***** So yes, this is post Entrada, but my version of Marionette, basically. I wrote this before the episode aired, but then got caught up in other things and never got a chance to post this before the episode aired. So now I look like an idiot because obviously, this isn't what happened. I don't own any of the characters, but a girl can dream. I hope this makes sense/ there aren't any typos/ the grammar is fine. THIS IS MY FIRST EVER FAN FICTION. I'm really nervous.

CHAPTER 1: THE DIFFERENCES (OVER HERE)

Everything was different, and Olivia Dunham didn't know why.

Ever since her return, the people she was closest to have become distant. Astrid was busy in the lab, unable to come visit her in the hospital where they were making her stay for a few nights for observation. Broyles wanted to come see her, but was dealing with "personal issues" Olivia was told she would soon be aware of. Walter kept his distance only because Olivia asked. The first time he came to see her, every muscle in her body tensed for fight or flight when she saw him. She knew it wasn't fair—because this Walter Bishop wouldn't hurt her now, but it had become instinct. The eight weeks she had spent on the other side had rewired every connection she ever knew.

Especially Peter.

She wanted him closer. She needed to see his face, to be sure that he was real and not just a projection her mind wanted her to see. When he was by her bedside she never took her eyes off of him. Ever since she woke up, to find his face staring down at her, she hadn't been able to look away. Olivia knew she was showing too much emotion, she was letting Peter know how badly she had missed him—and how much she needed him.

She thought it would make Peter closer. He had always said "isn't the point of having people who care about you in your life... to have someone to talk to when you're scared?" Well, she was terrified—of Walter, of somehow still being pulled back over to the Other Side again, of losing Peter. So she clung to him, the one person she was sure cared for her.

But Peter seemed more distant than he ever was. He was there physically, but she knew from the look in his eyes that he was somewhere else entirely.

He hardly ever made eye contact with her. It was as if he was intentionally avoiding looking into her eyes. He seemed almost… afraid of her.

For reasons she couldn't explain, she was losing Peter. He was slipping away from her, minute by minute. She could feel a wall forming between them. She wanted to tear it down, brick by brick. But before she could even start, Peter had vanished behind it.

He was hiding something from her.

"You ready to go?" Peter asked her. Olivia was standing at the edge of her hospital bed. She was glad to finally be able to go back home—but for the first time she realized what that meant. Going home meant being alone. And ever since her return that was the one thing that frightened her the most. When no one was with her in the hospital room, she began panicking. Her fears seemed closer, and she couldn't stop the nightmares from coming. When she was alone, the images of needles and saws filled her mind. She could hear Walternate's voice telling men to subdue her. She could feel their vice like grip on her arms as they pinned her down. She felt lost in her own mind. Olivia didn't want to feel that way anymore—and with Peter, she didn't. She knew who she was when he was around.

She turned around and nodded. Peter picked up her bag and led the way out of the room. Olivia was reminded of the last time she had returned to this universe and had been hospitalized. "Oh, you can carry my suitcase."

She almost smiled at what now appeared to be such a lighthearted memory. Why had everything become so much more complicated?

In her mind, Olivia knew it all stemmed from a lie. Everything changed the moment she saw the glimmer around Peter, and knew what it meant. When Peter found out the truth, he was hurt. Not only had Walter—the man he thought of as his father—lied to him, but Olivia had lied to him. The two people he trusted the most had deceived him. He was angry with them from keeping the secret for so long, for not telling him what he had a right to know. So he left. He followed his real father back to his real home.

And Olivia knew she had to get him back. Even before she discovered he was in danger on the Other Side, Olivia was trying to come up with a plan to get him back. All she could think about was making sure he came back safely.

She crossed universes to rescue him. On the surface, it was to save him from Walternate, and to make sure the machine didn't destroy their world. But deep down, Olivia went to the Other Side for her own reasons. She couldn't bear the thought of living without him. She had been completely open with him on the Other Side; she told him he belonged with her. It wasn't something she was comfortable with sharing, being open with someone she cares about wasn't a strong suit. But Olivia felt it was so important that Peter knew how she felt, that she disregarded any uneasiness she had.

And look where it got her. Trapped in an alternate universe for two months, while her doppelganger lived her life and reaped the benefits of what she had said. You belong with me. Peter had come back for her, but he found someone else entirely.

The car ride was quiet, too quiet for Olivia. It was as if she was the projection, and Peter was ignoring her, like she had ignored him so much for the past eight weeks. Why was he ignoring her?

Olivia recognized where they were headed and perked up. Even though she would have to face Walter again, she knew he would at least talk to her, try to make her feel better with one of his jokes. Maybe Astrid would be there to lend her kind smile.

God she had missed the lab.

Peter parked the car and turned off the engine. "It's so good to be back," Olivia mumbled and Peter glanced over at her, giving her a small smile.

"I bet," he said. Olivia noticed how emotionless he was. She followed him as he walked through the campus and to the lab. She passed through the threshold and couldn't contain the smile from forming on her lips.

It was just as she had imagined it. Gene was in her stall, mooing. Astrid was smiling at her, coming up to pull her into a hug. "It's good to see you again, Olivia," she said.

"Thanks," she said and instantly felt lighter. Walter was sitting in the back, twirling a Red Vine in his hand unconsciously.

"Agent Dunham!" he said excitedly. Olivia's body stopped moving. Her instinct told her to run—to flee and put as much distance as she could between herself and Walter. But instead, she forced herself to smile at him.

"Hello, Walter." He smiled back at her, delighted that she seemed to be over her aversion to him. He bounced off the chair and approached her.

"It is so good to have you back." Olivia smiled and then Walter unexpectedly pulled her into a hug. It was so unlike him, that she stood frozen as he released her.

"Oh! Oh, dear," Walter mumbled and stepped away from Olivia shamefully when he realized she was immobilized.

"I'm sorry."

"No! Don't apologize! I understand. When you come back, the damage can be… irreparable." As he finished his sentence, he turned his head to where Peter was standing off to the side, watching their little family reunion. Peter scowled at his father. Olivia felt out of the loop, but was sure someone would fill her in on what had just passed between the Bishops.

"We were all so worried, Olivia," Walter babbled, filling in the silence with chitchat. "I can't even begin to imagine what happened to you."

At his words, everyone fell silent. Olivia felt all eyes on her, and she fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew this moment would come. They were going to ask her to talk about her time on the Other Side. But she had already decided in her mind—it wasn't even a decision she made, she just knew—that she wouldn't tell them everything.

She would keep the pain to herself. No one needed that burden on their shoulders. She was strong enough to handle it on her own.

"But you must be exhausted," Walter was still rambling, but Olivia was caught in her own head. At those words though, an automatic response escaped her lips.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"We should get you home then," Peter piped up. Olivia turned to look at him. He was looking in her direction, but his eyes were focused past her. He wouldn't look directly at her. She willed him to look at her, but her pleading eyes did no good.

"Um…" Olivia started. She noticed the room had fallen silent again. She froze. She didn't want everyone to hear what she was about to ask. She didn't want them thinking she was weak and breakable.

"Agent Dunham, we can't possibly expect you to stay alone, not now at least," Walter interjected. She sighed in relief. Walter was giving her the perfect opportunity.

"Aw, you don't have to do that."

"No, no, I insist," Walter said. "Your ordeal must have caused mental anguish. I would much prefer if you came home with us." Olivia looked up at Peter to gauge his reaction. He was once again staring behind her. "So I could keep an eye on you."

Olivia nodded and Walter smiled. "Good, now that that's settled, who's up for a root beer float?"

Peter smiled lightly. "Now's not the time, Walter." Walter's face dropped, but he understood. Peter began edging towards the door and everyone followed. Astrid gave Olivia one last hug good bye and left. Peter and Olivia waited patiently for Walter to close up the lab.

The car ride to the Bishops was much more relaxed. Walter kept a constant babble, and Peter stretched the conversations, trying to avoid any long periods of silence. As he pulled into the driveway, Walter addressed Olivia. "There's a spare bedroom upstairs."

"That sounds perfect," Olivia said, and she was telling the truth. She had gotten what she wanted, people around her so she wouldn't be alone.

Peter took her suitcase to the bedroom and Olivia followed Walter into the kitchen, where he began making himself a snack. Olivia wandered through the house, picking up pictures and old dusty records. Walter joined her and started explaining the stories behind each picture.

"Taken when Peter was six," Walter said of a family portrait. "Before all of this madness had even started."

Olivia stared at the smiling boy in the picture, sitting between his parents. He didn't look sick. He didn't look like he could be dying. But Olivia knew that only one year after this picture was taken, everything would be different. This Peter would be dead, and Walter would cross between the universes to save the Peter she knew.

It was strange to her knowing that the Peter she loved wasn't from here. She shouldn't know him. And yet if she didn't, nothing would be the same. If the other Peter had survived, would he be anything like the one she knew?

"Whatcha looking at?" Olivia startled as Peter entered the room. Walter showed him the picture, and Peter took it between his hands. He glanced at the faces and placed it back on the mantle. He knew that it wasn't really him in the picture. "Your room's all set up," he said to Olivia. She nodded. "Come on, let me show you where it is."

She followed him upstairs. "The bathroom's right here," he said as they passed a closed door. "Feel free to take anything you need. And I can go to the store and get anything. Just ask."

"I'll be fine," Olivia said. Peter pointed to another closed door. "My room," he said and Olivia nodded. "And here's yours," he said, opening the last door in the hallway. He flicked on the light, which shone on the bed and dresser.

"It's not much," Peter admitted, "but with Walter I figured we wouldn't ever have many guests over."

Olivia laughed, but Peter didn't.

"And that's been the grand tour," Peter said with a smile.

"Thanks," she answered with her head down. "And thank you for letting me stay. I—uh—didn't want to go back home just yet. I guess it still hasn't set in that I'm safe now."

She raised her eyes, to find Peter looking at her. But they weren't showing what she expected. They were incredibly sad, as if her words had hurt him.

"You're safe now, Olivia," he said and finally gave her what he wanted. He closed the distance between them and embraced her. She let herself fall into his body and feel the warmth coming from him. At that moment, in Peter's arms, she felt safe. Peter placed his chin on her head and held her tightly. He hated lying—especially to Olivia.

But what made it worse was that the truth would hurt her even more than the lie.