The Apartment

Jason pulled off his boots, placed his jacket neatly on the back of his chair and flopped down on the bed. He breathed in, gathering the energy to roll over.

"Ahh," he sighed once he was on his back. Closing his eyes, he thought that this was a good set up.

"Wow, Bruce wasn't kidding." The sound of Dick's voice had Jason's heart racing and on his feet in moments. Dick was standing just inside the door with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a slight frown on his face. His hair was tussled in a way Neal's hadn't been in the time Jason had known him.

"Kidding about what?" Jason demanded to know. He wasn't as hot-headed as he had been in the past but brothers turning up out of the blue always set off warning bells in his head.

"You living here," Dick responded calmly. "I thought you might be staying with Tim or something."

"Oh." He had news for Dick then. "I don't think Peter has enough room for both of us to be staying at his house."

Dick paused, face twitching as he tried to process that. "What?"


The Burkes

Tim smiled and placed the orange juice on the table for El and him to share. Peter was reading the paper and chewing on sensible cereal, even though there was sugary stuff with toys hiding in the back of the cupboard. That cereal made Tim smile. It was a reminder that Peter expected Neal to return one day.

This cereal also made him smile. It actually was good for him, unlike the sugary stuff which gave him headaches to the point where El had banned him from having any once she got that out of him. She had also called Alfred, who scolded him for 'continually ingesting something which you know makes you feel ill, Master Timothy'.

"Is Jason visiting today?" El asked.

"Nah. He said something about helping June out with something," Tim said, "and I have to drop in at the New York branch of Wayne Enterprises and look like I'm doing my job."

"Look like?" Peter questioned.

Tim had thought that phrase accurate but Peter looked disapproving. "I have finished everything for the meeting this afternoon and yet, Bruce insists I go in early to work on it."

"He pushes you hard, doesn't he?" El asked, not for the first time.

Tim grinned as he always did. "He pushes himself harder. I'm able to handle it, Elizabeth."

There was a knock at the door and Peter eyed Tim. "Are you sure your brother or sisters weren't coming around?"

"It's not like they announce all their plans?" Tim responded hesitantly and with a shy grin. Peter sighed, reminded of Neal in that moment and his 'who, me?' look.

When he opened the door, he was looking at a familiar face.

"Hey, Peter!" Dick greeted him with a wide grin. "How have you been?"

"How have I been?" Peter tried to sound scolding but his body was light with just the sight of his friend. He was too happy to scold Neal for being an idiot. "You forgot to tell your family where you were so they camped out at my place."

"I heard only Tim was staying here. Jason was camped out in my apartment," Dick responded.

"You didn't tell them, Neal."

"Dick," Dick corrected. "Bruce's lawyers revived me. And I didn't tell them because not even I knew where I was going. I followed Selina's lead."

"And she didn't tell anyone?"

"She normally doesn't. It's the way of the family, Peter."

"You could at least write!" Tim shouted, having come to see what was taking Peter so long. He had been shocked to see Dick however, his attitude changed hearing his brother talk nonchalantly about going missing. "You know, so we'd know you're alive and not dead in another country!"

"That hasn't happened-"

"Shark attack," Peter interrupted, reminding Dick of just one time of many he had faked his death. It had not been the most foolproof but it had been exciting.

Tim looked confused but realised from the wide eyes Dick was shooting at them that whatever Peter had said caused Dick to rethink his words.

Dick took a breath before talking. "Okay. Point. But it's not like family knew about that."

"I knew about it," Peter said. "And I'm sure you weren't thinking about the FBI agent chasing you except, at least I got birthday cards and the like. What have you sent your family in the past few years?"

Neal winced. The answer was that he hadn't thought about his family in the past few years. Not until they started turning up in New York. And then he felt suffocated by the attention and had run out as soon as commutation went through.

"Sorry." Dick turned to Tim and repeated the apology.

Tim nodded in approval and acceptance of the apology. "Now, I have a breakfast to finish before a big meeting."

Dick grinned. He had missed having lively meals in Gotham. While travelling with Selina and Mozzie, they had always ate together. They were lively meals, full of stories of the day and plans for the future. Those meals had vanished during those few days in Gotham. Bruce was focused on other things during meals.

The Burkes were always a good place to eat.

"I'll join you! Where's-"

"In the usual place," Peter informed him. Dick was happy that Peter knew exactly what he was talking about without even finishing his sentence.

"I can't believe you still eat that stuff," Tim commented with a frown and a shake of his head when he saw Dick with the colourful box.

"It's delicious!" Dick responded. He leant over and poured some in Tim's bowl. Tim tried to swat him away but failed.


The Office

Neal's desk had been given to Jones and a new agent had taken Jones' old desk. The White Collar office had moved on after Neal, it had to move on. They were the FBI and could not dwell on lost opportunities and friends.

New faces had appeared. Like Jason and Tim who sometimes followed Peter around during cases. The White Collar agents quickly realised that they held similar skills to Neal and Mozzie. While not as good as Neal, Tim's eye for forgeries was the most accurate in the office. Jason seemed to be able to get information on anything going on and could charm even the most difficult of people. Unless he didn't like them, then he just punched them in the face and left them for Tim to sweet talk.

The day Dick joined Peter, Tim and El for breakfast was also the day he followed Peter to work. He wasn't the only one. They walked into the office to find Jason leaning on Jones' desk and involved in a deep discussion about sports.

Dick rolled his eyes. "I didn't know you watched baseball."

"Hey! It's baseball! Even living on the streets, you can toss a ball around or hit it with a stick."

"Bats too expensive?" Jones questioned.

"Bats are worth a lot," Jason agreed, although Dick knew that tone to be the one Jason always used when poking fun at their 'family'.