Thank you to everyone who's reading and everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I really, really, really appreciate it!

Peter finally joined Neal in the front seat of the car after an hour of questioning and collecting evidence. It had been a much more difficult job without his consultant, but he had managed. Neal hadn't moved from his place in the passenger seat. He sat entirely still with his eyes focused out the window opposite the boutique. He didn't seem to notice Peter's presence when he got in the driver's seat and turned the car on. They drove for several minutes in silence before Peter finally allowed himself to bring it up.

"Who is she?" he asked, his eyes focused on the road. "Aunt? Sister? Cousin?" Neal didn't say anything. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about—"

"She's my mother," Neal said so quietly that Peter almost had to ask him to repeat himself.

"Your mother?" he certainly hadn't expected that. Of course, he didn't know anything about Neal's family other than the fact that his father had died when Neal was just a kid.

"Yeah, and if you don't mind, I'm just going to stick with paperwork while you work on this case," Neal's eyes were still on the street outside.

"I don't think so. I don't keep you around to do paperwork," Peter said, shaking his head. "Why are you trying to avoid her?" he wasn't going to let Neal get off the subject so easily.

"I haven't seen her since I left home," Neal explained, trying not to sound at all emotionally connected to the conversation.

"Since you left home or since you ran away from home?"

"Is there a difference?" Neal shrugged. He was starting to get annoyed with Peter's sudden curiosity in his past. Usually, they were perfectly content with their adopted policy of don't ask, don't tell. Peter didn't ask, and Neal definitely didn't tell. Neal sighed. "I ran away from home when I was 17."

"Why?" Peter pushed. He had already expected this, but now that Neal was letting him in just a little, he figured he would find out as much as he could.

"It doesn't matter, okay? Just drop it," Neal shot angrily. Peter fell silent, realizing he had gone too far. They got half way to the office when a sudden, nagging thought popped into Peter's head. He knew something was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what that was until now.

"Neal," the younger man looked annoyed at being addressed again, but turned to his partner anyway. He figured he would at least humor him. "Why didn't she say anything when I brought your name up?"

"What?" Neal blurted out. His face turned pale and his eyes darted to Peter's face.

"I told them that my partner, Neal Caffrey, was in the car. She didn't say anything. She looked…confused…but she didn't say anything," he thought about what he was saying for a second. "If she hasn't seen her son in over ten years and all of I sudden his name pops up at a crime scene, wouldn't she at least react?" Neal didn't answer. He twisted his hand in a knot and stared blankly out the windshield. He couldn't let this happen. His life with Peter and June and Mozzie and the FBI was not the same life he had before. He couldn't let them mix. "Neal?"

"I heard you," Neal hissed. Peter looked nervously at his friend's outburst. He had never seen him react in such a way. They had just pulled up at the office, and Neal got out of the car before Peter could even stop him. He watched as the younger man slammed the car door shut and then stormed away into the building.

"Are you ready to talk yet?" Peter asked, approaching Neal's desk later that night. He had left his consultant alone at his desk all day, but now almost everyone else had gone home. Neal didn't even look up from his work. "Why don't we go into my office?" Peter suggested hopefully. Neal sighed and looked up at him. A wave of guilt washed over him. He knew Peter was just trying to help. As strange as it was to admit it, they had become friends working together. It had taken time and a great deal of effort on both of their parts, but they trusted each other now. They cared for each other. If Peter was pushing this so hard, Neal knew that telling him was in his own best interest. He flicked his hat onto his desk and stood up.

"Yeah. Sure," Neal said quietly, and he followed Peter up to his office. He didn't take his usual seat. Instead, he paced nervously around the room. Peter watched from the corner of his desk.

"Can we talk now?" Peter looked at Neal cautiously, as if he was going to snap at any second.

"What do you want to know?" Neal gave him a defeated look. Peter couldn't help but feeling a little guilty, but he shrugged it off.

"First of all," he began, perhaps a bit too eagerly, but before he could ask he noticed a woman who had wandered into the office looking incredibly lost, and his heart sank. Kathryn. He watched as the woman got half way across the floor before she was stopped by Jones. They talked briefly, and then Jones pointed towards Peter's office where he and Neal were now trapped. "Shit," Peter mumbled under his breath. Neal looked up in surprise. He rarely ever heard the older man swear. He followed his friend's gaze and fell into the same state of disappointment.

"No," he looked around the room frantically. "Peter, she can't see me," he said urgently. He couldn't let her see him. Not before he told Peter everything. He wouldn't understand. What if he sent him back? Before he even got a chance to explain.

"It's fine," Peter said calmly. "I'll try to get rid of her," he crossed the room and opened the door just enough to let himself out and then quickly closed it. Kathryn stood before him, just ready to knock.

"Oh," she said in surprise. "Agent Burke."

"Hi. I—um—I was actually just leaving. Is everything okay?" why was it that when it came to issues of Neal, he was a complete disaster? He had caught the man hadn't he? Surely, by now he would be an expert at handling this kind of thing.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you in your office for a moment," she eyed the closed door curiously. She peaked in through the large glass window, but Neal had just avoided it.

"How about I get you some coffee, and we can meet in the conference room?" Peter asked hopefully. He felt as if he were harboring a fugitive. Although, really, that was exactly what he was doing. Wasn't it? If he didn't trust that Neal would explain everything afterward, he would have let Kathryn in right away, but he had to give him a chance to talk.

"I really hoped to talk in private," Kathryn said, eyeing the conference room, which still had a few stragglers working on a case in it. She attempted to push past Peter to get into his office, but he threw his arm across the door frame.

"Now's actually not a good time," he said as he fumbled to lock his office door. "I really have to get going. If you could come in tomorrow…"

"Then maybe I could talk to your partner," Kathryn interrupted. Their eyes met and both knew what the other was thinking.

"My—my partner?" Peter questioned. Maybe if he played stupid, she would just leave.

"Yes, Agent Burke, your partner. Neal Caffrey. Is he here?" she looked around the office. Her eyes fell expectantly on Peter's door.

"No. He—um—he already left," Peter knew that Neal was laughing at his bumbling from the other side of the door. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

"Then why is his hat still on his desk?" Kathryn folded her arms across her chest. Peter looked down at Neal's desk. Sure enough, his hat sat on top of his stack of paperwork.

"Excuse me?"

"His hat, Agent Burke, it's still on his desk," it was apparent that she was starting to get annoyed with the agent. "I would like to speak with him."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea," Peter sighed. If Neal had been in his position, he would have easily talked his way out of it.

"I didn't ask what you thought. I would like to see him. I'm assuming he's in your office," she pushed past him and knocked anxiously on his door, but there was no response on the other end. "Open this door," she ordered, but then quickly threw in a, "please." Peter looked from her to his locked door. If Neal had run away when he was 17, if she hadn't seen him in ten years, if she really thought that he was on the other side of that door, was it fair for him to keep her out. He would let Neal explain later. He would understand, wouldn't he?

"Okay," Peter mumbled as he pulled out his key and opened the door for her. His heart was pounding nervously, but when he looked into his office, he found that there was no need for it. The room was empty.

"Oh," Kathryn said, staring at the room in disbelief. "I just thought…I'm so sorry, Agent Burke. You must think…I'm sorry," she apologized about a dozen more times before finally excusing herself. Peter couldn't help but notice that she was wiping away tears as she left. Once he was sure she was out of ear shout, Peter turned to face the empty office.

"Neal," he whispered. "Where in god's name are you?" even he hadn't expected that kind of disappearing act from the consultant.

"I'm down here," Neal's voice announced from underneath Peter's desk, and a moment later he poked his head up. "Is she gone?"

"Yeah, but you definitely have some explaining to do."

"I know. I know," Neal slumped down into Peter's chair, and Peter stood across from him with his back leaning against the window. Neither of them even noticed Kathryn reentering the office. "You know my dad died when I was two," Peter nodded. "My mom and I took care of ourselves most of the time. She had a few boyfriends, but none of them ever stuck. Anyway—" Neal stopped. He had just allowed his eyes to wander down to the bullpen, and, sure enough, Kathryn was standing beside his desk staring up at him.

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