Trust 6
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The room was gray and bare with a spiked manacle attached to the wall where Neal had struggled. Peter shuddered despite everything and limped around, his right arm in a sling because of his shoulder wound. The agent crouched down beside the manacle despite the sick feeling that came over him and placed his hand on the ground near it. He could almost feel the flow of electricity through his finger tips as the memory of watching Neal electrocuted came to him in agonizing waves of nausea. He stood up and made his way to a corner and threw up until he had nothing more to give. Someone touched him on the shoulder and handed him a handkerchief. It was Jones. He nodded a silent thanks and they moved away from the scene and out of the room as Peter wiped at his mouth and tried to forget.

"You ok, Boss?" Peter nodded then shook his head his throat burning. He pulled a bottled water out of his pocket and took a long sip, swished it and spit it in a nearby trashcan before taking an actual drink. His stomach hurt as did his chest but he took another sip and then a deep breath to calm himself.

"I'll be ok... once we find Neal. I know he's not dead." Jones nodded at him as they walked back out of the complex and out into the sunshine. Peter blinked at the afternoon light and wondered how it could only be Sunday. They had been captured on Thursday and it was only Sunday. Four days. It had felt like a month if not longer. They had found him in this "place" Friday. He'd been pretty beat up but somehow he'd survived. He couldn't get the image of Neal's blue eyes looking at him helpless in that room with the mirror as he was forced to watch. He shivered despite the sunshine and felt an arm on his good one.

"Peter, you need to rest." Jones' cell suddenly rang and he picked it up.

"Jones... Hey. What? You... we're just down the block. Yeah, thanks!" Jones hung up the cell and looked back at Peter who's mind seemed to have wandered again.

"Peter, they found Neal!" Peter turned and blinked thinking he was hearing things but Jones was pulling on his arm.

"Come on! They swarmed a farm house just a few miles up the road." Peter nodded suddenly realizing what his subordinate had said. He limped after his colleague and they got into the car, siren on and took off down the road. Peter leaned back in the seat and stared out the window. He was tired and wasn't even supposed to be out of bed yet but he had insisted on coming back to see if there were any signs of where Neal was taken. Nothing. Now... he just hoped everything was better than he hoped. He had been doing nothing but worrying about his friend and partner since they'd brought Peter in on Friday evening. 24 short hours that had been the worse he had ever been through especially when he thought his friend was dead.

Peter sat up as they approached a small brick farmhouse with blue trim and the typical white picket fence. A few small trees grew around the property that appeared to be of various fruits. He saw what appeared to be an army of federal vehicles and SWAT around the property all with flashing lights and agents swarming around like ants. He saw an ambulance and fire engine in the mix and a figure being pulled out on a gurney followed by a young woman wrapped up in a gray flannel blanket. Peter didn't wait for Jones to turn off the engine when they parked as he removed his seat-belt, unlocked the door and exited the vehicle in a half-sprint. He was limping but he didn't care as he crossed the property as quickly as he could and made it to the ambulance as they were about to place the gurney inside. Neal lay on the gurney white as a sheet, sweaty and still. His chest was covered in red, a EMT applying pressure to a chest wound as they moved him along. The young woman was holding Neal's hand on the opposite side and crying. Peter saw her looked up at him briefly and blink as an EMT gently pulled her hand from Neal's and started to pack him up into the back of the ambulance.

"Wait a sec!" One EMT stopped and looked at Peter who stopped to talk to him long enough to explain the situation and ask if he could ride back with his friend. The EMT shook his head, talking to the Fed a moment before they jumped into the vehicle and closed the doors. Peter nodded somewhat crestfallen as they closed up the ambulance and started to take off. He could always follow with Jones he thought when he heard someone sniffling behind him and turned to see the same young woman again. She seemed to be looking at him curiously, walking towards him despite her red eyes and runny nose.

"Are you Peter Burke?" Peter blinked wondering how she knew his name but nodded with a guarded expression. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.

"Neal told me about you. He was worried you didn't make it. He'll be glad to know you're ok." She started to cry again suddenly. Unsure what to do Peter pulled her against his shoulder and allowed her to cry. He saw Jones walk over and make a questioning look but he just held up a hand and shrugged slightly. After a few minutes she pulled away and looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry." She sniffed rubbing at her eyes and nose with the blanket wrapped around her.

"I found your friend on my property Friday evening. He said you were robbed?" Peter blinked then nodded realizing what Neal had done.

"Yeah, carjacking." She wiped at her eyes and looked a bit confused.

"He said your car broke down..." Peter nodded as if he had forgotten trying to keep up Neal's ruse.

"It was a traumatic event. I could have it wrong. I woke up in a ditch." He shrugged pointing at his slinged arm. He saw the young woman's eyes widen with concern.

"I would invite you in but there are all kinds of agents swarming the place. Never would have thought this kind of crime would involve the FBI but I guess because Neal works on Wall Street..." Peter blinked almost letting out an laugh but remembered himself and held back considering the situation.

"I have a car if you want to ride with us to the hospital, Miss... " Peter held out his hand to her and she nodded taking it and smiling slightly.

"Lara Evans. Yes I would. Thanks." She replied softly as they walked over to Jones' vehicle and Peter opened up the back door for her. She slipped inside and he closed it then went around to the passenger side and slipped into the front as Jones got in and started up the vehicle. Peter pulled out his cell phone and called home.

"El... Yes I know I wasn't... I'm sorry. We're heading back now. Yes. They found Neal." He held the phone away from his ear as a loud "Oh thank goodness!" could be heard and Jones smiled some as did Lara.

"He's being taken to the hospital. I'll call you when we get there. I just want to know how he is before I head home. Ok. Love you too." He hung up the cell and placed it back into his pocket turning around to their passenger and smiling slightly.

"My wife. I snuck out to find Neal and he called her cell and that's why all the agents were at your place." She nodded with a slightly quizzical look but remained quiet. Peter glanced out the window a moment then spoke again.

"Thanks again for helping Neal. I'm glad after everything that happened he found his way to someone like you. Thanks." Peter turned and peered back to smile at her. She nodded with a slight move of her head, arms across her chest in a tense manner. Peter wondered what he was missing when he heard her voice speaking softly.

"They just... shot him." Lara shivered, pulling the blanket closer to herself and leaning back against the seat. Peter looked at Jones then back at her.

"Who shot Neal? Lara, what happened?" He saw her face had paled a few shades and her eyes were wet again as she started to cry again.

"The men... two of them in masks. They... they came into my home and one grabbed me. He had a gun. The other one kept talking about a game? I didn't understand anything and then... they just shot him!" She curled up in the backseat and began to cry in earnest, blanket pulled tightly around her. Peter wished he could help but was at a loss as to what to do, besides his bad shoulder prevented him from moving easily. He was about to say more when he saw she had closed her eyes and fallen into an exhausted sleep. Jones peered into the rear-view mirror then at Peter.

"I didn't hear about anyone getting caught." His voice was barely a whisper and Peter nodded in reply, his expression grim. If the men had dumped Neal's body in the woods near Lara Evan's home and then realized he wasn't really dead...

Peter shivered looking back at their passenger in the backseat and felt a pang of remorse for her trauma. Just going back to that building had been one of the hardest things for him but he didn't like the idea of an innocent getting involved. If they come back after Neal, would they come back after himself or Miss Evans?

He sighed to himself leaning back into the seat and staring out the window. He was still pretty beat up from the whole experience, his head swimming despite everything. His pain meds were probably wearing off he thought as he let the pain and tiredness carry him away like the tide.

(*No longer mourn for me...)

Neal just reached up and grasped weakly for the figure hovering over him, smiling despite everything.

"Kate..." He heard someone crying and felt something wet touch his cheek as he passed out.

He woke up on the terrace again, the wind had picked up and was more a gust than a simple breeze, the sky above darkening as the clouds swallowed up the sun. Neal looked up at the approaching storm and stood out on the terrace without any fear or regret. Well maybe a few regrets. He wished he could have seen Peter one last time, hugged June and thanked her for all she did for him. He thought about Elizabeth and Mozzie... His eyes looked up as he felt something cold and wet on his cheeks and held his palm out. Rain was falling. He heard a clap of thunder but it was as if he didn't mind the weather. He felt safe and secure all his fear fading away.

"Neal..." He turned and Kate was standing there again, face sadder than he remembered it. Neal turned to walk towards her but something held him in place.

"You can't follow me as much as you may want to." Her voice seemed to flow on the wind as it whipped around him and whispered in his ears. It was warm and soothing.

"Kate?" He held a hand out to her but she just stood inside the apartment and shook her head.

"Go back, Neal. Stop looking for me. I'm already here. I'll always be here." He heard her voice fade away and she waved at him as the scene faded to darkness.

"Kate... Kate..." His voice was weak as he felt consciousness wash over him and he opened his eyes.

He turned at the sound of a soft beeping to his right and saw a heart machine. He didn't register it at first but then he let his eyes sweep around him without moving his head. The room wasn't as pretty as the one he had waken to in Lara Evan's farmhouse but had sterile walls, bland decor and an equally boring sofa in the corner by a curtained window. Neal tried to turn slightly but his chest ached and burned with just the slightest movement. A gasp escaped his lips as he fought the pain and lay back still as possible.

Neal turned to the his left at the sound of a door opening up just out of sight. He saw a figure with long dark hair and a blue dress walk in backwards, carrying something. They were talking to someone else or maybe arguing quietly.

"Peter... stop it! I have it. Just go in before we wake up... Neal?" Elizabeth Burke turned and blinked seeing Neal staring at her from the hospital bed. She just stood there a moment before someone else appeared beside her and nearly knocked her over. She turned and glared at Peter Burke and he suddenly saw Neal looking at them and blinked as well.

"Hey..." Neal managed to throw out with the best smile he could manage. He saw Elizabeth smile back although her eyes looked slightly worried. She walked around to the sofa and dropped the items she had there before going back to pull Peter with her as they walked over to the bed. El gently pushed her husband into the chair and stood beside him, her hand on the back of the chair.

"Neal, how are you feeling? They weren't sure when you'd wake up. We just stepped out to get some food." She pointed at Peter from behind with a "You know how he gets when he's hungry" look. Neal tried not to laugh not just for his friend's sake but for the fact his body still ached with any movement but he couldn't help it. Peter looked up at his wife and gave her a mock frown.

"Now see what you did trying to talk behind my back to him. And you thought I'd be the one who'd make him jump out of bed and hurt himself." El acted insulted and swatted him playfully on the back of the head.

"Hey, my shoulder is still healing. You want me to stay off of work permanently?" Peter winked at her and she poked him lightly before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

Neal watched the scene trying to hold back the laughter but he didn't care. It was good to see them again and the pain didn't matter. He felt someone touch his arm and saw Peter looking at him with a relieved expression. El reached down and squeezed Neal's hand gently before excusing herself for some coffee. Peter turned and watched her leave before he heard a cough.

"Peter..." He paused trying to think what it was he wanted to say when Peter squeezed his hand.

"I thought you were dead. I saw..." Peter stopped, standing up and pacing the room a bit, the silence keeping them apart as they tried to sort their thoughts. After a moment, he stopped and came back to the young man's bedside and looked down at him, brown eyes wet and shiny.

"I thought they had killed you but then something... I knew you weren't and when they found me I made sure they searched for you." Neal just looked up at his friend unsure what to say, his own eyes feeling wet and warm. He sniffed a bit and nodded finally.

"Those men showed up again and said you were free. I didn't know what to think until that moment. I didn't think you could be but..." Neal paused again. Peter grasped his hand and smiled despite a few tears rolling down his cheek.

"I'm just glad you're here. I think I drove Jones and El nuts trying to get out of bed till they finally just let me so I could go look for you. Well Jones knew but El didn't." He blushed a bit a chagrined look on his face.

"So you were there when they... How is Lara?" Peter smiled again and pointed at a few flowers in the corner.

"She sent those for you. Miss Evans keeps asking how you are and I told her we'd let her know when you were well enough for visitors. That was about five days ago. You've been sleeping a while now." Neal nodded, staring at the flowers a moment.

"Pardon for your thoughts?" Neal turned and grinned slightly.

"Just like that you'd pardon me? I highly doubt it." The young man smiled and stared up at the ceiling a moment.

"Well, stranger things have happened." Peter went back to the chair and sat down again. Neal's eyes moved back to the flowers from Lara and a smile crossed his lips again. Peter noticed and nudged the young man gently.

"Something I should know about? You seem kind of happy when you hear her name." Neal shook his head.

"Not really. I guess I'm just glad she's safe and I was thinking about some things. She told me her brother had visited and left clothes but in the closet I found a note." Peter looked at him curiously.

"What kind of note? She was pretty concerned about your well-being. I had the impression she had lost someone recently." Neal nodded, his brow furrowing in a slight frown.

"Yeah, the note was the kind they send you when you lose a loved one in the military. He died overseas barely a year ago. I didn't say anything to her and put the note back. I only found it because she had hidden it in the pair of jeans I chose to wear. She told me she didn't normally take strangers in. I guess I reminded her of her brother. She..." He choked a moment then continued.

"She reminded me of Kate. We were both missing someone." Neal turned his head towards the window and sighed.

"Neal, we'll get through this." He was about to say more when a buzzing came from his pocket and he excused himself to take the call.

"Burke... Hey Jones... you what? Where? Only one... thanks." He hung up the cell and turned back to Neal, expression slightly darker. Neal made an effort to sit up despite the pain.

"Peter? What's happened?" He looked at his friend and Peter came back and sat down.

"It may be good news or not... They found one of the men who held us." Neal stared but his expression blighted as he thought about it.

"Only one? Dead?" Peter nodded slowly.

"That means there's still one out there." Neal shuddered slightly, face paling at the thought. He could only guess which one it was and that made him pale even further. He felt a firm hand on his arm and Peter stared at him with a determined look.

"Well catch him we just... have to be more careful. There's already a guard outside your room as we speak. One's at our house and June's. We can only be wary and keep an eye out." His voice was strong but his tone wasn't convincing. Neal shrunk back some into his pillows and wanted to hide.

"Peter, we don't even know what he looks like. How..." Peter leaned back tiredly against the chair and rubbed at his eyes with his good arm.

"I don't know. I've had nightmares since all of this started most of them about the last time I saw..." He paused and rubbed at his eyes again.

"I told him, I'd kill him the next time I saw him. I swore it because I thought... It doesn't matter. He's not going to touch a hair on your head if I can help it." His voice had turned to a growl, anger growing in him till he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Peter, just don't do anything stupid." The agent blinked at his friend, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"I never thought I'd hear you talking me out of something. Normally the other way around. I promise. I just... I promise." They shook on it and Neal leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

"I had the same thoughts when I wasn't sure where you were. I didn't want to have to tell Elizabeth what we'd been through. I didn't want her to think of you in the past tense." He sighed again and opened his eyes up when he didn't hear a reply.

Peter was slumped in the chair, eyes closed. Neal reached to poke his friend but stopped when he heard a slight snore erupt from the agent's lips. He rolled his eyes and looked over Peter's shoulder's as Elizabeth entered again. She looked at her husband in the chair and then at Neal.

"He fell asleep?" She mouthed as he nodded. El shook her head and moved to nudge her husband lightly.

"Come on sleepy head, move over here." She managed to get him up and over to the sofa. She moved the bags of food from earlier and lay him down on the couch, pushing a cushion under his head and laying a small blanket over him. Once he was settled she moved back over to Neal and whispered.

"Did you know he hasn't slept much since we found you. He's been having the worse nightmares." She turned and looked at her husband looking worried. Neal put a hand on her arm.

"I can imagine. He'll be ok." She turned and kissed Neal gently on the forehead before she grabbed up the bags of food quietly and took them with her.

"I'll come back later and let you boys rest. Tell him?" Neal nodded as she tucked him in and left the room.

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*(Quoted from a Shakespeare Sonnet)