Chapter 6

AN: Thanks to you all for following, favoriting, and reviewing. I plan on making this my last chapter. The journey with this story has been most interesting. Thanks, again, to those of you who came along for the ride.

Peter slipped up the stairs. He didn't have to knock, the door was open. He stood in the doorway, just watching Neal. He had never watched Neal paint before. He looked on amazed as Neal turned the blank canvas into a work of art.

"You stand there any longer, like that, and somebody is going to mistake you for a coat rack." Neal said, finishing up with the last touch ups.

Peter smiled. Of course Neal knew he was standing there.

Peter stepped into the room. "I just wanted to know…why?"

Neal stopped painting and looked at him. "You WANTED to go to jail?"

"No, but…."

"Six months suspension and a load of psych evals aren't enough for you?" Neal asked.

"How did you?" El could have told Neal about the suspension, easy enough. But the amount and depth of the psych evals, he had not discussed that with her. Peter stared at him.

"Hughes has decided to make me his pet-convict for a while." Neal explained. He involuntarily shivered. "He's been telling me all that has gone on with you. He's talked with me, quite a bit, about why I didn't press charges. He wanted to understand what was going on, my reasoning."

Peter smiled at Neal's reaction. "Believe it, or not, Hughes likes you. He wants to keep you around."

Both men were silent for a few moments.

"What was your reasoning? Why…?" Peter asked.

Neal looked at him for a second. "The man I saw that afternoon. The man who came after me was not you. I don't know how to explain it. But…it was just liked somebody else pushed you out and stepped in. When I looked you in the eyes I could tell it wasn't you." He shook his head. "I know it doesn't make sense."

"I get it." Peter replied.

"This is…it's gonna take time."

Peter nodded. He understood completely. "I'm willing to do, whatever it takes, for you to trust me again." Peter replied.

There was another moment of silence.

"You know, I've never told you how talented an artist I think you are." Peter stated.

"Thank you, Peter."

"Thank you, Neal." Peter replied, his statement full of underlying meaning.

THE END