Disclaimer: Does anyone really take this seriously?

A/N: Thanks to all readers and reviewers… This project really started as a let's-get-them-kissing story and took on quite a life of its own…

"C'est le temps que tu a perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

He woke the next day on her couch, little cold and a little hung over. Maybe a lot hung over, but that was ok. This was the next step in facing reality and he needed a little distraction from the intensity of it. The rest of the previous day had gone well, considering, and had included some take-out, a nap, more drinking, and surprisingly pleasant companionship. Not that it was surprising her companionship would be pleasant, but that he would be receiving the benefits of her companionship at all.

The one question he still had was left distinctly unasked: What do you see when you look at me? Instead, he observed her behavior, looked for any signs she saw him differently. He decided that she did seem to see him differently but not in an otherworldly-glimmery way; rather she seemed to be flirting with him in a very subdued, Olivia Dunham way, and that was ok too.

She had shown him his case file, the one she had compiled over the last week. It had the medical records for the other Peter, his school photos and grades, the death certificate. There was a photo of the gravesite that he found chilling. It was his name after all, a face he recognized in the photos. He asked to be taken to the site to see for himself, and he agreed to meet Walter there. They needed to talk after all. Hmmm. Scratch that. He needed to talk to Walter. He wasn't sure he was interested in listening just yet.

Olivia drove him to the cemetery in soft silence. She had agreed to drop him off there and would wait for his call. Astrid would be bringing Walter in a little while, under the same arrangements. He glanced at Olivia as he exited the SUV and saw her gaze was warm, encouraging. He didn't doubt her intentions now. She really did want them to resolve this, as much as that was possible. And if it helped the working relationship, well that was just lagniappe.

He stared at the headstone in chilled stillness. Perhaps meeting here was not a good idea, he thought idly, as the gravity of the situation assaulted his senses. He gave a cynical laugh. Really, this was the only place suited for this meeting. Here he could not forget, overlook, or excuse Walter's behavior, and Walter could not deny it.

He heard the car before he could see it and appreciated the advance notice. It gave him a last moment of peace before jumping into this mess with both feet. He took a deep breath and waited.

Walter exited the car with an unintelligible muttering, wringing his hands. He looked positively tormented and Peter was unsure how he felt about that. He silenced Walter with his hand before he started speaking.

"Walter, let me explain how this is going to go. I ask questions, you give me answers. I say what I have to say without any rationalizations or justifications from you. No excuses, understood?" His tone was harsh, sounding stronger that he felt inside.

Walter nodded, hands still wringing. "Yes, yes, I understand, son." He looked pitiful, vulnerable and weak. He didn't look like a kidnapper.

"Don't call me that," he growled. He bristled at the term, but some lost part of him yearned for it all the same. He didn't know what to do.

Walter looked at him and seemed to be on the verge of tears. "What would you like me to call you?"

Peter just shook his head. He couldn't answer that question, not now, not staring at the grave of the original Peter Bishop.

"Can you explain this, Walter," he said, gesturing to the grave. "Can you explain yourself?"

"Well," he started, "I am sure you are not talking about the science of it all." He continued after a frustrated nod from Peter. "You were sick and I could do nothing to stop it. I could not make you better. But I found that using the device I made, I could find you, take you home and pretend that nothing had ever happened. Your mother, of course, did not approve…"

"Just because something can be done, does not mean it should, Walter."

"Yes, Peter, I know that now. Concerning this matter, I believe I knew it even then. I just wanted you back." His voice grew wistful, hands wringing again. "I don't know what to do now, Peter. I can't change the past… Well, perhaps I could now. There have been such advances!" He looked excited at the prospect until he was vehemently shut down by Peter.

"Oh God, Walter, no. No more experimenting with people's lives." He was firm and clear in his response, unwavering in tone, but he felt the conundrum sharply. Conceivably, Walter might be able to go back into the past, change things, make things end differently. What would it have been like, living in a world where he belonged? A world with a different Walter, whose amoral potential was not mitigated by grief? Pretty sure that would not be a good thing. He tried to stop the next thought but a whisper remained… A world where he'd never have met Olivia. He did not truly want to find out, and that, he realized, was a first step in accepting these entirely deranged circumstances. He felt oddly unbalanced for a moment.

"No more, Walter. No more lies, ever. That includes omission too," he said, punctuating that one with a glare. "God. I've had enough of this for now," he said, waving him off.

"Peter, what happens now?" His question was tentative, his demeanor unsettled.

"I don't know, Walter. Just give me some time." He walked away to call Olivia, feeling torn. What a big fucking mess. He wanted to shake Walter until he apologized, confessed, something, but the Walter he needed to hear that from was long gone. The Walter here now was a pale shadow of his former self, mad as a hatter most of the time, trying to make the best of what is before him. He thought back to something Olivia said to him, changed the wording to fit… This Walter is the only father I can remember. An echo of sadness rang in his chest. He now understood Olivia's reaction to learning about all this. This really didn't change anything.

***********

Olivia was sitting with Astrid at a gas station around the corner from the cemetery when she got the call.

"Olivia, can you and Astrid come get us? I think we're done here for now. Oh, and please apologize to Astrid for me… Walter's a little bit of a mess right now."

"Sure. We'll be right there." She terminated the call and turned to Astrid. "They're ready to go. Well, at least Peter is ready to go. Sounds like Walter's a mess."

"I figured as much. That's why I got these," she said brightly, waving a bag of Gummi Bears.

"Astrid, you are unrivaled… Hopefully things will get back to normal around here soon, or at least as close to normal as we ever get," she said, starting to move toward the SUV.

"You think things will work out?"

"Yes, I do…" she trailed off, as she got into the vehicle.

The ride back was short and she first saw Walter, pacing and shaking his head. He was a mess. She wished Astrid luck. She found Peter at the edge of the cemetery, staring out into the distance. He turned when he heard her coming and his face was impassive, controlled. When he got in, though, she could feel energy rolling off him in frustrated waves. She wanted to find a way to engage him, to share this with him, but found herself tongue-tied and unsure. She had decided to act, to reach out and place a comforting hand on his arm, when her phone rang, a sharp sound in the quiet.

"Dunham." She nodded, "No sir, I'm not at the lab but I'm on my way there." A pause. "Are they both needed?" Another short pause. "Ok, I have Peter with me now. We'll be there in half an hour."

"We got a case?" His first words since the cemetery sounded tired, with just a hint of his usual sarcasm.

"Yes. At the airport, actually." She glanced at him, lips quirking into a small smile.

"Great," he said, drawing out the word and shaking his head with a smile. "The airport." He caught her looking at him again and spoke more seriously. "The answer is yes, Olivia."

Her only response was a perplexed expression and a tilt of her head, waiting for further explanation.

"The answer to your unasked questions. Can I handle this? Can I find a way to work with him?"

"Ok then. Let's go to the airport."

Final A/N: Thanks to all who have followed this story to completion… I actually have in mind a casefic that will pick up here, so please check it out once I get it posted. And as always, reviews are love!