I'm back with the new story! Horray! :) Yes, I know I promised it like two months ago, but I didn't want to post it until I sat down, planned it and wrote the whole thing. So here you go fans of Peter Burke having a daughter, I hope you like it!

This story is hereby dedicated to all of the readers who encouraged me to write it! That would be:

The M.H.T. of R

Wondo

caseylf123

last1standing

pechika

Your encouragement in the previous stories and your comments about looking forward to the next one made sure I would not forget to write it! So enjoy!

I hope this lives up to your (the reader's) expectations, I will warn you that I have been currently attempting *scary music* the short story, which means I am containing myself from dragging things out too long and this was an attempt at writing a thriller/action story in six chapters or less. So hopefully even though I cut some details out it will still be good.

Thanks for reading and please review! Thank you!

-Shire from CollieandShire

Chapter One

Return

Neal yawned as he glanced at the clock on the far right wall next to the picture of the President. He was bored. Correction, he grinned, I'm bored to death!

Sitting in the conference room with FBI agents Jones, Frank, Harris, Natalie and Peter, Neal wished this meeting would end. We've already gone half an hour overtime!

"Now if we plan on catching this real-estate fraud in the act then we need to come up with a good plan." Peter was saying, and Neal yawned again. Things can't get any quieter than this.

"Neal, do you have any suggestions?"

Neal glanced at Peter and gave him a look, to which Peter responded with a slight grin. Peter knew very well Neal hated these fraud cases and would rather do anything else.

"I'm not an expert in this area, I'm sure Jones has a much better suggestion than I do." Neal offered with a sneer. The room erupted with chuckles, and Harris slapped Neal on the back.

"Does this mean you weren't listening again, Neal?" Jones laughed.

Before Neal could think of a smart-alecky reply there was a rap at the door of the conference room. All eyes turned to the clear glass door and beheld agent Jerold standing there, shifting his weight as he glanced around the room.

"I have some important news for Burke." He cleared his throat, eyeing Peter and hoping he wasn't in trouble for interrupting.

"Thanks Jerold, you can set it on my desk and I'll read it after we're done here." Peter told him, gesturing for Jerold to leave the room.

Jerold nodded and exited, leaving the group to finish up their business.

"Now as we were discussing before Neal let us all know he wasn't listening…" Peter winked and Neal groaned as the rest of the agents in the room once more began to laugh. This is going to be a long afternoon.

~oOo~

Five-year-old Elise was sitting at the kitchen table, working hard on the red hair of the girl she was drawing. There, now she looks like me! Elise held the picture up in the light and smiled. That would do.

"Mommy! Mommy look what I drew!" Elise called, leaping from the chair and racing towards the kitchen.

Elizabeth was busy washing dishes from lunch, but paused to look at her daughter's latest creation. "Why its so pretty Elise!" El praised, looking at the scribbling of her daughter. A stick figure with red hair that El assumed was Elise stood on top of a black object that El was not sure of what it was. "I especially like your-" El began and paused, knowing Elise would fill in the blank.

"That's my horse!" Elise exclaimed proudly. "See!"

El nodded and patted Elise on the head. "It's so beautiful Elise, I'll put it up on the fridge with the rest of your drawings."

Taking the picture from the little redhead, El put the new masterpiece on the refrigerator with an assortment of colorful animals and people. "There!" she announced.

"It's perfect." Elise agreed. She turned around ran out of the kitchen. "Now I'm going to make one about Daddy catching bad guys!" she called behind her as she disappeared around the corner wall that led into the dining room.

"Okay, but make sure those bad guys aren't too scary or I'll be scared." El told her.

A serious voice that nearly made El laugh replied, "I won't mommy, I don't want to scare you."

El sighed a happy sigh and looked at the photograph above the kitchen sink. It was of her, Peter and Elise at Central Park building a snowman. Peter was holding Elise up and helping her put a carrot in the snowman's head while El put on the snowman's hat. All of them had turned and smiled at the camera and the look of joy and excitement on Elise's face was priceless.

El loved her family, she had truly been blessed with a wonderful and caring husband and a thoughtful and lively daughter. Though the change from a working and ambitious career to a stay-home mom had been a struggle five years ago, El couldn't think of anything she'd rather do than raise hers and Peter's child. It could not get any better. She decided.

It had been a change for all of them, but the best kind of change. Peter and El became closer, Neal more and more a part of the family and Mozzie, yes, even Mozzie, found a place in their oddball family circle. All because of the then baby Elise.

Five years later found Elise the center of attention, her favorite place to be. Neal and Mozzie practically lived at the Burke residence and the truth was El and Peter didn't mind. When they needed time alone they had two very willing babysitters that they knew and trust, though Peter was a little skeptical with the skills they were teaching Elise.

The phone rang, and the scraping of the chair being shoved back told El that Elise had gotten down to answer it. "Hello? Daddy?" the little girl's voice asked eagerly.

"Elise!" El chided as she rounded the corner into the dining room.

"I mean, hello this is the Burkes, who's calling please?" Elise said, glancing at her mother for approval.

El nodded to show that was the right way to answer the phone.

A frown crept across Elise's freckled face and she sighed. "It's the neighbor down the street, Nancy." She mumbled, handing the phone to Elizabeth.

"Elise, that's not polite."

"I'm sorry. I thought it was Daddy." Elise climbed back into her chair and began coloring once more.

"Hi Nancy, sorry about Elise, she thought it was her father." El chuckled, glancing at the table where Elise continued to color.

"Elizabeth, I need you to come here right now."

El frowned. Nancy's voice was shaky, as if she were afraid. "Nancy, are you alright?"

"Please Elizabeth, please come now. I need you, I'm not feeling good."

"I'll be right over." Elizabeth promised, hanging up the phone and grabbing her coat. It was a windy October day and quite chilly outside.

El glanced at Elise and then at the door. Nancy only lives ten houses down. I shouldn't be gone that long. Besides, she sounds like she's sick, I don't want to expose Elise to anything. Her mind was made up. She'd left Elise home alone for fifteen minutes before, she was confident that she wouldn't be any longer than that.

"Elise, I'm going to Nancy's for a minute. Stay here and be a good girl, okay?" El instructed.

Elise glanced up at El and nodded. "Okay. I'm working on Daddy's picture right now. But I think to finish it I will need ice-cream. Can you get ice-cream?"

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. "Your Daddy has been spoiling you! No, no ice-cream today."

"Bye Mommy!" Elise called out.

El bade her daughter goodbye and shut the door, hurrying down the street.

~oOo~

He lit a cigarette and watched as Mrs. Burke left the house. Now or never. He thought, standing straight from the telephone pole he'd been leaning against.

With a very noticeable limp he walked across the street and towards the Burke residence. The limp only served him as a reminder as to why he was here. He will pay. I will make him and Neal pay for everything they've done to me. He growled, pulling out a lock pick as he slipped behind the house and into the backyard. No sense letting the neighbors get a good view of me. He may have wanted to make a statement to Peter, but he didn't want to make a statement to the whole neighborhood.

When he got to the back door he inserted the lock picking device through the keyhole and felt around for a second. After a couple of seconds a resounding click let him know he'd succeeded in unlocking the door. Stage one.

Opening the door he slipped in and shut it, pulling on some thick gloves. Now for stage two. There right in front of him lay a very old Satchemo, who barely raised his head at the door. At the sight of the man though, the hairs on Satchemo's neck raised up and he growled.

"Hey there fella, remember me?" he cracked a grin as he stepped towards the dog. "Last time I saw you was six years ago, I'm surprised yer still around."

Satchemo stood up, all of his hairs down his back now raised as he continued to growl savagely, as if to say I know who you are! You're the man who made my master scared!

Slowly and carefully, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a drugged dog treat. "Here boy, this is for you. Come on, come and get it."

Holding the treat temptingly in front of the dog, Satchemo's ears went up and he sniffed the treat. The old lab stepped forward and grabbed the treat, gulping it down.

He stood and watched as it took all of one minute for the drugs to begin to work, and Satchemo began to stumble around.

"Good dog." He chuckled. Stage two complete. Now came the waiting part. Mrs. Burke should be here soon, after she's called the police about that Nancy gal. He glanced at the clock and decided he had time to go and see what sort of foods there were to raid in the fridge.

By this time poor Satchemo lay sprawled on the floor asleep, the drugs having taken their toll on the old dog. He stepped over the lab and limped into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator-and stopped. What on earth? This was new.

The refrigerator was covered with colorful artwork that either indicated Peter and Elizabeth were really bad artists-or a child had done them. Deciding that it was highly unlikely the Burkes engaged in scribbling, he glanced around the rest of the kitchen to see if anything else could aid him in a conclusion as to who the mystery child was.

Right above the kitchen sink hung a picture of Peter and Elizabeth, along with-you've got to be kiddin' me. He thought as he stared at the picture. How did I miss this?

A small child, probably four years old or so smiled back at him. At first he wondered if she was adopted, but the look in her eyes told him that she was most certainly related to Peter. Those same intense eyes that are always looking for answers.

"What are you doing in my kitchen?"

With a start he whipped out a gun and whirled around, the same kid from the photo standing in front of him. The girl stared at him with big blue eyes, her head titled as she studied him.

"Don't scare me kid, I could have shot you." He snapped, putting the gun back as he rubbed his hands together. This aughta be way easier than kidnapping Burke's wife!

"That's not nice to shoot people." She told him, crossing her arms and glaring at him indignantly. "Daddy said so."

"Oh, and your Daddy is Peter Burke, isn't he?" he asked nonchalantly, leaning against the counter as he eyed the child. I wonder how much screaming she'd do if I grabbed her right now?

"Yep, he's an FBI agent!" she announced proudly. "Are you an FBI agent?" this last question was directed a little airily, and he had to laugh.

"Sure kid, whatever you say." He chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Well," Elise hesitated and looked him over again. "Daddy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

It was hard for him not to burst out laughing right then and there, but he managed to suppress his hoots and only let out another chuckle. "Well, I'm not a stranger. Yer Daddy knows me real well."

"Oh, okay then. I'm Elise." She told him, holding out her hand. Amused, he accepted her friendly gesture and shook her hand. "And what's your name?" she asked. Well, you got the stranger part right kid, but it looks like Burke hasn't taught you not to believe everything someone says. He thought. Why, she wasn't even afraid of him!

Once more a hard-suppressed snort came out of his mouth as he bent down to eye level with Elise. "I'm Matthew Keller, and let me tell you something Elise, you just made my day a lot easier."

DadadaDA! (Scary music, for those of you who can't read my mind. ;D) Keller is BACK! Okay, disclaimer here, I have not seen ONE episode from the fourth season of WC because Netflix is taking FOREVER to load them. So if there is any mention in the fourth season about what became of Keller please remember I have not seen it and I don't know what happens. :)

See you at the next chapter, which I will post after receiving two reviews. :) Motivator for those of you who want to read more! :D

-Shire