Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe.

Author's note: I wrote this in my head a long time before any of it made it to a Word file. I discovered Fringe relatively late and am only a little way through season 3, so I have no idea how the two Olivia's story live will pan out. I'll be curious to see how different it will be from what I thought might happen.

Title stolen from song by Enya, A Moment Lost.

#####

A Moment Lost

After months of preparation, the final showdown of the war loomed. Walternate's technology tore a rift between the universes in central New York, which allowed the newly assembled machine to be transferred across, guarded by a squadron of shape shifters. All they needed to do was to wait for the Fringe division to turn up, which they were bound to do sooner rather than later, and they could apprehend Peter for the next phase of the plan. The alternate universe's Olivia was under instructions to deliver Peter safely to the shape shifters and then ensure his co-operation.

Unknown to Walternate and the shape shifters, nearby molecules shifted with a bright shimmer and three figures stepped through. Behind them, the portal closed, the two universes returning to their parallel positions. Olivia pulled her red hair into a ponytail and then looked at her two companions. Both Charlie and Lincoln looked slightly queasy after their first universe hop, but at least they were not collapsing in a heap of tumours. They looked around them with open curiosity. Despite Olivia's reassurance, the men had expected people to be driving around in hovercrafts or flying with jetpacks, but from their vantage point, things looked pretty much the same as in their universe.

"Let's see if these still work." Olivia tapped on her radio, which automatically retuned itself to find a suitable frequency. Both men confirmed that their radios received Olivia's signal loud and clear.

"This is it, then." Olivia looked at her companions, giving them a nervous smile. "Let me know when you are in position."

The team jogged to the entrance of the alley they had landed in, and looked around. After ensuring that no shape shifters were in the vicinity, Charlie turned left and Lincoln right. Within minutes they had disappeared into the crowd gathering to gawk at the strange devise and expressionless soldiers guarding it. Olivia waited until the other two were out of sight and then turned back to the alley. She had to weave through a maze of alleys to get to the opposite side of the machine.

She was about to radio her position to Charlie and Lincoln when a familiar figure caught her eye. Peter had just pushed his way through the crowd to the front of the mass of humans all staring at what would be the end of their universe. Next to her, looking wary and nervous, was the Olivia from the alternate universe, her blond hair tied back and her black suite immaculate. Olivia tore her eyes from the couple, suppressing sudden feeling of anguish. There would be plenty of time for that later, if her plan worked.

"Francis, Lee, what's your position" Olivia spoke to her radio, turning away from Peter and the other Olivia so that they would not accidentally spot her.

"All set on your mark." Charlie's voice was clear in Olivia's ear piece.

"I'm in position, ready when you are." Lincoln's response came a few seconds later.

"Let's hope this works." Olivia muttered quietly and pulled out a canister from her backpack. "Deploy the amber in five, four, three, two, one, now."

Olivia set the canister on the ground at the edge of the crowd, the nozzle towards the shape shifters and activated the mechanism that started spraying the quarantine chemicals at the soldiers. The closest shape shifters turned towards her in alarm, while a similar ripple of confusion originated from two other points along the protective circle they had created.

"Seek cover!" Olivia shouted to her radio just as the shape shifters pulled out their laser pistols.

She counted down the seconds it would take for the chemicals to reach the desired area, while she dove behind a dumpster, narrowly avoiding getting shot. At ten seconds she started to focus her mind, creating a small fireball that hovered above her right palm. At fifteen seconds she pulled a cluster bomb from her backpack and stepping out from behind the cover she flung the bomb at the machine, followed by the fireball. She retreated behind the dumpster just as a laser beam went through her left calf, causing her to curse out loud. At twenty seconds, the bomb exploded with enough force to make the ground beneath her shudder and groan.

Her plan had been simple: blow up Walternate's machine and the shape shifters without turned Manhattan into a giant crater. That was where the amber procedure came in handy. The hardening chemicals absorbed most of the bomb's power, while obliterating everything within the amber area. The heat from the bomb would in turn negate some of the quarantine's potency, thus preventing a full amber area from being created. With that done, Olivia would be able to seal the rift Walternate had created, thereby saving both universes from suffering as a result of the attack.

As she lay behind the dumpster trying to ignore the pain in her leg, she hoped with every fibre of her being that the plan would work. If it did not, she was so close that any moment she would be suspended in permanent stasis within the amber. But as pieces of heated metal and amber rained down on her prone form, she dared to feel more hopeful. When silence finally returned, she cautiously pulled herself up and limbed out to the open. The sight before her made her let out a sob of relief.

Where the machine had stood just minutes before was now just scorched and cracked road, with the occasional bit of twisted metal and small puddles of mercury. Around the parameter, about a foot high area of amber had hardened, but the substance had spread no further. As she stepped over the wall to inspect the damage closer, she spotted familiar figures approaching her from the other side. Charlie appeared largely unharmed, but Lincoln was bleeding from his arm where a piece of metal was still lodged. Olivia limbed to them, wincing at the pain radiating from her calf.

"It worked." She said incredulously and then laughed. "We did it."

"It was a good plan, Dunham." Lincoln nodded.

Olivia was about the reply, when both men suddenly focused on something behind her. She turned and saw Peter and the other Olivia stop near the amber. Most of the crowd that had gathered earlier had made a hasty retreat once the canisters had been deployed. The rest had run away as soon as they could after the explosion. Both Peter and the other Olivia looked shocked at the destruction, but for different reasons.

"Hey Liv, it's time for you to come home now." It was Charlie who broke the silence. Him and Lincoln watched as their Olivia stepped into the quarantine zone and cautiously approached them. Behind her, Peter's expression changed from confused to horror as he began to understand.

While the other Olivia watched, Charlie pulled Olivia into a tight embrace. His voice was even huskier than usually when he spoke quietly to her ear:

"Take care of yourself, Liv. I'm glad I had a chance to meet you."

Olivia clung to Charlie as she blinked back tears that were threatening to fall. Loosing her friend the second time was no easier.

"Have a good life Charlie, and thanks for being there for me." As they stepped apart, Charlie brushed away a tear from Olivia's cheek. She smiled to him through the tears and then turned to Lincoln, who pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"Thanks for everything. Don't let the worms get the better of Charlie." He laughed at Olivia's words as he let her go. Much to his surprise, she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. It was her turn to laugh at his expression.

"Now you can say you've kissed us both, once." She winked at him and then turned to look at both him and Charlie.

"Thanks for believing in me." They shared a sad smile as they though of everything they had been through together.

Charlie and Lincoln moved to flank their Olivia, who had watched the goodbyes with confusion and a little envy. The men took one of her hands each and then linked their free hands together. They were ready to go home.

"The Secretary is going to be angry that his plan failed." Olivia remarked as she prepared to open one final gate between the universes.

"Broyles can handle him." Lincoln smirked.

"Thank Broyles for me, please." Olivia asked, as the air around the trio began to shimmer. Both Charlie and Lincoln nodded and with one last smile they were gone.

Olivia stared at the spot where her friends had stood for a moment and then turned her attention to the huge rift that was still glimmering and roiling sickeningly across her field of vision. It was going to take a while to seal. She sighed and got to work.