Neal was exhausted and it showed clearly to everyone who looked at him, the Admiral had also just given him a hint – rest up or you are in no shape to help us find Freya.
"Your right, I am just hoping that she realises how loved she is here – she's going to need medical support when she gets back if her health has declined or they have hurt her – she's been through enough and my plan is to take her on a long holiday once she is recovered!"
The admiral laughs and nods his head, the door opens from the outside and the aide walks back in with a fax from London; it's the decision they had been waiting on and it was a green light. He nods and Neal and calls on everyone to come into the conference room for some information he has been delivered. The SWAT and FBI team all gather in the room and the door is sealed shut and all mobiles are switched off and put into the middle of the table, once the aide checks everyone he nods to the admiral who pulls up some information on the laptop and puts it onto the wall monitor.
"Are they Commando's?" Diana asks, recognising the uniform and beret.
"Yes they are and do you see anyone you recognise?" he replies.
Jones is the first one to see through the paint and his mouth opens as he realises what he is actually seeing, slowly one by one they recognise the smaller figure in the middle that is holding her own among the rest of the male team members and is clearly armed to the teeth with a large rifle, blades and the tell-tale medic patch on her arm.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is JTF unit Bravo – Freya is a proud member of this unit and is a fully trained Tactical Operative within the forces abroad and within the US. What I am about to tell you must not leave this room, do I make myself clear?" the admiral said gently.
Everyone agreed and listened as the admiral filled in the details about my past and military service – it at least started to explain the awards and ribbons on my uniform that had everyone impressed when I escorted him last week. An hour or so later the whole room was quiet and those who didn't know about my service history were reeling in the amount of information they had just been given – at least to SWAT they now understood where my training had come from and why I was so lethal when it came to hand to hand.
"Well I think I can speak for everyone here and say that the news delivered was really unexpected! I mean, I know she obviously had skills but no way would I have thought Tactical Ops – not in a million years!" Diana whispered aloud.
"So now what, do we just wait for this to pan out, or are there options for us to go in with a tactical strike of our own if she discover where she is?" Tyler asked.
"Her Commando unit are on their way from the UK to come join the search, they have access to a lot more than we do and already are working on a lead of a possible sighting in Europe – I don't want to get hopes up since there are dozens of C17s flying in that particular area at the moment with troop movements. They should arrive in eight hours so I want everyone to get some food and then sleep, there are cots on floors nineteen set up with the kitchen open to those who want food – when we know something, I will call another brief." The director informed everyone.
Everyone nodded and they started to head out of the room with silence when they crossed the boundary, Neal remained sitting and playing with the leather bracelet I gave to him a couple of months ago. The admiral noticed it and smiled; Peter walked over and inquired what was with the hidden smile while looking at his partner.
"The gift he is wearing around his wrist, it's a promise bracelet – given to one person when they know it's them they want to be with for the rest of their lives – I suppose you could call it a version of a hand-fast token. They seem serious about the relationship!"
"I won't deny that it surprised the hell out of me, she wasn't actively chasing him but it developed slowly over a couple of months; it was one night when we had to rush her into the ER that he came clean about how he felt – inseparable ever since." Peter replied.
"Why was she rushed into hospital?" the admiral inquired frowning.
"Her scar tissue along the shoulder ripped internally, I've never seen anything like it and she had told Neal what had been done to her during the six weeks she was prisoner – not a night I will forget anytime soon." He replied.
"So he hasn't forced her to do anything too quickly?" the admiral hissed gently.
Peter looked at him, frowning at the unspoken accusation.
"One thing I am 100% positive about is that Neal Caffrey would never hurt another human being, especially a woman! He took a shine to Freya from day one, saw the signs and stress she was under and alerted me to her not taking being well – she was here three months and didn't even own a bed in her apartment. Once she was out of hospital he got her moved into the apartment along from him; he stays with a good friend of ours in her town house – they all give each other company and she has taken a real shine to June. Neal stayed close to her right through her recovery and rehab, through the highs and lows and never complained once – he cared for someone else for the first time in two years and they both balanced each other. I know Neal, he is misguided in some things, but he makes her very happy and it is a joy to see her with a smile on her face!" Peter replies.
He looked at Burke for a moment and then nodded.
"Good to know since this is going to be a major clusterfuck when she is recovered!"
Burke watched him as he headed with his aide towards the elevators and out of the office, he looked back at Neal who was sitting in the conference room still and headed in.
"Hey buddy, how you holding up with everything?" he asks gently.
Neal looks up at him and shakes his head as he clears his throat, his hands are clenched together and it's pretty obvious that he is exhausted and on a knives edge with the inability to do anything to help speed things up. Peter grabs him by the shoulder and squeezes – he knows how Neal feels due to Elizabeth and he feels just as useless.