Neal came to slowly. The first thing he was aware of was Kate leaning into him. She gave a soft moan as he tried to move at least one limb. Her head rolled loosely on her neck as he shifted.

He soon gave up on the insane notion of actually attempting to stand, let alone walk. Crawling seemed pretty out of the question too. His limbs were floppy for lack of a better word and it seemed so much easier to just lay there…

He blearily took in his surroundings. As lethargic as his thoughts were he was able to conclude that the floor was cold, the walls were white, and there was a door. There weren't any furnishings in the room(unless you counted the three bodies on the floor) other than an evil-looking sink in one corner that Neal decided was glowering at him. He gave it the best defiant glare he could muster and then let his eyes shut again. Sleep was better than getting into a staring match with the sink.

When he opened his eyes again he managed to drag himself into a fairly upright position. To his dismay, the sink was still there, and it still appeared to be staring at him. Somewhere to his left Peter stirred and then mumbled, "Where are we?"

Neal shrugged. "I wish I knew. They knocked me out. You?"

Peter sat up. "Yeah. Chloroformed me. I hate that stuff."

Neal laughed weakly at Peter's expression. "Well at least you can get up somewhat."

"How's Kate?"

Neal stroked her forehead. "She's still out. How long do you think we're going to be trapped in here?"

Peter shrugged and dragged himself to his feet. "Not much longer, if I can help it. Do you think you could pick the lock on the door?"

"Yeah, if I could get up."

On cue Peter came over and dragged the con to his feet. "C'mon, Neal. Let's get you over there."

Neal managed to make it to the door before sinking to his knees. He pulled out his lock picking kit and selected the tools he would need. After fiddling with the lock for a few seconds he shook his head. "Um, no. My fine motor skills leave something to be desired. I don't think I'm going to be forging any paintings or bonds anytime soon."

Peter swore. "Great. We're stuck in here then, until either you manage to pick the lock, Kate picks the lock, or someone comes to get us."

Neal shrugged. "It's kinda nice in here. Quiet. Not to small. The only problem I have with it is the sink over there. I think it's glaring at me."

Peter laughed. "I'm sure it is, Neal. Either that or you're more than a little out of it."

Neal scowled. "It's not my fault it doesn't like me."

Peter helped him to his feet. "It's fine Neal. I'm sure its heard of your reputation but hasn't really gotten to know you and your charming personality yet. I think that it won't be glaring at you in an hour."

"Really, Peter? You think so?" Neal asked happily as he sat down next to Kate.

Peter didn't get a chance to retort because Kate opened her eyes and muttered, "My head hurts."

Neal's face lit up. "Well maybe if you hadn't spilled your tea all over them they wouldn't have drugged us," he teased.

She made a face. "Or maybe if you hadn't opened your mouth and irritated them," she returned groggily.

Neal brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. "Go back to sleep. You'll feel better and be able to move some."

She stuck out her tongue at him. "I can move just fine, Neal."

Peter laughed at the two. "You know, watching you two I wonder how you ever managed to get anything done." He paused. "I also wonder how Neal was so hard to catch."

Kate laughed weakly. "That's easy. We had Moz making sure we got things done, and I made sure Neal stayed well away from you."

"He got caught because of you," Peter reminded her.

She scowled. "Peter, it is rather rude to stalk people. It just isn't socially acceptable. Don't forget that they only reason you knew where I would be so you could get the word passed along to Neal was because the bureau was stalking me."

Peter shook his head. "I wasn't stalking you! I was merely, ah, keeping tabs on your whereabouts so I could catch Neal."

She nodded in confirmation and glanced at Neal. "I rest my case."

"Wow, Peter. You stalked El until she said she liked Italian stuff, you stalked my girlfriend so you could catch me… have you ever considered a career as a creeper?"

Kate snickered and pulled herself into a semi-sitting position with Neal's help. "You know, I think it's a little to late for him to start considering it. He's been one for how many years now?"

Neal nodded musingly. "Touché."

Peter threw his hands up. "I give up. There is no arguing with the two of you. Maybe we should consider getting out of here instead of debating my career choices?"

"Aw, but Peter," Neal protested.

"Debating over your career choices is fun," Kate finished for Neal without missing a beat. She pouted.

Peter rolled his eyes. "It's like working with a bunch of children," he grumbled. "Children!"

Kate casually reached inside Neal's pocket and pulled out his lock picking kit. "Well, see you suckers, but I'm getting out of here."

Neal and Peter both opened their mouths to protest and started with the first syllable of whatever they were going to say as she pulled herself to her feet and stood up. She smiled sweetly at them and then laughed at their open mouthed shock.

"Neal tends to wake up first, but I recover sooner," she said in way of explanation as she stepped toward the door. "Besides, this room is already getting too small for my taste. And that sink over there is glaring at me."

Neal gave Peter a triumphant glance and then staggered to his feet. To his delight, his legs seemed more willing to take his weight and he made it to the door just as Kate withdrew the silvery lock picks.

"Are we ready to get out of here?" she asked Peter. "Or does the Suit wish to stay here a little longer?"

"I wanted to get out of here as soon as Neal woke up," Peter replied, not rising to what he suspected was an insult.

Kate raised her eyebrows and then pushed the door open. "After you, gentlemen."

Neal frowned. "I thought it was ladies first."

She laughed. "Yeah, but I'm not putting my neck out on the line for Agent Burke. Someone else can go first."

Peter sighed and walked out of the door. "Children. It's like working with children!" he muttered again. After a few seconds, he added, "It's safe."

Kate followed Neal out just in time for one of the men from before to come around the corner. With a gun.

Peter swore and Neal pushed Kate to the ground. The man pulled out a walkie-talkie and snapped an order into it. Kate pulled the two men up and dragged them with her down the hall.

They turned the corner and stopped. Kate tried to catch her breath while Peter panted, "What now?"

Neal shrugged and started pacing. Kate leaned against the wall and, to her surprise, the wall gave in. She staggered to the side, trying to regain her balance. Neal reached out and caught her elbow as Peter moved towards the newly opened wall.

"What's in there?" Neal asked.

Kate moved over to Peter, leaving Neal standing by the corner. "I can't see anything," she mumbled.

"There has to be something good in there if it's hidden…" Peter commented, peering into the inky shadows.

Kate was about to step in when Neal pushed both of them in from behind. He followed and the door to the hidden room slammed shut behind them just as the sound of voices and feet filled the narrow hall.

Kate wormed her way out from the bottom of the pile first and felt along the wall for the light switch. Her nimble fingers soon found it and she turned it on. A harsh fluorescent light bulb over their heads flickered into wakefulness for just long enough for Kate to see her messenger bag, Neal's duffel and an unfamiliar briefcase piled neatly on the floor next to Peter and Neal who were lying in a jumbled heap on the stark floor.

As the light died she commented, "Well, this must be awkward for you two. Neal, it kind of hurts that you look like you're about to kiss Peter. I thought you loved me!"

Neal hastily picked himself up. "Um…" he said in defense.

Kate laughed and flicked the switch off and then on again. She was rewarded with a few more seconds of light, which was more than enough for Neal to collect her messenger bag and Peter to grab the briefcase. Neal ignored his own bag; the less they had to carry the better. It wasn't like there was anything too terribly important in there.

Peter felt his way over to the door that they had been pushed in through by Neal and ran his fingers around the frame. There was an audible click and the room brightened slightly. Peter turned toward them slightly and whispered, "Ready to make a run for it?"

Kate nodded, as did Neal. Peter couldn't see them, but he knew that they had assented. "On three."

"One," Neal added.

"Two," Kate whispered, her blue eyes bright.

"Three!"

Peter pushed the hidden door open and plowed through a number of people who appeared to be security guards. Kate followed behind him with Neal in the rear. The people in the uniforms gave chase.

Kate was aware of following in Peter's footsteps and her heart pounding in her ears. Neal was behind her, as was yelling. She was dying to turn around but by now she knew better. Either the love of her life was behind her or he wasn't and either way there was nothing she could do to change anything.

The building smelled of antiseptic and sweat. The blank hallway filled her line of sight. The only thing with even a little spark of color was Peter in his old sweatshirt and jeans. She forced herself to go faster, just as Peter slipped into a little room.

He caught her arm as she rushed by, yanking her into the relative safety of the storage closet. Neal slipped in almost immediately after her and slammed the door shut. He leaned against it, panting heavily.

Peter ran to the filing cabinet. "Neal, help me!"

Together the two men pushed the heavy piece of furniture to block the door while Kate kept watch.

"What now?" Neal asked breathlessly, his perfectly styled hair more than a little mussed.

Peter shrugged. "We're locked in here. I guess we'll try to hold out makeshift fort until Jones and Diana can get here."

Kate checked her phone. "No service," she muttered.

Neal laughed. "The one time I would appreciate my anklet, I don't have it."

Peter sighed. "Maybe it'll be a while before Jones and Diana get here."

"More like if they get here at all. How long do you think we'll last in here?" Neal looked around the narrow room. The only way out now was through the window, and they were more than a few stories up. And it wasn't like there was a Mozzie-bought bakery with an awning below them.

Kate scowled. "I hate being locked up. I think I've had enough of that to last a lifetime."

Neal grinned. "You don't think I haven't?"

Kate shrugged and restlessly moved to the window. "Are you sure...?"

Peter shook his head. "Would you two stop it? You'll live with being locked up in here for a few hours."

Neal got up and joined Kate. "What if Jones and Diana don't get here after a few hours? What then? There's no water in here, and the most we would have for food would be paper." He politely ignored the issue of how they would go to the bathroom.

"Ooh, tasty," Kate said sarcastically. Neal could tell that the prospect of being confined to a tiny room with a FBI agent wasn't appealing to her. It wasn't really appealing to him either. But maybe the big difference was that he trusted Peter, and they had laid their lives on the line for the other more than once.

Kate moved away from the window and started pacing the room uneasily. Peter slowly sank down until he was sitting with his back against the side of the filing cabinet. Neal pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and started folding it, occasionally glancing out the window to remind himself that there really was a way out of here if he had to take it.

Ten minutes later Peter had turned his phone off to save battery life and was staring off into space with the patience borne of years on stakeout. Neal was just putting the finishing touches on his most recent crane when Kate snapped, "I can't stand it anymore!"

Neal dropped the paper, letting it flutter to the ground with the others as he moved to Kate. Her breathing was uneven and shallow, and much faster then Neal would have liked. He knew she was claustraphobic, but it wasn't usually this bad.

He put his hands on her shoulders. She tried to pull away, mumbling incoherent strings of randomness but he drew her closer. "Kate, look at me," he ordered.

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his calm, brilliant blue gaze. "I can't be in here anymore," she mumbled, her fingers tugging desperately at the hem of her shirt.

Neal slid one of his hands down until it came to rest on the small of her back. The other he kept on her shoulder. "Breathe," he says softly, rubbing her back in small, soothing circles. "In through the nose, out through the mouth."

Kate pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around him. Neal continued to rub her back as her breathing gradually regulated.

"It's okay," he murmured into her ear. "You're fine."

She relaxed into his touch as he continued to hold her, relishing the feel and smell of the woman he loved so much, the woman he had thought to be dead after the explosion.

Peter watched, feeling more than a little awkward as he fingered the briefcase beside him. Neal had his back to him, but Kate's face was open for the first time he'd ever seen, and her eyes were closed. She looked much calmer than she had been a few moments before, freaking out because of the small room, but was still a little tense.

He watched as without a word Neal led the girl he loved over to the window and opened it up enough for the soft breeze to caress her face. Kate opened her eyes and breathed deeply, her hand straying to the fresh air outside. It seemed to help her a lot, the shakiness in her legs that she was doing her best to hide subsiding and the color returning to her face.

Peter suddenly got the urge to call El. He wished he could but there was no way to get service in this little storage closet. He was just grateful that they had run into one with a window and a filing cabinet. Even with those little perks, it was depressing to think that they could be stuck in here for any amount of time, especially if Kate was claustraphobic.

On cue, Peter heard the return of whoever was behind it all. The doorknob wiggled and someone swore. Neal reflexively turned around, his hand straying for his cell. Who he could call, Peter didn't know.

"Are they in there?" one of the men beyond the door asked.

"Yeah," another answered. "They couldn't have gone anywhere else."

There was a moment of silence. The air in the storage room was tense as Neal left Kate's side and padded over to Peter who was now standing, torn between pushing against the makeshift barricade and getting out of the way. Kate turned from the window and glanced at the door before moving to Peter's other side.

Neal looked at Peter and raised his eyebrows. Peter shrugged, and opened his mouth to reply, but Kate pressed a finger to her lips and shook her head. Peter gave a slight nod and mimed pushing against the filing cabinet. Neal and Kate nodded just as the room shook and the door splintered.

Kate, ignoring her own advice, asked, "What was that?"

Peter's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "They're going to break down the door, filing cabinet or no."

Neal turned back to the window and started pacing. "What should we do now? No offense, Peter, but I think it's kinda unlikely that Jones and Diana are going to get here to rescue us. I find it questionable that even Moz could miraculously arrive to save us right now."

Peter nodded. "Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you have a point." His hand strayed to the briefcase. The door rattled in its frame and even from their obstructed vantage point they could see that the door was beginning to tilt dangerously.

Peter swore. "Damn. Okay, Caffery, Moreau, you're going to run. I'll cover you from back here."

"Peter, no!" Neal protested. "You'll die. They'll kill you!"

Peter pushed the briefcase into his hands. "Neal, this was kind of the plan all along. Not the dying part. You and Kate need to get out of here. trust me when I say they'll leave me alone for long enough to escape if you leave. I'll be fine. You are the ones who need to worry."

Peter took a deep breath.

"Neal, all along we planned to send you away. It isn't safe for you and Kate here anymore. the plane incident proved that." Neal shook his head, but Peter held up a hand. "Neal, take this. Go. I'll call you when its safe."

Neal accepted the briefcase. He looked completely natural holding it. No one would guess that it held a couple forged birth certificates, along with a fake marriage certificate. A phony passport was nestled safely inside, because with Neal Caffery and Kate Moreau no one knew where they might need to go on a short notice.

Peter appraised him and then nodded. "You'll probably be ready to kill me by the time its safe to come back. You've got a house where you're going, and the bureau will pay for it. You just have to stay there and keep your heads down. It's close enough to Las Vegas that you can get away with conning people as long as you do it discreetly and not too often. Now help me move this filing cabinet and make a run for it. Don't look back."

Together Neal and Peter pushed the filing cabinet away. The door shook again. Now it was hanging by half a hinge. On the next blow it would give way.

"Goodbye," Neal whispered, his fingers white around the briefcase handle. He wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders and got ready to run.

"Bye, Neal," Peter returned. "Now go!"

The door gave way and Neal and Kate took off. Kate kept place with Neal and together they ran to the end of the hallway, Peter easily sending bullets flying close enough to scare the men following too close to the couple. Right before he turned the corner, Neal turned and waved once to Peter.

Then he was gone, around the corner. Kate didn't look back.

…

Neal stepped out of the terminal and glanced around at the various drivers. With a nostalgic smile he remembered the time he had worn one of those outfits until Moz came and brought a better plan with him. He wasn't expecting to see one of them holding a card in front of them that said 'Mr. and Mrs. Halden.' With Kate's fingers interlaced in his he was prepared to ignore it until the man stepped forward.

"Mr. and Mrs. Halden?" he asked.

Neal nodded. "Yeah?"

"I've been instructed to take you to your new place of residence on orders of one Peter Burke." The man gave a friendly wink and showed Neal the corner of his badge.

Neal turned to Kate. "Look, I guess we won't need to get a cab," he laughed. "Our, ah, friend seems to have thought of everything."

Kate laughed. The laugh faded away when they reached their destination two hours later.

"There isn't any grass here," she muttered.

The driver laughed as Neal helped her out. "Welcome to Pahrump, Nevada. It's fairly remote and its size fits our needs. Good luck!"

Kate promised right then and there that if she ever saw Peter Burke again she would kill him for this. Literally. And slowly.

Neal decided right then and there that when it was safe to go back to New York he would make sure to keep his girlfriend- or should it be wife? He had the marrige certificate, after all...- away from his partner on pain of death. Literally. For Peter, anyway.

Life was going to be different here. But they would adapt. They always did. And when it was safe for them to return to The City That Never Sleeps he and Peter would take down whoever was pulling the strings and he would get his happily ever after. He had to. He thought he could live for being out of the official loop for a few months.

Either that or he could call Moz...

Ok, so here's the end of this particular fic. I think that there'll be a sequel later… or maybe not. I dunno. Please, share your thoughts on this final installment!