EPILOGUE 3
AN: Thanks to my beta ccluvshorses101 for her help. All mistakes are mine. Enjoy.
Neal opened his eyes. He looked down at his body. There were wires connected to his chest, going to a heart monitor, and an IV in his arm. He realized he was in the hospital. He then noticed his constant companion.
"June." Neal whispered his throat dry.
"Hi, Darling." June replied, gently pushing a stubborn lock of hair off his forehead. She pressed the button for the nurse.
Ten minutes later, after the doctor had checked Neal over, June was allowed back in. She took up her place at his bedside.
Neal smiled one of his sweet smiles at her. The ones that always made her melt.
"Do you remember what happened?" June asked.
"I remember feeling tired. I was shaky. My head hurt."
June nodded. "I found you on the floor, halfway to the bed."
Neal nodded.
"I figured you were on your way to bed and never made it." June surmised.
Neal nodded. "I was going to just sleep for a while. Then I would get up and eat."
"I heard you come in and was bringing a tray up to you." June said holding his hand. June ducked her head as tears came to her eyes. She was still seeing him lying on the floor, unconscious. The scene upset her.
"I'm okay, June." Neal said, squeezing her hand. "I'm okay."
June nodded. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue.
"Is he out there?" Neal asked, referring to Peter.
June nodded again.
"I want to talk to him."
"You don't have to." June replied.
"I will…eventually." Neal could tell by her attitude that something had happened between June and Peter. "What's going on?"
June sighed. "We had a…disagreement on how Agent Burke is taking care of you."
"This is serious." Neal stared at June. "…Agent Burke?"
"He wasn't being fair, so I called him on it."
"June!"
"He was punishing you for things you had not control over." June justified.
"That's not entirely true." Neal replied. "If I had just given Keller the treasure to begin with, he would have gone away. None of the rest would have happened."
"Not a viable option." June replied.
"Maybe it should have been."
"Neal, you had absolutely no idea Keller would do what he did. Had you known you would have done your best to stop it. Elizabeth has forgiven you. She understands that. She gets it."
Neal sighed. "I need to talk to him, June."
June nodded. "I'll be right outside. And he does understand what will happen if he upsets you."
June left and Peter entered the room. Peter started to speak, but Neal shook his head.
"Did you mean what you said?" Neal asked simply.
Peter just stared at him for a moment.
"Did you regret taking me on as your C.I.?" Neal asked.
"Neal, I…."
"Do you regret it?" Neal asked again.
Peter shook his head. "No, I don't." He paused. "I was angry you lied to me. I was angry over what happened to El, and I took it all out on you. That wasn't fair. You didn't' invite Keller into our lives. You didn't give him the idea to take El. And you were very willing to give the treasure up to get El back. That meant a lot. It still does. But in all this, I kind of forgot about that. I kind of forgot about the sacrifices you made in all this. And I am very, very sorry for that."
WC WC WC WC WC
Neal walked into the offices his first day back. He sat down at his desk. He got out the muffin and drank the coffee he had gotten across the street. He then made his way up to Peter's office to see what was on the agenda.
"Close the door, Neal." Peter said as soon as Neal walked into the room.
Neal complied and then sat down.
"What happened last week, what we did to you was inexcusable." Peter started. "I am very sorry for the way the entire office acted. It was petty and uncalled for. You deserved better." He paused. "I know this doesn't make up for anything. But I do hope you will give me the opportunity to try and make it up to you."
"June's been giving you a rough time."
Peter nodded. "Nothing I didn't deserve."
"I've decided…I probably shouldn't come over to the house anymore." Neal stated.
Peter just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I just…after Keller, maybe it would just be better if…."
Peter had no idea Neal felt this way. And this is definitely not what Peter wanted. "Neal," Peter shook his head. "…that's not…."
"I want Elizabeth to be safe, and if that means…."
"That's not what I want. And that is most definitely not what El wants." Peter replied.
"I want her to be safe." Neal said simply. "I think it's for the best."
WC WC WC WC WC
Neal opened his door. The person standing there surprised him. Neal moved out of the way and let Elizabeth Burke into his apartment. He could tell she was angry and by the way she looked at him, he was at fault.
El just stood and glared at Neal for a moment, hands on hips. "You don't get to make those kinds of decisions for me, Neal Caffrey!" El stated.
Neal just looked at her, confused. He didn't understand why she was angry. And he had never heard her call him by his first and last name. Neal opened his mouth to speak.
"You don't get to decide who I have in my life and who I don't!" El went on to explain. "Peter said you told him it would be better if you didn't come to the house anymore."
Neal nodded. "After what happened with Keller, I just…." He explained, unsure how she would react to his reasoning.
"I get to decide who I have in my life. Not you!" El replied, emphasizing the words 'I' and 'my.'"
Neal had no idea what to say. He still didn't understand her anger, if anything he thought she would be relieved to have the danger out of her life. If he was confused by her anger, the fact that she was now smiling at him thoroughly confused him.
"You can't get rid of me that easily." El replied. She took his hand and held it. "You're stuck with me…with us."
"I want you to be safe, El." Neal confessed. "That's all I've ever…."
El nodded. "I know. I know you do. And you did everything in your power to bring me back home." She squeezed his hand. "But cutting me out of your life is not going to make me safer."
"El…it's…." Neal replied, shaking his head.
"No, Neal. It's not better." El replied. "I consider you a friend. I love my friends and I am very, fiercely, loyal to them. I never told you this, but I love you."
Neal smiled at her. He was even blushing a little.
El looked at him and grinned. She took his chin in her hand, looking him in the eye. "I didn't think conmen blushed. You have turned both our lives upside down." El said, referring to her and Peter. "But in a good way. Believe it or not, Peter is a much happier person now. I know, for a fact, he smiles a lot more. He enjoys his job more. And a large part of that is that he gets to work with you every day, Neal."
Neal shook his head. He started to speak.
"It's true, Neal." El replied. "And I meant it when I said I loved you. You're somewhere between an adopted, troubled, child I want to return to the agency every other day, and a pain-in-the-ass little brother."
Neal laughed. He understood the comparison. "Thank you…I think." He replied. "I hope I'm more on the 'pain-in-the-ass little brother' end of the scale."
El thought for a second. "Most days you are."
Neal laughed again. "You've been so good to me. And I never had a sister. You would make a great one."
El smiled, and then she got serious. "I need to apologize to you."
"For what?" Neal asked, mystified.
"I should have been paying more attention. I would have noticed you were losing weight. I could have…."
Neal shook his head. "El…."
El shook her head stopping him. "I would have known my husband was giving you a hard time…and I would have put a stop to it." She paused. "You tell me the next time it happens. I'll straighten him out."
Neal grinned.
El slipped her arms around Neal's waist and hugged him. "So, you're coming over tomorrow night? I'm making your favorite."
Neal stepped back and looked at her. "I'm afraid to say no."
El patted his cheek. "Good man. And bring a bottle of the good stuff." El said, glancing over at his wine collection.
THE END
