Hey Everyone! DON'T KILL ME! *Ducks flying object* Wow, I Knew You Guys'd Be Angry. I'm So Sorry! I Know It's Been Forever Since I Last Updated. I Thought I'd Fit Into This Semester Easier. But I Was Wrong! I Barely Had Time To Write This Chapter Between Writing My Psychology Paper That's Due On Wednesday And My English Essay That's Due Tuesday And All The Other Crud I Have To DO For My Other Classes! Well I Wanted To Say Thanx To Everyone Who Was Worried About Me When I Was Sick. It Was Really Bad, But I'm Better Now! So Please Enjoy This Chapter, It Has Some Answer(Not A Lot Though) That You May Be Looking For. XD


Neal's Brother... SAY WHAT?

Ch.7:

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words... And One Worried FBI Agent


Looking at the far right of the picture, he saw a boy with short brown hair, being covered by bandages, sitting on a chair with a broken leg and a broken arm. The label above the boy was Me.

Looking at the little boy in the picture, confusion spread over Peter's face. He looked back and forth between it and Sasha. Slowly, he set the picture back down on the table. Rubbing his hands over his face he looked straight at Sasha.

"Who's picture is this?" Peter demanded, jabbing his finger into the picture.

Sasha quickly glanced towards Neal's room then back at the picture. "It's Neal's."

"So the little boy with the broken arm and leg is Neal?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"What happened to him?" Peter asked. "He looks like hell! What is he? Ten?"

Sasha laughed at that. "Actually, he was 13 when that photo was taken." She sighed, "He always did look younger then his age."

"What?" Peter asked, slightly shocked. "What happened to him?"

"Well, the two boys in the picture, these ones..." Sasha pointed to the two boys labeled Andy and Gorge. "Were a few years younger than him. They would constantly beat him up. Here, they broke one of his Ulna and Tibia. I think that was the second time they broke that particular Ulna, though."

Peter watched her, as she explained little Neal's injuries to him, in disturbance. How could some eleven year-olds do this to him? Peter thought as he took a rather large gulp of his coffee. He gazed down at the two boys and spotted the small sad faces next to the names and frowned.

"You said they broke his arm twice?" Peter asked as he stared at the photo. "Why would such young boys do a thing like that?"

"Well, actually they broke that arm twice, and his other arm once." She answered sadly taking a sip of her coffee. "As for why? Well... I... I think that Neal should tell you that part."

Peter shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on the young, injured Neal, "No. I want you to tell me why these two brats would assault him. What did he do to them to deserve getting broken bones?"

"I really don't think that I should be the one to tell you. It's personal, Neal needs to tell you himself."

"I need to tell him what?"

Their heads snapped towards the bedroom and saw Neal leaning against the wall in the door way. Peter got to his feet and quickly made his way over to him. He helped Neal hobble over to the kitchen table and sit down.

"Do you want some coffee? or water?" Sasha asked as she hoisted herself up and walked over to the cupboard.

"I'll have some coffee." Neal answered as he got comfortable in his chair. "Thank you." He looked to Peter, "Now what do I have to tell you myself?"

Peter looked Neal in the eyes, he was confused but irritated. Sighing, he sat down next to Neal at the table. Peter grabbed the photo from the other end of the table and handed it to him.

Looking at the picture, Neal's eyes grew larger and he looked back and forth between it and Peter.

Peter watched as Neal's expression went from panic and worry, to defeat and exhaustion. Peter had never seen Neal look so defeated. Not even when he had lost Kate.

A long silence encompassed the room. Sasha brought over Neal's drink and handed it to him in silence. She sat across from the two men, sipping her own coffee. "What has she told you?" Neal asked, breaking the prolonged silence.

Peter glanced at Sasha then sighed as he turned back to Neal. "She told me that these two boy," he pointed to the boys in the picture, "broke your arms three different times, and that you want her to find them. She also told me that your brother might want to kill you, and if not anymore, he use to."

Neal sighed and took a drink from his coffee. Staring into his coffee he said "Yeah, that's about right. I don't think he wants to kill me anymore though." Neal said nonchalantly.

Stillness reigned over the room once again. For a long time, the three of them just sat there sipping their coffee. Not being able to take it any longer, Peter broke the silence this time.

"Neal. You... I... I don't even know where to start." He sighed, cupping his hands and covering his mouth. He really didn't know where to start. He wanted to know everything. Why those boys, Andy and Gorge, would want to hurt him so bad and why Neal would want Sasha to look for them if they hurt him so badly in the past. Why his own brother would want him dead, granted it was in the past, but still. Where the picture was taken. Why didn't Neal ever tell him about this. So many question to ask.

"Then don't." Neal said in a whisper so small that Peter almost didn't catch it.

"Neal, you know I can't just drop this."

"Why? Why can't you just drop this?" Neal asked, practically begged.

Peter searched his mind for a logical reason to peruse Neal's past. "Neal... That's not your real name. That means that your birth certificate isn't real either."

Shaking his head Neal said, "Nope, it's one hundred percent real. I legally changed it. My birth certificate is genuine. So drop this and go home to Elizabeth."

"Not on your life kid." Peter said determined to stay and pry the answers from him if he had to.

"Why! Why do you want to know? What business is it of yours Peter?" Neal shouted standing up.

All was quiet as Neal slowly sat down. He hadn't meant to loose his cool. He cradled his head in his hands. He took deep breathes to try and calm himself down.

"Because I'm your friend and I'm worried about you." Peter said, determination and truth evident in his voice.

And with that one statement, everything that had damaged their partnership, their brotherhood, their friendship, had dissolved. Neal finally asked the question he never wanted to ask, especially to Peter.

Neal set his coffee on the table and looked Peter straight in the eye, "I'll tell you anything Peter. What do you want to know?"


Okay! How Was That! Yeah I Know, Neal's Like all Better... He's Neal He Has To Be Better. Next Chapter Will Have More Detail Into Neal's Past, So Hakuna Matata. No Worries Okay? I'll Try To Get It Up ASAP! But No Promises!

*Doges Large Object. Looks To See What Was Thrown*

Hey Don't Throw Paintings At Me!

*Dodges Canvas*

What? Are You Guys Raiding My Art Supplies?

*Dodges Paint Brushes*

Okay! Got To Go. Please REVIEW! X3