Author's Note: I feel like Flat Stanley posting this final chapter. It's been a fun ride mostly in part to all the amazing readers who left kind, thoughtful and inspirational reviews for this story. Once again, it's been immensely enjoyable arriving home from work, switching on the computer and tuning into all your thoughts and comments over the past couple of weeks. And now sadly, all I can look forward to in my inbox are a small selection of mundane messages from the autoclub and ToysRUs. I know – write another! Certainly I found a sequel to be far more difficult to write than an original having used up all the good ideas, keeping the continuity of the first and above all else, living up to expectations. So thanks so much for your continued support throughout the telling of this tale. I've got a couple of ideas in my heard for part 3 – My Mom Elizabeth - it's a long way off so for now please enjoy…

MY DAD PETER - EPILOGUE

"Have a seat, Neal."

The young boy padded quietly across the floor and sat on the couch opposite the doctor. He removed his satchel and placed it on the floor.

"How have you been?" Janice inquired in her best motherly tone.

"Alright, I guess," Neal replied quietly.

"How has your arm been holding up?"

"I had a check up through the week. They said the fracture had healed nicely but I've got to continue with the exercises for a little while yet."

"That's probably to be expected." Janice found it hard to believe it was the same child for which she had to use every trick in her little instruction manual to gain even the slightest bit of compliancy. The new Neal was well-mannered, straightforward but sadly lacking the spunk of the boy who had kept her on her toes during the past couple of months. Janice wasn't overly concerned however. Neal had a loving family and was surrounded by people who would see to it that the teenager would keep his chin up, pull up his socks and carry on happily in the day to day adventures of a fourteen year old. Life would not leave this one behind. "Do you have plans for the weekend?"

"Jerry and I are going to the movies."

"What are you going to see?"

Neal shrugged. "I don't know. Jerry is going to choose."

"Just the two of you?"

"Maybe. I think he might ask Eleana and Emmy. I don't know."

"Do you think you could give Emmy a call and ask them out. Be a nice surprise for Jerry if he doesn't have to do all the leg work."

"I suppose."

"Neal?"

"Yes."

"Are you still having bad dreams?"

"Not really." Neal looked down at the carpet and spoke softly. "But during the day I still think about it a lot."

"What do you think about the most?"

Neal shrugged yet again.

"Neal?"

The young boy hopped up and walked over to the window. He put his hands on the sill and leaned his forehead against the glass pane. "I think about her. Some days I can't get her out of my head."

"What sort of things come to mind when you think about her?"

"Everything."

"Give me an example."

Neal turned around and folded his arms. Janice caught the tears in his eyes before he lowered his head. "I think of how she made me happy. I think of the awesome times we had running cons and living a life of exhilarating thrills and forbidden adventures. I think about how much she loved me drawing and painting for her. I think of her missing me during the time she was sent away…. . I think of how she made me feel important and special." The tears were flowing fully and Neal hadn't realised that Janice had left her seat to walk over to the young boy. When he finally looked up, she was standing next to him.

Janice put a caring arm around his shoulder. "It's okay to say it, Neal. This is the place to say it."

Neal leaned in against the doctor and began to cry softly. "I miss her Janice. I miss Kate. I wish she wasn't gone. I want her to come back."

"She won't be coming back Neal, but no one can ever take those memories away." The doctor pulled the young boy back so she could see his face. "It's good to remember her. Draw pictures of her. Talk to your parents about her. Reminisce about all those good times."

"But it makes me feel so hollow inside."

"Yes, for now. But each day will get a little better and eventually you'll be able to think about Kate without feeling empty. And sometime in the future, you'll find you can talk about her and joke about the things you did together. But that's not going to happen straight away. It's not supposed to happen quickly. Your mind will work through it at its own pace. And some days will be worse but you can always talk to your mom and dad and you can call me anytime you like." She gave the teenager a caring pat on the shoulder. "Do you understand, Neal?"

"Yes, Doctor Murphy."

"Good. Come and sit back down and tell me what's been happening at home."

Neal followed the doctor back to the chairs and slouched heavily into the thick black leather of the couch. It was way more comfortable than the floor. "Dad and I are going camping next month with Jerry and his dad."

"Fantastic, Neal. I didn't know that either you or your dad were outdoorsmen."

Neal laughed and Janice was delighted to see a genuine smile coming from the teenager. "I can tell you now quite succinctly doctor, an outdoorsman I am not. Dad took me fishing last year and well, let's just say mom was lucky to have her son returned home after Peter came close to tossing me overboard."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Ah Janice, was that a little sarcasm I detected in your tone?"

"No Neal. I can't even in my wildest imagination believe that anyone would consider tossing you over the side of a boat."

"Not that I believe you for a second but anyway, Dad likes the outdoors and he used to love fishing, apparently he was pretty good at it."

"Used to love fishing? What happened?" Janice was enjoying having a regular conversation with the boy who had momentarily forgotten his worries.

"Well the day he took me fishing, his opinion of the sport altered drastically and I quote, 'If I never see another fishing rod again in my whole life, it will be too soon.'"

"What did you do, Neal?"

"Ah Janice, so quick to take the side of the older generation. Don't you think there's even a slight possibility that Dad was responsible for the unpleasant experience?"

"Not even for a microsecond. What did you do, Neal?"

"Fine. I'll save you from all the gory details but I somehow managed to get a fishing hook through Dad's arm."

"Ouch. No wonder he's not too keen to try fishing again anytime soon."

"Excepting he was quite happy to continue after that. Said that it happens to everyone at some point and he'd been very lucky up to now so he was probably due for the mishap. So he pulled the hook out back through his skin and returned the rod to me."

"Sounds like a happy ending, why the vow to give fishing away for life?"

"Well, when I cast it the second time, somehow I managed, and I honestly have no idea how I did this, somehow, I managed to catch the hook on his knee cap."

"Oh my! That sounds awfully painful."

"Yes it was, and he said so in some not very nice words that I will not repeat in front of a lady."

"I appreciate that Neal. And that's when he decided to hang up his rod."

"No, Dad's nothing if not persistent. He told me he probably should have been wearing long pants and it was rotten luck that I'd missed the water on both attempts. He'd never heard of it happening twice to anyone before. One of those 'one in a million' things. So he pulled out the hook, while adding a few more of those nasty words under his breath and once again handed me the rod."

"Okay. So I'm guessing that last move there, when he handed you back the rod, that was his biggest mistake?" Janice winched, not sure she wanted to hear the end of this tale.

"Yeah, you'd think someone of his superior intelligence would have learnt. I mean, I'd missed the water on both attempts, at this point, he probably should have pulled the plug, cut his loses and tried to bond with me over something far safer…"

"Like table tennis?"

"Yes, exactly. But no, Dad insisted I have one more try."

"Where did you get him Neal?" Janice didn't really want to know, but just for the record, she needed to ask, after all, she was only human!

"I…arr…."

"Where Neal?"

"I…It caught him through his ear." Neal grimaced as he answered, remembering how painful it had looked. The hook had gone clear though and had come out the other side. Peter had to have the doctor remove it by cutting off the barbed end.

"Oh dear me, you were lucky not to be kicked overboard. Poor Peter. So I take it there won't be any fishing on this particular camping trip?"

"Highly unlikely Janice."

"Well one can only hope you have better luck at building fires and trekking through the woods. Don't go getting lost."

"I'm pretty sure getting lost is something that most people don't do intentionally so telling them not to get lost is kind of along the lines of telling someone not to have an accident."

"I see your point, Neal. How about then, take care, after all, I'd hate to lose one of my favourite clients."

"Why thank you doctor." Neal sat up on the couch and leaned forward, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "I have some good news, Janice."

"What is it Neal?"

"Have a guess."

"Let's see. You've won an art award for your painting of the Federal Plaza Fountain."

"No. But that's still a possibility."

"Okay then. You've been recruited by the White Collar Division to work as their chief sketch artist?"

"No. Although that's a very good suggestion. I don't know why I haven't talked Dad into hiring me. Last time I worked there it was slave labour!"

"Mmmm. I'm running out of ideas. You did say it was good news?" Neal nodded

"It's very good news, very unexpected news."

"Oh come on. You'll have to tell me now."

"Well…my mom is going to have a baby."

Janice raised her eyebrows. "Another one?" She had the medical background of both Peter and Elizabeth so this revelation came as quite a surprise.

"Are you insinuating, Doctor Murphy that my parents already have a baby?" It was asked in good humour.

"Never. A baby you are not, young man."

Neal's smile grew wider with that complement regardless of its genuine intent. "So you're not going to ask how it's possible?"

"I wanted to but I was being polite. However, since you are offering, how is it possible? I was under the impression your dad was unable to procreate."

"Well that's a rather professional way of putting it but…I'm not too sure, I didn't want to know the icky details but something about the condition he has reversing sometimes. It's incredibly rare for it to happen. I didn't hear what percentage but it was so minute Dad never even considered it a possibility."

"Wow, that's amazing. Perhaps you played a part in it."

"How so, Janice?"

"Well, Peter never thought he'd be a dad so his body accepted that idea and then you came along and those little messages in his brain got tossed out the window."

"That's an interesting line of thought. I wonder if that works with other brain signals?" Neal gazed at the far wall, suddenly deep in thought.

"The mind works in mysterious ways young Neal."

"Yeah. Certainly does Janice."

"So when is your mom due?"

"The baby is due at Christmas."

"A perfect time for miracles. Your parents are very lucky, young man."

"That much is certain." Neal chuckled.

"Many couples find the chance to have just one child elusive. Your parents are going to be blessed a second time around."

"Thanks, Janice." Neal smiled into the eyes of the caring woman. "Today is my last visit."

"For now."

"I'd like to tell you I'm going to miss coming here…"

"But we both know it would be a load of bull."

"Actually, I was going to be honest and say I'm going to miss coming here like a hole in the head."

They both laughed together. It was the first time.

Neal hopped off the couch and picked up his satchel. He stepped over to the doctor, leant down and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you around, Janice."

"Take Care, Neal."

Janice watched the young boy walk out the door. Her office would make a follow-up visit for six months down the track. Many clients passed up on the follow-up thinking it was a little unnecessary if they were no longer having issues. She was fairly certain it wouldn't be the last time she'd see the young boy for one reason or another. The doctor walked back to her desk and was very surprised to see a gift sitting atop her personal papers. The gift had not been there earlier and Neal hadn't been anywhere near her desk. Intrigued she unwrapped the box. Inside was a card and a beautiful drawing. Janice sat down holding the picture in amazement. It was a sketch of her, sitting in her chair, legs crossed, glasses in one hand, note book in the other looking kindly towards the window. She appeared thoughtful and wise and the likeness was stunning. Janice considered it to be one of the most considerate gifts anyone had ever given her. The boy was truly a phenomenon.

Janice put down the drawing and opened the card. She smiled as she read…

Dear Janice,

Thank you for helping me work out some problems. I'm sorry if at times I may have given you a teeny bit of hard time. All things considered, if anyone had to take me through the mess in my head, I'm glad it was you. If you are ever near the Bayside Art College please call in to say hello.

Lots of love Neal. xxx

P.S. You may not know it by the way I was able to keep it from you so well, but I was worried about a very important person in my life so thank you also for bringing back his smile and helping…my dad, Peter.