Chapter IV:
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Some people pointed out that convicts are not excluded from transplant's lists (and also a couple pointed medical inaccuracies), I appreciate your feedback and I really hope I have not offended anyone.
Please, consider all the inaccuracies or exaggerations, just poetic license embellishments. If Neal could have gotten into the transplant list easily, it would be harder to convince him to seek for his family.
Thank you very much to everybody that offered to Beta my story and thanks to the lovely JadeAlmasy for doing so.
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"Neal, listen to me," Neal looked at Peter, "you need a kidney transplant." Neal nodded, "you are a convicted felon, they won't put you on the list." Peter's eyes were getting glossy, "the only chance we have is for you to find a willing, live donor."
Neal nodded, sadly, "how do we do that?"
"Neal, I know you don't like to talk about the past, I know you don't want anyone to know about your childhood, but… we need to know, I NEED to know… We can't give up…"
Neal closed his eyes in obvious struggle and then opened them again, staring blankly at the people in the room.
"Family members have a higher chance to be a match, do you have any living relatives, Neal?" Mozzie asked.
Neal looked at Peter with all the sadness in the world, like begging him not to force him to talk.
"Please Neal, we were all tested, everybody that we could think of, and nobody is a match. Don't do this to us." Elle grabbed his hand, her eyes full of tears.
"Peter…" Neal whispered weakly
"I'll be your friend, Neal, not Peter Burke, FBI agent, but Peter Burke, your friend. Whatever you say will never be revealed to the authorities, Neal, I promise."
Neal nodded, "I had a sister and a father, they were alive when I left. I don't know if they still are, I don't know if they will be willing to help me. My father hates me…" His tone was devastatingly sad.
"What are their names, Neal? " Mozzie asked impatiently.
"I swear we will make them help you, Neal." Peter said at the same time.
Elizabeth just squeezed his hand tighter.
"Wilkins, my last name is Wilkins, Neal Wilkins, my sister's name is Jenny, Jennifer Wilkins. My father's name is Mark, Mark Wilkins." Neal sighed, exhausted.
Peter picked up his phone and dialed, "Diana, I need you to find everything you can about Jennifer and Mark Wilkins, father and daughter, last seen in…" he looked at Neal.
"Please, let me tell you my side of the story first!" Neal pleaded.
"You will….now… last seen in?"
"North Carolina, seventeen years ago." Neal was fighting hard not to break.
Elle gently caressed his upper arm. "Everything is going to be Ok, Neal," she whispered in his ear.
"You don't know that," was Neal's sad ultimatum.
It took Peter a couple more minutes on the phone to explain Diana that this was to help Neal and that it was supposed to be kept confidential; Diana promised to call as soon as she had something.
"You have to believe me," Neal begged, looking at each person in the room pleadingly, with pained eyes, his breathing speeding up.
"Neal you haven't told us anything yet, calm down" June walked closer to her tenant and took the hand Elizabeth was not holding.
"What that report will say, is not true. Peter, please… I need you to believe me, that is not true."
"What is not true, Neal?" Peter tone was calm, soothing.
"I didn't do it." Neal's eyes were filling up with tears.
"What didn't you do, sweetie?" Elle asked
"I didn't kill my mother! Please…" he looked at the people around him, everybody looked at him shocked and in silence. "I need you to believe me… I didn't do it."
"We believe you, Neal," Peter finally spoke.
"You do?" Neal was suddenly breathing easier.
Mozzie, Peter, June and Elle nodded. "Why don't you tell us your side of the story, Neal?"
"I don't know why my parents had me and my sister, I guess we were an accident… mom was drunk most of the times, but she was Ok, I guess. She never hurt us and in her own way she loved us, but my dad… he was always high and drunk and he would get violent, hit my mom, hit me, hit Jenny… He was big man, a lot bigger than me. "
Peter and Mozzie were looking at him serious, paying grave attention to every word. Elle was crying holding hands tightly with June who was trying to repress her distress.
"Sorry, Elle." Neal apologized, she just gave him a sad smile and kissed his cheek.
"It's Ok, please continue," she begged.
"Then….one night, when I was fifteen…" Neal stared at the ceiling, trying to detach himself from the painful memories, "he got home, he was really drunk and pissed. He started hitting Jenny, but I tried to stop him and then he unloaded his entire wrath on me. He was furious, I don't even know why… and that is when he grabbed the wrench." Neal paused for a second and swallowed soundly, "he started hitting me with it. I tried to take it away from him, we were fighting and then mom… I don't know... somehow she got in the middle of us. She was begging him to stop, telling him he was going to kill me. I don't remember much, he hit me… I fell, blacking out, when I was conscious again, Jenny was kneeling beside me crying. Mom was laying on the floor limp and dad was yelling at me "Look what you made me do, little brat!"
He had killed her, hit her in the head with the wrench. He said that I had to run, leave and never come back, that it was all my fault and he was going to make sure that the police knew that. He blamed me for my mother's death, he said that if I ever came back, if I ever told anyone he was going to kill Jenny.
I couldn't let him do that! Jenny was the only good thing in my life. For all I know, he might have killed her already, or he might kill her when he finds out I am looking for them," now Neal started panicking again, "Peter you have to be careful… you need to make sure nothing happens to my sister, she is a good girl."
"Nothing will happen to her, Neal. I don't know why you haven't mentioned this sooner! Someone should have done something. Why didn't you tell?"
Neal shrugged, "Risking my sister's life in a gamble like that? Who would have believed me?"
"I would have! I promise that bastard is going to pay for what he did. " Peter said firmly "after he gets tested and donate you a kidney, if he is a match."
Neal smiled weakly, his eyes closing from exhaustion "thank you," he mumbled, almost asleep.
"For what?"
"For believing me," Neal fell asleep while pronouncing those words.
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"I found them" Diana exclaimed happily as she run into the room with a bunch of papers.
"Shhh" Elizabeth placed a finger on her lip, "Neal is sleeping."
"Sorry," Diana shrugged.
"It's Ok, I am awake," Neal said groggy, "what did you find?"
"Well, your father…" Diana said somberly, though Peter had told her the whole story, it still didn't make it easy "he is in jail, for murdering your mother. Your sister came through a year after you ran away, she went to the police and told them everything that happened."
Neal opened his eyes in shock.
"Brave woman your sister," Diana said.
Neal nodded, "Do you know where she is? Is she ok?"
"We do know where she is, she has been searching for you for all these years. Apparently she calls missing persons every year on May 25th and makes sure they don't forget about you," Diana smirked.
Neal laughed happily, it felt as if a huge load had been taken off his shoulders, "the day I left the house, that is Jenny for you. Are you sure she is Ok? Can I see her?"
Diana's expression went somber, "We have men in California going to get her as we speak, but Neal, you need to understand, her life has not been easy. "
"I know that!"
"There is more…" she continued, "…you have a niece and a nephew," Neal smiled happily, "no man in her life, but the kids seem to be Ok."
"That is awesome! " Neal said happily.
"Can they get tested? To see if they are a match?" Peter asked hopefully.
"I am not taking a kidney from my sister's kids!"
"Your niece, Cassandra, is four, so she is too young. Your nephew, Neal, go figure she would name her kid after you, he is sixteen, he is old enough."
"Sixteen?" Neal said surprised, that would mean that Jenny had the baby when she was fifteen, when she was still with their father.
Diana nodded, "that is why your sister went to the police, she couldn't let your father hurt the baby. She didn't have the guts to defend herself, but sometimes it is impressive the amount of fear mothers can overcome to protect their children."
"Well, then it is good news. Your father is in jail and the kid can get tested to see if he is a match." Mozzie said happily.
"I am not letting someone butcher my sister's kid!" Neal objected.
"Let's get to them first and then they can decide themselves, Ok?" Elle intervene.
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Jenny watched interested as the man dressed in a suit walked determined to the cash register, she didn't get to see many men in suit in the mini-market.
"Hi," she smiled at him, "can I help you?"
"I am looking for Jennifer Wilkins"
"Well, you found her, what can I do for you, mister…?"
"Walker," he said pulling out an ID from his pocket, "Arthur Walker, FBI."\
"Wooww… impressive what I can do for you, Mr. Walker, Arthur Walker, FBI," She teased him a little with a winning smile.
" Are you Neal Wilkins' sister?"
"You have news about my brother?" all the playfulness gone from her tone.
"Yes, he is an FBI consultant in New York, we have orders to take you and your kids there at your earliest convenience."
"Is he Ok?"
"I can't tell you that, madam."
"Please," she begged, "I've been looking for my brother for 17 years."
The agent shrugged, "Sorry Madam, I don't know anything more than I already told you, but I can put you in contact with the person that requested your presence in New York."
"Go with him, Sweetie." Gracey's voice came from the opposite end of the store, "I'll look after the kids when they come from school."
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"I talked to your sister over the phone," Peter told him, "I explained her everything, they are on their way, they will arrive tonight, June is preparing everything to host them in her house and Mozzie paid for the plane tickets, I am not going to ask how he got the money, but your sister is in the red right now, even if she didn't even dare to ask for a penny, we figured it was the best way."
"How did she sound? Was she Ok? Was she happy… to hear about me, I mean?" Neal asked nervously, almost shyly.
"She was not very happy to hear about the circumstances, but she really wanted to talk to you, she was really hoping she could. We can try calling her right now if you want, she left me her number, they might still be at the airport."
Neal nodded and Peter dialed the phone.
After a few seconds, "Jenny, it's me, Peter Burke. Neal is awake, he wanted to say hi…. Don't cry… no crying…" Peter continued uncomfortable, getting rid of the phone as fast and clumsily as possible.
"Hey Jenny," Neal voice sounded soft and caring.
"Oh, Neal, is that really you?" Jenny asked in between sobs.
"It's me Jen, don't cry."
"I looked for you for so long. I had lost all hope."
"It's Ok, I am here and we will be together in a few hours."
"Thank you for paying for the flight and all… I promise I'll give you the money back,"
"You don't need to give me anything back."
"Neal…"
"I know you hate charity, but you are my sister, this is not charity. Besides, you are coming here to see if you can save my life, I am sure that is merit enough for me to pay for the trip."
Jenny sighed resigned, she knew she would never be able to afford the trip herself, "We'll get tested as soon as we land," she promised.
"That is not what I meant! I would have looked for you…. If I knew it was safe, I would have looked for you a lot sooner," Neal said apologetically.
"I know, Neal. Don't worry about it, the present is what matters, that and making sure you get well…. I really hope Neal… my son Neal or I are a match."
"Jenny, he is a kid, I can't let your kid do that for me."
"Then he'll do it for me." She said resolute and didn't allow him to answer, "I have to go, they are boarding the plane, see you in a few hours. I missed you, Neal."
"I missed you too," he said before the phone went dead.