Alas, this is the final chapter of the story.

An Escape to Forget

Chapter 4:

Peter cautiously opened the door and stepped through.

Due to the fervent search for Neal, the main floor was mainly deserted. Only one security office had remained to keep a sharp eye on the monitors for the escapee.

Peter made sure that he and Neal were hidden from view behind a pillar. But the front door was on the other side of the security desk. They couldn't get by without being seen.

Peter carefully lowered Neal tentatively to the ground. Neal looked up at him in puzzlement. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but Peter covered Neal's mouth with his hand. He then placed his finger over his own lips to indicate that Neal needed to be quiet.

Neal nodded and Peter pulled his hand away. Peter crouched down beside Neal, watching the officer and trying to think of a way out.

Suddenly, an idea hit and he looked expectantly at Neal.

When he had first gone looking for the Neal, he had been able to find the ex-con by following Neal's singing. Now, he would perform the same tactic.

"I need you to do something very important for me," Peter said in a whisper meant only for Neal's ears.

Neal's eyes widened hopefully; happy and ready to help.

"Sing."

Neal's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You stay right here and sing," Peter ordered quietly, pointing at the very spot that Neal sat. "Understand?"

Neal bobbed his head in agreement. Peter examined him for a moment and lightly patted Neal's head. Then he stood and hurried out of sight. Neal watched him go sadly and then pain etched upon his face, marring his fair features.

Peter had left him.

He was sad enough to sing.

The melody sounded low and forlorn in his throat but then grew loud and confident, switching from somber to light-hearted and full of love as he forgot of Peter and focused only on the song.

Startled by the sound, the guard left his station and followed the voice to the pillar. He moved around it and his gaze locked onto Neal.

Neal noticed that he was no longer alone and his song died in his throat.

"Uh-oh," he said.

The guard lifted his hand to the radio pinned to his shirt when something hard collided with the back of his head. With a gasp, the guard fell in a heap at Neal's feet. Standing above him, was Peter; a small, decorative table hanging from his fingers.

"Peter!" Neal exclaimed jubilantly.

Peter offered the man a brief smile before dragging the unconscious guard back to his post. Peter quickly hand-cuffed the man to his desk and then hurried back to Neal.

"All right. Let's go," Peter urged as he lifted Neal to his feet and offered the ex-con his support.

The two hurriedly departed through the front door and Peter guided Neal towards his car.

"There you are," a scolding voice sounded suddenly from behind.

Peter froze and turned slowly. He let out a sigh of relief as Mozzie trotted up to him. He felt that he should have been more suspicious than he was about the custodial uniform that the bald man donned, but decided it was an insignificant matter at the immediate moment.

"Oh," Mozz said skeptically. "It's you." Then his eyes traveled to Neal. "What happened to him?"

"A whole lot of sedative," Peter answered.

"I see," Mozz said, examining his friend closely. "Nothing fatal but he will have quite the headache when he comes to."

With his examination complete, Mozz turned on his heel and started in the opposite direction.

"Hey," Peter called after him. "Where are you going?"

"To do illegal stuff involving illegally attained documents," Mozz answered snidely. "The usual. Nothing a 'suit' like you should worry about."

Before Peter could say more, Mozz hurried off towards the car he and Neal had come in. The bags of rescued documents waited in the back.

Peter watched him go with a disapproving shake of his head. He thought it strange that one of Neal's only friends would desert the ex-con so quickly. Shocking still was that the co-con had left Neal with a "suit" like Peter.

But then maybe Mozz had finally submitted his trust to Peter just like Neal had. Perhaps Neal's trust in the agent had tempted Mozz to do the same. Or it could have been Mozz's trust in Elizabeth that had caused him to extend that trust to Peter.

Or maybe the asset had deposited Neal in Peter's care because he didn't want the suit getting hold of the documents he had illegally attained. And an unconscious Neal would be quite the liability if Mozz wanted a quick getaway.

Peter liked his first suggestion but believed that the latter was more accurate. Either way, Neal was currently his responsibility; especially since Neal was technically an FBI consultant. It was Peter's job to take care of him.

With Mozz out of sight and the sound of a car roaring to life and then rumbling away, Peter continued on to his car, opened it, and eased the unconscious Neal inside. He trotted around to the driver's side, slipped inside and started the car. He quickly pulled away from the cursed Howser Clinic and started towards home. There, he could properly care for Neal.

"Hey, Neal," he said softly, moving one hand to grip the ex-con's shoulder. "You stay with me all right. I'm taking you home. We'll fix you up."

"Don't worry," came Neal's murmured reply; slurred with sleep. "I won't leave you."

His breathing deepened and Peter knew he had fallen asleep.

They had made it. They had managed to escape without being seen.

And, Peter left that hospital with a new insight into Neal's way of thinking, and his own.

One: Neal trusted Peter.

Two: Peter trusted Neal.

Three: they were going to be partners for a long time.

And lastly: Neal was going to forget everything that had happened while he had been sedated.

_._._._._._._

Thank you all for all your reviews and for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I thoroughly appreciate your kind words, random fandoms, and opinions.

Use "Neter" and "Peal" references well and be sure to join the WC fan club complete with Fedora and jacket.

Until next time,
Hobey-Ho