Chapter 6

"What do you want me to do first?"

"Do you want to check out that address instead of Jones…and try and find any connection to an actual person?"

Neal was about to reply when both of their cellphones went off simultaneously.

"Hi Moz…calm down…"

"What's up Diana…He what! Give me the address and we will meet you there."

"Dad….Mozzie was there talking with Alex when Agent Kramer showed up and tried to arrest her…she bolted with Kramer hot on her trail. Mozzie called for help...she was heading towards the waterfront when he last saw her."

"It seems that we both got the same message." Peter turned on his sirens and flashing lights and sped away in the direction of the piers.

"Neal I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say." Peter was dead serious as his eyes was on the road ahead.

"Okay…"

"Phillip is using this capture of Alex to make his play in getting custody of you."

Neal made a strangling sound before asking. "How do you know?"

"Diana overheard a conversation Phillip had with his office. He instructed an underling to start the paperwork for making you his CI. I believe he is going to try and make a deal with Alex…maybe trading her freedom for yours. That is why you can't do anything to help him along. I want everything by the book…understand?"

"Yes Dad…I'll try."

"Don't try...DO!"

Thanks to Jones pinpoint accuracy with the cameras in the area he was able to give Peter exact directions to where Alex was and when they came to a screeching halt outside some old abandon buildings Neal jumped out before the car had come to a complete stop. He had only gone a few steps when a gunshot was heard and he quickened his steps in that direction.

"NEAL! STOP!"

Neal paused as he looked back at his father anguish clearly on his face. "But Dad Alex is in there!"

"And so is an armed agent. We are going in but you are staying behind me especially when we meet up with Phillip…Understand?"

"Yes, sir…but I don't like it."

"I don't care if you like it or not. You disobey me on this and you know what the consequences will be, and this time I won't take it easy on you."

Neal nodded and waited until his father had passed him before following closely behind. "Don't worry son, reinforcements are coming and their sirens will keep Philip from doing anything foolish. He probably fired a warning shot to stop Alex from fleeing and most likely already has her in cuffs."

Everything was going fine with Neal following his Dad into an empty warehouse where they suspected that Alex was hiding, that is until they heard a second shot and Neal reacted without thinking and bounded up the stairs.

"NEAL! STOP!"

Peter took off at the run with his gun drawn as he raced up the stairs after his son. He caught Neal's shadow as he ran up the stairs and followed him, sliding to a halt on the second floor. Neal had paused as they took the scene in. Kramer had his gun pointed at Alex.

"KRAMER! LOWER YOUR GUN!"

"I don't take orders from you Burke. This girl is a flight risk and I'm taking her in for the thefts of the Monet paintings; I have a signed statement from your boy that she is the one responsible and she has told me that Neal is indeed her accomplice in the thefts. The first shot was a warning shot for her to halt. You didn't think I would actually shoot her did you?"

Peter didn't reply as he watched Neal and Alex. Alex smiled at Neal and made a dash for the window. Kramer sensing the movement fired another warning not realizing that Neal had moved forward when Alex did and now was in the path of the bullet, catching him in the shoulder and bringing him down.

"NEAL!" yelled Alex and Peter as one as they rushed to his side.

"Alex, go let this be the diversion you need to get away," urged Neal as he struggled to get to his feet and block Kramer's move to catch Alex.

Seeing what his son was trying to do, Peter timed his movements to block Kramer, smiling a bit as he did it. He saw it as payback for shooting his son. "You shot my son!" he said as he reached for his phone to call for an ambulance.

"Burke…you are letting her get away. I've got evidence that she is the thief and that Caffrey was her accomplice on this last snatch."

"Honey, how is our son?"

"He will be fine…it's only a shoulder wound and the bullet went through. He's a bit woozy now but we should be able to take him home soon."

"What happened?"

"Phillip shot him, but to be honest he wasn't aiming at Neal. He was only trying to stop Alex from fleeing and Neal got in the way of his bullet. He was firing a warning shot but Neal didn't know that when he rushed to help Alex."

El's eyes narrowed as she heard who the person who shot her son was, but she let it pass without comment as she heard the explanation but that was to change when Agent Kramer came walking up twirling a pair of handcuffs and talking with Neal's doctor.

"When can he be released doctor?"

"Now if you like but first I need to examine him before he can be released."

"He's not going with you Kramer; you're the one who shot him, remember."

"He got in the way, but I have evidence that he is Miss Hunter's accomplice and I'm here to arrest him, so stand aside Petey."

Kramer moved towards Neal's room only to be met by Elizabeth Burke with fire in her eyes. "You will have to go through me Phillip!"

"Elizabeth, be reasonable. Your boy is dirty and no amount of loving or mothering him is going to change that and the sooner you come to that realization the sooner I can be on my way with my prisoner."

Elizabeth reaction was instant and painful to Kramer as she slapped him; but fortunately for El no one other than Kramer saw it and it was only his word against hers that she did it. Peter heard the slap and rushed to his wife's side. "I don't know what you said to her Philip to get that reaction but I would advise you not to do it again. I have just checked with Hughes and you will not be arresting Neal. He hasn't seen or heard anything about evidence and has put Neal into my custody for the time being. When the doctor releases him it will be to our custody and not into yours," and with that both Peter and El entered the room their son was in leaving Kramer furious that he left holding the short end and he stalked away.

"Well, doctor can he be released? I promise you that he will take whatever medication you want him to and do whatever you say, right son," Peter asked as he looked deeply into his son's eyes.

Neal must have seen the intent of what would happen if he disobeyed and quickly said, "Yes, sir. I just want to go home."

It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Neal was able to speak about Alex and Kramer's comments. "Dad," he said as he moved woozily down the stairs to speak with his father. He was still wearing the pajamas he had changed into after returning from the hospital and he was still under the influence of the pain killer he had been given once he returned home.

Peter hurried to the staircase to catch him before he fell head over heels and ease him down the stairs and over to the couch. "What are you doing out of bed, son?"

"Dad…it's not true what Kramer said about having a signed confession from me about Alex. I didn't sign anything and I told him nothing about Alex. He's lying Dad."

"I know son, while you were sleeping I went and met with Hughes and Kramer and saw the evidence he was spouting about the case and even I could tell that the signature isn't yours. He must been really desperate to get you that he would try and frame you for something you didn't do."

"Neal what are you doing out of bed?"

"He had to tell me something important, hun; we're going back to bed now, aren't we son?"

Neal nodded as he tried to fight off a yawn and struggled to his feet. "I'm sleepy."

El tried to look sternly at her son but couldn't and with Peter's help was able to get Neal back to bed where he fell instantly back to sleep. They watched him sleep for a while before retreating to their room to talk.

"Philip tried to frame Neal? Why?"

"Well, part of it is that he honestly feels that he needs to protect us from the boy; that once a con always a con. I can't persuade him that he is wrong concerning Neal and then the other part is that I feel that he is jealous of our high case completion rate. He wants the same for the Washington Office and knows that with Neal he will be able to achieve it so he was willing to try anything to accomplish it including framing Neal. I didn't tell you or Neal this but I had a visit with Alex in the parking garage earlier. She gave me a recording of her and Kramer's conversation outside her hotel and later in the warehouse before we arrived. Kramer lied and told her that the tip we received earlier naming her as the Monet thief came from Neal and if she would implicate Neal in the crime he would let her escape. She refused and was about to escape when he fired the first shot. I assured her that Neal had nothing to do with tipping us about her but did tell her that he did tell me where she could be located."

"Oh, dear, that isn't going to hurt their friendship any, is it?"

"No, she realized how much he loves us when she met him in the dog park and figured that he would pass that information on but also realized that the FBI would have located her soon anyway…she doesn't hold it against him although Mozzie might since he is the one who told Neal in the first place. I'm sure that our son lied to Mozzie to get that information."

"What is Mozzie going to do when he learns that Neal lied to him?"

"I don't want to know but I wouldn't be surprised if he follows in my footprints in punishing him for it. Anyway to get back to Alex; she gave us information on who hired her and we now have him and his collection in custody and soon all of those Monet paintings will be shipped back to their original owners. The case has been solved and Alex has promised not to return to New York City for a few years, at least not in the form of a thief."

"What about Kramer, is he out of our lives and more importantly out of Neal's life for good after what he tried to pull?"

"We can only hope so but he has accepted the deal we offered him. He won't be charged for trying to frame Neal in return for his promise not to pursue him in any form….our son is safe from Kramer although it might take time for the nightmares to go away for good."

Peter gathered his wife in his arms and they stayed like that while waiting for their son to wake up.

Epilogue

It was a few days later that Neal was able to get up and move around without El watching his every move. He could now either stay in his room or on the couch downstairs in the living room. He grimaced at the restrictions but learned quickly that he could milk it for all it was worth for nearly everything he wanted. Everything was going well for him until the day Mozzie appeared. He had just learned that Neal had lied to him about wanting Alex's address and he was out for pay back.

"Mozzie…you came…but what took you so long?"

"I wanted to be sure that you were well enough…"

"Well enough for what?" Neal looked up in his friend's face puzzled with his response.

"Well, I've been talking with the Suit and Mrs. Suit and they assured me that you have recovered from your wound and what I'm planning won't hurt your shoulder in any way."

"My shoulder?"

"Although I can't promise that when I'm finished your butt won't feel the same."

"My butt? Oh, No…Mozzie you can't be serious?"

Neal's reaction to the paddle Mozzie was brandishing was priceless as he scrambled off the couch and made a run for the stairs to the amusement of his parents. His shoulder might have recovered but with the drugs still in his system his speed hadn't and Mozzie easily caught him and began to pepper his bottom with as much strength that the little man to manage until Neal started to yell.

"Owww…I won't lie…owwww…owww…to you again…owwww…owww…owwww…

I promise….owwww….owwwww…."

"Neal we will be leaving now. I think that your mom needs a night out after taking care of you but don't worry we are leaving you in the capable hands of your Uncle Mozzie." Peter had to bite his inside cheek not to laugh at Neal's expression or words.

"Noooo….don't leave me with him."

Mozzie paused with his administrations to smile at the couple. "Take your time…Neal is in good hands." He then turned back to his friend as Peter and El walked out.

"Dear, I feel guilty at leaving him to Mozzie's tender care."

"Don't…he has it coming and this way I won't have to give him the spanking for disobeying me just before he got shot. Anyway it's nice to know that when it comes to Neal's wellbeing we have Mozzie on our side. Uncle Mozzie has just joined the family."

The End

AN: Neal will be visiting his grandparents once again in the next story.