Whatever It Takes

Chapter 43

The next few hours were like a nightmare for Elizabeth and Neal. The officer told Elizabeth that Peter had been hit by a car while he was walking home and that he was currently in an ambulance enroute to the hospital. The officer offered to drive them to the hospital once he saw how shaken Elizabeth was. Minutes later they were on their way, each lost in their own thoughts of what they would do if Peter died.

Neal had never been more scared in his life and that was saying a lot. He had spent years living on the streets, surrounded by common criminals and lowlife. He had pulled high stakes jewelry and art heists with the likes of Matthew Keller. He had been arrested, he had been beat up, and he had been taken hostage. He had watched as Matthew Keller pointed a gun at him and at Peter. He had watched as his mother put a gun to Elizabeth's head and then to his own. He had survived his own mother shooting him. But, this was worse than anything that had happened before. In the other situations, Neal felt like he had at least a modicum of control over the outcome, but now he felt absolutely powerless. And responsible.

Sitting in the back of the police car, he kept his eyes on Elizabeth, who did nothing but stare straight ahead, her hands wringing together in her lap. Neal wanted to say something to her that would make her feel better, but he didn't know what to say. He wanted to do something to comfort her, but he didn't know what to do. He felt not only powerless and guilty, but completely useless, as well.

Once they arrived at the hospital, the officer led them into the Emergency Room, explaining to the secretary at the front desk that they were there for the recent trauma patient. Elizabeth stared blankly around the room, as if she wasn't quite sure what was going on around her. The secretary told them to have a seat and Neal grabbed his mother's hand, leading her over to the nearest chair. She didn't look like she'd be able to stand for too much longer.

Once they were seated, Neal took out his phone and called Diana. He figured that she needed to know and could call Jones and Hughes, too. He started to call Ben and Catherine, too,, but thought that maybe he should wait until they knew more of what was going on. Putting the phone away, he turned back to Elizabeth.

"Beth, he'll be okay, I promise. Peter's too tough to let a stupid accident keep him down for too long. Okay?" Neal desperately wanted Elizabeth to snap out of it, but she didn't. He felt like he was two breaths away from completely breaking down himself, but he knew he had to be strong for her. Grabbing her hand, he held onto it as tightly as he could with both hands, hoping to infuse some strength and courage into her. He pushed his guilt aside for the moment, knowing that it would do him no good to dwell on his part in all of this.

After what seemed like hours, a nurse came out and called for Elizabeth. Neal stood to follow, but the nurse told him he had to stay where he was for the moment. Elizabeth gave Neal an empty look, before turning and following the nurse into the trauma bay. Neal sat back down and waited as patiently as he could.

Elizabeth's first look at Peter nearly dropped her to her knees. The nurse had warned her that he was pretty banged up, but said that overall he was stable. Once at his bedside, a young doctor came to talk to her.

"Mrs. Burke, I'm Dr. Jensen. It seems your husband has had a little run-in with a car. Believe it or not, he's doing remarkably well for someone who was thrown over the top of a car and into a tree. He has two broken ribs, a broken clavicle and a broken arm, as well as a few cuts and bruises. Surprisingly, there is no sign of a head injury or any internal injuries."

Elizabeth looked at her husband, who hadn't even opened an eye while she was there. "Why is he unconscious?"

"We had to medicate him before we could reset his broken arm, ma'am. He should be waking up shortly. We're going to need to get an orthopedic consult to see if he needs surgery, so we're going to admit him overnight, but like I said, he's doing remarkably well."

An hour later, Elizabeth remembered that Neal was waiting outside and asked one of the nurses to bring him in. Neal had been growing more and more concerned when Elizabeth didn't return, and his imagination was running rampant. First, he was convinced that Peter was dead. Then, he was convinced that the man was paralyzed and would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. He even imagined that Peter was fine and that he and Elizabeth had merely slipped out a back door to get away from him. He knew they would never really do that, but his overactive imagination combined with the immense feelings of guilt tried to convince him otherwise.

When the nurse finally came out to get him, he breathed a massive sigh of relief, but when he entered Peter's room, he felt his breath leave him again. The man looked awful! His chest, shoulder and arm were black and blue and he had a thin layer of sweat covering him. The look on his face told Neal that he was in a lot of pain and Neal's stomach dropped when Peter's eyes met his. They looked completely glazed over, but Neal could still tell that he was hurting.

"Hey, buddy," Peter said in a near whisper. "I'm glad you're here."

"Hey, Peter," Neal answered, his voice not much stronger. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Neal. Just a few bumps, bruises and broken bones. Nothing to worry about, little man."

Neal felt relief rush through him. He looked like he didn't quite believe Peter, but he desperately wanted to. "Beth? Is he really okay?"

"He is, sweetie. He's going to stay overnight and see an orthopedist in the morning, but he's okay."

"What happened?" Neal asked.

Peter started to talk, but his wife cut him off. "Save your strength, hon." Turning to Neal, she explained what had happened, angrily. "It was a drunk driver, Neal, a thirty-three year old man that should have known better than to drink and drive."

Neal suddenly felt like throwing up again, as he looked at both of his parents. He felt so guilty for everything that had happened in the last two days and wished more than anything that he could have a do-over. "Peter, I'm sorry…" he started, but Peter quickly cut him off.

"I know what you're going to say, Neal, and none of this is your fault, do you hear me? None of it."

"But, it is," Neal answered. "If you weren't so mad and frustrated with me, you wouldn't have even been out there. This would have never happened."

"Neal, stop! I won't have you feeling guilty for something you had nothing to do with. I mean it, Neal. You are not to blame for any of this. The only person to blame is the unfortunate young man that chose to drink and drive today."

Neal looked down at his feet, not knowing what else to say. Eventually, he asked Peter if there was anything he needed.

"Yes, actually…..can you call Diana and have her notify Jones and Hughes? I don't think I'll be going in to the office Monday morning."

Neal gave Peter a little smile. "I already did. Anything else?"

"Yeah, maybe you can find me some of that jello you're so fond of."

"I'll see what I can do." With that, Neal turned and walked out of the room, anxious to do what Peter had asked.

When Neal returned he was carrying a tray full of several different kinds of jello. He sat the tray down on Peter's bedside table, obviously proud of himself.

"What did you do, Neal? Rob the kitchen?" Peter asked with a laugh.

"No, I didn't rob the kitchen. Stealing isn't the only way to get what you want, especially when you're armed with these." Neal pointed to his baby blue eyes. "And this." He pointed to his smile. "And this." With that, he tossed his head around making his dark brown curls bounce adorably.

Peter and Elizabeth laughed at his antics, both happy to see that he wasn't blaming himself for anything

"Really, sweetie, where did you get all the jello?" Elizabeth asked.

Neal gave them a wild grin. "I went to visit the nurses in ICU. They love me, remember? After I let each of them hug me and mess with my hair, I asked them for some jello, so here you go!"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Have you ever come across any female that doesn't fall for your charm?"

"Well, let me think for a minute." Neal looked as if he was thinking hard. "Nope, not that I can remember."

Elizabeth laughed as Peter rolled his eyes again.

The next day, Peter was checked out by the orthopedic surgeon and it was deemed that he didn't need surgery. Instead, he was released from the hospital with strict instructions to take things slowly and let himself heal. Elizabeth was pretty sure that Peter was going to be a difficult patient.

Once they were home, Neal did everything he could to help Elizabeth take care of Peter. He had become unbelievably quiet again in the aftermath of the accident, guilt filling him completely once more. Peter and Elizabeth shared many looks throughout the day, wondering how in the world they were going to convince Neal that he wasn't to blame for Peter's accident. The boy could be so stubborn about some things.

By the middle of the week, tension among the new family had risen to new heights. Peter was getting grumpier as the days passed, the pain he was feeling from his injuries threatening to overwhelm him. It didn't help that he absolutely hated not being able to do anything on his own. He wasn't the type to just sit around.

Neal was becoming more and more withdrawn, especially as he witnessed the pain Peter was in. Elizabeth was just completely exhausted, trying to take care of the two men in her life and feeling like she wasn't really helping either one of them. To top it all off, Tina and Robert showed up to offer their help, knowing that their daughter would have her hands full with everything. Despite knowing that Robert had supposedly changed his mind about him, Neal still wasn't convinced that his new grandfather really didn't blame him for putting Elizabeth into so much danger, especially because the man was still giving him strange looks. Adding that tension to everything else that was going on was too much and the subsequent fallout almost did the new family in.

Elizabeth and her mother were cooking dinner, while Peter was taking a nap. Neal had offered to help them in the kitchen, but Elizabeth shooed him out to get started on his homework. Neal walked into the living room to find Robert reading a medical journal of some sort. He hadn't shared more than a handful of words with the man since first meeting him and the silence between them was awkward and uncomfortable.

Robert looked up as Neal entered the living room, watching the boy as he nervously grabbed his schoolbooks off the table. "How are you doing in school, Neal?"

Neal was somewhat surprised that the man had spoken to him. "I'm doing good, I guess."

"Lizzie tells me that you're on the swim team. How's that going?"

Neal paled at this question. He hadn't told anyone, not even his parents, that he had been suspended from the swim team when Coach Tanner found out that he had gotten drunk. The past week he had stayed after school, as if he was going to practice as usual, and Elizabeth had never figured it out. He knew that he would eventually have to tell them, especially because they had a swim meet in just a few days, but he couldn't bring himself to add to their worries.

When Neal didn't answer, Robert stood up. "It's not that hard of a question, is it? Unless there's something you're not telling your parents."

Neal's eyes shot up to Robert. How could he possibly know that?

Robert walked over to where Neal was standing and looked him straight in the eye. "Listen, kid, yesterday when my wife and daughter went to buy groceries, the phone rang. It was your coach wanting to talk to Peter. Once I explained what had happened, he told me why he was calling and I told him that I would handle it. Why didn't you tell them what happened? And what were you thinking getting drunk like that? Do you realize how much trouble you've caused for my daughter and Peter?"

Neal didn't know what to say. He tried telling himself to ignore Robert, but his words were resonating with the part of him that still felt guilty. "I-I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to upset them."

Robert looked at Neal incredulously. "You didn't want to upset them? Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to get drunk. Maybe you should have thought of that before you snuck out and stole Peter's car. Or, before you left the cabin to look for Eva, after Peter explicitly told you to stay put. For whatever reason, Peter and Elizabeth brought you into their home, providing you with everything you could need or want, and all you've done is repay them by repeatedly getting yourself into trouble."

By this time, Neal's head was spinning and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Without a word, he turned away from Robert and ran upstairs as fast as he could. Once in his room, he grabbed his coat, threw a few things in his backpack and grabbed the money he had won in the poker game the night of the party. He was glad that he remembered to get the money out of his pocket, before Elizabeth washed his clothes. Once he had gathered what he needed, he climbed out the window, shimmied down the tree and ran away into the dark.

Half an hour later, Neal finally stopped running. After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, he looked around him trying to figure out where he was. It was cold outside, even with his coat on and he knew that he needed to find somewhere to keep warm. Finding a small little café, Neal went inside, ordered himself a hot cocoa and a piece of chocolate cake and called the only person he could think of to help him.

An hour later, Mozzie showed up and listened as Neal told him what happened. The man could tell that his young friend was pretty upset and for the first time in a long time, they argued about what to do.

"Neal, you need to go home, mon frère."

"I know, Mozz, that's why I called you. I want to come home."

Mozzie rubbed his face tiredly, knowing that Neal wouldn't be happy with what he had to say. "Listen, Neal, I know that in the beginning I wasn't too happy with the fact that you were living with the Suit, but I realize now that it's been good for you. They care for you and they take good care of you."

"What are you saying, Mozz? I thought you cared for me. And you always took good care of me, too. Besides, I'm old enough to take care of myself anyway." Neal sent Mozzie a look filled with hurt.

"Of course, I care for you, Neal. That's why I think you should go back. I care enough about you to want what's best for you and what's best for you is to be with Peter and Elizabeth. You deserve a family."

"Maybe you're right, Mozzie, about them being what's best for me, but what if I'm not what's best for them? They deserve better than someone who does nothing but bring trouble and grief to them, don't you think?"

"What I think is that the Burkes adopted you because they really care about you. It's not a decision they made lightly, Neal. They are intelligent, sensible people who make smart decisions."

"Not this time. I can't be responsible for ruining their lives. I just want things to go back to the way they used to be, okay? Just you and me, living the life, partners forever."

Mozzie eyed Neal sadly. "You don't need a partner, Neal. You need parents. You have a chance that I never had and I think you should take it. I would have given almost anything to have a family when I was your age."

"I'm not going back, Mozzie. If you don't want me to come home with you, I'll find somewhere else to go."

Mozzie knew he had no choice but to let Neal go home with him. He couldn't let the kid roam the streets by himself and there was no way he was going back to the Burke's house now.

"Okay, come home with me, but I think you should at least call and let them know where you are."

"No way! If I tell them where I am, they'll come after me."

"Suit yourself, Neal. Let's go home."

When dinner was ready, Elizabeth woke Peter up and went to call Neal from his room. She thought he was in his room, working on his school work, but he wasn't there. Not really thinking anything of the fact that he wasn't in his room, she went downstairs, thinking that maybe he had taken Satchmo for a walk or was just getting some fresh air.

Walking into the living room, she asked her dad if he had seen Neal. Satchmo's leash was still on the hook by the door and Neal wasn't out sitting on the front porch like he sometimes liked to do. Robert said that the last he had seen of the boy was when he went upstairs with his homework.

After quickly checking the backyard, Elizabeth felt the faint stirrings of fear and panic settle in. Peter was slowly on his way downstairs when Elizabeth told him that once again Neal was missing.

Mozzie waited until Neal had gone asleep that night to call Peter. He knew he couldn't force Neal to go back, but he didn't like the idea of Peter and Elizabeth worrying about him, either. They deserved to know what was going on.

Mozzie dialed Peter's phone and was surprised to hear the panic in the man's voice when he answered.

"Mozzie? Is Neal with you?"

"Calm down, Suit. He's here and he's fine. He's asleep right now."

"Thanks for calling, Mozzie. I'll be there soon to get him."

"Suit, wait! I don't think that's a good idea. He's pretty adamant about staying here."

Mozzie could hear a big sigh on the other end of the phone. "What's going on, Mozzie? Why did he run this time?"

"Listen, Peter…..I think Neal needs to be the one to tell you what's going on. Let's just say he's feeling guilty about a lot of things."

"He won't talk to me, Mozzie. He won't talk to Elizabeth, either. What are we supposed to do when he won't open up to us?"

"The most profound statements are often said in silence."

Peter sighed loudly. "Are you quoting Lynn Johnston?"

"I'm surprised you know who that is, Suit. Maybe I can get you to understand with a few more quotes. 'There are times when silence has the loudest voice.' 'The cruelest lies are often told in silence.' 'He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words. 'There are times when silence is the best way to yell at the top of your voice.' Should I go on, Suit?"

"No, Mozzie….I understand. It doesn't help, really, but I get it. Neal will never be the type of person to bare his soul easily. His silences will always speak louder than his words, but that doesn't help me right now. I need to know what's going on in his head."

"I can tell you what's going on in his head, Burke. Your father-in-law is messing with it, implying that he's to blame for everything that's happened. Neal feels responsible for your accident. He feels responsible for Elizabeth being kidnapped. The last thing he needs is someone adding on to that."

Mozzie could tell just by the way that Peter's breathing changed that he was furious to hear that Robert had something to do with this. After a few long seconds of silence, Peter finally spoke.

"I really think I should come pick him up."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Suit. He'll just run again. He can stay here for a few days and I'll try to talk to him some more. He listens to me."

"Mozzie, he needs to come home."

"He will, just not tonight. Let me talk to him."

After settling a few points between them, Mozzie finally hung up the phone and turning around, found himself face to face with Neal.

"What was that all about, Mozz? You called Peter?"

Mozzie could tell that Neal felt betrayed by the fact that he called Peter. He knew he needed to tread carefully, at the moment.

"I just thought they should know that you're safe, Neal. They shouldn't have to worry."

Neal still didn't look happy with the fact that Mozzie had done something behind his back, but he was glad that Peter and Elizabeth wouldn't be worrying about him. Neal grabbed the TV remote and plopped down on the couch. He didn't want to think any more about anything. He really just wanted to lose himself in mindless entertainment, but before he settled on something to watch, Mozzie turned the television off.

"Neal, we need to talk."

"I'm through talking." Neal turned the television back on, but Mozzie moved to stand in front of it. "Mozz, I'm not talking about it anymore."

When Mozzie stood fast in front of him, Neal stood up and faced his friend. "I mean it, Mozz. I'm done." With that, Neal turned and walked out the front door, leaving Mozzie to look on helplessly.

Neal walked aimlessly down the street, not really knowing what he was going to do. He wanted desperately to be back home with Peter, Elizabeth and Satchmo, but he really didn't see that as an option. That part of his life was over, as much as he hated to admit it.

By evening, Neal was exhausted and started looking for a place to stay for the night. He knew that by this time, Mozzie had probably called Peter, telling him that he was on the run. Again. He had no doubt that the man was already looking for him.

After walking a few more miles, Neal found himself at one of Mozzie's safe houses. Fortunately, he knew how to get into this one. Making himself comfortable on the sofa, his exhaustion finally overwhelmed him and he fell asleep.

When Neal hadn't returned by morning, Mozzie called Peter. Peter answered his phone on the first ring, terrified to hear what Mozzie had to tell him. After hearing that Neal was on the run again, he felt a familiar frustration and worry fill him. He could practically feel his hair graying by the second. How in the world was he going to survive Neal's teenage years?

After making a quick phone call to let Diana and Jones in on what was happening, Peter and Elizabeth drove over to Mozzie's, hoping to find out something that would help them locate their son. Mozzie told them of a few places that Neal liked to hang out, and while they checked those out, he left to check a few other places.

By mid-morning, Mozzie figured that he should check out his safe houses, but unfortunately, by the time he got to the one where Neal had obviously stayed the night, the boy was already gone. Angry at himself for being so stupid, Mozzie called Peter to tell him what he had found, and then found himself back at square one in his search.

Neal couldn't believe what was happening to him. After leaving Mozzie's safe house, he realized that he was rather hungry and made his way down an alley that he hoped would lead him to a restaurant of some kind. His mind was on other things and he didn't notice the two men that had suddenly appeared in the alleyway behind him. Seconds later, one of the men grabbed him from behind, pulling his arms behind his back so he couldn't move. In less than a minute, the two men had left, taking with them Neal's coat, cell phone and all of his money, and leaving Neal with several bruises.

Suddenly, Neal found himself cold, hungry and completely broke, with no way to call for help. Quickly walking out of the alley, he found himself on a small side street, with barely anyone around. He kept walking for several minutes, before he found a more crowded street, which gave him more opportunities to at least get some money. He didn't want to have to resort to pick-pocketing again, but he really didn't have any choice, if he wanted to eat.

What happened next was a life-changing event for Neal George Caffrey-Burke. It all started when he, unfortunately, picked the wrong person to steal from. Looking at all of the people around him, Neal honed in on an older woman, sitting by herself at a nearby table. Her unzipped handbag was draped over the back of the chair and Neal could easily see her wallet sticking out. She was obviously a tourist who didn't pay attention to warnings on how to keep from getting robbed.

Neal took one last look around before making his move. He didn't notice anyone looking at him, so he casually walked past the lady's table, quickly dipping his hand into her bag and grabbing the wallet. She never noticed a thing, but the same thing couldn't be said for the man that had just sat down a few tables away.

Neal thought that he had gotten away clean, until he felt someone grab his arm with a firm grip. His heart skipped a beat at the look of anger on the man's face, but he quickly pulled himself together. It was not the time to fall apart.

Neal couldn't believe his bad luck when he found out that the man who had caught him stealing was an off-duty NYPD detective. He knew he was in a lot of trouble and really wished that he could call Peter. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, not even giving the policeman that was questioning him his name. He knew that they would figure out who he was as soon as they ran his fingerprints, so there really wasn't any point in hiding his identity. Even so, he still couldn't bring himself to tell them.

Eventually, they put him in a holding cell, telling him that more than likely he would be taken to Crossroads, if he wouldn't cooperate. Suddenly, everything that he had been through in the last few months threatened to overwhelm him and for the first time he could ever remember, Neal felt like giving up. For the first time ever, he admitted to himself that he couldn't handle this all on his own, that he needed help, and that he wanted help. He didn't have the strength to run anymore.

After giving them Peter's name and number, Neal sat back against the wall, relief and fear fighting for dominance in his heart.

When Peter received the call from NYPD that they had Neal in their custody, relief so powerful that it almost brought him to his knees filled his body. He swore to himself that once he had Neal back home, he would never let the kid out of his sight.

It took him and Elizabeth almost an hour to get to the police station, thanks to the rush hour traffic, and the whole time his emotions were swinging crazily from one extreme to another. Peter vowed to himself and to his wife that he was done playing games, and that one way or another he would get Neal to finally understand that they loved him and that running away was not an option.

Once they had cleared up a few things with the arresting officer, Neal was brought out to them. Peter and Elizabeth were both heartbroken to see how defeated their son looked. He looked as if he barely had the strength to stand.

Elizabeth ran to her son, throwing her arms around his neck. "Neal, sweetie, are you okay?"

Neal couldn't find his voice to answer, as shame ran through him. He just held Elizabeth as tightly as he could, not wanting to let go, as his tears soaked through her blouse.

After several long seconds, Elizabeth pulled away from Neal, leaving him to face Peter. Neal took one look at Peter, seeing the love and concern on his face, before throwing himself into his chest. "Dad, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Peter's heart lurched at hearing the desperation and sadness in his son's voice. Pulling him in tighter, Peter whispered into his ear. "It's okay, son. Everything's okay. Everything will always be okay."

Once they were home, Peter, Elizabeth, and Neal sat down and finally talked through everything. For the first time, Neal truly understood that the Burkes were a permanent part of his life and that there wasn't anything he or anyone else could do to change that. For the first time, Peter and Elizabeth truly understood the magnitude of all of Neal's insecurities about being part of a family.

They discussed ways that they could help Neal deal with these insecurities, knowing that they wouldn't just go away overnight. Neal promised to try to be more open with his thoughts and feelings, but they all knew that that was going to be difficult. Eventually, the three of them agreed to take it day-by-day, knowing that with the love they had for each other, they could overcome anything.

Peter, of course, made sure to point out that Neal had broken several of the house rules again, and proceeded to lay out the appropriate punishment. It seemed that Neal would be grounded for some time to come, and that a lot of odd jobs would be getting done around the Burke house. One of those jobs would be to chop down the tree outside Neal's bedroom window. Peter wouldn't admit it, but he was happy that Neal's grounding assured that the kid would be safe at home for a while.

Neal, of course, complained a little about being grounded, but he really didn't mind it. Not that he would ever admit it, but he was happy that being grounded assured that he had an excuse to be home with his parents every night.

That night, Peter and Elizabeth went upstairs to tuck Neal into bed. Neal knew he should be embarrassed that they tucked him in like a five year old, but he loved the whole routine.

Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers through Neal's curls. "Goodnight, sweetie, sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, mom," Neal whispered, before sitting up and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Elizabeth left the room, leaving Peter to say goodnight.

"Goodnight, Neal. It's been a long day, so try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Yes, sir. Goodnight, Peter."

Peter turned to leave, but paused at the door, before turning back around to face Neal. "Neal, when we were at the police station, you called me dad."

Neal wasn't sure exactly where Peter was headed with that topic, but he blushed at the memory of letting that word slip out.

"I don't expect you to call me that, if it makes you uncomfortable, but I want you to know that I would be honored if you called me dad. In my heart, you are my son and I am your dad. Nothing will ever change that, son. I want to make sure you know how I feel about it, okay?"

Neal gave Peter a small nod and smile. He couldn't quite bring himself to talk at the moment, even though he was dying to let the word slide through his lips.

"Elizabeth and I love you, Neal. You have brought so much happiness to us, and we are so thankful to have you in our lives. We're bound to have more trials and tribulations, but we will face anything that comes up together, as a family, okay?"

Peter was a little surprised that Neal was being so quiet. The boy looked as if he wanted to say something, but just couldn't get the words out.

"I just have one more thing to say, bud, before I let you get some sleep. I am extremely proud to be your father and I promise you, little man, that I will do whatever it takes to be the father you deserve. Whatever it takes, Neal.

Peter gave Neal a quick kiss on the top of his head and turned toward the door. He was almost there when he heard Neal's soft voice.

"Peter? I want you to know that I'll do whatever it takes to be the son that you and Beth deserve, too, okay? I know I'll still make mistakes, but I promise I'll do my best. I promise, Dad."

Author's note: Dang! That was the toughest chapter yet, which I'm sure is because I really don't want to end this story. I hope the ending worked out well for all of you. I really wanted Neal to get to a point where he would realize that he really couldn't do it all on his own. This may seem a little anti-climactic, in the grand scheme of this whole story, but I think Neal was bound to reach his limit eventually. Getting arrested again was definitely the straw that broke the camel's back.

I really want to keep on writing White Collar stories and I would love to hear what direction you all might like to see me go in. Kidfic Neal? Canon Neal? More teen Neal? How about a few one shots in the Whatever It Takes universe? Or any different ideas you all might have. Trust me, I'm open to suggestions.

I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story. And even more thanks to those of you who reviewed. I am amazed by the reception this story has received from all of you. What a great experience for my very first story! It sure has made me want to keep on writing.

Again, thanks to all of you. It has been an amazingly beautiful experience. Take care, everyone.