AN: Thank you once again for your wonderful reviews! English is my second language so please excuse any mistakes.

Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA Network and Jeff Eastin.

CHAPTER 4

Peter Burke walked towards his house. It was close to midnight and he was a bit surprised when he saw light coming from the window, but his uneasiness was quickly replaced by delight. He remembered that El was supposed to be working late tonight hosting a party and she had probably just arrived home. Good. He was starving and could use a quiet conversation and a snack with his wife.

When he got the call a few hours ago, he couldn't believe it. Caffrey had actually escaped Juvie! No one had seen him leave, and it wasn't until later when they went over the security tapes that they realized he had just walked out and no one had noticed. He'd been busy for the last 10 hours trying to find him, but the only thing they found was a discarded orange jumpsuit inside the food service truck. He'd decided to go home about half an hour ago, thinking about a warm bed and some advice from his wife. One thing was certain, Caffrey wouldn't be easy to find. He had some practice in the disappearing act area.

"Honey, I'm home" he called out when he stepped inside and started taking his coat off.

"Hi hon. I'm in the kitchen." He heard her shout back and saw Satchmo coming towards him with his tail wagging.

"Hey boy, what are you looking so pleased about?" he said softly as he rubbed behind the lab's ears.

Peter walked towards the kitchen and spotted Elizabeth in the sink rinsing some plates. He put his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her lightly in the neck.

"Mmm…" he hummed as he closed his eyes for a moment. El set down the plate she was holding and turned to give him a kiss.

"I missed you El." Peter murmured.

"I missed you too, hon. Long day? You look exhausted."

"Caffrey escaped today. You know, the kid I told you about the other day? He slipped out of Juvie and I've been trying to help them find him." Peter released her and turned to open the fridge to get some leftovers. He was starving. He put them in a plate and into the microwave.

"Well, he can't have gone too far. He'll turn up sooner or later Peter."

"I just hope he doesn't turn up dead in a ditch somewhere." He grabbed a fork and sat down in the dining table to eat. "How did your thing go tonight? Anything exciting happening in the world of event planning?"

"The party was quite a success actually. I got a few new contacts as well." She sat down beside him and fidgeted nervously with a coffee mug in her hand.

"El, is something wrong?" Peter knew El wasn't one prone to nervousness and she always told him when something wasn't all right.

"Actually Peter, something did happen," she started carefully, "someone tried to mug me tonight when I was walking from the car." Peter dropped his fork immediately and grabbed her hand.

"Are you okay? Did you call the police? Why didn't you call me?" He asked rapidly. Suddenly the warmth he had felt during the last minutes had evaporated, the feeling of helplessness and concern taking its place.

"No Peter. Don't worry, nothing even happened." Elizabeth tried to sound reassuring. "A man grabbed my arm and told me to give him my purse. I told him that he had to let me go and I'd give him the purse. He was getting fidgety when suddenly he let go. I turned around and saw that a teenage boy had yanked him towards some stairs and pushed him. He grabbed my hand and we ran away."

"So you're okay? The man didn't follow you?" Peter asked.

"I'm fine. We waited for a while and walked back towards the house, but the man was already gone." She paused for a second. "Nick saved my life, Peter."

"Nick?"

"Yeah, that's the name of the kid that came to my rescue."

Peter finally let Elizabeth's hands down and rubbed his face with his palms. Oh, this day just keeps getting better, he thought, now my wife was almost mugged. He looked at his plate and realized he wasn't hungry anymore. He grabbed his beer and gave it a small sip. Suddenly he noticed that the table had two table settings. Two used dessert plates and two coffee mugs were still on the table. Someone else had been over for dinner.

"El, why are there two set of plates?" he asked.

Elizabeth didn't seem surprised. Peter thought she looked if she had been expecting the question since he came home. "Well, I invited Nick over for dinner. He looked tired and hungry. He's too thin Peter, and I don't think he had another place to stay tonight," she said getting up to finish cleaning. "I asked him to stay for the night and he said yes."

"You asked a complete stranger to dinner and to stay the night in our home? Where is he now?" Peter asked, his voice rising angrily.

Elizabeth was about to speak when they heard the door from the bathroom upstairs close and someone coming down the stairs. "He went to the bathroom."

Satchmo got up and turned towards the stairs happily, obviously going to greet the mysterious stranger in the stairs. Peter got up quickly and went after him.

Neal finished splashing his face with water when he heard someone coming into the house and greeting Elizabeth.

That must be the husband, he thought.

Elizabeth had been wonderful. She'd welcomed him into her home, fed him, let him play with Satchmo, and had even provided him with a new toothbrush and some pajamas bottoms and a clean t-shirt from her husband. They were way too big, but they were the only things available and anything was better than prison clothing.

He hadn't really thought he would agree to stay here for the night. The original plan included having dinner and slipping quietly away later. Things hadn't gone quite as expected. Elizabeth was so warm. She sat him down and while she got the food ready and he petted Satchmo, they had talked about New York and the weather, about movies, books, and finally about art. She seemed pleasantly surprised at how much he knew about every topic they touched, and he'd been pleasantly surprised at how at home he felt when talking to her. Everything about the house, the dog, the conversation, the easy way in which she talked felt good. So when she'd asked if he'd consider staying for the night it wasn't hard to say yes. Her husband would be home in a little while, he'd been working late and Neal had excused himself to the bathroom so he would avoid the conversation and initial reaction. What man wanted to come home from work and hear that a complete stranger just had dinner with his wife and was staying the night in his house?

He sat down inside the bathtub for a little while to give them time to talk. Neal really hoped Elizabeth's husband would let him stay the night. The food had been incredible, but he needed rest and some pain killers wouldn't be too bad either. He'd looked around the bathroom, but hadn't found any pills. They probably had them in the kitchen. His body hurt and he'd been feeling a bit lightheaded since the incident with Elizabeth earlier.

That man had started pulling out a gun, if he hadn't stopped him in time Elizabeth could have been hurt… or dead. Don't go there, Neal, you know better…

He put his arms around his legs and rested his forehead on his knees. He started rocking a little bit trying to distract himself and stop his mind from going places that shouldn't even exist anymore. He got up, tried to still his hands from shaking and stepped out.

Elizabeth and her husband had probably finished discussing him by know and he decided to make his way downstairs. He was halfway down when he stopped abruptly. He turned around to look at a picture hung up on the wall and let a small gasp escape him. There on the picture was Elizabeth, and whom he assumed to be her husband. They looked younger and happy and although she had stayed the same while he had aged, there was no mistaken who he was.

Special Agent Peter Burke.

Neal's mind processed the information rapidly and he felt an urge to run as fast as possible away from this place. He had to get out of this place. He continued down the stairs but he stopped abruptly when he saw Satchmo coming up to greet him and Peter Burke standing at the bottom of the stairs looking at him with an expression that made Neal cringe inside.

"Peter." Neal said a bit startled. "Small world, don't you think?"

Peter motioned for him to come down. "Imagine yourself coming home to your wife and finding a criminal having dinner with her and petting your dog!" Peter looked angry and Neal didn't think he muster up the courage for another joke so he remained quiet.

"Caffrey, what are you doing here? Did you know that Elizabeth was my wife?"

Neal walked down the stairs and made his way to the living room to sit in the couch. He wouldn't even try to run. It was pointless. "I swear Peter, I didn't know. Do you think I'd knowingly walk into an FBI agent's house after just escaping jail?"

Elizabeth made her way over to the living room with a puzzled look on her face. "Peter what's going on?" She turned to regard Neal. "Nick how do you know my husband?"

"His name isn't Nick, El. This is Neal Caffrey."

"You're Neal Caffrey?" she asked raising her eyebrows at Neal, who at least had the decency to look a bit embarrassed at having lied to her.

"Yes. I'm sorry I lied Elizabeth," he said quietly. He was feeling drained. The initial adrenaline from being discovered was slowly giving way to his feelings of exhaustion. It had been a long day, right now he couldn't even process the consequences of all that was happening. He was in Peter Burke's home. The FBI agent. He'd been made and his escape plans were officially down the drain.

"It's okay Neal," she said reassuringly. She turned to address her husband, "Peter, have you called anyone yet?"

"No."

"Good." She nodded. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

"I don't think so El. I'm not leaving the kid alone here. The second he's out of my sight he'll run away." Peter reached over to his coat and took out his hand cuffs. "What's more, I think I should put these on as well, before he grabs something." He walked over to the couch and secured the cuffs around Caffrey's wrists.

"Peter, I really don't think those are necessary. If Neal wanted to steal anything or do any harm he would've done it before." Elizabeth sounded angry.

"Honey, he's a criminal. I'm not going to take any chances with him until I take him back to Juvie."

"Peter," Neal interrupted, "I promise I'll stay here with Satchmo. You should go and talk with your wife. She doesn't look too happy".

Peter looked at El and realized the kid had a point. She did look angry. "Don't move Caffrey. If you try to run, I'll find you." He followed his wife back into the kitchen.

"Peter, it's one am. Neal's tired, he won't run. You're seriously not considering sending him back to Juvie right now?" Her angry tone changed into a concerned one. "Neal saved my life. The man who was mugging me had a gun. If Neal hadn't been there..." She put her hands on his arms as she looked at him straight in the eyes. "Neal was running from Juvie. He could've been caught earlier. He saw the gun, he could have gotten hurt, and he still decided to help me. Peter, I know he's got to go back, but please, just let him stay tonight. He won't run."

Peter looked at her and tried to control his emotions. Caffrey suddenly didn't seem like the worst news he'd gotten today. His wife could have died. The kid had saved her life and if only for that fact, he could let him stay for the night. He'd take him back tomorrow in the morning.

"Okay El," he said, "he can stay the night."

Elizabeth's face lighted up and she grinned as she hugged him. "Thank you, Peter. I'll go tell him."

They both returned to the living room and found Neal sitting down in the same place where they've left him but Peter's handcuffs where gone and he was reaching down to pet Satchmo who had his head resting on one of his knees.

"Caffrey, you had to pick the cuffs?" Peter asked with a groan.

"At least I didn't run Peter, that's a plus." Neal responded with a smile.

"You can stay here for the night Neal," Elizabeth informed him happily.

"What happens to me tomorrow?"

"I'll take you back to Juvie, where you belong," Peter responded.

"Okay." Neal nodded slowly. There wasn't another way.

"Now, we should both go to bed. Elizabeth will kill us if we don't cooperate," Peter said.

She punched him playfully on the shoulder and addressed Neal. "You can come up with me Neal. I'll show you to the guest room I promised earlier. You already have the clothes I gave you?"

Neal nodded. "Thanks Elizabeth, but on second thought maybe I should just take the couch, less trouble for you."

"Nonsense Neal, it's no trouble at all. Come along then." Elizabeth made her way up the stairs and Neal rose awkwardly glancing at Peter as he followed her upstairs. Peter looked after him and noticed the kid had been walking a bit stiffly. He shook his head and went to the kitchen. Caffrey was a criminal, but that didn't mean he liked the idea of him in pain.

Elizabeth left Neal in the bathroom. He took off his clothes, folded them neatly, put on Peter's old PJs and went into the guest room. Elizabeth had put on fresh sheets and an extra blanket on top the bed.

"Good night Neal. Get some rest." He nodded and sat down on the bed.

"Thanks Elizabeth for everything. I just…just thank you for letting me stay."

"Thank you Neal. You saved my life and I truly enjoyed your company tonight." She gave him a little wink and a smile as she turned away and left his door half open.

Neal pulled up his legs and rested his body against the headboard of the bed. He closed his eyes for a moment and sat there thinking about what he would do tomorrow. How would he run from here? Peter would find him, he knew he would.

Neal didn't hear as someone approached him and placed a hand in his shoulder. He opened his eyes abruptly and flinched away from the hand. His eyes started moving rapidly trying to process what was going on. Peter quickly drew his hand back when he saw the boy in front of him recoiling.

"Hey, it's just me," he said, trying to calm him down.

"Peter…you startled me." Neal said trying to recover. He was not letting the agent see that he had been scared as hell for a second there.

"Sorry," said Peter awkwardly. Caffrey looked impossibly small and young in his old clothes, sort of like a small child playing dress up with his father's clothing. "I brought you some water and Ibuprofen. I…" he looked at the tired blue eyes staring back at him, "you look a bit sore and this pill will help." He set them in the nightstand and turned to leave.

"Wait," Neal called to him. "Thanks Peter."

Peter stopped at the door. "You should really call me Agent Burke you know. I don't we're that close to talk on a first name basis."

"Well, I had dinner with your wife, your dog likes me, and I'm staying the night at your house. I think that's an adequate enough relationship for me to call you by your first name."

"Yeah. You shouldn't. You're allowed to stay here for tonight because of my wife. I'm grateful that you saved her today, but I still have to take you back tomorrow. I work for the law, and you broke it. There are consequences for your actions, and don't even think about running tonight or in the morning. I'll know if you move a foot beyond this bedroom." Peter finished threatening him and turned to leave.

"You could call me Neal, you know?" he said softly.

"I don't think so. Good night Caffrey. Go to sleep," Peter replied. "And this door stays open."

"Sure. Good night Peter."