So quicker update this time. Want to say thanks for all the reviews and followers again. It really means a lot to me.

This chapter is Neal-less, but Hughes is good in this chapter and doesn't come off as a bad guy. Peter also learns a few things about Neal and what he's been through with Ruitaker.

Enjoy.

Peter stared at Ruitaker through the glass walls. A new level of detest for the man since he had last stood in these halls. Before he had just been an art thief and forger or at least the ruthless boss of them who wouldn't think twice about shooting someone who got in his way. So why was he so much more evil now? Why did adding kidnaping to that list make Ruitaker worse to Peter?

"Boss?" Diana's voice drifted through Peter's thoughts. "Are you ready to do this?"

Taking a deep breath Peter nodded. "Let's go."

As they walked in Ruitaker chuckled. "They got you too Lead?"

"Shut up Ruitaker." The lawyer said, going through the motions.

"Mr. Ruitaker I think you will find it is a little more complicated than that." Peter said sitting across from Ruitaker.

Ruitaker's wrinkled face grew slack.

"My name isn't Lead its Agent Peter Burke."

Ruitaker practically growled.

"That's right you gave your 'money making property' to a federal agent." Peter smirked as Ruitaker shifted in his seat, just barely noticeable. "That is what you called him isn't it? Your 'property' your 'piece of property' that you basically traded with me, sold to me." Peter's voice stayed steady but the undertones of rage ready to burst out was clearly evident. "That's called child trafficking if you didn't know already."

Ruitaker smirked as he let out a chuckle. "I know what it is."

The lawyer almost smacked his forehead. "Be quite."

"How long did you have Caffrey?"

Ruitaker smirked. "Oh about four months."

"Ruitaker shut up!"

Ruitaker quickly turned to his lawyer. "NO!" He roared. "You shut up! I am already going to jail for murder. Like I really care about some child trafficking charges!"

It was deathly quiet for a while before Peter spoke again. "Where did you kidnap him?"

Ruitaker snorted. "Kidnap?" He barked out a laugh. "I didn't kidnap him."

Peter's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean you didn't kidnap him?"

Ruitaker smirked again as he leaned across the table towards Peter. "I mean I bought him."

The lawyer groaned as Peter's mouth almost went slack. "You bought him?"

Ruitaker smirked and nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "Before you ask. I have no idea who the guy was, but he sure as hell didn't mind getting a thousand for him."

Apprehension knotted in Peter's stomach. "What did he look like?"

Ruitaker shrugged. "No idea. We never met. Just dropped off the kid and I left money when I picked him up."

Peter sighed. It just can't be simple with this kid.

"Has he tricked you yet?" Ruitaker asked in a sing song voice.

Peter studied him. He had wondered that. That the kid might be just conning him. That the fear and story, pieces of the story, were just lies. Tricks to get Peter to pity him, to let him go. But… the boy was young. There was no way he could be older than 16. God if he was 14, almost 15, that meant he was 13 when he did those bonds and they, the FBI, had discovered earlier work. Earlier work which he would have been 9 to 13. Even if he was 16 he would have only been 10-14 in those crimes. That wasn't much better. It still made Peter feel sick.

"I see you thinking. You're doubting yourself." Ruitaker smirked. "Lock him in a dark room. A closet perhaps, an old freezer will do." The wrinkled, yet perfectly groomed, man leaned forward. "He'll scream the truth than. Cry it for you." His smirk widened into a sick grin. "Beg of you to let him out. He'll do anything than."

Bile rose in Peter's throat as he studied Ruitaker.

Ruitaker chuckled. "You should have heard him scream those first few days I had him. The only time he got light was when he was painting. He already hated the dark. Even more so after a week without any light."

Peter swallowed, licked his lips then spoke. "Diana finish up here. I think he's told us everything we needed to know."

Diana nodded, also looking disturbed. Ruitaker wouldn't be having a pleasant trip to the holding cell. "Will do Boss."

Peter walked out calmly. Walked slowly and steadily till he was in the hallway, away from the glass walls. Then he ran, panicked to the bathroom. Barely making it before throwing up.

How could someone do that to anyone? Let alone a child. Because Caffrey, Neal, was just that. A child. A child who, it was becoming increasingly evident, had yet to have a happy childhood. Who had been abused by Ruitaker and probably by whoever sold him too.

Stopping his dry heaves he wiped his face. Heading to the sink he rinsed his mouth out and washed his face.

Ruitaker only had him for four months. Who had him before? Running a search that only went back four months wasn't going to get them anything. K They had to go further back.

"They never touched me"

"I never ran away. Not from either of them."

"I-I should have run. I should've. I sh-should of. I-I…."

"O God…" I hope it's not his parents. It felt strange to hope that the kid was a kidnap victim.

Hurring from the bathroom he made it back to the office. "Jones? We still have Caffrey's prints?"

Jones's head shot up from his desk. "James Bonds? Yeah we still have them. They never brought up a match though, remember?"

Peter smiled. "That's because we ran the wrong search." At Jones's confused, but eager, look Peter continued. "Run them under missing persons. Starting in 2000 and ending for four months ago."

Jones nodded, still slightly confused but trusting Peter. "Is he really only 16?"

Peter shock his head no. "Not 16. 14, 15 in a week."

Jones's eyes grew big with shock and the ease dropping office, eager for gossip, grew quite with a gasp.

"But that means he was only-"
"13 when he did the bonds. I know." Peter said sounding weighed down.

"Peter!" Hughes called from his perch and gave Peter the two-finger-point.

Peter swallowed as he made his way up to Hughes's office.

"Caffrey has pneumonia. They had to drain both his lungs, but his fever is down and he's breathing better." Hughes said as he sat down on the corner of his desk.

Peter let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"They are going to release him in a couple of days."

"You mean transfer him to juvie?"

Hughes ran a hand down his face. "You and El were thinking about adopting right?"

Peter cocked his head to the side, not sure of where this conversation was going. Well, he had an idea but he wasn't sure he liked it. "Yeah…."

"So you've passed all those tests, paper work and… things?"

Peter's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, we can foster now."

Hughes smiled looking at Peter. "Good than you can foster Caffrey."

"What?" Peter struggled to not shoat at his boss.

"The psychologist doesn't think juvie would benefit him. Thinks it would just make it worse for the boy. Something about no familial understanding not to mention they'd probably not be able to actually keep him in."

"What do you mean? Keep him in?" Peter asked confused.

Hughes chuckled. "It seems no one can keep the cuffs on the boy."

"And you want me to keep him at my house? How do you think I'm going to be able to keep him there?"

"With this." Hughes said holding up an anklet.

"You want to put a tracking anklet on a teenager"

"I want to keep a 14 year old out of prison." Hughes sighed. "Something about the way he was crying in your arms earlier tells me we're missing something."

Peter nodded. "Ruitaker bought him. Didn't kidnap him." He shook his head. "The kid hasn't had the best childhood it seems."

"Do you believe that or do you think they are playing you?" Hughes asked.

Peter smirked as he shook his head. "I don't know about Ruitaker but Caffrey…. Neal….. It seems so raw, and he didn't fake being sick."

"So Caffrey faking his stories? Yes or no?"

Peter stared at his boss as Hughes stared back. It took a little while for Peter to answer. "No. He's telling the truth. He might not know he is telling the truth but he is."

Hughes nodded. "Okay. So you going to foster him?"

Peter nodded. "Let me talk to El first."

Jones nocked on the door. "Peter you had me run Caffrey's prints."

"Yeah" Peter said a little shocked something had already come up. "You have something already?"
Jones nodded handing him a folder. "Danny Brookes went missing November 6th, 2007. Was reported missing by a family friend November 8th."

Flipping open the folder Peter found himself staring at a 7 year old Neal Caffery. A huge smile covered his face as he hugged the older woman who could have been his grandmother. That was how he had always imagined Caffrey. Happy with eyes dancing with mischief. Not this sick, sad, and yes he'll say it, abused kid he had seen this afternoon.

Hughes phone rang. Making them all look away from the file. Hughes answered it as Jones and Peter stepped out of the room.

"Why wasn't he reported missing sooner if he disappeared on the 6th?"

Jones shrugged. "I don't know but it wasn't a family member who reported it. It was a family friend."

Peter swallowed, then sighed. His gut turning again, twisting. This want sounding good.

"Peter." Hughes called from his door way. "You want to tell me why the U.S. Marshals are on the phone wanting to know why we are looking into a Neal Bennett?"

"Who?" Jones asked as Peter said "What?"

Hughes handed him a paper, still warm from Hughes's fax machine.

An even younger picture of Caffrey stared back at him with the name Neal George Bennett typed below it.

Just who is Neal Caffrey?