Title: Unraveling
Fandom: Fringe
Characters: Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Through 1x02: The Same Old Story
Summary: Scene filler for 1x02: The Same Old Story. Olivia introspection and Peter/Olivia friendship (or more) -- depending on what color glasses you're wearing.
Word Count: 300
Disclaimer: Fringe and its characters belong to FOX, not me. This story is purely meant to entertain. No copyright infringement is intended.

Unraveling

"Why don't you tell her that everything's going to be OK?" Olivia snaps at Peter, and feels the recoil of her words reverberate through her body, even as she stalks away.

It's not his fault.

Sneaking off to shabby motels with creaky beds, sharing sidelong glances heavy with a meaning she'd believed only two people could decipher, she'd grown used to those secrets and lies, even felt a little thrill.

Now she examines the classified file of her love life and tries to make the jagged-edged pieces fit into some kind of pattern.

I love you.

Surrounded by a park full of people, Olivia feels how very alone she is, and wonders: was any of it more than a lie?

Peter sits. "Hey."

"I'm sorry about the lab. I don't usually…"

"What?"

"…lose control."

"To tell you the truth, it was kind of a relief. You've been so together with everything that's going on, I was starting to develop an inferiority complex."

In spite of herself, she smiles. If Peter only knew… But thankfully, her skin isn't crystalline and transparent; some secrets still remain her own.

"Knowing that Walter's work is responsible for all those murders -- I just want you to know that you're not alone here."

Then again, maybe the bad-boy genius with the mad scientist father sees more than she'd like. And maybe he understands, just a little.

"Listen"—his fingers graze the top of her hand, and something inside her contracts as she struggles to keep her expression neutral. "I can't believe that I'm about to propose this, but I think we've actually figured out a way to track down that psycho."

"How?" she asks, shutting the door on her emotions and becoming Agent Olivia Dunham once again.

There is more than one pattern to uncover.

A/N: Thanks for reading. :)