Hey guys. Sorry for the long wait. It's been a hectic few months for me. Hope this makes up for it!
The singing drew him down the hall. The smooth voice actually sounded good. Peeking in on Neal, Peter found him still packing. And singing. Damn the kid could sing too! Was there nothing Neal Caffrey couldn't do? And if the howling coming from the bed was anything to go by apparently he was a dog trainer as well. The kid had the dogs singing now. Of course this just made Peter wonder what other hidden talents Neal possessed.
"That was amazing."
Neal started at the foreign voice in the room before settling down after seeing his dad.
"Not really that amazing if you think about it. Dogs are easy to train. Treats, toys, time, and patience are really all you need."
"I was talking about your voice, wise ass."
"You're biased. You have to say that."
Peter scooped up Remy from the leather carryall and sat on the bed. The bear had been with Neal since that fateful trip to Texas. It had been a small gift from a mother to a son, but for Neal, it now held so much more significance. It was proof that once upon a time someone had loved him. His mother wanted him, cherished him. This small stuffed bear was tangible proof.
"It's stupid to keep that thing around, I know."
Peter smiled sadly at the thought of being in his son's situation. He would want anything that held a piece of his mother, even a stuffed bear.
"No, kiddo it isn't stupid."
Neal laid his head on his dad's shoulder and sighed. He still pinched himself every morning, just to make sure this wasn't all a dream. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined he'd be in college, working with the FBI, and have the family that he so longed for.
"Peter, Neal, come on, finish packing, we have to get going soon!"
Neal plucked the bear from Peter's hands and placed it back in the carryall as he continued to pack for the week. Spending Father's day weekend with not only Peter and Elizabeth, but his grandparents also going to be amazing.
Peter glanced around the room before picking up two suitcases, leaving the carryall for Neal.
"Jesus, Neal what did you pack? Everything but the kitchen sink?"
"No, that's in there also. I just squeezed it in beside sofa and the microwave."
"We're not going to the moon kid. Why do you need all this?"
"Well, some of my art supplies are already in the car, this is mostly just clothes and my school stuff. My laptop is…where is my laptop?"
Peter smiled as Angelo ducked his head and whined. The little guy had been using the case as a pillow since the singing stopped.
"That it?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I can bring this stuff down if you want to go ahead."
Peter just shook his head and disappeared down the stairs. Neal grabbed the laptop case and the carryall and did the same.
"Satch, Angelo, come on guys. Let's find your crates. Can't have you roaming all over the SUV that could be dangerous."
El peered into the back seat as Peter stopped for gas. Neal was still asleep, his head against the window. A book on the history of Italian art lay in his lap. She grinned to herself as she realized just how much her son had accomplished in a few short months. The GED, the college courses, still working with the FBI. It boggled her mind that he could do so many things and be successful at them. Neal Caffrey truly amazed her. She would tell him so just as soon as he awoke.
Peter grabbed five bottles of water, some pretzel M&M's for EL, a Snicker's bar for himself and, a pack of licorice for Neal before he pumped the gas. El set up the travel water bowls for the dogs before she dug out the little doggy treats Neal had made the day before. Some were made from organic peanut butter, while others were an organic veggie blend. Peter had grumbled at first, until he realized that all the organic food and treats were actually making the pets healthier. Besides, Neal seemed to enjoy the time he spent with El shopping for the ingredients and making them, so Peter stopped grumbling after a while.
"He looks tired Peter. I wonder how late he was up last night."
"Past midnight. He was still up working on his psychology paper when I finally decided to call it a night. He's fine El. Besides, this week will be relaxing for us all. Seeing Arial and Lucas again will be good for him also."
El thought about her own college experiences and shook her head. Sometimes she would have classes all day, then work most of the night only to get up and do it all over again the next day. Most of her friends in college did the same. Still Neal was her son and she worried. She would just have to make sure he knew she and Peter were there if he ever needed any help. They would not by any means do the work for him but they could proofread and be sounding boards for ideas and concepts and even help study for tests. El would make certain that Neal knew this.