The following morning, Jon woke up when he heard Neal speaking softly to the twins across the room on the couch as he fed them. He was telling them a little story and Jon realized it was a story very close to how Neal and Peter met. Things were left out or beautified since he was talking to his babies, but it was still his and Peter's story nonetheless. He was a bit out of it as he listened to the young man, but he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Sliding out of bed, he wandered over to his son and grandchildren, smiling when Neal smiled at him. "Morning, dad."

"Good morning, Neal," Jon said quietly as he took a seat beside the twins. Neal's cheeks were flushed as he continued the story for his babies. All of the horrible things that happened over the years had been edited out and it sounded like a truly beautiful, slightly fictionalized story. "How'd you sleep?" Jon asked once Neal was finished with his story.

"Pretty good. Peter kept me warm and close," he whispered.

Jon smiled wryly to himself. "Close indeed," he murmured. Neal looked at him, puzzled. He didn't know what Jon was hinting at until moments before Jon explained. "You two are very adventurous," he teased. "I never took you two to be the kinky type—doing it with others present in the room."

Neal's cheeks were a bright shade of red as he averted his eyes from Jon's gaze. "I, uh… We…"

"I know you tried to be quiet, son," he began, "but the squeaky bedsprings and, bluntly speaking, your sounds made it kind of obvious."

"I don't know what to say," he whispered, looking mortified. He and Peter had sex with Mozzie or Michael sleeping in the same room before, but those two never heard them—or at least they never made it obvious that they knew what Peter and Neal had been doing if they'd been awake for it. Jon didn't feel the need to hold back and he loved teasing Neal.

Jon reached over at patted Neal's cheek gently. "I'd really rather not hear my son having sex with his wonderful husband, but the most reassuring part about hearing it by accident is that I could tell you two weren't just having sex to have it."

"Dad, are you talking to my husband about sex?" Peter asked as he pushed himself up. "Neal, you can tell him to go away, you know." Jon chuckled, shaking his head as he rested his hand on Joey's back, rubbing him gently. "I swear you're just as bad as Nick," Peter muttered as he slipped his underwear back on underneath the blanket.

"Because that wasn't obvious," Neal said sarcastically as he watched Peter. "Love, be a little more discrete when you're trying to get dressed…"

Peter rolled his eyes. "He knows we did it anyway." He slid out of bed with only his boxers on prior to pulling his sleep pants on and crossed the room, stopping in front of Neal to lean down and kiss him gently. "And yes, I do love my husband in and out of bed, dad," he muttered. "I don't listen to you and mom, so try not to listen to me and my Neal."

Jon raised an eyebrow at his son. "You wouldn't know if mom and I were doing it even if we were all sharing the same bed. That's how skilled we've gotten."

"Oh, for the love of God," Neal moaned. "Peter and I had sex last night and you and mom probably did at some point, too. Can we please talk about something other than sex?"

Peter sat on the floor, rubbing Neal's lower right leg. "What would you like to talk about, baby?"

Jon smirked. "How was Peter?" Neal stared at him with wide eyes. Peter glared at his father and even went so far as to smack his father's leg. "Hey. I'm asking out of morbid curiosity."

"Ew," Peter muttered. "Neal, don't answer that."

Neal rolled his eyes, glancing down at the twins. "Poppa and grandpa are disgusting in the morning," he murmured.

"Says the man who had sex with several others present in the room," Jon teased. Peter watched his husband's face heat up before smacking his dad's leg harder. "All right, all right. I'll knock it off, Peter."

"Thank you," Peter said, heaving a sigh moments later. He glanced up at his husband, taking Neal's right hand in his. "How're you feeling, honey?"

Neal gave him a small, yet meaningful, smile. "Better than I did yesterday, honestly." He reached out to stroke the side of Peter's face lightly, feeling as though a feather briefly whisked across Peter's skin. "Thank you for helping me, Peter. I really appreciate that you're always here for me."

Jon said nothing as he watched the two men exchange small looks. He'd learned a few of their telling looks and knew what some of them meant right off the bat because he and Hannah liked to speak silently with others around as well. Neal and Peter were able to tell each other how deeply they loved the other without speaking a word.

Peter stroked Neal's lower right leg slowly as he kept his eyes on the younger man. Their gaze was so focused and intense that they both startled when they look away from each other. Peter could always lose himself in Neal's eyes. It was one of the things he loved about Neal's appearance—beautiful blue eyes. Neal loved making eye contact with his husband and he adored the chocolate color. "You look beautiful," Peter whispered. Neal blushed, giving his husband a small smile. Neal had seen himself in the bathroom mirror not too long ago and he knew he looked like a mess. He hadn't been getting a whole hell of a lot of sleep lately and he'd also made love with Peter last night, so his hair was undoubtedly disheveled.

"As always, you're extremely handsome," Neal replied just as quietly. Jon watched them and his heart swelled with pride and love. He was proud of both men for being able to live their lives 'out of the closet' as some people put it, but he was proud of them for sticking with each other through everything that could have gone wrong as well as what had gone wrong. He was proud of Peter for devoting his heart and life to Neal. Neal deserved someone who could treat him right and Jon was thankful that Peter was the one Neal wanted. He loves Neal as much as he loves his Peter.

Joey grabbed Neal's hand and Neal immediately looked down at his son. He started going on a major baby-tirade and Neal looked amused more than anything. "Whoa, little guy," Peter said as he reached over to poke Joey's stomach. "Don't talk to daddy like that," he teased.

Neal chuckled. "I think he was upset that I wasn't paying attention to him anymore." Brie was perfectly fine with entertaining herself, but Joey wanted his father's attention. Neal glanced at Peter and began to say, "How long do you think we'll—?" moments before Joey started up his tirade again, hitting Neal's leg a few times. Neal's brows furrowed as he looked at his son again. "What is it, kiddo?" He pulled Joey closer and looked at him intently, trying to figure out if something were wrong. Joey started crying and moving his arms quickly and Neal had no idea what was wrong.

Peter's brows were furrowed as well. If Neal didn't know what was going on, he had no way of knowing either. "Neal, how often are you with Joey?"

"A lot. I've been playing with him more and trying to get him to—" It suddenly dawned on him. "Do you think he's too attached to me?"

"Pass him to Peter and see what he does." Neal met Peter's eyes and he frowned. He didn't want to do that to Peter. If Joey were attached to him, that would make two of their children reliant on Neal. Neal wanted them to rely on Peter, too. He didn't want Peter's feelings to be hurt. "Peter was firmly attached to his mother when he was around this age. It's quite possible that Joey may be going through that, too."

Peter held his arms out a bit and Neal lifted Joey, shifting to give him to Peter—only to have Joey wail. Peter retracted his hands and Neal wanted to give Joey to him, but he could see that Peter was hurt already. He set Joey in his lap and Joey immediately calmed down. "I don't understand. He's played with Peter before. Hell, he played with Peter more than he played with me."

Neal's eyes stayed on Peter as he watched Peter's entire demeanor change. "I've always told you that you're a better father," he whispered as he pushed himself up.

"Peter, don't—" Peter walked away from him, heading into the bathroom. He closed the door, leaving Neal and Jon to gape at it. "Dad—"

"Go ahead, son," Jon said. He eased Joey out of Neal's arms and was surprised that Joey wasn't crying when Neal got up from the couch.

He knocked on the door and quietly said, "Peter, it's me. Can I come in?"

"It isn't locked," Peter muttered.

Neal opened the door and went in, shutting it behind him. His husband was sitting atop the toilet, arched over with his forehead in his hands. "Peter," he whispered.

Peter shrugged as he sat up and inhaled sharply. "This is why you're the daddy and I'm not."

"Don't do this," he whispered. He neared his husband and immediately dropped to his knees in front of him. Resting his hands on Peter's thighs, he pleaded, "Don't say these things, love." Peter couldn't even meet Neal's eyes. He was really upset, but he was trying to pretend he was fine. "Hey," he whispered. "Look at me." He reached up and gently grabbed Peter's chin, guiding his face until their eyes finally met. "Peter, I'm not a better father. You're just as good as I am."

"Then why are they attached to you? Why do they cry when they're with me?"

"Nick loves you just as much as he loves me, Peter Michael. Joey's a baby. He'll grow out of this—Brie loves you."

"Brie doesn't care. She's indifferent to us both." He grabbed Neal's hand and jerked it away from his face. "I'll just have to deal with the fact that our sons love you more."

Neal blinked back tears. "That's not true. You're their poppa." Peter didn't answer him and he sighed heavily, grabbing Peter's hands. "Nicky went to you for a lot of things. He didn't wake me up in the middle of the night. He woke you up and you put him back into bed after he talked to you. Doesn't that prove that he loves you?" Peter was still silent. "Joey's a baby. Peter, he'll be just as attached to you in no time at all. He'll—"

"Just stop," Peter said angrily. "Accept the fact that you're better and more lovable than I am."

The younger man shook his head vehemently. "You're my big teddy," he said. "You're the most lovable man I've ever met." Peter scoffed at him. "Damn it, Peter. You know you're a wonderful father. If you weren't, would my son have called you his poppa? Would he want to play baseball with you? Would he want to spend a lot of time with you? You have to be a damn good father to earn his love and respect since you weren't with us for his first few years." He reached up to card his fingers through Peter's hair. "You're an amazing man. There's no one else I'd want to be my babies' poppa."

Peter didn't say anything to that and it pissed Neal off. It pissed him off because Peter spent so much time telling him that he's a good father after he spent so much time denying it. The moment Neal finally begins to accept that he's a good father, Peter falls to the other end of the spectrum. He gave Peter almost two whole minutes of pure silence before giving up. He sighed heavily, pushed himself up, and left the bathroom. He loves his husband, but the man was stubborn and upset, so he wouldn't listen.

"How'd it go?" Jon asked tentatively when Neal returned to the couch.

"We probably won't be talking anytime soon," Neal muttered as he sat beside his daughter, watching her play with a pacifier. Jon gave him a concerned look that Neal almost missed. "He won't listen to me and he barely said anything."

Jon nodded and let it go at that.

It would be almost two hours following the short-lived conversation before Peter finally emerged from the bathroom. By that point, Neal himself was upset and he wasn't being very sociable. He was reading a book to Joey and Brie while Nicky and Jon talked about baseball. Peter glanced at his father and son, seeing how Nicky loved his grandfather. If Nicky could love Peter's father, who was in no way at all related to him by blood, then Peter told himself he needed to accept that Neal was right—that Nicky could love him. "Hi, poppa," Nicky said softly, smiling a little at his father.

"Hey, kiddo," he whispered. His gaze drifted towards his husband and their twins. Part of him wished Neal would look up from the book and smile at him, but he didn't seem like he was going to do that anytime soon. Peter knew he pissed Neal off and he felt bad about that, so he'd decided to finally come back after wallowing for no reason at all. He knew his three babies love him. Even if none of them are his biologically, he knows they love him. And Neal was also right in saying that Joey's just a baby. He would eventually grow to love Peter just the same. He realized that Neal had more experience with babies and he had a perfectly maternal side to him, so he was very nurturing. Peter just had to be patient—and he would learn from Neal rather than pitying himself and doubting his ability to father his three children they're raising together. "Is daddy mad?" he asked, keeping his voice very quiet.

Nicky glanced at Neal before shrugging. "He seemed okay when I woke up. He's been reading to them for, like, an hour now."

Peter nodded. "Do you think he'll talk to me?"

Even after almost six years together, Peter felt really uncertain when he wanted to make amends with Neal. Nicky and Neal are so much alike and Nicky knew Neal's mannerisms. He was reminded of their trek up to his parents' house. When they'd stopped for food, Neal hadn't been in the best mood and Nicky advised him, telling him how to make Neal a little happier because he'd done it. Taking the trays from Neal and hugging him subsequently worked that day, so he referred to Nicky. "Maybe," Nicky said quietly. He was analyzing his father and then he glanced up at his poppa. "He's a little mad, I guess, but you guys always make up."

"I'll see if I can keep my track record consistent." He met his father's eyes, seeing the warning there. Jon didn't want Peter and Neal to fight, so he was warning his son that Neal was in that kind of mood. He nodded before turning, heading over to the bed he and Neal had shared last night. He tentatively sat on the edge of the bed, meeting Neal's eyes when the younger man finally looked at him. He could see the tension in Neal's shoulders and a fire burning in Neal's eyes. Neal didn't want to fight, but he was upset. "Hey, hon," Peter whispered.

"Hi," Neal said quietly.

Peter bit his lip, shifting further onto the bed so he could sit beside his husband. He leaned closer and kissed him gently, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Neal," he said softly. "I shouldn't have acted the way I was acting. You were right."

Neal shrugged. "Nothing I say helps."

"Honey, I was being a—" He almost slipped up and said a word Neal probably would've smacked him for saying in front of the babies. "—male genitalia."

"Wow," Neal said sarcastically. He shook his head and leaned over to kiss Peter himself. "We're fine."

Peter rested his left hand on Neal's lower back. "I love you, Neal, and I know our babies love us."

Joey made a very loud giggling sound, getting excited. He laid on the bed and crawled over to Peter, keeping one hand on Peter's leg. His other hand was in his mouth and he was watching Neal. "The four of us love you dearly," Neal whispered. "You're family—we're family."

Peter smiled at his husband appreciatively, loving him for being as forgiving as he is.

The two of them spent time with the twins while Jon and Hannah kept Nicky entertained. Brie wanted to walk and she, after Neal stood her up, was actually doing really well on her own. Joey was anxious when he watched his sister and he threw a fit until Neal picked him up. "Come here, baby girl," Peter encouraged as Brie neared him. He and Neal were both proud of their daughter for making a tremendous amount of progress. Not to say that they weren't proud of Joey. He was just a little delayed due to his laziness. Peter grinned from ear to ear as Brie fell into his arms with a huge smile on her face, giggling. "That's my girl," he said endearingly as he helped her stand. "You're going to be following daddy all over the place pretty soon."

Neal groaned. "I've learned—and I refuse to take children with the ability to walk under the age of three to the store." Peter raised an eyebrow. Neal turned and smiled wryly at his oldest son. "My little brat over there loved to run off on me, giggling all the while." He shook his head, sighing. "Scared the crap out of me a lot. At least you were consistent, brat. You always ran to the play area."

Nicky giggled. "Love you, daddy."

"Love you, too, my little guy who's not so little anymore."

Joey bounced in front of Neal excitedly, trying to turn towards Peter. Neal refocused on the baby he was holding and turned him around. "He's already trying to run off," Peter said, amused. Joey wobbled before trying to dart towards Peter. Neal leapt to catch him, but he'd gotten close enough to Peter for Peter to catch him. "Just as eager to please as your daddy," he teased. Neal gave his husband a look that only Peter would understand. It was one of the more sexually charged expressions they shared and it turned Peter on a great deal. Neal, despite the tension and mood from earlier, was teasing Peter with the idea of going down on him. It was a little hard to do that with everyone sharing one room though.

"Down, tigers," Jon warned, chuckling to himself as he watched his sons. He couldn't see Neal's face, but he knew his Peter. Peter wasn't very subtle when it came to his arousal.

Neal laughed lightly, shaking his head. He got onto his knees and moved towards Peter, kissing him. Both Brie and Joey were slobbering all over themselves. Joey managed to grab the hem of Neal's shirt, holding onto it since Neal wasn't moving.

A short while later, Neal and Peter sat on the floor in front of the television. They had the volume turned down since they were the only ones awake after getting the twins to bed. Peter's arm was around Neal's shoulders and Neal's head rested on Peter's shoulder. The news station was on and they watched the news anchor report Neal's mother's death. They even replayed part of Craig's broadcast, which hurt Neal. He latched onto his husband, needing Peter more than ever. Despite hating his mother, this hit him really hard. He hated her, but he wasn't bitter enough to wish that she was murdered.

Reese came onto the screen and was asked several questions by several people outside of the FBI building. He simply responded with, "I cannot comment on the Burkes' whereabouts. I've been in touch with them and they're all safe. I'd like it if they stayed safe."

"What caused all of this? Who is Neal Burke and why did he want to get to Neal?"

Peter squeezed Neal's shoulder, knowing full well that Reese would never answer any of these questions. "I cannot comment on the Burkes' personal lives." He brushed off the reporters and they followed him all the way to his car. They pestered him enough to make him stop, turn around, and glare at them all in that way that sent shivers down one's spine if they met his gaze directly. "The Burke family is like my family. I refuse to comment further on their situation. It's neither my nor your business. All I will say is that they're safe."

"Is this Neal Burke the same Neal who went to court against his stepfather a few years ago? If so, does that trial have anything to do with the man threatening him now?" A woman kept unleashing question after question upon Reese, frustrating the older man.

"The Burkes are my top agents as well as my closest family and I'm protecting them. Imagine yourself in my position. Would you want to tell the press about your friends' or family's life? I highly doubt that." Peter kissed Neal's temple, holding him close. "I'm going to be blunt and tell you all to—off." Peter cracked a smile when they censored his oldest friend. "Until they're safe, no details will be given. Even after they're safe, it's their choice as to whether or not they speak to you people. They don't give a damn about the media, so you're better off finding another story to report."

And with that, Reese slid into his car, locking the doors immediately. "Wow," Neal whispered as Reese drove off. "That's really amazing."

Peter nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on his husband. "Reese treats us like family. He wouldn't give out any details even if he didn't think of us like that. He respects me—and that respect extends to you since you're my partner and my partner."

Neal looked up at the older man, searching Peter's eyes. "If you could imagine what he's doing right now, what would you tell yourself he's doing?"

Without having to ask who Neal was referring to, he answered, "He's probably going out of his mind trying to track down our family and close friends. My parents and our children are here with us—safe. Trent, his mother, and his stepfather are safe elsewhere. El, Elsa, and Di are safe. Mozzie texted me to tell me he, Mike, Mel, and June are okay." He rested his forehead against Neal's, sighing. "Trent and Nicky are constantly texting, so Trent will let us know if there's something strange going on. As for the girls, I'm fairly certain we don't need to worry. Diana will kick some major ass before she lets anyone mess with her daughter and wife."

Peter watched Neal nod, knowing Neal wanted to get something off of his chest. He gave Neal as much time as he needed to think his thought through before saying anything and it seemed to have helped. "You promised you'd protect me," he whispered. "What will you do if he takes me?"

"I'm not planning on leaving your side, gorgeous. I'm not going to give him the opportunity to take you from me." He kissed Neal and squeezed his arm gently. "I've almost lost you too many times and I'm not willing to give you up any time soon, honey."

Neal cracked a smile. "Thank you."

To an extent, Peter understood the sense of security he was instilling into his husband by making his promise—by vowing that he wouldn't allow Neal to experience torture for a fourth time. He'd give his life to take Craig's if it meant he protected Neal and saved him from ever having to endure rape ever again. "You're my husband, my soulmate," Peter whispered. "I give my all to you. I'd give my life for you. I'd do anything for you—to keep you safe, my sweetheart. I don't… I don't want to know how it feels to live in a world where you no longer exist."

"I won't commit suicide," Neal whispered. Peter was still occasionally afraid that Neal would end up killing himself even after making his promises that he'd never try to take his life again. He told Peter he didn't want to be selfish and he didn't want to subject his husband or their children to that kind of selfishness and neglect. He didn't want to lose himself to the point where he was abandoning his family due to his own personal suffering. Neal was still learning from Peter that his life is worth living, that he is truly loved for who he is, and that his family is his biggest rock—his biggest foundation. "Living with you and our babies makes me happy," he said softly. "Making love with you, kissing you, watching you smile at me… Those things, I truly value."

Peter kissed his husband, closing his eyes as Neal closed his own. "I value you as a whole," Peter said sincerely. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm not going to let someone take you from me—from our children." He kissed Neal's nose then, sighing quietly. "We're in this together, Neal, and I don't plan on giving you up so easily. I will fight to the bitter end to protect you and make you mine." Neal bowed his head a bit and Peter assumed that Neal was being adorably shy—at least until Neal sniffled and his shoulders shook. "Baby, why are you crying?" he asked concernedly, lifting Neal's chin gently. "What did I say that was wrong?"

Neal shook his head. "You didn't say anything wrong, lover. It's just… Any time you say something like that, I really appreciate what we have together. I really appreciate that you're in my life and that you're my son's poppa—that you're our children's poppa. I love you for giving me a chance when you could have easily kept on working or disregarding my presence. You could have done everything so differently and I would never be able to know how it feels to have another man love me despite my flaws and in spite of my past."

"I can't imagine how different our lives would be right now if I'd just ignored you that day," Peter whispered solemnly. He kept his eyes on Neal, rubbing his wedding ring over Neal's thigh gently. "I don't want to know how it would be if I'd stayed in my office instead of going down to the break area to help you out."

"I don't know if I'd be alive," Neal admitted. "I know I wouldn't have my wedding ring. I wouldn't have our twins. I wouldn't have a home to call my own."

Their eyes met again and all Neal wanted to do was hop into bed, undress, and beg Peter to make love to him. He and Peter had a very unique relationship that he treasured. Even after almost six years together, Neal still had no idea how Peter was so willing to stay. He would never be able to understand why Peter put up with him and all of his drama. He wasn't complaining by any means, but he didn't understand and he couldn't see what drew Peter in and kept Peter interested. He told himself that it was his appearance, but he shot that down almost immediately every single time because he knows his husband.

Peter isn't a man who runs solely on vanity. Peter is, in fact, quite the opposite. He is the most humble man Neal could ever recall meeting. During their time together, Peter has been extremely supportive and he was always right there when Neal lost it for a little while. He was always right there to hold Neal, to hush him, to promise him that he was safe, and to make him feel loved and cherished. No other man made Neal feel like this and he knew no other man would ever be able to match up to what he and Peter have.

Despite all of their arguments, the awful things they've both said to each other, and their disagreements, they were both willing to work through things. They were both very sensitive when it came to their relationship. Neither of them wanted to let the other go because that would mean that they were giving up on each other. Peter didn't want to give up on Neal. He knew Neal needed someone to love him honestly and he desperately wanted to be the man of Neal's dreams. He never actually thought he'd be lucky enough to meet a man as beautiful on the inside and outside as Neal and keep him for himself.

Peter didn't think he was that lucky. He didn't know how he'd won Neal over, but he was forever grateful. "I wouldn't have my angel," Peter whispered. He pulled Neal a little closer until Neal was sitting between his legs, curled up against him. "I'm going to do everything for you and the kids, Neal. I refuse to live without you and I don't want them to grow up without their daddy." He caressed the side of Neal's face, sighing quietly. "You're so damn beautiful and I'm so damn lucky to have won your heart."

"You could've won me over with a smile," Neal said softly. "It wouldn't have taken that much to win my heart. You are a magnificent man, fantastic father, luscious lover, and glorious god."

"Jesus Christ," Peter said, impressed. "I love how you just threw out a few examples of alliteration on the fly."

Neal rolled his eyes. "And the romantic mood was just murdered."

Peter chuckled quietly, kissing Neal's hair. "'My angel' is the summation of all that you are, Neal. I have no other word or words to describe you. You're simply angelic."

The two sat in silence for a few moments, holding onto each other. Neal closed his eyes, enjoying Peter's warmth. Peter's arms were wrapped around him and he was just allowing himself to embrace and soak in all of the love emanating from Peter's very core. He lifted his left hand and rested it over Peter's heart, feeling it through the volcano known as Peter's chest. "We're going to make it through this," he whispered, sounding confident for once.

"Yes," Peter agreed, "we will." He rested his hand over Neal's, smiling. "You and I—we're partners, friends… We're a team. You're my best friend and I know I can count on you to have my back as you should be able to count on me." Neal nodded, opening his eyes to look up at Peter's face. "You're everything to me, Neal. Life would be meaningless if you were gone. I would continue to raise the children as you would want me to, but I wouldn't be able to go a day without blaming myself if something happened to you and I lost you forever."

Neal nuzzled Peter's chest, whispering, "Don't think about things like this. You always tell me that I shouldn't focus on the negatives. You try to find positive aspects in situations that may seem hopeless or nearly impossible." Peter nodded, curling his fingers around Neal's. "I'm not leaving you or our children. I don't plan on making an early exit. I want to spend my life with you. I want to watch our children grow up and I want to see them have families of their own. I want a lot of things, but all I want above all else is love.

"My love has been yours since the moment I first laid eyes on you," Peter admitted softly. "I won't let anything happen to you, Neal. I don't want you to suffer anymore. You've been through so much and I want your life to finally change—for the better."

The younger man was silent for a few, short moments before saying, "You've made my life better since you came into it. Introducing yourself… That's something I don't think I would have been able to do on my own. I'd walk around like an awkward new employee."

Peter snickered, whispering, "Fortunately, you don't have to live in your awkwardness." Neal smiled wryly up at him as Peter leaned closer to kiss him once again. He loves kissing his husband, especially after promising that he'd protect him. "I love you to death," Peter said fiercely. "I'm going to do my damnedest to kill him before he has the opportunity to lay eyes on you and consider tormenting you."

Neal wanted to thank Peter, but a simple 'thank you' just wouldn't suffice in this case. Thanking Peter for his love, for his protection, wasn't the same as thanking Peter for doing the dishes or helping Nicky with his homework. Peter was putting his heart and soul into this effort because it meant so much to him. In turn, that meant just as much to Neal. He knew he could trust Peter's word. Though Peter would like to say otherwise, Peter has never lied to Neal. When Neal allows him to help, things are a hell of a lot easier for them both. Peter blamed himself for being unable to protect his husband from Adler and Laird, but Neal promised him that he would never hold that against him. "Peter Michael, you are the love of my life," he whispered, "and I trust you with my life."

"As I've told you once or twice before," Peter said timidly, "you've put your life into good hands, angel." He vowed to protect his husband. He wouldn't leave Neal's side once—not even for a moment. That moment could be so crucial to the point where their lives would change in ways that Peter never wanted to experience. He shuddered at the thought of those monsters ravaging his husband's body. Seeing Neal in such a broken down and beaten state was horrifying and Neal never deserved to suffer. When Neal tilted his face towards Peter, Peter didn't see a man whose face was bloodied and tearstained. He saw a man who looked healthy and alive—and he intended on making damn sure Neal stayed healthy and alive.