Those Haunts That Linger: Chapter 29

Oh my...here it is. The last chapter. Guys I think I might cry! So, the epilogue is included in this chapter. It's sort of just a bonus scene that I wanted to put in here, but wasn't sure how to work it into the mess that was Frank. So, I put it as the end and had it wrap the whole thing up.

Remember, I have a poll up asking which plot you guys want next. Please check it out, and keep an eye out for my next story. :)

Enjoy :)

WARNINGS: Please see chapters one and two for the warnings.

PS! I don't own anything other than the plot! This is meant for reading not suing!

It Can Be Mended

The room was pretty small and was half filled with medical equipment, all hooked up to Neal. Peter and El went straight to his bedside, closest to his head, and the others filled in where they could. Neal had had his eyes closed when they first came in, but at all of the feet bustling into his room, they fluttered open. His blue eyes seemed a bit glazed at first, but he soon recognized who he was seeing. He smiled sleepily up at them.

"Hey, guys." Peter couldn't help but snort, recognizing Neal being drugged. Neal laughed too, though he wasn't sure at what.

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Neal's eyes, and head, rolled over towards Elizabeth.

"Not bad. They've got me on the good stuff." Neal's head lolled again, and he caught sight of the others in his room. Specifically one Director of the White Collar Division.

"Reese's Pieces!" Hughes shook his head, looking down at the floor with a fond smile on his face, while the others laughed.

"Oh we are going to need that story," Diana got out through her laughs. Reese stuck a finger out at Neal, when he saw him opening his mouth.

"Oh, no. I don't think so, Caffrey." Neal looked adorable when he pouted, maybe even more so when he was drugged.

"You FBI agents and your fingers. You're always pointing all menacing like. Do they teach that at the academy?" There was laughter all around again, but no one missed how much Neal's eyelids were drooping.

"Alright. You need to get some rest. Peter, take as much time off as you need. Well…technically you are supposed to still be on leave. I don't want to see you around for at least a week." Peter nodded in thanks to the Director. They each said their goodbyes to Neal (even Sally), before they left to leave the con and couple alone. Jones patted Neal's shoulder, and the younger man laid his hand lazily on the agent's.

"Get better soon, Caffrey. The office is boring without you." Neal chuckled, and Jones started to leave.

"Oh, Jones!" Clinton turned back, smile on his face.

"Yeah?" He was immediately wary of Neal's all too happy and innocent grin. Which was good instinct, because the next second, Neal was holding up his Jones's watch.

"You forgot this." Jones shook his head, but couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he took his watch back.

"Even drugged to the gills man." Neal giggled in a way that he would forever deny. Jones finally made it out the door, still smiling.

"Neal." Peter tried to sound reproachful, but he just couldn't keep the smile off of his face. El was giggling, but there were tears in her eyes. She got as close as she could to Neal's bed and wrapped him up in a hug. Neal's arms were slow to reciprocate, but they made it around her, and they were soon hugging completely. Peter watched it, smiling at the sheer joy of having Neal back and Frank gone, when he saw Neal's emotions taking a complete 180. When his son was smiling bigger than all of them not ten seconds ago, Peter took one look at his face and Neal's eyes were filling with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I'm sorry." El soon found herself being clutched to Neal like she was his only life line. She didn't mind that at all, but she did mind the words coming out of her son's mouth.

"Neal, you have nothing to be sorry for. Hush, Baby." Their son was sobbing now, head buried in El's shoulder. Peter came up and tried to embrace both of them. He ended up seated on the edge of the hospital bed, one hand on El's back and the other on the back of Neal's head, fingers running through his curls. They both knew that this outburst was most likely drug induced, but that didn't mean the emotions behind it weren't real. They held each other until Peter and El felt Neal go completely limp between them. He had cried himself to sleep. Still, though, the two of them weren't comfortable with leaving him.

Peter finagled it (by a definite abuse of his federal badge) so that he and Elizabeth could stay the night by Neal's bedside. The nurses had been a bit surly about it at first, but one look at the way Neal clutched El's hand, even asleep, melted their hearts. So Peter and El found themselves in equally uncomfortable chairs, pulled as close to their son's bed as possible. The night went by without any nightmares, thank goodness, which was also most likely thanks to the drugs they had him on. All Peter could think, was that the give was going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.

He was right. Daylight crept through the cracks in the cheap plastic blinds, and woke Peter from his fragile sleep. Everything ached from the chair, but it didn't matter, when he remembered why he was there. That his son was safe and recovering. Speaking of which..

"Hmmm." Neal was starting to stir. El looked up from what she had been reading. (Peter figured she got less sleep than he did) The young man slowly opened his eyes, then shut them at the brightness and hissed.

"Neal? Neal, you okay?" Neal didn't look at them, but nodded. The young man was slowly taking stock of his situation. The details from the day before went a bit fuzzy after Frank had slammed the trunk lid on him, but bits and pieces were slowing making it back to him.

"P-Peter? El?" Both of them smiled at him when he finally pried his eyes open all of the way.

"How much do you remember, Buddy?" Neal rubbed his forehead and temples where a headache was already starting to grow and let out a deep breath.

"Um..Frank took me, made me call you..I ended up in the trunk of a car. Ambulance." His head popped up, a confused look on his face. "Did I take Jones's watch?" El and Peter couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Yeah, Buddy. You did. At least there weren't handcuffs for you to pick this time. Anything else?" Neal smirked at that, but then more memories bubbled up in his head, and he looked Peter right in the eye.

"He's dead. You-you told me he was dead." The smile fell off of their faces, and Peter's turned into a grim line. He nodded.

"Yes. Frank's dead and gone for good." Neal laid back and stared at the wall. El laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Neal. Sweetie. Are you okay?" Neal seemed to jolt back at her words.

"Hu-um, yeah. Yeah. I'm…I'm fine." He seemed lost, unsure of himself. "I just…I don't know how to feel right now. It's like, it's not even real. I never really thought…" He trailed off and kept staring at the wall ahead of him.

"Never really thought what, Bud?" Neal looked at Peter, and then the agent saw it. The look of shock and astonishment and disbelief.

"That I could be free." Then Neal shot a look at his plaster covered ankle, and raised a brow. "Though I still have something on my ankle." She couldn't help it. El started to giggle, and it was contagious. Soon, the whole room was laughing and crying in relief and drawing in a group of confused or grumpy nurses.

And everything was alright.

Epilogue/Extra Scene

Neal had been released from the hospital and then mugged by Satchmo as soon as he made it through the doors, causing him to end up sprawled with his crutches on the floor. He stayed at the Burkes' place until after he had started going back to work with Peter. Sally had suggested it, so he could still be with his support system and slowly get back into routine. The good doctor had declared their sessions finished after one final one after Neal had come back. She had given them strict instructions to call her if they ever needed anything, or if they just wanted to see her. Hugs had been exchanged, even by Neal who thanked her profusely, and she left.

Neal still had nightmares, but nothing he couldn't talk out with El and Peter. After a couple of weeks, he abandoned his sketchbook entirely.

Going back to work was not hard at all. El started to look forward to them returning, because they were driving her up a wall. When they walked back into the office, it felt like it had been too long. As long as the cast was on (and he had no doubt a few people would make certain that even after it came off), Neal was relegated to desk duty. That didn't stop him from solving cases, it just made him very bored. This led him to bothering Jones or Diana or anyone in particular, his crutches clicking on the floor. They all acted annoyed, but they all knew that everyone was glad to have him back. Very few agents knew the entire story behind Frank and Neal, but what they did know was a crazy fugitive had hurt one of their own. Because that was what Neal had become.

The cast came off after six weeks, and the crutches were abandoned as quickly as possible after that. Neal was begrudgingly cleared for field duty by Peter and Reese, and everyone was getting fully back in the swing of things.

Then one day, a new agent got transferred into their office.

He was a cocky, young thing. Very sure of himself, and quick to get on everyone's nerves. Somehow, he had also gotten it into his head that since Neal was the Criminal Consultant, he was free game. Neal rolled his eyes whenever the agent, Carson was it?, stole his pencil or pen, called him names, or ordered him to bring him coffee (Neal would put salt instead of sugar in it occasionally-whoever would notice would laugh), or on one occasion even purposefully bumped into Neal when they were walking by each other. Peter didn't notice everything, but the few times he did, Neal would stop him from interfering.

"It's fine, Peter. He just hasn't grown up from the schoolyard playground yet. I'm interested to see how long it takes him to realize no one else thinks he's 'cool'." Peter shook his head.

"I don't want one of my agents harassing my CI. We're too old for this bullying crap." Neal just smirked.

"I'll let you know if he crosses a line. He's a good agent, but still a kid. Let's see if he can figure things out for himself, before you give him detention." Peter hadn't seem too convinced, and neither did Director Hughes when he explained it to him after the behavior had continued for two weeks. However, things came to a head when a big case came across Peter's desk and everyone was called into the conference room. Peter was at the head of the room, pointing to the man on the screen. The suspect they were looking at was supposedly running a smuggling ring through his charity events, and a long string of men and women in his belt. Apparently he had a thing for anything brunette and pretty. Agent Carson got a look in his eye and smirk on his face that Neal recognized as him thinking he had something witty to say. Neal could have guessed it from a mile away.

"Well, this should be easy. We've got our own prison whore. We can use him." The room got dead silent immediately, and before Neal could say anything. The entire room beat him to the punch.

"Agent Carson-!"

"How dare you!?"

"Oh hell to the no!"

"Jones, let me shoot him!" Neal was struck dumb, and then felt a slight (very slight, mind you) pang of pity for the surprised young agent, as Neal saw the look of pure rage on Peter's face. He hadn't said anything yet, and that was the scariest part. Director Hughes had heard the commotion from his office and was now standing in the doorway of the conference room, arms crossed over his chest.

"Agent Burke, is there a reason Jones is holding Barrigan back from pulling her weapon?" The room went quiet as they all finally saw the look on Peter's face. Agent Carson nearly peed himself, when Burke looked at him. His voice was even and calm.

"Agent Carson, I want you to go with Director Hughes to his office and explain to him what you just said about my partner. I will join you after I finish the briefing." It took a few seconds for the young agent to come out of his shock, but he quickly left, tail between his legs. Once he was gone and everyone had a few seconds to breathe, Peter continued. They finished in a few minutes, and everyone started to file out. Neal stood and walked straight up to Peter…and hugged him.

"Thanks." Peter hugged back but couldn't bring himself to smile, still too pissed off.

"I thought that was crossing the line." Neal nodded.

"It was. Agent Carson will probably never speak to me again after that." Peter nodded.

"Good. If he does, I'll let Diana at him." Neal laughed, and then Peter cracked and chuckled too. They left the room together, then went their separate ways; Peter to Hughes's office, and Neal to his desk. He found a cup of coffee sitting on his desk when he got there and cast a confused look about. All of the agents met his eyes and gave him a smile. He sat and drank the sludge happily.

Neal Caffrey was back and while he could never be completely whole again, he was as happy as he could ever be.

The End


Guys! It's over! :( But it has been a great run. I never expected my first ever WC fic to turn into this! A sequel!? Really? That is seriously really cool, and I couldn't have done it without you wonderful readers. Hugs and Kisses!

And for the last time in this WC verse, please review! :)