Whatever It Takes
Chapter 10
"I don't know what you want me to say, Peter. I just want to go home. Is there something wrong with that?"
Peter couldn't help noticing that Neal had turned away from him. It was obvious that the boy didn't want to talk about any of this, but it had to be done. Peter decided that he had to take the upper hand in this situation, and make Neal comprehend the importance of settling everything.
"Okay, Neal, I know this isn't an ideal situation for any of us, but like my father always says, it is what it is. You can't go home right now, kid. You're in danger until we can arrest Keller on something. You need protection, and I have the feeling that wherever you're currently living won't provide you with any. This isn't permanent, although I have to tell you, Neal, that I'm not going to just let you go when this is all over. I have a feeling that there is a lot you're not telling us about who you are and who is taking care of you. Don't think for a single moment that I'm not going to follow through with making sure your needs are met in an appropriate way."
When Neal didn't answer, Peter ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm here to help you, Neal. Elizabeth and I both are. If you'll help us out a bit, it will make our jobs much easier."
When there was still no response, Peter tried again. "Okay, at least answer me this question….why are you so insistent on running?" Peter didn't really expect Neal to answer, so he was surprised when he actually did.
"I have someone that's probably really worried about me. I just want to let him know I'm alright."
"And then what? You'll stay peacefully with us? You won't try to escape again?" Peter found it hard to believe that it would be as simple as that. He was beginning to learn that nothing with this particular kid was ever simple.
When Neal hesitated to answer, Peter knew that there was more going on than just wanting to let someone know he was okay. He could also tell that Neal was done talking for now.
"I know you don't want to talk about this anymore, so you can just listen to me for a few minutes, okay? Going back to wherever it is you came from is not going to happen. You currently have two options, Neal. You can stay with me and allow me to do my job, or you can head back to Crossroads. That's it, Neal….option A or option B. You can make this easy on yourself or you can make it hard. It's your choice, but let me assure you that if you choose option A, we are going to do things my way. Make no mistake, Neal….I'm the adult, you're the kid. I set the rules and I expect you to obey them. Rules and consequences, it's how this world works."
Neal wondered just which option Peter thought was the easy one. He almost thought that maybe it would be easier to have stayed at Crossroads, but that was just a fleeting thought. However, the idea of doing things Peter's way didn't sound that easy, either. Neal had never been that good at following rules and the idea of having consequences wasn't that thrilling, either.
"What exactly do you mean by rules and consequences?" Neal asked warily.
Peter checked his watch and realized that they were late for breakfast. "Let's go get some breakfast and then we can talk about rules and consequences, okay? I'm starving and I really don't want to keep Elizabeth waiting."
Peter placed his arm around Neal's shoulder and the two of them headed home.
Elizabeth had breakfast on the table when they got home. She also had an unhappy look on her face.
Peter quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry we're late, El. We were talking."
Elizabeth motioned for the two to sit down and within seconds they were digging into the bacon and eggs she had made. There wasn't a lot of conversation going on, but Elizabeth could definitely feel an undercurrent of unease between Peter and Neal.
Once they were all done eating, Peter asked the two of them to join him in the living room. Neal and Elizabeth both sat on the sofa, while Peter sat in his usual armchair. He looked a little nervous, as did Neal. Elizabeth wondered what in the world was going on.
Peter cleared his throat several times before starting to talk. "Neal, Elizabeth and I are happy to have you in our home, but in order for the three of us to live together peacefully, we need to agree on some rules."
Neal fidgeted restlessly, not liking where this conversation was going. Elizabeth grabbed his hand between hers, hoping to infuse some peace. Neal looked up to her and gave her a small smile, appreciating her comfort.
Peter could tell the boy was nervous and vowed to try to make this conversation as painless as possible.
"Okay, rules first….The most important rule, Neal, is that you can't run. El and I have to know where you are at all times, okay? At this time, you can't leave the house without an escort." Peter noticed the way Neal's face turned an angry shade of red at this. "I mean it, Neal. I know you're probably feeling like you're being held hostage, but it's for your own protection. We can't protect you, if you're running off on your own."
"The second most important rule is no lying to us. We need to know that we can trust what you say, Neal, so you have to be honest with us. You can expect us to be honest with you, as well."
Neal seemed to balk at the idea of honesty, too. Peter didn't know the extent of how much of Neal's previous life was built on dishonesty and deception. He would not have survived on the streets of New York, if he had to be honest. Because of this, lying was second nature to him. Neal doubted that he was capable of unconditional honesty.
"The third rule is also extremely important, Neal. You are not to do anything to jeopardize your safety. It's my responsibility to keep you safe, but I can't do that if you're not making good decisions. I need to trust that you're not going to put yourself in situations that you can't get out of. This also ties into rule number one."
Neal rolled his eyes at that. "How can I do that, Peter, when I'm essentially under house arrest?"
"Just remember what I said, Neal. Don't do anything that I would deem stupid or dangerous and you'll be okay." Peter looked to El to make sure he was doing okay. Her small nod and smile meant the world to him. "The rest of the rules are pretty basic, Neal. Pick up after yourself, do whatever chores we assign you, be respectful. Elizabeth can work up a chore schedule and it will be your responsibility to follow through with that. Oh, and bedtime at nine o'clock."
"You can't be serious! Nine o'clock? Peter, I'm fifteen, not five. I can't go to bed that early!" Neal couldn't believe his ears. Nine o'clock? Really?!
Elizabeth quickly gave her husband a look, telling him to let her handle this. "Neal, honey, Peter just wants to make sure that you get enough sleep. However, nine o'clock may be a bit early. We'll renegotiate that, okay?"
Neal gave her a satisfied smile in response. He could tell that Elizabeth would be a great ally, if needed.
Once the bedtime issue had been settled, with both sides agreeing to ten o'clock on weeknights, Peter moved on to the next part of the conversation. He wasn't looking forward to this at all, because he really had no idea what he was doing.
Peter had been brought up in a fairly strict household, with his father being the disciplinarian. Peter had a healthy respect for his father, but also had a healthy dose of fear. For the most part the man had been fair in his discipline, but there were a few times when his choice of punishment had left Peter with a smarting backside for a few hours. Peter couldn't deny that he had deserved a session with his father's belt or paddle for some of the things he had done. Luckily, this type of punishment was reserved for the most serious of offenses.
Peter knew that he was not the type of man that could dole out that type of punishment, so he was determined to come up with other consequences. Undoubtedly, the child sitting in front of him would test the rules and boundaries quite frequently, and Peter needed to make sure that whatever punishment he came up with would serve to remind the boy to make better choices.
"Neal, we don't expect you to be perfect. We know you're bound to make mistakes from time to time, just as we will. But, you need to know that from this point forward you will be held accountable for your actions and choices. There will be consequences for any rule breaking, and I want to make sure that you understand that."
Neal looked as if someone was currently poking him with a thousand needles and Peter decided to let him off the hook as quickly as possible.
"Maybe you can tell me what some of the consequences of disobedience at home are? " Peter prodded.
Neal gave a small laugh at the thought of Mozzie handing out any kind of punishment. He had tried once, when Neal was thirteen. Neal had stayed out for two whole days once and when he finally came home, Mozzie had been furious. The short little man had yelled at Neal for what seemed like hours and had actually sent him to bed. Neal had obeyed the man, but only because he was getting a headache from all the yelling. The next morning, Mozzie had informed Neal that he was grounded. Neal didn't have the heart to argue with the man, but as soon as Mozzie left for the day, Neal left, too.
Mozzie wasn't too happy when he came back to find Neal gone again, but Neal made sure to come back home really early for the next several weeks and everything blew over. Mozzie never tried to impose a punishment on Neal again, but he did quite often make his displeasure known by lecturing him relentlessly.
Neal's silence on the matter told Peter everything he needed to know. Peter looked at Neal in amazement. "Well, that certainly explains why consequence and punishment seem to be foreign concepts to you. You've never been taken to task for your behavior, have you? You've just been allowed to do whatever you want for so long, without fear of reprimand. Neal, you have to realize that this isn't right. Kids need to learn that rules and consequences exist to be able to survive in this world, unless your idea of survival is serving time in the state penitentiary."
"Geez, Peter, I know how the concept of crime and punishment works. I just prefer to not get caught. That way it's not an issue."
Peter rubbed his hand over his face for at least the sixth time since this conversation had started. He really, really wanted to know Neal's story. Where did he live? Who was looking out for him? What had happened to him through the years to make him so skeptical? Why was he so distrusting? He had to find out, if he was going to be able to help this kid.
"I know this topic may seem uncomfortable to you, so let's just get it over with, okay? El and I will try to be as fair with you as we can, Neal. We will always allow you to tell your side of the story, too. But, if you break the rules, there will be consequences. I think for the most part your punishments will consist of extra chores or an early bedtime. For more serious transgressions, you will be grounded to your room. We're new at this, so we'll have to make adjustments as we go along. How does that sound, Neal?"
Neal actually was relieved at the punishments Peter had laid out. Not that he thought that he would enjoy them, but at least they seemed fair.
"It's fine, Peter. It's not like I'm going to get into any trouble anyway. You're just wasting your breath." Neal gave Elizabeth and Peter a cheeky grin. "I'll be the perfect child, I promise."
"Somehow, I doubt that, Neal, but one can only hope."
That afternoon, Elizabeth told Peter that she wanted to take Neal shopping. He was in desperate need of clothing and other items that a teenage boy might need. Peter wasn't thrilled with the idea, but his wife could be pretty persistent. An hour later, he found himself at the mall with Elizabeth and Neal.
Neal was reluctant to have the Burke's spend any of their money on him, but Elizabeth wouldn't take no for an answer. The two of them ended up having a great time finding Neal what he needed. They couldn't keep from noticing that Peter was bored out of his mind, but this only made them laugh even more. Hours later, they finally made it back home, arms weighed down with bags of all sizes. They had bought Neal the essentials: jeans, shirts, shoes, socks, boxers, pajamas, and a jacket. El had also insisted on buying him a new comforter for his bed, as well as some art supplies. Peter had told her how talented the boy was and she wanted to see for herself.
Once he had put all of the bags up in the room he was beginning to think of as his, Neal went back downstairs to help with dinner. Elizabeth and Neal had a great time, laughing and singing while they were cooking. Peter sat in the living room, with a beer in his hand and a smile on his face. He could get used to this.
Author's note: Thanks for reading!