The Way It Could Be.
Events that drive us together.
Part 1
James Bennett took a step backwards. His gun level with Peter's chest.
It was a standoff.
"Don't do this," Peter said, trying once more to convince the man to stay and face the consequences for his crime. A few feet away, Terrence Pratt lay on the ground, blood staining his shirt and his life gone.
Peter couldn't, wouldn't let James walk away from this. But, he couldn't shoot him either.
Everyone thought he was Neal's father and Neal wanted to keep this image.
"You're Neal's father. Set a good example for him," Peter said. His chest burned with jealousy but, he thought Neal would want this.
James froze. His face twisted in an angry growl.
"Don't tell me you honestly believe that!" he raged. The gun shook in his hand. "Neal's birth certificate is fake!" There was silence after that proclamation. Peter didn't react and that tipped James off. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" His voice reverberated off the walls.
At first, Peter had thought he had said the right thing, the words which got James to stay. Now, he realised that he had pushed a button that shouldn't have been pressed.
Peter's silence only made James more enraged.
"He told me, that you've been more of a father to him than I have. You! Peter Burke, the man who can do no wrong. My wife would sometimes tell me stories about you. My wife! And the way she smiled at the kid, I knew I had to do something. I thought erasing your name from the kid's life would work. I gave him a life outside of your shadow!"
"And into yours," Peter responded, thinking about the things Neal had told him about his young life. James Bennett's actions pushed him into WITSEC and gave him a new name and identity. What Ellen told Neal about James Bennett had pushed him out of WITSEC and into a life of crime. It annoyed Peter just thinking about it.
And it was the wrong thing to say. James pressed the trigger.
It took Peter a moment to realise what had happened. There was a bang and he looked down. He hadn't felt the bullet enter his body but he saw the red blossom across his shirt.
"James Bennett, put the gun down!" Callaway ordered crisply. She entered the room a moment later with her gun held high and her badge clearly visible around her neck.
Those were the last words Peter would remember hearing as the ground rose up to swallow his vision.
Neal was waiting in his apartment when he got the call.
"Diana?"
"Bennett killed Pratt and shot Peter," she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "it doesn't look good."
"Peter," Neal mumbled; his first thoughts were for his friend and partner. "Does El know?"
"Not yet, Jones is going to pick her up," she paused. "Neal, you won't be allowed to visit him at the hospital."
"What?" Why?
"Your father shot Peter." Neal wanted to say that he hadn't, that Peter was his father. But, he didn't have the right to say that. Not now. Not when he brought yet another dangerous person into Peter's life. "There are people; namely Callaway, who think you might want to finish the job." Now, that was ridiculous. But, there was no fighting with Diana, not when Peter was in trouble.
Maybe Mozzie could sneak him in as another patient or something.
"Did you arrest James?" he asked. If James Bennett had gotten away, Neal would make sure he didn't stay away for long.
"Yes. I'll be around to give you an update later."
With that said, she hung up. Neal clutched his phone until his knuckles went white.
Peter had been shot.
He threw up moments later.
El was getting ready for her dinner date with Peter when the doorbell rang. Hoping that it wasn't bad news; she would know if Peter was in trouble, right?, she opened it.
"Clinton." The junior agent stood on her step, looking very much like a naughty school-boy.
"Peter's been shot," he said, shattering her world. "I'm here to drive you to hospital."
El took a deep breath and tried to stay strong. Peter needed her.
Peter's been shot.
"Oh god." She felt like throwing up.
Instead of hurling, she grabbed her bag and phone. Satchmo had been taken care of, in preparation for their date and she could always call someone to look after him if she stayed at the hospital.
The thought of someone to watch Satchmo made her think of Neal.
"Has Neal been told?" she asked. She hoped that he had as she really needed someone by her side during this.
"Diana called him. He knows."
"Will he meet us at the hospital?"
To El's confusion, Jones hesitated. Instantly thinking the worst, she asked;
"Is Neal okay? He isn't hurt too?" What would she do if both of them were in the hospital? She didn't think her heart could take it.
Thankfully, Jones was quick to respond.
"No, Neal's fine. He's just not allowed to visit Peter while he's recovering."
"What?" That was the stupidest thing she ever heard.
"Neal's father was the one who shot Peter."
"How is that possible?" El said without thinking. How could Peter shoot himself?
"James Bennett killed Pratt and shot Peter."
Oh. Now El felt stupid. She had truly forgotten about James for a moment. Even though Peter and Neal acted like James had a place in Neal's life as his father, she could see that neither of them truly believed it.
It provided Peter with a reason to back off and not suffocate Neal with his fathering. This allowed Neal to breathe a little more and focus on something other than his blood relationship with Peter.
They had almost returned to their previous ways as partners and friends. El got to see her husband more often and Neal dropped by more often. So, she didn't interfere, even though she thought it would be better if more people knew.
El thought about Neal, alone in his apartment and waiting for news on whether his father was okay. She knew she couldn't allow that.
"Head towards June's, we're picking Neal up," she said.
"Neal's not allowed to visit," Jones repeated automatically, even though he didn't like it either.
"He's not visiting. He's going to wait in the lobby while I visit." She hoped that he would be okay with that. "Please, Clinton."
"Okay," Jones said, "we'll pick Neal up." Even though his voice was as flat as normal, a smile ghosted his lips. He liked this plan too.
Neal jumped as there was a knock at the door. Aside from Mozzie, who was currently photocopying the evidence before getting it to where it needed to be, he couldn't think of anyone who would be visiting.
"El?" He couldn't hide his surprise when he found Peter's long brown-haired, blue eyed wife standing across the threshold. "What are you doing here?" He thought she would be at Peter's side right now. She needed to be at Peter's side.
"I'm here to get you, now come on," she said, only hesitating a little as she spoke.
"Neal, do as the lady asks," Jones said when he looked to him for answers.
Neal grabbed his phone and his jacket and followed them out the door.
"Why are you here?" he asked El, trying to understand.
"You deserve to see him as much as I do," she said, "if they don't let you, you can at least stay nearby."
"Elizabeth's plan is for you to stay in the lobby," Jones informed him.
"Under the guise of emotional support for me," El added. Neal couldn't help wondering if it was a guise.
Maybe it was just hope that gave him such foolish thoughts. Hope that he and El would be able to turn to each other for emotional support.
He had to admit, her plan was good. At least he would be able to offer some kind of support and he would be as near to Peter as he could get.
"He's going to be fine," Neal assured her, seeing the tension radiating off El in waves.
"I know," El responded with a nod. She didn't speak again until they got to the hospital.
It seemed that either Jones or El had contacted Diana and told her that they were coming with Neal in tow, because she didn't seem the least bit surprised to see him there.
"Peter's in surgery. They're going to try and get the bullet out," she updated them.
"I'm going to go back and see what's happening with James Bennett," Jones said.
Neal couldn't help thinking this was his fault. He brought James Bennett into Peter's life, which ended with the agent shot and his wife grieving.
"El, I'm so sorry," he said, taking the woman into an awkward and loose hug.
"It's not your fault," she said into his chest, "it's James'. He pulled the trigger."
"And now he faces the consequences," Neal finished for her. He looked down at her and wondered just how she could be so forgiving. She didn't forgive everyone, he knew that, but she always seemed to forgive him.
They settled in for a long wait.
Once Peter was out of surgery, they allowed El to go in and sit with him. Neal, however, was still stuck outside with Diana watching over him.
They were stuck in their own thoughts and didn't notice Hughes storm through the entrance. Hughes noticed them instantly.
"Berrigan, Caffrey," he said once he was close enough.
They both looked up at the same time, with similar looks of surprise on their faces.
Neal's vanished first, his face settling into a neutral expression.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Diana asked.
"El's currently with Peter," Neal explained. He guessed that the retired agent was here to see Peter.
Hughes nodded at him before turning to Diana.
"Mind giving us a moment?" he asked her, "go check on Peter and El."
Diana nodded and left, only glancing back at them once. To her, Hughes was still the boss, even though he had been forced out of the job and into retirement.
"Sir?" Neal questioned, standing up. Hughes wanting to talk to him alone did not bode well, especially since Peter was in the hospital because of him.
"James Bennett was taken in for questioning," Hughes started, to Neal's confusion. He didn't know why Hughes was telling him something he already knew.
Neal didn't question how Hughes knew this. He knew that the older man had been with the bureau long enough to make contacts, contacts that would tell him enough about his old division.
"He's saying he shot Peter in self-defence." Neal snorted. He knew that wasn't true. Hughes, however, ignored him and continued, "he says he was afraid that Peter held a grudge against him because he forged Peter's son's birth certificate."
Neal felt his stomach drop, his world shatter and his vision tunnel.
"Bennett is not keeping your parentage a secret, Neal. He's being very upfront about it."
Neal sunk into one of the chairs. He felt the blood drain from his face and his breaths catch in his throat.
He didn't notice as Hughes sat down next to him. He did notice when the older man placed a calming hand on his back. He also heard him when he said;
"Don't worry. The precautions we took are still in place. There's nothing they can charge you or Peter with, nor will either of you lose your positions at the bureau."
Neal nodded and took deep breaths.
When Diana came in, El stepped out. She was okay with leaving her husband in the hands of his very capable team and she needed some time outside that tiny room. Peter was still on a ventilator with a tube stuck down his throat. On top of being pale and bandaged, it was a hard sight to bare. Despite how sick to her stomach it made her feel; how it reminded her how close she was to losing him, she stayed by his side because her husband need her support.
She walked down that hall, still seeing Peter attached to machines and out cold; she wouldn't even think 'dead to the world' because she was afraid for that outcome.
She expected Neal to be sitting calmly in one of the chairs or leaning against one of the wall, maybe even chatting to a nurse or doctor.
She didn't expect to see Neal, bowed in a seat and struggling not to panic with Reese Hughes keeping him calm.
"Reese!" The older man was a welcome sight.
"Elizabeth," he greeted, looking away from Neal for only a moment. "How's Peter?"
"They managed to remove the bullet and it didn't hit anything vital," she responded, "they'll see how he goes in the morning." Hopefully, they would remove the tube then. "What's wrong with Neal?"
"The office knows about Peter being my father, James is telling everyone," Neal responded, sounding dissolute.
El gasped. Even though Peter hadn't mentioned it, she assumed that having one's blood relative under your custody wouldn't be ethical.
"This changes nothing," Hughes informed her, "when Peter and Neal informed me of their blood relationship, we took some precautions."
El nodded, she remembered Peter telling her about this. Mostly, he just told her about all the fuss Neal made beforehand and asked her whether he made a good father.
"The higher-ups already know," Hughes continued, "and the parole board. They're convinced that keeping Neal with the father he didn't get to know during his childhood is beneficial to his rehabilitation. That having his father around now; setting a law-abiding example, is proving to have a positive effect on him which is why they are one of the most successful agent-CI teams."
"They were also convinced to keep it quiet," Neal mumbled, "in case it disillusioned other agent-CI teams. Apparently, I'm quite the success story."
For some reason, El didn't think this was entirely true. Sure, that's probably what the higher-ups thought but she didn't think that's why Neal kept it quiet. Instead, she was reminded of the child who didn't want everyone knowing their parent was a teacher. Others would think they were being shown favouritism and that every success was because that person was their parent. And the child would have to work even harder, just to make sure they didn't do anything which reflected badly on their parent. It made it hard to relate to others; something that Neal prided himself on.
El went and sat beside him. She pulled Neal into a half-hug which was uncomfortable in the plastic seats.
"Hush, you're meant to be my emotional support," she reminded him as she stroked her hair. She didn't know how to make it better but, she did know how to ease the pain; just for a little while. "That means staying by my side while my husband is in hospital. Work can wait."
"I think I'm supposed to go back to the office on Monday," he pointed out, in spite of her protests. He glanced over at Hughes for help.
"I'm sure Diana or Jones could put in for some leave for you," Hughes said, a rare smile gracing his features. "The office is going to be a mess for the next few weeks, since Callaway has made too many mistakes in the past few days."
"Good. From what Peter's told me, I didn't like her," El said as Neal calmed in her arms.
When his breathing returned to regular rhythm, she released him from the hug.
"Feel better?" she asked.
"Aren't I supposed to ask you that?" he responded with a raised eyebrow.
Hughes coughed and cleared his throat.
"I'm going to check on Peter and then head off," he said, "I'll contact you if I hear anything else."
They both nodded and were left alone in the lobby. Well, as alone as one can be in a hospital lobby.
"El, I'm really sorry. I never thought James would."
"Stop apologising," she told him. She hadn't kept count, but she knew he had already apologised way too many times. "It's not your fault. You're as innocent as me in this."
He chuckled.
"I doubt that."
"If I hadn't told you to lie to Peter, then you wouldn't have turned to James," El said, "I've made mistakes too. All we can do now is hope Peter makes it through. Then, we can talk."
Neal nodded and left to get coffee. It was going to be a long few nights.
When Peter awoke the next day, El was right by his side. She smiled through tears, happy to see his large, walnut brown eyes looking at her again.
Tired and groggy, Peter didn't stay awake for long. And El didn't get to have much time in his company as nurses and a doctor flooded the room to do routine checks. It was still worth the hours of anxious waiting to be there when he first opened his eyes.
"I'll be right back, hun," she told him.
Her heart sung as he mumbled 'hun' back to her.
Outside, she found Neal sitting at the nurses' station just down the hall.
"He's awake!" she told him, smiling widely. Those few moments with Peter convinced her that he would be okay, that he would fight until he was completely healed. It didn't completely abate her worry and stress but, it was a step in the right direction.
Neal breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with relief. It was the first time he had smiled properly since he had gotten the news that Peter had been shot.
Author's note: This part of the story is turning out longer than I expected; which seems to be the norm when it comes to this fanfiction. I've cut it into parts, this is the first one. Peter gets shot, James confesses (but not to murder, no), Neal feels ill and El is worried.
