Chapter 6

With Neal in the living room pouting and Peter in the den considering Neal's request El decided to hurry the decision up. She approached her husband and hugged him from behind.

"I think you should give him the chance," El said, "anyhow he's got to forge something for class, and if he comes back with the perfect counterfeit fifty dollar bill, he might catch the eye of whoever is behind this."

"But what if he uses it to start counterfeiting bonds and money?"

"Then you take him down and blister his backside," advised El seriously. "Trust me after such a hiding he will think twice about doing it again."

"That's why I love you so much," replied Peter as he got up to talk with Neal.

"But you have to tell him up front about the consequences if he does use this to get back into the counterfeit business," El added as she got up to leave.

Peter nodded before walking back into the living room to find Neal still pouting on the couch. "Son, we need to talk. Here is a fifty dollar bill so you can complete your assignment, but if I even hear a rumor that you are considering going back to your counterfeiting ways, I won't hesitate to blister your backside… and that is a promise!"

Neal was touched when he was called son by his handler, and a bit distressed to learn what would happen if Peter ever found out that he went back to counterfeiting after this undercover assignment, but nodded his understanding.

"Thanks Dad…I won't let you down…my forgery will amaze them and if Laura or Gus is involved, maybe it will get them to approach me about joining their counterfeiting ring. All they have are counterfeit twenties," Neal said as he took the money and scooted upstairs to his room to start on his project.

El joined Peter on the couch, "Now we wait and see what happens with our boy's assignment."

"Oh, don't worry, Neal will astonish them and if there is someone in that class who is a part of the ring they will approach him," Peter said firmly.

For the next few days Peter and El saw little of Neal when he got home after work, so he could work on his forgery project. It got so bad at times, that Neal was willing to miss supper so he could continue to work on the counterfeit fifty dollar bill. But after Neal had missed supper a couple of times El went up to talk with him.

"Neal," El said from the door.

Neal was so intent that he didn't even hear her so she moved into the room and repeated herself a little louder. That time he looked up acknowledging her. "Neal, it's time for supper and you will not be missing any more of them," she said firmly.

"I'm not hungry," he replied thinking that would be enough to appease El, when all of a sudden he felt his ear grabbed and pulled causing him to stand to ease the pressure, but before he comprehended that El was pissed at him, he felt a smack or two to his backside.

"I said that supper is ready! If I were you I would get downstairs to eat it or be prepared to work on this project standing up," El explained sternly as she waved her wooden spatula at him….that got his attention right away.

"El…that hurt," whined Neal as he felt his ear released.

"If you don't want to feel more, you will be downstairs in the next five minutes or I will be back with my wooden spatula… your call. Either way will cost you a sore backside. You are much too thin, and I won't have you missing any more meals and then snacking later in the night," El added as she turned and went back to her kitchen.

Neal looked in shock at El as he rubbed his backside and then hurried down the stairs and was sitting in his place when she came out with supper dishes. "Here you go sweetie, I hope you are hungry," she greeted him warmly as she set a full plate down in front of him.

Neal nodded numbly to Peter's amusement. "I see you decided to eat with us tonight; El has been missing you these last few days."

"She paddled me and threatened to do more if I didn't come down," Neal confessed in a low voice.

"It's only because she cares Neal; I must be rubbing off on her for her to actually paddle you though," explained Peter as he waited for El to reappear with her supper. He had been served first and was waiting when Neal arrived a few minutes later.

"How comes she has a paddle to begin with?" Neal asked as they waited.

"She doesn't; although she does have an old wooden spatula that has been handed down from mother to daughter and it does look like a paddle. It was her grandmother's and she treasures it highly, so if you were thinking of getting rid of it, I wouldn't," Peter added as he read Neal's mind.

"Why, she can't hit me with it if it isn't here," replied Neal.

"Because dear, my grandfather left me his leather strap, and if you think that spatula hurt, just wait until you taste the strap on your bare bottom," replied El as she returned with her helping.

There was silence for the first few minutes after that but then El opened the conversation with, "Neal, how is your project going and you aren't letting it interfere with your other assignments, are you?"

The intent was in her eye and voice as she quizzed her "son" about his schoolwork and it caused him to choke a bit as he answered, "I'm trying to juggle them all…Mom."

"See that you do or we might have to have another conversation in your room about neglecting your studies…and this time I might have to bring along a cooking implement to make my point," she added sternly.

"Yes, ma'am," croaked Neal as he blushed, causing Peter to laugh out loud.

"I think she has you scared Neal, this might be just what you need in your life; someone to hold you accountable for your actions, or in this case, lack of actions as regards to your other studies," Peter said with a smirk.

"You two do know that I am only undercover as a student; it doesn't matter whether I pass or not just as long as we catch the criminal," he said.

"We know, but we also know that if you show any misbehavior in class, like not doing homework, etc., that it will be punished with a paddling or worse. Do you really want to see the headmaster again?" replied Peter.

"But you said that you had a talk with him and he promised not to cane me again," replied Neal.

"There are other means of discipline at his disposal…the paddle, strap or ruler…and he won't hesitate to pick one and give you another thrashing…it might not be the cane, but it will hurt just as bad. We don't want that to happen, and to prevent it we are willing to use anything to keep you from making the same mistake again. Our methods might leave you with a sore bottom for the night, but his will be more lasting. Do you want to spend days squirming in your seat while you try to pay attention?"

Neal shook his head and after pausing to think asked, "Would you mind helping me with my homework. The math class is a bit more than I want to deal with right now, especially with the forgery project due date coming up."

Peter smiled and shook his head, "No I don't mind at all; we can start right after supper. Now was that so hard…asking for help?"

Neal shook his head saying, "I was afraid that if I came home with a failing grade, Mom might spank me," he added with a laugh.

"El was just teasing you, other than those two smacks to get you down to supper, she wasn't going to really spank you, right hun?" Peter replied as he glanced at his wife and what he saw made him stop laughing at once.

"El what's wrong?"

"I was serious Peter…and I intend to spank him again if he screws up on anything…this assignment or any that come after," she stated seriously.

"Honey…"

"El…"

Both men started at once only Peter was the one to continue. "El we are only playing the part of a family…Neal is undercover…remember?"

"I know that Peter…but look at him. He is crying for a family. Why else do you think he misbehaves so much…he wants your attention and approval, just like a son would. He's over at our house as much as he can; he always walking the dog and even though he doesn't like the idea of being spanked he's willing to let you spank him if it will allow him to spend more time around us. He doesn't just want you as just a friend; deep down inside he wants you as his father and hopefully me as his mother. What we need to do is adopt him and then he will have the family he has always wanted," El said emotionally as she gazed lovingly towards her son.

Peter looked with amazement at El and then glanced at Neal. When he saw the tears in the kid's eyes, he knew that once again his wife had hit the nail on the head concerning what she had said about Neal. "Neal I can be so dense at times; El is right we do need to adopt you, but until that happens just consider us your surrogate parents who love you and will do everything we can to keep you on the straight and narrow."

Neal was too emotional at the statement and bolted from the table and up to his room.

Peter and El exchanged a glance before following him and found him on his bed with tears running down his face.

"I've...never had...a real...family before. My mother loved me but she…died when I was young and after that...no one cared."

El sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Neal to her. "Well you do now. Dry your tears or you are going to miss out on dessert…we are having my famous devil's food cake and I expect you downstairs to help us eat it," she said as she patted him on the back before kissing his cheek.

As he watched his wife leave Peter turned to Neal and asked, "Are you okay, buddy?"

Neal nodded and added, "Just give me a few minutes."

Peter nodded and started for the door pausing to call down the stairs, "Honey, Neal said he didn't want his cake and to give it to me," before stepping through the door.

It only took Neal a minute to process what Peter had said to get him up and moving, "No…Dad is lying…I want my cake…Mom?" Neal yelled as he ran down the stairs and soon all that could be heard was laughter…Neal had found his family and they had welcomed him with open arms.