Well, it still took me a bit to update, sorry. I kinda forgot all about midterms.

Thank you for all the followings, favorites and comments. You have no idea how happy they make me. I had no idea you guys liked this story that much. Thank you.

Enjoy.

Chapter 9

Diana struggled to keep a straight face after she walked into the hospital room to see her boss sitting on the bed reading a Better Homes and Gardens magazine with a sleeping teenager on his shoulder.

"You have no idea just how cute the two of you are." She said placing the stack of files and a notepad on the seat next to the bed as well as a bag of crossword puzzles.

Peter smiled. "I wonder if El would think so." He said carefully getting off the bed so as to not disturb the still sleeping teen.

"I'm sure she'd think it was cute too, Boss."

Peter sighed as he stretched his back while watching Neal burrow deeper into the covers. "Let's talk outside."

They didn't wander far from the room, just down the hall and around a corner before they stopped.

"Anything new on Ruitaker?"

Diana shook her head. "No, Jones is working on getting a location from him or one of his goonies now. Hughes wants to know where the boy was held."

Peter nodded feeling slightly numb. "Caffrey's father sold him to Ruitaker and the boy's mother sold him to his father. Or so he says."

"It would make sense. The mother never reported him missing. It was the family friend." Diana said, sadly.

"This isn't how I pictured the suave and carefree Neal Caffrey." Peter said leaning on the wall as he dragged a hand over his face.

Diana sighed. "It isn't how any of us pictured James Bonds, Boss. Heck he's a kid, a 16 year old."

"14"

"What?" Diana asked having been interrupted."

"He's not 15 till next week."

Diana blinked. "Damn."

Peter nodded. He felt overwhelmed by this new psychoanalysis they had for Caffrey. How had they been so wrong?

"My point is, Boss, none of us saw this coming and now we're all going to work together to put the pieces back together." She smiled. "You aren't going to do this alone. All of us, together, are going to work on the puzzle. Okay?"

Peter nodded. "I know and thank you for reminding me."

They talked for a bit longer about a couple of cases before Peter checked his watch. "Neal's doctor should be coming soon. We better get back."

When they walked back into Neal's room the boy was sitting up in bed holding a teddy bear in his lap with a confused look on his face.

Peter didn't remember see the large teddy bear before. The brown shaggy bear want huge but it filled the boy's lap. "Where did that come from?" He asked, looking at Diana who he figured snuck it in and Neal found it while they were out of the room. Diana, however, was at the door checking the hall and questioning the marshal at the door.

"Agent Hughes." Neal said quietly as he fidgeted with the red bow around the bear's neck. "He wanted to apologies."

Peter and Diana shared a look of surprise. Hughes hardly ever did apologies, he never needed to, especially to a kid they had been chasing for a year.

"Peter?" Neal whispered, leaning towards where Peter was standing next to the bed.

"Yeah Neal?" Peter whispered back, leaning closer to the boy who was stealing glances at Diana.

"What do you do with a teddy bear?"

The question made Peter take a step back as he made eye contact with blue eyes that shined with innocents. An odd look, Peter decided, for the kid to have.

"What?"

The boy fidgeted in his seat. "You know." He bit his lip before holding the bear up. "What's its purpose?"

Peter blinked. "Um, well…." That's a good question. "You… um…. It…."

"Teddy bears are for cuddling with." Diana saved him from embarrassingly rambling as she sat down in a chair.

Neal jumped at Diana's voice but seeing Peter smile and thank her the boy relaxed.

"Cuddling?"

"Yep cuddling." Diana said matterafactly.

Neal's dark head bobbed quietly as he studied her. After a period of silence the boy asked curiously. "Are you a marshal?"

"Am I a marshal?" Diana replied sounding almost insulted.

Peter kicked himself for forgetting introductions. "Neal this is Agent Diana Berrigan. She's part of my team.

Neal's eyes got big with excitement and recognition. "Oh, Diana. Okay." His eyes twinkled in a way that openly said he knew more than he was letting on.

Peter just chuckled and shook his head at Diana's stormy glare and confused face as well as Neal. For someone who knew all about their lives the boy knew nothing of their appearances.

All three of them jumped when someone knocked on the door a dark haired, short and curvy woman walked in a white lab coat walked in, Dr. Diaz. "Hello, Neal I hope you're feeling better today."