In my attempt to not make all y'all angry, I am posting this chapter sooner than the last one. Enjoy =) Thank you soo much for my amazing Beta!
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By the time they got home, Neal was still asleep and Mozzie was half way there. Peter picked Neal up and brought him upstairs before returning to the car to get the bags and saw Mozzie struggling to stay awake while carrying in a few bags. Peter grabbed the bags from the boy and then rested a gentle hand on Mozzie's back and herded him into the house. He set the bags on the kitchen table and left Mozzie on the couch. When Elizabeth walked in, she turned on the TV and grabbed a blanket for the boy. She then proceeded to the kitchen table. Peter brought her a cup of coffee and he filled her in on his shopping trip with Neal.
Once they finished their cups of coffee, Elizabeth started to pull the clothes out of the bags so that she could wash them. She picked up the gloves Neal had stolen, thinking the Peter had bought them.
"Hon," she called to Peter who was still in the kitchen. "These are really nice gloves; I am surprised you went name brand." She told him as he walked into dining the room.
"I thought they would work, but I don't think I went with name brand." He said as he reached for them. He turned them over before realizing that these were not the ones he had picked out. Peter hastily searched the other bags and found the pair that he had picked out.
"Dammit Neal!" Peter shouted in frustration.
"Honey?" Elizabeth asked him with concern.
Peter threw the gloves on the table and ran a hand down his face. "That damned kid El!" Sighing heavily, he spoke again to Elizabeth in a calmer voice. "That damned kid stole those gloves!"
Elizabeth was shocked at what Peter said; he had told her how Neal fought for the pair of gloves, but she never would have thought he would have stolen them. And to be honest, she had no idea what to do.
And neither did Peter. He was used to Neal stealing things as an adult. He was used to Neal breaking the law and Peter giving him his disappointed look and lecturing Neal to no end and threating him with prison. He had no idea how to punish Neal as a child though. And honesty, he wasn't good at punishing him as an adult either.
"Now what El?" He asked her despondently.
"I don't know, Hun. I think we will have to wait and see what he says." Peter was not satisfied with this answer but he did not have any better ideas so he sat back down at the table. Elizabeth ran downstairs to run the washing machine and Peter remained at the table with his chin resting on his crossed hands with his elbows on the table. Just when Peter was about to get up, Neal walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, P'ter! Can I have a sna-"was as far as Neal got before he saw the two pairs of gloves lying on the table. "Snack, please?" He continued, hoping against hope that Peter didn't make the connection.
"Sit down Neal," Peter called from his seat.
"I was actually going to grab a snack…"
"Sit. Down. Now." Peter said much more firmly. He could not believe the gall of the kid, walking in here as if he hadn't done anything. When Neal had taken a seat, Elizabeth walked in the room and sat across from him.
"What happened Neal?" Peter questioned the boy.
"I don't know what you are talking about P'ter" he replied innocently. Elizabeth saw the look of raw fury on Peter's face when Neal said this and decided she better cut in before the situation escalated.
"Neal, we know you stole the gloves and we would like to know why?" She asked him calmly but with authority.
"I didn't steal anything!" Neal shouted. He was going to fight this until the end and was not about to go down without a fight.
"Don't you dare lie to me about this!" Peter told him in a deadly quiet voice. "I am going to ask you one more time, Neal. What happened?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," Neal said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, but his words were said with much less confidence. He knew he was playing with fire, but he also knew that without his confession there was still reasonable doubt. He was in contact with the system enough to know how it worked. Too bad Neal didn't realize that Peter did not care about that system in this case.
"Corner. Now." Was the only thing Peter said.
"Nooo P'ter!" Neal whined. "I didn't even do anything!" He cried out at the apparent injustice.
"I am not going to sit here and listen to you lie to me. Until you are willing to tell me the truth, you can go sit in the corner." Peter told Neal. It was a testament to how much Neal despised the corner that he told Peter and Elizabeth the truth.
"I took them," Neal muttered under his breath while looking down at the table.
"What was that?" Peter asked for confirmation.
"I took the gloves!" Neal repeated louder this time.
"You mean you stole them." Peter corrected. Neal nodded. "Why?" Neal's only response was a shrug.
"Neal, Sweetie, that's not an answer. Was Peter not clear on why he wouldn't buy you those ones?"
Neal shook his head but did not look up from the table. "If it is money you were worried about, I can get cash." He told El.
"That wasn't the point Neal. The point is that you don't need to look top notch if you are going to be our kid. That means you don't need top brand since we don't even know how long you are going to remain a kid." Peter said with relative calm. He was still angry but was trying to keep his voice level.
"Well sue me then for wanting to look good even in this state!" Neal yelled, this time looking Peter in the eyes.
"I won't sue you Neal, but I can send you to prison for stealing." At Elizabeth's raised eyebrow, Peter clarified. "Obviously I can't when you are like this. If this is a permanent thing though, stealing will become a thing of the past for you." He said with conviction. There was a few minutes pause where Neal and Peter had a stare off before Neal questioned,
"What now?" Neal asked hesitantly. He did not really want to know what Peter would say, but he was just as eager to have this matter behind them.
"Now we have lunch and return the gloves to the store." Peter told him.
"You can't do that!" Neal cried out, hopping off his chair for emphasis.
"Excuse me?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow.
"P'ter, the gloves are already here, and nobody caught us, so why don't we just keep them?" Neal rationalized.
"Sweetie, just because no one caught you, doesn't mean that they are yours. After lunch the two of you will go and return them and apologize for stealing them."
Before anyone, even Neal himself, knew what was happening the young boy snatched the offending pair of gloves and he ripped off the price tag.
"There! Now we can't return them!"
Peter saw red. He could not believe Neal just did that. He knew he needed a minute, several minutes to calm down before he could talk to the kid without saying or doing something he would regret.
"Corner. Now." He barely said above a whisper. In all the time Neal had known Peter, he had never heard the older man use that tone. That was saying something with all the antics he had pulled. It managed to pull Neal from his attitude and he realized exactly what he had done. His face flushed with embarrassment and he tried to apologize to El and Peter.
"I'm sorry!" He said as he felt his eyes start to burn. "I am so-"
"Corner. Now." Peter repeated. Neal wanted to tell Peter that he was sorry and he didn't know why he had done that, and reassure him that he would never steal again, but he saw the look on Peter's face and knew his time for talking was up. He followed Elizabeth, who was carrying the kitchen chair to the corner and sat down facing the corner with no complaints.
"Four minutes, Neal" She said without heat, but in a somber voice. She then walked over to her husband who was breathing heavily. It was easy to see that it would take longer than four minutes for him to calm down so she suggested he take Satchmo on a walk. It was at that time Mozzie decided to get up from his nap and he walked into the dining room to see Neal in the corner and a red faced Peter. He decided to remain out of it and walked over to Elizabeth.
"Hey Sweetheart, how'd you sleep?" She asked Moz as she ran a hand up and down his back.
"Good, that shopping must have tired me out."
"Well Peter was a just about to take Satch on another walk, would you like to join him?"
Mozzie looked at Peter and when he saw his face his immediate response to stay far, far away. Then the seven year old part of him kicked in, and that part really, really wanted to go on a walk. He agreed and went to go put his boots and coat on.
Peter on the other hand was not exactly enthused to have the seven year old come with him, but he could recognize that El wanted time to talk to Neal alone. He followed Mozzie to the door and after putting his coat on and attached Satchmo to the leash they were off.
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"Your time is up Neal," Elizabeth said with a smile as she rested her hand on his head. Neal was so engrossed in his thoughts that he practically jumped off his seat. "I'm sorry Sweetie, I didn't mean to scare you"
"Me too." When El didn't say anything he continued "I'm sorry."
"I know you are baby, you really shouldn't rile Peter up like that." She said as she grabbed Neal's hand and tried to pull him off the chair.
"I'm sorry about P'ter," Neal said as a few tears fell down his cheeks. He resisted Elizabeth's attempt to pull him from his spot, preferring to look at the wall than at Elizabeth.
"He'll forgive you once he's calmed down. Kids are meant to make mistakes." She told him, crouching down so she could look him in the eyes.
"No, Liz'beth. I'm sorry about P'ter. Not sorry to P'ter." Now the tears were falling harder. Elizabeth made the connection Neal was getting at. He was apologizing for Peter going to prison. He was apologizing about Peter being in a position that got himself sent to the hospital. And it made Elizabeth feel extremely guilty. On top of everything that was going on, Neal did not have to be worrying the Elizabeth blaming him for had happened with Peter. And it was his fault that he was feeling this way, she had not been doing a very good job since the events with Pratt at making amends with Neal. She had said some hurtful things to him, and now was as good of time as any to apologize. She easily picked up the now sobbing boy and brought his to the couch.
"Oh Neal, it is my turn to apologize to you." She pushed him gently away from her shoulder and made him look her in the eyes. "This is important Neal, I need you to listen to what I am saying. Can you do that?" With a nod from Neal, she continued. "I know you feel like what happened with Peter was your fault and what I said to you didn't help either, but it's not your fault." She said empathetically. It was clear that he didn't believe her. "It's not Neal. You don't control anyone's actions but your own. And I know what you did to help Peter stay out of jail was probably illegal, and I am sorry I made you do that. I'm not sorry with the results, but I am sorry that you have to lie to Peter about it and that you yourself risk going to jail. That's not what I want Neal. I love you so much, and I am sorry."
It was an uncomfortable moment for Elizabeth as Neal stared at her, but he must have seen something in her face because he forgave her.
"I'm sorry to, Liz. Can we put this behind us?" He asked her tentatively.
"Of course" She said with a smile. "How about we start on lunch? If I know one thing about Peter, he will come home hungry. "
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Peter and Mozzie came home and heard laughter coming from the kitchen. Peter hung up their coats as Mozzie ran into the kitchen. Though Peter had calmed down considerably on the walk, it irked him that Neal was laughing and clearly having a very good time with Elizabeth. The minute Peter walked into the kitchen, Neal's entire demeanor changed. He stopped laughing and stiffened.
"Hey Honey, whatever you are making smells delicious." He said as he gave her a hug from around her back.
"Homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Neal was a big help with lunch." She said with a smile to the boy.
"Is that so Neal?" Peter asked as he patted the boys shoulder to let him know he was not angry. Peter was glad, but not surprised that Neal was being good to Elizabeth. Neal just shrugged and carried the napkins to the table.
Once they had all sat down, Peter and Mozzie told them about the walk.
"There's a park only five blocks from here, El. I wanted to go, but Peter said there would be lunch soon. I don't know what it is about bein' little, but I sure am hungry all the time!" Mozzie gushed.
"Well maybe tomorrow we can go while Peter is at work." She told him, which Mozzie agreed to very quickly. Neal remained suspiciously quiet through this conversation. At the mention of Peter returning to work, brought up several questions; one of which is what they would tell Hughes and the rest of the team. He knew if he talked about it now it would likely lead to an argument and he really didn't want to push Peter's buttons more than he already had.
"Do you want to go to the park Neal?" Elizabeth asked, trying to get Neal engaged. Neal only shrugged and did not say anything through the remainder of lunch.
Once they had finished eating, Peter told Neal to go put his jacket on.
"Are we going somewhere?" Mozzie asked curiously.
"Just me and Neal, Bud. We need to run back to the store real quick." Mozzie looked like he about to question Peter for more details, but Elizabeth cut in telling Moz that he could help her make tonight's dessert.
Neal knew that Peter was going to make him apologize, and as much as he did not want to, he knew he really did not have a choice in the matter and was willing to listen to the older man for now. Peter helped Neal zip his jacket and handed the boy the pair of gloves Peter had chosen. Neal put them on without a comment. This time when Peter put the boy in the car seat, he did not put up any resistance.
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"May I speak to your manager please?" Peter asked one of the cashiers. She looked almost confused towards Peter, as usually people who asked to talk to the manager were angry and she was unused to this politeness.
"One moment sir," she said and called the manager over the intercom. While they waited for the manager to come, Peter set Neal down on the ground. When they saw the manager coming, Neal took a step back and stood behind the older man's legs.
"Hello, I'm John, the manager. What can I do for you today?" He asked Peter, sparing a glance at the child hidden behind him.
"I'm sorry for taking up your time, but we came here earlier today, and my son needs to tell you something." Peter said to John. He then positioned Neal so he stood in front of Peter's legs, instead of behind them. "Neal" he prompted.
"We were shopping earlier and I took a pair of gloves." Neal whispered to the floor.
"Neal" Peter scolded. Neal knew exactly what Peter was telling him to do. This time, Neal looked up at the manager and from Neal's short state John appeared to loom over him.
"I stole a pair of gloves earlier. I am really sorry," Neal said louder this time and actually looking John in the eyes.
The manager was having trouble holding back a smile at how cute the child in front of him was. He was used to dealing with unruly children and parents doing nothing. It was refreshing to see a parent having their child take responsibility for their actions.
"Stealing is really naughty young man," John admonished. Neal felt his face burning at that word. It was one thing for El to say, but entirely different to have a complete stranger call him that. "But if you promise not to do it again, we can leave it at that. How's that sound?"
"Thank you sir" Neal said. "I also have the money to pay for the gloves." He said as he handed John some money.
"You didn't just want to return them?" John asked Peter.
"We have other plans for them," Peter said. Neal had already apologized so he didn't see a reason to get into great detail.
"Okay, well Amanda can help you check out." He told Peter. "Thanks again for coming back." He said before walking away. Peter picked Neal up and sat him on his hip as the stood in line for the register.
"I'm proud of you Neal." At that Neal gave an immediate questioning look. "Not for stealing, mind you. But I know it is hard to apologize, and I am proud of you for doing it without protesting." Neal smiled before resting his head back on Peter's shoulder as he paid for the gloves. Once again Neal did not put up a fight when Peter put him in his car seat.
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"What are we doing here?" Neal asked Peter as he was picked out of the car seat. He read the sign "Goodwill" and got slightly anxious. "We aren't shopping here are we?" Neal asked as he was set down. He was worried that this was a creative but in Neal's opinion cruel punishment.
"Nope." Is all Peter said before he grabbed Neal's hand and started walking into the store. He walked straight to the register.
"We are here to make a donation." He informed the cashier.
Neal's reaction was immediate. "No!" Neal whined and tried to pull away from Peter's hand. Realistically Peter should have anticipated this, and should have spoken to Neal to prevent this embarrassing scene.
"Just a second, please." He told the elderly cashier. He crouched down to eye level with Neal and grabbed both the boy's shoulders before addressing him. "Yes, Neal. You know we weren't going to keep them." Peter said firmly.
"But we paid for them!" Neal whined.
"After you stole them!" Peter shouted, but recovered quickly and gave the cashier an embarrassed smile. She smiled back kindly to him.
"And I apologized for that!" Neal cried out.
Peter sighed. "I know you did Neal, and thank you for that. I am not going to reward you for stealing the gloves though. Since we couldn't return them, we are going to give them to someone who needs them."
"I don't want to!" Neal yelled.
"There are a lot of little boys out there that could benefit from a pair of gloves, dear." The cashier inputted, trying to help Peter out.
"I don't care. I want them!" Neal said with a stomp of his foot.
"Neal George, I am very disappointed in how you are acting right now," Peter scolded. He saw the tears in Neal's eyes but continued on. "There are a lot of people out there who could use a pair of gloves and you are being incredibly selfish. You already have a perfectly good pair at home. I am sorry that you don't want to do this, but it is going to happen." Peter told him. Peter handed the crying boy the stolen gloves he had put in his coat pocket earlier. He instructed Neal to hand them to the cashier and he did so only a little reluctantly.
"Thank you, dear. These will keep someone's hands very warm." She said with a smile to Neal. Peter picked Neal up and he quickly had his arms around Peter's neck and his face buried in his shoulder.
"Kids sure can be a handful, huh? I remember when my son did a very similar thing. I can tell you are raising a great boy." She told Peter. With a final thank you, Peter and Neal left the store. As he was buckling Neal in, Peter had one last final bomb to put on the kid.
"There is one more thing, Neal. You get an early bedtime tonight and Elizabeth and I are going to make a chore list that you need to complete to pay off for those gloves." Neal didn't saying anything, but he sobbed harder. "Neal." Peter waited until the boy was looking at him. "I forgive you, okay? And once you have finished your chores, this will be behind us. I forgive you." He repeated.
Neal nodded. And then smiled. Things were going to be okay.
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A/N Just so you all know, I love shopping at Goodwill. I am a sucker for buying stuff in the kitchen section!