Author's Note: Hello again people!
I just want to say thanks for the reviews/follow/favourite and especially thanks to the support I have gotten, it's amazing how some strangers on the internet can really brighten up my day so thanks.
A couple of weeks ago I moved to my very own aparment which is both good cause it gives me the peace and quiet I need for my writing but it has also been really bad for my mental health.
On a more positive note, I'm getting a cat this Saturday (a cat that happens to be one of the kittens our family cat gave birth too) and I'm really excited for his arrival.
I'm also very inspired in general right now so I'm hoping to update this story again in maybe a week or so.
Okay enough about my life and on to the story.
Thanks for reading :)

CHAPTER 33

Elizabeth was sitting by the kitchen table, sobbing loudly with her head in her hands, when they arrived to the house.
If Neal hadn't understood how his impulsive action had affected them before, he certainly did now that he could see the state Elizabeth was in.
She seemed to have missed their arrival judging by the way she jumped a little when the guilty looking Neal placed a gentle hand on her arm.
When Elizabeth realized who it was, she lifted the boy onto her lap and hugged him so tightly to her chest that he could barely breathe.

"If you ever run away like that again, I will lock you up and throw away the key."

Peter knew his wife well enough to know that she would honor that promise and he hoped that Neal realized that too, for his own good.
While Elizabeth was squeezing all the air of the boy, Peter walked outside to make a phone call to Mrs. Fisher.
He desperately wanted to know what had happened in school to cause Neal to run away like that.
Peter hoped that if he knew the reason then he could prevent it from happening again, even if he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time Neal would act on his impulse and run away.
He made a mental note to remind his wife about his previous suggestion to put a tracking anklet on the kid, because that would certainly save them from having more scares like this.

It was hard to believe that Mrs. Fisher was telling the truth and he asked her if she was sure about a million times, simply because it didn't sound like Neal at all.
Apart from pushing Peter when he was really upset, Neal had never been one for violence.
He had actually been the opposite, he had shied away from violence and Peter could clearly remember the child feeling uncomfortable with the violence in some cartoon he was watching.
This was most likely because of his life with James and therefore Peter had a hard time believing that Neal had pushed another kid for no reason at all.
According to the boy that had been pushed and a girl that had witnessed the incident, the action had been entirely unprovoked but Peter believed that if Neal had indeed pushed the kid, it must have been for a good reason.
Of course, most parents was probably thinking that if their child did something bad that it must have been for a good reason.
Peter returned inside where Neal was sitting on the chair while Elizabeth was in the kitchen, drinking some water.
The agent sat down on the opposite side of the table and looked at the boy.

"Your teacher told me that you pushed another boy in school today, is that true?"

He asked, determined to hear Neal's side of the story, especially since he ran away before Mrs. Fisher even got the chance to hear it.
The change in Neal was clear, his gaze found it's way down while his shoulders slumped.

"Yes."

Neal mumbled, barely audible and Peter was very disappointed that it was true.
Elizabeth had put down her glass and was now leaning against the kitchen counter and listening to their conversation.

"Why did you push him, bud?"

The boy looked up at him and he could see it in his eyes, that he wanted to say something really badly.
That look confirmed that there was indeed a reason behind it, but yet again he decided to keep it a secret.

"No reason."
"Are you sure there wasn't a reason?"

Neal just nodded and Peter had to hold back a sigh.
It was beyond frustrating to know that something was wrong with Neal and not knowing what it was and therefore being unable to make it better.
Peter looked up at Elizabeth and could see by the worried look on her face that she was thinking about the same thing as he did.

"Alright pal, why don't you sit in the corner while Elizabeth and I talk this through?!

Peter had hoped that being sent to time-out and knowing that they would be talking about a potential, additional punishment would scare the boy into talking but Neal just dragged one of the kitchen chairs over to the corner and sat down.
Elizabeth walked over to Peter before looking at Neal and sighing softly.

"Something is wrong here."

She pointed out in a low voice and he just nodded to show that he agreed.

"How are we supposed to send him back tomorrow?"

Elizabeth then wondered and he could understand her worries.
How were they supposed to drop the child off at school again and not fear that he would return with a really bad mood, get into some altercation with another student or run away again?

Peter sat down on the couch, next to his beautiful wife, after they had tucked Neal into bed, an hour earlier than usual.
They had gone easy on him and only given him early bedtime for a week and a lecture as consequences for pushing his classmate and then running away.
Elizabeth was looking at the TV but her mind seemed to be somewhere else.
He put his arm around her shoulders and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"What's on your mind, hon?"
"I've been thinking."

She answered and he recognized her tone of voice as the one she always used when she was going to propose an idea that she wasn't sure he would like.

"About?"

He asked while silently hoping that it wasn't something crazy like getting another kid, they already had their hands full with the one they had.

"Maybe we should adopt Neal."

Elizabeth said and Peter went quiet which caused her to panic a little.

"It's just that today I realized how terrified I am of losing him and how much I love him. I want to have him with us forever and for us to be his parents forever. I thought that adoption would show Neal that we're permanent, that we won't leave him or get tired of him. Show him that we aren't like the foster parents that just wants money, we are parents who want him. But I mean we don't have to. I know you didn't really want to foster him in the beginning but-"
"Elizabeth."

Peter managed to interrupt her nervous rambling.

"I think it's a great idea, hon."

Authors Note 2:
I hope that you don't thinkt that the whole adoption thing didn't seem to quick?
I have been thinking of it for a while and I thought that what better way to bring it up then this scare?