Okay, here it is! The last chapter to this roller coaster of a story! I would have posted this sooner, but I just kept picking at it to make sure I was satisfied with the finished product. I'm happy I did that because I ended up adding quite a few things to it. Anyway, enjoy!

Peter stood in the kitchen as he went through the large pile of mail that was on the counter in front of him. With all of the free time he now had, Peter had taken on quite a few jobs that Elizabeth usually did, one of which was mail sorting.

Most of the mail was the usual junk that everyone got, one was a utility bill that Peter sat aside for later and one was a large manila envelope that felt quite full.

Curious, Peter checked for a return address. It said that it was from the bureau. He wasn't expecting anything from the bureau. Slightly concerned now, Peter opened the envelope with a little hesitation. Inside was a large collection of pictures with one main subject - Neal.

They were the pictures that Ritter had taken while Neal had been held captive by the bastard, Peter realized with a sick feeling in his stomach. Peter told himself to put them down, to look away from the horror in each picture, but he couldn't stop himself from flipping through them.

Each picture was worse than the last, like a sick and twisted time lapse to the horror of what Neal had gone through. Neal showed his courage and bravery by smiling at first, but it was obvious that he was barely holding it together and soon he cowered away from the camera, and from the person taking the pictures. Peter had thought that he had seen the worst that this nightmare had to offer, but those pictures just scratched the surface of a hell that Peter hadn't even seen, a hell that Neal wouldn't have to even had to go through if a sadist didn't spread a rumor just to get his kicks and paycheck.

In some of the pictures Neal was soaked, water dripping from his dark hair, others he didn't have a shirt on and Peter was able to see cuts, burns and blood covering his abused body. Sometimes Neal was tied to a chair or strapped to a table, passed out or too weak to open his eyes and look at the camera. There were so many pictures that Ritter would've had to have taken them more than once a day.

Ritter had to have somehow sent Peter these pictures just to taunt the agent. Peter's anger towards Ritter reignited once again as he looked at the pain and terror in Neal's eyes in one of the worst pictures.

"Whatcha got there, Peter?" a voice behind him suddenly asked, causing Peter to jump and spin around to come face-to-face with Neal, freshly bathed with his hair still damp, standing in front of him with a curious expression on his face.

Just by looking at Neal, Peter could tell that he had improved a lot over the last week. His nightmares were becoming less and less frequent and that made for more restful nights for the both of them, which showed in the lightening of the skin below his eyes. And his appetite was coming back, in no small part from finally being able to eat good, flavorful food now, and that showed in his less sharply defined cheekbones. He was also able to go through the day with only one nap in the afternoon. His limp was completely gone now and he would be able to lose the removable cast for good in two to three weeks. His ribs were healing slower, but the pneumonia that made having broken ribs hell was almost completely cleared up now.

He was getting healthier everyday, but his mental health was also improving. He smiled and laughed a lot more and he barely spent any time staring off into space with that haunted look on his face, reliving that month. There'd always be scars, physical and psychological, but they were just proof of how strong Neal was to be able to make it to the other side a whole man after what he went through.

"Just some, uh, pictures," Peter stuttered out, hiding the pictures behind his back so Neal couldn't see them. Neal did not need a visual reminder of what he went through.

"Pictures of what?" Neal continued to prod curiously.

With only a second to think, there was only one thing that Peter could come up with to get Neal to lose interest in the pictures. "Of Elizabeth...naked," Peter said, his cheeks heating up as Neal's face screwed up into an expression that would have matched a kid hearing anything sexual about his parents.

"Oh...Well, I'll just leave you to that then..." Neal said awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had gone.

Peter's cheeks heated up even more as Neal took a few steps backwards. "No, no, they were just, uh, being processed before they were sent here and I had, uh, actually forgotten about them until now." Peter quickly stuffed the pictures back inside the envelope without letting Neal see. Fortunately, the younger man didn't even want to look in the general direction of the pictures.

They stood awkwardly in the kitchen for a few moments, neither man looking at the other, until Peter thought of something for them to do. "Come on, let's surprise El by doing the laundry for her," Peter said, then led the way to the washing machine. The awkward air between them quickly settled into the camaraderie that was normal for them as they worked together.

Right after Peter and Neal finished doing laundry - and an interesting chore that had been since neither man actually knew how to run a washing machine - Hughes called Peter to inform him that the Marshals as well as the higher-ups in the FBI expected Neal back to work soon. Peter wanted to have words with the people that thought Neal was in any shape to work, but Hughes wouldn't let him. It was probably for the best, being as he probably would have gotten himself fired for what he wanted to tell - or more accurately, yell at - them.

While he had his boss on the phone, Peter told Hughes about the pictures that Ritter had sent him and Hughes had Diana look into how Ritter, or possibly Quinn, had been able to send those pictures. It didn't take long to figure out what happened. Apparently Ritter's lawyer was payed to send them, but not payed enough to keep quiet about it after Diana started asking questions. She was charged and Ritter was given a reliable lawyer. Even though Peter wanted to burn every one of the pictures, they were evidence, so he resisted the urge, barely.

Despite Peter's wishes and Hughes' attempts to prevent it, Neal was back to work the next week, as was Peter. The young man wasn't coughing up phlegm like it was going out of style anymore, but he still tired out quickly, didn't like when other people besides Peter got too close to him, and hadn't had much of a chance to be away from Peter for longer periods of time. His ribs and wrist hadn't been given enough time to heal either, but apparently it was close enough for the powers that be.

Peter wanted to argue to the high-horsed federal yahoos about Neal's rights, even if he was a criminal on probation, but Hughes advised against it and Neal pleaded for Peter not to try to fight a battle that he wouldn't win in the end. It was Neal who convinced him not to make a big deal about it, saying that he would be fine and that he was actually looking forward to going back to work. Neal's mind, almost like a child's in some aspects, was one that needed constant stimulation and just lounging around the house must have been as mind-numbing - or even more - as Peter had felt it was.

Neal was able to see Peter from were he sat at his desk - something that Peter had planned when he had taken Neal on as a consultant originally but for completely different reasons - and the agent decided that if Neal wasn't able to handle the distance, he'd invite him into his office to work for the day. If anyone had a problem with that, then Peter would tell them exactly where they could stick their complaints.

Neal subtly looked up at Peter's office throughout the day, probably just to have visual confirmation that he was safe and protected here, an environment that he was no longer used to. Peter would nod reassuringly to Neal and Neal would smile a little smile that told Peter that his reassurance was appreciated.

Jones, Diana and quite a few other agents and staff welcomed Neal back, though they kept a respectable distance and didn't make a huge deal about it by spotlighting him too much. Even Hughes came out of his office and told the young man that he had been missed. Neal played the part of the confident ex-conman that they all knew and begrudgingly loved, but Peter knew that the young man wasn't as comfortable with being around so many people as he let on.

Once the welcome back celebrations were finished and everyone went back to work, Neal appeared focused as he worked quietly through his pile of mortgage and mail fraud cases Peter had given him - easy and boring for his first day back - but Peter knew he was keeping a constant eye on every person in the office. He stiffened whenever someone passed his desk, which was often being as it was right next to the entrance to the bullpen.

Of course, Neal was a conman at heart and could fool just about everyone, so only Peter saw the way his shoulders stiffened slightly and his hand clench just a little tighter around the pen he was holding when someone passed by. Only Peter saw the way his eyes glanced around the office just a little too often to check where everyone was. He did relax more and more through the day, but he still kept a close eye on everyone.

No one else knew that Neal was having trouble integrating back into his old life. His winning personality and dazzling smiles distracted everyone from his startling weight loss, not as bad as when he was first rescued but still very noticeable to those who looked, and the careful way he held himself and the brace that made working harder but not impossible. Neal wouldn't let anyone else see that being held captive and tortured for a month effected him in the least, he wouldn't let them see that he was human. Neal sold the lie to everyone else, just like Peter knew he would.

Everyone in the office knew about what had happened to Neal - most of them had been part of the team to find Neal, kidnapped or not - so they knew not to touch him or approach him unannounced. Everyone except for Agent Williams, who worked for Missing Persons and came down to the White Collar division for a file on a criminal that might have been connected to the case he was working. He knew that Neal had gone missing - along with pretty much everyone else in the building since Peter had been at the butt end of the jokes around the water cooler about how he had let a criminal loose on the streets until Neal was found to be kidnapped - but not too many people knew the details besides the fact that he hadn't actually run.

Agent Williams was by no means a bad person, but he was very vocal about how he never liked the idea of a criminal helping the FBI take down other criminals. He didn't think they could be trusted, which was exactly what Quantico had taught each agent that worked there.

Peter was keeping a watchful eye on Neal from his office as the younger man went to the small break area to grab some coffee - something that he was now allowed in moderation - and one of the blueberry muffins that Agent Blake had brought in as a welcome back snack. At that moment, Agent Williams came striding into the White Collar Unit. The timing could not have been worse.

Neal turned away from the counter and started towards his desk right as Agent Williams was passing by. The two collided and the hot coffee spilled all over Agent Williams tie and shirt.

Neal stood there for several moments, stunned as he stared at the large brown stain on Agent Williams clothes.

Then Agent Williams started ripping into him. "Goddammit, Caffrey! This is my favorite tie!" the agent yelled, loud enough for Peter to hear from his office, his face turning red with anger.

Neal cringed back a little, staring up at the agent, who was six-foot-three of well-toned muscle of a former linebacker, with carefully concealed fear. "S-sorry," he said, then smiled a smile that only Peter saw as less than his normal standard. "I know how to get coffee stains out of ties, and shirts. If you let me take care of them, they'll be like brand new."

Agent Williams ignored Neal's peace offering. "I don't know why anyone thought it'd be a good idea to bring you back here. You're nothing but a criminal, and a damn clumsy one!" Agent Williams raised his hand as a gesture of anger, but Neal obviously saw it as the agent getting ready to hit him because he flinched and seemed to brace himself for a blow. When one didn't come, Neal relaxed only minutely.

"They should have thrown you back in prison where you belong the moment they found you again!" Agent Williams continued to rant.

A look of panic crossed Neal's face at Agent Williams' words for a moment. The thought of confinement probably scared the young man now more than ever. Agent Williams had some clout within the FBI, but Neal was Peter's responsibility and the other agent didn't have a say in what happened to Neal. Neal probably only saw the threat as something more real than an angry agent fuming, though.

Peter was out of his chair and on his way to the scene the moment it happened. Unfortunately by the time he made it down the short set of steps and across the bullpen, Neal was shaking slightly, the thought of violence a terrifying prospect for him after everything he had gone through. Even though Agent Williams wouldn't attack Neal in the middle of the bullpen, Neal probably saw his anger and looming stature as a real threat.

"Williams!" Peter bellowed, causing Agent Williams to turn his glare at him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, anger clear in his voice. Peter's ever-growing instinct to protect Neal flared up once again and if Agent Williams showed a single sign of wanting to actually hurt Neal, he'd intervene immediately.

"This damn criminal spilled coffee all over my favorite tie and shirt!" Agent Williams explained as he chucked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate Neal.

Neal noticeably relaxed when he saw that Peter came to his rescue and he started sidling towards the safety of the agent while he kept a watchful eye on Agent Williams. Peter moved closer as well until he was in between Williams and his ward.

Peter had to stop himself from snapping at Williams for calling Neal a criminal - there was no point in making this worse by yelling back. It wasn't necessarily the accusation that angered Peter, but how Williams made it sound like Neal was below them and deserved to be in prison. "Did you do it on purpose?" Peter asked Neal, knowing the answer.

Neal shook his head, eyes wide with honesty. "No, it was an accident, Peter."

"Then I really don't see the point of you yelling it him, Williams," Peter said to the fuming agent.

"You're taking his side?" Williams asked incredulously. "He's a criminal!"

Peter tried, but he couldn't just stand there and let Williams insult Neal like that. "There are no sides, Agent Williams. It was an accident. And as for Neal being a criminal, he has more than proven his worth as a consultant by putting his life on the line and catching the real criminals faster than most agents, including myself, could. If anyone wants to fight me on that, you know where to find me," Peter replied in a firm and even tone, giving Williams a hard stare and not backing down in the least.

Agent Williams didn't seem very intimidated by Peter's words, but he also didn't seem to want to continue this argument. He looked over Peter's shoulder to Neal, who stepped farther behind Peter after Williams shot him his angry glare, then to Peter. "Fine, whatever," Williams muttered, then walked away, apparently seeing that farther argument would be pointless.

The brief argument had garnered quite a bit of attention. Many agents had stopped what they were doing to watch as the altercation ensued. Peter glared at them all, then took Neal by the arm and steered him to his office.

"Thanks," Neal's said once they were in Peter's office with the door closed. He smiled at Peter with so much gratefulness that Peter wasn't sure he deserved it all. All he did was tell the truth.

"Agent Williams has always been a hothead," Peter muttered as both men sat down in their respective chairs.

"When it comes to criminals," Neal uttered quietly, looking down at his shoes. He was still tense, shifty, like he was ready to jump out of his chair and make a run for it if any kind of potential danger showed itself.

"Hey," Peter said, then waited for Neal to meet his eyes. "You didn't provoke Williams. It wasn't your fault."

Neal smiled a little and relaxed into his chair, no longer so tightly wound.

"Besides, you're reformed, right?" Peter said with a knowing smirk.

Neal smiled back, obviously happy to fall back on their old bantering. "Of course, Peter. Reformed and rehabilitated."

Peter nodded along with Neal's white lie, enjoying the familiar, lighthearted feeling the bantering brought as well. "Why don't you stay in here for a while? That way we can go over the files together. We'll probably get them done faster together," he offered after a minute. It was just an excuse for them to be close to each other and Peter knew that Neal knew it.

"That sounds like a good idea," he said, his voice conveying his gratefulness as he relaxed the rest of the way.

Neal and Peter worked together on the cases that had piled up in their absence in Peter's office until it was time to leave. Neal was considerably more relaxed with Peter close to him and Peter had to admit that he felt more at ease as well.

Their relationship had definitely changed forever because of the strange bond that had been formed since Neal's rescue. Okay, their relationship had never been normal. How could have it been, being as Peter was an FBI agent and Neal was the criminal that he had chased for three years and eventually caught? All of their differences aside, they were closer now more than ever. Peter just hoped Mozzie wouldn't become jealous and try to steal Neal away from him.

As Peter drove them back to his house, he thought about their first day back after everything. He considered it a success, even if there were a few snags. Seeing how strong Neal had been during this whole ordeal, Peter had confidence that the young man would find his independence soon enough and they'd both be able to put everything behind them in time. He had improved expeditiously over the last couple of weeks and Peter knew that he'd fully return to his old self given enough time as well as help and support from his friends. He had even started talking about moving back into his apartment at June's after the regal older woman had come back from her vacation - worrying and mothering Neal nearly to death - a week ago.

If agent Williams hadn't shown up, then Neal probably would have been okay staying at his desk the whole day. He had been doing alright until then. Peter had seen how shaken up Neal had been from the brief argument, though, even if Neal had tried to hide it. Peter knew what to look for when Neal was upset while trying to act fine, now more than ever. But they both made it through the day, and they'd make it through the rest. The journey back from hell is a long one, but Peter was willing to help Neal with each step.

The End

Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words and for staying with me until the end! I'm not too sure when I'll be posting a new story since it's hard for me to since I pick at them so much before posting them. I know some of you guys are worried, but I will not give up on 'Where There's A Will'! I've just hit another rut with it. I'll end up sitting down and writing a bunch sometime soon. Just wait!

Your reviews made me smile! :-)