Prologue

Peter took a deep breath and instantly regretted it. Life if the truck was hard, sweaty bodies cramped in a tiny space with little ventilation meant even the most innocuous odor could become overpowering in the tiny space. Jones had called a 'no perfume or cologne' rule years ago. A whiff of Polo was great, but breathing it in for 12 hours straight would cause the next 'whiff' you got to turn your stomach.

Diana moved as something finally caught her attention. "McClain has called Neal into his office." She said, catching Peter's eye and turning up her computer speaker. He grunted when movement caused a twinge in his back. The other drawback of the truck, the chairs were hell on the back.

"Well, well let's see what the 'new prince of finance' has to share with his right hand man." He smiled when she huffed at the description the Wall Street Journal had bestowed on the young financier. Of course, the Wall Street Journal didn't know that 'the Prince' was making his money through insider trading.

Peter focused his hearing. Neal had been undercover for over two weeks already. He'd been steadily gaining McClain's trust after replacing Beth Dyer. McClain's assistant, who had come to the Bureau with her suspicions about her boss. She'd given her notice that day, citing family issues and recommending a former co-worker, Nick Halden to take her place.

She had enough goodwill with McClain that he had called Neal in that day for an interview, offering him the job on the spot. He'd smiled at Peter slyly, when he'd asked how the interview went. "You doubt me, Peter?" He had just smiled back without answering. The last thing Neal needed was someone to stroke his ego.

McClain was waxing poetic about his skills as a negotiator as Neal ticked off his schedule for tomorrow (not including the 8 am raid the FBI had planned), when he offered Neal a drink. Neal could hold his liqueur and had accepted the odd glass of wine from McClain already, but it always caused Peter to tense when anyone undercover had to drink. The thing that made alcohol dangerous for an undercover agent wasn't that they would let something slip, most had enough training to keep that from happening, but that it could slow their reactions at an important moment.

"Thank you, Mr. McClain." Neal's voice came through crisp and clear. Peter could hear the smile in Neal's voice. McClain apparently had some excellent vintages in his office.

McClain's response was clear but his voice seemed lower than usual as he thanked Neal for all the hard work he'd been doing and for staying late. The undertone of their conversation was centered around the fact that Neal had passed on some information that McClain was going to use to make himself even richer in the morning. Actually, though, the information was going to land him in federal court before the market even opened tomorrow.

"You've been an incredible asset Nick," McClain's voice was still uncommonly low, but clearer too, somehow. Peter felt a crease in his brow form as he listened. What was McClain doing?

The crease deepened when, after a moment of silence, he heard a low 'hmmm' through the mic. "I hope that wasn't a mistake?" McClain said.

"It was a ...surprise, but not a mistake." Neal sounded a little breathless as he responded.

Peter's face went slack with shock when the very distinct sound of passionate kissing started playing from Diana's computer. He looked at Diana, who was looking at him wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Peter stood abruptly, faltering slightly when Jones pointed out that Neal hadn't used his trigger phrase to indicate that he was in trouble. "Well, it's probably hard for him talk with McClain's tongue down his throat." Peter replied incredulously as he re-took his seat.

"Mr. McClain," Neal said, sounding breathless and throaty, "maybe we shouldn't be doing this here."

Peter had a very intense fantasy involving his fist and McClain's face when he heard the man's low laugh. "Yes, I suppose kissing my assistant in the office is a bit cliché, but you're really quite irresistible."

Neal laughed low and light. "I'm more concerned with the fact that your father-in-law has an office on this floor than you ever being a cliché."

Both men laughed, the sound disturbingly intimate.

Peter felt a strange twist in his chest and had to blink his eyes several times to regain his focus.

"I don't suppose, you'd be interested in meeting at the nearest...well, the least sleazy hotel we could get in tonight?"

Neal made a pained sound, "I can't. Not tonight. I have a friend and if I don't show up, he'll..."

"He?"

"Is a friend, a very old one," Peter felt his brow crease again. Was Neal referring to him? He glared at Diana as she covered her mouth with two fingers. "And if I cancel on him this late, he would have no compunction about sitting me in a small room with a very bright light." Neal voice was still light as he half-laughed through the sentence. Peter decided that Neal could be a real ass sometimes.

Diana looked away as her shoulders began to shake. When he looked to Jones, he was very purposefully looking down at his folded hands between his knees.

Peter's attention was drawn back to the computer screen when the sound of another kiss came through. "Good night, Nick." McClain said his voice hoarse and deep.

"Good night, Mr. McClain." Neal's voice had taken on a more serious tone, causing Peter to rear up slightly. "And to you, Mr. Franklin." Neal could hear the sound of papers being gathered and glass clinking. "Oh and to you..?" Mr. Franklin said as Neal supplied his name for what had to be the 30th time and presumably walked out of McClain's office.

Peter closed his eyes; they had been seconds from the man's father-in-law walking in on them. Peter released a breath when he heard the quiet snick of a door being closed. At least Neal was out of the room.

"Do you want to pick him up or should I call him in for a quick debrief on the raid in the morning?" Jones asked, shrugging into his coat.

"Nah, I'll grab him at the corner and brief him on the way home...to his home, June's. I'm too tired and Neal's been in the middle of enough of these by now that he has the basics down." Peter pulled his own suit coat from the chair that had been torturing him for the past 12 hours as Diana gave him a considering look with one of her brows slightly arched. He was tired people could be tired and stumble over their words. It happened sometimes.

She and Jones began to shut everything down as he went for the door. "Good Night." He said quickly as he checked to make sure no one was paying attention to him as he left the truck.

He was to his car in a couple of minutes and took out his phone to text Neal to meet him at the intersection at Pine. He felt the buzz of Neal's response as he started up the car. It was a simple answer 'okay', but for some reason there was a question mark next to the okay. Well, not next to it actually. There was a space and the question mark. Maybe it was just a typo?

Okay, so he didn't text a lot, but everyone else did, so why would Neal make a big a deal out of it. Except Neal wasn't, he was. Jeez, he needed to get over himself before he picked Neal up or he'd know...Peter wasn't exactly sure what he thought Neal would know and shook his head to clear it, cranking the air in the car to wake himself up.

He'd been half-awake for too long. He was dropping Neal at June's, going home to eat with El and to try to get some sleep before the raid in the morning.

He felt himself smile overly-brightly, when he saw Neal leaning against a pole with one shoulder. He had been flipping his hat up by the brim and catching it when Peter had spotted him. He pulled the door of the sedan open and sat before someone could start honking at them to move through the intersection.

His eyes met Peter's briefly as he sat the hat on his knee. "So, I trust you have what you need to get McClain?" He said, watching the setting sun gleam through the skyscrapers.

"Yeah, you did a great job Neal. Diana called in the warrant and we'll being arresting him first thing in the morning."

Neal nodded and pursed his lips together. Peter's eyes traveled back to the traffic in front of him.

"Just ask, Peter."

Peter turned to face him quickly, "Just so you know, you never have to do anything that you are not comfortable with. If..."

"I wasn't." Neal broke in.

"Well, if you ever are..."

"Peter, he's been checking out my ass for two weeks. I was surprised it didn't happen sooner."

Peter looked to make sure the upcoming light was still green then turned back to meet Neal's eyes briefly. "Oh, and you didn't say anything because..."

"I didn't think it mattered and I knew I could handle it if it came up. So, to speak." Peter did a double take at the smile on Neal's face.

Peter nodded to the steering wheel. "So, that's probably happened before?" Peter was slowing for a light ahead, but he could hear the smile in Neal's voice. "Yeah, a few times?"

Peter felt the crease forming between his eyebrows as something twisted in his gut. He turned to Neal, who held up a hand to stop him. "Nothing happened in prison that didn't have the express consent of all parties involved." Peter shut his mouth and turned back to the wheel as that twist, loosened.

"Parties?" He said, glancing to see Neal's grin turned into a laugh.

"Oh my god Peter, tell me you haven't been watching prison porn." He said and laughed harder when Peter's jaw dropped at the accusation.

"Think more a hand job in a closet and less Oz. It was a maximum security prison after all."

Neal's words hit a strange memory of a moment he'd had at Neal's trial. He remembered being glad that the sentence was to be served in a max. He'd known that a man with Neal's looks at a less secure facility would have to have been on constant guard and in constant danger. He bit his lip thinking about the memory and wondering why he'd never had the concern for anyone else he'd had to send to prison.

"Peter?" Neal's voice had lost some of its mirth.

"Don't...don't feel guilty for anything. Like I said, nothing happened in prison that I didn't want to happen." Neal eyes squinted together slightly as he drew in.

"But something did, once?"

Neal's eyes relaxed as he glanced at Peter.

"You know you are good at this." Neal's mouth quirked slightly. "Maybe you missed your calling?"

Peter gave him the look. The look that meant that it was time for Neal to spill the beans. "One of my first cons, I was skimming from the till at this grocery store I worked at after school. The owner's son caught me," Neal looked down at his hat where it sat on his knee as he went quiet. Peter was just opening his mouth to say... Something, when he continued.

"He was pretty adamant that he was going to tell his dad, but I persuaded him otherwise." Neal huffed out a small laugh as he continued to look out the front of the car. "It was a pretty sweet deal, until I realized I was basically a whore and quit."

Peter bristled, "You were a scared kid and stealing or not he had no right to do that to you. Who was he? You need to make a statement in the morning. The statute of limitations is probably up..."

"Whoa, Peter calm down. I was 16 and legal. He wasn't even 18 yet and it was my idea, not his."

Peter pulled his jaw tight as he sank into the car seat. He'd gotten so fired up he was levitating off the seat slightly.

"Oh," He said after a moment.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this. You're obviously not comfortable..."

"Who's not comfortable? I'm comfortable."

"I just didn't know. If you're whatever...that's..."

"It's just Kate."

Neal laughed as his head fell back against the seat. "I like to think I'm whatever the situation calls for." Neal shrugged when Peter turned to look at him. "It's been very helpful in my chosen profession ...and my not-chosen profession as it turns out."

Peter looked askance at him as he turned on to June's street. He lifted his chin as he processed Neal's words. "Are you telling me you change your sexuality based on the situation? Neal that's..." Peter was at a loss.

"I don't even want to know what looks like on the Kinsey scale." Peter shook his head as he pulled up to June's. Neal huffed, "Yeah, I'm not sure I want to know either."

He put the car in park and turned his body to Neal, putting at arm over the back of the car seat to steady himself. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Peter, I'm sure I'm not going to accuse some guy that I talked into a blowjob, of assaulting me."

Neal opened the door and got out, turning and ducking down to look back in. The sun was nearly down and everything was taking on a golden hue. "We're okay aren't we?"

Neal could have pulled a gun and shot him and he wouldn't have been more taken aback. "Of course. Yes. I just. It was...it was unexpected, but if your sure your alright." Peter was pointing at him with two fingers and had to ball his hand into a fist when Neal eye's traveled to them. "Then I'm alright. And, we're alright. Alright?"

Neal shook his head ruefully as he fought to keep a smile off his face. "Alright, Peter." He said, pulling back and shutting the door. Peter stayed to make sure he made in the door, throwing a wave back to Neal, before pulling out to head home.

He'd wondered the whole ride home what El would have to say about what Neal had told him. He felt a little guilt pang about telling Neal's secrets but Neal knew that he told El everything and he would like to know if he was the only one who had not seen that coming from a mile away. Diana and Jones had both seemed only mildly surprised and more interested in Peter's response than what was happening in McClain's office.

Which, now that he thought about, meant that someone he thought he knew better than anyone, well anyone except for El, that maybe he didn't know at all? He exhaled harshly. Or maybe Neal was right and he taking this way too seriously.

So, Neal didn't tell him that he was what? Bisexual or more likely heterosexual but with some homosexual tendencies. And, now he was thinking about Neal like he was a pie-chart. He turned off the car and closed his eyes to clear his head before he got out of the car.

If he said anything that El mistook as any kind of ism he'd be called on the carpet so fast it'd make Hughes look like a probie, so he talked himself through what he wanted to say to her. Which was just mostly that he didn't know and that for some reason he found it unsettling that there was something so fundamental about Neal that he didn't know.

He could already hear El telling him that maybe he wasn't always the smartest man in the room, probably to be followed up by something about his emotional intelligence. He felt unaccountably happy at the thought of El setting him straight as he got out of the car and made his way up the steps. He already had his keys out and quickened his pace when he heard Satch whining at the door.

He barely had time to grab him as he bolted when Peter opened the door. "Whoa Satch," He said and turned to see if El was in his line of site. Satch lifted his leg to pee. Peter gritted his teeth together. He'd have to get the hose out. "El?" He called into the house as he pulled Satch in.

Her purse was on the table by the door. He would've been worried, but Satch seemed fine. If something was wrong he'd be going nuts about more than just needing to pee.

"El?" He called again as he went up the stairs. The light was on in the hall and their bedroom door was slightly open. He walked slowly toward the door. "El?" He whispered as he came to the door, a smile breaking out when he saw her on the bed, still in the dress she'd had on this morning, sound asleep.

"El?" He said coming to the bed and laying a hand against her cheek. She startled awake at the touch. He smiled when she huffed out a breath. "I thought you said you'd be late?"

"I am. It's after nine?"

Her smile faded, "Nine? Damn it! I came up here to catch a few minutes sleep 3 hours ago." She said pulling herself up and looking around for a clock to confirm the time.

"Did you not sleep good last night?" He asked as she began to tug at the zipper of her dress and scoot off the bed. "I slept fine, I thought, but I was exhausted when I got home. Satch!"

"I took him out when I got home. He's fine, but I can't believe he didn't try to wake you?"

"He probably did. I guess I was just out of it." She said as the dress slide off her shoulders. He could see her ribs as she bent down. "You've been eating haven't you? You're not on some crazy diet?" She looked over her shoulder at him the smile completely gone.

Peter felt that feeling he gets just before something goes wrong on a stakeout or with Neal.

"No," she said as she turned back to the dresser to pull out a pair of pajamas. "I thought it was just...we've been so busy." She turned suddenly, a smile plastered on her face. "I think we both need a break. Any Chance you could take off Friday?" She stopped when what Peter suspected was a grimace formed on his face. "We're serving McClain tomorrow. I'll probably have to work late on Friday."

Her face fell slightly, but she recovered quickly, a warm smile coming to her face as she began to saunter back to him sans dress or pajamas. "Well, I suppose a weekend in could have its good points too?" She said coming to straddle him as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"I have at least three ready right now, if you need them?" He said, as he gently kissed her collarbone. It was more pronounced than usual. How could he not have noticed that she was losing weight? Of course, spending from dawn to dusk in the truck and working...they'd both been so busy.

"If you're off on Friday," He planted another kiss a little closer to the center of her chest. "I want you to go the doctor." She drooped in his arms. "Peter?"

"I mean it. At the very least, I want them to weigh you and if you've not been eating right," She huffed and attempted to pull away, so he grabbed her hips, "I will tie you to the bed and spend the weekend feeding you."

She settled back against him. "Is that a promise?" She smiled wickedly at him. He was the only one that got that smile.

"You bet it is." He said as he leaned in and kissed her, everything else forgotten.