"After the mini-meltdown, you stepped up your investigations into the Neal/Kate relationship?"

"Yes. When Kate was originally sent away, I didn't see a need to pay any more attention to the girl. Sure, I knew Neal had this thing for her, but she was like five years older and I considered it to be more like a first crush, not some full on obsession... To this day I still can't work out how it reached that level... Anyway, I needed a way to track down his movements without arousing suspicion. I had to tread carefully. If he knew I was watching over him, he would have found a way to circumvent it, so I had to be covert."

Janice looked up and raised her eyebrows.

"I planted a tracking bug." Peter shrugged. "It's what I do for a living, okay?" He suddenly became very defensive.

"Of course, Peter. It's not like you were dealing with any ordinary child."

"No, far from it. At this stage I knew he was up to something, but unfortunately I had no idea what….

-W-C-

Peter watched from the Taurus as his son emerged from a decrepit, public housing block. The place needed to be listed for demolition, if it hadn't already. He jumped out of the car and as his son rounded the corner, they all but collided.

"Dad!" Neal's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help a startled look appearing across his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I guess the real question is, 'What are you doing here?'" Peter growled. "You're supposed to be at school."

"We were let out early today. I had the afternoon off…"

"So you decided to take a little trip around this," he waved his arm around at the undesirable surroundings, "this fair city of ours?"

"Yeah, why not. I thought I'd go for a stroll. See what's happening in this neck of the woods." Neal gave his dad a dazzling smile, which had absolutely no affect on the angry FBI agent.

"Are you wanting me to swat your backside?" Peter stood sternly with his hands on his hips, looming over the young boy.

Neal lost the smile and looked instantly mortified. "No! Why would you say that?"

"Because that's the second time you've lied to me in the last thirty seconds."

"I didn't…"

"Do you really want to add a third lie to the list?" Neal shook his head. "Because I know damn well you weren't let off early from class today. Neal, I am so far ahead of you, we're in different time zones."

Neal held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. I skipped class so I could visit a friend."

"Does this friend have a name, a real name?"

Neal squirmed, half expecting to be whacked as he gave his reply, "To tell you the truth, I don't know his real name." He waited nervously for a moment before realising it was safe to continue. "How did you find me here? You weren't just in the neighbourhood yourself?"

Peter ignored the boy and turned back towards the car. "Let's go."

Neal followed his dad across the road and reached for the handle as they arrived at the Taurus. But Peter didn't unlock the vehicle, instead he walked over to the railings on the footpath, overlooking the river below. The agent put his arms on the barrier and dropped his head.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"You okay?" Neal came and stood beside his father, putting a caring hand on his arm.

Peter took an exhausted breath. "Neal…Why do we have to do this?"

"Do what Dad?"

"This." Peter turned and pointed back at the public housing block. "Why can't you just say, 'Dad, I'm into something serious and I could really do with your help.'"

"Because you'd say, 'Sorry Neal. I know it's important to you but I like to do everything by the book and the book doesn't allow for these types of shenanigans.'" Neal actually managed a pretty accurate Peter voice and the agent chuckled for a second.

Bit all too soon, Peter pressed his lips together and remembered the seriousness of the situation. "Neal, it's not a book, it's the law and you're breaking it, making it my job to stop it as both a federal agent and as your father. Purely by the fact that you know I'll say no should tell you, it's wrong and you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."

"We all do what we have to do, Dad."

Peter bent down and picked up a sizable rock off the footpath. "See this stone, son? This is you."

Neal laughed. "So now you've reduced me to a lump of rock."

Peter ignored the comment and tossed the stone into the murky waters below. The rock disappeared under the water but the ripples from the impact moved away from the centre and continued to flow out in all directions. Peter pointed. "That stone was you, son. Your actions… Isn't it amazing how one little stone can cause such a vast reaction? Those ripples…look how far they reach."

Neal silently watched until the final ripple disappeared. When he could no longer see any, he turned to his dad but Peter had already made his way back to the car.

The two guys travelled in silence, both deep in thought, till they stopped outside the Burke residence. Peter left the car running while he pulled on the handbrake. "Neal, look at me." The boy turned in his seat to face his father. "What you've got going on is dangerous and I won't take any chances like last time. You're going to go in the house and you are grounded for the next week. We'll discuss it more when your mom and I get home tonight but the bottom line is, if need be, I'll put the tracking anklet back on."

-W-C-

Neal walked inside the house and continued on through to the back door to let in his puppy. But Satchmo didn't come running. He was too busy enjoying a tummy rub.

"Hey, man. Where you been? I went to see you at the art school but they said you had to leave early."

"Moz. I found a guy." Neal sat down on the back step.

"Who and how much?"

"The name's Garry and he is going to do it for free. I just have to come up with the car and pay for the gas and some snacks along the way."

"He's going to do it no charge? Out of the goodness of his heart?"

"I know it sounds too good to be true but yeah."

"You're right Neal, too good to be true." Mozzie gave one last pat to the puppy's tummy and then came to sit with his friend. "Why did he agree to it and please don't tell me he's been living in hope that one day someone would invite him to take a scenic tour of Interstate 87."

"No. This guy actually knows Kate. Said they spent a bit of time together before Keller came on the scene and they'd pulled a couple of cons a while back. He didn't think it was right that she should be locked up for something that was ultimately Keller's fault so he said he'd be more than willing to help out."

"Neal, you don't think this sounds even a little suspect."

"No I don't and will you please try and at least pretend to be a little supportive."

"I don't know Neal. I just can't stand back and let you pull off another crazy stunt. You have no impulse control."

"Like you can talk.""

"Neal, it's just that you take crazy to a whole new level."

"The things I've done and the things you've done are no different."

"Well yeah, they are, but we're getting off track. I think this is dangerous and I'd rather you just didn't. Having said that, I'll help you however you need me to."

"Thanks Moz. Dad is tracking me somehow. Can you bring over your anti-bug device and run a scan over all my worldly possession."

-W-C-

"Did you put it in his satchel?" The doctor scribbled a note in her book.

"I attached the tracker in the sole of one of his shoes."

"You didn't think of putting it in the bag he always carries?" Janice momentarily got all caught up in the cloak and dagger side to the case.

"Of course that would have been my first preference but, come on, the kid practically sleeps with the thing."

"I see, you have a point."

"Yes." Peter looked at Janice rather indignantly. "So…I put it inside the sole of one of his shoes."

"How did you know which pair to pick?"

"Well, he usually only wears the one pair. The dress shoes that go well with his casual pants."

"And he doesn't wear any others?"

"Not normally." Peter became lost in some far away thought. "Unless he disguises himself as a real boy, and then of course he would need to wear his sneakers."

"Well, once again Peter, you weren't to know."

"Yeah, thanks. I feel so much better."