At last, we have come to the end of this trilogy…

Before we begin, I need to say an emphatic thank you to everyone who has read these fics, especially those of you who have stuck with me from that first chapter of The Academy through Boston all the way to the end of To Build a Home. I can honestly say that when I started The Academy I never intended to write a sequel, and I definitely never intended to write a sequel to that sequel. I've been writing this trilogy for almost one and a half years, so thanks to all the reviewers who encouraged me to keep going.

That being said, if you've just read this story and you haven't read The Academy or Boston yet, I encourage you to do so, just so this story makes a little more sense to you (though this chap carries some spoilers for you). I'm particularly proud of Boston because it gave me the opportunity to write about some issues very close to my heart. I hope you have learned something from this trilogy – whether it's about human trafficking or deaf culture or NICU life. I put a lot of research into my writing so I hope that's been evident.

I plan to take a break from writing since I'm busy with uni and I'm heading to Africa soon, but I hope to keep writing Fringe fics in the future.

Also, an enormous thank you to my friend asha710 who has been reading and helping me edit my chapters for about a year. These stories wouldn't be as good as they are without her last minute suggestions and ideas, so thanks again Ashley.

So without further ado, I must continue in my tradition of giving you a last minute super speedy recap of the trilogy, just to refresh your memory before we finish it all. If you haven't read The Academy or Boston, just skip those bits to avoid spoilers.

The Academy (recap):

Olivia goes to Quantico for FBI training. Charlie is her roommate. They go to the Whitehorse and meet fellow students John, Astrid, Charlie, Kent, Brandon and Amy. Olivia meets cool bartender Peter. The Academy is tough. Olivia gets homesick. Peter makes her a drink. Lucas dumps Olivia. John likes Olivia. Olivia likes John. Peter likes Olivia. Creepy teacher Harris likes her, too – that's not good. John almost kisses Olivia. Peter interrupts. Everyone goes bowling. Peter and Olivia try cow tipping. Rachael gets married. John, Olivia, Charlie and Astrid get in a car accident. John and Olivia kiss. John goes back to Baltimore. Harris threatens Olivia. Olivia gets a creepy card on her birthday. Peter and Olivia almost kiss. Charlie and Peter give her a surprise party. Olivia kisses Peter. Peter and Olivia start dating and swim on Akim's farm. Observers foresee trouble. Harris attacks Olivia. Olivia fights back. Peter gets mad. Olivia and Peter date again, but struggle to make things work. Students have exams. Harris goes to court. Olivia testifies. Peter and Olivia fight. Peter comes back. Harris testifies. Harris goes to jail. Everybody goes camping. Peter tells Olivia he loves her. Olivia freaks out. The students get results. Olivia learns about Fringe Division and meets Nina Sharp. Olivia breaks up with Peter. Peter is pissed. The students graduate. Peter and Olivia fight, then sleep together. Olivia leaves Peter. She also leaves a note saying she loves him too. Four months later, Peter is back in town when Walter gets sick, but is still very angry at him. Olivia helps Charlie prepare to propose to Sonya. Peter calls Olivia. They decide to reunite. They reminisce over coffee. Olivia's an intern now. Peter's been in Africa. Olivia asks him to come to her place for dinner since he's back in Boston. Peter agrees.

Boston (recap):

Peter and Olivia have dinner after four months apart. Rachael is pregnant. Olivia starts work as an FBI junior agent. Lincoln is her partner (she thinks he's hot). Creepy terrorists are killing trafficked prostitutes in Boston – not cool. Peter and Olivia live together as friends. Peter becomes Walter's guardian – he's not happy. Lincoln asks Olivia out. Peter gets angsty with Lincoln. Olivia kisses Lincoln. Olivia gets mad at Peter. Olivia's mum dies. Peter and Olivia decide to get back together. Charlie throws up on Peter at Coney Island. Broyles creates an FBI task force against ZFT. Olivia kills a man for the first time. Olivia tells Peter she loves him. Olivia interviews a trafficking victim. Peter builds a piano. Peter and Olivia sleep together for the first time in their new relationship. Olivia interrogates a seedy ZFT member. Olivia is given the undercover job. Olivia and Peter fight. Olivia and Peter make up. Olivia goes undercover while Peter and the others monitor her wiretap. Olivia gets attacked but is rescued at the last minute. Peter misses Olivia. Olivia gets given heroin. Peter dodges Tessa's vagenda. Olivia sends Peter a message. Olivia gets taken to Conrad and is sexually abused while unconscious. The FBI rescues Olivia. Olivia goes through heroin withdrawal. Olivia snaps from the trauma. Peter helps Olivia heal. Peter and Olivia talk about maybe getting married one day. The agents go to New York to receive awards. Charlie and Olivia become FBI Special Agents. They all rock out in Times Square. Baby Ella is born… A year and a half later, Olivia and Peter are babysitting Ella. Peter brings up marriage, but Olivia isn't ready. A couple of months later, Olivia tells him she's ready. Peter proposes. She says yes.

To Build a Home (recap):

Olivia and Peter are now married. Olivia comes home from Germany after working on a case there. David Robert Jones has escaped from jail and Olivia may be in danger. Charlie makes Bug Girl cry. Olivia gets beaten on a raid. She has a miscarriage. Jones starts killing people in Boston. Olivia begins to investigate Cortexiphan. Peter and Olivia babysit Ella. Nina tells Olivia Cortexiphan was tested in Jacksonville. Olivia finds out she's pregnant and gets scared. Peter glimmers. Peter and Olivia confront Walter. Peter finds out he's from the other side. Astrid comes to Boston. Jones kills the Artist. Peter and Olivia go for their first ultrasound. Jones turns himself in. Olivia interrogates him. Olivia diffuses a bomb with her mind. Peter fights with Olivia about putting herself and the baby in danger. They tell their family and friends about the baby. Observers see dark times ahead. Olivia and Peter find out their baby is a boy. They also find out some of his organs are growing outside of his body and he will need major surgery. They plan to sell their apartment to pay for his treatment. Their friends pay for an anniversary celebration for them. Broyles organises for the FBI to pay for their baby's medical bills. Brandon and Massive Dynamic find out the baby is sick because his parents are from opposing universes – he's not supposed to exist. Jones kidnaps Olivia and tries to take her baby. August saves her. Olivia gives birth. They name the baby Liam. Liam survives his first surgery but the second surgery on his heart almost kills him. He gets better and they take him home. Peter and Olivia struggle to manage family life and work. In trying to have another child, they lose many babies. Finally, they are blessed with a daughter, Ashley, who is deaf. The war between universes intensifies. Olivia's alternate breaches their world, but Liam recognises her before much damage can be done. Olivia is brought home. Liam learns he has pyrokinetic powers. Peter and Olivia discuss the machine. The world is dying…

And that brings us to the final chapter of this trilogy. Thanks again for all your support, guys. I will miss your kind reviews and encouragement.

Chap 33: The Boy Was Important

References: lines from The Last Sam Weiss, The Day We Died and 6:02am EST; introductions (Subject 13),

It's probably the last night of his life, and Peter Bishop finds himself unable to sleep.

Fatigue creeps over him, sinking into his body like a ghost passing through, but he refuses to close his eyes even for a second. He knows he's probably going to die in the morning. His wife sleeps fitfully in his arms, clinging to him through her nightmares, but he doesn't have the heart to wake her. The reality is far more devastating than anything her imagination could conjure up. So he leaves her there, in the treacherous hollows of her dreamscape, praying to a god he's never believed in that she please, please won't remember them when she wakes.

His eyelids droop closed, but he jolts himself awake. The phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead" becomes frighteningly relevant, and part of him wants to cry and scream and burn the world down.

Then he realises that that's exactly what he aims to do. Burn the world down. Just not this one.

The thought leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. One he can't swallow down. Because frankly, he never wanted to turn out like Walter.

Nai enai kalitero anthropo apo ton patera tou.

Be a better man than your father.

What a fucking joke.

He was cursed from the beginning, it seems. He knows that now. Prophecy. Fate. Whatever. He has no choice. It's already done.

He knows if he lies still another minute he's going to fall asleep, so untangles himself from his wife's clutches and picks his boxers up off the floor, putting them on and trudging out to the kitchen. He tries to be quiet. Even though it takes a vortex and a half to wake Liam and Ashley is deaf, he's never broken the habit of tiptoeing around as they sleep. His first instinct is to raid the fridge, but the taste of unshed tears in the back of his clamped-tight throat reminds him that he just can't stomach food right now.

Instead he decides to visit his children. Liam's room is closer, so he heads inside and kneels by his bed. It's easier than he expects it to be. Amid the pain, he finds comfort there, watching his little boy sleep in his oversized Boston Bruins jersey. Somehow the idea that he has children softens the blow of the idea of dying. There's a piece of him left in the world now. Two pieces. Someone to remember him. But even so, no little boy should have to live without his Daddy. He and Olivia both grew up without their fathers – he doesn't want that for their kids.

Almost five years old. Too damn young.

Peter strokes the boy's hair, lightly brushing some out of the way so he can kiss him softly. Tucking the blankets tighter around his son, he finds his hands are shaking. "I love you, kid," he chokes, backing out of the room before he falls to pieces.

He does the same for Ashley. Two and a half years old. The green-eyed, freckle-faced, dark haired little girl who adores him, loves to wrap her arms around his neck when she hugs him and snuggles next to him on the couch when he plays music for her, placing the speakers against her tummy so she can giggle at the vibrations. Looking down on her now, her innocence overwhelms him. Nobody's really hurt her yet, or abandoned her. He'll be the first. But she'll be OK, right? She's a tough kid. Smart. Yes. She'll be alright, even if he's not around anymore. As he strokes her hair, he suddenly realises that as much as she has always been smitten with him, she probably won't even remember him when she grows up. The thought is sickening, like a sucker punch to the stomach. Crippling. It fucking hurts.

"Why did you do that?" someone asks.

Still kneeling by his daughter's bed, he turns his head to see Olivia standing at the door, dressed in his shirt, arms crossed and hair messy. She looks upset. Angry.

"Do what?" he asks softly.

"Get out of bed. I woke up and you weren't there."

He runs a hand down his face, sighing. "I'm sorry I scared you."

She braces herself to yell. "Do you even-?"

"Shh," he interrupts in a harsh whisper, getting up and closing Ashley's door. "You'll wake the kids."

They step out into the corridor. And then, for a long time, neither of them says anything.

"I'm sorry," he says again.

A single tear slides down her cheek, and she wipes it away harshly. She doesn't want him to see her cry. Not now. She doesn't get to break down now.

"Why are you doing this?" she asks him.

"Livia, you know why."

"I need you to tell me."

He exhales. "I have to. There's no other way."

"There must be."

"If there is, we don't have time to find it. Our world's falling to pieces, Olivia. Walternate's got spies starting vortexes over here, the laws of physics are changing, Detroit just got sucked into a fucking wormhole -"

"Don't," she chokes.

"The world's dying. When's it going to stop, Olivia? Vortexes are happening every week. What happens when the next one hits the federal building, or our house, or Ashley's pre-school -"

"Stop it."

He does. Just for a moment. Amid the chaos, he has to remind himself to keep breathing. In and out. In. And. Out.

"I won't let this get any worse, Olivia," he sighs, stepping closer to her. "I won't. And the way that machine responded to me after I touched it, it's like it's been calling out to me. Every piece of data we have about the machine points to one conclusion. Somehow, that machine was made for me."

She shakes her head. "Peter, we have no idea what the machine will do to you. You could die."

He nods. Swallows. Tries not to cry. "You're right," he chokes. "But if we do nothing, we're all gonna die. I think this is what I'm supposed to do, Olivia. But I can't do it without your help."

"Peter…"

His name is a quiet sob. She tries to stifle the ones that follow, her shoulders trembling under the pressure. He takes her in his arms. "I know," he whispers into her hair. "I know."

"I won't let you do this," she cries. "I can't."

"I don't want to. But I have to."

"Why?"

The answer is obvious. He pulls back, uses the pads of his thumbs to wipe her tears away. He doesn't worry about his own. "I have to," he says. "Because I love you. And I love our children. There's another you over there, but she's not the you I'm in love with. There's no Liam on the other side, and there's no Ashley. And I really wish I could save all three of you without destroying another world, but this is the only way. It's the only way. If I have to risk my life to keep my family safe then I will do it a thousand times over, Olivia. You know that. Walter and the Massive Dynamic guys are pretty confident the machine won't kill me. It'll be OK. I prom-"

"Don't," she snaps, her voice harsh but trembling. "Don't you dare promise me a damn thing."

He concedes, because as usual, she's right. They have no idea what will happen next.

"I'm sorry," he says again. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she says. "You shouldn't have to do this. It shouldn't be your responsibility."

Part of him breaks then. She's right.

It's not fair.

He feels her pull him close before he even realises he's crying. He sobs quietly into the familiar warmth of her skin, but part of him feels nothing – like it isn't really him doing this. He feels almost like he's acting in a play, or watching this happen to someone else, simply because there's no way something like this could ever happen to him.

Without even thinking, he chokes, "I'm scared."

She doesn't say anything. There is nothing that can be said. All she can do is hold him. Her language is all touches, tight hugs, faint pepperings of kisses along his shoulder. She prays that it will bring him some comfort, but she doesn't think that it will.

"Olivia…" His voice is a sick, wet choke then. He doesn't bother to wipe his face. "If something happens to me tomorrow…"

"Shhh…"

"If something happens…"

"Don't."

He shakes his head. She needs to hear this. "Don't let our children forget who their father was. OK?"

Her heart breaks at his request. But she knows that while he can't make any promises, she can.

"Of course not," she says. "Never."

"Don't ever forget me, Olivia."

"That's impossible," she says.

He nods. For now, that is enough for him.

She kisses him. He tastes like whiskey and dynamite, and from that first touch, she needs more, always more. A single tear slipping down her face, she deepens the kiss, running her hands over his heated chest before he breaks the kiss to pull her shirt over her head. Without a moment's pause, she starts kissing him again and gently tugging him back to their bedroom.

It's not enough for her to just tell him she loves him right now. She needs to show him. And he needs to show her just as badly.

Because God only knows when they'll get another chance.

It's Ashley, not Olivia, who wakes him in the morning.

The little girl presses her tiny hands against Peter's arm, shaking him. Groaning softly, he opens one eye to see a cheeky little girl grinning back at him. 'Hi Daddy!' she signs, giggling.

He chuckles a little, wiping his eyes with a free hand and signing a quick 'hello'. For a moment it feels like a normal morning. It takes Peter a moment to remember the night before, taking in his surroundings and realising that he and his wife are still very naked in bed, thankfully covered by the blankets. They forgot to lock the door last night. They put that lock in a few years back after 22-month-old Liam didn't stay in bed like he was supposed to and went looking for them, catching an eyeful of a whole lot of stuff he shouldn't have seen. That being said, it's not like they never show affection in front of their kids. They are always holding hands, snuggling on the couch, sneaking in kisses. Neither of them grew up in stable families. They want their kids to know what a good marriage looks like.

Peter inhales to find the smell of Olivia's hair and savours the feel of her sleeping against his chest, his hand tracing constellations between the stray freckles on her back. He tucks the blankets a little higher around them both and turns his face back to Ashley. 'Can we have pancakes?' she signs. Her signing's gotten so good lately, it makes him that proud.

'Not now, Ashley.'

'Why not?'

'I'm Mommy's pillow,' he jokes, gesturing to his sleeping wife. 'Soon. Go watch cartoons or something.'

"It's OK," Olivia murmurs against his skin. Apparently they woke her up. He looks down and sees her wipe her eyes, smiling softly up at him. "We should get up anyway. We can't stay here forever."

That simple truth feels like a punch in the gut. They really can't stay there forever. But God, how he wants to. How he wishes he could stay in bed with her, just the two of them, the sun warming the sheets. If it were up to him, he'd close those curtains tight and pretend there was no world beyond that room. But he can't.

"OK," he whispers, kissing her hair. He lingers there a little longer than he normally does, hoping to somehow wordlessly tell her that he's sorry and he loves her and he really, really wishes there was another way.

'Go wake up your brother and wait in the kitchen,' Olivia signs to Ashley. 'We'll be out soon.'

Satisfied, the little girl runs off. Olivia slips from her husband's arms and gets dressed. Part of her can't even look at him. If she does, she'll have to face everything, and right now, that's enough to crush her. It doesn't matter how many people from Massive Dynamic explain to her that Peter and the machine are inextricably linked. It needs him, they told her. It won't kill him. But she's still terrified. They can't know that for sure. It reminds her of what it felt like when her father went to war – the hope that he'd be OK, the fear that he wouldn't, and the need to keep him close, to never let him go.

Of course, her father never came back from the war like he was supposed to.

But she shakes those thoughts from her mind. Peter has to do this. She knows that. And he'll be OK. They've suffered enough in their lives, haven't they? Surely he won't die.

As if reading her mind, Peter steps close behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing her shoulder. "You're thinking too hard," he whispers against her skin.

"Peter…" she murmurs, reaching a hand around to the back of his head, keeping him close.

"It'll be alright. This is us. We'll make it through this like we make it through everything else."

She hopes she's right. Despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead, she nods – to reassure him if not herself. "Come on," she says, twisting around in his arms. Hooking her arms around his neck, she kisses him tenderly. Sweetly. "Let's just have a good morning with the kids, OK?"

He nods, and she catches a flicker of pain behind his eyes. "OK."

Her next kiss is one of comfort. She knows he's slowly coming to terms with the risk he's about to take. But she also knows that part of him is only really starting to feel the gravity of it for the first time. "I love you," she murmurs against his lips.

He can't bring himself to respond, but she knows he loves her too. She's always known.

Their morning with the kids is a surreal one. It's odd, the way that they know something the kids don't. They do their best to keep it all from them – to act like everything's normal. The two and four year olds are far too young to understand it, let alone deal with it. Ashley and Liam help Olivia make pancakes, always quibbling over who gets to stir the mix or who gets to put the blueberries in. Peter makes eggs over-easy, bacon and grapefruit juice because he knows it's his wife's favourite. She feels like it should be her making him something, but he insists.

Then comes the hard part. They get the kids in the car and drive over to the lab. Astrid's offered to take care of them. Lately, she's been taking care of all the kids at Fringe Division, it seems. They're always leaving Ashley and Liam with her, and since Charlie was killed by a shape-shifter a couple of months ago, Sonya's been too busy working to take care of Lucy as much as she used to. Astrid's taken on the extra responsibility gracefully, without complaint – but then again, that's always been Astrid's way.

When he says his goodbye to Astrid, Olivia is distracting the kids in the corner. Astrid approaches him gingerly and he pulls her into a warm hug, smiling softly into her frizzy hair. He's known her just as long as he's known Olivia, since the Academy days. She's practically a little sister to him now. She's a devoted Aunt to his kids, a dear friend to his father. He'll always be grateful for everything she's done. But there's one more thing he must ask of her.

"Astrid," he says softly, pulling a letter from his pocket. "I don't know what's going to happen today, but if something goes wrong…"

"Peter…"

He sighs. "Can you give this to my family?" he asks, handing her the letter.

She shakes her head. "Whatever that says, you can tell them yourself."

"Please," he begs softly, pressing the paper into her hands. She doesn't have the heart to tell him no, so she nods. "Thank you, Astrid. For everything."

She tries to smile. "We'll be here waiting for you."

"Thanks," he replies sincerely, but his voice cracks under the strain.

His hands are shaking as he walks over to where his kids are playing with their mom. They look so happy it hurts him. He knows he's about to upset them, but he tries to remind himself that this isn't goodbye. They're going to make it out of this. He'll see his kids again soon.

He wants so badly to believe that.

He kneels down to their level, hugging them both tight. "I have to leave, kids," he says, biting back tears as he signs along so Ashley can understand. "I have to go to New York for work."

"When are you coming back, Daddy?"

"Soon, Liam," he chokes, holding both children close to him. "Soon, I promise."

Ashley waves to get his attention, seeing the unshed tears that hang in his eyes. 'Daddy, why are you sad?'

He forces a smile. 'I'm sad because I have to go far away for a while and I don't want to leave you.'

'Stay, Daddy,' Liam signs.

The pleading look in his children's eyes makes it so hard not to cry. He loves his children. Possibly more than they'll ever know. He doesn't want to do this. But if he loves them, he'll do what's best for them – he'll risk his life for them if he has to. "I have to go, buddy," he apologises. "But while I'm gone you take good care of your Mommy and your sister for me, OK?"

"OK," Liam whispers, hugging his father tight.

Peter rubs a hand over the boy's back, trying to soothe him. "I love you, Liam," he whispers into the boy's hair. "I'm so proud of you. Don't forget that, OK?"

Liam nods, wiping his eyes as he pulls back. He's trying so hard to be a big boy, to be brave, but he hates seeing his Daddy go away for work. It seems like his parents are always taking off somewhere, though he knows they have an important job.

Ashley is empathetic to Liam's sadness and starts crying too. She's always been that way with her brother – they share a bond nobody comprehends but them. Even Astrid sheds a tear, looking on with Olivia, who refuses to break. Peter pulls his daughter close for a bear hug and kisses her forehead. 'Don't cry, sweetheart,' he signs, forcing a smile and wiping her tears away with his thumb. 'You're way too pretty to cry.' He points to himself, crosses his arms over his chest and points to her: I love you. She signs the same thing back. 'I'll be home soon, darling girl,' he promises her. 'It's going to be OK.'

He hopes that he didn't just lie to his children, telling them it will all be fine. There's so much that he wants to tell them – so much that he's supposed to teach his kids as a father - but he's run out of time. As a family, they were barely getting started. He's failed them.

Peter feels himself start to tremble as he holds his children, possibly for the last time. He knows that if he stays there one more second he's going to lose it. That would only scare them. They're too young, he thinks bitterly to himself as he gives them one last kiss. They're too damn young for any of this.

"Daddy loves you both so much," he tells them one last time, struggling to keep it together. "Don't you ever forget how much I love you."

But it isn't until he's in the car, as Olivia drives them away from the lab on the way to New York, that he starts sobbing.

"There's a boat leaving for Manhattan in five minutes!" Broyles shouts, storming through the hangar where they're keeping the device. "I want all non-essential personnel on it! That means get out now!"

Scientists scuffle away at the roar of his voice. The ground is shaking now. There isn't much time left.

Peter is getting into a Massive Dynamic suit that will protect him from electrical currents. They don't know that it will help against a machine like this, but they have to take every measure they can. Brandon quickly packs his stuff to leave but Olivia stops him. "Brandon…" she starts. Her voice is weaker than she needs it to be. "What happens now? If Peter gets into the machine?"

"We're not sure," he admitted, his heart going out to her.

Her next question is a harder one. "Does he die?"

"No," he sighs. "I don't think so."

"You don't think so?"

He runs a hand over his face. "As I understand it, the machine is indestructible. So if Peter gets in, he should be safe. I'm sorry, Olivia, that's all I can tell you."

She can't take his word as gospel, but she has to trust it. After all, in all the years she's known him, she's can't remember a single time when Brandon's ever been wrong about something like this. She nods. Yes. He should be alright. "Thank you, Brandon. For everything."

He nods. "Good luck, Olivia," he says, and then he's on the boat back to New York.

Peter comes back in his suit, ready to go. There's a silence in the room now.

It's time.

Walter approaches his son, barely holding it together. "Can I get you anything, son? A sedative? Something to calm you?"

He shakes his head. "I'm calm."

And stunningly, it's true. Something's shifted in him. He's not afraid anymore. He knows this is right. It's what he was meant to do – what he was always meant to do. And if worst comes to worst, if he does die, then it will be worth it if the people he loves are safe.

"You're sure?"

"I'm OK, Walter."

Walter trembles. He looks like he'll cry. "I was never good at letting you go," he says quietly. But he knows it's his sacrifice to make. A son for a son.

"This time you have to," Peter says gravely.

The old man feels a stab of pride amid his despair. "Son…"

"I know," Peter replies with a small smile, and that is enough.

Broyles approaches them, offering Peter his hand. It initially took him a while to respect this young man, but now he can't help but admire Peter for what he's about to do. "The techs said they're ready when you are, Peter. Good luck."

Peter shakes his hand. "If this works and I save both universes, I want you to consider me officially retired."

Broyles is not often one to smile, but somehow he manages now. "I'll think about it," he jokes.

Turning away, Peter faces his wife. She forces a small smile, trying to encourage him, but she's shaking. He steps closer to her, tucking some hair behind her ear. He doesn't know what to say, so she speaks first.

"You ready?"

He smirks. "No. You?"

"No," she admits. There's a small smile between them now. She sees conviction in his eyes. He knows what he has to do. He's not afraid anymore. She can tell.

But damn her if she's not going to do every bit of this by his side. She takes his hand and walks right up to the machine with him. To abandon him any sooner would be a failure. He grips her hand. She grips his back.

Just as he's about to step onto the first platform, she tugs him back. "Peter…" There are a million things going through her head as she holds his gaze, but only one she can voice aloud. "I love you."

For a moment, he can't bring himself to speak. Holding her close, tenderly, with everything in him, he kisses her. Because they've never needed words anyway. Not really.

He realises that he's been with Olivia for almost ten years. Married for six. Could it have really been nine years? Already?

It felt so fast.

He wants that kiss to last forever, but it can't. They have to keep breathing. He presses his forehead against hers as they break apart, reminding himself why he's about to do this. He does it for her. For his children. Because all three of them have given him a love he's never before known. Because the world would be a darker place if they weren't in it.

Yes. They're worth the risk.

He kisses her one last time, softly, and somehow lets her go. He doesn't know how he manages to step away from her, but he does. The loss of her skin against his is a sharp sensation. He feels cold.

Looking up at the machine, he feels its call. He's never realised just how enormous it is until now, standing directly beneath it. For the first time, he wonders if it will hurt. Then he realises that even if there is pain, if this machine does want to harm him for some reason, he'll probably be dead before he can notice it.

Stepping onto the platform, he feels it raise him up, taking him to where he needs to go. He looks down at his wife, who's staring up at him just as terrified as he is.

And then they start coming. The flashbacks - his life "flashing before his eyes". Or more specifically, their life together, crammed into a thirty-second rush inside his head.

What he sees is this:

Olivia watching him read Liam to sleep, her head against the doorframe, a small smile on her face. Noticing the 13-month-old boy is well and truly asleep, his little face adorably squashed into the pillow, Peter closes The Little Prince and kisses him softly, switching off the light and joining his wife. He closes the door behind him, placing his hands on her hips as he kisses her. "You're good at this," she tells him earnestly. "Being a father." Those words mean a lot to him, and she knows it. She deepens the kiss, smiling against his lips as she breaks for air. "You still want another one of those?" she chuckles, nodding her head towards Liam's room.

He laughs. "You know I do," he replies, kissing down her neck. "And I think we should get started on that right away."

She laughs at that, the sound reverberating through his body. "Actually that's not really necessary."

"Do I need to give you a refresher course of 6th grade science, Livia?" he chuckles against her skin, kissing lower still. "Coz it's definitely necessary."

She realises he's missing the point. Kissing his lips once more, she smiles and takes his hand, placing it firmly against her still-flat belly and keeping it there.

His eyes go wide. "You're…?"

She nods.

"Say it," he asks her softly.

Grinning, she obliges, tenderly taking his face in her palm. "I'm pregnant."

But he still can't grasp it. "Say it again."

"Peter!" she laughs.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I just can't believe this!" he laughs joyfully, glancing between her face and stomach. "We're really having another baby?"

"I found out a few days ago. I've been waiting for a good time to tell you."

Shaking his head in joyous disbelief, he laughs and peppers her face with tiny kisses. "I love you," he murmurs. "I love you, I love you…" Deciding it's time to celebrate, he playfully picks her up and carries her laughing to their bedroom, kissing her all the way, both of them completely unaware that they will lose the baby only three weeks later.

Olivia at their wedding. The image of Olivia on that day remains the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. They decide to get married in Virginia – back where it all began. Akim still lives there, so they borrow his farm cottage for the wedding. They have so many memories of that house – making quiet dinners together, swimming in the lake on the farm, playing with Gene, sleeping together for the first time. It's spring, and the woods are more stunning than they've ever been. Everyone stays in the cottage for the weekend, and each person contributes something to the wedding. Astrid and Sonya cook every delicious meal from scratch, the guys set up tables, fires and fairy lights outside on the farm, little Ella is a devoted flower girl, Rachael has designed and made Olivia's dress herself and Greg puts his artistic expertise to use and does all the photography. Walter even offers Peter his purple suit (which he refuses), and some surprisingly touching fatherly advice. They all spend the weekend together as family, preparing everything, revisiting Quantico and relaxing - then on the Sunday night, Peter and Olivia get married. It's not a big wedding, but it's heartfelt. The only people there are the people that matter, and when they are officially pronounced husband and wife, Peter looks into Olivia's eyes and kisses her with all he has.

Olivia telling him she's leaving Quantico. She got a placement in Boston and she thinks it will be best if they break up. He tries to bargain with her, ask her what he did wrong, promises he'll try better. But she insists it's better this way, and he storms away from her, unable to contain his anger.

Olivia holding baby Ella for the first time in the hospital. She's utterly smitten with her new niece, bringing out a side of her he's never before seen. They're just boyfriend and girlfriend now, but for the first time ever, he imagines them ten years down the track, with a family of their own. He sees what the two of them together forever looks like, and it's beautiful.

Olivia and John at the Whitehorse. They're "just friends", but Peter knows better. He gets them their drinks and minds his own business, but when he sees John's hand gently brush Olivia's, there's a jealous tug in his gut that he fights to keep at bay. Then he shakes his head to clear it. Olivia's better of with John anyway. She deserves a good guy, not a criminal nomad who barely has his life together. No, he decides. He definitely doesn't have a chance with the likes of Olivia Dunham.

Olivia after her first date with Lincoln. She's furious. He maintains that he had a good reason to try to intimidate Lincoln, but she only yells at him. She tells him to mind his own business and stay out of her life, and when she calls him an idiot as she storms out of his room, he feels like one.

Olivia after she testifies against Harris. They fought during the trial, but that's over now. They cry in each other's arms, overwhelmed by the whole experience of facing her attacker. But when he looks into her tear-filled eyes, he sees that there's still fight in her. That's when he realises that she is more amazing than anyone he's every known. That's the moment when he decides that no matter what happens at the end of her training, he'd be the luckiest son of a bitch who ever lived if he got to marry her someday.

Olivia, sitting on the couch in their apartment, watching TV in his arms. In a quiet moment, out of nowhere, she kisses him and tells him she loves him for the first time.

Olivia doing shots with her college friends in his bar at Quantico.

Olivia gripping his hands, crying out through the pains of childbirth.

Olivia teaching Liam and Ashley how to ice skate.

Olivia sleeping in her hospital bed, bruised and broken, after Harris attacked her.

Olivia bringing him pizza on late nights at the lab.

Olivia holding his hand through bad nights in the NICU.

Olivia getting her Federal Agent badge.

Olivia kissing him for the first time.

Olivia.

Olivia.

Olivia.

Meanwhile, his wife watches on from the foot of the machine. Olivia feels sick. It suddenly hits her that if this doesn't work, she's just about to witness her husband's death. Right in front of her.

She can't watch. She can't.

But she finds that she can't turn away either.

Through the whirlwind inside her head, her primary feeling is one of panic. The thought of seeing her husband die, the world ending, raising their children alone. Part of her can't even believe this is happening at all. Peter's always been there. Through some of the worst times of her life, and some of the best. The thought of a life without him just feels wrong.

And the flashbacks start to come back to her too, her mind reeling through the past nine years she's had with this man as she tries to preserve every memory of him she can.

Peter sitting next to her under a tree. It's their honeymoon, and they've spent the past few weeks in Canada together, driving across the country, camping, snowboarding, skating, and hiking their way through the stunning national parks there. It's not a traditional honeymoon, but it's been a perfect adventure for them - they'd be bored to death on a beach somewhere. They're at Lake Louise now, just outside of Banff, and after weeks of making love under the stars they'll be finally sleeping in a real bed tonight. They sit on the grass, backs against an enormous pine tree centuries older than them, watching the Northern Lights shimmer in ethereal ripples over the horizon. The green and purple glow of the sky illuminates their skin, and Olivia drags her eyes away from the brilliant lights to glance at Peter's face. He's mesmerised, holding her close as they soak in their surroundings. As she snuggles closer in his arms, she realises there's a thin line between heaven and here. She wishes they could stay like this forever – in love, in the most beautiful place in the world, without a single thing to worry about. She tips his face to hers, kissing him tenderly, and in that moment, even the Northern Lights can't hold a candle to them.

Peter in bed next to her, his hand rubbing gentle circles over the large swell of her belly, whispering to their little girl inside. She pretends to be asleep, listening to his sweet words. "I can't wait to meet you, sweetheart," he says, tenderly kissing her belly. Hearing this, Olivia's heart swells and she feels their seven-month baby roll over inside her. "Mommy and I have waited so long to have you, and you have a big brother who's very excited and can't wait to play with you all the time. Things haven't been easy for us, little one. We've lost a few of your big brothers and sisters, but you're gonna make it. I know it. Daddy loves you so much, darling girl. Since the moment I found out Mommy was pregnant, I have always loved you…"

Peter in an ambulance. He caught a bullet on a raid. It's just a flesh wound, through and through the arm, but Olivia is shaken. Lying on his stretcher, he weakly laughs at how worried she is. "Now you know how I feel when you run off and do something stupid," he chuckles, and she can't help but force a little smile as she realises how worried her fiancé must get every time she goes on raids. He groans softly. "You know they never tell you in the movies how much getting shot actually hurts," he tries to joke, and she holds his hand, wishing she could make the pain go away.

Peter when they get home from Thanksgiving dinner with their family. He carries a sleeping Liam to bed and tucks him in, coming back out to meet his wife. It's been the first night out they've had in a while. They've had a hard year, between losing babies and managing Liam and saving the world. But they're still together and in love, and that's something to be thankful for. For the first time in a long time, they are relaxed. Happy, even. She kisses him, and he kisses her back, and before long they stumble into bed together, and Ashley Olive Dunham-Bishop is…conceived.

Peter joining in on the first years' Muck-up Day food fight at the Academy. He's covered head to toe in flour, coke, rotten fruit and fish oil, but when he kisses her, she savours it. Their time together in Quantico is running out, and she's sure that when she leaves him, she will break his heart.

Peter at the flea markets in Boston with her on a date, when he falls in love with that old, broken-down piano, buying it and making it his mission to restore it.

Peter having coffee with her after they haven't seen each other for four months. He's been in South Africa. He looks darker in the eyes than he was before he left. She's sure something happened to him over there, something terrible, but as they sit in the park and reminisce over old times, she doesn't have the courage to find out what.

Peter in the heat of an argument, telling her not to go undercover in the brothels because if she does, she'll be asking for it just like Harris said she did. She tells him she hates him and that he should move out. Their first huge fight.

Peter holding her from behind, his hands resting over the tiny baby in her belly as they watch the 4th of July fireworks with their friends and family, imagining what the future will bring.

Peter holding her when she was coming off heroin.

Peter kissing her under the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

Peter dancing with her at Charlie and Sonya's engagement party in Brooklyn

Peter taking her to Reiden Lake at 5am to see the sunrise.

Peter making her Red Russians at the Whitehorse.

Peter crying when Liam was born.

Peter glimmering.

Peter asking her to marry him.

Peter Bishop - the man who kisses her kids goodnight.

That's the moment when she realises that she wouldn't be able to survive in this world if he died. She watches, terrified, as she sees Peter step into the machine. There's an interaction between the two now – the device reacts to him, reaching out to hold onto him. That image of the device locking on to Peter - gripping his limbs, stringing him up as if he's about to be crucified - is as mesmerising as it is horrifying.

She wants so badly to close her eyes for this part, but she feels like that would do Peter a great disservice. If something goes wrong tonight, she needs to be with him to the end.

Because no matter how bad things got, they always got through them together. Always.

Til death do us part.

She never thought this day would come so soon.

Peter looks down on her one more time, hoping to silently communicate one last time that he loves her. Tears streaming down her face, she forces a tight smile and nods.

She knows.

As the machine locks onto him, stretching him almost painfully, one last memory refuses to let go of Peter's mind:

He's killing time at the bar in Quantico, day shift, nobody around. And that girl walks in. He's seen her before. She's 22 or 23. Blonde. Green eyes. Attractive, but not in a conventional way - she's actually classically beautiful. He can tell she's smart too. Ambitious. He might have flirted with her a bit in their brief conversations so far, but he sees this as his big opportunity to make a real first impression. She sits at the bar, asks for something special. She downs her first Red Russian with a grimace and he can't help but laugh. Her first week of FBI training has been brutal, and she won't readily admit it, but she misses home. They talk. She mentions a boyfriend and he feels like an idiot. But he continues his routine of friendly charm anyway. He figures she's nice. Interesting. More than meets the eye. He hopes, at the very least, they will become friends.

Then comes the important part. "My name's Peter," he says, smiling and offering her his hand.

She takes it, and the way her eyes look when she smiles nearly kills him.

"Mine's Olivia."

And with that thought in his head, the machine begins to hum.

And that's all, folks.

I know I will cop some flack for ending it this way, but I should quickly make one thing clear. I did not just blast Peter into non-existence. If you notice, I wrote this like the ending of the Last Sam Weiss where he goes in to destroy the other world to save those he loves. He survives, the other world dies, and Liam and Ashley still exist (like in the future universe before the finale ending).

Please review! I'd like to hear what you thought about this chapter but also the story as a whole. Did you have any favourite parts? Was there anything I could have done better? Please let me know, I love to hear what you all think.

Thanks again, God bless, and bring on season 4!

Ps. For those who have asked - no, there will not be a sequel. I've given you three stories, don't get greedy, lol! ; )