Here's the next installment! I hope you guys enjoy this one. I know a couple of you reviewed that you thought the last one was a bit unrealistic and I do agree that it probably won't happen. But I don't think it is completely out of the realm of possibilities. I think that Olivia would feel sympathetic for Altlivia in some way because 1.) she's Olivia and is basically hardwired to understand how people function and 2.) has her memories and lived her life. So the last story was based off of that idea.
This one, however, is a bit more realistic. I hope you guys enjoy it! I had a lot of fun with this one and actually wrote the entirety of it while re-watching season two (I've been on a bit of a spree lately - I don't have the DVD's yet, so I'm watching them online. I'm almost done and then I'll be lost until November 4th).
Disclaimer: If I owned Fringe, things wouldn't be nearly as intelligent or interesting. No one would watch it if I owned it, THEREFORE I do not own it. I also don't own the Kerrigan & Lowdermilk song or the song "Everything" by Lifehouse.
IN THIS INSTALLMENT: When Olivia returns, things are far from easy. Spoilers up to 304.
how to return home
two: you are
...the strength
Peter Bishop was nervous.
This was not something he was used to. He did not get nervous often. Now, however, he felt like he was nothing but nerves. Everything made him feel on edge. The lights of the hospital. The antibacterial smell. Walter's anxious looks.
When they reached the room, it took him a moment to get the nerve to open the door. He could feel Walter's gaze. After a moment, he opened the door slowly.
There she was. She had a familiar look on her face. She was looking out the window, her eyes wide and her mouth tight. He recognised the look immediately. She's trying not to cry, he thought vaguely. She knows. How does she know?
She turned to look at him. She looked them over for a minute before she smiled that sad, broken smile where she bit her bottom lip. "Hey," she whispered.
Peter sighed and he gave her a small smile. "Hey."
She was silent for many moments. Peter didn't move and he noticed that Walter had not followed him inside. She looked him over.
"You thought she was me."
Her voice was soft and low. He wished that he could deny it, wish that he could make her sound less...broken. But he couldn't. He couldn't lie to her.
"I'm sorry." He wasn't sure what else he could say.
She looked away. He saw her shoulders tighten and watched as her face became a familiar mask.
"I...I can't do this."
His stomach dropped and he nodded. "I understand." He could hear how his voice sounded and hated it.
But he had lost her.
He lost her.
He looked at her, trying to take everything in. He knew very well this could be the last time he had the chance to really see her. If she decided it was over, then it was over. She would find a way to stop it. To stop any kind of relationship between them.
He tried to catalogue every piece of her. Every little thing that made up who she was. Every little thing that he had convinced himself was in the other Olivia when it was not. It was too much. His chest felt to tight, his head to heavy. He wondered vaguely what was wrong with him. He looked at her, and he suddenly realised what was wrong.
He felt like he did not belong.
He didn't belong.
He didn't belong.
The crushing realisation was unbearable. "I'm sorry," he said again. His voice sounded foreign to his ears. He left the room. He was not wanted anymore. He did not belong anymore.
...everything
She had not spoken to him since the hospital. Not really, anyway. She still allowed him to work with her, but he never left the lab anymore.
He hated it.
He was always on the verge of running. Every night he would sit on his bed fully-clothed. He would sit and make the choice of whether to change clothes and try to sleep or to leave. To run and not look back.
But where would he go? He belonged with Olivia. He knew that he belonged with her. He never felt more at home than when he was with her.
He belonged with her. Even if she did not belong with him.
He wanted to run. He wanted to run more than he ever had before. But he couldn't. Even if Olivia didn't want him anymore, even if she hated him – he had to stay. Because it was where he belonged.
...the hope
It had not been a good week.
The case had been a difficult one. Walter hadn't slept for days. Astrid was ready to snap. Olivia had been on edge for a reason he couldn't understand. Peter had been kidnapped again.
Now he was stuck in the hospital. Again.
He hated hospitals.
When he heard the door to his room open, he had expected Walter to come and fuss over him. He turned and was surprised to see that it was not Walter.
It was Olivia.
She was biting her lip. He watched as she tried to look him over without meeting his eye. "Are you okay?" Her voice was soft and sounded almost unsure to Peter's ears.
He nodded. "I'm fine." He paused and smirked. "Any chance you could break me out of here?"
She did not reply. She still avoided his gaze. He sighed and turned to look out the window once more.
"You don't have to be here, Olivia. I'm fine." His voice was hard and defeated.
He was looking away, so he did not see her brow furrow. "You want me to go?"
Peter looked up with a frown. "No. But don't you want to go?"
He watched as she bit her lip and shifted her weight. Her hands were shoved into the pockets of her coat. "No."
Peter blinked in shock. Stop it, he thought to himself. Don't get your hopes up.
"You want to sit, then?"
He watched as she looked around the room, biting her lip again. After a moment, she nodded slightly. She moved slowly and sat in the chair by the window. She sat stiffly and still avoided his gaze, but Peter was more relaxed. She was there. This was the first time that Olivia was willing to be in his presence. The first time she had been alone with him since the hospital.
"Aren't you going to say something?"
Peter looked up to see that Olivia was finally looking at him. He met her gaze steadily. "What do you want me to say?"
She blinked and frowned. "Something," she said strongly. "Anything."
The corner of his mouth quirked up in the semblance of a smile. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, Olivia." He paused. "You just have to ask."
She nodded and looked down. He did not expect her to say anything. After a few moments, she did speak, though. "Why did you think she was me?"
Peter sighed. "Because I wanted to believe she was you." She looked up and met his eye. "I convinced myself that all the differences were because of everything that had happened. I told myself that I was seeing things. I...I was convincing myself that everything was fine." He met her gaze, hiding nothing. "I should have seen, Olivia. I'm sorry."
She nodded slightly and looked down again. Peter knew that she would leave now. She would go and everything would be horrible and tense again.
He was surprised once again when she spoke. "I came back for you," she said in a horribly soft voice. "When I thought I was her, I kept seeing you. You would tell me that I couldn't forget where I was from."
Peter felt his jaw tighten and had to look away. "I'm sorry, Olivia."
He heard a familiar sound and looked up. She was laughing. Or, at least, the short little exhale that was her deigning to laugh.
"You can stop apologising, Peter." He was shocked by the sound of her voice – she sounded almost normal. It had been a long time since he had heard her sound so much like herself. So unburdened.
He studied her for a moment and could see a familiar glint in her eye. It was the first time he had seen her eyes look anything but pained. It confused him. "Olivia?"
She met his gaze. "I...I can't say things can be the same between us or that I'm ready yet, but..." She paused and he was forcibly reminded of another time that she struggled for words. "We're gonna be fine, Peter."
He looked at her seriously for a moment before smiling. He couldn't help but feel hopeful when she returned it.
...all I want
Peter ran up the steps to her apartment quickly. Her phone call had scared him. She had only been able to say that she needed help. He threw the door open and sprinted to her apartment. He forced the door open, afraid when he didn't hear her behind the door.
"Olivia? Olivia, where are you?"
She did not answer. He looked around frantically, looking for signs of a struggle.
Nothing. Nothing was out of place.
"Olivia?"
Before he could react, he was tackled to the ground. His head cracked against the wall audibly and he groaned. The attacker scrambled off of him and he heard the click of a gun.
"Where am I?"
Peter blinked. "Olivia?" His voice was full of confusion. "Olivia, it's me: Peter."
A light clicked on and Peter saw Olivia standing over him, gun in hand. Except it wasn't Olivia. Not really.
Shit, he thought. Which Olivia is this?
When her eyes focused on him she swore loudly. "What the hell do you want? Why won't you just leave me alone?"
Peter looked at her in confusion. His mind worked a mile a minute. He could see that this was definitely his Olivia. Her hair still bore a hint of the dyed red that her alternate had covered with blonde. But why was she acting like the other?
"When I thought I was her, I kept seeing you." Isn't that what she had said in the hospital? When she thought she was her. The memories – the false memories of the other Olivia must have overcome her. That's why she called him – she could feel that she was losing control.
"Olivia, put the gun down."
Her gaze narrowed. "You're just in my head," she said firmly. "What does it matter? It can't hurt you."
He shook his head. "I'm real, Olivia. You're home. You are where you belong."
"What are you talking about?"
He stood slowly. "You are home, Olivia. They tried to make you believe you were the other Olivia. But you aren't. You're home and you're where you belong."
She scoffed. "And where do I belong, Bishop?"
He smiled and there was only the barest hint of a smirk. "You belong with me."
He watched as her hand shook and the gun lowered. Her eyes flitted around and he could tell the exact moment when his Olivia was in control again. She looked up at him, her eyes confused.
"Peter?" Her voice was soft and disoriented. She looked at him pleadingly.
He smiled. "You're okay, sweetheart," he murmured, stepping closer. "You're gonna be fine."
She looked at the gun in her hand and looked at him, horror in her eyes. "I hurt you."
He shook his head. "I'm fine." He watched as she turned, trying to make sense of what happened. "Olivia," he said, grabbing her arm gently. She looked up at him, her eyes watery.
"Peter, I don't – "
He cut her off, his hand cupping her cheek and making her look at him. "It's fine, Olivia. Everything is going to be fine."
Her face crumpled and she leaned towards him. He met her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. He felt her shake and held her closer. He whispered in her ear, trying to calm her. After a few moments, she pulled away enough to see his face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Peter, I..."
He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, straightening the strands. He grinned and made her meet his eye. "You can stop apologising, Olivia," he said, mimicking her.
She did not smile. Her gaze raked over his face and he was completely surprised when she leaned forward quickly, kissing him roughly. He held her close, trying to show her that everything would be okay.
And it would. She was here. She was herself. She would be fine. They would be fine.
When she pulled away, she smirked. "I belong with you, huh?"
He grinned widely. "Didn't you know? Turnabout's fair play."
She laughed and he couldn't help but kiss her again.
They were going to be fine.
Thanks for reading! And if it catches your fancy, you can go ahead and drop me a review.