Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA Network and Jeff Eastin. : Criminal Minds is the property of CBS, the actors, producers, and writers of the show

Spoilers: 'Under the Radar' 2/16. Again Jeff, I so apologize for rewriting parts to your awesome episode… I am assuming that any of you who are reading this, have seen the episode, so I will skip parts we all know by heart…. Quotes from show are bold.

Claimer: Damon is mine

AN: A special thanks to peppe1951 for beta'ing all my DAMON II chapters, and her encouragement and input to help keep my story going.

DAMON II (14)

*** "I have been looking for you for over a decade, Stephen. Let me introduce myself, I am your maternal grandfather. And you are my heir-designate." ***

Damon's curiosity overrode his fear for a moment. "My grandfather?"

"Yes. Your mother, Victoria was my daughter, but I'm not sure if you knew her real name."

That reminded Damon of his past, of the hell he had been through, "You killed your own daughter? My mother!"

"No, Stephen that was not supposed to happen. Julian got a little over zealous on that one." But he had wanted Victoria out of the way. She had abandoned him, she had disowned him. And she had hidden his one and only grandson from him. He had no forgiveness for her.

"Stephen, I want to make you a deal." He tapped the menacing photos.

Damon did not like this man, he did not trust this man, and he did not believe this man. But he had to protect the Burkes and Neal. "What kind of deal?"

"You will voluntarily stay with me. I will groom you to be my successor. You will accept your role as my heir."

Protect the Burkes; protect Neal; protect Mrs. Burke. "You promise you won't hurt them if I agree?"

"You have my word, Stephen."

Damon had no choice; he would do anything to protect his primes. "Deal."

The man held Damon's chin and looked at him, Damon forced himself not to wince, "I see your mother in you, she was a beautiful girl, and I see Neal in you… but you have my eyes…. Maybe not the color, but the depth…."

The limo quit moving, then Damon felt a slight sway. Were they on a dock, a boat? Or was he just too out of himself.

The bodyguard got out and held the door open for them. The man climbed out of the limo and motioned Damon to follow. "Now you begin your life as Stephen Adler, my heir-designate." He placed his hand on Damon's shoulder and guided him toward some doors…

***WC***

The office of New York's FBI White Collar unit was in chaos.

They had been trying to locate the notorious Vincent Adler for quite some time. Now they had proof he was in New York City. He had killed Kate, tried to have Mozzie killed, and now he had abducted Damon, although his reason for the abduction was unknown.

Sara Ellis showed up at the White Collar offices with information on a German U-boat that had sunk off the eastern seaboard at the end of WWII. With the fractal antennae Moz had been building and this new information, they hoped they could find Adler. Adler had been a thorn in their side for quite some time, and to top it all off, now he had Damon. Why did he take Damon?

While Peter and Neal where at Neal's home trying plan their next move, Neal tried to call Alex Hunter hoping she could shed some light on the situation. Alex had become as a person of interest when it was discovered she was the granddaughter of a Nazi radio operator involved with the U-boat. Vincent answered her phone….

"Hello Neal."

"Adler…." He looked at Peter who jumped up. Peter wanted to grab the phone, he wanted to demand Adler give Damon back, but he controlled the urge and let Neal handle the call.

"After all this time you recognize my voice. I'm flattered."

"Where are Alex and Damon?"

"The lady doesn't want to be disturbed and Stephen has chosen to stay with me."

"I know about the U-boat. But why did you take Damon? He's got nothing to do with this."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't know about the boat. Stephen is non-negotiable. Call off your dog, let it go."

"I can't do that."

"After all you've lost, first Kate, now Alex and Stephen. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

"I'm not going to stop, Vincent!"

"Neither am I."

***WC***

The search for Damon had come to a dead end, so they started searching for Alex. They discovered the person who had seen her last and he informed them that she was heading for the Conservatory Garden. Peter and Neal headed there to see if they could find any clues. They didn't find any clues, but Alder found them and they entered his limo…

***WC***

Peter and Neal woke up from their drug induced sleep to find themselves locked in a room in a warehouse with Alex.

A bodyguard opened the door to the improvised cell and Vincent Adler walked in with his hand lightly resting on Damon's shoulder. He gently guided Damon as he entered. Peter and Neal wanted to rush forward and grab the boy away from Adler, but Damon gave a slight shake of his head stopping Peter and Neal in their tracks.

Adler stopped with Damon in front of him and slightly to the side and two body guards flanking him "Glad you're awake."

Peter addressed Damon, "Are you alright?"

Vincent patted Damon's shoulder, "Of course he's alright. I'm not going to let anything happen to my Stephen. I want to thank you Burke for taking care of him for me, but I'll take it from here."

Again, Peter started to step forward, to reclaim Damon, "Damon…" Damon again gave a slight shake of his head.

Adler gently pulled Damon closer and draped his arm over Damon's shoulder. "Forget it Burke. He has chosen to stay with me. Haven't you Stephen?"

Protect the Burkes; protect Neal; protect Mrs. Burke. "Yes sir."

Peter looked into Damon's eyes, he saw the fear, he even saw the long dormant 'rabbit', but most of all he saw resignation to his fate. "Why Adler? Why Damon?"

Adler laughed, "Surprised you haven't figured it out Agent Burke. It's because he is my grandson." He hugged Damon, "He is my heir-designate. And I'd appreciate it if you would start using his given name, not some name you made up for him."

Grandson? How did they miss that?

Neal wondered, "Why are we here?"

Adler smiled, "Better if I show you."

Adler placed a key in a box and turned it, the covering on the windows slid back… exposing the lost German U-boat.

Neal was in awe, "You found it."

Adler was ecstatic, he had the two things he wanted the most in life; he hugged Damon to him as he looked at the sub, "Incredible."

***WC***

As they walked through the warehouse the U-boat was stored in, Adler explained its history. In the process, Damon learned his great-grandfather was a Nazi. Great. As they walked and talked, Peter noticed Adler never once broke physical contact with Damon. He wondered at what point love crosses the line into possessiveness.

Neal queried, "Why do you need me?"

And Adler proceeded to explain that the sub was rigged with explosives to prevent enemy access, and he needed Neal's expertise to circumvent it. Neal explained it was a two-man job and requested Adler's help.

Damon spoke up, he had learned a lot from Neal and thought he could help, he glanced at Adler "I can help Neal."

Adler pulled Damon close yet again, "No, we will be behind blast proof glass. Agent Burke can help Neal."

Damon fought the urge to scream, to run, two of his primes were being placed in the heart of danger. Neal caught his eye and gave a slight nod, indicating they would be alright. Damon willed himself to maintain an appearance of calm.

Adler, Alex and Damon watched Neal and Peter work from the blast protected observation area. Damon held his breath. He had never observed the two of them working together before, the basement didn't count, and he was surprised how much the two trusted each other when it did count.

When the timer was accidently set off, Damon swore he would figure out a way right then and there to kill Adler if the dynamite went off and killed Agent Burke and Neal. Ms. Hunter saved them when she remembered a story her grandfather had told her.

When they had successfully entered the sub and opened the storage boxes, revealing the multi-billion dollar treasure hidden within, Adler had hugged Damon close, "It's all ours Stephen. All ours." He then proceeded to guide him down to the much coveted treasure.

When they entered the storage area, Damon could not help but notice the greed in Adler's voice as he said, "A treasure for the ages… " Adler never broke his contact with Damon as his free hand wandered over the treasure before him. "Good God, it's a Rembrandt…"

Adler regained his composer, "We'll take it from here. You three are going for a ride."

Damon's hopes rose for a fraction of a second before he realized Ms. Hunter was the third party… And then she challenged Adler to shoot them! Damon froze…

"Okay. Shoot them. And then get a mop or something."

He looked at Adler, pleading, "But sir, you promised."

"Hold on." Peter did not want to die, but more important, he did not want Damon to witness the death of another parent, "Okay, we'll get in the limo."

"There you go, there's a reasonable man. See Stephen, I keep my promises. Get the drinks ready." He guided Damon away from the others.

As Damon was led away his mind screamed. No, Adler would not kill them, he would have them killed! He knew that to the bottom of his soul. But Mrs. Burke, there was still Mrs. Burke. He knew she was still alright, he saw that in Agent Burke's eyes. He could not hide it if something had happened to her. He would bide his time. He would wait until he was older and stronger. He would not kill Adler outright, he would destroy him. His rage started to control him and he shut it down; protect Mrs. Burke; protect Mrs. Burke; protect Mrs. Burke. He willed himself to calm.

***WC***

But thanks to the cunning of two less than upstanding characters, Neal and Alex, the three of them were saved to fight another day.

White Collar knew Adler was somewhere on the docks, somewhere by a weather buoy… Peter was determined to narrow it down, to find Adler, to find the treasure, and most important, to find Damon.

***WC***

The next morning, FBI squads were dispatched and they resumed their search…

Peter turned to Neal, determination written on his face, "Adler's not getting away, Neal. I won't let him."

Neal nodded, "I know." Neal knew from personal experience, Peter would not stop until he treed his prey and took him down. Peter lead his teams, spreading them out for the search.

But Neal had his own gut instincts, maybe they did not run on the same frequency as Peter's, but he had them, and he wandered the way his gut pulled him…

He found the warehouse…

Adler approached him from behind, Damon of course, guided lightly by one hand. Damon was surprised and relieved to see Neal alive, he thought that maybe that meant Agent Burke was alive too.

"You always were persistent, Neal. One of the many qualities I admire about you."

Neal glanced at Damon verifying he was still okay, "The FBI's closing in Adler."

"I know. There's an eighteen wheeler just inside there loaded with a collection of art more valuable than life. You help me get past the FBI perimeter, half of it's yours." Damon wondered if Neal would take the deal, it was pretty lucrative, and he knew what Neal was.

"Wow. Sounds like a really good deal. You must think I'm an idiot."

"I think you're an opportunist." He patted Damon's shoulder, "The three of us could have a good life together."

"You took everything from me." He glanced at Damon.

"Only after you tried to do the same to me. All's fair in love and war."

"Tell me why Kate had to die, if you want my help now, tell me."

Damon tried to follow the conversation, a part of him felt Neal was more worried about Neal's dead girlfriend than him, but again, that was Neal. The next statement brought him back in focus.

"You were as close to a son as I ever had." He pulled Damon close, "Come on Neal, what do you say, he has both of our blood in his veins."

Neal glanced at Damon and then back at Vincent, "No, we're nothing like you."

"There's nothing sadder than a con man conning himself." Vincent almost sounded concerned, almost sounded like he cared, "Come on Neal, let's stop hurting the people we love." Again he patted Damon's shoulder, "Let's bring this thing full circle. You and me. Just like old times."

"Go to hell."

Just then there was a massive explosion, the blast pushed them backward. For the first time, Adler passed Damon to a bodyguard to hold him. Damon watched Neal, Adler and a couple others try to enter the warehouse, another explosion knocked them to the ground.

Damon watched in horror as Neal stopped Adler from running into the warehouse and then Adler picked up and aimed a gun at Neal.

"You did this."

"No."

"I took from you, now you take from me."

"I would never burn that art, you know that."

"You won't get away with this. Bye Neal."

Damon screamed when he heard the gunshot. He fought to get away from the bodyguard, Neal was dead! Neal was dead! Suddenly the bodyguard let him go as he raised his hands above his head.

Damon ran toward… Neal was standing, he was alive! Adler was down…. He ran to Adler and started kicking him violently in his head over and over… Neal grabbed him, tried to stop him, pulling him away… "I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!" he heard someone screaming repeatedly… Was that him? He broke loose from Neal and ran back to Adler doing a running drop with both knees hitting Adler's chest forcing the last air ever to enter Adler's lungs out. He jumped up preparing to start kicking him once more… He was grabbed again… held back... he had to kill him… he struggled to free himself… he had to kill him…

Peter grabbed the hysterical child, turned him away from the scene, and held him tight to prevent his frantic attempts to escape. "Damon! It's over." He forced Damon's face into his chest to block the scene. "Damon! It's over." Damon's struggles slowly lessened, but did not stop.

Peter had a chaotic scene in front of him. He hoped like hell an autopsy would prove his bullet had killed Adler and not blunt force trauma to the head from Damon's kicks. He motioned Diana to him, "Take Damon back to the office and question him." He wanted to know what Damon had been put through for the last three days to turn him into this raving maniac.

"Boss, he's minor."

"Damn it, he's not a suspect, he's a witness!" And a victim. "Okay, get the safe house to bring Elizabeth in. Tell her I said it's okay to question him."

"Got it, Boss."

Damon was still struggling; he was not in control of himself. Peter wanted him out of there, away from the chaos, safe at the FBI office.

"Keep a tight hold on him, Diana. Don't let him get away."

Before he let Diana take him, he tried to reassure Damon one more time, "It's over Damon."

He ran his hand through his hair as he watched Diana put Damon in the SUV. A piece of burning canvas dropped at his feet…