Chapter Title: "Welcome Back"

Chapter Genre: Humour

Chapter Rating: PG-13

Chapter Notes: I've missed you guys, too :)

Takes Place: Pre-episode 2.01

Song: "Welcome Back (Kotter)" as sung by Ray Conniff and His Singers

Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe, just bad plot bunnies

"Welcome back, 
to that same old place that you laughed about,

Well the names have all changed since you hung around,

But those dreams have remained and they're turned around,

Who'd have thought they'd lead ya,

Back here where we need ya,"

Astrid yawned, scratching at the mosquito bite on the back of her neck as she knocked on the Bishop's hotel room door. Walter had called her cell phone and had begged her to 'please hurry over!' before hanging up. Now she was standing and waiting to be let in to help in whatever crisis there was.

This was beginning to become a regular thing, stopping at the Bishop's before work. Occasionally something would catch on fire or there'd be an argument and once there had been a mess of wasps that had found their way into the room's closet and apparently the hotel manager was refusing to answer their room's calls. Astrid yawned again, raising her hand again to rap her knuckles on the door when it opened to reveal Peter looking just as tired as she felt, wearing trousers but holding a very wrinkled up button up in his hand.

"Walter called and told me to hurry over," she explained and from the look on Peter's face, she could see that Walter had gotten a hold of the cell phone without permission again. "There's no emergency, is there?"

"No." He stood aside and gave her a dry smile. "Please, come in."

It appeared that she had caught Peter in the middle of ironing, a task that he was performing on the hotel room's low coffee table.

"You should lay a towel under your shirt when you iron it," she pointed out.

He shot a look at her as he went back to getting the wrinkles out. "Thank you, Martha Stewart."

She put her hands on her hips, fighting back a smile and failing. "No need for attitude, Peter. No one likes a Sassy Sally."

He smirked. "What exactly did Walter call you here for?"

"He said it was Thursday and I needed to come over quick." At the moment Walter appeared in bathrobe and pyjamas. "Morning, Dr Bishop."

"I have to change into my clothes, but I've packed you both a lunch!" he sang, ushering them over to the small kitchenette where two brown paper lunch sacks sat waiting.

Astrid assumed hers was the one labeled 'A' with an assorted scribble afterwards, which she presumed was Walter's way of writing out her name without actually knowing it. Both opened their bags and began to scrutinize the contents.

"Crayons, marshmallows, a napkin and a sandwich." She inspected the sandwich in the plastic bag and realised that looks were deceiving. "Nope, it's not a sandwich, just two pieces of bread."

"Mine is a slice of American cheese, a fruit pie, some rubber bands on a paperclip, a dried macaroni noodle, and… I have no idea what this is." Peter lifted a small grey furry object out gingerly.

Astrid made a face. "It looks like lint."

"Ew." He glanced at her marshmallows hopefully. "I'll trade you."

"No way." She hid the paper sack behind her and leaned back against the kitchenette counter. "So, he seems pretty excited about us getting to work today."

Peter gave an exasperated sigh. "I have no idea why. All he could talk about last night was that today is 'Thursday', 'Thursday', 'Thursday'. I was like, 'Yeah, Walter. I know'."

The elder Bishop returned to the room with a small plastic comb, raised up slightly as he approached the two of them. "Let me comb your hair, Peter. The ladies may like your 'just-fallen-out-of-bed' look, but it makes you look like a hoodlum—"

Peter raised his eyebrows in warning. "Stop it,"

Walter turned to her looking hopeful. "Miss?"

Unconsciously her hand went up to touch her recently shortened curls. "I've already done my hair, Walter."

He passed the small comb to her. "Oh, I was hoping you might do mine."

"Of course," she said with a smile.

He hurried her over to the sofa (where it appeared Peter slept) and after wadding up the sheets, blankets, and pillow onto the opposite side, he sat down at an angle so she could stand behind him.

"Peter, please let this young lady brush your hair. It looks like a mess!" Walter insisted.

"Walter!" Peter barked in a warning tone and the older Bishop gave a defeated sigh.

"Should I wear a tie? I know I usually don't wear one, but I do want to look nice," Dr Bishop pondered aloud as Astrid carefully worked at detangling his soft curls.

"Walter, you eat the gum stuck under the stair railings at Harvard. What the hell do you care if you look nice?" Peter asked, putting his freshly pressed shirt on.

"I usually don't, but today's Thursday." Walter crumpled his tie into a ball and tossed it back towards his bed. "No tie. It will look out of place."

Peter gave her a smile. "Don't mind him, he's crazy."

Walter suddenly jumped up from the couch, heading over to the front door. "Hurry, hurry, we need to pick up Agent Dunham—"

"She has her own car, Walter," Peter said, rolling his eyes.

He glanced over to her then did a double take. "What are you doing here?"

"My car is back in the shop and I'm going to carpool with you to work." Astrid shrugged.

Walter turned to his son. "Have you brushed your teeth?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"And cleaned under your fingernails?"

"Yes," Peter replied, sounding much like a teenager who was being nagged at.

"Let me check your hands," Walter said, attempting to take his son's hands in his.

Peter slapped at his father's hands. "Walter, knock it off!"

"He's so mean to me!" Walter whimpered.

"You're annoying," Peter insisted.

"You need to brush your damn hair!" the older man snapped.

Astrid planted her hands firmly on her hips. "Enough, boys. If we're all ready, then let's go to work."

"Fine," Peter grumbled.

"Okay," Walter mumbled.

Out the door and in the Vista Cruiser they began the morning commute to Harvard. It was a car ride like any other—traffic, Peter yawning, the occasional idiot on the cell phone trying to merge into them. Finally behind a few cars at a red light, Astrid pointed to the McDonald's drive through to their right and Peter nodded, starting to pull out of the traffic line.

"My dear, are you sure my hair looks fine? And that my clothes are nice enough? I don't want to look like a mess…" Walter mumbled, examining himself in the sunblind's mirror.

Astrid leaned over the front seat and smiled at the older man warmly. "Walter, you're being so cute today! All dressed and ready for the day. Want some McDonald's for breakfast?"

"Peter, why aren't you this nice to me?" Walter turned back to her and gave her a sweet smile. "I would love to have breakfast with you, my dear. Would you like to share a hash brown? They're greasy."

Peter made a disgruntled face as he pulled into the drive through.

"Are you trying to put the moves on her? Walter…" Peter then gave her a stern look in the rear-view mirror. "And you! Don't encourage him." While she giggled, Peter turned his attention to the drive through speaker. "Hi, I'd like three number fours, one with no cheese."

A crackly and bored teenage voice asked in a flat tone, "Coffee with all the meals?"

"Yes."

"And an extra orange juice," Walter whispered.

"And an extra orange juice," Peter added.

"And a breakfast for Agent Dunham," Walter whispered again.

"Walter…" Peter gave him a tired look then turned back to the speaker. "And another number four, with coffee."

"I don't think Olivia eats fast food," Astrid pointed out, still leaning across the front seat.

"Please pull up to the window," the cashier instructed.

Peter looked at her skeptically. "I've seen the crap Olivia eats when she thinks she's alone in her office and I doubt she'll turn her nose at a little McDonalds."

Astrid paid for breakfast and the trio ate on the drive over, Walter completely silent as he ate his food. Once at the lab he proceeded to wash his hands and face, fussing about his hair again. Astrid wasn't sure what was prompting his odd behaviour and decided to ignore his harmless antics, busying herself with a few case files about crop circles.

"Hello, my beautiful Gene! It's Thursday, you know!" Walter planted a big kiss on Gene's nose and then called out, "Agent Farnsworth, do we have a bow for her? Gussy her up a bit?"

Astrid continued looking over the files. "In the drawer with your craftpaper."

"Ah, thank you!" There was the sound of an opening rdawer and shuffling of things around before Astrid looked up from her paper to see the scientist attaching a bright blue ribbon onto the cow's halter. "Here you are, my girl. So pretty."

"Walter, she's a cow. Get control of yourself," Peter grumbled as he began piecing together parts of a motherboard.

Dr Bishop returned to the drawer filled with paper supplies and held up an orange ribbon. "Would you like a bow, young lady?"

Astrid giggled as Peter gave a reprimanding, "Walter."

"Agent Dunham!" Walter sang out at the blonde walked in the door. "Good morning! Are you excited it's Thursday?"

Olivia gave him a funny look. "I think you're thinking of Friday, Walter. You know, 'TGIF'?"

Walter stood chewing the inside of his cheek, looking immensely puzzled as Peter pointed to one of the work tables where the lone paper bag of McDonald's sat next to the cup of coffee.

"We brought you breakfast."

"Oh wow." Olivia accepted the food. "I hate McDonalds." And with that being said, she pulled the McMuffin out, unwrapped it, and took a big bite. They stared at her until she answered, covering her half full mouth. "Well, I'm not going to pass up free food. Rachel's been eating all my cereal."

"Family members have a tendency to eat all the food," Walter observed sadly as he made an attempt to steal the hash brown from Olivia's breakfast.

"Too true," Olivia lamented as she jerked the McDonald's bag out of his reach.

Walter sighed and began to rummage in the musty cardboard box filled with his toys. He dug out a plastic army man that had a plastic parachute on it and began to sing loudly.

"If you like pina coladas! And getting caught in the rain! Something about yoga and something else that rhymes!"

"Walter, stop butchering that song," Peter ordered as he began soldering wires together, the hint of hot metal filling Astrid's nostrils.

Walter continued as if he hadn't heard. "If you like pina coladas! And getting caught in the rain! Making love by the ocean and getting trashed on champagne! Something, something, something… and something champagne! Oops!"

At this, Astrid looked up and asked gravely, "What's 'oops'?"

"Um, nothing. Nothing." Walter suddenly became quite hysterical. "I think he's going to drown!"

The three decidedly sane people ran over to see what he was talking about and looking down into one the lab's floor drain, they sighted the army man Walter had been playing with in the small pool of water collected from putting out a fire yesterday. Astrid burst out into laughter while Olivia chuckled over her McMuffin and Peter threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Walter, stop dropping crap down there!" He dropped to his knees and tried prying the drain cover off, but to no luck. "Astrid, get me one of those wire hangers in the storage room so I can fish Walter's army man out—is that my compass down there?!"

Peter began mumbling expletives and Astrid sighed, moving in the direction of the storage room before Walter grabbed her by the arm. He was grinning ear to ear.

"I love Thursdays."