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“June can be his godmother. Mozzie can be listed as his uncle,” El suggested, writing down names. Peter chuckled, picturing Mozzie’s face when he would learn that he was now Neal’s adopted uncle. Though the man hid his feelings well, Peter knew that Mozzie had a soft spot for Neal-as did they all.
“Diana can be Neal’s Aunt, if she’s amenable. You don’t mind having her as a sister, do you?” Peter asked, and El grinned broadly.
“Not at all, hon. And Hughes can be Neal’s grandfather, of a sort.” She teased. Peter groaned at the mere idea.
“Fine, but Jones is going to be Neal’s godfather, even though June is older than Jones.”
“June and Jones.” El said with a giggle. “Going for J-names, honey?” She teased, and Peter shook his head-spotting Neal coming in from the living room to the kitchen with Mozzie.
Peter observed Neal, and wasn’t sure he liked what he saw-the kid put on a good act: chipper, pushing Mozzie around and asking El if breakfast was up. But Peter could clearly see the bags under the kids eyes, the shakiness of his hands, and the darted looks to the windows and doors, checking escape routes.
If they successfully adopted him, Peter mused, they’d have to have some serious talks with one another.
“Hey, Peter, thanks again for last night.” Neal’s voice made him look up from the paperwork.
“Oh? Oh,” He said, things clicking as he came back into focus. “It was not any trouble, kid. One moment,” Peter added, getting his phone that was vibrating on the counter. “Agent Burke,” He said, and then listened to Diana telling him about Ghovat. “Really? Excellent. Okay, I’ll be in soon. Oh, and I’m bringing in someone with me too,” He added, and clicked the phone shut before Diana could ask who. It was a ‘kill two birds with one stone-showing Neal what he did, and asking if the people at work wanted in on being Neal’s family’ kind of thing.
“Oh? Who’s going?” El asked.
“Neal, if he wants to. We’ve got a lead on Ghovat-”
“Ghost? You’ve actually got a lead on the Ghost? Can I come?” Neal asked, eagerly. Peter grinned at him.
“As long as you promise to stick by my side.” He said and Neal nodded, beaming as he munched a piece of toast that El pushed towards him.
~*~
They wound up planning a party to draw in Ghovat, and Neal turned out to be the best at planning parties and even provided them the perfect spot, unlike the spot that Peter had picked. Neal had good taste, Peter couldn’t help but admit, and he was more than a bit annoyed when Neal suggested that his wife plan the party since that was what she did, and she was a good event planner.
“I’m really not going to be happy if this comes back to bite us on the ass,” Peter grumbled, as he was helping Neal and El shop in a very expensive store for wines and other alcoholic drinks. Peter spotted a nice looking rolex and paused to admire it a bit.
“Nice watch,” Neal said, eyeing it thoughtfully.
“No stealing it, kid.”
“I wouldn’t!” Neal protested, but there was a smirk on his face as he said it. “I’d only borrow.”
“Borrowing it without asking is stealing,” Peter chided. “El, got everything?”
“Neal, what year is that wine?”
“Fifty six,” Neal said. El pouted.
“I was hoping for sixty or older, that’ll have to do I guess.” She said.
“Honey, this is all on budget.”
“I’m paying for some of it, and so is my friend-he’s always wanted to be a part of an op.” Neal said with gleaming eyes.
Peter shook his head, but they got what they needed, so he guessed he really shouldn’t complain much.
~*~
The party turned out to be a bust, though Neal the girl who’d spotted Ghovat seemed anxious as well as almost terrified when he started talking (she’d only heard his voice, which was just as well). Neal walked up to who she’d said was Ghovat before Peter could stop him.
“Damn it, Neal.” Peter hissed.
“Boss, want one of us to go in?” Diana was worried about her potential nephew, he knew, and also about the danger of this whole situation.
“No…he’s coming back. Neal, what the hell?” Peter said, scowling at him. Neal blinked, looking honestly confused.
“I just slipped my phone into his pocket and stole his phone. Here,” Neal handed it to him. “That way, we can track him, right?”
“Wow, boss. That was clever.” Jones said admiringly. While it was (and Peter hated admitting it) clever, that didn’t ease his worry about Neal.
“Kid, you’re going to wind up giving me a heart-attack. Come on, let’s head on out.” Peter grumbled.
They went out, the party being mostly a success, for which would make El happy.
~*~
A day later, the witness who’d seen Ghovat was being moved from base to a safer location. Neal, however, wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“You seen Neal, Mozzie? We were supposed to head in today,” Peter grumbled as Mozzie came into their home. El poured them all coffee. They’d gotten the dress from the dead girl, and had yet to go over it. It was turning into one puzzling mystery, and Peter wasn’t sure that they’d catch Ghovat.
“You mean he’s not here? He wasn’t at June’s or his apartment-June said she hadn’t seen him since he came here.” Mozzie told him worriedly. Peter’s heart clenched, just as his phone rang.
“Agent Burke.” He snapped out.
“Agent Burke is it? Very interesting…” A cold voice stated, making him frown. “You have something of mine, Agent Burke. I would like it back.”
“Oh, and what’s that?” He asked casually. Mozzie and El were watching him worriedly.
“That little red dress you were parading around? That would be meant for me. In one slip of the right strap, there is a flash drive. I want it.” He said simply.
“Oh? And what if I don’t give it to you?” He asked, sounding tense even to his own ears.
A pause and then a tentative voice spoke sending a chill down his spine.
“Peter? It’s Neal…”
“Neal? Are you okay?” Peter asked, and El gasped while Mozzie went pale.
“Fine.” Neal sounded less than fine, actually, and Peter withheld a growl. “He…he hasn’t done anything except knock me out when he took me. Peter…he’s got a knife.” Neal sounded uneasy, and Peter shouldn’t wonder-Neal hated violence, and he was only a kid after all…barely twenty one, if that.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get my team together, we’ll come after you…” Peter promised.
Ghovat returned to the phone.
“So. A trade then, yes? You give me drive, I give you Neal.” He purred.
“Where and when?” Peter demanded.
“The fountain in the Regent’s Park. Be there tomorrow at noon. I won’t bother telling you not to bring your agents.”
“And if I’m not there?” Peter challenged. There was a pause, and then Ghovat said with a chuckle,
“Oh, I think if you are not there, Neal here will be very sorry.”
The phone call ended.
~*~
After discussing it with El and Mozzie over dinner, and informing his team (Diana and Jones were both pissed that Neal had been kidnapped and wanted to help out), he was prepared for anything that tomorrow would bring him.
Or so he desperately hoped.
~*~
It was a bright, warm sunny day, and it was the one good thing that seemed to stand out. Peter was anxiously waiting for Ghovat at the fountain, looking around to see where they would show up. He wasn’t sure if this was such a grand idea, coming without a vest or anything except his gun tucked into the back of his pants. But he didn’t really have a choice.
The phone call took place at exactly noon.
“Right on time,” Peter said, forcing himself to sound calm. “I don’t see you-or Neal.”
“And you won’t.” Ghovat said smugly. “You know the open park area next to the small fountain? It’s 300 feet from you. You have one minute-run.”
Peter ran, hoping that this wasn’t a bad sign of things to come, and finally reached it, gasping as he did so. (He needed to do more excerise, he was starting to get a bit out of shape.) Finally he reached it, and he saw Ghovat and Neal standing next to it. Ghovat had a hand on Neal’s right arm, and Neal looked annoyed and a little uneasy.
“Very good, Agent Burke.” He said, holding a phone in his hand as he spoke. “I see you brought the dress-excellent. Now…Neal, go to the agent.” He shoved Neal a bit, and Neal lost his balance and nearly fell. Glaring at Ghovat, he turned and made towards Peter.
“You okay?” Peter asked him, but Neal remained quiet-which didn’t bode well. “Here,” Peter tossed him the dress.
“Now. You will see I added a bit of detail to Neal. His belt is lined with plastic. If I call a number from my phone, he will go boom.” Ghovat said with a smirk. Neal was trembling at the words, and Peter cursed Ghovat to the nine hells and hades. “Now, should you try to come after me, I shall call. Should you try to do anything, I will call. Enjoy.” Ghovat turned and vanished into the tree line that was close by.
“Peter…” Neal said, his voice shaking.
“Neal, it’ll be fine-“”
“Peter, call his number! It’s 557-8902. Call it!” It took him a moment, and then he realized what Neal was saying-smart Neal.
“I want you all to call this number, 557-8902! Do it, and keep dialing until I tell you!” Peter barked at Hughes on the phone, who was in the van with agents of his own.
He struggled to get the belt off, and finally managed to do so, and tossed it into the fountain-where nothing happened.
Neal was shaking as Peter checked him over, but beyond the bump on the back of Neal’s head, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong.
“Thanks,” Neal said quietly.
“Thank you for getting yourself kidnapped. You had several people worried,” Peter grumbled lightly, and Neal sighed.
“He took me by surprise,” Neal admitted, biting his lower lip. “I swear I didn’t…”
“Neal-it’s fine,” Peter hastily reassured him. “Now…come on. Diana just called in and said she got Ghovat. Let’s go celebrate?”
Neal grinned, and though it was full of relief, Peter couldn’t help but smile back at him.
~*~
After Ghovat was taken away, it wasn’t back to the Burke’s place, but to June’s-at Peter’s insistence. He was confused about why they wanted to go there-though he didn’t really mind. As soon as he made it into the doorway, June grabbed him and wrapped him into a hug.
“Neal. Don’t ever worry me like that again!” She scolded, and Neal blinked.
“It wasn’t quite Neal’s fault, June. This was entirely on the bad guy’s,” Peter told her.
“Are you all right, dear? I’ve got tea waiting up on the deck. Peter and El have something they want to ask you.” June shoo’d him quickly to the deck, where Neal was even more bewildered and confused at what was going on. Peter hastened to stay next to him in case he would bolt.
“Okay, Neal.” El said, once she, Peter, Mozzie, and June were settled. Diana and Jones were both with Hughes, and the three of them would hear what Neal would say later. “I know we don’t know each other very well-hardly at all even-but I thought about it, and so did the rest of us. Peter and I wish to adopt you as our son.” El said quietly, staring seriously at Neal, but with a smile on her face as she said it.
Neal stared back, without the smile.
“Why?” He asked, confused. Peter’s heart broke at the question, and he was sure that El’s did too. June and Mozzie glanced at one another, but didn’t interfere.
“Because we’ve come to love you, and it’s like…it’s as though you’re meant to be a part of our life, the part we could never get before.” Peter said bluntly. “You saved El’s life, you helped me to solve a case, you’re smart, and frankly the only downside is that you attract way too much trouble for a kid your age.” Peter stated.
“We’d love to claim you as ours. Neal Burke, if you’d like. You could live with us, or still stay with June, for we were thinking that Mozzie can be your Uncle, and June your Aunt. Diana may be your godmother, and Jones can be your godfather, if you’d like. We want you to be a part of our family.” El explained earnestly.
Neal stared at them, confusion and uncertainy as well as hope on his face.
“There WILL be rules, of course.” Peter said mildly. “And chores. El does dishes and I do laundry, and we both walk the dogs and take care of them. We’ll find something for you to do as well, since you’ll be part of the family unit.”
“But there’ll also be your own room, and you can decorate however you want. We’ll need to go shopping to get you some clothes, and things I’m sure, but-“”
“Alright,” Neal said suddenly, startling El. “All right, I’ll…I’ll be your son. If you-if you really want me.”
“Of course we want you,” El said, and opened her arms.
Neal hesitated before going in them, and then Peter joined his wife and Neal-his son-and together they had a tearful, happy family hug that Peter would never forget even after he was long dead and gone.
It seemed that the Burke family had finally grown, just as he’d always hoped it would, and hopefully Neal would stop chasing the ghosts of his past.
Because he was home.
~*~
End