"El, look at this." Peter slapped several sheets of paper on the table and it took Elizabeth a few minutes to realize what she was looking at.

"You saved Neal's emails?" she asked incredulously. "Peter, you're not chasing him" she added bitterly, allowing a hint of what those years were like.

"No, it's not like that." Peter shook his head as he arranged the emails in a line. "Something seemed off so I asked a tech to retrieve the emails from my trash. Read this!" He pointed towards the oldest one. "This is four weeks ago. The grammar and spelling are perfect." Elizabeth glanced quickly at it, chuckling quietly as she read Neal's description of his new neighbors. Peter was right. Grammatically it was perfect and silently she read through the emails, shaking her head with the realization that they were no better than women, gossiping about everything.

And Peter was right about something else. Each email was progressively worse and the last few were extremely difficult to understand.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, as Peter carefully picked up the letters and stuffed them in a manila envelope.

Peter eyed his wife. Elizabeth had been part of Neal's recovery from the beginning but there were things she didn't know; things kept secret per Neal's request.

"Peter, what is it?" Impatiently she waited as Peter turned his back. "Peter, don't." Elizabeth grabbed his arm and gently forced him to turn. "We've been through this together since the beginning. What's going on with Neal?"

Peter sighed as he glanced at the envelope he was holding. "Neal's writing is a lot like his speaking. He can write but it's difficult and tedious..."

"But the first email..."

"Had to be written by Sara" Peter remarked.

"How often did you write Neal's reports?"

Peter shrugged. "I've never seen his writing as bad as the last few emails" he quietly said.

"And do you know what's causing it?" Elizabeth sidled up to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist, with a gentle squeeze.

"I think so" Peter mumbled as he pulled away. "About a month ago he mentioned looking for a job and asked if I would be a reference."

"OK" Elizabeth prompted when Peter grew quiet.

"I tried to be supported but I knew he'd have trouble even getting an interview..." Peter chuckled softly. "He was getting discouraged and I offered to call in some favors..."

"And he got angry" Elizabeth finished for him.

Peter nodded. "He stopped taking my phone calls and refused to answer my emails." Peter sighed. "The last three emails came today one after the other and I can't decipher any of them."

"I assumed you called him."

"He won't answer."

"What about Sara?"

"Left her a message...actually several" Peter added with a shake of his head.

"Are you thinking of going to Chicago?"

"No." Peter answered firmly. "They know where I am if they need me."

"But you're not going to stop worrying until you hear from him, are you?" It was a rhetorical question that Elizabeth already knew the answer to.

"Elizabeth, my gut tells me he's in trouble."

"Peter, he'll call you."

"What if he can't?" Peter slammed the envelope on the table and walked out.

"Hey." Diana looked up as Jones approached her. "How is he today?" He pointed towards Peter's office.

"Same as he was yesterday. And the day before" Diana answered with a sigh. "If he doesn't find Caffrey soon, I'm sure Hughes is going to bench him."

"Maybe Neal doesn't want to be found" Jones suggested.

"Look!" Diana said as they both turned towards the door.

"Wonder what she's doing here" Jones mumbled as he eyed Peter's office.

Peter stood; ready to pounce as Sara quickly made her way towards his office.

"Now that's one conversation I don't want to hear" Jones remarked as he walked back to his desk.

"Where is he?" Peter bluntly asked the moment she stepped in.

"Hello to you too" she countered bitterly. "I was hoping he was here but I guess not." With a deep sigh she sat and waited for Peter to do the same.

"You got my messages. You must have known he wasn't here."

"My phone doesn't work" Sara quietly admitted. "I sort of slammed it against the wall when I found this." She produced a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Peter.

I'm sorry. I tried.

Peter read the note several times before leaning back in his chair and studying the woman across from him. "You look like hell" he remarked, noting the dark circles under her eyes.

"Haven't slept since Neal took off" she said as she ran a hand through her unruly hair. "I've checked every place he knows and I can't find him. It's been almost a week since he left."

"Wait a minute." Peter took out the envelope and glanced through the emails. "These were sent to me three days ago." He gave them to Sara.

"I don't understand them."

"Me neither. But at least we know he tried to contact me."

"Doesn't help much, does it?"

"No" Peter admitted. "I've sent him several emails asking him to call me but he hasn't read them. Sara, what happened?"

"He was bored. One day I found him staring at the blueprints for the Art Museum..."

"What?" Peter shot out of his chair.

"He swore he was just looking" Sara continued. "But I told him he had to get a job..."

"And that didn't go well, did it?"

"No." She shook her head. "We practiced the interviews over and over and he could answer every question without stuttering but once he got in there he couldn't keep it together."

"Sara, you know what stress does to him." Sighing, Peter sat down heavily. "I offered to help but he got angry with me. Why did you ask him to go to Chicago? I told you it was a bad idea."

"And you're always right, aren't you?"

"In this case, yes" Peter answered matter-of-factly.

"What if I told you it wasn't my idea?" Sara defiantly crossed her arms. "I offered to move back here but Neal wanted to move to Chicago. Peter he needed a change."

Sara watched a myriad of expressions cross Peter's face but she had to turn away as he fought hard not to show how hurt he was.

"Peter, he didn't want to hurt you so he didn't tell you the truth."

"He's free to do what he wants" Peter said evenly after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Peter, he loves you. You are everything he didn't have growing up but..."

"But he left to get away from me" Peter finished as he stood. "Sara, I think we're done here. I don't know where Neal is."

She refused to move. "No, we're not done. Peter, please sit down." Sara didn't realize she was holding her breath until Peter took a deep breath and sat, glaring at her.

"You warned me and I didn't listen. Or maybe I just didn't want to believe." Sara sighed nervously. "He told me you chose the clothes he wore..."

"No." Peter shook his head. "June puts his clothes out at night because he stresses..."
"Peter I know." Sara held her hand up to shush him. "I invited him to a business dinner and I came home to find him in his boxers crying. He was having a meltdown because he wanted to look right and he couldn't figure out what to wear." Sara rubbed at her eyes and then glanced at Peter

"Sara, it's not his fault" Peter said soothingly. "It wasn't all bad was it?"

"No." She smiled weakly. "There were days when he was fine... and other days... I don't know. Guess I still don't know what sets him off."

"It's never the same" Peter admitted. "It's all checks and balances where Neal is concerned. Sara I did everything I possibly could to give him a life here..."

"And I ruined it" Sara said. "Peter I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Not mine either" Peter added bitterly. "I never realized how upset he was with me."

"He wasn't upset. Peter he just wanted his life back and he thought a change of scenery would help."

"And how did that work out?" Peter asked.

"Not well. Peter what do we do next?"

"I don't know. " Peter stood and stared out the window. "The longer he's out there alone..." Peter paused, knowing he didn't have to voice his concern. "Sara did you fill out a missing person's report?"

"I did."

"Good. I've called a friend in Chicago and he's pushing the police to get Neal's face out there. Someone will find him."

"Can't we do anything?" Sara stood. "I can't sit here and do nothing."

"Sara go home. We know he has his cell phone so maybe he'll call you."

"And if we find him? Peter what happens then?"

"Sara, do you love him?"

She nodded.

"Then we work together and convince him New York is his home."

"Peter, I'm willing to move back here but I don't think I can live with him. Not yet." She smiled sadly. "I need to learn more...about his injury first."

"We'll deal with that later" Peter said. "We'll keep in touch until we find him ok?"

She nodded before walking out.

"OK Neal." Peter went back to staring out the window. "Time to stop sulking and call me" he whispered. Silently he hoped it was that simple.