The Way It Could Be.

Three times Neal called Peter 'Dad'


The first time was because Mozzie, of all people, had told him to say it.


Neal sat on it for the first week Peter was recovering at home. At work, he would build up the courage; he would do it, he would do. The moment he walked through the Burke's door and laid eyes on Peter, all his courage would vanish.

It didn't help that he knew the office knew but, the office didn't know that he knew. So, most of the agents danced around the subject, even Diana and Jones. At times, it was frustrating. Other times, it was a relief. If he didn't confirm it, if he pretended to remain ignorant, then they couldn't use it against him. It was a blissful illusion that could only last so long but, he was going to draw it out as long as possible.

Dad. It was one word. Mozzie told him to say it to Peter, even if it was just in the Burke's home.

"Something wrong?" Peter asked, jolting Neal out of his thoughts.

"Nothing's wrong," he responded automatically, placing the file he had been reading back onto the table.

Peter eyed him the way he always did when he didn't think Neal was telling the truth.

"Really!" he said, hoping Peter; no, his father would believe him. It amazed him how difficult it was to think of Peter as 'dad'.

Peter was Peter and he didn't know how to change that. He didn't know if he wanted to change that. Even so, something was changing. He had said 'parents' earlier without even thinking about it and had liked it. He liked being able to say 'parents' and refer to people who were there, people he knew. Peter and El were people who were there for him, even after he messed up.

"There's some wine in the fridge, if you want some," Peter said.

Wine was a welcome distraction from his thoughts. He stood up and walked over to the kitchen, leaving Peter on the couch in the lounge room.

Neal had filled his wine glass; thank goodness El had better taste than her husband, and had been getting a beer for Peter out when there was a crash from the lounge.

"Peter," Neal stammered under his breath, instantly realising the source of the noise. He quickly ran back into the lounge to find Peter lying against the bookshelf with one arm held up and curled around a book still on the shelf and other books lying around him.

"Dad?" Neal called as he moved closer to Peter, shocked at seeing the other man so vulnerable. "You okay?" He couldn't understand what had happened. Was Peter more hurt than he seemed?

"Leg. Cramped," Peter groaned out, rubbing his free hand down the cramping leg.

Neal breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a leg cramp. Painful but, not deadly.

He took the book from Peter's hand and helped him back to the couch.

There was much complaining and it seemed like his little slip went unnoticed.

But, Peter had noticed. The word had shocked him so much that he hadn't been able to think of how to respond to it.


The second time was because Neal wanted to give Peter his forgiveness.


It had been a fight over nothing. Diana had been around, talking to Peter about a case, and when Neal walked in, they both went silent.

El had returned home right as Neal walked out the door.

"You just can't trust me! Even now!" he yelled. He was just short of pushing past her when his gentlemen side took over. "Excuse me, El," he said, shuffling by.

"Right, I'm going to go too," Diana said, packing up her papers.

El nodded as Diana left and then turned to her distraught husband. He was pouting on the couch, eyes staring at the television but not watching it.

She grabbed him a beer and handed it to him with a smile and a kiss.

"Want to talk about it?"

Peter sighed, a familiar sound when it came to anything related to Neal.

"Neal doesn't think I trust him."

El tried not to laugh. Trust issues were common between the two men and each time they acted like the world was ending.

"What happened to made Neal think that?" Peter was silent. "Peter?"

"I had Diana bring in some cold cases for me to work on," he admitted it slowly, as if admitting a great sin.

And, to El, it was a great sin. Peter was supposed to be resting, not working.

"Peter," she said in a warning tone.

He silenced her with five words, "Neal already gave the speech."

"The 'you are supposed to be resting' one?" she questioned. When Peter nodded, she added, "well, you do deserve that speech."

"Yeah," Peter said sadly. He did regret his actions, but he had been frustrated with boredom and Neal had come in, told him to stop working, and he lashed out.

Before he had known about Neal being his son, he would have told him that it was none of his business. Instead, he had spat; "shouldn't I be saying that you?", since Neal hadn't been telling him about work at all, avoiding the subject every time it came up.

"You need to apologise," El said plainly.

"What?" Peter's first instinct was to question why. El playfully scowled at him and stood there with her hands on her hips.

"We're going to June's," she said, "we'll join Neal for dinner, during which, you will apologise."


Neal was surprised to open the door and see El standing there with Peter standing behind her.

"We brought Chinese," she announced with a smile. "May we come in?"

He was shock as he moved out of the way to let them in. After losing his temper with Peter earlier, he hadn't expected to hear from them for a few days.

Peter only glanced at him a moment before looking away. Obviously, El had arranged this little outing and Peter was here for some reason; maybe to make sure Neal didn't try anything with his wife. It irritated Neal on some instinctual level, but he was careful to hide his irritation behind a neutral mask.

El placed the orders out on the table and pulled out the required utensils with some help from Neal. Neal pulled out the appropriate wine, pouring a glass for himself, El and Peter. He thought that Peter could go without beer for one night. It was a slightly spiteful move on his part, but Peter deserved it.

El gave him a look, like she knew what he was doing and slightly disapproved, but she didn't do or say anything.

Peter took the wine, scrunching up his nose slightly in distaste. Neal was surprised that he didn't say anything about it; he preferred to have beer while off the clock and Neal even kept a stock of fine imported beer for the times when Peter came to visit.

Conversation was light and not really about anything. Neal spoke about June and what she was up to. El spoke about her business and the latest demands some of her customers were making. Peter didn't initiate any conversation, he kept to commenting on what everyone else was talking about.

Finally, they finished eating and the awkward atmosphere they had been trying to ward off descended. Neither Peter or Neal had any idea what to say and they kept looking anywhere but at each other. El waited and hoped they would be able to work this out without her interference.

Peter cleared his throat, twice, but still couldn't decide on what to say.

Neal sighed.

"Look, I appreciate you coming out here but, it wasn't necessary."

Peter and El shared a surprised look.

"Why do you think we're here?" El asked, her eyebrows knit in confusion.

"To make sure I don't do anything stupid," Neal responded, as if it was obvious. He motioned around the apartment. "But, as you can see, I haven't done anything."

El shot a look at Peter, telling him to fix this. It had dawned on them both that Neal had gotten their reason for visiting all wrong and was beating himself up over his fight with Peter.

"That's not it at all," Peter finally said, "El made me come here in order to apologise to you."

Neal looked over to El, who nodded. It seemed to take a moment to sink in.

"You don't have to," Neal responded, not really looking at either of them. And before they could respond, he added, "Moz is coming around later, so-"

"We're not leaving yet," Peter said, sensing what Neal was about to say. "I was wrong and El was right in forcing me to come an apologise to you."

"You don't have to 'force' yourself," Neal responded, his voice growing in volume as Peter's did.

"I'm not! I just, I'm frustrated with how little I know about what's going on at the office."

"You have Jones and Diana calling you whenever something happens. And you have them sneaking files out of the office for you. Whenever I don't catch them," Neal grumbled that last part under his breath. He had been running cons on Jones and Diana whenever they tried to get files to Peter. They, in turn, had been getting smarter and cleverer in keeping him away from them when they head home.

El shot Neal an appreciative look and a glare at Peter. She had suspected but hadn't known for certain that Peter was getting work brought to him.

Peter sighed. The emotions flowing between them were working him up and tugging at his injury, making it hard to breath.

"Fine. I'll stop working until the doctor clears me," he said, giving in, "but, I still want Diana and Jones to call me with updates."

El smiled but Neal was still upset and he kept his mask firmly in place.

"Well, you'll have to tell them to stop bringing you cold cases," he said, "I don't think they'll believe me."

Neal had already tried that con on them a few days back, which had ended with a very angry El on the phone and her orders for Diana and Jones to go straight home and not visit Peter until the next day. And if Peter believed it to be a dig at their earlier argument, so be it.

"I'll call them later," Peter agreed with a sad smile and a nod. He could see the mask that Neal had in place and it bothered him. "Look, Neal, I'm really am sorry. I'd make it up to you with ice-cream and baseball in the park if I thought it would help."

El identified the horrified look on Neal's face and decided to intervene.

"How about ice-cream and art museum instead?" she suggested.

Neal perked up instantly, although part of the mask stayed in place.

"We'll have to wait a while," Peter said. And, although he sounded reluctant, he couldn't help agreeing when he saw the effect El's suggestion had on Neal. "When I get back to work, I'll be able to take Neal out of his radius again." He turned to Neal. "We'll go somewhere outside of your radius, as a special treat, that okay?"

Neal was certain his heart stopped for a moment. Was Peter serious?

"No baseball?" he questioned hopefully, just to make sure.

"No baseball," Peter confirmed.

Neal smiled a real smile this time and not the mask. It was the kind of outing he had imagined; back before he knew who his father was, and something that he had secretly hoped for since.

"Well, what do you think?" Peter prodded when he didn't respond.

"I think you might make the best dad I've ever had," Neal said, the words spilling out only slightly filtered. Imaginary and false fathers counted to Neal.

Both Burkes raised eyebrows at this. It was an odd response but, somehow completely Neal.

"Well, I'm not in jail," Peter pointed out, in a lame attempt at a joke.

"At this point, even if you were in jail, you'd still be the best," Neal responded, "and Mozzie would help me break you out."

"Oh no," Peter said, even as El started laughing. "You're not breaking me out. If I land in jail, you clear my name, you got it?"

"Yes, dad," Neal responded, faking chastised.


Although he had technically said 'dad' to Peter three times, Neal counted the night Peter and El came around for dinner as one.

The time he considered to be the third time, took place in the office.


Peter came back to work six weeks after he was shot. One week in the hospital and five weeks at home before he was cleared to return, although he did work from home the last week.

He was offered Hughes' old job and after a night of contemplation, he took it. After getting shot by James, he couldn't help thinking about what would have happened if he had died. El still had trouble sleeping because of it and Peter had seen only a fraction of the worry and guilt Neal carried. It was time for a change and he felt ready for this promotion.

Plus, things had changed between him and Neal. Or maybe he was only now becoming aware of it. Peter didn't think he could ever arrest Neal and this disqualified him from being Neal's handler, even if it was just in his head.

Neal hadn't taken the news well. And the news that came in the next day; James had been released with both shootings regarded as 'self-defence', hadn't helped.


An agent from DC came over to help 'wrap up' the Pratt-Bennett case. He was middle-aged and recently divorced; there was still a tan-line on his ring finger, his hairline was receding and he kept insisting that he didn't need glasses, even though he squinted and held reports at arm's length.

Most of the office didn't like him, especially because anytime he was in the same room as Neal, he glared at him.

"So, how does it feel, to have a murder for a father?" he had asked, once he managed to corner Neal alone by the coffee machine.

Neal raised his eyebrows at this and realised that the news that he was really Peter's son hadn't travelled outside the New York offices.

"I'm sorry to say, you've been misinformed," he said, as politely as he could, "James Bennet isn't my father."

The agent just gave a bark of laughter. Obviously, he thought Neal was disowning the man.

"No honour among thieves, huh? I guess that extends to murdering fathers and conman sons."

Neal caught Diana's gaze as she silently asked him if he needed assistance. He gave her a small headshake, 'no,' in reply.

"I don't know," he said, walking up the stairs towards Peter's office; which he was still stuck in until the paperwork for the new job went through.

The agent followed him.

"I need to see Agent Burke," he announced, almost pushing past Neal and spilling the coffees Neal was carrying.

Neal plastered on his most charming smile as he guided the agent to Peter's office door.

"And I need to give Agent Burke his coffee," Neal said. He knocked on the door and let himself in.

Now, it was just a wait. No matter who spoke first, Neal had already planned how this would end.

"I can't believe you kept him here," the agent scolded as he sat down. "What if he helped his father escape the charges?"

Peter looked over at Neal with a suspicious look. Neal shrugged and placed the coffee on the desk.

"I guess I could help him escape," Neal commented. He turned to Peter before either agent could respond. "So, dad, are we still on for the museum this weekend? Maybe escape work for a few hours?" he asked. It was smooth, mostly because it was Neal speaking, but it was obvious why he was saying it; to get under the DC agent's skin.

"I did promise you a museum trip," Peter said with a sigh, going along with Neal's plan. He hadn't liked the way the DC agent had glared at his son. "Why don't you call El and we'll make it a family outing?"

Neal nodded and left. The door wasn't even closed before the DC agent started spluttering and protesting and demanding to know what was going on.

"Caffrey," Diana said in a warning tone, crossing her arms over her bulging stomach.

"Has Peter seen that yet?" Neal asked, knowing that Diana had stopped visiting the injured Peter after she announced it to the office. 'Knowing it and seeing it were two different things', as Peter had said at dinner the night he first went back to work.

It was a classic misdirect. She knew that and he knew that.

She glared at him for a few more moments before sighing.

"He did deserve that," she relented.

Most of the office had heard his discouraging remarks to Neal. Some had even seen it as a personal attack on Peter. Others, like Jones, weren't impressed with the DC agent's ability. In their opinion, he should have known already. While the rest of the building didn't know for certain; Peter had confirmed it for the White Collar staff while Neal watched on like a scolded child, it was still a really big rumour.

"So, are you going to change your name to 'Neal Burke'?" Jones asked. Thankfully, Neal had already moved past the phase where everyone knowing about his relationship to Peter was uncomfortable. It seemed like, the more people who knew and accepted it, the better he felt about it. Peter was the same. "It'll stop this kind of misunderstanding from happening."

"Not happening," Neal responded with a smile and a laugh. "'Neal Burke' is kind of lacking in je ne sais quoi, according to Mozzie. And do you know how much work goes into changing your name?"

"I would imagine less than creating an entirely new identity," Diana drawled.

"More, actually," Neal responded.

"'Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day'," Jones responded, hitting the nail on the head. Neal liked creating new identities to play with.

"Don't say that around Mozzie," Neal warned right before Peter walked over to their little group.

"Now, what's going on here?" he asked, complete with hands on hips.

Jones quickly excused himself to go work and Diana was close behind.

"Come on, Neal," Peter said, "we've got a gold coin robbery to look into."

"Ooh, sounds fun."

"I hope so," Peter responded with a fond smile as they walked up to the conference room. "And, if El has anything to say about it, you'll be Neal Burke-Caffrey."

Neal groaned, his good mood dissipating almost instantly. Additionally, his mind was already coming up with ways to change El's mind.

It would be Caffrey-Burke, just to mess with Peter.


Author's notes: Sorry this took so long. Nanowrimo really took up a lot of my time during those last few weeks (plus I had a job interview; which I failed *sigh*). Jones' quote is sort of from Confucius; just changed a little.

I think there's only enough for one more chapter (the office reaction during these events) which might be a while in coming.


And a little background stuff that wasn't really part of the story:

Hagen helped James Bennett out because he was keeping track of the cases Neal was involved in. They are also blackmailing Mozzie (James managed to find out a lot about how Mozzie worked while working with them), who helped Bennett with the gold coin heist. Neal will get dragged in when Hagen asks Mozzie to break into the FBI to destroy the evidence; Hagen heavily suggests that they have a mutual acquaintance that has free access to the FBI (Neal). And Neal will do anything to help Moz.

Hence, season five plays out similarly to the way it does on TV (so far).