Title: Second Chances

Author: Samspade

Rated: T

Summary: A different ending to 3x22. Peter comes back only to have to change the course of history (or rather present day) to save both universes.

"You're alive!" His eyes were wide and the shock and smile on his face don't go unnoticed by Olivia. She gave him a peculiar look but it didn't last as she helped him down the stairs, relieved to see he was okay.

"What did you mean, I'm alive?" Olivia finally asks, turning around as she is now on the floor with Peter. Everyone seemed to be watching them but she didn't care. She wanted to know what was going on and by the looks of it so did Walter and Broyles.

"Right now, it doesn't matter." He threw his arms around her, felt her presence that she was real. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent – everything that made her Olivia Dunham. As of right now, he had fifteen years with her. He had to change it. He needed more. Fifteen years wasn't a lifetime. It wasn't enough of one. He knew now what he didn't know then, the first time according to Walter. "We have to do things differently this time. Our worlds are quantum entangled." His grip loosened but he still kept a hand on her, needing to make sure she wouldn't slip away. He couldn't lose her again. It was the most painful loss he'd ever experienced.

"I don't understand, Peter." Olivia gave him a slight frown. Her fingers moved up to touch his head. He didn't flinch or so much as pull away. "Right now, I've doomed all of us. The moment I stepped into that machine I've begun the destruction on their world and it will inevitably now destroy ours. One can't live without the other."

"You don't know that," Olivia objected, her eyes staring at him but so incredibly confused.

"I do, Olivia." He nodded adamantly. "I've seen things that – I've seen what becomes of our world and of us and believe me, changes need to be made."

"How?" She stared up at him, ignoring the fact Walter and Broyles had stepped closer, needing more information.

"I'll start with going over there, doing what is necessary to change the fate of both our worlds."

Olivia shook her head, "Peter, no." Her voice cracked, her bottom lip already trembling. She'd chased after him once when he went over there. Circumstances may have been different but as far as she was concerned, it was a death sentence.

He stared deep into her green eyes, "I have to but not tonight."

Two hours later:

"I don't remember hot water ever feeling this good," Peter breathed stepping out of the hotel bathroom, steam following as he dried the back of his neck with one towel while the other remained wrapped around his waist.

Olivia sat on the bed, absentmindedly flipping through the channels. The moment she saw him, she flipped it off, her attention completely on him. "Can we talk?" She breathed.

"Sure," Peter nodded heading towards his bag, finding a pair of boxers and sliding them on. He came over towards the bed, pulling back the covers as he watched Olivia sit above it. Her hands were fidgeting and he reached out, resting a gentle hand over hers.

Olivia opened her and the words came out quicker than she anticipated, "how do I die?"

He let out a soft sigh, stretching out and pulling her to lie with him. He needed to feel her body, her warmth, her strength. "Walternate did it." Peter momentarily closed his eyes, remembering the pain and held her tighter. "He wanted me to feel loss like I did to him. I destroyed their world." He whispered. "The moment I stepped foot into that machine, I killed all of us."

"You don't know that's what will happen." Olivia whispered kissing him softly. "The future isn't written in stone. It can change."

Peter's eyes widened, "oh and it will." He was adamant. "Fifteen years together isn't enough." He ran his hand across her hip.

She nodded slowly, "and us. Are we still - together?" She hated even asking. She had to know though. She needed to know what happened to them, to their relationship.

Peter smiled pulling her closer, nuzzling his nose against hers. "You have that little faith in us you have to ask?"

Olivia frowned, a slight pout on her lips, "no. I just—"

He smiled wanting her to know everything good. He wasn't sure after tomorrow when he would see her again. "We got married but not after several years together. It was a long haul. Walter goes to prison because someone has to get blamed for all of this - Broyles gets injured but does manage to put a spin on it and become Senator and you, my love, you become the head of Fringe Division." He leaned in kissing her softly. "Do you think me telling you this will change everything like telling a fortune?"

Olivia laughed softly, "I don't know, I don't mind the idea of becoming the head of Fringe Division."

Peter rolled his eyes, "of course you wouldn't mind."

"So we're married?" She smiled making a face.

"What's that look for?" Peter laughed.

"I just never thought you would be the marrying type." Olivia shrugged, "besides if what you say is true – why get married, have children and start a family when the world is being destroyed."

Peter sighed. Even now she sounded just like the Olivia he married. Of course it was because it was his Olivia but still – "you still have trouble coming to terms with that later. Wanting kids was – something I wanted and you fought me on." Peter admitted. "It wasn't a big fight but you couldn't see why raising a child would be good."

Olivia nodded, "interesting," she gave him a look. "So we never had children."

"None." Peter shook his head. "We didn't exactly try though either. I mean we were very careful." He elaborated.

Olivia sighed, "I guess that's good because I was worried since I'm late but I guess there's truly nothing to worry about if you are the Oracle and know the future." She laughed softly rolling onto her back, her head turned staring at him.

Peter's eyes widened moving to sit up slightly as he stared at her, "you're late? As in – you might be pregnant?"

Olivia nodded slowly, "yeah but don't look so worried. You said we never had children."

"No, we didn't." Peter nodded slowly knowing she was right. Was it possible she had been pregnant and never told him? He didn't think so but he couldn't be certain. She had been adamant early on about not wanting to raise a child under the world that they'd created. He sighed, "you should take a test, before tomorrow."

"Why?" She stared at him, "you're leaving either way and I'm not going to be the one that stands in the way of you saving both worlds, Peter. I want you to stay, believe me, I do." She breathed, "but you said it yourself, you've seen the future and both worlds are dying."

There was a quiet silence that enveloped the room. He reached down, a hand resting on her abdomen. She smiled faintly staring at him, waiting for him to say something. No words came but in that moment, she saw how happy having a child would one day make him.

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper as she leaned closer, rolling onto her side staring at him. "Do you know how you're going to do it?"

He glanced from her stomach up to her eyes. "Stop the inevitable? No idea." He confessed. "I do know that we are the First People - in fact," he smiled, "after seeing your drawings a few weeks ago, I think Ella may take after you."

"Ella?" That was the first she'd heard of her niece.

"Oh yeah," Peter nodded, "followed in your footsteps with joining Fringe Division. I suspect she may have done the drawings. You certainly have the talent and I wouldn't be surprised if she did as well."

Olivia smiled, sliding one leg between his as she wrapped her arm around his waist, "interesting." She pursued her lips, thinking for a long moment before asking, "what's she like?"

"Amazing, reminds me of you actually." Peter smiled, "she grows up nicely, a little too fast with how things go downhill but she's a great kid, even better adult."

"What if – " her worlds trail off, unsure she even wants to voice her fears, "what if you don't make it back here, Peter." She feels a heavy knot in her stomach and he leans his forehead against hers.

"I can't live knowing when you'll die. I'll go over, destroy Walternate and work at turning things around. I want you to go work for Massive Dynamic."

"Are you kidding me?" Her mouth dropped.

"We have to start somewhere to change the world that we live and I think your ability is a really good place to start." Peter admitted. "It takes you years to learn to control it but I think with their help and your willingness to want to learn, it may be the key in all of this."

"Then what about Fringe events that happen?" Olivia couldn't believe she heard him correctly.

"Broyles will figure out a new team to lead the division. I don't think it's such a bad idea, Olivia. I'd rather you have full protection at Massive Dynamic in case Walternate decides to show himself and come after you."

"You said he wouldn't do that for fifteen years." Olivia frowned. This was confusing her.

"I changed the timeline or I will when I go over there." Peter reminded her.

Olivia ran her fingers down his back, feeling a slight shudder course through his body, "how are you going to travel between worlds?" She'd done it with the Cortexiphan running through her body but she didn't know how Peter planned on going over there. "Besides, don't you think traveling over there would create another tear in their world. You'd be destroying them faster and inevitably us as well."

Peter sighed, "you're not going to give this up, are you?" He knew she wouldn't want to let him leave.

"I'd rather have fifteen years with you then none." She whispered staring at him. "I'm being selfish, I know." She wasn't great with goodbyes and in all honesty she didn't want him to leave.

"Olivia," his voice was grave and it sent her stomach somersaulting, "the world that we live in, what it becomes – everyone knows someone that has died in a Fringe event. It's the End of Days and I know talking about it doesn't come close to living it but those sixty seconds I was in the machine – it was fifteen years for me. What you think may be this beautiful marriage, I do love you but I want us to have kids, I want a family and not to worry about amber protocols and stage three degradation. You've lived in that other world, you know what it's like too."

She sighed burying her face in his neck, "I just, I hate saying goodbye, that's all." She sniffled slightly feeling her eyes burning with tears. She didn't want him to see her crying.

His hand moved across her back in soft soothing motions. He didn't want to leave, risk never seeing her all over again but what choice did he have? He didn't come back to relive the past. He came here to change it. To make the world a better place. He had decided the world couldn't get any worse than what it had become and losing Olivia was not an option. Tomorrow morning before she woke he'd slip out and use the machine to cross over. He would assassinate Walternate and work to convince the other Fringe Division that they needed to work together to preserve both worlds. He just hoped it would all work out.