Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to Jeff Eastin and USA.
Summary: Peter comes home from work to find a very…different Neal. El's excited, but Peter not so much. No slash. De-aged Neal.
"Peter, hon…there's something I think you should see." El had a mischievous expression on her face, as though she was trying to conceal a surprise.
"El…what…is this?" Peter stopped short as he walked into his living room. An adorable little boy with a dark brown curl hanging over his forehead was sitting expectantly on the couch. At his feet lay an anklet with a blinking green light.
"Who is that?" Peter demanded.
"That is Neal."
"Shit. Is this another one of Neal's pranks? Where is he?"
"He's right there. By the way he does remember everyone…but he has the emotions of a three year-old. Why don't you go talk to him?" she suggested.
"El! Come back here!" Peter desperately called, but El had already escaped to the kitchen. He gave Neal a glare, but his now very small CI didn't seem to notice. Heaving a sigh, Peter went and sat next to Neal.
"So…uh…do you remember me?" he asked awkwardly. Neal looked up for the first time since Peter had entered the room.
"You'we Petew" he said, the 'r' at the end of Peter's name changed adorably into a 'w'.
"Yeah…I guess I am Petew" Peter said, chuckling despite himself.
"Dinner's ready boys!" El called.
During dinner, Peter couldn't stop staring at tiny CI handling a fork and knife perfectly as though he were a thirty year-old man instead of a three year-old toddler. After dinner El sent Neal up early to bed, doing her best to ignore his little pout.
"El…we can't keep him."
"It's Neal. I know it's him."
"El. He's a conman" Peter growled.
"He's also an adorable little three year-old boy who cannot take care of himself and cannot be left to Mozzie's mercy!"
Peter stared, he had never seen El this worked up about something before.
"Alright. I'll give it one week."
El gave him a look that clearly said that before the week would be up, Neal would be a permanent member of the Burke household.
"I'll go clean up" she said, excusing herself, "why don't you go and see if Neal's sleeping yet. I gave him one of your old t-shirts to sleep in."
"Why my t-shirt?" Peter muttered to himself as he went upstairs with Satchmo trailing behind him.
"Neal?" Peter knocked softly on the door to the guest room. He heard a cacophony of sniffles and quiet sobs coming from the bed.
"Neal…" Neal looked so tiny and young curled in the middle of the queen-size bed. His baby blues were rimmed with red and he hastily wiped his nose with the sleeve of the t-shirt as Peter walked into the room. Peter internally winced at the sight of his t-shirt being used as a handkerchief.
"Hey…what's wrong?" he murmured, placing a comforting hand on Neal's small back.
"I—I—I wemembew ev'ything."
"Neal, what do you mean by 'everything'?" Peter asked, sounding harsher than he thought.
Neal whimpered only one name, "Kate."
At this, Neal's eyes watered with fresh tears as he sobbed, "she's…dead. Petew."
Neal held out his arms and Peter obligingly scooped him up onto his lap.
"Shhh…it's okay," he comforted, rubbing a hand up and down Neal's tiny back.
"Petew…" Neal's breath was ragged and Peter kept his hand soothingly on Neal's back until his sobs quieted into even breathing.
"I think he's asleep…" El murmured from the bedroom doorway.
Peter slowly lowered Neal back against the pillow and tenderly covered him with a blanket. El hid a smile, she was positive Neal would not be leaving the Burke residence anytime soon.
"Goodnight, Neal" Peter whispered, looking back at the bed where Neal lay.
~TBC. Thanks to everyone reviewing my other story. Hope you guys enjoy this one as well!