Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA Network and Jeff Eastin.

DAMON (6)

*** Peter sighed, a demon had possessed this boy, and his name was Damon. ***

Diana stood beside him, "You okay, Boss?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking. I wonder if there's any way we can get hold of his hospital records." Peter thought he might need to know more if he was going to take care of the child.

"Now Boss, you know that's almost impossible with a straight up investigation. With the way our hands are tied on this one…."

They started discussing another case that just pushed itself into a priority position and Peter told her to call a meeting to brainstorm ideas. Meeting in the conference room in 15 minutes.

Peter glanced up at the boy sitting in the conference room, the boy stared back at him, and Peter knew the kid knew he had just read reports on him. The kid was uncanny. He headed up the stairs to talk to him. He took his usual position in front of the boy and said "Stephen Adkin."

Damon replied sarcastically, "So the FBI can figure out the name of one little kid when given all the information. And don't ever call me that, he is gone." He looked down, then back up, sarcasm gone, his eyes cold and unreadable again. "What about the doctors? If they were doctors."

Peter felt the kid already knew, but he needed verification. "They are dead."

"Was anyone else in the house?"

"No, they didn't find anyone else there." Peter looked into Damon's eyes; he had shut down again, blocking the world out with his cold wall. He wasn't about ready to tell him about the missing boys.

"Damon, I need to use the room for a meeting so I'm going to move you into my office. Take whatever book you want to, ah, read and come in there." He saw Damon had a book on investigative procedures, and couldn't imagine he was actually reading it. He guessed he would have to find something to entertain the boy for the next couple weeks.

He set Damon up in his office and informed him that he would NOT touch any files on his desk, or open his desk or file cabinet. And wondered if it was safe to leave the kid in his office, and then chided himself; he was just a little boy! Wasn't he? Peter went to his meeting.

***WC***

The rest of the day passed in normal White Collar hubbub when working on an active case. Peter checked on Damon when he could and worked at his desk some, did he leave those files there? Damon was not talkative, which was okay, Peter was too busy to talk. They had a quiet lunch together.

Neal tried to talk to Damon but Damon's cold hate filled stare soon sent him from the room.

At the end of the day the promise routine was repeated at beginning and end of the journey home, and Damon was again guided in and out of the car via the driver's door.

When they got in the house Peter told Damon to go upstairs, shower, and change into his sweats and bring his clothes, to include his shoes back downstairs to him.

Damon exploded. "No! You can't make me wear those fucking clothes again! I won't!"

He turned to run upstairs, but Peter caught him by his arm and held tight. Damon swung out to hit him with his free arm, but Peter grabbed that one too. He pulled Damon in tight, back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him while Damon fought against him.

Peter waited for the boy to wear himself out and calm down. Finally, he did. Peter then loosened his grip enough to turn the boy to face him. He held him by the chin and made him look at him.

"Damon, you will do as I said. And you will not use foul language in my house. Is that understood?" Damon starred back silently. Peter firmed his voice, "Is that understood?" Damon finally gave a small nod. "I can't hear you."

A very placated Damon responded, "Yes." Peter still stared at him. In a yet smaller voice. "Yes Sir."

"Good. Now go."

He released Damon and the boy went upstairs, not two at a time, but he went. Peter ran his hand through his hair. What did he think he was doing? He had no idea how to handle a kid! And especially not a messed up one like this!

Just then Elizabeth popped her head out of the kitchen, "All clear?" She went to Peter and gave him a hug. Boy, he thought, I needed that! "I was surprised you didn't swat him."

He sighed, "I couldn't El, not after what I found out today."

They went into the dining room and after she brought him a beer, he told her about the articles and told her of his fear of damaging the kid further. She rubbed his arm, which always relaxed him, and told him she thought he did just fine. She gave him a kiss, and went back to check on dinner.

When Damon came back downstairs, he wouldn't look Peter in the eye while he handed him his clothes and shoes. He then went to Satch, sat on the floor, holding and petting the dog. Peter watched him, hoping like hell he hadn't broken the kid's spirit. He did have one hell of a spirit! It just needed guiding, not breaking.

Dinner was uneventful; Damon ate what El put on his plate, and thanked her politely, never forgetting to use Ma'am when addressing her. He went to bed when told. Peter didn't know if he should be thankful or worried, and that worried him more.

***WC***

About 4 hours later, Peter was awakened by a muffled cry. The dream. Not as bad as last night, but still… He went upstairs to help the boy.

Damon was standing in the middle of the room. He was visibly shaken, but he was controlling it. Peter asked if he was alright, and what could he do to help. Damon looked at him. His cold, dark eyes were back. Damon informed him that he had been taking care of it for a long time by himself and didn't need any help. He brushed by Peter and went to his bathroom closing the door, closing Peter out. There was nothing for Peter to do but go back to bed. He waited till he heard Damon go downstairs and gave him time to get settled, and then quietly checked on him. There he was, same position as last night, petting the dog and reading a book. Peter went back to bed.

As he fell asleep he realized something was wrong with Damon's room, the bed was still made.

In the morning, Damon was found again sleeping in the dog bed with the dog.

***WC***

Peter called Damon upstairs to get ready. Damon went up and Peter handed him his clothes, Damon took them, then stopped and informed Peter the clothes weren't his and tried to hand them back. Peter informed him that El had gotten him some new clothes. Damon started to flare up and protest; he didn't want anything from these people!

Peter interrupted before Damon could get the first word out, "Damon, El took time out of her day to make a special trip to the store just for you. You refusing these show a total lack of regard for her or her time. Do you really want to disrespect her like that?"

Damon gave Peter the evil eye, but took the clothes and headed upstairs. Peter hollered after him, "Remember, brush, brush, wash and dress. Then get downstairs to eat!" Peter watched the boy go. He thought that could have gone better, but then again, it hadn't gone too bad… He went to finish getting dressed.

When Damon came to breakfast, looking like a normal kid, albeit a very good looking one, in new jeans and t-shirt, El set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of him. Peter jokingly asked where his was; El kissed him and said his was in the fridge.

Damon, not understanding the bond between the two, tried to hand Peter his plate, saying he didn't want it anyway. Peter could have sworn he saw guilt on the kid's face. Of course he refused and told him to enjoy the breakfast El had made especially for him.

Damon ate it all, secretly relishing every bite of fresh cooked eggs that he hadn't eaten in a long, long time.

When they got to the office, remarks were made about Damon's new look, but he rushed up to Peter's office to block them all out. The day passed pretty much as the day before.

***WC***

When they got home, Peter told Damon to go shower, change and bring down his clothes; Damon shot him an angry look, but complied without the drama of the day before. Peter was relieved and thought he was getting somewhere with the kid.

But Damon's obedience was not based on complacency, but on deciding that he was serving a two week jail sentence, and Peter was the jailer. After all, he did commit a couple crimes; 'don't do the crime if you can't do the time'. He figured if he just did what he was told; in two weeks he would be released. But damn! Sometimes it was really hard to obey that hard headed s.o.b.!

He did have to admit that he did like Mrs. Burke. She made his jail sentence a lot more tolerable. And Satchmo! How many prisoners had a friend like Satch? Come the think of it, poor Satch was Peter's prisoner too, he had to obey orders just like Damon did. And Peter never let Satch out of the house without a leash, controlling him just like he controlled Damon.

That night, Peter waited until he was sure Damon was settled down for the night, after that he quietly snuck up to his room. Sure enough, the bed was empty. Peter moved deeper into his room, let his eyes adjust to the dim light coming in from the hallway, and looked around. Damon was curled up under the table on the far side of the room with an old blanket and pillow he must have found in the closet. Peter sighed at sat down on the empty bed. Damon must have sensed or heard him, because he sat up warily watching Peter.

"Damon, why aren't you sleeping in the bed?"

"Because I don't like it."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Silence. "Is it too hard or too soft?"

Damon shook his head no.

"Would you like to try the bed in the other room?"

Again, Damon shook his head no.

"Damon, help me here. Do you want to sleep on the floor?"

"It's one of the better places I've slept."

Peter was at a loss for words. He couldn't make the kid sleep in the bed! They stared at each other a couple more minutes, and then Peter gave up and said good night and went to bed. About ten minutes later, he heard Damon sneaking down the stairs. He waited another fifteen minutes and checked on him.

He was curled up in the dog bed with the dog. Peter went back to bed.