Author Notes: Please be aware that I'm not from New York, in fact I've only been to the Big Apple once, and that was last weekend. So just be aware of that fact when I totally get locations wrong! (Also, don't forget to review; I know you guys are reading, I just want to know what's on your minds. If you liked it… if you didn't. Or you can just say something completely irrelevant. I don't mind.) **Here's the rest of the chapter, hope you enjoy it. Also, in the flashbacks, (especially in the later ones… with Neal's childhood), his name is Nick Everett.

Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar. If I did, Neal would be shirtless in every episode, and there would be more make-out scenes BETWEEN EVERY COUPLE IMAGINABLE! (Nah jk, just Neal + Alex, Neal + Sara, and Neal + Kate.)

As soon as Roy left Neal alone in the alley, he knew something was wrong. It was nagging at him for hours before he finally decided to search for him. He checked the surrounding alleyways, knowing that Neal would stay off the main roads. He narrowly missed the downpour that had occurred and hoped that Neal was somewhere safe. He called Neal's burner phone and heard a soft ringing coming from a nearby alley. He stepped in a small puddle and saw Neal, leaning up against a wall, his eyes shut tight. He was cradling his stomach with his arm, as if it was causing him pain. His eyes opened suddenly, and their gaze showed nothing but pain and annoyance.

Roy walked briskly towards him and put a hand on Neal's shoulder. "What happened to you Neal?" Roy asked. He brushed a hand over the back of Neal's head and frowned when Neal winced. 'Definitely a concussion.' Roy thought to himself.

"What happened?" Neal said bitterly. "You come back into my life after 13 years, you make me run from people that actually care about me, and you ask me 'what happened?' You stole from the mob Roy, that's what happened. Nothing good can come out of that." It was the truth. Steal from a museum; you get the feds after you. Steal from the mob however, can get you and everyone around you killed. Neal knew that Roy was cocky, but to steal from a crime syndicate? That was just plain stupid.

Roy was silent for a couple of minutes, letting Neal's words sink in. He didn't think of the consequences that would come out of stealing from the mob. Sure, he knew that he would have to hide out for a while afterwards, but he didn't know that it would end this badly. And he didn't know that they would come after Neal. Roy's eyes narrowed at the thought of Feds taking care of Neal. The only thing Feds wanted was a conviction; they would never purposely take care of a criminal. Not even one that was working for them. Roy took a step back from Neal, knowing Neal well enough to give him some space.

"I never made you run from them Neal. That was your decision, not mine. And besides, you have people who care for you here; you don't need those Feds." Roy said with an acidic tone. He came to resent the Suits for everything that they had done to Neal. From pursuing him for 3 years to using Kate as bait to catch him and forcing him to work for them to shorten his sentence. It was maddening to think that Neal would actually think of them as friends. After all the grief that they put him through, and he still calls them friends?

"Those Feds happen to be some of the people that I trust with my life Roy. If you can't accept that, then maybe you should leave." Neal knew that most criminal's considered him a snitch now that he worked for the other side of the law, but he never thought that he would have to deal with it until his sentence was over. He doubted the mob knew who he was anyways, Neal was always careful to never involve the mob with a job unless he was forced into it, or the prize was too great.

Roy looked uneasy, as if he didn't want to leave Neal alone again. But he knew what his presence was doing to Neal and he knew that Neal needed some time to think about things before they reunited. He said, "Maybe I will." and turned to leave. The sun was finally out, and it was shining, but who knows when it'll stop shining and realize that some things are meant to be kept in the dark?

Roy turned his head and took one final look at Neal. He was still leaning up against the wall, and he seemed to fighting off a growing nausea. "Just promise me that you'll stay out of trouble? I know there's not much you can do, especially in your position, but just try." And with that, Roy left. He hated leaving Neal behind, again, but he knew it was the right thing to do. If he stayed, things would change. And they would change badly. They would no doubt have an argument which would lead to things slipping out that weren't meant to be spoken.

Neal was glad that Roy had started to listen to him. He had to make it clear that he wasn't a child anymore, and that he could do well enough on his own. And he could. He had done it for about 13 years before Roy showed his face and made everything stumble backwards. Arguing had kept Neal's mind off of the pain, so when Roy left he felt an enormous buildup of pain. His head pounded and his ribs felt like they were on fire. All Neal wanted to do was to pass out, but he knew that he had to move on.

Neal was about a mile from the alley when he couldn't control it anymore. He stumbled and fell to the floor with a thud. Neal groaned as he tried to get up, but he just couldn't. The pounding in his head had grown and he shut his eyes against the pain. He heard thunder in the distance, a sign of yet another storm. Neal wasn't sure if he would be able to make it through this one. He sighed, he knew that his defeat was imminent. In only a few minutes the darkness came, and Neal went graciously into it.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

It was raining, and it was raining hard. The pitter-patter of rain was splashing against the windows of Peter's darkened office. It was clear to Hughes and everyone else where the Special Agent was. Even though they were in the midst of a storm, Peter was out searching for his missing consultant and partner, Neal Caffrey. He was canvassing the scene where Neal was seen last. Hughes knew that Burke was the only one who could understand the ex con's movements and his style of thinking. It was one of the main reasons why Hughes went forward with the deal in the first place. Caffrey was an asset to the Bureau and without him…well the office was much quieter than Hughes would like to admit.

Peter cursed as the rain poured down on him. He was slightly aware of the series of storms that were coming, but in the haste of getting more information about Neal, he had forgotten to pack an umbrella. He was drenched in a matter of minutes. He wasn't too far from Greenacre Park, where Neal was seen last with their prime suspect in an embezzlement case they were working on. Peter had no idea what Neal was doing with their suspect; Neal said it himself, "I would never embezzle money from a bakery. It's too plain."

Setting the Why aside, Peter began to ponder how Neal managed to escape the park with the NYPD on his trail. He knew that Neal was quick on his feet but he doubted that Neal knew the escape route. For Neal to know the route he would have searched the area first, made sure there were no drawbacks. For him to be able to do that, he would have broken his radius. Peter had checked, Neal was nowhere near the park in the few weeks before he ran.

The only thing Peter could think of was that Neal was planning a rendezvous with their suspect to split the money, but it just seemed wrong. Neal didn't need the money, and if he did, Peter was sure that Neal would opt for a painting rather than split the cash from an embezzlement scam. Upon seeing a flash of lightning, Peter ran for cover. Literally. He tripped over something and fell to the ground in the middle of a giant puddle. He cursed and stood up, not realizing what he had tripped over. He took a look back and was shocked to see Neal, lying on the ground unconscious.

Peter checked Neal's pulse, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found one. Neal's breath was shallow and it looked like he was having some difficulty breathing but other than that Peter could see no injuries. He was tempted to call it in, but something stopped him from calling the cavalry. Peter grabbed Neal by the arm, and led him up. Peter stumbled with the burden of the extra weight, but he managed to make it to his car without falling into any puddles. He placed Neal in the back of his car, taking note of any injuries before strapping him in. The car ride was silent, and Peter periodically looked back at his partner during red lights to see if anything had changed. Neal stayed unconscious during the entire ride and it looked as if he was dreaming… But Peter wasn't sure if it was a dream or a nightmare.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

(18 Years Ago)

Neal stepped out of the train with a smile on his face. He only had the clothes on his back and a small backpack, which was filled with small necessities such as clothing, and a small sketchpad waiting to be filled with drawings. It was a gift from his mother, who had given it to him as a gift one day. Upon thinking of his mother Neal frowned. He had recently found out that his father wasn't a hero… he was a dirty cop, and his mom refused to tell him the truth. He didn't know what was worse, his mother not telling him, or the fact that he was told by a drunken goon who recognized him.

Thinking past this, Neal began walking away from the station. After hearing the truth from his mother's own mouth, Neal lost it. He didn't know who he could trust anymore. He had always came to his mother for advice, advice for an incomplete drawing needing detail to asking how he should get to know Britney Nicole in 2nd grade. But once he knew for sure that she had lied to him, about something important like information about his father, he didn't know if she had been lying about anything else. Was he really who he thought he was, or was everything just a lie made up by his mother?

It soon became too much for Neal to handle, and he did something that would change his life drastically. He ran away. He ran away from his home town, in a desperate attempt to search for something new. Something permanent. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he had to get away somehow. Neal got on the next train outbound, not caring that he would probably be living out in the streets no matter where he got off.

The stop that Neal had gotten off was the last one, it had a quaint feel to it, and he could see a river not far from the station. He could hear the rush of traffic not far above the station, where an overpass lies. Neal was farther from the station now, reaching the end of the overpass and the beginning of the sidewalk. He felt the cool breeze of the fall, and glanced at the surrounding apple trees, wondering if any of them were ripe yet.

Neal had a sinking feeling he was being watched and when he turned around he saw a man who appeared to be in his late 30's with dark brown wavy hair. He looked him over with a wary eye, but said nothing to the man. He knew he seemed a little too young to be traveling alone, and that was probably why the man was staring at him, but Neal knew enough to get around.

When Roy approached Neal, he was only 12 years old. He was barely a teenager, and he knew how to get out of things. Roy felt like he had an obligation to teach Neal everything he knew about conning someone out of their life savings. It was one of the reasons why he came up to him and said, "Are you new around here?"

After hearing the words come from the stranger's mouth, Neal grinned sheepishly. He said, "Is it that obvious?" Neal had no idea that he stuck out like a sore thumb, he thought he was pretty good at blending into crowds. The man looked like someone he could trust, someone that would be able to help him find the things in life he needed. Like a father figure.

At first the boy looked familiar to him, but Roy couldn't place him. After hearing the boy's voice, Roy knew. He knew who the boy was, and a plan formed instantly in his mind. He smiled and said, "I'm Roy, let me show you around." His plan was perfect… he would take the boy under his wing, and make him the best con man in the world. Roy would be the brains behind the operations, while Neal would be the one in the action.

"I'm Nick, Nick Everett." Neal smiled and followed Roy deeper into the town. Roy's face held a small smile all the while, thinking of how his dirty cop partner in crime's son was going to be taught the tricks of the trade. The conning trade, that is.

WCWCWCWCWCWC

By the time Peter had arrived home, the storm had come and gone, and the sun was shining once again. Elle was gone in San Francisco for an expensive client and had left Satchmo and Peter behind to take care of the house. Satchmo met Peter at the door, and Peter carefully maneuvered around the excited dog to the couch, where he placed Neal gently. Peter put down his now wet briefcase that was filled with files that needed his signature and headed upstairs to change into drier clothing.

A few minutes later, Neal began to stir. He remembered being cold, really cold. Cold to the point of hypothermia, but now the only thing he could feel was the pain in his head and the warmth of a dog's breath on his face. He opened his eyes, and saw Satchmo's dark eyes staring back, clearly excited to see him. Neal was shocked and delved deeper into the couch, unaware of the pain that would come from it. He was reminded of his bruised ribs and tried not to jostle them too much.

He looked around, and realized where he was. He was at Peter's house… 'Peter must have found me out in the alley and brought me here.' Neal frowned. He ran because he wanted Peter to be safe. Now that he was here, in Peter's house, nothing was going to stop Roy from ruining the carefully built web of lies that surrounded Neal's past. There was a reason why he never told anyone about his past.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Neal sat up quickly. He hissed in pain, but he continued to stand. He needed to get out of Peter's house while he still could. Before he could make it to the door however, Peter had caught up to him. He put a hand on Neal's shoulder and turned him around. "We have to talk Neal. No escaping until you explain to me what the hell is going on." He said, and lead Neal back the couch.

He sat down with a grimace, trying to hide the pain he was feeling. "Peter, it's a long story, and all I really want to do is sleep." Neal said, trying to use the last of his energy to deflect Peter's constant questioning.

Peter gave him a disbelieving look and said, "You can sleep when you're dead. Now tell me what's going on before it gets out of hand." Peter wanted to get ahead of this before it unraveled in their faces. He could get fired for doing this for Neal, but he had to know. He had to know what Neal was protecting him from, and why.

"It already is Peter. The only way I can stop it, is if I disappear forever." Neal knew that there was no stopping the Aldo family, especially when their money was involved. God only knows why Roy stole from them in the first place.

"I can't let you do that Neal. Not when you already have a life here." Peter said, determined to get Neal to talk. This particular tactic had worked before, at the hangar, but with different results. Peter hoped that this wouldn't lead to the death of someone he knew.

Neal sighed. He wanted to tell Peter the truth about everything, he really did. But there was too much to be told and a part of him liked how Peter didn't know everything about him. He liked the mystery it presented to those at the Bureau. Neal didn't want Peter to know about the things he had endured as a kid.

"Just tell me what's going on Neal. That way I can stop this before we both end up in jail." Hughes had specifically told Peter to bring Neal in as soon as he was found. Peter, for obvious reasons, decided against it and now if he was caught with Neal, they would most likely go to jail together.

"Fine."

"Why were you meeting with Clark at the park? Were you planning on double crossing him with the money?" Neal almost laughed at the thought. Him, working with Roy? Sure, they planned heists together when he was younger, but Neal had long since quit trying to impress him.

"No, I would never." He paused, briefly pondering how much he should reveal to Peter. "He needed me to get the Bureau off his back, and I knew that if I didn't, there would be major consequences."

"Damn. He gets you to ditch all of the evidence of the case, and it can only lead back to you. Whoever this guy is, he's good." Peter had no idea what sort of relationship Clark and Neal had, but he knew it didn't end well. And if Clark was able to kick up a storm that would even make Neal Caffrey head for the hills… Peter didn't even want to think about it.

Neal hesitated before giving up this piece of information that he knew would be crucial to the case. He knew that Peter would figure out who Roy was, and how Neal knew him sooner or later, and Neal knew it would be better for Peter to learn it from Neal than from Roy himself. "Peter… Daniel Clark is an alias. I don't know how long it's been in use, but I know for a fact that it isn't his real name."

"Who is he, and how do you know him?" Peter had a sinking feeling in his gut, one that was telling him that no good news would come from his consultant's mouth. He chose not to believe in it, but it was still there.

"His real name is Roy Croft, and I know him because I spent 5 years of my life under his wing, as he tried to teach me how to con people."

Author's Notes: Hope you all had an amazing weekend, i know i did. I probably won't update an incomplete chapter soon, I only did it because I was going away. (hopefully) there are no more incomplete ones that break off in awkward endings. Please Review! it makes me :DDDDD smile.