Author's Note: Thank you for all those who reviewed, you have my undying gratitude as this was my first story for this fandom and you really made me feel like as if I belonged.

Neal gasped. It was the same man; the one in the lab coat and the evil grin! He tried to run but the big guard caught him. Again!. And then they… but this was a nightmare, right? He was safe now... Safe? He had run away… The whole FBI must be behind him! And Peter would never leave him alone… Wait, Peter had already caught him… right? But he wasn't back in prison; the mattress wasn't this soft there…

He woke up with a start and tried to move. But something held him back. Someone was holding his hand. Neal squinted in the semi darkness, dread and fear making it hard to breathe; and relaxed when he saw Peter sitting right beside him, asleep. He lay back again and closed his eyes. If Peter was here then he was OK. Peter had promised him that the bad man would not find him till Peter was there. He drifted back into the darkness. This time when he dreamed, it was that of a green meadow, as green as Kate's eyes…

Peter woke up with a horrible kink in his neck. He must have fallen asleep while trying to comfort Neal who had started having the nightmares again. His whole body protested to sleeping in such a position as he got up but he stifled the groan that threatened to come out of his lips, unwilling to risk waking the poor kid up. He finally seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

He walked to the kitchen and picking up the phone he dialed El's number. Talking to his wife made him feel better and after he assuring her that he was at home and completely fine and that of course she can stay at her mother's place for a couple of days and talking for more than an hour, he hung up and started thinking of more serious matters.

He was housing a fugitive in his house. That was a serious offense in the eyes of the law. He needed to think of a solution and fast. A solution which did not end in Neal going back to prison for another four years.

He walked back into the living room and pulled up an armchair so it was directly besides the couch he sat down and got comfortable. He wouldn't be able to think of anything in this sleep ridden state anyway…

The next time Peter woke up it was to his phone ringing. It was Hughes, his senior agent at the office. He glanced at the clock, it was already 8 am.

"Sorry Sir, I slept in. I'll be at the office in 15 minutes," he said as soon as he picked up the phone.

"No Peter, take the day off. You won't be able to catch anyone if you don't catch any sleep. I know you must have been awake the whole night reading and re-reading Caffery's file." Hughes cut off his apology.

Peter shut the phone after making sure his boss wasn't kidding and thanked the well timed softness that Hughes had displayed. He had a sick runaway at his house; he couldn't have left him alone and gone to the office… only to work on catching him.

He needed an added set of brains to work out a solution to Neal's problem. Getting up to make coffee he dialed Diana's number.

Diana was on her way to the office when her phone buzzed. Why was Peter calling her so early in the morning? "Yea boss, I'm on my way to the office." She picked up.

"Hi Diana, Hughes told me to take the day off today. He said I wasn't getting enough sleep." Peter told her sounding like as if he hadn't slept at all throughout the night, she agreed with Hughes on this one and told Peter so.

"Yea I get that. But I want you to come over at my place as soon as you can after finishing your morning routine at the office." Peter ordered her. Of course Peter would want her to come over and work from his home. If Hughes told him to take the day off, that didn't mean that Peter would actually listen, she thought, smiling.

Peter entered the living room with his coffee only to find Neal awake and sitting on the couch, looking around the room.

"Peter? What am I doing on your couch?" Neal asked catching sight of him. Then his intense gaze moved to the cup in peter's hands. "OK scratch that question. Can I have some coffee instead?" Big blue eyes turned hopefully back at him.

Peter chuckled softly. "You can… I think. But first you need to clean up a bit." He replied setting his coffee on the table and moving to help Neal who was trying to get up. "I don't think you'll be able to make it up the stairs, so how about you just use the bathroom in my study?"

"Yea that's fine. I can walk you know." Neal said contradicting the deathly grip he had on Peter's arm. Peter just smiled and led him to the bathroom.

He was fixing breakfast for the both of them when the doorbell rang. That must be Diana, he thought wiping his hand on the kitchen towel and making his way to the door.

"Diana, that was really quick. Thank you for coming", he opened the door and greeted his probie gesturing that she should come inside. He shut the door after letting Satchmo out and turned back to find Diana standing in the middle of his living room with her gun drawn and pointed at Neal who had chosen that moment to walk in, rubbing his face in a towel. When he saw the gun pointed at him, he froze in mid stance, his eyes darting to Peter, silently begging for help.

"Whoa! Take it easy Diana. It's OK. He didn't break in." Peter rushed forwards before the situation could spiral out of control. He put one hand one the gun which was still pointing at Neal and slowly lowered it down.

"Boss that's Cafffery!" Diana hissed through her teeth.

"I know who he is, now will you let me explain?" Peter asked her and she finally tore her gaze away from the conman who hadn't taken a single breathe the whole time, and looked at him. She gave him a small nod and put the gun away.

Peter walked around the table and made his way to Neal, who was still in some kind of shock at having a gun pointed at him early in the morning. "Hey, it's Ok, she's a friend. I called her so she can help figure out what to do." Peter held him lightly at the elbow and led him into the kitchen. "You stay here and have breakfast and I'll explain matters to her, OK?"

Peter stared at him till he gave a little nod to show that he had understood, and then walked out of the kitchen, though not before ruffling Neal's hair, which earned him a groan from a mouth full of cereal.

Diana had first been disapproving of Peter's actions of housing a criminal, and then appalled at hearing the reason why he had run. Right now she was deep in thought about what could be done. "We could submit the tape to court and ask them to consider it before ruling out another sentence to Caffery," she suggested.

"You know that won't help the sentencing. They will sentence him to another four years in prison, and then tell him to press charges against the doctor. And the time that the case against the doctor would go on, Neal would have to spend in prison with that same doctor and guards." Peter ran his hand through his hair. "That is something I will not allow, Diana. He won't go back to prison."

"Boss he will have to go back, one way or the other." Diana sighed, exasperated. "You can't just keep him around on a leash you know…"

"Yes he can." She was cut off by Neal, who had just walked in. Both the agents jumped, not accustomed to being sneaked up on.

"Neal, I thought I told you to stay in the kitchen…" Peter started, and then trailed off. "Wait, what did you just say?" he asked, pulling out a chair for the con man to sit upon.

"Peter, there is no way that you can keep me completely out of prison…" Neal was cut off by Peter.

"I told you Neal, I'm not sending you back to prison." Peter told him with an air of finality.

"Let me finish." Neal held up a hand. "There is no way you can keep me completely out of prison other than the rehabilitation program." Neal paused to catch his breathe. He still seemed weak from the fever.

"Of course! The tracking anklet!" Peter asked excitedly, catching on to what Neal was saying, though Diana still looked lost.

"There's a new rehabilitation program which was introduced a few weeks ago, for white collar criminals who have not been convicted for murder. It is an exchange system. They get to stay out of prison in exchange for their services consulting for the White Collar division of the FBI." Peter explained to Diana.

"And the FBI can monitor and limit their movements with the help of a tracking anklet which is set for a pre-determined radius." Neal piped in helpfully.

"Yes! Neal you're a geni…." Peter paused noting the grin on the con man's face. "A genetic idiot." He continued, smiling as the grin turned into a pout.

"Right so all that is left to do is run this with the courts." Diana reminded both the men in front of her, smiling.

"Mr. Neal Caffery, taking your first hand expertise at criminology, and the fact that you turned yourself in after escaping from prison into consideration, the court has decided that you'll be allowed to assist the FBI in a case rather than go back to prison. Your behavior during this case and the reports from your handler Special Agent Peter Burke would then determine your future."

Weeks ago the court had assigned him to Peter and they had set out together to catch the Dutchman. They had figured out who he was and a little bit of innovative thinking on Neal's part had enabled the FBI to catch Curtis Hagen and put him behind bars.

But now Neal paced around in the balcony of his rented studio apartment. Though to call it a studio was a bit of an understatement. It was more of a penthouse, a penthouse with a million dollar view. That view did not interest him right now. He was more interested in the man who had just walked in, though he hid it very well… Or so he thought.

Peter Burke noticed the worry and excitement that Neal was trying to hide in his darting eyes and his slightly rigid posture. But he decided to play along and drag it out. He sat down on the small chair overlooking the most beautiful view he had ever seen, and poured out a cup of Italian Roast coffee in the small cups. Neal sat down across him. "Peter…" his voice was quiet and subdued.

One look at the ex-con's face told him how worried he was and not having the heart to torment him any farther, he slid the badge across the table to him. "We figured that if we didn't make you one of these, you'll forge one yourself." He said smiling at the grin that lit up the young man's face.

"I'm official!" Neal said grinning from ear to ear and staring at the badge.

"You're a consultant." Peter corrected him. "And I own you for four years." Noticing his smile falter for a moment Peter asked: "You Ok with that?"

Neal looked at the man sitting in front of him. The man who had caught him and put him in prison, the man who had taken the time to find out why he had escaped, the man who had seen a hurting kid in that warehouse instead of a runaway convict, the man who had nursed him back to health, then battled against the system to keep him out of prison, the man who he trusted would stand by his side no matter what happens, was it OK if he worked with him for four years?

"Peter, thank you." Neal said quietly after a long silence. "You don't know what this means to me…" he looked away unable to continue.

"Son, I do. Just promise me that you'll make me proud." Peter asked standing up and ruffling Neal's hair. For once the young man didn't complain. He looked up at the man he trusted and respected.

"Of course Peter." He answered softly.

And that's done! Please leave a review people, they make me very happy :D