I can actually write something original and profitable. But I cant help it, I effin love writing Fringe fanfiction.

And now: the reviewers. I can't believe people actually read this fic, LOL. Every one of you deserves my thanks but I think the biggest thanks must go to the top 5 big reviewers of this fic. They are:

Wjobsessed

Goladyvols

Ocein

MrSuperCzar

Skate815

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

I look forward to reading more of your work in the future as you will mine. :) So don't feel bummed about this fic being over (like I am…just a 'lil). I'll be back to work on "Growing Up in the Dark" after the premiere.

Have a Happy Season 2 tomorrow everyone! We'll see what the season holds for me in the fic department. I have a feeling I will need a whip to keep the giant plot bunnies at bay.

No more rants…this is the end!!!!

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Epilogue

'Man, that kid can sleep through anything.'

It was rough ride back to Boston but Gwen had been fast asleep the moment they boarded the private jet.

Olivia had been in the back on the phone with Broyles. Hard to believe that this was the first time they had spoken in months. It seemed like she hadn't been gone for that long.

When she came back with a blanket for Gwen and tucked her in while she slept. Peter was sitting opposite of them. And Olivia had caught him looking with that big smirk all over his face.

She quietly approached him and gave him no words, only deep affectionate kisses that were unknown to anyone around but them.

"I…," said Peter. "I thought you needed your space. I should've said something a long time ago."

"It's alright, Peter."

"But you went through so much and…"

Olivia stopped him and smiled. "You were there with me the whole time, through everything. I can't believe you survived two weeks of Gwen without me. How did you do it?"

"I think babysitting Walter all the time gave me practice. But it's okay…I enjoyed the challenge."

For the rest of the plane ride home, Olivia remained in the arms of the only man who truly did save her since all of this began.

~*~*~*~

"Eww, it's squishy!" Gwen was poking her fingers at the spiky slug.

"Gwen, get away from that!" Peter picked her up quickly. "Aw great, she's gonna get a catch a cold from that thing. Put it back, Walter."

Walter sighed a bit disappointed that Peter would let his pets enjoy a little free time out of their confinements. "Where's Agent Dunham," he asked. "She didn't run off and dumped the child on you, did she?"

"No, she went to New York to see Nina."

"I see," said Walter. "Best be careful with your spendings then, Peter. She might coerced you into paying child support."

Peter looked confused. "What?"

"I was just saying…" said Walter. "These things happen when you have an illegitimate child. Strange how she's grown in the three weeks since you brought her here. I hope it's not that pesky super-aging technique from my super soldier studies."

"Walter…this is Gwen. Don't you remember her? She's not my kid."

"Oh," said Walter. "I'm very sorry to hear that. Hard to believe that Agent Dunham should waste her perfectly good womb to incubate someone else's brood."

"One more word Walter and I swear to God…I will murder you over and over!"

Gwen waved her icky hands infront of Peter. "Pe'er, I got icky on me."

"Damn it," he took her over to the sink and got her to wash her hands of the slimy residue from the slug.

"You are good with children, Peter," Walter said nervously. It was oddly random and yet very logical of Walter to say…especially given how long Peter's been playing sitter for both the old man and the kid. He never thought of himself as more than that. He tried to not think about it. The routine that had been set in place was carefree and enjoyable. He got to Olivia and Gwen everyday, got to spend lots of time with them too. With the exception of a few bumps in the road, Peter knew that the mom and kid pair could take care of themselves.

He would like to give them more…so much more than he's already provided for them. 'It's too soon,' he thought. It would take time for such an idea to become a reality.

It was probably a stupid idea anyway.

~*~*~*~

Olivia looked at the two DNA sheets: one belonging to Gwen, the other belonging to a woman who was born in 1865. The DNA prints were 100% identical. So were two matching pairs of fingerprints. Not a single line out of place.

"You'll have to forgive me for taking this long," said Nina. "I had to run tests again many times to make sure but Guinevere's background checked out. Her people must've had some sort of age longevity drug for her to live as long as she did."

"I saw a lot of strange things over there," said Olivia.

"Well nothing surprises you…to think that you have a little girl who could've inherited amazing abilities that could've alter the factor of existence. She could've weaved the Pattern to her own desires if she had wanted to."

"Weave?"

"Of course…the Pattern itself is like the pattern on a quilt. Lots of threads that would take forever to weave and requires lots of threads and people to mend it. You can keep going with it as long as you like. But now that the Guinevere Cult is gone I think the Pattern will remain as it is. There won't be anymore to add except for what is still left to be discovered, am I right Agent Dunham?"

"So…were they really the creators?"

"Who is to say? They do have centuries of scientific discoveries on their side and they've displayed a lot of their talents through her, your child."

Olivia pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket and slid it over to Nina. "I'm returning your check. Your obligation to Bell to keep us alive is no longer needed."

"While that's true," said Nina. "I'm still inclined to feel a little charitable." She pushed the check back in Olivia's direction. "I'm building a school you know? A private academy for exceptionally talented minds and I don't mean a school for children of special powers. It is a school for children who wish to learn about the deeper realms of science known to only people like you or I…and for children who desire a future pursuing such ideas. There's already a place in it for Gwen…so there is plenty of time for you to consider what to do with a child as gifted as Gwen. Or do you still not trust me?"

"I believe you…," said Olivia. "I believe that you would never associate yourself with something like that."

"Good," said Nina.

"Anything else you want to spoil us with?"

"No…but I did notice one thing. You never used the infant formula I delivered to your place. You breast fed her, didn't you?"

Olivia was now feeling very awkward and confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything actually. Guinevere was to transfer herself into her clones by brainwashing them. But it required them to feed on a special brainwashing chemical that would make them detached from everything except their destined role as a master of science. The very moment she fed from you, Gwen made a bond to you that became instantly permanent. She made herself resistant to their control over her and no science they possessed in the world could've reversed that. Strange how in the end maternal nature became more powerful than their science."

Olivia heard a low growl. She was in disbelief when she saw a familiar creature walk into the room. It approached Olivia and began to rub itself against Olivia's leg, purring like a cat…a very large cat.

"Ah, Musko. Come to Mumsie." The orange and black-striped lizard walked away from Olivia and went behind the desk to be next to Nina. Her fingers scratched the back of the creature's neck near the sparkling diamond collar that Nina got for him.

She turned to Nina. "Still, they did create fascinating things over there, didn't they?"

~*~*~*~

Ever since they returned home, Gwen had few tears to shed. With Guinevere dead, Gwen was liberated from the intrusions of the cult into her mind. She was spared from having to inherit very deadly powers, however there was still the matter of her Cortexiphan abilities she inherited from Olivia when she was pregnant with her. Those would remain but they would be controlled. Olivia would do her best.

Olivia had reconciled with Rachel upon her return. Hopefully Ella would've gotten over her wound and would become a great cousin to her daughter…her daughter. She still found it hard to believe that this could be permanent. That Gwen, whom Olivia did not deserved, was hers to keep for good. She still felt guilty about the first year, that she let her suffering take away from truly loving this child. But Gwen knew only unconditional love for Olivia and that would never ever change.

"Can I ask you something, mommy?"

Olivia sat on the bed by Gwen's bedside. "Okay, then."

"You said I didn't want to be that lady's clone…but…what's a clone?"

"Um…well a clone is someone who is created to be exactly like someone else."

"Well," said Gwen. "I didn't want to be like her anyway."

Olivia smiled. "That's good." Her hands were charging at Gwen's sides. "Cause there can only be one of you!"

The laughter was deafening but joyful. "Mommy! Ah!" Gwen kicked at the sheets to escape from Olivia's evil evil tickling but to no avail. Olivia had too much power over her. "Pe'er, save me!"

Peter had been at the door of the bedroom watching the family that he come to truly adore. "I dunno, Slimy. I'd help ya but I'm scared your mom might hold me down too."

"Okay, I'm done torturing you." Olivia released Gwen. "Kiss goodnight?" Gwen stood up and gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek and then quickly got under the cover before Olivia tried to come after her again.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Is Pe'er staying here with us?"

Olivia turned to the door and saw that Peter was gone. No he wasn't really gone. She knew that he was just in the living room waiting for her, like he always would. He had no plans to leave. He had already made himself inescapable part of her life, as Gwen did the moment Olivia took her home from the hospital.

"Do you want him to stay?" Olivia asked Gwen.

"Ew no!" said Gwen. "He wouldn't save me from you."

"Hey," said Olivia. "That coward might be your daddy someday. What do you think of that?"

"Pe'er my daddy?" Gwen thought about it. "Too weird!"

Olivia laughed and kissed Gwen on the forehead and said, "Don't worry. Just wait when it happens. You'll learn to love it."